bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socio-demographic determinants of intimate partner violence in Angola: a cross-sectional study of nationally representative survey data
Authors: Skandro Simona , Abio Anne , Baernighausen Till , Lowery Wilson Michael
Published: October 2023

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global problem of public health importance, which can be found across all social layers and cultural backgrounds worldwide. Angola is still an under-explored country in the context of domestic violence and was therefore chosen as our focus of interest. Our study’s goal was to identify the socio-demographic determinants of IPV in Angola. We used nationally representative data from female respondents of the 2015 Angolan Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Simple bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between the experience of IPV and the women’s’ individual and contextual characteristics. Out of the 7,699 respondents, 3,070 (41.1%) reported having experienced at least one form of violence by their partners, with physical violence being more prevalent (32.5%) than emotional (27.7%) and sexual violence (7.2%). The partner’s use of alcohol, the respondent’s tendency to hurt her partner, her having witnessed her father beating her mother and being the first wife showed significantly higher odds of experiencing one or more types of IPV, whereas being older than the partner appears to have protective effects. Our findings reflect the widespread prevalence rates of violence against women in African countries. Future intervention programs should focus on women with risky background characteristics to help decrease domestic abuse in Angola. Our results indicate to focus on young women who have witnessed domestic violence in childhood, those whose partners use alcohol and those who tend to physically hurt their partners themselves. It is also recommended to intensify future research on the effects of co-wives on a relationship since first wives were found to have a higher risk of being physically abused by their partners.
User appraisal of a booklet for advance care planning in multiple sclerosis: a multicenter, qualitative Italian study
Authors: Giordano Andrea , De Panfilis Ludovica , Veronese Simone , Bruzzone Michela , Cascioli Marta , Farinotti Mariangela , Giovannetti Ambra Mara , Grasso Maria Grazia , Kruger Paola , Lugaresi Alessandra , Manson Leigh , Perin Marta , Pucci Eugenio , Solaro Claudio , Ghirotto Luca , Solari Alessandra
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Implementation of advance care planning (ACP) in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PwPMS) is limited. We aimed to involve users (PwPMS, significant others, and healthcare professionals involved in PwPMS care) in the evaluation and refinement of a booklet to be used during the ACP conversations.

Methods

This qualitative study consisted of cognitive interviews with PwPMS and significant others and a focus group with healthcare professionals from three Italian centers. We analyzed the interviews using the framework method and the focus group using thematic analysis.

Results

We interviewed 10 PwPMS (3 women; median age 54 years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale score 6.0) and three significant others (2 women; 2 spouses and one daughter). The analysis yielded three themes: booklet comprehensibility and clarity, content acceptability and emotional impact, and suggestions for improvement. Twelve healthcare professionals (7 neurologists, 3 psychologists, one nurse, and one physiotherapist) participated in the focus group, whose analysis identified two themes: booklet’s content importance and clarity and challenges to ACP implementation. Based on analysis results, we revised the booklet (text, layout, and pictures) and held a second-round interviews with two PwPMS and one significant other. The interviewees agreed on the revisions but reaffirmed their difficulty in dealing with the topic and the need for a physician when using the booklet.

Conclusions

Appraisal of the booklet was instrumental in improving its acceptability and understandability before using it in the ConCure-SM feasibility trial. Furthermore, our data reveal a lack of familiarity with ACP practice in the Italian context.
Measures of interrater agreement for quantitative data
Authors: Marella Daniela , Bove Giuseppe
Published: October 2023

In this paper measures of interrater absolute agreement for quantitative measurements based on the standard deviation are proposed. Such indices allow (i) to overcome the limits affecting the intraclass correlation index; (ii) to measure the interrater agreement on single targets. Estimators of the proposed measures are introduced and their sampling properties are investigated for normal and non-normal data. Simulated data are employed to demonstrate the accuracy and practical utility of the new indices for assessing agreement. Finally, an application to assess the consistency of measurements performed by radiologists evaluating tumor size of lung cancer is presented.
Learning to Live with a Circle: Reflective Equilibrium and the Received View of the Scientific Realism Debate
Authors: Brousalis Kosmas , Psillos Stathis
Published: October 2023

The Scientific Realism Debate (SRD) has been accused of going around in circles without reaching a consensus, so that several scholars have advocated its dissolution in favor of reformed projects that are eliminativist towards the distinctively philosophical aims and methods. In this paper, after outlining the project that SRD-participants have been involved in for some time now—which we call the Received View—we discuss two dissolution-proposals: sociological externalism and localism. We argue that these projects are incomplete and that, even when judged in themselves, they cannot flourish without the ‘traditional’ philosophical reflection they wish to get rid of. However, although not substitutes for the Received View, those projects have some insightful features. These are assigned their proper place in the dialectics of SRD, which is shown to be an instance of the method of reflective equilibrium (MRE). Lastly—based on Michael DePaul’s work—we provide a response to the well-known concern that MRE is epistemically circular, by claiming that MRE is the only rational method of inquiry. Overall, our goal is ‘therapeutic’: we try to mitigate the anxiety caused by simultaneously believing that SRD is circular and suspecting that there is a good way out of the circle that we just haven’t found yet. For, having dismissed the suspicion that there might be a good trick to dissolve the circle, one may learn to live in it and be more calm in carrying on with what one has.
A phase Ib/II study of eribulin in combination with cyclophosphamide in patients with advanced breast cancer
Authors: Gumusay Ozge , Huppert Laura A. , Magbanua Mark Jesus M. , Wabl Chiara A. , Assefa Michael , Chien Amy Jo , Melisko Michelle E. , Majure Melanie C. , Moasser Mark , Park John , Rugo Hope S.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

We hypothesized that eribulin combined with cyclophosphamide (EC) would be an effective combination with tolerable toxicity for the treatment of advanced breast cancer (ABC).

Methods

Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable ABC with any number of prior lines of therapy were eligible to enroll. In the dose escalation cohort, dose level 0 was defined as eribulin 1.1 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, and dose level 1 was defined as eribulin 1.4 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2. Eribulin was given on days 1 and 8 and cyclophosphamide on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. In the dose expansion cohort, enrollment was expanded at dose level 1. The primary objective was clinical benefit rate (CBR), and secondary objectives were response rate (RR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety.

Results

No dose-limiting toxicities were identified in the dose escalation cohort (n = 6). In the dose expansion cohort, an additional 38 patients were enrolled for a total of 44 patients, including 31 patients (70.4%) with hormone receptor-positive (HR +)/HER2- disease, 12 patients (27.3%) with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and 1 patient (2.3%) with HR + /HER2 + disease. Patients had a median age of 56 years (range 33–82 years), 1 prior line of hormone therapy (range 0–6), and 2 prior lines of chemotherapy (range 0–7). CBR was 79.5% (35/44; 7 partial response, 28 stable disease) and the median DOR was 16.4 weeks (range 13.8–21.1 weeks). Median PFS was 16.4 weeks (95% CI: 13.8–21.1 weeks). The most common grade 3/4 adverse event was neutropenia (47.7%, n = 21). Fourteen of 26 patients (53.8%) with circulating tumor cell (CTC) data were CTC-positive ($$\ge$$
≥
5 CTC/7.5 mL) at baseline. Median PFS was shorter in patients who were CTC-positive vs. negative (13.1 vs 30.6 weeks, p = 0.011).

Conclusion

In heavily pretreated patients with ABC, treatment with EC resulted in an encouraging CBR of 79.5% and PFS of 16.4 weeks, which compares favorably to single-agent eribulin. Dose reduction and delays were primarily due to neutropenia. The contribution of cyclophosphamide to eribulin remains unclear but warrants further evaluation. NCT01554371.
The Cognitive Architecture of Digital Externalization
Authors: Skulmowski Alexander
Published: October 2023

This review is aimed at synthesizing current findings concerning technology-based cognitive offloading and the associated effects on learning and memory. While cognitive externalization (i.e., using the environment to outsource mental computation) is a highly useful technique in various problem-solving tasks, a growing body of research suggests that the offloading of information into the environment (and digital storage in particular) can have negative effects on learning. Based on this review, a model of offloading with cognitive load at its core is developed to summarize when learners offload information. A high intrinsic cognitive load (i.e., a high difficulty), a high extraneous load (i.e., unnecessary design elements), and a low perceived or actual working memory capacity trigger offloading. Crucially, the value attributed to information also affects whether information is externalized. In this model, extraneous cognitive load in the design of technology-enhanced learning acts as a triple barrier: (1) It prevents information from entering working memory, (2) it inhibits information being stored in long-term memory, and (3) it can prevent learners from externalizing information using technology. As a result, in many instances, only the gist of information (or its location) is retained, while learners often gain the illusion of having memorized that information. Furthermore, offloading substantially increases the risk of memory manipulation, potentially posing a societal problem. Consequently, educational approaches should maximize the meaningfulness of the residual information that is often retained in the form of “biological pointers.” In addition, current issues surrounding the use of generative artificial intelligence pertaining to externalization are discussed.
Test performance study to evaluate diagnostic tests for the detection and identification of Xylophilus ampelinus in vine material spiked with cells from X. ampelinus cultures
Authors: Harrison Catherine , Tomlinson Jenny , Brittain Ian , Laurenson Lynn , van den Berg Femke
Published: October 2023

A test performance study (TPS) was conducted in 2020 to evaluate performance of serological and PCR-based tests for the detection of Xylophilus ampelinus in homogenised vine samples. In total, 11 labs participated, although there were fewer participants for the serological tests than the PCR-based tests. The panel of samples sent to participants included spiked samples containing 104–108 cfu per ml (serological tests) or 102–106 cfu per ml (PCR-based tests) as well as positive and negative controls. The five PCR-based tests were found to be fit for purpose, with similar performance across a range of metrics (analytical sensitivity, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and repeatability and reproducibility assessed in terms of accordance and concordance, respectively). Serological methods (two immunofluorescence tests and two ELISA tests) were found to be less sensitive with regard to both analytical and diagnostic sensitivity. Furthermore, the occurrence of false positives suggests that a positive IF result may not be conclusive when considered in isolation. One of the ELISA tests exhibited much lower analytical and diagnostic sensitivity than the other serological tests and would not be considered suitable for the purpose considered by this TPS.
Assessing soil quality of Italian Western Alps protected areas by QBS-ar: impact of management and habitat type on soil microarthropods
Authors: Fusco Tommaso , Fortini Lorenzo , Casale Francesca , Jacomini Carlo , Di Giulio Andrea
Published: October 2023

Soil fauna has a crucial importance for the functioning of ecosystems and their conservation. Soil biota has a role in soil formation and distribution of organic matter, and groups like microarthropods can be used as indicators to assess soil quality and are often employed in monitoring programs. In the present study, the QBS-ar index, an index based on the presence/absence of microarthropod groups, was used to assess the level of soil quality in nine different sampling sites in the “Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime” and in the “Parco Naturale del Marguareis” (Cuneo, Piedmont). Forest soils, with different degree of management, and open environments (e.g., grasslands and peatlands) were analyzed comparatively, to investigate whether microarthropod fauna might be influenced by management and habitat type.

The results show QBS-ar values are significantly higher in woodland soils compared to grasslands and peatlands (p < 0.05). The latter shows no significant difference between each other, although grasslands show a large range of values (108–214). Forest management does not seem to influence QBS-ar values (183–239), showing stable microarthropod communities both in the managed and unmanaged areas. In addition to this, QBS-ar values do not differ significantly in the different forest coenoses, confirming that woodlands have similar index values (p = 0.7).

This study confirms that QBS-ar values in natural areas can vary depending on the environment. It is therefore important to consider clustering habitat types before assessing quality classes for QBS-ar values. Finally, sustainable forest management in the study area does not seem to affect significantly soil microarthropod presence in woodland sites.
Auction design and order of sale with budget-constrained bidders
Authors: Bergmann Ulrich , Konovalov Arkady
Published: October 2023

The presence of financial constraints changes traditional auction theory predictions. In the case of multiple items, such constraints may affect revenue equivalence and efficiency of different auction formats. We consider a simple complete information setting with three financially constrained bidders and two items that have different values common to all the bidders. Using a laboratory experiment, we find that, as predicted by theory, it is more beneficial for the seller to sell the higher value item first. We then show that the first-price sealed-bid auction yields higher revenue than the English auction, with significant differences in learning of equilibrium strategies.
Beliefs, Epistemic Regress and Doxastic Justification
Authors: Nescolarde-Selva J. A. , Usó-Doménech J. L. , Segura-Abad L. , Gash H.
Published: October 2023

By justification we understand what makes a belief epistemologically viable: generally this is considered knowledge that is true. The problem is defining this with a higher degree of precision because this is where different conflicting conceptions appear. On the one hand, we can understand justification as what makes it reasonable to acquire or maintain a belief; on the other, it is what increases the probability that the belief is true. This work tries to prove that beliefs depend on other beliefs that are epistemically justified and that such beliefs are the result of (i.e., they arise from) our privileged intuition of reality. For this, we examine the concept of epistemic regress. Epistemic reasons authorize a proposition P to be the conclusion of an argument in which such reasons function as premises and are vulnerable to epistemic regress. The three most important approaches to epistemic regress are Infinitism, Coherentism and Foundationalism.
Exploring the nature and role of student-to-student talk and questioning among young children in technology and design education
Authors: Fox-Turnbull Wendy
Published: October 2023

Classroom conversation between students is complex and used for multiple reasons every day. Student dialogue also allows teachers insight into student's learning. This article presents findings from a qualitative study that used dialogism, a branch of sociocultural theory, to investigate in depth student to student (inter-student) questioning learning in technology in junior primary classrooms in small town in rural South Island, New Zealand. Inter-student dialogue was investigated while students from Year 0–4 undertook a technology unit to design and make props and costumes for their class item in the up-coming school production.

In this study insight was gained into aspects of development of student understanding in and of technology through the recording and analysis of inter-student talk, observation, analysis of work samples and focus group interviews with the students and their teachers. It also allowed insight into students’ views of the value of talking with their peers. This study aimed to contribute specifically to the fields of classroom dialogue, student learning, formative assessment and technology education. Three key findings are reported, the first related to teachers’ views of classroom talk. Both were aware of the value of talk in the classroom but struggled to implement in-depth student dialogue for a range of reasons. The second finding focused on students’ views on talk. Initially students recognised that they used questions to ask their teacher, peers, or parents for help, however after the study the data showed that a more sophisticated understanding of dialogue emerged. The third key findings focused on the nature of students’ questions while undertaking technology practice. Findings showed that social interaction played a key role in developing participants’ understanding of technology and that they used questioning to clarify, collaborate, support and defend themselves.
Interaction of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma with Soybean Seeds: Effect on Germination and DNA, Seed Surface Characteristics and Plasma Diagnostics
Authors: Tomeková J. , Švubová R. , Slováková Ľ. , Holubová-Čerevková Ľ. , Kyzek S. , Gálová E. , Zahoranová A.
Published: October 2023

This study investigates the relation between cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) effect on seeds and the plasma parameters. As a source of CAPP, the diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) generated in nitrogen, ambient air, and oxygen at atmospheric pressure was used. Results of germination and the level of DNA damage of soybean seeds (Glycine max L.) treated in plasma and plasma gaseous products showed that the most advantageous is the use of ambient air plasma treatment. The water contact angle (WCA) of samples treated directly in plasma was significantly smaller than that of samples treated with gaseous products. Using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), we did not observe significant changes between the spectra of individual samples, what indicates that there is no damage on the surface of the samples during the treatment, only the binding of polar groups. The method of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to study the plasma parameters. The most radiant system observed in ambient air and nitrogen plasma is the second positive system of nitrogen $${\text{N}}_{2} \left( {{\text{C}}^{3} \prod _{{\text{u}}} \to {\text{B}}^{3} \prod _{{\text{g}}} } \right)$$

N
2

C

3

∏
u

→

B

3

∏
g

. FTIR measurements showed the presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species O3, NO2, N2O, NO, HNO2 depending on the working gas. Finally, it can be assumed that the positive effect of plasma on the seed is caused not only by the individual components of the plasma, but also by their synergistic effect, while the ratio of the individual active particles as well as the plasma exposure to the seeds are important.
“Can I Have a Look?”: The Discursive Management of Victims’ Personal Space During Police First Response Call-Outs to Domestic Abuse Incidents
Authors: Steel Kate
Published: October 2023

The complexities of domestic abuse as both a lived experience and a crime generate unique communicative challenges at the scene of emergency police call-outs. Space is a prominent and complex feature of these ecounters, entailing a juxtaposition of the institutional and the private, whereby frontline officers seek evidence of abuse from victims in the same space in which the abuse occurred. This paper explores how speakers manage one evidentially salient aspect of these encounters: officers’ advancement into victim’s immediate personal space to inspect and photograph their injuries. As compared with the attention dedicated to preserving vulnerable victims’ personal ‘bubble’ of space in formal investigative interviews, first response guidelines allow participants more leeway to adapt their behaviour according to the unpredictable demands of each situation. I present two case studies here which form part of a wider study of first response call-outs to domestic abuse incidents reported to a UK police force. The audio data have been extracted from police body-worn video footage and transcribed, with visual information represented intralinearly. Through conversation analysis, I examine the microinteractional means by which personal space is made relevant and consequential to the unfolding talk, with a focus on how ownership rights and control over the space are (re)constructed discursively. Analysis demonstrates that entering victims’ personal space can be managed in ways that either reinforce their disempowered position or afford them some control. The findings have implications in relation to victims’ potential vulnerability, police-victim relations and the nature of the evidence produced.
Steady-State Flow Through a Subsurface Reservoir with a Displaced Fault and its Poro-elastic Effects on Fault Stresses
Authors: Cornelissen Pavan , Jansen Jan-Dirk
Published: October 2023

We consider steady-state single-phase confined flow through a subsurface porous layer containing a displaced, fully conductive fault causing a sudden jump in the flow path, and we employ (semi-)analytical techniques to compute the corresponding pressures and fault stresses. In particular, we obtain a new solution for the pressure field with the aid of conformal mapping and a Schwarz–Christoffel transformation. Moreover, we use an existing technique to compute the poro-elastic stress field with the aid of inclusion theory. The additional resistance to fluid flow provided by a displaced fault, relative to the resistance in a layer without a fault, is a function of dip angle, fault throw divided by reservoir height, and reservoir width divided by reservoir height. Fluid flow has a larger effect on fault stresses in case of injection than in case of depletion, where injection with up-dip flow results in increased zones of fault slip near the bottom of the reservoir. Opposedly, injection with down-dip flow results in increased slip near the top of the reservoir. An order-of-magnitude estimate of the effect of steady-state flow across displaced faults in the Groningen natural gas reservoir shows that the effect on fault stresses is probably negligible. A similar estimate of the effect in low-enthalpy geothermal doublets indicates that steady-state flow may possibly play a small role, in particular close to the injector, but site-specific assessments will be necessary to quantify the effect.
Cakes fortified with papaya seeds effectively protects against CCl4-induced immunotoxicity
Authors: Gazwi Hanaa S. S. , Soltan Osama I. A. , Abdel-Hameed Sanaa M.
Published: October 2023

Maintaining a robust immune system and safeguarding the liver from toxins are crucial for overall health. The study aimed to investigate the immunostimulant effects of papaya seed-enriched cakes (CPS) in countering carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced immunocytotoxicity in rats (n= 48). The rats were divided into six groups (8 each): a control group (Group 1), rats fed cakes containing 15% papaya seeds (Group 2 — CPS), rats exposed only to CCl4 (Group 3 — CCl4), rats injected with CCl4 and administered silymarin (Group 4 — CCl4 + S), rats receiving both CCl4 and cakes with papaya seeds (Group 5 — CCl4 + CPS), and rats receiving both CCl4 and silymarin with papaya seed-enriched cakes (Group 6 — CCl4 + CPS + S). HPLC analysis of papaya seeds revealed the presence of ten polyphenol compounds, with quercetin, apigenin, and catechin identified as major flavonoids, along with pyrogallol, ellagic, and gallic acid as predominant phenolic acids. These compounds displayed potent antioxidant activity, attributed to the seeds’ high total phenolic and flavonoid content. The administration of CCl4 significantly affected hematological parameters, liver enzymes, hepatic oxidative stress, levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IgG, as well as IgM. However, rats fed with CPS exhibited mitigation of CCl4-induced toxic effects on hematological parameters and hepatotoxicity. CPS consumption enhanced the antioxidant system, improved inflammatory markers, and immune parameters, restoring them to normal levels. Histopathological analysis confirmed CPS’s ability to reduce CCl4-induced hepatocellular necrosis. Immunohistochemical assessment further revealed reduced immunoreactivity against cleaved caspase-3 expression and increased COX2 immunoreactivity, indicating hepatocellular regeneration in CPS. The combination of CPS and silymarin demonstrated even more notable improvements, suggesting augmented protective impacts against CCl4-induced immunosuppression and hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, CPS exhibited antioxidant properties and effectively protected against CCl4-induced immunotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, with additional benefits observed when combined with silymarin. These findings emphasize the potential health advantages of incorporating papaya seeds into food products, promoting immune system health, and safeguarding against liver damage induced by hazardous agents like CCl4.
The Impact of Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease on Weight Loss Outcomes After Gastric Bypass
Authors: Pereira João , Pereira Pedro R. , Andrade Sara , Pereira Sofia S. , Nora Mário , Guimarães Marta , Monteiro Mariana P.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Weight loss achieved through bariatric metabolic surgery was demonstrated to be effective at reversing chronic kidney dysfunction associated with obesity-related glomerulopathy. However, robust data on how pre-operative kidney status impacts on bariatric metabolic surgery weight loss outcomes is still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of kidney dysfunction on weight loss outcomes after bariatric metabolic surgery.

Methods

Patients with obesity to be submitted to gastric bypass surgery underwent a pre-operative evaluation of creatinine clearance, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria, and albuminuria in 24-hour urine. Body mass index (BMI), % total weight loss (%TWL), and % excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) were assessed at 6 and 12 months after surgery.

Results

Before surgery, patients (N=127) had a mean BMI of 39.6 ± 3.0 kg/m2, and 56.7% (n=72) had a creatinine clearance > 130 mL/min, 23.6% (n= 30) presented proteinuria > 150 mg/24h, and 15.0% (n= 19) presented albuminuria > 30 mg/24h. After surgery, the mean BMI was 27.7 kg/m2 and 25.0 kg/m2 at 6 and 12 months, respectively (p<0.0001). The %TWL was lower in patients with pre-operative eGFR < percentile 25 (34.4 ± 5.8% vs 39.4 ± 4.9%, p=0.0007, at 12 months). There were no significant correlations between weight loss metrics and pre-operative creatinine clearance rate, proteinuria, or albuminuria.

Conclusion

Early-stage chronic kidney disease (G2) has a negative impact on short-term weight loss outcomes after bariatric metabolic surgery, albeit in a magnitude inferior to the clinically relevant threshold.

Graphical abstract
Testability in group theory
Authors: Becker Oren , Lubotzky Alexander , Mosheiff Jonathan
Published: October 2023

This paper is a journal counterpart to [5], in which we initiate the study of property testing problems concerning a finite system of relations E between permutations, generalizing the study of stability in permutations. To every such system E, a group Γ = ΓE is associated and the testability of E depends only on Γ (just like in Galois theory, where the solvability of a polynomial is determined by the solvability of the associated group). This leads to the notion of testable groups, and, more generally, Benjamini–Schramm rigid groups. The paper presents an ensemble of tools to check if a given group Γ is testable/BS-rigid or not.
DERL2 (derlin 2) stabilizes BAG6 (BAG cochaperone 6) in chemotherapy resistance of cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Luzheng , Wu Jincai , Yan Yanggang , Cheng Shoucai , Yu Shuyong , Wang Yong
Published: October 2023

DERL2 (derlin 2) is a critical component of the endoplasmic reticulum quality control pathway system whose mutations play an important role in carcinogenesis, including cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL). However, its role and its underlying mechanism have yet to be elucidated. Herein, we revealed that DERL2 was highly expressed in CHOL and considered as an independent prognostic indicator for inferior survival in CHOL. DERL2 ectopically expressed in CHOL cells promoted cell proliferation and colony formation rates, and depleting DERL2 in CHOL cells curbed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. More interestingly, the knockout of DERL2 augmented the growth-inhibitory effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy on CHOL cells by inducing cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, we discovered that DERL2 interacted with BAG6 (BAG cochaperone 6), thereby extending its half-life and reinforcing the oncogenic role of BAG6 in CHOL progression.
Examining the Social Tabooisation of Asexuality: The Underpinnings of Anti-Asexual Bias
Authors: Iraklis Grigoropoulos
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Anti-asexual bias has received limited but growing public and academic attention. Examining prejudice towards asexuals expands the depth of intergroup and intragroup relation research.

Methods

The current study is aimed at clarifying anti-asexuality bias by examining attitudes towards asexual individuals with a multi-item measure in Greek culture. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted between April 4 and May 4, 2021, via an online survey. One hundred and eighty-seven undergraduate students participated in the current study. Bivariate correlation was used to explore the associations between variables of interest. Next, hypotheses were examined by performing a bootstrapping analysis for parallel multiple mediation models.

Results

The findings of this study support the role of context-related socio-cultural (religiosity, political positioning) and social-psychological factors (adherence to social norms) in predicting participants’ anti-asexual bias.

Conclusions

This study draws attention to the stigmatization of asexuality. It warns professionals, policymakers, and social agents about the dominant sexually normative socio-cultural context that may negatively affect asexuals’ lives.

Policy Implications

Providing information about the supporting base of outgroup dislike might be a way of promoting social change. Stakeholders and professionals who influence people’s lives (educators, health professionals) should be aware of possible stigmatization to no further stigmatize asexual individuals, ensuring they do not internalize and project these stereotypical assumptions.
Chronic effects induced by zinc oxide nanoparticles against larvae of the northern house mosquito Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed M. A. , Alfuhaid Nawal Abdulaziz , Thabet Marwa Adel , Ali Ali Mohamed
Published: October 2023

It is estimated that up to a million person are subject to death every year from mosquito-borne diseases. To avoid the epidemic situations arising from mosquito-borne diseases, it is necessary to reduce the mosquito populations. Challenges against efficient mosquito management are mainly related to emergence of insecticide resistance leading to increased need for the development of alternative methods. Ideal insecticides cause permanent impacts on the target insects in order to ensure powerful insecticidal effect. This study hypothesized that the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the larvae of Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758 (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito is irreversible and chronic. The first instar C. pipiens larvae were treated with a sublethal concentration (LC20, 0.24 g/L) of ZnONPs for 72 h and then allowed to recover for additional 72 h. Following the recovery period, the changes in zinc accumulation, growth rate, gut ultrastructure, biochemical changes in the hydrogen peroxide, antioxidant and detoxification enzymes were recorded and compared between recovered larvae and untreated (control). Recovered larvae showed significant increase in the accumulated zinc and reduced growth rate by about 50% compared to untreated (control). Furthermore, the ultrastructure of the alimentary canal epithelium showed several forms of pathological signs in different parts of the midgut of recovered larvae. Treatment with ZnONPs induced oxidative stress (OS) which appeared in the form of significant increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration. In response to OS, insects activate the detoxification system to get rid of the toxic nanoparticles. The detoxification enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were inhibited while superoxide dismutase (SOD) was activated against ZnONPs toxicity. Additionally, recovered larvae didn’t show differences in the catalase activity from untreated control. These results verified that ZnONPs induce chronic impacts on C. pipiens larvae suggesting that it can be used in their management via direct application in standing water sources including accumulated rains and swimming pools.
Justice and Empowerment Through Digital Health: Ethical Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Nickel Philip J. , Loosman Iris , Frank Lily , Vinnikova Anna
Published: October 2023

The proposition that digital innovations can put people in charge of their health has been accompanied by prolific talk of empowerment. In this paper we consider ethical challenges and opportunities of trying to achieve justice and empowerment using digital health initiatives. The language of empowerment can misleadingly suggest that by using technology, people can control their health and take responsibility for health outcomes to a greater degree than is realistic or fair. Also, digital health empowerment often primarily reaches people who already have high technological and health literacy, leaving others behind. We critically investigate whether the concept of health empowerment could be re-engineered to mean something different, namely the process of improving the health literacy and access of those who least possess it, in line with recent proposals for conceptual engineering in the service of justice. We settle on the weaker conclusion that underlying ethical values including justice should be used to interpret the existing concept of empowerment. To conclude, we take a high-level view of various strategies for achieving the ethical value associated with digital health empowerment.
Impact of leadership communication on job satisfaction and well-being of physicians
Authors: Heuss Sabina C. , Datta Souvik
Published: October 2023

Background

Communication and leadership communication are key for an efficient performance of physicians. They hold a team together, help hospitals to develop and retain capable employees, and are directly related to physicians’ job satisfaction. We aim to test the impact of leadership models and various items of leadership communication on job satisfaction and well-being of physicians working in Swiss hospitals.

Method

We conducted a nationwide survey of physicians in Swiss hospitals in 2019 to assess the correlation between communication and leadership style with job satisfaction and well-being of physicians. The evaluation of the survey uses multivariate, statistical analysis (descriptive evaluations, regression model, factor analyses).

Results

The data reveal that leadership communication, e.g., the tone of communication, information quality and information behaviour and feedback have the most positive impact on job satisfaction and well-being. These items have a stronger influence on well-being when physicians belong to a younger generation, such as Generation Y (born after 1980). Leadership communication has the greatest impact on job satisfaction on residents and a lesser impact on physicians in higher hierarchical levels.

Conclusions

To increase job satisfaction and well-being amongst physicians, hospitals superiors and supervisors are advised to invest in education and training on leadership communication and feedback with special focus on the younger generation as well as on female physicians as this will have the greatest impact.
Cybernetic Aesthetics
Authors: Love Heather A.
Published: October 2023

Cybernetic Aesthetics draws from cybernetics theory and terminology to interpret the communication structures and reading strategies that modernist text cultivate. In doing so, Heather A. Love shows how cybernetic approaches to communication emerged long before World War II; they flourished in the literature of modernism's most innovative authors. This book engages a range of literary authors, including Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce, and cybernetics theorists, such as Norbert Wiener, Claude Shannon, Ross Ashby, Silvan Tomkins, Margaret Mead, Gregory Bateson, and Mary Catherine Bateson. Through comparative analysis, Love uncovers cybernetics' relevance to modernism and articulates modernism's role in shaping the cultural conditions that produced not merely technological cybernetics, but also the more diffuse notion of cybernetic thinking that still exerts its influence today.
Regarding the Montreal Protocol communication after the Kigali Amendment
Authors: Conde Júlio J. , Meira-Cartea Pablo Á.
Published: October 2023

The Kigali Amendment introduced a new family of chemical compounds, which do not contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion but present a high global warming potential, under the watch of the Montreal Protocol in 2016. Earlier this year, a press note from the World Meteorological Organization entitled “Ozone layer recovery is on track, helping avoid global warming by 0.5°C” caught our attention because of the wrong conclusions that can be potentially drawn by laypersons due to an apparent linkage of ozone depletion and global warming problems. Public communication of the Montreal Protocol since the Kigali Amendment should be more careful than ever to avoid lessening the social perception of the threat of climate change, particularly considering that society already has a distorted representation of these problems, assuming causal relations between ozone depletion and climate change, that could lead to unfounded optimism towards the climate crisis.
Motion of a viscous slug on heterogeneous surfaces: crossover from stick–slip to steady sliding
Authors: Primkulov Bauyrzhan K. , Pahlavan Amir A. , Cueto-Felgueroso Luis , Juanes Ruben
Published: October 2023

We present a theoretical study of viscous slug motion inside a microscopically rough capillary tube, where pronounced stick–slip motion can emerge at slow displacement rates. The mathematical description of this intermittent motion can be reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations, which also describe the motion of a pendulum inside a fluid-filled rotating drum. We use this analogy to show that the stick–slip motion transitions to steady sliding at high displacement rates. We characterize this crossover with a simple scaling relation and show that the crossover is accompanied by a shift in the dominant energy dissipation mechanisms within the system.
Perspectives on mental health and well-being
Authors: Lüdi Lucas , Pfarrwaller Georg , Imboden Christian , Stoffel Olivia , Schlüssel Matthias , Heiniger Andreas , Kleim Birgit , Kiselev Nikolai
Published: October 2023

Abstract: Introduction: The aim of this study is to provide an overview of Paralympic athletes’ views on mental health in a competitive sport context. Although research in the field of Paralympic sport has increased exponentially over the last two decades, mental health and its promotion have hardly been the subject of research so far. Previous research shows that the practice of competitive sports influences the mental health of Paralympic athletes both positively and negatively. Mental disorders are no exception, even in elite sports. Well-coordinated health care for the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges and mental disorders in elite sports is crucial for this purpose. Methods: The methodological approach of the present study is based on a qualitative research design. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and their evaluation with the help of applied thematic analysis. For the interviews, 15 active, adult, Swiss elite Para athletes were recruited. Results: The results suggest that athletic success, the athletic activity itself and an improvement in physical health can lead to an increase in mental well-being. On the other hand, athletic failure, pressure to perform, and physical problems can cause psychological stress and facilitate mental disorders. Conclusion: In particular, the coordinated handling of mental health challenges and mental disorders among Paralympic athletes seems to need improvement, especially regarding the use of sports psychiatry and psychotherapy services.
Sclerostin antibody improves alveolar bone quality in the Hyp mouse model of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH)
Authors: Carpenter Kelsey A. , Alkhatib Delia O. , Dulion Bryan A. , Guirado Elizabeth , Patel Shreya , Chen Yinghua , George Anne , Ross Ryan D.
Published: October 2023

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare disease of elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) production that leads to hypophosphatemia and impaired mineralization of bone and teeth. The clinical manifestations of XLH include a high prevalence of dental abscesses and periodontal disease, likely driven by poorly formed structures of the dentoalveolar complex, including the alveolar bone, cementum, dentin, and periodontal ligament. Our previous studies have demonstrated that sclerostin antibody (Scl-Ab) treatment improves phosphate homeostasis, and increases long bone mass, strength, and mineralization in the Hyp mouse model of XLH. In the current study, we investigated whether Scl-Ab impacts the dentoalveolar structures of Hyp mice. Male and female wild-type and Hyp littermates were injected with 25 mg·kg−1 of vehicle or Scl-Ab twice weekly beginning at 12 weeks of age and euthanized at 20 weeks of age. Scl-Ab increased alveolar bone mass in both male and female mice and alveolar tissue mineral density in the male mice. The positive effects of Scl-Ab were consistent with an increase in the fraction of active (nonphosphorylated) β-catenin, dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and osteopontin stained alveolar osteocytes. Scl-Ab had no effect on the mass and mineralization of dentin, enamel, acellular or cellular cementum. There was a nonsignificant trend toward increased periodontal ligament (PDL) attachment fraction within the Hyp mice. Additional PDL fiber structural parameters were not affected by Scl-Ab. The current study demonstrates that Scl-Ab can improve alveolar bone in adult Hyp mice.
Calbindin 2-specific deletion of arginase 2 preserves visual function after optic nerve crush
Authors: Zaidi Syed A. H. , Xu Zhimin , Lemtalsi Tahira , Sandow Porsche , Athota Sruthi , Liu Fang , Haigh Stephen , Huo Yuqing , Narayanan S. Priya , Fulton David J. R. , Rojas Modesto A. , Fouda Abdelrahman Y. , Caldwell Robert W. , Caldwell Ruth B.
Published: October 2023

We previously found that global deletion of the mitochondrial enzyme arginase 2 (A2) limits optic nerve crush (ONC)-induced neuronal death. Herein, we examined the cell-specific role of A2 in this pathology by studies using wild type (WT), neuronal-specific calbindin 2 A2 KO (Calb2cre/+ A2 f/f), myeloid-specific A2 KO (LysMcre/+ A2f/f), endothelial-specific A2 KO (Cdh5cre/+ A2f/f), and floxed controls. We also examined the impact of A2 overexpression on mitochondrial function in retinal neuronal R28 cells. Immunolabeling showed increased A2 expression in ganglion cell layer (GCL) neurons of WT mice within 6 h-post injury and inner retinal neurons after 7 days. Calb2 A2 KO mice showed improved neuronal survival, decreased TUNEL-positive neurons, and improved retinal function compared to floxed littermates. Neuronal loss was unchanged by A2 deletion in myeloid or endothelial cells. We also found increased expression of neurotrophins (BDNF, FGF2) and improved survival signaling (pAKT, pERK1/2) in Calb2 A2 KO retinas within 24-hour post-ONC along with suppression of inflammatory mediators (IL1β, TNFα, IL6, and iNOS) and apoptotic markers (cleavage of caspase3 and PARP). ONC increased GFAP and Iba1 immunostaining in floxed controls, and Calb2 A2 KO dampened this effect. Overexpression of A2 in R28 cells increased Drp1 expression, and decreased mitochondrial respiration, whereas ABH-induced inhibition of A2 decreased Drp1 expression and improved mitochondrial respiration. Finally, A2 overexpression or excitotoxic treatment with glutamate significantly impaired mitochondrial function in R28 cells as shown by significant reductions in basal respiration, maximal respiration, and ATP production. Further, glutamate treatment of A2 overexpressing cells did not induce further deterioration in their mitochondrial function, indicating that A2 overexpression or glutamate insult induce comparable alterations in mitochondrial function. Our data indicate that neuronal A2 expression is neurotoxic after injury, and A2 deletion in Calb2 expressing neurons limits ONC-induced retinal neurodegeneration and improves visual function.
The mechanism of linear ubiquitination in regulating cell death and correlative diseases
Authors: Gao Liyuan , Zhang Wei , Shi Xiao hui , Chang Xiaoyan , Han Yi , Liu Chundi , Jiang Zhitao , Yang Xiang
Published: October 2023

Linear ubiquitination is a specific post-translational modification in which ubiquitin is linked through M1 residue to form multiple types of polyubiquitin chains on substrates in order to regulate cellular processes. LUBAC comprised by HOIP, HOIL-1L, and SHARPIN as a sole E3 ligase catalyzes the generation of linear ubiquitin chains, and it is simultaneously adjusted by deubiquitinases such as OTULIN and CYLD. Several studies have shown that gene mutation of linear ubiquitination in mice accompanied by different modalities of cell death would develop relative diseases. Cell death is a fundamental physiological process and responsible for embryonic development, organ maintenance, and immunity response. Therefore, it is worth speculating that linear ubiquitin mediated signaling pathway would participate in different diseases. The relative literature search was done from core collection of electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar using keywords about main regulators of linear ubiquitination pathway. Here, we summarize the regulatory mechanism of linear ubiquitination on cellular signaling pathway in cells with apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. Intervening generation of linear ubiquitin chains in relative signaling pathway to regulate cell death might provide novel therapeutic insights for various human diseases.