bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A fast-response self-powered UV–Vis–NIR broadband photodetector based on a AgIn5Se8/t-Se heterojunction
Authors: Li 李 Kang 康 , Xu 许 Lei 磊 , Lu 陆 Qidong 启东 , Hu 胡 Peng 鹏
Published: August 2023

A type II p–n heterojunction could improve the photodetection performance of a photodetector due to the excellent ability of carrier separation. N-type AgIn5Se8 (AIS) exhibits a large optical absorption coefficient, high optical conductivity and a suitable bandgap, and shows potential application in broadband photodetection. Even though our previous study on AgIn5Se8/FePSe3 obtained a good response speed, it still gave low responsivity due to the poor quality of the p-type FePSe3 thin film. Se, with a direct bandgap (around 1.7 eV), p-type conductivity, high electron mobility and high carrier density, is likely to form a low-dimensional structure, which leads to an increase in the effective contact area of the heterojunction and further improves the photodetector performance. In this work, continuous and dense t-Se thin film was prepared by electrochemical deposition. The self-powered AgIn5Se8/t-Se heterojunction photodetector exhibited a broadband detection range from 365 nm to 1200 nm. The responsivity and detectivity of the heterojunction photodetector were 32 μA/W and 1.8 × 109 Jones, respectively, which are around 9 and 4 times higher than those of the AgIn5Se8/FePSe3 heterojunction photodetector. The main reason for this is the good quality of the t-Se thin film and the formation of the low-dimensional t-Se nanoribbons, which optimized the transport pathway of carriers. The results indicate that the AgIn5Se8/t-Se heterojunction is an excellent candidate for broadband and self-powered photoelectronic devices.
120 mA operation of J-PARC cesiated RF-driven H- ion source
Authors: Ueno A. , Ohkoshi K. , Ikegami K. , Oguri H.
Published: August 2023

The Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) cesiated RF-driven H- ion source (IS) has been stably operated for about eight years by using an internal-RF-antenna developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). From Sep. 2018, the J-PARC 400 MeV LINAC has been steadily operated with the design H- ion beam intensity (IH-
) of 50 mA, when an about 60 mA beam is injected from the IS. At each end of about 3 months J-PARC operation, the IS supplies a 52.5 keV 72 mA beam for the LINAC 60 mA acceleration. The IS superior emittances predicted in a test-stand were proven by the high RFQ acceleration efficiency of 94.3% (IH-RFQ = 67.9 mA). The high intensity beam with transverse emittances suitable for the RFQ is produced with several unique measures, such as, slight water molecules addition into hydrogen plasma, the low temperature (about 70°C) operation of 45°-tapered 16-mm thick plasma electrode with the precise cesium (Cs) density control, the impurity elimination in the hydrogen plasma along with the filter-field optimization, the continuous-wave igniter plasma driven with a 42-W 30-MHz RF, and so on. The 120 mA operation results of the IS in the test-stand are presented in this paper. A 69.9 keV 120 mA H- ion beam, about 107.8 mA of which was inside the transverse emittances used for a common RFQ design, was stably operated with a duty factor of 4% (1 ms × 40 Hz). The IS is the benchmark one for the next generation high energy H- LINACs aiming for 100 mA class intensity.
Camelid-derived CD38 antibody successfully circumvents epitope blockade by the therapeutic anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab
Authors: ElMaraashly Aya Hassan , Tario Joseph , Hillengass Jens , Qian You-Wen
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of an anti-CD38 nanobody to detect plasma cells in a flow cytometry myeloma minimal residual disease (MRD) panel in patients treated with daratumumab and other immunotherapies.

Methods

Twenty-three bone marrow samples from as many patients were collected during or at the end of daratumumab treatment cycles. A 5-tube, 8-color flow cytometry MRD panel was performed. Dotplots were reviewed, and the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) was calculated.

Results

Patients’ ages ranged from 45 to 77 years, and the cohort was made up of 13 men and 10 women who had undergone 2 to 24 cycles of daratumumab therapy at the time of myeloma MRD testing. In all 23 cases, therapeutic use of daratumumab impaired pathologists’ ability to measure CD38 on plasma cells when using a conventional murine monoclonal antibody (anti-CD38 fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC], clone T16; Beckman Coulter). In 21 of the 23 cases, the measurement of CD38 was restored when the anti-CD38 nanobody was employed. Compared with anti-CD38 FITC, the anti-CD38 Alexa Fluor 488 nanobody (Beckman Coulter) produced higher MFI and allowed measurement of a higher frequency of discernable plasma cells.

Conclusions

The camelid-derived CD38 antibody successfully circumvents the steric inhibition of CD38 that the therapeutic use of daratumumab imparts and facilitates myeloma MRD plasma cell detection.
Anthropometric Measurements and Analysis for Objective Assessment of Gynecomastia Surgery Results
Authors: Ramasamy Karthik , Shet Srivatsa M , Patil Pankaj , Tripathee Sanjib , Dhevi Nanthini , Alagarasan Abisshek Raj
Published: August 2023

Background

Gynecomastia surgery is one of the most common aesthetic procedures in males. There is a lack of objective analytical parameters to judge outcomes. In this study, the authors aim to introduce novel anthropometric measurements and analysis techniques for the objective assessment of surgical outcomes based on specific aesthetic targets.

Objectives

To introduce quantification of gynecomastia surgery outcomes and compare the results among the different grades of gynecomastia.

Methods

A total of 192 patients with gynecomastia were included. The patient cases were grouped according to grades and a set of anthropometric measurements were taken both before the operation and 6 months postoperatively. Liposuction and glandular excision were done through minimal incisions in all grades of gynecomastia, with the addition of ultrasound and nipple areola complex (NAC) lifting plaster in selected Grade 3 and all Grade 4 cases.

Results

A statistically significant improvement in the perimeter of the triangular relationship of sternal notch and nipples, the elevation of the NAC, the reduction of the area of the NAC, and the correction of asymmetry of the chest were seen in all grades of gynecomastia, with increased differences in higher grades.

Conclusions

A systematic objective analysis of the specific aesthetic targets helps to reliably compare results in a standard way and for carrying out improvisation of surgeons’ techniques. Meanwhile, this approach helps identifying the need for customization, eventually providing symmetric and aesthetically pleasing surgical results.

Level of Evidence: 3
Repeated mild traumatic brain injury triggers pathology in asymptomatic C9ORF72 transgenic mice
Authors: Kahriman Aydan , Bouley James , Tuncali Idil , Dogan Elif O , Pereira Mariana , Luu Thuyvan , Bosco Daryl A , Jaber Samer , Peters Owen M , Brown Robert H , Henninger Nils
Published: August 2023

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that represent ends of the spectrum of a single disease. The most common genetic cause of FTD and ALS is a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. Although epidemiological data suggest that traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a risk factor for FTD and ALS, its role in exacerbating disease onset and course remains unclear.

To explore the interplay between traumatic brain injury and genetic risk in the induction of FTD/ALS pathology we combined a mild repetitive traumatic brain injury paradigm with an established bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic C9orf72 (C9BAC) mouse model without an overt motor phenotype or neurodegeneration. We assessed 8–10 week-old littermate C9BACtg/tg (n = 21), C9BACtg/− (n = 20) and non-transgenic (n = 21) mice of both sexes for the presence of behavioural deficits and cerebral histopathology at 12 months after repetitive TBI.

Repetitive TBI did not affect body weight gain, general neurological deficit severity, nor survival over the 12-month observation period and there was no difference in rotarod performance, object recognition, social interaction and acoustic characteristics of ultrasonic vocalizations of C9BAC mice subjected to repetitive TBI versus sham injury. However, we found that repetitive TBI increased the time to the return of the righting reflex, reduced grip force, altered sociability behaviours and attenuated ultrasonic call emissions during social interactions in C9BAC mice. Strikingly, we found that repetitive TBI caused widespread microglial activation and reduced neuronal density that was associated with loss of histological markers of axonal and synaptic integrity as well as profound neuronal transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa mislocalization in the cerebral cortex of C9BAC mice at 12 months; this was not observed in non-transgenic repetitive TBI and C9BAC sham mice.

Our data indicate that repetitive TBI can be an environmental risk factor that is sufficient to trigger FTD/ALS-associated neuropathology and behavioural deficits, but not paralysis, in mice carrying a C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion.
Effects of zinc deficiency on the regeneration of olfactory epithelium in mice
Authors: Ikushima Hiroyuki , Suzuki Jun , Hemmi Tomotaka , Ikeda Ryoukichi , Kobayashi Yuta , Ohta Nobuo , Katori Yukio
Published: August 2023

The olfactory epithelium can regenerate after damage; however, the regeneration process is affected by various factors, such as viral infections, head trauma, and medications. Zinc is an essential trace element that has important roles in organ development, growth, and maturation. Zinc also helps regulate neurotransmission in the brain; nevertheless, its relationship with olfactory epithelium regeneration remains unclear. Therefore, we used a severe zinc deficiency mouse model to investigate the effects of zinc deficiency on olfactory epithelium regeneration. Male wild-type C57BL/6 mice were divided into zinc-deficient and control diet groups at the age of 4 weeks, and methimazole was administered at the age of 8 weeks to induce severe olfactory epithelium damage. We evaluated the olfactory epithelium before and 7, 14, and 28 days after methimazole administration by histologically analyzing paraffin sections. RNA sequencing was also performed at the age of 8 weeks before methimazole administration to examine changes in gene expression caused by zinc deficiency. In the zinc-deficient group, the regenerated olfactory epithelium thickness was decreased at all time points, and the numbers of Ki-67-positive, GAP43-positive, and olfactory marker protein-positive cells (i.e. proliferating cells, immature olfactory neurons, and mature olfactory neurons, respectively) failed to increase at some time points. Additionally, RNA sequencing revealed several changes in gene expression, such as a decrease in the expression of extracellular matrix-related genes and an increase in that of inflammatory response-related genes, in the zinc-deficient group. Therefore, zinc deficiency delays olfactory epithelium regeneration after damage in mice.
Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Prevention Measures on Non-SARS-CoV-2 Hospital-Onset Respiratory Viral Infections: An Incidence Trend Analysis From 2015–2023
Authors: Ehrenzeller Selina , Chen Tom , Vaidya Vineeta , Rhee Chanu , Baker Meghan A , Klompas Michael
Published: August 2023

We reviewed hospital-onset respiratory viral infections, 2015–2023, in one hospital to determine whether Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission prevention measures prevented non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections. Masking, employee symptom attestations, and screening patients and visitors for symptoms were associated with a 44%–53% reduction in hospital-onset influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), accounting for changes in community incidence.
Conservation of thermal physiology in tropical intertidal snails following an evolutionary transition to a cooler ecosystem: climate change implications
Authors: Marshall David J , Mustapha Nurshahida , Monaco Cristián J
Published: August 2023

Predictions for animal responses to climate warming usually assume that thermal physiology is adapted to present-day environments, and seldom consider the influence of evolutionary background. Little is known about the conservation of warm-adapted physiology following an evolutionary transition to a cooler environment. We used cardiac thermal performance curves (cTPCs) of six neritid gastropod species to study physiological thermal trait variation associated with a lineage transition from warmer rocky shores to cooler mangroves. We distinguished between functional thermal performance traits, related to energy homeostasis (slope gradient, slope curvature, HRmax, maximum cardiac activity and Topt, the temperature that maximizes cardiac activity) and a trait that limits performance (ULT, the upper lethal temperature). Considering the theory of optimal thermal performance, we predicted that the functional traits should be under greater selective pressure to change directionally and in magnitude than the thermal limit, which is redundant in the cooler environment. We found little variation in all traits across species, habitats and ecosystems, despite a ~20°C reduction in maximum habitat temperature in the mangrove species over 50 million years. While slope gradient was significantly lowered in the mangrove species, the effect difference was negated by greater thermal plasticity in the rocky shore species. ULT showed the least variation and suggested thermal specialization in the warmest habitat studied. The observed muted variation of the functional traits among the species may be explained by their limited role in energy acquisition and rather their association with heat tolerance adaptation, which is redundant in the mangrove species. These findings have implications for the conservation of habitat of intertidal gastropods that transition to cooler environments. Furthermore, they highlight the significance of evolutionary history and physiological conservation when predicting species responses to climate change.
Peripheral Blood DNA Methylation Signatures and Response to Tofacitinib in Moderate-to-severe Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Joustra Vincent , Li Yim Andrew Y F , van Gennep Sara , Hageman Ishtu , de Waard Tristan , Levin Evgeni , Lauffer Peter , de Jonge Wouter , Henneman Peter , Löwenberg Mark , D’Haens Geert
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Predictive biomarkers for treatment efficacy of ulcerative colitis [UC] treatments are lacking. Here, we performed a longitudinal study investigating the association and potential predictive power of genome-wide peripheral blood [PB] DNA methylation signatures and response to tofacitinib treatment in UC.

Methods

We recruited moderate-to-severe UC patients starting tofacitinib treatment, and measured PB DNA methylation profiles at baseline [T1], after 8 weeks [T2], and in a subset [n = 8] after a median of 20 weeks [T3] using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation EPIC BeadChip. After 8 weeks, we distinguished responders [R] from non-responders [NR] based on a centrally read endoscopic response [decrease in endoscopic Mayo score ≥1 or Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity ≥2] combined with corticosteroid-free clinical and/or biochemical response. T1 PB samples were used for biomarker identification, and T2 and publicly available intraclass correlation [ICC] data were used for stability analyses. RNA-sequencing was performed to understand the downstream effects of the predictor CpG loci.

Results

In total, 16 R and 15 NR patients, with a median disease duration of 7 [4–12] years and overall comparable patient characteristics at baseline, were analysed. We identified a panel of 53 differentially methylated positions [DMPs] associated with response to tofacitinib [AUROC 0.74]. Most DMPs [77%] demonstrated both short- and long-term hyperstability [ICC ≥0.90], irrespective of inflammatory status. Gene expression analysis showed lower FGFR2 [pBH = 0.011] and LRPAP1 [pBH = 0.020], and higher OR2L13 [pBH = 0.016] expression at T1 in R compared with NR.

Conclusion

Our observations demonstrate the utility of genome-wide PB DNA methylation signatures to predict response to tofacitinib.
Artificial Intelligence-assisted Analysis of Pan-enteric Capsule Endoscopy in Patients with Suspected Crohn’s Disease: A Study on Diagnostic Performance
Authors: Brodersen Jacob Broder , Jensen Michael Dam , Leenhardt Romain , Kjeldsen Jens , Histace Aymeric , Knudsen Torben , Dray Xavier
Published: August 2023

Background and Aim

Pan-enteric capsule endoscopy [PCE] is a highly sensitive but time-consuming tool for detecting pathology. Artificial intelligence [AI] algorithms might offer a possibility to assist in the review and reduce the analysis time of PCE. This study examines the agreement between PCE assessments aided by AI technology and standard evaluations, in patients suspected of Crohn’s disease [CD].

Method

PCEs from a prospective, blinded, multicentre study, including patients suspected of CD, were processed by the deep learning solution AXARO® [Augmented Endoscopy, Paris, France]. Based on the image output, two observers classified the patient’s PCE as normal or suggestive of CD, ulcerative colitis, or cancer. The primary outcome was per-patient sensitivities and specificities for detecting CD and inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. Complete reading of PCE served as the reference standard.

Results

A total of 131 patients’ PCEs were analysed, with a median recording time of 303 min. The AXARO® framework reduced output to a median of 470 images [2.1%] per patient, and the pooled median review time was 3.2 min per patient. For detecting CD, the observers had a sensitivity of 96% and 92% and a specificity of 93% and 90%, respectively. For the detection of IBD, both observers had a sensitivity of 97% and had a specificity of 91% and 90%, respectively. The negative predictive value was 95% for CD and 97% for IBD.

Conclusions

Using the AXARO® framework reduced the initial review time substantially while maintaining high diagnostic accuracy—suggesting its use as a rapid tool to rule out IBD in PCEs of patients suspected of Crohn’s disease.
Role of integrated imaging in the diagnosis of an atypical and unresectable cardiac paraganglioma: a case report
Authors: Cutaia Aldo , Gaetani Clara , Fonio Paolo , Faletti Riccardo
Published: August 2023

Background

Paragangliomas (PGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumours that originate from extra-adrenal location. Cardiac PGLs can cause severe hypertension, palpitations, and lethal tachyarrhythmias. Diagnosis is based on measurement of plasma or urine metanephrines combined with conventional and nuclear imaging. Effective treatment is represented by surgical resection. We report a case of a 19-year-old patient with recurrent acute pericarditis; integrated imaging detected a large cardiac mass suggestive for PGL.

Case summary

A 19-year-old male suffered pleuritic chest pain and fever for 4 days; electrocardiogram showed inferior ST elevation and transthoracic echocardiography a 2.2 cm pericardial effusion; these findings led to diagnose acute pericarditis. After a relapse of pericarditis, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography (CCT) were performed, revealing a cardiac mass with radiological features of PGL. Blood and urine tests detected elevated levels of 3-methoxytyramine and chromogranin A. Gallium-68 positron emission tomography confirmed high metabolic activity of the mass. A negative 123-I-MIBG scintigraphy ruled out the possibility of radiometabolic treatment. A second CCT excluded the chance of surgical resection, due to intra-lesional course of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The young patient was referred to a different centre to achieve reduction of the mass, in order to potentially resect it afterwards.

Discussion

Cardiac PGLs are rare tumours with significant morbidity related to norepinephrine secretion. In this case, without typical clinical manifestations and with no chance of surgical resection, integrated imaging played a central role in the differential diagnosis between PGL and other cardiac masses, providing both static and dynamic characterization.
Unexpected high troponin T and I values in a child with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and acute chest pain: a case report
Authors: van Avezaath Lisanne K , Nijenhuis Hessel P , Muller Kobold Anneke C
Published: August 2023

Background

Elevated troponin T (cTnT) and/or troponin I (cTnI) can be ascribed to multiple causes, mostly resulting from cardiac tissue damage and in lesser numbers resulting from non-cardiac related causes. The presence of macrotroponins is easily overlooked, with potentially negative consequences.

Case summary

This case report presents a case study of a 12-year-old child known to have MYH7 gene–associated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with acute chest pain combined with an unexpected high cTnT and cTnI. A cardiac cause was deemed unlikely after additional investigation, as these showed no abnormalities. After consulting a laboratory specialist, it could be concluded that the high cTnT and cTnI were a result of macrotroponin complexes, a protein complex consisting of circulating protein and endogenous autoantibodies against that protein, resulting in elevated values with misguiding and uncertain clinical significance.

Discussion

Awareness of the existence of macrotroponins could have prevented costly diagnostics and prolonged hospital admission with grave psychological impact, especially in children.
Exaggerated myocardial torsion may contribute to dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Lo Ada K C , Mew Thomas , Mew Christina , Guppy-Coles Kristyan , Dahiya Arun , Ng Arnold , Prasad Sandhir , Atherton John J
Published: August 2023

Aims

Dynamic left ventricular (LV) outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) is associated with symptoms and increased risk of developing heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The association of LVOTO and LV twist mechanics has not been well studied in HCM. The aim of the study was to compare the pattern of LV twist in patients with HCM associated with asymmetrical septal hypertrophy with and without LVOTO.

Methods and results

Echocardiography (including speckle tracking) was performed in 212 patients with HCM, divided according to the absence (n = 130) or presence (n = 82) of LVOTO (defined as peak pressure gradient ≥30 mmHg either at rest and/or with Valsalva manoeuvre). Patients with LVOTO were older, had smaller LV dimensions, a higher LV ejection fraction (LVEF), a longer anterior mitral valve leaflet length, and a higher early transmitral pulsed wave to septal tissue Doppler velocity ratio (E/E′). A univariate analysis showed that peak twist was significantly higher in patients with LVOTO compared with patients without LVOTO (19.7 ± 7.3 vs. 15.7 ± 6.0, P = 0.00015). Peak twist was similarly enhanced in patients with LVOTO, manifesting only during Valsalva (19.2 ± 5.6, P = 0.007) and patients with resting LVOTO (19.9 ± 8.0, P = 0.00004) compared with patients without LVOTO (15.7 ± 6.0). A stepwise forward logistic regression analysis showed that LVEF, LV end-systolic dimension indexed to body surface area, anterior mitral valve leaflet length, E/E′, and peak twist were all independently associated with LVOTO.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that increased peak LV twist is independently associated with LVOTO in patients with HCM. Peak twist was similarly exaggerated in patients with only latent LVOTO, suggesting that it may play a contributory role to LVOTO in HCM.
Subgroup analyses in clinical research: too tempting?
Authors: Groenwold Rolf H H , Dekkers Olaf M
Published: August 2023

In many biomedical studies, subgroup analyses are performed to identify subgroups of patients in whom a treatment is most effective, or a risk factor has the largest effect. While both are referred to as subgroup analysis, it is important to distinguish between the estimation of effects within subgroups and the comparison of effects across subgroups. Both are discussed, and we outline the implications regarding sample size and statistical methods for estimation of effects. Also, the risk of false-positive findings—which potentially increases with subgroup analysis—is discussed, as well as the distinction between effect modification and interaction.
Acute Exercise Effect on Neurocognitive Function Among Cognitively Normal Late-Middle-Aged Adults With/Without Genetic Risk of AD: The Moderating Role of Exercise Volume and APOE Genotype
Authors: Chang Yu-Kai , Etnier Jennifer L , Li Ruei-Hong , Ren Fei-Fei , Ai Jing-Yi , Chu Chien-Heng
Published: August 2023

Background

Acute exercise is a behavior that benefits cognitive function; however, its effect on populations with different risks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the role of exercise variance and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on this effect remains unknown. This study explores the acute exercise effect on behavioral and neurocognitive function, and its potential moderation by exercise intensity and duration and APOE genetic risk.

Methods

Fifty-one cognitively normal adults (~36% APOE ε4 carriers) performed the Stroop task under a rest condition and 3 exercise conditions while electroencephalographic activity was assessed.

Results

Acute exercise improved cognitive performance assessed through both behavioral and neuroelectrical indices. These benefits were observed regardless of adjustments of intensity and duration at a predetermined exercise volume as well as being evident irrespective of APOE ɛ4 carrier status.

Conclusions

Acute exercise could be proposed as a lifestyle intervention to benefit neurocognitive function in populations with and without genetic risk of AD. Future exploration should further the precise exercise prescription and also the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of acute exercise for neurocognitive function.

Clinical Trials Registration Number

NCT05591313
Decision Making for Patients With Severe Dementia Versus Normal Cognition Near the End of Life
Authors: Nicholas Lauren Hersch , Halpern Scott D , Weir David R , Baum Micah Y , Nolan Marie , Gallo Joseph , Langa Kenneth M
Published: August 2023

Background and Objectives

The clinical progression of severe dementia frequently leads to situations where surrogate decision makers must quickly make choices about potentially burdensome treatments that offer limited clinical benefit. We examined whether the number of decision makers and their access to advance directives were related to treatment choice for patients with severe dementia in comparison to those with normal cognition.

Research Design and Methods

We retrospectively linked survey responses about end-of-life treatment decisions to Medicare claims for Health and Retirement Study respondents dying between 2002 and 2015 whose next-of-kin reported a need for surrogate decision making. We estimated multivariable logistic regression models to study measures of aggressive care in the last 6 months of life; in-hospital death, burdensome transfers, and burdensome treatments.

Results

Compared to patients who were cognitively normal near the end of life (n = 1 198), patients with severe dementia (n = 722) were less likely to experience burdensome treatments (18% [95% confidence interval {CI} 14–21] vs 32% [95% CI 29–35]), burdensome transfers (20% [95% CI 17–24] vs 30% [95% CI 27–33]), and in-hospital death (24% [95% CI 20–28] vs 30% [95% CI 26–33]) when surrogates were involved. Rates of burdensome treatments, transfers, or in-hospital death for decedents with severe dementia did not vary with single versus multiple decision makers or when decision makers were informed by advance directives. However, among decedents with normal cognition, a single decision maker informed by an advance directive was associated with the lowest rates of burdensome treatments and in-hospital death.

Discussion and Implications

Surrogate decision makers made similar choices around end-of-life care for patients with severe dementia regardless of the number of decision makers and availability of advance directives. However, both advance directives and single decision makers were associated with less aggressive care for cognitively normal decedents.
Social Sustainability in Aging Populations: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Komp-Leukkunen Kathrin , Sarasma Juho
Published: August 2023

Background and Objectives

Social sustainability becomes increasingly important in aging populations. Yet, scientific discussions on this topic are still emerging. This study helps to develop these discussions by exploring (1) how social sustainability is understood in studies on aging populations, (2) how this understanding differs across the topics discussed, and (3) how population aging is connected to social sustainability.

Research Design and Methods

This study conducts a systematic literature review using 33 texts obtained from ProQuest, JStor, and scholar.google.com (02–03/2022). The inclusion criteria were (1) scientific character and (2) explicit focus on the topics of interest. A thematic analysis was conducted.

Results

The texts use 3 different understandings of social sustainability: one focusing on what makes societies desirable, one focusing on the quality of life of individuals, and one balancing the interests of current and future generations. The first understanding is most prevalent. Which understanding texts choose depends on their topic, perspective, and goals. The texts describe challenges and opportunities for social sustainability in aging populations, with some recommending a general shift in perspective.

Discussion and Implications

Findings provide a clearer and more homogenous understanding of social sustainability for discussions on population aging. Thereby, they facilitate a dialogue between researchers working in this area. Moreover, they help gerontologists increase their contribution to cumulative knowledge building. A limitation is that only texts in English are analyzed. Findings help policymakers and practitioners better understand how to integrate research-based knowledge on social sustainability in their work.
1. The relevance of comparative politics
Authors: Rothstein Bo
Published: August 2023

This chapter explains what comparative politics could be relevant for, such as informing the public debate and giving policy advice. It argues that comparative politics has a huge but sometimes underdeveloped potential for being relevant for the various aspects of human well-being, economic prosperity, and social justice that most people care deeply about. Empirical research shows that the manner in which a country’s political institutions are designed and the quality of the operations of these institutions have a strong impact on measures of population health, as well as subjective well-being and general social trust. One result is that democratization without increased state capacity and control of corruption is not likely to deliver increased human well-being. The chapter also considers whether democracy generates political legitimacy, and concludes by suggesting that comparative political science has so far paid relatively little attention to issues of state capacity, control of corruption, and institutional quality.
3. Comparative research methods
Authors: Pennings Paul , Keman Hans
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines the ‘art of comparing’ by showing how to relate a theoretically guided research question to a properly founded research answer by developing an adequate research design. It first considers the role of variables in comparative research, before discussing the meaning of ‘cases’ and case selection. It then looks at the ‘core’ of the comparative research method: the use of the logic of comparative inquiry to analyse the relationships between variables (representing theory), and the information contained in the cases (the data). Two logics are distinguished: method of difference and method of agreement. The chapter concludes with an assessment of some problems common to the use of comparative methods.
14. Party systems
Authors: Caramani Daniele
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines how competition between political parties gives rise to different party systems. In liberal democracies, competition for power is based on popular votes. The shape and dynamics of party systems are determined by the electoral game, with parties as main actors. A party system is thus essentially the result of competitive interactions between parties. A party system has three main elements: which parties exist, how many parties exist and how big they are, and how parties behave. An obvious but important point is that party systems must be composed of more than one political party. The chapter begins with a discussion of the origins of party systems, followed by an analysis of the format of party systems, such as two-party systems and multiparty systems. It then considers the influence of the electoral system on party systems, before concluding with an assessment of the dynamics of party systems.
18. Political participation
Authors: Kitschelt Herbert , Rehm Philipp
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines four fundamental topics relating to political participation. First, it considers different modes of political participation such as social movements, interest groups, and political parties. Second, it analyses the determinants of political participation, focusing in particular on the paradox of collective action. Third, it explains political participation at the macro level in order to identify which contextual conditions are conducive to participation and the role of economic affluence in political participation. Finally, the chapter discusses political participation at the micro level. It shows that both formal associations and informal social networks, configured around family and friendship ties, supplement individual capacities to engage in political participation or compensate for weak capacities, so as to boost an individual’s probability to become politically active.
20. Policymaking
Authors: Knill Christoph , Tosun Jale
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines the process related to policymaking as well as potential determinants of policy choices. It begins with a discussion of conceptual models of policymaking, namely the institutional, rational, incremental, group, elite, and process models. It then considers the policy cycle, which models the policy process as a series of political activities, consisting of agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, implementation, and evaluation. It also analyses the role of institutions, frames, and policy styles in policymaking and concludes with an assessment of the most crucial domestic and international factors shaping the design of policies, focusing in particular on theories of policy diffusion, policy transfer, and cross-national policy convergence, along with international sources that affect domestic policymaking.
Introduction to comparative politics
Authors: Caramani Daniele
Published: August 2023

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to comparative politics. Comparative politics is an empirical science that deals primarily with domestic politics. It is one of the three main subfields of political science, alongside international relations, and political theory. Comparative politics has three goals: to describe differences and similarities between political systems and their features; to explain these differences; and to predict which factors may cause specific outcomes. This edition compares the most important features of national political systems and contains chapters on integration, globalization, and promotion of democracy in non-Western parts of the world. This introductory chapter explains what comparative politics is, and discusses its substance as well as method.
1. Introduction: The Nature of Politics and Political Analysis
Authors: Garner Robert
Published: August 2023

This introductory chapter examines the nature of politics and the political, and more specifically whether politics is an inevitable feature of all human societies. It begins by addressing questions useful when asking about who gets what, when, how?; for example, why those taking decisions are able to enforce them. The discussion proceeds by focusing on the boundary problems inherent in an analysis of the nature of the political. One such problem is whether politics is equivalent to consensus and cooperation, so that it does not exist in the event of conflict and war. The chapter then explores different forms of political analysis—the empirical, the normative, and the semantic—as well as deductive and inductive methods of studying politics. Finally, it asks whether politics can ever be a science to rival subjects in the natural sciences.
12. Political Parties
Authors: Ferdinand Peter
Published: August 2023

This chapter deals with political parties: why they emerged, how they can be classified, what functions they perform, how they interact, and what challenges they are facing today. One of the paradoxes about democracies is that there is almost a unanimous consensus about the indispensability of political parties. On the other hand, the benefits of being a member of a political party are bound to be minuscule compared to the costs of membership. Thus it is irrational for people to join parties. They should only form (small) interest groups. The chapter first provides a historical background on the development of political parties before discussing their functions, such as legitimation of the political system, structuring the popular vote, and formulation of public policy. It then considers different types of political parties as well as the characteristics of party systems and concludes with an analysis of the problems facing political parties today.
15. Democracies, Democratization, and Authoritarian Regimes
Authors: Ferdinand Peter
Published: August 2023

This chapter focuses on democracies, democratization, and authoritarian regimes. It first considers the two main approaches to analysing the global rise of democracy over the last thirty years: first, long-term trends of modernization, and more specifically economic development, which create preconditions for democracy and opportunities for democratic entrepreneurs; and second, the sequences of more short-term events and actions of key actors at moments of national crisis that have precipitated a democratic transition—also known as ‘transitology’. The chapter proceeds by discussing the different types of democracy and the strategies used to measure democracy. It also reviews the more recent literature on authoritarian systems and why they persist. Finally, it examines the challenges that confront democracy in the face of authoritarian revival.
17. Traditional Theories in Global Politics
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines traditional theories in global politics. It begins with a discussion of early liberal approaches, with particular emphasis on liberal international theory whose proponents include US President Woodrow Wilson and Norman Angell. Liberal international theory is characterized by an optimism concerning the prospects of a peaceful international order established through strong international institutions underpinned by international law. The chapter proceeds by considering the emergence of ‘realism’ as a general approach to the study of politics, along with the different approaches to the study of international politics following the Second World War, including positivism. It also explores the rise of the English School and the concept of international society before concluding with an analysis of neo-liberalism and neorealism that resulted from revisions of both liberalism and realism in the post-war period.
21. International Organizations in Global Politics
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines the nature of international organizations and their role in global politics. It first explains what an international organization is before discussing the rise of international organizations from a historical perspective, focusing on developments from the nineteenth century onwards. It then considers the major intergovernmental institutions that emerged in the twentieth century, and which have made significant contributions in shaping the global order, including the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations. It also looks at non-governmental organizations and concludes with an analysis of ideas about social movements and global civil society, along with their relationship to the contemporary world of international organizations.
International Relations and the European Union
Authors: Hill Christopher , Smith Michael , Vanhoonacker-Kormoss Sophie
Published: August 2023

International Relations and the European Union takes a unique approach by incorporating the study of the EU’s world role into the wider field of international relations. The text explains the EU’s role in the contemporary world. Beginning with an examination of theoretical frameworks and approaches, the text goes on to address the institutions and processes that surround the EU’s international relations. Key policy areas, such as security and trade, are outlined in detail, alongside the EU’s relations with specific countries, including the United States, China, India, and Russia. Updates for the fourth edition include chapters on the EU’s relationship with Africa and Asia, coverage of the implementation of the EU’s foreign policy, and exploration of how the EU’s international relations relate historically to the European integration process, and the contemporary issue of migration.
3. The European Union and Theories of International Relations
Authors: Andreatta Filippo , Zambernardi Lorenzo
Published: August 2023

This chapter looks at theoretical answers to two major questions arising from the emergence of the European Union (EU) on the world stage. Firstly, what have the causes of European integration been in general, and in the foreign policy field in particular? Taking note of the fact that prevailing schools of international politics assume that states do not easily give up their sovereignty, classical and recent theoretical approaches to International Relations (realism, liberalism, and constructivism) have struggled to find the motives for integration and incorporate them in their overall frameworks. Secondly, the chapter investigates theoretical interpretations of the consequences of European integration for international relations in Europe and in the wider world. The chapter concludes by focusing on the idea and reality of the EU as a major power in international politics.
14. The EU’s Security and Defence Policy: A New Leap Forward?
Authors: Howorth Jolyon
Published: August 2023

This chapter examines the ways in which, since the late 1990s, the European Union (EU) has tried to emerge as an effective security and defence actor, albeit one focused on overseas missions connected not with expeditionary warfare but with crisis management and regional stabilization. It starts off by analysing the theoretical approaches to the emergence of this new policy area. It then addresses the empirical factors which caused the EU to tackle new and significant security challenges. Next, it considers the implications for international relations of the EU’s emergence as a security actor and the significance of the EU’s forty overseas missions. Finally, it analyses the developments since the publication of the 2016 European Global Strategy document in the context of new and serious security threats in its Southern and Eastern neighbourhoods. These developments were given sharper focus by Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, intensifying the debate on the EU’s desire to acquire ‘strategic autonomy’. Finally, the chapter examines the growing debate over the EU’s capacity to defend itself from external aggression without overt US support and suggests the contours of a new transatlantic bargain.
Global Politics
Authors: Hirst Aggie , de Merich Diego , Hoover Joe , Roccu Roberto
Published: August 2023

Global Politics: Myths and Mysteries provides an introduction to key concepts in international relations, aiming to expose the myths of the discipline. The text starts off with an introduction to the topic asking the question: what exactly is myth-making? The chapters then look at key concepts in turn, starting with politics and power. They move on to examine ethics, violence, and law. Next the text analyses the world of finance with a chapter on money. Empire is the subject of the chapter that follows. The last two chapters cover capitalism and state. Finally, the text concludes and considers the notion of change as it relates to global politics.
1. Introduction Myth-Making
Authors: Hirst Aggie , de Merich Diego , Hoover Joe , Roccu Roberto
Published: August 2023

This chapter introduces the concept of myth-making and global politics. It begins by explaining how myths about global politics disempower us because they rest on convention, established power relations, and particular interests that should be questioned. One way of overcoming limiting myths about global politics is to adopt a similar critical orientation towards the academic disciplines and theories we use to study global politics. These include the ‘traditional’ and ‘critical’ theories of International Relations, such as Liberalism, Realism, Constructivism, Marxism, Feminism, Postcolonial Theory, and Poststructuralism. The chapter then outlines specific myths and mysteries, before introducing the idea of ‘everyday global politics’. It also explores theoretical thinking, asks why students should be encouraged to theorise from the start of their studies, and why the myths upon which intuitive understandings of politics are based are a good place to start this theorising.
5. Violence
Authors: Hirst Aggie , de Merich Diego , Hoover Joe , Roccu Roberto
Published: August 2023

This chapter expounds on the pervasiveness of violence in global politics despite the rise of institutions and legal systems designed for its prevention. It lists three interrelated types of violence in global politics: physical, structural, and immanent. The chapter then turns to the question of justifying violence, exploring why people often assume in global politics that violence conducted by states is legitimate, while nonstate violence is illegitimate. It also examines nonviolence tactics in global politics, such as abandoning the fatalistic view that violence is inevitable in the field. Finally, the chapter studies the ideas of Jacques Derrida and Frantz Fanon which challenge the myth about violence in global politics. It also highlights the power of individuals and grassroots groups in reducing violence and challenging existing power relations.
9. Capitalism
Authors: Hirst Aggie , de Merich Diego , Hoover Joe , Roccu Roberto
Published: August 2023

This chapter looks into the mystery as to why many people think that capitalism is the only viable economic system. Globalisation has significantly transformed the economic lives of people, and this is visible on an everyday level. Beyond the process of production, capitalism also goes hand in hand with social transformations such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter campaign. Since capitalism is a deeply political system with far-reaching effects on the international system, the chapter explores the myth that capitalism operates as a system of free enterprise independent of state involvement. Additionally, it considers the importance of reflecting on new ways of thinking about capitalism and how a world after capitalism might look.