bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching Theory as a Transformative Praxis in International Studies
Authors: Shahi Deepshikha
Published: March 2024

A pedagogical plan promoting a “Global” approach to international relations theory (IRT) requires us to bridge two gaps: first, the “published-taught gap” (even if published IRT is endowed with non-Western worldviews, taught IRT suffers from Western parochialism); second, the “theory-praxis gap” (though non-Western worldviews supply theoretical perspectives, they are often not translated into doable policy actions). To bridge these gaps, this chapter presents the pedagogical plan of “teaching theory as a transformative praxis.” In IRT classrooms, this pedagogical plan proceeds in three stages. The first stage revisits the “great debates” of IRT from Western as well as non-Western vantage points. The second stage performs cross-fertilization between ontologies, methodologies, and epistemologies of Western and non-Western IRT. Finally, the third stage shows how the search for complementarities between Western and non-Western IRT—under the aegis of Global IRT—forms a creative platform to invent innovative proposals to deal with diverse policy problems relating to contemporary world politics.
Teaching Environmental Crises
Authors: Allan Jen Iris
Published: March 2024

The dawn of the Anthropocene—a human-centered geological epoch—demands a pedagogical response from those teaching the politics of environmental change. Our students’ futures will be marked by climate, nature, and pollution crises. They are already more aware and concerned about environmental degradation than ever before, prompting educators to rethink our approaches. This chapter reviews approaches taken to date and traces the shift from humans as managers to humans as part of environmental systems. It then turns to innovative ideas for the unique challenges we face when teaching about environmental crises and transitions, from addressing despair and anxiety to experiential learning. The chapter raises questions about the next steps in pedagogical practice, including deepening inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches, helping to green universities, and promoting justice-based approaches to green transitions.
Lapita in the Southwest Pacific
Authors: Bedford Stuart , Spriggs Matthew , Clark Geoffrey
Published: March 2024

The Lapita Cultural Complex is associated with a sudden and rapid expansion of populations into the Southwest Pacific some 3000 years ago, over a period of 400 years. It has been identified archaeologically, from the Bismarck Archipelago to Samoa, stretching almost 5000 kilometres across this part of the Pacific Ocean. It represents the first evidence of human colonization east of the main Solomon Islands. Associated data have been accumulated during more than 100 years of research which have seen vigorous debate regarding aspects such as origins, distribution, chronology, and economy. In this chapter, the authors summarize current knowledge in relation to the Lapita Cultural Complex, which ultimately highlights the extraordinary adaptability and resilience of these pioneering Pasifika peoples.
The Origins of Prehistoric Sailing Technologies in the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Anderson Atholl
Published: March 2024

The technological basis of long-distance voyaging in prehistoric Oceania is hardly more settled today than it was in the eighteenth century, mainly because material remains are exceedingly scarce, traditional evidence is disputed, and opinions are divided over the assumptions and results of modeling and experimental sailing. The prevailing view is that sailing technology, in particular Oceanic spritsails and lateens, had origins in Oceania that were largely independent of early developments in Eurasia. Conversely, a review of historical observations and opinions indicates that Asian square sails, and a double spritsail derived from them, were most probably the rigs of early Pacific migration voyaging and that Oceanic lateen sails had later Indian Ocean and Eurasian origins. The Oceanic spritsail can be derived, hypothetically at least, by culture contact in the central Pacific. The Andean sail, however, does not appear to have Oceanic antecedents. A hybrid model of technological origins in the Pacific is preferred.
Pleistocene and Holocene Archaeology of Southern African Coastlines
Authors: Jerardino Antonieta
Published: March 2024

Southern African coastlines have been magnets for human settlement since the late Pleistocene. Evidence for isolated or sporadic use (from 600 ka) and later recurrent access (from 160 ka) to a variety of coastal resources in this subcontinent ranks among the earliest in the world. While providing for subsistence over millennia, seascapes were also likely sources of deep cultural meaning that shaped the lives of coastal groups. Developing conceptual models specifically for making sense of coastal records is imperative because until now the interior Kalahari ethnography has been used inadequately to do so. A specialized maritime adaptation and technology (e.g., boats and composite gear for offshore fishing and hunting) was never developed on southern Africa’s coasts, but the most intense procurement and consumption of marine resources are evident during the terminal Pleistocene and late Holocene in the context of approaching coastlines and higher population densities, respectively. A unique case of Holocene coastal dietary specialization on high–trophic level marine foods circumscribed to the southern Cape Robberg Peninsula is also part of this record. Sections of the southern African coastline remain unexplored or unpublished, and finding additional west coast MSA sites dating to periods other than the Last Interglacial would allow comparison with the more chronologically and ecologically diverse southern Cape MSA sites. How coastal groups interacted with each other and with hinterland groups is also largely unknown and needs to be addressed. Uncovering further variability in the southern African coastal record will allow for more demanding questions to be addressed.
The Archaeology of the Iberian Atlantic Façade
Authors: Bicho Nuno
Published: March 2024

This chapter surveys the evidence for coastal settlement and resource use during Paleolithic and Mesolithic times in the Iberian Atlantic margin. Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans occupied this nearly 2000-km-long coastal strip during the last 120,000 years or so. This chapter is divided into five main sections, focusing on the physical characteristics of the study area, including the submerged landscapes, and the archaeological evidence for Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, and Holocene occupations of coastal Atlantic Iberia. The traditional view that marine resources were only important and systematically harvested during Holocene times has given way to the view that productive coastal ecosystems were present and marine resources harvested since at least Marine Isotope Stage 5, about 120,000 years ago. After the episodic use during the Middle Paleolithic, the systematic intensity and constant use of marine resources and the seascape started during the Upper Paleolithic, with an apparent increase in the Holocene.
Hosea 5:8–6:6, Alt’s Hypothesis, and New Possibilities
Authors: Sweeney Marvin A.
Published: March 2024

Albrecht Alt’s 1919 study of Hos. 5:8–6:6 is a seminal work in the interpretation of this text in relation to the Syro-Ephraimitic War of 734–732 BCE, and its implications for understanding Hosea’s critique of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Nevertheless, there are a number of gaps in his understanding, some due to the state of exegetical methodology at the time, some due to the state of knowledge concerning Assyria and Aram during the late ninth through the late eighth centuries BCE, and some due to questions concerning his reasoning. There is no proof for his claims of a Judean land grab against Israel; rather, an assault against the tribal territories of Benjamin and southern Ephraim by Assyria better explains the historical background of Hos. 5:8–6:6. Furthermore, Hosea’s critique of Israel and Judah was not based on Hoshea’s submission to Assyria in 732 BCE; rather, it appears to be based on Israel’s long-standing submission to Assyria from the late ninth-century reign of King Jehu ben Jehoshaphat ben Nimshi of Israel and throughout the reign of the House of Jehu. Hosea emerges as a supporter of a policy of alliance with Aram rather than with Assyria as proposed by King Pekah ben Remaliah. With the failure of Pekah’s alliance with King Rezin of Damascus, Hosea was forced to relocate to southern Judah, where he could continue his anti-Assyrian prophesying.
God’s Character in the Book of Hosea
Authors: Lim Bo H.
Published: March 2024

This essay provides a description of God as a dramatis persona in the book of Hosea and offers hermeneutical and theological reflections on interpreting God’s character. Using the instruments by which human characters are described, biblical scholars have begun to examine the following attributes of God in the Bible: (1) External description of physical appearance; (2) What other characters in the story say of a character; (3) Accounts of a character’s actions; (4) Direct speech by the character; (5) Reports on the character’s inner thoughts; (6) Direct statements about the character by the narrator. This study describes the persona of God in Hosea according to these characteristics, as they pertain to God, and attempts to summarize the book’s teaching on this topic. Readers of Hosea have long differed on how to characterize God in Hosea because of its use of familial metaphors to describe God as both loving and violent. Biblical texts, Hosea included, have been used as both tools of liberation and oppression, so various considerations are necessary to determine their ongoing use. This chapter concludes with a proposal for how Hosea might continue to be read as sacred scripture for communities of faith in a manner that is attentive to the ways the text can be abused.
Sin and Punishment in the Book of Hosea
Authors: Moon Joshua N.
Published: March 2024

In Hosea, sin and punishment come to us tied together through Yhwh’s determination to execute justice in his land. That responsibility and public claim to desire and execute justice is, in the ancient world, the role of a king. In other words, Hosea confronts us with an image of what it means to have Yhwh as king in Israel. Consistent with other texts from the ancient Levant, justice takes the form of retribution, but retribution as answering the wrongs done rather than a legal or moral calculation of what punishment a particular wrong deserves. Sin and punishment are thus never abstracted from the personal role of Yhwh as self-declared king who desires a just kingdom. There is an end to punishment, which is never an end in itself. Yhwh draws the sword in order to pursue a right world order (Weltordnung) as his kingly desire and right.
Repentance in the Book of Hosea
Authors: Boda Mark J.
Published: March 2024

This study of the theme of repentance focuses on the presentation of relational shifts throughout the book of Hosea. It focuses initially on repentance of humans within the book, not only in terms of turning away from but also of turning back to the deity. The study then considers how the deity also turns away from and turns back to Israel. A consideration of the breadth of vocabulary used by the prophet for repentance lays the foundation for engaging with key texts and the variety of images used to express relational shifts throughout the book. Attention is given to strategies for relational reconciliation in the book. Implications for Hosea’s role within the Twelve Minor Prophets are provided in the conclusion.
Postcolonialism as a Methodological Approach to Hosea
Authors: Cataldo Jeremiah W.
Published: March 2024

Few postcolonial readings of Hosea exist. Postcolonial methods may find their strength in critiquing symbols and metaphors preserved in traditions of its interpretation as they relate to imperial and postcolonial positions. Postcolonialism challenges the traditions of interpretation that have either ignored those power differentials or thrived because of them. It challenges oppressive legacies rooted in preserved histories, cultures, concepts of land, politics, economics, and ethnicities. It seeks to reclaim the right of self-narrative that is fundamental to “peoplehood.” It endeavors to liberate human dignities, persons, cultures, and traditions from the centers of ideological influence and power that force oppressed peoples to adopt ideas, values, and physical realities that are the attributes of a dominating culture. It seeks to liberate the marginalized body into a space in which it is no longer marginal, and in which it has the freedom to give voice to its own narrative.
Hosea in Rabbinic Literature
Authors: Schoenfeld Devorah
Published: March 2024

Rabbinic exegetes use the theme of repentance to construct narratives in the book of Hosea. They diverge in the identity of the repenting character. For Targum Jonathan, Israel repents. The narrative is rewritten to introduce possibilities for Israel to repent even when the biblical text seems to foreclose them. For the Talmud in Pesachim, Hosea repents for doubting Israel. This Talmudic passage rewrites the story so that all the threatened or described violence of the book of Hosea was only spoken by God to Hosea in order to convince him to reject this violence as impossible. In Numbers Rabbah, God repents to Israel for acts of jealousy and rejection. This midrashic reworking undoes the logic of male jealousy in the biblical text by imagining jealousy, human and Divine, as both comedic and regrettable. In Genesis Rabbah, the theme of repentance that Rabbis find in different ways in the book of Hosea is linked back to Hosea’s ancestor Reuben and Reuben’s contemplation of his own sin in selling Joseph. All of these ways of thinking about repentance, which are never reconciled, are ways of thinking through the troubling problems of the book of Hosea.
Performing Conquest—The Spanish Juridical Forms in the Americas
Authors: Alvarez-Nakagawa Alexis
Published: March 2024

The Spanish Conquest of the Americas in the 16th century started the process of the globalization of Western legal forms that culminated in what we know as international law. Guiding attention to colonial practices gives an understanding of the role of imperialism in shaping the current global order and the opportunity to review “early forms” of international law. This chapter argues that the Spanish Conquest was a legally regulated process aimed at appropriating territory and forming a permanent population in the Americas. Instead of analyzing the canonical textbooks of jurists, as has been done in the past, it examines how imperial agents appropriated land and considers the establishment of cities as a means to consolidate conquest. By examining these practices, the chapter offers insights into the operation of legal forms on the ground, the “performative” nature of conquest—particularly concerning the appropriation of the land and the foundation of colonial settlements—and new materials to reflect on the so-called “invention of the Americas.”
Interorganizational Network Formation
Authors: Barzolai Maria Martini , Pellizzari Paolo , Tolotti Marco
Published: March 2024

Interorganizational networks are formal or informal relationships between organizations established to share knowledge, resources, and expertise with the intent to create value and, possibly, achieve a common goal. In today’s complex business environment, forms of collaboration and relationships, such as joint research and development, supply chains, and social and environmental initiatives, require careful planning and ongoing effort to match the desired targets. The attention of management scholars is increasingly directed towards the complexity of such interorganizational networks, where heterogeneous firms form different types of ties among each other—possibly at the same time—giving rise to multiplex structures. Given the inherent complexity of interorganizational networks, the evolution of such structures in time and the achievement of their objectives also rest on the processes underpinning network formation. This chapter analyses different approaches to network formation, discussing their impact on shaping emerging structures. It also discusses how agent-based models can contribute to the modelling of complex network formation.
Orange Parades in Northern Ireland
Authors: Bryan Dominic
Published: March 2024

This chapter explores a particular form of assembly, Orange parades in Northern Ireland. Taking an anthropological approach to ritual events and using an ethnographic methodology, the chapter examines the structure of the ritual ‘Orange’ processions and the complex understandings of participation held by different individual participants and constitutive groups. It highlights the complexities in understanding who is participating in the events, why they participate, and the tension this presents for the State in facilitating the assemblies. In particular, it identifies the impact of these ‘traditional’ parades on broader group identities highlighting the labour of representation sustaining understandings of ‘community’ and the consequence this has for the regulation of events. Given the role played by these parades in ethnic identity politics, and the defence of a particular group’s ‘traditions’ and ‘cultural heritage’, tensions around the duty of the State to facilitate freedom of assembly become particularly apparent, even acute. The chapter concludes that placing restrictions based upon judging the impact upon ‘the community’, as required by the Public Processions Act, is hampered by the difficulty in defining what ‘community’ might mean. The role of parades and protests in such a divided society as Northern Ireland asks the most acute questions about the facilitation of freedom of assembly.
Mourning
Authors: Hirsch Alexander Keller
Published: March 2024

How can transitional justice regimes respond adequately to the imperative to move on after catastrophe without unwittingly perpetuating the “reign of impunity” associated with policies of collective amnesty and amnesia? What form must collective mourning take such that historical wrongs remain unforgotten, while newness remains a distinct alternative to arrested time? What can transitional justice studies learn by exploring a mode of mourning situated intentionally within the interval between refusing consolation and redeeming the past? Exploring these questions and more, this chapter turns first to the constitutive relationship between public memory and what is termed the “democratic arts of mourning.” In particular, the chapter contrasts theories of “mortal humanism,” which find in our common human finitude a resource for what Jean-Luc Nancy calls “being-in-common,” with rituals where forgetting becomes a rite of passage and a condition of membership in political society. The chapter explores the tension between what Bonnie Honig terms “Homeric mourning” and “classical mourning.” Where the former commemorates individuals by emphasizing their distinct particularity, the latter expresses grief in a way that highlights the substitutability of the departed. The chapter argues that this analytical distinction drives many contemporary memorial practices, and contrasts both with a recent public art project that recasts mourning in light of a politics of non-reconciliation. Finally, it concludes by situating mourning as a praxis of freedom that ought to “hack” the past, rather than redeem it.
Influence of mixed and single infection of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses and viral load on berry quality
Authors: Salo Wisam , Considine John A , Considine Michael J
Published: March 2024

Grapevine leafroll disease is a viral disease that affects grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) and has a severe economic impact on viticulture. In this study, the effect of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaV) on berry quality was investigated in clones of cultivar cv. Crimson Seedless table grapes infected with GLRaV. RT-PCR confirmed the identity of the clones: clone 3236, infected only with GLRaV-3 (termed single); clone 3215, infected with GLRaV-3, GLRaV-4 strain 9 and grapevine virus A (termed mixed); and a viral free clone of the same genetic background of the infected clones (termed control). The berry quality indices of size, sugar, acidity and anthocyanin content were measured at harvest maturity. RT-qPCR was used to determine the viral load. The study was repeated over 2 year. A two-way, multivariate analysis of variance was applied with clone and year as independent variables and the measured berry quality parameters as a dependent variable. All dependent variables were significantly affected by viral infection (Wilks, λ, (2,33) = 0.033895, P-value <0.001), while only titratable acidity was affected by year. The average berry dry mass decreased (P-value <0.001). The water content of both infected clones was greater than that of the control (P-value <0.001). Both infected clones displayed reduced sugar content as a fraction of the berry dry mass (P-value <0.001). The anthocyanin and the phenol content of the infected clones were significantly reduced compared with the control clone (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, clone 3236 and clone 3215, respectively). Finally, the viral load was highly variable, and no quantitative relationship between viral load and berry composition was found.
Perioperative Considerations for Use of Custom Metallic Implants in Limb Reconstruction
Authors: Scolaro John A. , Gage Mark , Westrick Edward
Published: March 2024

The surgical management of critical bone defects remains challenging. Regardless of whether bone loss is acute or the result of staged surgical resection, current surgical management often requires advanced reconstructive techniques, many of which require multiple surgical procedures and consistent patient involvement with applied internal or external orthopaedic devices. The utilization of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has continued to expand across orthopaedic subspecialties; in orthopaedic trauma, custom metallic implants are being used in the management of critical bone defects. Implementation of this technique may be advantageous in certain clinical situations. The perioperative considerations for placement of a custom bone defect printed metallic implant are presented in conjunction with demonstrative clinical cases.
Targeting metabolism to improve CAR-T cells therapeutic efficacy
Authors: Liu Shasha , Zhao Yuyu , Gao Yaoxin , Li Feng , Zhang Yi
Published: March 2024

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy achieved advanced progress in the treatment of hematological tumors. However, the application of CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors still faces many challenges. Competition with tumor cells for metabolic resources in an already nutrient-poor tumor microenvironment is a major contributing cause to CAR-T cell therapy’s low effectiveness. Abnormal metabolic processes are now acknowledged to shape the tumor microenvironment, which is characterized by increased interstitial fluid pressure, low pH level, hypoxia, accumulation of immunosuppressive metabolites, and mitochondrial dysfunction. These factors are important contributors to restriction of T cell proliferation, cytokine release, and suppression of tumor cell-killing ability. This review provides an overview of how different metabolites regulate T cell activity, analyzes the current dilemmas, and proposes key strategies to reestablish the CAR-T cell therapy’s effectiveness through targeting metabolism, with the aim of providing new strategies to surmount the obstacle in the way of solid tumor CAR-T cell treatment.
Exploring the effects of coronary artery disease as a preexisting comorbidity on mortality in hospitalized septic patients: a retrospective observation study
Authors: Multani Anmol , Stahl Greg , Johnson Kerry , Goade Scott , Arnce Robert D.
Published: March 2024

Background

Sepsis has high prevalence and mortality rate, and it is imperative to identify populations at risk of poor sepsis outcomes. Septic patients with preexisting chronic comorbidities are shown to have worse sepsis outcomes. By identifying comorbidities with greater influence on sepsis progression, we can direct limited resources to septic patients with comorbidities and reduce health care costs. Chronic comorbidities can impact the risk of developing sepsis and having worse outcomes. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common comorbidity, especially in the elderly, and a leading cause of death globally. We wished to investigate the influence of CAD as a comorbidity on sepsis and hypothesized that preexisting CAD would increase mortality in hospitalized septic patients.

Methods

We conducted retrospective observational study using patient data from Freeman Health System in Joplin, MO. We analyzed patient records from Freeman Health System database from January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Septic patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision sepsis codes. To identify septic patients with preexisting CAD, we used International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes for CAD. We compared mortality rates for septic patients with and without CAD.

Results

Two-sample proportion test was conducted to test the difference in mortality between septic patients with and without preexisting CAD. The difference in mortality for the total population was −0.016 (P = 0.553). In the male and female subgroups, the differences in mortality were 0.0122 (P = 0.739) and −0.0511 (P = 0.208), respectively. The differences in mortality in patients aged 40 to 64 years and 65 years and older were −0.0077 (P = 0.870) and 0.0007 (P = 0.983), respectively. The statistical tests failed to find significant differences when comparing septic patients with and without preexisting CAD. There was no significant difference in the age and sex subgroups.

Conclusions

Our study showed that CAD alone was not associated with higher mortality due to sepsis in our population.
Improving Retention Through a Purposeful Multidisciplinary Mentorship Program
Authors: Rowen Lisa , McQuillan Karen , Day Jennifer , Embert Casey
Published: March 2024

In response to high nurse turnover, a 12-hospital health system team created a sustainable, formalized, and interprofessional mentoring model to improve nurse retention. In the 1st year of the program, 506 mentor-mentee matches were made, and nearly 5000 hours of mentoring time were logged. Data revealed that turnover was significantly reduced in both the mentor and mentee groups compared with employees who were not in the program.
Would You Rather
Authors: Maiga Amelia W. , Cook Madison R. , Nordness Mina F. , Gao Yue , Rakhit Shayan , Rivera Erika L. , Harrell Frank E. , Patel Mayur B.
Published: March 2024

Objective:

To quantify health utilities of the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) states after actual Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Background:

Recovery after TBI is measured using the GOSE, a validated clinical trial endpoint. A recent public survey quantified the health utilities of some GOSE states after hypothetical TBI as worse than death. However, no health utilities exist for disability after actual TBI.

Methods:

This national computer-adaptive survey followed EQUATOR-CHERRIES guidelines and recruited adult TBI survivors (injury>1 y prior) via their available surrogates. Using a standard gamble approach in randomized order, participants gave preferences for post-TBI categorical health states ranging from GOSE 2-8. We calculated median [interquartile range, IQR] health utilities for each GOSE state, from -1 (worse than death) to 1 (full health), with 0 as reference (death, GOSE 1).

Results:

Of 515 eligible, 298 surrogates (58%) consented and completed the scenarios on TBI survivors’ behalf. TBI survivors had a current median GOSE 5 [3-7]. GOSE 2, GOSE 3, and GOSE 4 were rated worse than death by 89%, 64%, and 38%, respectively. The relationship was nonlinear, and intervals were unequal between states, with a bimodal distribution for GOSE 4.

Conclusions:

In this index study of actual post-TBI disability, poor neurologic outcomes represented by GOSE 2-4 were perceived as worse than death by at least one in three survivors. Similar to previously reported public perceptions after a hypothetical TBI, these long-term perceptions may inform earlier post-TBI shared decision making, as well as help shape value-based research and quality of care.

Level of Evidence:

II, Economic & Value-based Evaluations
Fannyhessea vaginae causing bacteraemia and vertebral osteomyelitis: first report of invasive disease in a male
Authors: Jordan Victoria , Akram Ayesha , Pickles Robert , Arnold Alyssa , Naqvi Syeda
Published: March 2024

Introduction. Fannyhessea vaginae (formerly Atopobium vaginae) is an anaerobic organism commonly associated with female genital flora, with rare cases of invasive disease reported in females.
Case report. We discuss the case of an 81-year-old male who presented with an acute history of back pain and signs of urinary tract infection in the context of intermittent self-urinary catheterisation. Multiple blood cultures grew Fannyhessea vaginae with a later finding of lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis as the cause of back pain. Treatment was commenced with ampicillin, later switched to ceftriaxone, with improvement of acute signs of infection.
Conclusion. Gram positive anaerobic organisms including Fannyhessea vaginae are possibly under-recognised causes of urinary tract particularly in older males. These bacteria may prove challenging to grow in standard protocols for urine culture; anaerobic or extended incubation could be considered particularly in complicated cases of urinary tract infection without an identifiable pathogen.
Deciphering the Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Brain Structure: Insights from Mendelian Randomization
Authors: Xia Charley , Lu Yuechen , Zhou Zhuzhuoyu , Marchi Mattia , Kweon Hyeokmoon , Ning Yuchen , Liewald David C. M. , Anderson Emma L. , Koellinger Philipp D. , Cox Simon R. , Boks Marco P. , Hill W. David
Published: March 2024

Socioeconomic status (SES) influences physical and mental health, however its relation with brain structure is less well documented. Here, we examine the role of SES on brain structure using Mendelian randomisation. First, we conduct a multivariate genome-wide association study of SES using individual, household, and area-based measures of SES, with an effective sample size of n=893,604. We identify 469 loci associated with SES and distil these loci into those that are common across measures of SES and those specific to each indicator. Second, using an independent sample of ∼35,000 we provide evidence to suggest that total brain volume is a causal factor in higher SES, and that SES is protective against white matter hyperintensities as a proportion of intracranial volume (WMHicv). Third, we find evidence that whilst differences in cognitive ability explain some of the causal effect of SES on WMHicv, differences in SES still afford a protective effect against WMHicv, independent of that made by cognitive ability.
Novel, postnatal manifestation of an epidermal barrier defect in a mouse model of isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency
Authors: Johannes Lena , Rübsam Matthias , Löhr Julia , Ding Xiaolei , Eming Sabine , Niessen Carien M. , Schwarz Günter
Published: March 2024

Sulfite oxidase deficiency is a rare inborn error in metabolism leading to early childhood death due to rapidly progressing neurodegeneration. A new mouse model of sulfite oxidase deficiency carrying a homozygous deletion in theSuoxgene resembles the human pathology in terms of neonatal death and elevation of sulfite and thiosulfate in plasma and urine, respectively. HomozygousSuox-/-mice are initially born healthy, display growth retardation starting at postnatal day 4 and die in average at day 9.6. Here we report thatSuox-/-mice develop dry and scaly skin early postnatally, showing that sulfite oxidase is essential to maintain a functional skin barrier after birth. At postnatal day 5Suox-/-mice develop altered epidermal morphology and dysregulated early and late keratinocyte differentiation accompanied by increased stress response. We propose a sulfite-induced cleavage of disulfide bonds in key epidermal proteins essential for a functional barrier.
Large-Scale Assessment of the Iranian population structure of Mitochondrial and Y-chromosome Haplogroups
Authors: Mazaheri Neda , Ghahremani Amin , Babazadeh Masoumeh , NashtaAli Damoun , Motahari Seyyed Abolfazl
Published: March 2024

The Iranian plateau, strategically positioned as a corridor for population diffusion across Eurasia, holds a pivotal role in elucidating the dynamics of human migrations originating from Africa around 60,000 years ago. Both prehistoric and historic movements of populations between Africa, Asia, and Europe may have been influenced by the unique geographical features of the Iranian plateau. Iran boasts ancient cultures and urban settlements predating some of the earliest civilizations, including the Neolithic revolution in neighboring Mesopotamia. Spanning from the Balkans and Egypt in the west to the Indus Valley in Pakistan and northern India in the southeast, the Iranian plateau encompasses a vast area characterized by incredible ethnocultural diversity. This region served as the origin for numerous mt-DNA/Y-DNA haplogroups that expanded to West Asia, Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, and South Asia. By examining both maternal and paternal haplogroups within the Iranian context, we aim to contribute to the broader narrative of human dispersals and elucidate the role those specific regions, such as the Iranian plateau, played in shaping the observed genetic diversity today. Due to the lack of comprehensive studies on mt-DNA /Y-DNA haplogroups in the Iranian population, our study sought to uncover the distribution of haplogroups among Iranian peoples using a large sample size. Our analysis focused on the frequency of ancestral haplogroups in Iran through the examination of large-scale whole-exome sequencing (WES) and SNP microarray data from 18,184 individuals. In our study, we observed 24 mt-DNA super haplogroups in the Iranian population, with the most common haplogroups belonging to West-Eurasian lineages U (20.73%), H (18.84%), J (12.10%), HV (9.22%), and T (8.98%), collectively comprising 69.70% of all Iranian samples. Notably, subclades J1 and U7 emerged as the two most frequent subclades, with frequencies of 11.24% and 7.30%, respectively. We also revealed the presence of 14 distinct Y-DNA haplogroups, with J, R, G, T, and Q emerging as the five predominant lineages. Notably, J2 (including J-L26) exhibited the highest frequency at 35.64%, followed by R1a at 14.68%. also, The detected mtDNA and Y-chromosome haplogroups were clustered into distinct groups that confirmed the heterogenicity of the Iranian population because of various factors including geographic or linguistic ethnic groups.
Map based cloning ofCT2and the pilot functional exploration in abiotic stress
Authors: Wang Chen , Zheng Qi , Xianggao Yi , Guo Zhanyong , Zheng Lanjie , Yang Jianping , Tang Jihua , Jin Weihuan , Zheng Xu , Shi Yong
Published: March 2024

Heterotrimeric G-proteins are multifunctional modulators that participate in a wide range of growth and developmental processes in eukaryotic species, from yeast to plants and animals. Component detection and the study of G protein signaling in most plants, including maize, are in the initial stages. In this study, we characterized a maize mutant,ct2, that showed a compact architecture and reproductive organ-related phenotypic variation. The target geneCT2was cloned using bulked segregant analysis and map-based cloning. Gene structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis indicated thatCT2is a canonical Gα protein belonging to the monocotyledonous group. Promoter analysis ofCT2and RNA sequencing revealedcis-acting regulatory elements and differentially expressed genes involved in JA signaling and stress tolerance. The transcription ofCT2was repressed by NaCl and PEG treatments, andct2mutation in thect2line compromised stress tolerance in maize. On the basis of our results, we proposed a schema diagram ofCT2-regulated biological process and their feedback onCT2transcription. This research provides clues for further studies ofCT2function in hormone signaling and stress tolerance, which is beneficial for maize breeding through the screening and application of beneficial alleles.
ANKRD55 interacts with an IFT-B-like complex in microglia
Authors: Mena Jorge , Navarro Raquel Tulloch , Díez-García Javier , Azkargorta Mikel , Aldekoa Ane , Fiat Ainhoa , Ugidos-Damboriena Nerea , Lindskog Cecilia , Pampliega Olatz , Alloza Iraide , Katoh Yohei , Nakayama Kazuhisha , Elortza Felix , Vandenbroeck Koen
Published: March 2024

Introduction

SNPs associated with genome-wide risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) modulate expression of ankyrin repeat domain protein 55 (ANKRD55). The function of ANKRD55 is not well understood. A role for ANKRD55 in ciliar transport in multiciliated cells has been reported. To gain deeper insight in how ANKRD55 may modulate neuro-inflammatory parameters, we identified the ANKRD55 interactomes from human neuroblastoma, astrocytic, microglial and monocytic cell lines.

Methods

Cell lines were transfected with synthetic ANKRD55 RNA in conjunction with nanoparticles. ANKRD55 interactomes were determined by affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP-MS) and analyzed bioinformatically. Results were validated and interpreted using confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, RNAseq transcriptomics, and a visible immunoprecipitation assay (VIP).

Results

Shared among the interactomes were the 14-3-3 isoforms 14-3-3η and 14-3-3βη. Unique to the microglial interactome were eight proteins belonging to the intraflagellar transport complex B (IFT-B). The IFT-B complex is known to mediate anterograde protein trafficking from the base to the tip of cilia. The dimer IFT46-IFT56 was identified as the minimum entity of IFT-B needed to support interaction with ANKRD55. To verify whether ANKRD55 is a ciliar transport protein, we induced ciliogenesis by serum starvation. Primary ARL13B+cilia could be induced in the astrocytic and neuroblastoma, but not microglial, cell lines. By confocal microscopy, ANKRD55 was not detectable in these cilia but was enriched at the basal body. In the microglial cell line, ANKRD55 and IFT-B components were enriched at the centrosome. In two human primary myeloid cell models, monocyte-derived microglia (MoMG) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC), we were able to recapitulate the co-localization of ANKRD55 and IFT81 at the centrosome.

Discussion

Our work shows that an ANKRD55 – IFT-B-like complex is assembled in microglial cells. Together with the finding that ANKRD55 was not detected in primary cilia, the results suggest that ANKRD55 is associated with an IFT-B pathway that can operate independent of ciliogenesis.
Crosstalk between thrombospondin-1 and CD36 modulates platelet–RBC interaction limiting thrombosis and abdominal aneurysm formation
Authors: Krott Kim Jürgen , Feige Tobias , Bosbach Agnes , Krüger Irena , Pfeiler Susanne , Beele Alicia Noeme , Reusswig Friedrich , Schickentanz-Dey Elena , Chadt Alexandra , Kelm Malte , Gerdes Norbert , Jurk Kerstin , Kiouptsi Klytaimnistra , Reinhardt Christoph , Al-Hasani Hadi , Kehrel Beate E. , Karray Saoussen , Schelzig Hubert , Wagenhäuser Markus Udo , Elvers Margitta
Published: March 2024

Red blood cells (RBCs) contribute to hemostasis and thrombosis by interaction with platelets via the FasL–FasR pathway to induce procoagulant activity and thrombin formation. Here, we identified a novel mechanism of platelet-RBC interaction via the CD36–thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) signaling pathway, which is important in thrombus formation and the recruitment of RBCs to collagen-adherent platelets. Platelet-released TSP-1 can bind to CD36 at the RBC membrane to enhance procoagulant activity and to increase the activation of integrin αIIbβ3, which represents an additional ligand for erythroid FasR, suggesting that both mechanisms of platelet–RBC interaction act in concert to propagate thrombus formation. In patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), enhanced procoagulant activity of RBCs and platelets is accompanied by elevated exposure of TSP-1 and FasL at the platelet surface and accumulation of TSP-1 in the aortic wall and the intraluminal thrombus, suggesting that platelet–RBC interaction plays an important role in AAA pathology. TSP-1-deficient mice are protected against aortic diameter expansion in an experimental model of AAA, highlighting the crucial role of the CD36–TSP-1 axis in AAA. Thus, interfering with platelet–RBC interaction may be a promising therapeutic approach to reduce pro-coagulant activity and preserve AAA patients from surgery or rupture.
MED1 IDR acetylation reorganizes the transcription preinitiation complex, rewires 3D chromatin interactions and reprograms gene expression
Authors: Lin Ran , Roeder Robert G , Barrows Douglas , Mo Yan , Onikubo Takashi , Zhang Zhiguo
Published: March 2024

With our current appreciation of the complexity of eukaryotic transcription, whose dysregulation drives diseases including cancer, it is becoming apparent that identification of key events coordinating multiple aspects of transcriptional regulation is of special importance. To elucidate how assembly of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) with Mediator complex preinitiation complexes (PICs) and formation of transcription-permissive 3D chromatin organization are coordinated, we studied MED1, a representative subunit of the Mediator complex that acts to establish functional preinitiation complexes (PICs) that forms biomolecular condensates through an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) to facilitate transcription, and is implicated in the function of estrogen receptor α (hereafter ER) in ER-positive breast cancer (ER+ BC) cells. We found that MED1 is acetylated at 6 lysines in its IDR and, further, that MCF7 ER+ BC cells in which endogenous MED1 is replaced by an ectopic 6KR (non-acetylatable) mutant (6KR cells) exhibit enhanced cell growth and elevated expression of MED1-dependent genes. These results indicate an enhanced function of 6KR MED1 that may be attributed to two mechanisms: (1) reorganized PIC assembly, as indicated by increased MED1 and Pol II, decreased MED17, and equivalent ERα occupancies on chromatin, particularly at active enhancers and promoters; (2) sub-TAD chromatin unfolding, as revealed by HiCAR (Hi-C on accessible regulatory DNA) analyses. Furthermore, in vitro assays demonstrate distinct physio-chemical properties of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) for 6KR versus 6KQ MED1 IDRs, and for non-acetylated versus CBP-acetylated WT MED1 IDR fragments. Related, Pol II CTD heptads are sequestered in 6KR and control WT MED1 IDR condensates, but not 6KQ and CBP-acetylated WT MED1 IDR condensates. These findings, in conjunction with recent reports of PIC structures, indicate that MED1 coordinates reorganization of the PIC machinery and the rewiring of regional chromatin organization through acetylation of its IDR. This study leads to an understanding of how the transition in phase behavior of a transcription cofactor acts as a mechanistic hub integrating linear and spatial chromatin functions to support gene expression, and have potential therapeutic implications for diseases involving MED1/Mediator-mediated transcription control.
{N-[1-(2-Oxidophenyl)ethylidene]-DL-alaninato}(pentane-1,5-diyl)silicon(IV)
Authors: Böhme Uwe , Fels Sabine
Published: March 2024

The title SiIV complex, C16H21NO3Si, is built up by a tridentate dinegative Schiff base ligand bound to a silacyclohexane unit. The coordination geometry of the pentacoordinated SiIV atom is a distorted trigonal bipyramid. The presence of the silacyclohexane ring in the complex leads to an unusual coordination geometry of the SiIV atom with the N atom from the Schiff base ligand and an alkyl-C atom in apical positions of the trigonal bipyramid. There is a disorder of the methyl group at the imine bond with two orientations resolved for the H atoms [major orientation = 0.55 (3)]. In the crystal, C—H...O interactions are found within corrugated layers of molecules parallel to the ab plane.
The influence of individual and contextual factors on proactivity and proficiency: the roles of meaningfulness of work and competitive intensity
Authors: Carballo-Penela Adolfo , Ruzo-Sanmartín Emilio , Bande Belén
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This article aims to provide knowledge on the antecedents and consequences of individual proactive behaviour. The proposed research model includes two unexplored antecedents (experienced meaningfulness of work and industry competitive intensity) and one consequence (individual proficiency).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 297 salespeople working at 105 enterprises in a range of industries. Data analysis was performed by applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results show (1) a positive association between industry competitive intensity and salespeople’s experienced meaningfulness of work and their proactivity at work; (2) a positive relationship between salespeople’s proactive behaviour and their individual proficiency and (3) that salespeople’s proactivity mediates the relation between industry competitive intensity and the experienced meaningfulness of work and individual proficiency.

Originality/value

The results suggest that managers could stimulate proactive behaviour by increasing the experienced meaningfulness of work. They also indicate that it is not only individual factors that are relevant in stimulating proactive behaviour at work, as contextual factors (particularly external ones) can also influence individual decisions with regard to engaging or not in proactive behaviour. Our findings regarding the positive relationship between proactivity and proficiency would help managers to encourage salespeople’s proactive behaviour.
From Allston to Ahmedabad: American hegemony in management education reexamined
Authors: Krishnamurty Keshav
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to study the origin story of Harvard Business School’s involvement with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to study the reasons for the spread of American management education. It introduces both the explicit influence of Cold War politics and Indian development imaginaries to the export of American management thought in the early 1960s.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper relies on archival research for its primary source material, drawing upon rich archives of documents found at the Baker Library of Harvard Business School.

Findings

Harvard’s role in Ahmedabad was explicitly influenced by the Cold War anti-communist foreign policy of the USA, but did so opportunistically and contrary to the Ford Foundation’s (FF) original plans. Vikram Sarabhai, who was a key player in the Indian national imaginary of development, invited Harvard on his own initiative and forced the foundation to follow his interests rather than being a mere “subaltern.”

Research limitations/implications

This paper could additionally add to the historical debate about the scope and periodization of the Cold War and the role of non-state actors.

Originality/value

This paper covers new ground in exploring the early connection between the Indian development imaginary and business education. It concludes that the export of hegemonic US management education was not successful during Cold War, and the FF was not as dominant as it was made out to be.