bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Perioperative Multimodal Pain Management on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients (Aged 75 and Older) Undergoing Short-Segment Lumbar Fusion Surgery
Authors: Wang Shuaikang , Zhang Tongtong , Wang Peng , Li Xiangyu , Kong Chao , Sun Wenzhi , Lu Shibao
Published: February 2022

Background. Due to the presence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy, patients aged 75 and older are at a higher risk for postoperative adverse events after lumbar fusion surgery. More effective enhanced recovery pathway is needed for these patients. Pain control is a crucial part of perioperative management. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of multimodal pain management on pain control, opioid consumption, and other outcomes. Methods. This is a retrospective review of a prospective collected database. Consecutive patients who underwent elective posterior lumbar fusion surgery (PLF) from October 2017 to April 2021 in our hospital were reviewed. Perioperative multimodal pain management (PMPM) group (from January 2019 to April 2021) in which patients received multimodal analgesia was case-matched to the control group (from October 2017 to December 2018) in which patients were treated under the conventional patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) method. Postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), opioid consumption, complications within 3 months, and other outcomes were collected and compared between groups. Results. A total of 122 consecutive patients (aged 75 and older) were included in the PMPM group and compared with previous 122 patients. The PMPM group had a lower maximal VAS score (3.0 ± 1.7 vs. 3.7 ± 2.0,

p
<
0.001

) and frequency of additional opioid consumption (6.6% vs. 19.7%,

p
=
0.001

) on POD3 than the control group. The rates of postoperative complications were lower in the PMPM group compared with the control group (25% vs. 49%,

p
=
0.006

) during a 3-month follow-up period. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that the PMPM protocol is effective in pain control and reducing additional opioid consumption when compared with conventional analgesia, even for patients aged 75 and older. Moreover, these improvements occur with a lower incidence of postoperative complications within three months after PLF surgery.
Comparative Study of ɛ-Polylysine or Nisin Inhibition Kinetics of Lactococcus lactis and Spoilage Microorganisms in Fresh Flammulina velutipes Fruiting Bodies
Authors: Wei Qi , Pan Xinyuan , Jia Zhen , Li Changcheng , Chen Bingzhi , Fang Ting , Jiang Yuji
Published: March 2022

Flammulina velutipes is one of the most important edible mushrooms, which quickly decays with a short shelf life. However, little is known about the effect of ɛ-polylysine (ɛ-PL) or nisin on the survival of Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) during the storage at constant temperatures. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ɛ-PL or nisin on the growth of L. lactis and background (BK) microorganisms in fresh Flammulina velutipes fruiting bodies (FVFB) and develop mathematical models to predict their growth behavior. The effect of ɛ-PL (0.15 and 0.30 g/kg) or nisin (0.10 and 0.20 g/kg) on the growth of L. lactis and BK microorganisms in FVFB was analyzed at 4, 16, and 20°C. The lag phase of L. lactis was extended, and the specific growth rate was decreased by increasing concentrations of ɛ-PL or nisin and lowering the temperature. The results showed that ɛ-PL or nisin could control the growth of L. lactis in FVFB. However, the growth of BK microorganisms was not affected by ɛ-PL or nisin. The growth of L. lactis and BK microorganisms could be successfully described by the reparameterized Gompertz and no lag phase models, respectively. Additionally, ɛ-PL or nisin could maintain the quality of FVFB by preventing weight loss, color-changing, and decreasing soluble solid content in FVFB at 4°C. These results suggest that ɛ-PL or nisin in combination with low temperature may inhibit the growth of L. lactis in FVFB and prevent the decrease in the quality of FVFB.
Community-Based Health Insurance Utilization and Its Associated Factors among Rural Households in Akaki District, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Geferso Amenti Teka , Sharo Sisay Begashaw
Published: February 2022

Background. Community-based health insurance is widely recognized as the most effective way to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) with adequate financial protection against healthcare costs, to promote equal access to high-quality healthcare, increase financial security, and enhance social cohesion and solidarity. Objective. The objective of this study was to determine community-based health insurance utilization and its associated factors among rural households in Akaki District, Oromia special zone surrounding Finfinnee, Oromia, Ethiopia, in May 2021. Methods and Materials. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted on 600 households in May 2021. A multistage sampling technique was used to select households. Data were collected using pretested and standardized questionnaires entered into Epi Info version 7.2.4 and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were computed to identify the factors associated with community-based health insurance utilization. A

P

value <0.05 with 95% CI was used as a cut-off point to declare the level of statistical significance. Results. The magnitude of community-based health insurance (CBHI) utilization was 398 (66.3%) (95% CI: 0.63, 0.70). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds of CBHI utilization for males were 2 times higher (AOR = 1.629; 95% CI: 1.063, 2.497) compared to female-headed households; household family size <5 was 3 times higher (AOR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.987, 4.139) compared to household family size >5; farmer was 4 times higher (AOR = 3.763; 95% CI: 1.371, 10.327) compared to other occupational status; household income <30,000 ETB was 2 times higher (AOR = 2.474; 95% CI: 1.514, 4.043) compared to the household income of 30000 ETB, and all these were factors significantly associated with CBHI utilization. Conclusion. The magnitude of CBHI utilization was low (66.3%) compared to the HSTP II target (80%) and other studies. The results of the study showed that age, sex, household family size, household income, and trustworthiness were among the factors significantly associated with community-based health insurance utilization.
The Pharmacological Mechanism of the Effect of Plant Extract Compound Drugs on Cancer Pain Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Shen Yuanyuan , Wang Jun , Yan Pengpeng , Chen Tiantian , Li Xingrui , Jiang Ming
Published: February 2022

Objective. We systematically analyzed the mechanism of plant-derived drugs alleviating cancer pain in our hospital through network pharmacology, so as to provide the possibility of further application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of cancer pain. Methods. We used TCMSP, ETCM, and TCMID databases to mine the active ingredients of plant-derived drugs. We combined OMIM, GeneCards, and DrugBank databases to mine and match the common targets of plant-derived drugs for cancer pain. We used the STRING platform and Cytoscape software to analyze and screen out the core targets. We used GO and KEGG methods to analyze the biological processes, molecular functions, cellular composition, and signaling pathways involved in the reduction of cancer pain by plant-derived drugs. Results. We found 153 active ingredients from botanical drugs by TCMSP (Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, TCMSP), ETCM (The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine), and TCMID (Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database) databases, covering 341 protein targets in human body. Combined with OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), GeneCards, and DrugBank databases, we excavated and matched 141 targets of plant-derived drugs and cancerous pain diseases. Through the analysis of the STRING platform and Cytoscape software, 19 core targets including TNF, MAPK1, JUN, and IL-6 were screened out. Go and KEGG enrichment showed that plant-derived drugs alleviated cancer pain processes involving 193 biological processes, 47 molecular functions, 22 cell components, and 118 signaling pathways. By screening genes involved in KEGG signaling pathway, it was found that plant-derived drugs were mainly associated with PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and HIF-1 signaling pathway in alleviating cancer pain. Conclusion. These results indicate that botanical drugs can positively affect the expression of inflammatory factors and apoptotic factors in the process of treatment and relief of cancer pain, which is expected to have a potential therapeutic effect on the relief of cancer pain.
A Review of the Modeling of Adsorption of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants from Water Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Reynel-Ávila Hilda Elizabeth , Aguayo-Villarreal Ismael Alejandro , Diaz-Muñoz Lizbeth Liliana , Moreno-Pérez Jaime , Sánchez-Ruiz Francisco Javier , Rojas-Mayorga Cintia Karina , Mendoza-Castillo Didilia Ileana , Bonilla-Petriciolet Adrián
Published: February 2022

The application of artificial neural networks on adsorption modeling has significantly increased during the last decades. These artificial intelligence models have been utilized to correlate and predict kinetics, isotherms, and breakthrough curves of a wide spectrum of adsorbents and adsorbates in the context of water purification. Artificial neural networks allow to overcome some drawbacks of traditional adsorption models especially in terms of providing better predictions at different operating conditions. However, these surrogate models have been applied mainly in adsorption systems with only one pollutant thus indicating the importance of extending their application for the prediction and simulation of adsorption systems with several adsorbates (i.e., multicomponent adsorption). This review analyzes and describes the data modeling of adsorption of organic and inorganic pollutants from water with artificial neural networks. The main developments and contributions on this topic have been discussed considering the results of a detailed search and interpretation of more than 250 papers published on Web of Science ® database. Therefore, a general overview of the training methods, input and output data, and numerical performance of artificial neural networks and related models utilized for adsorption data simulation is provided in this document. Some remarks for the reliable application and implementation of artificial neural networks on the adsorption modeling are also discussed. Overall, the studies on adsorption modeling with artificial neural networks have focused mainly on the analysis of batch processes (87%) in comparison to dynamic systems (13%) like packed bed columns. Multicomponent adsorption has not been extensively analyzed with artificial neural network models where this literature review indicated that 87% of references published on this topic covered adsorption systems with only one adsorbate. Results reported in several studies indicated that this artificial intelligence tool has a significant potential to develop reliable models for multicomponent adsorption systems where antagonistic, synergistic, and noninteraction adsorption behaviors can occur simultaneously. The development of reliable artificial neural networks for the modeling of multicomponent adsorption in batch and dynamic systems is fundamental to improve the process engineering in water treatment and purification.
Dielectric Properties and 3D-Printing Feasibility of UV-Curable Resin/Micron Ceramic Filler Composites
Authors: Fu Yijia , Li Wendong , Xu Man , Wang Chao , Zhang Liyuan , Zhang Guanjun
Published: February 2022

To prepare high-permittivity composite materials for dielectrically functional gradient materials (d-FGMs) by the stereolithographic 3D-printing technique, three ceramic powders (i.e., alumina, barium titanate, and strontium titanate) are selected as functional fillers for a UV-curable resin matrix. The viscosity and UV curing depth of the uncured slurry are tested for feasibility of 3D printing. Comprehensive electrical properties, including volume resistivity, permittivity, dielectric loss, and breakdown strength of the cured composites are measured. The effects of the filler types, morphologies, particle sizes, and volume fractions on the UV curing characteristics of the slurry and dielectric properties of cured composites are systematically analyzed. The experimental results show that spherical fillers with large particle sizes, smooth surfaces, and high permittivity are conducive for reducing the slurry viscosity, increasing curing depth and adjusting the composite’s permittivity over a wide range. We believe that the proposed strategy for material system establishment can improve the 3D printability of high-permittivity composites and promote other applications of the d-FGMs by the stereolithography technique.
Socio-Cultural Factors Delaying Treatment in a Patient with Late-Onset Schizophrenia
Authors: Tan Ho Teck , Lal Manu
Published: February 2022

Up to 23.5% of patients with schizophrenia have onset of illness after the age of 40. We report a case of a 57-year-old lady who had been sitting continuously on the toilet for 2.5 years because of persecutory delusions and somatic passivity symptoms. She was diagnosed with late-onset schizophrenia and her symptoms improved with risperidone. In this case report, we describe the phenomenology of her psychotic symptoms and explore the socio-cultural factors behind the long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). We conclude that more can be done to improve mental health awareness and reduce the social stigma associated with mental illness.
Estimation of Directional Wave Spectrum Using Measurement Array Pressure Data on Bottom-Mounted Offshore Structure in Incident and Diffracted Wave Field
Authors: Song Xiaodong , Ti Zilong , Zhou Yuanzhou
Published: February 2022

Determination of the directional wave spectrum which offshore structures actually encounter is essential for multiple applications including wave-induced load and vibration evaluation, and hence becomes a fundamental task in ocean engineering. Due to the wave diffraction effect, wave field around an offshore structure is the mixture of incident wave components and diffracted wave components. Estimating directional wave spectrum in diffracted wave field significantly differs from the occasion in undisturbed waves since the amplitude and phase relationship between the incident and diffracted waves are coupled, and therefore making the conventional approach not applicable. In this study, the diffraction wave theory is introduced into the estimation of directional wave spectrum to consider the effect of diffracted waves using array pressure data from existing pressure gauges on structures. Considering the performance of the presented approach under scenarios with various gauge arrays, different directions, and spreading coefficients, multiple levels of background noise are evaluated and discussed, respectively. The presented approach is also deployed into an in-situ measurement application on a marine structure and compared with wave observation data to test its feasibility in engineering practice. In general, the presented approach can reasonably estimate the directional wave spectrum and show advantages over the conventional approach in which the diffraction effect is excluded.
Overcoming Barriers to Diabetes Technology in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes and Public Insurance: Cases and Call to Action
Authors: Lee Ming Yeh , Tanenbaum Molly L. , Maahs David M. , Prahalad Priya
Published: March 2022

Advancements in diabetes technology such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin pumps, and automated insulin delivery provide opportunities to improve glycemic control for youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, diabetes technology use is lower in youth on public insurance, and this technology use gap is widening in the US. There is a significant need to develop effective interventions and policies to promote equitable care. The dual purpose of this case series is as follows: (1) describe success stories of the CGM Time in Range Program (CGM TIPs), which removed barriers for initiating CGM and provided asynchronous remote glucose monitoring for youth on public insurance, and (2) advocate for improving CGM coverage by public insurance. We describe a series of six youths with T1D and public insurance who obtained and sustained use of CGM with assistance from the program. Three youths had improved engagement with the care team while on CGM and the remote monitoring protocol, and three youths were able to leverage sustained CGM wear to obtain insurance coverage for automated insulin delivery systems. CGM TIPs helped these youths achieve lower hemoglobin A1c and improved time in range (TIR). Despite the successes, expansion of CGM TIPs is limited by stringent barriers for CGM approval and difficult postapproval patient workflows to receive shipments. These cases highlight the potential for combining diabetes technology and asynchronous remote monitoring to support continued use and provide education to improve glycemic control for youth with T1D on public insurance and the need to reduce barriers for obtaining CGM coverage by public insurance.
Exogenous Parathyroid Hormone Alleviates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration through the Sonic Hedgehog Signalling Pathway Mediated by CREB
Authors: Li You , Wei Yifan , Li He , Che Hui , Miao Dengshun , Ma Cheng , Ren Yongxin
Published: February 2022

As an important hormone that regulates the balance of calcium and phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH) has also been found to have an important function in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Our aim was to investigate the mechanism by which PTH alleviates IVDD. In this study, the PTH 1 receptor was found to be highly expressed in severely degenerated human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. We found in the mouse model of IVDD that supplementation with exogenous PTH alleviated the narrowing of the intervertebral space and the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) caused by tail suspension (TS). In addition, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis levels were significantly increased in the intervertebral disc tissues of TS-induced mice, and the activity of NP cells was decreased. TS also led to the downregulation of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling pathway-related signal molecules in NP cells such as SHH, Smoothened, and GLI1. However, supplementation with exogenous PTH can reverse these changes. In vitro, PTH also promotes the activity of NP cells and the secretion of ECM. However, the antagonist of the SHH signalling pathway can inhibit the therapeutic effect of PTH on NP cells. In addition, a cAMP-response element-binding protein, as an important transcription factor, was found to mediate the promotion of PTH on the SHH signalling pathway. Our results revealed that PTH can alleviate IVDD by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and improving the activity of NP cells via activating the SHH signalling pathway.
Simultaneous Massive Esophageal Mucosal Candidiasis and Profound Cytomegaloviral Esophageal Ulcers with Recurrence of Both Infections 12 Years Later in a Patient with Long-Standing AIDS: Endoscopic, Radiologic, and Pathologic Findings
Authors: Gill Inayat , Edhi Ahmed , Amin Mitual , Cappell Mitchell S.
Published: February 2022

Immunocompromised patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can develop opportunistic esophageal candidial and cytomegaloviral infections. A case is reported which extends the clinico-endoscopic severity of these infections. A 32-year-old bisexual man with AIDS since 1997, and intermittently compliant with antiretroviral therapy, presented (2007) with dysphagia and 32 kg-weight loss. EGD revealed a massive, cheesy, esophageal mucosal exudate from Candida albicans. Cytomegalovirus was isolated by viral culture. The patient improved after fluconazole/ganciclovir therapy. The patient re-presented (2019) with hematemesis and dysphagia. EGD revealed cheesy esophageal exudate and profound “punched out” esophageal ulcers mimicking pseudo-diverticula. Histopathology confirmed candidiasis. Viral cultures revealed cytomegalovirus. Barium esophagram revealed deep esophageal ulcers/pseudo-diverticula. Repeat EGD 8 weeks later after ganciclovir/micafungin therapy revealed mostly healed lesions. This demonstrates that AIDS patients may have massive mucosal esophageal candidiasis; that both infections can recur years after apparent eradication; and that cytomegaloviral esophageal ulcers may be profound and mimic pseudo-diverticula. A comprehensive literature review revealed only one abstract of esophageal pseudo-diverticula associated with cytomegalovirus. Simultaneous esophageal candidial and CMV infections have also been rarely reported in immunocompromised patients without AIDS.
Correlation between the Angle of the Guide Plate and Crushing Performance in Vertical Shaft Crushers
Authors: Feng Feifei , Shi Jinfa , Yang Jie , Ma Junxu
Published: February 2022

A geometric model of rotors is established on the basis of the structure of vertical shaft impact crusher. The dynamic simulation of the rotor is carried out by using the discrete element software EDEM. At the same time, the correlation between the angle of the guide plate and the crushing performance of the crusher is studied systematically. The optimal angle of the guide plate is obtained by theoretical analysis of the particle motion. The simulation method is used to analyze the velocity of particles, so the influence law of the angle of the guide plate on the acceleration effect of particles is obtained. The results of this paper show that the peak value of the maximum velocity of particles is the highest when the angle of the guide plate is

35

°

, which is consistent with the theoretical results. At this time, the average velocity of particle population is the largest and the proportion of particles with high velocity is the highest. It means that the particles obtain the largest crushing kinetic energy and the best crushing performance.
Intranasal Analgosedation for Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Authors: Snyers Diane , Tribolet Sophie , Rigo Vincent
Published: March 2022

Aim: Pain management is important for newborns’ immediate and long-term well-being. While intranasal analgesia and sedation have been well studied in children, their use could be extended to term and preterm infants. This systematic review aims to assess the use of intranasal medications for procedural analgesia or sedation in the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: MEDLINE via Ovid, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched independently by two reviewers for clinical studies on sedation or analgesia given intranasally. Results: Seven studies, with 401 patients, were included. The studies described various molecules (midazolam, fentanyl, ketamine, or dexmedetomidine) for different procedures such as intubation in the delivery room, screening for retinopathy, or magnetic resonance imaging. All studies reported significant reduction in pain and sedation markers (based on clinical scales, skin conductance, and clinical variables such as heart rate and crying time). Adverse effects were uncommon and mostly consisted in desaturation, apnoea, hypotension, or paradoxical reactions. Discussion and Conclusion: The intranasal route seems a potential alternative for procedural pain management and sedation in neonates, especially when intravenous access is not available. However, data about safety remain limited. Reported sides effects could be attributed to molecules used rather than the intranasal route. Optimal drugs and doses still need to be characterized. Further studies are needed to ensure safety before promoting a widespread use of intranasal medications in neonatology.
LncRNA XIST Engages in Psoriasis via Sponging miR-338-5p to Regulate Keratinocyte Proliferation and Inflammation
Authors: Wang Yitao , Jiang Feifei , Chen Fang , Zhang Dapeng , Wang Jian
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated polygenic inflammatory skin disease in which keratinocyte proliferation is an important mechanism. The study investigated the role and regulatory relationship between lncRNA XIST and miR-338-5p in psoriatic patients and cell models. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 55 psoriasis patients. HaCaT was recruited for the cell experiments, and induced by M5 cytokines to mimic psoriasis in vitro. XIST and miR-338-5p levels were detected via qRT-PCR. Cell viability under different treatments was evaluated using CCK-8. ELISA was applied to measure the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. The regulatory relationship was confirmed using luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: Serum XIST was elevated in patients with psoriasis and can distinguish the psoriasis patients from healthy controls according to the receiver operating characteristic curve. A high level of XIST was positively correlated with the PASI score and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-17A [IL-17A], and IL-22 concentrations in psoriasis patients. XIST silencing suppressed M5-induced keratinocyte proliferation and restrained the discharge of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-22) and chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL8, CCL20). XIST can sponge miR-338-5p, and miR-338-5p downregulation abolished the inhibitory effect of XIST silencing on cell proliferation and inflammation. miR-338-5p was highly expressed in the clinical serum samples from psoriasis patients. The target relationship between miR-338-5p and IL-6 was proved. Conclusion: LncRNA XIST is highly expressed in the serum of patients with psoriasis, and was positively correlated with disease severity and inflammation. XIST may regulate keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation via regulating miR-338-5p/IL-6 axis.
Understanding Gene-Lifestyle Interaction in Obesity: The Role of Mediation versus Moderation
Authors: Pérusse Louis , Jacob Raphaëlle , Drapeau Vicky , Llewellyn Clare , Arsenault Benoit J. , Bureau Alexandre , Labonté Marie-Ève , Tremblay Angelo , Vohl Marie-Claude
Published: March 2022

Background: Obesity results from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility to weight gain and poor eating and lifestyle behaviors. The approach that has been traditionally used in genetics to investigate gene-environment/lifestyle interaction in obesity is based on the concept of moderation or effect modification. Another approach called mediation analysis can be used to investigate gene-environment interaction in obesity. The objective of this review article is to explain the differences between the concepts of moderation and mediation and summarize the studies that have used mediation analysis to support the role of eating or lifestyle behaviors as putative mediators of genetic susceptibility to obesity. Summary: Moderation is used to determine whether the effect of an exposure (genes associated with obesity) on an outcome (obesity phenotype) differs in magnitude and/or direction across the spectrum of environmental exposure. Mediation analysis is used to assess the extent to which the effect of the exposure on the outcome is explained by a given set of hypothesized mediators with the aim of understanding how the exposure could lead to the outcome. In comparison with moderation, relatively few studies used mediation analyses to investigate gene-environment interaction in obesity. Most studies found evidence that traits related to appetite or eating behaviors partly mediated genetic susceptibility to obesity in either children or adults. Key Messages: Moderation and mediation represent two complementary approaches to investigate gene-environment interaction in obesity and address different research questions pertaining to the cause-effect relationship between genetic susceptibility to obesity and various obesity outcomes. More studies relying on mediation are needed to better understand the role of eating and lifestyle habits in mediating genetic susceptibility to obesity.
Pretreatment Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose May Be a Useful New Predictor of Early Progressive Disease following Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kawamura Yusuke , Kobayashi Masahiro , Shindoh Junichi , Matsumura Masaru , Okubo Satoshi , Muraishi Nozomu , Fujiyama Shunichiro , Hosaka Tetsuya , Saitoh Satoshi , Sezaki Hitomi , Akuta Norio , Suzuki Fumitaka , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Ikeda Kenji , Arase Yasuji , Hashimoto Masaji , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: March 2022

Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) as a predictor of early progressive disease (e-PD) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev). Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with measurable intrahepatic target nodules who received Atezo/Bev treatment were reviewed. The oncological aggressiveness of tumors estimated by 18F-FDG-PET/CT was analyzed using the rate of e-PD within 12 weeks and early progression-free survival (e-PFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis was used to identify potential confounders for PD during Atezo/Bev therapy. Results: Using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1, a tumor-to-normal liver ratio (TLR) ≥2, indicating higher oncological aggressiveness in HCCs, was associated with lower objective response rates compared with TLR values <2 (18% vs. 33%, respectively). Moreover, TLR values ≥2 were significantly associated with higher e-PD rates compared with TLR values <2 (64% vs. 11%, respectively) and worse e-PFS (p = 0.021). In multivariate analysis, TLR ≥2 showed marginal significance as a predictor of e-PD (p = 0.053), and utility as a predictor for worse e-PFS (hazard ratio, 7.153; 95% confidence interval, 1.258–40.689; p = 0.027). In contrast, no significant differences in OS with/without e-PD were observed during the treatment course. In this study, 8 patients experienced e-PD and almost 40% of patients experienced acceptable disease control following subsequent lenvatinib treatment. Conclusion: Pretreatment 18F-FDG-PET/CT may be a useful new predictor of e-PD and may enable early decision-making based on early treatment changes following Atezo/Bev treatment of HCC.
Relations of Metabolic Health and Obesity to Brain Aging in Young to Middle‐Aged Adults
Authors: Angoff Rebecca , Himali Jayandra J. , Maillard Pauline , Aparicio Hugo J. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Seshadri Sudha , Beiser Alexa S. , Tsao Connie W.
Published: March 2022

Background

We aimed to evaluate the association between metabolic health and obesity and brain health measured via magnetic resonance imaging and neurocognitive testing in community dwelling adults.

Methods and Results

Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort members (n=2170, 46±9 years of age, 54% women) without prevalent diabetes, stroke, dementia, or other neurologic conditions were grouped by metabolic unhealthiness (≥2 criteria for metabolic syndrome) and obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m
2
): metabolically healthy (MH) nonobese, MH obese, metabolically unhealthy (MU) nonobese, and MU obese. We evaluated the relationships of these groups with brain structure (magnetic resonance imaging) and function (neurocognitive tests). In multivariable‐adjusted analyses, metabolically unhealthy individuals (MU nonobese and MU obese) had lower total cerebral brain volume compared with the MH nonobese referent group (both
P
<0.05). Additionally, the MU obese group had greater white matter hyperintensity volume (
P
=0.004), whereas no association was noted between white matter hyperintensity volume and either groups of metabolic health or obesity alone. Obese individuals had less favorable cognitive scores: MH obese had lower scores on global cognition, Logical Memory‐Delayed Recall and Similarities tests, and MU obese had lower scores on Similarities and Visual Reproductions‐Delayed tests (all
P
≤0.04). MU and obese groups had higher free water content and lower fractional anisotropy in several brain regions, consistent with loss of white matter integrity.

Conclusions

In this cross‐sectional cohort study of younger to middle‐aged adults, poor metabolic health and obesity were associated with structural and functional evidence of brain aging. Improvement in metabolic health and obesity may present opportunities to improve long‐term brain health.
Poetry, Magic, and the Formation of Wahhabism
Authors: Samin Nadav
Published: February 2022

The Sunni revivalist Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (d. 1792) has been subjected to rigorous scrutiny by a number of scholars. Much remains unknown about Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb’s life and work, however, not least the rationale behind his idiosyncratic style of authorship. Examining the scholar’s theological writings from the vantage point of Arabia’s oral vernacular and popular religious traditions casts new light on the particularities of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb’s appeal. That appeal, this paper argues, is rooted in phenomena that were seemingly peripheral or even anathema to his puritanical religious mission, namely, poetry and magic.
The Madness of the Majẕūbs: Three Sufi Hagiographies in Sixteenth-Century Mughal India
Authors: Advani Anurag
Published: February 2022

This article explores the phenomenon of madness in sixteenth-century north India among Sufi saints called majẕūbs. By focusing on three Indo-Persian Sufi hagiographies (taẕkirāt)—ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Dihlawī’s Akhbār al-Akhyār (1591), ʿAbd al-S̱amad Akbarābādī’s Akhbār al-Aṣfiyā (1608), and Ghaus̱ī Shaṭṭārī Mānḍwī’s Gulẕār-i Abrār (1613)—I argue that madness was central to how majẕūbs in the early Mughal period performed their spiritual ecstasy, wisdom, and miraculous behaviors. Majẕūbs also defied Sufi norms through their bodily comportment, and leveraged their insanity to subvert the authority of Mughal and other regional rulers. Therefore, majẕūbs challenge our normative understanding of ṭarīqa-based Sufism in early modern South Asia.
Crafting a Categorical Ayutthaya: Ethnic Labeling, Administrative Reforms, and Social Organization in an Early Modern Entrepôt
Authors: Reeder Matthew
Published: February 2022

In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, royal officials in Ayutthaya—the name for both the kingdom of Siam and its principal city—increasingly deployed ethnic labels for a new political purpose: to organize and distinguish administrative categories of foreign merchants, migrants, captives, and sojourners. The ethno-administrative categories that emerged were neither disinterested nor “natural.” Rather, they were shaped and reshaped by countless acts of ethnic identification made by rulers and ruled, alike. Ayutthaya’s merchant-officials, mostly of overseas origins themselves, likely adapted this approach to social organization from other port cities in maritime Asia. Cambodia’s officials, probably viewing Siam as a model, followed suit soon after. As ethnic labels became shorthand references to administrative categories, each with its own set of privileges and responsibilities, ethnicity became politically significant as never before.
When the Other Speaks: Ismāʿīl Gasprinskii and the Concept of Islamic Reformation
Authors: Sibgatullina Gulnaz
Published: February 2022

Through analysis of the Russian-language writings of the prominent Crimean Tatar Muslim educator Ismāʿīl Gasprinskii, this article engages in unpacking the term ‘Islamic Reformation’. Gasprinskii’s membership of various, not necessarily overlapping social groups, including Russian conservative circles and international Muslim liberal networks, gave rise to the multitude of complex, often mutually exclusive meanings that the term enjoyed in his work. Despite clear references that Gasprinskii made to European and global Islamic discourses on civilisation and progress, his texts remained highly sensitive to Russia’s own insecure stance vis-à-vis Europe. Responding to the nation-building rhetoric of Russia’s elites, Gasprinskii conformed to and simultaneously challenged dominant cultural codes concerning Russia’s ethnic and religious minorities in many subtle ways. His case thus invites a reconsideration of the modes of conversation that existed between the coloniser and the colonised at the turn of the twentieth century, whereby we see them not as instances of uncontested domination by and imposition of European models, but as a complex and multidirectional process in which Muslim figures, like Gasprinskii, could exercise a significant degree of agency.
Oriental Dressings, Imperial Inhalations: The Indian Hookah in British Colonial Culture
Authors: Chatterjee Arup K.
Published: February 2022

Over the course of its Anglo-Indian career, the hookah began as an archetype of colonial hybridity in eighteenth-century Bengal, before entering nineteenth-century London and its consumer sensorium as a seductive Oriental artefact, through travelogues, hookah clubs, Indian-styled diwans and a massive cataloguing of Eastern artefacts culminating in the Crystal Palace Exhibition (1851) and the Colonial and Indian Exhibition (1886). Hookahs appeared simultaneously as smoking instruments, decorative artefacts and visual signs of surplus colonial enjoyment in memoirs, travelogues and paintings from the long nineteenth century. The hookah’s decline in nineteenth-century colonial culture was camouflaged by general alarm over its degenerative effects on moral and sexual codes, well after its imperiality ran its course. In its long colonial career, the hookah symbolized colonial hybridity and surplus imperial enjoyment that surpassed its materiality. Whether in Britain or India, colonial hybridity, as symbolized by the hookah, was virtualized in nonlocal and anachronistic Anglo-Indian spaces, thus marking a remarkable digression from histories of coercive militarist, economic and political control that are so closely intertwined with the East India Company and Empire.
Nordic Norms, Natural Disasters, and International Protection
Authors: Scott Matthew , Garner Russell
Published: March 2022

In international law, new norms can emerge through the identification and development of effective practices. This article examines Swedish, Finnish and, less closely, other Nordic countries’ contributions to the slow process of norm emergence in relation to cross-border displacement in the context of disasters and climate change. It focuses on Sweden and Finland’s early adoption, and subsequent judicial application, of a legal provision establishing a right to international protection for persons unable to return home in the context of an ‘environmental disaster’. As calls are growing for European countries to take more concerted action to address this phenomenon, we examine why this pioneering approach never became an ‘effective practice’, and how this experience can nonetheless inform the emergence of new norms at the European level. Drawing on norm development theory, we argue that progressive interpretation and application of existing international protection standards, combined with the initiation of a European consultative process dedicated to identification and development of effective practices that are attuned to regional displacement dynamics, is more likely to contribute to norm emergence than the creation of new categories of international protection as attempted in Sweden and Finland.
Floristic diversity in Cold Desert regions of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India
Authors: SEKAR K. CHANDRA , PANDEY ASEESH , GIRI LALIT , JOSHI BHASKAR CHANDRA , BHATT DEEPIKA , BHOJAK PUJA , DEY DIPTI , THAPLIYAL NEHA , BISHT KAPIL , BISHT MONIKA , NEGI VIKRAM SINGH , MEHTA POONAM
Published: March 2022

Cold desert regions of Uttarakhand are one of the least explored remote ecosystems in the Himalaya with fragmented database. To address the issue, the task of documenting the floristic diversity of cold deserts of Uttarakhand was taken up in the present study. A total of 932 taxa (908 species, 05 subspecies and 19 varieties) belonging to 371 genera and 76 families of angiosperms and gymnosperms were recorded. In view of conservation of plant diversity, methods such as in-situ conservation, popularizing cultivation of endemic, threatened and high value medicinal plants and controlling the livestock grazing can be adopted.
A revision of Palaearctic Anthobium Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini). V. Algidum, morosum and tectum groups, a new species of the fusculum group, and faunistic records
Authors: SHAVRIN ALEXEY V.
Published: February 2022

containing European A. algidum (Erichson, 1840) comb.n. (from Deliphrum), the morosum group containing A. morosum sp. n. (Nepal), and the tectum group containing transpalaearctic A. tectum (Paykull, 1789) comb.n. (from Deliphrum Erichson, 1839), Siberian A. frigidum (J. Sahlberg, 1880) comb.n. (from Deliphrum), and seven new species from the eastern Palaearctic Region: A. cornatipenis sp. n. (China: Sichuan, Shalui Shan), A. himalayense sp. n. and A. vitreum sp. n. (Nepal), A. multipunctatum sp. n. (China: Sichuan, Chuangdongzi Mt.), A. smetanai sp. n. (China: Xizang, Quinlai Shan), A. tichomirovae sp. n. (Tajikistan: Gissar Mts.) and A. umbrinum sp. n. (China: Yunnan, Yulong Mts.). The species groups are defined, briefly discussed, and a key to the species of the tectum group is given. Anthobium infractum sp. n., a new species of the fusculum group from India (West Bengal), is described. The genus-group names Deliphrum and Arpediopsis Ganglbauer, 1895 (previously subgenus of Deliphrum) are treated as junior synonyms of Anthobium. All these taxa are re-described, illustrated, and their geographical distribution is mapped. Additionally, faunistic records for seven species of the consanguineum, fusculum, nigrum, and reflexum groups are given. Anthobium frigidum is recorded from Tyumen Area, Khanti-Mansi and Taimyr autonomous regions, Evenkia, Tuva and Buryatia, and A. tectum from Nenets, Khanty-Mansy, Yamalo-Nenets and Jewish autonomous regions, Tver, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Novosibirsk, Chita and Amur area, Altai, Evenkia, Tuva, and Khabarovsk Territory for the first time.
Description of Rhopalum (s. str.) gulmargense n. sp. with a key to the Indian species of the subgenus Rhopalum Stephens, 1829 s. str. (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabronini)
Authors: SAINI VARUN , DEY DEBJANI
Published: March 2022

A new species of the genus Rhopalum is described from India: Rhopalum (s. str.) gulmargense Saini & Dey. A key to the Indian species of the subgenus Rhopalum s. str. and a checklist of all Indian Rhopalum are provided.
Chasing Snowstorms: The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) Campaign
Authors: McMurdie Lynn A. , Heymsfield Gerald M. , Yorks John E. , Braun Scott A. , Skofronick-Jackson Gail , Rauber Robert M. , Yuter Sandra , Colle Brian , McFarquhar Greg M. , Poellot Michael , Novak David R. , Lang Timothy J. , Kroodsma Rachael , McLinden Matthew , Oue Mariko , Kollias Pavlos , Kumjian Matthew R. , Greybush Steven J. , Heymsfield Andrew J. , Finlon Joseph A. , McDonald Victoria L. , Nicholls Stephen
Published: March 2022

The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) is a NASA-sponsored field campaign to study wintertime snowstorms focusing on East Coast cyclones. This large cooperative effort takes place during the winters of 2020–23 to study precipitation variability in winter cyclones to improve remote sensing and numerical forecasts of snowfall. Snowfall within these storms is frequently organized in banded structures on multiple scales. The causes for the occurrence and evolution of a wide spectrum of snowbands remain poorly understood. The goals of IMPACTS are to characterize the spatial and temporal scales and structures of snowbands, understand their dynamical, thermodynamical, and microphysical processes, and apply this understanding to improve remote sensing and modeling of snowfall. The first deployment took place in January–February 2020 with two aircraft that flew coordinated flight patterns and sampled a range of storms from the Midwest to the East Coast. The satellite-simulating ER-2 aircraft flew above the clouds and carried a suite of remote sensing instruments including cloud and precipitation radars, lidar, and passive microwave radiometers. The in situ P-3 aircraft flew within the clouds and sampled environmental and microphysical quantities. Ground-based radar measurements from the National Weather Service network and a suite of radars located on Long Island, New York, along with supplemental soundings and the New York State Mesonet ground network provided environmental context for the airborne observations. Future deployments will occur during the 2022 and 2023 winters. The coordination between remote sensing and in situ platforms makes this a unique publicly available dataset applicable to a wide variety of interests.
The Death-Based Model of Organizational Learning: Accident, Pandemic, and Workplace Change in New York Public Transit
Authors: McClain Noah
Published: March 2022

The public transportation workers of New York City lost their lives to COVID-19 at a shocking rate in the spring of 2020, likely abetted by their employer’s resistance to allow workers to wear masks until mere days before a region-wide lockdown was declared. We might see this death toll as a tragic outcome of uncertainty in the face of the unprecedented, yet the stance of the employer (the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA) was consistent with its longstanding reluctance to assimilate or pursue signals that suggest need for safety reforms — that is, until a worker dies. This article terms this pattern a “death-based model of organizational learning,” and situates the virus’ toll on transport workers from three angles: first, from workers’ experience of existential precarity in their workplaces, rooted in dangers workers readily problematize but which are not addressed by management; second, by showing how the MTA may modify rules following an employee fatality, at least when that death cannot be explained by individual failures alone; and third, by exploring the MTA’s longstanding hostility to health and safety research conducted in its physical and institutional bounds. These prior patterns articulated in the MTA’s response to COVID-19, such as in passivity in the face of general public health guidelines, disinterest in obvious founts of expertise to tailor its response to the pandemic, and in the eventual acceptance of a nascent public health role in light of the mounting death toll of its employees.