bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sleep Disturbances in Early Gestation and the Risks of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhu Jing , Zheng Tao , Jin Hong , Wei Mengdan , Yu Jun , Ni Jiaying , Sun Kun , Zhang Jun ,   for the Early Life Plan Project
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Maternal poor sleep quality may increase blood pressure during pregnancy, but sound evidence is still limited and inconsistent. To evaluate whether sleep disturbances in early gestation are risk factors for the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, we conducted the Early Life Plan Project from June 2016 to December 2019. Maternal sleep patterns were assessed at 12–16 weeks of gestation by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. For gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, we estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multinomial logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Among 5,532 eligible women, we observed that maternal blood pressure in early gestation was significantly higher in women with low sleep efficiency (≤85%), long sleep duration (≥9 hours/night), and snoring. Compared with nonsnorers, snoring in early gestation was independently associated with preeclampsia (OR = 1.72 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.73) for snoring once or twice per week; OR = 2.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 4.31) for snoring 3 or more times per week), particularly for term preeclampsia (OR = 1.79 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.95) and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.03, 4.95), respectively). Results suggest that snoring in early gestation may be a significant risk factor for preeclampsia, with a dose-response pattern.
Towards the Cli-Fi Historical Novel; Or, Climate Futures Past in Recent Fiction
Authors: Forter Greg 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
In The Antinomies of Realism, Fredric Jameson argues that the historical novel of the future will have to be science-fictional. My essay contends that it will have to be climate-fictional. Like Jameson, I focus on the connections between late capital’s reification of the present and the forms of time-consciousness that such reifications foreclose. But, I place Jameson into dialogue with Jonathan Crary and Andreas Malm to show that the foreclosed modes of time are intimately linked to a natural world that contemporary capital purports to have vanquished.
This essay discusses two examples of cli-fi historical fiction—Matt Bell’s Appleseed (2021) and Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island (2019)—in this context. Despite important differences, these works are both concerned with thinking the climate crisis historically. Both explore how the natural world persists in our “postnatural” present in the form of an uncanniness that denaturalizes the social. This uncanniness liberates traces of the past and future from a present that declares itself bereft of such ghosts. Each novel develops a fantastical form to grasp this temporal heterogeneity, and each retrieves the kernels of utopian futurity from the material history of our present—even and especially, from the climate-devastated and inexorably destructive tendencies of that present.When the deep time of the natural-historical negates yet preserves the historical time of intensified reprisal . . . then and only then will a new universality of the planetary be born.
Purpose and Strategic Engagement in Informal English Digital Activities and Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge
Authors: Lai Chun , Liu Yang , Lin Yun 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Research has established positive associations between informal digital activities and vocabulary knowledge. However, understanding how different types of digital activities relate to various aspects of vocabulary knowledge is limited. This study examined how the purpose of informal digital activities and strategic engagement during and/or after technological activities relate to receptive (meaning recognition) and productive (form recall) knowledge of form-meaning links as well as knowledge of word association. Structural Equation Modelling analysis of the questionnaire and vocabulary test data from 339 university EFL learners revealed that two purpose factors (informal digital activities for instructional and socialization purposes) and two strategic engagement factors (dual focus on meaning and form; depth of lexical processing) were key determinants of form-meaning mapping. The interplay of purpose and strategic engagement manifested differently for receptive and productive knowledge of form-meaning links. In contrast, depth of lexical processing was the only predictor of knowledge of word association. The findings underscore activity purpose and strategic engagement as crucial factors in researching and bolstering the relationship between informal digital activities and different aspects of vocabulary knowledge.
Higher Responder Rates Observed With Live Participant Assessment Versus Photographic Assessment After VYC-20L Hyaluronic Acid Treatment for Chin Augmentation
Authors: Dayan Steven , Green Jeremy B , Schlesinger Todd , Dimitrijevic Elena , Chawla Smita , Sangha Sara 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
In an evaluator-blinded, randomized controlled trial, the hyaluronic acid soft-tissue filler VYC-20L injectable gel was safe and effective for correcting volume deficits and retrusion in the chin.

Objectives
The objective of this subanalysis was to compare responder rates obtained with photographic vs live assessments.

Methods
Participants were randomized 3:1 to VYC-20L treatment or a 6-month, no-treatment control period followed by optional treatment. Responder rates (≥1-point improvement from baseline on the validated Allergan Chin Retrusion Scale [ACRS]) obtained with photographic assessments and live assessments at Month 6 were compared. Prespecified subgroup analyses compared responder rates by baseline ACRS severity, filler volume, cannula usage, and investigation site.

Results
VYC-20L was effective for chin augmentation as evaluated with both live and photographic assessments. The ACRS responder rates at Month 6 were 91.8% with live assessments and 56.3% with photographic assessments. Consistently higher response rates were observed by live vs photographic assessment regardless of baseline ACRS severity, filler volume, cannula usage, and investigation site.

Conclusions
Live assessment of ACRS response after VYC-20L treatment resulted in higher responder rates than photographic assessment, supporting the use of live assessment for this indication to approximate real-world clinical practice.

Level of Evidence: 1
In vivo dynamic volumetric imaging of mouse testis and epididymis with optical coherence tomography
Authors: Umezu Kohei , Musina Guzel R , Larina Irina V 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe implementation of live imaging in reproductive research is crucial for studying the physiological dynamics. Sperm transport is a highly dynamic process regulated by tubular contractions and luminal flows within the male reproductive tract. However, due to the lack of imaging techniques to capture these dynamics in vivo, there is little information on the physiological and biomechanical regulation of sperm transport through the male reproductive tract. Here, we present a functional in vivo imaging approach using optical coherence tomography, enabling live, label-free, depth-resolved, three-dimensional, high-resolution visualization of the mouse testis and epididymis. With this approach, we spatiotemporally captured tubular contractility in mouse testis and epididymis, as well as microstructures of these reproductive organs. Our findings demonstrated that the contraction frequency varies significantly depending on the epididymal regions, suggesting the spatial regulation of epididymal contractility. Furthermore, we implemented quantitative measurements of the contraction wave and luminal transport through the epididymal duct, revealing the physiological dynamics within the male reproductive tract. The results show that the contraction wave propagates along the epididymal duct and the wave propagation velocity was estimated in vivo. In conclusion, this is the first study to develop in vivo dynamic volumetric imaging of the male reproductive tract, which allows for quantitative analysis of the dynamics associated with sperm transport. This study sets a platform for various studies investigating normal and abnormal male reproductive physiology as well as the pharmacological and environmental effects on reproductive functions in mouse models, ultimately contributing to a comprehensive understanding of male reproductive disorders.
Projective independence tests in high dimensions: the curses and the cures
Authors: Zhang Yaowu , Zhu Liping 
Published: November 2023

Summary
Testing independence between high-dimensional random vectors is fundamentally different from testing independence between univariate random variables. Taking the projection correlation as an example, it suffers from at least three problems. First, it has a high computational complexity of O{n3(p+q)}, where n, p and q are the sample size and dimensions of the random vectors; this limits its usefulness substantially when n is extremely large. Second, the asymptotic null distribution of the projection correlation test is rarely tractable; therefore, random permutations are often suggested as a means of approximating the asymptotic null distribution, which further increases the complexity of implementing independence tests. Third, the power performance of the projection correlation test deteriorates in high dimensions. To address these issues, the projection correlation is improved by using a modified weight function, which reduces the complexity to O{n2(p+q)}. We estimate the improved projection correlation with U-statistic theory. Importantly, its asymptotic null distribution is standard normal, thanks to the high dimesnionality of the random vectors. This expedites the implementation of independence tests substantially. To enhance the power performance in high dimensions, we propose incorporating a cross-validation procedure with feature screening into the projection correlation test. The implementation efficacy and power enhancement are confirmed through extensive numerical studies.
Splicing factor ESRP1 derived circ_0068162 promotes the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma via the miR-186/JAG axis
Authors: Chen Shuai , Zong Yingrui , Hou Zhenzhen , Deng Zhifen , Xia Zongping 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy in the oral and maxillofacial regions with an increasing incidence rate. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a recently discovered long-chain non-coding RNA family member. The objective of this study was to analyze the role of circ_0068162 in OSCC development.

Methods
We downloaded sample data GSE145608 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Online databases Starbase, TargetScan and miRDB were used to predict the target microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using the CCK-8 and EdU assays, respectively. Cell migration and invasion abilities were detected using transwell assay. The double luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to verify the interaction relationship between the identified target molecules. RNase R and actinomycin D treatment were performed to analyze the stability of circ_0068162.

Results
We found that circ_0068162 was overexpressed in the cytoplasm of OSCC cells and clinical OSCC tissues. Knockdown of circ_0068162 inhibited the growth, migration and invasion of OSCC cells. We also identified miR-186 as the target miRNA of circ_0068162, and JAG1 and JAG2 as the target genes of miR-186. The miR-186 inhibitor rescued the effects of sh-circ_0068162 and JAG1/JAG2 overexpression rescued the effects of miR-186 mimic in OSCC cells. Furthermore, ESRP1 promoted the biosynthesis of circ_0068162.

Conclusions
The circ_0068162/miR-186/JAGs/ESRP1 feedback loop is closely related to OSCC development.
The Triple Beholdenness of Polish Hospital Chaplains: How to Avoid Confusion?
Authors: Mikuczewski Jarosław L 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Polish hospital chaplaincy, because of the unique political and sociological context in which it finds itself, presents a sort of triple beholdenness. It carries particular loyalties to the state, to Catholic doctrine, and above all, it is called to be faithful to the unique suffering person. In this article, I argue that the biggest challenge for Polish chaplaincy resides within the domain of loyalty to the patient, where the profound and immediate need for robust formation of individual Christian conscience through catechesis is needed. Although hospital chaplaincy’s involvement in catechesis and instructing the faithful might not be clearly evident for the reader, nevertheless I prove my point by bringing a story from my practice as a chaplain in one of Poland’s hospitals.
Optimization of guideline-directed medical therapies in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease
Authors: Neumiller Joshua J , Alicic Radica Z , Tuttle Katherine R 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT
Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure worldwide. CKD frequently coexists with heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the broader context of cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome. Diabetes and CKD are associated with increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death as well as decreased quality of life. The role of metabolic and hemodynamic abnormalities has long been recognized as an important contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of CKD in diabetes, while a more recent and growing body of evidence supports activation of both systemic and local inflammation as important contributors. Current guidelines recommend therapies targeting pathomechanisms of CKD in addition to management of traditional risk factors such as hyperglycemia and hypertension. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors are recommended for treatment of patients with CKD and type 2 diabetes (T2D) if eGFR is ≥20 ml/min/173 m2 on a background of renin-angiotensin system inhibition. For patients with T2D, CKD, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist is recommended as additional risk-based therapy. A non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist is also recommended as additional risk-based therapy for persistent albuminuria in patients with T2D already treated with renin-angiotensin system inhibition. Implementation of guideline-directed medical therapies is challenging in the face of rapidly accumulating knowledge, high cost of medications, and lack of infrastructure for optimal healthcare delivery. Furthermore, studies of new therapies have focused on T2D and CKD. Clinical trials are now planned to inform the role of these therapies in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and CKD.
Hybridization Protection Reaction for Sensitive and Robust Gene Expression Profiling of Clinical Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples
Authors: Hsu Feng-Ming , Chang Yih-Leong , Chen Chung-Yung , Lin Shu-Rung , Cheng Jason Chia-Hsien 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
RNA profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues for the molecular diagnostics of disease prognosis or treatment response is often irreproducible and limited to a handful of biomarkers. This has led to an unmet need for robust multiplexed assays that can profile several RNA biomarkers of interest using a limited amount of specimen. Here, we describe hybridization protection reaction (HPR), which is a novel RNA profiling approach with high reproducibility.

Methods
HPR assays were designed for multiple genes, including 10 radiosensitivity-associated genes, and compared with TaqMan assays. Performance was tested with synthetic RNA fragments, and the ability to analyze RNA was investigated in FPPE samples from 20 normal lung tissues, 40 lung cancer, and 30 esophageal cancer biopsies.

Results
Experiments performed on 3 synthetic RNA fragments demonstrated a linear dynamic range of over 1000-fold with a replicate correlation coefficient of 0.99 and high analytical sensitivity between 3.2 to 10 000 pM. Comparison of HPR with standard quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on FFPE specimens shows nonsignificant differences with &gt; 99% confidence interval between 2 assays in transcript profiling of 91.7% of test transcripts. In addition, HPR was effectively applied to quantify transcript levels of 10 radiosensitivity-associated genes.

Conclusions
Overall, HPR is an alternative approach for RNA profiling with high sensitivity, reproducibility, robustness, and capability for molecular diagnostics in FFPE tumor biopsy specimens of lung and esophageal cancer.
Focal atrial tachycardia mimicking catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: a case report
Authors: Seewald Maria Sabine , Huttelmaier Moritz Till , Kriebel Thomas , Fischer Thomas H 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
In childhood and adolescence, cardiac arrhythmias are often benign in the absence of congenital heart defects. Nevertheless, life-threatening inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes can become clinically manifest in early childhood. As early symptoms may be similar in both conditions, thorough workup is fundamental to avoid delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Case summary
We present the case of a 26-year-old Caucasian female patient who presented with recurrent non-sustained polymorphic wide complex tachycardia. Structural heart disease was excluded by echocardiography as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Due to wide complex extrasystoles and couplets with alternating QRS axis occurring at low levels of physical exertion, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) was suspected and further investigated. Epinephrine testing in combination with an electrophysiological (EP) study with placement of a coronary sinus catheter and subsequent programmed stimulation ruled out CPVT and unmasked wide complex tachycardia as varying aberrant conduction of focal atrial tachycardia (FAT). 3D-navigated mapping of FAT revealed a direct parahisian origin. Due to significantly increased risk of atrio-ventricular (AV) block during ablation, the patient refused ablation and preferred medical antiarrhythmic therapy.

Discussion
Given the consequences of both, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of CPVT, thorough workup is fundamental. In case of doubt regarding potential aberrant AV conduction in the context of wide complex tachycardia, an invasive EP study may easily and safely prove or rule out aberrancy.
Prelude to Re-education: US Internationalists, Students and the German Problem, 1919–1949
Authors: Piller Elisabeth 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Much has been written about US efforts to solve the ‘German problem’ after the Second World War. Scholars have carefully studied US attempts to de-Nazify, pacify and democratise post-war Germany and have identified the creation of large-scale student exchange programmes as an integral part of that agenda. As this article shows, 1945 was not the first time in the twentieth century that US policy-makers and educators had pondered the German problem and sought to address Germany’s apparently deficient democratisation and excessive militarism, as well as the alarmingly narrow horizons of its youth. Based on long-neglected or inaccessible archival materials in Europe and the United States, this article charts the development of US student exchanges with inter-war Germany and demonstrates that a fuller understanding of US re-education policies in West Germany requires paying attention to the 1920s and 1930s. The article traces the discovery of the German student as an object of US democratisation efforts in the inter-war period and shows that US re-education policy after 1945 was deeply informed by the experiences made, connections forged and convictions won (sometimes without reliable evidence) by US internationalists in the inter-war years. Facing the German problem after the First World War, the article argues, helped establish a modus operandi—and a modus cogitandi—with regard to the German student that would inform US cultural diplomacy well into the Cold War.
Populist partner: the influence of partner characteristics on populist radical right voting
Authors: Sipma Take , Lubbers Marcel , Spierings Niels 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
In this study, the role of the partner’s self-assessed socio-economic status and political attitudes on populist radical right voting is studied. We made use of a survey among the adult Dutch population (the LISS panel), with information on the self-assessed occupational class, education and political preferences of both partners in cohabiting heterosexual couples. Our results show that, next to the more often found effect of one’s own socio-economic status, the lower the self-assessed occupational class and educational level of the partner, the more likely one is to vote for the PVV, a Dutch populist radical right party. Whereas previous literature has shown that partner’s socio-economic status affects voting behaviour through economic policy preferences, we show the partner’s self-assessed position, for both men and women, is also relevant in explaining behaviour via other political attitudes, such as anti-immigration views. Regardless of one’s own political attitudes, the attitudes of the partner affect one’s likelihood to vote for the populist radical right. With this study, we thus show that including partner characteristics provides further insight into the role of occupation, education, gender, and political attitudes in populist radical right voting, providing evidence of the importance of people’s strong ties in voting behaviour outcomes.
The cardiovascular effects of novel weight loss therapies
Authors: Usman Muhammad Shariq , Davies Melanie , Hall Michael E , Verma Subodh , Anker Stefan D , Rosenstock Julio , Butler Javed 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached pandemic proportions. Obesity is known to increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, as well as the risk for overt cardiovascular (CV) disease, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. The rising prevalence of obesity may counteract the recent advances in primary and secondary prevention of CV disease. Overweight and obesity are common in patients with CV disease; however, cardiologists face several challenges in managing body weight in this population. Many may not consider obesity as a therapeutic target probably because there were no previous highly effective and safe pharmacologic interventions to consider. In addition, they may not have the expertise or resources to implement lifestyle interventions and may have limited familiarity with obesity pharmacotherapy. Moreover, the long-term CV effects of obesity pharmacotherapy remain uncertain due to limited CV outcome data with weight loss as the primary intervention. Although current CV guidelines recognize the importance of weight loss, they primarily focus on lifestyle modifications, with fewer details on strategies to utilize obesity pharmacotherapy and surgery. However, the recent 2022 American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes consensus on the management of Type 2 diabetes has moved up weight management to the front of the treatment algorithm, by prioritizing the use of pharmacologic interventions such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which have potent weight-lowering effects, in addition to glucose-lowering effects. This review appraises the current evidence regarding the CV effects of weight-loss interventions. Considering this evidence, practical guidance is provided to assist cardiologists in developing and implementing treatment plans, which may allow optimal weight management while maximizing CV benefits and minimizing side effects to improve the overall well-being of people with CV disease.