bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ramadan intermittent fasting reduces visceral fat and improves gastrointestinal motility
Authors: Abdallah Hala , Khalil Mohamad , Farella Ilaria , JohnBritto Jerlin Stephy , Lanza Elisa , Santoro Sergio , Garruti Gabriella , Portincasa Piero , Di Ciaula Agostino , Bonfrate Leonilde
Published: May 2023

Background

Ramadan is a model of intermittent fasting linked with possible beneficial effects. Scarce information, however, is available about the combined effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) on anthropometric and metabolic indices, gastrointestinal symptoms, and motility.

Methods

In 21 healthy Muslims, we assessed the impact of RIF on caloric intake, physical activity, gastrointestinal symptoms and motility (gastric/gallbladder emptying by ultrasonography, orocaecal transit time by lactulose breath test), anthropometric indices, subcutaneous and visceral fat thickness (ultrasonography), glucose and lipid homeostasis.

Results

Mean caloric intake decreased from a median of 2069 kcal (range 1677–2641) before Ramadan to 1798 kcal (1289–3126) during Ramadan and increased again to 2000 kcal (1309–3485) after Ramadan. Although physical activity remained stable before, during, and after RIF, body weight, body mass index and waist circumference decreased in all subjects and in both genders, together with a significant decrease in subcutaneous and visceral fat thickness and insulin resistance. The postprandial gastric emptying speed was significantly faster after than before RIF. Fasting gallbladder volume was about 6% smaller after, than before Ramadan, with a stronger and faster postprandial gallbladder contraction. After RIF, lactulose breath test documented increased microbiota carbohydrate fermentation (postprandial H2 peak), and faster orocaecal transit time. RIF also significantly improved gastric fullness, epigastric pain and heartburn.

Conclusions

RIF generates, in healthy subjects, multiple systemic beneficial effects in terms of fat burden, metabolic profile, gastrointestinal motility and symptoms. Further comprehensive studies should assess the potential beneficial effects of RIF in diseased people.
Acquisitions, product variety, and distribution in the U.S. craft beer industry
Authors: Blundell Wesley , Wilson Kyle
Published: May 2023

Though antitrust authorities have historically focused on prices in merger analyses, there is now growing interest in the impact of mergers on non‐price outcomes. In this paper, we examine the effect of horizontal mergers on product variety in the U.S. beer industry. Our difference‐in‐differences analyses provide evidence that acquired firms increase variety available to consumers by expanding into new markets, while reducing the variety of products sold in their existing markets. Back of the envelope calculations suggest that in aggregate, these acquisitions have a net positive effect on product variety.
Changes in intracellular calcium concentration level accompany age‐related inhibitions of long‐term potentiation in hippocampus induced by extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
Authors: Zhao Wenjun , Dong Lei , Tian Lei , Zhao Ling , Zhao Yuhan , Zheng Yu
Published: May 2023

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF‐EMFs) have received increasing attention and in‐depth research due to their ability to affect learning and memory functions. However, its regulation and intrinsic mechanism at different ages in early developmental stages remains unclear. In this article, the regulation of 15 Hz/2 mT ELF‐EMFs on long‐term potentiation (LTP) persistence in the hippocampal CA1 region of Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats at early developmental stages (8‐, 15‐, 22‐, and 29‐day‐old) are investigated by electrophysiological techniques. The results show that ELF‐EMFs differentially inhibit LTP persistence due to age difference, and the younger the age, the more significant the inhibitory effect. Second, the inhibitory effect of ELF‐EMFs on LTP persistence disappeared after the addition of 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2‐APB) to block inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) localized to intracellular calcium stores to reduce the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), proving that the LTP persistence regulated by ELF‐EMFs is associated with the IP3Rs‐mediated intracellular calcium stores. Finally, the level of [Ca2+]i was intervened by adjusting the extracellular calcium concentration([Ca2+]e). Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of ELF‐EMFs on LTP persistence in the 15‐day‐old group disappeared by increasing [Ca2+]e, whereas the inhibitory effect of ELF‐EMFs on LTP persistence in the 29‐day‐old group appeared by decreasing [Ca2+]e. Our findings reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of ELF‐EMFs on synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 area at early developmental stages and provide new insights into more rational application and protection of ELF‐EMFs.
Alzheimer's disease: A role of biomarkers in early diagnosis and evidences from African ethnomedicinal knowledge
Authors: Balkrishna Acharya , Verma Sonam , Singh Sumit Kumar , Arya Vedpriya
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological ailment that primarily affects the elderly and necessitates an efficient treatment regimen backed up by extensive care. Despite advancement in the in vivo imaging techniques focussing on early diagnosis of reliable biomarkers using novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission topography (PET) scans, AD remains largely unexplained and effective preventative and treatment strategies are still lacking. Consequently, research groups are constantly attempting to improve its early detection, using both invasive and non‐invasive techniques with established core markers like Aβ and Tau (t‐tau and p‐tau) proteins. Unfortunately, African American and other black races are facing an increasing burden of closely associated risk factors, and only a few attempts have been made to find effective complementary and alternative therapies for AD cure and management. A greater epidemiology and natural product research are required to deal with the concurrent rise of dementia among quickly ageing African population, which so far have largely been ignored in addition to a disparity in the AD risk factors. We have tried to bring attention to the issue by reviewing up on this predisposition while generating a perspective on how race may affect AD risk and expression. This article also puts emphasis on finding new research leads from African phytodiversity while presenting several of the important species along with their biological agents found helpful in dementia related symptoms.
The dialectic of (menopause) zest: Breaking the mold of organizational irrelevance
Authors: Quental Camilla , Rojas Gaviria Pilar , del Bucchia Céline
Published: May 2023

Drawing from women's testimonials in The Guardian and from contributions of feminist writers, Virginia Woolf, Julia Kristeva, and Margaret Mead, we start a conversation on the positive and energizing aspects of menopause in the workplace. We propose a social interpretation of menopause that challenges a pervasive perspective of medical decline: A theorization of “the dialectic of zest,” as inspired by the writings of Margaret Mead. By problematizing the experiences of women going through this transition in the workplace, we reveal how well‐intentioned awareness campaigns can lead to further stigmatization. We thus encourage organizations to not only favor an approach of “education for all” but also extend their social imaginaries beyond medicalized perspectives and coping views. Organizations can then embrace the potential of “zest,” a positive side of menopause that remains largely unknown. We argue that organizations, inspired by a holistic view of menopause in the workplace, can creatively support the professional progressions and ambitions of not only women but also all employees.
Mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of glass mullite composites for low‐temperature cofired ceramic and radome applications
Authors: Bilaç Oğuzhan , Duran Cihangir
Published: May 2023

SiO2‐Al2O3‐CaO‐based glass (10–60 wt%)/mullite composites were investigated for the LTCC and radome applications. The optimum densification temperatures decreased from 1550°C (10 wt% glass) to 1400°C (30 wt% glass) by means of liquid‐phase sintering, and to 850°C–825°C (50–60 wt% glass) by means of viscous phase sintering. XRD analysis showed that mullite was the main phase as well as in situ crystallized anorthite after 825°C. The composite with 20 wt% glass was a suitable candidate for the radome applications (bulk density = 2.86 g/cm3 after sintering at 1450°C, dielectric constant (loss) = 7.12 (0.0025) at 5 MHz, thermal expansion coefficient = 4.27 ppm/°C between 25°C and 800°C, thermal shock resistance parameter = 162°C), and the composite with 50 wt% glass was a suitable candidate for the low‐temperature cofired ceramic applications (bulk density = 2.64 g/cm3 after sintering at 850°C, dielectric constant (loss) = 6.79 (0.0043) at 5 MHz, thermal conductivity = 2.11 W/m⋅K at 25°C, and thermal expansion coefficient = 3.93 ppm/°C between 25°C and 300°C).
On the safe side of stochastic programming: bounds and approximations
Authors: Narum Benjamin S. , Maggioni Francesca , Wallace Stein W.
Published: May 2023

There will always be stochastic programs that are too large or complex to be solved in their basic form. In this article, we review, discuss, and compare different ways such stochastic programs can be handled using bounds and approximations, all based on manipulations of the random variables. We are particularly interested in how methods based on different underlying ideas can be combined or possibly are the same.
The impact of pandemics on healthcare providers' workloads: A scoping review
Authors: Doleman Gemma , De Leo Annemarie , Bloxsome Dianne
Published: May 2023

Aims

To review and synthesize available evidence exploring the impact of pandemics on direct healthcare providers' workloads in the acute care setting.

Design

Scoping review.

Data Sources

A review of English research articles published up to August 2022 that examined the impact of pandemics on healthcare providers’ workloads was undertaken. Studies were identified by searching four electronic databases: Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science and PsychInfo (EBSCO). Fifty‐five studies met the inclusion criteria.

Review Methods

The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses Scoping Review checklist.

Results

Healthcare workers experience an increase in workload pressures during a pandemic. This included patients requiring more care, undertaking non‐normal work activities, increase in work content including changes to documentation, increase in demand and skills required, an increase in overtime and hours of work per week and higher patient‐to‐nurse ratios. The review also highlighted changes to the work environment and worsened work environments, including staffing shortages.

Conclusion

Focused efforts from health organizations to prioritize supportive conditions, policies focused on improved work environments, staffing adequacy and fair and reasonable workloads will enhance retention of the current workforce and future planning for pandemics.

Impact

Understanding workload challenges faced by frontline health professionals during the pandemic can improve planning, including policies and procedures, and resource allocation for future pandemic or emergency situations. In addition, extended periods of high workloads can impact staff retention. As many countries return to life after COVID‐19, it is important that healthcare organizations examine staff pressures and identify ways to support staff moving forward. This will be vital for the future sustainability of the workforce.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Delivering value‐based healthcare for people with diabetes in a national publicly funded health service: Lessons from Ireland and Wales
Authors: O’Donnell Máire T , Lewis Sally , Davies Sarah , Dinneen Sean F
Published: May 2023

The term value‐based healthcare (VBHC) describes an approach to the organization and delivery of care that emphasizes reducing the cost of care while improving outcomes. This involves increased investment earlier in the care pathway e.g., in the prevention, timely diagnosis, and screening for complications in order to maximize the overall impact of care. Key elements of VBHC include the collection and interpretation of relevant data to drive quality improvement and appropriateness of care, a focus on a continuum of care from prevention through to complications, an awareness of the financial drivers of the cost of care and a recognition that meaningful outcomes of care are those that are important to patients. Although VBHC has its origins in North America and has mostly been applied to private health systems, the principles can also be applied to national health services. In publicly funded health systems, where resources are finite, VBHC initiatives aim to eliminate ineffective care that has no beneficial impact or added value for patients and to optimize patient outcomes by delivering care that meets the changing healthcare needs of a population over time. The National Health Service in Wales has established a VBHC Office and has begun to realize the benefits of adopting VBHC approaches. The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) can learn from the approaches used in Wales. In this paper we explore some of the principles of VBHC through case studies from Ireland and Wales highlighting how national health services are using VBHC to achieve improvement in outcomes for people living with diabetes.
Leadership Link: Evaluation of an Online Leadership Curriculum for Certified Midwives and Certified Nurse‐Midwives
Authors: Clark Emma , Solomon Julie , Cunningham Shayna D. , Bard Kristin , Storey Akane Sugimoto
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Midwifery leadership is vital for improving maternal health outcomes, yet limited leadership training opportunities exist. This study evaluated acceptability and preliminary outcomes of Leadership Link, a scalable online learning program that aims to increase midwives’ leadership competencies.

Methods

The program evaluation study enrolled early‐career midwives (<10 years since certification) into an online leadership curriculum using the LinkedIn Learning platform. The curriculum consisted of 10 courses (approximately 11 hours) of self‐paced, non‐health care‐specific leadership content supplemented with brief midwifery‐specific introductions from midwifery leaders. A preprogram, postprogram, and follow‐up study design was used to evaluate changes in 16 self‐assessed leadership abilities, self‐perception as a leader, and resilience. Data were also collected on the application of leadership skills acquired through, and career advancements attributed to, program participation.

Results

A total of 186 individuals activated LinkedIn Learning accounts. Almost half (41.9%) completed the full curriculum. Satisfaction was high, with 83.3% of postprogram survey respondents reporting the program was “probably” or “definitely” worth the time invested. Seventy‐six participants (40.9%) provided matched pre‐ and immediate postprogram survey data on at least some of the 16 self‐assessed leadership abilities. All 16 abilities showed statistically significant increases in pre‐ to postprogram mean scores, ranging from 6.4% to 32.5%. Both self‐perception as a leader and resilience scores significantly increased from baseline. More than 87% of postprogram and follow‐up survey respondents reported having applied new or improved leadership abilities to at least a small degree. Fifty‐eight percent of follow‐up survey respondents reported at least one midwifery career advancement, of whom 43.6% attributed the advancement, at least in part, to Leadership Link.

Discussion

The findings suggest that the online Leadership Link curriculum is acceptable and may be effective in improving midwives’ leadership capacity, potentially enhancing career opportunities and engagement in system change.
Neuroendocrine mechanism of gastric acid secretion: Historical perspectives and recent developments in physiology and pharmacology
Authors: Chen Duan , Hagen Susan J. , Boyce Malcolm , Zhao Chun‐Mei
Published: May 2023

The physiology of gastric acid secretion is one of the earliest subjects in medical literature and has been continuously studied since 1833. Starting with the notion that neural stimulation alone drives acid secretion, progress in understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of this process has led to the development of therapeutic strategies for patients with acid‐related diseases. For instance, understanding the physiology of parietal cells led to the developments of histamine 2 receptor blockers, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and recently, potassium‐competitive acid blockers. Furthermore, understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of gastrin has led to the development of gastrin/CCK2 receptor (CCK2R) antagonists. The need for refinement of existing drugs in patients have led to second and third generation drugs with better efficacy at blocking acid secretion. Further understanding of the mechanism of acid secretion by gene targeting in mice has enabled us to dissect the unique role for each regulator to leverage and justify the development of new targeted therapeutics for acid‐related disorders. Further research on the mechanism of stimulation of gastric acid secretion and the physiological significances of gastric acidity in gut microbiome is needed in the future.
Nursing practice and teleconsultations in a pandemic context: A mixed‐methods study
Authors: Regragui Safa , Abou Malham Sabina , Gaboury Isabelle , Bois Caroline , Deville‐Stoetzel Nadia , Maillet Lara , Savoie Annie , Breton Mylaine
Published: May 2023

Aim

To explore the use and implementation of teleconsultations by primary care nurses in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Background

Teleconsultation use increased rapidly during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Its implementation has been documented for physicians and specialists, but knowledge is still limited in nursing practice.

Design

A sequential mixed‐methods study.

Methods

Phase 1: A cross‐sectional e‐survey with 98 nurses (64 nurse clinicians [NCs] and 34 nurse practitioners [NPs]) was conducted in 2020 in 48 teaching primary care clinics in Quebec (Canada). Phase 2: Semi‐structured interviews with four NCs and six NPs were conducted in 2021 in three primary care clinics. This study adheres to STROBE and COREQ guidelines.

Results

During the pandemic, telephone was the principal teleconsultation modality used by NPs and NCs compared to other teleconsultation modalities (text messages, email and video). The only variable associated with a higher likelihood of using teleconsultations was type of professional (NCs). Video consultation was almost absent from the modalities used. The majority of participants reported several facilitators to using teleconsultations in their work (e.g. web platforms and work‐family balance) and for patients (e.g. rapid access). Some barriers to utilisation were identified (e.g. lack of physical resources) for successful integration of teleconsultations at the organisational, technological and systemic levels. Participants also reported positive (e.g. assessment of cognitive deficiency) and negative (e.g. rural population) impacts of using teleconsultations during a pandemic that made the use of teleconsultations complex.

Conclusion

This study highlights the potential for nurses to use teleconsultations in primary care practice and suggests concrete solutions to encourage their implementation after the pandemic.

Relevance to clinical practice

Findings emphasize the need for updated nursing education, easy‐to‐use technology and the strengthening of policies for the sustainable use of teleconsultations in primary health care.

Implications for the profession

This study could promote the sustainable use of teleconsultations in nursing practice.

Reporting method

The study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines; the STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies and the COREQ guidelines for qualitative studies were used for reporting.

Patient or public contribution

No patient or public contribution, as the study focused on the use of teleconsultation among health professionals, specifically primary care nurses.
Lawyers as infrastructures: mediations, blockages, and new possibilities in grassroots movements
Authors: KHALIL HEBA M.
Published: May 2023

What roles do lawyers play when their own subaltern communities are mobilizing for justice? Drawing on the case of anti‐eviction mobilization on the island of Al‐Warraq in Egypt, this article investigates the infrastructural roles of community lawyers in grassroots movements. As their profession transformed into an underpaid and undervalued occupation, masses of lawyers became precarious professionals living subaltern lives. Living among the poor with the elite knowledge of the law enabled community lawyers to forge new relations between the grassroots and the elites, the streets and the courtroom, and farmers and the national media. Drawing on an ethnography of the movement, I posit that community lawyers operate as social infrastructures: liminal subjects in uncertain times, capable of generating new possibilities and social relations. As social infrastructures within their communities, they shape the opportunities for action, facilitating new modes of resistance while blocking others.
Soybean plants sprayed with azelaic and hexanoic acids and infected by Phakopsora pachyrhizi display better photosynthetic performance and a robust antioxidative metabolism
Authors: Rodrigues Flávia Caroline Torres , Silveira Patricia Ricardino , Cacique Isaias Severino , Oliveira Lillian Matias , Rodrigues Fabrício A.
Published: May 2023

This study investigated the potential of azelaic acid (AzA) and hexanoic acid (HxA) to reduce rust development, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, on soybean and the physiological and biochemical changes involved. A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications. The factors studied were as follows: plants sprayed with water (control), acibenzolar‐S‐methyl (ASM; 0.5 g/L) (a well‐recognized resistance inducer), AzA (1 mM) or HxA (20 mM) that were non‐inoculated or inoculated with P. pachyrhizi. Area under rust progress curve significantly decreased by 97%, 95% and 95% for ASM, HxA and AzA treatments, respectively, compared with the control treatment. Infected and AzA and HxA‐sprayed plants showed less impairment on photosynthesis (moderate changes in the values of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters linked to great concentrations of total chlorophyll a + b and carotenoids) in contrast to infected and water‐sprayed plants. A more robust antioxidative metabolism (great activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxidase and glutathione reductase) on infected and AzA and HxA‐sprayed plants helped to reduce hydrogen peroxide and anion superoxide radical depositions in leaf tissues and their concentrations. Collectively, the physiological and biochemical responses obtained for infected and AzA and HxA‐sprayed plants were comparable with that obtained with ASM. Based on these findings, it is plausible to consider the potential of using AzA and HxA for rust management in soybean toward sustainable agriculture.
Assessment of cannabidiol use in pets according to a national survey in the USA
Authors: Corsato Alvarenga I. , MacQuiddy B. , Duerr F. , Elam L. H. , McGrath S.
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Conduct an online questionnaire to understand the motivations and perceptions about cannabidiol use in companion animals in the USA.

Materials and Methods

Data from a USA population sample who owned a pet were gathered using an online questionnaire. Perception of cannabidiol efficacy was analysed for independence against explanatory variables using the Pearson chi‐square test, followed by a binary logistic regression.

Results

A total of 1238 participants completed the survey; 356 had administered cannabidiol to their pet before. Dogs were the most prevalent pet, followed by cats (75.8 and 22.2%, respectively). Treats/chews and oils were the most common forms of cannabidiol (44.6 and 42.9%, respectively). The most prevalent condition for treating with cannabidiol was anxiety and stress (67.4%), followed by joint pain and inflammation (23%). Doses and frequency of cannabidiol used by many pet owners were inconsistent, and yet many participants perceived an improvement of their pets' condition with supplementation, with mild to no side effects. Most respondents had not given cannabidiol to their pets before due to uncertainty about its efficacy and safety. The frequency of cannabidiol administration and length of time administered were both significant for whether participants found it efficacious in treating a given condition, and this was more evident when supplementing cannabidiol for a longer time.

Clinical Significance

We found heterogeneity regarding cannabidiol dosage and dosing frequency. Cannabidiol was mostly perceived as safe and effective, but there is a need to conduct further research on cannabidiol long‐term tolerability and therapeutic efficacy for treating various conditions.
Brain stimulation techniques as novel treatment options for insomnia: A systematic review
Authors: Krone Lukas B. , Fehér Kristoffer D. , Rivero Tania , Omlin Ximena
Published: May 2023

Despite the success of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and recent advances in pharmacotherapy, many patients with insomnia do not sufficiently respond to available treatments. This systematic review aims to present the state of science regarding the use of brain stimulation approaches in treating insomnia. To this end, we searched MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO from inception to 24 March 2023. We evaluated studies that compared conditions of active stimulation with a control condition or group. Outcome measures included standardized insomnia questionnaires and/or polysomnography in adults with a clinical diagnosis of insomnia. Our search identified 17 controlled trials that met inclusion criteria, and assessed a total of 967 participants using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial electric stimulation, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation or forehead cooling. No trials using other techniques such as deep brain stimulation, vestibular stimulation or auditory stimulation met the inclusion criteria. While several studies report improvements of subjective and objective sleep parameters for different repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electric stimulation protocols, important methodological limitations and risk of bias limit their interpretability. A forehead cooling study found no significant group differences in the primary endpoints, but better sleep initiation in the active condition. Two transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation trials found no superiority of active stimulation for most outcome measures. Although modulating sleep through brain stimulation appears feasible, gaps in the prevailing models of sleep physiology and insomnia pathophysiology remain to be filled. Optimized stimulation protocols and proof of superiority over reliable sham conditions are indispensable before brain stimulation becomes a viable treatment option for insomnia.
Sexual differences in blood parasite infections, circulating carotenoids and body condition in free‐living red‐legged partridges
Authors: García J. T. , Pérez‐Rodríguez L. , Calero‐Riestra M. , Sánchez‐Barbudo I. , Viñuela J. , Casas F.
Published: May 2023

A central issue in avian ecology deals with the trade‐off between investment life‐history components, such as reproductive effort, and parasite and disease resistance. During reproduction, differences in the particular needs of males and females may further affect the outcome of such trade‐off. However, most studies performed to date on avian species have focused on males, while less is known about this subject in females. We investigated haemoparasite infections (generaHaemoproteus, PlasmodiumandLeucocytozoon) in relation to sex, year, body condition and plasma concentrations of carotenoids in wild‐breeding Red‐legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). Our aim was to examine whether there are differences in infections between sexes and how parasite infections relate to carotenoid levels, physical condition and breeding parameters in non‐passerine wild birds. Males captured early in the breeding season were in better body condition than females, indicating a marked sexual difference in this trait in wild Red‐legged partridges. The prevalence of blood parasites in males was higher than in females. However, we found that females infected by blood parasites had lower plasma carotenoid concentrations than uninfected females, whereas no association between infection and carotenoid levels was found in males. This suggests sex‐related differences in the use of carotenoids to fight infections or for parasite resistance. A possible explanation of this contrasting pattern between sexes is that reproduction may not have to involve the same costs for males and females. We suggest that males would be under strong sexual selection and would trade health for signalling, which could simultaneously explain highest parasite prevalence being found in males and the contrasting patterns in blood carotenoid levels between males and females. Females in contrast, that were in worst body condition during early breeding season, were more sensitive to infections, diverting carotenoids to immune function more than males.
Attuning toIn‐the‐Red Frequencieswith/in Readers Workshop
Authors: Dernikos Bessie P. , Thiel Jaye Johnson , Nightengale‐Lee Bianca , Lenters Kimberly , Bailey Erin
Published: May 2023

In this article, we ‘think with’ the theoretical concepts of flow, rupture, layering, and sampling to affectively attune to ‘in‐the‐red frequencies’ flowing across/with‐in a New York City primary classroom—that is, alternative sonic frequencies that trouble and refuse hegemonic literacy practices. These hip‐hop concepts theorise affect in relation to Black intellectual frameworks for moving, feeling, and sounding. Such frameworks honour philosophical practices emerging from Black people's lived experiences—practices that, historically, have been perceptually coded out of legibility by white supremacist institutions. Ultimately, we argue that thinking with flow↔rupture↔layering↔sampling enables more equitable practices that push literacies ‘into the red,’ namely, by respecting multiple perspectives, histories, and truths; accounting for power, privilege, positioning, and complicity; and highlighting ‘otherwise’ social worlds not predicated on hegemonic whiteness, anti‐blackness, and socio‐political violence.
High conservation of the dental plaque microbiome across populations with differing subsistence strategies and levels of market integration
Authors: Velsko Irina M. , Gallois Sandrine , Stahl Raphaela , Henry Amanda G. , Warinner Christina
Published: May 2023

Industrialization—including urbanization, participation in the global food chain and consumption of heavily processed foods—is thought to drive substantial shifts in the human microbiome. While diet strongly influences stool microbiome composition, the influence of diet on the oral microbiome is largely speculative. Multiple ecologically distinct surfaces in the mouth, each harbouring a unique microbial community, pose a challenge to assessing changes in the oral microbiome in the context of industrialization, as the results depend on the oral site under study. Here, we investigated whether microbial communities of dental plaque, the dense biofilm on non‐shedding tooth surfaces, are distinctly different across populations with dissimilar subsistence strategies and degree of industrialized market integration. Using a metagenomic approach, we compared the dental plaque microbiomes of Baka foragers and Nzime subsistence agriculturalists in Cameroon (n = 46) with the dental plaque and calculus microbiomes of highly industrialized populations in North America and Europe (n = 38). We found that differences in microbial taxonomic composition between populations were minimal, with high conservation of abundant microbial taxa and no significant differences in microbial diversity related to dietary practices. Instead, we find that the major source of variation in dental plaque microbial species composition is related to tooth location and oxygen availability, which may be influenced by toothbrushing or other dental hygiene measures. Our results support that dental plaque, in contrast to the stool microbiome, maintains an inherent stability against ecological perturbations in the oral environment.
5‐HT7 receptors mediate dilation of rat cremaster muscle arterioles in vivo
Authors: Jackson William F. , Daci Armond , Thompson Janice M. , Fink Gregory D. , Watts Stephanie W.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Serotonin (5‐HT) infusion in vivo causes hypotension and a fall in total peripheral resistance. However, the vascular segment and the receptors that mediate this response remain in question. We hypothesized that 5‐HT7 receptors mediate arteriolar dilation to 5‐HT in skeletal muscle microcirculation.

Methods

Cremaster muscles of isoflurane‐anesthetized male Sprague‐Dawley rats were prepared for in vivo microscopy of third‐ and fourth‐order arterioles and superfused with physiological salt solution at 34°C. Quantitative real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR) was applied to pooled samples of first‐ to third‐order cremaster arterioles (2–4 rats/sample) to evaluate 5‐HT7 receptor expression.

Results

Topical 5‐HT (1–10 nmols) or the 5‐HT1/7 receptor agonist, 5‐carboxamidotryptamine (10–30 nM), dilated third‐ and fourth‐order arterioles, responses that were abolished by 1 μM SB269970, a selective 5‐HT7 receptor antagonist. In contrast, dilation induced by the muscarinic agonist, methacholine (100 nmols) was not inhibited by SB269970. Serotonin (10 nmols) failed to dilate cremaster arterioles in 5‐HT7 receptor knockout rats whereas arterioles in wild‐type litter mates dilated to 1 nmol 5‐HT, a response blocked by 1 μM SB269970. Quantitative RT‐PCR revealed that cremaster arterioles expressed mRNA for 5‐HT7 receptors.

Conclusions

5‐HT7 receptors mediate dilation of small arterioles in skeletal muscle and likely contribute to 5‐HT‐induced hypotension, in vivo.
The art of nationalism: Artists' perspectives on the Latvian Centenary film programme
Authors: Ozoliņa Liene , Vikmane Elīna
Published: May 2023

In the aftermath of several decades of neoliberalism in Eastern Europe, the social fabric of post‐socialist societies is frayed. In this context, nationalist cultural policies and everyday displays of national belonging have emerged as key instruments of social solidarity. There has recently been a drive of state initiatives in Latvia in the field of cultural policy aimed at strengthening national identity. In this paper, we focus our attention on one particular cultural policy initiative, Latvian Films for Latvian Centenary. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 16 film directors who participated in the Centenary film programme, the paper explores how artists and cultural operators involved in this programme are mobilised as national(ist) subjects and how they see their work within such a framework. We argue that nationalist cultural policy can be successfully implemented because the artists, themselves formed as responsible political and moral subjects in the tradition of Latvian cultural nationalism, share a regard for culture and the arts as a resource for sustaining the political statehood and the national community. However, the artists also recognise the limitations of their work as a source of social cohesion and solidarity in a society that is ethnically divided.
Killing the dead: The logic of cemetery destruction during genocidal campaigns
Authors: Krikler Noa
Published: May 2023

This paper contends that cultural destruction during genocidal campaigns is a dimension of genocide itself and is evidence of the intent to completely erase the targeted group from existence. It focuses on a powerful, yet under‐examined, form of cultural violence, namely the destruction of cemeteries and graveyards. My argument will be demonstrated through the localised case study of the town of Zvornik, Bosnia–Herzegovina, and the destruction of two Muslim cemeteries that took place there during genocidal campaigns against the Muslim communities of Bosnia–Herzegovina in the 1992–1995 war.
‘Exodus’: The Serb flight from Sarajevo, its legacy, and its role in the political memory of Republika Srpska
Authors: Žíla Ondřej
Published: May 2023

This study provides a conceptual and empirical explanation of how and why the leadership of Republika Srpska (RS), which is one of the entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, formed a specific discourse concerning the flight of Sarajevan Serbs after the 1992–1995 war. Undertaking an analysis of local media, it explores the ‘defensive’ and ‘cohesive’ strategies promulgated by the RS elite that have been pivotal in shaping the idea of Serbhood. The former accentuates victimhood through discursive dimensions of external enforcement, suffering and rupture. The latter channels a sense of collective identity and the notion of ‘statehood’ in RS through narratives of sacrifice and patriotism. These strategies help to advance the concept of Serbhood to counter the war's external near‐hegemonic understanding, fuelling denialism and promoting in‐group characteristics in the RS society. The legacy of the flight has contributed to moulding the political memory of RS.
Proximal esophageal impedance baseline increases the yield of impedance‐pH monitoring for GERD diagnosis and is associated with heartburn response to PPI
Authors: Ribolsi Mentore , Frazzoni Marzio , Marchetti Lorenzo , Brigida Mattia , Cicala Michele , Savarino Edoardo
Published: May 2023

Background

Impairment of esophageal mucosal integrity as assessed by low mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) measured in the distal esophagus increases the diagnostic yield of impedance‐pH in patients with inconclusive GERD diagnosis as defined by Lyon criteria.

Aim

To assess the diagnostic yield of MNBI measurement in the proximal esophagus, and its relationship with PPI response.

Methods

Expert review of off‐therapy impedance‐pH tracings from consecutive patients with heartburn, 80 responders and 80 non‐responders to label‐dose PPI. Data were compared to those from 36 healthy controls using ROC analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed to measure the strength of association of MNBI with PPI response.

Results

A threshold value of 2665 Ω was defined for proximal MNBI by ROC analysis, affording 91.7% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity. Proximal and distal MNBI were significantly lower in non‐responder cases as compared to responders. Adding proximal MNBI positivity to pathologic (>6%) acid exposure time (AET) and positive symptom‐reflux association, the proportion of patients with abnormal impedance‐pH findings increased from 74/160 (46%) to 106/160 (66.3%) (p = 0.0016). Among the 12 patients with pathologic proximal MNBI as the only positive impedance‐pH finding, 9 cases (75%) were PPI responders. According to multivariate analysis, AET and pathological distal and proximal MNBI were significantly associated with PPI response, the strongest association observed for proximal MNBI.

Conclusions

Impedance baseline assessment in the proximal esophagus may increase the diagnostic yield of impedance‐pH monitoring. Heartburn response to PPI is directly related to ultrastructural mucosal damage in the distal and in the proximal esophagus as well.
Mena as a key enhancer factor of EMT to promote metastasis of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cui Hao , Liang Xiang , Zhu Yifei , Elayah Sadam Ahmed , Qi Hong , Xie Linyang , Guo Zhichen , Siya Fang , Ming Yu , Yuxin Gong , Tu Junbo , Na Sijia
Published: May 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mammalian‐enabled (Mena) on tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) metastasis and its mechanism.

Materials and Methods

Immunochemistry was performed to investigate the Mena and tumor‐related markers expression, and its clinicopathological characteristics in 46 TSCC specimens. TSCC cell SCC9 and Cal27 untransfected or stable transfected with Mena overexpression and small interfering RNA were used to determine the role of Mena in cell proliferation, cell migration, invasion and metastasis, and EMT‐related markers in vitro, and the effect of Mena on TSCC growth and metastasis through tumor‐bearing and tumor metastasis immunodeficient mice models in vivo.

Results

Immunochemistry showed that the expression of Mena was significantly correlated with lymphatic metastasis and TNM stage, E‐cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP2. Mena did not affect cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. However, it promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro, and TSCC metastasis in vivo.

Conclusions

Mena expression is associated with lymphatic metastasis and tumor stage and promotes TSCC invasion and metastasis by inducing the EMT process. Thus, Mena may be a biomarker for prognosis and targeted therapy in TSCC patients.
You Know You're Right: How Intellectual Humility Decreases Political Hostility
Authors: Smith Glen
Published: May 2023

Political hostility is a pervasive problem in American politics, producing dangerous consequences for individuals and society. Recent research in social psychology suggests that intellectual humility may be able to reduce political hostility, but the underlying causal relationship remains unclear. The purpose of this article is to examine how intellectual humility lowers hostility toward people who disagree (dissenters) about specific political topics. Results from a national survey indicate that those holding political beliefs with humility feel less negativity toward dissenters. Fixed‐effects regression models also show that intrapersonal variation in intellectual humility predicts issue‐specific hostility across political topics. Furthermore, a survey experiment priming intellectual humility caused a corresponding decrease in hostility toward dissenters without impacting underlying opinions. Altogether, these results suggest that fostering intellectual humility may be a fruitful avenue for alleviating the hostility and anger that often accompany political disagreement.
Diagnostic cut‐off values for the urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio for the diagnosis of canine Cushing's syndrome using an automated chemiluminescent assay
Authors: Schäfer Ingo , Rehbein Sina , Holtdirk Annette , Kottmann Tanja , Klein Ruth , Müller Elisabeth , Thoren‐Tolling Kerstin
Published: May 2023

Background

Cushing's syndrome is one of the most common endocrinopathies in dogs. The preferred screening test for spontaneous Cushing's syndrome is the low‐dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST). The diagnostic value of urinary cortisol:creatinine ratios(UCCR) is questionable.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine diagnostic cut‐off values for UCCR testing in comparison with LDDST as a clinical reference standard and to calculate the sensitivity and specificity.

Methods

Data from 2018 to 2020 were obtained retrospectively from a commercial laboratory. Both LDDST and UCCR were measured by automated chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). The maximum interval between both tests was 14 days. The optimal cut‐off value for UCCR testing was calculated by the Youden index. The sensitivity and specificity of these cut‐off values for the UCCR test and LDDST were assessed by Bayesian latent class models (BLCMs).

Results

This study included 324 dogs with both UCCR test and LDDST results. The optimal UCCR cut‐off value, calculated by the Youden index, was 47.4 × 10−6. Any UCCR <40 × 10−6was interpreted as a negative result, 40–60 × 10−6as values in a gray zone, and >60 × 10−6as positive. Using the cut‐off of 60 × 10−6, BLCM showed 91% (LDDST) and 86% (UCCR test) sensitivity and a specificity of 54% (LDDST) and 63% (UCCR test).

Conclusions

Considering an 86% sensitivity and a 63% specificity, UCCR testing may be considered a first‐line investigation to rule out Cushing's syndrome using CLIA analysis. Urine samples can be collected noninvasively at home by the owner, reducing the potential impact of stress.
Minor Literatures and Major Laments
Authors: Balbuena Monique R.
Published: May 2023

This chapter presents Sadia Lévy, an Algerian poet who attempted to inscribe himself in the gallery of French Symbolists while writing in a French enriched by infusions of Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish, activating biblical and Kabbalistic genres in his poems. Lévy allows us to look at the development of modernism from a different angle, and serves as an example that will prompt changes in Jewish historical narrative, destabilizing certain views of Jewish culture, more specifically about Sephardi and North African Jews. Writing in French in colonial Algeria, Lévy makes us rethink the boundaries that define a French and a Francophone author. Having written one of the first Maghrebi novels in French, his precedence has gone unrecognized because as a Jew, he is considered French—an ideological exclusionary act that misses his ambivalent position and does not recognize that the privilege of his French citizenship is more artificial than ever.
Archaeology of the Language / Archaeology of the Self
Authors: Balbuena Monique R.
Published: May 2023

Chapter 3, about Argentine Ashkenazi poet Juan Gelman, destabilizes notions of fixed identity and breaks down dichotomic divisions of ethnic origins as it traces Gelman’s gradual rewriting of himself as a Sephardic Jew at the very moment when he most identifies as a Jew. It reads Gelman’s bilingual Ladino-Spanish collection Dibaxu as the culmination of his rewritings of Spanish canonical authors. It focuses on the “process of self-Sephardization,” initially triggered by Gelman’s historical condition as a political exile, and then fed by his translation and rewriting of canonical medieval Spanish Hebrew poets. He proceeds in a linguistic “excavation” of the many layers in the Spanish language, and writes himself as a Sephardic Jew. In opposition to an oppressive regime with which his language is associated, Gelman makes a deterritorializing move and radically assumes a new language: the Jewish, exilic and minor Ladino.
Ad tempus universale … A Time for Everyone?
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter introduces the major debates about time which are discussed in the book. It tackles the idea of the existence of a universal time by presenting an overview of the common knowledge about time, using the Ancients (Aristotle, Platon, Plotinius, St. Augustine) to better apprehend their impact upon the historians (Gurevich, Pomian, Ariès, Le Goff, Braudel), anthropologists or sociologists (Durkheim, Mauss, Eliade), and Christian theologians (Cullman). The chapter proceeds then to a presentation of the debate about the relationship of Jews with history and memory (Y. H. Yerushalmi, A. Funkenstein).
The Time to Come
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter deals with the representations and narrative about the other world. It presents an overview of the linguistic meanings accorded to the different words which are expressing a conceptualization of time (zman, olam, mo’ed, et). It then describes the different approaches available in the Mishnah and the Talmud after the Destruction of the Second Temple.
Eschatological Scansions
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

his chapter develops the idea that aside from the concrete signs of the temporal scansions, there are other markers, expressed in the apocryphal literature, that mark the making of time.