bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of intracellular uptake of nanoparticle-encapsulated trehalose on the hemocompatibility of allogeneic valves in the VS83 vitrification protocol
Authors: Vasudevan Balamurugan , Chang Qing , Wang Bin , Huang Siyang , Sui Yulong , Zhu Wenjie , Fan Qing , Song Yisheng
Published: December 2020

Trehalose is a disaccharide molecule consisting of two molecules of glucose. Industrially, trehalose is derived from corn starch and utilized as a drug. This study aims to examine whether the integration of nanoparticle-encapsulated trehalose to the Ice-Free Cryopreservation (IFC) method for preserving heart valves has better cell viability, benefits to protect the extracellular matrix (ECM), and reduce immune response after storage. For the experiment to be carried out, we obtained materials, and the procedures were carried out in the following manner. The initial step was the preparation of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, followed by precipitation to acquire Apatite colloidal suspensions. Animals were obtained, and their tissue isolation and grouping were done ethically. All samples were then divided into four groups, Control group, Conventional Frozen Cryopreservation (CFC) group, IFC group, and IFC + T (IFC with the addition of 0.2 M nanoparticle-encapsulated Trehalose) group. Histological analysis was carried out via H&E staining, ECM components were stained with Modified Weigert staining, and the Gomori Ammonia method was used to stain reticular fibers. Alamar Blue assay was utilized to assess cell viability. Hemocompatibility was evaluated, and samples were processed for immunohistochemistry (TNFα and IL-10). Hemocompatibility was quantified using Terminal Complement Complex (TCC) and Neutrophil elastase (NE) as an indicator. The results of the H&E staining revealed less formation of extracellular ice crystals and intracellular vacuoles in the IFC + T group compared with all other groups. The CFC group’s cell viability showed better viability than the IFC group, but the highest viability was exhibited in the IFC + T group (70.96 ± 2.53, P < 0.0001, n = 6). In immunohistochemistry, TNFα levels were lowest in both IFC and IFC + T group, and IL-10 expression had significantly reduced in IFC and IFC + T group. The results suggested that the nanoparticle encapsulated trehalose did not show significant hemocompatibility issues on the cryopreserved heart valves.
Generating intrafusal skeletal muscle fibres in vitro: Current state of the art and future challenges
Authors: Barrett Philip , Quick Tom J , Mudera Vivek , Player Darren J
Published: December 2020

Intrafusal fibres are a specialised cell population in skeletal muscle, found within the muscle spindle. These fibres have a mechano-sensory capacity, forming part of the monosynaptic stretch-reflex arc, a key component responsible for proprioceptive function. Impairment of proprioception and associated dysfunction of the muscle spindle is linked with many neuromuscular diseases. Research to-date has largely been undertaken in vivo or using ex vivo preparations. These studies have provided a foundation for our understanding of muscle spindle physiology, however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms which underpin physiological changes are yet to be fully elucidated. Therefrom, the use of in vitro models has been proposed, whereby intrafusal fibres can be generated de novo. Although there has been progress, it is predominantly a developing and evolving area of research. This narrative review presents the current state of art in this area and proposes the direction of future work, with the aim of providing novel pre-clinical and clinical applications.
Minimal Effects, Maximum Panic: Social Media and Democracy in Latin America
Authors: Mitchelstein Eugenia , Matassi Mora , Boczkowski Pablo J.
Published: December 2020

In face of public discourses about the negative effects that social media might have on democracy in Latin America, this article provides a qualitative assessment of existing scholarship about the uses, actors, and effects of platforms for democratic life. Our findings suggest that, first, campaigning, collective action, and electronic government are the main political uses of platforms. Second, politicians and office holders, social movements, news producers, and citizens are the main actors who utilize them for political purposes. Third, there are two main positive effects of these platforms for the democratic process—enabling social engagement and information diffusion—and two main negative ones—the presence of disinformation, and the spread of extremism and hate speech. A common denominator across positive and negative effects is that platforms appear to have minimal effects that amplify pre-existing patterns rather than create them de novo.
The Field as a Black Box: Ethnographic Research in the Age of Platforms
Authors: Bonini Tiziano , Gandini Alessandro
Published: December 2020

This article aims to provide a detailed rendering of the struggles we experienced while undertaking ethnographic research for the study of music curators working at online music streaming platforms. Based on the field notes generated during a multi-sited ethnography, the article will critically discuss the “black boxing” strategies employed by these platforms in order to protect themselves from public scrutiny, and how media scholars can counteract in order to (partially) circumvent the restrictions posed by them. In light of this discussion, we propose five tactics that we argue can be employed in order to perform ethnographic research in the age of platforms. We conclude with a reflection on what we can learn from “failures in the field” and why it is important to advance ethnographic studies of the new places of cultural production.
The Influence of Excellence on Municipal Performance: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From the Czech Republic
Authors: Plaček Michal , Křápek Milan , Čadil Jan , Hamerníková Bojka
Published: December 2020

This article examines the impact of excellence-promoting policies on the actual performance of municipalities in the Czech Republic. In this analysis, the performance of municipalities that have received awards for the use of quality management tools is compared with a selected group of municipalities that did not receive awards. Data envelopment analysis (DEA; with constant and variable returns on the scale), free disposal hull (FDH), and Order-M methods were utilized to represent performance. For the actual performance comparison, a quasi-experimental design was used. The analysis of outputs using the difference impact method found that this specific public policy did not have a positive impact on the efficiency of municipalities. If the difference-in-differences method is used, the opposite is achieved. However, the technical efficiency gains are very small. The use of the quasi-experimental design along with the determination of inputs and outputs which are characteristic of the Czech Republic also offers a contribution when this method is being applied to the assessment of institutions in the form of local governments.
Remittance Inflows and Poverty Dynamics in South Africa: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Musakwa Mercy. T. , Odhiambo N. M.
Published: December 2020

In this study, we investigate the impact of remittance inflows on poverty reduction in South Africa, using time series data from 1980 to 2017. The main objective of this study is to establish whether South Africa can harness remittance inflows to alleviate poverty. Two poverty proxies, namely household consumption expenditure and infant mortality rate, are used in this study. To ensure robustness of the results, both income and non-income proxies of poverty are employed. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds approach, the study found that remittance has a negative impact on poverty in the short run and in the long run when household consumption expenditure is used as a proxy for poverty. However, when the infant mortality rate is used as a proxy, remittance is found to have no impact on poverty. It can be concluded that the impact of remittance on poverty is sensitive to the proxy used. The study concludes that South Africa could benefit immensely from some forms of remittances in its quest to poverty alleviation.
Effect of grain size of dental zirconia on shear bond strength of composite resin cement
Authors: Jeon JiHwan , Chung Shin Hye , Um Seung-Hoon , Rhee Sang-Hoon
Published: December 2020

The effect of grain size of dental zirconia on the shear bond strength of composite resin cement was newly studied. Disc-shaped dental zirconia with small (sample S) and large (sample L) grains were made by sintering of pre-sintered dental zirconia at 1450°C for 0.5 h and 40 h, respectively. After the sintering, the average grain size of sample S was 1.37 ± 0.15 µm, while that of sample L was 3.74 ± 0.50 µm. The sintered discs were successively polished with different grades of diamond and alumina slurries. The interfacial free energies were 63.5 ± 4.2 dyne/cm for sample S and 52.1 ± 5.5 dyne/cm for sample L. Stainless steel cylinders, previously sandblasted with 50 µm alumina powder, were bonded to the zirconia discs using composite resin cement. Next, samples were kept in an oven for 7 d at 36.5°C. The shear bond strength of sample S was 23.0 ± 4.5 MPa while that of sample L was 17.5 ± 4.6 MPa. After the fracture, the areal % values of composite resin cement remaining on the zirconia surfaces were 89.7 ± 5.9% for sample S and 61.6 ± 5.5% for sample L. The results suggest that grain size reduction has a potential to enhance the degree of bonding between a composite resin cement and a dental zirconia due to the increase of interfacial free energy.
Acute Respiratory Failure From Hypermagnesemia Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Sawalha Khalid , Kakkera Krishna
Published: December 2020

Electrolyte abnormalities are an underrecognized cause of respiratory failure in the intensive care unit. One such abnormality is a relatively rare phenomenon of hypermagnesemia resulting in paralysis. A 73-year-old Caucasian male patient presented to the emergency department with diffuse abdominal pain of 2-day duration. He received magnesium citrate and gastrointestinal cocktail for his constipation after initial imaging showed constipation. In view of acute worsening, follow-up computed tomography of the abdomen was done, which showed free air in upper abdomen along with free fluid. Hence, he was taken for emergent laparotomy with repair of pyloric ulcer perforation with omental patch. Post procedure course was complicated by sepsis, acute kidney injury, and respiratory failure with hypoxemia and hypercapnia. On physical examination the patient had flaccid paralysis in all his extremities along with absent brain stem reflexes. Extensive workup including imaging of brain failed to reveal diagnosis. On postoperative day 1, the patient was noted to have magnesium level of 9.2 mg/dL (1.6-2.3 mg/dL), which was thought to be cause of flaccid paralysis and respiratory failure. In view of his acute oliguric kidney injury, he was initiated on intermittent hemodialysis, until his magnesium levels were back to its physiologic limits. His paralysis gradually improved over next 48 to 72 hours and he was liberated from ventilator successfully.
What Are the Predictors of Poor Patient-Reported Outcomes After Shoulder Instability Surgery?
Authors:   Cleveland Clinic OME Sports Medicine, Bayomy Ahmad F. , Schickendantz Mark S. , Briskin Isaac N. , Farrow Lutul D. , Grobaty Lauren E. , Jones Morgan H. , McCoy Brett W. , Miniaci Anthony , Ricchetti Eric T. , Rosneck James T. , Sosic Elizabeth , Spindler Kurt P. , Stearns Kim L. , Strnad Greg J. , Williams James , Saluan Paul M.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Prospectively collected responses to Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) questions after shoulder instability surgery are limited. Responses to these outcome measures are imperative to understanding their clinical utility.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate which factors predict unfavorable patient-reported outcomes after shoulder instability surgery, including “no” to the PASS question. We hypothesized that poor outcomes would be associated with male adolescents, bone loss, combined labral tears, and articular cartilage injuries.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Patients aged ≥13 years undergoing shoulder instability surgery were included in point-of-care data collection at a single institution across 12 surgeons between 2015 and 2017. Patients with anterior-inferior labral tears were included, and those with previous ipsilateral shoulder surgery were excluded. Demographics, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores, and surgical findings were obtained at baseline. ASES and SANE scores, PASS responses, and early revision surgery rates were obtained at a minimum of 1 year after the surgical intervention. Regression analyses were performed.

Results:

A total of 234 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 176 completed follow-up responses (75.2%). Nonresponders had a younger age, greater frequency of glenoid bone loss, fewer combined tears, and more articular cartilage injuries ( P < .05). Responders’ mean age was 25.1 years, and 22.2% were female. Early revision surgery occurred in 3.4% of these patients, and 76.1% responded yes to the PASS question. A yes response correlated with a mean 25-point improvement in the ASES score and a 40-point improvement in the SANE score. On multivariate analysis, combined labral tears (anterior-inferior plus superior or posterior tears) were associated with greater odds of responding no to the PASS question, while both combined tears and injured capsules were associated with lower ASES and SANE scores ( P < .05). Sex, bone loss, and grade 3 to 4 articular cartilage injuries were not associated with variations on any patient-reported outcome measure.

Conclusion:

Patients largely approved of their symptom state at ≥1 year after shoulder instability surgery. A response of yes to the PASS question was given by 76.1% of patients and was correlated with clinically and statistically significant improvements in ASES and SANE scores. Combined labral tears and injured capsules were negative prognosticators across patient-reported outcome measures, whereas sex, bone loss, and cartilage injuries were not.
Hyperbilirubinemia in Preterm Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Ethiopia
Authors: Aynalem Sara , Abayneh Mahlet , Metaferia Gesit , Demissie Abayneh G. , Gidi Netsanet Workneh , Demtse Asrat G. , Berta Hailu , Worku Bogale , Nigussie Assaye K. , Mekasha Amha , Tazu Bonger Zelalem , McClure Elizabeth M. , Goldenberg Robert L. , Muhe Lulu M.
Published: December 2020

Background. Hyperbilirubinemia is prevalent and protracted in preterm infants. This study assessed the pattern of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants in Ethiopia. Methods. This study was part of multi-centered prospective, cross-sectional, observational study that determined causes of death among preterm infants. Jaundice was first identified based on clinical visual assessment. Venous blood was then sent for total and direct serum bilirubin level measurements. For this study, a total serum bilirubin level ≥5 mg/dL was taken as the cutoff point to diagnose hyperbilirubinemia. Based on the bilirubin level and clinical findings, the final diagnoses of hyperbilirubinemia and associated complications were made by the physician. Result. A total of 4919 preterm infants were enrolled into the overall study, and 3852 were admitted to one of the study’s newborn intensive care units. Of these, 1779 (46.2%) infants were diagnosed with hyperbilirubinemia. Ten of these (0.6%) developed acute bilirubin encephalopathy. The prevalence of hyperbilirubinemia was 66.7% among the infants who were less than 28 weeks of gestation who survived. Rh incompatibility ( P = .002), ABO incompatibility ( P = .0001), and sepsis ( P = .0001) were significantly associated with hyperbilirubinemia. Perinatal asphyxia ( P-value = 0.0001) was negatively associated with hyperbilirubinemia. Conclusion. The prevalence of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm babies admitted to neonatal care units in Ethiopia was high. The major risk factors associated with hyperbilirubinemia in preterm babies in this study were found to be ABO incompatibility, sepsis, and Rh isoimmunization.
Racial Disparities in COVID-19 and Excess Mortality in Minnesota
Authors: Wrigley-Field Elizabeth , Garcia Sarah , Leider Jonathon P. , Robertson Christopher , Wurtz Rebecca
Published: December 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced vastly disproportionate deaths for communities of color in the United States. Minnesota seemingly stands out as an exception to this national pattern, with white Minnesotans accounting for 80 percent of the population and 82 percent of COVID-19 deaths. The authors examine confirmed COVID-19 mortality alongside deaths indirectly attributable to the pandemic—“excess mortality”—in Minnesota. This analysis reveals profound racial disparities: age-adjusted excess mortality rates for whites are exceeded by a factor of 2.8 to 5.3 for all other racial groups, with the highest rates among Black, Latino, and Native Minnesotans. The seemingly small disparities in COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota reflect the interaction of three factors: the natural history of the disease, whose early toll was heavily concentrated in nursing homes; an exceptionally divergent age distribution in the state; and a greatly different proportion of excess mortality captured in confirmed COVID-19 rates for white Minnesotans compared with most other groups.
State-of-the-art methods and devices for generation, exposure, and collection of aerosols from e-vapor products
Authors: Boué Stéphanie , Goedertier Didier , Hoeng Julia , Iskandar Anita , Kuczaj Arkadiusz K , Marescotti Diego , Mathis Carole , May Anne , Phillips Blaine , Peitsch Manuel C , Schlage Walter K , Sciuscio Davide , Tan Wei Teck , Vanscheeuwijck Patrick
Published: December 2020

E-vapor products (EVP) have become popular alternatives for cigarette smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. EVP research is challenging and complex, mostly because of the numerous and rapidly evolving technologies and designs as well as the multiplicity of e-liquid flavors and solvents available on the market. There is an urgent need to standardize all stages of EVP assessment, from the production of a reference product to e-vapor generation methods and from physicochemical characterization methods to nonclinical and clinical exposure studies. The objective of this review is to provide a detailed description of selected experimental setups and methods for EVP aerosol generation and collection and exposure systems for their in vitro and in vivo assessment. The focus is on the specificities of the product that constitute challenges and require development of ad hoc assessment frameworks, equipment, and methods. In so doing, this review aims to support further studies, objective evaluation, comparison, and verification of existing evidence, and, ultimately, formulation of standardized methods for testing EVPs.
A Timeless Journey: Reflections on the Crafts Heritage of Pakistan
Authors: Bilgrami Noorjehan
Published: December 2020

Despite an immensely rich craft legacy that stretches back more than 7,000 years, Pakistan is losing many of its precious craft traditions to the modern world. As an artist, designer and educator, Noorjehan Bilgrami has spent the best part of five decades working with craftsmen in an effort to document, revive and sustain these traditions. The journey that began with a chance visit to an old block-printing workshop in her home town Karachi in the 1970s has since taken many turns. This article is a personal reflection of her experiences, including building local and international markets for Pakistani crafts, teaming up with a group of visionaries to establish one of Pakistan’s leading art and architecture schools and her interventions in public spaces. Her reflections provide an insight into the challenges and opportunities of championing Pakistan’s craft traditions and the urgent need to support them on a national scale.
Heritage Art with an Intent
Authors: Sabnani Nina , Buser Michael
Published: December 2020

A collaborative research project called JAL explored the role and potential for the arts to support water security activities in Rajasthan. The intent was to learn about some of the challenges facing people in rural Rajasthan and to draw on the region’s heritage toward arts-led research, practice and thinking to help address critical water issues. One project that emerged from the fieldwork took its inspiration from the murals of Shekhawati and the ancient phad (painted scroll with stories) storytelling tradition of Rajasthan. It involved local artists who painted a wall with water stories in the village Jhakhoda. The artists also painted a scroll that a local storyteller could use to share with other villages. This article offers a report of the mural project, its process and outcome and the insights gained from a close engagement with the community in the village. The experiences signal the rich potential of collaboration with communities and across disciplines, as well as the role of the arts and artists in engaging with and addressing critical global challenges, such as water security.
Pretreatment Brain Connectome Fingerprint Predicts Treatment Response in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Fan Siyan , Nemati Samaneh , Akiki Teddy J. , Roscoe Jeremy , Averill Christopher L. , Fouda Samar , Averill Lynnette A. , Abdallah Chadi G.
Published: December 2020

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) treatment is characterized by low remission rate and often involves weeks to months of treatment. Identification of pretreatment biomarkers of response may play a critical role in novel drug development, in enhanced prognostic predictions, and perhaps in providing more personalized medicine. Using a network restricted strength predictive modeling (NRS-PM) approach, the goal of the current study was to identify pretreatment functional connectome fingerprints (CFPs) that (1) predict symptom improvement regardless of treatment modality and (2) predict treatment specific improvement.

Methods

Functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral data from unmedicated patients with MDD (n = 200) were investigated. Participants were randomized to daily treatment of sertraline or placebo for 8 weeks. NRS-PM with 1000 iterations of 10 cross-validation were implemented to identify brain connectivity signatures that predict percent improvement in depression severity at week-8.

Results

The study identified a pretreatment CFP that significantly predicts symptom improvement independent of treatment modality but failed to identify a treatment specific CFP. Regardless of treatment modality, improved antidepressant response was predicted by high pretreatment connectivity between modules in the default mode network and the rest of the brain, but low external connectivity in the executive network. Moreover, high pretreatment internal nodal connectivity in the bilateral caudate predicted better response.

Conclusions

The identified CFP may contribute to drug development and ultimately to enhanced prognostic predictions. However, the results do not assist with providing personalized medicine, as pretreatment functional connectivity failed to predict treatment specific response.
Encountering suicide in primary healthcare rehabilitation: the experiences of physiotherapists
Authors: Lundin Åse , Bergenheim Anna
Published: December 2020

Background

Suicide is a serious public health issue and one of the most common causes of death globally. Suicide has long-lasting impact on personal, relational, community and societal levels. Research has shown that patients often seek help in the primary healthcare system preceding a suicide. Studies exploring the experiences of encountering patients at risk for suicide have been performed among various categories of healthcare personnel, such as nurses and psychiatry residents as well as emergency room staff. There is a lack of research regarding primary healthcare rehabilitation staff, despite the fact that physiotherapists are the third largest health profession in the Western hemisphere and often work with patients experiencing mental health symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of encountering patients at risk for suicide among physiotherapists working in a primary healthcare rehabilitation setting.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 physiotherapists working in primary healthcare rehabilitation clinics in the Gothenburg area, Sweden. The interviews were recorded on audio and transcribed into written text. A qualitative content analysis was performed on the material collected.

Results

The analysis of the material revealed an overarching theme, Through barriers and taboos – the physiotherapist finds a way, with five main categories: possibilities for identification, obstacles in meeting suicide, workplace environment matters, where does the patient belong? and education and experience are keys.

Conclusions

The present study indicates that physiotherapists in the primary healthcare system encounter patients experiencing suicidality, and they expressed a strong desire to care for both the physical and mental wellbeing of the patients. Despite reporting many barriers, the physiotherapists often found a way to form a meaningful therapeutic alliance with the patient and to ask about possible suicidality in their clinical practice. The result suggests that physiotherapists could play a larger role in working with patients experiencing suicidality in a primary healthcare setting and that they could be viewed as possible gatekeepers in identification as well as referral of these patients into other parts of the healthcare system.
Interstate disparities in the performances in combatting COVID-19 in India: efficiency estimates across states
Authors: Maity Shrabanti , Ghosh Nandini , Barlaskar Ummey Rummana
Published: December 2020

Background

Currently, the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic poses the greatest global health threat worldwide, and India is no exception. As an overpopulated developing country, it is very difficult to maintain social distancing to restrict the spread of the disease in India. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to examine India’s interstate performances to combat COVID-19.

This study aims to explore twin objectives: to investigate the comparative efficiency of Indian states to combat COVID-19 and to unfold the factors responsible for interstate disparities in the efficiency in combatting COVID-19.

Methods

The stochastic production frontier model was utilized for data analysis. The empirical analysis was facilitated by the inefficiency effects model, revealing the factors that influence interstate variability in disease management efficiency. Three types of variables, namely, output, inputs, and exogenous, were used to measure health system efficiency. The relevant variables were compiled from secondary sources. The recovery rate from COVID-19 was the output variable and health infrastructures were considered as the input variable. On the contrary, the non-health determinants considered to have a strong influence on the efficiency of states’ disease management, but could not be considered as input variables, were recognised as exogenous variables. These exogenous variables were specifically used for the inefficiency analysis.

Results

The empirical results demonstrated the existence of disparities across Indian states in the level of efficiency in combatting COVID-19. A non-trivial outcome of this study was that Tamil Nadu was the best performer and Manipur was the worst performer of the investigated states. Variables such as elderly people, sex ratio, literacy rate, population density, influenced the efficiency of states, and thus, affected the recovery rate.

Conclusion

This study argues for the efficient utilisation of the existing health infrastructures in India. Simultaneously, the study suggests improving the health infrastructure to achieve a long-run benefit.
Correction to: Role of non-coding RNA networks in leukemia progression, metastasis and drug resistance
Authors: Bhat Ajaz A. , Younes Salma N. , Raza Syed Shadab , Zarif Lubna , Nisar Sabah , Ahmed Ikhlak , Mir Rashid , Kumar Sachin , Sharawat Surender K. , Hashem Sheema , Elfaki Imadeldin , Kulinski Michal , Kuttikrishnan Shilpa , Prabhu Kirti S. , Khan Abdul Q. , Yadav Santosh K. , El-Rifai Wael , Zargar Mohammad A. , Zayed Hatem , Haris Mohammad , Uddin Shahab
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Correction to: Incidence of thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Boonyawat Kochawan , Chantrathammachart Pichika , Numthavaj Pawin , Nanthatanti Nithita , Phusanti Sithakom , Phuphuakrat Angsana , Niparuck Pimjai , Angchaisuksiri Pantep
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
French recommendations for the management of systemic necrotizing vasculitides (polyarteritis nodosa and ANCA-associated vasculitides)
Authors: Terrier Benjamin , Darbon Raphaël , Durel Cécile-Audrey , Hachulla Eric , Karras Alexandre , Maillard Hélène , Papo Thomas , Puechal Xavier , Pugnet Grégory , Quemeneur Thomas , Samson Maxime , Taille Camille , Guillevin Loïc ,   Collaborators, Audard Vincent , Aumaitre Olivier , Briot Karine , Cacoub Patrice , Cathebras Pascal , Chauveau Dominique , Chosidow Olivier , Chouchana Laurent , Cottin Vincent , Cornec Divi , Daugas Eric , Diot Elisabeth , Dupin Nicolas , Karoui Khalil El , Fain Olivier , Gobert Pierre , Guilpain Philippe , Hamidou Mohamed , Hummel Aurélie , Jachiet Marie , Jouneau Stéphane , Chiche Noémie Jourde , Landron Cédric , Le Jeunne Claire , Lega Jean-Christophe , Mariette Xavier , Morel Nathalie , Pagnoux Christian , Remy Philippe , Vandergheynst Frédéric
Published: December 2020

Systemic necrotizing vasculitis comprises a group of diseases resembling polyarteritis nodosa and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (ANCA): granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and microscopic polyangiitis. The definitive diagnosis is made in cooperation with a reference center for autoimmune diseases and rare systemic diseases or a competency center. The management goals are: to obtain remission and, in the long term, healing; to reduce the risk of relapses; to limit and reduce the sequelae linked to the disease; to limit the side effects and the sequelae linked to the treatments; to improve or at least maintain the best possible quality of life; and to maintain socio-professional integration and/or allow a rapid return to school and/or professional activity. Information and therapeutic education of the patients and those around them are an integral part of the care. All health professionals and patients should be informed of the existence of patient associations. The treatment of vasculitis is based on variable combinations of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, chosen and adapted according to the disease concerned, the severity and/or extent of the disease, and the underlying factors (age, kidney function, etc.). Follow-up clinical and paraclinical examinations must be carried out regularly to clarify the progression of the disease, detect and manage treatment failures and possible relapses early on, and limit sequelae and complications (early then late) related to the disease or treatment. A distinction is made between the induction therapy, lasting approximately 3–6 months and aimed at putting the disease into remission, and the maintenance treatment, lasting 12–48 months, or even longer. The role of the increase or testing positive again for ANCA as a predictor of a relapse, which has long been controversial, now seems to have greater consensus: Anti-myeloperoxidase ANCAs are less often associated with a relapse of vasculitis than anti-PR3 ANCA.
Epigenetic mechanisms shape the underlining expression regulatory mechanisms of the STAT3 in multiple sclerosis disease
Authors: Hosseini Arezoo , Babaloo Zohreh , Gharibi Tohid , Shomali Navid , Marofi Faroogh , Hashemi Vida , Ayromlou Hormoz , Asadi Milad , Rahmani Shima , Noorolyai Saeed , Shanehbandi Dariush , Baradaran Behzad
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Immunological tolerance is mediated by CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells. Studies have shown that thymic and peripheral generations of Treg cells depend on the CD28 signaling pathway. T helper 17 (Th17) cells are involved in the pathophysiology of various inflammatory diseases. Cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-6 and TGF-β, regulate the reciprocal development of Th17 and Treg cells. In CD4+ T cells, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) play a critical role in the induction of Th17 cell differentiation and inhibition of Treg cell development.

Results

In this study, we investigated the STAT3 methylation and gene expression status in patients with MS. Our study demonstrated that the level of STAT3 methylation decreased in relapsing–remitting MS patient compared to control groups, which the decreases were statistically significant. STAT3 gene expression increased in patient group relative to healthy one, and the increases were found to be statistically significant. According to our findings, it can be suggested that DNA hypermethylation of STAT3 affects the gene expression. In addition, there is a strong and significant negative correlation between the methylation status and mRNA level of STAT3.
Guidance for footbridge design: a new simplified method for the accurate evaluation of the structural response in serviceability conditions
Authors: Ramos-Moreno Caterina , Ruiz-Teran Ana M. , Stafford Peter J.
Published: December 2020

This paper proposes a simplified hand-calculation methodology that permits a fast response assessment (both in vertical and lateral direction) under different pedestrian scenarios. This simplified method has the same accuracy than that of very sophisticated numerical nonlinear finite element models including pedestrian inter-variability, interaction among pedestrians in flows, and pedestrian-structure interaction. The method can capture the effects of pedestrian loads in and out of resonance. This methodology is based on a new, and experimentally contrasted, stochastic pedestrian load model derived by the authors implementing a multi-disciplinary state-of-the-art research, and on a large set of sophisticated finite element analyses.There is a significant gap in the literature available for bridge designers. Some current codes do not indicate how the performance for serviceability limit-states should be assessed, in particular for lateral direction. Others define methods that are not based on the latest research in this field and that require the use of dynamic structural analysis software. A very sophisticated load model, such as that described above, and recently proposed by the authors, may not be accessible for most of the design offices, due to time and software constraints. However, an accurate assessment of the serviceability limit state of vibrations during the design stages is paramount. This paper aims to provide designers with an additional simple tool for both preliminary and detailed design for the most typical structural configurations.First, the paper presents the methodology, followed by an evaluation of the impact of its simplifications on the response appraisal. Second, the paper evaluates the validity of the methodology by comparing responses predicted by the method to those experimentally measured at real footbridges. Finally, the paper includes a parametric analysis defining the maximum accelerations expected from pedestrian streams crossing multiple footbridges. This parametric analysis considers different variables such as section type, structural material, span length and traffic-flow characteristics, and shows the sensitivity of the serviceability response to traffic-flow characteristics and span length in particular.
Characterization of an electrically conductive proppant for fracture diagnostics
Authors: Zhang Peng , Ozowe Williams , Russell Rodney T. , Sharma Mukul M.
Published: December 2020

Fracture diagnosis with electromagnetic (EM) and electrical tools requires proppants with high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. Lab measurements of the electrical and hydraulic conductivity of proppants are critical for selecting the best candidates. Such measurements greatly benefit simulations, field tests, and the ultimate application of such proppants in the field. To that end, a new lab protocol is developed for measuring the electrical and hydraulic conductivity of proppants. The lab setup, which mainly includes a resistivity core holder and a Hassler sleeve core holder, allows for simulation of realistic pressure and temperature conditions when making measurements. Petroleum coke (PC) is proposed as a candidate proppant because of its widespread availability and low cost. Lab measurements show that the effective electrical conductivity of pure PC in a model fracture is approximately 5000 S/m, under a closure stress greater than [Formula: see text] (4000 psi). When PC is mixed with sand, the effective electrical conductivity of the mixture decreases with an increasing weight percentage of sand. Although sand degrades the contact between PC particles, the electrical conductivity stays reasonably high (approximately 1700 S/m) when 50% sand is added. Hydraulic conductivity measurements show that when a fracture is propped with pure PC, the measured fracture conductivity is greater than [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) (dimensionless fracture conductivity greater than 100 for a shale with [Formula: see text] or 100 nD permeability) under a confining pressure of [Formula: see text] (6000 psi). This means that a fracture propped with PC is infinitely conductive in a typical shale formation. When sand is added, the fracture’s hydraulic conductivity becomes even higher, which clearly shows PC’s ability of sustaining high stresses. The proposed protocol provides a robust and effective method that can be generalized for lab testing for other candidate proppants. The data presented clearly show that PC has the potential for field-scale applications in EM hydraulic fracture diagnostics.
Sovereignty, Federation, and Constituent Power in Interwar India, ca. 1917–39
Authors: Purushotham Sunil
Published: December 2020

For nearly three decades prior to 1947 federation was the dominant and most plausible model for reforming Britain's Indian Empire. Federation offered a capacious framework for innovating upon the sovereign landscapes of empire, for imagining a wide array of nonnational futures, and for elaborating questions of rights and democracy. This essay examines official projects of federation in interwar India, efforts that culminated with the “Federation of India” envisioned by the 1935 Government of India Act. These projects sought to codify the Raj's uncodified, plural, and ambiguous imperial regime of sovereignty. As a result, the nearly six hundred “princely states” or “Indian States” had a major influence over the course of India's constitutional development. The 1935 Act inaugurated the most decisive phase in late colonial India's political and constitutional development by unleashing a competition over sovereignty in the subcontinent. It was in this context that a fully sovereign constituent assembly was adopted by the Indian National Congress as their fundamental demand. Federation played a decisive role in the development of republicanism in India.
Ending India's Naga Conflict
Authors: Baruah Sanjib
Published: December 2020

For quite some time now, there has been an effort to settle India's Naga conflict. Instead of ordering the developments in the conventional teleological narrative of a peace process, this article looks at certain facts on the ground created by the two-decades-old cease-fire and the negotiations that have gone on for almost as long. Dismantling these transitional structures will not be easy. This existing regime of “shared sovereignty”—to use a key phrase from the negotiations as a category of practice—is based on a form of informal partnership between state and nonstate armed entities. It serves to provide the kind of protection ideally suited for economic transactions associated with the so-called informal sector economy in the region. There are affinities between this emergent order and the indirect rule regime of the British colonial era.
Old Borderlands
Authors: Beverley Eric Lewis
Published: December 2020

Large zones of de facto political autonomy persist even as various state systems have endeavored to fix, rationalize, and secure external and internal borders. These spaces are products of long histories of uneven extension and exercise of state sovereignty in the subcontinent and much of Asia and Africa. Histories and legacies of borderland autonomy have important implications for contemporary sovereign practice in much of the world. This article examines the making, unmaking, and endurance of borderlands around Hyderabad in the eastern Deccan. It describes the region as an “old borderland,” from premodern frontier zone, to sovereign and autonomous state during the era of British imperial dominance, through its mid-twentieth-century reemergence as a site of state avoidance or resistance. Identifying the productive relationship among frictional environments, political sovereignty, and social and cultural dynamics, this article develops frameworks for historicizing borderland autonomy in South Asia and beyond.
The Sovereign's Brigands
Authors: Sartori Paolo
Published: December 2020

The essays in this collection, “Rethinking Sovereignty,” draw on the historiography of postcolonial studies to cast new ways of apprehending the semantic ambiguity of the idiom of power. By anatomizing the language of sovereignty derived from colonialism and statist nationalism, the editors of this special section advocate for a graded geography of political thought. They also gesture at the capaciousness of the historiographies of Asia to include various, particular, but no less historically significant manifestations of statehood. Sartori argues further that, by taking a more capacious view of records produced and preserved by the Uzbek khanates (roughly from the 1750s to the 1860s), an engagement with Central Asian history allows us to inscribe banditry into the complex, at times puzzling, texture of pre-Westphalian forms of sovereignty, and, in so doing, help us expand and fine-tune our analytical baggage when addressing forms of fragmented rule.
Engaging the Archival Habitat
Authors: Lee Rachel
Published: December 2020

Drawing on experiences of researching India's architectural history, this article explores the affect generated by architectural archives as a source of knowledge. It traces the affective life of the archives and practices of a singular historical figure: Otto Koenigsberger, the chief architect and town planner of the princely state Mysore, the architect of Jamshedpur (a.k.a. Tatanagar, the “Steel City,” India's first planned industrial town), the first director of housing of the federal government of India, cofounder and director of the Department of Tropical Studies of the Architectural Association in London, and architecture and planning consultant at-large to the United Nations. Arguing that the affective archive has disruptive historiographical potential, the article posits that it exists fundamentally beyond the architectural object and archival documents themselves, and indeed fully in discourse with its users. The article argues for a more expansive and inclusive understanding of what constitutes an archive, designating the “archival habitat” as a place of active scholarly engagement.
Enteric nervous system can regenerate in zebrafish larva via migration into the ablated area and proliferation of neural crest-derived cells
Authors: Ohno Maria , Nikaido Masataka , Horiuchi Natsumi , Kawakami Koichi , Hatta Kohei
Published: December 2020

Enteric nervous system (ENS) which is derived from neural crest is essential for gut function and its deficiency causes severe congenital diseases. Since capacity of ENS regeneration in mammals is limited, additional complimentary models would be useful. Here, we show that the ENS in zebrafish larva at 10-15 days post-fertilization is highly regenerative. The number of enteric neurons (ENs) recovered to ∼50% of the control by 10 days post-ablation (dpa) after their laser ablation. Using transgenic lines in which enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCDCs) and ENs are labeled with fluorescent proteins, we live-imaged the regeneration process, and found covering by neurites extended from the unablated area and entry of ENCDCs in the ablated areas by 1-3 dpa. BrdU assay suggested that ∼80% of the ENs and ∼90% of the Sox10-positive ENCDCs therein at 7dpa are generated through proliferation. Thus the ENS regeneration involves proliferation, entrance and neurogenesis of ENCDCs. This is the first report regarding the regeneration process of the zebrafish ENS; our findings provide a basis for further in vivo research at single-cell resolution in the vertebrate.
Mistargeting of secretory cargo in retromer-deficient cells
Authors: Neuman Sarah D. , Terry Erica L. , Selegue Jane E. , Cavanagh Amy T. , Bashirullah Arash
Published: December 2020

Intracellular trafficking is a basic and essential cellular function required for delivery of proteins to the appropriate subcellular destination; this process is especially demanding in professional secretory cells, which synthesize and secrete massive quantities of cargo proteins via regulated exocytosis. The Drosophila larval salivary glands are composed of professional secretory cells that synthesize and secrete mucin proteins at the onset of metamorphosis. Using the larval salivary glands as a model system, we have identified a role for the highly conserved retromer complex in trafficking of secretory granule membrane proteins. We demonstrate that retromer-dependent trafficking via endosomal tubules is induced at the onset of secretory granule biogenesis, and that recycling via endosomal tubules is required for delivery of essential secretory granule membrane proteins to nascent granules. Without retromer function, nascent granules do not contain the proper membrane proteins; as a result, cargo from these defective granules is mistargeted to Rab7-positive endosomes, where it progressively accumulates to generate dramatically enlarged endosomes. Retromer complex dysfunction is strongly associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, characterized by accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ). We show that ectopically expressed amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes regulated exocytosis in salivary glands and accumulates within enlarged endosomes in retromer-deficient cells. These results highlight recycling of secretory granule membrane proteins as a critical step during secretory granule maturation and provide new insights into our understanding of retromer complex function in secretory cells. These findings also suggest that missorting of secretory cargo, including APP, may contribute to the progressive nature of neurodegenerative disease.
The Impacts of DNS Protocol Security Weaknesses
Authors:   University of Librarian Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia, 1784, Bulgaria, Dimitrov Willian A. , Panayotova Galina S.
Published: December 2020

Global DNS infrastructure is a major component for the services exposed in the internet. The purpose of the study is understanding the cyber security status of DNS ecosystem. As part of the research, a statistical analysis based on vulnerability repositories has been created to provide a view toward the level of DNS security in general. It can help organizations to understand, assess and mitigate DNS risks. It's made short review of most used attacks against DNS and mitigation: amplification, reflection, floods, DNS exploits, and analysis for the DNS security incidents trend. The statistics implicitly reflect the degree of adoption of new DNS security standards and technologies.