bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long noncoding RNA intersectin 1-2 gradually declines during adalimumab treatment, and its reduction correlates with treatment efficacy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Li Mingwu , Zhou Xianjie
Published: August 2021

Previous studies show that long noncoding RNA intersectin 1-2 (lnc-ITSN1-2) promotes the inflammation process and serves as a potential biomarker in autoimmune diseases, except for ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation of baseline lnc-ITSN1-2 expression with disease risk and activity of AS, and to investigate its longitudinal change with treatment response to a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitor in patients with AS. In total, 63 patients with AS receiving 12-week adalimumab treatment were included and their baseline clinical features were collected. Lnc-ITSN1-2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with AS was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Meanwhile, Assessment in Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) 40 response was evaluated at week 2 (W2), W4, W8, and W12. According to the ASAS40 response status at W12, patients with AS were classified into responders and non-responders. PBMC lnc-ITSN1-2 expression was also determined in healthy controls (N = 60). Lnc-ITSN1-2 expression was elevated in patients with AS compared to controls (P < 0.001). Baseline lnc-ITSN1-2 expression was positively associated with C-reaction protein (CRP) (P = 0.021), interleukin (IL)-1β (P = 0.020), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score (P = 0.040), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity score with C-reactive protein (ASDASCRP) (P = 0.045) in patients with AS. Furthermore, lnc-ITSN1-2 expression declined during the treatment with adalimumab (P < 0.001). Notably, this reduction was more obvious in responders than non-responders. In conclusion, declined lnc-ITSN1-2 expression during the TNFα inhibitor treatment correlates with good treatment efficacy in patients with AS, suggesting its clinical value for AS management.
Should we Ascribe Capabilities to Species and Ecosystems? A Critical Analysis of Ecocentric Versions of the Capabilities Approach
Authors: Melin Anders
Published: August 2021

Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach is today one of the most influential theories of justice. In her earlier works on the capabilities approach, Nussbaum only applies it to humans, but in later works she extends the capabilities approach to include sentient animals. Contrary to Nussbaum’s own view, some scholars, for example, David Schlosberg, Teea Kortetmäki and Daniel L. Crescenzo, want to extend the capabilities approach even further to include collective entities, such as species and ecosystems. Though I think we have strong reasons for preserving ecosystems and species within the capabilities approach, there are several problems with ascribing capabilities to them, especially if we connect it with the view that species and ecosystems are subjects of justice. These problems are partly a consequence of the fact that an ascription of capabilities to species and ecosystems needs to be based on an overlapping consensus between different comprehensive doctrines, in accordance with the framework of political liberalism on which the capabilities approach builds. First, the ascription of capabilities to species and ecosystems presupposes the controversial standpoint that they are objectively existing entities. Second, the ascription of capabilities to ecosystems and species and the view that they are subjects of justice is justified by claiming that they have integrity and agency, but these characteristics have different meanings when applied to collective entities and humans, respectively. Third, the view that species and ecosystems are subjects of justice seems to require the controversial assumption that they have interests of their own, which differ from the interests of the sentient beings that are part of them. However, even if we do not ascribe capabilities to species and ecosystems and regard them as subjects of justice, there are still strong reasons to protect them within the capabilities approach, as the preservation of ecosystems and species is an important precondition for many human and animal capabilities.
Revealing the influence of electron beam melted Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds on osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Ødegaard Kristin S. , Ouyang Lingzi , Ma Qianli , Buene Glenn , Wan Di , Elverum Christer W. , Torgersen Jan , Standal Therese , Westhrin Marita
Published: August 2021

Porous Titanium-6Aluminum-4Vanadium scaffolds made by electron beam-based additive manufacturing (AM) have emerged as state-of-the-art implant devices. However, there is still limited knowledge on how they influence the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). In this study, BMSCs are cultured on such porous scaffolds to determine how the scaffolds influence the osteogenic differentiation of the cells. The scaffolds are biocompatible, as revealed by the increasing cell viability. Cells are evenly distributed on the scaffolds after 3 days of culturing followed by an increase in bone matrix development after 21 days of culturing. qPCR analysis provides insight into the cells’ osteogenic differentiation, where RUNX2 expression indicate the onset of differentiation towards osteoblasts. The COL1A1 expression suggests that the differentiated osteoblasts can produce the osteoid. Alkaline phosphatase staining indicates an onset of mineralization at day 7 in OM. The even deposits of calcium at day 21 further supports a successful bone mineralization. This work shines light on the interplay between AM Ti64 scaffolds and bone growth, which may ultimately lead to a new way of creating long lasting bone implants with fast recovery times.
Religious Coping Amidst a Pandemic: Impact on COVID-19-Related Anxiety
Authors: DeRossett Tommy , LaVoie Donna J. , Brooks Destiny
Published: August 2021

Religious coping is one potential strategy to manage stressors. Positive religious coping has been linked to better physical and mental health outcomes, while negative religious coping has been associated with increased stress and anxiety. The primary objective of this study was to examine individuals’ use of religious coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and religious coping in a national sample of 970 individuals located within the USA recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) between September 12, 2020, and September 25, 2020. Findings indicate negative religious coping is most strongly associated with COVID-19 anxiety, as higher levels of negative religious coping were positively related to COVID-19 anxiety. In a moderated multiple regression wherein positive religious coping and negative religious coping were included in an interaction term, only negative religious coping was significantly associated with COVID-19 anxiety. This may have been due, in part, because individual’s typical religious engagement was disrupted by social distancing and isolation measures. When accounting for participant age, sex, religious beliefs and behaviors, and negative religious coping, positive religious coping was negatively, although weakly, associated with COVID-19 anxiety. These findings suggest that negative religious coping has a stronger association with COVID-19 anxiety than positive religious coping.
Inclusive digital finance: the industry of equity crowdfunding
Authors: Butticè Vincenzo , Vismara Silvio
Published: August 2021

Nowadays equity crowdfunding plays an important role in the entrepreneurial finance markets. To better understand the functioning of the industry, it is important to consider the entire equity crowdfunding process and all the actors involved. Equity crowdfunding platforms match indeed the demand of capital from entrepreneurial ventures with the supply of capital by investors. This manuscript is a first step in this direction, by (1) comparing equity crowdfunding with traditional sources of entrepreneurial finance; (2) discussing the potential and the perils of equity crowdfunding for inclusivity and democratization; (3) highlighting the role of visual information in digital finance; and (4) providing first insights on the industrial dynamics in equity crowdfunding. The paper gives researchers and practitioners orientation about recent developments in equity crowdfunding literature and provides relevant research directions.
Psychosis Without Meaning: Creating Modern Clinical Psychiatry, 1950 to 1980
Authors: Braslow Joel T.
Published: August 2021

Over the last fifty years, American psychiatrists have embraced psychotropic drugs as their primary treatment intervention. This has especially been the case in their treatment of patients suffering from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. This focus has led to an increasing disregard for patients’ subjective lived-experiences, life histories, and social contexts. This transformation of American psychiatry occurred abruptly beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s. My essay looks the ways these major transformations played themselves out in everyday clinical practices of state hospital psychiatrists from 1950 to 1980. Using clinical case records from California state hospitals, I chronicle the ways institutional and ideological forces shaped the clinical care of patients with psychotic disorders. I show there was an abrupt rupture in the late 1960s, where psychiatrists’ concerns about the subjective and social were replaced by a clinical vision focused on a narrow set of drug-responsive signs and symptoms. Major political, economic, and ideological shifts occurred in American life and social policy that provided the context for this increasingly pharmacocentric clinical psychiatry, a clinical perspective that has largely blinded psychiatrists to their patients’ social and psychological suffering.
Using systems thinking and causal loop diagrams to identify cascading climate change impacts on bioenergy supply systems
Authors: Groundstroem Fanny , Juhola Sirkku
Published: August 2021

Increased use of bioenergy, driven by ambitious climate and energy policies, has led to an upsurge in international bioenergy trade. Simultaneously, it is evident that every node of the bioenergy supply chain, from cultivation of energy crops to production of electricity and heat, is vulnerable to climate change impacts. However, climate change assessments of bioenergy supply chains neither account for the global nature of the bioenergy market, nor the complexity and dynamic interconnectivity between and within different sub-systems in which the bioenergy supply chain is embedded, thereby neglecting potential compounding and cascading impacts of climate change. In this paper, systems thinking is utilised to develop an analytical framework to address this gap, and aided by causal loop diagrams, cascading impacts of climate change are identified for a case study concerning imports of wood pellets from the United States to the European Union. The findings illustrate how the complexity and interconnectivity of the wood pellet supply system predispose the supply chain to various cascading climate change impacts stemming from environmental, social, political and economic domains, and highlight the value of using system-based analysis tools for studying such complex and dynamic systems.
Improvisation and thinking in movement: an enactivist analysis of agency in artistic practices
Authors: Ravn Susanne , Høffding Simon
Published: August 2021

In this article, we inquire into Maxine Sheets-Johnstone and Michele Merritt’s descriptions and use of dance improvisation as it relates to “thinking in movement.” We agree with them scholars that improvisational practices present interesting cases for investigating how movement, thinking, and agency intertwine. However, we also find that their descriptions of improvisation overemphasize the dimension of spontaneity as an intuitive “letting happen” of movements. To recalibrate their descriptions of improvisational practices, we couple Ezequiel Di Paolo, Thomas Buhrmann, and Xabier E. Barandiaran’s (2017) enactive account of the constitution of agency with case studies of two expert performers of improvisation: a dancer and a musician. Our analyses hereof show that their improvisations unfold as a sophisticated oscillation of agency between specialized forms of mental and bodily control and, indeed, a more spontaneous “letting things happen.” In all, this article’s conclusions frame thinking in movement concerning improvisational practices as contextually embedded, purposively trained, and inherently relational.
The extended mind argument against phenomenal intentionality
Authors: Turner Cody
Published: August 2021

This paper offers a novel argument against the phenomenal intentionality thesis (or PIT for short). The argument, which I'll call the extended mind argument against phenomenal intentionality, is centered around two claims: the first asserts that some source intentional states extend into the environment, while the second maintains that no conscious states extend into the environment. If these two claims are correct, then PIT is false, for PIT implies that the extension of source intentionality is predicated upon the extension of phenomenal consciousness. The argument is important because it undermines an increasingly prominent account of the nature of intentionality. PIT has entered the philosophical mainstream and is now a serious contender to naturalistic views of intentionality like the tracking theory and the functional role theory (Loar 1987, 2003; Searle 1990; Strawson 1994; Horgan and Tienson 2002; Pitt 2004; Farkas 2008; Kriegel 2013; Montague 2016; Bordini 2017; Forrest 2017; Mendelovici 2018). The extended mind argument against PIT challenges the popular sentiment that consciousness grounds intentionality.
Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin as highly cited researchers? Historical bibliometrics study
Authors: Kulczycki Emanuel , Kolasa Władysław Marek , Szadkowski Krystian
Published: August 2021

The motivation for our research is the view, widespread among Polish scientists, that under the Communist Party’s rule it was always necessary to refer to Marx, Engels, Lenin or Stalin (we call them ‘classics’), especially in the highly-politicised fields like humanities and social sciences, in order for the work to pass the censorship procedures and be published. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to determine whether the 'classics' were commonly cited in a formally socialist country under the rule of the Communist Party (Polish Workers' Party/Polish United Workers’ Party). To address the main research question, we use the Citation Index of the History of Polish Media that covers all publications, whether scholarly articles or book publications, on the history of Polish media; in total, 6880 publications and 59,827 citations from the 1945‒2009 period. We found that citations of the works of the ‘classics’ (N = 296) constitute 0.49% of all citations in the database used and that the practice of citing the 'classics' was extremely rare (just 64 occurrences in the analysed sample). Our research also contributes to the development of reflection in historical bibliometrics and argues that bibliographical databases need to cover various types of publications, especially scholarly book publications, written in different languages (not only in English).
Nonpolitical Versus Political Participation: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health and Social Well-Being in Different Age Groups
Authors: Lühr Matthias , Pavlova Maria K. , Luhmann Maike
Published: August 2021

Drawing on public opinion and empirical research, one may advise people to participate in voluntary organizations because voluntary participation can improve their mental health and social well-being. However, do such benefits apply across different types of participation and across the life course? In this study, we investigated whether benefits to mental health and social well-being differ between nonpolitical and political participation and across age groups (preregistration is accessible at https://osf.io/kqcbe). Using 25 waves of data from the British Household Panel Survey and the Understanding Society (1991–2016), we conducted multilevel analyses with observations nested within participants in younger (14–29, n = 10,536), middle-aged (40–50, n = 4,955), and older (65–75, n = 3,059) adults. We used life satisfaction and GHQ-12 scores as measures of mental health, and social support and neighborhood belonging as measures of social well-being. We found only few and small significant effects at the within-person level: On occasions when younger adults reported political participation, they reported slightly higher neighborhood belonging than when they did not. On occasions when older adults reported nonpolitical or political participation, they reported slightly higher life satisfaction than when they did not. However, we found no significant differences between nonpolitical and political participation and among age groups. In sum, our findings qualify the opinion that voluntary participation yields significant benefits to engaged individuals. We discuss potential explanations, including characteristics of political participation in the United Kingdom.
Sixty Years of Element Abundance Measurements in Solar Energetic Particles
Authors: Reames Donald V.
Published: August 2021

Sixty years ago the first observation was published showing solar energetic particles (SEPs) with a sampling of chemical elements with atomic numbers $6 \leq Z \leq 18$
6
≤
Z
≤
18
above 40 MeV amu−1. Thus began study of the direct products of dynamic physics in the solar corona. As we have progressed from 4-min sounding-rocket samples to continuous satellite coverage of SEP events, we have extended the observations to the unusual distribution of element abundances throughout the periodic table. Small “impulsive” SEP events from islands of magnetic reconnection on open magnetic-field lines in solar jets generate huge enhancements in abundances of 3He and of the heaviest elements, enhancements increasing as a power of the ion mass-to-charge ratio as ($A$
A
/$Q$
Q
)3.6, on average. Solar flares involve the same physics but there the SEPs are trapped on closed loops, expending their energy as heat and light. The larger, energetic “gradual” SEP events are accelerated at shock waves driven by fast, wide coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, these shocks can also reaccelerate ions from pools of residual suprathermal impulsive ions, and CMEs from jets can also drive fast shocks, complicating the picture. The underlying element abundances in SEP events represent the solar corona, which differs from corresponding abundances in the photosphere as a function of the first ionization potential (FIP) of the elements, distinguishing low-FIP (<10 eV) ions from high-FIP neutral atoms as they expand through the chromosphere. Differences in FIP patterns of SEPs and the solar wind may distinguish closed- and open-field regions of formation at the base of the corona. Dependence of SEP acceleration upon $A$
A
/$Q$
Q
allows best-fit estimation of ion $Q$
Q
-values and hence of the source plasma temperature of ∼1 – 3 MK, derived from abundances, which correlates with recent measures of temperatures using extreme ultraviolet emission from jets. Thus, element abundances in SEPs have become a powerful tool to study the underlying solar corona and to probe physical processes of broad astrophysical significance, from the “FIP effect” to magnetic reconnection and shock acceleration. New questions arise, however, about the theoretical basis of correlations of energy-spectral indices with power-laws of abundances, about the coexistence of separate resonant and non-resonant mechanisms for enhancements of 3He and of heavy elements, about occasional events with unusual suppression of He and about the overall paucity of C in FIP comparisons.
Problems of empirical solutions to the theory-ladenness of observation
Authors: Pantazakos Themistoklis
Published: August 2021

Recent years have seen enticing empirical approaches to solving the epistemological problem of the theory-ladenness of observation. I group these approaches in two categories according to their method of choice: testing and refereeing. I argue that none deliver what friends of theory-neutrality want them to. Testing does not work because both evidence from cognitive neuroscience and perceptual pluralism independently invalidate the existence of a common observation core. Refereeing does not work because it treats theory-ladenness as a kind of superficial, removable bias. Even if such treatment is plausible, there is likely no method to ascertain that effects of this bias are not present. More importantly, evidence from cognitive neuroscience suggests that a deeper, likely irremovable kind of theory-ladenness lies within the perceptual modules.
Effect of medium composition, genotype and age of explant on the regeneration of hexaploid plants from endosperm culture of tetraploid kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta)
Authors: Abdullah Mohib , Sliwinska Elwira , Góralski Grzegorz , Latocha Piotr , Tuleja Monika , Widyna Patrycja , Popielarska-Konieczna Marzena
Published: August 2021

Endosperm, an ephemeral and storage tissue, serves as a source of nutrition and protection during embryo development and germination. It can be used for the cultivation of polyploid plants in vitro. Here, results of plant regeneration and acclimatization from the endosperm-derived calli of four cultivars ofActinidia argutahas been presented. Seeds excised from fresh fruit and dry seeds stored for one year served as the sources of endosperm explants of selected tetraploid cultivars ofA. arguta. Callus Induction Medium (CIM; containing 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/l of TDZ) and Actinidia Endosperm Medium (AEM; containing 2 mg/l of 2,4-D and 5 mg/l of kinetin) were used to study the organogenic responses of the calli. On AEM, the source of explant did not significantly affect the rate of callus induction for any of the tested cultivars; no organogenic events were observed. In contrast, on CIM both the source of explants and the cultivar origin caused significant differences in callus formation and subsequent organogenic events. Histological and ultrastructural analyses revealed the adventitious nature of shoot bud formation on these media. The most efficient elongation of shoot buds was achieved after transferring organogenic calli with adventitious shoot buds to a medium supplemented with zeatin ormeta-topolin. Robust root induction with minimal basal callus formation occurred on the medium with indole-3-acetic acid. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the nuclear DNA content in the leaves of some regenerants was approximately 50 % higher (4.5 pg/2C) than that in leaves from the tetraploid seedlings (3.1 pg/2C),which confirmed that those regenerants originated from the endosperm. The regeneration of such hexaploid plants was more efficient when endosperm from fresh seeds served as an explant; therefore, fresh rather than dry seeds are recommended for endosperm-derived plant production. The hexaploid plants ofA. argutacan serve as an important source of breeding material.
Can the FSCORE add value to anomaly-based portfolios? A reality check in the German stock market
Authors: Pätäri Eero J. , Leivo Timo H. , Ahmed Sheraz
Published: August 2021

This paper examines the added value of using financial statement information, particularly that of Piotroski’s (J Account Res 38:1, 2000. https://doi.org/10.2307/2672906) FSCORE, for equity portfolio selection in the German stock market in a realistic research setting in which the critique against the implementability of FSCORE-based trading strategies is taken into account. We show that the performance of annually rebalanced long-only portfolios formed on any of the examined 12 accounting-based primary criteria improves by including the FSCORE as a supplementary criterion. Our study is the first to show that although the FSCORE boost is strongest for the 1-year holding period length, it also holds, on average, for the 3-year holding period. The use of a 3-year updating frequency is particularly beneficial for the low-accrual portfolio that—when supplemented with the high-FSCORE threshold—generates the best overall performance among all 75 portfolios examined. Moreover, we show that a high FSCORE is also an efficient stand-alone criterion for long-only portfolio formation.
Definition and extraction of 2D shape indices of intracranial aneurysm necks for rupture risk assessment
Authors: Mittenentzwei Sarah , Beuing Oliver , Neyazi Belal , Sandalcioglu I. Erol , Larsen Naomi , Preim Bernhard , Saalfeld Sylvia
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Intracranial aneurysms are local dilations of brain vessels. Their rupture, as well as their treatment, is associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality. In this work, we propose shape indices for aneurysm ostia for the rupture risk assessment of intracranial aneurysms.

Methods

We analyzed 84 middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysms (27 ruptured and 57 unruptured) and their ostia, with respect to their size and shape. We extracted 3D models of the aneurysms and vascular trees. A semi-automatic approach was used to separate the aneurysm from its parent vessel and to reconstruct the ostium. We used known indices to quantitatively describe the aneurysms. For the ostium, we present new shape indices: the 2D Undulation Index (UI$$_\mathrm{2D}$$

2
D

), the 2D Ellipticity Index (EI$$_\mathrm{2D}$$

2
D

) and the 2D Noncircularity Index (NCI$$_\mathrm{2D}$$

2
D

). Results were analyzed using the Student t test, the Mann–Whitney U test and a correlation analysis between indices of the aneurysms and their ostia.

Results

Of the indices, none was significantly associated with rupture status. Most aneurysms have an NCI$$_\mathrm{2D}$$

2
D

below 0.2. Of the aneurysms that have an NCI$$_\mathrm{2D}$$

2
D

above 0.5, only one is ruptured, which indicates that ruptured aneurysms often have a circular-shaped ostium. Furthermore, the ostia of ruptured aneurysms tend to have a smaller area, which is also correlated with the aneurysm’s size. While also other variables were significantly correlated, strong linear correlations can only be seen between the area of the ostium with the aneurysm’s volume and surface.

Conclusion

The proposed shape indices open up new possibilities to quantitatively describe and compare ostia, which can be beneficial for rupture risk assessment and subsequent treatment decision. Additionally, this work shows that the ostium area and the size of the aneurysm are correlated. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to analyze whether stable and unstable aneurysms can be distinguished by their ostia.
Is Internationalization Beneficial to Innovation? Evidence from a Meta-analysis
Authors: Ding Sasa , McDonald Frank , Wei Yingqi
Published: August 2021

This paper conducts a meta-analytical review to examine the impact of internationalization on innovation, with particular attention to the role of research design factors that may confound causal inferences. The existing literature is examined (1) to determine the average effect of internationalization on innovation and (2) to assess how variations in key aspects of research design has affected results. Analysis of 99 studies reveals that the effects of internationalization on innovation are diverse but are generally positive, albeit the effect sizes are mostly small to moderate. The inferred magnitude of such effects is influenced by research design factors and that country-context matters. The results suggest that internationalization measurements, data characteristics and statistical artifacts affect the variations in effect sizes. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities and challenges in future research on the internationalization-innovation nexus.
Different effects of the DRD4 genotype on intrinsic brain network connectivity strength in drug-naïve children with ADHD and healthy controls
Authors: Chen Shuangli , Qian Andan , Tao Jiejie , Zhou Ronghui , Fu Chuqi , Yang Chuang , Lin Qingxia , Zhou JieJie , Li Jiance , Huang Xiaoqi , Wang Meihao
Published: August 2021

The dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has been consistently reported to be associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recent studies have linked DRD4 to functional connectivity among specific brain regions. The current study aimed to compare the effects of the DRD4 genotype on functional integrity in drug-naïve ADHD children and healthy children. Resting-state functional MRI images were acquired from 49 children with ADHD and 37 healthy controls (HCs). We investigated the effects of the 2-repeat allele of DRD4 on brain network connectivity in both groups using a parameter called the degree of centrality (DC), which indexes local functional relationships across the entire brain connectome. A voxel-wise two-way ANCOVA was performed to examine the diagnosis-by-genotype interactions on DC maps. Significant diagnosis-by-genotype interactions with DC were found in the temporal lobe, including the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG) (GRF corrected at voxel level p < 0.001 and cluster level p < 0.05, two-tailed). With the further subdivision of the DC network according to anatomical distance, additional brain regions with significant interactions were found in the long-range DC network, including the left superior parietal gyrus (SPG) and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG). The post-hoc pairwise analysis found that altered network centrality related to DRD4 differed according to diagnostic status (p < 0.05). This genetic imaging study suggests that the DRD4 genotype regulates the functional integration of brain networks in children with ADHD and HCs differently. This may have important implications for our understanding of the role of DRD4 in altering functional connectivity in ADHD subjects.
Comparison of superficial wound documentation using 2D forensic photography, 3D photogrammetry, Botscan© and VR with real-life examination
Authors: Massini Federico , Ebert Lars , Ampanozi Garyfalia , Franckenberg Sabine , Benz Lena , Sieberth Till
Published: August 2021

Evidence acquisition, interpretation and preservation are essential parts of forensic case work that make a standardized documentation process fundamental. The most commonly used method for the documentation and interpretation of superficial wounds is a combination of two modalities: two-dimensional (2D) photography for evidence preservation and real-life examination for wound analysis. As technologies continue to develop, 2D photography is being enhanced with three-dimensional (3D) documentation technology. In our study, we compared the real-life examination of superficial wounds using four different technical documentation and visualization methods.

To test the different methods, a mannequin was equipped with several injury stickers, and then the different methods were applied. A total of 42 artificial injury stickers were documented in regard to orientation, form, color, size, wound borders, wound corners and suspected mechanism of injury for the injury mechanism. As the gold standard, superficial wounds were visually examined by two board-certified forensic pathologists directly on the mannequin. These results were compared to an examination using standard 2D forensic photography; 2D photography using the multicamera system Botscan©, which included predefined viewing positions all around the body; and 3D photogrammetric reconstruction based on images visualized both on screen and in a virtual reality (VR) using a head-mounted display (HMD).

The results of the gold standard examination showed that the two forensic pathologists had an inter-reader agreement ranging from 69% for the orientation and 11% for the size of the wounds. A substantial portion of the direct visual documentation showed only a partial overlap, especially for the items of size and color, thereby prohibiting the statistical comparison of these two items. A forest plot analysis of the remaining six items showed no significant difference between the methods. We found that among the forensic pathologists, there was high variability regarding the vocabulary used for the description of wound morphology, which complicated the exact comparison of the two documentations of the same wound.

There were no significant differences for any of the four methods compared to the gold standard, thereby challenging the role of real-life examination and 2D photography as the most reliable documentation approaches. Further studies with real injuries are necessary to support our evaluation that technical examination methods involving multicamera systems and 3D visualization for whole-body examination might be a valid alternative in future forensic documentation.
The Role of TMEM16A/ERK/NK-1 Signaling in Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons in the Development of Neuropathic Pain Induced by Spared Nerve Injury (SNI)
Authors: Chen Qinyi , Kong Liangjingyuan , Xu Zhenzhen , Cao Nan , Tang Xuechun , Gao Ruijuan , Zhang Jingrong , Deng Shiyu , Tan Chaoyang , Zhang Meng , Wang Yang , Zhang Liang , Ma Ketao , Li Li , Si Junqiang
Published: August 2021

Increasing evidence suggests that transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) in nociceptive neurons is an important molecular component contributing to peripheral pain transduction. The present study aimed to evaluate the role and mechanism of TMEM16A in chronic nociceptive responses elicited by spared nerve injury (SNI). In this study, SNI was used to induce neuropathic pain. Drugs were administered intrathecally. The expression and cellular localization of TMEM16A, the ERK pathway, and NK-1 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence. Behavioral tests were used to evaluate the role of TMEM16A and p-ERK in SNI-induced persistent pain and hypersensitivity. The role of TMEM16A in the hyperexcitability of primary nociceptor neurons was assessed by electrophysiological recording. The results show that TMEM16A, p-ERK, and NK-1 are predominantly expressed in small neurons associated with nociceptive sensation. TMEM16A is colocalized with p-ERK/NK-1 in DRG. TMEM16A, the MEK/ERK pathway, and NK-1 are activated in DRG after SNI. ERK inhibitor or TMEM16A antagonist prevents SNI-induced allodynia. ERK and NK-1 are downstream of TMEM16A activation. Electrophysiological recording showed that CaCC current increases and intrathecal application of T16Ainh-A01, a selective TMEM16A inhibitor, reverses the hyperexcitability of DRG neurons harvested from rats after SNI. We conclude that TMEM16A activation in DRG leads to a positive interaction of the ERK pathway with activation of NK-1 production and is involved in the development of neuropathic pain after SNI. Also, the blockade of TMEM16A or inhibition of the downstream ERK pathway or NK-1 upregulation may prevent the development of neuropathic pain.
Application of non-Gaussian multidimensional autoregressive model for climate data prediction
Authors: Broszkiewicz-Suwaj Ewa , Wyłomańska Agnieszka
Published: August 2021

From the point of view of agriculture, ecology, or environmental engineering, the capability of forecasting meteorological variables in the long and short term is crucial. Short-term forecasts enabling the planning of field work in agriculture, management of mass events, or tourism are important, while long-term forecasts related to advancing climate change are also very interesting. In the literature, there are known many approaches that can be used to forecast climate time series. The most common is based on the statistical modelling of the corresponding data, and the prediction is made on the fitted model. There are known one-dimensional approaches, where single variables are modeled separately; however, in the last decade, there appears a new trend which assumes the importance of the relationship between different time series. This is the approach considered in this paper. We propose to examine the climate data (temperature and precipitation) using the multidimensional vector autoregressive model (VAR). However, because in the time series we observe non-Gaussian behaviour, the classical VAR model can not be applied and the multidimensional Gaussian noise is replaced by the$$\alpha -$$α-stable one. This model was previously analyzed by the authors in the context of financial data description where also non-Gaussian characteristics are observed. The main goal of this paper is to answer the question whether there are reasons to go from the Gaussian model to the generalized models, like$$\alpha -$$α-stable based. The second purpose is to link total precipitation data with temperature time series. In the classical approach, precipitation was treated as a variable not correlated with temperature, which, as we will show in the paper, is inconsistent with reality. We hope the presented in this paper results open new areas of interest related to climate data modelling and prediction.
Does being a coach benefit clinician-educators? Amixed methods study of faculty self-efficacy, job satisfaction and burnout
Authors: Elster Martha J. , O’Sullivan Patricia S. , Muller-Juge Virginie , Sheu Leslie , Kaiser Sunitha V. , Hauer Karen E.
Published: August 2021

Introduction Coaching is a growing clinician-educator role. Self-efficacy is a powerful faculty motivator that is associated positively with job satisfaction and negatively with burnout. This study examines self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and burnout in coaches and other clinician-educators.

Methods We conducted a mixed methods study using a quantitative survey followed by qualitative interviews of faculty at the University of California, San Francisco. Coaches (funded 20% full-time equivalents), faculty with other funded education positions (“funded”), and faculty without funded education positions (“unfunded”) completed a 48-item survey addressing self-efficacy (teaching, professional development, and scholarship), job satisfaction, and burnout. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by post-hoc tests and chi-square tests. To elaborate quantitative results, we conducted qualitative interviews of 15 faculty and analyzed data using framework analysis.

Results 202 of 384 faculty (52.6%) responded to the survey; 187 complete surveys were analyzed. Teaching self-efficacy was similar across groups. Coaches and funded educators had significantly higher professional development self-efficacy and job satisfaction than unfunded educators. Burnout was more prevalent in coaches and unfunded educators. Qualitative analysis yielded three themes: sources of reward, academic identity, and strategies to mitigate burnout. Educator roles provide reward that enhances self-efficacy and job satisfaction but also generate competing demands. Coaches cited challenges in forming professional identities and working with struggling learners.

Discussion The coaching role provides faculty with benefits similar to other funded educator roles, but the particular demands of the coach role may contribute to burnout.
Terapia dei prolattinomi: quando sospendere?
Authors: Auriemma Renata S. , Scairati Roberta , del Vecchio Guendalina , Colao Annamaria
Published: August 2021

Sommario

La gestione clinico-terapeutica dei pazienti con prolattinoma è basata sul trattamento con dopamino-agonisti (DA), in particolare la cabergolina, data la loro comprovata efficacia biochimica e antitumorale. Il raggiungimento di normali valori di prolattina associato alla significativa riduzione delle dimensioni tumorali, fino alla sua completa scomparsa, può suggerire l’opportunità di sospendere tale terapia nei pazienti trattati per almeno due anni. Tuttavia, è fortemente raccomandato di evitare la sospensione improvvisa del trattamento con DA e di preferire un protocollo di graduale riduzione del dosaggio di DA fino alla definitiva interruzione del trattamento, al fine di consentire la persistenza di normali valori di prolattina nel tempo. Nei pazienti con evidenza di recidiva di iperprolattinemia dopo un primo tentativo di sospensione dei DA, è possibile effettuare un secondo tentativo di sospensione dopo un ulteriore ciclo di trattamento con DA per due anni.
Health Care Burden and Expenditure Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Tennessee and Virginia
Authors: Okwori Glory , Stewart Steven , Quinn Megan , Lawson Delaney
Published: August 2021

To estimate attributable burden and costs of conditions associated with exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Tennessee (TN) and Virginia (VA) during 2017. This is a cross-sectional study of individuals aged 18+ having exposure to ACEs using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Eight chronic diseases (asthma, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis) and two risk factors (smoking and drinking) associated with ACEs were analyzed. Pearson's chi-square tests analyzed the association between ACEs, risk factors and chronic diseases. The population attributable risks (PAR) were estimated for the ACEs related diseases and risk factors and combined with health care expenses and Disability Adjusted-Life-Years (DALYs). Among those who experienced at least 1 ACE in TN, 10% had COPD, 17% had diabetes, 36% had obesity, and 30% had depression. Individuals who experienced at least 1 ACE in VA had higher percentages for COPD, obesity and depression diseases compared to those who had no ACE (p< .0001). ACEs’ exposure resulted in a burden of about 115,000 years and 127,000 years in terms of DALYs in TN and VA, respectively. The total health spending associated with ACEs based on PARs was about $647 million ($165 per adult) and $942 million ($292 per adult) in TN and VA respectively. The total costs associated with ACEs was about $15.5 billion ($3948) per person) and $20.2 billion ($6288 per person) in TN and VA, respectively. This study emphasizes the need to reduce ACEs due to high health and financial costs.
Spider Web-Inspired Graphene Skeleton-Based High Thermal Conductivity Phase Change Nanocomposites for Battery Thermal Management
Authors: Lin Ying , Kang Qi , Wei Han , Bao Hua , Jiang Pingkai , Mai Yiu-Wing , Huang Xingyi
Published: August 2021

Phase change materials (PCMs) can be used for efficient thermal energy harvesting, which has great potential for cost-effective thermal management and energy storage. However, the low intrinsic thermal conductivity of polymeric PCMs is a bottleneck for fast and efficient heat harvesting. Simultaneously, it is also a challenge to achieve a high thermal conductivity for phase change nanocomposites at low filler loading. Although constructing a three-dimensional (3D) thermally conductive network within PCMs can address these problems, the anisotropy of the 3D framework usually leads to poor thermal conductivity in the direction perpendicular to the alignment of fillers. Inspired by the interlaced structure of spider webs in nature, this study reports a new strategy for fabricating highly thermally conductive phase change composites (sw-GS/PW) with a 3D spider web (sw)-like structured graphene skeleton (GS) by hydrothermal reaction, radial freeze-casting and vacuum impregnation in paraffin wax (PW). The results show that the sw-GS hardly affected the phase transformation behavior of PW at low loading. Especially, sw-GS/PW exhibits both high cross-plane and in-plane thermal conductivity enhancements of ~ 1260% and ~ 840%, respectively, at an ultra-low filler loading of 2.25 vol.%. The thermal infrared results also demonstrate that sw-GS/PW possessed promising applications in battery thermal management.
Structural Design Strategies of Polymer Matrix Composites for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding: A Review
Authors: Liang Chaobo , Gu Zhoujie , Zhang Yali , Ma Zhonglei , Qiu Hua , Gu Junwei
Published: August 2021

With the widespread application of electronic communication technology, the resulting electromagnetic radiation pollution has been significantly increased. Metal matrix electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials have disadvantages such as high density, easy corrosion, difficult processing and high price, etc. Polymer matrix EMI shielding composites possess light weight, corrosion resistance and easy processing. However, the current polymer matrix composites present relatively low electrical conductivity and poor EMI shielding performance. This review firstly discusses the key concept, loss mechanism and test method of EMI shielding. Then the current development status of EMI shielding materials is summarized, and the research progress of polymer matrix EMI shielding composites with different structures is illustrated, especially for their preparation methods and evaluation. Finally, the corresponding key scientific and technical problems are proposed, and their development trend is also prospected. "Image missing"
Relationship Between Adult Separation Anxiety and Attachment Styles and Vaginismus
Authors: Unlubilgin Eylem , Tetik Sinan , Aksoy Ihsan , Yuksel Dilek , Tekin Ozlem Moraloglu
Published: August 2021

Background

Vaginismus has an unknown etiology, is comorbid with anxiety, and is the most common sexual dysfunction in sexual dysfunction outpatient clinics in Turkey.

Aim

This study aimed to determine the frequency of adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) and styles of attachment in patients with vaginismus and to investigate its relationship with female sexual dysfunction.

Methods

Sixty women with vaginismus and 60 healthy controls were compared using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA-27).

Outcomes

We report the results of the questionnaires with their implication on the etiology of vaginismus.

RESULTS

Separation anxiety and fearful and dismissive avoidance attachment style in the vaginismus group were significantly higher than in the control group. Both total FSFI scores and arousal, pain, and satisfaction subscale scores were higher in the control group.

Clinical Implications

ASAD should be evaluated and addressed separately, when necessary, in the treatment of vaginismus.

Strengths & Limitations

The relationship between ASAD and vaginismus has been shown for the first time. Study limitations included the assessment of factors influencing the study results based on self-reporting and possible recall bias.

CONCLUSION

Attachment and comorbidity research in vaginismus needs to shift from just reporting disturbances, to identify various clinical variables, such as the severity of the vaginismus, response to therapy, and differences in therapeutic modalities, in terms of outcome.
Modern Communications
Authors: Bliss Daniel W.
Published: August 2021

Designed for a single-semester course, this concise and approachable text covers all of the essential concepts needed to understand modern communications systems. Balancing theory with practical implementation, it presents key ideas as a chain of functions for a transmitter and receiver, covering topics such as amplification, up- and down-conversion, modulation, dispersive channel compensation, error-correcting codes, acquisition, multiple-antenna and multiple-input multiple-output antenna techniques, and higher level communications functions. Analog modulations are also presented, and all of the basic and advanced mathematics, statistics, and Fourier theory needed to understand the concepts covered is included. Supported online with PowerPoint slides, a solutions manual, and additional MATLAB-based simulation problems, it is ideal for a first course in communications for senior undergraduate and graduate students.