bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling seismic waves in ocean with the presence of irregular seabed and rough sea surface
Authors: Liu Xiaobo
Published: January 2023

For the simulation of seismic wavefields in the ocean, it is very important to consider the influences of the irregular seabed and the rough sea surface. To numerically model seismic waves in the ocean, the fluid seawater and the solid seabed must be treated separately, and the air–fluid and fluid–solid boundary conditions must be considered simultaneously. A fluid–solid configuration is created with the influences of a rough sea surface and an irregular seabed to carry out wavefield simulation. Based on the boundary conformal grids, the 2D acoustic wave equations (in the fluid media), the 2D elastic wave equations (in the solid media) and two boundary conditions (at the interface between air and fluid and the interface between fluid and solid) are converted from the Cartesian coordinate system into a curvilinear coordinate system. In curvilinear coordinates, the seismic wave equations and boundary conditions are discretized with finite-difference operators. At the left, right and bottom boundaries of the model, the convolutional perfectly matched layer boundary condition is used to absorb artificial reflections. The numerical simulation results show that the snapshots and shot gathers of the rough sea surface model are more complex and contain stronger reflections than those of the flat model. The rough sea surface and the pattern of the irregular seabed have a great influence on the propagation of seismic waves in the ocean.
Gas hydrate reservoir identification based on rock physics modelling and sensitive elastic parameters
Authors: Wu Cunzhi , Han Lei , Zhang Feng , Liu Junzhou , Chen Haifeng , Di Bangrang
Published: January 2023

Seismic bottom simulating reflections (BSR) analysis and seismic inversion are commonly used for gas hydrate reservoir interpretation. The relationship between gas hydrate saturation and elastic parameters can be influenced by gas hydrate occurrence state (e.g. pore-filling type gas hydrate or load-bearing type gas hydrate), and this may cause inaccurate interpretation. We first used the simplified three-phase Biot equation (STPBE) to model a formation containing two types of gas hydrate at the same time. Then the effects of occurrence state and authigenic minerals on the relationship between saturation and varied elastic parameters are analysed. Results show that bulk modulus (K), shear modulus ($\mu $), P-wave velocity (${V}_p$), S-wave velocity (${V}_s$), velocity ratio (${V}_p/{V}_s$), Poisson's ratio (v) and $\mu \rho $ increase at different rates with gas hydrate saturation, ${V}_p/{V}_s$ and v show relative higher sensitivity to occurrence state. Ratios of elastic parameter increments are further used to highlight the anomalies caused by gas hydrate. Four attributes ($\Delta K/\Delta \mu $, $\Delta {V}_p/\Delta {V}_s$, $\Delta ({V}_p/{V}_s)/\Delta \nu $ and $\Delta \lambda \rho /\Delta \mu \rho $) show good sensitivity to both gas hydrate saturation and occurrence state. $\Delta ({V}_p/{V}_s)/\Delta \nu $ and $\Delta \lambda \rho /\Delta \mu \rho $ can be used to distinguish gas hydrate with varied occurrence states from authigenic minerals (limestone, opal, pyrite and others). Two selected sensitive attributes $\Delta ({V}_p/{V}_s)/\Delta \nu $ and $\Delta \lambda \rho /\Delta \mu \rho $ are applied to well logs, four gas hydrate-bearing intervals in well 2L-38 from Mallik permafrost area in Canada and one gas hydrate-bearing interval in well A from Shenhu area in South China Sea are identified. These results are consistent with the interpreted result from the resistivity log using Archie's formula. This investigation may provide effective tools for the seismic interpretation of gas hydrate reservoirs.
Tumor-activated neutrophils promote metastasis in breast cancer via the G-CSF-RLN2-MMP-9 axis
Authors: Sheng Youjing , Peng Weidong , Huang Yan , Cheng Lanqing , Meng Ye , Kwantwi Louis Boafo , Yang Jiezhen , Xu Jiegou , Xiao Han , Kzhyshkowska Julia , Wu Qiang
Published: January 2023

The immune component of the tumor microenvironment is essential for the regulation of cancer progression. In breast cancer (BC), a patient's tumor mass is frequently infiltrated by neutrophils (tumor-associated neutrophils, TANs). Our study addressed the role of TANs and their mechanism of action in BC. Using quantitative IHC, ROC, and Cox analysis, we demonstrated that a high density of TANs infiltrating the tumor parenchyma was predictive of poor prognosis and of decreased progression-free survival of patients with BC, who underwent surgical tumor removal without previous neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in 3 different cohorts: training, validation, and independent cohorts. Conditioned medium from human BC cell lines prolonged the lifespan of healthy donor neutrophils ex vivo. Neutrophils activated by the supernatants of BC lines demonstrated an increased ability to stimulate proliferation, migration, and invasive activity of BC cells. Cytokines involved in this process were identified using antibody arrays. The relationship between these cytokines and the density of TANs was validated by ELISA and IHC in fresh BC surgical samples. It was determined that tumor-derived G-CSF significantly extended the lifespan and increased the metastasis-promoting activities of neutrophils via the PI3K-AKT and NF-κB pathways. Simultaneously, TAN-derived RLN2 promoted the migratory abilities of MCF7 cells via PI3K-AKT-MMP-9. Analysis of tumor tissues from 20 patients with BC identified a positive correlation between the density of TANs and the activation of the G-CSF-RLN2-MMP-9 axis. Finally, our data demonstrated that TANs in human BC have detrimental effects, supporting malignant cell invasion and migration.
Fast and realistic large-scale structure from machine-learning-augmented random field simulations
Authors: Piras Davide , Joachimi Benjamin , Villaescusa-Navarro Francisco
Published: January 2023

Producing thousands of simulations of the dark matter distribution in the Universe with increasing precision is a challenging but critical task to facilitate the exploitation of current and forthcoming cosmological surveys. Many inexpensive substitutes to full N-body simulations have been proposed, even though they often fail to reproduce the statistics of the smaller non-linear scales. Among these alternatives, a common approximation is represented by the lognormal distribution, which comes with its own limitations as well, while being extremely fast to compute even for high-resolution density fields. In this work, we train a generative deep learning model, mainly made of convolutional layers, to transform projected lognormal dark matter density fields to more realistic dark matter maps, as obtained from full N-body simulations. We detail the procedure that we follow to generate highly correlated pairs of lognormal and simulated maps, which we use as our training data, exploiting the information of the Fourier phases. We demonstrate the performance of our model comparing various statistical tests with different field resolutions, redshifts, and cosmological parameters, proving its robustness and explaining its current limitations. When evaluated on 100 test maps, the augmented lognormal random fields reproduce the power spectrum up to wavenumbers of $1 \, h \, \rm {Mpc}^{-1}$, and the bispectrum within 10 per cent, and always within the error bars, of the fiducial target simulations. Finally, we describe how we plan to integrate our proposed model with existing tools to yield more accurate spherical random fields for weak lensing analysis.
Oscillations in gas-grain astrochemical kinetics
Authors: Dufour Gwenaëlle , Charnley Steven B , Lindberg Johan E
Published: January 2023

We have studied gas-grain chemical models of interstellar clouds to search for non-linear dynamical evolution. A prescription is given for producing oscillatory solutions when a bistable solution exists in the gas-phase chemistry and we demonstrate the existence of limit cycle and relaxation oscillation solutions. As the autocatalytic chemical processes underlying these solutions are common to all models of interstellar chemistry, the occurrence of these solutions should be widespread. We briefly discuss the implications for interpreting molecular cloud composition with time-dependent models and some future directions for this approach.
Improving Orthologous Signal and Model Fit in Datasets Addressing the Root of the Animal Phylogeny
Authors: McCarthy Charley G P , Mulhair Peter O , Siu-Ting Karen , Creevey Christopher J , O’Connell Mary J
Published: January 2023

There is conflicting evidence as to whether Porifera (sponges) or Ctenophora (comb jellies) comprise the root of the animal phylogeny. Support for either a Porifera-sister or Ctenophore-sister tree has been extensively examined in the context of model selection, taxon sampling, and outgroup selection. The influence of dataset construction is comparatively understudied. We re-examine five animal phylogeny datasets that have supported either root hypothesis using an approach designed to enrich orthologous signal in phylogenomic datasets. We find that many component orthogroups in animal datasets fail to recover major lineages as monophyletic with the exception of Ctenophora, regardless of the supported root. Enriching these datasets to retain orthogroups recovering ≥3 major lineages reduces dataset size by up to 50% while retaining underlying phylogenetic information and taxon sampling. Site-heterogeneous phylogenomic analysis of these enriched datasets recovers both Porifera-sister and Ctenophora-sister positions, even with additional constraints on outgroup sampling. Two datasets which previously supported Ctenophora-sister support Porifera-sister upon enrichment. All enriched datasets display improved model fitness under posterior predictive analysis. While not conclusively rooting animals at either Porifera or Ctenophora, we do see an increase in signal for Porifera-sister and a decrease in signal for Ctenophore-sister when data are filtered for orthologous signal. Our results indicate that dataset size and construction as well as model fit influence animal root inference.
Estimating Temporally Variable Selection Intensity from Ancient DNA Data
Authors: He Zhangyi , Dai Xiaoyang , Lyu Wenyang , Beaumont Mark , Yu Feng
Published: January 2023

Novel technologies for recovering DNA information from archaeological and historical specimens have made available an ever-increasing amount of temporally spaced genetic samples from natural populations. These genetic time series permit the direct assessment of patterns of temporal changes in allele frequencies and hold the promise of improving power for the inference of selection. Increased time resolution can further facilitate testing hypotheses regarding the drivers of past selection events such as the incidence of plant and animal domestication. However, studying past selection processes through ancient DNA (aDNA) still involves considerable obstacles such as postmortem damage, high fragmentation, low coverage, and small samples. To circumvent these challenges, we introduce a novel Bayesian framework for the inference of temporally variable selection based on genotype likelihoods instead of allele frequencies, thereby enabling us to model sample uncertainties resulting from the damage and fragmentation of aDNA molecules. Also, our approach permits the reconstruction of the underlying allele frequency trajectories of the population through time, which allows for a better understanding of the drivers of selection. We evaluate its performance through extensive simulations and demonstrate its utility with an application to the ancient horse samples genotyped at the loci for coat coloration. Our results reveal that incorporating sample uncertainties can further improve the inference of selection.
Antifungal Drug Concentration Impacts the Spectrum of Adaptive Mutations in Candida albicans
Authors: Todd Robert T , Soisangwan Natthapon , Peters Sam , Kemp Bailey , Crooks Taylor , Gerstein Aleeza , Selmecki Anna
Published: January 2023

Invasive fungal infections are a leading global cause of human mortality. Only three major classes of antifungal drugs are widely used, and resistance to all three classes can arise rapidly. The most widely prescribed antifungal drug, fluconazole, disseminates rapidly and reaches a wide range of concentrations throughout the body. The impact of drug concentration on the spectrum and effect of mutations acquired during adaptation is not known for any fungal pathogen, and how the specific level of a given stress influences the distribution of beneficial mutations has been poorly explored in general. We evolved 144 lineages from three genetically distinct clinical isolates of Candida albicans to four concentrations of fluconazole (0, 1, 8, and 64 μg/ml) and performed comprehensive phenotypic and genomic comparisons of ancestral and evolved populations. Adaptation to different fluconazole concentrations resulted in distinct adaptive trajectories. In general, lineages evolved to drug concentrations close to their MIC50 (the level of drug that reduces growth by 50% in the ancestor) tended to rapidly evolve an increased MIC50 and acquired distinct segmental aneuploidies and copy number variations. By contrast, lineages evolved to drug concentrations above their ancestral MIC50 tended to acquire a different suite of mutational changes and increased in drug tolerance (the ability of a subpopulation of cells to grow slowly above their MIC50). This is the first evidence that different concentrations of drug can select for different genotypic and phenotypic outcomes in vitro and may explain observed in vivo drug response variation.
Structures of human TR4LBD–JAZF1 and TR4DBD–DNA complexes reveal the molecular basis of transcriptional regulation
Authors: Liu Yunlong , Ma Lulu , Li Min , Tian Zizi , Yang Meiting , Wu Xi , Wang Xue , Shang Guohui , Xie Mengjia , Chen Yiyun , Liu Xin , Jiang Lun , Wu Wei , Xu Chaoqun , Xia Liqun , Li Gonghui , Dai Shaodong , Chen Zhongzhou
Published: January 2023

Testicular nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) modulates the transcriptional activation of genes and plays important roles in many diseases. The regulation of TR4 on target genes involves direct interactions with DNA molecules via the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and recruitment of coregulators by the ligand-binding domain (LBD). However, their regulatory mechanisms are unclear. Here, we report high-resolution crystal structures of TR4DBD, TR4DBD–DNA complexes and the TR4LBD–JAZF1 complex. For DNA recognition, multiple factors come into play, and a specific mutual selectivity between TR4 and target genes is found. The coactivators SRC-1 and CREBBP can bind at the interface of TR4 originally occupied by the TR4 activation function region 2 (AF-2); however, JAZF1 suppresses the binding through a novel mechanism. JAZF1 binds to an unidentified surface of TR4 and stabilizes an α13 helix never reported in the nuclear receptor family. Moreover, the cancer-associated mutations affect the interactions and the transcriptional activation of TR4 in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Overall, our results highlight the crucial role of DNA recognition and a novel mechanism of how JAZF1 reinforces the autorepressed conformation and influences the transcriptional activation of TR4, laying out important structural bases for drug design for a variety of diseases, including diabetes and cancers.
Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A/LSD1) inhibition attenuates DNA double-strand break repair and augments the efficacy of temozolomide in glioblastoma
Authors: Alejo Salvador , Palacios Bridgitte E , Venkata Prabhakar Pitta , He Yi , Li Wenjing , Johnson Jessica D , Chen Yihong , Jayamohan Sridharan , Pratap Uday P , Clarke Kyra , Zou Yi , Lv Yingli , Weldon Korri , Viswanadhapalli Suryavathi , Lai Zhao , Ye Zhenqing , Chen Yidong , Gilbert Andrea R , Suzuki Takayoshi , Tekmal Rajeshwar R , Zhao Weixing , Zheng Siyuan , Vadlamudi Ratna K , Brenner Andrew J , Sareddy Gangadhara R
Published: January 2023

Background

Efficient DNA repair in response to standard chemo and radiation therapies often contributes to glioblastoma (GBM) therapy resistance. Understanding the mechanisms of therapy resistance and identifying the drugs that enhance the therapeutic efficacy of standard therapies may extend the survival of GBM patients. In this study, we investigated the role of KDM1A/LSD1 in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and a combination of KDM1A inhibitor and temozolomide (TMZ) in vitro and in vivo using patient-derived glioma stem cells (GSCs).

Methods

Brain bioavailability of the KDM1A inhibitor (NCD38) was established using LS-MS/MS. The effect of a combination of KDM1A knockdown or inhibition with TMZ was studied using cell viability and self-renewal assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using CUT&Tag-seq, RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, western blot, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) reporter, immunofluorescence, and comet assays. Orthotopic murine models were used to study efficacy in vivo.

Results

TCGA analysis showed KDM1A is highly expressed in TMZ-treated GBM patients. Knockdown or knockout or inhibition of KDM1A enhanced TMZ efficacy in reducing the viability and self-renewal of GSCs. Pharmacokinetic studies established that NCD38 readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. CUT&Tag-seq studies showed that KDM1A is enriched at the promoters of DNA repair genes and RNA-seq studies confirmed that KDM1A inhibition reduced their expression. Knockdown or inhibition of KDM1A attenuated HR and NHEJ-mediated DNA repair capacity and enhanced TMZ-mediated DNA damage. A combination of KDM1A knockdown or inhibition and TMZ treatment significantly enhanced the survival of tumor-bearing mice.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that KDM1A inhibition sensitizes GBM to TMZ via attenuation of DNA DSB repair pathways.
Collateral damage: a case report of vertebral artery dissection and stroke in the young with persistent primitive trigeminal artery
Authors: Caesar Kymmi S , Maharaj Dale A , Ramlakhansingh Anil , Sinanan Alexander , Ramsingh Richard
Published: January 2023

Stroke in the young is an uncommon condition resulting in significant morbidity and as result trammels the integrity of healthcare systems [1]. We present an unusual case of a 37-year-old male presenting with neurologic signs of right parietal lobe infarction with evidence of vertebral artery dissection and persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomosis as a conduit for thromboembolism.
Post thrombolytic alveolar hemorrhage: a case report
Authors: Mardenli Mahmoud , Ghabally Mike , Horo Barkhodan , Alkhatib Qais , Raee Malek
Published: January 2023

Alveolar hemorrhage following thrombolytic agents administration is an extremely rare entity that has only been reported in twenty two patients in the medical literature. We herein report a case of a 60-year old male with an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction who was treated with Streptokinase. Twelve hours after streptokinase adminstration, the patient developed severe hemoptysis and dyspnea and radiological studies were highly suggestive for acute alveolar hemorrhage. His past medical history is significant for severe chest trauma ten months prior to presentation. . Conservative therapy in addition to anti-coagulants withdrawal has led to gradual improvement in the next six days. We also discussed the aspects of our patient in comparison with published cases.
Poly-microbial Clostridium cadaveris bacteremia in an immune-compromised patient
Authors: Abarca Jorge , Awada Bassem , Itkin Boris , Milupi Manyando
Published: January 2023

Clostridium cadaveris (C. cadaveris), a strict anaerobic gram-positive rod, is rarely reported in clinical specimens. Since its detection in 1899, it has always been linked to the decay of dead bodies. C. cadaveris is considered non-pathogenic to humans, however infrequently it can cause severe infections including bacteremia. The latter was typically associated with gastro-intestinal pathologies. We report the first case of C. cadaveris invasive infection at Sultanate Oman. The source was most probably an infected decubitus ulcer.
A rare case of scleritis and multiple rheumatoid pulmonary nodules associated with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Sato Fumikazu , Yamano Takahiro , Manbo Yoshimi , Sakaguchi Kimikazu , Yamaguchi Kaori , Miyake Taito
Published: January 2023

Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less likely to have extra-articular manifestations than seropositive RA. An 80-year-old man with polyarthritis was diagnosed with seronegative RA in which rheumatoid factors and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides were not detected. He had multiple pulmonary nodules that diminished in size following treatment for RA, leading to the diagnosis of pulmonary rheumatoid nodules. During his treatment course, he developed scleritis, which could have resulted in blindness. As oral steroids did not improve his condition, topical steroid injections were administered, and his symptoms gradually improved. Here, we present a case of seronegative RA with an unusual combination of extra-articular manifestations: rheumatoid pulmonary nodules and scleritis.
Fairness
Authors: Barling Julian
Published: January 2023

One might question why a discussion about fairness is even necessary, but as Jerald Greenberg sadly reminded us, organizational fairness may be common sense but it is not common practice. This should be of huge concern for organizations and their members. Summarizing what is known about the effects of fairness and unfairness at work, no one has said it better than a group of noted epidemiologists: Being treated fairly, they claim, reminds us that we are valued, while unfair treatment can be “a source of oppression, deprivation and distress.” Just how important the experience of fairness or unfairness is evident from the vicarious experience of unfairness: even watching others being treated unfairly is enough to leave people feeling demoralized and wanting revenge.
Meaning
Authors: Barling Julian
Published: January 2023

While acknowledgment of the importance of belonging and growth needs is not new, appreciating the need for meaning at work is. We now know that finding meaning in your work is largely about helping others and is associated with favorable work attitudes, better work performance, and well-being. Of some concern, access to meaningful work seems to have declined since the turn of the century. And what does the opposite of meaningful work look like? We show that workaholism, doing boring work or dirty work, or feeling that you or your work are invisible are associated with negative work attitudes, work performance, and well-being. We pay special attention to how people engaged in dirty work—work that other people think is physically, socially, or morally disgusting, degrading, or distasteful—do what they can to find meaning in their work.
Questions
Authors: Rufai Sohaib R.
Published: January 2023

This paper covers the full range of core subjects tested in the FRCOphth Part 1 examination: optics, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, genetics, investigations, and miscellaneous (biostatistics and evidence-based medicine). As well as ophthalmic subjects, this paper covers general physiology, general pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, and immunology. Several high-yield topics are covered. Ray diagrams are provided for the reflection of light by mirrors (convex and concave), Gullstrand’s schematic eye, and the reduced eye. An anatomical diagram displays the contents of the superior orbital fissure. The layers of the retina as seen on optical coherence tomography imaging are included, with a helpful mnemonic. Innervation and actions of the extraocular muscles are summarised in a table. The action potential is explained in a simple diagram. Histopathological slides displaying corneal dystrophies (lattice, macular, and granular) are included, with a helpful mnemonic. Electrodiagnostic tests are covered with useful figures. A flowchart for common statistical tests is provided.
Questions
Authors: Rufai Sohaib R.
Published: January 2023

This paper covers the full range of core subjects tested in the FRCOphth Part 1 examination: optics, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, genetics, investigations, and miscellaneous (biostatistics and evidence-based medicine). As well as ophthalmic subjects, this paper covers general physiology, general pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, and immunology. Several high-yield topics are covered. Biological inheritance is explained using pedigree charts showing autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance and a helpful pedigree chart key is provided, covering essential terms. Basic orbital anatomy is displayed on neuroimaging. The box and whisker plot is explained in a helpful diagram.
Solutions
Authors: Rufai Sohaib R.
Published: January 2023

This paper covers the full range of core subjects tested in the FRCOphth Part 1 examination: optics, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, genetics, investigations, and miscellaneous (biostatistics and evidence-based medicine). As well as ophthalmic subjects, this paper covers general physiology, general pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, and immunology. Several high-yield topics are covered. Ray diagrams are provided for the reflection of light by mirrors (convex and concave), Gullstrand’s schematic eye, and the reduced eye. An anatomical diagram displays the contents of the superior orbital fissure. The layers of the retina as seen on optical coherence tomography imaging are included, with a helpful mnemonic. Innervation and actions of the extraocular muscles are summarised in a table. The action potential is explained in a simple diagram. Histopathological slides displaying corneal dystrophies (lattice, macular, and granular) are included, with a helpful mnemonic. Electrodiagnostic tests are covered with useful figures. A flowchart for common statistical tests is provided
Solutions
Authors: Rufai Sohaib R.
Published: January 2023

This paper covers the full range of core subjects tested in the FRCOphth Part 1 examination: optics, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, genetics, investigations, and miscellaneous (biostatistics and evidence-based medicine). As well as ophthalmic subjects, this paper covers general physiology, general pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, and immunology. Several high-yield topics are covered. Biological inheritance is explained using pedigree charts showing autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance and a helpful pedigree chart key is provided, covering essential terms. Basic orbital anatomy is displayed on neuroimaging. The box and whisker plot is explained in a helpful diagram
Strict Liability in the Four Tort Systems
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

Part 2 presents the four substantive laws and sets out the contexts of strict liability which can be identified in each of them. This will provide the necessary background for the comparative discussion of legal reasoning in Part 3, where the various arguments are discussed in relation to the specific contexts of liability for which they are invoked. More in detail, Part 2 explains how strict liability is understood in each of the four systems studied and it illustrates contexts of strict liability such as the vicarious liability of employers and parents, liability of public authorities, liability for defective products, the French and the Italian liabilities for the deeds of things, the English rule in Rylands v Fletcher, and the US liability for abnormally dangerous activities. Overall, Part 2 shows that strict liability is understood in loosely similar ways across the four laws and that, while strict liability features in all the four legal systems, it does so in different ways and to conspicuously differing extents across them.
Accident Avoidance
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores accident avoidance as a justification put forward to explain or support the imposition of strict liability in the four legal systems studied. First, the section explains how this argument works by identifying the ways in which strict liability may promote the avoidance of accidents more effectively than liability based on fault. Secondly, it unravels the patterns of use that characterize this argument in the four legal systems, while also assessing its justificatory significance and paying attention to the contexts of liability in relation to which this argument is invoked. The section shows that accident avoidance represents a widespread and important argument in the US and Italian legal reasoning on strict liability, while it is of more limited significance in the French and English contexts. There are various reasons for these differences, and they mainly relate to the way in which tort law and its functions are perceived as well as to the role that the economic analysis of law plays in the four legal systems studied.
Loss Spreading
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores loss spreading as a justification put forward to explain or support the imposition of strict liability in the four legal systems studied. First, the section presents the core idea behind this argument and its several internal variations (insurance spreading (comprising insurability and actual insurance coverage), enterprise spreading, taxation spreading, and burden–benefit proportionality). Secondly, the section unravels the patterns of use that characterize all these variations in the four legal systems, it assesses their justificatory significance, and it pays attention to the contexts of liability in relation to which the arguments are invoked. The section shows that the patterns of use and significance of arguments based on the spreading of losses present marked variations across the four systems studied, and explains why this is so. In particular, it is suggested that these differences are linked to the ways in which the debate on the functions of tort law has unfolded, with two key elements here. First, the degree to which the four legal systems are committed to the idea that tort law should be concerned only with considerations of interpersonal justice, to the exclusion of broader, collective concerns. Secondly, and relatedly, the extent to which values such as social solidarity and burden–benefit proportionality or goals such as the protection of victims or the minimization of the costs of accidents influence decisions as to the allocation of losses.
Victim Protection
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores the victim protection argument as put forward to justify the imposition of strict liability in the four legal systems studied. First, the section presents the idea behind this argument. Secondly, it unravels the patterns of use that characterize it in the four legal systems, while also assessing its justificatory significance and paying attention to the contexts of liability in relation to which it is invoked. The section shows that the victim protection argument is particularly significant in France, where there is a compensation ideology driving the reasoning in tort. In Italy and the United States the argument is also significant, though not as much as in France, with criticisms being levelled at it and attention being paid to other functions of strict liability as well. Finally, in England the patterns of use of the argument are the same as in the other three legal systems, but victim protection is invoked far less frequently and it is met with broad and explicit criticism.
Introduction
Authors: Borlik Todd Andrew
Published: January 2023

The book opens with an overview of Shakespearean ecoriticism and its overinvestment in green worlds. It argues that the Jacobean Shakespeare takes a greater interest in the prismatic wilds of Great Britain under the influence of his patron, the Scottish hunter-king James I. Synthesizing recent scholarship on Shakespeare as a court dramatist, the introduction contends that his late tragedies and romances grapple with the thorny environmental politics of the Stuart court. These plays often simulate a monarch’s-eye view of the natural world, applauding King James’s concerns about sustainability, overpopulation, and species loss. Yet they also reveal how fiercely the Crown’s dream of absolute dominion over Britain was contested. Sharing these scruples, Shakespeare appropriates and recoils from the poetics of Jacobean absolutism to dramatize the limitations imposed on the rule of both monarchs and mankind by the unruliness of the more-than-human environment.
Staging Darkness at Whitehall and Blackfriars
Authors: Borlik Todd Andrew
Published: January 2023

The final chapter spotlights the role of the theatre industry as a driver of human nocturnalization in Stuart Britain. As a court dramatist, Shakespeare was directly involved in the late-night revels of the Stuart court, but remained ambivalent about the court masque and its enactment both on-stage and off of the state’s vanquishing of darkness through artificial illumination. The chapter juxtaposes the nocturnal carnivalesque in plays like Antony and Cleopatra and Timon of Athens with tragic anti-masques of night-induced disability in Macbeth and King Lear that expose the flattering of James as an all-seeing, sun-like monarch. The chapter then links these divergent responses to the respective lighting levels in the hyper-illuminated Whitehall and the more dimly lit Blackfriars. Detecting an ugly correlation between nyctophobia and racism, the chapter gauges whether Shakespearean drama reinforces prejudice against other races, species, and abilities, or might instil a salutary acceptance of darkness and difference.
Conclusion
Authors: Borlik Todd Andrew
Published: January 2023

The conclusion reviews Lewis and Maslin’s claim that the Anthropocene commenced in 1610, and considers whether the developments in cultural and environmental history documented in this book make this something more than a coincidence. It argues that Jacobean absolutism’s polarizing rhetoric gave rise to corresponding notion of the sovereignty of the people in the early Anthropocene, but that Shakespearean drama is highly sceptical of both royal absolutism and the cosmic narcissism of mere mortals. Shakespeare’s clinical dissection of the ideological trifecta of god/king/man makes his late plays a valuable resource for exposing humanity’s eco-hubris as ecological tyranny. The book concludes by encouraging readers to find ways to teach and perform Shakespearean tragedies as ritual abdications of species tyranny and his tragicomedies as fables of resilience and radical hope.
An Equality-sensitive Approach to Delivering Socio-economic Rights during Crises
Authors: Miyandazi Victoria
Published: January 2023

This chapter discusses how the dire situation of vulnerable groups in Kenya is exacerbated in times of crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Loss of employment, food shortages, and the high cost of living, coupled with the lack of equality-sensitive interventions by the government, have led to a rise in the number of Kenyans living in absolute poverty. This is despite the fact that Kenya’s 2010 Constitution contains multiple provisions on the protection of the socio-economic rights of vulnerable groups, with Article 20(5)(b) going even further to require the prioritization of the needs of vulnerable groups when implementing the socio-economic rights in Article 43 of the Constitution, to ensure their widest possible enjoyment. The chapter argues that, as much as Kenya’s laws provide the necessary legal framework and impetus for applying equality-sensitive approaches to delivering socio-economic rights and to avoid reinforcing inequality in times of crisis, they are not implemented by those in charge. The challenge, therefore, is the lack of application of actual laws in practice to facilitate the implementation of socio-economic rights to address the adverse effects of crises and their aftermath. In the final analysis, the chapter emphasizes that the needs of the most vulnerable in society should be prioritized when the state is implementing initiatives to respond to crises. This is what is constitutionally mandated in Kenya. To achieve this may mean the enactment of laws to best tackle contempt of court orders and blatant disregard of the law.
A First Look at Strategic Thinking
Authors: Arterton F. Christopher
Published: January 2023

For those working in public life, the overused term “strategy” can lead to vagueness in thinking and sloppiness and confusion in performance. Political managers need a precise term that defines their struggle to enact public policies that will implement their vision for a better world. Four different arenas of reflection will serve to renew the reader’s ability to think strategically: the science of military conflicts, strategic planning, persuasive communications, and dynamic interpersonal interaction. As an instrumental concept, “strategy” is more precisely applied to thinking than to actions. Strategy is then a means—a plan of action—to achieve one’s objective or vision despite aggressive opposition.
Real Women
Authors: McKinney Jennifer
Published: January 2023

This chapter addresses the primary roles for women in the context Mark Driscoll’s hypermasculine theology. Within their “homeward domain,” women were expected to be exemplary wives, mothers, and lovers. To be successful in these roles, women were told to resist being conformed to the broader culture’s feminist ideology. By rejecting feminist ideology and choosing to learn in submission, women could strive to be “Proverbs 31 women,” the epitome of successful wives and mothers. Women also needed to learn to be generous lovers to their husbands. While the roles of women were often embraced by members of Mars Hill Church, adhering to these roles could be problematic.
Conclusion
Authors: McKinney Jennifer
Published: January 2023

This chapter links the rise in hypermasculine theology with the rise in Christian nationalism and evangelical support for Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Hypermasculine theology and Christian nationalism both seek to return American families to patriarchal gender norms. Both movements are a reaction against feminism. Mark Driscoll’s hypermasculine theology was abetted by the New Calvinism, a movement within evangelical Christianity to reassert hierarchical gender roles, to put men into power—in the home and throughout American institutions, including politics. The growth of megachurches has also intensified the power and visibility of these theologies and evangelicals’ political power.
The Possibility of the Human Right to Environment—From a Viewpoint of Legal Philosophy
Authors: Hasegawa KO
Published: January 2023

This chapter explores the philosophical ground of the human right to environment in a broad and integrative way. It discusses the significance of the concept of rights in the normative space for human society in order to show its significance for natural and societal environments for all human beings; the significance of the natural environment for the survival and subsistence of human beings in order to show its value for human rights, along with the significance of societal environment; the significance of the human right to environment and its place in the web of human rights protections in order to explicate its normative potentialities; and the universality of the human right to environment in facing the fact of global legal pluralism. These discussions show a cogent outlook for the possibility of the human right to environment, both natural and societal.
Introductory Note
Authors: Nieto-Navia Rafael
Published: January 2023

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT/MICT) was established by the UN Security Council through Resolution 1966 on 22 December 2010 to gradually assume residual functions from both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The IRMCT started operating fully from the beginning of 2018. This introductory note refers exclusively to the work formerly carried out by the ICTY. This tribunal handed over four cases to the IRMCT: Stanišić and Simatović (MICT-15-96), trial; Karadžić, Radovan (MICT-13-55), appeal; Šešelj, Vojislav (MICT-16-99-A), appeal; and Mladić, Ratko (MICT-13-56), pre-appeal. The decision on the Karadžić case was issued on 20 March 2019.
Interplay among ZF-HD and GRF transcription factors during Arabidopsis leaf development
Authors: Ferela Antonella , Debernardi Juan Manuel , Rosatti Santiago , Liebsch Daniela , Schommer Carla , Palatnik Javier F
Published: January 2023

The growth-regulating factor (GRF) family of transcriptional factors are involved in the control of leaf size and senescence, inflorescence and root growth, grain size, and plant regeneration. However, there is limited information about the genes regulated by these transcriptional factors, which are in turn responsible for their functions. Using a meta-analysis approach, we identified genes encoding Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) zinc-finger homeodomain (ZF-HD) transcriptional factors, as potential targets of the GRFs. We further showed that GRF3 binds to the promoter of one of the members of the ZF-HD family, HOMEOBOX PROTEIN 33 (HB33), and activates its transcription. Increased levels of HB33 led to different modifications in leaf cell number and size that were dependent on its expression levels. Furthermore, we found that expression of HB33 for an extended period during leaf development increased leaf longevity. To cope with the functional redundancy among ZF-HD family members, we generated a dominant repressor version of HB33, HB33-SRDX. Expression of HB33-SRDX from HB33 regulatory regions was seedling-lethal, revealing the importance of the ZF-HD family in plant development. Misexpression of HB33-SRDX in early leaf development caused a reduction in both cell size and number. Interestingly, the loss-of-function of HB33 in lines carrying a GRF3 allele insensitive to miR396 reverted the delay in leaf senescence characteristic of these plants. Our results revealed functions for ZF-HDs in leaf development and linked them to the GRF pathway.
Inference for Linear Conditional Moment Inequalities
Authors: Andrews Isaiah , Roth Jonathan , Pakes Ariel
Published: January 2023

We show that moment inequalities in a wide variety of economic applications have a particular linear conditional structure. We use this structure to construct uniformly valid confidence sets that remain computationally tractable even in settings with nuisance parameters. We first introduce least-favorable critical values which deliver non-conservative tests if all moments are binding. Next, we introduce a novel conditional inference approach which ensures a strong form of insensitivity to slack moments. Our recommended approach is a hybrid technique which combines desirable aspects of the least favorable and conditional methods. The hybrid approach performs well in simulations calibrated to Wollmann (2018, American Economic Review, 108, 1364–1406), with favorable power and computational time comparisons relative to existing alternatives.
The mediating effect of fatigue in impaired quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus: mediation analysis of the French EQUAL cohort
Authors: Thibault Thomas , Bourredjem Abderrahmane , Maurier François , Wahl Denis , Muller Geraldine , Aumaitre Olivier , Sève Pascal , Blaison Gilles , Pennaforte Jean-Loup , Martin Thierry , Magy-Bertrand Nadine , Audia Sylvain , Arnaud Laurent , Amoura Zahir , Devilliers Hervé ,   for the EQUAL Study Group, Besancenot Jean-François , Bielefeld Philip , Berthier Sabine , Audia Sylvain , Lorcerie Bernard , Bonnotte Bernard , Samson Maxime , Vinit Julien , Ruault Sabine Meaux , Gil Helder , Broussolle Christiane , Varron Loig , Le Roux Karine , Zuily Stephane , Kaminsky Pierre , Mohamed Shirine , Muller Daniela Ibba , de Korwin Jean-Dominique , Guichard Jean-François , Marianetti Paola , Imbert Gaelle Guettrot
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Mediation analyses were conducted to measure the extent to which musculoskeletal (MSK) flares and depression affected physical health through excessive fatigue.

Methods

Mediation analyses were performed in a large multicentre cohort of SLE patients. Domains of the LupusQoL and SLEQOL questionnaires were selected as outcomes, MSK flares according to the SELENA-SLEDAI flare index (SFI-R) score and depression defined by Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) scale as exposures and different fatigue domains from MFI-20 and LupusQoL questionnaires as mediators. For each model, total, direct, indirect effects and proportion of effect mediated by fatigue (i.e. proportion of change in health-related quality of life) were determined.

Results

Of the 336 patients, 94 (28%) had MSK flares at inclusion and 99 (29.5%) were considered with depression. The proportion of the total effect of MSK flares on physical health impairment explained by fatigue ranged from 59.6% to 78% using the LupusQOL ‘Physical health’ domain and from 51.1% to 73.7% using the SLEQOL ‘Physical functioning’ domain, depending on the fatigue domain selected. The proportion of the total effect of depression on physical health impairment explained by fatigue ranged from 68.8% to 87.6% using the LupusQOL ‘Physical health’ domain and from 79.3% to 103.2% using the SLEQOL ‘Physical functioning’ domain, depending on the fatigue domain selected.

Conclusions

The effect of MSK flares and depression on physical health impairment is largely mediated by fatigue. Thus, the patient’s perception of disease activity as measured by physical health is largely influenced by fatigue. In addition, fatigue has a significant negative impact on quality of lifeof SLE patients with depression.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01904812.