bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration: a departmental financial comparison in a rural hospital
Authors: Bethuel Nancy W. , Bravin Eric , Krupa Nicole , Jenkins Paul , Scribani Melissa , Gadomski Anne
Published: March 2021

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare the charges and payments associated with bone marrow aspiration and biopsies performed by hematology/oncology specialists versus interventional radiology specialists at Bassett Medical Center located in a rural area of New York State. Charges pertained to what the hospital charged for the procedure and payment refers to the reimbursement the hospital received. Our secondary objectives were to compare specimen quality by procedure and to determine whether body mass index was associated with which specialist performed the procedure.

Results

The median charge was significantly higher in the interventional radiology group ($5254 USD) compared to the hematology/oncology group ($413 USD), p < 0.0001. Median payments were also higher in the interventional radiology ($1392 USD) compared to the hematology/oncology group ($1109 USD), p < 0.0001. Adequacy of the samples obtained by either profession was similar. Disease process was not associated with adequacy of the sample. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of males and females in the respective groups or in the mean age. However, the patients’ in the interventional radiology group had a significantly higher mean BMI (34.3) compared to those in the hematology/oncology group (28.6), p = 0.0014.
Anti-apoptotic effect of adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction in denervated rat muscle
Authors: El-Habta R. , Andersson G. , Kingham P. J. , Backman L. J.
Published: March 2021

Background

Recovery of muscle function after peripheral nerve injury is often poor, and this can be attributed to muscle fiber atrophy and cell death. In the current study, we have investigated the effects of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) on muscle cell apoptosis and its potential to preserve muscle tissue following denervation.

Methods

Rat gastrocnemius muscle was denervated by sciatic nerve transection. At 2 and 4 weeks after injury, muscles were examined histologically and apoptosis was measured using TUNEL assay and PCR array for a range of apoptotic genes. Additionally, an in vitro TNF-α apoptosis model was established using SVF cells co-cultured indirectly with primary rat myoblasts. Annexin V and TUNEL were used together with Western blotting to investigate the signaling pathways.

Results

Denervated muscles showed significantly higher TUNEL reactivity at 2 and 4 weeks following nerve injury, and an increased expression of caspase family genes, mitochondria-related apoptotic genes, and tumor necrosis factor family genes. In cultured rat primary myoblasts, Annexin V labeling was significantly increased at 12 h after TNF-α treatment, and this was followed by a significant increase in TUNEL reactivity at 48 h. Western blotting showed that caspase-7 was activated/cleaved as well as the downstream substrate, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Co-culture of myoblasts with SVF significantly reduced all these measures of apoptosis. Bax and Bcl-2 levels were not changed suggesting that the TNF-α-induced apoptosis occurred via mitochondria-independent pathways. The protective effect of SVF was also shown in vivo; injections of SVF cells into denervated muscle significantly improved the mean fiber area and diameter, as well as reduced the levels of TUNEL reactivity.

Conclusions

This study provides new insights into how adipose tissue-derived cells might provide therapeutic benefits by preserving muscle tissue.
H3K9ac of TGFβRI in human umbilical cord: a potential biomarker for evaluating cartilage differentiation and susceptibility to osteoarthritis via a two-step strategy
Authors: Qi Yongjian , Li Bin , Wen Yinxian , Yang Xu , Chen Biao , He Zheng , Zhao Zhe , Magdalou Jacques , Wang Hui , Chen Liaobin
Published: March 2021

Background

Epidemiological investigation and our previous reports indicated that osteoarthritis had a fetal origin and was closely associated with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) could be programmable to “remember” early-life stimuli. Here, we aimed to explore an early-warning biomarker of fetal-originated adult osteoarthritis in the WJ-MSCs.

Methods

Firstly, two kinds of WJ-MSCs were applied to evaluate their chondrogenic potential in vitro through inducing chondrogenic differentiation as the first step of our strategy, one from newborns with IUGR and the other from normal newborns but treated with excessive cortisol during differentiation to simulate the excessive maternal glucocorticoid in the IUGR newborns. As for the second step of the strategy, the differentiated WJ-MSCs were treated with interleukin 1β (IL-1β) to mimic the susceptibility to osteoarthritis. Then, the expression and histone acetylation levels of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway and the expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) were quantified, with or without cortisol receptor inhibitor RU486, or HDAC4 inhibitor LMK235. Secondly, the histone acetylation and expression levels of TGFβRI were further detected in rat cartilage and human umbilical cord from IUGR individuals.

Results

Glycosaminoglycan content and the expression levels of chondrogenic genes were decreased in the WJ-MSCs from IUGR, and the expression levels of chondrogenic genes were further reduced after IL-1β treatment, while the expression levels of catabolic factors were increased. Then, serum cortisol level from IUGR individuals was found increased, and similar changes were observed in normal WJ-MSCs treated with excessive cortisol. Moreover, the decreased histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) level of TGFβRI and its expression were observed in IUGR-derived WJ-MSCs and normal WJ-MSCs treated with excessive cortisol, which could be abolished by RU486 and LMK235. At last, the decreased H3K9ac level of TGFβRI and its expression were further confirmed in the cartilage of IUGR rat offspring and human umbilical cords from IUGR newborn.

Conclusions

WJ-MSCs from IUGR individuals displayed a poor capacity of chondrogenic differentiation and an increased susceptibility to osteoarthritis-like phenotype, which was attributed to the decreased H3K9ac level of TGFβRI and its expression induced by high cortisol through GR/HDAC4. The H3K9ac ofTGFβRIin human umbilical cord could be a potential early-warning biomarker for predicting neonatal cartilage dysplasia and osteoarthritis susceptibility.
99mTc-labelled PSMA ligand for radio-guided surgery in nodal metastatic prostate cancer: proof of principle
Authors: Mix Michael , Schultze-Seemann Wolfgang , von Büren Moritz , Sigle August , Omrane Mohamed A. , Grabbert Markus T. , Werner Martin , Gratzke Christian , Meyer Philipp T. , Jilg Cordula A.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Intraoperative identification of prostate cancer (PCa) lymph node (LN) metastases (LNM) detected by preoperative PSMA PET/CT may be facilitated by PSMA radio-guided surgery (RGS) with use of a γ-probe. Earlier we demonstrated excellent performance of the 111In-labelled PSMA ligand DKFZ-617 ([111In]In-PSMA-617) in RGS for ex situ distinction of LN vs LNM at lymphadenectomy (LA) at a single LN level. In comparison with indium-111, technetium-99m has better physical properties for γ-probe measurements, better availability and lower radiation exposure for patients and medical personnel. Against this background, we evaluated the uptake of 99mTc-PSMA-I&S ligand at the level of single LN and its power to discriminate between unaffected LN and LNM.

Methods

Six patients with PCa with the suspicion of LNM on preoperative PSMA-PET/CT underwent [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S RGS (4 salvage LA, 2 primary LA) with intravenous injection of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S 24 h prior to surgery. Resected samples were isolated manually aiming at the level of single LN. Uptake measurements were done ex situ with a high-purity germanium detector. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed based on [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S uptake expressed as lean body mass standard uptake value (SUL).

Results

Separation of the tissue samples from 73 subregions resulted in 498 single samples. After final histopathology 356 LN, 160 LNM und 11 non-nodal PCa samples were identified. Median SUL of tumor-free samples (0.26) and samples with cancer (3.5) was significantly different (p < 0.0001). ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.917 (95% CI 0.89–0.95). Using a SUL cutoff of 1.1, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values were 76.6%, 94.4%, 89.4% and 86.9%.

Conclusion

Ex situ analysis of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S uptake at single LN level showed good diagnostic performance for the ex situ distinction of tumor-bearing vs tumor-free LN during RGS.
The lipopolysaccharide outer core transferase genes pcgD and hptE contribute differently to the virulence of Pasteurella multocida in ducks
Authors: Zhao Xinxin , Shen Hui , Liang Sheng , Zhu Dekang , Wang Mingshu , Jia Renyong , Chen Shun , Liu Mafeng , Yang Qiao , Wu Ying , Zhang Shaqiu , Huang Juan , Ou Xumin , Mao Sai , Gao Qun , Zhang Ling , Liu Yunya , Yu Yanling , Pan Leichang , Cheng Anchun
Published: March 2021

Fowl cholera caused byPasteurella multocidaexerts a massive economic burden on the poultry industry. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is essential for the growth ofP. multocidagenotype L1 strains in chickens and specific truncations to the full length LPS structure can attenuate bacterial virulence. Here we further dissected the roles of the outer core transferase genespcgDandhptEin bacterial resistance to duck serum, outer membrane permeability and virulence in ducks. TwoP. multocidamutants, ΔpcgDand ΔhptE, were constructed, and silver staining confirmed that they all produced truncated LPS profiles. Inactivation ofpcgDorhptEdid not affect bacterial susceptibility to duck serum and outer membrane permeability but resulted in attenuated virulence in ducks to some extent. After high-dose inoculation, ΔpcgDshowed remarkably reduced colonization levels in the blood and spleen but not in the lung and liver and caused decreased injuries in the spleen and liver compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast, the ΔhptEloads declined only in the blood, and ΔhptEinfection caused decreased splenic lesions but also induced severe hepatic lesions. Furthermore, compared with the wild-type strain, ΔpcgDwas significantly attenuated upon oral or intramuscular challenge, whereas ΔhptEexhibited reduced virulence only upon oral infection. Therefore, thepcgDdeletion caused greater virulence attenuation in ducks, indicating the critical role ofpcgDinP. multocidainfection establishment and survival.
Unmet Information Needs Among Hispanic Women with Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Chen Debbie W , Reyes-Gastelum David , Hawley Sarah T , Wallner Lauren P , Hamilton Ann S , Haymart Megan R
Published: March 2021

Context

Thyroid cancer is the second most common cancer in Hispanic women.

Objective

To determine the relationship between acculturation level and unmet information needs among Hispanic women with thyroid cancer.

Design

Population-based survey study.

Participants

Hispanic women from Los Angeles Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registry with thyroid cancer diagnosed in 2014–2015 who had previously completed our thyroid cancer survey in 2017–2018 (N = 273; 80% response rate).

Main Outcome Measures

Patients were asked about 3 outcome measures of unmet information needs: (1) internet access, (2) thyroid cancer information resources used, and (3) ability to access information. Acculturation was assessed with the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). Health literacy was measured with a validated single-item question.

Results

Participants’ median age at diagnosis was 47 years (range 20–79) and 48.7% were low-acculturated. Hispanic women were more likely to report the ability to access information “all of the time” if they preferred thyroid cancer information in mostly English compared to mostly Spanish (88.5% vs 37.0%, P < 0.001). Low-acculturated (vs high-acculturated) Hispanic women were more likely to have low health literacy (47.2% vs 5.0%, P < 0.001) and report use of in-person support groups (42.0% vs 23.1%, P = 0.006). Depending on their level of acculturation, Hispanic women accessed the internet differently (P < 0.001) such that low-acculturated women were more likely to report use of only a smartphone (34.0% vs 14.3%) or no internet access (26.2% vs 1.4%).

Conclusions

Low-acculturated (vs high-acculturated) Hispanic women with thyroid cancer have greater unmet information needs, emphasizing the importance of patient-focused approaches to providing medical information.
Perception on online teaching and learning among health sciences students in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 lockdown – ways to improve teaching and learning in Saudi colleges and universities
Authors: Aziz Ansari Khalid , Farooqi Faraz A. , Qadir Khan Soban , Alhareky Muhanad , C. Trinidad Ma. Abigail , Abidi Taha , M Muzaheed
Published: March 2021

Background: Online learning or E-learning are approaches to broadcasting teaching by the means of internet technology and software applications. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is likewise embarking on the rapid growth in online education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the student’s perceptions regarding online teaching and learning during COVID 19.

Methods: An online computer-based cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2020. A pre-validated questionnaire was used and administrated to health sciences students studying at Dammam Universities through online software QuestionPro.

Results: Out of total 281, 68% of the participants were females (n=188) while 31.9% (n=88) were male students with an average age of 23.1(4.5) years. Overall, 176 (62%) of the students expressed their satisfaction with online learning.

Conclusion: Findings will help academicians to identify strengths, areas of improvement, and encourage faculty to think deeply to restructure course learning objectives, teaching techniques to engage students and improve learning process.
Human capital and recruitment processes for the position of a trainer in Poland
Authors: Kalinowski Paweł , Kasprowicz Marcin , Kalinowska Katarzyna , Nowakowska Monika , Jerszyński Damian
Published: March 2021

A high sports score is composed of many factors that determine the final result. It is difficult to state clearly which of them are the most important ones. However, it can be said that a right human material is necessary for success in sport. At the same time players with specific predispositions and highly qualified trainers, who together with their mentees aim at a specific goal to a certain degree, are needed. Researchers have already dealt with the designation of the most important predictors of sporting success in the last century. The process of determining the gradation of factors is extremely difficult and complicated. Nevertheless, it is the player's relationship with the coach that seems to be one of the most important aspects in the training process. Hence, the purpose of the work is to try to describe recruitment processes for the position of a trainer in Poland. Referring to the hypotheses and research questions, the authors showed some premises that might affect the selection of trainers in sport. Moreover, they might have some impact on the position of Polish sports disciplines in world rankings.
MARITAL RELATIONSHIP PADA PASANGAN USIA MUDA: SCOPING REVIEW
Authors: Saraswati Putu Ayu Dina , Astuti Andari Wuri , Hakimi Mohammad
Published: March 2021

There are nine percent of women aged 15-19 who have married or living together in Indonesia, one percent of women divorced in the age group of 15-19 years. This scoping review aimed to review the evidence about the marital relationship among young couple in developing countries.  Arksey and O’Malley framework was applied involving identify relevant evidence; identify review question; identify relevant evidence; study selection; charting data; and collating, summarizing and reporting the data. PRISMA flowchart used to show the process of searching the literature. Result of the review showed that there were ten pieces of evidence included and processed within a review. These four themes emerged, i.e. marriage decision-makers for the young couple; changes in the marriage practice of young couples; unpreparedness pregnancy on a young couple; the perspective of young couples about marital relationship. The young married couple will face many environmental and social problems with the result that they must be able to adapt to deal with the stresses and pressures that arise in their family life.
Modeling a grating coupler-based interferometer for far-field-sensing of nanoscale displacements
Authors: Galeotti Federico , Fiore Andrea
Published: March 2021

Sensing displacements at the nanoscale is the basis for many metrology applications, in particular atomic-force microscopy. Displacement sensing with nano-optomechanical structures provides interesting opportunities for integration, but it typically features a small dynamic range due to the near-field nature of the sensor-sample interaction. Here, a far-field sensing approach based on a grating coupler is considered and an analytical model used to tune its performance is introduced. The proposed model allows exploiting the full range of design parameters and thereby optimizing resolution and dynamic range. The compact size of the sensor and the possibility of integrating it with an on-chip laser and detector make it very promising for fully-integrated optical sensing systems.
Pulsed free space two-port photonic vector network analyzer with up to 2 THz bandwidth
Authors: Faridi Fahd Rushd , Preu Sascha
Published: March 2021

We demonstrate a free space two-port photonic vector network analyzer capable of measuring the scattering parameters of devices and materials in the terahertz range with a frequency coverage of 0.2 - 2 THz in a single system. It is based on photoconductive terahertz sources and detectors driven by a telecom-wavelength femtosecond laser. Being able to cover a bandwidth of one order of magnitude, the system is capable of performing S-parameter measurements deep into the terahertz range, beyond frequencies reachable by their electronic counterparts. We demonstrate high performance at three application examples, namely S-parameter measurements of a split ring resonator array and a distributed Bragg reflector, as well as material parameter extraction of several materials.
High-performance reflection-type augmented reality 3D display using a reflective polarizer
Authors: Li Qiang , He Wei , Deng Huan , Zhong Fei-Yan , Chen Yue
Published: March 2021

We propose a high-performance reflection-type augmented reality (AR) 3D display by using a reflective polarizer (RP). The RP functions as a reflective imaging device as well as an image combiner that combines the real scenes and the 3D images reconstructed by the integral imaging display unit. Benefiting from the flawless imaging of the RP, the proposed reflection-type AR system can achieve high-definition 3D display. A prototype based on the proposed reflection-type AR structure is developed, and it presents good 3D display effects and reflection-type AR performances. The developed prototype is very compact, as thin as 3.4 mm, which makes it be a potential candidate in stomatology and vehicle AR display.
Fundamental limit of microresonator field uniformity and slow light enabled ultraprecise displacement metrology
Authors: Sumetsky M.
Published: March 2021

We determine the fundamental limit of microresonator field uniformity. It can be achieved in a specially designed microresonator, called a bat microresonator, fabricated at the optical fiber surface. We show that the relative nonuniformity of an eigenmode amplitude along the axial length

L

of an ideal bat microresonator cannot be smaller than

1
3

π

2

n

4

λ

−
4

Q

−
2

L

4

, where

n
,

λ

, and

Q

are its refractive index, eigenmode wavelength, and

Q

-factor, respectively. For a silica microresonator with

Q

=

10
8

, this eigenmode has axial speed

∼

10

−
4

c

, where

c

is the speed of light in vacuum, and its nonuniformity along length

L

=
100

\unicode{x00B5}

m

at wavelength

λ

=
1.5

µ
m

is

∼

10

−
7

. For a realistic fiber with diameter 100 µm and surface roughness 0.2 nm, the smallest eigenmode nonuniformity is

∼
0.0003

. As an application, we consider a bat microresonator evanescently coupled to high

Q

-factor silica microspheres, which serves as a reference supporting ultraprecise straight-line translation.
Dynamic focus shaping with mixed-aperture coherent beam combining
Authors: Prossotowicz Maike , Flamm Daniel , Heimes Andreas , Jansen Florian , Otto Hans-Jürgen , Budnicki Aleksander , Killi Alexander , Morgner Uwe
Published: March 2021

A novel concept for dynamic focus shaping based on highly efficient coherent beam combining with micro-lens arrays (MLAs) as the combining element is presented. This concept allows us to control the power weights of diffraction orders by varying the absolute phases of an array of input beams. A proof-of-principle experiment is supported by simulations. For this, an input beam matrix of

5
×
5

beams is combined proving both the ability for further power scaling and dynamic focus shaping.
Low-loss and high-resolution mechanical mode tuning in microspheres
Authors: Liang Jing-yu , Wang Min , Ruan Dong , Long Gui-Lu
Published: March 2021

Lack of tunability impedes the wide application of optomechanical systems; however, little research exists on mechanical frequency tuning. Herein, ultra-fine low-loss dynamical mechanical frequency tuning is achieved by compressing a microsphere along the axial direction. The tuning resolution reaches approximately 4% of the mechanical linewidth, and the variation range of the mechanical quality factor (

Q
m

) is within 2.9% of the untouched

Q
m

. The roles of geometric deformation, spring effect, and stiffness were also evaluated through simulation and experimental analysis. Furthermore, sine function modulation was displayed, with a Pearson coefficient exceeding 99.3%, to achieve arbitrary-function mechanical resonance tuning. This method paves the way for scalable optomechanical applications, such as mechanical vibration synchronization or optomechanics-based optical wavelength conversion.
Testing, tracing and isolation in compartmental models
Authors: Sturniolo Simone , Waites William , Colbourn Tim , Manheim David , Panovska-Griffiths Jasmina
Published: March 2021

Existing compartmental mathematical modelling methods for epidemics, such as SEIR models, cannot accurately represent effects of contact tracing. This makes them inappropriate for evaluating testing and contact tracing strategies to contain an outbreak. An alternative used in practice is the application of agent- or individual-based models (ABM). However ABMs are complex, less well-understood and much more computationally expensive. This paper presents a new method for accurately including the effects of Testing, contact-Tracing and Isolation (TTI) strategies in standard compartmental models. We derive our method using a careful probabilistic argument to show how contact tracing at the individual level is reflected in aggregate on the population level. We show that the resultant SEIR-TTI model accurately approximates the behaviour of a mechanistic agent-based model at far less computational cost. The computational efficiency is such that it can be easily and cheaply used for exploratory modelling to quantify the required levels of testing and tracing, alone and with other interventions, to assist adaptive planning for managing disease outbreaks.
Modelling the factors affecting the probability for local rabies elimination by strategic control
Authors: Kotzé Johann L. , Duncan Grewar John , Anderson Aaron
Published: March 2021

Dog rabies has been recognized from ancient times and remains widespread across the developing world with an estimated 59,000 people dying annually from the disease. In 2011 a tri-partite alliance consisting of the OIE, the WHO and the FAO committed to globally eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. Regardless of global support, the responsibility remains with local program managers to implement successful elimination programs. It is well known that vaccination programs have a high probability of successful elimination if they achieve a population-coverage of 70%. It is often quoted that reducing population turnover (typically through sterilizations) raises the probability for local elimination by maintaining herd immunity for longer. Besides this, other factors that affect rabies elimination are rarely mentioned. This paper investigates the probability for local elimination as it relates to immunity, fecundity, dog population size, infectivity (bite rates), in-migration of immune-naïve dogs, and the initial incidence. To achieve this, an individual-based, stochastic, transmission model was manipulated to create a dataset covering combinations of factors that may affect elimination. The results thereof were analysed using a logistic regression model with elimination as the dependent variable. Our results suggest that smaller dog populations, lower infectivity and lower incidence (such as when epidemics start with single introductions) strongly increased the probability for elimination at wide ranges of vaccination levels. Lower fecundity and lower in-migration had weak effects. We discuss the importance of these findings in terms of their impact and their practical application in the design of dog-mediated rabies control programs.
Children and young people’s experiences of living with developmental coordination disorder/dyspraxia: A systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research
Authors: O’Dea Áine , Stanley Mandy , Coote Susan , Robinson Katie
Published: March 2021

Background

To date services for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have not been informed by the perspective of children with DCD. This study aimed to synthesise the findings of discrete qualitative studies reporting the lived experiences views and preferences of children and young with DCD using a meta-ethnographic approach to develop new conceptual understandings.

Methods

A systematic search of ten databases; Academic Search Complete, AMED, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsychArticles, PsychInfo, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science, was conducted between March and April 2019, and updated in early June 2020. Meta-ethnography, following the method described by Noblit and Hare was used to synthesise included studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist was used to appraise all included papers. PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019129178.

Results

Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-ethnographic synthesis produced three themes; a) ‘It’s harder than it should be’: Navigating daily activities b) Fitting in, and c) ‘So what? I drop things’: Strategies and supports to mitigate challenges. Children with DCD describe a mismatch between their abilities and performance norms for daily activities that led to a cascade of negative consequences including negative self-appraisal, bullying and exclusion. In the face of these difficulties children described creative and successful strategies they enacted and supports they accessed including; assistance from others (parents, friends and teachers), focusing on their strengths and talents, accepting and embracing their difference, adopting a “just do it” attitude, setting personal goals, self-exclusion from some social activities, using humour or sarcasm, viewing performance expectations as a social construct, and enjoying friendships as a forum for fun, acceptance and protection against exclusion.

Conclusion

Service provision for children and young people with DCD should address the social and attitudinal environments, focus on friendship and social inclusion and address stigma-based bullying particularly within the school environment. Furthermore, practitioners should identify and foster children’s own strategies for navigating daily life activities with DCD. The identified themes resonate with contemporary disability theory and the International Classification of Functioning. The social and attitudinal environmental context of children and young people with DCD profoundly influences their experiences. Future intervention development and service provision for children and young people with DCD should consider opportunities to address social and attitudinal environmental factors.
The gendered film worker: Women in cinema collective, intimate publics and the politics of labour
Authors: Mannil Bindu Menon
Published: March 2021

Although Indian cinema studies as a discipline has long been involved in various theoretical elaborations of film production, not until recently has it engaged with the question of the gendered nature of film work. In this piece, I attempt to develop a framework centred around the politics of labour to provide a useful case to highlight how thoughtful engagement with these categories provides immense value for both contemporary film scholarship and feminist histories of media. In trying to situate Women in Cinema Collective, the first collective of women film workers to be formed in India, in the larger history of labour politics and women workers collectives of the recent past, I try to disaggregate a larger episteme of women’s work that emerges across the flexible labour economies of the neo-liberal present. Through examining the Women in Cinema Collective’s social media campaigns, advocacy work, petitioning and legal counselling, I argue that Women in Cinema Collective emerges as a tenuous collective whose work moves across the porous boundaries of a new social movement, workers collective and an autonomous women’s group.
Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic without Killing the Economy: About Data Driven Decision Making with a Data Model Assessing Local Transmission Risk
Authors: Stapff Manfred
Published: March 2021

Context
In the face of further waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes essential to find a balance between protective actions to guard public health and restrictive measures which can collapse our economy.

Background
As a basis for public health decisions, officials still rely on metrics that were helpful in the beginning of the pandemic but are now not precise enough for a focused and targeted approach to keep the spread of the infection under control. This can lead to public mistrust, “pandemic tiredness”, and can cause unnecessary damage to the economy without having the desired protective effect on public health.

Methods
This article discusses various metrics, their advantages and caveats, and it provides suggestions for use in a more targeted and risk-based approach, as an alternative to the current “general lock-down” practice. It suggests the notion of including a concept of “risk contacts per area” to better describe the possibility of virus transmission than currently published metrics do. The article also suggests specific analyses of real-world data for the identification of populations at risk for severe courses of COVID-19 to allow more targeted protective actions.

Discussion
Data currently used to describe the COVID-19 pandemic lack important parameters like population density and the local likelihood of potentially infectious contacts. The currently often used “all or nothing” approach of shut-down orders needs to be replaced by more sophisticated tactics considering individual local exposure risks and need to be balanced towards metrics on economic short-term and long-term impact. In addition, smart analyses of real-world data may contribute to the effective protection of individuals at risk.
Shifting Meridians of Global Authority
Authors: Böller Florian , Harnisch Sebastian
Published: March 2021

While the Trump presidency led to increased attention to the (in)stability of the »liberal order«, so far few studies have provided comparative and theory-guided analyses of the scope, direction and depth of resulting changes in global authorities. When authority, understood as legitimate rules and norms pertaining to a relational order, becomes contested, smaller states as well as major powers adapt their foreign policies to realize the order they prefer. They forge new alliances, claim authority within institutions, discard old responsibilities, or reject leadership roles for themselves. That way, the meridian of global authority shifts while foreign policy choices are transformed.
Erkundungen
Authors: Lorenz Stephan
Published: March 2021

Stephan Lorenz widmet sich der Bedeutung des Lebenswerks des öffentlichen Intellektuellen und Soziologen Richard Sennett, einem der meist beachteten Gesellschaftsdiagnostiker der letzten Jahrzehnte. Zunächst werden sein intellektuelles, von der Aufklärung inspiriertes Selbstverständnis und seine politischen Positionierungen betrachtet. Beides geht ein in seine Analysen sozialer Ungleichheiten und technischer Zerstörungen moderner Gesellschaften. Dementgegen nimmt er grundlegend gleiche Befähigungen der Menschen an und entwirft eine an Praxis und Ethos handwerklicher Arbeit orientierte materielle Kultur, die soziale Kooperation und zivilisierten öffentlichen Konflikt befördert. Sodann sucht der Beitrag die Gesellschaft des Forschers Sennett, wendet sich also seinem Forschungsstil zu. Leitend sind für ihn methodologische Annahmen des Pragmatismus und, für ihn als Essayist, die Idee einer Soziologie als Literatur. Schließlich wird ein kurzer Ausblick auf die Buchbeiträge gegeben.
Demokratie
Authors: August Vincent
Published: March 2021

Der Beitrag analysiert erstmals systematisch das Demokratieverständnis von Richard Sennett. Er verortet es zudem im Kontext politischer und soziologischer Demokratieverständnisse und zeigt so, dass Sennetts Verbindung von republikanischen und soziologischen Elementen über sein Werk hinaus fruchtbar sein könnte. Die zentrale These lautet, dass Sennetts Demokratieverständnis von zwei grundlegenden Positionen getragen wird: In analytischer Hinsicht versteht er Demokratie als Lebensform, sodass die politische Dimension der sozialen Praxis in allen Bereichen der Gesellschaft analysiert werden muss. Für die kritische Evaluation dieser Analysen legt Sennett dann normative Kriterien an, die aus der Tradition des konfliktiven Republikanismus stammen, zu der auch Alexis de Tocqueville und Hannah Arendt gehören.
Schule und Sexualität
Authors: Siemoneit Julia Kerstin Maria
Published: March 2021

Im Sozialraum Schule werden sexualitätsbezogene Inhalte sowohl implizit als auch explizit vermittelt - etwa durch Interaktionen auf Schulhöfen, während der Pausen oder im Unterricht. Julia Kerstin Maria Siemoneit untersucht das Verhältnis zwischen der Thematisierung von Sexualität und professionellem Selbstverständnis sowie der pädagogischen Beziehung von Lehrer*innen und Schüler*innen. Grundlage ihrer Studie sind Befragungen von Lehrkräften an Gymnasien, aus denen Deutungsmuster zum Umgang mit Körpern, Begehren und Begehrensformen entwickelt und in den Kontext ihrer professionstheoretischen Bedeutung für den Lehrer*innenberuf gestellt werden.
»Fight for Americanism« - Preparedness-Bewegung und zivile Mobilisierung in den USA 1914-1920
Authors: Franz Manuel
Published: March 2021

Als in Europa der Erste Weltkrieg ausbrach, fürchteten viele Amerikaner um die Souveränität der USA. Unter der Parole »Preparedness« formierte sich bald eine lautstarke Bewegung, deren selbsterklärtes Ziel es war, die Öffentlichkeit über Fragen der nationalen Sicherheit aufzuklären. Manuel Franz zeigt, wie Lobbyorganisationen die sicherheitspolitische Debatte zwischen 1914 und 1920 nutzten, um den Nationalismus in der amerikanischen Zivilgesellschaft zu befeuern. Damit nimmt er nicht nur die kaum noch im historischen Gedächtnis präsente Preparedness-Bewegung neu in den Blick, sondern spürt auch einer der ideengeschichtlichen Wurzeln illiberalen Denkens in den USA nach.
Der asymptomatische Mensch
Authors: Vogt Hans
Published: March 2021

Wir leben im Zeitalter des asymptomatischen Menschen. Die Medikalisierung unserer Lebenswelt ist so weit vorangeschritten, dass Krankheitsbegriffe, die unseren Alltag maßgeblich prägen, kaum noch Überschneidungen mit unserer sinnlichen Erfahrung aufweisen. Lebenswissenschaften, Biotechnologien und Versorgungssysteme bestimmen unseren Umgang mit Gegenwart, Körper und Macht. Bildgebende Verfahren und Bioinformatik verwandeln medizinische Prognostik in einen selbstreferenziellen Wert. Hans Vogt zeigt: Nicht mehr nur bestimmte Lebensabschnitte haben Krankheitsstatus. Vielmehr bewegt sich der Mensch der Spätmoderne stets in fließend ineinander übergehenden Modulationen einer lebenslangen Diagnose.
Christian Wolff über motivierende Gründe und handlungsrelevante Irrtümer
Authors: Schierbaum Sonja
Published: March 2021

In this paper, I discuss Christian Wolff’s conception of motivating and normative reasons. My aim is to show that in the discussion of error cases, Wolff pursues a strategy that is strikingly similar to the strategy of contemporary defenders of nicht-psychologist accounts of motivating reasons. According to many nicht-psychologist views, motivating reasons are facts. My aim is to show that Wolff’s motivation in pursuing this strategy is very different. The point is that due to his commitment to the Principle of Sufficient Reason, Wolff has to show that error cases are compatible with the PSR. The issue is worth discussing because it is not yet sufficiently explored what motivating reasons are, according to Wolff, and how they relate, in substance, to normative reasons. Methodologically, my approach can be characterized as one of “mutual illumination”: I think it is possible to highlight some crucial ambiguities of Wolff’s conception against the backdrop of the contemporary conception of motivating reasons, but also to question the importance and role of the ontological question of what motivating reasons are in contemporary discussions against the backdrop of Wolff’s position.
Unseating the Craftsman: Natural Efficient Cause in Aristotle's Craft Analogy
Authors: Ravilochan Aparna
Published: March 2021

In this essay, I respond to a problem raised by Sarah Broadie in her 1987 article “Nature, Craft and Phronesis in Aristotle.” Broadie analyzes Aristotle’s famous craft analogy for natural causation in order to determine whether or not it requires importing a psychological dimension to natural teleology. She argues that it is possible to make sense of the analogy without psychology, but that the tradeoff is a conception of craft so thoroughly de-psychologized that it is rendered unrecognizable, perhaps even incoherent as a referent. I dispute this suggestion and argue, rather, that Aristotle’s insistence on removing psychology from the craft side of the analogy points to his prioritization of techne itself, rather than any particular craftsman, as primary efficient agent. The lack of psychology that characterizes a techne ensures stability and reliability in the causal process that could not be guaranteed by the idiosyncratic psychologies of various craftspeople. The same kind of stability and reliability belong to nature as an efficient cause, forming the basis of the comparison between craft and natural teleology. It is therefore the craft, not the craftsman, that must stand as analog to nature. I demonstrate the value of this revision by applying the analogy to the case of natural teleology: reproduction as depicted in Aristotle’s Generation of Animals. The result is a reading of Aristotle’s analogies that can assuage Broadie’s concerns and allow for a natural thing’s own nature to more fully inhabit its intended role as an inner source of change.
Circular Rydberg states of helium atoms or helium-like ions in a high-frequency laser field
Authors: Kryukov Nikolay , Oks Eugene
Published: March 2021

In the literature, there were studies of Rydberg states of hydrogenic atoms/ions in a high-frequency laser field. It was shown that the motion of the Rydberg electron is analogous to the motion of a satellite around an oblate planet (for a linearly polarized laser field) or around a (fictitious) prolate planet (for a circularly polarized laser field): it exhibits two kinds of precession – one of them is the precession within the orbital plane and another one is the precession of the orbital plane. In this study, we study a helium atom or a helium-like ion with one of the two electrons in a Rydberg state, the system being under a high-frequency laser field. For obtaining analytical results, we use the generalized method of the effective potentials. We find two primary effects of the high-frequency laser field on circular Rydberg states. The first effect is the precession of the orbital plane of the Rydberg electron. We calculate analytically the precession frequency and show that it differs from the case of a hydrogenic atom/ion. In the radiation spectrum, this precession would manifest as satellites separated from the spectral line at the Kepler frequency by multiples of the precession frequency. The second effect is a shift of the energy of the Rydberg electron, also calculated analytically. We find that the absolute value of the shift increases monotonically as the unperturbed binding energy of the Rydberg electron increases. We also find that the shift has a nonmonotonic dependence on the nuclear charge Z: as Z increases, the absolute value of the shift first increases, then reaches a maximum, and then decreases. The nonmonotonic dependence of the laser field-caused energy shift on the nuclear charge is a counterintuitive result.
Anti-Leishmania activity of extracts from Piper cabralanum C.DC. (Piperaceae)
Authors: Valéria Amorim Layane , de Lima Moreira Davyson , Muálem de Moraes Alves Michel , Jessé Ramos Ygor , Pereira Costa Sobrinho Enoque , Arcanjo Daniel Dias Rufino , Rodrigues de Araújo Alyne , de Souza de Almeida Leite José Roberto , das Chagas Pereira de Andrade Francisco , Mendes Anderson Nogueira , Aécio de Amorim Carvalho Fernando
Published: March 2021

Species of Piperaceae are known by biological properties, including antiparasitic such as leishmanicidal, antimalarial and in the treatment of schistosomiasis. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antileishmania activity, cytotoxic effect, and macrophage activation patterns of the methanol (MeOH), hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract fractions from the leaves of Piper cabralanum C.DC. The MeOH, HEX and DCM fractions inhibited Leishmanina amazonensis promastigote-like forms growth with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 144.54, 59.92, and 64.87 μg/mL, respectively. The EtOAc fraction did not show any relevant activity. The half maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) for macrophages were determined as 370.70, 83.99, 113.68 and 607 μg/mL for the MeOH, HEX and DCM fractions, respectively. The macrophage infectivity was concentration-dependent, especially for HEX and DCM. MeOH, HEX and DCM fractions showed activity against L. amazonensis with low cytotoxicity to murine macrophages and lowering infectivity by the parasite. Our results provide support for in vivo studies related to a potential application of P. cabralanum extract and fractions as a promising natural resource in the treatment of leishmaniasis.
Music Psychology of the Piano-Playing Hands in Historical Discourse
Authors: Kim Youn
Published: March 2021

Music-making hands have drawn considerable scholarly attention, featuring prominently in recent investigations in biomechanics, paleoanthropology, and cognitive sciences. Yet already in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, piano pedagogy theories were evolving not only in response to changing musical styles but also to scientific conceptualizations of the human body. Taking piano-playing hands as a platform for human/machine interaction, this article analyzes the historical discourse on piano-playing hands in relation to the contemporary scientific context and via the framework of cognitive science. In this process, these scientific and pedagogical writings, which have been previously discussed only dispersedly and marginally, emerge as more than didactic instruction. This historical discourse on music psychology of piano-playing hands points to music cognition that is extended beyond the body, situated in activity, and distributed beyond the individual.
Latin American Cities
Authors: Martinez Brandon P. , Portes Alejandro
Published: March 2021

We summarize the history of Latin American urbanization with a focus on the evolution of cities from the colonial and post-colonial eras to the adoption of the import-substitution model of development and its subsequent replacement by a neoliberal adjustment model. Consequences for the urban system of both import-substitution and neoliberal policies are examined, with a focus on the evolution of the urban population and trends in several strategic areas. We examine indicators of unemployment and informal employment; poverty and inequality; and urban crime and victimization rates as they evolved from the import-substitution era to the implosion of the neoliberal model that replaced it in the early twenty-first century. The consequences for cities of the disastrous application of this model are summarized as a prelude to the analysis of more recent trends. Based on the latest statistical indicators available, we document a significant decline in unemployment and economic inequality in six Latin American nations that jointly comprise 80 percent of the population of the region. Employment in the informal sector also declined steadily, although it still comprises a large proportion of Latin American labor markets. Consequences of this situation for the citizenry and alternative government policies to address it are discussed.
Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Secondary to Ocular Trauma in a Young Patient
Authors: Ahmed Ailia
Published: March 2021

Central retinal vein occlusions (CRVO) occurring in young patients or due to a traumatic etiology is uncommon. This paper outlines the case of a 33-year-old Asian male who presented with a chief complaint of blurry peripheral vision and photophobia in his left eye, one week after sustaining blunt ocular trauma. He was diagnosed with a traumatic CRVO based on history and exam findings.