bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethical issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with cancer: experience and organisations in a French comprehensive cancer centre
Authors: Blot François , Dumont Sarah N , Vigouret-Viant Laurence , Verotte Nelly , Rossignol Julien , Rieutord André , Fournier-Bidoz Nathalie , De Jésus Anne , Dauchy Sarah , Chardonnet Florent , Baldini Capucine , Altea Anna
Published: August 2020

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has aggressively reached the most vulnerable, not only the elderly but also patients with chronic conditions such as cancer. In this study, we present the outlines of ethical thinking and the measures implemented to try to respect our basic values of care, in the specific environment of an oncology hospital.

Methods

Our ethics committee created an ethical watch system based on 24/7 shifts to assist practitioners in their daily decisions. We discuss the challenges faced by patients with cancer during the pandemic, such as access to critical care and ethical dilemmas in the context of resource scarcity, as well as the issue of isolation of patients. We also debate the restrictions in access to oncology care in a health context strongly ‘prioritised’ against COVID-19.

Results

In all areas of an ethical dilemma, either for sorting out access to critical care or for the dramatic consequences of prolonged isolation of patients, our common thread was our attempt to protect, whenever possible, the principles of deontological ethics by strictly resisting utilitarian pressure. Respecting democratic health decision-making processes is a cornerstone of ethically relevant decisions, including in the context of a sanitary crisis.

Conclusion

The role of an ethics committee related to real-life situations includes not only a reflexive perspective in respect of fundamental principles, but also the help to enlighten and resolve ethical dilemmas in complex clinical situations. This ethical watch team assists physicians in decision-making, promoting the supportive and palliative dimension of care with a holistic approach.
Using targeted therapies at the end of life
Authors: Delaye Matthieu , Scotte Florian , Voisin-Saltiel Sabine , Pavliuc Elena , Vigouret-Viant Laurence , Dauchy Sarah , Mateus Christine
Published: August 2020

The prescription of chemotherapy during the last weeks of a patient’s life is a recognised criterion of decreasing quality of life but also survival. Targeted therapies have a particular efficiency and tolerance profile raising the question of their use in a palliative setting. Two patients were treated for a melanoma, at terminal stage, with poor efficiency of the symptomatic treatments. We introduced targeted therapies, which was previous treatments used in both patients.The evolution and benefits of the treatment was very different in our two patients and make us discuss the interest of targeted therapies in an end-of-life context and propose criteria for their maintenance or introduction in this indication. This discussion requires close collaboration between oncologists and palliative physicians and a very clear information given to patients and their relatives.
‘Sorry doctor….I didn’t hear that….’: phenomenological analysis of medical students’ experiences of simulated hearing impairment through virtual reality
Authors: McLaughlin Niamh , Rogers Janet , D’Arcy John , Gormley Gerard
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Hearing impairment is a common condition that can have a significant impact on an individual. Ineffective communication between such individuals and doctors remains an important barrier. There is a need to provide medical students with a deeper understanding of such challenges. Increasingly, simulation is being used to develop empathy skills. In this study, we aimed to seek a deep understanding of medical students’ experiences of being placed in the role of a hearing-impaired patient by means of a virtual reality (VR) simulation.

Methods

A multidisciplinary group developed a 360° VR video-learning experience. This experience portrayed a consultation with a doctor from a hearing-impaired individual’s perspective. A qualitative study approach, using hermeneutic phenomenology, was conducted. Following the VR experience, students were interviewed, and transcripts of interviews were analysed using a Template Analysis approach.

Results

Analysis yielded four main themes: (1) ‘much more than just watching a video’: a VR experience of hearing impairment; (2) ‘hearing through their ears’: experiencing a person’s world with hearing impairment; (3) ‘not just what you can’t hear…but how it makes you feel’: reactions evoked by a VR hearing impairment experience and (4) redirecting my future professional self?

Discussion

This study provides an insight into medical students’ experiences of a novel VR hearing impairment simulation. VR simulation has the potential to provide a novel complementary training method for medical students. By providing an immersive learning experience, VR can offer an empathic stepping into the ears of those that live with hearing impairment.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Time to First Positivity of Blood Cultures for Predicting Severe Clinical Outcomes in Children with Pneumonia-Related Bacteremia
Authors: Zhang Yin , Lin Jilei , Shi Qingxia , Li Chulin , Liu Jingyue , Dai Jihong
Published: August 2020

Early recognition of severe clinical outcomes in children with pneumonia-related bacteremia is vitally important because of the high mortality. This study aims to explore risk factors for severe clinical outcomes in children with pneumonia-related bacteremia and evaluate the value of time to first positive blood cultures (TTFP) in predicting prognosis. Children with pneumonia-related bacteremia in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were included (January 2013-May 2019), respectively. TTFP and clinical parameters were collected and analyzed. The area under the curve (AUC)-receiver operating characteristic was used to evaluate the discrimination ability of TTFP. Multivariate logistic regression tests were performed to evaluate the association between TTFP and severe clinical outcomes. A total of 242 children with pneumonia-related bacteremia were included. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis identified TTFP, serum albumin (ALB) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) as predictors of in-hospital mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that shorter TTFP (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.97; p<0.01), lower ALB level (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.98; p<0.01) and higher LDH level (OR 1.001; 95% CI 1.000 to 1.001; p<0.01) were risk factors for in-hospital mortality in children with pneumonia-related bacteremia. AUC of TTFP for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.748 (95% CI 0.668 to 0.829). Shorter TTFP (≤16 hours) was associated with in-hospital mortality and septic shock. TTFP plays an important role in predicting severe clinical outcomes in children with pneumonia-related bacteremia.
Worksite intervention study to prevent diabetes in Nepal: a randomised trial protocol
Authors: Pyakurel Prajjwal , Shrestha Archana , Karmacharya Biraj M , Budhathoki Shyam S , Chaudhari Rajendra Kumar , Tamrakar Dipesh , Shrestha Abha , Karmacharya Robin M , Shrestha Anmol , Sharma Sumitra , Sharma Sanjib Kumar , Spiegelman Donna
Published: August 2020

Introduction

In Nepal, approximately 31% of adult industrial employees have diabetes. While the prevention of type 2 diabetes through behavioural intervention has been disseminated, worksite could be an effective platform for the translation of this knowledge into action as employed adults spend most of their workday waking hours at workplaces.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a behavioural and a canteen intervention on diabetes risk reduction among those who are prediabetic at two worksites in eastern Nepal. We will recruit 162 adult full-time factory workers with haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 5.7%–6.4% at baseline or fasting blood sugar of 100–125 mg/dL. The 8–14 months’ control period will be followed by the behavioural intervention where half of the participants will be randomised to receive the behavioural intervention and half will act as a control and will not receive any intervention. Then, all participants will receive the canteen intervention. The analysis will be intent-to-treat, comparing the difference in the change in HbA1c% between the behavioural intervention group and the control group using a two-sample t-test. The within-participant changes in HbA1c after 6 or more months on the canteen intervention among those not randomised to the behavioural intervention in the previous period will be assessed using the paired t-test.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at Yale School of Public Health, New Havens, USA and the Nepal Health Research Council.

Trial registration number

NCT04161937.
Is improvement in depression in patients attending cardiac rehabilitation with new-onset depressive symptoms determined by patient characteristics?
Authors: Sever Serdar , Doherty Patrick , Golder Su , Harrison Alexander Stephen
Published: August 2020

Background

Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) commonly experience depressive symptoms which is associated with adverse outcome and increased mortality. Examining the baseline characteristics of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients that determine Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) depression outcome may facilitate adjustments in CR programme delivery. This study aims to investigate whether comorbidities, demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, with new-onset post-cardiac event depressive symptoms, determine change in their depression following CR.

Methods

Analysing the routine practice data of British Heart Foundation National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation between April 2012 and March 2018, an observational study was conducted. Patients with new-onset post-cardiac event depressive symptoms and no previous documented history of depression constituted the study population.

Results

The analyses included 64 658 CR patients (66.24±10.69 years, 75% male) with new-onset HADS measures, excluding patients with a history of depression. The comorbidities determining reduced likelihood of improvement in depression outcomes after CR were angina, diabetes, stroke, emphysema and chronic back problems. In addition, higher total number of comorbidities, increased weight, a higher HADS anxiety score, smoking at baseline, physical inactivity, presence of heart failure and being single were other significant determinants. However, receiving coronary artery bypass graft treatment was associated with better improvement.

Conclusion

The study identified specific baseline comorbid conditions of patients with new-onset depressive symptoms including angina, diabetes, stroke, emphysema and chronic back problems that were determinants of poorer mental health outcomes (HADS) following CR. Higher total number of comorbidities, increased weight, physical inactivity, smoking, presence of heart failure and being single were other determinants of a negative change in depression. These findings could help CR programmes focus on tailoring the CR intervention around comorbidity, physical activity status, weight management and smoking cessation in patients with new-onset depressive symptoms.
Right lung agenesis in a one‐year‐old Chihuahua
Authors: Martinez Carlos , Rowan Conor
Published: August 2020

A one‐year‐old neutered male Chihuahua was referred for further investigations of spontaneous pneumothorax. Before referral, thoracocentesis and chest drain placement was performed. On presentation, the dog was dull and dyspnoeic displaying a restrictive respiratory pattern. Thoracic radiography and CT findings performed at the referral centre were consistent with right lung agenesis and pneumothorax. Retrospective review of the radiographs obtained at the referring practice identified right‐sided mediastinal shift, separation of the cardiac silhouette from the sternum and overinflated left lung lobes. Neither free intrathoracic gas nor subcutaneous emphysema was identified. The initial images were suboptimally displayed resulting in artefactual ‘blackening’ of the lung parenchyma, necessitating digital manipulation to identify lung markings. The combination of mediastinal shift and separation of the cardiac silhouette from the sternum as a result of the right lung agenesis could potentially lead to a false impression of pneumothorax.
Description of a novel distribution and subsequent resolution of severe, bilateral thoracic limb and cervical vertebral abnormalities in a dog with craniomandibular osteopathy
Authors: Craciun Ioana , Gagea Alexandra Livia , O Cathasaigh Micheal
Published: August 2020

A 6‐month‐old female entire, mixed breed dog was presented for evaluation of a 3‐week history of neck stiffness and pain on opening the mouth. Radiographs and subsequent CT were performed, as well as a further CT at a 3‐month follow‐up. The images revealed multiple osseous abnormalities characterised by severe periosteal reactions affecting the head, cervical vertebrae and the proximal thoracic limbs. Histopathological analysis was compatible with a severe case of extensive craniomandibular osteopathy (CMO). To the authors’ knowledge, a diffuse periosteal reaction effecting the cervical vertebrae, associated with CMO, has not been previously reported. Furthermore, it demonstrates that despite the novel distribution of the disease, clinical improvement is possible with conservative management, with partial resolution of excessive bone proliferation, improvement in the ability to flex and extend the neck, as well as a marked improvement in temporomandibular function.
Four-decadal series of dendrometric measurements reveals trends in Pinus sylvestris inter- and intra-annual growth response to climatic conditions
Authors: Pukienė Rūtilė , Vitas Adomas , Kažys Justas , Rimkus Egidijus
Published: August 2020

We analyzed a 42-year series (1976–2017) of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) tree-diameter data, obtained using band dendrometers, from our study site in Aukštaitija National Park, Lithuania. We evaluated the intra- and inter-annual growth dynamics of tree diameter and their response to meteorological forcing, as well as the long-term annual and monthly growth-rate changes in tree diameter in the study area. On average, the largest growth in tree diameter was found to have taken place in June (35% of the annual increase). After 24 June, the tree-diameter growth rate strongly decreased. Pine growth in May and August was mostly affected by the temperature during the previous month. Precipitation was the main driver that determined tree growth in June–August, with heavy precipitation events having the largest impact on short-term increases in tree diameter. We determined that the largest positive growth-rate changes in Scots pine tree diameter occurred as a result of higher air temperature in May and June between 1976 and 2017.
Short-term effects induced by nicotinamide in ovariectomized females
Authors: Lima Natália Cristina Gomes Carvalho , Souza Suellen Aparecida Ribeiro de , Vieira Beatriz de Souza , Rizzi Joyce Santana , Andrade Thiago Antônio Moretti de , Oliveira Camila Andrea de , Corezola do Amaral Maria Esméria
Published: August 2020

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+precursors such as nicotinamide activate sirtuins and enhance energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic effects of nicotinamide in ovariectomized (OVX) female rats to establish molecular targets against obesity, which support the safe therapeutic application of nicotinamide. The OVX animals were divided into groups: SHAM (simulated surgery), SHAMn (two weeks of 35 mg·kg–1nicotinamide per day, by gavage), OVX, and OVXn (two weeks of 35 mg·kg–1nicotinamide per day, by gavage). The results indicated that nicotinamide favored lipolysis, as evidenced by an increase in free fatty acid and hepatic triglyceride levels, which were not fully normalized during the treatment period. The lipolysis appeared to be due to increased SIRT1 and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in muscle and adipose tissue. There were decreases in muscle and fat nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which were associated with decreases in mass and triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), and total cholesterol content. Nicotinamide appeared to be beneficial for the glycemic profile, with normal hepatic glycogen storage and a tendency towards insulin sensitivity in the OVXn. In the SHAMn group, nicotinamide led to glucose intolerance, together with reduced muscle expressions of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and SIRT3, suggesting that there were no short-term benefits. Supplementation with nicotinamide led to tissue-specific adaptive lipid and molecular changes in OVX rats.
Genetic diversity and ancestry of cacao (Theobroma cacaoL.) in Dominica revealed by single nucleotide polymorphism markers
Authors: Gopaulchan David , Motilal Lambert A. , Kalloo Rena K. , Mahabir Amrita , Moses Marissa , Joseph Franklyn , Umaharan Pathmanathan
Published: August 2020

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), an introduced tree crop in Dominica, is important for foreign exchange earnings from fine or flavour cocoa. The genetic structure of farmed cacao in Dominica was examined to identify varieties for conservation, breeding, and propagation to improve their cocoa industry. Cacao trees (156) from 73 sites over seven geographical regions were genotyped at 192 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Identity, regional differentiation, phylogenetic, multi-variate, ancestry, and core collection analyses were performed. Farmed cacao germplasm had moderate gene diversity (He= 0.320 ± 0.005) from generally unique trees, but cocoa growing regions were genetically similar. Synonymous matching (16.3%) showed that some clonal material was supplied to farmers. Cacao trees were mainly mixed from Amelonado, Criollo, Iquitos, Contamana, and Marañon ancestries, with predominantly Amelonado–Criollo hybrids. Criollo ancestry, linked to fine or flavour cocoa, was found at more than 30% in 28 unique trees. Forty-five trees, containing the SNP diversity of cacao in Dominica, are recommended as a core germplasm collection. This study identifies promising trees for improving cocoa quality; provides genetic evidence that community, regional, or country-wide pooling would not compromise the exclusive fine or flavour cocoa industry; and discusses other implications towards improving the Dominican cocoa industry.
On the properties of a deformed extension of the NUT space-time
Authors: Narzilloev Bakhtiyor , Malafarina Daniele , Abdujabbarov Ahmadjon , Bambi Cosimo
Published: August 2020

We consider a class of space-times given by a stationary extension of the Zipoy–Voorhees metric that was found by Halilsoy. We show that the solutions do not describe rotating sources but must be interpreted, similarly to the NUT case, as deformed sources endowed with a gravitomagnetic charge. We show that the Halilsoy family is directly linked to the NUT space-time, which can be obtained in the limit of vanishing deformations. We investigate the motion of test particles and photons in this class of space-times, in particular the innermost stable circular orbits and photon capture radius. Finally we show that this class of solutions possesses a sub-manifold where closed time-like curves are allowed.
Iron metabolism in high-altitude residents
Authors: Muckenthaler Martina U. , Mairbäurl Heimo , Gassmann Max
Published: August 2020

Residents at high altitude cope with decreasing inspiratory oxygen partial pressure by stimulating erythropoiesis. The increase in hemoglobin levels requires high amounts of additional iron supplied from the diet. Here, we review available data on how iron metabolism adapts when living in a hypoxic environment. Our analysis reveals that long-term adaptation to high altitude enables healthy individuals to maintain their iron stores within the physiological range despite elevated requirements for erythropoiesis. However, in vulnerable populations with increased iron demand (e.g., pregnant women or exercising individuals), iron stores are less likely to be replenished quickly when living at high altitude. Future studies need to address whether different ethnicities have acquired genetic mechanisms to adapt to the elevated iron demand for erythropoiesis at high altitude.
Chronic effects of muscle and nerve-directed stretching on tissue mechanics
Authors: Andrade Ricardo J. , Freitas Sandro R. , Hug François , Le Sant Guillaume , Lacourpaille Lilian , Gross Raphaël , Quillard Jean-Baptiste , McNair Peter J. , Nordez Antoine
Published: August 2020

This study demonstrates that the mechanical properties of plantar flexor muscles and sciatic nerve can adapt mechanically to long-term stretching programs. Although interventions targeting muscular or nonmuscular structures are both effective at increasing maximal range of motion, the changes in tissue mechanical properties (stiffness) are specific to the structure being preferentially stretched by each program. We provide the first in vivo evidence that stiffness of peripheral nerves adapts to long-term loading stimuli using appropriate nerve-directed stretching.
Ventilatory heterogeneity in the normal human lung is unchanged by controlled breathing
Authors: Prisk G. Kim , Petersen Gregory M. , Geier Eric T. , Sá Rui C.
Published: August 2020

By using MRI-based specific ventilation imaging (SVI), we showed that the heterogeneity of specific ventilation was not different comparing free breathing and breathing with the imposition of a fixed breathing frequency of 12 breaths/min. Thus, multiple-breath washout and SVI as typically performed provide an unperturbed measure of ventilatory heterogeneity.
Understanding cognitive performance during exercise in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps: establishing the executive function-exercise intensity relationship
Authors: Stone Brandon L. , Beneda-Bender Madison , McCollum Duncan L. , Sun Jongjoo , Shelley Joseph H. , Ashley John D. , Fuenzalida Eugenia , Kellawan J. Mikhail
Published: August 2020

The executive functioning aspect of cognition was evaluated during graded exercise in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets. Executive function declined at exercise intensities of ≥80% of heart rate reserve. The decline in executive function was coupled with declines in the oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for executive functioning. These data define the executive function-exercise intensity relationship and provide evidence supporting the reticular activation hypofrontality theory as a model of cognitive change.
Hyperplasia and accelerated hypertrophy of marrow adipocytes with knee immobilization were sustained despite remobilization
Authors: Zhou Haodong , Trudel Guy , Alexeev Konstantin , Thomas Justin , Laneuville Odette
Published: August 2020

This longitudinal study elucidates the response of marrow adipose tissue adipocytes in weight-bearing joints to changes in different mechanical environments, and we provide insight on the malleability of the changes over time. In a rat animal model, knee immobilization induced hyperplasia and accelerated the age-dependent hypertrophy of adipocytes. Changes in adipocyte number and size were sustained despite unassisted remobilization. Multimodal distributions of cell size were characteristic of bone marrow adipocytes.
Older Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Male Patients Are at a Higher Risk of Nintedanib Dose Reduction
Authors: Harari Sergio , Specchia Claudia , Lipsi Roberto , Cassandro Roberto , Caminati Antonella
Published: August 2020

Background: Two pharmaceutical agents have been approved for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): pirfenidone and nintedanib. Objectives: We investigated the need of dose reduction in consecutive patients treated with nintedanib in relation to gender and body max index, comparing the population over and under 80 years of age. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of all consecutive IPF patients treated with nintedanib for at least 3 months. Data on age, gender, body max index, side effects, and duration of therapy after enrolment were recorded. Results: A total of 82 patients has been evaluated. All dose reductions were related to side effects and/or toxicities. The need for a dose reduction was significantly more frequent in patients aged 80 years or older (50 vs. 26.8%, p = 0.039), independently from their body mass index. A total of 52% of males >80 years and only 16% of males <80 years reduced the dose (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Male gender and not body mass index in IPF patients aged ≥80 years treated with nintedanib seems to influence dose reduction.
Subunguales Melanom: Weniger invasives operatives Verfahren als Standard etablieren
Authors: Schnabl-Scheu Saskia
Published: August 2020

Background: Amputation is the standard of care even for early-stage subungual melanomas (SUMs), known as nail apparatus melanoma, because the nail bed and nail matrix are close to the distal phalanx. However, a recent study demonstrated that not all patients with SUMs had histologic invasion of the underlying distal phalanx. As most SUMs occur in the thumb or big toe, amputation of either the thumb or big toe substantially interferes with activities of daily living, including poor cosmesis, loss of function, and phantom pain. Non-amputative digit preservation surgery can thus be applied in such cases without compromising patient prognosis. Methods: We are conducting a multi-institutional single-arm trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of non-amputative digit preservation surgery. We will compare our results with those reported in the Japanese Melanoma Study, in which patients underwent amputation for SUMs as a traditional standard of care. Patients aged between 20 and 80 years with stage I, II, or III without evidence of tumor invasion to the underlying distal phalanx on preoperative radiograph are included in the study. The primary endpoint is major relapse-free survival (major RFS), which does not include local recurrence as an event; secondary endpoints include overall survival, digit-preservation survival, relapse-free survival, local relapse-free survival, partial relapse-free survival, and incidence of adverse events. A total of 85 patients from 21 Japanese institutions will be recruited within 5.5 years, and the follow-up period will last at least 5 years. The Japan Clinical Oncology Group Protocol Review Committee approved this study protocol in August 2017, and patient enrollment began in November 2017. Ethical approval was obtained from each institution’s Institutional Review Board prior to patient enrollment. Discussion: This is the first prospective trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of non-amputative digit preservation surgery for SUM without distant metastasis or bony invasion. The results of this trial could provide evidence to support this less-invasive surgery as a new standard of care to preserve adequately functioning digits. Trial Registration: Registry number: UMIN000029997. Date of Registration: 16/Nov/2017. Date of First Participant Enrollment: 12/Dec/2017.
Deuteronomy’s Book and Hammurapi’s Stela: The Referent of “This Sēper” in Deuteronomy 28:58
Authors: Arnold Bill T.
Published: August 2020

The deictic expression “this sēper” in Deut 28:58 is imprecise. Is the phrase pointing to a text coming earlier in Deuteronomy (anaphoric) or later (cataphoric)? Clarification has been provided recently by comparison to a Hittite treaty parallel, resulting in the conclusion that “this sēper” is exophoric, a self-reference to a textual artifact external to the book of Deuteronomy rather than to a narratologically imagined “book.” This investigation expands the comparison with ancient Near Eastern parallels by offering further examples of self-referentiality in the epilogue of Hammurapi’s law collection and other legal texts, as well as selected Northwest Semitic monumental texts.
Diaries and Oral Histories as Ego-Documents in the Representations of the Taiwanese Nation
Authors: Heylen Ann
Published: August 2020

This article positions published personal or ego-documents—with a focus on diaries and oral histories—within the framework of Taiwan historical studies. It specifically deals with the complexities involved in defining the literary generic of historical narratives against the background of the transition of Taiwanese society from the Japanese colonial period onwards. In tandem with this thematic issue, it offers a close-up on how the collection and analysis of data in resonance with general changes in history writing over the past decades raises research questions about the nature of an inclusive Taiwanese identity.
Chinese Marriage Migrants in Beijing’s Cross-Strait Diplomacy
Authors: Momesso Lara
Published: August 2020

The role of Chinese communities abroad has become increasingly significant in Beijing’s public diplomacy strategy. This is not only the case for Overseas Chinese communities, but also for people who migrate between China and Taiwan. This paper will explore how a group of Chinese migrant women, the mothers, wives and daughters-in-law of Taiwanese citizens, have become a target of Beijing in its cross-Strait diplomacy and how they have responded to Beijing’s initiatives. This paper gives a timely account of Beijing’s non-traditional diplomacy in the context of cross-Strait relations, as a constructed and gendered process.
A 28-years-long monitoring study suggests heavy decline and habitat shifts in three populations of a Mediterranean tortoise species
Authors: Rugiero Lorenzo , Capula Massimo , Dendi Daniele , Petrozzi Fabio , Di Vittorio Massimiliano , Luiselli Luca
Published: August 2020

Long-term ecological studies are important for understanding wild populations’ dynamics and processes and the actual factors that can determine their decline. Here, we report the results of a 28-years-long (1992–2019) monitoring of three distinct populations of a tortoise, Testudo hermanni, in Central Italy, with an emphasis on their population abundance trends and on the eventual variation in their habitat use across years and among the study areas. Samplings were conducted by Visual Encounter Survey (VES) methodology, and using a suite of statistical analyses including correlations and Generalized Linear Models analyses. Our data showed a statistically significant decline in tortoise sightings through time, and concurrently also a variation in habitat use by tortoises. In all the three study areas, we observed a significant increase of tortoise sighting frequency in the habitat type characterized by high (>taller than 200 cm) shrubby and wooded vegetation. Since our analyses revealed no significant change in the habitat type availability by year in each study area, we suggest that T. hermanni was increasingly selecting closed vegetation spots throughout the years. We hypothesize that this observed trend of shift in habitat selection could be due to lowering their body temperatures to prevent overheating. So, the selection of more covered spots would be a thermal ecology adaptive consequence of the ongoing global warming.
The (Mis)framing of Arab Commercial Adjudication: The Sharīʿah, Political Contestation, and Due Process
Authors: Altamimi Abdulmalik M. , Abi Tayeh Cecile
Published: August 2020

This article argues that the claims that international commercial adjudication is inconsistent with Islamic law, or, in the Arab context, is born out of the 20th century petroleum concession disputes, are unfounded. First, the early Arab-Islamic trade interactions, in their multicultural and legal contexts, established transnational commercial adjudication. These interactions were facilitated by flexible Islamic regulations regarding free trade and adjudication, especially the freedom to arbitrate. Second, there have been profound international and inter-Arab political contestations since the 1950s that have affected international arbitration. These contestations could render the petroleum disputes irrelevant to the evolution of Arab commercial adjudication and foreign investment arbitration. However, international arbitration can be traced back to the principle of due process of law beyond the State; the perceived founding principle of Arab commercial adjudication. Recognising this history is important for researchers to assess the successes and flaws of arbitral due process in the Arab context.
The Thorny Road to Caucasian Albania In Memory of Wolfgang Schulze (1953–2020):Oya ohoc nowte hil’al bownehē hē-hanayoḳe
Authors: Gippert Jost
Published: August 2020

The present article resumes the history of the first edition of the Caucasian Albanian palimpsests with a special focus on the contributions by Wolfgang Schulze, without whom nothing that has been achieved would have been achieved. Thematised are the different types of photographs that were used (ultraviolet and multispectral images), with an outlook on the new technology of transmissive light imaging. Added is a revised edition of the beginning of the Gospel of John as preserved in the palimpsest manuscript Sin. georg. N 13, based upon transmissive light images provided by the Sinai Palimpsests Project.
Die Psalmen in gotischer Sprache
Authors: Quak Arend
Published: August 2020

Although the text of the psalms did not survive in Wulfila’s Gothic bible translation, some verses are cited in the bible fragments and in other Gothic texts. Here these quotes are compared with surviving West-Germanic translations of the same passages to view the differences and the similarities between them.
Hara Tanzan and the Japanese Buddhist Discovery of “Experience”
Authors: Licha Stephan Kigensan
Published: August 2020

This paper explores the role of Hara Tanzan 原坦山 (1819–1892) in the transformation of Buddhism into an “experiential religion” during the Meiji period. Scholars such as Sharf have argued that this transformation is due to Western influence on figures such as DT Suzuki. Japanese language scholarship has instead shown that in the early 1900s, the notion of Buddhism as experiential religion was already widespread, considering Tanzan as a predecessor of this discourse. I argue that Tanzan was among the first to discover the importance of “experience” in the confrontation with science, yet interpreted it as an empirical standard for both religious and scientific knowledge. However, Tanzan did not yet establish the separation of science and religion characteristic of the modern understanding of both terms. I conclude that Tanzan was one starting point in a dialectic that is integral to the indigenous genealogy of “religious experience” in Japan.
The Past Sets the Context for the Present
Authors: Cinalli Angela
Published: August 2020

This contribution examines musical and poetic tradition, in so far as it influenced the culture and society of the Hellenistic period. Epigraphy attests to the recollection of traditional heritage as one driving force for public-at-large performances. Extra-agonistic and agonistic performances pursued by the so-called poeti vaganti, travelling all over the cultural centres of Greece chasing fame and rewards, attest to different ways to preserve the legacy of musical and poetic tradition, by lingering on it or re-modulating its facies. Re-performing ancient times, through selections of dramas and lyric poetry, and demonstrating the musical structures and poetic ways of former days, had the purpose of strengthening social identity and reinvigorating communal knowledge. Inscriptions allow us to envisage the nuances and potentialities of these thoughtful revivals, highlighting the ways this concept could shift with time, context, and place.
Atypical Effects of Visual Interference on Tactile Temporal Order Judgment in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Wada Makoto , Ikeda Hanako , Kumagaya Shinichiro
Published: August 2020

Visual distractors interfere with tactile temporal order judgment (TOJ) at moderately short stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) in typically developing participants. Presentation of a rubber hand in a forward direction to the participant’s hand enhances this effect, while that in an inverted direction weakens the effect. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have atypical multisensory processing; however, effects of interferences on atypical multisensory processing in ASD remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of visual interference on tactile TOJ in individuals with ASD. Two successive tactile stimuli were delivered to the index and ring fingers of a participant’s right hand in an opaque box. A rubber hand was placed on the box in a forward or inverted direction. Concurrently, visual stimuli provided by light-emitting diodes on the fingers of the rubber hand were delivered in a congruent or incongruent order. Participants were required to judge the temporal order of the tactile stimuli regardless of visual distractors. In the absence of a visual stimulus, participants with ASD tended to judge the simultaneous stimuli as the ring finger being stimulated first during tactile TOJ compared with typically developing (TD) controls, and congruent visual stimuli eliminated the bias. When incongruent visual stimuli were delivered, judgment was notably reversed in participants with ASD, regardless of the direction of the rubber hand. The findings demonstrate that there are considerable effects of visual interferences on tactile TOJ in individuals with ASD.
Food choice by Messor arenarius ants in different distances from their nest: testing increased selectivity theory
Authors: Warburg Ittai
Published: August 2020

According to central-place-foraging theory, selectivity of central-place foragers to larger or more profitable food items should increase as the distance from their nest to the food increases. In this research it was checked, if the selectivity of ants of the species Messor arenarius (Fabricius) to larger food items increases as a function of the distance from their nest entrance to the food site. In food choice experiments, whole wheat seeds and halves of wheat seeds cut longitudinally were offered to M. arenarius ants at the same points. These ants preferred halves of wheat seeds cut longitudinally over whole wheat seeds, in all the distances from nest entrance that were checked in this research - 1m, 5m or 10m from nest entrance. According to these findings, M. arenarius ants did not show increased selectivity to different wheat particles within a distance range of 1m – 10m from their nest entrance. It is possible that since the nutritional value of wheat is relatively high, these ants could not evaluate the nutritional value of wheat particles that were offered to them.
Faut-il brûler Sagan ?
Authors: Falantin Flavien
Published: August 2020

« Elle m’ intimidait, comme m’ intimident les enfants, certains adolescents et tous les gens qui se servent autrement que moi du langage. Je suppose que de mon côté, je la mettais mal à l’ aise. » Par ces mots extraits de La Force des choses, Beauvoir revenait sur le mélange d’ intimidation et d’ embarras qui flottait sur ses rencontres avec la jeune Françoise Sagan. Cet article se propose de faire revivre l’ histoire des relations oubliées entre ces deux icônes des lettres françaises.
The Blood of Others
Authors: de Saint Aubert Emmanuel , McWeeny Jennifer
Published: August 2020

The author argues, with reference to a number of Merleau-Ponty’s unpublished manuscripts, that Merleau-Ponty’s notion of encroachment (empiétement) has origins in Simone de Beauvoir’s 1945 novel, The Blood of Others. He examines how the two philosophers approach the encroachment of freedoms, the political stance of pacifism, and the interpretation of Voltaire’s Candide (Part I). The impact of Élisabeth Lacoin’s death on Beauvoir’s and Merleau-Ponty’s philosophies, as well as their relationships with Jean-Paul Sartre, is also considered (Part II).
Beauvoir/Iribarren/Dodera
Authors: Misemer Sarah M.
Published: August 2020

María Dodera’s theater production Simone, mujer partida (2017) builds on current movements against gender violence in Latin America. Actor Gabriela Iribarren’s portrayal of Dodera’s Beauvoir suggests we view her via a process of interaction between internal and external dialogic selves as she seeks subjectivity—a dynamic Iribarren makes evident through the juxtaposition of ephemeral live performance and the (re)presentation of Beauvoir’s life history. Her monologue is thus not univocal, but layered with multiple voices from the past and present.
Spinirta gen. nov., a new dark sac spider genus from southern China (Araneae: Corinnidae)
Authors: JIN CHI , ZHANG FENG
Published: August 2020

A new genus of the spider family Corinnidae, Spinirta gen. nov., with nine new species is described from southern China: S. jinyunshanensis sp. nov., S. forcipata sp. nov., S. sparsula sp. nov., S. aurita sp. nov., S. aviforma sp. nov., S. quadrata sp. nov., S. leigongshanensis sp. nov., S. qizimeiensis sp. nov. and S. rugosa sp. nov.. Further, one species is transferred from Allomedmassa Dankittipakul & Singtripop, 2014 to this new genus as Spinirta qiaoliaoensis (Lu & Chen, 2019) comb. nov.. The new genus is a close relative of Allomedmassa, Medmassa Simon, 1887 and Paramedmassa Jin, Zhang & Zhang, 2019, but can be distinguished by the unique spines on the ventral surface of the RTA of the male palp, and the anteriorly situated, large, separated COs or fused into a large atrium of the female epigyne.
Description of Paraclytus xiongi sp. nov. from Yunnan, China (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Anaglyptini)
Authors: HUANG GUI-QIANG , YAN KAI , ZHANG GUI-MEI
Published: August 2020

Paraclytus xiongi sp. nov. is described from Yunnan, China. Habitus of adults, hind wings, male terminalia and intraspecific variation of Paraclytus xiongi sp. nov. are illustrated. The differences between Paraclytus xiongi sp. nov. and related species are provided.
Redescription of the type specimens of Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Psilodercidae) from Myanmar
Authors: LIN YEJIE , TAVANO MARIA L. , LI SHUQIANG , CHEN HAIFENG
Published: August 2020

Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898 is the type species of the genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 from the family Psilodercidae Machado, 1951. This genus includes 60 species from Southeast Asia (WSC 2020). A. pictus was described on the basis of one male and one female from Carin Chebà mountains, elevation 600‒800 m, Kayin Province, Myanmar. Another female specimen lacking several legs was found in Farm Caves in Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar. The original description was in Latin and without any figures. Fage (1912) redescribed it based on the same male and female type specimens from Carin Chebà, but without mentioning the female from Farm Caves. Fage (1912) provided measurements, but the figures of the male right palp are imprecise. The species is redescribed here based on the original male and female type specimens deposited in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale ‘Giacomo Doria’ (MSNG) in Italy. The male and female type specimens are the only known material of A. pictus. No information is available on the female specimen from Farm Caves, which maybe have been lost. No fresh material of this species has been collected in region during five subsequent expeditions to Myanmar tours organized by the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute in the years 2016–2020.
Evermus, an mTOR Inhibitor, Promotes Apoptosis in Neuroendocrine Tumor Cell BON-1 In Vitro
Authors: Ni Jian-Ming , Zhang Shan-Jing , Ding Guo-Rong , Xie Yan-Zhong , Tang Yan-Liang
Published: August 2020

Neuroendocrine tumor derives from neuroendocrine cells, and is commonly occurred in digestive tract, but can be observed in other body sites. The incidence of neuroendocrine tumor is rapidly rising worldwide. Everolimus is a clinically used mTOR inhibitor, and can affect the onset and
progression of malignant tumor via suppressing mTOR activity. This study investigated the effect of everolimus on mTOR signal pathway and cell apoptosis of neuroendocrine tumorsin vitro. Human neuroendocrine tumor cell line BON-1 was cultured with different dosages of everolimus. Cell viability
was evaluated by MTT assay, and cell apoptosis index was assessed byin situ end labelling of DNA breakage (TUNEL). Western blot was used to compare expressions of mTOR signal pathway related proteins in tumor cells. MTT assay showed that everolimus could dose-dependently inhibit BON-1 cell
viability (p < 0 05). TUNEL assay found that apoptotic index of BON-1 cells was elevated by drug treatment (p < 0 05). Western blot found no significant change in mTOR or total Akt protein, but remarkably decrease in p53 and activated caspase-3 proteins (p < 0 05), accompanied with
down-regulation of Bcl-2. Everolimus can suppress the viability of neuroendocrine cellin vitro and facilitate apoptosis related protein activity, thus accelerating cell apoptosis.
Serum Amyloid A1 as a Crucial Regulator of Cancer in Inflammatory Microenvironment of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Wang Xiuqin , Xiao Jingqiong , Li Bo , Tian Ye , Wang Lin , Gao Yingqian
Published: August 2020

Cervical cancer is one of the most common women cancers. The tumor screening by nurse care is efficacy for cancer prevention. Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) has shown to be associated with cervical cancer malignancy. The detail information for SAA1 in cervical cancer has not yet been investigated.
IL-1 was performed to induce cervical cancer cell lines. Subsequently, SAA1 was silenced or overexpressed in c-33A respectively. The data showed that the expression levels of SAA1 were increased in IL-1 induced cervical cell lines. Downregulation of SAA1 reduced cell proliferation, migration
and invasion in c-33A cells, whereas overexpression increased, indicating that SAA1 is a tumor promoter in cervical cancer. Also, SAA1 positively regulates the expression of MMP2, MMP7 and MMP9, which is associated with extracellular matrix reproduction. Furthermore, NF- B inhibitor, SC75741,
reversed the effects of SAA1 in cervical cancer, revealing that it might be a potential mechanism for SAA1 in cervical cancer. Therefore, SAA1 is a potential biomarker for cervical cancer in the inflammatory microenvironment.
Tumor Necrosis Factor, α-Induced Protein 3 Interacting Protein 2 is Involved in the Inflammatory Response in Sepsis via Inhibiting the Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway Activation
Authors: Li Jia , He Ye , Li Yuping
Published: August 2020

The study aimed to explore the role of TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 (TNIP2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW264.7 macrophages or septic mice. TNIP2 level was detected using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. LPS-stimulated RAW264.7
macrophages were used to investigate the effects of TNIP2 on sepsis in vitro. In addition, septic mice model was established to validate the regulation of TNIP2 during inflammation response in vivo. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA). The data indicated that TNIP2 mRNA was down-regulated in the peripheral blood from sepsis patients. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were significantly increased and the level of TNIP2 was suppressed in LPS-stimulated macrophages
compared to the control group. TNIP2-plasmid promoted the TNIP2 expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages and reversed the effects of LPS on inflammatory factors and Nuclear factor-κ B (NFκ- B) pathway. The results also showed that TNIP2-plasmid alleviated inflammatory responses in septic
mice, evidenced by the reduction in the levels of TNF-α , IL-1β and IL-6. TNIP2-plasmid also reduced the secretion of organ damage markers in septic mice serum. Our data indicated that TNIP2 was involved in the inflammatory response in sepsis via inhibiting the NF-κ B pathway
activation.