bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
9. Democracy and Legitimacy in the European Union
Authors: Smismans Stijn
Published: August 2022

This chapter discusses the extent to which decision-making in the European Union can be considered democratic and legitimate, clarifying the concepts ‘democracy’ and ‘legitimacy’. The European democratic deficit became an important issue of debate only after the Maastricht Treaty transferred considerable powers to the EU. The main solution has been inspired by the parliamentary model of democracy and involves strengthening the European Parliament (EP), while also paying attention to the role of national parliaments and regional and local authorities. The chapter considers different stages of policy-making and different modes of governance, transparency and the role of civil society, and discusses wider issues associated with the democracy and legitimacy of the Union, such as the impact of the Constitutional Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty. The chapter concludes by warning that three main crises—the economic, migration, and security crises—have revived nationalist and populist movements exacerbating the challenges to the EU’s legitimacy.
13. The Court of Justice of the European Union
Authors: Cardwell Paul James
Published: August 2022

This chapter provides an overview of the Court of Justice of the EU. The Court has emerged as a powerful player in the history and development of the European integration process. Its contribution to the workings of the EU and our understanding of it are central to both legal and political accounts, while its decision-making has at times been controversial. This chapter explores the history of the court as an institution of the EU, its composition, and how it has developed its role. It considers how we can understand the ‘politics’ of the judicial arm of the EU’s institutional framework and also discusses the ‘activism’ of the Court.
18. Enlargement
Authors: Juncos Ana E. , Pérez-Solórzano Borragán Nieves
Published: August 2022

The process of enlargement has transformed the European Union. It has had far-reaching implications for the shape and definition of Europe, and for the institutional set-up and the major policies of the Union. This has been accomplished through a number of enlargement rounds, which the first section of the chapter analyses in detail. This is followed by a review of the enlargement process itself, with a focus on the use of conditionality and the role of the main actors involved. The contributions of neo-functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, and social constructivism to explaining the EU’s geographical expansion are evaluated in the third section of the chapter. The success and prospect of future enlargement are discussed in the context of wider EU developments, especially the effect of the economic crisis in the euro area, ‘enlargement fatigue’, the domestic context in the candidate countries, and Brexit.
21. The Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice
Authors: Uçarer Emek M.
Published: August 2022

This chapter looks at Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), and its subsequent transformation into the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFSJ). The AFSJ comprises the policy areas immigration and asylum, and police and judicial cooperation. This chapter focuses on the early years of cooperation in this policy area, providing an introduction to the Schengen Agreement before reviewing the procedural steps taken by the Maastricht Treaty (1993), at Amsterdam (1999), and institutional developments culminating in the Lisbon Treaty. The chapter also concentrates on policy output, looking beyond Maastricht, Amsterdam, and Lisbon, at the Tampere European Council meeting, the Hague Programme, and the Stockholm Programme. The chapter argues that, although some progress has already been made toward Europeanizing AFSJ policy, this field continues to be laced with intergovernmentalism and numerous challenges remain to be resolved, especially in light of broader challenges facing the Union.
22. Economic and Monetary Union
Authors: Verdun Amy
Published: August 2022

This chapter introduces economic and monetary union (EMU), describingthe key components of EMU and what happens when countries join. EMU was the result of decades of collaboration and learning, divided here into three periods: 1969–91, from the agreement to creation to its inclusion in the Treaty on European Union (TEU); 1992–2002, from having the plans for EMU to the irrevocable fixing of exchange rates; and 2002 onwards, with EMU established and euro banknotes and coins circulating in member states. The chapter reviews various theoretical explanations, both economic and political, for the creation of EMU and considers some criticisms of EMU. The chapter discusses how EMU has fared under the global financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These crises highlighted various imperfections in the design of EMU and provided opportunities for further development. This chapter discusses changes made since 2009 to address those flaws and what may be yet to come.
26. The Migration and Refugee Crisis
Authors: Geddes Andrew
Published: August 2022

This chapter explores the intersection of three key migration and asylum dynamics: the reasons why people migrate internationally to (and from) EU member states; the responses to non-EU migration and asylum that have developed both at member state and EU level; and the political ‘framing’ of migration as an issue or challenge. We begin by asking why, how, and with what effects migration and asylum became salient political issues after the so-called ‘migration crisis’ of 2015, but contextualize these more recent developments by showing how responses after 2015 actually emerged from patterns of cooperation established since the 1980s.
28. COVID-19 and EU Health Policy
Authors: Brooks Eleanor , Rozenblum Sarah , Greer Scott L. , Ruijter Anniek de
Published: August 2022

This chapter explores the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the EU’s health policy. Health is an area where member states have historically been reluctant to cede powers. Consequently, the EU’s treaty competences in health are limited. The chapter introduces the extent and parameters of the EU’s role and the resulting patchwork of health policy and law which exists at European level. When COVID-19 emerged, the EU could not offer a comprehensive response, although the scale of the emergency put pressure on norms of solidarity and free movement. The chapter reviews the EU’s response within six different areas of (health and non-health) policy, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the EU’s efforts to fight and mitigate the pandemic using the public health, internal market, and fiscal governance dimensions of its health powers before discussing the implications of the pandemic and the EU’s response.
1. Introduction
Authors: Kenealy Daniel , Hadfield Amelia , Corbett Richard
Published: August 2022

This chapter discusses the practical and analytical reasons for studying the EU. It presents the EU as a complex and innovative political entity, comprising its member states, its institutions, and its citizens. The chapter presents some of the key theoretical and conceptual approaches to understanding how the EU has developed historically and how it works today. Furthermore, it outlines three broad themes that help the reader make sense of the EU: experimentation and change; power sharing and consensus; and scope and capacity. Finally, it provides an overview of the chapters that follow, which cover topics ranging from an historical overview of the EU’s development to its institutional architecture, from its policy-making process to its democratic credentials, from its key internal policies to its growing role as an actor on the global stage.
4. EU Member States
Authors: Coman Ramona , Kenealy Daniel
Published: August 2022

This chapter focuses on the member states of the EU. It begins by considering how two different theories—liberal intergovernmentalism and postfunctionalism—explain member states’ engagement with the EU and the different visions of EU integration held by the member states. It goes on to explore the important role of the member states in the EU’s decision-making processes with a focus on the coalitions and cleavages among the member states, the importance of the rotating presidency of the Council (of ministers), and the increasing role of the European Council in setting the EU’s political agenda. The chapter discusses key concepts such as Europeanization, euroscepticism, and differentiated integration, which help understand the challenges faced by a Union of 27 diverse member states.
6. Democracy in the EU
Authors: Corbett Richard , Kenealy Daniel
Published: August 2022

This chapter examines the democratic credentials of the EU. Beginning with a discussion of the idea of democracy beyond the state, it explores academic debates about whether the EU suffers a ‘democratic deficit’. The chapter evaluates the EU along various dimensions, including how powers are separated and divided within the EU, the extent to which executive accountability is established, and the various mechanisms of representation in the EU. It explores the nature of European elections, the role of European political parties, the role of national parliaments in EU policy-making and recent innovations in the way that the president of the European Commission is chosen. The chapter concludes with a discussion of fundamental rights, values, and the rule of the law in the EU with a particular focus on recent developments in Hungary and Poland.
The bHLH1-DTX35/DFR module regulates pollen fertility by promoting flavonoid biosynthesis in Capsicum annuum L.
Authors: Zhang Zhishuo , Liu Yi , Yuan Qiaoling , Xiong Cheng , Xu Hao , Hu Bowen , Suo Huan , Yang Sha , Hou Xilin , Yuan Fang , Pei Zhenming , Dai Xiongze , Zou Xuexiao , Liu Feng
Published: August 2022

High pollen fertility can ensure the yield and efficiency of breeding work, but factors that affect the fertility of pepper pollen have not been studied extensively. In this work, we screened the reduced pollen fertility 1 (rpf1) mutant of Capsicum annuum with reduced pollen fertility and yellow anthers from an EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate)-mutagenized pepper population. Through construction of an F2 population followed by BSA (bulked segregant analysis) mapping and KASP genotyping, we identified CabHLH1 as a candidate gene for control of this trait. A G → A mutation at a splice acceptor site in CabHLH1 causes a frameshift mutation in the mutant, and the translated protein is terminated prematurely. Previous studies on CabHLH1 have focused on the regulation of flavonoid synthesis. Here, we found that CabHLH1 also has an important effect on pollen fertility. Pollen vigor, anther flavonoid content, and seed number were lower in CabHLH1-silenced pepper plants, whereas anther H2O2 and MDA (malondialdehyde) contents were higher. RNA-seq analyses showed that expression of the flavonoid synthesis genes DFR, ANS, and RT was significantly reduced in anthers of CabHLH1-silenced plants and rpf1 plants, as was the expression of DTX35, a gene related to pollen fertility and flavonoid transport. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that CabHLH1 can directly bind to the promoters of DTX35 and DFR and activate their expression. These results indicate that CabHLH1 regulates reactive oxygen species homeostasis by promoting the synthesis of anther flavonoids and acts as a positive regulator of pepper pollen fertility.
Patient representatives need various methods to be involved in clinical practice guidelines: a qualitative study in Finland
Authors: Sipilä Raija , Hämeen-Anttila Katri , Komulainen Jorma
Published: August 2022

Objectives

The aim of the study was to identify POs’ views on the best ways to involve patient representatives and POs’ potential roles in the guideline process. Patient involvement in guideline development has been endorsed. The international guideline community has developed a toolkit to describe methods and facilitate patient involvement. The most used methods are commentary on the draft guideline and acting as guideline panel members. However, knowledge of the patient organizations’ (POs) perception of involvement is scarce.

Methods

Representatives from 12 POs (n = 20) in Finland were invited to group interviews (n = 4, á 1.5 h). In the qualitative analysis, we deductively identified using the Guidelines International Network public toolkit the best ways to involve patient representatives and inductively analyzed general principles for involvement and how the POs consider their potential roles.

Results

The interviewees raised three major principles for organizing patient involvement in guideline development: (i) different means of involvement, (ii) representativeness, and (iii) genuine and equal interaction. The interviewees endorsed involvement through statements and comments throughout the guideline process, and instead of participating in guideline panels as a member, they preferred reference groups or patients’ networks. The interviewees saw various roles for POs in guideline development, for example acting as confidants for patient representatives, information production, active participation, commenting, and communicative activities to population.

Conclusions

Guideline developers should offer various and easy ways of patient involvement. POs’ representatives considered reference groups to be a superior method of participation compared to guideline panel members. Organizations are willing to support guideline development and patient representatives.
Association Between Prolonged Shedding of Zika Virus in Human Semen and Male Reproductive Tract Inflammation
Authors: Vogt Megan B , McDonald Erin M , Delorey Mark , Mead Paul S , Hook Sarah A , Hinckley Alison F , Werre Stephen R , Brault Aaron C , Duggal Nisha K
Published: August 2022

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes congenital defects. Sexual transmission of ZIKV was confirmed in a recent epidemic; however, mechanisms behind ZIKV infection and persistence in the male reproductive tract (MRT) are unknown. Previously, we found that approximately 33% of men with symptomatic ZIKV infections shed ZIKV RNA in semen, and some men shed ZIKV RNA for >3 months. Here, we evaluated the semen of 49 ZIKV-infected men to identify immune factors correlating with long-term ZIKV shedding in semen and ZIKV-infected cell types in semen. We found that prolonged ZIKV RNA shedding in semen was associated with MRT inflammation, indicated by higher leukocyte counts and inflammatory cytokine concentrations in semen of long-term versus short-term shedders. In addition, we found ZIKV RNA in seminal leukocytes and epithelial cells. This study of human semen from ZIKV-infected men provides critical insights into the effects of ZIKV on MRT health.
ReviewR: a light-weight and extensible tool for manual review of clinical records
Authors: Mayer David A , Rasmussen Luke V , Roark Christopher D , Kahn Michael G , Schilling Lisa M , Wiley Laura K
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Manual record review is a crucial step for electronic health record (EHR)-based research, but it has poor workflows and is error prone. We sought to build a tool that provides a unified environment for data review and chart abstraction data entry.

Materials and Methods

ReviewR is an open-source R Shiny application that can be deployed on a single machine or made available to multiple users. It supports multiple data models and database systems, and integrates with the REDCap API for storing abstraction results.

Results

We describe 2 real-world uses and extensions of ReviewR. Since its release in April 2021 as a package on CRAN it has been downloaded 2204 times.

Discussion and Conclusion

ReviewR provides an easily accessible review interface for clinical data warehouses. Its modular, extensible, and open source nature afford future expansion by other researchers.
Cyclic proofs for the first-order µ-calculus
Authors: Afshari Bahareh , Enqvist Sebastian , Leigh Graham E
Published: August 2022

We introduce a path-based cyclic proof system for first-order $\mu $-calculus, the extension of first-order logic by second-order quantifiers for least and greatest fixed points of definable monotone functions. We prove soundness of the system and demonstrate it to be as expressive as the known trace-based cyclic systems of Dam and Sprenger. Furthermore, we establish cut-free completeness of our system for the fragment corresponding to the modal $\mu $-calculus.
Neutron star crust in Voigt approximation II: general formula for electron screening correction for effective shear modulus
Authors: Chugunov Andrey I
Published: August 2022

The main contribution to the effective shear modulus of neutron star crust can be calculated within Coulomb solid model and can be approximated by simple analytical expression for arbitrary (even multicomponent) composition. Here I consider correction associated with electron screening within Thomas–Fermi approximation. In particular, I demonstrate that for relativistic electrons (density ρ > 106 g cm−3) this correction can be estimated as $\delta \mu _\mathrm{eff}^\mathrm{V}= -9.4\times 10^{-4}\sum _Z n_Z Z^{7/3} e^2/a_\mathrm{e},$ where summation is taken over ion species, nZ is number density of ions with charge Ze, kTF is Thomas–Fermi screening wavenumber. Finally, ae = (4πne/3)−1/3 is electron sphere radius. Quasi-neutrality condition ne = ∑ZZnZ is assumed. This result holds true for arbitrary (even multicomponent and amorphous) matter and can be applied for neutron star crust and (dense) cores of white dwarfs. For example, the screening correction reduces shear modulus by ∼9 per cent for Z ∼ 40, which is typical for inner layers of neutron star crust.
Protostellar-disc fragmentation across all metallicities
Authors: Matsukoba Ryoki , Tanaka Kei E I , Omukai Kazuyuki , Vorobyov Eduard I , Hosokawa Takashi
Published: August 2022

Cosmic metallicity evolution possibly creates the diversity of star formation modes at different epochs. Gravitational fragmentation of circumstellar discs provides an important formation channel of multiple star systems, including close binaries. We here study the nature of disc fragmentation, systematically performing a suite of 2D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations, in a broad range of metallicities, from the primordial to the solar values. In particular, we follow relatively long-term disc evolution over 15 kyr after the disc formation, incorporating the effect of heating by the protostellar irradiation. Our results show that the disc fragmentation occurs at all metallicities 1–$0 \, \rm {Z}_{\odot }$, yielding self-gravitating clumps. Physical properties of the clumps, such as their number and mass distributions, change with the metallicity due to different gas thermal evolution. For instance, the number of clumps is the largest for the intermediate metallicity range of 10−2–$10^{-5} \, \rm {Z}_{\odot }$, where the dust cooling is effective exclusively in a dense part of the disc and causes the fragmentation of spiral arms, although the disc might fragment at a similar rate, also at lower metallicities 10−6–$0 \, \rm {Z}_{\odot }$ with higher spatial resolution. The disc fragmentation is more modest for 1–$0.1 \, \rm {Z}_{\odot }$, thanks to the disc stabilization by the stellar irradiation. Such metallicity dependence agrees with the observed trend that the close binary fraction increases with decreasing metallicity in the range of 1–$10^{-3} \, \rm {Z}_{\odot }$.
Model BOSS and eBOSS luminous red galaxies at 0.2 < z < 1.0 using SubHalo Abundance Matching with three parameters
Authors: Yu Jiaxi , Zhao Cheng , Chuang Chia-Hsun , Bautista Julian E , Favole Ginevra , Kneib Jean-Paul , Mohammad Faizan G , Ross Ashley J , Raichoor Anand , Tao Charling , Dawson Kyle , Rossi Graziano
Published: August 2022

SubHalo Abundance Matching (SHAM) is an empirical method for constructing galaxy catalogues based on high-resolution N-body simulations. We apply SHAM on the UNIT simulation to simulate SDSS BOSS/eBOSS luminous red galaxies (LRGs) within a wide redshift range of 0.2 < $z$ < 1.0. Besides the typical SHAM scatter parameter σ, we include $v$smear and Vceil to take into account the redshift uncertainty and the galaxy incompleteness, respectively. These two additional parameters are critical for reproducing the observed 2PCF multipoles on 5–25$\, h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}$. The redshift uncertainties obtained from the best-fitting $v$smear agree with those measured from repeat observations for all SDSS LRGs except for the LOWZ sample. We explore several potential systematics but none of them can explain the discrepancy found in LOWZ. Our explanation is that the LOWZ galaxies might contain another type of galaxies that needs to be treated differently. The evolution of the measured σ and Vceil also reveals that the incompleteness of eBOSS galaxies decreases with the redshift. This is the consequence of the magnitude lower limit applied in eBOSS LRG target selection. Our SHAM also set upper limits for the intrinsic scatter of the galaxy–halo relation, given a complete galaxy sample: σint < 0.31 for LOWZ at 0.2 < $z$ < 0.33, σint < 0.36 for LOWZ at 0.33 < $z$ < 0.43, and σint < 0.46 for CMASS at 0.43 < $z$ < 0.51. The projected 2PCFs of our SHAM galaxies also agree with the observational ones on the 2PCF fitting range.
Exploring the dependence of hot Jupiter occurrence rates on stellar mass with TESS
Authors: Beleznay Maya , Kunimoto M
Published: August 2022

We present estimates for the occurrence rates of hot Jupiters around dwarf stars based on data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Prime Mission. We take 97 hot Jupiters orbiting 198 721 AFG dwarf stars (ranging in mass from 0.8 to $2.3\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) from an independent search for hot Jupiters using TESS Prime Mission data. We estimate our planet sample’s false positive rates (FPRs) as $14\pm 7{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for A stars, $16\pm 6{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for F stars, and 0 per cent for G stars. We find hot Jupiter occurrence rates of $0.29 \pm 0.05{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for A stars, $0.36 \pm 0.06{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for F stars and $0.55 \pm 0.14{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for G stars, with a weighted average across AFG stars of $0.33\pm 0.04{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$. Our results show a correlation between higher hot Jupiter abundance and lower stellar mass and are in good agreement with occurrence rates found by Kepler. After correcting for the presence of binaries in the TESS stellar sample, we estimate a single-star hot Jupiter occurrence rate of $0.98\pm 0.36{{\,\rm per\,cent}}$ for G stars. This is in agreement with results from radial velocity (RV) surveys, indicating that stellar multiplicity correction is able to resolve the discrepancy between hot Jupiter occurrence rates based on transits and RVs.
Venetoclax and Hypomethylating Agents as First-line Treatment in Newly Diagnosed Patients with AML in a Predominately Community Setting in the US
Authors: Vachhani Pankit , Flahavan Evelyn M , Xu Tao , Ma Esprit , Montez Melissa , Gershon Anda , Onishi Maika , Jin Huan , Ku Grace , Flores Brannon , Bui Cat N , Abbas Jonathan A , Donnellan William
Published: August 2022

Background

Treatment with venetoclax + hypomethylating agents (HMAs) is standard-of-care for newly diagnosed (ND) patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) aged ≥75 years, or with comorbidities precluding intensive chemotherapy. We describe real-world venetoclax + HMA treatment practices and outcomes in patients with ND AML in the US.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective cohort study used an electronic health record-derived, US nationwide, de-identified database, and included adults with ND AML, initiating venetoclax + HMA treatment ≤30 days from diagnosis (June 1, 2018-January 31, 2020). Venetoclax treatment variables included dosing information, schedule modifications, and drug–drug interactions. The median venetoclax + HMA treatment duration and overall survival (OS) from venetoclax initiation to discontinuation, death, or end of follow-up (August 31, 2020) were examined by Kaplan-Meier analyses.

Results

Overall, 169 patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 77 years; 85.2% of patients were treated in community practice. Ninety-five of 169 patients (56.2%) had evaluable bone marrow response data following the start of treatment; 53.7% were assessed approximately at the end of cycle 1. Following the first treatment cycle, treatment schedule modifications were recorded in 101 patients and dose changes in 56, primarily due to toxicity. The median treatment duration was 5.2 months; the median OS was 8.6 months (median follow-up was 7.2 months). Venetoclax dose changes did not modify efficacy outcomes, but longer median OS was associated with venetoclax treatment schedule modifications (P = .02).

Conclusions

This study reflects early real-world experience with venetoclax + HMAs in a predominantly community setting and emphasizes the importance of appropriate venetoclax management in optimizing patient outcomes.
Transcriptional activation of auxin biosynthesis drives developmental reprogramming of differentiated cells
Authors: Sakamoto Yuki , Kawamura Ayako , Suzuki Takamasa , Segami Shoji , Maeshima Masayoshi , Polyn Stefanie , De Veylder Lieven , Sugimoto Keiko
Published: August 2022

Plant cells exhibit remarkable plasticity of their differentiation states, enabling regeneration of whole plants from differentiated somatic cells. How they revert cell fate and express pluripotency, however, remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that transcriptional activation of auxin biosynthesis is crucial for reprogramming differentiated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf cells. Our data show that interfering with the activity of histone acetyltransferases dramatically reduces callus formation from leaf mesophyll protoplasts. Histone acetylation permits transcriptional activation of PLETHORAs, leading to the induction of their downstream YUCCA1 gene encoding an enzyme for auxin biosynthesis. Auxin biosynthesis is in turn required to accomplish initial cell division through the activation of G2/M phase genes mediated by MYB DOMAIN PROTEIN 3-RELATED (MYB3Rs). We further show that the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 7 (ARF7)/ARF19 and INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE 3 (IAA3)/IAA18-mediated auxin signaling pathway is responsible for cell cycle reactivation by transcriptionally upregulating MYB3R4. These findings provide a mechanistic model of how differentiated plant cells revert their fate and reinitiate the cell cycle to become pluripotent.
Psychosocial Predictors of Chronic Pain 12 Months After Surgical Fixation for Lower Extremity Fracture: A Prospective Study
Authors: Van Wyngaarden Joshua J , Archer Kristin R , Pennings Jacquelyn S , Matuszewski Paul E , Noehren Brian
Published: August 2022

Objective

Pain is a common outcome after lower extremity fracture (LEF) requiring surgical fixation. Although psychosocial characteristics have meaningful associations with adverse outcomes, no studies have evaluated how psychosocial characteristics throughout recovery are associated with pain outcomes. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether psychosocial characteristics are early risk factors for pain outcomes in patients following LEF who have no history of chronic pain.

Methods

Participants, 122 patients with a LEF, consented to this single-center, prospective cohort study. Measurements of depression, pain self-efficacy, pain catastrophizing, and fear of movement were completed at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after LEF. Chronic pain development and pain intensity were assessed at 12 months. Univariate analyses assessing the difference between means and corresponding effect sizes were evaluated between those individuals with and without chronic pain at 12 months. Separate logistic and linear regression models using psychosocial scores at each time point were used to determine the association with the development of chronic pain and pain intensity, respectively.

Results

Of 114 patients (93.4%) who completed the study, 51 (45%) reported chronic pain at 12 months. In the univariate analysis, all psychosocial variables at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months were significantly different between those with and those without chronic pain at 12 months (Cohen d range = 0.84 to 1.65). In the multivariate regression models, all psychosocial variables at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months were associated with chronic pain development (odds ratio range = 1.04 to 1.22) and pain intensity (β range = .05 to .14) at 12 months.

Conclusion

Psychosocial scores as early as 6 weeks after surgery are associated with pain outcomes 12 months after LEF.

Impact

Physical therapists should consider adding psychosocial screening throughout recovery after LEF to identify patients at increased risk for long-term pain outcomes.
On a Qualitative and Lie Symmetry Analysis for a Pendulum with Two Reaction Wheels
Authors: Ruiz A , Basquerotto C H C C , Trentin J F S , Da Silva S
Published: August 2022

In this article, it is studied the mechanical system formed by a pendulum with two reaction wheels in which the friction torque is assumed to follow a Coulomb law. A qualitative analysis of the system is performed for the damped case. Specifically, the equilibrium points for the unforced pendulum are analyzed. Also, in the forced case, the conditions for which there exist asymptotically stable solutions are determined. In order to study the exact analytical solution of the unforced pendulum, we also perform a Lie symmetry analysis. In this regard, it is shown that the exact general solution of the system for null motor torques can be expressed in terms of the general solution to an Abel equation. In the unforced and undamped case, the exact general solution is obtained in explicit form and expressed in terms of the Jacobi elliptic function by using the Lie symmetry approach.
Bounds for del pezzo surfaces of degree two
Authors: Ghosh Aritra , Kumar Sumit , Mallesham Kummari , Singh Saurabh Kumar
Published: August 2022

In this article, we obtain an upper bound for the number of integral points on del Pezzo surfaces of degree two.
When Less is More: Improving Choices in Health Insurance Markets
Authors: Abaluck Jason , Gruber Jonathan
Published: August 2022

We study the impact of changing choice set size on the quality of choices in health insurance markets. Using novel data on enrolment and medical claims for school district employees in the state of Oregon, we document that the average employee could save $600 by switching to a lower cost plan. Structural modelling reveals large “choice inconsistencies” such as non-equalization of the dollar spent on premiums and out of pocket, and a novel form of “approximate inertia” where enrolees are excessively likely to switch to other plans that are close to the current plan on the plan design spreadsheet. Variation in the number of plan choices across districts and over time shows that enrolees make lower-cost choices when the choice set is smaller. We show that a curated restriction of choice set size improves choices more than the best available information intervention, partly because approximate inertia lowers gains from new information. We explicitly test and reject the assumption that this is because individuals choose worse from larger choice sets, or “choice overload”. Rather, we show that this feature arises from the fact that larger choice sets feature worse choices on average that are not offset by individual re-optimization.
The Disutility of Stock Market Losses: Evidence From Domestic Violence
Authors: Lin Tse-Chun , Pursiainen Vesa
Published: August 2022

Stock returns during the week are negatively associated with the reported incidence of domestic violence during the weekend. This relationship is primarily driven by negative returns. The incidence of domestic violence increases with the magnitude of losses, and the effect increases with local stock market participation. Our findings suggest that negative wealth shocks caused by stock market crashes can affect stress levels within intimate relationships, escalate arguments, and trigger domestic violence. Stock market losses may reduce household utility beyond the shock to financial wealth, supporting gain-loss models where disutility from losses outweighs the utility from gains of a similar magnitude.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Morphometric Integrated Classification Index: A Multisite Model-Based, Interpretable, Shareable and Evolvable Biomarker for Schizophrenia
Authors: Xie Yingying , Ding Hao , Du Xiaotong , Chai Chao , Wei Xiaotong , Sun Jie , Zhuo Chuanjun , Wang Lina , Li Jie , Tian Hongjun , Liang Meng , Zhang Shijie , Yu Chunshui , Qin Wen
Published: August 2022

Background and Hypothesis

Multisite massive schizophrenia neuroimaging data sharing is becoming critical in understanding the pathophysiological mechanism and making an objective diagnosis of schizophrenia; it remains challenging to obtain a generalizable and interpretable, shareable, and evolvable neuroimaging biomarker for schizophrenia diagnosis.

Study Design

A Morphometric Integrated Classification Index (MICI) was proposed as a potential biomarker for schizophrenia diagnosis based on structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 1270 subjects from 10 sites (588 schizophrenia patients and 682 normal controls). An optimal XGBoost classifier plus sample-weighted SHapley Additive explanation algorithms were used to construct the MICI measure.

Study Results

The MICI measure achieved comparable performance with the sample-weighted ensembling model and merged model based on raw data (Delong test, P > 0.82) while outperformed the single-site models (Delong test, P < 0.05) in either the independent-sample testing datasets from the 9 sites or the independent-site dataset (generalizable). Besides, when new sites were embedded in, the performance of this measure was gradually increasing (evolvable). Finally, MICI was strongly associated with the severity of schizophrenia brain structural abnormality, with the patients’ positive and negative symptoms, and with the brain expression profiles of schizophrenia risk genes (interpretable).

Conclusions

In summary, the proposed MICI biomarker may provide a simple and explainable way to support clinicians for objectively diagnosing schizophrenia. Finally, we developed an online model share platform to promote biomarker generalization and provide free individual prediction services (http://micc.tmu.edu.cn/mici/index.html).
Silent codon positions in the A-rich HIV RNA genome that do not easily become A: Restrictions imposed by the RNA sequence and structure
Authors: Berkhout Ben , van Hemert Formijn J
Published: August 2022

There is a strong evolutionary tendency of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to accumulate A nucleotides in its RNA genome, resulting in a mere 40 per cent A count. This A bias is especially dominant for the so-called silent codon positions where any nucleotide can be present without changing the encoded protein. However, particular silent codon positions in HIV RNA refrain from becoming A, which became apparent upon genome analysis of many virus isolates. We analyzed these ‘noA’ genome positions to reveal the underlying reason for their inability to facilitate the A nucleotide. We propose that local RNA structure requirements can explain the absence of A at these sites. Thus, noA sites may be prominently involved in the correct folding of the viral RNA. Turning things around, the presence of multiple clustered noA sites may reveal the presence of important sequence and/or structural elements in the HIV RNA genome.
Reproducing Celibacy: Nuns’ Households in Nineteenth-Century New Mexico Territory
Authors: Jacobson Danae
Published: August 2022

This article explores the material and cultural households that Catholic nuns, the Sisters of Loretto, built in New Mexico Territory in the 1850s through 1870s.  In some ways, these households served a similar function as other White households in the U.S. settler empire. However, given the specific situation in New Mexico Territory—where Nuevomexicanos remained dominant in politics and demographics after U.S. conquest, where Catholicism was widespread, and where the nuns became a majority Spanish-speaking, New Mexican congregation—the Sisters of Loretto ended up playing a complicated and surprising role in both U.S. and Catholic colonialism in New Mexico. Through an examination of the nuns’ built environment, rituals, and novitiate, the article explores how this unconventional household reproduced itself, within the context of the U.S. settler empire and Catholic colonialism. Although the Sisters of Loretto’s arrival in Santa Fe was predicated on U.S. conquest, the expected narrative of easterners go west to conquer and Americanize is complicated by the concurrent Catholic colonialism, the nuns’ gender, as well as the deep history of Catholicism in New Mexico Territory. In the end, New Mexican women, both wealthy and poor, are the protagonists of this story. Given the power of New Mexican women in the community and its decision to conduct ritual life in Spanish, this household worked to constrain the Americanization of New Mexico Territory in the face of U.S. conquest and the anti-New Mexican push of Catholic priests from the U.S. and Europe.
Aggressivity of Different Fusarium Species Causing Fruit Rot in Melons in Brazil
Authors: de Almeida Nogueira Geovane , Costa Conrado Valéria Sand , Luiz de Almeida Freires Afonso , Ferreira de Souza José Janderson , Figueiredo Francisco Romário Andrade , Barroso Karol Alves , Medeiros Araújo Maria Bruna , Nascimento Luan Vítor , de Lima Jailma Suerda Silva , Neto Francisco Bezerra , da Silva Washington Luís , Ambrósio Márcia Michelle de Queiroz
Published: August 2022

Brazil is one of the largest melon (Cucumis melo) producers in the world and most of the production is exported to international markets. Currently, over 15% of Brazilian melon shipments are lost during export transportation due to Fusarium fruit rot, which is jeopardizing the livelihood of Brazilian melon producers. We focused on understanding the aggressivity of five species of Fusarium causing fruit rot on the main types of melon produced in Brazil. We also investigated the correlation between pathogenicity and fruit quality. Experiments were performed under a completely randomized experimental design, in a 5 × 8 factorial scheme, using two methods for inoculation: deposition of discs of culture media containing fungal structures and deposition of spore suspensions in needle-punctured lesions. The fungal species used were Fusarium falciforme, F. sulawesiense, F. pernambucanum, F. kalimantanense, and Fusarium sp. Fruits of two hybrids from four types of melons, canary (Goldex and Gold Mine), piel de sapo (Grand Prix and Flecha Verde), galia (McLaren and DRG3228), and cantaloupe (SV1044MF and Bonsai), were used. Disease severity was assessed by measuring the lesions, disease severity index, fruit firmness, and degrees Brix of fruits. The five Fusarium species caused rot in the fruits of all melon hybrids studied and the aggressivity of those fungal species varied with the type and hybrid. Fruits of the hybrids McLaren and Bonsai presented the largest lesions among all melon hybrids, and hybrids of canary type (Gold Mine and Goldex) were the most tolerant to rot caused by the Fusarium species investigated. Furthermore, the greater the severity of Fusarium fruit rot, the lower the pulp firmness of the fruits, but degrees Brix did not correlate with the onset of the disease.
Cervical Dilators Used Concurrently With Misoprostol to Shorten Labor in Second-Trimester Termination of Pregnancy
Authors: Anselem Olivia , Jouannic Jean-Marie , Winer Norbert , Bouchghoul Hanane , Vivanti Alexandre J. , Quibel Thibault , Massardier Jérôme , Rousseau Jessica , Ancel Pierre-Yves , Goffinet François , Tsatsaris Vassilis
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the use of cervical dilators concurrently with misoprostol to shorten labor in second-trimester medical termination of pregnancy.

METHODS:

This multicenter randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of cervical dilators inserted concurrently with misoprostol with that of misoprostol, alone, to shorten labor for women undergoing termination of pregnancy between 15 0/7 and 27 6/7 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was the proportion of women with a duration of labor exceeding 12 hours. Secondary outcomes included median duration of labor, time to amniotomy, side effects, complications, NPRS (Numeric Pain Rating Scale) score, and women's distress as measured by the IES-R (Impact of Event Scale-Revised). These outcomes also were studied separately in the nulliparous subgroup. To demonstrate a reduction of 50% of the proportion of women with a duration of labor exceeding 12 hours in the dilator group, with a power of 80% and a 2-sided 0.05 significance level, a sample of 268 women (134 in each group) was required.

RESULTS:

Between December 2017 and September 2019, this study enrolled and analyzed 347 women: 174 in the dilator group and 173 in the control group, including 87 and 93 nulliparous patients, respectively. Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics were similar between groups. The proportion of women with labor exceeding 12 hours was not different between groups (49/174 [28.2%] in the dilator group vs 53/173 [30.6%] in the control group [P=.61] for the whole population, and 37/87 [42.5%] vs 42/93 [45.2%] [P=.72], respectively, among nulliparous patients). Median duration of labor was 8.5 hours in the dilator group compared with 9.2 hours in the control group (P=.65) for the whole population, and 10.5 hours compared with 11.8 hours, respectively, among nulliparous patients (P=.33). Median time to amniotomy was 3.6 hours in the dilator group compared with 5.0 hours in the control group (P=.08) for the whole population, and 3.5 hours compared with 6.7 hours, respectively, among nulliparous patients (P=.003). Side effects, complications, NPRS score, and IES-R score were similar between groups.

CONCLUSION:

Cervical dilators inserted concurrently with misoprostol did not reduce the proportion of women whose labor exceeded 12 hours compared with misoprostol alone.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03194230.
Medical Counseling on Sexual Enrichment Aids
Authors: Collar Amanda L. , Rishel Brakey Heidi , Fuentes Jesus E. , Frietze Kathryn M.
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate women's preferences and experiences regarding health counseling of safe sexual enrichment aid use and hygiene and current counseling behaviors of medical practitioners on this topic.

METHODS:

This study used mixed methodology, leveraging quantitative data from a cross-sectional survey of 800 women and semi-structured qualitative interview data from 24 women across sexual practice groups. Additionally, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 192 medical practitioners to understand current counseling behaviors and attitudes.

RESULTS:

The majority of women (96.2%, 607/631) had never been counseled by a practitioner on safe sexual enrichment aid use and hygiene but would feel comfortable receiving counseling on the subject under certain circumstances. Overwhelmingly, women indicated the need for a nonjudgmental practitioner. Many cited the importance of having a female practitioner and preferred one within obstetrics and gynecology. Among medical practitioners, counseling on this topic was infrequent; 27.0% (52/192) stated that they counsel patients on safe sexual enrichment aid use and hygiene when discussing safe sex, and 21.4% (41/192) reported that this topic is included when counseling women after a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis. Only 7.4% (14/188) and 6.4% (12/188) had received training on this topic or were aware of any professional guidelines or recommendations, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

Evidence-based guidelines should be developed that practitioners can use to counsel patients, ensuring that women are able to engage in sexual enrichment aid use safely.
Association of SARS-CoV-2 BA.4/BA.5 Omicron lineages with immune escape and clinical outcome
Authors: Lewnard Joseph A. , Hong Vennis , Kim Jeniffer S. , Shaw Sally F. , Lewin Bruno , Takhar Harpreet , Tartof Sara Y.
Published: August 2022

Expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants in populations with prevalent immunity from prior infection and vaccination, and associated burden of severe COVID-19, has raised concerns about epidemiologic characteristics of these lineages including their association with immune escape or severe clinical outcomes. Here we show that BA.4/BA.5 cases had 15% (95% confidence interval: 9-21%) and 38% (27-49%) higher adjusted odds of having received 3 and ≥4 COVID-19 vaccine doses, respectively, than time-matched BA.2 cases, as well as 55% (43-69%) higher adjusted odds of prior documented infection. However, after adjusting for differences in epidemiologic characteristics among cases with each lineage, BA.4/BA.5 infection was not associated with differential risk of emergency department presentation, hospital admission, or intensive care unit admission following an initial outpatient diagnosis. This finding held in sensitivity analyses correcting for potential exposure misclassification resulting from unascertained prior infections. Our results demonstrate that the reduced severity associated with prior (BA.1 and BA.2) Omicron lineages, relative to the Delta variant, has persisted with BA.4/BA.5, despite the association of BA.4/BA.5 with increased risk of breakthrough infection among previously vaccinated or infected individuals.
Change in incidence of cardiovascular diseases during the covid-19 pandemic and vaccination campaign: data from the nationwide French hospital discharge database
Authors: Boudemaghe Thierry , Léger Lucas , Perez-Martin Antonia , Suehs Carey M. , Gris Jean-Christophe
Published: August 2022

Importance

The covid-19 pandemic induced a severe disruption in hospital activity. Cardiovascular illnesses represent a major health burden in industrialised countries and are second in terms of hospital bed occupancy in France. Considering the resources mobilized and the public health issue involved, it is necessary to study the impact of the pandemic on their incidences.

Objective

To monitor changes in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases during years 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019.

Design

Nationwide population-based cohort study.

Setting

French hospital discharge database between January 1 and October 30 in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Participants

New patients hospitalized for vascular disease in Metropolitan France. A patient was considered as incident for a morbidity if not present in the database in the previous two years with the morbidity as the primary reason for admission.

Main outcome measures

Standardized hospitalization incidence difference and relative risk of hospitalization for a series of targeted vascular diseases from January 1 to October 31 for 2021 versus 2019. Demographic data from 2019 were used for the standardization of patient counts by 10-year age strata for each morbidity and year.

Results

While the relative risk of hospitalization in 2021 versus 2019 decreased for almost all diseases, an increase in relative risk was observed for myocarditis (28.0%) and pulmonary embolisms (10.0%).

In 2020, the relative risk of hospitalization versus 2019 also decreased for almost all diseases but remained stable for myocarditis and increased by 4.0% for pulmonary embolisms.

In 2021, the difference in myocarditis coincided with the vaccination campaign in young individuals. The increase in pulmonary embolism occurred predominantly in older women, with a weak but still noticeable coincidence with the vaccination campaign.

Conclusions

The deficit in care for patients with acute atherothrombotic manifestations in 2021 and 2020 shows a failure by the French healthcare system to rectify the deficiencies of 2020. The risk excess for pulmonary embolism cannot be entirely explained by covid-19 or by vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. This warrants investigating the risk/efficacy ratio of a temporary thromboprophylaxis in individuals at risk before vaccine.