bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal processing implications on microplastics in rainbow trout fillet
Authors: Alak Gonca , Köktürk Mine , Ucar Arzu , Parlak Veysel , Kocaman Esat Mahmut , Atamanalp Muhammed
Published: November 2022

Heat treatment is an inevitable step in making meat and meat products ready for human consumption. Researches on ready‐to‐eat foods had shown that foods can also contain microplastics (MPs). The source of the presence of MPs in foods is: air, raw materials, food production stages, or plastics used in packaging. This study was carried out to evaluate the possible effects of the sous‐vide (So‐Vc) technique applied in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets at different temperatures and time intervals on MPs degradation or migration mechanisms and the level of uptake by humans. For this purpose, 7 treatment temperature × 3 various cooking times and So‐Vc technique were applied on rainbow trout fillets. Then, in these fillets, MP presence, size, and shape were researched, as well as polymer types and possible levels of MP uptake by humans were determined. In the analyses, 1.27 ± 0.54 MP/g was found in 1 g of fish tissue. Dimensionally, 67% of MPs was detected as <50 µm and 8% of 500–1000 µm. The dominant shape was determined as a fragment, and the color was black. Six polymer types were determined. The results showed that high temperature (> 65°C) applications promoted polymer degradation. MP migration from packaging material to fillets was not detected. By calculations made on these findings, the lowest intake level by a human was estimated as 6140 MPs units/year. The obtained data provided the initial data to explore and optimize the current understanding of thermally processed products in terms of MPs. This study proved that the sous vide method causes polymer degradation at high temperatures and longer time periods.
Microbiological composition of follicular fluid in patients undergoing IVF and its association with infertility
Authors: Wu Yue‐Rong , Dong Yong‐Hong , Liu Chen‐Jian , Tang Xiao‐Dan , Zhang Ning‐Nan , Shen Jie , Wu Ze , Li Xiao‐Ran , Shao Jing‐Yi
Published: November 2022

Problem

In recent years, the incidence of female infertility has risen sharply, which is affected by many factors. It was recognized that female reproductive tract microbes play a role in the process of female conception. If the reproductive tract microbes could solve a certain proportion of infertility, it would certainly reduce the pain and economic burden of many patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the microbial community composition of follicular fluid in infertile patients and its potential impact on infertility.

Method of study

Follicular fluid from 49 primary infertility and 52 secondary infertility patients was collected by a negative pressure needle, and the microbiota was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing.

Results

It was found thatLactobacillus, especiallyL. crispatus, might have a positive effect on female pregnancy. Considering the presence or absence of male factors and different body mass indices,L. inersmight inhibit female pregnancy. However,L. inersseemed to play a positive role in egg maturation, whileGardnerellaandCutibacterium acnesmight have a negative effect on female pregnancy.

Conclusions

This study suggested the potential role ofLactobacillusin follicular fluid in improving female infertility and provided a theoretical basis for the future microbiological treatment of female infertility.
Maternal and cord blood BAFF and APRIL levels during pregnancy
Authors: Stohl Hindi E. , Stohl William
Published: November 2022

Problem

Dysregulation of factors vital to the survival B cells and/or plasma cells, such as BAFF and APRIL, could be detrimental to a pregnancy.

Method of Study

Serially collected first‐, second‐, and third‐trimester serum samples were measured for BAFF and APRIL by ELISA from 150 pregnant women (71 healthy + 79 with a chronic medical disease) at a single medical center. Postpartum serum samples were also collected from the majority of these women. Matched third‐trimester and cord blood samples were collected from 168 women (86 healthy + 82 with a chronic medical disease). Data were analyzed by chi‐square statistic, unpaired t‐test, paired t‐test, Mann‐Whitney rank sum test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Spearman rank order correlation, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses as appropriate.

Results

Maternal serum BAFF levels declined as the pregnancies progressed and rebounded postpartum, whereas serum APRIL levels remained relatively flat throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Cord BAFF and APRIL levels correlated positively with gestation age and were considerably greater than the corresponding maternal third‐trimester serum BAFF and APRIL levels, respectively. In women who developed preeclampsia, third‐trimester BAFF levels were greater, rather than lower, than their corresponding second‐trimester BAFF levels. ROC curve analysis suggested a potential role for third‐trimester serum BAFF level as a biomarker of preeclampsia.

Conclusions

BAFF and APRIL are differentially regulated in the mother during and following pregnancy, whereas each is upregulated in the developing fetus. An increase in third‐trimester serum BAFF level may portend development of preeclampsia.
Glaucoma progression in patients receiving intravitreal anti‐VEGF treatment for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Pirinen Inka , Leinonen Sanna , Helminen Mika , Hujanen Pekko , Vaajanen Anu , Tuulonen Anja , Uusitalo‐Järvinen Hannele
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate how often glaucoma and neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) occur in the same patient and to evaluate whether glaucoma progression is faster in eyes treated with intravitreal anti‐VEGF medications for nAMD.

Methods

This single‐centre retrospective real‐world data (RWD) consists of medical records of 6314 glaucoma and 2166 nAMD patients treated in 2008–2017 in Tays Eye Centre, Finland. To study glaucoma progression, changes in visual fields (mean deviation [MD], dB/year), IOP (mmHg/year) and fundus photographs (progression, yes/no) were compared in glaucoma eyes with and without anti‐VEGF treatment for nAMD and ≥1 year follow‐up.

Results

During the 10‐year period, 147 patients with glaucoma received intravitreal anti‐VEGF treatment for nAMD corresponding to 2% of glaucoma and 7% of nAMD patients. The mean change in MD was −0.70 dB/year (SD 1.8) vs. −0.27 dB/year (SD 1.7) (p = 0.027) in glaucoma eyes with (n = 37) and without (n = 4304) anti‐VEGF injections, respectively. In patients with bilateral glaucoma and unilateral nAMD treated with anti‐VEGF injections (n = 20), MD declined at −0.62 dB/year (SD 1.9) vs 0.33 dB/year (SD 1.5) (p = 0.654), and glaucoma progression was detected in 14/20 vs 10/20 (p = 0.219) fundus photographs in eyes with anti‐VEGF treatment compared with their untreated fellow eyes.

Conclusion

nAMD and glaucoma were found co‐existing in the same eye at rates that were similar to the age‐corrected prevalence of the two diseases in the general population. Our results suggest that intravitreal anti‐VEGF treatment for nAMD may accelerate glaucoma progression.
The Liverpool alcohol‐related liver disease algorithm identifies twice as many emergency admissions compared to standard methods when applied to Hospital Episode Statistics for England
Authors: Dhanda Ashwin , Bodger Keith , Hood Steve , Henn Clive , Allison Michael , Amasiatu Chioma , Burton Robyn , Cramp Matthew , Forrest Ewan , Khetani Meetal , MacGilchrist Alastair , Masson Steven , Parker Richard , Sheron Nick , Simpson Ken , Vergis Nikhil , White Martin ,   BASL ARLD SIG National Service Evaluation Group
Published: November 2022

Background

Emergency admissions in England for alcohol‐related liver disease (ArLD) have increased steadily for decades. Statistics based on administrative data typically focus on the ArLD‐specific code as the primary diagnosis and are therefore at risk of excluding ArLD admissions defined by other coding combinations.

Aim

To deploy the Liverpool ArLD Algorithm (LAA), which accounts for alternative coding patterns (e.g., ArLD secondary diagnosis with alcohol/liver‐related primary diagnosis), to national and local datasets in the context of studying trends in ArLD admissions before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

We applied the standard approach and LAA to Hospital Episode Statistics for England (2013–21). The algorithm was also deployed at 28 hospitals to discharge coding for emergency admissions during a common 7‐day period in 2019 and 2020, in which eligible patient records were reviewed manually to verify the diagnosis and extract data.

Results

Nationally, LAA identified approximately 100% more monthly emergency admissions from 2013 to 2021 than the standard method. The annual number of ArLD‐specific admissions increased by 30.4%. Of 39,667 admissions in 2020/21, only 19,949 were identified with standard approach, an estimated admission cost of £70 million in under‐recorded cases. Within 28 local hospital datasets, 233 admissions were identified using the standard approach and a further 250 locally verified cases using the LAA (107% uplift). There was an 18% absolute increase in ArLD admissions in the seven‐day evaluation period in 2020 versus 2019. There were no differences in disease severity or mortality, or in the proportion of admissions with decompensation of cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis.

Conclusions

The LAA can be applied successfully to local and national datasets. It consistently identifies approximately 100% more cases than the standard coding approach. The algorithm has revealed the true extent of ArLD admissions. The pandemic has compounded a long‐term rise in ArLD admissions and mortality.
No adverse effects on periarticular tissue by intra‐articular vitamin D analogue calcipotriol in a reduced‐dose zymosan‐induced arthritis model in rats
Authors: Huovinen Jere , Lohela Jesse , Kauppinen Sami , Finnilä Mikko , Laaksonen Sakari , Voipio Hanna‐Marja , Huhtakangas Johanna A. , Lehenkari Petri
Published: November 2022

Calcipotriol, a vitamin D analogue, is an antiproliferative and anti‐inflammatory drug currently used in psoriasis. Here, our aim was to analyse the safety of calcipotriol for cartilage and bone in alleviated‐dose (0.1 mg instead of usual ≥1mg dose) zymosan‐induced arthritis in rats. Theoretically, high doses of vitamin D or analogues could have detrimental effects on bone or cartilage. The rats were divided into four groups: vehicle (n = 9), dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg (n = 9), calcipotriol 0.1 mg/kg (n = 8) and negative control (n = 10) with no injections. Arthritic rats were given phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) injections to left knees as a control. After euthanasia on day 8, all knees were imaged with micro‐computed tomography for surface lesions and decalcified for histological analyses. Contrary to our expectations, no significant changes could be observed in the tomography data and histological scores among the three treatment groups or between the vehicle‐treated and non‐arthritic group. Calcipotriol did not cause adverse effects on cartilage or subchondral bone within a week, suggesting that it could be safely used in local treatment of arthritis. The alleviated model caused synovitis with local and systemic inflammatory response without cartilage erosions, which might be useful in studying self‐limiting synovitis where cartilage or bone effects are not of primary interest.
Tocilizumab for the treatment of chronic antibody mediated rejection in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Khairallah Pascale , Robbins‐Juarez Shelief , Patel Shefali , Shah Vaqar , Toma Katherine , Fernandez Hilda , Dube Geoffrey K. , King Kristen , Mohan Sumit , Husain Syed Ali , Morris Heather , Crew Russell John
Published: November 2022

Background

Chronic active antibody‐mediated rejection (CAAMR) constitutes a dominant form of late allograft failure. Several treatment strategies directed at CAAMR have been attempted but proven ineffective at delaying kidney function decline or reducing donor‐specific antibodies (DSA). We describe our single‐center experience using tocilizumab in patients with CAAMR.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis using electronic medical records. 38 kidney transplant recipients at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who had been prescribed tocilizumab and followed for at least 3 months between August 2013 through December 2019 were included.

Results

Tocilizumab use was associated with a decrease in the rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline in the 6 months following treatment initiation as compared to the 3 months before tocilizumab was initiated (difference between slopes before and after initiation of treatment = 2.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SE = .8, p = .002) per month for up to 6 months following Tocilizumab initiation). Allograft biopsies showed significant improvement in interstitial inflammation scores (score 1(0,1) to 0 (0,1), p = .03) while other histologic scores remained stable. There was no significant change in proteinuria or DSA titers post‐treatment with tocilizumab.

Conclusions

Treatment of CAAMR with tocilizumab was associated with a decrease in the rate of eGFR decline and a reduction in interstitial inflammation scores in patients with CAAMR.
Physical activity, inactivity and sleep during the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT)
Authors: Cassidy Sophie , Trenell Michael , Stefanetti Renae J. , Charman Sarah J. , Barnes Alison C. , Brosnahan Naomi , McCombie Louise , Thom George , Peters Carl , Zhyzhneuskaya Sviatlana , Leslie Wilma S. , Catt Christopher , Catt Michael , McConnachie Alex , Sattar Naveed , Sniehotta Falko F. , Lean Michael E. J. , Taylor Roy
Published: November 2022

Aims

As sustained weight loss is vital for achieving remission of type 2 diabetes, we explored whether randomisation to weight loss plus maintenance in the DiRECT trial was associated with physical activity, inactivity or sleep.

Methods

Participants were randomised to either a dietary weight management programme or best‐practice care. The weight management group were encouraged to increase daily physical activity to their sustainable maximum. Objective measurement was achieved using a wrist‐worn GENEActiv accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, 12 and 24 months in both groups.

Results

Despite average weight loss of 10 kg at 12 months in the intervention (n = 66) group, there were no differences in total physical activity or inactivity compared with the control (n = 104) at any time point. However, in our exploratory analysis, those who lost more than 10% of their baseline body weight performed on average 11 mins/day more light activity than the <10% group at 24 months (p = 0.033) and had significantly lower bouts of Inactivity30min (interaction, p = 0.005) across 12 and 24 months. At 24 months, the ≥10% group had higher daily acceleration (38.5 ± 12.1 vs. 33.2 ± 11.1 mg, p = 0.020), and higher accelerations in the most active 5‐hour period (59.4 ± 21.8 vs. 50.6 ± 18.3 mg, p = 0.023). Wakefulness after sleep onset decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group and also in the ≥10% weight loss group at 12 and 24 months.

Conclusions

Randomisation to a successful intensive weight loss intervention, including regular physical activity encouragement, was not associated with increased physical activity although sleep parameters improved. Physical activity was greater, and night‐time waking reduced in those who maintained >10% weight loss at 12 and 24 months.

TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN03267836.
Neonatal and early‐onset diabetes in Ukraine: Atypical features and mortality
Authors: Globa Evgenia , Zelinska Nataliya , Johnson Matthew B. , Flanagan Sarah E. , De Franco Elisa
Published: November 2022

Aims

The aim of this study is to elucidate the aetiology and clinical features of neonatal and early‐onset diabetes in a large database for pediatric diabetes patients in Ukraine.

Methods

We established a Pediatric Diabetes Register to identify patients diagnosed with diabetes before 9 months of age. Genetic testing was undertaken for 66 patients from 65 unrelated families with diabetes diagnosed within the first 6 months of life (neonatal diabetes, n = 36) or between 6 and 9 months (early‐onset diabetes, n = 30).

Results

We determined the genetic aetiology in 86.1% of patients (31/36) diagnosed before 6 months and in 20% (6/30) diagnosed between 6 and 9 months. Fourteen individuals (37.8% of those with a genetic cause identified) had activating heterozygous variants in ABCC8 or KCNJ11. An additional 10 individuals had pathogenic variants in the INS or GCK genes, while 4 had 6q24 transient neonatal diabetes. Rare genetic subtypes (including pathogenic variants in EIF2AK3, GLIS3, INSR, PDX1, LRBA, RFX6 and FOXP3) were identified in nine probands (24.3% of solved cases), 6 of whom died. In total, eight individuals died between infancy and childhood, all of them were diagnosed before 6 months and had received a genetic diagnosis.

Conclusions

In the last decade, the increased availability of comprehensive genetic testing has resulted in increased recognition of the contribution of rare genetic subtypes within pediatric diabetes cohorts. In our study, we identified a high mortality rate among these patients.
Public sector audit and the state's responsibility to “leave no‐one behind”: The role of integrated democratic accountability
Authors: Cordery Carolyn , Arora Bimal , Manochin Melina
Published: November 2022

Achieving the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) at country and local levels—and ensuring “no one is left behind”—requires that nation states commit to solving complex social and societal challenges through collaborative, democratic means. Technocratic and bureaucratic procedures alone are insufficient. In addition to satisfying international actors, governments must discharge integrated democratic accountability through inclusive stakeholder engagement with and between diverse and locally embedded social actors and institutions. Democratic accountability requires recognizing and preserving social complexity and plurality mediated through public dialogues between actors and institutions. Concurrently, global initiatives like the SDGs offer opportunities for the UN's member states to show their sincerity to international principles and standards while engaging with local practices that promote democratic means of resolution and policy implementation. This research analyzes how public sector audit can potentially support and hold a government accountable for its international pledges to SDGs, including stakeholder engagement. In India, the public sector auditor has proactively undertaken a performance audit on that government's “preparedness to implement SDGs.” This research demonstrates how the government is held accountable for its policies and actions on SDGs, through analyzing the interrelated actions of India's two key democratic institutions—the Supreme Audit Institution and Public Accounts Committee. We make recommendations for improving state accountability for SDGs through national level policies, mechanisms and processes of stakeholder engagement and dialogues. At an international level, we argue for the UN to develop more effective mechanisms to hold governments accountable for policies and progress on their SDG commitments. Such mechanisms could include regular progress and performance audits and monitoring both nationally and internationally. These could contribute to improved leadership and integrated policy‐making across layers and levels within a nation state. We also highlight the areas for further research.
Family and Consumer Sciences Researchers' publishing prospects: Review of three research journals
Authors: Spangler Alice A. , Harden Amy J.
Published: November 2022

This study is to provide guidance for selection of potential publishing outlets by family and consumer sciences (FCS) researchers utilizing three research journals:Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal,Journal of Consumer Affairs, andJournal of Retailing. Content analysis revealed trends in methodology and a focus on selling product or on people as part of the human ecosystem, enhancing the human condition, or a combination. All three journals included FCS content. Identification of journal characteristics which may enter into the decision‐making process of selecting possible publishing outlet for educators, researchers and young professionals is discussed.
Disrupting ‘healthy prisons’: Exploring the conceptual and experiential overlap between illness and imprisonment
Authors: Ugelvik Thomas , Lunde Rose , Jewkes Yvonne , Nyvoll Pernille Søderholm
Published: November 2022

Our aim in this conceptual article is to theoretically reimagine the concept of ‘healthy prisons’ in a way that more thoroughly grounds it in the everyday experiences of prisoners. Our point of departure is the observation that there seems to be an intriguing conceptual and theoretical overlap between first‐person oriented empirical studies of two spheres of human experience that are normally seen as separate: serious illness and imprisonment. Our analysis leads us to reimagine the term ‘healthy prisons’ in a way that increases its usefulness for anyone interested in making prisons healthier and more constructive and reinventive institutions.
La segmentación del mercado de trabajo en el sur de África y sus efectos en los trabajadores vulnerables
Authors: FOURIE Elmarie , VAN STADEN Marius
Published: November 2022

En el presente artículo se examina cómo han evolucionado las funciones reguladoras de la legislación laboral en la región de la Comunidad de África Meridional para el Desarrollo (SADC) y se señalan casos de segmentación legal del mercado de trabajo. Los autores explican las características demográficas de la economía informal en los Estados miembros de la SADC y concluyen que, a pesar de la constitucionalización del derecho del trabajo, los mecanismos de legislación laboral de la región contribuyen sustancialmente a la segmentación legal de la economía.
An introduction to the two‐dimensional rectangular cutting and packing problem
Authors: Oliveira Óscar , Gamboa Dorabela , Silva Elsa
Published: November 2022

Cutting and packing problems have been widely studied in the last decades, mainly due to the variety of industrial applications where the problems emerge. This paper presents an overview of the solution approaches that have been proposed for solving two‐dimensional rectangular cutting and packing problems. The main emphasis of this work is on two distinct problems that belong to the cutting and packing problem family. The first problem aims to place onto an object the maximum‐profit subset of items, that is, output maximization, while the second one aims to place all the items using as few identical objects as possible, that is, input minimization. The objective of this paper is not to be exhaustive but to provide a solid grasp on two‐dimensional rectangular cutting and packing problems by describing their most important solution approaches.
Examining the effects of antidiscrimination laws on children in the foster care and adoption systems
Authors: Barak‐Corren Netta , Kan‐Tor Yoav , Tebbe Nelson
Published: November 2022

How are children affected when states prohibit child welfare agencies from discriminating against same‐sex couples who wish to foster or adopt? This question stands at the heart of a debate between governments that seek to impose such antidiscrimination requirements and child welfare agencies that challenge them on religious freedom grounds. Yet until now there has been no reliable evidence on whether and how antidiscrimination rules for these agencies impact children. We have conducted the first nationwide study of how child outcomes vary when states adopt such antidiscrimination rules for child welfare agencies. Analyzing 20 years of child welfare data (2000–2019), we estimate that state antidiscrimination rules both (1) modestly increase children's success at finding foster and permanent homes, and (2) greatly reduce the average time to place children in such homes. These effects vary among subgroups, such that children who are most likely to find a home are generally not affected by state antidiscrimination requirements, whereas children who are least likely to find a home (primarily older children and children with various disabilities) benefit substantially from antidiscrimination measures. We estimate that the effect of antidiscrimination rules is equivalent to 15,525 additional children finding permanent homes and 360,000 additional children finding foster homes, nationwide, over a period of 20 years. Overall, the project offers two key contributions: First, it provides empirical grounding for some of the most heated constitutional and political battles of the culture wars. Second, it advances empirical legal studies by bringing machine learning causal inference to law.
Moderating Effects of Digital Citizenship on Problematic Digital Media Use and Children's Happiness: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Si Euna , Lee Gyungjoo
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND

Recently, the high prevalence of problematic digital media use among youth has become a public concern. Therefore, this study investigated digital citizenship's moderating effects on a supportive school environment, parental pressure to achieve, academic stress, problematic digital media use, and happiness in school‐aged children.

METHODS

This cross‐sectional study involved secondary data analysis of national data from the 11th Panel Study on Korean Children 2018 on 1342 families of fourth‐grade students. Structural equation modeling assessed the relations among variables.

RESULTS

A multigroup analysis verified that digital citizenship significantly moderated the paths from supportive school environment to problematic digital media use, supportive school environment to happiness, and problematic digital media use to happiness. Specifically, problematic digital media use had a significant positive effect on happiness in the low‐digital citizenship group and a significant negative effect in the high‐digital‐citizenship group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that digital citizenship as a competency should be fostered to prevent problematic digital media use.
Examining Average Age at First Marriage within Orthodox Judaism: A Large Community‐Based Study
Authors: Sokol Yosef , Rosenbach Naomi , Rosensweig Chayim , Levin Chynna , Hubner Shifra , Schechter Isaac
Published: November 2022

Marriage trends across global communities are influenced by demographic and cultural factors. The marriage age of secular Americans, and multiple religious groups are affected by gender and religious affiliation, but this has not been examined in Orthodox Jewish subcultures. This study explored how gender, cultural affiliation, and shifting cultural affiliation affect the age at first marriage within Orthodox Jewish subcultures differing in openness to Western culture: Yeshiva Orthodoxy and Modern Orthodoxy. Respondents (n= 3865) provided information about themselves and members of their family but respondents’ information was excluded to increase sample representativeness, focusing instead on the 8856 family members. Gender, subcultural affiliation, and individual cultural shifting were all found to affect the age of the first marriage. We interpreted these results in the context of varying cultural beliefs, education, and a perceived surplus of available women. Further examination of related factors may aid community efforts to support individuals in their pursuit of finding marriage partners.
The collateral consequences of criminal legal association during jury selection
Authors: Clair Matthew , Winter Alix S.
Published: November 2022

How does a potential juror's association with the criminal legal system matter during jury selection? Growing scholarship examines statutory exclusions of people with felony convictions, sometimes characterizing felon-juror exclusion as a collateral consequence of mass incarceration. Less research has considered whether court officials seek to exclude potential jurors based on lower-level forms of contact or perceived association. We draw on interviews with 103 lawyers and judges in a Northeastern state to examine how court officials think about juror bias in relation to criminal legal association beyond felon status. We find that court officials often seek to remove people perceived to be offenders with lower-level forms of system association as well as people perceived to be crime victims. These exclusionary efforts extend to also exclude perceived offenders' and victims' social networks. These practices are racialized and gendered, likely contributing to the systematic exclusion of marginalized racial/ethnic groups and women. This article expands the collateral consequences literature in two ways: first, by revealing how collateral consequences can be conceptualized not just in relation to people criminalized by the law but also in relation to those whom the law constructs as victims; and second, by underscoring how collateral consequences feed back into the system to reproduce its unequal administration.
Turning on the lights? Publicity and defensive legal mobilization in protest-related trials in Russia
Authors: Mustafina Renata
Published: November 2022

How and to what extent do defense actors use publicity in trials of protesters in contemporary Russia? Why do they fight over strategic uses of publicity if “everything is decided in advance”? Drawing on original ethnographic research, this article finds, first, that publicity accompanies legal resistance to politicized prosecutions and is inventively used by the defense. Second, mobilization of publicity creates opportunities for the defense to bargain with and keep the prosecution in check. Third, the relationship between publicity and legal resistance in repressive settings is ambiguous. Some human rights lawyers embrace publicity and others avoid it. I argue that this divergence should be interpreted in relation to lawyers' embeddedness in different professional ecologies. At the same time, lawyers' publicity strategies are altered by the interactional dimension of the trial. The latter manifests itself on two levels: at the micro-level of a courtroom and in the public sphere where different publics engage in debates that interfere with lawyers' defense strategies. This paper has broader implications for the analysis of defensive legal mobilization in dual legal systems beyond the Russian case.
Risk assessment of postoperative pneumonia in children with neurologic disorders and obesity
Authors: Owusu‐Bediako Kwaku , Mpody Christian , Iobst Christopher , Tobias Joseph D. , Nafiu Olubukola O.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Postoperative pneumonia increases the risk of postsurgical mortality, making it a serious healthcare‐associated complication. Children with preoperative neuromuscular impairments have a higher risk of postoperative pneumonia. Obesity is also a risk factor for postoperative pulmonary complications, including pneumonia. Moreover, obesity is increasingly prevalent among children living with a neurological diagnosis. Whether obesity increases the risk of postoperative pneumonia among children with neurologic diseases remains largely unknown. Therefore, we assessed the risk of postoperative pneumonia among children with neurologic diagnoses based on their obesity status.

Methods

We analyzed a retrospective cohort of children ≤18 years from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2012–2019) database who underwent inpatient orthopedic surgery. We used Cox proportional regression model to estimate the hazard ratio for the association between neurologic disorders and postoperative pneumonia. In addition, we included an interaction term between body mass index and neurologic disorders to evaluate the moderating effect of obesity status and then performed stratified analyses to compare the magnitude of hazard ratios across body mass index subgroups.

Results

A total of 60 745 children underwent inpatient orthopedic surgery during the study period, of whom 43.6% were healthy weight and 30.8% overweight/obese. The median age was 13 years (Interquartile range: 8–15). The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was higher among healthy weight patients with neurologic disorders than healthy weight patients without any neurologic disorders [Hazard ratio: 3.55 vs. 0.34]. Furthermore, the association between neurologic disorders and postoperative pneumonia was strongest among overweight patients than healthy weight or obese patients [Hazard ratio:11.88 vs. 9.45 vs. 4.40]. This observation was consistent across the various neurologic disorders analyzed.

Conclusion

Childhood obesity buffered the association between neurologic disorders and postoperative pneumonia, consistent with an ‘obesity paradox’. Further research exploring the underlying mechanisms for the obesity paradox in children with neurologic disorders is warranted.
Bath‐PUVA still represents a valuable treatment option for the subsets of psoriatic patients who are not eligible to or rejecting systemic treatments and are not responsive to NB‐UVB phototherapy
Authors: Calzavara‐Pinton PierGiacomo , Arisi Mariachiara , Tonon Francesco , Calzavara‐Pinton Irene , Venturini Marina , Rossi Mariateresa
Published: November 2022

Background

Photochemotherapy with bathwater delivery of psoralens plus UVA exposures (bath‐PUVA) is mainly used for those psoriatic patients who are not responsive to narrowband (NB)‐UVB phototherapy and oral‐PUVA therapy and belong to two categories (1) patients with psoriasis without systemic comorbidities who do not need long‐term continuous treatment and (2) patients who have contraindications to immunosuppressive drugs and oral‐PUVA or refuse systemic drugs, including oral ingestion of psoralens, for personal reasons. However, it is not known how many patients belong to the second group and how much bath‐PUVA is effective and safe for them.

Methods

We have reviewed the treatment results of a cohort of 120 patients with clinical indication to bath‐PUVA for the above‐mentioned reasons between 2010 and 2019. These patients were selected among 2640 patients with moderate and severe psoriasis who were treated in our department in the same time interval.

Results

Ninety‐six patients completed at least one treatment cycle with bath‐PUVA. A per‐protocol analysis showed that average number of treatment sessions was 21.3 ± 9.0 and the cumulative UVA dose was 80.4 ± 60.0 J/cm2. The average PASI scores decreased from 20.8 ± 7.9 to 5.1 ± 5.4 (p < .01). Sixty‐seven (69.7%) patients achieved at least a 75% improvement (PASI75) and, of them, 38 (39.6%) had an improvement greater than 90% (PASI90). Adverse effects were mild and transitory.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that bath‐PUVA is still a valuable treatment option for a high number of patients who reject systemic treatments or have contraindications to systemic immune‐modifying drugs and have had a limited or no improvement with NB‐UVB phototherapy.
Identification of the GAPDH gene family in Citrullus lanatus and functional characteristics of ClGAPC2 in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Li Y. M. , Sun S. R. , Wang Y. , Cai X. X. , Yao J. X. , Zhu L.
Published: November 2022

Members of the GAPDH family play important roles in plant growth and development, as well as in stress responses. Our aim was to identify stress resistance genes through systematic analysis of the GAPDH family in watermelon. This could not only provide genetic resources for stress resistance breeding, but also form a basis for the study of plant stress resistance mechanisms.

Eight GAPDHs representing four types of plant GAPDH in watermelon were identified (ClGAPA/B, ClGAPC1‐3, ClGAPCp1‐2 and ClGAPN). A comprehensive analysis of physicochemical properties, chromosome distribution, evolutionary relationships, exon‐intron structure and conserved motifs of watermelon GAPDHs was performed using bioinformatics. Expression characteristics were assessed by RT‐qPCR. Based on RT‐qPCR results, ClGAPC2 was screened as a candidate for subcellular localization analysis and functional verification in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Eight GAPDHs were classified into four subfamilies. GAPDHs in each subgroup were generally conserved and shared similarities in structure and conserved motifs. ClGAPDHs had notable tissue specificity and different expression patterns in response to H2O2, chilling, salt, osmotic stress, heat, salicylic acid, gibberellin, brassinosterol, ethylene and abscisic acid treatments. Three ClGAPC genes, especially ClGAPC2, were markedly induced by several treatments. ClGAPC2 was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm of tabacum epidermal cells. The ClGAPC2 transgenic Arabidopsis showed enhanced tolerance to salinity at the germination stage.

We suggest that ClGAPC2 plays important roles in the adaptation of watermelon to salinity. Our findings provided candidate genes for further improving the salt tolerance of watermelon.
Criminal justice cooperation to combat transnational wildlife crime: An examination of cooperation between China and Africa
Authors: Liu Bingyu
Published: November 2022

Effective criminal justice cooperation is critical to combat transnational wildlife crimes and disrupt illegal supply chains. However, few studies have examined criminal justice cooperation between China and African countries, which represent the primary global wildlife importers and exporters, respectively, in combating wildlife crimes. Prompted by the rampant wildlife trafficking between China and Africa, this article aims to fill the literature gap on the topic by examining how the existing forms of criminal justice cooperation (formal and informal cooperation) are currently being used and exploring the strengths, limitations and interactions of the two forms of cooperation through in‐depth interviews and comparative analysis. The findings indicate that both formal and informal criminal justice cooperation between China and Africa are crucial to combat transnational wildlife crime. Where formal cooperation is absent, the informal approach can promote cooperation to address wildlife trafficking to some extent. Although there has been gradual progress in criminal justice cooperation between China and Africa in recent years, this article shows that the immature development of formal criminal justice cooperation and the rare use of the anti‐money laundering mechanism for informal cooperation have resulted in sub‐optimally effective criminal justice cooperation. The article offers suggestions to enhance formal and informal criminal justice cooperation under the multi‐actor collaboration arrangement for future criminal justice cooperation between China and Africa to address transnational illegal wildlife trade.
Analysis of brain signal change response in amygdala evoked by skin pressure stimulus
Authors: Yuan Jie , Wang Qicai , Shang Shanshan , Lei Yutian , Lou Lin
Published: November 2022

Background

It was well known that the human body would produce an uncomfortable sensation when the fabric exerted a certain amount of pressure irritation on the skin. The amygdala had long been thought to be the source of negative emotion perception. However, up to now, the brain signal changes in the amygdala evoked by skin exposure pressure had not been known.

Materials and methods

In this work, a series of gradually increasing contact pressure stimulus from boneless corsets was repeatedly applied to the body's waist and abdomen, and the technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was adopted to detect the brain response synchronously.

Results

The results shown that both subjective comfort score and percent signal changes (PSCs) of amygdala decreased with the increase of skin contact pressure. When the skin pressure applied to the waist and abdomen of the human body exceeded about 1 kPa, blood oxygen level dependent signal in the amygdala was negatively activated. Besides, the degree of response of PSCs was intense than subjective evaluation, and the standard deviations of PSCs between individuals were much smaller than subjective evaluations.

Conclusion

It was suggested that skin contact pressure stimulus caused the attention of the amygdala brain area. The greater the stimulus, the higher the attention, but such attention was caused by negative activation of the amygdala induced by skin discomfort. In addition, skin comfort representation based on brain perception was superior to subjective representation due to its higher response sensitivity and antipsychological interference ability.
Gendered Spaces at Home Feminine and Masculine Traits in Domestic Interiors
Authors: Moreira Ana , Farias Hugo
Published: November 2022

As a cultural product, the home and its settings are shaped according to social norms and characteristics. Throughout history, domestic interiors continuously changed as a mirror of Feminine and Male roles in society. This paper focuses on the analysis of domestic interiors from the modern age until present times, describing and depicting cases of spatial segregation and specialization based on the gender of its users or occupants. The historical account that is portrayed revisits the domestic arrangements where genderization was more evident, namely bedrooms, kitchen and, at times, rooms for specific uses or functions. The goal of the study is to understand in which manner gender roles and society’s views of gender character and behaviour have impacted domestic interiors and living modes. The produced scholarship shows that the former have indeed determined the latter and that from the beginning of the modern era until today western society has witnessed a cyclical evolution: from degendered spaces to highly segregated homes, from these to spatial democratizing and, finally, from a democratic home to a return to segregating models. The study concludes that domestic interiors were and somewhat continue to be greatly determined by social concepts of gender attributes, hierarchy and behaviour. Furthermore, although the paper focuses only on western homes, being limited by this context, further research could be developed on the analysis of gendered spaces in other cultures, societies and geographic contexts, to consolidate enlightenment on the subject.
High-temperature characteristics of GaN/InGaN multiple-quantum-well UV photodetectors fabricated on sapphire substrate: Analysis of photovoltaic and carrier transit time properties
Authors: Dalapati Pradip , Egawa Takashi , Miyoshi Makoto
Published: November 2022

To accomplish a high-temperature operation of GaN/InGaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) UV photodetectors (UV-PDs), the investigation of device performances at high-temperature regimes is truly essential. Therefore, in the present work, GaN/InGaN MQW-based UV-PDs on sapphire are fabricated and their photovoltaic and carrier transit time characteristics are investigated at different temperatures. Our results suggest that the temperature has a strong impact on various photovoltaic properties: we noticed an increase in short circuit current density and a significant lowering in open circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency when the ambient temperature increases from 25 to 300 °C. The time-dependent photo-response characteristics at different temperatures suggest that both the rise time and fall time are reduced at high temperatures, indicating the thermal activation of localized charges at an exacerbated temperature.
Trilayer process for T-gate and Γ-gate lithography using ternary developer and proximity effect correction superposition
Authors: Ocola Leonidas E. , Bucchignano James , Dawes Simon , Fustochenko Andrei
Published: November 2022

An alternative method to fabricate T- and Γ-gates used for special geometry compound semiconductor high electron mobility transistors is presented. This method utilizes an acrylate/methylstyrene triple resist stack, a single ternary developer consisting of an acetate/alcohol/water mixture, and a proximity effect correction (PEC) image superposition approach that treats the exposed regions in the different resists as independent images and combines them afterward with weighted factors. In the past, most available options required multiple developers or ebeam exposures to form the resist structure of the gate. In this paper, we present a single developer capable of discriminating among three different resists to form the optimal structure for T- and Γ-gates. The PEC image superposition approach approximates that the exposed regions in each resist layer (or image) can be PEC corrected independently from the other images. The use of a gap between images allows for critical dimension control as image edges are not double exposed due to beam spread. Following gap formation and PEC, the corrected images are superimposed on each other after selectively removing areas of common exposure, using the highest dose as the determining dose. This allows a flexible means to accurately provide PEC to complex structures beyond “simple” T-gates and Γ-gates, as demonstrated in this paper.
Flies trade off stability and performance via adaptive compensation to wing damage
Authors: Salem Wael , Cellini Benjamin , Kabutz Heiko , Hari Prasad Hari Krishna , Cheng Bo , Jayaram Kaushik , Mongeau Jean-Michel
Published: November 2022

Physical injury often impairs mobility, which can have dire consequences for survival in animals. Revealing mechanisms of robust biological intelligence to prevent system failure can provide critical insights into how complex brains generate adaptive movement and inspiration to design fault-tolerant robots. For flying animals, physical injury to a wing can have severe consequences, as flight is inherently unstable. Using a virtual reality flight arena, we studied how flying fruit flies compensate for damage to one wing. By combining experimental and mathematical methods, we show that flies compensate for wing damage by corrective wing movement modulated by closed-loop sensing and robust mechanics. Injured flies actively increase damping and, in doing so, modestly decrease flight performance but fly as stably as uninjured flies. Quantifying responses to injury can uncover the flexibility and robustness of biological systems while informing the development of bio-inspired fault-tolerant strategies.
Pore forming–mediated intracellular protein delivery for enhanced cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Zhou Zhanwei , Yang Ruoxi , Dong Jingwen , Di Yongxiang , Yang Ying , Huang Ying , Yang Xue , Liu Wei , Wang Jinqiang , Liu Peifeng , Gu Zhen , Sun Minjie
Published: November 2022

Directly delivering therapeutic proteins to their intracellular targets remains a great challenge. Here, we apply CD8
+
T cells to form pores on the tumor cells’ plasma membranes, enabling perfusion of ribonuclease A (RNase A) and granzyme B into cells, therefore effectively inducing tumor apoptosis and pyroptosis by activating caspase 3 and gasdermin E pathways to potentiate the CD8
+
T cell–mediated immunotherapy. Then, RNase A, programmed cell death ligand 1 antibody, and a photothermal agent were further loaded into an injectable hydrogel to treat the low immunogenic murine breast cancer. Notably, three courses of laser irradiation induced efficient cell apoptosis and immune activation, resulting in a notable therapeutic efficacy that 75% of the tumors were ablated without relapse.