bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The feasibility of a Comprehensive Resilience-building psychosocial Intervention (CREST) for people with dementia in the community: protocol for a non-randomised feasibility study
Authors: Casey Dympna , Gallagher Niamh , Devane Declan , Woods Bob , Murphy Kathy , Smyth Siobhán , Newell John , Murphy Andrew W. , Clarke Charlotte , Foley Tony , Timmons Fergus , Dröes Rose-Marie , O’Halloran Martin , Windle Gill , Irving Lupton Kate , Domegan Christine , O’Shea Eamon , Dolan Pat , Doyle Priscilla
Published: November 2020

Background

A dementia diagnosis can prevent people from participating in society, leading to a further decline in cognitive, social and physical health. However, it may be possible for people with dementia to continue to live meaningful lives and continue to participate actively in society if a supportive psychosocial environment exists. Resilience theory, which focuses on strengthening personal attributes and external assets in the face of serious challenges, may provide a scaffold on which an inclusive multifaceted psychosocial supportive environment can be built. This protocol paper describes a study to determine the feasibility of conducting a multifaceted complex resilience building psychosocial intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers living in the community.

Methods

This is a non-randomised feasibility study. Ten participants with dementia and their primary caregivers living in the community will be recruited and receive the CREST intervention. The intervention provides (a) a 7-week cognitive stimulation programme followed by an 8-week physical exercise programme for people with dementia and (b) a 6-week educational programme for caregivers. Members of the wider community will be invited to a dementia awareness programme and GP practices to a dementia training workshop. Trained professionals will deliver all intervention components. Outcomes will assess the feasibility and acceptability of all study processes. The feasibility and acceptability of a range of outcomes to be collected in a future definitive trial, including economic measurements, will also be explored. Finally, social marketing will be used to map a route toward stigma change in dementia for use in a subsequent trial. Quantitative feasibility outcome assessments will be completed at baseline and after completion of the 15-week intervention while qualitative data will be collected at recruitment, baseline, during and post-intervention delivery.

Conclusion

This feasibility study will provide evidence regarding the feasibility and acceptability of a comprehensive multifaceted psychosocial intervention programme for people with dementia and their caregivers (CREST). The results will be used to inform the development and implementation of a subsequent RCT, should the findings support feasibility.

Trial registration

ISRCTN25294519Retrospectively registered 07.10.2019
25 vs. 27-gauge micro-incision vitrectomy surgery for visually significant macular membranes and full-thickness macular holes: a retrospective study
Authors: Brown Gordon T. , Pugazhendhi Sangeethabalasri , Beardsley Robert M. , Karth John W. , Karth Peter A. , Hunter Allan A.
Published: November 2020

Background

To evaluate visual and safety outcomes for 25-gauge (25G) and 27-gauge (27G) micro-incision vitrectomy platforms (MIVS) for the treatment of epiretinal membrane and full-thickness macular holes.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent internal limiting membrane (ILM) peel surgery from January 2017 through December 2018. 207 cases met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Primary endpoint was post-operative Best-Corrected Distance Visual Acuity (BCVA) at 6 months.

Results

For all patients combined, mean logMAR BCVA improved from 0.57 (± 0.40) to 0.37 (± 0.36) post-operatively (p < 0.001). For 25G ERMs, logMAR BCVA improved from 0.51 (± 0.28) to 0.30 (± 0.25) post-operatively (p < 0.001). For 27G ERMs, logMAR BCVA improved from 0.33 (± 0.28) to 0.28 (± 0.27) post- operatively (p = 0.15). For 25G FTMHs, logMAR BCVA improved from 0.87 (± 0.48) to 0.51 (± 0.44) post-operatively (p < 0.001). For 27G FTMHs, logMAR BCVA changed from 0.89 (± 0.47) to 0.96 (± 0.60).

Conclusion

Final visual outcomes improved for both 25G and 27G ERM groups and the 25G FTMH group. Both 25G and 27G were safe and well tolerated MIVS platforms for the treatment of ERM and FTMH.
Financial performance of shipping firms that increase LNG carriers and the support of eco-innovation
Authors: Lim Kian-Guan , Lim Michelle
Published: November 2020

The technology to liquefy natural gas for transport to countries worldwide and the increasing use of natural gas as a cleaner fossil fuel for industry and household meant that the supply of liquified natural gas (LNG) worldwide is a profitable trend. Shipping companies can strategically choose to diversify into LNG fleet to grasp this trend. By supplying more LNG shipping capacities, the greater availability of LNG worldwide, as a source of marine fuel and as a source of cleaner energy in replacing coal and oil, is supporting eco-innovation. In this paper, we investigate three economic and financial benefits to a shipping firm that diversified into liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping, namely firm profitability performance, firm efficiency, and stock return performance. We also investigate if there is an early mover advantage in doing so. Our empirical findings indicate that fleet diversification into LNG carriers resulted in higher profitability and better operational efficiency. For the listed shipping firms, their stock returns increased with diversified exposures to the LNG business. There is some evidence of higher profitability in the early mover advantage. Firms that originated in LNG business also benefited when there was diversification into the non-LNG business.
Benefits of immersive collaborative learning in CAVE-based virtual reality
Authors: de Back Tycho T. , Tinga Angelica M. , Nguyen Phong , Louwerse Max M.
Published: November 2020

How to make the learning of complex subjects engaging, motivating, and effective? The use of immersive virtual reality offers exciting, yet largely unexplored solutions to this problem. Taking neuroanatomy as an example of a visually and spatially complex subject, the present study investigated whether academic learning using a state-of-the-art Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) yielded higher learning gains compared to conventional textbooks. The present study leveraged a combination of CAVE benefits including collaborative learning, rich spatial information, embodied interaction and gamification. Results indicated significantly higher learning gains after collaborative learning in the CAVE with large effect sizes compared to a textbook condition. Furthermore, low spatial ability learners benefitted most from the strong spatial cues provided by immersive virtual reality, effectively raising their performance to that of high spatial ability learners. The present study serves as a concrete example of the effective design and implementation of virtual reality in CAVE settings, demonstrating learning gains and thus opening opportunities to more pervasive use of immersive technologies for education. In addition, the study illustrates how immersive learning may provide novel scaffolds to increase performance in those who need it most.
Ecological momentary assessment versus retrospective assessment for measuring change in health-related quality of life following cardiac intervention
Authors: Oreel Tom H. , Delespaul Philippe , Hartog Iris D. , Henriques José P. S. , Netjes Justine E. , Vonk Alexander B. A. , Lemkes Jorrit , Scherer-Rath Michael , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M. , Sprangers Mirjam A. G. , Nieuwkerk Pythia T.
Published: November 2020

Background

Measuring change in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) is important to assess the impact of disease and/or treatment. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) comprises the repeated assessment of momentary HRQoL in the natural environment and is particularly suited to capture daily experiences. Our objective was to study whether change in momentary measures or retrospective measures of HRQoL are more strongly associated with criterion measures of change in HRQoL.

Twenty-six coronary artery disease patients completed momentary and retrospective HRQoL questionnaires before and after coronary revascularization. Momentary HRQoL was assessed with 14 items which were repeatedly presented 9 times a day for 7 consecutive days. Each momentary assessment period was followed by a retrospective HRQoL questionnaire that used the same items, albeit phrased in the past tense and employing a one-week time frame. Criterion measures of change comprised the New York Heart Association functioning classification system and the Subjective Significance Change Questionnaire. Regression analysis was used to determine the association of momentary and retrospective HRQoL change with the criterion measures of change.

Results

Change according to momentary HRQoL items was more strongly associated with criterion measures of change than change according to retrospective HRQoL items. Five of 14 momentary items were significantly associated with the criterion measures. One association was found for the retrospective items, however, in the unexpected direction.

Conclusion

Momentary HRQoL measures better captured change in HRQoL after cardiac intervention than retrospective HRQoL measures. EMA is a valuable expansion of the armamentarium of psychometrically sound HRQoL measures.
Exploring the multiple roles of guardian of the genome: P53
Authors: Feroz Wasim , Sheikh Arwah Mohammad Ali
Published: November 2020

Background

Cells have evolved balanced mechanisms to protect themselves by initiating a specific response to a variety of stress. TheTP53gene, encoding P53 protein, is one of the many widely studied genes in human cells owing to its multifaceted functions and complex dynamics. The tumour-suppressing activity of P53 plays a principal role in the cellular response to stress. The majority of the human cancer cells exhibit the inactivation of the P53 pathway. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in P53 research with particular focus on the role of P53 in DNA damage responses, apoptosis, autophagy, and cellular metabolism. We also discussed important P53-reactivation strategies that can play a crucial role in cancer therapy and the role of P53 in various diseases.

Main body

We used electronic databases like PubMed and Google Scholar for literature search. In response to a variety of cellular stress such as genotoxic stress, ischemic stress, oncogenic expression, P53 acts as a sensor, and suppresses tumour development by promoting cell death or permanent inhibition of cell proliferation. It controls several genes that play a role in the arrest of the cell cycle, cellular senescence, DNA repair system, and apoptosis. P53 plays a crucial role in supporting DNA repair by arresting the cell cycle to purchase time for the repair system to restore genome stability. Apoptosis is essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and tumour suppression. P53 can induce apoptosis in a genetically unstable cell by interacting with many pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors.

Furthermore, P53 can activate autophagy, which also plays a role in tumour suppression. P53 also regulates many metabolic pathways of glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. Thus under mild metabolic stress, P53 contributes to the cell’s ability to adapt to and survive the stress.

Conclusion

These multiple levels of regulation enable P53 to perform diversified roles in many cell responses. Understanding the complete function of P53 is still a work in progress because of the inherent complexity involved in between P53 and its target proteins. Further research is required to unravel the mystery of this Guardian of the genome “TP53”.
Congenital giant Bednar tumor in a child: surgical challenges in a young infant: a case report
Authors: Gunasekaran Vidhya , Peters Nitin J. , Samujh Ram
Published: November 2020

Background

Bednar tumor is a pigmented variant of the uncommon dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). It is a disease of the middle aged and elderly and has been rarely described in the pediatric population.

Case presentation

We report a rare case of a giant Bednar tumor present since birth, in a 2-year-old male child. It was present over the lower back and managed by surgical excision.

Conclusions

Bednar tumor is a rarity in children and is managed with aggressive wide local excision with margin of at least 1 cm. A close clinical follow-up is mandatory.
Obscene Textures: The Erotics of Disgust in the Writings of Ismat Chughtai
Authors: Khanna Neetu
Published: November 2020

This article revisits the Marxist anticolonial feminist writings of Urdu author Ismat Chughtai through a materialist exploration into how the female body—with its erotic curvatures and grotesque protuberances, its sticky and viscous textures and fluids—becomes the focalized object of what the author terms the erotics of disgust. Chughtai is perhaps most famous for her being tried for obscenity in 1942 for her most famous short story, “The Quilt” (“Lihaaf”), which narrates a young girl’s encounter with the erotic relationship of a middle-class Muslim woman and her female servant. As Chughtai herself recounts, however, she was acquitted because the prosecution could never point to the exact words that were to be considered obscene. The author argues that we read Chughtai’s extraordinary inquiries into the imbrication of desire and disgust as the visceral sites of gender discipline, as the question of the “modern” Muslim female citizen subject hangs in the balance of an emergent Indian nationhood. The author offers a queer feminist critique of the traditional phenomenology of disgust by analyzing the codes of erotic texture produced out of histories of colonial hygiene and bourgeois sexual discipline in late colonial India.
From Hampstead to Buenos Aires and Beyond: Anticipating Worlds in Julio Cortázar’s Imagen de John Keats
Authors: Moy Olivia Loksing
Published: November 2020

In the 1950s, the Argentinian author Julio Cortázar (1914–84) composed Imagen de John Keats, a little-known work that merges his own life with that of the British Romantics. Part biography and part autobiography, it includes personal essays and literary criticism that weave through the poems, life, and letters of Keats from his early youth to death. This article positions Imagen de John Keats as an important case study in world literature criticism. It demonstrates how Cortázar was not only a Latin American Boom writer who enjoyed international fame but also an idiosyncratic practitioner of reading and writing methods that transcend nation and period. Modeling innovative techniques that the author calls “automatic translation” and “global close reading,” Cortázar anticipates some of the problems recently voiced in critical debates surrounding world literature. Imagen de John Keats is simultaneously an example of world literature that blends fiction and nonfiction, and a model for world literature criticism.
Gender Relations in Racialized Ghagar Communities of Egypt
Authors: Parrs Alexandra
Published: November 2020

This article reflects on gender relations among Egyptian Dom/Ghagar. It is based on an examination of the representations of Dom women by European Orientalists in Egyptian movies, Egyptian media, and ethnographic research among Dom communities in Egypt, particularly narratives describing marital practices: bride price, divorce, polygyny, and early marriage. The article confronts the discourse of Ghagar and non-Ghagar about the position of women within Ghagar communities. It hypothesizes that representations of gender specificities among Ghagar communities may be concomitantly anchored in real practices, in perceptions of difference among their practices by members of Ghagar communities, and in external discourse. Egyptian media tend to project an image of the Ghagar as a society in which women are more powerful than men—which has a negative connotation. The article asks if those perceptions and interactions have helped create a dimension of Ghagar identity.
Defining compartmentalized stem cell populations with distinct cell division dynamics in the ocular surface epithelium
Authors: Ishii Ryutaro , Yanagisawa Hiromi , Sada Aiko
Published: November 2020

Adult tissues contain label-retaining cells (LRCs), which are relatively slow-cycling and considered to represent a property of tissue stem cells (SCs). In the ocular surface epithelium, LRCs are present in the limbus and conjunctival fornix; however, the character of these LRCs remains unclear, owing to lack of appropriate molecular markers. Using three CreER transgenic mouse lines, we demonstrate that the ocular surface epithelium accommodates spatially distinct populations with different cell division dynamics. In the limbus, long-lived Slc1a3CreER-labeled SCs either migrate centripetally toward the central cornea or slowly expand their clones laterally within the limbal region. In the central cornea, non-LRCs labeled with Dlx1CreER and K14CreER behave as short-lived progenitor cells. The conjunctival epithelium in the bulbar, fornix and palpebral compartment is regenerated by regionally unique SC populations. Severe damage to the cornea leads to the cancellation of SC compartments and conjunctivalization, whereas milder limbal injury induces a rapid increase of laterally expanding clones in the limbus. Taken together, our work defines compartmentalized multiple SC/progenitor populations of the mouse eye in homeostasis and their behavioral changes in response to injury.
Disrupting polycystin-2 EF hand Ca2+ affinity does not alter channel function or contribute to polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Vien Thuy N. , Ng Leo C. T. , Smith Jessica M. , Dong Ke , Krappitz Matteus , Gainullin Vladimir G. , Fedeles Sorin , Harris Peter C. , Somlo Stefan , DeCaen Paul G.
Published: November 2020

Approximately 15% of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is caused by variants in PKD2. PKD2 encodes polycystin-2, which forms an ion channel in primary cilia and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes of renal collecting duct cells. Elevated internal Ca2+ modulates polycystin-2 voltage-dependent gating and subsequent desensitization – two biophysical regulatory mechanisms that control its function at physiological membrane potentials. Here, we refute the hypothesis that Ca2+ occupancy of the polycystin-2 intracellular EF hand is responsible for these forms of channel regulation, and, if disrupted, results in ADPKD. We identify and introduce mutations that attenuate Ca2+-EF hand affinity but find channel function is unaltered in the primary cilia and ER membranes. We generated two new mouse strains that harbor distinct mutations that abolish Ca2+-EF hand association but do not result in a PKD phenotype. Our findings suggest that additional Ca2+-binding sites within polycystin-2 or Ca2+-dependent modifiers are responsible for regulating channel activity.
Artificial intelligence in oral and maxillofacial radiology: what is currently possible?
Authors: Heo Min-Suk , Kim Jo-Eun , Hwang Jae-Joon , Han Sang-Sun , Kim Jin-Soo , Yi Won-Jin , Park In-Woo
Published: November 2020

Artificial intelligence, which has been actively applied in a broad range of industries in recent years, is an active area of interest for many researchers. Dentistry is no exception to this trend, and the applications of artificial intelligence are particularly promising in the field of oral and maxillofacial (OMF) radiology. Recent researches on artificial intelligence in OMF radiology have mainly used convolutional neural networks, which can perform image classification, detection, segmentation, registration, generation, and refinement. Artificial intelligence systems in this field have been developed for the purposes of radiographic diagnosis, image analysis, forensic dentistry, and image quality improvement. Tremendous amounts of data are needed to achieve good results, and involvement of OMF radiologist is essential for making accurate and consistent data sets, which is a time-consuming task. In order to widely use artificial intelligence in actual clinical practice in the future, there are lots of problems to be solved, such as building up a huge amount of fine-labeled open data set, understanding of the judgment criteria of artificial intelligence, and DICOM hacking threats using artificial intelligence. If solutions to these problems are presented with the development of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence will develop further in the future and is expected to play an important role in the development of automatic diagnosis systems, the establishment of treatment plans, and the fabrication of treatment tools. OMF radiologists, as professionals who thoroughly understand the characteristics of radiographic images, will play a very important role in the development of artificial intelligence applications in this field.
COVID-19 testing capabilities at urgent care centers in states with greatest disease burden
Authors: Hsiang Walter , Forman Howard , Jain Siddharth , Khunte Akshay , Jin Grace , Yousman Laurie , Najem Michael , Mosier-Mills Alison , Wiznia Daniel
Published: November 2020

While rapid and accessible diagnosis is paramount to monitoring and reducing the spread of disease, COVID-19 testing capabilities across the U.S. remain constrained. For many individuals, urgent care centers (UCCs) may offer the most accessible avenue to be tested. Through a phone survey, we describe the COVID-19 testing capabilities at UCCs and provide a snapshot highlighting the limited COVID-19 testing capabilities at UCCs in states with the greatest disease burden.
Stage 2 Registered Report: How subtle linguistic cues prevent unethical behaviors
Authors: Guo Wen , Liu Huanxu , Yang Jingwen , Mo Yuqi , Zhong Can , Yamada Yuki
Published: November 2020

Background: Differences in descriptions can influence people’s evaluations and behaviors. A previous study by Bryan and colleagues suggested that subtle linguistic differences in ethical reminders can differentially prevent readers’ unethical behavior. The present study tried to replicate the previous finding in the Japanese context (Experiment 1); additionally, we explored the influence of unfamiliar Japanese instruction words that captured participants’ attention (Experiment 2).

Methods: In two online experiments, participants were asked to make 10 coin-tosses and report the number of “heads” results, which would indicate the amount of money that they could earn. In Experiment 1, we analyzed the difference in the number of “heads” results as reported by 768 participants under three conditions with different instructions (“Don’t cheat” vs. “Don’t be a cheater” vs. baseline as a control). In Experiment 2, we conducted an extended experiment with an additional task in which more attention was directed toward the text.

Results: In Experiment 1, we successfully replicated the results of the original experiment. The results of Experiment 2 showed no evidence that the results in Experiment 1 were influenced by attentional factors.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of the present study supported the hypothesis that self-identity-related words of moral reminder curb unethical behaviors more effectively.

Stage 1 report: https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.20183.4
Activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway by specioside and the n-butanol extract from the inner bark of Tabebuia rosea (Bertol) DC
Authors: Garzón-Castaño Sandra Catalina , Jiménez-González Francisco Javier , Veloza Luz Angela , Sepúlveda-Arias Juan Carlos
Published: November 2020

Background: A large number of chemical compounds exert their antioxidant effects by activation of key transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, such as the transcription factor Nrf2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway by both the n-butanol extract obtained from the inner bark of Tabebuia rosea (Bertol) DC and specioside isolated from this extract.

Methods: The antioxidant activity of the extract and specioside isolated from the inner bark of T. rosea were evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH) techniques, whereas their effects on the viability of HepG2 cells was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The effects of the compound and the extract on activating the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway were evaluated using a Nrf2 Transcription Factor Assay kit. Induction of the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response genes HMOX-1 and NQO1 was evaluated by real-time PCR. The protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells was determined as the percent protection using the MTT method.

Results: Both the n-butanol extract and specioside exhibited activity at low concentrations without affecting cellular viability, since the cell viability was greater than 80% after 24 hours of exposure at each tested concentration. In addition, Nrf2 dissociated from Keap1 after treatment with the n-butanol extract at a concentration of 0.25 µg/mL after 4 hours of exposure. An increase in the Nrf2 level in the cytoplasm after 4 hours of exposure to 2 μM specioside was observed. Nrf2 levels stabilized in the nucleus 12 hours after stimulation with both specioside and the extract. After 6 hours of stimulation, both the extract and specioside induced the expression of HMOX-1 and NQO1.

Conclusion: The n-butanol extract from the inner bark of T. rosea and specioside produced protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells.
From research to rapid response: mass COVID-19 testing by volunteers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation
Authors: Ghose Ritobrata , Aranguren-Ibáñez Álvaro , Arecco Niccolò , Balboa Diego , Bataller Marc , Beltran Sergi , Benisty Hannah , Bénard Angèle , Bernardo Edgar , Carbonell Sala Sílvia , Casals Eloi , Ciampi Ludovica , Condemi Livia , Corvó Alberto , Cosín-Tomás Marta , Cuenca-Ardura Mirabai , Duran Serrano Juan Manuel , Espejo Díaz María Isabel , Fernandez Callejo Marcos , Gañez-Zapater Antoni , Garcia-Castellanos Raquel , Garrido Romina , Henkin Gil , Hermoso Pulido Toni , Hernandez-Alias Xavier , Herrero Vicente Jorge , Ingham Matthew , Lim Wei Ming , Llonch Sílvia , Marmesat Bertoli Elena , Miguel-Escalada Irene , Montero-Blay Ariadna , Navarrete Hernández Cristina , Neguembor Maria Victoria , Ní Chárthaigh Róisín-Ana , Pardo-Lorente Natalia , Pascual-Reguant Laura , Pérez-Lluch Sílvia , Perza Reyes , Pesaresi Martina , Picó Amador Daniel , Pifarré Paula , Piscia Davide , Plana-Carmona Marcos , Ponomarenko Julia , Radusky Leandro , Rivero Ezequiel , Rogalska Malgorzata , Torcal Garcia Guillem , Wojnacki José
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed and is continuously posing enormous societal and health challenges worldwide. The research community has mobilized to develop novel projects to find a cure or a vaccine, as well as to contribute to mass testing, which has been a critical measure to contain the infection in several countries. Through this article, we share our experiences and learnings as a group of volunteers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, Spain. As members of the ORFEU project, an initiative by the Government of Catalonia to achieve mass testing of people at risk and contain the epidemic in Spain, we share our motivations, challenges and the key lessons learnt, which we feel will help better prepare the global society to address similar situations in the future.
Sight loss and how the person with dementia can cope with it
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: November 2020

In the UK, around 250 000 people are living with both sight loss and dementia ( Bowen et al, 2016 ). People with dementia are more likely to experience sight loss than people of their age who do not have dementia. Dementia affects the ability to understand and relate to the world and sight loss has a huge impact on the ability of the person with dementia. This article examines normal age-related eye changes and eye disease. It outlines ways to compensate for age-related changes and how to detect and treat eye disease.
The effects of digitalisation on the labour market: the case of Russia
Authors: Matraeva Liliia , Vasiutina Ekaterina , Belyak Alexey
Published: November 2020

This article looks at the mechanism of formation of new institutional traps in the labour market under conditions of digitalisation of the economy. In particular, the effects of coordination, training and pairing, as well as cultural inertia and lobbying, are analysed as structural elements of institutional traps, which in the labour market create prerequisites for the consolidation of specific social norms that reduce the overall efficiency of the economic system. It proposes that, when all the effects are implemented synchronously, they complement each other in such a way as to contribute to the formation of institutional traps in the labour market when digital technologies are introduced. This leads to an escalation of risks in the labour market, against the background of an aggravated contradiction between supply and demand, leading to a self-sustaining structural imbalance associated with the introduction of digitalisation tools. The article draws attention to inertia in the process of adaptation of public institutions, which prevents the optimal institutional set up being reached, as there is a contradiction between the previously formed model of behaviour of economic agents and the system of management.
RETRACTED: Full-color micro-LED displays with cadmium-free quantum dots patterned by photolithography technology
Authors: Tian Wenya , Dou Long , Jin Zhong , Xiao Jinqing , Li Junhui
Published: November 2020

A full-color display consisting of red and green photoluminescence
cadmium-free quantum dots (QDs) as the color conversion material and excited by a
68×68
blue micro-LED flip chip array
mounted on an active-matrix driving board was completed in this study. The QD photoresist (QDPR)
lithography technology was reported in detail, and it has been proven
to be a stable process route. The suitable thickness of
12±1µm
of the QDPR and black matrix was
proposed to reduce the light cross talk between different sub-pixels.
The thickness of the common color filter of 1–2 µm was made
successfully between the quantum dot film and the cover glass, which
can greatly reduce the leakage of blue backlight and decrease the
quantum dots excitation by the ambient light, as well as improve the
color gamut and color purity of the display panel. In addition, the
high red and green light conversion efficiency reaches up to 78.1% and
296.5%, respectively, and the screen display can reach 98.8% NTSC on
the CIE 1931 chromaticity. Representative RGB monochromatic pictures
were displayed successfully and
≤0.04
viewing angle deviation of the
display was measured precisely.
Coherently tunable metalens tweezers for optofluidic particle routing
Authors: Yin Shengqi , He Fei , Kubo Wakana , Wang Qian , Frame James , Green Nicolas G. , Fang Xu
Published: November 2020

Nanophotonic particle manipulation exploits unique light shaping capabilities of nanophotonic devices to trap, guide, rotate and propel particles in microfluidic channels. Recent introduction of metalens into microfluidics research demonstrates the new capability of using nanophotonics devices for far-field optical manipulation. In this work we demonstrate, via numerical simulation, the first tunable metalens tweezers that function under dual-beam illumination. The phase profile of the metalens is modulated by controlling the relative strength and phase of the two coherent incident light beams. As a result, the metalens creates a thin sheet of focus inside a microchannel. Changes to the illumination condition allow the focus to be swept across the microchannel, thereby producing a controllable and reconfigurable path for particle transport. Particle routing in a Y-branch junction, for both nano- and microparticles, is evaluated as an example functionality for the tunable metalens tweezers. This work shows that tunable far-field particle manipulation can be achieved using near-field nano-engineering and coherent control, opening a new way for the integration of nanophotonics and microfluidics.
Spectroscopic properties of Er:BZMT ceramics for laser emission
Authors: Yao Weichao , Chen Hengjun , Uehara Hiyori , Yasuhara Ryo
Published: November 2020

We report on the characterization and analysis of the spectroscopic properties of an Er3+-doped Ba(Zr,Mg,Ta)O3 (Er:BZMT) transparent ceramic showing a disordered perovskite structure. The Judd-Ofelt model was applied to estimate the radiative lifetimes and branching ratios of the 1.5 and 3 µm emission transitions, which are potential for laser operation. The experimental fluorescence lifetimes of the transitions of 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 and 4I11/2 → 4I13/2 were recorded to calculate the radiative quantum efficiencies. According to the analysis, significant non-radiative relaxation processes from the 4I11/2 multiplets should exist in the Er:BZMT system, which makes this material more suitable for laser operation at 1.6 µm. Finally, the gain cross-section for the potential 1.6 µm laser emission was calculated, showing a broad tuning range from less than 1.6 µm to around 1.7 µm. This result also indicates that femtosecond level laser pulses are possible using Er:BZMT as laser gain medium.
Point-of-care diagnostic tests for influenza in the emergency department: A cost-effectiveness analysis in a high-risk population from a Canadian perspective
Authors: Mac Stephen , O’Reilly Ryan , Adhikari Neill K. J. , Fowler Robert , Sander Beate
Published: November 2020

Background

Our objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of novel rapid diagnostic tests: rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDT), digital immunoassays (DIA), rapid nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), and other treatment algorithms for influenza in high-risk patients presenting to hospital with influenza-like illness (ILI).

Methods

We developed a decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic test strategies (RIDT, DIA, NAAT, clinical judgement, batch polymerase chain reaction) preceding treatment; no diagnostic testing and treating everyone; and not treating anyone. We modeled high-risk 65-year old patients from a health payer perspective and accrued outcomes over a patient’s lifetime. We reported health outcomes, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), healthcare costs, and net health benefit (NHB) to measure cost-effectiveness per cohort of 100,000 patients.

Results

Treating everyone with no prior testing was the most cost-effective strategy, at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000/QALY, in over 85% of simulations. This strategy yielded the highest NHB of 15.0344 QALYs, but inappropriately treats all patients without influenza. Of the novel rapid diagnostics, NAAT resulted in the highest NHB (15.0277 QALYs), and the least number of deaths (1,571 per 100,000). Sensitivity analyses determined that results were most impacted by the pretest probability of ILI being influenza, diagnostic test sensitivity, and treatment effectiveness.

Conclusions

Based on our model, treating high-risk patients presenting to hospital with influenza-like illness, without performing a novel rapid diagnostic test, resulted in the highest NHB and was most cost-effective. However, consideration of whether treatment is appropriate in the absence of diagnostic confirmation should be taken into account for decision-making by clinicians and policymakers.
Identification of prognostic genes in uveal melanoma microenvironment
Authors: Luo Huan , Ma Chao
Published: November 2020

Background

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Many previous studies have demonstrated that the infiltrating of immune and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment contributes significantly to prognosis.

Methods

Dataset TCGA-UVM, download from TCGA portal, was taken as the training cohort, and GSE22138, obtained from GEO database, was set as the validation cohort. ESTIMATE algorithm was applied to find intersection differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among tumor microenvironment. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate Cox regression model were performed on intersection DEGs to initial screen for potential prognostic genes. Then these genes entered into the validation cohort for validation using the same methods as that in the training cohort. Moreover, we conducted correlation analyses between the genes obtained in the validation cohort and the status of chromosome 3, chromosome 8q, and tumor metastasis to get prognosis genes. At last, the immune infiltration analysis was performed between the prognostic genes and 6 main kinds of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) for understanding the role of the genes in the tumor microenvironment.

Results

959 intersection DEGs were found in the UM microenvironment. Kaplan-Meier and Cox analysis was then performed in the training and validation cohorts on these DEGs, and 52 genes were identified with potential prognostic value. After comparing the 52 genes to chromosome 3, chromosome 8q, and metastasis, we obtained 21 genes as the prognostic genes. The immune infiltration analysis showed that Neutrophil had the potential prognostic ability, and almost every prognostic gene we had identified was correlated with abundances of Neutrophil and CD8+ T Cell.

Conclusions

Identifying 21 prognosis genes (SERPINB9, EDNRB, RAPGEF3, HFE, RNF43, ZNF415, IL12RB2, MTUS1, NEDD9, ZNF667, AZGP1, WARS, GEM, RAB31, CALHM2, CA12, MYEOV, CELF2, SLCO5A1, ISM1, and PAPSS2) could accurately identify patients' prognosis and had close interactions with Neutrophil in the tumor environment, which may provide UM patients with personalized prognosis prediction and new treatment insights.
Molecular screening for the mutation associated with canine degenerative myelopathy (SOD1:c.118G > A) in German Shepherd dogs in Brazil
Authors: Santos Cássia Regina Oliveira , Gouveia João José de Simoni , Gouveia Gisele Veneroni , Bezerra Flávia Caroline Moreira , Nogueira Joel Fonseca , Baraúna Júnior Durval
Published: November 2020

Canine Degenerative Myelopathy is a late onset recessive autosomal disease characterized by a progressive ascending degeneration of the spinal cord. Two causal mutations are associated with this disease: a transition (c.118G>A) in exon 2 of the SOD1 that was described in several breeds and a transversion (c.52A>T) in exon 1 of the same gene described in Bernese Mountain dogs. The aim of this study was to understand the impact of the SOD1:c.118G > A mutation by genotyping a population of German Shepherd dogs in Brazil. A PCR-RFLP approach was used to genotype 97 healthy individuals belonging from the Northeast (Bahia and Pernambuco states) and South (Santa Catarina state) regions of Brazil. A total of 95 individuals were successfully genotyped resulting in an observed genotype frequency (with 95% confidence interval) of: 0.758 (0.672–0.844), 0.242 (0.156–0.328) and 0.000 (0.000–0.000) for “GG”, “AG” and “AA” genotypes, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to describe the presence of the “A” allele associated with CDM (SOD1:c.118G > A) in German Shepherd dogs in Brazil and, as such, these results contribute toward important epidemiological data in this country and to the knowledge of the distribution of the aforementioned mutation worldwide.
Malaria and curable sexually transmitted infections in pregnant women: A two-years observational study in rural Burkina Faso
Authors: Zango Serge Henri , Lingani Moussa , Valea Innocent , Samadoulougou Ouindpanga Sékou , Bihoun Biebo , Rouamba Toussaint , Derra Karim , Rouamba Eli , Donnen Phillipe , Dramaix Michele , Tinto Halidou , Robert Annie
Published: November 2020

Background

Malaria and curable sexually transmitted infections (STI) are the most common curable infections known to have a severe impact on pregnancy outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to assess the marginal and joint prevalence of symptomatic cases of malaria and STI in pregnant women living in rural settings of Burkina Faso and their associated factors, after more than a decade of the introduction of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT-SP).

Methods

We carried out an observational study in two health districts in rural Burkina, namely Nanoro and Yako. Routine data were collected during antenatal and delivery visits for all women who delivered in the year 2016 and 2017. Logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with infections.

Results

We collected data from 31639 pregnant women attending health facilities. Malaria, curable STI and their coinfections were diagnosed in 7747 (24.5%; 95%CI: 24.0–25.0%), 1269 (4.0%; 95%CI: 3.8–4.2%) and 388 (1.2%; 95%CI: 1.1–1.4%) women, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression, malaria occurrence was significantly higher in pregnant women < 20 years (Adjusted OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 2.07–2.69) than in women ≥30 years. The prevalence of curable STI was also significantly higher in students (Adjusted OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.26–2.95) and compensated workers (Adjusted OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.01–2.17) than in uncompensated workers. Women who received no IPT-SP had higher prevalence of malaria (Adjusted OR = 3.33; 95%CI: 3.00–3.70), curable STI (Adjusted OR = 1.96 95%CI: 1.60–2.39) and coinfections (Adjusted OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.50–2.95) compared to women who received SP.

Conclusion

Malaria and curable STI remain highly prevalent in rural settings of Burkina Faso, with young pregnant women and women who received no IPT-SP being the most affected. Prevention must be reinforced to improve maternal and infant health.
A contribuição do potencial terapêutico da ioga em tempos de COVID-19
Authors: Sócrates Garcia Chumpitaz Narottam , Magalhães Neves Campos Emille , Andreo Almeida dos Santos Jhon , De Souza Mota Giovanni , Carlos Carneiro da Silva Francisco , Kersting Puls Karine
Published: November 2020

A pandemia provocada pelas infecções por coronavírus trouxe uma nova realidade e perspectiva de vida à humanidade. O isolamento social, nunca estendido por tanto tempo e simultaneamente por todo o mundo, tornou-se essencial para evitar a superlotação da rede pública de saúde, a qual já é colapsada pelo crescente número de hospitalizações. Proveniente dessa miríade de acontecimentos contemporâneos, originou-se uma problemática inesperada adjacente à pandemia: a comunidade científica mundial está focada, predominantemente, no patógeno SARS-CoV-2 e em seu risco biológico, num esforço para compreender os mecanismos fisiopatológicos envolvidos e estagnar a disseminação da doença. Em razão disso, a saúde mental individual foi posicionada em um plano secundário, principalmente em relação aos meios como cada indivíduo enfrenta o distanciamento social. Não obstante, neste texto, busca-se fomentar e divulgar o amplo efeito terapêutico da ioga em tempos de COVID-19 sobre a saúde mental, que favorece a conexão mente-corpo, o qual desencadeia reações fisiológicas notáveis, por exemplo, a liberação de neurotransmissores de relaxamento e prazer, a ação no eixo hipotalâmico-pituitário-adrenal e liberação de fatores neurotróficos. Intrínseca a essa atividade, estão o relaxamento das emoções, o controle do humor, e o autoconhecimento, ao passo que todos esses aspectos trabalham tanto funções físicas, quanto psicológicas. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é o conhecimento de tal terapia potencialmente benéfica, pois além de ser uma alternativa acessível para prática individual, é um alicerce para o alcance de uma melhor condição física e mental em tempos de COVID-19.
Planejamento da designação de maquinistas a trens de viagem de longa distância em ferrovias de transporte de carga
Authors: Mazioli Franco Collodetti , Rosa Rodrigo De Alvarenga , Gravel Matheus Da Silva , Parreira Vivian
Published: November 2020

As ferrovias brasileiras transportam cargas em viagens longas. O trem é conduzido por um maquinista e, por conta da extensão da viagem com tempo total de duração, geralmente, superior à escala de trabalho do maquinista, fazendo-se necessário realizar a troca de maquinistas durante a viagem em locais pré-definidos, denominados destacamentos. Na literatura, este problema é tratado de forma separada por dois subproblemas: Crew Scheduling e Crew Rostering. Diferentemente, este artigo propõe um modelo matemático para resolver de forma integrada os dois subproblemas, inspirado no Problema de Roteamento de Veículos com Múltiplas Viagens e Múltiplos Depósitos, para planejar a designação de maquinistas para conduzir os trens que passarão pelos destacamentos, buscando minimizar o pagamento de salários e horas extras aos maquinistas. Os resultados demonstram possíveis reduções de custos quando comparados com o planejamento manual da ferrovia analisada e reduções de custo podem ser alcançadas se aumentar o tempo de escala.
COUPLED ELECTROMAGNETIC-THERMAL SIMULATION OF A POWER TRANSFORMER BY 3D FEM
Authors: Henriques Henrique Oliveira , Vizeu Carlos Eduardo , Souza Paulo Cesar , Costa Mauricio Caldora , Sotelo Guilherme Gonçalves , Sousa Jonaylton Moura , Fortes Marcio Zamboti , Ferreira Vitor Hugo
Published: November 2020

Power transformers are the most common equipment in an electric power system, which has been manufactured in the last decade. However, overheating can damage them, considerably reducing their operation lives, which may cause economic losses to the power utilities. The motivation of this paper is to investigate the time and power overload limits that a power transformer can be subjected to and how it will impact its temperature. Investments in the grid can be delayed if a transformer can support some overload during some momentary load demand increase. In this context, this paper presents a study of a 30/40MVA power transformer by 3D finite element method (FEM) for coupled thermal-electromagnetic simulations to investigate its thermal behaviour when it is submitted to its nominal load at a steady-state operation and a variable load during a period of one day. The simulations were performed with the commercial software packages Flux 3D and AcuSolve, for electromagnetic and thermal modelling, respectively. The modelled equipment was based on a power transformer installed in the Light Serviços de Eletricidade S.A, the utility that supplies electrical energy to the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Since the literature doesn’t present many works simulating coupled thermal-electromagnetic power transformers in 3D-FEM, this paper has the goal to bring new contributions to this field. Three study cases were modelled, and some simplifications in transformer’s geometry were made in some of them to reduce the computation time usually required for such a simulation. The obtained results are presented and compared with the measured values for the temperature in the hot spot of the transformer and in the top of the oil, to investigate the impact of these simplifications in the calculated results.
PROPERTIES OF A DIFFERENTIAL SEQUENCE BASED UPON THE KUMMER-SCHWARZ EQUATION
Authors: Maharaj Adhir , Andriopoulos Kostis , Leach Peter
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we determine a recursion operator for the Kummer-Schwarz equation, which leads to a sequence with unacceptable singularity properties. A different sequence is devised based upon the relationship between the Kummer-Schwarz equation and the first-order Riccati equation for which a particular generator has been found to give interesting and excellent properties. We examine the elements of this sequence in terms of the usual properties to be investigated – symmetries, singularity properties, integrability, alternate sequence – and provide an explanation of the curious relationship between the results of the singularity analysis and a consideration of the solution of each element obtained by quadratures.