bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated care systems: can they deliver?
Authors: Rao Ranga
Published: December 2022

This commentary is a response to three articles on integrated care systems in this journal. It explores some aspects of the latest transformation of England's National Health Service (NHS) and raises some questions on the extent to which the proposed NHS Long Term Plan can deliver on the current challenges.
Advancing the Clinician Educator Career Pathway in Oncology
Authors: Giuliani Meredith Elana , Bhadkamkar Nishin A. , Giannopoulos Eleni , Lubner Sam , Tseng Jennifer , Tibbits Michal , Von Roenn Jamie H.
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE:

Education is an important component of cancer care; however, most clinician educators (CEs) receive little formal training in this area. Little is known about the factors that influence oncologists to pursue a career as a CE. The primary objective of this study was to determine the current state of oncologists' perceptions regarding the clinician educator role.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A one-time cross-sectional survey was administered to program directors/associate program directors (PDs/APDs) and fellows in November 2021. The survey was meant to elicit their perceptions regarding the CE role, training opportunities, and barriers to a career as a CE.

RESULTS:

The surveys were completed by a total of 2,134 oncology fellows and 88 PDs/APDs. Most PDs/APDs were female (52%), were associate professors (42%), and considered themselves a CE (82%). Over one-third of PDs/APDs reported no formal educator training (67%) and did not have a CE track for fellows at their institution (76%). The majority of PDs/APDs (80%) perceived the CE track to be a viable career pathway. Over half of fellows (56%) perceived the CE track to be a viable career pathway. Approximately one-third (62%) reported receiving CE training during their residency/fellowship. The top reported barriers to a career in medical education were a lack of jobs and opportunity for future promotions.

CONCLUSION:

Oncology PDs/APDs and fellows perceive the CE to be a viable career track. Greater advocacy efforts are needed to raise awareness about this career path.
Circulating FGF21 Concentration, Fasting Plasma Glucose, and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Results From the PREVEND Study
Authors: Post Adrian , Dam Wendy A , Sokooti Sara , Groothof Dion , Gloerich Jolein , van Gool Alain J , Kremer Daan , Gansevoort Ron T , van den Born Jacob , Kema Ido P , Franssen Casper F M , Dullaart Robin P F , Bakker Stephan J L
Published: December 2022

Objective

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a peptide hormone synthesized by several organs and regulates, among others, energy homeostasis. In obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D), higher circulating FGF21 concentrations have been found. Temporal analyses in murine studies demonstrate that FGF21 increases before insulin resistance occurs. The current study aims to investigate in time-to-event analyses whether FGF21 may be an early biomarker in the development of T2D.

Research Design and Methods

Circulating FGF21 was measured using an immunoassay of the Mesoscale U-PLEX assay platform. The study outcome was incident T2D. Associations of circulating FGF21 concentration with T2D were quantified using Cox proportional hazards models with adjustments for potential confounders.

Results

We included 5244 participants aged 52 ± 12 years, of whom 50% were male. Median [interquartile range] circulating FGF21 concentration was 860 [525-1329] pg/mL. During 7.3 [6.1-7.7] years of follow-up, 299 (5.7%) participants developed T2D. In fully adjusted analyses, higher circulating FGF21 concentration was associated with an increased risk of incident T2D (hazard ratio per doubling: 1.26 [95% CI, 1.06-1.51]; P = 0.008), with effect modification by fasting plasma glucose, consistent with strengthening of the association at lower fasting glucose (interaction coefficient: −0.12; P = 0.022).

Conclusion

Higher circulating FGF21 concentrations are independently associated with an increased risk of incident T2D in participants with a low fasting plasma glucose, making circulating FGF21 concentration a potential early biomarker for type 2 diabetes.
The present and future of Turing models in developmental biology
Authors: Kondo Shigeru
Published: December 2022

The Turing model (or reaction-diffusion model), first published in 1952, is a mathematical model that can account for autonomy in the morphogenesis of organisms. Although initially controversial, the model has gradually gained wider acceptance among experimental embryologists due to the accumulation of experimental data to support it. More recently, this model and others based on it have been used not only to explain biological phenomena conceptually but also as working hypotheses for molecular-level experiments and as internal components of more-complex 3D models. In this Spotlight, I will provide a personal perspective from an experimental biologist on some of the recent developments of the Turing model.
Cargo adapters expand the transport range of intraflagellar transport
Authors: Lechtreck Karl
Published: December 2022

The assembly and maintenance of most cilia and eukaryotic flagella depends on intraflagellar transport (IFT), the bidirectional movement of multi-megadalton IFT trains along the axonemal microtubules. These IFT trains function as carriers, moving ciliary proteins between the cell body and the organelle. Whereas tubulin, the principal protein of cilia, binds directly to IFT particle proteins, the transport of other ciliary proteins and complexes requires adapters that link them to the trains. Large axonemal substructures, such as radial spokes, outer dynein arms and inner dynein arms, assemble in the cell body before attaching to IFT trains, using the adapters ARMC2, ODA16 and IDA3, respectively. Ciliary import of several membrane proteins involves the putative adapter tubby-like protein 3 (TULP3), whereas membrane protein export involves the BBSome, an octameric complex that co-migrates with IFT particles. Thus, cells employ a variety of adapters, each of which is substoichiometric to the core IFT machinery, to expand the cargo range of the IFT trains. This Review summarizes the individual and shared features of the known cargo adapters and discusses their possible role in regulating the transport capacity of the IFT pathway.
Occupational and patient doses for interventional radiology integrated into a dose management system
Authors: Vano Eliseo , Fernandez-Soto José M , Ten José I , Sanchez Casanueva Roberto M
Published: December 2022

Objectives:

The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends managing patient and occupational doses as an integrated approach, for the optimisation of interventional procedures. The conventional passive personal dosimeters only allow one to know the accumulated occupational doses during a certain period of time. This information is not enough to identify if there is a lack of occupational radiation protection during some procedures. This paper describes the use of a dose management system (DMS) allowing patient and occupational doses for individual procedures to be audited.

Methods:

The DMS manages patient and occupational doses measured by electronic personal dosimeters. One dosemeter located at the C-arm is used as a reference for scatter radiation. Data have been collected from five interventional rooms. Dosimetry data can be managed for the whole procedure and the different radiation events. Optimisation is done through auditing different sets of parameters for individual procedures: patient dose indicators, occupational dose values, the ratio between occupational doses, and the doses measured by the reference dosemeter at the C-arm, and the ratio between occupational and patient dose values.

Results:

The managed data correspond to the year 2021, with around 4500 procedures, and 8000 records on occupational exposures. Patient and staff dose data (for 11 cardiologists, 7 radiologists and 8 nurses) were available for 3043 procedures. The DMS allows alerts for patient dose indicators and occupational exposures to be set.

Conclusions:

The main advantage of this integrated approach is the capacity to improve radiation safety for patients and workers together, auditing alerts for individual procedures.

Advances in knowledge:

The management of patient and occupational doses together (measured with electronic personal dosimeters) for individual interventional procedures, using dose management systems, allows alerting optimisation on high-dose values for patients and staff.
Ο πόλεμος φθοράς και η τακτική της εξαπάτησης και του αιφνιδιασμού στις πολεμικές επιχειρήσεις του Βυζαντίου (11ος -13ος αιώνας)
Authors: ΚΑΝΕΛΛΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ Νικόλαος Σ.
Published: December 2022

Theory (as attested by the military manuals) and practice prove that attrition warfare and the associated military tactics of deception and surprise played an important role in the byzantine military history. The paper studies cases of attrition warfare and surprise attacks exercised by the Byzantines from 11th till 13th century. Important military leaders such as Alexios I Komnenos were masters of attrition warfare and used skillfully that strategy whenever an open battle against a strong opponent was very precarious.
            The Byzantines took advantage of the Balkan and Asia Minor mountainous terrain as well as the recruitment of foreign fast moving troops armed with long range shooting weapons that facilitated the exercise of tactics of deception and surprise.  These military tactics were mostly successful against the Latins while were occasionally successful against the Seljuks and the Turkomans. The paper concludes that attrition warfare and the tactics of deception and surprise were more often applied during the 13th century –a period that Byzantium’s military resources and capabilities diminished– thus being a distinctive byzantine method of warfare and gave rise to an active role of the infantry who under special circumstances could threaten the western cavalry.
Speaking ceramics:
Authors: ΓΙΑΓΚΑΚΗ Αναστασία
Published: December 2022

Τα αγγεία που έχουν εντοιχιστεί σε ναούς του ελλαδικού χώρου έχουν ήδη από τη δεκαετία του 1970 αποτελέσει αντικείμενο έρευνας. Την τελευταία δεκαετία η σχετική έρευνα συστηματοποιήθηκε, στο πλαίσιο ειδικού ερευνητικού προγράμματος. Με βάση τόσο δημοσιευμένο υλικό από την ηπειρωτική Ελλάδα όσο και δημοσιευμένο αλλά και αδημοσίευτο υλικό από την Κρήτη η μελέτη επικεντρώνεται στις διαφορετικές πτυχές της χρήσης των εφυαλωμένων κεραμικών στις όψεις των ναών. Ειδικότερα, εκτός από τον καθαρά διακοσμητικό ή και λειτουργικό ρόλο της χρήσης των bacini στα εκκλησιαστικά μνημεία, επιχειρείται να αναδειχθεί η σημασία τους ως αντικείμενα που: α. εμπεριέχουν συμβολισμούς μέσω των οποίων δηλώνονται κυρίως θρησκευτικά νοήματα, β. παρέχουν έμμεσες πληροφορίες για τους αρχικούς ιδιοκτήτες τους ή/και τους δωρητές, γ. αποτελούν αφιερώματα, κειμήλια ή και λείψανα, δ. είναι δείκτες διαπολιτισμικής όσμωσης μεταξύ του «εγχώριου» και του «ξένου», του χριστιανικού και του μουσουλμανικού κόσμου, δύο χριστιανικών δογμάτων, ε. εκφράζουν την πολιτισμική μνήμη στη διάρκεια της οθωμανικής και της νεότερης εποχής.
Book Review: S. GERMANIDOU (ed.), Secular Byzantine Women. Art, Archaeology, and Ethnography of Female Material Culture from Late Roman to Post - Byzantine Times, London and New York, Routledge, 2022
Authors: ΣΟΛΩΜΟΥ Σταυρούλα
Published: December 2022

Book Review: S. GERMANIDOU (ed.), Secular Byzantine Women. Art, Archaeology, and Ethnography of Female Material Culture from Llate Roman to Post - Byzantine Times, London and New York, Routledge, 2022
Βιβλιοκρισία:Σ. Ευθυμιάδης, Η βυζαντινή αγιολογία της Κύπρου. Οι άγιοι, οι συγγραφείς και τα κείμενα (4ος – 13ος αιώνας) [Κέντρο Επιστημονικών Ερευνών. Πηγές και μελέτες της κυπριακής ιστορίας 85], Λευκωσία 2020
Authors: ΛΑΜΠΑΔΑΡΙΔΗ Αννα
Published: December 2022

Βιβλιοκρισία: Σ. Ευθυμιάδης, Η βυζαντινή αγιολογία της Κύπρου. Οι άγιοι, οι συγγραφείς και τα κείμενα (4ος – 13ος αιώνας) [Κέντρο Επιστημονικών Ερευνών. Πηγές και μελέτες της κυπριακής ιστορίας 85], Λευκωσία 2020
Η μετάλλαξη της τρομοκρατίας με τη χρήση του κυβερνοχώρου
Authors: Καψοκόλη Ελένη
Published: December 2022

Η παρούσα διατριβή με τίτλο «Η μετάλλαξη της τρομοκρατίας με τη χρήση του κυβερνοχώρου: η περίπτωση της ισλαμικής τρομοκρατίας», ερευνά το φαινόμενο της κυβερνοτρομοκρατίας και εάν οι τεχνολογίες πληροφοριών και επικοινωνιών (ΤΠΕ) επηρεάζουν την τρομοκρατία. Στόχος είναι να εντοπιστεί ο αντίκτυπος που έχουν αυτές οι τεχνολογίες στον επιχειρησιακό τρόπο δράσης της τρομοκρατίας. Η διατριβή υιοθετεί μια ολιστική προσέγγιση, που εξετάζει το πώς η τρομοκρατία και ο κυβερνοχώρος αλληλοεπιδρούν και σε ποιον βαθμό. Το θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο της διατριβής είναι βασισμένο στη κυματική θεωρία του Rapoport, «Τα τέσσερα κύματα της μοντέρνας τρομοκρατίας». Η κυματική θεωρία χρησιμοποιείται για να διερευνηθεί το κατά πόσο η κυβερνοτρομοκρατία συνιστά το πέμπτο κύμα τρομοκρατίας. Ο Rapoport υποστηρίζει ότι κάθε κύμα τρομοκρατίας είναι ένας κύκλος δραστηριοτήτων, με διαφορετικές τεχνικές, μέσα, δρώντες και επιχειρησιακό τρόπο δράσης. Συνεπώς, το φαινόμενο της εξελικτικής πορείας της τρομοκρατίας σε επιχειρησιακό επίπεδο, γίνεται σύμφωνα με τη παραπάνω θεωρία. Η δημιουργία ενός στέρεου θεωρητικού υποβάθρου σχετικά με την κυβερνοτρομοκρατία, είναι αναγκαία για να υπάρχει μια ολιστική προσέγγιση του φαινομένου. Το εμπειρικό μέρος της διατριβής βασίζεται στη μελέτη του ευρύτερου φάσματος των δραστηριοτήτων στον κυβερνοχώρο που αφορούν την Al Qaeda και το ISIS. Η ανάλυση των εμπειρικών τους δεδομένων γίνεται σύμφωνα με το μοντέλο «Ψηφιακή Τζιχάντ», για να εντοπιστεί η εξελικτική τους πορεία σε επιχειρησιακό επίπεδο. Σημαντική αναφορά γίνεται στη θεωρία της ασφαλειοποίησης του κυβερνοχώρου από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και τον τρόπο αντιμετώπισης της κυβερνοτρομοκρατίας. Μέσω της εξέτασης του θεωρητικού πλαισίου και των εμπειρικών δεδομένων, η διατριβή καταλήγει ότι επιβεβαιώνονται ορισμένα μόνο από τα κριτήρια της θεωρίας του Rapoport. Συγκεκριμένα, ως προς το ιδεολογικό υπόβαθρο, που χαρακτηρίζει το κάθε κύμα, οι περιπτωσιολογικές μελέτες της Al Qaeda και του ISIS, τοποθετούνται στο Θρησκευτικό κύμα τρομοκρατίας. Ως προς τα υπόλοιπα κριτήρια, τα οποία είναι η χρήση βίας ή απειλή χρήσης βίας για περάτωση πολιτικών στόχων, ο διεθνής χαρακτήρας και ο αντίκτυπος των δράσεων τους, η ύπαρξη του κύματος μετά από ένα καταλυτικό γεγονός (π.χ. η τρομοκρατική επίθεση της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου 2001, οι στρατιωτικές επεμβάσεις σε Αφγανιστάν 2001 και σε Ιράκ 2003, ο «Πόλεμος κατά της τρομοκρατίας»), η χρήση της τεχνολογίας ως μέσο και τέλος η δημιουργία μιας νέας πολιτικής πραγματικότητας (ίδρυση Χαλιφάτου), η Al Qaeda και το ISIS τοποθετούνται στο πέμπτο κύμα τρομοκρατίας.
Από το Ενιαίο στο Λαϊκό Μέτωπο
Authors: Αθανασόπουλος Φίλιππος
Published: December 2022

Θέμα της εργασίας είναι η διαμόρφωση της πολιτικής στρατηγικής και τακτικής του βρετανικού κομμουνιστικού κόμματος στην περίοδο 1929-1935, οι αλλαγές στην τακτική του και η σχέση του με τις μετατοπίσεις των οργάνων της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς και της Κόκκινης Συνδικαλιστικής Διεθνούς κατά την ίδια περίοδο. Αρχικά, γίνεται μια αναδρομή στις επεξεργασίες της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς από την ίδρυση της μέχρι το 6ο Συνέδριο της οργάνωσης, όπως και στην πολιτική του βρετανικού κομμουνιστικού κόμματος από τη δημιουργία του μέχρι το 1929. Στη συνέχεια εξετάζονται οι μετατοπίσεις της στρατηγικής και των τακτικών του βρετανικού κομμουνιστικού κόμματος και της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς μετά την εκδήλωση της κρίσης του 1929 και την ισχυροποίηση του φασιστικού ρεύματος στην Ευρώπη μέχρι την εμφάνιση της τακτικής των Λαϊκών Μετώπων στο βρετανικό κομμουνιστικό κίνημα στα 1935. Ειδικότερα θέματα που αναπτύσσονται είναι η συνδικαλιστική τακτική του βρετανικού κομμουνιστικού κόμματος, οι σχέσεις του με το Εργατικό κόμμα, ο αγώνας του κατά του φασισμού, ο ιδιαίτερος ρόλος του στην οργάνωση του αντιαποικιοκρατικού αγώνα της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς και το ζήτημα του βαθμού της πολιτικής εξάρτησης του βρετανικού κομμουνιστικού κόμματος από την Κομμουνιστική Διεθνή. 'Εμφαση δίνεται στη βαρύτητα που είχε το βρετανικό κομμουνιστικό κόμμα ως αντιαποικιακή δύναμη στην καρδιά της Βρετανικής Αυτοκρατορίας στους σχεδιασμούς της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς, γεγονός που επέτρεψε στο μικρό βρετανικό κόμμα να ασκήσει μια επίδραση μεγαλύτερη του πολιτικού και εκλογικού μεγέθους του στη διαμόρφωση ορισμένων συνδικαλιστικών και πολιτικών τακτικών της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς εκείνη την περίοδο.
Σύγχρονες ανατομικές μελέτες για τον σχηματισμό, την πορεία και τις σχέσεις του λαγονοϋπογάστριου και του λαγονοβουβωνικού νεύρου
Authors: Μανωλάκος Κωνσταντίνος
Published: December 2022

Στην παρούσα έρευνα μελετήθηκαν 32 ανθρώπινα πτώματα από τα οποία 12 ήταν ανδρικά πτώματα και τα 20 γυναικεία πτώματα. Σε αυτά παρασκευάσθηκε λεπτομερώς όλο το οσφυϊκό πλέγμα και ιδιαίτερα το λαγονοϋπογάστριο και το λαγονοβουβωνικό νεύρο και ακολουθήθηκε σε όλο το μήκος του. Επίσης διενεργήθηκαν μετρήσεις στο μήκος και στο πλάτος αυτού αλλά και στα σημεία διακλάδωσής τους και στα ανδρικά και στα γυναικεία πτώματα. Σε όλες τις μετρήσεις που διενεργήθηκαν δεν εβρέθησαν καμία παραλλαγή ως προς το μήκος και την διακλάδωση των νεύρων σε απόσταση από την έκφυσή τους.Όλες οι παρατηρήσεις του ερευνητή τοποθετήθηκαν σε ηλεκτρονική τράπεζα πληροφοριών (DATA) για την ασφαλή εξαγωγή παρατηρήσεων και συμπερασμάτων.
Renal cell carcinoma - epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment - review article
Authors: Orczykowski Maciej , Tyszkiewicz Marcin , Rosińska Agata , Pożarowska Kinga , Miga Nadia
Published: December 2022

INTRODUCTION: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common urological malignancy. It accounts for 2% of deaths from all malignancies.  Most cases of renal cell carcinoma are diagnosed incidentally during routine ultrasound or CT scans. Most cases are diagnosed in the asymptomatic stage. The presence of symptoms such as lower extremity edema and varicose veins of the seminal vasculature usually indicate the presence of an advanced neoplastic process.   PURPOSE OF THE WORK: In this article we reviewed the literature on renal cell carcinoma. We collected and compared information on the epidemiology of risk factors, histological classification and treatment of RCC.STATUS OF KNOWLEDGE: According to GLOBOCAN data, there is an increase in the incidence of RCC in developed countries. In the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, the method of choice is surgical excision of the tumor. A kidney-sparing approach is preferred if the conditions exist. VEGF inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and m-TOR kinase inhibitors are used in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.CONCLUSION: Renal cell carcinoma is the most common urological cancer. By promoting healthy lifestyles, patients can significantly reduce their risk of developing it. The method of choice for treatment is still surgical excision of the tumor.
Deteksi Anomali Konduktivitas Air Menggunakan Kalman Filter
Authors: Putra Wahyu Sukestyastama , Koprawi Muhammad , Ashari Wahid Miftahul , Kuswanto Jeki
Published: December 2022

Water quality is an essential part of shrimp farming. Data integrity is one of the challenges in building a water conductivity monitoring system. Data read by the sensor should represent the physical conditions that occur. However, some factors can cause abnormal data changes. This abnormal data change can occur due to sensor damage or an attempt to sabotage the pool. In this study, a data anomaly detection algorithm was built using the Kalman filter and standard deviation to solve the problem of determining the normal range of data. The designed algorithm was then tested and evaluated using Arduino nano, Arduino mega, and Wemos D1 Microcontrollers to determine the algorithm's performance on limited computing devices. Based on the data analysis that has been carried out, it is found that the anomaly detection algorithm based on the Kalman filter has an accuracy of 92.5% and can detect anomaly data that occurs with TPF = 1 and FNR = 0 values. The implementation of the detection algorithm on the microcontroller shows that WEMOS D1 (ESP8266) has an excellent average computational speed of 27.99 us. As for the stability of the Arduino Nano (ATMEGA328) and Arduino Mega 2560 (ATMEGA 2560) microcontrollers, the computation time deviation is about 2.8 us.
Kualitas air merupakan bagian penting pada budidaya udang. Salah satu tantangan dalam membangun sebuah sistem monitoring konduktivitas air adalah Keutuhan data. Suatu data yang terbaca oleh sensor seharusnya mewakili kondisi fisik yang terjadi. Akan tetapi ada faktor-faktor dapat menyebabkan perubahan data yang tidak wajar. Perubahan data yang tidak wajar ini dapat terjadi karena disebabkan kerusakan sensor maupun adanya upaya sabotase pada kolam. Pada penelitian ini dibangun sebuah algoritma deteksi anomali data menggunakan Kalman filter dan standar deviasi untuk mengatasi masalah penentuan rentang data normal. Algoritma yang dirancang kemudian diuji dan dievaluasi dengan menggunakan Mikrokontroller Arduino nano, Arduino mega dan Wemos D1 untuk mengetahui performa algoritma yang dirancang pada perangkat komputasi terbatas. Berdasarkan analisis data yang telah dilakukan didapatkan hasil bahwa algoritma deteksi anomali berbasis kalman filter memiliki akurasi 92,5% dan dapat mendeteksi data anomali yang terjadi dengan nilai TPF =1 dan FNR=0. Implementasi algoritma deteksi pada mikrokontroller menunjukkan bahwa WEMOS D1 (ESP8266) memiliki rata-rata kecepatan komputasi yang baik yaitu 27,99 us. Sedangkan untuk kestabilan mikrokontroller Arduino Nano (ATMEGA328) dan Arduino Mega 2560 (ATMEGA 2560) memiliki deviasi waktu komputasi sekitar 2,8 us.
CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE SEMENTES E GERMINAÇÃO DE ESPÉCIES DE LIPPIA (VERBENACEAE)
Authors: Neto Francisco dos Santos , Lenaldo Muniz de Oliveira
Published: December 2022

Diante da suspensão das atividades por conta da pandemia, a parte experimental proposta inicialmente não foi realizada, forçando uma mudança no plano de trabalho, que passou a se constituir em uma revisão de literatura sobre o tema.
Improved photoacoustic images via wavefront shaping modulation based on the scattering structure: retraction
Authors: Tong Guodong , Luzgin Artur , Xia Jun , Xu Liyan , Zhang Hao , Dong Chengkun , Wu Zhihai , Wu Jun , Zhang Yichen , Qin Peiwu
Published: December 2022

The referenced article [Opt. Express 30, 36489 (2022)10.1364/OE.470330] has been retracted by the authors.
Transverse Doppler effect due to Gaussian beams
Authors: Emile Olivier , Emile Janine
Published: December 2022

We report on the observation of a transverse Doppler shift in the optical domain. It occurs when a receiving system travels perpendicularly to the propagation direction of a Gaussian beam. Shifts of a few tens of Hz have been evidence for a detector moving in the mm/s range. The shift increases as the detector is far from the beam axis. The observations fully agree with theoretical calculations on the propagation of Gaussian beams. It can be observed for any kind of waves, including radio and acoustic waves. Practical consequences are then discussed, especially for techniques using Doppler measurements in microsystems.
scDSSC: Deep Sparse Subspace Clustering for scRNA-seq Data
Authors: Wang HaiYun , Zhao JianPing , Zheng ChunHou , Su YanSen
Published: December 2022

Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables researchers to characterize transcriptomic profiles at the single-cell resolution with increasingly high throughput. Clustering is a crucial step in single cell analysis. Clustering analysis of transcriptome profiled by scRNA-seq can reveal the heterogeneity and diversity of cells. However, single cell study still remains great challenges due to its high noise and dimension. Subspace clustering aims at discovering the intrinsic structure of data in unsupervised fashion. In this paper, we propose a deep sparse subspace clustering method scDSSC combining noise reduction and dimensionality reduction for scRNA-seq data, which simultaneously learns feature representation and clustering via explicit modelling of scRNA-seq data generation. Experiments on a variety of scRNA-seq datasets from thousands to tens of thousands of cells have shown that scDSSC can significantly improve clustering performance and facilitate the interpretability of clustering and downstream analysis. Compared to some popular scRNA-deq analysis methods, scDSSC outperformed state-of-the-art methods under various clustering performance metrics.
Prevalence of skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and superficial fungal infections in two peri-urban schools and one rural community setting in Togo
Authors: Saka Bayaki , Kassang Panawé , Gnossike Piham , Head Michael G. , Akakpo Abla Séfako , Teclessou Julienne Noude , Elegbede Yvette Moise , Mouhari-Toure Abas , Mahamadou Garba , Tevi Kokoé , Katsou Kafouyema , Kombaté Koussake , Walker Stephen L. , Pitché Palokinam
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Skin neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), are endemic and under-diagnosed in many lower-income communities. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of skin NTDs and fungal infections in two primary schools and a community setting in rural Togo.

Method

This was a cross-sectional study that took place between June-October 2021. The two primary schools are located on the outskirts of Lomé, the capital city. The community setting was Ndjéi, in north-east Togo. Study sites were purposively selected. Dermatologists examined the skin of study participants. Diagnosis of skin NTDs were made clinically.

Results

A total of 1401 individuals were examined, 954 (68.1%) from Ndjéi community, and 447 (31.9%) were children in the schools. Cutaneous skin infections were diagnosed in 438 (31.3%) participants, of whom 355 (81%) were in community settings. There were 105 observed skin NTDs (7.5%). Within the school setting, there were 20 individuals with NTDs (4.5% of 447 participants), and 85 NTDs (8.9%) from 954 community participants. Across all settings 68/1020 (6.7%) NTDs were in children, and 37/381 (9.7%) in adults. In addition, there were 333 observed mycoses (23.8% prevalence). The main cutaneous NTDs diagnosed were scabies (n = 86; 6.1%) and suspected yaws (n = 16, 1.1%). The prevalence of scabies in schools was 4.3%, and 7.0% in the rural community. One case of leprosy was diagnosed in each school and the rural community, and one suspected Buruli Ulcer case in the community. In the school setting, five (6%) children with a skin NTD reported being stigmatised, four of whom had refused to attend school because of their dermatosis. In Ndjéi, 44 (4.6%) individuals reported having experienced stigma and 41 (93.2%) of them missed at least one day of school or work.

Conclusion

This study shows that the burden of scabies and skin infections such as superficial mycoses is high in the school and rural community settings in Togo, with associated presence of stigma. Improved health promotion and education across institutional and community settings may reduce stigma and encourage early reporting of skin infection cases to a health facility.
Age and micronutrient effects on the microbiome in a mouse model of zinc depletion and supplementation
Authors: Davis Edward W. , Wong Carmen P. , Arnold Holly K. , Kasschau Kristin , Gaulke Christopher A. , Sharpton Thomas J. , Ho Emily
Published: December 2022

Older adult populations are at risk for zinc deficiency, which may predispose them to immune dysfunction and age-related chronic inflammation that drives myriad diseases and disorders. Recent work also implicates the gut microbiome in the onset and severity of age-related inflammation, indicating that dietary zinc status and the gut microbiome may interact to impact age-related host immunity. We hypothesize that age-related alterations in the gut microbiome contribute to the demonstrated zinc deficits in host zinc levels and increased inflammation. We tested this hypothesis with a multifactor two-part study design in a C57BL/6 mouse model. The two studies included young (2 month old) and aged (24 month old) mice fed either (1) a zinc adequate or zinc supplemented diet, or (2) a zinc adequate or marginal zinc deficient diet, respectively. Overall microbiome composition did not significantly change with zinc status; beta diversity was driven almost exclusively by age effects. Microbiome differences due to age are evident at all taxonomic levels, with more than half of all taxonomic units significantly different. Furthermore, we found 150 out of 186 genera were significantly different between the two age groups, withBacteriodesandParabacteroidesbeing the primary taxa of young and old mice, respectively. These data suggest that modulating individual micronutrient concentrations does not lead to comprehensive microbiome shifts, but rather affects specific components of the gut microbiome. However, a phylogenetic agglomeration technique (ClaaTU) revealed phylogenetic clades that respond to modulation of dietary zinc status and inflammation state in an age-dependent manner. Collectively, these results suggest that a complex interplay exists between host age, gut microbiome composition, and dietary zinc status.
Bionic sensing system and characterization of exhaled nitric oxide detection based on canine olfaction
Authors: Sun Pengjiao , Shi Yunbo , Shi Yeping
Published: December 2022

A quantitative monitoring system for fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in homes is very important for the control of respiratory diseases such as asthma. To this end, this paper proposes a small bionic sensing system for NO detection in an electronic nose based on analysis of the structure of the canine olfactory system and the airflow pattern in the nasal cavity. The proposed system detected NO at different FENO concentration levels with different bionic sensing systems in the electronic nose, and analyzed the data comparatively. Combined with a backpropagation neural network algorithm, the bionic canine sensing system improved the recognition rate for FENO detection by up to 98.1%. Moreover, electronic noses with a canine bionic sensing system can improve the performance of trace gas detection.
Conservation of Nematocida microsporidia gene expression and host response in Caenorhabditis nematodes
Authors: Wan Yin Chen , Troemel Emily R. , Reinke Aaron W.
Published: December 2022

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that are known to infect most types of animals. Many species of microsporidia can infect multiple related hosts, but it is not known if microsporidia express different genes depending upon which host species is infected or if the host response to infection is specific to each microsporidia species. To address these questions, we took advantage of two species of Nematocida microsporidia, N. parisii and N. ausubeli, that infect two species of Caenorhabditis nematodes, C. elegans and C. briggsae. We performed RNA-seq at several time points for each host infected with either microsporidia species. We observed that Nematocida transcription was largely independent of its host. We also observed that the host transcriptional response was similar when infected with either microsporidia species. Finally, we analyzed if the host response to microsporidia infection was conserved across host species. We observed that although many of the genes upregulated in response to infection are not direct orthologs, the same expanded gene families are upregulated in both Caenorhabditis hosts. Together our results describe the transcriptional interactions of Nematocida infection in Caenorhabditis hosts and demonstrate that these responses are evolutionarily conserved.
Personalized breast cancer onset prediction from lifestyle and health history information
Authors: Qi Shi-ang , Kumar Neeraj , Xu Jian-Yi , Patel Jaykumar , Damaraju Sambasivarao , Shen-Tu Grace , Greiner Russell
Published: December 2022

We propose a method to predict when a woman will develop breast cancer (BCa) from her lifestyle and health history features. To address this objective, we use data from the Alberta’s Tomorrow Project of 18,288 women to train Individual Survival Distribution (ISD) models to predict an individual’s Breast-Cancer-Onset (BCaO) probability curve. We show that our three-step approach–(1) filling missing data with multiple imputations by chained equations, followed by (2) feature selection with the multivariate Cox method, and finally, (3) using MTLR to learn an ISD model–produced the model with the smallest L1-Hinge loss among all calibrated models with comparable C-index. We also identified 7 actionable lifestyle features that a woman can modify and illustrate how this model can predict the quantitative effects of those changes–suggesting how much each will potentially extend her BCa-free time. We anticipate this approach could be used to identify appropriate interventions for individuals with a higher likelihood of developing BCa in their lifetime.
An evaluation of a volumetric method for the flow cytometric determination of residual leukocytes in blood transfusion units
Authors: Maličev Elvira , Železnik Klara , Jazbec Katerina
Published: December 2022

The removal of leukocytes from blood components helps to prevent or reduce some adverse reactions that occur after blood transfusions. The implementation of the leukodepletion process in the preparation of blood units requires quality control, consisting of a reliable cell counting method to determine residual leukocytes in blood components. The most widely used methodology is a flow cytometric bead-based counting method. To avoid the need for commercial counting beads, we evaluated a volumetric counting method of leukocyte enumeration. A total of 160 specimens of leukodepleted plasma, red cell and platelet units, as well as 58 samples of commercially available controls containing different concentration levels of leukocytes, were included in the study. The conventional quality control method using the bead-based counting method performed with the FACSCalibur flow cytometer was compared to the bead-based counting method and the volumetric counting method performed with the MACSQuant 10 flow cytometer. Our results show that the MACSQuant bead-based method, as well as the volumetric MACSQuant method, meet the sensitivity requirements of residual leukocyte enumeration when compared to the gold standard, bead-based FACSCalibur method. We conclude that the volumetric method can be a substitute for the bead-based counting of residual leukocytes in a variety of blood components.
Clinical risk calculators informing the decision to admit: A methodologic evaluation and assessment of applicability
Authors: Soleimanpour Neeloofar , Bann Maralyssa
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Clinical prediction and decision tools that generate outcome-based risk stratification and/or intervention recommendations are prevalent. Appropriate use and validity of these tools, especially those that inform complex clinical decisions, remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the methodologic quality and applicability of clinical risk scoring tools used to guide hospitalization decision-making.

Methods

In February 2021, a comprehensive search was performed of a clinical calculator online database (mdcalc.com) that is publicly available and well-known to clinicians. The primary reference for any calculator tool informing outpatient versus inpatient disposition was considered for inclusion. Studies were restricted to the adult, acute care population. Those focused on obstetrics/gynecology or critical care admission were excluded. The Wasson-Laupacis framework of methodologic standards for clinical prediction rules was applied to each study.

Results

A total of 22 calculators provided hospital admission recommendations for 9 discrete medical conditions using adverse events (14/22), mortality (6/22), or confirmatory diagnosis (2/22) as outcomes of interest. The most commonly met methodologic standards included mathematical technique description (22/22) and clinical sensibility (22/22) and least commonly met included reproducibility of the rule (1/22) and measurement of effect on clinical use (1/22). Description of the studied population was often lacking, especially patient race/ethnicity (2/22) and mental or behavioral health (0/22). Only one study reported any item related to social determinants of health.

Conclusion

Studies commonly do not meet rigorous methodologic standards and often fail to report pertinent details that would guide applicability. These clinical tools focus primarily on specific disease entities and clinical variables, missing the breadth of information necessary to make a disposition determination and raise significant validation and generalizability concerns.
Laboratory performance prediction using virtual reality behaviometrics
Authors: Wismer Philip , Soares Sarah Aparecida , Einarson Kasper Alnor , Sommer Morten Otto Alexander
Published: December 2022

In this study, we show that virtual reality (VR) behaviometrics can be used for the assessment of compliance and physical laboratory skills. Drawing on approaches from machine learning and classical statistics, significant behavioral predictors were deduced from a logistic regression model that classified students and biopharma company employees as experts or novices on pH meter handling with 77% accuracy. Specifically, the game score and number of interactions in VR tasks requiring practical skills were found to be performance predictors. The study provides biopharma companies and academic institutions the possibility of assessing performance using an automatic, reliable, and simple alternative to traditional in-person assessment methods. Integrating the assessment into the training tool renders such laborious post-training assessments unnecessary.
Encounters: Fashion and beauty, fashion and art, fashion and social justice
Authors: Kaiser Susan B. , Smelik Anneke
Published: December 2022

We propose a thought experiment to introduce the three articles in this volume, focusing specifically on fashion’s encounters with beauty, art and social justice, respectively. Using a both/and approach, we consider the ways in which ‘encounters’ encourage open questioning and debate, when one pairs fashion with beauty, fashion with art and fashion with social justice. Rather than framing the concepts in these pairs oppositionally, we argue that encounters become possible because they resonate or echo – conceptually, aesthetically or affectively – in ways that are nonbinary and nonlinear. As a result, new provocations and lines of inquiry can emerge.
Curating queerness and queering curation: Exhibiting queer Chinese art in Europe
Authors: Bao Hongwei
Published: December 2022

This article examines the curatorial strategies of the Secret Love exhibition, the biggest queer Chinese art exhibition outside Asia to date. The exhibition brought together 150 works created by 27 queer Chinese artists. It first took place at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities (MFEA) in Stockholm, Sweden, from 21 September 2012 to 31 March 2013, and subsequently toured to other museums in Europe. The exhibition raises the critical question of how one can curate queer Chinese art when definitions of queerness, Chineseness and art remain unstable and contested. This article proposes queer curating – that is, collecting and exhibiting genders, sexualities and desires in an art gallery or museum setting without reinscribing social norms and reinstating identity categories – as a critical curatorial method. Queer curating challenges fixed identity categories and dominant power relations; it also explores a non-essentialist and anti-identitarian mode of curatorial practice. As an example of transnational and transcultural curating, the Secret Love exhibition compels us to consider how curators can work with the structural constraints of exhibition and discursive spaces to create new curatorial possibilities.
El monólogo fílmico desde la Semiótica Comparada
Authors: López López Carmen María
Published: December 2022

Este estudio se aproxima a los problemas teóricos del monólogo fílmico como técnica de representación de la interioridad en la pantalla. Para este propósito, aborda la espinosa cuestión de las dos focalizaciones expresivas (literaria y fílmica), así como el distinto funcionamiento entre los lenguajes de la literatura y el cine. Frente a la hegemonía de la palabra como instrumento expresivo de la literatura, el estudio examina el proceso de codificación semiótica del discurso fílmico, integrado por códigos verbales, visuales y auditivos en una pluralidad sígnica. Para trazar estos itinerarios teóricos, recupera los enfoques críticos diseminados en distintas tradiciones teóricas, acercándose a conceptos afines como la dualidad entre «ojo físico» y «ojo de la mente», los narradores invisibles o el «dentro» y «fuera» de la pantalla para evidenciar, finalmente, la necesidad de repensar la técnica del monólogo interior desde la Semiótica Comparada.
Mejora de la autodeterminación y la calidad de vida en adultos con necesidades generalizadas de apoyo
Authors: Álvarez González Olga , Vicente Sánchez Eva , Mumbardó-Adam Cristina
Published: December 2022

Existen evidencias que relacionan la promoción de la autodeterminación en personas con discapacidad con la mejora de su calidad de vida. Si bien se reconoce la importancia del constructo de autodeterminación para todas las personas con discapacidad, independientemente de sus necesidades de apoyo, no disponemos de evidencias que describan intervenciones con personas con necesidades generalizadas de apoyo. El objetivo de este estudio fue implementar una adaptación del Modelo de Enseñanza y Aprendizaje de la Autodeterminación en adultos con discapacidad intelectual y necesidades de apoyo generalizadas. En concreto, 44 mujeres formaron parte del estudio (12 en el grupo experimental y 32 en el grupo control) con un grado medio de discapacidad superior al 75%. Los resultados señalan una mejora en su autodeterminación y calidad de vida y constituyen una de las pocas evidencias empíricas de la promoción de la autodeterminación y la aplicabilidad del modelo a personas con necesidades generalizadas.
Normative Values for Body Surface Gastric Mapping Evaluations of Gastric Motility Using Gastric Alimetry: Spectral Analysis
Authors: Varghese Chris , Schamberg Gabriel , Calder Stefan , Waite Stephen , Carson Daniel , Foong Daphne , Wang William Jiaen , Ho Vincent , Woodhead Jonathan , Daker Charlotte , Xu William , Du Peng , Abell Thomas L. , Parkman Henry P. , Tack Jan , Andrews Christopher N. , O'Grady Gregory , Gharibans Armen A.
Published: December 2022

INTRODUCTION:

Body surface gastric mapping (BSGM) is a new noninvasive test of gastric function. BSGM offers several novel and improved biomarkers of gastric function capable of differentiating patients with overlapping symptom profiles. The aim of this study was to define normative reference intervals for BSGM spectral metrics in a population of healthy controls.

METHODS:

BSGM was performed in healthy controls using Gastric Alimetry (Alimetry, New Zealand) comprising a stretchable high-resolution array (8 × 8 electrodes; 196 cm2), wearable Reader, and validated symptom-logging App. The evaluation encompassed a fasting baseline (30 minutes), 482 kCal meal, and 4-hour postprandial recording. Normative reference intervals were calculated for BSGM metrics including the Principal Gastric Frequency, Gastric Alimetry Rhythm Index (a measure of the concentration of power in the gastric frequency band over time), body mass index (BMI)–adjusted amplitude (μV), and fed:fasted amplitude ratio. Data were reported as median and reference interval (5th and/or 95th percentiles).

RESULTS:

A total of 110 subjects (55% female, median age 32 years [interquartile range 24–50], median BMI 23.8 kg/m2 [interquartile range 21.4–26.9]) were included. The median Principal Gastric Frequency was 3.04 cycles per minute; reference interval: 2.65–3.35 cycles per minute. The median Gastric Alimetry Rhythm Index was 0.50; reference interval: ≥0.25. The median BMI-adjusted amplitude was 37.6 μV; reference interval: 20–70 μV. The median fed:fasted amplitude ratio was 1.85; reference interval ≥1.08. A higher BMI was associated with a shorter meal-response duration (P = 0.014).

DISCUSSION:

This study provides normative reference intervals for BSGM spectral data to inform diagnostic interpretations of abnormal gastric function.
Život
Authors: Sokol Jan
Published: December 2022

Idea života jako fenoménu kosmických rozměrů je bezpochyby jedním z hlavních pilířů Bergsonova myšlení. Celý jeden proud současné filosofie se pokouší rozvíjet tuto nevšední myšlenku živého a živoucího základu světa, samohybného hybatele evoluce. Ontologie i přírodní vědy se vracejí k onomu tajemnému „vzmachu“ (fr. élan vital, pozn. překl.), jehož projevy jsou zřetelné, ale jeho podstata nám uniká.
Zemřel prof. Leopold J. Pospíšil (1923–2021)
Authors: Halbich Marek
Published: December 2022

S několikadenním zpožděním do České republiky dorazila smutná zpráva, že ve svém bytě v New Havenu v americkém státě Connecticut 25. října zemřel v úctyhodném věku devadesáti osmi let jeden z nejoriginálnějších antropologů dvacátého století Leopold Jaroslav Pospíšil. Narodil se 26. dubna 1923 v Olomouci, kde i studoval na Slovanském gymnáziu, ale za vyšším vzděláním odešel nejprve do Prahy, kde vystudoval právnickou fakultu Karlovy univerzity, a potom – vyhnán komunistickým převratem – do světa. V Západním Německu dále studoval filosofii a později ve Spojených státech sociologii a antropologii. Doktorát z antropologie získal na prestižní Yaleově univerzitě, s níž pak spojil svůj profesionální akademický život.
Online higher education during the pandemic: The case of Hungary
Authors: Dunajeva Jekatyerina
Published: December 2022

The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly affected Hungarian higher education (HEI). As campuses around the globe were forced to shut down, online distance learning became an everyday reality for all students. At the same time, faculty were rushed to adjust their teaching content and methods, as well as forms of assessment, to online teaching. As a result, this transition exposed flaws in technological abilities, digital preparedness and flexibilities within universities. In this work, my goal is to analyze how the Hungarian HEIs adopted online educational practices during the pandemic and how they were able to address some of the difficulties while adjusting their teaching and creating new forms of support for both students and faculty. To that end, the article first discusses the prevalence of distance and digital learning before the pandemic, then evaluates the steps and challenges of transition to remote online education during the pandemic, and finally highlights some lessons learnt and best practices of some Hungarian universities.
Savagery in right-wing populist leadership: between theatricality and political social engineering
Authors: Pierzchalski Filip
Published: December 2022

Contemporary leadership practices in politics are full of emotions, which, on the one hand, may be a manifestation of various types of expressions or moods in the individual and collective dimension, and on the other hand, are an important source of political mobilization or an instrument enhancing effectiveness in the election competition. In this article inducing and politicizing savagery among followers – defined as an emotional social engineering strategy for articulating given goals and interests – will be treated as a populist manifestation and an expression of planned radicalization of political competition. The aim of the article is a meta theoretical reflection on the instrumentalisation of wildness in the leadership of the right-wing populist – Donald Trump. A practical rationale for discussing collective savagery in politics will be the attack on the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. This event will serve as an example to explain the political exteriorization of the confrontational Trump followers, thanks to which the right-wing populist leader not only articulated his own goals, shaped public self-presentation or theatrical political presence, but also redefined and challenged the existing rules and principles of democratic political culture.