bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome of nucleos(t)ide analog cessation in patients with treatment for prevention of or against hepatitis B virus reactivation
Authors: Suzuki Takanori , Matsuura Kentaro , Urakabe Kenji , Okumura Fumihiro , Kawamura Hayato , Sobue Satoshi , Matoya Sho , Miyaki Tomokatsu , Kimura Yoshihide , Kato Daisuke , Kusakabe Atsunori , Tanaka Yoshito , Ozasa Atsushi , Nagura Yoshihito , Fujiwara Kei , Nojiri Shunsuke , Hagiwara Shinya , Kusumoto Shigeru , Inoue Takako , Tanaka Yasuhito , Kataoka Hiromi
Published: December 2022

Aim

We retrospectively investigated patients with administration of nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) for prevention of or against hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, and their clinical outcomes after cessation of the NA.

Methods

We enrolled 180 patients who were positive for HBsAg when they started immunosuppressive therapy or chemotherapy and an NA was administered to prevent HBV reactivation (HBV carrier group), and 82 patients with resolved HBV infection who started administration of an NA after HBV reactivation (de novo HBV group). Cessation of the NA depended on each physician's judgment without definite criteria.

Results

A total of 27 patients in the HBV carrier group and 22 in the de novo HBV group stopped NA therapy. In the HBV carrier group, 16 patients experienced virological relapse, which was defined as HBV DNA levels ≥20 IU/ml, and one with hematological disease had an alanine aminotransferase flare after cessation of NA. Of the 16 patients, the NA was reintroduced in three, whereas, the remaining 13 had low levels of HBV DNA and no alanine aminotransferase flare. In the de novo HBV group, virological relapse occurred in six patients, and one with hematological disease had an alanine aminotransferase flare after cessation of the NA. The NA was reintroduced in four of the six patients.

Conclusions

We may be able to consider to cease NA therapy proactively in HBV carriers and resolved patients with non‐hematological disease, if their primary diseases are under remission after completion of immunosuppressive therapy or chemotherapy. However, careful follow up is necessary after stopping NA therapy.
Peripheral‐dominant liver fibrosis and tumor distribution in a mouse model of congestive hepatopathy
Authors: Kawai Hironari , Osawa Yosuke , Tsunoda Tomoyuki , Matsuda Michitaka , Okawara Miku , Sakamoto Yuzuru , Shimagaki Tomonari , Tsutsui Yuriko , Yoshida Yuichi , Yoshikawa Shiori , Doi Hiroyoshi , Mori Taizo , Yamazoe Taiji , Yoshio Sachiyo , Okamura Tadashi , Sugiyama Masaya , Okuzaki Daisuke , Komatsu Haruki , Inui Ayano , Yanaga Katsuhiko , Ikegami Toru , Kanto Tatsuya
Published: December 2022

Aim

Congestive hepatopathy often leads to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Imaging modalities provided clinical evidence that elevation of liver stiffness and tumor occurrence are mainly induced in the periphery of the liver in patients with congestive hepatopathy. However, clinical relevance of liver stiffness and liver fibrosis is unclear because liver congestion itself increases liver stiffness in congestive hepatopathy. It also unclear which factors configure such regional disparity of tumor development in patients with congestive hepatopathy. To answer these questions, we evaluated the macroscopic spatial distribution of liver fibrosis and tumors in the murine model of congestive hepatopathy.

Methods

Chronic liver congestion was induced by partial ligation of the suprahepatic inferior vena cava. Distribution of liver congestion, fibrosis, and tumors in partial ligation of the suprahepatic inferior vena cava mice were assessed by histological findings, laser microdissection (LMD)‐based qPCR and enhanced computed tomography. LMD‐based RNA‐sequencing was performed to identify causal factors that promote tumor development in congestive hepatopathy.

Results

Liver fibrosis was mainly induced in the periphery of the liver and co‐localized with distribution of liver congestion. Liver tumors were also induced in the periphery of the liver where liver congestion and fibrosis occurred. LMD‐based RNA‐sequencing revealed the upregulation of extracellular matrix/collagen fibril‐, wound healing‐, angiogenesis‐, morphogenesis‐, and cell motility‐related signaling pathways in periphery of liver compared with liver center.

Conclusions

Our findings showed the experimental relevance of liver congestion, fibrosis, and tumor development in congestive hepatopathy, and may provide important locational information. Macroscopic regional disparity observed in this murine model should be considered to manage patients with congestive hepatopathy.
25‐Hydroxycholesterol induces odontoclastic differentiation through RANK–RANKL upregulation and NF‐κB activation in odontoblast‐like MDPC‐23 cells: An in vitro study
Authors: Lim HyangI , Oh Ji‐Su , Kang Kyeong‐Rok , Seo Jeong‐Yeon , Kim Do Kyung , Yu Sun‐Kyoung , Kim Heung‐Joong , Park Joo‐Cheol , Kim Jae‐Sung
Published: December 2022

Aim

The physiological effects and cellular mechanism of 25‐hydroxycholesterol (25‐HC), which is an oxysterol synthesized from cholesterol by cholesterol‐25‐hydroxylase (CH25H) expressed under inflammatory conditions, are still largely unknown during odontoclastogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate 25‐HC‐induced odontoclastogenesis and its cellular mechanisms in odontoblast‐like MDPC‐23 cells.

Methodology

To investigate 25‐HC‐induced odontoclastogenesis of MDPC‐23 cells and its cellular mechanism, haemotoxylin and eosin staining, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, dentine resorption assay, zymography, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, immunocytochemistry, and nuclear translocation were performed. The experimental values are presented as mean ± standard deviation and were compared using analysis of variance, followed by post hoc multiple comparisons (Tukey's test) using SPSS software version 22 (IBM Corp.). A p‐value <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Lipopolysaccharide or receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL) induced the synthesis of 25‐HC via the expression of CH25H in MDPC‐23 cells (p < .01). Multinucleated giant cells with morphological characteristics and TRAP activity of the odontoclast were increased by 25‐HC in MDPC‐23 cells (p < .01). Moreover, 25‐HC increased dentine resorption through the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases in MDPC‐23 cells. It not only increased the expression of odontoclastogenic biomarkers but also translocated cytosolic nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) to the nucleus in MDPC‐23 cells. Additionally, 25‐HC not only increased the production of ROS (p < .01), expression of inflammatory mediators (p < .01), pro‐inflammatory cytokines, receptor activator of NF‐κB (RANK), and RANKL but also suppressed the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in MDPC‐23 cells. In contrast, CDDO‐Me, a chemical NF‐κB inhibitor, decreased TRAP activity (p < .01) and downregulated the expression of the odontoclastogenic biomarkers, including RANK and RANKL, in MDPC‐23 cells.

Conclusion

25‐HC induced odontoclastogenesis by modulating the RANK–RANKL–OPG axis via NF‐κB activation in MDPC‐23 cells. Therefore, these findings provide that 25‐HC derived from cholesterol metabolism may be involved in the pathophysiological etiological factors of internal tooth resorption.
Prevalence of smoking among nurses and its association with blood pressure: A cross‐sectional study in 11 cities of China
Authors: Zhao Bin , Li Jing , Zhang Luqi , Liu Jie , Feng Di , Hao Xiaoran , Li Yun , Li Xian , Ding Junqin , Li Laiyou , Li Lanfeng , Yin Xiaohua , Cui Wei
Published: December 2022

Aim

Smoking is harmful to human health. However, the relationship between smoking and blood pressure (BP) has not been consistent. This study aimed to analyse nurses' smoking behaviours and their relationship with BP.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study recruited 128 009 nurses in 11 cities in China. They were surveyed with questionnaires including BP measurements. The main contents of the questionnaire included smoking status and other factors that might be associated with hypertension. Multiple linear regression analyses and binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the data.

Results

The results showed there was a significant difference in the smoking rate among nurses with different characteristics (P < 0.05). For both male and female nurses, smoking was associated with increased diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure, but only with increased systolic BP of male nurses. The prevalence of hypertension among male and female nurses was not related to smoking.

Conclusion

Despite a relatively low overall smoking rate, rates among some groups are high. Different cities, hospitals, and departments can combine local data and conditions to formulate targeted tobacco control measures to improve nurses' physical and mental health.
Factors influencing intrapartum health outcomes among Black birthing persons: A discursive paper
Authors: Gillette‐Pierce Kiersten TâLeigh , Richards‐McDonald Lynn , Arscott Joyell , Josiah Nia , Duroseau Brenice , Jacques Keilah , Wilson Patty R. , Baptiste Diana
Published: December 2022

Aim

To examine factors that influence intrapartum health outcomes among Black childbearing persons, including cisgender women, transmasculine and gender‐diverse birthing persons.

Background

Black childbearing persons are three to four times (243%) more likely to die while giving birth than any other racial/ethnic group. Black birthing persons are not just dying from complications but also from inequitable care from healthcare providers compared to their white counterparts.

Design

Discursive paper.

Method

Searching national literature published between 2010 and 2021 in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and SCOPUS, we explored factors associated with poor intrapartum health outcomes among Black childbearing persons.

Discussion

Several studies have ruled out social determinants of health as sufficient causative factors for poor intrapartum health outcomes among Black birthing persons. Recent research has shown that discrimination by race heavily influences whether a birthing person dies while childbearing.

Conclusions

There is a historical context for obstetric medicine that includes harmful stereotypes, implicit bias and racism, all having a negative impact on intrapartum health outcomes. The existing health disparity among this population is endemic and requires close attention.

Impact on Nursing Practice

Nurses and other healthcare professionals must understand their role in establishing unbiased care that promotes respect for diversity, equity and inclusion.

No Patient or Public Contribution

There was no patient or public involvement in the design or drafting of this discursive paper.
Energetic music is used for anger downregulation: A cross‐cultural differentiation of intensity from rhythmic arousal
Authors: Liew Kongmeng , Uchida Yukiko , Domae Hiina , Koh Alethea H. Q.
Published: December 2022

Music is often used to “soothe the soul,” and one important function of music listening has been emotion regulation. In comparing consumption trends across cultures, past research has shown that individuals in Western countries, with typically higher prevalence of high arousal negative emotions, tend to listen to similarly high arousal rhythmic (danceable) music to cathartically discharge those emotions. However, other studies have shown that Spotify's energy feature, a measure of the intensity‐based arousal of a song, indicates the opposite effect: Energy was higher in songs in East Asian top‐50 charts than in Western ones. Combining evidence from reanalyses of secondary data (Pilot Analyses 1 and 2), sentiment analyses of lyrics from the US and Singapore (Study 1; N = 87 songs), and an emotion induction experiment in Japan and the US (Study 2; N = 353 participants), we show that collectivistic, East Asian cultures generally prefer songs with higher energy levels, and energetic songs are robustly associated with anger downregulation, over sadness and anxiety downregulation. We speculate that energy, as an intensity‐based musical arousal feature, may represent internalizing (control) regulation that one uses to “drown out” anger, which would be more prevalent in East Asian cultures due to sociocultural norms of emotion (non)expression. Conversely, this would be different from the externalizing regulation associated with rhythm‐based musical arousal (i.e., danceability).
Estimating farmers' intention towards institutional credit adoption by using extended theory of planned behavior
Authors: Dey Shiladitya , Singh Piyush Kumar
Published: December 2022

The role of socio‐psychological factors on farmers' institutional credit adoption intention is rarely studied in the context of developing nations. This study estimates the direct and mediating association of various socio‐psychological factors with farmers' institutional credit adoption intention. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) was adopted and empirically tested using the cross‐sectional data from 384 farmers from West Bengal. The study used structural equation model for the mediation analysis. Results showed that primary TPB constructs like attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were positively and significantly associated with the intention of institutional credit adoption. Besides direct effect, the primary TPB constructs mediated the relationship between institutional credit adoption intention and other explanatory constructs used in this study. Findings predicted a positive partial mediation between trusted information sources, formal education level, coping appraisal, risk perception, and farmers' formal credit borrowing intention. Risk perception displayed a direct and mediated, however, negative, association with farmers' institutional credit adoption intention. These findings provide a clear understanding of factors predicting farmers' intention to adopt institutional credit and comprehensive insight into establishing policies for effective institutional lending at the ground level. The study delivers a paramount scientific perspective to the policymaker of developing countries suffering from insufficient institutional credit penetration in the farming community to design practicable frameworks and incentivize policies to motivate farmers in institutional credit borrowing.
An artificial intelligence approach for modeling nachos developed from bhimkol banana (Musa balbisiana) blossom
Authors: Muchahary Sangita , Nickhil Chowdaiah , Deka Sankar Chandra
Published: December 2022

The study comprises the investigation of nutrition, phytocomponents, antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, formulation, and optimization of nachos from underutilized bhimkol (Musa balbisiana) blossom by metaheuristic approach: optimal mixture designed artificial neural network coupled with particle swarm optimization (ANN‐PSO). The overall acceptability (OA) obtained from the sensory evaluation was taken as the output layer of the swarm optimization. Investigation showed bhimkol blossom (BB) as a good source of nutrition, phytocomponents such as carbohydrate (66.87 ± 0.20%), crude fiber (12.12 ± 0.28%), vitamin E (8.73 mg/g), and fatty acid consisting of monounsaturated (66.67%) and polyunsaturated (33.33%). The whole blossom showed the highest antioxidant at 82.77% in the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay and major antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi at IC50 25.21 ± 0.14 mg/ml. The optimum set of the parameter from ANN‐PSO for best nachos was obtained at OA of 8.9 in epoch 6 and showed high fracturability and crispiness. Principal component analysis among the sensory attributes of commercial, control, and BB nachos revealed that the taste and OA were majorly weighted towards component 1. The least significant difference was found between commercial and BB nachos. Nutrition rich nachos can be helpful in worldwide implementation in commercially profitable food industries.

Practical Applications

Underutilized wild bhimkol blossom (BB) is rich in nutrition, and phytocomponents along with significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The modeling of nachos by particle swarm optimization resulted in optimum set of parameters corn starch, wheat flour, BB, refined oil, and black pepper at 0.13, 0.39, 0.33, 0.66, and 0.26 g, respectively. Overall acceptability was positively affected by increased wheat flour exhibiting high fracturability and crispiness. This nutritious new product may possess other tremendous health benefits and have high consumer demand leading to profitable micro‐large food industries. This is also a sustainable approach to environmental loss and utilizing something demanding and good consumer acceptability.

Novelty Statement

Underutilized wild bhimkol blossom is rich in nutrition, and phytocomponents along with significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Overall acceptability was positively affected by increased wheat flour exhibiting high fracturability and crispiness. This nutritious new product may possess other tremendous health benefits and have high consumer demand leading to profitable micro‐large food industries with excellent consumer acceptability.
An efficient CRISPR/Cas9 platform for targeted genome editing in rose (Rosa hybrida)
Authors: Wang Chengpeng , Li Yang , Wang Na , Yu Qin , Li Yonghong , Gao Junping , Zhou Xiaofeng , Ma Nan
Published: December 2022

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐related nuclease 9 (Cas9) system enables precise, simple editing of genes in many animals and plants. However, this system has not been applied to rose (Rosa hybrida) due to the genomic complexity and lack of an efficient transformation technology for this plant. Here, we established a platform for screening single‐guide RNAs (sgRNAs) with high editing efficiency for CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated gene editing in rose using suspension cells. We used the Arabidopsis thaliana U6‐29 promoter, which showed high activity for driving sgRNA expression, to modify the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We used our highly efficient optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system to successfully edit RhEIN2, encoding an indispensable component of the ethylene signaling pathway, resulting in ethylene insensitivity in rose. Our optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system provides a powerful toolbox for functional genomics, molecular breeding, and synthetic biology in rose.
Who Controls the Controller? People Reaction to Social Control Agent's Decisions about Organizational Misconduct
Authors: Cattani Gino , Clemente Marco , Durand Rodolphe , Mai Ke Michael
Published: December 2022

Social control agents (SCAs) discipline organizations and draw the line between appropriate organizational behaviour and misconduct. While prior research focuses on the SCA‐organization relationship, we theorize how a key audience (people) interacts with an SCA depending on its decisions to sanction or not organizational misconduct. Building on sociological and organizational research on social norms and their enforcement, we expect that people are more likely to agree with an SCA that sanctions a behaviour that violates rule‐based as opposed to value‐based norms. Violations of rule‐based norms generate more agreement because such norms are less ambiguous and ascertaining when they are violated is easier to establish. As people agree more with SCA decisions to sanction rule‐based violations, we expect that the propensity of people to resort to the SCA increases. We find support for our hypotheses with a survey, a series of experiments, and the analysis of complete data on complaints by UK citizens to the Advertising Standards Authority – the UK SCA on advertising – over the period 2007–10. Our paper contributes to research in organizational misconduct by showing how SCAs are both an evaluating entity and an evaluated one and by shedding light on how people co‐determine what an acceptable or unacceptable behaviour is. Our paper uniquely links macro‐ and micro‐level studies on corporate misconduct, putting centre stage that SCA's authority essentially depends on a key audience's agreement with the SCAs' underlying norms that underpin their decisions.
From job crafting to home crafting and back again: A shortitudinal study on the spillover between job and home crafting
Authors: Haun Verena C. , Mülder Lina Marie , Schmitz Anna‐Laura
Published: December 2022

Building on the notion that successful crafting in one life domain spills over into another domain, we investigated the reciprocal effects between job and home crafting in 134 workers, using a shortitudinal study with a two‐week time lag. The results of cross‐lagged panel analyses suggested that there were reciprocal effects between the work and home domains of the crafting dimensions of increasing structural resources and reducing hindering social demands. Increasing social job resources lead to increasing social home resources, but the reverse is not true. No cross‐lagged effects were found for increasing challenging demands and reducing hindering structural job demands at work and home.
Time to update the sectional classification ofIlex(Aquifoliaceae): New insights fromIlexphylogeny, morphology, and distribution
Authors: Yang Yi , Jiang Lei , Liu En‐De , Liu Wei‐Li , Chen Li , Kou Yi‐Xuan , Fan Deng‐Mei , Cheng Shan‐Mei , Zhang Zhi‐Yong , Peng Hua
Published: December 2022

Resolving the infrageneric classification of species‐rich genera has been challenging in plant taxonomy.IlexL. is a subcosmopolitan genus with over 600 species of dioecious trees and shrubs. Many classification systems based on morphological data have been proposed during the past 250 years. However, these systems (such as Loesener's and Galle's systems) may not truly reflectIlex's evolutionary trajectories because most of those system's infrageneric hierarchies are not monophyletic. In this study, we reconstructed a phylogeny ofIlexL. comprising 15 moderately to highly supported clades using rigorously identified samples (202 species) and closely authenticated gene sequences of three nuclear genes [internal transcribed spacer (ITS), external transcribed spacer (ETS), andnepGS]. The newly generated phylogenetic tree resembles essentially that of the nuclear tree of Manen et al., but shows conspicuous topological differences with the phylogeny of Yao et al. Closely scrutinizing morphological variation and distributional patterns of 202 species, this study found that most lineages ofIlexidentified herein are well defined by a particular trait or a combination of morphological and distributional traits, displaying phylogeny–morphology–distribution conformity that has seldom been uncovered in previous studies. Given the general phylogeny–morphology–distribution conformity revealed in this genus, we put forward an updated sectional classification system forIlexthat temporarily contains 14 sections. The new classification will provide a robust framework for studying the evolution and diversification of this ecologically and economically important genus.
Integrated supervised consumption services and hepatitis C testing and treatment among people who inject drugs in Toronto, Canada: A cross‐sectional analysis
Authors: Greenwald Zoë R. , Bouck Zachary , McLean Elizabeth , Mason Kate , Lettner Bernadette , Broad Jennifer , Dodd Zoë , Nassau Tanner , Scheim Ayden I. , Werb Dan
Published: December 2022

Despite the availability of publicly funded hepatitis C (HCV) treatment in Canada, treatment gaps persist, particularly among people who inject drugs. We estimate correlates of HCV care cascade engagement (testing, diagnosis, and treatment) among people who inject drugs in Toronto, Canada and examine the effect of accessing differing supervised consumption service (SCS) models on self‐reported HCV testing and treatment. This is a cross‐sectional baseline analysis of 701 people who inject drugs surveyed in the Toronto, Ontario integrated Supervised Injection Services (OiSIS‐Toronto) study between November 2018 and March 2020. We examine correlates of self‐reported HCV care cascade outcomes including SCS model, demographic, socio‐structural, drug use, and harm reduction characteristics. Overall, 647 participants (92%) reported ever receiving HCV testing, of whom 336 (52%) had been diagnosed with HCV. Among participants who reported ever being diagnosed with HCV, 281 (84%) reported chronic HCV, of whom 130 (46%) reported HCV treatment uptake and 151 (54%) remained untreated. Compared to those with no SCS use, participants who had ever injected at an integrated SCS model with co‐located HCV care had greater prevalence of both ever receiving HCV testing (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.24) and ever receiving HCV treatment (aPR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.04–2.69). Over half of participants diagnosed with chronic HCV reported remaining untreated. Our findings suggest that integrated SCS models with co‐located HCV care represent key strategies for linkage to HCV care, but that more is needed to support scale‐up.
“A geography of the soul”: The displaced and the city in the work of Aleksandar Hemon
Authors: Peinado‐Abarrio Rubén
Published: December 2022

Bosnian‐American author Aleksandar Hemon is a self‐described diasporic writer interested in questions of identity, displacement, and exile. This article proposes an approach to the Hemonian displaced character based on two of the most influential conceptualisations of contemporary subjectivity: on the one hand, Rosi Braidotti's critical posthuman subject, a nomadic, multiple subject who embodies complexity, favours a dynamic notion of relationality, opposes the view of difference as inferiority, and embraces a situated and accountable perspective. On the other, Nicolas Bourriaud's radicant subject, a wanderer caught between an urge to connect with the other and the forces of dislocation and removal, between individuality and the standardisation enforced by globalisation, between exchange and imposition, between enrooting and uprooting. In Hemon, subject and city are essential constituents of an elaborate system—aimed at fostering bonding and building community—which has been damaged by forced migration and violence. The insistence with which the subject's process of becoming is grounded in an urban context invites a topopoetic reading of Hemon's fiction and nonfiction. The obsessive description of the war‐ravaged architecture of besieged Sarajevo turns home into what Maria Tumarkin calls a ‘traumascape’, a place marked by violence and loss. Meanwhile, Chicago is the non‐place that the refugee is forced to shape into a narrative space in order to build a human network and a personal infrastructure—what Hemon terms ‘a geography of the soul’. Ultimately, the phenomenological approach to the sensory experiences and material practices of the displaced person reveals how their predicament adds new meanings to urban wandering and the construction and appropriation of the city from below. The human and the urban are seen as operating in a complex network of interconnections and interdependencies, generating an ongoing state of encounter that allows Hemon and his characters to feel ‘placed’, both physically and metaphysically.
Indigenous diasporas in speculative fiction: Writing through estrangement
Authors: Eguíbar‐Holgado Miasol
Published: December 2022

This article explores diasporic dimensions of Indigenous experiences and narratives on Turtle Island, by looking at the Indigenous speculative fiction novelsThe Back of the Turtle(2014) by Thomas King,The Marrow Thieves(2017) by Cherie Dimaline, andThe Moon of the Crusted Snow(2018) by Waubgeshig Rice. The three evoke (post)apocalyptic or dystopic futures involving environmental crises and destruction. As Indigenous peoples have historically witnessed and experienced Apocalypse with colonization, both in the past and the present, speculative fiction provides fertile narrative ground to work with and through those legacies of devastation. I particularly focus on how these novels offer accounts of different forms of mobility that may be defined as diasporic. Often prompted by settler use and abuse of the land, and even the exploitation of Indigenous peoples as resource, the displacements and movements recorded in these stories trace routes of both oppression and resistance. These diasporas have fundamental political and historical significance, in that they highlight connections between past acts of colonialization and the violence of present‐day neoliberal capitalist practices. Simultaneously, speculating with estrangement in the form of the supernatural, apocalyptic or dystopic, serves as a mechanism to delineate decolonial stories of presence and survivance. These stories, while constantly referring to the past, also include motion towards possible better futures, countering Western notions of Indigenous peoples as static and futureless.
Narratives of the new diasporas: A theoretical approach
Authors: Alonso María Alonso , Fernández‐Melleda Bárbara
Published: December 2022

This introduction offers a survey of Border Studies and Diaspora Theory to contextualize the ways in which contemporary fictions of migration in the 21st century have reinterpreted classic paradigms. Literature has played a paramount role in illustrating many of the challenges of narrating the experience of migration. This role is the motivation for this Special Issue as it examines the literary mechanisms that engage with current social, economic, and political issues and shows how discourses on migration contest perspectives on concepts such as “mobility” or “space.” Thus after contextualizing “the Black Atlantic,” “diaspora space,” “third scenario,” “necropolitics” or “gore capitalism,” this introduction describes the contributors' diverse critical readings, which are presented and organized to illustrate the evolution of academic research around Diaspora Studies. The new avenues of research that 21st‐century migration has fostered bear witness to the complex and intricate phenomena of human mobility.
Experimental introgression in Drosophila: Asymmetric postzygotic isolation associated with chromosomal inversions and an incompatibility locus on the X chromosome
Authors: Poikela Noora , Laetsch Dominik R. , Kankare Maaria , Hoikkala Anneli , Lohse Konrad
Published: December 2022

Interspecific gene flow (introgression) is an important source of new genetic variation, but selection against it can reinforce reproductive barriers between interbreeding species. We used an experimental approach to trace the role of chromosomal inversions and incompatibility genes in preventing introgression between two partly sympatric Drosophila virilis group species, D. flavomontana and D. montana. We backcrossed F1 hybrid females from a cross between D. flavomontana female and D. montana male with the males of the parental species for two generations and sequenced pools of parental strains and their reciprocal second generation backcross (BC2mon and BC2fla) females. Contrasting the observed amount of introgression (mean hybrid index, HI) in BC2 female pools along the genome to simulations under different scenarios allowed us to identify chromosomal regions of restricted and increased introgression. We found no deviation from the HI expected under a neutral null model for any chromosome for the BC2mon pool, suggesting no evidence for genetic incompatibilities in backcrosses towards D. montana. In contrast, the BC2fla pool showed high variation in the observed HI between different chromosomes, and massive reduction of introgression on the X chromosome (large X‐effect). This observation is compatible with reduced recombination combined with at least one dominant incompatibility locus residing within the X inversion(s). Overall, our study suggests that genetic incompatibilities arising within chromosomal inversions can play an important role in speciation.
Assessment of exercise‐induced hypoalgesia in chronic low back pain and potential associations with psychological factors and central sensitization symptoms: A case–control study
Authors: Patricio Philippe , Mailloux Catherine , Wideman Timothy H. , Langevin Pierre , Descarreaux Martin , Beaulieu Louis‐David , Massé‐Alarie Hugo
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Exercise is the most recommended treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP) and is effective in reducing pain, but the mechanisms underlying its effects remain poorly understood. Exercise‐induced hypoalgesia (EIH) may play a role and is thought to be driven by central pain modulation mechanisms. However, EIH appears to be disrupted in many chronic pain conditions and its presence in people with CLBP remains unclear. As people suffering from chronic pain often exhibit psychological factors and central sensitization symptoms influencing pain perception, EIH might be associated with these factors.

Objective

The aim of this study is to compare the level of EIH between participants with and without CLBP following back and wrist exercises and to assess the associations between EIH, psychological factors, and symptoms of central sensitization (using the central sensitization inventory ‐ CSI) in CLBP.

Method

Twenty‐eight participants with CLBP and 23 without pain were recruited. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured at 4 sites (2 bony sites = capitate, S1|2 muscle sites = wrist flexors, lumbar erector spinae) before and after each of two exercises (wrist flexion and lumbar extension). Exercise‐induced hypoalgesia was defined as percent change in PPT from pre‐ to post‐exercise. Participants with CLBP also completed questionnaires to measure psychological factors (e.g., kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, anxiety, and self‐efficacy) and symptoms of central sensitization (CSI), and correlations with EIH were calculated.

Results

After wrist exercise, EIH measured at the muscle sites was lower in the CLBP group compared with the pain‐free group (p = 0.047) but no differences were found at bony sites (p = 0.49). No significant differences for EIH were observed following back exercise at muscle sites (p = 0.14) or at bony sites (p = 0.65). Exercise‐induced hypoalgesia was not correlated with any psychological factors or with the CSI score.

Conclusion

The lower EIH following wrist exercises may represent an alteration in pain modulation control in CLBP. However, psychological factors and central sensitization symptoms may not explain the differences observed.
Quantitative trait loci mapping of maize (Zea mays) ear traits under low‐phosphorus stress
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Shen Tao , Jiang Tao , Hu Xiaolan , Wen Min , Qiu Hongbo
Published: December 2022

We constructed an F2:3 population of 180 individuals from a cross between the maize genotypes 082 (high phosphorus use efficiency) and Ye107 (low phosphorus use efficiency). We used the population to perform quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for eight ear traits (ear diameter [ED], ear length [EL], ear weight [EW], ear kernel weight [EKW], row number per ear [ERN], bald tip length [BTL], kernel number per row [RKN] and number of seeds per plant [NSP]) in three low‐phosphorus environments. A total of 36 QTL for ear traits were detected in at least one of three single environments and were located on all maize chromosomes except for chromosome 10; the explained phenotypic variation ranged from 5.91% to 12.80%. The QTL JAqEKW5‐1, JAqEL3‐1, JAqEW1‐1, JAqBTL1‐1 and JAqNSP5‐2 were identified and stably expressed in single‐environment and joint‐environment analyses. Some novel QTL that have not been reported previously were also detected. Most of the identified QTL had stable effects in all low‐phosphorus environments, suggesting that they may be useful for molecular breeding to develop low‐phosphorus tolerant maize varieties.
Gastrostomy tube feeding in epidermolysis bullosa: A multi‐center assessment of caregiver satisfaction
Authors: Kleinman Elana P. , Reimer‐Taschenbrecker Antonia , Haller Courtney N. , Paller Amy S. , Levy Moise L. , Eichenfield Lawrence F.
Published: December 2022

Background/Objectives

Gastrostomy tubes (G‐tubes) are a feasible intervention for nutritional support in patients with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) who suffer from gastrointestinal involvement. However, some parents may be apprehensive about this surgical intervention. The purpose of this study is to assess caregiver satisfaction and experiences after G‐tube insertion in children with EB.

Methods

Nine institutions sent an anonymous 89‐item online questionnaire to caregivers of patients with EB and active G‐tubes during an 8‐week study period. The questionnaire consisted of eight sections and was formatted with multiple choice, Likert scales, dichotomous scales (yes/no), and free text.

Results

Twenty caregiver surveys were completed. All caregivers were parents (100%). The average age of G‐tube placement was 2.7 years (SD: 2.1, range 0–8) and duration of the G‐tube utilization was an average of 12.0 years (SD: 7.8, range 1–25). EB subtypes were dystrophic (n = 15/20, 75%), junctional (n = 3/20, 15%), and simplex (n = 2/10, 10%). Almost all caregivers (n = 18/20, 90%) reported high levels of satisfaction with G‐tube management (scores > 20 on the modified SAGA‐8 scale). More than half of caregivers (n = 12/20, 60%) reported that, retrospectively, they would have desired earlier adoption of the G‐tube. Caregivers rated mealtimes as more enjoyable and easier both for themselves and the individual with EB post‐G‐tube placement.

Conclusion

The survey demonstrates a high rate of satisfaction for G‐tube use among caregivers of patients with EB across varying ages and household settings. The free‐text responses provide unique insight into caregiver's individual experiences regarding G‐tubes to be considered for future studies.
The effectiveness of matrix ablation with silver nitrate in the treatment of ingrown toenails. A single‐center case‐control study
Authors: Delgado‐Miguel Carlos , Muñoz‐Serrano Antonio J. , Moratilla Lucas , Sarmiento María del Carmen , Miguel‐Ferrero Miriam , Martínez Leopoldo
Published: December 2022

Background

Partial onychectomy with chemical matrixectomy is considered the gold standard treatment for stage II‐III ingrown toenails (IT). However, there are scarce reports describing the use of silver nitrate in IT management in adolescents. Our aim is to analyze the effectiveness of matrix ablation with silver nitrate and compare it with partial onychectomy by electrocautery.

Methods

A retrospective study of adolescent patients with stage II‐III IT was performed. Those who underwent electrocautery matricectomy in a major outpatient surgical center (Group A) and those who were treated with silver nitrate at an outpatient clinic (Group B) were compared. Efficacy was determined by recurrence and postoperative infection rates.

Results

Two hundred and nine patients were included (86 group A; 123 group B), with a total of 382 partial onychectomies (151 group A; 231 group B). Group B patients exhibited a lower recurrence rate (4.7%) when compared to group A (11.2%, p = .02), and had a lower postoperative infection rate (4.0% group A vs. 1.7% group B; p = .18), although not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Silver nitrate chemical matricectomy after partial onychectomy is an effective treatment for IT in adolescents, with few postoperative complications and low recurrence rate. Therefore, it should be considered as a possible alternative to electrocautery matricectomy.
Etiological analysis of discarded measles in the context of a measles outbreak among a highly immunized population
Authors: Torner Nuria , Mercader Sara , Dominguez Angela , Martinez Ana , Costa Josep , Sowers Sun B. , Abernathy Emily S. , Bellini William J. , Hickman Carol J.
Published: December 2022

Background

Measles can lead to serious complications and remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study we aimed to assess the etiological diagnosis of discarded measles cases in the context of an outbreak among a highly immunized population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study of discarded measles cases from an outbreak that occurred from October 2006 to July 2007 in Catalonia. A confirmed case was defined as having a positive measles serum IgM result and/or a positive result by RT‐PCR in urine and/or nasopharyngeal swab; or an epidemiological link to a confirmed case. Serum specimens were tested by a commercially available indirect‐format and by an in‐house capture‐format measles IgM enzyme immunoassays.

Results

Testing of 89 samples discarded for measles determined the etiologies for 10 (11.2%), including one rubella, three human herpes virus 6, and six measles infections. Of 381 confirmed cases in the outbreak, 10% had received at least one dose of the measles‐mumps‐rubella vaccine versus 54% of the discarded for measles (OR: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.14; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Highly sensitive surveillance systems are critical to identifying cases, responding to outbreaks and verifying progress towards measles elimination. Molecular tools for measles detection and differential diagnosis, and collection of appropriate specimens for molecular and serological testing are essential to correctly diagnose suspected measles infection.
A postulated model for photoimmunopathogenesis of chronic actinic dermatitis around adaptive immunity, including Th17 cells, Tregs, TRMs, cytotoxic T cells, and/or common‐γ chain receptor+ cells
Authors: Kim Jung‐Hwan , Kim Ho‐Jin , Yoo Dong‐Wha , Park Kyung‐Deok , Kwon Hyeok‐Jin , Seo Jung‐Wan , Kim Tae‐Hoon , Yoon Jung‐Ho , Seong Seol‐Hwa , Jang Min‐Soo , Kim Ki‐Ho
Published: December 2022

Background/Purpose

The pathogenesis of chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is more complicated than other photodermatoses. However, the relationship between the clinical severity of CAD and the offending photocontact or contact allergens or both, and the correlations of CAD immunopathogenesis with the immunoregulatory molecules involved in adaptive immunity are yet to be investigated.

Methods

We performed phototesting with broad‐spectrum ultraviolet (UV) B, UVA, and visible light to establish the presence of photosensitivity in 121 patients with CAD, together with photopatch and contact patch testing. Nine patients with CAD were selected according to their clinical severity score for CAD (CSS‐CAD), and triple direct immunofluorescence analysis was performed with paraffin‐embedded skin biopsy samples.

Results

As CSS‐CAD was closely correlated with the multiplicity of photo(contact) allergens, particularly photoallergens, three or more photoallergens were detected in the severe CAD group (52.5%); less in the moderate group (32.8%); and only one in the mild group (14.8%; P = .025). In the groups showing greater severity of disease, the absolute numbers of IFN‐γ+, IL‐17+, CD4+, CD8+, common‐γ chain receptor (common‐γCR)+, and CD69+ tissue‐resident memory cells increased on average; there was also an increase in the CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio, with the more severely affected groups. However, the levels of TNF‐α+ and FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells and the mean IL‐17/IFN‐γ cell ratio decreased in the more severely affected CSS‐CAD subgroups.

Conclusions

Based on the clinical analysis and immunopathogenic results, avoidance of excessive sun exposure, and topical and systemic blocking agents for photo(contact) allergens are recommended. Additionally, conventional immunomodulators and emerging agents including JAK–STAT inhibitors may be administered for CAD treatment in the future.
Water stress: Opportunities for supply chain research
Authors: Cole Dustin , Narayanan Sriram , Connors Elizabeth , Tewari Meenu , Onda Kyle
Published: December 2022

Driven by climate change and overuse, water stress is a worsening sustainability concern that threatens businesses and communities across the globe. Leading global organizations such as the United Nations have expressed an urgent need for sustainable water management strategies across nations and economies. Yet, the field of supply chain management does not have a substantial research stream related to water. A key challenge is the lack of a persuasive organizing framework within this setting. This study presents a systematic literature review of water stress from a supply chain perspective. Literature spanning over two decades across an array of journals is synthesized into an overarching framework that organizes topics related to water. Challenges firms face due to operational and contextual water risks are presented. Based on the proposed framework, research gaps for further exploration of the relationship between supply chains and water stress are suggested.
Do it right the first time: Vehicle routing with home delivery attempt predictors
Authors: Lim Stanley Frederick W. T. , Wang Qingchen , Webster Scott
Published: December 2022

Up to 20% of all business‐to‐consumer deliveries fail on the first attempt. Failed deliveries not only carry cost implications but also incur damage to retailers’ brand reputation. Despite its economic significance, research has paid little attention to delivery attempt as an operational outcome or seldom accounted for its effects in routing models. This is partly due to the many factors that can influence delivery outcomes. We address this knowledge gap by first demonstrating that failed delivery attempts can be reasonably predicted using common routing, demand, environmental, and market attributes at both the individual package and route levels. For model‐building, we use transaction data from an e‐commerce retailer in South America. We then explore the value of accounting for failed delivery attempts in routing models. We propose a two‐stage greedy algorithm for solving large problem instances. Our analysis indicates that not accounting for the probability of failed attempts in routing models may create a significant downward bias in the total cost of delivery. The analysis also suggests that manipulating the sequence in which packages in a route are delivered can be a cost‐efficient lever that firms can employ at almost zero cost to profoundly affect delivery outcomes. We replicate the prediction model to a new sample from a delivery company in Singapore and calibrate it for a randomized field experiment to validate our algorithm's performance. Packages and drivers are randomly assigned to either our algorithm or the focal company's existing algorithm. Results suggest that our algorithm, on average, reduces the share of failed delivery attempts by 10% and the total cost of delivery by $13 per route. We further propose drivers’ discretionary work effort and the goal‐gradient hypothesis as a mechanism for the efficacy of our algorithm. Controlling for time of day and other fixed effects, we empirically find that packages assigned to slots later in the route tend to have a lower failure rate because drivers display a higher degree of discretionary work effort toward the end of a route. Our approach can be applied to other firms’ last‐mile delivery operations to improve their delivery execution.