bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioneering use of genetic analysis forCDH1to identify candidates for prophylactic total gastrectomy to prevent hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
Authors: Mokhtari-Esbuie Farzad , Szeglin Bryan , Rouhani Ravari Mohsen , Duncan Mark , Harmon John W
Published: December 2023

Worldwide, gastric cancer results in significant morbidity and mortality. Ten per cent of patients with gastric cancer have a strong family history of the disease.CDH1(E-cadherin) has been identified as a key gene whose mutation leads to hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. We overviewed 33 articles with prophylactic total gastrectomy and assessed the outcomes and benefits. Families with mutations inCDH1may benefit from early prophylactic total gastrectomy. Dr Mark Duncan has applied his experience as a high-volume gastric cancer surgeon to treat not only individual patients, but several generations of patients within a family. This use of prophylactic total gastrectomy is well tolerated by patients and prevents the future development of gastric cancer.
Ethical issues in Nipah virus control and research: addressing a neglected disease
Authors: Johnson Tess , Jamrozik Euzebiusz , Hurst Tara , Cheah Phaik Yeong , Parker Michael J
Published: December 2023

Nipah virus is a priority pathogen that is receiving increasing attention among scientists and in work on epidemic preparedness. Despite this trend, there has been almost no bioethical work examining ethical considerations surrounding the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of Nipah virus or research that has already begun into animal and human vaccines. In this paper, we advance the case for further work on Nipah virus disease in public health ethics due to the distinct issues it raises concerning communication about the modes of transmission, the burdens of public health surveillance, the recent use of stringent public health measures during epidemics, and social or religious norms intersecting with preventive measures. We also advance the case for further work on Nipah virus disease in research ethics, given ethical issues surrounding potential vaccine trials for a high-fatality disease with sporadic spillover events, the different local contexts where trials may occur, and the potential use of unproven therapeutics during outbreaks. Further bioethics work may help to ensure that research and public health interventions for Nipah virus disease are ethically acceptable and more likely to be effective.
Binary reversals: a diagnostic sign in primary progressive aphasia
Authors: Mulroy Eoin , Core Lucy B , Chokesuwattanaskul Anthipa , Johnson Jeremy CS , Fletcher Phillip D , Marshall Charles R , Volkmer Anna , Rohrer Jonathan D , Hardy Chris JD , Rossor Martin N , Warren Jason D
Published: December 2023

Background

Binary reversals (exemplified by ‘yes’/‘no’ confusions) have been described in patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) but their diagnostic value and phenotypic correlates have not been defined.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study analysing demographic, clinical, neuropsychological, linguistic and behavioural data from patients representing all major PPA syndromes (non-fluent/agrammatic variant, nfvPPA; logopenic variant, lvPPA; semantic variant, svPPA) and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The prevalence of binary reversals and behavioural abnormalities, illness duration, parkinsonian features and neuropsychological test scores were compared between neurodegenerative syndromes, and the diagnostic predictive value of binary reversals was assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Data were obtained for 83 patients (21 nfvPPA, 13 lvPPA, 22 svPPA, 27 bvFTD). Binary reversals occurred in all patients with nfvPPA, but significantly less frequently and later in lvPPA (54%), svPPA (9%) and bvFTD (44%). Patients with bvFTD with binary reversals had significantly more severe language (but not general executive or behavioural) deficits than those without reversals. Controlling for potentially confounding variables, binary reversals strongly predicted a diagnosis of nfvPPA over other syndromes.

Conclusions

Binary reversals are a sensitive (though not specific) neurolinguistic feature of nfvPPA, and should suggest this diagnosis if present as a prominent early symptom.
Time off work following psychological injury among health and social care workers: a population-based retrospective cohort study in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Gelaw Asmare Y , Sheehan Luke , Gray Shannon Elise , Collie Alex
Published: December 2023

Objective

This study aimed to determine the disability duration and burden of compensated time loss in the health and social care (HSC) sector following psychological injury.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the New South Wales workers’ compensation system. The median weeks disability duration and total weeks of working time lost (WWL) per 1000 workers were compared between the HSC sector and all other industries, and between specific occupational groups in the HSC sector, using accelerated failure time models.

Results

HSC workers had a median (IQR) disability duration of 12.4 (3.3–40.0) weeks, which was less than the 15.3 (4.3–48.3) weeks observed in other industries. Within the HSC sector, ambulance officers had the longest disability duration at 31.1 (6.1–104.0) weeks and highest WWL at 15 734 weeks per 1000 workers. Conversely, nurses and midwives had the shortest disability duration at 8.0 (2.0–25.8) weeks, while other healthcare workers had the lowest WWL (17.0). Controlling for other determinants, ambulance officers had the highest likelihood of longer disability duration (time ratio (TR) 2.14; 95% CI 1.64 to 2.78), followed by social workers (TR 1.46; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.79) and administrators and managers (TR 1.41; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.71). Older age, female sex, full-time employment and working in small organisations correlated with extended disability duration.

Conclusion

There is considerable variation in the duration and burden of work disability due to psychological injury across occupational groups in the HSC sector. Findings suggest the need for occupation-specific workplace rehabilitation and psychological support to reduce the impact of psychological injury on HSC workers and improve return-to-work outcomes.
Contemporary use and outcome of Cabrol shunt in type A aortic dissection surgery: insight from China 5A study
Authors: Liu Hong , Sun Bing-qi , Qian Si-chong , Sun Ming-yu , Shao Yong-feng , Ding Yi , Li Hui , Zhang Hong-jia
Published: December 2023

Objective

Cabrol shunt has been introduced for surgical repair of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) without robust evidence supporting its routine preventive use.

Methods

Adult patients with TAAD from China 5A study were included if surgically repaired between 2016 and 2022. Primary outcome was operative mortality according to Society of Thoracic Surgeons criterion. Overall, we compared clinical outcomes in patients with and without Cabrol shunt, and subgroup analysis were further examined between Cabrol shunt and outcome among patients with or without root replacement.

Results

3283 patients were finally identified for analysis, with median age of 51 (IQR 41–59) years, 2389 men, and 2201 treated with Cabrol shunt technique. Cabrol shunt-treated patients were more severely ill before surgery than those without Cabrol shunt. Overall, the rate of operative mortality was 6.6% (146/2201 in Cabrol shunt group and 71/1082 in non-Cabrol shunt group), with no association between Cabrol shunt and operative mortality (OR 1.012 (95% CI 0.754 to 1.357); p=0.938). Stratified by root replacement, Cabrol shunt was associated with similar risk of operative mortality either in patients without root replacement (OR 1.054 (0.747 to 1.487); p=0.764) or in patients with root replacement (OR 1.194 (0.563 to 2.536); p=0.644) (P interaction=0.765). Results were similar in multiple sensitivity analysis.

Conclusion

Cabrol shunt was not associated with either a greatly lowered or an increased risk of operative mortality, regardless of aortic root replacement. Our study did not support the use of Cabrol shunt as a routine preventive strategy in the treatment of TAAD.

Trial registration number

NCT04398992
ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY FOR INNOVATION MANAGEMENT CONTROL: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM HYBRID PRODUCT-SERVICE BUNDLES
Authors: SCHAARSCHMIDT MARIO , SAINIDIS EUSTATHIOS , MATHEUS THOMAS , KOHLI DANIEL EL
Published: December 2023

This paper examines the antecedents and consequences of a firm’s absorptive capacity for innovation management control (ACIMC). Absorptive capacity, defined as an organisational-level capability to identify, assimilate, and exploit external knowledge, has predominantly been applied to technological knowledge. In this paper, we focus on external knowledge in relation to innovation management control (IMC), a management task that combines innovation management and management control. In addition, we apply our conceptualisation of ACIMC to the development of hybrid offerings, consisting of product and service components. Results of a survey among companies in Europe support our hypotheses that ACIMC (with four dimensions: Acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation) indirectly influences financial and innovation performance through hybrid product-service IMC. This paper ends with recommendations for innovation management practice and theory.
CAV Traffic Control to Mitigate the Impact of Congestion from Bottlenecks: A Linear Quadratic Regulator Approach and Microsimulation Study
Authors: Vishnoi Suyash C. , Ji Junyi , Bahavarnia Mirsaleh , Zhang Yuhang , Taha Ahmad F. , Claudel Christian G. , Work Daniel B.
Published: December 2023

This work investigates traffic control via controlled connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) using novel controllers derived from the linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) theory. CAV-platoons are modeled as moving bottlenecks impacting the surrounding traffic with their speeds as control inputs. An iterative controller algorithm based on the LQR theory is proposed along with a variant that allows for penalizing abrupt changes in platoon speeds. The controllers use the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) model implemented using an extended cell transmission model (CTM), which considers the capacity drop phenomenon for a realistic representation of traffic in congestion. The impact of various parameters of the proposed controller on the control performance is analyzed. The effectiveness of the proposed traffic control algorithms is tested using a traffic control example and compared with existing proportional-integral (PI) and model predictive control (MPC) controllers from the literature. A case study using the TransModeler traffic microsimulation software is conducted to test the usability of the proposed controller as well as existing controllers in a realistic setting and derive qualitative insights. It is observed that the proposed controller works well in both settings to mitigate the impact of the jam caused by a fixed bottleneck. The computation time required by the controller is also small, making it suitable for real-time control.
You’re Hired! A Phenomenographic Study of Undergraduate Students’ Pathways to Job Attainment in Computing
Authors: Lunn Stephanie Jill , Zerbe Ellen , Ross Monique
Published: December 2023

Although there is a great demand for graduates in computing fields, companies frequently struggle to find enough workers. They may also grapple with obtaining racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in representation. It has been suggested that the hiring process further contributes to these inequities. This study examined undergraduate computing students’ experiences with technical interviews and their pathways to job attainment, focusing on men and women who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, and mixed-race. We applied the community cultural wealth framework and employed the methodology of phenomenography to investigate the different assets that students leveraged to succeed in obtaining a position. Our investigation centered around the conceptions of sixteen computing students, all of whom completed at least one technical interview and received at least one job offer. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore their interpretations of the hiring process, the resources they utilized, and their perceptions of inclusivity in the field. The findings illustrated that students’ support mechanisms included the following categories of description: intrinsic characteristics, capitalizing on experience, community, preparation, and organizational. They relied heavily on distinct forms of capital, particularly social and navigational, to attain a job in computing. Peers and clubs or groups were essential for students to learn about what to expect during the hiring process, to help them prepare, and to make connections with employers. They also helped the students cope with the discrimination they faced throughout their professional trajectories. By investigating the various experiences students have, we contribute to the understanding of how hiring practices may be viewed as well as possible ways to provide support. While students must study for technical interviews and refine their skills and pertinacity in the face of obstacles, industry and academia should consider their role in hiring and its impact. Transparency in what to expect and enhanced preparation opportunities could serve to make the process more equitable for all job candidates.
Reaching Consensus in the Byzantine Empire: A Comprehensive Review of BFT Consensus Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Gengrui , Pan Fei , Mao Yunhao , Tijanic Sofia , Dang’ana Michael , Motepalli Shashank , Zhang Shiquan , Jacobsen Hans-Arno
Published: December 2023

Byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) consensus algorithms are at the core of providing safety and liveness guarantees for distributed systems that must operate in the presence of arbitrary failures. Recently, numerous new BFT algorithms have been proposed, not least due to the traction blockchain technologies have garnered in the search for consensus solutions that offer high throughput, low latency, and robust system designs. In this article, we conduct a systematic survey of selected and distinguished BFT algorithms that have received extensive attention in academia and industry alike. We perform a qualitative comparison among all algorithms we review considering message and time complexities. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive, step-by-step description of each surveyed algorithm by decomposing them into constituent subprotocols with intuitive figures to illustrate the message-passing pattern. We also elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm compared to the other state-of-the-art approaches.
Appearance and Pose-guided Human Generation: A Survey
Authors: Liao Fangjian , Zou Xingxing , Wong Waikeung
Published: December 2023

Appearance and pose-guided human generation is a burgeoning field that has captured significant attention. This subject’s primary objective is to transfer pose information from a target source to a reference image, enabling the generation of high-resolution images or videos that seamlessly link the virtual and real worlds, leading to novel trends and applications. This survey thoroughly illustrates the task of appearance and pose-guided human generation and comprehensively reviews mainstream methods. Specifically, it systematically discusses prior information, pose-based transformation modules, and generators, offering a comprehensive understanding and discussion of each mainstream pose transformation and generation process. Furthermore, the survey explores current applications and future challenges in the domain. Its ultimate goal is to serve as quick guidelines, providing practical assistance in human generation and its diverse applications.
Development of an Impact Energy Absorption Structure by an Arc Shape Stroke Origami Type Hydraulic Damper
Authors: Guan Jingchao , Yao Yuan , Zhao Wei , Hagiwara Ichiro , Zhao Xilu
Published: December 2023

Cylindrical hydraulic dampers used to reduce impacts and vibrations typically have linear strokes. In this study, a new arc-shaped stroke-type origami hydraulic damper with a nonlinear damping performance was proposed. By examining the damping effect of the origami hydraulic damper, the damping force was found to be proportional to the square of the motion velocity. A nonlinear dynamics governing equation was established using the derived formula for the damping force of the origami hydraulic damper, and a numerical analysis using the Runge–Kutta method was established. An impact test device with an arc-shaped stroke was developed, and the error between the numerical analysis value of the impact displacement and the measured experimental value was confirmed to be sufficiently small. An impact verification experiment confirmed that the damping effect of the origami hydraulic damper increases with the input energy of the impact. By varying the diameter of the orifice hole, which is an important design factor for an origami hydraulic damper, the damping effect of the origami hydraulic damper was found to increase as the diameter of the orifice hole decreased. To examine the effect of the type of hydraulic oil inside the origami hydraulic damper, water and edible oil were used to conduct impact verification experiments, and it was found that the effect on the impact damping effect was relatively small.
Frequency of Gastrointestinal Parasites, Anemia, and Nutritional Status among Children from Different Geographical Regions of Bolivia
Authors: Apaza Ceilan , Cuna Washington , Brañez Froilán , Passera Roberto , Rodriguez Celeste
Published: December 2023

The study aimed to measure the frequency of occurrence of infections with helminths, protozoa, and risk factors of undernutrition and anemia among schoolchildren from the Bolivian highland (altiplano) and lowland (subtropical) rural regions, with a high frequency of gastrointestinal parasite infections. Cross-sectional data were collected from 790 children, 5–13 years old. Microscopic examination of stool using the Ritchie technique, hemoglobin testing using the HemoCue analyzer, and anthropometric measurements were performed. Over 60% and 20% of children were infected with protozoa and helminth parasites, respectively. Infections caused by pathogenic Hymenolepis nana (15.7–5.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (41.9–28.5%), Giardia lamblia (30.1–11.2%), Entamoeba histolytica (5.7–0.7%), and nonpathogenic Entamoeba coli (48.9–16%), Blastocystis hominis (40.2–28.5%), Iodamoeba butschli (16.1–2.5%), Chilomastix mesnili (19.2–7.3%), and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.4–5.5%) parasites, were more prevalent in the highlands than the lowlands. Single parasitic infections were more prevalent in the lowlands; polyparasitism of light or heavy intensity predominated in the highlands. A strongly increased risk of anemia and a low prevalence of wasting were determined in children in the highlands. A higher risk for stunting was associated with children of older age, and a low burden of intestinal helminths would prevent wasting in children of highlands. Infections with A. lumbricoides and G. lamblia pathogens in older children were not significant covariates for stunting. Environmental, nutritional, and parasitic factors may predispose to anemia in the highlands. A nutritional intervention and parasite control effort will substantially improve children´s health in the highlands.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Prevention of Intestinal Helminth Infection among Residents of the Ho Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana
Authors: Orish Verner N. , Asumbono Moses A. , Addei Isaac B. , Ayaaba Moses A. , Kwadzokpui Precious K. , Marinkovic Aleksandra , Prakash Stephanie , Okorie Chuku , Izurieta Ricardo , Pandit Rajashree , Sanyaolu Adekunle
Published: December 2023

Background. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude, and practices of residents in the Ho municipality towards intestinal helminth infections and their prevention. Method. A descriptive cross-sectional study involving questionnaire administration was conducted among randomly sampled residents of the Ho municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana. A minimum sample size of 400 was calculated for subjects using Yamane’s formula for population. Pearson’s chi-square analysis was done to determine any relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and the categories of knowledge, attitude, and practices. Results from data analysis were computed as frequencies and percentages.

P
<
0.05

is considered statistically significant. Results. Of the 400 participants, 343 (85.7%) were aware of intestinal helminths, but the majority had poor knowledge of its cause despite 50.5% (202) having good knowledge scores. Most participants (331, 82.8%) had a bad attitude toward preventing the disease. Most (335, 83.8%) of the community members still adhered to the poor practice of open defecation with the excuse of unavailable latrines, and some (143, 35.8%) believe that intestinal helminths are nothing to worry about. Conclusion. Health education should address the perceptions towards preventing intestinal helminthiasis and be complemented by making available public lavatories in the municipality to curb the unacceptable practice of open defecation.
GDENet: Graph Differential Equation Network for Traffic Flow Prediction
Authors: Miao Yanming , Tang Xianghong , Wang Qi , Yu Liya
Published: December 2023

The accurate prediction of traffic flow is paramount for the advancement of intelligent transportation systems. Despite this, current prediction models only account for either temporal or spatial features in isolation, without considering their interaction, impeding the model’s ability to express itself. In light of this, we propose the graph differential equations network (GDENet), an approach that can effectively mine spatiotemporal correlation. Specifically, we propose a spatiotemporal feature integrator (STFI), which alleviates the error caused by the deviation of the sampling distribution from the overall distribution. By incorporating temporal information into the model for training and combining it with spatial features, we thoroughly explore the spatiotemporal intrinsic association. When compared to state‐of‐the‐art methods, our proposed algorithm reduces memory consumption and elevates computational efficiency and the practical value. We conduct experiments with real‐world datasets, and our proposed model outperformed advanced prediction models.
Development of an Anoikis-Related Gene Signature for Lung Squamous Cell Carcinomato Predict Prognosis, Immune Landscape, and Immunotherapy Response
Authors: Liu Jian , Zheng Hui , Wei Li
Published: December 2023

Background. Anoikis, a form of programed cell death, plays a pivotal role in the invasion and metastasis of various tumors, including lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). This study aims to construct a prognostic model for LUSC, leveraging anoikis-related genes (ARGs). Methods. A total of 357 ARGs were extracted from the GeneCards database and Harmonizome portals. Subsequently, ARGs influencing LUSC patients’ prognosis were identified using univariate Cox regression analysis. Unsupervised clustering analysis was carried out utilizing the “consensusplus” R package, and LASSO regression was deployed to craft a risk regression model. The ‘IBOR’ R package quantified the immune cell infiltration abundance. Moreover, the “maftools” R package, paired with the GISTIC online tool, facilitated the assessment of gene copy number variations. Experimental validation was conducted through RT-PCR, evaluating the differential expression of eight pivotal genes, and cellular functional assays discerned the influences of the CHEK2 and SDCBP genes on LUSC cells’ migratory and invasive capabilities. Results. Fifteen survival-associated ARGs delineated three molecular subtypes within the TCGA-LUSC cohort. An eight ARG-based risk prognostic model was constructed, delineating significant survival disparities between high and low-risk groups. Notably, the low-risk group manifested a diminished propensity for immune therapy evasion and gene mutations. A comprehensive nomogram, incorporating risk scores and clinical attributes, was fashioned, exemplifying remarkable predictive acumen. Cellular functional assays substantiated that the modulation of CHEK2 and SDCBP expressions conspicuously influenced the migratory and invasive propensities of LUSC cells. Conclusions. This rigorous study unveils novel anoikis-related biomarkers integral to LUSC prognostication. The meticulously constructed risk prognostic model, underscored by these biomarkers, augurs a potent predictive tool for enhancing the LUSC patient prognosis and therapeutic strategies.
Hepatic and Renal Outcomes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Study from the National Inpatient Sample
Authors: Bellam Krishna , Sabe Sharif A. , Huang Nicholas , Chalasani Nishanth , Harris Dwight Douglas , Feldman Noah , Schmitt Phillip R. , Harwell Anthony , Sellke Frank , Ehsan Afshin
Published: December 2023

Background and Aim of the Study. While several studies have suggested a relationship between adverse postoperative outcomes and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in major surgical settings, no study to date has explored postoperative outcomes of SLE patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of SLE patients compared to non-SLE patients undergoing CABG. Methods. We utilized the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2008–2018 for CABG patients ≥18 years old. Patients were divided into two groups based on SLE status (confirmed SLE diagnosis or no SLE present). Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, favorable discharge, and length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes included acute kidney injury (AKI), acute liver injury (ALI), hemodialysis, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and cardiogenic shock. Patient characteristics including age, sex, race, and preexisting comorbidities were considered. Multivariable models, adjusting for confounding variables, were utilized. Results. Data from a total of 352,772 patients who underwent CABG were analyzed. 980 patients had a diagnosis code for SLE. SLE and non-SLE patients had similar rates of in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.92, [0.63–1.35]), nonhome discharge (OR = 1.09, [0.95–1.24]), and LOS (OR = 1.02, [0.99–1.06]). SLE patients developed AKI at a higher rate (OR = 1.50, [1.05–1.48]) and ALI at a lower rate (OR = 0.35, [0.16–0.74]). Both groups had similar rates of hemodialysis (OR = 1.19, [0.98–1.44]), AMI (OR = 0.93, [0.81–1.06]), and cardiogenic shock (OR = 0.8, [0.61–1.05]). Conclusion. These findings suggest that SLE patients undergoing CABG have similar mortality, discharge disposition, and LOS compared to non-SLE patients. However, SLE patients are at increased risk of AKI and decreased risk of ALI than non-SLE patients. These associations warrant further investigation to elucidate their physiologic basis.
Male Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives and Experiences regarding Early Childhood Education Program in China
Authors: Liu Yanhui , Zou Xuecheng
Published: December 2023

An increasing amount of attention has been focused on the issue of the low recruitment and retention of male teachers in early childhood education worldwide. Previous research has indicated that personal perceptions of male preservice teachers’ personal regarding early childhood education could have a major influence on their decision of a future career. This qualitative study aims at promoting the significance of early childhood preservice preparation programs by exploring the perspectives and experiences of male preservice teachers working with infants in China. Using the purposeful sampling method, two male interns in an infant classroom were interviewed individually, and each of them was interviewed three times in total: at the beginning of their professional studies, during their internship, and after completing their studies. Participants’ reflections were also considered as supplementary data. The results underscore the necessity of a comprehensive early childhood preservice preparation program for prospective male teachers, particularly regarding infants’ development. Additionally, the study highlights the crucial role of male preservice teachers’ involvement and perspectives before entering the early childhood education field. The study was limited to one location and may not apply to others. Despite the small sample, it offers valuable perspectives. Future focus should be on attracting males to early childhood education area and exploring useful strategies.
COVID-19, A New Possible Mimicker of Interstitial Lung Disease Related to Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Laneri Alessia , Cerri Stefania , Della Casa Giovanni , Moretti Antonio , Manfredi Andreina , Sebastiani Marco , Clini Enrico , Salvarani Carlo
Published: December 2023

Introduction. Acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and COVID-19 pneumonia show many similarities, but also COVID-19 sequelae, mainly when fibrotic features are present, can be difficult to distinguish from chronic ILD observed in connective tissue diseases. Case Report. In 2018, a 52-year-old woman, was diagnosed with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS). The patient did not show respiratory symptoms, and a chest X-ray was normal. During March 2020, the patient was hospitalized for acute respiratory failure related to COVID-19 pneumonia. Three months later, follow-up chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) showed ground glass opacity (GGO) and interlobular interstitial thickening. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) showed slight restrictive deficit and mild reduction in diffusion lung of carbon monoxide (DLCO). The patient complained of asthenia and exertional dyspnoea. A multidisciplinary discussion including rheumatologist, pulmonologist, and thoracic radiologist did not allow a definitive differential diagnosis between COVID-19 persisting abnormalities and a previous or new-onset pSS-ILD. A “wait and see” approach was decided, monitoring clinical conditions, PFTs, and chest HRCT over time. Only 2 years after the hospitalization, improvement of clinical symptoms was reported; PFT also improved, and HRCT showed almost complete resolution of GGO and interlobular interstitial thickening, confirming the diagnostic hypothesis of long-COVID lung manifestations. Discussion. In the above-reported case report, 3 differential diagnoses were possible: a COVID-19-related ILD, a preexisting pSS-ILD, or a new-onset pSS-ILD triggered by COVID-19. Regardless of the diagnosis, the persistence of clinical and PFT alterations, suggested a chronic disease but, surprisingly, clinical and radiologic manifestations disappeared 2 years later.
Norway’s Immigrant Population and the Educational System: Grounds for Optimism?
Authors:   Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Sociology and Political Science, Trondheim, Strabac Zan , Valenta Marko ,   Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Social Work, Trondheim
Published: December 2023

In this study, we analyse changes in the composition of the immigrant population in Norway and the educational achievements of various groups of immigrants. Our analyses use quantitative indicators to distinguish between the various sub-categories of the immigrant population, both with regard to reasons for immigration (such as labour, refugees, and family), as well as in relation to the immigrants’ geographical origins. We also analyse the educational achievements of the descendants of immigrants, utilising a theoretical approach that is often used as a framework of interpretation in analyses of social mobility, as well as integrational and educational outcomes for various categories of descendants. Our empirical analyses show that the descendants achieve greater success within the Norwegian educational system than might be expected based on USA-developed theoretical frameworks. The paper discusses possible reasons for these better-than-expected achievements within the Norwegian context.
Precarious Emplacement in Croatia: Conceptualising More-Than-Transient Migration on the Balkan Route
Authors:   Zagreb, Petričević Igor
Published: December 2023

The article argues that the dynamic of migration on the Balkan route is changing into something more than transit. Croatia is presented as a case in point of a site where former migration aspirations are redefined as migrants encounter various types of bordering mechanisms that decelerate migration and begin developing relations with other residents. We argue that the dynamic of mobility and immobility and the ways it entangles localities en route are crucial for understanding the changing migration patterns in the Balkans. We overview concepts such as “stuckness”, “waiting”, “permanent temporariness”, “limbo”, and “liminality”, which describe the ways in which migrants navigate between temporary and permanent states of movement and residence. Additionally, the article develops the concept of “precari¬ous emplacement” in order to move beyond transit and to capture the ambiguities between moving and staying, temporariness and permanence, and inclusion and exclusion. The concept highlights that the practices related to settling, along with the social interactions with other residents associated with them, occur in conditions of uncertainty and social marginalisation. Precarious emplacement encompasses the ways precarity permeates migrants’ experiences and the fabric of post-war and post-socialist urban spaces and relations they move through and come to inhabit. The article concludes by arguing that, given the heterogeneity of migrants’ life trajectories, the concept of a “transit migrant” may obscure the vulnerabilities migrants experience during periods of immobility, and it advocates for a more nuanced conceptual approach.
Do Kyun David Kim, Gary L. Kreps (eds), Global Health Communication for Immigrants and Refugees: Cases, Theories, and Strategies
Authors:   Maribor, Klepac Mustać Irena
Published: December 2023

Book review: Do Kyun David Kim, Gary L. Kreps (eds), Global Health Communication for Immigrants and Refugees: Cases, Theories, and Strategies
A Hollow Enterprise: International Criminal Justice and Public Relations
Authors: Kotecha Birju
Published: December 2023

Utilising a framework inspired by Edward Bernays, this article critiques public relations in international criminal justice. The article demonstrates public relations is a hollow enterprise comprised of one-way publicity and legitimation. Outreach and public information campaigns are endeavours reliant on standard messaging tactics that treat constituencies as uncritical and homogenous consumers. Such tactics reflect a deep and entrenched turn to marketing and image-management. Whilst such a turn may be inevitable, tribunals such as International Criminal Court need to establish meaningful relations with the public, developed through listening and a commitment to mutual co-learning that, in turn, can drive organisational improvements. In its absence, public relations is a mere exercise in presentation and will continue to lack significance in the contemporary information landscape
Muslim-Christian and Missiological Discourses on Cultural Identity in Maluku, Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Gaspersz Steve Gerardo Christoffel
Published: December 2023

This article is an imaginary dialogue that is critical of the thoughts of Arnold N. Radjawane, theologian and pastor of the Protestant Church of Maluku (GPM). This is shown in one of the articles he wrote in the 1960s. For some Muslim clerics in Maluku, the article reveals the idea of Christianization through local culture in Maluku, which they believe had hardened Christian-Muslim cultural relations in Maluku. By utilizing hermeneutic and cultural studies, I will analyze the construction of ethnic and religious identity ideas that are affected by his theological ideas. I apply a contemporary mission perspective that dialectically places Christian-Muslim relations as a form of identity negotiation, which has implications for strengthening cultural dialogue and encourages contextual theological processes for the establishment of human relations in Maluku and Indonesia as a multicultural society.
Not by Words Alone: Early Holocaust Graphic Narratives as a “Minor Art”
Authors: Perry Rachel E.
Published: December 2023

Immediately after the Holocaust, scores of Jewish survivors created graphic narratives, in word and image, about their individual and collective wartime experiences under Nazi oppression. This essay will make a case for these early postwar works as a “minor art.” “Minor” captures the material characteristics of this low-capital, low-circulation printed matter: slight in weight, small in size, modest in price, and ephemeral in quality. It also describes their “poor” images that pull, in form and structure, from popular culture (comics, cartoons, illustrated books) on the margins of modernist concerns (composite image-texts relying on narrative storytelling). Borrowing from Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concept of “minor literature” as a deterritorialized, political, collective utterance, I argue that disciplinary notions of “art” and “testimony” have prevented us from seeing this “minor art” and recognizing how its vernacular, amateur art practices allowed survivors to reconstruct the past, remember communities and identities erased, and reclaim their own narratives of persecution. Created by a minority (a decimated Jewish community) working on the peripheries of the art world, they tell a Jewish story using Jewish frames of reference to create a community outside of majoritarian culture. What is at stake in them is not only a poetics of recollection but a politics of representation: of seeing with Jews as a critical act by dominated persons against the dominant, antifascist master narrative of WWII and the primary media of its dissemination, photography and film. Ultimately, this “minor art” can have major implications for both how we understand the crucial first decade of survivor initiatives and how we write our histories of Jewish art.
A New Graphic Novel on the History of International Law as a Powerful Tool to Disseminate Widely the Topic
Authors: Vitucci Maria Chiara
Published: December 2023

This paper analyses the graphic novel Une histoire du droit international. De Salamanque à Guantanamo, the storyboard of which was created by two professors of international law. The review essay focuses on the content of the graphic novel and its peculiarities in narrating the history of international law, comparing the volume with other monographs and scientific articles on the same topic. The intended wide audience of the book may help in understanding the chronological approach taken by the authors among other possible approaches to the history of international law, such as a thematic or a postcolonial approach.
Small mammal abundance and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Authors: Kassa Aschalew A. , Katkweba Abdul , Makundi Rhodes , Massawe Apie , Yonas Meheretu
Published: December 2023

Species richness, abundance, diversity, and distribution of rodents and shrews along altitudinal gradients in the Simien mountains national park, Ethiopia, were studied using Sherman traps. Rodents and shrews were trapped at four altitudinal ranges (2,800 m a.s.l., 3,200 m a.s.l., 3,600 m a.s.l. and 4,000 m a.sl.). A total of 202 individuals were captured, comprising 184 rodents and 18 shrews. In total, there were eight species of rodents and one shrew species. The relative abundances of Lophuromys simensis and Stenocephalemys albipes were the highest in the early dry season, dry season, and wet season. The relative abundances of Desmomys harringitoni (7.43%), Dendromys lovati (4.46%), and Mus imberbis (1.98%) were the lowest across the study area. The highest species diversity was recorded at an altitude of 2,800 m a.s.l. (H’ = 1.82). Species composition of rodents and shrews found at altitudes of 2,800 m a.s.l. and 3,200 m a.s.l. were highly similar (Sij = 0.97363). In contrast, the least similar species composition was between altitudes of 2,800 m a.s.l. and 4,000 m a.s.l. (Sij = 0.15632). The abundance, distribution, and diversity of rodents and shrews were significantly correlated with altitude (p = 0.000). Species abundance, distribution, and diversity in the Simien Mountains National Park were significantly correlated with altitude (0.377) and habitat types (0.306). Species composition of small mammals varied among altitudes, seasons, and habitat types, with six rodents and one shrew species being endemic. Notably, the park is subjected to various environmental disturbances, such as fires, grazing, and agriculture, which can negatively impact these small mammals, particularly the endemic species.
Cultural Recognitions and Nostalgic Evocations: The Cinematic Experience of Costumbrist Films
Authors: Medina Marañón Nicolás
Published: December 2023

This article concentrates on costumbrist cinema, an approach to filmmaking characteristically concerned with the accurate representation of the customs, habits and cultural idiosyncrasies of a particular society or group of people. After defining and contextualizing the concept of costumbrismo, the article draws on Jean-Pierre Meunier’s modes of filmic identification to describe the experiential structure of costumbrist cinema, characterized by the existent or non-existent recognition of the specific cultural representations. Following this, the potentially evocative feature of costumbrist cinema is considered with regard to its nostalgic dimension. To conclude, Volver (Pedro Almodóvar, 2006), A Separation (Jodâyi-e Nâder az Simin, Asghar Farhadi 2011), Still Walking (Aruitemo aruitemo, Hirokazu Kore-eda 2008) and Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro felice, Alice Rohrwacher 2018) provide the basis on which to outline different approaches to cinematic costumbrismo and their functions within the film’s narration: (1) costumbrismo as narrative imperative; (2) extensive dimension; (3) cinematic contemplation and (4) costumbrist framework as subversive potential.
The Origin of Power: A Study on Carl Schmitt
Authors: Grimaldi Giorgio
Published: December 2023

In a 1954 work titled Dialogue on Power and Access to the Powerful, Carl Schmitt reflects on power and its ‘essence’. On the one hand, a strategy is in place to demonstrate Schmitt’s own non-involvement with the concrete exertion of power in the Third Reich, a non-involvement about which it is legitimate to have more than one doubt. What interests us in this article, however, is another side of the Dialogue: Schmitt’s reflection on power as such. Extremely careful about the mechanisms of power that men exert among themselves, Schmitt’s analysis has a background – to be deciphered – that refers to a non-immanent original dimension of power. To trace this dimension, whose references are scattered throughout the text, (a) we shall proceed to follow the course of the Dialogue on Power, pinpointing the tragic character established here with regard to human power, and (b) we will try to establish what for Schmitt is the origin, in its truth, of power. Lastly, (c) we will attempt to indicate a possible line of research in view of a horizon unacknowledged by Schmitt, that of a power that can have the possibility and the potency to destitute itself as domination, that is, as a series of relations of subordination that repeat and follow those between master (dominus) and servant.
Subaltern Composition: On the Unrealized 1970 Gela Insurrection
Authors: Petrossiants Andreas
Published: December 2023

In 1970, at a congress in Rome of the extra-parliamentary Marxist organization Potere Operaio (workers’ power), it was decided that several members would head south to Sicily to agitate with workers at a petrochemical plant. I argue that this is a generative example for considering the postwar reception of Antonio Gramsci’s writing by revolutionaries outside official party frameworks and for thinking through the Southern Question today. Furthermore, it invites us to reconsider how the notion of subalternity is deployed in some contemporary critical theory. I apply operaismo’s key notion of “class composition” to the Southern Question, proposing the term “subaltern composition.” If, as Mario Tronti famously demonstrated in Workers and Capital, the “bible” of operaismo, that there is no class without class struggle, then I ask here: is there a subaltern subject without subaltern struggle?
The 2023 Mobilisation against Pension Reform in France: Some Elements of Analysis
Authors: Béroud Sophie
Published: December 2023

This article analyses the exceptional social movement that took place in France between January and June 2023 against the increase in the retirement age imposed by the government. The mobilisation took place within a unified framework that brought together all the trade unions and encouraged massive participation by workers. On several occasions, the demonstrations brought together more than three million people. However, although there were strong individual strikes, these did not develop into a general strike. This article explores these contradictions by looking at the various industrial relations reforms that have weakened union action in the workplace and now make it difficult to build strike action.
‘We Still Have No Abū’l-Ghāzī’: Translations and Retranslations of the Shajara-yi Turkī in 18th-Century Europe
Authors: Zucconi Guglielmo
Published: December 2023

The 18th-century translations of the Shajara-yi Turkī played an important role in shaping Enlightenment-era Europeans’ perceptions of Islamicate Central Asia, and had a significant impact on the wider European intellectual landscape of the time; yet, as of today the complex history of these translations is still largely unstudied. In seeking to go some way towards filling this gap, the present contribution attempts a reconstruction of this history insofar as the current state of the documentary record allows it; moreover, it seeks to address a number of misconceptions which still persist in the secondary literature on the subject.
Мавзолей Наджм ад-дина Кубра как символ расцвета культа святых в Хорезме золотоордынского периода
Authors: Бабаджанов Бахтияр , Муминов Аширбек
Published: December 2023

Абстракт

Рассказы путешественников, посещавших Золотую Орду (Улус Джучи), говорят о культурной и особенно исламской доминанте в городах Хорезма, которые имели развитые правовые институты, политические, религиозные и социальные сети, идентифицирующие себя с исламом или обладающие статусом «богословской бюрократии», не говоря о мусульманской архитектуре, ясно символизирующей идеологию. Религиозными маркерами архитектурного ландшафта городов были мавзолеи, мечети, медресе и др. Их монументальные масштабы и сложные в конструктивном отношении пропорции, великолепный декор свидетельствуют о выдающейся зодческой школе, а профессиональная эпиграфика этих памятников отражает богатые лингвистические и богословские традиции, которые не могли появиться «ниоткуда» и явно продолжили прежние домонгольские традиции. Поэтому мы исходим из того, что ислам и культурные традиции городов после монгольского завоевания остались «на своем месте», продолжая эволюционировать, сообразно социальным и иным изменениям в обществе того времени. Этот тезис находит свои «материальные подтверждения» при изучении наиболее показательных символов «исламскости» архитектурного ландшафта городов и загородных комплексов Хорезма – мавзолеев святых (вали/аулийа’, кадам-джа), которые обычно исследуются в качестве архитектурных объектов, а их эпиграфика выполняет лишь вспомогательную функцию для установления имени донатора и даты строительства. В этой статье мы постараемся расширить телескопию исследовательских подходов, имея в виду те исторические условия, в которых эти объекты стали центрами культовых практик (зийарат) и площадками для обширных коммуникаций разных страт общества, а значит, становились частью глобального процесса социальной исламизации в Золотой Орде.