bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Male reproductive system inflammation after healing from coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Morselli Simone , Sebastianelli Arcangelo , Liaci Andrea , Zaccaro Claudia , Pecoraro Alessio , Nicoletti Rossella , Manera Alekseja , Bisegna Claudio , Campi Riccardo , Pollini Simona , Antonelli Alberto , Lagi Filippo , Coppi Marco , Baldi Elisabetta , Marchiani Sara , Nicolò Sabrina , Torcia Maria , Annunziato Francesco , Maggi Mario , Vignozzi Linda , Bartoloni Alessandro , Rossolini Gian Maria , Serni Sergio , Gacci Mauro
Published: December 2021

Background

There is evidence that, after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, male reproductive function and semen quality may be damaged

Objectives

To evaluate a panel of inflammatory mediators in semen in patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019.

Material and methods

Sexually active men with previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and proven recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Clinical, uro‐andrological data and semen specimens were prospectively collected. For previously hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients, data on serum inflammatory markers were retrospectively collected.

Results

A total of 43 men were enrolled in the study. Of these, 32 men were normozoospermic, three were oligozoospermic, and eight were crypto‐azoospermic. Serum inflammatory markers (procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein) were analyzed in previously hospitalized patients both at admission and at peak of infection. Levels at admission were statistically significantly higher in patients resulting in crypto‐azoospermic with respect to those resulting in normozoospermic (p = 0.05; p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively) after healing. Seminal cytokine levels were similar among all groups. Interleukin‐1β and tumor necrosis factor‐α levels were significantly negatively related to sperm total number and concentration, whereas interleukin‐4 was correlated with sperm motility.

Discussion and conclusion

Negative correlations between interleukin‐1β and tumor necrosis factor‐α and sperm number and the overall high levels of semen cytokines indicate a potential detrimental role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 driven inflammation on spermatogenesis. Overall, our results indicate that male patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 deserve accurate follow‐up for their fertility status.
Formation mechanism of the pinholes in brown glazed stoneware from Yaozhou kiln
Authors: Hoo Qianying , Wang Xiaohu , Sun Yue , Hua Qilin , Cao Xuewei , Song Jinhui , Wen Rui
Published: December 2021

Pinhole is a common defect widely seen in many archeological stonewares from different kilns and periods. It is usually a sub‐millimeter pit on the glaze that was believed to be caused by the broken bubbles during the firing process. We investigated the pinholes on a porcelain sherd from Yaozhou kiln of the Song Dynasty (AD 960–1,127), surprisingly, every pinhole corresponds to a flower‐like cluster observed through the microscope. The flower‐like clusters are composed of radial mullite whiskers and ε‐Fe2O3 dendrites, and its growth mechanism were proposed after detailed microscopic and spectroscopic characterizations. The unique chemical composition around the pinholes became the breeding ground for the crystallization of flowers, whereas the crystallization process further facilitates the formation of the pinhole preventing the glaze from restoring smoothness. Our results enriched the knowledge on pinholes and revealed the interesting crystallization assisted formation mechanism, which not only related to bubble rupture but involves the crystallization dynamics as well.
The incidence of symptomatic osteonecrosis is similar between Japanese children and children in Western countries with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated with a Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster (BFM)95‐based protocol
Authors: Moriya Kunihiko , Imamura Toshihiko , Katayama Saori , Kaino Akira , Okamoto Kenji , Yokoyama Norihumi , Uemura Suguru , Kitazawa Hironobu , Sekimizu Masahiro , Hiramatsu Hidefumi , Usami Ikuya , Ishida Hisashi , Hasegawa Daiichiro , Hama Asahito , Moriya‐Saito Akiko , Sato Atsushi , Sasahara Yoji , Suenobu Souichi , Horibe Keizo , Hara Junichi ,   Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study Group (JACLS)
Published: December 2021

In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort of Japanese paediatric patients with B‐cell precursor (BCP)‐acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) treated with a Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster (BFM)95‐based protocol, to clarify the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of osteonecrosis (ON) in comparison to the ALL‐02 protocol. We identified a high frequency of ON with the BFM95‐based protocol compared to the ALL‐02 protocol. The incidence of symptomatic ON with the BFM95‐based protocol is comparable to previous studies in Western countries. We believe that the type of treatment regimen has more impact on the incidence of symptomatic ON in paediatric ALL than ethnicity.
The Right to Gender Recognition before the Colombian Constitutional Court: A Queer and Travesti Theory Analysis
Authors: Osella Stefano , Rubio‐Marin Ruth
Published: December 2021

This article discusses the case‐law on gender recognition of the Colombian Constitutional Court. It argues that the Court, paying attention to queer and trans theory and to the demands of trans activists, has interpreted mainstream constitutional rights in such a way that trans people can have their self‐defined identities recognised. The article criticises the limitations of this case‐law, which still does not explicitly include non‐binary and gender fluid people. On the other hand, it highlights that the Court's doctrine has the potential to challenge both the gender binary and the very category of ‘sex’ or ‘gender’ in the law.
Therapeutic potential of opioid receptor heteromers in chronic pain and associated comorbidities
Authors: Gaborit Marion , Massotte Dominique
Published: December 2021

Chronic pain affects 20% to 45% of the global population and is often associated with the development of anxio‐depressive disorders. Treatment of this debilitating condition remains particularly challenging with opioids prescribed to alleviate moderate to severe pain. However, despite strong antinociceptive properties, numerous adverse effects limit opioid use in the clinic. Moreover, opioid misuse and abuse have become a major health concern worldwide. This prompted efforts to design original strategies that would efficiently and safely relieve pain. Targeting of opioid receptor heteromers is one of these. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the role of heteromers involving opioid receptors in the context of chronic pain and anxio‐depressive comorbidities. It also examines how heteromerization in native tissue affects ligand binding, receptor signalling and trafficking properties. Finally, the therapeutic potential of ligands designed to specifically target opioid receptor heteromers is considered.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Opioid Pharmacology at the Time of the Opioid Epidemic. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.7/issuetoc
Clinical characterization and immunosuppressive regulation of CD161 (KLRB1) in glioma through 916 samples
Authors: Di Wang , Fan Wenhua , Wu Fan , Shi Zhongfang , Wang Zhiliang , Yu Mingchen , Zhai You , Chang Yuanhao , Pan Changqing , Li Guanzhang , Kahlert Ulf Dietrich , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2021

Background

Glioblastoma is a paradigm of cancer‐associated immunosuppression, limiting the effects of immunotherapeutic strategies. Thus, identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying immune surveillance evasion is critical. Recently, the preferential expression of inhibitory natural killer (NK) cell receptor CD161 on glioma‐infiltrating cytotoxic T cells was identified. Focusing on the molecularly annotated, large‐scale clinical samples from different ethnic origins, the data presented here provide evidence of this immune modulator's essential roles in brain tumor biology.

Methods

Retrospective RNA‐seq data analysis was conducted in a cohort of 313 patients with glioma in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database and 603 patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In addition, single‐cell sequencing data from seven surgical specimens of glioblastoma patients and a model in which patient‐derived glioma stem cells were cocultured with peripheral lymphocytes, were used to analyze the molecular evolution process during gliomagenesis.

Results

CD161 was enriched in high‐grade gliomas and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)‐wildtype glioma. CD161 acted as a potential biomarker for the mesenchymal subtype of glioma and an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival (OS) of patients with glioma. In addition, CD161 played an essential role in inhibiting the cytotoxicity of T cells in glioma patients. During the process of gliomagenesis, the expression of CD161 on different lymphocytes dynamically evolved.

Conclusion

The expression of CD161 was closely related to the pathology and molecular pathology of glioma. Meanwhile, CD161 promoted the progression and evolution of gliomas through its unique effect on T cell dysfunction. Thus, CD161 is a promising novel target for immunotherapeutic strategies in glioma treatment.
Growth hormone treatment does not to lead to insulin resistance nor excessive rise in IGF‐1 levels, while improving height in patients small for gestational age A long‐term observational study
Authors: López‐Siguero Juan P. , Martínez‐Aedo Maria J. , Bermúdez de la Vega Jose Antonio , Bosch‐Muñoz Jordi , Lechuga‐Sancho Alfonso M. , Villalobos Triana ,   SGA Study Investigator Collaborative Group
Published: December 2021

Objective

In children born small for gestational age (SGA), the relationship between growth hormone (GH) treatment and insulin resistance (IR) has only been investigated for a short period, necessitating a longer observation period. This study aimed to evaluate the long‐term (10 years) effect of GH to SGA‐children on IR and safety during treatment.

Design

This was a multicenter observational study.

Patients: SGA‐children who received GH treatment in Spain (stratified by Tanner‐stage and age at GH onset [two groups: ≤6 years old or >6 years old]).

Measurements: The analysed variables (yearly measures) included auxologic, metabolic (insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), height velocity [HV], weight and homeostatic model assessment‐IR [HOMA‐IR]) and safety data. Data were collected prospectively (since the study approval: 2007) and retrospectively (since the initiation of GH treatment: 2005–2007).

Results

A total of 389 SGA children (369 Tanner‐I) were recruited from 27 centres. The mean age (standard deviation) of the children at GH treatment onset was 7.2 (2.8) years old. IGF‐1 (standard deviation score [SDS]) and HOMA‐IR values tended to increase until the sixth year of GH‐treatment, with significant differences being observed only during the first year, while these remained stable in the later years (within normal ranges). Height (SDS) increased significantly (basal: −3.0; tenth year: −1.13), and the maximum HV (SDS) occurred during the first year (2.75 ± 2.39).

Conclusions

HOMA‐IR values increased significantly in SGA‐children during the first year of GH‐treatment, remained stable and were within normal ranges in all cases. Our 10‐year data suggests that long‐term GH treatment does not promote IR and is well‐tolerated, safe and effective.
A survey on the psychological impact and access to health care of thyroid patients during the first SARS‐COV‐2 lockdown
Authors: Pavlatou Maria G. , Žarković Miloš , Hegedüs Laszlo , Priestley Julia , McMullan Cheryl , Perros Petros
Published: December 2021

Objective

Information on the impact of SARS‐COV‐2 on the daily life of thyroid patients during lockdown is sparse. The main objective was explorative, focusing on how SARS‐COV‐2 affected thyroid patients.

Design

Cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based, using an online platform.

Patients

Patients >18 years with a history of thyroid disease.

Measurements

Demographic data, psychological impact of SARS‐COV‐2, medical care during the pandemic.

Results

Valid responses were received from 609 responders. The median age was 50 years, 94% were female and 98.5% were UK residents. The commonest diagnosis was primary hypothyroidism (52.2%). Negative psychological effects following the lockdown were reported by 45.6%–58.7%. Cancellations of appointments with thyroid specialists were reported by 43.8%, although cancellations of thyroid investigations and treatments were relatively infrequent (12.9%–14.1%). Overall satisfaction rates for thyroid services were low (satisfaction score 40.1–42.8 out of 100), but nearly 80% were satisfied with remote consultations. Responder ratings of online information sources about SARS‐COV‐2 and thyroid diseases were lowest for government sites. Unmet needs during lockdown were: more remote access to thyroid specialists, more online information in ‘plain English’, and psychological support. In multivariate analyses, younger age, female gender, history of depression, hyperthyroidism, not having contracted SARS‐COV‐2 and multiple comorbidities were risk factors for a negative psychological impact of lockdown.

Conclusions

This survey identified a significant negative impact of SARS‐COV‐2 and lockdown on psychological wellbeing, particularly in some groups of patients defined by demographic factors, history of hyperthyroidism and comorbidities. Low satisfaction with healthcare services among thyroid patients was noted, but remote consultations were rated favourably.
Immersive Analytics with Abstract 3D Visualizations: A Survey
Authors: Kraus Matthias , Fuchs Johannes , Sommer Björn , Klein Karsten , Engelke Ulrich , Keim Daniel , Schreiber Falk
Published: December 2021

After a long period of scepticism, more and more publications describe basic research but also practical approaches to how abstract data can be presented in immersive environments for effective and efficient data understanding. Central aspects of this important research question in immersive analytics research are concerned with the use of 3D for visualization, the embedding in the immersive space, the combination with spatial data, suitable interaction paradigms and the evaluation of use cases. We provide a characterization that facilitates the comparison and categorization of published works and present a survey of publications that gives an overview of the state of the art, current trends, and gaps and challenges in current research.
Anonymous living liver donor perspectives on the role of family in their donation experience
Authors: Humar Sapna , Jung Judy , Krause Sandra , Selzner Nazia , Abbey Susan
Published: December 2021

Anonymous living organ donation is an understudied but rapidly expanding sector in organ transplantation, in which donors choose to donate anonymously to a recipient in need. The family members and close support network of living donors often play a crucial role in the donation process, and their influence likely has a large impact on the decision to donate as well as the donor's physical and psychosocial state. However, there is limited data examining the impact donor families have on the anonymous donor, and in turn, the impact donation has on donors’ families. To assess this, we analyzed a semi‐structured qualitative interview on living donor experiences with 26 anonymous living liver donors for common themes concerning donor families. Responses surrounding donor families were grouped into three major categories: (1) family reactions to donation, ranging from (a) pride/support, (b) fear/worry, and (c) jealousy/anger; (2) the impact of donation on donor‐family relationships, including (a) positive impacts, (b) negative impacts, (c) a positive ripple effect; (3) gaps in institutional support for donor families. This study provides unique information on anonymous living liver donor perceptions related to their families and will help improve existing programs to accommodate donor family needs and cater to donor relationships.
Do post‐quitting experiences predict smoking relapse among former smokers in Australia and the United Kingdom? Findings from the International Tobacco Control Surveys
Authors: Gorniak Bradley , Yong Hua‐Hie , Borland Ron , Cummings K. Michael , Thrasher James F. , McNeill Ann , Hyland Andrew , Fong Geoffrey T.
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Many smokers attempt to stop smoking every year, but the vast majority of quit attempts fail. This study examined prospectively the association between post‐quitting experiences and smoking relapse among ex‐smokers in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Methods

Data came from 584 adult ex‐smokers from Australia and the United Kingdom who participated in Wave 9 of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey and successfully followed up a year later (Wave 10). Binary logistic regression was used to examine whether baseline post‐quitting experiences predicted relapse back to smoking at follow‐up.

Results

Ex‐smokers who perceived their stress coping ability had gotten worse since quitting were more likely to relapse back to smoking compared to their counterparts who reported no change (odds ratio = 5.77, 95% confidence interval = 1.64, 20.31, P < 0.01). Ex‐smokers who reported their homes had become fresher and cleaner post quitting were less likely to relapse compared to those who did not notice any change (odds ratio = 0.34, 95% confidence interval = 0.13, 0.93, P < 0.05). Perceived changes in life enjoyment, negative affect control, social confidence, work performance, leisure time and financial situation did not independently predict relapse. No country differences were found.

Discussion and Conclusions

The study showed that ex‐smokers' relapse risk was elevated if they perceived any negative impact of quitting on their stress coping whereas relapse risk was reduced if they perceived any positive impact of quitting on the home (e.g. fresher and cleaner). Helping ex‐smokers to develop alternative stress coping strategies and highlighting the positive impacts of quitting smoking on the homes may help protect against smoking relapse.
Melanocortin‐4 receptor complexity in energy homeostasis,obesity and drug development strategies
Authors: Fatima Munazza Tamkeen , Ahmed Ikhlak , Fakhro Khalid Adnan , Akil Ammira Sarah Al‐Shabeeb
Published: December 2021

The melanocortin‐4 receptor (MC4R) has been critically investigated for the past two decades, and novel findings regarding MC4R signalling and its potential exploitation in weight loss therapy have lately been emphasized. An association between MC4R and obesity is well established, with disease‐causing mutations affecting 1% to 6% of obese patients. More than 200 MC4R variants have been reported, although conflicting results as to their effects have been found in different cohorts. Most notably, some MC4R gain‐of‐function variants seem to rescue obesity and related complications via specific pathways such as beta‐arrestin (ß‐arrestin) recruitment. Broadly speaking, however, dysfunctional MC4R dysregulates satiety and induces hyperphagia. The picture at the mechanistic level is complicated as, in addition to the canonical G stimulatory pathway, the ß‐arrestin signalling pathway and ions (particularly calcium) seem to interact with MC4R signalling to contribute to or alleviate obesity pathogenesis. Thus, the overall complexity of the MC4R signalling spectra has broadened considerably, indicating there is great potential for the development of new drugs to manage obesity and its related complications. Alpha‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone is the major endogenous MC4R agonist, but structure‐based ligand discovery studies have identified possible superior and selective agonists that can improve MC4R function. However, some of these agonists characterized in vitro and in vivo confer adverse effects in patients, as demonstrated in clinical trials. In this review, we provide a comprehensive insight into the genetics, function and regulation of MC4R and its contribution to obesity. We also outline new approaches in drug development and emerging drug candidates to treat obesity.
Cavell's inheritance of Luther
Authors: Norris Andrew
Published: December 2021

The question of Martin Luther's influence on Stanley Cavell has been almost entirely neglected in the extensive scholarly literature on Cavell. Yet, Luther's name appears prominently and repeatedly in Cavell's initial discussions of his central concepts of acknowledgment and the truth of skepticism. Though the former is often taken to be an essentially interpersonal matter, I argue that it concerns first and foremost that aspect of the world Kant names theDing an sich, and that Cavell's understanding of this follows Luther's conception of our proper relation to God. On this basis, I then argue that Luther's “baptismal life” contains most of the essential elements of Cavell's Romanticism and what he will later term Emersonian Perfectionism. This perfectionism is in effect an “alternative secularization” of Luther's Reformation. As with Kierkegaard, on whom Cavell also draws heavily, though Luther appears less and less in Cavell's work afterThe Claim of Reason, his initial influence on Cavell's central ideas is decisive.
The effect of polygenic risk on white matter microstructural degeneration in Parkinson's disease: A longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging study
Authors: Gu Luyan , Guan Xiaojun , Gao Ting , Zhou Cheng , Yang Wenyi , Lv Dayao , Wu Jingjing , Fang Yi , Guo Tao , Song Zhe , Xu Xiaojun , Tian Jun , Yin Xinzhen , Zhang Minming , Zhang Baorong , Pu Jiali , Yan Yaping
Published: December 2021

Background and purpose

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of genetic risk on whole brain white matter (WM) integrity in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).

Methods

Data were acquired from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. Polygenic load was estimated by calculating weighted polygenic risk scores (PRS) using (i) all available 26 PD‐risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (PRS1) and (ii) 23 SNPs with minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.05 (PRS2). According to the PRS2, and combined with clinical and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data over 3‐year follow‐up, 60 PD patients were screened and assigned to the low‐PRS group (n = 30) and high‐PRS group (n = 30) to investigate intergroup differences in clinical profiles and WM microstructure measured by DTI cross‐sectionally and longitudinally.

RESULTS

PRS were associated with younger age at onset in patients with PD (PRS1, Spearman ρ = −0.190, p = 0.003; PRS2, Spearman ρ = −0.189, p = 0.003). The high‐PRS group showed more extensive WM microstructural degeneration compared with the low‐PRS group, mainly involving the anterior thalamic radiation (AThR) and inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus (IFOF) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, WM microstructural changes in AThR correlated with declining cognitive function (r = −0.401, p = 0.028) and increasing dopaminergic deficits in caudate (r = −0.405, p = 0.030).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that PD‐associated polygenic load aggravates the WM microstructural degeneration and these changes may lead to poor cognition with continuous dopamine depletion. This study provides advanced evidence that combined with a cumulative PRS and DTI methods may predict disease progression in PD patients.
Security or autonomy? A comparative analysis of work values and labor market policies in different European welfare states
Authors: Weiss Julia , Hörisch Felix
Published: December 2021

This paper analyzes whether and how work values differ between European Welfare states and change over time. We proceed in three steps: First, we show that—despite EU harmonization endeavors, for example, via the Europe 2020 strategy—work values still vary substantially between European countries and welfare regimes. Second, by analyzing data from the European Social Survey 2004 and 2010, we show how labor market policies, such as active and passive labor market policies, are associated with work values and how overall levels of work values changed over this period. Third, we discuss potential implications of the heterogeneity of work values for national as well as European labor market policy making. Altogether we are able to show that work values are substantially driven by the economic structure of a country and its labor market policy making.

Key Practitioner Message

Work values vary substantially between European countries and welfare regimes.

The change of work values is substantially driven by welfare state structures (both labor market policies implemented and industry share).

Both European and national labor market policy making has to account for these different work values to be successful.
Puzzling choices in hard times: Union ideologies of social concertation in the Great Recession
Authors: Tassinari Arianna , Donaghey Jimmy , Galetto Manuela
Published: December 2021

Using the cases of Ireland and Portugal during the post‐2008 Great Recession, we argue that unions' ideological formations around social concertation are central in aiding them to navigate their options about whether to engage in concessionary bargaining with government under crisis conditions. Building on Hyman's triangle of union identity, we show how an ideational perspective can complement interest‐based accounts of unions' strategies to explain their engagement with policymakers or their opposition in the macro‐management of the economy.
Customer satisfaction in the presence of imperfect knowledge of data
Authors: Ferreira Diogo Cunha , Soares Rodrigo , Pedro Maria Isabel , Marques Rui Cunha
Published: December 2021

Ensuring customer satisfaction is at the top of any manager's agenda wishing to keep or raise profits. To do so, conducting regular surveys is quintessential. However, provided the large number of questions that typically constitute those surveys, resulting data are plagued with imperfect knowledge. Data from these surveys are typically expressed in ordinal scales. No mathematical operation like addition or multiplication is allowed in these cases. Recognizing the limitations of existing alternatives in the literature to model imperfect knowledge, this work proposes an alternative model for the study of satisfaction and its determinants. Our approach is based on merging the Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis and the Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis (model). We explore the potential of this approach and apply it to an empirical case related to hospitality.
Low‐temperature reactive sintering of carbon vacant high‐entropy carbide ceramics with in‐situ formed silicon carbide
Authors: Lin Guo‐Wei , Liu Ji‐Xuan , Qin Yuan , Zhang Guo‐Jun
Published: December 2021

It is thought that the sintering of high‐entropy (HE) ceramics is generally more difficult when compared to that of the corresponding single‐component ceramics. In this paper, we report a novel approach to densify the HE carbide ceramics at relatively low temperatures with a small amount of silicon. Reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) was used to densify the ceramics using powders of HE carbide and silicon as starting materials. Dense ceramics can be obtained at 1600 ‐1700°C. X‐ray diffraction analysis reveals that only non‐stoichiometric HE carbide phase with carbon vacancy and SiC phase exist in the obtained ceramics. The in‐situ formed SiC phase inherits the morphology of the starting silicon powder owing to the slower diffusion of silicon atoms compared to that of the carbon atoms in HE carbide phase. The mechanical properties of the prepared ceramics were preliminarily studied.
Construction of a risk assessment model of cardiovascular disease in a rural Chinese hypertensive population based on lasso‐Cox analysis
Authors: Ouyang Nanxiang , Li Guangxiao , Wang Chang , Sun Yingxian
Published: December 2021

Many assessments have been used to predict cardiovascular risks in the general population, but their applicability in patients with hypertension needs to be further evaluated. In the current study, a cardiovascular risk assessment model was constructed in a hypertensive population. This prospective cohort study was conducted with cardiovascular examinations in rural northeast China in 2012 and 2013, and followed up to collect cardiovascular events in 2015 and 2018. Data were derived from 4763 hypertensive patients who were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline and completed follow‐up. After lasso regression was used to screen for risk factors of CVD at baseline, a multivariate Cox regression risk model was established and a nomogram was developed. The model was validated using an independent test set (one third of data not used for model building). Among 4763 patients, 354 (7.43%) had a cardiovascular event during a median follow‐up of 4.66 years. Nine risk factors were screened by lasso regression, including sex, age, current smoking, body mass index (BMI), history of transient ischemic attack (TIA), family history of hypertension, family history of stroke, physical labor intensity, and high low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C). The c‐index of the CVD model was 0.707, and that of an updated model with baseline blood pressure was 0.732. In the validated cohort the respective c‐indexes were 0.665 and 0.714. An assessment model of CVD risk was established in a hypertensive population which may provide an original prevention strategy for hypertensive populations in rural China, and further reduce the CVD burden.
Revisiting Policy Preferences and Capacities in the EU: Multi‐level policy implementation in the subnational authorities
Authors: Paasch Jana
Published: December 2021

Research on multi‐level implementation of EU legislation has almost exclusively focused on the national level, while little is known about the role of subnational authorities. Nevertheless, it is a prerequisite for the functioning of the European Union that all member states and their subnational authorities apply and enforce EU legislation in due time. I address this research gap and take a closer look at the legal transposition process in the German regional states. Using a novel data set comprising detailed information on about 700 subnational measures, I show that state‐level variables, such as political preferences and ministerial resources, account for variation in the timing of legal transposition and repeatedly lead to subnational delay. To conclude, the paper addresses the role of subnational authorities in the EU multi‐level system and points to their interest in shaping legal transposition in order to counterbalance their loss of competences to the national level.
Europeanization and De‐Europeanization of Turkey's Gender Equality Policy: The Case of the Istanbul Convention
Authors: Bodur Ün Marella , Arıkan Harun
Published: December 2021

Despite taking significant steps to comply with the Copenhagen criteria after receiving the candidate‐country status in 1999, Turkey gradually moved away from European norms, values, and policy demands in various policy areas. This study explores (de)‐Europeanization of Turkey's gender equality policy in terms of both legislative changes and the shifts observed in domestic actors' discourses over the past decade, focusing particularly on the debates surrounding the Istanbul Convention. It argues that the fading credibility of the EU conditionality coupled with domestic political dynamics led to the weakening of the EU as a reference point in domestic debates, where policies ensuring gender equality were reversed by pro‐family conservative discourses and policies. The study points to domestic factors, including the country's authoritarian turn, and international factors such as the stalling EU‐Turkey relations coupled with the backlash against gender equality in EU member states as the key dimensions of de‐Europeanization of gender equality policy.
Sensory innervation of the human palmar aponeurosis in healthy individuals and patients with palmar fibromatosis
Authors: García‐Martínez Irene , García‐Mesa Yolanda , García‐Piqueras Jorge , Martínez‐Pubil Antonio , Cobo Juan L. , Feito Jorge , García‐Suárez Olivia , Vega José A.
Published: December 2021

The human palmar aponeurosis is involved in hand proprioception, and it contains different sensory corpuscle morphotypes that serve this role. In palmar fibromatosis (classically referred to as Dupuytren's disease), the palmar aponeurosis undergoes fibrous structural changes that, presumably, also affect the nervous system, causing altered perception. We analysed the various sensory nerve formation morphotypes in the palmar aponeuroses of healthy subjects and patients with palmar fibromatosis. To do this, we used immunohistochemistry for corpuscular constituents and the putative mechanoproteins PIEZO2 and acid‐sensing ion channel 2. Free nerve endings and Golgi‐Mazzoni, Ruffini, paciniform and Pacinian corpuscles were identified in both the healthy and the pathological conditions. The densities of the free nerve endings and Golgi‐Mazzoni corpuscles were slightly increased in the pathological tissues. Furthermore, the Pacinian corpuscles were enlarged and displayed an altered shape. Finally, there was also morphological and immunohistochemical evidence of occasional denervation of the Pacinian corpuscles, although no increase in their number was observed. Both PIEZO2 and acid‐sensing ion channel 2 were absent from the altered corpuscles. These results indicate that the human palmar aponeurosis is richly innervated, and the free nerve endings and sensory corpuscles within the palmar aponeurosis undergo quantitative and qualitative changes in patients with palmar fibromatosis, which may explain the sensory alterations occasionally reported for this pathology.
Clinical efficacy of different therapeutic modes of CO2 fractional laser for treatment of static periocular wrinkles in Asian skin
Authors: Gao Lin , Song Wenting , Qian Linhan , Zhang Jine , Li Kai , Yang Juan , Wang Gang
Published: December 2021

Background

Periocular fine lines and wrinkles usually appear as a first visible sign of facial aging. Fractional ablative laser has been used to treat periorbital wrinkles.

Objective

To compare the efficacy on treatment of static periorbital wrinkles using different emission modes of CO2 fractional laser.

Methods

A total of 30 patients with static periorbital wrinkles were enrolled. The subjects were randomly assigned into two split‐face groups: One side was treated with a deep (n = 15) or mid‐mode of CO2 superficial laser (n = 15), and the other side of periocular region was treated by a fusion mode in combination of both modes (n = 30).

Results

The patients in three groups showed significant improvements on indexes of periocular wrinkles, skin textures, and elasticity at three‐month follow‐up as compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Fusion mode resulted in a significantly progressive improvement on periocular wrinkles at three‐month follow‐up as compared with one‐month follow‐up (p < 0.05), which were not observed in other modes. Fusion mode delivered better improvements of periocular wrinkles and skin textures as compared to deep and mid‐modes at three‐month follow‐up (p < 0.05). Fusion mode also resulted in better scores of global esthetic improvement scale and patient satisfaction as compared to other modes at both follow‐ups.

Conclusion

The fusion mode has a synergistic effect in periorbital static wrinkle treatment, which is worthy of further evaluation and investigation.
Investigation of plasma thiol/disulfide balance in male patients with androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Akbaş Ayşe , Kılınç Fadime , Şener Sertaç , Biçer Cemile , Eren Funda , Hayran Yıldız , Aktaş Akın
Published: December 2021

Background

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common cause of hair loss in men. In addition to genetic and hormonal factors, oxidative stress (OS) is suggested as a factor in the etiology.

Aim

In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of OS due to thiol disulfide balance deterioration in male patients with AGA.

Materials and Methods

A total of 45 male AGA patients and 42 healthy male controls were included in the study. Native thiol, disulfide, and total thiol levels were assessed through automated spectrophotometry. The relationship between total protein, albumin, native thiol, disulfide, and total thiol levels in addition to demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were examined.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 32.6 ± 10 years, and the median AGA duration in the patients was 3 years. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of native thiol, disulfide, total thiol levels, disulfide/total thiol, disulfide/native thiol, and native thiol/total thiol ratios between AGA patients and controls. Native thiol and total thiol levels negatively correlated with age and AGA duration, while disulfide levels only correlated with age.Albumin and native thiol levels were significantly lower in patients with low vitamin D levels (p = 0.040 and p = 0.021, respectively); however, total thiol and native thiol/total thiol ratio values were significantly higher.

Conclusion

According to this study, thiol disulfide homeostasis is in balance in male patients with AGA. In patients with emotional stress and vitamin D deficiency, the balance appears to be shifted in favor of oxidative stress.
Growth, nitrate uptake kinetics, and biofiltration potential of eucheumatoids with different thallus morphologies
Authors: Narvarte Bienson Ceasar V. , Genovia Tom Gerald T. , Hinaloc Lourie Ann R. , Roleda Michael Y.
Published: December 2021

The declining production of commercially important eucheumatoids related to serious problems, like increasing susceptibility to ice–ice disease and epiphytism, may be ameliorated by nutrition. This ushered an increasing interest in incorporating seaweeds into an integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture (IMTA) setup to take up excess inorganic nutrients produced by fish farms for their nourishment. In this regard, it is important to understand the nutrient uptake capacity of candidate seaweeds for incorporation into an IMTA system. Here, we examined the growth, nitrate () uptake kinetics, and biofiltration potential of Eucheuma denticulatum and three strains of Kappaphycus alvarezii (G‐O2, TR‐C16, and SW‐13) with distinct thallus morphologies. The uptake rates of the samples were determined under a range of concentrations (1–48 µM) and uptake rates were fitted to the Michaelis–Menten saturation equation. Among the examined eucheumatoids, only SW‐13 had a linear response to concentration while other strains had uptake rates that followed the Michaelis–Menten saturation equation. Eucheuma denticulatum had the lowest Km (9.78 ± 1.48 µM) while G‐O2 had the highest Vmax (307 ± 79.3 µmol · g−1 · min−1). The efficiency in uptake (highest Vmax/Km and α) was translated into the highest growth rate (3.41 ± 0.58% · d−1) measured in E. denticulatum. Our study provided evidence that eucheumatoids could potentially take up large amount of and fix CO2 when cultivated proximate to a fish farm as one component of an IMTA system. During a 45 ‐d cultivation period of eucheumatoids, as much as 370 g can be sequestered by every 1 kg initial biomass of E. denticulatum growing at 3% · d−1. Furthermore, based on our unpublished photosynthetic measurements, the congeneric K. striatus can fix 27.5  g C · kg−1 DW during a 12 h daylight period.
Sleep quality is associated with emotion experience and adaptive regulation of positive emotion: An experience sampling study
Authors: Parsons Christine E. , Schofield Beatrice , Batziou Sofia E. , Ward Camilla , Young Katherine S.
Published: December 2021

Poor sleep patterns have been strongly linked to disrupted emotional experiences. Emotion regulation, defined as the capacity to manage one's own emotional responses, comprises strategies to increase, maintain, or decrease the intensity, duration, and trajectory of positive and negative emotions. Poor sleep has been identified as a risk factor for emotional dysregulation, but most of the focus has been on negative emotion regulation. We therefore asked whether natural variations in sleep are associated with the experience and regulation of both positive and negative emotion. Young adults, aged between 18–24 years (N = 101), completed 7 days of ecological momentary assessments using a smartphone application. Duration and quality of the previous night's sleep was reported each morning. Levels of positive and negative emotions, and strategies used to regulate emotions, were measured at pseudorandom timepoints four times a day. Multilevel modelling indicated that higher self‐reported sleep quality was significantly associated with increased intensity and duration of positive emotion, and decreased intensity of negative emotion. There were no statistically significant associations between sleep duration and emotion intensity or duration. Sleep quality, and not sleep duration, was also associated with the reported use of positive emotion regulation strategies. For negative emotion regulation strategy use, we found no associations with sleep quality or duration. Naturally occurring fluctuations in daily sleep quality may be important for the experience and regulation of positive emotion in young adults. These findings emphasise the need to examine both positive and negative emotion, and emotion regulation to understand the links between sleep and mood.
Interleukin‐6 and thrombopoietin concentrations in dogs with carcinoma with and without thrombocytosis
Authors: Cheney Adrienne , Woolcock Andrew D. , Mukhopadhyay Abhijit , Knapp Deborah , Moore George E.
Published: December 2021

Background

Carcinoma‐associated thrombocytosis involves tumor production of mediators such as interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and thrombopoietin (TPO) that increase thrombopoiesis and may play a role in tumor evasion and metastasis. Carcinoma‐associated thrombocytosis is described in people, but has not been described in dogs.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Evaluate the concentrations of IL‐6 and TPO in dogs diagnosed with carcinoma with or without thrombocytosis. We hypothesized that IL‐6 and TPO concentrations would be higher in dogs with carcinoma compared to healthy dogs, and that IL‐6 and TPO concentrations would be higher in dogs with carcinoma and thrombocytosis when compared to dogs with carcinoma and normal platelet counts.

Animals

One‐hundred sixteen dogs: 63 with carcinoma and 53 healthy control dogs.

Methods

Complete blood count was performed in all dogs, and they were stratified for sub‐group analysis based on the presence or absence of thrombocytosis (platelet count > 500 103/µL). Serum TPO and IL‐6 concentrations were measured by ELISA. Results of selected numeric variables were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests for pairwise comparisons. A value of P < .05 was considered significant.

Results

Twelve of the dogs with carcinoma (12/63, 19.0%) and none of the healthy control dogs (0%) had thrombocytosis. Thrombopoietin concentrations (median [range]) were significantly higher in dogs with carcinoma when compared to controls (87.42 pg/mL [0 to >600] vs 15.99 pg/mL [0 to >600], P < .001). Interleukin‐6 concentrations (median [range]) were not different between dogs with carcinoma and healthy control dogs (9.70 pg/mL [0‐181.53] vs 3.03 pg/mL [0‐280.77], P = .15). In dogs with carcinoma, the TPO and IL‐6 concentrations were not different between dogs with thrombocytosis and dogs with normal platelet count.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Thrombopoietin concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with carcinoma, regardless of platelet count. Thrombopoietin is likely to be 1 of multiple factors that can impact platelet number, production, and consumption in dogs with carcinoma.
Influence of Escherichia coli endotoxemia on danofloxacin pharmacokinetics in broilers following single oral administration
Authors: Wang Han , Yang Fang , Song Zhe‐Wen , Shao Hao‐Tian , Zhang Mei , Ma Yan‐Bo , Yang Fan
Published: December 2021

As a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent, danofloxacin is mainly used to treat avian bacterial and mycoplasma infections. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of danofloxacin are usually explored in healthy animals, while those in endotoxemic broilers are still rare. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of danofloxacin in endotoxemic broilers induced by Escherichia coli (E. coli) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) after single oral administration. Ten healthy 5‐week‐old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers with similar body weight (BW) were randomly and equally divided into LPS and control groups. The LPS group was intravenously injected with an LPS of E. coli O55: B5 at 2.5 mg/kg BW, and the control group was intravenously injected with the same volume of sterile saline. Danofloxacin was administered orally at a dose of 5 mg/kg BW immediately 1 h after the intravenous injection of LPS or sterile saline. Rectal temperature was measured at predetermined times points in all broilers, and plasma and serum samples were taken. The interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels in serum samples were detected by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and danofloxacin concentrations in plasma were detected through the high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method and subjected to a compartmental analysis using Phoenix software. The LPS challenge led to biphasic adaptive changes in broiler body temperature and increased the levels of IL‐6. Compared with the control group, LPS treatment significantly prolonged the time to the peak concentration (LPS: 8.75 ± 3.88 h; Control: 3.20 ± 2.20 h). However, there were no significant differences in the other pharmacokinetic parameters between both groups.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of potential pleiotropic effects of sevelamer in chronic kidney disease: Beyond phosphate control
Authors: Basutkar Roopa Satyanarayan , Varghese Resia , Mathew Nina Kallanthanath , Sankar Indira Prithika , Viswanathan Balasubramaniam , Sivasankaran Ponnusankar
Published: December 2021

Sevelamer, has been shown to have many pleiotropic actions on lipid panel, various inflammatory markers, and blood glucose levels in chronic kidney disease patients. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to compare these pleiotropic effects of sevelamer to other phosphate binders used in chronic kidney disease patients. The relevant randomized controlled trials published from 1 January 2001 to 31 November 2019 on the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials published in The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were identified. All the included studies were independently assessed for eligibility and risk of bias. The modified data extraction form of Cochrane was used. This review included 44 studies for qualitative analysis and 28 reports for quantitative analysis. A meta‐analysis of three studies (n = 180) showed that glycated haemoglobin had significantly decreased in sevelamer‐treated patients (MD: 0.5%; p = <.001). Compared with calcium‐based phosphate binders, sevelamer showed a significant reduction in low‐density lipoprotein (MD: −19.43 mg/dL; p = <.001) and total cholesterol (MD: −19.98 mg/dL; p < .001). A significant increase in high‐density lipoprotein (MD: 1.29 mg/dL; p = .05) was also prominent in sevelamer treated patients. However, we were not able to observe a significant change in other biochemical parameters such as TG, CRP, hs‐CRP, FGF‐23, IL‐6 and albumin as, no statistically significant difference was observed.