bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Congenital absence of appendix: a rare condition that could result in severe complications—a review of literature
Authors: Ghali Mohamed Said , Saleem Nitasha , Khalaf Mohamed H , Alkubaisi Ismail K , Ali Abdulhameed , Al Obahi Mohammed , Al-Zoubi Raed M 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Acute appendicitis is the most frequent cause of abdominal pain and acute emergency surgeries, with a mortality risk of 6–7% at its onset. Since atypical deviations in these structures are rare, they can lead to diagnosis confusion and increase the risk of a worsening of the patient’s clinical picture. We present the case of a 35-year-old patient who had surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Based on clinical assessment (Alvarado score 8), appendix agenesis was discovered intraoperatively and confirmed by postoperative pathology. Excess dissection while looking for the appendix caused an intraoperative complication of cecal damage, which was treated with a right hemicolectomy. Until now, just a few cases have been described in the literature. We record this case owing to its rarity and with the goal of further understanding the illness, which will lead to improved surgical results in similar patients.
Nuclear localization of Argonaute 2 is affected by cell density and may relieve repression by microRNAs
Authors: Johnson Krystal C , Kilikevicius Audrius , Hofman Cristina , Hu Jiaxin , Liu Yang , Aguilar Selina , Graswich Jon , Han Yi , Wang Tao , Westcott Jill M , Brekken Rolf A , Peng Lan , Karagkounis Georgios , Corey David R 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Argonaute protein is associated with post-transcriptional control of cytoplasmic gene expression through miRNA-induced silencing complexes (miRISC). Specific cellular and environmental conditions can trigger AGO protein to accumulate in the nucleus. Localization of AGO is central to understanding miRNA action, yet the consequences of AGO being in the nucleus are undefined. We show nuclear enrichment of AGO2 in HCT116 cells grown in two-dimensional culture to high density, HCT116 cells grown in three-dimensional tumor spheroid culture, and human colon tumors. The shift in localization of AGO2 from cytoplasm to nucleus de-represses cytoplasmic AGO2-eCLIP targets that were candidates for canonical regulation by miRISC. Constitutive nuclear localization of AGO2 using an engineered nuclear localization signal increases cell migration. Critical RNAi factors also affect the localization of AGO2. Knocking out an enzyme essential for miRNA biogenesis, DROSHA, depletes mature miRNAs and restricts AGO2 localization to the cytoplasm, while knocking out the miRISC scaffolding protein, TNRC6, results in nuclear localization of AGO2. These data suggest that AGO2 localization and miRNA activity can be regulated depending on environmental conditions, expression of mature miRNAs, and expression of miRISC cofactors. Localization and expression of core miRISC protein machinery should be considered when investigating the roles of miRNAs.
Yeast zinc cluster transcription factors involved in the switch from fermentation to respiration show interdependency for DNA binding revealing a novel type of DNA recognition
Authors: Martinez Karla Páez , Gasmi Najla , Jeronimo Célia , Klimova Natalia , Robert François , Turcotte Bernard 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
In budding yeast, fermentation is the most important pathway for energy production. Under low-glucose conditions, ethanol is used for synthesis of this sugar requiring a shift to respiration. This process is controlled by the transcriptional regulators Cat8, Sip4, Rds2 and Ert1. We characterized Gsm1 (glucose starvation modulator 1), a paralog of Rds2 and Ert1. Genome-wide analysis showed that Gsm1 has a DNA binding profile highly similar to Rds2. Binding of Gsm1 and Rds2 is interdependent at the gluconeogenic gene FBP1. However, Rds2 is required for Gsm1 to bind at other promoters but not the reverse. Gsm1 and Rds2 also bind to DNA independently of each other. Western blot analysis revealed that Rds2 controls expression of Gsm1. In addition, we showed that the DNA binding domains of Gsm1 and Rds2 bind cooperatively in vitro to the FBP1 promoter. In contrast, at the HAP4 gene, Ert1 cooperates with Rds2 for DNA binding. Mutational analysis suggests that Gsm1/Rds2 and Ert1/Rds2 bind to short common DNA stretches, revealing a novel mode of binding for this class of factors. Two-point mutations in a HAP4 site convert it to a Gsm1 binding site. Thus, Rds2 controls binding of Gsm1 at many promoters by two different mechanisms: regulation of Gsm1 levels and increased DNA binding by formation of heterodimers.
Quantitative, titratable and high-throughput reporter assays to measure DNA double strand break repair activity in cells
Authors: Rajendra Eeson , Grande Diego , Mason Bethany , Di Marcantonio Daniela , Armstrong Lucy , Hewitt Graeme , Elinati Elias , Galbiati Alessandro , Boulton Simon J , Heald Robert A , Smith Graeme C M , Robinson Helen M R 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Repair of DNA damage is essential for the maintenance of genome stability and cell viability. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) constitute a toxic class of DNA lesion and multiple cellular pathways exist to mediate their repair. Robust and titratable assays of cellular DSB repair (DSBR) are important to functionally interrogate the integrity and efficiency of these mechanisms in disease models as well as in response to genetic or pharmacological perturbations. Several variants of DSBR reporters are available, however these are often limited by throughput or restricted to specific cellular models. Here, we describe the generation and validation of a suite of extrachromosomal reporter assays that can efficiently measure the major DSBR pathways of homologous recombination (HR), classical nonhomologous end joining (cNHEJ), microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) and single strand annealing (SSA). We demonstrate that these assays can be adapted to a high-throughput screening format and that they are sensitive to pharmacological modulation, thus providing mechanistic and quantitative insights into compound potency, selectivity, and on-target specificity. We propose that these reporter assays can serve as tools to dissect the interplay of DSBR pathway networks in cells and will have broad implications for studies of DSBR mechanisms in basic research and drug discovery.
Women in the Ḥadīth Literature
Authors: Salem Feryal 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Ḥadīth literature is rich in its many references to women and women’s stories. A close examination of the contents of ḥadīth literature reveals that women played key roles in the establishment of the early Muslim community and demonstrated equal levels of dedication, piety, and religious leadership as their male counterparts. A holistic study of the ḥadīth corpus also reflects the Prophet Muḥammad as empowering Muslim women in a pre-Islamic context in which fathers buried their baby girls alive and women were regarded as property to be inherited. This chapter challenges some of the careless assumptions often made about representations of women in ḥadīth literature through analyzing reports about women that have been commonly overlooked or not considered in terms of their broader context of intertextual reports to obtain a more profound understanding of the perceptions of gender in early Islam.
Modern Rereadings of the Qur’ān through a Gendered Lens
Authors: Afsaruddin Asma 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter explores the tension between patriarchal and egalitarian readings of critical verses in the Qur’an that have to do with women and gender. It provides an overview of classical male exegeses and modern Muslim women’s (re)readings of these verses. These verses include Qur’ān 2:223, 2:228, 2:253, 4:34, 4:128, 33:35, and 9:71. The chapter describes the methodologies employed by modern gender scholars and their critique of the androcentric views expressed by prominent premodern male exegetes, such as al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923), al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210), and Ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373). It furthermore provides an account of recent critiques of the egalitarian position that have been launched by a few gender scholars. The chapter concludes by assessing the cogency of prohierarchical and proegalitarian arguments and finds the egalitarian position to be far more plausible and defensible based on a holistic reading of the Qur’an.
Women as Moral Exemplars in Twelver Shī‘īsm
Authors: Dakake Maria 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter examines the role of the two most fundamental female exemplars in the Twelver Shīʿī tradition: Fāṭima, the daughter of the Prophet Muḥammad and both wife and mother to Shīʿī imāms; and Zaynab, the daughter of ʿAlī, who courageously defended her family during and after the tragedy at Karbala. Fāṭima has often been portrayed as a long-suffering and passive example of steadfast feminine duty and devotion, and Zaynab as the more active and public spokeswoman for her family. Yet the accounts of both women as found in Shīʿī sources demonstrate a mixture of these active and passive virtues. As models of devotion, obedience, courage, and conviction, they serve as virtuous examples, not only for Shīʿī women but for all Shīʿīs.
Early Muslim Women as Moral Paragons in Classical Islamic Literature
Authors: Amin Yasmin 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Early Muslim women, especially from the first generation, are regarded as exemplary figures and role models for later Muslim generations. As a result, the lives of the Ṣaḥābiyyāt (female Companions) and the Prophet’s female family members were studied extensively, so that the examples they set could be emulated by later Muslims. Out of this large group of women, this chapter focuses specifically on the Mubashsharāt bi-l-janna, a reference to women who were given glad tidings of paradise by Prophet Muḥammad. Among the reasons for their being singled out in this manner are their precedence in faith that was praised in the Qur’ān; their migration to Medina from Mecca, during which they endured considerable hardship and/or persecution, and the fact that they pledged their allegiance to the Prophet in the very early days of Islam. Despite their status as moral paragons for later generations of Muslims and their prominence in their own lifetimes, medieval as well as modern scholarship has not devoted much attention to these women as a collective, although they are mentioned individually in biographical dictionaries, sīra works, history books, and ḥadīth collections.
Marriage, Divorce, and Inheritance in Classical Islamic Law and Premodern Practice
Authors: Sheibani Mariam 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter examines women’s rights and obligations in classical legal literature (from the second/eighth to twelfth/eighteenth century) pertaining to marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The chapter summarizes the classical doctrines on these topics according to the four Sunnī legal schools and the Twelver Shīʿī (Imāmī) school and discusses the scriptural foundations, underlying assumptions, and legal logic underpinning these rules. The chapter further juxtaposes these formal rules with the legal practice of a range of Muslim societies to demonstrate how Muslims throughout history have employed legal strategies and customary practices to reshape, accommodate, and circumvent formal rules in response to sociohistorical needs. Finally, the chapter discusses how other religious discourses besides Islamic law articulate normatively binding moral and religious prescriptions that sit alongside or contradict legal obligations and court-enforceable rights. The chapter thus situates Islamic law’s marital claims, divorce procedures, and transmission of property in a complex web of judicially enforceable legal norms debated among the schools, social customs, and non-litigable moral and religious duties.
Negotiating Motherhood, Religion, and Modern Lived Realities
Authors: Pappano Margaret Aziza 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter examines ways that religion plays a role in forging contemporary maternal identities and practices, attempting to isolate ways that Islamic interpretive paradigms have been mobilized to negotiate mothering in both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts. Focusing on maternal identities, including issues of infertility, the structure of Muslim households, the way that mothering practices or “motherwork” may differ in Muslim communities, and ways that Muslim motherhood and reproduction have been mobilized in decolonization and nationalist projects, this chapter also addresses how Muslim mothers have been both implicated in and identified as critical to the recent struggle against extremism.
Women as Modern Heads of State
Authors: Sonn Tamara 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The modern world has produced several Muslim women heads of state or heads of government. While roughly one-third of non–Muslim majority countries worldwide have had women government leaders, a more appropriate comparison is with developing countries whose modern histories are characterized, like those of Muslim-majority countries, by struggles for economic, social, and political recovery from colonialism. Africa, for example, has had roughly the same percentage of women governmental leaders, including three Muslim women. Few of these women cite their religion as motivation for entering politics, but several articulate Islam as the source of their empowerment and specific values, including opposition to religious extremism.
Making and Remaking the World Anew
Authors: Buchanan Ruth , Eslava Luis , Murphy Caitlin , Pahuja Sundhya 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
As a particular project of international institutions, development is a way of seeing, assessing, transforming, and imagining the world in relational terms. Interventions are conducted in the name of creating in ‘developing’ and ‘underdeveloped’ places, preferred models of social and economic organisation putatively embodied by the ‘developed’ world. This relational exercise was originally calibrated in terms of a relatively crude comparison between colonies and their metropoles. From the mid-twentieth century onwards, this became a comparison between newly independent nations and their more ‘advanced’ peers in the developed world. But while it has taken different forms over time, and constantly mutates, this imagined relation, or model, originates in the West and continues to be anchored by the twin objectives of civilisation and commerce, and in the binary of self and other. This introductory chapter charts three ways to approach thinking about domination and resistance in the context of international law and development.
The Law of International Development
Authors: Dann Philipp 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter studies the connection between law and development by focusing on its legal core: the law of development. It argues that we have to understand this body of law if we want to critically address questions about power asymmetries and agency, accountability, and human rights in the governance of development. To understand the law of development, the chapter sketches the broader historical, theoretical, and anthropological context arguing that development and modern law are central elements of a particular Western conception of modernity and complement each other in their (ostensibly) technical rationality. Against this background, the chapter explains the basic features of the law of development, including its actors and sources, general logic, and possible principles, and traces the evolution of this field since the 1950s. It shows how the law of development mirrors the changing dynamics of the global order, but is also a tool by which this order has been shaped, and may be reshaped.
Agriculture in International Law and Development
Authors: Fakhri Michael , Adebola Titilayo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Even though for decades, development economists and policymakers assumed economies were ‘national’, food and agriculture has always been and continues to be central to international trade law and policy. As the conceptualisations of food and agriculture in the international development discourse are driven by preferences, power, and politics, multilateral institutions continue to grapple with balancing the competing positions of their members. This chapter is dedicated to food and agricultural policy vis-à-vis international trade, food sovereignty, and intellectual property rights (IPRs) for plants. It discusses the historical contexts and lawmaking trajectories of trade, food sovereignty, and IPRs for plants. In adopting historical and contextual analytical frames, the chapter unpacks pertinent debates that reveal the complexities and divergences between and within Global North and Global South positions and approaches to food and agriculture. Ultimately, beyond employing examples from food and agriculture to uncover key asymmetries in the international development discourse, the chapter proffers contemporary considerations for the future.
Ethical Markets and Economic Development: How Fair Trade Produced a Neoliberal ‘Social’
Authors: Cohen Amy J. , Lang Andrew 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter traces how the modern fair-trade movement helps to produce a neoliberalised version of social order. But its understanding of ‘neoliberal’ governance differs from many others’. The authors do not describe the imposition of a single order of value, e.g. ‘market value’ that cannibalises all other values. Rather, they describe it as an approach to governance that purposefully evades a shared consensus to address questions of value via the subjective evaluative techniques imaginatively associated with the sovereign consumer. As such, the social groups that coalesce around a fair-trade label do not take the form of ‘publics’ associated with a democratic polity. Nor do they take the form of unions among producers, labourers, and consumers that once served as the normative foundation of previous political imaginaries. Instead, they are contingent and thin social formations subject to ongoing competition and change that can forge loose and temporary alliances with other collectives—specifically corporations and their associated supply chains.
Law and Order
Authors: Radics George B. , Ciocchini Pablo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
‘Law and order’ in the Global South started off as an aspirational side effect of the post-war modernization and development rhetoric, but eventually gained momentum in the 1970s as a ‘tough on crime’ criminal justice policy in the Global North. Although Northern in origin, nations of the Global South have adopted their own ‘law and order’ policies but with direr consequences. In South East Asia and Latin America, centuries of illiberal political institutions established under colonial rule were compounded with decades of post-colonial laws created to suit neoliberal, American interests. These circumstances led to the emergence of authoritarian dictatorships and subsequent reactionary governments. This chapter will explore the ‘law and order’ policies in South East Asia and Latin American by exploring the conditions in Brazil and the Philippines. It will ultimately argue that when ‘law and order’ is pursued under illiberal political institutions and disproportionate global pressures, inequality, racism, and excessive violence follow.
The Ideological Space in Swiss Politics
Authors: Zollinger Delia , Traber Denise 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Switzerland is emblematic of transformations in electoral politics that have occurred across advanced democracies in the last decades. From as early as the 1990s, voters have become polarized along a ‘universalism–particularism’ dimension of politics, more so than along the traditional ‘state–market’ dimension. The result is a fundamentally realigned system, in which the universalist left increasingly caters to a socially progressive, highly educated new middle class while the diametrically opposed particularist far right successfully mobilizes socially conservative voters in the lower-educated old working and middle classes. A fragmented centre right, meanwhile, grapples with its position in a changing electoral landscape. The chapter traces changes in the social structure that paved the way for electoral realignment in Switzerland. Moreover, it shows how voters’ issue positions have developed over time, and it comparatively situates the Swiss case. We further engage with how the Swiss political space may evolve in the near future: on the one hand, the by now dominant ‘second’ ideological dimension seems to have become capable of absorbing or restructuring even distributive conflicts following a universalism-versus-particularism logic; on the other, the possibility remains that a liberal centre right may yet disrupt some of the strongly polarizing dynamics between the new left and the far right. Overall, the most recent stages of realignment in Switzerland might foreshadow possible developments in other countries that are experiencing similar structural and political transformations.
Cantons
Authors: Vatter Adrian 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter deals with the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. First, the status of the cantons as the most important subnational entities of the Swiss federal state is presented, addressing both the differences between confederate and cantonal political structures and the major differences between the cantons. The main difference between the political system of the federal state and that of the cantons lies in the direct popular election of the executive and the strong status of the government. Subsequently, the most important political institutions of the cantons are presented: the governments, the parliaments, the party systems, and the direct democracy with extended popular rights. The chapter concludes with an overview of three important structural problems, which bring the Swiss federal state with its constituent states to its limits.
Digital Democracy
Authors: Gilardi Fabrizio , Trechsel Alexander H. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The Swiss political system offers researchers in the social sciences a most fruitful context for theoretical and empirical advances in the field of digital democracy. The rich set of political institutions, characterized by a strong interplay of representative and participatory forms of democracy at different levels of the federal state, the multitude of organized political actors, a politically active citizenry, and the widespread use of Internet-based technologies throughout society have led to innovative experimentation with online instruments and processes as well as internationally relevant research. The point of departure arguably lies with Switzerland’s early attempts at introducing Internet voting in referendum votes, followed by election-targeting tools to improve the match between voters and candidates in the form of Voting Advice Applications. With the more recent proliferation of social media and the profound changes in the field of political communication, new research agendas tackle issues such as misinformation, online mobilization, campaigning, and old and new media consumption. Research on digital democracy now makes use of big data, to which constantly evolving methods of computational social sciences can be fruitfully applied. This chapter offers an overview of past and current research efforts in the areas of political communication, elections, and participatory democracy in Switzerland. It also shows how the data-rich Swiss context can inform comparative research, concluding with an outlook of opportunities and challenges that political science faces in the digital era.