bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum and cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain in patients with central nervous system infections caused by varicella-zoster virus
Authors: Tyrberg Tobias , Nilsson Staffan , Blennow Kaj , Zetterberg Henrik , Grahn Anna
Published: August 2020

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a common cause of viral central nervous system (CNS) infection, and patients may suffer from severe neurological sequelae. The biomarker neurofilament light chain (NFL) is used for assessment of neuronal damage and is normally measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Novel methods have given the possibility to measure NFL in serum instead, which could be a convenient tool to estimate severity of disease and prognosis in VZV CNS infections. Here, we investigate the correlation of serum and CSF NFL in patients with VZV CNS infection and the association of NFL levels in serum and CSF with different VZV CNS entities. NFL in serum and CSF was measured in 61 patients who were retrospectively identified with neurological symptoms and VZV DNA in CSF detected by PCR. Thirty-three herpes zoster patients and 40 healthy blood donors served as control groups. NFL levels in serum and CSF correlated strongly in the patients with VZV CNS infection. Encephalitis was associated with significantly higher levels of NFL in both serum and CSF compared with meningitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Surprisingly, herpes zoster controls had very high serum NFL levels, comparable with those shown in encephalitis patients. We show that analysis of serum NFL can be used instead of CSF NFL for estimation of neuronal injury in patients with VZV CNS infection. However, high levels of serum NFL also in patients with herpes zoster, without signs of CNS involvement, may complicate the interpretation.
Group mentorship for undergraduate medical students—a systematic review
Authors: Skjevik Elise Pauline , Boudreau J. Donald , Ringberg Unni , Schei Edvin , Stenfors Terese , Kvernenes Monika , Ofstad Eirik H.
Published: August 2020

Introduction Mentoring has become a prevalent educational strategy in medical education, with various aims. Published reviews of mentoring report very little on group-based mentorship programs. The aim of this systematic review was to identify group-based mentorship programs for undergraduate medical students and describe their aims, structures, contents and program evaluations. Based on the findings of this review, the authors provide recommendations for the organization and assessment of such programs.

Methods A systematic review was conducted, according to PRISMA guidelines, and using the databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and ERIC up to July 2019. Eight hundred abstracts were retrieved and 20 studies included. Quality assessment of the quantitative studies was done using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI).

Results The 20 included studies describe 17 different group mentorship programs for undergraduate medical students in seven countries. The programs were differently structured and used a variety of methods to achieve aims related to professional development and evaluation approaches. Most of the studies used a single-group cross-sectional design conducted at a single institution. Despite the modest quality, the evaluation data are remarkably supportive of mentoring medical students in groups.

Discussion Group mentoring holds great potential for undergraduate medical education. However, the scientific literature on this genre is sparse. The findings indicate that group mentorship programs benefit from being longitudinal and mandatory. Ideally, they should provide opportunities throughout undergraduate medical education for regular meetings where discussions and personal reflection occur in a supportive environment.
Good practices in harnessing social media for scholarly discourse, knowledge translation, and education
Authors: Lu Daniel , Ruan Brandon , Lee Mark , Yilmaz Yusuf , Chan Teresa M.
Published: August 2020

Introduction There still remains a gap between those who conduct science and those who engage in educating others about health sciences through various forms of social media. Few empirical studies have sought to define useful practices for engaging in social media for academic use in the health professions. Given the increasing importance of these platforms, we sought to define good practices and potential pitfalls with help of those respected for their work in this new field.
Methods We conducted a qualitative study, guided by constructivist grounded theory principles, of 17 emerging experts in the field of academic social media. We engaged in a snowball sampling technique and conducted a series of semi-structured interviews. The analytic team consisted of a diverse group of researchers with a range of experience in social media.
Results Understanding the strengths of various platforms was deemed to be of critical importance across all the participants. Key to building online engagement were the following: 1) Culture-building strategies; 2) Tailoring the message; 3) Responsiveness; and 4) Heeding rules of online engagement. Several points of caution were noted within our participants’ interviews. These were grouped into caveat emptor and the need for critical appraisal, and common pitfalls when broadcasting one’s self.
Discussion Our participants were able to share a number of key practices that are central to developing and sharing educational content via social media. The findings from the study may guide future practitioners seeking to enter the space.
The learning community faculty experience: how longitudinal relationships with learners enhance work meaning
Authors: Roussel Danielle , Gordon Paul R. , Wagner James M. , Bardack Michelle , Sardesai Maya G. , Colbert-Getz Jorie M.
Published: August 2020

Introduction Work meaning has gained attention as an important contributor to physician job engagement and well-being but little is known about how faculty participation in medical school learning communities might influence this phenomena. Our study goals were to determine how physician faculty members may derive meaning from serving as mentors for longitudinal learning communities of medical students, to understand how that meaning may impact other areas of their work, and relate our findings to existing literature and theoretical frameworks.

Methods The research team conducted, recorded, transcribed, and coded 25 semi-structured telephone interviews of faculty mentors from four US medical schools with curricular learning communities. The team used an iterative interview coding process to generate final themes and relate these themes to existing literature.

Results The authors identified five themes of meaning faculty derive from participation as learning community mentors: “I am a better professional,” “I am more connected,” “I am rejuvenated,” “I am contributing,” and “I am honored.” A sixth theme, “I am harmed,” encompassed the negative aspects of the learning community faculty experience. The authors found that their identified themes related closely to the theoretical framework for pathways to meaningful work proposed by Rosso et al.

Discussion The alignment of the themes we identified on the experience of learning community faculty to existing literature on work meaning corroborates the theoretical framework and deepens understanding of beneficial and harmful learning community effects on faculty.
Student Potential for Self-assessment in a Clinical Dentistry Practical Training Course on Communication Skills
Authors: Iguchi Asami , Hasegawa Yuh , Fujii Kazuyuki
Published: August 2020

This study aimed to investigate student potential for self-assessment in a clinical dentistry practical training course focused on communication skills. Participants were 124 fourth-year students (70 males, 54 females; all Japanese) in 2017 and 2018 at the Nippon Dental University, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata. Participating students belonged to different cohorts in 2017 and 2018. Participants were asked to complete a self-evaluation sheet at the end of each unit of the course. Their self-evaluation scores and the faculty evaluation scores for each student for Units 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 were statistically analyzed. The results showed that females tended to rate themselves significantly higher than males. Furthermore, there were significant differences in evaluation scores between students and faculty for nine of 11 evaluation items for male students and 10 of 11 items for female students in Unit 1-3. Faculty expectations increased from Unit 1-1 to Unit 1-3, although students were satisfied with their performance and had a sense of achievement. However, students’ actual performance was below faculty expectations, suggesting faculty evaluations were stricter than students’ self-evaluation. Self-assessment may enhance students’ ability for self-directed learning and may also inform how faculty can effectively educate dental students. Dental educators should support students to increase their levels of self-efficacy, which will enhance their self-evaluation skills.
Hypergraph clustering by iteratively reweighted modularity maximization
Authors: Kumar Tarun , Vaidyanathan Sankaran , Ananthapadmanabhan Harini , Parthasarathy Srinivasan , Ravindran Balaraman
Published: August 2020

Learning on graphs is a subject of great interest due to the abundance of relational data from real-world systems. Many of these systems involve higher-order interactions (super-dyadic) rather than mere pairwise (dyadic) relationships; examples of these are co-authorship, co-citation, and metabolic reaction networks. Such super-dyadic relations are more adequately modeled using hypergraphs rather than graphs. Learning on hypergraphs has thus been garnering increased attention with potential applications in network analysis, VLSI design, and computer vision, among others. Especially, hypergraph clustering is gaining attention because of its enormous applications such as component placement in VLSI, group discovery in bibliographic systems, image segmentation in CV, etc. For the problem of clustering on graphs, modularity maximization has been known to work well in the pairwise setting. Our primary contribution in this article is to provide a generalization of the modularity maximization framework for clustering on hypergraphs. In doing so, we introduce a null model for graphs generated by hypergraph reduction and prove its equivalence to the configuration model for undirected graphs. The proposed graph reduction technique preserves the node degree sequence from the original hypergraph. The modularity function can be defined on a thus reduced graph, which can be maximized using any standard modularity maximization method, such as the Louvain method. We additionally propose an iterative technique that provides refinement over the obtained clusters. We demonstrate both the efficacy and efficiency of our methods on several real-world datasets.
Verbessert ein Pick-by-Watch-System Kommissionierungsleistungen gegenüber herkömmlichen Papierlisten?
Authors: Gerpott Torsten J. , Kurt Ahmet
Published: August 2020

Die vorliegende Studie vergleicht ein Pick-by-Watch (PbW)-System mit dem Pick-by-Paper (PbP)-Verfahren im Hinblick auf fünf objektiv und sieben subjektiv gemessene Dimensionen von Kommissionierleistungen in einem Laborexperiment mit 55 Teilnehmern. Uni- und multivariate Analysen sprechen dafür, dass (1) die Kommissioniergeschwindigkeit bei PbW im Vergleich zu PbP signifikant niedriger ausfällt und (2) Fehler bei PbW nicht seltener auftreten als bei PbP. Hingegen schneidet PbW bei subjektiven Messungen von vier Reaktionsaspekten (empfundene Anforderungen, Leistungszufriedenheit, Unterstützung, Nutzerfreundlichkeit) besser ab als PbP. Aus diesem Ergebnismuster werden Schlussfolgerungen für Unternehmenspraxis und die Forschung abgeleitet.

Praktische Relevanz Anstelle von herkömmlichen Kommissionierlisten auf Papier (Pick-by-Paper; PbP) testen Unternehmen in der Lagerbewirtschaftung zunehmend informationsdarstellende digitale Assistenzsysteme, da sie sich hiervon Verbesserungen von Kommissionierleistungen versprechen. Eine Variante solcher Assistenzsysteme, Pick-by-Watch (PbW), verwendet vernetzte Armbanduhren mit berührungsempfindlichen Bildschirmen (Smart Watches). Überraschenderweise mangelt es aber bislang an methodisch soliden empirischen Analysen zum Ausmaß, in dem mit PbW-Systemen tatsächlich bessere Kommissionierleistungen erzielt werden als mit papierbasierten Kommissionierlisten. Derartige Befunde sind jedoch erforderlich, um Praktiker dabei zu unterstützen, wirksamere Auswahlentscheidungen bezüglich vernetzter digitaler Assistenzsysteme in der manuellen Kommissionierung zu treffen.
Die Transgendersprechstunde – was gibt es zu beachten?
Authors: Feil Katharina , Toth Bettina
Published: August 2020

Aufgrund einer stetigen Zunahme der Personen mit Geschlechtsinkongruenz bzw. dem Wunsch nach geschlechtsangleichenden Therapien ist eine Auseinandersetzung mit diesem Thema für alle ÄrztInnen ebenso wie für das medizinische Personal von wachsender Dringlichkeit. Die Initiierung der therapeutischen Maßnahmen sollte idealerweise in spezialisierten Zentren unter interdisziplinärer Abstimmung erfolgen, die Begleitung durch niedergelassene KollegInnen ist jedoch von ebenso großer Bedeutung. Die Therapiemöglichkeiten umfassen die gegengeschlechtliche Hormontherapie, Operationen, logopädische Betreuung und psychotherapeutische sowie psychiatrische Behandlungen. Die Betreuung von Trans*Personen sollte ein Leben lang erfolgen und auch allgemeine Vorsorgeaspekte miteinschließen.
Effectiveness of Food-related Cues and Portion Size Effect
Authors: Gray E. , Lau H.T. , Lee R. , Lockshin L. , Nguyen C. , Zhu Y.
Published: August 2020

Food-related cues can increase the time a person spends in the dining room. Increasing the time a person spends dining can improve their food intake. Studies on the use of music and olfactory cues have produced conflicting results. This study explores whether the portion size effect (PSE), the portion served, influences a person's consumption and can explain the inconsistent results. The study focused on testing this phenomenon with residents in an aged-care home. Malnutrition is often a problem with residents in aged-care facilities. Exposing the residents to various cues (music, olfactory and infographics) over seven weeks with different portions of food served. Results showed that the cues did not significantly impact, but PSE did, casting doubts on studies that did not control for the portion served. Discussions of the academic and managerial implications are also provided.
Moving Toward Empirically Based Standardization in the Diagnosis of Delayed Ejaculation
Authors: Rowland David L. , Cote-Leger Philippe
Published: August 2020

Background

Criteria for delayed ejaculation (DE) rely on a long ejaculation latency (EL) time, lack of control/advancement regarding ejaculation, and associated bother/distress; yet, few studies have investigated these criteria in men who indicate the desire to ejaculate sooner during partnered sex.

Aim

To help standardize criteria for DE by better understanding characteristics of men who desire to ejaculate sooner during partnered sex in terms of their EL, reported ejaculatory control, and level of bother/distress, as well as their perceptions of typical and ideal ELs for men in general and of ELs for men with premature ejaculation (PE).

Methods

A total of 572 men recruited through social media responded to an online survey regarding their EL, as well as typical, ideal, and PE ELs of men in general. They also rated (i) their ability to control and/or advance ejaculation and (ii) their level of associated bother/distress. 4 comparison groups were then established: men with probable DE (with [DE1] and without [DE2] ejaculatory control issues), a reference group with no ejaculatory disorders, and men who identified as having PE.

Outcomes

To demonstrate differences in EL, ejaculatory control, and bother/distress between men with delayed ejaculation and the control and PE reference groups.

Results

ELs for men with probable DE were twice as long as those with no ejaculatory disorders. When probable DE men were further subdivided into DE2 and DE1, differences were greater for the DE2 group. DE2 men also differed significantly from the reference group on ejaculatory control/advancement but not on bother/distress. Both DE and reference groups differed from the PE group.

Clinical Implications

Using both EL and ejaculatory control are useful in distinguishing men with delayed ejaculation from men without delayed ejaculation.

Strengths & Limitations

A sizable sample drawn from a multinational population powered the study, whereas the use of social media for recruitment limited the generalizability of findings.

Conclusion

Both EL and ejaculatory control differentiate men with probable DE from a control reference group having no ejaculatory disorders. Differences in bother/distress did not emerge as significant. Implications for diagnosing men with DE are presented.
Equality and Gender at Work in Islam: The Case of the Berber Population of the High Atlas Mountains
Authors: Eger Claudia
Published: August 2020

This article investigates how religion-based social norms and values shape women’s access to employment in Muslim-majority countries. It develops a religiously sensitive conceptualization of the differential valence of genders based on respect, which serves to (re)produce inequality. Drawing on an ethnographic study of work practice in Berber communities in Morocco, aspects of respect are analyzed through an honor–shame continuum that serves to moralize and mediate gender relations. The findings show that respect and shame function as key inequality-(re)producing mechanisms. The dynamic interrelationship between respect and shame has implications for how we understand the ways in which gender inequality is institutionalized and (re)produced across different levels. Through these processes, gender-differentiated forms of respect become inscribed in organizational structures and practices, engendering persistent inequality.
Traumatic Brain Injury Incidence in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Seto Katherine , Lloyd Meghann , Chan Vincy , Chung Hannah , Balogh Robert
Published: August 2020

Background:

In Ontario, there are approximately 66,000 adults living with a diagnosis of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). These individuals are nearly twice as likely to experience an injury compared to the general population. Falls are an important contributor to injuries in persons with IDD and in the general population, and are consistently found to be the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is currently no literature that quantitatively examines TBI among persons with IDD. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of TBI for adults with and without IDD in Ontario over time and by demographic information.

Methods:

Using administrative health databases, two main cohorts were identified: (1) adults with IDD, and (2) a random 10% sample of adults without IDD. Within each cohort, annual crude and adjusted incidence of TBI were calculated among unique individuals for each fiscal year from April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2017.

Results:

Over the 15-year study period, the average annual adjusted incidence of TBI was approximately 2.8 new cases per 1000 among Ontario adults with IDD, compared to approximately 1.53 per 1000 among those without IDD. In both cohorts, a higher proportion of TBI cases were younger (19–29 years) and male.

Conclusions:

During the study period, persons with IDD experienced a significantly higher risk of TBI compared to the general population indicating the possibility, and need, for targeted TBI prevention.
The Usefulness of Brief Telephonic Intervention After a Nuclear Crisis: Long-Term Community-Based Support for Fukushima Evacuees
Authors: Horikoshi Naoko , Maeda Masaharu , Iwasa Hajime , Momoi Maho , Oikawa Yuichi , Ueda Yuka , Kashiwazaki Yuya , Onji Miho , Harigane Mayumi , Yabe Hirooki , Yasumura Seiji
Published: August 2020

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011 produced over 100000 evacuees. In order to deal with an increased need of mental health care, brief, transdiagnostic Telephonic Interventions (TI) have been provided for those at risk of different mental health problems identified based on results of the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey (MHLS). This study aimed to examine usefulness of TI with focusing on evacuees’ subjective estimation assessed in individual follow-up interviews. The sample comprised 484 persons who had been evacuated from 13 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture to 8 safer regions in and out of Fukushima. We conducted semi-structured interviews for participants receiving TI (intervention group) and those not receiving TI despite being identified as high risk (non-intervention group). The intervention group was older, had a higher proportion of self-reported mental illness, and higher unemployment compared with the non-intervention group. The satisfaction proportion of those who underwent TI was as high as 74.6%. Satisfaction was significantly associated with advance knowledge of TI availability (OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.59‐5.64), and advice on health-related practices (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.12‐4.13). Thus, TI is considered to be feasible and useful for public health management practices in major disasters.
A Computational Model for Estimating the Progression of COVID-19 Cases in the US West and East Coast Population Regions
Authors: Yeo Yao-Yu , Yeo Yao-Rui , Yeo Wan-Jin
Published: August 2020

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is of global concern and has recently emerged in the US. In this paper, we construct a stochastic variant of the SEIR model to estimate a quasi-worst-case scenario prediction of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US West and East Coast population regions by considering the different phases of response implemented by the US as well as transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in countries that were most affected. The model is then fitted to current data and implemented using Runge-Kutta methods. Our computation results predict that the number of new cases would peak around mid-April 2020 and begin to abate by July provided that appropriate COVID-19 measures are promptly implemented and followed, and that the number of cases of COVID-19 might be significantly mitigated by having greater numbers of functional testing kits available for screening. The model is also sensitive to assigned parameter values and reflects the importance of healthcare preparedness during pandemics.
Cluster randomized trial of an antibiotic time-out led by a team-based pharmacist
Authors: Van Schooneveld Trevor C. , Rupp Mark E. , Cavaleiri R. Jenifer , Lyden Elizabeth , Rolek Kiri
Published: August 2020

Objective:

Antibiotic time-outs (ATOs) have been advocated to improve antibiotic use without dedicated stewardship resources, but their utility is poorly defined. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an ATO led by a team-based pharmacist.

Design:

Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Six medicine teams at an academic medical facility.

Patients:

Inpatients who received antibiotics and were cared for by a medicine team.

Intervention:

In phase A (2 months) pharmacist-led ATOs were implemented on 3 medicine teams (ATO-A) while 3 teams maintained usual care (UC-A). In phase B (2 months), ATOs were continued in the ATO group (ATO-B) and ATOs were initiated in the UC group (UC ATO-B). We targeted 2 ATO points: early (<72 hours after antibiotics were initiated) and late (after the early period but ≤5 days after antibiotic initiation).

Results:

In total, 290 ATOs were documented (181 early, 87 late, and 22 subsequent) among 538 admissions. The most common ATO recommendations were narrow therapy (148 of 290), no change (124 of 290), and change to oral (30 of 290). ATO initiation was lower in the UC ATO-B group than in either ATO group (21.8% UC ATO-B vs 69.2% ATO-A and -B). Overall antibiotic use was not different between the groups (P = .51), although intravenous (IV) levofloxacin use decreased in the UC group after ATO implementation (49 DOT/1,000 PD vs 20 DOT/1,000 PD; P = .022). The ratio of oral (PO) to intravenous (IV) DOT was lower in the UC group than in any of the ATO groups (P = .032). We detected no differences in mortality, length of stay, readmission, C. difficile infection, or antibiotic adverse events.

Conclusions:

Implementation of a pharmacist-led ATO was feasible and well accepted but did not change overall antibiotic use. An ATO may promote increased use of oral antibiotics, but more effective strategies for self-stewardship are needed.
Nevsun Resources Ltd. v. Araya et al. (S.C.C.)
Authors: Hopkins Russell
Published: August 2020

In a judgment delivered on February 28, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada held (by majority, 7–2) that Canadian common law does not contain an all-encompassing doctrine of non-justiciability based on foreign acts of state; and (by a narrower majority, 5–4) that alleged breaches of customary international law (CIL) arguably provide a novel cause of action in tort. The court held that claims against a Canadian mining corporation related to alleged violations at a mine in Eritrea could proceed to trial.
Dos reyes neozelandeses: Notas sobre objetivación museográfica, restos humanos y formación del imperio (Brasil – mares del sur, siglo diecinueve)
Authors: Pereira Edmundo
Published: August 2020

Hacia 1820, luego de una expedición dirigida por Louis Claude de Sauces de Freycinet, el dibujante del equipo científico, Jacques Arago (1790-1855), negoció un conjunto de objetos de curiosidad con el recién fundado Museo Real, en Rio de Janeiro, entonces capital del Imperio luso-brasilero. Entre los ítems negociados, se encontraban dos cabezas embalsamadas de reyes neozelandeses. Éstas, en particular, accionaron un intrincado conjunto de actores, posiciones y proyectos que ponen de manifiesto la organización sociocultural de ese período, principalmente la relación entre Ciencia, Museos e Imperio-Nación. El artículo propone una primera lectura desde las condiciones de obtención de los dos restos, enfatizando los múltiples regímenes de objetivación por los que han pasado; desde el intercambio de armas en el contexto de las guerras coloniales; su negociación como artículos de colección científica; y finalmente, los recientes debates sobre la humanización de la Antropología y la repatriación de antepasados desaparecidos.
San José 520: An Unusual Teotihuacan Settlement System
Authors: Spence Michael W. , Olsen Karyn , Cabrera Cortés M. Oralia , Longstaffe Fred J.
Published: August 2020

San José 520 is a Classic period hamlet of single-family residences in the urban periphery of Teotihuacan, just beyond the southeast edge of the city. Three burial features were associated with one of the residences, AF2. One of the features contained the burial of a single adult, another the successive burials of eight adults and one neonate, and the third held a neonate. We analyzed 29 bone and enamel samples from the adults for bioapatite phosphate oxygen-isotope composition; we also considered isotopic data for another five bone samples analyzed in a separate project. The isotopic results suggest a pattern of birth in the Teotihuacan region and then movement in early childhood to a “relocation” region, the geographic location of which is unknown. Later, probably in adolescence, the individuals returned to live, and eventually die, in San José 520. Without knowing more about the occupation of the relocation region, it is difficult to say what concerns or beliefs underlay this unusual but long-established settlement system.
Can an infinitely long object fit in an expanding universe?
Authors: Glanville Aaron , Davis Tamara M.
Published: August 2020

Does space stretch its contents as the universe expands? Usually, we say the answer is no—the stretching of space is not like the stretching of a rubber sheet that might drag things with it. In this paper, we explore a potential counterexample—namely, we show that it is impossible to make an arbitrarily long object in an expanding universe, because it is impossible to hold the distant end of the object ‘stationary’ with respect to us (as defined in the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric). We show that this does not mean that expanding space has a force associated with it, rather, some fictitious forces arise due to our choice of reference frame. By choosing our usual time slice (where all comoving observers agree on the age of the universe), we choose a global frame that does not correspond to the frame of any inertial observer. As a result, simple relativistic velocity transforms generate an apparent acceleration, even where no force exists. This effect is similar to the fictitious forces that arise in describing objects in rotating reference frames, as in the case of the Coriolis effect.
Minimal surfaces with elastic and partially elastic boundary
Authors: Palmer Bennett , Pámpano Álvaro
Published: August 2020

We study equilibrium surfaces for an energy which is a linear combination of the area and a second term which measures the bending and twisting of the boundary. Specifically, the twisting energy is given by the twisting of the Darboux frame. This energy is a modification of the Euler–Plateau functional considered by Giomi and Mahadevan (2012, Proc. R. Soc. A 468, 1851–1864), and a natural special case of the Kirchhoff–Plateau energy considered by Biria and Fried (2014, Proc. R. Soc. A 470, 20140368; 2015, Int. J. Eng. Sci. 94, 86–102).
THE CULT AREA (ZOLNIK) FROM A SCYTHIAN HILLFORT IN CHOTYNIEC NEAR RADYMNO (SOUTHEASTERN POLAND) IN THE CONTEXT OF RADIOCARBON DATING
Authors: Czopek Sylwester , Krąpiec Marek
Published: August 2020

A zolnik excavated in 2016–2018 at the hillfort identified as the Scythian cultural circle in Chotyniec (southeastern Poland, 8 km west of the current Poland–Ukraine border) provided a very large quantity of archaeological sources and organic materials. From the latter, 17 samples coming from different horizons were selected for dating and were used to build a chronological model of functioning of the zolnik. Absolute dating is particularly important because the discovered artifacts (especially the most common handmade ceramics) do not show large chronological diversity. The use of the zolnik was estimated at 250–300 years, i.e. between 7th/6th and 4th/3rd century BC. Stratigraphic observations and good references of absolute chronology based on artifacts, including imported Greek ceramics, first in this part of Central Europe, proved to be significant. Older radiocarbon dates correspond to typological dating of Greek amphoras (7th/6th–6th century BC).
Influence of differential structural deformation on shale reservoirs: a case study of the lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale in north Guizhou, Southern China
Authors: Gu Yang , He Jianhua , Xu Sheng , Tian Qianning , Zhang Wei , Yin Shuai
Published: August 2020

Southern China is affected by multi-stage tectonic activities, with strong fold deformation, complex fault systems and poor shale gas preservation conditions. Here, we used shale samples from the lower Silurian Longmaxi shale in the complex tectonic area of Southern China, to study the relationship between differential structural deformation, and pore structure and adsorption capacity. According to the deformation mechanism of the shale, it is further divided into brittle-slip rheological deformation (BD) and ductile-slip rheological deformation (DD). The results show that all micro-fractures can be observed under scanning electron microscopy in deformed shale samples, but in shale samples with different types of rheological deformation, the micro-fractures have large differences in scale, fracture length and lateral connectivity. The micro-fractures developed in DD shales are small in scale and short in fracture length, but have strong local connectivity. In contrast, brittle minerals are more developed in BD shales, and interlayer shearing has formed micro-fractures with large fracture length and good lateral connectivity, which is beneficial for later fracturing. In these two types of deformed shales, pores in organic matter are rare, and sporadic organic pores have small pore size and poor connectivity. The total pore volume (1.8–2.4 × 10−2 cm3 g–1) of BD shale samples is higher than that of DD shale samples (0.8–1.6 × 10−2 cm3 g–1). There is a positive correlation between total pore volume and quartz content. In addition, the specific surface area (12–18 m2 g–1) of DD shale samples is larger than that of BD shale samples (6–12 m2 g–1).
Redescription of the enigmatic jellyfish,Crambionella annandalei(Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) from Indian waters
Authors: Behera Pralaya Ranjan , Jishnudev M. A. , Saravanan Raju , Roul Subal Kumar , Ghosh Shubhadeep , Uma Mahesh V. , Joshi K. K.
Published: August 2020

The catostylid jellyfish,Crambionella annandaleiwas originally described by Rao (1932) based on a preserved specimen collected from the Andaman Sea. Since then, no detailed taxonomic studies have been conducted and the species is often misidentified. Here, we provide a detailed morphological re-description ofC. annandaleifrom fresh material collected at a variety of locations along the east coast of India. The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters, the most important of which are the proportion of terminal club length to oral arm length (0.48 ± 0.031), the proportion of the distal portion of the oral arm to naked proximal portion (7.25 ± 0.268) and the body colour. The occurrence of intra-specific colour variation in fresh specimens was also observed in the present study.
The spatial logic of linguistic practice: Bourdieusian inroads into language and internationalization in academe
Authors: Salö Linus
Published: August 2020

This article utilizes Bourdieu's sociology to grasp the relations between linguistic practice and spatiality, and, through that effort, to position language as a pivotal terrain in internationalizing academe. Empirically, it explores Swedish academe and the linguistic practices of its dwellers: Swedish-speaking and non-Swedish-speaking researchers in four disciplines. Here, Swedish co-exists with English as a lingua franca and other languages. Observational and interview data show that this situation gives rise to complex linguistic practices in the workplace, consisting of speakers alternating between Swedish and English or evading other languages. Following Bourdieu, these phenomena manifest in moments when matters of space are rendered salient. They show that linguistic practice is bound up with space to the extent that their interrelationship becomes discernable only when the spatial logic that confines linguistic practices is rejigged. While linguistic practices seemingly operate on a location-based principle, they actually pertain to speakers’ linguistic habitus in relation to the linguistic market conditions in play. (Linguistic practice, space, internationalizing academe)*
The global unmet need of congenital cardiac care: a quantitative analysis of the global burden of disease
Authors: Vervoort Dominique , Cardarelli Marcelo
Published: August 2020

Background:

CHDs are one of the most frequent congenital malformations, affecting one in hundred live births. In total, 70% will require treatment in the first year of life, but over 90% of cases in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment or suboptimal treatment. As a result, CHDs are responsible for 66% of preventable deaths due to congenital malformations in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the unmet need of congenital cardiac care around the world based on the global burden of disease.

Materials and methods:

CHD morbidity and mortality data for 2006, 2011, and 2016 were collected from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Global Burden of Disease Results Tool and analysed longitudinally to assess trends in excess morbidity and mortality.

Results:

Between 2006 and 2016, a 20.7% reduction in excess disability-adjusted life years and 20.6% reduction in excess deaths due to CHDs were observed for children under 15. In 2016, excess global morbidity and mortality due to CHDs remained high with 14,788,418.7 disability-adjusted life years and 171,761.8 paediatric deaths, respectively. In total, 90.2% of disability-adjusted life years and 91.2% of deaths were considered excess.

Conclusion:

This study illustrates the unmet need of congenital cardiac care around the world. Progress has been made to reduce morbidity and mortality due to CHDs but remains high and largely treatable around the world. Limited academic attention for global paediatric cardiac care magnifies the lack of progress in this area.
Mayo Normative Studies: Regression-Based Normative Data for the Auditory Verbal Learning Test for Ages 30–91 Years and the Importance of Adjusting for Sex
Authors: Stricker Nikki H. , Christianson Teresa J. , Lundt Emily S. , Alden Eva C. , Machulda Mary M. , Fields Julie A. , Kremers Walter K. , Jack Clifford R. , Knopman David S. , Mielke Michelle M. , Petersen Ronald C.
Published: August 2020

Objective:

Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) is a widely used word list memory test. We update normative data to include adjustment for verbal memory performance differences between men and women and illustrate the effect of this sex adjustment and the importance of excluding participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from normative samples.

Method:

This study advances the Mayo’s Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS) by using a new population-based sample through the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, which randomly samples residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, from age- and sex-stratified groups. Regression-based normativeT-score formulas were derived from 4428 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 30–91 years. Fully adjusted T-scores correct for age, sex, and education. We also derived T-scores that correct for (1) age or (2) age and sex. Test-retest reliability data are provided.

Results:

From raw score analyses, sex explained a significant amount of variance in performance above and beyond age (8–10%). Applying original age-adjusted MOANS norms to the current sample resulted in significantly fewer-than-expected participants with low delayed recall performance, particularly in women. After application of new T-scores adjusted only for age, even in normative data derived from this sample, these age-adjusted T-scores showed scores <40 T occurred more frequently among men and less frequently among women relative to T-scores that also adjusted for sex.

Conclusions:

Our findings highlight the importance of using normative data that adjust for sex with measures of verbal memory and provide new normative data that allow for this adjustment for the AVLT.
Guidance materials from 2014 to 2019 on nutritional care for Ebola patients in Ebola Treatment Units: an analysis
Authors: Ververs Mija , Vorfeld Cecilia
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the inclusion and exclusion of nutritional content in guidance materials related to nutritional care for hospitalised Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patients of any age with the aim to provide recommendations for future revised nutritional care guidelines in Ebola Treatment Units (ETU).

Design:

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of ETU protocols and other guidance materials were conducted. Materials were obtained from practitioners, their organisations and governments active in EVD outbreaks since 2014.

Setting:

Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Results:

Guidance materials showed a wide variety of topics. Most contained information on different feeding phases during illness, the use of specialised products, what and how to feed children aged 0–23 months, and meal and snack frequency for different age groups. Most materials lacked guidance on how to assess or accommodate patients’ dietary preferences, how to obtain feedback on nutritional care from patients or how to assess whether patients need feeding support. These aspects are particularly relevant to prevent deterioration of the patients’ nutritional status. There was limited guidance on operational aspects of food preparation and provision.

Conclusions:

Since 2014, numerous materials have been developed by organisations and governments on nutritional support in ETU. Although every EVD outbreak response must be contextualised because of the complexity of EVD and its case management, it is important to resolve technical differences and to provide comprehensive and more practical guidance. The findings of this study may inform future revised guidelines from normative UN organisations and governments of countries affected by EVD.
Dosimetric and radiobiological evaluation of four radiation techniques in preoperative rectal cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Softa Vasiliki , Kiouvrekis Yiannis , Makridou Anna , Kappas Constantin , Kyrgias George , Theodorou Kiki
Published: August 2020

Purpose:

To compare tumour dose distribution, conformality, homogeneity, normal tissue avoidance, tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) using 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT), 3- and 4-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Materials and methods:

Twenty-four patients staged T1–3N+M0 with locally advanced rectal cancer underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Four different radiotherapy plans were prepared for each patient: 3DCRT, 3- and 4-field IMRT and VMAT are evaluated for target distribution using CI and homogeneity index (HI), normal tissue avoidance using Dmax, V45, V40, V50 and TCP and NTCP using the Lyman–Kutcher–Burman model.

Results:

VMAT has better HI (HI = 1·32) and 3DCRT exhibited better conformality (CI = 1·05) than the other radiotherapy techniques. With regard to normal tissue avoidance, all radiotherapy plans met the constraints. Dmax in the 3DCRT plans was statistically significant (p = 0·04) for bladder and no significant differences in V40 and V50. In the bowel bag, no significant differences in Dmax for any radiotherapy plan and V40 was lower in 3DCRT than VMAT (p = 0·024). In the case of femoral heads, 3DCRT has a statistically significant lower dose on Dmax than 4-field IMRT (p = 0·00 « 0·05). VMAT has the biggest TCP (80·76%) than the other three radiotherapy plans. With regard to normal tissue complications, probabilities were shown to be very low, of the order of 10-14 and 10-41 for bowel bag and femoral heads respectively.

Conclusions:

It can be concluded that 3DCRT plan improves conformity and decreases radiation sparing in the organ at risks, but the VMAT plan exhibits better homogeneity and greater TCP.
Addiction to protein kinase Cɩ due to PRKCI gene amplification can be exploited for an aptamer-based targeted therapy in ovarian cancer
Authors: Rehmani Hina , Li Yue , Li Tao , Padia Ravi , Calbay Ozlem , Jin Lingtao , Chen Huijun , Huang Shuang
Published: August 2020

PRKCI, the gene for protein kinase Cι (PKCι), is frequently amplified in ovarian cancer and recent studies have shown that PKCι participates in ovary tumorigenesis. However, it is unknown whether PKCι is differentially involved in the growth/survival between PRKCI-amplified and non-amplified ovarian cancer cells. In this study, we analyzed ovarian cancer patient dataset and revealed that PRKCI is the only PKC family member significantly amplified in ovarian cancer and PRKCI amplification is associated with higher PKCι expression. Using a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines, we found that abundance of PKCι is generally associated with PRKCI amplification. Interestingly, silencing PKCι led to apoptosis in PRKCI-amplified ovarian cancer cells but not in those without PRKCI amplification, thus indicating an oncogenic addiction to PKCɩ in PRKCI-amplified cells. Since small-molecule inhibitors characterized to selectively block atypical PKCs did not offer selectivity nor sensitivity in PRKCI-amplified ovarian cancer cells and were even cytotoxic to non-cancerous ovary surface or fallopian tube epithelial cells, we designed an EpCAM aptamer-PKCι siRNA chimera (EpCAM-siPKCι aptamer). EpCAM-siPKCι aptamer not only effectively induced apoptosis of PRKCI-amplified ovarian cancer cells but also greatly deterred intraperitoneal tumor development in xenograft mouse model. This study has demonstrated a precision medicine-based strategy to target a subset of ovarian cancer that contains PRKCI amplification and shown that the EpCAM aptamer-delivered PKCι siRNA may be used to suppress such tumors.
Polygenic background modifies penetrance of monogenic variants for tier 1 genomic conditions
Authors: Fahed Akl C. , Wang Minxian , Homburger Julian R. , Patel Aniruddh P. , Bick Alexander G. , Neben Cynthia L. , Lai Carmen , Brockman Deanna , Philippakis Anthony , Ellinor Patrick T. , Cassa Christopher A. , Lebo Matthew , Ng Kenney , Lander Eric S. , Zhou Alicia Y. , Kathiresan Sekar , Khera Amit V.
Published: August 2020

Genetic variation can predispose to disease both through (i) monogenic risk variants that disrupt a physiologic pathway with large effect on disease and (ii) polygenic risk that involves many variants of small effect in different pathways. Few studies have explored the interplay between monogenic and polygenic risk. Here, we study 80,928 individuals to examine whether polygenic background can modify penetrance of disease in tier 1 genomic conditions — familial hypercholesterolemia, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and Lynch syndrome. Among carriers of a monogenic risk variant, we estimate substantial gradients in disease risk based on polygenic background — the probability of disease by age 75 years ranged from 17% to 78% for coronary artery disease, 13% to 76% for breast cancer, and 11% to 80% for colon cancer. We propose that accounting for polygenic background is likely to increase accuracy of risk estimation for individuals who inherit a monogenic risk variant.
An atlas of O-linked glycosylation on peptide hormones reveals diverse biological roles
Authors: Madsen Thomas D. , Hansen Lasse H. , Hintze John , Ye Zilu , Jebari Shifa , Andersen Daniel B. , Joshi Hiren J. , Ju Tongzhong , Goetze Jens P. , Martin Cesar , Rosenkilde Mette M. , Holst Jens J. , Kuhre Rune E. , Goth Christoffer K. , Vakhrushev Sergey Y. , Schjoldager Katrine T.
Published: August 2020

Peptide hormones and neuropeptides encompass a large class of bioactive peptides that regulate physiological processes like anxiety, blood glucose, appetite, inflammation and blood pressure. Here, we execute a focused discovery strategy to provide an extensive map of O-glycans on peptide hormones. We find that almost one third of the 279 classified peptide hormones carry O-glycans. Many of the identified O-glycosites are conserved and are predicted to serve roles in proprotein processing, receptor interaction, biodistribution and biostability. We demonstrate that O-glycans positioned within the receptor binding motifs of members of the neuropeptide Y and glucagon families modulate receptor activation properties and substantially extend peptide half-lives. Our study highlights the importance of O-glycosylation in the biology of peptide hormones, and our map of O-glycosites in this large class of biomolecules serves as a discovery platform for an important class of molecules with potential opportunities for drug designs.