bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Objective Response of Pembrolizumab in Platinum-Refractory Urothelial Carcinoma Based on Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio Fluctuation and Liver Metastases
Authors: Nishio Kyosuke , Higashio Takuya , Komura Kazumasa , Fukuokaya Wataru , Adachi Takahiro , Hirasawa Yosuke , Hashimoto Takeshi , Yoshizawa Atsuhiko , Tsuchida Shuya , Matsuda Takuya , Tsujino Takuya , Nishimura Kazuki , Tokushige Satoshi , Nakamori Keita , Uchimoto Taizo , Yamamoto Shutaro , Iwatani Kosuke , Urabe Fumihiko , Mori Keiichiro , Yanagisawa Takafumi , Tsuduki Shunsuke , Takahara Kyoshi , Inamoto Teruo , Miki Jun , Kimura Takahiro , Ohno Yoshio , Shiroki Ryoichi , Azuma Haruhito
Published: October 2023

Introduction: It is well known that patients with objective response to pembrolizumab have a durable duration of response, leading to favorable survival outcomes. We investigated the possibility of predicting the objective response with concise indicators obtained from daily clinical practice. Methods: In our multi-institutional cohort, 220 platinum-refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) patients treated with pembrolizumab for at least 6 weeks with complete information of objective response were investigated. Results: The median follow-up was 7.3 months, and 119 patients deceased during the follow-up. A multivariate logistic regression analysis exhibited two independent variables predicting the objective response, including the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) change at 6 weeks of treatment and liver metastasis. We proposed a risk group using these two indicators. Patients with no predictive indicators/one of those were assigned to favorable (42%)/intermittent (47%) risk groups. Patients with both indicators were assigned to poor risk (11%). Notably, the objective response rate was well delineated in 41%, 25%, and 0% for favorable-, intermediate-, and poor-risk groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Distinct overall survival (OS) between the risk groups was also confirmed with the median OS of 14.1, 11.7, and 4.2 months in favorable-, intermediate-, and poor-risk groups, respectively. Conclusions: At the 6 weeks of the pembrolizumab treatment, our risk model predicts the objective response rate precisely. Notably, those classified as “poor risk” – marked by liver metastasis and an increased NLR – should be considered for alternative therapy with a different mode of action, highlighting a critical decision point in treatment optimization.
Effects of Synchronizing Foot Strike and Cardiac Phase on Exercise Hemodynamics in Patients With Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: A Within-Subjects Pilot Study to Fine-Tune Cardio-Locomotor Coupling for Heart Failure
Authors: Wakeham Denis J. , Ivey Erika , Saland Sophie A. , Lewis Joshua S. , Palmer Dean , Morris Margot , Bleich Jeffery L. , Weyand Peter G. , Brazile Tiffany L. , Hearon Christopher M. , Sarma Satyam , MacNamara James P. , Hieda Michinari , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND:

Despite advances in medical and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), individuals with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) have persistent symptoms, including exercise intolerance. Optimizing cardio-locomotor coupling may increase stroke volume and skeletal muscle perfusion as previously shown in healthy runners. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that exercise stroke volume and cardiac output would be higher during fixed-paced walking when steps were synchronized with the diastolic compared with systolic portion of the cardiac cycle in patients with CHF and CRT.

METHODS:

Ten participants (58±17 years of age; 40% female) with CHF and previously implanted CRT pacemakers completed 5-minute bouts of walking on a treadmill (range, 1.5–3 mph). Participants were randomly assigned to first walking to an auditory tone to synchronize their foot strike to either the systolic (0% or 100±15% of the R-R interval) or diastolic phase (45±15% of the R-R interval) of their cardiac cycle and underwent assessments of oxygen uptake (V̇
o
2
; indirect calorimetry) and cardiac output (acetylene rebreathing). Data were compared through paired-samples
t
tests.

RESULTS:

V̇
o
2
was similar between conditions (diastolic 1.02±0.44 versus systolic 1.05±0.42 L/min;
P
=0.299). Compared with systolic walking, stroke volume (diastolic 80±28 versus systolic 74±26 mL;
P
=0.003) and cardiac output (8.3±3.5 versus 7.9±3.4 L/min;
P
=0.004) were higher during diastolic walking; heart rate (paced) was not different between conditions. Mean arterial pressure was significantly lower during diastolic walking (85±12 versus 98±20 mm Hg;
P
=0.007).

CONCLUSIONS:

In patients with CHF who have received CRT, diastolic stepping increases stroke volume and oxygen delivery and decreases afterload. We speculate that, if added to pacemakers, this cardio-locomotor coupling technology may maximize CRT efficiency and increase exercise participation and quality of life in patients with CHF.
Association of Real‐Time Feedback and Cardiopulmonary‐Resuscitation Quality Delivered by Ambulance Personnel for Out‐of‐Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Lyngby Rasmus Meyer , Quinn Tom , Oelrich Roselil Maria , Nikoletou Dimitra , Gregers Mads Christian Tofte , Kjølbye Julie Samsøe , Ersbøll Annette Kjær , Folke Fredrik
Published: October 2023

Background

High‐quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with improved survival from out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest and includes chest compression depth, chest compression rate, and chest compression fraction within international guideline recommendations. Previous studies have demonstrated divergent results of real‐time feedback on CPR performance and patient outcomes. This study investigated the association between emergency medical service CPR quality and real‐time CPR feedback for out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest.

Methods and Results

This study collected out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest data within the Capital Region of Denmark and compared CPR quality delivered by ambulance personnel. Data were collected in 2 consecutive phases from October 2018 to February 2020. Median chest compression depth was 6.0 cm (no feedback) and 5.9 cm (real‐time feedback) (
P
=0.852). Corresponding proportion of guideline‐compliant chest compressions for depth was 16.6% and 28.7%, respectively (
P
<0.001). Median chest compression rate per minute was 111 and 109 (
P
<0.001), respectively. Corresponding guideline adherence proportion for compression rate was 65.4% compared with 80.4% (
P
<0.001), respectively. Chest compression fraction was 78.9% compared with 81.9% (
P
<0.001), respectively. The combination of guideline‐compliant chest compression depth and chest compression rate simultaneously was 8.5% (no feedback) versus 18.8% (feedback) (
P
<0.001). Improvements were not significant for return of spontaneous circulation (odds ratio [OR], 1.08 [95% CI, 0.84–1.39]), sustained return of spontaneous circulation (OR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.77–1.31]), or survival to hospital discharge (OR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.64–1.30]).

Conclusions

Real‐time feedback was associated with improved guideline compliance for chest compression depth, rate, and fraction but not return of spontaneous circulation, sustained return of spontaneous circulation, or survival to hospital discharge.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04152252.
Aspirin Dosing for Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Patients Treated With P2Y12 Inhibitors
Authors: Girotra Saket , Stebbins Amanda , Wruck Lisa , Marquis‐Gravel Guillaume , Gupta Kamal , Farrehi Peter , Benziger Catherine P. , Effron Mark B. , Whittle Jeffrey , Muñoz Daniel , Kripalani Sunil , Anderson R. David , Jain Sandeep K. , Polonsky Tamar S. , Ahmad Faraz S. , Roe Matthew T. , Rothman Russell L. , Harrington Robert A. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Jones W. Schuyler
Published: October 2023

Background

The ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient‐Centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long‐Term Effectiveness) was a large, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial that found no difference between high‐ versus low‐dose aspirin for secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Whether concomitant P2Y12 inhibitor therapy modifies the effect of aspirin dose on clinical events remains unclear.

Methods and Results

Participants in ADAPTABLE were stratified according to baseline use of clopidogrel or prasugrel (P2Y12 group). The primary effectiveness end point was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke; and the primary safety end point was major bleeding requiring blood transfusions. We used multivariable Cox regression to compare the relative effectiveness and safety of aspirin dose within P2Y12 and non‐P2Y12 groups. Of 13 815 (91.6%) participants with available data, 3051 (22.1%) were receiving clopidogrel (2849 [93.4%]) or prasugrel (203 [6.7%]) at baseline. P2Y12 inhibitor use was associated with higher risk of the primary effectiveness end point (10.86% versus 6.31%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.40 [95% CI, 1.22–1.62]) but was not associated with bleeding (0.95% versus 0.53%; adjusted HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 0.91–2.22]). We found no interaction in the relative effectiveness and safety of high‐ versus low‐dose aspirin by P2Y12 inhibitor use. Overall, dose switching or discontinuation was more common in the high‐dose compared with low‐dose aspirin group, but the pattern was not modified by P2Y12 inhibitor use.

Conclusions

In this prespecified analysis of ADAPTABLE, we found that the relative effectiveness and safety of high‐ versus low‐dose aspirin was not modified by baseline P2Y12 inhibitor use.

Registration

https://www.clinical.trials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02697916.
Association of SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection and Cardiopulmonary Long COVID With Exercise Capacity and Chronotropic Incompetence Among People With HIV
Authors: Durstenfeld Matthew S. , Peluso Michael J. , Spinelli Matthew A. , Li Danny , Hoh Rebecca , Chenna Ahmed , Yee Brandon , Winslow John , Petropoulos Christos , Gandhi Monica , Henrich Timothy J. , Aras Mandar A. , Long Carlin S. , Deeks Steven G. , Hsue Priscilla Y.
Published: October 2023

Background

Postacute sequelae of COVID‐19 (PASC) and HIV are both associated with reduced exercise capacity, but whether SARS‐CoV‐2 or PASC are associated with exercise capacity among people with HIV (PWH) is unknown. We hypothesized that PWH with PASC would have reduced exercise capacity from chronotropic incompetence.

Methods and Results

We conducted cross‐sectional cardiopulmonary exercise testing within a COVID recovery cohort that included PWH with and without prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and people without HIV with prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (controls). We evaluated associations of HIV, SARS‐CoV‐2, and PASC with exercise capacity (peak oxygen consumption) and chronotropy (adjusted heart rate reserve). We included 83 participants (median age, 54 years; 35% women; 37 PWH): 23 out of 37 (62%) PWH and all 46 controls had prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and 11 out of 23 (48%) PWH and 28 out of 46 (61%) without HIV had PASC. Peak oxygen consumption was reduced among PWH versus controls (80% predicted versus 99%,
P
=0.005), a difference of 5.5 mL/kg per minute (95% CI, 2.7–8.2;
P
<0.001). Chronotropic incompetence was more prevalent among PWH (38% versus 11%,
P
=0.002), with lower adjusted heart rate reserve (60% versus 83%,
P
<0.0001) versus controls. Among PWH, SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection and PASC were not associated with exercise capacity. Chronotropic incompetence was more common among PWH with PASC: 7 out of 11 (64%) with PASC versus 7 out of 26 (27%) without PASC (
P
=0.04).

Conclusions

Exercise capacity and chronotropy are lower among PWH compared with individuals with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection without HIV. Among PWH, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and PASC were not strongly associated with reduced exercise capacity. Chronotropic incompetence may be a common underrecognized mechanism of exercise intolerance among PWH, especially those with cardiopulmonary PASC.
Abstract P1008: Characterizing Complex Tandem Repeat Variants And Their Contribution To Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Suresh Abhilash , Morton Sarah U , Quiat Daniel , DePalma Steven , Gorham Joshua ,   Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium, Gelb Bruce D , Seidman Jonathan G , Seidman Christine E
Published: October 2023

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of childhood mortality and lifelong morbidity in children and adults. CHD has a strong genetic basis, with exome and short read whole genome sequencing (srWGS) identifying genetic contributions to CHD risk in around 45% of affected individuals, while the remaining 55% have not had a specific genetic risk identified. Variation in tandem repeats (TRs), defined as repeated sequences of base pairs, has been implicated in several diseases and can affect gene expression. TR polymorphism in coding or regulatory regions of CHD related genes can alter function and expression, thereby modifying risk of CHD in patients. Identifying variants in TRs has been a challenge due to multiple variants at each site, as well as difficulty resolving long expansions with short read sequencing technologies. New bioinformatic tools have enabled identification of high-confidence short-TR (STR) variants in srWGS. Additionally, long read whole genome sequencing (lrWGS), with read lengths of 10-20 kilobases, enables genotyping of longer TRs that are missed by srWGS.

We hypothesized that patients with CHD will have a higher burden of
de novo
and transmitted TRs near known CHD genes.

We identified
de novo
and transmitted STR variants near known CHD genes in srWGS data from 1900 CHD proband and their parents in the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC), and 1611 non-CHD probands and their parents. Transmitted STR variants in CHD probands were enriched in 5’-UTR, introns, and promoters of CHD genes compared to non-CHD probands. We identified large
de novo
repeats near known CHD genes such as
NOTCH2
and
RBFOX2
. Additionally we used Pacbio HiFi lrWGS on 150 PCGC probands without an established etiology for CHD. Combining these analyses, we identified 3,243 repeat regions with low read depth in srWGS, and therefore unable to be resolved accurately, near known CHD genes and from lrWGS we assess length polymorphisms using Tandem Repeat Finder. TRs that harbor large variation in length were identified within intronic regions of CHD genes including
FLT4
,
NFATC1
, and
PKD1
. We suggest that polymorphic repeat regions provide new candidate variants or altering gene transcription or splicing and thereby contribute to CHD.
Asymmetric Coordination in Romanian: A Diagnostic for DOM Position?
Authors: Irimia Monica Alexandrina
Published: October 2023

Whether differentially marked objects require raising is not a simple question for languages like Romanian. Kalin and Weisser (2019) use asymmetric coordination involving marked and unmarked objects to support the hypothesis that both classes (can) share the same position. Here I point out numerous complications in the data; crucially, it cannot be confirmed that asymmetric coordination applies at the DP level in Romanian. This raises doubts about the reliability of asymmetric coordination as a test for DOM (differential object marking) position in the language.
An empty stomach is not a good adviser: avoiding toxic Cyanobacteria can compromise tadpole antipredator defenses
Authors: Moura Samuel , Kloh Jéssica S. , Figueredo Cleber C. , Eterovick Paula C.
Published: October 2023

Eutrophication events resulting from increased primary production are becoming common under changing environmental conditions that include habitat degradation and disturbance of food webs. They cause several detrimental ecological consequences including the intoxication of animals that ingest toxic Cyanobacteria. We tested whether the tadpole of an anthropophilic frog (Scinax longilineus) would avoid feeding on a potentially toxic Cyanobacteria using Raphidiopsis raciborskii as a model. We maintained tadpoles in water collected from a natural monospecific growth of R. raciborskii at the original concentration (100%) and concentrations of 0, 25, 50 and 75% of the original sample diluted in rested tap water. We evaluated the amount of R. raciborskii ingested by the tadpoles and conducted behavioral tests by exposing tadpoles to an aversive stimulus and quantifying their escape response. Tadpoles ate the least R. raciborskii the highest the concentration of this Cyanobacteria was in the water. Tadpoles exposed to 50 and 75% of the original concentration of the R. raciborskii sample had a reduction of time spent escaping, what is likely to compromise their ability to escape a real predator attack. Tadpoles at the highest concentration (100%) did not show significant changes in their escape performance, however they practically stopped feeding, what would not be a solution in the long term (i.e., duration of a real bloom). We conclude that tadpoles of S. longilineus can recognize the presence of R. raciborskii and avoid its ingestion, with potential sub-lethal effects represented by a reduced ability to escape predators.
Did Marx Defend Black Slavery? On Jamaica and Labour in a Black Skin
Authors: Slack Gregory
Published: October 2023

Over the past 40 years a tradition of Marx interpretation has built up around a single passage concerning Black slavery in an 1853 letter from Marx to Engels, in order to demonstrate that Marx’s support for emancipation was conditional on the level of ‘civilisation’ attained by Black slaves. I will argue that this interpretation, which attempts to prove Marx’s racist defence of slavery, is overdetermined by an inattention to historical context and a hypersensitivity to Marx’s nineteenth-century epithets. This is important because the alleged anti-Black racism of Marx and the place Black workers occupy in his historical-materialist vision of class struggle are of the utmost significance for properly conceptualising the relationship between Marxism and Black liberation.
Time Intervals Produced by Silent Chronometric Counting are Involuntarily Affected by Number Word Magnitudes
Authors: Ruusuvirta Timo
Published: October 2023

Chronometric counting is a method to approximate the duration of a time interval by keeping track of the accumulation of its one-second subintervals. The ordinality of the number words is instrumental to this method, but whether also the magnitudes of these words affect the approximations remains unclear. The participants performed self-initiated and silent chronometric counting in different directions to produce target intervals prospectively. Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, counting from 1- to 6-s target intervals started or stopped at zero. In Experiment 2, 1- or 2-s target intervals were counted with low-magnitude (1–3) or high-magnitude (4–6) number words. The participants were found to overproduce target intervals towards their shorter durations (Experiments 1 and 2) and, at a trend level, with downward rather than upward counting (Experiment 1 but not Experiment 2). They also produced target intervals as longer in duration with high- than low-magnitude number words (Experiment 2). The main findings suggest an involuntary magnitude effect of endogenously activated number words on subjective time.
Saussurea ramchaudharyi (Asteraceae), a new species from Nepal
Authors: RANA HUM KALA , SUN HANG , PAUDEL ASHA , GHIMIRE SURESH KUMAR
Published: October 2023

Saussurea ramchaudharyi Ghimire & Rana, a new species from the alpine slopes of northwestern region of Nepal is described and illustrated. It is closely related to S. topkegolensis and S. gossypiphora, both of which are the members of S. subgen. Eriocoryne, but differs by having much shorter (2.5–3 cm vs. ≥4 cm) stem, greenish purple upper leaves extending half of length of capitula, broadly campanulate involucres, 4-seriate phyllaries, apically glabrous inner phyllaries, much smaller achene (≤2 mm vs. >2 mm) and inner bristles of pappus shorter than corolla. The species is categorized as Critically Endangered based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria.
Cymbella liyangensis sp. nov., a new cymbelloid species (Bacillariophyceae) from streams in North Tianmu Mountain, Jiangsu province, China
Authors: ZHANG WEI , JÜTTNER INGRID , COX EILEEN J. , CHEN QIAO , TAN HONGXIN
Published: October 2023

During a survey of freshwater diatoms from streams in North Tianmu Mountain, Liyang City, Jiangsu Province, China, a new Cymbella species, Cymbella liyangensis sp. nov. was recorded. A detailed morphological description of C. liyangensis is presented, based on light and scanning electron microscopy. The main features of C. liyangensis are: moderately dorsiventral, semi-lanceolate valves with broadly to obtusely rounded ends; indistinct central area on the dorsal side, bordered by 1–2 shorter central striae; three or four round, different-sized stigmata open at the ends of the central ventral striae; a “ridge like” structure is present at the junction of the valve face and mantle around the valve; a marked tendency to develop biseriate striae, with up to 10 biseriate striae near the apices. The new species is compared with C. hubeiensis, C. sumatrensis, C. tridentina, C. parva, C. rumrichae, C. hantzschiana and C. vulgata, all of which show similarities to Cymbella liyangensis but differ in details of size, valve shape, stria density and structure, and number of stigmata. The species is common to abundant on stones from relatively clean stream waters from North Tianmu Mountain.
A new Mylia Gray (Myliaceae, Hepaticae) species from North Vietnam extends the range of the genus to the Paleotropics
Authors: BAKALIN VADIM , VILNET ANNA
Published: October 2023

The range of the genus Mylia is extended to South-East Asia with the description of Mylia vietnamica Bakalin et Vilnet sp. nov. This species, the southernmost representative of the genus, was recently discovered in North Vietnam. The new species superficially resembles M. taylorii (Hook.) Gray, but differs from the latter in its transversely elliptic leaves that are crispate along the margin, the peculiar shape of its trigones (large, but angularly concave in the new species), and its stem cross section. Molecular evidence is presented that confirms the new species is genetically distinct from the other East Asian representatives of the genus. Mylia vietnamica could also occur in the adjacent mountainous areas of northern Laos and southern Yunnan (China). Reports of M. taylorii for the latter province may actually belong to M. vietnamica.
Kruppel-Like Factor 5 Acetylation Upregulates Runx2 Expression and Accelerates the Dedifferentiation Process of Chondrocyte in Monolayer Culture
Authors: Hu Peng , Du Hongliang , Duan Lizhen , Lu Xiaomei
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to investigate the role of KLF5 (Kruppel-like factor 5) in the abnormal dedifferentiation of chondrocytes (CHs) observed in osteoarthritis (OA) and monolayer culture conditions. Human primary CHs were cultured in a monolayer for 14 days, and various analyses were conducted. The area and aspect ratio of the cells were measured, and protein expression levels of KLF5, acetylated KLF5 (Ac-KLF5), and Runx2 were assessed using western blotting. Additionally, mRNA levels of chondrogenic genes (type II collagen, Col-II), hypertrophic genes (type X collagen, Col-X), and MMP-13 were determined through RT-PCR. The effects of TGF-βand Am80 supplementation on KLF5 acetylation and Runx2 expression were examined, and siRNA was used to silence Runx2 gene expression. Results showed that CHs exhibited dedifferentiation after 7 days of culture, characterized by increased cell size, larger aspect ratio, elevated Ac-KLF5 levels, decreased Col-II expression, and increased Col-X and MMP-13 expression. TGF-βtreatment enhanced Ac-KLF5 and Runx2 expression, thereby accelerating dedifferentiation within 3 days. In contrast, Am80 suppressed Ac-KLF5 and Runx2 expression, leading to delayed dedifferentiation over 14 days. Silencing Runx2 mitigated KLF5 acetylation-induced CH dedifferentiation without affecting Ac-KLF5 levels. In conclusion, KLF5 acetylation promotes Runx2 expression and subsequently contributes to CH dedifferentiation during monolayer culture.
Statistical Characteristics of Mesoscale Fluctuations of Wind Velocity, Temperature, and Gas Concentrations Obtained from Aircraft Measurements in the Troposphere of the Arctic Region
Authors: Chunchuzov I. , Chkhetiani O. , Kulichkov S. , Popov O. , Belan B. , Fofonov A. , Ivlev G. , Kozlov A.
Published: October 2023

The results of airborne measurements and statistical characteristics of mesoscale fluctuations of wind velocity, temperature, and concentrations of gas constituents at different heights of a stably stratified troposphere are presented. The measurements were carried out in September 2022 in the Arctic region of Russia with the aircraft laboratory Tu-134 “Optik.” The obtained spectra and structure functions of the fluctuations are interpreted with the theoretical model of formation of the spectrum of mesoscale wind velocity and temperature fluctuations described in the paper. The presence at high wavenumbers of a steep section in the obtained horizontal wavenumber spectra of the fluctuations of wind velocity and greenhouse gas concentration with a slope close to −3 is discussed. The fluctuation spectra along different slanted tracks of the aircraft crossing the tropospheric layer between altitudes of 1 and 9 km are also obtained and analyzed with the theoretical model.
Comparison of ADCP and ECCOv4r4 Currents in the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent
Authors: Halpern David , Le Megan K. , Smith Timothy A. , Heimbach Patrick
Published: October 2023

The Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) flows eastward across the Pacific at the equator in the thermocline. Its variability is related to El Niño. Moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements recorded at four widely separated sites along the equator in the EUC were compared to currents generated by version 4 release 4 of the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCOv4r4) global model–data synthesis product. We are interested to learn how well ECCOv4r4 currents could complement sparse in situ current measurements. ADCP measurements were not assimilated in ECCOv4r4. Comparisons occurred at 5-m depth intervals at 165°E, 170°W, 140°W, and 110°W over time intervals of 10–14 years from 1995 to 2010. Hourly values of ECCOv4r4 and ADCP EUC core speeds were strongly correlated, similar for the EUC transport per unit width (TPUW). Correlations were substantially weaker at 110°W. Although we expected means and standard deviations of ECCOv4r4 currents to be smaller than ADCP values because of ECCOv4r4’s grid representation error, the large differences were unforeseen. The appearance of ECCOv4r4 diurnal-period current oscillations was surprising. As the EUC moved eastward from 170° to 140°W, the ECCOv4r4 TPUW exhibited a much smaller increase compared to the ADCP TPUW. A consequence of smaller ECCOv4r4 EUC core speeds was significantly fewer instances of gradient Richardson number (Ri) less than 1/4 above and below the depth of the core speed compared to Ri computed with ADCP observations. We present linear regression analyses to use monthly-mean ECCOv4r4 EUC core speeds and TPUWs as proxies for ADCP measurements.

Significance Statement

Hundreds of scientific papers have used ECCO data products generated with a continually evolving state-of-the-art ocean-model–data synthesis system. We ask, How representative is the latest version of ECCO equatorial ocean currents? We use independent in situ current measurements as the reference dataset to establish the accuracy of ECCO currents in the tropical Pacific. Attention is focused on the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) because it contributes to the formation of El Niño and La Niña events. ECCO EUC core speeds were smaller in magnitude and less variable in time compared to observations. As a consequence, ECCO currents generated smaller vertical mixing in the EUC compared to that inferred from current measurements. We developed a linear regression model to improve representation of monthly-mean ECCO currents.
We Speak the Truth: Rhetoric, Epistemology, and Audience Participation in John 3:1–21
Authors: Myers Alicia D.
Published: October 2023

This article explores the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1–21, highlighting the ways omissions, multivalency, and intratextual and intertextual links invite audience participation and encourage listeners to see themselves as re-generated children of God. In this way, persuaded audiences assent not just to the content of the Gospel, but to its epistemology—how it instructs them to receive and seek truth. As classical and contemporary rhetorical theories indicate, when audiences participate to create the world of the Gospel, they are more likely to be persuaded by it and to use it to craft the reality in which they live.
Experiencing God in the Gospel of John
Authors: Clark-Soles Jaime
Published: October 2023

What does experiencing God look like in the Gospel of John, and what questions or possibilities might such an investigation raise for our own religious experience? To work within the scope of this essay, I limit the discussion primarily to the Farewell Discourse (chs. 14–17) and address the following as it relates to experiencing God: 1) the text as revelatory; 2) the senses; 3) union with God and Jesus; 4) the divine name; 5) and the Holy Spirit. I conclude with a word about the transformation that comes from experiencing God.
Peeking under the Hood of Job Stress: How Men and Women’s Stress Levels Vary by Typologies of Job Quality and Family Composition
Authors: Venechuk Grace
Published: October 2023

Changes to work and family norms and polices over the last several decades have reshaped both the job quality and the nature of job and family formation in the United States. Neoliberal policies have generated a slew of flexible but precarious working conditions; labor force participation is now the modal path for all genders regardless of parental or marital status. Leveraging data on 3,419 working men and women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, I use granular measures of job quality to identify distinct job quality–family typologies among both men and women in early adulthood to midadulthood to examine differential implications for psychological and physiological stress. I find four types among men and three among women. Family formation and job prestige appear to differentiate stressful from nonstressful jobs for men; stress outcomes for women are more complex, with job characteristics such as flexibility playing a greater role.
Sleep Duration Differences by Education from Middle to Older Adulthood: Does Employment Stratification Contribute to Gendered Leveling?
Authors: Meyer Jess M.
Published: October 2023

Sleep duration changes across the life course and differs by education in the United States. However, little research has examined whether educational differences in sleep duration change over age—or whether sleep duration trajectories over age differ by education. This study uses a life course approach to analyze American Time Use Survey data (N = 60,908), examining how educational differences in weekday sleep duration change from middle to older adulthood (ages 40–79). For men only, differences in total sleep time between individuals with less than a high school degree and those with more education converge in older adulthood. Results suggest that this leveling is explained by decreasing educational stratification in work hours as men enter older adulthood. Findings highlight the importance of employment for shaping gendered socioeconomic differences in sleep and demonstrate differences by education in how sleep duration changes over age, with possible implications for health disparities.
COVID-19’s Unequal Toll: Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life by Gendered and Racialized Groups
Authors: Franco Konrad , Patler Caitlin , Pirtle Whitney Laster
Published: October 2023

We examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with changes to daily activity limitations due to poor physical or mental health and whether those changes were different within and between gendered and racialized groups. We analyze 497,302 observations across the 2019 and 2020 waves of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Among White men and women, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with fewer days of health-related activity limitations and decreased frequent activity limitation (≥14 days in the past month) compared to the prepandemic period. By contrast, Latina and Black women experienced increased days of activity limitation and greater likelihood of frequent activity limitation, and these changes were significantly different than for White women. These findings are robust to the inclusion of structural inequality measures and demonstrate how systemic racism and sexism likely exacerbate a myriad of pandemic-related health problems.
Sociophonetic Variation in Vowel Categorization of Australian English
Authors: Loakes Debbie , Clothier Josh , Hajek John , Fletcher Janet
Published: October 2023

This study involves a perceptual categorization task for Australian English, designed to investigate regional and social variation in category boundaries between close-front vowel contrasts. Data are from four locations in southeast Australia. A total of 81 listeners from two listener groups took part: (a) so-called mainstream Australian English listeners from all four locations, and (b) L1 Aboriginal English listeners from one of the locations. Listeners heard front vowels /ɪ e æ/ arranged in 7-step continua presented at random. Varied phonetic contexts were analyzed, with a focus on coda /l/ because of a well-known prelateral merger of /e æ/ through mid-vowel lowering (e.g., celery-salary) reported to occur in some communities in this part of Australia. The results indicate that regional variation in Australian English is evident in perception. In particular, merging of /el/-/æl/ is shown to occur in the southernmost regions analyzed, but rarely in the northern regions of the geographical area under investigation. Aside from regional variation observed, age was also a factor in how participants responded to the task: older speakers had more merger than younger speakers in many locations, which is a new finding—previously, the merger was thought to be increasing in frequency over time, yet here we see this in only one location. Aboriginal English listeners also responded differently when compared with mainstream Australian English listeners. By analyzing the perception results across a variety of regional locations, with data from two different Australian social groups in the same location, this study adds a new dimension to our understanding of regional and social variations in Australian English.
Advanced hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma with cecal metastasis: A case report
Authors: Yang Si-Yuan , Zhang Ji , Yang Zhuang-Qing , Duan Jia-Jun , Zhang Ying , Li Ming-Ke , Wang Lei , Ye Chun-mei , Nie Jian-Yun
Published: October 2023

The incidence of gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer (BC) is low. We report a special case of Luminal B (Hormone Receptor positive [HR+]/Human Epidermal Growth Factor receptor 2-positive [HER-2+]) BC. The patient presented with asymptomatic brain metastases two years after radical surgery for modified breast cancer and developed right lower abdominal pain during relief therapy. Electronic gastroenteroscopy revealed inflammatory changes in the cecal mucosa. These changes were confirmed on pathology to be cecal metastasis from BC. The patient's condition was stabilised after treatment with an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). For patients with BC who develop appendicitis-like symptoms after treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, clinicians should be fully aware that the possibility of cecal metastasis needs to be considered, despite the very low probability of occurrence.
Absolution: Divine and Human
Authors: Doherty Cathal
Published: October 2023

This article is a contribution to an ecumenical theology of the Word, examining how divine absolution is realized in concrete human experience. It addresses both the scriptural and sacramental mediation of divine absolution, emphasizing the commonality of both resting on the power of God's word spoken in human concrete actuality. The philosophical literature concludes that human beings, in order for forgiveness to be real to them, need to hear and know that they are forgiven. In other words, for forgiveness to be complete, the wrongdoer requires an act of “absolution” (even in a secular sense), which may be verbal or gestural. This observation then drives our theological inquiry. How does divine Providence condescend in the economy of Revelation to make divine absolution available in the concrete details of human life, since it must be available to us, if it is to be received and accepted and be real to us? This investigation assumes that understanding forgiveness in human experience better serves to enrich theological reflection on divine forgiveness. The fact that forgiveness in human experience is primarily a dialogical affair, worked out in a “dialogical narrative” (Griswold) that parallels the dialogical nature of salvation, is evidenced in Scripture. In scriptural mediation, divine absolution becomes a living reality through a “hermeneutic of identity” by which the hearer of the Word appropriates the indexical language of a text, and, for example, self-inserts into a ready-made dialogue. In this way, God's absolution is effectively made a present reality. Finally, the article argues that Christ's words should be considered among his salvific acts, including his absolutions of individual sinners. The immanent expression of divine absolution, therefore, comes through the hypostatic union of the divine and human natures in historical concreteness, providing one avenue of response to the timeless theological question Cur Deus homo?
Toward a Niebuhrian Ethics of Democracy
Authors: Shingleton Bradley
Published: October 2023

This article proposes certain elements of an ethics of democracy based on the writings of Reinhold Niebuhr. It contends that Niebuhr's concept of democracy must be interpreted in light of his anthropology, and argues that his anthropology provides a broader and more suggestive basis for a contemporary democratic ethics than do his mid-century writings on democracy. The article identifies certain values as foundational for duties of a democratic ethics. These values ground three principal duties of a democratic ethics: a duty of civility, of deliberation, and of tolerance. The duties are derived from fundamental characteristics of human selfhood as Niebuhr conceived it, but they are elaborated here in ways more adequate to the contemporary situation.
Orthodox Reflections on Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter on Ecumenism Ut Unum Sint: Reception and Contemporary Relevance
Authors: Coman Viorel
Published: October 2023

The article reflects on the ecumenical relevance of the encyclical of Pope John Paul II in light of the most recent developments in the Christian Orthodox world: the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete, 2016) and the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, which determined the Moscow Patriarchate to sever ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate, as the latter recognized the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Both the absence of four autocephalous churches from the Council of Crete and the conflict between Constantinople and Moscow over Ukraine shows the very serious conciliar crisis of the Orthodox Church, which reveals a fragmented rather than symphonic Orthodoxy. This article argues that the hermeneutics of ecumenical receptivity that underpins the Encyclical Ut Unum Sint could also guide the Orthodox Church toward a solution to the crisis that affects its synodality or sobornicity. Just as Pope John Paul II invited all Christian churches to a joint reflection on the exercise of primacy, so the Orthodox Church should invite other Christian to a joint reflection on the practice of synodality. In the process of relearning how the embody synodality more fully, the Orthodox Church could benefit from the dialogue with the Christian other.
Some Reflections on the Hartford Institute at Forty
Authors: McKinney William
Published: October 2023

The presentation was prepared for a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. It asks why a traditional theological school would include social science research as a centerpiece of “reinvention” in 1972. I argue that the former Hartford Seminary Foundation mission was grounded in its inclusive ecumenical theological vision and its operative style in partnership with local, national, and international partner movements (international mission, religious education, theological education, and social service or activism). In retrospect, the Hartford Institute embodies major Hartford emphases of the previous century.
The Classification of Federally Sentenced Women in Canada: Addition of Gender-Informed Variables to the Custody Rating Scale Contributes Incremental Predictive Validity
Authors: Bedard Theresia E. M. , Blanchette Kelley , Brown Shelley L.
Published: October 2023

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) uses the Custody Rating Scale (CRS) for initial security classification; it is gender-neutral. Gender-informed scholars contend that gender-neutral assessments are problematic for use with justice-impacted women, as they exclude factors (e.g., victimization) deemed more relevant for women. Using an archival database with 1,555 federally sentenced women in Canada, we examined the extent that gender-informed indicators could yield incremental predictive validity (predicting institutional misconduct) beyond the CRS. Specifically, gender-informed variables from these domains were tested: mental health, substance misuse, relationship dysfunction, personal/emotional difficulties, parental/family issues, and victimization. Results revealed at least one gender-informed variable from each domain significantly predicted institutional misconducts. Composite gender-informed scales were created from the set of significant gender-informed predictors. Area under the curve (AUC) and hierarchical Cox regression analyses revealed the composite gender-informed scales contributed incremental predictive validity above and beyond the CRS. Although the CRS was predictive, it can be improved by including gender-informed variables.
Characteristics of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in Patients with Chronic Cough Induced by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Zhao Yu , Han Honglei , Lu Qiuping , Liang Yan
Published: October 2023

Objective: To summarize the characteristics of laryngopharyngeal reflux in patients with chronic cough induced by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Materials and Methods: The clinical data of patients with chronic cough induced by GERD treated at our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including their reflux symptom index (RSI), reflux finding scores (RFS), and results of oropharyngeal pH monitoring. Results: There were 44 patients in total, including 21 males and 23 females. The average history of chronic cough was 29.60 (29.60 ± 37.60) months. In addition to coughing, all patients had at least 2 symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD), and their RSI averaged 15.66 (15.66 ± 6.33). The most frequent symptoms were cough, throat clearing, excessive phlegm, or postnasal drip. All patients had LPRD signs, with an average RFS of 10.89 (10.89 ± 2.81). The most frequent signs were erythema or hyperemia/vocal cord edema, posterior commissure hypertrophy, and diffuse laryngeal edema. There were 42 patients (42/44, 95.45%) whose RSI and/or RFS were abnormal. Oropharyngeal pH monitoring identified 10 patients (10/44, 22.72%) with abnormal Ryan scores. Conclusions: All patients with chronic cough induced by GERD had symptoms and signs of LPRD, and most of them had an abnormal RSI and/or RFS and could be diagnosed with suspect LPRD. A part of the patients had LPR episodes according to Dx-pH monitoring, most of which occurred in the upright position. These results indicated that most patients with chronic cough induced by GERD may have suspected LPRD simultaneously and that cough was one of their LPRD symptoms.
Policy ‘R&D’, capacity and advocacy in English Combined Authorities
Authors: Bates Geoff , Larkin Charles , Pearce Nick , Smyth Laura
Published: October 2023

City regions and Mayoral Combined Authorities are at the heart of the devolution policy agenda in England. This article assesses and compares the policy and research capabilities of Combined Authorities in England, drawing on elite interviews with officials in four diverse Combined Authorities and their wider sub-regional policy and research communities. There are significant inequalities between the policy and research capabilities of the Combined Authorities reflecting institutional histories, as well as differences in size and functional responsibilities. Those with already greater capabilities and infrastructure appear likely to continue to benefit from greater opportunities in the future, widening existing inequalities.
Sustainable synthesis of a novel bio-based low temperature curable benzoxazine monomer from quercetin: Synthesis, curing reaction and thermal properties
Authors: Berrouane Abdelwahed , Derradji Mehdi , Khiari Karim , Mehelli Oussama , Habes Abdelmalek , Abdous Slimane , Amri Bouchra , Kadi Mohamed El Amine , Liu Wenbin
Published: October 2023

In an attempt to make polybenzoxazines more sustainable, a novel bio-based benzoxazine monomer namely Q-Bz was synthetized via the Mannich condensation reaction utilizing Quercetin, paraformaldehyde and aniline. The chemical structure of the monomer was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies (FTIR). The curing behaviour was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the polymerization process was investigated by FTIR. The obtained results showed very low melting and polymerization temperatures (73 and 183°C, respectively) and the disappearance of the oxazine ring absorption bands due to the ring opening polymerization of the monomers. Afterwards, the cured bio-based thermoset, referred to as PQ-Bz, was obtained and its thermal stability and thermo-mechanical properties were also assessed by DSC and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As expected the newly developed thermoset exhibited high thermal stability along with excellent processability. Indeed, the results showed that PQ-Bz had a relatively high Tg of approximately 280°C, with a 53% char yield at 800°C, 5% and 10% weight reduction temperature (T5% and T10%) values of 349 and 373°C, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of the novel bio-based benzoxazine monomer as a sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based thermosets in high performance applications.