bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commemoration and Memory
Authors: Füssel Marian
Published: July 2024

Cultures of memory are central to the ways the meaning of the Seven Years’ War changed, what it meant to people, and what it means to us today. In the culture of remembrance, the Seven Years’ War is still a war of generals, battles, and sieges. An enduring cult of individual war heroes and theatres began immediately after the war and certain places of remembrance, actors, and scenes established themselves as iconic. Their political charge, as well as the influence of a globally interwoven war, underwent significant change. After World War II the “hot” zone of identity politics shifted from Europe to the postcolonial theatres outside Europe. The global war became nationally divided during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and returned to historiography as a global event in Imperial History at the beginning of the twentieth century and in Global History at the beginning of twenty-first century.
Science and Technology during the Seven Years’ War
Authors: Van Damme Stéphane
Published: July 2024

The history of science has traditionally stayed away from conflicts, preferring a more institutional or disciplinary approach. The history of the Seven Years’ War was reduced in this context to the story of scientific cooperation to observe the transit of Venus between 1761 and 1769. This chapter attempts to explain this paradoxical situation by re-examining these different developments around this short sequence, and by showing how much the Franco-British world war revealed underlying tensions. Colonial archives reveal tensions that preceded the declaration of hostilities and had long-term consequences on Franco-British cooperation after the war. The scientific relations between France and Great Britain are part of a wider chronological arc but also underline how the context of uncertainty weakens joint undertakings as much as it stimulates competition at the borders of empires. The chapter adopts a trans-imperial history of science approach to highlight these dynamics in the production of science.
Climate, Environment, and Crisis in Eighteenth-Century India
Authors: Damodaran Vinita
Published: July 2024

The Seven Years’ War was a global conflict fought on an enormous scale. In India, in the first half of the eighteenth century, British and French trading companies involved in intense competition and supported by national armed forces were in undeclared conflict for decades before hostilities became subsumed into the wider confrontation between British, French, and allied forces. Environmental factors influencing the course of the conflict have rarely been studied, and this chapter uses a selection of diaries and British and French East India Company records to address this. These records are analyzed to assess claims by scholars whose work seeks to integrate climate history and political history, pointing to climate anomalies in this period as a driver of conflict and disruption. This study finds that while such anomalies played an important role, human agency, through individual and institutional action, was key in transforming weather phenomena into a humanitarian disaster.
The Mughal Empire
Authors: Kaicker Abhishek
Published: July 2024

Although the events of the Seven Years’ War were set in motion by the global conflict between continental powers waged in part through their East India Companies, their outcomes in the Indian subcontinent were shaped by the longer and deeper pattern of conflict and cooperation between the Mughal empire and European traders in the Indian Ocean. The rise to power of the English East India Company in the aftermath of the battles of Palashi and Baksar was enabled by the collapse of the Mughal empire and the unstable politics of the province of Bengal in the first half of the eighteenth century. While the Company played no direct role in the dissolution of Mughal rule, the deeper history of conflict between them prepared agents of the Company to pursue political and military objectives beyond the ambit of the war itself.
The East India Companies and the Seven Years’ War
Authors: Agmon Danna , Stern Philip J.
Published: July 2024

Early modern European expansion in the Indian Ocean World was primarily the work of trading companies. Over the course of the eighteenth century, two such institutions—the English East India Company and the French Compagnie des Indes—sought to expand their commercial, political, diplomatic, and urban footprint in India. It was those Companies’ aggressive and long-standing efforts to embed themselves in South Asian politics and commerce that created the space and the means for European war to enter South Asia in the first place. The war wrought massive transformations in India’s political, territorial, and commercial landscape, while realigning the Companies’ relationships with Indian rulers and their own European states alike. Still, even in this massively reconfigured arena, European empire in India remained a Company affair, as some of the Companies’ bureaucratic, jurisdictional, and urban structures remained firmly in place to structure both the unfolding of the war and its aftermath.
Ethics and Ontology in French Hermeneutics
Authors: Fiasse Gaëlle
Published: July 2024

Paul Ricœur’s ‘philosophy of detours’ was in dialogue with both the history of philosophy and the most vivid contemporary debates of his time. His plethoric writings are devoted to a great variety of topics: from his early attention to the philosophies of existence and analysis of the will to his Time and Narrative trilogy, ending with his work on translation and his reflection on death (published posthumously), Ricœur developed a philosophy of action rooted in French reflexive philosophy, phenomenology, and hermeneutics. The present chapter examines the role of hermeneutics in Ricœur's philosophy and how much his hermeneutics is grounded in a particular ethics and ontology. The chapter also sheds light on their mutual interweaving and on Ricœur's interpretation of Descartes, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Deconstruction and Forgiveness
Authors: Lawlor Leonard
Published: July 2024

This chapter analyzes Jacques Derrida’s two 1997–1998 courses on perjury and forgiveness in order to understand how he dissociates a notion of unconditionality from one of sovereignty, and thereby transforms his own idea of deconstruction. The essays highlight four ways that Derrida achieves this. The dissociation involves, first, an insight about power, and specifically the power of the impossible, which depends on the experience of the undecidable. Second, there is an insight about intonation; one must say “I forgive” with a certain tone. Third, there is an insight about memory; forgiveness requires a memory that never forgets. And, fourth, there is an insight about guilt; there are so many, unavoidable ways to be guilty when one forgives. These insights provide us with something like steps for achieving the dissociation of unconditionality from sovereignty.
The Non-Philosophy of François Laruelle
Authors: Gangle Rocco
Published: July 2024

This chapter outlines Laruelle’s project of non-philosophy or non-standard philosophy from the standpoint of the methodological unity that characterizes it across its various phases and diverse fields of application. Laruelle’s non-philosophy determines itself according to a distinctive type of operation made upon philosophical materials. The form of this operation marks the difference between non-philosophy and philosophy, and also determines the unusual relation the former has to the latter: unilateral duality, a type of distinction that exists or is recognized by only one of its distinguished sides or terms. Once clarified, the formal structure of unilateral duality serves as the basis for making sense of two of the fundamental claims Laruelle makes concerning non-philosophy: that it may be understood as a science of philosophy, and that it generalizes philosophy in its own distinctive mode.
Spinoza in Modern French Philosophy
Authors: Peden Knox
Published: July 2024

This chapter treats the upsurge of interest in Spinoza’s philosophy in twentieth-century France as a response to broader philosophical developments. It stresses the need felt by philosophers working in different milieus to provide a rationalist alternative to the trajectory offered by phenomenology, in particular in its Heideggerian guise, whose impact in France was enormous. Special attention is given to Louis Althusser, whose Spinozist reading of Marx—often characterized as structuralist—was emblematic of the moment. The chapter also devotes attention to a lesser-known French Spinoza scholar, Alexandre Matheron, and situates his major study of Spinoza’s thought alongside works by Martial Gueroult and Gilles Deleuze that appeared alongside it at the end of the 1960s.
Hegel in Modern French Philosophy
Authors: Bellantone Andrea
Published: July 2024

The confrontation with Hegel structures and constitutes French thought. This chapter offers an overview of this confrontation starting from a pivotal question: that of a metaphysics of difference. The chapter shows that the post-Bergsonian circulation of Hegel’s thought, through a series of transplants and disseminations, follows different paths than it did in the previous century, which had given rise to a structurally anti-Hegelian metaphysical tradition. It also shows how the new interest in Hegel at the turn of the twentieth century moves beyond epistemological and logical to existential themes, and how it was nevertheless marked by reservations—already in the work of Wahl, Koyré, and Kojève—about the capacity of dialectics to fulfil its promise as a conceptualization of difference. These concerns gave rise, the chapter shows, to later French philosophical criticism of the totalizing claims of Hegelian thought.
Transcendence and Immanence in Modern French Philosophy
Authors: Bove Laurent
Published: July 2024

This chapter traces a reversal in French philosophy from an advocation of the transcendent sovereignty of consciousness in spiritualism to the materialist affirmation of immanence. It begins with the nineteenth-century ‘querelle du panthéisme’ and the double interpretation of Descartes as the philosopher of transcendent consciousness and the founder of a rationalism that culminates in Spinozist immanence. Opposite Descartes stands Pascal—and within French philosophy there stands a tradition of Pascalians of immanence, those who make sense of worldly existence on a horizontal plane that escapes divine jurisdiction. A positive account of immanence can be located both in this tradition—to which Camus and Comte-Sponville belong—but also in the reception history of Hegel in France. Via Kojève and Sartre, Hegelianism is read through the lens of immanent existence.
Literature and Modern French Philosophy
Authors: Kaufman Eleanor
Published: July 2024

Literature and literariness play a fundamental role in French philosophy, so much so that demarcating the intersection of philosophy and literature in modern French thought is a somewhat impossible task. This chapter attempts, instead, to organize this intersection of philosophy and literature according to the degree to which both are articulated and enacted as distinct from each other. Beginning with the mode whereby fiction and philosophy are pointedly indistinguishable, it takes up a range of fictional works that might be considered philosophical as such. The third mode will be the decidedly French concept of the roman à thèse, in which a work of fiction is ostensibly intended to serve as a mouthpiece for a philosophical position; however, in the most interesting instances, these literary “case histories” actually advance or prove innovative for the philosophical domain in question. Finally, there is the case of established philosophers who consider literary works not so much for their literary qualities but for their philosophical import.
Structure in Modern French Philosophy
Authors: Maniglier Patrice
Published: July 2024

There was a time when creative philosophy in France bypassed the question of how to define the notion of structure and what it was worth. Structuralism was at the heart of the ‘philosophical moment of the Sixties’. It is said to have been dismissed after 1968 by post-structuralism, which then itself fell out of fashion, before all those ‘-isms’ seemed childish and vanished. The chapter argues that the notion of structuralism can nonetheless be useful to understand French philosophy in the 1960s and 70s (e.g. Althusser, Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze, Lyotard), but only if it is entirely reconceived. The chapter examines four among the main misunderstandings that plagued structuralism (that it was a form of scientism, of linguistic constructivism, of holism, of Eleaticism) and shows on what grounds methodological reforms in the social sciences did impact upon philosophical constructions and still matter if we are to understand those works today.
Charles Renouvier on the Necessary Conditions of the Scientific Mind
Authors: Dunham Jeremy
Published: July 2024

Charles Renouvier (1815–1903) developed one of the most influential and ambitious philosophical systems of the nineteenth century. In this chapter, the author focuses on Renouvier’s attempt to develop a new kind of rational psychology. Renouvier argues that existing forms of psychology (empirical and a priori) have resulted in a picture of the human mind that is lacking in explanatory power. Renouvier’s psychology turns to Kant’s practical postulates and shows their important explanatory potential in the theoretical domain. By doing so, Renouvier develops a new philosophical foundation that has profound consequences for epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of science.
French in Europe
Authors: Racine Isabelle
Published: July 2024

This chapter aims to provide an overview of the European regions or countries, outside France, where French has the status of official language: Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Romandy in Switzerland, the Aosta Valley in Italy, and Luxembourg. They all have in common the fact that they are multilingual and share territorial borders with eastern France. For historical reasons, the development of French cannot be considered independently in these four regions/countries and in France, even though they now belong to five countries with different language policies. Because the role and the situation of French in the multilingual landscapes of the four countries/regions are quite different, the chapter considers them separately and, for each of them, it first presents the demo-linguistic and historical context, before describing the actual situation of French and its linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects.
Spoken French
Authors: Carruthers Janice
Published: July 2024

This chapter explores the transformation in research on spoken French that has taken place over the last fifty years. After an overview of the evolution of theoretical, methodological, and analytical tools (including the development and exploitation of digitized annotated corpora), the chapter discusses the nature and range of the research that has yielded new insights into our understanding of spoken French, including work on the morphology, syntax, phonology, lexis, sociolinguistics, and pragmatics of the spoken language. Two case studies (on dislocation and tense switching involving the narrative present) demonstrate the impact of new theories and methods on the way in which we approach particular phenomena and on our understanding of how spoken French operates, including a discussion of problematic and/or challenging issues. The chapter concludes by pointing to potential areas for future research.
French and the Media
Authors: Burger Marcel
Published: July 2024

This chapter covers three dimensions of journalistic practices in the French-speaking media: language in the media, the language of the media, and the language awareness of journalists at work. Using a multimodal and multidisciplinary perspective, it addresses topical examples from talk radio, broadcast talk, and social media platforms. Results show how the newsworthiness constraints influence linguistic choices and the interplay between linguistic and visual codes in media reports. Furthermore, an extensive newsroom ethnographic study conducted in the public service media in Switzerland provides insights into the construction of news from the perspective of journalists. Thus, approaching the news media as a genre of its own allows us to characterize linguistic practices that are specific to Francophone news products.
Historical Semantics and Pragmatics
Authors: Lehmann Sabine
Published: July 2024

This chapter examines the methods—from structural semantic approaches, with psychological or social inspiration, to cognitive approaches—that have been used to account for semantic change. Until recently, Ullmann’s theory was most instrumental within diachronic semantics. The emergence of the field of cognitive linguistics revived psychological questions and highlighted the importance of taking associations into account in order to understand human language. Different approaches are illustrated by concrete examples, with emphasis on the motivations for linguistic innovation. As this chapter makes clear, pragmatics must be considered in the study of language change. Historical pragmatics is mainly interested in two closely related topics: first, orality, enunciation, and polyphony, and second, pragmatic markers. Reflections on the semantic-pragmatic evolution of discourse markers and the staging of reported speech will serve to illustrate the importance of considering the pragmatic dimension of language.
Relaxed realism and normative belief: A functionalist account
Authors: Karimi Paiman
Published: July 2024

I offer an account of normative belief designed specifically for relaxed realists. This proposal not only gives relaxed realists an explicitly robust account of normative belief but also distinguishes their theory from related theories, notably quasi-realist ones. In doing so, it addresses a dilemma raised in the literature against relaxed realist theories.
The power of the people: labor unions and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Heitz Amanda , Wang Youan , Wang Zigan
Published: July 2024

Many policymakers and practitioners argue that corporations may become more stakeholder focused if employees are given more power. We study the causal impact of unionization on stakeholders by analyzing how close labor union elections affect environmental and social (E&S) scores. We find that unionization is associated with an increase in internal social scores that primarily benefit employees and a decrease in external E&S scores that primarily benefit non-employees. The negative effects on external E&S are amplified when firms have greater financial constraints. The effects on both internal and external E&S are magnified when labor unions have more bargaining power. Our results suggest that policymakers consider implications for all stakeholders before implementing policies that prioritize the corporate influence of one stakeholder group.
Revision of Swiss international inheritance law
Authors: Weiss Kinga M , Müller-Zhang Michael
Published: July 2024

The Swiss Parliament amended the Federal Council’s draft of Chapter 6 of the Private International Law Act regarding cross-border successions and adopted it on 22 December 2023. As no referendum was held within the 100-day referendum period (e.g. 18 April 2024), the new law will enter into force on 1 January 2025. The revision aims to modernise Switzerland’s international inheritance law and adapt it, at least partially, to the rules of the European Succession Regulation (“EUSuccReg” or “Brussels IV”) through improved coordination of states’ competencies to adjudicate cross-border estate matters.
PagKNAT2/6b regulates tension wood formation and gravitropism by targeting cytokinin metabolism
Authors: Hu Mengxuan , Zhao Shutang , Zhao Yanqiu , Lu Mengzhu , Song Xueqin
Published: July 2024

Tension wood is a specialized xylem tissue associated with gravitropism in angiosperm trees. However, few regulators of tension wood formation have been identified. The molecular mechanisms underpinning tension wood formation remain elusive. Here, we report that a Populus KNOTTED-like homeobox gene, PagKNAT2/6b, is involved in tension wood formation and gravity response. Transgenic poplar plants overexpressing PagKNAT2/6b displayed more sensitive gravitropism than controls, as indicated by increased stem curvature. Microscopic examination revealed greater abundance of fibre cells with a gelatinous cell wall layer (G-layer) and asymmetric growth of secondary xylem in PagKNAT2/6b overexpression lines. Conversely, PagKNAT2/6b dominant repression plants exhibited decreased tension wood formation and reduced response to gravity stimulation. Moreover, sensitivity to gravity stimulation showed a negative relationship with development stage. Expression of genes related to growth and senescence was affected in PagKNAT2/6b transgenic plants. More importantly, transcription activation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggested that PagKNAT2/6b promotes the expression of cytokinin metabolism genes. Consistently, cytokinin content was increased in PagKNAT2/6b overexpression plants. Therefore, PagKNAT2/6b is involved in gravitropism and tension wood formation, likely via modulation of cytokinin metabolism.
Loss of bmp15 function in the seasonal spawner Atlantic salmon results in ovulatory failure
Authors: Crespo Diego , Fjelldal Per Gunnar , Hansen Tom J. , Kjærner‐Semb Erik , Skaftnesmo Kai Ove , Thorsen Anders , Norberg Birgitta , Edvardsen Rolf B. , Andersson Eva , Schulz Rüdiger W. , Wargelius Anna , Kleppe Lene
Published: July 2024

Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) is an oocyte‐specific growth factor important for successful female reproduction in mammals. While mutations in BMP15/Bmp15 cause ovulatory deficiency and/or infertility in certain mammalian species, loss of bmp15 in zebrafish, a continuous spawner and the only bmp15 knockout model in fish to date, results in complete arrest of follicle development and later female‐to‐male sex reversal, preventing to examine effects on ovulation/fertilization. Here, we used Atlantic salmon, a seasonal spawner, and generated bmp15 mutants to investigate ovarian development and fertility. Histological and morphometric analyses revealed that in biallelic frameshift (bmp15 fs/fs) mutant ovaries, folliculogenesis started earlier, resulting in an advanced development compared to wild‐type (WT) controls, accompanied by a weaker expression of the (early) oocyte‐specific factor figla. This precocious ovarian development was followed in bmp15 fs/fs females by enhanced follicle atresia during vitellogenic stages. Although genes involved in steroid synthesis and signaling (star, cyp11b, cyp17a1 and esr1) were dramatically higher in late vitellogenic bmp15 fs/fs mutant ovaries, estradiol‐17β plasma levels were lower than in WT counterparts, potentially reflecting compensatory changes at the level of ovarian gene expression. At spawning, bmp15 fs/fs females displayed lower gonado‐somatic index values and reduced oocyte diameter, and the majority (71.4%), showed mature non‐ovulating ovaries with a high degree of atresia. The remaining (28.6%) females spawned eggs but they either could not be fertilized or, upon fertilization, showed severe malformations and embryonic mortality. Our results show that Bmp15 is required for proper follicle recruitment and growth and later ovulatory success in Atlantic salmon, providing an alternative candidate target to induce sterility in farmed salmon. Moreover, since loss of bmp15 in salmon, in contrast to zebrafish, does not result in female‐to‐male sex change, this is the first mutant model in fish allowing further investigations on Bmp15‐mediated functions in the ovulatory period.
Loss of Calpain 3 dysregulates store‐operated calcium entry and its exercise response in mice
Authors: Villani Katelyn R. , Zhong Renjia , Henley‐Beasley C. Spencer , Rastelli Giorgia , Harris Erin , Boncompagni Simona , Barton Elisabeth R. , Wei‐LaPierre Lan
Published: July 2024

Limb‐Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R1/2A (LGMD R1/2A) is caused by mutations in the CAPN3 gene encoding Calpain 3, a skeletal‐muscle specific, Ca2+‐dependent protease. Localization of Calpain 3 within the triad suggests it contributes to Ca2+ homeostasis. Through live‐cell Ca2+ measurements, muscle mechanics, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy (EM) in Capn3 deficient (C3KO) and wild‐type (WT) mice, we determined whether loss of Calpain 3 altered Store‐Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) activity. Direct Ca2+ influx measurements revealed loss of Capn3 elicits elevated resting SOCE and increased resting cytosolic Ca2+, supported by high incidence of calcium entry units (CEUs) observed by EM. C3KO and WT mice were subjected to a single bout of treadmill running to elicit SOCE. Within 1HR post‐treadmill running, C3KO mice exhibited diminished force production in extensor digitorum longus muscles and a greater decay of Ca2+ transients in flexor digitorum brevis muscle fibers during repetitive stimulation. Striking evidence for impaired exercise‐induced SOCE activation in C3KO mice included poor colocalization of key SOCE proteins, stromal‐interacting molecule 1 (STIM1) and ORAI1, combined with disappearance of CEUs in C3KO muscles. These results demonstrate that Calpain 3 is a key regulator of SOCE in skeletal muscle and identify SOCE dysregulation as a contributing factor to LGMD R1/2A pathology.
Heterogeneity in the Definitions of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis and Failure in Spinal Deformity Literature
Authors: Akosman Izzet , Hirase Takashi , Chow Jarred Lihan , Subramanian Tejas , Uzzo Robert , Jones Charlotte Henry , Persaud Steven Govinda , Demopoulos Bryce , Tuma Olivia , Cunningham Matthew , Kim Han Jo , Lovecchio Francis
Published: July 2024

Study Design.

Systematic review.

Objective.

To describe the various definitions of PJK and PJF used in spinal deformity literature and their utility over time.

Summary of Background Data.

Proximal junctional kyphosis or failure (PJK/PJF) is among the most common complication after long-segment fusions, but there is no consensus on their definitions. This presents challenges in understanding risk factors, management, and prevention strategies.

Methods.

A systematic literature review was performed on studies specifying a definition of PJK and/or PJF. PJK definitions were categorized as radiographic vs non-radiographic and data was collected on PJK criteria including threshold for proximal junctional angle (PJA), change in PJA, vertebra selection for PJA measurement, and follow-up timepoints. PJF definitions were categorized as structural failure, need for revision, symptomatic failure, and radiographic (angular).

Results.

359 studies defining PJK and/or PJF were identified. While 56% of studies used the definition PJA>10° and PJA change from baseline>10°, the remainder expressed significant heterogeneity with respect to criteria for magnitude of PJA and degree of PJA change. The most common vertebrae assessed were UIV/UIV+2 (74%) and most common minimum follow-up (mFU) listed was 2 years (60%). Mean FUs for studies varied considerably even in studies with the same mFU, from 2.1-8.9 years (2-year mFU) and 1.1-4.0 years (1-year mFU). PJF definitions were most commonly structural (58%) or defined as a need for revision (48%), with a much less common use of PJA thresholds (23%).

Conclusions.

The challenges faced in preventing proximal junctional complications are mired in the heterogenous groundwork by which PJK and PJF are defined. Most definitions of PJK use radiographic thresholds without consideration of clinical relevance and variations in individual alignment. Conversely, definitions of PJF are based on clinical criteria, which are often subjective. Future research should focus on understanding the mechanisms of PJK/PJF, as only then will we be able to accurately define and prevent these complications.
Gut microbiota plays pivotal roles in benign and malignant hematopoiesis
Authors: Li Yuxuan , Zhang Biao , Jiang Lingli , Cheng Tao , Cheng Hui , Qian Pengxu
Published: July 2024

Accumulated evidence emerges that dynamic changes in human gut microbiota and microbial metabolites can alter the ecological balance of symbiotic hosts. The gut microbiota plays a role in various diseases through different mechanisms. More and more attention has been paid to the effects that human microbiota extends beyond the gut. This review summarized the current understanding of the roles that gut microbiota plays in hematopoietic regulation and the occurrence and development of benign and malignant hematologic diseases. The progress of the application of microbiota in treatment was discussed in order to provide new insights into clinical diagnosis and treatment in the future.
Relationship Between Individual Innovativeness Levels and Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence Among Nursing and Midwifery Students
Authors: Kilci Erciyas Şeyma , Cirban Ekrem Ebru , Keten Edis Elif
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study is to explore the connection between individual innovativeness levels and attitudes toward artificial intelligence among nursing and midwifery students. Data were collected from 500 nursing and midwifery students studying at a university in Türkiye. The data gathered between November and December 2023 involved a Personal Information Form, the Individual Innovation Scale, and the General Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence Scale. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, independent-samples t test, analysis of variance, Bonferroni test, and logistic regression models. Students' average Individual Innovativeness Scale score was 59.47 ± 7.23. Consequently, it was determined that students' individual innovativeness levels were inadequate, placing them in the questioning group. Students demonstrated positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence, with General Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence Scale–positive scores at a good level (42.67 ± 7.10) and negative attitudes at an average level (24.08 ± 5.81). A significant, positive relationship was found between Individual Innovation Scale and General Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence Scale total scores (P < .001). The individual innovation level of students proved to be a significant predictor of attitudes toward artificial intelligence (P < .001). Students' individual innovativeness levels positively influence their attitudes toward artificial intelligence. However, it was identified that students' individual innovativeness levels are not sufficient and require improvement.
Epigenetic disease markers in primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cholangitis—methylomics of cholestatic liver disease
Authors: Juran Brian D. , McCauley Bryan M. , Atkinson Elizabeth J. , Schlicht Erik M. , Bianchi Jackie K. , Vollenweider Jason M. , Ye Hong , LaRusso Nicholas F. , Gores Gregory J. , Sun Zhifu , Lazaridis Konstantinos N.
Published: July 2024

Background:

The epigenome, the set of modifications to DNA and associated molecules that control gene expression, cellular identity, and function, plays a major role in mediating cellular responses to outside factors. Thus, evaluation of the epigenetic state can provide insights into cellular adaptions occurring over the course of disease.

Methods:

We performed epigenome-wide association studies of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Bead Chip.

Results:

We found evidence of increased epigenetic age acceleration and differences in predicted immune cell composition in patients with PSC and PBC. Epigenetic profiles demonstrated differences in predicted protein levels including increased levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 1B in patients with cirrhotic compared to noncirrhotic PSC and PBC. Epigenome-wide association studies of PSC discovered strongly associated 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ sites in genes including vacuole membrane protein 1 and SOCS3, and epigenome-wide association studies of PBC found strong 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ associations in genes including NOD-like receptor family CARD domain containing 5, human leukocyte antigen-E, and PSMB8. Analyses identified disease-associated canonical pathways and upstream regulators involved with immune signaling and activation of macrophages and T-cells. A comparison of PSC and PBC data found relatively little overlap at the 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ and gene levels with slightly more overlap at the level of pathways and upstream regulators.

Conclusions:

This study provides insights into methylation profiles of patients that support current concepts of disease mechanisms and provide novel data to inspire future research. Studies to corroborate our findings and expand into other -omics layers will be invaluable to further our understanding of these rare diseases with the goal to improve and individualize prognosis and treatment.
Drug interaction with UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes is a predictor of drug-induced liver injury
Authors: Olubamiwa AyoOluwa O. , Liao Tsung-Jen , Zhao Jinwen , Dehanne Patrice , Noban Catherine , Angin Yeliz , Barberan Olivier , Chen Minjun
Published: July 2024

Background and Aims:

DILI frequently contributes to the attrition of new drug candidates and is a common cause for the withdrawal of approved drugs from the market. Although some noncytochrome P450 (non-CYP) metabolism enzymes have been implicated in DILI development, their association with DILI outcomes has not been systematically evaluated.

Approach and Results:

In this study, we analyzed a large data set comprising 317 drugs and their interactions in vitro with 42 non-CYP enzymes as substrates, inducers, and/or inhibitors retrieved from historical regulatory documents using multivariate logistic regression. We examined how these in vitro drug-enzyme interactions are correlated with the drugs’ potential for DILI concern, as classified in the Liver Toxicity Knowledge Base database. Our study revealed that drugs that inhibit non-CYP enzymes are significantly associated with high DILI concern. Particularly, interaction with UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) enzymes is an important predictor of DILI outcomes. Further analysis indicated that only pure UGT inhibitors and dual substrate inhibitors, but not pure UGT substrates, are significantly associated with high DILI concern.

Conclusions:

Drug interactions with UGT enzymes may independently predict DILI, and their combined use with the rule-of-two model further improves overall predictive performance. These findings could expand the currently available tools for assessing the potential for DILI in humans.
Development and validation of pFIB scores for exclusion of significant liver fibrosis in pediatric MASLD
Authors: Lefere Sander , Mosca Antonella , Hudert Christian , Dupont Ellen , Fitzpatrick Emer , Kyrana Eirini , Dhawan Anil , Kalveram Laura , Pietrobattista Andrea , Geerts Anja , De Bruyne Ruth
Published: July 2024

Background and Aims:

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent pediatric liver disease, yet accurate risk scores for referral of children/adolescents with suspected clinically significant liver fibrosis are currently lacking.

Approach and Results:

Clinical and biochemical variables were collected in a prospective cohort of 327 children and adolescents with severe obesity, in whom liver fibrosis was evaluated by transient elastography. Logistic regression was performed to establish continuous (pFIB-c) and simplified (pFIB-6) diagnostic scores that accurately exclude significant (≥F2) fibrosis. Performance for each was compared to established noninvve fibrosis scores. These scores were validated in elastography (n=504) and multiple biopsy-proven MASLD (n=261) cohorts. Patient sex, ethnicity, weight z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index, ALT, and presence of hypertension were included in the scores. The pFIB-c and pFIB-6 exhibited good discriminatory capacity (c-statistic of 0.839 and 0.826), outperforming existing indices. Negative predictive values were >90% for both scores in the derivation and elastography validation cohorts. Performance in the histological cohorts varied (AUROCs for the pFIB-c between 0.710 and 0.770), as the scores were less accurate when applied to populations in tertiary referral centers characterized by a high prevalence of significant fibrosis and high ALT levels.

Conclusions:

Analyzing several cohorts totaling approximately 1100 children and adolescents, we developed novel risk scores incorporating readily available clinical variables. In accordance with the aim of excluding pediatric MASLD-associated fibrosis, the scores performed better in nonselected cohorts of children and adolescents living with obesity than in patients referred to tertiary liver units.
Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty in Aphakic, Aniridic, and Vitrectomized Eyes: A Review
Authors: Romano Davide , Shimizu Toshiki , Kobayashi Akira , Yamagami Satoru , Romano Vito , Hayashi Takahiko
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

The aim of this review is to examine the techniques, complications, and outcomes of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in aphakic, aniridic, and vitrectomized eyes.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE database (via PubMed), using as keywords “(DMEK) AND (aphakia OR aniridia OR vitrectomy OR vitrectomized).” The research was limited to 10 years (January 2014–March 2024), in view of lack of literature before 2014. Articles, including case reports and case series, were included.

Results:

Twenty articles were included. No randomized controlled trials were found nor comparative studies with more than 1 technique used. Mean rebubbling rate in complex eyes was 29%, whereas mean endothelial cell loss at 6 months was 37%. The mean postoperative visual acuity improved from 1.47 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution to 0.7 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution.

Conclusions:

Despite being more challenging, compared with the techniques reported in literature, DMEK can be considered a valid option for the management of endothelial decompensation in complex eyes, with rebubbling rate and endothelial cell loss at 6 months, which are similar to non-complex eyes.
Mycoplasma hominis Pneumonia Presented as a Cavitary Mass with a Halo Sign in an Immunocompetent Adult Male: A Case Report
Authors: Xie Pan-Pan , Yao Yao , Yang Ning , Niu Wen-Kai , Yuan Xin
Published: July 2024

Mycoplasma hominis is an opportunistic microorganism that colonizes the genitourinary tract and causes genitourinary infections. However, pulmonary infections caused by M. hominis have rarely been reported in immunocompetent individuals. Herein, we report a rare case of an immunocompetent adult male with M. hominis pneumonia who presented with multiple pulmonary nodules that progressed to a cavitary mass with a halo sign. The presence of M. hominis infection was confirmed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The patient demonstrated no response to the initial levofloxacin therapy; however, the symptoms subsequently improved after the administration of moxifloxacin. M. hominis may be an underestimated causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia of unknown etiology in immunocompetent adults, and the involvement of the organism should be especially suspected in sexually active patients. Molecular diagnostic methods, such as mPCR, can be used to identify the etiology of atypical pneumonia. Appropriate antibiotics are crucial for effective treatment.
Monkeypox: A Viral Zoonotic Disease of Rising Global Concern
Authors: Anil Sukumaran , Joseph Betsy , Thomas Mary , Sweety Vishnupriya K. , Suresh Nandita , Waltimo Tumos
Published: July 2024

Monkeypox (mpox) is a rare viral zoonotic disease, endemic to Central and West Africa, caused by the monkeypox virus, an orthopoxvirus similar to the variola virus (smallpox). Although sporadic travel-associated cases have historically occurred outside Africa, in May 2022, mpox began spreading globally in multiple nonendemic countries across several continents. In 2024, there has been an increase in globally reported confirmed cases of mpox and deaths from mpox, making it a public health emergency of international concern. The reasons for the unusual global spread are under investigation but likely relate to increased travel and waning population immunity to orthopoxviruses. Transmission now appears to be mainly through close, intimate contact, especially among men who have sex with men. Mpox is usually a self-limited disease. Although limited approved antiviral treatments are available, such as tecovirimat, which the European Medicines Agency approved in January 2022 for the treatment of mpox, their widespread availability and effectiveness in the current outbreak remain to be investigated. Public health control measures include surveillance, case identification/isolation, contact tracing, and targeted vaccination of contacts at high risk of exposure. However, challenges remain in curtailing the current unprecedented outbreak. Critical knowledge gaps include animal reservoir(s) responsible for initial spillover events, viral mutations that may enhance transmissibility, optimal diagnostics for noninvasive specimens, effective antiviral therapies, next-generation vaccines providing longer-term immunity, and building global capacity for outbreak response. This review summarizes the current literature on mpox virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostics, treatment, prevention, and public health control measures. Ongoing investigation and research are needed to better understand mpox’s evolving epidemiology, pathogenicity, transmissibility, and ecology to guide strategies for containing the outbreak and preventing future global emergence.
Citrobacter Causing Septic Arthritis: A Case Report
Authors: Levine Kimberly K. , Dahl Mary , Tauseef Abubakar , Thirumalareddy Joseph
Published: July 2024

The genus Citrobacter commonly found in water and soil as well as the intestinal and urinary tracts of animals and humans. Although Citrobacter infections are infrequently diagnosed in environmental contexts, the rising incidence of nosocomial manifestations underscores the importance of considering this organism in the differential diagnosis of hospital-acquired infections. We present a case of patient with septic arthritis of the shoulder who had been originally admitted for the management of acute-on-chronic congestive heart failure exacerbation and severe sepsis. On hospital day 1, joint aspiration cultures and Gram stain confirmed the presence of Citrobacter koseri, a pathogen not commonly associated with septic arthritis, and ceftriaxone was administered to target it. On hospital day 7, antibiotic was transitioned to levofloxacin, every other day for 4 weeks. The patient was discharged to an acute rehabilitation facility after a 14-day hospital stay. This case stresses the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis for any patients who present with fever and joint inflammation or swelling, especially in a postoperative setting.
Power profile and optical performance of two extended range-of-vision intraocular lens designs
Authors: Vega Fidel , Garzón Nuria , García-Montero María , Millán María S.
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

To assess the power profile and optical performance of 2 extended range-of-vision (ERV) intraocular lenses (IOLs), TECNIS Eyhance (ICB00) and LuxSmart, and compare them with their monofocal counterpart lenses with similar platforms and materials: TECNIS 1-piece (ZCB00) and LuxGood, respectively.

Setting:

Optics and Optometry Faculties of Complutense University (Madrid) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (Terrassa) in Spain.

Design:

Laboratory investigation on optical bench.

Methods:

For each design, the power distribution and (fourth and sixth-order) spherical aberration (SA) across the lens aperture were measured as well as the optical performance using modulation transfer function–based metrics with through-focus evaluation. 3 nominal powers (+10.00 diopters [D], +20.00 D, and +30.00 D) and 3 pupil sizes (2.0 mm, 3.0 mm, and 4.5 mm) were considered to assess whether the base power of the lens and pupillary dynamics have an influence on the depth-of-focus extension.

Results:

TECNIS Eyhance and LuxSmart IOLs had different power and SA profiles, but both designs shared a positive add power in their central region in comparison with their monofocal counterparts. LuxSmart had a greater add power while TECNIS Eyhance showed higher peak optical quality but smaller depth of focus.

Conclusions:

Differences of focus extension between the 2 ERV IOL designs are related to differences of power and SA profile. The nominal base power of the IOLs has little effect on their optical quality. However, pupil dynamics plays a key role since it determines the effective add power and optical performance of the ERV IOLs.
Norepinephrine versus phenylephrine affects prethrombotic response in patients undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study
Authors: Tao Wenhui , Bao Jinfeng , Xie Yufang , Ding Wei , Wu Yule , Zhang Ye , Hu Xianwen
Published: July 2024

Background:

Venous thromboembolism is one of the most common and serious complications of cesarean section in parturients. Norepinephrine (NE) has been shown to activate coagulation. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of a fixed-rate prophylactic NE infusion and a fixed-rate prophylactic phenylephrine (PHE) infusion under spinal anesthesia for cesarean section on the prethrombotic response.

Materials and methods:

Sixty-six women undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to the NE group or PHE group, starting simultaneously with the administration of the subarachnoid solution, a ‘study drug’ solution containing either NE or PHE was pumped intravenously at a constant rate of 15 ml/h until the end of the operation. Plasma coagulation factor VIII activity (FVIII: C), Fibrinogen, and D-dimer levels were measured in blood samples obtained on admission to the operating theater and at the end of the procedure.

Results:

Compared with preoperative levels, there were no significant differences in postoperative fibrinogen and D-dimer levels in the NE group, except for a decrease in FVIII: C levels (P=0.003). However, postoperative levels of FVIII: C (P=0.009), fibrinogen (P=0.035), and D-dimer (P=0.025) were increased in the NE group compared with postoperative levels in the PHE group.

Conclusions:

NE does not affect the maternal prethrombotic response and can be safely used in cesarean sections. Compared with PHE infusion, NE infusion increased the level of coagulation molecules, suggesting that NE maybe more beneficial for women with high intraoperative bleeding requiring hemostasis.