bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teachers’ Voices: Neoliberal and Hindu Nationalist Agendas in School Education in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Jaipur, and Guwahati
Authors: Lall Marie , Anand Kusha
Published: May 2023

This chapter builds on the arguments presented in Chapter 3 to focus on teachers’ voices in order to show the impact of neoliberal and Hindu nationalist agendas on school education at six research sites. This chapter first provides a contextual background to school education in Delhi, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Guwahati (Assam), and Chandigarh (Punjab), and the state-led educational initiatives envisioned by their respective state governments. The research sites from across India (north, west, south, and north-east) showcase how different education is across the country by briefly highlighting how neoliberal politics shape discourse around the accountability of state governments. The next section highlights teachers’ voices to show the impact of the neoliberal agenda at the six research sites. It further presents their views of parental school choice based on the quality of education and English as the medium of instruction, reflecting the arguments about this aspect of the neoliberal agenda that are discussed in Chapter 3. The third section discusses the neoliberal agenda of the NEP 2020 and its impact on teacher agency and their pedagogical practices in schools. It also engages with the NEP 2020 recommendations on the use of mother tongue (home language or regional language) as the medium of instruction, and how this reflects the government’s Hindu nationalist agenda.
Higher Education, Neoliberalism, and Hindu Nationalism
Authors: Lall Marie , Anand Kusha
Published: May 2023

This chapter engages with the role of HE in the Hindu nationalist project and how a neoliberal trajectory was able to embed the Hindutva discourse across Indian HEIs. As Indian HE expanded rapidly after economic reforms, there was a parallel growth in the number of private institutions as well as new regulatory policies that encouraged competition between government-funded institutions. The NEP 2020 is taking this forward by moving towards a quasi-market model; this includes proposing increased technology for wider access and delivery, reflecting the wider neoliberal agenda across India. Although the NEP promises more autonomy for institutions and individual academics, the planned regulations and monitoring parameters actually make real autonomy in research and teaching impossible (Chattopadhyay, 2020). For the last 30 years, the focus of Indian HE has been on expansion and increasing access, rather than critical inquiry. As has been seen in previous chapters, and as also reflected in the wider literature on the links between neoliberalism and populism, the neoliberal trajectory increasingly attempts to stifle free speech and criticism of the government, which includes criticism of the marketization of HE and the government’s Hindutva agenda.
Combatting Disability Harassment at Work
Authors: Buckley Lucy-Ann
Published: May 2023

Persons with disabilities report high levels of harassment worldwide, often based on intersectional characteristics, such as race, gender and age. However, while #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter have highlighted ongoing experiences of sexual and racial harassment, disability harassment has received little attention. There has also been surprisingly little discussion of the human rights framework, the effectiveness of legal measures seeking to address disability harassment or the reasons for the success or failure of disability harassment claims.This book addresses these gaps. Focusing on legal measures to combat disability harassment at work, the book sets disability harassment in its human rights framework and addresses the lack of empirical information by examining the operation of disability harassment law in one jurisdiction: Ireland. It identifies the barriers to the effective operation of disability harassment provisions and explores the capacity of harassment law to address intersectional forms of harassment. It concludes with a range of suggestions for a more effective legal response.
Barriers to Effective National Implementation
Authors: Buckley Lucy-Ann
Published: May 2023

Chapter Three outlines a wide range of social and structural barriers that may discourage legal claims and explores the available data on the effectiveness of equality legislation in practice. Even where national measures are adopted, it is unclear how effective they are in practice, as states have generally failed to gather information on the operation of disability harassment law. The chapter begins with an overview of the barriers to making equality and disability harassment complaints, followed by a discussion of the success rates for equality claims, including harassment claims. The chapter argues that even where legislation is adopted to address disability harassment, a wide range of social and structural barriers may discourage legal complaints. Furthermore, even where disability harassment claims are brought, the available evidence suggests that the rate of success is not high. Relatively little work has been done to establish the reasons for this, though general research on equality claims may be indicative. The chapter therefore highlights the importance of continued monitoring and research, as well as the need for disaggregated disability equality data.
Meeting the Global Challenge: Lessons from Experience
Authors: Buckley Lucy-Ann
Published: May 2023

This chapter considers what other jurisdictions might learn from the Irish experience. It begins by considering the international relevance of the Irish experience, and argues that this is extensive but not absolute, considering a range of significant factors. It then identifies a number of key lessons for combatting disability harassment at work. These relate to the effectiveness of disability harassment legislation in practice, the importance of facilitating and monitoring intersectional claims in national legislative frameworks, the need to address specific barriers that impede legislative effectiveness, and the need to supplement existing, individualistic approaches with positive employer duties to prevent disability harassment at work.
Conclusion
Authors: Buckley Lucy-Ann
Published: May 2023

This chapter highlights the difficulty in achieving effective vindication of human rights at the national level. It argues that while human rights frameworks may offer detailed guidance for combatting disability harassment at work, these are not always effective when implemented in national legislation. Differences between human rights frameworks may potentially lead to gaps in implementation, but without adequate monitoring and data, it is difficult to know what is happening on the ground. This chapter therefore argues not only for revised national frameworks that are in compliance with human rights requirements, but also for continued monitoring and increased transparency to enable barriers to be identified and addressed, as well as for positive employer duties to combat disability harassment at source.
Introduction
Authors: Hohlstein Franziska
Published: May 2023

The first chapter introduces the issue of coups and RO responses to them. The study builds upon the observation that ROs have started to frequently address coups since the 1990s. Yet the reactions and strategies shown by ROs are remarkably diverse and apparently contradictory. This raises important questions about the role of ROs after coups. How do ROs respond to coups? Which factors influence the strength of responses? What post-coup solutions do ROs pursue and why? After defining the central concepts of the analysis, an overview of existing approaches to study the role of ROs after coups is provided. The present book exceeds existing approaches and contributes to a better understanding of the complex role of ROs by arguing that the emergence of the anti-coup norm significantly changed the attitude of ROs towards coups. In line with the provisions of the norm, ROs generally oppose coups, condemning, criticizing and sanctioning them. Yet within the framework of the anti-coup norm, ROs weigh democracy- and stability- related aspects and adjust their responses accordingly. Subsequently, the research design, a mixed-methods approach, is sketched and the findings and contributions of the study are summarized. Finally, the plan of the book is described.
Self-interest, Altruism, and the Gift
Authors: Adloff Frank
Published: May 2023

The first chapter examines how sociologists normally respond to one key question: what motivates us to give to others or to reciprocate a gift? It is argued that the two established approaches—utilitarianism and normativism—are problematic and fall short in explicating this phenomenon. This is because they both wrongly assume that taking comes more naturally to us than giving. They are simply too individualistic in outlook and thus fail to account for social interactions.
Homo Donator : A Different Anthropology
Authors: Adloff Frank
Published: May 2023

Chapter 3 temporarily leaves the Maussian gift and makes a detour leading towards the alternative anthropology of the homo donator. In particular, Mauss’ approach will be contrasted with the classical pragmatism of John Dewey and George Herbert Mead. A model of human action is here developed that breaks with utilitarianism and the Western idea of a subject-object dualism. Moreover, it integrates affects and affective valuations into the action model, and addresses the problems of intersubjectivity, empathy, cooperation, and prosociality, drawing conclusions for normative democratic theory.
Aesthetic Freedom, or The Gift of Art
Authors: Adloff Frank
Published: May 2023

In Chapter 10, the relationship between art and the gift is discussed. It is argued that aesthetic experiences can lead to more freedom and self-determination. Without freedom, alterity, and imagination there can be neither gift relationships nor aesthetic experiences. Art, too, ultimately builds on the aesthetic dimensions inherent to the gift. And in some projects, such as those pursued by the Invisible Committee, the poetics and politics of the gift merge.
A New Régime
Authors: Devellennes Charles
Published: May 2023

The first task of the Macron régime was to institute a new diet for France. Grown too fat, it was time to start thinning the social body and get back in shape for the global economy. This will be the first focus of this chapter on the new régime: to look at the analogy of the diet to understand what Macron’s régime is about. The analogy will lead us to strengthen the claim that Macron’s revolution was not a centrist revolution, beyond left and right, but rather a continuation of right-wing policies under a new banner. The right has a long trajectory of catching up with its revolutionary adversary, and the three historical rights in France (the Restauration, July Monarchy, and Bonapartist rights) had revolutionary elements to them as well. Macron’s revolution differs from these three; it is a version of neoliberalism that emerges in Macron’s ideology that sets it apart. Although neoliberalism is not in itself new in France, it is a new, self-assertive and radical version of neoliberalism that is proposed by Macron. It aims at the restructuring of the state and differs from classical versions of the liberal project precisely because of this acceptance of state power.
We Speak in the Shadow of the Tongues They Took
Authors: Jonas Siphokazi
Published: May 2023

This chapter explores the impact of losing one’s language due to colonial violence and missionary education in black communities in South Africa. The author knits multi-generational conversations together in poetry to reflect on how the unapologetic imposition of English unravels linguistic threads which connect her to women in her community. The poetry is divided into three sections, Death, Mourning, and The unveiling, to mirror burial rituals in isiXhosa communities, and thus the occupation of the hybrid space between life and death, not of the body, but the tongue.
In Pursuit of Harmony: What Is the Value of a Court-Ordered Apology?
Authors: Weeks Sindiso Mnisi
Published: May 2023

Vernacular forums – or traditional courts – often order parties to apologise to one another. Versions of the Traditional Courts Bill (published in 2008/2012 and 2017) have consistently provided for an apology as an order that can be issued by such a forum. While there has been little reflection on what the value of an apology is when it is ordered, empirical evidence from vernacular forums shows that ordered apologies do not necessarily bear any relationship with reconciliation, which is the articulated goal. Alternative dispute resolution literature also shows that reconciliation is best achieved by other means than an ordered apology. This chapter explores the motives behind parties’, courts’ and legislators’ desire for the use of an ordered apology as a remedy, interrogates the conditions that produce the endurance of this desire, and challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding traditional dispute resolution practices and their relationship with harmony ideology. In so doing, it engages with the nature of dispute resolution processes as socio-politically performative environments in which social constructs are instantiated. It simultaneously considers the nature of customary law and the political economy of communities that continue to live under traditional normative arrangements in 21st-century South Africa.
Penance and Punishment: Apology as a Remedy for Hate Speech
Authors: Ally Nurina , Williams Kerry
Published: May 2023

Equality Courts in South Africa are empowered to order an unconditional apology where hate speech, unfair discrimination, or harassment has been perpetrated. But is a court-ordered apology an effective remedy against hate speech? This chapter critically reflects on the role of court-ordered apologies as a remedy for hate speech. It does so through the lens of two South African Equality Court cases, each involving the publication of hate-filled bigotry against minority groups and each including a demand for an apology. These cases offer useful reflections on the effectiveness of apology as a legal remedy in relation to three ‘types’ of hate speech transgressors. The first is the recalcitrant hate speech transgressor who expressly refuses to apologise. The second concedes to an apology based on genuine and sincere remorse. And the third is the transgressor who – more cynically – may agree to apologise merely as a quick and cheap escape route from genuine reckoning. The chapter argues that in respect of each of these ‘types’ of transgressors, compelled apologies – when properly framed and crafted – can serve as a potent mechanism to restore and vindicate the dignity and equality rights of the target group.
(Mis)Recognitions in the Racial Apology: Reading the Racist Event and its Fallouts
Authors: Nkomo Nkululeko , Kiguwa Peace
Published: May 2023

In 2016, on social media, Penny Sparrow described black people as “monkeys” in a racist rant. In the same year Vicki Momberg, a victim of a smash and grab incident, described the police using the “K” word in a fit of emotive interaction with the black policemen who came to assist her. Two years later, another white South African, Adam Catzavelos, used similar language to describe black people in a public video. This chapter explores the event of public racist practice as a discursive and affective field that implicates bodies – white and black – through the lateral motion of affective economies of racial nostalgia and outrage. The reflexive racist outburst and the emotive public reaction attest to profound embodied histories of racial revulsion, pain and injury. We argue that both the demand for and performance of the public apology do different affective and embodied work that is bound up with a desire for recognition of the human. In the end, the public apology serves as a superficial exculpatory gesture that still refuses a recognition of the human in the other. We reflect on the meanings of this for broader meanings for and of reconciliation.
Unicorn Sightings: The Corporate Moral Apology in South Africa
Authors: Davies Tracey
Published: May 2023

Apologies by corporations tend to evoke a sense of unease: a feeling that the apology is inadequate, evasive or cowardly. South Africa’s recent past is littered with corporate scandals and disasters, in each of which those responsible have failed to apologise categorically to those they have harmed. This chapter discusses failed apologies in relation to some of the post-apartheid era’s worst corporate tragedies and fiascos, including the massacre of striking Lonmin workers at Marikana, the Tiger Brands listeriosis crisis, the implosion of Steinhoff, Tongaat Hulett’s fraudulent accounting, and KPMG’s complicity in “state capture”. It also proposes that in order to make sense of these failed apologies, it is necessary to understand corporate South Africa’s complicity in apartheid, and how it navigated its way into the new democratic era.
Crime and Deviance in the Colleges
Authors: Punch Maurice
Published: May 2023

This book addresses crime, deviance, injustice, discrimination and victimization in schools, colleges and universities. This neglected area details excesses in elite student societies and sexual violence among students. The excess can involve fatalities, serious injuries and the destruction of property, and the grave sexual offences are mostly against female students while the offenders are predominantly male students. These two subjects are of deep concern in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia – but also increasingly in the Netherlands and Belgium – which are the societies I mainly focus on with material in the media, courts, inquiries and reform measures. There has not been a major study on this from a criminological-sociological perspective relating to diverse offences, criminal cases, media responses, institutional failures and especially the plight of the female victims. This topic covers a current debate with deep concern across societies and within a range of academic institutions, along with diverse interest groups demanding changes within sometimes our most prestigious higher educational institutions. Here the crime setting is largely an elite academic institution and the offender and the women who become their victims are members of it; and often there is grave injustice in dealing lightly with the offender and mistreating or even banishing the victim. This work aims to contribute to a growing ‘crime in the colleges’ area.
‘Edge Work’: Deviance and Crime in the Colleges
Authors: Punch Maurice
Published: May 2023

This book examines crime, deviance, injustice, prejudice, discrimination and victimization in educational institutions but largely in colleges and universities. It details two, at times, related elements: ‘excesses’ in mostly elite male student societies; and sexual abuse particularly against female students. Importantly, the focus on ‘deviance and crime on campus’ has to be placed in the context of serious institutional failure; and that, in turn, is amplified by a wider system failure regarding policing, prosecutions and the judiciary. Indeed, underpinning that dual institutional failure are deeply rooted historical and societal assumptions leading to the tolerance of elite student excess as well as engrained societal prejudices regarding sexual violence in general but held against women in particular.
Sports and Secondary Crime Prevention: Youth at Risk
Authors: Dandurand Yvon , Heidt Jon
Published: May 2023

This chapter reviews crime prevention efforts at the secondary level and focuses on interventions that target individuals or groups known or assumed to be at risk of criminal involvement. The chapter opens with a discussion of the underlying foundations of risk-based programming. There are several problems with this approach, including its tendency to ignore structural factors and risks around social exclusion, as well as the stigmatization associated with being labelled as a ‘youth at risk’. The chapter then shifts to a discussion of the positive youth development approach, an approach that regards youth as a resource to be developed rather than a problem to be solved. Next, some consideration is given to how sports may be used as a ‘hook’ to engage youth in other prosocial activities, and how the type of sport may affect the outcome.
Sports and Tertiary Crime Prevention: Desistance from Crime
Authors: Dandurand Yvon , Heidt Jon
Published: May 2023

This chapter reviews attempts to prevent crime at the tertiary level. The tertiary level of crime prevention entails a range of interventions within or outside the criminal justice system to prevent individuals already engaged in criminal activity from reoffending and encouraging them to desist from crime and successfully reintegrating into society. This chapter offers a discussion of the notion of desistance and the research associated with this area and reviews programmes administered in both correctional and community settings (for example, with gang-involved youth). This is followed by a discussion of a more system-wide programme that was instituted in Thailand, known as the Bounce Be Good Sport Club. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the impact these programmes have on social reintegration and the implications these findings have for creating and revising other programmes.
Role of Coaches, Mentors, and Facilitators
Authors: Dandurand Yvon , Heidt Jon
Published: May 2023

This chapter focuses on the role of coaches and the impact of coaching practices on youth development. Research emphasizes the crucial importance of coaches and facilitators in fostering positive youth development outcomes. While it seems obvious that coaches and other programme facilitators have unique opportunities to influence youth, there is not yet a consensus on exactly what differentiates effective from ineffective coaches. Factors such as leadership, expertise, motivation, education, and experience are often cited, together with an ability to form meaningful relationships with youth. There follows a discussion of effective coaching strategies and leadership style to encouraging development. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the key findings of recent research on the role and practices of sport coaches, facilitators and volunteers involved in sport-based positive development programmes.
Introduction
Authors: Curtis Andrew R.
Published: May 2023

Chapter 1 introduces the main themes of the book and provides the supporting background and context. It confirms the book’s focus on the decisions made at the highest level of Defence to uncover the methodology behind the translation of strategic direction into military capability within the UK. It introduces a simple, four-step model that underpins this, and explains the factors that add complexity to it. These can be loosely grouped into the following categories: the geopolitical landscape and the UK government’s associated grand strategy; the way in which defence reviews are undertaken; what the government and the nation expect from Defence; the affordability of Defence; and the roles played by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the armed forces. The chapter also outlines the research methods that were used to support the book’s analysis: a combination of qualitative content analysis of relevant government policy documents and semi-structured elite interviews. The chapter concludes with short explanations of the book’s structure and the secondary literature associated with the subject.
Strategic Direction and Military Capability
Authors: Curtis Andrew R.
Published: May 2023

This chapter provides the context for the analysis chapters that follow. It opens with an examination of what strategic direction has been given by politicians to defence decision makers since the end of the Second World War. It then moves on to discuss defence policy, outlining what is contains, how it is decided upon and how is it promulgated. This, in turn, leads to a consideration of defence reviews, which seeks to identity exactly what a defence review entails and why they have occurred when they have during the research period. The second half of the chapter focuses on military capability. It begins with an explanation of the genesis of military capability as part of the Smart Procurement Initiative (SPI), which was introduced following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR). It concludes by identifying how Defence’s approach to military capability has changed as a result of the post-2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) Defence Reform Programme (DRP).
The MoD and the Single Services
Authors: Curtis Andrew R.
Published: May 2023

Chapter 7, the final data chapter, explores the role played by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Navy (RN), British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) in the translation of strategic direction into military capability. The first half of the chapter concentrates on the individual nature of the single services and the changing roles of the service chiefs. While the organizational construct of Defence has been regularly revised over the research period, the central framework of three separate military establishments that each concentrate on one of the three warfighting environments of maritime, land and air has remained constant. Crucially, it is this one-to-one relationship between the single services and their respective warfighting environment that gives them their strength and, therefore, is protected at all costs by the service chiefs. The second half of the chapter raises the focus to Defence-level process, procedures and decision making. How and why defence decision makers go about their day-to-day business is the final influencer to be considered in this journey to understand the translation of strategic direction into military capability model.
Dynamic performance of a membrane-based variable focus lens with a large aperture
Authors: Duan Zenghong , Wang Lihui , Li Zhi , Fu Jian , Fu Susheng , Chen Boqian , Chen Yuxun , Zhao Yong
Published: May 2023

Dynamic performance is one of the most important characteristics of a variable focus lens. However, there are few studies investigating the dynamic response of a membrane-based variable focus lens. In this paper, we present a mathematical model to describe spring-damping phenomena in theory. The first order natural frequencies with different scales were confirmed via finite element analysis. We also built a dynamic response experiment platform with changeable optical apertures, which was driven by a high-speed piezo stack actuator. A photodiode module was placed behind the lens to measure the variation of light luminance as the lens changed, and a laser displacement sensor was used to measure the deformation of the membrane. A series of data was collected with different optical apertures (20 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm) and different pre-stretching ratios (200%, 300%) under different driving frequencies (from 5 Hz to 25 Hz in every 5 Hz step). The experimental results were consistent with the mathematical model, which showed that the first order natural frequency increased as the aperture decreased or the membrane stiffness increased. This frequency-dependent characteristic of the variable focus lens provides a basis for further research on its dynamic performance.
Quantitative characterization of zebrafish development based on multiple classifications using Mueller matrix OCT
Authors: Li Ke , Liu Bin , Wang Zaifan , Li Yao , Li Hui , Wu Shulian , Li Zhifang
Published: May 2023

Organ development analysis plays an important role in assessing an individual’ s growth health. In this study, we present a non-invasive method for the quantitative characterization of zebrafish multiple organs during their growth, utilizing Mueller matrix optical coherence tomography (Mueller matrix OCT) in combination with deep learning. Firstly, Mueller matrix OCT was employed to acquire 3D images of zebrafish during development. Subsequently, a deep learning based U-Net network was applied to segment various anatomical structures, including the body, eyes, spine, yolk sac, and swim bladder of the zebrafish. Following segmentation, the volume of each organ was calculated. Finally, the development and proportional trends of zebrafish embryos and organs from day 1 to day 19 were quantitatively analyzed. The obtained quantitative results revealed that the volume development of the fish body and individual organs exhibited a steady growth trend. Additionally, smaller organs, such as the spine and swim bladder, were successfully quantified during the growth process. Our findings demonstrate that the combination of Mueller matrix OCT and deep learning effectively quantify the development of various organs throughout zebrafish embryonic development. This approach offers a more intuitive and efficient monitoring method for clinical medicine and developmental biology studies.
Stadium-type resonator sensor based on a multi-mode waveguide with mode discrimination phenomenon
Authors: Lee Jae-Sang , Kim Yong-Jin , Cho Seong-Hyeon , Park Byeong-Tak , Choi Woo June , Choi Young-Wan
Published: May 2023

In this work, we present a multi-mode resonator based on SU-8 polymer and experimentally verify that the resonator showed mode discrimination can be used as a sensor with high performance. According to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images, the fabricated resonator shows sidewall roughness which is canonically considered to be undesirable after a typical development process. In order to analyze the effect of sidewall roughness, we conduct the resonator simulation considering the roughness under various conditions. Mode discrimination still occurs even in the presence of sidewall roughness. In addition, waveguide width controllable by UV exposure time effectively contributes to mode discrimination. To verify the resonator as a sensor, we perform a temperature variation experiment, which results in a high sensitivity of about 630.8 nm/RIU. This result shows that the multi-mode resonator sensor fabricated via a simple process is competitive with other single-mode waveguide sensors.
Topological rainbow based on coupling of topological waveguide and cavity
Authors: Elshahat Sayed , Zhang Hongyu , Lu Cuicui
Published: May 2023

Topological photonics and topological photonic states have opened up a new frontier for optical manipulation and robust light trapping. The topological rainbow can separate different frequencies of topological states into different positions. This work combines a topological photonic crystal waveguide (topological PCW) with the optical cavity. The dipole and quadrupole topological rainbows are realized through increasing cavity size along the coupling interface. The flatted band can be obtained by increasing cavity length due to interaction strength between the optical field and defected region material which is extensively promoted. The light propagation through the coupling interface is built on the evanescent overlapping mode tails of the localized fields between bordering cavities. Thus, the ultra-low group velocity is realized at a cavity length more than the lattice constant, which is appropriate for realizing an accurate and precise topological rainbow. Hence, this is a novel release for strong localization with robust transmission and owns the possibility to realize high-performance optical storage devices.
Single-cell atlas of the human neonatal small intestine affected by necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Egozi Adi , Olaloye Oluwabunmi , Werner Lael , Silva Tatiana , McCourt Blake , Pierce Richard W. , An Xiaojing , Wang Fujing , Chen Kong , Pober Jordan S. , Shouval Dror , Itzkovitz Shalev , Konnikova Liza
Published: May 2023

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal complication of premature infants with high rates of morbidity and mortality. A comprehensive view of the cellular changes and aberrant interactions that underlie NEC is lacking. This study aimed at filling in this gap. We combine single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), T-cell receptor beta (TCRβ) analysis, bulk transcriptomics, and imaging to characterize cell identities, interactions, and zonal changes in NEC. We find an abundance of proinflammatory macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells as well as T cells that exhibit increased TCRβ clonal expansion. Villus tip epithelial cells are reduced in NEC and the remaining epithelial cells up-regulate proinflammatory genes. We establish a detailed map of aberrant epithelial–mesenchymal–immune interactions that are associated with inflammation in NEC mucosa. Our analyses highlight the cellular dysregulations of NEC-associated intestinal tissue and identify potential targets for biomarker discovery and therapeutics.
Stochastic modelling of a three-dimensional glycogen granule synthesis and impact of the branching enzyme
Authors: Rousset Yvan , Ebenhöh Oliver , Raguin Adélaïde
Published: May 2023

In humans, glycogen storage diseases result from metabolic inborn errors, and can lead to severe phenotypes and lethal conditions. Besides these rare diseases, glycogen is also associated to widely spread societal burdens such as diabetes. Glycogen is a branched glucose polymer synthesised and degraded by a complex set of enzymes. Over the past 50 years, the structure of glycogen has been intensively investigated. Yet, the interplay between the detailed three-dimensional glycogen structure and the related enzyme activity is only partially characterised and still to be fully understood. In this article, we develop a stochastic coarse-grained and spatially resolved model of branched polymer biosynthesis following a Gillespie algorithm. Our study largely focusses on the role of the branching enzyme, and first investigates the properties of the model with generic parameter values, before comparing it to in vivo experimental data in mice. It arises that the ratio of glycogen synthase over branching enzyme reaction rates drastically impacts the structure of the granule. We deeply investigate the mechanism of branching and parametrise it using distinct lengths. Not only do we consider various possible sets of values for these lengths, but also distinct rules to apply them. We show how combining various values for these lengths finely tunes glycogen macromolecular structure. Comparing the model with experimental data confirms that we can accurately reproduce glycogen chain length distributions in wild type mice. Additional granule properties obtained for this fit are also in good agreement with typically reported values in the experimental literature. Nonetheless, we find that the mechanism of branching must be more flexible than usually reported. Overall, our model provides a theoretical basis to quantify the effect that single enzymatic parameters, in particular of the branching enzyme, have on the chain length distribution. Our generic model and methods can be applied to any glycogen data set, and could in particular contribute to characterise the mechanisms responsible for glycogen storage disorders.
Community-level impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on malaria prevention and health-seeking behaviours in rural Benin: A mixed methods study
Authors: Duguay Claudia , Accrombessi Manfred , N’Tcha Ludovic K. , Akinro Bruno A. , Dangbenon Edouard , Assongba Landry , Yee Samantha C. , Feng Cindy , Labonte Ronald , Krentel Alison , Protopopoff Natacha , Akogbeto Martin , Kulkarni Manisha A.
Published: May 2023

Globally, negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria prevention and control efforts have been caused by delayed distributions of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN), decreased outpatient attendance, and disruptions to malaria testing and treatment. Using a mixed methods approach, we aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on community-level malaria prevention and health-seeking practices in Benin more than one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data through community-based cross-sectional surveys with 4200 households and ten focus group discussions (FGDs). Mixed effect logistic regression models accounting for a clustered sampling design were used to identify variables associated with main outcomes (good COVID-19 knowledge, LLIN usage and access, and avoidance of health centres). Consistent with the experiences of FGD participants, receiving information from radios or televisions was significantly associated with good COVID-19 knowledge and avoiding health centres because of the pandemic (p<0.001 for both). Qualitative findings also revealed varying and polarizing changes in health-seeking behaviours with participants noting that they either did not change their health-seeking behaviours or went to health centres less or more often because of the pandemic. LLIN usage and access did not decrease in the study area because of the pandemic (LLIN usage: 88% in 2019 to 99.9% in 2021; LLIN access: 62% in 2019 to 73% in 2021). An unexpected change and unintended challenge for sustained malaria prevention included families socially distancing in their homes, resulting in a shortage of LLINs. Our findings showed that there were minimal community-level impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on malaria prevention and health seeking behaviours in rural Benin, which highlights the importance of efforts to sustain malaria prevention and control interventions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trends and factors associated with mobile phone ownership among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh
Authors: Kibria Gulam Muhammed Al , Nayeem Jannatun
Published: May 2023

Despite a significant increase in mobile phone ownership over the past few decades, this remains low among women in many developing countries, including Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study analyzed Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2014 and 2017–18 data to investigate the prevalence (with 95% confidence intervals [CI]), trends, and factors associated with mobile phone ownership. We included data of 17854 and 20082 women from BDHS 2014 and BDHS 2017–18, respectively. Participants’ mean age was 30.9 (standard error [SE]: 0.09) and 31.4 (SE: 0.08) years in 2014 and 2017–18, respectively. The overall ownership was 48.1% (95% CI: 46.4%-49.9%) in 2014 and 60.1% (95% CI: 58.8%-61.4%) in 2017–18. From 2014 to 2017–18, the prevalence of mobile phone ownership increased according to most background characteristics, especially for those with lower ownership in 2014. For instance, about 25.7% (95% CI: 23.8%-27.6%) women without any formal education owned a mobile phone in 2014, the prevalence increased to 37.5% (95% CI: 35.5%-39.6%) among them in 2017–18. The following factors were associated with ownership in both surveys: age, number of children, work status, education level of women and their husbands, household wealth status, religion, and division of residence. For instance, in 2014, compared to women with no formal education, women with primary, secondary, and college/above education, respectively, had the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 1.8 (95% CI: 1.7–2.0), 3.2 (95% CI: 2.9–3.6), and 9.0 (95% CI: 7.4–11.0), and in 2017–18 these AORs were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.5–1.9), 2.5 (95% CI: 2.2–2.8), and 5.9 (95% CI: 5.0–7.0). The ownership of mobile phones has increased, and the socioeconomic differences in ownership have declined. However, some women groups had consistently lower ownership, especially women with low education level, low educated husbands, and low wealth status.
Mice lacking Ptprd exhibit deficits in goal-directed behavior and female-specific impairments in sensorimotor gating
Authors: Ho Emily V. , Welch Amanda , Thompson Summer L. , Knowles James A. , Dulawa Stephanie C.
Published: May 2023

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase receptor type D (PTPRD) is a member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family that mediates cell adhesion and synaptic specification. Genetic studies have linked Ptprd to several neuropsychiatric phenotypes, including Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), opioid abuse disorder, and antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of either pediatric obsessive-compulsive traits, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), have identified loci near PTPRD as genome-wide significant, or strongly suggestive for this trait. We assessed Ptprd wild-type (WT), heterozygous (HT), and knockout (KO) mice for behavioral dimensions that are altered in OCD, including anxiety and exploration (open field test, dig test), perseverative behavior (splash-induced grooming, spatial d), sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition), and home cage goal-directed behavior (nest building). No effect of genotype was observed in any measure of the open field test, dig test, or splash test. However, Ptprd KO mice of both sexes showed impairments in nest building behavior. Finally, female, but not male, Ptprd KO mice showed deficits in prepulse inhibition, an operational measure of sensorimotor gating that is reduced in female, but not male, OCD patients. Our results indicate that constitutive lack of Ptprd may contribute to the development of certain domains that are altered OCD, including goal-directed behavior, and reduced sensorimotor gating specifically in females.
Floral hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) responses to nitrogen fertilization under field conditions in the high desert
Authors: Farnisa Mona M. , Miller Glenn C. , Solomon Juan K. Q. , Barrios-Masias Felipe H.
Published: May 2023

While most studies on floral hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) concur that additions of nitrogen (N) increase plant growth, the performance of floral hemp is heavily influenced by environmental conditions, management and cultivar selection. In regions with a short growing season, the availability of soil N may determine plant developmental rates, final inflorescence biomass and cannabinoid concentrations, but no studies have addressed this for field-grown hemp under high-desert conditions. This field study evaluated the effect of no supplemental N and N fertilization at 90 kg ha-1 on three hemp cultivars (Berry Blossom, Red Bordeaux, and Tahoe Cinco) in Northern Nevada. N increased plant height, canopy cover, stem diameter and shoot biomass, but other physiological parameters were dependent on cultivar. For instance, inflorescence biomass and inflorescence-to-shoot ratio in Red Bordeaux was not affected by N fertilization. Similarly, cannabinoid concentrations were affected by timing of harvest and cultivar but not by N treatment. We evaluated the use of a SPAD meter for ease of determining leaf N deficiency, and correlations with leaf chlorophyll content showed that the SPAD meter was a reliable tool in two cultivars but not in Tahoe Cinco. N treatment increased overall CBD yield, which was driven by increases in inflorescence biomass. Tahoe Cinco was the best CBD yielding cultivar, as it maintained a high inflorescence-to-shoot ratio regardless of N treatment. Our study suggests that even though hemp may have a positive response to soil N management, adjustments based on genotype by environment interaction should be aimed at maximizing cannabinoid yield either by increasing biomass and/or CBD concentrations as long as THC levels are within the permissible <0.3% for U.S. industrial hemp cultivation.
Preventive effect and mechanism of Tibetan tea extract on thrombosis in arachidonic acid-induced zebrafish determined via RNA-seq transcriptome profiles
Authors: Wang Ning , Lan Chaohua , Lu Huiqiang , Li Linman , Liao Dalong , Xu Kewei , Sun Haiyan , Tang Yongqing , Wang Yumeng , Mei Jie , Wei Mengting , Wu Tao , Zhu Hui
Published: May 2023

Thrombosis is a key pathological event in cardiovascular diseases and is also the most important targeting process for their clinical management. In this study, arachidonic acid (AA) was used to induce thrombus formation in zebrafish larvae. Blood flow, red blood cell (RBCs) aggregation and cellular oxidative stress were measured to evaluate the antithrombotic effect of Tibetan tea (TT). Meanwhile, the potential molecular mechanism was further explored by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). The results indicated that TT could significantly restore heart RBCs intensity of thrombotic zebrafish, whilst decreasing RBCs accumulation in the caudal vein. The transcriptome analysis revealed that the preventive effect of TT on thrombosis could be mostly attributed to changes in lipid metabolism related signaling pathways, such as fatty acid metabolism, glycerollipid metabolism, ECM-receptor interaction and steroid biosynthesis signaling pathway. This study demonstrated that Tibetan tea could alleviate thrombosis by reducing oxidative stress levels and regulating lipid metabolism.
‘Microincisional trabeculectomy for glaucoma”
Authors: Rao Aparna , Khan Sardar , Mukherjee Sujoy
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of microincisional trabeculectomy (MIT), a new technique of ab-interno trabeculectomy.

Methods

Consecutive patients with open-angle glaucoma identified from the hospital database that underwent MIT with or without cataract surgery between September 2021 to June 2022 at a tertiary eye centre in East India, were screened. Those with a follow-up of < 6 months or with incomplete data were excluded. MIT was done ab-interno using microscissors and microforceps in 2–4 clock hours of the nasal angle via a temporal incision. The intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction at 6 months, and reduction in the number of medications after surgery were analysed. Surgical success (IOP>6 and <22 mm Hg), complications, angle features on anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT), and the need for additional surgeries were analysed.

Results

We included thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with open-angle glaucoma (including n = 9 eyes that underwent concurrent cataract surgery) with a preoperative mean IOP of 22 ±11.1 mm Hg and visual field index of 47±37.9%. All eyes achieved >30% IOP reduction, with a final IOP of 14±6.9 mm Hg at 6 months. Surgical success in 31 of 32 eyes with complete success seen in 28 eyes with none of the eyes requiring >1 medication for IOP control. Hyphema was seen in 4 eyes, while transient IOP spikes at 1 day-1 month were seen in 5 eyes, none of which required any additional interventions. One eye with persistent raised IOP at 1 month required incisional trabeculectomy for uncontrolled IOP with 2 medications.

Conclusion

MIT, a new technique of ab-interno trabeculectomy, is effective in terms of IOP control and reduction in the number of medications while having fewer complications. Long-term studies comparing the efficacy of MIT with incisional trabeculectomy, or other procedures are warranted in the future.