bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitization to nsLTP: A Retrospective Study in An Italian Pediatric Population over the Last Decade
Authors: Indolfi Cristiana , Dinardo Giulio , Klain Angela , Contieri Marcella , Umano Giuseppina Rosaria , Decimo Fabio , Abbadessa Salvatore , Vitulano Carolina , Ciprandi Giorgio , Miraglia del Giudice Michele
Published: May 2023

Background. Food allergy is common in the Mediterranean, especially concerning lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) allergy. LTPs are widespread plant food allergens in fruits, vegetables, nuts, pollen, and latex. Also, LTPs are prevalent food allergens in the Mediterranean area. They can sensitize via the gastrointestinal tract and cause a wide range of conditions: from mild reactions, such as oral allergy syndrome, to severe reactions, such as anaphylaxis. LTP allergy in the adult population is well described in the literature, concerning both the prevalence and clinical characteristics. However, there is poor knowledge about its prevalence and clinical manifestation in children living in the Mediterranean. Materials and Methods. This study, including 800 children aged from 1 to 18 years, investigated the prevalence of 8 different molecules of nonspecific LTP over time in an Italian pediatric population visited over the last 11 years. Results. About 52% of the test population was sensitized to at least one LTP molecule. For all the LTPs analyzed, sensitization increased over time. In particular, using the years 2010 through 2020 as a comparison, the major increases were observed for the LTPs of the English walnut Jug r 3, the peanut Ara h 9, and the plane tree Pla a 3 (about 50%); the increase of the LTP of the Hazelnut Cor a 8 was about 36%, and that of the LTP of the artemisia Art v 3 was approximately 30%. Conclusions. The latest evidence in the literature indicates an increase in food allergy prevalence in the general population, including children. Therefore, the present survey represents an interesting perspective about the pediatric population of the Mediterranean area, exploring the trend of LTP allergy.
The Association of Thyroid‐Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Levels and Lipid Profile in Euthyroid Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Heidarpour Maryam , Rezvanian Parastesh , Sadri Mohammad Amin , Keshavarzrad Parsa , Zakeri Rezvan , Vakilbashi Omid , Shafie Davood , Shekarchizadeh Masood , Zarfeshani Sonia , Rabbanipour Najmeh , Najafian Jamshid , Vaseghi Golnaz , Sarrafzadegan Nizal
Published: May 2023

Previous studies reported a relationship between thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) levels. In this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of TSH levels on lipid profile in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and euthyroid state. Patients were selected from the Isfahan FH registry. The Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) criteria are used to detect FH. Patients were classified into no FH, possible FH, probable FH, and definite FH groups based on the DLCN scores. Patients with any cause of secondary hyperlipidemia, including hypothyroidism, were excluded from this study. The study group consisted of 103 patients with possible FH, 25 patients with definite FH, and 63 individuals with no FH. The mean TSH and LDL‐C levels among participants were 2.10 ± 1.22 mU/l and 142.17 ± 62.56 mg/dl, respectively. No positive or negative correlation was found between serum TSH and total cholesterol (P value = 0.438), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.225), triglycerides (P value = 0.863), and LDL‐C (P value = 0.203). We found no correlation between serum TSH levels and lipid profiles in euthyroid patients with FH.
Dynamics of a Diffusive HBV Infection Model with Capsids, Two Delays, and Cell-to-Cell Transmissions
Authors: Miao Hui , Jiao Meiyan
Published: May 2023

This article aims to study a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection model incorporating two nonlinear incidences and spatial diffusion in capsids, virus, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune response. Three equilibria which are infection-free, immune-free, and infection with CTL immunity are calculated under rational assumptions. Furthermore, two reproduction numbers are verified to assert the global stability of the HBV model. In the end, the theoretical results on HBV dynamics are further illustrated by performing numerical simulations.
Low Sidelobe Level Pattern Synthesis of 2-D Slot Array Antenna Based on Ridged Waveguide
Authors: Sadeghzadeh Mostafa , Mallahzadeh Alireza , Dadashzadeh Gholamreza
Published: May 2023

Slotted waveguide antennas have received much attention due to features such as low loss, high efficiency, and high power capacity. In this article, a 2-D slot array antenna based on a ridged waveguide with a low level of side lobe is synthesized. The antenna consists of four slotted ridged waveguides, each of which consists of eight slots as the radiating elements. A fast and easy way is proposed to synthesize the aperture distribution in the H-plane. Further, a corporate feed network based on ridged waveguide is designed to feed the antenna. The feed network is designed such that the desired aperture distribution in the E-plane is achieved. A prototype of the antenna is fabricated and measured. The measured sidelobe levels in the H- and E-planes are, respectively, -24.5 dB and -23.9 dB, and the reflection coefficient of the antenna is -19 dB at the design frequency, indicating the accuracy of the design procedure. The measured antenna gain is approximately 20.4 dBi at the entire frequency band. The stable radiation pattern of the antenna makes the antenna suitable for radar applications.
Evolutions of Anisotropic Hydraulic Properties of Rough-Walled Rock Fractures under Different Shear Displacements
Authors: Lu Dapeng
Published: May 2023

Four cylindrical sandstone samples were extracted from the original rectangular sample with a rough-walled fracture. Each drilling angle (θ) of cylindrical sandstone samples is different to consider the anisotropies of rough-walled rock fractures. For each sample, different flow velocities ranging from 0 m/s to 13 m/s were designed. For a given flow velocity, a series of different confining pressures (

σ

n

), including 1.5 MPa, 2.5 MPa, and 3.5 MPa, were applied on the fractured samples. The hydraulic properties of each cylindrical sandstone sample were tested under different shear displacements (

u

s

) and

σ

n

. The results show that the hydraulic gradient (

J

) shows an increasing trend with the increment of

σ

n

. With the increment of the Reynolds number (

Re

), the transmissivity (

T

) decreases in the form of the quadratic function. The normalized transmissivity (

T

/

T

0

) decreases with the increment of

J

. The variations in

T
/

T

0

with

J

can be divided into three stages. The first stage is that

T
/

T

0

approximately holds a constant value of 1.0 when

J

is small indicating that the fluid flow is in the linear regime. The last two stages are that

T
/

T

0

decreases with the continuous increase of

J

, and the reduction rate first increases and then decreases. The critical Reynolds’ number (

Re

c

) of the sample angle with a drilling angle of 90° is different from that of other samples. The corresponding

Re

c

is 6.52, 28.73, and 32.1 when the shear displacement

u

s

=
2
 
mm

, 3 mm, and 4 mm, respectively. The variations in

Re

c

and

J

along different drilling angles are significantly obvious. When the confining pressure is large, the effect of anisotropy on Rec is much greater than that of confining pressure.
“Trying to Find People to Fit the Tech…”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Lessons Learnt Introducing Artificial Intelligence-Based Technology into English Social Care
Authors: Litchfield Ian , Glasby Jon , Parkinson Sarah , Hocking Lucy , Tanner Denise , Roe Bridget , Bousfield Jennifer
Published: May 2023

Digital technology is expected to improve care and address significant service pressures within the National Health Service and social care though evidence on how their implementation might be optimised is lacking. This study explores how one such example, home-based sensors with artificial intelligence capabilities, was implemented in English social care to identify changes in behaviour that indicate the onset of potentially more serious issues. Its focus was staff perspectives on decision-making processes and implementation, to inform recommendations for others exploring the potential of new and emerging technology. Qualitative data were collected from 18 semistructured interviews conducted across three sites delivering social care, with senior decision makers, operational leads, and care staff. We identified several issues with the selection process and implementation of AI-based technology in social care, including a lack of consensus around what success would look like, problems identifying and evaluating alternatives, and technical challenges to implementation, as well as obstacles to developing a longer-term, more preventative approach in a system experienced as focused on responding to acute needs. Ultimately, the research confirmed a number of recognised implementation challenges associated with training, resource, and acceptability to staff and patients. It added particular insights around the anxieties experienced by frontline staff and the cultural shift required of preventative interventions in a system geared to meeting acute crises. That many barriers are familiar suggests a particular need to focus on helping policymakers/local leaders avoid similar pitfalls in the future.
Data from Inferred immune-cell activity is an independent predictor of HER2 negative breast cancer prognosis and response to paclitaxel-based therapy in the GeparSepto trial
Authors: Fasching Peter A. , Szeto Christopher , Denkert Carsten , Benz Stephen , Weber Karsten , Spilman Patricia , Budczies Jan , Schneeweiss Andreas , Stickeler Elmar , Schmatloch Sabine , Jackisch Christian , Karn Thomas , Sinn Hans-Peter , Warm Mathias , van Mackelenbergh Marion , Rabizadeh Shahrooz , Schem Christian , Heinmoeller Ernst , Mueller Volkmar , Marme Frederik , Soon-Shiong Patrick , Nekljudova Valentina , Untch Michael , Loibl Sibylle
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Purpose. Tumor microenvironment (TME) immune markers have been correlated with both response to neoadjuvant therapy and prognosis in breast cancer (BC) patients. Here, immune-cell activity of BC tumors was inferred by expression-based analysis to determine if it is prognostic and/or predictive of response to neoadjuvant paclitaxel-based therapy in the GeparSepto (G7) trial (NCT01583426). Experimental Design. Pre-study biopsies from 279 HER2 negative BC patients in the G7 trial underwent RNAseq-based profiling of 104 immune-cell specfic genes to assess inferred Immune Cell Activity (iICA) of 23 immune-cell types. Hierarchical clustering was used to classify tumors as iICA ‘hot’, ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ by comparison of iICA in the G7 cohort relative to that of 1467 samples from a tumor database established by Nantomics LLC. Correlations between iICA cluster, pathology-assessed TILs, and hormone receptor (HR) status for pathologic complete response (pCR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), were determined. Results. iICA cluster correlated with TIL levels. The highest pCR rates were observed in hot cluster tumors, and those with relatively higher TILs. Greater inferred activity of several T-cell types was significantly associated with pCR and survival. DFS and OS were prolonged in patients with hot or warm cluster tumors, the latter particularly for HR negative tumors, even if TILs were relatively low. Conclusions. Overall, TIL level better predicted pCR, but iICA cluster better predicted survival. Differences in associations between TILs, cluster, pCR and survival were observed for HR positive versus negative tumors, suggesting expanded study of the implication of these findings is warranted.
Data from Single-cell RNA sequencing unifies developmental programs of Esophageal and Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia.
Authors: Nowicki-Osuch Karol , Zhuang Lizhe , Cheung Tik Shing , Black Emily L. , Masque-Soler Neus , Devonshire Ginny , Redmond Aisling M. , Freeman Adam , di Pietro Massimilliano , Pilonis Nastazja , Januszewicz Wladyslaw , O'Donovan Maria , Tavare Simon , Shields Jacqueline D. , Fitzgerald Rebecca C.
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Intestinal metaplasia in the esophagus (Barrett’s Esophagus BE-IM) and stomach (GIM) are considered precursors for esophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma, respectively. We hypothesize that BE-IM and GIM follow parallel developmental trajectories in response to differing inflammatory insults. Here, we construct a single-cell RNA-seq atlas, supported by protein expression studies, of the entire gastrointestinal tract spanning physiologically normal and pathological states including gastric metaplasia in the esophagus (E-GM), BE-IM, atrophic gastritis, and GIM. We demonstrate that BE-IM and GIM share molecular features, and individual cells simultaneously possess transcriptional properties of gastric and intestinal epithelia, suggesting phenotypic mosaicism. Transcriptionally E-GM resembles atrophic gastritis; genetically, it is clonal and has a lower mutational burden than BE-IM. Finally, we show that GIM and BE-IM acquire a pro-tumorigenic, activated fibroblast microenvironment. These findings suggest that BE-IM and GIM can be considered molecularly similar entities in adjacent organs, opening the path for shared detection and treatment strategies.
Data from Nuclear Export Inhibitor Selinexor Enhances Oncolytic Myxoma Virus Therapy against Cancer
Authors: Rahman Masmudur M. , van Oosterom Fleur , Enow Junior A. , Hossain Maksuda , Gutierrez-Jensen Ami D. , Cashen Mackenzie , Everts Anne , Lowe Kenneth , Kilbourne Jacquelyn , Daggett-Vondras Juliane , Karr Timothy L. , McFadden Grant
Published: May 2023

Oncolytic viruses exploited for cancer therapy have been developed to selectively infect, replicate, and kill cancer cells to inhibit tumor growth. However, in some cancer cells, oncolytic viruses are often limited in completing their full replication cycle, forming progeny virions, and/or spreading in the tumor bed because of the heterogeneous cell types within the tumor bed. Here, we report that the nuclear export pathway regulates oncolytic myxoma virus (MYXV) infection and cytoplasmic viral replication in a subclass of human cancer cell types where viral replication is restricted. Inhibition of the XPO-1 (exportin 1) nuclear export pathway with nuclear export inhibitors can overcome this restriction by trapping restriction factors in the nucleus and allow significantly enhanced viral replication and killing of cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of XPO-1 significantly enhanced MYXV replication in restrictive human cancer cells and reduced the formation of antiviral granules associated with RNA helicase DHX9. Both in vitro and in vivo, we demonstrated that the approved XPO1 inhibitor drug selinexor enhances the replication of MYXV and kills diverse human cancer cells. In a xenograft tumor model in NSG mice, combination therapy with selinexor plus MYXV significantly reduced the tumor burden and enhanced the survival of animals. In addition, we performed global-scale proteomic analysis of nuclear and cytosolic proteins in human cancer cells to identify the host and viral proteins that were upregulated or downregulated by different treatments. These results indicate, for the first time, that selinexor in combination with oncolytic MYXV can be used as a potential new therapy.
Significance:
We demonstrated that a combination of nuclear export inhibitor selinexor and oncolytic MYXV significantly enhanced viral replication, reduced cancer cell proliferation, reduced tumor burden, and enhanced the overall survival of animals. Thus, selinexor and oncolytic MYXV can be used as potential new anticancer therapy.
Data from Nuclear export inhibitor Selinexor enhances oncolytic myxoma virus therapy against cancer
Authors: Rahman Masmudur M. , Oosterom Fleur van , Enow Junior A. , Hossain Maksuda , Gutierrez-Jensen Ami D. , Cashen Mackenzie , Everts Anne , Lowe Kenneth , Kilbourne Jacquelyn , Daggett-Vondras Juliane , Karr Timothy L , McFadden Grant
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Oncolytic viruses exploited for cancer therapy have been developed to selectively infect, replicate, and kill cancer cells to inhibit tumor growth. However, in some cancer cells, oncolytic viruses are often limited in completing their full replication cycle, forming progeny virions, and/or spreading in the tumor bed because of the heterogeneous cell types within the tumor bed. Here, we report that the nuclear export pathway regulates oncolytic myxoma virus (MYXV) infection and cytoplasmic viral replication in a subclass of human cancer cell types where viral replication is restricted. Inhibition of the XPO-1 (exportin 1) nuclear export pathway with nuclear export inhibitors can overcome this restriction by trapping restriction factors in the nucleus and allow significantly enhanced viral replication and killing of cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of XPO-1 significantly enhanced MYXV replication in restrictive human cancer cells and reduced the formation of antiviral granules associated with RNA helicase DHX9. Both in vitro and in vivo, we demonstrated that the approved XPO1 inhibitor drug selinexor enhances the replication of MYXV and kills diverse human cancer cells. In a xenograft tumor model in NSG mice, combination therapy with selinexor plus MYXV significantly reduced the tumor burden and enhanced the survival of animals. Additionally, we performed global-scale proteomic analysis of nuclear and cytosolic proteins in human cancer cells to identify the host and viral proteins that were upregulated or downregulated by different treatments. These results indicate, for the first time, that selinexor in combination with oncolytic MYXV can be used as a potential new therapy.
Targeting CHAF1B Enhances IFN Activity against Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Cells
Authors: Saleiro Diana , Kosciuczuk Ewa M. , Fischietti Mariafausta , Perez Ricardo E. , Yang G. Sohae , Eckerdt Frank , Beauchamp Elspeth M. , Hou Ye , Wang Qixuan , Weinberg Rona Singer , Fish Eleanor N. , Yue Feng , Hoffman Ronald , Platanias Leonidas C.
Published: May 2023

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines with potent antineoplastic and antiviral properties. IFNα has significant clinical activity in the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), but the precise mechanisms by which it acts are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that chromatin assembly factor 1 subunit B (CHAF1B), an Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1)-interactive protein in the nuclear compartment of malignant cells, is overexpressed in patients with MPN. Remarkably, targeted silencing of CHAF1B enhances transcription of IFNα-stimulated genes and promotes IFNα-dependent antineoplastic responses in primary MPN progenitor cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that CHAF1B is a promising newly identified therapeutic target in MPN and that CHAF1B inhibition in combination with IFNα therapy might offer a novel strategy for treating patients with MPN.

Significance:

Our findings raise the potential for clinical development of drugs targeting CHAF1B to enhance IFN antitumor responses in the treatment of patients with MPN and should have important clinical translational implications for the treatment of MPN and possibly in other malignancies.
A retomada da integração regional à luz da liderança internacional do Brasil
Authors: Onuki Janina
Published: May 2023

Os processos de integração regional passaram por diversas mudanças nas últimas décadas, subordinados a crises internacionais de diferentes ordens e a questões domésticas, mudanças de governo, participação de atores sociais e uma percepção positiva da opinião pública. Este artigo tem como objetivo passar em revisão o processo de construção do Mercado Comum do Sul (Mercosul), desde a sua origem até o retrocesso sofrido no período mais recente. Além do impacto que os países sofreram com a pandemia de covid-19, em relação aos padrões de cooperação, o desinvestimento do governo brasileiro, responsável pela liderança regional e pela inserção internacional do continente sul--americano, ampliou os desafios para a retomada da visibilidade do país e da região no mundo.
Centros-que-têm-periferias e periferias-que-têm-centros: Raúl Prebisch
Authors: Mallorquin Carlos
Published: May 2023

A primeira parte deste texto questiona a ideia hegemônica na América Latina e na Europa quanto à postura de Prebisch sobre a paternidade e o papel que deve ter a industrialização, um aspecto que inibiu os historiadores de observarem a postura cautelosa que apresenta o argentino a esse respeito. Na sequência, será realizada a crítica ao conceito de excedente que forma parte da evolução do pensamento de Prebisch a partir dos primeiros anos da década de 1970. Insiste- -se que sua inviabilidade teórica não tem graves consequências para a narrativa que explica a pugna distributiva, uma vez que Prebisch resolveu esse aspecto teórico- -político entre 1945 e 1949. O vocabulário em torno da heterogeneidade estrutural, propugnada ao longo do livro Capitalismo periférico – crisis y transformación (1981), excede as seções dedicadas à pugna distributiva desenvolvida por meio do conceito de excedente.
Pulmonary Artery Pressure-Guided Heart Failure Management Reduces Hospitalizations in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Raval Nirav Y. , Valika Ali , Adamson Philip B. , Williams Christopher , Brett Marie-Elena , Costanzo Maria Rosa
Published: May 2023

Background:

Hemodynamic-guided heart failure management is a superior strategy to prevent decompensation leading to hospitalization compared with traditional clinical methods. It remains unstudied if hemodynamic-guided care is effective across severities of comorbid renal insufficiency or if this strategy impacts renal function over time.

Methods:

In the CardioMEMS US PAS (Post-Approval Study), heart failure hospitalizations were compared from 1 year before and after pulmonary artery sensor implantation in 1200 patients with New York Heart Association class III symptoms and a previous hospitalization. Hospitalization rates were evaluated in all patients grouped into baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) quartiles. Chronic kidney disease progression was evaluated in patients with renal function follow-up data (n=911).

Results:

Patients with stage 2 or greater chronic kidney disease at baseline exceeded 80%. Heart failure hospitalization risk was lower in all eGFR quartiles ranging from a hazard ratio of 0.35 (0.27–0.46;
P
<0.0001) in patients with eGFR >65 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
to 0.53 (0.45–0.62;
P
<0.0001) in patients with eGFR ≤37 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
. Renal function was preserved or improved in most patients. Survival was different between quartiles and lower in quartiles with more advanced chronic kidney disease.

Conclusions:

Hemodynamic-guided heart failure management using remotely obtained pulmonary artery pressures is associated with lower hospitalization rates and general preservation of renal function in all eGFR quartiles or chronic kidney disease stages.
Reach Out Emergency Department: A Randomized Factorial Trial to Determine the Optimal Mobile Health Components to Reduce Blood Pressure
Authors: Skolarus Lesli E. , Dinh Mackenzie , Kidwell Kelley M. , Lin Chun Chieh , Buis Lorraine R. , Brown Devin L. , Oteng Rockefeller , Giacalone Michael , Warden Kimberly , Trimble Deborah E. , Whitfield Candace , Farhan Zahera , Flood Adam , Borgialli Dominic , Montas Sacha , Jaggi Michael , Meurer William J.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Mobile health (mHealth) strategies initiated in safety-net Emergency Departments may be one approach to address the US hypertension epidemic, but the optimal mHealth components or dose are unknown.

Methods:

Reach Out is an mHealth, health theory-based, 2×2×2 factorial trial among hypertensive patients evaluated in a safety-net Emergency Department in Flint, Michigan. Reach Out consisted of 3 mHealth components, each with 2 doses: (1) healthy behavior text messaging (yes versus no), (2) prompted self-measured blood pressure (BP) monitoring and feedback (weekly versus daily), and (3) facilitated primary care provider appointment scheduling and transportation (yes versus no). The primary outcome was a change in systolic BP from baseline to 12 months. In a complete case analysis, we fit a linear regression model and accounted for age, sex, race, and prior BP medications to explore the association between systolic BP and each mHealth component.

Results:

Among 488 randomized participants, 211 (43%) completed follow-up. Mean age was 45.5 years, 61% were women, 54% were Black people, 22% did not have a primary care doctor, 21% lacked transportation, and 51% were not taking antihypertensive medications. Overall, systolic BP declined after 6 months (−9.2 mm Hg [95% CI, −12.2 to −6.3]) and 12 months (−6.6 mm Hg, −9.3 to −3.8), without a difference across the 8 treatment arms. The higher dose of mHealth components were not associated with a greater change in systolic BP; healthy behavior text messages (point estimate, mmHG=−0.5 [95% CI, −6.0 to 5];
P
=0.86), daily self-measured BP monitoring (point estimate, mmHG=1.9 [95% CI, −3.7 to 7.5];
P
=0.50), and facilitated primary care provider scheduling and transportation (point estimate, mmHG=0 [95% CI, −5.5 to 5.6];
P
=0.99).

Conclusions:

Among participants with elevated BP recruited from an urban safety-net Emergency Department, BP declined over the 12-month intervention period. There was no difference in change in systolic BP among the 3 mHealth components. Reach Out demonstrated the feasibility of reaching medically underserved people with high BP cared for at a safety-net Emergency Departments, yet the efficacy of the Reach Out mHealth intervention components requires further study.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03422718.
License to Cull: A Research Agenda for Investigating the Necropolitics of Countryside Culling and Urban Pest Control
Authors: von Essen Erica , Redmalm David
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes an empirical research agenda for investigating the practices of biosecuritization of wild animal threats in modern society. Previously mostly studied on the lofty biopolitical level of directives on combatting invasive species or culling pests, we outline the conceptual and methodological points of entry for bringing the on-the-ground work of culling out-of-place, unwanted, individual animals and populations. This means a focus on necropolitics as constituted by the norms, everyday professional practices, vernaculars of killing, and identity work by pest controllers in the city and hunters on the countryside. Borrowing from research in the domestic animal killing context, we nevertheless show how wild animal killing is imbued with more spontaneity, remorse, aesthetics, public stigma, and multispecies entanglements, requiring adapted research protocols.
Writings and the Authority of the Church Fathers in Old Polish Apocryphal Texts
Authors: Rojszczak-Robińska Dorota
Published: May 2023

The article presents relations between Old Polish biblical-apocryphal narrations to Church Fathers’ texts. There are numerous questions: which Church Fathers were known to Old Polish authors? What were specific writers’ preferences? Were the choices made by Polish authors different in this respect from the European practice? How were Fathers’ writings translated? Was there any difference in how patristic texts were used compared to other works (canon and non-canon works)? Were Old Polish authors aware that Fathers’ writings were present in texts by other Christian authors? Nonetheless, the two questions I put at the very centre of my research is: 1) what are the writings and the authority of the Church Fathers used for, and what is the purpose of referring to the Fathers; 2) what is the image of the Church Fathers and patristics that is present in the Old Polish authors’ texts.
New biographical data on Adriaen van de Venne (1590-1662) and his family
Authors: Buijsen Edwin , Nijboer Harm
Published: May 2023

In his biography of Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne in Het gulden cabinet van de edel vry schilderconst (1661-1662) Cornelis de Bie devotes a few lines to the painter’s early years. Until recently, this was all the information we had regarding the origins, childhood and training of this versatile artist. Fresh biographical data for Adriaen van de Venne and his family, however, has recently become available from the digitized archival records of Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam and Zeeland indexed in the online Ecartico database, an initiative of the University of Amsterdam. Combining these archival discoveries enhances our understanding of the milieu in which Adriaen grew up and of his family network.

He is highly likely to have been born in 1590 (rather than 1589 as hitherto assumed) and baptized in the church in ’t Woudt, near Delft. His parents were migrants from the Southern Netherlands: the stocking maker Pieter van de Venne from Lier and Jannetgen Beuvincx from Tournai. Adriaen’s father died before his birth and his mother remarried in Delft in 1594 to the Mechelen weaver Laurens Wittocx. This second marriage produced a son called Salomon Lourens, who became a ‘coarse painter’ and bricklayer in Rotterdam. Adriaen remained in contact with this half-brother for his whole life.

Adriaen relied heavily at first on his older brother Jan, who probably arranged an apprenticeship for him with Simon de Valck, a goldsmith friend in Leiden. He later followed his brother to Middelburg, where they set up a successful printing, publishing and art dealing firm. Shortly before Jan’s death in 1625, Adriaen moved to The Hague, from where he kept in contact with his half-brother Salomon Lourens in Rotterdam. They acted as joint guardians of their nephew Pieter (one of Jan’s sons), who also lived in Rotterdam and worked there as a parchment maker. Archive documents from Rotterdam testify to the close links that persisted between the branches of the family in Rotterdam and The Hague. Adriaen possibly used his Rotterdam family connections to sell his paintings in this city.
Cornelis Tromp’s trophies: The origins of a late portrait (1675-1676) by Ferdinand Bol
Authors: Van Eikema Hommes Margriet , Van Der Werf Inez , Bakker Piet , Kirsch Kathrin
Published: May 2023

In 2018, Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam acquired a portrait of Lieutenant-Admiral Cornelis Tromp (1629-1691), painted by Ferdinand Bol, from a private collection. Previously, this work was only known from a reproduction print by Lambert Visscher. After its acquisition, the portrait was restored in 2019, which is when its material and (art) historical aspects were examined.

In the portrait, Tromp wears two insignia: a diamond portrait medallion on a red ribbon and the badge of the Danish Order of the Elephant. This badge was added to the portrait later, but by Bol himself. Tromp was thus initially depicted wearing only one of the insignia: the diamond medallion with the red ribbon. That Bol regarded this version of the portrait as completed is evidenced by the egg-white varnish he applied to it. At a later stage however, he exchanged this insignia for the badge of the Order of the Elephant. He carefully hid the medallion and ribbon from view by first scraping off their paint and then obscuring the remains of these forms with a layer of grey paint. Finally, he added the insignia of the Order of the Elephant. During a later restoration, the paint Bol used to cover the medallion and ribbon was largely removed, revealing these forms once again.

The ship in the background is the Gouden Leeuw (Golden Lion), Tromp’s flagship during the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674). Since Tromp had received the portrait medallion from the English king in January 1675, the first portrait version can be dated to February 1675 at the earliest and May 1676 at the latest, when Tromp was appointed commander-in-chief of the Danish fleet in Denmark. After Tromp was elevated to the Order of the Elephant upon his arrival in Copenhagen, Bol altered the portrait to keep it in step with Tromp’s career. This chronology sheds new light on Bol’s artistic practice. which was always assumed to have ended in 1669 when Bol married the wealthy widow Anna van Erckel. However, Tromp’s portrait demonstrates that Bol continued to paint into the second half of the 1670s.

After his elevation to the Order of the Elephant, Tromp only allowed himself to be portrayed with this insignia, which was always depicted correctly. It was only Bol who depicted the badge incorrectly, indicating that he did not make the adjustment at Tromp’s instigation. Presumably Bol did this of his own initiative, or that of his wife’s, Anna van Erckel. Archival evidence strongly suggests that she was the first owner of the portrait and that she also owned a portrait, painted by Bol, of Tromp’s wife Margaretha van Raephorst. It was not previously known that Bol had painted her, however a portrait by him of an anonymous woman is clearly Van Raephorst’s likeness. Archival documents show that Van Erckel and Bol knew the Tromp couple personally and maintained friendly relations with them. In Bol and Van Erckel’s stately canal house, the portraits would have been ‘proof’ of that personal relationship.
Sorting out Aeginetia (Orobanchaceae) in Indochina: A. sessilis is a synonym of A. acaulis
Authors: NURALIEV MAXIM S. , PHAM VAN THE , NGUYEN VAN CANH , PARNELL JOHN A.N.
Published: May 2023

Morphological variability of the widespread Aeginetia acaulis is reassessed in the context of the taxonomic boundaries of this species. Aeginetia sessilis considered to be endemic to the Western Ghats of India is demonstrated to lack any clear structural differences from A. acaulis, representing a morph of the latter species with shortly pedicellate (to subsessile or sessile) flowers. Accordingly, A. sessilis is here proved to be a taxonomic synonym of A. acaulis. A population of the same morph is reported from Dak Nong province of Vietnam. Structural diversity of A. acaulis is illustrated with analytical photographs of living plants. Species diversity of Aeginetia in the countries of the Indochinese Peninsula (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) is summarized, and an identification key is provided. Finally, typification of A. acaulis and its synonym A. abbreviata is revised, and lectotypes are designated for both names.
Stipa baxoiensis (Stipeae, Poaceae), a new species from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
Authors: ZHANG YUE , ZHANG XIE-YONG , ZHANG CHAO , CHEN WEN-LI , ZHU SHI-XIN
Published: May 2023

Stipa baxoiensis (Stipeae, Poaceae), a new species from eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to S. sect. Regelia and is similar to S. subsessiliflora in the contracted and suberect panicles, but differs mainly by its densely hirsutulous leaf sheath and adaxial surface of leaf blade.
Cynanchum neoleucanthum (Apocynaceae), a replacement name for the later illegitimate homonym Cynanchum leucanthum (K. Schum.) K. Schum
Authors: ZHANG CAI-FEI , ONJALALAINA GUY. E. , LIAO MIAO , HU GUANG-WAN
Published: May 2023

N/A
Chironomidae (Diptera) of Shalmash Falls, West Azerbaijan, Iran, with the description of Paracricotopus davoodi sp. nov., a new Orthocladiinae
Authors: GHADERI EDRIS , IBRAHIMI HALIL , MOHAMMADI HABIBOLLAH , NAMAYANDEH ARMIN
Published: May 2023

In this study, we describe Paracricotopus davoodi sp. nov., a new Orthocladiinae, and report on eight new faunistic records from Iran, further extending their distribution within the Palearctic realm. Along with describing a new species, we provide a key for the adult males and immatures of the genus Paracricotopus Brundin, 1956. We conducted this study as part of our ongoing investigation of the Chironomidae biodiversity in western Iran, where we aim to database new faunistic records and new taxa in the freshwaters of the Zagros Mountains. The studied freshwater, Shalmash Falls, is part of the main channel of the Little Zab River tributary that originates from the natural springs and glacier-fed runoffs of the Zagros Mountains. The Shalmash Falls is considered a natural wonder of western Iran and has ecotourism importance.
Description of a new moss-feeding species of Cidariplura Butler, 1879 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) from China
Authors: HAN HUI-LIN , TANG LIANG , WANG MIN , OWADA MAMORU
Published: May 2023

A new species of Cidariplura Butler, 1879, Cidariplura guiyuea sp. n. is described from Guizhou and Guangdong Provinces, China, which was reared from larva to adult feeding on Cyrto-hypnum gratum (P. Beauv.) Buck & Crum. The new species is illustrated with images of the adult, male genitalia and compared with similar species Cidariplura bilineata (Wileman & South, 1919) and Cidariplura brevivittalis (Moore, 1867).
Stratosphere–Troposphere Coupling during Sudden Stratospheric Warmings with Different North Atlantic Jet Response
Authors: Martínez-Andradas Verónica , de la Cámara Alvaro , Zurita-Gotor Pablo
Published: May 2023

Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are extreme disruptions of the wintertime polar vortex that can alter the tropospheric weather for over 2 months. However, the reasons why only some SSWs have a tropospheric impact are not yet clear. This study analyses the tropospheric impact of SSWs over the Atlantic region as measured by the latitudinal displacement of the North Atlantic eddy-driven jet following SSWs. We use reanalysis data for the period 1950–2020 to examine differences in the stratospheric and tropospheric circulation for SSWs with an equatorward (EQ) or a poleward (POLE) shift. Our results show a stronger and more persistent Northern Annular Mode (NAM) signal in the lower stratosphere for EQ than for POLE, beginning 2 weeks before the onset date. In the troposphere, we find precursory signals of the Atlantic jet behavior over Siberia, consistent with previous studies, and also over the central North Pacific and central Europe. In particular, our results suggest that the noncanonical poleward jet shift response to SSWs is in part modulated by circulation anomalies over the central North Pacific, and that these are in turn connected to the cold phase of El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Further analysis of the enhanced predictability given by these precursors suggests that the sign of the lower-stratospheric NAM and the geopotential anomalies over the central North Pacific significantly affect the probability of having an EQ or POLE response of the Atlantic jet.
Pericardial Grafting of Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Self-Assembling Peptide Scaffold Improves Cardiac Function After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Kanda Masato , Nagai Toshio , Kondo Naomichi , Matsuura Katsuhisa , Akazawa Hiroshi , Komuro Issei , Kobayashi Yoshio
Published: May 2023

Many studies have explored cardiac progenitor cell (CPC) therapy for heart disease. However, optimal scaffolds are needed to ensure the engraftment of transplanted cells. We produced a three-dimensional hydrogel scaffold (CPC-PRGmx) in which high-viability CPCs were cultured for up to 8 weeks. CPC-PRGmx contained an RGD peptide-conjugated self-assembling peptide with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Immediately after creating myocardial infarction (MI), we transplanted CPC-PRGmx into the pericardial space on to the surface of the MI area. Four weeks after transplantation, red fluorescent protein-expressing CPCs and in situ hybridization analysis in sex-mismatched transplantations revealed the engraftment of CPCs in the transplanted scaffold (which was cellularized with host cells). The average scar area of the CPC-PRGmx-treated group was significantly smaller than that of the non-treated group (CPC-PRGmx-treated group = 46 ± 5.1%, non-treated MI group = 59 ± 4.5%; p < 0.05). Echocardiography showed that the transplantation of CPC-PRGmx improved cardiac function and attenuated cardiac remodeling after MI. The transplantation of CPCs-PRGmx promoted angiogenesis and inhibited apoptosis, compared to the untreated MI group. CPCs-PRGmx secreted more vascular endothelial growth factor than CPCs cultured on two-dimensional dishes. Genetic fate mapping revealed that CPC-PRGmx-treated mice had more regenerated cardiomyocytes than non-treated mice in the MI area (CPC-PRGmx-treated group = 0.98 ± 0.25%, non-treated MI group = 0.25 ± 0.04%; p < 0.05). Our findings reveal the therapeutic potential of epicardial-transplanted CPC-PRGmx. Its beneficial effects may be mediated by sustainable cell viability, paracrine function, and the enhancement of de novo cardiomyogenesis.
Design and optimization of piezoelectric actuators for microflap-embedded micropumps
Authors: Parsi Behzad , Abouzarkhanifard Aylar , Zhang Lihong
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we propose a new method to use cost-effective multi-sheet off-the-shelf piezoelectric material (e.g. PZT) as an actuator for micropumps. Instead of one customized single PZT sheet that is typically expensive, multiple commercially available PZT sheets are utilized to decrease the cost of fabrication. For this purpose, we have derived analytic equations for expressing the natural frequency and mode shape of the actuator. The FEM simulations are utilized to verify the analytic equations. Thanks to their high accuracy, we can utilize the derived analytic equations as fitness functions of genetic algorithm (GA) for the optimization purpose of PZT physical aspects. Our experimental measurement results show that the GA is capable of optimizing multiple physical parameters of the piezoelectric actuator. Moreover, one-way compliant microflaps are presented for the first time to act as one-way valves for a PZT micropump aided by our proposed multi-sheet PZT actuator. The flow rate of this configuration is compared with a single-sheet PZT actuator in order to demonstrate the effect of the optimized PZT actuators in the practical applications of micropumps.
An atypical presentation of sympathetic ophthalmia following chemical ocular burns
Authors: Bansal Pooja , Singh Maninder , Gupta Yashi , Gotmare Nikhil , Thakar Meenakshi , Arora Ritu
Published: May 2023

Background

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare disease that can present as bilateral granulomatous uveitis after a penetrating trauma or surgery in one eye.

Findings

We report a case of a 47-year-old male with history of decreased vision in the right eye, six months after sustaining severe chemical injury in the left eye. He was diagnosed with sympathetic ophthalmia and was treated with corticosteroids and long-term immunosuppressive therapy, leading to complete resolution of intraocular inflammation. Final visual acuity was 20/30 at one year of follow up.

Conclusions

Sympathetic Ophthalmia following chemical ocular burns is extremely uncommon. It can present as a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. It warrants early diagnosis and management.
Population structure analysis to explore genetic diversity and geographical distribution characteristics of wild tea plant in Guizhou Plateau
Authors: He Limin , Luo Jing , Niu Suzhen , Bai Dingchen , Chen Yanjun
Published: May 2023

Background

Tea, the second largest consumer beverage in the world after water, is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas. However, the effect of environmental factors on the distribution of wild tea plants is unclear.

Results

A total of 159 wild tea plants were collected from different altitudes and geological types of the Guizhou Plateau. Using the genotyping-by-sequencing method, 98,241 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Genetic diversity, population structure analysis, principal component analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and linkage disequilibrium were performed. The genetic diversity of the wild tea plant population from the Silicate Rock Classes ofCamellia gymnogynawas higher than that from the Carbonate Rock Classes ofCamellia tachangensis. In addition, the genetic diversity of wild tea plants from the second altitude gradient was significantly higher than that of wild tea plants from the third and first altitude gradients. Two inferred pure groups (GP01 and GP02) and one inferred admixture group (GP03) were identified by population structure analysis and were verified by principal component and phylogenetic analyses. The highest differentiation coefficients were determined for GP01 vs. GP02, while the lowest differentiation coefficients were determined for GP01 vs. GP03.

Conclusions

This study revealed the genetic diversity and geographical distribution characteristics of wild tea plants in the Guizhou Plateau. There are significant differences in genetic diversity and evolutionary direction betweenCamellia tachangensiswith Carbonate Rock Classes at the first altitude gradient andCamellia gymnogynawith Silicate Rock Classes at the third altitude gradient. Geological environment, soil mineral element content, soil pH, and altitude markedly contributed to the genetic differentiation betweenCamellia tachangensisandCamellia gymnogyna.
Barriers to community participation in primary health care of district health: a qualitative study
Authors: Gholipour Kamal , Shokri Azad , Yarahmadi Ali Akbar , Tabrizi Jafar Sadegh , Iezadi Shabnam , Naghibi Deniz , Bidarpoor Farzam
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Community participation is one of the principles of primary health care (PHC). However, it has not been adequately institutionalized due to numerous barriers. Therefore, the present study is conducted to identify barriers to community participation in primary health care in the district health network from the perspectives of stakeholders.

Methods

This qualitative case study was conducted in 2021 in Divandareh city, Iran. A total of 23 specialists and experts experienced in community participation, including nine health experts, six community health workers, four community members, and four health directors in primary health care programs, were selected using the purposive sampling method until complete saturation. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed simultaneously using qualitative content analysis.

Results

After data analysis, 44 codes, 14 sub-themes, and five themes were identified as barriers to community participation in primary health care in the district health network. The themes included community trust in the healthcare system, the status of community participation programs, the community and system’s perception of participation programs, health system management approaches, and cultural barriers and institutional obstacles.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study most important barriers to community participation relate to community trust, the organizational structure, community and the health profession’s perception regarding the participatory programs. It seems necessary to take measures to remove barriers in order to realize community participation in primary healthcare system.