bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combining Physical and Cognitive Functions to Discriminate Level of Gait Independence in Hospitalized Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Nakagawa Keita , Kanai Shusaku , Kitakaze Sosuke , Okamura Hitoshi
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Both physical and cognitive functions are required to be assessed to determine the level of gait independence in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD); nonetheless, a method to achieve this assessment has not been established. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of an assessment method that combined muscle strength, balance ability, and cognitive function parameters in discriminating the level of gait independence in a real-world setting in hospitalized patients with AD. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 63 patients with AD (mean age: 86.1 ± 5.8 years) were classified into three groups according to their gait level: independent, modified independent (independent walking with walking aids), and dependent groups. Discrimination accuracy was calculated for single items of muscle strength, balance ability, and cognitive function tests and for combinations of each. Results: The combined accuracy of muscle strength, balance ability, and cognitive function had a positive predictive value of 100.0% and a negative predictive value of 67.7% between the independent and modified independent groups. The positive and negative predictive values were 100.0% and 72.4%, respectively, between the modified independent and dependent groups. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of assessing the level of gait independence in a real-world setting in patients with AD from the perspective of both physical and cognitive functions and proposes a novel method for discriminating an optimal state.
Comparison of Clinical Course and Outcomes between Dilated and Hypokinetic Non-Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Dziewięcka Ewa , Winiarczyk Mateusz , Wiśniowska-Śmiałek Sylwia , Karabinowska-Małocha Aleksandra , Robak Jan , Kaciczak Monika , Baranowski Filip , Rubiś Paweł
Published: June 2023

Background: By definition, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by enlargement of the left ventricular (LV) cavity, and systolic dysfunction. However, in 2016 ESC introduced a new clinical entity – hypokinetic non-dilated cardiomyopathy (HNDC). HNDC is defined as LV systolic dysfunction without LV dilatation. However, the diagnosis of HNDC has so far rarely been made by a cardiologist, and it is unknown whether “classic” DCM differs from HNDC in terms of clinical course and outcomes. Objectives: Comparison of heart failure profiles and outcomes between patients with “classic” dilated (DCM) and HNDCs. Method: We retrospectively analysed 785 DCM patients, defined as impaired left ventricle (LV) systolic function (ejection fraction [LVEF] <45%) in the absence of coronary artery disease, valve disease, congenital heart disease, and severe arterial hypertension. “Classic” DCM was diagnosed when LV dilatation was present (LV end-diastolic diameter >52 mm/58 mm in women/men); otherwise, HNDC was diagnosed. After 47 ± 31 months, the all-cause mortality and composite endpoint (all-cause mortality, heart transplant – HTX, left ventricle assist device implantation – LVAD) were assessed. Results: There were 617 (79%) patients with LV dilatation. Patients with “classic” DCM differed from HNDC in terms of clinically relevant parameters [hypertension (47% vs. 64%, p = 0.008), ventricular tachyarrhythmias (29% vs. 15%, p = 0.007), NYHA class (2.5 ± 0.9 vs. 2.2 ± 0.8, p = 0.003)], had lower cholesterol (LDL: 2.9 ± 1.0 vs. 3.2 ± 1.1 mmol/L, p = 0.049), and higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (3,351 ± 5,415 vs. 2,563 ± 8584 pg/mL, p = 0.0001) and required higher diuretics dosages (57.8 ± 89.5 vs. 33.7 ± 48.7 mg/day, p ≤ 0.0001). All of their chambers were larger (LVEDd: 68.3 ± 4.5 vs. 52.7 ± 3.5 mm, p < 0.0001) and they had lower LVEF (25.2 ± 9.4 vs. 36.6 ± 11.7%, p < 0.0001). During the follow-up, there were 145 (18%) composite endpoints (“classic” DCM vs. HNDC: 122 [20%] vs. 26 [18%], p = 0.22): deaths (97 [16%] vs. 24 [14%], p = 0.67), HTX (17 [4%] vs. 4 [4%], p = 0.97) and LVAD (19 [5%] vs. 0 [0%], p = 0.03). Both groups did not differ in terms of all-cause mortality (p = 0.70), cardiovascular (CV) mortality (p = 0.37) and composite endpoint (p = 0.26). Conclusions: LV dilatation was absent in more than one-fifth of DCM patients. HNDC patients had less severe heart failure symptoms, less advanced cardiac remodelling, and required lower diuretics dosages. On the other hand, “classic” DCM and HNDC patients did not differ in terms of all-cause mortality, CV mortality, and composite endpoint.
“We All Want to Be Able to Tell You Something Hopeful”: Clinicians’ Experiences Providing Maternal-Fetal Surgery Counseling
Authors: Wilpers Abigail , Goldblatt Hyatt Erica , Bahtiyar Mert Ozan , Hu Yunzhe , Leon-Martinez Daisy , Chervenak Frank A. , McCoyd Judith L. M.
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Prenatal counseling about maternal-fetal surgery can be traumatic and confusing for pregnant people. It can also be technically and emotionally complex for clinicians. As maternal-fetal surgery rapidly advances and becomes more common, more evidence is needed to inform counseling practices. The objective of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the methods clinicians currently use to train for and provide counseling, as well as their needs and recommendations for future education and training. Methods: We used interpretive description methods and interviewed interprofessional clinicians who regularly counsel pregnant people about maternal-fetal surgery. Results: We conducted 20 interviews with participants from 17 different sites who were maternal-fetal medicine specialists (30%), pediatric surgeons (30%), nurses (15%), social workers (10%), a genetic counselor (5%), a neonatologist (5%), and a pediatric subspecialist (5%). Most were female (70%), non-Hispanic white (90%), and practiced in the Midwest (50%). We identified four overarching themes: (1) contextualizing maternal-fetal surgery counseling; (2) establishing shared understanding; (3) supporting decision-making; and (4) training for maternal-fetal surgery counseling. Within these themes, we identified key practice differences among professions, specialties, institutions, and regions. Conclusion: Participants are committed to practicing informative and supportive counseling to empower pregnant people to make autonomous decisions about maternal-fetal surgery. Nevertheless, our findings indicate a dearth of evidence-based communication practices and guidance. Participants identified significant systemic limitations affecting pregnant people’s decision-making options related to maternal-fetal surgery.
Pediatric Primary Intracranial Malignant Melanoma: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Lim Mervyn J.R. , Tan Enrica E.K. , Wong Ru Xin , Chang Kenneth T.E. , Fortier Marielle V. , Cheong Tien Meng , Ng Lee Ping , Low Sharon Y.Y.
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Primary intracranial malignant melanoma (PIMM) is an extremely rare primary brain tumor with most cases diagnosed in adults. To date, there are only a few cases reported in the pediatric population. Owing to its infrequency, there are no established guidelines to treat this aggressive neoplasm. Recent insights suggest that PIMM are molecularly different between adults and children, whereby NRAS mutations drive tumor growth in the latter group. We present a unique case of PIMM in a pediatric patient and discuss the case in corroboration with current literature. Case Presentation: A previously well 15-year-old male presented with progressive symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Neuroimaging reported a large solid-cystic lesion with significant mass effect. He underwent gross total resection of the lesion that was reported to be a PIMM with pathogenic single nucleotide variant NRAS p.Gln61Lys. Further workup for cutaneous, uveal, and visceral malignant melanoma was negative. A trial of whole-brain radiotherapy followed by dual immune checkpoint inhibitors was commenced. Despite concerted efforts, the patient had aggressive tumor progression and eventually demised from his disease. Conclusion: We therein report a case of pediatric PIMM, in the context of the patient’s clinical, radiological, histopathological, and molecular findings. This case highlights the therapeutic difficulties faced in disease management and contributes to the very limited pool of medical literature for this devastating primary brain tumor.
O cuidado de enfermagem à gestante com depressão: revisão integrativa da literatura
Authors: Porcel Giovanna da Silva , Silva Mônica Maria de Jesus
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: investigar e analisar as evidências disponíveis na literatura científica sobre o cuidado de enfermagem à gestante com depressão. Metodologia: revisão integrativa da literatura que seguiu as recomendações da declaração PRISMA. Questão norteadora fundamentada na estratégia PICO. As buscas foram realizadas nas bases de dados MEDLINE via PubMed, SCOPUS, LILACS, PsycINFO e CINAHL, utilizando os descritores gravidez, depressão e cuidado de enfermagem, no período de 01 de janeiro de 2010 a 01 de janeiro de 2020. Resultados: dos 1398 estudos identificados, sete foram incluídos na revisão integrativa. Com relação ao ano de publicação, os artigos selecionados para a amostra final foram publicados de 2011 a 2017, sendo todos de diferentes países. Em relação ao cuidado de enfermagem frente à depressão na gravidez, emergiram três categorias temáticas: cuidado para a prevenção e diminuição dos sintomas depressivos, intervenções para o cuidado e uso de teorias e modelos como estrutura da intervenção no cuidado de enfermagem. Conclusão: o conhecimento e identificação do cuidado de enfermagem à gestante com depressão é crucial para a qualificação da assistência pré-natal e a promoção da saúde mental.
An Alternative Mechanism of Subcellular Iron Uptake Deficiency in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Dai Yuanyuan , Ignatyeva Nadezda , Xu Hang , Wali Ruheen , Toischer Karl , Brandenburg Sören , Lenz Christof , Pronto Julius , Fakuade Funsho E. , Sossalla Samuel , Zeisberg Elisabeth M. , Janshoff Andreas , Kutschka Ingo , Voigt Niels , Urlaub Henning , Rasmussen Torsten Bloch , Mogensen Jens , Lehnart Stephan E. , Hasenfuss Gerd , Ebert Antje
Published: June 2023

Background:

Systemic defects in intestinal iron absorption, circulation, and retention cause iron deficiency in 50% of patients with heart failure. Defective subcellular iron uptake mechanisms that are independent of systemic absorption are incompletely understood. The main intracellular route for iron uptake in cardiomyocytes is clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Methods:

We investigated subcellular iron uptake mechanisms in patient-derived and CRISPR/Cas–edited induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes as well as patient-derived heart tissue. We used an integrated platform of DIA-MA (mass spectrometry data-independent acquisition)–based proteomics and signaling pathway interrogation. We employed a genetic induced pluripotent stem cell model of 2 inherited mutations (
TnT
[
troponin T
]-R141W and
TPM1
[
tropomyosin 1
]-L185F) that lead to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a frequent cause of heart failure, to study the underlying molecular dysfunctions of DCM mutations.

Results:

We identified a druggable molecular pathomechanism of impaired subcellular iron deficiency that is independent of systemic iron metabolism. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis defects as well as impaired endosome distribution and cargo transfer were identified as a basis for subcellular iron deficiency in DCM-induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes. The clathrin-mediated endocytosis defects were also confirmed in the hearts of patients with DCM with end-stage heart failure. Correction of the
TPM1-L185F
mutation in DCM patient–derived induced pluripotent stem cells, treatment with a peptide, Rho activator II, or iron supplementation rescued the molecular disease pathway and recovered contractility. Phenocopying the effects of the
TPM1-L185F
mutation into WT induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes could be ameliorated by iron supplementation.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that impaired endocytosis and cargo transport resulting in subcellular iron deficiency could be a relevant pathomechanism for patients with DCM carrying inherited mutations. Insight into this molecular mechanism may contribute to the development of treatment strategies and risk management in heart failure.
Renin Cells, From Vascular Development to Blood Pressure Sensing
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroki , Gomez R. Ariel , Sequeira-Lopez Maria Luisa S.
Published: June 2023

During embryonic and neonatal life, renin cells contribute to the assembly and branching of the intrarenal arterial tree. During kidney arteriolar development renin cells are widely distributed throughout the renal vasculature. As the arterioles mature, renin cells differentiate into smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and mesangial cells. In adult life, renin cells are confined to the tips of the renal arterioles, thus their name juxtaglomerular cells. Juxtaglomerular cells are sensors that release renin to control blood pressure and fluid-electrolyte homeostasis. Three major mechanisms control renin release: (1) β-adrenergic stimulation, (2) macula densa signaling, and (3) the renin baroreceptor, whereby a decrease in arterial pressure leads to increased renin release whereas an increase in pressure results in decrease renin release. Cells from the renin lineage exhibit plasticity in response to hypotension or hypovolemia, whereas relentless, chronic stimulation induces concentric arterial and arteriolar hypertrophy, leading to focal renal ischemia. The renin cell baroreceptor is a nuclear mechanotransducer within the renin cell that transmits external forces to the chromatin to regulate
Ren1
gene expression. In addition to mechanotransduction, the pressure sensor of the renin cell may enlist additional molecules and structures including soluble signals and membrane proteins such as gap junctions and ion channels. How these various components integrate their actions to deliver the exact amounts of renin to meet the organism needs is unknown. This review describes the nature and origins of renin cells, their role in kidney vascular development and arteriolar diseases, and the current understanding of the blood pressure sensing mechanism.
Personality and Risk of Incident Stroke in 6 Prospective Studies
Authors: Stephan Yannick , Sutin Angelina R. , Luchetti Martina , Aschwanden Damaris , Terracciano Antonio
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND:

A large literature has examined a broad range of factors associated with increased risk of stroke. Few studies, however, have examined the association between personality and stroke. The present study adopted a systematic approach using a multi-cohort design to examine the associations between 5-Factor Model personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and incident stroke using data from 6 large longitudinal samples of adults.

METHODS:

Participants (age range: 16–104 years old, N=58 105) were from the MIDUS (Midlife in the United States) Study, the HRS (Health and Retirement Study), The US (Understanding Society) study, the WLS (Wisconsin Longitudinal Study), the NHATS (National Health and Aging Trends Study), and the LISS (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences). Personality traits, demographic factors, clinical and behavioral risk factors were assessed at baseline; stroke incidence was tracked over 7 to 20 years follow-up.

RESULTS:

Meta-analyses indicated that higher neuroticism was related to a higher risk of incident stroke (hazard ratio, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.10–1.20];
P
<0.001), whereas higher conscientiousness was protective (HR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.85–0.93];
P
<0.001). Additional meta-analyses indicated that BMI, diabetes, blood pressure, physical inactivity, and smoking as additional covariates partially accounted for these associations. Extraversion, openness, and agreeableness were unrelated to stroke incidence.

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar to other cardiovascular and neurological conditions, higher neuroticism is a risk factor for stroke incidence, whereas higher conscientiousness is a protective factor.
The Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) Mechanical Thrombectomy Registry: Outcomes in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID‐19
Authors: Hassan Ameer E. , Tekle Wondwossen G. , Desai Sohum K. , Haussen Diogo C. , Mohammaden Mahmoud , Nogueira Raul G. , Sheth Sunil A., , Salazar‐Marioni Sergio , Czap Alexandra , Linfante Italo , Dabus Guilherme , Starosciak Amy K. , Nguyen Thanh N. , Abdalkader Mohamad , Klein Piers , Siegler James E. , Heslin Mark , Thau Lauren , Oak Solomon , Ortega‐Gutierrez Santiago , Farooqui Mudassir , Vivanco‐Suarez Juan , Majidi Shahram , Fifi Johanna T. , Matsoukas Stavros , Gordon Weston , Linares Guillermo , Rodriguez Wilson , Mehta Brijesh P. , Sugg Rebecca , Jumaa Mohammed , Liebeskind David S.
Published: June 2023

Background

Clinical and radiographic outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy in the setting of COVID‐19 infection remain poorly characterized. We sought to determine how COVID‐19 status affects mechanical thrombectomy outcomes in the real‐world setting in the United States.

Methods

The prospectively maintained multicenter mechanical thrombectomy registry from the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology was queried for baseline clinical characteristics among patients with and without COVID‐19 who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between March 1 and December 31, 2020 at 12 sites. Primary outcome was the likelihood of good neurological outcomes (90 day modified Rankin scale 0–2) among patients with COVID‐19 treated with endovascular thrombectomy, which was assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, and substantial reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b, 2c, and 3). Secondary outcomes included National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at 24 hours.

Results

Among 915 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy during the study period, 51 patients were positive for COVID‐19 (5.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that compared with patients who were COVID‐19 negative, patients who were positive for COVID‐19 were more likely to be male, nonsmokers, have lower Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, and present with intracranial internal carotid artery occlusions (Table 1). They were also less likely to achieve successful reperfusion. Multivariable analysis, however, failed to identify any independent associations with COVID‐19 positive status.

Conclusion

In our cohort, patients postive for COVID‐19 with acute ischemic stroke who undergo mechanical thrombectomy have similar baseline characteristics, imaging features, procedural, and clinical outcomes compared to patients who are negative for COVID‐19 in multivariate analysis. Further analyses are warranted.
External Validation of Atherosclerotic Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Emergent Large‐Vessel Occlusion
Authors: Siddiqui Fazeel M. , Fletcher Jeffrey J. , Barnes Andrew V. , Henry Alayna N. , Elias Augusto E. , Rajah Gary , PA‐C Alexis Carroll , Dandapat Sudeepta , Ume Kiddy L. , Farooqui Mudassir , Rodriguez‐Calienes Aaron , Pandey Aditya S. , Ortega‐Gutierrez Santiago
Published: June 2023

Background

Intracranial atherosclerosis related large vessel occlusion (ICAS‐LVO) is the major cause of failed mechanical thrombectomy. ICAS‐LVO causes reocclusion or a fixed focal stenosis, leading to suboptimal revascularization and poor functional outcomes. We aimed to externally validate 4 preidentified imaging biomarkers of ICAS‐LVO: absent hyperdense sign, Hounsfield units (Hu ratio ≤1.1 and Delta Hu <6) and truncal‐type occlusion, observed on admission noncontrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiography in patients presenting with emergent large‐vessel occlusion (ELVO).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort observational study of consecutive patients presenting with acute M1/terminal internal carotid artery occlusions undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Inability to locate a hyperdense vessel on noncontrast computed tomography at the corresponding ELVO on computed tomography angiography was labeled absent hyperdense sign. Delta Hu and Hu ratio were defined as the difference and ratio of the Hu of the ELVO on noncontrast computed tomography and its mirror contralateral patent vessel, respectively. ELVO was classified as truncal‐type occlusion if the bifurcation distal to the occlusion was spared on computed tomography angiography. ICAS‐LVO was defined as the presence of fixed focal stenosis or reocclusion after mechanical thrombectomy. Statistical analysis was performed using C statistics, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Of 161 patients, 30 (18.6%) had suspected ICAS‐LVO. Absent hyperdense sign had a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 87% (area under the curve [AUC], 0.88), in predicting ICAS‐LVO. Hu ratio ≤1.1 (AUC, 0.89) and Delta Hu <6 (AUC, 0.96) had sensitivity of 100% and 97% and specificity of 79% and 95%, respectively. Truncal‐type occlusion showed a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 98% (AUC, 0.87). When comparing receiver operating characteristic AUC, Delta Hu <6 was significantly better than absent hyperdense sign (
P
=0.006); Hu ratio ≤1.1 (
P
=0.006); and truncal‐type occlusion (
P
=0.02).

Conclusion

Combination of neuroimaging biomarkers using noncontrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiography in ELVO identify ICAS‐LVO with high predictive power. Larger, prospective, multicenter studies are warranted to further evaluate their effectiveness in diagnosing ICAS‐LVO.
George G. Simpson and Stephen J. Gould on Values: Shifting Normative Frameworks in Historical Context
Authors: McConwell Alison K.
Published: June 2023

George G. Simpson (1902–1984) and Stephen J. Gould (1941–2002) were both engaged with the normative – i.e., social, cultural, political, and even ethical – consequences of their evolutionary theorizing. However, there is a normative point of departure between Simpson and Gould’s work in that regard that has received little attention. Yet, their motivations converge into a larger program of resistance and social protection from misconstrued and illegitimate overreaches of the biological sciences leading up to and after the peak of the modern synthesis.
On the Ambivalence of Control in Experimental Investigation of Historically Contingent Processes
Authors: Desjardins Eric , Oswick Derek , Fox Craig W.
Published: June 2023

Historical contingency is commonly associated with unpredictability and outcome variability. As such, it can be seen as an undesirable aspect of experimental investigations. Many might agree that experimental methodologies that include enough control help to by-pass this problem and thereby make for more secure knowledge. Against this received view, we argue that, for at least some historically contingent processes, an over-emphasis on control might mislead by obscuring the very object of investigation or by preventing fruitful discoveries. In discussing cases from evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and geochemistry/astrophysics, we show how investigating through approaches that don’t prioritize environmental control, while allowing for greater variability of outcomes, better respects the object/environment entanglement of these systems. Finally, we defend the idea that, despite the lower level of control, these types of experiments do not have a lower epistemic value than more highly controlled experiments.
Of Records and Ruins: Metaphors about the Deep Past
Authors: Currie Adrian
Published: June 2023

Consideration of evidence and data in historical science is dominated by textual metaphor: we reconstruct the past on the basis of various incomplete records. I suggest that although textual metaphors are often apt, they also lead philosophers and scientists to think about historical evidence in particular ways, and that other perspectives might be fruitful. Towards this, I explore the notion of natural historical evidence being thought of as ‘ruins’. This has several potential benefits. First, the architectural aspect of the metaphor emphasizes the contingency of historical subjects and the coherency of design-based reconstruction. Second, historical data, like ruins, are co-constructed, involving intimate interaction with materials.
Les convertis noirs au Judaïsme en France
Authors: Mokoko Gampiot Aurélien
Published: June 2023

Si les conversions au Judaïsme sont un phénomène encore méconnu en France, les convertis noirs, originaires d’Afrique ou des Antilles, sont parmi les plus invisibles. Embrassant le Judaïsme dans la diversité de ses courants, leurs histoires de vie reflètent une variété de parcours. Il est question de cerner leurs profils individuels religieux et identitaires, les modalités par lesquelles la conversion lie ces Africains et Antillais au monde juif et les processus de recomposition identitaire à l’œuvre. Quels sont leurs choix et motivations ? Comment s’inscrivent-ils dans le paysage juif de France ?
Living Insider Positionality with Co-ethnics in Everyday Life
Authors: Tewolde Amanuel Isak
Published: June 2023

In this article I reflect on how I was perceived by members of my own ethnic community in Pretoria, South Africa, in everyday interactions. In these interactions, I was viewed as an integral part of the community, rather than a detached academic. I employ the theory of community researcher and the theory of the everyday to frame my experiences and my argument. Recent debates on insider/outsider positionalities conceptualize co-ethnic migrant researchers as situational insiders. Drawing on my lived experiences, however, I argue that my insiderness has been consistently embraced by my co-ethnics. To establish strong rapport with members of their co-ethnics, migrant researchers need to maintain close social contact, informality and casualness, in their everyday interactions to enhance their positionality as trusted insiders during future actual research encounters. This study contributes to theoretical understandings of migration studies and researcher positionalities.
Introduction
Authors: Page Joanna
Published: June 2023

The visual arts have played an integral role in the collection, identification, study, and exhibition of flora and fauna since the earliest times. The introduction traces ways in which art has participated in the construction of knowledge about the New World in particular, drawing on relevant recent scholarship by Daniela Bleichmar, Mauricio Nieto Olarte, and Juan Pimentel, among others. It focuses on how animal and plant life in Latin America were documented by chroniclers of the early colonial period, in the great scientific expeditions of the Enlightenment, and in museum exhibition practices of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The introduction outlines how the more recent artworks studied in this book develop a critique of the Enlightenment’s quest for a universal scientific language, searching instead to pluralize epistemologies. Returning to technologies of knowledge that were often designed to yield greater objectivity and universalism, Latin American artists have adapted these for different purposes: to reentwine natural history with human history, to historicize a timeless and universal nature, and to reconnect modern science with forms of knowledge it has marginalized since the eighteenth century. These techniques allow them to intervene critically in debates about environmental change and to explore decolonial and post-anthropocentric perspectives on the relationships between humans and the natural world.
Understanding Pandemic Crisis in a Dependent Economy: A Structuralist Analysis
Authors: Basu Moumita , Basu Rilina , Nag Ranjanendra Narayan
Published: June 2023

The pandemic crisis and associated lockdown have led to diminution in demand on one hand and different types of supply side bottlenecks on the other. The article makes a theoretical attempt to assess macroeconomic dimensions of COVID-19 along with consequences of such crisis using a two-sector dependent economy model. In particular, the article investigates the implications of unanticipated adverse shock such as COVID-19 and wage cut for the dynamic interaction of Tobin’s q, price of non-traded goods and the exchange rate and sectoral composition of output and level of employment. The effects of expansionary fiscal policy and increase in risk premium are also highlighted as the part of concluding remarks. The results in this article critically depend on the difference in the speeds of adjustments in the Tobin’s q, exchange rate and price of non-traded goods and different types of cross effects emanating from changes in interconnected macroeconomic variables. While the pandemic crisis leads to contraction of all the sectors and decrease in level of employment in the short-run with uncertain medium-run implications, the wage cut somewhat arrests the fall in employment.

JEL Codes: E24, F41, G12
International arms trade and transfers: Rising producers, advanced technology, and adapting regulations
Authors: Mandle Layton J. , Pearson Frederic S.
Published: June 2023

The end of the Cold War era has ushered in a century in which great military powers like the US, China, and Russia continue to dominate the arms trade, yet minor powers are also investing heavily in arms manufacturing and technologies and profiting from lucrative arms transfers. Changes in the arms trade have fostered cooperative international regulatory practices and agreements, but recent conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine highlight the need for strong end-use monitoring, post-shipment verification, and international accountability for dubious trade deals. This study analyzes changes in top arms producers, new complexities in arms regulation due to advancing technologies and artificial intelligence, arms-control policies of international organizations and top arms producers, and the risks of poor regulation.
Do Failed or Weak States Favor Resident Terrorist Groups’ Survival?
Authors: Gaibulloev Khusrav , Piazza James A. , Sandler Todd
Published: June 2023

Employing two alternative measures of state failure, we investigate how state weakness influences resident terrorist groups’ survival. Theoretically, state failure favors resident terrorist groups’ survival, while state territorial control fosters resident groups’ termination until some control threshold. Empirically, we uncover a robust negative relationship between a country’s weakness and its control of terrorism through the lens of the resident terrorist groups’ survival prospects. The discovered relationship withstands a host of robustness tests – e.g., alternative estimates and samples. We apply an instrument designed to address endogeneity concerns. In particular, our novel instrument for failed states consists of the interaction between natural disasters and ethnic fractionalization. As a state’s percentage of territorial control increases, resident terrorist groups are more prone to ending until some threshold control percent. Our analysis can guide counterterrorism policy by exploiting the nuanced theoretical determinants identified here that foster resident groups’ termination in failing states.
When Does Security Cooperation Increase Foreign Aid Allocation?
Authors: Zhang Qi
Published: June 2023

While many scholars find that security cooperation increases the foreign aid that allies receive from a major power, other studies show that an alliance also has negative effect and its terms can change over time. This article argues that a donor’s security environment impacts its participation in security cooperation and, subsequently, foreign aid allocation to allies. When the security environment is competitive, a donor will concentrate its resources on strengthening its ties with allies. In contrast, when the environment is favorable to a donor, it can use security cooperation as leverage to obtain policy concessions from allies, thus reducing its own foreign aid expenditures. This paper analyzes the aid allocation of three major power donors as well as 72 formal defense pacts and 70 bilateral defense cooperation agreements, and it finds that a favorable security environment allows a donor to reduce its economic contribution to its allies by 19 percent.
Edentulism Predicts Cognitive Decline in the US Health and Retirement Cohort Study
Authors: Jones J.A. , Moss K. , Finlayson T.L. , Preisser J.S. , Weintraub J.A.
Published: June 2023

This longitudinal cohort study examines if 1) cognitive decline varies by birth cohort, adjusting for covariates, and 2) edentulism and nonuse of dental care predict 10-y cognitive decline (2008–2018). The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) features a representative sample of US adults over age 50. Eligibility criteria included having cognitive interview data available and responding to the question, “Have you lost all of your upper and lower natural permanent teeth?” at 2+ time points between 2006 and 2018. Use of dental care in the past 2 y was assessed. Linear mixed models for repeated measures estimated the trajectories of mean cognition over time for the birth cohorts, adjusted for baseline cognition, dentition status, dental care use, and covariates (demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and medical conditions). Cohort-by-time interaction terms were included to assess if cognitive decline varied by birth cohort. Ten-year change in cognition status (measured by HRS Cogtot27)—categorized as dementia (<7); cognitive impairment, not demented (7-11) 7≤Cogtot27<12; and normal (≥12)—was also investigated according to birth cohort, dentition status, and dental care use. Mean (SD) baseline age was 63.4 (10.1) y ( n = 22,728). Older birth cohorts had greater cognitive decline than younger cohorts. Linear mixed-model estimates and 95% confidence intervals for protective factors for cognitive decline included higher baseline cognition (HRS Cogtot27) (0.49; 0.48–0.50), use of dental care in the past 2 y (0.17; 0.10–0.23), and covariates such as greater household wealth and being married. Risk increased with being edentulous (−0.42; −0.56 to −0.28), history of stroke or diabetes, less education, Medicaid recipient, current smoker, loneliness, and poor/fair self-rated health. Edentulism and irregular dental care are among important predictors of cognitive decline. Tooth retention and regular dental care throughout life appear to be important for maintaining oral and cognitive health.
A Positive View of Excessive Smartphone Utilization and Its Relationship With Other Academic-Related Variables Within the Online Course Setting
Authors: Kertechian Kevin S. , Ismail Hussein N.
Published: June 2023

The continual use of smartphones is a global problem that requires scholars’ attention. This study investigates the impact of excessive smartphone use, self-regulation, and procrastination on students’ online academic performance. A total of n = 238 university students participated in the study. Mean comparisons unveiled clear discrepancy scores on procrastination, self-regulation, and daily hours spent on smartphones between the smartphone-addicted and non-addicted students. Structural Equation Modeling helps us to answer our hypothesis. Unusually, smartphone use had a significant and positive effect on online students’ academic performance. Also, the study provides a better understanding of the procrastination factor that significantly impacts students’ smartphone use and online academic performance. Results are discussed considering possible interventions at the academic level.
Are Online Congregations Representative? Exploring Resource and Political Differences
Authors: Djupe Paul A. , Gilliland Claire C. , Olson Shayla F.
Published: June 2023

Social scientists are paying a growing amount of attention to the online presence of American congregations and not just because of the COVID-19 shutdowns. In part, text-as-data analytic techniques have made religious communication a viable area of study in addition to existing qualitative methods. Given the existing biases in terms of which congregations post sermons online, an important next step is to investigate potential political biases in which congregations are sharing or streaming their services. Drawing on data from the most recent National Congregations Study wave in 2018 to 2019 as well as reports of political content from individuals in a national survey from October 2020, we document the nature of the biases in which congregations are likely to be online and what the political consequences may be. While resources explain some of the likelihood for being online, we also find evidence for a link between more frequent clergy political speech and a higher likelihood of the congregation having an online presence. As scholars take advantage of the accessibility and availability of online worship services and sermons, it is essential to have a better understanding of which congregations they are sampling and lacking.
Transcendent Accountability and Pro-Community Attitudes: Assessing the Link Between Religion and Community Engagement
Authors: Jang Sung Joon , Bradshaw Matt , Witvliet Charlotte V. O. , Kim Young-Il , Johnson Byron R. , Leman Joseph
Published: June 2023

Prior research has established a positive relationship between religiosity and civic engagement but focused on public religiosity rather than private religiosity without explaining the relationship. We examined private religiosity as well as public religiosity in relation to community engagement, explaining the religiosity-community engagement relationship with two understudied mechanisms: “transcendent accountability” (seeing oneself as accountable to God or a higher power for one's influence on other people or the environment) and pro-community attitudes. For this examination, we applied structural equation modeling to analyze data from a nationally representative survey. We found that survey respondents who believed in a higher power, privately practiced devotional prayer and study of religious texts, and attended religious group activities (other than worship services), were more likely to report transcendent accountability to a higher power for their influence on other people and the environment. We also found that transcendent accountability was related positively to pro-community attitudes, which in turn was positively associated with community engagement. The indirect relationships between religiosity and community engagement were mostly significant. In conclusion, both private and public religious behaviors are consequential in the religiosity-civic engagement relationship, and the religiosity-linked virtue of transcendent accountability and its associated pro-community attitudes contribute to civic engagement.
Burnout Among Pastors in Relation to Congregation Member and Church Organizational Outcomes
Authors: Fulmer Crystal B. , Sinclair Robert R.
Published: June 2023

Burnout among pastors poses a threat to local church health and ministry vitality. This study examined how pastor job burnout relates to measures of church organizational health. Specifically, the current study examined the relationships between pastor job burnout and (a) intrinsic and extrinsic religiousness of worship service attenders and (b) church organizational health: financial stability and pastor turnover intentions. These relationships were studied using data from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS) collected during 2008 to 2009. Participants were sampled across Catholic and Protestant Christian denominations, and a small proportion of participants represented other religious traditions. Analyses indicated that pastor burnout was negatively related to two measures of attenders’ extrinsic religiousness: sense of belonging and participation, but not intrinsic religiousness. Churches with higher average pastor burnout had lower ratings of financial stability. Pastor burnout was positively related to pastor turnover intentions. Social support from the congregation weakened the relationship between pastor job burnout and turnover intentions. The current study can be used to inform church leaders, members, and denominational boards. These findings demonstrate that efforts to prevent and reduce pastor burnout would benefit the entire church organization.
The Importance of Peer Review: Recommendations for Reviewers and Authors
Authors: Herzog Patricia Snell
Published: June 2023

This editorial provides an overview of the importance of peer reviewing, generally and to the Review of Religious Research journal. Several practical recommendations are offered to reviewers. Following these practices will aid reviewers in communicating their feedback clearly to the editor and having it received well by authors. Additionally, several practical recommendations are offered to authors. Following these practices will aid authors in successfully responding to reviewers and communicating their thorough and thoughtful revisions. Peer reviewing is an important activity that advances knowledge and supports the academic community. The Review of Religious Research editorial team thanks its reviewers and authors for treating this process with integrity, sincerity, and authenticity. The journal invites experienced and emerging scholars to serve as reviewers. Whether new or experienced, this editorial provides reviewer and author recommendations for a successful process.
Core–shell nanofibers as carrier systems for sustained delivery of tea tree oil
Authors: Kwon Seyun , Yang Hyukjoo , Lee Seungsin
Published: June 2023

Tea tree ( Melaleuca alternifolia) oil is a plant-derived essential oil with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In this study, tea tree oil, a volatile essential oil, was encapsulated into a polymeric matrix by emulsion electrospinning to prepare core–shell nanofibers and investigate composite nanofibrous membranes as potential delivery vehicles of the antimicrobial agent. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which is a biodegradable polymer used as a medical material, was combined with tea tree oil for pharmaceutical and medical applications. Composite PVA nanofibers with a well-aligned core–shell structure containing tea tree oil were obtained via electrospinning from an emulsion comprising the oil and an aqueous PVA solution. Thermal treatment was used to make the PVA-based nanofibrous membranes stable in moist environments. The effects of drying and thermal treatment on the release behavior of tea tree oil from the composite membranes were thoroughly investigated. The antimicrobial effects of tea tree oil embedded in nanofibrous membranes were assessed against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. Although the thermal treatment of the PVA nanofibers loaded with tea tree oil reduced the emission of volatile organic compounds, terpinen-4-ol, an active antibacterial component of the oil, was released continuously over 14 days. The composite membranes containing tea tree oil presented strong antibacterial effects against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, these bioactive nanofibrous membranes show promise as potential carrier systems for tea tree oil, which represses microbial growth, and may be used for topical skin infection treatment.
Repurposing retail space: Exploring stakeholder relationships
Authors: Jackson Cath , Lawson Victoria , Orr Allison , White James T
Published: June 2023

The retail sector is experiencing unprecedented change, from ongoing shifts in shopping behaviour to retailer rationalisation and business failure. Internationally, this is impacting the crucial economic and social role of many highly developed city centres. This paper examines how key stakeholders have responded to the challenges of adapting city centres for the future. Empirically, the paper draws on a series of repurposing schemes across five case study cities. Conceptually, theories of assemblage are used as an analytical framework to understand how heterogeneous networks combine to repurpose city centres. The paper makes a distinctive contribution by revealing symbiosis between mixed uses that challenge traditional high street norms, and suggests that harnessing common desires could underpin productive shared governance and support business communities’ efforts to bring vibrancy and enhance resilience.
Book review: P. Neethi and Anant Kamath, Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore
Authors: Shivanand Swathi
Published: June 2023

P. Neethi and Anant Kamath, Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore, Cambridge University Press, 2022, 240 pp., ₹895, ISBN 978-1009180214 (Hardcover).
Book review: Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay, Streets in Motion: The Making of Infrastructure, Property, and Political Culture in Twentieth-century Calcutta
Authors: Ghosh Anwesha
Published: June 2023

Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay, Streets in Motion: The Making of Infrastructure, Property, and Political Culture in Twentieth-century Calcutta, Cambridge University Press, 2022, 320 pp., ₹1295, ISBN 978-1-009-10011-3 (Hardcover).
Book review: Rashmi Sadana, Metronama: Scenes from the Delhi Metro
Authors: Lone Asaf Ali
Published: June 2023

Rashmi Sadana, Metronama: Scenes from the Delhi Metro, Roli Books, 2022, 264 pp., ₹495, ISBN 978-93-92130-09-0 (Hardcover).
Quintessence of Urban India: Musings about Social Change from the Perspectives of the Slum Dweller and the Displaced
Authors: Chatterjee Ipsita
Published: June 2023

Urbanisation is a ‘constant’ process and cities will account for all future world population growth. What does it mean for people who find these spatio-temporal existences entrapping and limiting? This article reflects upon the urban condition of India from the imaginative geographic perspectives (to use Edward Said’s concept) of working people, labour, informal proletariat, the slum-dweller. In order to do so, this article explores the ‘urban’ or the ‘city’ as a concept and therefore, its connection with its ‘other’. Since the quintessence of life is the flowing hermaphroditic existence of the slum-dweller and the displaced flowing through space, social change would mean comprehensive re-haul of geographic imaginations that understand how city and country are connected and how they are impacted by neoliberal policy shift. This article concludes that oppression of the urban poor is universal in most urban conditions, hence reversing this universality constitutes the quintessence of social change.
Memorialising and Forgetting in the City: Recovering Azimabad from the Many Pasts of Patna
Authors: Fatima Sheema , Paiker Ufaque
Published: June 2023

This article interrogates the conventional idea of urban by historicising Patna, a provincial town neglected in urban studies. We argue that behind this neglect is the perception of urbanity as a project of modernity, development and infrastructure. The article foregrounds the role of culture in terms of literary productions and activities as significant yet ignored markers to define and reconceptualise urbanity. By studying the cultural activities of Patna from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, we not only redefine the urban but also the view of Patna as a provincial region. The article uses two occasions in the history of Patna, the formation of the New Capital and the construction of the Patna Museum, to underline the state’s desire for ‘monumental’ representation in the urban sphere and reveals how these instances were used to overwrite a certain kind of past for the city and create a formidable ancient identity for Patna.