bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Venous Thromboembolism in Kidney Diseases and Genetic Predisposition
Authors: Wu Tingting , Tang Liang V. , Hu Yu
Published: April 2022

Background: Many renal diseases have been associated with profound clinical effects on thrombosis. To our knowledge, patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) display an elevated risk of vein thrombosis, which is among the common causes of mortality in patients with renal diseases. In addition, venous thrombosis, as a complication, has also been reported in a variety of other renal diseases such as glomerulonephritis without the NS, hypertensive nephropathy, and polycystic kidney disease. With the increasing incidence of kidney diseases and the deeper understanding of the disease, clinicians are becoming more and more aware of the complications of thrombus formation in kidney disease. Summary: We reviewed recent publications of vein thrombosis in kidney diseases, including primary and secondary glomerular diseases, CKD, hereditary kidney disease, renal transplantation, and hemodialysis-induced, catheter-related thrombus, focusing mainly on the main clinical manifestations, possible mechanisms, related risk factors as well as hereditary influencing factors. Key Messages: Vein thrombosis is a complicated complication of a wide spectrum of kidney diseases due to different possible underlying mechanisms.
Circularity Is a Potential Noninvasive Diagnostic Indicator to Differentiate Gastric Submucosal Tumors
Authors: Koizumi Eriko , Goto Osamu , Yoshinaga Shigetaka , Yabuuchi Yohei , Yoshida Masao , Akimoto Teppei , Noda Hiroto , Onda Takeshi , Kirita Kumiko , Umeda Takamitsu , Higuchi Kazutoshi , Omori Jun , Kaise Mitsuru , Iwakiri Katsuhiko
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims: Noninvasive, imaging diagnosis of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors (GIMTs) is still difficult. This study aimed to develop a novel diagnostic method of GIMTs via endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) using circularity. Methods: In a derivation series, we retrospectively collected 50 GIMTs 2–5 cm in diameter of two institutions. After selecting one EUS still image showing the maximal area per lesion, two endoscopists who were blind to the histological diagnosis assessed circularity, a surrogate indicator of roundness (range, 0–1; 1 = a true circle), with an image-analyzing software. Median circularity of three types of GIMT was compared, and the cutoff value to differentiate a group from other groups was presented by drawing a receiver operating characteristic curve. Subsequently, we assessed the diagnostic ability of circularity in 91 GIMTs which were retrospectively collected from the other two institutions by using the optimal cutoff value presented in the derivation series. Results: The circularity in leiomyomas indicated 0.70 and was significantly lower than that of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (0.89), schwannomas (0.90), and their combined group. When leiomyomas were diagnosed as the circularity of <0.8305, which was presented as the optimal cutoff value, the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in the validation series were 73.6%, 80.0%, and 72.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The data demonstrated that leiomyomas significantly exhibited more distortion than other GIMTs. That implies that the difference in shape, which is objectively determined as circularity, is useful to noninvasively discriminate leiomyomas from other GIMTs.
Effect of Interleukin 6 on Scleral Fibroblast Proliferation, Differentiation, and Apoptosis Involved in Myopic Scleral Remodeling
Authors: Liu Ling , Zhou Wenjun , Fan Yujie , Zhang Liming , Liu Shichun , Song Shengfang , Li Hua
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Scleral hypoxia (HO) is present in myopic eyes, and interleukin (IL)-6 is increased in the aqueous humor of patients with high myopia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IL-6 on scleral fibroblast proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis under conditions of HO and the possible role of IL-6 in myopic scleral remodeling. Methods: Primary human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs) were cultured using a tissue mass adherent method. First, cells were cultured under conditions of HO (2% O2) or normoxia (NO, 20% O2) for different times. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of IL-6 in HSFs. Next, cells were divided into five groups: NO, HO, HO plus IL-6, HO plus IL-6 receptor inhibitor (IL6RI), and HO plus IL-6 and IL6RI. The groups were treated separately for 72 h. Cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of various genes in the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad2/matrix metalloproteinase-2 pathway; these methods and immunofluorescence were also used to detect transdifferentiation of HSFs. Results: HO resulted in upregulation of IL-6 expression in HSFs. Compared with NO, HO resulted in diminished cell proliferation and increased apoptosis and differentiation in HSFs; the above trend was further enhanced by the addition of IL6RI. Compared with the HO group, the addition of IL-6 led to a decrease in cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis and differentiation of HSFs; the above trends showed opposite changes after the addition of both IL-6 and IL6RI. Additionally, IL-6 and IL6RI exerted opposite regulatory effects on the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad2/matrix metalloproteinase-2 pathway under conditions of HO. Conclusion: HO caused HSFs to overexpress IL-6. IL-6 has a role in scleral remodeling in myopic eyes through affecting the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of HSFs.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Associated Cardiovascular Manifestations and Complications in Children and Young Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Jone Pei-Ni , John Anitha , Oster Matthew E. , Allen Kiona , Tremoulet Adrianna H. , Saarel Elizabeth V. , Lambert Linda M. , Miyamoto Shelley D. , de Ferranti Sarah D. ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Leadership Committee and Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee of the Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Health in the Young; Council on Hypertension, and Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease
Published: April 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in a global pandemic and has overwhelmed health care systems worldwide. In this scientific statement, we describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentations, treatment, and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and young adults with a focus on cardiovascular manifestations and complications. We review current knowledge about the health consequences of this illness in children and young adults with congenital and acquired heart disease, the public health burden and health disparities of this infection in these populations, and vaccine-associated myocarditis.
A case of vitamin B12 deficiency neurological syndrome in a young adult due to late-onset cobalamin C (CblC) deficiency
Authors: Schiemsky Toon , Vandenberghe Rik , Vermeersch Pieter , Cassiman David , Meersseman Wouter , Demaerel Philippe , Van Overbeke Lode , Ailliet Scott
Published: April 2022

Vitamin B12 deficiency can present with neurologic and psychiatric symptoms without macrocytic anaemia. We describe a case of late-onset cobalamin C deficiency which typically presents with normal serum vitamin B12 concentrations, posing an additional diagnostic challenge. A 23-year-old woman with decreased muscle strength and hallucinations was diagnosed with ‘catatonic depression’ and admitted to a residential mental health facility. She was referred to our hospital for further investigation 3 months later. Heteroanamnesis revealed that the symptoms had been evolving progressively over several months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed diffuse symmetrical white matter lesions in both hemispheres. Routine laboratory tests including vitamin B12 and folic acid were normal except for a slight normocytic, normochromic anaemia. Over the next 6 weeks her symptoms deteriorated, and she became unresponsive to stimuli. A new MRI scan showed progression of the white matter lesions. The neurologist requested plasma homocysteine (Hcys) which was more than 8 times the upper limit of normal. Further testing revealed increased methylmalonic acid and the patient was diagnosed with adult-onset cobalamin C deficiency. This case illustrates that Hcys and/or methylmalonic acid should be determined in patients presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms suggestive of vitamin B12 deficiency with a normal serum vitamin B12 to rule out a late-onset cobalamin C deficiency.
Transnational Private Environmental Rule Makers as Interest Organizations: Evidence from the European Union
Authors: Renckens Stefan , Pue Kristen , Janzwood Amy
Published: April 2022

While anecdotal evidence suggests that transnational private rule-making organizations (TPROs)—such as eco-certification organizations—lobby public policy makers, we know little about the extent of this phenomenon or the characteristics of TPROs that lobby. TPRO lobbying is relevant given that their rule-making activities directly intersect with public policy. We use the interest group and private governance literatures to examine TPRO features that distinguish TPROs that lobby from those that do not. We developed an original data set of 147 environmental TPROs and assessed TPRO lobbying by their registration in the European Union’s Transparency Register (TR). We find that a quarter of the TPROs in our data set are registered in the TR, and that capacity and expertise matter. Contrary to expectations, however, we do not find that certain key features of TPROs—such as business origins or credibility—are correlated with being registered, which implies that these features do not create inequalities in the TPRO population in terms of lobbying likelihood. By assessing environmental TPROs as interest organizations that engage in lobbying, we contribute to research on public–private governance interactions and identify TPROs as an interest group population in its own right.
LOT: A Story-Centric Benchmark for Evaluating Chinese Long Text Understanding and Generation
Authors: Guan Jian , Feng Zhuoer , Chen Yamei , He Ruilin , Mao Xiaoxi , Fan Changjie , Huang Minlie
Published: April 2022

Standard multi-task benchmarks are essential for developing pretraining models that can generalize to various downstream tasks. Existing benchmarks for natural language processing (NLP) usually focus only on understanding or generating short texts. However, long text modeling requires many distinct abilities in contrast to short texts, such as the modeling of long-range discourse and commonsense relations, and the coherence and controllability of generation. The lack of standardized benchmarks makes it difficult to assess these abilities of a model and fairly compare different models, especially Chinese models. Therefore, we propose a story-centric benchmark named LOT for evaluating Chinese long text modeling, which aggregates two understanding tasks and two generation tasks. We construct new datasets for these tasks based on human-written Chinese stories with hundreds of words. Furthermore, we release an encoder-decoder-based Chinese long text pretraining model named LongLM with up to 1 billion parameters. We pretrain LongLM on 120G Chinese novels with two generative tasks including text infilling and conditional continuation. Extensive experiments show that LongLM outperforms similar-sized pretraining models substantially on both the understanding and generation tasks in LOT.
Farewell to Revolution! Gustav Landauer’s Death and the Funerary Shaping of His Legacy
Authors: Cohen-Skalli Cedric , Pisano Libera
Published: April 2022

The violent death of Landauer in May 1919 at the end of the Räterepublik of Munich left several of his best friends with a terrible feeling: a sense of tension between the unique hopes incarnated by Landauer and the spiritual and political void his passing left behind. This article is an attempt to capture the tragic shift from a living revolutionary who projected his unique anarchist views onto the failed Munich Revolution to the efforts of a group of close friends who searched to save their dear Landauer from the infamy of failure, making of his months in Munich and his death an important amendment to his spiritual and political legacy.
Predicting the Present: Gershom Scholem on Prophecy
Authors: Styfhals Willem
Published: April 2022

This article presents an analysis of the conception of prophecy that Gershom Scholem developed in his early essay “On Jonah and the Concept of Justice” (1919). I argue that Scholem did not so much develop a theological interpretation of the nature of prophecy but was rather concerned with the philosophical issues of time and justice. These concerns are demonstrably related to his friend Walter Benjamin’s interests in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Scholem’s philosophical reflections on prophecy, therefore, offer a unique insight into the complex intellectual relation between him and Benjamin.
Oviparity, viviparity or plasticity in reproductive mode of the olm Proteus anguinus: an epic misunderstanding caused by prey regurgitation?
Authors: Recknagel Hans , Premate Ester , Zakšek Valerija , Aljančič Gregor , Kostanjšek Rok , Trontelj Peter
Published: April 2022

Cave animals are biological models of fast evolutionary change induced by transition to extreme subterranean environments. But their concealed lifestyle makes it inherently difficult to study life-history changes. Therefore, currently very little is known on the reproduction of cave species, and even less is known on general patterns and potentially shared reproductive strategies. Theory predicts that the cave environment favours the production of a few well-developed offspring and live birth. For one of the most enigmatic cave animals, the olm (Proteus anguinus), it has been debated fiercely whether they reproduce by live birth (viviparity), egg-laying (oviparity) or facultatively. While successes in captive breeding after the 1950s report oviparity as the single parity mode, some historically older observations claimed viviparity. The controversial neo-Lamarckist Paul Kammerer even claimed to have induced changes in parity mode by altering environmental conditions. Here, we report on the feeding and regurgitation of fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) larvae by olms. The salamander larvae showed clear teeth marks and other injuries on the head caused by the olm, yet one larva was still alive after regurgitation. We suggest that historical reports of olm viviparity could have been misled by regurgitated salamander larvae. Our data bring additional indications that at least some of Kammerer’s experiments were fraudulent.
2. From Theory to Practice
Authors: Nebel Mathias , Medina Delgadillo Jorge
Published: April 2022

The goal of this chapter is to propose a matrix of common good dynamics allowing us to measure the quality of the nexus achieved at the local level. Jorge Medina and Mathias Nebel build on the previous chapters and set the bases for the metric that will be presented in Chapter 3. Most importantly, they focus on a metric of the nexus. There are other measures or proxies for specific common goods such as health, education or associative life, however what is lacking is a metric of how specific common goods build up—along a common good dynamic—into a nexus of common goods. They are thus interested in processes: the conditions required for a positive dynamic to exist within a nexus of common goods. The descriptive and normative dimensions of this dynamic make up our matrix of the nexus. This chapter identifies, on the ground of empirical studies and the theoretical background, five key normative drivers of common good dynamics at local level: Collective agency freedom as the engine of common good dynamics; Justice, Governance and Stability as the social functions needed to drive the complex equilibrium of specific common goods toward an ever more human coexistence; and Humanity, as the systemic outcome of common good dynamics.
4. Collective Agency Freedom as the Engine of a Common Good Dynamic
Authors: Garza-Vázquez Oscar
Published: April 2022

The chapter situates agency freedom as a normative element of development. It recognises people as active subjects capable of forming, revising and pursuing their own goals. Drawing on insights from the first part of the book and on Sen’s conceptual framework, Oscar Garza-Vázquez understands people as agents capable of shaping their own development. He argues however that approaching development from a common good perspective reveals some caveats within the literature on Sen’s notion of agency as: (a) it tends to focus on the freedom of people to achieve non-wellbeing goals; (b) it is primarily discussed at the individual level; and (c) its conceptualisation reflects this bias by overemphasising the ability of individuals to make choices. Accordingly, Oscar proposes a notion of collective agency freedom, which can be broadly understood as the opportunity of a given population to self-organise and to act together to achieve common goals as a collectivity. Finally, it ends by proposing three possible dimensions to appraise the proposed conceptualisation of collective agency freedom: (a) the freedom to imagine things together; (b) the freedom to organise around a common goal; (c) the freedom to achieve things together.
5. The Systemic Outcome of Common Good Dynamics
Authors: Sedmak Clemens
Published: April 2022

In this chapter Clemens Sedmak addresses the difficult task of appraising the quality of our shared humanity. He first reminds us that the concept of humanity is at the same time evasive and pervasive in development literature. What does it mean to be human? Evident as it may be, the concept is nonetheless difficult to define positively. He therefore assumes a negative approach, through a consideration of what is definitively not human or infra-human. Four points then may circumscribe our humanity: (i) uniqueness and complexity; (ii) vulnerability and socialness; (iii) agency and the power to transform; (iv) equality and existential closeness. He then translates these four points into the idea that living a life according to one’s human dignity means: living a life that allows for the expression of uniqueness, the pursuit of complexity, the protection and cultivation of proper vulnerability, entry into relationships, the experience of agency, the cultivation of the potential to transform the world into a better place, the experience of equality. He closes by proposing four practices as possible indicators for the ‘humanity’ dimension: (a) practices of reconciled pluralism; (b) practices of deep inclusion; (c) habits of integral ecology; (d) patterns of permeability.
Observing Multisphere Hydrological Changes in the Largest River Basin of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Lei , Cuo Lan , Luo Dongliang , Su Fengge , Ye Qinghua , Yao Tandong , Zhou Jing , Li Xiuping , Li Ning , Sun He , Liu Lei , Wang Yuanwei , Zeng Tian , Hu Zhidan , Liu Ruishun , Chai Chenhao , Wang Guangpeng , Zhong Xiaoyang , Guo Xiaoyu , Zhao Haoqiang , Zhao Huabiao , Yang Wei
Published: April 2022

Upper Brahmaputra (UB) is the largest (∼240,000 km2) river basin of the Tibetan Plateau, where hydrological processes are highly sensitive to climate change. However, constrained by difficult access and sparse in situ observations, the variations in precipitation, glaciers, frozen ground, and vegetation across the UB basin remain largely unknown, and consequently the impacts of climate change on streamflow cannot be accurately assessed. To fill this gap, this project aims to establish a basinwide, large-scale observational network (that includes hydrometeorology, glacier, frozen ground, and vegetation observations), which helps quantify the UB runoff processes under climate–cryosphere–vegetation changes. At present, a multisphere observational network has been established throughout the catchment: 1) 12 stations with custom-built weighing automatic rain/snow meters and temperature probes to obtain elevation-dependent gradients; 2) 9 stations with soil moisture/temperature observations at four layers (10, 40, 80, 120 cm) covering Alpine meadow, grasslands, shrub, and forest to measure vegetation (biomass and vegetation types) and soil (physical properties) simultaneously; 3) 34 sets of probes to monitor frozen ground temperatures from 4,500 to 5,200 m elevation (100-m intervals), and two observation systems to monitor water and heat transfer processes in frozen ground at Xuegela (5,278 m) and Mayoumula (5,256 m) Mountains, for improved mapping of permafrost and active layer characteristics; 4) 5 sets of altimetry discharge observations along ungauged cross sections to supplement existing operational gauges; 5) high-precision glacier boundary and ice-surface elevation observations at Namunani Mountain with differential GPS, to supplement existing glacier observations for validating satellite imagery. This network provides an excellent opportunity to monitor UB catchment processes in great detail.
Drought over Southeast Asia and Its Association with Large-Scale Drivers
Authors: Phan-Van Tan , Nguyen-Ngoc-Bich Phuong , Ngo-Duc Thanh , Vu-Minh Tue , Le Phong V. V. , Trinh-Tuan Long , Nguyen-Thi Tuyet , Pham-Thanh Ha , Tran-Quang Duc
Published: April 2022

In this study, the spatiotemporal variability of drought over the entire Southeast Asia (SEA) region and its associations with the large-scale climate drivers during the period 1960–2019 are investigated for the first time. The 12-month Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was computed based on the monthly Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) precipitation and the monthly Climate Research Unit (CRU) 2-m temperature. The relationships between drought and large-scale climate drivers were examined using the principal component analysis (PCA) and maximum covariance analysis (MCA) techniques. Results showed that the spatiotemporal variability of drought characteristics over SEA is significantly different between mainland Indochina and the Maritime Continent and the difference has been increased substantially in recent decades. Moreover, the entire SEA is divided into four homogeneous drought subregions. Drought over SEA is strongly associated with oceanic and atmospheric large-scale drivers, particularly El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), following by other remote factors such as the variability of sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical Atlantic, the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the Indian Ocean dipole mode (IOD). In addition, there exists an SST anomaly dipole over the Pacific Ocean, which modulates the atmospheric circulations and consequently precipitation over SEA, affecting drought conditions in the study region.
Mechanisms of Ocean Heat Uptake along and across Isopycnals
Authors: Clément Louis , McDonagh E. L. , Gregory J. M. , Wu Q. , Marzocchi A. , Zika J. D. , Nurser A. J. G.
Published: April 2022

Warming of the climate system accumulates mostly in the ocean and discrepancies in how this is modeled contribute to uncertainties in predicting sea level rise. In this study, regional temperature changes in an atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (HadCM3) are partitioned between excess (due to perturbed surface heat fluxes) and redistributed (arising from changing circulation and perturbations to mixing) components. In simulations with historical forcing, we first compare this excess–redistribution partitioning with the spice and heave decomposition, in which temperature anomalies enter the ocean interior either along isopycnals (spice) or across isopycnals (heave, without affecting the temperature–salinity curve). Second, heat and salinity budgets projected into thermohaline space naturally reveal the mechanisms behind temperature change by spice and heave linked with water mass generation or destruction. Excess warming enters the ocean as warming by heave in subtropical gyres whereas it mainly projects onto warming by spice in the Southern Ocean and the tropical Atlantic. In subtropical gyres, Ekman pumping generates excess warming as confirmed by Eulerian heat budgets. In contrast, isopycnal mixing partly drives warming and salinification by spice, as confirmed by budgets in thermohaline space, underlying the key role of salinity changes for the ocean warming signature. Our study suggests a method to detect excess warming using spice and heave calculated from observed repeat profiles of temperature and salinity.
Ecology as relational reconciliation
Authors: Williams Parker
Published: April 2022

The path toward correcting the ecological situation is the recovery of a defining narrative to provide a direction through reconciliation between ourselves and God, the land, and within our communities. The disordered relationship between the producer and consumer and between the urban and rural communities has left those in agriculture economically vulnerable to the point that the most pressing challenge is not the sustainability of fertile soil but the existence of people to care for these soils. The path toward large-scale correction of the ecological crisis must be through reconciliation between the urban and rural to support the existence of the farmer, which ultimately requires a complete reimagining of our economy. There are practical steps that can be taken in both policy and practice to begin to bring reconciliation within God’s created order.
“Love is our lord’s meaning”: Spiritual formation in Julian of Norwich and Desmond Tutu
Authors: England Frank
Published: April 2022

This article journeys to a medieval century, to a remote figure, and to distant historical events that might mirror Desmond Tutu’s (1931–2021) context—possibly shed light on his spirituality. It is suggested that Desmond Tutu’s devotion and vision may invoke a unique Christian who remains influential among Anglicans/Episcopalians: Julian of Norwich (c. 1342/3–c. 1416). A child during a plague, an adult during civil strife, and a schooled theologian during her final years, Julian exhibited an embodied spiritual discipline echoing, perhaps, the “prayer and work” of Desmond Tutu. The Revelations to Julian began with the torment of crucifixion and ended with the disclosure of their purpose as “love” ( Rev. 86: 14). How Julian engaged with the God of these “shewings” might recall two “prisoners of hope” who, in their own challenging contexts, believed that ultimately “alle shalle be wele” ( Vis. 13: 61; Rev. 27: 28).
Genomics-driven screening for causal determinants of suicide attempt
Authors: Campos Adrian I , Garcia-Marin Luis M , Christensen Helen , Batterham Philip J , van Velzen Laura S , Schmaal Lianne ,   The International Suicide Genetics Consortium, Rabinowitz Jill A , Jahanshad Neda , Martin Nicholas G , Cuellar-Partida Gabriel , Ruderfer Douglas , Mullins Niamh , Rentería Miguel E
Published: April 2022

Objective:

Each year, around one million people die by suicide. Despite its recognition as a public health concern, large-scale research on causal determinants of suicide attempt risk is scarce. Here, we leverage results from a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of suicide attempt to perform a data-driven screening of traits causally associated with suicide attempt.

Methods:

We performed a hypothesis-generating phenome-wide screening of causal relationships between suicide attempt risk and 1520 traits, which have been systematically aggregated on the Complex-Traits Genomics Virtual Lab platform. We employed the latent causal variable (LCV) method, which uses results from GWAS to assess whether a causal relationship can explain a genetic correlation between two traits. If a trait causally influences another one, the genetic variants that increase risk for the causal trait will also increase the risk for the outcome inducing a genetic correlation. Nonetheless, a genetic correlation can also be observed when traits share common pathways. The LCV method can assess whether the pattern of genetic effects for two genetically correlated traits support a causal association rather than a shared aetiology.

Results:

Our approach identified 62 traits that increased risk for suicide attempt. Risk factors identified can be broadly classified into (1) physical health disorders, including oesophagitis, fibromyalgia, hernia and cancer; (2) mental health-related traits, such as depression, substance use disorders and anxiety; and (3) lifestyle traits including being involved in combat or exposure to a war zone, and specific job categories such as being a truck driver or machine operator.

Conclusions:

Suicide attempt risk is likely explained by a combination of behavioural phenotypes and risk for both physical and psychiatric disorders. Our results also suggest that substance use behaviours and pain-related conditions are associated with an increased suicide attempt risk, elucidating important causal mechanisms that underpin this significant public health problem.
Biomarkers of neuroprogression and late staging in bipolar disorder: A systematic review
Authors: Grewal Sonya , McKinlay Stuart , Kapczinski Flávio , Pfaffenseller Bianca , Wollenhaupt-Aguiar Bianca
Published: April 2022

Background:

Bipolar disorder may undertake a progressive course in a subset of patients, and research efforts have been made to understand the biological basis underlying this process. This systematic review examined the literature available on biological markers associated with illness progression in bipolar disorder.

Methods:

Peer-reviewed articles were assessed using Embase, PsycINFO and PubMed, as well as from external sources. After initial screening, a total of 871 citations from databases and other sources were identified. Participants with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder were included in our systematic review; however, studies with participants younger than 15 or older than 65 were excluded. All studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessment tool, and data pertaining to the results were extracted into tabular form using Google Sheets and Google Documents. The systematic review was registered on PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID Number: CRD42020154305).

Results:

A total of 35 studies were included in the systematic review. Increased ventricular size and reduction of grey matter volume were the most common brain changes associated with illness progression in bipolar disorder. Among the several biomarkers evaluated in this systematic review, findings also indicate a role of peripheral inflammatory markers in this process.

Discussion:

The studies evaluating the biological basis of the illness progression in bipolar disorder are still scarce and heterogeneous. However, current evidence supports the notion of neuroprogression, the pathophysiological process related to progressive brain changes associated with clinical progression in patients with bipolar disorder. The increase in peripheral inflammatory biomarkers and the neuroanatomical changes in bipolar disorder suggest progressive systemic and structural brain alterations, respectively.
Exploring the Effects of Mental Health Needs on Intermittency Among Justice-Involved Youth
Authors: Li Nan , Hein Sascha , Quintana Diana , Shelton Matthew , Grigorenko Elena L.
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to (a) reliably obtain intermittency periods (i.e., time gaps between incarcerations) using days as the unit of time and (b) investigate the effects of mental health needs assessed during the first incarceration on the hazard of subsequent reincarcerations among justice-involved youth (JIY). The multiyear administrative data from Harris County, TX, contained 28,255 JIY who were followed up until 18 years of age. There was a progressive shortening of the time gaps between incarcerations over time. Results of conditional Cox models revealed that mental health needs had sustained, though weakened, effects on future intermittency periods. An increased reincarceration risk (shorter intermittent intervals between incarcerations) was associated with higher self-reported ratings of Alcohol/Drug Use and Angry-Irritable. A decreased reincarceration risk (longer intermittent intervals between incarcerations) was associated with higher self-reported ratings of Depression/Anxiety and Somatic Complaints. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The experience of teaching public administration in Russia during the pandemic in 2020–2021
Authors: Nurlybaeva Guliya K
Published: April 2022

The main aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic both on the public services and on public administration (PA) education, to find out how the process of teaching of future public administrators had changed during the Pandemic and how these changes could possibly influence the process of teaching public administrators in future. The research methods included theoretical and analytical research methods, the methodology of empirical research, and comparative research methods. The latest works of PA scholars in the global context, the materials of the study provided by the teams of teachers of the leading Russian universities concerning teaching experience during 2020, and the latest data provided from the analysis carried out at the Institute for Social Sciences of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, in the conditions of distant and mixed learning in 2020–2021, allowed the author to give some practical advice to teachers and education managers concerning the improvement of the educational programs for PA students regarding the new conditions of the study. The main conclusion made on the results of the analysis is that digitalization of teaching and learning process and organization of distant learning at the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic should be considered to be the most important issues in PA education which could be applied in PA education in future. The recommendations concerned such aspects as the development of digital competencies of students, distant regime implementation, new pedagogy and digital didactics, socialization of students, internationalization and academic mobility of students, improving the qualifications of teachers and university management teams, research work, and the development of meta-competencies of future public servants.
Rare Complication Associated With Dislocation of a Silastic Nasal Splint After Septoplasty: A Case Report
Authors: Kim Kyung Soo , Min Hyun Jin
Published: April 2022

Septoplasty is among the most frequently performed procedures in the field of otorhinolaryngology. Adhesion is known to be the most common complication occurring after septoplasty. Post-surgical insertion of silicone splints is a widely used measure for the prevention of postoperative complications. Recently, we encountered a case where the silicone splint was dislocated and further displaced to the level of the upper esophageal sphincter. Although it was safely removed using fiberoptic gastroendoscopy, delayed removal could have induced other serious sequelae. Since no similar cases have been previously reported, we believe that this may be a very rare complication induced by a loose absorbable suture. Therefore, we suggest that otorhinolaryngologists should pay attention to the fixation of a silicone splint with sutures under appropriate tension to prevent the dislocation of the silicone splint and its subsequent sequelae.
Effect of soy-based meal replacement on weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analyses protocol
Authors: Heng Wei Kai , Choo Jin Yi , Ng Yen Ping , Loh Kok Shen , Chua Yoke Hwa
Published: April 2022

Background: Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease that is strongly associated with multiple comorbidities and mortality. Weight reduction in overweight and obese patients was highly desired to minimize future complications. Meal replacement is emerging as one of the effective tools to promote weight loss. Isoflavones and soy protein present in soybean are able to promote weight loss and alleviate obesity. Aim: Our systematic review aims to investigate the weight loss effect of soy-based meal replacement among the overweight and obese population. Methods: We will conduct a systematic review of RCTs that evaluated the effect of a soy-based meal replacement on weight loss in overweight and obese patients. The primary outcome of this review is weight loss. Besides that, we will assess BMI, body fat, waist circumference and hip circumference as the secondary outcome. We will search PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, review full texts, extract information and assess the risk of bias of individual studies. We will conduct meta-analyses using a random-effect model if sufficient data are available. If meta-analysis is not performed, we will present a systematic qualitative synthesis. Summary: This systematic review will identify the weight loss effect of soy-based meal replacement among the overweight and obese adult population. We expect the result may strengthen the evidence on the role of soy-based meal replacement in optimal body weight management.
Pharmacovigilance in hospice/palliative care: Net effect of amitriptyline or nortriptyline on neuropathic pain: UTS/IMPACCT Rapid programme international consecutive cohort
Authors: Hussein Akram , Digges Madeline , Chang Sungwon , Hunt Jane , Doogue Matt , Rowett Debra , Agar Meera , Sinnarajah Aynharan , Kain Danielle , Allan Simon , Boland Jason W , Currow David C
Published: April 2022

Background:

Real-world effectiveness of interventions in palliative care need to be systematically quantified to inform patient/clinical decisions. Neuropathic pain is prevalent and difficult to palliate. Tricyclic antidepressants have an established role for some neuropathic pain aetiologies, but this is less clear in palliative care.

Aim:

To describe the real-world use and outcomes from amitriptyline or nortriptyline for neuropathic pain in palliative care.

Design:

An international, prospective, consecutive cohort post-marketing/phase IV/pharmacovigilance/quality improvement study of palliative care patients with neuropathic pain where the treating clinician had already made the decision to use a tricyclic antidepressant. Data were entered at set times: baseline, and days 7 and 14. Likert scales graded benefits and harms.

Setting/participants:

Twenty-one sites (inpatient, outpatient, community) participated in six countries between June 2016 and March 2019. Patients had clinician-diagnosed neuropathic pain.

Results:

One hundred and fifty patients were prescribed amitriptyline (110) or nortriptyline (40) of whom: 85% had cancer; mean age 73.2 years (SD 12.3); mean 0–4 scores for neuropathic pain at baseline were 1.8 (SD 1.0). By day 14, doses of amitriptyline were 57 mg (SD 21) and nortriptyline (48 mg (SD 21). Fifty-two (34.7%) patients had pain improvement by day 14 (amitriptyline (45/110 (43.3%); nortriptyline (7/40 (18.9%)). Thirty-nine (27.7%) had new harms; (amitriptyline 29/104 (27.9%); nortriptyline 10/37 (27.0%); dizziness ( n = 23), dry mouth ( n = 20), constipation ( n = 14), urinary retention ( n = 10)). Benefits without harms occurred (amitriptyline (26/104 (25.0%); nortriptyline (4/37 (10.8%)).

Conclusions:

Benefits favoured amitriptyline while harms were similar for both medications.
Towards a tragic social science: Critique, translation, and performance
Authors: Han Sam
Published: April 2022

Taking ‘the idea of the tragic’ as a point of departure, this article articulates an approach to sociology and social theory from the perspective of a ‘tragic vision’. In arguing for the relevance of ‘tragic thought’ for the analysis of contemporary crises, it suggests that ‘the tragic’ must be understood as a reflection of the long tail of the formation of a particular secular, modern ‘ethico-onto-epistemology’. In making this case, the article provides an ‘interpretive genealogy’ of tragic ethics in social thought, detailing the thought of Lucien Goldmann and Georg Lukács, and putting it in dialogue with contemporary posthumanist theory. It concludes by drawing on recent debates in the latter involving the place of ‘critique’ in contemporary social science, teasing out some implications for thinking about individual action and responsibility.
Is There Hope for First Graders at the Lowest Percentiles? The Roles of Self-Efficacy, Task Avoidance, and Support in the Development of Reading Fluency
Authors: Ronimus Miia M. S. , Tolvanen Asko J. , Ketonen Ritva H.
Published: April 2022

Self-efficacious children are expected to be more task-focused in challenging achievement situations and consequently have better chances of overcoming learning difficulties than children who have lower self-efficacy. The present study investigates this presumption with Finnish-speaking first graders struggling with reading acquisition ( N = 285). The development of the children’s reading fluency, self-efficacy, and task avoidance was followed from the middle of Grade 1 to the end of Grade 2, and a 6-week mobile game-based intervention was administered to those who exhibited the greatest risk for reading disabilities (≤ 5th percentile). Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to test the theoretical model. The results suggest that higher self-efficacy in the middle of Grade 1 predicted lower task avoidance and higher reading fluency at the end of Grade 1, but no support for the mediating role of task avoidance was found. The intervention benefited both self-efficacy and reading fluency.
Daylength Shapes Entrainment Patterns to Artificial Photoperiods in a Subterranean Rodent
Authors: Improta Giovane Carreira , Flôres Danilo Eugênio França Laurindo , Oda Gisele Akemi , Valentinuzzi Verónica Sandra
Published: April 2022

Photoperiodism plays an important role in the synchronization of seasonal phenomena in various organisms. In mammals, photoperiod encoding is mediated by differential entrainment of the circadian system. The limits of daily light entrainment and photoperiodic time measurement can be verified in organisms that inhabit extreme photic environments, such as the subterranean. In this experimental study, we evaluated entrainment of circadian wheel-running rhythms in South American subterranean rodents, the Anillaco tuco-tucos ( Ctenomys aff. knighti), exposed to different artificial photoperiods, from extremely long to extremely short photophases (LD 21:3, LD 18:6, LD 15:9, LD 9:15, LD 6:18 and LD 3:21). Artificial photoperiods synchronized their activity/rest rhythms and clear differences occurred in (a) phase angles of entrainment relative to the LD cycle and (b) duration of the daily activity phase α. These photoperiod-dependent patterns of entrainment were similar to those reported for epigeous species. Release into constant darkness conditions revealed aftereffects of entrainment to different photoperiods, observed in α but not in the free-running period τ. We also verified if animals coming from summer and winter natural photoperiods entrained equally to the artificial photoperiods by evaluating their phase angle of entrainment, α and τ aftereffects. To this end, experimental animals were divided into “Matching” and “Mismatching” groups, based on whether the experimental photoperiod (short-day [L < 12 h] or long-day [L > 12 h]) matched or not the natural photoperiod to which they had been previously exposed. No significant differences were found in the phase angle of entrainment, α and τ aftereffects in each artificial photoperiod. Our results indicate that the circadian clocks of tuco-tucos are capable of photoperiodic time measurement despite their natural subterranean habits and that the final entrainment patterns achieved by the circadian clock do not depend on the photoperiodic history.
A comparative study on the supply of applied human resources for regional labour market needs in China’s private higher education
Authors: Cao Lei , Kusakabe Tatsuya
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore changing trends of the applied human resource (AHR) system in China’s private higher education institutions (PHEIs) and to examine the supply of AHRs by considering the dimensions of regional labour demand. The study specifically assesses the AHR demand of regional employment enterprises and the human resource development goals and related curricula in the three branches of PHEIs. It also analyses the employment situation of PHEI graduates and whether they address the actual AHR supply needs of the regional labour market. Six PHEIs and nine enterprises as employers were investigated as the study population, combining qualitative and quantitative data. The findings indicate that China’s PHEIs quickly identified and overcame the challenges in their previous student cultivation goals and relevant curricula by researching the regional situation and taking responsibility for meeting demand. As a result, the PHEIs worked on developing transformative human resource systems through various initiatives. Moreover, these transformations of educational content worked in conjunction with a process that matched the graduates with jobs at regional enterprises. The transformed PHEIs are beginning to provide a human resource supply system that successfully expands the AHR supply from the various categories of PHEIs in the region.
A new strategy for solving store separation problems using OpenFOAM
Authors: Abuhanieh Saleh , Akay Hasan U. , Bicer Barış
Published: April 2022

The ability of OpenFOAM to solve the problem of a store separating from an air vehicle (store separation problem) has been evaluated using a dynamic mesh (Overset/Chimera) technique for an industry-class (transonic and generic) benchmark test case. The major limitations of the standard libraries have been determined. To tackle these challenges, a new strategy has been proposed and implemented using only open-source libraries and tools. The strategy combines porting, modifying, and adapting an overset library from the OpenFOAM fork platform (foam-extend) to the standard OpenFOAM platform (ESI). Furthermore, in order to overcome the well-known weakness of the standard OpenFOAM compressible solvers, the newly adapted overset library was integrated with an open-source, density-based, and coupled solver ( HiSA), which uses the OpenFOAM technology. Additionally, a force restrained model was developed to consider the externally applied forces on the store by the store ejectors. The accuracy of the developed strategy has been compared with wind tunnel tests and the solutions of two well-known commercial codes, showing good agreements with them. While the study has focused on simulations with inviscid Euler equations (typical of the test case considered here), the viscosity effect on the solution has also been studied with Navier–Stokes equations and compared with other results in the literature, showing minor differences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work which studies and validates the store separation problem in transonic regime with OpenFOAM.