bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Acting Formulations for the Prevention and Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 Infection: Strategic Leveraging and Integration of Multidisciplinary Knowledge to Advance Public Health
Authors: Arya Vikram , Hodowanec Aimee C , Troy Stephanie B , Struble Kimberly A
Published: August 2022

The landscape for the development of therapeutics for prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection has pivoted towards long-acting antiretrovirals (LA-ARVs). LA-ARVs have the potential to transform global implementation of HIV-1 prevention and treatment strategies. The ability to identify potential knowledge gaps early in development, proactively address missing information or data gaps, and strategically leverage all the available information is the key to streamline the development of safe and effective LA-ARV therapeutics. The purpose of this article is to discuss some potential considerations for development of LA-ARVs. Three possible drug development scenarios are briefly discussed and include developing (1) a novel LA-ARV, (2) a novel LA formulation of an approved oral ARV, and (3) an LA pro-drug of an approved oral ARV. For each of these scenarios, we briefly describe what type(s) of information may be helpful and discuss potential opportunities to leverage available information. Additionally, we discuss some unique LA-ARV drug development considerations, including the use of an oral lead-in, and assessing the impact of residual ARV exposures on subsequent regimens and evaluation of LA-ARVs in specific populations. We strongly believe that efficient integration of multidisciplinary knowledge can advance the development, availability, and accessibility of therapeutics not only for HIV-1 prevention and treatment but also for other chronic viral infections.
Prior Exposure to Azithromycin and Azithromycin Resistance Among Persons Diagnosed With Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection at a Sexual Health Clinic: 2012–2019
Authors: Rowlinson Emily , Soge Olusegun O , Hughes James P , Berzkalns Anna , Thibault Christina , Kerani Roxanne P , Khosropour Christine M , Manhart Lisa E , Golden Matthew R , Barbee Lindley A
Published: August 2022

Background

There is conflicting evidence on whether prior azithromycin (AZM) exposure is associated with reduced susceptibility to AZM (AZMRS) among persons infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG).

Methods

The study population included Public Health–Seattle and King County Sexual Health Clinic (SHC) patients with culture-positive NG infection at ≥1 anatomic site whose isolates were tested for AZM susceptibility in 2012–2019. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association of time since last AZM prescription from the SHC in ≤12 months with subsequent diagnosis with AZMRS NG (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], ≥2.0 µg/mL) and used linear regression to assess the association between the number of AZM prescriptions in ≤12 months and AZM MIC level, controlling for demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics.

Results

A total of 2155 unique patients had 2828 incident NG infections, 156 (6%) of which were caused by AZMRS NG. AZMRS NG was strongly associated with receipt of AZM from the SHC in the prior 29 days (adjusted odds ratio, 6.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76 to 25.90) but not with receipt of AZM in the prior 30–365 days. Log AZM MIC level was not associated with the number of AZM prescriptions within ≤12 months (adjusted correlation, 0.0004; 95% CI, –.04 to .037) but was associated with number of prescriptions within <30 days (adjusted coefficient, 0.56; 95% CI, .13 to .98).

Conclusions

Recent individual-level AZM treatment is associated with subsequent AZMRS gonococcal infections. The long half-life and persistence of subtherapeutic levels of AZM may result in selection of resistant NG strains in persons with recent AZM use.
American Primacy and US–China Relations: The Cold War Analogy Reversed
Authors: Harris Peter , Marinova Iren
Published: August 2022

Does today’s US–China relationship resemble the bygone rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union? In this article, we suggest that there are some instructive similarities between US–China and US–Soviet relations, but the Cold War analogy works best when the contemporary United States is cast in the role of the historical Soviet Union. Specifically, the United States (1991–present) has in common with the Soviet Union (1945–91) the fact that it occupies a position of near dominance on the Eurasian continent during a prolonged era of relative peace. It was Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe that gave the bipolar international system of the Cold War era its defining characteristic—that is, a geographic distribution of power assets in Eurasia that the United States and its allies mobilized to resist and overturn. Now, it is US primacy in Eurasia that serves to define the basic contours of the present (if ailing) unipolar international system: a geopolitical configuration that denies any power other than the United States the opportunity to carve out an effective sphere of influence. In short, the legacy forward deployment of US forces shapes the context within which Sino-American relations are unfolding just as the legacy occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union structured superpower relations during the Cold War.
An Exploratory Study of How Teacher Type and Experience Relate to Perceptions of Adding More Recess during the School Day
Authors: Erwin Heather , Thornton Michelle
Published: August 2022

The primary purpose of this study was to explore elementary faculty perceptions of adding more recess during the school day. Secondarily, authors compared perceptions by teacher type and years of experience. Participants were 25 teachers (representing all grade levels and areas) from one elementary school in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding their perceptions toward recess before/after implementing an additional recess period. No significant differences appeared when analyzing data from all participants. However, when examining data by teacher type and experience, a negative statistical significance was found. A school policy of two recess periods per day was perceived less positively by elementary faculty after implementation, and teachers with more experience viewed it more negatively than teachers with less experience. Grade-level teachers were less enthusiastic toward the inclusion of more recess time than administrators, aides, and special area teachers. As school personnel make shifts in school policy related to recess offerings, professional development on the positive outcomes can be geared toward more experienced and grade-level teachers.
Corticosteroid-Sparing Effects of Filgotinib in Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: Data from the Phase 2b/3 SELECTION Study
Authors: Loftus Edward V , Vermeire Séverine , Feagan Brian G , Le Brun Franck-Olivier , Oortwijn Alessandra , Moerch Ulrik , Sandborn William J , Hibi Toshifumi
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Corticosteroid-free remission is an important treatment goal for patients with ulcerative colitis [UC]. The corticosteroid-sparing effects of filgotinib, an oral, Janus kinase 1 preferential inhibitor, were assessed in SELECTION, a placebo-controlled, phase 2b/3 trial in moderately to severely active UC.

Methods

These post hoc analyses assessed 1-, 3-, 6-, and 8-month rates of corticosteroid-free clinical remission at Week 58 and change in median daily prednisone-equivalent dose over time. A matching-adjusted indirect comparison [MAIC] of maintenance studies assessed corticosteroid-free remission with filgotinib 200 mg, intravenous vedolizumab, subcutaneous vedolizumab, and oral tofacitinib.

Results

The Maintenance Study full analysis set included 199 patients receiving filgotinib 200 mg and 98 receiving placebo. Among patients receiving corticosteroids at Maintenance Study baseline, at Week 58, 30.4%, 29.3%, 27.2%, and 21.7% receiving filgotinib had been in corticosteroid-free remission for ≥1, ≥3, ≥6, or ≥8 months, respectively, versus 6.4% receiving placebo across thresholds [p <0.05]. Median daily prednisone-equivalent dose decreased from 17.5 mg/day to 10.0 mg/day with filgotinib treatment during the Maintenance Study. Based upon the MAIC, filgotinib was associated with greater likelihood of corticosteroid-free clinical remission versus intravenous vedolizumab (odds ratio [OR], 15.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6–139.9; p <0.05]) and similar odds to subcutaneous vedolizumab [OR, 3.8; CI, 0.2–63.8; p = 0.36] in biologic-naïve patients, and similar odds to tofacitinib overall [OR, 2.0; 0.4–9.1; p = 0.39].

Conclusions

Filgotinib 200 mg demonstrated corticosteroid-sparing effects and maintained corticosteroid-free clinical remission in patients with UC. MAIC results should be interpreted cautiously given the large CIs and differences in study design and patient populations. [ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02914522].
AFA-Recur: an ESC EORP AFA-LT registry machine-learning web calculator predicting atrial fibrillation recurrence after ablation
Authors: Saglietto Andrea , Gaita Fiorenzo , Blomstrom-Lundqvist Carina , Arbelo Elena , Dagres Nikolaos , Brugada Josep , Maggioni Aldo Pietro , Tavazzi Luigi , Kautzner Josef , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria , Anselmino Matteo
Published: August 2022

Aims

Atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence during the first year after catheter ablation remains common. Patient-specific prediction of arrhythmic recurrence would improve patient selection, and, potentially, avoid futile interventions. Available prediction algorithms, however, achieve unsatisfactory performance. Aim of the present study was to derive from ESC-EHRA Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Long-Term Registry (AFA-LT) a machine-learning scoring system based on pre-procedural, easily accessible clinical variables to predict the probability of 1-year arrhythmic recurrence after catheter ablation.

Methods and results

Patients were randomly split into a training (80%) and a testing cohort (20%). Four different supervised machine-learning models (decision tree, random forest, AdaBoost, and k-nearest neighbour) were developed on the training cohort and hyperparameters were tuned using 10-fold cross validation. The model with the best discriminative performance on the testing cohort (area under the curve—AUC) was selected and underwent further optimization, including re-calibration. A total of 3128 patients were included. The random forest model showed the best performance on the testing cohort; a 19-variable version achieved good discriminative performance [AUC 0.721, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.680–0.764], outperforming existing scores (e.g. APPLE score: AUC 0.557, 95% CI 0.506–0.607). Platt scaling was used to calibrate the model. The final calibrated model was implemented in a web calculator, freely available at http://afarec.hpc4ai.unito.it/.

Conclusion

AFA-Recur, a machine-learning-based probability score predicting 1-year risk of recurrent atrial arrhythmia after AF ablation, achieved good predictive performance, significantly better than currently available tools. The calculator, freely available online, allows patient-specific predictions, favouring tailored therapeutic approaches for the individual patient.
Study on the death and disease burden caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Jiang Yingying , Xu Tingling , Dong Wenlan , Chu Cordia , Zhou Maigeng
Published: August 2022

Background

To analysis the death and disease burden caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

Data were obtained from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. We analyzed the death cases caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China and provinces from 1990 to 2019, as well as the disease burden (including disability-adjusted of life year), years of life lost and years lived with disability, and compared the changes of death in 1990 and 2019.

Results

In 2019, the number of deaths attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages in China reached 46 633 with an increase of 95% compared with 1990. The proportion of deaths caused by excessive consumption of carbon-containing beverages increased from 0.34% in 1990 to 0.46% in 2019, an increase of 35%. In 2019, the top five provinces in China with more deaths caused by excessive intake of sugary beverages were Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Hunan and Guangdong, with the number of death cases 4337, 3881, 3010, 2762 and 2611, respectively.

Conclusions

The number of deaths and disease burdens caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China has increased significantly over the past three decades. The burden of disease due to high intake of sugary beverages varies widely from province to province. We suggest that attention should be paid to the problem of excessive intake of high sugar-sweetened beverages for Chinese population. In addition to regular monitoring and investigation of sugar-sweetened beverage intake, comprehensive measures should be taken in China’s sugar control work.
Gene targeting of dikaryotic Pleurotus ostreatus nuclei using the CRISPR/Cas9 system
Authors: Yamasaki Fuga , Nakazawa Takehito , Oh Minji , Bao Dapeng , Kawauchi Moriyuki , Sakamoto Masahiro , Honda Yoichi
Published: August 2022

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-assisted gene targeting is a promising method used in molecular breeding. We recently reported the successful introduction of this method in the monokaryotic Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom), PC9. However, considering their application in mushroom breeding, dikaryotic strains (with targeted gene mutations in both nuclei) need to be generated. This is laborious and time-consuming because a classical crossing technique is used. Herein, we report a technique that targets both nuclei of dikaryotic P. ostreatus, PC9×#64 in a transformation experiment using plasmid-based CRISPR/Cas9, with the aim of developing a method for efficient and rapid molecular breeding. As an example, we targeted strains with low basidiospore production ability through the meiosis-related genes mer3 or msh4. Four different plasmids containing expression cassettes for Cas9 and two different gRNAs targeting mer3 or msh4 were constructed and separately introduced into PC9×#64. Eight of the 38 dikaryotic transformants analyzed produced no basidiospores. Genomic PCR suggested that msh4 or mer3 mutations were introduced into both nuclei of seven out of eight strains. Thus, in this study, we demonstrated simultaneous gene targeting using our CRISPR/Cas9 system, which may be useful for the molecular breeding of cultivated agaricomycetes.
Introduction: Comedy and its Afterlives
Authors: Cameron John H , Stanivukovic Goran
Published: August 2022

This introduction is concerned with the intellectual and cultural construction of comedy from the classical period to the present, with particular emphasis on comic afterlives. By afterlives, we mean the successive re-creation of its many forms, incarnations, inspirations and adaptations, pasts and futures. The introduction lays out the theory and critical history of comedy and its afterlives; it critically engages with the variety of comic forms, and it explains the rationale for the selection of essays in, and aims of, this Special Issue. Among the topics introduced here and covered in the issue are: the fortunes of the Spanish Golden Age theatrical comedy in English translation in the seventeenth century; the influence that classical and early modern theories of comedy had on the comedies of Ben Jonson and in turn his impact on Restoration comedy; the theatrical conditions of the Comédie-Française and Molière; the comedy of the German Enlightenment; the comedy of the Irish Revival; the meta-theatrical comedy of Luigi Pirandello; and queer elements in contemporary Arab comedy.
Deletion of Mechanosensory β1-integrin From Bladder Smooth Muscle Results in Voiding Dysfunction and Tissue Remodeling
Authors: Yu Weiqun , MacIver Bryce , Zhang Lanlan , Bien Erica M , Ahmed Nazaakat , Chen Huan , Hanif Sarah Z , de Oliveira Mariana G , Zeidel Mark L , Hill Warren G
Published: August 2022

The bladder undergoes large shape changes as it fills and empties and experiences complex mechanical forces. These forces become abnormal in diseases of the lower urinary tract such as overactive bladder, neurogenic bladder, and urinary retention. As the primary mechanosensors linking the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix (ECM), integrins are likely to play vital roles in maintaining bladder smooth muscle (BSM) homeostasis. In a tamoxifen-inducible smooth muscle conditional knockout of β1-integrin, there was concomitant loss of α1- and α3-integrins from BSM and upregulation of αV- and β3-integrins. Masson's staining showed a reduction in smooth muscle with an increase in collagenous ECM. Functionally, mice exhibited a changing pattern of urination by voiding spot assay up to 8 wk after tamoxifen. By 8 wk, there was increased frequency with reductions in voided volume, consistent with overactivity. Cystometrograms confirmed that there was a significant reduction in intercontractile interval with reduced maximal bladder pressure. Muscle strip myography revealed a loss of contraction force in response to electrical field stimulation, that was entirely due to the loss of muscarinic contractility. Quantitative western blotting showed a loss of M3 receptor and no change in P2X1. qPCR on ECM and interstitial genes revealed loss of Ntpd2, a marker of an interstitial cell subpopulation; and an upregulation of S100A4, which is often associated with fibroblasts. Collectively, the data show that the loss of appropriate mechanosensation through integrins results in cellular and extracellular remodeling, and concomitant bladder dysfunction that resembles lower urinary tract symptoms seen in older people.
Dcifer: an IBD-based method to calculate genetic distance between polyclonal infections
Authors: Gerlovina Inna , Gerlovin Boris , Rodríguez-Barraquer Isabel , Greenhouse Bryan
Published: August 2022

An essential step toward reconstructing pathogen transmission and answering epidemiologically relevant questions from genomic data is obtaining pairwise genetic distance between infections. For recombining organisms such as malaria parasites, relatedness measures quantifying recent shared ancestry would provide a meaningful distance, suggesting methods based on identity by descent (IBD). While the concept of relatedness and consequently an IBD approach is fairly straightforward for individual parasites, the distance between polyclonal infections, which are prevalent in malaria, presents specific challenges, and awaits a general solution that could be applied to infections of any clonality and accommodate multiallelic (e.g. microsatellite or microhaplotype) and biallelic [single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)] data. Filling this methodological gap, we present Dcifer (Distance for complex infections: fast estimation of relatedness), a method for calculating genetic distance between polyclonal infections, which is designed for unphased data, explicitly accounts for population allele frequencies and complexity of infection, and provides reliable inference. Dcifer’s IBD-based framework allows us to define model parameters that represent interhost relatedness and to propose corresponding estimators with attractive statistical properties. By using combinatorics to account for unobserved phased haplotypes, Dcifer is able to quickly process large datasets and estimate pairwise relatedness along with measures of uncertainty. We show that Dcifer delivers accurate and interpretable results and detects related infections with statistical power that is 2–4 times greater than that of approaches based on identity by state. Applications to real data indicate that relatedness structure aligns with geographic locations. Dcifer is implemented in a comprehensive publicly available software package.
Subjective Impairments in Olfaction and Cognition Predict Dissociated Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Cedres Nira , Aejmelaeus-Lindström Andrea , Ekström Ingrid , Nordin Steven , Li Xin , Persson Jonas , Olofsson Jonas K
Published: August 2022

Background

Self-rated subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and subjective olfactory impairment (SOI) are associated with objective cognitive decline and dementia. However, their relationship and co-occurrence is unknown. We aimed to (a) describe the occurrence of SOI, SCD and their overlap in the general population; (b) compare SOI and SCD in terms of longitudinal associations with corresponding objective olfactory and cognitive measures; and (c) describe how SOI and SCD may lead to distinct sensory and cognitive outcomes.

Methods

Cognitively unimpaired individuals from the third wave of the Swedish population-based Betula study (n = 784, aged 35–90 years; 51% females) were split into self-rated SOI, SCD, overlapping SCD + SOI, and controls. Between-subject and within-subject repeated-measures MANCOVA were used to compare the groups regarding odor identification, cognition, age, sex, and education. Spearman correlation was used to assess the different patterns of association between olfaction and cognition across groups.

Results

SOI was present in 21.1%, whereas SCD was present in 9.9% of participants. According to a chi-square analysis, the SCD + SOI overlap (2.7%) is on a level that could be expected if the phenomena were independent. Odor identification in SOI showed decline at the 10-year follow-up (n = 284) and was positively associated with cognition. The SOI and SCD groups showed distinct cognitive-olfactory profiles at follow-up.

Conclusions

SOI occur independently of SCD in the population, and these risk factors are associated with different cognitive and olfactory outcomes. The biological causes underlying SOI and SCD, as well as the risk for future cognitive impairment, need further investigation.
Distribution of oceanic crust in the Enderby Basin offshore East Antarctica
Authors: Altenbernd-Lang Tabea , Jokat Wilfried , Leitchenkov German L
Published: August 2022

Seismic reflection and refraction data were collected in 2007 and 2012 to reveal the crustal fabric on a single long composite profile offshore Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. A P-wave velocity model provides insights on the crustal fabric, and a gravity-constrained density model is used to describe the crustal and mantle structure. The models show that a 230-km-wide continent–ocean transition separates stretched continental from oceanic crust along our profile. While the oceanic crust close to the continent–ocean boundary is just 3.5–5 km thick, its thickness increases northwards towards the Southern Kerguelen Plateau to 12 km. This change is accompanied by thickening of a lower crustal layer with high P-wave velocities of up to 7.5 km s–1, marking intrusive rocks emplaced beneath the mid-ocean ridge under increasing influence of the Kerguelen plume. Joint interpretations of our crustal model, seismic reflection data and magnetic data sets constrain the age and extent of oceanic crust in the research area. Oceanic crust is shown to continue to around 160 km farther south than has been interpreted in previous data, with profound implications for plate kinematic models of the region. Finally, by combining our findings with a regional magnetic data compilation and regional seismic reflection data we propose a larger extent of oceanic crust in the Enderby Basin than previously known.
Rotational remanent magnetization as a magnetic mineral diagnostic tool at low rotation rates
Authors: Hounslow Mark W , Horng Chorng-Shern , Karloukovski Vassil
Published: August 2022

Prior work on rotational remanent magnetization (RRM) and rotational anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARMROT) has demonstrated promise for magnetic mineral identification in earth materials. One challenge has been to calibrate the measurements to magnetic mineral types and microstructural controls, since previous studies have used differing spin rates, alternating field (AF) intensities and decay times, which hinders a comparison of data sets. Using a RAPID magnetometer we show that the range of usable practical rotation rates is 0.25–3 Hz [rps] which allows a wide range of RRM and ARMROT characteristics to be utilized (at 100 mT AF field, 100 μT bias field). Sets of magnetic mineral extracts from sediments, and well characterized rock samples that contain the key magnetic minerals magnetite, pyrrhotite and greigite are used for a calibration of the RRM-ARMROT behaviour. Detrital pyrrhotite and pyrrhotite-bearing phyllites have largely small positive effective field (Bg) values (up to 6 μT), with differences in Bg and ARMROT ratios at 0.5 and 2.5 Hz [rps] allowing grain size discrimination. The positive Bg values, and changes in RRM and ARMROT with rotation rates allow distinction of pyrrhotite from magnetite and diagenetic greigite. Diagenetic greigite has Bg values of –83 to –109 μT (at 0.5 Hz [rps]) and unusual RRM variation at low rotation rates caused by anisotropy affects. In contrast to previous work, based on crushed and sized natural magnetite at high spin rates, Bg for single domain magnetite from intact bacterial magnetofossils from Upper Cretaceous Chalk has some of the lowest Bg (0–1 μT) and displays a steep decline in ARMROT with increasing rotation rates. A simple tool for particle size characterization of magnetite may be the ratio of ARMROT at spin rates 2.5 and 0.5 Hz [rps]. Stability of RRM is better studied using RRM acquisition with increasing AF field intensity, since static demagnetization imparts a nuisance gyroremanence along the field axis. Mineral microstructure, dislocations and particle interactions are likely additional effects on RRM behaviour that need more investigation.
5. Hunger and Famine
Authors: Allen Tim , Chiang Shun-Nan , Crow Ben
Published: August 2022

This chapter focuses on hunger and famine. Chronic hunger, famine, and malnutrition are related concepts with different causes. Multiple forms of malnutrition coexisting in most countries require governing bodies to carefully design policies which consider linkages among different types of malnutrition. While 'food security' is still a popular framework to guide the interventions of development agencies and governments, other concepts help us to focus on different underlying causes of hunger. The Green Revolution helped increase global food security in some respects but made many populations more vulnerable. Meanwhile, the entitlement approach helped clarify the cause of famine in some circumstances, but recent famines are mostly a consequence of war and the choices made by governments. Famine mortality has declined dramatically, in large part because of better monitoring and more effective humanitarian assistance. However, acute hunger remains a massive problem.
6. Diseases of Poverty
Authors: Parker Melissa , Fergus Cristin
Published: August 2022

This chapter assesses what the diseases of poverty are. Infectious diseases of poverty are widespread in low-income countries. As a result, under-five child mortality is often higher and life expectancy lower in these countries, compared with middle- and high-income countries. There are long standing disagreements about the most effective way to combat diseases of poverty in low-income countries. In particular, there is an enduring debate about whether selective biomedical interventions (such as deworming for neglected tropical diseases) should be the main focus of public health programmes or whether the most effective way forward is to develop a comprehensive approach which strengthens all levels of the health system, including primary health care units, while simultaneously improving access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Many populations no longer live in abject poverty, and the causes of death and disability have changed from infectious diseases to non communicable diseases. These changes are often described as an epidemiological transition. However, it has also been noted that a transitional period frequently occurs in which populations experience the 'double burden' of long standing infectious diseases alongside chronic, non communicable diseases.
13. Colonialism, Capitalism, Development
Authors: Bernstein Henry
Published: August 2022

This chapter discusses some of the connections between colonialism, capitalism, and development. The making of colonial economies — through the organization of commodity production and trade by colonial states, settlers, and companies — entailed the 'breaking' of existing patterns of production and social existence, of whole ways of life. This process was encapsulated in the formation and functioning of colonial labour regimes. Other aspects of social and cultural change under colonialism also contributed to new forms of social differentiation among the colonized, and exposed the contradictions of colonial rule, not least in challenging its legitimacy. The European colonial empires were dismantled in the decades following the Second World War: anti-colonial movements became stronger, and international capitalism led by the USA no longer required the direct political rule of Asia and Africa (an 'imperialism without colonies'), while the proclamation of strategies of 'national development' by the newly independent states assimilated many of the tensions and ambiguities of the 'doctrines of development' of the era of (industrial) capitalist colonialism.
16. Socialist Models of Development and the Rise of China
Authors: Liu Guoer , Kilmister Andrew
Published: August 2022

This chapter situates examples of socialist development within wider historical contexts, and discusses their evolution, consequences, and potentials. The state socialist model of development emerged out of a particular historical experience, that of the USSR following the Bolshevik revolution. However, the problems faced by the Bolsheviks were of a general nature, and the industrialization achieved in the USSR thus appeared to offer lessons for other countries attempting to develop and industrialize. But the model proved to be of more limited applicability than had been hoped when applied elsewhere. The rise of China may present an alternative path to many, but the extent to which it is unique and whether it could be characterized as a 'socialist development model' remain controversial. In addition, the reforms in China have been accompanied by many challenges. As the world economy has become more interdependent, the concept of a nationally based socialist road to development has been called into question.
17. Democratisation, Governance, and Development
Authors: Potter David , Thomas Alan , del Pilar López-Uribe María
Published: August 2022

This chapter investigates the concepts of liberal democracy, democratization, and governance and how they relate to development. There are several critiques of liberal democracy, which mostly correspond to well-known problems for any political regime. They include the 'tyranny of the majority', élite capture, clientelism, and the threat of populist capture. Alternative models claimed by their proponents to be democratic include illiberal democracy, direct democracy, and democratic centralism. Especially for proponents of market economy, liberal democracy and economic development are seen as complementary aspects of modern society. However, it is not clear that democratization leads to development. Successful development requires a supportive institutional environment. This may occur in a liberal democracy but it is not democracy itself that matters but 'something else' — which may be called 'quality of governance', including impartiality and effectiveness.
18. Rethinking Gender Matters in Development
Authors: Brown Charlotte , Pearson Ruth
Published: August 2022

This chapter evaluates how gender analysis can be applied to development, in both understanding the context in which it takes place and assessing development policies. The twenty-first century marked the rhetorical acceptance and embrace of gender analysis with a continued emphasis on women's rights and practical interests. However, it is important not to see efforts to meet practical gendered interests in opposition to efforts to challenge existing gender roles. A twin-track effort is necessary to meet the challenges of gendered experiences of poverty while also ensuring broader application of gender analysis addressing strategic gender interests and analysing the causes of gender inequality in order to address the uneven nature of progress towards gender equality. Recent years have highlighted a number of new areas of foci for political activism: gender inequality and abuse within organizations and across development practices; resurgence of conservative views on gender roles; and fluid gender roles.
19. Engineering for Development
Authors: Robbins Peter , Wield David , Wilson Gordon
Published: August 2022

This chapter focuses on the concept of engineering for development (E4D), which falls within the idea of development as deliberate intervention. Some such interventions may contain large-scale infrastructure engineering to meet human needs and/or facilitate economic development, while others are at small scale to meet primarily everyday human needs. Public finance and/or aid usually plays a large part in these interventions, although implementation is likely to include NGOs or the private sector. By following and analysing what engineers do, it becomes clear how E4D is socially produced beyond its strictly technical dimensions. Case studies of E4D suggest that the key concepts for analysing its social production are: ecological modernization, networks, bricolage, and reflexivity. Key issues for infrastructure development are access and effective coordination of implementation networks through cooperative partnerships and/or contracts.
20. New Directions and Challenges for Health and Development
Authors: Fergus Cristin , Allen Tim , Parker Melissa
Published: August 2022

This chapter addresses the connections between health and development, in both terms of development indicators and policies. Development processes that lead to improving livelihoods are linked to new kinds of health problems, including a rising prevalence of certain diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Challenges in providing health services to populations will increasingly involve responding to the double burden of disease. In other words, infectious diseases associated with poverty will need to be addressed at the same time as non communicable diseases. Specific issues that need to be dealt with urgently include the rise in antimicrobial resistance, which has emerged as a consequence of the protracted, incorrect use of medications. Serious concerns have been highlighted about new disease epidemics, such as Ebola and COVID-19, which are recognized as a threat to public health internationally, in part due to air travel and population movements. This, in turn, has been associated with a more overt linking of security with disease control, and the possibilities for militarized enforcement procedures.
21. Migration, Security, and Development
Authors: Hintjens Helen , Jayasundara-Smits Shyamika , Bilgic Ali
Published: August 2022

This chapter situates human mobility at the intersection of security and development. Capitalism prompted much of the population of Europe to move out of rural areas into cities, and from there imperialism led to huge forced and voluntary migration towards settler colonies. By tying development funding and humanitarian aid to cooperation of developing states in migration control, 'the West' uses development aid to criminalize whole categories of migrants, well beyond its borders. Myths around migration perpetuate containment and control that keeps around 90 per cent of forced migrants and refugees in or near their home regions. More humane migration and asylum policies could benefit host and home countries alike, in the long run. Migrants can be viewed as economic assets, a demographic boon, and a source of cultural enrichment.
27. Poverty and Development: Prospects for the Future
Authors: Acholonu Ikenna , Brown Charlotte , Shieh Ingrina
Published: August 2022

This concluding chapter brings together reflections from practitioners, thinkers, and academics. They comment on achievements and challenges for social progress in the world over the past 30 years, and outline possible futures for poverty and development. Economist and historian María del Pilar López-Uribe speaks about the experiences of South American countries. She is an authority on the long-term effects of climate change and geography on institutional drivers of economic development, and on the history of land conflicts and property rights in Colombia. Meanwhile, Leonard Wantchekon highlights the role of technology in shaping the future of development. Affan Cheema also offers a practitioner's perspective on the need to approach humanitarianism from a more holistic perspective in relation to development. The chapter then looks at how warnings of the effects of climate change have galvanized international movements calling for governments to declare a climate emergency and prioritize policies that promote sustainability and mitigate the environmental impact of the global economy. Since forming in spring of 2018, the environmental pressure group Extinction Rebellion has organized protests that have reached international scale.
William the Conqueror’s writ for the City of London
Authors: Karn Nicholas
Published: August 2022

William the Conqueror’s writ for London is a much-cited source, and has hitherto been read as a document that ensured continuity and unity in London against the depredations of the Norman conquerors. This article argues that the writ does not reflect the initial contact between London and the Normans, but rather was written later in the 1060s and was designed to deal with internal disputes in London itself, in which English and French groups clashed over customs and law in the City. This focus on internal difference is a substantial reinterpretation of the document.
Multidimensional innovation responses and foreign competition
Authors: de Elejalde Ramiro , Ponce Carlos J , Roldán Flavia
Published: August 2022

The dramatic increase in China’s exports after its accession to the World Trade Organization offers a window of opportunity for learning the innovative behavior of firms under competitive distress. Using manufacturing firm-level data, we quantify the effects of foreign competition on innovation in Uruguay. Our estimates show that a higher level of foreign competition reduces innovation inputs (acquisition of new machines, equipment, and software) and outputs (process and product innovations). These adverse effects are larger for firms in business groups and smaller for more productive firms and firms with more skilled labor.
Calibrating the response to populism at the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Zysset Alain
Published: August 2022

This article aims to examine the relationship between the populist phenomenon and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) from a normative perspective. It asks whether the Court, given its particular jurisdiction and established practice, is equipped to respond to the attacks of populist governments on European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) rights and how it should adjust its interpretive apparatus to address these attacks. To this end, this article first reconstructs the ideational structure of populism, distinguishes two ideal-types (an exclusive/naturalized one and an inclusive/aggregative one, respectively), and posits that both ideal-types entertain a distorted account of democracy that fuels antagonism and partisanship. Second, it argues that across this spectrum the notions of pluralism and deliberation offer a vantage point to evaluate the role and practice of the ECtHR in responding to populism. Based on recent empirical studies evidencing populist attacks on democratic rights and structures, the article highlights the prototypical phenomena of media and electoral captures. Turning to the Court’s practice, this article shows how pluralism and deliberation heavily inform its reasoning as to the nature, scope, and justification of the two ECHR-relevant rights—namely freedom of expression and the right to free and fair elections—and the decisive role these notions play in resolving cases in proportionality analysis. The article finally explores whether the Court’s interpretive equipment is tailored to address the populist attacks on these fronts and articulates a practice-induced set of interpretive principles and techniques to better detect populist abuses.
Mixed precision low-rank approximations and their application to block low-rank LU factorization
Authors: Amestoy Patrick , Boiteau Olivier , Buttari Alfredo , Gerest Matthieu , Jézéquel Fabienne , L’Excellent Jean-Yves , Mary Theo
Published: August 2022

We introduce a novel approach to exploit mixed precision arithmetic for low-rank approximations. Our approach is based on the observation that singular vectors associated with small singular values can be stored in lower precisions while preserving high accuracy overall. We provide an explicit criterion to determine which level of precision is needed for each singular vector. We apply this approach to block low-rank (BLR) matrices, most of whose off-diagonal blocks have low rank. We propose a new BLR LU factorization algorithm that exploits the mixed precision representation of the blocks. We carry out the rounding error analysis of this algorithm and prove that the use of mixed precision arithmetic does not compromise the numerical stability of the BLR LU factorization. Moreover, our analysis determines which level of precision is needed for each floating-point operation (flop), and therefore guides us toward an implementation that is both robust and efficient. We evaluate the potential of this new algorithm on a range of matrices coming from real-life problems in industrial and academic applications. We show that a large fraction of the entries in the LU factors and flops to perform the BLR LU factorization can be safely switched to lower precisions, leading to significant reductions of the storage and expected time costs, of up to a factor three using fp64, fp32, and bfloat16 arithmetics.
The MHM Method for Linear Elasticity on Polytopal Meshes
Authors: Gomes Antônio Tadeu A , Pereira Weslley S , Valentin Frédéric
Published: August 2022

The multiscale hybrid-mixed (MHM) method consists of a multi-level strategy to approximate the solution of boundary value problems with heterogeneous coefficients. In this context, we propose a new family of finite elements for the linear elasticity equation defined on coarse polytopal partitions of the domain. The finite elements rely on face degrees of freedom associated with multiscale bases obtained from local Neumann problems with piecewise polynomial interpolations on faces. We establish sufficient conditions on the fine-scale interpolations such that the MHM method is well-posed and optimally convergent under local regularity conditions. Also, a multi-level error analysis demonstrates that the MHM method achieves convergence without refining the coarse partition. The upshot is that the Poincaré and Korn’s inequalities do not degenerate, and then the convergence arises on general meshes. Two- and three-dimensional numerical tests assess theoretical results and verify the robustness of the method on a multi-layer media case.
Weyl Groups and Cluster Structures of Families of Log Calabi–Yau Surfaces
Authors: Zhou Yan
Published: August 2022

Given a generic Looijenga pair $(Y,D)$ together with a toric model $\rho :(Y,D)\rightarrow (\overline {Y},\overline {D})$, one can construct a seed $\textbf {s}$ such that the corresponding $\mathcal {X}$-cluster variety $\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}$ can be viewed as the universal family of the log Calabi–Yau surface $U=Y\setminus D$. In cases where $(Y,D)$ is positive and $\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}$ is not acyclic, we describe the action of the Weyl group of $(Y,D)$ on the scattering diagram $\mathfrak {D}_{\textbf {s}}$. Moreover, we show that there is a Weyl group element $\textbf {w}$ of order $2$ that either agrees with or approximates the Donaldson–Thomas transformation $\textrm {DT}_{\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}}$ of $\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}$. As a corollary, $\textrm {DT}_{\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}}$ is cluster. In positive non-acyclic cases, we also apply the folding technique as developed in [20] and construct a maximally folded new seed $\overline {\textbf {s}}$ from $\textbf {s}$. The $\mathcal {X}$-cluster variety $\mathcal {X}_{\overline {\textbf {s}}}$ is a locally closed subvariety of $\mathcal {X}_{\textbf {s}}$ and corresponds to the maximally degenerate subfamily in the universal family. We show that the action of the special Weyl group element $\textbf {w}$ on $\mathfrak {D}_{\textbf {s}}$ descends to $\mathfrak {D}_{\overline {\textbf {s}}}$ and permutes distinct subfans in $\mathfrak {D}_{\overline {\textbf {s}}}$, generalizing the well-known case of the Markov quiver.
Vertical Asymptotics for Bridgeland Stability Conditions on 3-Folds
Authors: Jardim Marcos , Maciocia Antony , Martinez Cristian
Published: August 2022

Let $X$ be a smooth projective threefold of Picard number one for which the generalized Bogomolov–Gieseker inequality holds. We characterize the limit Bridgeland semistable objects at large volume in the vertical region of the geometric stability conditions associated to $X$ in complete generality and provide examples of asymptotically semistable objects. In the case of the projective space and $\operatorname {ch}^\beta (E)=(-R,0,D,0)$, we prove that there are only a finite number of nested walls in the $(\alpha ,s)$-plane. Moreover, when $R=0$ the only semistable objects in the outermost chamber are the 1-dimensional Gieseker semistable sheaves, and when $\beta =0$ there are no semistable objects in the innermost chamber. In both cases, the only limit semistable objects of the form $E$ or $E[1]$ (where $E$ is a sheaf) that do not get destabilized until the innermost wall are precisely the (shifts of) instanton sheaves.
cageminer: an R/Bioconductor package to prioritize candidate genes by integrating genome-wide association studies and gene coexpression networks
Authors: Almeida-Silva Fabricio , Venancio Thiago M
Published: August 2022

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify variants associated with traits of interest, they often fail in identifying causative genes underlying a given phenotype. Integrating GWAS and gene coexpression networks can help prioritize high-confidence candidate genes, as the expression profiles of trait-associated genes can be used to mine novel candidates. Here, we present cageminer, an R package to prioritize candidate genes through the integration of GWAS and coexpression networks. Genes are considered high-confidence candidates if they pass all three filtering criteria implemented in cageminer, namely physical proximity to (or linkage disequilibrium with) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), coexpression with known trait-associated genes, and significant changes in expression levels in conditions of interest. Prioritized candidates can also be scored and ranked to select targets for experimental validation. By applying cageminer to a real data set of Capsicum annuum response to Phytophthora infection (RNA-seq and SNPs from an association panel), we demonstrate that it can effectively prioritize candidates, leading to a significant reduction in candidate gene lists. The package is available at Bioconductor (https://bioconductor.org/packages/cageminer).