bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart PLS Methods in Station User Perception Survey (case study : Tanjung Karang Station)
Authors: Yendra C , Nugroho A C , Ifadianto N
Published: August 2024

Tanjung Karang Station is a spacious class A railway station situated in the urban center of Bandar Lampung. There are proposals to incorporate amenities at Tanjung Karang Station in order to necessitate reorganization endeavors to bolster the station’s continuity. In an effort to meet these needs, a perception survey of train users was conducted through several criteria and their influence on the existence of station facilities. The strategy in this study uses user perception related to how the image of a station. This was reviewed through a number of questionnaire questions divided into several groups. The target population in this study is the general public. The sampling method employed in this research utilizes the Probability Sampling technique via a Stratified Random Sampling approach with categorization based on age, gender, and occupation of the participants. The type of information employed is quantitative. Quantitative data of this study is information obtained firsthand from the participants presented in the form of a Likert scale. The method of data collection employed is through the use of questionnaires or surveys, either in person or online. The statistical analysis method utilized is Partial Least Square (PLS) using the SmartPLS program version 3.0. The findings of this research demonstrate a direct impact of user groups and user experience on the existence of transportation. This conclusion was obtained based on the findings of the model flowchart in the SmartPLS program which shows the validity number. This shows that the variable chosen as a reference for the questionnaire is a strong variable so that is can be used as an influental reference in determining station facilities that are useful in station management in the the future.
Rebuilding Place of the Great Mosque of Banten, Indonesia through Thirdspace Concept
Authors: Darmayanti Tessa Eka
Published: August 2024

Globalization unconsciously affects changes in needs and behavior in a place and changes in one’s mindset about places and conditions. Challenges arise from this circumstance, particularly in terms of preservation. In this case, rebuilding space is an action by policyholders that is seen as a form of preservation and sustainability of a place. The Great Mosque of Banten is the focus of the discussion because it provides an overview of the relationship between rebuilding the place and the preservation that prevails in it. This study aims to provide an understanding of which components influence the embodiment of new places as a result of rebuilding. Additionally, this is expected to provide a new angle on seeing, experiencing, and interpreting a place. This qualitative research begins with surveys, interviews, and observations. So that there is optimization in the discussion, it uses literature studies and is supported by a third space concept approach, especially perceived space. Through this research, it was found that a rebuilding place occurs simultaneously with various changes in terms of tangible and intangible so that a place is not just a container, space, or place for activities, but also a place that has value. Rebuilding the place, also shows that the beauty of the place is not only a matter for the eyes but the senses.
Analysis of Local Resources for the Formation of Modern Public Commercial Centers on the Material of Kharkiv
Authors: Borysenko A S
Published: August 2024

An exploratory three-level analysis was conducted to identify local resources for the design of modern shopping centers integrated into the urban structure of Kharkiv. It included a historical analysis of its commercial spaces, a typological analysis of modern shopping centers, as well as an online survey of residents regarding their use of commercial spaces. The typological composition of shopping centers in Kharkiv indicates predominance of introverted spatial organization, with absence of thematic shopping centers focused on aesthetic qualities of their environment. Resources provided by the peculiarities of regional situation can contribute to creation of such solutions. Among them are architectural images that accompanied the development of commercial buildings in the city, complex three-dimensional solutions of their prominent examples, as well as the use of temporary functions integrated into a flexible structure. The interest of respondents of an online survey in open, green, but at the same time protected spaces indicates mixed spaces of variable use as an unused resource in the conditions of Kharkiv. The available set of local resources highlights the potential for creating a sustainable shopping center of thematic type with characteristic regional features. Further research for its implementation may be carried out situationally, on specific location-related data.
Digital Evolution in AEC industry: Bridging BIM, Building Codes, and Future Technologies
Authors: Izbash Yu , Babayev V
Published: August 2024

In recent decades, the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has witnessed profound shifts driven by digital technologies. Central to this transformation is Building Information Modelling (BIM), which has offered a holistic approach to design, analysis, and documentation, yielding benefits in visualization, collaboration, simulation, and life-cycle management. However, the industry’s intricate regulatory landscape, primarily rooted in traditional text-heavy building codes, has lagged in digital adaptability. This paper explores the imperative to transition building codes and regulations into machine-friendly formats, capitalizing on structured databases, semantic annotations, and (Application Programming Interface) API-driven access. Such a transformation facilitates streamlined (Artificial Intelligence) AI-based compliance checks and augments the capabilities of BIM systems. Furthermore, the research delves into the convergence of BIM with other burgeoning technologies. Extended Reality (XR) promise enriched visualization and on-site integration. AI introduces automated analytics, optimization, and predictive facilities management. The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) proposes a real-time feedback loop into BIM, evolving towards dynamic Digital Twins. The discussion also touches upon the potential of XR technology use for enhanced workforce performance and quality control on the site. In conclusion, the AEC industry stands on the edge of a digital evolution, demanding integrated approaches to fully harness the potential of these technologies, ensuring not only efficient construction practices but also enhancing building safety and sustainability.
Modelling of Steel Concrete Composite Elements Cross-Sections with Adhesive Connections
Authors: Horb Oleksandr , Shevchenko Oleksandra , Mytrofanov Pavlo , Gasii Grygorii , Hasii Olena
Published: August 2024

Nowadays, complex steel-concrete composite structures are widely used, which combine the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages of similar metal and rein-forced concrete structures. With the help of the LIRALAND software complex (automated design system), which is effectively used in the scientific and practical field of the construction industry of Ukraine, the article presents the study of composite cross-sections taking into account the modern experience of foreign specialists. Numerical modelling with the help of the “Section Designer” software module of “LIRA-SAPR” makes it possible to reliably assess the performance of structural elements, taking into account changes in a significant number of studied parameters.
Breaking behavior of cationic bitumen emulsions
Authors: Bidos Volodymyr , Sidun Iurii , Sobol Khrystyna , Balabukh Yaroslav , Rybchynskyi Sergii
Published: August 2024

The formulations were developed for road over-stabilized cationic bitumen emulsions on hydrochloric acid and cation-active emulsifiers. There were determined the physical-mechanical properties of the bitumen emulsions produced, while special at-tention was paid to the emulsions breaking behavior. There was defined the influ-ence of the emulsifier content and type upon the bitumen emulsions’ physical-mechanical indices, as well as upon the breaking behavior – by four methods: break-ing value, miscibility with open-grade and dense-grade mixes, fines mixing time, mixing stability with cement. The emulsifier content makes the most impressive in-fluence upon such bitumen emulsion property as stability during storage: residue on sieving (sieve No 014). The results obtained for bitumen emulsions breaking behav-ior (by various testing methods) show the substantial correlation, especially if to compare the breaking value and mixing stability with cement. The miscibility with open-grade and dense-grade mixes provides not just for estimation of a visual cover-ing and combining of emulsion with aggregate, while fines mixing time in all the emulsions tested was more than 300 seconds. Therefore it was defined that the most expedient testing methods for breaking behavior (such ones, which allow defining whether an emulsion is either slow-setting or over-stabilized) are as follows: breaking value and mixing stability with cement. With growth of emulsifier content the break-ing value increases, while mixing stability with cement decreases. Besides, upon the replacement of emulsifier, intended for slow-setting emulsions for the other emulsi-fier, recommended for over-stabilized emulsions, the breaking value substantially in-creases, while the mixing stability with cement rapidly decreases.
Decarbonisation of Cities in the Context of their Sustainable Inclusive Development
Authors: Pushkar T , Serogina D , Matvieieva N , Sobolieva H , Zhovtyak H
Published: August 2024

Urbanisation processes contribute to an increase in the level of harmful emissions in cities, which significantly increases the relevance of sustainable inclusive development based on the principles of decarbonisation and the transition to zero-emission cities. The purpose of the study is to summarise the global experience of implementing sustainable urban development programmes and their transition to zero-emission cities and to develop proposals for its implementation in the substantiation of urban development programmes in Ukraine. The study is based on a system of methods that includes conceptual approaches to sustainable inclusive development based on a balanced approach, generalisation of global digital trends in the transition of cities to zero CO2 emissions, practical results of decarbonisation projects and identification of indicators for their achievement. In the context of the formation of “smart” city strategies in Ukraine, the current areas of decarbonisation of urban development, based on the feasibility and limited funding, are optimisation of urban traffic, creation of “green” zones with zero emissions, implementation of a set of measures and introduction of renewable energy, promotion of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in construction, including their reduction at all stages of the life cycle of buildings, as well as the implementation of a “smart” waste management system Based on a synthesis of international experience, the study outlines the basic indicators for achieving decarbonisation goals, which can be used in the future to substantiate sustainable development strategies for Ukrainian cities.
Influence of Temperature and Pressure of Renewable Energy Pyrolysis on Properties of Charcoal
Authors: Miroshnichenko Denis , Malik Ivan , Lebedev Vladimir , Solovey Ludmila , Gorbunov Kostiantyn , Dyakova Nataliya
Published: August 2024

The aim of this work was to determine the temperature and pressure on the quality of charcoal, obtained in the renewable energy pyrolysis of coniferous residues. Charcoal yield is found to be steadily reduced with increasing pyrolysis temperature. It was found the pyrolysis temperature increasing up to 700 °C, the pressure decreasing up to 0.1 MPa and the yield of charcoal decreasing up to ~34.5%. It is proved that the renewable energy pyrolysis temperature increasing up to 700 °C at a constant pressure level (0.1 MPa), as well as the pressure increasing up to 2 MPa at a constant temperature (550 °C) leads to an increase in FCd and HHV. The generalization of the obtained experimental studies makes it possible to optimize the renewable energy pyrolysis of coniferous residues in industrial conditions.
Diagnostics of entrepreneurial activity in Ukraine in the context of information support for sustainable development of territories
Authors: Dymchenko Olena , Smachylo Valentyna , Rudachenko Olha , Tararuiev Iurii , Biletska Marharyta
Published: August 2024

The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to use the tools of economic diagnostics to identify problems of entrepreneurship development in the regions of Ukraine and develop measures for state support of the private sector of the economy, which is especially important in the context of overcoming the consequences of hostilities and ensuring sustainable development of territories. In view of this, the aim of the article is to formulate recommendations for diagnosing the level of entrepreneurship development in the regions of Ukraine in the context of information support for sustainable development of territories. To achieve this goal, the article substantiates the criteria that characterize the regions of Ukraine, considering the main factors of entrepreneurship development. To generalize the primary information, the work uses the method of normalization, which made it possible to apply the method of integral assessment and determine the integral indicator of entrepreneurship development for each region. According to the results of the ranking of regions according to this criterion, the article identifies both regions with high business activity of business entities (Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv) and those that need state support in the field of organization of entrepreneurial activity (Ternopil, Sumy, Rivne, Chernihiv, Kherson, Chernivtsi, and Luhansk). According to the results of the study, a high level of disproportionality of entrepreneurship development in the regions of Ukraine has been identified, which is due to the centralization of financial, material, and intellectual resources at the present stage of development of the State. In practice, the key results of the study can be the basis for the development and improvement of the strategy for the development of entrepreneurship in Ukraine at the regional level. The article also formulates the most important promising directions for studying the problems of entrepreneurship development at the regional level using methods of economic diagnostics in the context of sustainable development.
Rodgers the Musical “Auteur”
Authors: Block Geoffrey
Published: August 2024

This second chapter on the music, “Rodgers the Musical ‘Auteur,’” considers all the music other than the songs. Mamoulian’s unusual idea of building a screenplay around a group of songs rather than the reverse was matched by his equally unusual, if not unprecedented, request that Rodgers also compose the instrumental numbers, especially the “Hunt” ballet, music for specific characters (leitmotivs), and underscoring (music underneath dialogue), rather than assigning these tasks to a studio staff arranger or composer. Fortunately, the Paramount Archives still has in its possession the Conductor’s Score manuscripts and sketch drafts for the instrumental numbers and underscoring. The “Hunt” ballet features a rapid visual and musical alteration between the dogs and the deer, each with its own theme (the latter strongly suggestive of a well-known ballet by Leo Delibes).
The Reception of Love Me Tonight from Its Time to Ours
Authors: Block Geoffrey
Published: August 2024

The final chapter, “The Reception of Love Me Tonight from Its Time to Ours,” tries to explain how a critically well-regarded but unprofitable movie gradually evolved into a timeless classic. The chapter explores what critics and future directors liked about the movie in its time and since, and it tries to make sense of the dissonance between the astonishing acclaim it has received in film histories and its relative public obscurity until its belated resurfacing on DVD in 2003. Hugh Fordin was on to something when he wrote that the film’s director, Mamoulian, “is part of the lives of millions of people who have never heard of him.” Unlike most moviegoers, directors like Vincente Minnelli, Charles Walters, and Stanley Donen did know Mamoulian’s work, particularly Love Me Tonight, and were inspired by this film. They also learned from Mamoulian’s great directorial achievement with its superb score, well-constructed screenplay, top-notch acting ensemble, striking camera work, and invariably attractive and stylish art direction.
The Politics of Welfare in the Global South
Authors: Biswas Sattwick Dey , Sambo Cleopas Gabriel
Published: August 2024

This chapter sets the foundation for a nuanced critique of welfare systems in the Global South, contrasting with the conventional frameworks and discourses rooted in the experiences of countries in the Organisation Economic Cooperation and Development. It examines the distinct evolution of systems of welfare in the Global South—as shaped by colonial histories, political contestation, and global economic trends, thereby emphasizing the complex relationship between political dynamics and welfare policies. The narrative problematizes the applicability of traditional welfare discourses to the South's realities, arguing for a context-sensitive analysis that fosters a more inclusive theorization and equitable practice of welfare to bridge global divides. The chapter critically addresses the challenges in defining social security, protection, and assistance in the Global South, arguing that these concepts are entangled with the global political economy and advocating for a broader, non-Western-centric understanding of welfare. Overall, the chapter provides an overview of the book’s contributions to the welfare discourses in the Global South, highlighting the influence of politics, state capacity and legitimacy, and the global aid apparatus on welfare in a context of ‘endemic corruption’ and economic informality. It calls for a reimagined approach to welfare that acknowledges the unique sociopolitical and economic contexts of the Global South within a universal grammar of the evolution of welfare.
What Kind of Welfare States are on the Rise in the Global South?
Authors: Øverbye Einar
Published: August 2024

Are welfare policy developments in the Global South driven by different political processes than welfare policy developments in the Global North, or can similar processes be identified in all countries? The chapter investigates welfare policy changes across countries, on the lookout for eventual converging tendencies. A differentiation is made between possible welfare convergence with regard to political goals, the choice of policies to pursue such goals, and welfare outcomes. The main conclusion is that convergence in welfare policy designs varies according to which design dimension stands in focus, while both welfare political goals and average welfare outcomes across countries show signs of global convergence.
Decentralization and its Impacts on Disability Service Delivery in China
Authors: He Biao , Halvorsen Rune , Ding Peng , Zhang Wanhong
Published: August 2024

Amidst the waves of neoliberalism diffused from the Global North, China and other countries in the Global South have adopted decentralization reforms since the 1980s as a strategic approach to drive economic development, improve administrative management, and enhance public service provision. However, empirical observations reveal a nuanced picture of the impacts on public service delivery. This chapter explores how the 1980s and 1990s decentralization reforms in China with its specific characteristics have influenced the disability service delivery by focusing on the provision of accessible government websites. Analyzing the stories of two Chinese municipalities, Wuhan and Shenzhen, this comparative case study identifies divergent outcomes in central-local disability policy transfer and subsequently disability service delivery across localities, arguably linked to the decentralization reforms in the last century. This chapter extends our understanding of the impacts of decentralization on both specific policy domins and societal progress in the Global South.
Wallace Stevens
Authors: Mlinko Ange
Published: August 2024

Beginning in 1922, Wallace Stevens used annual business trips to Florida lasting two weeks to a month to escape the strictures of his decorous Connecticut life and his own exacting temperament. His friend, judge Arthur Powell of Atlanta, a fellow lawyer, served as his guide to Florida and introduced him to Key West, which led to the writing of some dozen poems about the subtropical landscape and weather across two landmark collections of American poetry: Harmonium (1923) and Ideas of Order (1935). The Floridian fantasy of freedom and fecundity emerges in such poems as “The Bird with the Coppery, Keen Claws” and “The Comedian as the Letter C” before reaching its apotheosis with “The Idea of Order at Key West,” one of the twentieth century’s best-known poems in English.
Bespoke instrumental variables with nonideal reference populations
Authors: Sjölander Arvid , Gabriel Erin E
Published: August 2024

Recently, a bespoke instrumental variable method was proposed, which, under certain assumptions, can eliminate bias due to unmeasured confounding when estimating the causal exposure effect among the exposed. This method uses data from both the study population of interest and a reference population in which the exposure is completely absent. In this article, we extend the bespoke instrumental variable method to allow for a nonideal reference population that may include exposed individuals. Such an extension is particularly important in randomized trials with nonadherence, where even individuals in the control arm may have access to the treatment under investigation. We further scrutinize the assumptions underlying the bespoke instrumental method and caution the reader about the potential nonrobustness of the method to these assumptions.
Galaxies, gas flows and metallicities
Authors: Edmunds Mike
Published: August 2024

In his 2024 Presidential Address, Mike Edmunds reviews attempts to uncover how element distributions in galaxies evolve
The man who grew the universe
Authors: Kalita Sanjeev
Published: August 2024

A century on from two key papers by Alexander Friedmann, we reflect on what became the beginning of modern evolutionary models of cosmology
Documenting James Carpenter
Authors: Kinder Anthony
Published: August 2024

The life of unsung astronomer James Carpenter shows how online resources can enhance biographical research
Assessing Maria Cunitz's Urania Propitia
Authors: Wallauer Farah , Weijmans Anne-Marie , Falconer Isobel
Published: August 2024

Appreciating the astronomical contributions of a neglected 17th century woman
Evaluation of the enzymatic properties of DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase M.ApeKI from archaea in the presence of metal ions
Authors: Hayashi Mao , Wada Yoshinari , Yamamura Akira , Inoue Hideki , Yamashita Naoya , Ichimura Shigetoshi , Iida Yasuhiro
Published: August 2024

We previously identified M.ApeKI from Aeropyum pernix K1 as a highly thermostable DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase. M.ApeKI uses the type II restriction-modification system (R-M system), among the best-studied R-M systems. Although endonucleases generally utilize Mg (II) as a cofactor, several reports have shown that MTases exhibit different reactions in the presence of metal ions. This study aim was to evaluate the enzymatic properties of DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase M.ApeKI from archaea in the presence of metal ions. We evaluated the influence of metal ions on the catalytic activity and DNA binding of M.ApeKI. The catalytic activity was inhibited by Cu (II), Mg (II), Mn (II), and Zn (II), each at 5 m m. DNA binding was more strongly inhibited by 5 m m Cu (II) and 10 m m Zn (II). To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that DNA binding of type II MTase is inhibited by metal ions.
BPP: a platform for automatic biochemical pathway prediction
Authors: Yi Xinhao , Liu Siwei , Wu Yu , McCloskey Douglas , Meng Zaiqiao
Published: August 2024

A biochemical pathway consists of a series of interconnected biochemical reactions to accomplish specific life activities. The participating reactants and resultant products of a pathway, including gene fragments, proteins, and small molecules, coalesce to form a complex reaction network. Biochemical pathways play a critical role in the biochemical domain as they can reveal the flow of biochemical reactions in living organisms, making them essential for understanding life processes. Existing studies of biochemical pathway networks are mainly based on experimentation and pathway database analysis methods, which are plagued by substantial cost constraints. Inspired by the success of representation learning approaches in biomedicine, we develop the biochemical pathway prediction (BPP) platform, which is an automatic BPP platform to identify potential links or attributes within biochemical pathway networks. Our BPP platform incorporates a variety of representation learning models, including the latest hypergraph neural networks technology to model biochemical reactions in pathways. In particular, BPP contains the latest biochemical pathway-based datasets and enables the prediction of potential participants or products of biochemical reactions in biochemical pathways. Additionally, BPP is equipped with an SHAP explainer to explain the predicted results and to calculate the contributions of each participating element. We conduct extensive experiments on our collected biochemical pathway dataset to benchmark the effectiveness of all models available on BPP. Furthermore, our detailed case studies based on the chronological pattern of our dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our platform. Our BPP web portal, source code and datasets are freely accessible at https://github.com/Glasgow-AI4BioMed/BPP.
Long-term adherence to a wearable for continuous behavioural activity measuring in the SafeHeart implantable cardioverter defibrillator population
Authors: Frodi Diana My , Kolk Maarten Z H , Langford Joss , Knops Reinoud , Tan Hanno L , Andersen Tariq Osman , Jacobsen Peter Karl , Risum Niels , Svendsen Jesper Hastrup , Tjong Fleur V Y , Diederichsen Søren Zöga
Published: August 2024

Aims

Wearable health technologies are increasingly popular. Yet, wearable monitoring only works when devices are worn as intended, and adherence reporting lacks standardization. In this study, we aimed to explore the long-term adherence to a wrist-worn activity tracker in the prospective SafeHeart study and identify patient characteristics associated with adherence.

Methods and results

This study enrolled 303 participants, instructed to wear a wrist-worn accelerometer day and night for 6 months. Long-term adherence was defined as valid days (≥22 h of wear time) divided by expected days, and daily adherence as mean hours of wear time per 24 h period. Optimal, moderate, and low long-term and daily adherence groups were defined as long-term adherence above or below 95 and 75% and daily adherence above or below 90 and 75%. Regression models were used to identify patient characteristics associated with long-term adherence. In total, 296 participants [median age 64 years; interquartile range (IQR) 57–72; 19% female] were found eligible, yielding 44 003 days for analysis. The median long-term adherence was 88.2% (IQR 74.6–96.5%). A total of 83 (28%), 127 (42.9%), and 86 (29.1%) participants had optimal, moderate, and low long-term adherence, and 163 (55.1%), 87 (29.4%), and 46 (15.5%) had optimal, moderate, and low daily adherence, respectively. Age and smoking habits differed significantly between adherence levels, and increasing changeover intervals improved the degree of long-term adherence.

Conclusion

Long-term adherence to a wearable activity tracker was 88.2% over a 6-month period. Older age and longer changeover interval were positively associated with long-term adherence. This serves as a benchmark for future studies that rely on wearable devices.

Trial registration number

The National Trial Registration number: NL9218 (https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/).
Association of accelerometer-derived physical activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with cardiovascular diseases: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Cao Zhi , Min Jiahao , Hou Yabing , Si Keyi , Wang Mingwei , Xu Chenjie
Published: August 2024

Aims

To investigate the association of accelerometer-measured intensity-specific physical activity (PA) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods and results

In this prospective cohort study, 8024 individuals with pre-existing CVD (mean age: 66.6 years, female: 34.1%) from the UK Biobank had their PA measured using wrist-worn accelerometers over a 7-day period in 2013–2015. All-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality was ascertained from death registries. Cox regression modelling and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the associations. Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were used to estimate the proportion of preventable deaths if more PA was undertaken. During a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 691 deaths (273 from cancer and 219 from CVD) were recorded. An inverse non-linear association was found between PA duration and all-cause mortality risk, irrespective of PA intensity. The hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality plateaued at 1800 min/week for light-intensity PA (LPA), 320 min/week for moderate-intensity PA (MPA), and 15 min/week for vigorous-intensity PA (VPA). The highest quartile of PA was associated with lower risks for all-cause mortality, with HRs of 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51–0.79), 0.42 (0.33–0.54), and 0.47 (0.37–0.60) for LPA, MPA, and VPA, respectively. Similar associations were observed for cancer and CVD mortality. Additionally, the highest PAFs were noted for VPA, followed by MPA.

Conclusion

We found an inverse non-linear association between all intensities of PA (LPA, MPA, VPA, and MVPA) and mortality risk in CVD patients using accelerometer-derived data, but with a larger magnitude of the associations than that in previous studies based on self-reported PA.
Refinement of the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) reference genome increases continuity and completeness
Authors: Hench Kosmas , Vendrami David L J , Forcada Jaume , Hoffman Joseph I
Published: August 2024

The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is an important top predator and indicator of the health of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Although abundant, this species narrowly escaped extinction due to historical sealing and is currently declining as a consequence of climate change. Genomic tools are essential for understanding these anthropogenic impacts and for predicting long-term viability. However, the current reference genome (“arcGaz3”) shows considerable room for improvement in terms of both completeness and contiguity. We therefore combined PacBio sequencing, haplotype-aware HiRise assembly, and scaffolding based on Hi-C information to generate a refined assembly of the Antarctic fur seal reference genome (“arcGaz4_h1”). The new assembly is 2.53 Gb long, has a scaffold N50 of 55.6 Mb and includes 18 chromosome-sized scaffolds, which correspond to the 18 chromosomes expected in otariids. Genome completeness is greatly improved, with 23,408 annotated genes and a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs score raised from 84.7% to 95.2%. We furthermore included the new genome in a reference-free alignment of the genomes of 11 pinniped species to characterize evolutionary conservation across the Pinnipedia using genome-wide Genomic Evolutionary Rate Profiling. We then implemented Gene Ontology enrichment analyses to identify biological processes associated with those genes showing the highest levels of either conservation or differentiation between the 2 major pinniped families, the Otariidae and Phocidae. We show that processes linked to neuronal development, the circulatory system, and osmoregulation are overrepresented both in conserved as well as in differentiated regions of the genome.
Evolution of the Genetic Code in the Ascoideales (CUG-Ser2) Yeast Clade: The Ancestral tRNA-Leu(CAG) Gene Is Retained in Most Saccharomycopsis Species but Is Nonessential and Not Used for Translation
Authors: Ó Cinnéide Eoin , Scaife Caitriona , Dillon Eugène T , Wolfe Kenneth H
Published: August 2024

In the yeast genera Saccharomycopsis and Ascoidea, which comprise the taxonomic order Ascoideales, nuclear genes use a nonstandard genetic code in which CUG codons are translated as serine instead of leucine, due to a tRNA-Ser with the unusual anticodon CAG. However, some species in this clade also retain an ancestral tRNA-Leu gene with the same anticodon. One of these species, Ascoidea asiatica, has been shown to have a stochastic proteome in which proteins contain ∼50% Ser and 50% Leu at CUG codon sites, whereas previously examined Saccharomycopsis species translate CUG only as Ser. Here, we investigated the presence, conservation, and possible functionality of the tRNA-Leu(CAG) gene in the genus Saccharomycopsis. We sequenced the genomes of 23 strains that, together with previously available data, include almost every known species of this genus. We found that most Saccharomycopsis species have genes for both tRNA-Leu(CAG) and tRNA-Ser(CAG). However, tRNA-Leu(CAG) has been lost in Saccharomycopsis synnaedendra and Saccharomycopsis microspora, and its predicted cloverleaf structure is aberrant in all the other Saccharomycopsis species. We deleted the tRNA-Leu(CAG) gene of Saccharomycopsis capsularis and found that it is not essential. Proteomic analyses in vegetative and sporulating cultures of S. capsularis and Saccharomycopsis fermentans showed only translation of CUG as Ser. Despite its unusual structure, the tRNA-Leu(CAG) gene shows evidence of sequence conservation among Saccharomycopsis species, particularly in its acceptor stem and leucine identity elements, which suggests that it may have been retained in order to carry out an unknown nontranslational function.
10. European Political Economy and Interdependence
Authors: Posner Elliot
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on the correlation between the key concepts of European political economy and interdependence. It elaborates on the interplay between multi-level governance, Europeanization, globalization, and EU market integration. Essentially, the EPE cannot be understood without careful analysis of the interlinkages between the EU market-building project and the region's interdependent relationships with the rest of the world. The chapter then provides an overview of the main concepts surrounding globalization, regionalization, and general trade patterns of national markets. It notes the high likelihood that EU-level agents, processes, and structures are prime shapers in any given aspect of the EPE.
Introductory Chapter
Authors: Moschella Manuela , Quaglia Lucia , Spendzharova Aneta
Published: August 2024

The chapter conceptualizes European Political Economy as a distinct research field. It provides a genealogy of the field, detailing how EPE draws from several disciplines, including Comparative and International Political Economy, as well as European Studies. As part of this, the chapter identifies 4 key turning points in European integration that have helped defined the field and developed the scholarship. This chapter also summarises for theoretical approaches that offer important conceptual tools that students will use throughout the textbook to examine the dynamic interactions between politics and economics within the EU.
4. Ideas, Social Hierarchies, and the Everyday
Authors: Hannah Erin , Hinton Lucy
Published: August 2024

Unequal relations of power along classed, racialized and gendered lines are central to the functioning of the global political economy (GPE). Beginning with this understanding this work centers some of the empirical and conceptual margins of GPE and highlights the interplay of ideas, social hierarchies and the everyday in order to shed light on some of the most important but often neglected aspects of GPE: gender, race, and everyday life. The work discusses the role of ideas in establishing and legitimizing different patterns of authority and power, social hierarchies, and the ways in which they are upheld by dominant ideals and power dynamics, and centers the experiences of the‘globally governed’ to better understand how everyday people experience the GPE and exercise agency, power, and resistance..
5. Critical Theories
Authors: Brummer Klaus , Oppermann Kai
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at the contribution of critical theories to the study of foreign policy. It then discusses the key general characteristics of critical International Relations (IR) theories before elaborating on the three strands of critical theories: feminism, postcolonialism, and Marxism. Critical theorizing in IR brings out the open structures of power and ensuing hierarchical social relations among actors. The chapter explains how critical theories can broaden the understanding and awareness of power relations in foreign policy research while also widening perspectives on relevant agencies in foreign policy research. It shows how critical theories give voice to marginalized, oppressed, and silenced actors in foreign policy.
9. Making decisions
Authors: Stein Janice Gross
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at the contribution that rational models of choice can make to foreign policy analysis. It then examines cognitive models that identify the boundaries to rationality in decision making. The chapter then looks at new research in neuroscience that recasts the role of rational models and highlights the importance of emotions. It concludes with suggestions for system design that can improve foreign policy decision making.
7. The Executive Branch
Authors: Schleiter Petra
Published: August 2024

This chapter offers a clear introduction to the history, constitutional structure, and powers of the modern executive in European countries. It provides an overview of the constitutional position of the political executive in parliamentary and semi-presidential democracies, then charts variations in the powers of key actors (including prime ministers, cabinets, and presidents) and their political implications for conflict within government, cabinet stability, and policy processes. The text complements its coverage of the political executive with an analysis of the civil service and the political challenges of controlling it, and concludes with a comprehensive assessment of the rise in executive autonomy and its political implications in the twenty-first century.
11. Levels of Government
Authors: Keating Michael
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the division of power between different levels of government in European countries. Some states are unitary, while others are federal with a constitutional division of power between the centre and the federal regions. Even within unitary states there are local and regional levels of government. The major debates about centralization versus decentralization are reviewed, including arguments about economic efficiency, democratic quality, and equity. The chapter also examines nationalist movements within states and the way they have sought greater autonomy or even secession. Finally, it considers issues of rescaling—that is, the shift of power and tasks across different levels—especially in the context of European integration.
18. Populism and Its Challenges to Democracy
Authors: Graziano Paolo
Published: August 2024

Populism has been one of the most researched topics of the past decade. At the end of 2010 a Google Scholar search with the keyword ‘populism’ would register about 100,000 entries. In 2023 the same search would yield over 500,000 results, of which 400,000 would mention Europe. This chapter starts by introducing the concept of populism, presenting and discussing its various definitions. It maps the populist parties active in European countries, illustrates the reasons of their success, examines populist parties in government, and looks in more detail at the cases of Hungary and Poland, where populist parties in power are posing serious threats to democratic rule. The chapter concludes with some remarks on the future of populism and populist parties in European countries
11. Constructivism
Authors: Fierke K. M.
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the key debates that have shaped the development of constructivism in International Relations (IR). It first considers the idea that international relations is a social construction, as it emerged from the critique of more traditional theories of IR. It then explores the distinctions among various constructivisms, with particular emphasis on the contrast between those who seek a ‘better’ social science, and hence better theory, versus those who argue that constructivism is an approach that rests on assumptions at odds with those of positivist method. The chapter proceeds by discussing constructivists’ critique of rationalism, along with constructivism as a ‘middle ground’ between rationalist and poststructuralist approaches to IR. It also analyses the role of language and causality in the debate between rationalists and constructivists. Finally, it links all these insights to the ‘war’ on Covid-19.
13. Poststructuralism
Authors: Campbell David , Bleiker Roland
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines how and why poststructuralism engaged International Relations (IR) from the 1980s to today. It begins by analysing the interdisciplinary context of social and political theory from which poststructuralism emerged, along with the misconceptions evident in the reception of the poststructuralist approach among mainstream theorists. It then considers what the critical attitude of poststructuralism means for social and political inquiry and draws on the work of Michel Foucault to highlight the importance of discourse, identity, subjectivity, and power to the poststructuralist approach. It also discusses the methodological features employed by poststructuralists in their readings of, and interventions in, international politics. The chapter concludes with a case study of images of famines and other kinds of humanitarian crises that illustrates the poststructural approach.
International Relations Theories
Authors: Lawler Peter
Published: August 2024

A comprehensive introduction to international relations theories which aids understanding of their purpose and function. Readers are introduced to each IR theory and asked to consider its social, political, and historical context. Pedagogical features help students to critically assess their assumptions and apply IR theory to global issues.
6. Critical International Theory
Authors: Lawler Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter turns to critical international theory. It clarifies that the roots of critical theory are from Marxism while also acknowledging that it departs from classical Marxism in significant ways. The emergence of a distinctive critical international theory in the early 1980s rapidly triggered a virtual explosion of different kinds of critical approaches to the study of international politics. The chapter then elaborates on the Frankfurt School's particular brand of critical theory and JÃƒÂ¼rgen Habermas' arguments in this field, which are concerned with undistorted communication. It then considers how critical international theory raises the possibility of distinguishing the barriers to and viable prospects for further human emancipation across the world.
SIRT1-driven mechanism: sevoflurane’s interference with mESC neural differentiation via PRRX1/DRD2 cascade
Authors: Liu Feifei , Li Chenguang
Published: August 2024

Investigating the sevoflurane-induced perturbation in the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into neural stem cells (mNSCs), our study delineates a novel SIRT1/PRRX1/DRD2/PKM2/NRF2 axis as a key player in this intricate process. Sevoflurane treatment hindered mESC differentiation, evidenced by altered expression patterns of pluripotency and neural lineage markers. Mechanistically, sevoflurane downregulated Sirt1, setting in motion a signaling cascade. Sevoflurane may inhibit PKM2 dimerization and NRF2 signaling pathway activation by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1 and its downstream genes Prrx1 and DRD2, ultimately inhibiting mESCs differentiation into mNSCs. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis of sevoflurane-induced neural toxicity, presenting a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention in sevoflurane-induced perturbation in the differentiation of mESCs into mNSCs by modulating the SIRT1/PRRX1/DRD2/PKM2/NRF2 axis.
Auxin response factors: important keys for understanding regulatory mechanisms of fleshy fruit development and ripening
Authors: Li Bai-Jun , Bao Ruo-Xuan , Shi Yan-Na , Grierson Donald , Chen Kun-Song
Published: August 2024

Auxin response transcription factors (ARFs) form a large gene family, many of whose members operate at the final step of the auxin signaling pathway. ARFs participate directly in many aspects of plant growth and development. Here we summarize recent advances in understanding the roles of ARFs in regulating aspects of fleshy fruit development and ripening. ARFs play a crucial role in regulating fruit size, color, nutrients, texture, yield, and other properties that ultimately influence the ripening and quality of important crops such as tomato, apple, strawberry, and peach. ARFs impact these processes acting as positive, negative, or bidirectional regulators via phytohormone-dependent or -independent mechanisms. In the phytohormone-dependent pathway, ARFs act as a central hub linking interactions with multiple phytohormones generating diverse effects. The three domains within ARFs, namely the DNA-binding domain, the middle region, and the carboxy-terminal dimerization domain, exhibit distinct yet overlapping functions, contributing to a range of mechanisms mediated by ARFs. These findings not only provide a profound understanding of ARF functions, but also raise new questions. Further exploration can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of fleshy fruit development and ripening mediated by ARFs.