bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconciling legal certainty in corporate divisions with respect for civil law remedies: Case C-394/18 I.G.I. Srl v. Maria Grazia Cicenia
Authors: Muñoz David Ramos , Riu Montserrat Rodríguez
Published: October 2020

On 30 January 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its judgment in the Case C 394/18 I.G.I. Srl v. Maria Grazia Cicenia et al. The case offers an interpretation of the Directive on corporate divisions in a case that fell outside its scope, and a delicate balancing act between the need to protect legal certainty in corporate divisions, and the need to respect Private Law remedies enshrined in domestic civil codes. The CJEU ruled that the rules of the Sixth Council Directive 82/891/EEC did not preclude the creditors of a company being divided from bringing an actio pauliana against the corporate division, in order to obtain a declaration that the division does not have effects against them, nor did it preclude them from bringing enforcement proceedings against the assets transferred to the newly formed company.
Supporting the development of program leaders in higher education: An action research case study
Authors: Delaney Deborah , Stewart Heather , Cameron Robyn , Cardell Elizabeth , Carruthers Samantha , Love Anita , Pearson Andrew , Calleja Pauline
Published: October 2020

The higher education (HE) landscape continues to grow in complexity; thus, there is a need to improve the understanding of leadership in this context. This action research (AR) study was undertaken in a multi-disciplinary context of an Australian university to develop and evaluate an action learning (AL) project promoting leadership practice. An overview of AL is provided to situate the case study methodology and to demonstrate how it is used to develop leadership capabilities and benefit ‘team learning’. The findings support the development of AR programs for leaders in the ever-changing environment of HE. The need for an understanding of what leadership is, the development of a learning community and the articulation of the learning processes are seen as essential to support leaders in their development. Leaders not only need to be reflective but also require a safe and trusting environment to support their quest for career progression, grants and awards.
Visual Risk Literacy in “Flatten the Curve” COVID-19 Visualizations
Authors: Amidon Timothy R. , Nielsen Alex C. , Pflugfelder Ehren H. , Richards Daniel P. , Stephens Sonia H.
Published: October 2020

This article explores how “flatten the curve” (FTC) visualizations have served as a rhetorical anchor for communicating the risk of viral spread during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning from the premise that risk visualizations have eclipsed their original role as supplemental to public risk messaging and now function as an organizer of discourse, the authors highlight three rhetorical tensions (epideictic–deliberative, global–local, conceptual metaphors–data representations) with the goal of considering how the field of technical and professional communication might more strongly support visual risk literacy in future crises.
Model identification of durability degradation process of concrete material and structure based on Wiener process
Authors: Zhang Zhenhao , Liu Minhan , Liu Xin , Wang Xiao , Zhang Yi
Published: October 2020

The degradation and damage of concrete material and structure during their service life are significantly characterized by randomness, so it is of great importance to establish a stochastic process model for the structural durability degradation. This study was based on Wiener process to identify the durability degradation of concrete structures. Firstly, two identification methods for Wiener process were introduced, including autocorrelation function method and probability statistics verification method. The former is a rough method for preliminary identification, and the latter is a strict method for accurate identification. According to the degradation processes and damage mechanisms of dynamic elastic modulus of concrete and section stiffness of reinforced concrete girder, and based on relevant data, autocorrelation function method and probability statistics verification method were used to identify whether the degradation processes of concrete dynamic elastic modulus and girder section stiffness conform to Wiener process. The results showed that the degradation process of concrete dynamic elastic modulus and the degradation process of section stiffness of reinforced concrete girder can be modeled with Wiener process. The conclusions contribute to the prediction of performance degradation and the maintenance for concrete structures in service.
Mediation Analysis and Warranted Inferences in Media and Communication Research: Examining Research Design in Communication Journals From 1996 to 2017
Authors: Chan Michael , Hu Panfeng , K. F. Mak Macau
Published: October 2020

The number of studies employing mediation analysis has increased exponentially in the past two decades. Focusing on research design, this study examines 387 articles in the Journal of Communication, Human Communication Research, Communication Research, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and Media Psychology between 1996 and 2017. Findings show that while most studies report statistically significant indirect effects, they are inadequate to make causal inferences. Authors also often infer that they uncovered the “true” mediator(s) while alternative models and mediators are rarely acknowledged. Future studies should pay more attention to the role of research design and its implications for making causal inferences.
Technology-Facilitated Domestic and Sexual Violence: A Review
Authors: Henry Nicola , Flynn Asher , Powell Anastasia
Published: October 2020

This article investigates the phenomenon of domestic and sexual violence against adult women using digital communications technologies. The article explores terminological and conceptual challenges and describes the empirical research literature in this field to date in relation to digital dating abuse, intimate partner cyberstalking, technology-facilitated sexual assault, image-based sexual abuse, and online sexual harassment. The article also discusses policy and practice responses to this growing problem, as well as future directions for research. We argue that research and practice need to be guided by existing conceptual frameworks that utilize gender and actor–network theory to understanding the causes and consequences of women’s experiences of abuse and violence facilitated by digital technologies.
A case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like uveitis secondary to dabrafenib/trametinib therapy for advanced melanoma
Authors: Brambati Maria , Giuffrè Chiara , Marchese Alessandro , Bandello Francesco , Modorati Giulio Maria , Miserocchi Elisabetta
Published: October 2020

We report a case of ocular drug toxicity consistent with bilateral Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) like disease in a patient with cutaneous melanoma treated with Dabrafenib/Trametinib therapy. A 53-year-old man with a history of metastatic cutaneous melanoma, treated with Dabrafenib/Trametinib, developed a severe acute panuveitis with granulomatous anterior uveitis and multiple serous retinal detachments. The ocular inflammatory reaction was classified as a bilateral Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Intraocular inflammation resolved after discontinuation of chemotherapeutic agents and aggressive topical and systemic corticosteroid therapy. The present case outlines the importance of recognizing VKH-like syndrome as a possible consequence of therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib.
Analysis of Continuous Mutation and Evolution on Circulating SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Yu Jie-Mei , Zhang Li-Shu , Fu Yuan-Hui , Ji Feng-Min , Xu Han-Li , Huang Jia-Qiang , Peng Xiang-Lei , Zheng Yan-Peng , Zhang Ying , He Jin-Sheng
Published: October 2020

Monitoring the mutation and evolution of the virus is important for tracing its ongoing transmission and facilitating effective vaccine development. A total of 342 complete genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed in this study. Compared to the reference genome reported in December 2019, 465 mutations were found, among which, 347 occurred in only 1 sequence, while 26 occurred in more than 5 sequences. For these 26 further identified as SNPs, 14 were closely linked and were grouped into 5 profiles. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the sequences formed 2 major groups. Most of the sequences in late period (March and April) constituted the Cluster II, while the sequences before March in this study and the reported S/L and A/B/C types in previous studies were all in Cluster I. The distributions of some mutations were specific geographically or temporally, the potential effect of which on the transmission and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 deserves further evaluation and monitoring. Two mutations were found in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) but outside the receptor-binding motif (RBM), indicating that mutations may only have marginal biological effects but merit further attention. The observed novel sequence divergence is of great significance to the study of the transmission, pathogenicity, and development of an effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.
The materiality of conflict memory: Reflections from contemporary Italy
Authors: De Nardi Sarah
Published: October 2020

The process and project of rememory (after Toni Morrison’s Beloved, 1987) may be linked with a politics of hope – to exorcise, to move on, to empower; rememories are emergent ‘sites of feeling’ capable of triggering bodily reactions and emotional responses. This article takes stock of some emergent traces of post-conflict materialities that can be explored through storytelling, in this case, of the civil war between fascists and anti-fascists in Italy during the Second World War (1943–1945). The author reflects on the cathartic capacity of rememory through two wartime storytelling ‘experiments’. In a town square, the Surviving Thing is the handed-down memory of two executions, one on each side, haunting the place but without physical in situ traces of those acts. In 2014, veteran fascists and anti-fascists and their descendants re-enacted violent episodes on both sides that had left no visible or tangible traces. They used spatial clues in archival photographs, triangulating the traces to conjure up spectral geographies of death on both political sides, to ‘get closure’. In another example, a Surviving Thing is present as a physical object (a letter) without mnemonic trace. In 2012, an ex-partisan paid tribute to unsung heroes of the local resistance by writing an open letter that commemorated their bravery. While also looking for closure (or perhaps an opening up?), she wrote to dispel the oblivion to which history banished the boys’ actions – to fill an absence with an affectual presence. The well-thumbed sheet is thus animated in the moment of witnessing through a loving act of rememory. The two post-conflict sites reveal something of the affectual and cathartic capacity of traces that survive and those that do not. Overall, rememories perform intangible affects that frame the nuanced social legacies of conflict, while the ‘experiments’ embody the centrality of storytelling to the material culture of post-conflict societies.
Using computational techniques to study social influence online
Authors: Cork Alicia , Everson Richard , Levine Mark , Koschate Miriam
Published: October 2020

The social identity approach suggests that group prototypical individuals have greater influence over fellow group members. This effect has been well-studied offline. Here, we use a novel method of assessing prototypicality in naturally occurring data to test whether this effect can be replicated in online communities. In Study 1a ( N = 53,049 Reddit users), we train a linguistic measure of prototypicality for two social groups: libertarians and entrepreneurs. We then validate this measure further to ensure it is not driven by demographics (Study 1b: N = 882) or local accommodation (Study 1c: N = 1,684 Silk Road users). In Study 2 ( N = 8,259), we correlate this measure of prototypicality with social network indicators of social influence. In line with the social identity approach, individuals who are more prototypical generate more responses from others. Implications for testing sociopsychological theories with naturally occurring data using computational approaches are discussed.
“You wouldn’t celebrate September 11”: Testing online polarisation between opposing ideological camps on YouTube
Authors: Bliuc Ana-Maria , Smith Laura G. E. , Moynihan Tina
Published: October 2020

Online communication is increasingly associated with growing polarisation in society. In this research, we test a dual-pathway model of online polarisation via intergroup and intragroup interaction of supporters of opposing ideological camps on YouTube. The interaction occurs over a video parody promoting a campaign to change the date of Australia Day celebrations, a divisive issue entailing contrasting narratives about Australian identity, meanings of Australia Day, and interpretations of colonial history. To capture ideological polarisation, we conducted computerised linguistic analysis of polarised talk in the form of comments and replies ( N = 1,027) from supporters and opponents of the campaign. The indicators used to capture polarisation are social identification, position certainty, and psychological distance (as reflected by increased anxiety and hostility). Our results show that most polarisation (in the form of increased hostility) occurs in conditions of expression of outgroup dissent (the intergroup interaction pathway) and the most debated content on the online forum revolves around themes relevant to group identity. In addition to contributing to the understanding of group process in an online context, another key contribution of this research is providing a theory-driven method and blueprint to detect polarisation in social media data.
Reliability and construct validity of five life domains in the adolescent drug abuse diagnosis instrument in a sample of Swedish adolescent girls in special residential care
Authors: Klingstedt Marie-Louise , Wångby-Lundh Margit , Olsson Tina , Ferrer-Wreder Laura
Published: October 2020

Aim:

This cross-sectional study investigates the psychometric properties of the Swedish edition of the Adolescent Drug Abuse Diagnosis (ADAD), and specifically examines the internal consistency and construct validity of five life domains reported by female adolescents in special residential care in Sweden ( N = 780; Mage = 16 years old).

Methods:

Principal component analysis and entropy-based analysis were used to test construct validity.

Conclusion:

Results indicate that ADAD may be able to reliably distinguish between areas that are important targets for intervention.
Fictitious online victimization: Exploration and creation of a measurement instrument
Authors: Erreygers Sara , Symons Michelle , Vandebosch Heidi , Pabian Sara
Published: October 2020

Reports of a handful of tragic cyberbullying cases, where assumed victims have committed suicide, have revealed that purported cyberbullying attacks are sometimes actually created by the victim himself or herself (using a fake name or posting anonymously). This phenomenon has been named self-cyberbullying, fictitious cyberbullying, digital self-harm, or digital Munchausen. To date, only a few studies have examined this phenomenon to a limited extent. Via a qualitative and quantitative survey, this study further explored forms, motives, contents, means, platforms, and pretended identities of fictitious online victimization in adolescents. In addition, in order to support future research on this topic, first steps were taken to develop and validate an index to assess fictitious online victimization. Positive correlations were found with traditional and cyberbullying and self-harm and negative correlations with self-esteem, subjective well-being, and life satisfaction. These results add to our understanding of the phenomenon and may lay the groundwork for future studies.
Can we do what we say we will do? Issue salience, government effectiveness, and the legislative efficiency of Council Presidencies
Authors: Cross James P , Vaznonytė Austė
Published: October 2020

Although agenda-setting dynamics in the European Union are a well-studied phenomenon, there is a gap in the literature between the current focus on issue attention dynamics (a policy input) and the impact attention dynamics have on policy outputs. This study examines how the rotating Council Presidency’s stated policy goals for their term in office affect EU decision-making efficiency. We show that the salience the rotating chair of the Council attaches to a given policy area affects legislative efficiency in that policy area. We also demonstrate how this effect is conditioned on government effectiveness in the state of the Presidency in question, and is independent of Commission policy priorities. This suggests that the Presidency can drive EU policy outputs and push for its priorities when it holds the chair, but that its ability to do so is contingent on the domestic organisation and effectiveness of the state.
Affective attachment to the EU: Questioning the importance of childhood socialization
Authors: Ringlerova Zuzana
Published: October 2020

In a time of rising Euroscepticism across Europe, diffuse support for the European Union (EU) is an especially important concept as it provides a source of stability for the EU. How important is childhood political socialization for the development of diffuse support? The extant literature emphasizes the role of childhood socialization. However, these studies are based on analyses that cannot fully distinguish between the cohort effect and the life-cycle effect. This study overcomes this limitation by looking at a more suitable case (the European Union) and by using a novel technique that effectively distinguishes the cohort effect from the life-cycle effect. The findings show that individuals who experienced early life political socialization in the EU have equal levels of diffuse support as individuals who grew up outside the EU. I thus argue that diffuse support develops through experience in adult life, and childhood political socialization is not essential for its development.
Management of suspected COVID-19 patients in a low prevalence region
Authors: Scichilone Nicola , Basile Laura , Battaglia Salvatore , Benfante Alida , Fonte Roberto , Gambino Francesco , Marino Stefania , Messina Riccardo , Poma Sonia , Principe Stefania , Salamone Giovanni , Zammuto Marta
Published: October 2020

The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection among population has imposed a re-organization of healthcare services, aiming at stratifying patients and dedicating specific areas where patients with suspected COVID-related respiratory disease could receive the necessary health care assistance while waiting for the confirmation of the diagnosis of COVID-19 disease. In this scenario, the pathway defined as a “grey zone” is strongly advocated. We describe the application of rules and pathways in a regional context with low diffusion of the infection among the general population in the attempt to provide the best care to respiratory patients with suspected COVID-19. To date, this process has avoided the worst-case scenario of intra-hospital epidemic outbreak.
Signs of Narcissism? Reconsidering a Widely Used Measure
Authors: Koch-Bayram Irmela F. , Biemann Torsten
Published: October 2020

Recent research on CEOs’ narcissism has mostly used unobtrusive measures, even though such measures have not been validated sufficiently. In two settings (Study 1 with 601 participants from various occupations and Study 2 with 97 managing directors), we analyze the construct validity of the commonly used narcissism index (NI). We find that the NI is only moderately correlated with the established and validated Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), which calls into question the convergent validity of the NI. We further alter the company’s financial performance in our simulation to test whether performance affects the NI. Results show that individuals have different levels of NI after a period with a high compared with a low financial performance. This casts doubt on previous findings in organizational research using the NI and other unobtrusive measures because it reverses the common assumption of cause and effect.
Malnutrition provides important long-term prognostic information in patients undergoing endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Authors: Demir Ali Riza , Celik Omer , Uygur Begum , Somuncu Mustafa Umut , Bayram Muhammed , Yilmaz Emre , Avci Yalcin , Sevinc Samet , Tasbulak Omer , Bulut Umit , Ersoy Burak , Erturk Mehmet
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Malnutrition has been shown to be associated with survival in a variety of diseases. Our aim is to evaluate the prognostic value of objective nutritional indexes indicating malnutrition, in patients underwent endovascular aortic replacement.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 149 consecutive patients who underwent technically successful endovascular aortic replacement operation between October 2010 and August 2019. Objective nutritional indexes, prognostic nutritional index, geriatric nutritional risk index and controlling nutritional status, scores were calculated using the preoperative data. Optimal cut-off values were obtained by receiver operating characteristic analysis. According to the cut-off values, we investigated the relationship between indexes and the long-term all-cause mortality.

Results

During mean 48.0 ± 30.3 months follow-up duration, in 47 of patients (31.5%), all-cause mortality were documented. In mortality group, prognostic nutritional index (42.8 ± 7.1 vs 51.3 ± 5.2, p < 0.001) and geriatric nutritional risk index (100.7 ± 10.1 vs 107.6 ± 9.2, p < 0.001) were significantly lower, controlling nutritional status score (2.0 (1.0–4.0) vs 1.0 (0.0–2.0), p < 0.001) was higher when compared to survivor group. Kaplan–Meier curves presented higher mortality incidence in malnutrition patients evaluated with objective nutritional indexes (Log-rang test, for all three indexes p < 0.001). Besides Cox-proportional hazard analysis showed all three nutritional indexes may be a predictive marker for all-cause mortality, prognostic nutritional index introduced more valuable data than other two indexes.

Conclusions

Malnutrition is associated with significant increase in postoperative long-term mortality in endovascular aortic replacement patients. Preoperatively calculated objective nutritional indexes especially prognostic nutritional index can be used as an important prognostic tool.
Caval pseudoaneurysms following complex inferior vena cava filter removal: Clinical significance and patient outcomes
Authors: Hadied Mohamad Omar , Hieromnimon Mark , Kapke Jordan , Nijhawan Karan , Ha Thuong Van , Navuluri Rakesh , Ahmed Osman
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To investigate the incidence and clinical significance of caval pseudoaneurysm and extravasation post-complex inferior vena cava filter retrieval.

Methods

A total of 83 patients (70% female, average age 56) underwent complex inferior vena cava filter retrieval between January 2015 and December 2019 utilizing either rigid endobronchial forceps ( n = 69, 83%) and/or excimer laser ( n = 20, 24%). Procedural variables were recorded. The incidence and size of caval pseudoaneurysms and extravasation along with treatment type and clinical outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Technical success in all cases was 96% (n = 80). Average fluoroscopy time was 23 min (median: 20.2, range: 0.9–129.5). Average filter dwell time was 85 months (range: 2–316 months). Caval pseudoaneurysm was detected on post-retrieval venography in 10 patients (12%) and frank extravasation occurred in 1 case (1%). Average pseudoaneurysm length and width was 20.4 mm (range: 5–45 mm) and 12.9 mm (range: 4–24 mm), respectively. Pseudoaneurysms occurred most frequently during the removal of Optease ( n = 5) and Celect ( n = 2) filters. The pseudoaneurysms completely resolved with prolonged (>5 min) balloon angioplasty in all but one instance where a small portion of the pseudoaneurysm persisted. This patient was admitted and observed overnight before being discharged without complication. The solitary case of significant extravasation was effectively managed with immediate stent placement and the patient remained hemodynamically stable.

Conclusions

Radiographically detectable caval pseudoaneurysm and extravasation is not uncommon in complex inferior vena cava filter retrieval and, despite being considered a major complication by Society of Interventional Radiology guidelines, can often be managed without stenting or other invasive treatment.
‘Time to Ranch it Up!’: Ethics and satire in new media
Authors: Romanowski Max , Sheldon Zachary
Published: October 2020

YouTube and Internet culture have changed expressions of comedy, especially on television. Some forms of TV entertainment content emphasise shock value, resulting in a satirical strain of comedy that stresses absurdity. Such a trend may be observed in The Eric Andre Show (2012–) and Nathan for You (2013–2017), two US comedy TV series which satirise an Internet style of filmmaking while simultaneously critiquing the culture that created it. This article examines these shows for how extreme methods support or detract from their perceived effect, and whether or not such satirical tactics are valid as a way of bringing about change.
User and Healthcare Professional Perspectives on Do-It-Yourself Artificial Pancreas Systems: A Need for Guidelines
Authors: Shepard Jaclyn A. , Breton Marc , Nimri Revital , Roberts Joseph T. F. , Street Timothy , Klonoff David , Barnard-Kelly Katharine
Published: October 2020

A growing number of individuals with type 1 diabetes are choosing to use “do-it-yourself” artificial pancreas systems (DIY APS) to support their diabetes self-management. Observational and self-report data of glycemic benefits of DIY APS are promising; however, without rigorous clinical trials or regulation from governing bodies, liability and user safety continue to be central concerns for stakeholders. Despite DIY APS having been used for several years now, there are no guidelines to assist users and healthcare professionals in addressing DIY APS use in routine clinical care. This commentary reports key stakeholders’ perspectives presented at the annual Advanced Technologies and Treatments in Diabetes conference in February 2020. Important considerations to inform the development of clinical care guidelines are also presented to generate further debate.
Heavily calcified parapharyngeal space mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: Imaging and pathological findings and a review of the literature
Authors: Shafaat Omid , Chapman Philip R , Zandifar Alireza , Sotoudeh Ehsan , Baumgartner Erin M , Sotoudeh Houman
Published: October 2020

Parapharyngeal space (PPS) masses are relatively rare lesions of the head and neck, and account for 0.5–1.5% of head and neck lesions. The most common lesion to occur in the PPS is a benign salivary neoplasm, typically pleomorphic adenoma either from the deep parotid or from ectopic parotid tissue rests within the PPS. A calcified or ossified mass in this location is exceedingly rare, but a calcified variant of pleomorphic adenoma has been reported. In this study, we present a patient with a heavily calcified PPS mesenchymal chondrosarcoma with an unusual presentation. We discuss the imaging and pathologic findings followed by a review of the current literature.
Constructing criminal insanity: The roles of legislators, judges and experts in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands
Authors: Gröning Linda , Haukvik Unn K. , Meynen Gerben , Radovic Susanna
Published: October 2020

This article provides a discussion about criminal insanity regulation in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, with a focus on the roles of legislators, judges and experts in the concretisation of the legal meaning of criminal insanity. The authors recognise that these three countries reflect different ideal type rule constructions that are interesting to study comparatively. The article addresses the following overall questions: To what extent and in what way do the different rule constructions also involve different views on the roles of legislators, judges and experts? And in case of competing models, which is the better solution? To investigate and eventually answer these questions, the authors analyse the content and legislative considerations of the relevant rules, how these rules are applied and understood by judges and experts, and how different understandings of insanity, of legislators, judges and experts, depend on each other. The authors show how the different rule constructions represent different considerations on the adequate roles of the legislator, judges and experts. They argue that what is important is not what precise division of roles that is settled, but that this interplay functions to secure clear and robust rules, and that each of the three countries has room for improvement in this regard.
Rosmarinic acid protects against ulcerative colitis by regulating macrophage polarization depending on heme oxygenase-1 in mice
Authors: Mai Ping , Chen Cheng , Xiao Xiaohui , Ma Xin , Shi Yuping , Miao Guoying , Zhang Liping
Published: October 2020

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an unknown-cause inflammatory disease of colorectum. At present, there are no specific therapeutic drugs. We found that rosmarinic acid (RA) can significantly improve UC and further explored the relevant cellular and molecular mechanisms. Firstly, using F4/80 as marker for mouse macrophages, we found there were large numbers of macrophages infiltrating into colonic tissue of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice UC model. Meanwhile, RA markedly improved weight loss, diarrhea, hematochezia and colonic inflammation in mice with DSS treatment. Further, RA changed macrophage polarization in mouse colon, showing that classical activation (M1) phenotype decreased, alternative activation (M2) phenotype increased, and M1/M2 ratio reversed by Real-time PCR. In vitro, we cultured the peripheral blood macrophages (PBM) and found that RA inhibited PBM M1 polarization and favored M2 polarization directly. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mediated the anti-inflammatory effect of RA. RA induced HO-1 expression in PBM, and the HO-1 inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin, blunted the inhibitory effect of RA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) translocation and M1 polarization. In addition, blocking NF-κB signal has no effect on the role of RA. In conclusion, RA protects against UC by regulating macrophage polarization depending on HO-1. These data suggest that reversing macrophage polarization can be used as a strategy for UC treatment and RA is an effective drug to cure UC by regulating macrophage polarization.
Association of YKL-40 with endothelial dysfunction in patients with essential hypertension
Authors: Ji Qing-hong , Zhao Meng-meng , Gong Hui-ping , Lv Xian-zhong , Ma Wei-hong
Published: October 2020

Human cartilage glycoprotein 39 (YKL-40) is related with presence and extent of atherosclerosis, which can be a new biomarker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The relationship between YKL-40 and endothelial dysfunction in patients with essential hypertension (EH) has not been intensively investigated. The relationship between serum level of YKL-40 and endothelial dysfunction was evaluated in 60 EH subjects and 50 normal control (NEH) subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of YKL-40. Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was used to measure endothelial-dependent nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatory capacity as the function of endothelial index. This study demonstrated that YKL-40 expression was significantly increased ( p < 0.05) in EH subjects compared with NEH subjects. The FMD was significantly impaired in EH subjects compared with NEH subjects. YKL-40 was not only negatively correlated with FMD, but also with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Multiple liner regression analysis identified that YKL-40 was independent of FMD development. The level of YKL-40 was elevated in EH patients and inversely related with FMD and may be independent of endothelial dysfunction in EH.
White, Black, and Latina Female Victims in U.S. News: A Multivariate and Intersectional Analysis of Story Differences
Authors: Slakoff Danielle C. , Brennan Pauline K.
Published: October 2020

Prior research suggests the media depict White female victims more sympathetically than their minority counterparts, yet no researcher has yet examined this proposition at the multivariate level. Moreover, prior research on media portrayals generally include White versus non-White or White versus Black comparisons, but no researcher has yet compared media accounts of White, Black, and Latina female victims. Based on critical race feminism, we expected news coverage of White, Black, and Latina victims to vary in key ways. We examined narratives at the bivariate and multivariate levels, and we contextualized findings with story excerpts. Stories about White female victims were more likely to contain sympathetic themes—such as themes of religiosity and reported media attention—and to result in overall sympathetic narratives compared to stories about minority victims, whereas overall narratives about Latina and Black female victims were often unsympathetic. Our findings align with the “ideal victim” stereotype and may help explain the differential treatment of White and minority female victims by the criminal justice system.
Revision Strategies for Harrington Rod Instrumentation: Radiographic Outcomes and Complications
Authors: Louie Philip K. , Iyer Sravisht , Khanna Krishn , Harada Garrett K. , Khalid Alina , Gupta Munish , Burton Douglas , Shaffrey Christopher , Lafage Renaud , Lafage Virginie , Dewald Christopher J. , Schwab Frank J. , Kim Han Jo
Published: October 2020

Study Design:

Retrospective case series.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes following revision surgery following Harrington rod instrumentation.

Methods:

Patients who underwent revision surgery with a minimum of 1-year follow-up for flatback syndrome following Harrington rod instrumentation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were identified from a multicenter dataset. Baseline demographics and intraoperative information were obtained. Preoperative, initial postoperative, and most recent spinopelvic parameters were compared. Postoperative complications and reoperations were subsequently evaluated.

Results:

A total of 41 patients met the inclusion criteria with an average follow-up of 27.7 months. Overall, 14 patients (34.1%) underwent a combined anterior-posterior fusion, and 27 (65.9%) underwent an osteotomy for correction. Preoperatively, the most common lower instrumented vertebra (LIV) was at L3 and L4 (61%), whereas 85% had a LIV to the pelvis after revision. The mean preoperative pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis mismatch and C7 sagittal vertical axis were 23.7° and 89.6 mm. This was corrected to 8.1° and 28.9 mm and maintained to 9.04° and 34.4 mm at latest follow-up. Complications included deep wound infection (12.2%), durotomy (14.6%), implant related failures (14.6%), and temporary neurologic deficits (22.0%). Eight patients underwent further revision surgery at an average of 7.4 months after initial revision.

Conclusions:

There are multiple surgical techniques to address symptomatic flatback syndrome in patients with previous Harrington rod instrumentation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. At an average of 27.7 months follow-up, pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis mismatch and C7 sagittal vertical axis can be successfully corrected and maintained. However, complication and reoperation rates remain high.
‘Patriot’ games? Visions of a post-liberal international order and how to keep peace
Authors: Sumuvuori Johanna
Published: October 2020

Declaring the so-called Liberal International Order, and Multilateralism in general, obsolete has become fashionable after the Russian invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014. Among others, Russian and American leaders have emphasized competition and the uncompromising quest for the national interest as the basic and natural elements of inter-state relations. This worldview is reflected within societies throughout the world in populist nationalist movements and smacks of ‘strongman politics’ with its undertones of toxic masculinity, in which the only check against outright conflict is the balance of power.This worldview is, clearly, bad news for small states. Alternatives such as Xi Jinping’s ‘Community for the Shared Future of Mankind’ would also, at closer look, seem to refer back to the primacy of national sovereignty – in this case that of one particular state, China. Instead, small states with open economies such as Finland would prioritize strengthening multilateral cooperation and the rules-based international order. Adapting the present international order rather than abandoning it wholesale is key to overcoming these challenges. That adaptation should be driven by a constructive critique of the current state of affairs. But we also need to look critically at the ‘brave new worlds’ that populists and strongmen are promoting. An international order based on the balance of power and a search for absolute national sovereignty will rob us of the ability to overcome global threats as well as to seize opportunities provided by global civil society activism and scientific innovations.
Growth Mindset Messaging in Stigma-Relevant Contexts: Harnessing Benefits Without Costs
Authors: Hoyt Crystal L. , Burnette Jeni L.
Published: October 2020

Growth mindsets are increasingly used to promote learning, development, and health. The increased popularity resulted in scrutiny and disputes about utility. The current work reviews a perspective critical to the debate. Namely, we focus on emerging research that examines both the favorable and potentially adverse consequences of growth mindset messaging in stigma-relevant contexts. This double-edged sword model merges the mindset perspective with attribution theory and the psychological essentialism literature. In stigmatizing contexts and in isolation, growth mindsets can indirectly predict less positive outcomes, via personal responsibility for the problem, but more positive outcomes, via expectations for the potential to manage conditions in the future. Programmatic research illustrates how to tailor growth mindset messages and interventions, to avoid the potential costs of blame, yet keep the benefits of self-efficacy and weakened essentialism.
The Psychology of Nonconsensual Porn: Understanding and Addressing a Growing Form of Sexual Violence
Authors: Eaton Asia A. , McGlynn Clare
Published: October 2020

As of 2020, legal protections for victims of image-based sexual abuse in the United States remain inadequate. For example, no federal law yet criminalizes the sharing of sexually intimate material without a person’s consent (i.e., nonconsensual porn), and existing state laws are patchy and problematic. Part of the reason for this problem may be that U.S. lawmakers and the general public have yet to grasp that nonconsensual porn is a form of sexual abuse, with many of the same devastating, recurring, and lifelong consequences for victims. This review of psychological research on nonconsensual porn includes frameworks for understating this image-based sexual abuse, correlates and consequences of victimization, victim blame, and the nature of perpetration. Then, we analyze U.S. laws on nonconsensual porn in light of this review and argue for comprehensive legislative solutions.
Gender Stereotypes Explain Disparities in Pain Care and Inform Equitable Policies
Authors: Lloyd E. Paige , Paganini Gina A. , ten Brinke Leanne
Published: October 2020

Despite women experiencing and reporting more pain than men, women receive less intensive and effective treatment for their pain. The current work leverages the well-developed social psychological literature on gender stereotypes, specifically stereotypes of emotionality, to understand gender biases in pain care. Specifically, gender stereotypes about emotionality may generate beliefs that women dramatize, overemphasize, or even fabricate their experiences of pain relative to men. This mistrust in women’s experiences of pain could undermine efficacy and equality of care. Research needs to directly examine the role of provider stereotype endorsement in pain care disparities, how these stereotypes influence patient–provider interactions, and whether these stereotypes may be implicit in health care policies. Established interventions and potential policy reform could combat gender-emotionality stereotypes and thereby mistrust of women’s reports in the context of pain treatment.
The Social Psychology of Racially Biased Policing: Evidence-Based Policy Responses
Authors: Kahn Kimberly Barsamian , Martin Karin D.
Published: October 2020

Police killings of unarmed African Americans, such as George Floyd in 2020, continue to cause nationwide protests and calls for change. Psychological science knows much about biased policing and can inform policy to promote equitable policing. Social psychology’s extensive findings on stereotyping, attitudes, and intergroup relations help clarify the role of officer racial bias. This article reviews implicit and explicit bias, race-crime stereotypes, intragroup bias, ingroup favoritism, stereotype threat, and dehumanization in policing interactions, all of which can lead to racially disparate use of force. Based on this science, some policy responses can mitigate bias: Officer level de-biasing training, body-worn cameras, automatic license plate readers, and federal policing reform legislation are discussed. The lack of a coordinated, national effort to collect and analyze police use of force data undermines tracking fatal incidents and bias therein, which are therefore harder to remediate.
How Policies Can Address Multiracial Stigma
Authors: Sanchez Diana T. , Gaither Sarah E. , Albuja Analia F. , Eddy Zoey
Published: October 2020

Twenty years ago, Multiracial Americans completed the U.S Census with the option to indicate more than one race for the first time. As we embark on the second anniversary of this shift in Multiracial recognition, this article reviews the research related to known sources and systems that perpetuate Multiracial-specific stigma. Policy recommendations address the needs and the continued acknowledgment of this growing racial/ethnic minority population.
More Than Just Hard Work: Educational Policies to Facilitate Economic Mobility
Authors: Williams Wendy R. , Reppond Harmony A.
Published: October 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing class-based inequities in education and as a result highlighted the role of structural supports (e.g., food, stable housing, income) promoting economic opportunity. Although social class mobility is often attributed to perceptions of hard work, science does not support these dominant narratives. Instead, access to quality education and structural supports correlate with economic uplift. By eliminating structural barriers to low-income college students’ degree completion and coordinating efforts to assist low-income students, policymakers can restore the promise of economic mobility through education. This article focuses on the psychological and behavioral science that should inform higher education policy. As the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, a structure-based, scientific approach to facilitate equal opportunity in higher education is vital to spurring greater economic mobility and avoiding further entrenchment of economic inequalities.
Current Concepts in Management of Lipid Abnormalities in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Mahajan Kunal , Chandra K. Sarat
Published: October 2020

Lipid disorders play a major pathogenic role in the development of coronary artery disease, which is the major cause of mortality worldwide. In this review, the authors discuss the role of various lipid abnormalities in the causation of coronary artery disease and also highlight the ways to manage them. The roles of a healthy lifestyle and dietary patterns have been emphasized in this regard besides the significant role of drug treatment, which mostly revolves around the statin therapy.
Divergence of metabolites in three phylogenetically close Monascus species (M. pilosus, M. ruber, and M. purpureus) based on secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters
Authors: Higa Yuki , Kim Young-Soo , Altaf-Ul-Amin Md. , Huang Ming , Ono Naoaki , Kanaya Shigehiko
Published: October 2020

Background

Species of the genus Monascus are considered to be economically important and have been widely used in the production of yellow and red food colorants. In particular, three Monascus species, namely, M. pilosus, M. purpureus, and M. ruber, are used for food fermentation in the cuisine of East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. These species have also been utilized in the production of various kinds of natural pigments. However, there is a paucity of information on the genomes and secondary metabolites of these strains. Here, we report the genomic analysis and secondary metabolites produced by M. pilosus NBRC4520, M. purpureus NBRC4478 and M. ruber NBRC4483, which are NBRC standard strains. We believe that this report will lead to a better understanding of red yeast rice food.

Results

We examined the diversity of secondary metabolite production in three Monascus species (M. pilosus, M. purpureus, and M. ruber) at both the metabolome level by LCMS analysis and at the genome level. Specifically, M. pilosus NBRC4520, M. purpureus NBRC4478 and M. ruber NBRC4483 strains were used in this study. Illumina MiSeq 300 bp paired-end sequencing generated 17 million high-quality short reads in each species, corresponding to 200 times the genome size. We measured the pigments and their related metabolites using LCMS analysis. The colors in the liquid media corresponding to the pigments and their related metabolites produced by the three species were very different from each other. The gene clusters for secondary metabolite biosynthesis of the three Monascus species also diverged, confirming that M. pilosus and M. purpureus are chemotaxonomically different. M. ruber has similar biosynthetic and secondary metabolite gene clusters to M. pilosus. The comparison of secondary metabolites produced also revealed divergence in the three species.

Conclusions

Our findings are important for improving the utilization of Monascus species in the food industry and industrial field. However, in view of food safety, we need to determine if the toxins produced by some Monascus strains exist in the genome or in the metabolome.