bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parties and the Party System in Turkey
Authors: Baykan Toygar Sinan
Published: August 2024

Turkey made a transition to competitive party politics in the mid-20th century. However, after decades of multi-party experience, Turkey’s political regime is far from meeting liberal democratic standards. Under the rule of Erdoğan’s AKP, Turkey is today classified as a hybrid regime that is more authoritarian than ever. This chapter problematizes the complex relationships between the military, parties, and society as the source of Turkey’s perpetual democratic problems. It argues that, until the rise of the AKP, Turkey’s democratic deficiency was the result of a system of ‘double tutelage’ over society consisting of military–bureaucratic and civilian legs based on political parties tightly controlled by elites sitting atop powerful patronage networks. While the role of the military gradually declined with the AKP’s rise in the 2000s, this surprisingly did not contribute to democratic consolidation. Rather, the country descended into a spiral of further autocratization. Without a counterbalance, the authoritarian potential of the parties of Turkey blossomed, especially through the transformation of the AKP into a nationwide clientelistic machine. Thus, Turkey’s parties and their linkages with state and society seem more part of a sophisticated authoritarian control mechanism over society than instruments serving democratic politics. However, the parties are still powerful organizations able to keep a meaningful game of competitive politics alive, despite the lack of a liberal institutional framework. Therefore, more than stiff party competition, democratization in Turkey requires the empowerment of non-partisan political institutions in the service of democratic consolidation.
A Global South Perspective on Labour Rights and Supply Chains for a Post-Growth World
Authors: Deva Surya , Anand Pushkar
Published: August 2024

The current economic growth model relies heavily on the supply chains in the Global South. Despite creating economic opportunities, these supply chains are problematic as they contribute to the exploitation of the intersectional vulnerabilities of the workers, leading to the violation of their labour rights and other human rights. As the post-growth ideas take root in the Global North, this chapter explores how the existing post-growth theories have addressed the issues of economic globalization and supply chains in the Global South. Against this backdrop, the chapter critiques the current state of labour rights within supply chains from a Global South perspective. Building on this critique, it develops an alternative vision of the labour rights and supply chains that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Global South, based on the model of differentiated degrowth.
Setting the stage
Authors: Drewski Daniel , Gerhards Jürgen
Published: August 2024

Even though admitting refugees is considered a humanitarian duty and encoded in international refugee law, countries vary considerably in their willingness to admit refugees. In Chapter 1, we outline the research question and our main argument. We argue that to understand why national governments and political parties within countries differ in their openness to receiving refugees, we have to analyze how they frame national identity and refugee characteristics. Our book contributes to the literature in several ways. In contrast to theories that suggest a cross-national convergence of refugee policies and discourse, we highlight the national context and emphasize framing as mediating the impact of objective variables (for example, “ethnic similarity” between host society and refugees) on refugee policy. Finally, we argue that within-country differences between political parties do not always follow a cleavage between “cosmopolitans” and “communitarians,” as suggested by the literature, but also reflect other cleavage structures.
Conceptual framework
Authors: Drewski Daniel , Gerhards Jürgen
Published: August 2024

Admitting refugees implies opening the boundaries of a nation’s “imagined community” and sharing resources with those who claim to need protection. In Chapter 2, we outline our theoretical framework. We argue that a country’s refugee policy and the differences between political parties within countries can be better understood by analyzing how they frame national identity (who are “we”?) and the refugees (who are “they”?). We distinguish six ways to frame the “we” and the refugees: in economic, cultural, moral, legal, security, and international terms. In filling these frames, politicians are constrained by “cultural repertories,” that is, a shared set of ideologies and narratives specific to a country’s political culture. Finally, we draw on the theory of cleavage structures to explain differences between political parties within countries. We argue that conflicts over admitting refugees do not necessarily reflect a universal cleavage between “cosmopolitans” and “communitarians,” as the contemporary literature suggests.
Defending national sovereignty and cultural homogeneity
Authors: Drewski Daniel , Gerhards Jürgen
Published: August 2024

Poland’s right-wing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS) (in government between 2015 and 2023) rejected participation in the refugee relocation mechanism proposed by the EU and refused to admit Syrian refugees. Chapter 6 shows that the Polish government’s response was embedded in an attempted defense of national sovereignty and Christian identity. Its policy was based on an understanding of Poland as a culturally homogenous Christian nation, unable to assimilate refugees of Muslim background, complemented by an understanding of Poland as an underdog nation whose sovereignty is threatened by the EU. The main opposition party contested this framing by portraying Poland as a country with a forgotten multicultural history and a pro-European vocation. At the same time, however, both the government and the opposition signaled their readiness to receive refugees from neighboring Ukraine (a promise Poland delivered in 2022 following the Russian invasion) because Poland shares cultural ties and a common enemy (i.e., Russia) with them.
Recognition as a Legal Act
Authors: Kilibarda Pavle
Published: August 2024

Chapter 2 conceptualises recognition as an act that is both legal and political and can produce effects under international and domestic law. Recognition demonstrates that its author is cognisant of the emergence of new legal fats and accepts their implications under the law. The binding power of recognition ultimately lies in the principle of good faith. Recognition usually takes the form of a unilateral act or declaration, although it may also be contained in a bilateral or multilateral treaty. This chapter also considers the notion of collective recognition that some scholarship has identified, notably in relation to UN practice, as well as implied or implicit recognition. Regarding the latter, the chapter reflects on several situations that are usually taken to entail implied recognition.
The Legal Personality of States
Authors: Kilibarda Pavle
Published: August 2024

Following the discussion in the previous chapter, which focused on material statehood, Chapter 6 considers the notion of legal statehood. The essential components of this notion of statehood are the rights and duties incumbent upon all States simply by virtue of their statehood. In this regard, it cannot be conceptually separated from notions of legal personality or sovereignty. Although the meaning of sovereignty in law varies according to the context, in the context of diplomatic recognition—which often entails a recognition of sovereignty—it is synonymous with legal statehood itself. This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of thought on sovereignty and legal statehood and conceptualises the latter by bringing together its diverse elements in customary international law.
Fundamental postulates and definitions
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

In this chapter, we first build the theory of equilibrium statistical mechanics formally, through postulates, definitions and mathematical inference, in an effort to understand properties of sys-tems at rest, and their emergent thermodynamics. Later, we will generalize the theory to confront systems’ motion, employing principles of stochastic thermodynamics, and making connections to hydrodynamics. Of primary concern in this theory is the use of the mathematics of probability, as the tremendous numbers of atoms in any macro- scopic object lend themselves naturally to a statistical description. As a consequence, the primary objective is to first deduce the likelihood of a specific arrangement of atoms. The organization of likelihoods of molecular arrangements is encoded in a probability distribution. The establishment of this probability distribution is our first goal.
Phase transitions and symmetry breaking
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

In this chapter, the singular changes accompanying a phase transition requires the existence of macroscopic correlations. As a consequence, phase transitions mark a stark departure from the noninteracting and linear responding systems we have considered thus far. Understanding phase transi- tions requires that we study strongly interacting models, pushed far into regimes of nonlinear response. This complication renders detailed studies largely intractable analytically. However, some simplifications exist that allow for a general theory of phase transitions to be developed. These are the notions of universality that accompany phase transition phenomenology, and the ability to classify phase transi- tions simply using ideas of spontaneous symmetry breaking. The former allows us to postulate simple models bereft for molecular detail and yet still provide quantitative predictions for observable behavior. The latter allows us to predict what phases can exist, and understand why phase transitions occur.
Chemical kinetics and rare events
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

Some dynamical processes happen very infrequently, yet when they occur qualitatively alter the subsequent properties of the system. Examples of such rare but important events are chemical reactions, where long lived reactants and products are interconverted through molecular rearrangements that are improbable. Other examples include the dynamics that accompany phase transitions, in which a metastable arrangement of particles is interconverted to a more stable arrangement through a unlikely fluctuation of the system. The perspective we will adopt to describe these processes and the accompanying theoretical formalism to predict the rates at which they occur will leverage the developments in the past chapters. Those historical developments are supplemented with contemporary ideas using path ensembles and dynamical reweighting. By identifying metastable states and the rates at which they interconvert, we also effectively deduce a reduced description of the system’s dynamics in the space of a lower dimensional set of discrete states.
The Baroque Era
Authors: Shrock Dennis
Published: August 2024

Confitebor secondo
Work at the Intersection of Employment, Education, Training, and Volunteering
Authors: Stewart Andrew , Owens Rosemary
Published: August 2024

This chapter reviews the nature, prevalence, and regulation of three types of work arrangement: apprenticeships, internships (or traineeships), and voluntary work. It considers both the extent to which apprentices, interns, or volunteers can be categorized as employees, so as to be eligible for ‘standard’ labour rights and protections, and the arguments for treating them differently. Those issues raise important questions about whether the non-applicability of labour standards can be justified by a worker’s choice to be trained or to volunteer their labour; about the extent to which work arrangements should be classified according to their purpose; and about whether the type of organization for which work is performed should matter.
Fixed-Term and Zero-Hours Contracts
Authors: Rönnmar Mia
Published: August 2024

The aim of this chapter is to explore the regulation of fixed-term contracts and zero-hours contracts. Fixed-term and zero-hours contracts are contextualized through a discussion on perspectives of employment protection, flexible work and flexicurity, and fundamental rights. The chapter includes a case study of the European Union and an analysis of the evolution and content of EU labour law, and its interplay with national labour law, here represented by Swedish labour law and industrial relations. The analysis reflects scholarly and policy debates, indicates potential for legal innovation, and points to a complex set of ‘building blocks’ in the regulation of fixed-term contracts and zero-hours contracts at international, EU/European, and national level. The case study illustrates the often difficult situation of fixed-term and zero-hours workers, and the complexities of effectively addressing flexible work and precariousness and advancing legal protection for these workers in a multi-level labour law and industrial relations framework.
The Minimum Wage
Authors: Dimick Matthew
Published: August 2024

The minimum wage remains a popular but controversial policy instrument. This chapter addresses two issues in the minimum wage debate. The first is about the value of the minimum wage. What should the minimum wage be for: does it enhance the efficiency of the labour market, redistribute income (at some cost to efficiency), or protect other social goods such as respect and dignity at work? This first issue also asks how efficacious the minimum wage is at achieving income redistribution, especially in light of alternatives such as income tax. The second issue examines the minimum wage in the larger environment for regulating employment standards. Strong unions, which set minimum wage standards through collective bargaining rather than legislation, fear that statutory minimum wages undermine union power. This attitude questions the wisdom of legislated minimum wages, which may have the unintended effect of making it harder for weak unions to rebuild themselves.
Regulating Health and Safety in Capitalist Workplaces
Authors: Tucker Eric
Published: August 2024

Occupational health and safety (OHS) regulation sits atop structures of risk creation integral to uneven processes of capitalist accumulation. It is largely shaped by the struggles of working people to limit the harms that otherwise would be inflicted upon them. This chapter examines OHS regulation in advanced capitalist countries, with a concentration on the English-speaking world. It outlines the broad lines of its historical development, beginning from the rise of industrial capitalism through to the first decades of the twenty-first century and the creation of new modes of regulation, often referred to as regulated self-regulation. It then reviews debates over the performance of this mode of regulation, including the relation between self-regulation and state enforcement, the practice of state enforcement, and the efficacy of worker participation rights. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of emerging OHS challenges to the regulatory regime, including precarious employment.
Detection and Enforcement of Work Law Violations
Authors: Hardy Tess
Published: August 2024

Promoting and upholding compliance with work law presents a colossal challenge, especially in the context of fissured work arrangements and dwindling government funding. This chapter focuses on the regulatory function of detection, which is an essential, albeit overlooked, element of effective enforcement. Drawing on socio-legal research from across different domains, the chapter surveys the strengths and weaknesses of various detection modes and mechanisms, including individual complaints, proactive auditing, whistleblowing schemes, and mandatory and voluntary disclosure regimes. This analysis reveals that there are a range of practical and structural barriers impeding the ready identification of work law violations, such as a lack of inspectorate powers and resources, an absence of accurate and concrete data, and deficient anti-retaliation protections. These obstacles are heightened in sectors where precarious workers are most prevalent. The chapter also considers the way in which detection may be enhanced through a more holistic, layered, and collaborative approach.
Comparative Collective Bargaining Law
Authors: Doorey David J.
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines two dominant strands in comparative collective bargaining literature. First, comparative scholars study national legal systems to identify commonalities and differences in approach to regulating the collective bargaining process. Examining how nations approach similar labour relations problems can help break down deeply embedded assumptions and open up new possibilities for collective bargaining governance that might otherwise be overlooked. Second, scholars have long recognized the limits of comparative labour law. National collective bargaining models are a product of complex, cultural, political, and economic compromises made at formative points in the historical development of nations. The study of comparative collective bargaining law is complicated by the culturally contingent nature of these compromises. Therefore, this chapter concludes with a caution that the study of comparative collective bargaining requires cultural sensitivity to the complex geo-political histories that produce and shape national collective bargaining systems over time.
Postcolonialism and Labour Law
Authors: Routh Supriya
Published: August 2024

An enduring effect of colonization is the knowledge produced by institutions of colonial powers and forcibly imposed on colonized peoples and cultures as universal knowledge. This hegemony over knowledge, including legal knowledge, continues in postcolonial societies by their integration with international institutions largely controlled by formerly colonizing powers. One core legacy of colonization, consolidated through imperialist domination of the globalization process, is the universalization of institutions of capitalist modernization as a measure of progress. Labour law is an instrument that furthers the logic of capitalist modernization. Labour law’s normative goal and contractual legal structure operate within this hegemonic and essentialist logic. Both the goal and the structure have had exclusionary effect on working people in postcolonial societies. In view of labour law’s colonial heritage and continued exclusions, the postcolonial perspective helps to articulate a non-essentialist imagination of labour law by taking seriously contextual heterogeneity and cultural diversity of postcolonial workers.
Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives and the Law of Work
Authors: Diller Janelle M.
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) that focus on decent work deficits in global supply chains. It explains the combinations of actors with differing interests that collaborate to seek decent work outcomes and the types and methods of such MSIs with specific examples. The chapter then explores why such initiatives develop, what useful roles they can play, and whether they are—or could be—effective in fostering decent work in supply chains. A further section discusses the challenges that MSIs face as informal governance actors, including interaction with state-centred norms and institutions that regulate the law of work at domestic and international levels. The chapter concludes by proposing good governance practices for MSIs in response to such challenges and steps to advance empirical and theoretical knowledge for coherent models of MSI functioning and interactions that help understand and leverage MSI action in the governance of decent work in supply chains.
Labour in the Time of Covid
Authors: Moreira Gomes Ana Virginia , Verma Anil
Published: August 2024

Our purpose for this chapter is to summarize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–22 on labour and to derive policy lessons for the future. We organize this experience under six themes. Section 1 summarizes increased demand for labour in some industries even as it fell in other industries where physical presence was essential. Section 2 deals with workplace disruptions, e.g., vaccine mandates, the availability of personal protective equipment, and provisions for sick leave. Section 3 discusses the indirect effect of remote work adoption. Section 4 focuses on the lack of social dialogue during the crisis leading to poor outcomes for workers. Section 5 draws lessons from the experience of some specific ‘essential’ services, e.g., healthcare and food-related industries. Section 6 examines an unfair burden falling on the world’s most marginalized workers: the informal, the poor, and the low-waged groups in low-paid occupations located in low-income economies.
The Law of Work in Post-Socialist European Countries
Authors: Kun Attila
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the common features of the post-socialist countries’ labour law. Section 1 describes the socialist past of labour law and its heritage. Section 2 explains the various waves as well as the labour law-related promises and perils of the transitions of the 1990s (with a focus on the major reform trends of labour laws). Section 3 examines the current state of play of the law of work in the region, based on selected, illustrative features and challenges (covering topics such as the idea and structure of labour law; basic features of both individual and collective labour law; enforcement). Section 4 attempts to formulate some general conclusions and to highlight future prospects. In sum, all big waves of reforms in the region seem to point in one main direction: increased flexibility, while social- and sustainability-related motives are rather suppressed. The chapter argues that a renewed orientation of labour law policy with a strong commitment from the state is essential in the region.
Intersectionality in Social Cognition
Authors: Remedios Jessica D. , Vinluan A. Chyei
Published: August 2024

People’s cognitions about others frequently take the form of stereotypes associated with socially constructed categories. Although stereotype content is shared across social categories, most research has investigated stereotyping in relation to a single category. This chapter considers how intersectionality theory informs a psychological understanding of social categories and stereotypes as interlocking. It describes three perspectives on stereotyping across interlocking social categories: category dominance, integration, and compartmentalization. Additionally, it considers how research in this area may address the core tenets of intersectionality theory that have, to date, received less attention in this literature. First, the chapter suggests that research on social cognition can expound how categories and stereotypes give rise to, and are reinforced by, intersecting power structures and inequalities. Second, it suggests that research from the perspectives of people who hold multiple stigmatized identities will inform a literature on social cognition that better resonates with diverse lived experiences.
Thinking Socially About the Nonsocial World
Authors: Stroessner Steven J. , Koya Prianka D.
Published: August 2024

Social cognition has historically focused exclusively on how individuals think about themselves, other people, and groups. More recently, research has explored the possibility that social cognitive processes are implicated in thinking about a broad set of nonhuman entities, ranging from basic perceptual stimuli to animals to robots. Emerging research on anthropomorphism, the tendency to attribute uniquely human characteristics to nonhuman animals and nonliving objects, is reviewed. Research on the central influence of social category associations (particularly gender associations) in anthropomorphism is discussed. The chapter concludes with a consideration of social cognitive phenomena in human–robotic interaction. This review shows that people regularly think socially about the nonsocial world, dramatically expanding the potential reach and influence of the discipline of social cognition.
The Cultural Psychology of Social Cognition
Authors: Kitayama Shinobu , Berg Martha K.
Published: August 2024

How does culture influence social cognition? This chapter takes stock of the progress in this research field over the past two decades. The cumulative evidence suggests the cultural environment has two significant influences. First, this environment affects the frequency or saliency of various stimuli and representations which affects the fluency of processing such stimuli and representations. Second, the environment is also organized by cultural models, including independent or interdependent selves, which influence social cognition. The chapter next turns to the issue of cultural acquisition, proposing that the mechanism of cultural acquisition is an integral part of each person’s effort to establish an individual identity. This effort involves sampling select elements of culture and weaving them into a unified profile. Individual profiles may appear random when examined cross-sectionally, however it may show longitudinal stability. The chapter concludes by pointing to some critical directions for future research.
Abstract 13: Post-Thaw Clinic: Boosting Cord Utilisation by Supporting Clinical Teams
Authors: Groves Phoebe , Horton Roger , Simpson Claire , Macleod Sophie , Ross Alexandra , Cash Benjamin , Davies Kennedy , Evseeva Irina
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The Cord Support Programme (CSP) has been run for UK Transplant Centres (TCs) by Anthony Nolan (AN) and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for 5 years. CSP supports TCs in Cord Blood Unit (CBU) selection and quality assessment as well as providing training and on-site assistance. To maintain and grow utilisation, further development of CSP services was needed to support and improve TC experience and confidence with cord.

Objectives

To develop and implement a new service to help TCs with assessing complicated post-thaw data as an enhancement of CSP’s existing suite of offers.

Methods

The Post-Thaw Clinic (PTC) worked via a dedicated inbox manned by AN Registry operational staff; TCs submitted post-thaw data and quality queries to a panel of 5 experts from AN and NHSBT Cord Blood Banks (CBBs) for next-day holistic assessment of data to determine CBU suitability. The final decision remained with the Clinical Teams at the TCs. Customer feedback, national usage of CBUs and AN CBB utilisation rate were monitored.

Results

100 queries for 79 patients were received by the PTC panel between April 2022 and May 2024. In 89% of cases progressing to workup, TCs took onboard the panel’s advice proceeding with their initial CBU or an alternative graft.

CBU usage in the UK remained stable 2022-2024, providing an average of 9.8% of all stem cell products received.

AN CBB’s utilisation rate saw a 33% increase from 0.46% in April 2022 to 0.61% in May 2024. It's domestic market share increased from 11.3% in FY21/22 to 25.2% in FY23/24 (figure 1).

Discussion

The PTC has been well received by UK TCs. Through providing comprehensive support with CBU quality evaluation, banks make a difference by building confidence and relationships with domestic TCs. This collective effort between registry and banks has resulted in stable CBU usage in the UK despite international trends of decline, supported national bank utilisation and played a vital role in supporting increased interest alongside recently published striking data (Horgan et al, 2023).

In further development, “ask the expert transplanter” was launched in April 2024, facilitating TCs sending clinical queries to clinicians who transplant high volumes of CBUs.
Abstract 21: Feasibility of Harnessing Umbilical Cord Tissue for Alveolar Cleft Repair: A Collaboration between a Large Academic Institution and a Private Family Cord Blood Bank
Authors: Stanton Eloise , Stroh Eliza , Roohani Idean , Mammoudeh Jeffrey
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) is the most common craniofacial birth defect, affecting 1 in 700 live births. Most patients with complete CLP also have an alveolar cleft, typically repaired using secondary alveolar bone grafting with autogenous iliac crest bone grafts. Umbilical cord (UC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (h-UCMSC) show promise for bone regeneration and offer advantages due to their non-invasive collection and lack of ethical issues.

Objectives

To create a pool of potential candidates by harvesting their UC tissue for future research in children born with CLP to aid in clinical application in alveolar cleft repair (ACR) and improvement in outcomes.

Methods

We analyzed the effectiveness of UC tissue in regenerating bone in a calvarial defects mouse model. UC tissue was collected, prepared, and implanted into the mouse model to assess the regenerative capabilities of h-UCMSC. Simultaneously, we began a program for prenatal UC tissue collection from patients diagnosed with CLP via ultrasound, in collaboration with Cord Blood Registry and the Newborn Possibilities Program (NPP). The collected UC tissue was cryopreserved, and its regenerative potential was evaluated through histological and radiographic analysis.

Results

The mouse model studies demonstrated complete bone fill in the calvarial defects of the h-UCMSC group compared to the controls, indicating the effective regenerative capabilities of h-UCMSC. Histological and radiographic analyses confirmed significant bone regeneration and tissue integration in the h-UCMSC mice. To date, 12 patients diagnosed with CLP via ultrasound have been successfully enrolled in NPP. Parents were offered free cryopreservation of their newborn's UC tissue for anticipated use in future ACR surgeries at age 7-8.

Discussion

The results highlight the promising regenerative potential of h-UCMSC in bone regeneration, evidenced by complete bone fill in the calvarial defects of the UC group compared to controls. This suggests that h-UCMSC stem cells could significantly improve outcomes in ACR for CLP patients. We continue to enroll and follow patients in NPP, aiming to refine the protocols for the optimal use of these stem cells in reconstructive surgeries.
Abstract 24: Granulocytes to Induce Donor-Derived T Cell Expansion after T Replete, Mismatched CB in Post-Transplant Relapsed and Refractory Paediatric Acute Leukaemia: Results of Grans Trial
Authors: Senthil Srividhya , Moothedath Abdul , Rauthan Archana , Peppas Ioannis , Potluri Sandeep , Calvert Richard , Evans Pamela , Broderick Valerie , Lawson Sarah , Furness Caroline , Roberts Wing , Patrick katharine , Rao Kanchan , Wynn Robert
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Refractory and post-transplant relapsed Acute Leukaemia remain difficult to cure. Third-party pooled granulocytes induce massive, transient, donor-derived T-cell expansion after Cord Blood (CB) transplant. These expanded T-cells are cytotoxic, memory CD8, in contrast to the infused graft T-cells which are predominantly naïve CD4, and appear a priori candidate anti-tumour T-cells.

Objectives

In our prospective clinical trial, GRANS study (NCT05425043), we have given granulocytes peri-transplant with T-replete, deliberately mismatched CB to enhance the graft-versus-leukaemia effect of the transplant, in those with either primary refractory or relapsed/ refractory paediatric acute leukaemia. Here we report outcomes of all patients treated with this approach, including trial and off-trial patients.

Methods

Case records were analysed and data collected about patients’ demographics, transplant and donor characteristics and the outcomes including engraftment, acute and chronic GVHD, relapse and transplant related mortality. All patients (n=25) were given 7 daily doses of granulocytes starting from D-1. Immune suppression was withdrawn early.

Results

The granulocytes are well tolerated, no grade 3 or 4 CRS was encountered. There is increased graft rejection (seen in 4 patients) compared to a cohort of T-replete cord blood transplants in children with haematologic malignancy. In those that reject, then there is always residual leukaemia present. 2 of these patients successfully engrafted after a second CBT. Low severe aGVHD. Only 12% (n=3) developed severe aGVHD, despite early withdrawal of immunosuppression. No cGVHD was seen. Treatment related mortality is low, and 2 patients died, one with severe VOD and one with disseminated, aciclovir-resistant HSV infection. In those that do not reject the graft, all but one patient became MRD negative. In some, there is later relapse (n=7).The OS and the EFS were 56% (n=14) and 48% (n=12) respectively.

Discussion

The rates of aGVHD are tolerable, there is no cGVHD and the TRM is remarkably low, despite the mismatched graft. There is a higher graft failure rate and in those that do not experience GF, the remission rates are high but some patients relapse. In our next protocol, we plan to use an expanded CB to reduce GF, and cord derived DLI after cessation of immune suppression to reduce late relapse.
Abstract 25: During CB Transplant in MRD-Positive AML, Relapse is Usually Early, is Reduced by Acute GVHD and is Influenced by Ciclosporin Exposure: A Multicenter National Experience
Authors: Moothedath Abdul , Rauthan Archana , Peppas Ioannis , Potluri Sandeep , Calvert Richard , Evans Pamela , Broderick Valerie , Lawson Sarah , Furness Caroline , Roberts Wing , Patrick Katharine , Rao Kanchan , Wynn Robert , Senthil Srividhya
Published: August 2024

Introduction

We report a multicentric experience of the relationship between ciclosporin exposure and time to relapse in a large homogenous cohort of paediatric AML patients receiving a T-replete cord blood transplant(TRCBT), adjusted to pre-transplant MRD and GVHD.

Objectives

The primary endpoint was time to relapse, and its relationship between ciclosporin AUC, use of additional immunosuppressive treatment (IST) and its total duration was investigated by multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Methods

It is a retrospective study, analyzing data from 7 paediatric transplant centers in the UK on children who had a TRCBT for HR AML between 2013 and 2023. Case records were analyzed to get transplant characteristics, GVHD prophylaxis, trough ciclosporin levels in the first 8 weeks and the transplant outcomes including GVHD and IST used, relapse and transplant related mortality (TRM).

Results

The cohort included 124 patients, 66 were MRD-positive pre-transplant, with a median follow up of 737.1 days (range:24-3540 days). The mortality rate was 40.7% and three-quarters occurred in the MRD-positive group. The median time to relapse was 180 days (range: 32 to 949). TRM was 13% and was the most prominent cause of mortality in MRD-negative group.The RFS is greater in MRD-negative group without severe aGVHD than in those with severe aGVHD, though not statistically significant. The RFS is significantly lower in the MRD-positive group without severe aGVHD than in those with it. The COX proportional hazards model using 95% CI confirmed a significant inverse relationship of AUC of Ciclosporin in the first 8 weeks on the time to relapse (p<0.02) and such a significant relationship maintained even after adjusting for the MRD status (p<0.03) and the presence of severe aGVHD (p<0.016). There was a significant inverse relationship between duration of CNI and time to relapse (p<0.03). The study did not find any effect of IST or its duration on time to relapse (p=0.567 and p=0.241 respectively).

Discussion

This is the largest homogenous cohort of TRCBT in AML investigating the role of ciclosporin prophylaxis on relapse. It confirms the importance of GVL effect and its relation to GVHD, particularly in MRD-positive patients as RFS is significantly better in those who experience aGVHD.
An estimate of the longitudinal pace of aging from a single brain scan predicts dementia conversion, morbidity, and mortality
Authors: Whitman Ethan T. , Elliott Maxwell L. , Knodt Annchen R. , Abraham Wickliffe C. , Anderson Tim J. , Cutfield Nick , Hogan Sean , Ireland David , Melzer Tracy R. , Ramrakha Sandhya , Sugden Karen , Theodore Reremoana , Williams Benjamin S. , Caspi Avshalom , Moffitt Terrie E. , Hariri Ahmad R. ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: August 2024

To understand how aging affects functional decline and increases disease risk, it is necessary to develop accurate and reliable measures of how fast a person is aging. Epigenetic clocks measure aging but require DNA methylation data, which many studies lack. Using data from the Dunedin Study, we introduce an accurate and reliable measure for the rate of longitudinal aging derived from cross-sectional brain MRI: the Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated from NeuroImaging or DunedinPACNI. Exporting this measure to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and UK Biobank neuroimaging datasets revealed that faster DunedinPACNI predicted participants' cognitive impairment, accelerated brain atrophy, and conversion to diagnosed dementia. Underscoring close links between longitudinal aging of the body and brain, faster DunedinPACNI also predicted physical frailty, poor health, future chronic diseases, and mortality in older adults. Furthermore, DunedinPACNI followed the expected socioeconomic health gradient. When compared to brain age gap, an existing MRI aging biomarker, DunedinPACNI was similarly or more strongly related to clinical outcomes. DunedinPACNI is a 'next generation' MRI measure that will be made publicly available to the research community to help accelerate aging research and evaluate the effectiveness of dementia prevention and anti-aging strategies.
Telomere-to-telomere, gap-free genome of mung beans (Vigna radiata) provides insights into domestication under structural variation
Authors: Jia Kai-Hua , Li Guan , Wang Longxin , Liu Min , Wang Zhi-Wei , Li Ru-Zhi , Li Lei-Lei , Xie Kun , Yang Yong-Yi , Tian Ru-Mei , Chen Xue , Si Yu-Jun , Zhang Xiao-Yan , Song Feng-Jing , Li Na-Na
Published: August 2024

Mung bean (Vigna radiata), an essential annual legume, holds substantial value in global agriculture due to its short growth cycle, low input requirements, and nutritional benefits. Despite extensive domestication, the genetic mechanisms underlying its morphological and physiological evolution remain incompletely understood. In this study, we present a gap-free, telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of the mung bean cultivar 'Weilv-9', achieved through the integration of PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The 500 Mb assembly, encompassing 11 chromosomes and containing 28,740 protein-coding genes, reveals that 49.17% of the genome comprises repetitive sequences. Within the genome, we found the recent amplification of transposable elements significantly impacts the expression of nearby genes. Furthermore, integrating structural variation and SNP data from resequencing, we identified that the fatty acid synthesis, suberin biosynthetic, and phenylpropanoid metabolic processes have undergone strong selection during domestication. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms driving domestication and offer a foundation for future genetic enhancement and breeding programs in mung beans and related species.
Switching costs and users’ intentions of an app-enabled cross-border e-commerce platform: examples of Amazon and Tmall Global
Authors: Li Jun , He Ye
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Using surveys of Amazon and Tmall Global users, this paper aims to empirically investigate the issue of platform technological selection. We explore the impact of switching costs on users’ intentions to use an app-enabled cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) platform based on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM). The results suggest that the higher the switching cost of a platform is, the greater the users’ satisfaction and intention to use this platform. Therefore, for the platform, a moderate switching cost will be beneficial for retaining users.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the TAM, this paper takes the switching costs as the starting point and focuses on exploring the relationships among switching costs, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived reliability, satisfaction and intention to use. Online surveys of users of Amazon and Tmall Global are adopted as the main instruments of this research. We collected a total of 408 valid responses from Amazon users and 490 from Tmall Global users. For the data analysis, this study conducts frequency analysis, a test analysis of the reliability and validity of the measures, correlation analysis, and path analysis using a structural equation model.

Findings

The results show that switching costs positively affect the users’ satisfaction and intentions to use a CBEC platform through perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived reliability.

Research limitations/implications

The questionnaire respondents were predominantly Chinese due to the constraints of the survey conditions. In fact, China has a high penetration rate in CBEC, and Chinese users have rich experience using the Amazon and Tmall Global platforms.

Practical implications

The development of CBEC has ups and downs, and users frequently switch platforms. Considering how platforms can stand out from the crowd and retain users, we believe that a moderate increase in the switching cost of the platform is helpful for companies to address these problems, and the implications of the results are particularly valid for decision-makers of CBEC platforms and companies.

Social implications

Amazon and Tmall Global are the two largest CBEC platforms in the world. Using these two companies as examples for comparison can effectively identify the differences between the platforms and the conclusions are representative. We suggest that platforms can improve user satisfaction and willingness to use by establishing VIP communities, issuing coupons, providing shipping services as well as convenient after-sale complaint channels, and improving the platform’s easy-to-use interface, as ways to further enable the platform to retain more users and stand out in fierce competition.

Originality/value

This paper addresses an interesting and practical issue related to the effects of introducing switching costs in an extended TAM applied to CBEC platforms.
The effects of inclusive psychological climate, leader inclusion, and workgroup inclusion on trust and organizational identification
Authors: Chung Beth G. , Shore Lynn M. , Wiegand Justin P. , Xu Jia
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study examines the effects of an inclusive psychological climate on leader inclusion, workgroup inclusion, and employee outcomes (trust in organization and organizational identification). Leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion are explored as both direct and serial mediators in the psychological climate to outcome relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 336 employees in 55 teams were collected at two time points from an educational media company in China.

Findings

Results from multi-level modeling suggest that, for employees, the inclusive psychological climate to trust relationship has both direct and indirect effects, including a serially occurring indirect effect through leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion. For the inclusive psychological climate to organizational identification relationship, there were only indirect effects, including a serially occurring indirect effect through both leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion.

Research limitations/implications

These results suggest the value of an inclusive psychological climate for setting the stage for more localized inclusion experiences through the leader and the workgroup. These inclusionary work environments promote social exchange as shown by employer trust and social identification with the organization.

Originality/value

This study examines the combined and serial effects of an inclusive psychological climate, leader inclusion, and workgroup inclusion on outcomes that represent a deep connection with the organization (organizational trust and organizational identification).
“Banged up with ADHD”: a qualitative analysis of the experiences of adult men with ADHD in prison
Authors: Roberts Kayleigh , Lawrence Daniel
Published: August 2024

Purpose

A recent Ministry of Justice inquiry highlighted the need for more awareness of neurodivergent conditions in the Criminal Justice System. Although evidence suggests a prevalence rate of 25% for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) within the UK prison population, there is no research to date that has explored the experiences of people with ADHD in prison. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected within an adult male Category B prison. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight prisoners who had a formal diagnosis of ADHD. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to look for patterns across the data that addressed the research question.

Findings

Five themes were generated from the analysed data that included “The unsuitability of the prison environment”; “The impact of the prison regime”; “A lack of resources”; “The importance of staff and prisoner relationships”; and “Response to medication”.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study may be difficult to generalise given the specific characteristics of the participants. The participants were all adult males with a formal diagnosis of ADHD, taking prescribed medication, recruited from one prison and all resided on one wing that had been adapted to support neurodivergent people. Although qualitative research is not intended to be generalisable in the broad sense, the findings of this study may be transferable to individuals in other settings who share similar characteristics with the current study where parallels can be drawn.

Practical implications

Participants described the prison environment as being unresponsive to their neurodiverse needs. Findings support the need for awareness training for staff along with a compassionate approach to working relationships and psycho-educational work for prisoners for all to have a better understanding of the needs of this group of people.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are currently no qualitative studies that have sought to learn from individuals living with ADHD in prison themselves.
It’s the moment of truth: a longitudinal study of touchpoint influence on business-to-business relationships
Authors: Cambra-Fierro Jesús , Patrício Lia , Polo-Redondo Yolanda , Trifu Andreea
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Customer–provider relationships unfold through multiple touchpoints across different channels. However, some touchpoints are more important than others. Such important touchpoints are viewed as “moments of truth” (MOTs). This study examines the impact of a series of touchpoints on an MOT, and the role MOTs play in determining future profitability and other behavioral outcomes (e.g. customer retention and customer cross-buy) in a business-to-business (B2B) context.

Design/methodology/approach

Building upon social exchange theory, a conceptual model is proposed and tested that examines the impact of human, digital, and physical touchpoints and past MOTs on customer evaluation of a current MOT and on future customer outcomes. This research employs a longitudinal methodology based on a unique panel dataset of 2,970 B2B customers.

Findings

Study results show that all touchpoints significantly contribute to MOTs, while human and physical touchpoints maintain their primacy during MOTs. The impact of MOTs on future customer outcomes is also demonstrated.

Practical implications

This study highlights the need for prioritizing human and physical touchpoints in managing MOTs, and for carefully managing MOTs across time.

Originality/value

Given its B2B outlook and longitudinal approach, this research contributes to the multichannel and interactive marketing literature by determining relevant touchpoints for B2B customers.