bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognition, Metacognition, and Self-Regulated Learning
Authors: Winne Philip H.
Published: August 2021

Psychology’s attention to mental events took root in the middle of the 19th century and grew through studies of learning, forgetting, and problem solving. Following several decades during which behaviorism dominated the field, cognitive studies of learning rapidly expanded after the mid-1960s. Foci for research concerned how learners acquire different kinds information, particularly declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and schemas, and identifying cognitive operations learners can apply to transform experience into knowledge. What learners know significantly shapes what they learn. Prior knowledge often benefits learning, but inaccurate knowledge, called misconceptions, and skills applied indiscriminately can impede it. Effort to learn, called cognitive load, is not a unary concept. Designing learning tasks to focus cognition in ways germane to content is one key to effective instruction.

Learners can think about their cognition and its properties. This is metacognition. Examples include judgments of whether and what is learned, planning shaped by the relative success in tasks and affective experiences, and decisions to abandon risky or unproductive tasks. Measures of metacognition, predominantly learners’ reports as opposed to direct indicators, correlate modestly with achievement, but this may reflect that students are not often educated in study tactics and learning strategies. Metacognition is a key factor in learners’ decisions about which study tactics and learning strategies they use, and a challenge learners face is overcoming overconfidence about what they know. The metacognitive decision-making event is modeled as an If–Then production. Metacognitive control of how learners choose to go about learning is conditional on metacognitive monitoring of conditions the learner believes will influence learning processes and outcomes. When learners experiment with approaches to learning, they engage in self-regulated learning (SRL). SRL is a very energetic area of research that spans investigations into learners’ metacognition about conditions for learning, operations on information, products resulting from those operations, and evaluations of products in terms of standards the learner holds; the COPES model. Like its foundation in metacognition, SRL also correlates modestly with achievement and is similarly challenged by relying on learners’ self-reports about SRL. However, learners can be taught how to better apply SRL which may realize benefits to achievement.
Critical Race Parenting in Education
Authors: Matias Cheryl E. , Bitz Shoshanna
Published: August 2021

Conceptualized as early as 2006 via ideas of the motherscholar, the concept of Critical Race Parenting (otherwise ParentCrit) was first identified in 2016 in an open access online journal to discuss pedagogical ways parents and children can coconstruct understanding about race, racism, whiteness, and white supremacy. Since then Critical Race Parenting/ParentCrit has become more popularized in academic circles, from peer-reviewed conference presentations to special issues by journals. The rationale behind ParentCrit definitions, theoretical roots, parallels to education, implications to education, scholarship and literature, and controversies are explicated to describe what ParentCrit is and where it came from. To effectively articulate its epistemological roots in the idea of the motherscholar to its relation to Critical Race Theory, one must delve into the purposes, evolution, and implications of ParentCrit in education.
Adult Education for African Victims of Human Trafficking
Authors: Fernández Antonio Alfaro , Villora Galindo Beatriz
Published: August 2021

For decades and due to the dire situations that exist in many African countries, the migratory phenomenon to Europe has witnessed an unprecedented increase. The desire to seek a better future, to flee from poverty, hunger, and war, among other reasons, has caused the victims to employ legal or illegal means to leave their country and reach Europe.

The receiving countries have increased the restrictions to welcome immigrants from African countries, which means the arrival of migrants by illegal means has grown spectacularly. Likewise, this situation has caused trafficking in persons, especially women, to become a common phenomenon in Europe. Spain, due to its geographical location, is one of the countries where the greatest number of people are exploited.

The eradication of this problem involves the identification of the exploited and liberation from their captors. But the problem does not end with their release; psychological and educational intervention is essential to achieve their integration. The importance of designing and developing educational programs are main objectives, including language learning, professional training, establishing good habits of nutrition and hygiene, and providing alternatives for leisure and free time.

These education programs, designed for adults, should be initiated in shelter houses where the victims are first placed. Multidisciplinary teams formed by professionals in education, psychology, nursing, and social work can cooperatively help the victims, offering the best method for successful integration. The final objective is to provide competences to the people included in the program, who can then leave the shelters, join the local community, and live autonomously and independently in the host society.
Central Asia in the Soviet Command Economy
Authors: Scarborough Isaac
Published: August 2021

The five republics of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—spent the majority of the 20th century as part of the USSR and the Soviet command economy. Over this period, their economies grew significantly, as did the standard of living enjoyed by their populations. At the same time, the Soviet command economy, along with its particular application in Central Asia, created both significant barriers and long-term economic damage in the region. Local salaries and access to goods remained far below the Soviet average; agricultural production took precedence over industrialization and modernization; the combination of expansionist planning and resource extraction meant that over decades little was done to change the system even as ecological disaster loomed. When the Soviet command economy receded in 1991, it left an ambiguous detritus, one remembered as violently forced and perhaps unwanted.
Northeastern African Stone Age
Authors: Leplongeon Alice
Published: August 2021

Research on the northeastern African Stone Age is intrinsically linked to the study of human occupation along the Nile, which flows north through the now hyper-arid eastern Sahara to meet the Mediterranean, forming a natural route toward the Sinai Peninsula. Since this is the only land bridge between Africa and Eurasia, the region is often referred to as a “corridor,” with the hypothesis that the Nile Valley may have repeatedly acted as a possible route used by hominins out of (and back into) Africa guiding many research projects on the Stone Age of this region. However, past human occupation of northeastern Africa is far from restricted to the Nile Valley and includes evidence from areas that are now desert on either side of the Nile, as well as the Red Sea Mountains. Throughout the Pleistocene (2.58–0.01 Ma), the region was subject to climatic and environmental fluctuations that may have alternately rendered the desert habitable or the Nile Valley inhospitable for hominin settlement.

Researchers have used both European and African terminologies to describe the northeastern African Stone Age record. In particular, the terms Early Stone Age and Middle Stone Age are often used for earlier phases, but Upper Paleolithic, Late Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, and Mesolithic are commonly used for the later phases. Evidence for the Earliest Stone Age is sparse, but numerous sites are attributed to the later part of the Early Stone Age, the Late Acheulean, after c. 0.6 Ma. The Middle Stone Age is known by many surface scatters of lithic assemblages and few stratified sites, sometimes associated with raw material extraction features. Only a few sites document the Upper Paleolithic in the region, whereas a rich archaeological record documents the hunter-gatherer-fisher societies of the Late Paleolithic. While Acheulean and Middle Stone Age sites are located in the desert areas as well as the Nile Valley, for the later periods until the beginning of the Holocene, c. 12 ka, sites are mainly restricted to the Nile Valley. The study of the northeastern African Stone Age reveals complex human-environment interactions with implications for the potential central role of this region in hominin dispersals out of and back into Africa during the Pleistocene.
Latino Workers
Authors: Aguilar Emiliano
Published: August 2021

Since the U.S. acquisition of Northern Mexico in the 19th century, Latinas and Latinos have played an ever-growing role as workers in the United States. The continued migration from Latin American countries has increased the importance of Latinas and Latinos across various economic sectors. As diverse as the Latina/o community itself, the array of jobs Latinas/os/xs have held has been enormously varied. As an increasing demographic of workers, Latina and Latino workers have also played a pivotal role in the labor movement in the United States. Their labor activism has been a response to the persistence of oppression and marginalization in the workplace.

The presence of Latinas/os/xs in a variety of occupations offers a glimpse into the overall transitions of the U.S. economy, from agricultural to manufacturing to service work. Their movement from farm to factory to service work is of course not universal, as Latinas/os/xs still have a considerable presence in agricultural and industrial employment. Yet the transition from one kind of work to another remains a useful way of understanding the history of Latina/o/x labor over time. Latinas/os/xs have often stood at the forefront of shifts in the economy as they have followed the need for workers into new industries, which has placed them among some of the most vulnerable workers in American society.
Filipino Festivals in Southern California
Authors: Talusan Mary
Published: August 2021

Filipino festivals (also “Philippine festivals”) in southern California are lively, dynamic events that draw multigenerational and multicultural crowds to enjoy food, partake in traditional games and crafts, buy Filipino pride gear, and watch a variety of acts that showcase the talent and creativity of Filipino Americans. Inclusive of those who identify as immigrant, U.S.-born, and transnational, Filipinos from across the region convene to express pride and promote visibility as an overlooked and marginalized ethnic group in the United States. The first public performances by Filipinos in the United States were in exhibits curated by colonial officials at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 to justify colonization of the Philippines. Presented as an uncivilized people in need of American tutelage, this stereotyping of Filipinos as primitives motivated pensionados or students from the Philippines to represent themselves; they organized Rizal Day starting in 1905, which valorized national Philippine hero José Rizal, in order to highlight their identity as modern, educated people. New immigrants, who were mostly rural, single men from the northern Philippines, arrived in the 1930s and frequented taxi dance halls in which Filipino jazz musicians and dancers flourished. Yet the established Filipino community criticized these venues as places of vice that were lacking in family and traditional cultural values. Philippine folk dances were not prevalent among Filipino Americans until after the Philippine Bayanihan Folk Dance Company appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Due to their influence, Filipino American folk dance troupes were established across the nation, presenting Philippine cultures through stylistically diverse dances such as the Indigenous or Tribal suite, the Muslim or “Moro” suite, and the Maria Clara or Spanish-influenced suite. Folk dance performance became a hallmark of festivals such as the Philippine Folk Festival, which has been held annually in San Diego since 1979 (renamed the Philippine Cultural Arts Festival in 1996). In Los Angeles, the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture began in 1992, attracting thousands from around the region. These large-scale public Filipino festivals in southern California offer opportunities to gain insight into the variety of ways in which Filipino Americans creatively express a range of experiences, interests, and concerns. While folk dance troupes and traditional music ensembles such as Spanish-influenced rondalla (plucked string instruments) are most visibly tied to representations of Philippine traditions, rappers, DJs, spoken word artists, hip-hop dance crews, R&B singers, and rock bands demonstrate Filipinos’ mastery of American popular forms. With origins in community celebrations since the early 1900s, Filipino festivals of the early 21st century reflect changes and continuities in California’s Filipino communities, which have adapted to internal dynamics, larger societal forces, and engagement with the homeland of the Philippines.
Pronoun Systems in the Romance Languages
Authors: Pescarini Diego
Published: August 2021

Personal pronouns—in particular, clitic pronouns—show the greatest variation across the Romance languages. Modern varieties and historical vernaculars exhibit a kaleidoscopic degree of variation with respect to several syntactic parameters (placement, climbing, doubling, interpretation, etc.). Despite the apparent chaotic variation, some descriptive generalizations can be established on the basis of a rich and growing array of data.
Cochlear Implants
Authors: Winn Matthew B. , Nelson Peggy B.
Published: August 2021

Cochlear implants (CIs) are the most successful sensory implant in history, restoring the sensation of sound to thousands of persons who have severe to profound hearing loss. Implants do not recreate acoustic sound as most of us know it, but they instead convey a rough representation of the temporal envelope of signals. This sparse signal, derived from the envelopes of narrowband frequency filters, is sufficient for enabling speech understanding in quiet environments for those who lose hearing as adults and is enough for most children to develop spoken language skills. The variability between users is huge, however, and is only partially understood.

CIs provide acoustic information that is sufficient for the recognition of some aspects of spoken language, especially information that can be conveyed by temporal patterns, such as syllable timing, consonant voicing, and manner of articulation. They are insufficient for conveying pitch cues and separating speech from noise.

There is a great need for improving our understanding of functional outcomes of CI success beyond measuring percent correct for word and sentence recognitions. Moreover, greater understanding of the variability experienced by children, especially children and families from various social and cultural backgrounds, is of paramount importance. Future developments will no doubt expand the use of this remarkable device.
Safe Water Adaptability for Water Scarcity in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Kibria Mohammad Golam , Abedin Md Anwarul
Published: August 2021

Water scarcity is a significant global concern affecting every continent. The problem of accessing safe water mainly occurs due to climate change, the increasing global population, and urbanization. The safe water crisis is more distressing in climate hot spots such as coastal areas, areas of low rainfall, and urban areas. Being a developing country, Bangladesh is experiencing the problem of water crisis in both coastal and urban areas. Safe water adaptability can be an integrative approach to mitigate water scarcity in these areas. Adaptability measures include monitoring surface and groundwater resources, using natural and artificial water storage, and providing technical training to the local community for safe water management, which can contribute to combat the safe water crisis across the globe. Safe water adaptability measures can be classified into four different dimensions (i.e., socioeconomic, institutional, physicochemical, and environmental) known as SIPE, which is based on some primary and secondary indicators. The SIPE approach measures the adaptability index by scoring the primary and secondary indicators and categorizes low to high adaptive community. Through the adaptability index, the capacity of the community and the gap between different levels of society can be measured, which can guide the review of existing policy and provide recommendations for a safe water adaptability action plan. This new approach will offer information and guidelines for the government, policymakers, and researchers to combat water scarcity problems. Although the proposed approach is applicable in the context of Bangladesh, this strategy can also be used for any parts of the globe by customizing the secondary indicators and considering the types of local problems to provide safe water for the community. The SIPE approach can be initiated at a micro level to become an integral part of national policies related to safe water access, especially for drinking and irrigation purposes.
Guided and unguided de-escalation from potent P2Y12 inhibitors among patients with acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis
Authors: Tavenier Anne H , Mehran Roxana , Chiarito Mauro , Cao Davide , Pivato Carlo A , Nicolas Johny , Beerkens Frans , Nardin Matteo , Sartori Samantha , Baber Usman , Angiolillo Dominick J , Capodanno Davide , Valgimigli Marco , Hermanides Renicus S , van ‘t Hof Arnoud W J , ten Berg Jur M , Chang Kiyuk , Kini Annapoorna S , Sharma Samin K , Dangas George
Published: August 2021

Aim

Optimal dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) intends to balance ischemic and bleeding risks. Various DAPT de-escalation strategies, defined as switching from a full-dose potent to a reduced dose or less potent P2Y12 inhibitor, have been evaluated in several ACS-PCI trials. We aimed to compare DAPT de-escalation to standard DAPT with full-dose potent P2Y12 inhibitors in ACS patients who underwent PCI.

Methods and results

PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials. Aspirin monotherapy trials were excluded. Five randomized trials (n = 10 779 patients) that assigned DAPT de-escalation (genetically guided to clopidogrel n = 1242; platelet function guided to clopidogrel n = 1304; unguided to clopidogrel n = 1672; unguided to lower dose n = 1170) vs. standard DAPT (control group n = 5391) were included in this analysis. DAPT de-escalation was associated with a significant reduction in Bleeding Academic Research Consortium ≥2 bleeding (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.42–0.78; I2 = 77%) as well as major adverse cardiac events, represented in most trials by the composite of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and stroke (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62–0.96; I2 = 0%). Notwithstanding the limited power, consistency was noted across various de-escalation strategies.

Conclusion

De-escalation of DAPT after PCI for ACS, both unguided and guided by genetic or platelet function testing (PFT), was associated with lower rates of clinically relevant bleeding and ischemic events as compared to standard DAPT with potent P2Y12 inhibitors based on five open-label RCTs reviewed.
Recent trend, biases and limitations of cultivation-based diversity studies of microbes
Authors: Prakash Om , Parmar Mrinalini , Vaijanapurkar Manali , Rale Vinay , Shouche Yogesh S
Published: August 2021

The current study attempts to analyze recent trends, biases and limitations of cultivation-based microbial diversity studies based on published, novel species in the past 6 years in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM), an official publication of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) and the Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology (BAM) Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). IJSEM deals with taxa that have validly published names under the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). All the relevant publications from the last 6 years were retrieved, sorted and analyzed to get the answers to What is the current rate of novel species description? Which country has contributed substantially and which phyla represented better in culturable diversity studies? What are the current limitations? Published data for the past 6 years indicate that 500–900 novel species are reported annually. China, Korea, Germany, UK, India and the USA are at the forefront while contributions from other nations are meager. Despite the recent development in culturomics tools the dominance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria are still prevalent in cultivation, while the representation of archaea, obligate anaerobes, microaerophiles, synergistic symbionts, aerotolerant and other fastidious microbes is poor. Single strain-based taxonomic descriptions prevail and emphasis on objective-based cultivation for biotechnological and environmental significance is not yet conspicuous.
Towards an Inclusive Agenda of Open Science for Communication Research: A Latin American approach
Authors: de Oliveira Thaiane Moreira , Marques Francisco Paulo Jamil , Veloso Leão Augusto , de Albuquerque Afonso , Prado José Luiz Aidar , Grohmann Rafael , Clinio Anne , Cogo Denise , Guazina Liziane Soares
Published: August 2021

There is growing consensus among the scientific community members about the urgency of debating ways to promote Open Science (OS). However, the notion of OS itself has been highly controversial, encompassing different meanings and values. Two distinct conceptions have emerged: the first highlights principles such as acceleration, efficiency, and reproducibility; the second perspective is grounded in participation, social justice, and democratization of knowledge. Both models accomplish distinct goals while facing specific limits and challenges to improve scientific production. Even though the first conception has become more celebrated among some top-ranked journals, we question approaches that standardize scientific practices, neglect global diversity, and undermine the importance of local contexts. By discussing the pioneering role that researchers and journals in Latin America have played toward a pluralistic interpretation of OS, this article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of scientific production in the Global South.
Resilience and Depression in Military Service: Evidence From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health)
Authors: Orak Ugur , Kayaalp Alper , Walker Mark H , Breault Kevin
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Research indicates that military service involves stressors that may be related to depression. However, the military provides financial, educational, psychological, and social advantages that may help to mitigate the effects of service-related stressors. Because most prior research was based on cross-sectional data or small clinical samples, we explored individual-level trajectories of depression over time.

Methods

Data came from the restricted-use version of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) in four survey waves from 1994 to 2008, with a total of 1,112 service members, of whom 231 were female, and a total sample size of 13,544. Statistical estimation employed the multilevel growth curve modeling approach.

Results

Individuals who later served in the military had lower rates of depression than their civilian counterparts at year 1 of the study, and rates of depression decreased consistently for both groups throughout the study. Service members ended up with the same level of depression compared to civilians (year 14). Sex, race and parental education were unrelated to depression, and no evidence was found for the hypothesis that the military functions as a “bridging environment” to reduce depression by providing a more attractive alternative compared to civilian life.

Conclusions

Individuals who were less depressed at year 1 of the study were more likely to enlist into the military. While both civilians and service members displayed decreasing depression over the years of the study, military members had less decrease in depression over time beginning at a lower level of depression than civilian. Taken together, the minor differences in depression between the civilian and military samples and the lower level of depression among military members at the beginning of the study suggest that military service selects against higher levels of depression at the start of service and, given the known stressors related to the military, membership in the service may be associated with resilience to depression.
Implications of the z > 5 Lyman-α forest for the 21-cm power spectrum from the epoch of reionization
Authors: Raste Janakee , Kulkarni Girish , Keating Laura C , Haehnelt Martin G , Chardin Jonathan , Aubert Dominique
Published: August 2021

Our understanding of the intergalactic medium at redshifts z = 5–6 has improved considerably in the last few years due to the discovery of quasars with z > 6 that enable Lyman-α forest studies at these redshifts. A realization from this has been that hydrogen reionization could end much later than previously thought, so that large ‘islands’ of cold, neutral hydrogen could exist in the IGM at redshifts z = 5–6. By using radiative transfer simulations of the IGM, we consider the implications of the presence of these neutral hydrogen islands for the 21-cm power spectrum signal and its potential detection by experiments such as hera, ska, lofar, and mwa. In contrast with previous models of the 21-cm signal, we find that thanks to the late end of reionization the 21-cm power in our simulation continues to be as high as $\Delta ^2_{21}=10~\mathrm{mK}^2$ at k ∼ 0.1 h cMpc−1 at z = 5–6. This value of the power spectrum is several orders of magnitude higher than that in conventional models considered in the literature for these redshifts. Such high values of the 21-cm power spectrum should be detectable by hera and ska1-low in ∼1000 h, assuming optimistic foreground subtraction. This redshift range is also attractive due to relatively low sky temperature and potentially greater abundance of multiwavelength data.
Quantifying the rarity of the local super-volume
Authors: Stopyra Stephen , Peiris Hiranya V , Pontzen Andrew , Jasche Jens , Natarajan Priyamvada
Published: August 2021

We investigate the extent to which the number of clusters of mass exceeding $10^{15}\, M_{\odot }\, h^{-1}$ within the local super-volume ($\lt 135\mathrm{\, Mpc\, }h^{-1}$) is compatible with the standard ΛCDM cosmological model. Depending on the mass estimator used, we find that the observed number N of such massive structures can vary between 0 and 5. Adopting N = 5 yields ΛCDM likelihoods as low as 2.4 × 10−3 (with σ8 = 0.81) or 3.8 × 10−5 (with σ8 = 0.74). However, at the other extreme (N = 0), the likelihood is of order unity. Thus, while potentially very powerful, this method is currently limited by systematic uncertainties in cluster mass estimates. This motivates efforts to reduce these systematics with additional observations and improved modelling.
Assessment of mutations induced by cold atmospheric plasma jet treatment relative to known mutagens in Escherichia coli
Authors: Patenall Bethany L , Hathaway Hollie J , Laabei Maisem , Young Amber E , Thet Naing T , Jenkins A Toby A , Short Robert D , Allinson Sarah L
Published: August 2021

The main bactericidal components of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) are thought to be reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and UV-radiation, both of which have the capacity to cause DNA damage and mutations. Here, the mutagenic effects of CAP on Escherichia coli were assessed in comparison to X- and UV-irradiation. DNA damage and mutagenesis were screened for using a diffusion-based DNA fragmentation assay and modified Ames test, respectively. Mutant colonies obtained from the latter were quantitated and sequenced. CAP was found to elicit a similar mutation spectrum to X-irradiation, which did not resemble that for UV implying that CAP-produced RONS are more likely the mutagenic component of CAP. CAP treatment was also shown to promote resistance to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Our data suggest that CAP treatment has mutagenic effects that may have important phenotypic consequences.
Associations of cardiovascular disease and blood pressure with cognition in hemodialysis patients: The Osaka Dialysis Complication Study
Authors: Shoji Tetsuo , Fujii Hisako , Mori Katsuhito , Nakatani Shinya , Nagata Yuki , Morioka Tomoaki , Inaba Masaaki , Emoto Masanori
Published: August 2021

Background

Previous studies have reported mixed results regarding the contributions of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and blood pressure (BP) to cognitive impairment in chronic kidney disease.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study in 1213 patients on maintenance hemodialysis from 17 dialysis units in Japan. The main exposures were prior CVD and BP components including systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP). The outcome was low cognitive function evaluated with the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination with a cut-off level of 3MS <80.

Results

The median age was 67 years, median duration of dialysis was 71 months, 37% were women, 39% had diabetic kidney disease and 36% had any pre-existing CVD. Median (interquartile range) of 3MS score was 91 (82–97), and 240 patients (20%) had 3MS <80. Logistic regression analysis showed that 3MS <80 was associated with the presence of any prior CVD, particularly prior stroke. 3MS <80 was associated with lower DBP but not with SBP. When patients were stratified by the presence of prior stroke, lower DBP, higher age and lower education level were factors associated with 3MS <80 in both subgroups. In the subgroup of patients without prior stroke, diabetic kidney disease was an additional factor associated with 3MS <80. CVDs other than stroke were not associated with 3MS in either subgroup.

Conclusions

Prior stroke and lower DBP were associated with 3MS <80 in hemodialysis patients. These findings support the hypothesis that these vascular factors contribute to low cognitive performance in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Endoscopic Endonasal Versus Transoral Odontoidectomy for Non-Neoplastic Craniovertebral Junction Disease: A Case Series
Authors: Heller Robert S , Glaspy Tyler , Mhaskar Rahul , Bhadelia Rafeeque , Heilman Carl B
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Odontoidectomy is a challenging yet effective operation for decompression of non-neoplastic craniovertebral junction disease. Though both the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) and the transoral approach (TOA) have been discussed in the literature, there remain few direct comparisons between the techniques.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the perioperative outcomes of EEA vs TOA odontoidectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all cases undergoing odontoidectomy by either the EEA or TOA was performed. Attention was paid to the need for prolonged nutritional support, prolonged respiratory support, and hospitalization times.

RESULTS

During the study period between 2000 and 2018, 25 patients underwent odontoid process resection (18 TOA and 7 EEA). The most common indication for surgery was basilar invagination. Hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and intubation days were all significantly shorter in the EEA group compared to the TOA group (P < .01, P = .01, P < .01, respectively). Prolonged nutritional support in the form of a gastrostomy tube was required in 5 patients and tracheostomy was required in 4 patients; all of these underwent odontoidectomy by the TOA. There was no statistical difference in neurological outcomes between the EEA and TOA groups (P = .17).

CONCLUSION

Odontoidectomy can be performed safely through both the EEA and TOA. The results of this study suggest the EEA has shorter hospitalizations and a lower probability of requiring prolonged nutritional support. These advantages are likely the results of decreased oropharyngeal mucosa disruption as compared to the TOA.
Root plasticity under abiotic stress
Authors: Karlova Rumyana , Boer Damian , Hayes Scott , Testerink Christa
Published: August 2021

Abiotic stresses increasingly threaten existing ecological and agricultural systems across the globe. Plant roots perceive these stresses in the soil and adapt their architecture accordingly. This review provides insights into recent discoveries showing the importance of root system architecture (RSA) and plasticity for the survival and development of plants under heat, cold, drought, salt, and flooding stress. In addition, we review the molecular regulation and hormonal pathways involved in controlling RSA plasticity, main root growth, branching and lateral root growth, root hair development, and formation of adventitious roots. Several stresses affect root anatomy by causing aerenchyma formation, lignin and suberin deposition, and Casparian strip modulation. Roots can also actively grow toward favorable soil conditions and avoid environments detrimental to their development. Recent advances in understanding the cellular mechanisms behind these different root tropisms are discussed. Understanding root plasticity will be instrumental for the development of crops that are resilient in the face of abiotic stress.
Interfering with interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA)
Authors: Verweyen Emely L , Schulert Grant S
Published: August 2021

Systemic JIA (SJIA) is distinguished from other forms of JIA by the prevalence of the severe, life-threatening complications macrophage activation syndrome (SJIA-MAS) and lung disease (SJIA-LD). Alternative therapeutics are urgently needed, as disease pathogenesis diverges from what is observed in SJIA, and currently available biologics are insufficient. SJIA-MAS, defined by a cytokine storm and dysregulated proliferation of T-lymphocytes, and SJIA-LD which presents with lymphocytic interstitial inflammation and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, are both thought to be driven by IFNs, in particular the type II IFN-γ. Involvement of IFNs and a possible crosstalk of type I IFNs with existing biologics indicate a distinct role for the JAK-STAT signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of SJIA-MAS and SJIA-LD. Here, we review this role of JAK-STATs and IFNs in SJIA complications and discuss how new insights of ongoing research are shaping future therapeutic advances in the form of JAK inhibitors and antibodies targeting IFNs.
Reigniting Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to action: the role of the behavioral scientist in the movement for social justice and racial equity
Authors: Farmer Nicole , Gordon Talya , Middleton Kimberly R , Brooks Alyssa T , Wallen Gwenyth R
Published: August 2021

A call to action for behavioral scientists to utilize the field’s collective set of knowledge and skills to conduct and support research to prevent racism and combat the effects of racism on health outcomes
XIII The Victorian Period
Authors: Garza Ana Alicia , Burke Lois , Blackburn-Daniels Sally , Baker William
Published: August 2021

This chapter has five sections: 1. General and Prose, including Dickens; 2. The Novel; 3. Poetry; 4. Periodicals, Publishing History, and Drama; 5. Miscellaneous. Section 1 is by Ana Alicia Garza; section 2 is by Lois Burke; section 3 is by Sally Blackburn-Daniels; sections 4 and 5 are by William Baker. In somewhat of a departure from previous accounts, this chapter concludes with a mixed-genre section that covers Samuel Butler Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Wilkie Collins, George Eliot and George Henry Lewes, George Gissing, Richard Jefferies, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Anthony Trollope. This is followed by a section containing additional materials that came too late to be included elsewhere. These sections have been contributed by William Baker, who thanks for their assistance Dominic Edwards, Olaf Berwald, Beth Palmer, Sophie Ratcliffe, and Caroline Radcliffe.
Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition, and Quality of Life in Overweight and Obese Survivors of Breast Cancer
Authors: Samhan Ahmed F. , Ahmed Ahmed S. , Mahmoud Waleed S. , Abdelhalim Nermeen M.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Obesity is considered a major risk factor for breast cancer. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient exercise that significantly advances cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy subjects.

Purpose:

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of HIIT on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in survivors of breast cancer who are overweight and obese.

Methods:

Sixty overweight and obese female breast cancer survivors, aged 40 to 60 years, 6 months after completing therapies were included in this study. The patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups: the HIIT group (n = 30; administered HIIT program 3 sessions per week for 8 successive weeks) and the control group (n = 30; received usual care measures). Cardiorespiratory fitness, measured using maximal oxygen uptake (

), and body composition were evaluated in patients of both groups at baseline and after the intervention period.

Results:

increased significantly by 3.77 mL⋅kg−1⋅min−1 between pre- and posttreatment (P ˂ .05) in the HIIT group. Body mass indexes in both groups were similar (P > .05). Women in the HIIT group showed significant fat mass changes, fat mass percentage, and lean body mass (P ˂ .05).

Conclusion:

This study shows that HIIT effectively improves cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in breast cancer survivors.
Anti-HMGCR myopathy: clinical and histopathological features, and prognosis
Authors: Kurashige Takashi
Published: August 2021

Purpose of review

This review aims to describe clinical and pathological features, prognosis and treatment in patients with anti-HMGCR antibody positive immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (HMGCR-IMNM) based on recent findings.

Recent findings

Using advances in diagnostic modalities that can confirm the presence of anti-HMGCR antibody, the clinical and pathological manifestations of HMGCR-IMNM were found to be broader than previously reported. Although only a small percentage of HMGCR-IMNM patients present with atypical manifestations, some of these patients show slow disease progression and clinical symptoms, which are similar to those of limb-girdle muscular dystrophies. Other atypical HMGCR-IMNM patients have skin conditions similar to dermatomyositis-like skin rush or dermatological presentations of Jessner-Kanoff disease or cutaneous lymphoma, whose pathological changes including CD8-positive and bcl-2-positive lymphocytic accumulations, similar to Jessner-Kanoff lymphocytic infiltration of skin or low-grade cutaneous lymphoma, which are observed in muscle and skin.

Anti-HMGCR autoantibodies define unique populations of IMNM patients. Recent studies have revealed that clinicopathological manifestations of HMGCR-IMNM, especially extramuscular symptoms and pathological manifestations, are more common than previously recognized.
Paeoniflorin inhibits proliferation and migration of psoriatic keratinocytes via the lncRNA NEAT1/miR-3194-5p/Galectin-7 axis
Authors: Wang Dan , Cheng Shiping , Zou Guoming , Ding Xiongfei
Published: August 2021

To investigate the mechanism underlying the effect of paeoniflorin (PF) on the proliferation and migration of psoriatic keratinocytes. The expressions of long noncoding RNA NEAT1, miR-3194-5p and Galectin-7 in skin tissues from psoriatic patients and healthy controls were detected. Psoriatic HaCat cells were used to investigate the function of NEAT1 and Galectin-7 as well as the effect and mechanism of PF in psoriasis. MTT, colony formation and scratch assays were used to assess the proliferation and migration of psoriatic HaCat cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the interactions among NEAT1, miR-3194-5p and Galectin-7. NEAT1 and Galectin-7 were lowly expressed and miR-3194-5p was highly expressed in psoriatic patients. PF suppressed the proliferation and migration of psoriatic HaCat cells by elevating the expressions of NEAT1 and Galectin-7. NEAT1 positively mediated the expression of Galectin-7 by targeting miR-3194-5p. PF controls the proliferation and migration of psoriatic HaCat cells via the NEAT1/miR-3194-5p/Galectin-7 axis.
Amelanotic metastatic gastric malignant melanoma: a case report
Authors: Zhu Min , Zhang Da-ya , Zhang Guan-jun , Wang Zhan-bo , Lid Ming-yang
Published: August 2021

Melanoma is a malignant form of cutaneous cancer with an increasing incidence since 1970s, accounting for nearly 75% of the death related to skin cancer especially in western countries. Highest recurrence and mortality were observed for the subtype with distal metastasis, demonstrating poor outcomes. However, high incidence of gastrointestinal metastasis of malignant melanoma is frequently misdiagnosed due to lack of specific clinical manifestations, especially for the rare observed cases presented amelanotic appearance, accounting for about 2% of all metastatic cases. In the present study, we reported a 36-year-old male patient, who was firstly diagnosed as gastric cancer, and then was confirmed as amelanotic melanoma metastasis by pathological examination, demonstrating positive for melanoma markers including Melan A, S-100, Hmb45 and CD79a. In conclusion, for the amelanotic neoplasm observed during gastroscopy in patients with melanoma history, pathological examination should be carried out to confirm the possibility of melanoma metastasis, providing evidences for the following treatment.
Anticancer properties of vincristine is modulated by microRNAs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia Nalm6 cell line
Authors: Shirazi-Tehrani Elham , Vafadar Asma , Keshavarzi Majid , Firouzabadi Negar
Published: August 2021

Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), a highly diverse disease, is the most widespread pediatric malignancy characterized by cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities such as altered microRNA (miR) expression signatures. MiRs are a class of short noncoding RNAs. Dysregulation in the expression of miRs plays a crucial role in different types of cancers. Vincristine is an antineoplastic drug with a broad spectrum of activity against different hematologic malignancies and is the first-line treatment for B-ALL. Previous studies have proposed miR-17 and miR-181/b as oncomirs and miR-34/a as a tumor suppressor in Nalm6 cells, thus in the current study, we investigated the effects of vincristine treatment on the expression of miR-17, miR-34/a and miR-181/b expression levels. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was conducted to estimate the optimal concentration of vincristine in the Nalm-6 cell line. Expression of miRs was calculated using real-time PCR. Our results showed significant downregulation of miR-17 (FC = 0.226; P < 0.0004) in Nalm6 cells after vincristine treatment. Conversely, miR-34/a (FC = 4.823; P < 0.0001) was significantly upregulated. Also, the expression of miR-181/b (FC = 0.156; P < 0.3465) was not significantly different between the vincristine treated group and the control group. In conclusion, it is proposed that one of the mechanisms by which vincristine improves B-ALL is by modulating the expression of specific miRs. These specific miRs will serve as good diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
Tislelizumab combined with apatinib in the treatment of advanced renal clear cell carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Qu Fanjie , Wu Shuang , Zhang Jie
Published: August 2021

Most patients with advanced renal cancer develop drug resistance to targeted drugs, and the disease progresses with the prolongation of the treatment cycle. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new treatment methods for advanced renal cancer to obtain continuous efficacy and prolong the survival time of patients. The patient was diagnosed with advanced renal cancer that had progressed after previous antiangiogenic drug therapy, based on the clinical course and imaging findings. The patient was treated with ‘tislelizumab plus apatinib’. The clinical discomfort symptoms were quickly relieved after treatment, and the evaluation two cycles later showed stable disease. After two cycles of continuation of the original regimen, reevaluation computed tomography demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the abdominal cavity mass and the therapeutic evaluation was partial remission after four cycles; however, the patient developed abnormal liver function after treatment, manifested as nausea and poor appetite, and significantly increased bilirubin and transaminase levels, which were considered as immune-related liver injuries. After glucocorticoid treatment, the patient’s condition quickly improved and recovered. This report is the first to suggest a potential approach to advanced renal clear cell carcinoma and describes the effects of immunocombination therapy on advanced renal clear cell carcinoma; the results showed the current stage success of the immunocombination treatment, suggesting that this treatment may be an effective treatment option for patients with advanced renal clear cell carcinoma. In addition, the toxic and side effects of combined immunotherapy need to be carefully identified by every doctor. Since only one patient with advanced renal cancer was observed in this report, the clinical data are very limited and further observation and accumulation of more experience are needed, and further clinical studies will be conducted on the efficacy and safety of this combination regimen.
Treatment of anaplastic gliomas: evidences and controversies
Authors: Geurts Marjolein , Snijders Tom J. , van den Bent Martin J.
Published: August 2021

Purpose of review

Evolving molecular data have led to a new and advanced grading system of anaplastic glioma. In everyday practice, physicians have to translate evidence from old clinical trials into evidence meeting the reclassified tumor types.

Recent findings

New biomarkers allow the identification of anaplastic glioma with relatively poor prognosis and with prognosis similar to glioblastoma. An update with molecular analysis of the phase 3 CATNON trial demonstrates the benefit of adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) to be dependent on the mutational status of isocitrate dehydrogenase. In the ongoing debate on the optimal chemotherapy regimen, a large retrospective study suggesting a better tumor control with vincristine (PCV) as compared to TMZ is added to the evidence. The best timing for treatment of anaplastic astrocytoma also remains a matter of controversy. A recent study shows that even in selected patients with anaplastic glioma with foci of malignant tumor following (sub)total resection, postponement of medical treatment can be considered.

In clinical practice, the trade-off between efficacy and (acute and long-term) toxicity of treatments needs to be re-evaluated for the newly (molecularly) defined entities. Updates from past clinical trials on anaplastic glioma with molecular analysis and subgroup analyses are needed to further guide treatment decisions.