bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Planning considerations of green corridors for the improvement of biodiversity resilience in suburban areas
Authors: Wang Yuhong , Jia Siqi , Wang Zhe , Chen Yang , Mo Shicong , Sze N. N.
Published: April 2021

The world is experiencing a rapid loss in the biodiversity of pollinator insects. Habitat segmentation caused by infrastructures is one of the contributing factors. To improve the habitat connectivity of pollinator insects, it is proposed in this study to build green corridors for pollinators over linear infrastructures such as highways. In the context of suburban areas of a large city, this study examines differences in air parameters between natural environments and a roadside environment based on monitored and estimated data. Influences of different green corridor designs on floral scent dispersion are also investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation. It is found that, if flower plants are installed on highway overpasses, the floral scents would be better preserved as compared with those in a natural environment due to the lower concentrations of oxidative radicals in the air above highways. The stronger floral scents and their wider dispersion may help attract pollinators. Conversely, highway air contains a variety of volatine organic compounds (VOCs) that are traced to highway operations and pavements. Hence, the overall profile of VOCs in a highway environment differs from that in a natural environment. Results from CFD modeling and simulation suggest that the use of green corridors planted with flowers on the highway overpass can greatly improve the connectivity of floral scents. Hence, with proper engineering design and right combination of plant species, green corridors built on highway overpasses have the potential to facilitate pollinators to cross the road, thereby improving their habitat connectivity and resilience against declining biodiversity.
Treatment of Pediatric Adrenocortical Carcinoma With Surgery, Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection, and Chemotherapy: The Children's Oncology Group ARAR0332 Protocol
Authors: Rodriguez-Galindo Carlos , Krailo Mark D. , Pinto Emilia M. , Pashankar Farzana , Weldon Christopher B. , Huang Li , Caran Eliana M. , Hicks John , McCarville M. Beth , Malkin David , Wasserman Jonathan D. , de Oliveira Filho Antonio G. , LaQuaglia Michael P. , Ward Deborah A. , Zambetti Gerard , Mastellaro Maria J. , Pappo Alberto S. , Ribeiro Raul C.
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare aggressive pediatric malignancy with distinct biology. Its treatment follows the principles developed for adults; pediatric-specific studies are scarce.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective single-arm risk-stratified interventional study. Study objectives were (1) to describe the outcome of patients with stage I ACC treated with adrenalectomy alone; (2) to describe the outcome of stage II patients (completely resected > 200 cc or > 100 g) treated with adrenalectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection; and (3) to describe the outcome of patients with stage III or IV treated with mitotane and chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Between September 2006 and May 2013, 78 patients (77 eligible, 51 females) were enrolled. The 5-year event-free survival estimates for stages I (24 patients), II (15 patients), III (24 patients), and IV (14 patients) were 86.2%, 53.3%, 81%, and 7.1%, respectively. The corresponding 5-year overall survival estimates were 95.2%, 78.8%, 94.7%, and 15.6%, respectively. On univariate analysis, age, stage, presence of virilization, Cushing syndrome, or hypertension, germline TP53 status, and presence of a somatic ATRX mutation were associated with outcome. On multivariable analysis, only stage and age were significantly associated with outcome. The probabilities of mitotane and chemotherapy feasibility events were 10.5% and 31.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Outcome for children with stage I ACC is excellent with surgery. Outcome for patients with stage II disease is inferior despite retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Patients with stage III ACC have an excellent outcome combining surgery and chemotherapy. Patients with stage IV ACC are older and have a poor outcome; new treatments should be explored for this high-risk group. The combination of mitotane and chemotherapy as prescribed in ARAR0332 resulted in significant toxicity; one third of patients with advanced disease could not complete the scheduled treatment.
Long-Term Outcomes in a Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Evaluating the Prognostic 31-Gene Expression Profile for Cutaneous Melanoma
Authors: Hsueh Eddy C. , DeBloom James R. , Lee Jonathan H. , Sussman Jeffrey J. , Covington Kyle R. , Caruso Hillary G. , Quick Ann P. , Cook Robert W. , Slingluff Craig L. , McMasters Kelly M.
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE

Current guidelines for postoperative management of patients with stage I-IIA cutaneous melanoma (CM) do not recommend routine cross-sectional imaging, yet many of these patients develop metastases. Methods that complement American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging are needed to improve identification and treatment of these patients. A 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) test predicts metastatic risk as low (class 1) or high (class 2). Prospective analysis of CM outcomes was performed to test the hypotheses that the 31-GEP provides prognostic value for patients with stage I-III CM, and that patients with stage I-IIA melanoma and class 2 31-GEP results have metastatic risk similar to patients for whom surveillance is recommended.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two multicenter registry studies, INTEGRATE (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02355574 ) and EXPAND (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02355587 ), were initiated under institutional review board approval, and 323 patients with stage I-III CM and median follow-up time of 3.2 years met inclusion criteria. Primary end points were 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The 31-GEP was significant for RFS, DMFS, and OS in a univariate analysis and was a significant, independent predictor of RFS, DMFS, and OS in a multivariable analysis. GEP class 2 results were significantly associated with lower 3-year RFS, DMFS, and OS in all patients and those with stage I-IIA disease. Patients with stage I-IIA CM and a class 2 result had recurrence, distant metastasis, and death rates similar to patients with stage IIB-III CM. Combining 31-GEP results and AJCC staging enhanced sensitivity over each approach alone.

CONCLUSION

These data provide a rationale for using the 31-GEP along with AJCC staging, and suggest that patients with stage I-IIA CM and a class 2 31-GEP signature may be candidates for more intense follow-up.
Comprehensive Clinical and Molecular Characterization of KRASG12C-Mutant Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Henry Jason T. , Coker Oluwadara , Chowdhury Saikat , Shen John Paul , Morris Van K. , Dasari Arvind , Raghav Kanwal , Nusrat Maliha , Kee Bryan , Parseghian Christine , Pant Shubham , Jeyakumar Nikeshan , Zhu Limin , Nishioka Yujiro , Fogelman David , Wolff Robert A. , Hong David , Overman Michael J. , Vauthey JeanNicolas , Kopetz Scott , Johnson Benny
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE

KRAS p.G12C mutations occur in approximately 3% of metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). Recently, two allosteric inhibitors of KRAS p.G12C have demonstrated activity in early phase clinical trials. There are no robust studies examining the behavior of this newly targetable population.

METHODS

We queried the MD Anderson Cancer Center data set for patients with colorectal cancer who harbored KRAS p.G12C mutations between January 2003 and September 2019. Patients were analyzed for clinical characteristics, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) and compared against KRAS nonG12C. Next, we analyzed several internal and external data sets to assess immune signatures, gene expression profiles, hypermethylation, co-occurring mutations, and proteomics.

RESULTS

Among the 4,632 patients with comprehensive molecular profiling, 134 (2.9%) were found to have KRAS p.G12C mutations. An additional 53 patients with single gene sequencing were included in clinical data but excluded from prevalence analysis allowing for 187 total patients. Sixty-five patients had de novo metastatic disease and received a median of two lines of chemotherapy without surgical intervention. For the first three lines of chemotherapy, the median PFS was 6.4 months (n = 65; 95% CI, 5.0 to 7.4 months), 3.9 months (n = 47; 95% CI, 2.9 to 5.9 months), and 3.0 months (n = 21; 95% CI, 2.0 to 3.4 months), respectively. KRAS p.G12C demonstrated higher rates of basal EGFR activation compared with KRAS nonG12C. When compared with an internal cohort of KRAS nonG12C, KRAS p.G12C patients had worse OS.

CONCLUSION

PFS is poor for patients with KRAS p.G12C metastatic colorectal cancer. OS was worse in KRAS p.G12C compared with KRAS nonG12C patients. Our data highlight the innate resistance to chemotherapy for KRAS p.G12C patients and serve as a historical comparator for future clinical trials.
High-Throughput Drug Screening and Multi-Omic Analysis to Guide Individualized Treatment for Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Coffey David G. , Cowan Andrew J. , DeGraaff Bret , Martins Timothy J. , Curley Niall , Green Damian J. , Libby Edward N. , Silbermann Rebecca , Chien Sylvia , Dai Jin , Morales Alicia , Gooley Ted A. , Warren Edus H. , Becker Pamela S.
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a genetically heterogeneous malignancy characterized by variable treatment responses. Although numerous drugs have been approved in recent years, the ability to predict treatment response and tailor individual therapy is limited by the absence of robust predictive biomarkers. The goal of this clinical trial was to use ex vivo, high-throughput screening (HTS) of 170 compounds to predict response among patients with relapsed or refractory MM and inform the next treatment decisions. Additionally, we integrated HTS with multi-omic analysis to uncover novel associations between in vitro drug sensitivity and gene expression and mutation profiles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-five patients with relapsed or refractory MM underwent a screening bone marrow or soft tissue biopsy. Sixteen patients were found to have sufficient plasma cells for HTS. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed on plasma cell-free DNA from all patients who underwent HTS. RNA and whole-exome sequencing of bone marrow plasma cells were performed on eight and seven patients, respectively.

RESULTS

Results of HTS testing were made available to treating physicians within a median of 5 days from the biopsy. An actionable treatment result was identified in all 16 patients examined. Among the 13 patients who received assay-guided therapy, 92% achieved stable disease or better. The expression of 105 genes and mutations in 12 genes correlated with in vitro cytotoxicity.

CONCLUSION

In patients with relapsed or refractory MM, we demonstrate the feasibility of ex vivo drug sensitivity testing on isolated plasma cells from patient bone marrow biopsies or extramedullary plasmacytomas to inform the next line of therapy.
Confinement of bosonic and spinning particles in braneworlds
Authors: Souza F. E. A. , Alencar G. , Freitas L. F. F. , Landim R. R.
Published: April 2021

In this paper the confinement of bosonic and spinning test particles in smooth Randall-Sundrum models is studied. For this, we show the possibility of finding an effective potential that describes the motion of the particle over the extra dimension. For the bosonic case, it is a known fact that free test particles can be located neither on thin nor on thick branes. Recently, a coupling to a scalar field has been used to localize a limited range of masses. Up to now, no trapped test particles of any mass over the brane were found. In order to solve this, it is shown that a coupling with the dilaton may trap particles of any mass. Next, the spinning particle is analyzed. The spin variables,

, introduced an interaction with the Riemann curvature tensor. It introduced a correction to the effective potential. By analyzing it, it was found that the spinning particle may be localized at a different position from the one of the brane. It is also shown that a spinning particle over the brane may escape to infinity. Therefore, it is concluded that free bosonic and spinning particles are not trapped in the brane.
Universal scaling law for human-to-human transmission diseases
Authors: Francisco Cardoso Ben-Hur , Gonçalves Sebastián
Published: April 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Susceptible-Infective-Recovered (SIR) models and their variants are in high demand for predicting the number of cases in urban areas. Aiming to correctly use the experience of the epidemic evolution from one local to another, we present an analysis of the transmission rate of COVID-19 as a function of population size at the metropolitan area level for the United States. Contrary to the usual hypothesis in epidemics modeling, we observe that the disease transmissibility scales with the logarithm of the local's population size. The analysis, made possible by a large amount of data available on simultaneous epidemics of the same type, is universal for any human-to-human transmission disease. We present a contact rate scaling theory that explains the results.
Plasma Cortisol and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Larsson Susanna C , Lee Wei-Hsuan , Burgess Stephen , Allara Elias
Published: April 2021

Context

Atrial fibrillation (AF), cardiac arrhythmias, and related risk factors are common in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, or clinical chronic hypercortisolism. While hypercortisolism may be associated with AF, this association has not yet been ascertained causally.

Objective

To determine whether plasma cortisol is causally associated with AF using a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design.

Methods

Three genetic variants in the SERPINA1/SERPINA6 locus and functionally associated with plasma cortisol were identified in the CORtisol NETwork consortium (12 597 participants). Summary-level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for the associations between the cortisol-associated variants and AF were obtained from a GWAS meta-analysis of 6 studies (60 620 AF cases and 970 216 noncases) and the FinnGen consortium (17 325 AF cases and 97 214 noncases). The fixed-effects inverse-variance weighted approach accounting for genetic correlations between variants was used for analysis. Multivariable MR analyses were conducted to assess potential mediating effects of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and waist circumference (WC). Summary-level GWAS data for SBP and WC were obtained respectively from the International Consortium of Blood Pressure (757 601 participants) and the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits consortium (232 101 participants).

Results

One standard deviation increase in genetically predicted plasma cortisol was associated with greater risk of AF (odds ratio [OR] 1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.35). The association attenuated when adjusting for genetically predicted SBP and WC (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.72-1.38).

Conclusion

Evidence derived from the MR study suggests a positive association between plasma cortisol and risk of AF, likely mediated through SBP and WC.
“A Little Civilization in My Pocket”
Authors: Ryan Laura
Published: April 2021

This article argues that Romance in Marseille marks a significant shift in Claude McKay’s approach to primitivism, one that necessitates a reconsideration of his reputation—based on his two novels of the late 1920s—as perhaps the Harlem Renaissance’s foremost proponent of “strategic primitivism.” Tracing the development of McKay’s primitivism from Home to Harlem (1928) and Banjo (1929) to his most recently published novel, this essay suggests an evolution along philosophical, political, and stylistic lines. Romance in Marseille deconstructs the primitive/civilized binary, forgoing the antiracist potentialities of primitivism for the utopian possibilities of international Marxism, interracial collaboration and queer love.
Responses of terrestrial polar arthropods to high and increasing temperatures
Authors: Bahrndorff Simon , Lauritzen Jannik M. S. , Sørensen Mathias H. , Noer Natasja K. , Kristensen Torsten N.
Published: April 2021

Terrestrial arthropods in the Arctic and Antarctic are exposed to extreme and variable temperatures, and climate change is predicted to be especially pronounced in these regions. Available ecophysiological studies on terrestrial ectotherms from the Arctic and Antarctic typically focus on the ability of species to tolerate the extreme low temperatures that can occur in these regions, whereas studies investigating species plasticity and the importance of evolutionary adaptation to periodically high and increasing temperatures are limited. Here, we provide an overview of current knowledge on thermal adaptation to high temperatures of terrestrial arthropods in Arctic and Antarctic regions. Firstly, we summarize the literature on heat tolerance for terrestrial arthropods in these regions, and discuss variation in heat tolerance across species, habitats and polar regions. Secondly, we discuss the potential for species to cope with increasing and more variable temperatures through thermal plasticity and evolutionary adaptation. Thirdly, we summarize our current knowledge of the underlying physiological adjustments to heat stress in arthropods from polar regions. It is clear that very little data are available on the heat tolerance of arthropods in polar regions, but that large variation in arthropod thermal tolerance exists across polar regions, habitats and species. Further, the species investigated show unique physiological adjustments to heat stress, such as their ability to respond quickly to increasing or extreme temperatures. To understand the consequences of climate change on terrestrial arthropods in polar regions, we suggest that more studies on the ability of species to cope with stressful high and variable temperatures are needed.
Rehabilitation challenges in COVID-19 induced acute polyradiculoneuropathies
Authors: STANESCU Ioana , BULBOACA Angelo , CORDOS Angela Ioana , FODOR Dana M , BULBOACA Adriana Elena
Published: April 2021

Introduction. SARS-COV 2 infection causes damage of the peripheral nervous system: loss of smell loss of taste and demyelination or axonal injury in the spinal roots and motor and sensory nerves with acute polyradiculoneuritis. As many people are affected by COVID-19, the number of patients with secondary peripheral nervous system damage is increasing. Material and method. There are a significant number of Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) cases reported in COVID-19 positive patients, leading to the recognition of GBS as one of the peripheral nervous system complications of SARS-COV 2 infection. We are trying to summarise the particularities of specific rehabilitation in post-COVID patients. Results and discussions. The rehabilitation of a COVID patients has particularities, first – because of infectious risk carried by the patient during the procedures, second by the patient’s pulmonary and physical impairments induced by the Coronavirus. Conclusions. There is scarce evidence for rehabilitation interventions, and many recommendations are based on methods developed in other viral infections or chronic pulmonary and neurologic conditions. There is a urgent need for studies regarding the efficacy of interventions in COVID rehabilitation, as the number of patients is constantly increasing.
Keywords: therapeutic plasma exchange, plasmapheresis, neuroimmune disorders,rehabilitation,
Οικονομική αποτίμηση αστικών και περιβαλλοντικών πάρκων στην Ελλάδα
Authors: Λεοντή Αικατερίνη
Published: April 2021

Η παρούσα διατριβή εξετάζει την αξία που προσδίδουν οι πολίτες σε δύο αστικά πάρκα: Το πάρκο Σταύρος Νιάρχος και το πάρκο Αντώνης Τρίτσης. Εφαρμόζεται η Μέθοδος της Υποθετικής Αγοράς και μέσα από την παρουσίαση ενός υποθετικού σεναρίου, οι συνεντευξιαζόμενοι δηλώνουν εάν θα ήταν πρόθυμοι να πληρώσουν ένα εισιτήριο εισόδου για επίσκεψη και χρήση των πάρκων. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα, το 51.6% του συνολικού δείγματος δήλωσε πρόθυμο να πληρώσει ένα εισιτήριο εισόδου για επίσκεψη στα πάρκα και η μέση προθυμία για πληρωμή βρέθηκε ίση με 3.56 ευρώ. Δημογραφικοί παράγοντες επηρεάζουν σημαντικά τις αποφάσεις των ατόμων αναφορικά με την καταβολή ενός τέλους εισόδου αλλά και το ύψος αυτού του ποσού. Τα κίνητρα επίσκεψης επηρεάζουν το ποσό προθυμίας πληρωμής, ενώ σημαντική είναι και η επίδραση παραγόντων που σχετίζονται με τα χαρακτηριστικά της επίσκεψης. Χαρακτηριστικά παραδείγματα αποτελούν η διάρκεια παραμονής στο πάρκο και η απόσταση από αυτό. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι το πάρκο επηρεάζει τις αποφάσεις των ατόμων για το ύψος πληρωμής, όχι όμως και για την προθυμία τους να πληρώσουν ή όχι. Επομένως, θα μπορούσαμε να συμπεράνουμε ότι η πηγή χρηματοδότησης του πάρκου δεν επηρεάζει την προθυμία κάποιου να πληρώσει, αλλά τα χρήματα που είναι διατεθειμένος να καταβάλει. Οι επισκέπτες των αστικών πάρκων επιδιώκουν κυρίως την χαλάρωση και επαφή με τη φύση, ενώ ορισμένα από τα κίνητρα επίσκεψης βρέθηκαν να επηρεάζουν το βαθμό ικανοποίησης των επισκεπτών. Οι πολίτες δίνουν έμφαση κυρίως στα περιβαλλοντικά χαρακτηριστικά των πάρκων, γεγονός που ενισχύει τη σημασία που δίνουν στην παρουσία του φυσικού περιβάλλοντος.
Nonlocal contrast calculated by the second order visual mechanisms and its significance in identifying facial emotions
Authors: Babenko Vitaly V. , Yavna Denis V. , Ermakov Pavel N. , Anokhina Polina V.
Published: April 2021

Background: Previously obtained results indicate that faces are preattentively detected in the visual scene, and information on facial expression is rapidly extracted at the lower levels of the visual system. At the same time different facial attributes make different contributions in facial expression recognition. However, it is known, among the preattentive mechanisms there are none that would be selective for certain facial features, such as eyes or mouth.

The aim of our study was to identify a candidate for the role of such a mechanism. Our assumption was that the most informative areas of the image are those characterized by spatial heterogeneity, particularly with nonlocal contrast changes. These areas may be identified in the human visual system by the second-order visual mechanisms selective to contrast modulations of brightness gradients.

Methods: We developed a software program imitating the operation of these mechanisms and finding areas of contrast heterogeneity in the image. Using this program, we extracted areas with maximum, minimum and medium contrast modulation amplitudes from the initial face images, then we used these to make three variants of one and the same face. The faces were demonstrated to the observers along with other objects synthesized the same way. The participants had to identify faces and define facial emotional expressions.

Results: It was found that the greater is the contrast modulation amplitude of the areas shaping the face, the more precisely the emotion is identified.

Conclusions: The results suggest that areas with a greater increase in nonlocal contrast are more informative in facial images, and the second-order visual mechanisms can claim the role of filters that detect areas of interest, attract visual attention and are windows through which subsequent levels of visual processing receive valuable information.
Organizing gene literature retrieval, profiling, and visualization training workshops for early career researchers
Authors: Al Ali Fatima , Marr Alexandra K , Tatari-Calderone Zohreh , Alfaki Mohamed , Toufiq Mohammed , Roelands Jessica , Syed Ahamed Kabeer Basirudeen , Bedognetti Davide , Marr Nico , Garand Mathieu , Rinchai Darawan , Chaussabel Damien
Published: April 2021

Developing the skills needed to effectively search and extract information from biomedical literature is essential for early-career researchers. It is, for instance, on this basis that the novelty of experimental results, and therefore publishing opportunities, can be evaluated. Given the unprecedented volume of publications in the field of biomedical research, new systematic approaches need to be devised and adopted for the retrieval and curation of literature relevant to a specific theme. Here we describe a hands-on training curriculum aimed at retrieval, profiling, and visualization of literature associated with a given topic. This curriculum was implemented in a workshop in January 2021. We provide supporting material and step-by-step implementation guidelines with the ISG15 gene literature serving as an illustrative use case. Through participation in such a workshop, trainees can learn: 1) to build and troubleshoot PubMed queries in order to retrieve the literature associated with a gene of interest; 2) to identify key concepts relevant to given themes (such as cell types, diseases, and biological processes); 3) to measure the prevalence of these concepts in the gene literature; 4) to extract key information from relevant articles, and 5) to develop a background section or summary on the basis of this information. Finally, trainees can learn to consolidate the structured information captured through this process for presentation via an interactive web application.
Motoda Nagazane’s standards of Confucianism – between Confucianism and Emperor Centralism
Authors: Eom Seogin
Published: April 2021

This paper discusses the ideological significance of the activities of Motoda Nagazane who, in the latter half of his life, became an attendant of Emperor Meiji as a member of the Kumamoto school of practical science. Whilst there were trends towards modernisation and Westernisation, Motoda Nagazane led a conservative reaction attempting to restore Confucianist politics/policies. I scrutinise the theories of revolution and lineage considering the history of East Asian Confucianism and comparing Motoda’s assertions to the views expressed by Kumazawa Banzan. In doing so, I assert that Motoda’s consistent attitude shows that he does not approve of the theory of revolution and that he regards the theory of lineage as an established fact. Thus, he highlights the cultivation of virtues in rulers, adopting the stance typically taken by Confucian scholars in the history of Japanese ideology. In ‘Lessons of the Emperor’s Way’, Motoda attempts to support the meaning of ‘The Three Sacred Treasures’ through Confucian texts. My evaluation of this text results in the view that in this discourse, Motoda transcends the significance of harmonising the deep and difficult ‘Lessons of the Emperor’s Way’ with Confucianism, which is easy to impart. I deduce that Confucianism was positioned above all else as the absolute/comprehensive standard in Motoda’s thought and that his endorsement of the Emperor’s way was proscribed within the ideological boundaries of Confucianism. Through the above analysis, I conclude that Motoda was an anachronistic Confucian scholar who truly endeavored to realise the kingship politics of Yao and Shun in the early Meiji era. While it is acknowledged that he was lagging behind his contemporaries, it is shown that this seemingly backward stance emanated from his serious Confucian scholarship. Further, his assertions differ from the plain-spoken Confucianist Emperor centralism that emerged in later years.
Summary of two questionnaires designed to understand the research climate for Bioimage Analysts in the UK between 2016-2019
Authors: Waithe Dominic
Published: April 2021

Background: Bioimage analysis is an emerging field within the global research community. It is an interdisciplinary discipline which requires knowledge of biology, image analysis and biophysics. This report represents the analysis and discussion of two questionnaires run by the Image Analysis Focused Interest Group of the Royal Microscopical Society (IAFIG-RMS). The goal of this document, which represents the analysis and interpretation of these questionnaires, is to highlight the current research climate for Bioimage Analysts in the UK and discusses some of the problems and possibilities for this emerging discipline.

Methods: Two questionnaires (2016 and 2019) were developed and sent to researchers in the UK using mailing lists and forums specific for microscopy and image analysis. The participants were asked a range of questions spanning different aspects of their work and funding. Respondents were collected and analysed using Jupyter notebooks.

Results: The analysis of the responses from these questionnaires highlighted many interesting issues and aspects of this community. It is clear that a major issue for the community is the nature of the funding and the long-term career possibilities available. Furthermore, the issue of independence is discussed with clear evidence that researchers would like to pursue their own research with the option of dedicated time to support the research of others.

Conclusions: It is our hope that this study will help catalyse funding opportunities which help support this emerging discipline and help it establish a unique identity for itself within the research community in the UK and beyond.
Scheduling to Differentiate Service in a Multiclass Service System
Authors: Liu Yunan , Sun Xu , Hovey Kyle
Published: April 2021

Dynamic Scheduling to Differentiate Delay-Based Service Levels in Multiclass Service Systems
Ribeirão das Trevas? O skate dando um ollie nas narrativas dominantes sobre Ribeirão das Neves, MG
Authors: Souza Rafaela Goltara
Published: April 2021

Ribeirão das Neves-MG é uma cidade mineira que é constantemente notícia por causa das seis penitenciárias que abriga, do lixão sem tratamento adequado e pelo trocadilho publicado no Diário Oficial do Estado e no site do Tribunal de Justiça /MG citando-a pelo nome de Ribeirão das Trevas. Essa descrição pejorativa oficializada no município se impõe como uma barreira aos moradores da cidade, que sofrem com a estigmatização e exclusão social que essa narrativa acarreta. Porém, um grupo de jovens negros e skatistas entram em conflito com essa história única apresentando uma nova narrativa sobre a cidade, privilegiando a vida, a amizade e as sociabilidades.  Este artigo é um desdobramento da dissertação de mestrado que se intitula “Ribeirão das Trevas: o skate dando um ollie nas narrativas dominantes sobre a cidade de Ribeirão das Neves – MG”, desenvolvida com o apoio da CAPES no Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação, Cultura e Comunicaçãoem Periferias Urbanasda Faculdade de Educação da Baixada Fluminense (FEBF/ UERJ). O artigo traz um relato de experiência sobre os caminhos percorridos desde a aprovação do projeto de pesquisa até a construção metodológica da etnografia, sendo a fotografia um recurso fundamental para a descoberta do campo e da relação tecida entre a etnógrafa e o grupo de skatistas Just Crew Skateboard, que aqui é compartilhada com o objetivo de contribuir com as reflexões sobre as possibilidades da imagem como simpatia, e da etnografia e antropologia visual como metodologias de pesquisa em periferias urbanas.
CASA DE CABOCLO: FEITIÇO DE BRASILIDADE
Authors: Rufino Luiz
Published: April 2021

O texto tem como alinhave a problematização do acontecimento colonial como produtor de violências nas dimensões do ser e saber. Dessa maneira, invoco o caráter duplo de João Alves Torres Filho (Joãozinho da Goméia) em intersecção com o Caboclo da Pedra Preta para discorrer sobre inscrições éticas/estéticas/político/poéticas que contrariam os investimentos de morte produzidos pelo empreendimento colonial. Em um segundo momento abordo a noção de casa de caboclo como disponibilidade conceitual para pensar a ambivalência como elemento que rege a dinâmica colonial e molda o Brasil. A noção de casa de caboclo se soma a defesa da macumba como um complexo de saber brasileiro (ciência encantada) e nos possibilita incursionar em outras textualidades, saberes e gramáticas não normativas que substanciam a hipótese de um feitiço de brasilidade que emerge como astúcias, dribles, jogos e batalhas contrarias a lógica da dominação colonial. Por fim, a presença dupla de João e o Caboclo da Pedra Preta, assim como a ambivalência do feitiço de brasilidade posto na casa de caboclo são reivindicados como parte de um giro político/epistemológico que responde ao problema da descolonização.
Audiências de Custódia como Política Pública para a Redução do Encarceramento no Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Lima Thaís
Published: April 2021

Em 2015, o Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) lançou o projeto “Audiência de Custódia”, que almejava, como política pública, reduzir o número de presos provisórios no País. O Brasil já tinha quase 700 mil pessoas encarceradas, dentre as quais 40% ainda não tinham sido condenadas. O presente artigo analisou os resultados dos primeiros anos de implementação das audiências de custódia no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, entre 2015 e 2019. A análise da experiência fluminense, apesar de não abranger a diversidade das dificuldades enfrentadas pelo Projeto do CNJ nas várias regiões do País, mostrou que as audiências de custódia têm o potencial efeito de desacelerar o incremento da população prisional. Por outro lado, a pesquisa revelou que o comportamento dos juízes, imersos numa cultura de encarceramento, se apresenta como um importante obstáculo que reduz a efetividade da política pública. Mas, quando aplicadas medidas como programas de capacitação, exigência de experiência prévia na área criminal e escolha dos magistrados a partir de editais de inscrição com critérios objetivos, os dados indicaram maiores índices de concessão de liberdade nas audiências de custódia. Ao final, conclui-se que tais medidas tornaram as audiências de custódia mais efetivas para fins de redução da curva do encarceramento no Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
Derrotando normas em uso: o pensamento falibilista aplicado à lógica da argumentação
Authors: Albuquerque Adriana Reis de
Published: April 2021

O presente artigo tem por objetivo discutir a noção de derrotabilidade das normas jurídicas, em sua correlação com a epistemologia falibilista. O texto evidencia que o pensamento falibilista, para além de ser aplicado ao âmbito da teorização acerca do caráter científico do Direito, também pode se voltar ao próprio Direito enquanto objeto, tanto para fins de atribuição de sentido aos termos normativos, quanto para fins de aplicação na esfera probatória, cenário no qual se constrói o conceito de derrotabilidade. A partir de textos de Henry Prakken, Giovanni Sartor e Frederick Schauer, o artigo evidencia as raízes epistemológicas e lógicas do conceito de derrotabilidade, analisando-o em suas perspectivas estática e dinâmica, nas vertentes da derrotabilidade inferencial, baseada no processo e baseada na teoria. Demonstra sua aptidão para minimizar o decisionismo e o psicologismo da decisão judicial, para modular o mecanismo de atribuição do ônus da prova e de sua apreciação no bojo do processo e para impor ao juiz o dever de justificação completa e coerente acerca dos fatos. Defende que o seu uso possibilita o desenvolvimento de uma prática argumentativa que admite a complexidade discursiva do Direito em todas as suas vertentes e interações sem precisar abrir mão da racionalidade e da lógica.
Democracia e igualdade no contexto brasileiro
Authors: Copelli Giancarlo Montagner
Published: April 2021

Este artigo volta-se à análise da convivência entre desigualdade social e democracia, paralelamente, no contexto brasileiro. Para tal, faz um breve escorço, linear, do chamado modelo dos antigos até o formato considerado moderno de democracia, procurando demonstrar a construção histórica da igualdade como fim a ser alcançado. O segundo movimento deste ensaio volta-se ao contexto brasileiro, a partir de chaves explicativas de viés sociológico, correlacionando-o às premissas anteriormente levantadas. O método é o fenomenológico-hermenêutico.
Direito e razões para a ação: uma análise da teoria jusfilosófica desenvolvida por Joseph Raz
Authors: Oliveira Adriano Carvalho , Tupiassu Lise Vieira da Costa , Gros-Desormeaux Jean-Raphael
Published: April 2021

O presente artigo busca descrever e analisar a obra “Razão Prática e Normas” de Joseph Raz - um expoente contemporâneo do positivismo excludente - tendo por objetivo realizar uma investigação voltada a apontar e discutir determinados aspectos, eleitos como principais, de sua teoria do direito. O método empregado consiste na pesquisa bibliográfica dos escritos de Raz, assim como da literatura relevante às matérias tratadas. Pretende-se com este estudo traçar as linhas centrais do raciocínio estruturante dessa teoria, a fim de se estabelecer um panorama geral da mesma, evidenciando os argumentos que sustentam e justificam a existência do positivismo jurídico exclusivo, marcado pela dissociação entre direito e moral. Joseph Raz, mostrar-se-á, por meio de sua análise do exercício das razões no campo prático, firma o direito enquanto ciência e fenômeno social explicável e justificável.
Applying changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic to the future: trauma and orthopaedics
Authors: Umer Hafiz Muhammad , Iqbal Hafiz Javaid , Webb Mark , Harrison William James
Published: April 2021

The NHS has made significant changes to practice and specialty training in trauma and orthopaedics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article looks at the positive and innovative changes along with lessons learnt, which could affect policies in a new challenging post-pandemic health service. At a national level, Public Health England, the British Orthopaedic Association and the Royal Colleges have issued a number of guidelines, which have evolved throughout the pandemic. Developing resilient rotas, virtual clinics, teleconsultations, webinar-based training and operating theatre reorganisation are just some examples of how collaborative working has led to positive changes, despite the huge challenges and hardships created by COVID-19. As we emerge from this crisis, the field of trauma and orthopaedics will need to prepare for the challenges of patient backlogs, neglected trauma and long waiting lists. A continuation of the innovative and collaborative working seen during the pandemic will be crucial to cope with the post-COVID-19 world of orthopaedics.
Evaluating the huddle as a method of improving staff communication and process efficiency on a psychiatric inpatient ward
Authors: Paleri Vigneshwar , Perera Samantha , Dudha Shivani , Harland Robert , Codling David
Published: April 2021

Background/Aims

Variation in healthcare processes is widespread in mental health care and can lead to inefficient processes and unnecessarily long inpatient stays. This study aimed to identify sources of variation and implement a huddle intervention to increase system efficiency on a psychiatric inpatient ward in London.

Methods

Using a Lean Six Sigma approach, areas for improvement on the authors' ward and processes working well on other wards were identified through process mapping and stakeholder interviews. The huddle intervention was implemented, then evaluated and improved through four Plan Do Study Act cycles based on feedback from staff and green-to-red methodology.

Results

Inconsistencies in multidisciplinary team communication was identified as the most prominent area of concern and inefficiency. The huddles were found to improve staff communication and increase ward activity. Concerns regarding the huddles' duration and focus on tasks were identified and addressed.

Conclusions

Huddles are a useful means of improving staff communication and increasing ward efficiency without taking up a significant amount of clinicians' time to care for patients. This could increase ward efficiency and reduce lengths of stay, although further research is required to establish this.
Quality improvement in practice—part three: achieving the triple aim through the systematic application of quality improvement
Authors: Shah Amar , Aurelio Marco , Frasquilho Francisco , Fradgley Richard
Published: April 2021

The triple aim is defined as the simultaneous pursuit of improvement across three areas: population health outcomes, quality of care and value for the system. Since the triple aim framework was first introduced in 2008, it has been applied in various contexts across several countries. The triple aim has been proposed as a core purpose of the integrated health and care systems in England. However, little has been written about how the systematic application of quality improvement can support the process of achieving the triple aim, despite the increasingly widespread use of quality improvement methods and tools in the quality of care element of the triple aim. This article, the third in a three-part series about applying quality improvement to practice, puts forward a step-by-step guide for healthcare systems to use their existing quality improvement capabilities to help them achieve the triple aim, with examples and learning from the authors' experience at East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Level 1.5: bridging the gap to safe ward-based care
Authors: Minnis Peter , Walker David
Published: April 2021

This article discusses the joint guidance from the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and Centre for Perioperative Care, which provides recommendations for establishing and delivering enhanced perioperative care services.
Increased incidence of acute patellar dislocations and patellar instability surgical procedures across the United States in paediatric and adolescent patients
Authors: McFarlane Kelly H. , Coene Ryan P. , Feldman Lanna , Miller Patricia E. , Heyworth Benton E. , Kramer Dennis E. , Kocher Mininder S. , Yen Yi-Meng , Milewski Matthew D.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Patellofemoral instability is a common cause of knee pain and dysfunction in paediatric and adolescent patients. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency of patellar dislocations seen in emergency departments (EDs) and the rates of surgical procedures for patellar instability at paediatric hospitals in the United States between 2004 and 2014.

Methods

The Pediatric Health Information System database was queried for all paediatric patients who underwent surgery for patellar instability or were seen in the ED for acute patellar dislocation between 2004 and 2014. This was compared with the annual numbers of overall orthopaedic surgical procedures.

Results

Between 2004 and 2014, there were 3481 patellar instability procedures and 447 285 overall orthopaedic surgical procedures performed at the included institutions, suggesting a rate of 7.8 per 1000 orthopaedic surgeries. An additional 5244 patellar dislocations treated in EDs were identified. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of patellar instability procedures increased 2.1-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4 to 3.0), while orthopaedic surgical procedures increased 1.7-fold (95% CI 1.3 to 2.0), suggesting a 1.2-fold relative increase in patellar instability procedures, compared with total paediatric orthopaedic surgeries.

Conclusion

This study shows a significant rise in the rate of acute patellar instability treatment events in paediatric and adolescent patients across the country. Surgery for patellar instability also increased over the study period, though only slightly more than the rate of all paediatric orthopaedic surgical procedures. This may suggest that increasing youth sports participation may be leading to a spectrum of increasing injuries and associated surgeries in children.

Level of Evidence

IV
Tunable plasmonic filter based on parallel bulk Dirac semimetals at terahertz frequencies
Authors: Zhuang Huawei , Liu Changyong , Li Fei , Zhuang Junjie , Kong Fanmin , Li Kang
Published: April 2021

A plasmonic bandpass filter based on parallel bulk Dirac semimetals (BDSs) is proposed and numerically investigated using the finite-difference time-domain method. The proposed filter is realized by the evanescent coupling between the resonator and waveguide, and Fabry–Parot resonant theory is used to analyze its realization mechanism. The performance of the filter can be tuned by changing the coupling distance, length of the resonator, and Fermi levels of the BDSs. We further simulate a plasmonic broadband filter using coupling mode splitting by locating two identical resonators along the waveguide direction. The pass band of the proposed broadband filter can be tuned by adjusting the coupling distances between the resonators and waveguide.
Airy beam propagation: autofocusing, quasi-adiffractional propagation, and self-healing
Authors: Anaya-Contreras Jorge A. , Zúñiga-Segundo Arturo , Moya-Cessa Héctor M.
Published: April 2021

We study the propagation of superpositions of Airy beams and show that, by adequately choosing the parameters in the superposition, effects as opposite as autofocusing and quasi-adiffractional propagation may be obtained. We also give a simple analytical expression for free propagation of any initial field, based on so-called number states (eigenstates of the quantum harmonic oscillator), that allows us to study their self-healing properties.
GaSb-based digital distributed feedback filter laser diodes for gas sensing applications in the mid-infrared region
Authors: Hoppe Morten , Aßmann Christian , Schmidtmann Sebastian , Milde Tobias , Honsberg Martin , Schanze Thomas , Sacher Joachim
Published: April 2021

The commercially available semiconductor lasers for the mid-infrared (MIR) region often do not reach the desired performance and represent a limitation for gas sensor technology. Here we present our digital distributed feedback filter (D-DFB) laser diodes based on GaSb gain material, which have been optimized in terms of facet reflectivity, chip length, and output power. These diodes now cover the wavelength range from 1900 nm up to 4500 nm and show excellent quality regarding their spectral characteristics. Results for the performance of the D-DFB laser design and its suitability for the detection of trace gases are shown in this publication.
Extraction of high-contrast diffraction patterns of fine-structured electrical sparks from laser shadowgrams
Authors: Khirianova Alexandra , Parkevich Egor , Medvedev Mikhail , Smaznova Khristina , Khirianov Timofey , Varaksina Evgeniya , Selyukov Alexandr
Published: April 2021

The fine-structured electrical spark is a complex gas discharge phenomenon, which appears as a cluster involving dozens of closely-packed thin plasma filaments that can be revealed by laser shadowgraphy. However, the immense complexity of the spark, together with the features of laser imaging, challenges the spark image processing. Herein, we developed an image processing procedure, providing outstanding shadowgram denoising while preserving the spark image capacity. By employing this procedure, we show that the passage of laser radiation through the spark is accompanied by complicated diffraction, entailing pronounced changes in the radiation intensity distribution in the zones with strong filament overlapping.
Enhancement of microwave squeezing via parametric down-conversion in a superconducting quantum circuit
Authors: Han Kong , Wang Yimin , Zhang Guo-Qiang
Published: April 2021

We propose an experimentally accessible superconducting quantum circuit, consisting of two coplanar waveguide resonators (CWRs), to enhance the microwave squeezing via parametric down-conversion (PDC). In our scheme, the two CWRs are nonlinearly coupled through a superconducting quantum interference device embedded in one of the CWRs. This is equivalent to replacing the transmission line in a flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA) by a CWR, which makes it possible to drive the JPA by a quantized microwave field. Owing to this design, the PDC coefficient can be considerably increased to be about tens of megahertz, satisfying the strong-coupling condition. Using the Heisenberg-Langevin approach, we numerically show the enhancement of the microwave squeezing in our scheme. In contrast to the JPA, our proposed system becomes stable around the critical point and can generate stronger transient squeezing. In addition, the strong-coupling PDC can be used to engineer the photon blockade.