bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations as one of the components of the Caspian vector of Eurasian integration
Authors: Kerchelaev Iurii Vladimirovich
Published: August 2023

The object of the study is the international relations of Azerbaijan at the junction of the XX and XXI centuries. The subject of the study is the relationship between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan after the disintegration of the USSR. The author dwells in detail on the bilateral relations between Baku and Astana during the presidency of Heydar and Ilham Aliyev. The greatest attention is paid to cooperation in various fields within the framework of Trans-Caucasian logistics projects through the prism of involving Caspian partners in them. This perspective allows us to note that Kazakhstan has gained an important "logistics hub" in Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan fount in Kazakhstan a partner. The research methods are content analysis, discourse analysis and historical research methods. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that Azerbaijan's foreign policy is reflected quite briefly in Russian historiography, especially in the framework of bilateral relations with the countries of Central Asia. The attention of domestic researchers, as a rule, focuses on relations with Russia, as well as other countries of the South Caucasus and Turkey, however, it should be noted that Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations became one of the foundations of the Caspian vector of Eurasian integration at the turn of the century. The main conclusion of the author is that the Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations allowed the two countries not only to solve their own geopolitical problems, but also to qualitatively improve the Caspian vector of Eurasian integration, harmoniously supplementing it with the "West-East" direction. It should be noted not only the intensity of contacts, but also their productivity, a reflection of this is the involvement of Kazakhstan in logistics projects in the South Caucasus, participation in which allows the Central Asian country to have another "corridor" to the world ocean. Probably, the bilateral relations under consideration were the most productive in the region between the post-Soviet countries, with the exception of bilateral relations in which Russia participated.
Regulation of hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 synapse function by a Bcl11b/C1ql2/Nrxn3(25b+) pathway
Authors: Koumoundourou Artemis , Rannap Märt , Bruyckere Elodie De , Nestel Sigrun , Reißner Carsten , Egorov Alexei V. , Liu Pentao , Missler Markus , Heimrich Bernd , Draguhn Andreas , Britsch Stefan
Published: August 2023

The transcription factor Bcl11b has been linked to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders associated with synaptic dysfunction. Bcl11b is highly expressed in dentate gyrus granule neurons and is required for the structural and functional integrity of mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, remained unclear. We show that the synaptic organizer molecule C1ql2 is a direct functional target of Bcl11b that regulates synaptic vesicle recruitment and long-term potentiation at mossy fiber-CA3 synapses
in vivo
and
in vitro
. Furthermore, we demonstrate C1ql2 to exert its functions through direct interaction with a specific splice variant of neurexin-3, Nrxn3(25b+). Interruption of C1ql2-Nrxn3(25b+) interaction by expression of a non-binding C1ql2 mutant or by deletion of Nrxn3 in the dentate gyrus granule neurons recapitulates major parts of the Bcl11b as well as C1ql2 mutant phenotype, and interferes with C1ql2 targeting to the synapse. Together, this study identifies a novel C1ql2-Nrxn3(25b+)-dependent signaling pathway through which Bcl11b controls mossy fiber-CA3 synapse function. Thus, our findings contribute to the mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders accompanied by synaptic dysfunction.
Deep learning-based automatic action extraction from structured chemical synthesis procedures
Authors: Vaškevičius Mantas , Kapočiūtė-Dzikienė Jurgita , Vaškevičius Arnas , Šlepikas Liudas
Published: August 2023

This article proposes a methodology that uses machine learning algorithms to extract actions from structured chemical synthesis procedures, thereby bridging the gap between chemistry and natural language processing. The proposed pipeline combines ML algorithms and scripts to extract relevant data from USPTO and EPO patents, which helps transform experimental procedures into structured actions. This pipeline includes two primary tasks: classifying patent paragraphs to select chemical procedures and converting chemical procedure sentences into a structured, simplified format. We employ artificial neural networks such as long short-term memory, bidirectional LSTMs, transformers, and fine-tuned T5. Our results show that the bidirectional LSTM classifier achieved the highest accuracy of 0.939 in the first task, while the Transformer model attained the highest BLEU score of 0.951 in the second task. The developed pipeline enables the creation of a dataset of chemical reactions and their procedures in a structured format, facilitating the application of AI-based approaches to streamline synthetic pathways, predict reaction outcomes, and optimize experimental conditions. Furthermore, the developed pipeline allows for creating a structured dataset of chemical reactions and procedures, making it easier for researchers to access and utilize the valuable information in synthesis procedures.
THAPBI PICT—a fast, cautious, and accurate metabarcoding analysis pipeline
Authors: Cock Peter J. A. , Cooke David E. L. , Thorpe Peter , Pritchard Leighton
Published: August 2023

THAPBI PICT is an open source software pipeline for metabarcoding analysis of Illumina paired-end reads, including cases of multiplexing where more than one amplicon is amplified per DNA sample. Initially a Phytophthora ITS1 Classification Tool (PICT), we demonstrate using worked examples with our own and public data sets how, with appropriate primer settings and a custom database, it can be applied to other amplicons and organisms, and used for reanalysis of existing datasets. The core dataflow of the implementation is (i) data reduction to unique marker sequences, often called amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), (ii) dynamic thresholds for discarding low abundance sequences to remove noise and artifacts (rather than error correction by default), before (iii) classification using a curated reference database. The default classifier assigns a label to each query sequence based on a database match that is either perfect, or a single base pair edit away (substitution, deletion or insertion). Abundance thresholds for inclusion can be set by the user or automatically using per-batch negative or synthetic control samples. Output is designed for practical interpretation by non-specialists and includes a read report (ASVs with classification and counts per sample), sample report (samples with counts per species classification), and a topological graph of ASVs as nodes with short edit distances as edges. Source code available from https://github.com/peterjc/thapbi-pict/ with documentation including installation instructions.
Unidades de Triagem São Pedro em Porto Alegre: uma solução social
Authors: Jung Gabriela Sobrosa , Leotti Isadora Rosa , Lorenzet Valdirene Suzana , Ricardo Maira de Souza
Published: August 2023

Trata-se de um estudo feito na Unidade de Triagem do Hospital Psiquiátrico São Pedro, comunidade parceira do Time Enactus UFRGS, visando compreender o trabalho como forma de inclusão social de pessoas com transtornos mentais. Utiliza-se de metodologia qualitativa, através de pesquisa bibliográfica, na busca de temas como inclusão social, transtornos mentais e trabalho, e de campo, realizada por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, a fim de entender a dinâmica da associação e seu impacto na vida desses indivíduos. Os resultados confirmam o impacto do trabalho na vida de pessoas com transtornos mentais. Os depoimentos indicam as propriedades terapêuticas e estabilizadoras da atividade laboral e autonomia econômica e inserção à sociedade que vem junto ao trabalho.
Analysis of Variation in Blood Donor Deferral Section Statistics as per Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020: An Institutional Experience
Authors: Gupta Anshul , Bansal Nidhi , Maharishi Ram Niwas , Roychoudhury Arnav KR
Published: August 2023

Introduction: The safety of donated blood is of utmost importance for the well-being of the recipient, which requires proper adherence to donor acceptance criteria. In March 2020, new amendments were introduced in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which included several new criteria. It is important to explore these changes and their impact on the donor pool to ensure adequate maintenance of whole blood/component inventory in our blood centre. Aim: To study the variation in deferral statistics of blood donors after the introduction of new donor criteria as per the Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted from October 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, in the Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Transfusion (Blood Centre) of a tertiary care hospital in Punjab, India. Retrospective data for three years was collected from blood donor records and deferral records, divided into two groups: group 1 (October 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020) for the old criteria, and group 2 (April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021) for the new criteria. Reasons for deferral of donors were categorised into four stages: clinical history, medical examination, investigations (hemoglobin levels), and inadequate collection for both male and female donors. The collected data was entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet. Variables in different categories were represented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was used for comparison between the data of the two groups. Results: In group I, 332 out of 6,588 donors (5.04%) were deferred, and in group II, 345 out of 6,143 donors (5.61%) were deferred. The deferral rate was comparatively higher in females in both groups, with 17.98% (41/228) in group I and 21.65% (21/97) in group II. The percentage of deferred donors was higher in the age group of 18-30 years in both groups, with 50.60% (168/332) in group I and 47.25% (163/345) in group II. The maximum number of donors were deferred at stage I (clinical history), with 270/332 (81.33%) in group I and 296/345 (85.8%) in group II, followed by stage III (investigations), with 34/332 (10.24%) in group I and 33/345 (9.56%) in group II. COVID-19 related history was the third most common cause of deferral in group II, accounting for 43 (12.46%) of the total deferred cases, which was not present in group I. Conclusion: The new guidelines, although comprehensive, only minimally increased the deferral rate and did not have a significant impact on the donor pool of our blood centre. Knowledge about the latest deferral guidelines and donor deferral rates is of utmost significance for the maintenance of inventory and to reduce the loss of a significant donor pool.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Acacia nilotica and Coffea arabica Using Protein Sequences from the Chloroplast RBCL Gene
Authors: George Kisoi , Johnson Kinyua , Fred Wamunyokoli
Published: August 2023

The genus Acacia is important economically to local communities in sub-Saharan Africa for its medicinal and beverage usage. The bark extract is used for making a coffee-like concoction, which is named by locals as ‘Wild coffee’ due to its brown color. The objective of this study was to compare the evolutionary analysis of A. nilotica and C. arabica -based amino acids sequence of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase. The results showed that A. nilotica and C. arabica are polyphyletic and the subspecies A. nilotica and A. n. hemispherica formed the sister group, same as the species C. arabica, C. salvatrix, and C. racemosa.  The chloroplast-encoded rbcL gene, which encodes the large subunit of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), is a valuable marker for investigating the evolutionary relationships between plant species. In this study, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of two economically and ecologically significant plants, Acacia nilotica and Coffea arabica, using protein sequences derived from the chloroplast rbcL gene. A multiple sequence alignment of the rbcL protein sequences was performed, and a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed using the RAxML algorithm. The tree was rooted using a Thiotrichales bacterium as an outgroup sequence to establish the evolutionary context. Branch support values were calculated to assess the statistical robustness of the inferred relationships. The results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed the evolutionary relationship between Acacia nilotica and Coffea arabica within the context of other plant taxa. The phylogenetic tree provided insights into their shared ancestry, divergence time, and taxonomic placement within the larger plant kingdom. We identified conserved regions in the rbcL protein sequences, reflecting functional importance, as well as divergent regions, suggesting potential adaptive evolution. The significance of our study lies in understanding the evolutionary history and taxonomic position of these economically important plant species. This knowledge has implications for biodiversity conservation, crop improvement, and ecosystem management. The study also highlights the utility of the rbcL gene as a valuable tool for investigating plant phylogenetics. In conclusion, our phylogenetic analysis using the rbcL protein sequences provides valuable insights into the evolutionary relationship between Acacia nilotica and Coffea arabica. This research contributes to our understanding of plant evolution and has practical applications in various fields, from agriculture to conservation.
Evaluation of the Phytochemical Composition of Some Commonly Sold Male Herbal Fertility Supplements in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Nwogu Arit Okechukwu , Tamuno-Emine Davies G. , Ben-Chioma Adline E. , Bartimaeus Ebirien-Agana Samuel
Published: August 2023

Plants are major sources used in the production of pharmaceutically active drugs and they contain diverse phytochemicals which give these herbal supplements their biological and pharmacological effects. This study evaluated the phytochemical constituents of some commonly sold male herbal fertility supplements (Libron Herbal, Mascum Herbal Pride and Energy 3000) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the herbal supplements was done using standard procedures. The GC 789OB 5977A and Mass Spectrometry Device (MSD) Model was used for the GC/MS Study. Results of the qualitative phytochemical analysis of the supplements shows that flavonoid, protodiocin, tannins, phenols and alkaloids were present in libron herbal supplement. Protodiocin, saponins, tannins, phenols, alkaloids and cardiacglycosides were present in mascum herbal supplement while flavonoids, protodiocin, tannins, alkaloids, anthroquinones and terpeniods were present in Energy 3000 herbal supplement. For the quantitative phytochemical analysis of the herbal supplements, libron herbal supplement contained Flavonoid 0.24 ± 0.00%, protodiocin 0.29 ± 0.01%, tannins 0.37 ± 0.02%, phenols 0.18 ± 0.00% and alkaloid 0.28 ± 0.10%.  Mascum herbal supplement were seen to contain protodiocin 0.27 ± 0.07%, saponins 0.48 ± 0.08%, tannis 0.38 ± 0.06%, phenols 0.21± 0.07%, alkaloids 0.18 ± 0.10%, and cardiaglycosides 0.27 ± 0.07% while Energy 3000 was made up of flavonoid 0.10 ± 0.00%, protodiocin 0.29 ± 0.04%, tannis 0.64 ± 0.10%, phenols 0.28 ± 0.01%, alkaloids 0.26 ± 0.01%, anthroquinones 0.27 ± 0.10% and terpenoids 0.25 ± 0.00%.The GC/MS study was seen to contain various chemical compunds. The three herbal supplements assayed contain diverse phytochemicals that may enhance male fertility as well as some chemical compounds that could alter hormonal functioning of some biochemical systems in the albino rats.
Analysis of Long-Range Wireless Area Network Enabled Smart Agriculture for Sustainable Food Production
Authors: Madasamy Sathiyakeerthi
Published: August 2023

Technology advancements and increased connection are bolstering the movement toward digital transformation in agricultural and food systems, which might lead to the proliferation of robots, fully automated farms and tractors, and spraying drones. The next-generation (4G) wireless network connection, known as 5G, will be necessary provide the massive data transmission volumes and low latency that may have many positive effects on IoT and blockchain applications in the agriculture and food industries. This study makes use of LoRaWAN (Long Range Wireless Area Network) for its energy-harvesting capabilities in remote agriculture monitoring. According to the findings of the experiments, LoRaWAN is the best technology to utilize in a system for monitoring agriculture when network lifespan and power consumption are important factors. Following application criteria, the experimental findings may be utilized to pick wireless technology for agricultural monitoring.
Effect of Integrated Nitrogen Management on Growth and Yield of Okra at Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal
Authors: K.C. Niraj , Bhugai Diwas , Khatri Keshar Bahadur , Rijal Prashant
Published: August 2023

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is a crucial approach to improving the sustainable yield of crops in an environmentally friendly manner. In this study, a field experiment was conducted at Lamjung Campus, Sundarbazar, Lamjung, from March 2022 to June 2022 to evaluate the effect of integrated nitrogen management on the growth and yield parameters of okra and to find out the suitable nitrogen management system in okra. A randomized full-block design was utilized in the investigation, with seven treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of a control (T1) and six other combinations of nitrogen sources, with each treatment receiving 50% of its nitrogen from chemical fertilizers and 50% from organic sources. The amount of organic manure was calculated based on the nitrogen content of the manures. Farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure, vermicompost, mustard cake, and goat manure were tested as organic sources. The effect of treatment combinations was evaluated in terms of plant height, stem diameter, leaf numbers, days to first flower opening, days to first fruit maturity, number of pods per plant, length, and diameter of pods, and yield ha-1. The findings revealed that integrated nitrogen management strategies had a substantial impact on okra growth and output. Among all the treatments, 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure (T4), which gave the highest number of pods per plant (19.87), yield per ha (13.59 t/ha), and shortest days taken to first flowering (46.54 days) and plant height (54.80 cm), followed by T2, while the control treatment (T1) yielded the lowest. These findings suggest that the application of 50% recommended N through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through poultry manure is an effective strategy for obtaining a high yield of okra in the study area.
Effect of Paddy Straw Incorporation on Growth and Yield of Rice under Wetland Ecosystem
Authors: Guruanand C. , Raju M. , Boomiraj K. , Boominathan P. , Kumar G. Prabu , Kumar S. Mohan
Published: August 2023

Burning the paddy straw had variety of effects both on and off the farm. It entails nutrient and economic productivity loss in addition to impact on air quality, animal and human health. Soil incorporation is a cost-effective method of disposing the paddy straw. Effects of enhanced paddy straw incorporation in the field to investigate the growth and yield parameters during the summer season at TNAU, Coimbatore. The treatments comprise Continuous flooding (Conventional) (M1), AWDI (field water tube):  Irrigation at soil    moisture depletion by 10 cm (M2), AWDI (field water tube):  Irrigation at soil   moisture depletion by 15 cm (M3) as main plots. The subplot treatments consist of Rice raw straw incorporation + 75% RDF (S1), Rice raw straw incorporation with Pusa Decomposer Capsules + 75% RDF (S2), Rice raw straw incorporation with TNAU Bio mineralizer + 75% RDF (S3), Rice raw straw incorporation with Pusa Decomposer Capsules + TNAU Bio mineralizer + 75% RDF (S4), 75% RDF (S5), 100% RDF (S6). Incorporation of rice straw, Pusa decomposer, TNAU Bio-mineralizer along with 75% RDF recorded better results in all growth stages and yield.
Genetic Variability of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandifloras L.) Varieties Under Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Agro-Climatic Conditions
Authors: Patel Akanksha , Singh Devi , Wesley C. John
Published: August 2023

A study on genetic variability of gladiolus (Gladiolus grandifloras L.) varieties under prayagraj agro-climatic conditions was carried out at Departmental research field of Horticulture, Naini Agriculture Institute during the Rabi season of 2021-2022 with ten cultivars in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications viz.,. Punjab Flame, Source Biscuts, Arka Naveen, White Prosperity, Dhanvantri, Phule Neelrekha, Pusa Srijan, Arka Amar, Priscilla, Yellow Stone were evaluated. Out of these ten cultivars, genetic variability, heritability, phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and genetic correlation for the characters viz., plant height at (30, 60, 90 DAS), number of leaves per plant at (30,60,90 DAS), no. of shoot per plant, days taken for corm sprouting, rachis length, days taken to spike emergence, days taken colour break stage, no. of floret per spike, no. of spike per plant, no. of days taken for first basal open, no. of days taken for last floret open, spike length, floret diameter, weight of daughter corm, weight of mother corm, corm diameter, corm weight, no. of corm per hectare, and corm yield/ plant were observed. for all characters, the highest GCV and PCV were recorded for the characters viz., weight of daughter corm (g) (33.6786 and 47.569), number of leaves per plant at 30 DAS (25.70 and 37.81), number of leaves per plant at harvest (24.73 and 35.25), number of shoots per plant ( 25.47 and 31.19), weight of mother corm (25.18 and 33.90), corm weight (25.11 and 33.38), days taken for corm sprouting (23.7566 and 23.7566) and the lowest GCV and PCV were recorded for floret diameter (17.50 and 40.95).The genotypes Phule Neelrekha followed by Arka Amar were identified as high corm yielding and no. of cormsper hectare and produced more no. of spikes/ plot and also yield per plotwhich indicated that these genotypes have resultedfor higher yield and indicated good response to selection owing to their high heritability, variability and genetic advance showing additive gene effect. These genotypes can be used for improvement of yield and component traits by selection.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Different Machine Learning Algorithms for Crop Cover Classification Using Sentinel 2
Authors: Preethi S. , Ramalingam Kumaraperumal , Pazhanivelan Sellaperumal , Muthumanickam Dhanaraju , Kaliaperumal Ragunath , Moorthi Nivas Raj
Published: August 2023

Crop cover mapping is an essential tool for controlling and enhancing agricultural productivity. By determining the spatial distribution of different crop types, solidified judgements regarding crop planning, crop management, and risk management can be made. Crop cover classification using optical data pose constraints in terms of spatial and spectral resolution. With Sentinel – 2 data providing the ground information at 10m resolution, users may choose the best spectral band combinations and temporal frame by analysing the spectral-temporal information of different crops. The crop categorization map for the Kallakurichi and Villupuram districts were created in this study using the Random Forest (RF) and Decision tree (C5.0) classifiers. The study mainly focuses on comparing the classification accuracy of two classifiers and figuring out the best classifiers for crop cover mapping with respect to the study area. The ground truth information collected, were partitioned into calibration and validation datasets and the validation resulted with the Overall Accuracy (OA) and kappa coefficient of 66%; 0.63 and 60%; 0.67 for RF and C5.0 algorithms, respectively. From the results, it could be concluded that the RF classifier performed comparatively better than C5.0, thus making it suitable for crop cover classification.
Genetic Variability and Correlation Studies on Different Hybrid of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) in Prayagraj Agroclimatic Condition
Authors: Singh Vikram , Kerketta Anita , Lal Lalita , Topno Samir E.
Published: August 2023

An experiment was conducted on Genetic Variability, Heritability and Correlation Studies on 20 hybrids of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) with three replications during Zaid Season of 2022. at the Research Field of Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj. They were evaluated for 16 quantitative characters. The results from the present investigation revealed that on the basis of mean performance for days taken to germination (7.00-12.00), Days to 1st Male Flower (26.80 – 30.53 days), Days to 1st Female Flower (31.53 – 35.43 days), Nodes number at which first male flower appears (4.13 – 8.60 nodes), Nodes number at which first female flower appears (6.40 – 15.87 nodes), Days to first fruit picking (40.00 – 48.33 days), Days to last fruit picking (82.33-85.00 days) Fruit Weight (24.60 – 74.94 gm), Number of Fruits per Plant (20.18 – 28.91 fruits), Fruit yield per plant (0.55 – 2.02 kg), Fruit Length (7.83 – 14.13 cm), Fruit diameter (21.28 – 40.51 mm), Yield per Hectare (61.18 – 234.44 q/ha), Vine Length at final Harvest (3.02 – 3.98m), TSS (6.00 – 9.00), Ascorbic acid (79.70 – 84.40 mg/100gm) was found superior in AVT-I 2020 BIGHYB-3 with higher fruit yield per plant and performed better for other desirable traits. This genotype was found superior based on the overall performance of different bitter gourd cultivars for growth and yield in Prayagraj conditions.
Educational Innovations in the Approach of Outpatients to Improve Health Literacy: A Prospective Study
Authors: Molinari Humberto , Vanin Adriane Aver , Cunha Mariana Lucas Da Rocha , Brunetto Marcel Luiz , Araujo Amanda Costa
Published: August 2023

Limited health literacy is considered a risk factor for poor outcomes. Empowering patients with knowledge about their disease can improve health outcomes. To propose new approaches to improve patients’ health literacy to the treatment for functional dyspepsia and gastritis. This is a prospective study with a pre- and post-educational intervention. The sample included 50 patients, 35 female patients (70%). In the post-intervention questionnaire, 82% of patients improved their clinical condition with the treatment, 98% of patients understood the videos and 74% of patients believe that the educational intervention could be used for other specialties. Patient education is an important strategy for a better understanding of their disease. Besides that, this study used educational tools through guidance texts and educational videos that can be used in clinical practice. This is an easily, accessible and inexpensive tool for health literacy.
Absolutism
Authors: Hulliung Mark
Published: August 2023

Absolutism is a political doctrine that arose in early modern Europe in response to the chaos of feudal anarchy and the violence of religious wars. Placing the king in charge of all public affairs, absolutism denied the claims of the Estates General in France and parliament in England. Thus absolutism in theory is the opposite of constitutionalism, even if in practice the power of the Stuarts and Bourbons was always less than absolute.
Aeschylus (ca. 525/4?–456/5bce)
Authors: Dolgert Stefan
Published: August 2023

Aeschylus (ca. 525/4?–456/5bce) was one of the most important tragedians of fifth‐century Athens (along with Sophocles and Euripides) and wrote perhaps 90 plays, seven of which survive. Among these areThe Persians(notable for its sympathetic portrayal of Athens’ great enemy),Prometheus Bound, and the only extant trilogy from ancient tragedy, theOresteia(comprisingAgamemnon,The Libation Bearers, andThe Eumenides). He won first prize in the Greater Dionysia (the Athenian festival at which three prominent poets competed) on 13 occasions, and made substantial innovations to the tragic form, introducing a second actor into what had previously been a dialogue between the chorus and a single actor. Though considered an innovator of tragedy's dramatic form, Aeschylus was also associated with the more conservative, aristocratic political and religious traditions in Athens, and is celebrated on his tombstone not for his tragic victories but for his participation as a soldier in the Athenian defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (490bce). His reputation as a defender of the older, aristocratic ways was exemplified by Aristophanes’ portrayal of the underworld contest between Aeschylus and Euripides in theFrogs, where Aeschylus’ poetry is deemed more useful to Athens in her time of need, though his characters and prose are satirized as unrealistic because of their heroic grandeur (Aristophanes 2008).
Aesthetics and Politics
Authors: Panagia Davide
Published: August 2023

Aesthetics and politics are not exclusively the study of art and politics nor the political aspects of art. Rather than a concept or a theme, the conjunctive “and” in the term “aesthetics and politics” indicates a relation: it is the relation between two (or more) overlapping regimes of value creation. For these reasons, it is not possible to speak of a single tradition for the analysis of aesthetics and politics, nor is it possible to isolate one method of study. Rather, one is better served by exploring how the relation between aesthetics and politics is engaged and elaborated by thinkers who attend to the experiential and perceptual dimensions of political life.
African Socialism
Authors: Wingo Ajume H.
Published: August 2023

African socialism is a form of socialism that, broadly construed, rejects private property and advocates common ownership of the means of production. Socialism in Europe and other developed countries required a prior stage of capitalism as a foundation, while the indigenous African society was sufficient for building a modern socialist system in Africa with its own distinctive character. As conceived of in Marxist theory, socialism is an intermediate stage of economic development that grows out of a prior capitalistic system, that is, it is the stage at which a market‐based system that maximizes exchange value is replaced by a planned system designed to maximize use value. Julius Nyerere, Tom Mboya, and other framers of African socialism, however, quite consciously understood their program as “leapfrogging” the capitalistic system.
American Political Development
Authors: Compton John W.
Published: August 2023

American political development (APD) is a subfield of political science which focuses on the dynamics of political change in the United States. Although most APD work is historical in nature, the goal of APD scholarship is not simply to document the past, but rather to understand the temporal patterns and processes that have shaped the development of the American polity. APD scholars typically employ historical‐institutional methodologies, including a focus on the ways in which political action is structured by a pre‐existing landscape of rules, routines, and norms of legitimate action. But while the field is known for its institutional emphasis, APD practitioners have also had a good deal to say about ideas and ideology. This article will survey the field's origins, methodological assumptions, and major achievements, paying particular attention to APD's contributions to the study of political thought.
American Political Thought
Authors: Eisenach Eldon J.
Published: August 2023

American political thought is rooted in an assumption of popular sovereignty first articulated inDemocracy in Americaby Alexis de Tocqueville. Despite this shared assumption, the story of American political thought has been told in many different ways. Three genres stand out. The first is written within the larger framework of intellectual and cultural history, taking the form of anthology and narrative summary. Among its most prominent features are an eclecticism of the sources and a heavy emphasis on British philosophical and religious context, especially in New England, and on the relationship of those contexts to the American Revolution. A second form is constitutionalist. Charting the major struggles over legal and institutional relationships through time, this perspective gives prominence to the constitutional founding and landmark court decisions and underlines major constitutional issues in party conflict in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the rapid expansion of rights in the periods following. The third genre is populist‐Progressive. Here the story of American political thought is narrated to stress the struggles to achieve democracy in the past and to reaffirm in the reader a commitment to extend the struggle into the future. While the three genres overlap, the selection of canon, the connecting links, and the use and forms of periodization vary considerably.
Antigone (5th centurybce)
Authors: Honig Bonnie
Published: August 2023

In Sophocles’ famous tragedy,Antigone, the heroine mourns the loss of her brother, Polynices, and buries him although this violates the edict of Creon, her uncle and new ruler of Thebes. Creon wants to leave the body unlamented and unburied as punishment for Polynices’ treason. Polynices attacked the city with a foreign army to claim his turn to rule from his brother Eteocles who would not share the throne. Antigone solicits the help of her sister, Ismene, who refuses, saying it is not for women to combat men, and Antigone acts alone. For her transgressive mourning, Antigone is condemned to death, immured in a cave outside the city where she is left to die, though instead – autonomous and resistant to the end – she hangs herself. Creon's efforts to control her in the name of public order lead to his own undoing. How to interpret her actions? Are they tragic, efficacious, sentimental, ethical, political, admirably, or destructively self‐indulgent? No matter the interpretation, this dramatic figure of resistance has captured the imagination of political theorists of all stripes. Those who have turned to her most recently are preceded by over 60 years of deployments of Sophocles’ play which serves as a veritable bellwether of political theory interests – from pluralism to antiwar activism and civil disobedience, to theorizing (especially by feminists) the possibility of agency or lamenting its impossibility.
Apathy
Authors: Somin Ilya
Published: August 2023

Democracy requires at least some popular participation in politics in order to impose accountability on elected officials. And ever since the initial establishment of democracy in ancient Athens, critics have worried that that the public might be too apathetic or too ignorant to participate effectively. Decades of survey data show that most citizens have very low levels of political knowledge, and only a small minority actively participate in politics in any way other than voting. In the United States, voting rates are also relatively low, rarely rising much above 50 percent of eligible voters. Ignorance and apathy are not identical. In theory, a voter might have strong political commitments, yet be generally ignorant; a highly knowledgeable citizen might still be apathetic. In practice, however, survey data show that there is a strong correlation between knowledge and commitment. It is possible that apathy fosters ignorance and vice versa.
Appiah, Kwame Anthony (1954–)
Authors: Naranch Laurie E.
Published: August 2023

Kwame Anthony Appiah was born in London and raised in Ghana. He is currently Laurence S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and a professor in the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University. He is a wide‐ranging thinker whose writings encompass philosophy of language debates in an analytic philosophical tradition; significant contributions to discussions of race, culture, and African philosophy; and essays about patriotism and cosmopolitanism, literature, social identity, honor, as well as several novels. An elegant and thoughtful writer, Appiah's contributions to political theory are in his defense of a democratic liberalism attuned to diversity. In the spirit of John Stuart Mill's ethical philosophy of liberalism he argues that respect for diversity is central to the liberal tradition in terms of identity, beliefs, ideas, aesthetics, and argument. This attunement is essential for individual thriving and our collective good as beings entitled to equal dignity within political communities. To have the chance to develop ethically (living a good life) and morally (in relation to others) for Appiah means that we ought not to be “too tightly scripted” by narratives about who we are or should be. Essential to Appiah's liberalism is a defense of autonomy for individuals who negotiate their identity in relation to family life, local communities, religious, national, and human rights aspirations.
Aristophanes (ca. 460/450–ca. 386 BCE)
Authors: Ambler Wayne
Published: August 2023

Aristophanes was a prolific Athenian comic poet whose riotous plays span the half‐century during which classical Athens fell from her peak into her decline. His highly political plays take up such serious problems for the Athenians as the ongoing Peloponnesian War, the power of demagogic leaders like Cleon, and the questionable effects of such new and radical intellectual forces as Socrates and Euripides. He wrote about 40 plays (of which 11 have survived), and he was a powerful influence on satirists in ancient Rome and on authors of several genres in the Renaissance and beyond.
Authoritarianism
Authors: Marquez Xavier
Published: August 2023

“Authoritarianism” denotes a political regime where the rulers routinely use and assert their authority in illegitimate ways. It may also be defined as a political system in which the uses of authority by rulers are incompatible with the recognition of the freedom and autonomy of citizens, most obviously insofar as they involve unjustified coercion against them. While rulers in all political systems may in fact abuse their authority in this way, in practice the term has been mostly used to indicate the contrary of democracy.
Bacon, Francis (1561–1626)
Authors: DeSantis Anthony
Published: August 2023

Francis Bacon (1561–1626) was one of the more influential thinkers in the early modern period. He attacked the traditional system of knowledge of his time – many of the presuppositions, beliefs, and attitudes of classical antiquity, medieval Aristotelian Scholasticism, along with strains of Renaissance Christian Platonism, neo‐Platonism, and Hermetic teachings. He exposed many of the barriers to knowledge and to material and scientific progress that these teachings promulgated. He called for the overthrow of these “Idols of the mind,” which did so much to retard the advancement of factual learning, and to replace these with an improved epistemology and method of gaining truth. Moreover, he promoted a natural‐historical and more scientific approach to learning both for philosophy and the common good. His labors and writings made a significant impact on western culture.
Barry, Brian (1936–2009)
Authors: Weale Albert
Published: August 2023

Brian Barry was the leading European normative political theorist of his generation. He wrote humorously and forcefully on many topics, contributing significantly to theories of justice, democracy, power, and multiculturalism. Throughout his work, he expressed an egalitarian social democratic vision of society.
Bentham, Jeremy (1748–1832)
Authors: Pellegrino Gianfranco
Published: August 2023

Bentham's significance spans many fields. In ethics, he is the founder of modern utilitarianism, one of the most influential moral theories of the last two centuries. In jurisprudence, his dichotomy between “law as it is” and “law as it ought to be” is at the root of legal positivism. He produced one of the most comprehensive theories of evidence in the Anglo‐American tradition. He developed a systematic view of preventive punishment. His educational theories, based on access to all regardless of religion and gender, were the inspiration for the establishment of the University College London. Bentham put forward a utilitarian approach to liberal democracy.
Bentley, Arthur Fisher (1870–1957)
Authors: Mathiowetz Dean
Published: August 2023

Arthur Fisher Bentley (1870–1957) was an American social theorist. His book,
The Process of Government
(1908) enjoyed wide influence in the field of political science from the 1930s through the 1950s. It is still referenced as a key work of pluralist thought, and as the text that coined the term “interest group.”
Bhaskar, Roy (1944–)
Authors: Joseph Jonathan
Published: August 2023

Roy Bhaskar is a philosopher and social theorist whose chief contribution has been to develop the approach known as critical realism. This has proved an influential application of a philosophy of social science to issues in the social sciences. While the main focus is on general issues of ontology and epistemology, he makes more specific contributions to such issues as structure and agency, social transformation, emancipation, and even spirituality.
Bill of Rights
Authors: Esler Michael
Published: August 2023

The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. Adopted in 1791, its original purpose was to impose limits on the power of the federal government. Subsequently, most of these limits have been applied to the states. Although the Bill did not play a significant role in constitutional history until the twentieth century, it is today the principal source for protecting civil liberties against the power of government. It has also served as a model for the development of bills of rights in other nations.
Bourdieu, Pierre (1930–2002)
Authors: Rubenstein Diane
Published: August 2023

Pierre Bourdieu, Professor of Sociology at the Collège de France, was peculiarly situated in relation to the forms of social distinction and symbolic domination he so rigorously studied. He was a postman's son, born in 1930 in a remote peasant village in the French southwest Pyrenees. Yet he nonetheless attended France's most stellar Parisian institutions (Lycée Louis le Grand, École Normale Supérieure). Shortly after passing hisaggrégationin philosophy in 1954, he was drafted into service in 1955 to fight in the Algerian War, where he remained after the war to teach and do fieldwork in resettlement camps. As he would later recount, he arrived in Algeria as a philosopher and returned a sociologist. All of these experiences would mark his career. His Béarn peasant background served as an entry point for his Kabylian ethnography, his study of rural bachelors and amateur photography clubs. As an “included outsider” to France's elite schools (grandes écoles), he established his reputation as a critic of higher education. The Algerian fieldwork generated two early books on Algeria, provided the basis for his theoretically importantOutline of a Theory of Practice, and established a lifelong political solidarity.
Bourgeois/Bourgeoisie
Authors: Minehan Philip
Published: August 2023

These terms derive etymologically from the Greek
pyrgos
, meaning tower or castle, and the later Latin terms
burgus
, a fortified town, and
burgenses
, those that live in towns. The latter was adopted in English directly from the modern French as
bourgeoisie
, along with the adjective
bourgeois
. They originally described the small but conspicuous populations of the growing towns of the overwhelmingly rural world of the early Middle Ages. Their more specific usage in historical literature first applied mainly to Europe. It posited the bourgeoisie as an urban social group that occupied a middle position between the nobility and the peasantry, but also as a dynamic force for historical change. That change from the Middle Ages to the modern era is laid out in three historical phases: emergent, revolutionary, and conservative.
British Political Thought
Authors: Coole Diana
Published: August 2023

A separate entry on British political thought might appear redundant in that many of the theories it covers have been assimilated into or are the original source for modern political theory. Nor is the designation “British” clear cut, either geopolitically or regarding which thinkers and traditions it includes. There are, moreover, two rather different ways the topic could be addressed: either by identifying a particularly British contribution to the discipline or by narrating a history of British political thought. With these three caveats in mind, and while acknowledging that British ideas have not arisen in isolation but were often influenced by external traditions, the following survey broadly adopts the second approach but selects particular periods and authors in order to highlight some relatively distinctive characteristics.
Bureaucracy
Authors: Jordan Sara
Published: August 2023

A bureaucracy is an organization whose claim to legitimacy is based in rational‐legal authority, which when functioning properly, fulfills externally determined goals through use of skills brought to the organization by regular, salaried, and task‐specialized administrative staff. Staff follow rules clearly outlined in a formal, hierarchical system that supports extensive record‐keeping, redundancy, and production stability. In general, when the term bureaucracy is employed in political theory, it should be viewed as a political‐economic concept, not merely a political or economic one.
Calvin, Jean (1509–64)
Authors: Höpfl Harro M.
Published: August 2023

Founding theologian of the ‘reformed’ Protestant tradition, translator of the Bible into French, scriptural commentator, polemicist, organizer of the Genevan church, founder of the Academy (later University) of Geneva, Jean Calvin was well versed in legal and humanistic studies, as hisCommentary on Seneca's De Clementia(1532) makes clear. After his conversion to evangelical religion, he remained ready to appeal to secular (pagan) “philosophy,” natural equity, and expediency to support his political teachings, but for anything controversial it was scripture that was ultimately authoritative for politics, and in ecclesiology he normally argued as if nothing apart from scripture mattered. He repeatedly revised, translated and vastly extended his masterwork, theInstitution(orInstitutes)of Christian Religionfrom its first Latin edition, published in 1536 before he came to Geneva, to its final 1559 (Latin) and 1560 (French) editions. All editions, however, had only one chapter (bk. IV, ch. 20 in the final edition) on the topic ofadministratio politica, literally the “political ministry,” with rulers as God's “ministers.” The chapter was much revised subsequently, but retained the original focus on the vital significance of the civil polity, laws, and magistrates for Christians as well as for the rest of humankind.
Canon Law
Authors: Walsh David
Published: August 2023

The compilation of canon law that occurred in the twelfth century with Gratian's
Decretum
is the first assembly of a living body of laws in the west. Roman law, even when compiled by Justinian in the
Corpus Juris
(534) was a largely antiquarian exercise, since the decrees no longer applied to the kind of society over which he ruled. As a consequence Roman or civil law functioned both in the east and the west as a collection of legal principles from which selections could be made as judges and rulers found appropriate. In contrast, canon law remained the vital legal code of the ecclesiastical community. It was for this reason that the elimination of tensions within it has always remained a pressing requirement. That imperative is neatly reflected in the full title of Gratian's work:
Concordantia Discordantium Canonum
or
Concordance of Discordant Canons
(1150).