bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Germline Testing Data Validate Inferences of Mutational Status for Variants Detected From Tumor-Only Sequencing
Authors: Jalloul Nahed , Gomy Israel , Stokes Samantha , Gusev Alexander , Johnson Bruce E. , Lindeman Neal I. , Macconaill Laura , Ganesan Shridar , Garber Judy E. , Khiabanian Hossein
Published: November 2021

PURPOSE

Pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in cancer susceptibility genes are usually identified through germline testing of DNA from blood or saliva: their detection can affect treatment options and potential risk-reduction strategies for patient relatives. PGV can also be identified in tumor sequencing assays, which, when performed without patient-matched normal specimens, render determination of variants' germline or somatic origin critical.

METHODS

Tumor-only sequencing data from 1,608 patients were retrospectively analyzed to infer germline versus somatic status of variants using an information-theoretic, gene-independent approach. Loss of heterozygosity was also determined. Predicted mutational models were compared with clinical germline testing results. Statistical measures were computed to evaluate performance.

RESULTS

Tumor-only sequencing detected 3,988 variants across 70 cancer susceptibility genes for which germline testing data were available. We imputed germline versus somatic status for > 75% of all detected variants, with a sensitivity of 65%, specificity of 88%, and overall accuracy of 86% for pathogenic variants. False omission rate was 3%, signifying minimal error in misclassifying true PGV. A higher portion of PGV in known hereditary tumor suppressors were found to be retained with loss of heterozygosity in the tumor specimens (72%) compared with variants of uncertain significance (58%).

CONCLUSION

Analyzing tumor-only data in the context of specimens' tumor cell content allows precise, systematic exclusion of somatic variants and suggests a balance between type 1 and 2 errors for identification of patients with candidate PGV for standard germline testing. Although technical or systematic errors in measuring variant allele frequency could result in incorrect inference, misestimation of specimen purity could result in inferring somatic variants as germline in somatically mutated tumor suppressor genes. A user-friendly bioinformatics application facilitates objective analysis of tumor-only data in clinical settings.
Μια δημόσια ιστορία για την ιστορική εκπαίδευση
Authors: Περάκης Εμμανουήλ
Published: November 2021

Πως διδάχθηκε η τοπική ιστορία κατά το μοναδικό σχολικό έτος (2015-2016) που πραγματοποιήθηκε ως αυτόνομο μάθημα στην ελληνική υποχρεωτική εκπαίδευση; Πώς θα μπορούσε να έχει διδαχθεί και στη βάση ποιων παιδαγωγικών αρχών και προϋποθέσεων έτσι ώστε να αποφέρει τον ιστορικό εγγραμματισμό των μαθητών; Ποιο ρόλο μπορεί να διαδραματίσει σε μια εποχή που η δημόσια ιστορία κυριαρχεί επί της ακαδημαϊκής; Πώς μπορεί να επιτευχθεί η καλλιέργεια της –ελλειμματικής σήμερα- ιστορικής σκέψης και της γενετικής ιστορικής συνείδησης μέσα από την προώθηση της διαδικαστικής γνώσης; Ποια τα πλεονεκτήματα του μαθήματος σε σχέση με το μάθημα ιστορίας γενικής παιδείας; Ποιες είναι οι απόψεις και στάσεις των μαθητών για το παρελθόν, την ιστορία, τα ιστορικά μαθήματα; Ποια είναι η προέλευση και τα είδη των ιστορικών τους γνώσεων; Υπάρχουν στερεοτυπικές αντιλήψεις; Πώς συγκροτείται η ταυτότητά τους και πώς ο χώρος και υλικότητά του διαμορφώνουν τη συλλογική τους συνείδηση; Τα παραπάνω αποτελούν μερικά από τα θεμελιώδη ερωτήματα που με απασχόλησαν σε αυτή τη μελέτη και των οποίων την απάντηση επιχείρησα να δώσω με την έρευνα (ερωτηματολόγια και συνεντεύξεις) η οποία απευθύνθηκε σε μαθητές και μαθήτριες της Γ΄ Γυμνασίου της περιφέρειας Κρήτης κατά το πρώτο τρίμηνο του 2016.
WBC-based segmentation and classification on microscopic images: a minor improvement
Authors: Lam Xin-Hui , Ng Kok-Why , Yoong Yih-Jian , Ng Seng-Beng
Published: November 2021

Introduction

White blood cells (WBCs) are immunity cells which fight against viruses and bacteria in the human body. Microscope images of captured WBCs for processing and analysis are important to interpret the body condition. At present, there is no robust automated method to segment and classify WBCs images with high accuracy. This paper aims to improve on WBCs image segmentation and classification method.

Methods

A triple thresholding method was proposed to segment the WBCs; meanwhile, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based binary classification model that adopts transfer learning technique was proposed to detect and classify WBCs as a healthy or a malignant. The input dataset of this research work is the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Image Database (ALL-IDB). The process first converts the captured microscope images into HSV format for obtaining the H component. Otsu thresholding is applied to segment the WBC area. A 13 × 13 kernel with two iterations was used to apply morphological opening on image to ameliorate output results. Collected cell masks were used to detect the contour of each cell on the original image. To classify WBCs into a healthy or a malignant category, characteristics and conditions of WBCs are to be examined. A transfer learning technique and pre-trained InceptionV3 model were employed to extract the features from the images for classification.

Results

The proposed WBCs segmentation method yields 90.45% accuracy, 83.81% of the structural similarity index, 76.25% of the dice similarity coefficient, and is computationally efficient. The accuracy of fine-tuned classifier model for training, validation and test sets are 93.27%, 92.31% and 96.15% respectively. The obtained results are high in accuracy and precision are over 96% and with lower loss value.

Discussion

Triple thresholding outperforms K-means clustering in segmenting smaller dataset. Pre-trained InceptionV3 model and transfer learning improve the flexibility and ability of classifier.
Does COVID-19 infection change the need for future surgical interventions? An exploratory analysis.
Authors: Welk Blayne , Richard Lucie
Published: November 2021

Background: It is unknown whether recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection leads to an increased need for common surgical procedures. Our objective was to conduct an exploratory analysis of surgical procedures performed after a documented COVID-19 infection. 

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data from the province of Ontario, Canada. We identified individuals with a positive COVID-19 test between February 1 2020 and May 31 2020, and matched them 1:2 with individuals who had a negative COVID-19 test during the same period. We used physician billing codes to identify the ten most frequent surgical procedures in the COVID-19 cohort. An at-risk period 30 days after the first positive COVID-19 swab (or matched index date in the control group) until November 30 2020 was used. Cox proportional hazard models (adjusted for important baseline differences) are reported with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals.  

Results: After exclusions and matching, we had 19,143 people in the COVID-19 cohort, and 38,286 people in the control cohort. The top ten surgical procedures were hand/wrist fracture fixation, cesarean-section, ureteral stent placement, cholecystectomy, treatment of an upper tract urinary stone, hysterectomy, femur fracture repair, hip replacement, transurethral prostatectomy, and appendectomy. There was a significantly reduced hazard of requiring upper tract renal stone surgery (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.87) or ureteral stent placement (aHR 0.54, 95%CI 0.36-0.82), or undergoing a cholecystectomy (aHR 0.43, 95%CI 0.26-0.71) among those with a prior positive COVID-19 test.  

Conclusions: After a COVID-19 infection there is not an increased risk of needing several common surgical procedures. There appears to be a reduced risk of renal stone disease treatment and ureteral stent placement, and a reduced risk of cholecystectomy, however understanding the reasons for this will require further study.
Pierres précieuses – signe contesté de l’Orient dans le Roman d’Eracle de Gautier d’Arras (XIIe siècle)
Authors: Dybeł Katarzyna
Published: November 2021

The article analyses the motifs of precious stones present in the 12th century work of Gautier d’Arras, The Eracle Romance (ca. 1176-1184), often called “Byzantine romance”. This motif shows the influence of the Byzantine aesthetics on the French literature of the Middle Ages. Gautier d’Arras assimilates it, but at the same time modifies its sense. He re-defines the courtly ethos and diminishes the aesthetic character of the motif, typical of the oriental poetics. Precious stones are the contested sign of the East because their beauty is understood as the determinant of Virtue rather than outer beauty. This is a new face of the exotic – not only tamed but also moralised. This modification of the generally accepted hierarchy of values enriches the sapiential, moral and formative aspects of the work.
Profesorowie Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego: Władysław Chłopicki i Władysław Reiss oraz ich powiązania rodowe, czyli o Krupniczej nieco inaczej
Authors: Przybyszewska Maria
Published: November 2021

The history of the inhabitants of the house at 5 Krupnicza Street in Krakow inspired to write this book, the aim of which is to present the history of two families who came to Krakow from different parts of Poland. The „Pod Matką Boską” tenement house, which has become a life haven for so many generations of Reiss and Chłopicki, including medical professors associated with the Jagiellonian University, is the basis of a much wider story about the intertwining of human lives. Thanks to these circumstances, we restore memory, and we often realise for the first time how far fates of families intertwine and connect with each other. Reaching deeply into the family roots, we not only find numerous family ties, but also appreciate their importance. We also understand better how history influences the course of life and how individual decisions can influence the course of events. The pages of this book will include wellknown and distinguished figures, who have their place in the history of politics and science, as well as doctors, military leaders, politicians. There will be also room for those who cared about family and public matters without publicity, serving current and everyday matters, but without whom great things could not have been fulfiled.
About the spectra of a real nonnegative matrix and its signings
Authors:   Hassan II University of Casablanca, Attas K. , Boussaïri A. ,   Hassan II University of Casablanca, Zaidi M. ,   Hassan II University of Casablanca
Published: November 2021

For a complex matrix M, we denote by Sp(M) the spectrum of M and by |M| its absolute value, that is the matrix obtained from M by replacing each entry of M by its absolute value. Let A be a nonnegative real matrix, we call a signing of A every real matrix B such that |B|=A. In this paper, we characterize the set of all signings of A such that Sp(B)=αSp(A) where α is a complex unit number. Our motivation comes from some recent results about the relationship between the spectrum of a graph and the skew spectra of its orientations.
Skew PBW extensions over symmetric rings
Authors:   Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Reyes A. , Suárez H. ,   Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia
Published: November 2021

Our purpose in this paper is to characterize skew PBW extensions over several weak symmetric rings. As a consequence of our treatment, we extend results in the literature concerning the property of symmetry for commutative rings and skew polynomial rings.
An update on the treatment of cutaneous tumours
Authors: Hollis Anna
Published: November 2021

Cutaneous tumours continue to present a significant clinical challenge in equine practice. There are a large number of treatment options and selecting the appropriate modality requires careful consideration of a number of factors. While sarcoids are the most commonly diagnosed cutaneous tumour, their clinical appearance can have considerable overlap with other types of lesion, so biopsy should be performed where the diagnosis is uncertain. New treatment options for sarcoids include electrosurgery, electrochemotherapy and novel intralesional treatments. Melanomas still have relatively limited treatment options beyond surgical resection, but there are now limited data to support the use of a xenogenic DNA vaccination protocol. Squamous cell carcinomas are generally best treated via surgical excision, but a novel intralesional treatment may prove to be a useful option for further treatment.
Equine obesity and the role of the veterinary nurse
Authors: Seeley Clarissa , Chapman Stella
Published: November 2021

Equine obesity is defined as a medical disease in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it has an adverse effect on the general health of the horse. Obesity is a cause for concern, with one-third of the equine population in the UK being regarded as obese, although owner recognition of obesity in horses is an inherent problem, with many underestimating the body condition or weight of their horse. This is further complicated by the fact that with larger framed horses, or horses that are already overweight, assessing body condition is more difficult. There are a number of ways to assess body condition and the most practical means of regular assessment is body condition scoring, although this is regarded as subjective. As with many diseases and disorders, the cause of obesity is multifactorial. However, the most common reason for a horse to become obese is overfeeding, coupled with a lack of exercise. Obesity can be addressed with client education and veterinary nurses can provide advice on weight management programmes. However, these need to be tailored to the individual horse and owners need to recognise that they are entering into a long-term commitment.
A review of the effectiveness of operational curtailment for reducing bat fatalities at terrestrial wind farms in North America
Authors: Adams Evan M. , Gulka Julia , Williams Kathryn A.
Published: November 2021

Curtailment of turbine operations during low wind conditions has become an operational minimization tactic to reduce bat mortality at terrestrial wind energy facilities. Site-specific studies have demonstrated that bat activity is higher during lower wind speeds and that operational curtailment can effectively reduce fatalities. However, the exact nature of the relationship between curtailment cut-in speed and bat fatality reduction remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy of differing curtailment regimes in reducing bat fatalities, we examined data from turbine curtailment experiments in the United States and Canada in a meta-analysis framework. We used multiple statistical models to explore possible linear and non-linear relationships between turbine cut-in speed and bat fatality. Because the overall sample size for this meta-analysis was small (n = 36 control-treatment studies from 17 wind farms), we conducted a power analysis to assess the number of control-treatment curtailment studies needed to understand the relationship between fatality reduction and change in cut-in speed. We also identified the characteristics of individual curtailment field studies that may influence their power to detect fatality reductions, and in turn, contribute to future meta-analyses. We found strong evidence that implementing turbine curtailment reduces fatality rates of bats at wind farms; the estimated fatality ratio across all studies was 0.37 (p < 0.001), or a 63% decrease in fatalities. However, the nature of the relationship between the magnitude of treatment and reduction in fatalities was more difficult to assess. Models that represented the response ratio as a continuous variable (e.g., with a linear relationship between the change in cut-in speed and fatalities) and a categorical variable (to allow for possible non-linearity in this relationship) both had substantial support when compared using AICc. The linear model represented the best fit, likely due to model simplicity, but the non-linear model was the most likely without accounting for parsimony and suggested fatality rates decreased when the difference in curtailment cut-in speeds was 2m/s or larger. The power analyses showed that the power to detect effects in the meta-analysis was low if fatality reductions were less than 50%, which suggests that smaller increases in cut-in speed (i.e., between different treatment categories) may not be easily detectable with the current dataset. While curtailment is an effective operational mitigation measure overall, additional well-designed curtailment studies are needed to determine precisely whether higher cut-in speeds can further reduce bat fatalities.
Risk factors for functional decline among survivors of Gram-negative bloodstream infection: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Turjeman Adi , Koppel Fidi , Franceschini Erica , Yahav Dafna , Dolci Giovanni , Babich Tanya , Bitterman Roni , Neuberger Ami , Ghanem-Zoubi Nesrin , Santoro Antonella , Eliakim-Raz Noa , Pertzov Barak , Stern Anat , Dickstein Yaakov , Maroun Elias , Zayyad Hiba , Meschiari Marianna , Bishara Jihad , Goldberg Elad , Venturelli Claudia , Mussini Cristina , Paul Mical , Leibovici Leonard
Published: November 2021

Objective

To identify risk factors for functional decline after hospitalization for Gram-negative bacteremia.

Patients and methods

A prospective cohort study based on a randomized controlled trial conducted between January 1, 2013 and August 31, 2017 in Israel and Italy. Hospitalized patients with Gram-negative bacteremia who survived until day 90 and were not bedridden at baseline were included. The primary end point was functional decline at 90 days.

Results

Five hundred and nine patients were included. The median age of the cohort was 71 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60–80 years), 46.4% (236/509) were male and 352 of 509 (69%) patients were independent at baseline. Functional decline at 90 days occurred in 24.4% of patients (124/509). In multivariable analysis; older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; for an one-year increment, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.05), functional dependence in instrumental activities of daily living at baseline (OR, 4.64; 95% CI 2.5–8.6), low Norton score (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.79–0.96) and underlying comorbidities: cancer (OR, 2.01; 95% CI 1.14–3.55) and chronic pulmonary disease (OR, 2.23 95% CI 1.12–4.42) and longer length of hospital stay (OR 1.09; for one-day increment, 95% CI 1.04–1.15) were associated with functional decline. Appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment was associated with lower rates of functional decline within 90 days (OR, 0.4; 95% CI 0.21–0.78).

Conclusions

Patients surviving bloodstream infections have poor long term trajectories after clinical recovery and hospital discharge. This has vast implications for patients, their family members and health policy makers.
La acción masiva. Escala y repertorios en el estallido social chileno
Authors: Vergara Vidal Jorge Eduardo
Published: November 2021

La reflexión sobre los efectos sociales de los fenómenos masivos es temprana dentro de la sociología. Los trabajos de Le Blanc, de Tarde y de Park, entre otros, ayudaron a dibujar la figura de un tipo particular de actor que, sin embargo, no llegó a consolidarse como un objeto de observación y análisis dentro de la disciplina, dado el rápido avance de los procesos de racionalización organizacional y la consolidación de unidades de análisis que los explicaban mejor, como son los actores vinculados a la acción individual y a la acción asociada o colectiva. El presente texto aborda el análisis de los actores masivos en el caso chileno, en particular en los hechos detonados por los sucesos de protestas comenzados en octubre de 2019. Se utiliza para ello un enfoque hermenéutico que ayudar a identificar y situar prácticas y efectos masivos asociables a este tipo de actor, y sugieren considerarlo para el análisis de la acción socio material en las ciudades.
Assessment of the Factors Affecting Apparel Pattern Grading Accuracy: Problems Identification and Recommendations
Authors:   Northern University Bangladesh (NUB), Department of Textile Engineering, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Islam Md. Mazharul , Jalil Mohammad Abdul ,   Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Department of Textile Engineering, Khulna, Bangladesh, Parvez Md. Shohan ,   Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Department of Textile Engineering, Khulna, Bangladesh, Haque Md. Mahbubul ,   Daffodil International University, Department of Textile Engineering, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Published: November 2021

Grading is an inseparable part of producing multiple sized patterns in clothing production. From the inception of apparel manufacturing, various methods have been developed for precision pattern grading. Nevertheless, most conventional grading systems have some flaws. The objectives of this study were to analyse traditional grading systems, identify the factors responsible for pattern grading deficiencies and finally, recommend suggestions to minimise grading problems related to the use of CAD software. For the experiments, three different measurement sheets of different buyers were collected and combined into a single specification for better comparison. All garment patterns were then drawn and graded with varying parameters. Later on, measurements of graded patterns were analysed for grading accuracy. This study presents the factors responsible for grading deficiencies and how they can be minimised for higher precision grading for the better fitting of clothing and the prevention of garment sample rejection before bulk production.
Impact of Solid Content in the Electrospinning Solution on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Nanofibrous Mats
Authors:   Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany, Grothe Timo , Storck Jan Lukas ,   Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany, Dotter Marius ,   Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany, Ehrmann Andrea ,   Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Published: November 2021

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) belongs to the group of polymers that are often used for electrospinning, as it can be applied as a pre-cursor for carbon nanofibres and is spinnable from the low-toxic solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). While the influence of different spinning parameters on fibre morphology and mass per unit area was investigated in a previous study, here we report on the impact of the spinning solution, using DMSO as a solvent and wire-based (needleless) electrospinning. Our results show that a broad range of solid contents can be applied, providing the opportunity to tailor the fibre diameter distribution or to optimize the areal weight of the nanofibrous mat by changing this parameter, while the chemical composition of the fibres remains identical.
Relationship between Netrin-1 Levels and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Authors: Assi Dr. Mohammed Abdulrazzaq , Hammood Dr. Hanan Jasim , Attia Zainab Mahdi
Published: November 2021

Objects: The study's purpose was to see if there was a link between netrin.1 and type II diabetes patients. Methodology: The present study carried out on (45) patients affected with diabetes mellitus from (120) persons were examined in the education of Diwaniyah hospital from 6th September to the 4th December 2020. The study includes measurement of the body mass index, fasting blood glucose level, HbA1c, lipid profile and level of netrin-1. Results: Our findings were revealed the netrin-1 level was significantly lower in the diabetes (1205.36±753.09) compared to control group (1477.79±700.26; P < 0.01). Our observations were appeared Significantly higher levels of blood cholesterol, TG, LDL, and VLDL-C and In diabetes individuals, there was a significant drop There was a 0.05 difference in HDL-C levels when compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: These findings indicate that low netrin1 concentration in serum are strongly linked to the occurrence of type II diabetes.
Synthesis and Investigation of Metals Oxide Pastes Used as Semiconductors Electrode for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Mohsen Moneer K. , Rahman Abdul Salam A. Abdul , Abdullah Nada R. , Hashim Ansam A.
Published: November 2021

The aim of this research is to prepare some of metal oxides pastes to be used as semi-conductors electrode to manufacture of solar cells devices (third generation). The efficiency of these cells were tested by using these pastes to determine the response and susceptibility of these pastes for adsorbing of photosensitive pigments on their surfaces and pores, Three types of metal oxides such as Titanium oxide, Zinc oxide and Aluminium oxide, were prepared in this research. These pastes were identified by measuring UV-visible spectra and also by microscope instrument. The experiments which have been demonstrated approved the susceptibility and adsorption of these pastes to the photosensitive dyes on their surface and gave conversion efficiency up to 1.64%. In this research, a comparison was made between the pastes that were prepared in laboratory and the imported commercial paste in terms of efficiency.
Stormwater Biofilter Media Performance Updates for WinSLAMM: Data Summary for Unit Process Components, Example Calculations and Model Use
Authors:   University of Alabama, Pitt Robert E. , Clark Shirley ,   Penn State University, Sileshi Redahegn ,   University of North Georgia, Voorhees J. ,   PV and Associates
Published: November 2021

This paper focuses on specific information needed to model various aspects of the pollutant retention processes in stormwater biofilters. Updates currently being incorporated in WinSLAMM (Source Loading and Management Model) are building on expanded data from laboratory and field research mostly conducted by Pitt’s research group at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, by Dr. Shirley Clark’s research group at Penn State–Harrisburg, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey (DNR/USGS). These processes and data can be used in manual calculations or other models. Extensive summaries of these data sources and associated statistical analyses, plus additional references, are included in an online white paper available at the PV & Assoc. website. These tests were conducted to provide the details needed for modeling the performance of biofilters, specifically focusing on: methods to predict treatment flow rates through the media; particulate and associated particulate bound pollutant retention for several particle sizes; maintenance requirements due to sediment clogging and pollutant breakthrough; and retention of filterable pollutants. This multiyear research program also examined issues not commonly described in the biofilter performance literature, such as failure due to excessive salt loadings on media having large amounts of fines, problems associated with compaction of the media, and leaching of previously captured material from the media.
“You must kneel, compañero”: The Making of Graham Greene’s Monsignor Quixote
Authors: Villar Flor Carlos
Published: November 2021

In the 1970 s and 1980s Graham Greene took up the habit of travelling around Spain to holiday in the company of his Spanish friend, the priest and professor Leopoldo Durán. The most outstanding fruit of these trips, almost always in summer, was the inspiration for Monsignor Quixote (1982), which Greene came to regard as his most accomplished novel (Cloetta 2004: 77). Centred around an idealistic, innocent, and somewhat foolish priest who establishes an intimate friendship with a communist ex-mayor, with whom he travels around Spain and talks about the divine and the human, the novel was initially conceived as a kind of friendly caricature of Father Durán, but it soon served as a vehicle to express various concerns that haunted the writer’s mind. The opening of the “Durán papers” collection at Georgetown University enables scholars to delve into unpublished material kept by Durán over the years, which may cast insights into the genesis of Monsignor Quixote from both textual and biographical perspectives. Taking as a major source Durán’s diaries, 16 notebooks recording his meetings and telephone conversations with Greene from 1976 to 1991, this paper aims to clarify some of the relevant background to the book’s inception, complementing the diaries with other accounts such as Greene’s letters to Durán and other friends, Durán’s letters to Greene, and testimonies by witnesses present at the events described.1
College Readiness, Early Post-secondary Academic Performance and the GED Degree: Evidence from Kentucky
Authors: Islam T. M. Tonmoy , Rouse Kathryn
Published: November 2021

We use detailed administrative data from Kentucky to provide robust descriptive evidence on the relationship between the General Educational Development (GED) degree, college readiness, and early post-secondary (PSE) academic performance. Following previous work in this area, we address selection issues by focusing on a sample of students who are identified as at-risk prior to high school entry. Our results suggest the GED credential is not a credible signal of PSE readiness, particularly in mathematics. GED graduates attain a lower first semester GPA and are also less likely to re-enroll in second semester courses. We also find that changes made to the GED exam in 2014 to enhance student readiness in PSE institutions did not yield meaningful improvements. Finally, we investigate the extent to which differences in math coursework can explain estimated GED-related math readiness gaps, finding coursework to account for about for about 40 percent of the observed gap.
The path to xenopedagogy
Authors: Shank Gary
Published: November 2021

Thomas Sebeok coined the termzoosemioticsand defended it and its eventual successorbiosemioticsconsistently. These terms revolutionized semiotics by expanding its scope and moving it theoretically closer to Peirce and away from semiology. In this spirit, I would like to introduce the concept ofxenopedagogy, or the process of teaching and learning applied to extraterrestrials. While there is a body of work around astrobiology, xenobiology, and xenocommunication, there is nothing on record about xenopedagogy. Given an obvious kinship between edusemiotics and xenopedagogy, there is value in moving forward with the purely speculative work (so far) of exploring the dynamics and challenges of how humans and extraterrestrials might create educational opportunities for each other. An outline of potential key issues and possible directions will then be presented.
Natural signs from Plato to Thomas A. Sebeok
Authors: Nöth Winfried
Published: November 2021

The paper pays tribute to Thomas A. Sebeok with an inquiry into the place of the semiotics of nature within his system of “global semiotics” and of natural signs within his typology of signs, which distinguishes “six species of signs.” It complements Sebeok’s theory of natural signs with a historical study of semiotic definitions of natural signs in four chapters. The first, “Natural signs from Plato to the Scholastics” focuses on Plato’s Cratylus, Aristotle’s “On Interpretation,” Augustine of Hippo, and the Scholastics, in particular Roger Bacon’s distinction between natural and “given” signs. The second, “Natural signs in 20th century analytical and cognitive philosophy,” discusses Rollin’s Natural and conventional meaning as well as the definitions of natural signs proposed by Jerzy Pelc, David S. Clarke, Laird Addis, and in Ruth Garret Millikan’s teleosemiotics. The third, “Structuralist strategies of excluding natural signs from semiotics” discusses how natural signs were excluded from cultural semiotics in the writings of Roland Barthes (Mythologies), Algirdas J. Greimas, and in Umberto Eco’s early semiotic writings. The fourth investigates how C. S. Peirce overcomes the dualism of nature and convention in his general theory of signs founded on evolutionary principles. The paper concludes with reflections on Sebeok’s theory of modeling as the distinctive feature of human semiosis.
Insurgent words: challenging the coloniality of language
Authors: Deumert Ana
Published: November 2021

This article explores language ideologies and sociolinguistic scales from the perspective of decolonization. Coloniality is a multi-scalar world system that affects micro-level interactions in multiple locales, both in the metropole and in the former colonies. Not only does coloniality exist on a world scale, resistance to it is scaled up too and engulfs the world. The linguistic tradition that I seek to trace in this article is imaginative, creative and oriented towards alternative decolonial futures. It speaks to the experience of the coloniality of language, of language as alienating and oppressive, and to the corresponding desire, and need, for a different language. It articulates a decolonial philosophy and brings art and politics together to change the world. I show that the global south was, and is, an intellectual-artistic-political vanguard, articulating and shaping discourses about language and revolutionary action. In philosophical, artistic and political practice – stretching from Martinique to Paris, from Cape Town to Kingston – language and revolutionary practice merge into one: language no longer just reflects reality, it can change it.
FWB-online – a brief insight into an online dictionary revealing information on historical linguistics, cultural history and the impact of time and geography on the German language in the early modern era
Authors: Wolf Henning
Published: November 2021

This essay will show, by the example of FWB-online (the online version of Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch), some possibilities to enhance the added value of traditional printed historical dictionaries published online by providing their data with deep structured semantic mark-up. This semantic mark-up can basically be used as a foundation for elaborated search and in a further advanced step also for visualizing specific aspects of the dictionary data, thus allowing for new perspectives on it. It will be shown, how these search methods and especially this kind of visualization of dictionary data can enable advanced approaches on both old and new scientific questions.
Circulating concentrations of citrulline, neopterin, kynurenine, and tryptophan during chemoradiation in patients with cervical carcinoma
Authors: Pospíšková Markéta , Strouhal Ondřej , Hlídková Eva , Vlachová Zuzana , Melichar Bohuslav , Doležel Martin
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in circulating concentrations of citrulline, neopterin, kynurenine, and tryptophan during the course of chemoradiation in patients with cervical cancer. Sixteen patients with histologically confirmed carcinoma of the uterine cervix, aged 53 ± 15 years (range 29–76 years), were included in this study. Plasma neopterin, kynurenine, and tryptophan were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma citrulline was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. Compared to baseline, citrulline concentration was markedly and statistically significantly decreased at visits 2, 3, and 4, while returning to pretreatment concentrations at visit 5. A significant increase in serum neopterin concentrations was observed at visits 4 and 5. With the exception of decreased kynurenine/tryptophan ratio at visit 3, no significant changes were observed in the concentrations of kynurenine, tryptophan, and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio throughout the course of the treatment. In conclusion, present data demonstrate that citrulline concentrations decrease early and neopterin concentrations increase late during the course of chemoradiation in patients with cervical carcinoma. Citrulline represents a biomarker of intestinal toxicity in this population.
Correlation of self-reported pain severity and healthcare expenditures in older United States adults
Authors: Axon David R. , Pesqueira Tyler , Jarrell Briana , Dicochea Dominic
Published: November 2021

Objectives

Healthcare expenditures of older United States (US) adults with different pain severity levels are important to investigate given the increasing prevalence of pain in this population. This study assessed the correlation of healthcare expenditures among older US adults with different pain severities, hypothesizing that expenditures would increase as pain severity increased.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional database study used 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data and included US adults aged ≥50 with self-reported pain in the past four weeks and positive healthcare costs. Adjusted linear regression models with logarithmically transformed expenditure data compared differences in: total; office-based; outpatient; emergency room; inpatient; other; and prescription medication expenditures, between those with little, moderate, quite a bit, and extreme pain. Analyses were weighted to account for the complex MEPS design and to obtain nationally representative estimates. The a priori alpha level was 0.05.

Results

The eligible sample of 5,123 individuals produced a weighted study population of 57,134,711 US adults aged ≥50 with pain (little = 53.1%, moderate = 21.6%, quite-a-bit = 18.5%, extreme = 6.8%). In adjusted linear regression models, compared to little pain, extreme pain had the greatest level of costs, followed by quite a bit pain and moderate pain, for total, office-based, and prescription medication costs. For instance, compared to little pain, total healthcare costs were 78% greater for those with extreme pain, 51% greater for quite a bit pain, and 37% greater for moderate pain. However, this pattern was not observed for outpatient, emergency room, inpatient, and other costs, where ≥1 comparison for each cost category was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

This study found total healthcare costs increased as pain severity increased, yet this was not always the case when analyzing subcategories of healthcare costs. Further research is needed to investigate why some types of healthcare costs are greater with increasing pain severity, yet others are not.
Pluricentric linguistic justice: a new ethics-based approach to pluricentricity in French and other languages
Authors: Oakes Leigh
Published: November 2021

Drawing on the example of the French-speaking world, this article makes the case for the valuable contribution of a systematic ethics-based approach to understanding linguistic pluricentricity. Following a critical review of three key definitional dimensions of the concept - political, linguistic and representational/attitudinal - it argues for the inclusion of a fourth ethical dimension to assess whether there are moral arguments which might also favour the recognition of distinct national standards. It builds on the recent linguistic justice literature in the fields of political theory and political philosophy to propose the notion of “pluricentric linguistic justice” as a framework for evaluating the ethics of local norm-setting and enforcement in pluricentric contexts. To demonstrate how pluricentric linguistic justice might be assessed, it examines a series of valued-based arguments discussed in the linguistic justice literature relating to the instrumental and identity functions of language, considering how they might apply to specific contexts in the French-speaking world. Besides contributing to existing theory, the notion of pluricentric linguistic justice has the potential to help advance social equality, by drawing attention to some of the social and political injustices associated with diatopic variation in spatially diffused languages more generally.
Parkinson’s Disease Unfolding Case Study
Authors: Parkyn Brandon H. , Marshall Colleen
Published: November 2021

Young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD) is defined as idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPPD) affecting people between the ages of 21 and 40 years old; it makes up approx. 5% of all Parkinson’s Disease patients. The quicker onset of motor complications is what makes YOPD different than the later onset of Parkinson’s Disease. The quicker onset of the motor complications and progression of the disease are what make this disease have a very high morbidity rate. Technology and research have provided the ability to improve motor complications dramatically and extend the ability to maintain function and live a meaningful life. Due to the specificity of the progression of YOPD, nurses and medical staff need to base the care and treatment of the patient on the patient rather than follow a standard protocol for everyone. The University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) symptom management theory and the theory implication for persons with neurological disorders/diseases can provide the basis on how to effectively develop a care plan for these patients. Nurses can have a significant impact on how the disease can affect the patient on the long-term through education, support and advocacy. This case history documents the course of a YOPD patient with unusually severe motor complications. This case study is presenting a 38-year-old male patient that has developed rhabdomyolysis due to dyskinesia. This article aims to help provide context and information pertaining to the usage of simulations when educating both undergraduate and graduate nursing students. (JNNN 2021;10(2):71–76)
Liquidity Provision, Ambiguous Asset Returns and the Financial Crisis
Authors: Spanjers Willem
Published: November 2021

For an economy with dysfunctional intertemporal financial markets the financial sector is modelled as a competitive banking sector offering deposit contracts. In a setting related to Allen and Gale (JoF, 1998) properties of the optimal liquidity provision are analyzed for illiquid assets with ambiguous returns.In the context of our model, ambiguity -- i.e. incalculable risk -- leads to dynamically inconsistent investor behaviour. If the financial sector fails to recognize the presence of ambiguity, unanticipated fundamental crises may occur, which are incorrectly blamed on investors 'loosing their nerves' and 'panicing'.The basic mechanism of the Financial Crisis resembles the liquidation of illiquid assets during a banking panic. The combination of providing additional liquidity and supporting distressed financial institutions implements the regulatory policy suggested by the model.A credible commitment to such 'bail-out policy' does not create a moral hazard problem. Rather, it implements the second best efficient outcome by discouraging excessive caution. Reducing ambiguity by increasing stability, transparency and predictability -- as suggested by ordo-liberalism and the 'Freiburger Schule' -- enhances ex-ante welfare.
Management Quality and Innovation in Emerging Countries
Authors: Sidorkin Oleg
Published: November 2021

I study the relationship between management quality and innovation input, and output of firms in ten emerging countries using data from the Management, Organization and Innovation (MOI) Survey. I find that management quality is tightly connected to the decisions of firms to invest in R&D. An improvement in management quality from the 25th percentile to the median is associated with a 3.3 percentage point increase in the propensity to invest in R&D. Furthermore, there are positive but weak association between management quality and product innovation. The empirical results for individual management practices show that the quality of incentive management is intimately connected to innovation performance. The quality of monitoring management is related to higher inputs into innovation, but not to innovation output. The quality of incentive management is related to higher input into innovation, but not to innovation output. All results hold after controlling for differences in management quality by industries. Additional analysis of management quality asymmetry shows that the results are driven mainly by firms with low quality management.
Central Banking in Modern Democracies: Private vs. Public Control
Authors: Kotsios Panagiotis
Published: November 2021

Central banks are among the most powerful institutions in the world: they are granted a legal monopoly in the issuance of money, set interest rates, monitor the banking sector and generally control a country’s money supply and monetary policy. Their decisions and actions affect directly or indirectly almost every economic activity on the planet. However, most of these institutions decide and act independently from government, they are managed by appointed rather than democratically-elected officials and these officials usually come from the private banking sector. These facts generate questions about the functionality of the system and its efficiency in managing global finance. The goal of this research is to investigate the status of central bank management and ownership across the world today, and examine both philosophically and ethically the arguments for and against central bank independence in modern democracies. The analysis concludes that modern democracies should reassess the structure of central banking and address methods and practices that could possibly jeopardize economic development and the effective functioning of democracy in the long run.
An Ex Post Analysis of the US Airways/American Airlines Merger
Authors: Le Huubinh B.
Published: November 2021

This paper investigates the price and output effects of the US Airways and American Airlines merger in markets in which actual or potential competition was eliminated. In markets in which actual competition was eliminated, the results are mixed. The merger is procompetitive (lower prices and higher output) in nonstop markets in which both endpoints are major hubs of merging airlines, but anticompetitive in connecting markets. Where potential competition was eliminated, the results are consistent with significant price increases and output reductions, particularly when the potential competitor was US Airways.
EBA's Capital Exercise and Technical Efficiency of the Banks
Authors: Rathore Adhiraj Singh
Published: November 2021

This study uses a sample of 194 banks from 15 EU countries and two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) to provide evidence on the impact of the European Banking Authority (EBA)'s capital exercise on banks' efficiency. In the first stage of the analysis, we measure the efficiency by employing DEA. We then use Tobit regression to investigate the impact of the capital exercise on banks' technical efficiency. We estimate several specifications while controlling for bank-specific attributes and country-level characteristics accounting for macroeconomic conditions, financial development and market structure. The results indicate that EBA's capital exercise came, as a shock for the banks would be contributing towards making the banks more stable. It would be preventing banks from excessive risk-taking activities. Furthermore, it would be allowing the banks to withstand the financial distress and contributing in banks be- coming less prone to the systemic risk. The study finds that the capital requirements would be creating favourable economic conditions, which would be, affect the extent, depth and quality of financial intermediation and banking services.
Optimal Product Proliferation in Monopoly: A Dynamic Analysis
Authors: Lambertini Luca
Published: November 2021

The monopolist’s incentives towards product proliferation are evaluated in an optimal control

model considering three alternative regimes: profit-seeking; social planning; and a

hybrid case with monopoly pricing and a regulator setting product innovation to maximise

welfare. In equilibrium, the profit-seeking firm supplies a socially suboptimal number of

varieties to reduce cannibalisation while the social planner exploits the same effect to satisfy

consumers’ love for variety and decrease the market price of all products. In terms of

the Schumpeter vs Arrow debate on the relationship between market structure and innovation

incentives, the results obtained in this model have a definite Arrovian flavour