bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of bidirectional transmittance distribution function measurements to determine transmittance haze
Authors: Molloy E , Koo A , Gevaux L , Obein G , Yang L
Published: July 2023

Accurate and traceable measurements of transmittance haze are required for quality control in various different industries, such as optoelectronics, automobiles, and agriculture. Transmittance haze is defined as the fraction of light transmitted through a material that deviates from the incident beam by more than 2.5∘. Various documentary standards specify the use of an integrating sphere with a prescribed geometry for the measurement of transmittance haze. This paper uses goniometric measurements of the bidirectional transmittance distribution function (BTDF) to calculate transmittance haze according to the definition and demonstrates that the sphere-based realisation of transmittance haze specified in the documentary standards does not agree with the definition, with the difference being up to 20% for some samples. The BTDF measurements are also used to simulate the integrating sphere haze, allowing the sensitivity of the sphere haze to errors in the integrating sphere geometry to be calculated.
Rhox8 homeobox gene ablation leads to rete testis abnormality and male subfertility in mice
Authors: Oh Yeongseok , Kasu Maho , Bottoms Constence J , Douglas Jenna C , Sekulovski Nikola , Hayashi Kanako , MacLean II James A
Published: July 2023

The reproductive homeobox X-linked (Rhox) genes encode transcription factors that are expressed selectively in reproductive tissues including the testis, epididymis, ovary, and placenta. While many Rhox genes are expressed in germ cells in the mouse testis, only Rhox8 is expressed exclusively in the Sertoli cells during embryonic and postnatal development, suggesting a possible role of Rhox8 in embryonic gonad development. Previously, Sertoli cell–specific knockdown of RHOX8 resulted in male subfertility due to germ cell defects. However, this knockdown model was limited in examining the functions of Rhox8 as RHOX8 knockdown occurred only postnatally, and there was still residual RHOX8 in the testis. In this study, we generated new Rhox8 knockout (KO) mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Sex determination and fetal testis development were apparently normal in mutant mice. Fertility analysis showed a low fecundity in Rhox8 KO adult males, with disrupted spermatogenic cycles, increased germ cell apoptosis, and reduced sperm count and motility. Interestingly, Rhox8 KO testes showed an increase in testis size with dilated seminiferous tubules and rete testis, which might be affected by efferent duct (ED) Rhox8 ablation dysregulating the expression of metabolism and transport genes in the EDs. Taken together, the data presented in this study suggest that Rhox8 in the Sertoli cells is not essential for sex determination and embryonic testis differentiation but has an important role in complete spermatogenesis and optimal male fertility.
Patient Characteristics, Microbiology, and Mortality of Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Strange Jarl Emanuel , Østergaard Lauge , Køber Lars , Bundgaard Henning , Iversen Kasper , Voldstedlund Marianne , Gislason Gunnar Hilmar , Olesen Jonas Bjerring , Fosbøl Emil Loldrup
Published: July 2023

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with high mortality and surgery is rarely performed. Thus, to inform on preventive measures and treatment strategies, we investigated patient characteristics and microbiology of IE after TAVI.

Methods

Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified patients with IE after TAVI, IE after non-TAVI prosthetic valve (nTPV), and native valve IE. Patient characteristics; overall, early (≤12 m), and late IE (>12 m) microbiology; and unadjusted and adjusted mortality were compared.

Results

We identified 273, 1022, and 5376 cases of IE after TAVI, IE after nTPV, and native valve IE. Age and frailty were highest among TAVI IE (4.8%; median age: 82 y; 61.9% frail). Enterococcus spp. were common for IE after TAVI (27.1%) and IE after nTPV (21.2%) compared with native valve IE (11.4%). Blood culture–negative IE was rare in IE after TAVI (5.5%) compared with IE after nTPV (15.2%) and native valve IE (13.5%). The unadjusted 90-day mortality was comparable, but the 5-year mortality was highest for IE after TAVI (75.2% vs 57.2% vs 53.6%). In Cox models adjusted for patient characteristics and bacterial etiology for 1–90 days and 91–365 days, there was no significant difference in mortality rates.

Conclusions

Patients with IE after TAVI are older and frailer, enterococci and streptococci are often the etiologic agents, and are rarely blood culture negative compared with other IE patients. Future studies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis strategies covering enterococci should be considered in this setting.
Executive Summary: Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sacks David B , Arnold Mark , Bakris George L , Bruns David E , Horvath Andrea R , Lernmark Åke , Metzger Boyd E , Nathan David M , Sue Kirkman M
Published: July 2023

Background

Numerous laboratory tests are used in the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these assays varies substantially. An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for laboratory analysis in patients with diabetes. The overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations were evaluated. The draft consensus recommendations were evaluated by invited reviewers and presented for public comment. Suggestions were incorporated as deemed appropriate by the authors (see Acknowledgments in the full version of the guideline). The guidelines were reviewed by the Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine Committee and the Board of Directors of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry and by the Professional Practice Committee of the American Diabetes Association.

Content

Diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased concentrations of glucose in venous plasma or increased hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c) in the blood. Glycemic control is monitored by the patients measuring their own blood glucose with meters and/or with continuous interstitial glucose monitoring devices and also by laboratory analysis of Hb A1c. The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring; genetic testing; and measurement of ketones, autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide are addressed.

The guidelines provide specific recommendations based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes are found to have minimal clinical value at the present time, and measurement of them is not recommended.
Variation in mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic across federal states in Germany
Authors: Kolobova Marina , Jdanov Dmitri , Jasilionis Domantas , Shkolnikov Vladimir M , Rau Roland
Published: July 2023

Background

Intra-annual excess mortality is the most reliable measure of losses of lives due to short-term risk factors. The objectives of our study are (i) to estimate excess mortality across German states in the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic years 2020 and 2021 and (ii) to identify possible regional-level determinants of spatial inequality in pandemic-related excess mortality.

Methods

We use weekly mortality data series for the calculation of weekly death rates, standardized by age for each federal state of Germany. We estimate the expected level of mortality as state-specific mortality trends and excess mortality in 2020 and 2021. We explore ecological statistical relationships between excess mortality, COVID-19 morbidity, and selected regional socioeconomic indicators using fixed-effects regression models.

Results

Our study shows that during the first pandemic year, there was South-to-North gradient in excess mortality in Germany, with excess mortality being higher in the South. Over the course of the second pandemic year 2021, this gradient changed to become an East-to-West gradient, with excess mortality being higher in the East. The results of the study show stronger effects of COVID-19 morbidity on excess mortality in East Germany. State-level indicators reflecting economic activity, employment, and capacity of intensive care units show significant correlations with excess mortality across the states.

Conclusions

The results show pronounced state-level differences in the magnitude of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Economic activity, employment and capacity of intensive care units were the most important state-level characteristics associated with the observed spatial variations in excess mortality.
Phenotypic evolution of SARS-CoV-2: a statistical inference approach
Authors: Benhamou Wakinyan , Lion Sébastien , Choquet Rémi , Gandon Sylvain
Published: July 2023

Since its emergence in late 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread globally, causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall of 2020, the Alpha variant (lineage B.1.1.7) was detected in England and spread rapidly, outcompeting the previous lineage. Yet, very little is known about the underlying modifications of the infection process that can explain this selective advantage. Here, we try to quantify how the Alpha variant differed from its predecessor on two phenotypic traits: The transmission rate and the duration of infectiousness. To this end, we analyzed the joint epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics as a function of the Stringency Index, a measure of the amount of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions. Assuming that these control measures reduce contact rates and transmission, we developed a two-step approach based on ${{SEIR}}$ models and the analysis of a combination of epidemiological and evolutionary information. First, we quantify the link between the Stringency Index and the reduction in viral transmission. Second, based on a novel theoretical derivation of the selection gradient in an ${{SEIR}}$ model, we infer the phenotype of the Alpha variant from its frequency changes. We show that its selective advantage is more likely to result from a higher transmission than from a longer infectious period. Our work illustrates how the analysis of the joint epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of infectious diseases can help understand the phenotypic evolution driving pathogen adaptation.
Content moderation in times of war: testing state and self-regulation, contract and human rights law in search of optimal solutions
Authors: Filatova-Bilous Nataliia
Published: July 2023

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine and crimes against humanity accompanying it have been fuelled by the mass spread of fakes and hatred incitements, forcing the largest online platforms to review and strengthen their content moderation policies. However, the approaches taken by platforms have not been perfect, and some of them could even exacerbate the situation. All in all, this is another evidence of the need to develop mechanisms being able to cope with the challenges to online speech and safety caused by dramatic social events. Basic approaches to address content moderation issues developed by now are self-(co-) and state regulation, on the one hand, and contract and human rights law, on the other. However, neither of them taken separately can ensure the needed level of protection of human rights online. Thus, in this article the ways to combine and improve these approaches are proposed. On the one hand, there is a need to dwell on private law mechanisms allowing to ensure the protection of human rights by virtue of judgements in private disputes. On the other hand, state regulation should be improved by international instruments allowing to provide for a uniform approach to regulation at a global scale.
Bivoltine cocoon color sex-limited breeds of Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) show enhanced economic performance and fecundity following spermidine supplementation
Authors: Kasa Madhavi , Jolapuram Seetharamulu , Lima Anugata , Didugu Brinda Goda Lakshmi , Poosapati Jagannatha Raju , Mamillapalli Anitha
Published: July 2023

Sericulture has immense economic significance. Separating male and female silkworm pupae for egg production in grainage is a laborious task; hence, sex-limited breeds for cocoon color are advantageous for this process. The major constraint in sex-limited breeds is their low fecundity. Sex-limited female moths lay a lower number of eggs than nonsex-limited breeds. Polyamine, spermidine was shown to improve fecundity in several organisms, including the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. In the present study, cocoon color sex-limited breeds, HTO2SL, APS27SL, and SLFC27, were selected and fed with spermidine to improve fecundity and nutritional efficiency. The fifth-instar silkworm larvae of the selected breeds were subjected to standard rearing conditions with and without spermidine supplementation up to spinning. The spermidine-supplemented sex-limited breeds exhibited a significant increase in fecundity, nutritional indices, and economic parameters compared with the control sex-limited breeds. Among the 3 sex-limited breeds tested, the performance of APS27SL improved significantly.
The aphidPentalonia nigronervosa(Hemiptera: Aphididae) takes advantage from the quality change in banana plant associated withBanana bunchy top virusinfection
Authors: Safari Murhububa Ignace , Tougeron Kévin , Bragard Claude , Fauconnier Marie-Laure , Mugisho Bugeme David , Bisimwa Basengere Espoir , Walangululu Masamba Jean , Hance Thierry
Published: July 2023

Viral diseases can change plant metabolism, with potential impacts on the quality of the plant’s food supply for insect pests, including virus vectors. The banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel, is the vector of the Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), the causal agent of Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), the most devastating viral disease of bananas in the world. The effect of BBTV on the life-history traits and population dynamics of P. nigronervosa remains poorly understood. We therefore studied the survival rate, longevity, daily fecundity per aphid, tibia length, population growth, and winged morph production of a P. nigronervosa clone grown on healthy or infected, dessert, or plantain banana plants. We found that daily fecundity was higher on infected banana than on healthy banana plants (plantain and dessert), and on plantain than on dessert banana plants (healthy and infected). Survival and longevity were lower on infected dessert bananas than on other types of bananas. In addition, virus infection resulted in a decrease in aphid hind tibia length on both plant genotypes. The survival and fecundity table revealed that the aphid net reproduction rate (Ro) was highest on plantains (especially infected plantain), and the intrinsic growth rate (r) was highest on infected plants. Finally, the increase of aphids and alate production was faster first on infected plantain, then on healthy plantain, and lower on dessert banana (infected and uninfected). Our results reinforce the idea of indirect and plant genotype-dependent manipulation of P. nigronervosa by the BBTV.
Response patterns of lncRNAs of theSpodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae under 23 pesticide treatments
Authors: Wang Qing-nan , Xiao Wen-qing , Yao Yu , Kong Xiang-dong , Sun Yang
Published: July 2023

The response of Spodoptera frugiperda genes toward insecticides is crucial for guiding insecticide use. The regulation of the S. frugiperda genes via long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) under insecticide treatment should be investigated. In this study, 452 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified by analyzing RNA-sequencing data of S. frugiperda under 23 pesticide treatments. We found 59 and 43 differentially expressed lncRNAs that could regulate detoxification-related cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase genes, respectively. Furthermore, the target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs were enriched in Pfam, including chitin bind 4 and gene ontology terms such as structural constituent of the cuticle, revealing their potential mechanism of action on the growth inhibition of S. frugiperda larvae. Insecticide-specific expression of lncRNAs highlights the properties and commonalities of different insecticide-induced lncRNA regulatory mechanisms. To conclude, the results of this study provide new insights and perspectives on the use of 23 insecticides via lncRNA regulation of mRNAs.
Forms of Milgramesque Resistance
Authors: Hollander Matthew M. , Turowetz Jason
Published: July 2023

Chapter 4 builds on the previous chapter’s presentation of resistance by documenting six recurrent forms of participant resistance to continuation of the experiment. First, we present the sequential organization of resistance in Milgram’s lab in a schematic and general way. Second, we use conversation analysis to analyze (1) three relatively implicit forms of participant resistance and then (2) three relatively more explicit forms. Third, we present a finding about a structural preference in complaint-remedy sequences in our data, which we call a preference for director’s remedy. Participants orient to this preference by treating the Experimenter as the party responsible for repairing interactional trouble, such that they appeal to him, sometimes repeatedly, prior to more explicit attempts to stop the experiment themselves. Conversely, participants orient to the dispreferred status of resistance through delays, hesitations, and mitigators (apologies, accounts, etc.). Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the payoff or upshot of our strategy of detailed comparative analysis of both outcome categories (Obedient and Disobedient), an approach uncommon in the Milgram literature.
Hierarchies, Shadows, and Precarity
Authors: Zhao Elaine Jing
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines the experience of aspiring writers in the context of platformization of cultural production in the internet literature field in China. Drawing on rich empirical data and building on creative labour studies, platform studies, and informal media economics, this chapter (1) analyses how hierarchies, shadows, and precarity emerge in this creative labour market; (2) explains how the multiple realities of precarity are imbricated with platform politics of access, temporality, visibility, and copyright protection; and (3) reveals how aspiring writers exhibit an entrepreneurial ethos in navigating the uneven process of platformization. In doing so, this chapter aims to advance knowledge about the impact of platformization of cultural production on creative labour in China.
Crafting Feminism from Literary Modernism to the Multimedia Present
Authors: Elkins Amy E.
Published: July 2023

Crafting Feminism develops a dynamic study of craft and art-making in modern and contemporary feminist writing. In evocative readings of literary works from Virginia Woolf to Zadie Smith, this book expands our sense of transartistic modernist scholarship to encompass process-oriented and medium-specific analyses of textiles, digital design, collage, photography, painting, and sculpture in literary culture. By integrating these craft practices into the book’s enlightening archive, Elkins’s theoretical argument extends a reading of craft metaphors into the material present. Crafting Feminism demonstrates how writers have engaged with handiwork across generations and have undertaken the crafting of a new modernity, one that is queer and feminist—threaded, messy, shattered, cut-up, pasted together, preserved, repaired, reflected, and spun out. An avant-garde work of scholarship, this book interweaves queer research methods and interdisciplinary rigor with a series of surprising archival discoveries. Making visible the collaborative, creative features of craft, Elkins captivates readers with generous illustrations and a series of “Techne” interchapters—interludes between longer chapters, which powerfully convey the symbiosis between feminist theory and method and detail the network of archival influences that underpin this volume’s hybrid approach. Foregrounding the work of decentering patriarchal and Eurocentric legacies of artistic authority, Elkins champions the diverse, intergenerational history of craft as a way to reposition the work of intersectional makers at the heart of literary culture. An original and compelling study, Crafting Feminism breaks new ground in modernist and visual studies, digital humanities, and feminist, queer, and critical race theories.
Immersion, Identification, and the Iliad
Authors: Ready Jonathan L.
Published: July 2023

Immersion, Identification, and the Iliad explains why people care about this foundational epic poem and its characters. It represents the first book-length application to the Iliad of research in communications, literary studies, media studies, and psychology on how readers of a story or viewers of a play, movie, or television show find themselves immersed in the tale and identify with the characters. Immersed recipients get wrapped up in a narrative and the world it depicts and lose track to some degree of their real-world surroundings. Identification occurs when recipients interpret the storyworld from a character’s perspective, feel emotions congruent with those of a character, and/or root for a character to succeed. This volume situates modern research on these experiences in relation to ancient criticism on how audiences react to narratives. It then offers close readings of select episodes and detailed analyses of recurring features to show how the Iliad immerses both ancient and modern recipients and encourages them to identify with its characters. Accessible to students and researchers, to those inside and outside of classical studies, this interdisciplinary project aligns research on the Iliad with contemporary approaches to storyworlds in a range of media. It thereby opens new frontiers in the study of ancient Greek literature and helps investigators of audience engagement from antiquity to the present contextualize and historicize their own work.
Introduction
Authors: Gradín Carlos , Lewandowski Piotr , Schotte Simone , Sen Kunal
Published: July 2023

In this chapter we outline the theme of the book. We first discuss the importance of understanding what drives income inequality in developing countries to explain inequality more generally. We then briefly review the two main competing explanations of inequality factors that prevail in the literature. These are based on the mismatch between the supply and demand for workers’ skills or the changing nature of the tasks that workers perform in their jobs. We also provide an overview of how the studies in this book contribute to this debate in the context of developing countries, as well as the structure of the book.
When Worlds Collide
Authors: Ryan Ann Marie , Boyce Anthony S. , Boyce Christine E.
Published: July 2023

The use of machine learning (ML) in assessments in the hiring context raises many questions regarding validity, fairness, and acceptance. This chapter looks across disciplines to provide a broad overview of key questions and the limited research addressing them. In discussing measurement and prediction, literature on construct and criterion-related validity evidence for these approaches is reviewed. Considerations in bias detection and mitigation in selection contexts are discussed. Factors related to acceptability of ML approaches to stakeholders are reviewed. The chapter concludes that while the unknowns outnumber the knowns, there are practical and psychometric questions that any practitioner can be ready to ask when considering adopting an assessment that includes an application of ML.
Personality Assessment
Authors: Sherman Ryne A. , Hogan Robert
Published: July 2023

Personality assessment began as an effort to solve practical problems in personnel selection. Modern applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning have potential to substantially improve the validity of personality assessments. However, these efforts are currently couched in terms of trait theory, and the resulting conceptual confusion makes progress in assessment impossible. Trait theory has two problems: (1) it is tautological (e.g., Mike Tyson is aggressive because he has a trait for aggressiveness), and (2) it defines the goal of assessment as measuring traits defined as hypothetical neuropsychic entities. In contrast, the authors (1) are agnostic about the existence of unobservable neuropsychic entities and (2) believe the goal of assessment is to predict performance. Finally, the chapter argues that personality assessment should return to its roots as an applied discipline focused on predicting important outcomes and not on measuring hypothetical entities.
Artificial Intelligence in Automated Scoring of Video Interviews
Authors: Mondragon Nathan
Published: July 2023

The use of artificial intelligence (AI)-scored video interviews has increased significantly in the past five years and gained mainstream momentum with the shift to remote prehire tools during the pandemic. Asynchronous video interviews (AVIs) hold the promise of a more efficient hiring process, that is more candidate friendly, with less bias than traditional screening methods, and that meets the measurement standards of the industrial-organizational profession. However, little published research has documented these benefits. This chapter summarizes much of the established research on AVIs and the AI methods to score these interviews, presents a methodology for designing autoscored AVIs, and discusses the latest published (and unpublished) psychometric results concerning reliability, convergent validity, criterion validity, and adverse impact. The chapter submits that these results are on par with the published research on structured interviews, and thus the scale and scope of using AVIs for prehire needs are above and beyond traditional assessment methods. The chapter also discusses the utility of multidisciplinary approaches to designing innovative talent assessments and reminds readers of the benefits of following IO assessment principles in the design of these novel approaches.
Social Media Data in Assessments
Authors: Vaughn Daly , Cubrich Marc
Published: July 2023

Trends in the utilization of social media in staffing contexts suggest it is an increasingly integral part of the hiring process. To remain competitive, organizations and decision makers must be informed on the applications, benefits, and risks of social media data and its use in assessment and staffing. This chapter provides a research-informed overview of the use of social media data in hiring, delving specifically into existing validity evidence, the benefits for job seekers and organizations, risks, and future opportunities resulting from its use. This review ultimately informs a set of practical recommendations for practitioners in the current talent landscape.
Balancing Innovation and Professional Standards for Employment Tests
Authors: Tippins Nancy T.
Published: July 2023

This chapter discusses innovative selection procedures and the expectations set forth in current professional guidelines for employment tests, the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures. Innovative selection procedures may be based on traditional forms of data (e.g., test scores) or nontraditional data (e.g., games, video interviews, facial characteristics, voice quality, and “big data”) and often use artificial intelligence to evaluate the information collected. Although the Principles applies to all forms of employment tests, innovative selection procedures raise new questions about how these standards can be met. This chapter highlights some of the challenges in meeting professional standards in the areas of work analysis, validity, and fairness and bias. It also raises a number of operational issues that arise with the use of innovative selection procedures, such as concerns about cheating, test security, data privacy and integrity, and the effects of disabilities on test performance.
The Full (Assessment) Monty
Authors: Dreyer Matt , Walia Vicki , Hartog Sandra , Collins Lynn
Published: July 2023

Accelerating development of high-potential leaders to improve readiness to take on current and future challenges has and will continue to be a priority for organizations. This case study describes how Prudential is using a variety of assessment approaches to collect data for individuals and the organization to use to more clearly identify areas of strength and opportunity. A specific leadership program is highlighted, along with how traditional leadership assessments, 360s, and high-fidelity business simulations are utilized in combination with coaching and feedback to create a powerful development experience. The program has resulted in substantial individual and organizational insights and outcomes. Looking toward the future of how the benefits of assessment, coaching, and feedback can be leveraged at scale, the authors describe how the organization is creating an internal Talent Marketplace and introducing a simple but impactful everyday coaching model.
The Self-Expressive Rhetoric of Flexible Meter
Authors: Murphy Nancy
Published: July 2023

Joni Mitchell’s 1969 performances of “The Fiddle and the Drum” demonstrate four central features of singer-songwriter self-expression: self-presentation, personal or political lyrics, vocal production, and flexible meter. Flexible meter arises in 1960s and 1970s singer-songwriter music as a technique of self-expression in performance, influenced by folk revival sources as a means of demonstrating an “authentic” performance practice. This chapter positions Bob Dylan as a central figure in the absorption of metric “imperfection” from folk and blues influences into his original songwriting, propagating his general image as a shambolic performer and ensuring singer-songwriter music included flexible meter. The presence of flexible meter in singer-songwriter music signals that it is both a self-expressive rhetoric and a method of self-positioning for these artists within the singer-songwriter tradition.
Rebuilding Community
Authors: Khoja-Moolji Shenila
Published: July 2023

Over the course of the twentieth century, Shia Ismaili Muslim communities were repeatedly displaced. How, in the aftermath of these displacements, did they remake their communities? Khoja-Moolji highlights women’s critical role in this rebuilding process and breaks new ground by writing women into modern Ismaili history. Rebuilding Community tells the story of Shia Ismaili Muslim women who recreated religious community (jamat) in the wake of disruption. Drawing on oral histories, fieldwork, and memory texts, the author illuminates the placemaking activities through which Ismaili women reproduce bonds of spiritual kinship: from cooking for congregants on khushali days and looking after sick coreligionists to engaging in memory work through miracle stories and cookbooks. The author situates these activities within the framework of ethical norms that more broadly define and sustain the Ismaili sociality. Jamat—and religious community more generally—is not a given but an ethical relation that is maintained daily and intergenerationally through everyday acts of care. By emphasizing women’s care work in producing relationality and repairing trauma, Khoja-Moolji disrupts the conventional articulation of displaced people as dependent subjects.
Epilogue
Authors: Lim Désirée
Published: July 2023

This chapter offers some remarks on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued relevance of the social egalitarian framework that has been presented earlier in the book. While the pandemic has disproportionately affected marginalized groups like Black Americans and Black British people, it has also had a detrimental effect on the social equality of immigrants. At the same time, pre-existing social inequalities amongst migrant populations has compounded the effect of the pandemic. In particular, the chapter discusses the uptick in social stigma against immigrants perceived to be of East Asian descent and blamed for causing the pandemic, the Trump administration’s seizing the opportunity to stoke xenophobic fears and impose harsher restrictions on immigration, and finally, the disparate health outcomes suffered by low-skilled migrants in active employment and detention centers alike.
Making Space for Sant Texts
Authors: Orsini Francesca
Published: July 2023

Songs, storytelling, and other forms of oral verbal art play a determinant role in literary expression around the world, yet unwritten verbal arts are usually explicitly excluded from definitions of world literature. This chapter focuses on the orature of poet-saints called Sants, who since the fifteenth century have provided a powerful poetic voice for lower-caste individuals and groups to articulate a sense of self, of social and religious hierarchies, and of the nature of things. The chapter examines the obstacles that have stood in the way of a full aesthetic appreciation of Sant orature as examples of critical attitudes toward orature more broadly. It then outlines the verbal artistry and linguistic experimentation in song-poems by Sants from the region East of Delhi, and shows that although Sant orature has been incredibly mobile, it also profits from a located and multilingual approach, as the case of Malukdas in the small town of Kara shows.
Bearing Witness to Suffering at End of Life
Authors: Van Hope Stephanie , Booth Janet , Rosa William E.
Published: July 2023

The approaches to alleviate suffering at the end of life continue to evolve. This chapter outlines four approaches to caring for dying people and their loved ones, centered on cure, comfort, consciousness, and culture. Nurses in settings dominated by any of these approaches can use self-compassion in the presence of suffering as a foundation for care for the patient, family, and self. In addition, we suggest a new concept, participatory grieving, which is care for dying people and their loved ones that is engaged and communal, as a means to actively work with suffering. Nurses working from a cultural and participatory grieving perspective may find their role shifting from professional caregiver to community organizer.
A Duty not to Remain Silent: Hypocrisy and the Lack of Standing not to Blame
Authors: Lippert-Rasmussen Kasper
Published: July 2023

A notable feature of our practice of blaming is that blamees can dismiss blame for their own blameworthy actions when the blamer is censuring them hypocritically and, as it is often put, lacks standing to blame them as a result. This feature has received a good deal of philosophical attention in recent years. By contrast, no attention has been given the possibility that, likewise, refraining from blaming can be hypocritical and dismissed as standingless. I argue that hypocritical refrainers have a duty to blame, if asked to do so, and possibly even if they are not asked to do so. Acknowledging this fact about hypocritical silence is crucial to an adequate understanding of our practice of blaming. Specifically, it bears on a worry that naturally arises when we consider cases where the blamee is blameworthy yet the blaming is problematic, because standingless. The worry is that, absurdly, the idea of standing justifies our being more interested in silencing preachers of virtue than making wrongdoers overcome vice. However, if one can lack standing not to blame, this concern is unwarranted. If there is such a thing as standing to blame, then sometimes one must, for reasons of standing, speak up in the face of wrongdoing, meaning, in effect, that one lacks the right not to challenge wrongdoers to improve.
A new serum biochemical marker of synovium turnover predicts radiographic progression in patients with early arthritis
Authors: Garnero Patrick , Gineyts Evelyne , Rousseau Jean-Charles , Richette Pascal , Sellam Jérémie , Chapurlat Roland
Published: July 2023

Objective

To investigate whether serum Col 3–4, a new biochemical marker of synovial tissue turnover, was associated with progression of joint damage in patients with early arthritis.

Methods

A total of 788 early arthritis patients (<6 months of symptoms, 82% diagnosis of RA, 18% undifferentiated arthritis) from the prospective ESPOIR study were investigated. Progression was defined as an increase of 1 or 5 unit(s) in radiographic van der Heijde modified Sharp score between baseline and 1 or 5 years, respectively. Associations between baseline Col 3–4 and progression were assessed by logistic regression.

Results

Each standard deviation increase of baseline Col 3–4 levels was associated with an increased 5-yr total damage progression with an odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) of 1.51 (1.21, 1.88), which remained significant when DAS28, C-reactive protein and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies positivity were included in the model [OR (95% CI): 1.34 (1.01, 1.76)]. Further adjustment for bone erosion did not modify the association. Patients with both Col 3–4 in the highest quintile and bone erosion had a >2-fold higher risk of progression [OR (95% CI): 7.16 (2.31, 22)] than patients with either high Col 3–4 [2.91 (1.79, 4.73)] or bone erosion [2.36 (2.38, 3.70)] alone. Similar associations were observed for prediction of 12 months progression.

Conclusions

Increased serum Col 3–4 is associated with a higher risk of structural progression, independently of major risk factors. Col 3–4 may be useful in association with bone erosion to identify patients with early arthritis at higher risk.
Ideating University Reform in Japan
Authors: Breaden Jeremy
Published: July 2023

As is the case in many countries, university reform is a perennial topic of discussion in Japan and there is an extensive domestic literature on this topic, ranging in character from tabloid to scholarly. The purpose of this essay is to introduce some of the themes currently preoccupying Japanese authors at the more scholarly end of this spectrum. The essay reviews texts dealing with the fundamental nature of ‘Japanese’ universities, how they are managed, and their relationship with government, all with a view to identifying ways out of the gridlock of intractable problems and unworkable solutions which, as the essay explains, afflicts much of the existing literature. The essay highlights especially contributions which lack direct parallels in the international Anglophone literature on university reform, encouraging readers to explore further for themselves and initiate greater dialogue between vernacular and ‘global’ scholarly traditions.
Arabidopsis thaliana Early Foliar Proteome Response to Root Exposure to the Rhizobacterium Pseudomonas simiae WCS417
Authors: Marzorati Francesca , Rossi Rossana , Bernardo Letizia , Mauri Pierluigi , Silvestre Dario Di , Lauber Emmanuelle , Noël Laurent D. , Murgia Irene , Morandini Piero
Published: July 2023

Pseudomonas simiae WCS417 is a plant growth–promoting rhizobacterium that improves plant health and development. In this study, we investigate the early leaf responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to WCS417 exposure and the possible involvement of formate dehydrogenase (FDH) in such responses. In vitro–grown A. thaliana seedlings expressing an FDH::GUS reporter show a significant increase in FDH promoter activity in their roots and shoots after 7 days of indirect exposure (without contact) to WCS417. After root exposure to WCS417, the leaves of FDH::GUS plants grown in the soil also show an increased FDH promoter activity in hydathodes. To elucidate early foliar responses to WCS417 as well as FDH involvement, the roots of A. thaliana wild-type Col and atfdh1-5 knock-out mutant plants grown in soil were exposed to WCS417, and proteins from rosette leaves were subjected to proteomic analysis. The results reveal that chloroplasts, in particular several components of the photosystems PSI and PSII, as well as members of the glutathione S-transferase family, are among the early targets of the metabolic changes induced by WCS417. Taken together, the alterations in the foliar proteome, as observed in the atfdh1- 5 mutant, especially after exposure to WCS417 and involving stress-responsive genes, suggest that FDH is a node in the early events triggered by the interactions between A. thaliana and the rhizobacterium WCS417.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
HER2 Equivocal (Score = 2+) Breast Carcinoma Cases Identified by Immunohistochemistry at a South African Hospital. What is the Impact of Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization Testing?
Authors: Mohanlal Reena Dhansukh , Bouwer Nikki , Willem Pascale
Published: July 2023

The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) guidelines are used for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) reporting in breast carcinoma. Cases that demonstrate weak to moderate complete membrane immunohistochemical staining in >10% of the tumor are scored as 2+ (equivocal). This study aimed to determine what proportion of HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) score = 2+ breast carcinomas were confirmed to be positive by HER2 fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). There were 241 HER2 IHC score = 2+ breast carcinomas included. Most (74.3%) carcinomas were estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive. Invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (89.2%) was the commonest histologic subtype. Most tumors were grade 2 (64.3%). As per the FISH report, at the time of diagnosis, 27 cases (11.2%) were HER2 FISH positive. All HER2 FISH equivocal cases and one FISH positive case assessed using the 2013 ASCO/CAP HER2 criteria were reclassified to HER2 FISH negative when the 2018 criteria were applied. There was a high level of agreement (κ = 0.979) between HER2 FISH results obtained using the 2013 and the 2018 criteria. This study provides insight into the frequency of HER2 FISH positivity (11.2%) among HER2 IHC score = 2+ breast carcinomas and the impact of modifications to the ASCO/CAP HER2 guidelines. Elimination of the HER2 FISH equivocal category by the 2018 guidelines has reduced the need for repeat testing and simplified clinical management. Reclassification of previous HER2 FISH positive to negative has resulted in some patients being ineligible for costly anti-HER therapy.
Assessing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages and the dynamic associations between nucleotide variations
Authors: Gupta Asmita , Basu Reelina , Bashyam Murali Dharan
Published: July 2023

Despite seminal advances towards understanding the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), it continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Though mass immunization programmes have been implemented in several countries, the viral transmission cycle has shown a continuous progression in the form of multiple waves. A constant change in the frequencies of dominant viral lineages, arising from the accumulation of nucleotide variations (NVs) through favourable selection, is understandably expected to be a major determinant of disease severity and possible vaccine escape. Indeed, worldwide efforts have been initiated to identify specific virus lineage(s) and/or NVs that may cause a severe clinical presentation or facilitate vaccination breakthrough. Since host genetics is expected to play a major role in shaping virus evolution, it is imperative to study the role of genome-wide SARS-CoV-2 NVs across various populations. In the current study, we analysed the whole genome sequence of 3543 SARS-CoV-2-infected samples obtained from the state of Telangana, India (including 210 from our previous study), collected over an extended period from April 2020 to October 2021. We present a unique perspective on the evolution of prevalent virus lineages and NVs during this period. We also highlight the presence of specific NVs likely to be associated favourably with samples classified as vaccination breakthroughs. Finally, we report genome-wide intra-host variations at novel genomic positions. The results presented here provide critical insights into virus evolution over an extended period and pave the way to rigorously investigate the role of specific NVs in vaccination breakthroughs.
Career success of expatriates: the impacts of career capital, expatriate type, career type and career stage
Authors: Mello Rodrigo , Suutari Vesa , Dickmann Michael
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper investigates whether career capital (CC) development abroad, expatriate type, career type and career stage affect expatriates' career success in terms of perceived marketability and the number of promotions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study presents findings from a 2020 follow-up study among 327 expatriates, including assigned expatriates (AEs) (n = 117) and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) (n = 220), who worked abroad in 2015 and 2016. Among that group, 186 had continued their international career, while 141 had repatriated. Structural equation modeling with robust maximum likelihood estimation was used to test this study's hypotheses. MPlus 8.6 software supported the analysis.

Findings

The study outlines that CC developed abroad positively impacts perceived marketability and the number of promotions. Second, repatriates reported a greater degree of perceived marketability than those continuing an international career. Career type did not predict the number of promotions. The expatriate type did not influence any of the career success measures. Finally, expatriates in their late-career stage did not achieve a similar level of career success as those in other career stages.

Research limitations/implications

All the expatriates were university-educated Finnish engineers and business professionals, and the career benefits of expatriation could differ for different sample groups. The study calls for more context-sensitive global careers research. The findings have positive implications for self-guided career actors considering working abroad. Organizations could focus more of their global talent attraction, management and career efforts on SIEs.

Originality/value

To analyze the impacts of these four antecedents on the career success of expatriates, the authors cooperated with two Finnish labor unions in 2020 to explore the careers of 327 expatriates, having surveyed the same group in 2015/2016. Such follow-up studies are not very common in expatriation research since it is difficult to keep track of expatriates who change locations and employers.
Longitudinal study of lean tools in Spanish manufacturing firms
Authors: Palacios Gazules Sergio , Giménez Leal Gerusa , de Castro Vila Rodolfo
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Lean management is a suitable methodology for companies that want to improve their productive performance and competitiveness. This study aims to research levels of implementation and internalisation of Lean production tools in Spanish manufacturing companies, and explores differences in behaviour between SMEs and large companies based on data gathered over three time periods. The correlation between Lean adoption and company performance is also analysed.

Design/methodology/approach

Company survey data for the years 2012, 2015 and 2018 collected from 354 respondents were used to conduct a longitudinal study on the level of lean tool adoption and internalisation in manufacturing companies.

Findings

Over the years, the use of Lean tools has increased, whereas levels of internalisation have remained stable. Lean tool use in SMEs and large companies show significant differences in 2012 and 2015, but this is no longer the case 2018. Results also show that higher Lean tool use helps increase return on sales (ROS), and higher levels of internalisation of tools helps reduce the number of products rejected.

Originality/value

To date, there are no known studies on the use and internalisation of Lean tools or their correlations with business performance indicators in Spanish manufacturing companies.