bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective Use of Pulmonary Vasodilators in Patients with Fontan Physiology
Authors: Glenn Thomas , Duster Nicole , Dwek Jerry , Silva-Sepulveda Jose , El-Said Howaida G.
Published: November 2022

Background. Fontan-associated liver disease is a well-known sequela following the Fontan procedure for patients living with single-ventricle heart disease. Pulmonary vasodilators, such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, have emerged as a potential therapeutic option for lowering central venous pressures by reducing pulmonary vascular resistance. Method. We performed a single-center retrospective review of Fontan patients who were placed on pulmonary vasodilator therapy with prehemodynamic and posthemodynamic, MR elastography, and histologic assessments. Results. A total of 125 patients with Fontan circulation underwent surveillance with cardiac catheterization during the review period. Fifty-three (42%) patients who did not have increased end-diastolic pressures at the time of cardiac catheterization were started on phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy. Nine patients (17%) underwent posttherapy follow-up catheterization. The mean Fontan pressure decreased from 15.4 ± 3.3 mmHg to 13.3 ± 2.5 mmHg (

p
=
0.026

), after initiation of pulmonary vasodilatory therapy. There was no change in end-diastolic pressure, transpulmonary gradient, wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac index, or saturation. Eleven patients (21%) underwent pretherapy MR elastography testing with posttherapy follow-up MR elastography. We found no improvement in liver stiffness score following the application of pulmonary vasodilators. Three patients underwent pretherapy and posttherapy liver biopsies, with variable histological changes observed within the hepatic parenchyma. Conclusions. These data demonstrate indeterminate results for the selective use of pulmonary vasodilators but highlight the need for large prospective randomized control trials of pulmonary vasodilator therapies to fully assess the benefit of such therapies in Fontan-associated liver disease.
A Platinum Resistance-Related lncRNA Signature for Risk Classification and Prognosis Prediction in Patients with Serous Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Zhu Yan , Chen Jiongyu , Zhou Li , Zhang Lina , Liu Yuxin , Zhuang Yixuan , Peng Lin , Huang Yi-Teng
Published: November 2022

Accurate risk stratification for patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC) is pivotal for treatment decisions. In this study, we identified a lncRNA-based signature for predicting platinum resistance and prognosis stratification for SOC patients. We analyzed the RNA-sequencing data and the relevant clinical information of 295 SOC samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 180 normal ovarian tissues from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. A total of 284 differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out between platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant groups by univariate Cox regression analysis. Then, a signature consisting of eight prognostic lncRNAs was used to construct a lncRNA score model by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The ROC analysis showed that this signature had a good predictive performance for chemotherapy response in the training set (AUC = 0.8524) and the testing and whole sets with 0.8142 and 0.8393 of AUC, respectively. Dichotomized by the risk score of lncRNAs (lncScore), the high-risk patients showed significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Based on the final Cox model, a nomogram comprising the 8-lncRNA signature and 3 clinicopathological risk factors was then established for clinical application to predict the 1, 2, and 3-year PFS of SOC patients. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that genes in the high-risk group were active in ATP synthesis, coupled electron transport, and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex assembly. Overall, our findings demonstrated the potential clinical significance of the 8-lncRNA-based classifier as a novel biomarker for outcome prediction and therapy decisions in SOC patients with platinum treatment.
Some Notes of the Fractional Integral and Derivatives and Its Applications
Authors: Qin Fen , Xu Fuyi , Qin Huizeng
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the definitions of the fractional derivative and integrals are given by the neutrix limit. Not only is it consistent with the classical results but also the representations of the fractional derivative and integrals are obtained for (x − a)−k, (x − a)−klnp(x − a), (x − a)−kf(x), and (x − a)−klnp(x − a)f(x), where k, p = 1,2, …, f(x) is the analytic function.
The Effect of Using Computerized Financial Statement Analysis on the Efficiency of Financial Performance: An Empirical Case on Industrial Factor in Project Scheduling‐Jordan Case Study
Authors: Alhosban Atallah , Al-Habashneh Fedel , Shawaqfeh George , Al-Tarawneh Essa
Published: November 2022

The study aimed to show the of the analysis of financial statements on the efficiency of the financial performance of the industrial sector, whose companies are listed in the financial market in Jordan. The study relied on the analysis of the financial statements for the years 2016–2021 published in the financial market for the industrial sector, and the mediating element was the Corona delinquents. The study relied on the indicators of return on assets, debt ratio, value, and the equation of market value to book value. Among the most important results of the study, several industrial enterprises lacked financial data for the research years, so they were removed from the analysis. The descriptive process test revealed: in the years after and during the Corona pandemic, industrial enterprises’ total assets climbed by 12%. Variable net income after tax has increased by 55% in postcoronavirus years in Jordanian industrial public shareholding firms, and this is reflected positively in the shift in profits. The book value of the share for Jordanian industrial public shareholding companies remains stable. The Corona pandemic problem increases asset value and net profit for industrial public shareholding enterprises. Among its most important recommendations are the necessity of having disclosure laws for unusual items, such as the Corona pandemic, and the need for industrial companies to show the impact of the Corona pandemic by announcing their financial statements.
Automatic Anomaly Monitoring Research of Business English Literature Translation Based on Decision Tree Intelligent Analysis
Authors: Yan Shaoli
Published: November 2022

As an important language tool, literature in business English defines rights and obligations in business activities from the perspective of literature translation. This article discusses business English from the perspective of literature translation, which should not only preserve the characteristics of literature, but also ensure the smooth and correct language. In order to improve the accuracy of the automatic translation of business English literature and optimize the design of the teaching platform for business English literature translation, a design method of the teaching platform for business English literature translation based on the decision tree logistic model is proposed. The platform design consists of two modules: automatic translation algorithm design and software development of the platform. Using the decision tree logistics model to analyze the semantic features of business English translation and context feature matching and adaptive semantic variable optimization method to analyze automation lexical features of business English translation and to extract the correlation between vocabulary and vocabulary characteristics, in the context of a specific business translation difference correction, the accuracy of English translation is improved. The software design of the platform is carried out under the decision tree logistics model. The platform construction is mainly divided into vocabulary database module, English information processing module, network interface module, and human-computer interaction interface module. B/S framework protocol is used for integrated development and the design of translation platform. According to the characteristics of the data business application and the particularity of data security risk monitoring, from business English requirement analysis, the study of business English translation behavior monitoring ability and analysis in the process of abnormal behavior monitoring techniques and methods, including data access, data processing, experience in engine, and model engine puts forward the future research direction. The platform test results show that this method has good accuracy and strong automatic translation ability in business English literature translation.
Biosorbent Efficacy of Groundnut Husk for the Elimination of Chromium from the Effluent of Mojo Tannery Industry, Ethiopia
Authors: Tegegn Kebru , Yusuf Zekeria , Sasikumar J. M. , Gorfu Kefelegn
Published: November 2022

The present study aimed to assess the effects of raw (RGNH), ethanol-extracted (EEGNH), and acid-treated (ATGNH) groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) husk for removal of chromium from tannery effluent from the Mojo tannery industry, Ethiopia. The effects of biosorbent dose, agitation speed, and contact time of heavy metal on biosorbent were measured. The percentage removal of chromium was examined by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). Functional group characteristics of the biosorbents were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The results indicated that at low doses (2 g), acid-treated groundnut husk (ATGNH) exhibited the highest removal efficiency (89.93%), whereas at a high dose (4 g), the raw groundnut husk (RGNH) has a potential removal efficiency (91.03%). The least removal efficiency was displayed by ethanol-extracted groundnut husk (EEGNH) (65.43%) at a dose of 3 g. Relating to the contact time, the highest chromium removal (94.41%) was exhibited by ATGNH with a 1-hour contact time. However, as contact time increased from 2 to 4 hours, there was a general decrease in the efficiency of biosorption. The removal of chromium by RGNH and EEGNH increased as contact time increased from 1 to 3 hours. The highest chromium removal (90.02%) was observed with ATGNH at 160 rpm agitation speed.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Rare Haplotypes Associated with Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Wang Fan , Moon Wonjong , Letsou William , Sapkota Yadav , Wang Zhaoming , Im Cindy , Baedke Jessica L. , Robison Leslie , Yasui Yutaka
Published: November 2022

Numerous common genetic variants have been linked to breast cancer risk, but they only partially explain the total breast cancer heritability. Inference from Nordic population-based twin data indicates rare high-risk loci as the chief determinant of breast cancer risk. Here, we use haplotypes, rather than single variants, to identify rare high-risk loci for breast cancer. With computationally phased genotypes from 181,034 white British women in the UK Biobank, a genome-wide haplotype–breast cancer association analysis was conducted using sliding windows of 5 to 500 consecutive array-genotyped variants. In the discovery stage, haplotype–breast cancer associations were evaluated retrospectively in the prestudy-enrollment data including 5,487 breast cancer cases. Breast cancer hazard ratios (HR) for additive haplotypic effects were estimated using Cox regression. The replication analysis included a prospective cohort of women free of breast cancer at enrollment, of whom 3,524 later developed breast cancer. This two-stage analysis detected 13 rare loci (frequency <1%), each associated with an appreciable breast cancer-risk increase (discovery: HRs = 2.84–6.10, P < 5 × 10–8; replication: HRs = 2.08–5.61, P < 0.01). In contrast, the variants that formed these rare haplotypes individually exhibited much smaller effects. Functional annotation revealed extensive cis-regulatory DNA elements in breast cancer–related cells underlying the replicated rare haplotypes. Using phased, imputed genotypes from 30,064 cases and 25,282 controls in the DRIVE OncoArray case–control study, 6 of the 13 rare–loci associations were found generalizable (odds ratio estimates: 1.48–7.67, P < 0.05). This study demonstrates the complementary advantage of utilizing rare haplotypes to capture novel risk loci and suggests the potential for the discovery of more genetic elements contributing to cancer heritability as large data sets of germline whole-genome sequencing become available.

Significance:

A genome-wide two-stage haplotype analysis identifies rare haplotypes associated with breast cancer risk and suggests that the rare risk haplotypes represent long-range interactions with regulatory consequences influencing cancer risk.
Platelet Internalization Mediates Ferroptosis in Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Miao Shuo , Zhang Qingsong , Ding Wei , Hou Bo , Su Zhe , Li Mengyang , Yang Lanting , Zhang Jun , Chang Wenguang , Wang Jianxun
Published: November 2022

Background:

Myocardial cell death is the hallmark of myocardial infarction. In the process of myocardial injury, platelets contribute to the pathogenesis by triggering intense inflammatory responses. Yet, it is still unclear if platelets regulate cardiomyocyte death directly, thereby exacerbating myocardial injury in myocardial infarction.

Methods:

We describe a mechanism underlying the correlative association between platelets accumulation and myocardial cell death by using myocardial infarction mouse model and patient specimens.

Results:

Myocardial infarction induces platelets internalization, resulting in the release of miR-223-3p, a platelet-enriched miRNA. By targeting the ACSL3, miR-223-3p delivered by internalized platelets cause the reduction of stearic acid-phosphatidylcholine in cardiomyocytes. The presence of stearic acid-phosphatidylcholine protects cardiomyocytes against ferroptosis.

Conclusions:

Our work reveals a novel mechanism of platelet-mediated myocardial injury, highlighting antiplatelet therapies could potentially represent a multimechanism treatment of myocardial infarction, and implying ferroptosis being considered as novel target for therapeutics.
Ex Vivo Modeling of the PC (Protein C) Pathway Using Endothelial Cells and Plasma: A Personalized Approach
Authors: Schwarz Nadine , Müller Jens , Yadegari Hamideh , McRae Hannah L. , Reda Sara , Hamedani Nasim Shahidi , Oldenburg Johannes , Pötzsch Bernd , Rühl Heiko
Published: November 2022

Background:

The endothelial cell–dependent PC (protein C) pathway is critically involved in the regulation of coagulation, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective signaling. Its reactivity shows high interindividual variability, and it contributes to prothrombotic disorders, such as the FVL (factor V Leiden) mutation.

Methods:

Endothelial colony–forming cells (ECFCs) were isolated from heparinized peripheral blood from healthy individuals and FVL carriers. Confluent monolayers of ECFCs were overlaid with plasma, and thrombin formation was initiated by addition of tissue factor (1 pmol/L). Subsequently, thrombin and APC (activated PC) formation rates were measured over time using oligonucleotide-based enzyme capture assays. To induce downregulation of TM (thrombomodulin) expression, ECFCs were stimulated with IL-1β (interleukin 1β). In vivo APC response rates were monitored in study participants after infusion of low-dose rFVIIa (recombinant activated factor VII).

Results:

The median peak APC concentration was 1.12 nmol/L in experiments with IL-1β stimulated ECFCs and 3.66 nmol/L without IL-1β. Although thrombin formation rates were comparable, APC formation rates were significantly higher in FVL carriers (n=6) compared to noncarriers (n=5) as evidenced by a higher ratio between the area under the curve of APC generation to the area under the curve of thrombin generation (median 0.090 versus 0.031,
P
=0.017). These ex vivo results were correlated with an increased APC response to rFVIIa-induced thrombin formation in FVL carriers in vivo.

Conclusions:

Patient-specific ex vivo modeling of the PC pathway was achieved using blood-derived ECFCs. The correlation between in and ex vivo APC response rates confirms that the autologous PC model accurately depicts the in vivo situation.
Respiratory Microbiome Profile of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Patients Associated With Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Wang Ting , Xing Yue , Peng Bingming , Yang Kai , Zhang Chenting , Chen Yuqin , Geng Gang , Li Qubei , Fu Jian , Li Mi , Luo Zhengxiu , Fu Zhou , Wang Jian
Published: November 2022

Background:

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of PH in pediatric patients. The airway microbiome profile in CHD-PH patients remains rarely studied.

Methods:

A total of 158 children were recruited for collection of oropharyngeal swabs to sequence the
16S
ribosomal RNA (
16S
rRNA) V3-V4 region of respiratory microbiome, to establish a correlation between these bacterial groups and echocardiography indicators in CHD-PH patients.

Results:

Bacterial α- and β-diversity of the airway microbiome indicated a significantly lower richness in the CHD-PH group and compositional differences associated with the specific taxa and their relative abundances in the upper respiratory tract. Principal coordinate analysis showed that the pharynx microbiota composition in the CHD-PH group varied from that in the CHD or control group. The linear discriminant analysis effect size also highlighted an increased presence of
Streptococcus
and
Rothia
in pediatric CHD-PH patients. Comparison of microbial composition between pediatric and adult PH patients showed significant differences and separation of microbiota. The correlation between bacterial abundance and transthoracic echocardiography indexes in CHD-associated PH indicated that different groups of microbiomes may be related to different PH grades.

Conclusions:

In summary, our study reported the systematic definition and divergent profile of the upper respiratory tract microbiota in pediatric PH patients, CHD and reference subjects, as well as between pediatric and adult PH patients.
Food Evaluation in Augmented Reality Environments: Can AR Affect Behavioral and Psychophysiological Responses?
Authors: Risso Paola , Sansone Martina , Gallace Alberto
Published: November 2022

The present study investigates the role of virtual contextual information, including affective information, in gustatory perception of crisps (fried potato chips). In a first preliminary experiment, we evaluated the association among three augmented reality (AR) animations (a pear-like character jumping a rope, a black-and-white cartoon character, a Venus flytrap carnivorous plant) and a different series of feelings and emotional states (i.e., cheerfulness, sadness, anger, aggressiveness, fear, anxiety, disgust, surprise, shame, tiredness, boredom). In a second experiment, the participants evaluated the gustatory perception of three different kinds of chips on several dimensions (e.g., pleasantness, crispiness, healthiness, purchase intention) by using visual analog scales. The chips were presented within an AR environment where the animations evaluated in Experiment 1 were placed close to the serving plate. The results of our study demonstrated that the chips tasted with the pear-like character animation (categorized as cheerful in Experiment 1) were judged as healthier than those tasted with black-and-white (i.e., sad) and Venus flytrap character animations (i.e., aggressive). Moreover, people's purchase intentions were higher with the pear-like character animation, as compared with the black-and-white character animation. These results showed that the context created by AR can affect participants’ food perception across several dimensions.
Synopsis of the tribe Crotoneae (Euphorbiaceae) in Distrito Federal, Brazil
Authors: MUNIZ FILHO EDUARDO , DA PAIXÃO NORONHA PEREIRA AMANDA , LUIS MARQUES DA SILVA OTÁVIO , ROSSI CARUZO MARIA BEATRIZ
Published: November 2022

Crotoneae are one of the largest tribes within Euphorbiaceae with great diversity in Brazil, especially the genus Croton with about 300 species in the country. In this contribution, we present a synopsis of Crotoneae in Distrito Federal, located in central Brazil, where the Cerrado is the prevalent phytogeographic domain. The study is based mainly on herbarium collections but we also observed and collected specimens in the field. The only two genera of the tribe that occur in the studied area are Astraea and Croton with 2 and 23 species, respectively. We provide here one synonymization and keys to identify the studied taxa, along with comments on geographic distribution, habitat, morphological relationships and taxonomic notes for each species.
Orchid discoveries in the Caribbean: A new Lepanthes (Pleurothallidinae) with a gigantic disc-shaped lip endemic to Cuba
Authors: RESTREPO EUGENIO , SOTO-CALVO MANUEL ALEJANDRO , MORALES-MARTÍNEZ ALELÍ
Published: November 2022

A new species of Lepanthes from Eastern Cuba, restricted to a small locality in the province of Guantánamo, where it grows lithophytically adjacent to the Río Duaba, near sea level is described and illustrated. This new species can be easily distinguished from other Cuban species by its small plant size, no more than 2 cm long, bearing a relatively large flower with reflexed sepals, an entire disc-shaped lip, compounded by two reniform basal lobes without an appendix, being easily one of the largest lips within the Lepanthes genus from Cuba.
New species and a new province record of Hemacroneuria (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China
Authors: LI KEFAN , MURÁNYI DÁVID , LI WEIHAI
Published: November 2022

A new stonefly of the perlid genus Hemacroneuria Enderlein, 1909, H. kondratieffi sp. nov., is described and illustrated and compared with related congeners on the basis of both sexes from Shennongjia National Park, Hubei Province of central China. Hemacroneuria elongata is new for Yunnan Province. An unidentified male for Yunnan Province is also provided with color images.
Compound Heat Wave, Drought, and Dust Events in California
Authors: Pu Bing , Jin Qinjian , Ginoux Paul , Yu Yan
Published: November 2022

California is one of the nation’s top agriculture producers and is vulnerable to extreme events such as droughts and heat waves. Concurrent extreme events may further stress water and energy resources, exerting greater adverse socioeconomic, environmental, and health impacts than individual events. Here we examine the features of compound drought, heat wave, and dust events in California during spring and summer. From 2003 to 2020, 16 compound events are found in warm seasons, with a mean duration of ∼4 days. Compound events are characterized by enhanced surface temperature up to 4.5°C over northern and western California, reduced soil moisture and vegetation density, and an increase in dust optical depth (DOD) by 0.05–0.1 over central and southern California. The enhanced DOD is largely associated with severe vegetation dieback that favors dust emissions and southeasterly wind anomalies that support northward transport of dust from source regions in southern California. Surface fine dust and PM2.5 concentrations also increase by more than 0.5 and 5 μg m−3, respectively, during compound events associated with both enhanced dust emissions and a relatively stable atmosphere that traps pollutants. The development of the compound events is related to an anomalous high over the west coast in the lower to middle troposphere, which is a pattern favoring sinking motion and dry conditions in California. The anomalous high is embedded in a wave train that develops up to 7 days before the events. In comparison with heat wave extremes alone, compound events show significantly higher DOD and lower vegetation density associated with droughts.
Distinct Responses of North Pacific and North Atlantic Summertime Subtropical Anticyclones to Global Warming
Authors: He Chao , Zhou Tianjun
Published: November 2022

The subtropical North Pacific and North Atlantic are controlled by basin-scale anticyclones in boreal summer. Based on a novel metric regarding the strengths of the rotational and the divergent circulation of anticyclones, we investigated the possible future responses in the intensity of these two subtropical anticyclones to global warming. While the North Atlantic subtropical anticyclone (NASA) is projected to strengthen, the North Pacific subtropical anticyclone (NPSA) is projected to weaken, in terms of both the rotational and the divergent circulation. The distinct responses of the NPSA and NASA are corroborated by the models participating in the fifth and sixth phases of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), under both intermediate and high emission scenarios. We further investigated the possible mechanism for their distinct responses by decomposing the effect of greenhouse gas forcing into the direct effect of increased CO2 concentration and the indirect effect through sea surface temperature (SST). The intensified NASA results from the CO2 direct forcing while the weakened NPSA is dominated by the SST warming. The CO2 direct forcing enhances the NASA by increasing land–ocean thermal contrast anchored by the largest subtropical continental area, the Eurasian–African continent. Both the uniform SST warming and the change in SST pattern act to weaken the NPSA by increasing the latent heating over the subtropical North Pacific basin, as suggested by atmospheric component model simulations. The distinct responses of the NPSA and the NASA may lead to zonal asymmetry of the subtropical climate change.
Free Long-Wave Transformation in the Nearshore Zone through Partial Reflections
Authors: Contardo Stephanie , Lowe Ryan J , Dufois Francois , Hansen Jeff E , Buckley Mark , Symonds Graham
Published: November 2022

Long waves play an important role in coastal inundation and shoreline and dune erosion, requiring a detailed understanding of their evolution in nearshore regions and interaction with shorelines. While their generation and dissipation mechanisms are relatively well understood, there are fewer studies describing how reflection processes govern their propagation in the nearshore. We propose a new approach, accounting for partial reflections, which leads to an analytical solution to the free wave linear shallow-water equations at the wave-group scale over general varying bathymetry. The approach, supported by numerical modeling, agrees with the classic Bessel standing solution for a plane sloping beach but extends the solution to arbitrary alongshore uniform bathymetry profiles and decomposes it into incoming and outgoing wave components, which are a combination of successively partially reflected waves lagging each other. The phase lags introduced by partial reflections modify the wave amplitude and explain why Green’s law, which describes the wave growth of free waves with decreasing depth, breaks down in very shallow water. This reveals that the wave amplitude at the shoreline is highly dependent on partial reflections. Consistent with laboratory and field observations, our analytical model predicts a reflection coefficient that increases and is highly correlated with the normalized bed slope (bed slope relative to wave frequency). Our approach shows that partial reflections occurring due to depth variations in the nearshore are responsible for the relationship between the normalized bed slope and the amplitude of long waves in the nearshore, with direct implications for determining long-wave amplitudes at the shoreline and wave runup.
Favorite Possessions Protect Subjective Well-Being Under Income Inequality
Authors: Liu Jingshi (Joyce) , Dalton Amy N. , Mukhopadhyay Anirban
Published: November 2022

Rising income inequality is taking a toll on people's subjective well-being (SWB), and many commentators have implicated the role of material possessions, and thereby marketing, in this regard. Making a more nuanced argument, this research proposes that certain material possessions—namely, favorite possessions—can mitigate the detrimental psychological effect of income inequality on SWB. In support of this proposition, experimental data from nine countries (N = 3,687) and social media posts from 138 countries (N = 31,332) converge to show that, while SWB generally declines as income inequality increases, encouraging consumers to attend to their favorite possessions can mitigate the negative effect of inequality on SWB. This is because attending to favorite possessions reduces consumers’ tendency to make social comparisons related to material resources and wealth, which otherwise arise when income inequality is high. Consequently, even when they perceive high income inequality, consumers feel less deprived relative to others, which buffers their SWB. These findings have meaningful consumer welfare implications. In particular, one way consumers can feel happier with their quality of life in an unequal society is to avoid comparing their material wealth with that of others and instead attend to the material possessions most special to them.
The Chagos Islands and international orders: human rights, rule of law, and foreign rule
Authors: Welz Martin
Published: November 2022

This article uses the Chagos Archipelago that is administered by the United Kingdom, used as a military base by the US, and claimed by Mauritius, as a case study to explore competing international orders and move the theorization of international orders forward. Considering international orders as functionally and geographically limited sets of rules, I focus on those three sets of orders that functionally relate to human rights, the rule of law, and foreign rule. I show that those orders that promote human rights and the rule of law more consistently and reject foreign rule have extended their geographic scope. The Chagos Islands dispute is an intriguing case study to probe shifts of and attempts to protect these orders as a vote in 2019 at the United National General Assembly forced states to take sides. At the same time, my analysis highlights that realpolitik prevents the full overturn of the challenged orders.
Application of a Low-Temperature Plasma Knife to Excise a Spindle Cell Tumor of the Nasal Cavity: A Case Report
Authors: Li Hangjin , Qu Hui , Wang Jizhe
Published: November 2022

To describe a rare case of spindle cell tumor in the nasal cavity of a young female, along with its successful surgical management using a low-temperature plasma knife. A 38-year-old female patient presented with a 6-month history of nasal blockage, hyposmia, and local tenderness. The patient denied a history of definite diagnosis or special treatment. A preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed the size and extent of the tumor in her nasal cavity. She underwent endoscopic surgery for the sinus using a low-temperature plasma knife. The procedure was performed without complications, and her symptoms resolved within 1 month. The postoperative pathology report suggested a spindle cell tumor in her nasal cavity. Nasal spindle cell tumor is rare and usually presents with no specific clinical symptoms, which should be taken into consideration during diagnosis. In this case, we demonstrate that the effectiveness and safety of sinus surgery can be improved and aided by a low-temperature plasma knife and nasal endoscopy.
Where Would Ukrainian Refugees Go if They Could Go Anywhere?
Authors: Elinder Mikael , Erixson Oscar , Hammar Olle
Published: November 2022

We present estimates of the number of refugees expected to flee Ukraine and to which countries they are expected to migrate based on migration preferences data from the Gallup World Poll (GWP). This is important in terms of both immediate refugee assistance efforts and long-term integration policies. Our key finding is that as many as 12 million people may want to leave Ukraine permanently and that refugee policies in potential destination countries are likely to have a substantial impact on the distribution of Ukrainian refugees between different countries. More specifically, international solidarity in response to the migration crisis would significantly reduce the refugee flows to European Union (EU) countries, incur a limited burden on non-EU countries, and at the same time, better take the preferences of the Ukrainians into account.
Retrospective Data Analysis of Patients With Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With or Without KRAS-Mutation or TTF1-Expression
Authors: Moeller Miriam , Schaedlich Florian , Schuette Wolfgang
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Patients with lung adenocarcinoma not expressing TTF1 and those with a KRAS mutation have worse prognosis. However, available data are limited and sometimes contradictory. Therefore, this retrospective cohort analysis aimed to clarify whether there was a difference in overall survival and progression-free survival between these groups of patients.

Methods

In total, data derived from 181 patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma treated at the Martha-Maria Halle-Dölau Hospital from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated, and associated values, such as median survival and its confidence intervals, were determined using the log-rank test.

Results

A benefit in overall survival (OS) (8.4 vs 5.8 months; HR, .8; 95% CI, .53-1.19; P = .267) was associated with positive TTF1 expression, but this was not statistically significant. The same trend was shown with the progressive free survival (PFS) (6.5 vs 4.6 months; HR, .76; 95% CI, .51-1.20; P = .162). In patients with a KRAS mutation, there was no difference in OS compared to those with a wildtype KRAS. The median survival was almost identical at 7.5 months ( KRAS mutation, 95% CI, 3.32-11.74) and 7.0 months ( KRAS wildtype, 95% CI, 3.59-10.41). Additionally, in PFS, there was no difference between the 2 groups (5.8 vs 6.3 months).

Conclusions

Our analysis did not show a worse prognosis in patients with a KRAS mutation or in those with missing TTF1 expression, which is most likely related to the new therapeutic options. As a result of the administration of immunotherapy in patients with a KRAS mutation and the change from a regimen containing pemetrexed to a regimen containing no pemetrexed, the corresponding patients no longer seem to have a worse prognosis.
Rights and Stones: Pentecostal Autoconstruction and Citizenship in Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Oosterbaan Martijn
Published: November 2022

This article discusses the growth of Pentecostal churches in favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The author pleads for a systemic inclusion of religious ideas and practices in theoretical reflections on citizenship in the urban contexts of Brazil. Concretely, scholars need to include the explosive rise of Pentecostalism in their reflections on insurgent citizenship this religious movement fuels rights discourses and supports feelings of pride and dignity in the face of structural spatial exclusion. The author highlights two important relations between favela building practices and Pentecostalism. One concerns the affinity between the bottom-up organizational and doctrinal structure of the biggest Pentecostal denomination in Brazil (the Assemblies of God) and the informal building practices of favela residents. The other concerns the elective affinity between autoconstruction in terms of Pentecostal projects of self-fashioning and self-governance and autoconstruction in terms of favela building practices.
L2 learners’ self-regulated learning strategies and self-efficacy for writing achievement: A latent profile analysis
Authors: Chen Jing , Zhang Lawrence Jun , Chen Xiaotong
Published: November 2022

There is an increasing recognition that effective deployment of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies is essential for the development of second/foreign language learners’ abilities to accomplish learning goals. Within models of SRL, a prerequisite for the active employment of SRL strategies is learners’ self-efficacy, which interacts with strategy use in all phases. In the domain of second language (L2) writing, previous research mainly adopted a variable-centred approach to investigate the relationship between SRL strategy use and self-efficacy whereas person-centred questions have largely been neglected. Performing latent profile analysis (LPA) with undergraduate students of English as a foreign language (EFL), we identified three SRL profiles that differed quantitatively concerning levels of self-efficacy. The efficacious self-regulators with the highest levels of cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational components of SRL reported the highest levels of self-efficacy, followed by the moderate strategists; EFL learners with the lowest levels on the main SRL components reported the lowest writing self-efficacy score. Learners of different profiles differed significantly in a writing performance test with the efficacious self-regulators outperforming the other two profiles. Implications for self-regulated language learning and L2 writing instruction are discussed.
Adolescents’ perceptions of how teachers encourage creativity in the context of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
Authors: O’Boyle Éanna
Published: November 2022

This article describes findings from a case study that aimed to understand adolescents’ perceptions of how teachers encourage creativity across the curriculum. Four broad categories of creativity-fostering teaching practices emerged. These were disciplinary understanding (D), empowerment (E), relevance (R), and creative metacognition (M). This categorisation led directly to the development of the ‘DERM model’ that aims to provide teachers with guidance for encouraging creativity in the classroom.
When Encephalitis Burns Out, Are You Left With a Spark?
Authors: Steriade Claude
Published: November 2022

[Box: see text]
Interpretivists in the English School: Aren’t we all?
Authors: Friedner Parrat Charlotta
Published: November 2022

This article is a reply to Bevir and Hall, who recently argued in this journal that the English School needs to reflect more on its philosophy. They are right. Yet, their preferred distinction between a structural and an interpretivist strand of the School is not a constructive way forward. This is because their distinction between a structural and an interpretivist strand of the school is too stark, their chosen dimensions for sorting through the School are arguably not the most fruitful, and the inclusion of the English School’s normative agenda must remain independent of whether one is inclined to start from structure or from agency. After elaborating these points, the article moves on to suggesting a number of other philosophical issues which would be more relevant for the English School to work through. It ends with an empirical illustration of what an integrated English School approach, inspired by structuration, could look like.
Motivation, Engagement, and Mathematics Achievement: An Exploratory Study Among Chinese Primary Students
Authors: Xia Qi , Yin Hongbiao , Hu Ruonan , Li Xiuhan , Shang Junjie
Published: November 2022

Student motivation and engagement have been complex issues in basic mathematics education. Based on the theory of Motivation and Engagement Wheel, this study examined the relationships among student motivation, engagement, and mathematics achievement. A sample of 1,538 Chinese primary school students participated in the survey, and motivation and engagement were assessed through their responses to the Motivation and Engagement Scale. The results largely confirmed the hypothesized relationships between motivation, engagement, and mathematics achievement. Some consistent patterns of individual differences related to gender and grade level were also revealed. Cluster analysis revealed that the category of “struggling students” showed high levels of adaptive engagement in learning, but their mathematics scores were still low, which may be correlated to their high level of maladaptive motivation and engagement. These findings provide implications for developing a more comprehensive knowledge of the nature of students’ mathematics learning motivation and improving their engagement in mathematic learning.
Can Islamic Financial Literacy Minimize Bankruptcy Among the Muslims? An Exploratory Study in Malaysia
Authors: Abdullah Md. Faruk , Hoque Muhammad Nazmul , Rahman Md. Habibur , Said Jamaliah
Published: November 2022

Studies showed that Malaysians possess low financial literacy. Consequently, bankruptcy cases among young adults in Malaysia are rising. The government and its relevant institutions, that is, credit counseling and debt management agency, provide different training and awareness programs to minimize the bankruptcy rates. Muslims are among the majority that declared bankruptcy; hence, Islamic financial literacy (IFL) may have a considerable role to minimize bankruptcy cases by changing the attitudes and behaviors of debtors. Furthermore, studying IFL is pertinent to Malaysia because it is a Muslim-majority country with the leading Islamic banking market in the world. Therefore, this study aims to construct the theory of IFL from the sources of the Shariah and examines whether it is suitable to implement IFL in different financial awareness programs in Malaysia. The study concludes that IFL provides a comprehensive guideline for borrowers, lenders, financial institutions, and society to reduce bankruptcy. Furthermore, findings from the field study confirmed that IFL could be used in Malaysia to raise awareness among the related parties. This is a qualitative study that employed an inductive and deductive approach to review the sources of the Shariah to come out with Shariah rulings. Furthermore, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with the officials of related government bodies and agencies. It is expected that the outcome would have a direct implication on the policymakers and loaning institutions in Malaysia.
Novel De Novo Heterozygous Variants in the SON Gene Causing ZTTK Syndrome: A Case Report of Two Patients and Review of Neurological Findings
Authors: Eid Maya , Bhatia Sonal
Published: November 2022

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim (ZTTK) syndrome is a newly described autosomal dominant multisystem developmental disorder resulting from a mutation of the SON gene located on chromosome region 21q22.11. It is characterized by heterogeneous features such as intellectual disability, facial dysmorphisms, poor feeding, vision abnormalities, musculoskeletal anomalies, congenital heart and genitourinary system defects, as well as several unique neurological findings including seizures, tone abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder and variable brain abnormalities noted on neuroimaging. Unfortunately, we lack adequate information regarding the spectrum of these neurological symptoms. In this study, we report 2 new unrelated cases of ZTTK syndrome, and identify new pathogenic variants in the SON gene through microarray analysis and whole-exome sequencing. We also emphasize the neurological manifestations of the syndrome in our patients and discuss the significance of gathering more data regarding neurological presentation, particularly seizure characteristics and long-term developmental progression. This information will be crucial to help understand long-term neurodevelopmental prognosis in these patients.
Is There a Psychiatric Diagnosis in Chronic Ankle Instability Patients?
Authors: Allen John R. , Hoch Caroline P. , Scott Daniel J. , Gross Christopher E.
Published: November 2022

Category:

Ankle; Other

Introduction/Purpose:

Ankle instability is an extremely common clinical entity. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) can develop in some patients, leading to continued pain and dysfunction. However, there is very limited data to date on what impact common psychiatric pathology may have on patients' experience with CAI. This study aimed to investigate the association between psychiatric diagnosis and CAI, and whether having a diagnosed psychiatric illness impacts the outcome of CAI. We hypothesized that a concomitant diagnosis of psychiatric pathology with CAI would be significantly associated with lower postoperative patient- reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted of 276 patients (280 ankles) treated between 2005 and 2021 at an academic medical center by one of three fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons, of which 56 underwent surgery and 130 had a concomitant psychiatric diagnosis (i.e., anxiety=111, depression=105, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]=19, obsessive- compulsive disorder [OCD]=6, bipolar disorder [BPD]=5). Data collected included demographics, conservative treatment history, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), such as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Brief Resiliency Scale (BRS), 12-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-12), Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Pain Disability Index (PDI), Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM).

Results:

Preoperatively, patients with these concomitant psychiatric diagnoses had worse preoperative PROMs. However, the overall cohort improved postoperatively across all PROMs. In particular, the FAOS Total score relatively increased by 35.28% (preop=57.29%, postop=77.50%, p=.011) and the FAAM Total by 49.86% (preop=45.87%, postop=68.74%, p=.027). Both improvements were significant. Of note, the relative change of pre- to postoperative FAOS and FAAM scores was greater among the mental illness group in all scores but FAOS Sports and Recreation. (Table 1) However, no postoperative PROM among the mental illness group, aside from the FAOS Symptoms and Stiffness score, was as high as the postoperative score of those without mental illness. Although patients with these psychiatric illnesses more often failed conservative measures and subsequently received surgical treatment, this was not significant.

Conclusion:

CAI patients with a concomitant psychiatric diagnosis improved more following surgery than those without mental illness, as measured by FAOS and FAAM scores. However, the mental illness group did not report postoperative FAOS and FAAM scores as high as those without mental illness. Furthermore, CAI patients with a concomitant mental illness more often failed conservative treatment and went on to receive surgery. Physicians should be aware of this information when counseling CAI patients with a concomitant mental illness.