bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dose-Response Relationship Between Long-Term Blood Pressure Variability and Cognitive Decline
Authors: Li Chenglong , Ma Yanjun , Hua Rong , Yang Zhenchun , Zhong Baoliang , Wang Hongyu , Xie Wuxiang
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

We aimed to test whether higher long-term blood pressure variability was associated with accelerated rate of cognitive decline and evaluate potential dose-response relationship.

Methods:

Original survey data from the Health and Retirement Study and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used. Standardized
Z
score of cognitive function was the main outcome measure. Visit-to-visit blood pressure SD, coefficient of variation, and variation independent of mean were used. Linear mixed model and restricted spline were applied to assess association and explore dose-response pattern. Segmented regression was used to analyze dose-response relationship and estimate turning point. Meta-analysis using random-effects model was conducted to pool results, with
I

2

used to test heterogeneity.

Results:

A total of 12 298 dementia-free participants were included (mean age: 64.6±8.6 years). Significant association was observed between blood pressure variability and cognitive decline. Each 10% increment in coefficient of variation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was associated with accelerated global cognitive decline of 0.026 SD/y (95% CI, 0.016–0.036,
P<
0.001) and 0.022 SD/y (95% CI, 0.017–0.027,
P<
0.001), respectively. Nonlinear dose-response relationship was found (
P<
0.001 for nonlinearity), with clear turning point observed (
P<
0.001 for change in slopes).

Conclusions:

Higher long-term blood pressure variability was associated with accelerated cognitive decline among general adults aged ≥50 years, with nonlinear dose-response relationship. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to evaluate potential benefits of blood pressure variability-lowering strategies from a cognitive health perspective.
Administrative Law in the Automated State
Authors: Coglianese Cary
Published: June 2021

In the future, administrative agencies will rely increasingly on digital automation powered by machine learning algorithms. Can U.S. administrative law accommodate such a future? Not only might a highly automated state readily meet long-standing administrative law principles, but the responsible use of machine learning algorithms might perform even better than the status quo in terms of fulfilling administrative law's core values of expert decision-making and democratic accountability. Algorithmic governance clearly promises more accurate, data-driven decisions. Moreover, due to their mathematical properties, algorithms might well prove to be more faithful agents of democratic institutions. Yet even if an automated state were smarter and more accountable, it might risk being less empathic. Although the degree of empathy in existing human-driven bureaucracies should not be overstated, a large-scale shift to government by algorithm will pose a new challenge for administrative law: ensuring that an automated state is also an empathic one.
Deconstruction (Not Destruction)
Authors: Nielson Aaron L.
Published: June 2021

The administrative state should be deconstructed. But that does not mean that the administrative state should be destructed. Although some may use the word deconstruction in the colloquial sense of destroyed, its more technical definition is also more fitting: a close examination of a theory to reveal its inadequacies. That definition is a better fit because there is no real prospect that modern government will be radically overhauled, but there is very good reason to reexamine the administrative state's theoretical underpinnings and reform aspects of it that have not withstood the test of the time. This essay identifies where theory and practice diverge and offers solutions with realistic chances of adoption. The result should not be the destruction of the administrative state but rather the development of higher-quality federal policy.
Popularising and Personalising an Illustrated Herbal in Dutch
Authors: van Leerdam Andrea
Published: June 2021

Who were illustrated herbals intended for, who were the actual readers and how did they use these books? The case of the Dutch herbal Den groten herbarius met al sijn figueren (“The great herbal with all its figures”) sheds light on book producers’ strategies of popularisation and readers’ strategies of personalisation. Between 1514 and 1547, at least six illustrated folio editions appeared, with connections to German and English herbal traditions. The work’s paratexts point to a wide intended audience and to a key role for the illustrations in popularisation strategies. Early modern users’ traces in a corpus of 27 individual copies reveal owners from a variety of backgrounds who seem to share a predominantly practical interest in remedies. The article focuses on three pervasive practices of personalisation that offer new perspectives on readers’ engagement with materia medica: tagging recipes and plant names, attaching pins to the pages, and colouring woodcuts.
Freshwater hyphomycetes in Sordariomycetes: two new species of Tainosphaeria (Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales) from Thailand
Authors: LI CHUN-XUE , YU XIAN-DONG , DONG WEI , HU DIAN-MING , BOONMEE SARANYAPHAT , ZHANG HUANG
Published: June 2021

Ongoing investigation of diversity and taxonomy of lignicolous freshwater fungi in Thailand have revealed plenty of new hyphomycetous species. In this study, Tainosphaeria aquatica sp. nov. and T. thailandense sp. nov., occurred on submerged wood in Thailand, are described and illustrated based on the evidences of morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU, ITS and TEF1-α dataset. Tainosphaeria aquatica is characterized by hyaline, 0–3-septate, cylindrical to long fusiform conidia with hair-like, hyaline appendages at both ends. Tainosphaeria thailandense is distinct in having laurel-green, 0–1-septate, reniform to ellipsoidal conidia with polar appendages. A synopsis of morphological characteristics of Tainosphaeria species is provided.
Hydromagnetic Effects on Hybrid Nanofluid (Cu–Al2O3/Water) Flow with Convective Heat Transfer Due to a Stretching Sheet
Authors: Rajesh V. , Srilatha M. , Chamkha Ali J.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, transient free convective boundary layer flow of a viscous hybrid nanofluid due to a vertical stretching sheet with MHD effects is studied numerically using the Crank Nicolson finite difference numerical technique. To explore the properties of heat transfer and the flow
field due to a vertical stretching sheet in the existence of a Lorentz force, two different fluids, specifically Cu–Al2O3/water and Cu/water, are utilized. The results of different physical parameters and the practical quantities of concern that they affect are
investigated. According to this article’s results, Cu–Al2O3/water has a superior heat transfer rate than Cu/water in a magnetic field setting. Various other nano mixtures can be attempted to attain the optimal heat transfer rate.
Aerosol–Ice Formation Closure: A Southern Great Plains Field Campaign
Authors: Knopf D. A. , Barry K. R. , Brubaker T. A. , Jahl L. G. , Jankowski K. A. , Li J. , Lu Y. , Monroe L. W. , Moore K. A. , Rivera-Adorno F. A. , Sauceda K. A. , Shi Y. , Tomlin J. M. , Vepuri H. S. K. , Wang P. , Lata N. N. , Levin E. J. T. , Creamean J. M. , Hill T. C. J. , China S. , Alpert P. A. , Moffet R. C. , Hiranuma N. , Sullivan R. C. , Fridlind A. M. , West M. , Riemer N. , Laskin A. , DeMott P. J. , Liu X.
Published: June 2021

Prediction of ice formation in clouds presents one of the grand challenges in the atmospheric sciences. Immersion freezing initiated by ice-nucleating particles (INPs) is the dominant pathway of primary ice crystal formation in mixed-phase clouds, where supercooled water droplets and ice crystals coexist, with important implications for the hydrological cycle and climate. However, derivation of INP number concentrations from an ambient aerosol population in cloud-resolving and climate models remains highly uncertain. We conducted an aerosol–ice formation closure pilot study using a field-observational approach to evaluate the predictive capability of immersion freezing INPs. The closure study relies on collocated measurements of the ambient size-resolved and single-particle composition and INP number concentrations. The acquired particle data serve as input in several immersion freezing parameterizations, which are employed in cloud-resolving and climate models, for prediction of INP number concentrations. We discuss in detail one closure case study in which a front passed through the measurement site, resulting in a change of ambient particle and INP populations. We achieved closure in some circumstances within uncertainties, but we emphasize the need for freezing parameterization of potentially missing INP types and evaluation of the choice of parameterization to be employed. Overall, this closure pilot study aims to assess the level of parameter details and measurement strategies needed to achieve aerosol–ice formation closure. The closure approach is designed to accurately guide immersion freezing schemes in models, and ultimately identify the leading causes for climate model bias in INP predictions.
Impact of Covid-19 on Informal Sector: A Study of Women Domestic Workers in India
Authors: Sumalatha B. S. , Bhat Lekha D. , Chitra K. P.
Published: June 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has left severe impact on livelihood, security and health of informal sector workers, especially domestic workers, majority of whom are women. Being least organised and lacking institutional support, domestic workers are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and human rights violations, and the pandemic has aggravated the situation. Telephonic interviews were conducted with 260 domestic workers from three cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi with focus on working conditions, livelihood and household dynamics, health scenario and state support during the pandemic. The data was substantiated with qualitative inputs from in-depth interviews conducted with 12 domestic workers across the cities. In the results, widespread job loss is reported among domestic workers during March–June 2020 along with drastically reduced income and increased workload. About 57% domestic workers reported stigma and discrimination at workplace, and 40% worked without any safety measures. Incidence of domestic violence at home, increased work burden at home, issues in access to health care, etc., were reported. The study findings point out the urgent need to have a national-level policy and state support specifically targeting women domestic workers, without which the situation of poverty, health hazards and social exclusion will continue to exist.

JEL Code: J4, J46
Chest x-ray scoring as a predictor of COVID-19 disease; correlation with comorbidities and in-hospital mortality
Authors: Singh Aparajita , Lim Yoke Hong , Annamalaisamy Rajesh , Koteyar Shyam Sunder , Chandran Suresh , Kanodia Avinash Kumar , Khanna Navin
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To devise a novel, simple chest x-ray (CXR) scoring system which would help in prognosticating the disease severity and ability to predict comorbidities and in-hospital mortality.

Methods

We included a total of 343 consecutive hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in this study. The chest x-rays of these patients were scored retrospectively by three radiologists independently. We divided CXR in to six zones (right upper, mid & lower and left, upper mid & lower zones). We scored each zone as- 0, 1 or 2 as follows- if that zone was clear (0) Ground glass opacity (1) or Consolidation (2). A total of score from 0 to 12 could be obtained.

Results

A CXR score cut off ≥3 independently predicted mortality. Along with a relatively higher NPV ≥80%, it reinforced the importance of CXR score is a screening tool to triage patients according to risk of mortality.

Conclusions

We propose that Pennine score is a simple tool which can be adapted by various countries, experiencing a large surge in number of patients, to decide which patient would need a tertiary Hospital referral/admission as opposed to patients that can be managed locally or at basic/primary care hospitals.
Impact of delirium on mortality in patients hospitalized for heart failure
Authors: Ritchie Charlotte , Walters Ryan W. , Ramaswamy Sriram , Alla Venkata M
Published: June 2021

Objective

Heart Failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the United States accounting for ≈800,000 hospital discharges and $11 billion in annual costs. Delirium occurs in approximately 30% of elderly hospitalized patients and its incidence is significantly higher among those admitted to the critical care units. Despite this, there has been limited exploration of the clinical and economic impact of delirium in patients hospitalized with acute HF. We hypothesized that delirium in HF is associated with excess mortality and hospital costs.

Methods

We queried the 2001-2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample to identify hospitalizations that included a primary discharge diagnosis of HF (ICD-9-CM: 428.xx) and stratified them by presence or absence of delirium (ICD-9-CM: 239.0, 290.41, 293.0, 293.1, 348.31). Differences in in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospital costs were assessed using propensity-score matched cohorts.

Results

Major predictors of delirium included advanced age, Caucasian race, underlying dementia or psychiatric diagnoses, higher Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, renal failure, cardiogenic shock, and coronary artery bypass surgery. In the propensity-score matched analysis of 76,411 hospitalization with delirium compared to 76,612 without delirium, in-hospital mortality (odds ratio: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.51–1.77), LOS (rate ratio [RR]: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.45–1.51), and hospital costs (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.41–1.48) were all statistically higher in the presence of delirium (all p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In patients hospitalized with HF, delirium is an independent predictor of increased in-hospital mortality, longer LOS, and excess hospital costs despite adjustment for baseline characteristics.
Lithium therapy in patients on dialysis: A systematic review
Authors: McGrane Ian R , Omar Faddy A , Morgan Natalie F , Shuman Michael D
Published: June 2021

Background

Lithium is a first-line pharmacotherapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder, but long-term use is associated with nephrotoxicity. However, as dialysis effectively eliminates lithium, it remains a pharmacotherapeutic option for patients on dialysis. This systematic review seeks to evaluate the dosing, safety, efficacy, and monitoring of lithium in patients receiving dialysis.

Method

A PubMed database search performed May 5th, 2020, identified 535 article titles. After exclusion criteria were applied, a total of 15 articles were included in this systematic review.

Results

In 18 patients receiving dialysis, lithium was primarily used for the treatment of mood disorders. The majority of patients received 300–900 mg lithium carbonate thrice-weekly following dialysis, but several alternative lithium salts and dosing strategies were utilized. The pharmacokinetic properties of lithium in dialysis are not well understood and can be complicated by a serum lithium “rebound effect” following dialysis, due to a two-compartment volume of distribution. Additionally, presence of residual diuresis in some patients may be reason to administer lithium more frequently than thrice-weekly following dialysis. Lithium was shown to be an effective pharmacotherapy in all patients, with many demonstrating rapid improvement after drug initiation. Five patients experienced an adverse event on lithium, but only one patient required lithium discontinuation.

Conclusion

Lithium may be used in patients on dialysis, with close monitoring of pre-dialysis serum lithium concentrations for at least two weeks after treatment initiation, followed by a lower frequency after stabilization to ensure therapeutic concentrations and reduce toxicity risk.
Work-to-Family Conflict and Children’s Problems with School, Friends, and Health: Household Economic Conditions and Couple Relationship Quality as Contingencies
Authors: Chai Lei , Schieman Scott
Published: June 2021

What is the relationship between work-to-family conflict (WFC) and children’s problems with school, friends, and health? And does that association depend on household economic conditions and couple relationship quality? Using four waves of longitudinal data from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Heath Study (2011–2017), the present study finds that—overall—both fathers’ and mothers’ levels of WFC are associated with elevated levels of children’s problems over time. However, we also discover that household income and spousal disputes moderate this focal relationship—and they do so differently for mothers and fathers. First, the positive association between WFC and children’s problems is stronger for mothers (but not fathers) in households with lower income. Second, the positive association between WFC and children’s problems is stronger for fathers (but not mothers) who report more frequent disputes with their spouse. We discuss the implications of these patterns for current theorizing about stress amplification dynamics and situate that discussion within broader ideas in the ecological model of human development.
Axillary artery: An unanticipated choice of access in the cath lab!
Authors: Varma Puneet , Paraswanath Bharath A , Subramanian Anand , Mahimarangaiah Jayaranganath
Published: June 2021

Ventricular septal defects are increasingly being closed by transcatheter technique, with lesser morbidity and shorter hospital stay compared to open heart surgery. We report a case of embolization of a duct occluder deployed in a posterior muscular septal defect. The rare site of embolization necessitated an unusual approach for retrieval prior to subsequent closure using a double-disc device.
Regional entrepreneurial ecosystems: Technological transformation, digitalisation and the longer term—The automotive and ICT sectors in the UK and Bulgaria
Authors: Focacci Chiara N , Kirov Vassil
Published: June 2021

We investigate how regional entrepreneurial ecosystems have adapted to the information revolution as a techno-economic paradigm since the 1960s. Particularly, we look at how the organisation of firms and labour has changed in the automotive and ICT sectors in, respectively, the UK and Bulgaria. Findings show that, in both countries, it was the degree of cooperation between the local enterprises, research institutions and the government that enabled successful innovation in the regional clusters of the West Midlands and Sofia. The resulting ecosystems allowed, on the one hand, the already mature automotive sector in the UK to survive and, on the other hand, the newly developed ICT sector to be installed successfully in Bulgaria.
Repeated hypoxia exposure induces cognitive dysfunction, brain inflammation, and amyloidβ/p-Tau accumulation through reduced brain O-GlcNAcylation in zebrafish
Authors: Park Jiwon , Jung Sunhee , Kim Sang-Min , Park In young , Bui Ngan An , Hwang Geum-Sook , Han Inn-Oc
Published: June 2021

Repetitive hypoxia (RH) exposure affects the initiation and progression of cognitive dysfunction, but little is known about the mechanisms of hypoxic brain damage. In this study, we show that sublethal RH increased anxiety, impaired learning and memory (L/M), and triggered downregulation of brain levels of glucose and several glucose metabolites in zebrafish, and that supplementation of glucose or glucosamine (GlcN) restored RH-induced L/M impairment. Fear conditioning (FC)-induced brain activation of and PKA/CREB signaling was abrogated by RH, and this effect was reversed by GlcN supplementation. RH was associated with decreased brain O-GlcNAcylation and an increased O-GlcNAcase (OGA) level. RH increased brain inflammation and p-Tau and amyloid β accumulation, and these effects were suppressed by GlcN. Our observations collectively suggest that changes in O-GlcNAc flux during hypoxic exposure could be an important causal factor for neurodegeneration, and that supplementation of the HBP/ O-GlcNAc flux may be a potential novel therapeutic or preventive target for addressing hypoxic brain damage.
Evaluation of Monkman–Grant strain as a key parameter in ductility exhaustion damage model to predict creep rupture of grade 92 steel
Authors: Alang Nasrul Azuan , Zhao Lei , Nikbin Kamran
Published: June 2021

Conventional strain-based numerical prediction assumes that failure occurs when ductility is exhausted or accumulation of creep strain reaches the critical failure strain. Due to instability at the onset of rupture, the failure strain value appears to be scattered and leads to the erroneousness in prediction. In this paper, a new local constraint-based damage model incorporating the Monkman–Grant ductility, as a measure of strain during uniform creep deformation stage, was implemented into a Finite Element (FE) model to predict the creep damage and rupture of Grade 92 steel under uniaxial and multiaxial stress states. The prediction was applied on plain and notched bar specimens with various notch acuities. The uniaxial stress-dependent Monkman–Grant (MG) failure strain was adopted in the FE to simulate the influence of the constraints which were induced by the creep damage. The implication of reduced failure strain in long-term creep time on the rupture prediction is discussed. The multiaxial MG failure strain of the notched bar, which has a lower value than uniaxial failure strain due to the geometrical constraint, was estimated based on the linear inverse relationship between normalised MG failure strain and normalised triaxiality factor. It was found that the results obtained from the proposed technique were in good agreement with the experimental data within the scatter band of ± factor of 2. It was shown that MG failure strain can be used as an alternative to strain at fracture. MG strain outweighed strain at fracture because the determination of its value only required short-term testing to be performed. In most cases considered in the present investigation, the rupture-type fracture was predicted, however, there was evidence that under high constraint and low stress, stable crack propagation occurred before fracture. The location of the maximum creep damage was found to be dependent on the creep time, geometry or acuity level of the specimen. For sharp notch specimen, the failure was initiated near the notch root, however, as the notch radius increased, the initiation location moved further away towards the specimen centre.
A pelvic mass 21 years after a Wilms tumour: late recurrence or new tumour?
Authors: Bonet Xavier , Oderda Marco , Campobasso Davide , Hoepffner Jean-Luc
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

Late Wilms tumour (WT) recurrences are rare events with poorly understood pathogenesis. They could be induced by previous chemo- and radiotherapy regimens, which can also prompt a rhabdomyomatous differentiation. Prostatic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (PER) is an extremely rare disease in adults, with an aggressive behaviour and abysmal prognosis. Radio-induced PER have been described.

Case description:

We report the case of a 29 years old man, with a history of WT, diagnosed with a symptomatic prostatic mass. Blastemic elements were shown at the transrectal biopsy, suggesting the possibility of a late WT recurrence. After laparoscopic resection, an unexpected pathologic diagnosis was reached: PER.

Conclusion:

We retrace and analyse the diagnostic and therapeutic path of the case that represents a mixture of two different conditions which might be unrelated or intertwined in a causal relationship. Among the differential diagnosis of a prostatic mass, the possibility of a prostatic sarcoma should not be overlooked, in presence of blastemic elements, even in a patient with a WT history.
Effect of economic indicators, biomass energy on human development in China
Authors: Hung Ngo Thai
Published: June 2021

Previous studies ignored the distinction between short, medium, and long term by decomposing macroeconomic variables and human development index at different time scales. We re-visit the causal association between biomass energy (BIO), economic growth (GDP), trade openness (TRO), industrialization (IND), foreign direct investment (FDI), and human development (HDI) in China on a quarterly scale by scale basis for the period 1990 to 2019 using the tools of wavelet, i.e., wavelet correlation, wavelet coherence and scale by scale Granger causality test. The main findings uncover that IND, TRO, GDP, and BIO positively drive the HDI at low and medium frequencies, while FDI negatively impacts HDI during the sample period. Additionally, there is a bidirectional relationship between GDP and HDI at different time and frequency domains. Specifically, we discover that the positive co-movement is more robust in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, particularly for HDI, BIO, GDP, and TRO at medium frequencies throughout the period under research. Our empirical insights have significant implications for achieving human development sustainability in China.
Disrupting times in the wake of the pandemic: Dispositional time attitudes, time perception and temporal focus
Authors: Loose Tianna , Wittmann Marc , Vásquez-Echeverría Alejandro
Published: June 2021

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has majorly disrupted many aspects of people’s lives, provoking psychosocial distress among students. People’s positive and negative attitudes towards the past, present and future were a dispositional pre–COVID-19 reality. Faced with a pandemic, people have reported disruptions in the speed of passing time. People can shift their attention more towards the past, present or future when major changes in society occur. These aspects of psychological time would be key to understanding the quality of psychosocial adjustment to the pandemic. We hypothesized that dispositional time attitudes impact psychosocial distress because they would trigger situational changes in our time perception and temporal focus.

Methods

One hundred and forty-four university students in Uruguay responded to self-report questionnaires online while in-person classes were cancelled. Students reported on shifts in temporal focus, changes in time awareness and dispositional time attitudes. Reactive psychological, social and learning environment distress were reported.

Results

Students reported substantial changes in time perception and temporal focus. A correlation matrix showed significant relationships between time attitudes, focus and awareness. For example, psychological distress was correlated with negative time attitudes, slower passage of time, boredom, blurred sense of time and shifting focus to the past. Mediation models were derived. The indirect effect of time attitudes on psychological distress was significant through past focus.

Discussion

Dispositional time attitudes would impact students’ capacity to cope with the pandemic. Situational shifts in temporal focus and perception were prevalent and can be viewed as temporal coping mechanisms in the wake of powerful societal change. Our mediation models showed that those with negative time attitudes experienced more psychological distress because they shifted their attention to the past. Future directions for research and practical implications are discussed.
Clinical and pathologic features of acute bovine liver disease in Australia
Authors: Manthorpe Eve M. , Jerrett Ian V. , Rawlin Grant T. , Woolford Lucy
Published: June 2021

Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD) is a sporadic hepatic disease affecting cattle in southern Australia, characterized histologically by striking periportal hepatocellular necrosis. The cause of ABLD is unknown; however, the seasonality and acute presentation of outbreaks suggest mycotoxin involvement. We describe here the clinical and pathologic findings of ABLD in 45 naturally affected cattle from 13 outbreaks occurring from 2010 to 2019 in Victoria, Australia. Outbreaks occurred in herds located along the southern coastal plain of Victoria and were observed most frequently in lactating dairy cattle. Clinical signs commonly included a combination of mild photosensitization, progressive neurologic signs, and hypogalactia, which preceded death by ≤ 48 h. All affected animals had marked elevations in activities of glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase. At autopsy, the most common lesions were serosal petechiae and/or gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and hepatomegaly with a pronounced hepatic reticular pattern. The principal histologic lesion was widespread—severe periportal hepatocellular coagulative necrosis and erythrocyte pooling—which often extended to massive necrosis. Lesions in other organs were uncommon. Our study of ABLD suggests involvement of a potent hepatotoxin that is either directly cytopathic or requires bioactivation by periportal-specific enzymes.
When Clientelism Backfires: Vote Buying, Democratic Attitudes, and Electoral Retaliation in Latin America
Authors: Carlin Ryan E. , Moseley Mason W.
Published: June 2021

Attempting to buy votes is, in some cases, inefficient and damaging to a clientelistic party. To explain why, we propose the concept of electoral retaliation: sanctioning clientelistic parties by voting against them or intentionally invalidating the ballot. These forms of negative reciprocity are meant to uphold the democratic norms—equal participation, popular sovereignty, electoral fairness—that vote buying undermines. Electoral retaliation is, we theorize, the domain of “democrats.” Thus, we expect voters who highly value democratic norms to be most likely to retaliate against vote-buying parties. We test our theory’s observable implications with a research design that pairs case study and subnational evidence from Argentina with cross-national evidence from Latin America. Results are consistent with the notion that when clientelistic parties target democrats, it is likely to backfire on the machine. Our analyses examine multiple indicators of democratic support, explore causal mechanisms, conduct placebo tests, and seek to rule out various forms of selection bias.
The COVID-19 pandemic and obsessive–compulsive disorder in young people: Systematic review
Authors: Cunning Catherine , Hodes Matthew
Published: June 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world since the first cases were reported in China in January 2020. The secondary mental health impacts of the pandemic are thought to be significant. Obsessive–compulsive disorder is a condition defined by recurrent obsessions and compulsions. It has been hypothesised that the focus on hygiene and contamination during the pandemic could exacerbate obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young people.

Method

A systematic literature review was conducted. Papers were sought looking at the effect of the pandemic on obsessive–compulsive disorder in young people.

Results

Six published cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were identified, of which four studies investigated clinic samples with a diagnosis of obsessive–compulsive disorder and two looked at community adolescent populations. Five out of the six studies found that obsessive–compulsive symptoms were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be associated with a worsening of obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young people. Being in treatment seems to have a protective effect. Maintaining mental health services during a pandemic is vital. It is important to be aware of the implications of pandemic on obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young people in order to allow them to access appropriate treatments. More research is needed in this area.
Ellen and the little one: A critical phenomenology of potentiality in life with dementia
Authors: Dyring Rasmus , Grøn Lone
Published: June 2021

In this article, we outline a critical phenomenology of potentiality as it emerges in life with dementia. Foregrounding the sources of everyday creativity that are part of life with dementia, we propose a critical counter-argument to that of dementia as a form of living death. Our ethnographic vantage point is an episode we encountered during fieldwork at a dementia unit in Denmark. Here, one of the residents of the unit, Ellen, is interrupted in her ways of inhabiting the world by an intimate encounter with a polymorphous creature she calls ‘the Little One’. We argue that this interruption is an ontological event that ushers in new meaningful possibilities for Ellen and the Little One—and for Ellen’s relatives, caregivers, and several other residents—to co-inhabit the world. In critical dialogue with recent theoretical developments in the anthropology of cognitive disability and the ontological turn, we develop a differential social ontology capable of tracing how such interruptions characterize everyday life at the unit—and how various ways of responding to the potentiality of interruptions form responsive communities of care that cross often profound differences between people and between humans and non-humans, such as Ellen and the Little One. We conclude by briefly sketching some implications of these arguments for the care ethics that underlie institutional practices of dementia care.
Cerebral Hemodynamic Responses to the Difficulty Level of Ambulatory Tasks in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lin Jin P. , Feng Hong S. , Zhai Hua , Shen Xia
Published: June 2021

Background. Ambulatory tasks are the important components of balance training which effectively improve postural stability and functional activities in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The difficulty level of an ambulatory task is usually set in the form of attention, direction, speed, or amplitude requirement. Objectives. This study aimed to explore the neural mechanisms of cerebral hemodynamic responses to the difficulty level of ambulatory tasks in persons with PD. Methods. We included ten studies that examined cerebral hemodynamic responses during ambulatory tasks at different difficulty levels in persons with PD. The change in hemodynamic responses was synthesized and meta-analyzed. Results. Patients during “ON” medication had higher relative change in oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHBO2) in the prefrontal cortex in response to difficulty levels of ambulatory tasks, which is comparable to that in healthy elderly individuals. However, patients during “OFF” medication did not show cortical activation in response to difficulty levels. During the lower-difficulty tasks, patients during “ON” medication demonstrated higher ΔHBO2 than healthy elderly participants and patients during “OFF” medication. Factors found to significantly contribute to the heterogeneity across studies included subjects’ type and cognitive status, task duration, setting, and filter used for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data pre-processing. Conclusions. The findings suggest that ambulatory task at a higher difficulty level could be necessary to train the cortical capacity of PD persons, which should be conducted during “ON” medication; meanwhile, the contributing factors to the heterogeneity of studies would be useful as a reference when designing comparable fNIRS studies.
Tinnitus
Authors: Bhamra Navdeep , Juman Charlotte , Balai Edward
Published: June 2021

Tinnitus is a common presentation to general practice. The pathology of tinnitus is complicated, and there is a general lack of understanding and insight about this condition and its management. This article aims to provide an overview of tinnitus to enable GPs to manage this condition and to understand those cases that require urgent referral to secondary care.
A Comparison of Fibula Pro-Tibia Fixation Versus Hindfoot Nailing for Unstable Fractures of the Ankle in Those Older Than 60 Years
Authors: Eyre-Brook Alistair Ian , Ring Joseph , Chadwick Carolyn , Davies Howard , Davies Mark , Blundell Chris
Published: June 2021

Background:

Ankle fractures in the elderly are an increasing problem, with poor outcomes reported. Operative options for patients with suspected osteoporosis and needing to bear weight to ambulate can include hindfoot intramedullary nail (IMN) or fibula pro-tibia fixation (FPT). FPT involves passing 2 or more screws through a lateral fibula plate, crossing the fibular into the tibia, with 1 or more screws proximal to the incisura. We compared the outcomes of these 2 techniques.

Method:

A retrospective review identified 68 patients aged over 60 years with unstable ankle fractures, treated with IMN or FPT. Primary outcome was surgical reoperation/revision rate, secondary outcomes included complications, length of stay, and functional status. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics between IMN and FPT. Revision rates were higher in IMN compared with FPT ( P < .0001). IMN patients postoperatively had longer hospital stays ( P = .02), longer follow-up times ( P = .008), and higher rates of delayed wound healing ( P = .03) and nonunion ( P = .001). Multivariate analysis identified fixation and age to affect revision rates.

Conclusion:

Outcomes were worse in the IMN group compared with FPT. We believe both techniques have a role in the management of elderly ankle fractures, but patient selection is key. We suggest that FPT should be the first-choice technique when soft tissues permit.

Levels of Evidence:

Level III
Frequency of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in a large cohort of neurological patients
Authors: Held Friederike , Kalluri Sudhakar Reddy , Berthele Achim , Klein Ana-Katharina , Reindl Markus , Hemmer Bernhard
Published: June 2021

Background

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease (MOG-AD) is recognized as a distinct nosological entity. IgG antibodies against MOG (MOG-Ab) overlap with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) phenotype in adults. However, an increasing number of clinical phenotypes have been reported to be associated with MOG-Ab.

Objective

To investigate the seroprevalence of MOG-Ab under consideration of demographics, disease entities and time course in a large cohort of unselected neurological patients.

Methods

Blood samples of 2.107 consecutive adult neurologic patients admitted to our department between 2016-2017 were tested for MOG-Ab using a cell-based assay. MOG-Ab persistence was analyzed in follow-up samples. External validation was performed in two independent laboratories.

Results

We found MOG-Ab in 25 of 2.107 (1.2%) patients. High antibody ratios were mostly associated with NMOSD and MOG-AD phenotype (5/25). Low ratios occurred in a wide range of neurological diseases, predominantly in other demyelinating CNS diseases (5/25) and stroke (6/25). MOG-Ab persistence over time was not confined to NMOSD and MOG-AD phenotype.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrates the occurrence of MOG-Ab in a wide range of neurological diseases. Only high MOG-Ab ratios were associated with a defined clinical phenotype, but low MOG-Ab ratios were not. The diagnostic value of low MOG-Ab is thus highly limited.
Determinants of Consumer’s Purchase Intention on Fresh E-Commerce Platform: Perspective of UTAUT Model
Authors: Chen Lingming , Rashidin Md. Salamun , Song Fei , Wang Yi , Javed Sara , Wang Jian
Published: June 2021

Despite the booming market of fresh food, the fresh e-commerce platform holds only a limited market share, owing to the lack of habitual usage of these platforms. This article explores the determinants of purchase intention when using a fresh e-commerce platform. The integrated technology acceptance model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology [UTAUT]) is employed as the framework. A questionnaire survey was conducted and is analyzed using the structural equation model. We find that both performance expectancy and social influence have a significantly positive effect on consumers’ purchase intention using fresh e-commerce platforms, while perceived risk has a significantly negative effect. Perceived trust plays a mediating role between performance expectancy and purchase intention, social influence and purchase intention, as well as perceived risk and purchase intention. In addition, food safety awareness is a moderator between perceived trust and purchase intention.
Massive Ischemic Strokes in a Young Patient With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia
Authors: Achebe Ikechukwu , Nagubadi Swamy , Pierre-Louis Serge J. C.
Published: June 2021

Stroke is an identified sequela of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. While the pathophysiology remains poorly understood, endothelial dysfunction and intravascular thrombosis secondary to sepsis-induced hypercoagulability likely increase the risk of stroke. This report describes the rare case of an otherwise healthy 42-year-old male who developed large bilateral ischemic infarcts during admission for severe hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID pneumonia. This report adds to scarce literature describing massive cerebrovascular injury in COVID patients and emphasizes the importance of increased clinical suspicion for stroke in patients who exhibit acute change in mental status or motor function, as well as rapid clinical deterioration.
Crystalcryoglobulinemia as a manifestation of monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance in a patient with renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Comunidad-Bonilla Roque A , Navarro-Gerrard Megan A , Uribe-Uribe Norma , Ramírez-Andrade Silvia E , Cohen-Bucay Abraham , Mejia-Vilet Juan M
Published: June 2021

Crystalcryoglobulinemia refers to the extracellular deposition of crystals in the systemic vasculature, leading to vascular injury, thrombosis, and occlusion. This entity is usually described as a complication of multiple myeloma, although it can also occur in the setting of a monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance. Synchronous presentation of a monoclonal gammopathy and renal cell carcinoma is rare. Hypothetically, as both neoplasms’ growth depends on certain cytokines such as interleukin-6, it is possible that cytokine production from one neoplasm may stimulate the growth of the other. In this report, we describe a case of crystalcryoglobulinemia in a patient with a monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance and concomitant renal cell carcinoma. Additionally, we performed a systematic review of the literature and analyzed data of 61 reported cases of crystalcryoglobulinemia and of 40 reported cases describing the association between multiple myeloma and renal cell carcinoma.
Macrophage polarization by MSC-derived CXCL12 determines tumor growth
Authors: Babazadeh Shabnam , Nassiri Seyed Mahdi , Siavashi Vahid , Sahlabadi Mohadeseh , Hajinasrollah Mostafa , Zamani-Ahmadmahmudi Mohamad
Published: June 2021

Background

Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of macrophages is known to be the main reason for their ability to regulate inflammation and promote tumorigenesis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the principal cells commonly found in the tumor stromal niche, with capability of macrophage phenotypic switching. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) produced by marrow-derived MSCs in the phenotypic and functional pattern of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs).

Methods

First, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was used for the CXCL12 gene knock-out in MSCs. Then, coculture systems were used to investigate the role of MSCsCXCL12−/− and MSCsCXCL12+/+ in determination of macrophage phenotype. To further analyze the role of the MSC-derived CXCL12 niche, cocultures of 4T1 mammary tumor cells and macrophages primed with MSCsCXCL12−/− or MSCsCXCL12+/+ as well as in-vivo limiting dilution assays were performed.

Results

Our results revealed that the expression of IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β and CD206 as M2 markers was significantly increased in macrophages co-cultured with MSCsCXCL12+/+ , whereas the expression of IL-6, TNF-α and iNOS was conversely decreased. The number and size of multicellular tumor spheroids were remarkably higher when 4T1 cells were cocultured with MSCCXCL12+/+-induced M2 macrophages. We also found that the occurrence of tumors was significantly higher in coinjection of 4T1 cells with MSCCXCL12+/+-primed macrophages. Tumor initiating cells were significantly decreased after coinjection of 4T1 cells with macrophages pretreated with MSCsCXCL12−/−.

Conclusions

In conclusion, our findings shed new light on the role of MSC-derived CXCL12 in macrophage phenotypic switching to M2, affecting their function in tumorigenesis.
Toxic effects of UV filters from sunscreens on coral reefs revisited: regulatory aspects for “reef safe” products
Authors: Miller Ingo B. , Pawlowski Sascha , Kellermann Matthias Y. , Petersen-Thiery Mechtild , Moeller Mareen , Nietzer Samuel , Schupp Peter J.
Published: June 2021

Background

Tropical coral reefs have been recognized for their significant ecological and economical value. However, increasing anthropogenic disturbances have led to progressively declining coral reef ecosystems on a global scale. More recently, several studies implicated UV filters used in sunscreen products to negatively affect corals and possibly contribute to regional trends in coral decline. Following a public debate, bans were implemented on several organic UV filters and sunscreen products in different locations including Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Palau. This included banning the widely used oxybenzone and octinoxate, while promoting the use of inorganic filters such as zinc oxide even although their toxicity towards aquatic organisms had been documented previously. The bans of organic UV filters were based on preliminary scientific studies that showed several weaknesses as there is to this point no standardized testing scheme for scleractinian corals. Despite the lack of sound scientific proof, the latter controversial bans have already resulted in the emergence of a new sunscreen market for products claimed to be ‘reef safe’ (or similar). Thus, a market analysis of ‘reef safe’ sunscreen products was conducted to assess relevant environmental safety aspects of approved UV filters, especially for coral reefs. Further, a scientifically sound decision-making process in a regulatory context is proposed.

Results

Our market analysis revealed that about 80% of surveyed sunscreens contained inorganic UV filters and that there is a variety of unregulated claims being used in the marketing of ‘reef safe’ products with ‘reef friendly’ being the most frequently used term. Predominantly, four organic UV filters are used in ‘reef safe’ sunscreens in the absence of the banned filters oxybenzone and octinoxate. Analysis of safe threshold concentrations for marine water retrieved from existing REACH registration dossiers could currently also safeguard corals.

Conclusion

There is a substantial discrepancy of treatments of organic versus inorganic UV filters in politics as well as in the ‘reef safe’ sunscreen market, which to this point is not scientifically justified. Thus, a risk-based approach with equal consideration of organic and inorganic UV filters is recommended for future regulatory measures as well as a clear definition and regulation of the ‘reef safe’ terminology.