bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neutrophils in malaria: The good, the bad or the ugly?
Authors: Pollenus Emilie , Gouwy Mieke , Van den Steen Philippe E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractNeutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes in human peripheral blood. They are often the first cells to respond to an invading pathogen and might therefore play an important role in malaria. Malaria is a globally important disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, responsible for more than 400,000 deaths each year. Most of these deaths are caused by complications, including cerebral malaria, severe malarial anaemia, placental malaria, renal injury, metabolic problems and malaria‐associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Neutrophils contribute in the immune defence against malaria, through clearance of parasites via phagocytosis, production of reactive oxygen species and release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, Plasmodium parasites diminish antibacterial functions of neutrophils, making patients more susceptible to other infections. Neutrophils might also be involved in the development of malaria complications, for example via the release of toxic granules and NETs. However, technical pitfalls in the determination of the roles of neutrophils have caused contradicting results. Further investigations need to consider these pitfalls, in order to elucidate the role of neutrophils in malaria complications.
Shaping the root system architecture in plants for adaptation to drought stress
Authors: Ranjan Alok , Sinha Ragini , Singla‐Pareek Sneh L. , Pareek Ashwani , Singh Anil Kumar 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRoot system architecture plays an important role in plant adaptation to drought stress. The root system architecture (RSA) consists of several structural features, which includes number and length of main and lateral roots along with the density and length of root hairs. These features exhibit plasticity under water‐limited environments and could be critical to developing crops with efficient root systems for adaptation under drought. Recent advances in the omics approaches have significantly improved our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of RSA remodeling under drought and the identification of genes and other regulatory elements. Plant response to drought stress at physiological, morphological, biochemical, and molecular levels in root cells is regulated by various phytohormones and their crosstalk. Stress‐induced reactive oxygen species play a significant role in regulating root growth and development under drought stress. Several transcription factors responsible for the regulation of RSA under drought have proven to be beneficial for developing drought tolerant crops. Molecular breeding programs for developing drought‐tolerant crops have been greatly benefitted by the availability of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the RSA regulation. In the present review, we have discussed the role of various QTLs, signaling components, transcription factors, microRNAs and crosstalk among various phytohormones in shaping RSA and present future research directions to better understand various factors involved in RSA remodeling for adaptation to drought stress. We believe that the information provided herein may be helpful in devising strategies to develop crops with better RSA for efficient uptake and utilization of water and nutrients under drought conditions.
On second thought … the influence of a second stage in the ultimatum game on decision behavior, electro‐cortical correlates and their trait interrelation
Authors: Rodrigues Johannes , Weiß Martin , Mussel Patrick , Hewig Johannes 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPrevious EEG research only investigated one stage ultimatum games (UGs). We investigated the influence of a second bargaining stage in an UG concerning behavioral responses, electro‐cortical correlates and their moderations by the traits altruism, anger, anxiety, and greed in 92 participants. We found that an additional stage led to more rejection in the 2‐stage UG (2SUG) and that increasing offers in the second stage compared to the first stage led to more acceptance. The FRN during a trial was linked to expectance evaluation concerning the fairness of the offers, while midfrontal theta was a marker for the needed cognitive control to overcome the respective default behavioral pattern. The FRN responses to unfair offers were more negative for either low or high altruism in the UG, while high trait anxiety led to more negative FRN responses in the first stage of 2SUG, indicating higher sensitivity to unfairness. Accordingly, the mean FRN response, representing the trait‐like general electrocortical reactivity to unfairness, predicted rejection in the first stage of 2SUG. Additionally, we found that high trait anger led to more rejections for unfair offer in 2SUG in general, while trait altruism led to more rejection of unimproving unfair offers in the second stage of 2SUG. In contrast, trait anxiety led to more acceptance in the second stage of 2SUG, while trait greed even led to more acceptance if the offer was worse than in the stage before. These findings suggest, that 2SUG creates a trait activation situation compared to the UG.
A democratic nuclear energy transition? Public participation in nuclear activities
Authors: Duvic‐Paoli Leslie‐Anne , Lueger Priska 
Published: February 2022

AbstractGovernments, local authorities and civil society organizations are becoming increasingly vocal regarding the domestic and transboundary risks that nuclear power represents to health and the environment. While participatory rights are gaining importance in the nuclear sector, nuclear‐related activities have been at the centre of inconsistencies and uncertainties in the practice of public participation under the Aarhus and Espoo Conventions. Against this background, this article analyses the interactions between international environmental law and international nuclear law to understand how environmental democracy principles apply in the context of nuclear activities. It presents the relationship as mutually beneficial: despite inherent tensions due to the nature of nuclear activities, these interactions hold important promises to democratize the nuclear field on the one hand and strengthen environmental democracy on the other.
International information flows, sentiments, and cross‐country business cycle fluctuations
Authors: Brzoza‐Brzezina Michał , Kotłowski Jacek , Wesołowski Grzegorz 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBusiness cycles are strongly correlated between countries. One possible explanation (beyond traditional economic linkages like trade or finance) is that consumer or business sentiments spread over borders and affect cyclical fluctuations in various countries. We first lend empirical support to this concept by showing that sentiments travel fast between countries, most probably directly via information flows. Then we embed this idea into a structural two‐economy new Keynesian framework where noisy information available internationally can generate cyclical fluctuations (comovement of GDP, consumption, investments, and inflation) in both countries. Estimation with US and Canadian data reveals a significant role of US noise shocks in generating common fluctuations. They explain 20%–40% of consumption variance in the US and Canada and raise the correlation between these variables by up to unity in periods of sentiment breakdowns. We also show that our estimated noise shock can be interpreted as a sentiment shock.
Students‐As‐Teachers: Fostering medical educators
Authors: Stanley Joshua , Fellus Ilan A. , Rojas David , Talarico Susanna , Radhakrishnan Seetha , Leslie Karen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundWhile mounting evidence supports various benefits of Students‐As‐Teachers (SAT) curricula in preparing students to teach, limited SAT electives are offered across Canada. We developed a 4‐week SAT selective for fourth‐year medical students at the University of Toronto to enhance medical education knowledge and teaching skills. This study aimed to evaluate the SAT programme and its impact on students' development as educators, their experience as learners and educators, and their future plans for involvement with medical education.ApproachStudents participated in highly interactive small group seminars and teaching opportunities in nonclinical and clinical environments. Course evaluation consisted of pre‐selective and post‐selective surveys and written reflections on the selective experience and future career aspirations. A theory‐based evaluation approach was utilized to compare the SAT programme's theory with course outcomes.EvaluationPost‐SAT selective, students self‐reported greater knowledge and confidence in teaching methods, provision of feedback, medical education scholarship, and interest in further medical education training. Student reflections highlighted three key themes. Identity formation as educators and the importance of mentorship in medical education aligned with our programme theory, while an unexpected outcome included a shifting perception on teaching and feedback from a learner to an educator lens.ImplicationsThis study's findings demonstrate the ability of SAT curricula to build capacity for future medical educators. Positive factors contributing to the programme's outcomes included cohort size, course and seminar structure, and active group participation. Future iterations may explore use of flipped classroom models, additional clinical teaching opportunities, and near‐peer teaching.
Pain Begins
Authors: Spector Shirtz Aviv 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis paper advances a non‐process–oriented understanding of the mind–body relation by uncovering constraints on physicalist mind–body theories. The method of this paper is to explore possible answers that different mind–body theories can provide to the question “When does an experience of pain begin?” This paper demonstrates that physicalist mind–body theories must postulate a synchronic relation between a temporallyinvariant(i.e., constant over time, as opposed to changing over time) aspect of the mental and a temporallyinvariantaspect of the physical. This conclusion poses a challenge to many popular mind–body theories, especially those that postulate a synchronic realisation relation between physical processes and instantiations of mental kinds, such as Functionalism, and in particular Computationalism. Apart from the implications on theory choice and theory design within the philosophy of mind, this paper presents a useful tool for the evaluation of inter‐level relations.
Thin Mereological Sums, Abstraction, and Interpretational Modalities
Authors: Lando Giorgio 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSome tools introduced by Linnebo to show that mathematical entities are thin objects can also be applied to non‐mathematical entities, which have been thought to be thin as well for a variety of reasons. In this paper, I discuss some difficulties and opportunities concerning the application of abstraction and interpretational modalities to mereological sums. In particular, I show that on one hand some prima facie attractive candidates for the role of an explanatory plural abstraction principle for mereological sums (in terms of pluralities of summed entities) are not really explanatory; on the other hand, singular abstraction principles (in terms of single summed entities) are materially inadequate. Nonetheless, explanatory criteria of identity and conditions of existence for mereological sums are provided by classical extensional mereology independent of abstraction principles. Thus, given classical extensional mereology, the reasons why, according to Linnebo, mathematical abstracted entities are thin also hold for mereological sums. Finally, I contend that interpretational modalities can be used to characterise the process by which a subject adds sums of previously admitted entities to the domain of quantification.
Serological testing on the ADVIA Centaur system for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus in specimens from deceased and living individuals demonstrates equivalent resultsƚ
Authors: Wright Theodore B. , Patibandla Sai , Walsh Renee , Fonstad Rachel , Gee Matthew , Bitcon Vera , Hopper Julie , Braniff Susie J. , Best Susan , Read Scott 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroductionTo determine the suitability of human tissues and cells for transplantation, guidelines mandate infectious disease testing of serum or plasma obtained from deceased donors, which are often collected after cessation of the heartbeat. Tests used for this purpose are required to show equivalent performance when compared to pre‐mortem specimens. This study evaluated whether serology assays for HIV Ag/Ab Combo, hepatitis B virus (HBc Total; HBsAgII), and HCV on the ADVIA Centaur system, were fit for testing post‐mortem sera. Performance evaluation studies included precision, specificity, and sensitivity.MethodsBlood specimens were collected within 24 h after death from 82 deceased and 83 healthy living individuals. Studies followed standard guidelines. The 20‐day precision study was performed on five levels of post‐mortem specimens (non‐spiked and spiked). The specificity study compared 81–83 pre‐mortem and 74–82 post‐mortem specimens. The sensitivity study compared 50 pre‐mortem and 50 post‐mortem specimens spiked with positive sera for each analyte at two levels to achieve a low (near cutoff) positive result and a second higher positive result.ResultsPrecision, specificity, and sensitivity study results met acceptance criteria for all assays and lots; post‐mortem and pre‐mortem results were equivalent.ConclusionBased on this study, the ADVIA Centaur CHIV, HBcT, HBsAgII, and HCV assays are acceptable for use in routine testing of deceased donor sera collected after cessation of the heartbeat.
Reported transfusion‐related acute lung injury associated with solvent/detergent plasma – A case series
Authors: Klanderman Robert B. , Bulle Esther B. , Heijnen Josephine W. M. , Allen Judith , Purmer Ilse M. , Kerkhoffs Jean‐Louis H. , Wiersum‐Osselton Johanna C. , Vlaar Alexander P. J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundAntibody‐mediated transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is caused by donor HLA or HNA antibodies in plasma‐containing products. In the Netherlands 55,000 units of solvent/detergent plasma (SDP), a pooled plasma product, are transfused yearly. It's produced by combining plasma from hundreds of donors, diluting harmful antibodies. Due to a lack of reported cases following implementation, some have labeled SDP as “TRALI safe”.Study design and methodsPulmonary transfusion reactions involving SDP reported to the Dutch national hemovigilance network in 2016–2019 were reviewed. Reporting hospitals were contacted for additional information, cases with TRALI and imputability definite, probable, or possible were included and informed consent was sought.ResultsA total of three TRALI and nine TACO cases were reported involving SDP. The imputability of one TRALI case was revised from possible to unlikely and excluded; in one case no informed consent was obtained. We present a case description of TRALI following SDP transfusion in a 69‐year‐old male, 3 days following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. The patient received one unit of SDP to correct a heparin‐induced coagulopathy, prior to removal of a spinal catheter post‐operatively. Within five hours he developed hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring intubation, hypotension, bilateral chest infiltrates, and leucopenia. The patient made a full recovery.ConclusionThis case of TRALI, following transfusion of a single unit of SDP to a patient without ARDS risk factors, demonstrates that TRALI can occur with this product. Clinicians should remain vigilant and continue to report suspected cases, to help further understanding of SDP‐associated TRALI.
Validación de constructo de la escala Zung en pacientes con falla cardíaca
Authors: Rojas Sánchez Lyda Zoraya , Trujillo-Cáceres Silvia Juliana , Hernández Vargas Juliana Alexandra , Jurado Adriana Milena , Echeverría Luis Eduardo , Gómez-Ochoa Sergio Alejandro , Roa-Díaz Zayne Milena 
Published: February 2022

Introducción: La escala Zung para depresión ha sido previamente utilizada en pacientes con falla cardíaca; sin embargo, en nuestro conocimiento no se encuentra evidencia de su validez para la versión en español y su uso en población adulta con falla cardíaca en Colombia. Objetivo: Determinar la validez de constructo de la escala Zung para depresión en su versión original y proponer una versión abreviada para pacientes adultos con falla cardíaca. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio de corte transversal, realizado en 200 pacientes de una clínica de falla y trasplante cardiaco, en quienes se aplicó Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Se evaluó la consistencia interna por medio del alfa de Cronbach y el análisis factorial fue utilizado para identificar las dimensiones del instrumento. Resultados: La consistencia interna de la versión original de la escala (20 ítems) fue de α=0.811. El análisis de factores mostró una estructura compuesta por tres factores que explican el 51.59% de la varianza total. La nueva versión abreviada (13 ítems) obtuvo un α=0.819 y los ítems correlacionaron con un único factor que explicó el 33.54% de la varianza total. Discusión: Nuestros hallazgos son similares a los encontrados por otros autores en diferentes poblaciones a la estudiada. Conclusiones: Se evidenció validez de constructo tanto para la escala Zung para depresión en su versión original como para la abreviada creada en la población estudiada. Sin embargo, se requieren estudios adicionales que verifiquen estos hallazgos en una muestra representativa y que otros aspectos de la psicometría sean evaluados.
The Prevalence and Impact of Debilitative Psychological and Behavioral Responses to Long-Term Injury in Athletes
Authors: Gervis Misia , Pickford Helen , Nygârd Hanna , Goldman Aura 
Published: February 2022

Injuries, and their psychological and maladaptive behavioral consequences, are an inevitable by-product of sport participation. This study sought to investigate the prevalence of maladaptive behaviors and psychological corollaries of long-term injury in order to understand if these are universal experiences of long-term injured athletes. Competitive athletes (n = 187; average time spent injured =43 weeks), across a range of sports completed an online questionnaire developed to investigate the psychological and behavioral consequences of long-term injury. Results indicated that negative symptoms after injury were a universal experience and are the “normal” response to injury, not the “exception.” The most prevalent psychological consequences were rumination (97.9%), boredom (94.7%), and fear of reinjury (93.6%). Furthermore, indicators of suicidal ideation were reported by more than 50% of participants. Factor analysis revealed a six-factor model: (a) self-sabotaging behavior, (b) daily functioning, (c) addictive behavior, (d) clinical issues, (e) fixation on injury, and (f) compromised athletic identity. All factors significantly correlated with debilitating impact. Thus, this study calls for a change to the support of long-term injured athletes to include routine psychological care.
Rate and severity of radiological features of physical abuse in children during the first UK-wide COVID-19 enforced national lockdown
Authors: Stivaros Stavros , Paddock Michael , Rajai Azita , Cliffe Helen , Connolly Daniel JA , Dineen Robert A , Dixon Rachel , Edwards Harriet , Evans Emily , Halliday Katherine , Jackson Kandise , Landes Caren , Oates Adam J , Stoodley Neil , Offiah Amaka C 
Published: February 2022

Rate and severity of radiological features of physical abuse in children during the first UK-wide COVID-19 enforced national lockdown.ObjectiveTo assess the number, type and outcome of radiological investigations for children presenting to hospital with suspected physical abuse (SPA; including abusive head trauma) during the first national COVID-19 enforced lockdown compared with the prelockdown period.DesignMulticentre, retrospective, observational, interrupted time series analysis.SettingEight secondary/tertiary paediatric centres between January 2018 and July 2020 inclusive.Participants1587 hospital assessed children undergoing radiographic skeletal surveys (SkS) and head CT imaging performed for SPA/child protection concerns.Main outcome measuresIncidence and severity of fractures identified on SkS; head injury (composed of incidence rates and ratios of skull fracture, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) and hypoxic ischaemic injury (HII)) on head CT imaging; and ratio of antemortem and postmortem SkS.Results1587 SkS were performed: 1282 (81%) antemortem, 762 (48%) male, and positive findings in 582 (37%). Median patient age was 6 months. There were 1.7 fractures/child prelockdown versus 1.1 fractures/child during lockdown. There was no difference between positive/negative SkS rates, the absolute ratio of antemortem/postmortem SkS or absolute numbers of head injury occurring between January 2018 and February 2020 and the lockdown period April–July 2020. Likewise, prelockdown incidence and rates of skull fracture 30/244 (12%), ICH 28/220 (13%) and HIE 10/205 (5%) were similar to lockdown, 142/1304 (11%), 171/1152 (15%) and 68/1089 (6%), respectively.ConclusionThe first UK COVID-19 lockdown did not lead to an increase in either the number of antemortem or postmortem radiological investigations performed for SPA, or the number or severity of fractures and intracranial injuries identified by these investigations.