bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voices Amidst the Smoke—Social Workers against Police Brutality in Hong Kong
Authors: Leung Zeno C S , Lam C W , Cheng Carl Yuk Tin , Ng Yut-Ming
Published: December 2021

Social unrest occurred across the latter half of 2019 through to early 2020 in Hong Kong. It changed the lives of many Hongkongers, and also changed the identities of a group of social workers in the city. Initiated by the Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union, around 140 social workers organised themselves into the ‘Battlefield Social Workers’. Their voices were often heard at the frontier of scenes of social conflict that were full of smoke caused by tear gas shells and other firearms used by the police. Whilst the protesters and police officers were in extremely tense situations, such voices that were trying to calm people down posed a huge contrast. In this study, the authors have interviewed twenty-two Battlefield Social Workers. Their experiences on the ‘battlefront’ were investigated, with special attention paid to their perceptions of what social workers had done against police brutality. The findings and discussions are considered to have brought insights on social workers’ roles in an increasingly turbulent world.
Patients’ openness to discussing implantable cardioverter defibrillator deactivation at end of life: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lee Kyoung Suk , Oh Oonjee , Miller Jennifer , Hammash Muna , Thompson David R , Ski Chantal F , Cameron Jan , Hwang Seon Young , Moser Debra K
Published: December 2021

Aims

It is recommended that patients and clinicians discuss end-of-life deactivation of their implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) prior to device implantation and throughout the illness trajectory to facilitate shared decision-making. However, such discussions rarely occur, and little is known about patients’ openness to this discussion. The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with patients’ openness to discussing end-of-life ICD deactivation with clinicians.

Methods and results

This cross-sectional study recruited 293 patients with an ICD from outpatient clinics in the USA, Australia, and South Korea. Patients were classified into an open or resistant group based on their desire to discuss device deactivation at end of life with clinicians. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore factors related to patients’ openness to this discussion.

About half of the participants (57.7%) were open to discussing such issues with their clinicians. Factors related to patients’ openness to discussing device deactivation at end of life were living with someone, not having severe comorbid conditions (cancer and/or chronic kidney disease), greater ICD knowledge, and more experience discussing end-of-life issues with clinicians (odds ratio: 0.479, 0.382, 1.172, 1.332, respectively).

Conclusion

Approximately half of the ICD recipients were reluctant to discuss device deactivation at end of life with clinicians. Unmodifiable factors were their living arrangement and severe comorbidity. ICD knowledge and prior experience discussing end-of-life issues were potentially modifiable factors in the future. These factors should be addressed when assessing patients’ readiness for a shared discussion about device deactivation at end of life.
With an Iron Broom: Cleansing Berlin’s Bülowplatz of ‘Judeo-Bolshevism’, 1933–1936
Authors: Walch Teresa
Published: December 2021

Home to the Communist Party of Germany’s headquarters and heart of the remaining Scheunenviertel and its Jewish populations, Berlin’s Bülowplatz was detested as representative of ‘Judeo-Bolshevism’ by local Nazis, and they vowed to ‘cleanse’ the square with an ‘iron broom’. In March 1933, SA-men and police officers occupied and confiscated the KPD headquarters and renamed the square ‘Horst-Wessel-Platz’. Thereafter, city officials selected the Jewish-owned apartment buildings behind the square for the first urban renewal measures under the new regime, with the explicit intent of evicting the Jewish residents from this Nazi memorial square. Via a close reading of minutes from bureaucratic meetings, this article illuminates how bureaucrats began translating Nazi ideology into practice. Although municipal and federal bureaucrats initially lacked the requisite authority and legislation to implement this ideologically driven project, united by broadly held antisemitic prejudices they creatively devised solutions and collaborated to mobilize bureaucratic processes for city planning that was explicitly antisemitic. The ideological transformation of Bülowplatz constituted the earliest case of de-Jewification (Entjudung) in Nazi Germany and set an important precedent for later measures of spatial and ethnic cleansing enacted against Jews in Germany and across Europe.
Velocity changes around the Kaikōura earthquake ruptures from ambient noise cross-correlations
Authors: Madley Megan , Yates Alexander , Savage Martha , Wang Weiwei , Okada Tomomi , Matsumoto Satoshi , Iio Yoshihisa , Jacobs Katrina
Published: December 2021

Seismic velocity changes before and after large-magnitude earthquakes carry information about damage present in the surrounding region. This study presents temporal velocity changes detected prior to and following the 2016 November Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in Canterbury, New Zealand. We use continuous waveform data from 11 short-period seismometers within the Kaikōura region with an average interstation distance of 83 km. Nine-component day-long empirical Green’s functions were computed for frequencies between 0.1 and 0.9 Hz for continuous seismic records from 2012 January 1 to 2018 February 28, which also include the 2013 Cook Strait and Lake Grassmere earthquakes. Using the moving-window cross-spectral method, seismic velocity changes were calculated. Immediately following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, a decrease in seismic velocity averaged across all component pairs of approximately 0.2 per cent was observed. An increase in seismic velocity of approximately 0.1 per cent after the earthquake was visible over a 1.5 yr period averaged across all component pairs. A depth sensitivity analysis suggests that observed velocity changes were confined to the uppermost 5 km of the subsurface. We consider strong ground motions a likely candidate for the seismic velocity decrease, followed by post-seismic relaxation via crack healing of the faults that ruptured in the Kaikōura region. Fault-zone damage may also have contributed to observed decreases in the vicinity of ruptured faults.
Emily Kenway, The Truth About Modern Slavery
Authors: Singh Sona
Published: December 2021

This essay reviews the book, The Truth About Modern Slavery, by Emily Kenway, which is an account of what actually constitutes modern slavery, a term used to explain a multitude of exploitations such as trafficking, and slave labour. It explores some of the book’s implications for contemporary campaigning and advocacy on this issue.
What do we Mean by “Orthodox” Judaism?
Authors: Margulies Ezra A
Published: December 2021

Who qualifies as an “orthodox” Jew and what do we mean by “orthodox” Judaism? These are vexing questions, which rabbis, polemicists, academics, and laypeople alike have persistently confronted for the past 200 years. This article reexamines key historical episodes in this long-standing debate and unpacks the definitions of “orthodoxy” which emerge from them, but not with the view of establishing the correct one. Rather, it aims to demonstrate the futility of any such effort. Harnessing insights from Wittgensteinian thought on essentialization and family resemblance, it identifies historical and conceptual hurdles which prevent any proposed definition of “orthodox” from prevailing among Jews in the modern period, despite incessant attempts at pinning down the term’s essence. By recasting the debate through the lens of family resemblance, the author puts forward an alternative framework for navigating divergence and deviance which better accounts for the manifold ideologies populating the contemporary Jewish landscape.
Radioactive nuclei in the early Solar system: analysis of the 15 isotopes produced by core-collapse supernovae
Authors: Lawson Thomas V , Pignatari Marco , Stancliffe Richard J , den Hartogh Jacqueline , Jones Sam , Fryer Chris L , Gibson Brad K , Lugaro Maria
Published: December 2021

Short-lived radioactive isotopes (SLRs) with half-lives between 0.1 and 100 Myr can be used to probe the origin of the Solar system. In this work, we examine the core-collapse supernovae production of the 15 SLRs produced: 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 53Mn, 60Fe, 92Nb, 97Tc, 98Tc, 107Pd, 126Sn, 129I, 135Cs, 146Sm, 182Hf, and 205Pb. We probe the impact of the uncertainties of the core-collapse explosion mechanism by examining a collection of 62 core-collapse models with initial masses of 15, 20, and 25 M⊙, explosion energies between 3.4 × 1050 and 1.8 × 1052 erg and compact remnant masses between 1.5 and 4.89 M⊙. We identify the impact of both explosion energy and remnant mass on the final yields of the SLRs. Isotopes produced within the innermost regions of the star, such as 92Nb and 97Tc, are the most affected by the remnant mass, 92Nb varying by five orders of magnitude. Isotopes synthesized primarily in explosive C-burning and explosive He-burning, such as 60Fe, are most affected by explosion energies. 60Fe increases by two orders of magnitude from the lowest to the highest explosion energy in the 15 M⊙ model. The final yield of each examined SLR is used to compare to literature models.
Modelling the stellar halo with RR-Lyrae stars
Authors: Li Chengdong , Binney James
Published: December 2021

A seven-parameter distribution function (DF) is fitted to $20\, 000$ RR-Lyrae stars for which only astrometric data are available. The observational data are predicted by the DF in conjunction with the gravitational potential of a self-consistent model Galaxy defined by DFs for the dark halo, the bulge, and a four-component disc. Tests of the technique developed to deal with missing line-of-sight velocities show that adding such velocities tightens constraints on the DF only slightly. The recovered model of the RR-Lyrae population confirms that the population is flattened and has a strongly radially biased velocity distribution. At large radii, its density profile tends to ρ ∼ r−4.5 but no power law provides a good fit inside the solar sphere. The model is shown to provide an excellent fit to the data for stars brighter than r = 16.5 but at certain longitudes it predicts too few faint stars at Galactocentric radii $\sim 20\, \mathrm{kpc}$, possibly signalling that the halo is not axisymmetric. The DF is used to predict the velocity distribution of BHB stars for which space velocities are available. The z components are predicted successfully but too much anisotropy in the vRvϕ plane is expected.
Countercyclical Labor Income Risk and Portfolio Choices over the Life Cycle
Authors: Catherine Sylvain
Published: December 2021

I estimate a life cycle model of portfolio choices that incorporates the relationship between market returns and the skewness of idiosyncratic income shocks. The cyclicality of skewness can explain (a) low stock market participation among young households, (b) why the equity share of participants slightly increases until retirement, and (c) why renters invest less in stocks than do homeowners. With a relative risk aversion of 6 and yearly participation cost of $250, the model matches the evolution of wealth, participation, and conditional equity shares over the life cycle. Nevertheless, cyclical skewness increases the equity premium by at most 0.5 percentage points.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Ideological Extremism and Political Participation in Japan
Authors: ASANO Taka-aki
Published: December 2021

Do the policy preferences expressed through political participation represent the citizens as a whole? Previous studies argue that there is no ideological bias in voting participation in Japan. However, previous studies have only analyzed Japan up to 2010, and it is unclear whether ideological bias was consistently absent in voting participation in the 2010s. In the 2010s, ideological issues, such as the maintenance of nuclear power plants or the acceptance of collective self-defense, emerged in Japan, and the two major political parties, the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Japan, became increasingly polarized. Considering these changes, the influence of ideology on political participation may be growing. Therefore, this paper examines the relationship between people’s ideological positions and political participation using voter surveys conducted between 2001 and 2017. I find that since 2012, the more ideologically extreme Japanese voters are, the more they participate in voting. Furthermore, the same is true for other forms of participation. In general, the voices of ideologically moderate Japanese are becoming less represented by political parties and politicians.
Searching for the Effect of Age-Based Stereotypes on Personnel Decisions? Try Looking Through an Intersectional Lens
Authors: Thrasher Gregory R
Published: December 2021

The long-standing notion that personnel decisions are influenced by age-based stereotypes implies that performance-based stigmas associated with age create a social inequality for older workers. However, evidence for the “real world” effects of age-based stereotypes on personnel decisions is lacking—which to some suggests the absence of these otherwise intuitive age-based inequalities. In this commentary, I counter this point and propose that understanding the social inequalities experienced by older workers requires a perspective that acknowledges the intersectional identities held by individuals across their working lives. Within this commentary, I will first briefly define intersectionality including its history within legal literature. Second, I will highlight emerging organizational research that has applied an intersectional lens to questions of workplace stereotypes around race and gender. Third, I will present a theoretical leadership example that highlights how attending to age alone can mask potentially meaningful gender differences in how older women are uniquely stigmatized within leadership roles. Lastly, I will review the small but important body of work on intersectional age-based stereotypes and propose specific areas of future research that would benefit from taking an intersectional approach.
34th Annual APRN Legislative Update
Authors: Phillips Susanne J.
Published: December 2021

Relaxation of existing regulations in supervision, collaboration, license renewal, and portability due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic improved practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in reduced- and restricted-practice states. This 34th Annual Legislative Update covers the scope of practice changes, and legislative and regulatory decisions that most impacted APRNs across the US in 2021.
Cognitive-Behavioral–Based Physical Therapy for Improving Recovery After Traumatic Orthopaedic Lower Extremity Injury (CBPT-Trauma)
Authors: Archer Kristin R. , Davidson Claudia A. , Alkhoury Dana , Vanston Susan W. , Moore Tanisha L. , Deluca Andrea , Betz Joshua F. , Thompson Richard E. , Obremskey William T. , Slobogean Gerard P. , Melton Danielle H. , Wilken Jason M. , Karunakar Madhav A. , Rivera Jessica C. , Mir Hassan R. , McKinley Todd O. , Frey Katherine P. , Castillo Renan C. , Wegener Stephen T. ,   on behalf of METRC
Published: December 2021

Physical and psychological impairment resulting from traumatic injuries is often significant and affects employment and functional independence. Extremity trauma has been shown to negatively affect long-term self-reported physical function, the ability to work, and participation in recreational activities and contributes to increased rates of anxiety and/or depression. High pain levels early in the recovery process and psychosocial factors play a prominent role in recovery after traumatic lower extremity injury. Cognitive-behavioral therapy pain programs have been shown to mitigate these effects. However, patient access issues related to financial and transportation constraints and the competing demands of treatment focused on the physical sequelae of traumatic injury limit patient participation in this treatment modality. This article describes a telephone-delivered cognitive-behavioral–based physical therapy (CBPT-Trauma) program and design of a multicenter trial to determine its effectiveness after lower extremity trauma. Three hundred twenty-five patients from 7 Level 1 trauma centers were randomized to CBPT-Trauma or an education program after hospital discharge. The primary hypothesis is that compared with patients who receive an education program, patients who receive the CBPT-Trauma program will have improved physical function, pain, and physical and mental health at 12 months after hospital discharge.
Effect of a Mandatory Prescription Drug Monitoring Program on Patient-initiated Phone Calls After Spine Surgery
Authors: Karamian Brian A. , Jeyamohan Hareindra , Minetos Paul D. , Kothari Parth , Canseco Jose A. , Bowles Daniel R. , Pekuri Anu , Conaway William , DiMaria Stephen L. , Mao Jennifer Z. , Woods Barrett I. , Kaye I. David , Lee Joseph K. , Rihn Jeffrey A. , Hilibrand Alan S. , Kepler Christopher K. , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Schroeder Gregory D.
Published: December 2021

Study Design:

This was a retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a statewide, government-mandated prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) on patient-initiated phone calls after lumbar and cervical spinal surgery.

Summary of Background Data:

Prior studies have examined the most common reasons for a postoperative phone calls, most of which pertain to pain or prescription medications. However, no studies have investigated the effects of mandatory opioid prescription reporting on these calls.

Methods:

Patients who underwent lumbar decompression, lumbar fusion, or posterior cervical fusion were retrospectively identified. Patients were sorted into 1 of 2 cohorts based on their procedure date’s relation to the initiation of the state’s PDMP: “pre-PDMP” and “post-PDMP.” All clinical and demographic data were obtained from electronic health records. Telephone communications from or on behalf of patients were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine independent factors associated with a postoperative phone call.

Results:

Five hundred and twenty-five patients (2689 phone calls) were included in the study. Average number of phone calls per patient increased significantly after PDMP implementation among lumbar (3.27 vs. 5.18, P<0.001), cervical (5.08 vs. 11.67, P<0.001), and all (3.59 vs. 6.30, P<0.001) procedures. Age [odds ratio (OR): 1.05 (1.01, 1.09), P=0.02], cervical procedure [OR: 4.65 (1.93, 11.21), P=0.001], and a post-PDMP date of surgery [OR: 6.35 (3.55, 11.35), P<0.001] were independently associated with an increased likelihood of a postoperative phone call. A higher percentage of calls were in reference to postoperative care (4.6% vs. 2.4%, P=0.01) and wound care (4.3% vs. 1.4%, P<0.001) in the post-PDMP cohort compared with the pre-PDMP cohort.

Conclusions:

Patient-initiated telephone calls increased significantly after implementation of a mandatory statewide PDMP. Increasing age, operation involving the cervical spine, and surgery occurring after implementation of the state’s PDMP were independently associated with an increased likelihood of postoperative phone call to health care providers.
miR-26b-5p suppresses chemoresistance in breast cancer by targeting serglycin
Authors: Du Qiwei , Yuan Zuguo , Huang Xiaoling , Huang Yuqing , Zhang Jie , Li Rongguo
Published: December 2021

Chemoresistance is a crucial barrier to limit the therapeutic outcome of breast cancer (BC), and the mechanism underlying chemoresistance development in BC is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential involvement of miR-26b-5p/serglycin (SRGN) axis in BC drug resistance. The expression level of SRGN in drug-resistant BC cells was investigated by western blotting analysis, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemical staining, and ELISA. Its expression between chemoresistant and sensitive patient samples was compared by qRT-PCR. Bioinformatics tool and dual-luciferase reporter assay were employed to identify miR-26b-5p as a regulator of SRGN. Functional assays were performed to examine cell proliferation, cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion ability in vitro. Xenograft tumorigenesis experiment was conducted to evaluate the tumor suppressor effect of miR-26b-5p on chemoresistant BC cells. SRGN expression was significantly upregulated in both chemoresistant BC cell lines and chemoresistant patient samples. miR-26b-5p was identified as an upstream regulator of SRGN. Overexpression of miR-26b-5p downregulated SRGN expression, overcame chemoresistance, and suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in BC cells. Overexpression of miR-26b-5p also suppressed the tumorigenesis of chemoresistant BC cells in vivo. Mechanistically, the downregulation of SRGN by miR-26b-5p decreased the expression of breast cancer drug-resistant protein and multidrug-resistant protein 1 in chemoresistant BC cells. Our study identified miR-26b-5p as a tumor suppressor which targets SRGN to sensitize BC cells to chemotherapeutics. These results suggest that miR-26b-5p and SRGN may serve as potential biomarkers and targets for BC chemotherapy.
Antibody-induced pain-like behavior and bone erosion: links to subclinical inflammation, osteoclast activity, and acid-sensing ion channel 3–dependent sensitization
Authors: Jurczak Alexandra , Delay Lauriane , Barbier Julie , Simon Nils , Krock Emerson , Sandor Katalin , Agalave Nilesh M. , Rudjito Resti , Wigerblad Gustaf , Rogóż Katarzyna , Briat Arnaud , Miot-Noirault Elisabeth , Martinez-Martinez Arisai , Brömme Dieter , Grönwall Caroline , Malmström Vivianne , Klareskog Lars , Khoury Spiro , Ferreira Thierry , Labrum Bonnie , Deval Emmanuel , Jiménez-Andrade Juan Miguel , Marchand Fabien , Svensson Camilla I.
Published: December 2021

Several bone conditions, eg, bone cancer, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are associated with a risk of developing persistent pain. Increased osteoclast activity is often the hallmark of these bony pathologies and not only leads to bone remodeling but is also a source of pronociceptive factors that sensitize the bone-innervating nociceptors. Although historically bone loss in RA has been believed to be a consequence of inflammation, both bone erosion and pain can occur years before the symptom onset. Here, we have addressed the disconnection between inflammation, pain, and bone erosion by using a combination of 2 monoclonal antibodies isolated from B cells of patients with RA. We have found that mice injected with B02/B09 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) developed a long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity that was accompanied by bone erosion in the absence of joint edema or synovitis. Intriguingly, we have noted a lack of analgesic effect of naproxen and a moderate elevation of few inflammatory factors in the ankle joints suggesting that B02/B09-induced pain-like behavior does not depend on inflammatory processes. By contrast, we found that inhibiting osteoclast activity and acid-sensing ion channel 3 signaling prevented the development of B02/B09-mediated mechanical hypersensitivity. Moreover, we have identified secretory phospholipase A2 and lysophosphatidylcholine 16:0 as critical components of B02/B09-induced pain-like behavior and shown that treatment with a secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitor reversed B02/B09-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and bone erosion. Taken together, our study suggests a potential link between bone erosion and pain in a state of subclinical inflammation and offers a step forward in understanding the mechanisms of bone pain in diseases such as RA.
Conotoxin contulakin-G engages a neurotensin receptor 2/R-type calcium channel (Cav2.3) pathway to mediate spinal antinociception
Authors: Martin Laurent , Ibrahim Mohab , Gomez Kimberly , Yu Jie , Cai Song , Chew Lindsey A. , Bellampalli Shreya S. , Moutal Aubin , Largent-Milnes Tally , Porreca Frank , Khanna Rajesh , Olivera Baldomero M. , Patwardhan Amol
Published: December 2021

Intrathecal application of contulakin-G (CGX), a conotoxin peptide and a neurotensin analogue, has been demonstrated to be safe and potentially analgesic in humans. However, the mechanism of action for CGX analgesia is unknown. We hypothesized that spinal application of CGX produces antinociception through activation of the presynaptic neurotensin receptor (NTSR)2. In this study, we assessed the mechanisms of CGX antinociception in rodent models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Intrathecal administration of CGX, dose dependently, inhibited thermal and mechanical hypersensitivities in rodents of both sexes. Pharmacological and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 editing of NTSR2 reversed CGX-induced antinociception without affecting morphine analgesia. Electrophysiological and gene editing approaches demonstrated that CGX inhibition was dependent on the R-type voltage-gated calcium channel (Cav2.3) in sensory neurons. Anatomical studies demonstrated coexpression of NTSR2 and Cav2.3 in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Finally, synaptic fractionation and slice electrophysiology recordings confirmed a predominantly presynaptic effect. Together, these data reveal a nonopioid pathway engaged by a human-tested drug to produce antinociception.
Oleic acid promotes atherosclerosis via multiple pathophysiological mechanisms: a narrative review
Authors: Chu Ting , Yang Maosheng
Published: December 2021

An increasing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is caused by multiple factors and mechanisms. A better understanding of the contribution of hypertriglyceridemia or oleic acid to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis would significantly increase our ability to successfully treat these diseases. We propose that oleic acid promotes atherosclerosis via multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. Here we suggest that (1) atherosclerosis may develop through multiple pathophysiological mechanisms and that this may be a common feature of human diseases; (2) diseases may be the consequence of natural selection or the interaction of internal and external factors; (3) diseases should be recognized with "biological diversity," and that this concept should be introduced into medical education, clinical treatment, drug research and development, and medical research. The work reported here will benefit a new generation of medical trainees and promote the development of the relevant medical fields.
Human immunodeficiency virus p24 antigen and antibody, herpes simplex virus-2 IgM and tumor necrosis factor alpha plasma levels in adult female children living in single-parent households: a case-control observational study
Authors: Olaniyan Mathew Folaranmi , Olaniyan Tolulope Busayo
Published: December 2021

Objective:

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p24 antigen and antibody and herpes simplex virus 2 IgM are seromarkers indicating infection with HIV and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), respectively, whereas tumor necrosis factor α is an inflammatory biomarker that can be triggered by infections. Female children of single parents are faced with many socio-economic challenges that make them vulnerable to sexual influences and prone to sexually transmitted infections. The goal of this work was to determine HIV p24 antigen/antibody, HSV-2 IgM and tumor necrosis factor-α plasma levels in adult female children living in single-parent households.

Methods:

In this case-control observational study, 100 adult female children living with a single parent (50 living with a single mother and 50 living with a single father; age: 18-22 years) and 100 age-matched women living with both parents were recruited to serve as the test and control groups, respectively. All subjects were negative for acid-fast bacilli, plasmodium, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus. Human tumor necrosis factor α, HSV-2 IgM, antibody to hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B surface antigen and human immunodeficiency virus p24 antigen and antibody (HIV p24 Ag/Ab) levels were determined by ELISA, while the detection of acid-fast bacilli in sputum and
Plasmodium
in blood was carried out by optical microscopy. This work was carried out in the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency in Ondo State that shares boundaries with Edo State. The study protocol was approved by the Research and Ethical Committee of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Achievers University, Owo, Nigeria (AUO/MLS/2020/127) on August 27, 2020.

Results:

HIV p24 Ag/Ab was detected in 0 adult female children living with a single mother, 1 (2%) adult female child living with a single father and 1 (1 %) adult female child living with both parents. HSV-2 IgM was detected in 9 (18%) adult female children living with a single mother, 13 (26%) adult female children living with a single father, and 5 (10%) adult female children living with both parents.

Conclusion:

This work shows that adult female children of single parents are vulnerable to sexual influences, and thereby more prone to HSV-2 and possibly HIV, especially adult female children of single fathers.
Optimizing HIV Prevention Efforts to Achieve EHE Incidence Targets
Authors: Jacobson Evin U. , Hicks Katherine A. , Carrico Justin , Purcell David W. , Green Timothy A. , Mermin Jonathan H. , Farnham Paul G.
Published: December 2021

Background:

A goal of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the United States initiative is to reduce the annual number of incident HIV infections in the United States by 75% within 5 years and by 90% within 10 years. We developed a resource allocation analysis to understand how these goals might be met.

Methods:

We estimated the current annual societal funding [$2.8 billion (B)/yr] for 14 interventions to prevent HIV and facilitate treatment of infected persons. These interventions included HIV testing for different transmission groups, HIV care continuum interventions, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and syringe services programs. We developed scenarios optimizing or reallocating this funding to minimize new infections, and we analyzed the impact of additional EHE funding over the period 2021–2030.

Results:

With constant current annual societal funding of $2.8 B/yr for 10 years starting in 2021, we estimated the annual incidence of 36,000 new cases in 2030. When we added annual EHE funding of $500 million (M)/yr for 2021–2022, $1.5 B/yr for 2023–2025, and $2.5 B/yr for 2026–2030, the annual incidence of infections decreased to 7600 cases (no optimization), 2900 cases (optimization beginning in 2026), and 2200 cases (optimization beginning in 2023) in 2030.

Conclusions:

Even without optimization, significant increases in resources could lead to an 80% decrease in the annual HIV incidence in 10 years. However, to reach both EHE targets, optimization of prevention funding early in the EHE period is necessary. Implementing these efficient allocations would require flexibility of funding across agencies, which might be difficult to achieve.
Unilateral Approach to Primary Bilateral Trigeminal Neuralgia Via Bilateral Microvascular Decompression
Authors: Liu Yizhe , Zhang Kai , Li Hongxing , Wang Han , Han Guangliang , Zong Qiang
Published: December 2021

Background:

Primary bilateral trigeminal neuralgia is a rare disease characterized by paroxysmal bilateral facial pain confined to the somatosensory distribution of the trigeminal nerve. Nonetheless, while treatment of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia with microvascular decompression (MVD) has been reported, there have been no trials of a unilateral approach for bilateral MVD.

Methods:

The authors retrospectively analyzed the outcomes and complications of 2 cases of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia treated with MVD by unilateral craniotomy. The 2 patients were followed up for 27 and 32 months, with satisfactory results. One patient developed facial numbness on 1 side postoperatively, which disappeared 3 months later.

Conclusions:

Microvascular decompression is an effective and safe opinion for primary bilateral trigeminal neuralgia that fails to respond adequately to medical therapy. The authors suggest that the initial surgery be performed on the more seriously affected side. Unilateral craniotomy for bilateral MVD represents a new therapeutic approach in patients with an enlarged superior trigeminal nerve space.
A Seldom Seen Complication in the Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block
Authors: Yang Yong , Du Jinjin , Ying Binbin
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

Introduce Kuhn anemia as a complication during the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB).

Methods:

Here, the authors reported a lesser-known complication called Kuhn anemia during the IANB. Then, the authors searched and reviewed relevant literature on the Web of Science.

Results:

Vasospasm of the maxillary artery results in the phenomenon. Reasons, such as inaccurate injection, anatomical variation, drug diffusion, and so on, may account for the complication during the IANB.

Conclusions:

All in all, doctors should be prudent before and during the surgery.
QCD factorization and quantum mechanics
Authors: Aidala C. A. , Rogers T. C.
Published: December 2021

It is unusual to find quantum chromodynamics (QCD) factorization explained in the language of quantum information science. However, we will discuss how the issue of factorization and its breaking in high-energy QCD processes relates to phenomena like decoherence and entanglement. We will elaborate with several examples and explain them in terms familiar from basic quantum mechanics and quantum information science.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Quantum technologies in particle physics’.
Prospective sensitivities of atom interferometers to gravitational waves and ultralight dark matter
Authors: Badurina Leonardo , Buchmueller Oliver , Ellis John , Lewicki Marek , McCabe Christopher , Vaskonen Ville
Published: December 2021

We survey the prospective sensitivities of terrestrial and space-borne atom interferometers to gravitational waves generated by cosmological and astrophysical sources, and to ultralight dark matter. We discuss the backgrounds from gravitational gradient noise in terrestrial detectors, and also binary pulsar and asteroid backgrounds in space-borne detectors. We compare the sensitivities of LIGO and LISA with those of the 100 m and 1 km stages of the AION terrestrial AI project, as well as two options for the proposed AEDGE AI space mission with cold atom clouds either inside or outside the spacecraft, considering as possible sources the mergers of black holes and neutron stars, supernovae, phase transitions in the early Universe, cosmic strings and quantum fluctuations in the early Universe that could have generated primordial black holes. We also review the capabilities of AION and AEDGE for detecting coherent waves of ultralight scalar dark matter.

AION-REPORT/2021-04

KCL-PH-TH/2021-61, CERN-TH-2021-116

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Quantum technologies in particle physics’.
Towards quantum simulations in particle physics and beyond on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices
Authors: Funcke L. , Hartung T. , Jansen K. , Kühn S. , Schneider M. , Stornati P. , Wang X.
Published: December 2021

We review two algorithmic advances that bring us closer to reliable quantum simulations of model systems in high-energy physics and beyond on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. The first method is the dimensional expressivity analysis of quantum circuits, which allows for constructing minimal but maximally expressive quantum circuits. The second method is an efficient mitigation of readout errors on quantum devices. Both methods can lead to significant improvements in quantum simulations, e.g. when variational quantum eigensolvers are used.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Quantum technologies in particle physics’.
Psilocybin: crystal structure solutions enable phase analysis of prior art and recently patented examples
Authors: Sherwood Alexander M. , Kargbo Robert B. , Kaylo Kristi W. , Cozzi Nicholas V. , Meisenheimer Poncho , Kaduk James A.
Published: December 2021

Psilocybin {systematic name: 3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-indol-4-yl dihydrogen phosphate} is a zwitterionic tryptamine natural product found in numerous species of fungi known for their psychoactive properties. Following its structural elucidation and chemical synthesis in 1959, purified synthetic psilocybin has been evaluated in clinical trials and has shown promise in the treatment of various mental health disorders. In a recent process-scale crystallization investigation, three crystalline forms of psilocybin were repeatedly observed: Hydrate A, Polymorph A, and Polymorph B. The crystal structure for Hydrate A was solved previously by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This article presents new crystal structure solutions for the two anhydrates, Polymorphs A and B, based on Rietveld refinement using laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction data, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Utilizing the three solved structures, an investigation was conducted via Rietveld method (RM) based quantitative phase analysis (QPA) to estimate the contribution of the three different forms in powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns provided by different sources of bulk psilocybin produced between 1963 and 2021. Over the last 57 years, each of these samples quantitatively reflect one or more of the hydrate and anhydrate polymorphs. In addition to quantitatively evaluating the composition of each sample, this article evaluates correlations between the crystal forms present, corresponding process methods, sample age, and storage conditions. Furthermore, revision is recommended on characterizations in recently granted patents that include descriptions of crystalline psilocybin inappropriately reported as a single-phase `isostructural variant.' Rietveld refinement demonstrated that the claimed material was composed of approximately 81% Polymorph A and 19% Polymorph B, both of which have been identified in historical samples. In this article, we show conclusively that all published data can be explained in terms of three well-defined forms of psilocybin and that no additional forms are needed to explain the diffraction patterns.
Chiral spiral cyclic twins
Authors: Hornfeck Wolfgang
Published: December 2021

A formula is presented for the generation of chiral m-fold multiply twinned two-dimensional point sets of even twin modulus m > 6 from an integer inclination sequence; in particular, it is discussed for the first three non-degenerate cases m = 8, 10, 12, which share a connection to the aperiodic crystallography of axial quasicrystals exhibiting octagonal, decagonal and dodecagonal long-range orientational order and symmetry.
In/acceptable marketing and consumers' privacy expectations: four tests from EU data protection law
Authors: Malgieri Gianclaudio
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to discover the legal borderline between licit online marketing and illicit privacy-intrusive and manipulative marketing, considering in particular consumers’ expectations of privacy.

Design/methodology/approach

A doctrinal legal research methodology is applied throughout with reference to the relevant legislative frameworks. In particular, this study analyzes the European Union (EU) data protection law [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)] framework (as it is one of the most advanced privacy laws in the world, with strong extra-territorial impact in other countries and consequent risks of high fines), as compared to privacy scholarship on the field and extract a compliance framework for marketers.

Findings

The GDPR is a solid compliance framework that can help to distinguish licit marketing from illicit one. It brings clarity through four legal tests: fairness test, lawfulness test, significant effect test and the high-risk test. The performance of these tests can be beneficial to consumers and marketers in particular considering that meeting consumers’ expectation of privacy can enhance their trust. A solution for marketers to respect and leverage consumers’ privacy expectations is twofold: enhancing critical transparency and avoiding the exploitation of individual vulnerabilities.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to the European legal framework scenario and to theoretical analysis. Further research is necessary to investigate other legal frameworks and to prove this model in practice, measuring not only the consumers’ expectation of privacy in different contexts but also the practical managerial implications of the four GDPR tests for marketers.

Originality/value

This study originally contextualizes the most recent privacy scholarship on online manipulation within the EU legal framework, proposing an easy and accessible four-step test and twofold solution for marketers. Such a test might be beneficial both for marketers and for consumers’ expectations of privacy.
Morphology of septomarginal trabeculae in Hatay mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella)
Authors: Erdem Baran , Tutar Tolga , Takci Lutfi , Akaydin Bozkurt Yeşim , Ateş Sevinç
Published: December 2021

This study was conducted to reveal the anatomical and histological features of left and right septomarginal trabeculae in the heart of the Hatay mountain gazelle. In the study, two female and two male adult Hatay mountain gazelle hearts were used. For this purpose, the materials detected in 10% formaldehyde solution were stained with Crossman's modified triple staining technique and examined under a light microscope after anatomical examinations and measurements were made. The presence of trabeculae in both ventricles was demonstrated. While the number of septomarginal trabeculae was 1 in each of the samples in the right ventricle, it was determined that it was 2 in each of three hearts and 3 in one heart in the left ventricle. It was observed that the right trabeculae were unbranched and fleshy, while the left trabeculae were filamentous and mostly branched. The lengths and thicknesses of the right trabeculae were measured 12–17 mm and 3–4 mm and the lengths and thicknesses of the left trabeculae were measured 6–15 mm and 0.5–1 mm. In the histological examination of both trabeculae, connective tissue, Purkinje fibres and blood vessels were observed, in addition, it was detected that the right trabeculae had myocardial fibres. Few capillaries were found in the left trabecula, while both more capillaries and blood vessels were found in the right trabeculae.
Hereditary spastic paraplegia associated with a novel homozygous intronic noncanonical splice site variant in the AP4B1 gene
Authors: Gómez‐González Clara , Pizarro‐Sánchez Cristina , Rodríguez‐Antolín Carlos , Pascual‐Pascual Ignacio , Garcia‐Romero Mar , Rodriguez‐Jiménez Carmen , de Sancho‐Martín Rubén , del Pozo‐Mate Ángela , Solís‐López Mario , Prior‐de Castro Carmen , Torres Rosa J
Published: December 2021

Pathogenic variants in the AP4B1 gene lead to a rare form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) known as SPG47. We report on a patient with a clinical suspicion of complicated HSP of the lower limbs with intellectual disability, as well as a novel homozygous noncanonical splice site variant in the AP4B1 gene, in which the effect on splicing was validated by RNA analysis.

We sequenced 152 genes associated with HSP using Next‐Generation Sequencing (NGS). We isolated total RNA from peripheral blood and generated cDNA using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). A region of AP4B1 mRNA was amplified by PCR and the fragments obtained were purified from the agarose gel and sequenced.

We found a homozygous variant of uncertain significance in the AP4B1 gene NM_006594.4: c.1511‐6C>G in the proband. Two different AP4B1 mRNA fragments were obtained in the patient and his carrier parents. The shorter fragment was the predominant fragment in the patient and revealed a deletion with skipping of the AP4B1 exon 10. The patient's longer fragment corresponded to an insertion of the last five nucleotides of AP4B1 intron 9. We confirmed that this variant affects the normal splicing of RNA, sustaining the molecular diagnosis of SPG47 in the patient.
Persistent Descending Mesocolon as An Intraoperative Risk Factor in Laparoscopic Surgery for Left‐Sided Colon and Rectal Cancer
Authors: Hamada Kiyoaki , Sumida Yorihisa , Ozeki Keisuke , Kiya Soichiro , Hashimoto Shintaro , Nishimuta Masato , Shibuya Ayako , Kugiyama Tota , Wakata Koki , Araki Masato
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Persistent descending mesocolon (PDM) represents a failure of fusion of the descending mesentery, leading to anatomical abnormalities. This study aimed to examine the effects of anatomical features of PDM on laparoscopic surgical outcomes.

Methods

Patient backgrounds, surgical outcomes, anatomical characteristics, and operative findings were retrospectively compared between 186 patients classified into PDM and non‐PDM groups who underwent primary resection for left‐sided colon and rectal cancer at our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020.

Results

PDM was diagnosed in nine patients (4.8%). The operative time (337 ± 165 vs 239 ± 107 min, p = 0.010) was significantly different between PDM and non‐PDM groups, but bleeding loss was not different (108 ± 97 ml vs 53 ± 142 ml, p = 0.259). In PDM patients, in addition to abnormal fixation of the sigmoid‐descending colon junction, adhesion of the mesentery of the colon and small intestine in 100%, and adhesion between the mesocolon in 33% patients was confirmed intraoperatively. Ileus was more common in the PDM group (two cases, 22%) and in the non‐PDM group (10 cases, 5.6%), but there was no significant difference in overall postoperative complications between the two groups (p = 0.215). The duration of postoperative hospital stay (28 ± 20 vs 16 ± 11 days, p = 0.002) was significant between the two groups. The left colonic artery (LCA) could not be preserved in six patients in the PDM group, one of whom had anastomotic leakage and two of whom required additional resections due to intraoperative intestinal blood flow failure.

Conclusion

PDM prolonged operative times and duration of postoperative stay in laparoscopic surgery for left‐sided colon and rectal cancer. Division of the LCA in PDM patients should be considered an intraoperative risk factor for injury to the marginal artery.
Innovation nudging—A novel approach to foster innovation engagement in an incumbent company
Authors: Stieler Maximilian , Henike Tassilo
Published: December 2021

Engaging employees to contribute to corporate innovation is vital for the future success of companies. In particular, incumbent companies face severe barriers in involving employees from various organizational locations. Long‐term employments, highly specified organizational units, and hierarchical management structures are designed to preserve the status quo rather than promoting transformational changes. Thus, such companies often struggle with engaging their employees constantly and breaking down three kinds of innovation barriers: limited meaning, allowance, and/or capability. In this paper, we present innovation nudging as a novel approach, aiming to overcome the limitations of traditional corporate innovation management approaches. Such approaches largely pretend how employees should behave. Since such approaches are not part of employees' common behaviour, prior research has well explored the limits of such approaches. In contrast, nudging addresses subtly persons' cognition by presenting rewarding behaviour options in a way that individuals can easily deal with. Based on a 3‐year observation of the introduction of innovation nudging at a leading German manufacturer of pumps, our results answer how different nudging types can be systematically used to create innovation engagement and to propel transformations in incumbent companies. Practical implications as well as avenues for future research are discussed.