bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dating of detrital zircons and tracing the provenance of quartzites from the Bystrzyckie Mts: implications for the tectonic setting of the Early Palaeozoic sedimentary basin developed on the Gondwana margin
Authors: Szczepański Jacek , Turniak Krzysztof , Anczkiewicz Robert , Gleichner Paulina
Published: June 2020

We studied the petrographical characteristics and bulk chemical composition along with the age of detrital zircon grains from quartzites exposed in the western part of the Orlica-Śnieżnik dome in the Saxothuringian zone. Age spectra of detrital zircons were obtained by U–Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry dating. The zircon ages define a few clusters of which the most numerous are Cambro-Ordovician and Neoproterozoic, and less frequent are Paleoproterozoic and Archean. A distinctive feature of the investigated samples is the lack of Mesoproterozoic zircon grains. The youngest age cluster documented in the investigated quartzites points to a Late Cambrian maximum depositional age and detritus derivation from erosion of Cambro-Ordovician metagranitoids. Bulk chemical composition of the quartzites indicates that they originated owing to erosion of granite within sedimentary basins developed on a passive continental margin. Presented data prove the similarity of the examined rocks to quartzites known from the eastern part of the Orlica-Śnieżnik dome and quartz metasandstones documented in other parts of the Variscan Belt of Europe known as the Armorican quartzites or their equivalents exposed in the Saxothuringian zone. Our results support the suggestion that the Orlica-Śnieżnik dome has an affinity to the West African Craton of the Gondwana margin and represents a fragment of the Saxothuringian zone.
A health economic analysis of the management of open lower limb fractures in the elderly
Authors: Pley Caitlin , Purohit Katie , Krkovic Matija , Abdulkarim Ali
Published: June 2020

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the financial implications of the inpatient management of open lower limb fractures in adults over 65 years old. Further, the study compares the calculated cost to the income received by the hospital for these patients and to the existing body of literature.

Methods

This study employed direct inpatient costing analysis to estimate the cost of treating the open lower limb fractures incurred by 58 patients over the age of 65 years treated in our centre (Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust) between March 2014 and March 2019.

Results

The median cost of inpatient care calculated in this study was £20,398 per patient, resulting in a financial loss to the hospital of £5113 per patient. When the results were disaggregated by sex, the median cost for an open lower limb fracture in a male patient was £20,886 compared to £19,304 in a female patient. Data were also disaggregated by the site of injury, which produced a median cost for an open femur fracture of £23,949, and £24,549 and £15,362 for open tibia and ankle fractures, respectively.

Conclusion

This study provides a valuable estimate of the expense of treating open lower limb fractures in patients over the age of 65 years in a Major Trauma Centre in England. The study highlights the large losses incurred by hospitals in treating these cases, and supports revision of the remuneration structures in the National Health Service to adequately cover their cost.
Evaluation of low-viscosity bulk-fill composites regarding marginal and internal adaptation
Authors: Park Kyung-Jin , Pfeffer Manon , Näke Thomas , Schneider Hartmut , Ziebolz Dirk , Haak Rainer
Published: June 2020

This study aimed at evaluating the marginal and internal adaptation of low-viscosity bulk-fill composites to enamel and dentin using a self-etch or an etch-and-rinse adhesive without and with artificial ageing. Hundred and twenty-eight MOD cavities in extracted molars were assigned to eight groups (n = 16), restored with the adhesives OptiBond FL (OFL) or Xeno V+ (X) and two low-viscosity bulk-fill composites SDR or x-tra base, covered with Premise. Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill and Premise served as a control.n = 8 per group were subjected to prolonged water storage (180 days) and thermocycling (2500×). Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine marginal gaps (MG) and interfacial adhesive defects (IAD). There were no significant differences between composite types in 44 out of 48 (MG) or 43/48 (IAD) comparisons. More MG were observed with X than with OFL (14 out of 16 comparisons, two significant), while in 16 of 16 comparisons with X more IAD were observed (14 significant). After artificial ageing, MG generally increased (9/16 significant), compared to IAD (one significant). The performance of the investigated composite types concerning the integrity of the tooth-composites interface was comparable. Compared to the 1-step self-etch system, the bond with the 3-step etch-and-rinse adhesive was raised.
A weakly Compressible, Diffuse-Interface Model for Two-Phase Flows
Authors: Kajzer Adam , Pozorski Jacek
Published: June 2020

We present a novel mathematical model of two-phase interfacial flows. It is based on the Entropically Damped Artificial Compressibility (EDAC) model, coupled with a diffuse-interface (DI) variant of the so-called one-fluid formulation for interface capturing. The proposed EDAC-DI model conserves mass and momentum. We find appropriate values of the model parameters, in particular the numerical interface width, the interface mobility and the speed of sound. The EDAC-DI governing equations are of the mixed parabolic–hyperbolic type. For such models, the local spatial schemes along with an explicit time integration provide a convenient numerical handling together with straightforward and efficient parallelisation of the solution algorithm. The weakly-compressible approach to flow modelling, although computationally advantageous, introduces some difficulties that are not present in the truly incompressible approaches to interfacial flows. These issues are covered in detail. We propose a robust numerical solution methodology which significantly limits spurious deformations of the interface and provides oscillation-free behaviour of the flow fields. The EDAC-DI solver is verified quantitatively in the case of a single, steady water droplet immersed in gas. The pressure jump across the interface is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. Then, a study of binary droplets coalescence and break-up in two chosen collision regimes is performed. The topological changes are solved correctly without numerical side effects. The computational cost incurred by the stiffness of the governing equations (due to the finite speed of sound and the interface diffusion term) can be overcome by a massively parallel execution of the solver. We achieved an attractively short computation time when our EDAC-DI code is executed on a single, desktop-type Graphics Processing Unit.
Digitally-Mediated Social Stories Support Children on the Autism Spectrum Adapting to a Change in a ‘Real-World’ Context
Authors: Smith Elizabeth , Constantin Aurora , Johnson Hilary , Brosnan Mark
Published: June 2020

Social Stories™ (SS) is a widely used intervention for children on the autism spectrum. A preliminary survey of 103 practitioners highlighted that SS are often used to support adapting to a change. This study investigated the use of digitally-mediated SS to support ten children on the autism spectrum attending a school summer camp. Teacher perceptions of anxiety, understanding and closeness to the goal of the SS were assessed before and after the intervention (prior to the event). The pre- post-intervention comparisons highlighted significant improvements in child understanding, anxiety, and closeness to goal with medium-large effect sizes. The child’s understanding and closeness to SS goal post-intervention related to their difficulties with the SS goal and their anxiety during the event.
Optical diagnostics of the magnetron sputtering process of copper in an argon–oxygen atmosphere
Authors: Rydosz Artur , Kollbek Kamila , Kim-Ngan Nhu-Tarnawska H. , Czapla Adam , Brudnik Andrzej
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a diagnostic tool for magnetron sputtering deposition of copper oxides is presented. The copper oxide thin films were deposited in DC-MF mode for various argon/oxygen mixtures, including deposition in a pure oxygen atmosphere (fully reactive mode). The copper oxides were deposited on quartz glass substrates and carbon foils. The deposition process was monitored using optical emission spectroscopy. The films were further analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical measurements, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). The obtained results confirmed that optical emission spectroscopy (OES) can be used as a diagnostic tool for magnetron sputtering technology that enables control of the sputtering mode, and therefore, the deposition of pure metallic (Cu) and various oxide (Cu2O, CuO) films can be performed. The results show that by increasing oxygen content in the argon/oxygen mixture, the sputtering rate is reduced; however, in the oxygen, at 40–100% range, it is stabilised at 12 nm/min.
Measuring university teachers’ teaching quality: a Rasch modelling approach
Authors: Noben Ine , Maulana Ridwan , Deinum Jan F. , Hofman W. H. Adriaan
Published: June 2020

Insights into how university teachers develop their teaching can strengthen the effectiveness of professional learning activities. Professional learning initiatives aim to support teachers in developing a teaching profile that is focused on student learning. However, university teachers often report a combination of content- and student-focused approaches to teaching and are not systematically focused on the learning outcomes of students. Teacher development theories hypothesise teaching growth as a hierarchy in which the development of more-complex skills (student-centred teaching) is based on the easier ones. This cumulative development of university teachers’ teaching has not yet been examined in authentic learning environments. We explored whether the hierarchy can also be found in observed teaching behaviour. Rasch analysis of 203 classroom observations revealed a stage-wise ordering of the teaching skills from basic to complex, consistent with the theorised development of teaching in the literature. University teachers develop from teacher-centred to student-centred teaching by increasingly acknowledging the student in the teaching and learning process. At the same time, they aim first to gain comfort in a stage (self-focused) before improving their teaching in that development stage (focus on task). As teachers develop, they move on to student-learning focused skills, such as teaching–learning strategies.
Triggers of Spiritual Dryness – Results from Qualitative Interviews with Religious Brothers and Sisters
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Beerenbrock Yvonne , Gerundt Mareike , Berger Bettina
Published: June 2020

Religious persons may experience phases of spiritual dryness, ranging from spiritual insecurity to a spiritual crisis. The authors analyzed the underlying causes of spiritual dryness in religious brothers and sisters who had lived for several decades in monastic structures. They performed qualitative interviews with 16 brothers and 14 sisters and asked for triggers of phases of spiritual dryness. In the content analysis of the 30 narratives, the identified categories were inductively structured and condensed to five main topics: (1) Loss of Relationship with God, (2) Loss of Orientation, (3) Loss of Depth, (4) Difficulties with the Religious Community, and (5) Intrinsic Factors: Overload, Uncertainty, Depression. These five main topics can be further categorized as extrinsic (God is not responding, others cause difficulties) and intrinsic (loss of orientation and depth, uncertainty, and depressive state) causes. A thorough discernment of the underlying ‘spirits’ (the triggers) is important to help and support individuals during these phases. It seems that no single (theological) interpretation of the causes is correct but that different interpretations might be true for the very diverse persons experiencing these phases of darkness, dryness, desolation, or loss of faith.
Privilegierte Internationalisierung exklusiver Internatsschulen?
Authors: Deppe Ulrike
Published: June 2020

Während im gymnasialen Segment eine steigende Internationalisierung festgestellt und Schule insgesamt zunehmend unter transnationalen Bedingungen thematisiert wird, wurden Internatsschulen in Deutschland bislang in Bezug auf ihren Umgang mit globalisierten und transnationalen Bedingungen und mit Internationalisierungsprozessen nicht untersucht. Anhand der vergleichenden Analyse von Schulleiterinterviews exklusiver staatlicher und privater Internatsschulen sowie unter Rückgriff auf ethnografische Beobachtungen sowie Selbstdarstellungen der Schulen wird im Beitrag untersucht, wie die Schulleiter Internationalität und Internationalisierung verstehen und sich in Bezug auf Prozesse der Internationalisierung und Transnationalisierung entwerfen und diese bearbeiten.

Im Ergebnis lassen sich unterschiedliche Modi herausarbeiten, in denen Internationalität und Internationalisierung einen Teil der Legitimationspraxis und Superioritätsbehauptung der Schulen darstellen, als Schulentwicklungsaufgabe bearbeitet und als Rekrutierungsressource genutzt werden. Die Art der Trägerschaft ist jedoch eine zentrale Bedingung für die Ausgestaltung der Entwürfe und Praktiken der Internationalisierung und Transnationalisierung.
Chained correlations for feature selection
Authors: Lausser Ludwig , Szekely Robin , Kestler Hans A.
Published: June 2020

Data-driven algorithms stand and fall with the availability and quality of existing data sources. Both can be limited in high-dimensional settings ($$n \gg m$$

n
≫
m

). For example, supervised learning algorithms designed for molecular pheno- or genotyping are restricted to samples of the corresponding diagnostic classes. Samples of other related entities, such as arise in differential diagnosis, are usually not utilized in this learning scheme. Nevertheless, they might provide domain knowledge on the background or context of the original diagnostic task. In this work, we discuss the possibility of incorporating samples of foreign classes in the training of diagnostic classification models that can be related to the task of differential diagnosis. Especially in heterogeneous data collections comprising multiple diagnostic categories, the foreign ones can change the magnitude of available samples. More precisely, we utilize this information for the internal feature selection process of diagnostic models. We propose the use of chained correlations of original and foreign diagnostic classes. This method allows the detection of intermediate foreign classes by evaluating the correlation between class labels and features for each pair of original and foreign categories. Interestingly, this criterion does not require direct comparisons of the initial diagnostic groups and therefore, might be suitable for settings with restricted data access.
Cardiac Biomarkers in Patients with Cancer: Considerations, Clinical Implications, and Future Avenues
Authors: Bracun Valentina , Aboumsallem Joseph Pierre , van der Meer Peter , de Boer Rudolf A.
Published: June 2020

Purpose of the Review

As the number of cancer survivors increases due to early screening and modern (antineoplastic) treatments, cancer treatment associated cardiotoxicity (CTAC) is becoming an increasing health burden that affects survival and quality of life among cancer survivors. Thus, clinicians need to identify adverse events early, in an effort to take suitable measures before the occurrence of permanent or irreversible cardiac dysfunction.

Recent Findings

Cardiac troponin (cTn) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been proven to detect subclinical cardiotoxicity during antineoplastic treatment. As such, these cardio-specific biomarkers could predict which patients are at risk of developing CTAC even before the start of therapy. Nevertheless, there are inconsistent data from published studies, and the recommendations regarding the use of these biomarkers and their validity are mostly based on expert consensus opinion.

In this review, we summarize available literature that evaluates biomarkers of CTAC, and we encourage strategies that integrate circulating biomarkers and cardiac imaging in identifying cancer patients that are at high risk.
Technical efficacy and practicability of mass trapping for insect control in Bangladesh
Authors: Nahar Naznin , Uddin Mohammad Mahir , de Jong Peter , Struik Paul C. , Stomph Tjeerd Jan
Published: June 2020

Eggplant shoot and fruit borer,Leucinodes orbonalis, is a major pest in eggplant production in South and South-East Asia. Farmers frequently spray insecticides to control it. Integrated pest management (IPM) based on mass trapping or pheromone trapping and sanitation (removal of infested shoots and fruits) has been suggested but poorly adopted. This study tested, together with farmers, combinations of IPM components that fit their farming practices, increase income, and preserve natural enemy populations. A 2-year participatory study was negotiated with these farmers, comparing (i) an untreated control, (ii) farmers’ conventional weekly spraying, with pheromone trapping either (iii) alone, or combined with (iv) trap-based biorational spraying, or (v) bi-weekly conventional insecticide spraying. Farmers rejected testing sanitation as too labor-intensive. In both years, pheromone trapping alone or combined with biorational spraying reduced fruit infestation, increased yield and income, and preserved natural enemies, showing technical efficacy at costs comparable with farmers’ practice. Replacing biorational spraying by conventional insecticides did not provide any control beyond pheromone trapping alone but reduced natural enemies. In contrast, farmers’ practice neither reduced infestation nor increased yield but reduced populations of natural enemies. Aphid and jassid populations were reduced only by biorational and conventional spraying. As farmers were reluctant to use only pheromone trapping, the addition of biorational spraying might be suitable. Discussion with farmers allowed us to understand how practical applicability of the tested IPM depends on farmers’ knowledge levels on insect biology, farmers’ desire to still use some spraying, and labor constraints to sanitation. Although technically and economically viable, the tested IPM may prove difficult to scale out, as farmers had difficulty understanding the lifecycle ofLeucinodes orbonalisand the pheromone trapping mechanisms. This study is the first to disentangle the technical efficacy of pheromone-trapping-based IPM from its practical applicability for the targeted smallholder eggplant growers.
Confining TiO2 Nanotubes in PECVD-Enabled Graphene Capsules Toward Ultrafast K-Ion Storage: In Situ TEM/XRD Study and DFT Analysis
Authors: Cai Jingsheng , Cai Ran , Sun Zhongti , Wang Xiangguo , Wei Nan , Xu Feng , Shao Yuanlong , Gao Peng , Dou Shixue , Sun Jingyu
Published: June 2020

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has gained burgeoning attention for potassium-ion storage because of its large theoretical capacity, wide availability, and environmental benignity. Nevertheless, the inherently poor conductivity gives rise to its sluggish reaction kinetics and inferior rate capability. Here, we report the direct graphene growth over TiO2 nanotubes by virtue of chemical vapor deposition. Such conformal graphene coatings effectively enhance the conductive environment and well accommodate the volume change of TiO2 upon potassiation/depotassiation. When paired with an activated carbon cathode, the graphene-armored TiO2 nanotubes allow the potassium-ion hybrid capacitor full cells to harvest an energy/power density of 81.2 Wh kg−1/3746.6 W kg−1. We further employ in situ transmission electron microscopy and operando X-ray diffraction to probe the potassium-ion storage behavior. This work offers a viable and versatile solution to the anode design and in situ probing of potassium storage technologies that is readily promising for practical applications.
Solidarity, Heterarchy, and Political Morality
Authors: Fichera Massimo
Published: June 2020

This article claims that, despite its ambivalent relationship with the heterarchical paradigm,A Union of Peoplesis a truly innovative contribution to the complex debate on the European project, especially in the current troubled climate. Its ability to dismantle the prevailing positivist understanding of the interaction between legal orders and to stand out from the overwhelming and often repetitive literature on the philosophy of EU law should be praised. What is especially noteworthy is the idea of “corrective justice.” This notion explains very well the adoption of financial assistance measures as expression of a new form of solidarity, based on the notion of fair redress for a committed wrong, namely the structural deficiencies detectable in the design of the eurozone.
The Risks of Mobile Payment and Regulatory Responses: A Hong Kong Perspective
Authors: HUANG Robin Hui , CHEUNG Cynthia Sze Wai , WANG Christine Meng Lu
Published: June 2020

Mobile payment generally refers to transactions made through the applications of a portable electronic gadget without the transfer of cash. As one of the most disruptive technologies for finance, mobile payment has been rapidly transforming the traditional financial industry. While it brings important benefits, there are also various risks, in terms of liquidity, security, and data privacy, that call for adequate regulatory responses. As a global financial centre, Hong Kong has gradually established a regulatory framework for mobile payment, addressing the relevant risks with rules on payment and privacy. However, there is still room for further improvement, in terms of measures to deal with cybersecurity issues and strengthen the protection of personal data. The Hong Kong experiences suggest that, to regulate a new and fast-growing industry such as mobile payment, the regulatory regime needs to be improved continuously to alleviate the risk concerns, so as to enhance the protection of financial consumers and society at large.
Towards real support for all Australian children in kinship care and their carers
Authors: Kiraly Meredith , Green Jill , Hamilton Tracey
Published: June 2020

The introduction to this article provides a brief overview of current issues in kinship care. This is followed by transcripts of two speeches given by kinship carers at a Kinship Care Forum held in Brisbane in 2020. In these speeches, the speakers described how they became carers, their commitment to the children in their care, the challenges they have faced, the children’s development over time in their care and their struggles to achieve the support they needed.
Using IP rights to protect human rights: copyright for ‘revenge porn’ removal
Authors: O'Connell Aislinn , Bakina Ksenia
Published: June 2020

‘Revenge pornography’ is a concept which embraces a broad spectrum of the non-consensual distribution of private sexual images. Acknowledging the harms that arise from this practice and the human rights implications of ‘revenge pornography’, this paper focuses on the difficulty of removing those images from the Internet. It considers the legal vehicles which can be employed to force websites and third-party operators to remove private sexual images, including privacy law and copyright notice and takedown systems. It concludes that the piecemeal approach to image removal is insufficient, and that a more cohesive and appropriate approach to image removal is required to ensure that victim-survivors’ rights to private and family life are properly protected.
Maximum Holocene groundwater levels and associated extension of peat in the border zone of ‘Het Gooi’ (the Netherlands): a reconstruction based on the study of soil transects
Authors: Sevink Jan , Koopman Sander
Published: June 2020

The area ‘Het Gooi’ in the Netherlands is part of a Pleistocene ice-pushed ridge system that partially drowned during the Holocene upon sea level and associated groundwater rise. As a result, the ridge system was gradually encroached by peat. From the late Middle Ages onward, man reclaimed the peatlands surrounding Het Gooi, heavily reducing their extension and lowering the regional groundwater level by increasingly intensive drainage. Based on historical and archaeological arguments, several authors assume that the Holocene peat cover in the border zones of ‘Het Gooi’ formed the extension of large raised peat bogs that formed further to the west and east, respectively. They presume that in the late Middle Ages these extensions reached ‘upslope’ to a maximum altitude of 3 m + NAP (Dutch Ordnance Datum – approximating mean sea level). However, the original extension is difficult to reconstruct, as this peat has disappeared as a result of its exploitation and oxidation, if having been present at all.

In this study, the maximum extension of the Holocene peat cover on the ice-pushed ridge system was reconstructed based on soil characteristics. Used soil characteristics concerned the presence of iron coatings around sand grains and the upper boundary of gleyic features, because these are indicators for the mean highest groundwater level (MHG). For peat to form, this MHG needs to be at or just above the ground surface for most of the year. Based on study of a number of soil transects, we reconstructed to what maximum altitude peat encroachment may have occurred. This ‘maximum extension’ can alternatively be described as the maximum altitude of the bottom of the peat onlapping the ridge system.

In the western border zone, this peat cover was found to have reached to c. NAP or just above, near Hilversum. No indications were found for the occurrence of raised bogs. We conclude that the phreatic groundwater level in this zone was controlled by the sea level and associated lake levels (Naardermeer and Horstermeer), a dominant role being played by the shallow presence of Pleistocene formations with a high hydraulic conductivity. In the eastern border zone, altitudes were more variable and in places reached 2 m + NAP. Peat at this higher elevation probably formed under the influence of a higher phreatic groundwater level, induced by the presence of a clayey Eemian fill with low hydraulic conductivity in the adjacent glacial basin (the Eem valley).

This study demonstrates the value of detailed soil transect studies for palaeogeographical reconstructions of the former Holocene peat cover in Pleistocene landscapes of NW Europe. It also provides independent data for validation of geohydrological models for such landscapes.
Electoral reforms and the representativeness of turnout
Authors: Bechtel Michael M. , Schmid Lukas
Published: June 2020

Voters tend to be richer, more conservative, and more educated than non-voters. While many electoral reforms promise to increase political participation, these policy instruments may have multidimensional and differential effects that can increase or decrease the representativeness of turnout. We develop an approach that allows us to estimate these effects and assess the impact of postal voting on representational inequality in Swiss referendums using individual-level ($N = 79,\; 000$) and aggregate-level data from 1981 to 2009. We find that postal voting mobilizes equally across a wide range of political and sociodemographic groups but more strongly activates high earners, those with medium education levels, and less politically interested individuals. Yet, those who vote are not less politically knowledgeable and the effects on the composition of turnout remain limited. Our results inform research on the consequences of electoral reforms meant to increase political participation in large electorates.
Maternal BMI at the time of birth and selected risk factors associated with severe neonatal outcomes: a secondary analysis of the WHO Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project
Authors: Pileggi Vicky N. , Oladapo Olufemi T. , Cavenague de Souza Hayala Cristina , Castro Cynthia P. , Abraham Alabi O. , Akintan Adesina L. , Idris Hadiza A. , Oyeneyin Lawal O. , Souza João P. , Camelo José S.
Published: June 2020

The main objective of this secondary analysis was to describe the nutritional status of the Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project study population and determine possible associations between maternal nutritional status (as reflected by maternal BMI at the time of birth) and severe neonatal outcomes (SNO). We also analysed previous and index maternal pathologies to determine associations with neonatal outcomes. We used the classification designed by Atalah for maternal BMI and compared with the Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study one. To describe the nutritional status of this population, figures of distribution and test of normality related to weight and BMI were presented for the women and their babies. To explore the association between maternal BMI data and SNO, theχ2test was performed. To identify a maternal characteristic or a group of characteristics that could predict SNO, we used Fisher’s exact test using previous maternal pathology collected in the BOLD project as well as that in the index pregnancy. In this study, BMI at the time of birth was not associated with neonatal near miss or death. We found that previous maternal obesity, diabetes and chronic hypertension were associated with SNO. Maternal pathology in the index pregnancy such as other obstetric haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, anaemia and gestational diabetes was associated with SNO.
Dried fruit consumption and cardiometabolic health: a randomised crossover trial
Authors: Sullivan Valerie K. , Petersen Kristina S. , Kris-Etherton Penny M.
Published: June 2020

Fruit intake is associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, effects of dried fruits on cardiometabolic health are not well researched. We investigated the effect of daily dried fruit consumption compared with a carbohydrate-rich snack on cardiometabolic disease risk factors in adults with increased cardiometabolic risk. A two-period randomised crossover trial was conducted in adults (n 55) with elevated BMI and at least one additional risk factor for cardiometabolic disease to compare the effects of consuming 3/4 cup/d mixed dried fruits (plums, figs, dates and raisins) or an energy- and carbohydrate-matched control snack for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was LDL-cholesterol; secondary outcomes included other lipids and lipoproteins, glucose and insulin, C-reactive protein, blood pressure and vascular stiffness. Linear mixed models were used for data analysis. Lipid and lipoprotein concentrations did not differ between conditions; however, dried fruit increased LDL-cholesterol (0·10 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) compared with baseline. Compared with the control, dried fruit increased mean fasting glucose (0·08 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·005, 0·16; P = 0·038). Vascular outcomes, fasting insulin and C-reactive protein did not differ between conditions. Mean weight changes did not differ (P = 0·55) but tended to increase after both conditions (dried fruit 0·3 kg, 95 % CI –0·09, 0·65; control 0·4 kg, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·75). Thus, short-term daily consumption of a large portion of mixed dried plums, figs, dates and raisins, without structured dietary guidance, did not improve cardiometabolic risk factors, compared with carbohydrate-rich snacks, in adults with increased baseline cardiometabolic risk.
Where does implementation lie? Assessing the determinants of delegation and discretion in post-Maastricht European Union
Authors: Migliorati Marta
Published: June 2020

Drawing on a principal–agent framework the article analyses the European Union (EU) politics of delegation in the post-Maastricht era. By means of statistical analysis, it tests the impact of several variables upon the selection of national and supranational agents, as well as on the discretion they enjoy, on the basis of a recently collected data set of EU laws. Findings reveal that pooling and policy complexity favour the involvement of supranational actors in the implementation of EU laws. Moreover, the degree of supranational integration of a policy affects the likelihood of choosing supranational implementers. On the one hand, the Commission enjoys higher discretion vis-à-vis national actors when qualified majority voting applies, and when higher levels of conflict in the Council of Ministers is present. On the other, conflict between the European Parliament and the Council under codecision seems associated with lower supranational discretion, although the result needs further corroboration.
A cheeky investigation: Tracking the semantic change of cheeky from monkeys to wines
Authors: Bailey Laura R. , Durham Mercedes
Published: June 2020

The present study focuses on the word cheeky which, in the past few decades, has taken on a new meaning of ‘mildly illicit’ in addition to, and partly overtaking, its original meaning of ‘impudent’. We examine how this semantic change is spreading in different age groups and in different parts of the English-speaking world. As we demonstrate, the newer meaning of cheeky is associated with younger speakers, so we examine whether this correlates with different age groups’ understanding of the new form. Furthermore, cheeky ‘impudent’ was used more frequently in the United Kingdom than in North America. If that earlier meaning was already marked for North America, how is the newer meaning cheeky ‘mildly illicit’ understood by speakers there?
THE ASPECT HYPOTHESIS AND THE ACQUISITION OF L2 PAST MORPHOLOGY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
Authors: Bardovi-Harlig Kathleen , Comajoan-Colomé Llorenç
Published: June 2020

Twenty years ago, a state-of-the-art review inSSLAmarked the coming of age of the study of temporality in second language acquisition. This was followed by three monographs on tense and aspect the next year. This article presents a state-of-the-scholarship review of the last 20 years of research addressing the aspect hypothesis (AH) (Andersen, 1991, 2002; Andersen & Shirai, 1994, 1996), the most tested hypothesis in L2 temporality research. The first section of the article gives an overview of the AH and examines its central tenets, and then explores the results of empirical studies that test the hypothesis. The second section considers studies that have investigated four crucial variables in the acquisition of temporality and the testing of the AH. The third section discusses theoretically motivated areas of future research within the framework of the hypothesis.
A case of AndraStent® fracture in a patient with aortic coarctation: a review of the literature
Authors: Cabrelle Giulio , Milanesi Ornella , Castaldi Biagio
Published: June 2020

Percutaneous treatment of aortic coarctation is based on angioplasty and/or stenting of the isthmus. We report a case of a 28-year-old girl suffering from aortic coarctation syndrome (coarctation + ventricular septal defect + bicuspid aorta). She underwent coarctectomy with subclavian flap and pulmonary bandage followed by ventricular septal defect closure and bandage removal in her first year of life. When she was 27 years old, a follow-up echocardiography detected an isthmic pressure gradient and a demodulated Doppler in abdominal aorta. A cardiac catheterisation confirmed the diagnosis of aortic re-coarctation. An AndraStent® XL 48 mm was implanted with a resolution of the isthmic gradient. One year later, because of the reappearance of demodulated Doppler in abdominal aorta, a chest X-ray was performed, which showed a stent third-grade fracture. The fracture was corrected by positioning a covered stent cheatham platinum 45 mm through the fragments. The rarest complication after stenting procedures is the fracture of the device with an incidence between 0.01% and 0.08%. Pressure overload beyond the elastic threshold of the material and the pulsatile tension exerted by the blood flow on the walls of the stent are the main mechanisms at the base of the fracture, together with the compliance of the tissue. A vessel that underwent multiple surgical rearrangements could interfere with and complicate the physiopathology at the basis of the fracture. In conclusion, stenting is a safe technique to treat aortic coarctation; stent fracture is a rare event, and different anatomical and haemodynamic factors are related to this complication.
RYR2 p.R169L mutation and left ventricular hypertrophy in a child with emotion-triggered sudden death
Authors: Kohli Utkarsh , Kuntz Lisa , Nayak Hemal M.
Published: June 2020

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is a rare (prevalence: 1/10,000) channelopathy characterised by exercise-induced or emotion-triggered ventricular arrhythmias. There is an overall paucity of genotype-phenotype correlation studies in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and in vitro and in vivo effects of individual mutations have not been well characterised. We report an 8-year-old child who carried a mutation in the coding exon 8 of RYR2 (p.R169L) and presented with emotion-triggered sudden cardiac death. He was also found to have left ventricular hypertrophy, a combination which has not been reported before. We discuss the association between genetic variation in RYR2, particularly mutations causing replacement of arginine at position 169 of RYR2 and structural cardiac abnormalities.
Impact of transport on arrival status and outcomes in newborns with heart disease: a low–middle-income country perspective
Authors: Karmegaraj Balaganesh , Kappanayil Mahesh , Sudhakar Abish , Kumar Raman Krishna
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

We sought to systematically study determinants of “clinical status at arrival after transport” of neonates with CHD and its impact on clinical outcomes in a low- and middle-income country environment.

Methods and results:

Consecutive neonates with CHD (n = 138) transported (median distance 138 km; 5–425 km) to a paediatric cardiac programme in Southern India were studied prospectively. Among 138 neonatal transports, 134 were in ambulances. Four neonates were transported by family in private vehicles; 60% with duct-dependent circulation (n = 57) were transported without prostaglandin E1. Clinical status at arrival after transport was assessed using California modification of TRIPS Score (Ca-TRIPS), evidence of end-organ injury and metabolic insult.

Upon arrival, 42% had end-organ injury, 24% had metabolic insult and 36% had Ca-TRIPS Score >25. Prior to surgery or catheter intervention, prolonged ICU stay (>48 hours), prolonged ventilation (>48 hours), blood stream sepsis, and death occurred in 48, 15, 19, and 3.6%, respectively. Ca-TRIPS Score >25 was significantly associated with mortality (p = 0.005), sepsis (p = 0.035), and prolonged ventilation (p < 0.001); end-organ injury with prolonged ICU stay (p = 0.031) and ventilation (p = 0.045); metabolic insult with mortality (p = 0.012) and sepsis (p = 0.015).

Fifteen babies needed only medical management, 10 received comfort care (due to severe end-organ injury in 3), 107 underwent cardiac surgery (n = 83) or catheter intervention (n = 24), with a mortality of 6.5%. Clinical status at arrival after transport did not impact post-procedure outcomes.

Conclusion:

Neonates with CHD often arrive in suboptimal status after transport in low- and middle-income countries resulting in adverse clinical outcomes. Robust transport systems need to be integrated in plans to develop newborn heart surgery in low- and middle-income countries.
Natural disasters and child health
Authors: Thamarapani Dhanushka
Published: June 2020

With the increasing number of natural disasters, understanding the links between these events and child health has become timely and pertinent. Using a panel dataset, this paper empirically investigates the persistent effects on child health due to exposure to a series of natural disasters that occurred from 2002 to 2007 in Indonesia. We find that girls exposed to multiple disaster events are 0.19 standard deviations shorter and are 7 per cent more likely to be stunted when measured 7 to 12 years later. We find no persistent effect on boys. From a public policy perspective, we highlight the need for coping strategies beyond access to credit or remittances in order to mitigate growth retardation in children.
Role of different nutrient profiling models in identifying targeted foods for front-of-package food labelling in Brazil
Authors: Duran Ana Clara , Ricardo Camila Zancheta , Mais Laís Amaral , Bortoletto Martins Ana Paula
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To compare the degree of strictness and agreement of different nutrient profiling models (NPM) used to identify which foods would be required to show front-of-package (FOP) warning labels.

Design:

Using data of 11 434 packaged foods found in the five largest food retailers in Brazil, we used two published NPM: the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) model and the NPM used in the Chilean nutritional FOP labelling policy, and compared them with a NPM proposed by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). The proportion of foods that would be required to show FOP warning labels was calculated overall and by food category. We also tested whether a modified version of the PAHO NPM would behave similarly to the original version.

Setting:

Brazil.

Results:

Two-thirds of the packaged products (62 %) would receive FOP warning labels under the PAHO NPM, as compared with 45 % of products using the proposed Anvisa NPM and 41 % if the Chilean NPM was applied. The PAHO NPM identified more foods high in critical nutrients such as sweetened dairy and non-dairy beverages, canned vegetables and convenience foods. Overall agreement between models was considered good with kappa coefficient ranging from 0·57 to 0·92 but was lower for some food categories.

Conclusions:

We found variations in the degree of strictness and agreement between assessed NPM. The PAHO NPM identified more foods and beverages high in sugar which are among the top contributors to sugar and energy intake in Brazil.
Associations between taste preferences and chronic diseases: a population-based exploratory study in China
Authors: Li Hanqi , Jia Peng , Fei Teng
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To explore the associations between dietary tastes and chronic diseases quantitatively.

Design:

We used the Geodetector method to establish associations between seven tastes and a variety of chronic diseases from the perspective of spatial stratified heterogeneity and explained the effects of dietary tastes on the spatial distribution of chronic diseases.

Setting:

We used crowdsourcing online recipe data to extract multiple taste information about cuisines, combined with point of interest data on categorised restaurant data in different regions, to quantitatively analyse the taste preferences of people in different regions.

Participants:

Crowdsourcing online recipe data and restaurant data in different regions.

Results:

The results showed that sixteen diseases were significantly associated with dietary tastes among the seventy-one types of chronic diseases. Compared with the effects of individual tastes, the interactions of tastes increased the risk of sixteen diseases, and many combinations of tastes produced nonlinear enhancement effects on the risk for diseases.

Conclusions:

This study presents a quantitative study approach based on the crowdsourcing of data to explore potential health risk factors, which can be applied to the exploratory analysis of disease aetiology and help public health authorities to develop corresponding interventions.
Observations on the Early Stages of Corrosion on AA2099-T83
Authors: Glenn A. Matthew , Hughes Anthony E. , MacRae Colin M. , Wilson Nicholas C. , Torpy Aaron , Zhou Xiaorong
Published: June 2020

An Al–Cu–Li aerospace alloy has been investigated to determine the order in which corrosion at different types of sites occurs in AA2099-T83. Specifically, the sequence of galvanic attack on intermetallic (IM) particles and other sites of AA2099-T83 was determined as a function of time, in 0.1 M NaCl, through the use of scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction characterization techniques. The earliest attack occurred at isolated grains and grain boundaries and on Li-containing dispersoids. Similarly, some constituent IM particles showed evidence of trenching in the surrounding alloy matrix. These IM particles included Al7Cu2Fe and another group of unidentified particles which displayed complete trenching within the first 10 min of exposure. Al13(Fe, Mn)4 were next most active followed by Al37Fe12Cu2 with Al6(Fe,Mn) and large TiB2 particles being the least active.
An institutional review: dosimetry comparison between simultaneous integrated boost IMRT and VMAT for prostate cancer
Authors: Mukhtar Raheel , Butt Sumera , Rafaye Muhammad Abdur , Iqbal Khalid , Mazhar Sana , Sadaf Tabinda
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

A comparative study was performed about the plan parameters and quality indices between volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the two methods of external beam radiotherapy IMRT and VMAT in terms of plan quality and efficacy.

Material and method:

Fifteen high-risk prostate patients were planned for radiotherapy using 6 MV photon. Three dose levels were contoured having Planning Tumour Volume 1 (PTV1 = 48 Gy), Planning Tumour Volume 2 (PTV2 = 57.6 Gy) and Planning Tumour Volume 3 (PTV3 = 60 Gy). Setup margins were given using the CHIP trial method. The prescribed PTV3 dose was 60 Gy in 20 fractions which is biologically equivalent to 74 Gy in 37 fractions using α/β = 3. In case of IMRT, seven fixed beam angles 30, 60, 105, 180, 255, 300 and 330 were used and the dose was optimised using the sliding window method. In case of rapid arc technique, one or two full arcs were used for dose optimisation while keeping all the dose constraints and other planning parameters same used in IMRT. The plan evaluation parameters and Organ at risks (OARs) doses were calculated using a dose volume histogram (DVH).

Results:

The average D2, D5, D95 and PTVmean for PTV3 were 61.22, 61.13, 58.12, 60.00 Gy and 62.41 62.24 59.53 61.12 Gy for IMRT and VMAT, respectively. The averages V60 for bladder and V30 for rectum were 22.81, 25 and 67, 65% for IMRT and VMAT, respectively. The average homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI) and gradient index (GI) were 1.04, 1.4833, 14.79 and 1.04, 1.704, 7.89 for IMRT and VMAT, respectively.

Conclusion:

VMAT takes less dose-delivery time and lesser number of monitoring units than IMRT, thus it compensates the intrafractional movements during dose delivery. The Dose GI in VMAT was much better than IMRT. This indicates sharper dose fall off near the normal tissue. No other major differences were observed in terms of plan evaluation parameters between IMRT and VMAT techniques. So, we conclude that VMAT technique is more efficient than IMRT in terms of plan quality and dose delivery.