bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adiponectin Protects Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury by Suppressing Autophagy
Authors: Guo Jia , Zhu Kaiyi , Li Zhidong , Xiao Chuanshi
Published: October 2022

Adiponectin is a cytokine produced by adipocytes and acts as a potential cardioprotective agent and plays an important role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. In a myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation model using neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, we investigated the contribution of adiponectin-mediated autophagy to its cardioprotective effects. Cardiomyocytes were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation pretreated with or without adiponectin in the presence of absence of rapamycin. Cell viability was analyzed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. Western blotting assay was used to determine the expression levels of microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p62/sequestosome 1, unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), and Beclin-1. Autophagosome formation was detected by monodansylcadaverine staining. We found that hypoxia induced a time dependent decline in cardiomyocyte viability, and increase in autophagy and reoxygenation further augmented hypoxia-induced autophagy induction and consequently reduced cell viability. Adiponectin treatment alleviated hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cellular damage and autophagy in cardiomyocytes. Adiponectin treatment also attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation-promoted cardiomyocyte autophagy even in the presence of another autophagy stimulator rapamycin in part by inhibiting vacuolar hydron-adenosine triphosphatase. Additionally, autophagy suppression by adiponectin during hypoxia/reoxygenation was associated with the attenuated phosphorylation of AMPK and ULK1, augmented phosphorylation of mTOR, and the reduced protein expression levels of Beclin-1 in cardiomyocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that adiponectin protects ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiomyocytes by suppressing autophagy in part through AMPK/mTOR/ULK1/Beclin-1 signaling pathway.
Investigation of Soil Physiochemical Properties Effects on Soil Compaction for a Long Year Tilled Farmland
Authors: Woldeyohannis Yared Seifu , Hiremath Someshakher S , Tola Simie , Wako Amana
Published: October 2022

In many parts of the world, the earth has been heavily compacted as a result of large farm equipment. For soil compaction, the main constituent factors were soil physiochemical properties such as soil texture, moisture content, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon, organic matter, total nitrogen, and soil pH directly and indirectly. This article addressed the causes and effects of soil compaction, operating parameters, and soil physicochemical properties in the Bishoftu long year tilled farmland of Ethiopia. For the experimental test, 5 different depths (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 cm) and fifteen sample points were selected in 0.6 ha of 60 m by 100 m farmland for taking soil compaction data. Soil samples are taken from three depth ranges (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm) from farmlands for investigation of soil physicochemical properties. The maximum and minimum values of the cone index of this study were 1918.133 kPa and 864.733 kPa, respectively, by taking the average of all sample points. The soil laboratory result shows that Bishoftu farmland soil is a mixture of loam, clay loam, and sandy clay loam with 47.33% of sand, 25.67% of clay, and 27% of silt. The maximum and minimum percentages of soil moisture values were 27.02 and 21.46 at 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm depth, respectively. Total organic carbon, organic matter, and total nitrogen exhibit positive relationships with depth and soil compaction. The correlation analysis indicates soil pH, electric conductivity, percentage of sand, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and total nitrogen were among soil physiochemical parameters that are positively correlated with soil compaction. Furthermore, the percentage of clay, percentage of silt, and total organic carbon (

p
≤
0.05

) are negatively correlated with soil compaction in soil samples.
Eye Habits Affect the Prevalence of Asthenopia in Patients with Myopia
Authors: Wang Jing , Zeng Peng , Deng Xiao-wen , Liang Jia-qi , Liao Yun-ru , Fan Shu-xian , Xiao Jian-hui
Published: October 2022

Purpose. This study aims to explore the risk factors of asthenopia in the myopic population. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, myopia patients were inquired about their eye habits and were requested to complete an asthenopia questionnaire and ocular examinations. Age, gender, occupation, anisometropia, eye care education, weekly outdoor activity time, duration of continuous near work, daily screen time, dry eye, near phoria, and binocular accommodative facility were calculated using the Student’s test-test, Mann Whitney U test, and Pearson’s chi-square test. Spherical equivalents and astigmatism were calculated using a generalized estimating equation. Binary logistic regression was performed on factors with a

p

-value <0.05. Results. Of the 65 myopic patients, 57% showed asthenopia, 52% experienced blurry vision, 37% felt their eyes hurt or sore, and 28% felt tired when performing close work. Asthenopia patients were older than patients without asthenopia (Z = −2.887,

p
=
0.004

). Daily screen time, continuous near-work time, eye care education, and dry eye were positively correlated with asthenopia (χ2 = 8.64,

p
=
0.003

; χ2 = 13.873,

p
<
0.001

, χ2 = 9.643,

p
=
0.002

; χ2 = 7.035,

p
=
0.008

). After eliminating collinearity, eye care education and continuous near-work time were identified as independent risk factors of asthenopia, with odds ratios of 0.115 and 4.227, respectively. Conclusion. This study shows that receiving eye care education from schools and hospitals and limiting near-work duration to less than 45 minutes per session could reduce the occurrence of asthenopia in myopic patients. This approach may be a more economical and convenient way for myopic people to relieve asthenopia.
Behaviors of Water Intake, Hydration Status, and Related Hydration Biomarkers among Physically Active Male Young Adults in Beijing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhang Na , Zhang Jianfen , Wang Xing , Li Yibin , Yan Yi , Ma Guansheng
Published: October 2022

Studies on the water intake of athletes in daily life are insufficient. The objective was to determine the water intake and hydration status among physically active male young adults. In this cross-sectional studies study, 111 physically active male young adults were recruited. The amount of daily total drinking fluid intake (TDF) among participants was recorded and evaluated in real time over 7 days using the “7-day 24-hour fluid intake questionnaire” (liq. In 7). The daily water intake from food (WFF) was calculated using the weighing, duplicate portion, and direct-drying method over 3 days. All urine samples over 3 days were collected, and urine biomarkers were determined. According to 24 h urine osmolality, the participants were divided into three groups with euhydration status, middle hydration, and hypo hydration statuses. Finally, 109 participants completed the study. The median daily total water intake (TWI), TDF, and WFF were 2701, ik1789, and 955 mL, respectively. Among participants, 17 participants (16%) were in euhydration status, 47 participants (43%) were in hypohydration, and 45 participants (41%) were in middle hydration. There were statistical significances in the 24 h urine volume, osmolality, urine specific gravity, and concentrations of K, Na, and Cl in different hydration statuses (χ2 = 28.212,

P
<
0.01

; χ2 = 91.341,

P
<
0.01

; χ2 = 47.721,

P
<
0.01

; χ2 = 41.548,

P
<
0.01

; χ2 = 46.863,

P
<
0.01

; and χ2 = 40.839,

P
<
0.01

). Moderate-intensity correlations were found between the TDF and 24 h urine volume, 24 h urine osmolality, 24 h urine Na concentration, morning urine osmolality, and morning urine Na concentration (r = 0.408,

P
<
0.01

; r = -0.378,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.325,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.344,

P
<
0.01

; and r = −0.329,

P
<
0.01

). There were also moderate-intensity correlations between the TDF and 24 h urine osmolality, morning urine osmolality, and morning urine Na concentration (r = −0.365,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.371,

P
<
0.01

; and r = −0.322,

P
=
0.01

). Increased and higher moderate-intensity correlations were found between plain water and 24 h urine volume, 24 h urine osmolality, 24 h urine K and Na concentration, morning urine osmolality, and morning urine Na concentration (r = 0.374,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.520,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.312,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.355,

P
<
0.01

; r = −0.446,

P
<
0.01

; and r = −0.378,

P
<
0.01

). Insufficient water intake and hypohydration were common among physically active male young adults. The amount and type of water intake were correlated with hydration status and urine biomarkers. The results could provide scientific and accurate references for the development of recommendations on water intake for athletes.
Investigation on Energy Evolution and Storage Characteristic of CSTBD Red Sandstone during Mixed-Mode Fracture
Authors: Wu Wuxing , Gong Fengqiang
Published: October 2022

To investigate the energy evolution and storage characteristics of the rock during the mixed-mode fracture failure, several single loading-unloading tests under preset different unloading levels were conducted on the cracked straight-through Brazilian disc (CSTBD) red-sandstone specimen with crack inclination angles of 10° and 20°. The input energy, elastic energy, and dissipated energy parameters were obtained by calculating the area integral of the load-displacement curve. Test results display that the total input energy, elastic energy, and dissipated energy of rock specimens increase in quadratic function with the increase of unloading level at different unloading levels. It was found that there are significant linear energy storage and dissipation laws of rock during the mixed-mode fracture process. The concepts of fracture energy storage coefficient (FESC) and fracture energy dissipation coefficient (FEDC) were proposed to express the energy variation of rock in the prepeak stage. Under the same loading conditions, FESC and FEDC remain unchanged regardless of crack inclination angles, indicating that the linear energy storage and dissipation laws are an inherent property of the rock. Besides, the peak fracture elastic-dissipation index

W

ed

(the ratio of peak elastic energy to peak dissipation energy) was obtained through quantitative analysis and demonstrated its invariant feature.
The 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Landscape of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Sjöström Martin , Zhao Shuang G. , Levy Samuel , Zhang Meng , Ning Yuhong , Shrestha Raunak , Lundberg Arian , Herberts Cameron , Foye Adam , Aggarwal Rahul , Hua Junjie T. , Li Haolong , Bergamaschi Anna , Maurice-Dror Corinne , Maheshwari Ashutosh , Chen Sujun , Ng Sarah W.S. , Ye Wenbin , Petricca Jessica , Fraser Michael , Chesner Lisa , Perry Marc D. , Moreno-Rodriguez Thaidy , Chen William S. , Alumkal Joshi J. , Chou Jonathan , Morgans Alicia K. , Beer Tomasz M. , Thomas George V. , Gleave Martin , Lloyd Paul , Phillips Tierney , McCarthy Erin , Haffner Michael C. , Zoubeidi Amina , Annala Matti , Reiter Robert E. , Rettig Matthew B. , Witte Owen N. , Fong Lawrence , Bose Rohit , Huang Franklin W. , Luo Jianhua , Bjartell Anders , Lang Joshua M. , Mahajan Nupam P. , Lara Primo N. , Evans Christopher P. , Tran Phuoc T. , Posadas Edwin M. , He Chuan , Cui Xiao-Long , Huang Jiaoti , Zwart Wilbert , Gilbert Luke A. , Maher Christopher A. , Boutros Paul C. , Chi Kim N. , Ashworth Alan , Small Eric J. , He Housheng H. , Wyatt Alexander W. , Quigley David A. , Feng Felix Y.
Published: October 2022

Analysis of DNA methylation is a valuable tool to understand disease progression and is increasingly being used to create diagnostic and prognostic clinical biomarkers. While conversion of cytosine to 5-methylcytosine (5mC) commonly results in transcriptional repression, further conversion to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is associated with transcriptional activation. Here we perform the first study integrating whole-genome 5hmC with DNA, 5mC, and transcriptome sequencing in clinical samples of benign, localized, and advanced prostate cancer. 5hmC is shown to mark activation of cancer drivers and downstream targets. Furthermore, 5hmC sequencing revealed profoundly altered cell states throughout the disease course, characterized by increased proliferation, oncogenic signaling, dedifferentiation, and lineage plasticity to neuroendocrine and gastrointestinal lineages. Finally, 5hmC sequencing of cell-free DNA from patients with metastatic disease proved useful as a prognostic biomarker able to identify an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer using the genes TOP2A and EZH2, previously only detectable by transcriptomic analysis of solid tumor biopsies. Overall, these findings reveal that 5hmC marks epigenomic activation in prostate cancer and identify hallmarks of prostate cancer progression with potential as biomarkers of aggressive disease.

Significance:

In prostate cancer, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine delineates oncogene activation and stage-specific cell states and can be analyzed in liquid biopsies to detect cancer phenotypes.

See related article by Wu and Attard, p. 3880
A Unique FOXA1-Associated Chromatin State Dictates Therapeutic Resistance in Lobular Breast Cancer
Authors: Blawski Ryan , Toska Eneda
Published: October 2022

Invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) are the second most common histologic subtype of breast cancer, accounting for up to 15% of cases. ILC is estrogen receptor (ER) positive, yet its biology is distinct from invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), and retrospective analyses have indicated a poorer outcome with endocrine therapy. In this issue of Cancer Research, Nardone and colleagues investigated the mechanisms of this differential therapy response in ILC, which cannot be solely explained by the genetic profile of these tumors. The authors conducted a thorough examination of the epigenome of ILC compared with IDC in clinical and preclinical models and revealed an alternative chromatin accessibility state in ILC driven by the pioneer factor FOXA1. FOXA1 regulates its own expression in a feed-forward mechanism by binding to an ILC-unique FOXA1 enhancer site. This results in a FOXA1-ER axis that promotes the transcription of genes associated with tumor progression and tamoxifen resistance. Targeting the FOXA1 enhancer region blocks this transcriptional program and inhibits ILC proliferation. These results shed light on a new epigenetic mechanism driving ILC tumor progression and treatment resistance, which may have profound therapeutic implications.

See related article by Nardone et al., p. 3673
A Detouring Experience Not Recommended: Lessons Learned from PF00299804
Authors: Li Molly , Mok Kevin , Mok Tony
Published: October 2022

Patients with mutant EGFR positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. However, all patients ultimately develop acquired resistance, half of which are attributed to the EGFR exon 20 T790M mutation. A landmark publication in Cancer Research in 2007 demonstrated improved drug potency and pan-human EGFR (HER) inhibition with PF00299804, a second-generation EGFR TKI. Compared with first-generation EGFR TKI, PF00299804 showed the ability to overcome T790M mutation in vitro and had the potential to improve treatment outcomes of patients with mutant EGFR-positive NSCLC. Here we review the preclinical and clinical development of PF00299804 and reflect on the lessons learned from this detouring experience.

See related article by Engelman and colleagues, Cancer Res 2007;67:11924–32.
Impact of Genetic Variants in the Nicotine Metabolism Pathway on Nicotine Metabolite Levels in Smokers
Authors: Perez-Paramo Yadira X. , Watson Christy J.W. , Chen Gang , Thomas Claire E. , Adams-Haduch Jennifer , Wang Renwei , Khor Chiea Chuen , Koh Woon-Puay , Nelson Heather H. , Yuan Jian-Min , Lazarus Philip
Published: October 2022

Background:

Nicotine metabolism is a major factor in nicotine dependence, with approximately 70% to 80% of nicotine metabolized to cotinine in Caucasians. Cotinine formation is catalyzed primarily by CYP2A6, which also converts cotinine to trans-3′-hydroxycotinine (3HC). The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of CYP2A6 deficiency on nicotine metabolism profiles in vivo and the importance of genetic variants in nicotine-metabolizing enzyme genes on urinary nicotine metabolites levels.

Methods:

Urine samples from 722 smokers who participated in the Singapore Chinese Health Study were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS to detect nicotine and eight of its urinary metabolites, and a total of 58 variants in 12 genes involved in nicotine metabolism were investigated in 475 of these subjects with informative genotyping data.

Results:

Urine samples stratified by the ratio of 3HC/cotinine exhibited a 7-fold increase in nicotine-N’-oxide, a 6-fold increase in nicotine-Glucuronide (Gluc), and a 5-fold decrease in 3HC-Gluc when comparing the lower versus upper 3HC/cotinine ventiles. Significant (P < 0.0001) associations were observed between functional metabolizing enzyme genotypes and levels of various urinary nicotine metabolites, including CYP2A6 genotype and levels of nicotine, nicotine-Gluc, nicotine-N’-oxide and 3HC, UGT2B10 genotype and levels of cotinine, nicotine-Gluc and cotinine-Gluc, UGT2B17 genotype and levels of 3HC-Gluc, FMO3 genotype and levels of nicotine-N’-oxide, and CYP2B6 genotype and levels of nicotine-N’-oxide and 4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)-butanoic acid.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that several pathways are important in nicotine metabolism.

Impact:

Genotype differences in several nicotine-metabolizing enzyme pathways may potentially lead to differences in nicotine dependence and smoking behavior and cessation.
MRI Characterization of Blood Flow and Oxygen Delivery in the Fetal Sheep whilst Exposed to Sildenafil Citrate
Authors: Morrison Janna L. , Williams Georgia K. , Cho Steven K.S. , Saini Brahmdeep S. , Meakin Ashley S. , Holman Stacey L. , Quinn Megan , Wiese Michael D. , Macgowan Christopher K. , Seed Mike , Darby Jack R.T.
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Newborns exposed to sildenafil citrate (SC) in utero have increased rates of persistent pulmonary hypertension. The mechanism behind this has not yet been fully elucidated. We aimed to utilize a combination of clinically relevant MRI techniques to comprehensively characterize the haemodynamics of the fetal sheep whilst under the influence of SC. We hypothesized that these MRI techniques would detect SC-induced increases in pulmonary blood flow and oxygen delivery prior to birth. Methods: At 116–117 days gestational age (term, 150 days), pregnant Merino ewes (n = 9) underwent fetal catheterization surgery. MRI scans were performed during a basal state and then repeated during a constant umbilical vein infusion of SC to measure blood flow and oxygenation within the major vessels of the fetal circulation using phase-contrast-MRI and T2 oximetry. Results: Right and left ventricular cardiac outputs were not different between states. Pulmonary blood flow increased during the SC state resulting in elevated pulmonary oxygen delivery. Right to left heart shunting through the foramen ovale was reduced without reducing cerebral oxygen delivery. Conclusion: SC induces alterations to pulmonary haemodynamics in utero; a characteristic that if maintained may underlie or act as a precursor towards the elevated rates of poor pulmonary outcomes after birth. These MRI techniques are the first to comprehensively characterize sildenafil’s direct impact on the pulmonary vasculature and its indirect detriment to the flow of oxygen-rich blood through the foramen ovale.
Modernisation of DC-DC converter topologies for solar energy harvesting applications: A review
Authors: Sutikno Tole , Satrian Purnama Hendril , Aprilianto Rizky Ajie , Jusoh Awang , Satya Widodo Nuryono , Santosa Budi
Published: October 2022

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation has become increasingly important as a renewable source of energy due to the many benefits it offers. These benefits include the ease with which it can be allocated; the absence of noise; the longer life; the absence of pollution; the shorter amount of time required for installation; the high mobility and portability of its parts; and the capability of its output power to meet peak load requirements. DC-DC converters are typically incorporated into solar energy harvesting systems because they allow for the more efficient exploitation of solar cells. One of the difficulties is in the selection of a suitable converter since this has an effect on the operation of the PV system. This study discusses the modernisation of several different DC-DC converter topologies for solar energy harvesting systems. Some of these topologies are boost, buck-boost, single-ended primary-inductance converter (SEPIC), Cuk, and flyback. The topologies have been compared so that detailed information on the complexity of the hardware, the cost of implementation, the efficiency of the energy transfer elements, the tracking efficiency, and the efficiency of the converters can be provided. This paper will be useful as a handy reference in choosing the best converter topology for solar energy harvesting applications.
Tachyarrhythmias During Hospitalization for COVID‐19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Dionne Audrey , Friedman Kevin G. , Young Cameron C. , Newhams Margaret M. , Kucukak Suden , Jackson Ashley M. , Fitzgerald Julie C. , Smallcomb Laura S. , Heidemann Sabrina , McLaughlin Gwenn E. , Irby Katherine , Bradford Tamara T. , Horwitz Steven M. , Loftis Laura L. , Soma Vijaya L. , Rowan Courtney M. , Kong Michele , Halasa Natasha B. , Tarquinio Keiko M. , Schwarz Adam J. , Hume Janet R. , Gertz Shira J. , Clouser Katharine N. , Carroll Christopher L. , Wellnitz Kari , Cullimore Melissa L. , Doymaz Sule , Levy Emily R. , Typpo Katri V. , Lansell Amanda N. , Butler Andrew D. , Kuebler Joseph D. , Zambrano Laura D. , Campbell Angela P. , Patel Manish M. , Randolph Adrienne G. , Newburger Jane W. ,   for the Overcoming COVID‐19 Investigators
Published: October 2022

Background

Cardiac complications related to COVID‐19 in children and adolescents include ventricular dysfunction, myocarditis, coronary artery aneurysm, and bradyarrhythmias, but tachyarrhythmias are less understood. The goal of this study was to evaluate the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of children and adolescents experiencing tachyarrhythmias while hospitalized for acute severe COVID‐19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

Methods and Results

This study involved a case series of 63 patients with tachyarrhythmias reported in a public health surveillance registry of patients aged <21 years hospitalized from March 15, 2020, to December 31, 2021, at 63 US hospitals. Patients with tachyarrhythmias were compared with patients with severe COVID‐19–related complications without tachyarrhythmias. Tachyarrhythmias were reported in 22 of 1257 patients (1.8%) with acute COVID‐19 and 41 of 2343 (1.7%) patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. They included supraventricular tachycardia in 28 (44%), accelerated junctional rhythm in 9 (14%), and ventricular tachycardia in 38 (60%); >1 type was reported in 12 (19%). Registry patients with versus without tachyarrhythmia were older (median age, 15.4 [range, 10.4–17.4] versus 10.0 [range, 5.4–14.8] years) and had higher illness severity on hospital admission. Intervention for treatment of tachyarrhythmia was required in 37 (59%) patients and included antiarrhythmic medication (n=31, 49%), electrical cardioversion (n=11, 17%), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (n=8, 13%), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n=9, 14%). Patients with tachyarrhythmias had longer hospital length of stay than those who did not, and 9 (14%) versus 77 (2%) died.

Conclusions

Tachyarrhythmias were a rare complication of acute severe COVID‐19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents and were associated with worse clinical outcomes, highlighting the importance of close monitoring, aggressive treatment, and postdischarge care.
Mitral Valve Surgery for Persistent or Recurrent Mitral Regurgitation After Transcatheter Edge‐to‐Edge Repair Is Associated With Improved Survival
Authors: El Shaer Ahmed , Chavez Ponce Alejandra , Mazur Piotr , Greason Kevin , Arghami Arman , Eleid Mackram F. , Guerrero Mayra , Rihal Charanjit S. , Crestanello Juan A. , Alkhouli Mohamad
Published: October 2022

Background

The management of severe mitral regurgitation (MR) after transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair (TEER) remains a clinical conundrum. Considering the growing volume of TEER, more outcomes data for mitral surgery in this cohort are needed.

Methods and Results

Symptomatic patients with persistent or recurrent severe MR after TEER evaluated between May 2014 and June 2021 were included. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality in patients who were treated with surgery versus medical therapy. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression methods were used to report risk‐adjusted survival analyses. Among the 142 included patients, 44 (31.0%) underwent mitral surgery. Patients who underwent surgery were younger than those treated medically (74.1±8.9 versus 78.6±10.5 years,
P
=0.01). Major comorbidities were similar except obesity, sleep apnea, left ventricular dimensions, and ejection fraction. Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Operative Mortality was 9.0±4.7 versus 7.9±4.9 in the surgical versus medical therapy groups, respectively,
P
=0.22. Time from TEER to detection of severe MR was similar in both groups (median [interquartile range] 97.5 [39.5–384] versus 93.5 [40–389] days in the surgical versus medical groups, respectively [
P
>0.05]). In the surgical group, valve replacement was performed in all patients. Operative mortality was 4.5% (observed/expected ratio 0.55), and major complications were uncommon. After risk‐adjustment, surgery was associated with significantly lower all‐cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.12–0.92],
P
=0.001) compared with medial therapy.

Conclusions

Compared with medical therapy, mitral surgery in patients with severe persistent or recurrent MR after TEER is associated with lower mortality despite the high‐risk profile of these patients. Patients with severe MR after TEER should be considered for surgery at a referral mitral surgical center.
Cost‐of‐Illness Analysis of Long‐Term Health Care Resource Use and Disease Burden in Patients With Pulmonary Embolism: Insights From the PREFER in VTE Registry
Authors: Farmakis Ioannis T. , Barco Stefano , Mavromanoli Anna C. , Agnelli Giancarlo , Cohen Alexander T. , Giannakoulas George , Mahan Charles E. , Konstantinides Stavros V. , Valerio Luca
Published: October 2022

Background

As mortality from pulmonary embolism (PE) decreases, the personal and societal costs among survivors are receiving increasing attention. Detailing this burden would support an efficient public health resource allocation. We aimed to provide estimates for the economic and disease burden of PE also accounting for long‐term health care use and both direct and indirect costs beyond the acute phase.

Methods and Results

This is a cost‐of‐illness analysis with a bottom‐up approach based on data from the PREFER in VTE registry (Prevention of Thromboembolic Events—European Registry in Venous Thromboembolism). We calculated direct (clinical events and anticoagulation) and indirect costs (loss of productivity) of an acute PE event and its 12‐month follow‐up in 2020 Euros. We estimated a disability weight for the 12‐month post‐PE status and corresponding disability adjusted life years presumably owing to PE. Disease‐specific costs in the first year of follow‐up after an incident PE case ranged between 9135 Euros and 10 620 Euros. The proportion of indirect costs was 42% to 49% of total costs. Costs were lowest in patients with ongoing cancer, mainly because productivity loss was less evident in this already burdened population. The calculated disability weight for survivors who were cancer free 12 months post‐PE was 0.017, and the estimated disability adjusted life years per incident case were 1.17.

Conclusions

The economic burden imposed by PE to society and affected patients is considerable, and productivity loss is its main driver. The disease burden from PE is remarkable and translates to the loss of roughly 1.2 years of healthy life per incident PE case.
Optimizing Temporal Capital: How Big Tech Imagines Time as Auditable
Authors: Erickson Ingrid , Wajcman Judy
Published: October 2022

The belief that technology can be profitably employed to control and manage time has a long history. In this article we show how electronic calendaring systems have become emblematic of the contemporary vision of mastering time, codifying a distinctive quantitative orientation to time. Drawing on interviews with calendar designers at four prominent software development companies, we explore the quest among knowledge workers in Silicon Valley to embed a culture of temporal optimization through the use of calendaring software. Their collective response to this issue reveals that there is a specific kind of technoscientific world being developed: one fixated with solving the problem of time scarcity in contexts organized around maximizing productivity. Furthermore, this world is increasingly embracing the power of predictive data analytics and artificial intelligence. Yet, rather than being the progressive act that many Silicon Valley designers believe they are engaging in, this move toward automating time is the latest in a series of long-standing moral attempts to subject time to a particular brand of rationalization. This orientation to, and valorization of, the fast-paced, full life requires incessant performance on our part and the relentless pursuit of self-enhancement. In other words, positing that time has now become fodder for pattern recognition, we argue that calendaring software configures time events as auditable data that is ripe for accounting in the service of both old and new forms of socially-constructed optimization. We conclude by drawing out the implications of treating time as auditable data, most importantly, that it reinforces asymmetrical relations of power and devalues relations of care.
Economic Democracy as Political Theology: The British Anglican Socialist Tradition
Authors: Dorrien Gary
Published: October 2022

The richest tradition of Christian socialism is the British Anglican one. In the beginning it was cooperative and ecumenical in the fashion of its founders, F. D. Maurice and John Ludlow. Later it became predominantly Anglo-Catholic, politically activist, and ideologically diffuse, but always with a strong social-ethical basis. Many Anglican socialists stuck to the cooperative tradition, some joined the Fabian movement after it arose in 1884, some joined the Social Union reformers who came out of Oxford, some gave highest priority to socializing land, many joined the workers party movement after it arose in 1893, and some became leaders of the guild socialist movement that took off in 1912. But British Anglican socialism had an ethical well-spring that qualified its commitment to all these ideologies, and at its best it was powerfully anti-imperialist. Anglican socialists denied that a Fabian, Syndical, Social Unionist, or Marxist ideology should be more binding than their commitment to an ethic of equality, freedom, and cooperative community. This conviction helped them play a distinct role in British politics, especially as exemplified by William Temple and R. H. Tawney. Temple's model of social-funded guild socialism was far ahead of its time and remains the most promising model of big-scale economic democracy.
Erotic Absence and Sacramental Hope: Rowan Williams on Augustinian Desire
Authors: Jameson Jonathan
Published: October 2022

Both church and culture seem perplexed by desire and what it says about us as human beings. Amid the increasing freedom to identify with our desires, there remains the perpetual problem of insatiety, coupled with the increasing isolation of a digitalized age. Our cultural and religious impulses become blurred as we seek always a little more, in our hopes that we might finally quiet our ontological restlessness. Rowan Williams, drawing from Augustine, identifies this restlessness as central to understanding ourselves and our relation to God and others. This erotic absence that disallows any premature closure offers not satiety but sacrament, and a place in a body larger than our own.
Healing dialogue: Can the techniques and practices of Track Two diplomacy play a role in resolving public health conflicts?
Authors: Bharwani Aleem , Palmiano Federer Julia , Latour Jack
Published: October 2022

Track Two Diplomacy, a form of facilitated informal and unofficial dialogues between conflicting parties, has become a well-established form of international conflict resolution. This paper seeks to explore whether the techniques and practices of Track Two could be applied in a new setting beyond international armed conflicts: public health. Global society continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, and climate change, among other pressing public health issues that can not only exacerbate but also create new conflicts that negatively affect communities. Innovative and interdisciplinary approaches are needed more than ever. We synthesize literature from both Track Two and public health fields to present a conceptual framework that posits whether and how such concepts as the “problem-solving workshop,” “transfer,” “reflective practice” and others might support parties involved in divisive, intractable, visible, and invisible conflicts which currently mark the public health space.
Predictors of Complicated Grief in Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients
Authors: López Pérez Yolanda , Cruzado Juan Antonio , Lacasta Reverte María Antonia , Lallana-Frías Elena
Published: October 2022

Introduction: It is important to identify the factors s associated with complicated grief (CG) in order to prevent it. Objective: To determine the factors associated with CG in the end-of-life phase within the palliative care context. Method: The PRISMA model was followed for the review. We accessed the following databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, and PsycoINFO, to review publications from 2006. Results: A total of 17 studies were obtained. A direct relationship between factors prior to bereavement and CG is established: intensity of anticipated grief, previous mental and physical health of the caregiver, social support; quality of patient care, communication at the end-of-life, preparation for death, spirituality, and sociodemographic factors. Conclusions: Previous mental health and level of anticipatory grief in the main caregiver are shown to be the most powerful predictors of CG. Patient age and quality of care are factors considered as strong predictors of CG in almost every study.
Urban Restructuring in Atlanta: A Nexus of Race, Class, Power, and Growth
Authors: Ward Chandra
Published: October 2022

The terms urban restructuring and growth are political economy terms meant to signify positive recreation of urban space within the urban imaginary. While this idea may actually produce positive benefits for some, the urban restructuring products like urban renewal for low-income people of color, have come to represent the way in which inequality is spatially articulated in the urban landscape. Using the city of Atlanta as a case study, four examples of urban restructuring in the last century is explored to further this argument: segregation and zoning (1913–1931); The Downtown Connector (1946–1950); Federal Urban Renewal (1950's – 1960's); and the 1996 Summer Olympics (1990–1996). Here, I will discuss how power and capital interact with race and class to determine how these restructuring projects differentially affect spatial arrangements along class and racial lines in Atlanta. In doing so, the article will consider how urban restructuring has been a mechanism of power by the state and the private sector to advance capitalists interests of growth and profit, and while also to achieving goals of racial and class segregation, thereby displacing low-income people, often of color, with little to no access to power in order to advance their own economic interests.
Half a century of the inverse care law: A comparison of general practitioner job satisfaction and patient satisfaction in deprived and affluent areas of Scotland
Authors: Mercer Stewart W , Lunan Carey J , MacRae Clare , Henderson David AG , Fitzpatrick Bridie , Gillies John , Guthrie Bruce , Reilly Johanna
Published: October 2022

Background and Aims

The ‘inverse care law’, first described in 1971, results from a mismatch of healthcare need and healthcare supply in deprived areas. GPs in such areas struggle to cope with the high levels of demand resulting in shorter consultations and poorer patient outcomes. We compare recent national GP and patient satisfaction data to investigate the ongoing existence of this disparity in Scotland.

Methods and Results

Secondary analysis of cross-sectional national surveys (2017/2018) on upper and lower deprivation quintiles. GP measures; job satisfaction, job stressors, positive and negative job attributes. Patient measures; percentage positive responses per practice on survey questions on access and consultation quality. GPs in high deprivation areas reported lower job satisfaction and positive job attributes, and higher job stressors and negative job attributes compared with GPs in low deprivation areas. Patients living in high deprivation areas reported lower satisfaction with access and consultation quality than patients in low deprivation areas. These differences in GP and patient satisfaction persisted after adjusting for confounding variables.

Conclusions

Lower GP work satisfaction in deprived areas was mirrored by lower patient satisfaction. These findings add to the evidence that the inverse care law persists in Scotland, over 50 years after it was first described.
The Influence of Evangelical Religiosity on Environmentalism
Authors: Johnson Amy L. , Franklin Robert G.
Published: October 2022

US environmental policy and ecology have become increasingly popular, yet politically polarized in the last 50 years. Despite increases in popularity overall, environmentalism has become and continues to be disregarded, or even opposed, among evangelical Christian groups. Many psychological and sociological factors may explain this link. A study was conducted at a Christian university in South Carolina to determine the contribution of theological, psychological, and political factors related to evangelicalism and their relationship with environmentalism. The results indicate that doctrinal and political ideologies like evangelical doctrine, political conservatism, and eschatological attitudes about the end of the world each are independently related to negative environmental attitudes. These findings indicate that environmental appeals to young evangelicals need to address several unique factors.
Modular personalized climatization testing infrastructure with smartphone-based user feedback
Authors: Metzmacher Henning , Syndicus Marc , Warthmann Alexander , Frisch Jérôme , van Treeck Christoph
Published: October 2022

Heating and ventilation in buildings and vehicles are responsible for over a third of global final energy usage and the resulting emissions. Local climatization can help to save energy while at the same time enable more individualized and adapted micro-climates around people. For the domain of local comfort, integrative test environments for sensors, actuators, and control software are scarce, and oftentimes tailored to a specific set of components. Here, a server-based modular testing infrastructure which allows integration and evaluation of sensors, actuators, and control strategies is presented. Currently, the system is able to integrate, monitor, and log data of thermal imaging, motion sensing, environmental sensor such as temperature or air velocity and to forward signals to actuators such as fans, infrared- or contact-heaters. The generation of control signals is model-based and relies on user feedback provided via the system’s smartphone app. Lastly, learning algorithms can be trained and compared during user studies.

Practical Application: Although developed in a laboratory based research context, the proposed system is based on open standards and protocols. It therefore can be applied by practitioners, developers, and manufacturers in order to test stand-alone components as well as ensembles of sensors and actuators for personalized climatization in an integrative and replicable manner.
A Deeper Understanding of the Relationship between Family of Origin and Young Adult Cyber Dating Abuse: A Mediation Model
Authors: Strickland Morgan L. , Mosley Marissa A.
Published: October 2022

Little research has examined factors that may mediate the experience of cyber dating abuse, a pervasive problem for young adults. This study explores how family of origin, insecure attachment, and emotion regulation are associated with cyber dating abuse perpetration and victimization. Undergraduate students ( N = 320) completed an online survey and Structural Equation Modeling was used to perform mediation analyses. Results indicated that the relationship between family environment and cyber dating abuse perpetration was mediated by emotion regulation and anxious attachment; whereas, anxious attachment was the only significant mediator for cyber dating abuse victimization. Avoidant attachment was not a significant mediator. Based on findings in this study, clinicians can capitalize on therapeutic interventions related to emotion regulation and anxious attachment to mitigate the effects of cyber dating abuse. Working with families or partners using a systemic therapy framework can be beneficial to those who may be experiencing cyber dating abuse.
Orality Reality: Implications for Theological Education in Romania and Beyond
Authors: Armstrong Cameron D.
Published: October 2022

Orality, generally defined as the preference for the spoken over the written word, is an academic discipline that has only recently received attention from the missiological community. The reality of widespread oral preference, also known as “secondary orality,” is no less true in Europe. In this article, the author focuses on the Romanian context. Using qualitative research gleaned from interviews with nine university-educated Romanians, patterns are developed that display how “secondary oral learners” choose to learn and retain new information. Specific attention is given to theologically-related material. Six implications for theological education are advanced in the areas of (1) hermeneutics, (2) preaching, (3) evangelism, (4) discipleship, (5) church planting, and (6) leadership development. Paths forward for ministry in oral preference cultures like Romania are developed. The author concludes that the implementation of such suggestions could lead to more holistic ministry and is potentially transferrable to similar contexts.
Optimal systemic combined design and control of an automated wind energy conversion system
Authors: Tounsi Souhir
Published: October 2022

In this paper, is presented a design and control toll of electromechanical braking system dedicated to wind energy conversion chain. The braking system makes it possible to apply pressure strength at the level of the rotating shaft near to the propeller of the wind turbine. This pressure force is transformed into a dry friction force via the mechanical part of the braking system consisting of a piece of brake lining and steel of the rotating shaft of the propeller. A program of dimensioning by the analytical method of a permanent magnet linear motor structure is developed. The interactions between this program and the braking system control algorithm are taken into account. The integration of the global model under the Matlab-Simulink simulation environment allows full validation of the presented study.
Gender, Social Protection, and Crises of Social Reproduction: Contextualizing NREGA
Authors: Rao Smriti , Ramnarain Smita
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of social protection programs such as India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). And yet, acute crises such as pandemics are layered upon existing inequalities of gender and caste in India. We show that a distinctive feature of twenty-first-century Indian capitalism is a restructuring of the caste-gender division of labor in rural India, such that women’s unpaid labor of social reproduction has increased, particularly for women from marginalized castes. Thus, patterns of participation in NREGA cannot be understood without understanding the specifics of the underlying crisis of social reproduction for labor. Social protection programs that do not consider the labor of social reproduction and are unaccompanied by broader socialization of such labor then likely fall short of mitigating deep-rooted inequalities.

JEL Classification: B54, J21, J88
Systematic review of drivers influencing building deconstructability: Towards a construct-based conceptual framework
Authors: Balogun Habeeb , Alaka Hafiz , Egwim Christian Nnaemeka , Ajayi Saheed
Published: October 2022

Deconstruction is an innovative and sustainable option for building end-of-life. It can turn the negative impacts of demolition, including diverting valuable resources from the congested landfill into beneficial use through reuse and recycling. However, the feasibility of deconstruction has placed a massive limitation on the implementation of deconstruction. This research carried out a systematic literature review of 35 academic and 3 non-academic pieces of literature to develop a construct-based deconstructability framework. This framework – built around technical, economic, legal, operational, schedule and social construct – describes the condition under which deconstruction is likely to work and drivers influencing deconstructability. A total of 44 drivers influencing deconstructability were established and ranked from which design and building technology, cost including expense and revenues from the resale, supply and demand of the recovered component and material, the schedule for the deconstruction were identified as most influential. However, every identified driver should be considered during the deconstructability assessment of a building.