bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D polymorphism and apolipoprotein B with cardiometabolic abnormalities among young adults: a pilot study from Delhi
Authors: Suokhrie Seyielenuo , Chaudhary Vineet , Mishra Sumit , Murry Benrithung , Devi Naorem Kiranmala
Published: August 2023

Background

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and elevated apolipoprotein B (apoB) are important risk factors for several cardiometabolic abnormalities. However, much less attention has been given to the relationship between these risk factors and cardiometabolic abnormalities among young adults. Considering this gap, the present study explored the association of ACE I/D polymorphism and apoB with cardiometabolic abnormalities among young adults of Delhi, India.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among young adults (aged 18–30) of either sex residing in Delhi, India. A total of 330 individuals were invited to participate in the study, and data on the socio-demographic variables were collected using a pre-tested interview schedule. Somatometric and physiological measurements were obtained using standard protocols. However, blood sample collection and biochemical and genetic analyses could successfully be performed for 178 individuals. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were estimated using Erba XL-640 biochemical analyzer. LDL and TG values were used to calculate apoB levels. Genotyping for ACE I/D polymorphism was performed by allele-specific PCR amplification followed by electrophoresis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS v.20.

Results

ACE I/D polymorphism was not found to be associated with hypertension, obesity, and abnormal FBG, TG, and HDL levels. However, DD and ID genotypes and D allele, with II as the reference genotype, significantly reduced the risk for high TC (OR, p value = 0.14, 0.01*; 0.29, 0.04*; 0.22, < 0.01*, respectively) and high LDL (OR, p value = 0.17, 0.03*; 0.20, 0.03*; 0.19, < 0.01*, respectively). Except for abnormal FBG, the prevalence of all the studied cardiometabolic abnormalities was significantly higher in the 4th quartile of apoB when compared to other quartiles. Linear regression model revealed a significant positive association of apoB levels with diastolic blood pressure, studied obesity parameters, TC, TG, and LDL levels.

Conclusion

The D allele of ACE I/D polymorphism was not associated with most of the studied cardiometabolic abnormalities in the present study. Further, the association of high apoB with cardiometabolic abnormalities hints toward the importance of apoB in the early diagnosis of CVDs.
Accuracy and Survival Outcomes after National Implementation of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early Stage Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Cabrera Silvia , Gómez-Hidalgo Natalia R. , García-Pineda Virginia , Bebia Vicente , Fernández-González Sergi , Alonso Paula , Rodríguez-Gómez Tomás , Fusté Pere , Gracia-Segovia Myriam , Lorenzo Cristina , Chacon Enrique , Roldan Rivas Fernando , Arencibia Octavio , Martí Edo Marina , Fidalgo Soledad , Sanchis Josep , Padilla-Iserte Pablo , Pantoja-Garrido Manuel , Martínez Sergio , Peiró Ricard , Escayola Cecilia , Oliver-Pérez M. Reyes , Aghababyan Cristina , Tauste Carmen , Morales Sara , Torrent Anna , Utrilla-Layna Jesus , Fargas Francesc , Calvo Ana , Aller de Pace Laura , Gil-Moreno Antonio ,   on behalf of the Spain-GOG and the MULTISENT Study Group
Published: August 2023

Background

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has recently been accepted to evaluate nodal status in endometrial cancer at early stage, which is key to tailoring adjuvant treatments. Our aim was to evaluate the national implementation of SLN biopsy in terms of accuracy to detect nodal disease in a clinical setting and oncologic outcomes according to the volume of nodal disease.

Patients and Methods

A total of 29 Spanish centers participated in this retrospective, multicenter registry including patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma at preoperative early stage who had undergone SLN biopsy between 2015 and 2021. Each center collected data regarding demographic, clinical, histologic, therapeutic, and survival characteristics.

Results

A total of 892 patients were enrolled. After the surgery, 12.9% were suprastaged to FIGO 2009 stages III–IV and 108 patients (12.1%) had nodal involvement: 54.6% macrometastasis, 22.2% micrometastases, and 23.1% isolated tumor cells (ITC). Sensitivity of SLN biopsy was 93.7% and false negative rate was 6.2%. After a median follow up of 1.81 years, overall surivial and disease-free survival were significantly lower in patients who had macrometastases when compared with patients with negative nodes, micrometastases or ITC.

Conclusions

In our nationwide cohort we obtained high sensitivity of SLN biopsy to detect nodal disease. The oncologic outcomes of patients with negative nodes and low-volume disease were similar after tailoring adjuvant treatments. In total, 22% of patients with macrometastasis and 50% of patients with micrometastasis were at low risk of nodal metastasis according to their preoperative risk factors, revealing the importance of SLN biopsy in the surgical management of patients with early stage EC.
Brugada syndrome is still a current clinical problem. What do we know today - a literature review
Authors: Misiło Adriana , Sosna Monika , Mordoń Krzysztof
Published: August 2023

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a rare congenital arrhythmia syndrome. BrS is characterized by a tendency to syncope, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. These symptoms occur mainly at night and can occur spontaneously or as a result of provocation by, for example, fever, stress or medication. Based on the differences in electrocardiography, three types were distinguished. Genetic studies are being conducted, which have shown a significant defect of the SCN5A gene, which in turn leads to disturbances in the functioning of the sodium channel NaV1.5 has a negative impact on the course of depolarization of myocardial cells. Patients with symptoms of the disease are subjected to implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator, which protects them against sudden death. Data was obtained from the PubMed and Google Scholar platforms.
Cutaneous recurrence of long term pulmonary sarcoidosis - literature review and case report
Authors: Bargieł Julia , Cabaj Justyna , Chmielewska Izabela , Adamczyk-Korbel Marta , Grzywa-Celińska Anna
Published: August 2023

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease, the exact etiology of which is unknown. This paper presents a case of a patient with a long course of pulmonary sarcoidosis with exacerbation of the disease in the form of skin lesions.

               A 50-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, because of cervical lymphadenopathy. Based on the histopathological examination, she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. The patient reported constant fatigue, throat tightness and difficulty swallowing, as well as decreased exercise tolerance. Computed tomography studies revealed small nodular changes in both lungs and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The patient was actively monitored. The results of spirometry tests improved spontaneously and remained at a satisfactory level for years. After 15 years of follow-up, the patient reported skin lesions that are constantly progressing. Examination of the cut from the skin lesion confirmed skin sarcoidosis.

This case report highlights the varied course of sarcoidosis, which, as a multi-system disease, may show various manifestations. In clinical practice, therefore, one should consider the possibility of disease progression and transmission to multiple organs. It is important that the patient is under constant observation and that new lesions undergo differential diagnosis and histopathological examination.
Effect of green tea on the cardiovascular system
Authors: Maternia Jakub , Miszczyk Karolina , Maj Patrycja , Sergiel Natalia , Kania Agata , Gonet Malwina , Włodarczyk-Cybulska Karolina , Mozer Piotr , Lazar Michał , Serwik-Trandasir Aleksandra
Published: August 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, causing significant public health concerns. Flavonoids, abundant in green tea, have been found to play a pivotal role in their prevention and treatment. These compounds exert beneficial effects on vascular endothelium through various mechanisms, including enhancing nitric oxide production, reducing LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting platelet aggregation. Dietary principles tailored to individual risk factors are also vital for individuals with CVD. Studies suggest that green tea may be a promising tool for preventing CVD due to its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antiplatelet effects. Catechins in green tea have been demonstrated to modify various risk factors, thereby reducing overall CVD risk. Epidemiological studies have reported an inverse association between green tea consumption and mortality from CVD. The beneficial properties of green tea, especially among non-smokers and rural residents, underscore its potential role in managing CVD risk. Further research on the effect of green tea on vascular health is warranted.
Depression - the first symptom of a brain tumor or a consequence of the process neoplastic process - a review of the literature
Authors: Antkowiak Klaudia , Ciecierski-Koźlarek Hubert , Żurek Urszula , Tołwiński Ignacy , Kędzierska Zofia , Dadas Klaudia , Świercz Aleksandra , Małachowska Dominika , Shved Kateryna
Published: August 2023

Introduction and objective

CNS malignancies account for about 1.6% of all diseases today. In people diagnosed with abrain tumor with a poor prognosis, we often see disorders from the psychiatric spectrum,most often depressive disorders. In this paper, we want to focus on whether depression occursas a sequel to cancer or perhaps is the first of the symptoms of a CNS tumor.

Review methods

For the analysis, the PubMed medical database was searched, and articles containing studiesand case reports of people with CNS tumor and depressive disorders that occurred eitherbefore diagnosis or at any time during the course of the disease were selected

Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge

CNS tumors produce symptoms such as epilepsy, visual disturbances, paresis, but alsobehavioral disorders. This is determined by the location of the tumor. Depression is a mentaldisorder manifested mainly by lowered mood. This disorder can coexist with tumorsoccurring in the frontal lobe or be present regardless of the location of the tumor, in peoplediagnosed with a tumor with a poor prognosis.

Summary

Analyzing the selected articles, we see that in people who were diagnosed with a tumorlocated in the frontal lobe, often the first symptom was depressive disorders, which evenpreceded neurological symptoms. When depression is diagnosed, appearing suddenly andrefractory to treatment, one should consider whether there is an underlying pathologicallesion in the CNS. Unfortunately, there are no specific guidelines for imaging studies indepressive disorders. People who suffer from malignant tumors with a poor prognosis shouldbe cared for by a psychologist, because as the disease progresses, the symptoms worsen,affecting the prognosis.
Gastric lymphoma - epidemiology, clinical manifestations and current therapy management
Authors: Hunek Adrian , Zapała Magdalena Alicja , Chmielarz Karolina , Kaziród Karolina , Wiśniewska-Skomra Joanna , Tylutka Kinga , Hapon Anna , Dadziak Mikołaj
Published: August 2023

Gastric lymphoma is a rare malignant disease, which in recent years has been showing an increasing incidence in the population. The development of MALT is most often the result of chronic Helicobacter pylori infection. Further chronic inflammation may result in malignant transformation of MALT to high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, DLBCL lymphomas most often arise de novo. The risk of primary gastric lymphoma increases with age. The symptoms of gastric lymphoma are very diverse and non-specific, which is why the knowledge about this disease and the differential diagnosis of diseases with similar symptoms play a very important role. The gold standard for diagnosing gastric lymphomas is upper GI endoscopy with biopsy, and sometimes additional imaging tests are necessary to make a proper diagnosis. It is very important to start treatment quickly - the first-line treatment is the eradication of Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Currently, we also have other therapeutic pathways that can change the course of the disease. The therapeutic plan should be individually selected for the needs of the individual patient. Changes detected in the early stages and treated quickly give patients a good chance of being cured. This publication is an attempt to summarize the current state of knowledge about the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical picture and therapeutic strategies in the case of gastric lymphoma.
The tobacco epidemic – pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation
Authors: Sergiel Natalia , Maj Patrycja , Włodarczyk-Cybulska Karolina , Kania Agata , Gonet Malwina , Miszczyk Karolina , Serwik-Trandasir Aleksandra , Mozer Piotr , Maternia Jakub , Lazar Michał
Published: August 2023

Introduction: One of the biggest public health threats in the world is tobacco epidemic. According to WHO in the world cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use. In the 2018 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking was recognized as one of the main risk factors responsible for premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases. According to the Global Burden of Disease, estimates smoking causes almost 8 million deaths in 2019 worldwide. In Poland about one-quarter of adults smoke cigarettes. As a result, scientists are constantly looking for medications that could help people quit smoking.

The aim of the study:  The aim of our study is to present medication which are used for treating nicotine dependence nowadays. Moreover, we give attention to social and economic consequences of tobacco use.

Materials and methods: The literature available on PubMed and Google Scholar was reviewed using the words: “smoking”, “smoking cessation”, “nicotine”, “nicotine replacement therapy”.

Description of the state of knowledge: Exposure to tobacco smoke is a dominant factor in the incidence of many cancers as well as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Therefore, improving smoking cessation interventions is critical to reducing tobacco use and helping to minimize the burden of cancer and other diseases for example chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusions: Smoking cessation  has a positive effect on health.  Nicotine replacement therapy, Bupropion, Varenicline and Cytisine are used to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms in regular smokers who abstain from smoking.
Conventional and biological therapies in atopic dermatitis – a literature review
Authors: Włodarczyk-Cybulska Karolina , Sergiel Natalia , Maj Patrycja , Mozer Piotr , Maternia Jakub , Lazar Michał , Kania Agata , Serwik-Trandasir Aleksandra , Gonet Malwina , Miszczyk Karolina
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing disease with a multifactoral etiology. The basic disorder of the atopic dermatitis is the disruption of the epidermal barrier. The family history of atopy is a high risk factor of the development of the disease. The clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and vary depending on patient’s age, disease duration and current disease activity according to the SCORAD scale.

 

Objective: The aim of the review is to analyze the latest information on the characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis, including new biological medications.

 

Methods and materials: The sources available in PubMed database have been analyzed using the keywords: „atopic dermatitis”, „epidermal barrier”, „SCORAD index”, „topical treatment”, „biological therapy”, „Janus kinase inhibitors”.

 

Current state of knowledge: Atopic dermatitis is only treated symptomatically. The greatest therapeutic challenge is to reduce the pruritus which significantly impairs the quality of life. Topical corticosteroids may cause local side effects. The most severe cases of the disease require systemic treatment with immunosuppressants.

 

Conclusions: The complex pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis is the object of research. Understanding the immunological mechanisms responsible for the development of the disease allows to introduce new therapeutic options. Previous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of biological medications in reducing disease activity, which is a chance to improve the quality of live of the patients suffering from atopic dermatitis.
The shadow of 2022 is still shaping cyberthreats
Authors: Sheppard Colin
Published: August 2023

Recent research has shown how the global events of 2022 are still affecting the nature of cyberthreats today and possibly into the future. This article takes a closer look at the findings and what they mean for businesses, including a detailed rundown of the most prevalent threats, methods and attack vectors used.
Don't blame people – fix the system
Authors: Bejerasco Christine
Published: August 2023

It's easy to blame people when security incidents occur. But while many types of breaches do indeed involve a human element, we should stop to ask ourselves why people acted in the ways they did, and why that was allowed to become a problem. Our systems and processes need to be designed with security embedded deeply within them so that minor lapses on the part of staff members are prevented from becoming a problem.
A new age of cyber: transitioning from security to safety
Authors: Golan Guy
Published: August 2023

As we shift further and further into the digital realm, the threats that face us are outpacing even the most aggressive digital transformation efforts. For businesses, tackling security is no longer a matter of making IT systems more robust – it is about the safety of the entire organisation.
Good cyber security governance is crucial for us all
Authors: Nachreiners Corey
Published: August 2023

It's time we moved on from the traditional focus on technical and operational controls that IT teams need to deploy to defend against attack, and adopt a proper cyber security governance programme.
Proposing an Academic Space of “Autism and Profound Learning Disability”
Authors: Redmore Ned
Published: August 2023

This article makes a practical suggestion to addressing the acute marginalisation of people with complex needs within academia. To do this, it first explores how the academic use of the terms “autism” and “severe/profound learning disabilities” leads to exclusionary practices where people with complex needs cannot represent themselves in research about their lives. These practices, this article contends, are epistemically and ethically unjustified. It demonstrates the former by exploring the shared ways in which people with complex needs are known in academic and social contexts. Regarding the latter, it argues that the research fields of autism and learning disabilities have favoured practices that exclude people with complex needs. To improve their academic representation, an academic space of “autism and profound learning disability” is proposed by drawing from Kraus’s (2015) theory of lifeworlds and life-conditions. The aim of the space is to be open and inclusive to any person with complex needs related to the terms “autism” and “severe/profound learning disabilities”, and to develop ethical research and practices that include their perspectives, views, and values. The paper concludes by presenting a preliminary agenda for the space.
Activist care: acts of care as acts of citizenship
Authors: Lampredi Giacomo
Published: August 2023

Care is activist when acts of care produce acts of citizenship: acts of breaking the dominant models of being responsible. This article has the theoretical objective of parsing how some acts of care become activist because they subvert the dominant norms of involvement and produce new ways of being mutually linked. They break established habits and social habitus, and they require new ways of acting and responding. This is what allows us to reinterpret care as a subversive practice, reshaping the political, affective and ethical boundaries. This can generate the condemnation and criminalisation of care in response.
A qualitative inquiry into changing attitudes towards female genital mutilation following migration: the case of Eritrean women in Italy
Authors: Habte Mereb , Yang Yunjeong
Published: August 2023

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice that consists in the partial or full removal of the external female genitalia. This article, guided by Glaser and Strauss’ ‘grounded theory’ approach, and based on semi-structured interviews with Eritrean women immigrants in Italy, aims to show qualitatively the process of how migration and a new socio-cultural milieu influences the ideas and attitudes surrounding FGM. Our findings show a clear abandonment of the practice and a refusal of the idea of continuation of it among participants. A newly acquired awareness of sexuality in a new culture was pointed out as important by the majority of the participants. It is however noteworthy that simply moving to and living in a country where FGM is not practised does not ensure abandonment. A great level of integration into a new culture is an answer. That said, participants expressed the need for, and suggested the creation of, anti-FGM sensitisation programmes. This study contributes to qualitative research on this harmful and sensitive practice, and suggests ways to ultimately end it.
Digitally facilitated economic abuse in the age of digital financial services – new risks for economic abuse in intimate partner violence
Authors: Nyman Charlott , Evertsson Lars , Henrikson Ann-Sofie
Published: August 2023

The aim is to show how digital financial services are used to perpetrate digitally facilitated economic abuse. The article is based on interviews with women in Sweden who are survivors of intimate partner violence and economic abuse.

The use of digital financial services is rapidly expanding and in Sweden they are used by the majority of the population. They are available on smart devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops and have become a part of everyday life. Research on technology facilitated abuse and research on economic abuse have not addressed the risks for economic abuse via digital financial services. To bridge this gap, we suggest a merging of these fields to focus on what we call digitally facilitated economic abuse.

Findings show that digital financial services constitute risks for economic abuse and facilitate abusive behaviours. Smart devices serve as digital bank books, wallets and identity cards, all rolled into one neat little package, opening up for new methods for economic abuse. Abusers use digital financial services to limit and restrict the woman’s access to money, to monitor and control her use of money by breaching her financial privacy, to economically exploit her and to put her in debt.
Staying in Place: Southern Methodists, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, and Postwar Battles for Control of Church Property
Authors: Barringer Gordon Sarah
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Late in the Civil War, northern missionaries from African Methodist denominations flooded into Kentucky and across the upper South, where they sought new members, especially among Black Methodist congregations. But they encountered resistance from an unexpected foe—the law of church property. White Southern Methodists had prided themselves on their "Mission to the Negroes," and white churchmen used litigation to ensure that Black churches remained in the hands of the proslavery church, even after emancipation. This article recovers an otherwise unknown series of Kentucky court decisions on questions of race and church property. Other jurisdictions followed Kentucky's lead, frustrating shifts in allegiance to Black northern denominations. These cases give new context to the formation of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) in 1870, which tied Black congregations firmly to the southern church. By taking law into account, the role of sacred space, church property and financial wealth, and the use of state power all emerge as key elements of the story. The legal history of CME's founding and its early growth highlight a reconstituted white supremacy, which imposed a strict requirement that the new denomination avoid all politics and yet could not prevent the emergence of a vibrant and longstanding spiritual community.
"She Is a Very Smart Woman and a Great Trader": Enslaved and Free Black Women's Property Claims and Entrepreneurship in the Antebellum South
Authors: Viglini Nicole
Published: August 2023

Abstract: This article examines Black women's relationships to personal property in the antebellum era via the claims for compensation they submitted to the Southern Claims Commission. Formed by Congress in 1871, this commission was instituted to reimburse unionist Southerners in seceded states for property confiscated and appropriated by the US Army during the Civil War. These records not only reveal that Black women possessed considerable property before the Civil War; they also show how the women used credit as a survival strategy during the height of the domestic slave trade. They forged relationships of trust which were fundamental to the Southern economy, and their communities and families recognized their sole ownership of the property they earned through their skilled domestic labor. Leveraging their reputations as credible economic actors, Black women employed their property and entrepreneurial expertise to achieve a modicum of security. This helped them assert their stable places within Southern communities, even if those communities were defined by Black bondage and white capital accumulation.
Forgotten No Longer: Universities and Slavery in Twenty-First-Century Scholarship and Memory
Authors: Oast Jennifer
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Just twenty years ago, little was known about the connections between universities and slavery—few understood that universities had been founded and funded by slave owners and others who made their fortunes through the transatlantic slave trade. This essay examines several excellent books and articles on slavery and universities that have created a new subfield within the historiography of American slavery. This new body of work has focused on three main themes: the economic benefits enjoyed by universities from the donations of men who profited from slavery, the role of universities in promoting proslavery ideology, and the use of slaves by universities to work on their campuses and fund their educational missions. This research has led to calls for institutional apologies for slavery, memorialization of slaves who worked on campuses, and reparations for the descendants of these slaves; it is literally reshaping the physical and ideological landscape of many American universities.
Wittenberg Uses of Law and Gospel
Authors: Kolb Robert
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Melanchthon attempted to preserve the proper preaching of repentance and to teach proper Christian living through the law of God by designating three uses of the law in the Christian life. He did so to counter the form of antinomianism advanced by Johann Agricola. The Wittenberg theologians distinguished Christian preachers’ uses of the law from its functioning in their hearers and the impact it makes on the actions of the hearers. Luther did not use Melanchthon’s terminology but recognized that the law as God’s design for humanity functions as societal discipline, call to repentance, and instruction in godly living. For saints who are in combat with their own sinfulness each day, the law’s good counsel easily turns to accusation as well.
Epitomes as Interpretations, Teaching Tools, and Rules of Faith
Authors: Dingel Irene
Published: August 2023

Abstract: The genre of the epitome, a digest or summary of a larger work or body of information, served all late medieval and early modern academic disciplines as a form for conveying material in a form easier to learn, master, and put to use. Epitomes served the Wittenberg Reformation in this way. This essay examines different types of this genre. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, and the index of Johann Aurifaber’s printed edition of Luther’s Tischreden , designed as other indices of the time to guide readers to the proper use of the document, can serve as examples of how the authors of these three documents strove to provide a basic guide to proper biblical teaching for application in the life of the church. Epitomes were thus not mere summaries, but had a theological and at the same time didactic purpose.
An Intersectional Approach to Parental Ethnic/Racial Socialization Practices and Adolescent Academic Outcomes
Authors: Telfer Nicole A. , Else-Quest Nicole M.
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Amid ethnic/racial stratification and oppression, parents’ engagement in ethnic/racial socialization (ERS) practices foster resilience and positive outcomes in youth. Research has found inconsistent effects of ERS practices on adolescent academic outcomes and has neglected the intersectionality of race/ethnicity and gender. Using an intersectional approach and longitudinal design, we explored how N = 358 parents’ ERS practices (cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust) predicted academic outcomes among male and female Black/African American, Asian American, Latinx, and White/European American high schoolers 1 year later. Ethnic/racial group differences in ERS practices were consistent across youth gender. Our intersectional approach revealed that cultural socialization predicted Asian American boys’ academic achievement and that preparation for bias predicted Black/African American boys’ academic achievement. Future studies should continue to explore the gendered construction of ERS messages and how they shape academic outcomes differently across diverse samples.
Changes in Social Pretend Play as Toddlers Form Relationships With Peers
Authors: Luo Zhangjing , Lahat Ayelet , Perlman Michal , Howe Nina , Recchia Holly E. , Bukowski William M. , Ross Hildy
Published: August 2023

Abstract: We examined the evolution of social pretend play in toddlers and tested whether children’s age, gender, and language abilities were associated with changes in social pretend play over time. We employed a unique observational data set that followed 28 children ( M age = 27 months old; 57% boys) with each of two unfamiliar peers over 18 playdates per dyad. Cross-classified multilevel models revealed a quadratic change in the number of successful initiations in toddlers’ social pretend play over time with a more pronounced curve for older toddlers. Boys’ failed initiations increased linearly over time, whereas girls’ failed initiations remained stable. The length of social pretend play did not change significantly over time. Children’s age and language abilities were positively associated with successful initiations, failed initiations, and length of social pretend play. Very young children engage in social pretend play and the nature of this play evolves as they get to know one another and form relationships.
Children’s Emotional Reactivity to Emotionally Evocative Stimuli: Associations With Internalizing Symptoms
Authors: Gabel Lindsay N. , Daoust Andrew R. , Olino Thomas M. , Grahn Jessica A. , Durbin C. Emily , Hayden Elizabeth P.
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Individual differences in emotional reactivity emerge early in development and predict important child outcomes. Unfortunately, methods used to assess these often fail to tap dynamic changes in emotion, obscuring nuanced relationships between maladaptive emotional reactivity and early internalizing psychopathology. We therefore explored the utility of an emerging, multimethod approach for examining children’s emotional reactivity. Thirty-nine children (22 girls; M age = 7.19 years, SD = .76) viewed 11 video clips eliciting happiness, sadness, or fear. We used multilevel growth curve modeling to estimate change in children’s self-reported and observed emotion across clips of increasing potency. Higher anxious/depressive symptoms predicted steeper trajectories of child-rated happiness and lower happiness and fear toward low-intensity clips. Higher depressive symptoms predicted lower child-rated sadness toward a low-intensity clip. The limited associations between children’s symptoms and emotion ratings averaged across clips suggested that modeling child emotion across stimuli of varying intensity yields a valuable index of emotional reactivity.
The Papacy and the English Religious, 1305–52
Authors: McDonald Peter
Published: August 2023

Abstract: This article examines the local effects of papal centralisation of ecclesiastical administration in the first half of the fourteenth century. It traces as a case study the impact on English monastic communities of papal privileges and exemptions, papal attempts to regulate religious observance, the expansion of the papal judicial system, and the growth of papal appointments of heads of houses. It concludes that the reality differed from the high theory of papalist claims to immediate and universal jurisdiction. Papal power ultimately depended on the consent of local actors and an increasingly assertive Crown, and burgeoning administrative activity at the papal curia did not translate into increased power and influence.
An Essay on Contextual Indeterminacy in Early Modern English Intellectual History: Past-Relationships, Historicity, Languages, and the Conceptual Realm
Authors: Condren Conal
Published: August 2023

Abstract: This article discusses contextualisation in early modern, mainly English intellectual history, from which ‘Cambridge contextualist’ history arose. It argues that contextualisation is a ubiquitous aspect of understanding and that historical contexts are unstable historiographical necessities, not features of history. It explores the issues most with reference to J. G. A. Pocock’s notions of ‘past-relationships’ in tension with a sense of historicity, and the ‘languages’ he considers fundamental to intellectual history. The former provides a valuable analytic vocabulary in and beyond the early modern; the latter are problematic. Discussion of the difficulties leads directly a critique of a conceptual realm as a necessary context for intellectual history.
Publicity and Persuasion in Early Modern England: The Babington Plot and its Aftermath, 1586‒88
Authors: McGovern Jonathan
Published: August 2023

Abstract: This article argues that the English Privy Council organised a persuasion campaign in the wake of the Babington Plot (1586). It examines a wealth of sources from a variety of genres, including prayers, sermons, ballads, and treatises, which are often analysed in isolation. It establishes the date of an anonymous sermon delivered at Paul’s Cross to condemn the Babington Plot, and it provides new information about the trials and executions of the traitors, making use of a little-known narrative written by the spy Maliverey Catilyn. The article reaffirms the traditional view that Tudor governments used popular propaganda to promote royal policy, which is of more utility than the theory of the ‘early modern public sphere’.
The Kangaroo Kelmscott: Materiality, Embellishment, and Australian Identity
Authors: Alfano Veronica , D’Arcens Louise
Published: August 2023

Abstract: The Kelmscott Chaucer (1896) is recognised as the crowning achievement of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press. In 1921, a copy of this book housed in the State Library of New South Wales was beautifully rebound in tooled kangaroo hide. We show that in the process of attempting to transform the Kelmscott Chaucer into an Australian cultural artefact, this rebinding illuminates Australian medievalism, the philosophy of the Kelmscott Press (which tends to hybridise the medieval and the modern), Chaucer’s depiction of materiality and surface in ‘The Canterbury Tales’, and the relationship between colonial and long-standing Indigenous Australian uses of kangaroo skin.
Grazing incidence to total internal reflection fluorescence structured illumination microscopy enabled by a prism telescope
Authors: Huser Thomas , Ortkrass Henning , Wiebusch Gerd , Schürstedt Jasmin , Szafranska Karolina , McCourt Peter
Published: August 2023

In super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) the separation between opposing laser spots in the back focal plane of the objective lens affects the pattern periodicity, and, thus, the resulting spatial resolution. Here, we introduce a novel hexagonal prism telescope which allows us to seamlessly change the separation between parallel laser beams for 3 pairs of beams, simultaneously. Each end of the prism telescope is composed of 6 Littrow prisms, which are custom-ground so they can be grouped together in the form of a tight hexagon. By changing the distance between the hexagons, the beam separation can be adjusted. This allows us to easily control the position of opposing laser spots in the back focal plane and seamlessly adjust the spatial frequency of the resulting interference pattern. This also enables the seamless transition from 2D-SIM to total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) excitation using objective lenses with high numerical aperture. In linear SR-SIM the highest spatial resolution can be achieved for extreme TIRF angles. The prism telescope allows us to investigate how the spatial resolution and contrast depend on the angle of incidence near, at, and beyond the critical angle. We demonstrate this by imaging the cytoskeleton and plasma membrane of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, which have a characteristic morphology consisting of thousands of small, transcellular pores that can only be observed by super-resolution microscopy.
Konsentrasi Benzalkonium Klorida Di Perairan Segara Anakan, Cilacap
Authors: Ayu Nurina , Kresnasari Dewi
Published: August 2023

Benzalkonium klorida (BAC) mengalami peningkatan penggunaan setelah pandemi Covid-19, namun penggunaan senyawa ini belum teregulasi secara intensif sehingga eksistensinya di perairan umum berpotensi menjadi ancaman serius bagi ekosistem. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji konsentrasi BAC di Segara Anakan sebagai salah satu ekosistem yang mendapat masukan dari aliran-aliran sungai di mana terdapat banyak aktivitas manusia. Pengambilan sampel air dilakukan menggunakan metode purposive random sampling pada lima lokasi di Segara Anakan dengan kriteria yaitu: lokasi yang dekat dengan aktivitas domestik penduduk, lokasi yang jauh dari aktivitas domestik penduduk (termasuk yang dikelilingi oleh hutan mangrove), lokasi di sekitar kawasan industri, serta lokasi dengan limpasan air tawar atau muara sungai. Kisaran BAC yang ditemukan pada kolom air permukaan Segara Anakan dari Stasiun 1 hingga 5 adalah 0,139 µg/l, 0,235 µg/l, 0,189 µg/l, 0,206 µg/l, dan 0,245 µg/l. Sedangkan konsentrasi pada kolom air di permukaan dasar dari Stasiun 1 hingga 5 adalah 0,126 µg/l, 0,222 µg/l, 0,196 µg/l, 0,175 µg/l, dan 0,241 µg/l. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa BAC merupakan mikropolutan yang ditemukan di perairan Segara Anakan Cilacap. Konsentrasi BAC yang ditemukan juga dipengaruhi oleh nilai parameter fisikokimiawi perairan.  The use of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) has been increasing after the Covid-19 pandemic, but there are still no intensive regulation about the utilization of of this compound so that its presence in public waters has the potential to become a serious threat to ecosystems. This study aimed to examine the concentration of BAC in Segara Anakan as an ecosystem that receives input from rivers contaminated by domestic waste as a result of human activities. Water samples were taken using a purposive random sampling method at five locations in Segara Anakan with the following criteria: locations close to the domestic activities, locations far from domestic activities (including those surrounded by mangrove forests), locations around industrial areas, and locations with fresh water or river estuary runoff. The BAC concentration in the Segara Anakan surface water column from Stations 1 to 5 were 0.139 µg/l, 0.235 µg/l, 0.189 µg/l, 0.206 µg/l, and 0.245 µg/l, respectively. Meanwhile, the concentrations in the water column at the bottom surface from Stations 1 to 5 were 0.126 µg/l, 0.222 µg/l, 0.196 µg/l, 0.175 µg/l, and 0.241 µg/l, respectively. The results showed that BAC was a micropollutant found in the waters of Segara Anakan Cilacap. The concentrations were also influenced by the physicochemical parameter values of the waters.
Marriage and Family Instability in Modern Kenya: The Case of Western Kenya
Authors: Olungah Charles Owuor
Published: August 2023

Marriage institution has provided the anchorage and the rationale for Africa to be termed as the ‘continent of the family’. This coveted identity is however, in total decline given the new realities and circumstances surrounding the institution. This is occasioned by family instability in which most marriages no longer hold. Traditional African family patterns are slowly but progressively being altered as a result of modernization. Family patterns that were the norm in African societies are gradually being altered and substituted by modern values and the vows common in churches ‘until death do we part’ are no-longer tenable. Changes in the African family is being felt in fertility rates, are at marriage, marriage patterns and marital stability. Based on opportunistic sampling that conveniently selected 26 maternal dyads (consisting of mothers and their daughters who are married with at least two children) within the Western Kenya region, the study examined through in-depth interviews, the trends that depict family patterns in Kenya. It teased out two key issues connected with the African family patterns that is marriage and familial stability with the goal of illuminating the changes that are characterizing their prevalence. The comparative study between the mothers and their daughters regarding the nature of their marriages and the effects on familial stability concludes that marriage is under siege and innovative processes are needed to change the tide since the present generation are too casual in their marital relationship and the institution is fast losing its grip.
Islamic and Conventional Banks an Analogy: Relationship Between Capital, Risk and Efficiency
Authors: Azeem Muhammad
Published: August 2023

Does inefficiency interrelate with more risk? Is there any real distinction between traditional (interest based) and Islamic banks (non-interest based) as far as efficiency and risk taking concern? The purpose of this research is to answer these inquiries with regards to Pakistan. A few studies tried to analyze the performance of traditional and Islamic banking, but, no study specifically examines the trio between bank’s risk, capital and efficiency in Pakistan. By doing so the date has been extracted from the audited annual reports of concerned banks. Additionally, sophisticated statistical techniques applied to drew valid estimations such as; Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) respectively. Moreover, the outcomes indicate that Islamic banks are highly effective in cost control as compared to traditional banks. Furthermore, the estimations of SUR establish the interrelation among efficiency and capital for Islamic banks only. Precisely, enhanced risk reduces capital and efficiency of Islamic banks, whereas the dynamic of traditional banks are different.
Light curve analysis of main belt asteroids 4747, 5255, 11411, 15433, 17866
Authors: Eglitis Ilgmars , Kristers Nagainis
Published: August 2023

The main belt asteroids 4747, 5255, 11411, 15433, and 17866 were studied at the Baldone Astrophysical Observatory in the time span range 2018–2022. The obtained light curve data together with published Minor Planet Center data are analyzed with Fourier series, Lomb-Scargle periodogram, and phase dispersion minimization methods. A plan of analysis is given. The results computed from different observatories’ data are compared, and mean-weighted periods are obtained.
Preparation and characterization of polymeric cross-linked hydrogel patch for topical delivery of gentamicin
Authors: Arshad Javaria , Barkat Kashif , Ashraf Muhammad Umer , Badshah Syed Faisal , Ahmad Zulcaif , Anjum Irfan , Shabbir Maryam , Mehmood Yasir , Khalid Ikrima , Malik Nadia Shamshad , Bin Jardan Yousef A. , Nafidi Hiba-Allah , Bourhia Mohammed
Published: August 2023

This research aimed to prepare and characterize a new type of polymeric cross-linked topical hydrogel patches for the treatment of wound infections. The free radical polymerization method was used to prepare the topical hydrogel patches by utilizing natural polymers, i.e., agarose and gelatin. These natural polymers were chemically cross-linked with monomer (acrylic acid) using ammonium persulfate as an initiator via the cross-linker N,N methylene bisacrylamide. An antibiotic, i.e., gentamicin sulfate was loaded into a designed polymeric system. The polymeric cross-linked topical hydrogel patches were made in a spherical shape, which was revealed to be stable and elastic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray powder diffraction investigation were used to characterize the topical hydrogel patches. Polymeric cross-linked hydrogel patches were evaluated for their sol–gel analysis, swelling studies, in vitro drug release studies against pH 5.5, 6.5, and 7.4, ex vivo drug permeation, and the deposition study on the rabbit’s skin by using a Franz diffusion cell. In addition, the skin irritation study and wound healing performance of drug-loaded topical patches were also assessed and compared to commercially available formulations. The topical hydrogel patches were found to be non-irritating to the skin for up to 72 h as determined by a Draize patch test and when compared to marketed formulations, these topical patches resulted in faster wound healing. The prepared formulation showed promising potential for the treatment of skin wound infection.
Detection of a 7SL RNA-derived small non-coding RNA using Molecular Beacons in vitro and in cells
Authors: Weigert Nina , Schweiger Anna-Lena , Gross Jonas , Matthes Marie , Corbacioglu Selim , Sommer Gunhild , Heise Tilman
Published: August 2023

Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA) are involved in many steps of the gene expression cascade and regulate processing and expression of mRNAs by the formation of ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNP) such as the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). By analyzing small RNA Seq data sets, we identified a sncRNA annotated as piR-hsa-1254, which is likely derived from the 3′-end of 7SL RNA2 (RN7SL2), herein referred to as snc7SL RNA. The 7SL RNA is an abundant long non-coding RNA polymerase III transcript and serves as structural component of the cytoplasmic signal recognition particle (SRP). To evaluate a potential functional role of snc7SL RNA, we aimed to define its cellular localization by live cell imaging. Therefore, a Molecular Beacon (MB)-based method was established to compare the subcellular localization of snc7SL RNA with its precursor 7SL RNA. We designed and characterized several MBs in vitro and tested those by live cell fluorescence microscopy. Using a multiplex approach, we show that 7SL RNA localizes mainly to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as expected for the SRP, whereas snc7SL RNA predominately localizes to the nucleus. This finding suggests a fundamentally different function of 7SL RNA and its derivate snc7SL RNA.