bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristic impairment of progesterone response in cultured cervical fibroblasts obtained from patients with refractory cervical insufficiency
Authors: Sugita Yosuke , Kuwabara Yoshimitsu , Katayama Akira , Matsuda Shigeru , Manabe Ichiro , Suzuki Shunji , Oishi Yumiko
Published: July 2023

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of neonatal mortality, and reducing the PTB rate is one of the most critical issues in perinatal medicine. Cervical insufficiency (CI), a major cause of PTB, is characterised by premature cervical ripening in the second trimester, followed by recurrent pregnancy loss. Although multiple clinical trials have suggested that progesterone inhibits cervical ripening, no studies have focused on progesterone-induced molecular signalling in CI. Here, we established a primary culture system for human uterine cervical fibroblasts using a sample of patients with refractory innate CI who underwent transabdominal cervical cerclage and patients with low Bishop scores who underwent elective caesarean section as controls. RNA sequencing showed that the progesterone response observed in the control group was impaired in the CI group. This was consistent with the finding that progesterone receptor expression was markedly downregulated in CI. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of progesterone on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory stimuli was also impaired in CI. These results suggest that abnormal cervical ripening in CI is caused by the downregulation of progesterone signalling at the receptor level, and provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism of PTB.
Selected bacteria in sheep stool depending on breed and physiology state
Authors: Cholewińska Paulina , Szeligowska Natalia , Wojnarowski Konrad , Nazar Paulina , Greguła-Kania Monika , Junkuszew Andrzej , Rant Witold , Radzik-Rant Aurelia , Marcinkowska Anna , Bodkowski Robert
Published: July 2023

One of the important factors influencing the microbial community of ruminants, besides environment or diet, are breed and physiology. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess these changes in the levels of basic microbial phyla and families. For this study, qPCR analysis was performed to determine the level of bacteria (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria clusters and Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillaceae families) in the feces of ewes of three native Polish sheep breeds (Polish Lowland Sheep (PON), Świniarka Sheep (SW), and synthetic line BCP) at different physiological periods (conception, early pregnancy, lambing, end of lactation). The animals were kept in the same environment and were at the same age (2-years). The results showed a significant effect of both breed (p = 0.038) and physiological period (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) on the levels of bacteria analyzed. The breed showed differences across physiological periods. The influence of the race factor was noted primarily between the BCP synthetic line and the other two breeds (differences in terms of all analyzed clusters and families except Actinobacteria phyla). In the case of SW and PON, however, the observed differences were only at the level of Proteobacteria cluster and Clostridiaceae family. On the other hand, the early pregnant and lambing periods were the most microbiologically diverse in terms of the analyzed clusters and families of bacteria.
Co-construction et évaluation d’ateliers de soutien pour les parents-aidants en pédiatrie : une recherche-action participative
Authors: Dubois Anne-Catherine , Aujoulat Isabelle , Boland Maëlle , Lahaye Magali
Published: July 2023

Introduction : Lorsqu’un enfant présente un problème de santé chronique complexe, ses parents endossent un rôle de proche aidant. La double identité de parent et de proche aidant les expose au risque d’épuisement. Objectifs : Pour les accompagner dans la prise de conscience de leurs besoins et dans l’identification et la mobilisation de leurs ressources, nous avons développé et évalué des ateliers de soutien pour parents-aidants. Méthodes : Nous avons mené une recherche-action participative, itérative et évaluative, soutenue par un comité de pilotage (professionnels, parents et chercheurs). Trois groupes de parents (N = 18) ont participé à 4 ateliers de soutien. Les données collectées ont été traitées par une analyse thématique. Résultats : Le dispositif des ateliers a permis aux parents de bénéficier de temps pour eux, de prendre conscience de ce qu’ils vivaient, d’échanger entre parents, et d’envisager des changements dans leur quotidien. Ces bénéfices ont été soutenus par un dispositif en ligne, encadré par des professionnels de la santé physique et psychologique, proposant des ateliers de soutien aux parents quelles que soient les caractéristiques de leur famille et de leur enfant. Discussion et conclusion : Ces ateliers constituent des temps de rencontre qui visent à préserver l’équilibre personnel et familial et qui pourraient participer à la prévention de l’épuisement parental.
Investigation on effects of cobalt-chromite nanoparticle blends in compression-ignition engine
Authors: Baluchamy Anbarasan , Karuppusamy Muralidharan , C Sakthi Rajan , Senthamaraikannan Balamurugan
Published: July 2023

This work provides a high-level overview of the performance parameters of a nanoparticle-fuelled engine emulsion. The nanoparticle of cobalt chromite was created by a straightforward laboratory procedure. The nanoparticles were introduced at concentrations of 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, and 80 ppm, with the optimal concentration being found to be a Kapok methylester-20 (KME20) blend. Varying the timings and operated the engine at a constant speed 1800 rpm. Injections can be given at 19, 23, or 27 degrees before the before top dead centre, which are referred to as retardation, standard, and advanced, respectively. The Brake thermal efficiency is increased by 7.2% when the blend of KME20 with 80 ppm advanced is compared to the triggered ignition delay. Unburnt hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide levels in the 80 ppm-Advanced KME20 mix are reduced by 37.86% and 41.66%, respectively, when compared to the standard injection period. Oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide in the blend KME20 with 20 ppm - retardation rose by 16.45 and 9.5 percent, respectively, compared to the duration of normal injections. Increased the brake thermal efficiency for KME20 with nanoparticles at concentration of 80 ppm is 7.5% as related to same blend without doping of nanoparticles. Using kapok methyl ester with nanoparticles doped in the standard engine can improve efficiency and performance.
Genome assemblies of Vigna reflexo-pilosa (créole bean) and its progenitors, Vigna hirtella and Vigna trinervia, revealed homoeolog expression bias and expression-level dominance in the allotetraploid
Authors: Pootakham Wirulda , Sonthirod Chutima , Naktang Chaiwat , Yundaeng Chutintorn , Yoocha Thippawan , Kongkachana Wasitthee , Sangsrakru Duangjai , Somta Prakit , Tangphatsornruang Sithichoke
Published: July 2023

Vigna reflexo-pilosa (créole bean) is a wild legume belonging to the subgenus Ceratoropis and is widely distributed in Asia. Créole bean is the only tetraploid species in the genus Vigna, and it has been shown to derive from the hybridization of Vigna hirtella and Vigna trinervia. In this study, we combined the long-read PacBio technology with the chromatin contact mapping (Hi-C) technique to obtain a chromosome-level assembly of V. reflexo-pilosa. The final assembly contained 998,724,903 bases with an N50 length of 42,545,650 bases. Our gene prediction recovered 99.4% of the highly conserved orthologs based on the BUSCO analysis. To investigate homoeolog expression bias and expression level dominance in the tetraploid, we also sequenced and assembled the genomes of its progenitors. Overall, the majority of the homoeolog pairs (72.9%) displayed no expression bias, and among those that exhibited biased expression, 16.3% showed unbalanced homoeolog expression bias toward the V. trinervia subgenome. Moreover, 41.2% and 36.2% of the expressed gene pairs exhibited transgressive expression and expression level dominance, respectively. Interestingly, the genome-wide expression level dominance in the tetraploid was biased toward the V. trinervia subgenome. The analysis of methylation patterns also revealed that the average methylation levels in coding regions were higher in the V. hirtella subgenome than those in the V. trinervia subgenome. The genomic/transcriptomic resources for these three species are useful not only for the development of elite cultivars in Vigna breeding programs but also to researchers studying comparative genomics and investigating genomic/epigenomic changes following polyploid events.
Differential Effects of Antimalarial Drugs on Parasite Clearance Rates Are Reflected by Plasmodium falciparum Ring Ratio
Authors: Saidi Alexuse M , Zhang Bo , Jiang Melody , Kawaza Kondwani , Musaya Janelisa , Taylor Terrie , Seydel Karl
Published: July 2023

Background

The location of Plasmodium falciparum within the body is determined by the life cycle of the parasite; young rings are in the peripheral blood, whereas mature parasites are sequestered in deep tissues. We can calculate a “ring ratio,” the proportion of parasites in the periphery to the total number of parasites in the body. Artesunate acts on all parasite life stages, whereas quinine is effective only on sequestered parasites. Children with cerebral malaria (CM) treated with artesunate clear parasites faster than those treated with quinine. In this study, we established the relationship between ring ratio and parasite clearance rate and used the ring ratio to determine if the benefit derived from artesunate treatment could be attributed to its broader effect on life cycle stages.

Methods

Ring ratios were calculated for 400 hospitalized children with CM in Blantyre, Malawi between 2010 and 2019 (quinine: 2010–2013, artesunate: 2014–2019).

Results

In both treatment groups, parasite clearance rates were positively associated with the ring ratios, with a stronger association in the artesunate era than the quinine era. In the quinine era, an increase of 1-unit log10 difference between parasitemia and plasma P falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (a proxy for ring ratio) resulted in a 0.27-unit increase in the parasite clearance rate, whereas in the artesunate era an equal increase resulted in a 0.41-unit increase (P = .04 for the difference).

Conclusions

This analysis provides in vivo evidence supporting the hypothesis that more rapid parasite clearance rates in artesunate recipients are due to its superiority over quinine in killing ring-stage parasites.
A case of eosinophilic granulomatous polyangiitis with concurrent central and peripheral nervous system involvement
Authors: Challa Anusha , Sirisha Sai , Khandelia Harsh , Parekh Mihir , Patil Anuja , Jayalakshmi Sita
Published: July 2023

Eosinophilic granulomatous polyangiitis (EGPA) like other antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis has multisystemic involvement. It commonly manifests with prodromal pulmonary involvement as asthma, chronic sinusitis followed by systemic vasculitic complications associated with blood and tissue eosinophilia. Central nervous system manifestations at presentation are uncommon compared with peripheral nervous system involvement. Vasculitic neuropathy in EGPA commonly presents as mononeuritis multiplex but rarely as polyradiculopathy. Late onset EGPA often presents with systemic involvement, and early diagnosis is a key to prevent further complications. The neuropathy in late onset EGPA is often refractory to immunosuppression and corticosteroids treatment. We report a case of EGPA with late onset asthma presenting with acute infarct and demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy that progressed with bulbar paralysis and profound dysautonomia. This illustrates simultaneous involvement of central and peripheral nervous system with EGPA. Autonomic dysfunction can occur in patients of EGPA with multisystem involvement, which may predict severe complications.
A case report of abscopal toxicity in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Reddy Aswanth , Nwankwo Nkolika , Sekar Arjun , Kumar Aswini
Published: July 2023

The abscopal effect describes tumor responses outside the irradiated field. The literature shows increased overall survival and response rates in patients receiving immunotherapy and radiation, likely from exaggerated abscopal effects. We present a 57-year-old woman with stage 4 lung adenocarcinoma who received treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. She had disease progression on maintenance immunotherapy, confirming resistance. Palliative radiation to the sternal bone lesion resulted in a significant response to all areas of cancer, confirming the abscopal effect. Unfortunately, she developed severe pneumonitis; to our knowledge, this is the first case of abscopal lung toxicity.
Isaiah, the Twelve, and the Prophetic Anthology
Authors: Mastnjak Nathan
Published: July 2023

In the Hellenistic period, scribes gathered the prophetic collections and edited, arranged, and copied them onto longer book-scrolls. These transformation in the media of prophecy involved significant transformations of the literature. Chapter 5 analyses Isaiah and the book of the Twelve as explicit anthologies of prophetic literature. The identification of Isaiah as an anthology suggests that when Second and Third Isaiah were added to First Isaiah, they were originally intended to be read not as pseudonymously attributed to Isaiah of Jerusalem, but as anonymous prophetic works thematically related to each other and to the First Isaiah. Marginal notations in 1QIsaa, the oldest nearly complete manuscript of Isaiah, possibly corroborate this reading by identifying multiple prophetic voices in the text.
Conclusion
Authors: Mastnjak Nathan
Published: July 2023

This chapter gathers together the various strands of the argument and points toward the broader implications this study has beyond the biblical prophetic corpus. Left unexamined, concepts of textuality arising in print cultures influence the way modern biblical scholars tend to think about biblical books. The study suggests that ancient Israelite literature in general should be thought of as collections of textual objects rather than single scrolls. This new way of thinking about the materiality of biblical compositions opens up new possible solutions for classic problems in the field. It also directs attention to the important role played by the Hellenistic bookmakers who were responsible for transforming these libraries into single-volume scroll-books.
A Life Course Approach to Diabetes
Authors: Papadimos Emily , Morton Jedidiah , Harding Jessica , Barr Elizabeth
Published: July 2023

Several factors that affect females across the life course are associated with risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including genetics, parent-of-origin effects, the intrauterine environment, reproductive and pregnancy characteristics, and lifestyle and socioeconomic circumstances. Genome-wide association studies have identified many genetic variants involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM. The intrauterine environment, including maternal diabetes and adiposity, is an important risk factor for obesity and T2DM. Maternally expressed genes and matrilineal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA may play important roles in the excess maternal transmission of T2DM. Low birthweight, particularly when followed by accelerated postnatal growth, is associated with diabetes risk in adulthood. Puberty and pregnancy are other critical time points when increased insulin resistance may increase diabetes susceptibility. There appears to be a female predominance of youth-onset T2DM, which may reflect the role of sex steroids and/or socioenvironmental factors in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Gestational diabetes and/or multigravida increase T2DM risk, which may be due to gestational physiological changes and lifestyle behaviours. Reproductive factors, including age of menarche and menopause, as well as cycle length and regularity, are also implicated in T2DM risk. The relationship of socioeconomic status to diabetes risk varies between cultures, usually mirroring the prevailing socioeconomic patterns of obesity. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in T2DM risk is needed to address the growing burden of T2DM, especially as T2DM is now increasingly affecting children. This chapter highlights important time points throughout a woman’s life course that may influence her risk of T2DM.
Introduction
Authors: Colley Christopher K.
Published: July 2023

Naval modernization is not a common phenomenon. Most states do not feel the need to build powerful blue water navies. The contemporary cases of China and India are different. Both states are currently building powerful blue water navies. Multiple theories have been put forward to explain naval modernization, however in the cases of China and India the best explanation is strategic rivalry. Specifically, China is building a powerful navy to counter the American military and increases in Chinese maritime power are causing its rival India to embark on its own naval modernization programme. Importantly, these rivalries experience critical junctures where threat perceptions spike, thus leading to greater calls for naval modernization.
Main Themes and Competing Arguments
Authors: Colley Christopher K.
Published: July 2023

Naval modernization has many causes, but the primary driver of modernization is strategic rivalry. This chapter critically reviews the literature on naval modernization and how it is manifested in the case studies of India and China in the modern era. The literature on Chinese naval modernization is more sophisticated than that focused on India. However, scholars in both fields have made important contributions to our understanding of these developments. This chapter also demonstrates that while the literature speaks of rivalry as a main driver in the two states, no study has yet to offer granular analysis of how rivalry actually drives leaders to pursue naval modernization.
Online Social Aggression
Authors: Fox Jesse
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines the emotional experiences associated with a broad range of online aggressive behaviors. The authors begin by conceptualizing online social aggression (OSA) and providing an organizational framework for types of OSA including cyberbullying, online harassment, online incivility, online sexual harassment, online hate speech, online shaming, cyberstalking, digital dating abuse, flaming, trolling, griefing, doxing, and image-based sexual abuse (i.e., “revenge porn”). They explain how technology affordances, such as anonymity, visibility, and social presence, distinguish OSA from aggression in other environments. They discuss relevant theoretical models, including the social identity model of deindividuation effects and the online disinhibition effect. They then review research on emotions in OSA considering perpetrators, targets, and observers (e.g., anger, frustration, jealousy, envy, fear, disgust, sadness, loneliness, amusement, and boredom). After discussing methodological challenges of studying OSA and describing some interventions, they conclude with suggestions for future research.
Introduction
Authors: Johnston Melissa
Published: July 2023

The introduction establishes the historical context and analytical framework of the book, distinguishing it from the numerous other studies of gender relations in Timor-Leste. It briefly outlines the Timorese case as the setting in which gender interventions are examined and argues that analyses of peacebuilding interventions grounded in “local turn” literature are insufficient because they fail to examine the dynamics of power. Instead, this section introduces a synthetic approach of structural and feminist political economy which allows the examination of class and gender power relations within and across national and international groups.
Microfinance Interventions
Authors: Johnston Melissa
Published: July 2023

Donors have framed microfinance as a gender-sensitive technology of financial inclusion to reduce poverty at the individual and community levels, yet microfinance has little to show for all the donor intervention. This chapter explains the poor results in feminist political economy terms that focus attention on historically specific class and gender relations, asserting that interveners’ ideologically driven promotion of microfinance has continued without robust evidence of its effectiveness in poverty reduction and women’s empowerment. But microfinance did not arrive in Timor-Leste with UN peacekeepers, although the small body of writing on microfinance by practitioners has tended to underhistoricize it as the creation of international interveners. This chapter contends that Indonesian-era microfinance shaped the Timorese political economy under conditions of violence and coercive militarized conflict. The Indonesian military, its supporters, and village elites have all benefited from microfinance initiatives.
Gendered Circuits of Debt and Violence
Authors: Johnston Melissa
Published: July 2023

The chapter first contextualizes class-based accumulation by describing village political economy in some depth. It then describes village-level credit-led accumulation. Microfinance occurs within a complex network of social and kin obligations and exchange that coerces repayment in the form of meager belongings, land, labor, or promissory notes. As microfinance programs reconfigure these heavy social debts into interest-bearing loans, small but significant sums are transferred from poorer to relatively wealthier sections of Timorese communities through sky-high interest rates. Self-help group and microfinance institution initiatives overlap with one another and with moneylending, and none are properly regulated. Moreover, social and gender relations within Timor-Leste are expressed in terms of debt. The chapter outlines how debt and financial exchange are fundamental to power in villages that have low levels of monetization and economies rooted in brideprice transactions. Because microfinance is complicit in maintaining—and relies on—social hierarchies in order to function, it fails to help the poorest, who experience these initiatives as extractive.
Immigration and Social Equality
Authors: Lim Désirée
Published: July 2023

Skill-selective immigration policies, through which states favor the admission of highly skilled migrants over low-skilled migrants, are a familiar component of the immigration landscape. Wealthy Western states, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, have explicitly declared their desire to attract the “best and the brightest.” On the other hand, attitudes toward low-skilled migrants could not be more different. They have consistently been portrayed as dangerous and undesirable, a drain on social welfare, and economically threatening to citizens. This book argues that we ought to rethink this stance. Beginning from the widely shared principle of equal respect for all persons, it proposes that equal respect requires the recognition of each person’s pro tanto right to social equality, regardless of their citizenship status. Even if states have the right to exclude noncitizens, they cannot do so in a way that is demeaning or subordinating to excluded persons. The right to social equality gives us a richer picture of why certain instances of immigrant selection, such as the United States’ recent ban on citizens from Muslim-majority countries, are unjust. However, it also has troubling implications for skill-selective immigration policies, as they are currently practiced: the book reveals that they ought to be regarded as a form of wrongful discrimination. Drawing on the framework of social equality, the book goes on to consider the problem of colonial injustice and how it may be reproduced by skill-selective immigration policies, as well as migratorial disobedience.
Elevated brain natriuretic peptide in a patient with metastatic cancer without heart failure: A case study
Authors: Chen Leon L. , Dulu Alina O. , Pastores Stephen M.
Published: July 2023

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-established biomarker for heart failure (HF). However, its diagnostic utility can be limited in patients with comorbidities that independently elevate serum BNP levels, including chronic renal failure and sepsis. We describe a rare occurrence of significantly elevated serum BNP levels in a patient with metastatic urothelial cancer without HF or obvious signs of sepsis. The report highlights the need for considering alternative causes for increased serum BNP levels, especially in the presence of malignancy.
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Versus Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in the European Multicenter ENSURE Study
Authors: Elliott Jessie A. , Klevebro Fredrik , Mantziari Styliani , Markar Sheraz R. , Goense Lucas , Johar Asif , Lagergren Pernilla , Zaninotto Giovanni , van Hillegersberg Richard , van Berge Henegouwen Mark I. , Schäfer Markus , Nilsson Magnus , Hanna George B. , Reynolds John V. ,   ENSURE Study Group**
Published: July 2023

Objective:

This study aimed to compare clinicopathologic, oncologic and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes following neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) and chemotherapy (nCT) in the ENSURE international multicenter study.

Background Summary Data:

nCT and nCRT are the standard of care for locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC) treated with curative intent. However, no published randomized controlled trial to date has demonstrated superiority of either approach.

Methods:

ENSURE is an international multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing surgery for LAEC (2009-2015) across 20 high-volume centers (NCT03461341). The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS), secondary outcomes included histopathologic response, recurrence pattern, oncologic outcome, and HRQL in survivorship.

Results:

2,211 patients were studied (48% nCT, 52% nCRT). pCR was observed in 4.9% and 14.7% (P<0.001), with R0 in 78.2% and 94.2% (P<0.001) post nCT and nCRT, respectively. Postoperative morbidity was equivalent, but in-hospital mortality was independently increased (HR 2.73, 95%CI 1.43-5.21, P=0.002) following nCRT versus nCT. Probability of local recurrence was reduced (OR 0.71, 956% CI 0.54-0.93, P=0.012), and distant recurrence free survival time reduced (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.37, P=0.023) after nCRT versus nCT, with no difference in OS among all patients (HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.98-1.25, P=0.113). On subgroup analysis, patients who underwent R0 resection following nCT as compared with nCRT had improved OS (median 60.7, 95% CI 49.5-71.8 months, vs. 40.8, 95% CI 42.8-53.4, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

In this European multicenter study, nCRT compared with nCT was associated with reduced probability of local recurrence but reduced distant recurrence free survival for patients with LAEC, without differences in overall survival. These data support tailored patient-specific decision-making in the overall approach to achieving optimum outcomes in LAEC.
Enzymatic preparation and antioxidant activities of protein
hydrolysates from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
seeds
Authors: Yoon Hyeon-Ji , Park Gyu-Hyeon , Lee Yu-Rim , Lee Jeong-Min , Ahn Hyun-Lim , Lee Syng-Ook
Published: July 2023

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds have recently been attracting
attention as a new high-value-added food material owing to their excellent
nutritional properties, and research on the development of functional food
materials using hemp seeds is actively progressing. This study aimed to evaluate
the antioxidant properties of hemp seed protein hydrolysates. Protein
hydrolysates were prepared from defatted hemp seed powder (HS) by enzymatic
hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme,
neutrase, and papain). 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) assay and
SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that HS showed a high degree of hydrolysis after
treatment with each enzyme except papain. The total polyphenol content of the
protein hydrolysates (<3 kDa) and the RC50 values obtained
from two different antioxidant tests showed that alcalase hydrolysate (HSA) had
a relatively high level of antioxidant capacity. In addition, treatment with HSA
(25-100 μg/mL) significantly inhibited linoleic acid
peroxidation. These results suggest that hemp seed protein hydrolysates are
potential sources of natural antioxidants. Future studies will focus on the
identification of active peptides from HSA.
An econometric analysis of the demand for cigarettes in Italy after the introduction of heated tobacco products in 2016
Authors: Marzioni Stefano , Pandimiglio Alessandro , Spallone Marco
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This article provides evidence of a long-term structural relationship between demand for heated tobacco products (HTPs) and for combustible cigarettes in a Marshallian demand framework, using data from the Italian market.

Design/methodology/approach

A cointegration-based approach allows to capture the substitution effects between the two products arising for reasons (possibly) other than price.

Findings

The authors find that such a relationship exists and is sufficiently strong to constitute a cointegration.

Social implications

Since a fully consolidated consensus on reduced harm from smokeless tobacco products is absent, symmetric policies on both markets are therefore necessary in terms of regulation and excise incidence to minimize the social cost of substitution and to maximize government revenues, which are a necessary counterpart to negative externalities that arise with smoking both products.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the Italian market with product specific volume and price data, both for cigarettes and HTPs. Because of the detected relationship, a regulatory trade-off arises in case of a relatively mild regulation on heated-tobacco products: benefits from decreasing demand for combustible cigarettes may be offset by the social cost of increasing consumption of heated tobacco products. Moreover, a milder regulation makes price related policies to curb smoking less effective.
The juridification of social accounting and the transposition process of the non-financial reporting directive 2014/95/EU
Authors: Moggi Sara , Lehman Glen , Pagani Alessandra
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to critically analyse the transposition implications of Union Directive 2014/95. This Directive identified the need to raise the transparency of the social and environmental information provided by the undertakings to a similarly high level across all Member States.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper considers how the European Member States of the European Union (EU) have transposed Directive 2014/95 into their regulations. The focus is on the juridification of social accounting in the pursuit of creating an overlapping consensus through Habermas’s concept of internal colonisation. The paper uses qualitative content analysis to scrutinise the national laws that transpose Directive 2014/95, discussing both what has been accomplished and what can be achieved by the release of future legislative provisions.

Findings

Despite the aim of Directive 2014/95 to create a common language for disclosing non-financial information, this study shows an implementation gap among and between Member States and an inconsistent picture of the employment of this Directive. Its implementation in the 28 European countries was considered a process of colonisation in implementing Union directives among European undertakings. However, the implementation process, which exemplifies Habermas’s juridification, has failed due to the lack of balance between moral discourse and actions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the ongoing debates concerning the implementation of mandatory disclosure of environmental and social information in the EU Member States, promoting new directions for the EU’s democratic laws on social accounting. In addition, it offers an example of how internal colonisation only catalyses effects when moral laws are legitimised through the provision of procedures.
Role of splenic and bone marrow uptake at 18F‐FDG PET/CT for the assessment of large vessels vasculitis and the influence of glucocorticoids therapy on their values
Authors: Dondi Francesco , Albano Domenico , Ferrarini Giovanni , Camoni Luca , Bellini Pietro , Treglia Giorgio , Bertagna Francesco
Published: July 2023

Introduction

To assess the relationship between splenic and bone marrow (BM) uptake with the presence of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) at 18F‐FDG PET/CT and to evaluate the influence of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy on these uptakes.

Methods

One hundred and one subjects with LVV and 18F‐FDG PET/CT were included in the study. Clinical features, including blood samples and duration of GC therapy, were collected. Standardized uptake value body weight max (SUVmax) of the spleen, BM, liver and arterial walls were extracted; spleen/liver (SL) and BM/liver (BML) ratios were calculated. Chi‐square and T‐test were used to assess the relationship between PET/CT parameters and clinical features with the presence of LVV. Rank correlation was used to evaluate the correlation between PET/CT parameters and clinical parameters. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to find the best parameter able to discriminate between positive and negative PET/CT. All analyses were performed considering the duration of GC therapy.

Results

Significant correlation for PET/CT results with spleen uptake (P‐value = 0.001), SL (P‐value < 0.001) and BML (P‐value = 0.005) were reported in patients with no more than 3 days of therapy; the correlation with SL was confirmed in the total cohort of patients. A value of 0.92 for SL had an AUC of 0.959, a sensitivity of 92.6% and a specificity of 96.6% (P‐value < 0.001) in predicting PET/CT results.

Conclusion

Higher splenic and BM uptake in patients with positive PET/CT for LVV were reported. A long duration of GC therapy is able to reduce such uptakes.
Navigating the housing crisis: A comparison of international students and other newcomers in a mid‐sized Canadian city
Authors: Pottie‐Sherman Yolande , Christensen Julia , Foroutan Maryam , Zhou Siyi
Published: July 2023

This article investigates the housing experiences of international students in comparison to other newcomers in the mid‐sized Canadian city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with a focus on how they navigate housing crises. Drawing on recent literature on housing justice, a quantitative survey of 188 participants, and 30 qualitative interviews, the findings reveal that international students and other newcomers are at different stages of their housing careers, have different needs and goals, and are experiencing the affordability crisis differently. Housing discrimination is a pressing concern, especially for international students who are subjected to intersectional prejudice, exploitation by landlords, and amplified challenges due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The article argues for inclusive housing and immigration policies that acknowledge international students as part of the Canadian housing market and ensure their rights to housing.
Build it and they will come: Volunteer opportunities and volunteering
Authors: Armstrong Catherine Deri , Devlin Rose Anne , Seifi Forough
Published: July 2023

Formal volunteering refers to an individual's unpaid contribution of time to the activities of a charitable or non‐profit organization. While the physical presence of these organizations is usually required for citizens who want to volunteer, neighbourhoods vary with respect to the amount of volunteering opportunities available. We are the first to geo‐code information on the location of registered charities and the location of individuals, using full six‐digit postal codes, to examine how the physical proximity of charities affects the decision to volunteer. We carefully address the possibility that proximity to charities might be endogenous: organizations and volunteers may respond to similar unobservable factors when deciding where to locate. Our results imply that access does matter for the decision to volunteer: one more charity within a 1 km buffer around an individual's residence increases the predicted probability of volunteering by 0.8%. The impact of an additional charity on the likelihood of volunteering decreases with distance from the individual's residence and is more pronounced for urban dwellers, providing further evidence that the location of charities matters when it comes to nudging individuals to volunteer.
Aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index has utility as a biomarker of COVID‐19 severity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Takaya Hiroaki , Ueyama Shunichi , Osaki Yui , Kaji Kosuke , Kawaratani Hideto , Saito Ko , Aizawa Shigeyuki , Namisaki Tadashi , Morioka Chie , Yoshida Motoyuki , Akahane Takemi , Yoshiji Hitoshi
Published: July 2023

Aim

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are reported to have greater coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) severity compared with patients without NAFLD. Previous studies have reported that noninvasive liver fibrosis scores, including the Fibrosis‐4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score, and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), have utility in predicting COVID‐19 mortality and disease severity in patients without NAFLD. However, the utility of liver fibrosis scores in predicting COVID‐19 mortality and disease severity among patients with NAFLD infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 has yet to be evaluated.

Methods

This retrospective observational study comprised 126 patients with NAFLD and active SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Patients were classified into low COVID‐19 severity (mild or moderate I disease) and high COVID‐19 severity (moderate II or severe disease) groups based on the therapeutic guideline implemented by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan.

Results

Of the 126 patients, only one had been diagnosed with NAFLD before admission. Age; levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, and serum C‐reactive protein; Fibrosis‐4 index; NAFLD fibrosis score; and APRI levels on admission were higher in the high COVID‐19 severity group compared with the low COVID‐19 severity group. Serum albumin levels, platelet counts, and lymphocyte counts on admission were lower in the high COVID‐19 severity group compared with the low COVID‐19 severity group. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that APRI values were significantly associated with COVID‐19 severity and hospitalization duration for COVID‐19.

Conclusions

APRI was independently associated with COVID‐19 severity and hospitalization duration for COVID‐19 in patients with NAFLD.
Government bond rates and interest expenditure of large euro area member states: A scenario analysis
Authors: Grimm Veronika , Nöh Lukas , Wieland Volker
Published: July 2023

This paper assesses the possible development of government interest expenditures for Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Until 2021, governments could anticipate a substantial further reduction in interest expenditure. This outlook has changed drastically with the surge in inflation and government bond rates. Assuming that bond rates remain at the levels implied by yield curves from December 2022, interest expenditure rises substantially. We also examined scenarios with a further upward shift in yield curves by one or two percentage points. They indicate major medium‐term risks for highly indebted member states with interest expenditure approaching or exceeding levels last observed on the eve of the euro area debt crisis. Governments should take action to achieve a decline in debt‐to‐GDP ratios towards safe levels. They need to make sure public debt remains sustainable at the higher interest rates that are required to achieve price stability in the euro area.
First demographic insights reveal high extinction risk of an endemic raptor species: the Reunion harrier
Authors: Fay Rémi , Ferret Pierrick , Chiron Damien , Schaub Michael , Augiron Steve
Published: July 2023

Gathering demographic information on rare species is critical to understanding their population dynamics and implementing efficient conservation measures. Using integrated models, we jointly analyzed multiple data sets, including capture–recapture, GPS tracking and nest monitoring data collected over the last 10 years, to provide the first demographic insights for one of the world's rarest raptors, the endemic Reunion harrier Circus maillardi. We estimated key demographic rates including annual survival and breeding parameters (clutch size, hatching and fledging success), and used population projection models to assess population growth rate and quasi‐extinction risk. In order to guide future conservation actions for the population, we evaluated the effects of different management scenarios that improve survival, fecundity, or both, on population growth and quasi‐extinction risk. Comparison of the estimated annual survival (juvenile and subadult survival: 0.66; adult survival: 0.71) and breeding parameters (clutch size: 2.3; hatching success: 0.45; fledging success: 0.83) with those of other harrier species suggests that adult survival and breeding parameters of Reunion harriers are low. A small data set collected 40 years ago suggests that the probability of an egg producing a fledgling was higher and has declined to the current low level. The population models project that the Reunion harrier population is declining and faces a high risk of quasi‐extinction in the next 40 years. Only management measures that simultaneously improve adult survival and fecundity could lead to a recovery of the population. These alarming results call for immediate conservation action aimed at rapidly improving the demographic rates.
Having a drink with awkward Brett: Brettanomyces, taste(s) and wine/markets
Authors: Siimes Nikolai
Published: July 2023

Brettanomyces (Brett) is an awkward, a yeast subject to much debate in the wine world. Brett changes taste profiles, but not in any simple or stable way. In doing this, Brett is an active agent in the making of wine, the social construction of taste/quality and the social experience of wine drinking/expertise. This article draws on ongoing ethnographic and auto‐ethnographic research to argue that Brett's entanglement in social relations with humans is geographically and socially varied. Brett has different relations in natural wines for example. Coming to know Brett is therefore inherently relational, a sensorial and cultural experience as much as a matter of science.
Using a video‐based eye tracker to analyse the binocular near‐reflex dynamics response
Authors: Espinosa Julián , Archid Kauzar , Pérez Jorge , Perales Esther
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study presents a novel video‐based eye‐tracking system for analysing the dynamics of the binocular near‐reflex response. The system enables the simultaneous measurement of convergence, divergence and pupillary size during accommodation and disaccommodation to aid the comprehensive understanding of the three‐component near‐reflex.

Methods

A high‐speed (90 Hz) video‐based eye tracker was used to capture changes in eye gaze and pupil radius in 15 participants in response to altering stimulus conditions. An offline analysis involved separating the gaze vector components and pupil radius, which were fitted to a hyperbolic tangent function to characterise the dynamics of the near‐reflex process.

Results

Significant differences in the temporal parameters of the pupil radius were observed between the near‐to‐far and far‐to‐near vision changes, with faster miosis compared with mydriasis. Additionally, differences in response times were found between gaze angle components, with longer convergence times compared to changes in the vertical direction (saccades). The steady‐state values of the gaze components and pupil radius were in line with theoretical expectations and previous reports.

Conclusions

The proposed system provides a non‐invasive, portable and cost‐effective method for evaluating near‐reflex dynamics under natural viewing conditions using a video‐based eye tracker. The sampling rate ensures the accurate assessment of vergence eye movements and pupillary dynamics. By simultaneously measuring eye convergence, divergence and pupil size, the system offers a more comprehensive assessment of the near‐reflex response. This makes it a valuable tool for clinical diagnosis, research studies and investigating the effects of near work on the visual system.
Experiences of dentists and caregivers of patients with special care needs–A qualitative study
Authors: Tobis Rachel M. , Cardoso Elaine O. C. , Yarascavitch Carilynne , Tenenbaum Howard C. , Azarpazhooh Amir , Sale Joanna E. M.
Published: July 2023

Background

Patients with special care needs (developmental disabilities) have unique and complex needs regarding their oral health and care. This qualitative study aimed to identify the experiences, preferences and challenges of dentists and caregivers regarding behavior guidance techniques for dental care in persons with special care needs.

Methods

Relying on qualitative description as articulated by Sandelowski, we conducted telephone interviews with a purposeful sample of five special care dentists and seven caregivers. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis.

Results

Four themes were highlighted: (1) Neither pharmacological or non‐pharmacological behavior guidance techniques was universally suitable, (2) A patient‐centered approach was critical, (3) The dental environment triggered patients’ behaviors and anxiety levels, (4) There was more demand for, than supply of, qualified dentists to treat patients with special care needs.

Conclusions

Persons with special care needs are heterogeneous and respond to various behavioral techniques required to deliver their treatment. Behavior guidance planning should be negotiated carefully with patients and caregivers and then individualized based on patients’ capabilities and needs for treatment. The necessity to manage complex behaviors has contributed to the limitation of access to dental care for persons with special care needs. Dentistry as a profession has the obligation to uphold the social contract and meet its responsibility to the dental care needs of this population.