bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of hydroxychloroquine on the cardiac ventricular repolarization: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Eveleens Maarse Boukje C. , Graff Claus , Kanters Jørgen K. , van Esdonk Michiel J. , Kemme Michiel J. B. , in 't Veld Aliede E. , Jansen Manon A. A. , Moerland Matthijs , Gal Pim
Published: July 2021

Aims

Hydroxychloroquine has been suggested as possible treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2. Studies reported an increased risk of QTcF‐prolongation after treatment with hydroxychloroquine. The aim of this study was to analyse the concentration‐dependent effects of hydroxychloroquine on the ventricular repolarization, including QTcF‐duration and T‐wave morphology.

Methods

Twenty young (≤30 y) and 20 elderly (65–75 y) healthy male subjects were included. Subjects were randomized to receive either a total dose of 2400 mg hydroxychloroquine over 5 days, or placebo (ratio 1:1). Follow‐up duration was 28 days. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded as triplicate at baseline and 4 postdose single recordings, followed by hydroxychloroquine concentration measurements. ECG intervals (RR, QRS, PR, QTcF, J‐Tpc, Tp‐Te) and T‐wave morphology, measured with the morphology combination score, were analysed with a prespecified linear mixed effects concentration–effect model.

Results

There were no significant associations between hydroxychloroquine concentrations and ECG characteristics, including RR‐, QRS‐ and QTcF‐interval (P = .09, .34, .25). Mean ΔΔQTcF‐interval prolongation did not exceed 5 ms and the upper limit of the 90% confidence interval did not exceed 10 ms at the highest measured concentrations (200 ng/mL). There were no associations between hydroxychloroquine concentration and the T‐wave morphology (P = .34 for morphology combination score). There was no significant effect of age group on ECG characteristics.

Conclusion

In this study, hydroxychloroquine did not affect ventricular repolarization, including the QTcF‐interval and T‐wave morphology, at plasma concentrations up to 200 ng/mL. Based on this analysis, hydroxychloroquine does not appear to increase the risk of QTcF‐induced arrhythmias.
Making a Constituent Assembly Possible in Chile: The Shifting Costs of Opposing Change
Authors: Escudero Maria Cristina
Published: July 2021

On 25 October 2020, Chile voted in favour of a Constitutional Convention (or Constituent Assembly) to replace the 1980 constitution. This kind of constituent mechanism had previously been resisted by the traditional political parties, most of whom now support the mechanism. This article identifies the political groups who opposed a Constituent Assembly and argues that the shift in approach was due to three factors. First, there had been a cumulative process of social pressure and political reactions since 2006. Second, the social unrest of October 2019 raised costs for the political elite – right and left – of denying a Constituent Assembly. Third, the establishment was able to reduce the uncertainty of the constitution‐making process.
Review: Universal mental health interventions for young students in adverse environments – a systematic review of evaluated interventions
Authors: Higgen Sanna , Mueller Jessica T. , Mösko Mike
Published: July 2021

Background

Universal classroom‐based interventions are a useful method to increase the mental health and resilience in children. Resilience describes the process that leads to a positive development despite adversities. It comprises the seven resources access to material resources, relationships, identity, power and control, cultural adherence, social justice and cohesion. Yet there is a paucity of studies evaluating interventions that enhance resilience in children exposed to adverse childhood experiences.

Method

This systematic review investigates whether universal classroom‐based interventions can increase the seven resilience‐related resources in children that live in adverse environments. Search strings were formulated based on an adapted version of the PICO criteria. The risk of bias of the individual studies was assessed using the ROBINS‐I tool.

Results

Seventeen studies were included in the review, of which 15 found an increase in resilience. The resource power and control was targeted in every intervention. Not one intervention included all seven resources. Intervention outcomes related mostly to just two of the resources (power and control and identity) and were rarely linked to what was being trained in the intervention.

Conclusion

The results of this review show that classroom‐based interventions are suitable for promoting resilience in children living in adverse environments. Yet more high‐quality studies are needed that evaluate the effectiveness of universal interventions on children living in adverse environments and specifically the effectiveness of training each of the seven resources. Future developments of school‐based interventions should be careful to target and assess all resilience‐related resources.
Catalytic mechanism of butane anaerobic oxidation for alkyl‐coenzyme M reductase
Authors: Tian Xiaopian , Liu Hao , Chen Hai‐Feng
Published: July 2021

Methane is among the most potent of the greenhouse gases, which plays a key role in global climate change. As an excellent carbon and energy source, methane can be utilized by anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea and aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria. The previous work shows that an anaerobic thermophilic enrichment culture composed of dense consortia of archaea and bacteria apparently uses partly similar pathways to oxidize the C4 hydrocarbon butane. However, the catalytic mechanism of butane anaerobic oxidation for alkyl‐coenzyme M reductase is still unknown. Therefore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to investigate the dynamics differences of catalytic mechanism between methane coenzyme M reductase (MCR) and alkyl‐coenzyme M reductase (ACR). At first, the binding pocket of ACR is larger than that of MCR. Then, the complex of butane and ACR is more stable than that of methane and ACR. Protein conformation cloud suggests that the position of methane is dynamics and methane escapes from the binding pocket of ACR during most of the simulation time, while butane tightly binds in the pocket of ACR. The hydrophobic interactions between butane and ACR are more and stronger than those between methane and ACR. At the same time, the binding free energy between butane and ACR is significantly lower than that between methane and ACR. The dynamics correlation network indicates that the transformation of information flow for ACR‐butane is smoother than that for ACR‐methane. The shortest pathway for ACR‐butane is from Gln144, Ala141, Hie135, Ile133, Ala160, Arg206, Asp97, Met94, Tyr347 to Phe345 with synergistic effect for two butane molecules. This study can insight into the catalytic mechanism for butane/ACR complex.
Innovations in care for children separated from parents: Transitioning from residential to family models of service
Authors: Wilke Nicole G. , Howard Amanda Hiles
Published: July 2021

Research suggests that children develop best in families, but millions currently reside in residential care centers. Many residential care centers have transitioned their programmes from a to a family care model. Using a mixed methods design, the current study examined (1) antecedents to transition, (2) key elements in the process and (3) outcomes of transitioning models of care. Participants included 39 non‐government organizations that had fully or partially transitioned to family care. Programmes collectively served 12 325 children and 29 499 families in 22 countries annually. Data revealed programmes perceived the change in the model was better for the families and children served.
IL‐25R+ circulating fibrocytes are increased in asthma and correlate with fixed airflow limitation
Authors: Yao Xiujuan , Liu Xiaofang , Wang Xiangdong , Zhang Luo
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Interleukin (IL)‐25 is a T helper (Th) type‐2 cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. Fibrocytes are progenitor cells that can migrate into circulation and inflamed bronchial epithelium.

Objectives

We aim to test the hypothesis that circulating fibrocytes may be the novel cellular targets of IL‐25 and the recruitment of IL‐25R+ circulating fibrocytes may correlate with asthmatic airway obstruction.

Methods

By using flow cytometry analysis, IL‐25R+ fibrocytes (i.e., IL‐17RB+ fibrocytes) in the freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 15 control subjects and 35 patients with asthma were enumerated and compared. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the plasma levels of IL‐25.

Results

We found the percentage of total and IL‐25R+ (IL‐17RB+) fibrocytes in PBMCs was significantly increased in patients with asthma when compared with control subjects. Subgroup analysis further showed that the percentage of circulating total and IL‐25R+ fibrocytes in PBMCs was markedly increased in asthma patients with severe‐to‐very severe fixed airflow limitation. Furthermore, IL‐25R+ circulating fibrocytes in asthma patients were shown to significantly correlate with forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), FEV1% predicted, blood eosinophils, serum IgE and plasma IL‐25 levels.

Conclusion

We concluded that circulating fibrocytes are the novel potential cellular targets of IL‐25. IL‐25R+ fibrocytes are increased in asthma patients. Increased proportions of IL‐25R+ fibrocytes predict a distinct asthma phenotype with fixed airflow limitation. Biological therapy‐targeting IL‐25‐fibrocytes axis may offer great promise for the control of asthma patients with severe airway remodelling and obstruction.
The shifting society syndrome: Values, baselines, and Swedish forest conservation in the 1930s and 2010s
Authors: Jönsson Jimmy , Mårald Erland , Lundmark Tomas
Published: July 2021

This study addresses a response to shifting baseline syndrome (SBS), a syndrome implying that land managers' acceptance of environmental change declines gradually due to lack of historical knowledge. Some actions to counteract SBS are haunted by methodological problems associated with measuring natural states and ignoring societal effects on ideas of naturalness. To balance methodological discussions of SBS, this study analyzes the social contexts of baseline demarcations historically. It compares baselines in two Swedish forest conservation debates—about the Fiby forest in the 1930s and the Ojnare forest in the 2010s—focusing on scalable and unscalable values. To operationalize shifting societal criteria for baseline demarcations, we introduce the “shifting society syndrome” concept. The study identifies several societal shifts and shows that Fiby's baseline was shaped by the scalable value of age and the nonscalable values of uniqueness and Swedishness, and Ojnare's by the scalable value of biodiversity and the nonscalable values of uniqueness and wildness. We argue that values, scalability, and historical change are crucial variables in the practice of demarcating baselines and that intellectual history is a useful tool for methodological self‐reflection in SBS research.
Beyond the Museum: Leadership Experiences from VR Production Studios
Authors: Wang Cancan , Nino Carreras Barbara
Published: July 2021

As digital technologies evolve at an exponential speed, the digital art scene has become ever more vivid in the past decades, with various forms of collaboration emerging between art museums, artists, curators, and audiences. While these collaborations are celebrated for their potential mutual benefits, such as knowledge exchange and the legitimizing effects on artworks, art museums struggle to maintain their relevance, and for this reason museum leadership has been deemed of critical importance. Historically, museum leadership has steered art museums through paradigm shifts using two approaches, namely, individual and relational. Nonetheless, the motivations for choosing these leadership approaches and their effects on guiding art museums into digital art remain unknown. In this study, we explore leadership approaches that contribute to museum‐studio collaboration on the creative output of digital art by tracing one of the enabling actors: creative studios. We choose this focus to understand how studios carry out the production and distribution of digital art in a collaborative setup. Through short ethnographic studies of two Copenhagen‐based VR art creative studios: Khora Contemporary and MAKROPOL, we argue that the choice of leadership approach in VR art production and distribution is contingently motivated by either market or knowledge‐oriented views of digital art. Consequently, contemporary art museums have the potential to become platforms that carefully negotiate ethical and contextual implications in leading digital art projects at the intersection of market and knowledge‐driven agendas.
Recognition, second‐personal authority, and nonideal theory
Authors: Darwall Stephen
Published: July 2021

I consider the relation between the role recognition plays in Axel Honneth's social theory and its function in a fundamentally second‐personal normative moral and political theory. I argue, first, that Honneth's social explanatory claims need not strictly depend on any normative propositions of moral and political philosophy. It may be sufficient for Honneth's explanatory purposes that the attitudes through which his explanations run have normative content, even fundamentally second‐personal normative content. And that can be true whether or not the propositions having this content hold as matters of normative moral and political theory. Even so, second‐personal moral philosophy may be able to vindicate these normative propositions. Perhaps more important, however, is the way in which second‐personal moral philosophy can draw on Honnethian recognitional social theory to provide a distinctive approach to nonideal moral and political theory. I argue that nonideal theory should be viewed as a distinctively second‐personal form of theorizing that aims to hold its addressees accountable for injustices that consist in failures adequately to recognize our equal second‐personal authority as persons.
Headache as an acute and post‐COVID‐19 symptom in COVID‐19 survivors: A meta‐analysis of the current literature
Authors: Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas César , Navarro‐Santana Marcos , Gómez‐Mayordomo Víctor , Cuadrado María L. , García‐Azorín David , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Plaza‐Manzano Gustavo
Published: July 2021

Background

Headache is identified as a common post‐COVID sequela experienced by COVID‐19 survivors. The aim of this pooled analysis was to synthesize the prevalence of post‐COVID headache in hospitalized and non‐hospitalized patients recovering from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Methods

MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, as well as medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers, were searched up to 31 May 2021. Studies or preprints providing data on post‐COVID headache were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Random effects models were used for meta‐analytical pooled prevalence of post‐COVID headache. Data synthesis was categorized at hospital admission/symptoms' onset, and at 30, 60, 90, and ≥180 days afterwards.

Results

From 9573 studies identified, 28 peer‐reviewed studies and 7 preprints were included. The sample was 28,438 COVID‐19 survivors (12,307 females; mean age: 46.6, SD: 17.45 years). The methodological quality was high in 45% of the studies. The overall prevalence of post‐COVID headache was 47.1% (95% CI 35.8–58.6) at onset or hospital admission, 10.2% (95% CI 5.4–18.5) at 30 days, 16.5% (95% CI 5.6–39.7) at 60 days, 10.6% (95% CI 4.7–22.3) at 90 days, and 8.4% (95% CI 4.6–14.8) at ≥180 days after onset/hospital discharge. Headache as a symptom at the acute phase was more prevalent in non‐hospitalized (57.97%) than in hospitalized (31.11%) patients. Time trend analysis showed a decreased prevalence from the acute symptoms’ onset to all post‐COVID follow‐up periods which was maintained afterwards.

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis found that the prevalence of post‐COVID headache ranged from 8% to 15% during the first 6 months after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.
Agrilus dureli: A new threat for European plant health?
Authors: Schrader Gritta , Gent Claire , Hoppe Björn
Published: July 2021

With more than 3000 species, the jewel beetle genus Agrilus is considered the largest genus of the animal kingdom. Some of the species have been recognized as harmful to plants, but the majority of the genus remains unassessed. With A. planipennis it was found that, when introduced to a new environment, even (formerly) rare species only known to buprestid specialists can become invasive and cause enormous economic and environmental losses. One of the lesser‐known species is Agrilus dureli, which has recently been found causing an outbreak on Salix species in China, leading to extensive dieback of the infested trees. In this article, the risk of A. dureli to European and Mediterranean plants is assessed.
Plastic gear loss estimates from remote observation of industrial fishing activity
Authors: Kuczenski Brandon , Vargas Poulsen Camila , Gilman Eric L. , Musyl Michael , Geyer Roland , Wilson Jono
Published: July 2021

Derelict fishing gear is a highly visible source of marine plastic pollution, causing mortality and ecosystem degradation with uncertain long‐term consequences. The quantity of derelict gear entering the oceans remains unknown because of heterogeneity in fishing gear and effort, as well as inadequate monitoring. Prior studies have been limited in scope to specific fisheries and regions, and large‐scale estimates lack an empirical basis. It is critically important for decision makers to have credible information in order to design effective remediation efforts. We estimated the amount of industrial fishing effort and the associated plastic debris entering the ocean globally each year from lost fishing gear. Using remote observations of fishing vessel activity paired with technical fishing gear models, we generated a bounding estimate for gear operation and loss worldwide in 2018. We estimate that industrial trawl, purse‐seine and pelagic longline fisheries operated 2.1 Mt of plastic gear over 2018 to obtain 49.7 Mt of retained and discarded catch, representing 74% of industrial marine capture globally. The median estimate for plastic gear lost during the use of these gear types was 48.4 kt (95% confidence interval: 28.4–99.5 kt). This estimate excludes abandoned and discarded gear. Improved observation, especially of small‐scale fisheries, is needed to better understand the sources of derelict gear. These findings serve as a benchmark for future monitoring and management efforts to reduce derelict gear in the global ocean.
The more we know, the less we agree: A test of the trading horizon heterogeneity theory
Authors: Dai Lili , Parwada Jerry T. , Winchester Donald W. , Zhang Bohui
Published: July 2021

We examine the Kondor theoretical explanation of an enduring puzzle: trading volumes and stock return volatility peak after the release of public information. Using a comprehensive data set of institutional holdings and earnings announcements, we find supporting evidence that the proportion of short‐term investors is positively associated with post‐announcement spikes in trading volume and return volatility. This finding survives in the identification test based on the annual reconstitutions of the Russell 1000 and 2000 indices. We show our results largely withstand several alternative explanations related to the constitution of institutional investors, informed trading, and heterogeneous beliefs.
Accumulating herbage during autumn to extend the grazing season in pasture‐based dairy systems
Authors: Fenger Friederike , Casey Imelda A. , Humphreys James
Published: July 2021

A longer grazing season can lower the costs of pasture‐based dairy production. Accumulating herbage during autumn increases herbage mass available for grazing in late autumn and the following spring but results in higher pre‐grazing herbage mass (PGHM). This could affect sward nutritive value and milk production. The effects of accumulating herbage during autumn on the length of the grazing season, nutritive value, milk production and the supply of herbage mass in the following spring (opening) were examined at systems scale in this study. The dataset was 60 grazing systems from systems comparisons conducted between 2001 and 2018 with spring‐calving dairy herds (mean stocking rate 2.4 cows ha−1) at Solohead Research Farm, Ireland. Herbage mass accumulated per system was measured as average herbage mass (AHM; herbage mass >4 cm; average of all paddocks). A higher PGHM (1,783 vs. 1,445 kg dry matter [DM] ha−1, p < 0.001, standard error of the mean [SEM] 32.5) and peak AHM (highest AHM; 1,345 vs. 1,139 kg DM ha−1, p = 0.002, SEM 39.2) during late summer and autumn (1 August to end of grazing season [closing]) did not affect herbage nutritive value or milk production (p > 0.05). Each increase in peak AHM of 100 kg DM ha−1 increased days at pasture per cow in late summer and autumn by 2.2 ± 0.44 (p < 0.001, partial R2 = 0.46) and increased closing AHM by 46 ± 6.5 kg DM ha−1 (p < 0.001, partial R2 = 0.42). Opening AHM in February increased with closing AHM (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.41). Accumulating herbage during late summer and autumn facilitated a longer grazing season while not impacting on milk production.
In vitro assessment of the potential for dolutegravir to affect hepatic clearance of levonorgestrel
Authors: Roberts Owain , Kinvig Hannah , Owen Andrew , Lamorde Mohammed , Siccardi Marco , Scarsi Kimberly K.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The World Health Organization recommends that all countries adopt dolutegravir‐based antiretroviral therapy as the preferred regimen for all individuals living with HIV. Levonorgestrel is a commonly used hormonal contraceptive, which undergoes drug–drug interactions with some antiretrovirals, but the potential interaction between dolutegravir and levonorgestrel has not been examined. We aimed to evaluate cytochrome P450 (CYP)‐mediated levonorgestrel metabolism and quantify the effects of dolutegravir on levonorgestrel apparent intrinsic clearance (CLint.app.) and CYP gene expression.

Methods

In vitro CYP‐mediated CLint.app. of levonorgestrel was quantified using a recombinant human CYP (rhCYP) enzyme system. A primary human hepatocyte model of drug metabolism was used to assess the effects of dolutegravir on (1) levonorgestrel CLint.app., using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry, and (2) the expression of specific CYP enzymes, using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Levonorgestrel clearance was mediated by multiple rhCYPs, including rhCYP3A4. Under control conditions, levonorgestrel CLint.app. was 22.4 ± 5.0 μL/min/106 hepatocytes. Incubation with 43.1 nM of unbound dolutegravir elevated levonorgestrel CLint.app. to 31.4 ± 7.8 µL/min/106 hepatocytes (P = 0.168), while 142.23 nM increased levonorgestrel CLint.app. to 37.0 ± 2.9 µL/min/106 hepatocytes (P = 0.012). Unbound dolutegravir ≥ 431 nM induced expression of CYP3A4 (≥ two‐fold) in a dose‐dependent manner, while 1.44 μM of unbound dolutegravir induced CYP2B6 expression 2.2 ± 0.3‐fold (P = 0.0004).

Conclusions

In summary, this in vitro study suggests that dolutegravir has the potential to increase hepatic clearance of levonorgestrel by inducing both CYP3A and non‐CYP3A enzymes. The observed in vitro dolutegravir–levonorgestrel drug–drug interaction should be further examined in clinical studies.
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome‐associated Graves disease in HIV‐infected patients: clinical characteristics and response to radioactive iodine therapy
Authors: Lawal Ismaheel O. , Orunmuyi Akintunde T. , Popoola Gbenga O. , Mokoala Kgomotso M. G. , Lengana TThabo , Sathekge Mike M.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and the response to radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome‐associated Graves disease (IRIS‐GD) in comparison to Graves disease (GD) seen in HIV‐uninfected patients.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients treated with RAI for GD. We obtained clinical, biochemical and HIV‐related information of patients from their medical records. We compared patient characteristics and response to RAI treatment between patients with IRIS‐GD and GD seen in HIV‐uninfected patients.

Results

A total of 253 GD patients, including 51 patients with IRIS‐GD, were included. Among IRIS‐GD patients, CD4 cell nadir was 66 cells/µL (range: 37–103) with a peak HIV viral load of 60 900 copies/mL (range: 36 542–64 500). At the time of diagnosis of IRIS‐GD, all patients had a completely suppressed HIV viraemia with a CD4 cell count of 729 cells/µL (range: 350–1279). The median interval between the commencement of HIV treatment and the onset of GD was 63 months. At 3 months follow‐up, the proportion of patients with IRIS‐GD achieving a successful RAI treatment outcome (euthyroid/hypothyroid state) was lower than that of HIV‐uninfected patients (35.3% vs. 63.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). The response rate remained lower (60.8%) among patients with IRIS GD than among HIV‐uninfected GD patients (80.2%, p = 0.004) at 6 months follow‐up. After correcting for differences in age, gender and pre‐treatment thyroid‐stimulating hormone level, there was no significant difference in RAI treatment response between the two groups.

Conclusions

After correcting for possible confounders, the response to RAI treatment was not different between patients with IRIS‐GD and GD in HIV‐uninfected patients.
Efficacy of sonic versus manual toothbrushing after professional mechanical plaque removal: A 6‐month randomized clinical trial
Authors: Mensi Magda , Scotti Eleonora , Sordillo Annamaria , Brognoli Valentina , Dominici Maria Paola , Calza Stefano
Published: July 2021

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two brushing methods (manual vs. sonic) in terms of plaque control after a session of professional mechanical plaque removal (PMPR).

Methods

Subjects with gingivitis underwent a session of PMPR and were randomly assigned to sonic (SB) or manual brushing (MB). Oral hygiene instructions were provided at baseline (BL), 2 (T0a), 4 (T0b) and 6 weeks (T1) and 6 months (T2). Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI) and bleeding on probing (BoP) were measured at BL, T1 and T2. The proportion of sites with PI, GI and BoP was modelled at site level using a negative binomial regression fitted via generalized linear mixed model accounting for intra‐patient correlation.

Results

Thirty‐two subjects were selected, 16 assigned to each group and 31 completed the study. PI, BoP and GI were comparable at BL. At T1, PI was successfully maintained at 6.21% for SB and 22.81% for MB, while at T2 reached 11.34% for SB and 28% for MB, favouring the SB group (p < 0.001). GI and BoP were significantly lower in the SB group at T1, with a BoP reduction for SB about 3 times higher than MB (p < 0.001). These parameters then levelled at T2 between the groups, with BOP reaching 0.14% versus 0.05% (p = 0.356) and GI 1.75% versus 3.52% (p = 0.020).

Conclusion

Sonic brushing seemed to maintain a lower PI score compared to a manual brush at 6 months. BoP and GI resulted comparable.
Genetic validation of the unexpected presence of a tropical tuna, bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), in the Mediterranean
Authors: Pérez Bielsa Nuria , Ollé Judith , Macías David , Saber Sámar , Viñas Jordi
Published: July 2021

Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus, Lowe, 1839) is one of the eight recognized species of the genus Thunnus. It is considered a tropical species distributed in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. To date, no validated presence of this species has been reported inside the Mediterranean Sea. This study, however, confirms, for the first time, the presence of three young individuals of this species within the Mediterranean Sea.
Exploring the stability of HEXACO‐60 structure and the association of gender, age, and social position with personality traits across 18 countries
Authors: García Luis F. , Aluja Anton , Rossier Jérôme , Ostendorf Fritz , Glicksohn Joseph , Oumar Barry , Bellaj Tarek , Ruch Willibald , Wang Wei , Kövi Zsuzsanna , Ścigała Dawid , Čekrlija Đorđe , Stivers Adam W. , Di Blas Lisa , Valdivia Mauricio , Ben Jemaa Sonia , Atitsogbe Kokou A. , Hansenne Michel
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The present paper tests the cross‐national stability of the HEXACO‐60 structure across 18 countries from four continents. Gender and age differences across countries will be examined. Finally, this is the first study to explicitly analyze the relationships between the HEXACO and social position.

Method

Ten thousand two hundred and ninety eight subjects (5,410 women and 4,888 men) from 18 countries and 13 languages were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis techniques were used to test configural, metric and scalar invariance models. Congruence coefficients with the original structure of the HEXACO‐60 were computed for every culture. Effect sizes of gender, age, and social position factors across countries were also computed.

Results

HEXACO‐60 demonstrates configural and metric invariance, but not scalar invariance. Congruence coefficients show a great equivalence in almost all countries and factors. Only Emotionality presents a large gender difference across countries. No relevant effect of age is observed. A profile of high scores on Honesty‐Humility, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience, and low scores on Emotionality increases the likelihood of achieving a higher social position, although the effect sizes are small.

Conclusions

HEXACO‐60 is a useful instrument to conduct personality trait research and practice around the world. Implications of gender, social position, and country differences are discussed.
‘All eyes are on you’: Gender, race, and opinion writing on the US Courts of Appeals
Authors: Moyer Laura P. , Szmer John , Haire Susan , Christensen Robert K.
Published: July 2021

Because stereotyping affects individual assessments of ability and because of socializing experiences in the law, we argue that women and judges of color, while well-credentialed, feel pressure to work harder than their white male peers to demonstrate their competence. Using an original dataset of published appellate court opinions from 2008–2016, we find that majority opinions authored by female and non-white judges go farther to explain and justify their rulings, when compared to opinions written by white male peers. In comparison to other judges, opinions by white men are about 6% shorter, with 11% fewer citations, and 17% fewer extensively discussed citations. Our findings suggest that norms about crafting judicial opinions are gendered and racialized in ways that create higher workloads for women and judges of color.
Police fairness and legitimacy across the post-communist divide in Europe
Authors: Baćak Valerio , Apel Robert
Published: July 2021

In the present study, we compared two European regions with deeply contrasting policing traditions—post-communist countries and established democracies—to explore whether political history may have long-term consequences for police–public interactions. Using data from 26 countries that participated in the 2010 European Social Survey, we first measured and compared the prevalence of police-initiated contact and satisfaction with contact once it took place. We found that both tended to be higher in established democracies. Next, we contrasted the magnitude of the association between police contact and attitudes about police fairness and legitimacy between the two regions, finding consistently stronger associations in post-communist countries. Taken together, our results help expand procedural justice theory by demonstrating that incorporating history and context can enhance its ability to explain how interactions with police shape public opinion about law enforcement.
Moral career of migrant il/legality: Undocumented male youths in New York City and Paris negotiating deportability and regularizability
Authors: Ruszczyk Stephen P.
Published: July 2021

As undocumented youths transition from arrival to adolescence to adulthood, regimes of migrant il/legality shape their lives in varying ways. Over the life course, undocumented youths' legal status may also shift, creating different “careers of il/legality,” sequences characterized by changes to legal status over time that re-shape self, mobility, and social roles. Longitudinal, comparative ethnographic data with undocumented male youths in Paris and New York and schools, municipal and civil society organizations show how shifts in legal status reshape youths' social identities based on access to institutional roles and evaluation of current and future conditions. Showing how undocumented youths simultaneously navigate deportation and regularization possibilities over time reveals the possibilities of, and constraints to, life after regularization.
TPRG1‐AS1 induces RBM24 expression and inhibits liver cancer progression by sponging miR‐4691‐5p and miR‐3659
Authors: Choi Ji‐Hye , Kwon So M. , Moon Sung U. , Yoon Sarah , Shah Masaud , Lee Byoung G. , Yang Jieun , Park Young N. , Wang Hee‐Jung , Woo Hyun G.
Published: July 2021

Background & Aims

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play critical roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. Here, by performing RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐Seq) profiling, we sought to identify novel ncRNAs that potentially drive the heterogeneous progression of liver cancers.

Methods

RNA‐Seq profiles were obtained from 68 HCC specimens and 10 samples of adjacent non‐tumour liver tissues. The functional significance of the potential driver ncRNAs was evaluated by cell experiments.

Results

TPRG1‐AS1 was identified as a potential driver noncoding RNA that promotes heterogeneous liver cancer progression. TPRG1‐AS1 induced tumour suppressor RNA‐binding motif protein 24 (RBM24), suppressing tumour growth by activating apoptotic tumour cell death. In addition, we report that TPRG1‐AS1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for RBM24, sponging miR‐4691‐5p and miR‐3659 to interfere with their binding to RBM24.

Conclusions

We suggest that TPRG1‐AS1 is a novel ceRNA sponging miR‐4691‐5p and miR‐3659, resulting in RBM24 expression and suppression of liver cancer growth. Our results provide new insights into the functions of ncRNAs in heterogeneous HCC progression.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis with moderately elevated serum‐IgG4 – characterization and outcome of a distinct variant phenotype
Authors: Zhou Taotao , Lenzen Henrike , Dold Leona , Bündgens Bennet , Wedemeyer Heiner , Manns Michael P. , Gonzalez‐Carmona Maria A. , Strassburg Christian P. , Weismüller Tobias J.
Published: July 2021

Background and aims

Immunoglobulin G4‐associated cholangitis (IAC) is characterized by distinctly elevated immunoglobulin G4 in serum (sIgG4) and responds well to corticosteroid therapy. Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a progressive liver disease without causal treatment options usually not responding to immunosuppression. Increased serum levels of sIgG4 in patients with PSC, that do not meet criteria of IAC, have been reported in 10%‐25%. Therefore, we aimed to characterize this subgroup of patients in a retrospective, multicenter study.

Methods

sIgG4 values of 289 patients with PSC from three German university hospitals were analysed. Patients with elevated sIgG4 levels were identified and further characterized by clinical and biochemical parameters and by cholangiographic presentation. Clinical endpoints, death and liver transplantation were compared between groups. Parameters associated with outcome were identified with Cox regression analysis.

Results

14.5% of patients with PSC showed increased sIgG4 levels (PSC‐IgG4), presented with significantly higher (P < .02) albumin, aspartate‐aminotransferase, bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase and had a significant lower prevalence of a concomitant autoimmune hepatitis (P = .025). Cholangiogram obtained via ERC showed extrahepatic dominant strictures more often in the PSC‐IgG4 subgroup (P = .047). The disease severity models Amsterdam‐Oxford‐Score (P = .018) and Mayo‐Risk‐Score (P = .025) predicted lower survival rates for the PSC‐IgG4 subgroup. Transplant‐free survival after first diagnosis of PSC was shorter in patients with elevated sIgG4 (11.6 vs 15.1 years, P = .001).

Conclusion

Patients with PSC and elevated sIgG4 should be considered as a distinct subgroup, characterized by different clinical and cholangiographical features and are associated with an inferior outcome.
Of mammals and milk: how maternal stress affects nursing offspring
Authors: Stead Samantha M. , Bădescu Iulia , Boonstra Rudy
Published: July 2021

A large body of research shows that maternal stress during an offspring’s early life can impact its phenotype in both the short and long term. In the Vertebrata, most research has been focused on maternal stress during the prenatal period. However, the postnatal period is particularly important in mammals because maternal milk provides a conduit by which maternal hormones secreted in response to stressors (glucocorticoids, GCs) can reach offspring. Moreover, lactation outlasts gestation in many species.

Though GCs were first detected in milk over 40 years ago, few studies have explored how they affect nursing offspring, and no reviews have been written on how maternal stress affects nursing offspring in the natural world.

We discuss the evolution of milk and highlight its importance in each of the three mammalian lineages: monotremes (subclass Monotremata), marsupials (infraclass Marsupialia), and eutherians (infraclass Placentalia). Most research on the effects of milk GCs on offspring has been focused on eutherians, but monotremes and marsupials rely on their mothers’ milk for a proportionally longer period of time, and so research on these taxa may yield more insight.

We show that GCs are important for milk production, both during an individual nursing bout and over the entire lactation period, and review evidence of GCs moving from maternal blood to milk, and eventually to nursing offspring. We examine evidence from rodents and primates of associations between GC levels in lactating females (either blood or milk) and offspring behaviour and growth rates. We discuss ways that maternal stress may impact these offspring phenotypes outside of milk GCs, such as changes to: (1) milk output, (2) other milk constituents (e.g. macronutrients, growth factors, cytokines), and (3) maternal care behaviour.

Critical to understanding the fitness impacts of elevated maternal GC levels during lactation is to place this within the context of the natural environment. Species‐specific traits and natural histories will help us to understand why such maternal stress produces different offspring phenotypes that equip them to cope with and succeed in the environment they are about to enter.
The New Gulf Order: Crisis, Mediation, and Reconciliation
Authors: Al‐Ansari Majed Mohammed Hassan , Aras Bülent , Yorulmazlar Emirhan
Published: July 2021

The longevity and depth of regional challenges in the Middle East have elevated political and security concerns to a new level within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in recent years. Three conflicting worldviews have confronted one another, resulting in debilitating consequences for the region. Increasing fragmentation of Arab politics, in turn, has engendered attempts at enforced Arab unity that have ultimately failed, further dividing and destabilizing the regional order. This article delineates the background of the Gulf crisis of 2017 within the broader context of the Arab Spring and analyzes the ensuing attempts at mediation, the US role in the region, political developments in Kuwait and Oman, normalization efforts with Israel, and the recent resolution of the Gulf crisis by examining various actors’ political roles.
Assessing bite force estimates in extinct mammals and archosaurs using phylogenetic predictions
Authors: Sakamoto Manabu
Published: July 2021

Bite force is an ecologically important biomechanical performance measure that is informative in inferring the ecology of extinct taxa. However, biomechanical modelling to estimate bite force is associated with some level of uncertainty. Here, I assess the accuracy of bite force estimates in extinct taxa using a Bayesian phylogenetic prediction model. I first fitted a phylogenetic regression model on a training set comprising extant data. The model predicts bite force from body mass and skull width while accounting for differences owing to biting position. The posterior predictive model has a 93% prediction accuracy as evaluated using leave‐one‐out cross‐validation. I then predicted bite force in 37 species of extinct mammals and archosaurs from the posterior distribution of predictive models, generating posterior predictive distributions of null expectations given body mass, skull width and phylogenetic position. Biomechanically estimated bite forces from the literature fall within the posterior predictive distributions for all except four species of extinct taxa and are thus as accurate as predicted from body size and skull width, given the variation inherent in extant taxa and the amount of time available for variance to accrue. Biomechanical modelling remains a valuable means to estimate bite force in extinct taxa and should be reliably informative of functional performances and serve to provide insights into past ecologies.
Researchers’ choice of pain scales in trials of children undergoing surgery: A cross‐sectional analysis of systematically searched randomized controlled trials and survey of authors
Authors: Gerstman Michelle Diana , Rolland Lucie Renée , Tramèr Martin Richard , Habre Walid , Elia Nadia
Published: July 2021

Background

Many pain scales are used post‐operatively in pediatric trials, making the comparison of trials, and the pooling of data for meta‐analyses difficult. The Pediatric Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (PedIMMPACT) statement, published in 2008, attempted to address this issue. We aimed to investigate the reasons for authors’ choice of pain scales and the potential impact of PedIMMPACT.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional analysis of systematically searched randomized controlled trials testing tramadol in children (up to 16 years) undergoing surgery, published between 2000 and 2020 (9 years prior to and 12 years following the publication of PedIMMPACT).

Results

Among 76 trials (6211 children), 49 unique pain scales were used. The choice of the scales was explained in 18 trials (24%); in 13 of them, authors at least partly justified their choice by the fact that the pain scale was validated. In 52 trials (68%), the pain scales were referenced, with a total of 59 unique references, most often to prior studies using the same scale (36%) or to studies validating the chosen scale (31%). Twenty‐three trials (30%) provided no explanation nor reference. One single trial referenced PedIMMPACT. There was no evidence of a change in the choice of pain scales after the publication of PedIMMPACT.

Conclusions

A large variety of pain scales are still used in pediatric post‐operative pain trials 12 years after the publication of PedIMMPACT. Only a minority of trials provided an explanation for their choice of pain scale. The reasons given most often included that the scale was validated or it was justified by a reference to a prior study using that scale. The impact of the publication of the PedIMMPACT seems limited. The ethics of the ongoing usage of large numbers of pain scales in pediatric pain trials must be challenged.
In conversation: David Hostetter and Matt Meyer on the pasts and futures of peace research
Authors: Fryer Heather
Published: July 2021

Peace & Change is nearing fifty years as a vehicle for disseminating new research in peace history and peace studies. The Peace History Society has sponsored the journal since its founding in 1972 and it has grown and evolved through its partnerships with fellow organizations. The International Peace Research Association (IPRA) became a partner organization to Peace & Change in late 2020, expanding the journal’s community of scholars, readers, and reviewers to include more diverse disciplinary, international, and transnational perspectives. To mark this fruitful new partnership, Peace & Change editor Heather Fryer hosted a Zoom conversation between Peace History Society president David Hostetter and IPRA Secretary General Matt Meyer on the state of the field in our present historical moment. Awakened to activism by President Jimmy Carter’s call for a military draft in 1980, both Hostetter and Meyer have been deeply engaged in peace activism, scholarship, and leadership in the academic societies that have shaped the conversations in Peace & Change over many years. Here, they reflect on the past to propose next steps forward for the journal, for peace research, and for our organizations. Throughout their wide‐ranging discussion is a call to resist the urge to hastily enact new post‐2020 agendas and to concentrate instead on building trust—everywhere.
Gender disparities in the pediatric allergy‐related guidelines in Japan
Authors: Inage Eisuke , Tanaka Yuko , Matsui Kotoko , Yamada Hiromichi , Kojima Mayuki , Toriumi Shun , Kudo Takahiro , Baba Yosuke , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: July 2021

Background

Inclusion of female authors has been noted as potentially beneficial in the development of medical guidelines. Japanese professional committees representing allergic subspecialties develop practical guidelines with recommendations to caregivers, but these committees may be influenced by their gender composition. The objective of our study was to examine the influence of gender in developing pediatric allergic disease guidelines in Japan from 1999 to 2020.

Methods

We examined the gender parities among the guideline committee members in allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, and food allergy guidelines in Japan. We examined the gender composition of the committees, annual trends, and differences in guideline content.

Results

The median proportion of women members among the 22 guidelines committees was 6.6% (range: 0%–27.3%). The analysis of the quadrant period did not show a significant increase in the proportion of female members. The food allergy group had a significantly higher proportion of female members than other guidelines (P < 0.01), but the proportion decreased from 25% to 14.3% during the observation period. For the pediatric asthma guidelines, the proportion of female committee members decreased from 5.3% in the 2000 version to 0% in the most recent revision in 2017.

Conclusions

The proportion of women on the committees that develop pediatric guidelines continues to be low and has not improved over the past 20 years.
Moral distress in public health practice: Case studies from nursing education
Authors: Wros Peggy L. , Mathews Launa Rae , Beiers‐Jones Kristen , Warkentin Patti
Published: July 2021

Moral distress in critical care nursing has been well studied; however, there is a gap in the literature related to moral distress among nurses and nursing students practicing in the community. This paper describes moral distress experienced during participation in the Interprofessional Care Access Network, a community‐based nurse‐led education and practice program providing longitudinal care coordination for underserved individuals and families in rural communities and urban neighborhoods. Two case studies represent client situations resulting in moral distress for nursing faculty and students. Contributing factors include unaddressed social determinants creating barriers to health and health care; inexperience and discomfort with people living in extreme poverty; lack of access to critical services for the most vulnerable; and powerlessness to influence discriminatory systems. Strategies are described to reduce moral distress and build moral resilience among students and faculty practicing in the community. Research is needed to expand understanding of causes, interventions, and consequences of moral distress in public health nursing.