bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of the host chromatin three-dimensional response to influenza virus infection
Authors: Shiimori Masami , Nukiwa Ryota , Imai Yumiko
Published: July 2021

The spatial organization of chromatin is known to be highly dynamic in response to environmental stress. However, it remains unknown how chromatin dynamics contributes to or modulates the pathogenesis of immune and infectious diseases. Influenza virus is a single-stranded RNA virus, and transcription and replication of the virus genome occur in the nucleus. Since viral infection is generally associated with virus-driven hijack of the host cellular machineries, influenza virus may utilize and/or affect the nuclear system. In this review article, we focus on recent studies showing that the three-dimensional structure of chromatin changes with influenza virus infection, which affects the pathology of infection. Also, we discuss studies showing the roles of epigenetics in influenza virus infection. Understanding how this affects immune responses may lead to novel strategies to combat immune and infectious diseases.
Genetic and phenotypic parameters for Aleutian disease tests and their correlations with pelt quality, reproductive performance, packed-cell volume, and harvest length in mink
Authors: Hu Guoyu , Do Duy Ngoc , Karimi Karim , Miar Younes
Published: July 2021

Aleutian disease (AD), caused by the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), is a major health concern that results in global economic losses to the mink industry. The unsatisfactory outcome of the culling strategy, immunoprophylaxis, and medical treatment in controlling AD have urged mink farmers to select AD resilient mink based on several detection tests, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), and iodine agglutination test (IAT). However, the genetic analysis of these AD tests and their correlations with pelt quality, reproductive performance, packed-cell volume (PCV), and harvest length (HL) have not been investigated. In this study, data on 5,824 mink were used to estimate the genetic and phenotypic parameters of four AD tests, including two systems of ELISA, CIEP, and IAT, and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with two pelt quality, five female reproductive performance, PCV, and HL traits. Significances (P < 0.05) of fixed effects (sex, year, dam age, and color type), covariates (age at harvest and blood sampling), and random effects (additive genetic, permanent environmental, and maternal effects) were determined under univariate models using ASReml 4.1 software. The genetic and phenotypic parameters for all traits were estimated under bivariate models using ASReml 4.1 software. Estimated heritabilities (±SE) were 0.39 ± 0.06, 0.61 ± 0.07, 0.11 ± 0.07, and 0.26 ± 0.05 for AMDV antigen-based ELISA (ELISA-G), AMDV capsid protein-based ELISA, CIEP, and IAT, respectively. The ELISA-G also showed a moderate repeatability (0.58 ± 0.04) and had significant negative genetic correlations (±SE) with reproductive performance traits (from −0.41 ± 0.16 to −0.49 ± 0.12), PCV (−0.53 ± 0.09), and HL (−0.45 ± 0.16). These results indicated that ELISA-G had the potential to be applied as an indicator trait for genetic selection of AD resilient mink in AD endemic ranches and therefore help mink farmers to reduce the adverse effects caused by AD.
First Life Table ofSynthesiomyia nudiseta(Diptera: Muscidae) From Palearctic Region for Analyzing the Effect on Its Dispersal Ability
Authors: Ivorra Tania , García-Martínez Borja , Martínez-Sánchez Anabel
Published: July 2021

To better understand the population dynamics and dispersal ability of insect species, it is often helpful to derive a life table containing fundamental demographic data. The aim of this study was to determine a life table for the predatory necrophagous species Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) on a pig liver diet and under controlled laboratory conditions (29.5 ± 2. 5°C, RH 50 ± 15%, and a photoperiod of 12:12). This species has medical and veterinary importance and its distribution extends in tropical and subtropical areas and now it has been established in the southwestern of Europe. The mean adult longevity was 36. 18 ± 2. 06 d and the net reproduction rate, R, was 27.65 offspring/female, the mean generation time, T, was 22. 09 d, the finite rate of increase, λ, was 1. 16 d−1, and the intrinsic rate of increase, r, was 0. 15 d−1. These results indicate that S. nudiseta cannot be considered an r-strategist as the most common synanthropic necrophagous blowflies due to its predatory behavior; however, its invasive and colonist abilities are discussed. This is the first life table study of this species from Palearctic region to analyze the effect of its dispersal ability.
Design and optimization of 3D-bioprinted scaffold framework based on a new natural polymeric bioink
Authors: Dorati Rossella , Chiesa Enrica , Riva Federica , Modena Tiziana , Marconi Stefania , Auricchio Ferdinando , Genta Ida , Conti Bice
Published: July 2021

Objectives

This aimed at the design and production of engineered 3D scaffold prototypes using a natural polymeric bioink made of chitosan and poly-γ-glutamic acid with a specific focus on 3D-bioprinting process and on 3D framework geometry.

Methods

Prototypes were produced using a 3D bioprinter exploiting layer-by-layer deposition technology. The 3D scaffold prototypes were fully characterized concerning pore size and size distribution, stability in different experimental conditions, swelling capability, and human dermal fibroblasts viability.

Key findings

Hexagonal framework combined with biopaper allowed stabilizing the 3-layers structure during process manufacturing and during incubation in cell culture conditions. The stability of 3-layers structure was well preserved for 48 h. Crosslinking percentages of 2-layers and 3-layers prototype were 88.2 and 68.39, respectively. The swelling study showed a controlled swelling capability for 2-layers and 3-layers prototype, ∼5%. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay results showed good biocompatibility of 3-layers prototype and their suitability for preserving 48 h cell viability in 3D cultures. Moreover, a significant increment of absorbance value was measured after 48 h, demonstrating cell growth.

Conclusions

Bioink obtained combining chitosan and poly-γ-glutamic acid represents a good option for 3D bioprinting. A stable 3D structure was realized by layer-by-layer deposition technology; compared with other papers, the present study succeeded in using medical healthcare-grade polymers, no-toxic crosslinker, and solvents according to ICH Topic Q3C (R4).
A rare presentation of perforated carcinoma of colon as an anterior abdominal wall abscess—a case report and review of literature
Authors: Basukala Sunil , Thapa Narayan , Rayamajhi Bikash Bahadur , Basukala Bikram , Mandal Pankaj , Karki Bibek
Published: July 2021

Colorectal cancer progresses without any symptoms early on or those clinical symptoms are very discrete and so are undetected for long periods of time. Complicated colorectal carcinoma has several symptoms, the most common being bleeding and obstruction. Occasionally, it will cause perforation, which carries a worse prognosis. It is rare for a carcinoma colon to present as abscess of the anterior abdominal wall that forms as a result of direct invasion and perforation of the colon by cancer. We hereby report an unusual case of perforated colon carcinoma presented as an abscess infiltrating the abdominal wall.
Humanities and engineering perspectives on music transcription
Authors: Holzapfel Andre , Benetos Emmanouil , Killick Andrew , Widdess Richard
Published: July 2021

Music transcription is a process of creating a notation of musical sounds. It has been used as a basis for the analysis of music from a wide variety of cultures. Recent decades have seen an increasing amount of engineering research within the field of Music Information Retrieval that aims at automatically obtaining music transcriptions in Western staff notation. However, such approaches are not widely applied in research in ethnomusicology. This article aims to bridge interdisciplinary gaps by identifying aspects of proximity and divergence between the two fields. As part of our study, we collected manual transcriptions of traditional dance tune recordings by eighteen transcribers. Our method employs a combination of expert and computational evaluation of these transcriptions. This enables us to investigate the limitations of automatic music transcription (AMT) methods and computational transcription metrics that have been proposed for their evaluation. Based on these findings, we discuss promising avenues to make AMT more useful for studies in the Humanities. These are, first, assessing the quality of a transcription based on an analytic purpose; secondly, developing AMT approaches that are able to learn conventions concerning the transcription of a specific style; thirdly, a focus on novice transcribers as users of AMT systems; and, finally, considering target notation systems different from Western staff notation.
Seizures and Vaping—A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Tatum Peter S , Oster Joel M
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the clinical course of two patients who presented with new-onset seizures within hours of vaping and to survey neurologists’ screening for vaping in such patients. A 30-subject single-institution survey found that 19 out of 30 neurology providers have not been subjectively qualifying vaping as a potential seizure-provoking factor since the 2019 emergence of literature on this topic. Inquiring about vaping during a new-onset seizure assessment could lead to earlier recognition of a seizure-provoking factor. Further investigations into the epileptogenicity of vaping are needed and the utility of AntiEpileptic Drug (AED) initiation for these patients is currently unknown.
Charting galactic accelerations: when and how to extract a unique potential from the distribution function
Authors: An J , Naik A P , Evans N W , Burrage C
Published: July 2021

The advent of data sets of stars in the Milky Way with 6D phase-space information makes it possible to construct empirically the distribution function (DF). Here, we show that the accelerations can be uniquely determined from the DF using the collisionless Boltzmann equation, providing the Hessian determinant of the DF with respect to the velocities is non-vanishing. We illustrate this procedure and requirement with some analytic examples. Methods to extract the potential from data sets of discrete positions and velocities of stars are then discussed. Following Green & Ting, we advocate the use of normalizing flows on a sample of observed phase-space positions to obtain a differentiable approximation of the DF. To then derive gravitational accelerations, we outline a semi-analytic method involving direct solutions of the overconstrained linear equations provided by the collisionless Boltzmann equation. Testing our algorithm on mock data sets derived from isotropic and anisotropic Hernquist models, we obtain excellent accuracies even with added noise. Our method represents a new, flexible, and robust means of extracting the underlying gravitational accelerations from snapshots of 6D stellar kinematics of an equilibrium system.
LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B
Authors: Rowlinson A , Starling R L C , Gourdji K , Anderson G E , ter Veen S , Mandhai S , Wijers R A M J , Shimwell T W , van der Horst A J
Published: July 2021

The mergers of two neutron stars are typically accompanied by broad-band electromagnetic emission from either a relativistic jet or a kilonova. It has also been long predicted that coherent radio emission will occur during the merger phase or from a newly formed neutron star remnant; however, this emission has not been seen to date. This paper presents the deepest limits for this emission from a neutron star merger, following triggered LOFAR observations of the short gamma-ray burst 181123B, starting 4.4 min after the GRB occurred. During the X-ray plateau phase, a signature of ongoing energy injection, we detect no radio emission to a 3σ limit of 153 mJy at 144 MHz (image integration time of 136 s), which is significantly fainter than the predicted emission from a standard neutron star. At a redshift of 1.8, this corresponds to a luminosity of 2.5 × 1044 erg s−1. Snapshot images were made of the radio observation on a range of time-scales, targeting short-duration radio flashes similar to fast radio bursts. No emission was detected in the snapshot images at the location of GRB 181123B enabling constraints to be placed on the prompt coherent radio emission model and emission predicted to occur when a neutron star collapses to form a black hole. At the putative host redshift of 1.8 for GRB 181123B, the non-detection of the prompt radio emission is two orders of magnitude lower than expected for magnetic reconnection models for prompt GRB emission and no magnetar emission is expected.
Spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the eclipsing binary HIP 7666 with δ Scuti pulsations
Authors: Feng Guojie , Esamdin Ali , Fu Jianning , Zhang Yanping , Niu Hubiao , Li Chunqian , Liu Nian , Cang Tianqi , Michel Raul , Fox-Machado Lester , Wang Liang , Pi Qingfeng , Bai Chunhai , Xu Jing , Iskandar Abdusamatjan , Zeng Xiangyun , Ma Lu
Published: July 2021

New multicolour photometric observations were carried out on 22 nights in three observation missions between 2015 October and 2016 February for eclipsing binary HIP 7666. High- and low-resolution spectroscopic observations were also carried out in the winters of 2015, 2016, and 2019, respectively. The fully phase-covered light curves and radial velocity curves are presented. All times of light minima are used to calculate the orbital period [2.372 2200(4) d] and new ephemerides. The photometric solution and stellar physical parameters are derived, showing that HIP 7666 is a detached binary with the absolute parameters M1 = 1.53(3) M⊙, R1 = 2.08(2) R⊙, log L1/L⊙ = 0.99(3), log g1  = 3.98(2), Mbol1 = 2.26(8), Teff,1  = 7100(100) K for the primary, and M2 = 1.23(3) M⊙, R2  = 1.06(2) R⊙, log L2/L⊙  = 0.13(4), log g2 = 4.47(2), Mbol2 = 4.4(1), Teff,2  = 6029(67) K for the secondary. The age of 1.69 Gyr and 1.755 Gyr are estimated from parsec isochrones and mesa evolutionary tracks, respectively. In Herzsprung–Russell (H–R) diagram, the primary component has evolved to the late stages, while the secondary still locates at the early stages of the main sequence. Frequency analysis yields three frequencies of f1 = 24.631(4) cd−1, f2 = 21.193(1) cd−1, and f3 = 28.07(7) cd−1. Comparisons between models and observations suggest that the primary component is most likely a p-mode non-radial δ Scuti oscillator.
X-ray bounds on cooling, composition, and magnetic field of the Cassiopeia A neutron star and young central compact objects
Authors: Ho Wynn C G , Zhao Yue , Heinke Craig O , Kaplan D L , Shternin Peter S , Wijngaarden M J P
Published: July 2021

We present analysis of multiple Chandra and XMM–Newton spectra, separated by 9–19 yr, of four of the youngest central compact objects (CCOs) with ages <2500 yr: CXOU J232327.9+584842 (Cassiopeia A), CXOU J160103.1−513353 (G330.2+1.0), 1WGA J1713.4−3949 (G347.3−0.5), and XMMU J172054.5−372652 (G350.1−0.3). By fitting these spectra with thermal models, we attempt to constrain each CCO’s long-term cooling rate, composition, and magnetic field. For the CCO in Cassiopeia A, 14 measurements over 19 yr indicate a decreasing temperature at a 10-yr rate of 2.2 ± 0.2 or 2.8 ± 0.3 per cent (1σ error) for a constant or changing X-ray absorption, respectively. We obtain cooling rate upper limits of 17 per cent for CXOU J160103.1−513353 and 6 per cent for XMMU J172054.5−372652. For the oldest CCO, 1WGA J1713.4−3949, its temperature seems to have increased by 4 ± 2 per cent over a 10-yr period. Assuming each CCO’s preferred distance and an emission area that is a large fraction of the total stellar surface, a non-magnetic carbon atmosphere spectrum is a good fit to spectra of all four CCOs. If distances are larger and emission areas are somewhat smaller, then equally good spectral fits are obtained using a hydrogen atmosphere with B ≤ 7 × 1010 G or B ≥ 1012 G for CXOU J160103.1−513353 and B ≤ 1010 G or B ≥ 1012 G for XMMU J172054.5−372652 and non-magnetic hydrogen atmosphere for 1WGA J1713.4−3949. In a unified picture of CCO evolution, our results suggest most CCOs, and hence a sizable fraction of young neutron stars, have a surface magnetic field that is low early in their life but builds up over several thousand years.
Star cluster classification in the PHANGS–HST survey: Comparison between human and machine learning approaches
Authors: Whitmore Bradley C , Lee Janice C , Chandar Rupali , Thilker David A , Hannon Stephen , Wei Wei , Huerta E A , Bigiel Frank , Boquien Médéric , Chevance Mélanie , Dale Daniel A , Deger Sinan , Grasha Kathryn , Klessen Ralf S , Kruijssen J M Diederik , Larson Kirsten L , Mok Angus , Rosolowsky Erik , Schinnerer Eva , Schruba Andreas , Ubeda Leonardo , Van Dyk Schuyler D , Watkins Elizabeth , Williams Thomas
Published: July 2021

When completed, the PHANGS–HST project will provide a census of roughly 50 000 compact star clusters and associations, as well as human morphological classifications for roughly 20 000 of those objects. These large numbers motivated the development of a more objective and repeatable method to help perform source classifications. In this paper, we consider the results for five PHANGS–HST galaxies (NGC 628, NGC 1433, NGC 1566, NGC 3351, NGC 3627) using classifications from two convolutional neural network architectures (RESNET and VGG) trained using deep transfer learning techniques. The results are compared to classifications performed by humans. The primary result is that the neural network classifications are comparable in quality to the human classifications with typical agreement around 70 to 80 per cent for Class 1 clusters (symmetric, centrally concentrated) and 40 to 70 per cent for Class 2 clusters (asymmetric, centrally concentrated). If Class 1 and 2 are considered together the agreement is 82 ± 3 per cent. Dependencies on magnitudes, crowding, and background surface brightness are examined. A detailed description of the criteria and methodology used for the human classifications is included along with an examination of systematic differences between PHANGS–HST and LEGUS. The distribution of data points in a colour–colour diagram is used as a ‘figure of merit’ to further test the relative performances of the different methods. The effects on science results (e.g. determinations of mass and age functions) of using different cluster classification methods are examined and found to be minimal.
Human aspartyl (asparaginyl) hydroxylase. A multifaceted enzyme with broad intra- and extra-cellular activity
Authors: Greve Jenna M , Pinkham Andrew M , Cowan J A
Published: July 2021

Human aspartyl (asparaginyl) β-hydroxylase (HAAH), a unique iron and 2-oxoglutarate dependent oxygenase, has shown increased importance as a suspected oncogenic protein. HAAH and its associated mRNA are upregulated in a wide variety of cancer types, however, the current role of HAAH in the malignant transformation of cells is unknown. HAAH is suspected to play an important role in NOTCH signaling via selective hydroxylation of aspartic acid and asparagine residues of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. HAAH hydroxylation also potentially mediates calcium signaling and oxygen sensing. In this review, we summarize the current state of understanding of the biochemistry and chemical biology of this enzyme, identify key differences from other family members, outline its broader intra- and extra-cellular roles, and identify the most promising areas for future research efforts.
Mild to moderate decrease in eGFR and cognitive decline in older adults
Authors: Grasing Michael , Kennedy Kevin , Sarnak Mark J , Burns Jeffrey M , Gupta Aditi
Published: July 2021

Background

Whether mild to moderately low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is associated with cognitive decline in older adults is not clear. We evaluated changes in cognition in relation to baseline eGFR in older adults participating in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

Methods

This is a longitudinal secondary analysis of an established observational cohort. We used data from the ADNI, an National Institutes of Health–funded, multicenter longitudinal observational study that includes participants with and without cognitive impairment who were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests every 6 months. We related the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration eGFR with previously validated cognition composite scores for memory (ADNI-Mem) and executive function (ADNI-EF) in multivariable linear regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, race and level of education.

Results

A total of 1127 ADNI participants (mean age 74 ± 7 years, 57% men, 97% Caucasian, mean follow-up 6 ± 2.6 years) were included in the analysis. The mean baseline eGFR was 76 ± 19 mL/min/1.73 m2, with 6% with eGFR <45, 22% with eGFR 45–<60, 51% with eGFR 60–90 and 21% with eGFR >90 mL/min/1.73 m2 at baseline. Both ADNI-Mem and ADNI-EF scores declined over time. In the multivariable linear regression model, older age (β = −0.117, P = 0.01), female sex (β = 0.312, P < 0.001) and lower education (β = 0.079, P < 0.001) were associated with a decline in ADNI-Mem scores, whereas baseline eGFR (each 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 change) was not {β = −0.03 [confidence interval (CI) −0.06–0.001], P = 0.11}. Similarly, older age (β = −0.278, P < 0.001) and lower education (β = 0.099, P < 0.001) were associated with a decline in ADNI-EF scores, whereas baseline eGFR was not [β = 0.004 (95% CI −0.04–0.04), P = 0.84].

Conclusions

In this cohort from the ADNI study, there was no association between baseline eGFR and cognitive decline in older adults with mild to moderately low eGFR.
Risk Factors for High-Grade Heterotopic Ossification After Total Disc Replacement: A Single-Center Experience of 394 Cases
Authors: Wang Han , Wang Xiaofei , Liu Hao , Meng Yang , Guo Yingjun , Hong Ying
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common complication following total disc replacement (TDR). High-grade HO is a clinically relevant complication, however, only a few studies have evaluated risk factors for high-grade HO.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate potential risk factors for HO and high-grade HO and their impact on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent TDR or hybrid surgery (HS) with Prestige-LP (Medtronic), Discover (Depuy), and Prodisc-C (Synthes). Clinical outcomes were assessed using Japanese Orthopaedic Association, Visual Analogue Scale, and Neck Disability Index scores. Radiological variables, including preoperative ossification, global and segmental range of motion (ROM), HO, and adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) were reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 394 patients were evaluated. HO and high-grade HO occurred in 67.77% and 11.17% patients, respectively. Preoperative ossification was significantly associated with the occurrence of HO (P < .001, OR: 3.507, 95%CI: 2.211-5.562) and high-grade HO (P = .019, OR: 2.176, 95%CI: 1.137-4.166). The ROM of replacement levels and C2-7 were significantly lower in the high-grade HO group compared to those without high-grade HO: (3.80° vs 10.18°, P < .001) and (42.81° vs 54.00°, P < .001), respectively. The incidence of ASD was significantly higher in patients with high-grade HO than those without high-grade HO (22.73% vs 11.14%, P = .048).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative ossification was identified as a potential risk factor for HO and high-grade HO. Patients with high-grade HO had limited ROM of replacement levels and the cervical spine and had a high incidence of ASD compared to those without high-grade HO.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors enhance estrogen receptor beta expression and augment agonist-mediated tumor suppression in glioblastoma
Authors: Pratap Uday P , Sareddy Gangadhara R , Liu Zexuan , Venkata Prabhakar Pitta , Liu Junhao , Tang Weiwei , Altwegg Kristin A , Ebrahimi Behnam , Li Xiaonan , Tekmal Rajeshwar R , Viswanadhapalli Suryavathi , McHardy Stanton , Brenner Andrew J , Vadlamudi Ratna K
Published: July 2021

Background

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most lethal primary brain tumors. Estrogen receptor β (ESR2/ERβ) function as a tumor suppressor in GBM, however, ERβ expression is commonly suppressed during glioma progression. In this study, we examined whether drugs that reverse epigenetic modifications will enhance ERβ expression and augment ERβ agonist-mediated tumor suppression.

Methods

We tested the utility of epigenetic drugs which act as an inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs), histone methylases, and BET enzymes. Mechanistic studies utilized RT-qPCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and western blotting. Cell viability, apoptosis, colony formation, and invasion were measured using in vitro assays. An orthotopic GBM model was used to test the efficacy of in vivo.

Results

Of all inhibitors tested, HDACi (panobinostat and romidepsin) showed the potential to increase the expression of ERβ in GBM cells. Treatment with HDACi uniquely upregulated ERβ isoform 1 expression that functions as a tumor suppressor but not ERβ isoform 5 that drives oncogenic functions. Further, combination therapy of HDACi with the ERβ agonist, LY500307, potently reduced cell viability, invasion, colony formation, and enhanced apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that HDACi induced ERβ is functional, as it enhanced ERβ reporter activities and ERβ target genes expression. ChIP analysis confirmed alterations in the histone acetylation at the ERβ and its target gene promoters. In orthotopic GBM model, combination therapy of panobinostat and LY500307 enhanced survival of tumor-bearing mice.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the combination therapy of HDACi and LY500307 provides therapeutic utility in overcoming the suppression of ERβ expression that commonly occurs in GBM progression.
Classical Antiquity
Authors: Malik Shushma
Published: July 2021

This article considers how the Roman Republic could function as a site of decadence for both ancient writers and later critics. While Imperial Rome and its colorful emperors frequently appear in fin-de-siècle literature and artwork, the Roman Republic was also home to a host of morally ambiguous characters. The early Republic is perhaps better known for its heroes—Brutus, Horatius, Cloelia, or Mucius—but even within the characterizations of these seemingly virtuous Romans there is room for accusations of lateness, inadequacy, and decline. The hallmarks of decadence can be found in the long history of Rome, from its foundation through to its “fall” in the West. As such, the moral and material stagnation that is so familiar from decadent references to Imperial Rome can be usefully understood as a result of the decline that was always present in the state and appears even in the biographies of its most illustrious citizens.
Essays
Authors: Freeman Nick
Published: July 2021

This article examines the phenomenon of the “decadent essay” through discussion of works by significant practitioners of the form, such as Oscar Wilde and Max Beerbohm. It argues that decadent writers played a sophisticated game whereby they adapted the discussion of their interests to the needs of the marketplace without appearing to make commercially-driven compromises. Using Virginia Woolf’s views of the essay as a defining reference point, the chapter looks at the ways in which Arthur Symons and Hubert Crackanthorpe articulated what decadence might be in both mainstream (Harper’s New Monthly Magazine) and more avant-garde periodicals (The Yellow Book and The Savoy). Finally, it considers some of the ways in which the associations and attitudes of decadence crossed over from essays into fiction by novelists such as Robert Hichens, Ada Leverson, and Aldous Huxley.
The Rise and Rise of K-Pop
Authors: Howard Keith
Published: July 2021

K-pop, Korean popular music, is a central component in Korea’s cultural exports. It helps brand Korea, and through sponsorships and tie-ups, generates attention for Korea that goes well beyond the music and media industries. This essay traces the history of Korean popular music, from its emergence in the early decades of the twentieth century, through the influence of America on South Korea’s cultural development and the assimilation of genres such as rap, reggae, punk, and hip hop, to the international success of Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ and the idol group BTS. It explores the rise of entertainment companies, how they overcame the digital challenge, and how their use of restrictive contracts created today’s cultural economy. It introduces issues of gender and sexuality, and outlines how music videos and social media have been used to leverage fandom.
Language, Ability, and Breast Cancer
Authors: Ramanathan Vaidehi
Published: July 2021

While previous applied sociolinguistic scholarship has addressed language in a variety of medical and ability-related settings, and while there is now a growing body of research on concerns relating to language and sexuality, discussions about language, ability, and sexuality remain underinvestigated. Focusing on breast cancer, an ailment that affects a sexualized body part, this chapter discusses how patient and caregiver narratives (pathographies) around the condition have crucial implications for concerns about sexuality. In particular, the chapter addresses two metaprescriptive utterances (Lyotard 1984) related to the condition—amputation and prosthesis—with a view to showing how these medicalized terms are singularities that have the power to erase individual voices struggling with the disability of a sexualized body part. This chapter offers an exploration of these concerns to nuance current debates about identity shifts in the contexts of ability and sexuality, while also ushering in concerns about (dis)citizenship.
Semantics and Pragmatics: Blurring Boundaries and Constructing Contexts
Authors: McConnell-Ginet Sally
Published: July 2021

Semantics and pragmatics are increasingly seen as inextricably interwoven in understanding linguistically conveyed meaning. Scholarship on gender and sexuality now mostly considers cultural and bodily/biological concerns as enmeshed, not clearly separable. Gender and sexual identities and practices are also changing. Many contexts no longer support familiar assumptions about what “goes without saying”—for example, marriage is between a woman and a man, someone pregnant must be a woman (or girl), not protesting sexual overtures constitutes consenting to them, and many more. As the landscape surrounding gender and sexuality changes, so do linguistic actions and attitudes in that landscape, constructing new contexts. Familiar labels for sexual identities and activities shift and are often contested, new labels arise for possibilities once unrecognized (sometimes non-existent), people police others’ linguistic practices and jockey for semantic authority. Semantic and pragmatic approaches to language and sexuality show indeterminacy, change, and (sometimes competing) interests of language users.
Heracles Rationalized and Allegorized
Authors: Hawes Greta
Published: July 2021

This chapter analyzes ancient attempts to render Heracles as a historical figure (“rationalization”) and to find in his stories philosophical principles (“allegorization”). It argues that rationalistic and allegorical interpretations cannot be as clearly delineated from one another in practice as they frequently are in theory, and that neither was hermetically removed from the “conventional” tradition of ancient storytelling. All three betray the interaction between fragmentation of episodes and a cohesive portrait of the figure. The well-worn habits of narrating Heracles as a far-traveling, long-toiling individual noted for his out-sized personality and for defeating a range of monsters reappear: in the hands of the rationalizers he imposes order on a primitive world, fighting opponents who are fabulous only in reputation; allegorists make these opponents figures of moral distractions which must be conquered in the soul.
On “Dynastic” Inequality
Authors: Halliday Daniel , Stewart Miranda
Published: July 2021

This chapter investigates whether the replication of inequality is, other things being equal, morally objectionable in ways not applicable to inequality that remains confined to a single generation or “birth cohort.” The focus is both theoretical and practical. The chapter considers the philosophical foundations that might lie behind an objection to dynastic inequality, negotiating the diversity of egalitarian views supporting this position and the complexity around the causal mechanisms at work in cases where inequality has a dynastic tendency. It then discusses the policy reforms that might target inequalities that replicate old distributive trends while leaving newly produced trends more intact, with a focus on tax policy. Current tax rules in most developed economies do not make a distinction between new and old influences on the material distribution. Accordingly, it is likely that the tax reforms implied could be quite extensive.
Calvinist Debates on History
Authors: Gaganakis Costas
Published: July 2021

From the mid-sixteenth century, the emergent Calvinist movement was actively engaged in the massive ‘turn to history’ generated by both confessional camps of the Reformation crisis, in their doctrinal and subsequently military and political confrontation that escalated into religious war. Following the lead of their Lutheran counterparts, Calvinist historians ascribed the confrontation in the broader, providential plan, while at the same time attempting to incorporate the national histories of their countries in the narrative of the opposition against Roman theological and political tyranny. Despite Calvin’s original distancing from the prophetic/apocalyptic discourse dominant in the Lutheran camp, the cataclysmic events ushered in by the escalation of the Reformation crisis, especially in France, generated a return to the prophetic/apocalyptic discourse of ecclesiastical history, historia sacra. With the sole exception of Lancelot Voisin de la Popelinière, Calvinist historians in the late sixteenth century sought consolation and encouragement in the providential history of the true, universal Church.
Calvinism, Anti-Calvinism, and the Admonition Controversy in Elizabethan England
Authors: Harkins Robert
Published: July 2021

This chapter examines English understandings of Calvin and Calvinism during the reign of Elizabeth I. In particular, it focuses on the ‘Admonition Controversy’ of the 1570s, when puritan demands for further reformation stoked disputes with official church leadership. The dispute began in 1572 with the appearance of a pair of incendiary pro-Presbyterian pamphlets, the Admonition to the Parliament and the Second Admonition to the Parliament, but would continue for decades, and is now largely known for the long-running theological debate that ensued between John Whitgift and Thomas Cartwright. An examination of the roots of the controversy, however, reveals that perceptions of Calvinism in England were coloured by far more than a shared doctrinal outlook or theological consensus. For some of the Elizabethan bishops, most especially, Calvin and the Genevan model of reformation were not only associated with an uncomfortable history of religious conflict, but were also tainted by a political theology that had the potential to destabilize the English state.
Work and Workers in International Markets
Authors: Ahlquist John S.
Published: July 2021

Four “problems” drive the International Political Economy (IPE) literature on work and workers in a globalized world: the economic determinants of workers’ political orientations; the role and future of labor unions; the regulation and governance of international supply chains; and migration. There remain walled gardens in the IPE literature on labor that inhibit productive exchange but the literature on supply chain governance and labor standards stands out for its policy relevance and active collaboration among scholars from different IPE traditions. The chapter concludes with reflections on how the implicit definition of “problems,” as opposed to explicit normative claims might not be “first best.”
Appreciation Modes in Empirical Aesthetics
Authors: Reber Rolf
Published: July 2021

There are three main modes of appreciation of aesthetic objects. The first is the appreciation of aesthetic pleasure, most often beauty. A simple account of the experience of beauty is the fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure. A more complex account assumes that there are two levels of aesthetic pleasure, a shallow one based on low-level experiences like fluency, and a deep level where disfluency leads to interest. The second mode of appreciation pertains to emotions experienced in response to an artwork, as illustrated by the distancing–embracing model of aesthetic emotions. The final mode of appreciation includes understanding an artwork. Cognitive models of artistic understanding assume that processes of perception, memory, and interpretation determine cognitive mastery. From the humanities tradition, cognitive models have been criticized because they neglect the historical context of the creation of the artwork as an objective component to understanding. A recent model combines art-historical context with cognitive processes and claims that such artistic understanding is essential to aesthetic appreciation.
Motor threshold, motor evoked potential, central motor conduction time
Authors: Schmidt Sein H. , Brandt Stephan A.
Published: July 2021

In this chapter, we survey parameters influencing the assessment of the size and latency of motor evoked potentials (MEP), in normal and pathological conditions, and methods to allow for a meaningful quantification of MEP characteristics. In line with the first edition of this textbook, we extensively discuss three established mechanisms of intrinsic physiological variance and collision techniques that aim to minimize their influence. For the first time, in line with the ever wider use of optical navigation and targeting systems in brain stimulation, we discuss novel methods to capture and minimize the influence of extrinsic biophysical variance. Together, following the rules laid out in this chapter, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can account for spinal and extrinsic biophysical variance to advance investigations of the central origins of MEP size and latency variability.
Down-to-Earth. What Can We Learn from Local Case Studies?
Authors: Drápalová Eliška
Published: July 2021

This chapter explores how a subnational focus contributes to understanding the factors that determine the quality of government and corruption. It points to the limitation of national-level and cross-country studies and highlights the advantages of adopting a city-level approach and case study research. It emphasizes where a subnational focus adds to the current literature and debates on the quality of government, mainly generating new research questions and theories, as well as describing processes and testing mechanisms. It deals in more detail with explanations regarding economic resources, the role of voters enforcing electoral accountability, civil society, and the political competition. Finally, the chapter proposes a framework that integrates the most relevant factors, combining business associations’ pressure and multilevel political competition. This chapter combines the existing research with examples from quantitative and comparative case studies of Southern and Eastern European cities.
The Use and Misuse of Patent Data: Issues for Finance and Beyond
Authors: Lerner Josh , Seru Amit
Published: July 2021

Patents and citations are powerful tools increasingly used in financial economics (and management research more broadly) to understand innovation. Biases may result, however, from the interactions between the truncation of patents and citations and the changing composition of inventors. When aggregated at the firm level, these patent and citation biases can survive popular adjustment methods and are correlated with firm characteristics. These issues can lead to problematic inferences. We provide an actionable checklist to avoid biased inferences and also suggest machine learning as a potential new way to address these problems.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online
The assessment of presenteeism and activity impairment in Behçet’s syndrome and recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a multicentre study
Authors: Karacayli Umit , Adesanya Adebowale , Aksoy Aysun , Belem Joice M F M , Cardin Natália Borges , Sarı Fatma Busra , Beyhan Tuğba Emine , Çelik Zülal , Karacayli Ceren , Alibaz-Öner Fatma , Inanç Nevsun , Ergun Tülin , Yay Meral , Madanat Wafa , Silva de Souza Alexandre Wagner , Fortune Farida , Direskeneli Haner , Mumcu Gonca
Published: July 2021

Objective

To evaluate key factors for presenteeism and activity impairment in multinational patients with Behçet’s syndrome (BS) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 364 BS patients from Jordan, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Turkey and 143 RAS patients from the United Kingdom and Turkey were included. The Work Productivity Activity Impairment (WPAI) scale was used for presenteeism and activity impairment. Mediation analyses were performed to evaluate both direct and indirect causal effects.

Results

Presenteeism score was higher in active patients with genital ulcers and eye involvement as well as patients with comorbidities and current smokers than the others in BS (P < 0.05). In RAS, presenteeism score was elevated by oral ulcer activity in the direct path (P = 0.0073) and long disease duration as a mediator in the indirect path (P = 0.0191). Patients with active joint involvement had poor scores in absenteeism, presenteeism, overall impairment and activity impairment compared with those of inactive patients (P < 0.05). Using mediation analysis, the activity impairment score was directly mediated by joint activity (P = 0.0001) and indirectly mediated through oral ulcer-related pain in BS (P = 0.0309).

Conclusion

In BS, presenteeism was associated with disease activity, presence of comorbidities and being a current smoker, whereas in RAS, presenteeism was associated with oral ulcer activity and increased length of the disease. Moreover, activity impairment was adversely affected by joint activity and oral ulcer related pain in BS. Patients need to be empowered by using appropriate treatment strategies in their working environment and daily life.
Gentrified Discipline: The Impact of Gentrification on Exclusionary Punishment in Public Schools
Authors: Pearman Francis A
Published: July 2021

This study examines the effects of gentrification on exclusionary punishment in urban schools across the United States. Integrating longitudinal data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the Civil Rights Data Collection, the U.S. Census, and the American Community Survey, this study estimates the effects of gentrification on suspensions, expulsions, law enforcement referrals, and school arrests through a series of negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that gentrification does not have broad or striking influences on school disciplinary environments overall, but it does promote modest increases in out-of-school suspensions as well as racial disparities in suspensions. Little evidence is found that effects vary by sex, grade level, or school racial composition. A battery of sensitivity analyses suggests that overall findings are generally robust to the presence of unobserved confounding and are broadly consistent across alternative model specifications and different measures of gentrification.
Combined threats to native smooth-shelled mussels (genus Mytilus) in Australia: bioinvasions and hybridization
Authors: Zbawicka Małgorzata , Wenne Roman , Dias Patricia Joana , Gardner Jonathan P A
Published: July 2021

Human-mediated pressures, including bioinvasions, threaten the biotas of every continent. Hybridization and introgression between invasive and native species may result in loss of genetic integrity of native taxa but, in many cases, these events are hard to detect because the invader is impossible to tell apart from the native taxon. The problem of cryptic invasive taxa and its importance for biodiversity protection have been underestimated, because of the limited number of studies of broadly distributed taxa using sensitive nuclear DNA markers. We employed a panel of 51 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to examine genetic interactions between Australian native smooth-shelled mussels, Mytilus planulatus, and invasive and cryptic Northern Hemisphere M. galloprovincialis along 4400 km of coastline from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. Overall, 20.8% of mussels from ten sites were native species. The centre of distribution of M. planulatus is in south-eastern Australia, in particular in Tasmania. We suggest that ongoing spatial and temporal monitoring of Tasmanian sites is required to test for the presence of M. galloprovincialis and its possible further spread, and that hatchery production of M. planulatus for farming and reseeding into the wild may help reduce the likelihood of its loss.
Occurrence of a Novel Strain of Moroccan Watermelon Mosaic Virus Infecting Pumpkins in Kenya
Authors: Mumo Naomi Nzilani , Ateka Elijah Miinda , Mamati Edward George , Rimberia Fredah K. , Asudi George Ochieng’ , Machuka Eunice , Njuguna Joyce Njoki , Stomeo Francesca , Pelle Roger
Published: July 2021

The Potyvirus Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV) naturally infects and severely threatens production of cucurbits and papaya. In this study, we identified and characterized MWMV isolated from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) intercropped with MWMV-infected papaya plants through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing approaches. Complete MWMV genome sequences were obtained from two pumpkin samples through NGS and validated using Sanger sequencing. The isolates shared 83.4 to 83.7% nucleotide (nt) and 92.3 to 95.1% amino acid (aa) sequence identities in the coat protein and 79.5 to 79.9% nt and 89.2 to 89.7% aa identities in the polyprotein with papaya isolates of MWMV. Phylogenetic analysis using complete polyprotein nt sequences revealed the clustering of both pumpkin isolates of MWMV with corresponding sequences of cucurbit isolates of the virus from other parts of Africa and the Mediterranean regions, distinct from a clade formed by papaya isolates. Through sap inoculation, a pumpkin isolate of MWMV was pathogenic on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) but not on papaya. Conversely, the papaya isolate of MWMV was nonpathogenic on pumpkin, watermelon, and cucumber, but it infected zucchini. The results suggest the occurrence of two strains of MWMV in Kenya having different biological characteristics associated with the host specificity.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .