bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI is superior to non-contrast mapping to predict left ventricular remodeling at 6 months after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Chen Hang , Erley Jennifer , Muellerleile Kai , Saering Dennis , Jahnke Charlotte , Cavus Ersin , Schneider Jan N. , Blankenberg Stefan , Lund Gunnar K. , Adam Gerhard , Tahir Enver , Sinn Martin
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Parametric mapping constitutes a novel cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) technique enabling quantitative assessment of pathologic alterations of left ventricular (LV) myocardium. This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of mapping techniques with and without contrast agent compared to standard CMR to predict adverse LV remodeling following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Materials and methods

A post hoc analysis was performed on sixty-four consecutively enrolled patients (57 ± 12 years, 54 men) with first-time reperfused AMI. Baseline CMR was obtained at 8 ± 5 days post-AMI, and follow-up CMR at 6 ± 1.4 months. T1/T2 mapping, T2-weighted, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) acquisitions were performed at baseline and cine imaging was used to determine adverse LV remodeling, defined as end-diastolic volume increase by 20% at 6 months.

Results

A total of 11 (17%) patients developed adverse LV remodeling. At baseline, patients with LV remodeling showed larger edema (30 ± 11 vs. 22 ± 10%LV; p < 0.05), infarct size (24 ± 11 vs. 14 ± 8%LV; p < 0.001), extracellular volume (ECVinfarct; 63 ± 12 vs. 47 ± 11%; p < 0.001), and native T2infarct (95 ± 16 vs. 78 ± 17 ms; p < 0.01). ECVinfarct and infarct size by LGE were the best predictors of LV remodeling with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.843 and 0.789, respectively (all p < 0.01). Native T1infarct had the lowest AUC of 0.549 (p = 0.668) and was inferior to edema size by T2-weighted imaging (AUC = 0.720; p < 0.05) and native T2infarct (AUC = 0.766; p < 0.01).

Conclusion

In this study, ECVinfarct and infarct size by LGE were the best predictors for the development of LV remodeling within 6 months after AMI, with a better discriminative performance than non-contrast mapping CMR.

Clinical relevance statement

This study demonstrates the predictive value of contrast-enhanced and non-contrast as well as conventional and novel CMR techniques for the development of LV remodeling following AMI, which might help define precise CMR endpoints in experimental and clinical myocardial infarction trials.

Key Points

• Multiparametric CMR provides insights into left ventricular remodeling at 6 months following an acute myocardial infarction.

• Extracellular volume fraction and infarct size are the best predictors for adverse left ventricular remodeling.

• Contrast-enhanced T1 mapping has a better predictive performance than non-contrast standard CMR and T1/T2 mapping.
Groundwater recharge processes in the Lake Chad Basin based on isotopic and chemical data
Authors: Vassolo Sara , Gröschke Maike , Koeniger Paul , Neukum Christoph , Seehausen Laila , Witt Lilli , Ronnelngar Mélanie , Daïra Djoret
Published: September 2023

The Lake Chad Basin is Africa’s largest endorheic basin. Because water supply for the rural population and most of the urban population depends on groundwater, assessment of groundwater recharge is crucial. Recharge sources for the upper Quaternary aquifer are precipitation, rivers, and swamps. Using water chemistry, and environmental (18O, 2H, 3H) and carbon (14C) isotopes, recharge processes can be assessed and groundwater ages roughly estimated. For this purpose, more than 1,000 samples from groundwater, surface water and precipitation were analysed for hydrochemistry and environmental stable isotopes. Furthermore, 3H measurements and 14C values of dissolved inorganic carbon for groundwater from the northeastern part of the Basin are included in the evaluation. The environmental isotope distribution shows recent recharge from precipitation north of Lake Chad (Kanem Region), where very low 3H values indicate occurrence before the 1960s bomb peak. Focused recharge from fresh river water is typical for Salamat Region in south Chad and the Komadugu Yobe wetlands between Nigeria and Niger. Slightly high δ-values in water occur in the Waza Logone area between Chad and Cameroon. Groundwater along the Lake Chad shore and the Bahr el Ghazal corridor show high δ-values (δ18O –0.78 to 7.45‰, δ2H –13.6 to 30.8‰). Recharge is caused by surface water that undergoes evaporative processes before percolation. Groundwater ages of 600–4,150 years, estimated from 14C analyses combined with high SO4 concentrations, along the Bahr el Ghazal indicate that recharge was caused by residuals of the Mega Lake before it dried out completely.
Butterfly gliomas: a time for stratified management?
Authors: Sinha Siddharth , Avnon Adam , Perera Andrea , Lavrador Jose Pedro , Ashkan Keyoumars
Published: September 2023

Butterfly glioblastomas (bGBM) are a rare subset of WHO grade IV tumours that carry a poor prognosis with a median survival ranging between 3.3 to 6 months. Given their poor prognosis, there is debate over whether histological diagnosis with a biopsy or any surgical or oncological intervention alters disease progression. With this in mind, we reviewed our experience as a high-volume unit to evaluate management decisions and outcomes. A retrospective analysis was undertaken (January 2009 to June 2021) of the electronic patient records of a large neurosurgical centre. We assessed patient demographics, initial clinical presentation, tumour characteristics, clinical management and overall survival (Kaplan–Meier estimator, log-rank analysis and cox proportional hazard analysis). Eighty cases of bGBM were identified. These patients were managed with biopsy ± adjuvant therapy (36), with radiotherapy alone without biopsy (3), or through surgical resection (3). Thirty-eight cases of suspected bGBM were managed conservatively, receiving no oncological treatment or surgical resection/biopsy for histological diagnosis. Those managed conservatively and with radiotherapy without biopsy were diagnosed at neuro-oncology multidisciplinary meeting (MDT) based on clinical presentation and radiological imaging. No significant difference in survival was seen between conservative management compared with single adjuvant treatment (p = 0.69). However, survival was significantly increased when patients received dual adjuvant chemoradiotherapy following biopsy or resection (p = 0.002). A Cox Proportional Hazards model found that survival was significantly impacted by the oncology treatment (p < 0.001), but was not significantly related to potential confounding variables such as the patient’s age (p = 0.887) or KPS (p = 0.057). Butterfly glioblastoma have a poor prognosis. Our study would suggest that unless a patient is planned for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy following biopsy, they should be managed conservatively. This avoids unnecessary procedural interventions with the associated morbidities and costs.
Shareholder Activism on Climate Change: Evolution, Determinants, and Consequences
Authors: Diaz-Rainey Ivan , Griffin Paul A. , Lont David H. , Mateo-Márquez Antonio J. , Zamora-Ramírez Constancio
Published: September 2023

We study 944 shareholder proposals submitted to 343 U.S. firms on climate change issues during 2009–2022. We use logistic and two-stage regression to estimate the propensity for a firm to be targeted or subjected to a vote at the annual general meeting and, for voted proposals, the determinants of that vote. We also examine whether climate-related proposals affect investor returns and how they relate to firms’ future environmental performance and greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to a matched sample, we first find that activists target larger, more carbon-intensive, and less R&D-active firms. Second, voting likelihood is higher for firms with repeated and operations-related proposals and lower pre-proposal environmental ratings. By contrast, disclosure-related proposals are likelier to be negotiated and withdrawn. Third, repeated and operations-related proposals receive higher votes in favor, whereas votes on carbon-intensive firms do not. Fourth, building on the theory that investors act as if they distinguish among the different shareholder proposals based on the expected cost to the firm, we find evidence to support this idea. We find that investors respond negatively to ex-ante costlier proposals, such as those that relate to emissions reduction and target carbon-intensive firms. Fifth, targets’ future environmental performance rating is almost twenty percent higher after a proposal than before compared to the matched sample, whereas emissions do not budge appreciably.
Assessment of mitral valve geometry in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients with or without ventricular dysfunction: insights from high volume rate three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography
Authors: Bai Wenjuan , Chen Ying , Zhong Yue , Deng Ling , Li Dayan , Zhu Wei , Rao Li
Published: September 2023

Meticulous understanding of the mechanisms underpinning mitral regurgitation in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is crucial to optimize therapeutic strategies. The morphologic characteristics of mitral valves in atrial functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) patients with and without left ventricular (LV) dysfunction were evaluated by high volume rate (HVR) three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE). In our study, 68 of 265 AF patients who underwent 3D-TEE were selected, including 36 patients with AF, FMR, and preserved LV function (AFMR group) and 32 patients with AF, FMR, and LV dysfunction (VFMR group). In addition, 36 fever patients without heart disease were included in the control group. Group comparisons were performed by one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables. The left atrium (LA) was enlarged in the AFMR and VFMR groups compared with the control group. The mitral annulus (MA) in the AFMR group was enlarged and flattened compared with the control group and was smaller than in the VFMR group. The annulus area fraction was significantly diminished in the AFMR and VFMR groups, indicative of reduced MA contractility. The posterior mitral leaflet (PML) angle was smallest in the AFMR group and largest in the control group, whereas the distal anterior mitral leaflet angle did not significantly differ among the three groups. LA remodeling causes expansion of the MA and reduced MA contractility, disruption of the annular saddle shape, and atriogenic PML tethering. Comparison of atrial FMR patients with and without LV dysfunction indicates that atriogenic PML tethering is an important factor that aggravates FMR. HVR 3D-TEE improves the 3D temporal resolution greatly.
Safety of YAG laser vitreolysis for intraocular tissues: analysis of postoperative complications
Authors: Liu Jiannan , Wang Hao , Gu Wei , Zhao Tingting , Fan Wenxue , Peng Shaomin
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the safety of yttrium–aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser vitreolysis for intraocular tissues.

Methods

Thirty-six New Zealand rabbits were divided as follows: Group 1000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 1000 mJ (5 mJ × 200 shots), Group 2000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 2000 mJ (5 mJ × 400 shots), Group 3000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 3000 mJ (5 mJ × 600 shots). Either a single eye was chosen as the study eye in study groups while the other was untreated as the control group. Intraocular pressure (IOP), slit-lamp, optical coherence tomography (OCT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inflammatory cytokines of aqueous humor (interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were performed to examine the rabbits.

Results

There were no abnormalities in the study groups of IOP, slit-lamp, and OCT examinations. Group 3000 of TEM showed: neutrophils and mitochondrial swelling on day 1, and fibroblasts and neocollagen on day 14. No abnormalities were observed in Group 1000 and 2000 of TEM. Levels of IL-1α and TNF-α increased at 12 h and decreased to baseline on day 3. Levels of IL-1β increased at 12 h and decreased to baseline on day 7. Levels of IL-8 increased on day 1 and decreased to baseline on day 3.

Conclusion

YAG laser vitreolysis is safe when the distance is more than 2 mm from ablation point to the lens and the retina, and the total energy is less than 2000 mJ for one treatment procedure.
Unsaturated slopes behavior under antecedent intermittent rainfall patterns: centrifuge and numerical study
Authors: Jayakody Sanchitha Hema Sharendra , Uzuoka Ryosuke , Ueda Kyohei , Xu Jiawei
Published: September 2023

Antecedent rainfall is a prime factor for rainfall-induced landslides on unsaturated slopes. The effects of the intermittent behavior of antecedent rainfall on landslide initiation are uncertain. The work described here had the objective of showing the influence of antecedent intermittent rainfall patterns to predict landslide initiation. Soil slope models prepared from silty sand were tested in centrifuge model testing. At first, soil slopes experienced different antecedent rainfall patterns, namely, uniform gap, decreasing gap, and increasing gap, before they were exposed to continuous rainfall until the failure was initiated. The seepage and deformation behaviors of instrumented slopes were evaluated and back-analyzed with soil–water–air coupled hydromechanical finite element analysis using calibrated material parameters and suitable boundary conditions. The evolution of porewater pressure, displacements, and deviatoric strains was found to provide comparable responses. The analysis of incremental velocity clearly showed that times for landslide initiation follow the order of decreasing gap, uniform gap, and increasing gap antecedent rainfall patterns. The study identified that not only cumulative rainfall, but also antecedent intermittent rainfall patterns have a significant effect as a triggering agent and suggested incorporating it as a parameter for landslide early warning mechanisms.
The diagnosis and surgical management of pulmonary sequestration in adults: a case series from a single centre in the UK
Authors: Asif Ashar , Lilley Daniel , Howard-Walker Sherene , Ajab Shereen , Qadri Syed Suhail
Published: September 2023

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare congenital malformation where extrapulmonary lung tissue receives systemic blood supply from an anomalous branch directly from the thoracic or abdominal aorta. Whilst non-malignant, it can often present with similar symptoms as lung cancer. We present a retrospective review of 8 consecutive adult patients undergoing surgical management for PS within a single centre in the UK. Of our cohort, 62.5% had never smoked. PS in the right lung was seen in 62.5% of cases. Anomalous branches of the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein or coeliac axis supplied 37.5% of the PS seen in our cohort, and 12.5% did not have a radiologically identifiable blood supply. Techniques varied from thoracotomy (n = 4), video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) (n = 3) to robotic resection (n = 1) with no intra-operative or post-operative complications reported within hospital. The mean length of stay was 2 days. The post-operative mortality rate was 12.5%; one patient had died following the robotic resection of the mass of pneumonia in the local district hospital 26 days post-operatively after being discharged. No other complications nor recurrence was recorded over the follow-up period. Where pulmonary masses receive blood supply from anomalous branches of the pulmonary vein and coeliac axis, diagnoses of PS should be considered. The clinical feasibility of discharge in 2 days with no symptom recurrence should undergo further investigation with a larger sample size.
Causal Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Risk of Otitis Media with Effusion in Children: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Cao Jingwen , Liu Wei , Yang Zixuan , Qu Gaoya , Zhong Cuiping
Published: September 2023

Background

Body mass index(BMI) in children appears to be associated with Otitis media with effusion(OME) in observational studies, but the causal relationship is not clear.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to explore the causal relationship between childhood BMI and OME in people of European ancestry. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of childhood BMI were used as exposures (n = 61,111), while GWAS of OME were used as outcomes (n = 429,290). The weighted inverse variance method (IVW) was used as a baseline method to test for causality. In addition, MR-Egger, simple mode analysis, weighted median, and weighted mode were used as complementary methods.MR-PRESSO analysis, MR-Egger intercept analysis, and Cochran’s Q statistical analysis were also used to detect possible directional heterogeneity and polymorphism. To assess this association, we used ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (ci). All statistical analyses were performed in R.

Results

We selected 22 genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from GWAS as instrumental variables (IVW). the IVW approach showed evidence supporting a causal relationship between BMI and OME in children (β = 0.265, SE = 0.113, P = 0.018). MR-Egger regression showed that targeted polymorphisms were unlikely to bias the results bias (intercept=-0.022; P = 0.488), but there was no causal relationship between BMI and OME (β = 0.584, SE = 0.465, P = 0.224). Although the results of the IVW and MR Egger analyses were not consistent, the IVW analysis maintained higher precision, and the Cochran Q test, heterogeneity and polymorphism tests showed no heterogeneity, no directionality and no polymorphism.

Conclusions

MR studies suggest that genetically predicted body mass index in childhood is associated with an increased risk of OME. Notably, given the limitations of this study, the mechanism of association between body mass index and OME in childhood needs further investigation. These results support the importance of effective management of obesity, which may reduce OME occurrence and decrease OME recurrence.
Svalöf: a High Yielding Potato with Resistance to Late Blight in Nordic Latitudes
Authors: Ortiz Rodomiro , Reslow Fredrik , Carlson-Nilsson Ulrika
Published: September 2023

Svalöf is a yellow-skinned, light yellow-fleshed, high-yielding table potato cultivar for the high latitude of Scandinavia, showing partial resistance to Phytophthora infestans (causing late blight) and same specific gravity as the mealy cultivar King Edward, which is preferred in the fresh market by consumers in Sweden. It was selected as breeding clone SLU 1314015 in the first clonal generation (T1) at the late-blight prone site of Mosslunda (Skåne, southern Sweden) in October 2015. The cross for obtaining it was made by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2013 involving the breeding clone D09 1:2 1701 as female parent and the Dutch cultivar Carolus as male parent. Svalöf show very large, round-oval tubers with shallow eyes and smooth skin. Its tuber yield averaged above 6%, 23%, 25% and 59% of Dutch cultivars Connect, Fontane, Carolus and Bintje, respectively, across multi-site trials in Sweden. Its unstable reducing sugar in the tuber flesh, as determined by multi-site testing, suggests that it will not be suitable for the crisp or chip processing. SLU’s Svensk potatisförädling is seeking registration to be included in the Svenska Sortlistan, which lists cultivars available and is a pre-condition for certification of planting materials in the European Union. The release of Svalöf as new potato cultivar will be the first entirely bred for this crop in Sweden since the mid-1990s.
Nationaal Actieplan Dakloosheid: Eerst een Thuis
Authors: Wolf Judith R. L. M. , Scheepers Annabel L. , Al Shamma Sara , van den Dries Linda
Published: September 2023

Samenvatting

Het is de ambitie van het Rijk om dakloosheid in Nederland in de periode 2023–2030 structureel terug te dringen en in 2030 zelfs te beëindigen. Dat vraagt om een beweging van het zoeken naar oplossingen achteraf, als mensen dakloos zijn, naar het voorkómen dat mensen verder uitgesloten en dakloos raken. Daarmee verschuift de focus naar mensen die instabiel of ontoereikend zijn gehuisvest en mensen die een verblijfsinstelling verlaten. Vroegtijdige, passende ondersteuning van individuen en gezinnen is noodzakelijk, maar niet voldoende. Preventie van dakloosheid is alleen te realiseren als de structurele problemen worden aangepakt die samenhangen met de maatschappelijke ongelijkheid in Nederland. Dit vraagt van alle overheden om zich samen met partners (zoals opvanginstellingen en woningcorporaties) in te zetten voor bestaanszekerheid en ontplooiingskansen voor iedereen. En door een fundamentele verschuiving in te zetten van opvang naar preventie en wonen, dus naar wonen en ondersteuning van mensen in hun leefwereld, in het sociaal domein. Dat betekent werken aan sociale inclusie, ofwel concrete acties ondernemen voor meer bestaanszekerheid, een sterke voorzorg als mensen de greep op hun bestaan dreigen te verliezen, flexibele herstelzorg voor mensen die langdurig op zorg zijn aangewezen en een breed arsenaal van woonvarianten voor uiteenlopende groepen mensen, ingebed in een sterke sociale basis.
Probabilistic and Fuzzy Nonlinear Discontinuous Aeroelastic Analysis of In-plane FG Panels in Supersonic Flow with Mechanical and Thermal In-plane Loadings
Authors: Hussein Omar S.
Published: September 2023

This paper is concerned with the uncertain discontinuous nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of in-plane bi-directional functionally graded (FG) metal nanocomposite panels. The panels are subjected to supersonic flow and in-plane mechanical and thermal loadings. This type of FG structures is manufactured using additive manufacturing technologies which might lead to uncertain properties of the manufactured parts due to manufacturing uncertainties, modeling uncertainties in the mathematical and physical formulations used to predict their properties, or uncertainties in the constituent materials properties themselves. These sources of uncertainties might be known with defined probability density functions or defined with uncertain intervals only (fuzzy). Therefore, the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite material are modeled as uncertain random variables or random fields with known probability distribution function (pdf) or uncertain fuzzy variables or fields with given intervals. The random fields are modeled using the Karhunen–Loève expansion (KLE), and the uncertain output variables are modeled using the Hermite polynomial chaos expansion method (HPCE). The effects of the material properties uncertainties type (fuzzy vs. probabilistic), the cross-correlation between the thermal and mechanical properties, the random fields properties (correlation length, stationary vs. non-stationary, etc.) on the dynamic stability thresholds and the nonlinear limit cycle oscillation are studied.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: McIlvanna Emily , McCarthy Caroline , Gurzawska-Comis Katarzyna
Published: September 2023

Purpose of Review

To describe the global impact of COVID-19 on oral cancer incidence and prognosis and to inform strategies for early detection and prevention.

Recent Findings

There is international evidence of delayed diagnosis and more advanced oral tumours presenting during the pandemic. Lockdowns were also associated with delayed surgeries and compromised treatment. School closures during the pandemic resulted in a rapid decline of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage among adolescents globally. There was a rise in risk factor uptake in the form of tobacco use and alcohol consumptions across many parts of the world to manage stress and boredom during the pandemic. The economic fallout from the pandemic is another barrier to dental access and therefore early cancer detection.

The full impact of the pandemic on oral cancer incidence and mortality may not be seen for some time. Strategies aimed at prevention and early detection of oral cancer should be prioritised.
Investigation of the influence of model control parameters on fracture characteristics of GPU parallel FDEM
Authors: Wang Weiqin , Ren Jianju , Liu Kaide , Ma Hao , Liu Pan , Yuan Kekuo
Published: September 2023

Surrounding rock mass fracture characteristics play a significant role in the understanding of the CO2 geological storage and utilization (CGSU) engineering practices in abandoned mines. The combined finite discrete element method (FDEM) shows advantages in simulating fracture and fragmentation of rock-like materials, however, many computational parameters and a lack of basis for accurate values affect the simulation results. For systematic explorations of the influence of the effect of model parameters with different time steps, this study conducted different loading rate specimen tests and unloading rate tests both in laboratory-scale tests and field-scale based on the CUDA-based GPU parallel FDEM program. In laboratory-scale uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests, a smaller loading rate ensures a quasi-static loading process and should be below 0.1 ms−1 for simulation. Then, continuous optimization and improvement of the GPU parallel FDEM in tunnel excavation were proposed, and the model parameters reflect the continuous improvement of the simulation results. In the process, the tunnel excavation simulation method with the reduction rate of the opening zone’s Young's modulus in the excavation was performed to investigate the unloading mode and rate by continuing to optimize the GPU parallel FDEM program and model parameters. Besides, the main factor in fracture mode and failure mechanism of the surrounding rock mass also was calibrated. The results indicate that the system kinetic energy of the model is maintained at a small level with the reasonable unloading mode and critical threshold set at a small value, the damping parameters, dissipation mechanism, and excavation fractures are clearer and reasonable, and the computational cost is significantly reduced with GPU parallel FDEM.
Cognitive training in surgical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jiang Yu , Fang Panpan , Shang Zixiang , Zhu Wenjie , Gao Shan , Liu Xuesheng
Published: September 2023

Cognitive training (CT) has been shown to reduce the risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia, but the evidence is controversial. Additionally, whether different timings of CT have diverse effects and which surgical populations benefit most are unclear. To answer these questions, we searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library through July 18, 2022, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CT in surgical patients with general anesthesia reporting cognitive outcomes, and found 13 studies including 989 patients. Pooled analysis showed that CT could significantly reduce the incidence of POCD (k=7, RR=0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI)=[0.34–0.78]), especially for the noncardiac surgery population (k=4, RR=0.43 [0.29–0.63], P<0.01, I2 =0%). The pooled RRs for preoperative CT and postoperative CT were both low and statistically significant, while that for perioperative CT was not (k=2, RR=0.42 [0.25–0.70], P<0.01, I2=0% vs k=4, RR=0.43 [0.28–0.67], P<0.01, I2=0% vs k=1, RR=1.44 [0.69–3.01], P=0.34, I2=0%). Small to moderate effects were found for executive function, speed, language and verbal memory, while no statistically significant effects were found for postoperative delirium (POD), global cognition, working memory, and psychosocial functioning, including depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Although RCT evidence remains sparse, current evidence suggests that preoperative and postoperative CT may help reduce the incidence of POCD, particularly in the noncardiac surgery population, and improve specific cognitive domains in surgical patients. This intervention therefore warrants longer-term and larger-scale trials to examine the effects on the risk of POD and application to the cardiac surgery population.

Graphical Abstract
Snow and ice in the desert: reflections from a decade of connecting cryospheric science with communities in the semiarid Chilean Andes
Authors: MacDonell Shelley , Núñez Farías Paloma , Aliste Valentina , Ayala Álvaro , Guzmán Camilo , Jofré Díaz Patricio , Schaffer Nicole , Schauwecker Simone , Sproles Eric A. , Yáñez San Francisco Eduardo
Published: September 2023

Citizen science and related engagement programmes have proliferated in recent years throughout the sciences but have been reasonably limited in the cryospheric sciences. In the semiarid Andes we at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas have developed a range of initiatives together with the wider community and stakeholder institutions to improve our understanding of the role snow and ice play in headwater catchments. In this paper we reflect on ongoing engagement with communities living and working in and near study sites of cryospheric science in northern Chile as a strategy that can both strengthen the research being done and empower local communities.
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance, Trust in Vaccine, Anxiety Levels, and Related Factors in Turkish Society
Authors: Aydın Merve , Kulakaç Nurşen , Uzun Şahin Ceyda
Published: September 2023

Background:

Vaccine acceptance and trust in vaccines pose a complex process affected by many factors. The present study was conducted to determine coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine acceptance, trust in vaccines, anxiety levels, and related factors in Turkish society.

Methods:

The data of this cross-sectional and descriptive-correlational study were collected with the snowball method by using an online questionnaire throughout Turkey. The study was conducted between March 15 and April 3, 2021, with 3148 participants from 7 regions and 81 cities in Turkey.

Results:

It was found that the participants accepted the vaccine at 72.8%, and the trust rate in the vaccine was 66.0%. It was also found that women, single participants, those who had immune system diseases, and with COVID-19 had higher Coronavirus Anxiety Scale scores at significant levels. According to Logistic Regression Analysis, gender, age, trust in the vaccine, perception of risk levels regarding COVID-19, and coronavirus anxiety levels are factors affecting the intentions of participants to accept/reject the vaccine. It was determined that male participants were more likely to accept the coronavirus vaccine (P = 0.028). It was found that health-care employees had higher trust in the coronavirus vaccine (P = 0.006) and acceptance rates (P = 0.010) at significant levels compared with the general population.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate in Turkish society was found to be high, and the level of trust in vaccines and anxiety levels were above the moderate level.
An Epistemic Account of Populism
Authors: Müller Julian F.
Published: September 2023

The genus problem of populism presents one of the most vexing conceptual questions across the social sciences: Some theorists believe that populism is nothing more than an assembly of discursive patterns, while others maintain that populism is a strategy to gain political power. Then there are those that argue that populism is a thin ideology that lacks a coherent set of guiding principles. The paper intervenes in this debate in two ways: First, it offers a methodological apparatus for evaluating and developing contested concepts such as populism. Second, it puts forward and defends the claim that populism can be fruitfully understood as a coherent ideology that rests on four foundational principles. These principles, I will argue, are necessary for explaining the paradigmatic beliefs and dispositions exhibited by exponents of populism. One of the key characteristics of populism, on the account developed in this paper, is its peculiar epistemic stance.
A Defense of Explanationism against Recent Objections
Authors: Bogardus Tomas , Perrin Will
Published: September 2023

In the recent literature on the nature of knowledge, a rivalry has emerged between modalism and explanationism. According to modalism, knowledge requires that our beliefs track the truth across some appropriate set of possible worlds. Modalists tend to focus on two modal conditions: sensitivity and safety. According to explanationism, knowledge requires only that beliefs bear the right sort of explanatory relation to the truth. In slogan form: knowledge is believing something because it's true. In this paper, we aim to vindicate explanationism from some recent objections offered by Gualtiero Piccinini, Dario Mortini, and Kenneth Boyce and Andrew Moon. Together, these authors present five purported counterexamples to the sufficiency of the explanationist analysis for knowledge. In addition, Mortini devises a clever argument that explanationism entails the violation of a plausible closure principle on knowledge. We will argue that explanationism is innocent of all these charges against it, and we hope that the strength of the defense we offer of explanationism is evidence in its favor, and a reason to investigate explanationism further as the long-elusive truth about the nature of knowledge.
US Asylum Lawyering and Temporal Violence
Authors: Crooke Catherine L.
Published: September 2023

Research on the temporal dimensions of international migration focuses on how migrants experience time. This study instead turns attention to public interest lawyers, whose work plays a crucial role in ensuring favorable legal outcomes for immigrants, in order to consider time’s salience within the US asylum context. Based on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork with Los Angeles-based public interest asylum attorneys, this article argues that lawyers confront both weaponized efficiency and weaponized inefficiency in the course of representing asylum seekers. Advocates must rush to keep pace, on the one hand, as various state actors accelerate asylum processes and, on the other, find ways to advance clients’ interests even as state agencies selectively slow procedures to a standstill. These findings affirm that temporal contradictions define the US asylum system. Further, they demonstrate that lawyers experience these contradictions not as natural phenomena but, rather, as temporal violence: in a range of contexts, government action mobilizes time—whether actively or passively—in the service of migration control.
Understanding the Litigation Priorities of Legal Impact Organizations
Authors: Trowbridge David L.
Published: September 2023

What influences the litigation agendas of LGBTQ legal impact organizations in the United States? These organizations are at the forefront of bringing rights claims before the courts, but capacity and resource limitations mean that they cannot litigate every issue important to their constituency. Drawing on dozens of interviews with movement actors and organizational documents, I find that the formation of litigation agendas in LGBTQ legal impact organizations resembles the dynamic models of policy agenda setting, with cause lawyers influenced by a confluence of commonly reoccurring elements of unequal influence. However, one element stood out in influencing litigation choices, above even donor and funding concerns: lawyer autonomy and individual preferences. My findings suggest greater agency of individual cause lawyers and contribute to our understanding of the relationship between legal organizations and social movements.
Are the Effects of Terrorism Short-Lived?
Authors: Bove Vincenzo , Efthyvoulou Georgios , Pickard Harry
Published: September 2023

Terrorism elicits strong public reactions immediately after the attack, with important implications for democratic institutions and individual well-being. Are these effects short-lived? We answer this question using a natural experiment design and combining data on terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom with a Continuous Monitoring Survey. We find that heightened risk perceptions and emotional reactions in the wake of deadly attacks do not dissipate in the very short run but are sustained over time and up to 120 days after the attacks. Whereas large-scale attacks cause a long-lasting shift in risk assessments and emotions, the corresponding effect of smaller-scale terrorism incidents appears to subside within one month. Overall, the impact of terrorism does not fade away easily.
Sexual dimorphism in the context of nutrition and health
Authors: Pontifex Matthew G. , Vauzour David , Muller Michael
Published: September 2023

Diets and dietary constituents that we consume have a considerable impact on disease risk. Intriguingly these effects may be modulated to some extent by sex. Lack of female representation in nutritional studies as well as a lack of stratification by sex has and continues to limit our understanding of these sex × diet interactions. Here we provide an overview of the current and available literature describing how exposure to certain dietary patterns (Western-style diet, Mediterranean diet, vegetarian/vegan, ketogenic diet) and dietary constituents (dietary fibre, PUFA and plant bioactive) influences disease risk in a sex-specific manner. Interestingly, these sex differences appear to be highly disease-specific. The identification of such sex differences in response to diet stresses the importance of sex stratification in nutritional research.
Arctic adventure cruise shipping network: Itinerary characteristics and spatial structure
Authors: Long Zukun , Ren Xiaoyun , Li Xumao
Published: September 2023

The frigid geographical environment in the Arctic has shaped the exploration attribute of the polar cruise shipping network. In this study, the typical characteristics and special structure of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network are investigated by using the network analysis method based on the data of 172 adventure cruise itineraries in the Arctic. It is found that the Arctic adventure cruise itineraries are dominated by 8–17 days of medium itineraries, and the ratio of one-way itineraries to round-trip itineraries is about 1:1. There are differences in the centrality of different ports, forming two core ports Reykjavík and Longyearbyen and a sub-core port Kangerlussuaq. The overall contact strength of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network is low. Under the joint influence of such factors as centrality and contact strength, the Arctic constitutes the dual-core clusters of Iceland and Svalbard Islands and a sub-core cluster of Greenland.
Elemental psychopathology: distilling constituent symptoms and patterns of repetition in the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5
Authors: Forbes Miriam K. , Neo Bryan , Nezami Omid Mohamed , Fried Eiko I. , Faure Katherine , Michelsen Brier , Twose Maddison , Dras Mark
Published: September 2023

Background

The DSM-5 features hundreds of diagnoses comprising a multitude of symptoms, and there is considerable repetition in the symptoms among diagnoses. This repetition undermines what we can learn from studying individual diagnostic constructs because it can obscure both disorder- and symptom-specific signals. However, these lost opportunities are currently veiled because symptom repetition in the DSM-5 has not been quantified.

Method

This descriptive study mapped the repetition among the 1419 symptoms described in 202 diagnoses of adult psychopathology in section II of the DSM-5. Over a million possible symptom comparisons needed to be conducted, for which we used both qualitative content coding and natural language processing.

Results

In total, we identified 628 distinct symptoms: 397 symptoms (63.2%) were unique to a single diagnosis, whereas 231 symptoms (36.8%) repeated across multiple diagnoses a total of 1022 times (median 3 times per symptom; range 2–22). Some chapters had more repetition than others: For example, every symptom of every diagnosis in the bipolar and related disorders chapter was repeated in other chapters, but there was no repetition for any symptoms of any diagnoses in the elimination disorders, gender dysphoria or paraphilic disorders. The most frequently repeated symptoms included insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and irritability – listed in 22, 17 and 16 diagnoses, respectively. Notably, the top 15 most frequently repeating diagnostic criteria were dominated by symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings lay the foundation for a better understanding of the extent and potential consequences of symptom overlap.
Language and doctrine in Parmenides’Way of Reality
Authors: Tor Shaul
Published: September 2023

As early as Plato and as recently as current scholarship, readers of Parmenides have diagnosed tensions of one sort or another between his ontological views and the language through which he expresses those views. In the first instance, this article examines earlier claims for such tensions and argues that they are predicated on problematic assumptions concerning Parmenides’ ontological commitments or his strictures regarding the use of language. In the second instance, however, it argues that Parmenides’Way of Realitydoes indeed confront us with tensions between language and doctrine, that these tensions are more pointed and sustained than scholars generally recognize and that they can be identified independently of specific or determinate elaboration of Parmenides’ precise ontological views. This analysis discloses a reflective preoccupation with, and a consistent attitude towards, the scope and limitations of human language. Parmenides persistently evinces his awareness that his description of what-is proceeds through expressive measures that are imported with difficulty from a different domain and, consequently, are limited, indirect and often figurative. The article closes by pointing to a meaningful (but partial) affinity between Parmenides and those Platonists who placed their own ultimate philosophical and ontological principle beyond the expressive reach of words.
Understanding the Barriers to and Facilitators of Anxiety Management in Residents of Long-Term Care
Authors: Atchison Kayla , Toohey Ann M. , Ismail Zahinoor , Goodarzi Zahra
Published: September 2023

Older adults, 65 years of age and older, living in long-term care (LTC) commonly experience anxiety. This study aimed to understand care providers’ perspectives on the barriers to and facilitators of managing anxiety in residents of LTC. Ten semi-structured interviews with care providers in LTC were completed. Framework analysis methods were used to code, thematically analyze, designate codes as barriers or facilitators, and map the codes to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Themes were categorized as acting at the resident, provider, or system level, and were labelled as either barriers to or facilitators of anxiety care. Key barriers to anxiety care at each level were resident cognitive impairment or co-morbidities; lack of staff education, staff treatment uptake and implementation; as well as the care delivery environment and access to resources. There is a need to prioritize measurement-based care for anxiety, have increased access to non-pharmacological treatments, and have a care delivery environment that supports anxiety management to improve the care for anxiety that is delivered to residents.
Cardiovascular remodelling in response to exercise training in patients after the Fontan procedure: a pilot study
Authors: Bano Maria , Hussain Tarique , Samels Mitchel R. , Butts Ryan J. , Kirk Richard , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: September 2023

Background:

The cardiovascular adaptations associated with structured exercise training in Fontan patients remain unknown. We hypothesised that short-term training causes cardiac remodelling and parallel improvement in maximal exercise capacity (VO2 max) in these patients.

Methods and Results:

Five patients, median age 19.5 (17.6–21.3) years, with a history of Fontan operation meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria, participated in a 3-month training programme designed to improve endurance. Magnetic resonance images for assessment of cardiac function, fibrosis, cardiac output, and liver elastography to assess stiffness were obtained at baseline and after training. Maximal exercise capacity (VO2 max) and cardiac output Qc (effective pulmonary blood flow) at rest and during exercise were measured (C2H2 rebreathing) at the same interval. VO2 max increased from median (IQR) 27.2 (26–28.7) to 29.6 (28.5–32.2) ml/min/kg (p = 0.04). There was an improvement in cardiac output (Qc) during maximal exercise testing from median (IQR) 10.3 (10.1–12.3) to 12.3 (10.9–14.9) l/min, but this change was variable (p = 0.14). Improvement in VO2 max correlated with an increase in ventricular mass (r = 0.95, p = 0.01), and improvement in Quality-of-life inventory (PedsQL) Cardiac scale scores for patient-reported symptoms (r = 0.90, p = 0.03) and cognitive problems (r = 0.89, p = 0.04). The correlation between VO2 max and Qc showed a positive trend but was not significant (r = 0.8, p = 0.08). No adverse cardiac or liver adaptations were noted.

Conclusion:

Short-term training improved exercise capacity in this Fontan pilot without any adverse cardiac or liver adaptations. These results warrant further study in a larger population and over a longer duration of time.

Trial Registration Number:

NCT03263312, Unique Protocol ID: STU 122016-037; Registration Date: 18 January, 2017.
Characterization of imazamox-resistant shattercane (Sorghum bicolor L.) populations from Kansas
Authors: Kumar Vipan , Liu Rui , Chauhan Deepika , Perumal Ramasamy , Morran Sarah , Gaines Todd A. , Jha Prashant
Published: September 2023

Shattercane is a problematic summer annual grass weed species in regions that produce grain sorghum. Three shattercane populations (DC8, GH4, and PL8) collected from sorghum fields from northwestern Kansas survived the field-use rate (52 g ha−1) of postemergence-applied imazamox. The main objectives of this research were to 1) confirm and characterize the level of resistance to imazamox in putative imazamox-resistant (IMI-R) shattercane populations, 2) investigate the underlying mechanism of resistance, and 3) determine the effectiveness of postemergence herbicides for controlling IMI-R populations. A previously known imazamox susceptible (SUS) shattercane population from Rooks County, KS, was used. All three putative populations exhibited a 4.1-fold to 6.0-fold resistance to imazamox compared with the SUS population. The ALS gene sequences from all IMI-R populations did not reveal any known target-site resistance mutations. A pretreatment with malathion, which inhibits cytochrome P450, followed by imazamox at various doses, reversed the resistance phenotype of the PL8 population. In a separate greenhouse study, postemergence treatments with nicosulfuron, quizalofop, clethodim, and glyphosate resulted in ≥96% injury to all IMI-R populations. The lack of known ALS target-site mutations and the reversal of resistance phenotype by malathion suggest the possibility of metabolism-based resistance to imazamox in PL8 shattercane population.