bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Churchyard Poetics, 1743–1821
Authors: Metcalf James
Published: January 2025

The Introduction sets up the stakes of the book’s argument and the methods with which this argument is made. A first section outlines the book’s contribution: providing a counter-tradition to the familiar category of eighteenth-century ‘graveyard school’ by reading churchyard poems by women and labouring-class poets. It introduces ‘graveyard poetry’ before offering an intervention shaped by cultural materialist literary criticism. If the churchyard is often solely scenic, churchyard poems by Robert Blair, Mary Leapor, Ann Yearsley, Charlotte Smith, and John Clare recover this landscape as a contested space of social life—one where history is not suspended but rather felt in all its intensity by the working bodies pressed to earth in new regimes of work under capital. A second section introduces the genres that redefine the churchyard as a literary and social landscape. Georgic, pastoral, topographical poetry, elegy, and the long poem provide poets with aesthetic technologies for managing the difficult material of life under capital as its casualties are disclosed in the churchyard’s buried bodies. This section also provides a brief history of the churchyard, to orient readers to its social status in the eighteenth century. A third section makes a reading of Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751) to demonstrate how, even here, difficult feelings emerge as poets struggle with historical experiences of labour. A final section locates the book in studies of lyric poetry, the senses, affect, gender, and genre, explaining what this combination makes possible for a new reading of churchyard poetry.
‘Earthing up’
Authors: Metcalf James
Published: January 2025

Chapter 1 presses on the seemingly innocent figures of nature in Robert Blair’s The Grave (1743) to highlight the poem’s difficulty with working the irremediably physical churchyard landscape into a vision of the afterlife through the medium of an ambivalent georgic poetics—a variation on the genre that this chapter calls churchyard georgic. The body is an unignorable subject in The Grave—one that cannot easily be redeemed by Christian models of transcendence or consolation, nor reduced to a prop for didactic imperatives to look to death for moral improvement. A source of some anxiety in a religious text seemingly intent upon the afterlife, this indivisibility of body from earth is a georgic fixation, and the poet must work continually to restore the dead who insist on their status as decaying matter. This chapter examines how the novel association of The Grave and the georgic tradition encourages a different approach to the eighteenth-century fascination with places of burial and human remains, as poets make much imaginative work from the lowest of materials: the earth from which we are made and to which we return. Where this orthodoxy has seemed so universal in the ‘death-the-leveller’ didacticism of ‘graveyard poetry’, its complication by georgic’s more proximate and socially determined pressures transfigure the churchyard into a scene of hard work.
Exploring novel determinants of exercise behavior: a lagged exposure-wide approach
Authors: Lee Harold H , Kim Eric S , Kim Younseo , Conroy David E , VanderWeele Tyler J
Published: January 2025

Many middle-aged to older adults do not engage in regular exercise at all, despite its importance for healthy aging. Extensive research grounded in behavioral and social science theories has identified numerous determinants of exercise. However, few studies used an exposure-wide approach, a data-driven exploratory method particularly useful for identifying novel determinants.

Methods: We used data from 13 771 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, a diverse, national panel study of adults aged >50 years in the United States, to evaluate 62 candidate determinants of exercise participation. Candidate predictors were drawn from the following domains: health behaviors, physical health, psychological well-being, psychological distress, social factors, and work. We used Poisson regression with robust error variance to individually regress exercise in the outcome wave (t2: 2014/2016) on baseline candidate predictors (at t1: 2010/2012) controlling for all covariates in the previous wave (t0: 2006/2008).

Results: Some physical health conditions (eg, physical functioning limitations and lung disease), psychological factors (eg, health mastery, purpose in life, and positive affect), and social factors (eg, helping others, religious service attendance, and volunteering) were robustly associated with increased subsequent exercise. Among factors related to psychological distress, perceived constraints stood out as a factor in reducing exercise.

Conclusions: We identified potentially novel exercise determinants, such as helping friends/neighbors/relatives, religious attendance, and volunteering, that have not been captured using a theory-driven approach. Future studies validating these findings experimentally in midlife and older adults are needed.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty amongst older hospital inpatients in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Davidson Sean Lawlor , Lee Jim , Emmence Luke , Bickerstaff Emily , Rayers George , Davidson Elizabeth , Richardson Jenny , Anderson Heather , Walker Richard , Dotchin Catherine
Published: January 2025

Background

As populations age, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are rapidly adapting hospital services to meet the needs of older populations. This systematic review aimed to establish the prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty amongst older people admitted to hospital in LMICs, and to compare levels with existing estimates for high-income settings.

Methods

Databases Medline, Embase, CINAHL and PsychInfo were searched, and results were manually screened by two researchers. Included studies were cross-sectional or cohort design and reported data from hospital inpatients, aged ≥60 years, in LMICs, using validated methods for identifying frailty. Risk of bias was assessed by two researchers using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Where possible, results were synthesised using meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-nine studies were included, all reporting data from middle-income countries. Physical frailty tools were the most common, with Fried’s phenotype and the FRAIL Scale being the most often used methods of assessment. The pooled estimate of the prevalence of frailty was 39.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 31.9–46.6%] comprising data from 23 311 older inpatients. For pre-frailty, prevalence was 40.0% (95% CI 25.1–51.4%) from 6954 individuals.

Discussion

Due to the paucity of eligible studies and their geographical distribution, these pooled estimates are only representative of the burden of frailty in select middle-income settings (particularly China). Future research should seek to establish the prevalence of frailty in hospitals in low-income countries, and to assess clinical outcomes by frailty status, in order to develop bespoke clinical tools and to aid the planning of future geriatric services.
The role of epidemiologists in addressing the public health consequences of the United States criminal legal system
Authors: Levintow Sara N , Remch Molly , LeMasters Katherine , Rice Dana K
Published: January 2025

Exposure to the United States criminal legal system – whether through contact with law enforcement, incarceration in a jail or prison, or community supervision – is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. There is mounting evidence that mass incarceration drives health inequities, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. However, relative to its outsized impacts on health and health inequities, the criminal legal system has received limited attention in epidemiology. In this commentary, we use a public health prevention framework to highlight opportunities for epidemiological research aiming to: 1) reduce the number of people entering the criminal legal system (primary prevention), 2) improve conditions of confinement (secondary), and 3) reduce recidivism and re-involvement in the system (tertiary). We describe common biases (confounding, selection, measurement, and missingness) encountered in research at each prevention level and identify ways in which epidemiologists can help to address these challenges. Our goal is to emphasize the unique strengths that epidemiologists can bring to investigating and intervening on the wide-ranging health consequences of a societal system that disproportionately impacts its most marginalized members.
Three Underused Statistical Methods in Social Epidemiology: Multiple Informant Models, Fractional Regression, and Restricted Mean Survival Time
Authors: Fang Jinrui , Goodman Melody S , Wizentier Marina Mautner , Cuevas Adolfo G , Bather Jemar R
Published: January 2025

We recommend three well-established yet underused statistical methods in social epidemiology: Multiple Informant Models (MIMs), Fractional Regression Model (FRM), and Restricted Mean Survival Time (RMST). MIMs improve how we identify critical windows of exposure over time. FRM addresses the inadequacies of ordinary least squares and logistic regression when dealing with fractional outcomes that are naturally proportions or rates, thereby accommodating data at the boundaries of the unit interval without requiring transformations. RMST offers a robust alternative to the hazard ratio in the presence of non-proportional hazards, providing an interpretable summary of treatment effects over time that is not dependent on the proportional hazards assumption. We illustrate the utility of each method using simulated case examples. These methodologies enrich the analytical toolbox of social epidemiologists, offering refined approaches to unraveling the complexities of social determinants of health inequities.
Psychosocial factors behind addiction—a six-wave longitudinal comparison of at-risk gambling and drinking
Authors: Hautamäki Sari , Savolainen Iina , Kauppila Emmi , Sirola Anu , Oksanen Atte
Published: January 2025

Aims

Research indicates that shared and specific underlying factors influence different addictions, sometimes resulting in co-occurring problems. The evidence concerning risk and protective factors for gambling and alcohol addiction, along with their co-occurrence, remains ambiguous. To address this gap, this study will conduct longitudinal research to examine the factors associated with at-risk behaviours over time.

Methods

We utilize a sample of 18- to 75-year-old participants (N = 1530) from Finland. Participants were surveyed every six months between 2021 and 2023, covering six rounds of data collection (in total 6650 observations). Measures included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The analysis used multilevel regression models to investigate risk and protective factors over time.

Results

Based on population-average models, younger age and being a man were associated with all examined dependent variables. Psychological distress, a sense of belonging to family and friends, and belonging to an online community were associated with at-risk gambling. At-risk drinking was associated with education and income, marital status, and the sense of belonging to family and friends. Being in debt enforcement, education, and psychological distress were associated with the co-occurrence of the two addictive behaviours. The fixed effects highlighted the importance of psychological distress in the development of co-occurring gambling and drinking problems.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that partly different sociodemographic and psychosocial factors are important underlying contributors to alcohol and gambling problems. Psychological distress is a particularly crucial factor predicting co-occurring at-risk gambling and drinking, indicating that co-occurrence is accompanied by psychological burden.
Techniques for learning and transferring knowledge for microbiome-based classification and prediction: review and assessment
Authors: Han Jin , Zhang Haohong , Ning Kang
Published: January 2025

The volume of microbiome data is growing at an exponential rate, and the current methodologies for big data mining are encountering substantial obstacles. Effectively managing and extracting valuable insights from these vast microbiome datasets has emerged as a significant challenge in the field of contemporary microbiome research. This comprehensive review delves into the utilization of foundation models and transfer learning techniques within the context of microbiome-based classification and prediction tasks, advocating for a transition away from traditional task-specific or scenario-specific models towards more adaptable, continuous learning models. The article underscores the practicality and benefits of initially constructing a robust foundation model, which can then be fine-tuned using transfer learning to tackle specific context tasks. In real-world scenarios, the application of transfer learning empowers models to leverage disease-related data from one geographical area and enhance diagnostic precision in different regions. This transition from relying on "good models" to embracing "adaptive models" resonates with the philosophy of “teaching a man to fish” thereby paving the way for advancements in personalized medicine and accurate diagnosis. Empirical research suggests that the integration of foundation models with transfer learning methodologies substantially boosts the performance of models when dealing with large-scale and diverse microbiome datasets, effectively mitigating the challenges posed by data heterogeneity.
Isogenic fish sperm produced by transplanting gynogenetic haploid-derived germ cells
Authors: Nagasaka Tsuyoshi , Fujimoto Takafumi , Saito Taiju , Yamaha Etsuro , Arai Katsutoshi
Published: January 2025

Artificially induced haploidy is lethal in vertebrates, although it is useful for genetic screening and genome editing due to its single set of genomes. Haploid embryonic stem (ES) cell lines in mammals contribute to genetic studies and the production of gametes derived from haploid ES cells. In fish breeding, doubled haploids induced by artificially induced gynogenesis are used to generate isogenic gametes for cloning purposes. However, gametes have not been directly differentiated from artificially induced haploid cells, even though haploid ES cell lines have been established in medaka. Here, we aimed to demonstrate that fertile haploid sperm with identical genotypes could be differentiated in germline chimeras in zebrafish, wherein primordial germ cells (PGCs) derived from an inviable haploid embryo were transplanted into sterilized recipient embryos. Haploid spermatogonia differentiated from haploid PGCs in germline chimeras, and genome doubling occurred in haploid spermatogonia with one set of chromosomes, which could not pair with counterpart homologs to form bivalents during meiosis. Subsequently, meiosis produced isogenic haploid gametes because identical elements were exchanged between chromosomes doubled from the haploid set during recombination. Consequently, haploid PGCs can survive beyond embryogenesis and potentially differentiate into fertile sperm.
Nuclear receptor PPARγ targets GPNMB to promote oligodendrocyte development and remyelination
Authors: Han Bing , Bao Ming-Yue , Sun Qing-Qing , Wang Rui-Ning , Deng Xin , Xing Kun , Yu Feng-Lin , Zhang Yan , Li Yue-Bo , Li Xiu-Qing , Chai Na-Nan , Ma Gai-Xin , Yang Ya-Na , Tian Meng-Yuan , Zhang Qian , Li Xing , Zhang Yuan
Published: January 2025

Myelin injury occurs in brain ageing and in several neurological diseases. Failure of spontaneous remyelination is attributable to insufficient differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) into mature myelin-forming oligodendrocytes in CNS demyelinated lesions. Emerging evidence suggests that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is the master gatekeeper of CNS injury and repair and plays an important regulatory role in various neurodegenerative diseases. Although studies demonstrate positive effects of PPARγ in oligodendrocyte ontogeny in vitro, the cell-intrinsic role of PPARγ and the molecular mechanisms involved in the processes of OPC development and CNS remyelination in vivo are poorly understood.

Here, we identify PPARγ as an enriched transcription factor in the dysfunctional OPCs accumulated in CNS demyelinated lesions. Its expression increases during OPC differentiation and myelination and is closely related to the process of CNS demyelination/remyelination. Administration of pharmacological agonists of PPARγ not only promotes OPC differentiation and CNS myelination, but also causes a significant increase in remyelination in both cuprizone- and lysophosphatidylcholine-induced demyelination models. In contrast, the attenuation of PPARγ function, either through the specific knockout of PPARγ in oligodendrocytes in vivo or through its inhibition in vitro, leads to decreased OPC maturation, hindered myelin generation and reduced therapeutic efficacy of PPARγ agonists. At a mechanistic level, PPARγ induces myelin repair by directly targeting glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB), a novel regulator that drives OPCs to differentiate into oligodendrocytes, promotes myelinogenesis in the developing CNS of postnatal mice and enhances remyelination in mice with lysophosphatidylcholine-induced demyelination.

In conclusion, our evidence reveals that PPARγ is a positive regulator of endogenous OPC differentiation and CNS myelination/remyelination and suggests that PPARγ and/or its downstream sensor (GPNMB) might be a candidate pharmacological target for regenerative therapy in the CNS.
In situ etching modification of graphite felt electrode and its electrochemical performance in biomass liquid-catalyst fuel cell system
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Wei Yuang , Liang Qiyi , Liao Qianyan
Published: January 2025

A biomass liquid-catalyst fuel cell (LCFC) can convert the chemical energy stored in the biomass feedstock into clean and convenient electricity by utilizing non-noble-metal liquid catalysts through electrode reactions. However, the significant polarization effect in the LCFC system has limited the potential to increase output power density. In this study, graphite felt (GF) was first modified by using the in situ etching method and then used as both anode and cathode electrodes in an LCFC system to enhance its electrical performance. This etching modification changes the GF surface to be full of meso- and macro-pores, which could significantly increase the surface area of the GF electrode by 63 times. Meanwhile, the modification also greatly improves the surface hydrophilicity of the GF electrode, which could reduce its mass transfer resistance and internal resistance. As a result, the modified GF electrodes could effectively increase the ion transport efficiency and liquid-catalyst redox reversibility in the LCFC system, resulting in doubling the higher output power density to about 16 mW/cm2.
Unbiased training framework on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Zhang Huihui
Published: January 2025

In deep reinforcement learning (DRL), bias is systematic in asynchronous training due to different state distributions, different policies and lacking knowledge of transition probability in model-free learning. Therefore, we bring the notions of parallel executors, shared actor and central critic into DRL, and propose a general framework that enables parallel collecting, unbiased data processing and centralized training. Specifically, we employ parallel executors to obtain observations, and follow a shared policy from central thread to pass a batch of four-tuple transition slots to the critic. Simultaneously, the next state in the transition slots are fed back to executors. Then, the network parameters are updated by a central learner. A backup storage can be adopted to make the executors, actor and critic work concurrently. There exists two working modes for our framework, and several variants can be achieved to suit different environments by tuning some hyperparameters. One special case of variants is the existing DRL. Another extreme case can produce unbiased estimation of loss function whose estimation exactly matches the joint probability distribution of observations and the policy, thus avoiding the instability of importance sampling. We propose several efficient algorithms under our new framework to deal with typical discrete and continuous scenarios.
Inflammatory bowel diseases in the elderly population: epidemiology, long-term disease course, surgery rates, and biological use—data from the Veszprem county cohort between 1977 and 2020
Authors: Angyal Dorottya , Gonczi Lorant , Balogh Fruzsina , Wetwittayakhlang Panu , Golovics Petra A , Pandur Tunde , David Gyula , Erdelyi Zsuzsanna , Szita Istvan , Ilias Akos , Lakatos Laszlo , Lakatos Peter L
Published: January 2025

Background and aims

Limited data are available on long-term disease outcomes in elderly-onset (EO) inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) from well-defined population-based cohorts. Our aim was to analyze incidence, disease course, surgery rates, and therapeutic strategies of EO IBD in a prospective population-based cohort.

Methods

Elderly-onset inflammatory bowel diseases were defined if diagnosis was established at ≥60 years of age. Patient inclusion lasted between 1977 and 2018. Study endpoints were compared between elderly- and adult-onset (AO) patients and different therapeutic eras. Data from medical records were prospectively collected and regularly reviewed, as part of the well-established Veszprem IBD cohort.

Results

Data from 946 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 1370 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients were analyzed. The proportion of EO CD and UC patients was 6.1% (58/946) and 13.4% (183/1370) in the total cohort. Biological therapy exposure was significantly lower in EO CD compared to AO [pLogRank = 0.003], but similar exposure was seen amongst UC patients [pLogRank = 0.770]. Early surgery rates (≤1 year from diagnosis) were significantly higher in EO CD patients compared to AO (27.6% vs 15.6%; P < .001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in overall resective surgery rates between the EO and AO cohorts in CD [pLogRank = 0.838], nor colectomy rates differed in UC [pLogRank = 0.435]. Disease phenotype progression in CD and UC were both lower in EO disease [pLogRank = 0.015; pLogRank = 0.022].

Conclusion

Elderly-onset inflammatory bowel diseases represents an increasing proportion of IBD patients, with high exposure to biologicals in EO UC. Overall surgery rates were similar in EO and AO cohorts, however, early surgeries in CD were higher in EO patients.
Estimating nonparametric conditional frontiers and efficiencies: A new approach
Authors: Mastromarco Camilla , Simar Léopold , Van Keilegom Ingrid
Published: January 2025

In production theory, conditional frontiers and conditional efficiency measures are flexible and appealing tools to investigate the role of environmental variables on the production process. Direct approaches estimate non-parametrically conditional distribution functions requiring smoothing techniques and the use of bandwidths. Traditional methods for selecting bandwidths provide bandwidths with order that may not be optimal when estimating the boundary of the distribution function. In this paper we suggest an approach that avoids this problem, by eliminating in a first step, with flexible control functions, the influence of the environmental factors on the inputs and the outputs. By doing this we produce “pure” inputs and outputs which allow to estimate a “pure” measure of efficiency, more reliable for ranking the firms, since the influence of the external factors have been eliminated. We are also able to recover the frontier and efficiencies in original units. This can be viewed as an extension of location-scale models for whitening the variables, avoiding often inappropriate restrictions. We describe the method, its statistical properties and we show in some Monte-Carlo simulations, how our new method dominates both the traditional direct and the location-scale approaches. We illustrate the usefulness of the approach with a real data set on banks.
Challenges to Aging in the Right Place for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Traver Anthony , Velasquez Rheanna , Dabelko-Schoeny Holly
Published: January 2025

Background and Objectives

Aging in the Right Place (AIRP), the process of occupying housing that meets one’s unique preferences and needs, is a critical component of aging well. Homelessness in later life compromises AIRP. This qualitative study examined the factors that informed housing options before, during, and after episodes of homelessness in later life and the indicators of AIRP that those options embodied.

Research Design and Methods

This cross-sectional qualitative study consisted of interviews with 22 older adults who experienced homelessness after age 55 and nine housing service providers in Columbus, OH. We conducted a flexible coding analysis guided by the conceptual framework of AIRP indicators for older persons experiencing homelessness.

Results

The confluence of low incomes, low housing supply, fragile social networks, and strained housing services resulted in older adults moving frequently between low-cost and substandard housing options with few indicators of AIRP. Emergency rental vouchers, social capital, and case management were capable of increasing access to safer and stabler options for some. Most older adults consider a private apartment to be their “right” place to age.

Discussion and Implications

The results of this qualitative study capture the downstream effects of an aging society that prioritizes exclusionary housing policies and a weak social safety net. Structural responses to promote AIRP among the growing number of older adults experiencing homelessness are discussed.
The AP2 transcription factor CsAIL6 negatively regulates citric acid accumulation in citrus fruits by interacting with a WD40 protein CsAN11
Authors: Han Han , Li Yu-Jia , Alam Shariq Mahmood , Zhou Tian , Khan Muhammad Abbas , Thu Aye Myat , Liu Yong-Zhong
Published: January 2025

Citric acid accumulation is an essential process in citrus fruits that determines fruit flavor and marketability. The MBW complex transcription factor genes, CsAN11, CsAN1, and CsPH4 play key roles in regulating citric acid accumulation. Although how to regulate CsAN1 or CsPH4 was widely investigated, studies on the regulation of CsAN11 are scarce. In this study, we characterized the AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene response factor) transcription factor gene CsAIL6, which is lowly expressed in high-acid citrus varieties and highly expressed in low-acid citrus varieties. Overexpressing CsAIL6 obviously decreased the citric acid content in citrus fruits, calli or tomatoes, whereas silencing CsAIL6 significantly increased the fruit citric acid content. Additionally, transcript levels of CsAN11, CsAN1, and CsPH4 were significantly increased by silencing CsAIL6; only the CsAN11 transcript level was significantly decreased by overexpressing CsAIL6. Similarly, only the tomato AN11 (SIAN11) transcript level in CsAIL6 stably overexpressing fruits was markedly lower than that in WT fruits. Further experiments revealed that overexpressing CsAN11 significantly increased the organic acid content but had no obvious influence on the CsAIL6 transcript level; in addition, CsAIL6 only interacts with CsAN11, rather than with CsAN1 and CsPH4 of the MBW complex. Taken together, our findings verified that CsAIL6 negatively regulates citric acid accumulation through directly interacting with the WD40 protein CsAN11, which provides a new mechanism for citric acid accumulation in fruits through the regulation of the MBW complex.
SmCSN5 is a synergist in the transcription factor SmMYB36 mediated tanshinones and phenolic acids biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza
Authors: Li Qi , Wang Xiujuan , Wang Jie , Su Yan , Guo Yuanyi , Yang Jie , Liu Jingying , Xue Zheyong , Dong Juane , Ma Pengda
Published: January 2025

The ubiquitin-26S proteasome system (UPS) is associated with protein stability and activity, regulation of hormone signaling, and the production of secondary metabolites in plants. Though the mechanism of action of SmMYB36 on the tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthesis is well understood, its regulation through post-translational modifications is unclear. A constitutive photomorphogenesis 9 (COP9) signalosome subunit 5 (SmCSN5), which interacted with SmMYB36 and inhibited its ubiquitination-based degradation, was identified in S. miltiorrhiza. SmCSN5 promoted tanshinone biosynthesis but inhibited phenolic acid biosynthesis in the hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza. SmMYB36 also activated the transcription of the target genes: SmDXS2 and SmCPS1 but repressed that of SmRAS in a SmCSN5-dependent manner. SmCSN5 acts as a positive regulator in MeJA-induced biosynthesis of tanshinones and phenolic acids. Specifically, SmCSN5 alone, when expressed transiently in tobacco and rice protoplasts, was localized to the cytoplasm, cell membrane, and nucleus, whereas when coexpressed with SmMYB36, it was detected only in the nucleus. Additionally, the degradation of SmMYB361-153 by ubiquitination was lowered after truncation of the self-activating structural domain of SmMYB36154-160. Collectively, these results suggest that SmCSN5 affected the transcriptional activation of SmMYB36 and stabilized SmMYB36, providing insights into the SmMYB36-based regulation of the accumulation of tanshinone and phenolic acid at the transcriptional and post-translational levels.
The positive externalities of US–China institutional balancing in the Indo-Pacific
Authors: He Kai , Feng Huiyun
Published: January 2025

Challenging the pessimistic and alarmist view of competition between the United States and China, we propose a soft balancing argument—institutional balancing for peace (shortened to ‘institutional peace’)—to highlight the positive outcomes of their strategic rivalry. We argue that globalization, economic interdependence and nuclear deterrence have motivated the US and China to engage in institutional balancing to vie for security, power and influence in the international system. We examine how the US and China have used multilateral and minilateral security institutions, such as various trilateral dialogue mechanisms, the Quad, the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, to compete in the Indo-Pacific region in the period since the 2008 global financial crisis. We suggest that institutional balancing between the US and China has led to three positive externalities for the region: sustained institutional dynamism, new incentives for regional cooperation and the provision of public goods, unintentionally fostering regional peace and prosperity in the long run. If the United States and China can manage their strategic competition through international institutions, the emerging transition of the international order may be more peaceful than historical transitions, even amid potential regional military crises.
Mobile money, (dis)empowerment and state reconstruction in Somalia's conflicted digital economy
Authors: Chonka Peter , Sahgal Gayatri , Wasuge Mahad
Published: January 2025

Mobile money has developed as an indigenous digital innovation in a Somali setting characterized by state weakness and scarcity of local physical currency. On one level, this article presents experiences of this financial technology (and ‘cashlessness’) from perspectives of marginalized people displaced by conflict and ecological shocks. However, we also analyse these everyday experiences in the context of rapid urbanization, connecting them to the role of the Somali telecoms sector within a wider political economy of conflict and internationalized statebuilding. Leveraging its power as an intermediary transactions platform, the telecoms sector has assumed various state-like functions. This demonstrates how diverse forms of virtual sovereignty may emerge beyond globally dominant centres of technology production. Although humanitarian mobile money aid infrastructure is being positioned by donors to evolve into digitized social protection systems that will empower Somalia's fragile state, this imagined transition is underpinned by a commercial telecoms sector that continues to consolidate its power in the wider economy by capitalizing on the circulation of digital financial flows. Greater policy attention therefore needs to be paid to the capacity of this sector to create conditions that may constrain the (re)construction of state authority vis-à-vis future monetary policy, the conflict economy and (international) governance of recurrent humanitarian crises.
Questioning the warist orthodoxy: pacifist critical reflections on Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Authors: Christoyannopoulos Alexandre
Published: January 2025

Pacifists are used to finding their arguments being dismissed as naive or even dangerous, especially once war has erupted. Yet this is precisely when pacifist arguments are arguably at their sharpest, and when questioning the ‘warist’ orthodoxy is most urgent. This article demonstrates the point by articulating three sets of pacifist critical reflections on the reactions to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. First, enough evidence has mounted about the relative effectiveness of nonviolent (compared to violent) methods of civil resistance to ask the question: how might a coordinated national campaign of Ukrainian nonviolent resistance have compared to the way the war has unfolded to date? Second, the defaulting to a military response that nonetheless prevailed rests on two ingrained assumptions that pacifists query: on the efficacy of violence as an instrument, and on the place of violence in ‘human nature’. Third, war also transforms agents of violence politically, economically and culturally, thus further entrenching centralization, militarism, ‘warism’ and their concomitant dangers. It is too late to apply such pacifist reflections to the conduct of the war in Ukraine up to the present, but it is not too late to do so in the context of any ongoing tensions in the region, or indeed in the context of defence planning the world over.
Vietnam and nuclear security: a case for norm isolation
Authors: Anh Doan Linh
Published: January 2025

In this article I examine why Vietnam, a state possessing neither nuclear weapons nor nuclear power plants, adopted nuclear security purely as a preventive measure against nuclear terrorism. Although nuclear security emerged as a norm specifically related to countering nuclear terrorism following 9/11, it has received diverse responses from states. Nuclear weapon states, and states that possess nuclear materials (encompassing the United States, Japan and Canada) have actively advanced nuclear security as they face the threat of nuclear terrorism. In contrast, states without nuclear power plants have been unwilling to do so as they do not identify nuclear terrorism as a national threat. However, among these states, Vietnam began to adhere to the norm in 2012, and by 2014 was even recognized as one of the most progressive states in the nuclear security field. Drawing on Vietnamese regulations, elite statements and interviews conducted with Vietnamese officials, I endeavour to show that Vietnam actively changed its stance after nuclear security began to be diffused as an independent norm, in isolation from the other nuclear norms it had previously been grafted onto. Further, I discuss the merits of these strategies as barriers and facilitators for norm adoption in the case of Vietnam.
Two-dimensional soft balancing in central Asia and the emerging regional order
Authors: Dursun-Özkanca Oya
Published: January 2025

The international system is experiencing economic and geopolitical power shifts, requiring scholars to develop a more informed understanding of emerging regional orders. This article examines regional balancing in central Asia, which has gained significantly in strategic importance following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is one of the first attempts in the International Relations (IR) literature to analyse multiple levels of balancing, examining soft balancing at both great and secondary powers levels. The article has two goals: 1) to examine the strategies available to both secondary and great powers in central Asia; and 2) to contribute to IR theory by exploring the connections between soft balancing at two dimensions and discussing the implications for the emerging central Asian regional order. While great powers pursue soft balancing through international institutions, secondary powers exercise soft balancing through limited alignments, institutional balancing, strategic non-cooperation, ‘cheap-talk’ diplomacy, costly signalling and legitimacy denial. Despite the commonalities between soft balancing behaviour at both levels, this article shows the differences in motivations across different levels. Whereas secondary powers use soft balancing mostly for defensive purposes—to balance against perceived threats— great powers use it more proactively, to establish or preserve regional spheres of influence.
Civilizational Wilsonianism from Woodrow Wilson to Donald Trump
Authors: Gawthorpe Andrew
Published: January 2025

The foreign policy of Donald Trump in his first term of office is often understood to have represented a sharp break with ‘the Wilsonian tradition’, which in turn is taken to mean an American foreign policy based on liberal principles. By instead advancing an alternative understanding of the Wilsonian tradition that it terms ‘civilizational Wilsonianism’, this article argues that there were actually far greater continuities between Wilson and Trump than initially meet the eye. It argues that Wilson and Trump's foreign policies, whatever their other differences, were both premised on the perceived need to ensure the survival of a particular type of ‘civilization’ in a dangerous, globalized world. If ‘Wilsonianism’ means a tradition that follows from the career of the historical Wilson, then at its core is a set of propositions about civilization, international interconnection, hierarchy and American power. Reframing ‘Wilsonianism’ in this way increases the value that the concept can bring to understanding American foreign policy in our own time and into the future by directing us to also consider the illiberal features and continuities of American foreign policy, alongside the liberal.
Civilization as a concept in foreign policy
Authors: Ehrhardt Andrew
Published: January 2025

This article examines whether there is any value in thinking in terms of civilizations when we look to craft foreign policy. It returns to a historical precedent—specifically the way that some British statesmen and officials in the 1940s conceived of the term ‘civilization’—and describes how this was one influence among many in the shaping of British postwar policy, including the early origins of NATO. While this case comprises an interesting and undervalued example of civilizational thinking in diplomatic history, the article, in its concluding sections, attempts to go further: to describe how the concept of civilization might provide a useful notion in future foreign policy-making. It argues that while most modern connotations of the word tend to be toxic to western commentators and analysts, there are practical benefits to thinking in these terms, provided we remain selective in how we conceive of it. It might best be thought of not as a value judgement denoting hierarchy, progress or superiority, but rather as a mode of thinking about international affairs and foreign policy that embodies deep historical and philosophical reflection.
Weapons for Ukraine as force-short-of-war
Authors: Braun Christian Nikolaus
Published: January 2025

This article presents arguments about the ethics of sending weapons to Ukraine in support of its war of self-defence against Russian aggression. It does so by situating the debate about the rights and wrongs of supplying arms to Ukraine within the frame of jus ad vim (the just use of force-short-of-war). Concentrating on the German debate, which has been particularly polarized, the article demonstrates how the moral vocabulary of jus ad vim can illuminate the difficult moral choices associated with providing lethal aid to Ukraine. In particular, the article shows how the objective of not getting drawn into war with Russia foregrounds the ‘probability of escalation’ principle of jus ad vim. In addition, the German chancellor's avoidance of the term ‘victory’ as the desired outcome of his nation's support for Ukraine points to the concept of a ‘moral truncated victory’ and the re-establishment and containment principles of jus ad vim. However, while the moral vocabulary of jus ad vim leads to a deeper understanding of the ethical challenges NATO leaders are facing in their provision of weapons to Ukraine, the article concludes that the acceptance of moral truncated victory highlights one of the main critiques of this new framework, namely that it risks creating a morally problematic regime of perpetual force, or vis perpetua.
Pregnancy With a Stoma is Feasible, Though Associated With Manageable Complications
Authors: Bouwknegt Dianne Gelien , van der Weide Albertina Henrika Chantall , Dijkstra Gerard , Goetgebuer Rogier Leon , Oldenburg Lotte , van Dop Willemijn Alexandra , Hirdes Meike Madeleine Catherine , Prins Jelmer Riemer , Hoogenboom Froukje Jantien , van der Woude Christien Janneke , Visschedijk Marijn Caroline
Published: January 2025

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often diagnosed in young adults, and therefore frequently coincides with pregnancy. Patients may require surgery that includes (temporary) stoma placement. Literature on the occurrence of stoma-complications during pregnancy and the effect on pregnancy outcomes is limited. To evaluate stoma- complications peri- and postpartum, a retrospective study was performed in women who were pregnant while having a stoma.

Methods

This multicentre cohort and survey study included all pregnant patients with IBD and a stoma who delivered between 2016 and 2023 from 5 Dutch university hospitals. Stoma-complications and pregnancy outcomes were retrospectively collected from electronic patient files. A questionnaire assessed patient-reported complications and long-term stoma-related complaints.

Results

In total, 50 patients were included (median age at conception 31.0 years; 55.2% Crohn’s disease and 44.8% ulcerative colitis), comprising 67 pregnancies, 5 of which ended in pregnancy loss. Stoma complications occurred in 44 full-term pregnancies (71.0%), most commonly obstruction (35.5%) and decreased output (29.0%). Surgery was required in four pregnancies due to obstruction (n = 3) and prolapse (n = 2). In the first-year postpartum, 7 patients required surgery for stoma-complications. Amongst 29 women who completed the questionnaire, 10 (34.5%) reported unresolved complications 6 months postpartum. Cesarean sections were performed in 31 (50.0%) pregnancies. Adverse pregnancy outcomes included prematurity (n = 9, 14.5%), low birth weight (n = 9, 14.5%), and dysmaturity (n = 5, 8.1%).

Conclusions

Pregnancy with a stoma is feasible, though manageable complications often occur. Counseling before pregnancy and close monitoring of symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum are essential for women with IBD and a stoma.
Review of national contaminated land management frameworks in front of the new EU Soil Monitoring Law era—the case study of Greece
Authors: Panagiotakis Iraklis , Strompoula Eleni , Dermatas Dimitris
Published: January 2025

The European Union (EU) currently addresses the issue of contaminated land management through the national frameworks of its member states, as there is no such EU legislation thus far. However, with the introduction of the new EU Soil Strategy and the anticipated Soil Monitoring Law, EU countries are poised to receive a unified legislative tool that is expected to enhance their soil policies significantly. These legislative developments are set to introduce key initiatives such as the establishment of a contaminated site registry and the imposition of restrictions on soil contamination using screening values and soil monitoring practices. Although these advancements are significant, disparities in contaminated soil management practices are likely to remain among countries following the implementation of the new legislation. Presently, Greece's approach to contaminated land management is deemed inadequate, lacking essential policymaking tools, like soil screening values. The primary aim of the study was to compile a database of good practices and lessons learned on contaminated land management as a practical policymaking resource for Greece and other EU member states as well as countries in the pre-accession phase, like the Western Balkans. To achieve this goal, an extensive review of EU and national legislations was conducted, complemented by a questionnaire survey that engaged a diverse group of local and international experts from the EU, the UK, and New Jersey (USA).
Burn Patient Education in the Modern Age: A Comparative Analysis of ChatGPT and Google Performance Answering Common Questions on Burn Injury and Management
Authors: Pandya Sumaarg , Alessandri Bonetti Mario , Liu Hilary Y , Jeong Tiffany , Ziembicki Jenny A , Egro Francesco M
Published: January 2025

Patients often use Google for their medical questions. With the emergence of artificial intelligence large language models, such as ChatGPT, patients may turn to such technologies as an alternative source of medical information. This study investigates the safety, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of medical responses provided by ChatGPT in comparison to Google for common questions about burn injuries and their management. A Google search was performed using the term “burn,” and the top 10 frequently searched questions along with their answers were documented. These questions were then prompted into ChatGPT. The quality of responses from both Google and ChatGPT was evaluated by 3 burn and trauma surgeons using the Global Quality Score scale, rating from 1 (poor quality) to 5 (excellent quality). A Wilcoxon paired t-test evaluated the difference in scores between Google and ChatGPT answers. Google answers scored an average of 2.80 ± 1.03, indicating that some information was present, but important topics were missing. Conversely, ChatGPT-generated answers scored an average of 4.57 ± 0.73, indicating excellent quality responses with high utility to patients. For half of the questions, the surgeons unanimously preferred their patients receive information from ChatGPT. This study presents an initial comparison of Google and ChatGPT responses to commonly asked burn injury questions. ChatGPT outperforms Google in responding to commonly asked questions on burn injury and management based on the evaluations of 3 experienced burn surgeons. These results highlight the potential of ChatGPT as a source of patient education.