bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Law of Alignment
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This chapter argues that the usual modes of interpretation permit the judicial recognition of alignment as a constitutional value. The constitutional text repeatedly (albeit implicitly) refers to alignment. Prominent drafters like Madison and Bingham believed that the document they shaped embraced alignment. Alignment arises over and over in the Supreme Court’s case law, especially in the decisions of the Warren Court. And if anything, all these arguments for alignment’s constitutionalization are stronger at the state level. To implement doctrinally alignment as a shield, courts would hardly have to lift a finger. They would just have to acknowledge alignment as a valid interest if and when a jurisdiction asserted it. On the other hand, a new legal theory would be necessary for alignment to work as a sword. That theory should incorporate both the empirically demonstrable effects of challenged policies and the extent to which the policies serve other legitimate goals.
Redistricting
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This chapter applies the alignment framework to redistricting. In a system of single-member districts, there may be no electoral policy with as much aligning—and misaligning—potential as the configuration of district boundaries. District maps determine how votes are aggregated and then converted into legislative seats. If district maps produce jurisdiction-wide partisan misalignment, that distortion extends to representation and policy. District maps also generally don’t need to produce jurisdiction-wide partisan misalignment. In most cases, the application of traditional criteria in a given political geographic context is compatible with unbiased plans. Accordingly, for courts concerned about alignment, there are few targets riper than highly skewed maps. Courts, however, aren’t the only relevant actors here. Misalignment from redistricting can also be curbed by the adoption of independent commissions and the use of criteria barring lines from being drawn with partisan intent and/or partisan effect. And vote aggregation isn’t the only mechanism through which redistricting affects alignment. When individual districts are designed pursuant to traditional criteria, voters know more about, and can mobilize more easily against, their legislators, who are thus induced to provide more congruent representation. For judicial and nonjudicial actors alike, then, the aligning ideal is an unbiased plan composed of districts conforming to traditional criteria.
The Voting Rights Act
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This chapter considers the relationship between alignment and the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The VRA hopes to realize several values: minority participation, minority representation, and, to a lesser extent, governmental responsiveness to minority concerns. These are deeply resonant values, but they’re also plainly distinct from alignment. This distinctness makes it possible for the pursuit of the VRA’s goals to facilitate, to be irrelevant to, or to impede the quest for alignment. A common claim is that the VRA’s aim of greater minority representation does conflict with closer alignment. But this “perverse effects” thesis is refuted both by historical data about the district plans that states did enact and by computer simulations of the maps they could have drawn. The thesis also errs by ignoring the partisanship of the redistricting authority and the varying behavior of White voters. As for the VRA’s objective of greater minority participation, scholars haven’t previously tied it to alignment and ex ante reasoning suggests several possible relationships. Of these potential links, one is most supported by the available empirical evidence: the happy story where minority members’ more active political involvement isn’t misaligning, or neutral in its aligning impact, but rather affirmatively aligning.
Campaign Finance
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This chapter applies the alignment framework to campaign finance. This is the only area examined by this book where partisan alignment is an inapt aim. This is primarily because of intense disagreement about the right hypothetical benchmark with which to compare actual election outcomes, and secondarily because of Supreme Court decisions deeming partisan alignment an illegitimate state interest in this context. The Court has also rejected several other rationales for campaign finance regulation: preventing the distortion of election outcomes, avoiding undue influence corruption, and pursuing any kind of equality. However, the promotion of representational or policy alignment is conceptually distinct from all these precluded interests. At most, some of these interests may be aligning mechanisms, not alignment itself. Turning from theory to practice, the essential fact is that, in modern American politics, some sources of campaign funding tend to worsen, while others tend to improve, representational and policy alignment. Individuals above all, as well as ideological organizations and labor unions, are usually misaligning campaign funders. On the other hand, the resources of business groups and political parties exert an aligning influence for the most part. This typology of campaign funders determines which campaign finance laws are aligning—and so could be justified on this basis in legal or political debates—and which ones aren’t. Measures that restrict ideologically extreme individual funders, make the individual donor pool more representative of the entire electorate, or subsidize comparatively centrist parties, lead to better alignment. But policies that cap the contributions of relatively moderate political action committees or parties, or that link public financing to the choices of polarized individual donors, are misaligning.
Nonelectoral Domains
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This exploratory chapter considers how the alignment framework might be extended outside election law. There’s nothing that limits the applicability of alignment to the electoral context. The constitutional text, the Framers’ original intent, Supreme Court precedent, state constitutional law—all these forms of reasoning support the recognition of alignment as a compelling principle across all of public law. However, while a large literature probes the aligning implications of electoral regulations, much less work addresses the impact of nonelectoral rules on alignment. From this small set of studies, a number of policies stand out as potentially aligning: Changes to the legislative process that empower the chamber majority (and disempower the majority party). Other tweaks to the structure of government like increasing legislative professionalism, eliminating term limits, dividing executive authority, and allowing direct democracy. Actions that raise the intensity and quality of media coverage, thereby better informing voters about issues, candidates, and parties. Laws that boost union membership and so create a counterweight to the political power of corporations and wealthy individuals. And redistribution from these moneyed interests to people at the bottom and middle of the income distribution, which is simultaneously depolarizing and aligning. To be clear, this is just a partial list. There could be many more steps (not yet confirmed by empirical analysis) the government could take to bolster alignment. But even this incomplete tally is enough to show that alignment can be furthered meaningfully through nonelectoral means.
Conclusion
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

The conclusion briefly revisits each of the book’s twelve chapters and applies their central points to a new case study: Wisconsin’s political system. A state like Wisconsin is a better case study than the national political system of the United States, some of whose misalignment is the result of hardwired features beyond the book’s scope. Maybe the most interesting lesson from Wisconsin is that even while the Supreme Court actively worsens misalignment in the state and Congress does little to help, several state actors—especially the governor and the state supreme court—are taking substantial aligning steps.
Praise, Fictions, and Beyond
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter II praises Hume’s understanding of constitutional order, to which opinion is the foundation. Distinction is made between ideas implicit in social relations and discourse, and normative ideals or prescriptions. Ideas of Hobbes, Locke, and Hume are contrasted, the concepts of fictions and abstractions are introduced, consent has a leading role, followed by concepts of representation, sovereignty, and the people. The nature and social function of fictions and abstractions are explained, the pervasiveness examined in law and in life, and in constitutional discourse. The chapter concludes with an introduction to the process of establishing a constitutional order and the expectations and participation of the people in it.
The People Ruling Themselves: I
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter XII begins with a model of self-rule and the values of self-rule. Relationship between liberty and self-rule; centrality of liberty, valued as a quality of personhood and as an instrument in promoting both individual and collective well-being. This chapter assesses liberty in relation to other social goods, and examines the viability of the people ruling themselves. The Italian city-states from the twelfth and fifteenth centuries show the aspirations and ambiguities, complexities and dangers of attempts at self-rule. Despite their eventual decline, the experience of the city-states had an influence on the formation of later constitutional discourse. The 1776 Constitution of Pennsylvania provides a case study of self-rule, the criticisms, and the early collapse.
The People Ruling Themselves: II
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter XIII builds on the model of self-rule: uncovers the social foundations; examines the practical processes of self-rule, liberty at the base; liberty of both intrinsic and instrumental within social interactions. The value is assessed of citizens controlling their affairs rather than being governed by a few. It shows the complexities of collective decision-making and the limitations. The instabilities of self-rule are described. The concept of sociability is introduced to understand the elements of effective governance and self-rule, emphasising cooperation, mutual respect, and common good pursuit. The common assumption of citizenship is questioned, the case made for engagement as both feasible and beneficial for achieving true self-rule.
Is superintelligence necessarily moral?
Authors: Dung Leonard
Published: September 2024

Numerous authors have expressed concern that advanced artificial intelligence (AI) poses an existential risk to humanity. These authors argue that we might build AI which is vastly intellectually superior to humans (a ‘superintelligence’), and which optimizes for goals that strike us as morally bad, or even irrational. Thus this argument assumes that a superintelligence might have morally bad goals. However, according to some views, a superintelligence necessarily has morally adequate goals. This might be the case either because abilities for moral reasoning and intelligence mutually depend on each other, or because moral realism and moral internalism are true. I argue that the former argument misconstrues the view that intelligence and goals are independent, and that the latter argument misunderstands the implications of moral internalism. Moreover, the current state of AI research provides additional reasons to think that a superintelligence could have bad goals.
Among- and within-population variation in germination response shapes ecological resilience in the Mediterranean cliff species Brassica incana
Authors: Laccetti Lucrezia , Cruz Tejada Diana María , Mo Alessio , Carta Angelino , Scopece Giovanni
Published: September 2024

Background and Aims

Understanding how plant species respond to extreme conditions is crucial for predicting their ecological resilience under climate change. Here, we aimed to forecast the ecological resilience of the Mediterranean cliff species Brassica incana (Brassicaceae) by estimating population variation in germination response under novel extreme environmental conditions.

Methods

We investigated the thermal germination responses in 14 populations of B. incana by exposing seeds to temperatures within and outside conditions experienced in their local environment. Then, we quantified among- and within-population variation in germination response to extreme temperatures, estimated genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E) and tested if population performance at extreme temperatures is explained by local climate.

Key Results

We found significant among-population differences in germination response, a different level of within-population variability and different mechanisms underlying G × E patterns. Also, populations experiencing higher temperatures in their local environment showed a better performance at both cold and hot extremes while populations experiencing lower temperatures showed a limited ability to germinate under extreme conditions.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that populations experiencing higher temperatures in their local environment have a greater potential to face future thermal extreme conditions and their role is thus crucial to promote species ecological resilience.
Peripheral Nerve Injury After Deoxycholic Acid (ATX-101) Injection in an Experimental Rat Model
Authors: Chi David , Pinni Sai , Maloy Shea , Llaneras Noah , Hunter Daniel A , Wood Matthew D , Tenenbaum Marissa M , Mackinnon Susan E
Published: September 2024

Background

Deoxycholic acid (ATX-101) is a drug administered by subcutaneous injection for local fat reduction. However, ATX-101 treatment has been reported to cause marginal mandibular nerve injury with noticeable functional deficits when targeting submental fat. As a cytolytic agent with some selectivity for adipocytes, ATX-101 may damage the lipid-rich myelin surrounding peripheral nerves.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to characterize nerve injury caused by ATX-101 injection in an experimental rat sciatic nerve model.

Methods

Injuries to the sciatic nerve caused by intrafascicular and extrafascicular injections of ATX-101, and by lidocaine (positive control) and saline (negative control) injections, were compared. Nerves were harvested at a 2-week endpoint for histomorphometric analysis.

Results

The cross-sectional area of nerve injury was significantly increased by ATX-101 injection. The damaged areas amounted to 75% ± 15% with intrafascicular ATX-101 (P < .001), 41% ± 21% with extrafascicular ATX-101 (P < .01), and 38% ± 20% with positive-control lidocaine (P < .01), compared with 7% ± 13% with negative-control saline. Demyelinating injury was a significant mechanism of injury in the affected nerve fibers compared with uninjured nerve fibers (P < .04), but there was no difference in the axon-to-myelin area ratio between the lidocaine and ATX-101 cohorts. After 2 weeks, Wallerian degeneration was evident with only small regenerating nerve fibers present in the ATX-101-injured groups compared with saline (average fiber width, 2.54 ± 0.26 μm vs 5.03 ± 0.44 μm, P < .001).

Conclusions

ATX-101 can cause extensive nerve injury in rats. The mechanism of action for ATX-101 does not preferentially target myelin more than other common neurotoxic agents. Appropriate knowledge of surgical anatomy and injection technique is necessary for any practitioners administering ATX-101 injections.
‘Why doesn’t she just leave?’ Roman divorce as a deterrent to intimate partner violence
Authors: Finn Ash
Published: September 2024

A number of scholars have in recent years suggested that the ease of divorce in Roman law and the legal provisions for the return of the dowry would have acted as an effective deterrent to intimate partner violence (IPV). This argument rests on two main assumptions. The first is that Roman divorce was quick, easy, and financially damaging for the husband. The second is that IPV was a legitimate reason for divorce and was widely condemned in Roman society. This paper argues against these assumptions and instead suggests that in cases involving IPV, divorce was unlikely to have been quick and easy but rather was a lengthy process, with women often asked to return to marriages and adapt their own behaviour to try to mollify their abusive husbands. In some cases, women will never have left. For deterrents to be effective they must be applied regularly and consistently. Accordingly, Roman divorce cannot be considered an effective deterrent to IPV.
Accurate and efficient protein embedding using multi-teacher distillation learning
Authors: Shang Jiayu , Peng Cheng , Ji Yongxin , Guan Jiaojiao , Cai Dehan , Tang Xubo , Sun Yanni
Published: September 2024

Motivation

Protein embedding, which represents proteins as numerical vectors, is a crucial step in various learning-based protein annotation/classification problems, including gene ontology prediction, protein–protein interaction prediction, and protein structure prediction. However, existing protein embedding methods are often computationally expensive due to their large number of parameters, which can reach millions or even billions. The growing availability of large-scale protein datasets and the need for efficient analysis tools have created a pressing demand for efficient protein embedding methods.

Results

We propose a novel protein embedding approach based on multi-teacher distillation learning, which leverages the knowledge of multiple pre-trained protein embedding models to learn a compact and informative representation of proteins. Our method achieves comparable performance to state-of-the-art methods while significantly reducing computational costs and resource requirements. Specifically, our approach reduces computational time by ∼70% and maintains ±1.5% accuracy as the original large models. This makes our method well-suited for large-scale protein analysis and enables the bioinformatics community to perform protein embedding tasks more efficiently.

Availability and implementation

The source code of MTDP is available via https://github.com/KennthShang/MTDP
Acute diabetic foot disease
Authors: Jones Amy , Hinchliffe Robert
Published: September 2024

Acute foot disease is a serious, multifactorial complication of diabetes associated with a substantial risk of limb loss and mortality Prompt surgical evaluation and appropriate intervention are critical to prevent limb loss and progression to sepsis/death International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines should be used to stratify severity Empirical, broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics should be started immediately Severe diabetic foot infection poses a significant threat to life and limb that where indicated requires immediate surgical intervention
What Influences the Use of Research by the Adult Social Care Workforce?
Authors: Sumpter Linda , Willis Paul , Cameron Ailsa , Dibsdall Lisa , Gray Karen , Jones Mat , McLeod Hugh , Symonds Jon , Cabral Christie , Macdonald Geraldine
Published: September 2024

Despite a recognition that research evidence plays a critical role in informing decisions in adult social care, there has been little investment in developing the sector’s own capacity to engage with it. This article reports on a qualitative study of the adult social care workforce (social workers, occupational therapists, managers and commissioners) in three local authorities in England. Data were collected through twenty-five semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and analysed iteratively using thematic analysis. The interviews explored participants’ understanding and use of research in adult social care. Four key influences on research use were identified: time; accessibility; skills and confidence; and organisational support. Finding time was the most frequently cited barrier. This was exacerbated by the difficulties participants described in finding research that was trusted and relevant. Protected time was regarded as essential, and both organisations and individuals had a role in ensuring that time was available to engage with research. Participants identified skills gaps, including how to read, critically appraise and apply evidence from research. The findings confirm an appetite within the workforce for developing the skills and confidence to make more use of research but suggest that achieving this requires organisational support and access to resources.
Phylloclades of Jacksonia (Fabaceae)—leaf-like branches as adaptation to seasonally arid environments
Authors: Dörken Veit M , Ladd Philip G , Parsons Robert F
Published: September 2024

Leaves of seed plants were evolutionarily derived through syngenesis (fusion) of the photosynthetic cylindrical axes of the earliest land plants and subsequent morphological diversification. However, in some later evolved taxa leaves became very reduced or entirely lost and photosynthesis was again restricted to stems. Reduction of photosynthetic area to stems is mostly found in plants from arid environments and is generally considered disadvantageous in competition for light with plants with leaves but may be useful if water is limiting. For taxa that cannot form normal leaves on adult plants, increasing photosynthetic area is only possible by modification of other plant parts. Some taxa produce leaf-like phylloclades that are developmentally different from leaves. We investigated Jacksonia floribunda and J. anthoclada (Fabaceae) leaves and phylloclades. In all Jacksonia species true leaves are only developed in the earliest ontogenetic stages, and subsequently are reduced to minor, nonphotosynthetic brownish scales. After several nodes on the seedling, photosynthetic phylloclades, each inserted in the axil of a scale, form the foliage. Immature phylloclades have vestigial nonphotosynthetic leaves borne on small projections from the edge of the blade. These soon abscise. The phylloclades are flattened branches and when mature have a distinctly reticulate venation and a sinuous margin with alternating mucronate tips where the vestigial leaves were attached. Jacksonia species demonstrate a transformational series where in most species foliage is reduced to branchlets. In a few others branchlets are winged forming cladodes or are condensed and laterally expanded to form phylloclades. Our findings on the more derived species in Jacksonia illustrate the complexity of plant morphological responses to evolutionary pressures of seasonal water limitation.
The critical role of arachidonic acid on molting in spiders
Authors: Wen Lelei , Wang Lieping , Wang Zhigan , Zhang Haixin , Hu Lang , Peng Baoyu , Peng Yu , Jiao Xiaoguo , Li Changchun
Published: September 2024

Spiders frequently suffer abnormal molting and subsequent death when sustained on a monotypic diet of fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster. The fruit flies lack arachidonic acid (AA), a nutrient that may be critical for successful molting of spiders. To test this hypothesis, we compared the survival rates of juvenile wolf spiders, Pardosa pseudoannulata, fed on three kinds of diets, midges (Tendipes sp.), fruit flies enriched in AA and fruit flies lacking in AA. In addition, we analyzed the fatty acid composition of spiders feeding on midges and fruit flies enriched in AA and their prey. Juvenile spiders fed on midges and AA-enriched fruit flies reached full maturity without molting issues, whereas nearly all spiders fed the flies lacking in AA did not survive. Among the 35 different fatty acids, only the AA levels in both prey and spiders correlated positively with spider survival. Our findings provide compelling evidence that AA is crucial for the survival and molting of P. pseudoannulata.
Perceptions and Effectiveness of a Fully Automated Brief Behavioral Insomnia Therapy, Delivered by a Virtual Companion, in Older and Young Adults
Authors: Sagaspe Patricia , Sanchez-Ortuno Maria Montserrat , Dupuy Lucile , Pecune Florian , Coelho Julien , Micoulaud-Franchi Jean Arthur , Levavasseur Yannick , de Sevin Etienne , Chanteclair Alex , Philip Pierre , Salles Nathalie
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives

One of the most common sleep disturbances in older people is insomnia. Cognitive–behavioral therapy is the first-line treatment for this condition in older adults, but in-person treatment is costly and often unavailable. In this study, in a group of older and young subjects, we aimed to compare: (a) their initial perceptions of a fully automated mobile health intervention to manage insomnia, (b) how these perceptions related to treatment completion, and (c) the effects of the intervention on insomnia severity and related outcomes.

Research Design and Methods

A case-series study was conducted with a self-selected sample of older (≥65 years) and young (18–35 years) adults (n = 5,660) who downloaded a free app, available in France, that delivers a brief behavioral intervention for insomnia aided by a virtual companion (VC). The 17-day intervention included sleep hygiene and stimulus control recommendations. Primary outcome was treatment completion (yes/no). At the beginning of the intervention, treatment acceptability and trust in the VC were assessed with 2 short questionnaires (completion rate: 1,597 users). Insomnia was evaluated with the Insomnia Severity Index.

Results

Logistic regression analyses showed that higher credibility and trust in the app’s VC were associated with higher odds of treatment completion, but only in older adults (trust scores × age group: odds ratio [OR] = 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.25; p < .05, and credibility scores × age group: OR = 1.25 [95% CI = 1.06–1.47], p < .01). Within the subset of users who completed the intervention (n = 289), insomnia remission (χ2 = 2.72, NS) and insomnia response rates (χ2 = 2.34, NS) were comparable across both groups.

Discussion and Implications

This brief behavioral intervention appears to be efficacious for the self-management of insomnia symptoms in older adults. The integration of persuasive interaction elements, such as avatars and virtual coaches, in fully automated interventions could be particularly useful to stimulate older adults’ engagement.

Clinical Trials Registration Number

NCT05074901
Genomes and integrative genomic insights into the genetic architecture of main agronomic traits in the edible cherries
Authors: Liu Zhenshan , Bernard Anthony , Wang Yan , Dirlewanger Elisabeth , Wang Xiaorong
Published: September 2024

Cherries are one of the economically important fruit crops in the Rosaceae family, Prunus genus. As the first fruits of the spring season in the northern hemisphere, their attractive appearance, intensely desirable tastes, high nutrients content, and consumer-friendly size captivate consumers worldwide. In the past 30 years, although cherry geneticists and breeders have greatly progressed in understanding the genetic and molecular basis underlying fruit quality, adaptation to climate change, and biotic and abiotic stress resistance, the utilization of cherry genomic data in genetics and molecular breeding has remained limited to date. Here, we thoroughly investigated recent discoveries in constructing genetic linkage maps, identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and validating functional genes of edible cherries based on available de novo genomes and genome resequencing data of edible cherries. We further comprehensively demonstrated the genetic architecture of the main agronomic traits of edible cherries by methodically integrating QTLs, GWAS loci, and functional genes into the identical reference genome with improved annotations. These collective endeavors will offer new perspectives on the availability of sequence data and the construction of an interspecific pangenome of edible cherries, ultimately guiding cherry breeding strategies and genetic improvement programs, and facilitating the exploration of similar traits and breeding innovations across Prunus species.
Tips and Tricks for Image-Guided Breast Biopsies: Technical Factors for Success
Authors: Dodelzon Katerina , Grimm Lars , Coffey Kristen , Reig Beatriu , Mullen Lisa , Dashevsky Brittany Z , Bhole Sonya , Parikh Jay
Published: September 2024

Image-guided biopsy is an integral step in the diagnosis and management of suspicious image-detected breast or axillary lesions, allowing for accurate diagnosis and, if indicated, treatment planning. Tissue sampling can be performed under guidance of a full spectrum of breast imaging modalities, including stereotactic, tomosynthesis, sonographic, and MRI, each with its own set of advantages and limitations. Procedural planning, which includes consideration of technical, patient, and lesion factors, is vital for diagnostic accuracy and limitation of complications. The purpose of this paper is to review and provide guidance for breast imaging radiologists in selecting the best procedural approach for the individual patient to ensure accurate diagnosis and optimal patient outcomes. Common patient and lesion factors that may affect successful sampling and contribute to postbiopsy complications are reviewed and include obesity, limited patient mobility, patient motion, patients prone to vasovagal reactions, history of anticoagulation, and lesion location, such as proximity to vital structures or breast implant.
Gendered Consumer Responsibilization: The Constitution of Menopausal Women as Responsible Feminine Consumer Subjects
Authors: Corus Canan , Saatcioglu Bige , Sandikci Ozlem
Published: September 2024

Recent decades have witnessed menopause, an inevitable and natural bodily transition, come under the purview of the market. Menopausal women are increasingly expected to be informed entrepreneurs of their bodies, bringing this transition within the domain of self-regulation and responsibility. Using data emanating from institutionalized market actors (i.e., pharmaceutical and insurance companies, healthcare professionals) and the accounts of consumers, we investigate the construction of responsibility in the contested field of menopause. We show that the formation of the responsible feminine consumer subject is an adjustive process generated through contestations between different articulations of subjectivity. Specifically, we identify three subject formative subprocesses and show how gender is implicated in each. Instead of following a singular path, these subprocesses culminate in two distinct yet coexisting routes to responsibilization, either by appealing to the qualities of traditional feminine subjectivity or by aligning with postfeminist subjectivity. We extend existing theorizations by revealing how gender shapes the processes of responsible subject formation and broadening the investigation of consumer responsibilization to a personal and embodied level.
Doubly strongly first-order dependencies
Authors: Galliani Pietro
Published: September 2024

Team Semantics is a generalization of Tarskian Semantics in which formulas are satisfied with respect to sets of assignments, called teams. In this semantics, it is possible to add new atoms and connectives expressing dependencies between possible values of variables. Some of the resulting logics are more expressive than first-order logic while others are not. I study the (relativizable) atoms and families of atoms that do not increase the expressive power of first-order logic when they and their complements are added to it, separately or jointly, calling them doubly strongly first-order dependencies and finding a characterization for them.
Novel insights into the role of bisphenol A (BPA) in genomic instability
Authors: Hale Anastasia , Moldovan George-Lucian
Published: September 2024

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a phenolic chemical that has been used for over 50 years in the manufacturing of polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride plastics, and it is one of the highest volume chemicals produced worldwide. Because BPA can bind to and activate estrogen receptors, studies have mainly focused on the effect of BPA in disrupting the human endocrine and reproductive systems. However, BPA also plays a role in promoting genomic instability and has been associated with initiating carcinogenesis. For example, it has been recently shown that exposure to BPA promotes the formation of single stranded DNA gaps, which may be associated with increased genomic instability. In this review, we outline the mechanisms by which BPA works to promote genomic instability including chromosomal instability, DNA adduct formation, ROS production, and estrogen receptor (ER) activation. Moreover, we define the ways in which BPA promotes both carcinogenesis and resistance to chemotherapy, and we provide critical insights into future directions and outstanding questions in the field.
eQTL-Detect: nextflow-based pipeline for eQTL detection in modular format with sharable and parallelizable scripts
Authors: Chitneedi Praveen Krishna , Hadlich Frieder , Moreira Gabriel C M , Espinosa-Carrasco Jose , Li Changxi , Plastow Graham , Fischer Daniel , Charlier Carole , Rocha Dominique , Chamberlain Amanda J , Kuehn Christa
Published: September 2024

Bioinformatic pipelines are becoming increasingly complex with the ever-accumulating amount of Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Their orchestration is difficult with a simple Bash script, but bioinformatics workflow managers such as Nextflow provide a framework to overcome respective problems. This study used Nextflow to develop a bioinformatic pipeline for detecting expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) using a DSL2 Nextflow modular syntax, to enable sharing the huge demand for computing power as well as data access limitation across different partners often associated with eQTL studies. Based on the results from a test run with pilot data by measuring the required runtime and computational resources, the new pipeline should be suitable for eQTL studies in large scale analyses.
Cas9 nickase-mediated contractions of CAG/CTG repeats are transcription-dependent and replication-independent
Authors: Larin Meghan , Gidney Florence , Aeschbach Lorène , Heraty Laura , Randall Emma L , Heuchan Aeverie E R , Buřičová Marcela , Bérard Melvin , Dion Vincent
Published: September 2024

There is currently no disease-modifying treatment for expanded CAG/CTG repeat disorders. Given that longer repeat tracts lead to an earlier age of disease onset and faster progression, contracting them is expected to improve symptoms and/or delay onset. We have previously demonstrated that the Cas9 D10A nickase can effectively contract CAG/CTG repeats when targeted to the repeat tract itself. However, the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we tested whether nickase-mediated contractions depend on transcription or on replication using human cell models. We find that transcription promotes contractions and that they occur independently of the rate of cell division. These results support the therapeutic potential of this approach in non-dividing cells.
Flexible multimaterial fibers in modern biomedical applications
Authors: Kim Jongwoon , Jia Xiaoting
Published: September 2024

Biomedical devices are indispensable in modern healthcare, significantly enhancing patients’ quality of life. Recently, there has been a drastic increase in innovations for the fabrication of biomedical devices. Amongst these fabrication methods, the thermal drawing process has emerged as a versatile and scalable process for the development of advanced biomedical devices. By thermally drawing a macroscopic preform, which is meticulously designed and integrated with functional materials, hundreds of meters of multifunctional fibers are produced. These scalable flexible multifunctional fibers are embedded with functionalities such as electrochemical sensing, drug delivery, light delivery, temperature sensing, chemical sensing, pressure sensing, etc. In this review, we summarize the fabrication method of thermally drawn multifunctional fibers and highlight recent developments in thermally drawn fibers for modern biomedical application, including neural interfacing, chemical sensing, tissue engineering, cancer treatment, soft robotics and smart wearables. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and future directions of this rapidly growing field.
Co-creating a Mpox Elimination Campaign in the WHO European Region: The Central Role of Affected Communities
Authors: Palumbo Leonardo , Picchio Camila A , Barbier Franck , Calderon-Cifuentes Amanita , James Jules , Lunchenkov Nikolay , Nutland Will , Owen Greg , Orkin Chloe , Rocha Miguel , Shanley Adam , Stevenson Luca , Vinti Pietro , Salvi Cristiana
Published: September 2024

Between May 2022 and September 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe engaged in a collaborative effort with affected communities to address the outbreak of mpox in the region. This concerted endeavor led to the development of a risk communication campaign specifically tailored to address the perceptions and needs of the target audience, thereby contributing to the control and the long-term goal of mpox elimination.

Various community engagement interventions were implemented, including the establishment of an informal civil society organizations’ working group to provide feedback on the WHO mpox campaign, webinars targeting event organizers, and roundtable discussions with country-level responders. The invaluable feedback garnered from the community was utilized to customize materials and extend outreach to groups that may have been overlooked in the initial response.

This successful initiative underscored the immense potential of placing communities at the forefront of emergency response efforts, equipping them with the necessary resources, engagement, and empowerment. This offers 1 model of co-creation that can be applied to health emergencies. It is asserted that the pivotal role played by communities in this response should be recognized as a valuable lesson and incorporated into all emergency responses, ensuring sustained community involvement and empowerment throughout the entire emergency cycle.
Exhaled Breath Condensate Surveillance for Aspergillus in Acute Leukemia—a Pilot Trial
Authors: Bitterman Roni , Arora Simran , Ng Chun Fai , Walti Laura , Ahmad Syed Zain , Safi Toufik , Gupta Vikas , Husain Shahid
Published: September 2024

Invasive fungal infections in patients with leukemia carry a high mortality rate, but early diagnosis has the potential to modify this natural history. A novel screening method using Aspergillus droplet-digital polymerase chain reaction in exhaled breath condensate may have a similar performance to serum galactomannan screening. Larger studies, including other molds, are necessary.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Subsector in Zambia
Authors: Katongo Cyprian , Phiri Harris , Kefi Alexander S.
Published: September 2024

This chapter provides an analysis of the fisheries and aquaculture subsector of Zambia located in the historical and political contexts. The methodology used includes review of relevant literature, policy documents, and reports, and analysis of secondary data. The findings are that Zambia, despite having the most surface freshwater of southern Africa, is a net importer of fish because fisheries and aquaculture activities have been small scale and rural-based production has been confined to Lakes Tanganyika and Kariba and along the line of rail. The subsector contributes 3.2% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Zambia. The subsector faces challenges that include increasing human population demand, inadequate resources, unfavourable institutional and legal environment, and climate change. A number of interventions have been put in place to address the challenges in the subsector. There are opportunities for the subsector to contribute towards food security and poverty alleviation.
The BJP’s Ideology, Structures, Sociology, and Strategies
Authors: Jaffrelot Christophe
Published: September 2024

The Bharatiya Janata Party has followed a linear trajectory from A.B. Vajpayee’s moderation strategy in the 1980s to L.K. Advani’s more militant version of Hindutva politics in the 1990s and N. Modi’s polarisation techniques. The defense of the social status quo has been sub-text of this increasingly strident identity politics, which found expression, primarily, in the Ayodhya movement, as evidenced by the rather elitist sociology of the BJP voters and elected representatives.
Is the low-energy tail of shock-accelerated protons responsible for over-ionized plasma in supernova remnants?
Authors: Sawada Makoto , Gu Liyi , Yamazaki Ryo
Published: September 2024

Over-ionized, recombining plasma is an emerging class of X-ray bright supernova remnants (SNRs). This unique thermal state, where the ionization temperature ($T_{\rm z}$) is significantly higher than the electron temperature ($T_{\rm e}$), is not expected from the standard evolution model that assumes a point explosion in a uniform interstellar medium, thus requiring a new scenario for the dynamical and thermal evolution. A recently proposed idea attributes the over-ionization state to additional ionization contribution from the low-energy tail of shock-accelerated protons. However, this new scenario has been left untested, especially from the atomic physics point of view. We report calculation results of the proton impact ionization rates of heavy-element ions in ejecta of SNRs. We conservatively estimate the requirement for accelerated protons, and find that their relative number density to thermal electrons needs to be higher than $5\ (k T_{\rm e}/1\:\mbox{keV})\%$ in order to explain the observed over-ionization degree at $T_{\rm z}/T_{\rm e} \ge 2$ for K-shell emission. We conclude that the proton ionization scenario is not feasible because such a high abundance of accelerated protons is prohibited by the injection fraction from thermal to non-thermal energies, which is expected to be $\sim\! 1\%$ at most.
Progressive heterogeneity of enlarged and irregularly shaped apicoplasts in Plasmodium falciparum persister blood stages after drug treatment
Authors: Micchelli Chiara E , Percopo Caroline , Traver Maria , Brzostowski Joseph , Amin Shuchi N , Prigge Sean T , Sá Juliana M , Wellems Thomas E
Published: September 2024

Morphological modifications and shifts in organelle relationships are hallmarks of dormancy in eukaryotic cells. Communications between altered mitochondria and nuclei are associated with metabolic quiescence of cancer cells that can survive chemotherapy. In plants, changes in the pathways between nuclei, mitochondria, and chloroplasts are associated with cold stress and bud dormancy. Plasmodium falciparum parasites, the deadliest agent of malaria in humans, contain a chloroplast-like organelle (apicoplast) derived from an ancient photosynthetic symbiont. Antimalarial treatments can fail because a fraction of the blood-stage parasites enter dormancy and recrudesce after drug exposure. Altered mitochondrial–nuclear interactions in these persisters have been described for P. falciparum, but interactions of the apicoplast remained to be characterized. In the present study, we examined the apicoplasts of persisters obtained after exposure to dihydroartemisinin (a first-line antimalarial drug) followed by sorbitol treatment, or after exposure to sorbitol treatment alone. As previously observed, the mitochondrion of persisters was consistently enlarged and in close association with the nucleus. In contrast, the apicoplast varied from compact and oblate, like those of active ring-stage parasites, to enlarged and irregularly shaped. Enlarged apicoplasts became more prevalent later in dormancy, but regular size apicoplasts subsequently predominated in actively replicating recrudescent parasites. All three organelles, nucleus, mitochondrion, and apicoplast, became closer during dormancy. Understanding their relationships in erythrocytic-stage persisters may lead to new strategies to prevent recrudescences and protect the future of malaria chemotherapy.
Merit recruitment, professional advancement opportunities and prosocial rule-breaking among public servants in Greece
Authors: Hennessy Alexandra , Choulis Ioannis , Siakas George
Published: September 2024

Public servants have a significant impact on peoples’ lives, but we don’t have many reliable estimates of how many employees engage in prosocial rule-breaking (PSRB), a form of constructive deviance. We collected original survey data (N = 497) among a representative sample of Greek public servants and implemented a list experiment to gauge how pervasive PSRB is in Greece’s public sector. Greece is a particularly useful setting in which to study PSRB as the euro crisis created strong reform pressure. We find that public servants who were hired via merit competitions are not less likely to break rules, but this is conditional on their beliefs about career prospects and the fairness of the promotion system. They perceive the professional reward system as biased towards those with political connections and compensate for lack of efficiency by doing favours. This finding raises concerns about the quality of EU reform assessments.
Aligning Greece’s Regulatory Governance With International Transformative Principles and Objectives: The Case of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Authors: Kailis Alexandros
Published: September 2024

The article highlights the importance that the international dimension of the regulatory context of draft legislation acquires for the drafting of effective regulation. It attempts to demonstrate the added value that the integrated incorporation of fundamental regulatory principles and objectives derived from influential global regulatory texts enjoying full acceptance, like the UN Resolution on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, brings to a country’s regulatory governance. From an empirical perspective, the article focuses on a thorough analysis of the degree to which Greece’s law-making process is interconnected and aligned with core regulatory principles of the 2030 Agenda, such as the principle of policy coherence, the evidence-based principle, and the principle of inclusion. It examines the key instruments, procedures, and ways in which these principles are appropriately mainstreamed into the Greek legislative process and the institutional and policy framework of the Government on which its legislative interventions are founded. As a case study, the alignment and coherence of the provisions of a specific law pertaining to tourism development with the overarching regulatory principles of the UN 2030 Agenda are examined. Τhe concluding part presents some proposals that could contribute to improving the way the SDGs are effectively mainstreamed into Greece’s legislative process.