bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Skin Tests versus Serology: Specific IgE May Suffice for Diagnosis of Vespid Venom Allergy and Follow-Up of Allergen Immunotherapy
Authors: Hollstein Moritz M. , Matzke Silke S. , Lorbeer Lisa , Traidl Stephan , Forkel Susann , Möbs Christian , Fuchs Thomas , Lex Christiane , Buhl Timo
Published: April 2023

Introduction: In adults, allergic reactions to insect stings are among the most frequent causes of anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Recurrent anaphylaxis following vespid stings may be prevented by allergen immunotherapy (AIT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of measuring venom-induced wheal area in intracutaneous skin tests (ICT), in comparison to various serological and clinical parameters, for the diagnosis of severe vespid venom allergy and during follow-up of AIT. Methods: We conducted a monocentric, retrospective evaluation of 170 patients undergoing AIT against vespid venoms. We scanned ICT wheals at baseline and at three time points after AIT initiation and measured wheal area using objective data analysis software. Results: We found that ICT histamine-induced and venom-induced wheal areas did not correlate. In addition, the venom-induced wheal area was independent from the minimal venom concentration required to elicit a wheal in an ICT and all other parameters. No correlation was found between wheal area and the severity of anaphylaxis. Wheal area standardized to the application of 0.1 μg/mL venom inversely correlated with anaphylaxis severity and positively correlated with venom-specific IgE levels. During AIT, mean areas of venom-induced wheals did not change. In contrast, venom-specific IgG and IgG4 levels, and the minimal venom concentration required to induce a positive ICT result increased, while the venom wheal area standardized to 0.1 μg/mL venom application and specific IgE levels decreased over time. Conclusion: Wheal area evaluation did not provide additional information over specific IgE analysis. We therefore recommend that ICTs are used only as a secondary measure for confirming serological test results.
Enhancing the Detection and Care of Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Primary Care: Cost-Effectiveness and Return on Investment
Authors: Marquina Clara , Morton Jedidiah , Brett Tom , Lloyd Melanie , Radford Jan , Heal Clare , Hespe Charlotte , Gill Gerard , Sullivan David , Zomer Ella , Li Ian , Pang Jing , Watts Gerald F. , Ademi Zanfina
Published: April 2023

Background:

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is under-detected and undertreated. A general practitioner-led screening and care program for HeFH effectively identified and managed patients with HeFH. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness and the return on investment of an enhanced-care strategy for HeFH in primary care in Australia.

Methods:

We developed a multistate Markov model to estimate the outcomes and costs of a general practitioner-led detection and management strategy for HeFH in primary care compared with the standard of care in Australia. The population comprised individuals aged 50 to 80 years, of which 44% had prior cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular risk, HeFH prevalence, treatment effects, and acute and chronic health care costs were derived from published sources. The study involved screening for HeFH using a validated data-extraction tool (TARB-Ex), followed by a consultation to improve care. The detection rate of HeFH was 16%, and 74% of the patients achieved target LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Quality-adjusted life years, health care costs, productivity losses, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and return on investment ratio were evaluated, outcomes discounted by 5% annually, adopting a health care and a societal perspective.

Results:

Over the lifetime horizon, the model estimated a gain of 870 years of life lived and 1033 quality-adjusted life years when the general practitioner-led program was employed compared with standard of care. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of AU$14 664/quality-adjusted life year gained from a health care perspective. From a societal perspective, this strategy, compared with standard of care was cost-saving, with a return on investment of AU$5.64 per dollar invested.

Conclusions:

An enhanced general practitioner-led model of care for HeFH is likely to be cost-effective.
Prenatal Morphine Exposure Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Programs Neurogenic Hypertension in the Adult Offspring
Authors: Ahmed Nermin , Kassis Alana , Malone Jena , Yang Jodie , Zamzami Esraa , Lin An-Hsuan , Gordon Scott M. , Gong Ming C. , Bardo Michael , Dalmasso Carolina , Loria Analia S.
Published: April 2023

Background:

The opioid overdose and opioid use disorder epidemics are concomitant with increased metabolic and CVD risk. Although opioid use disorder causes adverse pregnancy outcomes, the offspring’s cardiovascular health is understudied. We hypothesized that offspring exposed to in utero morphine exposure (IUME) would show increased CVD risk factors and endogenous opioid system dysregulation.

Methods:

Sprague Dawley dams were treated with saline (vehicle, n=10) or escalating doses of morphine (5–20 mg/kg per day, SC, n=10) during gestation. Cardiovascular and metabolic parameters were assessed in adult offspring.

Results:

Litter size and pups’ birth weight were not different in response to IUME. Female and male IUME offspring showed reduced body length at birth (
P
<0.05) and body weight from weeks 1 to 3 of life (
P
<0.05), followed by a catch-up growth effect. By week 16, female and male IUME rats showed reduced tibia length (
P
<0.05) and fat mass. IUME increases the mean arterial pressure and the depressor response to mecamylamine (5 mg/kg per day, IP) induced by IUME were abolished by a chronic treatment with an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker (prazosin; 1 mg/kg per day, IP). Although circulating levels of angiotensin peptides were similar between groups, IUME exacerbated maximal ex vivo Ang (angiotensin) II–induced vasoconstriction (
P
<0.05) and induced endothelial dysfunction in a sex-specific manner (
P
<0.05). Proenkephalin, an endogenous opioid peptide that lowers blood pressure and sympathetic-mediated vasoconstriction, showed reduced mRNA expression in the heart, aorta, and kidneys from morphine versus vehicle group (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions:

Among the effects of IUME, neurogenic hypertension, vascular dysfunction, and metabolic dysfunction could be associated with the dysregulation of the endogenous opioid system.
Association of Clinical Outcomes With Sex in Patients Receiving Chronic Maintenance Antiplatelet Monotherapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Post Hoc Gender Analysis of the HOST‐EXAM Study
Authors: Shin Eun‐Seok , Jun Eun Jung , Kim Bitna , Won Ki‐Bum , Koo Bon‐Kwon , Kang Jeehoon , Park Kyung Woo , Rhee Tae‐Min , Yang Han‐Mo , Han Jung‐Kyu , Kim Hyo‐Soo ,   the HOST‐EXAM Investigators
Published: April 2023

Background

Clopidogrel monotherapy was more effective in reducing the risk of adverse clinical events than aspirin monotherapy in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug‐eluting stent (DES), according to the HOST‐EXAM (Harmonizing Optimal Strategy for Treatment of Coronary Artery Stenosis–Extended Antiplatelet Monotherapy) trial. However, it remains unknown whether these effects differ based on sex.

Methods and Results

This was a prespecified secondary analysis of HOST‐EXAM in South Korea. Patients who maintained dual antiplatelet therapy without adverse clinical events for 6 to 18 months after PCI with DES were included. The primary end point was a composite of all‐cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, acute coronary syndrome, or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) bleeding type ≥3 at 24 months after randomization. The bleeding end point was BARC types 2 to 5. The primary end point was comparable between the sexes (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.62–1.02];
P
=0.067), and the bleeding end point (adjusted HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.54–1.17];
P
=0.240) was also similar. Compared with aspirin, clopidogrel was associated with lower risk of primary composite end point (adjusted HR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.55–0.89];
P
=0.004) and bleeding end point (adjusted HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.44–0.96];
P
=0.031) in men but not in women.

Conclusions

The primary composite end point and bleeding events were comparable between the sexes during chronic maintenance antiplatelet monotherapy after PCI with DES. Clopidogrel monotherapy, compared with aspirin, significantly reduced the risk of the primary composite end point and bleeding events in men. However, the beneficial effect of clopidogrel on the primary end point and bleeding events was mitigated in women.

Registration Information

clinicaltrials.gov
. Identifier: NCT02044250.
Risk Factors for Mortality From Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection: Results From a 26‐Year Follow‐Up of a Community‐Based Population
Authors: Koba Ai , Yamagishi Kazumasa , Sairenchi Toshimi , Noda Hiroyuki , Irie Fujiko , Takizawa Nobue , Tomizawa Takuji , Iso Hiroyasu , Ota Hitoshi
Published: April 2023

Background

Aortic aneurysm rupture and acute aortic dissection are life‐threatening conditions and represent an ever‐growing public health challenge. Comprehensive epidemiologic investigations for their risk factors are scant. We aimed to investigate risk factors associated with mortality from aortic diseases through analysis of a community‐based Japanese cohort.

Methods and Results

IPHS (Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study) comprises 95 723 participants who took part in municipal health checkups in 1993. Factors considered for analysis included age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, serum lipids (high‐density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, non‐HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides), diabetes, antihypertensive and lipid‐lowering drug use, and smoking and drinking habits. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate the associations between these variables and mortality from aortic diseases. During the median 26‐year follow‐up, 190 participants died of aortic aneurysm rupture, and 188 died of aortic dissection. An increased multivariable hazard ratio (HR) for mortality from total aortic diseases was observed for high systolic blood pressure (1.61 [1.00–2.59]), diastolic blood pressure (2.95 [1.95–4.48]), high non‐HDL cholesterol (1.63 [1.19–2.24]), low HDL cholesterol (1.86 [1.29–2.68]), and heavy (>20 cigarettes/day) smoking habit (2.46 [1.66–3.63]). A lower multivariable HR was observed for diabetes (0.50 [0.28–0.89]).

Conclusions

Smoking habit, higher systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels, higher non‐HDL, and lower HDL cholesterol levels were positively associated with mortality from total aortic diseases, whereas diabetes was inversely associated.
Establishment of reference intervals for complete blood count in times of COVID-19 and vaccination
Authors: Chávez-González Selene , Rodríguez-Romero Brenda Ivonne , Sánchez-Garrido Jazmín Anahí , Figueroa-Gómez Arturo , Licona-Vela Jesús Bernabé , Juárez-Pérez Arturo Cuauhtémoc , Cabello-López Alejandro , Aguilar-Madrid Guadalupe , Jiménez-Ramírez Carmina , Mendieta-Gutiérrez Claudia
Published: April 2023

IntroductionCOVID-19 and vaccination may affect some parameters of the complete blood count (CBC). The aim of this study was to determine reference intervals (RI) of CBC in healthy population with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds and compare them with those established previously. Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in donors who attended the Traumatology Hospital “Dr. Victorio de la Fuente Narváez” (HTVFN) from June to September 2021. Reference intervals were established using the non-parametric method on Sysmex XN-1000. For differences between groups with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, non-parametric tests were used. ResultsThe RI were established in 156 men and 128 women. Haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (Plt), mean platelets volume (MPV), monocytes and relative neutrophils were higher in men than women (P < 0.001). The percentiles of Hb, Hct, RBC, MPV and relative monocytes showed higher values; Plt, white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and absolute basophils, the 2.5th was higher and the 97.5th was lower; for lymphocytes and relative neutrophils, both percentiles had a trend toward lower values, compared to previous RI. Differences between groups with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, in lymphocytes (P = 0.038), neutrophils (P = 0.017) and eosinophils (P = 0.018) in men; Hct (P = 0.014), RDW (P = 0.023) in women and MPV (P = 0.001) in both, were not considered pathological. ConclusionsThe RI for the CBC were established in a Mestizo-Mexican population with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, so should be updated and validated in different hospitals close to the HTVFN that use the same analyser.
Higher estimated plasma volume status is associated with increased thrombotic risk and impaired survival in patients with primary myelofibrosis
Authors: Lucijanic Marko , Krecak Ivan , Soric Ena , Sabljic Anica , Galusic Davor , Holik Hrvoje , Perisa Vlatka , Moric Peric Martina , Zekanovic Ivan , Kusec Rajko
Published: April 2023

IntroductionBlood plasma represents a large reservoir of cytokines and other mediators of inflammation. Higher estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) has been shown to correlate with increased thrombotic risk in polycythemia vera patients, but its clinical and prognostic associations in patients with myelofibrosis are unknown which we aim to evaluate in this study.
Materials and methodsWe retrospectively analysed a multicentric cohort of 238 patients with primary (PMF) and secondary myelofibrosis (SMF). Estimated plasma volume status was calculated using the Strauss-derived Duarte formula. Overall survival (OS) and time to thrombosis (TTT) considering both arterial and venous thromboses were primary endpoints of interest.
ResultsMedian ePVS was 5.8 dL/g and it did not significantly differ between PMF and SMF patients. Patients with more advanced disease features, more pronounced inflammation and higher comorbidity burden had higher ePVS. Higher ePVS (> 5.6 dL/g) was associated with shorter OS in PMF (unadjusted hazard ratio, HR = 2.8, 95% confidence interval, CI (1.79-4.41), P < 0.001) and SMF (unadjusted HR = 2.55, 95% CI (1.1-5.71), P =0.025) and with shorter TTT in PMF (> 7 dL/g, unadjusted HR = 4.1, 95% CI (1.44-11.59), P = 0.009) patients. Associations with OS diminished in multivariate analyses after adjustments for the dynamic-international-prognostic-scoring-system (DIPSS) and myelofibrosis-secondary-to-PV-and ET-prognostic-model (MYSEC-PM), respectively. Association with TTT remained significant independently of JAK2 mutation, white blood cell count and chronic kidney disease.
ConclusionsMyelofibrosis patients with more advanced disease features and more pronounced inflammation have higher ePVS, indicative of expanded plasma volume. Higher ePVS is associated with impaired survival in PMF and SMF and higher thrombotic risk in PMF patients.
Resolving inter-regional communication capacity in the human connectome
Authors: Milisav Filip , Bazinet Vincent , Iturria-Medina Yasser , Misic Bratislav
Published: April 2023

Applications of graph theory to the connectome have inspired several models of how neural signaling unfolds atop its structure. Analytic measures derived from these communication models have mainly been used to extract global characteristics of brain networks, obscuring potentially informative inter-regional relationships. Here we develop a simple standardization method to investigate polysynaptic communication pathways between pairs of cortical regions. This procedure allows us to determine which pairs of nodes are topologically closer and which are further than expected on the basis of their degree. We find that communication pathways delineate canonical functional systems. Relating nodal communication capacity to meta-analytic probabilistic patterns of functional specialization, we also show that areas that are most closely integrated within the network are associated with higher order cognitive functions. We find that these regions’ proclivity towards functional integration could naturally arise from the brain’s anatomical configuration through evenly distributed connections among multiple specialized communities. Throughout, we consider two increasingly constrained null models to disentangle the effects of the network’s topology from those passively endowed by spatial embedding. Altogether, the present findings uncover relationships between polysynaptic communication pathways and the brain’s functional organization across multiple topological levels of analysis and demonstrate that network integration facilitates cognitive integration.
The Use and Plagiarism of Descartes’s Traité de l’homme by Henricus Regius: A Reassessment
Authors: Strazzoni Andrea
Published: April 2023

In this article I discuss a particular aspect of the Dutch reception of the ideas of René Descartes, namely the use of his Traité de l’homme by Henricus Regius. I analyze the use that Regius made of the theory of the movement of muscles, passions, hunger, and more generally of the neurophysiology expounded by Descartes in his book (not printed until 1662–1664). In my analysis, I reconstruct the internal evolution of Regius’s neurophysiology, I illustrate its sources beyond Descartes (i.e., Jean Fernel and Santorio Santorio), and I show that he was certainly acquainted with some of its contents as early as 1641 (when he used it with the mediation of Descartes), before relying on it—as variously discussed in secondary literature—in his Fundamenta physices (1646), when he appropriated from it without Descartes’s authorization.
Phylogeny and classification of Nesobasis Selys, 1891 and Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Authors: Ferguson Daniel G. , Marinov Milen , Saxton Natalie A. , Rashni Bindiya , Bybee Seth M.
Published: April 2023

Island archipelagos in the South Pacific have relatively high species endemism within the insect order Odonata, specifically damselflies. Nesobasis Selys, 1891, an endemic damselfly genus from Fiji, includes over 20 species, but a clear understanding of its evolutionary relationship to other damselflies in the region is lacking. Scientists have questioned the monophyly of Nesobasis due to variations within the genus leading to the establishment of three divisions provisionally named as: comosa-, erythrops- and longistyla- groups. However, Nesobasis has shown to be monophyletic in previous phylogenetic analyses. Using additional species in this study, we investigate the phylogenetic relationships between Nesobasis and other damselflies from the region, specifically the endemic Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 from the neighboring island archipelagos of Vanuatu. The relationship between these taxa has not yet been examined with molecular data. Five genes were used in a maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction and examined morphological data to determine the relationship between these genera. Our results recover three distinct clades overall with Vanuatubasis nested within Nesobasis (i.e., non-monophyletic). Vanuatubasis is sister to the longistyla and erythrops groups. The third group, comosa, was found sister to the clade of Vanuatubasis (longistyla + erythrops). As a result of these findings, we propose the new genus, Nikoulabasis gen. nov.
The Library of Eugen Mittwoch (1876–1942)
Authors: Schmidtke Sabine
Published: April 2023

Eugen Mittwoch (1876–1942) was one of the most prominent representatives of German Orientalism during the first decades of the twentieth century. Trained as an Arabist and Semitist, Mittwoch was at the same time a specialist of Ethiopian studies, and he was part of the circle of Carl Heinrich Becker (1876–1933) who initiated a new direction for Islamic studies in Orientalism. At the same time, Mittwoch was also engaged in the study of the Geniza and he worked on topics relevant to the Science of Judaism (“Wissenschaft des Judentums”). Mittwoch’s academic career ended abruptly when he was dismissed from his professorial position at the end of 1935 and eventually forced into exile in 1938. As a result, only portions of his professional and personal Nachlass have come to us. The present study provides a first overview of the available sources for a reconstruction of his biography and it discusses in some depth those that inform us of the fate of his library, in 1939, when his family joined him in London, as well as after his death in 1942.
Vocalizing a Eurasian Otherness: Antony Firingi and a Creole Bengali Subalternity
Authors: Sil Esha
Published: April 2023

This paper examines the alternative articulations of the nineteenth-century Eurasian ‘other’ along the vocal axis of a ‘creole Bengali subalternity’. It predicates its contextual premise upon the transcultural encounters of Bengal’s mofussil enclaves by the Hooghly River. These enclaves developed rapidly into Portuguese, Dutch, French and Danish settlements between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, before being overtaken by the metropolitan colonial modernity of British Calcutta. My analysis of the creole Bengali space-times constituting such entangled histories and their interstitial legacies, revolves around the Eurasian life-world of Antony Firingi (c. 1786–1836), a Portuguese-Bengali kobi singer, viz. kobiyal, from the French comptoir, Chandernagore. Mobilizing the sonic scope of the rasa modality in Indic aesthetics, I close-read a key passage from Firingi’s kobigaan, or ‘musical verse’, duel with his rival, Bhola Moira, to decode the subaltern agency of the ‘creole Bengali rasa’ inflecting the vocal poetics of his liminal identity-narrative as a Eurasian kobiyal.
Spiritual Discourse in the Jesuit Missions: The Role of Nature in the Evangelization of Peru (Sixteenth–Seventeenth Centuries)
Authors: S.J. Juan Dejo
Published: April 2023

The article explores how, notwithstanding their suspicions that the devil could take advantage of the animistic beliefs of Peru’s native inhabitants to consolidate idolatry, the Jesuit missionaries ultimately became more understanding of the spiritual Andean worldview. From St. Ignatius of Loyola’s postulate of “Contemplation to Obtain Love” in the Spiritual Exercises, by which God is acting and present in nature and inhabits creatures, and thanks to their continuous contact with the aboriginal population, the Jesuit missionaries were able to better understand the indigenous relationship with nature, for example through natural medicine and pharmacopoeia. They were therefore able to bridge some gaps in an intercultural exchange that produced forms of religious hybridization that are still a feature of Andean Christianity today.
Murphy’s Law at Work: Climate Anomalies, Famine, and Mortality Crises on the Jesuit Missions among the Guaraní, 1733–40
Authors: Jackson Robert H.
Published: April 2023

The modern adage known as Murphy’s Law states that what can go wrong will go wrong, and could be applied to a series of unfortunate events that befell the Jesuit administered missions among the Guaraní in the years 1733 to 1740. Weather anomalies resulted in poor crops and food shortages, and at the same time, royal officials mobilized thousands of Guaraní mission militiamen. Many Guaraní fled the missions in search of food, but the military mobilization and the flight of many from the missions also spread contagion. During the crisis period more than ninety thousand Guaraní died. The Jesuits prepared narrative reports known as cartas anuas that provide details regarding the crises and particularly the food shortages not found in other sources, as well as a sense of how the Jesuits responded to the crises. Details in the cartas anuas also reveal details of the inner workings of the missions.
The Jesuit Community of the Lithuanian Province: Between Local Crises and Global Changes
Authors: Mariani Andrea
Published: April 2023

The paper analyzes the community of the Lithuanian province of the Society of Jesus between 1608 and 1773. It adopts a prosopographical approach based on the full set of the order’s personnel catalogs for the Lithuanian and Masovian provinces, which have been analyzed by means of RStudio, an integrated development environment based on the R programming language. The author focuses on the total number of Jesuits in the province, their religious or secular status, final vows, education, regional distribution, and geographic origin. In the long term, changes mainly depended on local factors such as the cultural assimilation of the inhabitants of the eastern territories marked by the influence of the Orthodox Church. In the short term, wars and epidemics also played an important role. However, some of the trends in the Lithuanian province, such as the number of professed of the four vows, which increased due to the larger availability of theological courses during religious formation, were similar to those in other administrative units of the Society. Overall, the article demonstrates that the seventeenth-century crises had a profound impact on the Jesuit community both in terms of numbers and internal structure.
The Siyar al-mulūk of ʿUmar b. Dāwūd al-Fārisī: A Quasi-Plagiaristic Translation of Kalīla and Dimna
Authors: Beers Theodore S. , Khalfallah Khouloud
Published: April 2023

In this article, we carry out an introductory study of a little-known text titled Siyar al-mulūk, written in the late seventh/thirteenth century by an author named ʿUmar b. Dāwūd al-Fārisī, and dedicated to an Ayyubid amīr of Hama. There is only one known extant copy of this work, which belongs to the collection of the Topkapı Palace Library and dates to 727/1327. ʿUmar b. Dāwūd presents what he has written, confusingly, as an “arabicization” (taʿrīb) of the classic book of fables, Kalīla and Dimna — one of the most famous versions of which was already in Arabic. In fact, the Siyar al-mulūk is a translation; but it is derived from the sixth/twelfth century Persian rendition of Kalīla and Dimna by Naṣr Allāh Munshī. Analyzing how this text relates to its sources is made somewhat more difficult by ʿUmar b. Dāwūd’s decision not to name any of them. Once the connection to the work of Naṣr Allāh is recognized, however, the Siyar al-mulūk emerges as a case study in both the evolution of Kalīla and Dimna as a global textual tradition and the transmission of Persian literature and scholarship to the Arab lands in the Mongol-Ayyubid-Mamluk period.
New species, taxonomic changes and newly recorded species of Webbia Hopkins, ambrosia beetles from Thailand and neighbouring countries (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini)
Authors: SITTICHAYA WISUT , SMITH SARAH M. , BEAVER ROGER A.
Published: April 2023

Four new species, Webbia aculeata Sittichaya, Smith & Beaver sp. nov., Webbia granulosa Sittichaya, Smith & Beaver sp. nov., Webbia planicauda Beaver, Sittichaya & Smith sp. nov., and Webbia spinosulcata Sittichaya, Smith & Beaver sp. nov., are described. Arixyleborus dissimilis (Eggers, 1923), and Arixyleborus orbiculatus (Eggers, 1923) are transferred to Webbia. Two new synonyms and a new combination are proposed: Webbia dissimilis (Eggers, 1923) comb. nov. (=Webbia costulatula Schedl, 1953 syn. nov.); Webbia hatanakai Browne, 1986 (=Webbia turbinata Maiti & Saha, 1986 syn. nov.). A lectotype is designated for Webbia orbiculata (Eggers, 1923) comb. res.. Three species, Webbia bituberculata (Browne, 1977), Webbia subuculae (Browne, 1962), and Webbia suturalis Browne, 1955 are recorded in Thailand for the first time. With the inclusion of the Webbia species described and recorded herein, the diversity of Webbia is increased to 41 species. A key is given to the 16 species recorded from Thailand.
Diagnosis, variability, distribution and systematic position of Labiobaetis pulchellus (Müller-Liebenau & Hubbard 1985) (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae, Baetis s. l.)
Authors: KLUGE NIKITA , SIVARUBAN T. , SRINIVASAN PANDIARAJAN , BARATHY S. , ISACK RAJASEKARAN
Published: April 2023

A new synonymy to Labiobaetis pulchellus (Müller-Liebenau & Hubbard, 1985) (= L. soldani Kubendran et al. 2014, syn. n.) is established based on examination of imagines reared from larvae in India and Sri Lanka. This species belongs to the tricolor group, which comprises Holarctic species L. tricolor (Tshernova, 1928), L. propinquus (Walsh, 1863), L. calcaratus (Keffermüller, 1972), and some Oriental species.
From Calculations to Reasoning: History, Trends and the Potential of Computational Ethnography and Computational Social Anthropology
Authors: Peponakis Manolis , Kapidakis Sarantos , Doerr Martin , Tountasaki Eirini
Published: April 2023

The domains of computational social anthropology and computational ethnography refer to the computational processing or computational modelling of data for anthropological or ethnographic research. In this context, the article surveys the use of computational methods regarding the production and the representation of knowledge. The ultimate goal of the study is to highlight the significance of modelling ethnographic data and anthropological knowledge by harnessing the potential of the semantic web. The first objective was to review the use of computational methods in anthropological research focusing on the last 25 years, while the second objective was to explore the potential of the semantic web focusing on existing technologies for ontological representation. For these purposes, the study explores the use of computers in anthropology regarding data processing and data modelling for more effective data processing. The survey reveals that there is an ongoing transition from the instrumentalisation of computers as tools for calculations, to the implementation of information science methodologies for analysis, deduction, knowledge representation, and reasoning, as part of the research process in social anthropology. Finally, it is highlighted that the ecosystem of the semantic web does not subserve quantification and metrics but introduces a new conceptualisation for addressing and meeting research questions in anthropology.
A modified approach on modeling-design-optimization procedure for cutting of pure titanium using wire electric discharge machining (WEDM)
Authors: Baytok YM , Aydin L , Deveci HA , Gültürk EA
Published: April 2023

The main goal of this study is to introduce a modified approach to the modeling-design-optimization triple procedure for cutting pure titanium. The manufacturing process is selected as wire electric discharge machining. To achieve a smooth cutting operation of the pure titanium plate (grade 2), the independent cutting parameters, peak current, pulse off time, pulse on time, spark gap voltage, wire feed, and wire tension are taken into consideration. Their effects on machining rate, surface roughness, dimensional deviation, and wire wear ratio are also examined. The mathematical model of the process is determined with the multiple nonlinear neuroregression approach. Stability study that measures the ability to realize the cutting parameters was conducted during the modeling phase. This type of step has not been used as a criterion for model determination before in modeling studies. Comparisons were accomplished with the traditional and nontraditional models, and it is shown that the nontraditional models’ accuracy was more reasonable. Besides, this study contains the design optimization of the manufacturing process parameters using modified version of different stochastic and derivative-free optimization methods: differential evaluation, random search, simulated annealing, and Nelder-Mead algorithm, (MDE, MRS, MSA and MNM) simultaneously.
The experience of caregiver burden when being next of kin to a person with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A qualitative study
Authors: Johansson Helena , Berterö Carina , Jonasson Lise-Lotte , Berg Katarina
Published: April 2023

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory and irreversible lung disease. For next of kin caregiver burden can be a consequence of the situation of being close to a person affected by a chronic disease and in need of help. When there is an imbalance between stressors and resources to cope with the situation, caregiver burden emerges. Knowledge is sparse about how the caregiver burden is experienced by the next of kin. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify and describe the caregiver burden experienced by next of kin of persons with severe COPD.

Method

Qualitative interviews with 21 next of kin were conducted. Thematic analysis was used in accordance with the six steps of Braun and Clarke.

Results

The next of kin experience caregiver burden as 1) changed roles in daily life 2) putting life on hold 3) to stand aside. The next of kin are in need of support to manage daily life.

Conclusions

The caregiver burden affect the next of kin physically and emotionally. To prevent advance consequences, person-centered care can be used to support the next of kin in the situation.
Higher Intakes of Nutrients are Associated with Improved Health-Related Quality of Life among Individuals with Comorbidities
Authors: Nguyen Hai Duc
Published: April 2023

There is a dearth of evidence on the association between nutrient intakes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among populations with comorbidities. Thus, this study aimed to identify the relationships between nutrient intake and HRQOL in a Korean population with comorbidities (4,136 adults aged ≥18 years). The EuroHRQOL five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) and 24-hour recall methods were used to measure HRQOL and nutrient intake, respectively. Multivariable-adjusted logistic and linear regression models, marginal effects, and cutoff levels were applied to assess associations between nutrient intake and each dimension and the EQ-5D-3L index, as well as interactions of nutrient intake with comorbidities and sex for HRQOL. Interactions were identified between vitamin C, total vitamin A, potassium consumption, and sex for problems with depression and anxiety, problems with pain and discomfort, and any problem. Interactions were observed between monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and sodium intake and comorbidities for problems with mobility and self-care problems among participants with comorbidities, respectively; between vitamin B1, vitamin B3, potassium, saturated fatty acids (SFA), fat, and cholesterol intake and comorbidities for problems with pain and discomfort; and between vitamin B1, MUFA, potassium, fiber, SFA, fat, and carbohydrate intake and comorbidities for any problems. Our findings found higher nutrient intake is associated with enhanced HRQOL in the Korean adult population. More work is needed to improve QOL by quitting smoking, eating more nutritional meals, and exercising regularly.
Professional development of school principals – how do experienced school leaders make sense of their professional learning?
Authors: Sahlin Susanne
Published: April 2023

A growing body of research has emphasised the importance of school leadership for quality improvement in schools, which reinforces the importance of school leaders’ continuous professional development in working life. However, less is known about the professional development of experienced principals. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine experienced school leaders’ sense-making of their professional learning in relation to their professional development. Drawing on sense-making theory, a qualitative case study design was adopted, and data consisted of semi-structured interviews, and course evaluations. Qualitative content analysis was performed using the Atlas 6.2 software tool. The findings showed that important sense-making for the principals related to the value of continuous professional learning and interactions with professional peers, and professional learning implications. This qualitative Swedish study can be seen as a contribution to experienced principals’ professional learning, as the professional development of experienced principals is under-researched.
Which noncognitive features provide more information about reading performance? A data-mining approach to big educational data
Authors: Aricak Osman Tolga , Guldal Hakan , Erdogan Irfan
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this study is to discover which noncognitive variables provide more information about reading performance. To answer this question, data mining based on information gain, decision tree and random forest methods were utilized in the study. The participants of the study consisted of 606,627 15-year-old students (49.8% female) in a total of 78 countries or economies, 37 of which are OECD members. Reading performance and plausible values of reading, the Student, ICT Familiarity, Financial Literacy, Educational Career, Well-Being and Parent Questionnaire data in PISA 2018 were analyzed to answer the research questions. When 108 features were analyzed as independent variables, it was found that SES (home possessions, cultural possessions, and ICT resources at home), metacognitive skills (assessing credibility and summarizing), and liking/enjoying reading were major variables predicting reading performance. The path analysis revealed that these variables explain 53.3% of the variability in reading performance. It is also remarkable that the decision tree model has a 74.61% accuracy value in estimating the reading performance.
The Effect of Parenting Sense of Competence on Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment of Children With Special Education Needs: A Chain Mediating Model
Authors: Yan (颜廷睿) Tingrui , Hou (侯雨佳) Yujia
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study examines the mechanism underlying the effect of parenting sense of competence (PSOC) on the emotional and behavioral adjustment of children with special education needs (SEN).

Design/Approach/Methods

Convenience sampling method was used and 299 parents of children with SEN were surveyed using questionnaires. Amos 24.0 was used to perform the chain mediation analyses.

Findings

The results showed that PSOC was positively associated with emotional and behavioral adjustment of children with SEN; parenting satisfaction negatively predicted the total difficulty of children with SEN and parenting efficacy positively affected prosocial behavior. Mediation analysis indicated that PSOC (parenting satisfaction and parenting efficacy) influenced prosocial behavior of children with SEN through parental involvement and the chain mediation effect of parenting stress and parental involvement.

Originality/Value

This study reveals the different pathways that parenting satisfaction and parenting efficacy—the core dimensions of PSOC—affect the emotional and behavioral adjustment of children with SEN during the transition from kindergarten to primary school.
Workplace Spirituality and Job Satisfaction of Higher Education Teachers in India: Examining Occupational Stress as a Mediator
Authors: Mittal Archana , Mishra Geeta , Bishnoi Sunita
Published: April 2023

Academicians, business professionals, and researchers are increasingly recognizing and appreciating the relevance of spirituality in the workplace. In the current high-risk and unpredictable climate, it is considered an important aspect to manifest in modern workplaces. Many researchers have investigated the impact of spirituality in the workplace on various job outcomes, but the mechanism through which spirituality affects the job outcomes of employees is still lacking in the literature. This study is a rigorous empirical attempt in this direction. The major goal of the study was to look at the function of workplace stress as a mediator between workplace spirituality and job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey was done with 450 faculty members working in India’s higher education institutions. Structural equation modeling through partial least square (PLS-SEM) in the 3.3.2 version of SmartPLS has been applied to reveal the hypothesized relationship. The results of this article will help higher education institutions better understand the spiritual side of their faculty members and develop timely, suitable policies to increase their job satisfaction.
Histidine-rich glycoprotein attenuates catheter thrombosis
Authors: Malik Rida A. , Liao Peng , Zhou Ji , Hussain Rawaa , Fredenburgh James C. , Hettrick Lisa , Revenko Alexey S. , Weitz Jeffrey I.
Published: April 2023

Factor XII (FXII) knockdown attenuates catheter thrombosis in rabbits. Because histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) modulates FXIIa activity, we hypothesized that HRG depletion would promote catheter thrombosis. To test this, rabbits were given either antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against HRG or FXII, a control ASO, or saline. The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), and catheter-induced thrombin generation were determined in blood collected before and after treatment. Compared with the controls, the HRG- and FXII-directed ASOs reduced hepatic messenger RNA and plasma levels of HRG and FXII, respectively, by >90%. Although HRG knockdown shortened the aPTT by 2.5 fold, FXII knockdown prolonged it by fourfold; neither of the ASOs affected the PT. Catheter segments shortened the lag time and increased peak thrombin in the plasma from control rabbits; effects were significantly enhanced and attenuated in the plasma from rabbits given the HRG- and FXII-directed ASOs, respectively. Catheters were then inserted into the right external jugular vein of the rabbits, and the time for catheter occlusion was determined. The catheter occlusion times with the control ASO or saline were 62 ± 8 minutes and 60 ± 11 minutes, respectively. The occlusion time was significantly reduced to 34 ± 9 minutes, with HRG knockdown and significantly prolonged to 128 ± 19 minutes with FXII knockdown. HRG levels are decreased with sepsis or cancer, and such patients are prone to catheter thrombosis. Because HRG modulates catheter thrombosis, our findings suggest that HRG supplementation may prevent this problem.
Acute effects of empagliflozin on open-loop baroreflex function and urine glucose excretion in Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats
Authors: Kawada Toru , Yamamoto Hiromi , Yokoi Aimi , Nishiura Akitsugu , Kakuuchi Midori , Yokota Shohei , Matsushita Hiroki , Alexander Joe , Saku Keita
Published: April 2023

Although suppression of sympathetic activity is suggested as one of the underlying mechanisms for the cardioprotective effects afforded by sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, whether the modulation of glucose handling acutely affects sympathetic regulation of arterial pressure remains to be elucidated. In Goto–Kakizaki diabetic rats, we estimated the open-loop static characteristics of the carotid sinus baroreflex together with urine glucose excretion using repeated 11-min step input sequences. After the completion of the 2nd sequence, an SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (10 mg kg−1) or vehicle solution was administered intravenously (n = 7 rats each). Empagliflozin did not significantly affect the baroreflex neural or peripheral arc, despite significantly increasing urine glucose excretion (from 0.365 ± 0.216 to 8.514 ± 0.864 mg·min−1·kg−1, P < 0.001) in the 7th and 8th sequences. The possible sympathoinhibitory effect of empagliflozin may be an indirect effect associated with chronic improvements in renal energy status and general disease conditions.
Efficacy and safety comparison of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and upfront surgery for treating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Zijiao , Jiang Xia
Published: April 2023

Background and aims

Currently, surgical resection is the most commonly performed and effective treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) worldwide. However, the prognosis of ICC is unsatisfactory. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and upfront surgery in treating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). The study also intends to explore whether chemotherapy should be introduced before surgery and which populations should be considered for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Method

Four databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched from their inception dates to January 2022 for relevant articles. The statistical analysis was performed using the Review Manager Software (version5.3). The non-randomized interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies and the overall quality of evidence was assessed through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Moreover, the primary outcomes included 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes were R0 resection, 1-year, 3-year and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS), postoperative complications and ninety-day postoperative mortality.

Results

Five studies involving 2412 patients were included in this meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in 1-year OS, 3-year OS, 1-year, 3-year and 5-year RFS, postoperative complications and ninety-day postoperative mortality between the two groups. However, the meta-analysis showed that the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had a better 5-year OS benefit in ICC patients than the upfront surgery group (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02–1.58), while the R0 resection rate was lower in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group than that in the upfront surgery group (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26–0.91).

Conclusion

Compared with the upfront surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery could prolong the 5-year OS without increasing the risk of postoperative complications in ICC patients. Considering that the patients in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery group had more advanced ICC cases, the benefits of neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be more significant in patients with more advanced ICC.