bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Roles of Atrial Arrhythmias in Triggering Torsade de Pointes in Patients With Acquired Long QT Syndrome
Authors: Takasugi Nobuhiro , Endo Susumu , Takasugi Mieko , Tochibora Ryota , Yoshida Akihiro , Watanabe Takatomo , Kawaguchi Tomonori , Yamada Yoshihisa , Kanamori Hiromitsu , Ushikoshi Hiroaki , Okura Hiroyuki
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND:

Little is known about the role of atrial arrhythmias (AAs) in triggering Torsade de Pointes (TdP) in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of AAs to the development of TdP in acquired LQTS patients.

METHODS:

The initiation patterns of 81 episodes of TdP obtained from 34 consecutive acute acquired LQTS patients (14 men, median age, 69 years; median QTc, 645.5 ms) with documented TdP were analyzed. The initiation mode of TdP was divided into 3 categories: (1) preceding short-long sequence (SLS); (2) sudden R-on-T phenomenon without preceding SLS; and (3) increased atrial rate. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of AAs-induced TdP; AAs-induced (n=18) and non-AAs-induced (n=16) groups. The association of clinical/ECG characteristics and TdP frequency after initiating conventional therapy with AAs-induced TdP was evaluated. The groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney
U
test or Fisher exact test.

RESULTS:

AAs-induced group comprised 52.9% (18/34) of the patients studied. TdP was preceded by AAs-initiated SLSs in 41.2% (14/34) of the patients and was directly induced by R-on-T AAs (AAs coincidentally encountered a vulnerable repolarizing region during the T wave) in 23.5% (8/34). AAs triggered 48 (59.3%) of the 81 TdP episodes. AAs initiated SLSs in 67.8% (40/59) of the SLS-induced TdP episodes. R-on-T AAs accounted for 23.5% (19/81) of the TdP episodes. AAs-induced group experienced TdP after initiating therapy more frequently than non-AAs-induced group (2.5 versus 1 event,
P
=0.008). AAs-induced group exhibited macroscopic T-wave alternans more frequently than non-AAs-induced group (6 versus 0 event,
P
=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS:

AAs play a key role in triggering TdP in more than half of patients with acute acquired LQTS and can increase TdP frequency after initiating therapy. Thus, AAs are not benign but rather can be life-threatening in patients with acute acquired LQTS.
EPAS1 Attenuates Atherosclerosis Initiation at Disturbed Flow Sites Through Endothelial Fatty Acid Uptake
Authors: Pirri Daniela , Tian Siyu , Tardajos-Ayllon Blanca , Irving Sophie E. , Donati Francesco , Allen Scott P. , Mammoto Tadanori , Vilahur Gemma , Kabir Lida , Bennett Jane , Rasool Yasmin , Pericleous Charis , Mazzei Guianfranco , McAllan Liam , Scott William R. , Koestler Thomas , Zingg Urs , Birdsey Graeme M. , Miller Clint L. , Schenkel Torsten , Chambers Emily V. , Dunning Mark J. , Serbanovic-Canic Jovana , Botrè Francesco , Mammoto Akiko , Xu Suowen , Osto Elena , Han Weiping , Fragiadaki Maria , Evans Paul C.
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND:

Atherosclerotic plaques form unevenly due to disturbed blood flow, causing localized endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. Obesity exacerbates this process, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. The transcription factor EPAS1 (HIF2A) has regulatory roles in endothelium, but its involvement in atherosclerosis remains unexplored. This study investigates the potential interplay between EPAS1, obesity, and atherosclerosis.

METHODS:

Responses to shear stress were analyzed using cultured porcine aortic EC exposed to flow in vitro coupled with metabolic and molecular analyses and by en face immunostaining of murine aortic EC exposed to disturbed flow in vivo. Obesity and dyslipidemia were induced in mice via exposure to a high-fat diet or through Leptin gene deletion. The role of
Epas1
in atherosclerosis was evaluated by inducible endothelial
Epas1
deletion, followed by hypercholesterolemia induction (adeno-associated virus-PCSK9 [proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9]; high-fat diet).

RESULTS:

En face staining revealed EPAS1 enrichment at sites of disturbed blood flow that are prone to atherosclerosis initiation. Obese mice exhibited substantial reduction in endothelial EPAS1 expression. Sulforaphane, a compound with known atheroprotective effects, restored EPAS1 expression and concurrently reduced plasma triglyceride levels in obese mice. Consistently, triglyceride derivatives (free fatty acids) suppressed EPAS1 in cultured EC by upregulating the negative regulator PHD2. Clinical observations revealed that reduced serum EPAS1 correlated with increased endothelial PHD2 and PHD3 in obese individuals. Functionally, endothelial EPAS1 deletion increased lesion formation in hypercholesterolemic mice, indicating an atheroprotective function. Mechanistic insights revealed that EPAS1 protects arteries by maintaining endothelial proliferation by positively regulating the expression of the fatty acid-handling molecules CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) and LIPG (endothelial type lipase G) to increase fatty acid beta-oxidation.

CONCLUSIONS:

Endothelial EPAS1 attenuates atherosclerosis at sites of disturbed flow by maintaining EC proliferation via fatty acid uptake and metabolism. This endothelial repair pathway is inhibited in obesity, suggesting a novel triglyceride-PHD2 modulation pathway suppressing EPAS1 expression. These findings have implications for therapeutic strategies addressing vascular dysfunction in obesity.
Macrophage-Expressed Coagulation Factor VII Promotes Adverse Cardiac Remodeling
Authors: Garlapati Venkata , Luo Qi , Posma Jens , Aluia Melania , Nguyen Than Son , Grunz Kristin , Molitor Michael , Finger Stefanie , Harms Gregory , Bopp Tobias , Ruf Wolfram , Wenzel Philip
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND:

Excess fibrotic remodeling causes cardiac dysfunction in ischemic heart disease, driven by MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase–dependent TGF-ß1 (transforming growth factor-ß1) activation by coagulation signaling of myeloid cells. How coagulation-inflammatory circuits can be specifically targeted to achieve beneficial macrophage reprogramming after myocardial infarction (MI) is not completely understood.

METHODS:

Mice with permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery were used to model nonreperfused MI and analyzed by single-cell RNA sequencing, protein expression changes, confocal microscopy, and longitudinal monitoring of recovery. We probed the role of the tissue factor (TF)-FVIIa (activated factor VII)-integrin ß1-PAR2 (protease-activated receptor 2) signaling complex by utilizing genetic mouse models and pharmacological intervention.

RESULTS:

Cleavage-insensitive PAR2
R38E
and myeloid cell integrin ß1–deficient mice had improved cardiac function after MI compared with controls. Proximity ligation assays of monocytic cells demonstrated that colocalization of FVIIa with integrin ß1 was diminished in monocyte/macrophage FVII–deficient mice after MI. Compared with controls, F7
fl/fl
CX3CR1 (CX3C motif chemokine receptor 1)
Cre
mice showed reduced TGF-ß1 and MAP kinase activation, as well as cardiac dysfunction after MI, despite unaltered overall recruitment of myeloid cells. Single-cell mRNA sequencing of CD45 (cluster of differentiation 45)
+
cells 3 and 7 days after MI uncovered a trajectory from recruited monocytes to inflammatory TF
+
/TREM (triggered receptor expressed on myeloid cells) 1
+
macrophages requiring F7. As early as 7 days after MI, macrophage F7 deletion led to an expansion of reparative Olfml 3 (olfactomedin-like protein 3)
+
macrophages and, conversely, to a reduction of TF
+
/TREM1
+
macrophages, which were also reduced in PAR2
R38E
mice. Short-term treatment from days 1 to 5 after nonreperfused MI with a monoclonal antibody inhibiting the macrophage TF-FVIIa-PAR2 signaling complex without anticoagulant activity improved cardiac dysfunction, decreased excess fibrosis, attenuated vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased survival 28 days after MI.

CONCLUSIONS:

Extravascular TF-FVIIa-PAR2 complex signaling drives inflammatory macrophage polarization in ischemic heart disease. Targeting this signaling complex for specific therapeutic macrophage reprogramming following MI attenuates cardiac fibrosis and improves cardiovascular function.
Blood Pressure–Lowering Medications, Sodium Reduction, and Blood Pressure
Authors: Song Jing , Chen Liangkai , Xiong Hui , Ma Yuan , Pombo-Rodrigues Sonia , MacGregor Graham A. , He Feng J.
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND:

Both blood pressure–lowering medication and sodium reduction are effective in hypertension control, but whether the effect of sodium reduction differ across blood pressure–lowering medications is unclear. This study aims to evaluate the dose-response effect of sodium intake reduction on blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals and the impact of different classes of blood pressure–lowering drugs.

METHODS:

We searched multiple databases and reference lists up to July 9, 2024. Randomized controlled trials with a duration of ≥2 weeks comparing the effect of different levels of sodium intake (measured by 24-hour urinary sodium excretion) on blood pressure in hypertensive individuals treated with constant blood pressure–lowering medications were included. Instrumental variable meta-analyses based on random-effects models were conducted to evaluate the dose effect of sodium reduction on blood pressure. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the class of blood pressure–lowering drugs, age, baseline sodium and blood pressure levels, and study duration.

RESULTS:

We included 35 studies (median duration of 28 days) with a total of 2885 participants. For every 100 mmol reduction in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, systolic blood pressure decreased by 6.81 mm Hg (95% CI, 4.96–8.66), diastolic blood pressure decreased by 3.85 mm Hg (95% CI, 2.26–5.43), and mean arterial pressure decreased by 4.83 mm Hg (95% CI, 3.22–6.44). The dose-response effects varied across classes of blood pressure–lowering medications, with greater effects observed in the β-blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, and dual therapy groups. No significant subgroup differences were observed across subgroups defined by age, baseline 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, blood pressure levels, or study duration.

CONCLUSIONS:

Pooled evidence suggests a dose-response relationship between sodium reduction and blood pressure in treated individuals with hypertension, influenced by the class of blood pressure–lowering medications.
Autonomic Dysregulation in Pulmonary Hypertension: Role of Physical Exercise
Authors: Lopes Soares Leôncio , Portes Alexandre Martins Oliveira , Costa Sebastião Felipe Ferreira , Leite Luciano Bernardes , Natali Antônio José
Published: September 2024

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare and severe condition characterized by increased pressure in the pulmonary circulation, often resulting in right ventricular failure and death. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in the cardiovascular and pulmonary controls. Dysfunction of ANS has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary diseases. Conversely, dysfunctions in ANS can arise from these diseases, impacting cardiac and pulmonary autonomic functions and contributing to disease progression. The complex interaction between ANS dysfunction and PH plays a crucial role in the disease progression, making it essential to explore interventions that modulate ANS, such as physical exercise, to improve the treatment and prognosis of patients with PH. This review addresses autonomic dysfunctions found in PH and their implications for the cardiopulmonary system. Furthermore, we discuss how physical exercise, a significant modulator of ANS, may contribute to the prognosis of PH. Drawing from evidence of aerobic and resistance exercise training in patients and experimental models of PH, potential cardiovascular benefits of exercise are presented. Finally, we highlight emerging therapeutic targets and perspectives to better cope with the complex condition. A comprehensive understanding of the interaction between ANS and PH, coupled with targeted physical exercise interventions, may pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies and significantly improve the treatment and prognosis of vulnerable patients.
Cardiovascular Risks and Outcomes Among Chinese American Immigrants: Insights From the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Cai Xinjiang , White Quinn , Wang Daniel R. , DeFilippi Christopher R. , Bertoni Alain G. , Wu Colin O. , Liu Kiang , Lima Joao A. C. , Budoff Matthew J. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Watson Karol E. , McClelland Robyn L. , Yang Eric H.
Published: September 2024

Background

Immigrants experience changes in cardiovascular risk factors and racial disparities in both cardiovascular health prevention and outcomes upon immigration. We aimed to examine cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes among Chinese American immigrants enrolled in the MESA (Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort.

Methods and Results

We analyzed data from 746 Chinese American immigrants in the MESA study with a median follow‐up period of 17.8 years. The mean age of the cohort was 62.3 years, with 52.7% being women. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of immigration history, geographic location, biomarkers, and cardiac imaging parameters with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes. The Cox hazards models were adjusted for known family history of heart disease, education level, sex, diabetes, hypertension, age, and body mass index. Although immigration history categorized as earlier (<20 years) versus later (≥20 years) showed no association with cardiovascular outcomes, the duration of residence in the United States emerged as a strong predictor for an increased risk of cardiovascular disease death (hazard ratio 1.39 [95% CI, 1.07–1.8];
P
=0.012). All‐cause mortality differed significantly between the Chinese immigrants from Los Angeles and those from Chicago, with higher survival probability in Chicago (log‐rank test,
P
=0.018). Furthermore, elevated levels of N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide levels, left ventricular mass, and coronary artery calcium scores were associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease among Chinese immigrants.

Conclusions

Within the MESA cohort, the duration of residence and geographic location were associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes among Chinese immigrants.
Rural Hospital Performance in Guideline-Recommended Ischemic Stroke Thrombolysis, Secondary Prevention, and Outcomes
Authors: Man Shumei , Bruckman David , Uchino Ken , Chen Bing Yu , Dalton Jarrod E. , Fonarow Gregg C.
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND:

Existing data suggested a rural-urban disparity in thrombolytic utilization for ischemic stroke. Here, we examined the use of guideline-recommended stroke care and outcomes in rural hospitals to identify targets for improvement.

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort study included patients (aged ≥18 years) treated for acute ischemic stroke at Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals from 2017 to 2019. Multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression was used to compare thrombolysis rates, speed of treatment, secondary stroke prevention metrics, and outcomes after adjusting for patient- and hospital-level characteristics and stroke severity.

RESULTS:

Among the 1 127 607 patients admitted to Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals in 2017 to 2019, 692 839 patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients who presented within 4.5 hours were less likely to receive thrombolysis in rural stroke centers compared with urban stroke centers (31.7% versus 43.5%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.72 [95% CI, 0.68–0.76]) but exceeded rural nonstroke centers (22.1%; aOR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.15–1.37]). Rural stroke centers were less likely than urban stroke centers to achieve door-to-needle times of ≤45 minutes (33% versus 44.7%; aOR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.76–0.96]) but more likely than rural nonstroke centers (aOR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.04–1.49]). For secondary stroke prevention metrics, rural stroke centers were comparable to urban stroke centers but exceeded rural nonstroke centers (aOR of 1.66, 1.94, 2.44, 1.5, and 1.72, for antithrombotics within 48 hours of admission, antithrombotics at discharge, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation/flutter, statin treatment, and smoking cessation, respectively). In-hospital mortality was similar between rural and urban stroke centers (aOR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.99–1.24]) or nonstroke centers (aOR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.84–1.18]).

CONCLUSIONS:

Rural hospitals had lower thrombolysis utilization and slower treatment times than urban hospitals. Rural stroke centers provided comparable secondary stroke prevention treatment to urban stroke centers and exceeded rural nonstroke centers. These results reveal important opportunities and specific targets for rural health equity interventions.
Alexander of Alessandria’s Questions on Matter
Authors: De Pascalis Alessandro
Published: September 2024

The present article focuses on the questions on matter by the Franciscan Alexander of Alexandria (Lectura ii, d. 12). The article is divided into two main sections. The first section provides a philosophical-historical overview of Alexander’s questions on prime matter (qq. 1–2, 5). The second section provides insight into Alexander’s questions on heavenly matter (qq. 3–4), expounding the author’s solutions to the issues related to that subject. Appendix 1 contains a question list of Alexander’s unedited Lectura ii. An edition of Alexander’s Lectura ii, d. 12, qq. 1–5 is given in Appendix 2.
If You Live Right, Heaven Belongs to You
Authors: Millner Marlon
Published: September 2024

Early lectures, which became the book Prophesy Deliverance! by Cornel West, were delivered at the House of the Lord Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, New York. The location of House of the Lord, which West argued was an exemplar of Afro-American revolutionary Christianity, demonstrates the relational and reciprocal insights Pentecostalism shares with West’s commitments to radical historicism and prophetic pragmatism. Several Black descended Pentecostals–scholars Leonard Lovett and Keri Day, and denominational leader Smallwood Williams–enact both a complex cultural analysis, and a robust social analysis. I argue Pentecostal praxis and critical reflection engage and extend West’s corpus and Black critical thought.
Is there a word from the Lord?
Authors: Delgado Dara Coleby
Published: September 2024

Black Apostolic Pentecostal Bishop Arthur M. Brazier employed various discursive practices to promote an integrationist agenda by affirming Black Power as a complex constellation of ideologies for achieving self-determination, Black pride, and self-sufficiency. Brazier deployed a Black Power/Black Liberation Theology-informed social program to help Black Chicagoans vie for their piece of the [American] pie in the name of cultural assimilation and socio-economic inclusion. Here, I reflect on Professor West’s proposal for an Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity. Recognizing that his discussion of the practical and programmatic dimensions of revolutionary Christian perspective and praxis were never intended to reify religious parochialism, in it, I find a theoretical framework with which to examine the religio-social consciousness of Black Pentecostals like Brazier, who prophesied deliverance via Black liberation.
Redescription of the eel Ilyophis arx Robins, 1976 (Anguilliformes: Synaphobranchidae: Ilyophinae) with a description of a new species of Ilyophis, and a taxonomic synopsis of the Ilyophinae
Authors: TIGHE KENNETH A. , SMITH DAVID G. , MERRETT NIGEL R. , FRABLE BENJAMIN W. , ZAJONZ UWE
Published: September 2024

Ilyophis arx Robins, 1976 is redescribed based on the four type specimens from south of the Galapagos Islands and 21 additional specimens: 12 specimens from the western Clarion Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific Ocean, four specimens from the eastern Pacific Ocean, and five specimens from several localities in the central North Pacific Ocean. A new species, Ilyophis maclainei sp. nov., is described from the eastern North Atlantic. A taxonomic synopsis of the subfamily Ilyophinae is presented, and a key to the known species is provided.
A new species of narrow-banded Cyrtodactylus (Gekkonidae) from northern New Guinea
Authors: OLIVER PAUL M. , BOOTHROYD NICHOLAS , TJATURADI BURHAN , RIYANTO AWAL , ISKANDAR DJOKO T. , RICHARDS STEPHEN J.
Published: September 2024

We describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus from the northern lowlands and foothills of mainland New Guinea. Cyrtodactylus mamberamo sp. nov. is distinguished from all other Melanesian Cyrtodactylus except C. aaroni and C. mimikanus by the combination of moderate size (max SVL <100 mm), widened subcaudals, dorsal pattern of numerous narrow light bands with dark-brown anterior borders, and a tripartite pore arrangement in males. It differs from these two most-similar species in details of colour pattern, scalation and the number of precloacal pores. Cyrtodactylus mamberamo sp. nov. occurs at elevations between 0–870 m above sea level (a.s.l.) across a wide area spanning the Mamberamo Basin and nearby regions. It co-occurs with at most one or two other congeners. Low Cyrtodactylus alpha diversity across Melanesia emphasises beta turnover as the key factor underpinning species richness in this genus. The new species brings the total number of recognised Melanesian Cyrtodactylus to 35, with the real total certain to be over 40 species.
Factors predicting employment status among persons with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study from Chennai, India
Authors: Indhumathi T , Nisha B , Durairaj Jothilakshmi , Ramesh Kumar TC , Selva Savari Raj J , Swarup Adith , Ponnambalam Tejasvini , Raghavan Vijaya
Published: September 2024

Background:

Even among other mental disorders, a diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with an abnormally low employment rate. However, those who can find employment report mental health improvements and diminishing symptoms.

Aims:

In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed a variety of sociodemographic factors between groups of schizophrenia-diagnosed employed and unemployed individuals to attempt to determine any causal relationships.

Methods:

A group of 52 employed and 48 unemployed individuals from the same outpatient hospital were surveyed. Patients were asked about their sociodemographic background and employment history, as well as subjected to a variety of tests to quantify critical aspects of their symptomatology. These included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), and Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were administered to assess comorbid depression and anxiety. Lastly, the Simpson Angus Scale (SAS) measured any extrapyramidal side effects caused by the patients’ medications.

Results:

Initial analysis by the Student’s t-test and chi-square test revealed correlations between employment status and symptomatology, but upon performing logistic regression, peer support was found to be the only significant predictor of employment status (OR = 0.119, CI [0.40, 0.354], p = .001). Based on these results, the creation of peer support systems at work through fostering inclusive, well-informed, and destigmatized environments should be employers’ predominant focus.

Conclusion:

Future studies conducted longitudinally can strengthen the conclusions found and confirm the optimal manners in which to address the matter of aiding the integration of schizophrenic and similarly symptomatic individuals into the labor force.
Academic Detailing is a Preferred Knowledge Update Tool Among Norwegian Pharmacists to Improve Antibiotic Counseling: Results From a Quantitative Study Employing the Provider Satisfaction With Academic Detailing (PSAD) and the Detailer Assessment of Visit Effectiveness (DAVE) Tools
Authors: Bergsholm Yngvild Kristine Rochette , Langaas Harald Christian , Krogstad Tonje , Holm Lene Berge
Published: September 2024

Excessive and incorrect use of antibiotics contributes to the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Given that pharmacists act as final checkpoint before antibiotics is handled over to patients, they play a crucial role in promoting proper antibiotic use and ensuring treatment adherence. However, there is often a gap between the patients’ needs and perceptions, and what the pharmacists provide. Improving pharmacists’ training is essential for enhancing patient-centered care. The aim of this research was to evaluate the suitability of academic detailing (AD) for improving Norwegian pharmacists’ knowledge and practice on adherence promoting counseling of antibiotic patients. Key insights from prior qualitative research regarding community pharmacists’ position in promoting optimized antibiotic use were incorporated in a tailored AD program. The AD’s suitability was evaluated using the validated “Provider Satisfaction with Academic Detailing” (PSAD) and “Detailer Assessment of Visit Effectiveness” (DAVE) instruments. Additionally, participants preferred knowledge updates method were assessed. Eighty-one of 86 visits completed PSAD (94% response rate). Satisfaction summary score for PSAD was 40.03 (of maximum 45) and scale summary score for DAVE 12.45 (of maximum 15). One-sample t-test (P < .001) indicated preference for AD over other knowledge update methods. This study confirmed that AD is a successful knowledge updating tool for improving adherence promoting counseling among Norwegian pharmacists. Future research should align practice change intentions with actions post-AD and evaluate patient impact.
Psychotropic medication and hepatobiliary health: Ultrasound observations on patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Yue Linlin , Sun Linlin , Li Nan
Published: September 2024

Objective

This study sought to examine the association between antipsychotic drug use and hepatobiliary health based on serum markers and ultrasound observations on a sample of patients with schizophrenia compared to age and gender matched healthy controls.

Methods

The 120 patients with schizophrenia and 60 control subjects had their blood drawn to measure liver function tests and underwent hepatobiliary ultrasonography to determine hepatobiliary lesions. Liver function tests included total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Standardized cross-sectional images of the liver and kidneys were obtained from patients and controls, and analyses were stratified by length of taking psychotropic medication among those with schizophrenia. Liver echo attenuation coefficients, liver-kidney ratios, and liver fat content were determined.

Results

Psychotropic drug use was associated with greater liver burden and liver lesions in patients with schizophrenia compared to controls. The levels of TC, TG, ALT and AST in patients with schizophrenia were also all significantly higher among patients with schizophrenia. Long-term psychotropic medication was associated with increased levels of fatty liver in patients compared with controls. Levels of TC, TG, ALT and AST were all significantly higher in the long-term psychotropic medication use group than in the short-term group. Liver echo attenuation coefficient, liver-kidney ratio, and liver fat content were also higher in the long-term medication use group compared to the short-term group.

Conclusion

Antipsychotic drug use, particularly long-term use, is associated with increased liver burden in patients with schizophrenia, impaired lipid metabolism, increased liver lesions and fat content.
Experience machines for well-being? Understanding how social media entertainment matters for teens
Authors: Lüders Marika
Published: September 2024

This article explores how social media entertainment matters for teens and does so by connecting experiences to conditions crucial for well-being. I ask if and how teens experience the content they seek and encounter on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram as worthwhile and meaningful. To answer this question, I analyse qualitative interviews with Norwegian teens. The analysis portrays how teens experience social media entertainment as meaningful in how content connects to self-formation processes, to the need for belonging, and to the agency they perceive to have in user-platforms relations. Theoretically, the study draws on two overlapping but currently unconnected fields of research: media psychology-informed entertainment studies and a capabilities approach. My theoretical aim is to elucidate how these fields complement and contrast each other in relating media experience to well-being. I argue that media psychology offers an operationalization of the same well-being conditions that are central in a capabilities approach, while the latter opens a space for a critique of the platform economy.
Maximising environmental sustainability on the return to in-person conferencing: Report from a 2500-person anaesthesia meeting in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Lalor Fran , Cameron Shanel L , Selak Tanya , Dieleman Stefan JM
Published: September 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical conferences, where restrictions on public gatherings resulted in the postponement or cancellation of in-person meetings. Virtual events emerged as a substitute, providing a mechanism for scientific collaboration and continuing medical education with the additional benefit of low environmental impact. However, digital events may not meet all the needs of delegates, such as professional networking and social connection. In this report, we describe the methods used to minimise the carbon footprint of the 2023 Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists’ Annual Scientific Meeting, a conference with approximately 2000 in-person and 500 virtual delegates. A core group led the initiative, with all conference participants invited to contribute to this goal. A prospective prediction of carbon generation was undertaken, followed by the implementation of strategies to minimise and then measure the total carbon footprint of the event. Post-event calculations assessed the conference as better than carbon-neutral; however, delegate travel was not included in the analysis and therefore this result is tempered. Off-site workshops including virtual offerings were also not included in the analysis. We encourage medical conference organisers to collaborate with all stakeholders to embed low carbon-generation choices for their meetings where education, networking and social needs are also met.
Prediction of friction stir welding performances of dissimilar AA3003-H12 and C12200-H01 using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Shinde Gurunath V , Suryawanshi Abhijeet , Behera Niranjana
Published: September 2024

Tests specimens were prepared by friction stir welding of two dissimilar metals aluminum and copper. The specimens were subjected to mechanical tests to calculate the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, percentage elongation, and impact energy. Four different machine learning algorithms (AdaBoost, CatBoost, Gradient Boosting, and XGBoost) were applied for developing the ML models in predicting the performance parameters such as ultimate strength, yield strength, percentage elongation, and impact energy. Pin type, weld speed, rotational speed, and shoulder diameter were considered as the input parameters for the model. Training, testing, and validation were carried out by considering 60%, 20%, and 20% of the available data respectively. In terms of accuracy (lower MAE, lower RMSE, greater R2 value, and lower AAD%), CatBoost model, Gradient Boosting model, and XGBoost model performed better than the AdaBoost model in predicting the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, percentage elongation, and impact energy. Compared to other models, AdaBoost model has only few hyperparameters for fine-tuning. During hyperparameters tuning, AdaBoost model showed accuracy only within a narrow range of values of features.
Legitimizing Germany’s intervention policy: A discourse analysis of German media’s coverage on supplying weapons to Ukraine
Authors: Shao Guosong , Fan Xingxing , Zhang Wanfa
Published: September 2024

Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Germany made a pivotal decision to supply heavy weaponry to Ukraine, marking a dramatic shift in its diplomatic stance toward Russia and breaking from its longstanding policy of abstaining from arming conflict zones. Rooted in proximization theory, this study delved into the coverage of the weapon provisions to Ukraine by leading German media outlets, specifically ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’ and ‘Die Welt’, to investigate how they legitimized Germany’s intervention policy. The study revealed the following findings: (a) in terms of spatial proximization dimension, these two newspapers aligned Ukraine with its own camp, creating a tense atmosphere of Russia’s encroachment on the West; (b) in terms of temporal proximization, the newspapers constructed an image of Russia’s ongoing aggression against the West and suggests its future escalation, thereby enhancing the fear among Western democratic countries; (c) in terms of axiological priximization, the newspapers elevated the Russia-Ukraine conflict to a contest between democratic and totalitarian ideologies, portraying the threat of intrusion from other value systems. Through this proximization discourse, the significant policy shift in Germany toward an intervention approach was legitimized in the media coverage.
Optical coherence tomography angiography findings of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and the effect of neuropsychiatric involvement on it
Authors: Koyuncu Kevser , Ermurat Selime
Published: September 2024

Aim

To investigate the radial peripapillary capillary plexus vessel density (RPCP-VD) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFLT) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuropsychiatric SLE patients (NPSLE) using disc optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and investigate the association between these parameters and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2K).

Methods

A total of 64 ′right eyes (36 SLE patients, 28 healthy controls (HCs)) were included in this cross-sectional case-control study. Ten (27.7%) patients had neuropsychiatric involvement. RPCP-VD and pRNFLT of patients were evaluated in all peripapillary sectors. RPCP-VD and pRNFLT of NPSLE, non-NPSLE, and HCs were compared. The correlation between SLEDAI-2K and OCTA findings was evaluated.

Results

SLE patients’ RPCP-VDs were significantly lower compared with the HCs except for two sectors ( p < .005). There was not a significant difference in pRNFLT of SLE patients and HCs. There was not a correlation between SLEDAI-2K and RPCP-VD in any subsectors but there was a significantly negative correlation between pRNFLT in tempo-inferior and inferior-temporal sectors. When compared with non-NPSLE-patients, NPSLE patients had significantly lower inferior-hemi ( p = .001), inferior-nasal VDs ( p = .003), and peripapillary ( p = .012), superior-hemi ( p = .038), inferior-hemi ( p = .026), inferior-nasal ( p = .002) and inferior-temporal ( p = .012) pRNFLTs. A negative correlation was found between NPSLE and pRNFLT.

Conclusion

SLE patients may have early subclinical vascular involvement leading to decreased RPCP-VD. A negative correlation between the SLEDAI-2K and pRNFLT in the temporal subsectors of all SLE patients may show an association between the disease activity and temporal pRNFL thinning. The presence of neuropsychiatric involvement may also be associated with decreased RPCP-VD and pRNFLT.
Acute myeloid leukemia-M1 in a horse with neurologic signs and necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Lee Jeongha , Mordoh Sydney , Mirza Mustajab , Carossino Mariano , Del Piero Fabio
Published: September 2024

An 18-y-old American Saddlebred mare was admitted with fever and acute onset of neurologic signs including grade 3 of 5 ataxia, difficulty in prehension, and dull mentation. Because of financial restraints, desired testing could not be performed; the horse’s condition declined despite supportive treatment, and euthanasia was elected. Postmortem examination revealed petechiae and ecchymoses in the meninges and neuroparenchyma of the encephalon. Blast-like neoplastic round cells were identified within the vasculature and areas of hemorrhage in the neuroparenchyma, the intestinal submucosa, and other organs, including the liver, kidney, lung, and mesenteric lymph node. Necrotizing enterocolitis and acute fibrinonecrotizing bacterial pneumonia were also noted. Of the atypical round cells in the encephalon, >70% expressed ionized calcium–binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), 10–20% expressed myeloperoxidase (MPO), and <10% expressed PAX5, CD3, CD20, CD79a, or MUM1. The bone marrow was diffusely effaced by neoplastic round cells expressing Iba1, and ~70% of these cells expressed MPO with no expression of CD3 or CD20. CD172a also immunolabeled a portion of the neoplastic cells. These findings were consistent with the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia-M1 with an unusual neurologic presentation.
Calcifying Odontogenic Cyst Associated with Complex Odontoma: Report of a Rare Case
Authors: Attouchi Ikram , Oualha Lamia , Belkacem Chebil Raouaa , Ben Youssef Souha
Published: September 2024

Calcifying odontogenic cyst, also known as Gorlin cyst is a rare benign cystic lesion primarily found in the jawbones, accounting less than 1% of odontogenic cysts. It can be associated with odontogenic tumors such as odontomas. We report a rare case of COC associated with complex odontoma in a young patient and discuss its clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment options. An 18-year-old female patient presented with a painless radiopaque lesion of the right mandibular bone at Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery department. Radiographs revealed irregular tooth-like structures in the canine-premolar area. The lesion was surgically removed, and histopathology confirmed COC with a complex odontoma. As of the World Health Organization’s 2022 definition, COC is a developmental odontogenic cyst characterized by calcified ghost cells. It typically affects individuals during their second and third decades of life, with no gender preference, almost equally in the maxilla and the mandible. The main treatment is total enucleation, with a generally favorable prognosis. Histopathology is essential for diagnosis due to its mimicry of other jaw conditions. Long-term follow-up is needed to prevent recurrences.
The diffusion of immersive journalism as media innovation from media professionals’ perspectives
Authors: Cheng Kaixin , Verboord Marc
Published: September 2024

While immersive journalism (IJ) has been seen as one of the most significant innovations in the journalism field in the past decade, its advance seems to have been halted. This article studies the diffusion trajectory of IJ in news media from professionals’ experience to better understand how media innovation works in the contemporary media field. What led to the news media’s decisions to start/stop their IJ project, and how were these decisions made? This study approaches these research questions by interviewing 13 experienced professionals from different roles in news media who have worked on IJ. The results identify three groups of core actors in the decision-making process in news media innovation: key users (champions), early adopters, and media leaders and managers. At the same time, there are clear influences from existing newsroom culture and conventions on news media’s innovation activities. Furthermore, the study sheds lights on the environment of media innovation adoption consisting of competing innovations, as well as actors in and out of the media.
A minimal standard of democratic competence
Authors: Oprea Alexandra , Stephens Daniel J
Published: September 2024

The ability to identify which citizens are democratically competent and which fall beneath the relevant standard of competence bears on numerous questions in democratic theory. These include questions about the distribution of the franchise, the type of civic education that democratic governments should provide to their citizens, and how we might prevent democratic backsliding. In this paper, we aim to identify and defend a criterion of minimal democratic competence. Specifically, we argue that a voter should be regarded as minimally democratically competent with respect to a given election if and only if that voter knows how to vote for the candidates or policies that, if chosen, would not predictably bring about the end of that electoral democracy, and intends to vote that way.
Cross-National Comparison of the Relative Size of Lower-Tail and Upper-Tail SES Achievement Gaps
Authors: Nonoyama-Tarumi Yuko , Reardon Sean F.
Published: September 2024

Cross-national studies on socioeconomic status (SES) achievement gaps have focused on the size of the gap and given less attention to where in the SES distribution the achievement gap tends to be relatively large within a society, and whether this location varies across countries. We estimate the relative size of achievement gaps between students at the 50th and 10th percentiles versus the 90th and 50th percentiles of SES distribution within a society, using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. We find OECD countries vary in the size of the ratio of achievement gaps at lower-tail SES and upper-tail SES. Our multivariate analyses show that the ratio is positively associated with within-country patterns of economic inequality, measured by the ratio of income inequality and the ratio of segregation at lower-tail and upper-tail SES. We do not find evidence of an association between the achievement gap ratio and patterns of educational stratification.
Taking Flight With Job Design: An Experiential Exercise
Authors: Neely Andrea R. , Harrison Teresa
Published: September 2024

In this article, we provide instructors with a ready-to-use experiential exercise to teach the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), ideally suited for use in undergraduate management courses. We begin with a brief introduction and literature review of the JCM, followed by video links and a facilitation guide to introduce the topic. The engaging taking flight exercise includes learning objectives, an overview of the exercise, detailed implementation instructions, a student handout, and a list of materials and technology needed to guide the instructor. The exercise concludes with a debrief and reflection worksheet offering questions to engage students in a lively discussion about the application of the JCM to the exercise and to their own job experiences.
Cortexa: a comprehensive resource for studying gene expression and alternative splicing in the murine brain
Authors: Weißbach Stephan , Milkovits Jonas , Pastore Stefan , Heine Martin , Gerber Susanne , Todorov Hristo
Published: September 2024

Background

Gene expression and alternative splicing are strictly regulated processes that shape brain development and determine the cellular identity of differentiated neural cell populations. Despite the availability of multiple valuable datasets, many functional implications, especially those related to alternative splicing, remain poorly understood. Moreover, neuroscientists working primarily experimentally often lack the bioinformatics expertise required to process alternative splicing data and produce meaningful and interpretable results. Notably, re-analyzing publicly available datasets and integrating them with in-house data can provide substantial novel insights. However, such analyses necessitate developing harmonized data handling and processing pipelines which in turn require considerable computational resources and in-depth bioinformatics expertise.

Results

Here, we present Cortexa—a comprehensive web portal that incorporates RNA-sequencing datasets from the mouse cerebral cortex (longitudinal or cell-specific) and the hippocampus. Cortexa facilitates understandable visualization of the expression and alternative splicing patterns of individual genes. Our platform provides SplicePCA—a tool that allows users to integrate their alternative splicing dataset and compare it to cell-specific or developmental neocortical splicing patterns. All standardized gene expression and alternative splicing datasets can be downloaded for further in-depth downstream analysis without the need for extensive preprocessing.

Conclusions

Cortexa provides a robust and readily available resource for unraveling the complexity of gene expression and alternative splicing regulatory processes in the mouse brain. The data portal is available at https://cortexa-rna.com/
A putative scenario of how de novo protein-coding genes originate in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae lineage
Authors: Yada Tetsushi , Taniguchi Takeaki
Published: September 2024

Background

Novel protein-coding genes were considered to be born by re-organization of pre-existing genes, such as gene duplication and gene fusion. However, recent progress of genome research revealed that more protein-coding genes than expected were born de novo, that is, gene origination by accumulating mutations in non-genic DNA sequences. Nonetheless, the in-depth process (scenario) for de novo origination is not well understood.

Results

We have conceived bioinformatic analysis for sketching a scenario for de novo origination of protein-coding genes. For each de novo protein-coding gene, we firstly identified an edge of a given phylogenetic tree where the gene was born based on parsimony. Then, from a multiple sequence alignment of the de novo gene and its orthologous regions, we constructed ancestral DNA sequences of the gene corresponding to both end nodes of the edge. We finally revealed statistical features observed in evolution between the two ancestral sequences. In the analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae lineage, we have successfully sketched a putative scenario for de novo origination of protein-coding genes. (1) In the beginning was GC-rich genome regions. (2) Neutral mutations were accumulated in the regions. (3) ORFs were extended/combined, and then (4) translation signature (Kozak consensus sequence) was recruited. Interestingly, as the scenario progresses from (2) to (4), the specificity of mutations increases.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report outlining a scenario of de novo origination of protein-coding genes. Our bioinformatic analysis can capture events that occur during a short evolutionary time by directly observing the evolution of the ancestral sequences from non-genic to genic. This property is suitable for the analysis of fast evolving de novo genes.