bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Motors in Myelination and Their Misregulation in Disease
Authors: Barbosa Daniel José , Carvalho Cátia , Costa Inês , Silva Renata
Published: October 2024

Molecular motors are cellular components involved in the intracellular transport of organelles and materials to ensure cell homeostasis. This is particularly relevant in neurons, where the synaptic components synthesized in the soma need to travel over long distances to their destination. They can walk on microtubules (kinesins and dyneins) or actin filaments (myosins), the major components of cell cytoskeleton. While kinesins mostly perform the anterograde transport of intracellular components toward the plus ends of microtubules located distally in cell processes, cytoplasmic dyneins allow the retrograde flux of intracellular cargo toward the minus ends of microtubules located at the cell soma. Axon myelination represents a major aspect of neuronal maturation and is essential for neuronal function, as it speeds up the transmission of electrical signals. Increasing evidence supports a role for molecular motors in the homeostatic control of myelination. This role includes the trafficking of myelin components along the processes of myelinating cells and local regulation of pathways that ensure axon wrapping. Dysfunctional control of the intracellular transport machinery has therefore been linked to several brain pathologies, including demyelinating diseases. These disorders include a broad spectrum of conditions characterized by pathological demyelination of axons within the nervous system, ultimately leading to axonal degeneration and neuronal death, with multiple sclerosis representing the most prevalent and studied condition. This review highlights the involvement of molecular motors in the homeostatic control of myelination. It also discusses studies that have yielded insights into the dysfunctional activity of molecular motors in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis.
Predicting Public Violent Crime Using Register and OpenStreetMap Data: A Risk Terrain Modeling Approach Across Three Cities of Varying Size
Authors: Kronkvist Karl , Borg Anton , Boldt Martin , Gerell Manne
Published: October 2024

The aim of the current study is to estimate whether spatial data on place features from OpenStreetMap (OSM) produce results similar to those when employing register data to predict future violent crime in public across three Swedish cities of varying sizes. Using violent crime in public as an outcome, four models for each city are produced using a Risk Terrain Modeling approach. One using spatial data on place features from register data and one from OSM, one model with prior violent crime excluded and one with prior crime included. The results show that several place features are significantly associated with violent crime in public independent of using register or OSM data as input. While models using register data seem to produce more accurate and efficient predictions than OSM data for the two smaller cities, the difference for the largest city is negligible indicating that the models provide similar results. As such, OSM place feature data may be of value when predicting the spatial distribution of future violent crime in public and provide results similar to those when using register data, at least when employed in larger compared to smaller cities. Possibilities, limitations, and avenues for future research when using OSM data in place-based criminological research are discussed.
Classrooms or Crackdowns? How Violence Affects Security Policy Preferences in Mexico
Authors: Berens Sarah , López García Ana Isabel , Maydom Barry
Published: October 2024

Penal policies have been the primary strategy of Latin American governments to combat crime, but preventative social policies such as youth education programmes may be more effective solutions. Penal and social policies are often treated as a trade-off by governments, who expect citizens—especially victims of violence—to be more supportive of punitive solutions. Using an original online survey experiment conducted in 2021 in Mexico, we challenge the idea of a trade-off between penal and social policies by studying how different policy solutions along the penal-welfare policy continuum affect victims’ support for increased state security presence. We unpack differences between victims of criminal perpetrators and state violence and those who are fearful of crime. Our vignette experiment reveals—in contrast to previous results—that crime victims are more supportive of state security presence when coupled with pre-emptive measures. Surprisingly, the same holds for victims of state violence and for those fearful of crime, including those residing in neighbourhoods with watch groups. Victimisation, by either crime or the state, raises demand for policies to increase employment and improve education.
Was Palaeolake Messel a death-trap? Insight from modern bat drownings and decay experiments
Authors: Smith Krister T. , Rabenstein Renate , O’Keefe Joy
Published: October 2024

The Messel Pit is an ancient maar lake that preserves an ecosystem from the last greenhouse phase of Earth’s climate with exceptional fidelity. There are two main competing hypotheses to explain the occurrence of animal fossils at Messel: asphyxiation in layers of heavy, toxic gases like carbon dioxide, and death following ingestion of surface water contaminated by cyanobacterial toxins. Both hypotheses imply mortality much higher than the null hypothesis of accidental death, for instance by drowning. We tested these hypotheses amongst bats by recourse to a unique survey on bats that drowned in modern swimming pools. We further conducted experiments on the fate of fresh bat carcasses that simulate drowning. Finally, we estimated the annual rate of bat fossil production at Messel. Overall, there are few good surveyed predictors of whether bats drown in swimming pools: most physical parameters like pool size or the height and distance of obstructions were not associated with mortality, although pool liner type would be a good candidate parameter for future study. In our experiments, carcasses with water-filled lungs tend to sink more quickly than those with air-filled lungs; all carcasses that initially sink “bloat and float” at shallow depths, but all floaters eventually disarticulate and sink within days to weeks. Our estimates of annual bat mortality at Palaeolake Messel are of the same order of magnitude as mortality in swimming pools. Mass mortality horizons for vertebrates are very rare at Messel. In sum, our quantitative analyses provide no evidence that bat mortality at Messel rises above background levels.
Professional Ethics, Loyalties and Interpretative Space
Authors: Kvamme Ole Andreas
Published: October 2024

In a study of Iranian English teachers’ reflections on moral dilemmas, a central finding is conflicting loyalties between professional integrity and various forms of pressure from school leaders and parents. In this commentary I reflect on experiences from a Norwegian context. Here similar dilemmas are discussed within professional ethics, a field that respond to the responsibility and trust the teachers receive from society to employ their professional judgment in complex situations involving uncertainty. Referring to two publicly known cases that both accentuate the significance of loyalty, I exemplify how professional ethics is put under pressure, and reflect on how these cases make distinct what professional ethics is about. The commentary highlights the importance of providing an interpretative space for teachers carrying out a complex institutional practice, and the need to situate ethical dilemmas in the larger societal context school and education is a part of.
Sustainability power to the people: BREEAM Communities certification and public participation in England
Authors: Chantry William , Turcu Catalina
Published: October 2024

Incorporating public participation into planning and construction practice is challenging, however, it is seen as a pre-requisite for the successful implementation of sustainable urban development. Sustainability certification schemes such as BREEAM have been instrumental in guiding practitioners and developers to plan, design and build to high sustainability standards, yet the evidence for how these standards draw on and are framed by public participation inputs and processes is scarce. This paper unpacks such evidence concerning the application of BREEAM Communities in England, by examining data from 12 certified developments, selected out of 28 such developments, which is then analysed through Chantry’s heuristic of seven political spaces of citizen engagement. Overall, the study finds uneven levels of public engagement across the various political spaces of engagement. Requirements for public participation are stringent at the later ‘proposal’ and ‘implementation’ stages, with the potential to facilitate high-quality engagement. However, such requirements are vague or poor at the earlier ‘information provision’ and ‘deliberation’ stages, where the public should be provided with tools to generate realistic and informed proposals. The paper reflects on implications for BREAM Communities processes and guidance and further extends Chantry’s heuristic by adding two new political spaces, ‘attitudes to participation’ and ‘timing of engagement’. This enhanced heuristic builds a more complete picture of the key politicised stages of the participation process during BREEAM Communities certification, and contributes to current theoretical and empirical debates on gauging the effectiveness of public participation in sustainable urban development not just in an English context but internationally.
A comprehensive review of building lifecycle carbon emissions and reduction approaches
Authors: Wang Guohao , Luo Tengqi , Luo Haizhi , Liu Ran , Liu Yanhua , Liu Zhengguang
Published: October 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive review of building lifecycle carbon emissions (CEBL) and reduction approaches, analyzing over 300 recent publications and engaging in in-depth discussion of more than 100 key studies. The review systematically examines CO2 emissions across all stages of a building's lifecycle, from material production and transportation to construction, operation, demolition, and material recycling. While existing research highlights the significance of operational energy efficiency, this review reveals critical research gaps in quantifying transportation emissions, accounting for on-site equipment emissions during construction, and addressing the unique characteristics of non-residential buildings. Furthermore, the paper underscores the urgent need for improved construction waste management practices, especially in developing countries where landfilling remains prevalent. For the building carbon reduction approaches, promising building carbon emission reduction approaches include leveraging carbon dioxide sinks, implementing integrated energy systems, integrating building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and enacting effective policy interventions are separately discussed. By revealing data and theoretical limitations within current research, this review calls for more integrated and context-specific approaches to CEBL assessment, paving the way for a more sustainable built environment.
‘Unruly’ Children
Authors: Xu Jing
Published: October 2024

How do we become moral persons? What about children's active learning in contrast to parenting? What can children teach us about knowledge-making more broadly? Answer these questions by delving into the groundbreaking ethnographic fieldwork conducted by anthropologists Arthur and Margery Wolf in a martial law era Taiwanese village (1958-60), marking the first-ever study of ethnic Han children. Jing Xu skillfully reinterprets the Wolfs' extensive fieldnotes, employing a unique blend of humanistic interpretation, natural language processing, and machine-learning techniques. Through a lens of social cognition, this book unravels the complexities of children's moral growth, exposing instances of disobedience, negotiation, and peer dynamics. Writing through and about fieldnotes, the author connects the two themes, learning morality and making ethnography, in light of social cognition, and invites all of us to take children seriously. This book is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students of anthropology and educational studies.
Three Consuls
Authors: Peskin Lawrence A.
Published: October 2024

For two generations after independence, Americans viewed the Mediterranean as the new commercial frontier. From common sailors to wealthy merchants, hundreds of Americans flocked to live and work there. Documenting the eventful lives of three American consuls and their families at the ports of Tangier, Livorno, and Alicante, Lawrence A. Peskin portrays the rise and fall of America's Mediterranean community from 1776 to 1840. We learn how three ordinary merchants became American consuls; how they created flourishing communities; built social and business networks; and interacted with Jews, Muslims, and Catholics. When the bubble burst during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, American communities across the Mediterranean rapidly declined, resulting in the demise of the consuls' fortunes and health. A unique look into early American diplomacy, Three Consuls provides a much-needed overview of early consular service that highlights the importance of US activities in the Mediterranean region.
Clinical Case Studies in Long-Term Care Psychiatry
Authors: Gibfried Matthew , Grossberg George T.
Published: October 2024

The mental healthcare of older adults can lead to age specific challenges, however, many healthcare settings have limited access to expert geriatric psychiatric consultation. This compelling book provides a comprehensive compilation of real-life cases involving the psychiatric care of older adults in the long-term care setting. Providing practical guidance for healthcare professionals who work regularly with older adults, the chapters cover key topics such as neurocognitive disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, end-of-life mental health care, and sexuality issues in older adults. Offering all the information necessary for the diagnosis and formulation of treatment plans for a wide variety of psychiatric presentations, the book covers pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options for each disorder to assist healthcare professionals in providing well-rounded care. For all those involved in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and management of neuropsychiatric disorders in long-term care populations.
Honouring Daniel Kahneman
Authors: Oliver Adam
Published: October 2024

In March 2024, Daniel Kahneman – the man who did perhaps more than anyone else to shape the field of behavioural public policy – died. He is among a small handful of scholars who have had a huge effect on my own career, and in this essay – the first in a series of essays in a special section of the Journal that honour him – I reflect on how his work inspired much of my own.
Why Kahneman matters
Authors: Rizzo Mario J. , Whitman Glen
Published: October 2024

Daniel Kahneman's legacy is best understood in light of developments in economic theory in the early-mid-20th century, when economists were eager to put utility functions on a firm mathematical foundation. The axiomatic system that provided this foundation was not originally intended to be normative in a prescriptive sense but later came to be seen that way. Kahneman took the axioms seriously, tested them for descriptive accuracy, and found them wanting. He did not view the axioms as necessarily prescriptive. Nevertheless, in the research program he conceived, factual discoveries about real decision-making were stated as deviations from the axioms and thus deemed ‘errors’. This was an unfortunate turn that needs to be corrected for the psychological enrichment of economics to proceed in a productive direction.
Happiness fast and slow?
Authors: Frijters Paul
Published: October 2024

While in his early years, Kahneman followed the world of classic utilitarianism in which smart individuals base decisions on how they will truly feel each moment in the future, Kahneman in Mandel (2018) adopted a very different position, namely that what matters is the story people tell of their lives. He thus grappled with evolving stories of both the future and the past, and the presence of different decision-supporting evaluations for the short-run and the long-run.
Shoves, nudges and combating misinformation: evidence on a new approach
Authors: Porter Ethan , Wood Thomas J. , Broniatowski David A. , Hosseini Pedram
Published: October 2024

To what extent can the harms of misinformation be mitigated by relying on nudges? Prior research has demonstrated that non-intrusive ‘accuracy nudges’ can reduce the sharing of misinformation. We investigate an alternative approach. Rather than subtly reminding people about accuracy, our intervention, indebted to research on the bystander effect, explicitly appeals to individuals' capacity to help solve the misinformation challenge. Our results are mixed. On the one hand, our intervention reduces the willingness to share and believe in misinformation fact-checked as false. On the other hand, it also reduces participants' willingness to share information that has been fact-checked as true and innocuous, as well as non-fact-checked information. Experiment 1 offers proof of concept; Experiment 2 tests our intervention with a more realistic mix of true and false social media posts; Experiment 3 tests our interventions alongside an accuracy nudge. The effectiveness of our intervention at reducing willingness to share misinformation remains consistent across experiments; meta-analysis reveals that our treatment reduced willingness to share false content across experiments by 20% of a scale point on a six-point scale. We do not observe the accuracy nudge reducing willingness to share false content. Taken together, these results highlight the advantages and disadvantages of accuracy nudges and our more confrontational approach.
Increased Prevalence of Bell’s Palsy in First Nations Populations with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Manitoba
Authors: Jackson Alan C. , McLeod Lorraine , Prior Heather J. , Sirski Monica , Sellers Elizabeth , Ruth Chelsea
Published: October 2024

Bell’s palsy is acute facial palsy due to inflammation involving the facial nerve related to infections. Rates have not been noted to differ by ethnicity. We studied the lifetime prevalence in First Nations and all other Manitobans in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged 7 and older in 2013–2014 and 2016–2017. We found a crude lifetime prevalence of 9.9% [95% CI 9.4–10.4%] in the First Nations population versus 3.9% [95% CI 3.8–4.0%] in all other Manitobans. It is unknown if there were differences in glycemic control. The increased prevalence was found in all five provincial health regions. This study indicates that ethnicity may be an important risk factor for Bell’s palsy.
Phenomenological Analysis of Factors that Affect the Increase in the Willingness to Reengage Volunteer Rescuers and Saviors of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Authors: Kazemi Sadegh , Kolivand Pirhossein , Saberian Peyman , Shamspour Navvab , Ardakani Mojtaba Fattahi , Abdolahzadeh Fayegh , Azari Samad
Published: October 2024

Objective

The present study aimed to analyze the factors that influence the increase in the desire to re-engage volunteer rescuers and saviors of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Methods

This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study involved the participation of volunteers who had not volunteered in the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) for at least one year but expressed a willingness to be re-engaged. The semi-structured in-depth interview process and data collection continued until the theoretical saturation stage was reached. The collected data was analyzed using the interpretive approach and the 7-step Claesian method.

Results

The results show that several factors influence the increase in the desire to reengage volunteer rescuers and members of IRCS. These factors were categorized into 136 codes, 63 main codes, 20 clusters, 7 classes, and 3 themes, namely “organizational support and understanding,” “work characteristics,” and “organizational credibility.” The results of the study indicate that each of the identified factors plays a significant role in the dynamics of the re-engagement process for rescuers and volunteer rescuers within the IRCS.

Conclusions

The experiences of volunteer rescuers and members can be utilized to enhance the recruitment and retention of volunteer human resources within the IRCS.
Domestic and International Disaster Preparedness Education during Intensive Humanitarian Training
Authors: Merson Joshua , Giambuso Kristen , Nally Jacquelyn , Mather David , Searle Eileen F. , Biddinger Paul
Published: October 2024

Objective

Domestic and International Disaster Response requires ongoing preparedness through full-scale exercises and training. The Humanitarian Response Intensive Course (HRIC) includes a 3-day in-person simulation to prepare future humanitarian workers. The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Disaster Medical and Global Disaster Response Teams supported the HRIC through the development of a simulated field hospital for the course participants. Additionally, the MGH teams engaged in an intensive continuing education program for specialized training.

Methods

An interdisciplinary team developed and delivered seven discrete educational modules utilizing small group methodologies and combining didactics and simulation for a total of 14 hours of content over the 3-day course. Participants engaged in structured debriefing and completed written evaluations at the end of each day.

Results

18 participants completed the course and simulation weekend. Participants strongly agreed that learning outcomes were met and they noted that they felt more prepared to deploy in the future with comments specifically noting the ability to function as part of a team and increased awareness of personal safety in an alternate care setting.

Conclusion

Structured learning within a large-scale immersive, interdisciplinary simulation resulted in participants reporting increased preparation for real-world events.
Bridging the Gap: Communicating with Emergency Management Professionals in the Midst of Climate-Related Disasters
Authors: Brown Sarah I , Madad Syra
Published: October 2024

Objective

The objective of this research is to assess how New York City Health + Hospitals emergency management professionals (EMPs) perceive climate change-related events, to a.) improve communication for increased receptivity and b.) identify gaps in perceived risks.

Methods

The study surveys EMPs from 13 geographically different healthcare facilities in NYC about their perceptions on climate change and its related emergency scenarios, preferred information sources on climate change, and the best modes of communication during climate-related extreme weather events.

Results

The results of this study support a.) the importance of official hospital-system guidance regarding climate risks b.) the use of a diverse array of terminology, including messaging that refrains from the phrase ‘climate change’ and instead refers to the ‘future’ c.) the incorporation of clear actionable deliverables and d.) the inclusion of expert voices into messaging. Overall, recent events and upcoming seasonal hazards appear to affect perception of risk more than objective measures. Knowledge of city and temporal factors that impact perceived risk can be mobilized to harness engagement.

Conclusions

The results of this study inform best practices for climate communications to EMPs, critical in preparing our health systems for future climate disasters.
The Role of Misogyny in the 2022 Korean Presidential Election: Understanding the Backlash against Feminism in Industrialized Democracies
Authors: Jenkins Matthew D. , Kim Hannah June
Published: October 2024

Despite increasing scholarly attention to backlash against feminism, little is known about anti-feminist movements in East Asia. This study examines the 2022 South Korean presidential election campaign, in which the political parties sought to capitalize on political resistance to the perceived advance of feminism. This embrace of male grievance as a political force was arguably led by former People Power Party (PPP) chairman Lee Jun-seok, leading commenters to argue that support for Lee is rooted in misogyny. We examine this claim empirically by drawing on a novel survey to estimate the association between misogynistic attitudes, measured through devaluation, perception of women as manipulative, and distrust, and support for Lee. We find that misogynistic attitudes are positively correlated with support for Lee, but not with presidential vote choice. We interpret this as suggesting that the association between misogyny and support for Lee is a manifestation of the desire for symbolic representation. We discuss the implications of how this association can further influence the gender divide, both in Korea and beyond, and conclude with recommendations for further research.
A general model for spin coating on a non-axisymmetric curved substrate
Authors: Shepherd Ross G. , Boujo Edouard , Sellier Mathieu
Published: October 2024

We derive a generalised asymptotic model for the flow of a thin fluid film over an arbitrarily parameterised non-axisymmetric curved substrate surface based on the lubrication approximation. In addition to surface tension, gravity and centrifugal force, our model incorporates the effects of the Coriolis force and disjoining pressure, together with a non-uniform initial condition, which have not been widely considered in existing literature. We use this model to investigate the impact of the Coriolis force and fingering instability on the spreading of a non-axisymmetric spin-coated film at a range of substrate angular velocities, first on a flat substrate, and then on parabolic cylinder- and saddle-shaped curved substrates. We show that, on flat substrates, the Coriolis force has a negligible impact at low angular velocities, and at high angular velocities results in a small deflection of fingers formed at the contact line against the direction of substrate rotation. On curved substrates, we demonstrate that, as the angular velocity is increased, spin-coated films transition from being dominated by gravitational drainage with no fingering to spreading and fingering in the direction with the greatest component of centrifugal force tangent to the substrate surface. For both curved substrates and all angular velocities considered, we show that the film thickness and total wetted substrate area remain similar over time to those on a flat substrate, with the key difference being the shape of the spreading droplet.
Contesting Caste: Institutionalized Oppression and Circumventive Legal Resistance
Authors: Silliman Bhattacharjee Shikha
Published: October 2024

Across the globe, people who mobilize to protect their rights in highly oppressive contexts may have to navigate government institutions that not only fail to implement protections but also engage in discriminatory practices. This article introduces the term “circumventive legal resistance” to describe practices of making legally grounded claims but facilitating relief through processes of expression and negotiation that are distinct from explicit mechanisms of legal enforcement. Based upon a study of twenty-seven rural, semi-rural, and urban areas across the north and north-west regions of India, this article documents how Dalit women—from the most marginalized groups at the base of the caste pyramid—mobilize to protect their rights in contexts where local institutions do not enforce laws prohibiting caste discrimination and instead perpetrate caste-based forced labor practices. In particular, I focus on a campaign to end manual scavenging—a form of caste-based forced labor that is one of the worst surviving symbols of untouchability. With local channels to legal relief largely foreclosed, Dalit women who leave manual scavenging engage in circumventive legal resistance: they draw on law to make claims but win relief through avenues distinct from those envisioned within the parameters of the law.
Virtual Aunts and Uncles: Identity and Community in a Diasporic National Minority
Authors: Rácz Krisztina
Published: October 2024

The past decade has seen mass emigration of Hungarians from Serbia to the kin-state and Western European countries. This has resulted in new ways of understanding what it means to belong to the community, both empirically and in terms of theorizing it, and both for those in Serbia and those abroad. This article claims that there are virtual platforms where members of this ethnic community (re)create their identities, and that this happens through relating to certain common themes. For this reason, I analyze the common themes of two humorous Facebook pages – namely, rurality, food, language use, ethnic others, and crossing borders – popular among Vojvodina Hungarians. The article argues that these elements of identity connect members of the community who live in Vojvodina and those who have emigrated to the kin-state or diaspora. Therefore, in order to unpack the complex dynamics of identification of a national minority community with high diasporic tendencies, an approach that connects the above topics to the concepts of community, nostalgia, home, minority, and borders, and in more general terms the lens of national minority and diaspora studies is needed.
Housewives and the Growth of the Japanese Electrical Appliance Industry, 1950–1990
Authors: Hirano Takashi , Sakai Ken , Donzé Pierre-Yves
Published: October 2024

This article challenges the prevailing narrative surrounding the Japanese manufacturing industry in the post-World War II era, which predominantly centers on large corporations and male engineers. It sheds light on the vital role played by Japanese housewives in shaping product innovation. It argues that the exclusion of consumers, particularly women, from existing industrial models carries a gendered dimension. By presenting Japanese housewives as active stakeholders who defy stereotypes and enhance their lives by expressing their opinions, we aim to offer a fresh perspective on innovation and product development. The article specifically focuses on the electric appliance industry and draws upon a diverse range of sources, including women’s magazines and corporate archives, to uncover the hidden aspects of gender within the Japanese economic miracle. It shows that housewives have played an active role in product innovation and that women’s magazines have made this possible by acting as intermediaries between women and companies.
British CEOs in the Twentieth Century: Aristocratic Amateurs to Fat Cats?
Authors: Adams Robin J. C. , Aldous Michael , Fliers Philip , Turner John
Published: October 2024

This article uses a prosopographical methodology and new dataset of 1,558 CEOs from Britain’s largest public companies between 1900 and 2009 to analyze how the role, social background, and career pathways of corporate leaders changed. We have four main findings. First, the designation of CEO only prevailed in the 1990s. Second, the proportion of socially elite CEOs was highest before 1940, but they were not dominant. Third, most CEOs did not have a degree before the 1980s, or professional qualification until the 1990s. Fourth, liberal market reforms in the 1980s were associated with an increase in the likelihood of CEO dismissal by a factor of three.
Does Soft Power Look Different in Multinational Federations? International Education and Soft Power Politics in Canada/Quebec
Authors: Moscovitz Hannah , Trilokekar Roopa Desai
Published: October 2024

While the study of soft power has gained significant scholarly attention, an understanding of soft power politics in diverse state models, and multinational federations specifically, is lacking. This study remedies this gap by exploring the connection between soft power and multinational federalism in the Canadian context, highlighting the tensions between the Canadian federal “majority” nation and Quebec's “minority” nation. Relying on the international education policy sphere and its soft power potential, the study extends the discussion of soft power beyond the typical unitary nation-state lens, elucidating the interaction of multiple (and contrasting) soft power rationales within one country. The study reveals that soft power politics can be exerted as much domestically as externally and can be pursued in a discorded fashion within a nation-state. Clearly, there is a need for a more nuanced understanding of soft power, which considers its contested manifestation, and the context-specific ways it is utilized.
HERCULES SLAYING CACUS IN THE HYPOGEUM OF THE VIA DINO COMPAGNI, ROME
Authors: Tatham Gail , Wood Andrew Paul
Published: October 2024

Considering Roman art as a cumulative process could help resolve a small iconographical problem. Cubiculum N in the burial hypogeum under the Via Dino Compagni in Rome (c.350–75 ce) features a series of figure scenes referencing the exploits of the mythological hero Hercules. One of these scenes, presently entitled Hercules Slaying an Unknown Enemy, has no direct equivalent in extant Roman art and so has proved difficult to identify. This article suggests that Hercules’ battle with Cacus is most likely the incident referred to here. This is because Antonine medallions and coins, and third-century Roman sarcophagi, use imagery associated with the Cacus story that collectively could have contributed to the design of the Unknown Enemy panel. Further, identifying the defeated enemy as Cacus fits in with, and indeed helps to clarify, programmatic themes and associations already established in the other figure scenes in this funerary chamber.
Greek literature
Authors: Canevaro Lilah Grace
Published: October 2024

In the books reviewed there is a cumulative resistance to the normative discourse, shifting our attention away from the centre and to the margins. This might mean listening to marginalized women, from the poets themselves to characters in poetry, or people today who relate to those female characters’ experiences. It might mean pushing beyond spatial boundaries and encountering dislocation and disjunction in the hazy hinterland of the non-elite. It might mean moving the human to one side, so that nature and the nonhuman can come to the fore (and teach us about what it means to be human, along the way). These books give voice to suppressed groups including women, animals, and the land. They highlight axes of oppression, and give us tools to shift the balance of power: from the language we use to the way we relate to the world around us. And with stories of prophetic horses, sympathetic lions, and pensive pigs, their interpretations – as well as the classical tales they recount – are not to be missed!
Damocles's Switchboard: Information Externalities and the Autocratic Logic of Internet Control
Authors: Sun Meicen
Published: October 2024

This paper advances a theory for the autocratic logic of internet control. Politically motivated internet control generates a positive externality for domestic data-intensive firms and a negative externality for domestic knowledge-intensive research entities. Exploiting a major internet control shock in 2014, I find that Chinese data-intensive firms gained 26 percent in revenue over other Chinese firms as the result of internet control. The same shock incurred a 10 percent decline in research quality from Chinese researchers, conditional on the knowledge intensity of their discipline. It also reduced the research quality from Chinese researchers relative to their US counterparts by 22 percent in all disciplines. Due to the positive data externality, internet control enacted to prevent domestic threats challenges the state's competing need for data sovereignty against foreign threats. Meanwhile, the state shields certain foreign knowledge-intensive actors from the negative knowledge externality to avoid the immediate economic costs they might otherwise impose. Qualitative evidence supports both implications, highlighting the centrality of short-term interests and foreign actors in autocratic decision making.
Measuring loneliness: a head-to-head psychometric comparison of the 3- and 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scales
Authors: Gosling Corentin J. , Colle Romain , Cartigny Ariane , Jollant Fabrice , Corruble Emmanuelle , Frajerman Ariel
Published: October 2024

Background

Despite the growing interest in the prevalence and consequences of loneliness, the way it is measured still raises a number of questions. In particular, few studies have directly compared the psychometric properties of very short measures of loneliness to standard measures.

Methods

We conducted a large epidemiological study of midwife students (n = 1742) and performed a head-to-head comparison of the psychometric properties of the standard (20 items) and short version (3 items) of the UCLA Loneliness Scales (UCLA-LS). All participants completed the UCLA-LS-20, UCLA-LS-3, as well as other measures of mental health, including anxiety and depression.

Results

First, as predicted, we found that the two loneliness scales were strongly associated with each other. Second, when using the dimensional scores of the scales, we showed that the internal reliability, convergent-, discriminant-, and known-groups validities were high and of similar magnitude between the UCLA-LS-20 and the UCLA-LS-3. Third, when the scales were dichotomized, the results were more mixed. The sensitivity and/or specificity of the UCLA-LS-3 against the UCLA-LS-20 were systematically below acceptable thresholds, regardless of the dichotomizing process used. In addition, the prevalence of loneliness was strikingly variable as a function of the cut-offs used.

Conclusions

Overall, we showed that the UCLA-LS-3 provided an adequate dimensional measure of loneliness that is very similar to the UCLA-LS-20. On the other hand, we were able to highlight more marked differences between the scales when their scores were dichotomized, which has important consequences for studies estimating, for example, the prevalence of loneliness.
Case report: Poor prognosis or poor prognostication?
Authors: Tschanz Jacqueline , Khan Rida , Bruera Eduardo
Published: October 2024

Objectives

This case highlights the limitations of current prognostication and communication in clinical practice.

Methods

We report a case of a 50 year old patient with metastatic melanoma following admission to intensive care unit and later transferred to palliative care unit for end-of-life care.

Results

The patient had clinical improvement despite signs of predictors of death and was later transferred back to care of oncology team.

Significance of results

Physicians frequently overestimate or underestimate survival time which can be distressing to patients and families. There is need for further research to improve the accuracy of these tools for the sake of our patients and their families.
National Origins of International Solidarity Movements: Nationalism and International Solidarity for East Timor in Post-Cold War Southeast Asia
Authors: Kamisuna Takahiro
Published: October 2024

The international solidarity movement for the East Timorese was developed in Southeast Asian nations during the 1990s as ‘the issue of East Timor’ became a primary concern for the ASEAN countries’ civil society. Proponents of liberal democracy have assumed that international solidarity movements for human rights and democracy during the 1990s resulted from the powerful momentum of liberal democracy that universally linked foreign people. However, Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri and their marxist followers have explained these transnational movements as a transnational network that overcomes national borders against the capitalist Empire. Nevertheless, the political history of transnational solidarity movements from East Timor to Southeast Asia in the post-Cold War 1990s makes clear that nationalism has continued to be an ideological driver to link people from different nations.

Focusing on the international solidarity for the East Timorese independence struggle, this paper demonstrates a transnational function of nationalism through which international solidarity movements are created, resonate and function. The East Timor international solidarity struggle successfully created a transnational platform through the APCET conferences held in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand in the 1990s. Socio-historical analysis of APCET reveals that nationalists in Southeast Asia shared collective memories of national struggles beyond their spaces and times to create a transnational force to support self-determination for the East Timorese. Through its analysis, this article extends the theoretical framework of nationalism that has explained nationalist movements to serve as a more powerful tool to explain international solidarity in the age of globalisation. (247 words)
Vulnerability Appeals in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from a National Survey Experiment
Authors: Larner Jac M. , Thorp Joshua R.
Published: October 2024

This study explores the impact of vulnerability appeals during the COVID-19 pandemic using a nationally representative, preregistered survey experiment (N = 4,087) conducted in mid-2021. We explore whether providing citizens with information about the vulnerability of ethnic minority and disabled citizens to COVID-19 fosters empathy and increased support for behavioral restrictions. We observe minimal statistically significant or substantive effects, although the presence of subtle effects cannot be entirely ruled out. We identify some limited indications that individuals with disabilities exhibit increased support for restrictions when exposed to information about the vulnerability of disabled people to COVID-19, but these effects are inconsistent. Therefore, our findings provide limited evidence to confirm or rule out that using vulnerability appeals alone is effective for influencing public attitudes toward behavioral restrictions. The findings point toward avenues for future research, including a closer examination of heterogeneous responses to public health messaging among population subgroups.
Minimisation of metabolic networks defines a new functional class of genes
Authors: Jansen Giorgio , Qi Tanda , Latora Vito , Amoutzias Grigoris D. , Delneri Daniela , Oliver Stephen G. , Nicosia Giuseppe
Published: October 2024

Construction of minimal metabolic networks (MMNs) contributes both to our understanding of the origins of metabolism and to the efficiency of biotechnological processes by preventing the diversion of flux away from product formation. We have designed MMNs using a novel in silico synthetic biology pipeline that removes genes encoding enzymes and transporters from genome-scale metabolic models. The resulting minimal gene-set still ensures both viability and high growth rates. The composition of these MMNs has defined a new functional class of genes termed Network Efficiency Determinants (NEDs). These genes, whilst not essential, are very rarely eliminated in constructing an MMN, suggesting that it is difficult for metabolism to be re-routed to obviate the need for such genes. Moreover, the removal of NED genes from an MMN significantly reduces its global efficiency. Bioinformatic analyses of the NED genes have revealed that not only do these genes have more genetic interactions than the bulk of metabolic genes but their protein products also show more protein-protein interactions. In yeast, NED genes are predominantly single-copy and are highly conserved across evolutionarily distant organisms. These features confirm the importance of the NED genes to the metabolic network, including why they are so rarely excluded during minimisation.
Statistical inference with a manifold-constrained RNA velocity model uncovers cell cycle speed modulations
Authors: Lederer Alex R. , Leonardi Maxine , Talamanca Lorenzo , Bobrovskiy Daniil M. , Herrera Antonio , Droin Colas , Khven Irina , Carvalho Hugo J. F. , Valente Alessandro , Dominguez Mantes Albert , Mulet Arabí Pau , Pinello Luca , Naef Felix , La Manno Gioele
Published: October 2024

Across biological systems, cells undergo coordinated changes in gene expression, resulting in transcriptome dynamics that unfold within a low-dimensional manifold. While low-dimensional dynamics can be extracted using RNA velocity, these algorithms can be fragile and rely on heuristics lacking statistical control. Moreover, the estimated vector field is not dynamically consistent with the traversed gene expression manifold. To address these challenges, we introduce a Bayesian model of RNA velocity that couples velocity field and manifold estimation in a reformulated, unified framework, identifying the parameters of an explicit dynamical system. Focusing on the cell cycle, we implement VeloCycle to study gene regulation dynamics on one-dimensional periodic manifolds and validate its ability to infer cell cycle periods using live imaging. We also apply VeloCycle to reveal speed differences in regionally defined progenitors and Perturb-seq gene knockdowns. Overall, VeloCycle expands the single-cell RNA sequencing analysis toolkit with a modular and statistically consistent RNA velocity inference framework.
Proteome-scale recombinant standards and a robust high-speed search engine to advance cross-linking MS-based interactomics
Authors: Clasen Milan Avila , Ruwolt Max , Wang Cong , Ruta Julia , Bogdanow Boris , Kurt Louise U. , Zhang Zehong , Wang Shuai , Gozzo Fabio C. , Chen Tao , Carvalho Paulo C. , Lima Diogo Borges , Liu Fan
Published: October 2024

Advancing data analysis tools for proteome-wide cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) requires ground-truth standards that mimic biological complexity. Here we develop well-controlled XL-MS standards comprising hundreds of recombinant proteins that are systematically mixed for cross-linking. We use one standard dataset to guide the development of Scout, a search engine for XL-MS with MS-cleavable cross-linkers. Using other, independent standard datasets and published datasets, we benchmark the performance of Scout and existing XL-MS software. We find that Scout offers an excellent combination of speed, sensitivity and false discovery rate control. The results illustrate how our large recombinant standard can support the development of XL-MS analysis tools and evaluation of XL-MS results.
Effects of intensive and conventional farming on oxidative stress and meat quality biomarkers in holstein and simmental cattle
Authors: Tatar Ali Murat
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the intricate factors influencing meat quality, including breed, rearing conditions, and processing, with a primary focus on oxidative stress in Holstein Friesian and Simmental cattle within conventional and intensive production systems. A notable difference in oxidative stress was found between animals subjected to intensive-farming versus conventional practices, with Holstein cattle showing a more pronounced antioxidant gene response than Simmental. The analysis revealed that intensive rearing conditions resulted in increased DNA repair activity and expression of stress-response proteins like heat shock proteins, suggestive of greater cellular damage and an adaptive stress response. Muscle tissue analyses, revealed a clear distinction in gene expression associated with meat quality between the breeds and the type of farming system. A negative correlation emerged between oxidative stress levels and genes related to muscle development, which affects meat quality. Intensive farming conditions altered the expressions of apoptotic proteins, impacting meat quality at the molecular level. These results underscore the profound effect rearing conditions have on meat quality, driven by stress-related molecular responses. This highlights the need for further research into the influence of husbandry practices on animal welfare and meat quality, with the intention of developing strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of intensive-farming.