bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women: serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns over five years in Eastern Sicily (Italy)
Authors: Genovese Carlo , D’Angeli Floriana , Di Salvatore Valentina , Tempera Gianna , Nicolosi Daria
Published: July 2020

Streptococcus agalactiae(also known Group BStreptococcusor GBS) represents the main pathogen responsible for early- and late-onset infections in newborns. The present study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and the capsular serotypes of GBS isolated in Eastern Sicily over 5 years, from January 2015 to December 2019. A total of 3494 GBS were isolated from vaginal swabs of pregnant women (37–39 weeks), as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Capsular polysaccharide’s typing of GBS was determined by a commercial latex agglutination test containing reagents to serotypes I–IX. The antimicrobial resistance pattern of GBS was determined through the disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer) and the double-disk diffusion test on Mueller-Hinton agar plates supplemented with 5% defibrinated sheep blood, according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Serotypes III (1218, 34.9%) and V (1069, 30.6%) were the prevalent colonizers, followed by not typable (570, 16.3%) and serotypes Ia (548, 15.7%), Ib (47, 1.3%), II (40, 1.1%), and IV (2, 0.1%). All 3494 clinical isolates were susceptible to cefditoren and vancomycin. Resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, levofloxacin, clindamycin, and erythromycin was observed in 6 (0.2%), 5 (0.1%), 161 (4.6%), 1090 (31.2%), and 1402 (40.1%) of the strains, respectively. Most of erythromycin-resistant GBS (1090/1402) showed the cMLSBphenotype, 276 the M phenotype, and 36 the iMLSBphenotype. Our findings revealed a higher prevalence of serotype III and a relevant resistance rate, among GBS strains, to the most frequently used antibiotics in antenatal screening.
Online recognition of unsegmented actions with hierarchical SOM architecture
Authors: Gharaee Zahra
Published: July 2020

Automatic recognition of an online series of unsegmented actions requires a method for segmentation that determines when an action starts and when it ends. In this paper, a novel approach for recognizing unsegmented actions in online test experiments is proposed. The method uses self-organizing neural networks to build a three-layer cognitive architecture. The unique features of an action sequence are represented as a series of elicited key activations by the first-layer self-organizing map. An average length of a key activation vector is calculated for all action sequences in a training set and adjusted in learning trials to generate input patterns to the second-layer self-organizing map. The pattern vectors are clustered in the second layer, and the clusters are then labeled by an action identity in the third layer neural network. The experiment results show that although the performance drops slightly in online experiments compared to the offline tests, the ability of the proposed architecture to deal with the unsegmented action sequences as well as the online performance makes the system more plausible and practical in real-case scenarios.
How physicians can empower patients with digital tools
Authors: Affinito Letizia , Fontanella Andrea , Montano Nicola , Brucato Antonio
Published: July 2020

Background

While there is broad consensus that the use of digital tools would significantly improve patient empowerment, to date, an improvement in health outcomes has been elusive.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess how to improve the ability of physicians to empower patients with digital tools.

Methods

We conducted a web-based survey using SurveyMonkey over nearly 6 months. A questionnaire was sent with an email, explaining the aims of the survey and providing a link to complete the web-based questionnaire, to the heads of each of the 37 medical national societies adhering to the EFIM (European Federation of Internal Medicine), inviting them to disseminate the questionnaire among their members.

Results

Two hundred and eighteen responses were received. They suggest that the main success factors in increasing and improving patient empowerment with digital tools and realizing health goals are clinical evidence, followed by patient/physician involvement in the design, tools designed around the real needs of the patient, and reimbursement. Most of the respondents who have already prescribed digital tools for patient empowerment are just enough satisfied with the results achieved by their patients. Interestingly, 18% of the respondents had spent more than 30 min on the visit of patient to doctor. However, the majority devoted only 5–9 min to illustrating the suggested digital tools.

Conclusions

According to the respondents, clinical evidence, motivation, physician and patient’s involvement in design, and reimbursement, as well as organizations’ appropriate business models and support, are the main determinants of the diffusion and effective adoption of digital tools for successful patient empowerment in internal medicine.
Fifty Years of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Research at Cabauw Serving Weather, Air Quality and Climate
Authors: Bosveld Fred C. , Baas Peter , Beljaars Anton C. M. , Holtslag Albert A. M. , de Arellano Jordi Vilà-Guerau , van de Wiel Bas J. H.
Published: July 2020

An overview is given of 50-year Cabauw observations and research on the structure and dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer. It is shown that over time this research site with its 200-m meteorological tower has grown into an atmospheric observatory with a comprehensive observational program encompassing almost all aspects of the atmospheric column including its boundary conditions. This is accomplished by the Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research (CESAR) a consortium of research institutes. CESAR plays an important role in the educational programs of the CESAR universities. The current boundary-layer observational program is described in detail, and other parts of the CESAR observational program discussed more briefly. Due to an open data policy the CESAR datasets are used by researchers all over the world. Examples are given of the use of the long time series for model evaluation, satellite validation, and process studies. The role of tall towers is discussed in relation to the development of more and better ground-based remote sensing techniques. CESAR is now incorporated into the Ruisdael observatory, the large-scale atmospheric research infrastructure in the Netherlands. With Ruisdael the embedding of the Dutch atmospheric community in national policy landscape, and in the European atmospheric research infrastructures is assured for the coming decade.
Postprocessing of standard finite element velocity fields for accurate particle tracking applied to groundwater flow
Authors: Selzer Philipp , Cirpka Olaf A.
Published: July 2020

Particle tracking is a computationally advantageous and fast scheme to determine travel times and trajectories in subsurface hydrology. Accurate particle tracking requires element-wise mass-conservative, conforming velocity fields. This condition is not fulfilled by the standard linear Galerkin finite element method (FEM). We present a projection, which maps a non-conforming, element-wise given velocity field, computed on triangles and tetrahedra, onto a conforming velocity field in lowest-order Raviart-Thomas-Nédélec ($\mathcal {RTN}_{0}$

R
T
N

0

) space, which meets the requirements of accurate particle tracking. The projection is based on minimizing the difference in the hydraulic gradients at the element centroids between the standard FEM solution and the hydraulic gradients consistent with the $\mathcal {RTN}_{0}$

R
T
N

0

velocity field imposing element-wise mass conservation. Using the conforming velocity field in $\mathcal {RTN}_{0}$

R
T
N

0

space on triangles and tetrahedra, we present semi-analytical particle tracking methods for divergent and non-divergent flow. We compare the results with those obtained by a cell-centered finite volume method defined for the same elements, and a test case considering hydraulic anisotropy to an analytical solution. The velocity fields and associated particle trajectories based on the projection of the standard FEM solution are comparable to those resulting from the finite volume method, but the projected fields are smoother within zones of piecewise uniform hydraulic conductivity. While the $\mathcal {RTN}_{0}$

R
T
N

0

-projected standard FEM solution is thus more accurate, the computational costs of the cell-centered finite volume approach are considerably smaller.
Polarisation changes in guided infrared thermography using silver halide poly-crystalline mid-infrared fibre bundle
Authors: Markham Sarah K. , Mani Aladin , Korsakova Elena A. , Korsakov Aleksandr S. , Zhukova Liya V. , Bauer Joanna , Silien Christophe , Tofail Syed A. M.
Published: July 2020

Broadband mid-infrared (B-MIR) thermography using fibre optic waveguides can be critical in real-time imaging in harsh environments such as additive manufacturing, personalised medical diagnosis and therapy. We investigate the polarisation effect on thermal measurements through poly-crystalline fibre bundle employing a simple broadband cross-polarisation configuration experimental set-up. Silver halide poly-crystalline fibres AgCl1−xBrx (0 ≤ x≤1) (AgClBr-PolyC) have very wide transmission bandwidth spanning over the spectral range from 1 µm up to 31 µm FWHM. Moreover, they are non-toxic, non-hygroscopic, with relatively good flexibility, which make them very adequate for spectroscopic and thermal measurements in medical and clinical fields. In this study, we used a fibre bundle composed of seven single AgClBr-PolyC fibres, each with a core diameter of about 300 µm, inserted between two broadband MIR polarisers.
A silicon carbide filament source was placed at the entrance of the fibre bundle, while a FLIR thermal camera with a close-up lens was employed to measure the spatial temperature distribution over the fibre-bundle end. Indeed, polarisation dependence of temperature measurements has been clearly observed in which the orientation of temperature extrema (minima and maxima)
vary from one fibre to another within the bundle. Moreover, these observations have enabled the classification of AgClBr-PolyC fibres following their polarisation sensitivities by which some fibres are relatively highly sensitive to polarisation with polarisation temperature difference (PTD) that can reach 22.1 ± 2.8 °C, whereas some others show very low PTD values down to 3.1 ± 2.8 °C. Many applications can readily be found based on the advantages of both extreme cases.
DSC and histological analysis of decellularized porcine biograft
Authors: Fazekas Gábor , Jancsó Gábor , Lőrinczy Dénes
Published: July 2020

Different types of biological grafts are useful for the replacement of infected prostheses in vascular surgery. In cases, when autologous grafts or homografts are not available, xenografts can be an alternative choice. To reduce immunogenicity, decellularization of the xenogeneic graft is necessary. Our goal was to determine the long-lasting stability of our decellularized porcine vascular grafts, in the mirror of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and routine histological examination. In the first experiment, light and electron microscopic confirmation of adequate decellularization of our used protocol was assessed. In the second series, DSC measurements were performed both on native and on treated samples; thereafter, histological evaluation of the analyzed samples was performed. Light and electron microscopy evaluation showed complete removal of cells and preserved connective tissue fiber structure after decellularization in the first series. In the second part of our investigation, DSC measurements demonstrated reversible change in the structure of elastic fibers and irreversible change in the structure of collagen fiber structure supported by histological findings. Our examination strengthens the earlier observations that decellularized biological grafts can tend to late aneurysmatic degeneration, due to their weakened fiber structure, besides the known immunological circumstances.
Effective boundary conditions at a rough wall: a high-order homogenization approach
Authors: Bottaro Alessandro , Naqvi Sahrish B.
Published: July 2020

Effective boundary conditions, correct to third order in a small parameter $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
, are derived by homogenization theory for the motion of an incompressible fluid over a rough wall with periodic micro-indentations. The length scale of the indentations is l, and $$\epsilon = l/L \ll 1$$

ϵ
=
l
/
L
≪
1

, with L a characteristic length of the macroscopic problem. A multiple scale expansion of the variables allows to recover, at leading order, the usual Navier slip condition. At next order the slip velocity includes a term arising from the streamwise pressure gradient; furthermore, a transpiration velocity $${\mathcal {O}}(\epsilon ^{2})$$

O
(

ϵ
2

)

appears at the fictitious wall where the effective boundary conditions are enforced. Additional terms appear at third order in both wall-tangent and wall-normal components of the velocity. The application of the effective conditions to a macroscopic problem is carried out for the Hiemenz stagnation point flow over a rough wall, highlighting the differences among the exact results and those obtained using conditions of different asymptotic orders.
Effectiveness of an Educational Video in Maternity Wards to Prevent Self-Reported Shaking and Smothering during the First Week of Age: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Fujiwara Takeo , Isumi Aya , Sampei Makiko , Miyazaki Yusuke , Yamada Fujiko , Noma Hisashi , Ogita Kazuhide , Mitsuda Nobuaki
Published: July 2020

This study aimed to investigate whether watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduces self-reported shaking and smothering, at a 1-month health checkup. A cluster randomized controlled trial, stratified by area and hospital function, was employed in 45 obstetrics hospitals/clinics in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In the intervention group, mothers watched an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering an infant, within 1 week of age, during hospitalization at maternity wards, without blinding on group allocation. Control group received usual care. A total of 4722 (N = 2350 and 2372 for intervention and control group, respectively) mothers who delivered their babies (still birth and gestational age < 22 weeks were excluded) between October 1, 2014, and January 31 were recruited. Outcomes were self-reported shaking and smothering behaviors, knowledge on infant crying and shaking, and behaviors to cope with infant crying, assessed via a questionnaire at a 1-month health checkup. In all, 2718 (N = 1078 and 1640) responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 58.3%), and analytic sample size was 2655 (N = 1058 and 1597 for intervention and control group, respectively). Multilevel analysis was used to adjust for correlation within the cluster. Prevalence of shaking was significantly lower in the intervention group (0.19%) than in the control group (1.69%). Intention-to-treat analysis showed an 89% reduction in the reported prevalence of self-reported shaking (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02–0.53) due to watching the educational video. However, self-reported smothering behavior showed no significant reduction (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.27–1.60). No side effects were reported. Watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduced self-reported shaking at 1 month of age. UMIN Clinical Trial Registry UMIN000015558.
Between Truth, Legitimacy, and Legality in the Post-truth Era
Authors: Lorusso Anna Maria
Published: July 2020

The post-truth regime is a regime in which certain central categories of modernity seem to be inadequate: that of truth as correspondence, that of truth as verification, and that of truth as sincerity. This reflection aims at proposing a shift from the category of truth to the category of legitimacy, in order to rethink (replace?) those of correctness, objectivity, adequacy. The advantage potentially offered by the concept of legitimacy, with regards to that of truth, has to do with the reference to a given context (wherein truth tends to be a universal ideal), with an element of social recognition (wherein truth does not depend on recognition; it is valid per se) and a processual dimension (wherein truth does not become truthful), which makes the management of discourses more flexible, without abdicating to their deregulation.
Grounding theories of powers
Authors: Tugby Matthew
Published: July 2020

Necessitarianism, as we shall use the term, is the view that natural properties and causal powers are necessarily connected in some way. In recent decades the most popular forms of necessitarianism have been the anti-Humean powers-based theories of properties, such as dispositional essentialism and the identity theory. These versions of necessitarianism have come under fire in recent years and I believe it is time for necessitarians to develop a new approach. In this paper I identify unexplored ways of positing metaphysically necessary connections in nature, using the concepts of grounding and essential dependence. For example, I show that one could be a necessitarian by insisting that the properties of things necessarilygroundtheir powers, and that one can maintain this while rejecting dispositional essentialism. Using different combinations of claims about grounding and essential dependence (or lack thereof), I map out a spectrum of new positions and compare them to previous theories of natural modality. Some of these positions are compatible with Humean metaphysics (given certain readings of Hume’s Dictum) while others are not. The overall aim of the paper is to provide a new metaphysical framework for understanding theories of powers and thereby launch a new necessitarian research programme.
Shopping for truth pluralism
Authors: Gamester Will
Published: July 2020

Truth pluralists say that the nature of truth varies between domains of discourse: while ordinary descriptive claims or those of the hard sciences might be true in virtue of corresponding to reality, those concerning ethics, mathematics, institutions (or modality, aesthetics, comedy…) might be true in some non-representational or “anti-realist” sense. Despite pluralism attracting increasing amounts of attention, the motivations for the view remain underdeveloped. This paper investigates whether pluralism is well-motivated on ontological grounds: that is, on the basis that different discourses are concerned with different kinds of entities. Arguments that draw on six different ontological contrasts are examined: (i) concrete versus abstract entities; (ii) mind-independent versus mind-dependent entities; (iii) sparse versus merely abundant properties; (iv) objective versus projected entities; (v) natural versus non-natural entities; and (vi) ontological pluralism (entities that literally exist in different ways). I argue that the additional premises needed to move from such contrasts to truth pluralism are either implausible or unmotivated, often doing little more than to bifurcate the nature of truth when a more theoretically conservative option is available. If there is a compelling motivation for pluralism, I suggest, it’s likely to lie elsewhere.
Bioelectrochemical treatment of municipal solid waste landfill mature leachate and dairy wastewater as co-substrates
Authors: Bolognesi Silvia , Cecconet Daniele , Callegari Arianna , Capodaglio Andrea G.
Published: July 2020

Despite solid wastes’ landfill disposal limitation due to recent European legislation, landfill leachate disposal remains a significant problem and will be for many years in the future, since its production may persist for years after a site’s closure. Among process technologies proposed for its treatment, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be effective, achieving both contaminant removal and simultaneous energy recovery. Start-up and operation of two dual-chamber MFCs with different electrodes’ structure, fed with mature municipal solid waste landfill leachate, are reported in this study. Influent (a mix of dairy wastewater and mature landfill leachate at varying proportions) was fed to the anodic chambers of the units, under different conditions. The maximum COD removal efficiency achieved was 84.9% at low leachate/dairy mix, and 66.3% with 7.6% coulombic efficiency (CE) at a leachate/dairy ratio of 20%. Operational issues and effects of cells’ architecture and electrode materials on systems’ performance are analyzed and discussed.
The perplexity of targeting genetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Barone Michele , Di Leo Alfredo , Sabbà Carlo , Mazzocca Antonio
Published: July 2020

Genetic heterogeneity is a well-recognized feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The coexistence of multiple genetic alterations in the same HCC nodule contributes to explain why gene-targeted therapy has largely failed. Targeting of early genetic alterations could theoretically be a more effective therapeutic strategy preventing HCC. However, the failure of most targeted therapies has raised much perplexity regarding the role of genetic alterations in driving cancer as the main paradigm. Here, we discuss the methodological and conceptual limitations of targeting genetic alterations and their products that may explain the limited success of the novel mechanism-based drugs in the treatment of HCC. In light of these limitations and despite the era of the so-called “precision medicine,” prevention and early diagnosis of conditions predisposing to HCC remain the gold standard approach to prevent the development of this type of cancer. Finally, a paradigm shift to a more systemic approach to cancer is required to find optimal therapeutic solutions to treat this disease.
Recovery characteristics of different tube materials in relation to combustion products
Authors: Karjalainen M. , Kontunen A. , Mäkelä M. , Anttalainen O. , Vehkaoja A. , Oksala N. , Roine A.
Published: July 2020

Common challenge in gas analyzers such as Ion Mobility Spectrometers (IMS) integrated into a measurement system is the reduced analysis speed that is partially limited by the temporal carry-over of sample molecules. It is caused by adsorption and absorption of the molecules into the gas tubes of the analyzer. We studied the recovery times of common tube materials: polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyethylene (PE), steel 316 L, parylene C coated steel and Silconert® coated steel from organic combustion products. The tests were performed in two temperatures, at 25 °C and at 70 °C. In addition, detailed analysis was performed for PTFE tube material at 33, 50, 70 and 100 °C to observe the temperature relation of desorption. Uncoated steel was found to have the best performance in increased temperature applications due lack of absorption. Major advantages from coatings compared to plane steel were not found. Plastics were found suitable materials in lower temperatures where adsorption exceeds absorption.
Developing Two-Year Apprenticeships in Norway and Switzerland
Authors: Schmid Evi , Scharnhorst Ursula , Kammermann Marlise
Published: July 2020

Over the last 15 years, different countries have developed low-level vocational education and training (VET) programmes for young people who struggle to enter or complete education at upper secondary level. Switzerland introduced nationally standardised two-year initial VET programmes in 2005, Norway in 2016. Data of interviews with curriculum experts in Norway and Switzerland provided an empirical basis to examine the underlying intentions for offering these programmes and the respective criteria for defining the learning outcomes and the curricula. The reference frame in Norway for identifying appropriate learning outcomes and selecting learning goals are the national curricula of the respective four-year VET programmes. In Switzerland, the learning outcomes of two-year curricula are defined by lower-level occupational activities which are usually identified in analyses involving active workers and experts in the respective fields. Despite these differences, the criteria for developing two-year curricula are largely the same in both countries. The findings further show that two-year VET programmes in Norway are not intended to lead to a direct labour market entry but are understood as a first step of a staged qualification whereas in Switzerland they are designed to find a viable balance between employability and permeability to the more demanding three- or four-year VET programmes. In both countries, the two-year apprenticeships do not correspond to a holistic concept of vocation.
Chinese control over African and global mining—past, present and future
Authors: Ericsson Magnus , Löf Olof , Löf Anton
Published: July 2020

Chinese companies are far from taking control over African or global mining. In 2018, they control less than 7% of the value of total African mine production. Chinese investments in African mining of non-fuel minerals between 1995 and 2018 have contributed to production growth but it has also increased Chinese control over African mineral and metal production. There is evidence pointing to a continued Chinese expansion in African minerals and metals but at a slower pace than in the past decade. Through a detailed analysis of every mine, fully or partially controlled by Chinese interest in Africa and all other parts of the world the paper also measures total Chinese control over global mine production to be around 3% of the total value.
ERas regulates cell proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition by affecting Erk/Akt signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Liu Yang , Qin Peng , Wu Rong , Du Lianfang , Li Fan
Published: July 2020

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common lethal malignancy with an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. ERas, a novel Ras family member, was first identified in murine embryonic stem cells and is upregulated in various cancers. However, the expression and potential role of ERas in pancreatic cancer have not been investigated. In this study, we found that ERas mRNA and protein were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells compared with controls. Knockdown of ERas in pancreatic cancer cells by siRNA significantly decreased cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to tumor progression. We observed a significant decrease in N-cadherin expression in pancreatic cancer cells in response to ERas gene silencing by immunofluorescence assay and western blot. Furthermore, tumor growth and EMT were inhibited in xenografts derived from pancreatic cancer cells with ERas downregulation. We further investigated the regulatory mechanisms of ERas in pancreatic cancer and found that ERas may activate the Erk/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, Erk inhibitor decreased pancreatic cancer cells proliferation and colony formation activities. Our data suggest that targeting ERas and its relevant signaling pathways might represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Evaluation of the risk of acute kidney injury with the use of piperacillin/tazobactam among adult critically ill patients
Authors: Saad Mohamed O. , Mohamed Adham M. , Mitwally Hassan A. , Shible Ahmed A. , Ait Hssain Ali , Abdelaty Mohamed A.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Piperacillin/tazobactam (PT), when combined with vancomycin, is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). It is not known whether PT alone is associated with a higher incidence of AKI compared to other β-lactams among critically ill patients. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of AKI associated with the use of PT to other β-lactams among adult critically ill patients

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted in the surgical and the medical intensive care units at two hospitals within Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar and included adult critically ill patients who received at least one dose of anti-pseudomonal β-lactams. The primary outcome was acute kidney injury, defined using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Multiple logistic regression with adjustment for pre-specified potential confounders was used for the primary outcome analysis.

Results

A total of 669 patients were included in the analysis: 507 patients in the PT group and 162 patients in the control (meropenem/cefepime) group. AKI occurred in 136 (26.8%) members of the PT group and 38 (23.5%) members of the control group [odds ratio (OR) 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79–1.8]. The results were not significantly altered after adjusting for the pre-specified potential confounders (adjusted OR 1.38; 95% CI 0.88–2.15).

Conclusion

In this study, PT was not associated with a higher risk of AKI compared to cefepime or meropenem among adult critically ill patients.
Some uses of the field of values in numerical analysis
Authors: Benzi Michele
Published: July 2020

In this expository paper we illustrate the role that the field of values (or numerical range) of a matrix plays in connection with certain problems of numerical analysis. These include the approximation of matrix functions and the convergence of preconditioned Krylov subspace methods for solving large systems of equations arising from the discretization of partial differential equations.
Xanthotoxin reverses Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms in zebrafish larvae and mice models: a comparative study
Authors: Kozioł Ewelina , Skalicka-Woźniak Krystyna , Michalak Agnieszka , Kaszubska Katarzyna , Budzyńska Barbara
Published: July 2020

Background

The aim of this study is to preliminary evaluate the antiparkinsonian activity of furanocoumarin—xanthotoxin, in two behavioral animal models, zebrafish larvae treated with 6-hydroxydopamine and mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in order to compare both models.

Methods

Xanthotoxin was isolated from Pastinaca sativa L. (Apiaceae) fruits. Then, the compound was administered by immersion to zebrafish 5 days after fertilization (dpf) larvae or intraperitoneally to male Swiss mice, as a potential therapeutic agent against locomotor impairments.

Results

Acute xanthotoxin administration at the concentration of 7.5 µM reversed locomotor activity impairments in 5-dpf zebrafish larvae. In mice model, acute xanthotoxin administration alleviated movement impairments at the concentration of 25 mg/kg.

Conclusions

The similar activity of the same substance in two different animal models indicates their compatibility and proves the potential of in vivo bioassays based on zebrafish models. Results of our study indicate that xanthotoxin may be considered as a potential lead compound in the discovery of antiparkinsonian drugs.
Supplemental Bacillus subtilis DSM 29784 and enzymes, alone or in combination, as alternatives for antibiotics to improve growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, anti-oxidative status, immune response and the intestinal barrier of broiler chickens
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Heng Chianning , Zhou Xihong , Cao Guangtian , Jiang Lei , Wang Jiangshui , Li Kaixuan , Wang Dianchun , Zhan Xiuan
Published: July 2020

The present study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis DSM 29784 (Ba) and enzymes (xylanase and β-glucanases; Enz), alone or in combination (BE) as antibiotic replacements, on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, immune response and the intestinal barrier of broiler chickens. In total, 1200 1-d-old broilers were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments, each with six replicate pens of forty birds for 63 d as follows: (a) basal diet (control), supplemented with (b) 1 × 109 colony-forming units (cfu)/kg Ba, (c) 300 mg/kg Enz, (d) 1 × 109 cfu/kg Ba and 300 mg/kg Enz and (e) 250 mg/kg enramycin (ER). Ba, Enz and BE, similar to ER, decreased the feed conversion rate, maintained intestinal integrity with a higher villus height:crypt depth ratio and increased the numbers of goblet cells. The BE group exhibited higher expression of claudin-1 and mucin 2 than the other four groups. BE supplementation significantly increased the α-diversity and β-diversity of the intestinal microbiota and markedly enhanced lipase activity in the duodenal mucosa. Serum endotoxin was significantly decreased in the BE group. Compared with those in the control group, increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were observed in the jejunal mucosa of the Ba and BE groups, respectively. In conclusion, the results suggested that dietary treatment with Ba, Enz or BE has beneficial effects on growth performance and anti-oxidative capacity, and BE had better effects than Ba or Enz alone on digestive enzyme activity and the intestinal microbiota. Ba or Enz could be used as an alternative to antibiotics for broiler chickens.
Who Interacts with Whom? Drivers of Networked Welfare Governance in Europe
Authors: Martinsen Dorte Sindbjerg , Schrama Reini , Mastenbroek Ellen
Published: July 2020

Migration is often perceived as a challenge to the welfare state. To manage this challenge, advanced welfare states have established transgovernmental networks. This article examines how domestic factors condition the interaction of representatives of advanced welfare states when they cooperate on transnational welfare governance. Based on new survey data, it compares who interacts with whom in one of the oldest transgovernmental networks of the European Union (EU) – the network that deals with EU citizens' rights to cross-border welfare. First, the authors perform a welfare cluster analysis of EU-28 and test whether institutional similarity explains these interactions. Furthermore, they test whether the level and kind of migration explains interaction and examine the explanatory value of administrative capacity. To test what drives interactions, the study employs social network analysis and exponential random graph models. It finds that cooperation in networked welfare governance tends to be homophilous, and that political cleavages between sending and receiving member states are mirrored in network interactions. Domestic factors are key drivers when advanced welfare states interact.
Dialogue for Empowerment: Jana Sanskriti’s Experiment with the Method of the Theatre of the Oppressed in Rural Bengal
Authors: Ghoshal Shubhra , Manna Nirban
Published: July 2020

Since the 1970s, belief in the importance of participatory empowerment has been constantly asserted through various mass-inclusive developmental strategies. The growing interest in theatre for generating socio-political capacity-building among people gave rise to the Theatre of the Oppressed, conceptualized and developed by Augusto Boal. This article provides a brief outline of the modus operandi of Boal’s practice, and focuses on investigating the theoretical and practical methodology of Jana Sanskriti, the West Bengal group of practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed. The article investigates the dialogical relationship between actors and audience in the three phases of the group’s theatre-making process: pre-performance; during the performance; and after it. It proposes an illustrative model of Jana Sanskriti’s dialogical approach towards experiencing a developmental surge in society. Shubhra Ghoshal is a research scholar at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) in Dhanbad, India. Nirban Manna is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) in Dhanbad.
Is the burden of late hypertension and cardiovascular target organ damage in children and adolescents with coarctation of the aorta after early successful repair different to healthy controls?
Authors: Ağbaş Ayşe , Gökalp Selman , Canpolat Nur , Çalışkan Salim , Öztunç Funda
Published: July 2020

Objective:

Cardiovascular morbidity is high in patients with coarctation of aorta even after successful repair. This study aimed to assess the frequency of late hypertension and the relationship between ambulatory hypertension and cardiovascular target organ damage in children and adolescents after early and successful repair of coarctation of the aorta.

Methods:

Twenty-five children and adolescents (mean age 13.5 ± 3.43 years) with repaired coarctation of the aorta (median age at repair 4 months, arm–leg gradient <20 mmHg) and 16 healthy controls were included. Office and ambulatory blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, and left ventricular mass index were assessed.

Results:

Both day- and night-time systolic blood pressure standard deviation score and left ventricular mass index were significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p ≤ 0.001 for all), whereas pulse wave velocity did not differ. The prevalence of masked hypertension, isolated nocturnal hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy were 40, 28, and 24%, respectively. Left ventricular mass index was higher in patients with sustained hypertension, masked hypertension, and normotension compared to controls (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, higher night-time systolic blood pressure standard deviation score was the only independent predictor of left ventricular mass index.

Conclusion:

The present study reveals a high prevalence of masked hypertension, isolated nocturnal hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy in children and adolescents with coarctation of the aorta even after early and successful repair. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should be considered to diagnose hypertension. All coarctation of aorta patients should be followed up lifelong and encouraged to establish a healthy lifestyle starting from childhood.
United We Stand? A Household Perspective On The Impact of Public Employment on Attitudes towards Retrenchment of Welfare Spending
Authors: Fage Hedegaard Troels
Published: July 2020

This article explores the impact of public sector employment on attitudes to retrenchment of social spending from a household perspective. The idea the employees of the public sector will stand together to preserve public spending exists throughout the literature on support for and persistence of the welfare states. The empirical evidence for this link, however, has been poor. In this article, I show that this link can be established when studying it from a household perspective. Using a nationally representative survey from Denmark I show that people living in a household where one or both are employed in the public sector are more willing to spend more on the public sector. This effect is, however, only for some policies – unemployment benefit, social assistance, education grant, and integration services – which were generally the least popular policies in the eyes of the public.
ON THE INVARIANCE OF GÖDEL’S SECOND THEOREM WITH REGARD TO NUMBERINGS
Authors: GRABMAYR BALTHASAR
Published: July 2020

The prevalent interpretation of Gödel’s Second Theorem states that a sufficiently adequate and consistent theory does not prove its consistency. It is however not entirely clear how to justify this informal reading, as the formulation of the underlying mathematical theorem depends on several arbitrary formalisation choices. In this paper I examine the theorem’s dependency regarding Gödel numberings. I introducedeviantnumberings, yielding provability predicates satisfying Löb’s conditions, which result in provable consistency sentences. According to the main result of this paper however, these “counterexamples” do not refute the theorem’s prevalent interpretation, since once a natural class ofadmissiblenumberings is singled out, invariance is maintained.
COMPLEXITY OF THE INFINITARY LAMBEK CALCULUS WITH KLEENE STAR
Authors: KUZNETSOV STEPAN
Published: July 2020

We consider the Lambek calculus, or noncommutative multiplicative intuitionistic linear logic, extended with iteration, or Kleene star, axiomatised by means of an$\omega $-rule, and prove that the derivability problem in this calculus is$\Pi _1^0$-hard. This solves a problem left open by Buszkowski (2007), who obtained the same complexity bound for infinitary action logic, which additionally includes additive conjunction and disjunction. As a by-product, we prove that any context-free language without the empty word can be generated by a Lambek grammar with unique type assignment, without Lambek’s nonemptiness restriction imposed (cf. Safiullin, 2007).
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the retroperitoneum – a	rare vascular tumor
Authors: Sigala Fragiska , Galyfos George , Koniaris Efthimios , Barkolias Christos , Artsitas Sotirios , Zografos Konstantinos , Filis Konstantinos , Zografos Georgios , Alexakis Nikolaos
Published: July 2020

Summary: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor, affecting the liver, the lungs and the bones most frequently. It has a heterogenous clinical presentation and there is no consensus on optimal treatment. This report aims to present a rare case of a retroperitoneal EHE and to discuss on proper management.
The Water‐Saturated Solidus and Second Critical Endpoint of Peridotite: Implications for Magma Genesis Within the Mantle Wedge
Authors: Wang Jintuan , Takahashi Eiichi , Xiong Xiaolin , Chen Linli , Li Li , Suzuki Toshihiro , Walter Michael J.
Published: July 2020

The “wet” silicate solidus of mantle peridotite defines the initial melting temperature of Earth's mantle under water‐saturated conditions and the second critical endpoint (SCEP) marks the high P‐T end of the wet solidus. However, the location of the wet solidus has remained an outstanding issue for over 50 years and the position of the SCEP is hotly debated. Published wet solidi show a difference of 200–600°C at a given pressure while reported SCEPs range from <4 to >6 GPa. Using a large‐volume multianvil apparatus, we investigated the water‐saturated melting behavior of a fertile peridotite at 3–6 GPa, 950–1200°C, and obtained well‐preserved quenched materials. On the basis of textures and compositions of the quenched materials, we bracket the wet solidus to between 950°C and 1000°C at 3 GPa and the SCEP between 3 and 4 GPa. Combining our experimental results with seismologic and petrologic observations, we propose that the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary in subduction zones should be constrained by the wet solidus and emphasize the role of a deep hydrous partial‐melting zone (DHPMZ) on magma genesis within the mantle wedge. We suggest that the DHPMZ is a source of hydrous melts to the primary melting zone in the mantle wedge and that the position of the volcanic front and its magma production rate may largely be controlled by melting and melt segregation processes within the DHPMZ. Our experimental results also suggest that high‐magnesian magmas (e.g., boninite, picrite, and komatiite) could be formed at conditions representative of subduction zones.
Friction of Longmaxi Shale Gouges and Implications for Seismicity During Hydraulic Fracturing
Authors: An Mengke , Zhang Fengshou , Elsworth Derek , Xu Zhengyu , Chen Zhaowei , Zhang Lianyang
Published: July 2020

Longmaxi formation shales are the major target reservoir for shale gas extraction in Sichuan Basin, southwest China. Swarms of earthquakes accompanying hydraulic fracturing are observed at depths typifying the Longmaxi formation. Mineral composition varies broadly through the stratigraphic section due to different depositional environments. The section is generally tectosilicate‐poor and phyllosilicate‐rich with a minor portion the converse. We measure the frictional and stability properties of shale gouges taken from the full stratigraphic section at conditions typifying the reservoir depth. Velocity‐stepping experiments were performed on representative shale gouges at a confining pressure of 60 MPa, pore fluid pressure of 30 MPa, and temperature of 150°C. Results show the gouges are generally frictionally strong with friction coefficients ranging between 0.50 and 0.75. Two phyllosilicate + TOC (total organic carbon)‐poor gouges exhibited higher frictional strength and velocity weakening, capable of potentially unstable fault slip, while only velocity strengthening was observed for the remaining phyllosilicate + TOC‐rich gouges. These results confirm that the frictional and stability properties are mainly controlled by phyllosilicate + TOC content. Elevating the temperature further weakens the gouges and drives it toward velocity weakening. The presence of observed seismicity in a majority of velocity‐strengthening materials suggests the importance of the velocity‐weakening materials. We suggest a model where seismicity is triggered when pore fluid pressures drive aseismic slip and triggers seismic slip on adjacent faults in the same formation and distant faults in the formations above/below. The effect of pore pressure transients within low‐permeability shale gouges is incorporated. Our results highlight the importance of understanding mechanisms of induced earthquakes and characterizing fault properties prior to hydraulic fracturing.
Combining triptolide with ABT-199 is effective against acute myeloid leukemia through reciprocal regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway
Authors: Shi Yuan-Fei , Liu Long , He Ling-Li , Ye Jing , Lin Zhi-Juan , Yuan De-Lin , Deng Man-Man , Fang Zhi-Hong , Carter Bing Z. , Xu Bing
Published: July 2020

Bcl-2 inhibitors display an effective activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its clinical efficacy as a monotherapy was limited in part owing to failure to target other antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, such as Mcl-1. In this context, the combination strategy may be a promising approach to overcome this barrier. Here, we report the preclinical efficacy of a novel strategy combining ABT-199 with triptolide (TPL), a natural product extracted from a traditional Chinese medicine, in AML. Combination treatment exhibited markedly increased cytotoxicity in leukemic cells irrespective of p53 status while largely sparing normal cells of the hematopoietic lineage. Moreover, co-administration of ABT-199 with TPL dramatically suppressed leukemia progression as well as prolonged animal survival in a xenograft AML model. The potentiated effect of ABT-199 and TPL against AML was associated with activation of the mitochondrum-related intrinsic apoptotic pathway through a mechanism reciprocally modulating Bcl-2 family proteins. In this case, TPL not only downregulated Mcl-1 but also upregulated proapoptotic BH3-only proteins, thereby overcoming the resistance toward ABT-199. Conversely, ABT-199 abrogated Bcl-2-mediated cytoprotection against TPL. Together, these findings suggest that the regimen combining TPL and ABT-199 might be active against AML by inducing robust apoptosis through reciprocal regulation of anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, therefore providing a strong rationale for the clinical investigation of this combination regimen for the treatment of AML.