bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Abuse Liability Assessment of Tobacco and Nicotine Products: Approaches for Meeting Current Regulatory Recommendations
Authors: Vansickel Andrea , Baxter Sarah , Sherwood Neil , Kong Michael , Campbell Leanne
Published: September 2021

Many regulatory bodies now recommend that tobacco product manufacturers provide information regarding new tobacco products’ abuse liability to inform regulatory authorization of currently marketed tobacco products or new product applications (including premarket tobacco product applications in the United States). In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends including this information as part of modified risk tobacco product applications. Regulators, including FDA, and many public health officials and researchers consider abuse liability assessment a model which predicts the likelihood that the use of the tobacco product would result in addiction and be used repeatedly or even sporadically resulting in undesirable effects. Abuse liability of a new, potentially reduced harm product can also inform its ability to substitute completely for more harmful tobacco products. While many methods exist, no standard tobacco product abuse liability assessment has been established. The purpose of this review is to provide background information and practical recommendations for human abuse liability testing methods to meet tobacco regulatory needs. A combination of nicotine test product pharmacokinetic, subjective effect and/or behavioral response, and physiological response data relative to comparator products with known abuse liability satisfies some regulatory requirements.

Implications: This review provides a practical inspection of the current, international regulatory recommendations for abuse liability assessment of tobacco and regulatory review of such information within the United States and also recommends study designs and methods for abuse liability testing of tobacco products based on scientific and regulatory knowledge. Given that tobacco product abuse liability testing is of increasing interest to regulatory bodies globally, especially with the emergence of novel tobacco products, this timely work provides background and functional recommendations for tobacco product abuse liability testing.
Shift work amongst older UK workers and job exit
Authors: Bevilacqua G , D’Angelo S , Ntani G , Stevens M , Linaker C H , Walker-Bone K
Published: September 2021

Background

Night/shift work may be increasing but there are few data about the prevalence amongst older workers. With governments encouraging people to work to older ages, it is important to know how feasible night/shift work is for them and whether there are any adverse health consequences.

Aims

Amongst current older workers (aged 50–64 years), to explore the prevalence of night/shift working and evaluate its health impacts and sustainability over 4 years of follow-up.

Methods

Data from the Health and Employment After Fifty cohort were used to describe the demographic, job and health characteristics of men and women undertaking night/shift work. Longitudinal data were used to examine the number and nature of exits annually thereafter.

Results

Amongst the 5409 working at baseline, 32% reported night/shift work in sectors which differed by sex. Night/shift workers were more likely to be: current smokers; doing physically demanding work; struggling to cope at work; dissatisfied with their hours; depressed; sleeping poorly; rating their health poorly. Women whose job involves night work were more likely to exit the workforce over 4 years.

Conclusions

Almost one in three contemporary UK older workers report night/shift work. We found some evidence of adverse impacts on health, sleep and well-being and higher rates of job exit amongst women. More research is needed but night/shift work may be challenging to sustain for older workers and could have health consequences.
Shift work, inflammation and musculoskeletal pain—The HUNT Study
Authors: Matre D , Christensen J O , Mork P J , Ferreira P , Sand T , Nilsen K B
Published: September 2021

Background

Studies have indicated that shift work, in particular night work, is associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain but the mechanisms are unclear. It has been suggested that sleep disturbance, a common complaint among shift and night workers, may induce low-grade inflammation as well as heightened pain sensitivity.

Aims

Firstly, this study was aimed to examine the cross-sectional associations between shift work, C-reactive protein (CRP) level and chronic musculoskeletal pain, and secondly, to analyse CRP as a mediator between shift work and chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Methods

The study included 23 223 vocationally active women and men who participated in the HUNT4 Survey of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Information was collected by questionnaires, interviews, biological samples and clinical examination.

Results

Regression analyses adjusted for sex, age and education revealed significant associations between shift work and odds of any chronic musculoskeletal pain (odd ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.19), between shift work and CRP level (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.16) and between CRP level 3.00–10 mg/L and any chronic musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.27–1.51). Shift work and CRP were also associated with number of chronic pain sites. Mediation analysis indicated that shift work was indirectly associated with any chronic musculoskeletal pain through CRP (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06).

Conclusions

The results support the hypothesis that shift work is associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and that systemic inflammation may be a biological mechanism linking shift work to chronic pain.
Dworkin versus Hart Revisited: The Challenge of Non-lexical Determination
Authors: Berman Mitchell N
Published: September 2021

A fundamental task for legal philosophy is to explain what makes it the case that the law has the content that it does. Anti-positivists say that moral norms play an ineliminable role in the determination of legal content, while positivists say that they play no role, or only a contingent one. Increasingly, scholars report finding the debate stale. This article hopes to freshen it by, ironically, revisiting what might be thought its opening round: Dworkin’s challenge to Hartian positivism levelled in The Model of Rules I. It argues that the underappreciated significance of Dworkin’s distinction between rules and principles is not that Hart’s model cannot allow for the existence of legal principles, but that it cannot make sense of their operation. Hart’s model posits that legal rules are determined in a rule-like (‘lexical’) way, whereas legal principles contribute to rules in a manner that is at least partly non-lexical. The upshots of this reinterpretation are: first (against most positivists) that Dworkin’s challenge does require some reworking of Hart’s positivist theory; and second (against most anti-positivists) that the reworking required to meet Dworkin’s challenge does not necessitate positivism’s abandonment.
Now in the Network
Authors: Rofe Michael
Published: September 2021

Network technologies have played an increasingly prominent role in sound art practices over the last forty years. The consequent creative possibilities associated with space and locality are clearly apparent: networks enable connections between geographically remote locations, and allow the creation of new virtual spaces for sound art to inhabit. Less immediately apparent—though equally significant—are the ways in which network technologies have enabled artists to explore temporal relationships in their work. In particular, network technologies inevitably involve latency—a short time delay between the moment a signal is created at one location and the moment it is perceived at another. Taking traditional notated music practice as a point of reference, this chapter considers a number of case studies in which sound artists have explored new types of temporal relationships in their work, as a consequence of their use of network technologies. This investigation is framed in the context of Bergson’s concept of durée and Clarke’s concept of subject position.
Changing the purpose of the corporation to rebalance capitalism
Authors: Henderson Rebecca M
Published: September 2021

Solving the great problems of our time will require reimagining capitalism by balancing the power of the free market with capable, democratically accountable government and strong civil society. Changing the purpose of the firm has the potential to make this process of rebalancing significantly easier. Purpose-driven firms could be catalysts in the drive for systemic change by supporting transformation within their own industries, supporting cooperation in the public interest and modelling public/private partnerships, and supporting the strengthening of global democracy. Transforming the purpose of the firm will require not only changing corporate law, but also changing the metrics used to control and measure firms and the social norms that constrain and guide corporate behavior.
Capitalism: what has gone wrong, what needs to change, and how it can be fixed
Authors: Collier Paul , Coyle Diane , Mayer Colin , Wolf Martin
Published: September 2021

The distinguished contributors to this issue of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy were asked to address the question of what has gone wrong with capitalism, what needs to change, and how can it be fixed. The objective behind the solutions discussed in these articles is to retain as far as possible the benefits of globalization, technology, and market processes, while addressing sources of disaffection and discontent by prioritizing convergence in attainable levels of earned incomes and wellbeing within and across countries. Three key ideas run through the articles. The first is the inadequate depiction of the individual in conventional economics as a person preoccupied with consumption and leisure. The second is widespread support for greater devolution to local decision-taking, and an emphasis on the importance of cooperation in communities. The third is the critique of economic orthodoxy implied by the concept of radical uncertainty. Together, these articles provide an inspiring assessment and reconceptualization of capitalism, and offer practical ways of addressing its deficiencies while preserving its merits.
Standing Up for the Nations? Devolution and the Changing Territorial Role of Backbench MPs with Constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, 1992–2019
Authors: Sheldon Jack
Published: September 2021

At UK general elections, parties and candidates standing in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales give prominence to pledges to act on behalf of those territories. This article examines how far and in what ways MPs with constituencies in those parts of the UK actually seek to give representation to these territorial units once elected. A typology of forms of substantive parliamentary representation of sub-state units such as these is outlined, and results of a content analysis of Commons contributions by backbench MPs between 1992 and 2019 are presented. It is found that MPs from the parts of the UK with devolved legislatures focus extensively on the sub-state territorial level and that these MPs have adapted their representational styles to the changed institutional context following devolution. These findings have important implications for how we think about the roles of MPs from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the post-devolution context.
Spatial variation and transport of abundant copepod taxa in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in autumn
Authors: SOROCHAN K A , BRENNAN C E , PLOURDE S , JOHNSON C L
Published: September 2021

The spatial distribution of zooplankton is influenced by complex interactions among population dynamics, vertical positioning and advection. We used empirical observations and particle tracking simulations to investigate variation in horizontal distribution of Calanus spp. and three neritic copepod taxa (Acartia spp., Pseudocalanus sp. and Temora longicornis) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) in October 2018. These copepods are potential prey for fish and the endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis. We quantified horizontal variation in abundance from a plankton survey, and obtained vertical distributions from a subset of locations and a process study conducted over ~1 day. Horizontal distributions of Calanus finmarchicus and Pseudocalanus sp. were widespread, whereas those of Calanus hyperboreus and C. glacialis were centred in the interior of the sGSL and those of Acartia spp. and T. longicornis were centred on the western side. Horizontal distributions of C. hyperboreus–C. glacialis and C. finmarchicus–Pseudocalanus sp. pairs were highly correlated. Contrasting distributions among C. finmarchicus and its congeners reflect interspecific differences in life history strategy and its interaction with ocean circulation. In autumn, a shift to increased current strength and flow-through circulation may lead to enhanced losses of Calanus spp. in the absence of upstream replenishment.
Do Terrorists Get the Attention They Want?
Authors: Nussio Enzo , Böhmelt Tobias , Bove Vincenzo
Published: September 2021

Terrorists aim at influencing audiences beyond their immediate victims, but can only achieve this if an attack receives sufficient public attention. Previous research shows that terrorism can affect public opinion, but these studies are mainly based on emblematic single cases and relate to varying measures of influence, which are difficult to compare. This research focuses on the first-order effect of terrorism: attention. To analyze whether terrorists get attention, we combine a quasi-experimental approach for causal identification with a comparative design. We compile data from Eurobarometer surveys and contrast responses of more than 80,000 individuals surveyed before and after five diverse Islamist attacks in Europe in 2013–2019. Attention to terrorism increases in all targeted countries, regardless of attack size. Yet, while all incidents raise attention to terrorism, only larger attacks exert a meaningful impact across Europe.
Correspondence between isoscalar monopole strengths and $\alpha$ inelastic cross sections on 24Mg
Authors: Ogata Kazuyuki , Chiba Yohei , Sakuragi Yukinori
Published: September 2021

The correspondence between the isoscalar monopole (IS0) transition strengths and $\alpha$ inelastic cross sections, the $B({\rm IS0})$–$(\alpha,\alpha')$ correspondence, is investigated for $^{24}$Mg($\alpha,\alpha'$) at 130 and 386 MeV. We adopt a microscopic coupled-channel reaction framework to link structural inputs, diagonal and transition densities, for $^{24}$Mg obtained with antisymmetrized molecular dynamics to the ($\alpha,\alpha'$) cross sections. We aim at clarifying how the $B({\rm IS0})$–$(\alpha,\alpha')$ correspondence is affected by the nuclear distortion, the in-medium modification to the nucleon–nucleon effective interaction in the scattering process, and the coupled-channel effect. It is found that these effects are significant and the explanation of the $B({\rm IS0})$–$(\alpha,\alpha')$ correspondence in the plane wave limit with the long-wavelength approximation, which is often used, makes no sense. Nevertheless, the $B({\rm IS0})$–$(\alpha,\alpha')$ correspondence tends to remain because of a strong constraint on the transition densities between the ground state and the $0^+$ excited states. The correspondence is found to hold at 386 MeV with an error of about 20%–30%, while it is seriously compromised at 130 MeV, mainly by the strong nuclear distortion. It is also found that when a $0^+$ state that has a different structure from a simple $\alpha$ cluster state is considered, the $B({\rm IS0})$–$(\alpha,\alpha')$ correspondence becomes less valid. For a quantitative discussion on the $\alpha$ clustering in $0^+$ excited states of nuclei, a microscopic description of both the structure and reaction parts will be necessary.
Safety, Feasibility, and Outcomes of Frequent, Long-Duration Rehabilitation in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility After Prolonged Hospitalization for Severe COVID-19: An Observational Study
Authors: Vickory Frank , Ridgeway Kyle , Falvey Jason , Houwer Beth , Gunlikson Jennifer , Payne Katherine , Niehaus William
Published: September 2021

Objective

he objective of this study was to evaluate safety, feasibility, and outcomes of 30 patients within an inpatient rehabilitation facility following hospitalization for severe Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) infection.

Methods

This was an observational study of 30 patients (ages 26–80 years) within a large, metropolitan, academic hospital following hospitalization for complications from severe COVID-19. Ninety percent of the participants required critical care, and 83% required mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization. Within an inpatient rehabilitation facility and model of care, frequent, long-duration rehabilitation was provided by occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech language pathologists.

Results

The average inpatient rehabilitation facility length of stay was 11 days (ranging from 4–22 days). Patients averaged 165 min/d (ranging from 140–205 minutes) total of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Twenty-eight of the 30 patients (93%) were discharged to the community. One patient required readmission from an inpatient rehabilitation facility to an acute hospital. All 30 patients improved their functional status with inpatient rehabilitation.

Conclusion

In this cohort of 30 patients, inpatient rehabilitation after severe COVID-19 was safe and feasible. Patients were able to participate in frequent, long-duration rehabilitation with nearly all patients discharging to the community. Clinically, inpatient rehabilitation should be considered for patients with functional limitations following severe COVID-19. Given 90% of our cohort required critical care, future studies should investigate the efficacy and effectiveness of inpatient rehabilitation following hospitalization for critical illness. Frequent, long-duration rehabilitation shows promising potential to address functional impairments following hospitalization for severe COVID-19.

Impact

Inpatient rehabilitation facilities should be considered as a discharge location for hospitalized survivors of COVID-19, especially severe COVID-19, with functional limitations precluding community discharge. Clinicians and administrators should consider inpatient rehabilitation and inpatient rehabilitation facilities to address the rehabilitation needs of COVID-19 and critical illness survivors.
Responsiveness and Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Brief-BESTest in People With COPD After Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Authors: Paixão Cátia , Rebelo Patrícia , Oliveira Ana , Jácome Cristina , Cruz Joana , Martins Vitória , Simão Paula , Marques Alda
Published: September 2021

Objective

he Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Brief-BESTest) is a comprehensive, reliable, and valid balance test that provides valuable information to guide balance training in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its clinical interpretability is, however, currently limited, because cutoff points to identify clinically relevant changes in people with COPD after pulmonary rehabilitation are still lacking. This study aimed to establish the responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the Brief-BESTest in people with COPD after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

Methods

A secondary analysis of data from 2 previous studies was conducted. The modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT), and the Brief-BESTest (0–24 points) were collected in people with COPD pre/post a 12-week PR program including balance training. The MCID was computed using anchor- and distribution-based methods. Changes in the 6-MWT and the mMRC were assessed and used as anchors. The pooled MCID was computed using the arithmetic weighted mean (2/3 anchor- and 1/3 distribution-based methods).

Results

Seventy-one people with COPD (69 years [SD = 8]; 76% male; FEV1 = 49.8%predicted [SD = 18%]) were included. There was a significant improvement in the Brief-BESTest after PR (mean difference = 3 points [SD = 3]). Significant correlations were found between the Brief-BESTest and the mMRC (r = −.31) and the 6-MWT (r = .37). The pooled MCID was 3.3 points.

Conclusion

An improvement of at least 3 points in the Brief-BESTest in people with COPD will enhance the interpretability of PR effects on balance performance of this population and guide tailored interventions.

Impact

The Brief-BESTest outcome measure is comprehensive, easily administered, and simple to interpret in clinical practice. This study represents a significant contribution toward the clinical interpretation of changes in balance in people with COPD following PR.
On wave generation by a submerged oscillating source over Roseau’s beach profile with outline application to a scattering problem
Authors: Ehrenmark Ulf
Published: September 2021

The exact solution for linearised water wave motion over a specific curved bottom beach profile, developed by Roseau in his book Asymptotic Wave Theory (North-Holland 1976) is here generalised to account also for the insertion of a submerged oscillating line source randomly placed above the beach. An explicit expression is obtained for the associated velocity potential in various scenarios. In particular, the one where the wave field at infinity is devoid of incoming waves allows Sretenski’s (Prikl. Mat. Meh. 27 (1963) 1012–1025) established discovery on how the source is made invisible at long distances by its strategic placement, to be verified by the asymptotic theory. Meanwhile, the opportunity is taken to construct the solution in the form of a Green’s function and its use is exemplified with a detailed guide to solving a problem of waves attacking a finite floating dock above the Roseau profile. The symmetry property of the Green’s function is verified numerically thereby providing a robust check on the validity of the procedures used in computation and leaving the reader with a tool to explore a number of different problems over this curved beach such as might be required from time to time to validate and calibrate more detailed computational models ultimately designed for application with a wide variety of bottom profiles.
Apollonius Surfaces, Circumscribed Spheres of Tetrahedra, Menelaus’s and Ceva’s Theorems in S2 × R and H2 × R Geometries
Authors: Szirmai Jenő
Published: September 2021

In the present paper we study $\mathbf{S}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ and $\mathbf{H}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ geometries, which are homogeneous Thurston 3-geometries. We define and determine the generalized Apollonius surfaces and with them define the ‘surface of a geodesic triangle’. Using the above Apollonius surfaces we develop a procedure to determine the centre and the radius of the circumscribed geodesic sphere of an arbitrary $\mathbf{S}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ and $\mathbf{H}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ tetrahedron. Moreover, we generalize the famous Menelaus’s and Ceva’s theorems for geodesic triangles in both spaces. In our work we will use the projective model of $\mathbf{S}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ and $\mathbf{H}^2\!\times\!\mathbf{R}$ geometries described by E. Molnár in [6].
Fourier Optimization and Quadratic Forms
Authors: Chirre Andrés , Quesada-Herrera Emily
Published: September 2021

We prove several results about integers represented by positive definite quadratic forms, using a Fourier analysis approach. In particular, for an integer $\ell\ge 1$, we improve the error term in the partial sums of the number of representations of integers that are a multiple of $\ell$. This allows us to obtain unconditional Brun–Titchmarsh-type results in short intervals and a conditional Cramér-type result on the maximum gap between primes represented by a given positive definite quadratic form.
Ratings-Driven Demand and Systematic Price Fluctuations
Authors: Ben-David Itzhak , Li Jiacui , Rossi Andrea , Song Yang
Published: September 2021

We show that mutual fund ratings generate correlated demand that creates systematic price fluctuations. Mutual fund investors chase fund performance via Morningstar ratings. Until June 2002, funds pursuing the same investment style had highly correlated ratings. Therefore, rating-chasing investors directed capital into winning styles, generating style-level price pressures, which reverted over time. In June 2002, Morningstar reformed its methodology of equalizing ratings across styles. Style-level correlated demand via mutual funds immediately became muted, significantly altering the time-series and cross-sectional variation in style returns.
IgA anti-citrullinated protein antibodies are associated with flares during DMARD tapering in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Sokolova Maria V , Hagen Melanie , Bang Holger , Schett Georg , Rech Juergen , Steffen Ulrike ,   the RETRO study group, Haschka Judith , Englbrecht Matthias , Hueber Axel J , Manger Bernhard , Kleyer Arnd , Reiser Michaela , Finzel Stephanie , Tony Hans-Peter , Kleinert Stefan , Feuchtenberger Martin , Fleck Martin , Manger Karin , Ochs Wolfgang , Schmitt-Haendle Matthias , Wendler Joerg , Schuch Florian , Ronneberger Monika , Lorenz Hanns-Martin , Nuesslein Hubert , Alten Rieke , Demary Winfried , Henes Joerg
Published: September 2021

Objectives

A substantial proportion of RA patients flare upon withdrawal of DMARDs, and thus the definition of prognostic markers is crucial. ACPA positivity has been identified as a risk factor for flare. However, only the role of IgG ACPA is established in this context, while the role of IgA ACPA is poorly defined. We thus aimed to investigate the role of IgA ACPA in flaring of RA.

Methods

Serum levels of IgA1 and IgA2 ACPA at baseline and after 12 months were measured in 108 patients from the randomized controlled RETRO study. RA patients in stable remission for at least 6 months at study recruitment were assigned to either one of the DMARD tapering arms or to continuation of DMARDs.

Results

In patients remaining in remission but not in the ones who flared, IgA2 ACPA levels and proportion of IgA2 in ACPA (IgA2% ACPA) significantly declined (median of 17.5%; P < 0.0001). This seemed to be independent of the treatment choice, as there was no difference in IgA2 ACPA dynamics between the study arms. IgA2% ACPA was associated with disease activity (DAS28) at flare (r = 0.36; P = 0.046). IgA and IgG ACPA showed a tendency towards independent contribution to the risk of flare with the highest risk if a patient had both antibody classes.

Conclusion

In this study, IgA ACPA was identified as a risk factor for flare in combination with IgG ACPA. IgA2 ACPA levels were associated with flare severity and declined in patients in stable remission.
IL-23 and axial disease: do they come together?
Authors: Mease Philip , van den Bosch Filip
Published: September 2021

IL-23 is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritides, including PsA and axial spondyloarthritis, as well as related conditions, such as psoriasis and IBD. Genetic associations, animal models and translational studies in humans demonstrate the key role played by IL-23, especially when coupled with downstream overexpression of IL-17 via stimulation of T helper 17 (Th17) and other cells by IL-23. Whereas IL-23 inhibition has shown clear-cut benefit in psoriasis and peripheral manifestations of PsA, trials of IL-23 inhibitors have failed in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. More recently, exploratory data from PsA patients with axial symptoms suggests that improvement may occur, but needs confirmation in dedicated axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) trials. Hypotheses for these apparently conflicting findings about IL-23 inhibition in various forms of spondylitis are discussed.
The Distress Anomaly is Deeper than You Think: Evidence from Stocks and Bonds
Authors: Avramov Doron , Chordia Tarun , Jostova Gergana , Philipov Alexander
Published: September 2021

The distress anomaly reflects the abnormally low returns of high credit risk stocks during financial distress. Evidence from stocks and corporate bonds reinforces the anomaly and challenges rationales based on shareholders’ ability to extract value from bondholders, time-varying betas, lottery-type preferences, biased earnings expectations, and limits-to-arbitrage. Moreover, mispricing of distressed stocks and bonds is associated with excess investment and excess external financing. Potential real distortions are materially understated when assessed based only on equity mispricing. We emphasize the important role of corporate bonds in dissecting the distress anomaly, and show that the anomaly is an unresolved puzzle.
ESTIMATION OF RADIATION RISK AND ESTABLISHMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY CHEST–ABDOMEN–PELVIC EXAMINATIONS IN SUDAN
Authors: Elnour Abdel-Rahman , Barakat Mustafa , Tamam Nissren , Sulieman Abdel-Moneim , Dinar Hussien , Abuzaid Mohamed M
Published: September 2021

Establishment of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) is an essential radiation optimization tool used to indicate optimum practice and radiation protection. This study aimed to report the current computed tomography (CT) of the chest–abdomen–pelvis radiation practice in Sudan as a part of the DRL establishment effort and dose optimization. CT radiation doses were collected from 530 patients of age ranging between 28 and 85 y and body weight ranging between 65 and 120 kg. DRLs were calculated based on the 75th percentile of dose length product (DLP) and CT dose index volume (CTDIvol). Effective and organ doses were calculated using the National Cancer Institute dosimetry system for the CT programme. The proposed DRLs are CTDIvol, 6 mGy, and DLP, 970 mGy.cm, and an effective dose of 9.9 mSv. Organ dose estimation showed that the thyroid received the highest dose during the scan.
Re-Thinking Protection for LGBTI Refugees in Kampala, Uganda: A Relational, Trust-Based Approach
Authors: Sinclair David , Sinatti Giulia
Published: September 2021

This article problematises protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) refugees in contexts of state-condoned persecution against this group. Based on ethnographic evidence from Kampala, Uganda, we draw attention to the homogenising tendencies of centralised protection systems in cities in the global south, which are primarily centred on nationality-based communities. We examine the processes of social exclusion that limit the involvement of LGBTI refugees from the Great Lakes Region in such communities, de facto placing them outside the parameters of institutional refugee protection. We then focus on their relational experiences of protection and safety within the office of an LGBTI support group in Kampala and argue for a micro-level approach that considers how LGBTI refugee protection is grounded in the geopolitics of the everyday. Our findings underscore the limitations of institutional policy and practice, which continues to overlook the protection gap that exists for LGBTI persons within the refugee population in Uganda. In order to remedy this protection gap, we suggest that a critical reconsideration is needed of the participatory spaces and cooperation between LGBTI refugee-led advocates and refugee serving institutions and decision-makers.
Reason-giving for resistance: obfuscation, justification and earmarking in resisting informal financial assistance
Authors: McNeill Kristen , Pierotti Rachael
Published: September 2021

Monetary assistance is a common request from social ties and can be both an economic lifeline and a financial burden. This study examines the relational work at the heart of such exchanges, examining when and how attempts at mobilizing informal financial assistance are resisted. Using qualitative data from West African factory workers, we demonstrate that individuals who wish to resist the provision of assistance without causing relational damage employ rhetorical strategies designed to justify or obfuscate their refusal, relying heavily on socially legitimate reason-giving. The findings reveal that subjective calculations of resource availability are central to the mobilization of assistance, resistant givers differentiate between justification and obfuscation of refusals, and earmarks can play a role in protecting resources from social demands. More broadly, these findings suggest ways that a differential ability to resist social capital mobilization may generate inequalities within social groups.
‘Authorized to Depart from the Law’
Authors: Nguyen Duc Tien
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed myriad brain-wracking questions to decision-makers at all levels. Viet Nam managed to curb mortality and morbidity to praiseworthy levels in the past COVID-19 waves, however, has now had its back against the wall amidst the recent exponential infection cases and draining medical resources. For swiftly flattening the curve, the legislature authorized the Government to take bolder steps where needed, even different from the laws. This article argues that while the empowerment comes from the goodwill of the legislature for the purpose of containing the raging outbreak, there remain procedural irregularities. This should garner more attention from the state authority to ensure the rule of law and legality of all state actions during the time of public health emergency.
Excluding Loci With Substitution Saturation Improves Inferences From Phylogenomic Data
Authors: Duchêne David A , Mather Niklas , Van Der Wal Cara , Ho Simon Y W
Published: September 2021

The historical signal in nucleotide sequences becomes eroded over time by substitutions occurring repeatedly at the same sites. This phenomenon, known as substitution saturation, is recognized as one of the primary obstacles to deep-time phylogenetic inference using genome-scale data sets. We present a new test of substitution saturation and demonstrate its performance in simulated and empirical data. For some of the 36 empirical phylogenomic data sets that we examined, we detect substitution saturation in around 50% of loci. We found that saturation tends to be flagged as problematic in loci with highly discordant phylogenetic signals across sites. Within each data set, the loci with smaller numbers of informative sites are more likely to be flagged as containing problematic levels of saturation. The entropy saturation test proposed here is sensitive to high evolutionary rates relative to the evolutionary timeframe, while also being sensitive to several factors known to mislead phylogenetic inference, including short internal branches relative to external branches, short nucleotide sequences, and tree imbalance. Our study demonstrates that excluding loci with substitution saturation can be an effective means of mitigating the negative impact of multiple substitutions on phylogenetic inferences. [Phylogenetic model performance; phylogenomics; substitution model; substitution saturation; test statistics.]
Harold Wilson, ‘Selsdon Man’, and the defence of social democracy in 1970s Britain
Authors: Sloman Peter
Published: September 2021

Harold Wilson's attack on ‘Selsdon Man’ in the run-up to the 1970 general election has generally been seen as a flawed rhetorical gambit, which inadvertently gave coherence to Edward Heath's policies. The subsequent invocation of ‘Selsdon’ by critics of Heath's ‘u-turns’ has meant that the episode has mainly attracted scrutiny from historians of the Conservative Party. Yet the debate over Selsdon can also be seen as a landmark in Wilson's transition from the ‘modernizing’ politics of the 1960s to a more defensive posture, in which he presented Labour as a bulwark against regressive market-liberal policies. This article explores Wilson's critique of the ‘new Conservatism’ and argues that the themes which he established in 1970 played an important role in framing Labour's opposition to the Heath government during the subsequent Parliament. In particular, his focus on the distributional effects of Tory policies dovetailed with an emerging body of social science research on income and wealth and so contributed to a ‘rediscovery of inequality’. In the turbulent economic climate of the mid-1970s, however, Labour's efforts to protect working-class households from the effects of market pricing proved difficult to sustain in office. The rise and fall of this politics of ‘decommodification’ has important implications for our understanding of the changing fortunes of British social democracy.
Inhalation of Tungsten Metal Particulates Alters the Lung and Bone Microenvironments Following Acute Exposure
Authors: Miller Kara , McVeigh Charlotte M , Barr Edward B , Herbert Guy W , Jacquez Quiteria , Hunter Russell , Medina Sebastian , Lucas Selita N , Ali Abdul-Mehdi S , Campen Matthew J , Bolt Alicia M
Published: September 2021

Inhalation of tungsten particulates is a relevant route of exposure in occupational and military settings. Exposure to tungsten alloys is associated with increased incidence of lung pathologies, including interstitial lung disease and cancer. We have demonstrated, oral exposure to soluble tungsten enhances breast cancer metastasis to the lungs through changes in the surrounding microenvironment. However, more research is required to investigate if changes in the lung microenvironment, following tungsten particulate exposure, can drive tumorigenesis or metastasis to the lung niche. This study examined if inhalation to environmentally relevant concentrations of tungsten particulates caused acute damage to the microenvironment in the lungs and/or systemically using a whole-body inhalation system. Twenty-four female BALB/c mice were exposed to Filtered Air, 0.60 mg/m3, or 1.7 mg/m3 tungsten particulates (<1 µm) for 4 h. Tissue samples were collected at days 1 and 7 post-exposure. Tungsten accumulation in the lungs persisted up to 7 days post-exposure and produced acute changes to the lung microenvironment including increased macrophage and neutrophil infiltration, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1 beta and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1, and an increased percentage of activated fibroblasts (alpha-smooth muscle actin+). Exposure to tungsten also resulted in systemic effects on the bone, including tungsten deposition and transient increases in gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Taken together, acute whole-body inhalation of tungsten particulates, at levels commonly observed in occupational and military settings, resulted in changes to the lung and bone microenvironments that may promote tumorigenesis or metastasis and be important molecular drivers of other tungsten-associated lung pathologies such as interstitial lung disease.
Neurological Manifestations Associated with Parvovirus B19 Infection in Immunocompetent Children: Case Series and Systematic Review
Authors: Monteiro Vinícius Silva , Baía-da-Silva Djane Clarys , Silva Valderjane Aprigio , Pivoto João Guilherme Augusto , Marinho Eveny Perlize Melo , Cubas-Vega Nadia Carolina , Val Fernando Fonseca Almeida , Perez-Gomez Aline Stephanie , Monte Rossiclea Lins , Mota Adolfo , Lacerda Marcus Vinícius Guimarães , Souza Bastos Michele
Published: September 2021

An increasing number of reports have described human parvovirus B19 infection in association with a variety of neurological manifestations, especially in children. This study assessed the clinical and laboratory outcomes found in a case series of immunocompetent children who tested positive for parvovirus B19 by qualitative polymerase chain reaction assays of cerebrospinal fluid, in a tertiary referral center in the western Brazilian Amazon. We screened 178 children with clinically diagnosed central nervous system infections (meningoencephalitis). Of these, five (2.8%) were positive for parvovirus B19. A literature review also presented herein identified a further 50 cases of parvovirus B19 with neurological manifestations. Thus, even if the classic signs of parvovirus B19 infection are absent, such as the well-known rash, children with signs of neurological infection should also be evaluated for parvovirus B19 infection.
Seroprevalence and risk factors of Leptospira sp. among different groups in the Jordanian population: first study
Authors: Obaidat M M , Malania L , Bani Salman A E , Dreyfus A , Arner R J , Roess A A
Published: September 2021

Background

Leptospirosis is re-emerging as a major public health problem worldwide. However, there are limited data on the disease from the Middle East, including from Jordan, despite recent outbreaks occurring in Jordan's neighbouring countries.

Methods

Sera samples from 809 participants in 11 governorates were tested for Leptospira sp. seropositivity to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Leptospira sp. in Jordan.

Results

Overall, 3.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2 to 4.8) of individuals tested were seropositive for Leptospira antibodies. Individuals who drink surface water (spring or rain water) had 5.69 (95% CI 2.57 to 12.60) higher odds of seropositivity compared with individuals who used municipal or filtered water, after controlling for age and practicing horticulture.

Conclusions

This is the first seroprevalence study of Leptospira sp. in Jordan and included important data on environmental and animal exposures.
Urban Agglomeration and Firm Innovation: Evidence from Asia
Authors: Chen Liming , Hasan Rana , Jiang Yi
Published: September 2021

This paper examines the relationship between urban agglomeration and firm innovation using a recently developed dataset that consistently measures city boundaries across Asia together with geo-referenced firm-level data. It finds that the spatial distribution of innovation by firms is highly concentrated within countries. Further, firms in larger cities have substantially higher propensities to introduce product and process innovations and to undertake R&D activities, a result that holds for subgroups of countries and even when the largest cities are excluded from the analysis. Finally, the presence of high-quality universities and highly ranked engineering departments in cities is positively associated with firm innovation, lending support to the idea that the accumulation of human capital locally is a key channel through which urban agglomeration affects innovation.
The evolution of tinamous (Palaeognathae: Tinamidae) in light of molecular and combined analyses
Authors: Almeida Francisca C , Porzecanski Ana L , Cracraft Joel L , Bertelli Sara
Published: September 2021

The Neotropical tinamous are of particular interest in our efforts to understand the evolution of modern birds. They inhabit both forested and open environments and, although volant, have limited flight capabilities. Numerous studies have recognized the monophyly of tinamous and their relationships either as sister to the flightless ratites (ostriches, emus and their relatives) or within the ratites themselves. Despite the numerous bird phylogenies published recently, modern investigations of relationships within the tinamous themselves have been limited. Here, we present the first detailed phylogenetic analysis and divergence-date estimation including a significant number of tinamou species, both extant and fossil. The monophyly of most currently recognized polytypic genera is recovered with high support, with the exception of the paraphyletic Nothura and Nothoprocta. The traditional subdivision between those tinamous inhabiting open areas (Nothurinae) and forest environments (Tinaminae) is also confirmed. A temporal calibration of the resultant phylogeny estimates that the basal divergence of crown Tinamidae took place between 31 and 40 Mya.
Neolepetopsid true limpets (Gastropoda: Patellogastropoda) from Indian Ocean hot vents shed light on relationships among genera
Authors: Chen Chong , Zhou Yadong , Watanabe Hiromi Kayama , Zhang Ruiyan , Wang Chunsheng
Published: September 2021

Neolepetopsidae is a family of true limpets restricted to deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. It is a small and little-studied family with about a dozen species in three genera, namely Eulepetopsis, Neolepetopsis and Paralepetopsis, and all named species were from the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. Here, we describe three new species from Indian Ocean vents, namely Eulepetopsis crystallina sp. nov. found across three ridges,ŠNeolepetopsis ardua sp. nov. from the Southwest Indian Ridge and Neolepetopsis prismatica sp. nov. from the Carlsberg Ridge. Given that Neolepetopsis appears to specialize on inactive sulfide deposits, the apparent wider distribution of E. crystallina is probably attributable to bias in sampling effort at inactive chimneys. The molecular phylogeny of Patellogastropoda, reconstructed using the COI gene, supported the monophyly of Neolepetopsidae. These are the first molecular data available for Neolepetopsis, confirming that the three genera are genetically distinct. Eulepetopsis appears to be adapted to active vents, and its derived position compared with Paralepetopsis indicates a possible ‘stepping-stone’ evolutionary pathway from seeps and organic falls to vents. Our results provide new insights into this enigmatic family and highlight the importance of surveying the vent periphery, especially given that inactive vents are being eyed as a replacement for active ones in deep-sea mining.
Accelerating Coronavirus Disease 2019 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines—Selecting Compounds for Clinical Evaluation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Clinical Trials
Authors: Buchman Timothy G. , Draghia-Akli Ruxandra , Adam Stacey J. , Aggarwal Neil R. , Fessel Joshua P. , Higgs Elizabeth S. , Menetski Joseph P. , Read Sarah W. , Hughes Eric A.
Published: September 2021

Given the urgent need for coronavirus disease 2019 therapeutics, early in the pandemic the Accelerating Coronavirus Disease 2019 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) public-private partnership rapidly designed a unique therapeutic agent intake and assessment process for candidate treatments of coronavirus disease 2019. These treatments included antivirals, immune modulators, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing antibodies, and organ-supportive treatments at both the preclinical and clinical stages of development. The ACTIV Therapeutics-Clinical Working Group Agent Prioritization subgroup established a uniform data collection process required to perform an assessment of any agent type using review criteria that were identified and differentially weighted for each agent class. The ACTIV Therapeutics-Clinical Working Group evaluated over 750 therapeutic agents with potential application for coronavirus disease 2019 and prioritized promising candidates for testing within the master protocols conducted by ACTIV. In addition, promising agents among preclinical candidates were selected by ACTIV to be matched with laboratories that could assist in executing rigorous preclinical studies. Between April 14, 2020, and May 31, 2021, the Agent Prioritization subgroup advanced 20 agents into the Accelerating Coronavirus Disease 2019 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines master protocols and matched 25 agents with laboratories to assist with preclinical testing.