bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Política de desarrollo rural y patrimonio cultural: algunas evidencias desde la evaluación en Castilla y León (España)
Authors: Miranda Escolar Belén , Benito Moyano-Pesquera Pedro
Published: February 2021

Las zonas rurales de la Unión Europea poseen una estructura cultural, económica y social rica y diferenciada, conformando una auténtica reserva de la diversidad frente a la tendencia homogeneizadora de las culturas urbanas, tal como se puso de manifiesto en la Declaración de Cork firmada el 9 de noviembre de 1996. La valorización de este patrimonio cultural, a través de la puesta en marcha de actividades económicas generadoras de valor añadido y empleo, tiene un efecto inducido en la mejora de la calidad de vida en estas zonas, hecho que no ha pasado desapercibido para la política de desarrollo rural de la Unión Europea (Segundo Pilar de la Política Agraria Común).
Son muchas las acciones vinculadas a la cultura que pueden financiarse en este marco, a través del Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER), agrupándose en cuatro ámbitos principales de intervención: la promoción de la identidad local a través de su dimensión inmaterial (lenguas, costumbres, folklore, tradiciones musicales y artísticas, danzas, artesanía, especialidades gastronómicas, oficios y antiguas técnicas); la valorización del patrimonio cultural local (renovación de pueblos, restauración y rehabilitación del patrimonio arquitectónico, y diseño de itinerarios culturales, entre otros); la creación de infraestructuras culturales permanentes (como emplazamientos culturales, centros de interpretación y museos); y la organización de actividades culturales puntuales (animación, teatralización, cines itinerantes o festivales).
El objetivo de este artículo es determinar el papel que ha tenido este tipo de proyectos en el conjunto de actuaciones financiadas bajo el Enfoque LEADER dentro del Programa de Desarrollo Rural de Castilla y León durante el período 2007-2015, evaluando su impacto en el territorio a partir de los registros del Sistema Informático de Tramitación de las Ayudas LEADERCAL (STAGAL).
Política económica y redistribución: hacia una nueva arquitectura “pre-distributiva” de la política de rentas
Authors: Ochando Claramunt Carlos
Published: February 2021

El presente trabajo diseña una política de rentas que podríamos llamar “pre-distributiva”. Su principal objetivo es describir la arquitectura de una política de rentas amplia, que tendría, básicamente, tres pilares: a) el reforzamiento de la capacidad redistributiva de la negociación colectiva, b) el establecimiento de una “norma salarial redistributiva” coordinada a nivel europeo y c) el aumento del Salario Mínimo Interprofesional. Dicha política de rentas podría contribuir a una distribución más equitativa de las rentas primarias del trabajo.
Editorial
Authors: Domínguez Martí
Published: February 2021

Science is the answer. This is the message that should permeate society after the COVID-19 crisis. And yet, it looks doubtful that we will learn anything from it. Most probably, we will be back at square one, with a science that is merely a subsidiary of economy, where the standards to measure everything are an alleged progress and welfare. The latest news makes us feel pessimistic regarding this point. It seems that, as soon as this pandemic scenario fades away, we will be back to a model that is profoundly counter-productive for the planet’s balance, one that does more harm than good.
Indeed, short-termism is all-encompassing, but it is absolutely necessary to look for a much more sustainable model as soon as the crisis is over. One that focuses on proximity, keeps clear of urban macro-projects (like the expansion of the Valencia port, which should be seriously reconsidered). We must return to the state of climate emergency and understand that this pandemic is also a consequence of climate change and our hyper-global world. In our website, we have tried to keep our dissemination of pandemic information as close as possible to scientific facts. This new volume of Mètode Science Studies Journal collects monographs on different fields such as biotechnology, food and eating, and climate change, in an effort to disseminate science from rigour and social commitment.Now more than ever, we need your support to keep publishing quality scientific content for many more years. Now more than ever, we need you to choose science as the answer.
Standards. The building blocks of complexity
Authors: Peretó Juli , Porcar Manuel
Published: February 2021

Without standards, the world as we know it would not be possible. International and supra-cultural standards and norms have been a key factor in engineering, as well as in the development of industrial societies. Despite the obvious successes in electronic and mechanical design, other technological areas present difficulties for the application of standards. In the field of biotechnology and synthetic biology – which aims at studying living things from an engineering perspective – standards are desirable, but whether they can be widely adopted remains to be proved.
This monograph reviews the sociological and scientific aspects of standardisation and delves into the more problematic facets of universal standardisation, especially in the biological field. Are standards possible in synthetic biology at all? What are the limitations to the universal use of modular and interchangeable parts in a cellular context? Could it be that the biological world resists standardisation, similarly to the field of software engineering, where these attempts have not progressed? And should some kind of standard be applicable in synthetic biology, what qualities might be required in an environment of open science and responsible research and innovation?
Oceans. The impact of global change on the sea
Authors: Pedrós-Alió Carles , Gasol i Piqué Josep Maria , Simó i Martorell Rafel
Published: February 2021

A phenomenon of exceptional importance such as global change and its multiple effects has been discussed in several Mètode monographs. In recent years, public concern about what we already perceive to be the greatest threat to humanity has not stopped growing; at the same time, the United Nations have proclaimed the period 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, recognising the close relationship between the oceans, climate, and social welfare. The sea is a climate regulator and a reservoir of biodiversity, a source of food and other resources, a transport route, a cultural asset, and the driving force behind the tourism industry; it is also a natural hazard and, unfortunately, a dumping ground for waste and refuse.
The Field of Relational Sociology
Authors: Fuhse Jan
Published: February 2021

I offer a qualitative sketch and a brief empirical analysis of relational sociology as a scientific field. The field consists of scholarly communication that adheres to the label “relational sociology”, articulating and elaborating the idea that the social world is structured in relations. Within this general orientation, very different versions of relational sociology exist. These rest on diverging conceptions of the key term “social relations” and on different epistemological approaches (pragmatism, critical realism, constructive empiricism). These patterns are reconstructed by way of correspondence analyses of co-citation patterns of authors in the chapters of The Palgrave Handbook of Relational Sociology. Contemporary self-proclaimed relational sociologists (Crossley, Dépelteau, Donati, Emirbayer) here co-feature with sociological classics rebranded under the label as key references in the field. The major division reflects a separation between authors working on the theoretical reflection of network research, on the one hand, and those focusing on the theoretical formulation of a social world made of relations, on the other hand. This second tendency then bifurcates into pragmatism-inspired authors and critical realists.
The Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Chronic Kidney Disease In Indonesian Population In 2014-2015 (Data Analysis of IFLS 5)
Authors: Simanjuntak Tri Damayanti , Wahyono Tri Yunis Miko
Published: February 2021

In 2010, the Global Burden of Disease research revealed that cases of chronic kidney disease had increased and became a serious health problem. Indonesia Basic Health Research data in 2013 revealed that the proportion of patients with chronic kidney failure aged ≥ 15 years old based on doctor's diagnosis was 0,2% and 0,6% kidney stones. Therefore the aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in the population of Indonesia in 2014-2015. This type of research is observational with a cross-sectional design. The study used secondary data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) 5 in 2014-2015. The sampling technique used total sampling, which found 34,012 people who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The independent variables of this study are type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease as the dependent variable. Covariate variables are age, sex, smoking status, history of hypertension, and history of high cholesterol. Analysis bivariate of the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in this study using chi square and multivariate analysis using logistic regression test. The magnitude of the effect expressed in the prevalence odds ratio (POR) with confident interval (CI: 95%.) This study shows the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Indonesia population in 2014 – 2015 is 1%. The result of chi-square test of the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in the Indonesian population showed POR=2.48 (p-value =0.0002; 95%CI 1.422-4.071). Multivariate analysis with logistic regression tests shows that smoking status, history of high cholesterol, and history of hypertension influence the relationship of type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease.
Science Fiction
Authors: Vint Sherryl
Published: February 2021

How science fiction has been a tool for understanding and living through rapid technological change.

The world today seems to be slipping into a science fiction future. We have phones that speak to us, cars that drive themselves, and connected devices that communicate with each other in languages we don't understand. Depending on the news of the day, we inhabit either a technological utopia or a Brave New World nightmare. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series surveys the uses of science fiction. It focuses on what is at the core of all definitions of science fiction: a vision of the world made otherwise and what possibilities might flow from such otherness.

After a brief overview of the genre's origins, science fiction authority Sherryl Vint considers how and why contemporary science fiction is changing. She explores anxieties in current science fiction over such key sites of technological innovation as artificial intelligence, genomic research and commodified biomedicine, and climate change. Connecting science fiction with speculative design and futurology in the corporate world, she argues that science fiction does not merely reflect these trends, but has a role in directing them.
Ketamine
Authors: Moghaddam Bita
Published: February 2021

The emergence of ketamine—previously known as a combat anesthetic and club drug—as a treatment for depression.

Ketamine, approved in 2019 by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of depression, has been touted by scientists and media reports as something approaching a miracle cure. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series chronicles the ascent of a drug that has been around for fifty years—in previous incarnations, a Vietnam-era combat anesthetic and a popular club drug—that has now been reinvented as a treatment for depression. Bita Moghaddam, a leading researcher in neuropharmacology, explains the scientific history and the biology of ketamine, its clinical use, and its recently discovered antidepressant properties, for the nonspecialist reader.

Despite the excitement, Moghaddam points out, concerns exist over the unknown long-term effects of the drug; the FDA assigned ketamine a “black box” warning—its most serious safety warning. Moghaddam describes the discovery of ketamine, how it was tested on humans, and how it is used as an anesthetic, club drug, and research tool. She explains ketamine's effects on brain receptors and neurotransmitters; its emergence as an antidepressant; and theories about its antidepressant properties. Finally, she reviews safety concerns and considers future directions for research, discussing whether what we learn about ketamine will change the way we understand and treat psychiatric disorders.
Antimicrobial resistance and COVID-19: Intersections and implications
Authors: Knight Gwenan M , Glover Rebecca E , McQuaid C Finn , Olaru Ioana D , Gallandat Karin , Leclerc Quentin J , Fuller Naomi M , Willcocks Sam J , Hasan Rumina , van Kleef Esther , Chandler Clare IR
Published: February 2021

Before the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was among the top priorities for global public health. Already a complex challenge, AMR now needs to be addressed in a changing healthcare landscape. Here, we analyse how changes due to COVID-19 in terms of antimicrobial usage, infection prevention, and health systems affect the emergence, transmission, and burden of AMR. Increased hand hygiene, decreased international travel, and decreased elective hospital procedures may reduce AMR pathogen selection and spread in the short term. However, the opposite effects may be seen if antibiotics are more widely used as standard healthcare pathways break down. Over 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the dynamics of AMR remain uncertain. We call for the AMR community to keep a global perspective while designing finely tuned surveillance and research to continue to improve our preparedness and response to these intersecting public health challenges.
Early postnatal interactions between beige adipocytes and sympathetic neurites regulate innervation of subcutaneous fat
Authors: Chi Jingyi , Lin Zeran , Barr William , Crane Audrey , Zhu Xiphias Ge , Cohen Paul
Published: February 2021

While beige adipocytes have been found to associate with dense sympathetic neurites in mouse inguinal subcutaneous white fat (iWAT), little is known about when and how this patterning is established. Here, we applied whole-tissue imaging to examine the development of sympathetic innervation in iWAT. We found that parenchymal neurites actively grow between postnatal day 6 (P6) and P28, overlapping with early postnatal beige adipogenesis. Constitutive deletion of Prdm16 in adipocytes led to a significant reduction in early postnatal beige adipocytes and sympathetic density within this window. Using an inducible, adipocyte-specific Prdm16 knockout model, we found that Prdm16 is required for guiding sympathetic growth during early development. Deleting Prdm16 in adult animals, however, did not affect sympathetic structure in iWAT. Together, these findings highlight that beige adipocyte-sympathetic neurite communication is crucial to establish sympathetic structure during the early postnatal period but may be dispensable for its maintenance in mature animals.
Historical and current distribution ranges and loss of mega-herbivores and carnivores of Asia
Authors: Mahmood Tariq , Vu Tuong Thuy , Campos-Arceiz Ahimsa , Akrim Faraz , Andleeb Shaista , Farooq Muhammad , Hamid Abdul , Munawar Nadeem , Waseem Muhammad , Hussain Abid , Fatima Hira , Khan Muhammad Raza , Mahmood Sajid
Published: February 2021

Ecosystem functioning is dependent a lot on large mammals, which are, however, vulnerable and facing extinction risks due to human impacts mainly. Megafauna of Asia has been declining for a long, not only in numbers but also in their distribution ranges. In the current study, we collected information on past and current occurrence and distribution records of Asia’s megafauna species. We reconstructed the historical distribution ranges of the six herbivores and four carnivores for comparison with their present ranges, to quantify spatially explicit levels of mega-defaunation. Results revealed that historically the selected megafauna species were more widely distributed than at current. Severe range contraction was observed for the Asiatic lion, three rhino species, Asian elephant, tigers, and tapirs. Defaunation maps generated have revealed the vanishing of megafauna from parts of the East, Southeast, and Southwest Asia, even some protected Areas losing up to eight out of ten megafaunal species. These defaunation maps can help develop future conservation policies, to save the remaining distribution ranges of large mammals.
Determining novel candidate anti-hepatocellular carcinoma drugs using interaction networks and molecular docking between drug targets and natural compounds of SiNiSan
Authors: Zhang Qin , Feng Zhangying , Gao Mengxi , Guo Liru
Published: February 2021

Background

SiNiSan (SNS) is an ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used to treat liver and spleen deficiencies. We studied the unique advantages of using SNS to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with multiple components and targets to determine its potential mechanism of action.

Methods

The active compounds from the individual herbs in the SNS formula and their targets were mined from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP). HCC-associated targets were collected from the TCGA and GEO databases and samples were collected from patients with stage III hepatocellular carcinoma. A compound-disease target network was constructed, visualized, and analyzed using Cytoscape software. We built a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using the String database. We enriched and analyzed key targets using GSEA, GO, and KEGG in order to explore their functions. Autodock software was used to simulate the process of SNS molecules acting on HCC targets.

Results

A total of 113 candidate compounds were taken from SNS, and 64 of the same targets were chosen from HCC and SNS. The predominant targets genes were PTGS2, ESR1, CHEK1, CCNA2, NOS2 and AR; kaempferol and quercetin from SNS were the principal ingredients in HCC treatment. The compounds may work against HCC due to a cellular response to steroid hormones and histone phosphorylation. The P53 signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the gene set GSEA enrichment analysis and differential gene KEGG enrichment analysis.

Conclusions

Our results showed that the SNS component has a large number of stage III HCC targets. Among the targets, the sex hormone receptors, the AR and ESR1 genes, are the core targets of SNS component and the most active proteins in the PPI network. In addition, quercetin, which has the most targets, can act on the main targets (BAX, CDK1, CCNB1, SERPINE1, CHEK2, and IGFBP3) of the P53 pathway to treat HCC.
Delving Into the Visual System in the AMA Guides, Fifth Edition
Authors: Schainholz Daniel C.
Published: February 2021

The assessment of visual impairment using the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Fifth Edition, requires a thoughtful ophthalmologic evaluation and careful application of the functional vision tests and arithmetic criteria provided in Chapter 12, The Visual System, and other chapters, as applicable. The interpolation of the multiple dimensions of the visual system into the enumeration of a single impairment percentage may involve complex mathematical manipulations. Properly enumerated, the value can be utilized rigorously in impairment evaluations, functional evaluations, and even for academic research.
Advanced absorber heat integration via heat exchange packings
Authors: Moore Thomas , Nguyen Du , Iyer Jaisree , Roy Pratanu , Stolaroff Joshuah K.
Published: February 2021

A rate‐based model of an absorption column was developed and used to analyze several intercooling strategies utilizing “heat exchange packings.” These packings are capable of removing heat from the column and transferring it to a cooling fluid within the packing. For absorption of CO2into aqueous monoethanolamine under industrial conditions, intercooling via heat exchange packings placed along 10–20% of the column could reduce the column height by ∼15%. The height of these columns was close to the minimum theoretical value, calculated by numerically optimizing the temperature profile. Effective intercooling could also be achieved by using the cool, rich solvent as the cooling fluid. This reduces the cooling load and facilitates recovery of waste heat. Heat exchange packings could also be used to redistribute heat within the column, reducing the column height with no net cooling load. However, this approach requires larger heat transfer coefficients than have been experimentally observed.
A pentanuclear Er (III) coordination cluster as a catalyst for selective synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles
Authors: Sarkar Arijit , Jana Sourav , Nayek Hari Pada
Published: February 2021

A new tridentate ligand (H3L) was prepared from the reaction of 6‐formyl‐2‐(hydroxymethyl)‐4‐tert‐butylphenol and 2‐amino‐4‐nitrophenol. The ligand H3L and acetylacetone were treated with Er (NO3)3·5H2O, which resulted in the formation of a pentanuclear coordination cluster [Er5(LH)4(acac)4(μ3‐O)(μ3‐OH)(H2O)2].5H2O (1) (acac = acetylacetonate). Five Er (III) ions are arranged in a nonlinear fashion in 1. Complex 1 was utilized as a catalyst towards the selective synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives involving o‐phenylenediamine and different aldehydes. Yields of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives were in the range of 66%–91%. This study demonstrates the first‐ever approach to employ a homo‐ and pentanuclear lanthanide coordination cluster for catalyzing the synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles.
BIM in der Instandsetzungsplanung
Authors: Bornholdt Marike , Petersen Matthias , Goedeke Holle
Published: February 2021

Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Nutzung der BIM‐Software Desite von thinkproject in der Instandsetzungsplanung von Bestandsbauwerken. Anhand aktueller Projekte des Ingenieurbüros WTM Engineers wird die Art und Weise der Softwarenutzung in verschiedenen Phasen der Planung erläutert, um die Digitalisierung von Instandsetzungsprojekten voranzutreiben. In der Instandsetzungsplanung beginnt BIM mit der dreidimensionalen Modellierung des Bestands. Im weiteren Projektverlauf ist im Zusammenhang mit der Schadensaufnahme im Bestand und der Planung und Durchführung von Bauteil‐ und Baustoffuntersuchungen eine eindeutige Platzierung und Attribuierung von Objekten im Modell notwendig. Um die strukturierten Daten aus der BIM‐Software an andere Projektbeteiligte weiterzugeben, steht ein verlustfreier Datenaustausch über allgemeingültige Dateiformate im Vordergrund. Das bezieht sich auch auf den Austausch von Informationen zwischen unterschiedlichen Softwareanwendungen in Bezug auf Terminplanungen und Kostenkalkulationen. Anhand von ersten Erfahrungen in diesem Bereich wird ein Ausblick über die Möglichkeiten einer BIM‐basierten Instandsetzungsplanung gegeben.
Development of photoluminescent, superhydrophobic, and electrically conductive cotton fibres
Authors: Alzahrani Hanan K. , Munshi Alaa M. , Aldawsari Afrah M. , Keshk Ali A. , Asghar Basim H. , Osman Hanan E. , Khalifa Mohamed E. , El‐Metwaly Nashwa M.
Published: February 2021

A simple method for the preparation of multifunctional nanocomposite was developed towards the production of water‐repellent, electrically conductive, and photoluminescent film onto cotton fibres. The nanocomposite was composed of lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminium oxide and silicon rubber dispersed in petroleum ether. The electrically conductive fabric was woven from nickel strips twisted with cotton filaments as core yarns, which were wrapped with pure cotton yarns. The nanoparticles (NPs) of lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminium oxide were mixed with environmentally friendly room‐temperature vulcanizing silicon rubber (RTV‐SR) dissolved in petroleum ether to give the silicon rubber/strontium aluminate nanocomposites. The produced nanocomposites were applied onto electrically conductive cotton/nickel fibres using spray‐coating technology. The surface of the cotton/nickel fibres showed different hierarchical morphologies depending on the total content of the silicon rubber. Additionally, the superhydrophobic effect was found to be improved upon increasing the total content of the luminescence pigment NPs. The morphologies of the prepared phosphor NPs were determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The generated transparent luminescence film demonstrated an absorbance peak at 358 nm and an emission peak at 515 nm. Photoluminescence of cotton fibres was monitored with the generation of different colours, including grey, green‐yellow, bright white, and turquoise shades as recognized using CIE Laboratory colorimetric parameters. The emission, excitation, lifetime, and decay time spectra of the phosphorescent spray‐coated cotton samples were studied. The surface morphologies and chemical compositions of the spray‐coated cotton/nickel were investigated using wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WD‐XRF), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier‐transform infrared spectra (FTIR), and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analyzer (EDAX). The superhydrophobic effects were characterized by measuring static water contact angle. The comfort characteristics of the treated cotton/nickel substrates were assessed by investigating their air permeability and stiffness. The treated cotton/nickel fabrics also displayed an antimicrobial activity. The results displayed water repellence with high electrical conductivity and photoluminescence properties.
Quantifying the spatial distribution of sediment transport in an experimental gully system using the morphological method
Authors: Dai Wen , Xiong Liyang , Antoniazza Gilles , Tang Guoan , Lane Stuart N.
Published: February 2021

Whilst time‐series of sediment transport in gullies in both laboratory experimental and field settings can be determined through instrumentation, quantifying the spatial distribution of transport rates remains challenging. The morphological method, which was proposed for estimating bed‐material transport in both one‐ and two‐dimensions in rivers, provides an alternative. Here, we developed this method for gully systems. A laboratory catchment was used to simulate gully erosion. High‐resolution topographical data were acquired by close‐range digital photogrammetry. Morphological changes were determined using high‐resolution topographic data and an associated level of detection. Based on measured morphological changes, one‐dimensional (1D) and two‐dimensional (2D) sediment transport rates were calculated via cross‐section by cross‐section routing (1D) and cell by cell routing (2D). The 1D application provided a general trend of longitudinal variation of sediment transport for the whole gully system, increased gradually from zones of headward extension to a zone downstream where erosion and deposition were in balance, and sediment transport rates less variable in space. For the 2D application, hydrological and blended hydrological‐hydraulic routing solutions were compared. We found that the level of negative transport was insensitive to whether or not a blended hydrological‐hydraulic routing was used and that results from applying the hydrological routing throughout were not significantly degraded. We also found that consideration should be given to spatial and temporal resolution of the topographic data. The 2D application provided spatial patterns of sediment transport that vary with gully evolution. The main gully remained a high transport corridor but branch transport became more important through time. The framework we report provides an additional tool for both experimental and field quantification of the spatial patterns of sediment transport in gullies; and quantification of how these patterns change under different forcing factors.
Effect of subsurface water level on gully headcut retreat in tropical highlands of Ethiopia
Authors: Yibeltal Mesenbet , Tsunekawa Atsushi , Haregeweyn Nigussie , Adgo Enyew , Meshesha Derege Tsegaye , Masunaga Tsugiyuki , Tsubo Mitsuru , Billi Paolo , Ebabu Kindiye , Liyew Berihun Mulatu
Published: February 2021

Gully erosion is a major cause of soil loss and severe land degradation in sub‐humid Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to investigate the role and the effect of subsurface water level change on gully headcut retreat, gully formation and expansion in high rainfall tropical regions in the Ethiopian highlands. During the rainy seasons of 2017–2019, the expansion rate of 16 fixed gullies was measured and subsurface water levels were measured by piezometers installed near gully heads. During the study period, headcut retreats ranged from 0.70 to 2.35 m, with a mean value of 1.49 ± 0.56 m year−1, and average depth of the surface water level varied between 1.12 and 2.82 m, with a mean value of 2.62 m. Gully cross‐section areas ranged from 2.90 to 20.90 m2, with an average of 9.31 ± 4.80 m2. Volumetric retreat of gully headcuts ranged from 4.49 to 40.55 m3 and averaged 13.34 ± 9.10 m3. Soil loss from individual gullies ranged from 5.79 to 52.31 t year−1 and averaged 17.21 ± 11.74 t year−1. The headcut retreat rate and sediment yield were closely related over the three study seasons. Elevated subsurface water levels facilitated the slumping of gully banks and heads, causing high sediment yield. When the soil was saturated, bank collapse and headcut retreat were favoured by the combination of elevated subsurface water and high rainfall. This study indicates that area exclosures are effective in controlling subsurface water level, thus reducing gully headcut retreat and associated soil loss.
Comparative Performance of Multiple Linear Regression and Biotic Ligand Models for Estimating the Bioavailability of Copper in Freshwater
Authors: Brix Kevin V. , Tear Lucinda , Santore Robert C. , Croteau Kelly , DeForest David K.
Published: February 2021

An increasing number of metal bioavailability models are available for use in setting regulations and conducting risk assessments in aquatic systems. Selection of the most appropriate model is dependent on the user's needs but will always benefit from an objective, comparative assessment of the performance of available models. In 2017, an expert workshop developed procedures for assessing metal bioavailability models. The present study applies these procedures to evaluate the performance of biotic ligand models (BLMs) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models for copper. We find that the procedures recommended by the expert workshop generally provide a robust series of metrics for evaluating model performance. However, we recommend some modifications to the analysis of model residuals because the current method is insensitive to relatively large differences in residual patterns when comparing models. We also provide clarification on details of the evaluation procedure which, if not applied correctly, could mischaracterize model performance. We found that acute Cu MLR and BLM performances are quite comparable, though there are differences in performance on a species-specific basis and in the resulting water quality criteria as a function of water chemistry. In contrast, the chronic Cu MLR performed distinctly better than the BLM. Observed differences in performance are due to the smaller effects of hardness and pH on chronic Cu toxicity compared to acute Cu toxicity. These differences are captured in the chronic MLR model but not the chronic BLM, which only adjusts for differences in organism sensitivity. In general, we continue to recommend concurrent development of both modeling approaches because they provide useful comparative insights into the strengths, limitations, and predictive capabilities of each model. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1649–1661. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Any day, split halfway: Flexibility in scheduling high‐dose cisplatin—A large retrospective review from a high‐volume cancer center
Authors: Kang Jung Julie , Tchekmedyian Vatche , Mohammed Nader , Rybkin Alisa , Kitpanit Sarin , Fan Ming , Wang Huili , Lobaugh Stephanie M. , Zhang Zhigang , Lee Anna , Chen Linda , Yu Yao , Zakeri Kaveh , Gelblum Daphna Y. , Riaz Nadeem , McBride Sean M. , Tsai C. Jillian , Cohen Marc A. , Cracchiolo Jennifer R. , Morris Luc G. , Singh Bhuvanesh , Patel Snehal , Ganly Ian , Boyle Jay O. , Wong Richard J. , Eng Juliana , Zhi Wanqing Iris , Ng Kenneth , Ho Alan L. , Dunn Lara A. , Michel Loren , Fetten James V. , Pfister David G. , Lee Nancy Y. , Sherman Eric J.
Published: February 2021

High‐dose (HD) cisplatin remains the standard of care with chemoradiation for locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Cooperative group trials mandate bolus‐HD (100 mg/m2 × 1 day, every 3 weeks) cisplatin administration at the beginning of the week to optimize radiosensitization—a requirement which may be unnecessary. This analysis evaluates the impact of chemotherapy administration day of week (DOW) on outcomes. We also report our institutional experience with an alternate dosing schedule, split‐HD (50 mg/m2 × 2 days, every 3 weeks). We retrospectively reviewed 435 definitive chemoradiation OPC patients from 10 December 2001 to 23 December 2014. Those receiving non‐HD cisplatin regimens or induction chemotherapy were excluded. Data collected included DOW, dosing schedule (bolus‐HD vs split‐HD), smoking, total cumulative dose (TCD), stage, Karnofsky Performance Status, human papillomavirus status and creatinine (baseline, peak and posttreatment baseline). Local failure (LF), regional failure (RF), locoregional failure (LRF), distant metastasis (DM), any failure (AF, either LRF or DM) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from radiation therapy start. Median follow‐up was 8.0 years (1.8 months‐17.0 years). DOW, dosing schedule and TCD were not associated with any outcomes in univariable or multivariable regression models. There was no statistically significant difference in creatinine or association with TCD in split‐HD vs bolus‐HD. There was no statistically significant association between DOW and outcomes, suggesting that cisplatin could be administered any day. Split‐HD had no observed differences in outcomes, renal toxicity or TCD compared to bolus‐HD cisplatin. Our data suggest that there is some flexibility of when and how to give HD cisplatin compared to clinical trial mandates.
A sudden decrease in voice volume: A rare manifestation of spontaneous pneumomediastinum
Authors: Urushidani Seigo , Kuriyama Akira
Published: February 2021

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition characterized by free air in the mediastinum that primarily affects young individuals between the ages of 10 and 30 years. The most frequent symptoms of SPM are chest pain and dyspnea. However, a decrease in voice volume without a change of tone is a rare presentation. SPM is generally a benign and self‐limiting condition, but it can occasionally cause tension pneumothorax. If a young patient presents with a sudden decrease in voice volume without a change of tone, SPM should be considered as a possible diagnosis.
Anti‐spike S1 receptor‐binding domain antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 persist several months after infection regardless of disease severity
Authors: Bavaro Davide F. , Laghetti Paola , Milano Eugenio , Brindicci Gaetano , Volpe Anna , Lagioia Antonella , Saracino Annalisa , Monno Laura
Published: February 2021

Data regarding the immunological memory and long‐time kinetics of immunoglobulin (IgG) against viral nucleoprotein (NP) and spike protein S1 receptor‐binding domain (S1RBD) of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome‐associated Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) are lacking. All consecutive COVID‐19 patients admitted to our Clinic between March 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020, who were tested at hospital admission for anti‐S1RBD and anti‐NP IgG were enrolled. Serum samples were tested for anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies with the use of two commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Results are expressed as optical density measurements at 450 nm (OD450). Overall, 111 patients were included; the median (q1–q3) age was 57 (49–73) years, 59 (53%) males. According to disease severity, 31 (28%), 47 (42%), and 33 (30%) patients were considered affected by mild/moderate, severe, and critical SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, respectively. During hospitalization, patients with the critical disease showed a higher peak value of both anti‐NP (median OD450: 3.66 vs. 3.06 vs. 3.00 respectively, p = .043) and anti‐S1RBD IgG (median OD450: 2.33 vs. 1.6 vs. 0.91, respectively, p < .001). By testing 48 subjects 6 months or above from discharge, a significant decrease of anti‐NP IgG was observed (r: −0.5838; p < .0001), whereas anti‐S1RBD IgG showed only a modest reduction (r: −0.1507; p = .0647). Accordingly, 10 (21%) and 2 (4%) patients had a negative serological status for anti‐NP and anti‐S1RBD IgG, respectively; no association with clinical severity was found. IgGs against SARS‐CoV‐2 persisted several months after discharge, regardless of disease severity, suggesting that vaccination could be a valid strategy to fight the pandemic.
Metabolic syndrome and severe periodontitis were associated in Thai adults: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Suwanprasit Winita , Lertpimonchai Attawood , Thienpramuk Lalitsara , Vathesatogkit Prin , Sritara Piyamitr , Tamsailom Suphot
Published: February 2021

Background

Studies support the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and periodontitis. However, age is the major confounding factor for both conditions. Therefore, this cross‐sectional study was performed to investigate the relationship between MetS and severe periodontitis in different Thai adult age groups.

Methods

Data on the medical history, medical examination, and full mouth oral examination of 5,690 Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand employees aged 25 to 77 years were collected. The prevalence ratio (PR) between risk variables, MetS, and periodontitis was determined using Poisson regression analysis. Moreover, the subgroup analysis and effect modification by age on severe periodontitis were performed.

Results

Overall, MetS was significantly associated with severe periodontitis compared with non‐severe periodontitis (adjusted PR, 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.13). The association was modified by age, with negative effect modification observed on the multiplicative and additive scales. The subgroup analysis revealed a significant relationship between MetS and severe periodontitis only in participants aged <45 years with an adjusted PR of 1.69 (95% CI, 1.29 to 2.21). All MetS components, except hypertension, were associated with severe periodontitis in this group.

Conclusions

There is a significant relationship between MetS and severe periodontitis in adults aged <45 years. Therefore, attempts to control the risk of MetS and periodontitis should be emphasized for early adults to reduce the incidence of these conditions and related complications when they become elderly.
Sensitivities of slantwise convection dynamics to model grid spacing under an idealized framework
Authors: Chen Ting‐Chen , Yau Man‐Kong , Kirshbaum Daniel J.
Published: February 2021

Although the release of conditional symmetric instability (CSI) by slantwise convection is recognized as an important baroclinic process, the basic dynamics of these circulations and their representation in numerical models remain inadequately understood. To address this issue, a series of 2D idealized experiments of pure slantwise convection are performed in an initially statically stable environment using the non‐hydrostatic Weather Research and Forecasting model, with the horizontal grid lengths varying between 1 and 40 km. The results show that the larger‐scale feedbacks of the slantwise convection converge numerically when a cross‐band grid length (∆y) of 5 km is reached. The differences between the non‐converged and converged results tie closely to the release of a shallow layer of conditional instability that inevitably accompanies the early development of the slantwise circulation due to differential advection of saturation equivalent potential temperature (). The resolved small‐scale upright convection embedded within the slantwise band can energize the horizontal acceleration of the slantwise band at mid‐to‐upper levels by transporting low geostrophic momentum upward that results in localized inertial instability. The convective cell also enhances the large‐scale CSI neutralization by advecting high downward with strong downdraughts that orient more vertically than coarser‐gridded runs. Moreover, ∆y ≤ 5 km also better resolves the horizontal pressure gradients for cross‐band motions. This work suggests that global/climate numerical weather prediction models may not adequately resolve important characteristics of slantwise convection. As most cumulus schemes target only upright convection, the inclusion of parametrized slantwise convection may improve their performance.
A data assimilation algorithm for predicting rain
Authors: Janjić Tijana , Ruckstuhl Yvonne , Toint Philippe L.
Published: February 2021

Convective‐scale data assimilation uses high‐resolution numerical weather prediction models and temporally and spatially dense observations of relevant atmospheric variables. In addition, it requires a data assimilation algorithm that is able to provide initial conditions for a state vector of large size with one third or more of its components containing prognostic hydrometeors variables whose non‐negativity needs to be preserved. The algorithm also needs to be fast as the state vector requires a high updating frequency in order to catch fast‐changing convection. A computationally efficient algorithm for quadratic optimization (QO, or formerly QP) is presented here, which preserves physical properties in order to represent features of the real atmosphere. Crucially for its performance, it exploits the fact that the resulting linear constraints may be disjoint. Numerical results on a simple model designed for testing convective‐scale data assimilation show accurate results and promising computational cost. In particular, if constraints on physical quantities are disjoint and their rank is small, further reduction in computational costs can be achieved.
Synergistic Investigations of Post‐Deformation Annealing and Initial Microstructure on the Mechanical Properties of High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA)‐100 Steel
Authors: Heydarinia Ali , Koushki Ali , Rasooli Novin , Hosseinzadeh Mohammad Reza , Sohrabi Mohammad Javad , Mehranpour Mohammad Sajad
Published: February 2021

A high strength low alloy (HSLA)‐100 steel with different initial microstructures (ferrite and martensite) is processed by cold rolling at room temperature to the reduction of thickness about 70%. It is found that the recrystallization kinetics of the sample with a martensitic microstructure is higher than the sample with a ferritic microstructure. Moreover, the results show that the partitioning factor of substitution alloying elements is less effective than the strain in the martensitic phase transformation. Also, hardness results show that the samples with a martensitic microstructure have drastic drop compared with the samples with a ferritic microstructure, which is related to continuous recrystallization. Remarkable ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure (829 MPa and 27.7%, respectively) are achieved for cold‐rolled martensite after tempering at 625 °C for 360 min. Accordingly, it is also found that the reason for remarkable mechanical properties is the simultaneous presence of recrystallized fine‐grained and deformed martensite, which forms an inhomogeneous microstructure.
Profiling of 120 types of herbal extracts and their effects on morphology in cultured neuronal or glial cell lines, followed by RNA extraction for a cDNA library: Consideration for use in studies based on Kampo theories
Authors: Tohda Michihisa , Qing Feng Zhao
Published: February 2021

Aim

Kampo medicine is composed of a variety of crude drugs. Each crude drug has its own effects, and the interaction of all drugs produces the therapeutic effect of Kampo medicine. In order to examine the characteristics of Kampo medicine and its crude drugs, 120 types of herbal medicines were characterized based on their three‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography (3D‐HPLC) profiles as well as their effects on cell morphology/proliferation when added to cultured cells and gene expression changes such as on BNIP‐3 mRNA levels as an example.

Methods

The cultured neural cell line N18‐TG‐2 and glial cell line C6Bu‐1 were used in experiments. After the acquisition of 3D‐HPLC data, each crude drug was added to the cell culture medium at concentrations of 10 and 100 μg/mL, images were taken of morphological changes, and RNA was extracted to prepare a complementary DNA (cDNA) library.

Results

All the results obtained from the treatments with 120 crude drugs are listed in the Supporting Information. Based on these data, as an example the expression of antidepressant‐related factor BNIP‐3, which we had previously found to increase in expression after treatment with Hochuekkito, was studied and the results obtained revealed that it was increased by Astragali Radix, Cimicifugae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix and others.

Conclusion

The present results, which were collected from observations under unified conditions, include information that will promote herbal medicine research. Future studies to examine the effects of crude drug combinations are also discussed, suggesting that the information files and cDNA library presented here can be the basis for many future integrated studies such as new Wakan‐yaku prescription developments.