bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guanxin Xiaoban capsules could treat atherosclerosis by affecting the gut microbiome and inhibiting the AGE–RAGE signalling pathway
Authors: Dongliang Yin , Yang Rong , Peng Sha , Deng Jing , Huo Yanjie , Deng Zhe , Yau Yuenming , Liu Jianhe , Liao Duanfang , Cheng Choufu
Published: May 2022

Introduction. Atherosclerosis is a chronic disorder in which plaque builds up in the arteries and is associated with several cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, cerebral infarction and cerebral haemorrhage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new medications to treat or prevent atherosclerosis.

Hypothesis/Gap Statement. The active components of Guanxin Xiaoban capsules may have an effect on the gut microbiome of patients with atherosclerosis and have a role in their therapeutic targets.

Aim. The aim of this study was to identify genes and pathways targeted by active ingredients in Guanxin Xiaoban capsules for the treatment of atherosclerosis based on network pharmacology and analysis of changes to the gut microbiome.

Methods. Mice were treated with Guanxin Xiaoban capsules. The 16S rDNA genome sequence of all microorganisms from each group of faecal samples was used to evaluate potential structural changes in the gut microbiota after treatment with Guanxin Xiaoban capsules. Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect gene targets in aortic and liver tissues. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe improvements in mouse arterial plaques.

Results. The gut microbiota of atherosclerotic mice is disturbed. After Guanxin Xiaoban treatment, the abundance of bacteria in the mice improved, with an increase in the proportion of

Akkermansia

and a significant decrease in the proportion of

Faecalibaculum

. The main ingredients of Guanxin Xiaoban capsules are calycosin, liquiritin, ferulic acid, ammonium glycyrrhizate, aloe emodin, rhein and emodin. The core genes of this network were determined to be glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A). The compound–target gene network revealed an interaction between multiple components and targets and contributed to a better understanding of the potential therapeutic effects of the capsules on atherosclerosis. In addition, expression of the AGE–receptor for the AGE (RAGE) pathway was significantly inhibited and the mice showed signs of arterial plaque reduction.

Guanxin Xiaoban capsules may improve atherosclerosis and reduce the plaque area by inhibiting the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway to delay the development of atherosclerosis. This mechanism appears to involve changes in the gut microbiota. Therefore, Guanxin Xiaoban capsules have potential value as a treatment for atherosclerosis.
Studying the Effect of Oral Transmission on Melodic Structure using Online Iterated Singing Experiments
Authors: Anglada-Tort Manuel , Harrison Peter M. C. , Jacoby Nori
Published: May 2022

Since generations, singing and speech have been mainly transmitted orally. How does oral transmission shape the evolution of music? Here, we developed a method for conducting online transmission experiments, in which sung melodies are passed from one singer to the next. We show that cognitive and motor constraints play a profound role in the emergence of melodic structure. Specifically, initially random tones develop into more structured systems that increasingly reuse and combine fewer elements, making melodies easier to learn and transmit over time. We discuss how our findings are compatible with melodic universals found in most human cultures and culturally specific characteristics of participants’ previous musical exposure. Overall, our method efficiently automates online singing experiments while enabling large-scale data collection using standard computers available to everyone. We see great potential in further extending this work to increase the efficiency, scalability, and diversity of research on cultural evolution and cognitive science.
Crystal and molecular structures offac-[Re(Bid)(PPh3)(CO)3] [Bid is tropolone (TropH) and tribromotropolone (TropBr3H)]
Authors: Schutte-Smith Marietjie , Visser Hendrik Gideon
Published: May 2022

Two rhenium complexes, namely,fac-tricarbonyl(triphenylphosphane-κP)(tropolonato-κ2O,O′)rhenium(I), [Re(C7H5O2)(C18H15P)(CO)3] orfac-[Re(Trop)(PPh3)(CO)3] (1), andfac-tricarbonyl(3,5,7-tribromotropolonato-κ2O,O′)(triphenylphosphane-κP)rhenium(I), [Re(C7H2Br3O2)(C18H15P)(CO)3] orfac-[Re(TropBr3)(PPh3)(CO)3] (2) (TropH is tropolone and and TropBr3H is tribromotropolone), were synthesized and their crystal and molecular structures confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both crystallized in the space groupP-1 and display an array of inter- and intramolecular interactions which were confirmed by solid-state13C NMR spectroscopy using cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) techniques, as well as Hirshfeld surface analysis. The slightly longer Re—P distance of1[2.4987 (5)versus2.4799 (11) Å for1and2, respectively] suggests stronger back donation from the carbonyl groups in the former case, possibly due to the stronger electron-donating ability of the unsubstituted tropolonate ring system. However, this is not supported in the Re—CO bond distances of1and2.
Synthesis and crystal structure of diaqua(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)zinc(II) bis(hydrogen 4-phosphonatobiphenyl-4′-carboxylato)(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)zinc(II)
Authors: Tsymbal Liudmyla V. , Andriichuk Irina L. , Lozan Vasile , Shova Sergiu , Lampeka Yaroslaw D.
Published: May 2022

In the asymmetric unit of the title compound, trans-diaqua(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-κ4
N
1,N
4,N
8,N
11)zinc(II) trans-bis(hydrogen 4-phosphonatobiphenyl-4′-carboxylato-κO)(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-κ4
N
1,N
4,N
8,N
11)zinc(II), [Zn(C10H24N4)(H2O)2][Zn(C13H9O5P)2(C10H24N4)], both Zn atoms lie on crystallographic inversion centres and the atoms of the macrocycle in the cation are disordered over two sets of sites. In both macrocyclic units, the metal ions possess a tetragonally elongated ZnN4O2 octahedral environment formed by the four secondary N atoms of the macrocyclic ligand in the equatorial plane and the two trans O atoms of the water molecules or anions in the axial positions, with the macrocyclic ligands adopting the most energetically favourable trans-III conformation. The average Zn—N bond lengths in both macrocyclic units do not differ significantly [2.112 (12) Å for the anion and 2.101 (3) Å for the cation] and are shorter than the average axial Zn—O bond lengths [2.189 (4) Å for phosphonate and 2.295 (4) Å for aqua ligands]. In the crystal, the complex cations and anions are connected via hydrogen-bonding interactions between the N—H groups of the macrocycles, the O—H groups of coordinated water molecules and the P—O—H groups of the acids as proton donors, and the O atoms of the phosphonate and carboxylate groups as acceptors, resulting in the formation of layers lying parallel to the (110) plane.
Incorporation of in situ generated 3,3′-(sulfanediyl)bis(1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione) into a one-dimensional CuI coordination polymer with sulfur-bridged {CuI
4S10}
n
central cores
Authors: Lobana Tarlok Singh , Butcher Ray J. , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: May 2022

The reaction of [Cu(CH3CN)4](BF4) with 1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione {SC3H4(NMe)NH}, under aerobic conditions at room temperature, yielded an unusual one-dimensional coordination polymer, namely, catena-poly[[[(1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione-κS)copper(I)]-μ-(1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione)-κ2
S:S-copper(I)-μ-[3,3′-(sulfanediyl)bis(1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione)]-κ5
S,S′,S′′:S,S′′] bis(tetrafluoridoborate)], {[Cu2(C4H8N2S)2(C8H14N4S3)](BF4)2}
n
or [Cu4(κ5:L
1—N—S—N—L
1)2(κ1:L
1—NH)2(κ2:L
1—NH)2]
n
(BF4)4n

1 [L
1 = SC3 H4(NMe)NH] with sulfur-bridged {CuI
4S10}
n
central cores. The in situ generated bis(1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidinyl-2-thione) sulfide [{SC3H4(NMe)NSN(NMe)C3H4S; abbrev. L
1—N—S—N—L
1] ligand, in combination with 1-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione (L
1—NH) ligands, construct this coordination polymer. Each CuI ion is bonded to four sulfur donor atoms in a distorted tetrahedral geometry and the formation of this polymer solely by sulfur donor atoms with {CuI
4S10}
n
central cores, is the first such example in copper–heterocyclic-2-thione chemistry.
First hydrogen-bonded adduct of sterically hindered 2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (TBMP) with 1,3,6,8-tetraazatricyclo[4.4.1.13,8]dodecane (TATD) via coupling of classical hydrogen bonds and C—H...π non-covalent interactions
Authors: Rivera Augusto , Ríos-Motta Jaime , Bolte Michael
Published: May 2022

The title compound, C8H16N4·2C11H16O, was synthesized from the corresponding sterically crowded phenol by treatment with the aminal cage polyamine. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction structural analysis revealed the three-molecule aggregate to crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2/c with one half of a 1,3,6,8-tetraaztricyclo[4.4.1.13,8]dodecane (TATD) molecule and one 2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol molecule per asymmetric unit. The crystal structure features intermolecular O—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, as well as intermolecular C—H...π interactions.
Crystal structures of anhydrous and hydrated N-benzylcinchonidinium bromide
Authors: Janzen Daron E. , Butler Maya S. , Reinheimer Eric W.
Published: May 2022

N-benzylcinchonidinium bromide, C26H29N2O+·Br−, with the systematic name (R)-[(2S,4S,5R)-1-benzyl-5-ethenyl-1-azoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-yl](quinolin-4-yl)methanol bromide, is a quaternary ammonium salt of the cinchona alkaloid cinchonidine. This salt is widely used as a chiral phase-transfer catalyst and chiral resolution agent. Both classical and non-classical hydrogen-bonding interactions, as well as anion effects have been shown to play key mechanistic roles in the catalysis of cinchona alkaloids. In an effort to understand the effects of water on these intermolecular interactions, the structures of anhydrous N-benzylcinchonidinium bromide, (I), and the sesquihydrate, C26H29N2O+·Br−·1.5H2O, (II), were determined.
Different conformations and packing motifs in the crystal structures of four thiophene–carbohydrazide–pyridine derivatives
Authors: Garbutt Jennifer L. , Costa Cristiane F. da , deSouza Marcus V. N. , Wardell Solange M. S. V. , Wardell James L. , Harrison William T. A.
Published: May 2022

The crystal structures of four thiophene–carbohydrazide–pyridine derivatives, viz. N′-[(E)-pyridin-3-ylmethylidene]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide, C11H9N3OS, (I), N′-[(E)-pyridin-2-ylmethylidene]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide, C11H9N3OS, (II), N-methyl-N′-[(E)-pyridin-2-ylmethylidene]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide, C12H11N3OS, (III) and N′-[(E)-pyridin-2-ylmethylidene]-2-(thiophen-2-yl)ethanohydrazide, C12H11N3OS, (IV) are described. The dihedral angles between the thiophene ring and the pyridine ring are 21.4 (2), 15.42 (14), 4.97 (8) and 83.52 (13)° for (I)–(IV), respectively. The thiophene ring in (IV) is disordered over two orientations in a 0.851 (2):0.149 (2) ratio. Key features of the packing include N—H...Np (p = pyridine) hydrogen bonds in (I), which generate C(7) chains propagating in the [001] direction; N—H...Np links also feature in (II), but in this case they lead to C(6) [001] chains; in (IV), classical amide (C4) N—H...O links result in [010] chains; in every case adjacent molecules in the chains are related by 21 screw axes. There are no classical hydrogen bonds in the extended structure of (III). Various weak C—H...X (X = O, N, S) interactions occur in each structure, but no aromatic π–π stacking is evident. The Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots for (I)–(IV) are compared.
Crystal structure of potassium orthoselenate(IV), K2SeO3
Authors: Albrecht Ralf , Doert Thomas , Ruck Michael
Published: May 2022

Crystal structure data for potassium orthoselenate(IV), K2SeO3, are reported for the first time. Colorless, block-shaped crystals were grown in a potassium hydroflux, i.e. under ultra-alkaline conditions, within 10 h. K2SeO3 crystallizes isostructural with Na2SO3 and K2TeO3 in the trigonal space group P\overline{3} with lattice parameters a = 6.1063 (4) Å and c = 6.9242 (4) Å at 100 (1) K. In the trigonal–pyramidal, C
3v-symmetric [SeO3]2– anion, the bond length is 1.687 (1) Å, and the bond angle is 103.0 (1)°. Two of the three unique potassium cations exhibit a coordination number of six, and the third a coordination number of nine.
Optimal location and sizing of various DG units in real distribution substation using heuristic approach
Authors: M.L. Merlin Sajini , S. Suja , S. Merlin Gilbert Raj
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study is distributed generation planning in a radial delivery framework to identify an appropriate location with a suitable rating of DG units energized by renewable energy resources to scale back the power loss and to recover the voltage levels. Though several algorithms have already been proposed through the target of power loss reduction and voltage stability enhancement, further optimization of the objectives is improved by using a combination of heuristic algorithms like DE and particle swarm optimization (PSO).

Design/methodology/approach

The identification of the candidate buses for the location of DG units and optimal rating of DG units is found by a combined differential evolution (DE) and PSO algorithm. In the combined strategy of DE and PSO, the key merits of both algorithms are combined. The DE algorithm prevents the individuals from getting trapped into the local optimum, thereby providing efficient global optimization. At the same time, PSO provides a fast convergence rate by providing the best particle among the entire iteration to obtain the best fitness value.

Findings

The proposed DE-PSO takes advantage of the global optimization of DE and the convergence rate of PSO. The different case studies of multiple DG types are carried out for the suggested procedure for the 33- and 69-bus radial delivery frameworks and a real 16-bus distribution substation in Tamil Nadu to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology and distribution system performance. From the obtained results, there is a substantial decrease in the power loss and an improvement of voltage levels across all the buses of the system, thereby maintaining the distribution system within the framework of system operation and safety constraints.

Originality/value

A comparison of an equivalent system with the DE, PSO algorithm when used separately and other algorithms available in literature shows that the proposed method results in an improved performance in terms of the convergence rate and objective function values. Finally, an economic benefit analysis is performed if a photo-voltaic based DG unit is allocated in the considered test systems.
The role of economic policy uncertainty in forecasting housing prices volatility in developed economies: evidence from a GARCH-MIDAS approach
Authors: Fan Ting , Khaskheli Asadullah , Raza Syed Ali , Shah Nida
Published: May 2022

Purpose

In the past few years, numerous economic uncertainty challenges have occurred globally. These uncertainties grasp the attention of the researchers and they examine the role of economic policy uncertainties in several aspects. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature by exploring the house prices volatility and economic policy uncertainty nexus in G7 countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied the newly introduced econometric technique, the GARCH-MIDAS model, to the sample size of January 1998–May 2021.

Findings

The result shows a significant relationship between house prices volatility and economic policy uncertainty. Moreover, economic policy uncertainty acts as a significant determinant of house prices volatility. In addition, the out-of-sample also shows that the economic policy uncertainty is an effective predictor and the GARCH-MIDAS has a better predictive ability.

Originality/value

This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature with reference to developed economies, being a pioneering attempt to investigate the GARCH-MIDAS model to analyze the relationship between housing prices volatility and economic policy uncertainty by applying more rigorous and advanced econometric techniques.
Forging the nation state: an advertising history of Tata Steel, India
Authors: Sreekumar Hari , Pratap Sankalp
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an advertising history of Tata Steel from its inception in 1907 to 2007 when it completed 100 years of operation. The authors use postcolonial theory to highlight the intertwining of advertising with the broader project of anticolonial resistance and postcolonial nation-building.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a visual analysis of a compilation of advertisements published by Tata Steel to commemorate 100 years of its existence, spanning the years from 1907 to 2007. They also used ads and posters available on the website of the Tata Steel Archives. Published work on Tata Steel such as books and papers provided contextualization.

Findings

Advertising creatives, through selective deployment of anticolonial discourses, manage the contradictory pulls of emergent nationalism on the one hand and the pragmatic need to work with the colonial administration on the other. However, such a negotiation leads to moments of slippage, where advertising reinforces colonial tropes. At a broader level, the authors suggest that despite attempts to draw on subversive discourses of resistance used by nationalists, Tata Steel’s advertising is inescapably intertwined with the larger matrix of colonial and capitalist power.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a non-Western perspective on advertising history. Further, it provides understanding of the marketing activities of a large corporation, which straddles the colonial and postcolonial era of India, an important economy.
Distinct Taphrina strains from the phyllosphere of birch exhibiting a range of witches' broom disease symptoms
Authors: Christita Margaretta , Sipilä Timo P. , Auzane Agate , Overmyer Kirk
Published: May 2022

The phyllosphere is an important microbial habitat and reservoir of organisms that modify plant health. Taphrina betulina is the causal agent of birch witches' broom disease. Taphrina species are dimorphic, infecting hosts in the filamentous form and residing in the host phyllosphere as non‐infectious yeast. As such, they are expected to be found as resident yeasts on their hosts, even on healthy tissues; however, there is little experimental data supporting this supposition. With the aim of exploring the local infection ecology of T. betulina, we isolated yeasts from the phyllosphere of birch leaves, using three sample classes; infected leaves inside symptom‐bearing branches, healthy leaves from symptom‐free branches on symptom‐bearing trees and leaves from symptom‐free branches on symptom‐free trees. Isolations yielded 224 yeast strains, representing 11 taxa, including T. betulina, which was the most common isolate and was found in all sample classes, including symptom‐free samples. Genotyping revealed genetic diversity among these T. betulina isolates, with seven distinct genotypes differentiated by the markers used. Twenty‐two representative T. betulina strains were selected for further study, revealing further phenotypic differences. These findings support that T. betulina is ubiquitous on birch and that individual trees host a diversity of T. betulina strains.
A Preliminary Literature Review on the Effect of Immigration On Australian Domestic Employment and Wages
Authors: Boucher Anna , Breunig Robert , Karmel Cecilia
Published: May 2022

The effects of immigration on domestic Australian employment levels and wages are ongoing and controversial topics. While this topic has been considered extensively in other countries, in particular the United States and the United Kingdom, these findings have limited application to Australia given differences in immigration settings between these contexts. We review the existing literature and conclude that further research in the Australian context is needed given its high rates of both permanent and temporary immigration, its complex visa structure, the unusual nature of its industrial relations system and the geographical concentration of its population. In particular, more attention to the temporary migrant population is required in future studies.
Does Monetary Policy Stabilise Food Inflation in India? Evidence From Quantile Regression Analysis
Authors: Samal Asharani , Goyari Phanindra
Published: May 2022

This study examines the role of monetary policy shocks on food inflation in India, spanning from January 2009 to December 2019. Utilising quantile regression analysis, we find that contractionary monetary policy stabilises food inflation across the quantiles. However, exchange rate and transportation cost play a substantial role in promoting food inflation in lower, middle and all quantiles. Our study also reveals that monetary policy transmission through exchange rate and asset price channels increases food inflation across all quantiles. In contrast, bank credit and interest rate channels reduce it in lower and median quantiles, that is, at lower rates of inflation.
An emerging populist welfare paradigm? How populist radical right‐wing parties are reshaping the welfare state
Authors: Chueri Juliana
Published: May 2022

Populist radical right‐wing parties (PRRPs) in Western Europe have almost without exception shifted their position on distributive issues, abandoning their earlier support for a minimal welfare state in favor of higher social spending. Recent studies suggest that PRRPs' distributive preferences go beyond the clash between simply expanding or retrenching welfare; instead, they defend a specific welfare state that focuses on consumption policies for the “deserving.” Drawing on this literature and the welfare paradigm literature, this paper suggests that PRRPs are not only welfare chauvinist but that they promote what we call a “dualistic” welfare state: protectionism for the “deserving” and neoliberal for the “undeserving.” To unpack PRRPs' welfare attitude and verify their influence on welfare reforms, this study focuses on two cases in which a PRRP cooperated with governing parties: Denmark (2009–2011) and Austria (2017–2019). The study confirms that PRRPs pursued a coherent but dual approach to welfare state distribution. Policy negotiations show that PRRPs successfully pursue austerity and workfare measures for social policies targeting the “undeserving,“ while preserving and expanding consumption policies for the “deserving.” This paper thus contributes to the research on PRRPs' welfare attitudes and, more broadly, the recent welfare transformations in Western Europe.
Self‐absorption and performance in Tanci fiction: Eighteenth‐century Chinese conceptions of identity in comparative perspective
Authors: Jin Wen
Published: May 2022

This article provides an analysis of Zaishengyuan, an eighteenth‐century romance authored by Chen Duansheng, who exemplifies the ways in which early modern Chinese women entered the field of prose fiction. Alienated from the vernacular novel, literary women in eighteenth‐century China were channelled into tanci, a genre of narrative fiction connected to romances and manuscript culture. With exuberant representations of female cross‐dressing and many other forms of self‐transformation, Zaishengyuan experiments with radical conceptions of individual identity as discontinuous and self‐determined. It illuminates a social ecology of fiction writing that both differs from and resonates with that in eighteenth‐century Europe.
‘This Mighty Fabric’: Allan Ramsay, British Union, and the Body of the King
Authors: Paulett Robert
Published: May 2022

Allan Ramsay's 1760‐1761 portrait of the young King George III in his coronation robes depicted the new king as both a metaphoric and a literal embodiment of England, its constitution and its people. A member of the Edinburgh Enlightenment, Ramsay's portrait emphasised the idea of union as a moral correction to the problem of faction, echoing the rhetoric and ideas of his more famous acquaintances David Hume and William Hogarth, as well as the constitutional ideas of his most prominent patrons, King George III and his advisor, the third earl of Bute. Ramsay thus painted both a king and a new understanding of nation and empire.
Identity and Anonymity in Lady Mount Cashell's 1798 Rebellion Broadside
Authors: Wolf Alexis
Published: May 2022

This article attributes a republican broadside of the 1798 Irish Rebellion to Anglo‐Irish aristocrat Margaret Moore, Lady Mount Cashell. I consider ‘The Bard of Erin’ broadside in light of several overlapping factors including Mount Cashell's earlier relationship with her governess Mary Wollstonecraft, participation in women's networks of antiquarian sociability in Dublin and her affinity with the United Irish cause. The broadside exemplifies Enlightenment ideals of classical republicanism in Ireland, while Mount Cashell's anonymous involvement illustrates the often‐concealed contribution of women writers to radical print culture. The article includes the full text of ‘The Bard of Erin’.
Self‐reported sleep and circadian characteristics predict alcohol and cannabis use: A longitudinal analysis of the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence Study
Authors: Hasler Brant P. , Graves Jessica L. , Wallace Meredith L. , Claudatos Stephanie , Franzen Peter L. , Nooner Kate B. , Brown Sandra A. , Tapert Susan F. , Baker Fiona C. , Clark Duncan B.
Published: May 2022

Background

Growing evidence indicates that sleep characteristics predict future substance use and related problems. However, most prior studies assessed a limited range of sleep characteristics, studied a narrow age span, and included few follow‐up assessments. Here, we used six annual assessments from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) study, which spans adolescence and young adulthood with an accelerated longitudinal design, to examine whether multiple sleep characteristics in any year predict alcohol and cannabis use the following year.

Methods

The sample included 831 NCANDA participants (423 females; baseline age 12–21 years). Sleep variables included circadian preference, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, the timing of midsleep (weekday/weekend), and sleep duration (weekday/weekend). Using generalized linear mixed models (logistic for cannabis; ordinal for binge severity), we tested whether each repeatedly measured sleep characteristic (years 0–4) predicted substance use (alcohol binge severity or cannabis use) the following year (years 1–5), covarying for age, sex, race, visit, parental education, and previous year's substance use.

Results

Greater eveningness, more daytime sleepiness, later weekend sleep timing, and shorter sleep duration (weekday/weekend) all predicted more severe alcohol binge drinking the following year. Only greater eveningness predicted a greater likelihood of any cannabis use the following year. Post‐hoc stratified exploratory analyses indicated that some associations (e.g., greater eveningness and shorter weekend sleep duration) predicted binge severity only in female participants, and that middle/high school versus post‐high school adolescents were more vulnerable to sleep‐related risk for cannabis use.

Conclusions

Our findings support the relevance of multiple sleep/circadian characteristics in the risk for future alcohol binge severity and cannabis use. Preliminary findings suggest that these risk factors vary based on developmental stage and sex. Results underscore a need for greater attention to sleep/circadian characteristics as potential risk factors for substance use in youth and may inform new avenues to prevention and intervention.
Comparison of risk adjusted excess post‐operative pancreatic fistula rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy using cumulative sum analysis
Authors: Lockie Elizabeth B. , Knowles Brett , Gill Patwinder K. , Thomson Benjamin , Loveday Benjamin P. T.
Published: May 2022

Background

Post‐operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a key outcome post pancreaticoduodenectomy. There are numerous POPF risk calculators but no agreed benchmark, a key component of meaningful audit. We compared observed versus predicted POPF for six risk adjusted POPF calculators, to ascertain how they differ and thus contribute to discussion around benchmarking.

Methods

This was a retrospective single‐arm cohort study at the Royal Melbourne Hospital of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy 1 November 2015 to 31 December 2021 with a primary outcome of a clinically relevant POPF. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) plots of observed versus predicted rate of POPF for sequential patients were constructed for six risk adjusted POPF calculators – Birmingham, updated Birmingham, fistula risk score (FRS), modified FRS (m‐FRS), alternative FRS (a‐FRS), and updated alternative FRS (ua‐FRS).

Results

The study included 77 patients. The actual rate of clinically relevant POPF was 14.3%. FRS calculated an excess of 1.3 POPF per 100 cases. All other calculators demonstrated prevention of POPF per 100 cases: Birmingham 3.4, updated Birmingham 14.0, m‐FRS 0.3, a‐FRS 1.2, ua‐FRS 19.7.

Conclusion

The observed versus predicted rate of POPF was near zero for all risk calculators except ua‐FRS and updated Birmingham, which predicted a higher POPF than observed (19.7, 14.0, respectively). These results indicate that, excepting ua‐FRS and updated Birmingham, these calculators yield comparable results. Benchmarks for POPF should prescribe which risk calculators are used, and ideally a unified standard between centres should be the goal to provide consistency in outcome reporting and robust audit processes.
Retrospective review of secondary prevention strategies for gastrointestinal bleeding and associated clinical outcomes in left ventricular assist device patients
Authors: Gerrald James Ethan , Ather Ayesha , Schadler Aric , Birks Emma J. , Kolodziej Andrew R. , Kuan William
Published: May 2022

Background

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is one of the most common bleeding complications associated with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). Currently, there is no strong evidence or clear guidance for which secondary GIB prophylaxis strategy should be implemented after the discontinuation of aspirin.

Methods

Our single‐center study describes the outcomes of 26 LVAD patients who experienced a total of 49 GIB events: these individuals were either in Group‐1 (lower INR target range) or Group‐2 (lower INR target plus a hemostatic agent) as the secondary prophylaxis strategy. Each GIB event was considered an independent event. Outcomes assessed were bleeding reoccurrence rates, time to next GIB, acute GIB strategies, GIB‐free days, thromboembolic events, survival, coagulation, and hematologic parameters.

Results

GIB reoccurrence rates were not statistically different: Group‐1, 9 (40.9%), versus Group‐2, 15 (55.6%); p = 0.308. Danazol was utilized 81.5% of the time as the designated hemostatic agent. Additionally, no significant differences were observed with all of our secondary outcome measures for bleeding, ischemic events, or survival.

Conclusion

While our study was not powered to assess the clinical outcomes related to survival and thromboembolic events, no discernable increased risk for ischemic events including pump thrombosis were observed. Our data suggest that a lower INR target range plus danazol does not confer any additional benefit over a lower INR target range only approach. The results of this report are hypothesis‐generating and additional studies are warranted to elucidate the optimal antithrombotic strategy and role of hemostatic agents in reducing the risk of recurrent GIB events.
Reconciling essential and socially constructed selves: Han Chinese travelling to Tibet and the making of assemblage self
Authors: Zhang Han , Qian Junxi
Published: May 2022

In post‐reform China, Han Chinese urbanities traveling to Tibet have contributed to a new literary genre that documents tourist mobility as a means of self‐finding and self‐exploration. The sample of data in this study consists of 28 book‐length travel writings by Han travellers, and the primary research question addresses the relationships between tourism mobility and self‐making, a widely debated issue in cultural and tourism geographies. Engaging with the conceptual tension between an essential self and a socially constructed self, this study argues that while Han writers' travels to Tibet are germane to the hunt for an essential self as a hidden treasure to be redeemed, the self is by no means merely introspective, but intrinsically relational and constituted by social, embodied and materially mediated practices. For the purpose of reconciling and synthesizing the two theoretical positions, this study proposes an alternative concept known as the ‘assemblage self’, which tries to capture how the more‐than‐human and more‐than‐representational dimensions of mobilities can speak back powerfully to the phenomenology of the self. This concept is relational and performative in the sense that it is constituted by networks of discourses, practices, and materialities. We develop this concept by engaging with the recent literature on more‐than‐representational mobility as a conceptual nexus connecting the concepts of the essential self and the socially constructed self.
Rock‐climbing shifts cliff‐face vegetation community composition based on site characteristics
Authors: Harrison Georgia R. , Boggess Laura M. , Budke Jessica M. , Madritch Michael D.
Published: May 2022

Questions

What are the effects of rock‐climbing on diversity, abundance and composition of cliff‐face vegetation along environmental gradients? Does site variability influence cliff vegetation more than the presence of climbing?

Location

Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, NC, USA.

Methods

We compared species richness, Shannon’s diversity, abundance and species composition of lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants within 334 plots, each 1 m2. We compared climbed plots with unclimbed plots using Non‐metric Multidimensional (Distance) Scaling ordination, means comparison and regression analysis.

Results

Eighty‐five species were observed within 334 m2 of cliff‐face plots, including one North Carolina state (Canoparmelia alabamensis) and 21 Burke County collection records. Climbing altered cliff plant communities: unclimbed cliffs supported more diverse and different species than did climbed cliffs. However, site was more important than was climbing in differentiating cliff community composition. Variation in species composition was driven mostly by variation in cliff aspect and surface heterogeneity. Cliffs with the highest surface heterogeneity had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of all three vegetation types (lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants). Unclimbed areas had similar richness, diversity and abundance compared with easy climbing routes, whereas harder climbing routes supported lower species richness and abundance of all vegetation types.

Conclusions

Differences in cliff‐face vegetation in Linville Gorge were due more to site variability than to climbing impact. Therefore, management of climbing areas and decisions for future route development should be site‐specific and include a thorough biological survey.
SVBRDF Recovery from a Single Image with Highlights Using a Pre‐trained Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Wen Tao , Wang Beibei , Zhang Lei , Guo Jie , Holzschuch Nicolas
Published: May 2022

Spatially varying bi‐directional reflectance distribution functions (SVBRDFs) are crucial for designers to incorporate new materials in virtual scenes, making them look more realistic. Reconstruction of SVBRDFs is a long‐standing problem. Existing methods either rely on an extensive acquisition system or require huge datasets, which are non‐trivial to acquire. We aim to recover SVBRDFs from a single image, without any datasets. A single image contains incomplete information about the SVBRDF, making the reconstruction task highly ill‐posed. It is also difficult to separate between the changes in colour that are caused by the material and those caused by the illumination, without the prior knowledge learned from the dataset. In this paper, we use an unsupervised generative adversarial neural network (GAN) to recover SVBRDFs maps with a single image as input. To better separate the effects due to illumination from the effects due to the material, we add the hypothesis that the material is stationary and introduce a new loss function based on Fourier coefficients to enforce this stationarity. For efficiency, we train the network in two stages: reusing a trained model to initialize the SVBRDFs and fine‐tune it based on the input image. Our method generates high‐quality SVBRDFs maps from a single input photograph, and provides more vivid rendering results compared to the previous work. The two‐stage training boosts runtime performance, making it eight times faster than the previous work.
Influence of interproximal peri‐implant tissue and prosthesis contours on food impaction, tissue health and patients' quality of life
Authors: Chanthasan Souknilan , Mattheos Nikos , Pisarnturakit Pakaporn Pantuwadee , Pimkhaokham Atiphan , Subbalekha Keskanya
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To investigate tissue features and interproximal contour of posterior implant‐supported single crowns (ISSC), which correlate with food impaction. 2) To evaluate the influence of food impaction on the health of the adjacent peri‐implant tissue and patients' oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL).

Materials and Methods

Patients with posterior ISSC under maintenance between July 2019 and July 2020 were recruited. OHRQoL of patients who self‐reported food impaction between ISSC and teeth was evaluated by Oral Impacts on Daily Performance questionnaire and reported at patient level. Interproximal prosthesis contours and periodontal/peri‐implant tissue conditions were assessed by clinical and radiographic examination. Differences between food impaction (FI) and non‐food impaction (NFI) sites were analysed.

Results

Totally, 178 patients (286 ISSC and 410 interproximal spaces) were included. Among 119 patients who self‐reported food impaction, 84 (70.6%) reported their OHRQoL to be affected with minor‐to‐severe intensity. The most commonly affected daily performance was the ability to clean the teeth. Plaque accumulation at ISSC, deeper probing depth, complete interdental papilla fill, loose contact, longer contact length, lower contact point level, closer distance between ISSC and tooth, lesser embrasure surface area, tissue‐level implant and cement‐retained restoration were found significantly more in the FI group than the NFI group (p < .05).

Conclusion

Interproximal features of the implant prosthesis were associated with food impaction between the ISSC and the adjacent tooth, which might affect periodontal and/or peri‐implant tissue health conditions. Patients' OHRQoL was commonly affected by food impaction, but the intensity was low.
Intraoperative complications and early implant failure after transcrestal sinus floor elevation with residual bone height ≤5 mm: A retrospective multicenter study
Authors: Stacchi Claudio , Bernardello Fabio , Spinato Sergio , Mura Rossano , Perelli Michele , Lombardi Teresa , Troiano Giuseppe , Canullo Luigi
Published: May 2022

Objective

Clinical indications for maxillary sinus floor elevation with transcrestal techniques have increased in recent years even in sites with minimal residual bone height (RBH). Nevertheless, limited information is currently available on incidence of intraoperative complications and early implant failure in these cases.

Material and Methods

This retrospective multicenter study was performed on anonymized clinical and radiographic records of patients who underwent transcrestal sinus floor elevation in seven clinical centers. Influence of different factors related to patient, and sinus anatomy and surgical technique on the incidence of intraoperative complications and early implant failure rate after transcrestal sinus lift were investigated.

Results

A total of 430 patients treated with transcrestal sinus floor elevation for single‐implant insertion in sites with RBH ≤5 mm were included in the final analysis. After 1 year of loading, 418 implants of 430 were satisfactorily in function. Early implant failure was recorded in 12 cases (2.8%); results were significantly associated with the presence of large sinus cavities and with the occurrence of membrane perforation.

The following adverse events were recorded: membrane perforation (7.2%), acute sinusitis (0.9%), implant displacement into the sinus cavity (0.7%), oro‐antral fistula (0.2%), and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (0.5% of osteotome cases). A strong direct correlation between sinus membrane perforation and bucco‐palatal sinus width (p = .000) was demonstrated.

Conclusions

Early implant failure after transcrestal sinus elevation showed significant direct correlation with bucco‐palatal maxillary sinus width and the presence of membrane perforation. Sinus membrane perforation was strongly associated with bucco‐palatal sinus width (extremely low perforation rate in narrow and much higher incidence in wide sinuses).
Cardiac sodium channel inhibition by lamotrigine: In vitro characterization and clinical implications
Authors: Ingleby‐Talecki Lindsey , van Dijkman Sven C. , Oosterholt Sean P. , Della Pasqua Oscar , Winter Christina , Cunnington Marianne , Rebar Linda , Forero‐Schwanhaeuser Sergio , Patel Vickas , Cooper James A. , Bahinski Anthony , Chaudhary Khuram W.
Published: May 2022

Lamotrigine, approved for use as an antiseizure medication as well as the treatment of bipolar disorder, inhibits sodium channels in the brain to reduce repetitive neuronal firing and pathological release of glutamate. The shared homology of sodium channels and lack of selectivity associated with channel blocking agents can cause slowing of cardiac conduction and increased proarrhythmic potential. The Vaughan‐Williams classification system differentiates sodium channel blockers using biophysical properties of binding. As such, Class Ib inhibitors, including mexiletine, do not slow cardiac conduction as measured by the electrocardiogram, at therapeutically relevant exposure. Our goal was to characterize the biophysical properties of NaV1.5 block and to support the observed clinical safety of lamotrigine. We used HEK‐293 cells stably expressing the hNaV1.5 channel and voltage clamp electrophysiology to quantify the potency (half‐maximal inhibitory concentration) against peak and late channel current, on‐/off‐rate binding kinetics, voltage‐dependence, and tonic block of the cardiac sodium channel by lamotrigine; and compared to clinically relevant Class Ia (quinidine), Ib (mexiletine), and Ic (flecainide) inhibitors. Lamotrigine blocked peak and late NaV1.5 current at therapeutically relevant exposure, with rapid kinetics and biophysical properties similar to the class Ib inhibitor mexiletine. However, no clinically meaningful prolongation in QRS or PR interval was observed in healthy subjects in a new analysis of a previously reported thorough QT clinical trial (SCA104648). In conclusion, the weak NaV1.5 block and rapid kinetics do not translate into clinically relevant conduction slowing at therapeutic exposure and support the clinical safety of lamotrigine in patients suffering from epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Epidermotropie von Immunzellen unterscheidet Pyoderma gangraenosum vom Ulcus cruris venosum
Authors: Ronicke Moritz , Baur Andreas , Kirr Michael , Erdmann Michael , Erfurt‐Berge Cornelia , Ostalecki Christian
Published: May 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Pyoderma gangraenosum ist eine ulzerierende, autoinflammatorische Erkrankung. Es gibt keine eindeutigen histopathologischen Merkmale zur Differenzierung von anderen Ursachen chronischer Wunden wie dem Ulcus cruris venosum. Ziel dieser Studie war es, histopathologische Merkmale von Pyoderma gangraenosum und Unterschiede zu venösen Ulzerationen zu detektieren.

Patienten und Methodik

Acht Gewebeproben von Pyoderma gangraenosum, zwölf Proben von Ulcus cruris venosum und sechs Proben von gesunder Haut wurden einer immunhistologischen Multi‐Antigen‐Analyse unterzogen. Das Immuninfiltrat und seine räumliche Verteilung wurden anhand von Fluoreszenzbildern mit einer Gewebezytometriesoftware analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Die dichte epidermale Präsenz von CD45RO+‐T‐Gedächtnis‐Zellen und die Rarefizierung von CD1a+‐Langerhans‐Zellen in der Epidermis waren Marker für Pyoderma gangraenosum, welche auch auf eine epidermale Immunreaktion schließen lassen. Darüber hinaus konnte dermal eine hohe Anzahl CD11c+CD68+ pro‐inflammatorischer M1‐Makrophagen nachgewiesen werden. Diese überstieg die Anzahl der in venösen Ulzerationen beobachteten Makrophagen deutlich.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die histopathologischen Unterschiede zwischen Pyoderma gangraenosum und Ulcus cruris venosum können zur Unterscheidung der beiden Erkrankungen herangezogen werden und somit eine wichtige Hilfe zur schnellen Einleitung einer adäquaten Therapie sein. Darüber hinaus deuten unsere Daten auf einen antigengesteuerten Prozess in der Epidermis hin, möglicherweise unter Beteiligung von CD1a+ Langerhans‐Zellen.
Zusammenhang zwischen Vitiligo und wichtigen Komponenten des metabolischen Syndroms: eine systematische Übersicht und Metaanalyse
Authors: Kang Pan , Zhang Wei‐Gang , Ji Zhao‐Hua , Shao Zhong‐Jun , Li Chun‐Ying
Published: May 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Ziel dieser Studie war die Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Vitiligo und dem metabolischen Syndrom (MetS) sowie dessen relevanten Komponenten.

Material und Methoden

Die Datenbanken PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library und Embase wurden von deren Beginn bis zum 30. März 2021 nach relevanten Studien durchsucht. Querschnitts‐ und Fall‐Kontroll‐Studien, die entweder die Prävalenz oder die Odds‐Ratio [OR] des MetS oder seiner Komponenten bei Vitiligo‐Patienten berichteten, wurden eingeschlossen. Die Daten wurden entsprechend der Heterogenität entweder mit einem Zufallseffektmodell oder einem Modell mit festen Effekten gepoolt.

Ergebnisse

Es wurden 30 Studien mit insgesamt 28.325 Vitiligo‐Patienten eingeschlossen. Signifikante Zusammenhänge wurden zwischen Vitiligo und Diabetes mellitus (gepoolte OR, 3,30; 95 %‐Konfidenzintervall [KI], 2,10–5,17) sowie zwischen Vitiligo und Adipositas (gepoolte OR, 2,08; 95 %‐KI, 1,40–3,11) ermittelt. Die Gesamtprävalenz der Hypertonie bei Patienten mit Vitiligo betrug 19,0 % (95 %‐KI, 2,0 %–36,0 %).

Schlussfolgerungen

Unserer Ergebnisse lassen auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen Vitiligo und Diabetes mellitus sowie Hypertonie schließen. Dermatologen wird empfohlen diese Zusammenhänge zu berücksichtigen, um potenzielle Begleiterkrankungen bei Vitiligo‐Patienten zeitnah zu identifizieren. Zudem wird Vitiligo‐Patienten empfohlen, Parameter wie BMI, Blutzuckerspiegel und Blutdruck zu überwachen und bei auffälligen Veränderungen dieser Parameter unverzüglich einen Spezialisten zu konsultieren.
Disasters in the Anthropocene: a storm in a teacup?
Authors: Hollis Simon
Published: May 2022

Dramatic alterations to the natural environment due to human activity have produced a permanent rupture in the Earth system; the relative stable epoch of the Holocene has given way to a volatile Anthropocene. Acceptance of these claims means that we now live in this altered physical reality, inviting us to rethink how we conceptualise disasters. Yet, disaster scholars have been hesitant to apply the Anthropocene label and to acknowledge the profound changes that it can bring to the study of disasters. This paper queries whether this label is a necessary adage or unnecessary baggage for disaster studies by examining the possibilities and the challenges associated with engaging with the Anthropocene. An analysis of the concepts, causes, and consequences of disasters reveals how the Anthropocene provides, as the very least, a theoretical heuristic for challenging linear temporal assumptions, the epistemological status of uncertainty, and the location of agency in disaster studies.