LGBT discrimination, harassment and violence in Germany, Portugal and the UK: A quantitative comparative approach

This article examines the incidents of discrimination, harassment and violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) individuals in Germany, Portugal and the UK. Using a large cross-national survey and adopting an intra-categorical intersectional approach, it documents how the likelihood of experiencing discrimination, harassment and violence changes within LGBT communities across three national contexts. Moreover, it explores how individual characteristics are associated with the likelihood of experiencing such incidents. The results show that trans people are more at risk compared to cisgender gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals to experience discrimination, harassment and violence. However, other factors, such as socioeconomic resources, also affect the likelihood of individuals experiencing such incidents. The three countries in our study show some nuanced differences in likelihood levels of experiencing discrimination, harassment and violence with regard to differential categories of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Cartesian Difference Categories

Cartesian differential categories are categories equipped with a differential combinator which axiomatizes the directional derivative. Important models of Cartesian differential categories include classical differential calculus of smooth functions and categorical models of the differential $\lambda$-calculus. However, Cartesian differential categories cannot account for other interesting notions of differentiation of a more discrete nature such as the calculus of finite differences. On the other hand, change action models have been shown to capture these examples as well as more "exotic" examples of differentiation. But change action models are very general and do not share the nice properties of Cartesian differential categories. In this paper, we introduce Cartesian difference categories as a bridge between Cartesian differential categories and change action models. We show that every Cartesian differential category is a Cartesian difference category, and how certain well-behaved change action models are Cartesian difference categories. In particular, Cartesian difference categories model both the differential calculus of smooth functions and the calculus of finite differences. Furthermore, every Cartesian difference category comes equipped with a tangent bundle monad whose Kleisli category is again a Cartesian difference category.

Cartesian Differential Categories as Skew Enriched Categories

We exhibit the cartesian differential categories of Blute, Cockett and Seely as a particular kind of enriched category. The base for the enrichment is the category of commutative monoids—or in a straightforward generalisation, the category of modules over a commutative rig k. However, the tensor product on this category is not the usual one, but rather a warping of it by a certain monoidal comonad Q. Thus the enrichment base is not a monoidal category in the usual sense, but rather a skew monoidal category in the sense of Szlachányi. Our first main result is that cartesian differential categories are the same as categories with finite products enriched over this skew monoidal base. The comonad Q involved is, in fact, an example of a differential modality. Differential modalities are a kind of comonad on a symmetric monoidal k-linear category with the characteristic feature that their co-Kleisli categories are cartesian differential categories. Using our first main result, we are able to prove our second one: that every small cartesian differential category admits a full, structure-preserving embedding into the cartesian differential category induced by a differential modality (in fact, a monoidal differential modality on a monoidal closed category—thus, a model of intuitionistic differential linear logic). This resolves an important open question in this area.

Changes in the Semantic Construction of Compassion after the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) in Women Breast Cancer Survivors

The growing body of research on compassion has demonstrated its benefits for healthcare and wellbeing. However, there is no clear agreement about a definition for compassion, given the novelty of the research on this construct and its religious roots. The aim of this study is to analyze the mental semantic construction of compassion in Spanish-speaking women breast cancer survivors, and the effects of the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) on the modification of this definition, compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), at baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up. Participants were 56 women breast cancer survivors from a randomized clinical trial. The Osgood’s Semantic Differential categories (evaluative, potency, and activity scales) were adapted to assess the semantic construction of compassion. At baseline, participants had an undefined idea about compassion. The CBCT influenced subjects’ semantic construction of what it means to be compassionate. Findings could lead to future investigations and compassion programs that adapt to a specific culture or population.

Exponential Functions in Cartesian Differential Categories

In this paper, we introduce differential exponential maps in Cartesian differential categories, which generalizes the exponential function $$e^x$$ e x from classical differential calculus. A differential exponential map is an endomorphism which is compatible with the differential combinator in such a way that generalizations of $$e^0 = 1$$ e 0 = 1 , $$e^{x+y} = e^x e^y$$ e x + y = e x e y , and $$\frac{\partial e^x}{\partial x} = e^x$$ ∂ e x ∂ x = e x all hold. Every differential exponential map induces a commutative rig, which we call a differential exponential rig, and conversely, every differential exponential rig induces a differential exponential map. In particular, differential exponential maps can be defined without the need of limits, converging power series, or unique solutions of certain differential equations—which most Cartesian differential categories do not necessarily have. That said, we do explain how every differential exponential map does provide solutions to certain differential equations, and conversely how in the presence of unique solutions, one can derivative a differential exponential map. Examples of differential exponential maps in the Cartesian differential category of real smooth functions include the exponential function, the complex exponential function, the split complex exponential function, and the dual numbers exponential function. As another source of interesting examples, we also study differential exponential maps in the coKleisli category of a differential category.

Convenient antiderivatives for differential linear categories

Differential categories axiomatize the basics of differentiation and provide categorical models of differential linear logic. A differential category is said to have antiderivatives if a natural transformation , which all differential categories have, is a natural isomorphism. Differential categories with antiderivatives come equipped with a canonical integration operator such that generalizations of the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus hold. In this paper, we show that Blute, Ehrhard, and Tasson's differential category of convenient vector spaces has antiderivatives. To help prove this result, we show that a differential linear category – which is a differential category with a monoidal coalgebra modality – has antiderivatives if and only if one can integrate over the monoidal unit and such that the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus hold. We also show that generalizations of the relational model (which are biproduct completions of complete semirings) are also differential linear categories with antiderivatives.

Cartesian Difference Categories

Cartesian differential categories are categories equipped with a differential combinator which axiomatizes the directional derivative. Important models of Cartesian differential categories include classical differential calculus of smooth functions and categorical models of the differential $$\lambda $$ λ -calculus. However, Cartesian differential categories cannot account for other interesting notions of differentiation such as the calculus of finite differences or the Boolean differential calculus. On the other hand, change action models have been shown to capture these examples as well as more “exotic” examples of differentiation. However, change action models are very general and do not share the nice properties of a Cartesian differential category. In this paper, we introduce Cartesian difference categories as a bridge between Cartesian differential categories and change action models. We show that every Cartesian differential category is a Cartesian difference category, and how certain well-behaved change action models are Cartesian difference categories. In particular, Cartesian difference categories model both the differential calculus of smooth functions and the calculus of finite differences. Furthermore, every Cartesian difference category comes equipped with a tangent bundle monad whose Kleisli category is again a Cartesian difference category.

Novel insights into molecular mechanisms of Pseudourostyla cristata encystment using comparative transcriptomics

The encystment of many ciliates is an advanced survival strategy against adversity and the most important reason for ciliates existence worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism for the encystment of free-living ciliates is poorly understood. Here, we performed comparative transcriptomic analysis of dormant cysts and trophonts from Pseudourostyla cristata using transcriptomics, qRT-PCR and bioinformatic techniques. We identified 2565 differentially expressed unigenes between the dormant cysts and the trophonts. The total number of differentially expressed genes in GO database was 1752. The differential unigenes noted to the GO terms were 1993. These differential categories were mainly related to polyamine transport, pectin decomposition, cytoplasmic translation, ribosome, respiratory chain, ribosome structure, ion channel activity, and RNA ligation. A total of 224 different pathways were mapped. Among them, 184 pathways were upregulated, while 162 were downregulated. Further investigation showed that the calcium and AMPK signaling pathway had important induction effects on the encystment. In addition, FOXO and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis signaling pathway jointly regulated the encystment. Based on these findings, we propose a hypothetical signaling network that regulates Pseudourostyla cristata encystment. Overall, these results provide deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms of ciliates encystment and adaptation to adverse environments.

Migration, Boundaries and Differentiated Citizenship: Contested Frameworks for Inclusion and Exclusion

Contemporary migration across borders is beset by contradictory pressures and challenges. Some borders remain relatively open, especially for potential immigrants with valued skills and assets or for humanitarian reasons, but in many other cases borders are becoming increasingly more regulated or impermeable. The differential capacities for mobility that accompany these developments are contributing to new categories and hierarchies of citizenship and belonging which are being shaped by and exacerbate significant social, economic and political inequalities. This editorial highlights core relationships that have emerged in the process of regulating geographical and social boundaries in different national contexts, focusing on the intersections between dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion and the construction of differential categories of citizenship. The editorial establishes a framework for the articles that follow in this thematic issue, emphasizing the contested, fragmented, variable and highly uneven nature of borders and citizenship regimes.