bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching Honesty in a Populist Era
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M
Published: June 2024

Honesty matters. Seeking and telling the truth impacts our ability to thrive in the world, physically, socially, and politically. Recent struggles in democracy, especially those related to the rise of populism and post-truth, have jeopardized the role of honesty in civic and political life. In a world swirling with competing political groups spouting conflicting facts, citizens are left unsure whom to trust and which facts are true. Honesty fosters the sorts of relationships between citizens that enable civic reasoning as we solve shared problems and figure out how to live together. Despite its importance, honesty receives very little attention in most schools. This book seeks to clarify the relationships between honesty, truth, trust, and healthy democratic living from the philosophical perspective of pragmatism. Situating citizenship education within that pragmatist framework, it describes how we might better cultivate honesty, thereby reviving democratic life, especially our ability to engage in civic reasoning about shared problems well. This book describes what honesty is, how it is connected to truth, why both are important to and at risk in democracies today, and how we should teach honesty and truth in schools. The book offers an improved path forward within our schools by detailing how to cultivate habits of truth-seeking and truth-telling. Such honesty will better enable citizens to navigate our difficult political moment while also increasing the likelihood that citizens can craft long-term solutions for democratic life together.
Honesty and the World Today
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M
Published: June 2024

This chapter introduces typical understandings of what honesty is and how it is connected to truth. It describes common accounts of honesty as a virtue and of truth as a correspondence between what we say or believe and an actual state of affairs that exists objectively. It shows how populism, in particular, presents an alternative account of what honesty is and operates with a post-truth understanding that debunks the existence of an objective account of reality. It defines populism and shows how it gives rise to problematic ways of understanding and practicing honesty. Then it introduces pragmatism as an alternative that captures some of the more democratizing elements of populism, while heading off some of its more worrisome tendencies to devalue honesty. It explains how pragmatists determine truth as “what works” to bring about flourishing for oneself and others.
The Role of Honesty in Teaching About Controversial Issues
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M
Published: June 2024

This chapter responds to a rash of recent legislation that seeks to curb the discussion of controversial issues in schools, especially those perceived to be divisive because they entail contested aspects of race, gender, and sexuality and the oppression that may relate to each. Whereas many educators have been quick to call for classroom discussion of contentious issues, this chapter reveals limitations of such an approach. It then shows how pragmatist inquiry avoids some of the shortfalls of only doing discussion and goes further in helping students not just learn about divisive issues but also engage them in more richly democratic ways. Without honest accounts of even potentially divisive subjects, students will not come to fully understand those issues, how to navigate them with fellow citizens, or how to solve problems that arise from them. This approach recenters honesty in order to heal and improve democracy.
Kidney involvement in myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Lafargue Marie-Camille , Duong Van Huyen Jean-Paul , Rennke Helmut G , Essig Marie , Bobot Mickaël , Jourde-Chiche Noémie , Sakhi Hamza , KARRAS Alexandre , Boudhabhay Idris , Brunet Philippe , Boulay Hugoline , Grobost Vincent , Philipponnet Carole , Jeannel Juliette , Chemouny Jonathan , Boffa Jean-Jacques , Braham-Stambouli Dorra , Selamet Umut , Riella Leonardo V , Fain Olivier , Adès Lionel , Fenaux Pierre , Cohen Camille , Mekinian Arsène
Published: June 2024

Introduction

The objective of this study was to describe kidney involvement in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), their treatments, and outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in seven centers, identifying MDS patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and urine abnormalities.

Results

Fifteen patients developed a kidney disease 3 months after MDS diagnosis. Median urine protein-to-creatinine ratio was 1.9 g/g, and median serum creatinine was 3.2 mg/dL. Ten patients had AKI at presentation, and 12 had extra-renal symptoms. The renal diagnoses included anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), ANCA negative vasculitis, C3 glomerulonephritis, immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and IgA vasculitis. All patients but one received a specific treatment for the MDS-associated kidney injury. The effect of MDS treatment on kidney injury could be assessed in six patients treated with azacitidine, and renal function evolution was heterogenous. After a median follow-up of 14 months, four patients had CKD stage 3, five had CKD stage 4, and three had end stage kidney disease. On the other hand, three evolved to an acute myeloid leukemia and three died. Compared to 84 MDS controls, patients who had kidney involvement were younger, had a higher number of dysplasia lineages, and were more eligible to receive hypomethylating agents, but no survival difference was seen between the two groups. Compared to 265 AAV without MDS, the ten with MDS-associated pauci-immune vasculitis were older, ANCA serology was more frequently negative, and more cutaneous lesions were seen.

Conclusion

The spectrum of kidney injuries associated with MDS is mostly represented by vasculitis with glomerular involvement, and especially AAV.
Intraplatelet miRNA-126 regulates thrombosis and its reduction contributes to platelet inhibition
Authors: Zhang Lu-Jun , Hu Yang-Xi , Huang Rong-Zhong , Xu Yan-Yan , Dong Shao-Hua , Guo Fang-Hao , Guo Jun-Jun , Qiu Jing-Jing , Cao Zi-Yun , Wei Li-Jiang , Mao Jia-Hao , Lyu Ankang , Liu Jun-Ling , Zhao Xian-Xian , Guo Zhi-Fu , Jing Qing
Published: June 2024

Aims

MicroRNA-126 (miR-126), one of the most abundant microRNAs in platelets, is involved in the regulation of platelet activity and the circulating miR-126 is reduced during antiplatelet therapy. However, whether intraplatelet miR-126 plays a role in thrombosis and platelet inhibition remains unclear.

Methods and results

Here, using tissue-specific knockout mice, we reported that the deficiency of miR-126 in platelets and vascular endothelial cells significantly prevented thrombosis and prolonged bleeding time. Using chimeric mice, we identified that the lack of intraplatelet miR-126 significantly prevented thrombosis. Ex vivo experiments further demonstrated that miR-126-deficient platelets displayed impaired platelet aggregation, spreading, and secretory functions. Next, miR-126 was confirmed to target phosphoinositol-3 kinase regulatory subunit 2 (PIK3R2) in platelet, which encodes a negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway, enhancing platelet activation through activating the integrin αIIbβ3-mediated outside-in signalling. After undergoing myocardial infarction (MI), chimeric mice lacking intraplatelet miR-126 displayed reduced microvascular obstruction and prevented MI expansion in vivo. In contrast, overexpression of miR-126 by the administration of miR-126 agonist (agomiR-126) in wild-type mice aggravated microvascular obstruction and promoted MI expansion, which can be almost abolished by aspirin administration. In patients with cardiovascular diseases, antiplatelet therapies, either aspirin alone or combined with clopidogrel, decreased the level of intraplatelet miR-126. The reduction of intraplatelet miR-126 level was associated with the decrease in platelet activity.

Conclusion

Our murine and human data reveal that (i) intraplatelet miR-126 contributes to platelet activity and promotes thrombus formation, and (ii) the reduction of intraplatelet miR-126 contributes to platelet inhibition during antiplatelet therapy.
‘The trivial tickets build the trust’: a co-design approach to understanding security support interactions in a large university
Authors: Demjaha Albesë , Pym David , Caulfield Tristan , Parkin Simon
Published: June 2024

Increasingly, organizations are acknowledging the importance of human factors in the management of security in workplaces. There are challenges in managing security infrastructures in which there may be centrally mandated and locally managed initiatives to promote secure behaviours. We apply a co-design methodology to harmonize employee behaviour and centralized security management in a large university. This involves iterative rounds of interviews connected by the co-design methodology: 14 employees working with high-value data with specific security needs; seven support staff across both local and central IT and IT-security support teams; and two senior security decision-makers in the organization. We find that employees prefer local support together with assurances that they are behaving securely, rather than precise instructions that lack local context. Trust in support teams that understand local needs also improves engagement, especially for employees who are unsure what to do. Policy is understood by employees through their interactions with support staff and when they see colleagues enacting secure behaviours in the workplace. The iterative co-design approach brings together the viewpoints of a range of employee groups and security decision-makers that capture key influences that drive secure working practices. We provide recommendations for improvements to workplace security, including recognizing that communication of the policy is as important as what is in the policy.
Imaging and mechanisms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a state-of-the-art review
Authors: Harada Tomonari , Tada Atsushi , Borlaug Barry A
Published: June 2024

Understanding of the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has advanced rapidly over the past two decades. Currently, HFpEF is recognized as a heterogeneous syndrome, and there is a growing movement towards developing personalized treatments based on phenotype-guided strategies. Left ventricular dysfunction is a fundamental pathophysiological abnormality in HFpEF; however, recent evidence also highlights significant roles for the atria, right ventricle, pericardium, and extracardiac contributors. Imaging plays a central role in characterizing these complex and highly integrated domains of pathophysiology. This review focuses on established evidence, recent insights, and the challenges that need to be addressed concerning the pathophysiology of HFpEF, with a focus on imaging-based evaluations and opportunities for further research.
The N-S direction strike-slip activities in the Pamir hinterland under oblique convergence: the 2015 and 2023 earthquakes
Authors: He Ping , Wen Yangmao , Wang Xiaohang , Cai Jianfeng
Published: June 2024

The prominent Pamir plateau holds considerable significance in comprehending the processes of Asian continental collisional orogeny. However, due to harsh natural conditions and low seismic activity within the Pamir hinterland, our understanding of this region remains deficient. Recent major events and the accumulation of geodetic observations present a rare opportunity for us to get insights into the tectonic activities and orogenic processes occurring in this region. First, employing Sentinel-1 and Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS)-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, we acquire coseismic displacements associated with the most recent earthquakes in 2015 and 2023. Subsequently, we conduct the source models inversion with the constraints of surface displacements based on a finite-fault model. Our results reveal displacements ranging from −0.8 to 0.8 m for the 2015 Mw 7.2 Tajik earthquake and −0.25 to 0.25 m for the 2023 Mw 6.9 Murghob event, respectively. The optimal three-segment model for the 2015 event ruptured a fault length of 89 km with a surface rupture extending 59 km along the Sarez–Karakul fault (SKF), characterized predominantly by left-lateral strike-slip motion, with a maximum slip of 3.5 m. Meanwhile, our preferred uniform slip model suggests that the 2023 event ruptured an unmapped fault in the southern Pamir region with a strike angle of 31° and a dip angle of 76.8°. The distributed slip model indicates that the 2023 event ruptured a fault length of 32 km, resulting in an 8 km surface rupture. This event is characterized by left-lateral strike slip, with a peak slip of 2.2 m. Secondly, the Coulomb stress calculations demonstrate that the 2023 event was impeded by the 2015 event. Finally, interseismic Global Positioning System data revel a relative motion of 3.4–5.7 mm yr−1 in the N-S component and 3.2–3.8 mm yr−1 in the E-W component along the SKF in the Pamir hinterland, respectively. These N-S direction strike-slip activities and slip behaviours support an ongoing strong shear and extension in the Pamir regime, which is a response to the oblique convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
Biomechanics of Insect Flight Stability and Perturbation Response
Authors: Hedrick Tyson L , Blandford Emily , Taha Haithem E
Published: June 2024

Synopsis

Insects must fly in highly variable natural environments filled with gusts, vortices, and other transient aerodynamic phenomena that challenge flight stability. Furthermore, the aerodynamic forces that support insect flight are produced from rapidly oscillating wings of time-varying orientation and configuration. The instantaneous flight forces produced by these wings are large relative to the average forces supporting body weight. The magnitude of these forces and their time-varying direction add another challenge to flight stability, because even proportionally small asymmetries in timing or magnitude between the left and right wings may be sufficient to produce large changes in body orientation. However, these same large-magnitude oscillating forces also offer an opportunity for unexpected flight stability through nonlinear interactions between body orientation, body oscillation in response to time-varying inertial and aerodynamic forces, and the oscillating wings themselves. Understanding the emergent stability properties of flying insects is a crucial step toward understanding the requirements for evolution of flapping flight and decoding the role of sensory feedback in flight control. Here, we provide a brief review of insect flight stability, with some emphasis on stability effects brought about by oscillating wings, and present some preliminary experimental data probing some aspects of flight stability in free-flying insects.
Amphibian Segmentation Clock Models Suggest How Large Genome and Cell Sizes Slow Developmental Rate
Authors: Taylor A , Prasad A , Mueller R Lockridge
Published: June 2024

Synopsis

Evolutionary increases in genome size, cell volume, and nuclear volume have been observed across the tree of life, with positive correlations documented between all three traits. Developmental tempo slows as genomes, nuclei, and cells increase in size, yet the driving mechanisms are poorly understood. To bridge this gap, we use a mathematical model of the somitogenesis clock to link slowed developmental tempo with changes in intra-cellular gene expression kinetics induced by increasing genome size and nuclear volume. We adapt a well-known somitogenesis clock model to two model amphibian species that vary 10-fold in genome size: Xenopus laevis (3.1 Gb) and Ambystoma mexicanum (32 Gb). Based on simulations and backed by analytical derivations, we identify parameter changes originating from increased genome and nuclear size that slow gene expression kinetics. We simulate biological scenarios for which these parameter changes mathematically recapitulate slowed gene expression in A. mexicanum relative to X. laevis, and we consider scenarios for which additional alterations in gene product stability and chromatin packing are necessary. Results suggest that slowed degradation rates as well as changes induced by increasing nuclear volume and intron length, which remain relatively unexplored, are significant drivers of slowed developmental tempo.
Island biogeography theory provides a plausible explanation for why larger vertebrates and taller humans have more diverse gut microbiomes
Authors: Ramos Sarmiento Katherine , Carr Alex , Diener Christian , Locey Kenneth J , Gibbons Sean M
Published: June 2024

Prior work has shown a positive scaling relationship between vertebrate body size, human height, and gut microbiome alpha diversity. This observation mirrors commonly observed species area relationships (SARs) in many other ecosystems. Here, we expand these observations to several large datasets, showing that this size–diversity scaling relationship is independent of relevant covariates, like diet, body mass index, age, sex, bowel movement frequency, antibiotic usage, and cardiometabolic health markers. Island biogeography theory (IBT), which predicts that larger islands tend to harbor greater species diversity through neutral demographic processes, provides a simple mechanism for positive SARs. Using a gut-adapted IBT model, we demonstrated that increasing the length of a flow-through ecosystem led to increased species diversity, closely matching our empirical observations. We delve into the possible clinical implications of these SARs in the American Gut cohort. Consistent with prior observations that lower alpha diversity is a risk factor for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), we found that individuals who reported a history of CDI were shorter than those who did not and that this relationship was mediated by alpha diversity. We observed that vegetable consumption had a much stronger association with CDI history, which was also partially mediated by alpha diversity. In summary, we find that the positive scaling observed between body size and gut alpha diversity can be plausibly explained by a gut-adapted IBT model, may be related to CDI risk, and vegetable intake appears to independently mitigate this risk, although additional work is needed to validate the potential disease risk implications.
What is the Case Volume of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons in the Military Health System? An Assessment of Wartime Readiness and Skills Sustainment
Authors: Overmann Archie L , Harrington Colin J , Richards John T , Colantonio Donald T , Renninger Christopher H , Stinner Daniel J , Forsberg Jonathan A
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Complex, high-energy extremity trauma secondary to explosive mechanisms has been increasingly common in modern warfare, accounting for a majority of combat wounds throughout the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons treated many of these complex injuries; however, as the number of casualties continue to decrease during a period of relative peace, a growing concern over maintaining military trauma readiness exists.

Methods

The Military Health System Data Repository was queried for all Common Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes associated with 18 fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons from 2013 to 2019. The codes were further analyzed and categorized based on common trauma subspecialty procedures such as fracture fixation of the pelvic ring, acetabulum, upper and lower extremity, peri-articular, and nonunion/malunion surgery. We used descriptive statistics to quantify both the average number of cases per surgeon per year in each of the subcategories and case volume among Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) during the study period.

Results

We identified 7,769 CPT codes for surgical procedures throughout the study period. The most common surgical procedures performed were: removal of implant (n = 836, 11%), knee arthroscopy (n = 507, 7%), and debridement of devitalized tissue (n = 345, 4%). The total trauma subspecialty procedural codes and average cases per surgeon per year were as follows: pelvic ring (n = 54, <1 case/year), acetabulum (n = 90, 1 case/year), upper extremity (n = 1,314, 15 cases/year), lower extremity (n = 2,286, 25 cases/year), peri-articular (n = 675, 8 cases/year), and nonunion/malunion (n = 288, 3 cases/year). San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) accounted for the most fracture-related CPT codes overall (35%), while all other MTFs contributed approximately 10% or less of all fracture-related codes.

Conclusions

These results highlight the lack of orthopaedic trauma volume at other MTFs outside of SAMMC, raising concern for maintaining military readiness during an inter-war period of relative peace. The DoD continues to make concerted efforts to maintain readiness through civilian partnerships and subsequently increase surgical case volume for military trauma surgeons. Future efforts should include an in-depth analysis of caseloads of military trauma surgeons providing care at both MTFs and civilian institutions to optimize preparedness in future conflicts.
An optical gamma-ray burst catalogue with measured redshift – I. Data release of 535 gamma-ray bursts and colour evolution
Authors: Dainotti M G , De Simone B , Mohideen Malik R F , Pasumarti V , Levine D , Saha N , Gendre B , Kido D , Watson A M , Becerra R L , Belkin S , Desai S , do E. S. Pedreira A C C , Das U , Li L , Oates S R , Cenko S B , Pozanenko A , Volnova A , Hu Y -D , Castro-Tirado A J , Orange N B , Moriya T J , Fraija N , Niino Y , Rinaldi E , Butler N R , González J d J G , Kutyrev A S , Lee W H , Prochaska X , Ramirez-Ruiz E , Richer M , Siegel M H , Misra K , Rossi A , Lopresti C , Quadri U , Strabla L , Ruocco N , Leonini S , Conti M , Rosi P , Ramirez L M T , Zola S , Jindal I , Kumar R , Chan L , Fuentes M , Lambiase G , Kalinowski K K , Jamal W
Published: June 2024

We present the largest optical photometry compilation of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with redshifts (z). We include 64813 observations of 535 events (including upper limits) from 28 February 1997 to 18 August 2023. We also present a user-friendly web tool grbLC which allows users to visualize photometry, coordinates, redshift, host galaxy extinction, and spectral indices for each event in our database. Furthermore, we have added a Gamma-ray Coordinate Network (GCN) scraper that can be used to collect data by gathering magnitudes from the GCNs. The web tool also includes a package for uniformly investigating colour evolution. We compute the optical spectral indices for 138 GRBs, for which we have at least four filters at the same epoch in our sample, and craft a procedure to distinguish between GRBs with and without colour evolution. By providing a uniform format and repository for the optical catalogue, this web-based archive is the first step towards unifying several community efforts to gather the photometric information for all GRBs with known redshifts. This catalogue will enable population studies by providing light curves (LCs) with better coverage since we have gathered data from different ground-based locations. Consequently, these LCs can be used to train future LC reconstructions for an extended inference of the redshift. The data gathering also allows us to fill some of the orbital gaps from Swift in crucial points of the LCs, e.g. at the end of the plateau emission or where a jet break is identified.
A chemical perspective on the chiral induced spin selectivity effect
Authors: Bloom Brian P , Chen Zhongwei , Lu Haipeng , Waldeck David H
Published: June 2024

This review discusses opportunities in chemistry that are enabled by the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. First, the review begins with a brief overview of the seminal studies on CISS. Next, we discuss different chiral material systems whose properties can be tailored through chemical means, with a special emphasis on hybrid organic-inorganic layered materials that exhibit some of the largest spin filtering properties to date. Then, we discuss the promise of CISS for chemical reactions and enantioseparation before concluding.
One Year of Long-Acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Long Exposure to Antiretroviral Therapy: Data From the SCohoLART Study
Authors: Muccini Camilla , Gianotti Nicola , Diotallevi Sara , Lolatto Riccardo , Spagnuolo Vincenzo , Canetti Diana , Bagaglio Sabrina , Perez Victoria Gordo , Clemente Tommaso , Bottanelli Martina , Candela Caterina , Nozza Silvia , Castagna Antonella
Published: June 2024

Background

The aim of the study was to evaluate the 12-month cumulative probability of treatment discontinuation (TD) in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PWH) and a long exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) switching to long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CAB/RPV).

Methods

SCohoLART is a single-center, prospective, cohort study designed to collect both samples and clinical data from PWH with virological suppression who switched to bimonthly long-acting CAB/RPV. TD occurred at switch to another regimen for any reason including virological failure (VF); VF was defined as HIV RNA levels ≥50 copies/mL at 2 consecutive measurements or a single HIV RNA level ≥1000 copies/mL. Results were reported as median (interquartile range [IQR]) or frequency (percentage). Cumulative probabilities of TD were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves.

Results

We evaluated 514 participants; 467 (90.9%) were male, and their median age (IQR) was 49 (40–56) years. At the time of switching, the median time from HIV diagnosis and the median duration of ART were 14.0 (IQR, 8.8–20.5) and 11.4 (7.9–17.4) years, respectively; before starting CAB/RPV, the median number of antiretroviral regimens was 3 (2–4). During a median study follow-up (IQR) of 13.1 (9.1–15.5) months, 52 PWH (10.1%) experienced TD, including 4 (0.8%) for VF. The 12-month cumulative probability of TD was 11% (95% confidence interval, 8%–14%). The main cause of TD was injection site reaction (15 participants [28.8%]).

Conclusions

The 1-year cumulative probability of TD with long-acting CAB/RPV was quite low in this cohort of people with a median exposure to ART of 10 years, in whom injection site reaction was the leading cause of TD. VFs were rare during study follow-up.
New Insights Into the Therapeutic Management of Varicella Zoster Virus Meningitis: A Series of 123 Polymerase Chain Reaction–Confirmed Cases
Authors: Dulin Marie , Chevret Sylvie , Salmona Maud , Jacquier Hervé , Bercot Béatrice , Molina Jean-Michel , Lebeaux David , Munier Anne-Lise
Published: June 2024

Background

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) can reactivate and cause meningitis, but few studies have distinguished it from meningoencephalitis regarding treatment recommendations.

The objective of this study was to assess the outcomes of a large series of patients with VZV meningitis according to their therapeutic management.

Methods

We conducted a bicentric retrospective cohort study, in Paris, France, including all adult patients with a cerebrospinal fluid sample positive for VZV by polymerase chain reaction between April 2014 and June 2022. We distinguished meningitis from encephalitis according to the International Encephalitis Consortium criteria. Unfavorable outcome was defined as mortality or functional sequelae defined by a loss of 2 points on the modified Rankin Scale.

Results

We included 123 patients with meningitis. Among them, 14% received no antivirals, while 20% were treated with oral valacyclovir alone, 41% with a short course of intravenous (IV) acyclovir before switch to valacyclovir, and 25% with a long course of IV acyclovir. Outcomes were favorable regardless of antiviral regimen. In multivariate analysis, only age, underlying immunosuppression, and cranial radiculitis appear to be predictive factors for longer IV therapy, based on the Akaike information criterion.

Conclusions

In this study, patients with VZV meningitis had a good outcome, with no evidence of any impact of the treatment strategy. However, further studies are needed to support the possibility of milder treatment in immunocompetent patients, avoiding cost and side effects of IV acyclovir.
James and the Historical Jesus
Authors: Niebuhr Karl-Wilhelm
Published: June 2024

This essay examines various dimensions of the relationship between the Letter of James and the Historical Jesus, including the common background of James the Just and Jesus in Galilee as well as the significance of the issue for understanding the early Jesus movement and the development of the Catholic Epistles as a unit within the New Testament canon. Rather than commence with a reconstruction of what we know about the family of Jesus and of the personal biographies of Jesus and his brother James as members of a pious Jewish family from Galilee at the beginning of the Christian era, this essay takes the Epistle of James as the starting point. It first extracts from the letter any hints about the relationship between James and Jesus in historical terms. Next is an inquiry into the role of James in the earliest “Christian” Jesus movement originating immediately after the events of the crucifixion. The third part of the investigation highlights the family background of James and Jesus in Galilee and whether there is some common religious or cultural imprint on both figures. The final section returns to the letter as part of the New Testament canon. It belongs to the collection of the Catholic Epistles that forms one of the units of collections in the manuscript tradition of the Bible. This bears particular weight in any approach to the New Testament writings that is interested in the theological meaning of the Christian Bible and its constituent parts.
1 Peter
Authors: Watson Duane F.
Published: June 2024

This essay surveys critical issues in the current study of 1 Peter, including its authorship, date of composition, place of writing, ethnic background and social status of its recipients, occasion and purpose of its writing, use of tradition and Scripture, and theology. It was written by either the Apostle Peter or a pseudonymous author, the date of composition being either the mid-60s if the former, or later if the latter. It was written in Rome, and the recipients are Jewish or Gentile, resident foreigners of the diaspora (either literally or metaphorically in the eyes of God; 1 Pet 1:1). The letter describes either verbal or physical, unofficial or official persecution, and may be advising accommodation and/or creating an alternative worldview to cope with the persecution. Intertextual connections with the Pauline Epistles, including Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and 2 Corinthians, can be detected. Early Christian tradition formulated in exhortation, kerygmatic formulas, hymns and creeds, liturgies, and catechetical instruction is also incorporated in the letter. The theology and ethics of the letter are integral to the author’s suggested response to the situation. In particular, the presentation of Jesus Christ as a model of suffering and the wider perspective offered by the purposes of God are central to his theological and hortatory program.
The Johannine Letters
Authors: Wright William M.
Published: June 2024

This essay surveys the deeply interconnected critical issues in the interpretation of the Johannine letters. First is the setting within New Testament Christianity within which the Gospel and Letters of John emerged. Different categories have been proposed for articulating this originary matrix. The notion of a Johannine school in particular provides a historically located (and long-standing) model for explaining the similarities and differences between these compositions. Attention is then given to compositional topics, such as these letters’ authorship, literary genre, and internal structure. On these matters, the differences between 2–3 John and 1 John come into sharp relief, underscoring the complex interrelationship within these three letters. The next set of issues pertain to the relationship of the Letters of John to the Gospel of John. While there are genuine points of theological and literary convergence between these compositions, the Letters of John also exhibit certain distinctive elements that set them apart from the Gospel. Finally, the essay considers what the Johannine letters suggest about their compositional settings, the purposes for which they were written, and the contested issue of using these letters to reconstruct a history of the Johannine school (and the legitimacy of such a reconstruction effort).
The Reception History of the Johannine Epistles
Authors: Myers Alicia D.
Published: June 2024

This essay explores the history of reception of the Johannine epistles beginning with a brief overview of their protracted canonization process before moving to explore key themes that have garnered attention from theologians and interpreters throughout Christian history. Due to its length, 1 John necessarily dominates the reception history, though this essay also notes places where 2 and 3 John also emerge. The themes interpreters have focused on regularly contrast with how similar themes and images are described in the Gospel of John, thereby showing 1–3 John’s connection to and distinction from the Fourth Gospel. The key ideas explored in this essay include: (1) the problem of sin and related questions concerning Jesus’s atoning death and continued role as an advocate for believers; (2) contributions to christological and Trinitarian debates, especially with language of “antichrists” in 1 and 2 John, and the controversy surrounding the so-called “Johannine comma” of 1 John 5:7–8; and (3) the focus on love found in these writings both as a description for God (1 John 4:17–18) and as a commandment for believers toward one another. This last theme has been particularly significant for recent interpreters who find divine love foundational for liberative understandings of Christianity. Although frequently overlooked by readers of the New Testament, 1–3 John have played an integral role in theological conversations and development of Christian orthodoxy and ethics for millennia.
Adorno’s Politics Revisited
Authors: Freyenhagen Fabian
Published: June 2024

Ever since the West German student movement came into conflict with T. W. Adorno in the 1960s, the question of whether his theory and praxis were in some sort of problematic relationship has not gone away. In this chapter, the author partially defends Adorno’s views on theory and (political) praxis, focusing particularly on the 1960s. It is a defense because the author will suggest that, in significant respects, Adorno’s theory and practice were not in contradiction with each other but cohered well. Moreover, the author will suggest that we can learn from his stance how to think about and engage in politics—specifically from his contextualism and his emphasis on immersion in a local context. It is, however, merely a partial defense. The author identifies some tensions between Adorno’s theory and practical stance that have gone unnoticed so far, contrasting his stance to that of Marcuse, notably in relation to paying sufficient attention to interrelations between local contexts and the lack of an account of a global subject of change.
The Typology of Archaeological Labrets from Kamchatka
Authors: Ptashinsky Andrei V.
Published: June 2024

This chapter presents archaeological evidence concerning stone labrets that have been recovered on the eastern coast and the southern end of the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Siberia. These ornaments, which are worn in the perioral area of the face, are characteristic of the Tarja archaeological culture (1st millennium bce). Similar large-sized ornaments that are worn in the ears and the nose (nose and ear spools) have not yet been discovered in Kamchatka. A total of 139 labrets (undamaged and damaged) are taken into account in this study and 31 of them are presented in detail. Their number allows a systematic classification of the shapes of the labrets. Three main types are identified and discussed. Available literature posits labrets as the expression of individual identity, gender, age, ethnicity, corresponding to the aesthetic views of the people of that time. The typology of the labrets from Kamchatka may be useful for comparing and analyzing similar ornaments from other regions, particularly on the American continent where similar types can be found.
History and Archaeology
Authors: Hasegawa Shuichi
Published: June 2024

Unlike most previous descriptions of the history of the kingdom that are based heavily on biblical narratives, this chapter, after dealing with the geographical extent of the kingdom and the problem of chronology, discusses the nature of the available sources—namely, archaeological data, epigraphic texts, iconographic materials, and biblical texts. Then, the chapter delineates, in chronological order, the pictures of the society of Judah that emerge from archaeological data and epigraphic sources. The time span is divided into three archaeological periods: Iron Age IIA, IIB, and IIC. The latter half of the chapter draws a historical sketch of the kingdom from economic and political perspectives by consulting the extrabiblical sources and selective biblical texts that are regarded as reliable. The kingdom flourished only under the dominion of more powerful kingdoms—namely, Israel, Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia—and its repeated rebellions against those powers finally led to its demolition.
The Reception of the Books of Kings in Medieval Judaism
Authors: Cohen-Skalli Cédric
Published: June 2024

This chapter presents how Don Isaac Abravanel (1437–1508), one of the greatest leaders and thinkers of Iberian Jewry in the period of the expulsion of 1492, understood the biblical figure of King Solomon in the immediate aftermath of 1492. To counter the power of the Catholic monarchs, who were responsible for expelling Don Isaac Abravanel and his coreligionists from the Iberian Peninsula, Don Isaac wrote a commentary on the books of Kings. This commentary extols the might of King Solomon. It dedicates half of Abravanel’s commentary to a description and discussion of various aspects of King Solomon’s kingdom. This chapter focuses on the idealization of King Solomon and its meaning.
Gender Studies and Kings
Authors: Quick Laura
Published: June 2024

The name of the books of Kings suggests a focus entirely upon masculine rulers. In fact, the books of Kings present a cross section of the professional, political, and religious roles held by women in ancient Israel and Judah. Beyond highlighting female-specific roles from the text, the text reflects and constructs a specific orientation toward gender. The books of Kings describe and normalize various qualities and roles that were considered appropriate and expected for men and women. The study of gender in Kings must therefore look beyond the reconstruction of the social, political, and religious roles held by men and women to encounter the construction of masculinity and femininity that is inherent to these roles. This chapter reviews scholarship that has focused upon the social and professional roles of the female characters in Kings and considers the ways in which gender figures into the presentation of these characters.
Machine Learning and the Analysis of Culture
Authors: Mützel Sophie , Ollion Étienne
Published: June 2024

The focus of this chapter is on how machine learning (ML) affects the analysis of culture in sociology. It shows how ML has greatly advanced the analysis of culture with new tools that enable a massive, fine-grained extraction of information from textual and audiovisual troves as well as data analysis to operationalize long-standing cultural sociology concepts. It also indicates that this renewed interest is building on already fertile ground, as sociologists of culture have long used and reflected on formal models when analyzing culture. The chapter suggests that as the toolbox of ML approaches expands, so will the need for methodological reflection on the datasets and algorithms used, analyzed, and interpreted. The chapter also suggests that ML techniques can serve as catalysts for generating new theoretical insights. The chapter’s conclusion discusses the potential of ML research to generate new theoretical insights abductively and advocates for methodological reflexivity.
Buddhist Pilgrimage and Living Religious Heritage in North India
Authors: Geary David
Published: June 2024

Undertaking pilgrimage and visiting sacred traces associated with the Buddha’s life is an important ritual form that plays an integral role in assembling Buddhist worlds of practice through a moral geography. As spaces of living memory that embed and diffuse the spiritual biography of the Buddha, pilgrimage supports a paradigmatic model of aspiration for those who have made progress along the path to nirvana. This chapter explores some of the meanings of Buddhist pilgrimage with special attention to the sensory, performative, and affective dimensions of place. Drawing on theoretical insights in new materialism, it also examines the important ways materiality and meaning converge at the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya, showing how Buddhist rituals become entangled with heritage formations at national and global scales.
Reconfiguring Buddhism for Youth in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Manh Nguyen Dat
Published: June 2024

Across Vietnam, since the mid-2000s, there has been a proliferation of Buddhist programs for youth. These programs, organized by monastics and/or lay Buddhists, often collaboratively, have taken place both inside and outside of temple spaces, with the aim of educating young Vietnamese in Buddhist teachings, practices, and ethics. This chapter, based on extensive fieldwork, examines Buddhist youth programs at two Buddhist temples in Ho Chi Minh City, one promoting a strong modernist interpretation of Buddhism and the other a combination of Buddhist devotionalism and modernism. These two case studies highlight the diversity of Buddhist youth programs in contemporary Vietnam, in their forms, contents, and pedagogies. More importantly, they demonstrate how in responding to the interests and lived experiences of lay youth, monastics need to reconfigure relationships and boundaries between monastics and lay followers, between devotional and modernist Buddhisms, and between tradition and modernity.
Ancient Greek Cultural and Philosophical Background
Authors: Petrovic Ivana
Published: June 2024

After a survey of the Greek gods’ key characteristics (anthropomorphism, power, and especially immortality), this chapter provides an overview of the concept of apotheosis in Greek myth, philosophy, and historical reality. Deification was a fluctuating notion. Different aspects of divinity were emphasized in different periods: agelessness and immortality were seen as essential for deification at first, then immortality and purity, and finally power and bestowing of benefits on communities. In Greek myth, deification entails a divine decision to bestow immortality and agelessness on an individual. In historical reality, the rise of the idea of immortality of the soul created a new pathway to deification. In the Hellenistic period, deification as a process of bestowing of divine honors on rulers becomes common.
Neo-Thomist and Ressourcement Theology
Authors: Newsome Martin Jennifer
Published: June 2024

This chapter introduces a representative sampling of theologians in both Neo-Thomist and ressourcement schools who recover, amplify, and feature the doctrine of deification. These include Ambroise Gardeil, OP (1859–1931), Juan Arintero, OP (1860–1928), Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange (1877–1964), Henri de Lubac, SJ (1896–1991), and Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988). Presenting these two groups of theologians on deification shows how neither side should be dismissed, as both sides present many remarkable insights. Reflection on deification can be enhanced by attending to this great cloud of witnesses on such matters as the relationship between theosis and sanctifying grace, the Trinitarian, Christological, and pneumatological elements of deification, realist views of the transformation in deification, and pastoral ramifications. The chapter concludes by noting there are significant arenas of theological sympathy and substantial points of contact between the two groups.
Deification and the Trinity
Authors: Emery Gilles
Published: June 2024

Deification is a participation not only in the divine nature, but also in the communion of the three divine persons. This chapter presents theological perspectives showing how deification is related to each of the three distinct persons of the Trinity. With reference to Thomas Aquinas, it first shows the Trinitarian dimensions of the beatific vision, the Holy Spirit as deifying Gift, and deification through the Trinitarian missions as a participation in the communion of the Trinity. A special section is dedicated to Charles Journet, for whom deification is a participation in the Trinitarian processions. The final section deals with the divine “deifying energies” in relation to the three hypostases of the Trinity. As a conclusion, deification may be understood as an indwelling in the mutual glorification of the three divine persons, a real entrance into the Trinitarian life.
States, Alliances, and Subnational Inequality: Argentina in Comparative Perspective, 2003–2019
Authors: González Lucas I , Nazareno Marcelo
Published: June 2024

Economic inequality is unevenly distributed across subnational territorial units, and national averages obscure this variability. What explains variations in inequality within countries? This study argues that the type of subnational governing alliance (regressive or progressive) expressed in the composition of government cabinets affects the level of provincial inequality. The study classifies and codes provincial cabinet members according to their economic, political, and social background. These sectors can form part of a progressive (unions, social, and feminist movements) or regressive (agribusiness or large energy companies) alliance. A large-N analysis of original panel data for Argentina between 2003 and 2019 provides empirical support for these claims. The study also analyzes two key cases, Chaco and Corrientes, which show how the different alliances are associated with varying results in inequality. The study concludes by exploring some comparative implications.