bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between Doing and Saying ‘We’ – On Analytic Pragmatism and the Progressive Development of Plural Self-Expression
Authors: Lo Presti Patrizio U. E.
Published: April 2024

What do we do when we say ‘We’? This paper pursues a response from analytic pragmatism. The guiding idea of analytic pragmatism is to look to what one must implicitly know how do to be able to use expressions to say something, including how to make that implicit know-how explicit. Accordingly, the question we are tasked to answer is what one must know how to do to say ‘We’ – that is, what practical know-how saying ‘We’ requires and can be employed to make explicit. The concept normative ascent is introduced in developing an answer. On this approach, the know-how in question turns out to be a distinctively normative capacity. Both being and saying ‘We’ turns out to involve being able to do and say something normative.
Black (and White) Dynamite Critical Photobooks of the Depression Era
Authors: Gil-Glazer Ya’ara
Published: April 2024

Inspired by the documentary black and white photographs of the New Deal’s Resettlement/ Farm Security Administration (ra/fsa), the critical photobooks of the Depression era provided a radical view of contemporary and historical United States of America. Anchored by words, the images in these books were highly critical of the agricultural economy and American capitalism in general. In addition, they criticized Black people’s exclusion and discrimination. The present article discusses this genre by comparing Archibald MacLeish’s Land of the Free (1937) and Dorothea Lange and Paul Tailor’s American Exodus (1939) with Richard Wright and Edwin Rosskam’s Twelve Million Black Voices (1941). While the first two radicalized the ra/fsa’s reformist criticism, Wright and Rosskam’s book went further by subverting the very roots of the American dream, exposing it as an ongoing historical depression for Black people.
Family, Power, and Nationalism
Authors: Wibawa Satrya
Published: April 2024

This article examines the Indonesian films Si Pintjang (1951) and Djenderal Kantjil (1958) to explore how they use the portrayal of children to articulate notions of Indonesian nationalism post-independence. Directed by prominent Indonesian filmmakers Kotot Sukardi and Nya Abbas Akup, these films are believed to represent different political ideologies amidst the political polarization of the 1950s. Through a careful analysis of the films’ texts, this article reveals how these films use the role of adults to represent the power of the state, implying the state’s authority in restoring order from disorder. The films illustrate the directors’ idealization of the newly established Indonesia after colonialism. Both showcase chaotic situations in which children are initially held accountable, but which eventually show them as requiring guidance and education. This power dynamic highlights the imbalance between children and adults, thus representing the state’s connection with its citizens and emphasizing the citizens’ responsibility to the nation as a form of nationalism.
The Indisch Tijdschrift van het Recht, 1915–1947
Authors: Koenig Moritz
Published: April 2024

This article discusses the structure and argumentative style of the Indisch Tijdschrift van het Recht (hereafter ITR or Tijdschrift) (1915–1947), one of the primary sources for scholarly investigations of late colonial law in the Dutch East Indies. I argue that a ‘reading along the grain’ and problematization of its peculiar types of knowledge-making can help give texture to academic analyses of colonial law. This article zooms in on the structure of the Tijdschrift’s case-reporting and legal commentaries to contextualize it within historical debates of law and investigate the role it played in reorganizing the colonial economy. I argue that the Tijdschrift allowed colonial scholars, judges, and administrators to portray law as an objective, neutral framework for the containment of everyday life and local adat. However, detailed analysis also highlights the epistemic anxieties of Dutch colonial legalists about the efficiency of legal methods. Both these issues should be considered when referencing the Tijdschrift as a scholarly source.
Neo-Latin: Literature
Authors: Marsico Clementina , Schaffenrath Florian , Smets Simon , Šubarić Lav , Walser-Bürgler Isabella
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Neo-Latin Studies.
Italian Studies: Quattrocento
Authors: Soranzo Matteo
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Italian Studies.
Italian Studies: Cinquecento
Authors: Guassardo Giada
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Italian Studies.
Italian Studies: Film Studies
Authors: Cabrini Leonardo
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2020, 2021, and 2022 in the area of Italian Studies.
Italian Studies: Television Studies
Authors: Iacovella Anna
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Italian Studies.
Welsh Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature, Modern Period
Authors: Sheppard Lisa
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Welsh Studies.
Irish Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature, Medieval Period
Authors: Brinkman-Schwartz Caitlyn , Bond West David
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Irish Studies.
Irish Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature, Modern Period
Authors: Ní Mhurchú Síle
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Irish Studies.
Lusophone, Portuguese, and Galician Studies: Portuguese Medieval Literature
Authors: Pio Carlos , Parkinson Stephen
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2019 to 2021 in the area of Lusophone, Portuguese, and Galician Studies.
German Studies: Literature, 1830–1880
Authors: Tully Carol
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of German Studies.
Nordic Studies: Danish Literature
Authors: Schmidt Michael Kallesøe
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Danish Studies.
Occitan Studies: Literature, Medieval Period
Authors: Cabré Miriam , Martí Sadurní , Talfani Camilla
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Occitan Studies.
Spanish Studies: Language and Linguistics
Authors: Fernández de Gobeo Díaz de Durana Nerea
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Spanish Studies.
Russian Studies: Literature, 1848–1917
Authors: Panova Olga B. , Mitchell Peter J.
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Russian Studies.
Bulgarian Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature
Authors: Beilinson Orel
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Bulgarian Studies.
Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature
Authors: Beilinson Orel
Published: April 2024

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 in the area of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian Studies.
Fashioning Islamic Asia: Urban Hui Muslims and Cosmopolitan Bridal Looks in Xi’an, China
Authors: Yang Yang
Published: April 2024

This article examines the intersections of gender, consumption, and Muslim cosmopolitanism in the emerging bridal fashions of the Hui Muslims in Xi’an, China. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Xi’an during 2015 and 2016, I analyze the visual and textual discourses surrounding urban Hui Muslims’ pursuit of a globalized Muslim lifestyle, with a particular emphasis on fashion and representations of women. I explore how the image of the modern Muslim is produced and constructed in Hui-owned bridal salons, which offer bridal makeovers and stage wedding portraiture. By focusing on the perspectives of entrepreneurs within the bridal fashion and portraiture industry, I examine the production of ideal bridal aesthetics and a cosmopolitan female piety that are intertwined with universal Muslim values. This affinity for the universal fosters a sense of superiority among the Hui in their predominantly Han context. Engaging with scholarship on Muslim fashion and vernacular cosmopolitanisms, I argue that the Hui’s adoption of cosmopolitan Muslim-ness embodies both globally circulated lifestyles and local interpretations of modesty and piety. This study of Hui Muslim fashion choices showcases a locally embedded transnational Muslim modernity and underscores the diverse ways in which individuals position themselves within their imagined Muslim ummah.
The Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home and the Modern Muslim Ummah: Negotiating Identity, Politics, and Community in 1940s Sri Lanka
Authors: Haniffa Farzana
Published: April 2024

The Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home (MICH) was incorporated in the State Council in 1944. This paper will look at the establishment of the MICH as indicating the emergence of a particular post-World War II aspirational Muslim middle-class sensibility in Sri Lanka. It will argue that this sensibility emerged at the intersection of two sets of anxieties – Muslims as a minority in a soon to be majoritarian state, and the Muslim elite as insufficiently educated and forward looking in comparison with other elites in the country. In the period when the MICH was established, Ceylonese Muslims distanced themselves from Indian Muslims living in Sri Lanka but presented a connection with a Muslim past through invoking the Moors of Spain. Through the MICH the Muslim elite presented themselves as learned, modern, and as leading poorer Muslims out of destitution toward a modern middle-class way of life.
Women’s Fatwa-Making in Indonesia: Gender, Authority, and Everyday Legal Practice
Authors: Ismah Nor
Published: April 2024

My article proposes a new approach to the study of fatwas (Islamic legal opinion) in an Indonesian context, aiming at contributing to Islamic Studies on fatwa-making more broadly. By combining an Islamic studies framework with anthropological research and gender studies, my article challenges the traditional focus on male-dominated institutions and emphasizes the everyday practice of issuing fatwas at the grassroots level, particularly by women. I argue that fatwa-issuing institutions are gendered, excluding women from significant positions and recognition as Islamic scholars. Therefore, studying women’s fatwa-making requires considering various sites of interaction between female mufti and fatwa seekers. These interactions showcase dynamic changes in women’s experiences, religious authority, and everyday fatwa-making practices, driven by context-specific resources. Women’s participation disrupts traditional norms, challenging gendered structures in fatwa-making institutions. Moreover, it signifies the evolution of doctrinal changes and ethical practices, redefining fatwas from static outcomes to a dynamic and inclusive realm of interaction, innovation, and Islamic authority.
The first report of fossil of Centrocnemidinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) in the Mesozoic
Authors: ZHANG PEI-PEI , LIU YING-QI , REN DONG , YAO YUN-ZHI
Published: April 2024

A new genus and species of fossil of Centrocnemidinae, Acutiangulus densus Zhang, Liu & Yao gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Acutiangulus densus Zhang, Liu & Yao gen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished from other genera by the humeral angle with a sharp spine and the posterior lateral angle of each connexival tergite with a setigerous spine. Acutiangulus densus is the first fossil record of Centrocnemidinae from Mesozoic and also represents a member of the stem group. Furthermore, the irregular trapezoidal cell situated in the corium’s inner apical is proposed to serve as an adjunctive diagnostic character for Centrocnemidinae.
Two new long-pedipalp spiders (Araneae: Pholcochyroceridae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar
Authors: HOU YAN-MENG , GUO XIANG-BO , SELDEN PAUL A. , WANG LU-YU , REN DONG
Published: April 2024

The spider genera Longissipalpus Wunderlich, 2015 and Pedipalparaneus Wunderlich, 2015 of the extinct family Pholcochyroceridae Wunderlich, 2008, are reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber only. Members of both genera exhibit extremely elongated pedipalps. Here, two new species are described: Longissipalpus albistriatus sp. nov. and Pedipalparaneus protumidus sp. nov., both are endemic to Kachin amber. Detailed diagnoses and illustrations are provided, and their potential living habits are also discussed.
The Role of miRNA-29b1 on the Hypoxia-Induced Apoptosis in Mammalian Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Liu Hailin , Juan Dingmin , Wu Kaize , Cao Ruhao , Dai Bo
Published: April 2024

A hypoxic stress which causes apoptosis of cardiomyocytes is the main problem in the ischemic heart disease. The present research sought to investigate the role of microRNA-29b1 (miR-29b1) in hypoxia-treated cardiomyocytes and its potential mechanism involved. We replicated an in
vitro AC16 and H9C2 cardiomyocytes ischemia model by hypoxia (1% O2, 48 h) treatment. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry using Annexin V FITC-PI staining assay. Moreover, we used western blot and immunofluorescence analysis to determine the expression of Bcl-2, Bax
caspase-3 and Cx43 proteins. We found that miR-29b1 protected AC16 and H9C2 cells from hypoxia-induced injury as the evidences that miR-29b1 attenuated the effects of hypoxia treatment on AC16 and H9C2 cell apoptosis after hypoxia treatment. In conclusion, these results revealed the potential
cardiovascular protective effects of miR-29b1 in the process of ischemia-related myocardial injury.
Combined Effect of Non-Linear Mixed Convection, and Non-Uniform Heat Source/Sink on Casson Ternary Hybrid Nanofluid Flow Across a Stretched Rotatory Disk
Authors: Paul Ashish , Patgiri Bhagyashri , Sarma Neelav
Published: April 2024

This present study emphasizes the importance of a specific type of fluid called a Casson ternary hybrid nanofluid. Our research explores a novel approach using the combination of several complex phenomena, including magnetohydrodynamic radiative flow, non-linear mixed convection, a
non-uniform heat source or sink, a chemical reaction described by the Arrhenius model, and multiple slip effects. The researchers transformed the system of governing equations into a set of first-order ordinary differential equations using appropriate mathematical transformations and then
solved them numerically using the bvp4c solver. The study investigated the behavior of velocity profiles, thermal dispersion, concentration dispersion, and heat and mass transfer for different values of the parameters involved. Our results indicated that the rising values of the heat transmission
rate escalated by 2.98% for Casson ternary hybrid nanofluid when compared to ternary hybrid nanofluid. Further, ternary hybrid nanofluid had a 7.49% and 6.89% higher heat transmission rate compared to the hybrid nanofluid and conventional nanofluid, respectively. Besides, the heat transmission
rate is enhanced by 17.5% and 3.11% respectively under the existence of the mixed convective and non-linear thermal convection parameters. Also, the presence of chemical reaction parameter shows a positive impact on the rate of mass transmission
Double Diffusion of Blood-Gold Carreau Nanofluid Using Partial Slip
Authors: Prathap Kumar J. , Umavathi J. C. , Dhone A. S.
Published: April 2024

The investigation of double diffusive convection for the blood-gold Carreau nanofluid over an upper horizontal surface of a paraboloid of revolution (uhspr) with partial slip is the subject of this paper. It is assumed that the Carreau nanofluid corresponding to an infinite shear-rate
is zero. The regulating PDE’s are converted into ODE’s by using the appropriate transformations. The reduced system of ODE’s is solved by using the RK-4th order method with the help of collocation formula bvp4c defined in Matlab software. The numerical computations for emerging
parameters on the velocity, temperature, concentration, partial slip, etc. have been investigated for both shear-thinning and shear-thickening. The outcome of the study reveals that the velocity increases and temperature decreases with the rise in buoyancy parameters in both respects of small
value of partial slip λ = 0.1 and large magnitude of partial slip λ = 2 while dual effects on the concentration gradient is observed at the boundary and free stream. Furthermore, these findings are in perfect agreement with previously published work on special cases.
Numerical Investigation of Hybrid Nanofluid Natural Convection and Entropy Generation in a Corrugated Enclosure with an Inner Conducting Block
Authors: Samadder Mandira , Ray Rajendra K.
Published: April 2024

Current work deals with a numerical analysis of convective heat transfer and entropy generation inside a rectangular cavity with a corrugated bottom filled with MoS2–SiO2-water hybrid nanofluid. Here, a conducting solid body is attached to the top wall, and
discrete heaters are attached to the bottom wall of the cavity. The numerical solutions of the governing equations are derived utilizing a higher-order compact (HOC) finite difference scheme and validated with the existing computational and experimental results. Present numerical results are
then studied in detail, emphasizing isotherms, streamlines, and local entropy generation with respect to specific parameters like Rayleigh number (103 ≤ Ra ≤ 106), the volume percentage of nanoparticles (0% ≤ Φ ≤ 4%), the thermal conductivity
of solid body (1.95 ≤ ks ≤ 16.00) as well as the aspect ratio of heater length (AR = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8). The impacts of key factors on the Bejan number, average Nusselt number, and overall entropy generation are also investigated. The results show that an increase
in the thermal conductivity of the solid body from 1.95 to 16.00 increases the average Nusselt number and total entropy generation by 9.17% and 40.07%, respectively, for AR = 0.2, Ra = 106, and Φ = 4%. In addition, the average Nusselt number and total entropy
generation decrease by 59.11% and 61.99%, respectively, for ks = 16.00, Ra = 106, and Φ = 4% when the aspect ratio of heater length increases to 0.8.
Logistical turbulence: Between valorization and violence along the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor
Authors: Aung Geoffrey Rathgeb
Published: April 2024

A pivotal Belt and Road project, the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) includes port, pipeline, economic zone, and transport projects that cut across Myanmar to southern China. Along this corridor, severe episodes of violence have shadowed the CMEC: communal violence, insurgencies, and counter-insurgencies, including atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. This article considers the relation—direct and indirect—between the logistical infrastructure projects of the CMEC, dedicated to capitalist valorization, and the episodes of violence that have occurred in their vicinity. Revisiting critical logistics scholarship, I suggest that the turbulence of logistical worlds does not necessarily reflect an internal logic of capital. Drawing on a form-analysis view of the state, rather, I show how the CMEC requires a conjunctural grasp of logistical worlds whose turbulence can stem from multiple determinations, including state-backed, extraeconomic force. Emphasizing the ties between the CMEC and Myanmar military operations, I argue that logistical infrastructures in Myanmar are dual in form. They are incorporative and connective, fuelled by fantasies of boundless growth and endless valorisation. Yet they are also “anti-relational,” forging not only connections but disconnections along spatial, gendered, and racialized ethnic divides. These racialized processes of dispossession and immiseration present violent limits to logistical imaginaries of connective relation.
Chronic sleep fragmentation impairs brain interstitial clearance in young wildtype mice
Authors: Deng Saiyue , Hu Yusi , Chen Simiao , Xue Yang , Yao Di , Sun Qian , Nedergaard Maiken , Wang Wei , Ding Fengfei
Published: April 2024

Accumulating evidence shows that most chronic neurological diseases have a link with sleep disturbances, and that patients with chronically poor sleep undergo an accelerated cognitive decline. Indeed, a single-night of sleep deprivation may increase metabolic waste levels in cerebrospinal fluid. However, it remains unknown how chronic sleep disturbances in isolation from an underlying neurological disease may affect the glymphatic system. Clearance of brain interstitial waste by the glymphatic system occurs primarily during sleep, driven by multiple oscillators including arterial pulsatility, and vasomotion. Herein, we induced sleep fragmentation in young wildtype mice and assessed the effects on glymphatic activity and cognitive functions. Chronic sleep fragmentation reduced glymphatic function and impaired cognitive functions in healthy mice. A mechanistic analysis showed that the chronic sleep fragmentation suppressed slow vasomotion, without altering cardiac-driven pulsations. Taken together, results of this study document that chronic sleep fragmentation suppresses brain metabolite clearance and impairs cognition, even in the absence of disease.
Surgeon Performance as a Predictor for Patient-Reported Outcomes After Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy
Authors: Jones Morgan H. , Gottreich Julia R. , Jin Yuxuan , Kattan Michael W. ,   Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, Spindler Kurt P. , Farrow Lutul D. , Frangiamore Salvatore J. , Gilot Gregory J. , Hampton Robert J. , Leo Brian M. , Nickodem Robert J. , Parker Richard D. , Rosneck James T. , Saluan Paul M. , Scarcella Michael J. , Serna Alfred , Stearns Kim L.
Published: April 2024

Background:

Surgeon performance has been investigated as a factor affecting patient outcomes after orthopaedic procedures to improve transparency between patients and providers.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to identify whether surgeon performance influenced patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) 1 year after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM). It was hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in PROMs between patients who underwent APM from various surgeons.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A prospective cohort of 794 patients who underwent APM between 2018 and 2019 were included in the analysis. A total of 34 surgeons from a large multicenter health care center were included. Three multivariable models were built to determine whether the surgeon—among demographic and meniscal pathology factors—was a significant variable for predicting the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)-Pain subscale, the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), and a 10-point improvement in the KOOS-Pain at 1 year after APM. Likelihood ratio (LR) tests were used to determine the significance of the surgeon variable in the models.

Results:

The 794 patients were identified from the multicenter hospital system. The baseline KOOS-Pain score was a significant predictor of outcome in the 1-year KOOS-Pain model (odds ratio [OR], 2.1 [95% CI, 1.77-2.48]; P < .001), the KOOS-Pain 10-point improvement model (OR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.44-0.73), and the 1-year PASS model (OR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.15-1.76]; P = .002) among articular cartilage pathology (bipolar medial cartilage) and patient-factor variables, including body mass index, Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey–Mental Component Score, and Area Deprivation Index. The individual surgeon significantly impacted outcomes in the 1-year KOOS-Pain mixed model in the LR test ( P = .004).

Conclusion:

Patient factors and characteristics are better predictors for patient outcomes 1 year after APM than surgeon characteristics, specifically baseline KOOS-Pain, although an individual surgeon influenced the 1-Year KOOS-Pain mixed model in the LR test. This finding has key clinical implications; surgeons who wish to improve patient outcomes after APM should focus on improving patient selection rather than improving the surgical technique. Future research is needed to determine whether surgeon variability has an impact on longer-term patient outcomes.
Biased agonism of protease-activated receptor-1 regulates thromboinflammation in murine sickle cell disease
Authors: Ramadas Nirupama , Lowder Kailyn , Dutton Joshua , Trebak Fatima , Faes Camille , Griffin John H. , Pawlinski Rafal , Mosnier Laurent O. , Sparkenbaugh Erica
Published: April 2024

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy marked by hemolytic anemia and vaso-occlusive events (VOEs). Chronic endothelial activation, inflammation, and coagulation activation contribute to vascular congestion, VOEs, and end-organ damage. Coagulation proteases such as thrombin and activated protein C (APC) modulate inflammation and endothelial dysfunction by activating protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1), a G-protein–coupled receptor. Thrombin cleaves PAR1 at Arg41, while APC cleaves PAR1 at Arg46, initiating either proinflammatory or cytoprotective signaling, respectively, a signaling conundrum known as biased agonism. Our prior research established the role of thrombin and PAR1 in vascular stasis in an SCD mouse model. However, the role of APC and APC-biased PAR1 signaling in thrombin generation, inflammation, and endothelial activation in SCD remains unexplored. Inhibition of APC in SCD mice increased thrombin generation, inflammation, and endothelial activation during both steady state and tumor necrosis factor α challenge. To dissect the individual contributions of thrombin-PAR1 and APC-PAR1 signaling, we used transgenic mice with point mutations at 2 PAR1 cleavage sites, ArgR41Gln (R41Q) imparting insensitivity to thrombin and Arg46Gln (R46Q) imparting insensitivity to APC. Sickle bone marrow chimeras expressing PAR1-R41Q exhibited reduced thrombo-inflammatory responses compared with wild type PAR1 or PAR1-R46Q mice. These findings highlight the potential benefit of reducing thrombin-dependent PAR1 activation while preserving APC-PAR1 signaling in SCD thromboinflammation. These results also suggest that pharmacological strategies promoting biased PAR1 signaling could effectively mitigate vascular complications associated with SCD.
Cotargeting EBV lytic as well as latent cycle antigens increases T-cell potency against lymphoma
Authors: Sharma Sandhya , Mehta Naren U. , Sauer Tim , Rollins Lisa A. , Dittmer Dirk P. , Rooney Cliona M.
Published: April 2024

The remarkable efficacy of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T cells for the treatment of posttransplant lymphomas has not been reproduced for EBV-positive (EBV+) malignancies outside the transplant setting. This is because of, in part, the heterogeneous expression and poor immunogenicity of the viral antigens expressed, namely latent membrane proteins 1 and 2, EBV nuclear antigen 1, and BamHI A rightward reading frame 1 (type-2 [T2] latency). However, EBV lytic cycle proteins are also expressed in certain EBV+ malignancies and, because several EBV lytic cycle proteins are abundantly expressed, have oncogenic activity, and likely contribute to malignancy, we sought and identified viral lytic-cycle transcripts in EBV+ Hodgkin lymphoma biopsies. This provided the rationale for broadening the target antigen–specific repertoire of EBV-specific T cells (EBVSTs) for therapy. We stimulated, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors and patients with EBV+ lymphoma with both lytic and latent cycle proteins to produce broad repertoire (BR) EBVSTs. Compared with T2 antigen-specific EBVSTs, BR-EBVSTs more rapidly cleared autologous EBV+ tumors in NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice and produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines that should reactivate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment leading to epitope spreading. Our results confirm that lytic cycle antigens are clinically relevant targets for EBV+ lymphoma and underpin the rationale for integrating BR-EBVSTs as a therapeutic approach for relapsed/refractory EBV+ lymphoma (www.clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: #NCT01555892 and #NCT04664179), as well as for other EBV-associated malignancies.
Prevalence and factors associated with HIV testing among young women in Ghana
Authors: Essuman Mainprice Akuoko , Mohammed Hidaya , Kebir Martha Suntah , Obiribea Comfort , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku
Published: April 2024

Background

HIV/AIDS is a global health challenge and continues to threaten lives in sub-Saharan African countries such as Ghana. One of the important interventions for controlling its transmission is through testing and receiving medication. In this study, we present findings on the prevalence and factors associated with HIV testing among young women in Ghana.

Methods

We used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey comprising young women aged 15–24 years. We calculated the proportion of these young women who have ever been tested for HIV. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the determinants of HIV testing at a 95% confidence interval (CI), and adjusted odds ratio (aORs) and p-values were reported. All analyses were adjusted using survey weights to account for unequal sampling probabilities.

Results

The results showed that 31.4% (95% CI [29.63, 32.81]) of young women in Ghana had tested for HIV. The odds of HIV testing were likely to be higher among young women aged 20–24 (aOR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.75, 2.87]), those who were pregnant (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI [2.03, 4.95]) and those with one (aOR = 7.99, 95% CI [5.72, 11.17]), two (aOR = 10.43, 95% CI [6.47, 16.81]) or three or more children (aOR = 14.60, 95% CI [8.37, 25.48]) compared to their counterparts in the reference category. Women who had attained secondary education or higher (aOR = 2.66, 95% CI [1.67, 4.23]), were sexually active (aOR = 2.82, 95% CI [2.00, 3.97]), and in richer (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI [1.17, 3.34]) and richest wealth index (aOR = 1.99, 95% CI [1.10, 3.61]) were more likely to test for HIV than those with no formal education, who had not had sex before or in the poorest wealth index. Women from the Eastern (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.04,2.72]) and Upper East regions (aOR = 2.62, 95% CI [1.44, 4.75]) were more likely than those in the Western region to get tested for HIV. However, the odds of testing for HIV were lower among women belonging to other religions (aOR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.23,0.82]) than Christians.

Conclusion

The findings show that HIV testing is low among young women in Ghana. To address this issue, it is recommended that both government and non-governmental organizations collaborate to create effective programmes and strategies. These may include continuous health education, regular sensitization programs and making HIV testing services much more accessible and affordable, taking into consideration the sociodemographic characteristics of young women.
Virulence, antibiotic resistance phenotypes and molecular characterisation of Vibrio furnissii isolates from patients with diarrhoea
Authors: Zhou Yanyan , Yu Li , Liu Ming , Liang Weili , Li Zhenpeng , Nan Zheng , Kan Biao
Published: April 2024

Background

Vibrio furnissii is an emerging human pathogen closely related to V. fluvialis that causes acute gastroenteritis. V. furnissii infection has been reported to be rarer than V. fluvialis, but a multi-drug resistance plasmid has recently been discovered in V. furnissii.

Methods

During daily monitoring at a general hospital in Beijing, China, seven V. furnissii strains were collected from patients aged over 14 years who presented with acute diarrhoea between April and October 2018. Genome analysis and comparison were performed for virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, plasmids and transposon islands, together with phylogenetic analysis. Antimicrobial resistance to 19 antibiotics was investigated using the microbroth dilution method. Virulence phenotypes were investigated based on type VI secretion system (T6SS) expression and using a bacterial killing assay and a haemolysin assay.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed a closer relationship between V. furnissii and V. fluvialis than between other Vibrio spp. The seven V. furnissii isolates were in different monophyletic clades in the phylogenetic tree, suggesting that the seven cases of gastroenteritis were independent. High resistance to cefazolin, tetracycline and streptomycin was found in the V. furnissii isolates at respective rates of 100.0%, 57.1% and 42.9%, and intermediate resistance to ampicillin/sulbactam and imipenem was observed at respective rates of 85.7% and 85.7%. Of the tested strains, VFBJ02 was resistant to both imipenem and meropenem, while VFBJ01, VFBJ02, VFBJ05 and VFBJ07 were multi-drug resistant. Transposon islands containing antibiotic resistance genes were found on the multi-drug resistance plasmid in VFBJ05. Such transposon islands also occurred in VFBJ07 but were located on the chromosome. The virulence-related genes T6SS, vfh, hupO, vfp and ilpA were widespread in V. furnissii. The results of the virulence phenotype assays demonstrated that our isolated V. furnissii strains encoded an activated T6SS and grew in large colonies with strong beta-haemolysis on blood agar.

Conclusion

This study showed that diarrhoea associated with V. furnissii occurred sporadically and was more common than expected in the summer in Beijing, China. The antibiotic resistance of V. furnissii has unique characteristics compared with that of V. fluvialis. Fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins, such as ceftazidime and doxycycline, were effective at treating V. furnissii infection. Continua laboratory-based surveillance is needed for the prevention and control of V. furnissii infection, especially the dissemination of the antibiotic resistance genes in this pathogen.
Key informant views on potential acceptability and feasibility of long-acting antiretroviral treatment for HIV in Kenya
Authors: Kaggiah Anne , Maina Catherine N. , Kinuthia John , Barthold Douglas , Hauber Brett , Tran Jacinda , Simoni Jane M. , Graham Susan M.
Published: April 2024

Background

In 2020, 14% of diagnosed persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Kenya were not taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 19% of those on ART had unsuppressed viral loads. Long-acting antiretroviral therapy (LA-ART) may increase viral suppression by promoting ART uptake and adherence. We conducted key informant (KI) interviews with HIV experts in Kenya to identify product and delivery attributes related to the acceptability and feasibility of providing LA-ART to PLWH in Kenya.

Methods

Interviews were conducted via Zoom on potential LA-ART options including intra-muscular (IM) injections, subcutaneous (SC) injections, implants, and LA oral pills. KI were asked to discuss the products they were most and least excited about, as well as barriers and facilitators to LA-ART roll-out. In addition, they were asked about potential delivery locations for LA-ART products such as homes, pharmacies, and clinics. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and data were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive coding.

Results

Twelve KI (5 women, 7 men) participated between December 2021 and February 2022. Overall, participants reported that LA-ART would be acceptable and preferable to PLWH because of fatigue with daily oral pills. They viewed IM injections and LA oral pills as the most exciting options to ease pill burden and improve adherence. KI felt that populations who could benefit most were adolescents in boarding schools and stigmatized populations such as sex workers. SC injections and implants were less favored, as they would require new training initiatives for patients or healthcare workers on administration. In addition, SC injections would require refrigeration and needle disposal after use. Some KI thought patients, especially men, might worry that IM injections and implants would impact fertility, given their role in family planning. Pharmacies were perceived by most KI as suboptimal delivery locations; however, given ongoing work in Kenya to include pharmacies in antiretroviral delivery, they recommended asking patients their views.

Conclusion

There is interest and support for LA-ART in Kenya, especially IM injections and LA oral pills. Identifying patient preferences for modes and delivery locations and addressing misconceptions about specific products as they become available will be important before wide-scale implementation.
The relationship between cervical length and area measurements evaluated by MRI and the amount of hemorrhage in PAS cases
Authors: Yue Yongfei , Zhu Liping , Liu Chengfeng , Lu Yanli
Published: April 2024

Background

Placenta accreta spectrum often leads to massive hemorrhage and even maternal shock and death. This study aims to identify whether cervical length and cervical area measured by magnetic resonance imaging correlate with massive hemorrhage in patients with placenta accreta spectrum.

Methods

The study was conducted at our hospital, and 158 placenta previa patients with placenta accreta spectrum underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging examination were included. The cervical length and cervical area were measured and evaluated their ability to identify massive hemorrhage in patients with placenta accreta spectrum.

Results

The cervical length and area in patients with massive hemorrhage were both significantly smaller than those in patients without massive hemorrhage. The results of multivariate analysis show that cervical length and cervical area were significantly associated with massive hemorrhage. In all patients, a negative linear was found between cervical length and amount of blood loss (r =−0.613), and between cervical area and amount of blood loss (r =−0.629). Combined with cervical length and cervical area, the sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the curve for the predictive massive hemorrhage were 88.618%, 90.209%, and 0.890, respectively.

Conclusion

The cervical length and area might be used to recognize massive hemorrhage in placenta previa patients with placenta accreta spectrum.
The efficacy and safety of short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy and Cadonilimab for locally advanced rectal cancer: a protocol of a phase II study
Authors: Xu Tongzhen , Feng Lingling , Zhang Wenjue , Li Haoyue , Ma Huiying , Abulimiti Muyasha , Tan Yutong , Deng Feiyan , Huang Wenting , Zou Shuangmei , Kang Wenyan , Jiang Liming , Wang Ying , Hu Chen , Chen Yinggang , Zhou Haitao , Tang Yuan , Jin Jing
Published: April 2024

Background

For patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT), namely, intensifying preoperative treatment through the integration of radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy before surgery, was commonly recommended as the standard treatment. However, the risk of distant metastasis at 3 years remained higher than 20%, and the complete response (CR) rate was less than 30%. Several clinical trials had suggested a higher complete response rate when combining single-agent immunotherapy with short-course radiotherapy (SCRT). The CheckMate 142 study had shown encouraging outcomes of dual immunotherapy and seemingly comparable toxicity for CRC compared with single-agent immunotherapy in historical results. Therefore, dual immunotherapy might be more feasible in conjunction with the TNT paradigm of SCRT. We performed a phase II study to investigate whether the addition of a dual immune checkpoint inhibitor bispecific antibody, Cadonilimab, to SCRT combined with chemotherapy might further increase the clinical benefit and prognosis for LARC patients.

Methods

This single-arm, multicenter, prospective, phase II study included patients with pathologically confirmed cT3-T4N0 or cT2-4N + rectal adenocarcinoma with an ECOG performance score of 0 or 1. Bispecific antibody immunotherapy was added to SCRT combined with chemotherapy. Patients enrolled would be treated with SCRT (25 Gy in five fractions over 1 week) for the pelvic cavity, followed by 4 cycles of CAPOX or 6 cycles of mFOLFOX and Cadonilimab. The primary endpoint was the CR rate, which was the ratio of the pathological CR rate plus the clinical CR rate. The secondary endpoints included local–regional control, distant metastasis, disease-free survival, overall survival, toxicity profile, quality of life and functional outcome of the rectum. To detect an increase in the complete remission rate from 21.8% to 40% with 80% power, 50 patients were needed.

Discussion

This study would provide evidence on the efficacy and safety of SCRT plus bispecific antibody immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy for patients with LARC, which might be used as a candidate potential therapy in the future.

Trial registration

This phase II trial was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, under the identifier NCT05794750.
Comparison of photorefraction by Plusoptix A12 and cycloplegic autorefraction in children
Authors: Ghadimi Hadi , Nikdel Mojgan , Suh Donny W.
Published: April 2024

Background

Plusoptix photoscreeners are capable of measuring refractive errors of children from 1 meter distance, without cyloplegia. We aimed to compare refractive data obtained from the newest version of Plusoptix (model 12) with cycloplegic autorefraction.

Methods

We examined 111 consecutive children aged 3-7 years first by Plusoptix A12C under manifest condition and subsequently for cycloplegic refraction by Topcon KR-1 tabletop autorefractometer. Sphere, spherical equivalent, cylinder and axis of astigmatism measured by the two methods were analyzed to determine correlation, agreement and differences.

Results

Binocular examination of 111 children aged 4.86±1.27 years revealed good agreement between refractive data obtained by Plusoptix and cycloautorefraction, according to Bland-Altman plots. Significant (p < 0.001) and strong correlation was found between all refractive measurements (Pearson’s r value of 0.707 for sphere, 0.756 for pherical equivalent, and 0.863 for cylinder). Plusoptix mean sphere, spherical equivalent and cylinder were 1.22, 0.56, and -1.32 D, respectively. Corresponding values for cycloautorefraction were 1.63, 1.00, and -1.26 D. The difference between axis of cylinder measured by the two methods was < 10° in 144 eyes (64.9%).

Conclusions

Considering the significant agreement and correlation between Plusoptix photoscreener and cycloplegic autorefraction, the need for cycloplegic drops in refractive examination of children may be obviated. The mean difference between cylinder measurements are considerably trivial (0.06 D), but sphere is approximately 0.4 D underestimated by Plusoptix compared to cycloautorefraction, on average.
Engaging with immigrant students’ voices in the school environment: an analysis of policy documents through school websites
Authors: Välimäki Maritta , Hipp Kirsi , Acton Faye , Echsel Angelika , Grădinaru Ioan-Alexandru , Hahn-Laudenberg Katrin , Schulze Christina , Stefanek Elisabeth , Spiel Georg , O’Brien Niamh
Published: April 2024

Background

For students to feel happy and supported in school, it is important that their views are taken seriously and integrated into school policies. However, limited information is available how the voices of immigrant students are considered in European school contexts. This study generated evidence from written documents to ascertain how student voice practices are described at school websites.

Methods

Between 2 March and 8 April 2021, we reviewed the policy documents publicly available on school websites. The schools located in areas of high immigration in six European countries: Austria, England, Finland, Germany, Romania, and Switzerland. The READ approach was used to guide the steps in the document analysis in the context of policy studies (1) ready the materials, 2) data extraction, 3) data analysis, 4) distil the findings). A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches with descriptive statistics (n, %, Mean, SD, range) was used for analysis.

Results

A total of 412 documents (305 schools) were extracted. Based on reviewing school websites, reviewers’strongly agreed’ in seven documents (2%) that information related to seeking student voices could be easily found. On the contrary, in 247 documents (60%), reviewers strongly indicated that information related to seeking student voices was missing. No clear characteristics could be specified to identify those schools were hearing students’ voices is well documented. The most common documents including statements related to student voice were anti-bullying or violence prevention strategies (75/412) and mission statements (72/412).

Conclusions

Our document analysis based on publicly accessible school websites suggest that student voices are less frequently described in school written policy documents. Our findings provide a baseline to further monitor activities, not only at school level but also to any governmental and local authorities whose intention is to serve the public and openly share their values and practices with community members. A deeper understanding is further needed about how listening to student voices is realized in daily school practices.
The clinical effect of an electric massage chair on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients: randomized phase II cross-over trial
Authors: Kim Ju Won , Lim Ah Reum , Lee Ji Yoon , Lee June Young , Lee Soohyeon , Choi Yoon Ji , Kim Yeol Hong , Park Kyong Hwa
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a common adverse events in cancer patients and can negatively affect their quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of an electric massage chair (EMC) for the treatment of CINV.

Methods

A randomized phase II cross-over trial was conducted on solid cancer patients who received moderate (MEC) to high emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). The participants were randomly assigned to receive their first chemotherapy either on a standard bed (Group A) or in an EMC (Group B) during the infusion. The patients were then crossed over to the next cycle. CINV and QoL questionnaires were collected from the participants.

Results

A total of 59 patients completed the trial protocol and were included in the analysis, with 29 and 30 patients in Groups A and B, respectively. The mean INVR (Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching) score in the 2nd day of the first cycle was higher in Group B (3.63 ± 5.35) than Group A (2.76 ± 4.78), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5367). The complete response rate showed little difference between the groups. Among the high-emetic risk subgroups, patients who received HEC (p = 0.04595), younger patients (p = 0.0108), and non-colorectal cancer patients (p = 0.0495) presented significantly lower CINV scores when EMC was applied.

Conclusion

Overall, there was no significant difference in INVR scores between standard care and EMC. Applying EMC at the first chemotherapy infusion may help preserve QoL and reduce CINV in high-risk patients.

Trial registration

KCT0008200, 17/02/2023, Retrospectively registered.