julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Delegating migration control to local welfare actors: Reporting obligations in practice
2023-01-31

Most research on the social policy–migration control link focuses on indirect control, that is, denying access to welfare. This article instead draws attention to how welfare institutions are made directly involved in migration control through duties to report certain categories of migrants to migration authorities. We ask how these obligations are put into practice and how local governments shape this process. In so doing, we place special emphasis on local organisational fields – that is, the close horizontal connection between public and non-public actors involved in basic needs provision. The article builds on exploratory research across four German cities, drawing on 61 interviews conducted in 2019–2020 with welfare actors catering to basic needs (housing/shelter, healthcare, social assistance, social counselling) and document research. Based on this, we, first, explore patterns of reporting practices and provide a typology of different responses, ranging from elaborate circumvention strategies to over-compliance. Second, we analyse the domino effects of reporting obligations, namely how welfare actors that are exempted from reporting adopt their practices too, with consequences both for migrants' welfare access and for other authorities' ability to report. Finally, we discuss how local governments can shape reporting practices, demonstrating how some cities actively sanction circumvention strategies. The last part identifies venues for further research.
The relevance of basic numerical skills for fraction processing: Evidence from cross-sectional data
2023-01-31

Recent research indicated that fraction understanding is an important predictor of later mathematical achievement. In the current study we investigated associations between basic numerical skills and students’ fraction processing. We analyzed data of 939 German secondary school students (age range = 11.92 to 18.00 years) and evaluated the determinants of fraction processing considering basic numerical skills as predictors (i.e., number line estimation, basic arithmetic operations, non-symbolic magnitude comparison, etc.). Additionally, we controlled for general cognitive ability, grade level, and sex. We found that multiplication, subtraction, conceptual knowledge, number line estimation, and basic geometry were significantly associated with fraction processing beyond significant associations of general cognitive ability and sex. Moreover, relative weight analysis revealed that addition and approximate arithmetic should also be considered as relevant predictors for fraction processing. The current results provide food for thought that further research should focus on investigating whether recapitulating basic numerical content in secondary school mathematics education can be beneficial for acquiring more complex mathematical concepts such as fractions.
Membrane oxygenator longevity was higher in argatroban‐treated patients undergoing vvECMO
2023-01-31

Abstract Background In severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) can be a lifesaver. However, anticoagulation therapy is mandatory because the nonendothelial extracorporeal surface increases the risk of thromboembolic problems. Heparin is still the most common anticoagulant, but argatroban could be an alternative. This work investigates whether argatroban offers a therapeutic advantage over heparin during vvECMO. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent vvECMO for severe ARDS and received heparin or argatroban as anticoagulation therapy. Demographic variables, intensive care unit (ICU) treatment and outcome parameters were evaluated. The primary outcome parameter was the operating time of the membrane oxygenator normalized to the duration of vvECMO treatment. Secondary outcome parameters were transfusion requirements normalized to the duration of vvECMO therapy. Results Fifty seven patients from January 2019 to February 2021 underwent vvECMO and were included in this study. Thirty three patients received heparin and 24 patients argatroban as anticoagulatory therapy. The groups did not differ in demographics, ICU scoring systems, or comorbidities. Platelet counts and partial prothrombin time did not differ between the two groups during the first 6 days of vvECMO. The argatroban group had lower requirements for red blood cells, platelets and fresh frozen plasma. The mean runtime of the individual membrane oxygenator increased from 12.3 days (heparin group) to 16.6 days in the argatroban group. Conclusions Our findings suggest that argatroban can be considered as anticoagulant during vvECMO.
SPRTN-dependent DPC degradation precedes repair of damaged DNA: a proof of concept revealed by the STAR assay
2023-01-31

Abstract DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs), formed by the covalent conjugation of proteins to DNA, are toxic lesions that interfere with DNA metabolic processing and transcription. The development of an accurate biochemical assay for DPC isolation is a priority for the mechanistic understanding of their repair. Here, we propose the STAR assay for the direct quantification of DPCs, sensitive to physiologically relevant treatment conditions. Implementing the STAR assay revealed the formation of small cross-linked peptides on DNA, created by the proteolytic degradation of DPCs by SPRTN. The initial proteolytic degradation of DPCs is required for the downstream activation of DNA repair, which is mediated through the phosphorylation of H2Ax. This leads to the accumulation of DNA repair factors on chromatin and the subsequent complete removal of the cross-linked peptides. These results confirmed that the repair of DPCs is a two-step process, starting with proteolytic resection by SPRTN, followed by the repair of the underlying damage to the DNA.
Biallelic Variants in TULP1 Are Associated with Heterogeneous Phenotypes of Retinal Dystrophy
2023-01-31

Biallelic pathogenic variants in TULP1 are mostly associated with severe rod-driven inherited retinal degeneration. In this study, we analyzed clinical heterogeneity in 17 patients and characterized the underlying biallelic variants in TULP1. All patients underwent thorough ophthalmological examinations. Minigene assays and structural analyses were performed to assess the consequences of splice variants and missense variants. Three patients were diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis, nine with early onset retinitis pigmentosa, two with retinitis pigmentosa with an onset in adulthood, one with cone dystrophy, and two with cone-rod dystrophy. Seventeen different alleles were identified, namely eight missense variants, six nonsense variants, one in-frame deletion variant, and two splice site variants. For the latter two, minigene assays revealed aberrant transcripts containing frameshifts and premature termination codons. Structural analysis and molecular modeling suggested different degrees of structural destabilization for the missense variants. In conclusion, we report the largest cohort of patients with TULP1-associated IRD published to date. Most of the patients exhibited rod-driven disease, yet a fraction of the patients exhibited cone-driven disease. Our data support the hypothesis that TULP1 variants do not fold properly and thus trigger unfolded protein response, resulting in photoreceptor death.
An Axiomatic System for Concessive Conditionals
2023-01-31

Abstract According to the analysis of concessive conditionals suggested by Crupi and Iacona, a concessive conditional <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mo>↪</mml:mo> <mml:mspace/> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>q</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> is adequately formalized as a conjunction of conditionals. This paper presents a sound and complete axiomatic system for concessive conditionals so understood. The soundness and completeness proofs that will be provided rely on a method that has been employed by Raidl, Iacona, and Crupi to prove the soundness and completeness of an analogous system for evidential conditionals.
Ethnic In-and Out-Group Friendships Going Into Early Adolescence: Prevalence, Quality, Stability, and the Role of the Network Structure
2023-01-31

The present study sought to investigate the friendship formation of ethnic in-and out-group friendships, as well as differences in stability and quality, while accounting for the network structure (such as the tendency to befriend friends of friends). We analyzed longitudinal data from 770 students from 42 Austrian primary school classes collected over the course of their last year of primary school. First, friendship prevalence, quality and stability were investigated using multiple regression quadratic assignment procedures. Then, friendship creation and stability were modeled over time using multilevel stochastic actor-oriented models. The results did not show significant differences between the creation of in-and out-group friendships; however, it was found that in-group friendships were more stable over time. The results further underscore the importance of considering network structure effects when analyzing intergroup friendship prevalence, creation, and stability.
Walking in Troubled Times in Anna Burns' Milkman
2023-01-31

&lt;p&gt;In her Booker-prize-winning novel &lt;em&gt;Milkman&lt;/em&gt; (2018), Anna Burns traces the journey of &ldquo;middle sister&rdquo;, her young and witty protagonist who loves to read while walking in the streets of a city that resembles Belfast in the 1970s during the Troubles. The novel critiques the political situation in Northern Ireland through spatial imagery: Moving through the city space is a rebellious act in the embattled zone controlled by the paramilitaries. The unnamed protagonist&rsquo;s walks through deserted streets are her form of resistance and her silent but effective rebellion against the tyrannical and chauvinist regime is expressed in her desire to walk &lt;em&gt;and &lt;/em&gt;read, to be propelled forward and to move freely in an urban space controlled by sexist and conservative ideology and, at the same time, through her reading, escape into an imaginary space that is different from the tense political situation of late 1970s Belfast.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Walking and crossing boundaries are not mere metaphors but transcend the limits of the text as they invite the reader to re-think their own walking/reading patterns as possible outlets in times of crisis. The experience of walking in an urban space may lead to a re-evaluation of the city as a cultural and political space and walking might develop into a socio-political discourse that engages with urban space in favour of the citizens and communities. This article discusses the cultural and political significance of walking and reading as charted in Burns&rsquo; novel &lt;em&gt;Milkman &lt;/em&gt;and proposes a re-thinking of walking as a democratic practice in times of crisis.&lt;/p&gt;
Traces of pubertal brain development and health revealed through domain adapted brain network fusion
2023-01-31

Abstract Puberty demarks a period of profound brain dynamics that orchestrates changes to a multitude of neuroimaging-derived phenotypes. This poses a dimensionality problem when attempting to chart an individual’s brain development on a single scale. Here, we illustrate shifts in subject similarity of imaging data that relate to pubertal maturation and altered mental health, suggesting that dimensional reference spaces of subject similarity render useful to chart brain dynamics in youths.
Systems biological assessment of the temporal dynamics of immunity to a viral infection in the first weeks and months of life
2023-01-31

Abstract The dynamics of innate and adaptive immunity to infection in infants remain obscure. Here, we used a multi-omics approach to perform a longitudinal analysis of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection in infants and young children in the first weeks and months of life by analyzing blood samples collected before, during, and after infection with Omicron and Non-Omicron variants. Infection stimulated robust antibody titers that, unlike in adults, were stably maintained for &gt;300 days. Antigen-specific memory B cell (MCB) responses were durable for 150 days but waned thereafter. Somatic hypermutation of V-genes in MCB accumulated progressively over 9 months. The innate response was characterized by upregulation of activation markers on blood innate cells, and a plasma cytokine profile distinct from that seen in adults, with no inflammatory cytokines, but an early and transient accumulation of chemokines (CXCL10, IL8, IL-18R1, CSF-1, CX3CL1), and type I IFN. The latter was strongly correlated with viral load, and expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in myeloid cells measured by single-cell transcriptomics. Consistent with this, single-cell ATAC-seq revealed enhanced accessibility of chromatic loci targeted by interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) and reduced accessibility of AP-1 targeted loci, as well as traces of epigenetic imprinting in monocytes, during convalescence. Together, these data provide the first snapshot of immunity to infection during the initial weeks and months of life.
Caudal Block versus Wound Infiltration for Inguinal Procedures in Young Children: A Randomized Clinical Study
2023-01-31

Abstract Introduction Inguinal procedures in children are frequent and typically performed in an outpatient setting. We aimed to analyze whether there is a difference in postoperative pain scores and setup time (start of anesthesia management to incision time) when comparing caudal block (CB) with local wound infiltration. Materials and Methods We enrolled pediatric outpatients scheduled for inguinal procedures. Patients were randomized to receive either preincision CBs or end-of-procedure local wound infiltration. Postoperative pain scores until 24 hours postoperatively and setup time were analyzed. Results Fifty-two patients were included in the study. Thirty patients received a CB, and 22 patients received local infiltration (LI). There was no significant difference in postoperative pain scores. Setup time was significantly higher in the CB group: median 22.5 minutes IQR (16–46 minutes) compared with 17 minutes in the LI group IQR (10–35 minutes), p-value of 0.0026. Conclusion Both CB and LI result in good postoperative pain control after inguinal procedures in pediatric outpatients. Since LI is less time consuming and has lower risks for complications, we recommend this technique for inguinal procedures in pediatric outpatients. Our findings will need to be confirmed in larger cohorts, but we believe the evidence generated with this study has the potential to positively influence patient care, operating room efficiency, and costs.
On the divergent developments of two German causal subjunctions
2023-01-31

Abstract This chapter discusses the development of two German causal subjunctions weil and zumal . In particular, it introduces a new proposal for the syntactic reanalysis of weil in the C 0 -position from a free relative clause. Later, weil -clauses also underwent a shift in meaning in the course of which weil developed from a temporal into a causal subjunction. The development of temporal into causal meaning is widely-attested cross-linguistically. This chapter argues that in the case of German, the actuation of this general path was probably enabled by prior extensions of the temporal meaning, which had made the subjunction into a universal subjunction of simultaneity relations. The subjunction zumal , by contrast, developed from the combination zumal weil ‘especially since’ after zumal had been reanalyzed in the C 0 -position. The reanalysis only concerned the internal syntax of the clause. Its external syntax and the meaning remained stable and corresponded to zumal weil -clauses. Based on these findings, it will be argued more generally that the development of new elements in the C 0 -position takes place through the fusion of the properties of the new and the old C 0 -elements. After the reanalysis, the new C 0 -element has the subordinating force of the old C 0 -element as well as the semantic content of the new and the old C 0 -element.
Marian Devotion and the Jewish Gospel (Toledot Yeshu) in Eighteenth Century Amsterdam
2023-01-31

Polemical narratives on the life of Jesus of Nazareth were common among Jews since the Middle Ages. In the Enlightenment context, especially in the Netherlands, these narratives developed into an eminently popular text genre, with close ties to the performative arts. The authors of the Yiddish manuscripts discussed here thus inserted new narrative elements into the traditional story. In their retelling of he familiar story, they creatively included actualizing references to the daily experiences of their audience. Among these original elements, we find a retelling of the assumption of Mary. Whereas this unexpected narrative element seems to reflect a medieval context, when popular stories about the Virgin Mary widely circulated in the Catholic Netherlands, it nevertheless served as an effective tool also in a Protestant context. to negotiate the boundaries between the Jewish and Christian communities, and define the conditions of their peaceful coexistence.
Cover Feature: Exploring the Flexibility of the Glycopeptide Antibiotic Crosslinking Cascade for Extended Peptide Backbones (ChemBioChem 6/2023)
2023-01-31

Glycopeptide antibiotic (GPA) crosslinking is performed by cytochrome P450 (Oxy) enzymes and is essential for antibiotic activity. Here, we symbolise the process by which we screen for Oxy activity toward altered peptide substrates, which revealed that these enzymes are tolerant of extension at the N-termini of their peptide substrates. More information can be found in the Research Article by J. Tailhades, M. J. Cryle et al.
Anders Winroth / John C. Wei (Eds.), The Cambridge History of Medieval Canon Law. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2021
2023-01-31

Article Anders Winroth / John C. Wei (Eds.), The Cambridge History of Medieval Canon Law. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2021 was published on February 1, 2023 in the journal Historische Zeitschrift (volume 316, issue 1).
Fabrication of a Chitosan-Based Wound Dressing Patch for Enhanced Antimicrobial, Hemostatic, and Wound Healing Application
2023-02-01

Wounds are a serious life threat that occurs in daily life. The complex cascade of synchronized cellular and molecular phases in wound healing is impaired by different means, involving infection, neuropathic complexes, abnormal blood circulation, and cell proliferation at the wound region. Thus, to overcome these problems, a multifunctional wound dressing material is fabricated. In the current research work, we have fabricated a wound dressing polymeric patch, with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (Cs) incorporated with a photocatalytic graphene nanocomposite (GO/TiO<sub>2</sub>(V-N)) and curcumin by a gel casting method, that focuses on multiple stages of the healing process. The morphology, swelling, degradation, moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), porosity, light-induced antibacterial activity, hemolysis, blood clotting, blood abortion, light-induced biocompatibility, migration assay, and drug release were analyzed for the polymeric patches under in vitro conditions. PVA/Cs/GO/TiO<sub>2</sub>(V-N)/Cur patches have shown enhanced wound healing in in vivo wound healing experiments on Wister rats. They show higher collagen deposition, thicker granulation tissue, and higher fibroblast density than conventional dressing. A histological study shows excellent re-epithelialization ability and dense collagen deposition. In vitro and in vivo analysis confirmed that PVA/Cs/GO/TiO<sub>2</sub>(V-N) and PVA/Cs/GO/TiO<sub>2</sub>(V-N)/Cur patches enhance the wound healing process.
A Strong X-Ray Polarization Signal from the Magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910
2023-02-01

Abstract Magnetars are the most strongly magnetized neutron stars, and one of the most promising targets for X-ray polarimetric measurements. We present here the first Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer observation of the magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910, jointly analyzed with a new Swift observation and archival NICER data. The total (energy- and phase-integrated) emission in the 2–8 keV energy range is linerarly polarized, at a ∼35% level. The phase-averaged polarization signal shows a marked increase with energy, ranging from ∼20% at 2–3 keV up to ∼80% at 6–8 keV, while the polarization angle remains constant. This indicates that radiation is mostly polarized in a single direction. The spectrum is well reproduced by a combination of either two thermal (blackbody) components or a blackbody and a power law. Both the polarization degree and angle also show a variation with the spin phase, and the former is almost anticorrelated with the source counts in the 2–8 and 2–4 keV bands. We discuss the possible implications and interpretations, based on a joint analysis of the spectral, polarization, and pulsation properties of the source. A scenario in which the surface temperature is not homogeneous, with a hotter cap covered by a gaseous atmosphere and a warmer region in a condensed state, provides a satisfactory description of both the phase- and energy-dependent spectro-polarimetric data. The (comparatively) small size of the two emitting regions, required to explain the observed pulsations, does not allow to reach a robust conclusion about the presence of vacuum birefringence effects.
Polarization Properties of the Weakly Magnetized Neutron Star X-Ray Binary GS 1826–238 in the High Soft State
2023-02-01

Abstract The launch of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) on 2021 December 9 has opened a new window in X-ray astronomy. We report here the results of the first IXPE observation of a weakly magnetized neutron star, GS 1826−238, performed on 2022 March 29–31 when the source was in a high soft state. An upper limit (99.73% confidence level) of 1.3% for the linear polarization degree is obtained over the IXPE 2–8 keV energy range. Coordinated INTEGRAL and NICER observations were carried out simultaneously with IXPE. The spectral parameters obtained from the fits to the broadband spectrum were used as inputs for Monte Carlo simulations considering different possible geometries of the X-ray emitting region. Comparing the IXPE upper limit with these simulations, we can put constraints on the geometry and inclination angle of GS 1826–238.
Using Games to Understand the Mind
2023-02-01

Board, card, or video games have been played by virtually every individual in the world population, with both children and adults participating. Games are popular because they are intuitive and fun. These distinctive qualities of games also make them ideal as a platform for studying the mind. By being intuitive, games provide a unique vantage point for understanding the inductive biases that support behavior in more complex, ecological settings than traditional lab experiments. By being fun, games allow researchers to study new questions in cognition such as the meaning of "play'' and intrinsic motivation, while also supporting more extensive and diverse data collection by attracting many more participants. We describe both the advantages and drawbacks of using games relative to standard lab-based experiments and lay out a set of recommendations on how to gain the most from using games to study cognition. We hope this article will lead to a wider use of games as experimental paradigms, elevating the ecological validity, scale, and robustness of research on the mind.