bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colorism in the U.S. Criminal Legal System
Authors: Baidoo Christopher E. , Hawkins Summer Sherburne
Published: November 2024

Colorism is discrimination based on skin tone—the lightness or darkness of one’s skin. While there is evidence of colorism in the U.S. criminal legal process—from police stops and arrests, to perceptions of criminality and guilt, to conviction and sentencing—some studies have not found colorism or have found colorism only for specific groups. Theory and methodological and contextual differences help explain heterogeneity in the findings. Some theory suggests that stereotypes influence outcomes in the criminal legal system and may vary depending on the context in which decisions are made (e.g., jurisdiction, judge, police office, location of police stop, jury composition).

There was diversity in contextual factors and methods used to assess colorism in the criminal legal process that helps explain conflicting findings across studies. There were differences in skin tone and criminal legal system outcome measurement, study design, sampling, use of self-reported data, age of the data used relative to study publication date, types of statistical analyses performed, inclusion of key control variables and colorism inherent in some of those variables, and geography. Future research could further address differences and limitations in prior studies.

To redress colorism in the criminal legal system, some scholars have suggested mandating implicit bias training, requiring police to reside in the jurisdictions they police, challenging the legality of color-based decisions in the criminal process, and developing anti-profiling policies. State-level race-based police reforms may reduce skin color disparities in criminal legal system outcomes, in addition to reducing racial disparities.
Transformative Justice
Authors: Todic Jelena , Méndez Xhercis , Webb Mel , Castellanos Calista , Soto Ruben , McMahon Sheila M. , Christensen M. Candace
Published: November 2024

Transformative justice (TJ) is a dynamic set of emergent strategies and abolitionist political commitments focused on responding to and transforming violence, harm, and abuse at the root. It encompasses values, beliefs, and community-based responses that aim to do so without resorting to further violence, punishment, or revenge and without relying on state mechanisms (e.g., prisons, police, courts) that produce and reproduce violence. TJ emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, led by and for communities most affected by criminalization and state-sponsored violence. This includes women of color, Indigenous communities, Black communities, people of color communities, immigrant communities, trans and queer communities, disabled communities, poor and low-income communities, sex workers, and youth. As such, TJ is deeply intertwined with the larger abolitionist movement. Its key concepts include recognizing structural violence as a root cause of interpersonal harm and focusing on trauma-informed care for healing justice. It also involves centering disability justice, adopting liberatory harm-reduction methods, and understanding accountability as a complex process involving individual and community aspects. Additionally, TJ embraces emergent strategy in social change, seeing everyday simple interactions as building blocks for complex systems that can foster more just and life-affirming worlds.

While most social workers face institutional constraints, such as mandatory reporting, that prevent them from practicing TJ, the principles of TJ can still inform social work. This TJ-informed social work approach involves shifting away from punitive and surveillance methods in social work to advocate for individual, organizational, community, and systemic changes consistent with liberatory harm reduction. Social workers can integrate TJ principles and practices within their professional roles to better align their practice with their ethical commitments. For example, social workers can differentiate between politicized and charity-based approaches to social services, learn about and integrate pod practices in their personal and professional lives, and commit to cultivating a TJ mindset. These actions could contribute to the broader aims of both social work and TJ while carefully avoiding the appropriation of TJ principles.
The risk of malignancy in patients with psoriasis treated with long-term tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Wen-Ting , Chiang Ming-Che , Huang Yu-Chen
Published: November 2024

Background

The relationship between tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFis) and cancer risk is complex, given their pivotal role in managing chronic inflammatory conditions. Persistent concerns about TNFi therapy potentially increasing cancer risk necessitate a thorough understanding of its long-term effects on cancer development in patients with psoriasis to guide therapeutic decision making.

Objectives

To evaluate the association between long-term TNFi therapy and cancer risk in patients with psoriasis in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

Data were collected from PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, from their inception to 1 January 2024. The studies included adults with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis receiving an TNFi, presenting standardized incidence ratio (SIR) data for cancer. Data extraction followed PRISMA guidelines, with independent extraction by two authors, and pooled data synthesis was conducted using a random-effects model. The primary outcomes were SIRs for all cancers excluding nonmelanoma skin carcinoma (NMSC) and for NMSC itself. The secondary outcome was SIRs for specific cancer types.

Results

We reviewed 13 studies, including 8 new studies and 5 from a previous meta-analysis. Of the 13 studies, only 8 were included in the meta-analysis comprising a total of 32 765 patients with psoriasis. The pooled results showed no increased risk of cancers for the categories: all cancers excluding NMSC; melanoma; lymphoma; prostate cancer; and breast cancer among individuals receiving long-term TNFi therapy for psoriasis compared with the general population. However, subgroup analysis found an elevated risk of NMSC in patients with psoriatic arthritis and a significant increase in the risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) among patients with psoriasis treated with TNFis compared with the general population [SIR 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–2.92 and SIR 2.84, 95% CI 1.64–4.91, respectively].

Conclusions

Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that most cancers examined did not demonstrate an increased risk following long-term TNFi therapy in patients with psoriasis. However, for patients with psoriatic arthritis or those at high risk of SCC, these findings underscore the importance of personalized treatment strategies that weigh individual risks and benefits.
Applications of Big Data Analytics in Tax Compliance Monitoring: A Case Study of Rwanda’s Value-Added Tax
Authors: Tuyishimire Origene , Murorunkwere Belle Fille
Published: November 2024

Most tax administrations have struggled with tax under-reporting, which has cost them greatly financially and hampered economic growth overall. For most countries, value-added tax (VAT) is the main source of domestic revenue. VAT is the major contributor to total tax revenue in Rwanda, so even a small increase in its collection can raise overall significant revenue. Researchers have attempted to address the issue of under-reporting using various techniques. The purpose of this paper is to use machine learning models to detect and predict the VAT under-reporting in Rwanda. Several evaluation criteria are used to compare different supervised machine learning models. A number of factors are shown to be more influential on VAT under-reporting than others, including cross-border businesses, taxpayers with fewer years of experience, and taxpayers in sectors such as wholesale and retail trade as well as construction. Leveraging such approaches can increase revenue mobilization as tax administrations will have a quick and innovative method of predicting VAT under-reporting in advance and identify high-risk cases for audit.
On the maximum bound principle and energy dissipation of exponential time differencing methods for the matrix-valued Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Liu Yaru , Quan Chaoyu , Wang Dong
Published: November 2024

This work delves into the exponential time differencing (ETD) schemes for the matrix-valued Allen–Cahn equation. In fact, the maximum bound principle (MBP) for the first- and second-order ETD schemes is presented in a prior publication [SIAM Review, 63(2), 2021], assuming a symmetric initial matrix field. Noteworthy is our novel contribution, demonstrating that the first- and second-order ETD schemes for the matrix-valued Allen–Cahn equation—both being linear schemes—unconditionally preserve the MBP, even in instances of nonsymmetric initial conditions. Furthermore, we prove that these two ETD schemes preserve the energy dissipation law unconditionally for the matrix-valued Allen–Cahn equation, and their convergence analysis is also provided. Some numerical examples are presented to verify our theoretical results and to simulate the evolution of corresponding matrix fields.
Efficacy of the mLab App: a randomized clinical trial for increasing HIV testing uptake using mobile technology
Authors: Schnall Rebecca , Scherr Thomas Foster , Kuhns Lisa M , Janulis Patrick , Jia Haomiao , Wood Olivia R , Almodovar Michael , Garofalo Robert
Published: November 2024

Objective

To determine the efficacy of the mLab App, a mobile-delivered HIV prevention intervention to increase HIV self-testing in MSM and TGW.

Materials and methods

This was a randomized (2:2:1) clinical trial of the efficacy the mLab App as compared to standard of care vs mailed home HIV test arm among 525 MSM and TGW aged 18-29 years to increase HIV testing.

Results

The mLab App arm participants demonstrated an increase from 35.1% reporting HIV testing in the prior 6 months compared to 88.5% at 6 months. In contrast, 28.8% of control participants reported an HIV test at baseline, which only increased to 65.1% at 6 months. In a generalized linear mixed model estimating this change and controlling for multiple observations of participants, this equated to control participants reporting a 61.2% smaller increase in HIV testing relative to mLab participants (P = .001) at 6 months. This difference was maintained at 12 months with control participants reporting an 82.6% smaller increase relative to mLab App participants (P < .001) from baseline to 12 months.

Discussion and conclusion

Findings suggest that the mLab App is well-supported, evidence-based, behavioral risk-reduction intervention for increasing HIV testing rates as compared to the standard of care, suggesting that this may be a useful behavioral risk-reduction intervention for increasing HIV testing among young MSM.

Trial registration

This trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03803683.
Hand Burn Injuries and Occupational Impairment: A Study on the Impact of Burn Injuries on Return-to-Work Outcomes from the Burn Model System Research Program
Authors: Thrikutam Nikhitha , Kopp Charles M , Orton Caitlin , Bamer Alyssa M , Schneider Jeffrey C , Solis-Beach Kyra , Kazis Lewis E , Yenikomshian Haig A , Kowalske Karen , Stewart Barclay T
Published: November 2024

Return to work (RTW) after burn injury is dependent on many variables, including type and location of burn injury, access to care, and preinjury mental and physical health. Noting that prior studies were limited by small sample sizes, we aimed to use a large database to explore the associations between hand burn severity, functional hand outcomes, and RTW postinjury. Data from a multicenter longitudinal study were analyzed. Adults with burn injuries were classified into 6 groups ranking in the severity of hand injury: (0) no hand burns, (1) single hand burn no grafting, (2) bilateral hand burn no grafting, (3) single hand burn requiring grafting, (4) bilateral hand burn requiring unilateral graft, and (5) bilateral hand burn requiring bilateral grafts. Grafting was used as a proxy for burn severity. Self-reported employment status, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) upper extremity (UE) scores, and reported requests for work accommodations were collected at discharge, 6-, 12-, and 24-month postinjury. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc Tukey test were completed to examine differences in outcomes by hand injury severity. A total of 4621 participants met the inclusion criteria. Group 5, those with the most severe burns, had significantly longer RTW times than groups 0-3 (P < 0.005). Group 5’s (bilateral burn/unilateral graft) average RTW was greater, however, not significantly, compared to group 4. At 6 months, the mean PROMIS UE scores for grafted groups (group 3, 40.6; group 5, 35.4) were significantly worse than non-grafted groups (group 1, 46.8; group 2, 45.0; P < 0.0001). At 12 and 24 months, mean PROMIS UE scores were worse for grafted groups, though differences were no longer significant compared to non-grafted groups. At every time point, the majority of respondents did not request accommodations for their injuries from their employers, regardless of severity. Burn severity plays a significant role in both RTW and hand function for participants with hand burns. In addition, the lack of correlation between burn severity and request for work accommodations hints at the baseline vulnerability of these populations. These findings suggest a need for systematic improvements in the way these patients are cared for and re-integrated into the workforce.
Coordination between leaf pH and other leaf traits are divergent among life-forms and eco-geographic regions in plants of northern China
Authors: Liu Sining , Chen Jiashu , Luo Yan , Ren Junpeng , Chen Yahan , Yan Zhengbing , Han Wenxuan
Published: November 2024

As a key functional trait affecting many physiological processes, leaf pH is closely related to other leaf traits at the local scale. Nevertheless, whether and how leaf pH is linked with other leaf functional traits across geographic scales remains unclear. A field survey in northern China was conducted to investigate the relationships between leaf pH and some key leaf structural (specific leaf area, SLA; leaf dry matter content, LDMC) and chemical traits (elemental concentrations; total dissolved solids, TDS; practical salinity), as well as the effects of environmental factors on these relationships. Our results showed that the trait coordination may vary in degree or direction across eco-geographic regions (arid vs. non-arid regions) and life-forms (woody vs. herbaceous plants). Generally, leaf pH was negatively related to SLA, but positively related to TDS and salinity. However, leaf pH and LDMC were negatively correlated in arid regions but positively correlated in non-arid regions; leaf pH covaried with N (similarly, with Ca, Mg and Na) in the same direction for both herbaceous and woody plants in arid regions, but not in non-arid regions. Climatic factors mainly influenced the relationships of leaf pH with leaf Ca and Fe concentrations, while soil factors mostly affected those with leaf P, Ca and Mn concentrations. Our findings highlight the divergent coordination between leaf pH and other leaf traits across life-forms and eco-geographic regions and may shed light on the in-depth understanding of the role of acid-base balance in plant eco-physiological processes and ecological adaptation over biogeographic scales.
A deep mutational scanning platform to characterize the fitness landscape of anti-CRISPR proteins
Authors: Stadelmann Tobias , Heid Daniel , Jendrusch Michael , Mathony Jan , Aschenbrenner Sabine , Rosset Stéphane , Correia Bruno E , Niopek Dominik
Published: November 2024

Deep mutational scanning is a powerful method for exploring the mutational fitness landscape of proteins. Its adaptation to anti-CRISPR proteins, which are natural CRISPR-Cas inhibitors and key players in the co-evolution of microbes and phages, facilitates their characterization and optimization. Here, we developed a robust anti-CRISPR deep mutational scanning pipeline in Escherichia coli that combines synthetic gene circuits based on CRISPR interference with flow cytometry coupled sequencing and mathematical modeling. Using this pipeline, we characterized comprehensive single point mutation libraries for AcrIIA4 and AcrIIA5, two potent inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas9. The resulting mutational fitness landscapes revealed considerable mutational tolerance for both Acrs, suggesting an intrinsic redundancy with respect to Cas9 inhibitory features, and – for AcrIIA5 – indicated mutations that boost Cas9 inhibition. Subsequent in vitro characterization suggested that the observed differences in inhibitory potency between mutant inhibitors were mostly due to changes in binding affinity rather than protein expression levels. Finally, to demonstrate that our pipeline can inform Acrs-based genome editing applications, we employed a selected subset of mutant inhibitors to increase CRISPR-Cas9 target specificity by modulating Cas9 activity. Taken together, our work establishes deep mutational scanning as a powerful method for anti-CRISPR protein characterization and optimization.
PubChem 2025 update
Authors: Kim Sunghwan , Chen Jie , Cheng Tiejun , Gindulyte Asta , He Jia , He Siqian , Li Qingliang , Shoemaker Benjamin A , Thiessen Paul A , Yu Bo , Zaslavsky Leonid , Zhang Jian , Bolton Evan E
Published: November 2024

PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) is a large and highly-integrated public chemical database resource at NIH. In the past two years, significant updates were made to PubChem. With additions from over 130 new sources, PubChem contains >1000 data sources, 119 million compounds, 322 million substances and 295 million bioactivities. New interfaces, such as the consolidated literature panel and the patent knowledge panel, were developed. The consolidated literature panel combines all references about a compound into a single list, allowing users to easily find, sort, and export all relevant articles for a chemical in one place. The patent knowledge panels for a given query chemical or gene display chemicals, genes, and diseases co-mentioned with the query in patent documents, helping users to explore relationships between co-occurring entities within patent documents. PubChemRDF was expanded to include the co-occurrence data underlying the literature knowledge panel, enabling users to exploit semantic web technologies to explore entity relationships based on the co-occurrences in the scientific literature. The usability and accessibility of information on chemicals with non-discrete structures (e.g. biologics, minerals, polymers, UVCBs and glycans) were greatly improved with dedicated web pages that provide a comprehensive view of all available information in PubChem for these chemicals.
The Chemical Probes Portal – 2024: update on this public resource to support best-practice selection and use of small molecules in biomedical research
Authors: Sanfelice Domenico , Antolin Albert A , Crisp Alisa , Chen Yi , Bellenie Benjamin , Brennan Paul E , Edwards Aled , Müller Susanne , Al-Lazikani Bissan , Workman Paul
Published: November 2024

The Chemical Probes Portal (www.chemicalprobes.org) is a free, public resource, based on expert-reviews, that supports the assessment, selection and use of small-molecule compounds that qualify as chemical probes. These high-quality reagents are essential for exploring the function of individual proteins in complex biological systems, such as cells and organisms, and for validating proteins as potential therapeutic targets. The use of reliable chemical probes accelerates protein annotation in basic biological studies and informs drug discovery. However, the use of low-quality compounds has historically led to erroneous conclusions in biomedical research, and experience shows that failure to follow best practice continues, an issue which the Portal aims to address. Here, we describe the latest updates to the Chemical Probes Portal in both content and functionality. The number of chemical probes and human protein targets covered has increased significantly, with improvements in the processes for obtaining expert reviews and user engagement. Moreover, new functionalities and enhanced tools have been introduced to better support biological researchers in selecting and using the best chemical probes for their studies.
Full-length direct RNA sequencing reveals extensive remodeling of RNA expression, processing and modification in aging Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Schiksnis Erin C , Nicastro Ian A , Pasquinelli Amy E
Published: November 2024

Organismal aging is marked by decline in cellular function and anatomy, ultimately resulting in death. To inform our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this degeneration, we performed standard RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies direct RNA-seq over an adult time course in Caenorhabditis elegans. Long reads allowed for identification of hundreds of novel isoforms and age-associated differential isoform accumulation, resulting from alternative splicing and terminal exon choice. Genome-wide analysis reveals a decline in RNA processing fidelity. Finally, we identify thousands of inosine and hundreds of pseudouridine edits genome-wide. In this first map of pseudouridine modifications for C. elegans, we find that they largely reside in coding sequences and that the number of genes with this modification increases with age. Collectively, this analysis discovers transcriptomic signatures associated with age and is a valuable resource to understand the many processes that dictate altered gene expression patterns and post-transcriptional regulation in aging.
MatrixDB 2024: an increased coverage of extracellular matrix interactions, a new Network Explorer and a new web interface
Authors: Samarasinghe Kasun W , Kotlyar Max , Vallet Sylvain D , Hayes Catherine , Naba Alexandra , Jurisica Igor , Lisacek Frédérique , Ricard-Blum Sylvie
Published: November 2024

MatrixDB, a member of the International Molecular Exchange consortium (IMEx), is a curated interaction database focused on interactions established by extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents including proteins, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans and ECM bioactive fragments. The architecture of MatrixDB was upgraded to ease interaction data export, allow versioning and programmatic access and ensure sustainability. The new version of the database includes more than twice the number of manually curated and experimentally-supported interactions. High-confidence predicted interactions were imported from the Integrated Interactions Database to increase the coverage of the ECM interactome. ECM and ECM-associated proteins of five species (human, murine, bovine, avian and zebrafish) were annotated with matrisome divisions and categories, which are used for computational analyses of ECM -omic datasets. Biological pathways from the Reactome Pathway Knowledgebase were also added to the biomolecule description. New transcriptomic and expanded proteomic datasets were imported in MatrixDB to generate cell- and tissue-specific ECM networks using the newly developed in-house Network Explorer integrated in the database. MatrixDB is freely available at https://matrixdb.univ-lyon1.fr.
The Immune Epitope Database (IEDB): 2024 update
Authors: Vita Randi , Blazeska Nina , Marrama Daniel ,   IEDB Curation Team Members, Shackelford Deborah , Zalman Leora , Foos Gabriele , Zarebski Laura , Chan Kenneth , Reardon Brian , Fitzpatrick Sidne , Busse Matthew , Coleman Sara , Sedwick Caitlin , Edwards Lindy , MacFarlane Catriona , Ennis Marcus , Duesing Sebastian , Bennett Jason , Greenbaum Jason , De Almeida Mendes Marcus , Mahita Jarjapu , Wheeler Daniel K , Cantrell Jason R , Overton James A , Natale Darren A , Sette Alessandro , Peters Bjoern
Published: November 2024

Over the past 20 years, the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB, iedb.org) has established itself as the foremost resource for immune epitope data. The IEDB catalogs published epitopes and their contextual experimental data in a freely searchable public resource. The IEDB team manually curates data from the literature into a structured format and spans infectious, allergic, autoimmune, and transplant diseases. Here, we describe the enhancements made since our 2018 paper, capturing user-directed updates to the search interface, advanced data exports, increases in data quality, and improved interoperability across related resources. As we look forward to the next 20 years, we are confident in our ability to meet the needs of our users and to contribute to the broader field of data standardization.
How Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, Mystical Experiences Become Effective
Authors: Koch Anne
Published: November 2024

The concept of “efficacy” is dually grounded in theory and in individual experience. On the one hand, it is a key issue in many religious practices, from intercessory prayer to healing rituals. On the other hand, the concept concerns causality, belief, and intentionality and is here localized within recent discussions of predictive mind and embodied cognition and related to the construction of the “really real” within religions. The practices of gaining a new conviction, sensing a healing energy, or synchronizing heart rates raise the important question of how we come to have beliefs or give them up according to apparent evidence. Religions set frameworks for those processes whose underlying cognitive and psychophysiological mechanisms, as well as cultural aesthetic strategies, are elaborated against the background of placebo research, ritual theory, aesthetics of religion, and the cognitive study of religion. Basic aesthetic categories—like aestheticscapes, time perception, absorption, ritual enactment, evaluation, synchronous speech, and tool use—are expounded on to improve our understanding of components of efficacy, like, for example, the role of belief systems as expectations and prediction precision estimates, familiarity with the healing narrative, charisma of the healer, and collective alignment.
Monumental Monsters
Authors: Oswald Simon
Published: November 2024

This chapter examines the form and function of monsters adorning Greek monumental architecture. An overview is provided of the types of monsters encountered and the many places they could manifest themselves in the design of a building. Temples, in particular, provided a meeting place where a multitude of monsters from different myths could mingle across the greater aesthetic programme, though, interestingly, certain monsters, such as gorgons, appeared much more frequently than others, such as satyrs, who are rarely attested at all. While no one theory adequately accounts for all the monsters of monumental architecture, those more narrowly focused offer important insights. The frequent depiction of scenes of Centauromachies and Gigantomachies in sculptural programmes, for example, was likely because the myths were easily identifiable and communicated generic moral messages relating to codes of moral conduct and the consequences of transgressing them.
Spawned from the Nile
Authors: Boychenko Leanna
Published: November 2024

From literature and art to politics and religion, Greeks and Romans incorporated Egyptian monsters into many important cultural institutions, sometimes drawing directly from an Egyptian monster or demon, but at other times, twisting a more benevolent creature and creating a monster. Beginning with the giant snake in the Middle Kingdom’s ‘Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor’ and its connections to the Odyssey, this chapter examines several anchoring examples of the different ways that Egyptian monsters interact with Greek and Roman culture. A monster-fighting scene from the Book of the Dead becomes Medea’s battle against the bronze man Talos in the Argonautica. Hybrid divinities like the heart-swallowing monster Ammut parallel the Graeco-Roman sphinx. As a result of the power crisis following the break-up of Rome’s Second Triumvirate, Egypt itself becomes monstrous, ruled by the infamous Cleopatra. The land of the Nile provided ample material to stimulate the Greek and Roman imagination, especially in terms of monsters.
Social Movements and International Law in Latin America
Authors: Olarte-Olarte María Carolina , Galvis Castro Felipe
Published: November 2024

This article offers an approach to the relationship between international law (IL) and Latin American social movements (LASM). In the first place, it reminds the two-way interplay of LASM with some international institutions and rules. It then moves to discuss certain LASM experiences with IL ranging from questioning it and using it from an alternative perspective, to deliberately reformulate its terms and seek better ways to use it in daily struggles. It highlights LASM practices regarding institutional arenas and, more importantly, extra-institutional mobilization. Thus, this contribution attempts to show the richness, creative, and pressing value of LASM uses of IL, beyond any pretension of purism or correctness. At the bottom of this chapter is a challenge to the assimilations and institutional registry of social movements as subaltern users of IL, which fits the lack of genuine popular influence in global decision making.
(Un)Governing Assembly
Authors: Hamilton Michael
Published: November 2024

Legal requirements for organizing an assembly often require the submission of prior notification or an application for a permit. But why is the act of assembling with others—one foundational to social and political life (and generally constitutionally protected)—routinely subject to mandatory procedural regulation? This chapter explores why human rights law appears to have so readily conceded the legitimacy of these anticipatory forms of regulatory control. Echoing C. Edwin Baker’s clarion call to fundamentally ‘rethink the issue’, it presents a manifesto for jettisoning mandatory notification requirements in favour of voluntary schemes. Far from ushering in a chaotic system that would render the state incapable of satisfying its obligations to protect the different rights engaged, voluntary notification systems can achieve the purported gains of mandatory requirements while preserving the agency of the assembled people and helping restore some intelligibility to a muddled area of international human rights law.
Emotions and the Visual Representation of Human Suffering
Authors: Auchter Jessica
Published: November 2024

This chapter discusses the connections between emotions and visual representation. It begins by examining how visual representation is often granted a privileged status as the way emotion is rendered accessible. This chapter offers a skeptical view of this notion that the visual is the only, or at least the key, way of accessing emotions, noting that this can reify particular types of representations, especially photographs. It suggests that, through this claim, photographs become reified as truth even more because they purportedly grant access to the unrepresentable “real” of the realm of emotion. Rather than considering specific visual representations such as images or media representations, the chapter instead considers the visual grammar through which emotional encounters occur in international relations (IR), including how emotions become visible to the researcher, particularly in the context of research on human suffering, a key subject of IR study.
Therapeutic Dilemma: Melatonin or not?
Authors: Ratnapalan Savithiri , Rieder Michael
Published: November 2024

Sleep disturbances are common in childhood, especially among neurodivergent children. There are few proven therapeutic options. Melatonin is a hormone that is critical to the normal human sleep cycle. Melatonin therapy has been proven to be effective in adults with jet lag and there is emerging evidence that it may be of value when used in low doses for neurodivergent children. There is however no evidence that melatonin is of utility in addressing sleep problems in otherwise well children.
Deconstructing the Yield Curve
Authors: Crump Richard K , Gospodinov Nikolay
Published: November 2024

We introduce a novel nonparametric bootstrap for the yield curve that is agnostic to the true factor structure of interest rates. We deconstruct the yield curve into primitive objects, with weak cross-sectional and time-series dependence, that serve as building blocks for resampling the data. We analyze the properties of the bootstrap for mimicking salient features of the data and conducting valid inference. We demonstrate the benefits of our general method by revisiting the predictability of bond returns based on slow-moving fundamentals. We find that trend inflation, but not the equilibrium real rate, has predictive power for future bond returns.
The Occupation Content of Trade
Authors: Kruse Hagen , Timmer Marcel P , de Vries Gaaitzen J , Ye Xianjia
Published: November 2024

This paper develops new data to track the occupation content of trade. These data are based on measuring the value-added exports of workers cross-classified by their industry of work as well as their occupational class, in short by “task.” Countries initially specialize along the extensive margin (shifting exports of value added across industries) and later on along the intensive margin (shifting export income across occupations within industries). Path dependency is strong in the early phase of development, as new task specializations are closely related to the initial task export basket, but this dependence weakens afterwards. Leveraging the new data holds great promise in delivering deeper insights into patterns of trade, structural change, and economic development.
Geostatistical modelling improves prediction of Macrophomina phaseolina abundance and distribution in soybean fields
Authors: Mondal Sandip , Gluck-Thaler Emile , Grabowski Ocampos Cristhian J. , Hahn Villalba Enrique , Niblack Terry L. , Orrego Fuente Aida L. , Pedrozo Lidia M. , Ralston Timothy I. , Soilan Laura C. , Lopez-Nicora Horacio D.
Published: November 2024

Charcoal rot, caused by the soilborne fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp) poses a serious threat to soybean health and harvests at a global scale. Mp exhibits varying distribution patterns across fields, which complicates our ability to predict disease occurrences and outbreaks. Therefore, determining the spatial distribution of Mp abundance and its relation with soil physicochemical properties would help to inform precision management decisions for mitigating charcoal rot. To achieve this, Mp colony forming units (CFU) and edaphic properties were evaluated in 297 soybean fields located in the main soybean growing regions across 7 Departments of Paraguay. A pattern of decreasing CFU density was observed from the south-eastern to the western part of the country. While several edaphic factors are positively correlated with Mp CFU, pH showed a significant negative correlation with CFU. Both spatial and non-spatial model suggest that cation exchange capacity, percentage of clay, and pH could be potential predictors of Mp CFU abundance. Including spatial dependence of edaphic factors improved the prediction of Mp CFU more effectively than classical statistical models. We demonstrated that the occurrence of Mp shows a significant spatial clustering pattern as indicated by Moran’s I. Our findings will help growers and policy-makers make informed decisions for managing Mp by improving our ability to predict which agricultural fields and soils are at greatest risk for charcoal rot.
Field Evaluation of Manure-Based Amendments and Biological Control Agents Influence on Root Lesion Nematodes in Potato
Authors: Parrado Luisa M. , Cole Emilie , Quintanilla Marisol
Published: November 2024

Potato yields are significantly impacted by soil-borne diseases such as the root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans. Traditional management strategies involve soil fumigation with broad-spectrum pesticides, such as metam sodium, and post-planting applications of non-fumigant nematicides, including oxamyl and fluopyram. In Michigan, approximately 35% of potato hectares are treated with metam sodium, and 50-60% of potato hectares are amended with customized manure-based composts. Considering the critical impact of this nematode on the potato industry, along with potential future restrictions on chemical use due to environmental concerns and the growing adoption of organic soil amendments by Michigan potato growers, it is essential to validate manure-based amendments as an alternative management strategy for P. penetrans. To explore this, two field trials were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to assess the impact of manure-based amendments, biological control agents, oxamyl, and their combinations on P. penetrans. This study found that applying raw poultry manure at a rate of 3.08 tons ha-1, either alone or combined with a single application of oxamyl at 2.5 L ha-1, effectively maintained low P. penetrans populations in both soil and roots. Additionally, Compost A and poultry manure increased potato yields. Moreover, the combined application of manure-based amendments and Purpureocillium lilacinum (MeloCon) showed varying efficacy depending on the amendment used. Our studies provide the necessary evidence that validates the efficacy of these management practices to reduce P. penetrans populations and enhance potato yields.
Cardiogenic Shock in Pregnancy
Authors: Greer O.Y.O. , Anandanadesan R. , Shah N.M. , Price S. , Johnson M.R.
Published: November 2024

(BJOG. 2024; 131:127–139. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17645)

Overall, maternal morbidity in developed countries has decreased in recent years; however, data suggests this is mainly due to improved management of conditions, such as preeclampsia (PEC) and postpartum hemorrhage. However, other conditions related to pregnancy, such as cardiac disease, continue to contribute to maternal morbidity. Cardiac death is the leading cause of maternal death in the UK, and the majority of these deaths are due to acquired cardiac disease, not congenital defects.
Knots of the Umbilical Cord: Incidence, Diagnosis, and Management
Authors: Al Qasem M. , Meyyazhagan A. , Tsibizova V. , Clerici G. , Arduini M. , Khader M. , Alkarabsheh A. , Di Renzo G.C.
Published: November 2024

(Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2024;00:1–8. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.15373)

The umbilical cord is surrounded by Wharton jelly and is frequently referred to as the “lifeline” because of its essential function in transporting nutrients and expelling fetal waste. Factors such as the length and coiling of the cord impact its health and functionality. An essential aspect of umbilical cord function is an arterial anastomosis, known as “Hyrtl anastomosis,” which helps regulate and distribute blood flow to the placenta. This structure, typically located 3 cm before the cord enters the placenta, is vital for fetal well-being, and abnormalities can increase fetal stress or, in severe cases, lead to fetal demise. Umbilical cord knots (UCK) are among the observed abnormalities, often detected accidentally during routine sonography. True knots range from 0.3% to 2.1%, and while usually solitary, multiple knots can occur. Such knots have also been observed in monkey fetuses. The clinical significance of a knot depends on whether it is tight or loose; a tight knot, especially in a hyper-coiled cord, is less flexible and more prone to complications during birth.
Conceptualizing Meaningful Youth Engagement in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming
Authors: Drake Pamela , Marlow Heather , Hinson Laura , Anderson Pamela , Noble Cheryl , Terwilliger Emma , Rosas Scott R.
Published: November 2024

Background and Objectives:

The Youth Engagement Network (YEN) was a three-year project focused on strengthening meaningful youth engagement in sexual health programs. It sought to answer the question, “What is a useful framework for meaningful youth engagement of vulnerable populations in sexual health programming?”

Methods:

The YEN chose Group Concept Mapping (GCM) as the approach to answer their learning question. GCM is a mixed-methods process that can be used to integrate the unique perspectives of a group of individuals. The approach entails 1) brainstorming ideas related to a prompt, 2) individual sorting and rating of the ideas, and 3) the application of multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and hierarchical cluster analysis to integrate the individual sorting information and develop a series of concept maps.

Results:

Seventy-four young people and adults generated 141 responses to our prompt. These were pared down to 82 statements that were then sorted and/or rated on importance by 113 participants. Our final cluster map focused on 9 concepts: Facilitators, Diversity, Relevance, Access, Connection, Comprehensive Sex Ed, Co-development, and Space.

Conclusions:

We found GCM to be useful for identifying potential components of a framework to move the field toward more meaningful engagement of young people in sexual health programming.
Illustrating How Health Policy May Perpetuate Coverage and Access Disparities for Undocumented Immigrants
Authors: Pourat Nadereh , Martinez Ana E.
Published: November 2024

Background and Objectives:

Evidence indicates significant disparities in access to health care for immigrants, but few studies have focused on changes in patterns of access to care by immigration status over time. We examined patterns of change in access and health indicators before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the undocumented and compared to US-born, naturalized, and documented residents.

Methods:

We examined indicators of usual source of care, service use, delays and self-reported health from 2005 to 2018 using a California Health Interview Survey sample of non-elderly adults (n = 207,652). We used multinomial and logistic regression models to assess changes in access and health status within each immigration category and across ACA periods.

Results:

From early- to post-ACA periods, we found a widening gap in insurance coverage of undocumented vs. US-born residents, and a shift toward use of public settings as usual source of care for both groups. From the pre- to early-ACA periods, there was a greater reduction of delayed medical care, and an increase in any mental health visits for US-born vs. undocumented residents.

Discussion:

Findings portend exacerbation of disparities in access for undocumented residents due to the economic consequences of events such as the pandemic and continued exclusion of undocumented residents from federally-funded coverage.
Myocardial involvement in end-stage renal disease patients with anemia as assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance native T1 mapping: An observational study
Authors: Chen Lin , Xu Rong , Xu Huayan , Yang Zhigang , Zhang Yi , Li Zhenlin , Xia Chunchao , Rao Li , Guo Yingkun
Published: November 2024

Cardiovascular disease has become to the main cause of death in the patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and anemia is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients. This study aimed to explore the impact of anemia on myocardial fibrosis using T1 mapping technique in patients with ESRD. A total of 128 subjects including 98 ESRD patients (65 with anemia, 33 without anemia) and 30 normal controls were enrolled. All subjects were underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance to obtain cardiac cine and T1 mapping images. As potential markers of fibrosis, native T1 values and global longitudinal strain derived by feature-tracking technique were compared. Differences between 3 groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Associations between variables were assessed by Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient appropriately. An independent association was identified by the multiple stepwise linear regression analysis. Intraclass correlation was applied to assess observer variability. In all ESRD patients, native T1 values were significantly longer than those of normal controls (global T1, 1357 ± 42 ms vs 1275 ± 48 ms, P < .001). Global T1 value in ESRD patients with anemia was significantly higher (1375 ± 36 ms) compared to that in ESRD patients without anemia (1322 ± 25 ms) and normal controls (1275 ± 48 ms), respectively (all P < .001). Global T1 correlated with hemoglobin negatively (R= −0.499, P < .001). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis presented the anemia is independently associated with global T1 (R = 0.607, P < .001). Global longitudinal strain was remarkably reduced in ESRD patients with anemia in comparison to those without anemia (P < .001). Diffuse myocardial fibrosis could be detected by native T1 mapping in ESRD patients with long-term anemia. Anemia is an important factor in myocardial fibrosis in ESRD patients, and the evaluation of myocardial involvement is worth considering for clinical management.
Diagnosis and prognosis of different methods of tongue base mucosectomy for occult head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Dengshun , Zou Teng , Gao Tong , Yao Yuan , Liu Changfu , Wang Yu’e , Lu Haibin , Yu Hongwei , Wang Qiuxu , Song Jianmin
Published: November 2024

Background:

Trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS) and trans-oral laser microsurgery (TLM) have been increasingly employed for the diagnosis and identification of primary occult cancers in the head and neck region. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the application and effectiveness of tonsillectomy with TORS and TLM in detecting these cancers.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for eligible studies using TORS or TLM in identifying the unknown primary sites of occult head and neck cancer, published from inception to September 2023. Two investigators independently screened articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:

From 2282 articles identified, 20 individual studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. Primary tumors were identified by TORS/TLM in 65% (364/561) of patients. The initial identification rates of lingual tonsillectomy (n = 219) and palatine tonsillectomy (n = 83) were 39% and 15%, respectively. The identification rates of primary sites for trans-oral surgical techniques were 60.7% (95% CI, 49.4–72%) for TORS and 75.7% (95% CI, 60.7–90.7%) for TLM. Seventy-nine point six percent (467/587) of the tumors were associated with human papilloma virus (HPV). The detection rate of HPV+ tumors was 79% (173/220) and the detection rate of HPV− tumors was 10% (5/52). The most common complication was nasogastric/gastrostomy, accounting for 6% (29/481). The length of hospital stay reported varied from 1 to more than 7 days.

Conclusion:

This is a latest systematic review of the detection rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary sites by tongue base mucosectomy (TBM) via TORS and TBM via TLM. This study confirmed that TBM via TLM performed better than TBM–TORS in the detection rate of the primary. In particular, TBM via TLM showed significant advantages in detecting primary lesions in HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary patients.