bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History, Linked Lives, Timing, and Agency: New Directions in Developmental and Life-Course Perspective on Gangs
Authors: Pyrooz David C. , Leverso John , Sanchez Jose Antonio , Densley James A.
Published: August 2023

For more than three decades, developmental and life-course criminology has been a source of theoretical advancement, methodological innovation, and policy and practice guidance, bringing breadth and depth even to well-established areas of study, such as gangs. This review demonstrates how the developmental and life-course perspective on gangs can be further extended and better integrated within broader developments in criminology. Accordingly, we structure this review within the fourfold paradigm on human development that unites seemingly disparate areas in the study of gangs: ( a) historical time and place, or the foregrounding of when and where you are; ( b) linked lives, or the importance of dynamic multiplex relationships; ( c) timing, or the age-grading of trajectories and transitions; and ( d) human agency, or taking choice seriously. We conclude by outlining a vision that charts new directions to be addressed by the next generation of scholarship on gangs.
Toward an Integrated Understanding of the Lepidoptera Microbiome
Authors: Shao Yongqi , Mason Charles J. , Felton Gary W.
Published: August 2023

Research over the past 30 years has led to a widespread acceptance that insects establish widespread and diverse associations with microorganisms. More recently, microbiome research has been accelerating in lepidopteran systems, leading to a greater understanding of both endosymbiont and gut microorganisms and how they contribute to integral aspects of the host. Lepidoptera are associated with a robust assemblage of microorganisms, some of which may be stable and routinely detected in larval and adult hosts, while others are ephemeral and transient. Certain microorganisms that populate Lepidoptera can contribute significantly to the hosts’ performance and fitness, while others are inconsequential. We emphasize the context-dependent nature of the interactions between players. While our review discusses the contemporary literature, there are major avenues yet to be explored to determine both the fundamental aspects of host–microbe interactions and potential applications for the lepidopteran microbiome; we describe these avenues after our synthesis.
Integrating Complex Life Cycles in Comparative Developmental Biology
Authors: Formery Laurent , Lowe Christopher J.
Published: August 2023

The goal of comparative developmental biology is identifying mechanistic differences in embryonic development between different taxa and how these evolutionary changes have led to morphological and organizational differences in adult body plans. Much of this work has focused on direct-developing species in which the adult forms straight from the embryo and embryonic modifications have direct effects on the adult. However, most animal lineages are defined by indirect development, in which the embryo gives rise to a larval body plan and the adult forms by transformation of the larva. Historically, much of our understanding of complex life cycles is viewed through the lenses of ecology and zoology. In this review, we discuss the importance of establishing developmental rather than morphological or ecological criteria for defining developmental mode and explicitly considering the evolutionary implications of incorporating complex life cycles into broad developmental comparisons of embryos across metazoans.
Linguistic Variation and Linguistic Inclusion in the US Educational Context
Authors: Mallinson Christine
Published: August 2023

This article examines linguistic variation in relation to the critical social institution and social domain of education, with an emphasis on linguistic inclusion, focusing on the United States. Education is imbued with power dynamics, and language often serves as a gatekeeping mechanism for students from minoritized backgrounds, which helps create, sustain, and perpetuate educational inequalities. Grounded in this context, the article reviews intersecting factors related to linguistic variation that affect student academic performance. Empirical and applied models of effective partnerships among researchers, educators, and students are presented, which provide road maps to advance linguistic inclusion in schools within the broader social movement for equity in education.
From Thalidomide to Rational Molecular Glue Design for Targeted Protein Degradation
Authors: Oleinikovas Vladas , Gainza Pablo , Ryckmans Thomas , Fasching Bernhard , Thomä Nicolas H.
Published: August 2023

Thalidomide and its derivatives are powerful cancer therapeutics that are among the best-understood molecular glue degraders (MGDs). These drugs selectively reprogram the E3 ubiquitin ligase cereblon (CRBN) to commit target proteins for degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. MGDs create novel recognition interfaces on the surface of the E3 ligase that engage in induced protein-protein interactions with neosubstrates. Molecular insight into their mechanism of action opens exciting opportunities to engage a plethora of targets through a specific recognition motif, the G-loop. Our analysis shows that current CRBN-based MGDs can in principle recognize over 2,500 proteins in the human proteome that contain a G-loop. We review recent advances in tuning the specificity between CRBN and its MGD-induced neosubstrates and deduce a set of simple rules that govern these interactions. We conclude that rational MGD design efforts will enable selective degradation of many more proteins, expanding this therapeutic modality to more disease areas.
High gamma coherence between task-responsive sensory-motor cortical regions in a motor reaction-time task
Authors: Anand Shashank , Cho Hohyun , Adamek Markus , Burton Harold , Moran Daniel , Leuthardt Eric , Brunner Peter
Published: August 2023

Motor action after auditory stimulus elicits high gamma responses in sensory-motor and auditory cortex, respectively. We show that high gamma coherence reliably and greatly increased during motor response, but not after auditory stimulus. Underlying high gamma power could not explain high gamma coherence. Our results indicate that high gamma coherence is a physiologically distinct sensory-motor phenomenon that may serve as an indicator of increased synaptic communication on short timescales (∼1 s).
A sensory-motor decoder that transforms neural responses in extrastriate area MT into smooth pursuit eye movements
Authors: Behling Stuart , Lisberger Stephen G.
Published: August 2023

By challenging a sensory-motor system with degraded sensory stimuli, we reveal how the sensory-motor decoder transforms the population response in extrastriate area MT into commands for the initiation and steady-state behavior of smooth pursuit eye movements. Conclusions are based on measuring population responses in MT for multiple target speeds and different levels of motion reliability and evaluating a decoder with a biologically motivated architecture to determine the decoder properties that create the measured eye movements.
Improvement of speed-accuracy tradeoff during practice of a point-to-point task in children with acquired dystonia
Authors: Kasiri Maral , Biffi Emilia , Ambrosini Emilia , Pedrocchi Alessandra , Sanger Terence D.
Published: August 2023

This study provides insights into the adaptability of children with dystonia in learning a point-to-point task. We show that these children adjust their strategies to account for increased difficulty in the task. Our findings underscore the potential of task-specific practice in improving motor skills and show higher level of signal-dependent noise can be controlled through repetition and learned strategies, which provides an avenue for the quantitative evaluation of rehabilitation strategies in this challenging group.
Antimicrobial Activity of Plasma Rich in Platelets (PRP) on the Ocular Microbiota of Healthy Horses from Minas Gerais: In Vitro Study
Authors: Torres Luis E. C. , Florez Camilo O. , Oliveira Jéssica G. , Vieira Giovanna D. , Ribeiro Ilza S. , Keller Kelly M. , Leme Fabíola O. P. , Fantini Priscila , Maranhão Renata P. A.
Published: August 2023

In equine ophthalmology, ulcerative keratitis is among the most common conditions and, in general, arises as a consequence of some trauma suffered. Secondarily, subsequent contamination by pathogenic or resident bacteria of the horse’s ocular microbiota may have undesirable consequences. Under physiological conditions, the normal microbiota coexists with the immune status of the host, serving as a barrier, ensuring the health of the ocular surface, and inhibiting the proliferation of pathogens. However, in the imbalance of immune barriers, the normal microbiota can become pathogenic and lead to infection, acting as an opportunistic agent. The present study aims to demonstrate the antimicrobial effect of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP), its time of action, and its correlation with the concentration of its same components in vitro on Staphylococcus sciuri, a bacterium with high prevalence in the normal ocular microbiota of horses in the municipality of Minas Gerais. For the preparation of the PRP, eight adult Quarter Horse (QH) horses were used. The individual PRP was prepared by the double centrifugation protocol, and then, the PRPs were added to a pool, followed by testing their interaction in culture with Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth at different dilutions against five strains collected from different animals. After 3, 6, 12, and 18 hours, the colony formation units (CFU) count on a 5% horse blood agar plate was evaluated for each time point. Our study showed that Staphylococcus sciuri, the resident microorganism of the ocular conjunctival microbiota of horses, is more susceptible when compared to the standard strain “American Type Culture Collection” (ATCC‐29213) Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic microorganism, which was used for the validation of our study. The antibacterial effect shown in this study was bacteriostatic for up to 6 hours. The most concentrated PRP dilutions, 1 : 1 and 1 : 2, were also most effective, suggesting that the antibacterial effect is volume dependent.
Age- and Gender-Related Differences in Renal Vascular Responses to Angiotensin II in Rats: The Role of the Mas Receptor
Authors: Eshraghi-Jazi Fatemeh , Nematbakhsh Mehdi
Published: August 2023

Background. Renal hemodynamic is influenced by both gender difference and age. Also, the Mas receptor (MasR) as one of the depressor components of the renin-angiotensin system which has more expression in females could postpone some dysfunctions associated with age, although the association between MasR and age in renal vascular responses to angiotensin II (Ang II) in male and female rats was well undefined. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of age and sex on systemic and renal vascular responses to graded doses of Ang II in Wistar rats with or without MasR antagonists (A779). Materials and Methods. Anesthetized Wistar male and female rats with two age ranges of 8–12 and 24–28 weeks were exposed to cannulate venous and arterial vessels. After stability, mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal perfusion pressure (RPP), renal vascular resistance (RVR), and renal blood flow (RBF) were measured in response to the infusion of Ang II with or without A779. Results. There were no significant differences in the base values of MAP, RPP, RBF, and RVR between the two genders in both the age ranges of 8–12 and 24–28 weeks. In addition, no significant gender difference was observed in the age ranges of the above mentioned parameters among the groups receiving vehicle or A779. Also, the infusion of vehicle or A779 could not significantly change the base values. On the other hand, the responses of RBF and RVR to Ang II revealed gender differences among 8–12-week groups (

P
<
0.05

) but not in 24–28-week groups, while the blockade of MasR could not influence the responses in the age ranges. Conclusion. It was concluded that age could impress sex difference in RBF and RVR responses to Ang II infusion and that MasR alone could not participate in these responses. In other words, MasR is not active under normal and acutely elevated Ang II levels.
Incorporation of the Altered Cast Technique in the Fabrication Workflow of an Implant-Assisted Removable Partial Denture (IARPD) for an Elderly Patient
Authors: Papalexopoulos Dimokritos , Samartzi Theodora-Kalliopi , Tsirogiannis Panagiotis , Artopoulou Ioli-Ioanna , Sykaras Nikitas
Published: August 2023

Implants are currently used to serve as abutments for implant-assisted removable partial dentures (IARPDs) to facilitate retention and support of the prosthesis. Implants are proposed in cases of posterior edentulous areas to convert Kennedy Class I or II to Class III or when the preparation of existing teeth to serve as abutments is contraindicated. The purpose of this report is to describe the protocol applied to fabricate an IARPD to restore a Kennedy Class II mandible of an elderly patient by incorporating traditional methods, such as the altered cast technique. Each step of the clinical procedure is thoroughly illustrated to document the selected appointment sequence. The patient was satisfied with the delivered prosthesis that demanded no additional implants to be placed but exploitation of an existing one. IARPDs are a viable and cost-effective solution substantiated by numerous reports with positive effects on patient satisfaction.
Development and Stabilization of Value-Added Functional Drink Using Melon By-Product Agricultural Waste
Authors: Namet Saba , Khan Moazzam Rafiq , Aadil Rana Muhammad , Zia Muhammad Anjum
Published: August 2023

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a widely grown horticulture crop in many parts of the world widely known for its nutritive properties. Processing of melon leads to the production of a wide range of natural end-user products and produces a significant quantity of underutilized by-products about 35%, which are made up of 3–7% of seeds and 25–44% of peels. The objective of the present research is the development of a value-added drink to effectively utilize melon by-products which are considered an excellent source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds using varying concentrations of peel and seed powder (5 and 10%) and their extracts (1 and 3%) alongside control treatment for comparison purpose. The prepared value-added drinks were stored for 3 months at

4
±
1

°C and analyzed at 15-day intervals for physicochemical characteristics, bioactive components, antioxidant indices, and sensorial evaluation. A significant (

p
<
0.05

) decrease in pH and an increase in acidity were noticed while total soluble sugars decreased slightly in all treatments throughout storage. In comparison to other drinks, value-added drink (

T

6

) prepared by incorporating 3% melon peel extract preserved total phenolic contents (

1.80
±
0.07

 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid contents (

0.53
±
0.003

 mg QE/g), DPPH (

53.23
±
0.07
%

), and FRAP (

3.85
±
0.08

 μM FeSO4/g) at the end of storage and was effective in maintaining quality attribute, better retention of bioactive compounds, and longer shelf life due to higher antioxidant potential. In terms of sensorial scores,

T

4

(10% melon seed powder) was more acceptable and was effective in maintaining physicochemical attributes throughout storage. The conversion of such waste in developing innovative functional foods could maximize profit, reduce environmental issues, and improve the sustainability of food by incorporating food waste into the food chain. Such research investigation is aimed at allaying growing concerns about food waste by reusing rejected food by-products.
Laser Ablated Citrate-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles Display Size and Concentration Dependant Biological Effects
Authors: Filipović Tričković Jelena , Momčilović Miloš , Joksić Gordana , Živković Sanja , Ilić Bojana , Ognjanović Miloš , Novaković Mirjana , Valenta Šobot Ana
Published: August 2023

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been recognized for widespread biological applications due to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, especially in dentistry and for wound healing. Many features determine their beneficial or toxic potential, such as their synthesis type, size, morphology, coating, and concentration. Most synthesis types rely on the use of synthetic chemicals, which contributes to their toxicity. We present an environmentally friendly method for “green” synthesis of AgNPs from the silver target by pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) using citrate as the stabilizing agent. Since AgNPs already have many dental applications, we examined their antibacterial effect against supragingival biofilm-forming bacteria and bacterial strains known to cause resistant dental infections. Their impact on human fibroblast cells’ cytotoxicity, proliferation (measured by XTT and Ki-67 immunofluorescence), pro/antioxidant balance, and lipid peroxidation (measured by PAB and LPP) was evaluated. AgNPs1 (21 nm) and AgNPs2 (15 nm) spherical nanoparticles with good overall stability were obtained. The highest tested dose of smaller nanoparticles (AgNPs2) displays not only an effective antibacterial effect against the tested oral bacteria strains but also a pro-oxidant and cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells. Lower doses do not affect bacterial survival but increase the cell proliferation and metabolic activity and show an antioxidative effect, suggesting that different concentrations display a substantially opposite effect. Compared to larger AgNPs1, smaller AgNPs2 possess more potent biological effects, indicating that size plays a pivotal role in their activity. Such opposite outcomes could be important for their medical application, and high concentrations could be used for the inhibition of dental biofilm formation and resistant dental infections as well as proliferative conditions, while low doses could be beneficial in the treatment of atrophic and inflammatory disorders. Finally, we showed that silver-targeted PLAL, using citrate as a stabilizing agent, produces biologically potent nanoparticles that could have many applications depending on their size and concentration.
Integrative Genomic Analyses Identify LncRNA Regulatory Networks across Pediatric Leukemias and Solid Tumors
Authors: Modi Apexa , Lopez Gonzalo , Conkrite Karina L. , Su Chun , Leung Tsz Ching , Ramanan Sathvik , Manduchi Elisabetta , Johnson Matthew E. , Cheung Daphne , Gadd Samantha , Zhang Jinghui , Smith Malcolm A. , Guidry Auvil Jaime M. , Meshinchi Soheil , Perlman Elizabeth J. , Hunger Stephen P. , Maris John M. , Wells Andrew D. , Grant Struan F.A. , Diskin Sharon J.
Published: August 2023

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) play an important role in gene regulation and contribute to tumorigenesis. While pan-cancer studies of lncRNA expression have been performed for adult malignancies, the lncRNA landscape across pediatric cancers remains largely uncharted. Here, we curated RNA sequencing data for 1,044 pediatric leukemia and extracranial solid tumors and integrated paired tumor whole genome sequencing and epigenetic data in relevant cell line models to explore lncRNA expression, regulation, and association with cancer. A total of 2,657 lncRNAs were robustly expressed across six pediatric cancers, including 1,142 exhibiting histotype-elevated expression. DNA copy number alterations contributed to lncRNA dysregulation at a proportion comparable to protein coding genes. Application of a multidimensional framework to identify and prioritize lncRNAs impacting gene networks revealed that lncRNAs dysregulated in pediatric cancer are associated with proliferation, metabolism, and DNA damage hallmarks. Analysis of upstream regulation via cell type–specific transcription factors further implicated distinct histotype-elevated and developmental lncRNAs. Integration of these analyses prioritized lncRNAs for experimental validation, and silencing of TBX2-AS1, the top-prioritized neuroblastoma-specific lncRNA, resulted in significant growth inhibition of neuroblastoma cells, confirming the computational predictions. Taken together, these data provide a comprehensive characterization of lncRNA regulation and function in pediatric cancers and pave the way for future mechanistic studies.

Significance:

Comprehensive characterization of lncRNAs in pediatric cancer leads to the identification of highly expressed lncRNAs across childhood cancers, annotation of lncRNAs showing histotype-specific elevated expression, and prediction of lncRNA gene regulatory networks.
Supplementary Table S3 from Prediagnostic Prescription Antibiotics Use and Survival in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Swedish National Register-based Study
Authors: Lu Sai San Moon , Rutegård Martin , Ahmed Maghfoor , Häggström Christel , Gylfe Åsa , Harlid Sophia , Van Guelpen Bethany
Published: August 2023

Supplementary Table S3: Characteristics of stage I-III colorectal cancer patients by limiting the antibiotics use to a 4.5-year period before colorectal cancer diagnosis
Supplementary Figure 1 from Changes in Geographic Variation and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Esophageal Cancer Mortality in China, 1973–2017
Authors: Ran Xianhui , Zheng Rongshou , Zeng Hongmei , Zhang Siwei , Sun Kexin , Han Bingfeng , Wang Shaoming , Chen Ru , Li Li , Wei Wenqiang , He Jie
Published: August 2023

Supplementary Figure 1 shows the geographic distribution and population coverage of 782 counties included in final analyses, along with the population density of China.
Supplementary Figure S6 from Prediagnostic Prescription Antibiotics Use and Survival in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Swedish National Register-based Study
Authors: Lu Sai San Moon , Rutegård Martin , Ahmed Maghfoor , Häggström Christel , Gylfe Åsa , Harlid Sophia , Van Guelpen Bethany
Published: August 2023

Supplementary Figure S6: Sensitivity analyses for antibiotics use in relation to overall and cancer-specific survival in stage I-III and stage IVcolorectal cancer.(A) Multilevel mix-effect analyses, assuming Weibull distribution and including operating hospitals as a second-levelvariable (n =36 061). (B) Analyses limited to colon cancer patients who underwent elective surgery (n= 21 096). (C) Analyseslimited to colon cancer patients who underwent emergency surgery (n= 2 897). (D) Analyses excluding cases who diedwithin 90 days after surgery, i.e., fatal perioperative complications (n=35 200). (E) Multilevel mix-effect analyses, assumingWeibull distribution and including treating hospitals as a second-level variable (n =11 242). (F) Analyses limited to caseswith complete covariate information (n= 4 729).
Supplementary Figure S5 from Prediagnostic Prescription Antibiotics Use and Survival in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Swedish National Register-based Study
Authors: Lu Sai San Moon , Rutegård Martin , Ahmed Maghfoor , Häggström Christel , Gylfe Åsa , Harlid Sophia , Van Guelpen Bethany
Published: August 2023

Supplementary Figure S5: Antibiotics use in relation to overall and cancer-specific survival in stage I-III colorectal cancer patients byantibiotics classes, typical indications and specific antibiotics drugs.The hazards ratios (HR) are derived from the Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by tumour sites (proximalcolon/distal colon/rectum/unspecified colorectum categories) and tumour stage (stage I-III), age at diagnosis (</≥50 years), prediagnostic Charlson comorbidity index (no/any CCI), family history of colorectal cancer (0/1/≥2 firstdegree relatives), and adjusted for: age and calendar year of diagnosis and prediagnostic Charlson comorbidityindex as continuous variables, and sex, place of birth, county of residence, marital status, level of education andincome status as categorical variables, defined as presented in Table 1. Antibiotics use during one year beforecolorectal cancer diagnosis was excluded to account for potential use due to undiagnosed but clinically manifestcolorectal cancer. Any use of specific antibiotics class was compared with no use of the specific antibiotics class(reference category). Antibiotics that primarily or only affect aerobic bacteria were categorized as aerobicantibiotics. Antibiotics with effect on both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, and metrodinazoles and/or tinidazoles(which only affect anaerobic bacteria) were categorized as anti-anaerobic antibiotics. Phenoxymethylpenicillin ispresented as a specific antibiotic drug but was also the sole typical drug for the indication uncomplicatedrespiratory infections and some skin and soft tissue infections. Clindamycin is presented as a specific antibioticdrug but was also the sole typical drug for the indication complicated skin and soft tissue and deep-seatedinfections. Amoxicillin includes amoxicillin with beta-lactamase inhibitor. UTI = urinary tract infection, CI =confidence interval. Detailed antibiotics classification and typical indications are presented in SupplementaryTable S1.
Supplementary Figure S2 from Prediagnostic Prescription Antibiotics Use and Survival in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Swedish National Register-based Study
Authors: Lu Sai San Moon , Rutegård Martin , Ahmed Maghfoor , Häggström Christel , Gylfe Åsa , Harlid Sophia , Van Guelpen Bethany
Published: August 2023

Supplementary Figure S2: Model fitness test using Cox-snell residuals for the multivariable model for stage IV colorectalcancer.The Cox proportional hazards model was stratified by tumour site (proximal colon, distal colon, rectum,unspecified), sex (male/female), age at diagnosis (</≥ 50 years), prediagnostic Charlson comorbidityindex (no/any comorbidity), income status (quartiles), and adjusted for age at diagnosis andprediagnostic Charlson comorbidity index as continuous variables, place of birth, county of residence,marital status, level of education, family history of colorectal cancer, calendar year at diagnosis, palliativechemotherapy and surgical therapy as categorical variables, defined as presented in SupplementaryTable S4.
Microcomputed Tomography Mineral Density Profile as Reference Standard for Early Carious Lesion Activity Assessment
Authors: Hoxie Adam Michael , Neves Aline de Almeida , Moss Kevin , de Vasconcellos Adalberto Bastos , Zandona Andrea Ferreira , Ribeiro Apoena Aguiar
Published: August 2023

Early caries diagnosis is crucial to treatment decisions in dentistry and requires identification of lesion activity: whether a carious lesion is active (progressively demineralizing) or arrested (progressively remineralizing). This study aimed to identify microtomographic (micro-CT) differences between active and arrested smooth surface enamel lesions, to quantify those micro-CT differences by creating thresholds for ex vivo caries activity assessment to serve as a future reference standard, and to validate those thresholds against the remaining sample. Extracted human permanent teeth (n = 59) were selected for sound surfaces and non-cavitated smooth surface carious lesions. Each surface was then examined for caries activity by calibrated individuals via visual-tactile examination using the International Caries Classification and Management System (ICCMS) activity criteria. Each tooth was scanned via micro-CT and the mineral density was plotted against lesion depth. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated and represented the loss of density for the outermost 96 μm of enamel. AUC thresholds obtained from micro-CT were established to classify sound, remineralized, and demineralized surfaces against the gold standard examiner’s lesion assessment of sound, inactive, and active lesions, respectively. The established AUC thresholds demonstrated moderate agreement with the assessment in identifying demineralized lesions (k = 0.45), with high sensitivity (0.73) and specificity (0.77). This study demonstrated quantifiable differences among demineralized lesions, remineralized lesions, and sound surfaces, which contributes to the establishment of micro-CT as a reference standard for caries activity that may be used to improve clinical and laboratorial dental caries evaluations.
Center-Sindh Relations in Pakistan after the 18th Amendment: Anatomy of Executive Federalism Under the PTI Government 2018–2022
Authors: Faiz Asma
Published: August 2023

This article examines the practice of Center-Province interaction in Pakistan by analyzing intergovernmental relations (IGR) between the federal (i.e., Center) and Sindh provincial governments. It focuses on the period when the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) was in power at the Center (i.e., 2018–2022). Analyzing executive federalism and provincial governments is an understudied area of research in Pakistan. I provide an overview of the emerging literature on IGR and map out the institutional architecture of federalism in Pakistan. I pay special attention to platforms for managing Center-Province conflict, especially the Council of Common Interests (CCI). I then trace the trajectory of provincial autonomy in Sindh in the context of Pakistan’s centralized federation. My focus is on the impact of 2010 18th Amendment on regional power and the management of executive relations. I explore the critical issues of discord between the federal government of the PTI and the provincial one of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh. My analysis reflects continuing dominance of the Center and its linkage with party politics in the framework of executive interactions between governments at the two levels, characterized by a significant differential in their authority. I argue that constitutional devolution needs to be cushioned by a corresponding decentralization of powers to provinces like Sindh in the administrative and financial sectors.
Autonomy and equality: exploring the antinomy of modernity (if any)
Authors: Wagner Peter
Published: August 2023

The notion of modernity is mostly seen as closely connected with the concept of equality, along with freedom or autonomy, at least since the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Recently, though, Johann Arnason cast doubts on this connection and even went as far as contemplating that equality might be the antinomy of autonomy. This article first discusses in detail Arnason’s reflections, in particular in the light of the relation between conceptual and historical analysis therein. It is shown that the suggested tension between autonomy and equality arises strongly once one assumes a comprehensive understanding of equality in which all aspects of the concept, which are otherwise often kept distinct, are included. In the second step, a historical sketch is meant to demonstrate that the political imaginary of modernity was based on such a comprehensive framework, but that any attempt at translating such a framework into institutions limited the scope of equality by setting boundaries for inclusion. Our present time is marked by the erosion of many such social boundaries, leading to a thin understanding of equality, while the simultaneous reaching of planetary boundaries turns equality into the receding horizon of modernity.
Teucrium × gutierrezii a new hybrid from Southeast Iberian Peninsula, a hotspots of natural hybridization of subfamily Ajugoideae (Lamiaceae)
Authors: RUIZ CARLOS RUBÍ , NAVARRO TERESA
Published: August 2023

A new nothospecies, Teucrium × gutierrezii, is described as result of the natural hybridization processes between two species of T. sect. Polium: T. eriocephalum subsp. almeriense (subsect. Simplicipilosa) and Teucrium lusitanicum subsp. lusitancum (subsect. Polium) both endemic from Iberian Peninsula. A morphological description with the diagnostic taxonomic differences between the new hybrid and the parental is provided as well as information about distribution, ecology and phenology for the new hybrid. In this paper we highlight the importance of hybridization in Teucrium in the Southeast Iberian Peninsula as drivers of diversity for Ajugoideae in the temperate Mediterranean regions.
The Effects of Spatial Interpolation on a Novel, Dual-Doppler 3D Wind Retrieval Technique
Authors: Brook Jordan P. , Protat Alain , Potvin Corey K. , Soderholm Joshua S. , McGowan Hamish
Published: August 2023

Three-dimensional wind retrievals from ground-based Doppler radars have played an important role in meteorological research and nowcasting over the past four decades. However, in recent years, the proliferation of open-source software and increased demands from applications such as convective parameterizations in numerical weather prediction models has led to a renewed interest in these analyses. In this study, we analyze how a major, yet often-overlooked, error source effects the quality of retrieved 3D wind fields. Namely, we investigate the effects of spatial interpolation, and show how the common practice of pregridding radial velocity data can degrade the accuracy of the results. Alternatively, we show that assimilating radar data directly at their observation locations improves the retrieval of important dynamic features such as the rear flank downdraft and mesocyclone within supercells, while also reducing errors in vertical vorticity, horizontal divergence, and all three velocity components.

Significance Statement

We can attempt to estimate the wind speed and direction within a weather system when two weather radars measure it simultaneously. However, radars do not scan the whole atmosphere at once—instead, they measure along many cross sections, each at different heights. We show that a method commonly used to stitch the observations together degrades the accuracy of the winds. Additionally, we describe a way to feed the data directly into the analysis without stitching it together first, and show that this improves the wind retrievals considerably. We hope these improvements will help researchers better understand how various weather systems work, and help forecasters warn for dangerous weather such as tornadoes.
Early Work Histories of Urban Youth
Authors: Entwisle Doris R. , Alexander Karl L. , Olson Linda Steffel
Published: August 2023

Using a life course framework, we examine Baltimore adolescents’ paid work from ages 13 to 18 to describe (1) the start of the transition to adulthood; (2) how work interlaces with schooling; (3) how work is segmented along sociodemographic lines, and (4) how early work (at ages 13 and 14) affects later high school work (at ages 15 to 18). White youth in Baltimore more often held jobs than did African American youth, even though African Americans applied for jobs more often than did whites. Once white students started school-year work, they were more likely than were African Americans to work in every subsequent school year. At ages 13 and 14, compared to their more advantaged counterparts, more of the economically disadvantaged youngsters and those with relatively poor school records held semiskilled rather than unskilled jobs. Semiskilled (clerical, sales, craft) work at age 13 was a substantial determinant of holding a similar job at later ages (15 and 17). By age 17, however, the reverse was true; Students with better school records were more likely to hold semiskilled jobs than were students with poorer records.
Civil Rights Liberalism and the Suppression of a Republican Political Realignment in the United States, 1972 to 1996
Authors: Brooks Clem
Published: August 2023

Arguably the most dramatic trend in U.S. public opinion during the past 30 years has been Americans’ liberalizing attitudes toward the civil rights of African Americans, women, and more recently, gays and lesbians. Do these changing attitudes have any behavioral or organizational effects, or are they of little consequence for understanding social and political changes since the 1960s? While an influential strain of research has questioned the causal significance of trends in civil rights attitudes, past studies have not developed a systematic test of relevant hypotheses. This study presents such a test, analyzing the effects of trends in civil rights attitudes on an important type of behavior (presidential vote choice) and on a major type of organization (political parties). Guided by theories of issue voting and political realignment, results show that changing attitudes have had significant behavioral and organizational effects on vote choice and election outcomes since 1972. In particular, the margins of Republican presidential victories in the 1980s were suppressed by liberal trends in attitudes, while Democratic presidential victories in the 1990s depended upon these trends. These findings lead to a better understanding of the substantial but poorly understood effects of changing attitudes toward civil rights and of the widely debated scenario of a Republican political realignment.
Transformations in New Immigrant Religions and Their Global Implications
Authors: Yang Fenggang , Ebaugh Helen Rose
Published: August 2023

Immigrant religious communities in the United States are undergoing profound transformations. Three processes of change occurring in new immigrant religions are described and analyzed: (I) adopting the congregational form in organizational structure and ritual, (2) returning to theological foundations, and (3) reaching beyond traditional ethnic and religious boundaries to include other peoples. These changes support the “ new paradigm” in the sociology of religion that refutes secularization theories: Internal and external religious pluralism, instead of leading to the decline of religion, encourages institutional and theological transformations that energize and revitalize religions. Moreover, these changes are not merely attributable to Americanization. Rather, these changes have transnational implications for global religious systems—implications that are facilitated by the material and organizational resources that new U.S. immigrants possess.
Work and Honor in the Law: Prestige and the Division of Lawyers’ Labor
Authors: Sandefur Rebecca L.
Published: August 2023

Two theories compete to explain the distribution of professional prestige among lawyers. Each theory arises out of a general theory of the social organization of the legal profession. Their disagreement centers on the source of the values that underlie lawyers’ prestige order and on the aspects of the division of labor that are consequently salient in determining prestige. The client-type thesis holds that the profession is organized largely by its relationships with its clients, and so lawyers esteem service to socially powerful clients. The professional purity thesis holds that the profession is organized around a core of abstract knowledge, and so lawyers esteem work that is “professionally pure,” in the sense of being free of non-legal considerations. Analyses of prestige judgments from a contemporary sample of lawyers in the city of Chicago reveal that some of lawyers’ professional values are intrinsic to the profession, as predicted by the professional purity thesis. Lawyers’ esteem for professionally pure work complements their tendency to derogate service to people—especially those with little wealth or power—and to esteem service to large, powerful, and wealthy organizations.
Mass Education and Fertility Transition
Authors: Axinn William G. , Barber Jennifer S.
Published: August 2023

The relationship between the spread of mass education and fertility-limiting behavior is examined. Existing theories relating education to fertility limitation are integrated, including those relating the presence of educational opportunity to fertility decline, theories relating women's education to their fertility behavior, and theories relating children's education to the fertility behavior of their parents. Using survey data from a sample of 5,271 residents of 171 neighborhoods in rural Nepal, the individual-level mechanisms linking community-level changes in educational opportunity to fertility behavior are tested. A woman's proximity to a school during childhood dramatically increases permanent contraceptive use in adulthood. This finding is largely independent of whether the woman subsequently attended school, whether her husband attended school, whether she lived near a school in adulthood, and whether she sent her children to school. Strong fertility limitation effects were also found for husband's education and for currently living near a school. These effects were independent of other education-related measures. The largest education-related effect is for sending children to school.
Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Politics and Generations
Authors: Hout Michael , Fischer Claude S.
Published: August 2023

The proportion of Americans who reported no religious preference doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent in the 1990s. This dramatic change may have resulted from demographic shifts, increasing religious skepticism, or the mix of politics and religion that characterized the 1990s. One demographic factor is the succession of generations; the percentage of adults who had been raised with no religion increased from 2 percent to 6 percent. Delayed marriage and parenthood also contributed to the increase. Religious skepticism proved to be an unlikely explanation: Most people with no preference hold conventional religious beliefs, despite their alienation from organized religion. In fact, these “unchurched believers” made up most of the increase in the “no religion” preferences. Politics, too, was a significant factor. The increase in “no religion “ responses was confined to political moderates and liberals; the religious preferences of political conservatives did not change. This political part of the increase in “nones” can be viewed as a symbolic statement against the Religious Right.
Religious Influence and the Politics of Family Decline Concern: Trends, Sources, and U.S. Political Behavior
Authors: Brooks Clem
Published: August 2023

One of the most widely debated issues in contemporary sociology has been how to interpret patterns of family change in the United States during the past four decades. Much of these debates focus on a thesis advanced by a number of scholars and political activists—that such features of family structure as high divorce rates and an increasing proportion of single-parent families have led to the decline of the family. Although past research has examined the causes and historical trends involved in family change, scholars have neglected important questions about family attitudes that have been raised in recent debates. Have levels of public concern with family decline increased over time? If so, what are the sources of these attitudes? And have changing levels of public concern with family decline led to the emergence of a new political cleavage? This study applies a theory of religious influence to answer these questions. Results show that public concern with family decline increased steadily after 1980, leading to a new and increasingly large cleavage in presidential elections. The analyses also find that high levels of concern with family decline are concentrated among evangelical Protestants who attend church regularly. In addition to extending sociological research on family change in new and fruitful directions, these results bear productively on theory and research in political sociology and the sociology of religion. I discuss their relevance to long-standing debates over political trends among evangelical Protestants and the influence of Christian Right movement organizations.
Biomedicalization: Technoscientific Transformations of Health, Illness, and U.S. Biomedicine
Authors: Clarke Adele E. , Shim Janet K. , Mamo Laura , Fosket Jennifer Ruth , Fishman Jennifer R.
Published: August 2023

The first social transformation of American medicine institutionally established medicine by the end of World War II. In the next decades, medicalization—the expansion of medical jurisdiction, authority, and practices into new realms—became widespread. Since about 1985, dramatic changes in both the organization and practices of contemporary biomedicine, implemented largely through the integration of technoscientific innovations, have been coalescing into what the authors call biomedicalization, a second “transformation “ of American medicine. Biomedicalization describes the increasingly complex, multisited, multidirectional processes of medicalization, both extended and reconstituted through the new social forms of highly technoscientific biomedicine. The historical shift from medicalization to biomedicalization is one from control over biomedical phenomena to transformations of them. Five key interactive processes both engender biomedicalization and are produced through it: (1) the political economic reconstitution of the vast sector of biomedicine; (2) the focus on health itself and the elaboration of risk and surveillance biomedicines; (3) the increasingly technological and scientific nature of biomedicine; (4) transformations in how biomedical knowledges are produced, distributed, and consumed, and in medical information management; and (5) transformations of bodies to include new properties and the production of new individual and collective technoscientific identities.
Does the Market pay off? Earnings Returns to Education in Urban China
Authors: Wu Xiaogang , Xie Yu
Published: August 2023

Previous work on the market transition in reform-era China has missed the direct link between individuals’ labor market history and individuals’ labor market outcome. A typology of workers is developed based on individuals’ labor market histories, and a model of selective mobility of workers from the state sector to the market sector is offered as an explanation for higher earnings returns to education in the market sector. Analysis of data from an urban survey in China reveals that commonly observed higher earnings returns to education in the market sector are limited only to recent market entrants, and that early market entrants resemble state workers in both their level of earnings and returns to education. These results challenge the prevailing wisdom that education is necessarily more highly rewarded in the market sector. Thus it is concluded that higher returns to education in the market sector should not be construed as being caused by marketization per se, and instead that the sorting process of workers in labor markets helps explain the sectoral differentials.
Who are Feminists and what do they Believe? The Role of Generations
Authors: Schnittker Jason , Freese Jeremy , Powell Brian
Published: August 2023

Using the 1996 General Social Survey, the antecedents of feminist self-identification and their link to gender-related social attitudes are explored. Although most sociodemographic variables show either no relationship or a weak relationship with feminist self-identification, there are strong differences across cohorts. Males and females who were young adults during the “second wave “ of feminism (birth years 1936 to 1955) are more likely to identify as feminists than are those younger or older. In addition, the link between feminist self-identification and some social attitudes is cohort specific: Seemingly profeminist positions distinguish self-identified feminists from nonfeminists only among members of the “second-wave” generation. These results reinforce the importance of political generation and suggest increasing heterogeneity in public conceptions of feminism.