bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of influential factors in hemoporfin‐mediated photodynamic therapy for facial port‐wine stains
Authors: Huang Yuanbo , Yang Jun , Sun Li , Zhang Lichao , Bi Mingye 
Published: August 2021

AbstractHemoporfin‐mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME‐PDT) is a vascular‐targeted treatment for port‐wine stains (PWS). However, the efficacy of this has varied and is difficult to predict. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of influential factors associated with HMME‐PDT and provide a suitable method for predicting the efficacy. Patients with facial PWS who underwent HMME‐PDT were retrospective analyzed. A total of 212 patients (93 males) with mean age of 13.01 ± 12.67 years (range, 1–51) years were included. There were 143 cases with red, 56 cases with purple, and 13 cases with hypertrophic‐type PWS. The number of HMME‐PDT sessions ranged 1–6. The excellent response rate after 1–4 PDT sessions was 9.4%, 17.6%, 32.7%, and 42.9%, respectively. The number of PDT treatments is associated with efficacy, and patients who underwent treatment with more than three sessions had response better than those who underwent treatment with less than three sessions (p = 0.003). Response to HMME‐PDT in patients of different ages, previous treatment history, lip involvement, and vessels morphology showed significant differences after two treatment sessions (p = 0.001, 0.03, 0.014, and 0.001, respectively), while patients of different sex, subtype, lesion size, location (medial, lateral, or mixed), or non‐vascular morphology showed no significant differences. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the patients with lip hypertrophy (p = 0.002), history of more than five times prior treatment (p = 0.003), fewer PDT sessions (<3) (p = 0.000002), linear vessels (p = 0.007), and reticular vessels (p = 0.0003) showed association with poor response of HMME‐PDT. In conclusion, HMME‐PDT is an effective treatment for PWS. Patients who had underwent treatment for more than five times prior, lip hypertrophy, and linear vessels or reticular vessels under dermoscope showed association with poor efficacy.
Role of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in the pathophysiology of herpes simplex virus superinfection in Darier’s disease
Authors: Yamamoto Takenobu , Aoyama Yumi 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDarier’s disease (DD) and Hailey–Hailey disease (HHD), belonging to a hereditary acantholytic dermatosis caused by mutations in ATP2A2 and ATP2C1, respectively, are easily affected by eczema herpeticum (EH) induced by mostly herpes simplex virus (HSV) superinfection. However, the mechanisms by which those patients with DD or HHD are susceptible to HSV are not well elucidated. Here, we experienced two cases with DD, including three episodes of the exacerbation of DD after the development of severe EH. We serially measured serum cytokines before and after the development of EH and DD in these patients. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of pro‐inflammatory cytokines on the mRNA expression of ATP2A2 and ATP2C1, and HSV growth. The timing of EH onset in these patients was coincident with the increase in serum interleukin (IL)‐6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α levels. Moreover, the exacerbation of DD occurred in the non‐lesional skin of EH after EH remission (mean 24 days, ranging 15–30 days after EH onset). IL‐6 and TNF‐α enhanced HSV‐1 growth, and ATP2A2 and ATP2C1 mRNA levels were downregulated by IL‐6 stimulation in cultured differentiated keratinocytes. Increased pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α lead to development of severe EH lesions via accentuation of HSV growth. IL‐6 acts as an exacerbating factor of DD and HHD by downregulating the expression of responsible genes.
Longitudinal variation in the nutritional quality of basal food sources and its effect on invertebrates and fish in subalpine rivers
Authors: Guo Fen , Ebm Nadine , Bunn Stuart E. , Brett Michael T. , Hager Hannes , Kainz Martin J. 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

There is growing recognition of the importance of food quality over quantity for aquatic consumers. In streams and rivers, most previous studies considered this primarily in terms of the quality of terrestrial leaf litter and importance of microbial conditioning. However, many recent studies suggest that algae are a more nutritional food source for riverine consumers than leaf litter. To date, few studies have quantified longitudinal shifts in the nutritional quality of basal food resources in river ecosystems and how these may affect consumers.

We conducted a field investigation in a subalpine river ecosystem in Austria to investigate longitudinal variations in diet quality of basal food sources (submerged leaves and periphyton) and diet source dependence of stream consumers (invertebrate grazers, shredders, filterers and predators, and fish). Fatty acid (FA) profiles of basal food sources and their consumers were measured.

Our results indicate systematic differences between the FA profiles of terrestrial leaves and aquatic biota, that is periphyton, invertebrates and fish. Submerged leaves contained very low proportions of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFAs), which were conversely rich in aquatic biota. While the FA composition of submerged leaves remained similar among sites, the LC‐PUFAs of periphyton increased longitudinally, which was associated with increasing nutrients from upstream to downstream.

Longitudinal variations in periphyton LC‐PUFAs were reflected in the LC‐PUFAs of invertebrate grazers and shredders, and further tracked by invertebrate predators and fish. However, brown trout Salmo trutta contained a large proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3), a LC‐PUFA almost entirely missing in basal sources and invertebrates. The fish accumulated eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3) from invertebrate prey and may use this FA to synthesize DHA.

Our results provide a nutritional perspective for river food web studies, emphasizing the importance of algal resources to consumer somatic growth and the need to account for the longitudinal shifts in the quality of these basal resources.
Fiscal decentralization and efficiency of public services delivery by local governments in Ghana
Authors: Otoo Isaac , Danquah Michael 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we estimate the efficiency of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana, and investigate the impact of fiscal decentralization on the efficiency of local public goods and services delivery by MMDAs. Using data from composite budgets of all 216 MMDAs, we employ both non‐parametric and parametric frontier methods to carry out the study. The results with regard to our two indicators of fiscal decentralization indicate that fiscal autonomy proxied by MMDAs’ internally generated funds as a share of their total revenue has a positive influence on the efficiency of MMDAs whilst vertical imbalance—a high share of central government grants in MMDAs’ total expenditure—does not improve the delivery of local goods and services by MMDAs in Ghana. The findings indicate a clear signal to policy managers to prioritize support to MMDAs in the mobilization of internally generated revenue.
Thatcherism and Brexit as Political Projects
Authors: Willetts David 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThatcherism was a very astute political project from the beginning—monetarism removed the need to do deals with trade unions in order to manage the economy and thus resolved the political problem which had dogged Conservatives through the 1970s. Andrew Gamble is right to identify a free economy and a strong state as complementary political principles—a credible economic policy was key to the difference between the Falklands and Suez. Now, the Conservative Party has once again shown its agility in responding to economic discontent by becoming a party of Brexit and assembling an election winning coalition of the excluded and the insulated. Age has replaced class as the crucial political divide. A political party can focus on older voters provided that it continues to recruit new voters as they go through the life cycle. But it is risky if it is actually an appeal to an ageing cohort of voters without recruiting from succeeding generations. The Conservative Party needs to appeal to younger voters, and offering the prospect of property ownership would be one way to do this. A belief in fairness between the generations unites different age groups
Effect of processing technologies on the digestibility of egg proteins
Authors: Bhat Zuhaib F. , Morton James D. , Bekhit Alaa El‐Din A. , Kumar Sunil , Bhat Hina F. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractEgg and egg products are a rich source of highly bioavailable animal proteins. Several processing technologies can affect the structural and functional properties of these proteins differently and can influence their fate inside the gastrointestinal tract. The present review examines some of the processing technologies for improving egg protein digestibility and discusses how different processing conditions affect the digestibility of egg proteins under gastrointestinal digestion environments. To provide up‐to‐date information, most of the studies included in this review have been published in the last 5 years on different aspects of egg protein digestibility. Digestibility of egg proteins can be improved by employing some processing technologies that are able to improve the susceptibility of egg proteins to gastrointestinal proteases. Processing technologies, such as pulsed electric field, high‐pressure, and ultrasound, can induce conformational and microstructural changes that lead to unfolding of the polypeptides and expose active sites for further interactions. These changes can enhance the accessibility of digestive proteases to cleavage sites. Some of these technologies may inactivate some egg proteins that are enzyme inhibitors, such as trypsin inhibitors. The underlying mechanisms of how different technologies mediate the egg protein digestibility have been discussed in detail. The proteolysis patterns and digestibility of the processed egg proteins are not always predictable and depends on the processing conditions. Empirical input is required to tailor the optimization of processing conditions for favorable effects on protein digestibility.
Cold plasma for the preservation of aquatic food products: An overview
Authors: Rathod Nikheel Bhojraj , Ranveer Rahul Chudaman , Bhagwat Prashant Kishor , Ozogul Fatih , Benjakul Sottawat , Pillai Santhosh , Annapure Uday Shriramrao 
Published: August 2021

AbstractCold plasma (CP) is an upcoming technology implemented for the preservation of highly perishable foods, especially aquatic food products (AFPs). The high moisture content, high‐quality protein with all essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids makes AFP more susceptible to microbial spoilage and oxidation of lipids and proteins. Spoilage lowers the nutritive value and could generate toxic components, making it unsafe for consumption. In recent times, the rising demand for food products of aquatic origin with preserved quality and extended shelf‐life has been recorded. In addition, minimally or nonthermally processed and preserved foods are gaining great attention. CP technology has demonstrated an excellent ability to inactivate microorganisms without promoting their resistance and triggering some deteriorative enzymes, which are typical factors responsible for the spoilage of AFP. Consequently, CP could be recommended as a minimal processing intervention for preserving the quality of AFP. This review focuses on different mechanisms of fish spoilage, that is, by microorganisms and oxidation, their inhibition via the application of CP, and the retention of quality and shelf‐life extension of AFP.
Aging and neuroinflammation: Changes in immune cell responses, axon integrity, and motor function in a viral model of progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Mestre Leyre , Alonso Graciela , Feliú Ana , Mecha Miriam , Martín Carolina , Villar Luisa M. , Guaza Carmen 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAlthough aggravated multiple sclerosis (MS) disability has been reported in aged patients, the aging impact on immune cells remodeling within the CNS is not well understood. Here, we investigated the influence of aging on immune cells and the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes that occur in a well‐established viral model of progressive MS. We found an anomalous presence of CD4+ T, CD8+T, B cells, and cells of myeloid lineage in the CNS of old sham mice whereas a blunted cellular innate and adaptive immune response was observed in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infected old mice. Microglia and macrophages show opposite CNS viral responses regarding cell counts in the old mice. Furthermore, enhanced expression of Programmed Death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) was found in microglia isolated from old TMEV‐infected mice and not in isolated CNS macrophages. Immunocytochemical staining of microglial cells confirms the above differences between young and old mice. Age‐related axonal loss integrity in the mouse spinal cord was found in TMEV mice, but a less marked neurodegenerative process was present in old sham mice compared with young sham mice. TMEV and sham old mice also display alterations in innate and adaptive immunity in the spleen compared to the young mice. Our study supports the need of new or adapted pharmacological strategies for MS elderly patients.
Aid as pan‐Islamic solidarity in Bosnia‐Herzegovina
Authors: LI DARRYL 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTFor decades Arab Muslims have engaged in pan‐Islamic solidarity aid work in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. In delivering aid from the Middle East to a European country, they disrupt the racial and civilizational hierarchies that structure most international relief work. Their experiences demonstrate the utility of a more capacious anthropological understanding of universalism. Rather than dismiss universalism as mere ideology or as a set of homogenizing processes, I highlight how universalist projects put into practice complex idioms that are notionally directed at all of humanity. Ethnographic attention to these relief workers’ material conditions reveals that they lack many of the privileges of the white, Western, and highly mobile protagonists of most ethnographies of aid. Moreover, it illuminates how spiritual practices coalesce with considerations of transnational mobility, class, and political action—considerations that are often neglected in anthropological work on Islamic piety. [universalism, solidarity, humanitarianism, charity, aid, Islam, pan‐Islamism, Bosnia‐Herzegovina]
Results of childhood glaucoma surgery over a long‐term period
Authors: Hoffmann Esther M. , Aghayeva Fidan , Schuster Alexander K. , Pfeiffer Norbert , Karsten Mona , Schweiger Susann , Pirlich Nina , Wagner Felix M. , Chronopoulos Panagiotis , Grehn Franz 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate long‐term results of glaucoma surgery in newborn and infants with glaucoma.MethodsSeventy‐nine eyes of 52 children (age: 3 weeks–15.3 years) with primary congenital or secondary glaucoma treated between 2015 and 2017 were included. The median follow‐up time was 3.9 years. Conventional probe trabeculotomy, 360° catheter‐assisted trabeculotomy, filtering and cyclodestructive surgery were compared. Strict criteria for surgical success were applied: Complete surgical success (IOP below target IOP, no further surgery) and incomplete surgical success (additional surgery allowed) were analyzed, and IOP at baseline and last follow‐up was compared.ResultsIntraocular pressure (IOP) was significantly reduced in primary congenital (preoperative IOP: 27.8 ± 7.5 mmHg vs. postoperative IOP: 14.2 ± 4.5 mmHg) and secondary glaucoma (preoperative IOP: 29.2 ± 9.1 mmHg vs. postoperative IOP: 16.6 ± 4.7 mmHg). 90% of all eyes reached target IOP with or without medication allowing for additional surgeries. As first surgery, 360° catheter‐assisted trabeculotomy had a tendency to higher surgical success than other surgical approaches, while cyclodestructive procedures had lowest.ConclusionsWe found very promising surgical results in our childhood glaucoma patient group. Surgical success in both congenital and secondary glaucoma was high.
Associations between positively valenced affect and health behaviors vary by arousal
Authors: Jones Dusti R. , Smyth Joshua M. , Graham‐Engeland Jennifer E. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractEvidence is mixed with regard to whether positively valanced affect (PA) is associated with engagement in health behaviors. Both affective arousal (activated/deactivated) and level of analysis (between and within‐person) may influence such associations. Adults (N = 121; 25–65 years) completed ambulatory assessments of affect and daily reports of sleep, diet, and physical/sedentary activity. Patterns of association were generally consistent at between and within‐person levels, although associations varied by arousal. Activated PA was positively associated with action tendencies (i.e., higher physical activity, lower sedentary activities) and riskier behaviors (such as poor diet) whereas deactivated PA was positively associated with engaging in satiety and rest (i.e., better diet, better sleep quality, and more sedentary activity). Results were maintained when covarying for indicators of relative socioeconomic advantage and neuroticism. Overall, arousal appears to be related to the nature of the associations between PA and health behaviors, highlighting the importance of assessing and evaluating a range of arousal states.
Development and validation of a patient-reported outcome in systemic sclerosis: the Hand scleroDerma lived Experience (HAnDE) scale
Authors: Sibeoni J. , Dunogué B. , Dupont A. , Haiddar D. , Benmostefa N. , Falissard B. , Mouthon L. , Révah-Levy A. , Verneuil L. 
Published: August 2021

Summary
Background
Hand involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is at the core of the disease, with a substantial impact on both functional aspects and quality of life. There is no patient-reported outcome (PRO) scale globally assessing hand involvement in SSc.
Objectives
To develop and validate a PRO scale, the Hand scleroDerma lived Experience (HAnDE) scale, to assess the lived experience of hand involvement in patients with SSc.
Methods
This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study with two phases: (i) PRO development through an inductive process to analyse the structure of lived experience, involving 21 patients with SSc; and (ii) PRO validation by assessing the psychometric properties of the scale among 105 patients with SSc.
Results
Phase 1 enabled us to generate the 18-item provisional scale. From Phase 2, the mean (SD) total score of the scale was 29·16 (16·15). The item reduction process retained 16 items with five levels of answers (range 0–64). Internal consistency of the 16-item version was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0·946). Construct validity was very good, principal component analysis pointing towards a unidimensional instrument, with one factor explaining 56% of the variance, and concurrent validity being confirmed: Cochin Hand Function Scale r = 0·66; Health Assessment Questionnaire – Disability index r = 0·58; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, anxiety r = 0·51, depression r = 0·4; Mouth Handicap in Systemic Sclerosis scale r = 0·61; 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, physical component r = –0·48, mental component r = –0·46; and Kapandji score r = –0·46. The correlations were statistically significant (P &lt; 0·05).
Conclusions
We propose, for future trials and clinical practice in SSc, a new PRO, the HAnDE scale, that assesses all the dimensions – functional, aesthetic, relational, existential and emotional – of the lived experience of hand involvement in SSc.
A role for translational regulation by S6 kinase and a downstream target in inflammatory pain
Authors: de la Peña June Bryan , Kunder Nikesh , Lou Tzu‐Fang , Chase Rebecca , Stanowick Alexander , Barragan‐Iglesias Paulino , Pancrazio Joseph J. , Campbell Zachary T. 
Published: August 2021

Background and PurposeTranslational controls pervade neurobiology. Nociceptors play an integral role in the detection and propagation of pain signals. Nociceptors can undergo persistent changes in their intrinsic excitability. Pharmacological disruption of nascent protein synthesis diminishes acute and chronic forms of pain‐associated behaviours. However, the targets of translational controls that facilitate plasticity in nociceptors are unclear.Experimental ApproachWe used ribosome profiling to probe the translational landscape in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from male Swiss‐Webster mice, after treatment with nerve growth factor and IL‐6. Expression dynamics of c‐Fos were followed with immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. The involvement of ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), a downstream component of mTOR signalling, in the control of c‐Fos levels was assessed with low MW inhibitors of S6K1 (DG2) or c‐Fos (T‐5224), studying their effects on nociceptor activity in vitro using multielectrode arrays (MEAs) and pain behaviour in vivo in Swiss‐Webster mice using the hyperalgesic priming model.Key Resultsc‐Fos was expressed in sensory neurons. Inflammatory mediators that promote pain in both humans and rodents promote c‐Fos translation. The mTOR effector S6K1 is essential for c‐Fos biosynthesis. Inhibition of S6K1 or c‐Fos with low MW compounds diminished mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in response to inflammatory cues. Additionally, both inhibitors reduced evoked nociceptor activity.Conclusion and implicationsOur data show a novel role of S6K1 in modulating the rapid response to inflammatory mediators, with c‐Fos being one key downstream target. Targeting the S6 kinase pathway or c‐Fos is an exciting new avenue for pain‐modulating compounds.
ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination: A putative precipitant of adrenal crises
Authors: Maguire Deirdre , McLaren David S. , Rasool Irum , Shah Preet M. , Lynch Julie , Murray Robert D. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundPatients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) have excess mortality, in part due to the occurrence of life‐threatening adrenal crises. Infective processes, including that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), are recognised as the major precipitant of adrenal crises. Adverse reactions to the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine occur in a significant proportion of individuals, however, are mild‐moderate in the majority of cases.DesignCase series.Patients & ResultsWe describe five cases where more severe adverse reactions to the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine led to actual or incipient adrenal crises requiring parenteral hydrocortisone within 24 h of receiving the first ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination.ConclusionIn individuals with adrenal insufficiency, adverse reactions to the initial dose of the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination can precipitate adrenal crises. We recommend that patients with AI should immediately increase their maintenance glucocorticoid dosage 2–3 fold on experiencing any symptoms in the initial 24 h following vaccination.