bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Italian Jewish Literature (Ninth to Nineteenth Century)
Authors: Salah Asher
Published: February 2023

Prior to the formation of the Italian national state in the nineteenth century, the term “Italian” applied to the compound “Jewish literature” designates a vast and multifarious corpus of texts produced by Jews living in the geographic area of the Italian peninsula rather than a culturally and politically coherent literary tradition. At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, exposed to different civilizations, Italy has been over the centuries the home for Jews of manifold origins, traditions, and languages, Iberian refugees as well as Ottoman subjects, Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazim as well as North African Judeo-Arabs. However, the continuous presence since Late Antiquity of an ancient Jewish community in Rome and other parts of the peninsula has determined the formation of a local Jewish community characterized by its own distinctive ritual and linguistic features. Its influence has been consistent well beyond the Italian peninsula, carried by the migration of Italian Jews to central and eastern Europe at the turn of the first millennium ce or fostered by the mercantile networks of Jews from port cities such as Venice or Leghorn, in the Levant, and in other regions under the sphere of influence of Italian states. Prompted by the rise of nationalism in Europe and in the spirit of the critical investigations of Jewish past of the Wissenschaft des Judentums, since the nineteenth century, the study of Italian Jewish literature has developed into a full-fledged field of scholarship. Scholars have traditionally depicted Italy as a land where Jews and Christians coexisted in a harmonious cultural symbiosis, focusing on those periods, such as the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, when the exchanges between Jewish and Christian scholars were particularly intense and fruitful. This harmonistic vision has been challenged by recent scholarship uncovering the more complex dynamics of interaction with the Christian majority during the age of the ghettos (sixteenth to eighteenth century) and the involvement of Italian Jews in transnational frames of cultural communication within the Jewish diaspora. In the twenty-first century, the knowledge of Italian Jewish literature has enormously benefited from a growing number of studies devoted to leading authors, to different literary genera, and to specific periods. Also, a wide array of texts made available to the public in valuable and accurate critical editions has attested to the increasing interest in Italian Jewish culture. However, the literary output of the Jews in Italy still waits to be fully integrated in the general narrative of the history of Italian literature, and there is a consistent lack of studies dedicated to the legal and homiletic production of the Jews, which has been neglected in favor of scholarship devoted to their poetry and thought.
Carceral Geographies
Authors: Schliehe Anna
Published: February 2023

Carceral geography provides a valuable, spatially informed view on confinement and closed spaces, while at the same time attempting to make efforts toward social change. Carceral geography provides a new angle on wider human-geographical debates and highlights how closed spaces show broad societal issues with a heightened intensity, providing a background for discussions on issues of security, safety, and surveillance. In an attempt to conceptualize carceral geography, Philo described the subfield as one of three strands of geographical security studies dealing with “the spaces set aside for ‘securing’—detaining, locking up or away—problematic populations of one kind or another” (p. 4). While at first many studies in carceral geography have solely focused on prisons, rather than examining different types of closed institutions under the umbrella of carceral geography, research on a wider array of spaces and practices has become increasingly common, such as migrant detention, nursing homes, children’s homes, and the military. Carceral-geographic research touches upon broader issues such as gender, mobility, or the more-than-human aspects, but also wider societal discussions on labor, security, and state power. With a landmark monograph Carceral Geography: Spaces and Practices of Incarceration Dominique Moran defined carceral geography along three lines of investigation that fold together studies of incarceration with an examination of their implicit geographies: (1) the nature and experience of carceral spaces, (2) spatial and distributional characteristics of carceral systems, and (3) the relationship between the carceral system and an increasingly punitive state. These areas within carceral geography overlap with other geographies of security, namely research on landscapes of defense and critical geopolitics. While much carceral-geographic scholarship originates in an Anglophone context, research can be found in many more languages and countries.
GIS and Computational Social Sciences
Authors: Ye Xinyue
Published: February 2023

A restless intellectual dynamic has been witnessed in the field of data-driven social science in the past two decades, especially where computational social science meets GIS (geographic information science). Emerging theoretical viewpoints, data sources, and methodological advances have offered novel venues to examine both spatial and semantic information in high-dimensional and heterogeneous social datasets. Space and place can integrate social science disciplines both theoretically and methodologically. A recent surge of interests in computational social science research has been witnessed due to the increasingly availability of fine-scale human behavior and social network data. GIS-based computational social science thus emphasizes the spatio-temporal social relationships and movements ranging from micro- (individual) to macro- (social group or administrative unit) perspectives. This entry opens with GIS and Computational Social Science: History and Status and the frameworks on which it is based. We have identified three interrelated themes and one trend: (1) Spatial Regression and Simulation, (2) Spatial Social Networking, (3) Human Mobility, and (4) integrated conceptualizations, analytical methods, and open source packages toward synthesis and convergence. The convergence between GIS and Computational Social Science can be achieved through these human-centered and context-based interrelated themes. With the increasingly available detailed individual-level data and analytical tools, the cross-fertilisationbetween GIS and computational social science brings the human factor to the former while situating the latter in the spatial context. Finally, the implications of such trends in terms of achieving convergence and synthesis between GIS and computational social science are presented.
Ming Poetry 1522–1644: New Literary Traditions
Authors: Lin Tsung-Cheng
Published: February 2023

From the foundation of the Ming dynasty until the early sixteenth century, archaism, and its emphasis on the supremacy of Tang poetry, dominated poetic thought. As time passed, however, literati were increasingly confronted by the question of how to modernize Ming literature. While the literati strived toward contemporaneity, Wang Yangming’s 王阳明 (b. 1472–d. 1529) xinxue心学 (Philosophy of Mind) emerged as the leading mode of thought in opposition to archaism. Xinxue, stressing the importance of “mind” over “learning” and emphasizing the importance of contemporaneity and spontaneity, strongly resonated with the literati’s concerns. Due to its consistency with xinxue thought, xingling性灵 (native sensibility) poetics began to attract special attention in literary circles. The early sixteenth century was an important age for Chinese vernacular literature. During this period, public literacy reached a new historic high and was accompanied by significant development in the publishing industries. Consequently, vernacular literature, particularly drama and fiction, grew in popularity, drawing a large readership and attracting a considerable number of poets to the two genres. In response to the flourishing vernacular literature, Ming poets began to adopt popular literary devices and subjects as part of their project of modernization. By incorporating the devices of popular literature into poetry, Ming poets promoted considerable dialogue between poetry and other literary genres, which significantly influenced the poetic transition following 1522. Just as xinxue and xingling poetics were prevailing among literati circles, the archaist Later Seven Masters became the leading school of poetics. Shortly after their archaism became mainstream, however, a robust anti-archaist movement commenced. This literary movement was initiated by Xu Wei 徐渭 (b. 1521–d. 1593), Li Zhi 李贽 (b. 1527–d. 1602), and Tang Xianzu 汤显祖 (b. 1550–d. 1616), who were succeeded by the Gongan 公安and Jingling 竟陵 schools. During this stage, xingling poetics developed substantially and laid the foundation for further literary development in later centuries. During the final two decades of the Ming dynasty, after xingling poetics had prevailed in literati circles for some time, a new popular archaist movement headed by Chen Zilong 陈子龙 (b. 1608–d. 1647) rose to preeminence. This final rise of archaism not only opposed xingling poetics, but also asserted the urgency of promoting traditional cultural identity. Restating the importance of the past allowed poets to sustain their cultural identity in the face of distressing political crises, particularly the imminent Manchu military invasion, and the cultural threat that these entailed.
A Mineralogical Model for Thermal Transport Properties of Rocks: Verification for Low-Porosity, Crystalline Rocks at Ambient Conditions
Authors: Merriman Jesse D , Whittington Alan G , Hofmeister Anne M
Published: February 2023

Thermal conductivity (K) describes the response of matter to temporal or spatial variations in temperature (T). To quantify the effect of varying mineralogy on heat transport of rocks, an accurate (±2%) contact-free heat transfer method was applied at ambient T to multiple sections from 33 different low porosity, continental, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Thermal diffusivity (Dheat) was measured using laser-flash analysis, which was previously used to construct our large mineralogical database and which mitigates spurious radiative transfer found in other techniques. These measurements constrain K, because K is the product of Dheat with the known (or calculable) properties of density and specific heat measured at constant pressure (P). Compositions, proportions, and orientations of minerals, plus rock density, average grain-size (L), and porosity were characterized for 61 sections from 29 silicate rocks plus 5 sections from 3 marbles. Our database was used to evaluate component summation (averaging) formulae that were recently developed by considering Fourier’s laws, and to quantify the dependence of K and/or Dheat on key rock descriptors. We found that: (1) phase proportions and compositions are the main cause of variations; (2) minor porosity and foliation have minor effects; and (3) within ~5%, isotropic rocks follow Dheat = ½{[Σ(fi/Di)]−1 + Σ(fiDi)} where fi is volumetric mineral fraction, analogous to the Voigt-Reuss-Hill average for elastic moduli. Using this formula predictively depends on the accuracy of fi and Di. Quartzo-feldspathic rocks can be described by a new formula that uses only quartz fraction and plagioclase composition. Combining our mineralogical model with a universal formula for Dheat(T) and a thermodynamic identity for K(P) accurately constrains conductive thermal transport for Earth’s low porosity, crystalline rock layers.
Refocusing Frege’s Other Puzzle: A Response to Snyder, Samuels, and Shapiro
Authors: Hofweber Thomas
Published: February 2023

In their recent article ‘Resolving Frege’s other Puzzle’ Eric Snyder, Richard Samuels, and Stewart Shapiro defend a semantic type-shifting solution to Frege’s other Puzzle and criticize my own cognitive type-shifting solution. In this article I respond to their criticism and in turn point to several problems with their preferred solution. In particular, I argue that they conflate semantic function and semantic value, and that their proposal is neither based on general semantic type-shifting principles nor adequate to the data.
Scales of justice. Large dams and water rights in the Tigris–Euphrates basin
Authors: Tinti Alessandro
Published: February 2023

The paper explores the politics of scale associated with the top-down planning of large hydraulic infrastructures in the Tigris–Euphrates basin. Against the backdrop of a worsening water crisis and the lack of cooperation between riparian countries, dams and reservoirs across the transboundary river system are sites of contestation between competing claims over dwindling and disputed resources. Drawing on post-structuralist insights from human geography on the politics of scale and the literature on megaprojects, it is argued here that hydraulic infrastructures are materially and discursively implicated in the construction of waterscapes at different scales to sustain broader political imaginaries. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and with a focus on the autonomous Region of Kurdistan in Iraq, the analysis juxtaposes the narratives deployed by state- and non-state actors to support or counter the development of additional dams. While, on the one hand, the Kurdistan Regional Government portrays hydraulic infrastructures as a vital source of security and well-being within the overarching nationalist narrative of Kurdish self-determination, on the other hand, transnational civil society groups under the umbrella of the Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign have mobilized against the adverse impact of megaprojects and appealed to the common Mesopotamian heritage in order to de-escalate political tensions within the transboundary river basin. In both cases, hydraulic infrastructures provide a framework for political action to secure recognition of rights and assert the appropriate scale of governance. Furthermore, bottom-up resistance is accompanied by the promotion of a participatory and inclusive approach to shared waters. From this perspective, the spatial politics of megaprojects intersect with issues of identity, equity, and sustainability.
Singular quiver varieties over extended Dynkin quivers
Authors: Helle Gard Olav
Published: February 2023

We classify the singularities in the unframed Nakajima quiver varieties associated with extended Dynkin quivers and the corresponding minimal imaginary root with a small restriction on the parameters and use this to construct a number of hyper-Kähler cobordisms between binary polyhedral spaces.
Risk Classification in Insurance Markets with Risk and Preference Heterogeneity
Authors: Farinha Luz Vitor , Gottardi Piero , Moreira Humberto
Published: February 2023

This paper studies a competitive model of insurance markets in which consumers are privately informed about their risk and risk preferences. We provide a characterization of the equilibria, which depend non-trivially on consumers’ type distribution, a desirable feature for policy analysis. The use of consumer characteristics for risk classification is modeled as the disclosure of a public informative signal. A novel property of signals, monotonicity, is shown to be necessary and sufficient for their release to be welfare improving for almost all consumer types. We also study the effect of changes to the risk distribution in the population as the result of demographic changes or policy interventions. We show that an increase in the risk distribution, according to the monotone likelihood ratio ordering of distribution, leads to lower utility for almost all consumer types. In contrast, the effect is ambiguous when considering the first-order stochastic dominance ordering.
Genetic Insights of Schizophrenia via Single Cell RNA-Sequencing Analyses
Authors: Wu Yong , Zhang Chu-Yi , Wang Lu , Li Yi , Xiao Xiao
Published: February 2023

Background

Schizophrenia is a complex and heterogeneous disorder involving multiple regions and types of cells in the brain. Despite rapid progress made by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia, the mechanisms of the illness underlying the GWAS significant loci remain less clear.

Study Design

We investigated schizophrenia risk genes using summary-data-based Mendelian randomization based on single-cell sequencing data, and explored the types of brain cells involved in schizophrenia through the expression weighted cell-type enrichment analysis.

Results

We identified 54 schizophrenia risk genes (two-thirds of these genes were not identified using sequencing data of bulk tissues) using single-cell RNA-sequencing data. Further cell type enrichment analysis showed that schizophrenia risk genes were highly expressed in excitatory neurons and caudal ganglionic eminence interneurons, suggesting putative roles of these cells in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We also found that these risk genes identified using single-cell sequencing results could form a large protein-protein interaction network with genes affected by disease-causing rare variants.

Conclusions

Through integrative analyses using expression data at single-cell levels, we identified 54 risk genes associated with schizophrenia. Notably, many of these genes were only identified using single-cell RNA-sequencing data, and their altered expression levels in particular types of cells, rather than in the bulk tissues, were related to the increased risk of schizophrenia. Our results provide novel insight into the biological mechanisms of schizophrenia, and future single-cell studies are necessary to further facilitate the understanding of the disorder.
Altered neuronal response to visual food stimuli in adolescents undergoing chronic sleep restriction
Authors: DiFrancesco Mark W , Alsameen Maryam , St-Onge Marie-Pierre , Duraccio Kara M , Beebe Dean W
Published: February 2023

Study Objectives

Poor sleep in adolescents can increase the risk of obesity, possibly due to changes in dietary patterns. Prior neuroimaging evidence, mostly in adults, suggests that lacking sleep results in increased response to food cues in reward-processing brain regions. Needed is a clarification of the mechanisms by which food reward processing is altered by the kind of chronic sleep restriction (SR) typically experienced by adolescents. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of sleep duration on response to visual food stimuli in healthy adolescents using functional neuroimaging, hypothesizing increased reward processing response after SR compared to a well-rested condition.

Methods

Thirty-nine healthy adolescents, 14–17 years old, completed a 3-week protocol: (1) sleep phase stabilization; (2) SR (~6.5 h nightly); and (3) healthy sleep (HS) duration (~9 h nightly). Participants underwent functional MRI while performing a visual food paradigm. Contrasts of food versus nonfood responses were compared within-subject between conditions of SR and HS.

Results

Under SR, there was a greater response to food stimuli compared to HS in a voxel cluster including the left ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra. No change in food appeal rating due to the sleep manipulation was detected.

Conclusions

Outcomes of this study suggest that SR, as commonly experienced by healthy adolescents, results in the elevated dopaminergic drive of the reward network that may augment motivation to seek food in the context of individual food appeal and inhibitory profiles. Countermeasures that reduce food salience could include promoting consistent HS habits.
NemaTaxa: A New Taxonomic Database for Analysis of Nematode Community Data
Authors: Baker Hannah V. , Ibarra Caballero Jorge R. , Gleason Cynthia , Jahn Courtney E. , Hesse Cedar N. , Stewart Jane E. , Zasada Inga A.
Published: February 2023

High-throughput amplicon sequencing of nematode communities has the potential to increase our understanding of nematode community ecology. A current constraint to the widespread implementation of amplicon sequencing is the lack of sequence databases with consistent taxonomic naming schemes. Focusing on 18S sequence data, we developed NemaTaxa, a manually curated database that can be used with QIIME and mothur analysis platforms. Nematode 18S sequence data were downloaded from NCBI, from which both Nematoda universal primers NF1 and 18Sr2b aligned. Taxonomic strings were trimmed to include only classical Linnaean lineages to genera within Nematoda; incomplete Linnaean lineages were corrected. NemaTaxa was compared with other available databases (specifically, PR2 and Silva v132) available for mothur, by comparing nematode taxonomic assignment of nematode communities collected from Oregon, Idaho, and Washington potato cropping systems. In general, NemaTaxa performed similar to PR2 in the number of contigs assigned to Nematoda. NemaTaxa resolves classification at the genus, family, and order levels while PR2 always has a portion of sequences assigned at the class level due to incomplete taxonomic strings. For example, only a small proportion of contigs (0 to 0.4%) for Chromadorea and Enoplea were unclassified using NemaTaxa compared with 5 to 80% for PR2. The Silva v132 database available in mothur is of limited use because of the greatly reduced number of nematode sequences available in the database, making classification only possible to the level of order. NemaTaxa offers an “off-the-shelf” database that can be used by nonexperts in nematology wanting to explore nematode community ecology and, therefore, will allow for inclusion of nematodes in soil ecology studies that employ amplicon sequencing for other organisms such as fungi and bacteria.
Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species-Aided Localized Cell Death Contributing to Immune Responses Against Wheat Powdery Mildew Pathogen
Authors: Li Yinghui , Roychowdhury Rajib , Govta Liubov , Jaiwar Samidha , Wei Zhen-Zhen , Shams Imad , Fahima Tzion
Published: February 2023

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and hypersensitive response (HR)-mediated cell death have long been known to play critical roles in plant immunity to pathogens. Wheat powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici ( Bgt) is a destructive wheat pathogen. Here, we report a quantitative analysis of the proportion of infected cells with local apoplastic ROS (apoROS) versus intracellular ROS (intraROS) accumulation in various wheat accessions that carry different disease resistance genes ( R genes) at a series of time points postinfection. The proportion of apoROS accumulation was 70 to 80% of the infected wheat cells detected in both compatible and incompatible host−pathogen interactions. However, intensive intraROS accumulation followed by localized cell death responses was detected in 11 to 15% of the infected wheat cells, mainly in wheat lines that carried nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat R genes (e.g., Pm3F, Pm41, TdPm60, MIIW72, and Pm69). The lines that carry unconventional R genes, Pm24 ( Wheat Tandem Kinase 3) and pm42 (a recessive R gene), showed fewer intraROS responses, whereas 11% of Pm24 line-infected epidermis cells still showed HR cell death, suggesting that different resistance pathways are activated there. Here, we also demonstrated that ROS could not act as a strong systemic signal for inducing high resistance to Bgt in wheat, although it induced the expression of pathogenesis-related genes. These results provide new insights into the contribution of intraROS and localized cell death to immune responses against wheat powdery mildew.
Polymorphism of Avirulence Genes and Adaptation to Brassica Resistance Genes Is Gene-Dependent in the Phytopathogenic Fungus Leptosphaeria maculans
Authors: Gautier Angélique , Laval Valérie , Faure Sébastien , Rouxel Thierry , Balesdent Marie-Hélène
Published: February 2023

The fungal phytopathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, which causes stem canker (blackleg) of rapeseed ( Brassica napus), is mainly controlled worldwide by genetic resistance, which includes major resistance genes ( Rlm). This model is one of those for which the highest number of avirulence genes ( AvrLm) has been cloned. In many systems, including the L. maculans–B. napus interaction, intense use of resistance genes exerts strong selection pressure on the corresponding avirulent isolates, and the fungi may rapidly escape resistance through various molecular events which modify the avirulence genes. In the literature, the study of polymorphism at avirulence loci is often focused on single genes under selection pressure. In this study, we investigate allelic polymorphism at 11 avirulence loci in a French population of 89 L. maculans isolates collected on a trap cultivar in four geographic locations in the 2017−2018 cropping season. The corresponding Rlm genes have been (i) used for a long time, (ii) recently used, or (iii) unused in agricultural practice. The sequence data generated indicate an extreme diversity of situations. For example, genes submitted to an ancient selection may have either been deleted in populations ( AvrLm1) or replaced by a single-nucleotide mutated virulent version ( AvrLm2, AvrLm5-9). Genes that have never been under selection may either be nearly invariant ( AvrLm6, AvrLm10A, AvrLm10B), exhibit rare deletions ( AvrLm11, AvrLm14), or display a high diversity of alleles and isoforms ( AvrLmS-Lep2). These data suggest that the evolutionary trajectory of avirulence/virulence alleles is gene-dependent and independent of selection pressure in L. maculans.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Development of a Wound Assessment Tool for Use in Adults at End of Life: A Modified Delphi Study
Authors: Latimer Sharon , Harbeck Emma , Walker Rachel M. , Ray-Barruel Gillian , Shaw Joanie , Hunt Tracy , Gillespie Brigid M.
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

Some patients at end of life (EOL) develop wounds known as Kennedy terminal ulcers, terminal ulcers, and Skin Changes At Life’s End. However, there is ambiguity around the defining wound characteristics of these conditions and a lack of validated clinical assessment tools available to identify them.

OBJECTIVE

To gain consensus on the definition and characteristics of EOL wounds and establish the face and content validity of a wound assessment tool for use in adults at EOL.

METHODS

Using a reactive online Delphi technique, international wound experts reviewed the 20 items in the tool. Over two iterative rounds, experts assessed item clarity, relevance, and importance using a four-point content validity index. The content validity index scores were calculated for each item, with a level of 0.78 or higher signifying panel consensus.

RESULTS

Round 1 included 16 panelists (100.0%). The agreement for item relevance and importance ranged from 0.54% to 0.94%, and item clarity scored between 0.25% and 0.94%. Following round 1, four items were removed, and seven others reworded. Other suggestions included changing the tool name and including Kennedy terminal ulcer, terminal ulcer, and Skin Changes At Life’s End in the EOL wound definition. In round 2, the now 13 panel members agreed with the final 16 items included and suggested minor wording changes.

CONCLUSIONS

This tool could provide clinicians with an initially validated tool to accurately assess EOL wounds and gather much needed empirical prevalence data. Further research is needed to underpin accurate assessment and the development of evidence-based management strategies.
Understanding venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism
Authors: Georgilis Shenaz
Published: February 2023

Also known as deep vein thrombosis, venous thromboembolism can result in serious injury or death. Nurses should understand the risk, screen appropriately, and implement evidence-based care.
Comparison of Different Surgical Techniques in Correction of Congenital Vertical Talus Deformity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature
Authors: Cummings Jason L. , Rivera Asdrubal E. , Tippabhatla Abhishek , Hosseinzadeh Pooya
Published: February 2023

Background:

Congenital Vertical Talus (CVT) is a rare form of congenital rigid flatfoot. Numerous surgical techniques have been developed over the years in an attempt to definitively correct this deformity. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature to compare the outcomes of children with CVT treated with different methods.

Methods:

A detailed systematic search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Radiographic recurrence of the deformity, reoperation rate, ankle arc of motion, and clinical scoring was compared between the following 5 methods: Two-Stage Coleman-Stelling Technique, Direct Medial Approach, Single-Stage Dorsal (Seimon) Approach, Cincinnati Incision, and Dobbs Method. Meta-analyses of proportions were performed, and data were pooled through a random effects model using the DerSimonian and Laird approach. Heterogeneity was assessed using I^2 statistics. The authors used a modified version of the Adelaar scoring system to assess clinical outcomes. An alpha of 0.05 was used for all statistical analysis.

Results:

Thirty-one studies (580 feet) met the inclusion criteria. The reported incidence of radiographic recurrence of talonavicular subluxation was 19.3%, with 7.8% requiring reoperation. Radiographic recurrence of the deformity was highest in the children treated with the direct medial approach (29.3%) and lowest in the Single-Stage Dorsal Approach cohort (11%) (P<0.05). The reoperation rate was significantly lower in the Single-Stage Dorsal Approach cohort (2%) compared with all other methods (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the reoperation rates between the other methods. The highest clinical score was seen in the Dobbs Method cohort (8.36), followed by the group treated with the Single-Stage Dorsal Approach (7.81). The Dobbs Method resulted in the largest ankle arc of motion.

Conclusion:

We found the lowest radiographic recurrence and reoperation rates in the Single-Stage Dorsal Approach cohort, while the highest rate of radiographic recurrence was seen in those treated with the Direct Medial Approach. The Dobbs Method results in higher clinical scores and ankle arc of motion. Future long-term studies focusing on patient-reported outcomes are needed.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Is There a Relationship Between the Functional Level of Juvenile and Adolescent Patients With Down Syndrome and Hip Dysplasia?
Authors: Galán-Olleros María , Palazón-Quevedo Ángel , Egea-Gámez Rosa M. , Ramírez-Barragán Ana , Serrano J. Ignacio , Martínez-Caballero Ignacio
Published: February 2023

Background:

The prevalence of hip dysplasia among patients with Down syndrome (DS) is higher than in the general population. We hypothesize that a relationship may exist between functional level and hip dysplasia in DS, but this has not been studied to date. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there is a relationship between functional level and radiographic parameters of hip dysplasia or other measures.

Methods:

Retrospective cross-sectional comparative study of 652 patients with DS from a pediatric referral center database. Patients over 8 years of age with an anteroposterior pelvis radiograph and with no exclusion criteria were selected, totaling 132 patients (264 hips; 54.55% females; mean age 12.96 ± 2.87 y). Several radiographic parameters of the acetabulum [Sharp angle (SA), Tönnis angle (TA), Wiberg center-edge angle (W-CEA), extrusion index (EI), and acetabular retroversion signs], the proximal femur [neck shaft angle (NSA)], and joint congruence [Shenton line (SL)] were assessed. Patients were classified into 2 levels based on functional skills. A multivariate association analysis was performed between radiographic parameters and functional level.

Results:

Sixty-one patients were compatible with a functional level I and 71 with a level II. Forty-six hips were dysplastic and 60 were borderline according to the W-CEA. A statistically significant relationship was found between the categorical distribution of certain radiographic measurements of hip dysplasia (EI, SA, TA, W-CEA, SL, and classification by functional level (P < 0.0005). A significant receiver operating characteristic curve was obtained for W-CEA with a cutt-off point at 26.4 degrees for level I (area under the curve = 0.763; P < 0.005; sensitivity = 0.800 and specificity = 0.644). There was a fairly high correlation between EI and TA (0.749; P < 0.0005), EI and W-CEA (−0.817; P < 0.0005), and TA and W-CEA (−0.748; P < 0.0005). Numerous hips showed signs of acetabular retroversion, with no significant differences found between functional levels or association with hip dysplasia measures.

Conclusions:

The present study reveals a relationship between an increased risk of hip dysplasia and reduced functional levels in DS children older than 8 years. These findings may guide individualized clinical follow-up of hip development in DS children considering their functional level.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Indications and Outcomes of a Tibial Turn-up Procedure: A Case Series and Review of the Literature
Authors: Voskuil Ryan T. , Welder Eric , Schulz Steven A. , Mayerson Joel L. , Scharschmidt Thomas J.
Published: February 2023

Background:

Treatment options for distal femoral bone loss resulting from malignancy, infection, or trauma can be grouped into limb salvage techniques versus amputation. A vascularized osteomyocutaneous flap using the ipsilateral tibia—a tibial turn-up procedure—can be used to restore femoral length for high above-knee amputations in both the primary and revision setting. We report 3 patients treated with this procedure.

Purpose:

To describe the treatment algorithm and functional outcomes of patients who have undergone a tibial turn-up procedure and to highlight its viability when considering surgical options for the treatment of distal femoral primary bone and soft tissue malignancy and in cases of severe trauma, infection, or implant failure.

Patients and Methods:

Three patients ages 21 to 56 years old treated with tibial turn-up as a salvage procedure for failed limb sparing techniques were followed for 1.5 to 3.5 years postoperatively. One was treated for recalcitrant chronic distal femur osteomyelitis, 1 for aseptic loosening of distal femoral replacement, and 1 for infected distal femoral replacement. Radiographic and functional outcomes including prosthetic use, ambulatory status, and current activity level were reported.

Results:

At a minimum 1.5-year follow-up, all 3 patients achieved bony union and were ambulatory with prosthetics without the use of additional gait aids.

Conclusions:

Tibial turn-up is an effective treatment option in the setting of distal femoral bone loss and/or limb salvage complications, providing good functional outcomes with a single durable surgery.
Genetic background of idiopathic neurodevelopmental delay patients with significant brain deviation volume
Authors: Chen Xiang , Chen Yuxi , Yan Kai , Chen Huiyao , Qin Qian , Yang Lin , Liu Bo , Cheng Guoqiang , Cao Yun , Wu Bingbing , Dong Xinran , Qiao Zhongwei , Zhou Wenhao
Published: February 2023

Background:

Significant brain volume deviation is an essential phenotype in children with neurodevelopmental delay (NDD), but its genetic basis has not been fully characterized. This study attempted to analyze the genetic factors associated with significant whole-brain deviation volume (WBDV).

Methods:

We established a reference curve based on 4222 subjects ranging in age from the first postnatal day to 18 years. We recruited only NDD patients without acquired etiologies or positive genetic results. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical exome sequencing (2742 genes) data were acquired. A genetic burden test was performed, and the results were compared between patients with and without significant WBDV. Literature review analyses and BrainSpan analysis based on the human brain developmental transcriptome were performed to detect the potential role of genetic risk factors in human brain development.

Results:

We recruited a total of 253 NDD patients. Among them, 26 had significantly decreased WBDV (<−2 standard deviations [SDs]), and 14 had significantly increased WBDV (>+2 SDs). NDD patients with significant WBDV had higher rates of motor development delay (49.8% [106/213] vs.75% [30/40, P = 0.003) than patients without significant WBDV. Genetic burden analyses found 30 genes with an increased allele frequency of rare variants in patients with significant WBDV. Analyses of the literature further demonstrated that these genes were not randomly identified: burden genes were more related to the brain development than background genes (P = 1.656e–9). In seven human brain regions related to motor development, we abserved burden genes had higher expression before 37 weeks gestational age than postnatal stages. Functional analyses found that burden genes were enriched in embryonic brain development, positive regulation of synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, positive regulation of deoxyribonucleic acid templated transcription, and response to hormone, and these genes were shown to be expressed in neural progenitors. Based on single cell sequencing analyses, we found TUBB2B gene had elevated expression levels in neural progenitor cells, interneuron, and excitatory neuron and SOX15 had high expression in interneuron and excitatory neuron.

Conclusion:

Idiopathic NDD patients with significant brain volume changes detected by MRI had an increased prevalence of motor development delay, which could be explained by the genetic differences characterized herein.
Muscular tissue desaturation and pneumonia in patients receiving lung cancer surgery: a cohort study
Authors: Zhao Wei , Zhang Caijuan , Mu Dongliang , Cui Fan , Jia Huiqun
Published: February 2023

Background:

Post-operative pneumonia (POP) is a common complication of lung cancer surgery, and muscular tissue oxygenation is a root cause of post-operative complications. However, the association between muscular tissue desaturation and POP in patients receiving lung cancer surgery has not been specifically studied. This study aimed to investigate the potential use of intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation as a predictor of POP in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.

Methods:

This cohort study enrolled patients (≥55 years) who had undergone lobectomy with one-lung ventilation. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored in the forearm (over the brachioradialis muscle) and upper thigh (over the quadriceps) using a tissue oximeter. The minimum SmtO2 was the lowest intra-operative measurement at any time point. Muscular tissue desaturation was defined as a minimum baseline SmtO2 of <80% for >15 s. The area under or above the threshold was the product of the magnitude and time of desaturation. The primary outcome was the association between intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation and POP within seven post-operative days using multivariable logistic regression.The secondary outcome was the correlation between SmtO2 in the forearm and that in the thigh.

Results:

We enrolled 174 patients. The overall incidence of muscular desaturation (defined as SmtO2 < 80% in the forearm at baseline) was approximately 47.1% (82/174). The patients with muscular desaturation had a higher incidence of pneumonia than those without desaturation (28.0% [23/82] vs. 12.0% [11/92]; P = 0.008). The multivariable analysis revealed that muscular desaturation was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.995, 95% confidence interval: 1.080–8.310, P = 0.035) after adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score, smoking, use of peripheral nerve block, propofol, and study center.

Conclusion:

Muscular tissue desaturation, defined as a baseline SmtO2 < 80% in the forearm, may be associated with an increased risk of POP.

Trial registration:

No. ChiCTR-ROC-17012627.
Dose-adjusted EPOCH-R vs. R-CHOP in frontline management of Waldeyer's ring diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a retrospective study from a single institution
Authors: Liang Yuanzheng , Liu Xindi , Yang Jing , Wang Henan , Piao Yingshi , Wei Liqiang , Wang Liang
Published: February 2023

Background:

To compare the efficacy and safety of dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin plus rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) with standard rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) in Waldeyer's ring diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (WR-DLBCL) at a single institution.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 115 newly diagnosed patients with WR-DLBCL, of whom 68 patients received R-CHOP, and 47 patients received DA-EPOCH-R as their first-line treatment. The baseline features of the two groups were well balanced using a 1:1 propensity score matching method, and a total of 84 cases were obtained, including respective 42 cases in the R-CHOP and DA-EPOCH-R groups, for further survival and prognosis analysis. The primary objectives included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results:

During a median follow-up of 45 months, there were nine (21.4%) deaths in the R-CHOP group and two (4.8%) in the DA-EPOCH-R group. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed statistically significant improvements in PFS and OS in patients with DA-EPOCH-R compared with those treated with R-CHOP (log-rank test, P = 0.025 and P = 0.035, respectively). The 2-year PFS and OS rates in the DA-EPOCH-R group were 90.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81.4–99.8%) and 95.2% (95% CI: 89.0–100.0%), respectively, and 80.5% (95% CI: 69.3–93.6%) and 90.5% (95% CI: 52.8–99.8%) in the R-CHOP group. Patients without B symptoms and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels had a higher PFS in the DA-EPOCH-R group, with P values of 0.038 (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01–0.88) and 0.042 (HR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04–0.94), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in clinical responses and treatment-related toxicities between the two groups.

Conclusion:

Compared with patients received R-CHOP, those treated by DA-EPOCH-R had superior PFS, OS, and controlled toxicity in patients with WR-DLBCL.
Efficacy and Prognostic Factors of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Hu Yu-xiong , Guo Li-jing , Lin Meng-qing , Lin Qing-yu
Published: February 2023

Objective:

To discuss the efficacy and potential prognostic factors of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods:

A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the medical history of patients (n=111) confirmed with advanced NSCLC in the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from 2018 to 2020. All enrolled patients with adenocarcinoma (n=69), squamous cell carcinoma (n=28), and other types of lung cancer (n=14) were treated with the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1) inhibitors. They were divided into groups of PD-1 inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy, and PD-1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy and angiogenesis inhibitors according to the treatment regimen. General clinical data of all patients were collected, and the Kaplan-Meier analysis was applied to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze prognostic factors associated with PFS and OS after treatment.

Results:

Of 111 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICIs, 6 were fully responsive, 33 were partially responsive, 55 were stable, and 17 were progressive. There was no significant difference in objective response rate between the 3 groups. In the subgroup analysis according to the lines of therapy, the objective response rate of patients receiving first-line treatment was 46.7%, which was significantly higher than that of other line treatment groups (P=0.014). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the history of hormone use (HR=1.593; P=0.033), second-line or further lines of therapy (HR=2.871; P<0.001), and high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR; HR=1.498; P=0.045) were independent risk factors for PFS after immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC. And the history of hormone use (HR=1.518; P=0.015) and high NLR (HR=3.053; P=0.001) were as well the independent risk factors for OS after immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC.

Conclusion:

ICIs therapy clearly had a greater survival benefit in patients who received first-line therapy, had no history of hormone use, and showed low NLR after initial treatment. ICIs can be an effective treatment for advanced NSCLC.
The LabPS score
Authors: Nieder Carsten , Haukland Ellinor C. , Mannsåker Bård , Dalhaug Astrid
Published: February 2023

Objectives:

To provide a widely applicable, blood-biomarker-based and performance-status-based prognostic model, which predicts the survival of patients undergoing palliative non-brain radiotherapy. This model has already been examined in a cohort of patients treated for brain metastases and performed well.

Methods:

This was a retrospective single-institution analysis of 375 patients, managed with non-ablative radiotherapy to extracranial targets, such as bone, lung, or lymph nodes. Survival was stratified by LabPS score, a model including serum hemoglobin, platelets, albumin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and performance status. Zero, 0.5, or 1 point was assigned and the final point sum calculated. A higher point sum indicates shorter survival.

Results:

The LabPS score predicted overall survival very well (median 0.6 to 26.5 mo, 3-month rate 0% to 100%, 1-year rate 0% to 89%), P=0.0001. However, the group with the poorest prognosis (4.5 points) was very small. Most patients with comparably short survival or radiotherapy administered in the last month of life had a lower point sum. Additional prognostic factors, such as liver metastases, opioid analgesic use, and/or corticosteroid medication, were identified.

Conclusions:

If busy clinicians prefer a general prognostic model rather than a panel of separate diagnosis-specific/target-specific scores, they may consider validating the LabPS score in their own practice. In resource-constrained settings, inexpensive standard blood tests may be preferable over imaging-derived prognostic information. Just like other available scores, the LabPS cannot identify all patients with very short survival.