bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
No evidence for yaws infection in a small‐scale cross‐sectional serosurvey in Ghanaian monkeys
Authors: Adade Eugene , Roos Christian , Chuma Idrissa Shomari , Sylverken Augustina Angelina , Knauf Sascha 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundTreponema pallidum (TP) is a spirochaete bacterium with subspecies that in humans cause syphilis (subsp. pallidum), bejel (subsp. endemicum) and yaws (subsp. pertenue; TPE). The latter is target for eradication which requires detailed information on yaws epidemiology. It has been shown that African nonhuman primates (NHPs) are infected with TPE strains that are closely related to the human infecting yaws bacterium. While human yaws infection is known to be endemic in Ghana, there is a paucity of information regarding TPE infection of Ghana's native NHPs.ObjectivesThe objective was to perform a small‐scale cross‐sectional serological screening for antibodies against TPE in Ghanaian monkeys. Due to the reports of TPE‐infected NHPs from neighbouring Côte d'Ivore, we hypothesised that monkeys in Ghana are infected with TPE and, therefore, are seropositive for antibodies against‐Treponema.MethodsWe sampled blood from 37 NHPs representing four species: Erythrocebus patas (16/37) 43.2%, Papio anubis (15/37) 40.5%, Chlorocebus sabaeus (3/37) 8.1% and Cercopithecus mona (3/37) 8.1%. Samples were tested using the NHP validated treponemal test ESPLINE TP.ResultsAll 37 animals were seronegative for yaws infection.ConclusionsWe cannot exclude yaws infection in NHPs in Ghana at this point. Our study, in combination with the absence of reports of clinically infected NHPs in a yaws endemic country is, however, supportive for the current thinking that interspecies infection with TPE is extremely rare. This is an important finding for the current ongoing yaws eradication campaign.
Constructions of speech and thought representation
Authors: Vandelanotte Lieven 
Published: December 2022

AbstractA lot of what humans communicate about concerns cognitive contents of various kinds produced by others or themselves: speech, thought, writing, emotional states, attitudes, hopes, and the like. Languages have developed specialized ways to structure the representation of such contents, especially in various dedicated forms of speech and thought representation. Represented content can also include embodied behavior, such as gesture, whether in cospeech gesture or in sign language. What is represented need not actually have been previously produced: represented contents can be future, hypothetical or nonexistent, and forms of so‐called fictive interaction can be used in which the model of face‐to‐face interaction is used to talk about a variety of other meaning types. Speech and thought representation presupposes the existence of two speech events—a current and a represented one—and each comes with a speaker, defined linguistically in terms of their central deictic coordinates,I—here—now. The interplay of deictic features and different forms of structural integration can define specific types of construction, showing different degrees of access to the embedded mental space of the represented speaker's speech or thought, such as direct, indirect, and free indirect speech or thought. Social media forms of direct speech or thought merit separate investigation, as do subjective uses of reporting clauses such asI think, which form a distinct construction type, using a subset of the grammar of speech and thought representation for different purposes.This article is categorized under:Linguistics > CognitiveLinguistics > Linguistic TheoryLinguistics > Language in Mind and Brain
The prevalence and social determinants of multimorbidity in South Africa
Authors: Brady Elise , Castelli Michele , Walker Richard , Grayling Michael , Alaba Olufunke , Chola Lumbwe 
Published: December 2022

AbstractMultimorbidity is an increasing global public health challenge, however, most existing research focuses on high‐income countries, with limited evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries. This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity in South Africa and analyse the associations between multimorbidity and social determinants of health in the adult population. Multimorbidity will be defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases in an individual throughout this paper. Data from the South African National Income Dynamics Survey of 2017 was used with a total sample of 20,833. A binary logistic regression was performed to analyse the associations between multimorbidity and several social determinants of health indicators based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health Framework. Multimorbidity was prevalent in 5.4% of the South African adult population surveyed, with 71.35% of those with multimorbidity being female. Hypertension was the most common NCD and the highest contributor to multimorbidity. Multimorbidity was found to have statistically significant associations with age, obesity, being female, being of Colored or Asian/Indian ethnicity, being in employment, and having no schooling. This study highlights the importance of analysing the associations between multimorbidity and the social determinants of health. Further research on multimorbidity is required in low‐ and middle‐income countries to understand the specific challenges not identifiable in the existing research predominately based in high‐income nations.
A Stable Crystalline N‐Heterocyclic Carbene with a 1,1’‐Ferrocenylene Backbone and BenzylicN‐Substituents
Authors: Zinke Julian , Bruhn Clemens , Siemeling Ulrich 
Published: December 2022

AbstractTwo ferrocene‐based NHCs of the type fc[(NR)2C:] (1R; fc=1,1’‐ferrocenylene) containing benzylicN‐substituents were synthesised from the corresponding formamidinium compounds1RH[BF4] by reaction with LiN(SiMe3)2. In the case of R=CH2Ph (Bn), the carbene was characterised through trapping reactions with sulfur and selenium, which afforded fc[(NBn)2CS] (1BnS) and fc[(NBn)2CSe] (1BnSe), respectively. A thermally stable carbene was obtained with R=CH2Mes (Bn*). Its reaction with sulfur and selenium afforded fc[(NBn*)2CS] (1Bn*S) and fc[(NBn*)2CSe] (1Bn*Se), respectively. Its reaction with [Rh(μ‐Cl)(COD)]2(COD=cycloocta‐1,5‐diene), followed by substitution of the COD ligand by CO, furnishedcis‐[RhCl(CO)2(1Bn*)]. In combination with IR data ofcis‐[RhCl(CO)2(1Bn*)], NMR data of1Bn*H[BF4],1Bn*and1Bn*Se indicate that1Bn*is substantially more nucleophilic and more electrophilic than conventional Arduengo carbenes, exhibiting an ambiphilicity similar to that of CAACs. The crystal structures of the formamidinium salts1RHX (X=[BF4], R=Bn, Bn*; X=Cl, R=Bn*), of the carbene1Bn*and its AuIcomplex [AuCl(1Bn*)] as well as of the sulfur and selenium derivatives1RE (E=S, Se; R=Bn, Bn*), the RhIcomplexescis‐[RhCl(CO)2(1R)] (R=Bn, Bn*) and the CuIcomplex [CuBr(1Bn)] were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, the crystals structures of the diimine fc(N=CHMes)2and the diamine fc(NHBn*)2were also determined by XRD.
Empathy, Irony, and Humanitarian Witness in The Photographer
Authors: Freedman Ariela 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn recent years, graphic journalism has become an increasingly prominent medium for exploring the affective dimensions of representing humanitarian images. How are emotions—pain, terror, pathos—represented through graphic narrative, and in which ways are emotions differently engaged by an audience when drawn? In this chapter I examine Le Photographe (Dupuis), a hybrid non-fiction account of a 1986 Médicins sans Frontières mission to Afghanistan. Le Photographe responds to Susan Sontag’s critique of the floating and contextless quality of war photography with dialogue and captions that tether the images to meaning, through remediation in drawing and narrative, and through emphasis on the emotional journey of the photographer in the war zone, from uncertainty and anxiety to empathy and disillusionment.
Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Neo-traditionalism: The Case of Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Akisheva Asylai 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn 2021, Kyrgyzstan held a referendum, adopting its new Constitution. From the very beginning, the document itself obliquely announces that the state is taking a course towards a “neo-traditionalist” approach, a policy that risks exalting traditions, customs and spirituality above the Law. Some ancestral traditional practices are known to have a negative connotation and remain an obstacle to the rights of Kyrgyz women and girls. Thereby, this chapter focuses on analysis of the new constitutional framework of Kyrgyzstan from a gender perspective, highlighting the threats of the “neo-traditionalist” approach to women’s rights. The first part gives the reader a general introduction to the current situation with gender equality in Kyrgyzstan and its legal regulation, followed by highlighting the role of the OSCE in supporting and developing gender-sensitive legal foundations in the country. The final part analyses the “neo-traditionalist” orientations in the new constitutional framework of Kyrgyzstan and their possible impact on the position and rights of Kyrgyz women and girls.
An Overview of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Its Development Since 2013
Authors: Rice Dana 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDuring a visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the launch of a new cross-Eurasian initiative. Nearly ten years on, approximately 140 nations have followed Kazakhstan’s lead and signed onto the multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This chapter aims to provide a concise yet critical overview of the BRI’s evolution in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the European Union, examining the main BRI investments, strategies, and controversies over the past decade. More specifically, the chapter reflects on how individual projects under the BRI banner are coordinated and funded before examining the stated aims of the BRI. The development of two Eurasian land corridors is then explored as well as the emergent, overlapping strands of BRI discourse, including discourses on the “Human/Cultural,” “Green,” “Health,” and “Digital” Silk Roads. The chapter ends by exploring the key debates happening around China’s intentions at the state, academic, and popular levels across the Eurasian region, highlighting fears of so-called “debt-trap diplomacy.”
Development Aid and the Democratic Process in the OSCE Region
Authors: Ghioldi Mario 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDespite a great deal of scholarly debate, the impact of traditional and emerging development aid on recipient countries is still under heavy academic scrutiny. Certain authors have highlighted how said financial support often leads to an increase in corruption and/or inequality, while others find no correlation whatsoever. In the same vein, the literature has also underlined how development aid provided by traditional donors has a higher chance of improving democratic openness than aid provided by emerging countries, which instead seems to be more effective in terms of economic development. Despite those relevant insights, the literature seems to have mostly set its focus on inquiries that explore the topic at either the global or the regional level. For those reasons, I opted to observe the above trends at the national level by analysing the impact of development aid in 15 OSCE recipient countries. In particular, I seek to either confirm or refute the literature’s notion that emerging countries’ contributions are expected to improve the recipients’ economies, although said achievements also come with higher corruption levels. At the same time, I also postulate that development aid coming from traditional donors is more likely to foster democratic progress. To fulfil both these goals, I rely on OECD and Aiddata data sets in order to track the aid flows from two traditional donors (the US and the EU) and two emerging providers (Russia and China) over the 2012–2019 period.
Chinese Linkage and Democracy in Pakistan
Authors: van der Zwan G. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis chapter examines the implementation of China’s BRI in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its political implications at the domestic level. Specifically, it analyses how and to what extent Chinese engagement under CPEC impacts the level of democracy in Pakistan. I put forth a novel concept of the Chinese Linkage under CPEC based on Levitsky and Way’s (Western) Linkage framework to understand the various layers and levels of Chinese engagement under the CPEC. I conceptualize it along five dimensions, economic, social, cultural, communication, and intergovernmental ties, and examine its impact on the level of (de-)democratization under the CPEC.
Democracy and Human Rights in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Jerabek Marketa 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the political impact of the Belt and Road Initiative, in particular on different aspects of democracy, such as freedom, equality, and accountability, as well as on human rights. The effect of the BRI is analysed using data from the years before and after the inception of the BRI, from 2005 to 2019, applying a difference-in-differences approach, one of the most frequently used methods in impact evaluation studies. The results support the hypothesis that those countries involved in BRI projects are prone to the diminishment of certain democratic freedoms and labour rights.
Balkanization Instead of Eurasianism: Fragmented Technological Governance Across the OSCE Domain and Its Implications
Authors: Burgers Tobias 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis article looks at emerging technological governance models in the Central Asian region. It argues that an earlier receptiveness towards Western technological governance models, and the values of using technology as a force for democratic development, human rights, and good governance, has been replaced with new visions that increasingly resemble the Chinese model of technological governance, which sees technology as a tool for increasing state control. In the light of this, the paper discusses what the OCSE, as an influential political actor in the region, could do to advance a technological governance vision that favours democratic development, human rights, and good governance.
Development Aid in Central Asia: A “Chessboard” for Great Powers?
Authors: Kilichova Nargiza 
Published: December 2022

AbstractCentral Asia, once part of the Soviet Union's southern belt, quickly became a focal point for competing interests and donor influence after gaining independence in the early 1990s. Players in this arena include the so-called Western actors such as the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as major regional powers such as Russia and China. The main objective of the chapter is to examine how and in what ways the domestic rule of law institutions and the contexts of donor and organization development policies differ from each other, and how this gap is translated into rule of law promotion approaches abroad. This question is examined within the realm of externally assisted rule of law reform using the Central Asian region as a case study. To answer this question, this chapter compares rule of law promotion strategies of the EU, the OSCE, Russia, and China by breaking down development policies according to contextual understanding, goals, organization, promotion approaches, and objectives. Based on these comparative analyses, the chapter examines how the EU and the OSCE position themselves in the midst of a fierce struggle between the major regional powers in the still near and yet so distant Central Asia.
Central Asia’s Security Provider and Peacekeeper? Assessing Russia’s Role After the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan and Beyond
Authors: Zhirukhina Elena 
Published: December 2022

AbstractRussia and the Central Asian countries have developed strong cooperation in countering non-traditional threats emanating from terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations based on a shared vision of the threats themselves and instruments to tackle them. The 2021 takeover by the Taliban in Afghanistan brought to the fore a need to protect the borders of Central Asian states from any spill-over effects, as well as illicit activities. The 2022 civil unrest in Kazakhstan embodied the long-standing fears of “colour revolutions” expressed by regional governments. These crises created a security vacuum utilized by Russia in furthering its influence and promoting an enhanced regional security cooperation between Central Asian states and Russia. Joint military drills and trainings serve as tools for Russia to restate its relevance for Central Asian countries via bilateral cooperation channels and mechanisms available within regional international organizations.
Russian Government Policy in the Western Balkans
Authors: Mahmutaj Noela 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis article aims to explain the nature of Russian foreign policy towards the Western Balkan states, taking into account the role of other actors such as the European Union, an increasingly important player in this radically changed geopolitical context. Since the fall of the communist regime, the Western Balkans have faced major challenges and have been at the forefront of debates on critical issues such as transatlantic relations (with regard to NATO and EU enlargement, as well as EU defence policy and security). In recent times, the Balkan region has come under the influence of the Great Powers. Therefore, as a Great Power, Russia is building a foothold in the Balkans, a move criticized and not welcomed by other countries or actors. Furthermore, Moscow is unique in terms of its range of capabilities, including its “hard” and “soft power.” This article aims to understand and analyse Russia’s policy and strategy in the Western Balkans.
Fallbeispiele zur Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR)
Authors: Renz Patrick S. , Frischherz Bruno , Wettstein Irena 
Published: December 2022

ZusammenfassungDas Kapitel stellt typische Dilemmas von Unternehmen im heutigen digitalen Zeitalter vor. Viele Unternehmen haben ihre Wertschöpfung explizit entlang einer digitalen Wertschöpfungskette entwickelt, andere sind an verschiedensten Stellen durch digitale Veränderungen und entsprechende Dilemmas betroffen. Das Ziel des dritten Kapitels ist es, typische ethische Dilemmas von Unternehmen im digitalen Kontext zu diskutieren.Jedes der Dilemmas wird mit einem konkreten Beispiel illustriert und mit Hilfe von Spannungsfeldern analysiert. Es werden Vorschläge zur Lösung und zum Vorgehen formuliert sowie Hintergrundinformationen und weiterführende Links und Literatur aufgeführt. Die Dilemmas bzw. Fallbeispiele sind entlang einer digitalen Wertschöpfungskette geordnet, wie folgt:Für die Phase der Datenerzeugung und -aquirierung werden folgende Fallbeispiele vorgestellt: Einsatz von Cookies und Daten-Zulieferkette.Für die Phase der Datenspeicherung und -management wird das Fallbeispiel Datenverwendungsrichtlinien vorgestellt.Für die Phase der Datenanalyse und der Wissensgenerierung werden folgende Fallbeispiele vorgestellt: Persönlichkeitsprofile und Dialog mit Stakeholdern.Für die Phase der Nutzung von Produkten und Dienstleistungen werden folgende Fallbeispiele vorgestellt: KI-basierte Datenprodukte und People Analytics.
Dark matter in the Alternative Left Right model
Authors: Frank Mariana , Majumdar Chayan , Poulose Poulose , Senapati Supriya , Yajnik Urjit A. 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
The Alternative Left-Right Model is an attractive variation of the usual Left-Right Symmetric Model because it avoids flavour-changing neutral currents, thus allowing the additional Higgs bosons in the model to be light. We show here that the model predicts several dark matter candidates naturally, through introduction of an R-parity similar to the one in supersymmetry, under which some of the new particles are odd, while all the SM particles are even. Dark matter candidates can be fermionic or bosonic. We present a comprehensive investigation of all possibilities. We analyze and restrict the parameter space where relic density, direct and indirect detection bounds are satisfied, and investigate the possibility of observing fermionic and bosonic dark matter signals at the LHC. Both the bosonic and fermionic candidates provide promising signals, the first in LHC at 300 fb−1, the second at higher luminosity, 3000 fb−1. Signals from bosonic candidates are indicative of the presence of exotic d′ quarks, while fermionic candidates imply the existence of charged Higgs bosons, all with masses in the TeV region.
Holographic Rényi entropies from hyperbolic black holes with scalar hair
Authors: Bai Xiaoxuan , Ren Jie 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
The Rényi entropies as a generalization of the entanglement entropy imply much more information. We analytically calculate the Rényi entropies (with a spherical entangling surface) by means of a class of neutral hyperbolic black holes with scalar hair as a one-parameter generalization of the MTZ black hole. The zeroth-order and third-order phase transitions of black holes lead to discontinuity of the Rényi entropies and their second derivatives, respectively. From the Rényi entropies that are analytic at n = ∞, we can express the entanglement spectrum as an infinite sum in terms of the Bell polynomials. We show that the analytic treatment is in agreement with numerical calculations for the low-lying entanglement spectrum in a wide range of parameters.
Plasma biomarkers TAP, CPA1, and CPA2 for the detection of pancreatic injury in rat: the development of a novel multiplex IA-LC-MS/MS assay and biomarker performance evaluation
Authors: Vlasakova Katerina , Steinhilber Andreas , Bailey Wendy J. , Erdos Zoltan , Haag Hanna , Joos Thomas , Ackermann Bradley L. , Poetz Oliver , Glaab Warren E. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDrug-induced pancreatic injury (DIPI) is an issue seen in drug development both in nonclinical and clinical contexts. DIPI is typically monitored by measurement of lipase and/or amylase, however, both enzymes lack sensitivity and specificity. Although candidate protein biomarkers specific to pancreas exist, antibody-based assay development is difficult due to their small size or the rapid cleavage by proteolytic enzymes released during pancreatic injury. Here we report the development of a novel multiplexed immunoaffinity-based liquid chromatography mass spectrometric assay (IA-LC-MS/MS) for trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP) and carboxypeptidases A1 and A2 (CPA1, CPA2). This method is based on the enzymatic digestion of the target proteins, immunoprecipitation of the peptides with specific antibodies and LC-MS/MS analysis. This assay was used to detect TAP, CPA1, and CPA2 in 470 plasma samples collected from 9 in-vivo rat studies with pancreatic injury and 8 specificity studies with injury in other organs to assess their performance in monitoring exocrine pancreas injury. The TAP, CPA1, and CPA2 response was compared to histopathology, lipase, amylase and microRNA217. In summary, TAP, CPA1, and CPA2 proteins measured in rat plasma were sensitive and specific biomarkers for monitoring drug-induced pancreatic injury; outperforming lipase and amylase both by higher sensitivity of detection and by sustained increases in plasma observed over a longer time period. These protein-based assays and potentially others under development, are valuable tools for use in nonclinical drug development and as future translatable biomarkers for assessment in clinical settings to further improve patient safety.