bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and Subclinical Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Population‐Based Study
Authors: Nilsson Sigrid , Qvick Angelika , Henriksson Moa , Lawesson Sofia Sederholm , Holm Anna‐Clara Spetz , Leander Karin
Published: August 2024

Background

Menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are increasingly emphasized as a potentially important cardiovascular risk factor, but their role is still unclear. We assessed the association between VMS and subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in peri‐ and postmenopausal women.

Methods and Results

Using a cross‐sectional study design, questionnaire data were collected from a population‐based sample of women aged 50 to 64. The questionnaire asked whether menopause was/is associated with bothersome VMS. A 4‐point severity scale was used: (1) never, (2) mild, (3) moderate, and (4) severe. The VMS duration and time of onset were also assessed. Associations with subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, detected via coronary computed tomography angiography, coronary artery calcium score, and carotid ultrasound were assessed using the outcome variables “any coronary atherosclerosis,” “segmental involvement score >3,” “coronary artery calcium score >100,” and “any carotid plaque,” using logistic regression. Covariate adjustments included socioeconomic, lifestyle, and clinical factors. Of 2995 women, 14.2% reported ever severe, 18.1% ever moderate, and 67.7% ever mild/never VMS. Using the latter as reference, ever severe VMS were significantly associated with coronary computed tomography angiography‐detected coronary atherosclerosis (multivariable adjusted odds ratio, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.02–1.72]). Corresponding results for ever severe VMS persisting >5 years or beginning before the final menstrual period were 1.50 (95% CI, 1.07–2.11) and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.10–2.50), respectively. No significant association was observed with segmental involvement score >3, coronary artery calcium score >100, or with any carotid plaque.

Conclusions

Ever occurring severe, but not moderate, VMS were significantly associated with subclinical coronary computed tomography angiography‐detected atherosclerosis, independent of a broad range of cardiovascular risk factors and especially in case of long durations or early onset.
Cost‐Effectiveness of Prehospital Ambulance Helicopter Transportation of Patients With Presumed Stroke in the Era of Mechanical Thrombectomy
Authors: Vogel Nicklas Ennab , Wester Per , Granberg Tobias Andersson , Levin Lars‐Åke
Published: August 2024

Background

Mechanical thrombectomy has emerged as standard of care in treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke attributable to large‐vessel occlusion. Efforts to reduce the time from symptom onset to treatment initiation remain critically important to improve functional outcomes in patients treated with either intravenous thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, or both. The use of ambulance helicopters in prehospital acute stroke care could potentially reduce symptom onset to treatment time to mechanical thrombectomy. This study aims to optimize the use of ambulance helicopters in prehospital transportation of patients with presumed acute stroke attributable to large‐vessel occlusion given economic constraints in health care budget.

Methods

By means of an economic model within a decision‐analytical framework, this study evaluates the cost‐effectiveness of complementary ambulance helicopters compared with road ambulances only for prehospital acute transportation of patients with presumed stroke and potential eligibility for mechanical thrombectomy, in regard to the number and locations of ambulance helicopters in Sweden.

Results

A single, optimally located complementary ambulance helicopter was cost‐effective compared with road ambulances only. The most cost‐effective solution in the base‐case scenario with the current 8 thrombectomy centers comprised 13 optimally located helicopters. It reduced mean onset to treatment time with intravenous thrombolysis and onset to treatment time with mechanical thrombectomy by 7.9 and 32.1 minutes, respectively, and produced health gains equal to 91 quality‐adjusted life‐years per year. When the willingness to pay per quality‐adjusted life‐years gained was set at Euro (EUR) 80 000, the incremental net monetary benefit per patient reached EUR 2240. The solution with 13 optimally located helicopters prevailed as the most cost‐effective in the extended scenario analysis with 11 thrombectomy centers, reaching an estimated incremental net monetary benefit per patient at EUR 1754. Furthermore, mean incremental net monetary benefit per patient reached global maximum (EUR 6046) at the geodesic distance of 165.2 km between patient location and the nearest thrombectomy center in the base‐case scenario, and at 238.5 km in the extended scenario with an estimated incremental net monetary benefit per patient at EUR 7994.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the cost‐effectiveness of ambulance helicopters as a complementary mode of transportation to road ambulances. The most cost‐effective solution of complementary ambulance helicopters comprises 13 optimally located heliports across Sweden.
New species of Ceratostema (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae) from the southeast Andes of Ecuador-I
Authors: JIMÉNEZ MARCO M. , ITURRALDE GABRIEL A. , KUETHE J.R. , VÉLEZ-ABARCA LEISBERTH , GARZÓN-SUÁREZ HENRY X.
Published: August 2024

Two new species of Ceratostema from the Morona-Santiago province in Ecuador are described and illustrated. Ceratostema jorgebritoi has unique spirally arranged leaves, and is the second species in the genus with tetramerous flowers. Ceratostema sieteiglesiana is distinguished by the plinerved leaves and the peculiar five-winged hypanthium, further complimented with a conspicuous calyx limb. The taxonomic similarities of these new taxa are discussed and information about their distribution, habitat, and conservation status is provided.
Taxonomic notes on Centaurea sect. Ammocyanus (Asteraceae, Cardueae—Centaureinae) from Iran
Authors: NEGARESH KAZEM
Published: August 2024

Centaurea karajensis Negaresh, a new species of C. sect. Ammocyanus from the Alborz Province of N Iran, is described and illustrated. Diagnostic morphological characters of this and closely related taxa are presented and discussed. The geographic distribution of the new species and closely related species is also presented. In addition, a taxonomic key to the species of C. sect. Ammocyanus in Iran is provided. Finally, C. ammocyanus is lectotypified.
Notes, new records, and transference in South American Cerambycidae (Insecta, Coleoptera)
Authors: OLIVIER RENAN DA SILVA , SANTOS-SILVA ANTONIO , MONNÉ MARCELA LAURA , COSTA-PINTO PAULA JÉSSICA
Published: August 2024

In this work we report for the first time the presence of 59 species of Cerambycidae (4 species of Prioninae, 25 species of Cerambycinae, and 30 species of Lamiinae) in Mato Grosso do Sul. One of these species, Ozodes infuscatus Bates, 1870, is also recorded from the Brazilian states of São Paulo. Nealcidion bruchi (Melzer, 1934) and Glypthaga arena Galileo, Martins & Santos-Silva, 2015 are recorded from Brazil for the first time. Lissonotus biguttatus Dalman, 1817 is newly recorded from Mato Grosso State. The type locality of Nesozineus lineolatus Galileo & Martins, 1996 is corrected, as well as state of the type locality of Oncideres malleri Fragoso, 1970, Aegomorphus lanei (Marinoni & Martins, 1978), and Carphina melanura Monné & Monné, 2007. Hovorodon Santos-Silva, Swift & Nearns, 2010 is confirmed as being masculine gender. The grammatical gender of Diploschema Thomson, 1858 is reported as neuter gender, and the names of D. maculata Martins & Monné, 1980 and D. brunnea Martins & Monné, 1980 are corrected. Canarana brachialis (Guérin-Méneville, 1855) is indicated as recorded from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul and not Mato Grosso. Urgleptes melzeri (Gilmour, 1959) is reinstated to its original genus: Lepturges (Lepturges). Notes on nearly all species are provided, including number of specimens in the original description, type locality, dates, etc.
The genus Polistes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of Brazil: morphological diagnoses, identification key, and geographical distribution
Authors: BRITO SAMANTA , OLIVEIRA MARCIO L. , CARPENTER JAMES M. , SOMAVILLA ALEXANDRE
Published: August 2024

Polistes Latreille, 1802 is a genus with cosmopolitan distribution, with 238 species in the world, 94 in the New World. Brazil has 43 species but there is not a complete understanding of the distribution of these species in the country, making it difficult to estimate the diversity of the genus for each region. Species descriptions in Polistes are typically short, and some diagnostic characteristics are subtle, making it difficult to identify and differentiate species of Polistes. To facilitate the identification and differentiation of species, standardized diagnoses, illustrations, geographic distribution, and a dichotomous key are proposed for all Polistes species occurring in Brazil.
Description of a new species and two new records of the family Cosmopterigidae (Lepidoptera) from Korea
Authors: KIM SO-YEON , SINEV SERGEY YU. , BYUN BONG-KYU
Published: August 2024

Three species belonging to the family Cosmopterigidae are treated: Anatrachyntis koreana sp. nov. is described as new to science, Anatrachyntis ptilodelta (Meyrick, 1922) and Macrobathra nomaea Meyrick, 1914 are reported for the first time in Korea. The illustrations of the adults and genitalia of all treated species are provided.
Branchiopoda (Crustacea: Anostraca and Diplostraca) diversity in Tajik Pamir and plain West and South Tajikistan
Authors: DADYKIN IVAN A. , KARIMOV GAFUR N. , SINEV ARTEM Y. , VOLKOVA POLINA A. , KOTOV ALEXEY A.
Published: August 2024

Here we attempt to clarify a faunistic composition of branchiopods from southern Tajikistan and the southern part of the Tajik Pamir Plateau (Central Asia) based on samples collected from June 24 to July 6, 2023. In total, 19 species of branchiopods were identified from plain West and South Tajikistan, and 27 species were recorded in Tajik Pamir. Five taxa were newly recorded for the territory of Tajikistan: Chirocephalus cf. bobrinskii (Alcock, 1898), Ceriodaphnia dubia Richard, 1894 s. lat., C. megops Sars, 1862, Ilyocryptus spinifer Herrick, 1882, and Anthalona harti harti Van Damme, Sinev & Dumont, 2011. The previous identifications were corrected for four more taxa. Morphological traits and taxonomic position of several species were discussed in detail, namely two abovementioned anostracan taxa, Eulimnadia behningi Smirnov, 1949 (Spinicaudata), Anthalona harti harti and Coronatella rectangula (Sars, 1861) (Anomopoda). To date, the faunistic list of Tajikistan includes 77 valid branchiopod taxa. Plain Tajikistan is inhabited by both boreal and tropical branchiopod species, what indicates its geographic position on the edge of the Palearctic. Tajik Pamir fauna includes a specific component of alpine species and regional endemics. Complex relief and geographic position of Tajikistan make it prospective for future faunistic, biogeographic and phylogeographic research.
New species of Binodacarus and Rhodacarus mites (Mesostigmata: Rhodacaridae) from Brazilian Cerrado biome, and a key to the world species of the genera
Authors: BRAGA ALICE FREITAS , CASTILHO RAPHAEL DE CAMPOS
Published: August 2024

Binodacarus tocantinensis sp. nov. and Rhodacarus emilianoi sp. nov. are described based on the morphology of adult females collected from litter/soil in a fragment of the Cerrado biome, in Tocantins state, northern Brazil. In addition, the keys for the separation of females of the world species of Binodacarus and Rhodacarus are provided.
Dutrapona, a new genus and three new species of Gyponini (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Central and South America
Authors: GONÇALVES CLAYTON CORRÊA , TAKIYA DANIELA MAEDA
Published: August 2024

A new leafhopper genus of the tribe Gyponini, Dutrapona gen. nov., is proposed and described based on males of three newly described species from Central and South America: Dutrapona tenuis sp. nov. (type species) from Alajuela, Costa Rica, Dutrapona reticulata sp. nov. from Napo, Ecuador, and Dutrapona zahniseri sp. nov. from Coclé, Panama. The new genus resembles genera of the Hecalapona complex in sharing characteristics such as: body yellow without maculae and dorsoventrally flattened, crown moderately produced with anterior margin rounded and projected over anterior margins of eye, crown-face transition distinct and thin, maxillary plates narrow and not extending to clypeus apex and forewing with narrow appendix. However, Dutrapona gen. nov. can be distinguished from other Gyponini genera by the combination of the following of characteristics: ocelli positioned closer to midline and posterior margin of the crown, crown-face transition spatulate with two well defined carinae, male sternite VIII longer than wide, male pygofer with a pair of small caudal denticulated processes, subgenital plates short, and aedeagus with a pair of basilateral elongate processes.
A new species of Tapajosa Melichar from Curaçao, Lesser Antilles (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini)
Authors: HAAS MATTHÉ CORNELIS DE , GAIANI MARCO A.
Published: August 2024

A new species of the Neotropical genus Tapajosa Melichar 1924 from Curaçao is proposed, described, and illustrated. Tapajosa arawaka sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus mainly in the shape of male genitalia. Its close morphological affinity with Tapajosa spinata Young, 1968 suggests that ancestors of the new species migrated from mainland Venezuela.
A new, to date endemic, family of dragonfly in the mid-Cretaceous fossil fish Konservat-Lagerstätte of Haqel, Lebanon (Odonata: Anisoptera)
Authors: AZAR DANY , MAKSOUD SIBELLE , ABI-SAAD PIERRE , NEL ANDRE
Published: August 2024

The new family Libanoaeshnidae fam. nov., with the new genus and species Libanoaeshna mikhaeli gen. et sp. nov., are characterised, described and illustrated from Haqel, the famous upper Cenomanian fossil fish outcrop of Lebanon. This is the first time that a fossil insect is reported from this site. Libanoaeshnidae fam. nov., together with three other Cretaceous families, can be included in the stem group of the modern Aeshnodea Bechly, 1996, confirming the important diversification of this clade during this period, even if the oldest known representatives of the Aeshnidae sensu stricto are still Eocene.
Civil society ethos? Attitude differences between civil society elites and the population in Sweden
Authors: Lee Jayeon , Scaramuzzino Roberto
Published: August 2024

Previous studies have found that elites differ from the general population not only in terms of their demographic and social composition but also with respect to policy preferences and attitudes. When it comes to civil society organisations, the issue of representation and representativeness of top-level leadership is of particular relevance, since a small number of individuals are expected to act on behalf of groups and causes that are not well acknowledged or even suppressed by other societal actors. Using two survey studies, this study compares the demographic composition and attitudes of the top-level leaders of the most resourceful civil society organisations in Sweden with those of the general population. We find that civil society elites are not demographically representative of the general population and that they also differ in attitudes when it comes to levels of trust, political orientations, satisfaction with democracy, and acceptance of income inequality. What is more interesting, however, is that the differences in attitudes cannot be fully explained by the skewed demographic characteristics of the civil society leaders, indicating that there might be distinctive sets of values and attitudes underpinning a ‘civil society ethos’.
Teacher Attitudes Toward Gifted Students and Gifted Education: The Typologies of Attitudes and Their Predictors
Authors: Jung Jae Yup , Lee Jihyun
Published: August 2024

This study investigated the typologies of teacher attitudes toward gifted students and gifted education, along with the predictors of such attitudes. For this purpose, surveys were administered to 339 teachers employed in a large faith-based school system in Australia. Analyses including factor analysis and latent profile analysis were performed on the data. In the end, four distinct profiles of teacher attitudes were identified. Two key predictors of these attitudes were found to be (a) school administrative support for gifted students and gifted education and (b) perceived knowledge of giftedness. The major contributions of the study to the literature are discussed.
Performance of Adult’s Death and Burial Among Ilaje People of Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Julius-Adeoye Rantimi Jays , Akpor-Robaro Masoje Oghenerobaro , Babarinde Damilola Mayowa , Omoruyi Elizabeth Amarukhor
Published: August 2024

The meaning ascribed to death differs from one society to the other. This study adopts the descriptive method in unraveling the ritual of burial practices among the Ilaje people of Nigeria’s Niger delta. Based on linguistic similarities, Ilaje people are part of the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria’s Southwest area. Among the people, burial accorded to the dead is based on how the deceased died. The Ilaje groups death into five distinctive categories - death due to old-age, death caused by witchcraft or evil spirit, death through drowning by accident, death through curse, and death due to suicide. For the people, adult’s death has two layers of meaning: sorrow and merriment. We conclude that physical death is viewed as part of the continuum of life’s circle; it is the point when the dead pass to the realm of the ancestor who may be reborn into the family in the future.
Concordance Theory: A Retrospective on the Creation of New Civil–Military Relations Theory
Authors: Schiff Rebecca L.
Published: August 2024

This piece is part of the 50th Anniversary Armed Forces & Society (AF&S) special issue. I am honored to be a part of this selection of essays. I am grateful to my colleagues at AF&S for their expertise and intellectual insights over the years since my original Concordance theory article—“Civil–Military Relations Reconsidered: A Theory of Concordance”—was published in 1995. Any comments made here that reflect on the current state of the academy and my experience with it over the years are in no way directed at AF&S and the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society (IUS-AF&S). Both AF&S and IUS have been extremely supportive of my work and the scholarship of many students, researchers, and academics around the world. I have been proud to be a part of both the journal and the organization that supports the study of civil–military relations. My Concordance theory and its evolution have only benefited because of my affiliation with AF&S and IUS.
As You Like It or As You Don’t: Shakespeare's Arden, Thomas More's Utopia, and their discontents
Authors: Bloch Elizabeth
Published: August 2024

Although As You Like It is criticised for the doubleness of its utopian vision, this article posits that the Forest of Arden challenges characters, spectators, and readers to evaluate alternative societies in the mode of Thomas More's Utopia (1516). Some characters, including More's Raphael Hythlodaeus and Shakespeare's Jaques, reject this dialectical education and refuse to apply their utopian experience to the governance of a ship of state. An alternative is embodied in Morus, More's narrator-character, and Rosalind, Shakespeare's poet-stage director. Shakespeare and More interrogate the relationship between the ideal and the real through a dialectically utopian mode of literary inquiry.
Artifice and animality in The Tempest: Imagining Caliban
Authors: Höfele Andreas
Published: August 2024

The article discusses William Shakespeare's Caliban in the context of early modern knowledge culture and its representation of the ‘monstrous’ in wonder cabinets and works of natural history. According to Stephano, Caliban is ‘a present for any emperor’ (2.2.69). This connects him to the real-life case of Pedro Gonsalvus, who became just such a ‘present’ given to the French king in 1547. His face and body overgrown with hair, Gonsalvus and subsequently his equally hirsute children became marvels at several European courts. Their case shows the same intermingling of artifice and animality that went into the creation of Caliban and shaped his afterlife in the theatre.
‘The finny subject of the sea’: Thaisa's pregnant embodiment and (non)maternal identity in Pericles
Authors: Burzyńska Katarzyna
Published: August 2024

Inspired by Stacy Alaimo's notion of transcorporality, this article reconsiders multivalent aquatic womb imagery, Thaisa's pregnant embodiment and her (non)maternal identity in Pericles. As argued, the play offers an inconsistent portrayal of pregnancy and maternity. Thaisa's pregnant body – a fluid aquatic economy – is prominently displayed onstage, while her labour described by Gower and Pericles remains the play's climax. Yet, the birth at sea and Thaisa's ‘terrible childbed’ communicate anxieties over maternal powers. Neither her maternal identity nor her maternal authority takes shape in the play, signalling early modern culture's unease with pregnant bodies that do not follow normative, patriarchal scripts.
The artfulness of historical playwriting in Richard III: Shakespeare and English Tacitism
Authors: Massai Sonia
Published: August 2024

Art seems to be especially fruitful as a starting point for a re-reading of Shakespeare's Richard III as an example of an English history play that is more commonly understood in terms of nature or politics. Richard's reputation for being unnatural, that is physically and morally deformed, certainly makes nature a productive line of enquiry. Politics is also immediately relevant to a play about Richard III, whose demise marked the rise of the Tudor dynasty. However, I have chosen to consider the artfulness of Richard III to show how Tacitism informed Shakespeare's approach to historical playwriting.
Utopian corporeality and movement in William Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece
Authors: Louri Anna
Published: August 2024

In his minor epic The Rape of Lucrece, William Shakespeare reconstructs the early Roman myth about the creation of the consulship and adds his own twist to this story of sexual violation. Lucrece is presented as a woman who mobilises her grief and shame and ends up overturning her disadvantageous position in the State. Her bodily movement in the narrative as well as her extended utterances of lamentation provide her with the courage to go against her rapist and transfigure her body into a utopian state, brimming with hope and steadfastness, which is spread throughout the city through her blood and ensures a better future.
The ‘pre-Shakespearean’ balcony and outdoor spaces from the European sources to Romeo and Juliet
Authors: Zanoni Roberta
Published: August 2024

This article shows how the balcony scene has been represented in Romeo and Juliet's narrative sources and how it has been treated by Shakespeare and on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century stages. It focuses on the absence of any balcony in Shakespeare's play and on the actual presence of a balcony in one of the Italian indirect sources of the play, Luigi Da Porto's novella; it also explores how all the spatial, gender, and power connotations of the balcony have been ‘translated’ from the sources to Shakespeare, where they are conveyed by the use of a ‘window’ and an ‘orchard’. The article shows how, thanks to the SENS: Shakespeare's Narrative Sources: Italian Novellas and their European Dissemination digital archive a comparison of multiple texts at a time, focusing on the words ‘balcony’, ‘window’, ‘garden’, and ‘orchard’, favours the investigation of the way in which these liminal spaces are represented.
Mechanochemical chemically assisted ablation of varicose veins for venous insufficiency: American vein and lymphatic society position statement
Authors: Blebea John , Fukaya Eri , Moore Keith S , Lurie Fedor
Published: August 2024

Background: Mechanical occlusion chemically assisted ablation (MOCA) of incompetent saphenous veins has been utilized since its FDA approval in 2008. However, only recently have longer-term three and 5 year clinical follow up data become available. This updated information necessitates a societal update to guide treatment and ensure optimal patient outcomes. Method: The American Vein and Lymphatic Society convened an expert panel to write a Position Statement with explanations and recommendations for the appropriate use of MOCA for patients with venous insufficiency. Result: This Position Statement was produced by the expert panel with recommendations for appropriate use, treatment technique, outcomes review, and potential adverse events. These recommendations were reviewed, edited, and approved by the Guidelines Committee of the Society. Conclusions: MOCA is effective in alleviating symptoms and a safe treatment option for venous insufficiency. It obviates the need for tumescent anesthesia, has less procedural discomfort and lower risk of thermal nerve or skin injury. It may be used in both the below knee distal GSV as well as the SSV. However, it is associated with significantly lower rates of vessel closure and higher recanalization rates compared to both RFA and EVLA and is less cost effective than thermal techniques. It is an available option for those in whom thermal ablation is not suitable.
Open label experience of repeated OnabotulinumtoxinA injections towards the sphenopalatine ganglion in patients with chronic cluster headache and chronic migraine
Authors: Simmonds Lucy , Jamtøy Kent Are , Aschehoug Irina , Hara Sozaburo , Meisingset Tore W. , Matharu Manjit S. , Tronvik Erling , Bratbak Daniel Fossum
Published: August 2024

Background

A novel technique for injection of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BTA) towards the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) has shown promise in refractory chronic migraine (CM) and chronic cluster headache (CCH). Open label safety and efficacy data are presented here.

Methods

Patients with refractory CM or CCH who had received at least one injection and completed headache diaries were included. Efficacy was defined as ≥50% reduction in moderate-to-severe headache days for CM, or ≥50% reduction in attack frequency for CCH, at weeks five to eight.

Results

Over 261 injections, there were 123 adverse events (AE), of which one was serious. Most (93%) AEs were mild and all were transient. The 50% response to one injection was 81% for CM and 69% for CCH. The response gradually reduced over subsequent months for CM but stayed between 55% and 67% for CCH. Repeated injections were beneficial.

Conclusions

Injections resulted in improvement for both groups and was maintained with repeated injections. Repeat injection after three months may be beneficial in CM. Adverse events were not uncommon, but universally transient, presumably as a result of the mechanism of action of BTA. Repeated BTA injection towards the SPG could be an effective treatment for refractory CM and CCH. Larger, randomised, placebo-controlled trials are required.
Influence of titanium surface roughness on a nanoscale on the zeta potential and platelet adhesion
Authors: Esslinger Isabell , Lommel Michael , Kießlich Florian , Kertzscher Ulrich , Bierewirtz Tim
Published: August 2024

Thromboembolic complications still arise on blood contacting surfaces. Surface charge and topography influence the subsequent deposition of proteins and platelets, potentially leading to thrombi. Research showed a correlation of surface charge and nanoscale roughness, and a negative surface charge as well as a smooth surface finish are associated with lower thrombogenicity. The aim of this study was to compare the platelet adhesion on titanium with different nanoscale roughnesses and to examine if those roughness variations caused a change in surface charge. Titanium samples were polished and roughened to four different nanoscale roughness levels. Platelet adhesion (covered surface area (CSA), N = 8) was tested in flow chambers with human whole blood using fluorescence imaging. ζ-potential was measured over a broad range of pH-values and interpolated to obtain the ζ-potential for pHBlood (7.4). Platelet adhesion tests were evaluated in terms of p-values and the Wilcoxon test effect size and the trend of the ζ-potential at pHBlood and the CSA was compared. Ra-values ranged between 35 (polished) and 156 nm. Regarding platelet adhesion, the polished sample showed the lowest mean CSA with a medium or strong effect size compared to the roughened samples. The interpolated ζ-potentials for pHBlood follow a similar trend as the CSA, with the lowest ζ-potential measured for the polished surface. These findings suggest that the decreasing ζ-potential due to lower nanoscale roughness might be an additional explanation for the improved hemocompatibility besides the smoother topography.
Comparison of hydroxyapatite and honeycomb micro-structure in bone tissue engineering using electrospun beads-on-string fibers
Authors: Rivoallan Nicolas , Mueller Marc , Baudequin Timothée , Vigneron Pascale , Hébraud Anne , Jellali Rachid , Dermigny Quentin , Le Goff Anne , Schlatter Guy , Glasmacher Birgit , Legallais Cécile
Published: August 2024

Thick honeycomb-like electrospun scaffold with nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite (nHA) recently demonstrated its potential to promote proliferation and differentiation of a murine embryonic cell line (C3H10T1/2) to osteoblasts. In order to distinguish the respective effects of the structure and the composition on cell differentiation, beads-on-string fibers were used to manufacture thick honeycomb-like scaffolds without nHA. Mechanical and biological impacts of those beads-on string fibers were evaluated. Uniaxial tensile test showed that beads-on-string fibers decreased the Young Modulus and maximal stress but kept them appropriate for tissue engineering. C3H10T1/2 were seeded and cultured for 6 days on the scaffolds without any growth factors. Viability assays revealed the biocompatibility of the beads-on-string scaffolds, with adequate cells-materials interactions observed by confocal microscopy. Alkaline phosphatase staining was performed at day 6 in order to compare the early differentiation of cells to bone fate. The measure of stained area and intensity confirmed the beneficial effect of both honeycomb structure and nHA, independently. Finally, we showed that honeycomb-like electrospun scaffolds could be relevant candidates for promoting bone fate to cells in the absence of nHA. It offers an easier and faster manufacture process, in particular in bone-interface tissue engineering, permitting to avoid the dispersion of nHA and their interaction with the other cells.
Effects of high-frequency mechanical stimuli on flow related vascular cell biology
Authors: Carrara Elena , Soliveri Luca , Poloni Sofia , Bozzetto Michela , Campiglio Chiara Emma
Published: August 2024

Mechanical forces related to blood pressure and flow patterns play a crucial role in vascular homeostasis. Perturbations in vascular stresses and strain resulting from changes in hemodynamic may occur in pathological conditions, leading to vascular dysfunction as well as in vascular prosthesis, arteriovenous shunt for hemodialysis and in mechanical circulation support. Turbulent-like blood flows can induce high-frequency vibrations of the vessel wall, and this stimulus has recently gained attention as potential contributors to vascular pathologies, such as development of intimal hyperplasia in arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis. However, the biological response of vascular cells to this stimulus remains incompletely understood. This review provides an analysis of the existing literature concerning the impact of high-frequency stimuli on vascular cell morphology, function, and gene expression. Morphological and functional investigations reveal that vascular cells stimulated at frequencies higher than the normal heart rate exhibit alterations in cell shape, alignment, and proliferation, potentially leading to vessel remodeling. Furthermore, vibrations modulate endothelial and smooth muscle cells gene expression, affecting pathways related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and muscle hypertrophy. Understanding the effects of high-frequency vibrations on vascular cells is essential for unraveling the mechanisms underlying vascular diseases and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, there are still gaps in our understanding of the molecular pathways governing these cellular responses. Further research is necessary to elucidate these mechanisms and their therapeutic implications for vascular diseases.
Who can Benefit From Volunteer Participation? Analysis of Wellbeing Heterogeneity in Volunteer Participation of Older People
Authors: Zeng Qiyan , Zhu Lining , He Zhipeng
Published: August 2024

The basic premise of this study is that the traditional method to treating all older people as coming from the same distribution misspecifies the true model and ignores potentially important information in wellbeing outcomes of social participation. Using data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this paper proposes a finite mixture model (FMM) to identify the heterogeneous relationship between volunteer participation and older people’s subjective well-being (SWB) and then explore the determinants of wellbeing heterogeneity in volunteer participation. The results reveal that older people can be classified into two latent subgroups, that is the volunteering beneficiary group (accounting for about 42%) and the volunteering non-beneficiary group (accounting for about 58%). The FMM is therefore more appropriate in estimating the complex impact of volunteering. Rural older people with poorer health, weaker social networks, better economic status, and better community environments are more likely to benefit from volunteer participation. Our findings have suggested some practical implications to increase the probability of benefit from volunteer participation.
Cognitive Predictors of Two Distinct Reading Comprehension Tasks in Lower and Upper Grades
Authors: Conaway R. Brandon , Schmitt Ara J. , McCallum Elizabeth , Crothers Laura M. , Schreiber James B.
Published: August 2024

Reading disorders, including reading comprehension disorders, are among the most common referrals for evaluation in schools. If that evaluation involves individually administered tests of reading, the examiner is faced with selecting at least one reading comprehension subtest that is inherently associated with specific task demands, such as a cloze procedure or a story retell procedure. This study explored the correlates of performance of these two types of reading comprehension measures in lower grades (i.e., grades 1–5) and upper grades (i.e., grades 6–12). Results revealed a moderate correlation between these two tasks and evidence that students with reading disorders may perform poorer on cloze reading comprehension measures than story retell measures in both grade groupings. Regression analyses revealed that variance in each reading comprehension task is associated with a unique grouping of predictor variables that are associated with the Big Five of Reading and short-term/working memory. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for the evaluation of students with suspected disabilities and research.
Applying optical coherence tomography to inline quality monitoring of unidirectional glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes
Authors: Wenninger Michael , Kloiber Karin , Marschik Christian , Hochleitner Gernot , Berger-Weber Gerald , Steinbichler Georg
Published: August 2024

Originally developed for biomedical applications and diagnosis, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has recently been demonstrated to be a powerful non-destructive and non-invasive measurement method for detecting defects in glass-fiber reinforced polymer composites. While previous studies have focused mainly on the use of OCT in the analysis of thermoset composites, we were able to show in offline experiments that OCT can be used to quickly detect typical defects (e.g., dry fiber regions, gaps and fiber breakage) in thermoplastic unidirectional (UD) tapes at high resolution. To investigate the applicability of OCT to inline monitoring, we advanced our previously published approach in two major steps: First, we incorporated the OCT system into an industrial-scale UD-tape production line, and derived optimal settings for inline detection of dry region defects from a comprehensive design of experiments (DoE) to find an optimal balance between accuracy and data size for a stationary tape sample by varying A-scan sampling rate, A-scan averaging and OCT transverse travel velocity. Second, using these optimal settings, we went on to investigate moving tapes over a range of industrially relevant take-off speeds. Microscopy was used for validation in both cases. We developed a fast and robust statistical analysis of B-scans that visualizes the quality of full cross-sections in an interpretable manner for potential use in a real-time setting. Within an industrially relevant production speed range of up to 15 m/min, we are thus now able to investigate 120 mm wide (and potentially wider) UD tapes inline at a transverse resolution of 22 µm, producing only 21 MB of data per measurement.
Prevalence and Factors Associated With Healthy Aging in a Large Representative Community Sample of Older Ethiopians
Authors: Belachew Amare , Cherbuin Nicolas , Bagheri Nasser , Burns Richard
Published: August 2024

Objectives: To examine the prevalence and predictors of healthy aging among community-dwelling older adults living in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study included older adults aged 60 and above ( n = 845; Mage = 71 years; 56.4% females). Poisson regression estimated the Relative Risk (RR) of factors associated with healthy aging status. Results: 36.7% of respondents were classified as healthy agers. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of healthy aging included reporting not being lonely, adequate nutrition, no multimorbidity, good self-rated health, financial independence, and engaging in at least 1 hour of moderate physical activity per week. Discussion: The proportion of healthy agers in this study was substantially lower compared to developed countries but comparable to the prevalence reported in similar developing nations. Enhancing physical activity, ensuring proper nutrition, interventions to foster social participation engagement, and networking, and managing chronic diseases were identified as promising strategies to promote healthy aging.
Joint Trajectories of Performance-Based and Self-Reported Physical Functioning in Older Adults: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study in the Netherlands
Authors: Deeg Dorly J. H. , Hoogendijk Emiel O. , van Schoor Natasja M. , Schaap Laura A. , Lima Passos Valéria
Published: August 2024

Background

The well-known disablement process has been conceptualized as a series of transitions between progressive states of functional decline. We studied joint patterns of change within disablement states defined as walking speed, grip strength, and self-reported disability.

Methods

1702 participants aged 65 and over were included from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, spanning seven waves over 20 years (1996–2016). Group-based multi-trajectory modeling yielded trajectory clusters (TCs) of different patterns of change, further characterized by baseline sociodemographic characteristics, physical and cognitive health, and survival rate.

Results

Five TCs were identified, distinguished by increasing baseline age. Walking speed and disability showed generally concomitant trajectories. Women had poorer trajectories in grip strength than men, but not in walking speed and disability. Poor physical health distinguished especially the poorest, and cognitive impairment distinguished especially the one-before-poorest from the better TCs.

Discussion

The findings suggest that the disablement states are not generally distinct or sequential.
Mortality of cytomegalovirus infection among people living with HIV: A retrospective study from a tertiary hospital in Indonesia
Authors: Yunihastuti Evy , Kurniati Nia , Yusuf Muhammad , Yasmon Andi , Sjatha Fithriyah , Edwar Lukman , Nusyirwan Saskia Aziza , Imran Darma , Kurniawan Juferdy , Lubis Anna Mira , Yulianti Mira , Pitoyo Ceva Wicaksono , Nugroho Pringgodigdo , Rusdi Lusiani , Susilo Adityo , Sinto Robert , Muktiarti Dina , Maharani Kartika , Adhari Amalia Irsha , Nora Rina La Distia , Achmad Yustika Novianti , Purap Markus Molan , Karjadi Teguh Harjono , Widhani Alvina
Published: August 2024

Background

There are still many patients newly diagnosed with HIV at an advanced stage in Indonesia. We aimed to identify factors associated with 1-year mortality among cytomegalovirus (CMV)-infected people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was carried out at a tertiary-care hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia (January 2017 to December 2022). We included PLHIV with CMV end-organ disease (EOD) and CMV syndrome. The presence of CMV infection was confirmed by fulfilling one of the following criteria: (1) positive PCR from plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, or other body fluids, or associated tissue for CMV EOD; (2) positive immunoglobulin M (IgM); or (3) consistent symptoms and signs of CMV retinitis.

Results

Out of 1737 PLHIV, 147 (8.5%, 95% CI: 7.2 to 9.9%) were diagnosed with CMV infection. Forty (27.2%, 95% CI: 20.6 to 35.1%) patients died within 1 year of being diagnosed. Only anti-retroviral therapy (ART) defaulting (aHR 3.31, 95% CI: 1.12 to 9.73) was found to be significantly associated with 1-year mortality in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Defaulted ART status is significantly associated with reduced 1-year survival after CMV infection diagnosis. Patients with low CD4 counts, especially those with <50 cells/μL, should be assessed for CMV infection, monitored, and treated accordingly.
Sexuality in the digital world: Treatment of a case of dating app addiction
Authors: Alparone Dario , Pozzetti Roberto , Rizzo Amelia
Published: August 2024

This article explores internet addiction, with a focus on digital devices and dating apps. Using the psychoanalytical conceptualization, we present a clinical case study of a young man struggling with both his sexuality and his addiction to online interactions. The addictive nature of internet use, particularly in relation to sexuality and pornography, is explored, highlighting its pervasive characteristics in contemporary society. Drawing on psychoanalytic theories, we explore the concept of “symptom” as the expression of discontents in civilization, from a Freudian approach, and therefore the impact of symbolic and cultural factors on psychopathological phenomena. The study offers insights into the psychodynamics of various forms of addiction, particularly sexual addiction. The treatment of a case of addiction to dating apps will show how this relationship to sexuality is shaped by social practices disseminated through the internet and social networks. Finally, the psychodynamic underpinnings of internet addiction and its impact, particularly on vulnerable young people, underline the importance of recognising the addictive nature of digital devices in contemporary society. In fact, the patient’s addictive style of enjoyment could be considered as typical of a generalised style of enjoyment in contemporary society. Addiction thus becomes a typical symptomatic trait that excludes the existential lack of the subject.
Dermal melanoma with plasmacytoid differentiation in a dog
Authors: Mendes Ricardo E. , Tolbert Ronald H. , Thorn Catherine E. , Rissi Daniel R.
Published: August 2024

A 10-y-old spayed female Staffordshire Terrier dog was evaluated because of a cutaneous left ear base mass. Cytology revealed sheets of cells with anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, round-to-oval or plasmacytoid cytoplasm, and round, central, or eccentric nuclei; binucleate cells were present. Cytologic findings were consistent with a round cell tumor (plasmacytoma or agranular mast cell tumor), amelanotic melanoma, or anaplastic carcinoma. Histologically, neoplastic cells were polygonal to elongate, with round-to-oval nuclei and prominent nucleoli and arranged in sheets and nests on a fibrovascular stroma. Neoplastic cells with plasmacytoid morphology (round, glassy, eosinophilic cytoplasm with eccentric nuclei) were present in ~30% of the neoplasm. There were 18 mitoses in 2.37 mm2 (10 FN22/40× fields). Neoplastic cells had cytoplasmic immunolabeling for melan A and PNL2 and no immunolabeling for AE3/1 and MUM1, consistent with a dermal melanoma with plasmacytoid differentiation. The patient was re-evaluated ~1 mo after the first biopsy because of local recurrence of the original mass and new masses on the interscapular area and right elbow; these neoplasms were histologically identical to the original submission, plus scattered neoplastic cells in the new masses contained brown cytoplasmic pigment. The dog was euthanized because of swelling and hemorrhage of the tumors and right pelvic limb lameness. Our findings were consistent with a dermal melanoma with plasmacytoid features that were similar to human plasmacytoid melanoma, a rare variant of human melanoma that is diagnostically challenging as it may mimic a plasmacytoma.
Not Aware or Don’t Dare! The Use and Efficacy of Employer-Sponsored Mental Wellbeing Programs
Authors: Mejicano Quintana Miguel A. , Duxbury Linda
Published: August 2024

Employee well-being is a matter of significant concern for both workers and organizations. While many organizations implement costly Stress Management Interventions (SMIs) to improve employee well-being, their efforts are limited by debates as to which SMIs (if any) are effective and how “effectiveness” should be evaluated. The lack of research identifying key predictors of awareness and use of different types of SMIs makes it difficult for researchers and practitioners to draw conclusions with respect to SMI efficacy. Our research addresses these gaps in our understanding by using a contextual effects perspective and a large ( n = 1627) sample of employees working in a diversity of jobs within a single organization to identify the key predictors of employee awareness and use of five available SMIs and explore the link between use of these five SMIs and perceived stress. The following conclusions are supported by the findings from this study: (1) the organizational perceived culture is a better predictor of SMI awareness than individual employee attributes or employee well-being, (2) the predictors of SMI awareness are different from those predicting use, (3) employees who would most benefit from access to SMIs are less aware of what organizational benefits are available, and (4) predictions of awareness, use, and efficacy vary depending on SMI type. Using both theory and the results from our research we propose a comprehensive framework that conceptualizes SMI efficacy as a process not an outcome.