bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of IL-33 Gene Correlated with Renal Allograft Fibrosis in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Liu Xuzhong , Liu Kun , Gui Zeping , Feng Dengyuan , Wang Zijie , Zheng Ming , Fei Shuang , Chen Hao , Sun Li , Han Zhijian , Ju Xiaobing , Zhang Hengcheng , Tan Ruoyun , Gu Min
Published: December 2021

Background. Nowadays, renal allograft survival is confined by the development of allograft fibrosis. Previous studies have reported interleukin-33 (IL-33) upregulated significantly in patients with chronic renal allograft dysfunction, and it could induce renal tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which eventually contributed to renal allograft fibrosis. Our study intended to detect the underlying association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-33 gene and renal allograft fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients. Methods. We collected blood samples from 200 renal transplant recipients for the identification of SNPs and transplanted kidney tissue samples for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Intersection of SNP-related genes and DEGs was conducted for further analysis. Relationships between these SNPs and renal allograft fibrosis were evaluated by the inheritance models. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and western blotting (WB) were used to detect the expression of IL-33 and the markers of EMT in human kidney tissues obtained from control and chronic renal allograft dysfunction (CAD) patients. In vitro, we detected the progressions of EMT-related markers and the levels of MAPK signaling pathway mediators after transfecting IL-33 mutant plasmids in HK2 cells. Results. Three intersected genes including IL-33 genes were significantly expressed. IL-33 expression was validated in kidney tissues by IHC and WB. Thirty-nine IL-33-related SNPs were identified in targeted sequencing, in which 26 tagger SNPs were found by linkage disequilibrium analysis for further analysis. General linear models indicated sirolimus administration significantly influenced renal allograft fibrosis (

P
<
0.05

), adjustment of which was conducted in the following analysis. By multiple inheritance model analyses, SNP rs10975519 of IL-33 gene was found closely related to renal allograft fibrosis (

P
<
0.005

). Furthermore, HK2 cells transfected with mutated plasmid of rs10975519 showed stronger mobility and migration ability. Moreover, IL-33 mutant plasmids could promote the IL-33-induced EMT through the sustained activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway in HK2 cells. Conclusion. In our study, rs10975519 on the IL-33 gene was found to be statistically associated with the development of renal allograft fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients. This process may be related to the IL-33-induced EMT and sustained activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
In-situ Combustion Simulation from Laboratory to Field Scale
Authors: Zhu Zhouyuan , Liu Canhua , Chen Yajing , Gong Yuning , Song Yang , Tang Junshi
Published: December 2021

In-situ combustion simulation from laboratory to field scale has always been challenging, due to difficulties in deciding the reaction model and Arrhenius kinetics parameters, together with erroneous results observed in simulations when using large-sized grid blocks. We present a workflow of successful simulation of heavy oil in-situ combustion process from laboratory to field scale. We choose the ongoing PetroChina Liaohe D block in-situ combustion project as a case of study. First, we conduct kinetic cell (ramped temperature oxidation) experiments, establish a suitable kinetic reaction model, and perform corresponding history match to obtain Arrhenius kinetics parameters. Second, combustion tube experiments are conducted and history matched to further determine other simulation parameters and to determine the fuel amount per unit reservoir volume. Third, we upscale the Arrhenius kinetics to the upscaled reaction model for field-scale simulations. The upscaled reaction model shows consistent results with different grid sizes. Finally, field-scale simulation forecast is conducted for the D block in-situ combustion process using computationally affordable grid sizes. In conclusion, this work demonstrates the practical workflow for predictive simulation of in-situ combustion from laboratory to field scale for a major project in China.
Determination of Activity Concentration of Natural Radionuclides and Radiation Hazards’ Assessment of Building Materials in High Background Radiation Areas of Homa and Ruri, Kenya
Authors: Odongo Willis Otieno Gor , Chege Margaret , Hashim Nadir , Tokonami Shinji , Chutima Kranrod , Rotich Charles
Published: December 2021

The areas around Homa and Ruri hills in Homa Bay County in Kenya are associated with high background radiation levels. The activity concentration of the natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) in earthen building materials used in the areas of Homa and Ruri hills has been measured using a NaI (Tl) detector in this work. The measured values of radioactivity concentrations are used to estimate the associated radiological risk. The earthen building material samples from Ruri registered relatively high 232Th concentration values averaging 1094 ± 55 Bq/kg, nearly three times those of the samples from Homa. 226Ra level was not significantly different in both regions with Homa reporting 129 ± 10 Bq/kg and Ruri 111 ± 6 Bq/kg. 40K was however higher in the samples from Homa by an approximate factor of 2 relative to those from Ruri where the activity concentration was 489 ± 24 Bq/kg. The radium equivalents for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the samples from Ruri were 111 ± 9, 1564 ± 125, and 38 ± 3 Bq/kg, while in Homa, the values were 129 ± 10, 570 ± 46, and 69 ± 5 Bq/kg, respectively. The calculated value of total radium equivalent in Ruri was 1713 ± 137 Bq/kg which was two times higher than that of Homa. 232Th contributed about 74% and 91% to the total radium equivalent in Homa and Ruri, respectively; thus, it was the one with the largest contribution to radiation exposure in both regions. The average indoor annual effective dose rates were 1.74 ± 0.14 and 3.78 ± 0.30 mSv/y in Homa and Ruri, respectively, both of which were above the recommended safety limit of 1 mSv/y.
Functional Mapping of AKT Signaling and Biomarkers of Response from the FAIRLANE Trial of Neoadjuvant Ipatasertib plus Paclitaxel for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Shi Zhen , Wulfkuhle Julia , Nowicka Malgorzata , Gallagher Rosa I. , Saura Cristina , Nuciforo Paolo G. , Calvo Isabel , Andersen Jay , Passos-Coelho José Luis , Gil-Gil Miguel J. , Bermejo Begoña , Pratt Debra A. , Ciruelos Eva M. , Villagrasa Patricia , Wongchenko Matthew J. , Petricoin Emanuel F. , Oliveira Mafalda , Isakoff Steven J.
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

Despite extensive genomic and transcriptomic profiling, it remains unknown how signaling pathways are differentially activated and how tumors are differentially sensitized to certain perturbations. Here, we aim to characterize AKT signaling activity and its association with other genomic or IHC-based PI3K/AKT pathway biomarkers as well as the clinical activity of ipatasertib (AKT inhibitor) in the FAIRLANE trial.

Experimental Design:

In FAIRLANE, 151 patients with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) were randomized 1:1 to receive paclitaxel with ipatasertib or placebo for 12 weeks prior to surgery. Adding ipatasertib did not increase pathologic complete response rate and numerically improved overall response rate by MRI. We used reverse-phase protein microarrays (RPPA) to examine the total level and/or phosphorylation states of over 100 proteins in various signaling or cell processes including PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling. One hundred and twenty-five baseline and 127 on-treatment samples were evaluable by RPPA, with 110 paired samples at both time points.

Results:

Tumors with genomic/protein alterations in PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN were associated with higher levels of AKT phosphorylation. In addition, phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) levels exhibited a significant association with enriched clinical benefit of ipatasertib, and identified patients who received benefit in the absence of PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN alterations. Ipatasertib treatment led to a downregulation of AKT/mTORC1 signaling, which was more pronounced among the tumors with PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN alterations or among the responders to the treatment.

Conclusions:

We showed that the high baseline pAKT levels are associated with the alterations of PI3K/AKT pathway components and enriched benefit of ipatasertib in TNBC.
Detecting Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer Through Tissue-Informed Cell-Free DNA Methylation Analysis
Authors: Berchuck Jacob E. , Baca Sylvan C. , McClure Heather M. , Korthauer Keegan , Tsai Harrison K. , Nuzzo Pier Vitale , Kelleher Kaitlin M. , He Monica , Steinharter John A. , Zacharia Soumya , Spisak Sandor , Seo Ji-Heui , Conteduca Vincenza , Elemento Olivier , Auh Joonghoon , Sigouros Michael , Corey Eva , Hirsch Michelle S. , Taplin Mary-Ellen , Choueiri Toni K. , Pomerantz Mark M. , Beltran Himisha , Freedman Matthew L.
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a resistance phenotype that emerges in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate adenocarcinoma (CR-PRAD) and has important clinical implications, but is challenging to detect in practice. Herein, we report a novel tissue–informed epigenetic approach to noninvasively detect NEPC.

Experimental Design:

We first performed methylated immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (MeDIP-seq) on a training set of tumors, identified differentially methylated regions between NEPC and CR-PRAD, and built a model to predict the presence of NEPC (termed NEPC Risk Score). We then performed MeDIP-seq on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from two independent cohorts of men with NEPC or CR-PRAD and assessed the accuracy of the model to predict the presence NEPC.

Results:

The test cohort comprised cfDNA samples from 48 men, 9 with NEPC and 39 with CR-PRAD. NEPC Risk Scores were significantly higher in men with NEPC than CR-PRAD (P = 4.3 × 10–7) and discriminated between NEPC and CR-PRAD with high accuracy (AUROC 0.96). The optimal NEPC Risk Score cutoff demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 90% specificity for detecting NEPC. The independent, multi-institutional validation cohort included cfDNA from 53 men, including 12 with NEPC and 41 with CR-PRAD. NEPC Risk Scores were significantly higher in men with NEPC than CR-PRAD (P = 7.5×10–12) and perfectly discriminated NEPC from CR-PRAD (AUROC 1.0). Applying the predefined NEPC Risk Score cutoff to the validation cohort resulted in 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity for detecting NEPC.

Conclusions:

Tissue-informed cfDNA methylation analysis is a promising approach for noninvasive detection of NEPC in men with advanced prostate cancer.
Fetal Biometry: A Method for Comparing Local Curve Populations with Those from Major Reference Standards
Authors: Seidenari Anna , Carbone Floriana , Cavoretto Paolo Ivo , Ferrazzi Enrico , Pilu Gianluigi , Farina Antonio
Published: December 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to present a statistical method for assessing potential differences between fetal growth standard curves and local curve population. Methods: This was an observational repeated measures longitudinal study. We used a simulation model to generate random distribution of the international population from the IG-21st for fetal AC using the original equations of means and standard deviations (SD) obtained by the fractional polynomial method. A general linear model (GLM) allowed us to calculate new equations originating from simulated intergrowth-21st data (SIM_IG21st) and to compare them, by visual inspection of the estimated coefficients and their 95% CI, with the original published. We used further GLMs for evaluating the goodness of fitting of our local curve and comparing the relative equations of means and SD with those of SIM_IG21st. Finally, the impact of percentile differences between the 2 curves was quantified. Results: SIM_IG21st data yielded very similar coefficients than those of IG-21st reference to such an extent that means and SD and percentiles of interest were identical to the original. The comparison between SIM_IG21st curve and local curves showed a nonsignificant intercept and a slight difference of the 2 slopes (GA and GA3) for the equations of the mean. As a result, the local curve resulted in greater AC values. A difference in the intercept but not in the slopes (GA2, GA3, and GA3 * lnGA) was instead reported for the equations of the SD. In the percentile comparison, the local curve resulted in an overestimation of the 3rd and the 10th percentile that corresponded to the 4th and 12th percentiles of SIM_IG21st, respectively. Conclusion: This statistical method allows sonographers to assess potential differences between standard curves and local curve population, enabling a more proper identification of abnormal growth trajectories.
ПОВТОРНІ ВИПАДКИ ІНФІКУВАННЯ SARS-COV-2
Authors: Малий В. П. , Копча В. С.
Published: December 2021

Обговорюється проблема повторного інфікування SARS-CoV-2. Довести випадок реінфекції не просто, адже для цього потрібно не тільки отримати два позитивні ПЛР-тести до SARS-CoV-2 при двох випадках захворювання, а й довести, що в обох випадках це «живі» та різні штами вірусу.

Основними причинами розвитку реінфекції SARS-CoV-2 є стан імунної системи на період повторного контакту зі збудником, тобто наявність імунодефіциту, а також кількість вірусу, що попав в організм людини в цей період. Це може бути пов’язано з надзвичайно високим рівнем вірусного навантаження новим штамом, який спричинив сильнішу реакцію макроорганізму, або більш вірулентним штамом вірусу.

Повторно інфіковані SARS-CoV-2, як правило, переносять хворобу тяжче і майже завжди з пневмонією.

Можливість повторного і, навіть, багаторазового інфікування створює ситуацію постійної циркуляції SARS-CoV-2 з багаторічною проблемою ліквідації цієї інфекції взагалі (нові мутації, нові вакцини тощо).
ПОРУШЕННЯ СИНТЕЗУ І ФУНКЦІЇ СИРОВАТКОВОГО АЛЬБУМІНУ ПРИ РІЗНИХ ПАТОЛОГІЧНИХ СТАНАХ ОРГАНІЗМУ
Authors: Дзьордзьо Ю. Р. , Андрейчин С. М. , Мудра У. О.
Published: December 2021

В огляді висвітлені дані сучасної літератури про патологічні зміни метаболізму та функції сироваткового альбуміну при різних захворюваннях і патологічних станах.

Мета – провести аналіз публікацій про порушення функції сироваткового альбуміну та їх вплив на організм, а також показати перспективу подальших досліджень у даній сфері.

Матеріал і методи. У дослідженні використано бібліосистематичний та аналітичний методи. Проведено огляд та аналіз сучасної літератури в базах Medline та PubMed.

Результати. Коротко висвітлено сучасні уявлення про синтез і функції людського сироваткового альбуміну, причини збільшення та зменшення його концентрації в плазмі крові, кількісні й якісні зміни при різних патологічних станах. Висвітлено останні дані літератури про транспортні та антиоксидантні властивості альбуміну, його структурні зміни.

Висновки. Поширеність альбуміну в людському організмі і різноманіття його функцій обумовлює важливість впливу різних патологічних процесів на його метаболізм. Основними факторами, що викликають зміни в метаболізмі альбуміну, є захворювання, що призводять до порушення його утворення, збільшення втрати, перерозподіл між тканинами, а також структурні зміни, що впливають на функції цього білка.
АКТУАЛЬНІ ПИТАННЯ ХВОРОБИ ЛАЙМА У ДІТЕЙ
Authors: Никитюк С. О. , Климнюк С. І.
Published: December 2021

Хвороба Лайма має різні клінічні прояви, її слід виключити у всіх пацієнтів з укусом кліща. Хвороба Лайма викликається Borrelia burgdorferi senso lato, збудником гетерогенної групи, з якої три гени систематично асоціюються із хворобою Лайма: B. burgdorferi senso stricto, B. afzelii і B. garinii, і є ендемічною хворобою в Україні.

Ранні клінічні маркери Лайм-бореліозу та інші прогностичні фактори, що загрожують життю дитини, ускладнення бореліозної інфекції, все ще перебувають на початку активного дослідження вченими.

Висновки. Клініцисти, включаючи сімейних лікарів, ревматологів, імунологів та молекулярних кардіологів, повинні брати участь у розробці нових критеріїв, що включають клінічну картину та результати лабораторного дослідження.
ВПЛИВ ЦИТОПРОТЕКТОРНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ НА ДВОРІЧНЕ ВИЖИВАННЯ ХВОРИХ ІЗ ГОСТРИМ ІНФАРКТОМ МІОКАРДА ТА КОМОРБІДНОЮ ПАТОЛОГІЄЮ
Authors: Микуляк В. Р. , Гребеник М. В. , Зелененька Л. І. , Зоря Л. В.
Published: December 2021

Оптимізація методів лікування гострого інфаркту міокарда в умовах коморбідності є одним із актуальних напрямків сучасної медицини. Реалізація даного завдання можлива за рахунок додаткового до стандартної терапії використання препаратів цитопротекторної дії (кверцетин, L-аргінін) у гострому періоді інфаркту міокарда, що підтверджується аналізом показників дворічного виживання хворих, включених у дослідження.

Мета – оцінка віддалених результатів виживання хворих на інфаркт міокарда з коморбідною патологією, яким у гострому періоді додатково до стандартної терапії призначали препарати цитопротекторної дії.

Матеріал і методи. Обстежено 506 пацієнтів, які перебували на стаціонарному лікуванні в Тернопільському міському кардіологічному центрі.  Пацієнти були поділені на групи залежно від  коморбідної патології.  Групи були рандомізовані на підгрупи залежно від схеми лікування у гострий період інфаркту міокарда. Аналіз віддаленого виживання хворих було проведено за методикою Kaplan – Meier, різниця показників оцінювалась за допомогою логарифмічного рангового критерію (c²).

Результати. Виживання упродовж 2 років після інфаркту міокарда виявилось найкращим у пацієнтів, які в гострий період отримували додатково до стандартної терапії L-аргінін. Показники виживання за даними логарифмічного рангового критерію достовірно відрізнялись (c²=12,120; p=0,001) від групи пацієнтів, які отримували лише стандартну терапію. Кумулятивна частка виживання для пацієнтів, які додатково отримували цитопротекторну терапію (L-аргінін або корвітин) теж достовірно відрізнялась від осіб, що отримували виключно терапію згідно з протоколом (c²=14,281; p=0,001).

Висновки. Результати дворічного спостереження засвідчили покращення виживання хворих із коморбідною патологією у віддаленому післяінфарктному періоді при використанні у гострому періоді інфаркту міокарда цитопротекторної терапії, зокрема L-аргініну та кверцетину.
Hábito de leitura, confinamento e relações de classe: forma-leitura no Brasil contemporâneo
Authors: Souza Raquel Cristina de Souza e , Silva Luiz Felipe Andrade
Published: December 2021

O presente artigo pretende analisar comparativamente cinco matérias veiculadas na internet entre o final de abril e maio de 2020 e que têm em comum o objetivo de apresentar dicas para a promoção do hábito de leitura em crianças no contexto de confinamento exigido pela pandemia da Covid-19. Nosso propósito é investigar nos referidos textos as concepções subjacentes de leitura, leitor, mediador e mediação, inserindo-as no esquadro de uma perspectiva social da leitura, que leva em consideração as relações de classe no Brasil contemporâneo. A análise nos conduz à reflexão sobre os sentidos de conceitos-fetiche, como o prazer de ler, e exige uma revisão sobre a pertinência do modelo burguês de leitor para explicar a realidade brasileira.
Bivalirudin Versus Heparin Monotherapy in ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: James Stefan , Koul Sasha , Andersson Jonas , Angerås Oskar , Bhiladvala Pallonji , Calais Fredrik , Danielewicz Mikael , Fröbert Ole , Grimfjärd Per , Götberg Matthias , Henareh Loghman , Ioanes Dan , Jensen Jens , Linder Rikard , Lindroos Pontus , Omerovic Elmir , Panayi Georgios , Råmunddal Truls , Sarno Giovanna , Ulvenstam Anders , Völtz Sebastian , Wagner Henrik , Wikström Helena , Östlund Ollie , Erlinge David
Published: December 2021

Background:

Bivalirudin was not superior to unfractionated heparin in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and no planned use of GPI (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors) in contemporary clinical practice of radial access and potent P2Y
12
-inhibitors in the VALIDATE-SWEDEHEART randomized clinical trial (Bivalirudin Versus Heparin in STEMI and NSTEMI Patients on Modern Antiplatelet Therapy–Swedish Web-System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies Registry).

Methods:

In this prespecified separately powered subgroup analysis, we included patients with ST-segment–elevation MI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with the primary composite end point of all-cause death, MI, or major bleeding event within 180 days.

Results:

Among the 6006 patients enrolled in the trial, 3005 patients with ST-segment–elevation MI were randomized to receive bivalirudin or heparin. The mean age was 66.8 years. According to protocol recommendations, 87% were treated with potent oral P2Y
12
-inhibitors before start of angiography and radial access was used in 90%. GPI was used in 51 (3.4%) and 74 (4.9%) of patients randomized to receive bivalirudin and heparin, respectively. The primary end point occurred in 12.5% (187 of 1501) and 13.0% (196 of 1504; hazard ratio [HR], 0.95 [95% CI, 0.78–1.17],
P
=0.64) with consistent results in all major subgroups. All-cause death occurred in 3.9% versus 3.9% (HR, 1.00 [0.70–1.45],
P
=0.98), MI in 1.7% versus 2.2% (HR, 0.76 [0.45–1.28],
P
=0.30), major bleeding in 8.3% versus 8.0% (HR, 1.04 [0.81–1.33],
P
=0.78), and definite stent thrombosis in 0.5% versus 1.3% (HR, 0.42 [0.18–0.96],
P
=0.04).

Conclusions:

In patients with ST-segment–elevation MI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with radial access and receiving current recommended treatments with potent P2Y
12
-inhibitors rate of the composite of all-cause death, MI, or major bleeding was not lower in those randomized to receive bivalirudin as compared with heparin.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02311231.
Monte Carlo Physarum Machine: Characteristics of Pattern Formation in Continuous Stochastic Transport Networks
Authors: Elek Oskar , Burchett Joseph N. , Prochaska J. Xavier , Forbes Angus G.
Published: December 2021

We present Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM): a computational model suitable for reconstructing continuous transport networks from sparse 2D and 3D data. MCPM is a probabilistic generalization of Jones’s (2010) agent-based model for simulating the growth of Physarum polycephalum (slime mold). We compare MCPM to Jones’s work on theoretical grounds, and describe a task-specific variant designed for reconstructing the large-scale distribution of gas and dark matter in the Universe known as the cosmic web. To analyze the new model, we first explore MCPM’s self-patterning behavior, showing a wide range of continuous network-like morphologies—called polyphorms—that the model produces from geometrically intuitive parameters. Applying MCPM to both simulated and observational cosmological data sets, we then evaluate its ability to produce consistent 3D density maps of the cosmic web. Finally, we examine other possible tasks where MCPM could be useful, along with several examples of fitting to domain-specific data as proofs of concept.
Four Transcendental Illusions of the Digital World: A Derridean Approach
Authors: Lindberg Susanna
Published: December 2021

This article considers the remote meeting technologies that have become the unavoidable framework of (academic) work during the COVID-19 epidemic. I analyze them with the help of Jacques Derrida’s concepts, thus also illustrating the reach of the latter. The article presents four “transcendental illusions” as supporting the digital world and, according to Derrida, experience. The illusion of proximity: digitality relies on a haptocentric illusion but it also reveals the distance at the heart of touching. The illusion of presence: digitality functions under the illusion of presence, but it also reveals the spectrality of digital presence. The illusion of a complete memory: although the Internet appears to be a total memory, it is really an archive, that is, a finite set of traces. The illusion of worldwide community: teletechnologies pretend to constitute a universal place, but they only generate a finite dis-place of common alienation.
The Spirit in Numbers 11
Authors: Cotton Roger D.
Published: December 2021

Numbers 11 is a foundational passage for OT pneumatology and supports pentecostal theology and practice. There, God, through Moses, expressed his plan that all believers should be empowered for prophetic ministry by the Holy Spirit. That experience of the seventy elders involved a kind of prophesying that was probably praise and prayer in tongues, as in Acts 2.
India-Africa Political Relations: Issues and Perspectives on Global Political Dialogue, Democracy and Good Governance
Authors: Nzomo Maria , Maluki Patrick
Published: December 2021

This paper explores India’s relations with African countries which date back to the time when Indian traders began to engage with countries along the eastern coast of Africa. These relations took a new turn by the end of the 20th century, with many drivers and rallying points of 20th century such as de-colonization and racial discrimination disappearing. By the turn of the Century, with a prospered economy and a population of more than I billion people India ceased to belong to the same group as the African states. Due to this change in status India’s priorities also changed and it is now playing in the bigger league which presents India with different realities and preoccupation. At strategic level, India’s determination of becoming an influential global power requires the support of African countries, especially in securing a seat at the United Nations Security Council and for the overall expansion and democratic governance reforms of the Council. This paper interrogates the question: given its current status and strategic interests in global affairs, what areas should India engage with African states in order to realize her global power ambitions?
Dreaming of Death and the Dead in the Stuart Political World Imaginary
Authors: Levin Carole
Published: December 2021

William Laud played a critical role in the politics and religion in the reign of James I and especially that of his son, Charles I. There was great antagonism toward him by Puritans, and Laud’s close friendship with George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, made Laud even more controversial, as did his fight with the king’s jester, Archy Armstrong. Dreams were seen as having great significance at time of Laud, and Laud recorded his dreams in his journal. Dreams also played a role in the early Stuart political world. This essay examines how Laud’s enemies used his own dreams against him in the work of William Prynne, once Laud was arrested during the English Civil war. It also looks at how Laud was compared to also despised Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey in a number of political pamphlets that used dreams, such as Archy’s Dream and Canterburie’s Dream. Laud also appeared as a character in a dream of Charles I’s attendant Thomas Herbert the night before the king’s execution, where Laud came to comfort Charles.
The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers (opla) in the Houses of the Oireachtas – History, Functions and Recent Key Parliamentary Legal Issues
Authors: Kennedy Oisín , English Mellissa
Published: December 2021

The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers (opla) is the in-house legal team in the Irish national parliament. It provides specialist, non-partisan legal advice to Parliament on a broad range of parliamentary, constitutional and corporate legal issues. In recent years, the opla has been assigned additional functions within the legislative process, now providing legal policy analysis and legislative drafting services to non-Government Members in respect of private legislative proposals and advising Members in respect of Government Bills. This article will provide a history of the opla, will outline some recent key parliamentary legal issues and will elaborate on the recent development of legislative drafting and advisory services within the Office.
Last interglacial environment of the Baikal Region (Southern Siberia, Russia) based on analysis of fossil invertebrates and plants
Authors: KUZMINA S.A. , SAVELIEVA L.A. , POPOVA S.S. , MAKSIMOV F.E. , KUZNETSOV V.YU. , LAUKHIN S.A. , LARIN S.I. , KOTOV A.A.
Published: December 2021

New data on fossil insects, soil and freshwater invertebrates, plant macrofossils, pollen and spores were obtained from a problematic lower unit of the reference section Bely Yar-II (Tunka Rift, Baikal Region, Russia). The invertebrates show a natural succession from a small lake to a wetland; plant macrofossils confirm the early stages of succession. Pollen and spore data reflect a wide range of environments and vegetation from moderate climate supporting regional forests to relatively cold, dry parkland. New Uranium-Thorium data (99 ± 20 ka and 101 ± 13 ka), along with environmental reconstructions, indicate that the lower unit was probably formed during one of the cold sub-stages towards the end the last inter-glaciation (MIS5).
Australian Melolonthini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): a sixth species of Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911, and notes on the other known species
Authors: HUTCHINSON PAUL M. , ALLSOPP PETER G.
Published: December 2021

The genus Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini) is reviewed and males of a sixth species, P. hurai new species, are described and differentiated from males of the remaining species. The only known female, of P. lepidoptera Blackburn, 1912, is described and illustrated. The genus occurs across northern Australia in areas of savanna, hot semi-arid or hot desert and specimens are collected rarely.
Notes on Stigmoderini (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) from Brazil, with the description of a new species of Hiperantha Gistel, 1834, and new distributional records
Authors: PINEDA CRISTIAN R. , BARROS RAFAEL C.
Published: December 2021

A new species of Hiperantha (Hyperanthoides) is described from northeast Brazil: Hiperantha (Hyperanthoides) pikachu sp. nov. Identification key of the genus Hiperantha is modified to include the new species. We also present a compilation of all species of the genus known from Brazil, including new state records for the following species: H. (s. str.) interrogationis (Klug, 1825), H. (H.) testacea (Fabricius, 1801), H. (s. str.) menetriesii Mannerheim, 1837, H. (s. str.) menetriesii ornaticollis (Gory & Laporte, 1839), H. (s. str.) bella Saunders, 1869 and H. (H.) decorata (Gory, 1841).
Making the Void Fruitful
Authors: Keane Patrick J.
Published: December 2021

Shedding fresh light on the life and work of William Butler Yeats—widely acclaimed as the major English-language poet of the twentieth century—this new study by leading scholar Patrick J. Keane questions established understandings of the Irish poet’s long fascination with the occult: a fixation that repelled literary contemporaries T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden, but which enhanced Yeats’s vision of life and death.

Through close reading of selected poems, the first section of Making the Void Fruitful assesses Yeats’s spiritualised treatment of corporeal themes, exploring sex and eroticism as the expression of a duality inherent to his ontological and supernatural convictions. The power-producing tension in Yeats’s work is not only intellectual but emotional. At its vital centre is his Muse: the beautiful political firebrand, Maud Gonne, whose activist Republican politics he considered his one real rival. Through close engagement with the poems and plays she inspired, the second section explores Yeats’s complex relationship with Maud, an obsessive and unrequited love which he sublimated and transformed into the greatest body of Muse poetry since Petrarch, in whose tradition of spiritualized eroticism Yeats, perhaps the last of the great Romantics, was consciously writing.

Shaped by the conviction that no modern poet exceeded Yeats in animating the enduring themes of love and spirituality through poetry, this book emphasises the influence, of Blake, Nietzsche, and John Donne, on what Yeats called ‘the thinking of the body’. Grounded firmly in the textual materiality of Yeats’s oeuvre, this book will be of interest to researchers and students of W.B. Yeats, as well as to those in the fields of Anglophone literatures and cultures, and philosophy.
1. Introduction
Authors: Keane Patrick
Published: December 2021

Yeats and the supernatural. Passion to be redeemed as earthy love rather than transcended. The human body, despite its limitations and mutability, to be celebrated rather than despised. Yeats’s conscious enlistment in the spiritual-erotic tradition (initiated by Dante and Petrarch) of obsessive and unrequited love. The ‘void’ somehow made ‘fruitful’ in Yeats’s pursuit not only of occult wisdom but of his Muse and Beloved, the elusive Maud Gonne.
9. Maud Gonne, and Yeats as Petrarchan Lover
Authors: Keane Patrick
Published: December 2021

Maud Gonne—descendant of Dante’s Beatrice and Petrarch’s Laura—as inaccessible domina in the Medieval and Renaissance tradition of courtly love. Examination of the ‘labyrinth’ image. Yeats’s role in the Poet-Muse drama. Sexual-political history of the actual Maud, a woman not only of remarkable beauty, but of great physical courage, and indefatigable commitment to the Irish cause.
Algo's Integrated Knowledge Translation Process in Homecare Services: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study for Identifying its Level of Utilization and its Associated Characteristics
Authors: Ruest Mélanie , Léonard Guillaume , Thomas Aliki , Desrosiers Johanne , Guay Manon
Published: December 2021

Background. Algo is an integrated knowledge translation (IKT)-based algorithm for supporting occupational therapists (OTs) with skill mix for selecting bathing equipment. While IKT approaches are increasingly valued in implementation science, their benefits with respect to the utilization of knowledge in clinical settings are scarcely documented. Purpose. To identify Algo's level of utilization and the characteristics associated with its level of utilization. Method. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with OTs working in homecare services (HCS) through an online survey based on Knott and Wildavsky's classification and the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services ( PARIHS) framework. Findings. Almost half (48%) of the OTs surveyed (n = 125; participation rate: 16%) reached one of the seven levels of utilization. While Evidence characteristics are perceived as facilitators to its utilization, Context statements indicate an unfavorable organizational climate to the implementation of change. Implications. Strategies should target additional stakeholders (e.g., HCS managers) and organizational adjustments in HCS to sustain Algo's utilization.
Sociodemographic Differences in Care Plans and Time to Treatment Among Children Being Considered for Adenotonsillectomy
Authors: Knaus Maria E. , Koppera Swapna , Lind Meredith N. , Cooper Jennifer N.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To assess sociodemographic differences in care plans and time to evaluation or treatment after otolaryngologic consultation among children with obstructive sleep‐disordered breathing (oSDB).

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Single tertiary children’s hospital.

Methods

We included children aged 2 to 9 years with oSDB seen from June to December 2018 as new otolaryngology clinic patients. Logistic regression was used to examine whether sociodemographic factors were associated with having adenotonsillectomy or polysomnography planned at the end of the visit. Kaplan‐Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare times to these events.

Results

An overall 1020 children were included, of whom 65% were White and 18% were Black. Approximately 77% were metropolitan residents, 52% were publicly insured, and 88% of caregivers spoke primarily English. Treatment plans included adenotonsillectomy for 62% of patients, polysomnography for 15%, and new medication therapy for 13%. In multivariable analyses, there were no significant differences by child race/ethnicity, metropolitan/nonmetropolitan residence, type of health insurance, or caregiver primary language in the likelihood of having adenotonsillectomy or polysomnography planned. Among children for whom adenotonsillectomy was planned, children from metropolitan areas had greater times to surgery than children from nonmetropolitan areas (hazard ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.66‐0.99]; P =. 04). This was explained by a difference between Black children from metropolitan areas and White children from nonmetropolitan areas (hazard ratio, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.49‐0.86]; P =. 003); there were no racial/ethnic differences in time to surgery among metropolitan‐residing children (P =. 09).

Conclusions

After initial otolaryngology consultation, children with oSDB from metropolitan areas have longer times to adenotonsillectomy than those from nonmetropolitan areas.
Independent Role of Nasal Congestion in Positive Airway Pressure Compliance for OSA Treatment
Authors: Wu Hao , Fang Fang , Guo Yaxin , Wu Chan , Wei Yongxiang
Published: December 2021

Objective

To determine the independent role of nasal congestion in positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy compliance and factors associated with an unfavorable shift of PAP compliance.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary care center.

Methods

This follow‐up study comprised 174 patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who accepted PAP therapy from January 2017 to June 2019. Information was collected on basic demographics, comorbidities, sleep‐related symptoms, nasal symptoms, and upper airway assessment. PAP adherence data were collected at the end of the first week and the third month.

Results

After 3 months of follow‐up, 147 participants were included for final data analysis. The proportion of nasal congestion (29.2% vs 52.0%, P =. 005) and its severity (mean rank, 58.5 vs 75.1; P =. 007) were significantly higher in the noncompliance group as compared with the compliance group. After adjustment for basic demographics, comorbidities, sleep‐related symptoms or sleep study parameters, and Friedman clinical staging, multinomial logistic regression models showed that nasal congestion (all odds ratios >2.0, P <. 05) was independently associated with a higher odds of PAP noncompliance. Patients with an unfavorable shift of PAP compliance were younger (mean ± SD, 47.5 ± 10.6 vs 53.1 ± 12.6 years; P =. 021) and had a lower body mass index (27.2 ± 3.7 vs 29.3 ± 5.0, P =. 027) than those who consistently complied. OSA severity was associated with PAP compliance, initially and in the long term.

Conclusion

Nasal congestion is an independent predictor of PAP noncompliance. Younger patients with lower BMI were more likely to have an unfavorable shift of PAP compliance. Initial and long‐term adherence to PAP therapy was affected by OSA severity.
The burden of neuropsychiatric disorders in patients living with HIV-1 treated with antiretroviral therapies—A perspective from US Medicaid data
Authors: Chow Wing , Hardy Hélène , Song Ji , Connolly Nancy , Wu Bingcao
Published: December 2021

Background

People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 face challenges with treatment adherence for various reasons, including consideration of neuropsychiatric disorders and neuropsychiatric adverse reactions associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative claims data from the IBM MarketScan® Multi-State Medicaid Database (1/1/2014–12/31/2017). Adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with HIV-1 and newly initiated on antiretroviral therapy with continuous health plan enrollment were included. Primary outcome was the 6-month period prevalence of neuropsychiatric events (NPEs) of interest after ART initiation.

Results

Among 1971 newly treated patients included in the study, mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 38.5 (12.7) years, and 41.4% were female. During the 6 months after ART initiation, 51.4% of patients had a claim for ≥1 NPE versus 30.3% of matched patients without HIV. Among newly treated patients, the most common (≥10%) NPE claims were for depression (42.2%), anxiety (15.8%), headache (11.9%), and bipolar/manic depression (10.1%). Also in this group, the mean (SD) total all-cause healthcare cost during the 6-month post-ART initiation was $16,632 ($33,928), of which $2914 ($18,233) was NPE-related.

Conclusions

In summary, in this Medicaid study of people newly initiated on ART, there was a high prevalence of NPEs, and incremental NPE-associated costs were considerable.
What are you looking at? Gaze following with and without target objects in ASD and typical development
Authors: Thorup Emilia , Nyström Pär , Bölte Sven , Falck-Ytter Terje
Published: December 2021

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display difficulties with response to joint attention in natural settings but often perform comparably to typically developing (TD) children in experimental studies of gaze following. Previous work comparing infants at elevated likelihood for ASD versus TD infants has manipulated aspects of the gaze cueing stimulus (e.g. eyes only versus head and eyes together), but the role the peripheral object being attended to is not known. In this study of infants at elevated likelihood of ASD ( N = 97) and TD infants ( N = 29), we manipulated whether or not a target object was present in the cued area. Performance was assessed at 10, 14, and 18 months, and diagnostic assessment was conducted at age 3 years. The results showed that although infants with later ASD followed gaze to the same extent as TD infants in all conditions, they displayed faster latencies back to the model’s face when (and only when) a peripheral object was absent. These subtle atypicalities in the gaze behaviors directly after gaze following may implicate a different appreciation of the communicative situation in infants with later ASD, despite their ostensively typical gaze following ability.

Lay abstract

During the first year of life, infants start to align their attention with that of other people. This ability is called joint attention and facilitates social learning and language development. Although children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to engage less in joint attention compared to other children, several experimental studies have shown that they follow other’s gaze (a requirement for visual joint attention) to the same extent as other children. In this study, infants’ eye movements were measured at age 10, 14, and 18 months while watching another person look in a certain direction. A target object was either present or absent in the direction of the other person’s gaze. Some of the infants were at elevated likelihood of ASD, due to having an older autistic sibling. At age 3 years, infants were assessed for a diagnosis of ASD. Results showed that infants who met diagnostic criteria at 3 years followed gaze to the same extent as other infants. However, they then looked back at the model faster than typically developing infants when no target object was present. When a target object was present, there was no difference between groups. These results may be in line with the view that directly after gaze following, infants with later ASD are less influenced by other people’s gaze when processing the common attentional focus. The study adds to our understanding of both the similarities and differences in looking behaviors between infants who later receive an ASD diagnosis and other infants.
Safety and Efficacy of Ketamine-Fentanyl-Dexmedetomidine-Induced Anesthesia and Analgesia in Neonatal and Aged Rats
Authors: Zhou Xuhui , Li Wenlong , Wang Hao , Li Chunzhu , Jiang Hong
Published: December 2021

The efficiency of many anesthetic regimens is controversial, with side effects especially in the vulnerable children and old population. The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-dose combination of ketamine, fentanyl, and dexmedetomidine (KFD) for anesthesia and analgesia in the neonatal and elderly rats. KFD rapidly induced anesthesia and analgesia in either postnatal days 6 (P6) or 13 months (13M) old rats. Meanwhile, KFD administration had no adverse effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Compared with control group, there were no distinct morphologic changes in kidney, liver, and brain in KFD group. Moreover, administration of KFD had no influence on hepatic and renal function in rats of both ages. Furthermore, there was no obvious difference in cognitive function between control and KFD groups. These results indicated that the administration of KFD combination offered safe and efficient anesthesia. Collectively, our results suggest the potential implication of the KFD combination in anesthesia management.
Metal distribution patterns in tissues from implanted Sprague-Dawley rats
Authors: Vergara Vernieda B , Hoffman Jessica F , Kalinich John F
Published: December 2021

Background: Injuries with fragments of embedded metal are a common occurrence in armed conflicts. Unfortunately, the list of metals encountered on the modern battlefield are practically endless while the short- and long-term health effects, especially when embedded as in a shrapnel wound, are not well understood. One of the major concerns with these types of injuries is the solubilization of the embedded metal and the translocation and deposition to various organs of the body. Methods: Using a rodent model system developed in our laboratory to assess the health effects of embedded metal fragments, we surgically implanted metal pellets into the gastrocnemius muscles of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Test metals were chosen from a list promulgated by the U.S. Department of Defense as “metals of concern” with respect to embedded fragment wounds and included tungsten, nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, aluminum, lead, and depleted uranium. Tantalum was used as a control metal. Cohorts of the metal-implanted rats were humanely euthanized at 1, 3, 6, and 12-months post-implantation and a variety of tissues collected and analyzed for metal content using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results: With few exceptions, the embedded metal fragments eventually released solubilized metal ions, with the metals deposited in numerous tissues in the rats. Not all of the embedded metals localized to all tissues at significant levels. Copper, iron, and aluminum were not found in statistically significant levels, versus control, in any of the tissues analyzed. The other metals tested all appeared in elevated levels in the kidney which is not surprising since previous research has shown that they are also excreted in the urine at appreciable amounts. Tungsten and nickel were found in only a small number of tissues, tungsten in spleen, and nickel in liver and testes. Cobalt, lead, and depleted uranium showed the widest distribution with significant levels in liver, spleen, testes, lung, tibia, fibula, and femur. Conclusion: In this study, we showed that embedded metal fragments, such as those suffered in a shrapnel wound, could solubilize and metals become deposited in tissues far from the original site of implantation. Tissue deposition was metal-specific and many of the metals were found to cross the blood-testes barrier and were also found in bone. Since standard surgical guidance recommends leaving embedded fragments in place except for certain circumstances, this report will expand the understanding of tissue deposition of the solubilized metals and will hopefully aid healthcare professionals in developing long-term treatment strategies for dealing with these types of wounds.