bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathological Examination and Differential Diagnosis of Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacities by CT-Guided Percutaneous Needle Biopsy
Authors: Li Yong , Sun Yanxin , Han Jingqi , Yu Hualong , Zhang Chuanyu , Yu Cuini
Published: December 2020

In order to explore the pathological examination and differential diagnosis of pulmonary ground-glass opacities (GGO) with CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy (CTPNB), this study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 120 cases of patients who were diagnosed with pulmonary GGO and underwent CTPNB in a hospital designated by this study from December 2014 to December 2018. The results showed that all the 120 cases of patients were successfully punctured at one time and obtained sufficient tissue specimens with the puncture success rate and diagnostic accuracy both of 100%, being able to make a clear qualitative diagnosis. Among them, 30 cases were malignant lesions including 14 cases of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and 16 cases of metastatic carcinoma; 90 cases were benign lesions including 52 cases of hematogenous pulmonary tuberculosis, 14 cases of sarcoidosis, 12 cases of silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, 6 cases of interstitial pneumonia, 4 cases of alveolar proteinosis, and 2 case of allergic pneumonia. The complications of the 120 patients during the treatment included 8 cases of pneumothorax with an incidence of 6.67% (8/120), in which 2 case had the pulmonary tissue compression rate of about 25% and the other cases had no obvious perceived symptoms and required no special treatment, and 10 cases of hemoptysis with an incidence of 8.33% (10/120), whose symptoms disappeared after the treatment with batroxobin, and had no serious symptoms such as air embolism complication. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CTPNB in the diagnosis of malignant pulmonary GGO were 83.67% (82/98), 100% (22/22), and 86.67% (104/120), respectively, without statistically significant differences in diagnostic efficacy (P> 0.05). In summary, the CTPNB for the diagnosis of malignant pulmonary GGO has high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, and the CTPNB is also the simplest and most important approach to obtain effective pathological examinations and differential diagnoses of pulmonary GGO, which has simple operation, high accuracy and few complications, and has high application value for the qualitative diagnosis of pulmonary GGO.
Application of grid connected multilevel inverter for renewable energy integration
Authors: Saranya K , Devi Shree J
Published: December 2020

This study investigates the integration concerns of next-generation renewable energy systems, in which the grid is turning more disseminate and accessible. In this case, the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) based wind energy conversion systems are expected to be more beneficial. Provision of power quality improvement such as Harmonic Reduction is the basic key to obtain higher utilization of wind energy. This functionality for future systems leads to lower energy cost, and reliable power system. To incorporate the advanced features, a five level cascaded H – bridge inverter, with reduced number of power electronic switches is progressed in this study, that is configured within the renewable source systems such as solar and wind. The study is carried out on a 10 KW PMSG based wind energy conversion system interfaced to grid. The proposed concept is elucidated through modelling, simulating and analysing in MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Hooking up with friends: LGBTQ+ young people, dating apps, friendship and safety
Authors: Byron Paul , Albury Kath , Pym Tinonee
Published: December 2020

Research exploring digital intimate publics tends to consider social media platforms and dating/hook-up apps separately, implying distance between social and sexual communication practices. This paper troubles that delineation by drawing on LGBTQ+ young people’s accounts of negotiating safety and risk in dating/hook-up apps, in which friendship practices are significant. We explore four key themes of friendship that arose in our analysis of interviews and workshop discussions: sharing mutuals (or friends-in-common) with potential dates/hook-ups; making friends through apps; friends supporting app negotiations; and friends’ involvement in safety strategies. Through analysis of these data, we firstly argue that friendship is often both an outcome and an organising force of LGBTQ+ young people’s uses of dating/hook-up apps, and secondly, that media sites commonly defined as social (e.g. Instagram) or sexual (e.g. Tinder) are imbricated, with friendship contouring queer sex and dating practices.
Using confidence intervals to determine adequate item sample sizes for vocabulary tests: An essential but overlooked practice
Authors: Gyllstad Henrik , McLean Stuart , Stewart Jeffrey
Published: December 2020

The last three decades have seen an increase of tests aimed at measuring an individual’s vocabulary level or size. The target words used in these tests are typically sampled from word frequency lists, which are in turn based on language corpora. Conventionally, test developers sample items from frequency bands of 1000 words; different tests employ different sampling ratios. Some have as few as 5 or 10 items representing the underlying population of words, whereas other tests feature a larger number of items, such as 24, 30, or 40. However, very rarely are the sampling size choices supported by clear empirical evidence. Here, using a bootstrapping approach, we illustrate the effect that a sample-size increase has on confidence intervals of individual learner vocabulary knowledge estimates, and on the inferences that can safely be made from test scores. We draw on a unique dataset consisting of adult L1 Japanese test takers’ performance on two English vocabulary test formats, each featuring 1000 words. Our analysis shows that there are few purposes and settings where as few as 5 to 10 sampled items from a 1000-word frequency band (1K) are sufficient. The use of 30 or more items per 1000-word frequency band and tests consisting of fewer bands is recommended.
The history of human land use activities in the Northern Alps since the Neolithic Age. A reconstruction of vegetation and fire history in the Mangfall Mountains (Bavaria, Germany)
Authors: Gilck Fridtjof , Poschlod Peter
Published: December 2020

Millenia of sustainable, low intensity land use have formed the cultural landscapes of central Europe. Studies from the Central Alps show that mountain pastures also look back onto many thousand years of land use history. In this palynological and pedoanthracological study in the border region between Germany and Austria in the Mangfall Mountains, we aim to close the knowledge gap that exists for the German part of the Northern Alps, where no conclusive evidence for the onset of pastoral activities has been presented so far. Our results reveal strong evidence, that mountain pasture use in this region reaches back to the Iron Age at least. However, the reconstruction of vegetation and fire history indicates human interaction with the environment much earlier, starting in the Neolithic Age, where we found evidence of slash and burn activities and first occurrences of pasture indicator pollen. A rising number of mega charcoal pieces dated to the Bronze Age suggests increased slash and burn activities, possibly linked to the creation of open space for pasturing. Therefore, our results provide profound evidence of human interaction with the mountain environment, beginning in the Neolithic Age and clear evidence of mountain pasture use beginning during the Iron Age at 750 BC. Based on palynology and pedoanthracology it is, however, difficult to clearly differentiate between pasturing, hunting and other human interactions with the environment. Further archaeological studies in this area could add valuable information to our findings and shed more light onto the early history of farming activities in the Northern Alps.
Foreign Institutional Ownership and R&D Activities: Evidence from High-tech French Firms
Authors: Gharbi Sami , Othmani Hidaya
Published: December 2020

Foreign institutional investors hold over one-fifth of the total market value of the French stock market. Thus, it is important to analyse their influence on corporate investment decisions. This study investigates the impact of foreign institutional ownership on R&D activities. We examine whether these investors enhance or impede R&D investment intensity. Dynamic panel data analysis is applied to a sample of listed French high-tech firms over the period 2008–2014. Our results show that foreign institutional ownership encourages R&D investment while domestic institutional ownership dampens it. Foreign institutional ownership can act as a monitoring mechanism that reduces managerial myopia and encourages long-term and risky investment to enhance firm value.
Work scheduling and work location control in precarious and ‘permanent’ employment
Authors: Devereux Helen , Wadsworth Emma
Published: December 2020

This article explores the relationship between precarious employment and seafarers’ control over the scheduling and location of their work, and considers the implications of this relationship for their occupational health and safety. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 permanently and 17 precariously employed seafarers. In contrast with those on permanent contracts, seafarers employed by crewing agencies on temporary contracts were deployed at short notice and commenced work on vessels irrespective of whether they had experienced an adequate rest period at home. Such precariously employed seafarers were also deployed across the various sectors of the industry on unfamiliar vessels. Seafarers felt strongly that scheduling and location uncertainties were closely linked with increased risks to their safety and well-being, and it was clear that these areas of uncertainty were frequently experienced in combination, in particular, by those with precarious employment arrangements. The article, therefore, suggests that the widespread disorganisation of the employment relationship increases the occupational health and safety risks faced by those working in an already dangerous industry. It concludes that this lack of commitment by shipping companies to their workforce means that, for many seafarers, protection against these additional risks is effectively at the discretion of the captain on board.

JEL Code: J81
Does Presurgical Nasoalveolar Molding Have a Long-Term Effect on Nasal and Upper Airway Dimensions?
Authors: Banari Ashwina S. , Datana Sanjeev , Agarwal Shiv Shankar , Bhandari Sujit Kumar
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

To compare nasal and upper airway dimensions in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) who underwent nasoalveolar molding (NAM) with those without NAM during infancy using acoustic pharyngometry and rhinometry.

Materials and Methods:

Eccovision acoustic pharyngometry and rhinometry (Sleep Group Solutions) was used for assessment of mean area and volume of nasal and upper airway in patients with complete unilateral CLP (age range 16-21 years) treated with NAM (group 1, n = 19) versus without NAM (group 2, n = 22).

Results:

The mean nasal cross-sectional areas and volume were higher in group 1 compared to group 2 on both cleft ( P value <.001) and noncleft side ( P value >.05). The mean area and volume of upper airway were also significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 ( P value <.05).

Conclusions:

Nasoalveolar molding being one of the first interventions in chronology of treatment of patients with CLP, its long-term outcome on nasal and upper airway patency needs to be ascertained. The results of the present study show that the patients with CLP who have undergone NAM during infancy have better improvement in nasal and upper airway patency compared with those who had not undergone NAM procedure. The basic advantages of being noninvasive, nonionizing and providing dynamic assessment of nasal and upper airway patency make acoustic pharyngometry and rhinometry a diagnostic tool of choice to be used in patients with CLP.
Encounters with stones: Diffracting traditional games
Authors: Yuniasih Ririn , Bone Jane , Quiñones Gloria
Published: December 2020

Traditional games are commonly understood for their long establishment, passed down over generations and characterised by the simplicity of their materials. The aim of this article is to explore traditional games where materials are at the centre, focusing on games with stones. Through a new-materialist perspective, using Barad’s concept of ‘intra-activity’ and Lenz Taguchi’s notion of ‘performative agency’, stones are not seen as passive things or objects for play. Rather, they are considered as an active player of the games. A case study of a multi-age classroom in a primary school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is analysed. Different encounters with stones are read diffractively to create a space for new ideas to emerge. Through this reading, performative understanding as a new way of looking at traditional games is explored by addressing the complex relations with stones and the continuous intra-activity that takes place in the games. The implications of this research are the consideration of materials and how they are used in traditional games. This, in turn, affects pedagogical practices in which children and materials are coexisting and affecting each other in a learning process.
The Association Between African American Father–Child Relationships and HIV Testing
Authors: Boyd Donte T. , Threats Megan , Winifred Oluwamuyiwa , Nelson LaRon E.
Published: December 2020

The existing literature identifies parent communication as a protective mechanism in the reduction of sexual risk behaviors among youth; however, not much is known about father–child communication and bonding and its association with HIV testing. Therefore, this study examines the link between the relationship, bonding, and communication shared by African American (AA) fathers and their children and HIV testing over time. This secondary data analysis included data from Waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health on the health of adolescents to adults in a sample of AA males and females ( N = 509), with a mean age of 16 years. The independent variables included fathers’ communication, bonding, and relationships, and the dependent variables included HIV testing. A multinomial analysis assessed the factors that contributed to or prevented HIV testing. It was found that the overall model was statistically significant; F(24, 55) = 8.95; p < .001. The results suggest that father–adolescent communication was statistically significant and positively associated with HIV testing ( B = 23.88; p < .05). AA adolescents who reported going to the doctor or making a nursing visit were more likely to get tested multiple times ( B = 13.91; p < .001). Our findings indicate that father–child relationships are essential to adolescent sexual development and serve as a protective factor against threats to sexual health. Future studies should be designed to investigate the cognitive mechanisms through which the father–child bonding and communication may impact HIV testing.
Synthesis and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of novel glycosyl coumarylthiazole derivatives
Authors: Wang You-Xian , Liu Shu-Hao , Shao Zhong-Bai , Cao Lian-Gong , Jiang Kai-Jun , Lu Xing , Wang Lei , Liu Wei-Wei , Shi Da-Hua , Cao Zhi-Ling
Published: December 2020

Eleven glycosyl coumarylthiazole derivatives are synthesized by cyclization and condensation of glycosyl thiourea with 3-bromoacetyl coumarins in ethanol. The reaction conditions are optimized and good yields of products (80%–95%) are obtained. The structures of all new products were confirmed by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, and by HRMS (electrospray ionization). The in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of these new compounds are tested by Ellman’s method. Among them, N-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri- O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-(6-nitrocoumarinyl)-1,3-thiazole-2-amine showed the best activity with an in vitro AChE inhibitory rate of 58% and an IC50 value of 12 ± 0.38 μg/mL.
Is There a Safe Zone for Lateral Border Fixation of Mandibular Angle Fractures?
Authors: Press Steven G. , Miller Andrew J. , Luschen Michelle Campbell
Published: December 2020

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study design.

Objective:

There are multiple accepted treatment options for internal fixation of mandibular angle fractures. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a safe zone for lateral border fixation of mandibular angle fractures.

Methods:

One hundred coronal images of facial computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed on patients between the ages of 18 to 48. Measurements were taken in the area of the second and third molar region related to the inferior border to the superior extent of the inferior alveolar canal and apex of the second molar root, along with buccal cortical measurements to the inferior alveolar canal and apical third of the second molar root.

Results:

The average measurement of the inferior border in the second molar area to the inferior alveolar canal and apex of the root was 1.12 cm (0.70-1.77) and 1.39 cm (0.91-2.30), respectively. The average measurement of the inferior border of the third molar to the inferior alveolar canal was 1.26 cm (0.78-1.83). The average measurement of the buccal cortex of the second molar to the inferior alveolar canal and apical one-third of the root was 0.64 cm (0.34-1.25) and 0.59 cm (0.33-0.98), respectively. The average measurement of the third molar buccal cortex to the inferior alveolar canal was 0.45 cm (0.18-0.98).

Conclusion:

In the area of the second molar region, there is no ubiquitous safe zone for screw placement, cortical bone thickness is more critical than vertical placement of the fixation plate and screws. In the third molar region, cortical bone thickness and vertical orientation may provide a safe zone for screw placement.
Overt and occult hepatitis B among immigrants and native blood donors in Madrid, Spain
Authors: González Rocío , Barea Luisa , Arruga Ana , Richart Alberto , Soriano Vicente
Published: December 2020

Background:

The risk of transfusion-transmitted viral infections is very low in developed countries. Recent massive migration flows from highly hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and/or HIV endemic regions to Europe may have changed this scenario.

Methods:

During 2017 and 2018, a total of 491,753 blood donations (291,762 donors) were evaluated at the Madrid Regional Transfusion Center. All were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV and anti-HIV, as well as for HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA and HIV-RNA.

Results:

Overall, 35 donors were positive for HIV-RNA and 26 for HCV-RNA. HBV markers were found in 111 (0.022%) donors, split out into three categories: HBsAg+ ( n = 93; 0.019%), occult B infection (OBI) ( n = 17; 0.003%), and acute HBV window period ( n = 1; 0.0002%). All 17 OBI donors were positive for anti-HBc and confirmed as viremic in repeated testing. Viral load amounts were uniformly below 100 IU/mL. Ten OBI donors were repeated donors and look-back studies could be completed for eight of them. Fortunately, none of all prior recipients experienced transfusion transmitted hepatitis B. Compared with HBsAg+ donors, OBI donors were more frequently native Spaniards (76% versus 40%) and older (median age 52 versus 42 years old).

Conclusion:

Active HBV infection is currently found in 0.022% of blood donations (0.038% of donors) in Madrid. This rate is 3-fold greater than for HIV and/or HCV. On the other hand, HBsAg+ donors are 3-fold more frequent than OBI donors and more often immigrants than native Spaniards. No transfusion-transmitted HBV infections were identified during the study period, including retrospective checking of former recipients of OBI donors.
Effect of Osteoporosis on Proximal Humerus Fractures
Authors: Taskesen Anil , Göçer Ali , Uzel Kadir , Yaradılmış Yüksel Uğur
Published: December 2020

Introduction:

Proximal humerus fractures (PHF) constitute the majority of the most common osteoporotic fractures. Bone density measurements can affect treatment methods and outcomes. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of osteoporosis values, measured from direct radiographs, on fracture type, surgical outcomes.

Methods:

248 patients over 50 years of age who presented to Mersin City Hospital between 2017 and 2020 with proximal humeral fractures were retrospectively evaluated. The age and gender of the patients and the fracture types were evaluated according to the AO classification system from the direct radiographs obtained at the time of admission were recorded. The Tingart cortical thickness and deltoid tuberosity index (DTI) measurements were used to assess osteoporosis status in all patients. Postoperative and follow-up radiographs of 45 patients, treated with fixed-angle proximal humeral locking plate, were evaluated for radiographic results and their correlations with osteoporosis measurements were examined.

Results:

According to the demographic characteristics of the patients, 171 patients were female and 77 patients were male (F/M: 3/1), and mean age was 69.2 ± 11.66 (50-95). Considering the bone quality parameters in all patients, the mean Tingart value was 5.8 ± 1.6 mm and the mean DTI was 1.43 ± 0.17, where there was a correlation between the Tingart value and DTI (r = 0.810 and p < 0.001). Although there was a statistically significant relationship between the osteoporosis parameters and age and gender (p < 0.001 and p = 0.023, respectively), main AO fracture types were not related to osteoporosis (p < 0.05). In the operated group (n = 48, 19%), 19 patients (42%) showed poor outcomes, which were not associated with age and osteoporosis parameters.

Conclusion:

This study was concluded that osteoporosis parameters differ between genders and age groups in patients with PHF, however osteoporosis is not the main factor affecting the fracture type and surgical outcomes.
Development Induced Displacement: Issues and Indian Experiences
Authors: Singh Arun Kumar
Published: December 2020

Development-induced displacement debate has attracted academicians, planners and policymakers in the last hundred years because of its contradictory connotation. The twentieth century is considered to be the period of unprecedented economic development in many areas of the world. Megaprojects, like irrigation projects and large dams, have become symbols of economic development; apart from generating energy, these projects have also generated employment and income for the people affected. Post-Independence India has witnessed a large number of development projects for fulfilling the socio-economic needs of a different section of society residing in different parts of the country. Efforts have been made by government authorities for the promotion of major, medium and small-scale developmental projects in sectors like irrigation, industries, power, transportation and so on. However such mega-development projects involve the acquisition of land from common and poor people resulting in forced mass displacement which disrupts the socio-economic fabric and spoils the environmental flavour of the surrounding areas. A large number of people are deprived of their cultural identities and livelihood primarily as a direct consequence of land acquisition. The experiences suggest that the long drawn-out process of displacement has caused widespread traumatic psychological and socio-cultural consequences including the dismantling of traditional production systems, desecration of ancestral sacred zones, graves and places of worship, scattering of kinship groups, disruptions of the family system and informal social network ( Kothari, 1995 . Economic & Political Weekly, 31(24), 1476–1485). Under this type of parochial treatment, the fundamental goal of economic development, that is, to promote the welfare and wellbeing of the people remains a daydream, and the vulnerable groups of human society are denied of their fundamental/human rights and have to bear the situation at the cost of development.
Politics, Policy, and Inequality in South Africa Under COVID-19
Authors: Francis David , Valodia Imraan , Webster Edward
Published: December 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated inequalities in South Africa. The question posed in this article is whether the pandemic and its associated responses offer the opportunity for a more egalitarian society in South Africa, or a more intensively unequal society. The future is contested. On the one hand, there is the consolidation of labor displacement, a growth in unemployment, and a deepening of inequality. On the other, there is the possibility of a turning point toward significant advances in the de-commodification of education, health, and transport. But as with much of the Global South, South Africa has relatively high levels of informality compared to the Global North, which has implications for the impact of the pandemic and the structure of the responses.
The Role of the Clinically Obtained Acoustic Reflex as a Research Tool for Subclinical Hearing Pathologies
Authors: Causon Andrew , Munro Kevin J. , Plack Christopher J. , Prendergast Garreth
Published: December 2020

The acoustic reflex (AR) shows promise as an objective test for the presence of cochlear synaptopathy in rodents. The AR has also been shown to be reduced in humans with tinnitus compared to those without. The aim of the present study was twofold: (a) to determine if AR strength (quantified as both threshold and growth) varied with lifetime noise exposure, and thus provided an estimate of the degree of synaptopathy and (b) to identify which factors should be considered when using the AR as a quantitative measure rather than just present/absent responses. AR thresholds and growth functions were measured using ipsilateral and contralateral, broadband and tonal elicitors in adults with normal hearing and varying levels of lifetime noise exposure. Only the clinical standard 226 Hz probe tone was used. AR threshold and growth were not related to lifetime noise exposure, suggesting that routine clinical AR measures are not a sensitive measure when investigating the effects of noise exposure in audiometrically normal listeners. Our secondary, exploratory analyses revealed that AR threshold and growth were significantly related to middle-ear compliance. Listeners with higher middle-ear compliance (though still in the clinically normal range) showed lower AR thresholds and steeper AR growth functions. Furthermore, there was a difference in middle-ear compliance between the sexes, with males showing higher middle-ear compliance values than females. Therefore, it may be necessary to factor middle-ear compliance values into any analysis that uses the AR as an estimate of auditory function.
Reduced growth velocity from the mid-trimester is associated with placental insufficiency in fetuses born at a normal birthweight
Authors: Kennedy Lucy M. , Tong Stephen , Robinson Alice J. , Hiscock Richard J. , Hui Lisa , Dane Kirsten M. , Middleton Anna L. , Walker Susan P. , MacDonald Teresa M.
Published: December 2020

Background

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to placental insufficiency is a major risk factor for stillbirth. While small-for-gestational-age (SGA; weight < 10th centile) is a commonly used proxy for FGR, detection of FGR among appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA; weight ≥ 10th centile) fetuses remains an unmet need in clinical care. We aimed to determine whether reduced antenatal growth velocity from the time of routine mid-trimester ultrasound is associated with antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal indicators of placental insufficiency among term AGA infants.

Methods

Three hundred and five women had biometry measurements recorded from their routine mid-trimester (20-week) ultrasound, at 28 and 36 weeks’ gestation, and delivered an AGA infant. Mid-trimester, 28- and 36-week estimated fetal weight (EFW) and abdominal circumference (AC) centiles were calculated. The EFW and AC growth velocities between 20 and 28 weeks, and 20–36 weeks, were examined as predictors of four clinical indicators of placental insufficiency: (i) low 36-week cerebroplacental ratio (CPR; CPR < 5th centile reflects cerebral redistribution—a fetal adaptation to hypoxia), (ii) neonatal acidosis (umbilical artery pH < 7.15) after the hypoxic challenge of labour, (iii) low neonatal body fat percentage (BF%) reflecting reduced nutritional reserve and (iv) placental weight < 10th centile.

Results

Declining 20–36-week fetal growth velocity was associated with all indicators of placental insufficiency. Each one centile reduction in EFW between 20 and 36 weeks increased the odds of cerebral redistribution by 2.5% (odds ratio (OR) = 1.025, P = 0.001), the odds of neonatal acidosis by 2.7% (OR = 1.027, P = 0.002) and the odds of a < 10th centile placenta by 3.0% (OR = 1.030, P < 0.0001). Each one centile reduction in AC between 20 and 36 weeks increased the odds of neonatal acidosis by 3.1% (OR = 1.031, P = 0.0005), the odds of low neonatal BF% by 2.8% (OR = 1.028, P = 0.04) and the odds of placenta < 10th centile by 2.1% (OR = 1.021, P = 0.0004). Falls in EFW or AC of > 30 centiles between 20 and 36 weeks were associated with two–threefold increased relative risks of these indicators of placental insufficiency, while low 20–28-week growth velocities were not.

Conclusions

Reduced growth velocity between 20 and 36 weeks among AGA fetuses is associated with antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal indicators of placental insufficiency. These fetuses potentially represent an important, under-recognised cohort at increased risk of stillbirth. Encouragingly, this novel fetal assessment would require only one additional ultrasound to current routine care, and adds to the potential benefits of routine 36-week ultrasound.
Indirect cholinergic activation slows down pancreatic cancer growth and tumor-associated inflammation
Authors: Pfitzinger Paulo L. , Fangmann Laura , Wang Kun , Demir Elke , Gürlevik Engin , Fleischmann-Mundt Bettina , Brooks Jennifer , D’Haese Jan G. , Teller Steffen , Hecker Andreas , Jesinghaus Moritz , Jäger Carsten , Ren Lei , Istvanffy Rouzanna , Kühnel Florian , Friess Helmut , Ceyhan Güralp Onur , Demir Ihsan Ekin
Published: December 2020

Background

Nerve-cancer interactions are increasingly recognized to be of paramount importance for the emergence and progression of pancreatic cancer (PCa). Here, we investigated the role of indirect cholinergic activation on PCa progression through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) via clinically available AChE-inhibitors, i.e. physostigmine and pyridostigmine.

Methods

We applied immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, MTT-viability, invasion, flow-cytometric-cell-cycle-assays, phospho-kinase arrays, multiplex ELISA and xenografted mice to assess the impact of AChE inhibition on PCa cell growth and invasiveness, and tumor-associated inflammation. Survival analyses were performed in a novel genetically-induced, surgically-resectable mouse model of PCa under adjuvant treatment with gemcitabine+/−physostigmine/pyridostigmine (n = 30 mice). Human PCa specimens (n = 39) were analyzed for the impact of cancer AChE expression on tumor stage and survival.

Results

We discovered a strong expression of AChE in cancer cells of human PCa specimens. Inhibition of this cancer-cell-intrinsic AChE via pyridostigmine and physostigmine, or administration of acetylcholine (ACh), diminished PCa cell viability and invasion in vitro and in vivo via suppression of pERK signaling, and reduced tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) infiltration and serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. In the novel genetically-induced, surgically-resectable PCa mouse model, adjuvant co-therapy with AChE blockers had no impact on survival. Accordingly, survival of resected PCa patients did not differ based on tumor AChE expression levels. Patients with higher-stage PCa also exhibited loss of the ACh-synthesizing enzyme, choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT), in their nerves.

Conclusion

For future clinical trials of PCa, direct cholinergic stimulation of the muscarinic signaling, rather than indirect activation via AChE blockade, may be a more effective strategy.
Retinal organoids: a window into human retinal development
Authors: O'Hara-Wright Michelle , Gonzalez-Cordero Anai
Published: December 2020

Retinal development and maturation are orchestrated by a series of interacting signalling networks that drive the morphogenetic transformation of the anterior developing brain. Studies in model organisms continue to elucidate these complex series of events. However, the human retina shows many differences from that of other organisms and the investigation of human eye development now benefits from stem cell-derived organoids. Retinal differentiation methods have progressed from simple 2D adherent cultures to self-organising micro-physiological systems. As models of development, these have collectively offered new insights into the previously unexplored early development of the human retina and informed our knowledge of the key cell fate decisions that govern the specification of light-sensitive photoreceptors. Although the developmental trajectories of other retinal cell types remain more elusive, the collation of omics datasets, combined with advanced culture methodology, will enable modelling of the intricate process of human retinogenesis and retinal disease in vitro.
Cyclophilin A is a mitochondrial factor that forms complexes with p23 – correlative evidence for an anti-apoptotic action
Authors: Daneri-Becerra Cristina , Valeiras Brenda , Gallo Luciana I. , Lagadari Mariana , Galigniana Mario D.
Published: December 2020

Cyclophilin A (CyPA, also known as PPIA) is an abundant and ubiquitously expressed protein belonging to the immunophilin family, which has intrinsic peptidyl-prolyl-(cis/trans)-isomerase enzymatic activity. CyPA mediates immunosuppressive action of the cyclic undecapeptide cyclosporine A and is also involved in multiple cellular processes, such as protein folding, intracellular trafficking, signal transduction and transcriptional regulation. CyPA is abundantly expressed in cancer cells, and, owing to its chaperone nature, its expression is induced upon the onset of stress. In this study, we demonstrated that a significant pool of this immunophilin is primarily an intramitochondrial factor that migrates to the nucleus when cells are stimulated with stressors. CyPA shows anti-apoptotic action per se and the capability of forming ternary complexes with cytochrome c and the small acidic co-chaperone p23, the latter interaction being independent of the usual association of p23 with the heat-shock protein of 90 kDa, Hsp90. These CyPA•p23 complexes enhance the anti-apoptotic response of the cell, suggesting that both proteins form a functional unit, the high level of expression of which plays a significant role in cell survival.
Fluorescent Nucleic Acid Systems for Biosensors
Authors: Podder Arup , Lee Ha Jung , Kim Byeang Hyean
Published: December 2020

Modified nucleic acids have a wide range of applications in many areas of biochemistry. In particular, fluorescence-based nucleic acid systems have been studied extensively for their implementation in molecular biology as platforms for disease diagnosis. In this Account, we summarize the past two decades of our research efforts associated with fluorescent nucleic acid systems for bio-sensing. We discuss single-nucleotide polymorphism–based molecular systems and their fluorescence behaviors in duplex DNA; the effects of fluorophore labeling on the fluorescence signals of modified oligonucleotides; pH-responsive nucleic acid–modified fluorescence biosensors; the use of double-stranded DNA and three-way junction–based molecular beacons (MBs) for the detection of biologically important mRNA and miRNA; quencher-free MBs and their applications in vivo; biologically significant G-quadruplex structures and i-motif–based fluorescent biosensors; the detection of trinucleotide repeats; and, finally, some other applications of modified nucleosides with unique properties.
First Observation of Superconductivity in Molybdenum–Ruthenium–Carbon Alloy Nanoparticles
Authors: Okazoe Shinya , Kusada Kohei , Yoshida Yukihiro , Maesato Mitsuhiko , Yamamoto Tomokazu , Toriyama Takaaki , Matsumura Syo , Kawaguchi Shogo , Kubota Yoshiki , Kitagawa Hiroshi
Published: December 2020

We report the synthesis of molybdenum–ruthenium–carbon alloy nanoparticles with molybdenum-rich composition by an annealing treatment following a thermal decomposition. We first found its superconductivity with a transition temperature at around 5 K through the observation of zero resistivity and Meisner effect.
Recent Advances in Mechanochromic Luminescence of Organic Crystalline Compounds
Authors: Ito Suguru
Published: December 2020

Mechanochromic luminescence (MCL) refers to a reversible color change of the solid-state emission induced by mechanical stimulus such as grinding, shearing, and compressing. A growing number of MCL materials has recently been reported owing to the wealth of their potential applications in advanced optoelectronic technologies. This review highlights recent progress on the development of organic crystalline compounds that exhibit various MCL behaviors, which include self-recovery of the original color, bathochromically and hypsochromically shifted emission from the same luminophore, two-step emission-color switching, and multi-stimuli-responsive emission. In addition, the creation of polymorphic and pseudopolymorphic crystals and the construction of two-component systems as promising strategies to control and improve MCL properties of organic crystals are discussed.
МОБИЛИЗАЦИОННАЯ ПОДГОТОВКА КАК ФАКТОР СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА ДОРОГ В СССР В 1920-Е ГОДЫ
Authors: Repukhova Oksana Yurevna
Published: December 2020

Цель. Статья посвящена изучению истории строительства стратегических дорог в Западной пограничной полосе СССР в контексте советской мобилизационной подготовки в 1920-х гг. Предметом исследования выступают влияние мобилизационной подготовки на принятие решений и динамику дорожного строительства в Западной пограничной полосе СССР. Цель работы показать основные направления и результаты влияния мобилизационной подготовки на дорожное строительство в Западной пограничной полосе СССР.Метод и методология проведения работы. На основе интеграции общенаучных, специальных и вспомогательных методов был проанализирован комплекс документов центральных и региональных архивов Российской Федерации.Результаты. Динамика строительства стратегических дорог зависела от оценок военным ведомством конкретной территории как потенциального театра военных действий. Дороги стратегического значения в угрожаемых зонах Западной пограничной полосы СССР строили в приоритетную очередь. В 1924–1927 гг. протяженность дорог стратегического значения в Западной пограничной полосе СССР выросла на 20% и требовалось ее нарастить еще на 60%. Мобилизационная подготовка выявила стремление правительств республик Западной пограничной полосы СССР использовать свое приграничное положение для расширения дорожной сети в пределах республиканской территории. Оперативные решения по ведению дорожного строительства стратегического значения, поиск источников его финансирования стимулировали реорганизацию дорожного управления в стране и введение долевого участия бюджетов всех уровней в мобилизационной подготовке военно-гражданской инфраструктуры Западной пограничной полосы с конца 1920-х гг.Область применения результатов. Результаты исследования могут способствовать осмыслению мобилизационной политики Советского государства межвоенного периода.
Robust Power Management via Learning and Game Design
Authors: Zhou Zhengyuan , Mertikopoulos Panayotis , Moustakas Aris L. , Bambos Nicholas , Glynn Peter
Published: December 2020

Descending to Stability: Robust Power Control for Stochastic Wireless Networks
Recovery, stigma and COVID-19: a difficult puzzle
Authors: Ninnoni Jerry Paul K , Addo Mary A
Published: December 2020

Jerry Paul K Ninnoni and Mary A Addo discuss COVID-19, associated stigma and recovery
Solving the mysteries of narcolepsy
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: December 2020

Narcolepsy can profoundly affect a patient's quality of life, including their mental wellbeing, social life, work and study. Mark Greener briefly summarises some recent papers that offer new insights into the causes of narcolepsy, the overlap with depression and other comorbidities, and the impact on patients.
The associated benefits of a cranioplasty on rehabilitation: a review of the literature
Authors: Fleming Niamh
Published: December 2020

Background:

There is an ever-increasing demand for appropriate neurorehabilitation to optimise recovery post-traumatic brain injury. Some patients undergo decompressive surgery, which involves partial removal of the skull bone to help relieve the associated swelling and oedema. These patients are left with a skull defect and are placed on a waiting list for surgical repair of same by means of a procedure referred to as a cranioplasty. Cranioplasty, until recently, was not regarded as being a clinical priority in the neurorehabilitation phase, given the limited evidence supporting enhanced recovery.

Aims:

To highlight the phenomenon syndrome of the trephined and to establish the potential impact it has on enhanced neurorehabilitation and recovery.

Methods:

The paper is a narrative literature review of the associated effects of a cranioplasty on rehabilitation published in peer-reviewed journals between 2013 and 2019. Papers were identified via a search of PubMed, Medline and CINAHL electronic databases.

Findings:

The associated symptoms of syndrome of the trephined are predominately motor and cognitive in nature and are believed to result in a stalling or regression of the recovery process until the skull defect is repaired. The writer has critically analysed studies that have compared motor and cognitive functioning pre- and post-cranioplasty. Patients with enhanced functioning in the cognitive domain displayed marked improvements in the areas of memory, language and executive functioning. With regards to motor function, improvements were most evident in areas of activities of daily living, eating, grooming, walking and toileting. The theory underlying these improvements appears to be physiological in nature.

Conclusions:

Contrary to former opinion, the findings of this literature review highlight the importance of repairing skull breech prior to rehabilitation to optimise patient recovery for those experiencing syndrome of the trephined. The recommendations support the need for further research and education, as well as the development of a screening assessment tool that can be used by all members of the multidisciplinary team.
Science Teachers’ Conceptions of Atomic Models
Authors: Wiener Jeff
Published: December 2020

This article presents an international study that documented the conceptions of atomic models held by 1062 in-service high school science teachers from 58 countries. First, a previous study on pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of atomic models was successfully replicated as a pilot study with an international sample of in-service science teachers. Teachers’ conceptions were investigated by analysing their drawings of atomic models. Based on these results, a multiple-choice questionnaire was developed for the main study. This questionnaire collected data on teachers’ conceptions of atomic models, teachers’ knowledge about their students’ conceptions of atomic models, and teachers’ use of atomic models in the classroom. The results show that the teachers’ conceptions of atomic models are almost evenly distributed over six different atomic models. These models are the Bohr model, the Rutherford model, the probability model, the orbital model, the probability orbit model, and the wave model. The vast majority of teachers assume that their students’ conceptions are centred on two historical atomic models, namely the Bohr model and the Rutherford model. Furthermore, the majority of teachers prefer to use historical atomic models over modern atomic models in the classroom. However, the findings also highlight that the use of modern atomic models in the classroom is positively correlated with growing teaching experience, and that teachers’ conceptions of atomic models and their knowledge of students’ conceptions of atomic models significantly influence teachers’ classroom practice.
Extreme ultraviolet light from a tin plasma driven by a 2-µm-wavelength laser
Authors: Behnke L. , Schupp R. , Bouza Z. , Bayraktar M. , Mazzotta Z. , Meijer R. , Sheil J. , Witte S. , Ubachs W. , Hoekstra R. , Versolato O. O.
Published: December 2020

An experimental study of laser-produced plasmas is performed by irradiating a planar tin target by laser pulses, of 4.8 ns duration, produced from a KTP-based 2-µm-wavelength master oscillator power amplifier. Comparative spectroscopic investigations are performed for plasmas driven by 1-µm- and 2-µm-wavelength pulsed lasers, over a wide range of laser intensities spanning 0.5 − 5 × 1011 W/cm 2. Similar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra in the 5.5–25.5 nm wavelength range and underlying plasma ionicities are obtained when the intensity ratio is kept fixed at I1µm/I2µm = 2.4(7). Crucially, the conversion efficiency (CE) of 2-µm-laser energy into radiation within a 2% bandwidth centered at 13.5 nm relevant for industrial applications is found to be a factor of two larger, at a 60 degree observation angle, than in the case of the denser 1-µm-laser-driven plasma. Our findings regarding the scaling of the optimum laser intensity for efficient EUV generation and CE with drive laser wavelength are extended to other laser wavelengths using available literature data.
Simulation for efficiency improvement of a thuilium Q-switched ytterbium-doped all-fiber laser
Authors: Tsai Tzong-Yow , Lee Zhi-Cheng , Song Yu-Cheng , Lin Shih-Ting , Yang Zu-Jie
Published: December 2020

We theoretically explore the mechanism in a thulium

Q

-switched ytterbium-doped all-fiber fiber laser using a set of rate equations to model the correlations between the photons and the five energy levels of thulium involved in the

Q

switching mechanism. We demonstrate that by coupling with a gain-switched resonator, the

Q

-switched laser is stabilized up to the maximum pulsing rate that is limited by the lifetime of level

3

H
5

. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that revealed that level

3

H
5

plays an essential role in reinitialization, achieving sequential pulses, and limiting the maximum repetition rate.
A genetic algorithm to solve the robust design problem for a Flow Network with Node Failure
Authors: Hamdy Noha , Hassan Moatamad Refaat , Hussein Mohamed Eid
Published: December 2020

The robust design problem in a flow network is defined as search optimal node capacity that can be assigned such that the network still survived even under the node’s failure. This problem is considered as an NP-hard. So, this paper proposes a genetic algorithm-based approach to solve it for a flow network with node failure. The proposed based genetic approach is used to assign the optimal capacity for each node to minimize the total capacities and maximize the network reliability. The proposed approach takes the capacity for each critical node should have the maximum capacity (usually equals to the demand value) to alleviate that the reliability to drop to zero. Three network examples are used to show the efficiency of our algorithm. Also, the results obtained by our approach are compared with those obtained by the previous approximate algorithm.