bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring the effect of fireworks on air quality in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Authors: Gonzalez Andres , Boies Adam , Swanson Jacob , Kittelson David
Published: April 2022

Air quality was measured before, during, and after a 4th of July fireworks display in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota using a mix of low-cost sensors (CO, CO2, and NO) for gases and portable moderate cost instruments for particle measurements (PM2.5, lung deposited surface area, and number weighted particle size distributions). Meteorological conditions—temperature, humidity, and vertical temperature profile were also monitored. Concentrations of particles and most gaseous species peak between 10 pm and midnight on July 4th, decrease in the middle of the night but increase again and by between 6 and 7 am reach concentrations as high or higher than during fireworks. This overnight increase is likely due to a temperature inversion trapping emissions. Between 10 pm and midnight on July 4th the measures of particle concentration increase by 180–600% compared to the same period on July 3rd. Particle size distributions are strongly influenced by fireworks, shifting from traffic-like bimodal distributions before to a nearly unimodal distribution dominated by a large accumulation mode during and after. The shape of the size distribution measured during the early morning peak is nearly identical to that observed during fireworks, suggesting that the early morning peak is mainly due to trapped fireworks emissions not early morning traffic. Gaseous species are less strongly influenced by fireworks than particles. Comparing measurements made between 10 pm and midnight on July 4th and the same period on July 3rd, the concentration of CO increases 32% while the CO2 increases only 2% but increases by another 15% overnight. The NO concentration behaves oddly, decreasing during fireworks, but then recovering the next morning, more than doubling overnight. Our measurements of CO, NO, and PM2.5 are compared with those made at the nearest (~ 2 km away) Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Air Monitoring Station. Their NO results are quite different from ours with much lower concentrations before fireworks, a distinct peak during, followed by a strong overnight increase and an early morning peak somewhat similar in shape and concentration to ours. These differences are likely due mainly to malfunction of our low-cost NO sensor. Concentrations of CO and PM2.5 track ours within 25% but peak shapes are somewhat different, which is not unexpected given the spatial separation of the measurements.

Article highlights

Low-cost and moderate-cost sensors are used to monitor the impact of a 4th of July fireworks display on local air quality.

Particle concentrations and size are more strongly influenced by fireworks than are concentrations gaseous pollutants.

Particle size distributions produced by fireworks are distinctly different from those associated with urban traffic sources.
Biogenic preparation of biphasic calcium phosphate powder from natural source of snail shells: bioactivity study
Authors: Ofudje Edwin A. , Akinwunmi Fatai , Sodiya Ezekiel F. , Alayande Samson O. , Ogundiran Abimbola A. , Ajayi Gabriel O.
Published: April 2022

In this present work, carbonated apatite powder (CAP) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) were prepared from waste snail shells via thermal decomposition followed by chemical precipitation method with phosphoric acid in a one step process. The CAP produced was thereafter reacted with a pore forming agent solution of ammonium bicarbonate to formed carbonated apatite powder- ammonium bicarbonate scaffold composites (CAP-AMB) and was deployed in a bioactivity experiment with simulated body fluid (SBF) media. The phase purity, crystallinity, particle size, thermal behaviour, elemental composition, morphology as well as the functional groups of snail shells, synthesized CAP and CAP-AMB scaffold were assessed by XRD, FE-SEM, TGA, EDX, TEM and FT-IR. XRD and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results confirmed the synthesized apatite as pure amorphous powder which upon heat treatment, transformed to polycrystalline powder. Analysis of FT-IR results revealed that the apatite produced from snail shells (SS) contains phosphates and hydroxyl functional groups. Furthermore, the formation of carbonated apatite was also confirmed from the FT-IR result with peaks which appeared at 882 and 1484 cm−1 respectively, thus depicting a B-type apatite. Microscopy analyses by FE-SEM and TEM indicated that the prepared apatite is composed of different morphologies in the range of 5 to 200 nm long. The presence of trace elements such as K, C, Na, Mg and Mg which could play crucial functions in biological applications were detected by EDX measurement alongside Ca and P. The mixture of CAP with AMB produced interconnected pores structure with porosity in the range of 35–67%. The bioactivity study of the SBF treated CAP-AMB composite confirmed apatite formation on the scaffold surface which totally covered the pores after seven days of incubation. Thus, waste biomaterial of snail shells origin can be use for the production of pure apatite that could be useful in medical application.

Graphical abstract
The Current Practice of Assisted Hatching for Embryos in Fertility Centres: a General Survey
Authors: Liu Yaqiong , Jones Celine , Coward Kevin
Published: April 2022

At present, there is no standardised protocol for assisted hatching (AH) and the field is beset with contradictory data. We hypothesised that such contradiction may be related to inconsistencies in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the application, preferences, and variations of AH in current clinical practice prior to embryo transfer (AHpET) and biopsy (AHpBP). An online voluntary survey, consisted of 25 questions regarding different aspects of AH, was circulated amongst different fertility centres via newsletters between October 2019 and March 2020. One-hundred twenty-nine different fertility centres participated in the survey. AHpBP was widely used (90.6% [48/53]) amongst these centres, especially for trophectoderm biopsy (92.2% [47/51]). In contrast, only 64.6% (73/113) of centres administrated AHpET; the application of AHpET was even lower in UK-based centres (36.6% [15/41]). Although laser pulses have become the predominant technique for AH, significant variation existed in the precise strategy. Zona pellucida (ZP) drilling was the main method for AHpBP, whilst both ZP drilling and ZP thinning were applied equally for AHpET. Furthermore, the ZP manipulation varied widely with regards to the size of the ZP opening and the extension of ZP thinning. This is the first representative survey relating to the current practice of AH. Laser-assisted AH is used extensively, especially for AHpBP. However, there is significant disparity in clinical practice across different centres. Future research should aim to create a standardised protocol for AH to help reduce the evident variation in clinical practice and investigate the true value of AH.
Clinical burden of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in the medicare population: A real-world claims analysis
Authors: Feuerstadt Paul , Nelson Winnie W. , Teigland Christie , Dahdal David N.
Published: April 2022

Objective:

To describe 12-month outcomes for beneficiaries in the 100% Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) population with primary and recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

Design:

A retrospective, descriptive, cohort study of CDI claims from the 100% Medicare FFS population, with a first CDI diagnosis between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2016.

Setting:

Any US-based provider that submitted inpatient or outpatient CDI diagnosis claims to Medicare FFS.

Patients:

The study included patients aged ≥65 years with continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A, B, and D during 12 months before and 12 months after the index period.

Methods:

The number of CDI and recurrent (rCDI) episodes, healthcare resource utilization, treatments, complications, and procedures were calculated for pre-index and follow-up periods. The data were stratified by number of rCDI episodes (ie, no rCDI, 1 rCDI, 2 rCDI, and ≥3 rCDI).

Results:

Of 268,762 patients with an index CDI, 34.7% had at least 1 recurrence. Of those who had 1 recurrence, 59.1% had a second recurrence and of those who had 2 recurrences, 58.4% had ≥3 recurrences. Incident psychiatric conditions occurred in 11.3%–18.2% of each rCDI cohort; 6.0% of patients with rCDI underwent subtotal colectomy, and 1.1% of patients underwent diverting loop ileostomy. After each CDI episode, ∼1 in 5 patients had a documented sepsis event. Over the 12-month follow-up, 30% of patients experienced sepsis, and sepsis occurred in 27.0% of the cohort with no rCDI, compared to 35.5% of patients in the rCDI cohorts.

Conclusions:

Elderly patients with CDI and rCDI experienced a significant clinical burden and complications.
Experiential learning and mentorship as the foundation of clinical epidemiology training during infectious diseases fellowship: Response to “Training infectious diseases fellows for a new era of hospital epidemiology”
Authors: Day Shandra R. , Sobhanie Mohammad Mahdee , Colburn Nora E. , Liscynesky Christina
Published: April 2022

A specific, clinical-epidemiology, month-long rotation for all infectious disease fellows as well as a 1-year subspecialty track provides education in clinical epidemiology during infectious disease fellowship training. We describe the educational process created at our institution to provide this training.
Securely sharing DSMB reports to speed decision making from multiple, concurrent, independent studies of similar treatments in COVID-19
Authors: Dilts Natalie A. , Harrell Frank E. , Lindsell Christopher J. , Nwosu Samuel , Stewart Thomas G. , Shotwell Matthew S. , Pulley Jill M. , Edwards Terri L. , Serdoz Emily Sheffer , Benhoff Katelyn , Bernard Gordon R.
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

As clinical trials were rapidly initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBs) faced unique challenges overseeing trials of therapies never tested in a disease not yet characterized. Traditionally, individual DSMBs do not interact or have the benefit of seeing data from other accruing trials for an aggregated analysis to meaningfully interpret safety signals of similar therapeutics. In response, we developed a compliant DSMB Coordination (DSMBc) framework to allow the DSMB from one study investigating the use of SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 to review data from similar ongoing studies for the purpose of safety monitoring.

Methods:

The DSMBc process included engagement of DSMB chairs and board members, execution of contractual agreements, secure data acquisition, generation of harmonized reports utilizing statistical graphics, and secure report sharing with DSMB members. Detailed process maps, a secure portal for managing DSMB reports, and templates for data sharing and confidentiality agreements were developed.

Results:

Four trials participated. Data from one trial were successfully harmonized with that of an ongoing trial. Harmonized reports allowing for visualization and drill down into the data were presented to the ongoing trial’s DSMB. While DSMB deliberations are confidential, the Chair confirmed successful review of the harmonized report.

Conclusion:

It is feasible to coordinate DSMB reviews of multiple independent studies of a similar therapeutic in similar patient cohorts. The materials presented mitigate challenges to DSMBc and will help expand these initiatives so DSMBs may make more informed decisions with all available information.
Utilizing community engagement studios to inform clinical trial design at a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Stock Miriam R. , Ceïde Mirnova E. , Lounsbury David W. , Zwerling Jessica
Published: April 2022

Despite the disproportionate burden of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults of color, the scientific community continues to grapple with underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical research. Our Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD) collaborated with a local community partner to conduct community engagement (CE) studios to effectively involve our community of diverse older adults in the early planning stages of a clinical trial. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person studio format was adapted to allow for virtual, real-time participation. Our objective is to describe the process and feasibility of conducting virtual CE studios in an older adult population. Ninety percent of participants were non-Hispanic Black community-dwelling woman aged 60 years and older. The overall background and proposed clinical trial design was presented to the participants who then made recommendations regarding potential recruitment strategies, the use of culturally relevant language to describe the study, and logistical recommendations to improve participation and retention among community members. Our CEAD successfully conducted virtual CE studios during the COVID-19 pandemic, by partnering with a community-based organization, to engage community stakeholders about clinical trial design. CEADs are in a unique position to implement CE studios to better support patient access to clinical trials.
What Explains the Electoral Crisis of Social Democracy? A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Bandau Frank
Published: April 2022

While there are some signs of revitalization, social democracy has witnessed a deep electoral crisis over the last decades. The causes for the decline of social democratic parties are highly contested among researchers. This article provides a systematic review of the literature which spans several fields such as party politics, political sociology and political economy. Four kinds of explanations (sociological, materialist, ideational and institutional) are distinguished and scrutinized on the basis of empirical studies published since 2010. The findings indicate that there is not one explanation that stands out but that the electoral crisis of social democracy is a complex phenomenon with multiple causes, such as socio-structural changes, fiscal austerity and neoliberal depolarization. In addition, the findings suggest that a liberal turn on sociocultural issues does not necessarily lead to vote losses. Further research should explore more deeply how short-term and long-term factors have worked together in the process of social democratic decline.
Knowledge Is Power: The Staffing Advantage of Parliamentary and Ministerial Offices
Authors: Moens Pieter
Published: April 2022

This article analyses the distribution of staff resources between party offices. While earlier studies have compared central and parliamentary offices, this study also includes ministerial offices. To capture fully the differences in staffing, I examine both the quantity (staff size) and quality (education, experience, tasks) of their staffs. The empirical section is based on a cross-sectional analysis of original survey data collected among political staffers in Belgium and the Netherlands (N= 1,009). While the Belgian cabinet system includes extensive ministerial offices, ministerial staff is limited in the Dutch non-cabinet system. The results show how this institutional difference shapes parties' internal distribution of resources. While the party in parliament does not have a clear staffing advantage over the party in central office in Belgium, they are both eclipsed by the large, highly qualified party in the executive. In the Netherlands, the impact of ministerial offices is negligible and the staff of the party in parliament is both larger and more qualified than the staff of the party in central office.
Aboveground native plant biomass reduces Potentilla recta growth: the role of a productive native plant community to mitigate reinvasion from the seedbank of invaded northern intermountain grasslands
Authors: Juckers Myra , Roozendaal Marc L. , Stewart Katherine J.
Published: April 2022

Sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta L.) is an invasive plant of concern within grasslands in western North America. To better understand the role of native plant communities and soil seedbank in P. recta invasion within grasslands, we conducted two greenhouse studies to examine (1) P. recta growth response when grown with and without fertilizer in established native plant communities of varying functional groups (grasses, forbs, or grasses and forbs), and (2) the prevalence of P. recta and other species in the soil seedbank at varying soil depths (0 to 5 cm, 5 to 10 cm, 10 to 15 cm) of grasslands invaded by P. recta in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The growth response of P. recta did not differ between the native plant communities. However, P. recta above- and belowground biomass declined as native plant aboveground biomass increased, suggesting a productive plant community may be important to suppress P. recta. Fertilizer did not affect the growth response of P. recta or native plants, suggesting nutrients may not have been a dominant limiting factor under greenhouse conditions. Nine species were identified in the soil seedbank. Seven were nonnative, which included P. recta, and native species represented less than 2% of the seedbank. Of the average number of emerged nonnative seedlings, more than 20% were P. recta. The number of emerged P. recta seedlings was 69% lower at 10- to 15-cm compared with 0- to 5-cm soil depth, although the successful germination of P. recta at greater soil depths suggests viable P. recta seeds are persisting in the seedbank. Active revegetation may be an important strategy to mitigate P. recta reinvasion or secondary invasion by other invasive species from the soil seedbank.
Occupational stress in clinical and non-clinical staff in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): a cross-sectional study
Authors: McNicholas F. , Adamis D. , Minihan E. , Doody N. , Gavin B.
Published: April 2022

Background:

Previous literature has highlighted high rates of burnout among doctors and nurses in healthcare settings. Non-clinical and support staff such as administrative, housekeeping and managerial staff are also exposed to the stressors of a health care setting, but fewer studies report on their experiences. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine occupational stress in all staff working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland and identify risk and protective factors.

Method:

Fifty-nine clinical and non-clinical staff (44% response rate) were surveyed. Participants completed the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and the Effort Reward Imbalance scale, as well as survey-specific questions.

Results:

Both clinical and non-clinical staff were found to experience moderate or high rates of work-related, personal and patient-related burnout (57.6%, 52.2% and 50.8%, respectively). Univariate general linear modelling showed an association between total CBI scores and effort reward index (B = 64 306, t = 3.430, p = 0.001); overcommitment (B = 1.963, t = 3.061, p = 0.003); and an unwillingness to work in CAMHS (B = 28.429, t = 3.247, p = 0.002).

Conclusion:

Pre-pandemic levels of stress were high among clinical and non-clinical staff surveyed. Given the anticipated increased demand on CAMHS post COVID-19, urgent action is needed to protect all staff from intolerable levels of occupational stress and burnout.
China's pursuit of international status through negotiated deference: an empirical analysis of Italy's parliamentary attitude
Authors: Andornino Giovanni B.
Published: April 2022

Italy's controversial decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on the Belt and Road Initiative with China in 2019 has been widely debated. This article seeks to break new ground by offering a theory-informed contribution investigating the rationale behind Beijing's own commitment in the negotiations leading to the signing of the BRI MoU. It argues that the Chinese government accepted the risks involved in the process for the sake of promoting an accelerated advancement in China's positioning in the international status hierarchy through negotiation of deference against agency with Italy. The article empirically probes the extent to which such a strategy of status enhancement on China's part is sustainable over time. Based on a content analysis of all China-related political stances expressed in ordinary non-legislative policy-setting acts tabled in both Houses of the 18th Italian Parliament, from March 2018 through to August 2021, the article suggests that China's strategy is hardly sustainable. In fact, the steady deterioration of China-related sentiment among Italian Members of Parliament as a consequence of Beijing's policies towards Hong Kong, the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak, and Xinjiang matches the expectations of previous scholarship on international status as it confirms that social closure mechanisms discussed in the literature prevail over foreign policy consistency when the status-seeking actor is perceived as crossing critical normative thresholds.
Antecedents of risk and uncertainty management capabilities: Insights from multinational enterprises in New Zealand
Authors: Zámborský Peter , Sullivan-Taylor Bridgette , Tisch Daniel , Branicki Layla
Published: April 2022

Risks and uncertainties of increasing severity and variety characterise the operating environments of most multinational enterprises (MNEs). Surprisingly limited attention has been given to understanding the antecedents and nature of risk and uncertainty management capabilities. In this study, we contribute to the organisational capability research, by examining the antecedents of risk and uncertainty management capabilities and theorising how MNEs develop and transfer risk and uncertainty management capabilities across borders. By drawing on empirical evidence from MNEs operating in New Zealand, we conceptualise the role of environmental factors – including country risk profile and regulatory environment – in shaping firms' risk and uncertainty management capabilities. We also inductively theorise about the organisational factors that support the development of risk and uncertainty management capabilities in MNEs, and explain which factors influence their cross-border transferability. Finally, we discuss our study's limitations and offer future research directions.
Unidirectional versus bidirectional brushing: Simulating wind influence on Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zhdanov Oleksandr , Blatt Michael R. , Zare-Behtash Hossein , Busse Angela
Published: April 2022

Plants acclimate to various types of mechanical stresses through thigmomorphogenesis and alterations in their mechanical properties. Although resemblance between wind- and touch-induced responses provides the foundation for studies where wind influence was mimicked by mechanical perturbations, factorial experiments revealed that it is not always straightforward to extrapolate results induced by one type of perturbation to the other. To investigate whether wind-induced changes in morphological and biomechanical traits can be reproduced, we subjected Arabidopsis thaliana to two vectorial brushing treatments. Both treatments significantly affected the length, mechanical properties and anatomical tissue composition of the primary inflorescence stem. While some of the morphological changes were found to be in line with those induced by wind, changes in the mechanical properties exhibited opposite trends irrespective of the brushing direction. Overall, a careful design of the brushing treatment gives the possibility to obtain a closer match to wind-induced changes, including a positive tropic response.
Finding a right place to cut: How katanin is targeted to cellular severing sites
Authors: Nakamura Masayoshi , Yagi Noriyoshi , Hashimoto Takashi
Published: April 2022

Microtubule severing by katanin plays key roles in generating various array patterns of dynamic microtubules, while also responding to developmental and environmental stimuli. Quantitative imaging and molecular genetic analyses have uncovered that dysfunction of microtubule severing in plant cells leads to defects in anisotropic growth, division and other cell processes. Katanin is targeted to several subcellular severing sites. Intersections of two crossing cortical microtubules attract katanin, possibly by using local lattice deformation as a landmark. Cortical microtubule nucleation sites on preexisting microtubules are targeted for katanin-mediated severing. An evolutionary conserved microtubule anchoring complex not only stabilises the nucleated site, but also subsequently recruits katanin for timely release of a daughter microtubule. During cytokinesis, phragmoplast microtubules are severed at distal zones by katanin, which is tethered there by plant-specific microtubule-associated proteins. Recruitment and activation of katanin are essential for maintenance and reorganisation of plant microtubule arrays.
A boson-fermion correspondence in cohomological Donaldson–Thomas theory
Authors: Davison Ben
Published: April 2022

We introduce and study a fermionisation procedure for the cohomological Hall algebra
$\mathcal{H}_{\Pi_Q}$
of representations of a preprojective algebra, that selectively switches the cohomological parity of the BPS Lie algebra from even to odd. We do so by determining the cohomological Donaldson–Thomas invariants of central extensions of preprojective algebras studied in the work of Etingof and Rains, via deformed dimensional reduction. Via the same techniques, we determine the Borel–Moore homology of the stack of representations of the
$\unicode{x03BC}$
-deformed preprojective algebra introduced by Crawley–Boevey and Holland, for all dimension vectors. This provides a common generalisation of the results of Crawley-Boevey and Van den Bergh on the cohomology of smooth moduli schemes of representations of deformed preprojective algebras and my earlier results on the Borel–Moore homology of the stack of representations of the undeformed preprojective algebra.
Does CEO Succession Planning (Disclosure) Create Shareholder Value?
Authors: McConnell John J. , Qi Qianru
Published: April 2022

Average cumulative abnormal returns around proxy statements containing “in-depth” disclosures of planning for CEO succession are significantly positive indicating that succession planning is a value-added undertaking. Exploiting a quasi-natural experiment based on a 2009 SEC ruling that induced more succession planning disclosures, we find that succession planning is not value-adding for all firms. Rather, succession planning is value-enhancing for larger, more complex, and more stable firms. Importantly, CEO succession planning appears to be value reducing for smaller, simpler, and less stable firms.
Have the Welfare Professions Lost Autonomy? A Comparative Study of Doctors and Teachers
Authors: BLOMQVIST PAULA , WINBLAD ULRIKA
Published: April 2022

This article investigates the impact of NPM reforms on two prominent welfare state professions; medical doctors and teachers. The case study context is Sweden, where the impact of NPM led to a series of reforms in health care and education after 1990. The focus in the paper is on professional autonomy, which can be seen as a core trait in professional work. The findings in the article point to both medical doctors and teachers having lost professional autonomy as a result of NPM-reforms, particularly with regards to the dimensions of work organization and evaluation. Autonomy in individual decision-making seems to have been least affected, even if there are indications of this being infringed upon as well. Despite these broad similarities, the loss of autonomy is found to be more pronounced in the case of teachers. One reason behind this difference, which manifests itself in teachers having become subject to higher level of direct administrative control by school managers while at the same time experiencing a more distinct loss of autonomy to evaluate their work, appears to be that medical doctors have been more successful in establishing themselves as experts in relation to new public audit agencies.
Making sense of democratisation: a case study about extracurricular music workshops in France
Authors: Cintéro Joris
Published: April 2022

Since the early 2000s, education policy in France has strongly encouraged publicly funded conservatoires and music schools to forge partnerships with various stakeholders in sectors outside of specialised music education. This change in the objectives traditionally assigned to music schools and conservatoires has given rise to new ‘pedagogical projects’, among which extracurricular music workshops are quite widespread. This study investigated the views of specialised music teachers in relation to these new pedagogical formats through an analysis of their evaluations of a workshop led in a French school between 2018 and 2019. I interviewed the music teachers who participated in the project (n= 8), those who refused to participate (n= 7) and also the administrative staff (n= 4). The results indicate that far from the ecumenism traditionally associated with policies promoting the democratisation of culture, conservatoire teachers think about and are involved in these projects in different ways, reflecting a wide range of considerations around pedagogy, project quality, purpose or politics.
Digital constitutionalism across the Atlantic
Authors: De Gregorio Giovanni
Published: April 2022

This article examines the reasons for different constitutional approaches to platform governance across the Atlantic. By adopting a comparative perspective under the lens of digital constitutionalism, it analyses the move from converging to diverging strategies of the United States and the European Union to address platform governance. From a liberal approach inspired by the US framework at the end of the last century, the European Union has moved towards a constitutional democratic strategy as demonstrated, for instance, by the launch of the Digital Services Act. On the other side of the Atlantic, the United States has reacted to the consolidation of platform governance by maintaining a liberal approach based on a vertical paradigm driven by the First Amendment. Given these democratic and liberal approaches, this article explains how the different constitutional premises of the United States and the European Union have produced diverging responses to the power of online platforms, thus underlining different expressions of digital constitutionalism across the Atlantic. The first section of the article introduces the rise of digital constitutionalism as the primary research angle to study the trans-Atlantic approaches to platform governance. The second section compares the European and US responses to the rise of platform powers. The third section focuses on the implications of these different constitutional strategies on a global scale.
Behandlungsbedürftig unbehandelt?
Authors: Moscelli Cathrina , Brunemann Juliane
Published: April 2022

Was ist zu dem Thema bereits bekannt?

Wohnungslose Menschen haben häufig sowohl somatischen als auch psychiatrischen und psychosozialen Behandlungsbedarf. Die Forschung ist in diesem Bereich noch lückenhaft.

Wie wird eine neue Perspektive eingebracht?

Der Fokus wird auf die bisher wenig berücksichtigte Personengruppe der psychiatrischen Pflege gelenkt und Versorgungsdefizite entsprechend erfasst.

Wie sind die Auswirkungen für die Praxis?

Wohnungslose Menschen profitieren von niederschwelliger Unterstützung. Psychiatrisch Pflegende können und sollten einen wertvollen Beitrag dazu leisten.
Suicidal Behavior
Authors: McKeon Richard
Published: April 2022

A new edition with the latest approaches to assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior

With more than 800,000 deaths worldwide each year, suicide is one of the leading causes of death. The second edition of this volume incorporates the latest research, showing which empirically supported approaches to assessment, management, and treatment really help those at risk. Updates include comprehensively updated epidemiological data, the role opioid use problems, personality disorders, and trauma play in suicide, new models explaining the development of suicidal ideation, and the zero suicide model. This book aims to increase clinicians' access to empirically supported interventions for suicidal behavior, with the hope that these methods will become the standard in clinical practice.

The book is invaluable as a compact how-to reference for clinicians in their daily work and as an educational resource for students and for practice-oriented continuing education. Its reader-friendly structure makes liberal use of tables, boxed clinical examples, and clinical vignettes. The book, which also addresses common obstacles in treating individuals at risk for suicide, is an essential resource for anyone working with this high-risk population.
Regional‐Scale Low‐Angle Normal Fault Friction and Cohesion Constrained From Mohr‐Coulomb Models of Active and Abandoned Range‐Front Faults in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Webber Samuel , Little Timothy , Boulton Carolyn , Biemiller James , Mizera Marcel
Published: April 2022

Low‐angle normal faults (LANFs) are poorly understood, as their slip at <30° dips appears inconsistent with Byerlee friction and Andersonian stresses. Rider blocks are fault slices formed when the uppermost part of a LANF is abandoned in favor of a new, steeper fault. Mohr‐Coulomb modeling of rider blocks can constrain fault frictional and cohesive strength provided known fault geometries. Analytical modeling shows that LANF viability depends on fault geometry and on the frictional and cohesive strength of the fault relative to that of the surrounding crust. Modeling of the Gwoira rider block, located atop the Mai'iu LANF, southeastern Papua New Guinea, indicates that this fault segment is frictionally weak (0.04 ≤ µf ≤ 0.17) in the shallow crust, with neither non‐Andersonian stresses nor supra‐hydrostatic fluid pressures required. Such weakness favors slip localization onto a single fault, enabling rapid slip rates at shallow dips. We show that slip at a second site, which lacks a rider block, does not require a weak fault because of a large fault/crust cohesion contrast and a rapid steepening of dip on the convex‐upward fault from only 21° at the surface to >30° down‐dip. From our results, we characterize four possible styles of faulting on convex‐up normal faults: (a) total fault slip, (b) footwall damage, (c) fault partial abandonment, and (d) total fault abandonment. Our results reveal that LANF faulting style depends on the strength of the fault compared to the surrounding crust, fault geometry, and the distribution of differential stress required for slip as a function of depth.
Characteristics and Preliminary Causes of Extremely Persistent Heavy Rainfall Generated by Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Over China
Authors: Liu Haisheng , Huang Xiaogang , Fei Jianfang , Zhang Chi , Cheng Xiaoping
Published: April 2022

Extremely persistent heavy rainfall (EPHR) generated by landfalling tropical cyclones (LTCs) can cause destructive natural disasters. In this study, hourly precipitation data and best‐track data set for 2009–2019 are used to investigate the basic characteristics and preliminary causes of LTC‐generated EPHR over China. Using the relative threshold method, heavy precipitation lasting more than 7 hr is defined as EPHR. The result shows that most of the EPHR events occur in the south and southeast China, especially in the northwest of Hainan Island and the coastal areas of Zhejiang. The maximum duration of EPHR can reach 13 hr with a maximum cumulative rainfall of 668.9 mm. EPHR in the intermediate region (150–300 km away from the tropical cyclone (TC) center) of the LTCs tends to have a higher frequency and greater intensity, and the development process of the EPHR events exhibits a significant asymmetrical feature. Although EPHR accounts for a relatively small proportion (29.4%) of duration in EPHR events, it accounts for a large proportion (61.0%) of cumulative precipitation. The combination effects of topographic forcing and tracks of the TCs directly determines the high incidence areas of EPHR. And the preliminary causes of EPHR are mainly due to the upliftment or blocking effects of the topography. In addition, the translation speed and intensity of the TC can also restrict the generation of EPHR. In general, a stronger and slower TC is more likely to cause EPHR events when it passes through north of Hainan Island or makes landfall at Zhejiang‐Fujian area.
Telerehabilitation for individuals with spinal cord injury in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Solomon Rosie M. , Dhakal Raju , Halpin Stephen J. , Hariharan Ram , O’Connor Rory J. , Allsop Matthew , Sivan Manoj
Published: April 2022

Study design

Systematic review.

Objective

To systematically review the evidence for the effectiveness of telerehabilitation as an intervention for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Setting

Not applicable.

Methods

MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Pubmed and Global Health databases were used to identify studies published between 1946–2020 meeting the following criteria: (1) patients with SCI diagnosis; (2) in LMIC; (3) an outcome measuring clinical functional ability, quality of life or all-cause mortality reduction. The risk of bias in studies was graded using revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool in randomised trials (RoB 2) and risk-of-bias tool in non-randomised trials (ROBINS-I). Evidence levels were graded with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE).

Results

In total, 107 articles were identified from the initial search. After screening, five studies were included. Some significant improvements to quality of life and pressure ulcer management were observed, alongside some improvement in functional ability with suggested improvement to depression scores. Telerehabilitation alleviated participants’ sense of social isolation, improved satisfaction scores and assisted them to remember techniques for SCI management. Telerehabilitation was valued by health professionals. There was no reduction in all-cause mortality.

Conclusion

There is insufficient evidence to recommend telerehabilitation as an intervention to treat and manage SCI in LMICs, although there is an indication of potential patient benefit. Further research is required to better understand the causal mechanisms underpinning the use of telerehabilitation and establish its efficacy, in the context of resource-limited settings.
Activated Src requires Cadherin-11, Rac, and gp130 for Stat3 activation and survival of mouse Balb/c3T3 fibroblasts
Authors: Adan Hanad , Guy Stephanie , Arulanandam Rozanne , Geletu Mulu , Daniel Juliet , Raptis Leda
Published: April 2022

We previously demonstrated that engagement of cadherins, cell to cell adhesion molecules, triggers a dramatic increase in levels and activity of the Rac/Cdc42 small GTPases, which is followed by secretion of IL6 family cytokines and activation of their common receptor, gp130, in an autocrine manner. This results in phosphorylation of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (Stat3) on tyrosine-705, which then dimerizes, migrates to the nucleus, and activates transcription of genes involved in cell division and survival. In the present report we demonstrate that, in mouse Balb/c3T3 fibroblasts, mutationally activated Src527F also increases Rac levels, leading to secretion of IL6 family cytokines and gp130 activation, which triggers the Stat3-ptyr705 increase. Interestingly, our results also demonstrate that cadherin-11 is required to preserve gp130 levels for IL6 family signaling. At the same time, however, activated Src527F downregulates cadherin-11, in a quantitative manner. As a result, Src527F expression to intermediate levels allows sufficient cadherin-11, hence gp130 levels for Stat3 activation, as expected. However, expressed to high levels, Src527F eliminates cadherin-11, hence gp130 signaling, thus abolishing Stat3-ptyr705 stimulation. Taken together, these data establish for the first time a loop between Src, cadherin-11, gp130, and Stat3 activation. This fine balance between Src527F and cadherin-11 levels which is required for Stat3 activation and cellular survival could have significant therapeutic implications.
Suppression of the hyaluronic acid pathway induces M1 macrophages polarization via STAT1 in glioblastoma
Authors: Yan Tao , Wang Kaikai , Li Jiafeng , Hu Hong , Yang He , Cai Meng , Liu Ruijie , Li Honglei , Wang Ning , Shi Ying , Hua Wei , Liu Huailei
Published: April 2022

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is a crucial factor that impedes the success of tumor immunotherapy, and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are essential for the formation of tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is highly important brick for glioblastoma microenvironment, but whether it contributes to TAM polarization and glioblastoma immunosuppressive microenvironment is less well known. In our study, we observed that disrupting glioblastoma HA synthesis or blocking HA binding to its receptor CD44 on macrophages increased the proportion of M1 macrophages by upregulating SIRPα in macrophages, the underlying mechanism was elevated SIRPα enhanced STAT1 phosphorylation and suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation in macrophages. Subsequently, the induced macrophages could inhibit glioblastoma growth via a feedback effect. In addition, 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU), a cholecystitis drug, can disrupt the CD47/SIRPα axis by disturbing glioblastoma HA synthesis. Collectively, these findings indicated that HA plays a crucial role in macrophages polarization and CD47/SIRPα signaling between glioblastoma cells and macrophages, and suppressing the HA pathway may be a new immunotherapeutic approach for glioblastoma.
Thrombin induces morphological and inflammatory astrocytic responses via activation of PAR1 receptor
Authors: Chen Xiaojun , Zhang Han , Hao Huifei , Zhang Xingyuan , Song Honghua , He Bingqiang , Wang Yingjie , Zhou Yue , Zhu Zhenjie , Hu Yuming , Wang Yongjun
Published: April 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) will result in the significant elevation of thrombin production at lesion site via either breakage of blood-spinal cord barrier or upregulated expression within nerve cells. Thrombin-induced activation of the protease activated receptors (PARs) evokes various pathological effects that deteriorate the functional outcomes of the injured cord. The cellular consequences of thrombin action on the astrocytes, as well as the underlying mechanism are not fully elucidated by far. In the present study, SCI model of rats was established by contusion, and primary astrocytes were isolated for culture from newborn rats. The expression levels of thrombin and PAR1 receptor at lesion sites of the spinal cord were determined. The primary astrocytes cultured in vitro were stimulated with different concentration of thrombin, and the resultant morphological changes, inflammatory astrocytic responses, as well as PAR1-activated signal pathway of astrocytes were accordingly examined using various agonists or antagonists of the receptor. Thrombin was found to reverse astrocytic stellation, promote proliferation but inhibit migration of astrocytes. Furthermore, the serine protease was shown to facilitate inflammatory response of astrocytes through regulation of MAPKs/NFκB pathway. Our results have provided the morphological evidence of astrocytic reactivity in response to thrombin stimulation and its neuroinflammatory effects following SCI, which will be indicative for the fundamental insights of thrombin-induced neuropathology.
Cell pyroptosis in health and inflammatory diseases
Authors: Wu Yongqi , Zhang Jing , Yu Sihui , Li Yan , Zhu Jinrong , Zhang Kai , Zhang Rongxin
Published: April 2022

Inflammation is a defense mechanism that can protect the host against microbe invasion. A proper inflammatory response can maintain homeostasis, but continuous inflammation can cause many chronic inflammatory diseases. To properly treat inflammatory disorders, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of inflammation need to be fully elucidated. Pyroptosis is an inflammation-related cell death program, that is different from other types of cell death. Pyroptosis plays crucial roles in host defense against infections through the release of proinflammatory cytokines and cell lysis. Accumulating evidence indicates that pyroptosis is associated with inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, pneumonia, and colonitis. Furthermore, pyroptosis is also closely involved in cancers that develop as a result of inflammation, such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer. Here, we review the function and mechanism of pyroptosis in inflammatory disease development and provide a comprehensive description of the potential role of pyroptosis in inflammatory diseases.
Gut microbiome responses to dietary intervention with hypocholesterolemic vegetable oils
Authors: Lim Rachel Rui Xia , Park Mi Ae , Wong Long Hui , Haldar Sumanto , Lim Kevin Junliang , Nagarajan Niranjan , Henry Christiani Jeyakumar , Jiang Yuan Rong , Moskvin Oleg Vladimirovich
Published: April 2022

Hypercholesterolemia is becoming a problem with increasing significance. Dietary vegetable oils may help to improve this condition due to presence of phytonutrients with potentially synergistic cholesterol-lowering effects. The objective of this 8-week double-blinded randomized clinical trial was to investigate the effects of consuming 30 g of two different blended cooking oils, rich in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid and phytonutrients, or refined olive oil on the intestinal microbiota in 126 volunteers with borderline hypercholesterolemia. Multi-factor analysis of relationships between the gut microbiota composition at various taxonomic ranks and the clinical trial parameters revealed the association between beneficial effects of the dietary intervention on the blood lipid profile with abundance ofClostridiaclass of the gut microbiota. This microbiota feature was upregulated in the course of the dietary intervention and associated with various plasma markers of metabolic health status, such as Triglycerides, Apolipoprotein B and Total Cholesterol to HDL ratio in a beneficial way. The relative abundance of a single species—Clostridium leptum—highly increased during the dietary intervention in all the three study groups. The oil blend with the highest concentration of omega-3 PUFA is associated with faster and more robust responses of the intestinal microbiota, including elevation of alpha-diversity. Butyrate production is being discussed as a plausible process mediating the observed beneficial influence on the plasma lipid profile. Causal mediation analysis suggested thatClostridiumgenus rather than the higher rank of the phylogeny—Clostridiaclass—may be involved in the diet-induced improvements of the blood lipid profile.
Intermediate polaronic charge transport in organic crystals from a many-body first-principles approach
Authors: Chang Benjamin K. , Zhou Jin-Jian , Lee Nien-En , Bernardi Marco
Published: April 2022

Charge transport in organic molecular crystals (OMCs) is conventionally categorized into two limiting regimes − band transport, characterized by weak electron-phonon (e-ph) interactions, and charge hopping due to localized polarons formed by strong e-ph interactions. However, between these two limiting cases there is a less well understood intermediate regime where polarons are present but transport does not occur via hopping. Here we show a many-body first-principles approach that can accurately predict the carrier mobility in this intermediate regime and shed light on its microscopic origin. Our approach combines a finite-temperature cumulant method to describe strong e-ph interactions with Green-Kubo transport calculations. We apply this parameter-free framework to naphthalene crystal, demonstrating electron mobility predictions within a factor of 1.5−2 of experiment between 100 and 300 K. Our analysis reveals the formation of a broad polaron satellite peak in the electron spectral function and the failure of the Boltzmann equation in the intermediate regime.