bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historically contextualising Japanese male fashion: Western-style menswear, the cinema and space
Authors: Barnett Lois J. E.
Published: May 2024

This chapter describes the historical link in the Japanese context between Western-style fashions for men and the desire to visually construct one's own identity using consumer goods. This is rooted in Kon Wajirō’s illustrated surveys of clothing consumption in Tokyo conducted during the mid-1920s.
It then specifically examines this process in correspondence with the emergent position of cinematic images of Western-dressed men in new modern urban spaces. It analyses how post-1923 Tokyo presented the male spectator with not only new attitudes to the interior home space (which clothing adapted to accordingly) but a plethora of new, Western-style "outside" spaces, accompanied by new social and sartorial customs. Young Japanese men of the 1920s and ‘30s had the immersive transnational cinema and its related print media from which they could draw influence, inspiration, and identity.
The chapter explains that cinema existed as one such “modern” space, but also as a means of interpreting other such spaces and their related commodities. Spaces discussed include the café, bar and the cinema itself.
Opposition to Western-style menswear and the desire for ‘Authentic’ Japanese male commercial identity archetypes: Shōchiku’s shōshimin eiga and Ozu’s commercially augmented everyday male life onscreen
Authors: Barnett Lois J. E.
Published: May 2024

This chapter analyses the response of print media commentators and Japanese studios to imagery of Japanese male stars in Western-style clothing. This includes the concept of an “authentic” Japanese dress identity and its relationship with Western-style clothing in the work of commentators involved in the Proletariat cinema, and negatively perceived Western-dressed masculine archetypes such as the bungaku seinen, or “literary youth”, a layabout intellectual type. The chapter particularly concentrates on criticism of Western-attired men onscreen and in media, and the perception of negatively presented Western-dressed male archetypes, which were accused of being imitative and unauthentic.
This chapter then shifts its focus towards Ozu Yasujirō’s films which are considered part of the shōshimin eiga (middle-class drama) genre, discussing the role of Western-style fashion products in constructing middle-class male characters onscreen, which were presented positively and aspirationally onscreen. These marketable male identities are analysed via a combination of scene analysis and commentary from varied print media (newspapers, magazines) surrounding Western-style fashion products and how they were marketed towards middle-class Japanese men.
Was Ozu a ‘Modern Boy’? Negotiating related sartorial archetypes
Authors: Barnett Lois J. E.
Published: May 2024

This chapter focuses on Ozu Yasujirō’s own consumption of Western-style fashion products and his own diaries’ discussion of Western-style fashion products and spaces as they appear in his films. The test query is whether Ozu himself, as a creator and consumer of Western-style cinematic fashion imagery, could be described as a “Modern Boy,” the male counterpart to the subversive Modern Girl.
This chapter consults the Modern Boy consumer image as a test subject for the question of whether theoretical approaches examining female consumption in the cinematic space apply equally to male-identified spectators.
As a case study exploring this, the chapter analyses the connotations of the “Modern Boy” style and terminology in reference to Ozu’s own diaries, his film output and print media consumed by Ozu himself (particularly the work of Nakamura Shinjirō for New Youth [Shinseinen] magazine, the author of the first Japanese men’s fashion column).
The Despair of the Noir Generation: Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds
Authors: Woolfolk Alan
Published: May 2024

Alan Woolfolk provides a political study of Andrzej Wajda’s Popiól i diament (Ashes and Diamonds, 1958). He uses the theme of compromised agency to address the inescapable legacy of Polish struggles against the Third Reich that were followed by violent conflict between Polish nationalists and Communists. The chapter explores how character and nation are inexorably bonded in this dark drama.
Men in Black: I Confess , the Hitchcock Noir, and the American Gothic
Authors: Greven David
Published: May 2024

David Greven brings cinema and literary history to bear on the visuals, setting, and symbolism of Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess (1953). In the context of the American Gothic, Greven explores the film’s complex representations of male bonds and homoerotic tensions.
Shakespeare and the Virtue in Complaining
Authors: Shortslef Emily
Published: May 2024

The notion that virtue and complaining are mutually exclusive permeates early modern ethical discourse. This chapter, however, examines scenes of Shakespearean complaint that give a positive valence to the ethical charge that complaining carries. By situating complaining in plots of interruption—coordinated and choreographed outbursts of passion that disrupt the timing and teloi of others’ unjust plots—these scenes represent complaining as an action through and around which various social virtues flow. Illuminating the capacity of impatience to further justice and to interrupt timelines, rationales and plots that obstruct human flourishing, these scenes imagine complaining not as an ethical failing, as it has often been said to be, but rather as an expression of longing that reflects a belief about what the good life is and is not.
The Virtue of Humour in King Lear
Authors: Lehnhof Kent
Published: May 2024

This essay uses recent work on the place of humour in the ethical thought of Emmanuel Levinas to examine the role of the Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear. It argues that the Fool's humour is profoundly ethical, in that it invites the king to laugh--both at himself (in a self-critical act of abdication) and with others (in a generative opening toward interrelation). The king may or may not accept these invitations, but the Fool relentlessly pushes the play in ethical directions by using humour to place himself before the other in a posture of vulnerability and exposure that Levinas sees as the foundation for all ethics. In this way, Shakespeare's great tragedy makes a case for the fool, the clown, and the comic, emphasizing the ethical importance of theatrical fooling.
Sustaining Courage in the Humanities: The Example of Hamlet
Authors: Gil Daniel Juan
Published: May 2024

Drawing on the work of Alasdair MacIntyre this chapter argues that the humanities are in crisis due to the disconnection between the daily practice of scholarship and a deep understanding of its true purpose. The chapter posits that Shakespeare's Hamlet exemplifies a structural crisis in three domains (family, military, and academia) that mirrors the current turmoil in the humanities, and importantly, the play offers insights into resolving such crises. Drawing on the play, the chapter suggests that the solution to the crisis of the humanities is to reaffirm the distinctiveness and ultimate objectives of English studies and its subfields like Shakespeare studies. It posits that the ultimate purpose or goal of literary studies is to build up a body of knowledge that combines historical consciousness with attention to the power of verbal art and the particular and distinctive kinds of thinking that verbal art makes possible. The chapter’s analysis of Hamlet thus serves as a vital tool for navigating our own humanities crisis and showcases how to surpass these challenges by reasserting the disciplinary coherence and ultimate goals of English and Shakespeare Studies.
The Art of Editing
Authors: Groenland Tim
Published: May 2024

During the almost five-decade-long span of his career, Don DeLillo has worked with some of the most prominent editors of his era including Robert Gottlieb, Gerald Howard, and Nan Graham.
To date, however, editorial processes have appeared only tangentially in scholarship on DeLillo, with the author tending to be considered as (to borrow his own well-known phrase), a “writer alone in a room.” This chapter surveys DeLillo’s relationships with his editors, focusing particularly on his long and continuing relationship with Graham in the latter phase of his career. Drawing on interviews and publishing history as well as editorial correspondence in DeLillo’s papers, it explores the extent to which the editors of his novels have contributed to their textual development and critical reception. What patterns can be found in DeLillo’s editorial correspondence and in the development of his novels from manuscript to print? Did DeLillo’s interactions with his editors change as his career progressed, and do his movements between editors and publishers result in noticeable changes to the processes of publication? To what extent does DeLillo’s textual history reflect changes in the publishing industry during the decades that have recently been described as the “Conglomerate Era” of American publishing?
Poetry
Authors: Gander Catherine
Published: May 2024

Poets, such as the figure of the hostage in Mao II, or Tessa in The Silence, and poetry, whether in the form of the haiku (Point Omega), the song lyric (Great Jones Street), rap (Cosmopolis), the elegy (End Zone), or even street art (Underworld), often play quietly significant roles in DeLillo’s fiction. This chapter is the first piece of scholarship to focus on poetry and poetics across DeLillo’s work. DeLillo has spoken about how his craft is shaped by a poetic practice; about how he chooses each word of each sentence according to its sound, shape, and resonance; about how he types each paragraph on its own sheet of typewriter paper, so that his novels are the slow accumulation of written images surrounded by white space. In a piece cut from publication of his 1993 Paris Review interview, DeLillo admitted to reading poetry. Elsewhere, he has referenced, almost in passing, the work of poets. Guided by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s understanding of language as ‘fossil poetry’, this chapter examines the role of poetry in DeLillo’s fiction, tracing an enduring poeticism in his craft that moves beyond the imagistic and sculptural qualities of his prose to enquire after its lyric a/effects.
Screen, Image and the Technological Sublime
Authors: Conte Joseph M.
Published: May 2024

Don DeLillo’s fiction attends to the irony of our media ecology, in which the saturation of archived, televisual, and digital media fails to make cogent the paradigmatic events of the postwar period. Novels such as White Noise, Underworld, Cosmopolis, and Point Omega are expressions of the postmodern sublime, as defined by Lyotard, following Kant, in which no corresponding object between the faculty that conceives of something and the faculty that presents it can be found. The total saturation of visual media in our culture instantiates the postmodern sublime. While the literary author was once engaged in shaping the principal medium of communication, now the writer may no longer be regarded as practising in the dominant medium of the postwar period. DeLillo accepts the challenge that televisual and digital media present to the writer, both recuperating and critiquing various forms of visual media in his novels. This chapter explores how his fiction establishes a hermeneutic space in which the politics of our visual culture may be ironized; it is the subject in which and against which he writes. Confronted by our cultural imaginary, DeLillo resists the absorption of the aesthetic experience of the sublime into televisual and digital media.
The Digital Physics of Reading DeLillo
Authors: Xie Licheng
Published: May 2024

DeLillo predicted the future of narratives in his 2010 PEN America interview, stating that novels will be ‘user-generated’ due to the inevitable negotiation with technology. Intelligent algorithms based on big data indeed meet and change readers’ expectations of what and how to read (personalised news feeds via mobile devices is a typical example); DeLillo even imaginatively plays with this future within his novels by importing hypertexts and social media networks, designing multi-dimensional narrative structures, and performing the interaction between print and digital textuality. Currently, there is relatively little work exploring DeLillo’s potential affinity with electronic literature. This chapter examines why and in what ways DeLillo and his writing are connected to hypertexts and computer-generated imagetexts, exploring the symbiotic ecology of e-lit between digital works and readers, and aligning it with Brian Massumi’s philosophy of the posthuman body as self-networked. It discusses how DeLillo’s language and images resonate with the reader’s body to perform a techno-art of freedom from capitalist power, and considers the internet-structure of DeLillo’s novels, exploring how they encourage the simultaneity of experience both within and outside fictions through the interplay of colours, time and space.
Joycean DeLillo
Authors: Ward Kiron
Published: May 2024

Just as James Joyce’s Stephen Dedalus proclaimed that he would use ‘silence, exile, and cunning’ to express himself ‘in some mode or art as freely and as wholly as I can,’ so Don DeLillo told Tom LeClair that he approaches his art with ‘silence, exile, cunning, and so on’. While critics have illuminated how DeLillo builds on Joyce’s modernism in specific texts or at particular stages in his career, the extent to which DeLillo’s aesthetics across his oeuvre draw on his reading of Joyce remains to be unpacked. This chapter develops this sense of Joyce’s influence on DeLillo by looking carefully at three key moments from different stages in DeLillo’s career in which he engages with Joyce’s work. Beginning with Americana, it interrogates what Mark Osteen describes as DeLillo’s early interest in the Dedalian artist, before exploring how Underworld rewrites Leopold Bloom’s homecoming. Finally, it looks to Zero K, where, in the character of Artis, DeLillo offers his most sustained engagement with the form of Joyce’s ‘Penelope,’ and The Silence, in which DeLillo provides his most conspicuous engagement with Finnegans Wake. The chapter thus traces a continuously evolving dialogue with Joyce that is central to any understanding of DeLillo’s aesthetics.
Photographing the Past and Future of Lebanon: The Potential History and Visual Afterlives of Beirut's War-Damaged Buildings
Authors: Qaissi Zubaida
Published: May 2024

Beirut, Lebanon, is a city in constant construction and reconstruction, it seems. After surviving multiple wars, with the Civil War of 1975-1990 as an arguably most impactful example, Beirut has been left with buildings riddled by bullets. That these buildings still stand is incredible, because they have survived not only the material damage of the war but also the various 'rebuilding' projects which have taken place since the end of the war, most of which were (and continue to be) headed by private companies such as state-founded Solidere. These buildings are some of the most photographed sites in Beirut; even when they are not the focus, they linger in the background, both physically and figuratively. As a case study, this paper examines the photography of an unfinished, decrepit cinema popularly called "the Egg." In doing so, this paper seeks to investigate how visual cityscapes create a sense of morale and identity, as well as pasts and futures. The Egg's afterlife as a ghost of a city that never came to be, drawing on Ariella Aïsha Azoulay's concept of potential history, troubles conceptions about how public memories and aspirations are negotiated, particularly visually and in the so-called Global South.
Preparation and efficacy of antibacterial methacrylate monomer-based polymethyl methacrylate bone cement containing N-halamine compounds
Authors: Guo Rui , Kan Yu-Chen , Xu Yang , Han Lu-Yang , Bu Wen-Han , Han Long-Xu , Qi Yin-Yu , Chu Jian-Jun
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Our objective in this study was to prepare a novel type of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, analyze its material properties, and evaluate its safety and antibacterial efficacy.

Methods

A halamine compound methacrylate antibacterial PMMA bone cement containing an N-Cl bond structure was formulated, and its material characterization was determined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and 1H-NMR. The antibacterial properties of the material were studied using contact bacteriostasis and releasing-type bacteriostasis experiments. Finally, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility experiments were performed to analyze the toxic effects of the material on mice and embryonic osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1).

Results

Incorporation of the antibacterial methacrylate monomer with the N-halamine compound in the new antibacterial PMMA bone cement significantly increased its contact and releasing-type bacteriostatic performance against Staphylococcus aureus. Notably, at 20% and 25% additions of N-halamine compound, the contact and releasing-type bacteriostasis rates of bone cement samples reached 100% (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the new antibacterial bone cement containing 5%, 10%, and 15% N-halamine compounds showed good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that the novel antibacterial PMMA bone cement with N-halamine compound methacrylate demonstrated good contact and releasing-type bacteriostatic properties against S. aureus. In particular, bone cement containing a 15% N-halamine monomer exhibited strong antibacterial properties and good in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility.
Systems approach to design multi-epitopic peptide vaccine candidate against fowl adenovirus structural proteins for Gallus gallus domesticus
Authors: Mugunthan Susithra Priyadarhni , Venkatesan Divyadharshini , Govindasamy Chandramohan , Selvaraj Dhivya , Harish Mani Chandra
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) is a significant pathogen in poultry, causing various diseases such as hepatitis-hydropericardium, inclusion body hepatitis, and gizzard erosion. Different serotypes of FAdV are associated with specific conditions, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies. Given the rising prevalence of FAdV-related diseases globally, effective vaccination and biosecurity measures are crucial. In this study, we explore the potential of structural proteins to design a multi-epitope vaccine targeting FAdV.

Methods

We employed an in silico approach to design the multi-epitope vaccine. Essential viral structural proteins, including hexon, penton, and fiber protein, were selected as vaccine targets. T-cell and B-cell epitopes binding to MHC-I and MHC-II molecules were predicted using computational methods. Molecular docking studies were conducted to validate the interaction of the multi-epitope vaccine candidate with chicken Toll-like receptors 2 and 5.

Results

Our in silico methodology successfully identified potential T-cell and B-cell epitopes within the selected viral structural proteins. Molecular docking studies revealed strong interactions between the multi-epitope vaccine candidate and chicken Toll-like receptors 2 and 5, indicating the structural integrity and immunogenic potential of the designed vaccine.

Discussion

The designed multi-epitope vaccine presents a promising approach for combating FAdV infections in chickens. By targeting essential viral structural proteins, the vaccine is expected to induce a robust immunological response. The in silico methodology utilized in this study provides a rapid and cost-effective means of vaccine design, offering insights into potential vaccine candidates before experimental validation. Future studies should focus on in vitro and in vivo evaluations to further assess the efficacy and safety of the proposed vaccine.
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing-assisted diagnosis of a rare case of primary cutaneous acanthamoebiasis in an HIV patient: a case report
Authors: Fan Wei , Li Pin , Wei Qihao , Liu Xinru , Cai Yuxiang , Li Bin , Lu Yaping
Published: May 2024

Pathogenic and free-living Acanthamoeba are widely distributed in the environment and have been reported to cause keratitis and universally fatal encephalitis. Primary cutaneous acanthamoebiasis caused by Acanthamoeba is exceedingly rare and presents as isolated necrotic cutaneous lesions without involvement of the cornea or central nervous system. Cutaneous acanthamoebiasis often occurs in immunocompromised patients and is likely overlooked or even misdiagnosed only by cutaneous biopsy tissue histopathological analysis. Here, we report a HIV-infected 63-year-old female with oral leukoplakia for 4 months and scattered large skin ulcers all over the body for 2 months. The cause of the cutaneous lesions was unclear through cutaneous specimens histopathological analysis, and subsequently Acanthamoeba were detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which may be the cause of cutaneous lesions. Based on the mNGS results, a pathologist subsequently reviewed the previous pathological slides and found trophozoites of Acanthamoeba so that the cause was identified, and the skin ulcers improved significantly after treatment with multi-drug combination therapy. Acanthamoeba is also a host of pathogenic microorganisms. The presence of endosymbionts enhances the pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba, and no other pathogens were reported in this case. mNGS is helpful for rapidly diagnosing the etiology of rare skin diseases and can indicate the presence or absence of commensal microorganisms.
Diagnostic potential of TSH to HDL cholesterol ratio in vulnerable carotid plaque identification
Authors: Lei Meihua , Weng Shi-Ting , Wang Jun-Jun , Qiao Song
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the thyroid-stimulating hormone to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (THR) in identifying specific vulnerable carotid artery plaques.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis, we included 76 patients with carotid plaques who met the criteria for admission to Zhejiang Hospital from July 2019 to June 2021. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) and the MRI-PlaqueView vascular plaque imaging diagnostic system were utilized to analyze carotid artery images for the identification of specific plaque components, including the lipid core (LC), fibrous cap (FC), and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), and recording of the area percentage of LC and IPH, as well as the thickness of FC. Patients were categorized into stable plaque and vulnerable plaque groups based on diagnostic criteria for vulnerable plaques derived from imaging. Plaques were categorized based on meeting one of the following consensus criteria for vulnerability: lipid core area over 40% of total plaque area, fibrous cap thickness less than 65 um, or the presence of intraplaque hemorrhage. Plaques meeting the above criteria were designated as the LC-associated vulnerable plaque group, the IPH-associated group, and the FC-associated group. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the factors influencing carotid vulnerable plaques and specific vulnerable plaque components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the predictive value of serological indices for vulnerable carotid plaques.

Results

We found that THR (OR = 1.976; 95% CI = 1.094–3.570; p = 0.024) and TSH (OR = 1.939, 95% CI = 1.122–3.350, p = 0.018) contributed to the formation of vulnerable carotid plaques. THR exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.704 (95% CI = 0.588–0.803) (p = 0.003), and the AUC for TSH was 0.681 (95% CI = 0.564–0.783) (p = 0.008). THR was identified as an independent predictor of LC-associated vulnerable plaques (OR = 2.117, 95% CI = 1.064–4.212, p = 0.033), yielding an AUC of 0.815. THR also demonstrated diagnostic efficacy for LC-associated vulnerable plaques.

Conclusion

This study substantiated that THR and TSH have predictive value for identifying vulnerable carotid plaques, with THR proving to be a more effective diagnostic indicator than TSH. THR also exhibited predictive value and specificity in the context of LC-associated vulnerable plaques. These findings suggest that THR may be a promising clinical indicator, outperforming TSH in detecting specific vulnerable carotid plaques.
Mitral regurgitation increases systolic strains in remote zone and worsens left ventricular dyssynchrony in a swine model of ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kikuchi Yuta , Onohara Daisuke , Silverman Michael , King Chase L. , Tom Stephanie K. , Govin Riya , Guyton Robert A. , Padala Muralidhar
Published: May 2024

Background

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) imposes volume overload on the left ventricle (LV), accelerating adverse LV remodeling. In this study, we sought to investigate the impact of volume overload due to IMR on regional myocardial contractile mechanics.

Methods

Ten Yorkshire swine were induced with myocardial infarction (MI) by occluding the left circumflex coronary artery (LCx). Cardiac MRI was performed at baseline (BL) and 2.5 months (2.5M) post-MI. IMR was quantified with epicardial echocardiography 3 months post-MI. The animals were then assigned to 2 groups: no/mild MR (nmMR, n = 4) and moderate/severe MR (msMR, n = 6). MRI images were analyzed to assess infarction size, end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (EDV and ESV, respectively), ejection fraction (EF), longitudinal strain (LS), circumferential strain (CS), and systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI). The myocardial region was divided into infarction, border, and remote zones based on the LCx-supplied region.

Results

There was no difference in the infarction size. Group-wise comparison of LS and CS between BL and 2.5M demonstrated that LS and CS in the infarction zone and the border zone decreased at 2.5M in both groups. However, LS and CS in the remote zone were elevated only in the msMR group (LS: −9.81 ± 3.96 vs. −12.58 ± 5.07, p < 0.01; CS; −12.78 ± 3.81 vs. −16.09 ± 3.33, p < 0.01) at 2.5M compared to BL. The SDI of CS was significantly elevated in the msMR group (0.1255 vs. 0.0974, p = 0.015) at 2.5M compared to BL.

Conclusions

Elevated LS and CS in the remote zone were observed in moderate/severe MR and ventricular dyssynchrony. These elevated cardiac strains, coupled with ventricular dyssynchrony, may contribute to the progression of MR, thereby accelerating heart failure.
Non-invasive assessment of left ventricular contractility by myocardial work index in veno-arterial membrane oxygenation patients: rationale and design of the MIX-ECMO multicentre observational study
Authors: Lakatos Bálint Károly , Ladányi Zsuzsanna , Fábián Alexandra , Ehrenberger Réka , Turschl Tímea , Bagyura Zsolt , Evrard Bruno , Vandroux David , Goudelin Marine , Lindner Simon , Britsch Simone , Dürschmied Daniel , Zima Endre , Csikós Gergely Richárd , Túróczi Zsolt , Soltész Ádám , Németh Endre , Kovács Attila , Édes Ferenc István , Merkely Béla
Published: May 2024

Introduction and aims

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is an increasingly utilized therapeutic choice in patients with cardiogenic shock, however, high complication rate often counteracts with its beneficial cardiopulmonary effects. The assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in key in the management of this population, however, the most commonly used measures of LV performance are substantially load-dependent. Non-invasive myocardial work is a novel LV functional measure which may overcome this limitation and estimate LV function independent of the significantly altered loading conditions of VA-ECMO therapy. The Usefulness of Myocardial Work IndeX in ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients (MIX-ECMO) study aims to examine the prognostic role of non-invasive myocardial work in VA-ECMO-supported patients.

Methods

The MIX-ECMO is a multicentric, prospective, observational study. We aim to enroll 110 patients 48–72 h after the initiation of VA-ECMO support. The patients will undergo a detailed echocardiographic examination and a central echocardiography core laboratory will quantify conventional LV functional measures and non-invasive myocardial work parameters. The primary endpoint will be failure to wean at 30 days as a composite of cardiovascular mortality, need for long-term mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation at 30 days, and besides that other secondary objectives will also be investigated. Detailed clinical data will also be collected to compare LV functional measures to parameters with established prognostic role and also to the Survival After Veno-arterial-ECMO (SAVE) score.

Conclusions

The MIX-ECMO study will be the first to determine if non-invasive myocardial work has added prognostic value in patients receiving VA-ECMO support.
Loss of protein phosphatase 2A regulatory subunit PPP2R5A is associated with increased incidence of stress-induced proarrhythmia
Authors: Pluteanu Florentina , Glaser Dennis , Massing Fabian , Schulte Jan S. , Kirchhefer Uwe
Published: May 2024

Background

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a serine/threonine-selective holoenzyme that controls Ca2+ homeostasis and contractility of the heart via dephosphorylation of regulatory proteins. In some genetically modified mouse models with increased arrhythmogenicity, a reduced expression of the regulatory subunit B56α of PP2A was found as a concomitant effect. Whether there is a general correlation between the abundance of B56α and the promotion of cardiac arrhythmogenesis remains unclear.

Methods

The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the role of PP2A-B56α in the propensity for arrhythmic activity in the heart. The experimental analysis of this question has been addressed by using a mouse model with deletion of the PP2A-B56α gene, PPP2R5A (KO), in comparison to wild-type animals (WT). Evidence for arrhythmogenicity was investigated in whole animal, isolated heart and cardiomyocytes by ECG, recording of monophasic action potential (MAP) induced by programmed electrical stimulation (PES), measurement of Ca2+ transients under increased pacing frequencies and determination of total K+ channel currents (IK).

Results

ECG measurements showed a prolongation of QT time in KO vs. WT. KO mice exhibited a higher rate of premature ventricular contractions in the ECG. MAP measurements in Langendorff-perfused KO hearts showed increased episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia induced by PES. However, the KO hearts showed values for MAP duration that were similar to those in WT hearts. In contrast, KO showed more myocardial cells with spontaneous arrhythmogenic Ca2+ transient events compared to WT. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique applied to ventricular cardiomyocytes revealed comparable peak potassium channel current densities between KO and WT.

Conclusion

These findings support the assumption that a decrease or even the loss of PP2A-B56α leads to an increased propensity of triggered arrhythmias. This could be based on the increased spontaneous Ca2+ tansients observed.
Machine learning model for cardiovascular disease prediction in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Zhu He , Qiao Shen , Zhao Delong , Wang Keyun , Wang Bin , Niu Yue , Shang Shunlai , Dong Zheyi , Zhang Weiguang , Zheng Ying , Chen Xiangmei
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to develop CVD risk prediction models using machine learning to support clinical decision making and improve patient prognosis.

Methods

Electronic medical records from patients with CKD at a single center from 2015 to 2020 were used to develop machine learning models for the prediction of CVD. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select important features predicting the risk of developing CVD. Seven machine learning classification algorithms were used to build models, which were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score, and Shapley Additive explanations was used to interpret the model results. CVD was defined as composite cardiovascular events including coronary heart disease (coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and coronary artery revascularization), cerebrovascular disease (hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke), deaths from all causes (cardiovascular deaths, non-cardiovascular deaths, unknown cause of death), congestive heart failure, and peripheral artery disease (aortic aneurysm, aortic or other peripheral arterial revascularization). A cardiovascular event was a composite outcome of multiple cardiovascular events, as determined by reviewing medical records.

Results

This study included 8,894 patients with CKD, with a composite CVD event incidence of 25.9%; a total of 2,304 patients reached this outcome. LASSO regression identified eight important features for predicting the risk of CKD developing into CVD: age, history of hypertension, sex, antiplatelet drugs, high-density lipoprotein, sodium ions, 24-h urinary protein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. The model developed using Extreme Gradient Boosting in the test set had an area under the curve of 0.89, outperforming the other models, indicating that it had the best CVD predictive performance.

Conclusion

This study established a CVD risk prediction model for patients with CKD, based on routine clinical diagnostic and treatment data, with good predictive accuracy. This model is expected to provide a scientific basis for the management and treatment of patients with CKD.
Has climate change promoted the high-quality development of financial enterprises? Evidence from China
Authors: Lyu Lili , Xiao Fang
Published: May 2024

Climate change has become a critical global issue and challenge, with significant implications for financial enterprises as an integral part of economic activities. A thorough analysis of the impact of climate change on the high-quality development of financial enterprises is of great importance for financial sustainability. This paper first conducts an in-depth mathematical analysis of the intrinsic mechanisms through which climate change affects the high-quality development of financial enterprises by establishing a game theory model. Secondly, using data from listed companies for the years 2000–2020, an econometric model is constructed to empirically examine the relationship between climate change and the high-quality development of financial enterprises. The research findings demonstrate that climate change significantly inhibits the high-quality development of financial enterprises, as evidenced by robust results obtained through various methods such as data truncation, variable substitution, and changes in sample periods. Furthermore, this study addresses the endogeneity of the regression model using propensity score matching (PSM), instrumental variable methods, and system generalized method of moments (GMM). Additionally, climate change impacts the high-quality development of financial enterprises through technological innovation. Given the backdrop of climate change, understanding the relationship and logic between climate change and the high-quality development of financial enterprises and discerning the channels and mechanisms through which climate change affects their development are crucial. This research provides a new perspective and expands the research frontier on the high-quality development of financial enterprises, enriching the theoretical foundations in this field.
CRISPR-Cas9 immune-evasive hESCs are rejected following transplantation into immunocompetent mice
Authors: Frederiksen Henriette Reventlow , Glantz Alexandra , Vøls Kåre Kryger , Skov Søren , Tveden-Nyborg Pernille , Freude Kristine , Doehn Ulrik
Published: May 2024

Although current stem cell therapies exhibit promising potential, the extended process of employing autologous cells and the necessity for donor–host matching to avert the rejection of transplanted cells significantly limit the widespread applicability of these treatments. It would be highly advantageous to generate a pluripotent universal donor stem cell line that is immune-evasive and, therefore, not restricted by the individual’s immune system, enabling unlimited application within cell replacement therapies. Before such immune-evasive stem cells can be moved forward to clinical trials, in vivo testing via transplantation experiments in immune-competent animals would be a favorable approach preceding preclinical testing. By using human stem cells in immune competent animals, results will be more translatable to a clinical setting, as no parts of the immune system have been altered, although in a xenogeneic setting. In this way, immune evasiveness, cell survival, and unwanted proliferative effects can be assessed before clinical trials in humans. The current study presents the generation and characterization of three human embryonic stem cell lines (hESCs) for xenogeneic transplantation in immune-competent mice. The major histocompatibility complexes I- and II-encoding genes, B2M and CIITA, have been deleted from the hESCs using CRISPR-Cas9-targeted gene replacement strategies and knockout. B2M was knocked out by the insertion of murine CD47. Human-secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (hSEAP) was inserted in a safe harbor site to track cells in vivo. The edited hESCs maintained their pluripotency, karyotypic normality, and stable expression of murine CD47 and hSEAP in vitro. In vivo transplantation of hESCs into immune-competent BALB/c mice was successfully monitored by measuring hSEAP in blood samples. Nevertheless, transplantation of immune-evasive hESCs resulted in complete rejection within 11 days, with clear immune infiltration of T-cells on day 8. Our results reveal that knockout of B2M and CIITA together with species-specific expression of CD47 are insufficient to prevent rejection in an immune-competent and xenogeneic context.
Transarterial chemoembolization combined with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab conversion therapy for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Ai Haidong , Gong Ting , Ma Yongbiao , Ma Guixu , Ding Wei , Ding Weibao , Wang Wenjuan , Zhao Xuelin
Published: May 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the sixth most common malignancy globally, with the majority of patients presenting at the initial diagnosis with locally advanced or metastatic disease, precluding the opportunity for curative surgical intervention. With the exploration and advancement of locoregional treatments, novel molecular-targeted therapies, anti-angiogenic agents, and immunomodulatory drugs, the management of HCC has seen an increase in objective response rates and prolonged duration of response significantly enhancing the potential for conversion to resectable disease in intermediate and advanced-stage unresectable HCC. Herein, we present a case of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B unresectable HCC, where after two courses of treatment with transarterial chemoembolization combined with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab significant tumor reduction was achieved. Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1, partial response culminated in successful curative surgical resection. No drug-related adverse reactions occurred during hospitalization, and there has been no recurrence during the 11-month postoperative follow-up. For patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B (intermediate-stage) unresectable HCC, the transarterial chemoembolization combined with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab regimen may offer improved therapeutic outcomes leading to a higher success rate of conversion therapy and, thus, improved survival.
Integrated transcriptomic analysis reveals immune signatures distinguishing persistent versus resolving outcomes in MRSA bacteremia
Authors: Parmar Rajesh , Pickering Harry , Ahn Richard , Rossetti Maura , Gjertson David W. , Ruffin Felicia , Chan Liana C. , Fowler Vance G. , Yeaman Michael R. , Reed Elaine F. ,   MRSA Systems Immunology Group
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a life-threatening infection particularly involving methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In contrast to resolving MRSA bacteremia (RB), persistent MRSA bacteremia (PB) blood cultures remain positive despite appropriate antibiotic treatment. Host immune responses distinguishing PB vs. RB outcomes are poorly understood. Here, integrated transcriptomic, IL-10 cytokine levels, and genomic analyses sought to identify signatures differentiating PB vs. RB outcomes.

Methods

Whole-blood transcriptomes of propensity-matched PB (n=28) versus RB (n=30) patients treated with vancomycin were compared in one independent training patient cohort. Gene expression (GE) modules were analyzed and prioritized relative to host IL-10 cytokine levels and DNA methyltransferase-3A (DNMT3A) genotype.

Results

Differential expression of T and B lymphocyte gene expression early in MRSA bacteremia discriminated RB from PB outcomes. Significant increases in effector T and B cell signaling pathways correlated with RB, lower IL-10 cytokine levels and DNMT3A heterozygous A/C genotype. Importantly, a second PB and RB patient cohort analyzed in a masked manner demonstrated high predictive accuracy of differential signatures.

Discussion

Collectively, the present findings indicate that human PB involves dysregulated immunity characterized by impaired T and B cell responses associated with excessive IL-10 expression in context of the DNMT3A A/A genotype. These findings reveal distinct immunologic programs in PB vs. RB outcomes, enable future studies to define mechanisms by which host and/or pathogen drive differential signatures and may accelerate prediction of PB outcomes. Such prognostic assessment of host risk could significantly enhance early anti-infective interventions to avert PB and improve patient outcomes.
A new perspective on hematological malignancies: m6A modification in immune microenvironment
Authors: Yang Shiyu , Xu Liping , Zhuang Haihui , Li Fenglin , Lu Ying
Published: May 2024

Immunotherapy for hematological malignancies is a rapidly advancing field that has gained momentum in recent years, primarily encompassing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other modalities. However, its clinical efficacy remains limited, and drug resistance poses a significant challenge. Therefore, novel immunotherapeutic targets and agents need to be identified. Recently, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent RNA epitope modification, has emerged as a pivotal factor in various malignancies. Reportedly, m6A mutations influence the immunological microenvironment of hematological malignancies, leading to immune evasion and compromising the anti-tumor immune response in hematological malignancies. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the roles of the currently identified m6A modifications in various hematological malignancies, with a particular focus on their impact on the immune microenvironment. Additionally, we provide an overview of the research progress made in developing m6A-targeted drugs for hematological tumor therapy, to offer novel clinical insights.
What could be the function of the spinal muscular atrophy-causing protein SMN in macrophages?
Authors: Tapken Ines , Detering Nora T. , Claus Peter
Published: May 2024

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disorder, extends its impact beyond the nervous system. The central protein implicated in SMA, Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein, is ubiquitously expressed and functions in fundamental processes such as alternative splicing, translation, cytoskeletal dynamics and signaling. These processes are relevant for all cellular systems, including cells of the immune system such as macrophages. Macrophages are capable of modulating their splicing, cytoskeleton and expression profile in order to fulfil their role in tissue homeostasis and defense. However, less is known about impairment or dysfunction of macrophages lacking SMN and the subsequent impact on the immune system of SMA patients. We aimed to review the potential overlaps between SMN functions and macrophage mechanisms highlighting the need for future research, as well as the current state of research addressing the role of macrophages in SMA.
Apolipoprotein D facilitates rabies virus propagation by interacting with G protein and upregulating cholesterol
Authors: Zhang Hongyan , Liang Xingxue , Li Duoduo , Zhang Chuanliang , Wang Wenfeng , Tang Rongze , Zhang Hongyun , Kiflu Abraha Bahlbi , Liu Cheng , Liang Jingjing , Li Xiaoning , Luo Ting Rong
Published: May 2024

Rabies virus (RABV) causes a fatal neurological disease, consisting of unsegmented negative-strand RNA, which encodes five structural proteins (3′-N-P-M-G-L-5′). Apolipoprotein D (ApoD), a lipocalin, is upregulated in the nervous system after injury or pathological changes. Few studies have focused on the role of ApoD during virus infection so far. This study demonstrated that ApoD is upregulated in the mouse brain (in vivo) and C8-D1A cells (in vitro) after RABV infection. By upregulating ApoD expression in C8-D1A cells, we found that ApoD facilitated RABV replication. Additionally, Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that ApoD interacted with RABV glycoprotein (G protein). The interaction could promote RABV replication by upregulating the cholesterol level. These findings revealed a novel role of ApoD in promoting RABV replication and provided a potential therapeutic target for rabies.
The impact of body position on vital capacity among pregnant women in the second trimester
Authors: Al Zhranei Raid , Alsulami Shatha , Alfaydi Weam , Alzahrani Reem , Alsulami Maher , Al Nufaiei Ziyad F.
Published: May 2024

Background

Pregnancy introduces significant physiological changes, notably impacting respiratory dynamics, especially during the second trimester. Data remain inconclusive about how body posture might influence lung function in pregnant women. We aimed to examine the impact of body position on slow vital capacity in pregnant women during their second trimester.

Methods

This observational study was carried out at King Khalid Hospital in Saudi Arabia, involving pregnant women in their second trimester, from 14 to 26 weeks of gestation. We utilized the KoKo® Legend Portable Office Spirometer to measure slow vital capacity (SVC) in both sitting and standing positions. Participants’ demographic details were recorded, ensuring a comprehensive analysis that accounted for age, BMI, and gestational age.

Results

136 pregnant women participated in this study, a paired-sample t-test revealed no statistically significant difference between sitting (M = 2.31, SD = 0.49) and standing (M = 2.33, SD = 0.5) positions, p = 0.24, However; the mean value of SVC in sitting position was significantly different between 4th month of pregnancy (M = 2.17, SD = 0.44) and 6th month of pregnancy (M = 2.45, SD = 0.48), p = 0.016.

Conclusion

The performance of the SVC in both positions was not significantly affected. However, an increase in gestational age had a notable impact on SVC performance, particularly during sitting positions, due to the changes in respiratory physiology during pregnancy.