bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unpacking power: The role of critical reflection in preschool internship
Authors: Nolan Charlene Montaño , Brennan Carolyn , Laman Tasha Tropp
Published: March 2023

This study examined the potential role of critical reflection as a tool to support pre-service early childhood teacher interns in understanding and questioning pedagogical choices witnessed in their preschool internships while developing their own socially responsible teaching capacity. This study contributes to the field of critical reflection in teacher education by emphasizing an analysis of power, using Patricia Hill Collins’ matrices of power to understand the complexities of systemic injustices and identify potential solutions. The authors conducted an analysis of students’ critical reflections, which were completed weekly during their quarter-long preschool internship. The authors found that a critical analytic lens, using power, created intentional space to pause and expand interpretations of unequal and inequitable dynamics within the students’ preschool internship experiences, and had the potential to impact their subsequent pedagogical decisions. These findings hold the possibility for teacher preparation programs to bolster students’ reflective praxis and seed justice-oriented possibilities in early childhood education.
The adoption of the UN sustainable development goals in hotels in Dubai
Authors: Singh Simarna , Dutt Christopher S
Published: March 2023

Given the scope of tourism and hospitality, this economic sector has a significant role to play in the global effort to become more sustainable. As more initiatives are discussed and implemented to promote sustainability, such as the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the regular emissions cuts promised in various COP summits, the need to understand tourism and hospitality’s role in sustainability only increases. Results from a qualitative study conducted among 4- and 5-star hotels in Dubai suggested that, while hotels are keen, there is a lack of awareness and understanding about how best to implement sustainable initiatives.
Are citizens culpable for state action?
Authors: Stilz Anna
Published: March 2023

International law holds that states are holistically responsible for their acts. Yet what does the ascription of responsibility to the state imply about the responsibility of its citizens? This article argues that most citizens in a representative democracy bear culpability in association with their state's wrongful acts. Most democratic citizens can be blamed for empowering representatives to act on their behalf, and then failing to adequately oversee and dissent from the specific wrongful decisions their representatives made. This gives culpable citizens duties that go beyond compensation, especially duties to foster a reparative social ethos towards state victims.
Mills’s account of white ignorance: Structural or non-structural?
Authors: Bain Zara
Published: March 2023

Recent philosophical secondary literature on white ignorance – a concept most famously developed by the late philosopher Charles W. Mills – suggests that white ignorance is, one way or another, a non-structural phenomenon. I analyse two such readings, the agential view and the cognitivist view. I argue that they misinterpret Mills’ work by (among other things) committing a kind of structural erasure, and one which implies that Mills’ account cannot capture, for example, cases where white ignorance (and white racial domination) involves historical erasure, especially when perpetrated by sociopolitical institutions. This is particularly salient in cases such as the recent movement against anti-racist education, now widely conflated with critical race theory, in the United States and United Kingdom, which I offer as a brief case study.
Transfer Shock and Resilience: How Transfer-Related GPA Drop and Rebound Predict Student Departure from a Flagship University Campus
Authors: Jaggars Shanna Smith , Rivera Marcos D. , Buelow Melissa T.
Published: March 2023

As they navigate the social and academic expectations of a new college, transfer students commonly suffer “transfer shock,” or a sudden drop in GPA. However, little is known about why some students suffer transfer shock, why some bounce back, and the consequences in terms of student retention. This analysis of over 25,000 transfer students (N = 25,000) at a large flagship university finds an average first-term drop of −0.30 GPA points, but the impact of this shock on student departure is dependent on initial GPA, the steepness of the drop, and the student's ability to rebound in their second term. To support transfer student retention and graduation, sending institutions can help students to pre-appraise the potential setback as normal and temporary, while receiving institutions can provide proactive outreach to transfers who arrive with a GPA below 2.0 or who suffer a GPA drop steeper than −0.50 in their first term.
An Editor’s Learning Journey: Lessons for Moving the Field Forward
Authors: Reio Thomas G.
Published: March 2023

I share the results of my learning journeys as Editor of Human Resource Development Review ( HRDR) and Human Resource Development Quarterly ( HRDQ). I begin by sharing my experiences at both journals, followed by Lessons Learned, Advice and Implications for Editors, Advice and Implications for Authors and Doctoral Students, and Final Thoughts. Rigor, relevance, replicability, and refutability (four Rs) are put forth as major considerations for a quality journal and attaining and improving a Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) factor score. Having a developmental orientation toward prospective authors and a strong, active Editorial Board are highlighted as being vital for building the visibility and reputation of the journal. Social media as a visibility tool is also explored.
Far from Houdini: The ‘Magic’ of the VFX Breakdown
Authors: Jones Nick
Published: March 2023

VFX (visual effects) breakdowns are short ancillary videos that advertise the digital animation work undertaken by a VFX company for a particular film or television programme. Claiming to take viewers ‘behind the magic’ of VFX, breakdowns disassemble a wide variety of shots and sequences, and point to the extensive use of computer-generated imagery in contemporary blockbuster cinema. But, as much as breakdowns reveal some illusions, they conjure others. Breakdowns operate in a register of speed, fluidity and efficacy, showing neither the many people nor the extensive periods of time that it takes to painstakingly generate all these VFX. In this article, the author reveals how the omission of labour and duration in VFX breakdowns both reflects and contributes to a broader (mis)understanding of digital effects as immaterial, instantaneous and magical. His case study is Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), a film that links VFX with magic, evokes the breakdown in some of its spectacular visuals, and even outright villainizes those effects artists who seek fair recognition for their work.
Para-animation in Practice and Theory: The Animateur, the Embodied Gesture and Enchantment
Authors: Voci Paola
Published: March 2023

Animateurs are characterized by liminality or, possibly more accurately, intersectionality, vis-à-vis the mainstream and the avant-garde. Their vernacular creative work points to hybrid genealogies that include analogue handmade cinema and performing arts, such as the magic lantern show, puppetry and shadow play. The author proposes that animateurs develop a distinctive practice and theory of animation that can be best understood as ‘ para-animation’, i.e. a liminal, nearby, or off idea of animation that critically expands theories of the moving image and media archaeology. In para-animation, the moving image is non-medium specific, freed from both the index and the virtual, as reality is not there to be (re)presented or remade, but instead to be reconnected with. Para-animation’s uncontainable and overflowing multimedia materialities challenge film’s representational and photographic genealogy and actualize the moving image as a key location for an alternative, both embodied and enchanted, experience of the modern world. In so doing, para-animation also reveals multidirectional – across times and places – connections between animateurs and other enchanters (inventors, prestidigitators, performers, storytellers), similarly crossing and morphing boundaries between technology and magic, representation and imagination, science and art, knowledge and pleasure. Referring to a selection of animateurs’ works, this article focuses on the embodied gesture of ‘the hand on-screen’ as one of the key modalities through which para-animation re-centres the body and allows for a simultaneously technologized and de-technologized re-enchanted experience of reality.
Walt’s Art History: Late Style, Digital Aesthetics and the ‘Disney Baroque’
Authors: Holliday Christopher
Published: March 2023

This article examines the critical and cultural framing of the Walt Disney Studio’s cel- and computer-animated feature films according to an enduring art-historical narrative. It traces the critical evolution and historical periodization of Disney animation from the 1930s and 1940s to the post-millennial period, arguing that the studio has often been understood according to ‘early, middle and late’ phases of production that are typically held as both complementary and in tension with each other. Supported by the well-established art-history vernacular that has defined discrete Disney eras, this article then argues for post-2012 Disney Feature Animation as an example of the studio’s ‘late style’ – a later phase not of transgression or alienation, but one that adheres to a more positivist mode that signals pleasurable formal dissidence, confident deformation, and artistic creativity. This article subsequently advances the term ‘Disney Baroque’ to describe such playful transformations of digital aesthetics and effects present across the studio’s nine features released between Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore, 2012) and Encanto (Jared Bush and Byron Howard, 2021), its longest run of computer-animated films. By sharpening contemporary Disney’s connections to the ahistorical or atemporal logic of Baroque theatricality, this article identifies how contemporary Disney animation engineers spectacular moments of upheaval that rest on specific Neo-Baroque qualities (concealment, illusionism, representationalism, polycentricism, seriality, the labyrinthine) in ways that further contribute to an understanding of Disney’s own internal history and critical periodicity.
Animating Goethe
Authors: Saber Zeke
Published: March 2023

Metamorphosis is frequently cited as an inherent feature of animation, but scholars who make this claim have routinely disregarded the influence of Goethean morphology on animation practice and theory. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s initial conception of morphology, as outlined in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, has had a significant effect on our understanding of the transformative nature of animation. In this article, the author engages with the theory and practice of figures including Sergei Eisenstein, André Bazin, Alla Gadassik, Caroline Leaf and others in order to insist upon animation’s critical but hitherto unacknowledged role in an ongoing history of morphological reception. Morphology’s sensitivity to the continuous coming-into-being of form allows us to think through, in newly productive ways, the intrinsic practices, aims and intimations of animation, not to mention the sometimes vexed discourse about its place in cinema studies.
Achronologies, Materiality and Mechanics of Time in Optical Moving Image Systems
Authors: Feeney Deirdre
Published: March 2023

Within the fields of animation, media archaeology and film, much attention is placed on the image and the viewer. This article will broaden this focus to explore the moving image as a form of time in an expanded context of animation which triangulates the device with the image and viewer. The devices discussed form part of optical image system artworks that the author has researched and developed. These devices project moving images of light and have diverse historical and opto-mechanical underpinnings. The systems present their own form of optically generated time, not of minutes and hours, but of movement and light, which the author terms time-light. The article explores how revealing the mechanism generating the moving image can establish a new ontology for the device by critically engaging the viewer in how time is constructed, mediated and experienced. Being both ‘object’ and a ‘subjective experience’, time is deeply connected to our human and post-human relationship with technology. The subjective experience of the moving image in conjunction with its decloaked device can therefore make explicit our techno–human relationship with time.
Radiological presentation of transient perivascular inflammation of carotid artery syndrome in a patient with myelodysplasia
Authors: Choudhary Neha , Gupta Vivek , Mishra Pravas , Banerjee Madhuritu
Published: March 2023

Transient Perivascular Inflammation of Carotid artery syndrome (TIPIC syndrome) is a non-specific inflammatory thickening of the carotid artery. The exact etiology of this syndrome is poorly understood. We will describe the radiological findings of a rare case of TIPIC syndrome in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome and discuss the potential pathophysiological mechanisms.
Denture Clasp Injury of the Oral Mucosa
Authors: Iijima Yosuke , Yamada Miki , Nakamura Satoshi , Hino Shunsuke , Horie Norio , Kaneko Takahiro
Published: March 2023

Purpose: Clasp-penetrating oral injury caused by removable partial dentures is basically a minor injury but can also cause complications such as continuous bleeding. No systematic investigations of clasp injury have been undertaken. The aims of this study were to reveal the characteristics of clasp injury and estimate variables associated with clasp injury of the oral mucosa. Methods: This retrospective study used clasp injury as the outcome variable, with primary predictor variables of demographic characteristics, medical history, local characteristics, and denture design, including the site of the affected clasp. Denture type was examined according to the classification of Kennedy. Collected data were statistically analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test and the level of significance adopted was 5%. Results: This report consists of 73 cases (36 men and 37 women), of which 31 cases had precise denture information. Among them, clasp injuries were more common with Class I (51.6%) and Class II (32.3%) dentures ( p < .001). Premolar (64.5%) and canine clasps (32.3%) were significantly more frequently involved ( p < .001). Conclusion: Clasp injury of the oral mucosa was significantly more common on the tongue, and mandibular free-end saddle dentures with premolar or canine clasps were the most notable risk factor for clasp-penetrating injury of the oral mucosa.
Digital affinitiy and cognitive reserve: Salience for resilient aging in pandemic
Authors: Cilli Eleonora , Ranieri Jessica , Guerra Federica , Colicchia Simone , Di Giacomo Dina
Published: March 2023

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the impact of technology in the older adults after acute pandemic regarding to the development of digital confidence. Method: A sample of n. 56 healthy older adults ( N = 22 female, N = 34 male) aged 64 to 86 years (M = 73.7, SD = 6.40) participated in observational study. The sample was distributed in two groups: (a) pre-COVID and (b) post-COVID. Psychological battery was applied: Mini-Mental State Examination, Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale, and then Digital Mastery Questionnaire. Descriptive and (M)ANOVA statistical analyses have been applied. Results: Our results confirmed the increase in technology usage among elders, the higher use of smart devices and then more confident digital daily living; then, the improving of digital affinity for technology and higher adherence in seniors than older. In sex effect, men seemed developing higher digital confidence for digital experience, for access and use of financial online services than women. In the process of improvement by massive digital experience in daily living the cognitive reserve had relevant influence: elders with high level of cognitive reserve appeared to enhance own competence in digital mastery and affinity for technology. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the higher cognitive reserve being protective in older adults favoring the efficacy to the changing in daily living as well the develop of adaptive behaviors in order to achieve high Quality of Life.
Older Adults’ Experiences in a Web-Based Intervention for Loneliness
Authors: Hudson Janella , Zarling Amie , Ungar Rachel , Albright Laurie , Tkatch Rifky , Russell Daniel , Schaeffer James , Wicker Ellen R.
Published: March 2023

Background: Older adults may be vulnerable to loneliness due to natural and age-related transitions. Lonely older adults are at an increased risk of adverse health outcomes due to their loneliness, including cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of vulnerable older adults in a web-based loneliness intervention. Methods: Older adult participants in a web-based loneliness intervention ( n = 24) participated in semi-structured interviews eliciting feedback about their experience in the program and perceived outcomes. Participants’ responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Participants reported fewer negative perceptions of their social skills and future social interactions, gaining new social skills, improved relationships, and increased confidence to initiate and maintain social contact. Conclusions: Findings suggest the efficacy of combining a web-based loneliness intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy, and provide implications for future web-based interventions for older adult populations.
Design and Integration of a Texting Tool to Keep Patients’ Family Members Updated During Hospitalization: Family Members’ Perspectives
Authors: Bruce Courtenay R. , Kamencik-Wright Ashleigh , Zuniga-Georgy Natalie , Vinh Thomas M. , Shah Hema , Shallcross Jamie , Giammattei Charlie , O’Rourke Colleen , Smith Mariana , Bruchhaus Lindsey , Bowens Yashica , Goode Kimberly , Arabie Lee Ann , Sauceda Katherine , Pacha Majeedah , Martinez Sandra , Chisum James , Saldaña DO R. Benjamin , Desai S. Nicholas , Awar Melina , R. Vernon Thomas
Published: March 2023

While there is an evolving literature on the benefits of texting and patient-centered technologies, texting initiatives have not focused on family members. We sought to identify patients’ family members’ perspectives on facilitators and barriers to using 1 digital texting innovation to promote family-centered care during patients’ hospitalizations. This qualitative study was conducted at a tertiary care center in Houston, consisting of 7 hospitals (1 academic hospital and 6 community hospitals), involving analyzation of 3137 comments from family members who used the digital texting technology. Thematic analysis methods were used. The data analysis for loved ones’ feedback resulted in 4 themes as facilitators: (1) inpatient text messaging keeps loved ones updated and connected (n = 611); (2) inpatient text messaging allows for stronger continuity of communication (n = 69); (3) messaging promotes a sense of staff compassion and service (n = 245); and (4) messaging reduces phone calls (n = 65). The data analysis resulted in 4 themes as barriers to text messaging helpfulness: (1) messages could feel generic (n = 31); (2) inpatient texting was not needed if all loved ones were regularly at bedside (n = 6); (3) messages could have a perceived delay (n = 37); and (4) security features could impact convenience (n = 29). Our findings indicate that family members and loved ones value inpatient text messages, not only for the information the messages provide, but also because the act of writing text messages and preparing loved ones shows inclusiveness, compassion, and family-centered care.
Association of First Metatarsal Phalangeal Joint Fusion for Hallux Rigidus With Patient-Reported Pain and Mental Health Outcomes in Patients Taking Psychotropic Medications
Authors: Manz Wesley J. , Fink Juliet , Novack Joseph , Jacobson Joseph , Bariteau Jason T.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Limited literature examines the relationship between surgical outcomes in chronic foot and ankle conditions and concurrent psychiatric care. The present study aimed to investigate patient-reported and surgical outcomes of patients treated for a psychiatric disorder undergoing first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) fusion for hallux rigidus. We hypothesized that patients on psychotropic medications would have greater subjective pain preoperatively and less improvement in physical and mental functionality postoperatively when compared with nonmedicated patients.

Methods:

A single-center, retrospective review of prospectively collected data was conducted on 92 patients undergoing first MTP fusion with a preoperative diagnosis of hallux rigidus from 2015 to 2019. At their preoperative, 6-month postoperative, and 1-year postoperative visits, patients were administered visual analog pain scale (VAS) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) functionality surveys. Patients were subsequently identified by chronic use of psychotropic medication preoperatively and grouped for analysis (MED, n = 42; NO MED, n = 50).

Results:

Postoperative mean VAS pain scores were lower for all studied patients at 6 months (VAS = 1.6 ± 2.3) and 1 year postoperatively (VAS = 1.1± 1.8) relative to the preoperative visit (VAS = 4.7 ± 2.8) ( P ≤ .0001 and P ≤ .0001, respectively). No differences in mean VAS pain scores nor SF-36 physical component summary scores were detected at preoperative, 6-month, or 1-year visits between NO MED and MED groups. Mean SF-36 mental component summary scores for those in the MED group were lower at preoperative (NO MED = 83.8, MED = 71.8, P = .006) and 6-month postoperative (NO MED = 86.1, MED = 72.7, P = .037) visits than those in the NO MED group, a trend not observed at the 1-year postoperative mark (NO MED = 84.1, MED = 76.8, P = .228). There were no observed differences in operative time ( P = .219), tourniquet time ( P = .359), nor time to full weightbearing ( P = .512) between MED and NO MED groups. Additionally, no differences in postoperative complication rates were observed between groups.

Conclusion:

In patients treated with psychotropically active medications with hallux rigidus, MTP Fusion appears to be a reasonable treatment choice with similar outcomes for patients requiring psychotropically active medications to the outcomes of those patients not requiring psychotropically active medications.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Reduced Incidence of Intravitreal Injection–Related Endophthalmitis With Prefilled Syringes
Authors: Feng Henry L. , Abdelwahab Shareif , Imam Nareena , Astafurov Konstantin , Roth Daniel B.
Published: March 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of intravitreal injection–related endophthalmitis cases with antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medications manufactured as prefilled syringes or non-prefilled preparations. Methods: This retrospective chart review comprised eyes that received intravitreal anti-VEGF at a single-specialty retina practice from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019. Eyes diagnosed with injection-related endophthalmitis were identified. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from medical records, including the type of anti-VEGF agent, baseline and follow-up corrected visual acuity (VA), and microbiologic findings. Results: The review identified 88 cases of intravitreal anti-VEGF injection–related endophthalmitis and 325 990 total injections. Total injections included 32 045 (9.8%) bevacizumab (BEV), 93 073 (28.6%) ranibizumab (RAN), 122 947 (37.7%) aflibercept (AFL), and 77 925 (23.9%) ranibizumab prefilled syringe (RANPFS). Ten of the endophthalmitis cases were related to BEV, 21 to RAN, 45 to AFL, and 12 to RANPFS. The endophthalmitis rate was lowest for RANPFS (0.0154%) (BEV, 0.0312%; RAN, 0.0226%; AFL, 0.0366%) ( P = .030). Thirty-four (41.5%) of 82 samples were culture positive. RANPFS had a significantly lower rate of culture-proven postinjection endophthalmitis than the other agents ( P = .003). The mean VA for endophthalmitis cases related to RANPFS vs non-prefilled agents was similar at presentation (Snellen 20/2092 vs 20/2327) and at the 3-month follow-up (Snellen 20/201 vs 20/272) (both P > .05). Conclusions: Anti-VEGF medications in prefilled syringes may reduce the risk for medication contamination during injection preparation. RANPFS was associated with a lower rate of injection-related endophthalmitis than non-prefilled anti-VEGF medications.
An Evaluation of Tertiary Drug Resources’ Consistency Regarding Drug-Drug Interactions Between Tricyclic Antidepressants and Herbal Supplements
Authors: Engel Elizabeth , Friedt Carter T. , Reinert Justin P.
Published: March 2023

Background: Tertiary drug information resources are utilized frequently by health care providers. While pharmacists are uniquely trained and prepared to interpret the information available on these resources, including the results of drug-drug interaction evaluations, discrepancies between such resources pose a major concern for clinicians with regard to patient safety and medication regimen efficacy. It was postulated that drug-drug interaction evaluations between prescription medications and over-the-counter herbal supplements would be particularly problematic. Objective: The objective of this project was to distinguish the discrepancies between tertiary drug information resources in the setting of drug-drug interactions between tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and herbal supplements. Methods: The following medications and herbal supplements were evaluated on Lexicomp, Micromedex, and Medscape: amitriptyline, nortriptyline, doxepin, imipramine, desipramine, amoxapine, St. John’s Wort, valerian root, ginkgo biloba, and ginseng. Results: While all of the tertiary drug information resources identified a significant reaction between each TCA and St. John’s Wort due to the risk of serotonin syndrome, several other discrepancies were noted, with regard to both the severity of the interaction indicated and whether or not an interaction was identified. Conclusion: It is imperative that clinicians be aware of potential discrepancies between tertiary drug information resources, including the potential for variation in both the clinical interpretation of its severity and the recognition of an interaction.
DOCK11 deficiency in patients with X-linked actinopathy and autoimmunity
Authors: Boussard Charlotte , Delage Laure , Gajardo Tania , Kauskot Alexandre , Batignes Maxime , Goudin Nicolas , Stolzenberg Marie-Claude , Brunaud Camille , Panikulam Patricia , Riller Quentin , Moya-Nilges Maryse , Solarz Jean , Reperant Christelle , Durel Béatrice , Bordet Jean-Claude , Pellé Olivier , Lebreton Corinne , Magerus-Chatinet Aude , Pirabakaran Vithura , Vargas Pablo , Dupichaud Sébastien , Jeanpierre Marie , Vinit Angélique , Zarhrate Mohammed , Masson Cécile , Aladjidi Nathalie , Arkwright Peter D , Bader-Meunier Brigitte , Baron Joly Sandrine , Benadiba Joy , Bernard Elise , Berrebi Dominique , Bodemer Christine , Castelle Martin , Charbit-Henrion Fabienne , Chbihi Marwa , Debray Agathe , Drabent Philippe , Fraitag Sylvie , Hié Miguel , Landman-Parker Judith , Lhermitte Ludovic , Moshous Despina , Rohrlich Pierre , Ruemmele Frank M , Welfringer-Morin Anne , Tusseau Maud , Belot Alexandre , Cerf-Bensussan Nadine , Roelens Marie , Picard Capucine , Neven Bénédicte , Fischer Alain , Callebaut Isabelle , Ménager Mickaël Mathieu , Sepulveda Fernando E , Adam Frédéric , Rieux-Laucat Frédéric
Published: March 2023

Dedicator of cytokinesis (DOCK) proteins play a central role in actin cytoskeleton regulation. This is highlighted by the DOCK2 and DOCK8 deficiencies leading to actinopathies and immune deficiencies. DOCK8 and DOCK11 activate CDC42, a RHO-GTPase involved in actin cytoskeleton dynamics, among many cellular functions. The role of DOCK11 in human immune disease has been long suspected but has never been described so far. We studied eight male patients, from seven unrelated families, with hemizygous DOCK11 missense variants leading to reduced DOCK11 expression. The patients were presenting with early-onset autoimmunity, including cytopenia, systemic lupus erythematosus, skin, and digestive manifestations. Patients' platelets exhibited abnormal ultrastructural morphology and spreading as well as impaired CDC42 activity. In vitro activated T cells and B lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) of patients exhibited aberrant protrusions and abnormal migration speed in confined channels concomitant with altered actin polymerization during migration. A DOCK11 knock-down recapitulated these abnormal cellular phenotypes in monocytes-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) and primary activated T cells from healthy controls. Lastly, in line with the patients' autoimmune manifestations, we also observed abnormal regulatory T cells (Tregs) phenotype with profoundly reduced FOXP3 and IKZF2 expression. Moreover, we found a reduced T cell proliferation and an impaired STAT5B phosphorylation upon IL2 stimulation of the patients' lymphocytes. In conclusion, DOCK11 deficiency is a new X-linked immune-related actinopathy leading to impaired CDC42 activity and STAT5 activation, and associated with abnormal actin cytoskeleton remodeling as well as Tregs phenotype culminating in immune dysregulation and severe early-onset autoimmunity.
Receptor tyrosine kinase C-kit promotes a destructive phenotype of FLS in osteoarthritis via intracellular EMT signaling
Authors: Cao Xu , Wu Song , Wang Xinxing , Huang Junjie , Zhang Wenxiu , Liang Chi
Published: March 2023

Background

Chronic inflammation, mainly derived from fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), plays a central role in the pathomechanism of osteoarthritis (OA). Recently, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling was found to be activated in OA-derived FLSs with a pro-inflammatory phenotype. However, the role of EMT signaling in regulating FLS function and OA-related inflammation remains unknown.

Methods

The synovium of OA patients were evaluated for EMT and inflammation markers. The FLSs with activated EMT signaling were co-cultured with chondrocytes (chond). Gene expression of OA synovial samples were analyzed. The role of receptor tyrosine kinase C-kit was investigated in OA-FLSs and an OA rat model. The downstream pathways driven by C-kit were explored in OA-FLSs.

Results

EMT marker N-cadherin (N-CDH) was upregulated in 40.0% of the OA samples. These N-CDH+ OA samples showed higher expression of pro-inflammatory factors. In co-culture, FLSs derived from N-CDH+ OA samples induced a typical degenerative phenotype of chonds and stimulated their production of matrix degrading enzymes. C-kit was significantly upregulated and spatially co-localized with N-CDH in N-CDH+ OA samples. In OA-FLSs, C-kit activated intracellular EMT signaling and induced destructive features of OA-FLSs. In OA rat model, C-kit largely promoted synovial inflammation and cartilage destruction, whereas knocking-down C-kit significantly restored the health of OA joints. Using GSK3β S9A mutant, we demonstrated that C-kit drives EMT signaling in OA-FLS by promoting phosphorylation of GSK3β and nuclear retention of the EMT transcription factor Snail.

Conclusion

C-kit drives EMT signaling in OA-FLSs and promotes a destructive FLS phenotype, leading to synovial inflammation and cartilage destruction.
Immobilized nanoparticles-mediated enzyme therapy; promising way into clinical development
Authors: Zangi Ali Rajabi , Amiri Ala , Borzouee Fatemeh , Bagherifar Rafieh , Pazooki Pouya , Hamishehkar Hamed , Javadzadeh Yousef
Published: March 2023

Enzyme (Enz)-mediated therapy indicated a remarkable effect in the treatment of many human cancers and diseases with an insight into clinical phases. Because of insufficient immobilization (Imb) approach and ineffective carrier, Enz therapeutic exhibits low biological efficacy and bio-physicochemical stability. Although efforts have been made to remove the limitations mentioned in clinical trials, efficient Imb-destabilization and modification of nanoparticles (NPs) remain challenging. NP internalization through insufficient membrane permeability, precise endosomal escape, and endonuclease protection following release are the primary development approaches. In recent years, innovative manipulation of the material for Enz immobilization (EI) fabrication and NP preparation has enabled nanomaterial platforms to improve Enz therapeutic outcomes and provide low-diverse clinical applications. In this review article, we examine recent advances in EI approaches and emerging views and explore the impact of Enz-mediated NPs on clinical therapeutic outcomes with at least diverse effects.

Graphical abstract
Genomes of four Streptomyces strains reveal insights into putative new species and pathogenicity of scab-causing organisms
Authors: Henao Laura , Zade Ramin Shirali Hossein , Restrepo Silvia , Husserl Johana , Abeel Thomas
Published: March 2023

Genomes of four Streptomyces isolates, two putative new species (Streptomyces sp. JH14 and Streptomyces sp. JH34) and two non thaxtomin-producing pathogens (Streptomyces sp. JH002 and Streptomyces sp. JH010) isolated from potato fields in Colombia were selected to investigate their taxonomic classification, their pathogenicity, and the production of unique secondary metabolites of Streptomycetes inhabiting potato crops in this region. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value calculated between Streptomyces sp. JH34 and its closest relatives (92.23%) classified this isolate as a new species. However, Streptomyces sp. JH14 could not be classified as a new species due to the lack of genomic data of closely related strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on 231 single-copy core genes, confirmed that the two pathogenic isolates (Streptomyces sp. JH010 and JH002) belong to Streptomyces pratensis and Streptomyces xiamenensis, respectively, are distant from the most well-known pathogenic species, and belong to two different lineages. We did not find orthogroups of protein-coding genes characteristic of scab-causing Streptomycetes shared by all known pathogenic species. Most genes involved in biosynthesis of known virulence factors are not present in the scab-causing isolates (Streptomyces sp. JH002 and Streptomyces sp. JH010). However, Tat-system substrates likely involved in pathogenicity in Streptomyces sp. JH002 and Streptomyces sp. JH010 were identified. Lastly, the presence of a putative mono-ADP-ribosyl transferase, homologous to the virulence factor scabin, was confirmed in Streptomyces sp. JH002. The described pathogenic isolates likely produce virulence factors uncommon in Streptomyces species, including a histidine phosphatase and a metalloprotease potentially produced by Streptomyces sp. JH002, and a pectinesterase, potentially produced by Streptomyces sp. JH010. Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) showed the presence of clusters associated with the synthesis of medicinal compounds and BGCs potentially linked to pathogenicity in Streptomyces sp. JH010 and JH002. Interestingly, BGCs that have not been previously reported were also found. Our findings suggest that the four isolates produce novel secondary metabolites and metabolites with medicinal properties.
Predictive value of the systemic immune inflammatory index in cardiac syndrome x
Authors: Akın Yusuf , Karasu Mehdi , Deniz Abdulmelik , Mirzaoğlu Çetin , Bolayır Hasan Ata
Published: March 2023

İntroduction

Patients with normal coronary arteries in whom increased vasospasm cannot be detected with the stress test should be evaluated in terms of cardiac syndrome x (CSX). İnflammatory systems are effective in endothelial activation and dysfunction in CSX. The systemic immune inflammation index (SII) is thought to be an important factor in determining the course of diseases, especially in infectious diseases or other diseases, as an indicator of the inflammation process. The aim of this study is to determine the role of SII levels in the diagnosis of CSX disease.

Methods

The study group included 80 patients who applied to the cardiology department of Fırat University with typical anginal complaints between October 2021 and April 2022, and were diagnosed with ischemia after the myocardial perfusion scan, and then coronary angiography was performed and normal coronary arteries were observed.

Results

When the study and control groups were examined according to age, gender and body mass index, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and family history, no statistical significant difference was observed between the groups. It was observed that there was a significant difference between the high sensitive C- reactive protin levels of the individuals in the study and control groups (p = 0.028). SII levels measured in samples taken from patients were significantly higher than control subjects (p = 0.003). SII cutoff at admission was 582 with 82% sensitivity and 84% specificity (area under the curve 0.972; 95% CI:0.95–0.98;p < 0.001).

Conclusion

It has been demonstrated that systemic SII parameters, which can be simply calculated with the data obtained from the complete blood count and do not require additional costs, can contribute to the prediction of CSX disease.
Immunity and inflammation in cardiovascular disorders
Authors: Boyalla Vennela , Gallego-Colon Enrique , Spartalis Michael
Published: March 2023

Recent studies have developed our understanding of the role of the immune system and inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), opening new avenues for risk stratification and therapeutic intervention. However, gaps in our knowledge remain. To address this issue, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders has launched a Collection on “Immunity and Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disorders”.
General practice wide adaptations to support patients affected by DVA during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid qualitative study
Authors: Dixon Sharon , De Simoni Anna , Szilassy Eszter , Emsley Elizabeth , Wileman Vari , Feder Gene , Downes Lucy , Barbosa Estela Capelas , Panovska-Griffiths Jasmina , Griffiths Chris , Dowrick Anna
Published: March 2023

Background

Reporting of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) increased globally during the pandemic. General Practice has a central role in identifying and supporting those affected by DVA. Pandemic associated changes in UK primary care included remote initial contacts with primary care and predominantly remote consulting. This paper explores general practice’s adaptation to DVA care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Remote semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone with staff from six localities in England and Wales where the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) primary care DVA programme is commissioned.  We conducted interviews between April 2021 and February 2022 with three practice managers, three reception and administrative staff, eight general practice clinicians and seven specialist DVA staff. Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPI&E) advisers with lived experience of DVA guided the project. Together we developed recommendations for primary care teams based on our findings.

Results

We present our findings within four themes, representing primary care adaptations in delivering DVA care: 1. Making general practice accessible for DVA care: staff adapted telephone triaging processes for appointments and promoted availability of DVA support online. 2. General practice team-working to identify DVA: practices developed new approaches of collaboration, including whole team adaptations to information processing and communication 3. Adapting to remote consultations about DVA: teams were required to adapt to challenges including concerns about safety, privacy, and developing trust remotely. 4. Experiences of onward referrals for specialist DVA support: support from specialist services was effective and largely unchanged during the pandemic.

Conclusions

Disruption caused by pandemic restrictions revealed how team dynamics and interactions before, during and after clinical consultations contribute to identifying and supporting patients experiencing DVA. Remote assessment complicates access to and delivery of DVA care. This has implications for all primary and secondary care settings, within the NHS and internationally, which are vital to consider in both practice and policy.
Behavioral abnormalities in C57BL/6 mice with chronic ulcerative colitis induced by DSS
Authors: Zhou Yuxin , Ji Gang , Yang Xiaoyi , Chen Zhenhua , Zhou Liangliang
Published: March 2023

Background

Clinical epidemiological studies have found that some patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are prone to mental disorders. DSS-induced acute and chronic UC models are often used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-UC drugs. However, whether DSS has an effect on mouse behavior has not been reported.

Methods

Acute and chronic UC models were induced by 3% DSS and 1.5% DSS, respectively. The bloody stool, the changes in the colon length, and histopathological changes in the colon were used to evaluate the success of the animal model. The behavior of mice was evaluated by open field experiment, tail suspension experiment and Sucrose preference test.

Results

The weight of mice in 3% DSS group decreased significantly, the DAI score increased significantly, the colon length of mice was significantly shortened, and the structure of colonic crypts was abnormal, which showed inflammatory cell infiltration and shrinkage of crypts. Compared with the control group, the immobility time of 3%DSS group mice in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test had no effect, the number of running and grooming times was significantly reduced, and there was no significant difference in the number of standing times. No abnormality was observed in HE staining of the hippocampus. However, in 1.5% DSS-induced chronic UC model, behavioral and hippocampal abnormalities were observed not only UC symptoms.

Conclusions

The acute UC model induced by 3% DSS has certain influence on the
behavior of mice, but the mental state of mice is normal, which may be the abnormal
behavior caused by UC symptoms; However, the chronic UC model induced by 1.5%
DSS has a significant effect on the behavior of mice, and the mice have mental
disorders, which are caused by mental disorders.
Impact of comorbidities on hospital mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis: a population-based study of 110,021 patients
Authors: Hidalgo Nils Jimmy , Pando Elizabeth , Mata Rodrigo , Fernandes Nair , Villasante Sara , Barros Marta , Herms Daniel , Blanco Laia , Balsells Joaquim , Charco Ramon
Published: March 2023

Background

The impact of pre-existing comorbidities on acute pancreatitis (AP) mortality is not clearly defined. Our study aims to determine the trend in AP hospital mortality and the role of comorbidities as a predictor of hospital mortality.

Methods

We analyzed patients aged ≥ 18 years hospitalized with AP diagnosis between 2016 and 2019. The data have been extracted from the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database of the Spanish Ministry of Health. We performed a univariate and multivariable analysis of the association of age, sex, and comorbidities with hospital mortality in patients with AP. The role of the Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices as predictors of mortality was evaluated.

Results

A total of 110,021 patients diagnosed with AP were hospitalized during the analyzed period. Hospital mortality was 3.8%, with a progressive decrease observed in the years evaluated. In multivariable analysis, age ≥ 65 years (OR: 4.11, p < 0.001), heart disease (OR: 1.73, p < 0.001), renal disease (OR: 1.99, p < 0.001), moderate-severe liver disease (OR: 2.86, p < 0.001), peripheral vascular disease (OR: 1.43, p < 0.001), and cerebrovascular disease (OR: 1.63, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for mortality. The Charlson > 1.5 (OR: 2.03, p < 0.001) and Elixhauser > 1.5 (OR: 2.71, p < 0.001) comorbidity indices were also independently associated with mortality, and ROC curve analysis showed that they are useful for predicting hospital mortality.

Conclusions

Advanced age, heart disease, renal disease, moderate-severe liver disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease before admission were independently associated with hospital mortality. The Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices are useful for predicting hospital mortality in AP patients.
Comprehensive analyses of A 12-metabolism-associated gene signature and its connection with tumor metastases in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Tan Diaoyi , Miao Daojia , Zhao Chuanyi , Shi Jian , Lv Qingyang , Xiong Zhiyong , Yang Hongmei , Zhang Xiaoping
Published: March 2023

Background

The outcomes of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) were dreadful due to lethal local recurrence and distant metastases. Accumulating evidence suggested that ccRCC was considered a metabolic disease and metabolism-associated genes (MAGs) exerted essential functions in tumor metastases. Thus, this study intends to seek whether the dysregulated metabolism promotes ccRCC metastases and explores underlying mechanisms.

Method

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed based on 2131 MAGs to select genes mostly associated with ccRCC metastases for subsequent univariate Cox regression. On this basis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression were employed to create a prognostic signature based on the cancer genome atlas kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) cohort. The prognostic signature was confirmed using E-MTAB-1980 and GSE22541 cohorts. Kaplan–Meier, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were applied to detect the predictability and independence of the signature in ccRCC patients. Functional enrichment analyses, immune cell infiltration examinations, and somatic variant investigations were employed to detect the biological roles of the signature.

Result

A 12-gene-metabolism-associated prognostic signature, termed the MAPS by our team, was constructed. According to the MAPS, patients were divided into low- and high-risk subgroups and high-risk patients displayed inferior outcomes. The MAPS was validated as an independent and reliable biomarker in ccRCC patients for forecasting the prognosis and progression of ccRCC patients. Functionally, the MAPS was closely associated with metabolism dysregulation, tumor metastases, and immune responses in which the high-risk tumors were in an immunosuppressive status. Besides, high-risk patients benefited more from immunotherapy and held a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) than low-risk patients.

Conclusion

The 12-gene MAPS with prominent biological roles could independently and reliably forecast the outcomes of ccRCC patients, and provide clues to uncover the latent mechanism in which dysregulated metabolism controlled ccRCC metastases.