bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential vaccine-induced kinetics of humoral and cellular immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 naive and convalescent health care workers
Authors: Smit Wouter , Thijsen Steven , van der Kieft Robert , van Tol Sophie , Reimerink Johan , Reusken Chantal , Rümke Lidewij , Bossink Ailko , Limonard Gijs , Heron Michiel
Published: September 2022

Effective vaccination is a key element in the exit strategy from the current severe acute respiratory syndrome—CoV coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and may also offer protection against severe disease from future variants of concern. Here, we prospectively monitored T-cell responses over time, using ELISpot interferon-γ (INF-y) release assays, and B-cell responses, using serological tests, after vaccination and booster with BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA (Pfizer) and Janssen vector (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) vaccines in hospital health care workers. Vaccine recipients were divided into seropositive and seronegative individuals at baseline, in order to determine the effect of natural immunity on vaccine-induced immune kinetics. We found that convalescent individuals mounted higher spike-specific INF-y-secreting T-cell responses and B-cell-mediated IgG responses, after receiving the Janssen vaccine or the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. IgG levels corresponded to the virus neutralization capacity as measured by VNT assay. At 8 months postvaccination, spike-specific cellular immunity waned to low levels in individuals with or without prior natural immunity, whereas waning of humoral immunity occurred predominantly in naive individuals. The booster shot effectively reinduced both cellular and humoral immune responses. To conclude, our data supports the implemented single-dose mRNA booster strategy employed in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the level of pre-existing natural immunity may be factored into determining the optimal time window between future booster vaccines.
Evolution of Bacterial Interspecies Hybrids with Enlarged Chromosomes
Authors: Bartke Katrin , Huseby Douglas L , Brandis Gerrit , Hughes Diarmaid
Published: September 2022

Conjugation driven by a chromosomally integrated F-plasmid (high frequency of recombination strain) can create bacteria with hybrid chromosomes. Previous studies of interspecies hybrids have focused on hybrids in which a region of donor chromosome replaces an orthologous region of recipient chromosome leaving chromosome size unchanged. Very little is known about hybrids with enlarged chromosomes, the mechanisms of their creation, or their subsequent trajectories of adaptative evolution. We addressed this by selecting 11 interspecies hybrids between Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium in which genome size was enlarged. In three cases, this occurred by the creation of an F′-plasmid while in the remaining eight, it was due to recombination of donor DNA into the recipient chromosome. Chromosome length increased by up to 33% and was associated in most cases with reduced growth fitness. Two hybrids, in which chromosome length was increased by the addition of 0.97 and 1.3 Mb, respectively, were evolved to study genetic pathways of fitness cost amelioration. In each case, relative fitness rapidly approached one and this was associated with large deletions involving recombination between repetitive DNA sequences. The locations of these repetitive sequences played a major role in determining the architecture of the evolved genotypes. Notably, in ten out of ten independent evolution experiments, deletions removed DNA of both species, creating high-fitness strains with hybrid chromosomes. In conclusion, we found that enlargement of a bacterial chromosome by acquisition of diverged orthologous DNA is followed by a period of rapid evolutionary adjustment frequently creating irreversibly hybrid chromosomes.
Bayesian analysis of azimuthal anisotropy in the Alpine lithosphere from beamforming of ambient noise cross-correlations
Authors: Soergel Dorian , Pedersen Helle A , Bodin Thomas , Paul Anne , Stehly Laurent ,   AlpArray Working Group, Hetényi Görgy , Abreu Rafael , Allegretti Ivo , Apoloner Maria-Theresia , Aubert Coralie , Bes De Berc Maxime , Bokelmann Götz , Brunel Didier , Capello Marco , Cǎrman Martina , Cavaliere Adriano , Chèze Jérôme , Chiarabba Claudio , Clinton John , Cougoulat Glenn , Crawford Wayne , Cristiano Luigia , Czifra Tibor , D’Alema Ezio , Danesi Stefania , Daniel Romuald , Dasović Iva , Deschamps Anne , Dessa Jean-Xavier , Doubre Cécile , Egdorf Sven
Published: September 2022

Surface waves extracted from ambient noise cross-correlations can be used to study depth variations of azimuthal anisotropy in the crust and upper mantle, complementing XKS splitting observations. In this work, we propose a novel approach based on beamforming to estimate azimuthal anisotropy of Rayleigh wave phase velocities extracted from ambient noise cross-correlations. This allows us to identify and remove measurements biased by wave front deformation due to 3-D heterogeneities, and to properly estimate uncertainties associated with observed phase velocities. In a second step, phase velocities measured at different periods can be inverted at depth with a transdimensional Bayesian algorithm where the presence or absence of anisotropy at different depths is a free variable. This yields a comprehensive probabilistic solution that can be exploited in different ways, in particular by projecting it onto a lower dimensional space, appropriate for interpretation. For example, we show the probability distribution of the integrated anisotropy over a given depth range (e.g. upper crust, lower crust). We apply this approach to recent data acquired across the AlpArray network and surrounding permanent stations. We show that only the upper crust has a large-scale coherent azimuthal anisotropy at the scale of the Alps with fast axis directions parallel to the Alpine arc, while such large-scale patterns are absent in the lower crust and uppermost mantle. This suggests that the recent Alpine history has only overridden the anisotropic signature in the upper crust, and that the deeper layers carry the imprint of older processes. In the uppermost mantle, fast directions of anisotropy are oriented broadly north–south, which is different from results from XKS-splitting measurements or long-period surface waves. Our results therefore suggest that XKS observations are related to deeper layers, the asthenosphere and/or subduction slabs. The area northwest of the Alps shows strong anisotropy in the lower crust and uppermost mantle with a fast axis in the northeast direction that could be related to Variscan deformation.
Constraints on complex crustal structures from gravity data and harmonic analysis of receiver functions
Authors: Tang Hanhan , Li Yonghua , Shi Lei
Published: September 2022

The traditional H–κ stacking technique is often used to determine the crustal thickness (H) and Vp/Vs (κ) using multiple Moho converted P-to-S phases, but weak crustal multiples and variation of arrival time of crustal multiples in receiver function resulting from complex crustal structure, such as dipping interface and/or crustal anisotropy, can cause bias estimates leading to erroneous interpretations. In this study, we overcome these problems by combining the Ps arrival times in receiver functions and independent constraint from gravity data, providing a complementary to the H–κ method for estimating H and H with the advantage of not relying on the crustal multiples which are commonly hardly identified. Harmonic corrections are only made to arrival time variations of Ps phase before H–κ stacking. Independent gravity data can help constrain the trade-off between the H and κ when using Ps times only. Stacking these two complementary data sets allows us to yield a more accurate estimation of H and κ. The reliability and validity of our method to constrain the crustal properties are confirmed using synthetic data from multiple types of models and real data recorded by two permanent seismic stations belonging to different geological regions.
Wither Elites? The Role of Elite Credibility and Knowledge in Public Perceptions of Foreign Policy
Authors: Lupton Danielle L , Webb Clayton
Published: September 2022

Existing theories of foreign policy opinion formation tend to treat elites as a black-box category for members of the nonpublic. This misses important nuances in public perceptions of elites. We argue that elite vocation serves as an important source cue, signaling elite access to information and elite knowledge that can be brought to bear on that information. We use a survey experiment to evaluate our hypotheses comparing four types of elites: elected officials, academics, career professionals, and members of the media. We find that, even accounting for partisanship, people still evaluate elites as knowledgeable and credible. There are also important differences in public perceptions of elites that should be accounted for in our theories of opinion formation. These findings have important implications for the in vogue death of expertise argument as well as research on public perceptions of foreign policy and public opinion formation.
Integrative methylome and transcriptome analysis of porcine abdominal fat indicates changes in fat metabolism and immune responses during different development
Authors: Kim Do-Young , Lim Byeonghwi , Lim Dajeong , Park Woncheol , Lee Kyung-Tai , Cho Eun-Seok , Lim Kyu-Sang , Cheon Si Nae , Choi Bong-Hwan , Park Jong-Eun , Kim Jun-Mo
Published: September 2022

Fat is involved in synthesizing fatty acids (FAs), FA circulation, and lipid metabolism. Various genetic studies have been conducted on porcine fat but understanding the growth and specific adipose tissue is insufficient. The purpose of this study is to investigate the epigenetic difference in abdominal fat according to the growth of porcine. The samples were collected from the porcine abdominal fat of different developmental stages (10 and 26 weeks of age). Then, the samples were sequenced using MBD-seq and RNA-seq for profiling DNA methylation and RNA expression. In 26 weeks of age pigs, differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified as 2,251 and 5,768, compared with 10 weeks of age pigs, respectively. Gene functional analysis was performed using GO and KEGG databases. In functional analysis results of DMGs and DEGs, immune responses such as chemokine signaling pathways, B cell receptor signaling pathways, and lipid metabolism terms such as PPAR signaling pathways and fatty acid degradation were identified. It is thought that there is an influence between DNA methylation and gene expression through changes in genes with similar functions. The effects of DNA methylation on gene expression were investigated using cis-regulation and trans-regulation analysis to integrate and interpret different molecular layers. In the cis-regulation analysis using 629 overlapping genes between DEGs and DMGs, immune response functions were identified, while in trans-regulation analysis through the TF-target gene network, the co-expression network of lipid metabolism-related functions was distinguished. Our research provides an understanding of the underlying mechanisms for epigenetic regulation in porcine abdominal fat with aging.
Fleas (Siphonaptera) From the Puma, Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae), A Rangewide Review and New Records from Utah and Texas, USA
Authors: Oliver George V , Eckerlin Ralph P
Published: September 2022

Fleas have rarely been reported from the puma, Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771), despite its vast geographic range, its breadth of habitat use, and its diverse diet, all of which bring it into contact with many other species of mammals and potentially their fleas. We review the reported occurrence of 8 species of fleas from pumas, 7 of these species being from wild hosts and 1 species from a host in captivity, and we correct the mistaken report of 1 other flea species from the puma. We present 10 new records of 4 species of fleas from the puma in Utah and Texas. 2 of these flea species, Cediopsylla inaequalis inaequalis (Baker, 1895) and Odontopsyllus dentatus (Baker, 1904), represent new host records, and 1 species, Chaetopsylla setosa Rothschild, 1906, is a new state record for Utah as well as being 1 of the 2 southernmost known localities for this species. At least 7 of the 9 flea species now known from free-ranging pumas are species that are acquired by pumas from their prey. Pumas may be primary hosts of 2 flea species, but even these fleas may be from prey. Some of the flea species that parasitize pumas transmit sylvatic plague, and, since pumas are highly vagile and are known to become infected with plague, they may spread the disease through their dispersal of infected fleas. Pumas and their fleas also may be involved in the ecology of several other bacterial zoonoses, which are discussed.
Diet Impact on the Development and Survival ofOiceoptoma thoracicum(Coleoptera: Silphidae)
Authors: Qubaiová Jarin , Jakubec Pavel , Montoya-Molina Santiago , Novák Martin , Šuláková Hana
Published: September 2022

We assessed the influence of diet on the development and survival in the immature stages of the necrophagous beetle Oiceoptoma thoracicum (Linnaeus, 1758). The species is frequently observed on large cadavers, including humans, and thus can be of potential forensic relevance. We compared multiple meat tissues from three animal sources, and detected the optimal diet for rearing the species for further entomological and forensic objectives. We reared 203 individuals to adulthood at the constant temperature of 20°C. Our results represent the first robust data set of the development time for this species. They further confirmed a significant relationship between survival and the type of diet, as the highest survival rates were detected in larvae fed with both pork liver and pork muscle.
Mesoscopic structural analysis via deep learning processing, with a special reference to in vitro alteration in collagen fibre induced by a gap junction inhibitor
Authors: Hirashima Shingo , Ohta Keisuke , Togo Akinobu , Tsuneyoshi Risa , Kusukawa Jingo , Nakamura Kei-ichiro
Published: September 2022

Dense connective tissue, including the ligament, tendon, fascia and cornea, is formed by regularly arranged collagen fibres synthesized by fibroblasts (Fbs). The mechanism by which fibre orientation is determined remains unclear. Periodontal ligament Fbs consistently communicate with their surroundings via gap junctions (GJs), leading to the formation of a wide cellular network. A method to culture Fb–synthesized collagen fibres was previously reported by Schafer et al. (‘Ascorbic acid deficiency in cultured human fibroblasts’. J. Cell Biol. 34: 83–95, 1967). This method has been applied to investigate the ability and activity of Fb collagen synthesis/phagocytosis using conventional electron microscopy (EM). However, the three-dimensional mesoscopic architecture of collagen fibres and the influence of GJ inhibitors on collagen fibre formation in vitro are poorly understood. In this study, three-dimensional mesoscopic analysis was used to elucidate the mechanism of directional fibre formation. We investigated the influence of GJ inhibitors on collagen formation driven by periodontal ligament Fbs in vitro, histomorphometrically, and the structural properties of in vitro collagen fibre on a mesoscale quantitatively, using correlative light and EM optimized for picrosirius red staining and focused ion beam-scanning EM tomography. Our results indicate that under culture conditions, in the presence of a GJ inhibitor, the orientation of collagen fibres becomes more disordered than that in the control group. This suggests that the GJ might be involved in determining fibre orientation during collagen fibre formation. Elucidation of this mechanism may help develop novel treatment strategies for connective tissue orientation disorders.

Graphical Abstract
National Cancer Institute–Funded Social Risk Research in Cancer Care Delivery: Opportunities for Future Research
Authors: Sanchez Janeth I , Adjei Brenda A , Randhawa Gurvaneet , Medel Josh , Doose Michelle , Oh April , Jacobsen Paul B
Published: September 2022

Background

Cancer patients and survivors with food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers face challenges in access and utilization of quality cancer care thereby adversely impacting their health outcomes. This portfolio analysis synthesized and described National Cancer Institute (NCI)–supported social risk research focused on assessing food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers among individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Methods

We conducted a query using the National Institutes of Health iSearch tool to identify NCI-awarded extramural research and training grants (2010-2022). Grant abstracts, specific aims, and research strategies were coded for research characteristics, study population, and outcomes.

Results

Of the 30 grants included in this analysis, most assessed transportation-related barriers as patient-level social needs. Grants focused on community-level social risks, food insecurity, and housing instability were largely absent. Most grants included activities that identified the presence of social risks and/or needs (n = 24), connected patients to social care resources (n = 10), and engaged community members or organizations to inform the research study (n = 9). Of the grants, 18 focused on a single type of cancer, primarily breast cancer, and more than half focused on the treatment and survivorship phases.

Conclusions

In the last decade, there has been limited NCI-funded social risk research grants focused on food insecurity and housing instability. Findings highlight opportunities for future cancer care delivery research, including community and health system–level approaches that integrate social and clinical care to address social risks and social needs. Such efforts can help improve outcomes of populations that experience cancer health and health-care disparities.
Zoonotic Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes in free-ranging and farmed wild ungulates in Spain
Authors: Dashti Alejandro , Santín Mónica , Köster Pamela C , Bailo Begoña , Ortega Sheila , Imaña Elena , Habela Miguel Ángel , Rivero-Juarez Antonio , Vicente Joaquin ,   WE&H group, Conejero Carles , González-Crespo Carlos , Garrido Cristina , Gassó Diana , Andrea Murillo Diana , Serrano Emmanuel , Mentaberre Gregorio , Torres-Blas Irene , Estruch Josep , Pastor Josep , Ramón López-Olvera Jorge , Escobar-González María , Valldeperes Marta , Mesalles Montse , López Omar , Álvarez Raquel , Cuenca Rafaela , Velarde Roser , Lavín Santiago , Arnal Maria C , de Luco Daniel Fernández , Morrondo Patrocinio , Armenteros José A , Balseiro Ana , Cardona Guillermo A , Martínez-Carrasco Carlos , Ortiz José Antonio , Calero-Bernal Rafael , Carmena David , González-Barrio David
Published: September 2022

Microsporidia comprises a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming parasites that infect a wide range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently reported species in humans and other mammals and birds. Data on the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in wildlife are limited. Hence, E. bieneusi was investigated in eight wild ungulate species present in Spain (genera Ammotragus, Capra, Capreolus, Cervus, Dama, Ovis, Rupicapra, and Sus) by molecular methods. Faecal samples were collected from free-ranging (n = 1058) and farmed (n = 324) wild ungulates from five Spanish bioregions. The parasite was detected only in red deer (10.4%, 68/653) and wild boar (0.8%, 3/359). Enterocytozoon bieneusi infections were more common in farmed (19.4%, 63/324) than in wild (1.5%, 5/329) red deer. A total of 11 genotypes were identified in red deer, eight known (BEB6, BEB17, EbCar2, HLJD-V, MWC_d1, S5, Type IV, and Wildboar3) and three novel (DeerSpEb1, DeerSpEb2, and DeerSpEb3) genotypes. Mixed genotype infections were detected in 15.9% of farmed red deer. Two genotypes were identified in wild boar, a known (Wildboar3) and a novel (WildboarSpEb1) genotypes. All genotypes identified belonged to E. bieneusi zoonotic Groups 1 and 2. This study provides the most comprehensive epidemiological study of E. bieneusi in Spanish ungulates to date, representing the first evidence of the parasite in wild red deer populations worldwide. Spanish wild boars and red deer are reservoir of zoonotic genotypes of E. bieneusi and might play an underestimated role in the transmission of this microsporidian species to humans and other animals.
xGASS: the connection between angular momentum, mass, and atomic gas fraction in nearby galaxies
Authors: Hardwick Jennifer A , Cortese Luca , Obreschkow Danail , Catinella Barbara
Published: September 2022

We use a sample of 559 disc galaxies extracted from the eXtended GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey to study the connection between baryonic angular momentum, mass, and atomic gas fraction in the local Universe. Baryonic angular momenta are determined by combining H i and H2 integrated profiles with 2D stellar mass surface density profiles. In line with previous work, we confirm that specific angular momentum and atomic gas fraction are tightly correlated, but we find a larger scatter than previously observed. This is most likely due to the wider range of galaxy properties covered by our sample. We compare our findings with the predictions of the analytical stability model developed by Obreschkow et al. and find that, while the model provides a very good first-order approximation for the connection between baryonic angular momentum, mass, and gas fraction, it does not fully match our data. Specifically, we find that at fixed baryonic mass, the dependence of specific angular momentum on gas fraction is significantly weaker, and at fixed gas fraction, the slope of the angular momentum versus mass relation is shallower than what was predicted by the model. The reasons behind this tension remain unclear, but we speculate that multiple factors may simultaneously play a role, all related to the fact that the model is not able to encapsulate the full diversity of galaxy properties in our sample.
PHANGS: constraining star formation time-scales using the spatial correlations of star clusters and giant molecular clouds
Authors: Turner Jordan A , Dale Daniel A , Lilly James , Boquien Mederic , Deger Sinan , Lee Janice C , Whitmore Bradley C , Anand Gagandeep S , Benincasa Samantha M , Bigiel Frank , Blanc Guillermo A , Chevance Mélanie , Emsellem Eric , Faesi Christopher M , Glover Simon C O , Grasha Kathryn , Hughes Annie , Klessen Ralf S , Kreckel Kathryn , Kruijssen J M Diederik , Leroy Adam K , Pan Hsi-An , Rosolowsky Erik , Schruba Andreas , Williams Thomas G
Published: September 2022

In the hierarchical view of star formation, giant molecular clouds (GMCs) undergo fragmentation to form small-scale structures made up of stars and star clusters. Here we study the connection between young star clusters and cold gas across a range of extragalactic environments by combining the high resolution (1″) PHANGS–ALMA catalogue of GMCs with the star cluster catalogues from PHANGS–HST. The star clusters are spatially matched with the GMCs across a sample of 11 nearby star-forming galaxies with a range of galactic environments (centres, bars, spiral arms, etc.). We find that after 4 − 6 Myr the star clusters are no longer associated with any gas clouds. Additionally, we measure the autocorrelation of the star clusters and GMCs as well as their cross-correlation to quantify the fractal nature of hierarchical star formation. Young (≤10 Myr) star clusters are more strongly autocorrelated on kpc and smaller spatial scales than the $\gt \, 10$ Myr stellar populations, indicating that the hierarchical structure dissolves over time.
A simple and accurate prescription for the tidal disruption radius of a star and the peak accretion rate in tidal disruption events
Authors: Coughlin Eric R , Nixon C J
Published: September 2022

A star destroyed by a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in a tidal disruption event (TDE) enables the study of SMBHs. We propose that the distance within which a star is completely destroyed by an SMBH, defined rt,c, is accurately estimated by equating the SMBH tidal field (including numerical factors) to the maximum gravitational field in the star. We demonstrate that this definition accurately reproduces the critical βc = rt/rt,c, where rt = R⋆(M•/M⋆)1/3 is the standard tidal radius with R⋆ and M⋆ the stellar radius and mass, and M• the SMBH mass, for multiple stellar progenitors at various ages, and can be reasonably approximated by βc ≃ [ρc/(4ρ⋆)]1/3, where ρc (ρ⋆) is the central (average) stellar density. We also calculate the peak fallback rate and time at which the fallback rate peaks, finding excellent agreement with hydrodynamical simulations, and also suggest that the partial disruption radius – the distance at which any mass is successfully liberated from the star – is βpartial ≃ 4−1/3 ≃ 0.6. For given stellar and SMBH populations, this model yields, e.g. the fraction of partial TDEs, the peak luminosity distribution of TDEs, and the number of directly captured stars.
Deleterious Mutations and the Rare Allele Burden on Rice Gene Expression
Authors: Lye Zoe , Choi Jae Young , Purugganan Michael D
Published: September 2022

Deleterious genetic variation is maintained in populations at low frequencies. Under a model of stabilizing selection, rare (and presumably deleterious) genetic variants are associated with increase or decrease in gene expression from some intermediate optimum. We investigate this phenomenon in a population of largely Oryza sativa ssp. indica rice landraces under normal unstressed wet and stressful drought field conditions. We include single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertion/deletion mutations, and structural variants in our analysis and find a stronger association between rare variants and gene expression outliers under the stress condition. We also show an association of the strength of this rare variant effect with linkage, gene expression levels, network connectivity, local recombination rate, and fitness consequence scores, consistent with the stabilizing selection model of gene expression.
Sequential rituximab therapy sustains remission of nephrotic syndrome but carries high risk of adverse effects
Authors: Sinha Aditi , Mathew Georgie , Arushi Arushi , Govindarajan Srinivasavaradan , Ghanapriya Kshetrimayum , Grewal Neetu , Rai Khushboo , Brijwal Megha , Kalluru Sree Laya , Tewari Prachi , Misra Angeli , Khandelwal Priyanka , Hari Pankaj , Bagga Arvind
Published: September 2022

Background

Sequential rituximab (RTX) administration has emerged as an important strategy to sustain remission of disease in patients with difficult-to-treat nephrotic syndrome.

Methods

We report the efficacy and safety of sequential therapy with two or more courses of intravenous RTX in 250 patients with difficult-to-treat steroid dependence (n = 127) and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-dependent or CNI-refractory steroid resistance (n = 123) managed at one center during 2015–2021. Subsets of patients were cross-sectionally tested for hypogammaglobulinemia, seroprotection against and hyporesponsiveness to vaccines for hepatitis B and tetanus, BK/JC viruria and human antichimeric antibodies (HACAs).

Results

Sequential RTX therapy, initiated at a median of 10 years [interquartile range (IQR) 7.3–14.4], was administered for 1.8 courses/person-year [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–2.0] over 2.0 years (95% CI 1.2–3.0). Therapy was associated with postponement of relapses by a median of 3 years in patients with steroid-sensitive disease and 2 years in those with steroid resistance. Relapses were reduced by a mean of 2.0 relapses/person-year (95% CI 1.8–2.2), enabling a reduction in prednisolone dose to 0.04 mg/kg/day (95% CI 0.01–0.11) and withdrawal of additional immunosuppression in 154 (62%) patients. RTX-associated adverse events, occurring at 0.20 events/person-year (95% CI 0.17–0.23), were chiefly comprised of infusion reactions (n = 108) and infections (n = 46); serious adverse events were observed in 10.8% patients, at 0.03 events/person-year (95% CI 0.02–0.05). Hypogammaglobulinemia was observed in 35% of 177 patients and was moderate to severe in 8.5% of cases. Rates of seroprotection at baseline and response following vaccination were lower for hepatitis B [1.9% and 29.4% (n = 52)] than tetanus [65.5% and 34.5% (n = 58)]. BK/JC viruria, without viremia, was observed in 7.3% of 109 cases. A total of 19 of 107 patients (17.8%) had HACAs, which were associated with B cell nondepletion and serum sickness. Age at therapy of <9–10 years was associated with a risk of early relapse, treatment failure and hypogammaglobulinemia following RTX therapy.

Conclusions

Sequential therapy with RTX effectively reduces relapses in patients with difficult-to-treat steroid- and/or CNI-dependent or CNI-refractory nephrotic syndrome. Therapy is associated with high rates of hypogammaglobulinemia and infusion reactions.
Customary Practices of Death and Mourning in Albania
Authors: Kondi Bledar
Published: September 2022

This chapter examines cultural practices of death and bereavement in Albania, with a special focus on local funeral traditions of southern and northern areas. The cluster of ethnographic facts illustrates free and disciplined, along with collective and individual, funeral wailing (kujë) as well as the crying (e qarë) of women as general cultural norms. By contrast, male funeral crying, known as shouting (gjamë) in the north and crying with words (ligjërim) in the south, constitutes only a small integral part of the funeral performance. Both female wailing and male shouting symbolize sonic images of death as catastrophe and are still used as traditional techniques for emotional discharge during the funeral ceremony and mourning period.
The Real Tea: Language at the Intersections
Authors: miles-hercules deandre
Published: September 2022

This chapter discusses intersectionality primarily in its application to scholarship on language, gender, and sexuality. Focusing on its purpose in conceptualizing the multiplicative effects of overlapping systems of oppression on individuals’ experiences, the chapter outlines major features of the theory and exemplar case studies. The chapter builds on previous Black feminist scholarship (or rather, Blackfemme(inist) scholarship) to explore how semantic bleaching has shifted understandings of intersectionality in public and academic discourse over time. Contending that the process is undergirded by a failure to engage with the architecture of race and racism, the chapter demonstrates how neoliberal conceptualizations of identity obstruct intersectional analyses of systemic oppression. A review of sociocultural linguistic scholarship on race, gender, and sexuality surveys representative work in the area. Adding to that line of research, the chapter examines the linguistic construction of Blackqueerness and concludes by suggesting a number of ways to “integrate” intersectionality more fully into the fold of language, gender, and sexuality research.
Practical Knowledge and Testimony
Authors: Roessler Johannes
Published: September 2022

Statements purporting to convey practical knowledge in Anscombe’s sense are subject to two distinctive kinds of error: errors in performance and (less familiarly, but no less importantly) errors of practical judgement. I argue that reflection on these kinds of errors sheds light both on the nature of practical knowledge and on the status of Anscombe’s account of it. Briefly: practical knowledge is knowledge we ordinarily find intelligible (partly) in the light of the agent’s non-defective exercise of practical judgement. And Anscombe’s account is not primarily designed to make practical knowledge intelligible to philosophers but to make explicit how such knowledge is seen as intelligible—and claims to such knowledge are seen to be justifiable—by those who are engaged in the practice of sharing it. I go on to consider how this interpretation bears on the disagreement between Anscombe’s view and what she calls a ‘contemplative’ conception of knowledge.
The Knowledge of Human Dignity
Authors: Lott Micah
Published: September 2022

This chapter brings together a number of Anscombe’s ideas concerning our knowledge of human dignity. It begins with Anscombe’s account of the connatural knowledge of dignity. Next it considers her claim that human dignity is the dignity of human nature, and her understanding of human nature as spirit. It then turns to her notion that human beings have ‘mystical value’ and to the role of theology and religious feeling in understanding human dignity. Finally, the chapter considers the idea that human dignity calls for respect of a specifically directed sort: respect we owe to every human being. Anscombe does not discuss this idea in detail, but the chapter explores the connections between directed duties, human rights, and natural justice. At first sight, there is a conflict between an ideal of natural justice and Anscombe’s conventionalism about rights and duties. But this conflict may be merely apparent.
Anscombe and Sexual Ethics
Authors: Richter Duncan
Published: September 2022

Anscombe’s views on sexual ethics have been widely criticised. The goal of this chapter is to think about what she might have said instead, if we take some of these criticisms seriously. So far as Anscombe was Catholic there is not much room for her to have thought anything else than she did about homosexuality and contraception, which are the chapter’s main focus, but her faith was not blind, and she offered reasoned defences of her sexual morals. To the extent that her defence of these positions fails, then, she ought to have had other options available to her. The chapter first reviews her positions, the defence she offers of them, and the criticisms that have been aimed at them. It then evaluates the strongest of these criticisms and considers what plausible positions are left to those who would follow Anscombe as far as reason allows. These positions include that of D. H. Lawrence, whose position is not wholly different from the view that Anscombe favours. If we are not prepared to go as far from Christianity as Lawrence, then we might prefer the rhetorically gentler version of Catholic teaching offered by Pope Francis and Father James Martin, SJ. Or, of course, we might prefer something much more liberal or, like Anscombe’s view, more conservative. The main concern of this chapter, though, is to bring out possible shortcomings in Anscombe’s position and to look for possible alternatives that are not too distant from hers.
The First Person, Self-Consciousness, and Action
Authors: Aucouturier Valérie
Published: September 2022

In her 1975 paper ‘The First Person’, Elizabeth Anscombe chooses a special type of example to illustrate the claim that I-thoughts are ‘subjectless’, i.e., that first-person sentences do not predicate something of an identified subject. This chapter explores the reasons behind this choice of ‘Anscombianly-preferred examples’ of ‘actions, postures, movements and intended actions’, as opposed to what Anscombe herself calls ‘Cartesianly-preferred examples’, which are ‘far removed in their descriptions from the descriptions of the proceedings, etc., of a person in which they might be verified’. This chapter’s hypothesis is that this choice of examples to characterise ‘self-consciousness’—understood as ‘something manifested by the use of “I” ’, granted that ‘I’ is ‘not a name’ everyone uses ‘to speak only of himself’—may shed light on the role of ‘self-consciousness’ in intentional action, and more specifically in practical knowledge. In other words, rather than reading ‘The First Person’, as it usually is, as a paper on the mere logic of the first-person pronoun which defends the provocative thesis that ‘I’ is non-referential, this chapter reads it as an extension of Intention focused on the philosophical concept of ‘self-consciousness’ which is key to our understanding of practical knowledge and intentional action. To do so, the chapter distinguishes three kinds of examples of uses of ‘I’ which manifest self-consciousness in various ways, and it concludes with some remarks on the special role of self-consciousness in intentional action as distinguished from its role in self-knowledge.
The First Person and ‘The First Person’
Authors: Noonan Harold
Published: September 2022

In ‘The First Person’ Anscombe argues that ‘I’ is not a referring expression: ‘I’ is neither a name nor another kind of expression whose logical role is to make a reference, at all. Her no-reference thesis has met with general incredulity. This chapter examines Anscombe’s argument and concludes, with the majority of commentators, that she is wrong to maintain this thesis. ‘I’ is a referring expression and should be grouped specifically with the pure or automatic indexicals, including ‘here’ and ‘now.’ But it is a consequence that self-reference (i.e., the self-conscious and successful use of ‘I’) need not involve what she describes as ‘the connection of what is understood by a predicate with a distinctly conceived subject.’ That is, in intending to refer to themselves (to use ‘I’ in accordance with its customary meaning) speakers need not form an intention to refer to the such-and-such, when ‘such-and-such’ provides an identification of the speaker, which singles out the speaker from everything else. It is a further consequence that ‘I’ is not guaranteed a reference and that a thinker of an ‘I’-thought need not be the reference of the thought even if there is one. In arguing these points, the chapter follows Evans and will appeal to work by Snowdon and Lewis. To a considerable extent this vindicates Anscombe.
Cities and Towns in Medieval Central Europe
Authors: Szende Katalin , Schmieder Felicitas
Published: September 2022

This chapter studies cities and towns in medieval Central Europe. In the Middle Ages, the lands of Central Europe experienced two decisive transformations: first, the foundation of monarchies and Christianization between the eighth and the eleventh centuries, and second, social and economic changes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These were also the strongest catalysts for the development of “old centers” and “new towns,” respectively. The early centuries of urbanization were dominated by the Church and princely or royal initiatives; old centers were above all hubs of administrative (secular and ecclesiastic) and military power; their economic functions followed from these roles. Over the thirteenth century, this urban network underwent fundamental changes, to a great extent due to the arrival of new settlers, so that new towns developed into centers of regional and long-distance trade and production. The settlers followed ius Theutonicum—a flexible juridical concept created to accommodate newcomers’ immunities and obligations in areas that were not under the tight control of the Holy Roman Empire.
Geography, Natural Resources, and Environment
Authors: Vadas András
Published: September 2022

This chapter presents a brief geographical sketch of Central Europe with special attention to the natural resources that were instrumental in the development of Poland, Bohemia, and Hungary. The geography of Central Europe is a conglomeration of different landscapes and geomorphological features that were all important in the economic development of the individual polities in the region and allowed connections between these polities and other areas of Eurasia. While the main geographical features have changed little over time, the chapter focuses on the period of state formation processes in these countries, that is, from the tenth century to the middle of the sixteenth century. The tenth century was important because it was the time when the basic features of medieval economies started to take shape in the polities and the sixteenth century is the period when the Habsburgs took power in both Bohemia and Hungary. Hungary’s political map was completely redrawn by the Ottoman occupation, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth came into existence. All these developments caused major transformations in the regional economies, impacting the resource use in all these countries.
The Central European States
Authors: Burkhardt Julia
Published: September 2022

This chapter presents examples of political community in Central Europe and its legitimization during the High Medieval period as kingdoms or early-modern Ständenstaat. During the High and Late Middle Ages, Poland, Bohemia, and Hungary were politically organized into monarchies. The process of state formation went hand in hand with a dynamic development of political ideas and thought. While at first the king was regarded as the main legitimate source and representative of political rule, a slow shift to the principle of elective monarchy opened the path to consensual politics. The growing influence of the “political community” (later institutionalized as the Stände) was accompanied by definitions of legitimate modes of power representation and the codification of common law. During recent decades, scholarly debates about political history in the Middle Ages in general, and especially in Central Europe, have undergone essential changes. These “turns” had much to do with influence from neighboring disciplines like social and economic history, studies on symbolic communication and rituals, the history of religion and cults, and, of course, the history of orality/literacy and historiography.
Cooperation and Conflict in Diplomacy and War within and around Central Europe
Authors: Schwedler Gerald , Figurski Paweł , Veszprémy László , Filipović Emir O. , Raffensperger Christian
Published: September 2022

This chapter assesses cooperation and conflict in diplomacy and war in and around Central Europe. Cooperation and conflict are among the most distinctive themes in the history of pre-modern Central Europe, forms of socio-political and cultural interplay that shaped the developments of small- and large-scale polities between the decline of the Classical Roman Empire and the emergence of the nation state in Modern times. The various forms and extent of cooperation and conflict in Central Europe relate to a diversity of ethnicities, political identities, traditions, religions, and cultural differences which still have political consequences today. Yet while the region was densely populated and economically interconnected, emerging conflicts rooted in, at time, the troublesome organization of coexistence, were resolved through a vast range of means that extended from consensual diplomacy to articulated war. The chapter then reviews the forms of Christianity and relations its processes formatted in the Slavic Balkans; discusses dynastic attitudes to the crown in medieval Poland; looks at approaches to religious controversies, such as the Hussites; and considers the processes of separation, interconnectedness, and othering in the Slavic East.
Settler Colonialism in the Eastern Cape and beyond, 1800–1880s
Authors: Mager Anne Kelk
Published: September 2022

This chapter provides a comprehensive survey and historiography of the construction of settler colonialism through the conquest of the Khoekhoe, amaXhosa, and abaThembu in the Eastern Cape. The chapter begins with a discussion of the notion of frontier in South African historiography. It charts the eastward movement of trekboers, and shows how the dispossession of land through successive frontier wars enabled the recruitment of British and German settlers in the 1820s and 1840s. The chapter critiques the narrative of “empty land” used to justify settler recruitment and explores the uneven development of capitalism and stratification among settlers in the nineteenth century. It examines the making of race, and the emergence of a Coloured identity in the struggles of the Kat River Settlement and explores the disconnect between indigenous and Nguni notions of work and the racial labor regulations imposed by the Masters and Servants Act (Act 15 of 1856). It highlights how the convergence of settler, government, and missionary attitudes to gendered culture facilitated a process of colonial othering of the amaXhosa, abaThembu, Khoekhoe, and people of mixed heritage. It concludes by suggesting that traces of these pasts remain visible in the present. The chapter identifies gaps in the literature and calls for the opening of new lines of inquiry.
Race and the Making of South African Christianity
Authors: Elbourne Elizabeth
Published: September 2022

The question of race and the making of South African Christianity brings into conversation two-fluid ideas historically seen as rigid, the boundaries of which were defended with anxiety and cruel rigor throughout much of modern South African history. This essay discusses how South African Christianity was forged in the crucible of conflict that was often between groups seen as different “races,” how the racial identity and the state enforcement of racial identity shaped the social practice of Christianity, and how racial conflict was reflected in diverse conceptions of Christianity. At the same time, Christianity was mobilized across the lines of the race to a variety of ends, including attacking racism. The essay necessarily cuts across the boundaries of the nation, including both regional and transnational trends. Some specific topics covered include race and Christianity among white settlers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; labor and religious identity; the uses of Christianity by the dispossessed; missions and colonialism; religion and ethnogenesis; the development of African Christian communities; Ethiopianism and the revolt of Black preachers; the African Independent Church movement; and the use of Christianity both to defend and attack apartheid. I consider Christianity in terms of communities and institutions but also in terms of ideas, from prophetic beliefs to the defense of apartheid. The essay argues that diverse racialized communities helped create different forms of Christianity, just as debates about race and efforts to reach across racial divides were also critical defining features of South African Christianity.
The Dynamics of Banking and Insurance
Authors: Haueter Niels Viggo , Altamura Carlo Edoardo
Published: September 2022

Banking and insurance share an origin but have distinct evolutionary paths. First, this chapter traces the history of both sectors from their shared origins to the transformations brought by industrialization, crises, and state regulation. Then the chapter compares the dynamics in both industries focusing on risk, regulation, and societal and technological changes. Managing risk is the main dynamic that shaped both banking and insurance from the very start. Regulation introduced external risk management and turned out to be the single most influential dynamic. Shifts in social strata significantly shaped product offerings and uptake from the 18th century on, as lower-income households became able to save up. Recently, digital access further ‘democratized’ financial services. In the final part, the chapter assesses the future of the insurance and banking industry in light of the dramatic changes of the early 21st century, suggesting that the traditional distinction between the two is becoming less useful. This is not so much due to their convergence but to the addition of alternative providers both from within and from outside the financial sector.