bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for mechanistic modeling and analysis in cardiovascular research
Authors: Colebank Mitchel J. , Oomen Pim A. , Witzenburg Colleen M. , Grosberg Anna , Beard Daniel A. , Husmeier Dirk , Olufsen Mette S. , Chesler Naomi C.
Published: June 2024

Computational, or in silico, models are an effective, noninvasive tool for investigating cardiovascular function. These models can be used in the analysis of experimental and clinical data to identify possible mechanisms of (ab)normal cardiovascular physiology. Recent advances in computing power and data management have led to innovative and complex modeling frameworks that simulate cardiovascular function across multiple scales. While commonly used in multiple disciplines, there is a lack of concise guidelines for the implementation of computer models in cardiovascular research. In line with recent calls for more reproducible research, it is imperative that scientists adhere to credible practices when developing and applying computational models to their research. The goal of this manuscript is to provide a consensus document that identifies best practices for in silico computational modeling in cardiovascular research. These guidelines provide the necessary methods for mechanistic model development, model analysis, and formal model calibration using fundamentals from statistics. We outline rigorous practices for computational, mechanistic modeling in cardiovascular research and discuss its synergistic value to experimental and clinical data.
“She’s Been a Rock”: The Function and Importance of “Holding” by Social Prescribing Link Workers in Primary Care in England—Findings from a Realist Evaluation
Authors: Westlake Debra , Wong Geoffrey , Markham Steven , Turk Amadea , Gorenberg Jordan , Pope Catherine , Reeve Joanne , Mitchell Caroline , Husk Kerryn , Redwood Sabi , Meacock Anthony , Mahtani Kamal R. , Tierney Stephanie
Published: June 2024

Social prescribing link workers are recently introduced roles in English primary care. One of their intended functions is to support patients with conditions influenced by the wider, social determinants of health. Their main purpose is to connect people to community resources to meet their nonmedical needs. However, our research reveals that link workers provide not only connections but also what we have described as “holding” for individuals with complex needs, who lack informal networks of support or who are waiting to access services. We explore the concept of holding, its meaning and significance in this context, and consider its consequences. As part of a realist evaluation, we observed seven link workers in GP practices in England during focussed ethnographies over a 3‐week period. We took field notes and interviewed 61 patients and 93 healthcare and voluntary sector professionals. Nine to twelve months later, we carried out follow‐up interviews with forty‐one patients, seven link workers, and a link worker manager. We identified four functions of holding: supporting patients waiting for services, sustaining patients as they prepare for change, reducing the emotional burden of primary healthcare professionals, and bearing witness to patients’ distress. Holding appears to be a vital but often overlooked aspect of social prescribing. Patients benefit from having a reliable and consistent person to support their emotional needs. However, similar to the impact of holding on other primary care professionals, there are unintended consequences: some link workers exceed their capacity, become overburdened, experience burnout, and leave their job. Recognizing the importance of holding and understanding its role in link workers’ primary care responsibilities are critical. If holding work is accepted as a role for link workers, providing training and support to them should be prioritised to ensure successful implementation and positive outcomes for patients, link workers, and primary healthcare staff.
In Vitro Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Cytotoxicity Activity, and In Silico Molecular Modelling of Compounds Isolated from Roots of Hydnora johannis
Authors: Degfie Teshome , Endale Milkyas , Aliye Muhdin , Eswaramoorthy Rajalakshmanan , Duke Tariku Nefo , Dekebo Aman
Published: June 2024

The plant Hydnora johannis has been utilized in folk medicine. Analyzing phytochemical composition of dichloromethane/methanol (1 : 1) root part of Hydnora johannis gave oleic acid (1), caffeic acid‐2‐hydroxynonylester (2), catechin (3), and a pregnane derivative (4). NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize compounds 1–3, while compound 4 was identified through GC‐MS analysis and literature comparison. The cytotoxicity of extracts from roots of H. johannis was conducted against MCF‐7 cell lines (human breast cancer) by MTT assay. According to the cytotoxicity study, n‐hexane extract exhibited a high level of toxicity with 28.9 ± 5.6% cell viability. Antibacterial activity was tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogen. The highest bacterial growth mean inhibition zone was measured for catechin (3) (13.72 ± 0.05 mm)) against P. aeruginosa at 0.25 mg/mL and acceptable related to standard. Antioxidant activity was studied by the DPPH assay. Based on the data from the antioxidant study, DCM/MeOH extract (70.32%) and catechin (3) showed good antioxidant activity (65.61%) (IC50 0.25 μg/mL) relative to that of the positive control (78.21%, IC50 0.014 μg/mL) at 12.5 μg/mL. In each docking pose, catechin (3) scored higher binding affinity of −7.9, −7.2, and −6.4 kcal/mol towards PqsA, DNA gyraseB, and S. aureus PK, respectively, compared to amoxicillin (−8.1, −6.1, and −6.4 kcal/mol). All five Lipinski rules were obeyed by compounds 1–3, which showed an acceptable drug resemblance. The lipophilicity was computed as less than five (1.47–4.01) indicating a lipophilic property. Catechin (3) obeys Veber’s rule implying its good oral bioavailability. Binding affinity scores of catechin (3)‐protein interactions are in line with those from in vitro tests, indicating its potential antibacterial effect. The obtained cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity results support the utilization of H. johannis in folk medicine.
Bilothorax: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review of the Rare Entity
Authors: Acharya Roshan , Kafle Smita , Sedhai Yub Raj , Shrestha Dhan Bahadur , Walsh Kevin , Shamsi Wasif Elahi , Gyawali Suraj , Acharya Nikita , Loschner Anthony Lukas , Rubio Edmundo Raul
Published: June 2024

Background. Bilothorax is defined as the presence of bile in the pleural space. It is a rare condition, and diagnosis is confirmed with a pleural fluid‐to‐serum bilirubin ratio of >1. Methods. The PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and CINAHL databases were searched using predetermined Boolean parameters. The systematic literature review was done per PRISMA guidelines. Retrospective studies, case series, case reports, and conference abstracts were included. The patients with reported pleural fluid analyses were pooled for fluid parameter data analysis. Results. Of 838 articles identified through the inclusion criteria and removing 105 duplicates, 732 articles were screened with abstracts, and 285 were screened for full article review. After this, 123 studies qualified for further detailed review, and of these, 115 were pooled for data analysis. The mean pleural fluid and serum bilirubin levels were 72 mg/dL and 61 mg/dL, respectively, with a mean pleural fluid‐to‐serum bilirubin ratio of 3.47. In most cases, the bilothorax was reported as a subacute or remote complication of hepatobiliary surgery or procedure, and traumatic injury to the chest or abdomen was the second most common cause. Tube thoracostomy was the main treatment modality (73.83%), followed by serial thoracentesis. Fifty‐two patients (51.30%) had associated bronchopleural fistulas. The mortality was considerable, with 18/115 (15.65%) reported death. Most of the patients with mortality had advanced hepatobiliary cancer and were noted to die of complications not related to bilothorax. Conclusion. Bilothorax should be suspected in patients presenting with pleural effusion following surgical manipulation of hepatobiliary structures or a traumatic injury to the chest. This review is registered with CRD42023438426.
Heat Treatment Effect on Some Mechanical Properties of FDM‐Manufactured PCL Wood‐Based Biopolymer
Authors: Beșliu-Băncescu Irina , Tamașag Ioan
Published: June 2024

The study investigates some 3D printing output parameters of a polycaprolactone (PCL) wood‐based biopolymer, a category of materials obtained by embedding wood‐derived components within polymeric matrices. These wood‐based biopolymers have garnered significant focus in recent years due to their environmental friendliness and vast potential across many different fields. A full factorial design with three independent variables (layer height, printing speed, and heat treatment exposure time) at three levels was considered. The research explores printing speeds higher than the speed ranges typically investigated in the existing scientific literature on FDM 3D printing of wood‐based polymers. Additionally, in this study, heat treatment is proposed as a post‐processing operation to enhance certain crucial proprieties such as surface quality, hardness, mechanical strength, and accuracy. The findings reveal that heat treatment has a positive influence on the investigated output parameters. Notably, 3D printed samples subjected to heat treatment exhibit an average decrease of 112.1% in surface roughness for a 5‐min exposure time and 121.73% for a 10‐min exposure time. The surface hardness of the samples also improved after applying the heat treatment. The part hardness improved with an average of 0.65%. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between layer height and surface quality, hardness, printing speed, and tensile strength. Notably, printing speed contributed significantly to the variation in tensile strength, accounting for 52.77% of the parameter’s variation. These insights shed light on the optimization of 3D printing processes for wood‐based biopolymers, paving the way for enhanced performance and applicability across diverse fields.
A Bilevel Programming Model for Designing a Collaborative Network for Regional Railway Transportation and Logistics: The Case of the Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei Region in China
Authors: Zhu Taoxing , Xu Yuqing , Zhang Junyi , Zhao Bukang
Published: June 2024

For the coordinated development of regional logistics, there is a need to break down the administrative barriers between cities and build an efficient and smooth regional logistics network. Integrating regional logistics resources to achieve cross‐regional optimal allocation is essential for efficient logistics networks. The accessibility and high capacity of the railway transportation network make it possible and necessary for the coordinated construction of railway transportation and logistics networks. This paper studies a bilevel programming model to analyse the collaborative network planning process of railway transportation and logistics. The objective is to take into account the existing layout of regional railway traffic network and the future needs of regional logistics. For the upper level of the bilevel programming model, the social, economic, and logistics service index of regional railway traffic nodes is considered to determine the numbers and locations of radiation of the cities. Meanwhile, the lower programming model uses a logistics gravity model, 0‐1 integer programming model, and logistics membership degree to calculate the logistics correlation between node cities and the radiation range of the hub cities. An empirical study of the Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region in China shows the process and effectiveness of the bilevel programming model. Four distinctive logistics radiation circles, five trunk lines, nine hub‐spoke branch lines, and six branch lines are suggested. A railway traffic‐oriented regional logistics network provides a reference for regional railway traffic planning, thereby optimizing the allocation of regional logistics resources, improving the level of regional logistics services, and contributing to the development of the regional logistics industry.
Data from Ultrasensitive Detection of Circulating LINE-1 ORF1p as a Specific Multicancer Biomarker
Authors: Taylor Martin S. , Wu Connie , Fridy Peter C. , Zhang Stephanie J. , Senussi Yasmeen , Wolters Justina C. , Cajuso Tatiana , Cheng Wen-Chih , Heaps John D. , Miller Bryant D. , Mori Kei , Cohen Limor , Jiang Hua , Molloy Kelly R. , Chait Brian T. , Goggins Michael G. , Bhan Irun , Franses Joseph W. , Yang Xiaoyu , Taplin Mary-Ellen , Wang Xinan , Christiani David C. , Johnson Bruce E. , Meyerson Matthew , Uppaluri Ravindra , Egloff Ann Marie , Denault Elyssa N. , Spring Laura M. , Wang Tian-Li , Shih Ie-Ming , Fairman Jennifer E. , Jung Euihye , Arora Kshitij S. , Yilmaz Osman H. , Cohen Sonia , Sharova Tatyana , Chi Gary , Norden Bryanna L. , Song Yuhui , Nieman Linda T. , Pappas Leontios , Parikh Aparna R. , Strickland Matthew R. , Corcoran Ryan B. , Mustelin Tomas , Eng George , Yilmaz Ömer H. , Matulonis Ursula A. , Chan Andrew T. , Skates Steven J. , Rueda Bo R. , Drapkin Ronny , Klempner Samuel J. , Deshpande Vikram , Ting David T. , Rout Michael P. , LaCava John , Walt David R. , Burns Kathleen H.
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Improved biomarkers are needed for early cancer detection, risk stratification, treatment selection, and monitoring treatment response. Although proteins can be useful blood-based biomarkers, many have limited sensitivity or specificity for these applications. Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) open reading frame 1 protein (ORF1p) is a transposable element protein overexpressed in carcinomas and high-risk precursors during carcinogenesis with negligible expression in normal tissues, suggesting ORF1p could be a highly specific cancer biomarker. To explore ORF1p as a blood-based biomarker, we engineered ultrasensitive digital immunoassays that detect mid-attomolar (10−17 mol/L) ORF1p concentrations in plasma across multiple cancers with high specificity. Plasma ORF1p shows promise for early detection of ovarian cancer, improves diagnostic performance in a multianalyte panel, provides early therapeutic response monitoring in gastroesophageal cancers, and is prognostic for overall survival in gastroesophageal and colorectal cancers. Together, these observations nominate ORF1p as a multicancer biomarker with potential utility for disease detection and monitoring.
Significance:
The LINE-1 ORF1p transposon protein is pervasively expressed in many cancers and is a highly specific biomarker of multiple common, lethal carcinomas and their high-risk precursors in tissue and blood. Ultrasensitive ORF1p assays from as little as 25 μL plasma are novel, rapid, cost-effective tools in cancer detection and monitoring.

See related commentary by Doucet and Cristofari, p. 2502.

This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2489
Recent Advances in Immune-Based Therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Restelli Cecilia , Ruella Marco , Paruzzo Luca , Tarella Corrado , Pelicci Pier Giuseppe , Colombo Emanuela
Published: June 2024

Despite advancements, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unconquered by current therapies. Evidence of immune evasion during AML progression, such as HLA loss and T-cell exhaustion, suggests that antileukemic immune responses contribute to disease control and could be harnessed by immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss a spectrum of AML immunotherapy targets, encompassing cancer cell-intrinsic and surface antigens as well as targeting in the leukemic milieu, and how they can be tailored for personalized approaches. These targets are overviewed across major immunotherapy modalities applied to AML: immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody–drug conjugates, therapeutic vaccines, bispecific/trispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T and CAR-NK cells.

Significance: Immune therapies in AML treatment show evolving promise. Ongoing research aims to customize approaches for varied patient profiles and clinical scenarios. This review covers immune surveillance mechanisms, therapy options like checkpoint inhibitors, antibodies, CAR-T/NK cells, and vaccines, as well as resistance mechanisms and microenvironment considerations.
Real-Time Ultrasound Tip Location Reduces Malposition and Radiation Exposure during Umbilical Venous Catheter Placement in Neonates: A Retrospective, Observational Study
Authors: D'Andrea Vito , Prontera Giorgia , Cota Francesco , Perri Alessandro , Russo Rosellina , Barone Giovanni , Vento Giovanni
Published: June 2024

Introduction: The umbilical venous catheter is a vital access device in neonatal intensive care units for preterm and critically ill infants. Correct positioning is crucial, as malpositioning can lead to severe complications. According to international guidelines, the position of the umbilical venous catheter tip must be assessed in real time; traditionally, the catheter is visualized with a thoracoabdominal X-ray, but one of the most effective and safest methods is therefore real-time ultrasound. Methods: This study compares real-time ultrasound and traditional X-ray methods for assessing umbilical venous catheter tip location in 461 cases. The rate of tip malposition was analyzed retrospectively. The secondary aim was to assess indwelling time of umbilical venous catheters and reasons of removal. Results: Real-time ultrasound tip location, found to be more reliable and efficient, demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of primary malpositioning compared to X-ray assessments (9.6 vs. 75.9%). The study also highlighted the association of real-time ultrasound with reduced catheter manipulation, fewer radiographs, and higher indwelling times of umbilical venous catheter. The multiple logistic regression showed a high probability of the central safe position of the umbilical venous catheter tip using real-time ultrasound tip location (odds ratio 29.5, 95% confidence interval: 17.4–49.4). Conclusion: The findings support the adoption of real-time ultrasound in clinical settings to enhance umbilical venous catheter placement accuracy and minimize associated risks. A minimal training investment is needed to attain the proficiency to visualize the umbilical venous catheters, offering a substantial advantage in terms of both cost-effectiveness for the procedure and enhanced patient safety.
Diesel Particulate Matter Permeation into Normal Human Skin and Intervention Using a Topical Ceramide Formulation
Authors: Shin Kyong-Oh , Ishida Kenya , Mihara Hisashi , Choi Yerim , Park Jae-Ho , Park Soo-Hyun , Hwang Jin-Taek , Wakefield Joan S. , Obata Yasuko , Uchida Yoshikazu , Park Kyungho
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Diesel particulate matter (DPM) emitted from diesel engines is a major source of air pollutants. DPM is composed of elemental carbon, which adsorbs organic compounds including toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The skin, as well as airways, is directly exposed to DPM, and association of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis flares, and premature skin aging with air pollutant levels has been documented. In skin, the permeation of DPM and DPM-adsorbed compounds is primarily blocked by the epidermal permeability barrier deployed in the stratum corneum. Depending upon the integrity of this barrier, certain amounts of DPM and DPM-adsorbed compounds can permeate into the skin. However, this permeation into human skin has not been completely elucidated. Methods: We assessed the permeation of PAHs (adsorbed to DPM) into skin using ex vivo normal (barrier-competent) organ-cultured human skin after application of DPM. Two major PAHs, 2-methylnaphthalene and triphenylene, and a carcinogenic PAH, benzo(a)pyrene, all found in DPM, were measured in the epidermis and dermis using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, we investigated whether a topical formulation can attenuate the permeation of DPM into skin. Results: 2-Methylnaphthalene, triphenylene, and benzo(a)pyrene were recovered from the epidermis. Although these PAHs were also detected in the dermis after DPM application, these PAH levels were significantly lower than those found in the epidermis. We also demonstrated that a topical formulation that has the ability to form more uniform membrane structures can significantly suppress the permeation of PAHs adsorbed to DPM into the skin. Conclusion: Toxic compounds adsorbed by DPM can permeate even barrier-competent skin. Hence, barrier-compromised skin, such as in atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and xerosis, is even more vulnerable to air pollutants. A properly formulated topical mixture that forms certain membrane structures on the skin surface can effectively prevent permeation of exogenous substances, including DPM, into skin.
Clinical Characteristics, Functional Outcome, and Socioeconomic Impact of Ischemic Stroke among Young Egyptian Adults
Authors: Nasreldein Ahmed , Ahmed Mohamed , Shehab Mohamed , Abdelhaleem Mostafa , Lioutas Vasileios-Arsenios
Published: June 2024

Background: Stroke in young patients results in disproportionately high societal cost given the productive life-years lost. Little is known about stroke in young Egyptian patients. We aimed to analyze clinicodemographic characteristics, functional outcome, and socioeconomic impact of ischemic stroke among young Egyptian adults. Methods: This is a prospective, observational cohort study of consecutively recruited patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 18–50 years, between September 2022 and September 2023 at a tertiary stroke center in the south of Egypt. We recorded baseline demographic and cardiovascular risk factors, stroke severity, stroke subtype according to the TOAST classification, intravenous thrombolysis, employment, and ambulation status pre- and post-stroke, post-stroke complications, and 90-day functional outcome measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: Our cohort comprised 210 patients, 38.0 (±7.8) years, 89 (42%) females. Mean NIHSS score was 11.2 (±4.8); in-hospital case fatality was 9% (19 patients). Dyslipidemia (n = 105, 50%), smoking (n = 105, 50%), and hypertension (n = 67, 32%) were the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors. At 90 days, 58 (29%) patients had a 90-day mRS 0–1 and 53 (26%) met criteria for depression diagnosis. Sixty-nine of the 116 employed individuals (59%) remained out of work after 90 days of stroke, 61 of whom were single earners in their household. 36/60 (60%) thrombolysis-eligible patients received it; an additional 98 otherwise thrombolysis-eligible patients presented >4.5 h from symptom onset. Patients receiving IV thrombolysis were significantly more likely to have resumed full-time work at 90 days (32% vs. 11%, p = 0.006) but with no significant difference in 90-day mRS. Conclusions: Young adult AIS patients in Egypt experience high rates of post-stroke depression and face challenges in their ability to work and provide for their families. Since most patients have treatable cardiovascular risk factors and only about two-thirds of eligible patients receive thrombolysis, reinforcing primary prevention, education about early stroke signs, and benefits of acute can improve outcomes and have significant potential societal benefit.
Espaço feminino (1800-1850)
Authors: Leite Miriam Lifchitz Moreira
Published: June 2024

Brazilian Historiography has incorporated the stereotype about lhe reclusion of women, in the nineteenth century. Research about foreign travellers, that arrived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1801 to 1900, suggested (as the analysis of the books of Rose de Freycinet, Maria Graharn, Mine. Langley Dufresnoy, Baronesa de Langsdorff and Ida Pfeiffer in the article bellow shows) that inner and closed spaces, have always been preferencial feminine spaces, in almost all social groups, and were neither specific of Ibero-brazilian behavior, nor so generalized as has been long accepted.
A era das revoluções burguesas: o problema das origens
Authors: Arruda José Jobson de Andrade
Published: June 2024

The present paper intends to furnish a more precise definition of the concept of bourgeois revolution, understood as the release of forces promoting the accelerated development of capitalism. In this sense, the beginnings of bourgeois revolutions should be anticipated to the XVIIth century, to the time of the English Revolutions, and the French one would necessarily lose its character of the bourgeoisie mater revolution.
Associations Between Life's Essential 8 and Insulin Resistance Among Nondiabetic Adults
Authors: Pang Shuo , Wang Yue , Sun Shuaifeng , Wang Shen , Li Fadong , Zhao Wenxin , Wu Xiaofan
Published: June 2024

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) is closely linked to cardiometabolic diseases. Preventing and improving IR in nondiabetic populations is critically important. We aimed to investigate the relationship between Life's Essential 8 (LE8), the latest tool from the American Heart Association quantifying cardiovascular health, and IR among nondiabetic populations in the United States.

Methods and Results

This cross‐sectional study used data on 11 246 nondiabetic adults aged ≥20 years from the 2005 to 2018 the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The LE8 score was classified into 2 subscale scores: health factor score and health behavior score. IR was measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR). Weighted logistic and linear regression models analyzed associations among the LE8 score, health behavior score, health factor score, and IR. Restricted cubic spline models assessed dose–response relationships. Adjusted subgroup analyses and inverse probability of treatment weighting method also evaluated the LE8‐IR relationship. Of the 11 246 participants, 4860 (43.2%) had IR. The mean LE8 score was 70.07 (95% CI, 69.57–70.58). In fully adjusted models, higher LE8 scores were associated with lower IR odds (odds ratio per 10‐unit increase, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.54–0.61]). Nonlinear LE8‐IR dose–response was observed. Similar patterns were seen for health behavior and health factor subscores, with stronger IR correlations for health factors. The inverse LE8‐IR association was significantly more pronounced among White participants and those with higher education, higher income, and without hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or chronic kidney disease. Significant negative LE8‐IR associations persisted after inverse probability of treatment weighting.

Conclusions

LE8 and subscale scores are negatively associated with IR in a nonlinear relationship. Promoting optimal cardiovascular health adherence may improve IR in nondiabetic populations.
Patterns of Gestational Hypertension or Preeclampsia Across 2 Pregnancies in Relationship to Chronic Hypertension Development: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mussa Joseph , Rahme Elham , Dahhou Mourad , Nakhla Meranda , Dasgupta Kaberi
Published: June 2024

Background

Gestational hypertension (GHTN) and preeclampsia are established risk indicators for chronic hypertension. While recurrence is associated with a greater risk, it is unclear whether there are differences in risk when these gestational complications occur for the first time in an earlier pregnancy versus first occurrence in a subsequent one. We hypothesized that the absence of recurrence reflects a transition toward a lower hypertension risk trajectory, whereas a new occurrence in a later pregnancy indicates a transition toward elevated risk.

Methods and Results

We analyzed linked data in Quebec, Canada, from public health care insurance administrative databases and birth, stillbirth, and death registries. Our retrospective cohort study included mothers with 2 singleton deliveries between April 1990 and December 2012. The primary exposure was patterns of GHTN or preeclampsia across 2 pregnancies (GHTN/preeclampsia in neither, first only, second only, or both). The outcome was incident chronic hypertension. We performed an adjusted multivariable Cox regression analysis. Among 431 980 women with 2 singleton pregnancies, 27 755 developed hypertension during the follow‐up period. Compared with those without GHTN/preeclampsia, those with GHTN/preeclampsia only in the first pregnancy had a 2.7‐fold increase in hazards (95% CI, 2.6–2.8), those with GHTN/preeclampsia only in the second had a 4.9‐fold increase (95% CI, 4.6–5.1), and those with GHTN/preeclampsia in both pregnancies experienced a 7.3‐fold increase (95% CI, 6.9–7.6). Patterns and estimates were similar when we considered GHTN and preeclampsia separately.

Conclusions

The magnitude of hypertension risk is associated with the number and sequence of GHTN/preeclampsia‐affected pregnancies. Considering both allows more personalized risk estimates.
Expanding and subdividing the southern and south-tropical African Kalanchoe [subg. Kalanchoe] sect. Raveta (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae): description of K. [sect. Raveta] ser. Raveta, K. [sect. Raveta] ser. Longiflorae, and K. [sect. Raveta] ser. Rotundifoliae
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F.
Published: June 2024

Three series, Kalanchoe ser. Raveta, K. ser. Longiflorae, and K. ser. Rotundifoliae, are described in Kalanchoe [subg. Kalanchoe] sect. Raveta (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae). The type species of all three series are indigenous to southern Africa. The first series, K. ser. Raveta, includes the robust, white-waxy kalanchoes with soup plate-sized leaves, dense-flowered, club-shaped inflorescences, and variously coloured (yellowish, whitish, greenish, and pinkish red) flowers. The second series, K. ser. Longiflorae, includes medium-sized to rather large shrubs with yellow flowers that generally do not, or hardly, show diurnal movement and do not become tightly twisted post-anthesis. The third series, K. ser. Rotundifoliae, includes small, generally low-growing, shrubby species with variously chromatic flowers (different shades of red, orange, and yellow, never white) that show distinct diurnal movement and with the flowers becoming tightly twisted post-anthesis.
Assessing the Role of Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis in Prognosis and Prevention of Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Wang Jing , Yan Gaoliang , Wang Lei , Tang Chengchun
Published: June 2024

This study evaluated the impact of Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA)-guided hydration therapy on contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). From April 2022 to January 2023, this prospective study at the Eastern General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army involved 902 adults with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) scheduled for PCI. BIVA measurements were performed pre-contrast, followed by a standard hydration regimen. The study focused on the development of CA-AKI and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, including all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization) within 1 year post-PCI. Among the 902 patients (average age: 60.8 years, 65.2% men), CA-AKI post-PCI was observed in 10.8%. Those with CA-AKI had more comorbidities and higher baseline creatinine levels. The contrast volume-to-estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) ratio was higher in CA-AKI patients, with a significantly increased resistance/height ratio (R/H). High R/H values correlated with a greater risk of MACE and all-cause mortality within a year. The study underscores the importance of BIVA-guided hydration therapy and R/H ratio in predicting CA-AKI in PCI patients with stable CAD. Incorporating R/H ratio assessments may enhance pre-procedural risk assessment and improve long-term outcomes ( P = .0017).
Firm Heterogeneity and Inequality: A Regional Perspective
Authors: Gilbert Brett Anitra , Burnett Meredith
Published: June 2024

Income inequality has increasingly become more ubiquitous within rather than across countries. Yet much of the theorizing has been at macro levels and does not sufficiently account for the firms within regions, which are primary sources of income inequality. Moreover, much of the research that does implicate firms, assumes that firms impact inequality equivalently. It neither accounts for the heterogeneity of firms within regions nor the potential for differential impact from that heterogeneity. Our study challenges these assumptions through a theory that connects a firm’s life cycle and recruiting and compensation strategies to its impact on income inequality within and across regions. We incorporate a set of contingencies that also have the potential to alter the model’s predictions, which are based on external shocks and ownership of the firm. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this model for theory, policy, and practice.
Addressing Health Care Inequality Through Social Franchising: The Role of Network Stewardship in Impact Intermediation
Authors: Dumalanède Constance , Ciambotti Giacomo , Lashitew Addisu A.
Published: June 2024

This study investigates how social franchises extend health care in rural areas, thus addressing vast and persistent disparities in health care access. We conducted an inductive study of Unjani, a South African organization that extended primary health services to disadvantaged rural communities through a network of 135 health clinics. Our analysis focused on the process of impact intermediation—the propagation of impact across multiple layers of the franchise network, including franchisees and downstream beneficiaries. To facilitate impact intermediation, the franchisor harmonized the mission of the franchisees with its own mission and integrated community impact among franchisees. Such coordination and monitoring activity exposed franchisees to intermediation problems in the form of mission conflict and impact divergence. Our analysis reveals how Unjani nurtured network stewardship that afforded the franchisee nurses with greater support, autonomy, and ownership, thus overcoming intermediation problems in their pursuit of shared communal responsibilities to extend health care to rural communities.
What Can Depolarize the Polarizers? Affective Polarization for Party Activists Before and After Elections
Authors: Ciobanu Costin , Sandu Dani
Published: June 2024

Although affective polarization threatens democracies, little is known about how to reduce it among one of polarization’s main agents: party activists. The challenge stems from the difficulty of studying activists longitudinally and in a real-world setting. To address these issues, we study whether contact between activists acting as party delegates in the precincts on election day reduces polarization, compared to activists who have other election day responsibilities. We leverage a pre-registered study of party activists in a European democracy using a difference-in-differences framework. We employ an 8300-response three-wave panel of members of a new party, collected immediately before and after the 2020 Romanian general elections. We demonstrate that party activists are affectively polarized and are mostly polarized against the out-party elites and out-party itself. Although election-day contact with out-party peers does not substantially and robustly reduce partisan animus, all activists depolarize immediately after elections and effects persist two months later.
Does Business Group Affiliation Enhance Firm-level Innovation? Evidence from Indian Automotive Components Industry
Authors: Prakash J. Vineesh , Nauriyal D. K.
Published: June 2024

This article examines the determinants explaining the innovative behaviour of the firms operating in the Indian automotive components industry. The study uses an unbalanced panel of 114 firms operating in the components industry compiled from the Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy database for the period 2000–2018 and employs the panel Tobit model estimated with the maximum likelihood estimator. The finding of the estimated models finds that various explanatory variables such as firm’s size, age, technology imports, overseas investment and affiliation to a business group exercise positive and significant effects on enhancing this industry’s technological capabilities, while other variables such as market share, firm’s leverage and business group affiliates with investments abroad have negative and significant effects. All these findings suggest that being outward-oriented in terms of overseas investments and being affiliated to a business group creates a significant difference in respect of the innovative behaviour of the firms in this industry.

JEL Codes: O320, L620
Mapping Challenges for India’s Engineering Exports in South Asia
Authors: Sharma Saarthak
Published: June 2024

In recent years, India has been rapidly formulating policies that aim at export promotion, enhancement of India’s export capacity, diversification of its exports to cater to a larger market and also provide incentives to those who wish to set up an industrial unit in India. While India aims at capturing a certain share of the global trade ratio, the challenges that the country faces in the process are immense. One of the categories of India’s exports, that is, engineering exports, has helped India capture a trade surplus with many of its trading partners. One of them is South Asia, where, due to recent political disturbances and lack of penetration of trading policies, the region has not developed into a trading hotspot. This article aims at explaining the reasons for this outcome as well as identifying the key problems with engineering exports that India should overcome to enhance its volume of trade in South Asia.

JEL Codes: F10, F13
Coping Among Canadian Youth Living With Anxiety: A Phenomenological Photovoice Study
Authors: Woodgate Roberta L. , Tailor Ketan , Tennent Pauline , Gonzalez Miriam , Bell Ashley
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this phenomenological photovoice study was to explore the lived experience of coping among 58 Canadian youth diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. A youth advisory committee was actively engaged throughout the project. Two phases of interviews were conducted more than a period of 4 years (2012–2016), supplemented by photovoice in the second interview. Data analysis was informed by van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology approach and his “Lifeworld Existentials” of embodiment, spatiality, relationality, and temporality served as a framework for organizing the data. Coping with anxiety was experienced as difficult: Anxiety was challenging to control and youth reported looking for something they could do to give them a break from their anxious thoughts and feelings. Youth reluctantly accepted their condition, and some adopted a new perspective of their experience. Coping strategies reported by youth fall along the lived experience domains of embodiment (body), spatiality (space), relationality (relations), temporality (time) and include expressing feelings and emotions, naming anxiety, bringing their attention to the present moment, distraction, going to a familiar space to calm down, going outdoors, reaching out to someone who could “be there” for them, and being with a pet. This study contributes to the emerging lived experience research in anxiety.
The discursive process of resemantisation: how global health discourses turned male circumcision into an anti-HIV policy
Authors: Alejandro Audrey , Feldman Joshua
Published: June 2024

In 2007, the WHO and UNAIDS established male circumcision as the first surgery ever implemented as a preventive health policy, via their Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) anti-HIV programme that delivered 18.6 million circumcisions in Southern and Eastern Africa by 2017. This article investigates how this genital ritual became a global health policy taking discourse as the entry point. Based on a mixed-method research design, we argue that global health International Organisations are at the forefront of the latest stage of a meaning-making process started in the 19th century: the transnational resemantisation of male circumcision into a medical procedure. First, we introduce the concept of resemantisation to the study of International Relations. Second, we conduct a computational discourse analysis of 396 VMMC policy documents and demonstrate the discursive mechanisms through which they play a role in this process. Third, we combine primary and secondary data to trace the transnational history of the circulation of medicalised male circumcision until its implementation as a global health policy. Overall, we introduce resemantisation as an analytical and methodological framework that nuances our understanding of meaning-making processes and builds bridges between the study of discourses and practices.
The 2023 Groningen conference: The Netherlands as a symbolic location for the conference of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
Authors: Grzymała-Moszczyńska Halina
Published: June 2024

The historical importance of The Netherlands for the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) is connected to the beginning of the current form IAPR. Four years pause between the Gdańsk conference (2019) and the Groningen conference (2023) due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the online organization of the 2021 conference. The 2023 conference is being presented in a hybrid format in order to make use of the additional opportunities that the online format provides. Results of the members questionnaire are presented. They provide characteristics of the current composition of IAPR members because of their education, academic positions, and research interests.
Tree Times: Urban Plants as Timekeepers and Seasonal Indicators
Authors: Dümpelmann Sonja
Published: June 2024

As living beings that change with the seasons, urban trees both indicate and structure time in the city. They do so through their own agency and life cycles and through the care and management they require in urban environments where they often stand in conflict with other land uses. In temperate zones, urban trees have been planted for centuries especially to provide cooling shade in hot summers. Their changeable and seasonal aesthetic effects, including their color, form, sound, and smell, have not only fostered individual urban identities but also impacted human psychological wellbeing. Focusing on cities in the temperate climate zone in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this article shows how some tree species were bred and introduced in urban areas to create seasonal effects, while others were eliminated or manipulated to avoid unwanted seasonal characteristics. Scientists and citizen scientists from an early time onwards considered urban trees as indicators of seasonal variations of the urban climate and of the urban heat island effect. Urban tree phenology transgressed the popular Western notion of the four seasons by offering a more nuanced structure of the year. It also revealed variations of seasonal change as climate change, and it anticipated that the trees growing in our future cities will likely be of different species.
Robust PD-type iterative learning control in a finite-frequency range for nonlinear systems based on T–S fuzzy models
Authors: Zou Wei , Shen Yanxia , Paszke Wojciech
Published: June 2024

Considering the complexity and universality of nonlinearity in control systems, it is of great significance to investigate the robust proportional-derivative type (PD-type) iterative learning control (ILC) design for repetitive nonlinear systems in the Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) forms, Different from existing ILC laws, the proposed ones are designed in the finite-frequency domain. The nonlinear systems are described by Roesser-type two-dimensional (2D) uncertain T–S fuzzy models with non-repetitive disturbances. The main contribution of this article is that the novel fuzzy ILC method is proposed by exploiting the 2D linear systems theory. Further to this, the proposed design guarantees the robust asymptotic stability and finite-frequency 2D H ∞ performance of the resulting fuzzy systems, and the controller gains are obtained by solving a set of linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints. Through the simulation of a nonlinear single-link rigid robot system, our major findings are that the proposed fuzzy control algorithm can lead to steady-state tracking performance and good robustness against non-repetitive disturbances and uncertainties, and the PD-type ILC performs significantly better than the P-type ILC, the former can efficiently improve the control effect.
Has the owl flown with regard to ‘the constitutional theory of political liberalism’?
Authors: Levinson Sanford
Published: June 2024

These are difficult times for the project of ‘political liberalism’. Frank Michelman is one of the most distinguished advocates for liberal constitutionalism, and one can only wonder if the time has past – that is, if the ‘owl of Minerva’ has perhaps flown – with regard to a constitutional project identified very much with the mid-20th century.
Disciplinary Practices and Perceptions of Disciplinary Situations Among Chinese Mothers
Authors: Gut Arkadiusz , Wilczewski Michał , Cheung Him , Kołodziej Beata
Published: June 2024

Research linking parental practices with children’s social development yields inconsistent results, warranting culture-sensitive models to explain the various trajectories of child development. This study explores disciplinary practices and perceptions of disciplinary situations among nine Chinese mothers. Thematic analysis of interview data refined a model of parental practices that considers Chinese mothers’ references to emotions and various strategies used in discussions with their children. Recurring cultural patterns focused on the child’s emotions and positioned the child as a central figure. Moreover, the model revealed that constructing the child as a mature or immature agent reflected the transformation model of social development, while self-perceptions as a dominant agent in the parent-child relationship suggested traditional aspects of Chinese culture in their concept of upbringing. Future research could validate this model on Chinese families functioning in diverse cultural environments, as well as multicultural and expatriate families in China and other national cultures.
Migrant entrepreneurs: Strategic approaches to overcoming liminality
Authors: Elo Maria , Ermolaeva Liubov , Ivanova-Gongne Maria , Klishevich Daria , Kothari Tanvi , Wiese Nila
Published: June 2024

In this article, we explore how migrants establish and operate small and medium-sized enterprises in the host country while navigating liminality and developing appropriate entrepreneurial strategies. We use a multiple-case study of Russian-speaking migrant entrepreneurs in Germany to explore how the integration of entrepreneurial migrants into the host country depends on their agency, ability to enter new contexts, adaptive strategies, perceived country of origin, and connections to diasporas. The study contributes to migrant entrepreneurship by explaining how migrants strategise and diminish their liminality by leveraging their portfolio of capabilities and resources to establish, grow, and transform entrepreneurial ventures.