bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
S14-Phosphorylated RPN6 Mediates Proteasome Activation by PKA and Alleviates Proteinopathy
Authors: Yang Liuqing , Parajuli Nirmal , Wu Penglong , Liu Jinbao , Wang Xuejun
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND:

A better understanding of the regulation of proteasome activities can facilitate the search for new therapeutic strategies. A cell culture study shows that PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase or protein kinase A) activates the 26S proteasome by pS14-Rpn6 (serine14-phosphorylated Rpn6), but this discovery and its physiological significance remain to be established in vivo.

METHODS:

Male and female mice with Ser14 of Rpn6 (regulatory particle non-ATPase 6) mutated to Ala (S14A [Rpn6/Psmd11
S14A
]) or Asp (S14D) to respectively block or mimic pS14-Rpn6 were created and used along with cells derived from them. cAMP/PKA were manipulated pharmacologically. Ubiquitin-proteasome system functioning was evaluated with the GFPdgn (green fluorescence protein with carboxyl fusion of the CL1 degron) reporter mouse and proteasomal activity assays. Impact of S14A and S14D on proteotoxicity was tested in mice and cardiomyocytes overexpressing the misfolded protein R120G-CryAB (R120G [arginine120 to glycine missense mutant alpha B-crystallin]).

RESULTS:

PKA activation increased pS14-Rpn6 and 26S proteasome activities in wild-type but not S14A embryonic fibroblasts (mouse embryonic fibroblasts), adult cardiomyocytes, and mouse hearts. Basal 26S proteasome activities were significantly greater in S14D myocardium and adult mouse cardiomyocytes than in wild-type counterparts. S14D::GFPdgn mice displayed significantly lower myocardial GFPdgn protein but not mRNA levels than GFPdgn mice. In R120G mice, a classic model of cardiac proteotoxicity, basal myocardial pS14-Rpn6 was significantly lower compared with nontransgenic littermates, which was not always associated with reduction of other phosphorylated PKA substrates. Cultured S14D neonatal cardiomyocytes displayed significantly faster proteasomal degradation of R120G than wild-type neonatal cardiomyocytes. Compared with R120G mice, S14D/S14D::R120G mice showed significantly greater myocardial proteasome activities, lower levels of total and K48-linked ubiquitin conjugates, and of aberrant CryAB (alpha B-crystallin) protein aggregates, less fetal gene reactivation, and cardiac hypertrophy, and delays in cardiac malfunction.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study establishes in animals that pS14-Rpn6 mediates the activation of 26S proteasomes by PKA and that the reduced pS14-Rpn6 is a key pathogenic factor in cardiac proteinopathy, thereby identifying a new therapeutic target to reduce cardiac proteotoxicity.
Differentiating the Prognostic Determinants of Myocardial Steatosis for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Lin Ting‐Tse , Lee Chih‐Kuo , Huang Kuan‐Chih , Wu Cho‐Kai , Lee Jen‐Kuang , Lan Chen‐Wei , Su Mao‐Yuan M. , Hwang Juey‐Jen , Wang Yi‐Chih , Lin Lian‐Yu
Published: August 2023

Background

Myocardial steatosis and fibrosis may play a role in the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We therefore investigated the prognostic significance of epicardial fat (epicardial adipose tissue [EAT]) and myocardial diffuse fibrosis.

Methods and Results

Myocardial fibrosis, estimated as extracellular volume (ECV), and EAT were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in 163 subjects with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We also evaluated cardiac structure and diastolic and systolic function by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. After 24 months' follow‐up, 39 (24%) subjects had experienced cardiovascular events, including hospitalization for heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, and cardiovascular death. Median EAT and mean ECV were significantly higher in subjects with cardiovascular events than survivors (EAT, 35 [25–45] versus 31 [21–38],
P
=0.006 and ECV, 28.9±3.16% versus 27.2±3.56%,
P
=0.04). Subjects with high EAT (≥42 g) had increased risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 2.528 [95% CI, 1.704–4.981];
P
=0.032). High ECV (>29%) was also significantly associated with poorer outcomes (HR, 1.647 [95% CI, 1.263–2.548];
P
=0.013). With respect to secondary end points, high EAT and high ECV were associated with increased risk of the incident acute coronary syndrome (HR, 1.982 [95% CI, 1.008–4.123];
P
=0.049) and hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 1.789 [95% CI, 1.102–6.987];
P
=0.033), respectively.

Conclusions

Our study suggested that increased epicardial fat and ECV detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging have an impact on cardiovascular prognosis, in particular acute coronary syndrome and hospitalization for heart failure, respectively.
Evolutionary Action–Machine Learning Model Identifies Candidate Genes Associated With Early‐Onset Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Shapiro Dillon , Lee Kwanghyuk , Asmussen Jennifer , Bourquard Thomas , Lichtarge Olivier
Published: August 2023

Background

Coronary artery disease is a primary cause of death around the world, with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Although genome‐wide association studies have linked >100 unique loci to its genetic basis, these only explain a fraction of disease heritability.

Methods and Results

To find additional gene drivers of coronary artery disease, we applied machine learning to quantitative evolutionary information on the impact of coding variants in whole exomes from the Myocardial Infarction Genetics Consortium. Using ensemble‐based supervised learning, the Evolutionary Action–Machine Learning framework ranked each gene's ability to classify case and control samples and identified 79 significant associations. These were connected to known risk loci; enriched in cardiovascular processes like lipid metabolism, blood clotting, and inflammation; and enriched for cardiovascular phenotypes in knockout mouse models. Among them,
INPP5F
and
MST1R
are examples of potentially novel coronary artery disease risk genes that modulate immune signaling in response to cardiac stress.

Conclusions

We concluded that machine learning on the functional impact of coding variants, based on a massive amount of evolutionary information, has the power to suggest novel coronary artery disease risk genes for mechanistic and therapeutic discoveries in cardiovascular biology, and should also apply in other complex polygenic diseases.
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women With Pregnancy‐Related Risk Factors: A Prospective Women's Heart Clinic Study
Authors: Marschner Simone , Mukherjee Swati , Watts Monique , Min Haeri , Beale Anna L. , O'Brien Jessica , Juneja Aashima , Tremmel Jennifer A. , Zaman Sarah
Published: August 2023

Background

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and having a small‐for‐gestational‐age baby are known to substantially increase a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease. Despite this, evidence for models of care that mitigate cardiovascular disease risk in women with these pregnancy‐related conditions is lacking.

Methods and Results

A 6‐month prospective cohort study assessed the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary Women's Heart Clinic on blood pressure and lipid control in women aged 30 to 55 years with a past pregnancy diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or a small‐for‐gestational age baby in Melbourne, Australia. The co‐primary end points were (1) blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg or <130/80 mm Hg if diabetes and (2) total cholesterol to high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio <4.5. The study recruited 156 women with a mean age of 41.0±4.2 years, 3.9±2.9 years from last delivery, 68.6% White, 20.5% South/East Asian, and 80.5% university‐educated. The proportion meeting blood pressure target increased (69.2% to 80.5%,
P
=0.004), with no significant change in lipid targets (80.6% to 83.7%,
P
=0.182). Systolic blood pressure (−6.9 mm Hg [95% CI, −9.1 to −4.7],
P
<0.001), body mass index (−0.6 kg/m
2
[95% CI, −0.8 to −0.3],
P
<0.001), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (−4.2 mg/dL [95% CI, −8.2 to −0.2],
P
=0.042), and total cholesterol (−4.6 mg/dL [95% CI, −9.1 to −0.2]
P
=0.042) reduced. Heart‐healthy lifestyle significantly improved with increased fish/olive oil (36.5% to 51.0%,
P
=0.012), decreased fast food consumption (33.8% to 11.0%,
P
<0.001), and increased physical activity (84.0% to 92.9%,
P
=0.025).

Conclusions

Women at high risk for cardiovascular disease due to past pregnancy‐related conditions experienced significant improvements in multiple cardiovascular risk factors after attending a Women's Heart Clinic, potentially improving long‐term cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Registration

URL:
https://www.anzctr.org.au
; Unique identifier: ACTRN12622000646741.
Human Milk Feeding and Direct Breastfeeding Improve Outcomes for Infants With Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease: Propensity Score‐Matched Analysis of the NPC‐QIC Registry
Authors: Elgersma Kristin M. , Wolfson Julian , Fulkerson Jayne A. , Georgieff Michael K. , Looman Wendy S. , Spatz Diane L. , Shah Kavisha M. , Uzark Karen , McKechnie Anne Chevalier
Published: August 2023

Background

Infants with single ventricle congenital heart disease undergo 3 staged surgeries/interventions, with risk for morbidity and mortality. We estimated the effect of human milk (HM) and direct breastfeeding on outcomes including necrotizing enterocolitis, infection‐related complications, length of stay, and mortality.

Methods and Results

We analyzed the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC‐QIC) registry (2016–2021), examining HM/breastfeeding groups during stage 1 and stage 2 palliations. We calculated propensity scores for feeding exposures, then fitted Poisson and logistic regression models to compare outcomes between propensity‐matched cohorts. Participants included 2491 infants (68 sites). Estimates for all outcomes were better in HM/breastfeeding groups. Infants fed exclusive HM before stage 1 palliation (S1P) had lower odds of preoperative necrotizing enterocolitis (odds ratio [OR], 0.37 [95% CI, 0.17–0.84];
P
=0.017) and shorter S1P length of stay (rate ratio [RR], 0.87 [95% CI, 0.78–0.98];
P
=0.027). During the S1P hospitalization, infants with high HM had lower odds of postoperative necrotizing enterocolitis (OR, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.15–0.50];
P
<0.001) and sepsis (OR, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.13–0.65];
P
=0.003), and shorter S1P length of stay (RR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.66–0.86];
P
<0.001). At stage 2 palliation, infants with any HM (RR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.69–0.97];
P
=0.018) and any breastfeeding (RR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.57–0.89];
P
=0.003) experienced shorter length of stay.

Conclusions

Infants with single ventricle congenital heart disease in high‐HM and breastfeeding groups experienced multiple significantly better outcomes. Given our findings of improved health, strategies to increase the rates of HM/breastfeeding in these patients should be implemented. Future research should replicate these findings with granular feeding data and in broader congenital heart disease populations, and should examine mechanisms (eg, HM components, microbiome) by which HM/breastfeeding benefits these infants.
Prenatal and Childhood Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Exposures and Blood Pressure Trajectories From Birth to Late Adolescence in a Prospective US Prebirth Cohort
Authors: Zhang Mingyu , Aris Izzuddin M. , Lin Pi‐I Debby , Rifas‐Shiman Sheryl L. , Brady Tammy M. , James‐Todd Tamarra , Oken Emily , Hivert Marie‐France
Published: August 2023

Background

Evidence is limited regarding the associations of prenatal and childhood per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposures with blood pressure (BP) trajectories in children.

Methods and Results

Participants are from Project Viva, a prospective prebirth cohort in eastern Massachusetts. We measured PFAS in early‐pregnancy maternal (median, 9.6 weeks) and midchildhood (median, 7.7 years) plasma samples. We conducted standardized BP measurements at 6 research visits: birth, infancy (median, 6.3 months), early childhood (median, 3.2 years), midchildhood (median, 7.7 years), early adolescence (median, 12.9 years), and late adolescence (median, 17.5 years). We used linear regression to examine associations of individual PFASs with BP at each visit, linear spline mixed‐effects regression to model BP trajectories, and a mixture approach to estimate PFAS exposure burden. We included 9036 BP measures from 1506 participants. We observed associations between particular individual prenatal PFASs and child BP at specific time points, for example, prenatal 2‐(N‐ethyl‐perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetate (EtFOSAA) and 2‐(N‐methyl‐perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetate (MeFOSAA) with higher systolic BP at birth; prenatal perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and EtFOSAA with lower diastolic BP in infancy; and prenatal PFOS, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and EtFOSAA with higher systolic BP at midchildhood. No prenatal or childhood PFAS was consistently associated with BP across all visits. Diastolic BP trajectories from 0 to 20 years differed slightly by prenatal PFOA, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) (
P
values 0.01–0.09). Diastolic BP trajectories from 6 to 20 years differed slightly by midchildhood PFHxS and MeFOSAA (
P
‐values 0.03–0.08). Prenatal or childhood PFAS mixture burden scores were not associated with BP.

Conclusions

We found associations of prenatal and childhood PFAS exposures with BP at specific time points between birth and late adolescence but no consistent associations across all time points or PFAS types.
Study Design, Rationale, and Methodology for Promote Weight Loss in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease Who Also Have Obesity: The PROVE Trial
Authors: Whipple Mary O. , Pfammatter Angela Fidler , Spring Bonnie , Rejeski W. Jack , Treat‐Jacobson Diane , Domanchuk Kathryn J. , Dressler Emily V. , Ferrucci Luigi , Gildea Lois , Guralnik Jack M. , Harvin Lea , Leeuwenburgh Christiaan , Polonsky Tamar S. , Reynolds Eric , Stowe Cynthia L. , Sufit Robert , Van Horn Linda , Walkup Michael P. , Ambrosius Walter T. , McDermott Mary M.
Published: August 2023

Background

Overweight and obesity are associated with adverse functional outcomes in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD). The effects of weight loss in people with overweight/obesity and PAD are unknown.

Methods

The PROVE (Promote Weight Loss in Obese PAD Patients to Prevent Mobility Loss) Trial is a multicentered randomized clinical trial with the primary aim of testing whether a behavioral intervention designed to help participants with PAD lose weight and walk for exercise improves 6‐minute walk distance at 12‐month follow‐up, compared with walking exercise alone. A total of 212 participants with PAD and body mass index ≥25 kg/m
2
will be randomized. Interventions are delivered using a Group Mediated Cognitive Behavioral intervention model, a smartphone application, and individual telephone coaching. The primary outcome is 12‐month change in 6‐minute walk distance. Secondary outcomes include total minutes of walking exercise/wk at 12‐month follow‐up and 12‐month change in accelerometer‐measured physical activity, the Walking Impairment Questionnaire distance score, and the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System mobility questionnaire. Tertiary outcomes include 12‐month changes in perceived exertional effort at the end of the 6‐minute walk, diet quality, and the Short Physical Performance Battery. Exploratory outcomes include changes in gastrocnemius muscle biopsy measures of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase activity, mitochondrial biogenesis, capillary density, and inflammatory markers.

Conclusions

The PROVE randomized clinical trial will evaluate the effects of exercise with an intervention of coaching and a smartphone application designed to achieve weight loss, compared with exercise alone, on walking performance in people with PAD and overweight/obesity. Results will inform optimal treatment for the growing number of patients with PAD who have overweight/obesity.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04228978.
Liberatory Linguistics
Authors: Hudley Anne H. Charity
Published: August 2023

While the college population in the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, few studies focus on the goal of linguistic justice in higher education teaching and learning-a critical factor in achieving all forms of social equity. I offer liberatory linguistics as a productive, unifying framework for the scholarship that will advance strategies for attaining linguistic justice. Emerging from the synthesis of various lived experiences, academic traditions, and methodological approaches, I illustrate how a structural ignorance of language justice affects the lived experiences of people across the world. I present findings from my work with Black undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty members as they endeavor to embed a justice framework throughout the study of language broadly conceived. I conclude by highlighting promising strategies that can improve current approaches to engaging with structural realities that impede linguistic justice.
Communicating Justice: Cambodian Press Coverage of the eccc’s Final Judgment
Authors: Grey Rosemary , Killean Rachel
Published: August 2023

This article explores Khmer-language media reporting of the final appeal judgment at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Case 002/02). Media reports are interesting for two reasons. First, as a source of opinions expressed in Cambodia’s official language (Khmer), which often remain beyond purview of international observers. Second, as one of the few sources of information about the eccc available to the Cambodian public now that official Court outreach has largely ceased. Yet, free media is significantly curtailed in Cambodia, and reporting on the eccc is likely to be shaped by what is politically safe to print, as well as what is deemed publicly interesting. Against this backdrop this article explores: the press’s tendency to downplay Cambodian political interference in the eccc proceedings; its (mis)representation of the eccc’s genocide findings; its reporting on the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes; and its use of ‘justice for victims’ rhetoric.
Plane nostris moribus: customary financing on future salary by the Dutch East India Company
Authors: van Bochove Christiaan , Milo Michael , van Velzen Ton
Published: August 2023

Transferring claims has traditionally been a dogmatic near impossibility in the civilian institutional tradition. In practice, however, contractual creativity provided space to develop a variety of mechanisms for transferring claims. Our paper explores such a mechanism, which financed the seamen of the Dutch East India Company (voc), on the basis of their claims to future salary. The associated document, the so-called transportbrief, started from a seaman’s debt, which by mandate the Company accepted to pay to the bearer of the document, if conditions as performance of labor obligations were met. Payment practice itself was carefully orchestrated by resolutions of the voc board, the Heeren xvii, thereby tailoring market and law according to the various interests involved.
Joachim von Exter und die Rezeption der actio Pauliana im hamburgischen Stadtrecht
Authors: Willems Constantin
Published: August 2023

Joachim von Exter and the reception of the actio Pauliana in Hamburg statute law. – On 23 May 1785, a certain Joachim von Exter defended his legal dissertation De actione Pauliana Hamburgi non introducta sed necessario introducenda at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder, under the auspices of Joachim Georg Darjes, professor of natural law. As the title of his thesis indicates, von Exter wanted to demonstrate that there had been no formal reception of the actio Pauliana, remedy against fraudulent conveyances in Justinianic law, in the statute law of his home town Hamburg up to his time, but that an incorporation of this legal institution was something to be desired. After a brief preliminary note on von Exter’s quite colourful life, the paper traces the core theses of his work and the process of reception of the actio Pauliana in Hamburg.
Larval features of the Italian endemic Pyrochroa serraticornis kiesenwetteri Fairmaire, 1849 (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pyrochroinae) solve taxonomic uncertainties
Authors: MOLFINI MARCO , BOLOGNA MARCO A.
Published: August 2023

Recent findings rearranged the taxonomy of the European species of the genus Pyrochroa Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae), and to date three species are recognized: P. bifoveata Molfini et al., 2022 and P. coccinea (Linnaeus, 1761) with cryptic adults and distinctive larvae, and the polytypic P. serraticornis (Scopoli, 1763), including the subspecies kiesenwetteri Fairmaire, 1849. Incongruences between molecular and morphological analyses questioned the recognition of P. s. serraticornis and P. s. kiesenwetteri as taxa of the same species. In the present paper, observations of larval characters of P. s. kiesenwetteri confirm this taxon as a subspecies of P. serraticornis. Moreover, new characters of P. s. serraticornis larvae are offered by analysing specimens from a new European locality.
A new genus and a new species of pygmy mole cricket from mid-Cretaceous amber in North Myanmar (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tridactyloidea)
Authors: ZHENG CHENGJIE , CAO CHENGQUAN , GU JUN-JIE
Published: August 2023

This paper describes a new genus with a new species from Burmese amber, namely: Latedactylus longapedi gen. et sp. nov. (Tridactylidae: Tridactylinae). L. longapedi gen. et sp. nov. is erected based on the cylindrical second segment of cercus longer and distinctly slender than the first; metatibia without swimming plates; metatarsus about three times as long as apical spurs of metatibia.
An Empirical Likelihood Approach to Reduce Selection Bias in Voluntary Samples
Authors: Kim Jae Kwang , Morikawa Kosuke
Published: August 2023

How to construct the pseudo-weights in voluntary samples is an important practical problem in survey sampling. The problem is quite challenging when the sampling mechanism for the voluntary sample is allowed to be non-ignorable. Under the assumption that the sample participation model is correctly specified, we can compute a consistent estimator of the model parameter and construct the propensity score estimator of the population mean. We propose using the empirical likelihood method to construct the final weights for voluntary samples by incorporating the bias calibration constraints and the benchmarking constraints. Linearization variance estimation of the proposed method is developed. A toy example is also presented to illustrate the idea and the computational details. A limited simulation study is also performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods.

AMS subject classification: 62D10, 63D05
Function of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Iranian University Students: A Factor Structure Analysis
Authors: Gholamrezaei Maryam , Heath Nancy , Elgbeili Guillaume , Pereira Liane , Panaghi Leili , Bastien Laurianne
Published: August 2023

Emerging non-Western studies indicate new patterns in the functionality of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) warranting further investigation in different cultures. The current study aims to investigate the function (etiology and underlying mechanism) of NSSI among a sample of university students in Tehran, Iran, using the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS). The ISAS was administered to 63 students who self-injured (52.4% female; M age = 22.15). An exploratory factor analysis using the Bayesian estimation method was conducted. A three-factor model of NSSI functions emerged including an intrapersonal factor representing within-self functions (e.g., self-punishment); a social identification factor consisting of functions establishing a sense of self/identity (e.g., peer bonding); and a communication factor representing an influencing/communicating functionality (e.g., marking distress). Intrapersonal and social identification factors were associated with greater severity of NSSI method and increased anxiety. Findings support the use of the ISAS among an Iranian sample and revealed additional patterns beyond the commonly referenced two-factor model (intrapersonal and interpersonal functions) in a culturally novel sample. The results are situated within the sample’s sociocultural context.
Depression, anxiety, and stress and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with history of recurrent pregnancy loss in Nigeria
Authors: Eleje George U , Oguejiofor Charlotte B , Oriji Sunday O , Ekwuazi Kingsley E , Ugwu Emmanuel O , Igbodike Emeka P , Malachy Divinefavour E , Nwankwo Ekeuda U , Onah Christian E , Ugboaja Joseph O , Ikechebelu Joseph I , Nwagha Uchenna I
Published: August 2023

Objective

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether pregnant women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) are more likely to experience moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, or stress symptoms than pregnant women without a history of RPL. The secondary purpose was to determine whether women with prior RPL experienced more unfavorable pregnancy outcomes if they had depression, anxiety, or stress.

Methods

A prospective case-control study was conducted that included 47 pregnant women with a history of RPL and 94 pregnant women without prior RPL. Participants 20 weeks of gestation or earlier were included. Both groups completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and were followed up until delivery to determine the pregnancy outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Result

Among the 47 women with prior RPL, 10 had primary RPL (two or more miscarriages without a successful pregnancy) and 37 secondary RPL (two or more miscarriages with a history of successful pregnancy). RPL was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe levels of depression ( P < .001), anxiety ( P < .001), and stress ( P < .001). Among the RPL group, high stress level was significantly associated with repeat miscarriage (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 5.28, 95%CI = 1.25-100.0, P = .03) and preterm labor (AOR = 6.07, 95%CI = 1.61-100.0, P = .04). Depression and anxiety were not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Conclusion

Pregnant women with a history of RPL had considerably higher rates of moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, and stress. Repeat miscarriage and preterm labor were considerably higher among pregnant women with RPL who were experiencing high stress levels at baseline.
Is Medical Tourism Transcultural Hypogamy?
Authors: Naraindas Harish
Published: August 2023

This article attempts to make a set of interrelated arguments. It claims that the epithet ‘medical tourism’, which is of recent provenance, tacitly subscribes to a particular and narrow understanding of ‘medicine’, namely, the Anglo-American variant of biomedicine. This variant, unlike its Continental European counterpart, does not countenance the spa (Kur, Kuur, Termas, etc.) as ‘medical’ therapy, a therapy that is part of orthodox biomedicine on the continent, albeit on its fringe and one where pleasure and therapy often coexist. The Anglo-American variant leads to an exclusive focus on what may be called organ-based therapy with an emphasis on surgical and technological intervention, where uninsured and under-insured ‘middle-class’ patients travel from the White world to wog-land. This is a reversal of older forms of medical travel where rich wogs travelled from wog-land to the White world for medical treatment. The reversal results in a binary of White vampires and wog victims and is responsible, in part, for the moral tension of the oxymoron called ‘medical tourism’, with the other part of the oxymoron being constituted by the contradiction between pleasure and therapy. The vampire-victim binary in turn often mutes the mediating virtuosos— doctors, hospitals, medical travel operators, firms, companies, websites and most importantly, medical expertise and technology—in the analytical and explanatory canvas. In light of this, the article not only suggests that the epithet ‘medical tourism’ requires careful scrutiny and needs to be situated as part of a longer genealogy and larger canvas to include all kinds of transnational, transcultural and transregional medical travel, but it also makes a plea for re-examining the kind of morality play that the epithet engenders by asking, among other things, if vampires could also be victims, and what happens to this binary when the biomedical fringe (the Continental spa/Kur/Kuur/Termas) and alternative systems of medicine (e.g., Ayurveda and host of other therapies) are brought into play, or when doctors and therapists undertake travel for medical/therapeutic expertise.
Polyurethane and Latex Foam Carpet Backing Today
Authors: Bez W. , Quack G.
Published: August 2023

Foam carpet backing improves sound and heat insulation and provides the carpet with additional elasticity. The complete contact that it gives with the floor prolongs wear and gives the carpet luxury value.

This paper describes foam systems, in practical use, based on polyurethane and rubber latex chemistry. The different application techniques are explained and the resulting foam properties are compared.
Fracture Toughness of Reinforced and Unreinforced Reaction Injection Moulded Polyurethane Elastomers
Authors: Parvizi N. , Shortall J. B.
Published: August 2023

A study has been made of the notch sensitivity and fracture behaviour of unreinforced and reinforced RIM polyurethane elastomers under tensile stresses. Sharp notches of various lengths were incorporated within the material both edge wise and from the surface and the applicability of fracture toughness tests was examined. The appearance of microcracks and the different skin–core morphology, together with the cellular nature of these materials, underline the complex fracture mechanism in these elastomers. Evidence is presented showing that there are residual stresses within the material after moulding and these tend to split up into tensile stresses in the core of the material and compressive stresses on the surface. Graphical representations, together with the micrographs of fracture surfaces, are presented.
The Dow-Polysar ‘No-Gel’ Latex Foam Rubber Litigation
Authors: Blackley D.C.
Published: August 2023

The litigation fought in the Chancery Division of the High Court in London between Dow Chemical AG/Ludlow Corporation as Plaintiffs and Spence Bryson & Company Limited/Polysar (UK) Limited as Defendants over the matter of the manufacture and sale of so-called ‘no-gel’ latex foam rubber is described. The technical background to the dispute is reviewed. Central to the dispute was the validity of a British patent, owned by the first Defendant, which claims a process for the manufacture of ‘no-gel’ latex foam rubber. This patent had been widely ignored by the manufacturers of no-gel latex foam, principally because it was believed that the fundamental idea of the process had been anticipated by earlier patents. These earlier patents are reviewed, and their relevance to the dispute discussed, as are some of the technical issues explored during the hearing. The outcome following the High Court hearing was partial victory for the Defendants. The overall judgement in favour of the Defendants was considerably strengthened following appeal by the Plaintiffs.
Fire Retardant Foams
Authors: Hurd R.
Published: August 2023

Combustion Modified (CM) foams based on three types of additives, aluminium hydrate, melamine and graphite, are reviewed.

All three approaches give advantages in ignition resistance and speed of fire development. Small differences, if any, in fire performance are probably not significant compared to the other major variables in upholstered furniture, e.g. fabric choice and design.

The choice of these three available technologies for CM foams will be conditioned by, more probably, the range of physical properties required and the cost of achieving the level of fire performance required.
Novel Small Scale Procedures for Initial Formulation Selection in the Development of Polyurethane Foams
Authors: Wooler A.M.
Published: August 2023

The small scale mixing methods and assessment techniques described have proved their worth over the past ten years. The methods are simple, quick, reliable, reproducible, economic and have been used successfully to predict behaviour in larger scale mixings in a wide range of development projects.

An electric hand drill using a special stirrer is used to mix a basic resin blend with the other formulation ingredients and the foaming proceeds in the mixing cup and has been found to have advantages over the usual method of pouring a larger foam mix into a mould box.

The use of a corer which gives quick and accurate density and strength comparisons is described. A stratagraphic method of measuring foam strengths relative to the position from where the core is taken provides useful additional data on relative flow and anisotropy.

Also a portable apparatus for the rapid measurement of closed/open cell content is described. All the properties are determined using the same foam cores.
Novel Polyurethane Systems for Footwear as Replacement for EVA and Rubber
Authors: Stilling H. , Lin N.W.
Published: August 2023

Polyester based microcellular polyurethanes are usually dimensionally unstable at low densities and show shrinkage.

Polyether based polyurethane soling materials however are usually dimensionally stable at these lower densities but exhibit unacceptably low mechanical properties. The density of these soles is therefore limited by the required properties.

Shrinkage occurs, at lower densities, because there is insufficient strength to support the foam and because of inherently high closed cell content. Problems of shrinkage have been overcome by the development of a new ICI prepolymer. This product acts as a reactive surfactant thereby controlling reactant compatibilities, cell size and open/closed cell ratios. Stable foams down to the free rise density are now possible.

The nature of the product is such that the derived products maintain satisfactory properties even at densities down to ca. 200 – 250 kg/m3. This constitutes a major weight saving per sole. Conventional midsoles have densities of ca. 400 – 500 kg/m3, so achieving, with the new prepolymer, a weight saving of ca. 50 %.

The low density midsole system can be used in conjunction with almost any outsole material. But of special interest is the use of the recently developed, high slip resistant outsole. The construction of this combi-sole allows direct replacement of EVA/Rubber soles - but with the usual all-PU processing/handling advantages. The high slip resistant PU outsole system is a soft formulation, which employs novel hydrophobic soft blocks and retains excellent mechanical properties.
Pigmentation of lower limbs: Contribution of haemosiderin and melanin in chronic venous insufficiency and related disorders
Authors: Zhang Lois , Ng Kate , Pham James P , Thoo Samuel , Yang Anes , Kang Mina , Connor David , Kossard Steven , Parsi Kurosh
Published: August 2023

Background

To determine the composition of skin pigmentation in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and other less common vascular conditions of lower limbs.

Methods

Forty-five skin biopsies were obtained from 17 patients. Samples were taken from pigmented regions and compared with control non-lesional samples from the same patient. Perl’s Prussian Blue was used to identify haemosiderin and Schmorl’s for melanin.

Results

Seven patients presented with CVI, one with concurrent livedo vasculopathy (LV). One patient had LV only. Two patients had acroangiodermatitis (AAD). Six patients had post-sclerotherapy pigmentation (PSP), one with concurrent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). One patient had PIH only. The predominant pigment in CVI samples was haemosiderin. C5-C6 patients showed increased epidermal melanin. LV, AAD, and PSP samples showed dermal haemosiderin but no increase in epidermal melanin. PIH samples showed prominent epidermal melanin whilst no haemosiderin was detected.

Conclusion

The predominant pigment in CVI and other vascular conditions was haemosiderin. Melanin was present in later stages of CVI (C5-C6) and in PIH.
The potential effect of ambrisentan as monotherapy and combined with tadalafil on diabetic erectile dysfunction in rats
Authors: Azmy Nabeh Omnia , Ahmed El-Batrawy Fatma , Anwar Khorshid Omayma , Farouk Soliman Ghada
Published: August 2023

Introduction:

This study investigated the role of ambrisentan; the selective endothelin type-A receptor (ETAR) blocker on experimental diabetic erectile dysfunction in rats.

Materials and methods:

Eighty-four adult male Sprague Albino rats were divided randomly into 7 groups. Three control groups received 1 mL saline, 0.2 mg/kg/d ambrisentan and 1.5 mg/kg/d tadalafil, respectively orally for 4 weeks. The remaining four groups were fed high fat diet for 14 days. Diabetes was induced by a single intra-peritoneal injection of 40 mg/kg streptozotocin. After 72 h, diabetes was confirmed by plasma glucose level ⩾250 mg/dL. Diabetic rats were divided randomly into four groups, numbered from 4 to 7. The fourth group was the diabetic-control group, while the fifth and sixth groups received ambrisentan and tadalafil respectively. The seventh group received a combination of both drugs. Treatment continued for 4 weeks then, copulatory, intracavernous pressure measurement, and laboratory tests were conducted.

Results:

In diabetic rats, ambrisentan and tadalafil improved fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, testosterone, nitric oxide, and rho kinase (ROCK) values compared to diabetic group with the maximum improvement achieved in ambrisentan/tadalafil group ( p < 0.05). Ambrisentan also enhanced ICP and improved latency to erection and number of mounts with a tolerable SBP. Yet, ambrisentan/tadalafil combined therapy resulted in deterioration in SBP with consecutive worsening in ICP and mating indices.

Conclusion:

Ambrisentan showed significant therapeutic potential to prevent and improve diabetic ED in rats comparable to tadalafil.
Cigarette Smoking Motives and Stages of Change in Smoking Cessation Among Veterans: Differences by Gender and Sexual Orientation
Authors: Ruiz Raymond A. , Lehavot Keren , Heffner Jaimee L. , Kava Christine M. , Ornelas India J.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To examine differences across gender and sexual orientation in cigarette smoking motives and stages of change in smoking cessation among Veterans.

Design

Secondary data analysis of cross-sectional baseline surveys from a prospective cohort study.

Setting

United States, self-administered online survey.

Participants

Cisgender Veterans who reported past-year smoking (N = 146); 66.4% identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and 52.1% were men.

Measures

Smoking motives (i.e., social, self-confidence, boredom relief, and affect regulation), with higher scores indicating stronger motivation to smoke. Stages of change categories included precontemplation, contemplation/preparation, and action/maintenance.

Analysis

Analyses were stratified by gender and sexual orientation. Age-adjusted linear regression models estimated differences in smoking motives scores and multinomial logistic regression models estimated differences in stages of change categories relative to the precontemplation stage (reference category).

Results

In this Veteran sample, gay men reported higher social smoking motives vs heterosexual men (β = 1.50 (95% CI: .04, 2.97), P-value = .045) and higher boredom relief smoking motives vs bisexual men (β = 1.53 (95% CI: .06, 2.29), P-value = .041) in age-adjusted models. Lesbian women were more likely to be in the action/maintenance stage relative to the precontemplation stage when compared to both heterosexual women (aRRR = 4.88 (95% CI: 1.00, 23.79) P-value = .050) and bisexual women (aRRR = 16.46 (95% CI: 2.12, 127.57), P-value = .007) after adjusting for age.

Conclusion

Smoking cessation interventions may benefit from enhancing peer support for gay men. Given bisexual and heterosexual women were in less advance stages of change, there may be a greater need for motivational interventions to encourage quitting and additional support to assist with cessation efforts. Overall, findings highlight the diversity of cigarette use within LGB communities.
Force estimation in flow forming of Al6101 T6 stepped cylinder-experimental analysis and mathematical modelling
Authors: Srivastwa Ashutosh Kumar , Kumar Santosh , Singh Pankaj Kumar
Published: August 2023

Flow forming is a cold-forming process that is widely used for fabricating axisymmetric products. The present paper tries to propose a mathematical formulation for the flow forming of a stepped cylinder. An analytical model based on the upper bound method has been proposed. The mathematical formulation was then validated with the experimental trial on Al6101 T6 material. Forward flow forming operation was employed with a single roller assembly. The present investigation showed that the flow-forming forces depend significantly on axial forces while the circumferential forces were found to be less significant. The circumferential force was found to be much lesser than the axial force. The measured radial force was found to be within 20% of the measured axial force. The experimental trial showed the force variation in the process increased with thickness reduction per pass but the trend was not uniform. The increase in force in successive passes was found to be less than the previous pass for similar thickness reduction. The differences between the predicted force and experimental force were within 11%.
Residual Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Focus on Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
Authors: Luo Yonghong , Peng Daoquan
Published: August 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused by atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death worldwide. The level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), considered as the initiator of atherosclerosis, is the most widely used predictor for CVD risk and LDL-C has been the primary target for lipid-lowering therapies. However, residual CVD risk remains high even with very low levels of LDL-C. This residual CVD risk may be due to remnant cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), which is calculated as total cholesterol minus HDL-C (and represents the cholesterol content of all atherogenic apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins), has emerged as a better risk predictor for CVD than LDL-C and an alternative target for CVD risk reduction. Major international guidelines recommend evaluating non-HDL-C as part of atherosclerotic CVD risk assessment, especially in people with high triglycerides, diabetes, obesity, or very low LDL-C. A non-HDL-C target of <130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L) has been recommended for patients at very high risk, which is 30 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L) higher than the corresponding LDL-C target goal. Non-HDL-C lowering approaches include reducing LDL-C and triglyceride levels, increasing HDL-C, or targeting multiple risk factors simultaneously. However, despite the growing evidence for the role of non-HDL-C in residual CVD risk, and recommendations for its assessment in major guidelines, non-HDL-C testing is not routinely done in clinical practice. Thus, there is a need for increased awareness of the need for non-HDL-C testing for ascertaining CVD risk and concomitant prevention of CVD.
Examining health care access disparities in Hispanic populations with peripheral artery disease and diabetes
Authors: Bazikian Sebouh , Urbina Diego , Hsu Chiu-Hsieh , Gonzalez Karla A , Rosario Emily R , Chu Dan I , Tsui Jennifer , Tan Tze-Woei
Published: August 2023

Introduction:

This study investigated disparities in health care access for Hispanic adults with diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD) who are at risk of lower-extremity amputation and other cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities.

Methods:

We utilized the health care access survey data from the All of Us research program to examine adults (⩾ 18 years) with either diabetes and/or PAD. The primary associations evaluated were: could not afford medical care and delayed getting medical care in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association of Hispanic ethnicity and survey responses, adjusting for age, sex, income, health insurance, and employment status.

Results:

Among 24,104 participants, the mean age was 54.9 years and 67% were women. Of these, 8.2% were Hispanic adults. In multivariable analysis, Hispanic adults were more likely to be unable to afford seeing a health care provider, and receiving emergency care, follow-up care, and prescription medications ( p < 0.05) than non-Hispanic adults. Furthermore, Hispanic adults were more likely to report being unable to afford medical care due to cost (odds ratios [OR] 1.72, 95% CI 1.50–1.99), more likely to purchase prescription drugs from another country (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.69–2.86), and more likely to delay getting medical care due to work (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22–1.74) and child care (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.35–2.39) issues than non-Hispanic White adults.

Conclusion:

The Hispanic population with diabetes and PAD faces substantial barriers in health care access, including a higher likelihood of delaying medical care and being unable to afford it.
The spectre of docking in circumcision debates
Authors: Allan Jonathan A
Published: August 2023

This articles considers the ongoing penile circumcision debates by focusing on the deployment of ‘docking,’ a sexual practice between men. Docking involves pulling one’s foreskin over the glans of another penis. In this article, I consider both “anti” and “pro” circumcision literature and the use of docking in the service of arguments about the procedure. I show that the use of docking can be traced to Daniel M. Harrison’s article “Rethinking Circumcision and Sexuality in the United States” published in Sexualities. Ultimately, I argue that while docking is interesting to consider, it remains something of spectre that haunts the debates more than it is an empirical concern. Consequently, I argue that further study is needed about docking in general, as well as in the particular context of circumcision debates.
Algorithm dependency in platformized news use
Authors: Schaetz Nadja , Gagrčin Emilija , Toth Roland , Emmer Martin
Published: August 2023

Previous research has highlighted the ambiguous experience of algorithmic news curation whereby people are simultaneously comfortable with algorithms, but also concerned about the underlying data collection practices. The present article builds on media dependency theory and news-finds-me (NFM) perceptions to explore this tension. Empirically, we analyze original survey data from six European countries (Germany, Sweden, France, Greece, Poland, and Italy, n = 2,899) to investigate how young Europeans’ privacy concerns and attitudes toward algorithms affect NFM. We find that a more positive attitude toward algorithms and more privacy concerns are related to stronger NFM. The study highlights power asymmetries in platformized news use and suggests that the ambivalent experiences might be a result of algorithm dependency, whereby individuals rely on algorithms in platformized news use to meet their information needs, despite accompanying risks and concerns.