bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Recombinant Cellular Repressor of E1A-Stimulated Genes Protects against Renal Fibrosis in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats
Authors: Liu Mei-Li , Song Hai-Xu , Tian Xiao-Xiang , Liu Yan-Xia , Liu Dan , Hou Zhi-Wei , Li Jia-Yin , Yan Cheng-Hui , Han Ya-ling 
Published: April 2020

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Human cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension, alleviates myocardial fibrosis, and improves heart function. However, the role of CREG in high-salt (HS) diet-induced hypertensive nephropathy is unclear. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> To determine the effects and molecular mechanisms of CREG in HS diet-induced hypertensive nephropathy, we established a hypertensive nephropathy animal model in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats fed a HS diet (8% NaCl, <i>n</i> = 20) for 8 weeks. At week 4 of HS loading, these rats were administered recombinant CREG (reCREG; 35 µg/kg·day, <i>n</i> = 5) and saline (<i>n</i> = 5) via subcutaneously implanted pumps and were also administered the vasodilator hydralazine (20 mg/kg·day, <i>n</i> = 5) in drinking water. We used hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson’s trichrome staining, immunohistochemical labeling, western blotting, RT-PCR, and Tunel staining to determine the signaling pathways of CREG in HS diet-induced hypertensive nephropathy. <b><i>Results:</i></b> After 8 weeks of HS intake, the Dahl SS rats developed renal dysfunction and severe renal fibrosis associated with reductions of 78 and 67% in CREG expression, respectively, at both mRNA and protein levels in the kidney. Administration of reCREG improved renal function and relieved renal fibrosis. Administration of CREG also inhibited monocyte infiltration and reduced apoptosis in the kidney cells. CREG overexpression upregulated forkhead box P1 expression and inhibited the transforming growth factor-β1 signaling pathway. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study shows that CREG protected the kidney against HS-diet-induced renal damage and provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying kidney injury.
Risk Factors for Community-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury in Medical Patients: A Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Cely Javier Enrique , Mendoza Elkin José , Sprockel John Jaime , Perez Luis Carlos , Mateus Janeth Marcela , Maldonado Sebastian , Diaztagle Juan José 
Published: April 2020

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Research about the risk factors associated with community-acquired acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) in acute medical diseases is scarce. Data extrapolation from surgical to medical illnesses is questionable. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To evaluate potential risk factors and hospital outcomes associated with a CA-AKI in medical illnesses. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We performed an unmatched nested case-control study from a previous prospective cohort study. We included adult patients with acute illnesses treated with internal medicine. Cases were defined as patients with a CA-AKI diagnosis upon hospital admission, and controls included patients from the same cohort who did not develop AKI during the first 5 days of hospitalisation. A logistic regression model was used to assess the association between potential risk factors and ­CA-AKI. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 868 patients were included in the study (223 cases and 645 controls). The median age was 65 years (interquartile range 50–78). In a logistic regression model, the risk factors associated with CA-AKI included chronic kidney disease (CKD; OR 6.27; 95% CI 2.95–13.3, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), ≥65 years old (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.16–2.57, <i>p</i> = 0.007), acute bacterial infection (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.36–2.80, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), hypovolaemia (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.32–2.69, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), pre-hospital nephrotoxic drugs (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.23–2.55, <i>p</i> = 0.002), anaemia (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.03–2.14, <i>p</i> = 0.031) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) &#x3c;107 mm Hg (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.38–3.67, <i>p</i> = 0.001). A significant interaction between CKD and age was found (<i>p</i> = 0.017) and included in the model (patients with CKD and ≥65 years old [OR 10.85; 95% CI 4.14–28.41, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001]). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the final model was 0.743. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> CKD is strongly associated with CA-AKI upon hospital admission in medical illnesses patients. Older age enhances the risk of CA-AKI in patients with CKD. Other risk factors include pre-hospital nephrotoxic drugs, acute bacterial infection, anaemia, low SBP and hypovolaemia.
Blood Pressure and Anticoagulation Reversal Management during Off-Hours in Oral Anticoagulation-Associated Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Mrochen Anne , Sprügel Maximilian I. , Gerner Stefan T. , Sembill Jochen A. , Lang Stefan , Lücking Hannes , Kuramatsu Joji B. , Huttner Hagen B. 
Published: April 2020

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Prevention of hematoma enlargement in oral anticoagulation-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (OAC-ICH) focuses on blood pressure (BP) reduction and OAC reversal. We investigated whether treatment efficiency and clinical outcomes differ between OAC-ICH patients admitted outside versus during regular working hours. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Based on pooled data of multicenter cohort studies, we grouped OAC-ICH patients (vitamin K antagonist [VKA], non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant [NOAC]) according to on- vs. off-hour admission. Primary outcome was the functional outcome using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) dichotomized into favorable (mRS 0–3) and unfavorable (mRS 4–6) and mortality at 3 months. Secondary outcome measures included the occurrence of hematoma enlargement, the proportions of patients with systolic BP &#x3c;140 mm Hg and with anticoagulation treatment achieving international normalized ratio (INR) levels &#x3c;1.3 at 4 h. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to account for imbalances in baseline characteristics. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The study population consisted of 76/126 NOAC-ICH patients and 1,005/1,470 VKA patients presenting during off-hours. Functional outcome and mortality rates were not significantly different among PSM patients with VKA-ICH and NOAC-ICH during on- vs. off-hours (mRS 4–6 VKA-ICH: on-hour: 239/357 [66.9%] vs. 253/363 [69.7%] off-hour; <i>p</i> = 0.43; NOAC-ICH: on-hour 26/42 [61.9%] vs. off-hour: 37/57 [64.9%]; <i>p</i> = 0.76; mRS 6 VKA-ICH: on-hour: 127/357 [35.6%] vs. off-hour: 148/363 [40.8%]; <i>p</i> = 0.15; ­NOAC-ICH: on-hour 17/42 [40.5%] vs. off-hour: 16/57 [28.1%]; <i>p</i> = 0.20). There were no differences detectable regarding the secondary outcome measures (i.e., hematoma enlargement, the proportion of patients who achieved systolic BP levels &#x3c;140 mm Hg at 4 h as well as anticoagulation treatment achieving INR levels &#x3c;1.3 at 4 h) in OAC patients. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study implies that BP reduction and anticoagulation reversal management are well established and associated with similar rates of hematoma enlargement and clinical outcomes in on- vs. off-hour admitted OAC-ICH patients.
Association Between Carotid Bifurcation Geometry and Atherosclerotic Plaque Vulnerability
Authors: Jiang Peirong , Chen Zhensen , Hippe Daniel S. , Watase Hiroko , Sun Bin , Lin Ruolan , Yang Zheting , Xue Yunjing , Zhao Xihai , Yuan Chun 
Published: April 2020

Objective:
Carotid bifurcation geometry has been believed to be a risk factor for the initiation of atherosclerosis because of its influence on hemodynamics. However, the relationships between carotid bifurcation geometry and plaque vulnerability are not fully understood. This study aimed to determine the association between carotid bifurcation geometry and plaque vulnerability using magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging.

Approach and Results:

A total of 501 carotid arteries with nonstenotic atherosclerosis were included from the cross-sectional, multicenter CARE II study (Chinese Atherosclerosis Risk Evaluation). Four standardized carotid bifurcation geometric parameters (bifurcation angle, internal carotid artery planarity, luminal expansion FlareA, and tortuosity Tort2D) were derived from time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography. Presence of vulnerable plaque, which was characterized by intraplaque hemorrhage, large lipid-rich necrotic core, or disrupted luminal surface, was determined based on multicontrast carotid magnetic resonance vessel wall images. Vulnerable plaques (N=43) were found to occur at more distal locations (ie, near the level of flow divider) than stable plaques (N=458). Multivariable logistic regression showed that the luminal expansion FlareA (odds ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.25–0.81];
P
=0.008) was associated with plaque vulnerability after adjustment for age, sex, maximum wall thickness, plaque location, and other geometric parameters.

Conclusions:
Smaller luminal expansion at carotid bifurcation is associated with vulnerable plaque. The finding needs to be verified with longitudinal studies and the underlying mechanism should be further explored with hemodynamics measurement in the future.
Social Determinants of Health and 90‐Day Mortality After Hospitalization for Heart Failure in the REGARDS Study
Authors: Sterling Madeline R. , Ringel Joanna Bryan , Pinheiro Laura C. , Safford Monika M. , Levitan Emily B. , Phillips Erica , Brown Todd M. , Goyal Parag 
Published: April 2020

Background

Outcomes following heart failure (
HF
) hospitalizations are poor, with 90‐day mortality rates of 15% to 20%. Although prior studies found associations between individual social determinants of health (
SDOH
) and post‐discharge mortality, less is known about how an individuals’ total burden of
SDOH
affects 90‐day mortality.

Methods and Results

We included participants of the REGARDS (
Re
asons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) Study who were Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years discharged alive after an adjudicated
HF
hospitalization. Guided by the Healthy People 2020 Framework, we examined 9
SDOH
. First, we examined age‐adjusted associations between each
SDOH
and 90‐day mortality; those associated with 90‐day mortality were used to create an
SDOH
count. Next, we determined the hazard of 90‐day mortality by the
SDOH
count, adjusting for confounders. Over 10 years, 690 participants were hospitalized for
HF
at 440 unique hospitals in the United States; there were a total of 79 deaths within 90 days. Overall, 28% of participants had 0
SDOH
, 39% had 1, and 32% had ≥2. Compared with those with 0, the age‐adjusted hazard ratio for 90‐day mortality among those with 1
SDOH
was 2.89 (95% CI, 1.46–5.72) and was 3.06 (1.51–6.19) among those with ≥2
SDOH
. The adjusted hazard ratio was 2.78 (1.37–5.62) and 2.57 (1.19–5.54) for participants with 1
SDOH
and ≥2, respectively.

Conclusions

While having any of the
SDOH
studied here markedly increased risk of 90‐day mortality after an
HF
hospitalization, a greater burden of
SDOH
was not associated with significantly greater risk in our population.
The Origin of the Sogdian Civic Communities (nāf)
Authors: Shenkar Michael 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The article discusses when, how and why oligarchic, self-governed civic communities (nāf) emerged in Sogdiana. On the basis of primary sources, such as the Kultobe inscriptions, and on comparative material from the two best-known city-state cultures—the Greek poleis and the medieval north Italian republics—it is argued that the development of the Sogdian civic communities occurred during the first century BCE-second century CE, when Sogdiana was part of the nomad-ruled Kangju state. This process is linked to Sogdian colonial expansion and the growth in the volume and complexity of trade.
Mantra: a Review Essay on Islam in Soviet Central Asia
Authors: Tasar Eren 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
This paper traces the development of the historiography of Islam in Soviet Central Asia from the Cold War’s outset to the present by illustrating its uncritical reproduction of modernist and communist templates for describing Muslim religiosity, and its debt to two foundational frames of Soviet antireligious propaganda: “survivals” and “nationalized Islam.” It highlights the important implications of these frames for this scholarship’s development, i.e., its assumptions concerning “normativity” and the “poverty” of Central Asian Islam, as well as the urban-rural divide’s salience in religious life. The essay concludes with a survey of recent scholarship on the subject.
Mohini: A Case Study of a Transnational Spiritual Space in the History of the Theosophical Society
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Mriganka 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
This essay investigates the well-known, yet understudied, Bengali Theosophist Mohini Mohun Chatterji. In this essay, Mohini Chatterji’s life and career will be discussed in relation to the Theosophical Society. His case will be seen as an example of how Bengali Theosophists played a significant role in the transcultural, entangled history of the global Theosophical movement, thus connecting Vedantic philosophy with occultism.
(Re)Introducing “Secular Religion”: On the Study of Entangled Quests for Meaning in Modern Western Cultures
Authors: Vliegenthart Dave 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The disenchantment of reality has bankrupted conventional sources of meaning for many people in modern Western cultures. This has led a growing number of figures and groups to search for alternative sources of meaning. Typical of their quests for meaning is the entanglement of secular and religious discourses. Since the twentieth century, scholars have studied the social configurations of these figures and groups as “cults” or “new religious movements” and their ideologies as “New Age” or “spirituality,” which are seen as parts of a longer tradition of “Western esotericism” (Europe) or “metaphysical religion” (North America). Several leading scholars have also interpreted them as forms of “secular religion,” but this has yet to gain academic traction. This article argues that the former concepts are lacking or losing a logical connection with the socio-historical phenomena to which they pertain and reintroduces the latter concept as a more appropriate one.
Images, Land, and Places: Telling Indigenous Narratives and Histories
Authors: Martin Kathleen J. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Jennifer Graber’s The Gods of Indian Country (2018) and Pamela Klassen’s The Story of Radio Mind (2018) tell stories of Christian and settler-colonialist history from new vantage points highlighting two areas: (1) the importance of land and places, and (2) the use of images in research. Both authors spent time in the lands of their research, and both employ images and maps in meaningful ways. To understand Indigenous experiences on the land and the devastation of dispossession, knowledge of land and places is crucial; to reinterpret the visual record, Indigenous perspectives are imperative. However, largely missing in both texts are Indigenous feelings for the land and their interpretations of the visual record. Therefore, this essay is framed around three questions for scholarship regarding Indigenous spiritual traditions: (1) How can research help readers understand Indigenous stories of dispossession? (2) What guidelines should authors consider when attempting to rewrite/explore/investigate historical narratives? (3) In what ways can Indigenous perspectives revise stories of marginalization and contribute to revitalization?
Centering Indigenous People in the Study of Religion in America
Authors: Hale Tiffany 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
This essay considers Jennifer Graber’s The Gods of Indian Country and Pamela Klassen’s The Story of Radio Mind together in considering new developments in the field of Native American and Indigenous studies. Hale examines how these books discuss the role of religion in shaping settler colonialism in North America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She concludes that both works raise pressing methodological questions about how historians of religion can center the lives of Native American people in their work.
Theology from Listening
Authors: Grant Rhiannon 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
This publication explores the changes and continuities in liberal Quaker theology over the long twentieth century (1895 to 2019) in multiple English-speaking Quaker communities around the world. A close analysis is conducted of Quaker theologising through multiple modes: formal, corporate methods; material produced by individuals and small groups within Quaker communities; and writing by individuals and small groups working primarily within academic or ecumenical theological settings. It is concluded that although liberal Quaker theology is diverse and flexible, it also possesses a core coherence and can meaningfully be discussed as a single tradition. At the centre of liberal Quaker theology is the belief that direct, unmediated contact with the Divine is possible and results in useful guidance.
The South Asian Monsoon Circulation in Moist Isentropic Coordinates
Authors: Sabin T. P. , Pauluis Olivier M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe atmospheric circulation during the South Asian summer monsoon season is analyzed in moist isentropic coordinates. The horizontal mass transport is sorted in terms of its equivalent potential temperature and is separated into the upper- and lower-tropospheric contributions. This technique makes it possible to trace the transport of air parcels over long distances, identify regions of convective motion in the tropics, and assess the impacts of diabatic processes. The goal here is to assess the thermodynamic characteristics of the atmospheric overturning associated with the South Asian monsoon and to connect this thermodynamic structure to horizontal transport. The monsoon is associated with a low-level inflow of warm and moist air, compensated by an upper-tropospheric outflow at high potential temperature. The South Asian monsoon differs, however, from other monsoonal systems in two important ways. First, the ascending air exhibits an unusually high equivalent potential temperature, which results in global lifting of the tropopause during the boreal summer. Second, on a seasonal basis the main monsoon regions appear to be shielded from dry air intrusion from the extratropical regions.
A Causal Inference Model Based on Random Forests to Identify the Effect of Soil Moisture on Precipitation
Authors: Li Lu , Shangguan Wei , Deng Yi , Mao Jiafu , Pan JinJing , Wei Nan , Yuan Hua , Zhang Shupeng , Zhang Yonggen , Dai Yongjiu 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSoil moisture influences precipitation mainly through its impact on land–atmosphere interactions. Understanding and correctly modeling soil moisture–precipitation (SM–P) coupling is crucial for improving weather forecasting and subseasonal to seasonal climate predictions, especially when predicting the persistence and magnitude of drought. However, the sign and spatial structure of SM–P feedback are still being debated in the climate research community, mainly due to the difficulty in establishing causal relationships and the high degree of nonlinearity in land–atmosphere processes. To this end, we developed a causal inference model based on the Granger causality analysis and a nonlinear machine learning model. This model includes three steps: nonlinear anomaly decomposition, nonlinear Granger causality analysis, and evaluation of the quality of SM–P feedback, which eliminates the nonlinear response of interannual and seasonal variability and the memory effects of climatic factors and isolates the causal relationship of local SM–P feedback. We applied this model by using National Climate Assessment–Land Data Assimilation System (NCA-LDAS) datasets over the United States. The results highlight the importance of nonlinear atmosphere responses in land–atmosphere interactions. In addition, the strong feedback over the southwestern United States and the Great Plains both highlight the impacts of topographic factors rather than only the sensitivity of evapotranspiration to soil moisture. Furthermore, the SM–P index defined by our framework is used to benchmark Earth system models (ESMs), which provides a new metric for efficiently identifying potential model biases in modeling local land–atmosphere interactions and may help the development of ESMs in improving simulations of water cycle variability and extremes.
Challenges of Increased Resolution for the Local Ensemble Tangent Linear Model
Authors: Allen Douglas R. , Frolov Sergey , Langland Rolf , Bishop Craig H. , Hoppel Karl W. , Kuhl David D. , Yaremchuk Max 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAn ensemble-based linearized forecast model has been developed for data assimilation applications for numerical weather prediction. Previous studies applied this local ensemble tangent linear model (LETLM) to various models, from simple one-dimensional models to a low-resolution (~2.5°) version of the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) atmospheric forecast model. This paper applies the LETLM to NAVGEM at higher resolution (~1°), which required overcoming challenges including 1) balancing the computational stencil size with the ensemble size, and 2) propagating fast-moving gravity modes in the upper atmosphere. The first challenge is addressed by introducing a modified local influence volume, introducing computations on a thin grid, and using smaller time steps. The second challenge is addressed by applying nonlinear normal mode initialization, which damps spurious fast-moving modes and improves the LETLM errors above ~100 hPa. Compared to a semi-Lagrangian tangent linear model (TLM), the LETLM has superior skill in the lower troposphere (below 700 hPa), which is attributed to better representation of moist physics in the LETLM. The LETLM skill slightly lags in the upper troposphere and stratosphere (700–2 hPa), which is attributed to nonlocal aspects of the TLM including spectral operators converting from winds to vorticity and divergence. Several ways forward are suggested, including integrating the LETLM in a hybrid 4D variational solver for a realistic atmosphere, combining a physics LETLM with a conventional TLM for the dynamics, and separating the LETLM into a sequence of local and nonlocal operators.
The Relationship between Job Quality and Crime: Examining Heterogeneity in Treatment and Treatment Effect
Authors: Jaynes Chae M. 
Published: April 2020

Objectives: This study evaluates the relationship between employment and crime through a holistic evaluation of both treatment and treatment effect heterogeneity. Methods: This study implements a perceptual measure of job quality (job satisfaction) and hybrid fixed effects models among a sample of high-risk adults. Analyses also consider the robustness of findings across alternative operationalizations of job quality and various sample subgroups. Results: Transitioning from not working to working in the lowest quality job can be criminogenic. Among those who are working, an improvement in job quality is not generally associated with offending. However, model and crime-specific effects are observed. Evidence of treatment effect heterogeneity is also found, suggesting the effect of job quality is moderated by race/ethnicity and location. Conclusions: These findings caution criminologists against making an assumption that employment is inversely related to offending and call into question our understanding of job quality as a general disincentive for crime. Rather, evidence suggests that improvements in job quality may result in modest reductions in offending, but only for certain types of crime and certain individuals within specific labor market contexts.