bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What works for whom? What theories may predict about the effectiveness of measures against employment discrimination
Authors: Hajnal Áron , Scharle Ágota
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Employment discrimination persists across global labour markets inflicting considerable social and economic costs. The existing literature tends to focus on explaining and measuring discrimination or on the measures to tackle it, overlooking the links between these areas. The paper contributes to filling this gap in order to inform policy design and empirical research on the impact of anti-discrimination policies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper assesses the potential effectiveness of commonly used policy measures in tackling the types of discrimination described in the theoretical literature. The assessment is based on the underlying incentive structure of particular policies, which is matched with the behaviour of employers predicted by particular theories.

Findings

The potential effectiveness of commonly used anti-discrimination policies varies greatly depending on the source of discrimination and the target group. Some commonly used tools, such as wage subsidies are likely to have modest effects for several target groups, while employer counselling may be a more effective and cheaper alternative in many cases. Quotas may be effective against various types of discrimination, but setting them is challenging and they may yield adverse effects.

Practical implications

The findings call for more research on and consideration of the motives behind employment discrimination in the targeting and design of anti-discrimination measures.

Originality/value

The authors propose a framework to link discrimination types with measures against discrimination and potential target groups, which allows for systematically linking the literature on theories of discrimination and research on anti-discrimination.
Impact of monetary policy on the macroeconomy under dollarization: evidence from the Lao PDR
Authors: Park Hail , Son Jong Chil , Wang Wenbo
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study empirically aims to analyze the transmission of monetary policy in consideration of asymmetry based on the Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL)'s monetary policy tools and real and financial variables in the domestic market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts two approaches, conventional vector autoregression (VAR) and asymmetric VAR, to investigate the impact of monetary policy on macroeconomic variables including inflation and real GDP growth in the Lao PDR.

Findings

Under a highly dollarized monetary regime, the policy rate change plays a weaker role compared with M0, which exerts significantly positive effects on real GDP growth and inflation. The results of the asymmetric VAR model further substantiate that the real economy responds to a positive M0 shock (easing monetary policy) rather than a negative shock (tightening monetary policy).

Practical implications

Overall estimation results suggest that the effectiveness of monetary policy is limited in Laos, which would take priority over efforts to strengthen the development of the short-term financial market and de-dollarization.

Originality/value

This study can fill the gap in the literature in which the discussions on the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in the BOL's monetary policy are still little known.
Experimental and simulative investigation of welding sequences on thermally induced distortions in wire arc additive manufacturing
Authors: Zhao Xiao Fan , Wimmer Andreas , Zaeh Michael F.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of the welding sequence on the substrate plate distortion during the wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process. This paper also aims to show the capability of finite element simulations in the prediction of those thermally induced distortions.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was conducted in which solid aluminum blocks were manufactured using two different welding sequences. The distortion of the substrates was measured at predefined positions and converted into bending and torsion values. Subsequently, a weakly coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model was created using the Abaqus simulation software. The model was calibrated and validated with data gathered from the experiments.

Findings

The results of this paper showed that the welding sequence of a part significantly affects the formation of thermally induced distortions of the final part. The calibrated simulation model was able to capture the different distortion behavior attributed to the welding sequences.

Originality/value

Within this work, a simulation model was developed capable of predicting the distortion of WAAM parts in advance. The findings of this paper can be used to improve the design of WAAM welding sequences while avoiding high experimental efforts.
Tourism research progress: comparing tourism literature reviews published in English WOS and Chinese CNKI language journals
Authors: Hu Tao , Chen Yihong , Chen Huimin , Zhang Yangyan
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study aims to expand tourism knowledge by analysing literature review articles published in English Web of Science (WOS) and Chinese China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) language journals and reviewing their influence, interconnection and trends.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-stage method was designed to understand the tourism research progress. Performance analysis identified the publication timeline, high-yielding journals and authors that published tourism literature reviews and frequently cited papers. Science mapping visualisation examined the intrinsic connections between co-authorship and co-institution. Finally, emerging trend analysis explored the topic modelling and evolution through Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and regression.

Findings

The key statistics and collaborations relationships of tourism literature reviews were traced. LDA identified 45 and 22 topics, which narrowed the barriers in tourism studies. The regression analysis divided these topics into “hot”, “fresh”, “bell-shaped” and “stable” patterns. These modes represent the progress of tourism studies. The topic “new emerging technologies and the internet” is the focus of tourism literature reviews published in both databases. Future research could pay more attention to the topics in the “hot” and “fresh” patterns. The results enrich the progress of tourism literature reviews and provide a direction for future research.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first literature analysis for tourism literature reviews published in WOS versus CNKI journals. The proposed three-stage systematic method is used for the first time for the literature review and can guide future research.
Public servants working from home during the pandemic: Who gained and who lost?
Authors: Williamson Sue , Colley Linda , Huybers Twan , Tani Massimiliano
Published: March 2023

Employees experienced both advantages and disadvantages while working from home during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Researchers have examined these impacts on women and those with caring responsibilities; however, little research has examined the impacts on other groups of employees, such as those with a disability or employed on a casual basis. In this article, we focus on the public sector and examine who gained and who lost while working from home, based on a 2020 survey of over 5000 Australian public servants. We have constructed loss and gain indices to measure three elements of a change model, which enables an evaluation of the impacts on various groups of employees. The elements of change management examined are operational areas, performance management, and beliefs and values. To analyse the factors affecting gains and losses, as summarised in the indices, we applied a statistical model estimated using linear regression methods. Our findings reveal that, on average, survey participants experienced a net gain. Families and employees with a disability gained; however, women gained less than men in the first two categories and gained more than men on the beliefs and values category. These findings highlight areas on which public service organisations need to focus as we enter a COVID‐normal era.

Points for practitioners

The benefits and drawbacks of working from home differ according to employee demographics.

Overall, lower level employees and those employed on a casual basis gained less than higher level employees and those employed full time.

Women gained less than men in relation to how work was operationalised and performed.

These differential impacts highlight areas on which public sector organisations need to focus in a COVID‐normal era.
Who are the most highly cited forensic scientists in the United States?
Authors: Jones Alan Wayne
Published: March 2023

The most highly cited forensic practitioners in the United States were identified using a publicly available citation database that used six different citation metrics to calculate each person's composite citation score. The publication and citation data were gleaned from Elsevier's SCOPUS database, which contained information about ~7 million scientist each of whom had at least five entries in the database. Each individual was categorized into 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields, one of which was legal and forensic medicine (LFM). The database contained citation records for 13,388 individuals having LFM as their primary research discipline and 282 of these (2%) were classified as being highly cited. Another 99 individuals in the database had LFM as their secondary discipline, making a total of 381 highly cited forensic practitioners from 35 different countries. The career‐long publication records of each individual were compared using their composite citation scores. Of the 381 highly cited scientists, 93 (24%) had an address somewhere in the United States. The various branches of forensics they specialized in were anthropology, criminalistics, DNA/genetics, odontology, pathology, statistics/epidemiology, and toxicology. The two most highly cited scientists, according to their composite citation score, were both specialists in DNA/genetics. Bibliometric methods are widely used for evaluating research performance in academia and a similar approach might be useful in jurisprudence, such as when an expert witness is instructed to testify in court and explain the meaning of scientific evidence.
DNA barcoding of Chinese snakes reveals hidden diversity and conservation needs
Authors: Wu Yun‐He , Hou Shao‐Bing , Yuan Zhi‐Yong , Jiang Ke , Huang Ru‐Yi , Wang Kai , Liu Qin , Yu Zhong‐Bin , Zhao Hai‐Peng , Zhang Bao‐Lin , Chen Jin‐Min , Wang Li‐Jun , Stuart Bryan L. , Chambers E. Anne , Wang Yu‐Fan , Gao Wei , Zou Da‐Hu , Yan Fang , Zhao Gui‐Gang , Fu Zhong‐Xiong , Wang Shao‐Neng , Jiang Ming , Zhang Liang , Ren Jin‐Long , Wu Ya‐Yong , Zhang Lu‐Yang , Yang Dian‐Cheng , Jin Jie‐Qiong , Yin Ting‐Ting , Li Jia‐Tang , Zhao Wen‐Ge , Murphy Robert W. , Huang Song , Guo Peng , Zhang Ya‐Ping , Che Jing
Published: March 2023

DNA barcoding has greatly facilitated studies of taxonomy, biodiversity, biological conservation, and ecology. Here, we establish a reliable DNA barcoding library for Chinese snakes, unveiling hidden diversity with implications for taxonomy, and provide a standardized tool for conservation management. Our comprehensive study includes 1638 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences from Chinese snakes that correspond to 17 families, 65 genera, 228 named species (80.6% of named species) and 36 candidate species. A barcode gap analysis reveals gaps, where all nearest neighbour distances exceed maximum intraspecific distances, in 217 named species and all candidate species. Three species‐delimitation methods (ABGD, sGMYC, and sPTP) recover 320 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), of which 192 OTUs correspond to named and candidate species. Twenty‐eight other named species share OTUs, such as Azemiops feae and A. kharini, Gloydius halys, G. shedaoensis, and G. intermedius, and Bungarus multicinctus and B. candidus, representing inconsistencies most probably caused by imperfect taxonomy, recent and rapid speciation, weak taxonomic signal, introgressive hybridization, and/or inadequate phylogenetic signal. In contrast, 43 species and candidate species assign to two or more OTUs due to having large intraspecific distances. If most OTUs detected in this study reflect valid species, including the 36 candidate species, then 30% more species would exist than are currently recognized. Several OTU divergences associate with known biogeographic barriers, such as the Taiwan Strait. In addition to facilitating future studies, this reliable and relatively comprehensive reference database will play an important role in the future monitoring, conservation, and management of Chinese snakes.
Who cares about the UN General Assembly? National delegations size from 1993 to 2016
Authors: Vlcek Vaclav
Published: March 2023

The UN General Assembly is the central forum of world politics. While it formally allows the member states to delegate up to five representatives, the size of the national delegations is generally larger and significantly increases over time. In this paper, I explore the size of the national delegations to the General Assembly from 1993 to 2016. Generally, the major powers (USA, Russia) send the biggest delegations. Surprisingly, China sends significantly smaller delegations than it used to before 2008. Big delegations are also sent by some small (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland) or developing countries (Nigeria, Bangladesh). My analysis shows that national capacities and issue‐specific motivations drive up the delegation size. Although the issue‐specific explanations are relatively rare in UN‐related research (due to the general‐purpose nature of the organisation), I argue that human rights, international security, economic development, and UN governance are the agendas for which states care about the General Assembly.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy for rapid evaluation of winter cereals and Italian ryegrass forage mixtures
Authors: Yakubu Haruna Gado , Worku Alemayehu , Tóthi Róbert , Tóth Tamás , Orosz Szilvia , Fébel Hedvig , Kacsala László , Húth Balázs , Hoffmann Richárd , Bazar George
Published: March 2023

Near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was employed to determine the differences between forage mixtures of winter cereals and Italian ryegrass and to evaluate fermentation characteristics of mixed silages. Forages were harvested on five phases (Cuts 1–5), with 1 week interval (n = 100). The yield of the last harvest (Cut 5) was ensiled and analyzed on four different days (D0, D7, D14, and D90) (n = 80). Principal component analysis based on the NIR data revealed differences according to the days of harvest, differences between winter cereals and Italian ryegrass forages, and differences in the fermentation stages of silages. The partial least square regression models for crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), and ash gave excellent determination coefficient in cross‐validation (R2CV > 0.9), while models for ether extract (EE) and total sugar content were weaker (R2CV = 0.87 and 0.74, respectively). The values of root mean square error of cross‐validation were 0.59, 0.76, 0.22, 0.31, and 2.36 %DM, for CP, CF, EE, ash, and total sugar, respectively. NIR proved to be an efficient tool in evaluating type and growth differences of the winter cereals and Italian ryegrass forage mixtures and the quality changes that occur during ensiling.
Analysis of positron emission tomography hypometabolic patterns and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia syndromes
Authors: Gan Jinghuan , Shi Zhihong , Zuo Chuantao , Zhao Xiaobin , Liu Shuai , Chen Yongjie , Zhang Nan , Cai Li , Cui Ruixue , Ai Lin , Guan Yi‐Hui , Ji Yong
Published: March 2023

Aims

To estimate the proportions of specific hypometabolic patterns and their association with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with cognitive impairment (CI).

Methods

This multicenter study with 1037 consecutive patients was conducted from December 2012 to December 2019. 18F‐FDG PET and clinical/demographic information, NPS assessments were recorded and analyzed to explore the associations between hypometabolic patterns and clinical features by correlation analysis and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

Patients with clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD, 81.6%, 605/741) and dementia with Lewy bodies (67.9%, 19/28) mostly had AD‐pattern hypometabolism, and 76/137 (55.5%) of patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration showed frontal and anterior temporal pattern (FT‐P) hypometabolism. Besides corticobasal degeneration, patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (36/58), semantic dementia (7/10), progressive non‐fluent aphasia (6/9), frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (3/5), and progressive supranuclear palsy (21/37) also mostly showed FT‐P hypometabolism. The proportion of FT‐P hypometabolism was associated with the presence of hallucinations (R = 0.171, p = 0.04), anxiety (R = 0.182, p = 0.03), and appetite and eating abnormalities (R = 0.200, p = 0.01) in AD.

Conclusion

Specific hypometabolic patterns in FDG‐PET are associated with NPS and beneficial for the early identification and management of NPS in patients with CI.
Longitudinal cognitive changes in patients with early Parkinson's disease and neuropsychiatric symptoms
Authors: Meng Detao , Jin Zhaohui , Wang Yixuan , Fang Boyan
Published: March 2023

Aims

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) on the rate of cognitive decline for both global cognition and specific cognitive domains in a cohort of patients from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI).

Method

Prospectively longitudinal data were obtained from the PPMI cohort. NPS, including depression, anxiety, apathy, psychosis, impulse control disorders (ICDs), and cognition ability, were evaluated by a series of questionnaires. Linear mixed‐effects models were used to investigate the relationship between NPS and the rate of cognitive decline. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to investigate the relationship between NPS and the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Results

In total, 423 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were recruited at baseline and 395, 378, 366, 346, and 315 participants were followed up at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively. Depression, anxiety, apathy, and psychosis were associated with global cognitive decline. Except for those with ICDs, patients with psychosis, depression, anxiety, and apathy were more likely to meet the criteria for MCI. Patients with depression and anxiety showed a progressive decline in four major cognitive domains. Apathy and ICDs were separately associated with a progressive decline in processing speed‐attention and memory, respectively.

Conclusions

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, including psychosis, depression, anxiety, and apathy, could be used to predict future cognitive decline in patients with PD.
Assessing abiotic correlations of an indicator species with sympatric riparian birds in a threatened submontane river–forest system using joint species modelling
Authors: Xu Wenyu , Gong Ye , Wang Lin , Yao Jiyuan , Wang Haitao
Published: March 2023

Aim

To assess the abiotic correlations between indicator species and others in the community. Additionally, we evaluated the importance of environmental variables in driving the co‐occurrence patterns of the coexisting riparian bird species within a threatened aquatic and terrestrial system.

Location

Seven classic submontane rivers in riparian ecosystems of the Changbai Mountains in eastern Jilin Province, China, elevation ranging from 351 to 942 m.

Methods

Joint species distribution models (JSDMs) were applied to examine the relative importance of abiotic and potential species associations driving the abundance and cooccurrence of bird species along submontane riparian zones. The abiotic factors were examined with a focus on the scaly‐sided Merganser and the coexisting bird species potentially sharing or interacting within the same niche.

Results

We found that the co‐occurrence patterns of submontane riparian bird species were dominantly driven by numerous positive correlations when incorporating abiotic variables. The scaly‐sided Merganser exhibited the greatest number of correlations with other species and exhibited significant responses to most of the measured environmental variables. Land cover diversity, proportion of gravel bars, and channel width were the most common environmental factors affecting riparian bird species distribution.

Conclusions

Using JSDM, we found that the indicator roles of the scaly‐sided Merganser are mainly derived from shared environmental responses with coexisting riparian bird species; moreover, the composition of submontane riparian bird communities is affected by both environmental variables and potential species associations. Our results verified the central role of the scaly‐sided Merganser as an indicator species in submontane riparian ecosystems due to their strict physical environment preferences and extensive connections with other sympatric riparian bird species, primarily through shared environmental intersections. Our results emphasize the crucial necessity for simultaneously considering environmental predictors and potential species associations in modelling species distributions and to better realizing the roles of indicators in practical applications.
Pity and Justice in Rousseau's Emile: Developing a Concern for the Common Good
Authors: Leung Wing Sze
Published: March 2023

Scholarly accounts of the training of pity in Jean‐Jacques Rousseau's Emile focus on how Emile's tutor activates the psychological mechanisms necessary for the feeling of pity in book 4 of the text. This account is inadequate, for it fails to show how Emile acquires the evaluative ability to make the judgment about who deserves pity as well as the willingness to adjudicate his own and others' interests. In this article, Wing Sze Leung argues that books 1 through 3 lay the foundation by developing in Emile the attitudes and dispositions that guide him in his judgment‐making about which kind of life he should pursue. Books 4 and 5 then develop Emile's ability to make interpersonal judgments of pity through habituated practice. By gradually cultivating Emile's sensitivity to the potential conflict between his self‐interests and others' well‐being, as well as the resolution to refrain from infringing on others' interests and to pursue the common good, Rousseau's long‐term educational project molds Emile's disposition to act as justice demands. The article concludes with a brief response to some criticisms about Rousseau's educational project.
Combination of NeuX and NeuZ can predict neutrophil dysplasia features of myelodysplastic neoplasms in peripheral blood
Authors: Sun Pingping , Li Nan , Zhang Shijie , Liu Shuai , Zhang Huihui , Yue Baohong
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The assessment of neutrophil dysplasia features in peripheral blood is very helpful for the early screening and diagnosis of myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS). Cell population data (CPD) parameters generated by automated hematology analyzers can reflect morphological characteristics of blood cells. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of CPD parameters neutrophil (Neu) X, NeuY and NeuZ in assessing neutrophil dysplasia.

Methods

218 MDS patients were divided into two subgroups according to neutrophil morphology. The differences of neutrophil research parameters between the two MDS subgroups and the control group, consisting of 210 healthy individuals, were compared, the correlation among neutrophil research parameters and the relationship between these parameters and cell morphology in MDS patients were analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed.

Results

The median values of neutrophil research parameters NeuX and NeuZ in MDS with granulocyte dysplasia group were significantly lower than those in MDS without granulocyte dysplasia group and control group (p < 0.001), and they were positively correlated (r = 0.878, p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of NeuX and NeuZ was 0.720 (95% CI: 0.643–0.796, p < 0.001) and 0.738 (95% CI: 0.665–0.811, p < 0.001), respectively. In addition, with the decrease of NeuX value, neutrophils gradually show decreased nuclear segment and/or cytoplasmic granules.

Conclusions

Combining NeuX and NeuZ can predict neutrophil dysplasia features of MDS in peripheral blood, and this can be an easier method to screen for the neutrophil dysplasia cases, as compared with the microscopic examination of peripheral blood and/or bone marrow smears.
TCR‐Pred: A new web‐application for prediction of epitope and MHC specificity for CDR3 TCR sequences using molecular fragment descriptors
Authors: Smirnov Anton S. , Rudik Anastasia V. , Filimonov Dmitry A. , Lagunin Alexey A.
Published: March 2023

The search for the relationships between CDR3 TCR sequences and epitopes or MHC types is a challenging task in modern immunology. We propose a new approach to develop the classification models of structure–activity relationships (SAR) using molecular fragment descriptors MNA (Multilevel Neighbourhoods of Atoms) to represent CDR3 TCR sequences and the naïve Bayes classifier algorithm. We have created the freely available TCR‐Pred web application (http://way2drug.com/TCR-pred/) to predict the interactions between α chain CDR3 TCR sequences and 116 epitopes or 25 MHC types, as well as the interactions between β chain CDR3 TCR sequences and 202 epitopes or 28 MHC types. The TCR‐Pred web application is based on the data (more 250 000 unique CDR3 TCR sequences) from VDJdb, McPAS‐TCR, and IEDB databases and the proposed approach. The average AUC values of the prediction accuracy calculated using a 20‐fold cross‐validation procedure varies from 0.857 to 0.884. The created web application may be useful in studies related with T‐cell profiling based on CDR3 TCR sequences.
Effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciensLSG2‐8 on the intestinal barrier function of Amur minnow (Rhynchocypris lagowskii)
Authors: Yu Meng‐Nan , Zhu Wen‐li , Wang Si‐bu , Zhang Dong‐Ming , Zhang Yu‐Rou , Wang Qiu‐Ju , Wang Gui‐Qin , Elsadek Mahmoud M. , Yao Qi , Chen Yu‐Ke , Guo Zhi‐Xin
Published: March 2023

Probiotics are widely used in aquaculture. This article aims to study the effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LSG2‐8 on the intestinal barrier function of Rhynchocypris lagowskii. B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2‐8 were added to R. lagowskii basal diets (CK) as additives at four concentrations: 1.0 × 106 (D‐6), 1.0 × 107 (D‐7), 1.0 × 108 (D‐8) and 1.0 × 109 (D‐9) CFU g−1 by dry weight of basal diet. After a 56‐day feeding experiment, the activities of intestinal digestive enzymes and immunity‐related enzymes of R. lagowskii on group D‐6, D‐7, D‐8 and D‐9 diet were significantly higher than the control (P < 0.05). In molecular experiments, the authors found that the levels of TGF‐β mRNA, IL‐10 mRNA, ZO‐1 mRNA and claudin‐3 mRNA in group D‐8 R. lagowskii were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of the control and other groups. Furthermore, the levels of IL‐1β and IL‐8 mRNA of R. lagowskii on group D‐6, D‐7, D‐8 and D‐9 diet were significantly lower than those of the control (P < 0.05). In addition, the authors found that B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2‐8 can regulate the intestinal flora balance and improve the intestinal structure of R. lagowskii. In conclusion, B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2‐8 can improve the intestinal barrier function of R. lagowskii and can be used as a feed additive in aquaculture.
China's financialized soybeans: The fault lines of neomercantilism narratives in international food regime analyses
Authors: Fares Tomaz Mefano
Published: March 2023

Neomercantilism is commonly portrayed as a central mechanism of China's global agribusiness engagement. It implies reordering the international food regime by moving away from financial and trade liberalization and securing stable import supplies and price controls under state support. However, this article raises an alternative interpretation through an empirical‐rich investigation of the prominence of the state‐owned China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) in the soybean commodity chain. The article draws upon analyses of the Chinese state and international food regime to demonstrate that recent changes in state‐capital relations during the Xi Jinping administration propelled forms of capital accumulation based on financial speculation and shareholder values. I conclude that state‐driven internationalization has placed Chinese agribusiness in an advantageous position within global finance rather than challenging it through agrarian neomercantilist strategies.
War and city size: The asymmetric effects of the Spanish Civil War
Authors: González‐Val Rafael , Silvestre Javier
Published: March 2023

Populations are affected by shocks of different kinds, and wars, a priori, may be among the most prominent. This article studies the effect of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) shock on the distribution of population, especially on cities. One of the main contributions of this study is that it underlines the importance of distinguishing between winning and losing sides, an aspect which until now has been largely overlooked. While previous research on war shocks has also tended to be concerned with inter‐state wars, this paper concentrates on a civil war. We take advantage of a new, long‐term, annual data set. Our results show that, overall, the Spanish Civil War did not have a significant effect on city growth. However, we also find a significant and negative effect in the growth of cities that aligned themselves with the losing side. These results are robust to heterogeneity in the effect of the war shock, measured as war severity and duration. Although short lived, the temporary effect on growth results in a permanent effect on the size of cities on the losing side.
Twenty‐five years of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program: The past as prologue
Authors: Gale John A.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program and the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) provider type are now 25 years old. Since the inception of the program, the needs of CAHs have evolved greatly. This article describes the history of the limited‐service hospital model that led to the creation of CAHs, the evolution and impact of the Flex Program on CAHs, and the trends likely to impact CAHs and rural healthcare in the future. It concludes with recommendations to address these future needs.

Methods

This review of the 25‐year history of the Flex Program and CAHs is based on a detailed analysis of the literature on the limited‐service hospital model and CAHs, the evaluation reports of the Flex Tracking and Flex Monitoring Teams, and the author's 25‐year history with the program.

Findings

The Flex Program has made important contributions to the viability of rural hospitals through the conversion of 1,360 CAHs. The program has encouraged attention on CAH quality of care and the role of CAHs in addressing the population health needs of their communities. It has further encouraged the development of a robust rural health policy and advocacy infrastructure that has heightened attention on the needs of rural providers and communities.

Conclusions

The needs of CAHs and rural delivery systems have evolved greatly since the implementation of the Flex Program. The 25th anniversary of the program is an ideal time to re‐evaluate and update the program to support CAHs in adapting to the fast‐changing healthcare environment.
Prognostic value of genotyping in hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review
Authors: Bodard Sylvain , Liu Yan , Guinebert Sylvain , Yousra Kherabi , Asselah Tarik
Published: March 2023

Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death. Advances in sequencing technology are opening genomics to widespread application for diagnosis and research. The poor prognosis of advanced HCC warrants a personalized approach. The objective was to assess the value of genotyping for risk stratification and prognostication of HCC. We performed a systematic review of manuscripts published on MEDLINE from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2022, addressing the value of genotyping for HCC risk stratification and prognostication. Publication information for each has been collected using a standardized data extraction form. Twenty‐five articles were analysed. This study showed that various genomics approaches (i.e., NGS, SNP, CASP or polymorphisms in circadian genes' association) provided predictive and prognostic information, such as disease control rate, median progression‐free survival, and shorter median overall survival. Genotyping, which advances in understanding the molecular origin, could be a solution to predict prognosis or treatment response in patients with HCC.
Tobacco for the flower garden: Plant collecting and plantation crops in nineteenth‐century Britain
Authors: Wells Lindsay
Published: March 2023

This essay analyzes the understudied practice of collecting, marketing, and displaying colonial plant commodities as garden ornaments in nineteenth‐century Britain. From the early modern period onward, British garden writers discussed tobacco, sugarcane, coffee, tea, and other colonial crops in their books and magazines, often citing colonial agriculture as a point of interest to curious gardeners. As I will argue, this mode of collecting and aestheticizing plants discloses the deep ambivalence of the British horticultural press toward the realities of plantation agriculture. Building on previous analyses of plants and empire, I show how the cultivation of tobacco in nineteenth‐century flower gardens contributed to a broader mediation of Britain's colonial past in horticultural literature. Paying attention to this collecting trend will not only recover an overlooked chapter in the history of British horticulture, but also show how nineteenth‐century garden writing operated as a space for transmitting (and manipulating) narratives about colonial agriculture.
Charisma, populism, and the formation of national identity: Sheikh Mujib and Bengali nationalism
Authors: Hajjaj Bobby
Published: March 2023

Identity formation is a complex process and has been discussed by post‐structuralist discourse theorist Ernesto Laclau. This paper focuses on Laclau's proposed ideas on the means of identity production and populism and studies the popular independence movement for Bangladesh under that rubric. It locates charismatic leadership as a necessary condition for populism and identifies Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the charismat suturing the various chains of equivalence that rose to become the populist movement that resulted in the nation's struggle for independence in 1971. This paper also looks at the transformational leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and acknowledges it as a necessary condition for the patterns of identity creation in East Bengal in the late 1960s.
Screening genome‐editing knockouts reveals the receptor‐like kinase ASX role in regulations of secondary xylem development in Populus
Authors: Xie Zhi , Gui Jinshan , Zhong Yu , Li Bo , Sun Jiayan , Shen Junhui , Li Laigeng
Published: March 2023

In trees, secondary xylem development is essential for the growth of perennial stem increments. Many signals regulate the process of development, but our knowledge of the molecular components involved in signal transduction is still limited.

In this study, we identified Attenuation of Secondary Xylem (ASX) knockouts by screening genome‐editing knockouts of xylem‐expressed receptor‐like kinases (RLKs) in Populus. The ASX role in secondary xylem development in Populus was discovered using biochemical, cellular, and genomic analyses.

The ASX knockout plants had abnormal secondary stem growth but had little effect on shoot apical primary growth. ASX and SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR KINASE (SERK)2/4 were co‐precipitated in developing xylem. Through their interaction, ASX is phosphorylated by SERK. Transcriptome analysis of developing xylem revealed that ASX deficiency inhibited the transcriptional activity of genes involved in xylem differentiation and secondary cell wall formation. By forming a complex, ASX and SERK may function as a signaling module for signal transduction required in the regulation of secondary xylem development in trees.

This study shows that ASX, which encodes a RLKs, is required for secondary xylem development and sheds light on regulatory signals found in tree stem secondary growth.
A comparison of resting‐state eyes‐closed and dark‐room alpha‐band activity in children
Authors: Edgar J. Christopher , Franzen Rose E. , McNamee Marybeth , Green Heather L. , Shen Guannan , DiPiero Marissa , Liu Song , Airey Megan , Goldin Sophia , Blaskey Lisa , Kuschner Emily S. , Kim Mina , Konka Kimberly , Roberts Timothy P. L. , Chen Yuhan
Published: March 2023

In a relaxed and awake state with the eyes closed, 8–12 Hz neural oscillations are the dominant rhythm, most prominent in parietal‐occipital regions. Resting‐state (RS) alpha is associated with processing speed and is also thought to be central to how networks process information. Unfortunately, the RS eyes‐closed (EC) exam can only be used with individuals who can remain awake with their eyes closed for an extended period. As such, infants, toddlers, and individuals with intellectual disabilities are usually excluded from RS alpha studies. Previous research suggests obtaining RS alpha measures in a dark room with the eyes open as a viable alternative to the traditional RS EC exam. To further explore this, RS EC and RS dark room (DR) eyes‐open alpha activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography in children with typical development (TD; N = 37) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 30) 6.9–12.6 years old. Findings showed good reliability for the RS EC and DR peak alpha frequency (frequency with strongest alpha power; interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.83). ICCs for posterior alpha power were slightly lower (ICCs in the 0.70 s), with an ~ 5% reduction in posterior alpha power in the DR than EC condition. No differences in the EC and DR associations were observed between the TD and ASD groups. Finally, age was associated with both EC and DR peak alpha frequency. Findings thus indicate the DR exam as a viable way to obtain RS alpha measures in populations frequently excluded from electrophysiology RS studies.
The ‘bitcoin judgements’ in China: Promoting climate awareness by judicial reasoning?
Authors: Zhu Mingzhe
Published: March 2023

In 2021 and 2022, Beijing courts annulled three contracts for cryptocurrency mining, holding that they were contrary to the public interest. The judges based their decisions on Chinese law provisions concerning contractual validity and supported their arguments by citing various policy documents warning of the risks of cryptocurrency‐related activities to financial market stability and energy consumption. Although the provisions that the courts cited were recently reformed, the courts' line of reasoning and approach may set an example for future cases concerning carbon‐intensive activities. This note therefore considers these judgements in the broader context of climate change litigation, reflecting on the role of courts in implementing industrial and microeconomic policy in the interpretation of contract law.
Leader selection and why it matters: Education and the endogeneity of favouritism in 11 African countries
Authors: Maravall Laura , Baten Jörg , Fourie Johan
Published: March 2023

A large literature on favouritism argues that leaders favour their own ethnicity or administrative birthplace. We question the assumption that these leaders are exogenously selected for office. Using historical censuses from 11 African countries, we show that leaders are selected from more advanced regions. In other words, our sample shows that African leaders were created by colonial (and pre‐colonial) institutions, which often meant large educational differences between regions. Our paper's historical perspective shows that these often‐overlooked institutions can account for much of the variation in post‐colonial outcomes. Favouritism was at least partially endogenous.
Hegelian restorative justice
Authors: Hogan Brandon
Published: March 2023

In the Philosophy of Right, Hegel claims that crime is a negation of right and punishment is the “negation of the negation.” Punishment, for Hegel, “annuls” the criminal act. Many take it that Hegel endorses a form of retributivism—the theory that criminal offenders should be subject to harsh treatment in response and in proportion to their wrongdoing. Here I argue that restorative criminal justice is consistent with Hegel's remarks on punishment and his overall philosophical system. This is true, in part, because restorative justice integrates Hegel's instructive discussion of confession and forgiveness in the Phenomenology of Spirit. Hegel claims that true moral relationships allow space for persons to confess their moral shortcomings and forgive the shortcomings of others. Restorative criminal justice brings the perpetrators and victims of crime together to offer confessions and forgiveness and to work to heal the various wounds caused by crime. I do not claim that Hegel must be read as advocating restorative justice. While Hegel tells us what punishment does, he does not commit himself to any form of punishment. What I offer here is a rational, progressive reconstruction and extension of Hegel's conception of crime and punishment.
Letting failure be: COVID‐19, PhD fieldwork and to not (want to) learn from failures
Authors: Saxena Chayanika
Published: March 2023

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has prompted researchers to rethink their fieldwork. My doctoral fieldwork plans, which involved conducting ethnographic research amongst Afghan refugees and migrants in New Delhi and Kolkata, were upended because of the recurring waves of the pandemic and the lockdowns/curfews that were imposed in their wake (2020−2022). Locked out of my field, my inability to conduct my research as planned amounted to a failure that could not be redeemed, especially because of time constraints. Using autoethnographic vignettes of my encounters in the lead up to the eventual suspension of in‐situ fieldwork, I critically reflect on how I approached and felt towards failures in/of field and how these encounters speak back to the discourse on failure in academia. In doing so, this article advocates for the need to revisit failures simply for what they are, without necessarily demanding and/or (self) expecting that we recast them as stepping stones towards success. By challenging the neo‐liberal desire to re‐present failures in a productive light, I argue we can make greater room for more supportive discussions around failures without committing ourselves to the task of having to find triumph in (every) adversity.
Identification of the novel HLA‐A*01:01:01:111 allele in two individuals from Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Pinto Andrea S. , Rajak Jyoti , Tambe Manisha , D'Silva Selma Z. , Singh Meenakshi
Published: March 2023

The novel HLA‐A*01:01:01:111 allele was detected during routine HLA typing.
Becoming European Through Football Media? Representations of Europe in German Football News Coverage
Authors: Biel Jonas , Finger Tobias , Reinke Vincent , Amann Jennifer , Niemann Arne , Jungblut Marc
Published: March 2023

In recent decades, the administrative and competitive structures of men’s elite club football in Europe have undergone a profound transformation toward Europeanization. As a result, football fans are increasingly exposed to European influences. These dynamics shape fans’ perceptions of and orientations toward Europe and contribute to constructions of collective identities. Because football is a highly mediatized sport, fans’ exposure to European influences and their constructions of identity are highly dependent on the representation of Europe in football media. To analyze this, we conducted a quantitative analysis of text-based online news media. Using selected German media outlets, we examined the extent and the patterned variation of media representation of Europe in football news articles. Our results indicate a highly selective media environment focused on a limited set of countries with high sporting relevance and a presence of German national-team players, while other countries rarely enter the media discourse.
Insights on the Impact of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis on
Eucalyptus grandis
Tolerance to Drought Stress
Authors: Wang Sijia , Ren Ying , Han Lina , Nie Yuying , Zhang Shuyuan , Xie Xianan , Hu Wentao , Chen Hui , Tang Ming
Published: March 2023

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in improving plant growth and development under drought stress. The MAPK cascade may regulate many physiological and biochemical processes in plants in response to drought stress.
Progressive Miocene unroofing of the Big Maria and Riverside Mountains (southeastern California, USA) along the southwestern margin of the Colorado River extensional corridor
Authors: Flansburg Megan E. , Stockli Daniel F.
Published: March 2023

The Colorado River extensional corridor (CREC) consists of Miocene metamorphic core complexes exhumed along top- to- the-NE low-angle detachment faults. The Big Maria and Riverside Mountains of southeastern California (USA) are located on the southwestern margin of the CREC, where little is known about the nature and timing of large-magnitude extension. We present the first detailed (U-Th)/He thermochronometric data from these ranges, elucidating the geometry and timing of upper-crustal extensional unroofing and exhumation. The Riverside Mountains yielded ca. 72–50 Ma zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) ages in the hanging wall of the Riverside detachment fault, and the corrugated footwall yielded ca. 50–18 Ma ZHe ages, indicating the preservation of an exhumed ZHe partial retention zone. Apatite (U-Th)/He data further indicate a potential secondary Miocene breakaway in the northeastern end of the range. Although the Big Maria Mountains have been thought to lie outside of the CREC, our new zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He data show that the entirety of the Big Maria Mountains was tectonically exhumed in the footwall of a detachment fault and cooled from >6 km depth between 22 and 15 Ma. ZHe data from both ranges suggest the Big Maria Mountains are part of the CREC and were exhumed from underneath the Riverside Mountains by a contemporaneous but structurally lower detachment—the Big Maria detachment—that is regionally correlative with the breakaway zone that delimits the western CREC margin. This detachment is temporally coeval with the structurally higher detachment system that forms the Whipple-Buckskin-Rawhide-Harcuvar-Harquahala meta morphic core complex belt to the northeast.