bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrodeposition of Co in an Amide-Type Ionic Liquid under an External Magnetic Field
Authors: Manjum Marjanul , Serizawa Nobuyuki , Katayama Yasushi
Published: April 2021

Electrodeposition of Co was investigated in an amide-type ionic liquid, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (BMPTFSA), under an external magnetic field. Neodymium magnets were used as a source of the magnetic field, which was parallel to the ionic current during the electrodeposition of Co on a glassy carbon electrode. Potentiostatic cathodic reduction applying –1.6 and –2.0 V vs Ag∣Ag(I) under the magnetic field in BMPTFSA containing Co(TFSA)2at 25 °C gave nanowire-shaped deposits on the electrode surface. The deposits were found to be composed of Co, which was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. However, no diffraction peak was observed in the deposits by X-ray diffraction. The nanowires were further examined by transmission electron microscopy. The lattice fringe corresponding to (111) plane of Co was found in the deposits, indicating the nanowires were composed of metallic Co nanoparticles. Therefore, crystalline Co nanoparticles were considered to be formed in the presence of the magnetic field.
Long Noncoding RNAs in Myocardial Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Zhao Zhuo , Sun Wei , Guo Ziyuan , Liu Bin , Yu Hongyu , Zhang Jichang
Published: April 2021

Following an acute myocardial infarction, reperfusion therapy is currently the most effective way to save the ischemic myocardium; however, restoring blood flow may lead to a myocardial ischemia‐reperfusion injury (MIRI). Recent studies have confirmed that long‐chain noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) play important roles in the pathophysiology of MIRIs. These LncRNA‐mediated roles include cardiomyocyte apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and calcium overload, which are regulated through the expression of target genes. Thus, LncRNAs may be used as clinical diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets to treat or prevent MIRI. This review evaluates the research on LncRNAs involved in MIRIs and provides new ideas for preventing and treating this type of injury.
Epstein–Barr Virus Induces Adipocyte Dedifferentiation to Modulate the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Liu Shu-Chen , Tsang Ngan-Ming , Lee Po-Ju , Sui Yun-Hua , Huang Chen-Han , Liu Tzu-Tung
Published: April 2021

The most frequent location of metastatic EBV+ nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the bone marrow, an adipocyte-dominant region. Several EBV-associated lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) types also grow in the anatomical vicinity of fat tissues. Here we show that in an adipose tissue-rich tumor setting, EBV targets adipocytes and remodels the tumor microenvironment. Positive immunoreactivity for EBV-encoded early antigen D was detected in adipose tissue near tumor beds of bone marrow metastatic NPC. EBV was capable of infecting primary human adipocytes in vitro, triggering expression of multiple EBV-encoded mRNA and proteins. In infected adipocytes, lipolysis was stimulated through enhanced expression of lipases and the AMPK metabolic pathway. The EBV-mediated imbalance in energy homeostasis was further confirmed by increased release of free fatty acids, glycerol, and expression of proinflammatory adipokines. Clinically, enhanced serum levels of free fatty acids in patients with NPC correlated with poorer recurrence-free survival. EBV-induced delipidation stimulated dedifferentiation of adipocytes into fibroblast-like cells expressing higher levels of S100A4, a marker protein of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). IHC analyses of bone marrow metastatic NPC and salivary LELC revealed similar structural changes of dedifferentiated adipocytes located at the boundaries of EBV+ tumors. S100A4 expression in adipose tissues near tumor beds correlated with fibrotic response, implying that CAFs in the tumor microenvironment are partially derived from EBV-induced dedifferentiated adipocytes. Our data suggest that adipose tissue serves as an EBV reservoir, where EBV orchestrates the interactions between adipose tissues and tumor cells by rearranging metabolic pathways to benefit virus persistence and to promote a protumorigenic microenvironment.

Significance:

This study suggests that Epstein–Barr virus hijacks adipocyte lipid metabolism to create a tumor-promoting microenvironment from which reactivation and relapse of infection could potentially occur.
A PERFECT Biomarker-focused Study of Neoadjuvant IO for Esophagogastric Cancer
Authors: Catenacci Daniel V.T.
Published: April 2021

To evaluate feasibility and efficacy, checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab was added to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery for esophagogastric adenocarcinoma. The approach was deemed feasible, and while it did not demonstrate better clinical outcome to propensity-matched patients, biomarker investigation demonstrated that high inflammation in the sample at baseline predicted therapeutic benefit.

See related article by van den Ende et al., p. 3351
Henle Fibre Layer Haemorrhage after a Valsalva Manoeuvre
Authors: Leisser Christoph , Huemer Josef Christian , Findl Oliver
Published: April 2021

A male patient, 59 years of age, presented with sudden deterioration of visual acuity (VA) caused by a Henle fibre layer haemorrhage (HFLH) in our outpatient department. He reported being under treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and experienced a Valsalva manoeuvre before he observed reduced vision. Due to the impairment caused by the haemorrhage, disturbing the patient’s daily activities, intravitreal injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator combined with SF6 and bevacizumab was offered. After this procedure, the HFLH disappeared, VA improved from 20/40 to 20/20 (Snellen) 3 months after treatment and a typical hyperreflective vertical line was seen in optical coherence tomography.
Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis as a Cutaneous Manifestation of COVID-19 Infection with a Positive Skin Antigen Test
Authors: Abdelrahman Oghowan , Shadan Andleeb , Al Dabal Laila , Keloth Tasnim R.
Published: April 2021

On 11 March 2020, WHO declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a pandemic, representing a public health emergency of unprecedented dimension. COVID-19 is a multisystem Novel viral infection with protean manifestations and variable degrees of clinical presentation. The most common presentation is upper and lower respiratory tract illness. Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 have rarely been described. In this case report, we present a 41-year-old male patient who presented with fatigue and follicular skin rash followed almost 2 weeks later with fever, left upper limb transient weakness, and pneumonia. Of interest is that the patient’s skin lesions tested positive on COVID-19 antigen test. The patient received a course of anti-COVID-19 treatment as per our national guideline, and he made a full clinical and radiology recovery.
The Association of Visually Guided Saccades and DAT-SPECT Findings in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Kobayashi Makoto , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: April 2021

Background: In individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), visually guided saccades (VGSs) reportedly reflect general motor dysfunction and cognitive impairments. However, it has not been fully elucidated whether the VGS abnormalities result from nigrostriatal degeneration or other PD-related neural changes. Methods: We measured VGS latency and gain in 50 PD participants and 56 age-matched normal controls (NCs), and PD participants underwent dopamine transporter (DAT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) within 2 months of the measurement. VGSs were evoked by a white dot on a monitor, which was presented at the center and pseudo-randomly jumped off horizontally (10° or 20° eccentricity) or vertically (10° or 15°). First, we compared the parameters between PD participants and NCs for each target location. Second, in the participants who exhibited striatal DAT asymmetry on SPECT, VGSs contralaterally directed to the more severely affected striatum were compared with those ipsilaterally directed. Third, effects of the DAT-SPECT specific binding ratio (SBR) on VGSs were analyzed. Results: PD participants demonstrated prolonged latencies when the target was presented at the upward 15° eccentricity and decreased gains at all target locations. Contralateral VGSs relative to the side of the more severely affected striatum were more delayed and hypometric than ipsilateral. The SBR had a significant positive effect on VGS gain. Conclusions: In participants with PD, saccadic abnormalities were emphasized when VGSs were directed contralaterally to the more severely affected striatum. Moreover, the dopaminergic nigrostriatal degeneration on DAT-SPECT was mainly associated with VGS gain.
Fetal Growth Diagnosis and Management among Perinatal Medical Professionals: A Survey of Practice and Literature Review
Authors: Kajdy Anna , Filipecka-Tyczka Dagmara , Muzyka-Placzyńska Katarzyna , Modzelewski Jan , Sys Dorota , Baranowska Barbara , Rabijewski Michał
Published: April 2021

Introduction: This paper aimed to assess the knowledge of healthcare professionals (obstetric and gynecology residents, specialists, and midwives) in the field of perinatal medicine regarding fetal growth diagnosis and management. Methods: A questionnaire was created consisting of a set of questions regarding demographic data, methods of growth assessment, and management. It was a handout survey. The results were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and χ2 analysis using the program Statistica. Results: 190 medical professionals have participated in the questionnaire. 86.3% of respondents agreed that pregnancy dating should be modified based on first-trimester ultrasound. 90.9% agreed that III trimester ultrasound has a ±15% margin of error. When asked which growth charts are best fit for assessing growth in a studied population, 10.7% marked standard, 37.4% reference, 26.2% customized, and 26.2% did not know the difference between the three choices. 60.3% stated that they use a growth chart to assess growth and qualify fetuses for monitoring. 70.2% used the 10th centile as a cutoff, 20.1% 5th centile, and 9.7% 3rd centile. Only 40.9% would diagnose fetal growth restriction based on fetal weight only. 28.7% using the 10th centile cutoff, 16.1% 5th centile, and 54.0% 3rd centile. Only a quarter of the respondents were able to name the growth chart or tool that they use for assessment. The most common responses were Yudkin, Hadlock, and online calculators of Fetal Medicina Barcelona and the Fetal Medicine Foundation. Discussion: A lot of confusion is observed primarily in the aspect of cutoff values for identification, subsequent monitoring, and management of fetal growth restriction. There is a need for extensive training and education in this field and uniform national recommendations.
The Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Phase I Oncology Clinical Trials
Authors: Coleman Robert L. , Beck J. Thaddeus , Baranda Joaquina C. , Jacobs Ira , Smoyer Karen E. , Lee Lauren J. , Askerova Zemfira , McGinnis Justin , Ganti Apar Kishor
Published: April 2021

Objective: To investigate patient-reported outcome (PRO) usage in phase I oncology clinical trials, including types of PRO measures and changes over time. Methods: We analyzed ClinicalTrials.gov records of phase I oncology clinical trials completed by December 2019. Results: Of all eligible trials, 2.3% (129/5,515) reported ≥1 PRO, totaling 181 instances of PRO usage. PRO usage increased over time, from 0.6% (trials initiated before 2000) to 3.4% (trials starting between 2015 and 2019). The most common PRO measures were unspecified (29%), tumor-specific (24%), and generic cancer (19%). Conclusion: Although uncommon in phase I oncology clinical trials, PRO usage is increasing over time. PRO measures were often unspecified on ClinicalTrials.gov, suggesting that more precise reporting and standardization are needed.
Chromosome Mapping of U2 snDNA in Species of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae)
Authors: Gazoni Thiago , Dorigon Nathália S. , da Silva Marcelo J. , Cholak Luiza R. , Haddad Célio F.B. , Parise-Maltempi Patricia P.
Published: April 2021

Small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is a class of molecules involved in the processing of pre-mRNA and in regulatory cell processes. snRNAs are always associated with a set of specific proteins. The complexes are referred to as small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, and spliceosome U RNAs are their most common snRNA components. The repetitive sequences of U snDNAs have been cytogenetically mapped in several species of Arthropoda, fishes, and mammals; however, their distribution remains unknown in amphibians. Here, we show results of FISH mapping of U2 snDNA repetitive sequences in species of the amphibian genus Leptodactylus to reveal the distribution patterns of this sequence in their karyotypes. The probe hybridized in the metacentric chromosome pair 6 in Leptodactylus fuscus, L. gracilis, L. latrans, L. chaquensis, L. petersii, L. podicipinus, and L. brevipes. A different pattern was observed in L. labyrinthicus with hybridization signals in 4 chromosome pairs. The same localization of U2 gene sequences in most of the species analyzed suggests a relatively conserved pattern and a similarity of the chromosome 6 among these species of Leptodactylus.
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cui Yi , Wang Fang , Li Hongxia , Zhang Xiaojing , Zhao Xiaohan , Wang Duo
Published: April 2021

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) based on current randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Methods: Five databases were screened for RCTs published until August 2019. Studies that assessed the efficacy of acupuncture when used as an independent intervention for HZ were included. The outcomes of interest were pain intensity, as assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), incrustation time, decrustation time, and incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Results: In total, 21 RCTs were included in this research. Compared with antiviral therapy, acupuncture was associated with a reduction in VAS score by 16.13, incrustation time by 1.86 days, decrustation time by 2.19 days, and incidence of PHN by 83%. According to a meta-regression analysis, the main sources of heterogeneity were sample size and duration of treatment. There was no publication bias except on decrustation time. A sensitivity analysis showed that the outcomes were relatively stable and reliable. Conclusion: Acupuncture may be effective for patients with HZ. Nevertheless, this finding should be validated by conducting high-quality trials with a larger sample size.
Bat species composition associated with restinga lagoons from the Paulo César Vinha State Park, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Authors: Vieira Thiago Bernardi , Da Silva Liriann Chrisley Nascimento , Aguiar Ludmilla Moura de Souza , Oprea Monik , Mendes Poliana , Ditchfield Albert David
Published: April 2021

Restingas are coastal ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Forest. They are threatened by habitat degradation and forest fragmentation due to intense human occupation. Many restingas have coastal lagoons formed by bay sedimentation of bays, the presence of river estuaries, or emerging groundwater. The distance between lagoons and the ocean influences the biotic community in them. This study aimed to compare the diversity (composition, abundance and richness) of bat communities associated with three lagoons within the Paulo Cesar Vinha State Park, Espírito Santo state. Two lagoons (‘Feia’ and ‘Vermelha’ lagoons) are 2 km away from the ocean, while the third (‘Caraís’ lagoon) is just a few meters distant from the ocean. Species composition did not differ among the lagoons. Abundance of Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina was higher in the ‘Caraís’ lagoon. Abundance of Artibeus lituratus and Platyrrhinus lineatus was higher in the ‘Vermelha’ lagoon. Species with higher abundance in the ‘Vermelha’ are usually associated with urban and disturbed environments. ‘Vermelha’ lagoon is closer to human settlements and this could be a major driver of bat species abundance associated with this lagoon instead of distance from the ocean. These results may be used to guide conservations efforts in the restingas or habitats associated with restingas.
Éramos felizes e sabíamos
Authors: Évora Fátima Regina
Published: April 2021

Neste texto pretendo dizer alguma coisa sobre a criação, referida por Porchat como uma epopeia, e consolidação do CLE e do Programa de pós-graduação em Filosofia da UNICAMP. O Prof. Porchat chegou à UNICAMP, em 1975, e trouxe consigo um pequeno projeto, que submeteu ao então reitor da Unicamp, Prof. Zeferino Vaz. A proposta contemplava a implantação de um Centro de estudos e pesquisas nas áreas de Lógica, Epistemologia e História da Ciência bem como a criação de um programa de pós-graduação em Lógica e Filosofia da Ciência. Tal projeto, além de preencher uma grande lacuna, converteria a Unicamp, na década de setenta, num local privilegiado de encontro e diálogo entre filósofos, lógicos, historiadores, sociólogos, matemáticos, físicos, psicanalistas até então dispersos nos vários centros universitários do país. O Prof. Zeferino entusiasmou-se com a ideia já na primeira reunião (ocorrida ao final de 1975) e meses depois uma dezena de filósofos já havia sido contratada para a implantação do CLE e também do Curso de Pós-Graduação em Lógica e Filosofia da Ciência junto ao Departamento de Filosofia. A marca que o Prof. Porchat imprimiu neste programa, neste período, e que o caracterizava era a atmosfera de debate e de discussão que se instalou ali.
Primary Outcome Evaluation of a Next-Generation Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device
Authors: Kar Saibal , Doshi Shephal K. , Sadhu Ashish , Horton Rodney , Osorio Jose , Ellis Christopher , Stone James , Shah Manish , Dukkipati Srinivas R. , Adler Stuart , Nair Devi G. , Kim Jamie , Wazni Oussama , Price Mathew J. , Asch Federico M. , Holmes David R. , Shipley Robert D. , Gordon Nicole T. , Allocco Dominic J. , Reddy Vivek Y. ,   On behalf of the PINNACLE FLX Investigators
Published: April 2021

Background:

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion provides an alternative to oral anticoagulation for thromboembolic risk reduction in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Since regulatory approval in 2015, the WATCHMAN device has been the only LAA closure device available for clinical use in the United States. The PINNACLE FLX study (Protection Against Embolism for Nonvalvular AF Patients: Investigational Device Evaluation of the Watchman FLX LAA Closure Technology) evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX LAA closure device in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in whom oral anticoagulation is indicated, but who have an appropriate rationale to seek a nonpharmaceutical alternative.

Methods:

This was a prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter US Food and Drug Administration study. The primary safety end point was the occurrence of one of the following events within 7 days after the procedure or by hospital discharge, whichever was later: death, ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, or device- or procedure-related events requiring cardiac surgery. The primary effectiveness end point was the incidence of effective LAA closure (peri-device flow ≤5 mm), as assessed by the echocardiography core laboratory at 12-month follow-up.

Results:

A total of 400 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 73.8±8.6 years and the mean CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc score was 4.2±1.5. The incidence of the primary safety end point was 0.5% with a 1-sided 95% upper CI of 1.6%, meeting the performance goal of 4.2% (
P
<0.0001). The incidence of the primary effectiveness end point was 100%, with a 1-sided 95% lower CI of 99.1%, again meeting the performance goal of 97.0% (
P
<0.0001). Device-related thrombus was reported in 7 patients, no patients experienced pericardial effusion requiring open cardiac surgery, and there were no device embolizations.

Conclusions:

LAA closure with this next-generation LAA closure device was associated with a low incidence of adverse events and a high incidence of anatomic closure.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02702271.
Novel Supreme Drug-Eluting Stents With Early Synchronized Antiproliferative Drug Delivery to Inhibit Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation After Drug-Eluting Stents Implantation in Coronary Artery Disease: Results of the PIONEER III Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Lansky Alexandra J. , Kereiakes Dean J. , Baumbach Andreas , Windecker Stephan , Hussain Yasin , Pietras Cody , Dressler Ovidiu , Issever Ozgu , Curtis Michael , Bertolet Barry , Zidar James P. , Smits Pieter C. , Alfonso Jiménez Díaz Victor , McLaurin Brent , Hofma Sjoerd , Cequier Ángel , Dib Nabil , Benit Edouard , Mathur Anthony , Brogno David , Berland Jacques , Wykrzykowska Joanna , Piegari Guy , Brugaletta Salvatore , Saito Shigeru , Leon Martin B. ,   on behalf of the PIONEER III Trial Investigators
Published: April 2021

Background:

Accelerated endothelial healing after targeted antiproliferative drug delivery may limit the long-term inflammatory response of drug-eluting stents (DESs). The novel Supreme DES is designed to synchronize early drug delivery within 4 to 6 weeks of implantation, leaving behind a prohealing permanent base layer. Whether the Supreme DES is safe and effective in the short term and can improve long-term clinical outcomes is not known.

Methods:

In an international, 2:1 randomized, single-blind trial, we compared treatment with Supreme DES to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES) in patients with acute and chronic coronary syndromes. The primary end point was target lesion failure—a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. The trial was designed to demonstrate noninferiority (margin of 3.58%) of the Supreme DES at 12 months compared with DP-EES (URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03168776).

Results:

From October 2017 to July 2019, a total of 1629 patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to the Supreme DES (N=1086) or DP-EES (N=543). At 12 months, target lesion failure occurred in 57 of 1057 patients (5.4%) in the Supreme DES group and in 27 of 532 patients (5.1%) in the DP-EES group (absolute risk difference, 0.32% [95% CI, −1.87 to 2.5];
P
non
inferiority
=0.002]. There were no significant differences in rates of device success, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, or stent thrombosis at 12 months, and the safety composite of cardiovascular death and target vessel myocardial infarction was 3.5% versus 4.6% (hazard ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.46–1.25]) with Supreme DES compared with DP-EES, although rates of combined clinically and non–clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 12 months were higher with Supreme DES.

Conclusions:

Among patients with acute and chronic coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, the Supreme DES proved to be noninferior to the standard DP-EES.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03168776.
Gottfried Finckelthaus
Authors: Belotti Michael
Published: April 2021

According to a remark made by Constantin Christian Dedekind, Gottfried Finckelthaus was not only a writer, but also a singer of songs. Starting from the less-known early pastorals, the present article tries to define the poet’s position in the civic, academic, and literary networks in Leipzig during the 1630s. Special attention is given to the adaptation of French song and dance melodies by poets in Central Germany, and the metrical innovations resulting from it.
Kaffeekonsum als Problem
Authors: Delpech Louis
Published: April 2021

The rise of coffee consumption and steady expansion of coffee houses all over Europe in the last decades of the 17th century is often connected to the emergence of a public space, new modes of communication and social interaction, and eventually seen as a catalyst for the early Enlightenment. Yet those new places and drinking habits also had a disrupting effect on accepted norms of sociability and raised questions about potential health risks. Those debates are particularly well reflected in Leipzig publications between 1690 and 1730. This article takes three cantatas on coffee by Johann Gottfried Krause, Daniel Stoppe, and Christian Friedrich Henrici as a point of departure to investigate the emergence of this new genre in Leipzig and bear upon its social, literary, and musical implications.
Lectotypification of two names in Indian Millettia (Fabaceae—Papilionoideae)

Authors: BALAN ANOOP PUTHUPARAMPIL , PREDEEP SREEVILAS VASUDEVAN , PRAKASHKUMAR RAVEENDRAN PILLAI
Published: April 2021

Two names in Indian Milletia (Fabaceae—Papilionoideae) namely, M. rubiginosa and M. splendens are lectotypified here as a part of the revisionary study of the tribe Millettieae in India. Original materials of both species were traced from BM, BR, CAL, E, K, M, MH, P and NY. Besides, the diversity of Millettia in India is briefly discussed. An artificial key for the identification of Millettia species in India is also presented.
Typification of the name Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae)
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F. , SHTEIN RONEN
Published: April 2021

Several species and nothospecies of Kalanchoe Adanson (1763: 248) (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) that use multiple vegetative and reproductive methods of self-propagation have become weedy in especially mild-climate parts of the world (Garcês et al. 2007, Herrera & Nassar 2009, Smith 2019, Smith et al. 2019: 244–278). Some of these, including the nothospecies K. ×houghtonii Ward (2006: 94) (Smith 2019) and its two parent taxa, K. daigremontiana Raymond-Hamet & Perrier de la Bâthie (1914: 128) (Figs 1 & 2) and K. tubiflora (Harvey 1862: 380) Hamet (1912: 44), have taken on economic importance beyond being sold, in many instances unwisely, as ornamental plants in the horticultural trade, as their eradication from places where they have become established in vegetation well away from their natural habitats will require the investment of fiscal resources.
Two new names in Holothrix (Orchideae, Orchidaceae)

Authors: BYTEBIER BENNY , LE PÉCHON TIMOTHÉE
Published: April 2021

Le Péchon et al. (2019) found that Bartholina Brown in Aiton (1813: 194) is deeply embedded in Holothrix Richard in Lindley (1835: 257). Holothrix includes around 46 species with the highest diversity in southern and eastern Africa, whereas Bartholina includes only two species endemic to the Greater Cape Floristic Region (WCSP, 2021). Bartholina predates Holothrix, and to preserve nomenclatural stability, a proposal for conservation has been published (Le Pechon & Bytebier, 2019), and so we would like to make the new names in Holothrix available.
Pluralism that is Not an Ideology: The Phenomenology of Collectivistic Catholicisms in a Small Nation
Authors: Jakelić Slavica
Published: April 2021

This article addresses the relationship between culturally embedded religious traditions, nationalism, and pluralism by looking at the phenomenology of collectivistic Catholicisms in post-communist Croatia, one of the smallest EU nations. The author argues that, although linked to Croatian national identity, collectivistic Catholicisms in this society do not only present obstacles to the society’s cultural, national, and religious diversity, but also contribute to its complex and embedded forms of, in William Connolly’s terms, “deep” pluralism. The author challenges the modernist readings of religion-nationalism connections as reducible to secularization and anti-pluralism, to uncover the ways in which small nations can develop political and cultural modernity while seeking to articulate and rearticulate their cultural identity. In so doing, the author affirms the insights of Shmuel N. Eisenstadt’s paradigm of “multiple modernities,” focusing especially on the spaces of agency (and responsibility) that religious actors have in their engagement and encounter with religious, cultural, and national pluralism.
Associations between attainment of incentivised primary care indicators and emergency hospital admissions among type 2 diabetes patients: a population-based historical cohort study
Authors: Gunn Laura H , McKay Ailsa J , Molokhia Mariam , Valabhji Jonathan , Molina German , Majeed Azeem , Vamos Eszter P
Published: April 2021

Objectives

England has invested considerably in diabetes care over recent years through programmes such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework and National Diabetes Audit. However, associations between specific programme indicators and key clinical endpoints, such as emergency hospital admissions, remain unclear. We aimed to examine whether attainment of Quality and Outcomes Framework and National Diabetes Audit primary care diabetes indicators is associated with diabetes-related, cardiovascular, and all-cause emergency hospital admissions.

Design

Historical cohort study.

Setting

A total of 330 English primary care practices, 2010–2017, using UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Participants

A total of 84,441 adults with type 2 diabetes.

Main Outcome Measures

The primary outcome was emergency hospital admission for any cause. Secondary outcomes were (1) diabetes-related and (2) cardiovascular-related emergency admission.

Results

There were 130,709 all-cause emergency admissions, 115,425 diabetes-related admissions and 105,191 cardiovascular admissions, corresponding to unplanned admission rates of 402, 355 and 323 per 1000 patient-years, respectively. All-cause hospital admission rates were lower among those who met HbA1c and cholesterol indicators (incidence rate ratio = 0.91; 95% CI 0.89–0.92; p < 0.001 and 0.87; 95% CI 0.86–0.89; p < 0.001), respectively), with similar findings for diabetes and cardiovascular admissions. Patients who achieved the Quality and Outcomes Framework blood pressure target had lower cardiovascular admission rates (incidence rate ratio = 0.98; 95% CI 0.96–0.99; p = 0.001). Strong associations were found between completing 7–9 (vs. either 4–6 or 0–3) National Diabetes Audit processes and lower rates of all admission outcomes ( p-values < 0.001), and meeting all nine National Diabetes Audit processes had significant associations with reductions in all types of emergency admissions by 22% to 26%. Meeting the HbA1c or cholesterol Quality and Outcomes Framework indicators, or completing 7–9 National Diabetes Audit processes, was also associated with longer time-to-unplanned all-cause, diabetes and cardiovascular admissions.

Conclusions

Attaining Quality and Outcomes Framework-defined diabetes intermediate outcome thresholds, and comprehensive completion of care processes, may translate into considerable reductions in emergency hospital admissions. Out-of-hospital diabetes care optimisation is needed to improve implementation of core interventions and reduce unplanned admissions.
Path tracking based on model predictive control with variable predictive horizon
Authors: Wang Huiran , Wang Qidong , Chen Wuwei , Zhao Linfeng , Tan Dongkui
Published: April 2021

Model predictive control is one of the main methods used in path tracking for autonomous vehicles. To improve the path tracking performance of the vehicle, a path tracking method based on model predictive control with variable predictive horizon is proposed in this paper. Based on the designed model predictive controller for path tracking, the response analysis of path tracking control system under the different predictive horizons is carried out to clarify the influence of predictive horizon on path tracking accuracy, driving comfort and real-time of the control algorithm. Then, taking the lateral offset, the steering frequency and the real-time of the control algorithm as comprehensive performance indexes, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is designed to realize the adaptive optimization for the predictive horizon. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated via numerical simulation based on Simulink/CarSim and hardware-in-the-loop experiment on an autonomous driving simulator. The obtained results show that the optimized predictive horizon can adapt to the different driving environment, and the proposed path tracking method has good comprehensive performance in terms of path tracking accuracy of the vehicle, driving comfort and real-time.
After the Pain: Reflexive Practice, Emotion Work and Learning
Authors: Hibbert Paul , Beech Nic , Callagher Lisa , Siedlok Frank
Published: April 2021

We consider how reflexive practices can enable learning from negative emotional experiences. We study these experiences in academic organizations through a relationally reflexive autoethnographic method. Our findings contribute to theory in three ways. First, we show how learning involves practices with different modalities of emotion work and reflexive orientations that internalize or externalize the effects of this work. Second, the subsequent characterization of emotionally responsive reflexive practices shows how isolation and a sense of inadequacy can be avoided and, third, leads to a process model that shows how learning is potentiated in a supportive social context that accommodates emotional vulnerability.
Relationship Pattern of Personality Disorder Traits in Major Psychiatric Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Saini Bhavneesh , Bansal Pir Dutt , Bahetra Mamta , Sharma Arvind , Bansal Priyanka , Singh Baltej , Moria Kavita , Kumar Rakesh
Published: April 2021

Background:

Normal personality development, gone awry due to genetic or environmental factors, results in personality disorders (PD). These often coexist with other psychiatric disorders, affecting their outcome adversely. Considering the heterogeneity of data, more research is warranted.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study on personality traits in psychiatric patients of a tertiary hospital, over 1 year. Five hundred and twenty-five subjects, aged 18–45 years, with substance, psychotic, mood, or neurotic disorders were selected by convenience sampling. They were evaluated for illness-related variables using psychiatric pro forma; diagnostic confirmation and severity assessment were done using ICD-10 criteria and suitable scales. Personality assessment was done using the International Personality Disorder Examination after achieving remission.

Results:

Prevalence of PD traits and PDs was 56.3% and 4.2%, respectively. While mood disorders were the diagnostic group with the highest prevalence of PD traits, it was neurotic disorders for PDs. Patients with PD traits had a past psychiatric history and upper middle socioeconomic status (SES); patients with PDs were urban and unmarried. Both had a lower age of onset of psychiatric illness. Psychotic patients with PD traits had higher and lower PANSS positive and negative scores, respectively. The severity of personality pathology was highest for mixed cluster and among neurotic patients. Clusterwise prevalence was cluster C > B > mixed > A (47.1%, 25.2%, 16.7%, and 11.4%). Among subtypes, anankastic (18.1%) and mixed (16.7%) had the highest prevalence. Those in the cluster A group were the least educated and with lower SES than others.

Conclusions:

PD traits were present among 56.3% of the patients, and they had many significant sociodemographic and illness-related differences from those without PD traits. Cluster C had the highest prevalence. Among patients with psychotic disorders, those with PD traits had higher severity of psychotic symptoms.
Grammars of reckoning: Redressing racial regimes of property
Authors: Safransky Sara
Published: April 2021

This paper contributes to emerging conversations at the intersection of critical geographies of property and race by centering political grammars of reckoning and redress. Grammar is more than syntax. It is about structures of language, including the ways that words are arranged, inflected, and imbued with meaning. A focus on political grammars elucidates the rules of reference that make private property appear as a self-evident thing (e.g., the land itself) that one can own. Moreover, it orients discussions of land and property toward the kinds of reparative work necessary to dismantle and move beyond racial regimes of ownership. The paper focuses on North America, specifically the United States, while drawing on salient theoretical insights from a range of scholars and cases. It is oriented around an examination of three modes of reckoning—truth and reconciliation; state redress; and reparations as the reconstruction of society—that overlap but also have distinct meanings with different assumptions about accountability and responsibility and visions for the future. I analyze the political grammars that subtend each and consider how they call us as scholars and people to the urgent task of building more just social worlds.
Panel evidence of the dynamics between energy consumption and trade openness in ASEAN and East Asia
Authors: Law Chee-Hong , Sek Siok Kun
Published: April 2021

This paper investigated the dynamics between trade openness and energy consumption in five members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and three East Asian countries from 1980 to 2014. Previous theoretical discussions and empirical findings pointed out that trade openness had ambiguous effects on energy consumption. A panel dataset involving energy consumption per capita, trade openness, real gross domestic product per capita, gross fixed capital formation per capita and foreign direct investment was estimated. The Lagrange multiplier (LM) cross-sectional dependence test confirms the existence of cross-sectional dependence among the cross-sectional units. Moreover, the Westerlund cointegration test showed that the variables were not cointegrated. Hence, the dynamics among the variables were explored using the panel vector autoregressive method. The results suggested that there is a unidirectional Granger causality from trade openness to energy consumption. Further, the impulse response functions implied that the effect of trade openness on energy consumption occurred via the dynamics between trade openness and gross capital formation per capita. Finally, the forecast error variance decomposition showed that the contribution of trade openness on energy consumption increased during the examined period.
On the international investment regime: A critique from equality
Authors: Chan Shuk Ying
Published: April 2021

The international investment regime has come under increasing scrutiny, with several developing countries withdrawing from bilateral investment treaties in recent years. A central worry raised by critics is that investment treaties undermine national self-determination. Proposed reforms to the regime have focused on rebalancing the distribution of power between states and investors to restore ‘enlarged regulatory space’ for the former. Contra this critique from national self-determination, in this paper I argue that infringements on national self- determination cannot alone explain why the investment regime is morally problematic. Instead, on this egalitarian view, the regime is objectionable because it empowers a class of agents, whose interests are reliably opposed to egalitarian economic policy, to constrain national self-determination. In effect, the investment regime undermines states’ capacity to address inequality within and between states and is unjust for that reason. The moral and practical upshot is that reforms to the regime ought to empower disadvantaged groups to exert disproportionate leverage over the terms and practice of international investment, and to appeal to global institutions to do so. In other words, our moral assessment of a given global institution or practice should not depend on whether it constrains national self-determination, but on who it empowers to do so.
Philosophy’s rematch: A new conceptualization of the study of higher education
Authors: Orona Gabe A
Published: April 2021

In recent decades, philosophy has been identified as a general approach to enhance the maturity of higher education as a field of study by enriching theory and method. In this article, I offer a new set of philosophical recommendations to spur the disciplinary development of higher education, departing from previous work in several meaningful ways. Due to their deep and useful connections to higher education research, philosophy of measurement, virtue epistemology, and Bayesian epistemology are introduced and discussed in relation to their conceptual association and potential practical influence on the study of higher education. The culmination of these points signals a learnercentered lens focused on the development of students.
Cancer and stem cells
Authors: Yin Wen , Wang Jialing , Jiang Linling , James Kang Y
Published: April 2021

Being the second leading cause of death globally, cancer has been a long-standing and rapidly evolving focus of biomedical research and practice in the world. A tremendous effort has been made to understand the origin of cancer cells, the formation of cancerous tissues, and the mechanism by which they spread and relapse, but the disease still remains mysterious. Here, we made an attempt to scrutinize evidences that indicate the role of stem cells in tumorigenesis and metastasis, and cancer relapse. We also looked into the influence of cancers on stem cells, which in turn represent a major constituent of tumor microenvironment. Based on current understandings of the properties of (cancer) stem cells and their relation to cancers, we can foresee that novel therapeutic approaches would become the next wave of cancer treatment.
“6 Anatomical Landmarks” Technique for Satisfactory Free-Hand Orbital Reconstruction With Standard Preformed Titanium Mesh
Authors: Canzi Gabriele , Corradi Federica , Novelli Giorgio , Bozzetti Alberto , Sozzi Davide
Published: April 2021

Study Design:

Retrospective study.

Objective:

Resolution of clinical signs and symptoms following orbital fractures depends on the accurate restoration of the orbital volume. Computer-Assisted procedures and Patient Specific Implants represent modern solutions, but they require additional resources. A more reproducible option is the use of standard preformed titanium meshes, widely available and cheaper; with their use quality of results is proportional to the accuracy with which they are positioned. This work identifies 6 reproducible and constant anatomical landmarks, as an intraoperative guide for the precise positioning of titanium preformed meshes.

Methods:

90 patients treated at the Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Niguarda Trauma Center, Milan, for unilateral orbital reconstruction (January 2012 to December 2018), were studied. In all cases reconstruction was performed respecting the 6 proposed anatomical landmarks. The outcomes analyzed are: post-operative CT adherence to the 6 anatomical markers and symmetry achieved respect to controlateral orbit; number/year of re-interventions and duration of surgery; resolution of clinical defects (at least 12-months follow-up); incidence of complications.

Results:

Satisfactory results were obtained in terms of restoration of orbital size, shape and volume. Clinical defects early recovered with a low incidence of complications and re-interventions. Operating times and radiological accuracy have shown a progressive improvement during years of application of this technique.

Conclusions:

The proposed “6 anatomical landmarks” is an easy free-hand technique that allows everyone to obtain high levels of reconstructive accuracy and it should be a skill of all surgeons who deal with orbital reconstruction in daily clinical activity.
Predictors of six-month inability to return to work in previously employed subjects after mild traumatic brain injury: A TRACK-TBI pilot study
Authors: Yue John K , Phelps Ryan RL , Hemmerle Debra D , Upadhyayula Pavan S , Winkler Ethan A , Deng Hansen , Chang Diana , Vassar Mary J , Taylor Sabrina R , Schnyer David M , Lingsma Hester F , Puccio Ava M , Yuh Esther L , Mukherjee Pratik , Huang Michael C , Ngwenya Laura B , Valadka Alex B , Markowitz Amy J , Okonkwo David O , Manley Geoffrey T ,   TRACK-TBI Investigators
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Return to work (RTW) is an important milestone of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) recovery. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether baseline clinical variables, three-month RTW, and three-month postconcussional symptoms (PCS) were associated with six-month RTW after mTBI.

Methods

Adult subjects from the prospective multicenter Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot study with mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale 13–15) who were employed at baseline, with completed three- and six-month RTW status, and three-month Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE), were extracted. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed for six-month RTW, with focus on baseline employment, three-month RTW, and three-month ACE domains (physical, cognitive, sleep, and/or emotional postconcussional symptoms (PCS)). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals [CI] were reported. Significance was assessed at p < 0.05.

Results

In 152 patients aged 40.7 ± 15.0 years, 72% were employed full-time at baseline. Three- and six-month RTW were 77.6% and 78.9%, respectively. At three months, 59.2%, 47.4%, 46.1% and 31.6% scored positive for ACE physical, cognitive, sleep, and emotional PCS domains, respectively. Three-month RTW predicted six-month RTW (OR = 19.80, 95% CI [7.61–51.52]). On univariate analysis, scoring positive in any three-month ACE domain predicted inability for six-month RTW (OR = 0.10–0.11). On multivariable analysis, emotional symptoms predicted inability to six-month RTW (OR = 0.19 [0.04–0.85]). Subjects who scored positive in all four ACE domains were more likely to be unable to RTW at six months (4 domains: 58.3%, vs. 0-to-3 domains: 9.5%; multivariable OR = 0.09 [0.02–0.33]).

Conclusions

Three-month post-injury is an important time point at which RTW status and PCS should be assessed, as both are prognostic markers for six-month RTW. Clinicians should be particularly vigilant of patients who present with emotional symptoms, and patients with symptoms across multiple PCS categories, as these patients are at further risk of inability to RTW and may benefit from targeted evaluation and support.