bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the functionality appreciation scale
Authors: Zamora Ángel , Desdentado Lorena , Herrero Rocío , Miragall Marta , Baños Rosa
Published: April 2024

Background

The Functionality Appreciation Scale is a 7-item measure of an individual’s appreciation of his or her body for what it can do and is capable of doing. While this instrument has been increasingly used in intervention-based research, its psychometric properties have not been extensively studied in non-English-speaking populations. The psychometric properties of a novel Spanish translation of the FAS were examined.

Methods

An online sample of 838 Spanish adults (mean age = 31.79 ± 11.95 years, 50.48% men) completed the Spanish FAS and validated measures of body appreciation, eating disorder symptomatology, intuitive eating, and life satisfaction.

Results

Exploratory factor analysis supported a 1-dimensional factor structure of the FAS, which was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis (SBχ²(14) = 83.82, SBχ²normed = 1.48, robust RMSEA = 0.094 (90% CI = 0.074, 0.115), SRMR = 0.040, robust CFI = 0.946, robust TLI = 0.924). Invariance across genders was shown, and there were no significant differences according to gender (t(417) = 0.77, p =.444, d = 0.07). Construct validity was also supported through significant associations with the other measures of the study. Incremental validity was established in women. Thus, appreciation of functionality predicted life satisfaction over and above the variance accounted for by other body image and eating disorder-related measures (F(4, 399) = 18.86, p <.001, ΔR2 = 0.03).

Conclusions

These results support the psychometric properties of the Spanish FAS and demonstrate the importance of the appreciation of functionality in relation to a healthier body image and psychological wellbeing.
Network analysis of the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury, depression, and childhood trauma in adolescents
Authors: Lei Hui , Yang Yanci , Zhu Ting , Zhang Xiaocui , Dang Junhua
Published: April 2024

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury seriously harm the physical and mental health of adolescents. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between non-suicide self-injury, depression, and childhood trauma from the perspective of symptoms in adolescents.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four junior high middle schools and collected 2640 valid questionnaires. There were 1329 male students and 1311 female students. The age of the participants ranged from 11 to 17 years old, with a mean age of 13.3 (± 0.94) years. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were assessed using the Adolescent Self-Harm Scale, the Childhood Depression Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, respectively. A network analysis was performed.

Results

In the network, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were closely related. Negative self-esteem in the depressive symptoms and emotional abuse in childhood were the most central nodes. Negative self-esteem and negative mood were directly connected to NSSI, other nodes of depressive symptoms appeared to be indirectly connected to NSSI through these two nodes. Emotional abuse was the only node in childhood trauma categories directly connected to NSSI. Nodes of other categories of childhood trauma (physical neglect, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) were indirectly connected to NSSI through emotional abuse.

Conclusions

NSSI, depression, and childhood trauma of teenagers were closely related. Individuals who have suffered emotional abuse in childhood were more likely to have depressive symptoms and NSSI. Improving negative self-esteem and negative emotions and reducing emotional abuse may be beneficial in alleviating depression and reducing NSSI in adolescents.
Tribunal therapy: using the mental health tribunal to instil optimism
Authors: Spencer John , Bisogni Maria
Published: April 2024

The role of mental health review tribunals is to oversee that standards of care and treatment are maintained for involuntary patients and for those on community treatment orders. This article considers some ways in which the basic principles of psychotherapy can be applied by tribunal members to offer patients a sense of hope, encouragement and optimism and reduce the emotional challenge of the tribunal review.
Advancements and Challenges in the Treatment of AML
Authors: Abaza Yasmin , McMahon Christine , Garcia Jacqueline S.
Published: April 2024

The therapeutic arsenal for the management of AML has expanded significantly in recent years. Before 2017, newly diagnosed AML was treated with either standard cytarabine- and anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy (for all fit patients) or a single-agent hypomethylating agent (in unfit patients or those 75 years and older). While assessing patient fitness remains important, characterizing the disease biology has become critical to select the optimal initial therapy for each patient with more options available. FLT3 inhibitors, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, and CPX-351 have been shown to improve outcomes for specific subsets of patients. Venetoclax (VEN) with a hypomethylating agent (HMA) is the standard-of-care frontline regimen for most older patients, except perhaps for those with an IDH1 mutation where ivosidenib with azacitidine may also be considered. On the basis of the success seen with HMA/VEN in older patients, there is now increasing interest in incorporating VEN into frontline regimens in younger patients, with promising data from multiple early phase studies. This article focuses on recent updates and ongoing challenges in the management of AML, with a particular focus on the ongoing challenge of secondary AML and considerations regarding the selection of initial therapy in younger patients. An overview of common side effects and toxicities associated with targeted therapies is also presented here, along with recommended strategies to mitigate these risks.
Genomic Correlates of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Expression and Response to 177Lu-PSMA-617: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Raychaudhuri Ruben , Mo George , Tuchayi Abuzar Moradi , Graham Laura , Gulati Roman , Pritchard Colin C. , Haffner Michael C. , Yezefski Todd , Hawley Jessica E. , Cheng Heather H. , Yu Evan Y. , Grivas Petros , Montgomery Robert B. , Nelson Peter S. , Chen Delphine L. , Hope Thomas , Iravani Amir , Schweizer Michael T.
Published: April 2024

PURPOSE

While 177Lu-PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) is an effective therapy for many patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), biomarkers associated with outcomes are not well defined. We hypothesized that prostate cancer mutational profile may associate with clinical activity of LuPSMA. We devised a study to evaluate associations between mCRPC mutational profile with LuPSMA clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This was a multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with mCRPC with next-generation sequencing (NGS) who received LuPSMA. PSA50 response (ie, ≥50% decline in prostate-specific antigen [PSA]) rate, PSA progression free survival (PSA PFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between genetically defined subgroups.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-six patients with NGS results who received at least one cycle of LuPSMA were identified. The median age was 73 (IQR, 68-78) years, 124 (98.4%) received ≥1 prior androgen receptor-signaling inhibitor, and 121 (96%) received ≥1 taxane-based chemotherapy regimen. Fifty-eight (46%) patients with a DNA damage repair gene mutation (DNA damage response group) and 59 (46.8%) with a mutation in TP53, RB1, or PTEN tumor suppressor genes (TSG group) were identified. After adjusting for relevant confounders, the presence of ≥1 TSG mutation was associated with shorter PSA PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.93 [95% CI, 1.05 to 3.54]; P = .034) and OS (HR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.15 to 6.11]; P = .023). There was improved OS favoring the DNA damage response group (HR, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.97]; P = .044) on multivariable analysis. Univariate analysis of patients with ATM mutations had significantly higher rates of PSA50 response, PSA PFS, and OS.

CONCLUSION

Outcomes on LuPSMA varied on the basis of mutational profile. Prospective studies to define the clinical activity of LuPSMA in predefined genomic subgroups are justified.
Colorectal Cancer and Subsequent Diabetes Risk: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan
Authors: Hsu Hsin-Yin , Chern Yih-Jong , Hsu Min-Shu , Yeh Tzu-Lin , Tsai Ming-Chieh , Jhuang Jing-Rong , Hsieh Cheng-Tzu , Chiang Chun-Ju , Lee Wen-Chung , Hwang Lee-Ching , Chien Kuo-Liong
Published: April 2024

Context

The association between colorectal cancer (CRC) and new-onset diabetes mellitus remains unclear.

Objective

To examine the association between CRC and the risk of subsequent diabetes mellitus and to further investigate the impact of chemotherapy on diabetes mellitus risk in CRC.

Methods

In this nationwide cohort study using the Taiwan Cancer Registry database (2007-2018) linked with health databases, 86 268 patients with CRC and an equal propensity score-matched cohort from the general population were enrolled. Among them, 37 277 CRC patients from the Taiwan Cancer Registry (2007-2016) were analyzed for diabetes mellitus risk associated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy exposure within 3 years of diagnosis was categorized as no chemotherapy, < 90 days, 90 to 180 days, and > 180 days. Differences in diabetes mellitus risk were assessed across these categories.

Results

Each group involved 86 268 participants after propensity score matching. The patients with CRC had a 14% higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus than the matched general population (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09-1.20). The highest risk was observed within the first year after diagnosis, followed by a sustained elevated risk. Long-term chemotherapy (> 180 days within 3 years) was associated with a 60% to 70% increased risk of subsequent diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.64; 95% CI, 1.07-2.49).

Conclusion

Patients with CRC are associated with an elevated risk of diabetes mellitus, and long-term chemotherapy, particularly involving capecitabine, increases diabetes mellitus risk. Thus, monitoring blood glucose levels is crucial for patients with CRC, especially during extended chemotherapy.
Non-canonical role for the BAF complex subunit DPF3 in mitosis and ciliogenesis
Authors: Verrillo Giulia , Obeid Anna Maria , Genco Alexia , Scrofani Jacopo , Orange François , Hanache Sarah , Mignon Julien , Leyder Tanguy , Michaux Catherine , Kempeneers Céline , Bricmont Noëmie , Herkenne Stephanie , Vernos Isabelle , Martin Maud , Mottet Denis
Published: April 2024

DPF3, along with other subunits, is a well-known component of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex, which plays a key role in regulating chromatin remodeling activity and gene expression. Here, we elucidated a non-canonical localization and role for DPF3. We showed that DPF3 dynamically localizes to the centriolar satellites in interphase and to the centrosome, spindle midzone and bridging fiber area, and midbodies during mitosis. Loss of DPF3 causes kinetochore fiber instability, unstable kinetochore–microtubule attachment and defects in chromosome alignment, resulting in altered mitotic progression, cell death and genomic instability. In addition, we also demonstrated that DPF3 localizes to centriolar satellites at the base of primary cilia and is required for ciliogenesis by regulating axoneme extension. Taken together, these findings uncover a moonlighting dual function for DPF3 during mitosis and ciliogenesis.
Preface
Authors: Mikser Rain , Erss Maria , Krull Edgar
Published: April 2024

Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakirja seekordne erinumber keskendub õppekavateooria ja -praktika ning õppekava arendamise ja rakendamise küsimustele. Käsitlemist leiavad nii õppekava üldprobleemid ja arengulugu kui ka teemad, mis on seotud konkreetsete ainevaldkondade või erialade õppekavadega. Õppekava kui kooli õppetööd enim reguleeriv dokument on rohkem kui sajandi vältel olnud oluline uurimisvaldkond paljudes maades, sealhulgas Eestis. Erinumbris avatakse nii üldhariduskooli kui kõrghariduse õppekava küsimusi, esindatud on lai valik haridusasutusi Eestist ja Soomest. Pidevalt muutuv hariduselu eeldab õppekava uurijatelt ühtaegu nii rahvusvahelisel tasemel teadustööd kui igapäevast kursisolekut kodumaise hariduspraktikaga. Erinumbris põimuvad ajalugu, olevik ja tulevik, samuti õppekavauuringutele eripärane ning haridusmõtlemisele üldomane.
Reconceptualization of curriculum studies: A brief history and personal memories
Authors: Ropo Eero
Published: April 2024

The article presents a brief history of the reconceptualization of curriculum studies based on documents and my own memories. Reconceptualization has had a significant impact on understanding the curriculum not only as goals and instructional actions followed by evaluation but as a complicated, interdisciplinary conversation. Reconceptualization originated in the USA in the 1970s, when a new generation of curriculum researchers challenged the dominant Tylerian perspective on curriculum.The first years of reconceptualization were, however, turbulent. Reconceptualists presented critiques of managerial perspectives in curriculum theorizing but, according to critiques, had no clear theory to replace the mainstream. In the 1980s and 1990s, reconceptualist scholars focused on understanding curriculum, presenting extensive pieces of work, such as Pinar’s and his colleagues’ book titled Understanding Curriculum. Also, William Doll made a significant impact on describing the postmodern context for education and curriculum. During the last 20 years, reconceptualization has taken steps towards discourses with the educational practice. This same perspective is also evident in the Finnish research on curriculum studies. In addition to being a complicated conversation, education should focus on promoting autobiographical and identity-related processes. Arts is often proposed as a context for expanding imagination and creativity. Despite the general practical perspectives, reconceptualization is still a critical movement against simplistic, technocratic models in which curriculum is prescribed and measurable learning objectives dominate.
Fiasko reformy polityki imigracyjnej, kontroli granic zewnętrznych oraz polityki azylowej Unii Europejskiej w latach 2015-2020
Authors: Węc Janusz Józef
Published: April 2024

THE FAILURE OF THE REFORM OF THE EUROPEAN UNION’S IMMIGRATION POLICY, EXTERNAL BORDER CONTROL, AND ASYLUM POLICY BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The primary research objective of the article is to evaluate the reform of the immigration, external border control and asylum policy of the European Union between 2015 and 2020. The author formulates two research hypotheses. The first is based on the assumption that the legislative packages presented by the European Commission in 2015-2016 and then in 2018 have almost completely failed. The second hypothesis is that the idea of establishing a permanent resettlement mechanism as a means to overcome the migration crisis in the Union in 2015-2016 and address the future migration challenges  of the EU has generally failed. Instead, the EU’s temporary resettlement mechanisms in place between 2015 and 2017 and the 1:1 resettlement mechanism between the EU and Turkey introduced in 2016 have worked well. The author then formulates two research questions: firstly, why have the legislative acts of the European Commission largely failed?; and secondly, why has the temporary relocation of asylum seekers in the EU generally been successful?
The Bullwhip Effect in Servitized Manufacturers
Authors: Niu Yimeng , Wu Jing , Jiang Shenyang , Jiang Zhibin
Published: April 2024

The shift to a service-oriented economy has driven traditional product-oriented manufacturing firms to integrate various services into their businesses. This study aims to provide empirical evidence on how manufacturers’ service offerings impact demand variability and intrafirm bullwhip effects. Through “bag-of-words” text mining on 10-K filings of U.S.-listed manufacturing firms, we propose a novel measurement to identify annual services offered. We validate the measurement’s statistical and economic significance and verify its consistency with the results obtained using the large language model (i.e., GPT-4). Services are categorized as complementing product sales (e.g., maintenance and repair) or substituting product sales entirely (e.g., machine hours). Utilizing difference-in-difference techniques, we find robust evidence that manufacturers’ service offerings reduce the bullwhip effect in two steps: basic complementing services decrease demand variability, whereas advanced substituting services mitigate intrafirm bullwhip. Moreover, servitization mainly minimizes demand variability through information channels, whereas increased production efficiency decreases intrafirm bullwhip. Our findings contribute to understanding manufacturers’ business model innovations by demonstrating that servitization can smooth demand and mitigate intrafirm bullwhip.

This paper was accepted by Karan Girotra, operations management.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71931007, 72091214] and General Research Fund by Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grant 14505320].

Supplemental Material: The data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.01026 .
Investigating the Long‒Term Exposure Effects of 2850 MHz EMF-r on Growth, Physiology and Carbohydrate Metabolism of Triticum aestivum L.
Authors: Pal Amrit , Batish Daizy Rani , Kaur Shalinder , Singh Rishikesh
Published: April 2024

In recent decades, the widespread adoption of wireless electronic devices, notably cell phones, has led to a considerable rise in environmental electromagnetic field radiations (EMF‒r). The EMF-r has potential to interact and interfere with the living organisms. Therefore, it is essential to examine how these radiations affect biological systems, including plants which are immobile in nature and may remain continuously exposed to these radiations. The present study investigated the long-term exposure effects of 2850 MHz EMF‒r on 30 and 60‒days old wheat (Triticum aestivam L.) crop, focusing on their growth, photosynthetic pigments, and carbohydrate metabolism. The findings of the study revealed that the EMF‒r exposure leads to a decline in root length, shoot length, and plant biomass along with a marked reduction in photosynthetic pigments. Moreover, a significant reduction in carbohydrate‒metabolizing enzyme activity, water‒soluble carbohydrate, and reducing sugars content was observed in EMF‒r irradiated samples. The study suggests that EMF‒r exposure adversely affects the plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, and carbohydrate metabolism, highlighting the need for effective management to prevent productivity losses.
Screening and Optimization of IAA Production by PGPR isolated from Rhizosphere of a Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. and their Effect on Plant Growth
Authors: Randive Vaishali Sanjay , Agnihotri Snehal Nitin , Bhagat Rani Babanrao
Published: April 2024

Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) production is important attribute of PGPR that promote plant growth and development. The rhizosphere is hotspot in the soil that harbors PGPR. The present study was aimed with isolation and screening of IAA producing bacteria from the rhizosphere of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. Optimum culture conditions (pH, temperature, incubation period and L-tryptophan concentration for IAA production were studied for selected isolates and their effect on wheat growth and root development was evaluated. Among twenty four IAA producing isolates five isolates (Et1, Rp1, Rp5, Rp6, and Rp9) produced maximum IAA in range of 50-70 μg/mL and was used in optimization studies. Maximum IAA was produced in 96 hours of incubation, at pH 7 and with 0.1mg/mL of L-tryptophan by all five isolates. 30oC is the most suitable temperature for Et1, Rp1, Rp5, Rp9; whereas Rp6 produced nearly same amount of IAA at wide range of temperature 30-35oC (77-84.12 μg/mL) and at pH 7-8 ( 73-74μg/mL). Out of the five isolates, Rp6 exhibits the highest potential, having a maximum IAA of 84.12 μg/mL at 35°C and pH 7. Although tryptophan influences IAA synthesis but at higher concentration of tryptophan inhibits IAA synthesis. To validate the production of IAA, crude extracts were analyzed using thin layer chromatography (TLC). A spot of standard IAA with the same Rf value (0.91) was found to match a specific spot from the crude IAA.
Effect of Siderophore Producing Cadmium Tolerant Streptomyces pactum OR958669 on Plant Growth of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Musani Tasnim , Das Mousumi
Published: April 2024

Cadmium is a dangerous environmental contaminant that disturbs numerous ecological and environmental systems while being poisonous to plants and the microbial life. The present research attempted to utilize previously isolated Streptomyces pactum OR958669 from polluted soil to promote plant development and prevent cadmium's detrimental impacts. Streptomyces pactum OR958669 was chosen for this because it was the highly Cd-tolerant isolate and produced a significant amount of siderophore (43.94%). It was isolated from agricultural soil that had been polluted by pesticides. The impact of Cd (1000ppm) and Streptomyces pactum OR958669 on some physiological traits of the Groundnut plants grown for 10 weeks were determined. Plant’s root and shoot development (length, fresh and dry masses), number of leaves, N, P, K, and Mg concentrations all diminished when they were irrigated with water that included heavy metals. Heavy metals reduced the amount of chlorophyll (Chl) in the leaves and the number of soluble proteins in the shoots, but it raised the amounts of total soluble carbohydrates and proline. Utilizing Streptomyces pactum OR958669 to the test soil increased the plant's resistance to heavy metals, which had an impact on the majority of the test characteristics. In order to increase agricultural productivity, it was determined that adding Streptomyces pactum OR958669 to the soil produced siderophores effectively and inexpensively.
O Cultivo da Atenção a Si: Ressonâncias entre a Pesquisa Cartográfica e as Práticas Somáticas
Authors: Romero Manuela Linck de , Kastrup Virginia
Published: April 2024

Tomando como referência a ecologia da atenção de Yves Citton e a análise do movimento de Hubert Godard, o objetivo deste estudo é apresentar ressonâncias entre o modo como o cultivo da atenção a si é discutido na pesquisa cartográfica e nas práticas somáticas no contexto da dança. Tendo como ponto de partida três práticas encontradas na dança Contato Improvisação – a pequena dança, a caminhada imaginada e o toque somático – o artigo apresenta as práticas somáticas como criadoras de um ecossistema atencional que se abre para a dimensão tônico-afetiva e tátil-cinestésica da experiência, favorecendo o acesso ao plano coletivo de forças e afetos. Sugere que a atenção aí cultivada produz uma qualidade de presença a si e ao mundo que a aproxima da atenção cartográfica, concentrada e aberta, tornando o praticante uma espécie de cartógrafo de si mesmo. Por outro lado, o estudo aponta que a atenção cultivada por meio de práticas somáticas pode concorrer para a formação do pesquisador cartógrafo, ao criar condições para a aprendizagem de uma atenção a si, ao outro e ao território de investigação.
Fuxicos e retalhos de sofrimento feminino: relato de experiência com uma ferramenta político-clínica
Authors: Batista Lázaro , Santos Thainara Brito dos , Bezerra Viviane dos Santos , Costa Wislley Kawane Barbosa da
Published: April 2024

Trata-se de relato de experiência acerca das atividades de extensão e campo de estágio voltado à produção de um espaço de compartilhamento de histórias e de criação de peças artesanais entre mulheres de uma comunidade urbana de uma cidade do agreste de Alagoas. As ações ocorreram entre setembro de 2022 e junho de 2023, divididas em dois momentos, com elaboração de um Diagnóstico Comunitário e execução de projeto de intervenção psicossocial. No primeiro caso, entre as atividades, foram realizadas visitas domiciliares, reuniões com lideranças comunitárias e elaboração de diagnóstico de necessidades. Já a fase de intervenção psicossocial ocorreu por meio da realização de rodas de conversa e oficinas de costura criativa (fuxico). A partir da apresentação das atividades realizadas, busca-se apontar que as histórias enredadas ao longo de todo o processo são sintomáticas das formas de sofrimento ético-político experimentados pelas mulheres no contexto de vulnerabilidade social e dominação interseccionada. Parelho a isso, buscamos sustentar que a disponibilidade de espaços de sociabilidade e compartilhamento das histórias pode ajudá-las no enfrentamento a tais adversidades, constituindo uma potente ferramenta político-clínica em psicologia.
The Effect of Whey Protein Concentrate Addition on the Gel Properties of Potato Starch and the Quality of Vermicelli
Authors:   College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, Henan, P.R. China, Li Yan , Chen Shuxing ,   College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, Henan, P.R. China,   Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luohe, 462300, Henan, P.R. China, Fei Peng ,   Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Luohe, 462300, Henan, P.R. China, Li Qianwen ,   Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luohe, 462300, Henan, P.R. China
Published: April 2024

T he quality of vermicelli was deemed dependent on gel characteristics. Alum was traditionally employed to modify gel characteristics for quality enhancement in potato vermicelli products. In this study, whey protein was added to boost the gel characteristics of potato starch, with the goal of improving vermicelli quality. It was observed that the peak viscosity, G', G", swelling characteristics, and dehydration of the potato starch gel were significantly reduced with the addition of whey protein. At the same time, a more continuous and dense honeycomb porous structure was gradually formed in the gel network with whey protein, facilitating a more compact potato starch gel network. The tight accumulation of the potato starch gel network was facilitated by this change. Significant increases were observed in the hardness, cooking loss, and water holding capacity of the vermicelli with the addition of whey protein. The swelling characteristics of the vermicelli gradually decreased, leading to a milky yellow color. When the whey protein addition was 4%, the textural and sensory characteristics of the vermicelli were found to be comparable to those of alum-treated vermicelli in overall sensory scores. It was demonstrated in this study that the gel characteristics of potato starch could be enhanced by whey protein, thereby improving the quality of vermicelli.
Does the extent of neck surgery based on preoperative calcitonin level influence survival in medullary thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective tertiary centre experience
Authors: Ansley W , Kamyab A , Noden L , Odutoye B , Williamson P , Wong KH , Dent P , Sharma A , Weller A , Pitiyage G , Ofo E
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare thyroid cancer arising from the calcitonin-secreting parafollicular cells. Previous studies suggested a preoperative calcitonin level >200ng/l is an indication for prophylactic lateral neck dissection (LND) to remove micrometastases and improve survival outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective single-centre study assessed the efficacy of preoperative calcitonin levels as a marker for determining need for prophylactic LND in MTC. Data were obtained on demographics, preoperative calcitonin levels, size and laterality of index tumour, type of neck dissection (central neck dissection (CND), LND), nodes removed, levels with involved nodes, number of nodes histologically involved, mortality, adjuvant therapy and locoregional recurrence.

Results

A total of 33 patients were identified from St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between 1 January 2001 and 19 August 2021; 8 were excluded for data quality issues. Of the 18 classified with a high preoperative calcitonin level (>200ng/l), 10 (56%) had a LND and 8 (44%) had a CND. In the low-calcitonin group, three (43%) patients had a CND only and four (57%) had a LND. There was no difference in absolute or disease-free survival between the low and high groups (p=0.960, p=0.817), or between those who had a CND and LND in the high-calcitonin group (p=0.607, hazard ratio (HR) 0.55; p=0.129, HR 8.78).

Conclusion

There was no statistically significant difference in outcomes between high and low calcitonin groups. A selective approach to performing LND in MTC patients based on clinical and imaging findings suggesting disease presence in the lateral neck should be explored further.
There is no such thing as ‘women’s representation’: intersectionality and second-generation gender and politics scholarship
Authors: Christoffersen Ashlee , Siow Orly
Published: April 2024

Celis and Childs have called for a ‘second generation’ of feminist scholarship on representation that foregrounds intersectional heterogeneity and emphasises responsiveness to representatives beyond parliaments. We build on these important contributions, arguing that second-generation feminist scholarship and democratic design can make the greatest gains by operationalising intersectionality in close alignment with its origins in Black feminism and critical race theory. First, to foreground intersectional heterogeneity, we posit that feminist scholarship on representation must shift away from the overarching category ‘women’, exemplified in the popular operationalisation of intersectionality as ‘diversity among women’. We instead propose a margins-to-centre approach that centres the intersections of race, gender and other power structures. Second, we exemplify what this shift looks like in practice. We show how centring racially minoritised women and the intersecting structures that position them within political institutions transforms strategies to improve responsiveness to this intersectionally marginalised group.
Weak progressive politics and resistance without guarantees in the post-pandemic global political economy: a broadly Marxist account
Authors: Bailey David
Published: April 2024

There have been historically high levels of social contestation throughout the contemporary global political economy for over a decade now. Nevertheless, there are no obvious signs of a post-neoliberal global order on the horizon. In seeking to address this puzzle, this article presents a broadly Marxist framework through which to understand the contemporary global political economy, its contestation, corresponding political articulations, and shifting processes of institutionalisation. In adopting this framework, the article argues that the configuration of pressures in today’s global political economy are such that, at best, we can expect and hope for a form of ‘weak’ progressivism, as the systemic obstacles to more substantially emancipatory outcomes are greater than our current global neoliberal (alienated) society is equipped to challenge. This, however, should not necessarily be a cause for (only) pessimism.
Anapests and the Tragic Plot
Authors: Moore Timothy J.
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Anapests, consisting always of elements of the same length (one long or two short syllables), are conducive to expressing both steady forward motion and the metaphorical motion that drives a plot to its conclusion. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides repeatedly take advantage of this association between anapests and steady motion to underline the driving forces of their plots. They call attention to those driving forces through unusual or unexpected use of anapests early in a play, then repeat the anapests in related passages later.
Aiola Nux : The Musical Design Of Sophocles’ Trachiniae
Authors: Conser Anna
Published: April 2024

Abstract: In the original performance of Sophocles’ Trachiniae , song and dance were essential in communicating dramatic theme and character. Tragic choreia is structurally defined by paired stanzas: the antistrophe repeats the melody of the strophe but reverses its direction of dance. In Trachiniae , this antistrophic structure becomes thematic, representing the fateful bond between Deianeira and Heracles and the resulting narrative repetitions/reversals. Digital analysis of pitch accents reveals that this musical metaphor was reinforced melodically through the development of a “shimmering” circumflex motif, culminating in Heracles’ melismatic monody. Through this musical framing, Sophocles situates his tragedy in relation to other genres (epic, paean) and to musical developments in the fifth century.
Ibn Khaldūn's Method of History and Aristotelian Natural Philosophy
Authors: Adamson Peter
Published: April 2024

abstract: The historian Ibn Khaldūn (d. 1406) is most often treated by historians of philosophy as part of the story of political philosophy in the Islamic world. While this is perfectly legitimate, it may be misleading when it comes to the question of the method he proposes for the historian. This paper argues that that method is in fact based on a different branch of (Aristotelian) science: natural philosophy. After rendering this proposition initially plausible by noting frequent references to "nature" in the Muqaddima , the paper discusses a number of parallels between natural philosophy and history as Ibn Khaldūn conceives it. Ultimately it is suggested that this method is legitimated insofar as history is for Ibn Khaldūn a study of human nature.
Windmills, Whales, and Democracy’s Mad Enchanters
Authors: Gradert Kenyon
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Melville’s debts to Cervantes have received scant attention, but Moby-Dick bears the deep imprint of Don Quixote . In particular, Cervantes helped Melville clarify a problem he sensed in democracy and modernity: pervasive feelings of loneliness, aimlessness, and prosaicness leave individuals susceptible to madmen who promise to reenchant life with the regal fullness of fiction. While Don Quixote celebrates the comic possibilities of this hunger for fictionality, Moby-Dick highlights its tragic potential for disaster.
Loving Attention: Buddhaghosa, Katsuki Sekida, and Iris Murdoch on Meditation and Moral Development
Authors: Fortney Mark
Published: April 2024

Abstract: According to Iris Murdoch, one of our central moral capacities is to direct our attention in a way that is just and loving. In Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals , Murdoch explores the prospects for strengthening this capacity through engaging in Zen Buddhist practices, particularly zazen meditation as Katsuki Sekida describes it in Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy . Murdoch has a mixed view of whether zazen could really contribute to our moral development, expressing both some optimism and some reservations. I argue that a stronger version of Murdoch's project, by her own lights, would have looked to the Theravāda Buddhist philosopher Buddhaghosa's instructions for taking up loving-kindness, compassion, gladness, and equanimity as meditation subjects.
Habits of Penance: Religious Clothing at the Peripheries
Authors: Nolan Philip
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Recent magisterial statements about religious life call the habit a sign of consecration. But given contemporary ecclesial scandals, the habit’s sign-value is no simple thing. In this context, the classical appreciation of the habit as penitential is worth recalling. This article draws insights about the penitential quality of the habit from the thirteenth-century mendicant controversies and the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. Accused of hypocrisy because of the clothes they wore, the mendicants needed to respond. Thomas led a theological response by generously engaging his opponents before reframing the debate about the habit in terms of penance. His approach offers wise guidance today as religious consider the witness of the habit in light of Pope Francis’s call to go to the peripheries.
Monolithic 24  cm2 flexible triple-junction solar cell encapsulated module based on the ipsilateral electrode welding technology: erratum
Authors: Luo Xiaolong , Long Junhua , Sun Qiangjian , Chen Zhitao , Wu Xiaoxu , Li Xufei , Yu Menglu , Zhao Huyin , Shen Xiaoming , Lu Shulong
Published: April 2024

This erratum corrects an error in Fig. 1
of the original paper, Appl. Opt. 63, 2815
(2024)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.518102.
Dark solitons and their bound states in a nonlinear fiber with second- and fourth-order dispersion
Authors: Gao Peng , Lv Li-Zheng , Li Xin
Published: April 2024

We study the excitations of dark solitons in a nonlinear optical fiber with the second- and fourth-order dispersion, and find the emergence of striped dark solitons (SDSs) and some multi-dark-soliton bound states. The SDSs can exhibit time-domain oscillating structures on a plane wave, and they have two types: the ones with or without the total phase step, while the multi-dark-soliton bound states exhibit different numbers of amplitude humps. By the modified linear stability analysis, we regard the SDSs as the results of the competition between periodicity and localization, and analytically give their existence condition, oscillation frequency, and propagation stability, which show good agreements with numerical results. We also provide a possible interpretation of the formation of the existing striped bright solitons (SBSs), and find that SBS will become the pure-quartic soliton when its periodicity and localization carry equal weight. Our results provide the theoretical support for the experimental observation of striped solitons in nonlinear fibers, and our method can also guide the discovery of striped solitons in other physical systems.
Hadamard ghost imaging with a small amount of mask plates based on a spread spectrum
Authors: Yu Zhan , Yuan Sheng , Wu Han , Li Yue , Zhou Dingfu , Zhou Xin
Published: April 2024

Ghost imaging techniques using low-cost bucket detectors have unrivaled advantages for some wavebands where plane array detectors are not available or where focusing is difficult. In these bands, fine mask plates are the key to implementing high-resolution and quality ghost imaging. However, manufacturing a large number of mask plates is necessary but undoubtedly expensive in traditional Hadamard ghost imaging (HGI). Inspired by the spread spectrum technology, Hadamard ghost imaging based on spread spectrum (HGI-SS) is proposed, in which only two sets of a small number of mask plates are needed to accomplish Nyquist sampling for the object. Their numbers are equal to the lateral pixel resolution and the vertical pixel resolution of the object, respectively. Optical experiments verify the effectiveness of the scheme. For ghost imaging with a resolution requirement of 128 × 128 pixels, HGI-SS needs to prepare only 256 mask plates, while the traditional HGI needs to prepare 16,384 mask plates. HGI-SS may be helpful to expand the pixel resolution of imaging at a relatively low cost of mask plates.
Frequency stabilization of C-band semiconductor lasers through a SiN photonic integrated circuit
Authors: Brugnoni Alessandro , Kaplan Ali Emre , Vitali Valerio , Bottrill Kyle , Re Michele , Petropoulos Periklis , Lacava Cosimo , Cristiani Ilaria
Published: April 2024

Integrated semiconductor lasers represent essential building blocks for integrated optical components and circuits and their stability in frequency is fundamental for the development of numerous frontier applications and engineering tasks. When dense optical circuits are considered, the stability of integrated laser sources can be impaired by the thermal cross-talk generated by the action of neighboring components, leading to a deterioration of the long-term system performance (on the scale of seconds). In this work we show the design and the experimental characterization of a silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that is able to frequency stabilize 16 semiconductor lasers, simultaneously. A stabilized 50 GHz-spaced two-channel system is demonstrated through the detection of the related beating note and the stability of the resulting waveform is characterized via the use of artificially induced thermal cross-talk stimuli.
The kinase Rio1 and a ribosome collision-dependent decay pathway survey the integrity of 18S rRNA cleavage
Authors: Parker Melissa D. , Brunk Elise S. , Getzler Adam J. , Karbstein Katrin
Published: April 2024

The 18S rRNA sequence is highly conserved, particularly at its 3′-end, which is formed by the endonuclease Nob1. How Nob1 identifies its target sequence is not known, and in vitro experiments have shown Nob1 to be error-prone. Moreover, the sequence around the 3′-end is degenerate with similar sites nearby. Here, we used yeast genetics, biochemistry, and next-generation sequencing to investigate a role for the ATPase Rio1 in monitoring the accuracy of the 18S rRNA 3′-end. We demonstrate that Nob1 can miscleave its rRNA substrate and that miscleaved rRNA accumulates upon bypassing the Rio1-mediated quality control (QC) step, but not in healthy cells with intact QC mechanisms. Mechanistically, we show that Rio1 binding to miscleaved rRNA is weaker than its binding to accurately processed 18S rRNA. Accordingly, excess Rio1 results in accumulation of miscleaved rRNA. Ribosomes containing miscleaved rRNA can translate, albeit more slowly, thereby inviting collisions with trailing ribosomes. These collisions result in degradation of the defective ribosomes utilizing parts of the machinery for mRNA QC. Altogether, the data support a model in which Rio1 inspects the 3′-end of the nascent 18S rRNA to prevent miscleaved 18S rRNA-containing ribosomes from erroneously engaging in translation, where they induce ribosome collisions. The data also demonstrate how ribosome collisions purify cells of altered ribosomes with different functionalities, with important implications for the concept of ribosome heterogeneity.
The genotype of barley cultivars influences multiple aspects of their associated microbiota via differential root exudate secretion
Authors: Pacheco-Moreno Alba , Bollmann-Giolai Anita , Chandra Govind , Brett Paul , Davies Jack , Thornton Owen , Poole Philip , Ramachandran Vinoy , Brown James K. M. , Nicholson Paul , Ridout Chris , DeVos Sarah , Malone Jacob G.
Published: April 2024

Plant-associated microbes play vital roles in promoting plant growth and health, with plants secreting root exudates into the rhizosphere to attract beneficial microbes. Exudate composition defines the nature of microbial recruitment, with different plant species attracting distinct microbiota to enable optimal adaptation to the soil environment. To more closely examine the relationship between plant genotype and microbial recruitment, we analysed the rhizosphere microbiomes of landrace (Chevallier) and modern (NFC Tipple) barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivars. Distinct differences were observed between the plant-associated microbiomes of the 2 cultivars, with the plant-growth promoting rhizobacterial genus Pseudomonas substantially more abundant in the Tipple rhizosphere. Striking differences were also observed between the phenotypes of recruited Pseudomonas populations, alongside distinct genotypic clustering by cultivar. Cultivar-driven Pseudomonas selection was driven by root exudate composition, with the greater abundance of hexose sugars secreted from Tipple roots attracting microbes better adapted to growth on these metabolites and vice versa. Cultivar-driven selection also operates at the molecular level, with both gene expression and the abundance of ecologically relevant loci differing between Tipple and Chevallier Pseudomonas isolates. Finally, cultivar-driven selection is important for plant health, with both cultivars showing a distinct preference for microbes selected by their genetic siblings in rhizosphere transplantation assays.
Method for cycle detection in sparse, irregularly sampled, long-term neuro-behavioral timeseries: Basis pursuit denoising with polynomial detrending of long-term, inter-ictal epileptiform activity
Authors: Balzekas Irena , Trzasko Joshua , Yu Grace , Richner Thomas J. , Mivalt Filip , Sladky Vladimir , Gregg Nicholas M. , Van Gompel Jamie , Miller Kai , Croarkin Paul E. , Kremen Vaclav , Worrell Gregory A.
Published: April 2024

Numerous physiological processes are cyclical, but sampling these processes densely enough to perform frequency decomposition and subsequent analyses can be challenging. Mathematical approaches for decomposition and reconstruction of sparsely and irregularly sampled signals are well established but have been under-utilized in physiological applications. We developed a basis pursuit denoising with polynomial detrending (BPWP) model that recovers oscillations and trends from sparse and irregularly sampled timeseries. We validated this model on a unique dataset of long-term inter-ictal epileptiform discharge (IED) rates from human hippocampus recorded with a novel investigational device with continuous local field potential sensing. IED rates have well established circadian and multiday cycles related to sleep, wakefulness, and seizure clusters. Given sparse and irregular samples of IED rates from multi-month intracranial EEG recordings from ambulatory humans, we used BPWP to compute narrowband spectral power and polynomial trend coefficients and identify IED rate cycles in three subjects. In select cases, we propose that random and irregular sampling may be leveraged for frequency decomposition of physiological signals.

Trial Registration: NCT03946618.
Evolutionary analyses of intrinsically disordered regions reveal widespread signals of conservation
Authors: Singleton Marc D. , Eisen Michael B.
Published: April 2024

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are segments of proteins without stable three-dimensional structures. As this flexibility allows them to interact with diverse binding partners, IDRs play key roles in cell signaling and gene expression. Despite the prevalence and importance of IDRs in eukaryotic proteomes and various biological processes, associating them with specific molecular functions remains a significant challenge due to their high rates of sequence evolution. However, by comparing the observed values of various IDR-associated properties against those generated under a simulated model of evolution, a recent study found most IDRs across the entire yeast proteome contain conserved features. Furthermore, it showed clusters of IDRs with common “evolutionary signatures,” i.e. patterns of conserved features, were associated with specific biological functions. To determine if similar patterns of conservation are found in the IDRs of other systems, in this work we applied a series of phylogenetic models to over 7,500 orthologous IDRs identified in the Drosophila genome to dissect the forces driving their evolution. By comparing models of constrained and unconstrained continuous trait evolution using the Brownian motion and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models, respectively, we identified signals of widespread constraint, indicating conservation of distributed features is mechanism of IDR evolution common to multiple biological systems. In contrast to the previous study in yeast, however, we observed limited evidence of IDR clusters with specific biological functions, which suggests a more complex relationship between evolutionary constraints and function in the IDRs of multicellular organisms.