bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fecal Microbiota Underlying the Coexistence of Schizophrenia and Multiple Sclerosis in Chinese Patients
Authors: Shao Li , Fu Jinlong , Xie Lulu , Cai Guangyong , Cheng Yiwen , Zheng Nengneng , Zeng Ping , Yan Xiumei , Ling Zongxin , Ye Shiwei
Published: August 2023

Both schizophrenia (SZ) and multiple sclerosis (MS) affect millions of people worldwide and impose a great burden on society. Recent studies indicated that MS elevated the risk of SZ and vice versa, whereas the underlying pathological mechanisms are still obscure. Considering that fecal microbiota played a vital role in regulating brain functions, the fecal microbiota and serum cytokines from 90 SZ patients and 71 age-, gender-, and BMI-matched cognitively normal subjects (referred as SZC), 22 MS patients and 33 age-, gender-, and BMI-matched healthy subjects (referred as MSC) were analyzed. We found that both diseases demonstrated similar microbial diversity and shared three differential genera, including the down-regulated Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and the up-regulated Streptococcus. Functional analysis indicated that the three genera were involved in pathways such as “carbohydrate metabolism” and “amino acid metabolism.” Moreover, the variation patterns of serum cytokines associated with MS and SZ patients were a bit different. Among the six cytokines perturbed in both diseases, TNF-α increased, while IL-8 and MIP-1α decreased in both diseases. IL-1ra, PDGF-bb, and RANTES were downregulated in MS patients but upregulated in SZ patients. Association analyses showed that Faecalibacterium demonstrated extensive correlations with cytokines in both diseases. Most notably, Faecalibacterium correlated negatively with TNF-α. In other words, fecal microbiota such as Faecalibacterium may contribute to the coexistence of MS and SZ by regulating serum cytokines. Our study revealed the potential roles of fecal microbiota in linking MS and SZ, which paves the way for developing gut microbiota-targeted therapies that can manage two diseases with a single treat.
Bacterial Diversity and Antibiotic Resistance Genes Associated with the Different Farming Systems of Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in Bangladesh
Authors: Zakaria Md. , Sanyal Santonu K. , Haque Md. Inja-Mamun , Mandal Shankar Chandra , Watanabe Kozo , Hossain Anwar
Published: August 2023

Microbial community inhabiting the intestine of the shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and their surrounding environments (e.g., water and sediment) is considered as a key contributing factor for the sustainable farming of shrimp. Indiscriminate application of antibiotics in aquaculture is a growing concern due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), more specifically the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The present study investigates the microbiome composition and 19 ARGs from four different shrimp farming systems; (i) cluster, (ii) extensive, (iii) semi-intensive, and (iv) improved extensive in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. In doing so, the study applied advanced 16S rRNA-based metagenomic sequencing to study the bacterial composition. Moreover, gene specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect the ARGs in shrimp, water, and sediments of different farming systems. In the current study, bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were predominant among the samples (n = 12) collected from the different farming systems followed by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria. Firmicutes was the predominant phylum in the gut of shrimp cultured in the cluster (relative abundance 53.33%) and semi-intensive (relative abundance 59.2%) culture systems. Results indicated that the bacterial community structure was significantly (

p
<
0.05

) distinct among gut, sediment, and water samples as well as the farming systems. The shared operational taxonomic unit (OTU) in the sediment sample (16,495) was nearly double than the gut (7,931) and water (8,513) bacterial communities. The improved extensive farming system showed 1,289 (11.05%) shared OTUs among gut, sediment, and water followed by semi-intensive (6.87%), cluster (6.27%), and extensive (5.46%) farming system. Among the tested ARGs, sul1, cat, gyrA(C), tetA, tetC, tetX, ere(A), vanR, and dfrA1 were predominant in water and sediment samples. Semi-intensive farming system had the highest prevalence of ARGs (21.05%) while the lowest prevalence was found in extensive (5.26%) farming system. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive scenario of bacterial composition and growing emergence of ARGs in shrimp farming of Bangladesh. Therefore, the production strategy must focus on the alternatives of antibiotic for shaping the shrimp cultivation technique more sustainable.
Real‐World Study on Chai‐Shi‐Jie‐Du Granules for the Treatment of Dengue Fever and the Possible Mechanisms Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Yang Huiqin , Ma Dehong , Li Qin , Zhou Wen , Chen Hongyi , Shan Xiyun , Zheng Haipeng , Luo Chun , Ou Zhiyue , Xu Jielan , Wang Changtai , Zhao Lingzhai , Su Rui , Chen Yuehong , Liu Qingquan , Tan Xinghua , Lin Luping , Jiang Tao , Zhang Fuchun
Published: August 2023

Objectives. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a widely used method for treating dengue fever in China. TCM improves the symptoms of patients with dengue, but there is no standard TCM prescription for dengue fever. This real‐world study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chai‐Shi‐Jie‐Du (CSJD) granules for the treatment of dengue fever and the underlying mechanisms. Methods. We implemented a multicenter real‐world study, an in vitro assay and network pharmacology analysis. Patients from 5 hospitals in mainland China who received supportive western treatment in the absence or presence of CSJD were assigned to the control and CSJD groups between 1 August and 31 December 2019. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to correct for biases between groups. The clinical data were compared and analyzed. The antidengue virus activity of CSJD was tested in Syrian baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells using the DENV2‐NGC strain. Network pharmacological approaches along with active compound screening, target prediction, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results. 137 pairs of patients were successfully matched according to age, sex, and the time from onset to presentation. The time to defervescence (1.7 days vs. 2.5 days, P < 0.05) and the disease course (4.1 days vs. 6.1 days, P < 0.05) were significantly shorter in the CSJD group than those in the control group. CSJD showed no anti‐DENV2‐NGC virus activity in BHK cells. Network pharmacology analysis revealed 108 potential therapeutic targets, and the top GO and KEGG terms were related to immunity, oxidative stress response, and the response to lipopolysaccharide. Conclusions. CSJD granules exhibit high potential for the treatment of dengue fever, and the therapeutic mechanisms involved could be related to regulating immunity, moderating the oxidative stress response, and the response to lipopolysaccharide.
Data from A Phase I/II Open-Label Study of Molibresib for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Hematologic Malignancies
Authors: Dawson Mark A. , Borthakur Gautam , Huntly Brian J.P. , Karadimitris Anastasios , Alegre Adrian , Chaidos Aristeidis , Vogl Dan T. , Pollyea Daniel A. , Davies Faith E. , Morgan Gareth J. , Glass Jacob L. , Kamdar Manali , Mateos Maria-Victoria , Tovar Natalia , Yeh Paul , Delgado Regina García , Basheer Faisal , Marando Ludovica , Gallipoli Paolo , Wyce Anastasia , Krishnatry Anu Shilpa , Barbash Olena , Bakirtzi Evi , Ferron-Brady Geraldine , Karpinich Natalie O. , McCabe Michael T. , Foley Shawn W. , Horner Thierry , Dhar Arindam , Kremer Brandon E. , Dickinson Michael
Published: August 2023

AbstractPurpose:
Molibresib is a selective, small molecule inhibitor of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) protein family. This was an open-label, two-part, Phase I/II study investigating molibresib monotherapy for the treatment of hematological malignancies (NCT01943851).
Patients and Methods:
Part 1 (dose escalation) determined the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of molibresib in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Non–Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), or multiple myeloma. Part 2 (dose expansion) investigated the safety and efficacy of molibresib at the RP2D in patients with relapsed/refractory myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; as well as AML evolved from antecedent MDS) or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The primary endpoint in Part 1 was safety and the primary endpoint in Part 2 was objective response rate (ORR).
Results:
There were 111 patients enrolled (87 in Part 1, 24 in Part 2). Molibresib RP2Ds of 75 mg daily (for MDS) and 60 mg daily (for CTCL) were selected. Most common Grade 3+ adverse events included thrombocytopenia (37%), anemia (15%), and febrile neutropenia (15%). Six patients achieved complete responses [3 in Part 1 (2 AML, 1 NHL), 3 in Part 2 (MDS)], and 7 patients achieved partial responses [6 in Part 1 (4 AML, 2 NHL), 1 in Part 2 (MDS)]. The ORRs for Part 1, Part 2, and the total study population were 10% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.8–18.7], 25% (95% CI, 7.3–52.4), and 13% (95% CI, 6.9–20.6), respectively.
Conclusions:
While antitumor activity was observed with molibresib, use was limited by gastrointestinal and thrombocytopenia toxicities. Investigations of molibresib as part of combination regimens may be warranted.
Genomic Portraits: Reflections into a Tumor's Response to Therapy
Authors: Slovin Susan F.
Published: August 2023

Well-annotated matched tissue specimens both before and after initiation of androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) have revealed activation of unique signaling pathways and genomic signatures that identify a profile to guide therapy. A recent study represents the largest prospective biospecimen banking protocol to study mechanisms of resistance to ARSIs.

See related article by Menssouri et al., p. 4504
Targeting Aggressive B-cell Lymphomas through Pharmacological Activation of the Mitochondrial Protease OMA1
Authors: Schwarzer Adrian , Oliveira Matheus , Kleppa Marc-Jens , Slattery Scott D. , Anantha Andy , Cooper Alan , Hannink Mark , Schambach Axel , Dörrie Anneke , Kotlyarov Alexey , Gaestel Matthias , Hembrough Todd , Levine Jedd , Luther Michael , Stocum Michael , Stiles Linsey , Weinstock David M. , Liesa Marc , Kostura Matthew J.
Published: August 2023

DLBCL are aggressive, rapidly proliferating tumors that critically depend on the ATF4-mediated integrated stress response (ISR) to adapt to stress caused by uncontrolled growth, such as hypoxia, amino acid deprivation, and accumulation of misfolded proteins. Here, we show that ISR hyperactivation is a targetable liability in DLBCL. We describe a novel class of compounds represented by BTM-3528 and BTM-3566, which activate the ISR through the mitochondrial protease OMA1. Treatment of tumor cells with compound leads to OMA1-dependent cleavage of DELE1 and OPA1, mitochondrial fragmentation, activation of the eIF2α-kinase HRI, cell growth arrest, and apoptosis. Activation of OMA1 by BTM-3528 and BTM-3566 is mechanistically distinct from inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport, as the compounds induce OMA1 activity in the absence of acute changes in respiration. We further identify the mitochondrial protein FAM210B as a negative regulator of BTM-3528 and BTM-3566 activity. Overexpression of FAM210B prevents both OMA1 activation and apoptosis. Notably, FAM210B expression is nearly absent in healthy germinal center B-lymphocytes and in derived B-cell malignancies, revealing a fundamental molecular vulnerability which is targeted by BTM compounds. Both compounds induce rapid apoptosis across diverse DLBCL lines derived from activated B-cell, germinal center B-cell, and MYC-rearranged lymphomas. Once-daily oral dosing of BTM-3566 resulted in complete regression of xenografted human DLBCL SU-DHL-10 cells and complete regression in 6 of 9 DLBCL patient-derived xenografts. BTM-3566 represents a first-of-its kind approach of selectively hyperactivating the mitochondrial ISR for treating DLBCL.
Hospital at Home as a Treatment Strategy for Worsening Heart Failure
Authors: Haywood Hubert B. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Khan Muhammad Shahzeb , Van Spall Harriette G.C. , Morris Alanna A. , Nassif Michael E. , Kittleson Michelle M. , Butler Javed , Greene Stephen J.
Published: August 2023

Hospital at home (HaH) is an innovative care model that may be particularly suited for heart failure (HF). Outpatient visits and inpatient care have been the 2 traditional settings for HF care, yet may not match the social and medical needs of patients at all times. Alternative models such as HaH may represent an effective and patient-centered option for select patients with worsening HF. To date, limited research in HF and other disease states has supported HaH as being safe and lower cost than traditional inpatient admission. Supporting HaH are new payment structures, such as Medicare’s Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program. In combination with outpatient visits, outpatient intravenous diuretic clinics, inpatient care, and cardiac intensive care, HaH could be a core component of a comprehensive care model with the potential to match resource utilization with the needs of patients across the spectrum of HF severity, and improve patient outcomes.
Association Between Insomnia, Stress Events, and Other Psychosocial Factors and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Postmenopausal Women: Insights From the Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Zhao Susan X. , Tindle Hilary A. , Larson Joseph C. , Woods Nancy F. , Crawford Michael H. , Hoover Valerie , Salmoirago‐Blotcher Elena , Shadyab Aladdin H. , Stefanick Marcia L. , Perez Marco V.
Published: August 2023

Background

The association between psychosocial factors and atrial fibrillation (AF) is poorly understood.

Methods and Results

Postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative were retrospectively analyzed to identify incident AF in relation to a panel of validated psychosocial exposure variables, as assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression and hierarchical cluster analysis. Among the 83 736 women included, the average age was 63.9±7.0 years. Over an average of 10.5±6.2 years follow‐up, there were 23 954 cases of incident AF. Hierarchical cluster analysis generated 2 clusters of highly correlated psychosocial variables: the Stress Cluster included stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and insomnia, and the Strain Cluster included optimism, social support, social strain, cynical hostility, and emotional expressiveness. Incident AF was associated with higher values in the Stress Cluster (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.05–1.09]) and the Strain Cluster (HR, 1.03 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.00–1.05]). Of the 8 individual psychosocial predictors that were tested, insomnia (HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.03–1.06]) and stressful life events (HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01–1.04]) were most strongly associated with increased incidence of AF in Cox regression analysis after multivariate adjustment. Subgroup analyses showed that the Strain Cluster was more strongly associated with incident AF in those with lower traditional AF risks (
P
for interaction=0.02) as determined by the cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology for atrial fibrillation score.

Conclusions

Among postmenopausal women, 2 clusters of psychosocial stressors were found to be significantly associated with incident AF. Further research is needed to validate these associations.
Complications and Outcomes of Impella Treatment in Cardiogenic Shock Patients With and Without Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Saito Yuichi , Tateishi Kazuya , Toda Koichi , Matsumiya Goro , Kobayashi Yoshio ,   for the J‐PVAD registry study investigators
Published: August 2023

Background

In patients with cardiogenic shock (CS), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most common cause, and a percutaneous microaxial ventricular assist device (Impella, Abiomed, Danvers, MA) is a choice for temporary mechanical circulatory support. However, data are limited on complications and outcomes of Impella treatment in patients with CS with and without AMI.

Methods and Results

Using nationwide prospective registry data in Japan, we included a total of 2047 patients with CS in whom the Impella devices were successfully placed between February 2020 and December 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the primary indication for the Impella use: AMI versus non‐AMI. The primary end point was a composite of in‐hospital all‐cause death and major complications. Of the 2047 patients, the Impella was indicated for AMI in 1337 (65.3%). In the group without AMI, myocarditis was the leading cause of CS. Patients with AMI‐CS were older and more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors than those with non‐AMI‐CS. The rates of in‐hospital mortality (46.0% versus 43.9%,
P
=0.38) and major complications (35.2% versus 34.7%,
P
=0.85) were similar between the 2 groups. Overall, multivariable analysis identified older age, higher body mass index, previous transient ischemic attack or stroke, out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest, and the Impella 5.0 as factors significantly associated with the primary end point.

Conclusions

The use of Impella in patients with and without AMI was related to similar clinical outcomes with high mortality and complication rates. Further studies are needed to identify patients who may benefit from the Impella devices in CS.

Registration

URL:
https://www.umin.ac.jp/english
. Identifier: UMIN000033603.
tVNS in Stroke: A Narrative Review on the Current State and the Future
Authors: Baig Sheharyar S. , Kamarova Marharyta , Bell Simon M. , Ali Ali N. , Su Li , Dimairo Munya , Dawson Jesse , Redgrave Jessica N. , Majid Arshad
Published: August 2023

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and there is a paucity of therapeutic strategies that promote functional recovery after stroke. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown promising evidence as a tool to reduce infarct size in animal models of hyperacute stroke. In chronic stroke, tVNS paired with limb movements has been shown to enhance neurological recovery. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for tVNS in preclinical models and clinical trials in humans. We highlight the mechanistic pathways involved in the beneficial effects of tVNS. We critically evaluate the current gaps in knowledge and recommend the key areas of research required to translate tVNS into clinical practice in acute and chronic stroke.
Law and Torture: Contemporary Legal Scholarship on Torture, from the Doctrinal to the Critical
Authors: Cakal Ergün
Published: August 2023

Legal scholars have historically studied and shaped attitudes and approaches to torture – in its infliction, identification, and inhibition. The role of law in the contemporary anti-torture movement has been no less important – with the law, its logics and lawyers positing and animating the prevailing international anti-torture framework. This article reviews the contemporary ‘law and torture’ scholarship published in the last forty years in the English language – examining and charting its assumptions, preponderances, and orientations. In so doing, the article situates the cares and concerns of scholars (and their texts) along a doctrinal-critical continuum. The article aims to illustrate areas in which research is advanced and others which remain understudied – concluding with several connections and directions for future research.
2. Methodology
Authors: Kantor Benjamin Paul
Published: August 2023

In recent decades, the field of Biblical Hebrew philology and linguistics has been witness to a growing interest in the diverse traditions of Biblical Hebrew. Indeed, while there is a tendency for many students and scholars to conceive of Biblical Hebrew as equivalent with the Tiberian pointing of the Leningrad Codex as it appears in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), there are many other important reading traditions attested throughout history.
3. The Historical Attestations of the Biblical Hebrew Reading Traditions
Authors: Kantor Benjamin Paul
Published: August 2023

In recent decades, the field of Biblical Hebrew philology and linguistics has been witness to a growing interest in the diverse traditions of Biblical Hebrew. Indeed, while there is a tendency for many students and scholars to conceive of Biblical Hebrew as equivalent with the Tiberian pointing of the Leningrad Codex as it appears in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), there are many other important reading traditions attested throughout history.
6. Relationship of the Reading Traditions
Authors: Kantor Benjamin Paul
Published: August 2023

In recent decades, the field of Biblical Hebrew philology and linguistics has been witness to a growing interest in the diverse traditions of Biblical Hebrew. Indeed, while there is a tendency for many students and scholars to conceive of Biblical Hebrew as equivalent with the Tiberian pointing of the Leningrad Codex as it appears in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), there are many other important reading traditions attested throughout history.
Three-Dimensional Variational Multi-Doppler Wind Retrieval over Complex Terrain
Authors: Cha Ting-Yu , Bell Michael M.
Published: August 2023

The interaction of airflow with complex terrain has the potential to significantly amplify extreme precipitation events and modify the structure and intensity of precipitating cloud systems. However, understanding and forecasting such events is challenging, in part due to the scarcity of direct in situ measurements. Doppler radar can provide the capability to monitor extreme rainfall events over land, but our understanding of airflow modulated by orographic interactions remains limited. The SAMURAI software is a three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) technique that uses the finite element approach to retrieve kinematic and thermodynamic fields. The analysis has high fidelity to observations when retrieving flows over a flat surface, but the capability of imposing topography as a boundary constraint is not previously implemented. Here, we implement the immersed boundary method (IBM) as pseudo-observations at their native coordinates in SAMURAI to represent the topographic forcing and surface impermeability. In this technique, neither data interpolation onto a Cartesian grid nor explicit physical constraint integration during the cost function minimization is needed. Furthermore, the physical constraints are treated as pseudo-observations, offering the flexibility to adjust the strength of the boundary condition. A series of observing simulation sensitivity experiments (OSSEs) using a full-physics model and radar emulator simulating rainfall from Typhoon Chanthu (2021) over Taiwan are conducted to evaluate the retrieval accuracy and parameter settings. The OSSE results show that the strength of the IBM constraints can impact the overall wind retrievals. Analysis from real radar observations further demonstrates that the improved retrieval technique can advance scientific analyses for the underlying dynamics of orographic precipitation using radar observations.
Comparison of Long-Term Outcomes Between Intravascular Ultrasound-, Optical Coherence Tomography- and Angiography-Guided Stent Implantation: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Şaylık Faysal , Hayıroglu Mert İlker , Akbulut Tayyar , Çınar Tufan
Published: August 2023

Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are alternative techniques to angiography-guided (ANG-g) PCI in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), especially for optimal stent deployment in coronary arteries. We conducted a network meta-analysis including studies comparing those three techniques. We searched databases for studies that compared IVUS, OCT, and ANG-g PCI in patients with CAD. Overall, 52 studies with 231,137 patients were included in this meta-analysis. ANG-g PCI had higher major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and stent thrombosis (ST) than IVUS-guided PCI. Of note, both OCT-guided and IVUS-guided PCI had similar outcomes. The frequency of MACEs, cardiac death, and MI were higher in ANG-g PCI than in OCT-guided PCI. The highest benefit was established with OCT for MACEs (P-score=.973), MI (P-score=.823), and cardiac death (P-score=.921) and with IVUS for all-cause death (P-score=.792), TLR (P -score=.865), and ST (P-score=.930). This network meta-analysis indicated that using OCT or IVUS for optimal stent implantation provides better outcomes in comparison with ANG-g in patients with CAD undergoing PCI.
Getting AI Implementation Right: Insights from a Global Survey
Authors: Ångström Rebecka C. , Björn Michael , Dahlander Linus , Mähring Magnus , Wallin Martin W.
Published: August 2023

While the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) is pervasive, many companies struggle with AI implementation challenges. This article presents results from a survey of 2,525 decision-makers with AI experience in China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States—as well as interviews with 16 AI implementation experts—in order to understand the challenges companies face when implementing AI. The study covers technological, organizational, and cultural factors and identifies key challenges and solutions for AI implementation. This article develops a diagnostic framework to help executives navigate AI challenges as companies gain momentum, manage organization-wide complexities, and curate a network of partners, algorithms, and data sources to create value through AI.
The Effects of Teacher Trust on Student Learning and the Malleability of Teacher Trust to School Leadership: A 35-Year Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sun Jingping , Zhang Rong , Forsyth Patrick B.
Published: August 2023

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to (1) meta-analyze the effects of teacher trust, and of each trust dimension on student learning in aggregate and in each of the six learning subjects; (2) meta-analyze the effect of school leadership, of each leadership domain, and of different leadership styles on teacher trust; and (3) examine whether school level, subjects, trust dimensions, and leadership styles moderate these abovementioned effects. Research Methods/Approach: Standard meta-analysis techniques were used to review 83 studies and examine the multiple relationships between school leadership, teacher trust, and student learning mentioned above. Heterogeneity analysis was conducted to identify moderators. Publication bias in these analysis results was also examined. Findings: The study shows that teacher trust had a moderate effect on student learning. School leadership had a large effect on teacher trust. Teacher trust in students and parents contributed to student learning more than the other dimensions of trust. All five domains of school leadership were related to teacher trust, with the effect sizes being large or moderate. Supportive, collegial types of school leadership had the largest effect on the teachers’ trust. Implications for Research and Practice: To improve student learning, school leaders need to enlist all effective practices in order to build trust in schools and pay equal attention to improving teachers’ trust as they do other efforts to improve instructional programs and teaching practices. More efforts are needed from principals to help build teachers’ trust in parents and students.
Internalized stigma and self-stigma in people diagnosed with a mental disorder. One concept or two? A scoping review
Authors: Fernández Dany , Grandón Pamela , López-Angulo Yaranay , Vladimir-Vielma Alexis , Peñate Wenceslao , Díaz-Pérez Gabriela
Published: August 2023

Background:

In the literature on stigma, authors often use self-stigma or internalized stigma interchangeably to refer to this type of stigma. This results in a lack of conceptual clarity with negative repercussions for measurement and intervention.

Aims:

To identify how internalized stigma and self-stigma are conceptualized in people diagnosed with a mental disorder and establish similarities and differences between both concepts.

Method:

A scoping review was conducted. Thirty-five studies that conceptualized internalized stigma or self-stigma were selected.

Results:

It was identified that the concepts are defined from nine components, and there are more conceptualizations that have points in common than those that consider some component of their own. To gain conceptual clarity, the use of the term internalized stigma is recommended, being a process made up of stages: acceptance of stereotypes and prejudices by people with mental disorders and their subsequent internalization. The latter leads to negative consequences for those affected, which can be understood as the personal impact of this process, which has a crucial socio-cultural component. Lines of research are proposed to provide solidity to studies on this type of stigma.

Conclusions:

The term internalized stigma should be used when referring to the type of stigma that includes acceptance, internalization and personal impact for the subjects of the stigma. In contrast, self-stigma should be reserved to refer to stigma that is directed toward the ‘self’ and includes subtypes of stigma.
Fathers’ Lived-Experience of Childbirth: A Descriptive Phenomenological Psychological Inquiry
Authors: Williams Heidi J. , Broomé Rodger E. , Markette Nicholas
Published: August 2023

Better understanding fathers’ psychological experience of birth is essential to encouraging empathetic care. Using Giorgi’s 5-step descriptive phenomenological psychological method for analysis, the general psychological structure of what it is like for fathers to experience being involved in the birth of their first-born biological child was uncovered. Five fathers’ descriptions of the phenomenon, collected via nonstructured phenomenological interviews conducted over several months, were analyzed rigorously through descriptive phenomenological psychological reduction and free imaginative variation. The stable general psychological structure consisted of the following constituents: (1) Concern for Wife’s Wellbeing, (2) Empathy and Pride for Wife, (3) Relief in the Successful Birth, (4) Emergence of Interconnectedness with His Newborn Baby, (5) Paternal Responsibility, and (6) Creation of His New Family Constellation. This study highlights a need to understand fathers’ birth experiences as an embodied existential lived experience. This study should be understood in the context of pregnancies of nuclear family heterosexual couples.
Influence of general anaesthesia on circulating biomarkers of glucose metabolism in pigs
Authors: Christoffersen Berit Ø , Bundgaard Cathrine J , Hjøllund Karina R , Fels Johannes Josef , Boll Kirstine K , Lyhne Mille K , Olsen Lisbeth H
Published: August 2023

Pigs are widely used in metabolic research with procedures often requiring general anaesthesia. The aim was to investigate the effect of four different anaesthetic protocols: 1) isoflurane inhalation, 2) propofol infusion, 3) a mixture of tiletamine, zolazepam, medetomidine, ketamine and butorphanol (TZMKB)) and 4) ketamine combined with midazolam and xylazine (KMX)) on selected biomarkers during basal and glucose stimulated conditions. Eight domestic pigs were included in a cross-over design. Plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, cortisol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase, creatinine, urea, fructosamine, albumin, free fatty acids (FFAs) and glycerol were measured at baseline, during 2 h of anaesthesia and during 1 h of recovery. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT, 0.5 g glucose/kg) was performed after 1 h of anaesthesia. Glucose disappearance rate and areas under the insulin, C-peptide and glucagon curves from the IVGTT were calculated. All four anaesthetic protocols affected glucose metabolism parameters significantly compared with un-anaesthetised pigs, which was particularly evident during IVGTT and for TZMKB and KMX anaesthesia. Propofol additionally influenced the plasma concentrations of triglycerides, FFAs and glycerol significantly. The remaining circulating biomarkers were largely unaffected by anaesthesia. These data underline the importance of considering the anaesthetic protocol in porcine studies of circulating metabolic biomarkers.
Nobody Likes the Forgotten Guardians of the Departed: A Critical Ethnographic Study on Social Isolation of Ghassals
Authors: Salimi Mahya , Ruhani Ali
Published: August 2023

In Islam, the ritual of burial including washing, shrouding and burying the dead body (Ghusl/Kafan/Dafan) has always been problematic. Burial in Iran has always been a well-ordered custom and there have always been specific people for this ritual (Ghassals). Due to dealing with the dead, their lives are always the focus of social discussions. Drawn on Carspecken’s (1996) five-stage approach, this research examined the social isolation of Ghassals in Yazd province, Iran. The data were obtained through participant observation (first covert then overt) and in-depth interviews with six Ghassals in Yazd. The main themes extracted included stigma and isolation, the experience of hegemonic violence, problematic companionship/not companionship, forced choice, job dissatisfaction, and social discouragement. Our findings indicate an undesirable social status for the Ghassals who are often unwelcomed by the society and in some cases even by the family. These behaviors ultimately lead to social isolation and depression among Ghassals.
Measuring agroecology and its performance: An overview and critical discussion of existing tools and approaches
Authors: Geck Matthias S , Crossland Mary , Lamanna Christine
Published: August 2023

Agricultural and food systems (AFSs) are inherently multifunctional, representing a major driver for global crises but at the same time representing a huge potential for addressing multiple challenges simultaneously and contributing systemically to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Current performance metrics for AFS often fail to take this multifunctionality into account, focusing disproportionately on productivity and profitability, thereby excluding “externalities,” that is, key environmental and social values created by AFS. Agroecology is increasingly being recognized as a promising approach for AFS sustainability, due to its holistic and transformative nature. This growing interest in and commitment to agroecology by diverse actors implies a need for harmonized approaches to determine when a practice, project, investment, or policy can be considered agroecological, as well as approaches that ensure the multiple economic, environmental, and social values created by AFS are appropriately captured, hence creating a level playing field for comparing agroecology to alternatives. In this contribution to the special issue on agroecology, we present an overview of existing tools and frameworks for defining and measuring agroecology and its performance and critically discuss their limitations. We identify several deficiencies, including a shortage of approaches that allow for measuring agroecology and its performance on landscape and food system scale, and the use of standardized indicators for measuring agroecology integration, despite its context-specificity. These insights highlight the need for assessments focused on these overlooked scales and research on how best to reconcile the need for globally comparable approaches with assessing agroecology in a locally relevant manner. Lastly, we outline ongoing initiatives on behalf of the Agroecology Transformative Partnership that aim to overcome these shortcomings and offer a promising avenue for working toward harmonization of approaches. All readers are invited to contribute to these collaborative efforts in line with the agroecology principle of participation and co-creation of knowledge.
Path following of under-actuated ships based on backstepping and predictive control method
Authors: Liu Yong , Li Zongxuan , Liu Jun
Published: August 2023

To deal with the sideslip angle caused by the current disturbances or transverse motion for path following of under-actuated ships, a nonlinear observer established by an exponential function is introduced in the backstepping approach which converts the path following into heading control. Then, the model predictive control (MPC) method is used as a heading controller, addressing the rudder optimization. A linear extended state observer technology was exploited to estimate yaw rate, external disturbances, and internal uncertainties, which could avoid measuring the high-order state used in the MPC controller and promote the accuracy of the MPC internal model. Moreover, an inverse tangent function is applied to develop a new method for switching the reference heading angle to reduce rudder amplitude when the ship is choosing the next waypoint. Finally, the validity and reliability of the design method were verified through comparative computer simulation experiments.
School Attendance and Academic Achievement: Understanding Variation across Family Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Klein Markus , Sosu Edward M.
Published: August 2023

Studies consistently show the detrimental effect of school absences on pupils’ achievement. However, due to an accumulation of multiple risks, school absenteeism may be more harmful to achievement among pupils from lower socioeconomic status (SES). Using a sample of upper-secondary students from the Scottish Longitudinal Study (n = 3,135), we investigated whether the association between absences (overall, sickness, and truancy) and achievement in high-stakes exams varied by family SES dimensions (parental education, class, free school meal registration, and housing). The findings for overall absences and truancy show no statistically significant differences across SES groups. However, sickness absences were more harmful to the achievement of lower SES students than higher SES students. Differences between the most and least disadvantaged groups were found on all SES dimensions except for parental education.
To Dream in North and South America: Reflections on the Sixtieth Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Authors: Bingemer Maria Clara
Published: August 2023

This article reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech delivered sixty years ago in Washington, DC. It begins by pointing to the concept of “dream” as it is understood in current language and how Dr. King used it in a theological way. Next, the essay compares this with what Pope Francis has frequently said about dreams, including his own. Reflecting on King’s words and the sense that the dream he spoke about is still not a reality but a horizon of hope that stimulates struggle, the article presents a comparative study of racism in the United States, according to King, and Brazil, where structural racism permeates the whole society, delaying indefinitely the dream of equality and justice. I also show how liberation theology has been a helpful element in the struggle to keep the dream of equality alive. I conclude that in both countries, frustration remains because the dream has not been fulfilled. But in both situations, to continue dreaming is the only option. And that means not being satisfied with the little steps made but embracing the desire for more. Only by always desiring more and more fulness of life will salvation be experienced concretely for our generation and the next.
The Nonviolent Christ at the Apocalyptic Center of Origen’s Homilies on Joshua
Authors: Magree Michael C.
Published: August 2023

Christians ancient and modern have puzzled over the violence in the book of Joshua. Origen of Alexandria interprets this text apocalyptically, to give readers a sense of their own personal moral struggle as participating in a cosmic effort. For Origen, the central act of apocalypse is the cross of Jesus Christ, conquering evil through nonviolence and making religious violence explicitly prohibited. This is a compelling exegesis still today, since by using the cross to reinterpret Joshua, Origen presents a middle path between endorsing the violence depicted and excising or ignoring it.
The Cross and/as Civil Resistance
Authors: Kendall Sanders Jennifer
Published: August 2023

We need a nonviolent soteriology that honors scriptural and theological traditions about enemy-love, suffering, sacrifice, and satisfaction and refuses to further harm victims of violence and oppression. Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence and Bernard Lonergan’s way of understanding Christ’s satisfaction by analogy with the sacrament of reconciliation disclose one way suffering can be redemptive: When nonviolent activists “present their very bodies,” they expose the violence latent in unjust situations. Similarly, when Christ presents his body, he exposes the violence at the heart of sin. Like Christ, activists “become sin” (1 Cor 5:21)—not because they take responsibility for the sin, but because sin becomes visible in the wounds it leaves on innocent bodies. Once visible, healing can begin. Further, both men argue for a proper unfolding of the extension of love to enemies, lest victims be further harmed and injustice ignored.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Julius K. Nyerere’s Shared Dreams for Racial Equality and Human Dignity
Authors: Rwezaura Deogratias M.
Published: August 2023

This article parallels Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for civil, economic, and racial equality in the USA with Julius K. Nyerere’s unrelenting liberation struggle for the emancipation of Southern Africa from colonial shackles. I write this article fully cognizant of King’s belief that what united the minority and colonial peoples of America, African, and Asia was the struggle to overcome the legacy of colonialism and racial injustice. I therefore argue that King’s dream was a shared dream, which I analyze through the prism of liberation theology.
The effect of vortioxetine on anhedonia in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Greš Alen , Šagud Marina , Dickov Aleksandra
Published: August 2023

Objective

Anhedonia is a common symptom of depression, but is also a negative symptom of schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vortioxetine on anhedonia in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

A total of 120 patients with schizophrenia in remission who met inclusion criteria were randomized 1:1 by the envelope method into intervention and control groups. All participants in both groups were divided into three subgroups based on the antipsychotic therapy they were receiving (olanzapine, risperidone, or aripiprazole). Vortioxetine was administered to those in the intervention group at a fixed dose of 10 mg per day. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), and Chapman Scale for Social and Physical Anhedonia (CSPA) were administered. The study lasted 12 weeks. Participants were assessed twice: At baseline and at the end of the study. Six participants dropped out, with 114 completing the trial.

Findings

Vortioxetine treatment had a significant effect on level of physical anhedonia. The treatment interaction was also statistically significant, but with a relatively small effect (F = 3.17, P < .05; η2 = .061). Vortioxetine treatment had a particularly strong effect on the level of social anhedonia. The interaction between the treatment and the type of antipsychotics was also statistically significant with a small effect (F = 5.04, P < 0. 01; η2 = .091).

Conclusion

The combination of olanzapine and vortioxetine was found to be the best option to reduce symptoms of social and physical anhedonia in these patients with remitted schizophrenia.
Moral Balancing in Video Games: The Moderating Role of Issue Congruency
Authors: Lee Yu-Hao , Chen Mo , Guo Joyce , Xu Qing
Published: August 2023

Research has shown that performing moral or immoral actions in video games can affect the players’ moral self-worth and evoke moral emotions. People may compensate for their immoral behaviors by performing more moral actions, but sometimes performing moral actions can also license them to perform immoral behaviors later. The current study examines whether players engage in moral licensing or moral cleansing behaviors within and after video game moral scenarios. Study 1 is an exploratory study that examined a sequence of moral dilemmas in the game Papers, Please, and found that players alternated between choosing the moral choices and the accurate choices, indicating signs of moral balancing when faced with moral choices that conflict with their in-game goals. Study 2 utilized a 3 (moral vs. immoral vs. control) × 2 (congruent charity vs. incongruent charity) experiment using a moral event in the game Life is Strange to examine the moderating effects of issue congruency on moral balancing. Study 3 used three different games to replicate Study 2. The findings showed that players who performed moral actions in the game also devoted more efforts to a charity on a congruent issue. However, participants who performed a moral behavior in the game committed significantly less effort to a charity on an incongruent issue, indicating a moral licensing effect. Study 2 found that performing immoral actions in a game can motivate players to devote more efforts to a subsequent charity, regardless of issue congruity, but this moral cleansing effect was not observed in Study 3.
Mark’s σπεκουλάτωρ and the Origin of His Gospel
Authors: Delgado Gómez Alfredo
Published: August 2023

In Mark, Herod Antipas orders John the Baptist’s execution by a σπεκουλάτωρ. Thus, Mark becomes the first witness to the use of the word σπεκουλάτωρ in Greek. The Latin word speculator was used in the first century mainly in respect of the praetorian speculatores soldiers who acted as the emperor’s personal guard in Rome and who were involved in the events of the civil war in the years 68–70 CE. Mark’s use of the word σπεκουλάτωρ (along with other factors) points to the city of Rome as the gospel’s origin, since the vast majority of attestations of the word speculator occur in the city of Rome, where these soldiers mainly carried out their duties.
Favorable tectonic patterns for shale gas preservation and enrichment in lower Paleozoic, southeastern Chongqing, China
Authors: Li Yongchen , Xu Qiang , Ma Kedi , Wu Peng , Yang Haixing , He Yanxiang , Bian Liheng , Yao Xiaoli , Sun Xuedong , Zhang Sidun , Ma Zhuang
Published: August 2023

Marine shale reservoirs have experienced intense tectonic movements in southeastern Chongqing, resulting in widely developed folds, faults and bedding slip deformation. The gas content is of a wide range while the organic matter content and thickness are sufficient for shale gas accumulation. Here, we review previous work and present outcrop and core data from 11 shale wells around southeastern Chongqing to analyze and summarize tectonic types and their combinations, as well as their influence on shale gas preservation and enrichment. Fault and bedding slips are prevalent in shale reservoirs, and they apparently influence shale gas content. Bedding slip crush is usually formed at the bottom interval where the total organic content is high from intense horizontal compression. Bedding slip crushing and well-developed high-angle natural fractures form a net fracture system where shale gas is enriched in an anticline structure or lost to air in a syncline structure laterally. Strata dip is the key geological factor that controls bedding slip deformation in shale reservoirs in certain areas. According to the established bedding slip geological model, when bedding slip occurred, the critical strata dips of the lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation were 13.34°, respectively. Bedding slip crushed anticlines without faults and synclines without faults and bedding slip crushing are the two tectonic patterns that are favorable for shale gas preservation and enrichment, which should be the focus of further explorations of lower Paleozoic shale gas in southeastern Chongqing.