bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Christianity and the Cubiculum : Spiritual Politics and Domestic Space in Late Antique Rome
Authors: Sessa Kristina
Published: July 2007

This essay explores the conceptual and material history of a single domestic space, the cubiculum, and its importance for the construction of episcopal authority and private piety in late antique Rome. The cubiculum, a small, typically enclosed room in a Roman house used for a variety of domestic activities (sleep, sex, business and entertainment, poetry writing, magic, and prayer), appears with surprising frequency in both classical and early Christian literature as the most "secret" place within the household, where its occupants might expect to conceal their activities to certain degrees from certain audiences. After a brief delineation of classical, biblical, and patristic conceptualizations of the cubiculum as a secret space as well as its material form in late antiquity, I examine the room's construction as the "martyr's bedroom" in a group of anonymous fifth- and sixth-century Roman passions known as the gesta martyrum. I argue that these Roman texts invited readers to identify their domestic cubicula as legitimate, alternative spaces of spiritual activity in the city, where, like the martyrs, they might practice their own "domesticated" feats of ascetic heroism without direct episcopal supervision. Yet rather than view these narratives as entirely subversive in terms of their spiritual politics, I explain their meaning in light of the rise of a distinctly domestic expression of Christian piety and civic tradition in Rome, one which privileged the household and its members over public, ecclesiastical spaces and figures in the emerging history of Rome's Christianization.
"As blood is forced out of flesh": Spontaneity and the Wounds of Exchange in Grace Abounding and The Pilgrim's Progress
Authors: Branch Lori
Published: July 2007

A full third of Grace Abounding recounts one traumatic experience: a voice coaxing Bunyan for over a year to "Sell him," to sell Christ, "for this or that." Criticism has ignored the economic form of this episode. I argue that in it we see the symptom of an early modern religious subjectivity coming to understand itself in evidentiary, economic terms; "Sell him" marks the incommensurability between economic logic and personal relation. Where criticism has long recognized the relationship between Grace Abounding and Pilgrim's Progress as "creative reworking," I argue that Pilgrim's Progress relieves the particular wounds described in Grace Abounding.
"We are neither male nor female Democrats": Gender Difference and Women's Integration within the Democratic Party
Authors: Brodkin Kimberly
Published: July 2007

This article explores the organization of women within the Democratic Party in the postwar period, using the unexpected dissolution of the party's Women's Division in 1953 to examine the way women active within the party apparatus understood their partisan engagement. These women embraced a gender-neutral approach emphasizing selflessness, and abandoned collective strategies to influence policy or extract gains for women. By the early 1960s, the women's organization had deteriorated not only because of the machinations of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair and the weakening of the DNC as a whole but also because of the women's own limited vision of their participation. Women made significant contributions to the life of the Democratic Party in the 1950s, but their abandonment of collective expression in the party in the name of gender neutrality and service contributed to the irrelevance of the remaining women's organization, particularly as women organized to assert collective pressure elsewhere. This article exposes the difficulties facing women who participated in mixed-sex organizations and adds to the dialogue regarding postwar women's political activism.
Expression of Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 in Oral and Ocular Canine Melanocytic Tumors
Authors: Shimoyama Y. , Akihara Y. , Kirat D. , Iwano H. , Hirayama K. , Kagawa Y. , Ohmachi T. , Matsuda K. , Okamoto M. , Kadosawa T. , Yokota H. , Taniyama H.
Published: July 2007

Solid tumors are composed of a heterogeneous population of cells surviving in various concentrations of oxygen. In a hypoxic environment, tumor cells generally up-regulate glycolysis and, therefore, generate more lactate that must be expelled from the cell through proton transporters to prevent intracellular acidosis. Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) is a major proton transporter in mammalian cells that transports monocarboxylates, such as lactate and pyruvate, together with a proton across the plasma membrane. Melanocytic neoplasia occurs frequently in dogs, but the prognosis is highly site-dependent. In this study, 50 oral canine melanomas, which were subdivided into 3 histologic subtypes, and 17 ocular canine melanocytic neoplasms (14 melanocytomas and 3 melanomas) were used to examine and compare MCT1 expression. Immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal chicken anti-rat MCT1 antibody showed that most oral melanoma exhibited cell membrane staining, although there were no significant differences observed among the 3 histologic subtypes. In contrast, the majority of ocular melanocytic tumors were not immunoreactive. Additionally, we documented the presence of a 45-kDa band in cell membrane protein Western blots, and sequencing of a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction band of expected size confirmed its identity as a partial canine MCT1 transcript in 3 oral tumors. Increased MCT1 expression in oral melanomas compared with ocular melanocytic tumors may reflect the very different biology between these tumors in dogs. These results are the first to document canine MCT1 expression in canine tumors and suggest that increased MCT1 expression may provide a potential therapeutic target for oral melanoma.
Testicular Interstitial Cell Tumor and Gynecomastia in a Rabbit
Authors: Maratea K. A. , Ramos-Vara J. A. , Corriveau L. A. , Miller M. A.
Published: July 2007

Unilateral testicular interstitial (Leydig) cell tumor and gynecomastia were diagnosed in an adult male rabbit. The interstitial cell tumor was a well-circumscribed, 2-mm diameter, pale tan nodule composed of a uniform population of polygonal cells. Neoplastic interstitial cells exhibited diffuse, granular cytoplasmic staining with Melan A, a marker of steroid-producing cells in humans and dogs. Multiple subcutaneous masses in the caudal abdomen were associated with enlarged nipples and consisted of hyperplastic mammary gland tissue with proliferation of ducts and alveoli, marked lobule formation, and pseudolactational hyperplasia. Many epithelial cells lining the hyperplastic ducts and alveoli exhibited intense nuclear expression of progesterone receptor antigen, whereas myoepithelial cells showed strong nuclear staining for p63 antigen. This is the first report of concurrent interstitial cell tumor and gynecomastia in a rabbit and also the first description of gynecomastia in this species.
A Genetic Mosaic Analysis With a Repressible Cell Marker Screen to Identify Genes Involved in Tracheal Cell Migration During Drosophila Air Sac Morphogenesis
Authors: Chanut-Delalande Hélène , Jung Alain C , Lin Li , Baer Magdalena M , Bilstein Andreas , Cabernard Clemens , Leptin Maria , Affolter Markus
Published: July 2007

Branching morphogenesis of the Drosophila tracheal system relies on the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway. The Drosophila FGF ligand Branchless (Bnl) and the FGFR Breathless (Btl/FGFR) are required for cell migration during the establishment of the interconnected network of tracheal tubes. However, due to an important maternal contribution of members of the FGFR pathway in the oocyte, a thorough genetic dissection of the role of components of the FGFR signaling cascade in tracheal cell migration is impossible in the embryo. To bypass this shortcoming, we studied tracheal cell migration in the dorsal air sac primordium, a structure that forms during late larval development. Using a mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) clone approach in mosaic animals, combined with an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenesis screen of the left arm of the second chromosome, we identified novel genes implicated in cell migration. We screened 1123 mutagenized lines and identified 47 lines displaying tracheal cell migration defects in the air sac primordium. Using complementation analyses based on lethality, mutations in 20 of these lines were genetically mapped to specific genomic areas. Three of the mutants were mapped to either the Mhc or the stam complementation groups. Further experiments confirmed that these genes are required for cell migration in the tracheal air sac primordium.
Trends in Opportunistic Infections in the Pre–and Post–Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Eras Among HIV-Infected Children in the Perinatal AIDS Collaborative Transmission Study, 1986–2004
Authors: Nesheim Steven R. , Kapogiannis Bill G. , Soe Minn M. , Sullivan Kevin M. , Abrams Elaine , Farley John , Palumbo Paul , Koenig Linda J. , Bulterys Marc
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the incidence and prevalence of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected children.

METHODS. Children born from 1986 to 1998 were monitored until 2004 in the Perinatal AIDS Collaborative Transmission Study, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We determined the pre–highly active antiretroviral therapy and post–highly active antiretroviral therapy (before and after January 1, 1997, respectively) incidence rates of opportunistic infections among HIV-infected children and characterized the temporal decreases in percentages of CD4+ cells and the mortality rates among patients with and those without incident opportunistic infections.

RESULTS. The overall opportunistic infection incidence declined from 14.4 to 1.1 cases per 100 patient-years; statistically significant reductions were seen in the incidence of the most common opportunistic infections, including Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (5.8 vs 0.3 cases per 100 patient-years), recurrent bacterial infections (4.7 vs 0.2 cases per 100 patient-years), extraocular cytomegalovirus infection (1.4 vs 0.1 cases per 100 patient-years), and disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infection (1.3 vs 0.2 cases per 100 patient-years). Kaplan-Meier analysis of time from birth to the first opportunistic infection illustrated more-rapid acquisition of opportunistic infections by HIV-infected children born in the pre–highly active antiretroviral therapy era than by those born later. In the first 3 years of life, there was a faster decline in the percentage of CD4+ cells among children with opportunistic infections. The mortality rate was significantly higher among children with opportunistic infections.

CONCLUSIONS. Reduction in the incidence of opportunistic infections and prolongation of the time to the first opportunistic infection were noted during the post–highly active antiretroviral therapy era. Children who experienced opportunistic infections had higher mortality rates than did those who did not. Younger children (<3 years) who experienced opportunistic infections had faster declines in percentages of CD4+ T cells.
Physician Medical Decision-making at the End of Life in Newborns: Insight Into Implementation at 2 Dutch Centers
Authors: Verhagen A. A. Eduard , van der Hoeven Mark A. H. , van Meerveld R. Corine , Sauer Pieter J. J.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE. Decisions regarding end-of-life care in critically ill newborns in the Netherlands have received considerable criticism from the media and from the public. This might be because of a lack of proper information and knowledge. Our purpose was to provide detailed information about how and when the implementation of end-of-life decisions, which are based on quality-of-life considerations, takes place.

METHODS. We reviewed the charts of all infants who died within the first 2 months of life at 2 university hospitals in the Netherlands from January to July 2005 and extracted all relevant information about the end-of-life decisions. We interviewed the responsible neonatologists about the end-of-life decisions and the underlying quality-of-life considerations and about the process of implementation.

RESULTS. Of a total of 30 deaths, 28 were attributable to withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. In 18 of 28 cases, the infant had no chance to survive; in 10 cases, the final decision was based on the poor prognosis of the infant. In 6 patients, 2 successive different end-of-life decisions were made. The arguments that most frequently were used to conclude that quality of life was deemed poor were predicted suffering and predicted inability of verbal and nonverbal communication. Implementation consisted of discontinuation of ventilatory support and alleviation of pain and symptoms. Neuromuscular blockers were added shortly before death in 5 cases to prevent gasping, mostly on parental request.

CONCLUSIONS. The majority of deaths were attributable to withholding or withdrawing treatment. In most cases, the newborn had no chance to survive and prolonging of treatment could not be justified. In the remaining cases, withholding or withdrawing treatment was based on quality-of-life considerations, mostly the predicted suffering and predicted inability of verbal and nonverbal communication. Potentially life-shortening medication played a minor role as a cause of death.
Hepatitis A Vaccine Recommendations
Authors:   Committee on Infectious Diseases
Published: July 2007

This Policy Statement was retired July 2010.

Since licensure in 1995 of a hepatitis A vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have been implementing an incremental hepatitis A immunization strategy for children. In 1996, children living in populations with the highest rates of disease were targeted for immunization, and in 1999 the program was expanded to immunization of children 2 years and older living in states and counties with rates of hepatitis A that historically have been higher than the national average. The 1999 program has been successful; the current rate of hepatitis A is the lowest ever reported in the United States. Regional, ethnic, and racial differences in the incidence of hepatitis A have been eliminated. The incidence of hepatitis A in adults in immunizing states has decreased significantly, suggesting a strong herd-immunity effect associated with immunization. In 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration changed the youngest approved age of administration of hepatitis A vaccine from 24 to 12 months of age, which facilitated incorporation of the vaccine into the recommended childhood immunization schedule. As the next step in the implementation of the incremental vaccine immunization strategy, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends routine administration of a Food and Drug Administration–licensed hepatitis A vaccine to all children 12 to 23 months of age in all states according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–approved immunization schedule. Available data suggest that hepatitis A vaccine can be coadministered with other childhood vaccines without decreasing immunogenicity. Hepatitis A vaccines have proven to be extremely safe. In prelicensure clinical trials of both Havrix (GlaxoSmithKline, Rixensart, Belgium) and Vaqta (Merck & Co Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ), adverse events were uncommon and mild when they occurred, with resolution typically in less than 1 day. Hepatitis A vaccine is contraindicated in people with a history of severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis A vaccine or to a vaccine component. Because the hepatitis A vaccine is an inactivated product, no special precautions are needed for administration to people who are immunocompromised. No data exist about administration of the hepatitis A vaccine to pregnant women, but because it is not a live vaccine, the risk to mother and fetus should be extremely low to nonexistent.
THE EFFECT OF CONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT ON TARGET VARIABLES IN OUTPATIENT PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSION: A SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL CASE USING FUNCTIONAL ANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
Authors: Kanter Jonathan W. , Landes Sara J. , Busch Andrew M. , Rusch Laura C. , Brown Keri R. , Baruch David E. , Holman Gareth I.
Published: July 2007

The current study investigated a behavior‐analytic treatment, functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), for outpatient depression utilizing two single‐subject A/A+B designs. The baseline condition was cognitive behavioral therapy. Results demonstrated treatment success in 1 client after the addition of FAP and treatment failure in the 2nd. This study highlights the challenges in measuring treatment progress and outcome idiographically in this population.
STAFF‐ADMINISTERED FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF AGGRESSION BY AN ELDER WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Baker Jonathan C. , Hanley Gregory P. , Mathews R. Mark
Published: July 2007

In the current study, nursing home staff were taught to administer functional analyses to determine the variables maintaining aggression by an elder with dementia. The results indicated that aggression was evoked during bathroom routines and that escape maintained aggression. Staff then reduced aggression to near‐zero levels with noncontingent escape. Implications for the assessment and treatment of problem behaviors in nursing home settings are discussed.
DISSOCIATION BETWEEN IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE RICH IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: THE CASE OF CHINA
Authors: Zhou Fan , Wang Dengfeng
Published: July 2007

In developing countries in which the gap between the rich and the poor is wide, we hypothesized a dissociation between people's implicit and explicit attitudes towards the rich. We tested this hypothesis in China, the world's largest emerging economy. As predicted, Chinese
participants exhibited a negative attitude towards the rich in responding to a questionnaire which measured their explicit attitude. In contrast, when an implicit measure was used, they were found to hold a positive attitude towards the rich. In addition, the correlation between the explicit
and implicit measures was not significant.
A STUDY OF THE SELF-CONCEPTS OF 9–14 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC DISEASES
Authors: Gültekin Gülümser , Baran Gülen
Published: July 2007

This study identified the level of self-concept in children with acute and chronic illnesses and determined the factors that may influence their self-concepts. The study sample includes 154 children (77 children with chronic illness, 77 children with acute illness). The data were collected
via the General Information Form and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children (Piers & Harris, 1969). The data were analyzed via MANOVA, ANOVA and the Duncan Test. The findings indicate that self-concept scores vary, depending on the age of the child (p < .01) and the
age of the mother (p < .05). Furthermore, for children with chronic illnesses, the medical department (p < .05), diagnosis (p < .05), treatment period (p < .05), and length of hospitalization (p < .01) all affected self-concept scores.
RE-EXAMINATION OF THE PSYCHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AMONG TURKISH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Authors: Duru Erdinç
Published: July 2007

The effectiveness of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) was investigated with a sample of 340 Turkish university students. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the 3-subscale structure
of the MSPSS was valid. In addition, the results verified that the MSPSS has high internal and test-retest reliability. These results indicate that the MSPSS and its subscales can be used in research related to university students in Turkey.
Effects of dexamethasone on glucose dynamics and insulin sensitivity in healthy horses
Authors: Tiley Heather A. , Geor Ray J. , McCutcheon L. Jill
Published: July 2007

Objective—To determine effects of dexamethasone on glucose dynamics and insulin sensitivity in healthy horses.

Animals—6 adult Standardbreds.

Procedures—In a balanced crossover study, horses received dexamethasone (0.08 mg/ kg, IV, q 48 h) or an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control treatment) during a 21-day period. Horses underwent a 3-hour frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) 2 days after treatment. Minimal model analysis of glucose and insulin data from FSIGTs were used to estimate insulin sensitivity (Si), glucose effectiveness (Sg), acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg), and disposition index. Proxies for Si (reciprocal of the inverse square of basal insulin concentration [RISQI]) and beta-cell responsiveness (modified insulin-to-glucose ratio [MIRG]) were calculated from basal plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations.

Results—Mean serum insulin concentration was significantly higher in dexamethasone-treated horses than control horses on days 7, 14, and 21. Similarly, mean plasma glucose concentration was higher in dexamethasone-treated horses on days 7, 14, and 21; this value differed significantly on day 14 but not on days 7 or 21. Minimal model analysis of FSIGT data revealed a significant decrease in Si and a significant increase in AIRg after dexamethasone treatment, with no change in Sg or disposition index. Mean RISQI was significantly lower, whereas MIRG was higher, in dexamethasone-treated horses than control horses on days 7, 14, and 21.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The study revealed marked insulin resistance in healthy horses after 21 days of dexamethasone administration. Because insulin resistance has been associated with a predisposition to laminitis, a glucocorticoid-induced decrease in insulin sensitivity may increase risk for development of laminitis in some horses and ponies.
Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and haptoglobin in pigs inoculated with African swine fever or classical swine fever viruses
Authors: Sánchez-Cordón Pedro J. , Cerón José J. , Núñez Alejandro , Martínez-Subiela Silvia , Pedrera Miriam , Romero-Trevejo José L. , Garrido María R. , Gómez-Villamandos José C.
Published: July 2007

Objective—To determine serum concentrations of the selected acute-phase proteins (APPs) haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pigs experimentally inoculated with classical swine fever (CSF) and African swine fever (ASF) viruses.

Animals—8 crossbred (Large White × Landrace) 10-week-old pigs.

Procedures—Pigs were allocated to 2 groups (4 pigs/group). One group was inoculated with the CSF virus Alfort 187 strain, whereas the other groupwas inoculated with the ASF virus Spain 70 isolate. Blood samples were collected at various time points. At the end of the study, pigs were euthanized and a complete necropsy was performed, including histologic and immunohistochemical analyses.

Results—Serum concentrations of APPs increased in pigs inoculated with CSF and ASF viruses, which suggested an acute-phase response in the course of both diseases. The most noticeable increase in concentration was recorded for SAA in both groups (up to a 300-fold increase for CSF virus and an approx 40-fold increase for ASF virus), followed by CRP and then haptoglobin, which each had only 3- to 4-fold increases.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Serum concentrations of APPs increased significantly in pigs inoculated with CSF and ASF viruses. However, differences were evident in serum concentrations of the proteins evaluated in this study.
Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators—Transformative Drugs or Heralds of the Next Drug Epidemic?
Authors: Hahamyan Henrik A. , Basaria Shehzad
Published: March 2024

This Viewpoint examines whether selective androgen receptor modulators have the potential to be transformative drugs or whether they herald the next drug epidemic.
Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease
Authors: Soni Monica , Peterson Kathryn A. , Uchida Amiko M.
Published: March 2024

This JAMA Insights Clinical Update discusses the symptoms, diagnosis, and management of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.
Inappropriate Diagnosis of Pneumonia Among Hospitalized Adults
Authors: Gupta Ashwin B. , Flanders Scott A. , Petty Lindsay A. , Gandhi Tejal N. , Pulia Michael S. , Horowitz Jennifer K. , Ratz David , Bernstein Steven J. , Malani Anurag N. , Patel Payal K. , Hofer Timothy P. , Basu Tanima , Chopra Vineet , Vaughn Valerie M.
Published: March 2024

Importance

Little is known about incidence of, risk factors for, and harms associated with inappropriate diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Objective

To characterize inappropriate diagnosis of CAP in hospitalized patients.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective cohort study, including medical record review and patient telephone calls, took place across 48 Michigan hospitals. Trained abstractors retrospectively assessed hospitalized patients treated for CAP between July 1, 2017, and March 31, 2020. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were adults admitted to general care with a discharge diagnostic code of pneumonia who received antibiotics on day 1 or 2 of hospitalization. Data were analyzed from February to December 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Inappropriate diagnosis of CAP was defined using a National Quality Forum–endorsed metric as CAP-directed antibiotic therapy in patients with fewer than 2 signs or symptoms of CAP or negative chest imaging. Risk factors for inappropriate diagnosis were assessed and, for those inappropriately diagnosed, 30-day composite outcomes (mortality, readmission, emergency department visit, Clostridioides difficile infection, and antibiotic-associated adverse events) were documented and stratified by full course (>3 days) vs brief (≤3 days) antibiotic treatment using generalized estimating equation models adjusting for confounders and propensity for treatment.

Results

Of the 17 290 hospitalized patients treated for CAP, 2079 (12.0%) met criteria for inappropriate diagnosis (median [IQR] age, 71.8 [60.1-82.8] years; 1045 [50.3%] female), of whom 1821 (87.6%) received full antibiotic courses. Compared with patients with CAP, patients inappropriately diagnosed were older (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.08; 95% CI, 1.05-1.11 per decade) and more likely to have dementia (AOR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.55-2.08) or altered mental status on presentation (AOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.39-2.19). Among those inappropriately diagnosed, 30-day composite outcomes for full vs brief treatment did not differ (25.8% vs 25.6%; AOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.79-1.23). Full vs brief duration of antibiotic treatment among patients was associated with antibiotic-associated adverse events (31 of 1821 [2.1%] vs 1 of 258 [0.4%]; P = .03).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, inappropriate diagnosis of CAP among hospitalized adults was common, particularly among older adults, those with dementia, and those presenting with altered mental status. Full-course antibiotic treatment of those inappropriately diagnosed with CAP may be harmful.
Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity and Mortality Among Older People
Authors: Benz Elizabeth , Pinel Alexandre , Guillet Christelle , Capel Frederic , Pereira Bruno , De Antonio Marie , Pouget Melanie , Cruz-Jentoft Alfonso J. , Eglseer Doris , Topinkova Eva , Barazzoni Rocco , Rivadeneira Fernando , Ikram M. Arfan , Steur Marinka , Voortman Trudy , Schoufour Josje D. , Weijs Peter J.M. , Boirie Yves
Published: March 2024

Importance

Sarcopenia and obesity are 2 global concerns associated with adverse health outcomes in older people. Evidence on the population-based prevalence of the combination of sarcopenia with obesity (sarcopenic obesity [SO]) and its association with mortality are still limited.

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and SO and their association with all-cause mortality.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This large-scale, population-based cohort study assessed participants from the Rotterdam Study from March 1, 2009, to June 1, 2014. Associations of sarcopenia and SO with all-cause mortality were studied using Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox proportional hazards regression, and accelerated failure time models fitted for sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). Data analysis was performed from January 1 to April 1, 2023.

Exposures

The prevalence of sarcopenia and SO, measured based on handgrip strength and body composition (BC) (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) as recommended by current consensus criteria, with probable sarcopenia defined as having low handgrip strength and confirmed sarcopenia and SO defined as altered BC (high fat percentage and/or low appendicular skeletal muscle index) in addition to low handgrip strength.

Main Outcome and Measure

The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, collected using linked mortality data from general practitioners and the central municipal records, until October 2022.

Results

In the total population of 5888 participants (mean [SD] age, 69.5 [9.1] years; mean [SD] BMI, 27.5 [4.3]; 3343 [56.8%] female), 653 (11.1%; 95% CI, 10.3%-11.9%) had probable sarcopenia and 127 (2.2%; 95% CI, 1.8%-2.6%) had confirmed sarcopenia. Sarcopenic obesity with 1 altered component of BC was present in 295 participants (5.0%; 95% CI, 4.4%-5.6%) and with 2 altered components in 44 participants (0.8%; 95% CI, 0.6%-1.0%). An increased risk of all-cause mortality was observed in participants with probable sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.14-1.47) and confirmed sarcopenia (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.53-2.43). Participants with SO plus 1 altered component of BC (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.60-2.33]) or 2 altered components of BC (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.97-4.11) had a higher risk of mortality than those without SO. Similar results for SO were obtained for participants with a BMI of 27 or greater.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, sarcopenia and SO were found to be prevalent phenotypes in older people and were associated with all-cause mortality. Additional alterations of BC amplified this risk independently of age, sex, and BMI. The use of low muscle strength as a first step of both diagnoses may allow for early identification of individuals at risk for premature mortality.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Encephalitis of Scrub Typhus
Authors: Li He , Lai Zhizong , Tang Wei
Published: March 2024

This case report describes the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and diagnosis of scrub typhus infection in a woman who had recurrent high fever, akinetic mutism, an eschar, and an increase in lymphocytes.
Common Prosperity (Chinese Concept Of)
Authors: Dunford Michael
Published: March 2024

In China the idea of common prosperity dates back to 1953. After 1979 China chose to let some people and places get rich first in order to accelerate economic development. The result was extraordinary sustained economic growth but at the expense of large increases in urban–rural, regional, and social inequalities in income and wealth, themselves associated with the growth of private capital and a strong increase in mass incidents. In 1999 the Communist Party of China started to address urban–rural and regional disparities in the name of common prosperity, while under the leadership of Xi Jinping the emphasis on common prosperity has increased markedly alongside domestic goals relating to innovation, improved governance, and ecological and spiritual civilization. Starting in 2020 this course has seen strong government action against the disorderly expansion of private capital, monopolies, speculation and the costs of privately provided education and housing, and the establishment of a demonstration zone in Zhejiang province.
Sacrifice Zones
Authors: Perkins Harold A.
Published: March 2024

No universal definition for a sacrifice zone exists, but it is a label commonly applied to irreparably polluted communities across a variety of geographical contexts. Much work remains, however, to understand the conceptual and material import of sacrifice zones. To sacrifice means giving something up now for the promise of something better in the future, but who makes the decision to sacrifice, who or what gets sacrificed, and toward what end, are open questions. While socioecological factors work intersectionally to underpin sacrifice zones everywhere, the answers to these open questions are likely unique to situations of severe environmental degradation anywhere they occur. Common factors that produce sacrifice zones are documented, but important questions are largely unaddressed, such as the complexity of their spatiality, the universal applicability of the term, the gendered dimensions of livelihood and resistance, and the implications of a green economic transition on the production of new sacrifice zones.
Social Sensing
Authors: Liu Yu
Published: March 2024

The term social sensing refers to utilizing various types of big geodata (e.g., social media data and mobile phone data) to extract human spatiotemporal behavior patterns, and thus enable the exploration, from both theoretical and methodological aspects, of the spatiotemporal distributions, relationships, and processes of socioeconomic geographical phenomena.
Neoliberalism Revisited
Authors: Sparke Matthew
Published: March 2024

The term neoliberalism is widely used to name efforts to make market competition the basis of economic coordination, social distribution, and personal motivation. Over time the “neo” in the term has come to index the many ways in which neoliberalism keeps evolving into new hybrids of market rule. Their names now are as radically revisionist as they are varied: including “authoritarian neoliberalism,” “progressive neoliberalism,” “neocolonial neoliberalism,” “nationalist neoliberalism,” “zombie neoliberalism,” “nihilistic neoliberalism,” and “neoliberalism with Chinese characteristics.” While they share family resemblances as real‐world examples of actually existing neoliberalism, they are all also departures from the “one‐size fits all” market‐fundamentalism of famous neoliberal thinkers. Increasingly they are therefore seen as “mutant neoliberalisms” that have evolved situationally as remixes of free market ideology, with sometimes countervailing policy commitments and populist pronouncements provoked by socioeconomic crises caused by preceding periods of market rule. Studying such mutations therefore reveals how the successful failures of neoliberalism have led to repeated rounds of reform that are as provisional as they are relentlessly pro‐market. As a result, neoliberalism keeps coming back socially and politically as well as in scholarly debate, and for the same reasons it is in turn necessary to keep revisiting the questions of how and with what consequences.
An Ultrasensitive Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicator Uncovers the Electrical Activity of Non‐Excitable Cells
Authors: Rühl Philipp , Nair Anagha G. , Gawande Namrata , Dehiwalage Sassrika N. C. W. , Münster Lukas , Schönherr Roland , Heinemann Stefan H.
Published: March 2024

Most animal cell types are classified as non‐excitable because they do not generate action potentials observed in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. Thus, resolving voltage signals in non‐excitable cells demands sensors with exceptionally high voltage sensitivity. In this study, the ultrabright, ultrasensitive, and calibratable genetically encoded voltage sensor rEstus is developed using structure‐guided engineering. rEstus is most sensitive in the resting voltage range of non‐excitable cells and offers a 3.6‐fold improvement in brightness change for fast voltage spikes over its precursor ASAP3. Using rEstus, it is uncovered that the membrane voltage in several non‐excitable cell lines (A375, HEK293T, MCF7) undergoes spontaneous endogenous alterations on a second to millisecond timescale. Correlation analysis of these optically recorded voltage alterations provides a direct, real‐time readout of electrical cell–cell coupling, showing that visually connected A375 and HEK293T cells are also largely electrically connected, while MCF7 cells are only weakly coupled. The presented work provides enhanced tools and methods for non‐invasive voltage imaging in living cells and demonstrates that spontaneous endogenous membrane voltage alterations are not limited to excitable cells but also occur in a variety of non‐excitable cell types.
Targeting the KAT8/YEATS4 Axis Represses Tumor Growth and Increases Cisplatin Sensitivity in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Xie Miner , Zhou Liwen , Li Ting , Lin Yujie , Zhang Ruhua , Zheng Xianchong , Zeng Cuiling , Zheng Lisi , Zhong Li , Huang Xiaodan , Zou Yezi , Kang Tiebang , Wu Yuanzhong
Published: March 2024

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common tumors characterized by a high rate of relapse and a lack of targeted therapy. Here, YEATS domain‐containing protein 4 (YEATS4) is an essential gene for BC cell viability using CRISPR‐Cas9 library screening is reported, and that HUWE1 is an E3 ligase responsible for YEATS4 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation by the Protein Stability Regulators Screening Assay. KAT8‐mediated acetylation of YEATS4 impaired its interaction with HUWE1 and consequently prevented its ubiquitination and degradation. The protein levels of YEATS4 and KAT8 are positively correlated and high levels of these two proteins are associated with poor overall survival in BC patients. Importantly, suppression of YEATS4 acetylation with the KAT8 inhibitor MG149 decreased YEATS4 acetylation, reduced cell viability, and sensitized BC cells to cisplatin treatment. The findings reveal a critical role of the KAT8/YEATS4 axis in both tumor growth and cisplatin sensitivity in BC cells, potentially generating a novel therapeutic strategy for BC patients.
The new normal: Grocery shopping behavior changes before and after the COVID‐19 vaccine
Authors: Conlin Michael , Harris‐Lagoudakis Katherine , Haughey Cara , Jung Seung Yeon , Wich Hannah
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we use transaction data from a large grocery store retailer to describe changes in grocery shopping behavior associated with the progression of the COVID‐19 pandemic before and after the vaccines were developed. We find that in general, households increased their spending and decreased their number of transactions early in the pandemic. Further, most households increased their reliance on online shopping during the pandemic and this shift persisted into the post‐vaccine period. We find somewhat mixed results on how overall healthfulness of grocery store purchases changed during the pandemic, and we find that changes in healthfulness vary with market and household demographics. Perhaps most interestingly, we find that changes in a store's spending and transactions, along with the healthfulness of these purchases, vary significantly with the racial composition of a store's market and that these differential changes persisted after vaccines were available.
“They were very very nice but just not very good”: The interplay between resident–supervisor relationships and assessment in the emergency setting
Authors: Laurin Suzanne , Castonguay Véronique , Dory Valérie , Cusson Lise , Côté Luc
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Clinical supervisors hesitate to report learner weaknesses, a widely documented phenomenon referred to as “failure to fail.” They also struggle to discuss weaknesses with learners themselves. Their reluctance to report and discuss learner weaknesses threatens the validity of assessment‐of‐learning decisions and the effectiveness of assessment for learning. Personal and interpersonal factors have been found to act as barriers to reporting learners’ difficulties, but the precise role of the resident–supervisor relationship remains underexplored, specifically in the emergency setting. This study aims to better understand if and how factors related to the resident–supervisor relationship are involved in assessment of and for learning in the emergency setting.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study, using semistructured interviews of 15 clinical supervisors in emergency medicine departments affiliated with our institution. Transcripts were independently coded by three members of the team using an iterative mixed deductive–inductive thematic analysis approach. The team then synthesized the coding and discussed analysis following guidelines for thematic analysis.

Results

Participating emergency medicine supervisors valued resident–supervisor relationships built on collaboration and trust and believed that such relationships support learning. They described how these relationships influenced assessment of and for learning and how in turn assessment influenced the relationship. Almost all profiles of resident–supervisor relationships in our study could hinder the disclosing of resident weaknesses, through a variety of mechanisms. To protect residents and themselves from the discomfort of disclosing weaknesses and to avoid deteriorating the resident–supervisor relationship, many downplayed or even masked residents’ difficulties. Supervisors who described themselves as able to provide negative assessment of and for learning often adopted a more distant or professional stance.

Conclusions

This study contributes to a growing literature on failure to fail by confirming the critical impact that the resident–supervisor relationship has on the willingness and ability of emergency medicine supervisors to play their part as assessors.
Bifunctional Chiral Agent Enables One‐pot Spontaneous Deracemization of Racemic Compounds
Authors: Su Xin , Sun Jie , Liu Jiaqiang , Wang Yaoguo , Wang Jingkang , Tang Weiwei , Gong Junbo
Published: March 2024

A novel one‐pot deracemization method using a bifunctional chiral agent (BCA) is proposed for the first time to convert a racemate to the desired enantiomer. Specifically, chiral α, (α‐diphenyl‐2‐pyrrolidinemethanol) formed enantiospecific cocrystals with racemic dihydromyricetin, and used its own alkaline catalysis to catalyze the racemization between the (2R,3R)‐enantiomer and (2S,3S)‐enantiomer in solution, achieving a one‐pot spontaneous deracemization. This strategy was also successfully extended to the deracemization of three other racemic compound drugs: (R,S)‐carprofen, (R,S)‐indoprofen, and (R,S)‐indobufen. The one‐pot deracemization method based on the BCA strategy provides a feasible approach to address the incompatibility between cocrystallization and racemization reactions that are commonly encountered in the cocrystallization‐induced deracemization process and opens a new window to develop essential enantiomerically pure pharmaceutical products with atom economy.
Towards More Sustainable Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Jiacai , Tie Zhiwei , Bi Songshan , Niu Zhiqiang
Published: March 2024

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered as the promising candidates for large‐scale energy storage because of their high safety, low cost and environmental benignity. The large‐scale applications of AZIBs will inevitably result in a large amount of spent AZIBs, which not only induce the waste of resources, but also pose environmental risks. Therefore, sustainable AZIBs have to be considered to minimize the risk of environmental pollution and maximize the utilization of spent compounds. Herein, this minireview focuses on the sustainability of AZIBs from material design and recycling techniques. The structure and degradation mechanism of AZIBs are discussed to guide the recycling design of the materials. Subsequently, the sustainability of component materials in AZIBs is further analysed to pre‐evaluate their recycling behaviors and mentor the selection of more sustainable component materials, including active materials in cathodes, Zn anodes, and aqueous electrolytes, respectively. According to the features of component materials, corresponding green and economic approaches are further proposed to realize the recycling of active materials in cathodes, Zn anodes and electrolytes, respectively. These advanced technologies endow the recycling of component materials with high efficiency and a closed‐loop control, ensuring that AZIBs will be the promising candidates of sustainable energy storage devices. This review will offer insight into potential future directions in the design of sustainable AZIBs.
Constructing π–π Superposition Effect of Tetralithium Naphthalenetetracarboxylate with Electron Delocalization for Robust Dual‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Su Yuanqiang , Shang Jian , Liu Xianchun , Li Jia , Pan Qingguang , Tang Yongbing
Published: March 2024

Organics are gaining significance as electrode materials due to their merits of multi‐electron reaction sites, flexible rearrangeable structures and redox reversibility. However, organics encounter finite electronic conductivity and inferior durability especially in organic electrolytes. To circumvent above barriers, we propose a novel design strategy, constructing conductive network structures with extended π–π superposition effect by manipulating intermolecular interaction. Tetralithium 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylate (LNTC) interwoven by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) forms LNTC@CNTs composite firstly for Li‐ion storage, where multiple conjugated carboxyls contribute sufficient Li‐ion storage sites, the unique network feature enables electrolyte and charge mobility conveniently combining electron delocalization in π‐conjugated system, and the enhanced π–π superposition effect between LNTC and CNTs endows laudable structural robustness. Accordingly, LNTC@CNTs maintain an excellent Li‐ion storage capacity retention of 96.4 % after 400 cycles. Electrochemical experiments and theoretical simulations elucidate the fast reaction kinetics and reversible Li‐ion storage stability owing to the electron delocalization and π–π superposition effect, while conjugated carboxyls are reversibly rearranged into enolates during charging/discharging. Consequently, a dual‐ion battery combining this composite anode and expanded graphite cathode exhibits a peak specific capacity of 122 mAh g−1 and long cycling life with a capacity retention of 84.2 % after 900 cycles.
Integrating spatiotemporal hydrological connectivity into conservation planning to protect temporary rivers
Authors: Fernández‐Calero José María , Cunillera‐Montcusí David , Hermoso Virgilio , Quevedo‐Ortiz Guillermo , Fortuño Pau , Acosta Raúl , Gomà Joan , Cid Núria , Vinyoles Dolors , Ruhí Albert , Cañedo‐Argüelles Miguel , Bonada Núria
Published: March 2024

Temporary rivers (TRs) have been largely overlooked in conservation assessments. Because TRs are such dynamic ecosystems, spatial and temporal aspects of their hydrology and ecology need to be taken into account when designing conservation plans.

The aim of this paper is to propose a set of recommendations that could be useful for managers to do this, using seasonal diatom and macroinvertebrate data from north‐eastern Spain as a case study. Beta diversity was partitioned into local and species contributions to beta diversity (LCBD and SCBD). Additionally, priority conservation sites covering the spatial distribution of all species were identified using Marxan and the selection frequency (MSF) of the sites served as a measure of the relative irreplaceability of each site.

Using both approaches (beta diversity and Marxan), the effects of changing spatiotemporal connectivity and habitat heterogeneity on the selection and prioritization of sites to be conserved were assessed.

It was found that LCBD and MSF ranged widely both in space and time. However, LCBD and MSF were weakly related. Marxan adequately represented all taxa by selecting a few sites, while LCBD selected communities with higher differentiation but not necessarily those with rare species. In addition, SCBDs assigned low values to rare taxa, thus care must be taken when using this index for conservation planning.

Spatiotemporal connectivity and local habitat heterogeneity played a critical role at the regional and local scales, driving site prioritization.

Overall, we recommend: 1) monitoring multiple hydrological phases to encompass the different community types and capturing total diversity; 2) using Marxan and LCBD in combination, to benefit from their complementary insights; and 3) integrating spatiotemporal isolation and habitat heterogeneity into conservation plans, since they are the main drivers of community variation over space and time in TRs.