bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended gene panel testing in lobular breast cancer
Authors: van Veen Elke M. , Evans D. Gareth , Harkness Elaine F. , Byers Helen J. , Ellingford Jamie M. , Woodward Emma R. , Bowers Naomi L. , Wallace Andrew J. , Howell Sacha J. , Howell Anthony , Lalloo Fiona , Newman William G. , Smith Miriam J.
Published: March 2021

Purpose: Lobular breast cancer (LBC) accounts for ~ 15% of breast cancer. Here, we studied the frequency of pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in an extended panel of genes in women affected with LBC. Methods: 302 women with LBC and 1567 without breast cancer were tested for BRCA1/2 PGVs. A subset of 134 LBC affected women who tested negative for BRCA1/2 PGVs underwent extended screening, including: ATM, CDH1, CHEK2, NBN, PALB2, PTEN, RAD50, RAD51D, and TP53.Results: 35 PGVs were identified in the group with LBC, of which 22 were in BRCA1/2. Ten actionable PGVs were identified in additional genes (ATM(4), CDH1(1), CHEK2(1), PALB2(2) and TP53(2)). Overall, PGVs in three genes conferred a significant increased risk for LBC. Odds ratios (ORs) were: BRCA1: OR = 13.17 (95%CI 2.83–66.38; P = 0.0017), BRCA2: OR = 10.33 (95%CI 4.58–23.95; P < 0.0001); and ATM: OR = 8.01 (95%CI 2.52–29.92; P = 0.0053). We did not detect an increased risk of LBC for PALB2, CDH1 or CHEK2. Conclusion: The overall PGV detection rate was 11.59%, with similar rates of BRCA1/2 (7.28%) PGVs as for other actionable PGVs (7.46%), indicating a benefit for extended panel genetic testing in LBC. We also report a previously unrecognised association of pathogenic variants in ATM with LBC.
Linking Fisher Perceptions to Social-Ecological Context: Mixed Method Application of the SES Framework in Costa Rica
Authors: Partelow Stefan , Jäger Anne , Schlüter Achim
Published: March 2021

There are few studies about how social-ecological context is linked to actor perceptions in environmental governance, although it is evident that resource use behavior, participatory processes, rule compliance, and cooperation are influenced by actors’ perceptions. We apply and combine Ostrom’s social-ecological systems framework (SESF) and Bennett’s (2016) perception framework to identify the contextual variables influencing different perceptions in a case study of small-scale fisheries co-management in Costa Rica implementing a marine protected area. Analytically, we use network analysis tools to analyze qualitative interview data in a way that links the two frameworks, and content analysis to provide contexutally meaningful descriptions of those network patterns in practice. Our findings suggest Bennett’s perceptions framework can be expanded and that the SESF is useful to identify how perceptions relate to more social and ecological variables than prior research suggests. Our findings demonstrate the importance of understanding perceptions and context in environmental governance analyses and practice. We conclude with reflections on local policy challenges.
Tying Up Loose Ends. Integrating Consumers’ Psychology into a Broad Interdisciplinary Perspective on a Circular Sustainable Bioeconomy
Authors: Otto Siegmar , Hildebrandt Jakob , Will Markus , Henn Laura , Beer Katrin
Published: March 2021

A shift towards a bioeconomy is not sustainable per se. In order to contribute to sustainable development, a bioeconomy must meet certain conditions. These conditions have been discussed with respect to technology and also to the importance of ethical aspects. Consumers’ behavior has also been acknowledged. However, consumers still have to choose sustainable consumption options, and this choice depends on their psychological makeup, which can be related to two factors: behavioral costs and individual sustainability motivation. Behavioral costs determine how difficult the consumption of a bio-based product is, relative to other less sustainable consumption options. Sustainability motivation determines how much effort a person is willing to expend for a more sustainable consumption option, for the sustainable use and recycling of a product, or even to refrain from engaging in consumption. In addition, in a complex bioeconomic system, the sustainability of a bio-based consumption option is not always clear cut. After providing an introduction to the systemic and technological background of bio-based products, we present how consumers’ sustainability motivation is an essential and decisive pull factor for a circular sustainable bioeconomy. We also present the drivers of consumers’ sustainability motivation as necessary components of a sustainable bioeconomic system.
Bicarbonate for microalgae cultivation: a case study in a chlorophyte, Tetradesmus wisconsinensis isolated from a Norwegian lake
Authors: Umetani Ikumi , Janka Eshetu , Sposób Michal , Hulatt Chris J. , Kleiven Synne , Bakke Rune
Published: March 2021

Bicarbonate was evaluated as an alternative carbon source for a green microalga, Tetradesmus wisconsinensis, isolated from Lake Norsjø in Norway. Photosynthesis, growth, and lipid production were studied using four inorganic carbon regimes: (1) aeration only, (2) 20 mM NaHCO3, (3) 5% (v/v) CO2 gas, and (4) combination of 20 mM NaHCO3 and 5% CO2. Variable chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis revealed that the bicarbonate treatment supported effective photosynthesis, while the CO2 treatment led to inefficient photosynthetic activity with a PSII maximum quantum yield as low as 0.31. Conversely, bicarbonate and CO2 treatments gave similar biomass and fatty acid production. The maximum growth rate, the final cell dry weight, and total fatty acids under the bicarbonate-only treatment were 0.33 (± 0.06) day−1, 673 (± 124) mg L−1 and 75 (± 5) mg g−1 dry biomass, respectively. The most abundant fatty acid components were α-linolenic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids constituting 69% of the total fatty acids. The fatty acid profile eventuated in unsuitable biodiesel fuel properties such as high degree of unsaturation and low cetane number; however, it would be relevant for food and feed applications. We concluded that bicarbonate could give healthy growth and comparative product yields as CO2.
Preparation of high-entropy carbides by different sintering techniques
Authors: Pötschke Johannes , Dahal Manisha , Herrmann Mathias , Vornberger Anne , Matthey Björn , Michaelis Alexander
Published: March 2021

Dense (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V)C- and (Ta, Nb, Ti, V, W)C-based high-entropy carbides (HEC) were produced by three different sintering techniques: gas pressure sintering/sinter–HIP at 1900 °C and 100 bar Ar, vacuum sintering at 2250 °C and 0.001 bar as well as SPS/FAST at 2000 °C and 60 MPa pressure. The relative density varied from 97.9 to 100%, with SPS producing 100% dense samples with both compositions. Grain size measurements showed that the substitution of Hf with W leads to an increase in the mean grain size of 5–10 times the size of the (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V,)C samples. Vacuum-sintered samples showed uniform grain size distribution regardless of composition. EDS mapping revealed the formation of a solid solution with no intermetallic phases or element clustering. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the structure of mostly single-phase cubic high-entropy carbides. Hardness measurements revealed that (Hf, Ta, Nb, Ti, V)C samples possess higher hardness values than (Ta, Nb, Ti, V, W)C samples.
Latent class growth modelling for the evaluation of intervention outcomes: example from a physical activity intervention
Authors: Lampousi Anna-Maria , Möller Jette , Liang Yajun , Berglind Daniel , Forsell Yvonne
Published: March 2021

Intervention studies often assume that changes in an outcome are homogenous across the population, however this assumption might not always hold. This article describes how latent class growth modelling (LCGM) can be performed in intervention studies, using an empirical example, and discusses the challenges and potential implications of this method. The analysis included 110 young adults with mobility disability that had participated in a parallel randomized controlled trial and received either a mobile app program (n = 55) or a supervised health program (n = 55) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was accelerometer measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels in min/day assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1-year post intervention. The mean change of MVPA from baseline to 1-year was estimated using paired t-test. LCGM was performed to determine the trajectories of MVPA. Logistic regression models were used to identify potential predictors of trajectories. There was no significant difference between baseline and 1-year MVPA levels (4.8 min/day, 95% CI: −1.4, 10.9). Four MVPA trajectories, ‘Normal/Decrease’, ‘Normal/Increase’, ‘Normal/Rapid increase’, and ‘High/Increase’, were identified through LCGM. Individuals with younger age and higher baseline MVPA were more likely to have increasing trajectories of MVPA. LCGM uncovered hidden trajectories of physical activity that were not represented by the average pattern. This approach could provide significant insights when included in intervention studies. For higher accuracy it is recommended to include larger sample sizes.
On High Order ADER Discontinuous Galerkin Schemes for First Order Hyperbolic Reformulations of Nonlinear Dispersive Systems
Authors: Busto Saray , Dumbser Michael , Escalante Cipriano , Favrie Nicolas , Gavrilyuk Sergey
Published: March 2021

This paper is on arbitrary high order fully discrete one-step ADER discontinuous Galerkin schemes with subcell finite volume limiters applied to a new class of first order hyperbolic reformulations of nonlinear dispersive systems based on an extended Lagrangian approach introduced by Dhaouadi et al. (Stud Appl Math 207:1–20, 2018), Favrie and Gavrilyuk (Nonlinearity 30:2718–2736, 2017). We consider the hyperbolic reformulations of two different nonlinear dispersive systems, namely the Serre–Green–Naghdi model of dispersive water waves and the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The first order hyperbolic reformulation of the Schrödinger equation is endowed with a curl involution constraint that needs to be properly accounted for in multiple space dimensions. We show that the original model proposed in Dhaouadi et al. (2018) is onlyweakly hyperbolicin the multi-dimensional case and that strong hyperbolicity can be restored at the aid of a novel thermodynamically compatible GLM curl cleaning approach that accounts for the curl involution constraint in the PDE system. We show one and two-dimensional numerical results applied to both systems and compare them with available exact, numerical and experimental reference solutions whenever possible.
First-Order Necessary Conditions in Optimal Control
Authors: Mayne David , Vinter Richard
Published: March 2021

In an earlier analysis of strong variation algorithms for optimal control problems with endpoint inequality constraints, Mayne and Polak provided conditions under which accumulation points satisfy a condition requiring a certain optimality function, used in the algorithms to generate search directions, to be nonnegative for all controls. The aim of this paper is to clarify the nature of this optimality condition, which we call the first-order minimax condition, and of a related integrated form of the condition, which, also, is implicit in past algorithm convergence analysis. We consider these conditions, separately, when a pathwise state constraint is, and is not, included in the problem formulation. When there are no pathwise state constraints, we show that the integrated first-order minimax condition is equivalent to the minimum principle and that the minimum principle (and equivalent integrated first-order minimax condition) is strictly stronger than the first-order minimax condition. For problems with state constraints, we establish that the integrated first-order minimax condition and the minimum principle are, once again, equivalent. But, in the state constrained context, it is no longer the case that the minimum principle is stronger than the first-order minimax condition, or vice versa. An example confirms the perhaps surprising fact that the first-order minimax condition is a distinct optimality condition that can provide information, for problems with state constraints, in some circumstances when the minimum principle fails to do so.
Common-mode noise filtering with space-divided differential 2x2 VLC for V2V applications
Authors: Matolcsy Balázs , Udvary Eszter , Schranz Ágoston
Published: March 2021

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Communication is one of the most promising application opportunities of Visible Light Communication (VLC). This paper suggests a novel transmission technique for VLC-V2V applications, called 2x2 Differential Transmission (2x2 DT). This transmission method exhibits excellent common-mode optical noise rejection performance. This beneficiary property is presented first with simulation results and later with real-life urban traffic measurement as well. After the promising simulation results, a demonstrational automotive-grade VLC-V2V link is presented and investigated for evaluation purposes. The link does not contain electrical filters, optical filters nor optical lenses, hence link costs are kept low and versatility is preserved. With our proposed 2x2 differential solution, both the transmission quality and common-mode optical noise rejection performance is outstanding. Due to the increased sensitivity of the differential VLC transmission regarding crosstalk between channels, a method is suggested for crosstalk reduction for high-quality differential transmission.
Language: The “Ultimate Artifact” to Build, Develop, and Update Worldviews
Authors: Magnani Lorenzo , Pinillos Alger Sans , Arfini Selene
Published: March 2021

What role does language play in the process of building worldviews? To address this question, in the first section of this paper we will clarify what we mean by worldviews and how they differ, in our perspective, from cosmovisions. In a nutshell, we define worldviews as the biological interpretations agents create of the world around them and cosmovision the more general cultural-based reflections on it (which, of course, include also agents’ worldviews). After presenting our definition for worldview, we will also present the multi-shaped viewpoint that frames our analysis, adopting three concepts that can help us explainhowagents construct and develop their worldviews: saliences, pregnances, and abduction. While the notions of saliences and pregnances will explain how agents recognize anomalies in their worldview, the concept of abduction will help us discuss how they can learn to approach, explain, and use these anomalies to get new skills and abilities. This other point will lead us to discuss the role of language in this process, which will be describe as an artifact that permits the agent to use abduction to “normalize” and exploit anomalies, being now the ultimate artifact (for human agents) to build, develop, and update their worldviews.
Analysis of Selected Minerals in Homemade Grape Vinegars Obtained by Spontaneous Fermentation
Authors: Antoniewicz Justyna , Jakubczyk Karolina , Kupnicka Patrycja , Bosiacki Mateusz , Chlubek Dariusz , Janda Katarzyna
Published: March 2021

Fruit vinegars are widely used as a spice and food preservative. They are considered as functional food, containing many bioactive compounds with pro-health benefits. Grape vinegars can be also a source of mineral compounds. Their quantity and diversity can be determined by environmental factors and growing conditions, such as temperature, mineral composition of the soil, heavy metal contamination, sunlight availability as well as grape variety and fruit ripeness stage. The aim of the study was to determine the content of minerals in homemade grape vinegars, obtained by spontaneous fermentation. Five different grape (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties were used in the study (Cabernet Cortis, Johanniter, Solaris, Souvignier gris and Prior). Moreover, the effect of sugar addition in the fermentation process on the mineral content was examined. The mineral content was determined using the ICP-OES method. Among the analysed samples, potassium was the most abundant element (936.07–1472.3 mg/L of vinegar). Comparative analysis showed that the content of Ca, Fe and Cr was significantly higher in vinegars prepared from red varieties than in white-coloured ones. In turn, vinegars prepared from white grape varieties contained statistically significantly higher content of potassium. Vinegar colour did not have a significant influence on the content of the remaining elements included in the analysis. Furthermore, statistical analysis did not reveal any significant differences in the content of the analysed minerals in any of the grape varieties used between the samples with and without sugar addition.
Sex addiction in Turkey: A large-scale survey with a national community sample
Authors: Kircaburun Kagan , Ünübol Hüseyin , Sayar Gökben H. , Çarkçı Jaklin , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: March 2021

Prior studies on sex addiction have mostly relied on a narrow range of risk factors among small and heterogeneous samples. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychological markers related to sex addiction in a large-scale community sample of Turkish adults. A total of 24,380 individuals completed a survey comprising the Sex Addiction Risk Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Personal-Wellbeing Index Adult Form, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (50% males; mean age = 31.79 years; age range = 18 to 81 years). Utilizing hierarchical regression analysis, sex addiction was associated with being male, being younger, having a lower education level, being single, being an alcohol and nicotine user, psychiatric distress, low personal wellbeing, positive and negative affect, alexithymia, and anxious attachment. This study suggests that socio-demographic factors and aforementioned detrimental psychological factors exacerbate higher engagement in addictive sexual behaviors among the Turkish community. However, more studies are needed to better understand the factors associated with sex addiction in Turkey.
Furthering the Focus on Translational Sleep Science in Behavioral Medicine
Authors: Hoyt Michael A.
Published: March 2021

Translational sleep science has become a critical and fundamental focus in the field of behavioral medicine. This is the second issue in the special series of the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine focused on the physiological, psychological, social, and environmental concomitants of sleep and human health. The articles included in this issue draw further attention to the range and significance of sleep as a marker of health status and as a target of behavioral intervention. The research included in this series highlights the pervasive manner in which sleep health is intrinsically connected to health risk, behavior, and outcomes. The next decade promises to further behavioral medicine approaches to improving the provision of care and the overall public health through the implementation of translational sleep science research.
“How Do We Actually Do Convergence” for Disaster Resilience? Cases from Australia and the United States
Authors: Lakhina Shefali Juneja , Sutley Elaina J. , Wilson Jay
Published: March 2021

In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on achieving convergence in disaster research, policy, and programs to reduce disaster losses and enhance social well-being. However, there remain considerable gaps in understanding “how do we actually do convergence?” In this article, we present three case studies from across geographies—New South Wales in Australia, and North Carolina and Oregon in the United States; and sectors of work—community, environmental, and urban resilience, to critically examine what convergence entails and how it can enable diverse disciplines, people, and institutions to reduce vulnerability to systemic risks in the twenty-first century. We identify key successes, challenges, and barriers to convergence. We build on current discussions around the need for convergence research to be problem-focused and solutions-based, by also considering the need to approach convergence as ethic, method, and outcome. We reflect on how convergence can be approached as an ethic that motivates a higher order alignment on “why” we come together; as a method that foregrounds “how” we come together in inclusive ways; and as an outcome that highlights “what” must be done to successfully translate research findings into the policy and public domains.
Exceeding the threshold value for Trioza apicalis Förster 1848 in carrot fields did not cause damage as revealed during monitoring in Germany from 2017–2020
Authors: Sauer J. , Dewert A. , Hondelmann P. , Meyhöfer R. , Hommes M. , Buck H. , Ulrichs C. , Vogler U.
Published: March 2021

The carrot psyllidTrioza apicalisFörster 1848 is a carrot pest in Europe that can cause serious damages in case of massive occurrence. Damages up to a total loss of yield have been reported from Scandinavian countries but also from Switzerland. The action threshold to control the pest with chemical pesticides is 0.2 T. apicalisper day and trap caught by sticky traps. We investigated the number ofT. apicaliswith sticky traps on carrot fields of the study regions Lüneburg/Uelzen and Hameln/Bad Pyrmont in Germany, during the period 2017–2020. The number ofT. apicaliscaught was generally very low in both study regions. On several fields in successive weeks almost no individuals were found in the study region Hameln/Bad Pyrmont. In Lüneburg/Uelzen was at least one field each year where the number of carrot psyllid was clearly higher than in all other fields and exceeded the threshold level. Surprisingly on carrot fields in close proximity to carrot fields from the previous year, theT. apicalisnumbers were only slightly increased. Nonetheless, no loss of yield was reported for any of the fields in the four years of the study, although the generally defined threshold has been exceeded on many of the investigated carrot fields.
Assessing and addressing barriers towards MDI use in acute asthma exacerbations at a tertiary pediatric ED in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Sakrani Nida Fatima , Hussein Salah Eldin , Borg Malcolm , Konstantinopoulou Sofia
Published: March 2021

Asthma is one of the most common causes of emergency department (ED) visits in children. Therapy delivered through a meter dose inhaler with spacer (MDI + S) is equally as effective as nebulization in mild and moderate asthma exacerbations but was not routinely prescribed in the ED at the largest tertiary center for pediatrics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Phase 1 of this cohort study involved a validated survey to evaluate physicians' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards MDI therapy. While 62% of physicians reported that MDI + S was equally effective as nebulizers and 82% believed that they had sufficient knowledge with regard to its use, only 28% prescribed it. Perceived barriers to change of practice included: Lack of clinical practice guidelines (CPG), poor knowledge amongst nurses and physicians, caregivers' reluctance and a difficult prescription process. Phase 2 consisted of administering the same survey after completing interventions to address the aforementioned barriers. Comparisons were made between the subgroups within phase 1 and statistically significant differences were noted with a p value < .05. The number of physicians who prescribed MDI + S increased from 28% to 41% (p value = .046). Moreover, physicians who believed that convincing parents to use MDI + S therapy would be easy, increased from 35% to 66% (p value < .0001). In conclusion, more physicians reported prescribing MDI + S in Phase 2 while concerns about barriers that exist to change in practice remained similar in both phases showing that consistent and prolonged advocacy is required to achieve long-term compliance.
COVID-19 at War: The Joint Forces Operation in Ukraine
Authors: Quinn V John M. , Dhabalia Trisha Jigar , Roslycky Lada L. , Wilson V James M. , Hansen Jan-Cedric , Hulchiy Olesya , Golubovskaya Olga , Buriachyk Mykola , Vadim Kondratiuk , Zauralskyy Rostyslav , Vyrva Oleg , Stepanskyi Dmytro , Ivanovitch Pokhil Sergiy , Mironenko Alla , Shportko Volodymyr , McElligott John E.
Published: March 2021

The ongoing pandemic disaster of coronavirus erupted with the first confirmed cases in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) novel coronavirus, the disease referred to as coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the outbreak and determined it a global pandemic. The current pandemic has infected nearly 300 million people and killed over 3 million. The current COVID-19 pandemic is smashing every public health barrier, guardrail, and safety measure in underdeveloped and the most developed countries alike, with peaks and troughs across time. Greatly impacted are those regions experiencing conflict and war. Morbidity and mortality increase logarithmically for those communities at risk and that lack the ability to promote basic preventative measures. States around the globe struggle to unify responses, make gains on preparedness levels, identify and symptomatically treat positive cases, and labs across the globe frantically rollout various vaccines and effective surveillance and therapeutic mechanisms. The incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 may continue to increase globally as no unified disaster response is manifested and disinformation spreads. During this failure in response, virus variants are erupting at a dizzying pace. Ungoverned spaces where nonstate actors predominate and active war zones may become the next epicenter for COVID-19 fatality rates. As the incidence rates continue to rise, hospitals in North America and Europe exceed surge capacity, and immunity post infection struggles to be adequately described. The global threat in previously high-quality, robust infrastructure health-care systems in the most developed economies are failing the challenge posed by COVID-19; how will less-developed economies and those health-care infrastructures that are destroyed by war and conflict fare until adequate vaccine penetrance in these communities or adequate treatment are established? Ukraine and other states in the Black Sea Region are under threat and are exposed to armed Russian aggression against territorial sovereignty daily. Ukraine, where Russia has been waging war since 2014, faces this specific dual threat: disaster response to violence and a deadly infectious disease. To best serve biosurveillance, aid in pandemic disaster response, and bolster health security in Europe, across the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) and Black Sea regions, increased NATO integration, across Ukraine’s disaster response structures within the Ministries of Health, Defense, and Interior must be reinforced and expanded to mitigate the COVID-19 disaster.
COVID-19 and Alcohol Poisoning: A Fatal Competition
Authors: Heidari Mohammad , Sayfouri Nasrin
Published: March 2021

In March 2020, concurrently with the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iran, the rate of alcohol poisoning was unexpectedly increased in the country. This study has attempted to make an overall description and analysis of this phenomenon by collecting credible data from the field, news, and reports published by the emergency centers and the Iranian Ministry of Health. The investigations showed that in May 20, 2020, more than 6150 people have been affected by methanol poisoning from whom 804 deaths have been reported. A major cause of the increased rate of alcohol poisoning in this period was actually the illusion that alcohol could eliminate the coronaviruses having entered the body. It is of utmost importance that all mass media try to dismiss the cultural, religious, and political considerations and prepare convincing programs to openly discuss the side-effects of forged alcohol consumption with the public, especially with the youth. It must be clearly specified that “consuming alcohol cannot help prevent COVID-19.”
Public Knowledge and Adherence to Hand Hygienic Guidelines for the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: A Cross-sectional Survey from Pakistan
Authors: Yaseen Muhammad Osama , Saif Arifa , Khan Tahir Mehmood , Yaseen Misha
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Good hand hygienic practices are considered an important factor to curb the transmission and emergence of SARS-CoV -2. Various studies, conducted previously during the outbreaks of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, have ascertained the effectiveness of adopting good hand hygienic practices to curb the emergence of these viruses. This study aims to explore public hand hygienic practices during the peak pandemic period.

Method:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Pakistan to investigate the knowledge and perception about hand hygiene, self-reported hand hygiene practices, adherence to hand hygienic guidelines, and barriers to optimal hand hygiene. Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Regression model were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

There was a significant difference in area-based knowledge (P = 0.026), beliefs (P = 0.027), and practices (P = 0.002) regarding hand hygiene. The results of regression analysis revealed that people in urban areas were more likely to have better knowledge (β = 0.108, CI = 0.076 − 0.05, P = 0.008) and better adherence (β = 0.115, CI = 0.514 − 2.68, P = 0.004) to hand hygienic practices.

Conclusion:

Advertisements on television and other electronic media with appealing slogans could be effective in making people more compliant to optimal hand hygienic practices.
Schellwienella clarkei(Orthotetida, Brachiopoda): a new species from the Devonian of the Paraná Basin, Brazil
Authors: de Rezende João Marcelo Pais , Isaacson Peter E.
Published: March 2021

Devonian orthotetides from South America have often been uncritically assigned to a limited number of broadly described species.Schellwienella clarkein. sp. is described from the Ponta Grossa Formation, Paraná Basin, southern Brazil. These brachiopods had been identified asSchuchertella agassizi.Schellwienella clarkein. sp. differs fromSchuchertella agassizion the basis of shell structure, dental plates, and cardinalia.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/90ebc242-42c3-4bd7-9b63-461df05b6f28
Carnivorous mammals from the middle Eocene Washakie Formation, Wyoming, USA, and their diversity trajectory in a post-warming world
Authors: Tomiya Susumu , Zack Shawn P. , Spaulding Michelle , Flynn John J.
Published: March 2021

The middle Eocene Washakie Formation of Wyoming, USA, provides a rare window, within a single depositional basin, into the faunal transition that followed the early Eocene warming events. Based on extensive examination, we report a minimum of 27 species of carnivorous mammals from this formation, more than doubling the previous taxic count. Included in this revised list are a new species of carnivoraform,Neovulpavus mccarrollin. sp., and up to ten other possibly new taxa. Our cladistic analysis of early Carnivoraformes incorporating new data clarified the array of middle Eocene taxa that are closely related to crown-group Carnivora. These anatomically relatively derived carnivoraforms collectively had an intercontinental distribution in North America and east Asia, exhibiting notable variations in body size and dental adaptation. This time period also saw parallel trends of increase in body size and dental sectoriality in distantly related lineages of carnivores spanning a wide range of body sizes. A new, model-based Bayesian analysis of diversity dynamics accounting for imperfect detection revealed a high probability of substantial loss of carnivore species between the late Bridgerian and early Uintan North American Land Mammal ‘Ages’, coinciding with the disappearance of formerly common mammals such as hyopsodontids and adapiform primates. Concomitant with this decline in carnivore diversity, the Washakie vertebrate fauna underwent significant disintegration, as measured by patterns of coordinated detection of taxa at the locality level. These observations are consistent with a major biomic transition in the region in response to climatically induced opening-up of forested habitats.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/9162f1a6-a12c-4d55-ba1d-dc66e8cda261
Foreign-trained legal scholars in the UK: ‘irritants’ or ‘change agents’?
Authors: Siems Mathias
Published: March 2021

In most countries and universities, few legal scholars pursue their academic careers in a country that is different from their home jurisdiction. However, the UK is a rare exception, as its universities have shown a great willingness to appoint legal scholars from any legal tradition and any part of the world. As the topic of foreign-trained legal scholars is underexplored in the current literature, this paper aims to fill the gap. It identifies 539 foreign-trained legal scholars at Russell Group universities, which amounts to 36.69% of their academic staff in law. Subsequently, the paper presents the results of a survey which explored how respondents deal with the challenges of being based at UK universities, such as the possible expectation to assimilate to the UK legal environment, and considering the impact of the result of the Brexit referendum. Overall, the paper finds that foreign-trained legal scholars should not be regarded as (negative) ‘irritants’ to UK legal scholarship and education, but that they can be rather be seen as (positive) ‘change agents’ in their universities.
A NOTE ON SPIRALLIKE FUNCTIONS
Authors: SIM Y. J. , THOMAS D. K.
Published: March 2021

Let f be analytic in the unit disk

$\mathbb {D}=\{z\in \mathbb {C}:|z|<1 \}$
and let

${\mathcal S}$
be the subclass of normalised univalent functions with

$f(0)=0$
and

$f'(0)=1$
, given by

$f(z)=z+\sum _{n=2}^{\infty }a_n z^n$
. Let F be the inverse function of f, given by

$F(\omega )=\omega +\sum _{n=2}^{\infty }A_n \omega ^n$
for

$|\omega |\le r_0(f)$
. Denote by

$ \mathcal {S}_p^{* }(\alpha )$
the subset of

$ \mathcal {S}$
consisting of the spirallike functions of order

$\alpha $
in

$\mathbb {D}$
, that is, functions satisfying

$$\begin{align*}{\mathrm{Re}} \ \bigg\{e^{-i\gamma}\dfrac{zf'(z)}{f(z)}\bigg\}>\alpha\cos \gamma, \end{align*}$$

for

$z\in \mathbb {D}$
,

$0\le \alpha <1$
and

$\gamma \in (-\pi /2,\pi /2)$
. We give sharp upper and lower bounds for both

$ |a_3|-|a_2| $
and

$ |A_3|-|A_2| $
when

$f\in \mathcal {S}_p^{* }(\alpha )$
, thus solving an open problem and presenting some new inequalities for coefficient differences.
Ceremony, Medicine, Caffeinated Tea: Unearthing the Forgotten Faces of the North American Stimulant Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria)
Authors: Folch Christine
Published: March 2021

Yaupon (the unfortunately named Ilex vomitoria) is a holly commonly used as yard décor in the southeast United States, but many North Americans will be surprised to learn that it is the source of a stimulant tea that has been in continuous use for nearly a millennium. Yaupon is more than a drink; it is a window into questions of identity, community belonging, and how the New World was inserted into the global economy. From Cabeza de Vaca's sixteenth-century brush with the beverage, yaupon has iterated between ceremony, medicine, and caffeinated tea as inhabitants of North America—Indigenous, enslaved, and settler colonial inhabitants of North America—have harnessed the leaf's properties to different, culturally situated aims. This article traces narratives, recipes, and medical descriptions of yaupon from contact to the present, and compares these against material and archeological records to explore differences between settler and extractive colonial encounters with Indigenous psychoactive substances (and thus indigeneity). The story of yaupon reveals contests between regimes of knowledge, the political economy of colonialisms, and the fraught intersections of identity and cuisine. Despite abundant ethnographic, documentary, and scientific evidence to the contrary, the scientific and medical literature long mislabeled yaupon as emetic. This raises questions about how knowledge is transferred and how scientific authority is constructed. I argue that indigeneity, race, and class have steered how yaupon has been understood, and help to explain why a popular caffeinated product waned at a time when the use of stimulants was increasing, and “proletarian hunger-killers” were on the rise.
When Upper Egypt Spoke: Dramatized Rebellion
Authors: Abul-Magd Zeinab
Published: March 2021

Every Ramadan, when Egyptian TV shows enjoy their prime season, at least one series about Upper Egypt is produced and millions of viewers across the country get hooked on it. Those popular dramas usually include a southern hero who is a good-hearted yet poor young man, and his reluctant turn to crime to stand up against corruption and oppression. With romantic depictions of dark and handsome outlaws, the protagonists of these shows always win the deep sympathy of their fans as they rebel against unfortunate conditions and resist local officials, rich elites, and/or corrupt police officers. One of the most iconic and memorable shows, which came out in 1992, was titled Dhiʾab al-Jabal (Wolves of the Mountain, Fig. 1). It narrated the story of Badri, a young man from Qena province, who faced police injustice and escaped to the mountains on the west bank of the Nile River to hide, and then joined a gang of bandits. The honest and kind mountain fugitives aided him until he proved his innocence, reunited with his lost sister, and married his sweetheart. For many viewers across the country, Badri and other lawless idols embody the only glimpse of resistance they experience in their repressed lives—albeit virtually on a TV screen.
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS’ STANDARD OF LIVING DURING CENTRAL CHILE'S AGRARIAN EXPANSION, 1870-1930
Authors: Robles-Ortiz Claudio , González-Correa Ignacio , Reyes Campos Nora , González Aliaga Uziel
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this paper is to determine trends in the wages and living standards of male agricultural labourers in Central Chile during the agrarian expansion, c. 1870-1930. We found that nominal wages increased eightfold; this is relevant because wage labour became the main rural labour regime in this period. Nominal wages rose steadily from the early 1870s until 1910, and with significant fluctuations thereafter, before plummeting with the Great Depression. Real wages also increased, but only slightly. Furthermore, during certain short periods, agricultural labourers' real wages were similar to or higher than those of low-skilled urban workers. However, the persistent gap between agricultural and non-agricultural wages was one of the causal factors of the outmigration of rural workers.
A collision feedback based multiple access control protocol for very high frequency data exchange system in E-navigation
Authors: Hu Xu , Lin Bin , Wang Ping , Lyu Hongguang , Li Tie-Shan
Published: March 2021

The very high frequency data exchange system (VDES) is promising in promoting electronic navigation (E-navigation) and improving navigation safety. The multiple access control (MAC) protocol is crucial to the transmission performance of VDES. The self-organising time division multiple access (SOTDMA) protocol, as the only access mode given by current recommendations, leads to a high rate of transmission collisions in the traditional automatic identification system (AIS), especially with heavy traffic loads. This paper proposes a novel feedback based time division multiple access (FBTDMA) protocol to address the problems caused by SOTDMA, such that collision of transmissions can be avoided in information transmission among vessels. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed FBTDMA outperforms the traditional SOTDMA in terms of channel utilisation and throughput, and significantly reduces the transmission collision rate. The study is expected to provide insights into VDES standardisation and E-navigation modernisation.
A simple model for the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections on a national level
Authors: Blanco N. , Stafford K. A. , Lavoie M. C. , Brandenburg A. , Górna M. W. , Merski M.
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to identify an appropriate simple mathematical model to fit the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases at the national level for the early portion of the pandemic, before significant public health interventions could be enacted. The total number of cases for the COVID-19 epidemic over time in 28 countries was analysed and fit to several simple rate models. The resulting model parameters were used to extrapolate projections for more recent data. While the Gompertz growth model (mean R2 = 0.998) best fit the current data, uncertainties in the eventual case limit introduced significant model errors. However, the quadratic rate model (mean R2 = 0.992) fit the current data best for 25 (89%) countries as determined by R2 values of the remaining models. Projection to the future using the simple quadratic model accurately forecast the number of future total number of cases 50% of the time up to 10 days in advance. Extrapolation to the future with the simple exponential model significantly overpredicted the total number of future cases. These results demonstrate that accurate future predictions of the case load in a given country can be made using this very simple model.
Characterization and expression quantitative trait loci analysis of TaABI4, a pre-harvest sprouting related gene in wheat
Authors: Xiao Chunsheng , Liu Yujiao , Chen Wenshuai , Yang Jian , Cheng Mengping , Watt Calum , Cheng Jingye , Wang Zhenzhong , Tan Zhi , Li MaoLian , Wang Jirui
Published: March 2021

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) induced by the absence of seed dormancy causes a severe reduction in crop yield and flour quality. In this study, we isolated and characterized TaABI4, an ABA-responsive transcription factor that participates in regulating seed germination in wheat. Sequence analysis revealed that TaABI4 has three homologues, located on chromosomes 1A/1B/1D. TaABI4 contains a conserved AP2 domain, and AP2-associated, LRP and potential PEST motifs. Putative cis-acting regulatory elements (CE1-like box, W-box, ABRE elements and RY elements) were identified in the TaABI4 promoter region that showed high conservation in 17 wheat cultivars and wheat-related species. Expression profiling of TaABI4 indicated that it is a seed-specific gene accumulating during the middle stages of seed development. Transcript accumulation of TaABI4 in wheat cultivar Chuanmai 32 (CM32, PHS susceptible) was 5.07-fold and 1.39-fold higher than that in synthetic hexaploidy wheat SHW-L1 (PHS resistant) at 15 and 20 DPA, respectively. Six expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) of TaABI4 on chromosomes 2A, 2D, 3B and 4A were characterized based on the accumulated transcripts of TaABI4 in SHW-L1 and CM32-derived recombinant inbred lines. These QTLs explained 10.7 to 46.1% of the trait variation with 4.53–10.59 of LOD scores, which contain genes that may affect the expression of TaABI4.
Stigmatization of Not-Knowing as a Public Health Tool
Authors: PÕDER JOHANN-CHRISTIAN
Published: March 2021

Predictive interventions and practices are becoming a defining feature of medicine. The author points out that according to the inner logic and external supporters (i.e., state, industry, and media) of modern medicine, participating in healthcare increasingly means participating in knowing, sharing, and using of predictive information. At the same time, the author addresses the issue that predictive information may also have problematic side effects like overdiagnosis, health-related anxiety, and worry as well as impacts on personal life plans. The question is raised: Should we resort to stigmatization if doing so would increase participation in predictive interventions, and thereby save healthcare costs and reduce morbidity and premature death? The paper concludes that even if such a strategy cannot be ruled out in some forms and contexts, we ought to be very cautious about the dangers of shame and stigmatization.
Transcatheter creation of a pulmonary artery to left atrial fenestration in a failing Fontan circulation using the Atrial Flow Regulator (AFR)
Authors: Pascall Emma , Jones Matthew I. , Savis Alexandra , Rosenthal Eric , Qureshi Shakeel A.
Published: March 2021

Transcatheter creation of an interatrial communication using the Occlutech Atrial Flow Regulator Device for pulmonary hypertension or heart failure is well described. We report a case of an 8-year-old boy with a failing Fontan circulation, in whom the Atrial Flow Regulator was used to successfully create a fenestration between the pulmonary artery and left atrium, improving his clinical condition.
Factors associated with ordering food via online meal ordering services
Authors: Dana Liyuwork M , Hart Ellen , McAleese Alison , Bastable Alice , Pettigrew Simone
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Online meal ordering services are increasing in popularity in Australia and globally. Meals ordered online for home delivery are typically less healthy than home-made meals, potentially contributing to weight gain. The aim of the present study was to identify the types of consumers who are most likely to engage in online meal ordering.

Design:

A cross-sectional survey including items relating to demographic and lifestyle factors was disseminated via a web panel provider.

Setting:

Australia.

Participants:

A total of 2010 Australian adults aged 18+ years.

Results:

More than a quarter of respondents (28 %) engaged in online meal ordering at least once in the previous month. Younger respondents, those with a higher BMI, and those with higher education and income levels were more likely to have done so. Consuming higher levels of sugary drinks and fast-food restaurant patronage were significantly associated with ordering meals online for home delivery.

Conclusions:

The outcomes of this study suggest that the use of online meal ordering services is becoming a common practice in Australia, and it is therefore important to implement evidence-based strategies and policies to encourage individuals to make healthy food choices when using these services.
A low-profile FSS-based high capacity chipless RFID tag for sensing and encoding applications
Authors: Habib Shahid , Ali Amjad , Kiani Ghaffer Iqbal , Ayub Wagma , Abbas Syed Muzahir , Butt Muhammad Fasih Uddin
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a polarization-independent 11-bit chipless RFID tag based on frequency-selective surface which has been designed for encoding and relative humidity (RH) sensing applications. The 10 exterior U-shaped resonators are used for item encoding whereas Kapton has been incorporated with the interior resonator for RH sensing. This radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag operates in S- and C-frequency bands. The proposed design offers enhanced fractional bandwidth up to 88% with the density of 4.46 bits/cm2. Both single- and dual-layer tags have been investigated. The simulated results are in good agreement with measured results and a comparison with existing literature is presented to show the performance. Simple geometry, high code density, large frequency signature bandwidth, high magnitude bit, high radar cross-section, and angular stability for more than 75° are the unique outcomes of the proposed design. In addition, RH sensing has been achieved by integrating the Kapton on the same RFID tag.