bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colonial Designs
Authors: Sarkar Natasha
Published: March 2024

This chapter addresses the ways in which scientists, colonial administrators, and doctors made sense of the disease and how the gradual de-emphasis of plague’s pathological reality gave way to debating mostly its social manifestations. It explores the tensions between metropole and colony in the framing of plague policy and examines the politics of policy-making over issues such as the prohibition of Hajj for the promotion of trade, corpse inspection, and land quarantine. Punjab offers a window to plague regulations at work in the mofussil areas vis-à-vis Bombay, while the special treatment meted out to hill stations and cantonments is most telling of the discriminatory nature of colonial plague policy. A section on financing the plague offers an indication of the scale and nature of expenses that were involved in conducting the plague campaign. The chapter demonstrates the multi-layered nature of the colonizing process through the lens of the pandemic.
Shifting Priorities
Authors: Sarkar Natasha
Published: March 2024

Well into the twentieth century, disinfection through moist heat, disinfectants, or desiccation was to continue as the weapon of choice against the plague, and this chapter surveys the various disinfection strategies and specially designed equipment that were introduced in different parts of India. Ever since its development, several alterations were also instituted in the method of manufacturing Haffkine’s protective vaccine. Haffkine was now assisted by a vast number of commissioned and subordinate medical officers and private practitioners—European and Indian—in introducing preventive inoculation. The chapter traces the infamous Mulkowal mishap of 1902 in Punjab, the subsequent action of securing the manufacturing process, its administration, and its implications for the future of vaccination. Other impactful and creative measures at educating the masses about modern methods of disease prevention through the use of travelling dispensaries and drama also get a mention in this chapter.
Desire That Amounts to Knowledge
Authors: Hazlett Allan
Published: March 2024

In this chapter, it is argued that desires can amount to knowledge, in the same way that beliefs can amount to knowledge. This follows from two claims: that goodness is the accuracy condition for desire and that knowledge is apt mental representation. The latter general account of knowledge is explained and motivated, by appeal to the fact that it can explain what the various species of knowledge and understanding have in common. Cases of desire that amounts to knowledge are dubbed cases of “orectic knowledge,” and the ethical importance of orectic knowledge is discussed.
Irrational Desire
Authors: Hazlett Allan
Published: March 2024

In this chapter, it is argued that desire is susceptible to deliberation, i.e. that desires can be formed through deliberation. This opens up the possibility of desires that are irrational, because (as it is argued here) a mental representation admits of irrationality only if it is susceptible to deliberation. Belief, for example, admits of irrationality, because it is susceptible to deliberation, but perceptual experience does not admit of irrationality, because it is not susceptible to deliberation. In defense of the claim that desire is susceptible to deliberation, a theory of “orectic deliberation”—i.e. deliberation about what to desire—and an account of reasoning about non-instrumental value are developed. Doxastic deliberation (deliberation about what to believe) and practical deliberation (deliberation about what to intend) are used as models for orectic deliberation, and the possibility of acedia (believing that something is good without desiring it) is considered as an objection to the possibility of successful orectic deliberation.
Imagination and the Sublime
Authors: Matherne Samantha
Published: March 2024

The aim of this chapter is to clarify Kant’s account of what our imagination contributes to our aesthetic engagement with the sublime. Although Kant’s remarks might make it seem as if our imagination is only frustrated in the face of the sublime, the chapter argues that he uses his account of the sublime to articulate a distinctive kind of imaginative elevation. Central to this interpretation is the claim that in relation to the sublime, Kant maintains that our imagination serves as an instrument of reason by engaging in cognitively creative activities through which we treat extremely large and powerful objects as indirect exhibitions of the idea of the sublimity of our rational capacities. The chapter analyzes how our imaginative frustration and elevation operates in the case of both the mathematical and dynamical sublime.
The Possibility of Moral Imagination
Authors: Matherne Samantha
Published: March 2024

This chapter explores reasons we might be skeptical that Kant countenances the possibility of a moral imagination on both textual grounds and grounds related to the commitments of his moral philosophy. However, it argues that Kant acknowledges a moral use of imagination, which we need to reconstruct. And it lays out the groundwork for the reconstruction offered here, which turns on applying Kant’s theory of imagination more generally to the practical domain. In particular, the chapter highlights the role that his account of imagination as a capacity that enables us to see more and imagination as the faculty of exhibition will play in this reconstruction of the use of our imagination vis-à-vis the faculty of desire and our pursuit of morality.
Conclusion
Authors: Matherne Samantha
Published: March 2024

This chapter summarizes the author’s systematic interpretation of Kant’s theory of imagination in light of two questions. The first question is what it is to imagine. It recapitulates the author’s argument to the effect that, for Kant, to imagine is to exercise a cognitive capacity that belongs to sensibility and that is tasked with mediating between sensibility and understanding. The second question is what use is it to imagine. Here the chapter references the author’s interpretation of Kant’s account of the theoretical use of imagination in ordinary perception and experience; the aesthetic use of imagination in our engagement with beauty, art, and sublimity; and the practical use of imagination in our pursuit of happiness and morality. It concludes with some considerations about why the Kantian theory of imagination is still of interest today.
The Nature of Theatre’s Empty Spaces
Authors: Bennett Michael Y
Published: March 2024

The main idea in this chapter is that all of the properties of all characters and the theatrical worlds have to be located somewhere, even though most of those properties are not distinctly stated in the spoken words of a theatrical performance. Broadening the concept and use of subsumption past the way it is understood and used in philosophical semantics, where it is claimed that constituent parts are subsumed within a distinct whole, this chapter claims that many of the properties of a theatrical character and/or a theatrical world are subsumed within the text. It claims that there are three types of properties associated with theatrical characters and worlds: distinct properties, subsumed properties, and truthful properties.
The Impact of Monetary Incentives on Delay Discounting Within a Year-Long Physical Activity Intervention
Authors: Berardi Vincent , Phillips Christine B , McEntee Mindy L , Stecher Chad , Todd Michael , Adams Marc A
Published: March 2024

Background

Delay discounting is the depreciation in a reward’s perceived value as a function of the time until receipt. Monetary incentive programs that provide rewards contingent on meeting daily physical activity (PA) goals may change participants’ delay discounting preferences.

Purpose

Determine if monetary incentives provided in close temporal proximity to meeting PA goals changed delay discounting, and if such changes mediated intervention effects.

Methods

Inactive adults (n = 512) wore accelerometers during a 12-month intervention where they received proximal monetary incentives for meeting daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) goals or delayed incentives for study participation. Delay discount rate and average MVPA were assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and a 24-month follow-up. Using structural equation modeling, we tested effects of proximal versus delayed rewards on delay discounting and whether any changes mediated intervention effects on MVPA. PA self-efficacy was also evaluated as a potential mediator, and both self-efficacy and delay discounting were assessed as potential moderators of intervention effects.

Results

Proximal rewards significantly increased participants’ delay discounting (β = 0.238, confidence interval [CI]: −0.078, 0.380), indicating greater sensitivity to reinforcement timing. This change did not mediate incentive-associated increases in MVPA at the end of the 12-month intervention (β = −0.016, CI: −0.053, 0.019) or at a 24-month follow-up (β = −0.020, CI: −0.059, 0.018). Moderation effects were not found.

Conclusions

Incentive-induced increases in delay discounting did not deleteriously impact MVPA. This finding may help assuage concerns about using monetary incentives for PA promotion, but further research regarding the consequences of changes in delay discounting is warranted.
Evaluation of mandibular growth in a prepubertal Class I and Class II population: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Pozzan Lucia , Guerra Denis , Ulian Giulia , Checchin Giorgia , Di Lenarda Roberto , Contardo Luca
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study aims to identify the presence, timing, and magnitude of a prepubertal mandibular growth spurt in a Class I and Class II population.

Methods

From the Burlington and Iowa Growth study of the AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection, 83 Class I subjects (37 females and 46 males) and 32 Class II subjects (18 males and 14 females) were identified, as having at least seven consecutive annual lateral cephalograms taken from 5 to 11 years of age. Only subjects with a normodivergent facial pattern were considered. A customized cephalometric analysis was performed, and total mandibular length, defined as the distance between Condylion (Co) and Gnathion (Gn), was calculated.

Results

Overall, a significant early peak of mandibular growth was present in all the subjects analysed both in Class I (4.69 mm for males and 4.18 mm for females; P < .05) and in Class II (5.85 mm for males and 4.05 mm for females; P < .05). No differences between males and females were found for the timing of this peak (7 years for Class I and Class II females and 7 years for Class I and 6.5 years for Class II males). In males, a significantly larger peak was observed in Class II than Class I subjects (P = .007).

Limitations

The main limitations of this study were the impossibility of using a suitable growth indicator to identify the timing of the early mandibular growth peak and the limited Class II records retrievable.

Conclusion

This investigation suggests that a prepubertal mandibular growth peak is consistently present in both Class I and Class II males and females of clinically significant magnitude. Despite that, chronological age confirms to be unsuitable to identify this peak.
Teaching preservice teachers to do research: an action research study
Authors: Nguyen Ha
Published: March 2024

This action research (AR) study explored how research instruction was integrated in a sociolinguistics course for preservice language teachers at a US university. Data collected from two research cycles included surveys, student work, students’ free-writing, teacher journals, and student interviews. This article focuses on how AR informed the course structure and what preservice teachers gained. Findings suggested that research instruction positively influenced how teacher trainees thought about, felt about, and pursued research (cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes). They also reported gains in knowledge and skills that could be useful for their future career and/or studies. Implications from this study can inform other educators who strive to develop students’ research skills in a non-research focused class.
Patient Preferences for Treatment Attributes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From a Large Survey Across Seven European Countries Using a Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Fiorino Gionata , Bent-Ennakhil Nawal , Varriale Pasquale , Braegger Fiona , Hoefkens Eveline
Published: March 2024

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease requires long-term treatment; therefore, understanding patient preferences is important in aiding informed treatment decision making. This study explored patients’ preferences for treatment attributes of available inflammatory bowel disease therapies.

Methods

Adult patients from 7 European countries who self-reported previous/current treatment for Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) participated in an online survey via the Carenity platform. In a discrete choice experiment, the relative importance of treatment attributes for CD and UC was estimated using conditional logit models. Latent class analysis was conducted to estimate heterogeneous treatment preferences based on patient profiles. Patients’ perspectives and preferences regarding their quality of life were assessed.

Results

Across 686 completed survey responses (CD, n = 360; UC, n = 326), the mean patient age was 48 and 50 years, respectively. Patients with CD ranked route of administration as the most important attribute (attribute importance: 32%), preferring subcutaneous over intravenous treatment (P < .001). Patients with UC ranked route of administration and frequency of serious adverse events as the most important attributes (attribute importance: 31% and 23%, respectively), preferring oral (P < .001) and subcutaneous (P < .001) over intravenous treatment and treatment that minimized the risk of serious adverse events (P < .001) or mild adverse events (P < .01). Latent class analyses confirmed the impact of patients’ sociodemographic profile on their preferences. All patients prioritized general well-being, energy level, and daily activities as the most important aspects for improvement through treatment.

Conclusions

Patient preferences for treatment attributes varied among patients with CD or UC, highlighting the importance of personalized care and shared decision making to maximize treatment benefits.
Hand-Tying through Military Signals in Crisis Bargaining
Authors: Post Abigail S , Sechser Todd S
Published: March 2024

Theories of crisis bargaining suggest that costly signals can enhance the credibility of one’s coercive threats. In particular, engaging in conspicuous military mobilizations or demonstrations of force are thought to communicate one’s resolve in a crisis. Yet, there is disagreement about why this might be the case. One set of theories emphasizes the hand-tying political and reputational effects of visible military action. A different collection of theories argues that mobilizations create bargaining leverage by shifting the balance of power in favor of the mobilizing side. This article uses new data on coercive threats in international crises to discriminate between these two explanations. It makes two key contributions. First, it presents systematic evidence that military mobilizations during a crisis bolster the effectiveness of compellent threats. Second, it demonstrates that such signals are likely effective because they alter the local balance of military power, not because of their political effects.
A systematic review of national interventions and policies to optimize antibiotic use in healthcare settings in England
Authors: Knowles Rebecca , Chandler Clare , O’Neill Stephen , Sharland Mike , Mays Nicholas
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To identify and assess the effectiveness of national antibiotic optimization interventions in primary and secondary care in England (2013–2022).

Methods

A systematic scoping review was conducted. Literature databases (Embase and Medline) were used to identify interventions and evaluations. Reports included the UK AMR Strategy (2013–2018), National Action Plan (2019–2024) and English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) reports (2014–2022). The design, focus and quality of evaluations and the interventions’ effectiveness were extracted.

Findings

Four hundred and seventy-seven peer-reviewed studies and 13 reports were screened. One hundred and three studies were included for review, identifying 109 interventions in eight categories: policy and commissioning (n = 9); classifications (n = 1); guidance and toolkits (n = 22); monitoring and feedback (n = 17); professional engagement and training (n = 19); prescriber tools (n = 12); public awareness (n = 17); workforce and governance (n = 12).

Most interventions lack high-quality effectiveness evidence. Evaluations mainly focused on clinical, microbiological or antibiotic use outcomes, or intervention implementation, often assessing how interventions were perceived to affect behaviour. Only 16 interventions had studies that quantified effects on prescribing, of which six reported reductions. The largest reduction was reported with structural-level interventions and attributed to a policy and commissioning intervention (primary care financial incentives). Behavioural interventions (guidance and toolkits) reported the greatest impact in hospitals.

Conclusions

Many interventions have targeted antibiotic use, each pulling different levers across the health system simultaneously. On the basis of these studies, structural-level interventions may have the greatest impact. Collectively, the combination of interventions may explain England’s decline in prescribing but direct evidence of causality is unavailable.
Cardiac remodeling: novel pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies
Authors: Nishida Motohiro , Mi Xinya , Ishii Yukina , Kato Yuri , Nishimura Akiyuki
Published: March 2024

Morphological and structural remodeling of the heart, including cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, has been considered as a therapeutic target for heart failure for approximately three decades. Groundbreaking heart failure medications demonstrating reverse remodeling effects have contributed significantly to medical advancements. However, nearly 50% of heart failure patients still exhibit drug resistance, posing a challenge to the healthcare system. Recently, characteristics of heart failure resistant to ARBs and β-blockers have been defined, highlighting preserved systolic function despite impaired diastolic function, leading to the classification of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The pathogenesis and aetiology of HFpEF may be related to metabolic abnormalities, as evidenced by its mimicry through endothelial dysfunction and excessive intake of high-fat diets. Our recent findings indicate a significant involvement of mitochondrial hyper-fission in the progression of heart failure. This mitochondrial pathological remodeling is associated with redox imbalance, especially hydrogen sulphide accumulation due to abnormal electron leak in myocardium. In this review, we also introduce a novel therapeutic strategy for heart failure from the current perspective of mitochondrial redox-metabolic remodeling.
Pornography, identification, alcohol, and condomless sex
Authors: Wright Paul J , Tokunaga Robert S , Herbenick Debby
Published: March 2024

Using national probability data from the 2022 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, the present study evaluated whether moderators of the association between frequency of pornography exposure and condomless sex are consistent with the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model’s (3AM) suppositions about the facilitating effects of wishful identification and decreased self-regulation and forethought capacity. Consistent with the 3AM, two-way interaction effect analysis indicated that the strength of the positive association between exposure frequency and condomless sex increased as identification intensified. Inconsistent with the 3AM, two-way interaction effect analysis indicated that the association between exposure frequency and condomless sex was not significantly different among those who had and had not consumed alcohol before their last sexual encounter. However, the three-way interaction between exposure frequency, identification, and alcohol use did suggest a role for each 3AM moderator, as the catalyzing effect of identification was operable among those who had consumed alcohol only.
Research progress on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacological action, and applications of Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall: a review
Authors: Li Yuxin , Xia Wenxin , Li Tingting , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhang Wenjin , Yue Jiahui , Wang Lulu , Zhu Xiangdong , Fu Xueyan
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall is a plant of the Juglandaceae family, and its leaves is the main part used as a medicine. It is used to relieve heat and pain, gasification, and dampness. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic review about the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of this plant.

Key findings

Many compounds have been isolated and identified from the plant, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, quinones, essential oils, and other types of chemical constituents. Extensive pharmacological activities of the extracts or compounds of E. roxburghiana Wall in vivo and in vitro were mainly confirmed, including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects.

In this paper, the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of E. roxburghiana Wall were reviewed. In the future, E. roxburghiana Wall needs further study, such as paying more attention to quality control and the utilization on agriculture. In addition, discussing the medicinal components of decoction as well as the toxicity will also contribute to the progress of clinical trial studies.
The Diverse Evolutionary Histories of Domesticated Metaviral Capsid Genes in Mammals
Authors: Henriques William S , Young Janet M , Nemudryi Artem , Nemudraia Anna , Wiedenheft Blake , Malik Harmit S
Published: March 2024

Selfish genetic elements comprise significant fractions of mammalian genomes. In rare instances, host genomes domesticate segments of these elements for function. Using a complete human genome assembly and 25 additional vertebrate genomes, we re-analyzed the evolutionary trajectories and functional potential of capsid (CA) genes domesticated from Metaviridae, a lineage of retrovirus-like retrotransposons. Our study expands on previous analyses to unearth several new insights about the evolutionary histories of these ancient genes. We find that at least five independent domestication events occurred from diverse Metaviridae, giving rise to three universally retained single-copy genes evolving under purifying selection and two gene families unique to placental mammals, with multiple members showing evidence of rapid evolution. In the SIRH/RTL family, we find diverse amino-terminal domains, widespread loss of protein-coding capacity in RTL10 despite its retention in several mammalian lineages, and differential utilization of an ancient programmed ribosomal frameshift in RTL3 between the domesticated CA and protease domains. Our analyses also reveal that most members of the PNMA family in mammalian genomes encode a conserved putative amino-terminal RNA-binding domain (RBD) both adjoining and independent from domesticated CA domains. Our analyses lead to a significant correction of previous annotations of the essential CCDC8 gene. We show that this putative RBD is also present in several extant Metaviridae, revealing a novel protein domain configuration in retrotransposons. Collectively, our study reveals the divergent outcomes of multiple domestication events from diverse Metaviridae in the common ancestor of placental mammals.
Syntropic spin alignment at the interface between ferromagnetic and superconducting nitrides
Authors: Jin Qiao , Zhang Qinghua , Bai He , Yang Meng , Ga Yonglong , Chen Shengru , Hong Haitao , Cui Ting , Rong Dongke , Lin Ting , Wang Jia-Ou , Ge Chen , Wang Can , Cao Yanwei , Gu Lin , Song Guozhu , Wang Shanmin , Jiang Kun , Cheng Zhi-Gang , Zhu Tao , Yang Hongxin , Jin Kui-juan , Guo Er-Jia
Published: March 2024

The magnetic correlations at the superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) interfaces play a crucial role in realizing dissipation-less spin-based logic and memory technologies, such as triplet-supercurrent spin-valves and ‘π’ Josephson junctions. Here we report the observation of an induced large magnetic moment at high-quality nitride S/F interfaces. Using polarized neutron reflectometry and DC SQUID measurements, we quantitatively determined the magnetization profile of the S/F bilayer and confirmed that the induced magnetic moment in the adjacent superconductor only exists below TC. Interestingly, the direction of the induced moment in the superconductors was unexpectedly parallel to that in the ferromagnet, which contrasts with earlier findings in S/F heterostructures based on metals or oxides. First-principles calculations verified that the unusual interfacial spin texture observed in our study was caused by the Heisenberg direct exchange coupling with constant J∼4.28 meV through d-orbital overlapping and severe charge transfer across the interfaces. Our work establishes an incisive experimental probe for understanding the magnetic proximity behavior at S/F interfaces and provides a prototype epitaxial ‘building block’ for superconducting spintronics.
Biopolitics and Biopower
Authors: Lambert Gregg , Erlenbusch-Anderson Verena
Published: March 2024

Michel Foucault introduced the concepts of biopower and biopolitics to avoid the shortcomings of a hegemonic concept of power in political theory, which defines power in terms of sovereignty and the state and does not account for how power functions outside the state in institutions like the family, physician–patient relationships, or in the workplace. Foucault argues that contrary to the notion of power as sovereignty, which manifests itself in the form of prohibition or repression, power is also productive: it produces knowledges, practices, and subjectivities. The concepts of biopower and biopolitics are part of an analytic of power that can account for the local and productive techniques of power. Nevertheless, these concepts are rather vague in Foucault’s own writings and lectures; moreover, a key challenge is that Foucault himself uses the terms inconsistently: On some occasions, he uses them virtually interchangeably, while on others he argues that biopolitics is one of two formations of biopower, the second formation being disciplinary power. The clearest account of biopower can be found in the Foucault’s 1975–1979 lectures at the Collège de France, where he discusses biopower as a new technique of power exercised over the biological life of the human species, defined both as the disciplinary control of individual bodies and subjects, and the biopolitical surveillance and administration of populations.
Law of the Sea in China
Authors: Zhang Haiwen , Chen Xidi
Published: March 2024

As most non-European countries, China’s involvement in the regime of international law was not initially based on “free consent.” After the defeat of the Opium War in 1840, the then Chinese government of the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912) had to learn and accept international law in order to negotiate and communicate with Western countries. Since then, Chinese scholars began to translate a large number of international law works, which contain chapters on the law of the sea. For more than a hundred years after 1840, on the one hand, there has been some practice of the law of the sea at the government level that went through three periods, namely the Qing Dynasty, the Kuomintang government, and the Communist government of China. However, on the other hand, academic research on the law of the sea was limited in China due to war and political reasons. Until the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the 1980s and China’s reform and opening-up policy at the same time, the enthusiasm of the Chinese academic community for the study of the law of the sea was aroused. The purpose of this work is to provide a comprehensive picture of “the Law of the Sea in China” by introducing the theory and philosophy of Chinese scholars on the law of the sea, as well as the concerns and positions of particular issues. This work has four main parts. The first part presents textbooks, periodicals, and compilations of treaties related to the subject matter. The second part focuses on the general theory and philosophy of the law of the sea adopted by Chinese scholars. The third part deals with specific areas of the law of the sea, including works in Chinese and English. The final section summarizes the prospects and concerns of Chinese scholars about the future of the law of the sea on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of UNCLOS. Given China’s large population and the number of law of the sea scholars and works, we limit the discussion to those works that are most representative of the relevant topics and written by the leading Chinese international lawyers in the current generation. It should be noted that the names of all the authors below are in Chinese pinyin (拼音), with the surname first and the given name second.
Epigenetic modification of a pectin methylesterase gene activates apoplastic iron reutilization in tomato roots
Authors: Zhu Huihui , Wang Jiayi , Huang Ru'nan , Yang Zheng'an , Fan Wei , Huang Li , Yang Jianli , Chen Weiwei
Published: March 2024

Iron (Fe) distribution and reutilization are crucial for maintaining Fe homeostasis in plants. Here, we demonstrate that the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Colorless nonripening (Cnr) epimutant exhibits increased Fe retention in cell wall pectin due to an increase in pectin methylesterase (PME) activity. This ultimately leads to Fe deficiency responses even under Fe-sufficient conditions when compared to the wild type (WT). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that modifications to cell wall-related genes, especially CG hypermethylation in the intron region of PECTIN METHYLESTERASE53 (SlPME53), are involved in the Cnr response to Fe deficiency. When this intron hypermethylation of SlPME53 was artificially induced in WT, we found that elevated SlPME53 expression was accompanied by increased PME activity and increased pectin–Fe retention. The manipulation of SlPME53, either through overexpression in WT or knockdown in Cnr, influenced levels of pectin methylesterification and accumulation of apoplast Fe in roots. Moreover, CG hypermethylation mediated by METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (SlMET1) increased SlPME53 transcript abundance, resulting in greater PME activity and higher Fe retention in cell wall pectin. Therefore, we conclude that the Cnr mutation epigenetically modulates SlPME53 expression by SlMET1-mediated CG hypermethylation, and thus the capacity of the apoplastic Fe pool, creating opportunities for genetic improvement of crop mineral nutrition.
Incidence of systemic vasculitides after Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: a population-based cohort study in Korea
Authors: Han Minkyung , Ha Jang Woo , Jung Inkyung , Kim Chi Young , Ahn Sung Soo
Published: March 2024

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly prevalent disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality globally and is reported to be associated with the onset of autoimmunity. This study investigated the association between TB and the incidence of systemic vasculitides (SV).

Methods

Data were obtained from the South Korean National Claims database to identify patients with TB and controls (who had undergone appendectomy). The overall occurrence of SV and disease subtypes during the observation period was compared between the two groups. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan–Meier analysis were performed to identify the relationship between TB and SV and to compare SV incidence.

Results

We identified 418 677 patients with TB and 160 289 controls. The overall SV incidence rate was 192/1 000 000 person-years during a mean follow-up of 7.5 years and was higher in patients with TB than controls. Cox regression revealed that the risk of SV was elevated in the TB group independently (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45–2.05). Furthermore, the risk of SV was significantly higher in extrapulmonary TB (aHR: 4.28, 95% CI: 3.52–5.21) when the TB group was categorized into pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. The findings remained identical even after applying a stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

Conclusions

Patients with TB have an increased risk of SV, which is prominent in extrapulmonary TB. As well as confirming TB is associated with an increased incidence of immune-related vasculitis, our findings highlight the need for clinical vigilance for early diagnosis and initiation of treatment.
French Psychiatry and Alcoholism in the 1950s and 1960s: The Paradoxes of Outpatient Care
Authors: Le Bras Anatole
Published: March 2024

This article examines the place of alcoholic patients in French psychiatry in the 1950s and 1960s, an era of incipient psychiatric reform. Relying on medical literature, national and department archives, as well as hitherto unexploited patient files from one of the first anti-alcoholic consultations opened in the early 1950s in Paris, it shows how new therapies and drugs, such as disulfiram, revived the interest of psychiatrists for alcoholism and enabled the outpatient treatment of alcoholics. However, the study of patient trajectories reveals that ambulatory care did not substitute itself for hospitalisation. The article then analyses how the psychiatrist–patient relation was transformed in the framework of the consultation, and included new stakeholders such as social workers and family members. It finally explains why therapeutic enthusiasm gave way, at the end of the 1960s, to increasing doubts concerning the role of the psychiatrist in the cure of alcoholism.
Ontogenetic development of limb bone microstructure in the king penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus (Miller, 1778), with considerations for palaeoecological inferences in Sphenisciformes
Authors: Canoville Aurore , Robin Jean-Patrice , de Buffrénil Vivian
Published: March 2024

Birds have colonized various habitats during their evolutionary history, including the aquatic environment. Several studies have investigated the gross morphological changes of the avian skeleton in response to increasing swimming capabilities, but few have documented in detail the microstructural specializations associated with this process. Bone microstructure is nevertheless often used to reconstruct the ecology of extinct aquatic birds, although this relationship is incompletely understood in modern forms, especially for the extent of intra-specific variability related, or not, to age. In an attempt to fill this gap, we investigated the change in limb bone microstructure from hatching to adulthood in 34 Aptenodytes patagonicus specimens. Our results reveal substantial intraspecific variability, regardless of the ontogenetic stage considered. Although most skeletal growth is achieved in the first few months after hatching, limb bone microstructure undergoes important maturation throughout ontogeny until fledging, which occurs in 1-year-old chicks. Architecture and compactness in hindlimb bones mature earlier than in forelimb bones, reflecting the time offset in the use of musculoskeletal elements involved in terrestrial locomotion in chicks (hindlimbs) and sub-aquatic locomotion in adults (forelimbs). These observations allow critical reassessment of previous palaeoecological reconstructions in extinct Sphenisciformes and set a good comparative framework for rigorous inferences.
Contrasting the depths of divergence between gene-tree and coalescent estimates in the North American racers (Colubridae: Coluber constrictor)
Authors: Myers Edward A , Gehara Marcelo , Burgoon Jamie L , McKelvy Alexander D , Vonnahme Lauren , Burbrink Frank T
Published: March 2024

The North American racers (Coluber constrictor) are widely distributed across the Nearctic and numerous studies have demonstrated extensive variation in morphology, ecology, and population genetic structure. Here we take an integrative approach to understand lineage diversification within this taxon by combining genomic sequence capture data, mtDNA sequence data, morphometrics, and ecological niche models. Both the genomic data and mtDNA phylogeographic analyses support five lineages distributed across the range of this species. However, demographic model selection based on these two datasets strongly conflict in both the model of divergence and estimates of timing of lineage divergence. While mtDNA and concatenated genomic data suggest a Miocene origin of these distinct groups, coalescent-based demographic models with the sequence capture data suggest lineage diversification occurred at ~33 kya in allopatry without gene flow. Using linear morphological measurements of head shape we demonstrate that lineages distributed largely east and west of the Mississippi River are distinguishable. Furthermore, ecological niche models demonstrate that lineages distributed in subtropical habitats have environmental niche space that is significantly differentiated from lineages distributed across the continent. Taken together, these results suggest that ecology is an important axis of lineage divergence within this group and that more fine-scale analyses may find even greater differentiation between the populations identified here. This abstract translated to Spanish is avaliable in the Supporting Infromation section (Este resumen traducido al español está disponible en la sección, Supporting Infromation).
The Role of Surveillance in Predicting Fracture in Pediatric Patients With Incidentally Discovered Nonossifying Fibromas and Fibrous Cortical Defects: Is It Worth It?
Authors: Patel Rohan R. , Damron Timothy A.
Published: March 2024

Background:

Nonossifying fibroma (NOF) and fibrous cortical defect (FCDs), the most common benign pediatric bone lesions, are usually incidental x-ray findings. Surveillance of characteristic lesions has been recommended to monitor for enlargement and assess fracture risk. However, no accepted fracture risk prediction guidelines exist, so indications for prophylactic surgery are unclear. The study’s purposes were to (1) characterize the timing of NOF/FCD-associated fractures, (2) quantify the resources devoted to surveillance, and (3) evaluate the potential for surveillance to prevent pathologic fracture.

Methods:

A single institution retrospective review was conducted to identify pediatric patients (below 18 y old) with clinical-radiographic documentation of an NOF or FCD diagnosis from 2012 to 2020. Patients who presented with fracture were tallied but excluded from the surveillance analysis. Patients without at least one follow-up visit were also excluded. Lesional radiographic features were characterized on initial imaging. The number of visits and imaging studies devoted to surveillance were tabulated. The number of fractures and prophylactic surgeries were recorded to quantify the potential of surveillance to prevent pathologic fractures.

Results:

The study population presenting without fracture consisted of 301 patients with 364 lesions with a mean follow-up of 20 months. By contrast, over the same period, 38 patients presented with NOF/FCD associated pathologic fractures. Surveillance included 1037 additional imaging tests over 1311 follow-up visits, or on average, 3.4 imaging studies and 4.4 visits per patient. During surveillance, only 2 (0.55%) lesions fractured. Another 10/364 (2.8%) patients underwent curettage and grafting, suggesting that—at best—the potential for preventing pathologic fracture by surveillance, assuming all 10 patients who underwent surgery would have subsequently fractured along with the 2 documented fractures, is 3.3% of lesions (12/364).

Conclusions:

The small number of fractures and surgeries during the follow-up period probably does not justify additional resources for surveillance beyond the initial visit, except in symptomatic patients with large lesions. However, subsequent visits may play a role in educating patients and their families regarding the natural history of these lesions.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level II—retrospective study.
Advances in testing for human papillomavirus-mediated head and neck cancer
Authors: Mehanna Hisham , Alemany Laia , von Buchwald Christian
Published: March 2024

Purpose of review

New evidence has recently emerged regarding the utility and benefits of dual p16INKa (p16) and Human papillomavirus (HPV) status testing when determining the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Recent findings

HPV RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most accurate diagnostic test. The other assays (HPV DNA PCR, HPV DNA/RNA in-situ hybridization (ISH) and p16) applied to formalin fixed tumour tissue have varying but high sensitivities and specificities. Dual p16 and HPV testing identifies discordant (p16+/HPV− or p16−/HPV+) results in 9.2% of cases, who have significantly poorer prognoses than p16+/HPV+, particularly in smokers. The proportion of discordant cases varies by region, and appears to be highest in regions with lowest attributable (p16+/HPV+) fractions. Dual testing improves prognostication for oropharyngeal cancer cases by identifying discordant cases and improving the prognostic power of the Tumour Node Metastasis (TNM) classification, especially in regions with high discordant rates.

Dual testing is essential when considering patients for clinical trials of treatment de-escalation, and may be important when counselling patients on prognosis, especially in regions with high discordant rates and in smokers.
Preschooler Screen Time During the Pandemic Is Prospectively Associated With Lower Achievement of Developmental Milestones
Authors: Binet Marie-Andrée , Couture Mélanie , R Chevrier Jonathan , S Pagani Linda , Garon-Carrier Gabrielle , Fitzpatrick Caroline
Published: March 2024

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the developmental risks associated with total screen time, and specifically newer mobile devices, in the context of the pandemic.

Methods:

This study uses parent-reported data from a prospective cohort of Canadian preschool-age children. The exposure variable is child daily screen time measured at the age of 3.5 years categorized as light (<1 hr/d), moderate (1–4 hr/d), or intensive (>4 hr/d) use (N = 315). Time spent on mobile devices was considered separately as a continuous variable. Our outcome is child global development scores, which combine assessments of communication, cognitive, personal-social, and motor skills measured at the age of 4.5 years using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) (N = 249, 79% retained). ASQ scores were dichotomized to distinguish children at risk of developmental delays (below the 15th percentile) from those not at risk. We estimate associations between child screen time and later global development using multiple regressions adjusted for child sex and temperament, and parent education. We also examine whether associations are moderated by child and parent characteristics.

Results:

Logistic regressions revealed that intensive users were more at risk of global developmental delays compared with light users (OR = 4.29, p = 0.020). Mobile device use was also associated with lower global scores (β = −3.064; p = 0.028), but not with risk of delays. We found no evidence that associations were moderated by child sex and temperament, or parent education.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that intensive screen time may be associated with delays in child global development. Early childhood professionals should encourage families with preschoolers to prioritize screen-free activities to promote optimal cognitive, language, social, and motor development.
New Concept for Articulated Alar Rim Graft Positioning
Authors: Lyrio Tiago , Maricevich Pablo , Andrade Alexei A. , De Bacco Felipe Webber , Tamanqueira Paula
Published: March 2024

The articulated alar rim graft (AARG) proposed by Davis is a simple and effective method for avoiding and correcting most alar rim deformities in rhinoplasty. In addition to its benefit for the nasal ala, the position suggested herein allows for a precise definition of the facet polygon and infratip lobule. A retrospective series of 317 patients surgically treated with the modified AARG positioning were evaluated. The height of the septal extension graft was always a few millimeters above the new dome, without demanding excessive lateral crural tensioning (LCT), and the AARG itself was fixed more on the facet polygon and infratip than in the standard procedure. The results were favorable after 1 year of follow-up. The proposed AARG modification yielded good nasal tip projection and definition without excess LCT, enhanced the facet polygon and supra-alar sulcus, and stretched the skin downward. Functional gain was reported by most patients. Few minor and common complications were reported. The use of this modified AARG position can avoid and correct most alar deformities, with the added benefit of providing better control over tip definition without the need for excessive LCT or overprojection of the nose.
Clinical and Laboratory Biomarkers as Predictors of Severity in Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome-temporally Associated With SARS-CoV-2: Data From a Prospective Nationwide Surveillance Study in Switzerland
Authors: Wurm Juliane , Uka Anita , Buettcher Michael , Kottanattu Lisa , Schöbi Nina , Trück Johannes , Villiger Reto , Ritz Nicole , Zimmermann Petra ,   on behalf of the Swiss Paediatric Surveillance Unit
Published: March 2024

Background:

PIMS-TS (pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome-temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2) is a rare but serious condition in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by a range of clinical symptoms with varying severity. Understanding risk factors for severe PIMS-TS is crucial for appropriate and timely intervention.

Objective:

To identify factors associated with increased PIMS-TS severity in children.

Methods:

In this nationwide prospective observational study, epidemiological and clinical data was collected from children <18 years of age with suspected or confirmed PIMS-TS from all 29 pediatric hospitals in Switzerland. Children were categorized into 3 groups according to admission to intensive care unit (ICU): non-ICU, ICU-moderate and ICU-severe, defined as requirement of invasive ventilation and/or inotropic support.

Results:

A total of 204 children were included; 99 (49%) were categorized as non-ICU, 50 (25%) as ICU-moderate and 55 (27%) as ICU-severe. In ICU-severe cases, respiratory and neurological symptoms were more frequent compared with non-ICU cases: 72% versus 47%, P < 0.001 and 66% versus 41%, P = 0.001, respectively. Compared with the non-ICU group, children in the ICU-severe group had lower lymphocyte counts, higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios, lower platelet counts, as well as higher C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, troponin T and creatinine levels at admission. Lymphopenia and elevated troponin T levels at admission were associated with an increased risk of being in the ICU-severe group.

Conclusion:

The severity of PIMS-TS may be predicted using clinical symptoms and laboratory biomarkers, which help clinicians in decision-making and management of patients.