bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Familial Hypercholesterolemia-Risk-Score: A New Score Predicting Cardiovascular Events and Cardiovascular Mortality in Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Paquette Martine , Bernard Sophie , Cariou Bertrand , Hegele Robert A. , Genest Jacques , Trinder Mark , Brunham Liam R. , Béliard Sophie , Baass Alexis
Published: August 2021

Objective:

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with a high risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, this risk is highly heterogeneous and current risk prediction algorithms for FH suffer from limitations. The primary objective of this study was to develop a score predicting incident ASCVD events over 10 years in a large multinational FH cohort. The secondary objective was to investigate the prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events and cardiovascular mortality using this score.

Approach and Results:

We prospectively followed 3881 patients with adult heterozygous FH with no prior history of ASCVD (32 361 person-years of follow-up) from 5 registries in Europe and North America. The FH-Risk-Score incorporates 7 clinical variables: sex, age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) with a Harrell C-index for 10-year ASCVD event of 0.75, which was superior to the SAFEHEART-RE (Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cohort; 0.69). Subjects with an elevated FH-Risk-Score had decreases in 10-year ASCVD-free survival, 10-year major adverse cardiovascular event-free survival, and 30-year survival for CV mortality compared with the low-risk group, with hazard ratios of 5.52 (3.94–7.73), 4.64 (2.66–8.11), and 10.73 (2.51–45.79), respectively. The FH-Risk-Score showed a similar performance in subjects with and without an FH-causing mutation.

Conclusions:

The FH-Risk-Score is a stronger predictor of future ASCVD than the SAFEHEART-RE and was developed in FH subjects with no prior cardiovascular event. Furthermore, the FH-Risk-Score is the first score to predict CV death and could offer personalized cardiovascular risk assessment and treatment for patients with FH. Future studies are required to validate the FH-Risk-Score in different ethnic groups.
La révolution des disciplines. La rupture entre histoire et géographie en Allemagne
Authors: Hoock Jochen
Published: August 2021

Resume

Entre fin du XVIIIe et début du XIXe siècle, moment de crise, s’opère dans l’espace germanique une recomposition du champ du savoir et une rupture épistémologique entre deux disciplines jusque-là proches, l’histoire et la géographie. Kant est le premier à formuler leur polarité en la fondant sur la notion de progrès. Les frères Humboldt, l’un historien, l’autre géographe, témoignent de cette autonomisation de l’historiographie et de la géographie modernes. L’affirmation des structures traditionnelles des deux disciplines sera au XXe siècle la réponse aux errements du temps du nazisme et expliquera la forme prise, dans l’Allemagne des années soixante à quatre-vingt-dix, par les débats sur les analyses croisées en termes spatio-temporels.
Time for the Gloves to Come Off?: The Response by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to Rule of Law Backsliding
Authors: Donald Alice , Speck Anne-Katrin
Published: August 2021

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has limited tools to respond to rule of law backsliding by member states. Sanctions have never been used for this purpose, and the Assembly’s monitoring procedure—the most significant tool of scrutiny—presents a mixed picture. This article focuses on four states exhibiting severe rule of law backsliding: Hungary, which has evaded the procedure; Poland, which was placed under monitoring in 2020; Turkey, which in 2017 became the first state to have monitoring reopened; and Azerbaijan, which has been under monitoring since 2001. Through a first-ever analysis of debates, voting patterns, and tactics used in the Assembly, the article elucidates how proponents and opponents of monitoring have framed their arguments in the battleground of ideas about democracy and the rule of law in Europe. It concludes that the Assembly should fundamentally reappraise monitoring—and the possible use of sanctions—to meet the severity of the challenge.
Isolation, Culture and Identification of Bovine Skeletal Stem Cells
Authors: Lai Junhui , Yang Qin , Liang Ruining , Guan Weijun , Li Xiuxia
Published: August 2021

The growth plate is essential in long bone formation and contains a wealth of skeletal stem cells (SSCs). Though the origin and the mechanism for SSCs generation remain uncertain, recent studies demonstrate the transition from cartilage to bone that in the lineage for bone development.
SSCs possesses the ability to differentiate into bone and cartilage in vitro. In this research, we aimed to isolate and culture the skeletal stem cells from bovine cattle and then studied its biological characterization. The results showed that these bovine SSCs are positive for PDPN+CD73+CD164+CD90+CD44+
cell surface bio-markers, they are capable of self-renewal and differentiation. Our dates proved that SSCs exists in bovine’s long bone.
Mechanism of Action of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Combination with miR-36b Therapy in Cellular Repair of Septic Lung Injury
Authors: Xie Hui , Xu Zhe , Cai Binbin , Weng Jie , Qi Yanhong
Published: August 2021

Our study aims to assess the role of BMSCs (MSCs) transplantation in combination with miR-36b in the repair of septic lung injury. MSCs were cultured by the paste-wall method and characterized. MSCs combined with miR-36b medium were added to lung-injured cells for 14 days followed by
analysis of cell viability by CCK-8 assay, GLUT3 expression and apoptosis by western blot. After 1 and 3 days of growth of MSCs progeny under electron microscopy, the MSCs showed long shuttle-shaped morphology. MSCs in combination with miR-36b resulted in enhanced proliferative capacity of
lung-injured cells and enhanced protein expression of GLUT3. CCK-8 assay showed increased viability of lung-injured cells and elevated protein and mRNA expression of GLUT3. Meanwhile, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was significantly down-regulated. In conclusion, MSCs in combination
with miR-36b therapy may ameliorate lung injury by promoting lung cell proliferation through inhibition of apoptotic pathway.
Sodium Hyaluronate Combined with Jintiange on Knee Joint Function After Arthroscopy for Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Yang Qi’ning , Li Xiaofei , Wang Tianbao , Gao Siqi , Cai Pengfei , Wang Jinhua , Shi Tiejun , Fu Weicong , Zhou Yongwei
Published: August 2021

Objective: To explore the effects of sodium hyaluronate combined with Jintiange on knee joint function after arthroscopic debridement. Methods: Totally 122 knee osteoarthritis patients underwent arthroscopic debridement were randomized into control and experimental groups.
The interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α serum levels were tested via Elisa before and after treatment. The Lysholm knee joint function score, effective rate of treatment, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α
expression, visual analogue scale of pain, incidence of adverse reactions and patient satisfaction were compared. Results: Compared with the control group, the effective rate of treatment and the score of Lysholm knee joint function in the other were higher (both P <0.001),
and the serum interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α expression and visual analogue scale score were lower (all P <0.001). The incidence of adverse reactions revealed no marked difference (P >0.05), but the satisfaction scores of
the experimental group were higher (P <0.01). Conclusion: sodium hyaluronate combined with Jintiange is helpful for knee joint function recovery after arthroscopic knee osteoarthritis, which effectively decreases the level of inflammatory factors and increase patients’
satisfaction.
Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSCs) Inhibit Retinal Ganglion Cell Apoptosis and Alleviate Inflammation Through Up-Regulation of MicroRNA-43 and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Glaucoma
Authors: Ji Xiang , Zhou Kai-Wen
Published: August 2021

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss mainly due to retinal ganglion cells (RGC) loss. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highlighted as potential biomarkers in diseases. This study aims to investigate the role of miR-43 and BMSCs in the RGC apoptosis and glaucoma.RGCs were transfected with
miR-43 inhibitors and mimics, and then co-cultured with BMSCs. RT-qPCR analysis was conducted to determine miR-43 expression, whilst Western blot, and flow cytometry were carried out to assess the role of miR-43 in apoptosis and inflammation. The interaction between miR-43 and BDNF, a neurotrophic
factor, was detected by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Overexpression of miR-43 promoted RGC proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-43 overexpression diminished the contents of apoptosis- and inflammatory-related factors, and elevated the expression of BDNF. Down-regulation
of BDNF exerted similar effect as down-regulation of miR-43, enhancing apoptosis and aggravating inflammation. Importantly, BMSC treatment reversed the in vitro inhibitory effect of si-BDNF on RGC with enhancement of miR-43 expression. Mechanically, miR-43 was indicated to target BDNF
in glaucoma. Collectively, miR-43 delivered by BMSCs plays an important role in the inflammatory injury and abnormal apoptosis of RGC by regulating the expression of BDNF. These findings might help development of new treatment for glaucoma and provide a promising biomarker for diagnosis and
treatment.
The Expression and Significance of Matrix Metalloproteinase, Wnt5a and β-Catenin in Placental Tissue of Preeclampsia
Authors: Zhang Hui , Chen Wei , Chen Shenmiao , Wang Junrong , Mao Shunfen
Published: August 2021

In order to investigate the expression and clinical significance of MMPs (Matrix Metalloproteinase) (MPP-2 and MPP-9), Wnt5a as well as β-catenin in placental tissues of preeclampsia (PE) patients, 36 PE patients (PE group) and 25 pregnant women (control group) with normal
pregnancy were selected for cesarean delivery. The expression and localization of MPP-2, MPP-9, Wnt5a as well as β-catenin proteins in placental tissue were detected by Western blot method and immunohistochemistry method. The correlation between the poor prognosis of mother and
child and the expression level of MMPs, Wnt5a as well as β-catenin is analyzed. The results showed that Western blot results showed that MPP-2, MPP-9, Wnt5a as well as β-catenin proteins were expressed in placental tissue, and the expression level of them of placental
tissue in PE group was significantly lower than that in control group (P < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry showed that MMPs, Wnt5a, as well as β-catenin proteins were expressed in the cytotrophoblast cell (CTB) and syncytiotrophoblast cell (STB) of placental tissue, among
which Wnt5a proteins as well as β-catenin proteins were mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of STB and CTB respectively. MMPs proteins were mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of these two types of cells. Low expression of MPPs, Wnt5a, β-catenin proteins may be related
to blood pressure as well as 24 h urine protein of pregnant women at admission. In conclusion, Low expression of MPPs, Wnt5a, β-catenin proteins may be involved in the PE pathogenesis.
State of the Climate in 2020
Authors: Blunden J. , Boyer T.
Published: August 2021

Editors note: For easy download the posted pdf of the State of the Climate in 2020 is a very low-resolution file. A high-resolution copy of the report is available by clicking here. Please be patient as it may take a few minutes for the high-resolution file to download.
A Closure for the Virtual Origin of Turbulent Plumes
Authors: Tarshish Nathaniel , Romps David M.
Published: August 2021

An isolated source of surface buoyancy, be it a campfire or burning city, gives rise to a turbulent plume. Well above the surface, the plume properties asymptote to the well-known solutions of Morton, Taylor, and Turner (MTT), but a closure is still lacking for the virtual origin. A closure for the virtual origin is sought here in the case of a turbulent plume sustained by a circular source of surface buoyancy in an unstratified and unsheared fluid. In the high-Reynolds-number limit, it is argued that all such plumes asymptote to a single solution. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of this solution exhibits a virtual origin located a distance below the surface equal to 1.1 times the radius of the buoyancy source. This solution is compared to the previously used assumption that the MTT plume is fully spun up at the surface, and that assumption is found to give buoyancies that are off by an order of magnitude. With regards to the citywide firestorm triggered by the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, it is found that the spun-up-at-surface MTT solution would have trapped radioactive soot within about a hundred meters of the surface, whereas the DNS solution presented here corroborates observations of the plume reaching well into the troposphere.
Understanding the Basin Asymmetry in Surface Response to Sudden Stratospheric Warmings from an Ocean–Atmosphere Coupled Perspective
Authors: Dai Ying , Hitchcock Peter
Published: August 2021

The canonical tropospheric response to a weakening of the stratospheric vortex—an equatorward shift of the eddy-driven jet—is mostly limited to the North Atlantic following sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). A coherent change in the Pacific eddy-driven jet is notably absent. Why is this so? Using daily reanalysis data, we show that air–sea interactions over the North Pacific are responsible for the basin-asymmetric response to SSWs. Prior to the onset of some SSWs, their tropospheric precursors produce a dipolar SST pattern in the North Pacific, which then persists as the stratospheric polar vortex breaks down following the onset of the SSW. By reinforcing the lower-tropospheric baroclinicity, the dipolar SST pattern helps sustain the generation of baroclinic eddies, strengthening the near-surface Pacific eddy-driven jet and maintaining its near-climatological-mean state. This prevents the jet from being perturbed by the downward influence of the stratospheric anomalies. As a result, these SSWs exhibit a highly basin-asymmetric surface response with only the Atlantic eddy-driven jet shifted equatorward. For SSWs occurring without the atmospheric precursors in the North Pacific troposphere, the dipolar SST pattern is absent due to the lack of the atmospheric forcing. In the absence of the dipolar SST pattern and the resultant eddy–mean flow feedbacks, these SSWs exhibit a basin-symmetric surface response with both the Atlantic and the Pacific eddy-driven jets shifted equatorward. Our results provide an ocean–atmosphere coupled perspective on stratosphere–troposphere interaction following SSW events and have potential for improving subseasonal to seasonal forecasts for surface weather and climate.
Comparison between dynamic and static sensitivity analysis approaches for impact assessment of different potential evapotranspiration methods on hydrological models performance
Authors: Nonki Rodric Mérimé , Lenouo André , Lennard Christopher J. , Tshimanga Raphael M. , Tchawoua Clément
Published: August 2021

Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) plays a crucial role in water management, including irrigation systems design and management. It is an essential input to hydrological models. Direct measurement of PET is difficult, time-consuming and costly, therefore a number of different methods are used to compute this variable. This study compares the two sensitivity analysis approaches generally used for PET impact assessment on hydrological model performance. We conducted the study in the Upper Benue River Basin (UBRB) located in northern Cameroon using two lumped-conceptual rainfall-runoff models and nineteen PET estimation methods. A Monte-Carlo procedure was implemented to calibrate the hydrological models for each PET input while considering similar objective functions. Although there were notable differences between PET estimation methods, the hydrological models performance was satisfactory for each PET input in the calibration and validation periods. The optimized model parameters were significantly affected by the PET-inputs, especially the parameter responsible to transform PET into actual ET. The hydrological models performance was insensitive to the PET input using a dynamic sensitivity approach, while he was significantly affected using a static sensitivity approach. This means that the over-or under-estimation of PET is compensated by the model parameters during the model recalibration. The model performance was insensitive to the rescaling PET input for both dynamic and static sensitivities approaches. These results demonstrate that the effect of PET input to model performance is necessarily dependent on the sensitivity analysis approach used and suggest that the dynamic approach is more effective for hydrological modeling perspectives.
The Gift of Tears: Weeping in the Religious Imagination of Western Medieval Christianity
Authors: Gutgsell Jessie
Published: August 2021

This article explores the role of weeping in medieval practices of piety by performing a close reading of three medieval texts: Walter Hilton's The Ladder of Perfection, Catherine of Siena's Dialogue, and Margery Kempe's Book of Margery Kempe. Hilton emphasized the role of weeping in the journey to a contemplative life while Catherine focused on the typology of tears; both affirmed genuine tears as a method to communicate with the divine. Margery Kempe, known for her strong emotions, often aligned with Hilton's and Catherine's views but sometimes differed, especially with her attitudes about crying in public. Even as weeping and the church became more ritualized and formalized over time, the practice remained active in the religious imaginations of people. The paper concludes by suggesting that weeping as part of pious practices continued, though changed, through the writings of more contemporary Anglicans like Jeremy Taylor and Charles Wesley, as well as in the Pentecostal tradition.
Is Plutocracy Sinful?
Authors: Jenkins Willis
Published: August 2021

Confronting extreme inequality requires disrupting the ways that cultures legitimate concentrations of wealth and curtailing the political advantages that wealth confers. Can theology do that? Belief-centered critiques of capitalism as sinful largely fail; however, certain forms of practical economic dissent, when undertaken as spiritual practices, can corrode the interior disciplines of plutocratic culture.
Closing the Gap: A Social Imaginary for the Common Good
Authors: Bader-Saye Scott
Published: August 2021

Wealth inequality is increasingly recognized as a culprit for stagnant economic demand, political marginalization, civic division, and a lack of social well-being. Solutions, however, have been hard to come by, because the current economic order maintains a veneer of inevitability. The modern social imaginary legitimizes the free market and justifies its inequitable consequences as an unavoidable but temporary byproduct of economic development. This essay seeks to provide a theological response in four parts: first, a challenge to the fairy tale of the self-regulating economy; second, a critique of the anthropological assumptions beneath current economic practice; third, an examination of the nature of ownership and the sin of excess; and fourth, an analysis of value and the good. It concludes with a proposal for alternative policies and practices to strengthen the church's witness and nurture the common good.
Mothering Souls: A Vocation of Intercession
Authors: McCray Donyelle Charlotte
Published: August 2021

Intercession can constitute the heart of one's prayer life and even become a defining mark of one's vocation. Such is the case for the “church mother,” a distinct role held by esteemed elderly lay-women in African American congregations. This article consists of an introduction to the church mother's vocation. The piece begins with an examination of the roots of the role in American slavery and follows with an exploration of the ways race, gender, and advancing age shape the church mother's unique form of spiritual authority. I examine two key qualifications for the role: divine call and longevity in the parish. Then, I delve into the church mother's robust understanding of prayer and explain how theodicy and hope fuel her intercessions. The article closes with a brief profile of a beloved Episcopal church mother from the twentieth century, Mattie Hopkins.
African American Quilting and the Art of Being Human: Theological Aesthetics and Womanist Theological Anthropology
Authors: Moore Jeania Ree V.
Published: August 2021

In her collection In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose (1983), Alice Walker explores how African American women preserved and passed down a heritage of creativity and beauty in spite of brutality. I argue in this essay that African American quilting forms a revelatory subject for the womanist project taken up by theologians. As both symbol for and implementation of the creative practice Walker heralds, quilting unearths aesthetics as vital to being human. Theologically rendered, quilting unfolds theological aesthetics for and with womanist theological anthropology. Theologically engaging historical, literary, and personal narrative, I show how womanism and quilting enrich theological conceptions of aesthetics and personhood.
Jesus’ Table Fellowship, Baptism, and the Eucharist
Authors: Strout Shawn
Published: August 2021

The practice of communion without baptism has become more prevalent within the Episcopal Church. Proponents of this practice use scripture extensively in their argument for a change in the traditional Ordo, which maintains an indissoluble bond between baptism and the eucharist. They claim that the narratives of Jesus’ table fellowship support the practice of communion without baptism. In this essay, I will critique the use of scriptural references to Jesus’ table fellowship in support of communion without baptism by considering their canonical context. First, I will explain how the canonical context of those scriptural passages actually argues in favor of the traditional Ordo rather than for a change to it. Then, I will provide an example of how canonical context intensifies the radical hospitality called for by proponents of communion without baptism by means of the traditional Ordo rather than a change to it.
The Fractured Body: The Eucharist and Anglican Division
Authors: Schlesinger Eugene R.
Published: August 2021

This article confronts the ongoing reality of intra-Anglican divisions, both in North America and within the broader Anglican Communion. Beginning with a treatment of Augustine of Hippo's doctrine of the totus Christus, I suggest that the proper criterion for ecclesial communion is the recognition of one another as members of Christ, rather than doctrinal or ethical teachings. I then supplement this criterion with a definition of ecclesial unity drawn from Ephraim Radner. The church's unity is not a unity of consensus, but a unity that embraces even one's enemies. Finally, I propose a reading of the eucharistic fraction rite that synthesizes its twin dimensions of sacrifice and communion. This understanding of the rite opens up the imaginative space for an emergence of the will to reunion.
Context, Craft, and Kerygma: Two Thousand Years of Great Sermons
Authors: McPherson Clair W.
Published: August 2021

Many people are generous in their praise and gratitude for a good sermon. But as many a deacon, priest, or bishop will agree, one of the clearest signs of a sermon that has affected someone deeply is when that sermon is remembered. The words “I've been thinking about that sermon you preached last month on …”, or something similar, are therefore even more welcome than “thank you for that great sermon today!” This article considers sermons that meet this criterion: most have been remembered for centuries. They are clear, striking, and thoughtful, in many different ways, and they were (as we shall see) relevant in their own eras, yet are still relevant today. In the words of the Book of Common Prayer, every one of these sermons “proclaims the Gospel … and [speaks] the truth.”
Unapologetic Apologetics: The Essence of Black Anglican Preaching
Authors: Lewis Harold T.
Published: August 2021

In his 1892 sermon preached at the centennial celebration of St. Thomas Church, Philadelphia, the Rt. Rev. Henry Codman Potter, bishop of New York, declared, “I do not think it would have been very strange if the colored race, after it had been freed, should have refused to follow the white people's God. It shows a higher order of intelligence and an acute discernment in the African race to have distinguished the good from the evil, in a religion that taught all men were brothers, and practiced the opposite.” In this brief homiletical observation, Bishop Potter captured the perennial challenge of the Afro-Anglican preacher, who, despite experience to the contrary, must demonstrate that the catholic and incarnational truths of the gospel are no less demonstrable in the lives of people of color. This article maintains that this is accomplished both apologetically, in the classical sense of its being argued on the basis of biblical and theological truths, yet unapologetically, in the colloquial sense of being straightforward and without apology, as in the homiletic offerings of such preachers as Demond Tutu, Walter Dennis, and Kelly Brown Douglas.
Unseeing the Body with Bodies on the Move: An Epistemology for Bodies through Certeau and Holy Week Processions
Authors: Belcher Jodi L. A.
Published: August 2021

The twentieth-century philosophical and theological turn to the body challenged modern Western conceptions of bodies as closed, independent entities, but it has not halted the objectifying epistemology that produces this understanding of bodies. To reform the perceptual lens that renders bodies into objects, this article develops an alternative epistemology grounded in participatory interaction in lived space. I bring Michel de Certeau's discussion of the practice of walking the city into conversation with my ethnographic study of Lent and Easter at an Episcopal church in the American South. I argue that Certeau's construal of walking as a way of unseeing the city from a voyeur's perspective also generates a way of unseeing the body as a closed, independent object. I apply Certeau's work to my case study of Holy Week processions to show that an epistemology of unseeing enables a perception of bodies as journeys to emerge.
Making Sense of Atonement: What Kind of Sense?
Authors: Crysdale Cynthia S. W.
Published: August 2021

Scholars in recent decades have attempted to rethink a theology of the atonement in light of feminist and pacifist critiques. This article addresses, not the substance of atonement, but the question of whether and how the work of Christ does or does not make sense. I take the position that it does make sense as long as we qualify what kind of “sense” we are talking about. By developing a section of Bernard Lonergan's 1958 address entitled “The Redemption,” I examine different aspects of the intelligibility that we can ascribe to a robust theology of atonement. In this way we can avoid some of the graver misunderstandings and pastoral misuses of the gospel message of redemption.
Brief Introductions to Anglican Theology: Theological Method: Theological Methodology and the Jesus Movement through the Work of F. D. Maurice and Vida Scudder
Authors: Douglas Kelly Brown
Published: August 2021

The twenty-seventh Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, has called the church over which he presides to become a part of the Jesus Movement. This call raised eyebrows for some, who feared a turn toward a Protestant evangelical tradition reflected in the legacy of people like the eighteenth-century Anglican evangelist George Whitefield. Because the evangelical tradition emphasizes individual salvation, it easily lends itself to a lack of engagement in social justice issues. But this was not the intention of the Presiding Bishop, who urges the church toward the “beloved community.” This essay will examine The Episcopal Church's history of engagement with social justice in light of the theological methodology of F. D. Maurice and Vida Scudder, in an attempt to discern the theological failure that the historical lack of social justice leadership within The Episcopal Church reflects, and which necessitated the Presiding Bishop's call.
Evaluating a Therapeutic Powered Mobility Camp for Children with Severe Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Rosenberg Lori , Maeir Adina , Gilboa Yafit
Published: August 2021

Background. Children and youth with severe cerebral palsy (CP) have limited independent mobility, which affects opportunities for overall development. Purpose. To examine the effectiveness of Power Fun, a therapeutic powered mobility summer camp. Methods. A quasi-experimental, repeated-measure design was used, with participants acting as their own control. Twenty-four participants with severe CP (aged 7–20 years) attended Power Fun for three weeks, five days/week. Assessments of powered mobility skills and functional mobility goals were conducted three weeks before the camp (T1), at baseline (T2), postintervention (T3), and at three-week follow-up (T4). Findings. An analysis of variance results indicated significant improvements in powered mobility skills ( F(1,22) = 56.61, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.74) and functional mobility goals ( F(1,58) = 80.17, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.74), with 70% of goals achieved postintervention. A descriptive analysis revealed three learning profiles. Implications. This study provides initial evidence supporting the effectiveness of Power Fun as an intervention promoting powered mobility for children with severe CP, across a range of abilities.
Prevalence and Correlates of Depression and Anxiety Among Jordanian Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Dwekat Entisar , Al-amer Rasmieh M. , Al-Daraawi Hanan , Saleh Mohammad Y. N.
Published: August 2021

Adolescence is a critical phase in which physical, psychological, and intellectual challenges occur. This study assesses the prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety among a national sample of adolescents. A cross-sectional correlational design using depression, anxiety, and stress scale was used. Our data revealed that 49.1% and 78.2% of Jordanian adolescents had severe depressive symptoms and anxiety, respectively. Depression and anxiety had a significant positive correlation with gender and age and a negative relationship with monthly income and fathers’ and mothers’ educational levels. Binary logistic regression revealed that the whole model for depression had a coefficient of determination X2: (4, N 1,344), R2 (.149); p < .005, whereas the overall model for anxiety showed a coefficient of determination X2: (4, N 1,344), R2 (.091); p < .005. This study indicates that depression and anxiety are highly prevalent among Jordanian adolescents. Thus, prioritizing funds for mental health services is paramount.
Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Located in the Thyroid Gland Misdiagnosed With Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Li Xu , Yang Hui , Deng Xian , Qiao De-hui
Published: August 2021

The clinicopathologic features of thyroglossal duct cyst when it develops ectopically in the thyroid gland remain unclear because of its rarity, which makes diagnosis difficult. Clinical diagnosis and treatment should not disregard the possibility of thyroglossal cysts located in the thyroid gland. We here report the current case to prepare others and provide data for the diagnosis and treatment of this kind of disease.
Is There a Difference Between the Joint Ultrasounds of Healthy Women and Men? A Study With Small, Medium, and Large Joints
Authors: Nunes-Tamashiro Jose Carlos , Natour Jamil , Pereira Daniele Freitas , Machado Flavia S. , Takahashi Rogerio D. , Furtado Rita Nely Vilar
Published: August 2021

To compare joint ultrasound measurements between the sexes in healthy volunteers. A cross-sectional study compared the joint ultrasound measurements between the sexes in healthy volunteers. Quantitative (synovial hypertrophy and perpendicular measurement in the largest synovial recess) and semiquantitative (synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler, and bone erosion; score 0–3) ultrasound measurements were performed. Forty-six articular recesses were evaluated and compared between group 1 (100 females) and group 2 (60 males) who were matched by age and BMI. For the quantitative measurements, 7360 recesses were studied. For the semiquantitative measurements, 22,720 recesses were evaluated. Higher values ( p < .05) were found in females for the quantitative measurements of synovial hypertrophy for the following: radiocarpal, distal radioulnar and ulnocarpal, second/third dorsal and second/third palmar interphalangeal, second palmar metacarpophalangeal, glenohumeral, hip, talocrural, talonavicular, and talocalcaneal recesses; the highest difference was found for the hip (6.21 ± 1.35 vs. 4.81 ± 2.40) and distal radioulnar (1.46 ± 0.40 vs. 1.07 ± 0.70) recesses. For the semiquantitative measurements, significant differences were found. For synovial hypertrophy, higher measurements for females in the second/third palmar metacarpophalangeal, second palmar proximal interphalangeal, hip, tibiotalar, talonavicular, talocalcaneal, and second metatarsophalangeal recesses (highest difference for second palmar metacarpophalangeal [44 (22.0%) vs. 5 (4.2%)]). For power Doppler, there were higher values for females in the talonavicular recesses and higher values for males in the first/second/fifth metatarsophalangeal recesses (highest difference for fifth [9 (7.5%) vs. 2 (1.0%)]). For bone erosion, there were higher measurements for females in the radiocarpal recesses (10 [5.0%] vs. 0 [0.0%]) and higher values for males in the talonavicular recesses (4 [3.3%] vs. 0 [0.0%]). Higher quantitative and semiquantitative ultrasound measurements of synovial hypertrophy were typically found in females.
Human bocavirus-1 screening in infants with acute lower respiratory tract infection
Authors: Zhang Xingang , Zheng Jishan , Zhu Lihua , Xu Huiqing
Published: August 2021

Background

Recent studies have reported associations between, human bocavirus (HBoV), and respiratory tract diseases in children. However, there is limited information on the epidemiology of HBoV in infants. This prospective study investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of HBoV infection in infants with acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in eastern China.

Methods

Nasopharyngeal aspirates and throat swab samples were collected from infants with ALRTI and age-matched healthy infants between January 2016 and December 2019. HBoV was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Laboratory data and clinical characteristics were analyzed.

Results

Of 2510 infants, 145 tested positive for HBoV. The highest prevalence of HBoV was detected during the winter. Co-infection was frequently observed during this period of high viral transmission. There were no HBoV-positive infants in the control group. Clinical signs and symptoms included cough, wheezing, fever, nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, hypoxemia, and tachypnea. Co-infections included: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus.

Conclusions

HBoV was frequently detected in infants with ALRTI in China. The prevalence of HBoV was highest in winter. Co-infection was common, especially in infants requiring intensive care unit admission. Comprehensive clinical evaluation may facilitate optimal treatment.
Effect of dexmedetomidine on hemodynamics in patients undergoing hysterectomy: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Li Zhaoqiu , Li Cuiping , Zhang Maoxian
Published: August 2021

Objective

We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine on the hemodynamics of patients undergoing hysterectomy.

Methods

We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases for clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that allowed direct or indirect comparisons of hemodynamic indicators. We also searched nine English-language databases up to April 2021 to identify relevant research. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCTs was applied to assess the methodological quality of the eligible studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results

Nine trials were included in this systematic review. The effect of dexmedetomidine on heart rate during surgery was significantly smaller than that of other sedatives. Intraoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were more stable in the dexmedetomidine group compared with the control group. The postoperative modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness Score was also better in the dexmedetomidine compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine increases hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing hysterectomy, reduces the cardiovascular stress response during surgery, and effectively prevents postoperative adverse reactions, with good safety.
The Climate Crisis, Renewable Energy, and the Changing Landscape of Global Energy Politics
Authors: Albert Michael J.
Published: August 2021

Abstract

This essay reviews three recent books on the changing landscape of global energy politics in the era of climate change. Key questions that the authors investigate include: how will the renewable energy transition reshape the global balance of power? How will political-economic interdependencies and geopolitical alignments shift? Will contemporary petro-states adapt or collapse? And what new patterns of peace and conflict may emerge in a decarbonized world order? The authors provide different perspectives on the likely speed of the energy transition and its geopolitical implications. However, they occlude deeper questions about the depth of the transformations needed to prevent climate catastrophe—particularly in the nature of capitalism and military power—and the potential for more radical perspectives on energy futures. In contrast, I will argue that we should advance a critical research agenda on the global energy transition that accounts for the possibility of more far-reaching transformations in the political-economic, military, and ideological bases of world politics and highlights diverse movements fighting for their realization. These possible transformations include (1) transitions to post-growth political economies; (2) a radical shrinkage of emissions-intensive military–industrial complexes; and (3) decolonizing ideologies of “progress.” If struggles for alternative energy futures beyond the hegemony of economic growth and Western-style modernization are at the forefront of radical politics today, then these struggles deserve greater attention from critical IR scholars.
Bridge-Level Optimization Module for Planning and Programming
Authors: Naji Karim , Santini-Bell Erin , Kwiatkowski Kyle
Published: August 2021

The paper briefly introduces an element-based multi-objective optimization (EB-MOO) methodology to support state departments of transportation with their decision-making process, asset management, and performance-based transportation planning and programming. The methodology focuses on the bridge asset class and consists of five modules: (i) data processing, (ii) improvement, (iii) element-level optimization (ELO), (iv) bridge-level optimization (BLO), and (v) network-level optimization (NLO) modules. These five modules jointly produce short- and long-term intervention strategies detailed at the bridge element level for planning and programming. The paper focuses on the BLO module, specifically: the basic framework of underlying processes and concepts, the optimization problem types and mathematical formulations, and the heuristic algorithm to solve the BLO problems. A prototyping tool is developed to implement these five modules of the EB-MOO methodology, test concepts, prove effectiveness, and demonstrate potential benefits. The paper also includes an illustrative example using the prototyping tool. The example consists of the BLO problems under different budget and/or performance scenarios. The implementation proves the module’s capability in producing a diverse set of Pareto optimal or near-optimal solutions, recommending set of element intervention actions and timings, predicting performance, and determining budget requirements for the entire program period. The BLO results associated with the recommended solutions serve as the fundamental inputs for the NLO module. Nevertheless, the BLO module can be used independently, providing a systematic process for the development of bridge improvement/preservation programs detailed at the element level.
Threats, deportability and aid: The politics of refugee rentier states and regional stability
Authors: Micinski Nicholas R
Published: August 2021

In 2012, 2016 and 2018–2019, Pakistan threatened to expel Afghan refugees and in 2015, 2016 and 2019, Kenya threatened to demolish the Dadaab camp and expel Somali refugees. Following the threats, the governments extracted more than $300 million aid, combined. Why did these states succeed in extracting aid despite their relatively weak status and not bordering the target of their blackmail? This article first situates refugee expulsion within the literature on refugee policies, migration diplomacy and refugee rentier states. Second, in two cases – Somalis in Kenya and Afghans in Pakistan – I show how states used the threat of expulsion to construct and leverage the deportability of their refugee communities as a foreign policy tool. States used the legal uncertainty around deportability to channel threats and violence toward refugees, but the primary audience of the threats were not refugees, but the international community. Officials in Kenya and Pakistan used threats paired with six-month or one-year delays as negotiation tactics to extract aid. Surprisingly, states that were generous hosts to refugees become strategically important because of their role in providing regional stability, which turned otherwise weak states into important allies that could threaten expulsion and extract aid from superpowers.
Finding Self Among Others: Navigating the Tensions Between Personal and Social Identity
Authors: Gur Furkan A. , Mathias Blake D.
Published: August 2021

Personal and social identity are critical for entrepreneurs. However, tensions arise in entrepreneurial experiences due to the independence underlying personal identity and embeddedness underlying social identity. In this qualitative study, we explore how novice and experienced entrepreneurs navigate these tensions. We find that novice entrepreneurs are focused on discovering their personal identity via broad interactions within social groups. Experienced entrepreneurs devote more time to their ventures and less time in social groups but they value the targeted collaborations within these social groups. We discuss the mechanisms that underlie the paradox between centrality and salience of personal and social identity.
Comparison of Trends in Nonprofit Hospitals’ Charity Care Eligibility Policies Between Medicaid Expansion States and Medicaid Nonexpansion States
Authors: Bai Ge , Zare Hossein , Eisenberg Matthew D. , Polsky Daniel , Anderson Gerard F.
Published: August 2021

Nonprofit hospitals provide charity care to financially disadvantaged patients according to their self-designed eligibility policies. The Affordable Care Act may have prompted nonprofit hospitals to adopt more generous eligibility policies, but no prior research has examined the longitudinal trend. The expansion of Medicaid coverage in many states has been found to reduce charity care provision, but it is unclear whether the change in charity care eligibility policies differed between Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states. Using mandatory tax filings, we found that both hospitals in Medicaid expansion states and hospital in nonexpansion states adopted more generous eligibility policies in 2018 than in 2010, but the change was greater in the former for discounted charity care; while the former provided less charity care regardless of their policy changes, the latter provided more when their policies became more generous. This study has implications for policy discussions on the justification of nonprofit hospitals’ tax-exempt status.
“I’d Go from a Mountain Top and Tell My Story”: Perspectives of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence on Storytelling for Social Change
Authors: Dichter Melissa E. , Chatterjee Alicia , Protasiuk Ewa , Newman Bernie S.
Published: August 2021

Storytelling has well-documented therapeutic benefits for survivors of trauma. However, little is known about intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors’ perspectives on sharing their stories. This article presents findings based on the analysis of 26 qualitative interviews with individuals who had experienced IPV regarding first-person story sharing. Participants described telling their stories as an act of healing and empowerment. They also named ways that storytelling can challenge societal views and structures that perpetuate IPV. Based on our findings, we offer suggestions for supporting survivor expertise and storytelling as part of a survivor-centered approach to IPV advocacy and social change.
Renal Tubular Apoptosis in Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: De Paepe Monique E. , Stopa Emily , Huang Carol , Hansen Katrine , Luks Francois I.
Published: August 2021

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is caused by uneven shunting of blood between monochorionic twins, resulting in polycythemia in the recipient twin and growth restriction, anemia, and oliguria in the donor twin. Recent reports have described loss of proximal convoluted tubules in the kidneys of TTTS donor twins. In order to elucidate the pathogenesis of tubular deficiency in TTTS, we have reviewed the renal pathology in 25 twin pairs with autopsy-proven TTTS. Loss of differentiated proximal tubules, associated with atrophy of medullary tubules, was identified in 12/25 donor twins. In seven of these cases (all > 23-wk gestational age), the kidneys showed diffuse or partial tubular atrophy without evidence of cell death, similar to previously reported patterns. In five cases (all between 18- and 22-wk gestation), proximal and medullary tubules showed active injury characterized by markedly increased apoptosis, cell detachment, and intraluminal cell debris associated with calcifications. Tubular apoptosis tended to be more prevalent in donor fetuses with greater inter-twin body weight discordance, consistent with a more severe degree of TTTS. These results extend the spectrum of tubular alterations in TTTS to include an early stage of active apoptotic injury. The temporal distribution of injury patterns suggests that apoptotic injury of proximal and medullary tubules may be a precursor to partial or diffuse tubular atrophy. We speculate that the risk for development of tubular apoptosis in TTTS depends on the severity and timing of the hemodynamic imbalance, whereby early mid-trimester fetuses may be more vulnerable.
Gendered Wounds: On Abortion and Partnership in Cuba
Authors: Marks Alejandra
Published: August 2021

For fifty years, first-trimester abortion has been steadily available, legal, safe, and cost-free in Cuba. But in the context of enduring gender disparity, societal attitudes surrounding the procedure vary widely. Women’s often-recurring use of abortion evokes sexual emancipation for some, while others see abortion as a wound that men inflict on women. Men and women express a variety of emotional and practical concerns that highlight the complexity and dynamic nature of the issue. Drawing on ethnographic research from 2016 to 2020, this article argues that men and women’s influences on one another are central to the ways in which abortion is “lived” and to the process of determining abortion’s intimate significance. Whether abortion is experienced as a normalized practice or viewed as something that could never be “normal,” a thorough consideration of men and women’s shared generation of this meaning is crucial to understanding the place of abortion in Cuban society.