bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular RNAs at the intersection of cancer and heart disease: potential therapeutic targets in cardio-oncology
Authors: Neufeldt Dimyana , Cushman Sarah , Bär Christian , Thum Thomas
Published: January 2023

Considerable progress has been made in managing cancer; however, with these advancements comes the discovery of previously unknown adverse events. In particular, the prolonged lifespan of patients has uncovered severe cardiotoxic side effects of widely used anti-cancer therapies, which restrict their administration and thus compromise the success of the seemingly most suitable treatments in large cancer patient cohorts. Vice versa, cardiovascular diseases can also promote both the onset and progression of different cancers, highlighting that both conditions are deeply interlinked. Recognizing these close interactions, the novel interdisciplinary field of cardio-oncology has emerged to closely study these uniquely correlating diseases. In this regard, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are gaining increasing attention since they constitute crucial regulators in many physiological but also pathological signalling pathways, including those of cancer and cardiac dysfunction. In this review, we focus on the new subtype of ncRNA, circular RNAs, in their distinct exchange within cardio-oncology and discuss their suitability as potent targets for the simultaneous treatment of cardiac dysfunction and cancer.
Ticagrelor with or without aspirin in high-risk patients with anaemia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a subgroup analysis of the TWILIGHT trial
Authors: Spirito Alessandro , Kastrati Adnan , Cao Davide , Baber Usman , Sartori Samantha , Angiolillo Dominick J , Briguori Carlo , Cohen David J , Dangas George , Dudek Dariusz , Escaned Javier , Gibson C Michael , Zhang Zhongjie , Huber Kurt , Kaul Upendra , Kornowski Ran , Kunadian Vijay , Han Ya-Ling , Mehta Shamir R , Sardella Gennaro , Sharma Samin , Shlofmitz Richard A , Vogel Birgit , Collier Timothy , Pocock Stuart , Mehran Roxana
Published: January 2023

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of ticagrelor monotherapy among high-risk patients with anaemia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods and results

In the TWILIGHT (Ticagrelor with Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients after Coronary Intervention) trial, after 3 months of ticagrelor plus aspirin, high-risk patients were maintained on ticagrelor and randomized to aspirin or placebo for 1 year. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women. The primary endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. The key secondary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.

Out of 6828 patients, 1329 (19.5%) had anaemia and were more likely to have comorbidities, multivessel disease, and to experience bleeding or ischaemic complications than non-anaemic patients. Among anaemic patients, BARC 2, 3, or 5 bleeding occurred less frequently with ticagrelor monotherapy than with ticagrelor plus aspirin [6.4% vs. 10.7%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–0.88; P = 0.009]; the rate of the key secondary endpoint was similar in the two arms (5.2% vs. 4.8%; HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.66–1.74; P = 0.779). These effects were consistent in patients without anaemia (interaction P values 0.671 and 0.835, respectively).

Conclusion

In high-risk patients undergoing PCI, ticagrelor monotherapy after 3 months of ticagrelor-based dual antiplatelet therapy was associated with a reduced risk of clinically relevant bleeding without any increase in ischaemic events irrespective of anaemia status (TWILIGHT: NCT02270242).
Protein coding variation in the J:ARC and J:DO outbred laboratory mouse stocks provides a molecular basis for distinct research applications
Authors: Cornes Belinda K , Paisie Carolyn , Swanzey Emily , Fields Peter D , Schile Andrew , Brackett Kelly , Reinholdt Laura G , Srivastava Anuj
Published: January 2023

Outbred laboratory mice (Mus musculus) are readily available and have high fecundity, making them a popular choice in biomedical research, especially toxicological and pharmacological applications. Direct high throughput genome sequencing (HTS) of these widely used research animals is an important genetic quality control measure that enhances research reproducibility. HTS data have been used to confirm the common origin of outbred stocks and to molecularly define distinct outbred populations. But these data have also revealed unexpected population structure and homozygosity in some populations; genetic features that emerge when outbred stocks are not properly maintained. We used exome sequencing to discover and interrogate protein-coding variation in a newly established population of Swiss-derived outbred stock (J:ARC) that is closely related to other, commonly used CD-1 outbred populations. We used these data to describe the genetic architecture of the J:ARC population including heterozygosity, minor allele frequency, LD decay, and we defined novel, protein-coding sequence variation. These data reveal the expected genetic architecture for a properly maintained outbred stock and provide a basis for the on-going genetic quality control. We also compared these data to protein-coding variation found in a multiparent outbred stock, the Diversity Outbred (J:DO). We found that the more recently derived, multiparent outbred stock has significantly higher interindividual variability, greater overall genetic variation, higher heterozygosity, and fewer novel variants than the Swiss-derived J:ARC stock. However, among the novel variants found in the J:DO stock, significantly more are predicted to be protein-damaging. The fact that individuals from this population can tolerate a higher load of potentially damaging variants highlights the buffering effects of allelic diversity and the differing selective pressures in these stocks. While both outbred stocks offer significant individual heterozygosity, our data provide a molecular basis for their intended applications, where the J:DO are best suited for studies requiring maximum, population-level genetic diversity and power for mapping, while the J:ARC are best suited as a general-purpose outbred stock with robust fecundity, relatively low allelic diversity, and less potential for extreme phenotypic variability.
Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Herpetospermum pedunculosum (Cucurbitaceae)
Authors: Yang Yixi , Zhang Bowen , Bao Ying , Huang Peng , Li Jian , Li Rui , Zhao Qi
Published: January 2023

This study presents a chromosome-level reference genome assembly of a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant, Herpetospermum pedunculosum belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Following a combined PacBio high-fidelity sequencing and Hi-C analysis, a final H. pedunculosum genome assembly, 804.11 Mb in length was obtained, 90.45% of which was anchored into ten pseudochromosomes with a contig N50 of 24.39 Mb. In addition, 579.55 Mb repetitive sequences and 23,924 high-confidence protein-coding genes were annotated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that H. pedunculosum was sister to a clade formed by cucumber, zucchini, and wax gourd. Further whole-genome duplication analysis revealed no recent polyploidization event in the H. pedunculosum genome. The high-quality H. pedunculosum genome presented here will be highly useful in investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of its active compounds and adaptation strategies to the extreme environment. It will also provide great insights into comparative genomic studies of Cucurbitaceae and flowering plants.
Developing the Occupational Communion Scale: Belonging-Based Social Connections Are Vital for Work Engagement, Self-Efficacy, and Positive Affect in Aged Care Workforces
Authors: Elliott Kate-Ellen J , Quinn Michael G , Stirling Christine M , Sanderson Kristy , Robinson Andrew L , Martin Angela J , Scott Jennifer L
Published: January 2023

Background and Objectives

A multifaceted construct called occupational communion (OC), defined as a sense of belonging based on social interaction at work, has been proposed to understand why care workers were positively engaged in their jobs over time, even though they were very demanding. Rich qualitative data on the multiple aspects of OC in care work exist, but a valid measure does not.

Research Design and Methods

We applied a mixed-method systematic scale development process to measure OC. Aged and dementia care workers in Australia (76%) and other countries participated in a focus group and online surveys (N = 2,451). We also used interview data from our prior study. The study involved 3 components: (1) scale development and design; (2) pilot test validation with exploratory factor analysis; and (3) confirmatory validation via confirmatory factor analysis. The third component assessed convergent and discriminant validity using measures of communion, self-efficacy, work engagement, job and life satisfaction, intention to leave, positive and negative affect, and mood.

Results

We developed a 28-item Occupational Communion Scale (OCS) with good internal consistency (composite reliability = 0.75–0.91) across 6 factors: (1) “natural” carer, (2) psychological need to care, (3) connection with clients, (4) connection with coworkers, (5) desire for more connection, and (6) blurred boundaries. All validity measures correlated with OC and work engagement, self-efficacy, and positive affect showed the strongest association.

Discussion and Implications

The OCS can be used to design and evaluate interventions addressing aged care workforce engagement, social connections and well-being, and care outcomes.
Multi-parametric investigations on gravitational vortex hydropower system (GVHPS) using computational hydrodynamic analysis: a verified computational procedure-based investigation
Authors: Raja Vijayanandh , Raji Arul Prakash , AL-bonsrulah Hussein A Z , Ramaiah Manivel , Ahmed Ali Mahmood , Rajendran Parvathy , Murugesan Ramesh , Mathaiyan Vijayakumar , Al-Bahrani Mohammed
Published: January 2023

The use of energy resources has been critical to the advancement of human civilization. Finding a reliable energy source is one of the most difficult tasks of the 21st century. Natural gas, coal and other conventional energy sources have hastened the industrialization and modernization of several countries. However, there is widespread concern that the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from these traditional sources is the leading cause of climate change. Increased pollution, flooding, drought, rising sea levels, high temperatures and other effects of climate change have a significant impact on the environment. As a result, current research is focusing on renewable and sustainable energy sources. Hydro energy is a low-cost and environmentally friendly way to generate electricity. Even still, the vast majority of hydroelectric energy remains underutilized. Hydrostatic and hydrodynamic methods are the two most common approaches for extracting energy from water. The gravitational vortex hydropower (GVHP) with hydro rotor is one such renewable turbine. By routing the water into a GVHP basin, which generates a water vortex on its inside surface while it runs, the mechanical energy of free-flowing water is converted to kinetic energy in this GVHP. The major goal of this study is to investigate the flow field characteristics of a GVHP numerically for various geometrical variables such as basin diameter, cone angle and notch angle. CATIA is used to create several geometric models, which are then simulated using a commercial computational fluid dynamics application. Different geometric factors of conical basin design were studied using computational hydrodynamic analysis, and their impacts on vortex generation and tangential velocity in the study region are recorded. The maximum tangential velocity derived from different basin geometry can be used to forecast the performance of the GVHP. Finally, the optimized GVHP along with its dimensions, such as a cone angle of 14°, a notch angle of 13° and a basin diameter of 1000 mm, are found out and suggested for real-time applications.
Review of antibiotic prescriptions as part of antimicrobial stewardship programmes: results from a pilot implementation at two provincial-level hospitals in Viet Nam
Authors: Ngan Ta Thi Dieu , Quan Truong Anh , Quang Le Minh , Vinh Vu Hai , Duc Chau Minh , Nguyet Huynh Thi , Tu Nguyen Thi Cam , Khanh Nguyen Hong , Long Le Ba , Hue Nguyen Hong , Hung Dinh The , Thanh Nguyen Duc , Ve Nguyen Van , Giang Tran Thanh , Tung Le Thanh , Tuan Truong Thanh , Kesteman Thomas , Dodds Ashley Elizabeth , Anderson Deverick J , Van Doorn H Rogier , Huong Vu Thi Lan
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To investigate the feasibility of retrospective prescription-based review and to describe the antibiotic prescribing patterns to provide information for an antimicrobial stewardship programme in Viet Nam

Methods

This study was conducted in two provincial-level hospitals between February and April 2020. Reviews were done by a clinical team consisting of leaders/senior doctors of each ward to assess the optimal level (optimal/adequate/suboptimal/inadequate/not assessable) of antibiotic prescriptions. Mixed-effect logistic regression at prescription level was used to explore factors associated with optimal antibiotic use.

Results

The retrospective prescription-based review was accepted by study clinical wards with varied levels of participants. One hundred and eighty-three patients (326 prescriptions) in Hospital 1 and 200 patients (344 prescriptions) in Hospital 2 were included. One hundred and nineteen of the 326 (36.5%) antibiotic prescriptions in Hospital 1 and 51/344 (14.8%) antibiotic prescriptions in Hospital 2 were determined to be optimal by the review teams. The number of adequate antibiotic prescriptions were 179/326 (54.9%) and 178 (51.7%) in Hospital 1 and Hospital 2, respectively. The optimal level was lower for surgical prophylaxis antibiotics than for empirical therapy (OR = 0.06; 95% CI 0.01–0.45), higher in prescriptions in the ICU (OR = 12.00; 95% CI 3.52–40.92), higher in definitive antibiotic therapy (OR = 48.12; 95% CI 7.17–322.57) and higher in those with an indication recorded in medical records (OR = 3.46; 95% CI 1.13–10.62).

Conclusions

This study provides evidence on the feasibility of retrospective prescription-based review, with adaption to the local situation. High and varying levels of optimal antibiotic prescriptions in clinical wards in hospitals were observed in Viet Nam.
Multivariate Analysis and Response Surface Modeling to Green Analytical Chemistry–Based RP-HPLC-PDA Method for Chromatographic Analysis of Vildagliptin and Remogliflozin Etabonate
Authors: Prajapati Pintu , Prajapati Bhumika , Pulusu Veera Shakar , Shah Shailesh
Published: January 2023

Background

The fixed-dose combination (FDC) of vildagliptin (VDG) and remogliflozin etabonate (RGE) is used as antidiabetic medicine. Numerous reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) methods have been reported for the estimation of VDG and RGE using toxic organic solvents such as acetonitrile and methanol. These organic solvents are also hazardous to the environment.

Objective

Hence, the robust and green analytical chemistry–based RP-HPLC-PDA method has been developed for chromatographic analysis of VDG and RGE for the safety of analysts and protection of the environment.

Method

The multivariate analysis has been carried out for the identification of critical method risk parameters (CMRPs) and critical method performance attributes (CMPAs) using principal component analysis (PCA). The identified CMRPs and CMPAs were linked with each other for optimization of the RP-HPLC-PDA method using DoE-based response surface modeling. The analytical design space (ADS) has been explored for robust chromatographic analysis of VDG and RGE.

Results

The chromatographic analysis of VDG and RGE has been carried out using Shim-Pack C18 column (250 mm L, 4.6 mm ID, 5.0 µm PS) and isopropyl alcohol–0.1% (v/v) formic acid (FA) in water (45 + 55, v/v, pH −3.5). The developed method has been validated in accordance with ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines. The method has been applied for the assay of VDG and RGE in their FDCs. The results of the assay were found in compliance with the labeled claims.

Conclusions

The developed RP-HPLC-PDA method did not include any toxic or carcinogenic solvents. Hence, it is safe for analysts and the environment. The greenness profiles of the published and proposed RP-HPLC methods were evaluated by the national environmental method index (NEMI) scale, and the analytical greenness scores were calculated using the AGREE software. The developed method can be used as an eco-friendly tool in the pharmaceutical industry for routine analysis and quality control of FDCs of VDG and RGE.

Highlights

Development of a green and robust RP-HPLC method for the estimation of VDG and RGE using safe organic solvents. The analytical quality by design (AQbD) approach has been implemented in the development of a method to minimize solvent wastage. The method was applied for the assay of FDCs of VDG and RGE.
Green Spectrophotometric Determination of Two Cephalosporin Drugs Used in COVID-19 Regimen Through Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis
Authors: Saleh Hanaa M , Ragab Gamal H , Abdulla Nermeen M , Bahgat Eman A
Published: January 2023

Background

Cefixime trihydrate (CFX) and cefuroxime axetil (CFU) are antibacterial drugs. They are widely used in the treatment of bacterial infection and recently in COVID-19 treatment.

Objective

In this article, the two antibacterial drugs, CFX and CFU, were determined by a new simple, sensitive, effective, and green spectrophotometric method via reaction with silver nitrate (AgNO3).

Methods

The reaction was based on reduction of AgNO3 by the cited drugs to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP) as stabilizing agent. Very intense surface plasmon resonance peaks were obtained at 435 nm for CFX and CFU that allow quantitative determination of the drugs.

Results

The calibration curves were linear with concentration ranges of 0.2–1.4 μg/mL and 0.3–2.1 μg/mL for CFX and CFU, respectively. Validation of the proposed method has been done according to ICH (International Conference of Harmonization) guidelines; the method was verified on the Green Analytical Procedure Index and Analytical Greenness metric approach (AGREE) in regard to its greenness and was found to be an excellent green alternative method.

Conclusion

A very sensitive and green spectrophotometric method was developed for determination of CFX and CFU in pure and dosage form.

Highlight

The developed method not previously reported for simultaneous determination of CFX and CFU.
New (Paradigms In) International Economic Law
Authors: Bjorklund Andrea K , Marceau Gabrielle
Published: January 2023

Since the birth of the Journal of International Economic Law (JIEL) in 1998, the foundations of international economic law have undergone multidimensional changes. Emerging political and economic challenges have shaped international economic law into becoming inherently dynamic; not only have new frameworks developed for analyses of international economic relations, but novel social and environmental aspects of government policy now also fall within the field’s ambit. These challenges have shaken the normative foundations of international economic law and new paradigms in this field of law have emerged. Recent developments addressing matters ranging from the climate crisis to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic signify a turn in the WTO from negotiating trade rules to addressing pressing concerns facing humankind. When JIEL was first established, civil society renewed its calls for the inclusion of social and environmental concerns in so-called ‘trade and …’ policies. Today, the interlinkages between trade and other issues form an integral part of the international trading system. These new challenges and shifts in economic policy bring (some) traditional understandings of international economic law into question, and challenge the various normative underpinnings of international economic law in three ways: first, in the rise of novel approaches to international economic norm creation; second, in the expansion of subject areas covered by international economic rules; and third, in the steady disintegration of the traditional binaries, such as those between hard and soft law, between public and private actors, and between human rights and investment. These three changes have further provoked the development of analytical frameworks to study these norms. The eclectic and wide-ranging contributions in this special issue offer insightful critiques and provocative challenges to the community of international economic law actors facing unprecedented problems as the Journal celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary.
25 Years of Law and Practice at the WTO: Did the Appellate Body Dig its Own Grave?
Authors: Van Damme Isabelle
Published: January 2023

After 25 years of the practice of World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement, the system’s ability to continue performing that function has been significantly hampered as a result of the lack of a consensus among WTO Members to (re)appoint Appellate Body Members, resulting in the Appellate Body being defunct as of December 2019. This brief contribution reflects on the various narratives of the causes of the current state of WTO dispute settlement and comments on the role of the Appellate Body. It concludes that no sole responsibility for the current deadlock can be attributed to the Appellate Body. Undoubtedly, the Appellate Body could have decided differently on certain questions. However, asking whether or how the Appellate Body dug its own grave fails to acknowledge the role of WTO Members, collectively and individually, in preserving binding, compulsory WTO dispute settlement providing for appellate review.
Repair of old total perineal rupture: a case series
Authors: Djusad Suskhan , Kouwagam Anggrainy Dwifitriana
Published: January 2023

Obstetric anal sphincter injuries are complications occurred during vaginal delivery. An inadequate of this condition may lead to the total perineal rupture. One of the symptoms is anal incontinence. This condition may interfere with the patient’s quality of life. This study aims to present symptoms, risk factors and surgical management in old total perineal rupture cases. We presented seven cases of old total perineal rupture, from March 2021 until March 2022. All the patients had a chief complaint of anal incontinence. All patients had previous primary suturing at the time of delivery. From the sphincter US examination, all the patients had a defect on the internal and external ani sphincter. The overlapping sphincteroplasty and perineorrhaphy technique was performed in all patients. Identification of perineal lacerations and their immediate treatment are very important to prevent the occurrence of old total perineal rupture. Management with the overlapping sphincteroplasty and perineorrhaphy is an effective technique to correct this condition.
A network perspective of human–nature interactions in dynamic and fast-changing landscapes
Authors: Bodin Örjan , Chen Haibin
Published: January 2023

Increasing and intensifying the use of land represents a prominent sustainability challenge of particular importance in regions undergoing rapid change while at the same time exhibiting large natural and anthropocentrically induced variability. To reconcile the needs for both human prosperity and healthy ecosystems, a more integrated understanding of key biophysical and adaptation processes is paramount in such dynamic and deeply entangled social and environmental contexts. Interdisciplinary research utilizing a network perspective provides a novel methodological and theoretical approach to that end. We review and synthesize recent network-centric studies, and use this network perspective to show how rangeland managers in a dynamic pastoral region in the Qinghai Province of China form social relationships based on geographic proximity, social status and shared grazing areas. The results indicate that adaption to biophysical and socioeconomic changes is partly a social process in that rangeland managers develop their adaptive capacity jointly and in concert with others they trust and with whom they share grazing areas. Avenues for further development of this network perspective, in terms of how it might contribute important new insights about how to sustainably use land in dynamic landscapes undergoing rapid change, are suggested.
Leadership
Authors: Barling Julian
Published: January 2023

We take an in-depth look at the widespread benefits of the best of leadership (primarily focusing on transformational leadership), and the equally extensive costs of bad leadership (such as abusive supervision and passive management). We also investigate how both good and bad leadership exert their effects, noting that any effects are invariably indirect and delayed. The chapter includes an in-depth discussion of gender and leadership, including a discussion of research suggesting that female leaders were more effective during the pandemic, and why this was the case. This chapter also discusses leadership behaviors that are most effective during and after crises.
Autonomy
Authors: Barling Julian
Published: January 2023

Most managers seem to agree that no one knows the job as well as the person who does it—yet providing people with the autonomy, discretion, and control over their own jobs can be challenging for managers, as became evident when more people started to work for home after two years of the pandemic. Yet lessons from research are clear: even small amounts of autonomy can result in improved workplace attitudes, productivity, and employee well-being. At the same time, too much autonomy can overwhelm employees, and providing autonomy without training can literally be dangerous. Special features of this chapter are the discussions on micromanagement and electronic performance monitoring (electronic surveillance).
Growth
Authors: Barling Julian
Published: January 2023

Routine organizational practices such as formal and informal socialization, intensive and extensive training, feedback, mentoring, and (executive) coaching have long helped employees fulfil their needs for growth and development. Decades of research documented the benefits of these initiatives to enhance growth and development. However, much had already changed in the workplace prior to the pandemic: the turn of the century saw the widespread implementation of new work arrangements such as part-time work, temporary employment, job sharing, and outsourcing; more recently, we have seen the rise of gig work, agency work, remote work, and contract work. The common denominator across these new arrangements is that access to initiatives promoting growth and development is more limited; the challenges of meeting growth and development needs in this new work environment are accordingly considered. We conclude with a discussion of whether training and development are cost-effective, a critical consideration guiding any decisions about their implementation.
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 spherical lenses (thin convex lens and thin concave lens), the Galilean telescope, prisms, and Goldmann applanation tonometry. An anatomical diagram displays the spiral of Tillaux. The components and foramina of the 12 cranial nerves are summarised in a table. The design of the 6/6 Snellen chart letter ‘E’ is explained in a figure using minutes of arc.
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. An anatomical diagram displays the contents of the cavernous sinus. The normal electrocardiogram is explained in a helpful schematic. Histopathological slides are included for temporal arteritis and basal cell carcinoma. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography images of the cornea and iridocorneal angle are included, displaying key anatomical landmarks
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. Basic iris anatomy is explained using an external eye photograph. Papilloedema is demonstrated on optical coherence tomography imaging of the optic nerve head. An ultra-widefield scanning laser ophthalmoscopy image of the retina is included, with key anatomical landmarks. T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is explained in a helpful comparative figure
Global Business in the Age of Destruction and Distraction
Authors: Joshi Mahesh , Rastogi Gaurav , Klein J. R.
Published: January 2023

When a crisis like a pandemic sweeps through societies, it upends critical structures in health, economics, socio-economics, institutional cultures, communities, and everyday life. This book examines how a world already stressed by rampant change reacts to a global crisis. It draws on experts that foresee a growing economic inequality as the tech-savvy pull further ahead of those with less access to digital tools, training, or aptitude. Some anticipate that big technology firms will exploit their market advantages and weaponise tools that erode the privacy and autonomy of their users. Some predict that changes exacerbated by the pandemic will result in significant portions of the population benefiting from racial justice and social equity reforms, as critiques of current economic arrangements and capitalism gain support and policymakers’ attention. The authors examine the complexities and realities of a world filled with distraction and how focus is diverted during a time of primary technological revolution. These patterns are destroying old thinking models and establishing new paradigms. The book examines the common narrative and investigates strategies and pragmatic tools to remain relevant in the middle of the whirlwind.
The Aesthetics of Melancholia
Authors: López González Luis F.
Published: January 2023

This book explores the intersection between medicine and literature in medieval Iberian literature and culture. Its overarching argument is that thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Iberian authors revalorized the interconnection between the body, the mind, and the soul in light of the evolving epistemology of medicine. Prior to the reintroduction of classical medical treatises through Arab authors into European cultures, mental disorders and bodily diseases were primarily attributed to moral corruption, demonic influence, and superstition. The introduction of novel regimens of health as well as treatises on melancholia into academic institutions and into the cultural landscape provided the tools for newly minted authors to understand that psychosomatic illnesses stemmed from malfunctions of the body’s biochemical composition. This book demonstrates that the earliest books written in the Iberian vernaculars contain the seeds that effect the shift from a theocentric worldview to a humanistic one. I support my argument with the close readings of multiple texts, including medical treatises and religious writings, and King Alfonso X’s Cantigas de Santa Maria, Juan Manuel’s Conde Lucanor, and Juan Ruiz’ Libro de buen amor. Even though these texts differ in literary genre, rhetorical strategy, and even purpose, this study proves that they collectively employ humoral pathology and melancholic discourses as a means of underscoring the frailty and transience of human life by showing how somatic conditions sicken the body, mind, and soul of man unto death.
Introduction
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section is an introduction to Part 3 of the book, which sets out the comparative analysis of the arguments used to justify strict liability in the four legal systems. This introduction begins by clarifying which arguments are going to be explored comparatively throughout Part 3, and it then briefly explains why it does not consider certain ideas such as cost internalization, enterprise liability, fairness, and pure causation as distinctive justifications for the imposition of strict liability. Section 3.1 then outlines the framework of analysis which is relied upon to explore the various patterns of reasoning and the significance of the arguments in and across the four laws. In particular, in relation to the patterns of legal argumentation, section 3.1 introduces and explains concepts such as stand-alone, combined, and juxtaposed arguments, as well as the idea of context dependence and the distinction between arguments as means and arguments as goals. In relation to the significance of arguments, it explains that the book will characterize the arguments as used across the four laws on the basis of their justificatory weight, and it will do so by relying on the distinction between key, secondary, and make-weight arguments. Finally, section 3.1 explains why the book analyses both interpretive and normative justifications: first, it may be difficult to understand whether legal actors (and especially legal scholars) are putting forward an interpretive or normative justification and, secondly, it is doubtful whether reasoning which is being presented as merely interpretive does not include any normative dimension.
Deep Pockets
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores the deep-pockets 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 and explains why it is useful to keep it distinct from the loss-spreading justification. Secondly, it unravels the patterns of use that characterize the deep-pockets argument 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 deep-pockets argument has limited importance in all four legal systems, partly for reasons common to all of them (ie the availability of spreading mechanisms), and partly for reasons which may be found in some systems but not in others (eg the conflict between the deep-pockets argument and a vision of tort law as a system of bilateral justice, which can be found in England and in the United States but not in France and Italy).
Reduction in Administrative Costs
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores administrative cost reduction 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 but also emphasizes that it can be turned on its head and be used to question the desirability of strict liability. Secondly, it unravels the patterns of use that characterize this argument in the four legal systems, it assesses its justificatory significance and pays attention to the contexts of liability in relation to which this argument is invoked. The section shows that administrative cost reduction is not a particularly prominent justification in any of the four systems considered and that, while it has some significance in the United States and Italy thanks to ‘law and economics’, it carries very little justificatory weight in England and in France. The reasons for its limited significance lie in part in a lack of knowledge and empirical data concerning the effects of liability rules on administrative costs, and in part in the idea that administrative savings are largely irrelevant to what are perceived to be the main functions of strict liability.
Individual Responsibility
Authors: Cappelletti Marco
Published: January 2023

This section explores individual responsibility as a justification put forward to explain or support the imposition of strict liability in the four legal systems studied. First, the section explains the idea behind this argument, clarifying that a high number of conceptions of individual responsibility exist and that they treat strict liability very differently. Secondly, the section unravels the patterns of use that characterize this argument in the four legal systems, it assesses its justificatory significance and pays attention to the contexts of liability in relation to which this argument is invoked. The section shows that individual responsibility is not a particularly prominent justification for strict liability in any of the four systems considered, though with variations across them. The argument has some significance in the United States and England, where several legal scholars have a keen interest in moral philosophy and view tort law as based on norms of individual responsibility and justice. By contrast, it is basically absent from the Italian and French contexts, where strict liability is typically justified by reference to wider societal goals, and norms of individual responsibility are, at most, relevant to liability for fault.
‘Watery Empire’ in Pericles
Authors: Borlik Todd Andrew
Published: January 2023

The third chapter reveals that the depleted North Sea fisheries were a whale-sized bone of contention in Anglo-European politics around the time Shakespeare and Wilkins co-wrote Pericles. As a court entertainment centred on a sea-faring ruler whose name evokes naval supremacy, Pericles lends qualified support to royalist fantasies of oceanic sovereignty not only over the blue fisheries but also over sea-creatures harvested to manufacture purple dye, a key signifier of monarchy synonymous with Pericles’ hometown of Tyre. While the play’s tragic sea storms throw cold water on the representation of the ocean in court masques and seascapes—debunking human dominion over the sea and the apotheosis of the Stuarts as the heirs of Neptune by alluding to the 1607 Bristol Channel Flood and the threat of coastal erosion—the comic resolution holds out hope that the Stuarts might achieve a sustainable pan-European fisheries policy through inter-dynastic marriage.
Welsh Mountains, Alpine Pastoral, and Eco-Masculinity in Cymbeline
Authors: Borlik Todd Andrew
Published: January 2023

Chapter 4 surveys the Welsh scenes in Cymbeline to challenge the prevailing view that early moderns despised mountains as barren warts prior to the Romantic sublime. Classifying Shakespeare’s romance as an early example of alpine pastoral, I argue that the development of Renaissance landscape art, the Cambrophilia of early modern antiquarians, the installation of a new Prince of Wales, and the Jacobean elite’s belief in hunting as the pastime of the manly warrior combined to bestow a more picturesque glow on mountains in the early seventeenth century. In tension with the georgic impulse to plunder uplands for timber, minerals, and stone, Cymbeline hints that the preservation of both Britishness and masculinity may depend on the preservation of mountain wilderness.
Introduction
Authors: Prevot Andrew
Published: January 2023

This Introduction discusses ways in which the Christian tradition of mystical theology, started by the sixth-century Syrian monk Dionysius, can be developed and expanded today in relation to diverse forms of ordinary life. It distinguishes between grace-based and consciousness-based definitions of mysticism and between normative and quotidian senses of the ordinary. It argues that male theorists of mysticism ought to engage feminist scholarship and that feminist interpretations of mysticism ought to employ an intersectional method that analyzes interconnected gender, racial, and socioeconomic factors in the experience of divine union. It clarifies recent theological, philosophical, and feminist treatments of mysticism by thinkers such as Grace Jantzen, Amy Hollywood, Catherine Keller, and Sarah Coakley. Finally, it highlights the unique—Catholic theological, postmodern, and intersectional—contributions of this book.
Obedience, Love, and Suffering
Authors: Prevot Andrew
Published: January 2023

This chapter offers a constructive feminist reading of mystical theological texts by an influential Catholic theologian of the twentieth century (Balthasar) and the lay contemplative woman who was central to much of his work (Speyr). It embraces feminist critiques of their gender essentialism and certain problematic aspects of their relationship, while proposing a feminist appropriation of their gender-inclusive and gender-fluid hagiography. It scrutinizes their controversial arguments for mystical obedience to the Word of God, mystical marriage between Christ and the soul, and mystical participation in Christ’s suffering and death, while suggesting ways in which these arguments may be reformulated to avoid patriarchy and other kinds of oppression.
Immanence and Alterity
Authors: Prevot Andrew
Published: January 2023

This chapter contrasts two postmodern philosophical approaches to the mysticism of ordinary life: one based on a phenomenological account of the inner experience of the flesh (Henry), the other informed by psychoanalytic, historiographic, and cultural-studies theories about the self’s relation to the other (Certeau). It argues that these interpretations of the immanence and alterity of everyday life depend on creative readings of the Christian mystical tradition, especially Meister Eckhart and Jean-Joseph Surin. It proposes ways in which these postmodern mystical styles might be held together and appropriated by a contemporary, philosophically attuned Christian mystical theology.
The Other Within
Authors: Prevot Andrew
Published: January 2023

This chapter clarifies how two major representatives of the postmodern philosophical discourse known as “French feminism” engage with Christian mystical sources to theorize the conditions of women’s subjectivity and flourishing. It traces the development of their ideas from the 1970s through the 2000s. It begins with Irigaray’s early account of women’s mystical ecstasy as a subversion of phallocentric metaphysics and Kristeva’s early association of mysticism with a maternal, semiotic eruption in the paternal, symbolic order. It then highlights mystical aspects of Irigaray’s creative interpretations of elemental nature and Christological, Mariological, and pneumatological grace and Kristeva’s theory of primary narcissism as the inner ground of hatred and love. It critiques certain gender-essentialist and Eurocentric features of their political writings. It explains the ways the practice of yoga influences Irigaray’s most recent works and the reasons why Teresa of Avila has become a focal point of Kristeva’s reflections. It concludes that contemporary Christian mystical theology has much to gain from a nuanced reception of these thinkers.
New Directions NeededExponential Inequalities and the Limits of Equality Law
Authors: O’Cinneide Colm
Published: January 2023

Equality law has had a good run. Over the last half century, it has put down deep roots in the legal systems of most liberal democracies. However, recent events have exposed its limitations. For all its doctrinal and conceptual sophistication, equality law has not succeeded in eliminating overt forms of discrimination, let alone its more subtle manifestations—as highlighted by the revelations that triggered the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter campaigns of 2015 to 2021, and the exponential inequalities generated by the systemic shock of Covid-19. Radical new thinking is needed, about how to inject new dynamism into equality law—which may require rethinking old shibboleths, and breaking with some of the established orthodoxies of the last half century.
More than an Afterthought? Equality Law in Ireland during the Pandemic
Authors: Bell Mark
Published: January 2023

This chapter explores whether equality law has functioned effectively during the pandemic through a case study of the experience in Ireland. It focuses on the impact of equality law on the actions of public bodies during this emergency. The chapter begins with an overview of data from Ireland on the disparate effects of the pandemic on certain groups in society, such as women and migrants. The chapter finds that, so far, there has been limited litigation under equality laws that directly relates to the state’s responses to the pandemic. In contrast, there are several examples of instances where measures that the state adopted, such as emergency employment supports, were contested politically due to their alleged inconsistency with equality laws. In some cases, this did result in subsequent revision of the original scheme. Irish law places public bodies under a duty to pay due regard to equality and human rights in performing their functions. This should have ensured that equality issues were taken into account during pandemic decision-making, but the chapter finds that there is limited evidence that this duty functioned effectively. The chapter concludes by arguing that the public sector equality duty needs to be strengthened. It also identifies the important role of state equality bodies in providing a voice for equality issues during a time of crisis.
A Public Policy Approach to Inequality
Authors: Clarke Jessica
Published: January 2023

This chapter discusses diverging legal and public policy definitions of equality in the United States and explains the implications of this divergence for addressing exponential inequalities such as those unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past several decades, an increasingly conservative US Supreme Court has narrowly construed the project of equality law. It has marginalized theories of indirect discrimination and narrowed the scope of permissible remedial programmes that identify beneficiaries based on race. It is generally sceptical of statistical evidence of discrimination. These developments have rendered US civil rights law ill-equipped to address the disparate effects of Covid-19 based on race, gender, and other social categories. But more capacious understandings of equality have continued to influence US policy-makers, acting through legislatures, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. These more capacious understandings of equality have inspired data collection efforts to identify disparities, to explore the causes and consequences of these disparities, and to design interventions to mitigate them. To avoid legal challenge, interventions to mitigate disparities are crafted to avoid the perception of zero-sum conflict with majority group interests. Over the longer term, as public policy approaches to equality are proven effective, they may inform legal developments, hastening the demise of legal rules that are out of sync with new understandings of what equality demands.