bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-dimensional pseudoharmonic oscillator: classical remarks and quantum-information theory
Authors: Olendski O
Published: April 2023

Motion along semi-infinite straight line in a potential that is a combination of positive quadratic and inverse quadratic functions of the position is considered with the emphasis on the analysis of its quantum-information properties. Classical measure of symmetry of the potential is proposed and its dependence on the particle energy and the factor

a

describing a relative strength of its constituents is described; in particular, it is shown that a variation of the parameter

a

alters the shape from the half-harmonic oscillator (HHO) at

a
=
0

to the perfectly symmetric one of the double frequency oscillator (DFO) in the limit of huge

a

. Quantum consideration focuses on the analysis of information-theoretical measures, such as standard deviations, Shannon, Rényi and Tsallis entropies together with Fisher information, Onicescu energy and non–Gaussianity. For doing this, among others, a method of calculating momentum waveforms is proposed that results in their analytic expressions in form of the confluent hypergeometric functions. Increasing parameter

a

modifies the measures in such a way that they gradually transform into those corresponding to the DFO what, in particular, means that the lowest orbital saturates Heisenberg, Shannon, Rényi and Tsallis uncertainty relations with the corresponding position and momentum non–Gaussianities turning to zero. A simple expression is derived of the orbital-independent lower threshold of the semi-infinite range of the dimensionless Rényi/Tsallis coefficient where momentum components of these one-parameter entropies exist which shows that it varies between 1/4 at HHO and zero when

a

tends to infinity. Physical interpretation of obtained mathematical results is provided.
Electrodes with metal-based electrocatalysts for redox flow batteries in a wide pH range
Authors: Huang Yingjia , Li Liangyu , Xiong Lihui , Cao Jinchao , Zhong Fangfang , Wang Xiaoqi , Ding Mei , Jia Chuankun
Published: April 2023

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) with decoupling energy and power, high safety, long durability and easy scalability have been considered as giant promising candidates for large-scale energy storage systems. As a key component of RFBs, the electrodes provide active sites for the conversion between electrical and chemical energies. Thus, the electrochemical properties of both the positive and negative electrodes are significantly important to the performance of batteries, especially the energy efficiency and the power. Therefore, improving the electrochemical performance of electrodes by effective modifications is essential for the advancements of RFBs. With high conductivity, high activity and stability, metal-based electrocatalysts have been widely used to modify and increase the electrochemical activities of electrodes in RFBs. This review summarizes and discusses the applications of metal-based electrocatalysts modified carbon-based electrodes of RFBs in a wide pH range (the acidic, alkaline and neutral electrolytes), including the characterizations of physicochemical and electrochemical properties of electrodes, the cell performance, the merits, and limitations.
Towards automatic setup of 18 MeV electron beamline using machine learning
Authors: Velotti Francesco Maria , Goddard Brennan , Kain Verena , Ramjiawan Rebecca , Zevi Della Porta Giovanni , Hirlaender Simon
Published: April 2023

To improve the performance-critical stability and brightness of the electron bunch at injection into the proton-driven plasma wakefield at the AWAKE CERN experiment, automation approaches based on unsupervised machine learning (ML) were developed and deployed. Numerical optimisers were tested together with different model-free reinforcement learning (RL) agents. In order to avoid any bias, RL agents have been trained also using a completely unsupervised state encoding using auto-encoders. To aid hyper-parameter selection, a full synthetic model of the beamline was constructed using a variational auto-encoder trained to generate surrogate data from equipment settings. This paper describes the novel approaches based on deep learning and RL to aid the automatic setup of a low energy line, as the one used to deliver beam to the AWAKE facility. The results obtained with the different ML approaches, including automatic unsupervised feature extraction from images using computer vision are presented. The prospects for operational deployment and wider applicability are discussed.
Solid-state electrolytes for safe rechargeable lithium metal batteries: a strategic view
Authors: Meabe Leire , Aldalur Itziar , Lindberg Simon , Arrese-Igor Mikel , Armand Michel , Martinez-Ibañez Maria , Zhang Heng
Published: April 2023

Despite the efforts devoted to the identification of new electrode materials with higher specific capacities and electrolyte additives to mitigate the well-known limitations of current lithium-ion batteries, this technology is believed to have almost reached its energy density limit. It suffers also of a severe safety concern ascribed to the use of flammable liquid-based electrolytes. In this regard, solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) enabling the use of lithium metal as anode in the so-called solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) are considered as the most desirable solution to tackle the aforementioned limitations. This emerging technology has rapidly evolved in recent years thanks to the striking advances gained in the domain of electrolyte materials, where SSEs can be classified according to their core chemistry as organic, inorganic, and hybrid/composite electrolytes. This strategic review presents a critical analysis of the design strategies reported in the field of SSEs, summarizing their main advantages and disadvantages, and providing a future perspective toward the rapid development of SSLMB technology.
Climate Change and Imaginaries of Democracy
Authors: Machin Amanda
Published: April 2023

The impacts of climate change are already being experienced around the world, but greenhouse gasses continue to be released at an increasing rate. Despite their numerous promises and ambitions, governments of most countries are failing to find and implement adequately far-reaching policies. The structural features of liberal democratic states appear to be particularly ill-suited to tackling this global wicked problem. At the same time, democracy is associated in places with regimes that have “weaponized” it as an excuse for both environmental and social exploitation. Is democracy part of the problem and not the solution? Responses to this question depend upon the way that democracy is imagined. Political life corresponds to a background “imaginary” that informs democratic institutions and expectations. Different imaginaries depart from liberal democracy to offer political alternatives in a climate changing world. Seven different imaginaries of green democracy can be discerned: Green Epistocracy places decisions more firmly in the hands of experts. Green Representative Democracy calls for better representation of nonhuman nature, future generations, and marginalized communities. In Global Green Democracy, global climate governance is made more accountable whereas Local Green Democracy promotes ecopolitical prefiguration. Green Deliberative Democracy demands the sustained and inclusive deliberation between participants from diverse backgrounds. Green Agonistic Democracy celebrates political disagreement over climate change. Decolonized Green Democracy asks for an “ontological adjustment” of democracy to include awareness of different traditions and approaches and the limits of any particular political imaginary. These imaginaries do not necessarily contradict or complement each other, although there may be overlaps and tensions between them; they rather offer distinct expectations and pathways for democracy in the context of climate change.
The Influence of Central Asia on Horse Use
Authors: Crossley Pamela
Published: April 2023

Since humans first captured horses and processed them for meat and hides about eight thousand years ago, the uses of the horse have expanded to riding and drafting. Breeding introduced some varieties of conformation, which affected the early human adaption to early chariot warfare, mounted archery, and cavalry. Subsequently, more systematic breeding increased the height, strength, and endurance of some horses. Increasing use of the horse in long-distance communications and transport, often by displacement of donkeys and oxen, changed assumptions about time and space, which contributed to the emergence of large empires. Central Asia—in the sense of the steppes and grasslands extending from Ukraine in the west to Mongolia in the east—had been the venue for early horse domestication, and in the historical period it remained a critical supplier of horses to empires on the Eurasian peripheries of Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, a pattern that continued into the 19th century. This was consonant with the need for compact horses of Central Asian types that could perform the needed tasks for riding and transport, but did not excessively strain the ability of agricultural societies to provide horses with grain and grazing land.

Variations in horse use were manifested in differences in saddle design after the 4th century, reflecting differences in social stratification that cut across military and civilian status. This led to a distinct riding complex for mounted archers, laying the foundation for the expansion of the empires of the Mongols and Mughals, as well as the Qing Empire in China. Between about 500 and 1500, the genetic influence of Central Asia in the global horse population gradually waned as the influence of North African horses increased, corresponding to the expanding role of the horse in European and Middle Eastern transport and agriculture. In the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, aristocratic tastes across Eurasia encouraged the use of even more stallions from North Africa and Arabia, while Central Asian riding patterns became confined largely to nomadic and pastoral economies.
Tantra in South Asia
Authors: Urban Hugh B.
Published: April 2023

Tantra is historically one of the most important but also most often misunderstood, understudied, and poorly defined currents within the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of South Asia. Widely dismissed by European Orientalist scholars and Christian missionaries as a degenerate form of black magic and debauchery, Tantra has been embraced by contemporary popular and New Age audiences as a liberated path of sensual pleasure and sexual freedom. While it has been defined in many different ways by modern scholars, Tantra has played a central but often ambivalent role in South Asian religious, social, and political history. In the 21st century, Tantra remains an important though often misunderstood religious presence, both in the few surviving Tantric lineages of South Asia and in the various popular forms of tantra-mantra (in India) and “Neo-Tantra” (in Europe, England, and North America).
Infrared Remote Sensing of the Martian Atmosphere
Authors: Fedorova Anna , Korablev Oleg
Published: April 2023

The atmosphere of Mars, like most planetary atmospheres, consists of molecules absorbing and emitting in the infrared (IR) and of particles (dust or clouds) that also interact with the IR radiation. This makes the IR spectral range highly effective for the study of the atmospheric composition and thermal structure. Since the first missions to Mars, infrared spectrometers have been used to study the atmosphere. Thermal IR instruments, which sense the emission from the surface and the atmosphere of Mars, as well as near-IR spectrometers, sensitive to the reflected solar radiation, deliver the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere and permit monitoring of the CO2, H2O, CO, and aerosol cycles over Mars’s seasons. IR spectroscopy at high spectral resolution from the ground or from orbit is the most commonly used method to search for unknown species and to monitor the known minor components of the Martian atmosphere. It is also used to study isotopic ratios essential for understanding the volatile evolution on the planet.
Language Contact
Authors: Narayanan Sandhya
Published: April 2023

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Please check back later for the full article.

Language contact highlights the social dynamics that are crucial to any understanding of language change and the emergence of linguistic variation and complexity over time. As an analytic approach and field of anthropological and linguistic inquiry, it reminds us that the study of language cannot be separated from an in-depth understanding of the speakers and communities that these varieties come from, highlighting the need to center the analysis of human social practices, interactional dynamics, and broader ideological frameworks in any inquiry into linguistic and social change.

Observing and analyzing language change as an outcome of contact between two or more linguistic varieties can occur across different grammatical domains. Closer attention to the kinds of structural changes that occur because of contact can challenge current theoretical models of language change. As such, contact-induced structural changes speak to the ways that different linguistic systems can influence each other, producing small-scale changes such as borrowing of grammatical elements, to larger and more structurally encompassing transformations such as the emergence of mixed linguistic varieties, pidgins, and creoles. However, change should not always be expected from language contact situations, opening the possibility to also consider the significance of no change occurring, or for linguistic forms to become further differentiated from each other.

At the same time, linguistic change, in any form, cannot be abstracted away from social practices and social changes. Yet understanding these social processes requires us to think less about individual linguistic forms, and more about the range of linguistic practices that emerge in zones of language contact. Because language and communication are another form of social action, attention to the social dynamics of contact—which include the cultural contingencies of contact between speakers of different linguistic varieties, the interactions that emerge and constitute a zone of contact, and the ideological frameworks that shape these interactions—is equally important in shaping language change and linguistic complexity over time. Understanding these social processes and grounding language contact within the broader ethnographic context of the encounter provides a different vantage point to address questions concerning the nature of language as a product of social practices and moments of interactive, intersubjective creativity and innovation.
Muslim Cinema in North America
Authors: Shiekh Irum
Published: April 2023

In the early 21st century, a growing number of Muslim storytellers have written, directed, and produced feature films and television series about their respective communities in North America. Falling under the umbrella of Muslim Diasporic Cinema, these stories settle somewhere between the longing to flee from the essentialized binary identities of immigrant/native, religious/secular, etc., and the desire to claim the performance of a continuously shifting and politically charged Islamic identity. The crux of the Muslim Diasporic Cinema is this dialectical yearning to claim a Muslim identity unapologetically without defining its aspects.

The bulk of this work depicts the everyday lives of multigenerational Black Muslims and their conscious and unconscious relationships to the transatlantic slave trade. Additionally, these narratives revolve around the experiences and identities of immigrants, refugees, and exiles, and their children growing up in the West. Most of these stories feature themes of intergenerational conflicts, coming of age, and hybridity. Shattered memories and imaginings of a distant home, along with desires, conflicts, dreams, and quests, comprise many of these stories. Most of this fictionalized work is inspired by personal experiences and tells gripping and entertaining stories, some political, some humorous. They revolve around the memories of real or imagined forced displacement and its ongoing conflicts with the concepts of home and a desired sense of belonging. Politically subtle yet savvy, these stories normalize the everyday lives of Muslims. By doing so, they create an oppositional space and stand up to the tropes of the Hollywood industry that have dominated the silver screen for over a century. Instead of providing angelic characters that can do no wrong, these storytellers create complex and rounded characters full of contradictions. These artistic expressions reveal a world of possibilities, realized when marginalized communities pick up pens and cameras to shape their own narratives. The success of these visual stories is reshaping the contours of the Hollywood industry and inspiring emerging artists to claim a space within the increasingly diverse tapestry of North America.
Conspiracy Theories in Latin American History
Authors: Roniger Luis
Published: April 2023

Conspiracy theories fulfill a double purpose. They provide an epistemological reading of reality, posing claims of veracity and falsity that often depart from conventional wisdom. Concomitantly, conspiracy narratives are theories of power, used to promote a political or pragmatic agenda. Those believing them are expected to react in time, act, and counter the malign intent of those supposedly conspiring against their community, society, or humanity at large.

Major sectors of Latin American societies have been prone to give credence to conspiracy theories under different historical circumstances. Due to the countries’ geopolitical positions and the prevalence of social inequality, racial anxiety, internal tensions and conflict, and a sense of institutional vulnerability, many have given credence to conspiratorial narratives. Several contextual scenarios have been particularly conducive to the adoption and diffusion of conspiratorial narratives. Among these are situations of accelerated political change and economic crisis, social and political polarization, institutional distrust, and international wars. Under such circumstances, conspiracy carriers and entrepreneurs have led many to suspect the existence of internal or external enemies plotting to take advantage of a naïve public and willing to affect society, take control of resources, or steal parts of a national territory. It is expected that research on conspiracy theories in Latin America, still incipient even though conspiracism has been widely present in society and the media, will be bolstered in coming years.
Swedish
Authors: Petzell Erik M.
Published: April 2023

Swedish is a V2 language, like all Germanic except English, with a basic VO word order and a suffixed definite article, like all North Germanic. Swedish is the largest of the North Germanic languages, and the official language of both Sweden and Finland, in the latter case alongside the majority language Finnish. Worldwide, there are about 10.5 million first-language (L1) speakers. The extent of L2 Swedish speakers is unclear: In Sweden and Finland alone, there are at least 3 million L2 speakers. Genealogically, Swedish is closest to Danish. Together, they formed the eastern branch of North Germanic during the Viking age. Today, this unity of old is often obscured by later developments. Typologically, in the early 21st century, Swedish is closer to Norwegian than to Danish.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was great dialectal variation across the Swedish-speaking area. Very few of the traditional dialects have survived into the present, however. In the early 21st century, there are only some isolated areas, where spoken standard Swedish has not completely taken over, for example, northwestern Dalecarlia. Spoken standard Swedish is quite close to the written language. This written-like speech was promoted by primary school teachers from the late 19th century onward. In the 21st century, it comes in various regional guises, which differ from each other prosodically and display some allophonic variation, for example, in the realization of /r/.

During the late Middle Ages, Swedish was in close contact with Middle Low German. This had a massive impact on the lexicon, leading to loans in both the open and closed classes and even import of derivational morphology. Structurally, Swedish lost case and verbal agreement morphology, developed mandatory expletive subjects, and changed its word order in subordinate clauses. Swedish shares much of this development with Danish and Norwegian.

In the course of the early modern era, Swedish and Norwegian converged further, developing very similar phonological systems. The more conspicuous of the shared traits include two different rounded high front vowels, front /y/ and front-central /ʉ/, palatalization of initial /k/ and /g/ before front vowels, and a preserved phonemic tonal distinction.

As for morphosyntax, however, Swedish has sometimes gone its own way, distancing itself from both Norwegian and Danish. For instance, Swedish has a distinct non-agreeing active participle (supine), and it makes use of the morphological s-passive in a wider variety of contexts than Danish and Norwegian. Moreover, verbal particles always precede even light objects in Swedish, for example, ta upp den, literally ‘take up it’, while Danish and Norwegian patterns with, for example, English: tag den op/ta den opp, literally ‘take it up’. Furthermore, finite forms of auxiliary have may be deleted in subordinate clauses in Swedish but never in Danish/Norwegian.
Cost-effectiveness of replacing versus discarding the nail in children with nail bed injury
Authors: Dakin Helen A , Nguyen Thi Thu An , Dritsaki Melina , Greig Aina V H , Stokes Jamie R , Cook Jonathan A , Beard David J , Davies Loretta , Gardiner Matthew D , Jain Abhilash ,   NINJA Collaborative, Png M E , Jones A , Cooper C , Sierakowski A , Mertic A , Gerrish H , Cranmer K , Fox N , Dutta P , Vissers G , Costa P , Irri R , McArthur G , Horwitz M , Sleiwah A , Jephson H , Deeley M , Nicholas R , Vinnicombe Z , Nicola A , Chuo C Bing , Milner C , Heaney J , Totty J , Fleet M , Faheem Khadim M , Williams P , Bibawy S , Round A , Pinder R , Plonczak A , Lawton G , Kennedy D , Bennett A , Fadulelmola A , James J , Reay E , Beadon K , Cameron T , Oliver Z , Wensley K , Dupré S , Rodriguez J , Furniss D , Gale M , Knight A , Tulip J , Turner L , Wellings L , Allen M , Wade R , Itte V , Bourke G , Kumar N , O'Sullivan S , Jones J WM , Young K , Taylor K , Dawood O , Booth S , Giwa L , Pearl R , Coutts A , Hawkins R , Mostafa A , Nisbett T , Riddlestone P , Selby A , Uzoho C , Chasiouras D , Bainbridge LC , Buick T , Lam W , Baker B , Walsh K , Keating K , Dalan R , Shah M , Mead D , Diment S , Nicolau M , Smeeton B , Thomson D , Senior N , Moledina J , Colville J , Manso K , Song M , Manley O , Drury P , Kerstein R , Cobb W , Wormald J , Shirley R , Tan A , Arnaout A , Cruz C , Brice N , Segaren N , Joji N , Chawla R , Hassanin S , Adami R , Ridha H , Cook A , Symington L , Long R , Dustagheer S , Jarvis H , Larsen M , Williams M , Trickett R , Miles D , Pai A , Honeywell C , Brady C , Madhavan S , Manou V , Phillips G , Baker R
Published: April 2023

Lay Summary

Every year in the UK, around 10 000 children need to have operations to mend injuries to the bed of their fingernails. Currently, most children have their fingernail placed back on the injured nail bed after the operation. The NINJA trial found that children were slightly less likely to have an infection if the nail was thrown away rather than being put back, but the difference between groups was small and could have be due to chance. This study looked at whether replacing the nail is cost-effective compared with throwing it away. Using data from the NINJA trial, we compared costs, healthcare use, and quality of life and assessed the cost-effectiveness of replacing the nail. It was found that throwing the nail away after surgery would save the National Health Service (NHS) £75 (€85) per operation compared with placing the nail back on the nail bed. Changing clinical practice could save the NHS in England £720 000 (€819 000) per year.
Promyelinating drugs promote functional recovery in an autism spectrum disorder mouse model of Pitt–Hopkins syndrome
Authors: Bohlen Joseph F , Cleary Colin M , Das Debamitra , Sripathy Srinidhi Rao , Sadowski Norah , Shim Gina , Kenney Rakaia F , Buchler Ingrid P , Banerji Tapasree , Scanlan Thomas S , Mulkey Daniel K , Maher Brady J
Published: April 2023

Pitt–Hopkins syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutations in the human transcription factor 4 gene (TCF4). One pathobiological process caused by murine Tcf4 mutation is a cell autonomous reduction in oligodendrocytes and myelination. In this study, we show that the promyelinating compounds, clemastine, sobetirome and Sob-AM2 are effective at restoring myelination defects in a Pitt–Hopkins syndrome mouse model. In vitro, clemastine treatment reduced excess oligodendrocyte precursor cells and normalized oligodendrocyte density. In vivo, 2-week intraperitoneal administration of clemastine also normalized oligodendrocyte precursor cell and oligodendrocyte density in the cortex of Tcf4 mutant mice and appeared to increase the number of axons undergoing myelination, as EM imaging of the corpus callosum showed a significant increase in the proportion of uncompacted myelin and an overall reduction in the g-ratio. Importantly, this treatment paradigm resulted in functional rescue by improving electrophysiology and behaviour. To confirm behavioural rescue was achieved via enhancing myelination, we show that treatment with the thyroid hormone receptor agonist sobetirome or its brain penetrating prodrug Sob-AM2, was also effective at normalizing oligodendrocyte precursor cell and oligodendrocyte densities and behaviour in the Pitt–Hopkins syndrome mouse model. Together, these results provide preclinical evidence that promyelinating therapies may be beneficial in Pitt–Hopkins syndrome and potentially other neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by dysmyelination.
Autosomal recessive Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a new neuro-ophthalmo-genetic paradigm
Authors: Lenaers Guy , Beaulieu Cléis , Charif Majida , Gerber Sylvie , Kaplan Josseline , Rozet Jean-Michel
Published: April 2023

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a primary inherited neurodegenerative disorder of the optic nerve. It has been ascribed to variants in the mitochondrial genome, mainly the m.3460G>A, m.11778G>A and m.14484T>C mutations in ND1, ND4 and ND6, respectively. Nonetheless, inconclusive molecular diagnosis is not uncommon. Recently, biallelic mutations in the NDUFS2, DNAJC30, MCAT and NDUFA12 nuclear genes have been identified in unresolved LHON cases, identifying an autosomal recessive LHON (arLHON, OMIM:619382). The clinical presentation of arLHON copies that of typical LHON due to mtDNA mutations (mtLHON), with an acute phase of sudden and severe vision loss, telangiectatic and tortuous vessels around the optic nerve and swelling of the retinal nerve fibre layer. This is followed by a chronic phase of retinal nerve fibre layer loss, but eventually affected individuals recover partial or full visual acuity. Idebenone treatment significantly improved vision recovery in DNAJC30-associated patients. As for mtLHON, arLHON predominantly affected male compared with female carriers. The discovery of arLHON cases breaks with the dogma of exclusive maternal inheritance. It defines a new neuro-ophthalmo-genetic paradigm, which should be considered in individuals manifesting a LHON phenotype but with an inconclusive molecular diagnosis. NDUFS2, DNAJC30, MCAT and NDUFA12 should be investigated in these individuals, knowing that other arLHON genes might exist.
Evaluating when (and how) hypertension may be ‘good for your brain’
Authors: Magaki Shino D , Vinters Harry V
Published: April 2023

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Elevated late-life blood pressure may maintain brain oxygenation and slow amyloid-β accumulation, at the expense of cerebral vascular damage’, by Tayler et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad112).
Skin diseases in a 19th century English workhouse: analysis of the admission book for the Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary, 1826–1857
Authors: Labbouz Sofia , Manley Alice L , Gawkrodger David J
Published: April 2023

Infectious diseases in the form of ‘typhus’ (74.2%) and ‘fevers’ (17.2%) were the commonest conditions accounting for entry to the Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary between 1826 and 1857, as recorded in the admissions book. Skin diseases were noted for 3.2% of admissions, principally scarlet fever (1.5%) and smallpox (0.8%). The mean age for primary dermatological admissions was 20 years (compared with 24 years for patients overall), with a mortality rate of 0.3%. The low number of smallpox cases may be the result of successful vaccination campaigns. The absence of admissions because of scabies (then known as ‘the itch’) might be as a result of exclusion of such patients from entry because of the known extreme infectivity of the condition. Workhouses played an important role in medical care in 19th century Britain but, in this example, skin diseases did not feature highly as causes of admission.
Development and Validation of Robust, Highly Sensitive and Stability-Indicating RP-HPLC Method for Estimation of Deferasirox and its Degradation Products
Authors: Shishodia Tarun , Grover Parul , Nagarajan K , Bhardwaj Monika , Chopra Bhawna
Published: April 2023

A rapid, simple and highly sensitive stability-indicating reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic technique, coupled with a photodiode array detector, was developed and validated for the estimation of Deferasirox (DFS). The chromatographic separation was achieved using a C-18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) stationary phase and a mobile phase composed of 0.1% orthophosphoric acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The detection was carried out at a wavelength of 245 nm with a constant injection volume of 10 μL throughout the analysis. With an R2 value of 0.9996, the calibration curve was determined to be linear over an appropriate concentration range of 50–500 ng/mL. According to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Q1 (R2) guideline, DFS was evaluated under stress conditions that included hydrolytic (acid, alkali and neutral), oxidative and thermal degradation. The findings demonstrated that significant degradation was observed in acidic degradation conditions, whereas drug substance was found to be stable when exposed to neutral, basic, oxidative and thermal degradation. The developed method was validated as per ICH guidelines. The developed method was employed successfully to estimate the amount of DFS in bulk and pharmaceutical formulation.
The Contagion of Foreign Policy Convergence: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Chinese Leadership Visits, 1978–2014
Authors: Chen Chong
Published: April 2023

Previous research on the sources of foreign policy convergence has focused exclusively on changes at either the dyadic level, between sender and receiver countries, or monadic level of these states. Although such approaches are helpful to understand how states affect foreign policy change in other countries, they generally overlook the third source of foreign policy convergence, that is, the indirect impact of significant events in neighbouring countries. I investigate whether and how leadership visits—a major diplomatic phenomenon—affect foreign policy convergence within and beyond host countries. Specifically, I argue that leadership visits directly facilitate foreign policy convergence in host countries and indirectly produce favourable diffusion effects in their neighbourhood. I develop an original dataset that tracks the visits of high-level officials between China and its foreign counterparts from 1978 to 2014. The results from spatial panel models support my proposed direct and indirect effects whereby Chinese leadership visits are positively associated with foreign policy alignments with China in both host countries and their neighbours.
Cardiomyopathy in chronic kidney disease: clinical features, biomarkers and the contribution of murine models in understanding pathophysiology
Authors: Junho Carolina Victoria Cruz , Frisch Janina , Soppert Josefin , Wollenhaupt Julia , Noels Heidi
Published: April 2023

The cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is described as a multi-organ disease encompassing bidirectionally heart and kidney. In CRS type 4, chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to cardiac injury. Different pathological mechanisms have been identified to contribute to the establishment of CKD-induced cardiomyopathy, including a neurohormonal dysregulation, disturbances in the mineral metabolism and an accumulation of uremic toxins, playing an important role in the development of inflammation and oxidative stress. Combined, this leads to cardiac dysfunction and cardiac pathophysiological and morphological changes, like left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis and cardiac electrical changes. Given that around 80% of dialysis patients suffer from uremic cardiomyopathy, the study of cardiac outcomes in CKD is clinically highly relevant. The present review summarizes clinical features and biomarkers of CKD-induced cardiomyopathy and discusses underlying pathophysiological mechanisms recently uncovered in the literature. It discloses how animal models have contributed to the understanding of pathological kidney–heart crosstalk, but also provides insights into the variability in observed effects of CKD on the heart in different CKD mouse models, covering both “single hit” as well as “multifactorial hit” models. Overall, this review aims to support research progress in the field of CKD-induced cardiomyopathy.
Results of the Eighth Scientific Workshop of ECCO: Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Recurrence in Patients With Crohn’s Disease Undergoing an Ileocolonic Resection With Ileocolonic Anastomosis
Authors: Ferrante Marc , Pouillon Lieven , Mañosa Míriam , Savarino Edoardo , Allez Matthieu , Kapizioni Christina , Arebi Naila , Carvello Michele , Myrelid Pär , De Vries Annemarie C ,   8th Scientific Workshop of the European Crohns and Colitis Organisation, Dragoni Gabriele , Allocca Mariangela , Noor Nurulamin M , Bislenghi Gabriele , Hammoudi Nassim , Verstockt Bram , Brown Steven , Oliveira Cunha Melissa , Bemelman Willem , Pellino Gianluca , Kotze Paulo Gustavo , Rivière Pauline , Panis Yves , Domènech Eugeni
Published: April 2023

Despite the introduction of biological therapies, an ileocolonic resection is often required in patients with Crohn’s disease [CD]. Unfortunately, surgery is not curative, as many patients will develop postoperative recurrence [POR], eventually leading to further bowel damage and a decreased quality of life. The 8th Scientific Workshop of ECCO reviewed the available scientific data on both prevention and treatment of POR in patients with CD undergoing an ileocolonic resection, dealing with conventional and biological therapies, as well as non-medical interventions, including endoscopic and surgical approaches in case of POR. Based on the available data, an algorithm for the postoperative management in daily clinical practice was developed.
Cardiogenic shock in a woman with a mitochondrial cardiomyopathy: a case report
Authors: Girard Andrew , Heindl Brittain , Clarkson Stephen , Litovsky Silvio , Ubogu Eroboghene , Schwartzlow Coreen , Tallaj Jose
Published: April 2023

Background

Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy (MCM) is an alteration in cardiac structure and function caused by gene mutations or deletions affecting components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We report a case of MCM presenting as cardiogenic shock, ultimately requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement.

Case summary

A 35-year-old woman with chronic weakness and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, on home dobutamine, was referred to our institution for heart transplantation evaluation. She was admitted to the hospital for suspected cardiogenic shock after laboratory tests revealed a lactate level of 5.4 mmol/L (ref: 0.5–2.2 mmol/L). Her hospital course was complicated by persistently undulating lactate levels (0.2–8.6 mmol/L) that increased with exertion and did not correlate with mixed venous oxygen saturation measurements obtained from a pulmonary artery catheter. Electrodiagnostic testing demonstrated a proximal appendicular and axial myopathy. A left deltoid muscle biopsy was performed that demonstrated evidence of a mitochondrial disease on light and electron microscopy. Muscle genetic testing revealed two large-scale mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid sequence deletions, confirming the diagnosis of MCM. She subsequently underwent LVAD placement, which was complicated by significant right ventricular failure requiring early mechanical support. She was ultimately discharged home with chronic inotropic support.

Discussion

Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy in adults is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Prompt diagnosis should be made in patients with unknown causes of heart failure via skeletal muscle histopathology guided by electrodiagnostic studies, and targeted genetic testing in affected tissue. Outcomes in adult MCM patients who receive an LVAD are unknown and warrant further investigation.
Sudden cardiac arrest in a patient with malignant mitral valve prolapse with CACNB2 gene mutation: a simple coincidence or coexistence?—a case report
Authors: Parthiban Nirmalatiban , Sani Huzairi
Published: April 2023

Background

Despite recent advances in cardiology, sudden cardiac death remains to be a significant challenge, and the precise cause for a large proportion of sudden cardiac arrests remains unclear.

Case summary

A 48-year-old fit and healthy medical personnel with no previous medical illness suffered from ventricular fibrillation at his workplace and was successfully resuscitated. Although the basal electrocardiogram did not show a Brugada pattern, we identified mutations in the CACNB2 genes (Chr10: 18150879 and Chr10: 18539538 variants), which are pathogenic variants linked to the Brugada syndrome. A transthoracic echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance revealed mitral valve prolapse (MVP) with characteristics of Barlow’s disease, as well as malignant MVP features such as the presence of bileaflet prolapse, mitral annular disjunction, and inferior and inferolateral left ventricular wall fibrosis.

Discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report on sudden cardiac arrest in a patient with malignant MVP with a CACNB2 gene mutation. This study highlights the merit for further research to establish standardized criteria for the diagnosis of malignant MVP, for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Cardiac MR should also be part of the diagnostic evaluation of MVP to allow for the early detection of arrhythmogenic features, especially left ventricular fibrosis. We also suggest that the utility of genetic testing should be complementary to the current diagnostic tools for unexplained cardiac arrest and patients with MVP. This would help to better understand the genetic basis between these two conditions for better risk stratification and early cardiac intervention.
ESOL classes as trauma-sensitive physical spaces
Authors: Dunn Orsolya
Published: April 2023

I have worked in ESOL for the best part of 15 years now in the west of Scotland in a number of educational contexts engaging learners with ESOL needs from a variety of backgrounds. I have often thought of working in ESOL as akin to completing a 1000-piece jigsaw; having to work with an infinite number of variables, fitting together all the parts, coping with the continuous stream of missing pieces, and needing the emotional strength to withstand the occasional knocks to the table.
Air pollution, cardiovascular disease, and urban greening: an ecological blueprint
Authors: Mannucci Pier Mannuccio
Published: April 2023

A number of studies and systematic reviews indicate that exposure to greenness reduces of all-cause, non accidental mortality, particularly from cardiopulmonary and cancer causes. There is also some evidence that green space residence may be associated with improved pregnancy and birth outcomes, and with better school performances in children. Furthermore, because at least one third of the premature deaths are globally attributable to exposure to air pollution due household agents, particularly in fragile populations living in low-income countries (i.e., children, older and deprived people, pregnant women), that houseplants are an effective and economic mean for cleaning indoor air and thus reducing volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and others. On the whole more prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the mechanisms linking air pollution, greenness and health outcomes, although the multiple and interacting mechanisms depicted in this article are all biologically plausible.
Evolution of relative brain size in dogs—no effects of selection for breed function, litter size, or longevity
Authors: Garamszegi László Zsolt , Kubinyi Enikő , Czeibert Kálmán , Nagy Gergely , Csörgő Tibor , Kolm Niclas
Published: April 2023

Domestication is a well-known example of the relaxation of environmentally based cognitive selection that leads to reductions in brain size. However, little is known about how brain size evolves after domestication and whether subsequent directional/artificial selection can compensate for domestication effects. The first animal to be domesticated was the dog, and recent directional breeding generated the extensive phenotypic variation among breeds we observe today. Here we use a novel endocranial dataset based on high-resolution CT scans to estimate brain size in 159 dog breeds and analyze how relative brain size varies across breeds in relation to functional selection, longevity, and litter size. In our analyses, we controlled for potential confounding factors such as common descent, gene flow, body size, and skull shape. We found that dogs have consistently smaller relative brain size than wolves supporting the domestication effect, but breeds that are more distantly related to wolves have relatively larger brains than breeds that are more closely related to wolves. Neither functional category, skull shape, longevity, nor litter size was associated with relative brain size, which implies that selection for performing specific tasks, morphology, and life history does not necessarily influence brain size evolution in domesticated species.
Recent advances and perspectives in nucleotide second messenger signaling in bacteria
Authors: Hengge Regine , Pruteanu Mihaela , Stülke Jörg , Tschowri Natalia , Turgay Kürşad
Published: April 2023

Nucleotide second messengers act as intracellular ‘secondary’ signals that represent environmental or cellular cues, i.e. the ‘primary’ signals. As such, they are linking sensory input with regulatory output in all living cells. The amazing physiological versatility, the mechanistic diversity of second messenger synthesis, degradation, and action as well as the high level of integration of second messenger pathways and networks in prokaryotes has only recently become apparent. In these networks, specific second messengers play conserved general roles. Thus, (p)ppGpp coordinates growth and survival in response to nutrient availability and various stresses, while c-di-GMP is the nucleotide signaling molecule to orchestrate bacterial adhesion and multicellularity. c-di-AMP links osmotic balance and metabolism and that it does so even in Archaea may suggest a very early evolutionary origin of second messenger signaling. Many of the enzymes that make or break second messengers show complex sensory domain architectures, which allow multisignal integration. The multiplicity of c-di-GMP-related enzymes in many species has led to the discovery that bacterial cells are even able to use the same freely diffusible second messenger in local signaling pathways that can act in parallel without cross-talking. On the other hand, signaling pathways operating with different nucleotides can intersect in elaborate signaling networks. Apart from the small number of common signaling nucleotides that bacteria use for controlling their cellular “business,” diverse nucleotides were recently found to play very specific roles in phage defense. Furthermore, these systems represent the phylogenetic ancestors of cyclic nucleotide-activated immune signaling in eukaryotes.
Simone Weil and George Herbert on Love through Poetry
Authors: Roberts Hugh
Published: April 2023

In two letters written shortly before she sailed from Marseille in May 1942, Simone Weil reveals the profound impact George Herbert’s ‘Love’ (now commonly titled ‘Love (III)’) had on her. When reciting the poem to herself during intense headaches, she had a religious experience which involved Christ descending and taking possession of her. This article offers a comparative case study of how focused attention on poetry can become a form of prayer leading to religious experience. It offers a close reading of ‘Love’ through the lens of Weil’s philosophical and spiritual writings from the last year of her life. For Weil, the beauty of poetry is analogous to the beauty of the world and hence can indicate God’s will or the ineffable order of the universe.
Current management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease—treatment costs, safety profile, and effectiveness: a narrative review
Authors: Lata Tahmina , Trautman Jodie , Townend Philip , Wilson Robert B
Published: April 2023

Background

The purpose of this study was to review the current management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), including treatment costs, safety profile and effectiveness.

Methods

A literature review was performed of randomized-controlled trials, systematic reviews, Cochrane reports and National/Societal guidelines of the medical, endoscopic and surgical management of GORD. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing patterns and expenditure were reviewed in different countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA.

Results

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are primarily indicated for control of GORD, Helicobacter pylori eradication (combined with antibiotics), preventing NSAID-induced gastrointestinal bleeding and treating peptic ulcer disease. There is widespread overprescribing of PPIs in Western and Eastern nations in terms of indication and duration, with substantial expense for national health providers. Despite a favourable short-term safety profile, there are observational associations of adverse effects with long-term PPIs. These include nutrient malabsorption, enteric infections and cardiovascular events. The prevalence of PPI use makes their long-term safety profile clinically relevant. Cost-benefit, symptom control and quality-of-life outcomes favour laparoscopic fundoplication rather than chronic PPI treatment. Laparoscopic fundoplication in long-term management of PPI-responsive GORD is supported by SAGES, NICE and ACG, and PPI-refractory GORD by AGA and SAGES guidelines. The importance of establishing a definitive diagnosis prior to invasive management is emphasized, especially in PPI-refractory heartburn.

Conclusions

We examined evidence-based guidelines for PPI prescribing and deprescribing in primary care and hospital settings and the need for PPI stewardship and education of health professionals. This narrative review presents the advantages and disadvantages of surgical, endoscopic and medical management of GORD, which may assist in shared decision making and treatment choice in individual patients.

This paper was presented (GS020) at the 88th RACS Annual Scientific Conference, 6-10 May, 2019.