bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Method for RearingNezara viridula(Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on a Semi-solid Artificial Diet
Authors: Portilla Maribel , Reddy Gadi V P
Published: September 2021

A method for rearing the southern green stinkbug, (Nezara viridula L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), using a modified lygus semi-solid artificial diet was developed. First to second-instar nymph were reared in a density of 631.5 ± 125.05 eggs per Petri-dish (4 cm deep × 15 cm diam). Second instar to adult were reared in a density of 535.0 ± 112.46 s instar nymphs per rearing cage (43 × 28 × 9 cm). Mating and oviposition occurred in popup rearing cages (30 × 30 cm), each holding 60–90 mixed sex adults of similar age. Adults emerged 35.88 ± 2.13 d after oviposition and survived for an average of 43.09 ± 9.53 d. On average, adults laid 223.95 ± 69.88 eggs in their lifetime, for a total production of 8,099 ± 1,277 fertile eggs/oviposition cage. Egg fertility was 77.93% ± 16.28. Egg masses held in petri-dishes had a total hatchability of 79.38% ± 20.03. Mortality of early nymphs in petri-dishes was 0.64% ± 0.12 for the first instar and 1.37% ± 0.45 for second instar. Late nymphal mortality in rearing cages was 1.41% ± 0.10, 3.47% ± 1.27, and 4.72% ± 1.29 for the third, fourth, and fifth instars, respectively. Survivorship from nymphs to adults was 88.48% ± 2.76. Using artificial diet for rearing N. viridula could reduce cost by avoiding time-consuming issues with daily feeding fresh natural hosts and insect manipulation. It could increase reliability and simplicity of bug production, which should facilitate mass rearing of its biological control agents.
The health equity mandate
Authors: Epstein Wendy Netter
Published: September 2021

People of color and the poor die younger than the White and prosperous. And when they are alive, they are sicker. Health inequity is morally tragic. But it is also economically inefficient, raising the nation’s healthcare bill and lowering productivity. The COVID pandemic only, albeit dramatically, highlights these pre-existing inequities. COVID sufferers of color die at twice the rate of Whites. The cause, in large part, is structural inequality and racism. Neither the popular nor the scholarly discussion of healthcare inequity, while robust, has translated into palpable and rapid progress. This article describes why health inequity has so far proven intractable. In the healthcare system, no one actor has both adequate incentive and adequate wherewithal to create progress. The healthcare system cannot solve the problem alone. To jumpstart reform, the article suggests a new regulatory approach, grounded in principles of democratic experimentalism and cooperative federalism. It draws inspiration from the examples that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Clean Air Act provide. A federal health equity mandate, with funding and penalties for state non-compliance, will spur collaboration between federal, state, local, public, and private entities and start the USA on the path to remediating healthcare’s inequities.
How Institutions Shape Morality
Authors: Dari-Mattiacci Giuseppe , Fabbri Marco
Published: September 2021

We present the results of a randomized control trial on the effect of the introduction of formalized property rights on individuals’ moral judgments and, in particular, on utilitarian morality. We show that institutions shape morality: being exposed to private property institutions makes individuals more utilitarian when confronted with moral dilemmas. Our results shed light on a possible institutional determinant of the variation of moral judgments across the globe and its geographical patterns, and have implications for the consequences of major institutional reforms—both intended, such as land-titling programs, and unintended, such as those following from recent historical events—on moral attitudes. We discuss two possible channels stemming from the inherent features of property rights: the loosening of social ties and the commodification of rights (JEL codes: K11; O13; Z10; Z13).
Internal Migration and Resource Conflict: Evidence from Riau, Indonesia
Authors: Côté Isabelle
Published: September 2021

A vast body of literature suggests that resource exploitation is linked to armed conflict. However, the role of voluntary internal migration in resource conflict has been overlooked. Does internal migration interact with resource exploitation and contribute to violent conflict in resource-rich regions of multinational states? And if so, how? Using a comparative ethnography approach, I inductively developed a four-part theory based on in-depth ethnographic fieldwork in resource-rich Inner Mongolia, China, before evaluating my theory against empirical evidence from Riau province, Indonesia. In contrast to the current literature that either sidesteps the role of voluntary internal migrants in resource conflict, or portrays them as mere negative externalities of resource exploitation, I show how migrants’ ownership of, and employment in, many of the companies that exploit and destroy local resources have marginalized local people and threatened their lifestyle and economic subsistence. As local elites resort to nativist frames to resist such practices and mobilize local people around these issues, companies hire brutal non-locally born, security guards or thugs to protect their assets, escalating the violence. Finally, states’ reliance on domestic population movements for resource exploitation and national development projects also affects their ability and willingness to intervene in resource conflict, contributing to their protracted nature. This article illustrates the problem with studying resource conflict in isolation from migration dynamics, as the two processes interact with one another, intensifying grievances and providing added motives and opportunities for violence.
Delegation, Sponsorship, and Autonomy: An Integrated Framework for Understanding Armed Group–State Relationships
Authors: Thaler Kai M
Published: September 2021

What types of relationships do armed groups have with states? How do different levels of ties and power relations affect both armed group and government behavior? This article develops a spectrum across which armed group–state relationships can move, focusing on three key types of relationships—delegation, sponsorship, and autonomy. An armed group–state relationship may be classified depending on the degree to which the armed group receives material or security support from a state, whether it pursues the strategic aims of the state, and the balance of power between the armed group and the state. I examine cases and empirical examples of relationships between states and armed groups ranging from criminal organizations to Cold War-era rebels to pro-government and communal militias to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and al-Qaeda. As lines between categories of armed groups and between state and non-state actors are increasingly blurred, the integrated framework enhances our ability to analyze the behavior and liabilities of both armed groups and states and to understand sources of leverage for protecting human rights and resolving conflicts.
Counter-professionalization as an occupational status strategy: The production of professionalism in Israeli child-care workers’ identity work
Authors: Avnoon Netta , Sela-Sheffy Rakefet
Published: September 2021

Recent approaches to professions and professional identity question the premise that professionalization is the ultimate generator of status, showing that the classical model of professionalization does not always coincide with workers’ creative construction of professionalism and professional dignity. Extending these approaches, and focusing on workers’ identity discourse, this study examines how private child-care workers in Israel claim professional status precisely by avoiding formal professionalization and promoting a counter-professionalization ethos. Drawing on field observations and interviews, we analyze nannies’ tacit occupational community dynamics, by which they establish professional rules and boundaries and discursively construct a respected professional self. Their identity-talk reveals a vocational self-imaging based on personal charisma, one that resists training and credentials. This vocational self-imaging allows rebuttal of the nanny stereotype as a low-class uneducated workforce, associated with their ethnicized backgrounds, by symbolically transforming it and using it as a high-value identity resource. This counter-professionalized identity-talk prevails despite the social distinction between senior and junior nannies. Thereby, nannies gain professional status while the professionalization of child care is rejected. The analysis of these cultural dynamics provides a stronger perspective on professions as spheres of identity construction—specifically those ranked lower as unskilled labor—and on workers’ agency behind their ostensibly passive compliance with under-professionalization.
Perceived Discrimination as a Moderator between Living Difficulties and Psychological Distress among Asylum Seekers from Darfur
Authors: Faran Yifat , Slonim-Nevo Vered
Published: September 2021

Migration inevitably involves difficulties. These difficulties are more pronounced for refugees and asylum seekers, who also often suffer discrimination. In this study, we examined the impact of living difficulties on the psychological wellbeing of Darfuri asylum seekers in Israel. Based on the stress process theory, we hypothesized that perceived discrimination mediates the relationship between living difficulties and psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychological quality of life. The sample consisted of 300 Darfuri asylum seekers aged 19 or older. Measures included post-migration living difficulties, perceived discrimination, psychological distress, PTSD, psychological quality of life, and demographic factors. The results show that greater living difficulties were associated with lower psychological quality of life, higher PTSD symptoms, and increased psychological distress. As hypothesized, perceived discrimination fully mediated the relation between living difficulties and psychological quality of life and PTSD symptoms. Additionally, perceived discrimination partly mediated the relation between living difficulties and psychological distress. Our findings support the stress process theory and the role of society in stressful situations. It also indicates that by reducing perceived discrimination, psychological wellbeing can be improved.
Use of electrochemotherapy in a combined surgical treatment of local recurrence of rectal cancer
Authors: Caprino Paola , Sacchetti Franco , Tagliaferri Luca , Gambacorta Maria Antonietta , Potenza Angelo Eugenio , Pastena Dario , Sofo Luigi
Published: September 2021

Recurrence of rectal cancer (RRC) affects up to one-third of patients. The survival is strictly dependent on the possibility of performing surgery without microscopic tumor residues (R0).

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is based on the effect that electric pulsations have on increasing the permeability of the cell membrane to certain drugs. We propose the association of ECT to the surgical excision of perineal RRC in a 72-year-old male patient. Given the proximity between the recurrence and the urethra, it was decided to use ECT in order to clean any further neoplastic residues 10 mm from the surgical resection margin. Pelvic MRI at 4 and 7 months and clinical follow-up conducted for 9 months did not document disease recurrence. ECT combined with surgery can prove to be a valid choice in selected cases and could be the best treatment the patient is willing to accept.
Synchronous caecal and sigmoid volvulus: a surprise twist
Authors: Hannan Enda , Lim Esther Man Yu , Feeney Gerard , Condon Eoghan
Published: September 2021

Traditionally, caecal volvulus (CV) and sigmoid volvulus (SV) have been thought of as largely separate clinical entities with distinct clinical features, radiological findings and treatment strategies. We present a rare case of synchronous CV and SV. To our knowledge, this represents only the ninth such case in the literature. This posed a diagnostic challenge as the seemingly textbook features of SV, such as the classical ‘coffee-bean’ sign on plain abdominal X-ray, masked the simultaneous occurrence of CV which only became apparent after the patient continued to deteriorate despite the successful endoscopic decompression of the SV. The diagnosis of SV should be made cautiously, with a period of close clinical observation post-intervention and a low threshold for re-evaluation should symptoms persist or recur to ensure accurate diagnosis.
High rate of asymptomatic colonization with antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in Australian returned travellers
Authors: Furuya-Kanamori Luis , Mills Deborah J , Trembizki Ella , Robson Jennifer M , Jennison Amy V , Whiley David M , Lau Colleen L
Published: September 2021

Global movement of people plays a key role in the spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organisms. We found that 58% of Australian travellers returning from Asia were asymptomatic carriers of AMR Escherichia coli, including resistance to critically important antibiotics. Future studies are needed to identify interventions for travellers to reduce their risk of AMR acquisition.
Acedia, ‘Bourgeois Ennui’, and Kingship in the Hebrew Bible and The Epic of Gilgamesh
Authors: Kozlova Ekaterina E
Published: September 2021

This article first discusses the concept of acedia/restlessness in Christian monastic and scholastic thought, as well as modern philosophy. Using it as a heuristic tool, it then proceeds to examine this phenomenon in relation to ANE kingship, arguing that a monarch’s unfocused and unchecked energy (one of the manifestations of acedia) could be personally and communally damaging. Focusing on two well-known kings, Gilgamesh and David, it shows how their ‘restless’ rules led to severe repercussions for their subjects. These kings have already been compared in scholarship, but this discussion analyses them specifically through the lens of acedia/restlessness. This line of investigation is prompted by similarities in the depiction of these kings in their respective literary corpora. Thus, The Epic of Gilgamesh casts Gilgamesh, a Babylonian king, as being burdened by a restless heart from the gods; one of the outcomes of this condition is his sexual exploitation of the people of Uruk. 2 Samuel in turn deals with David, an Israelite king, who neglects his duties, becomes restless, and violates Bathsheba, one of his subjects (2 Sam. 11–12).
A formal representation of the divine comedy’s primary sources: The Hypermedia Dante Network ontology
Authors: Bartalesi Valentina , Pratelli Nicolò , Meghini Carlo , Metilli Daniele , Tomazzoli Gaia , Livraghi Leyla M G , Zaccarello Michelangelo
Published: September 2021

Hypermedia Dante Network (HDN) is a 3-year Italian National Research Project, started in 2020, which aims to enrich the functionalities of the DanteSources Digital Library to efficiently represent knowledge about the primary sources of Dante’s Comedy. DanteSources allows users to retrieve and visualize the list and the distribution of Dante's primary sources that have been identified by recent commentaries of five of Dante’s minor works (i.e. Vita nova, De vulgari eloquentia, Convivio, De Monarchia, and Rime). The digital library is based on a formal ontology expressed in Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) language. Based on the DanteSources experience, the HDN project aims to formally represent the primary sources of the Divine Comedy whose identification is based on several commentaries included in the Dartmouth Dante Project corpus. To reach this goal, we restructured and extended the DanteSources ontology to provide a wider and more complete representation of the knowledge concerning the primary sources of the Comedy. In this article, we present the result of this effort, i.e. the HDN ontology. The ontology is expressed in OWL and has as reference ontologies the CIDOC CRM and its extension FRBRoo, including its in-progress reformulation LRMoo. We also briefly describe the semi-automatic tool that will be used by the scholars to populate the ontology.
The Conversational Self
Authors: Dover Daniela
Published: September 2021

This paper explores a distinctive form of social interaction—interpersonal inquiry—in which two or more people attempt to understand one another by engaging in conversation. Like many modes of inquiry into human beings, interpersonal inquiry partly shapes its own objects. How we conduct it thus affects who we become. I present an ethical ideal of conversation to which, I argue, at least some of our interpersonal inquiry ought to aspire. I then consider how this ideal might influence philosophical conceptions of the self.
Beethoven and Bohemia: Dramaturgical and Political Aspects of ‘Fidelio’ Reception in Prague
Authors: Nedbal Martin
Published: September 2021

In 1977 the Czech musicologist Oldřich Pulkert discovered a manuscript score of Beethoven’s 1806 Leonore, the second version of what became Fidelio in 1814. The score’s pre-1977 history is mysterious, with the exception of 1870, when Bedřich Smetana clearly used it for a production of the 1814 Fidelio in Czech. Pulkert and Helga Lühning assumed, based on questionable evidence about early nineteenth-century plans for a Prague production of the 1806 Leonore under Beethoven’s supervision, that the score reached Bohemia around 1807. This article uses previously overlooked archival documents to show that the score may have been brought to Prague only in the late 1860s, possibly from Leipzig, and that nineteenth-century Prague theatres never performed the 1806 Leonore. The narratives Pulkert and others produced about the score’s history also illustrate the politicization of Viennese classicism in post-Second World War Czech musicology, especially the widespread view that Bohemia had a unique relationship to Mozart and Beethoven.
Magnetic fields in elliptical galaxies: using the Laing–Garrington effect in radio galaxies and polarized emission from background radio sources
Authors: Shah Hilay , Seta Amit
Published: September 2021

Magnetic fields in elliptical galaxies are poorly constrained because of a lack of significant synchrotron emission from them. In this paper, we explore the properties of magnetic fields in ellipticals using two methods. First, we exploit the Laing–Garrington effect (asymmetry in the observed polarization fraction between radio galaxy jets) for 57 galaxies with redshifts up to 0.5. We use the differences in polarization fraction and rotation measure between the jet and counterjet to estimate the small- and large-scale magnetic fields in and around ellipticals (including their circumgalactic medium). We find that the small-scale field (at scales smaller than the driving scale of turbulence, approximately 300 pc) lies in the range 0.1–2.75 $\mu{\rm G}$. The large-scale field (at scales of 100 kpc) is an order of magnitude smaller than the small-scale field. In the second method, we cross-match the Faraday rotation measures (RMs) of a few hundred (out of 3098) extragalactic radio sources with galaxy catalogues to explore the effect of the number and morphology of intervening galaxies on the observed RM distribution. We use both Gaussian and non-Gaussian functions to describe the RM distribution and to derive its statistical properties. Finally, using the difference in the observed polarization fraction between the intervening spirals and ellipticals, we estimate the small-scale magnetic fields at the centre of ellipticals to be ∼6 $\mu{\rm G}$. Both methods with different observations and analysis techniques give magnetic field strengths consistent with previous studies (≤10 $\mu{\rm G}$). The results can be used to constrain dynamo theories and galaxy evolution simulations.
Norms of Textual Scansion and Rhyme in Beatles AABA Forms
Authors: Heetderks David
Published: September 2021

In AABA songs (sometimes called verse–bridge songs) written and performed by the Beatles, the song texts’ scansion and rhyme show significant contrasts between different sections, and these contrasts often have important formal and narrative functions. Combining rock Formenlehre with phonetic analysis, this article shows that A modules tend to have irregular scansion and frequent rhyme, while B modules tend to show regular scansion and less frequent rhyme. In the unusual cases where A modules have infrequent rhyme, the B modules tend to offer contrast by showing greater rhyme frequency. These contrasts represent an independent, recurring formal device in the Beatles’ catalogue that does not entirely comport with other well-defined formal processes, such as the loose-verse/tight-chorus schema. The scansion and rhyme have various narrative and formal functions: They often suggest a contrast between an active and passive state in the song’s protagonist, and disruptions to regular patterns or conflict with grammatical boundaries can play a critical role in shaping phrases. B modules that thwart the norm can connote an especially high emotional arousal or suggest a process of intensification and conclusion, linking the form to an expanded statement–response–departure–conclusion form. The analyses demonstrate the central role that prosody often plays in popular song and show the importance of considering its relation to other musical patterns.
Cognitive disorders in patients with chronic kidney disease: specificities of clinical assessment
Authors: Pépin Marion , Ferreira Ana Carina , Arici Mustafa , Bachman Maie , Barbieri Michelangela , Bumblyte Inga Arune , Carriazo Sol , Delgado Pilar , Garneata Liliana , Giannakou Konstantinos , Godefroy Olivier , Grodzicki Tomasz , Klimkowicz-Mrowiec Aleksandra , Kurganaite Justina , Liabeuf Sophie , Mocanu Carmen Antonia , Paolisso Giuseppe , Spasovski Goce , Vazelov Evgueniy Stefanov , Viggiano Davide , Zoccali Carmine , Massy Ziad A , Więcek Andrzej ,   CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target), Capasso Giovambattista , Andrade Alexandre , Bachmann Maie , Bumblyte Inga , Covic Adrian Constantin , Delgado Pilar , Endlich Nicole , Engvig Andreas , Fouque Denis , Franssen Casper , Frische Sebastian , Garneata Liliana , Gesualdo Loreto , Giannakou Konstantinos , Goumenos Dimitrios , Kartal Ayşe Tuğba , Mani Laila-Yasmin , Marti Hans-Peter , Mayer Christopher , Nielsen Rikke , Pešić Vesna , Rroji Merita , Sakkas Giorgos , Spasovski Goce , Stevens Kate I , Vazelov Evgueniy , Viggiano Davide , Zacharia Lefteris , Ferreira Ana Carina , Malyszko Jolanta , Hoorn Ewout , Figurek Andreja , Unwin Robert , Wagner Carsten , Wanner Christoph , Bruchfeld Annette , Pepin Marion , Wiecek Andrzej , Nitsch Dorothea , Fridolin Ivo , Hafez Gaye , Romeo Maria José Soler , Barbieri Michelangela , Batinić Bojan , Carrasco Laura , Carriazo Sol , Gansevoort Ron , Martino Gianvito , Raso Francesco Mattace , Nistor Ionut , Ortiz Alberto , Paolisso Giuseppe , Rastenytė Daiva , Stefan Gabriel , Tedeschi Gioacchino , Massy Ziad , Bikbov Boris , Endlich Karl Hans , Godefroy Olivier , Chillon Jean-Marc , Kossioni Anastassia , Kurganaite Justina , Perico Norberto , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Grodzicki Tomasz , Trepiccione Francesco , Zoccali Carmine , Arici Mustafa , Blankestijn Peter , Eckardt Kai-Uwe , Fliser Danilo , Jiménez Eugenio Gutiérrez , Konig Maximilian , Rychlik Ivan , Deleidi Michela , Reusz George
Published: September 2021

Neurocognitive disorders are frequent among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Identifying and characterizing cognitive impairment (CI) can help to assess the ability of adherence to CKD risk reduction strategy, identify potentially reversible causes of cognitive decline, modify pharmacotherapy, educate the patient and caregiver and provide appropriate patient and caregiver support. Numerous factors are associated with the development and progression of CI in CKD patients and various conditions can influence the results of cognitive assessment in these patients. Here we review clinical warning signs that should lead to cognitive screening; conditions frequent in CKD at risk to interfere with cognitive testing or performance, including specificities of cognitive assessment in dialysis patients or after kidney transplantation; and available tests for screening and observed cognitive patterns in CKD patients.
Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Adrian Therese , Sørensen Ida M H , Knop Filip K , Bro Susanne , Ballegaard Ellen L F , Nordestgaard Børge G , Fuchs Andreas , Kofoed Klaus F , Kühl Jørgen T , Sigvardsen Per E , Hornum Mads , Feldt-Rasmussen Bo
Published: September 2021

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease and represents a wide spectrum ranging from mild steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with or without fibrosis to overt cirrhosis. Patients with NAFLD have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). So far there has been scarce evidence of the prevalence of NAFLD among patients with CKD. We investigated the prevalence of moderate–severe hepatic steatosis graded according to the definition of NAFLD in a cohort of patients with CKD.

Methods

Hepatic liver fat content was evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scan in 291 patients from the Copenhagen CKD Cohort Study and in 866 age- and sex-matched individuals with normal kidney function from the Copenhagen General Population Study. Liver attenuation density <48 HU was used as a cut-off value for moderate–severe hepatic steatosis.

Results

The prevalence of moderate–severe hepatic steatosis was 7.9 and 10.7% (P = 0.177) among patients with CKD and controls, respectively. No association between liver fat content and CKD stage was found. In the pooled dataset from both cohorts, adjusted odds ratios for moderate–severe hepatic steatosis among persons with diabetes, overweight and obesity were 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–5.9], 14.8 (95% CI 4.6–47.9) and 42.0 (95% CI 12.9–136.6), respectively.

Conclusions

In a cohort of 291 patients with CKD, kidney function was not associated with the prevalence of moderate–severe hepatic steatosis as assessed by CT scan.
The benefit of early surgery on overall survival in incidental low-grade glioma patients: A multicenter study
Authors: Ius Tamara , Ng Sam , Young Jacob S , Tomasino Barbara , Polano Maurizio , Ben-Israel David , Kelly John J P , Skrap Miran , Duffau Hugues , Berger Mitchel S
Published: September 2021

Background

The role of surgery for incidentally discovered diffuse incidental low-grade gliomas (iLGGs) is debatable and poorly documented in current literature.

Objective

The aim was to identify factors that influence survival for patients that underwent surgical resection of iLGGs in a large multicenter population.

Methods

Clinical, radiological, and surgical data were retrospectively analyzed in 267 patients operated for iLGG from 4 neurosurgical Centers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of overall survival (OS) and tumor recurrence (TR).

Results

The OS rate was 92.41%. The 5- and 10-year estimated OS rates were 98.09% and 93.2%, respectively. OS was significantly longer for patients with a lower preoperative tumor volume (P = .001) and higher extent of resection (EOR) (P = .037), regardless the WHO-defined molecular class (P = .2). In the final model, OS was influenced only by the preoperative tumor volume (P = .006), while TR by early surgery (P = .028). A negative association was found between preoperative tumor volumes and EOR (rs = −0.44, P < .001). The median preoperative tumor volume was 15 cm3. The median EOR was 95%. Total or supratotal resection of T2-FLAIR abnormality was achieved in 61.62% of cases. Second surgery was performed in 26.22%. The median time between surgeries was 5.5 years. Histological evolution to high-grade glioma was detected in 22.85% of cases (16/70). Permanent mild deficits were observed in 3.08% of cases.

Conclusions

This multicenter study confirms the results of previous studies investigating surgical management of iLGGs and thereby strengthens the evidence in favor of early surgery for these lesions.
Is There a Role for Surgical Resection of Multifocal Glioblastoma? A Retrospective Analysis of 100 Patients
Authors: Friso Filippo , Rucci Paola , Rosetti Vittoria , Carretta Alessandro , Bortolotti Carlo , Ramponi Vania , Martinoni Matteo , Palandri Giorgio , Zoli Matteo , Badaloni Filippo , Franceschi Enrico , Asioli Sofia , Fabbri Viscardo Paolo , Rustici Arianna , Foschini Maria P , Brandes Alba A , Mazzatenta Diego , Sturiale Carmelo , Conti Alfredo
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma with multiple localizations (mGBMs) can be defined as multifocal, where enhancing lesions present a connection visible on magnetic resonance imaging fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, or multicentric, in the absence of a clear dissemination pathway.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of the extent of resection (EOR) in the treatment of mGBMs and its correlation with overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS).

METHODS

One hundred patients with mGBMs were treated at our Institution between 2009 and 2019. Clinical, radiological, and follow-up data were collected. EOR of the contrast-enhancing part of lesions was classified as gross total resection (GTR, absence of tumor remnant), subtotal resection (STR, residual tumor < 30% of the initial mass), partial resection (PR, residual tumor > 30% of the initial mass), and needle or open biopsy (residual tumor > 75% of the initial mass).

RESULTS

Approximately 15% of patients underwent GTR, 14% STR, 32% PR, and 39% biopsy. Median OS was 17 mo for GTR, 11 mo for STR, 7 mo for PR, and 5 mo for biopsy. Greater EOR was associated with a significantly longer OS than biopsy. GTR and STR were associated with a longer PFS in Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. After adjusting for age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), number of lesions, and adjunctive therapy in multivariable Cox regression analyses, GTR, STR, and PR were still associated with OS, but only GTR remained associated with PFS.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that EOR may positively influence survival of patients with mGBM. Surgical resection can be a reasonable option when performance and access to adjuvant treatment can be preserved.
Cognitive and Psychological Functioning in Chiari Malformation Type I Before and After Surgical Decompression - A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Seaman Scott C , Streese Carolina Deifelt , Manzel Kenneth , Kamm Janina , Menezes Arnold H , Tranel Daniel , Dlouhy Brian J
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Chiari Malformation Type I (CM-I) is defined as cerebellar tonsil displacement more than 5 mm below the foramen magnum. This displacement can alter cerebrospinal fluid flow at the cervicomedullary junction resulting in Valsalva-induced headaches and syringomyelia and compress the brainstem resulting in bulbar symptoms. However, little is known about cognitive and psychological changes in CM-I.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively assess cognitive and psychological performance in CM-I and determine whether changes occur after surgical decompression.

METHODS

Blinded evaluators assessed symptomatic CM-I patients ages ≥18 with a battery of neuropsychological and psychological tests. Testing was conducted preoperatively and 6 to 18 mo postoperatively. Data were converted to Z-scores based on normative data, and t-tests were used to analyze pre-post changes.

RESULTS

A total of 26 patients were included, with 19 completing both pre- and post-op cognitive assessments. All patients had resolution of Valsalva-induced headaches and there was improvement in swallowing dysfunction (P < .0001), ataxia (P = .008), and sleep apnea (P = .021). Baseline performances in visual perception and construction (z = −1.11, P = .001) and visuospatial memory (z = −0.93, P = .002) were below average. Pre-post comparisons showed that CM-I patients had stable cognitive and psychological functioning after surgery, without significant changes from preoperative levels.

CONCLUSION

CM-I patients had below average performance in visuospatial and visuoconstructional abilities preoperatively. Prospective longitudinal data following surgery demonstrated improved neurologic status without any decline in cognition or psychological functioning. Routine pre- and postoperative formal neuropsychological assessment in CM-I patients help quantify cognitive and behavioral changes associated with surgical decompression.
5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Porphyrin Contents in Various Brain Tumors: Implications Regarding Imaging Device Design and Their Validation
Authors: Suero Molina Eric , Kaneko Sadahiro , Black David , Stummer Walter
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Fluorescence-guided resections using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced tumor porphyrins have been established as an adjunct for malignant glioma surgery based on a phase III study using specifically adapted microscopes for visualizing fluorescing protoporphyrin IX (PPIX). New hardware technologies are being introduced, which claim the same performance as the original technology for visualizing fluorescence. This assumes that qualitative fluorescence detection is equivalent to the established standard, an assumption that needs to be critically assessed.

OBJECTIVE

To determine PPIX concentrations (cPPIX) in tissue that can be detected visually using the established BLUE400 filter system (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Oberkochen, Germany) as a basis for defining the performance of this system.

METHODS

Utilizing a hyperspectral imaging system, tumor samples from patients harboring different tumor tissues, with or without visible fluorescence, were analyzed. Absolute values of cPPIX were calculated after calibrating the system with fluorescence phantoms with known cPPIX.

RESULTS

A total of 524 tumor samples from 162 patients were analyzed. Visual fluorescence under the BLUE400 filter was documented by experienced neurosurgeons. A 0.9 μg/ml threshold of cPPIX was defined as the minimal concentration required to detect and discriminate visual fluorescence.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report providing data on the threshold of cPPIX, which is visually detected using the current generation of microscopes, thus defining the specificity and sensitivity of this technology as initially tested in a randomized trial. Novel technologies should show similar characteristics in order to be used safely and effectively. If more sensitive, such technologies require further assessments of tumor selectivity.
Negligible Systemic Uptake of Suprafascial Vancomycin Powder Following Instrumented Posterior Spinal Fusion—Preliminary Results From A Randomized Clinical Trial (VANCO Trial)
Authors: Schär Ralph T , Jesse C Marvin , Montalbetti Matteo , Söll Nicole , Lutz Katharina , Steinsiepe Valentin , Branca Mattia , Raabe Andreas , Zimmerli Stefan
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Intrawound vancomycin powder is an emerging strategy to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) in spine surgery. However, there are concerns relating to its safety profile and toxicity. Data on systemic uptake of suprafascially administered vancomycin powder following instrumented spinal fusion is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To study the systemic uptake and safety of suprafascially administered vancomycin powder in the early postoperative phase following open instrumented posterior spinal fusion.

METHODS

This was a substudy of an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Eligible adult patients were randomized 1:1 to either receive suprafascial vancomycin powder before wound closure or not to receive vancomycin powder. Serum vancomycin levels were assessed on postoperative days 1 and 2, serum creatinine levels were measured pre- and post-operatively. Adverse events up to 6 wk following surgery were recorded.

RESULTS

Among 34 randomized patients (mean age 62 yr, range 31-84 yr; 18 [53%] women), 17 received vancomycin powder. No detectable serum vancomycin levels (>4.0 mg/L) were found. Proportion of adverse events per patient in the vancomycin and control group, respectively, were 29.4% (5/17) vs 11.8% (2/17) (OR 3.12; 95% CI, 0.52; 19.38; P = .398). No patient had nephrotoxicity or ototoxicity in either group.

CONCLUSION

Suprafascial vancomycin powder in open instrumented spinal fusion surgery is safe and results in negligible systemic uptake. Final results of the VANCO Trial need to be awaited for conclusive data on the efficacy of vancomycin for SSI prevention and its impact on wound healing.
Recent progress in the synthesis of novel two-dimensional van der Waals materials
Authors: Bian Renji , Li Changcun , Liu Qing , Cao Guiming , Fu Qundong , Meng Peng , Zhou Jiadong , Liu Fucai , Liu Zheng
Published: September 2021

The last decade has witnessed the significant progress of physical fundamental research and great success of practical application in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials since the discovery of graphene in 2004. To date, vdW materials is still a vibrant and fast-expanding field, where tremendous reports have been published covering topics from cutting-edge quantum technology to urgent green energy, and so on. Here, we briefly review the emerging hot physical topics and intriguing materials, such as 2D topological materials, piezoelectric materials, ferroelectric materials, magnetic materials and twistronic heterostructures. Then, various vdW material synthetic strategies are discussed in detail, concerning the growth mechanisms, preparation conditions and typical examples. Finally, prospects and further opportunities in the booming field of 2D materials are addressed.
Copper acetate-facilitated transfer-free growth of high-quality graphene for hydrovoltaic generators
Authors: Shan Jingyuan , Fang Sunmiao , Wang Wendong , Zhao Wen , Zhang Rui , Liu Bingzhi , Lin Li , Jiang Bei , Ci Haina , Liu Ruojuan , Wang Wen , Yang Xiaoqin , Guo Wenyue , Rümmeli Mark H , Guo Wanlin , Sun Jingyu , Liu Zhongfan
Published: September 2021

Direct synthesis of high-quality graphene on dielectric substrates without a transfer process is of vital importance for a variety of applications. Current strategies for boosting high-quality graphene growth, such as remote metal catalyzation, are limited by poor performance with respect to the release of metal catalysts and hence suffer from a problem with metal residues. Herein, we report an effective approach that utilizes a metal-containing species, copper acetate, to continuously supply copper clusters in a gaseous form to aid transfer-free growth of graphene over a wafer scale. The thus-derived graphene films were found to show reduced multilayer density and improved electrical performance and exhibited a carrier mobility of 8500 cm2 V−1 s−1. Furthermore, droplet-based hydrovoltaic electricity generator devices based on directly grown graphene were found to exhibit robust voltage output and long cyclic stability, in stark contrast to their counterparts based on transferred graphene, demonstrating the potential for emerging energy harvesting applications. The work presented here offers a promising solution to organize the metal catalytic booster toward transfer-free synthesis of high-quality graphene and enable smart energy generation.
Advances in understanding the formation and fate of B-cell memory in response to immunization or infection
Authors: Kealy Liam , Good-Jacobson Kim L
Published: September 2021

Immunological memory has the potential to provide lifelong protection against recurrent infections. As such, it has been crucial to the success of vaccines. Yet, the recent pandemic has illuminated key gaps in our knowledge related to the factors influencing effective memory formation and the inability to predict the longevity of immune protection. In recent decades, researchers have acquired a number of novel and powerful tools with which to study the factors underpinning humoral memory. These tools have been used to study the B-cell fate decisions that occur within the germinal centre (GC), a site where responding B cells undergo affinity maturation and are one of the major routes for memory B cell and high-affinity long-lived plasma cell formation. The advent of single-cell sequencing technology has provided an enhanced resolution for studying fate decisions within the GC and cutting-edge techniques have enabled researchers to model this reaction with more accuracy both in vitro and in silico. Moreover, modern approaches to studying memory B cells have allowed us to gain a better appreciation for the heterogeneity and adaptability of this vital class of B cells. Together, these studies have facilitated important breakthroughs in our understanding of how these systems operate to ensure a successful immune response. In this review, we describe recent advances in the field of GC and memory B-cell biology in order to provide insight into how humoral memory is formed, as well as the potential for generating lasting immunity to novel pathogens such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
BM UMa: A middle shallow contact binary at pre-transition stage of evolution from W-type to A-type
Authors: Sarotsakulchai Thawicharat , Soonthornthum Boonrucksar , Poshyachinda Saran , Buisset Christophe , Lépine Thierry , Prasit Apirat
Published: September 2021

In this study, all unpublished time series photometric data of BM UMa (q ∼ 2.0, P = 0.2712 d) from available archives were re-investigated together with new data taken from the 2.4-m Thai National Telescope of the Thai National Observatory. Based on period analysis, there is a short-term variation superimposed on the long-term period decrease. The trend of period change can be fitted with a downward parabolic curve indicating a period decrease at a rate of dP/dt = −3.36(±0.02) × 10−8 d yr−1. This long-term period decrease can be explained by mass transfer from the more massive component (M2 ∼ 0.79M⊙) to the less-massive one (M1 ∼ 0.39M⊙), in combination with angular momentum loss. For photometric study, we found that the binary consists of K0 V stars and at the intermediate shallow of contact configuration with evolution of fill-out factor from 8.8% (in 2007) to 23.2% (in 2020). Those results suggest that the binary is at the pre-transition stage of evolution from W-type to A-type, agreeing with the results of statistical study of W-type contact binaries. The mass of M2 will be decreased close to or below M1 and the mass ratio will be decreased (q < 1.0). In this way, the binary will evolve into an A-type as a deeper normal over-contact system with period increase. Finally, the binary will become a merger or a rapid-rotating single star when the mass ratio meets the critical value (q < 0.094), and produce a red nova.
The versatility of plant organic acid metabolism in leaves is underpinned by mitochondrial malate–citrate exchange
Authors: Lee Chun Pong , Elsässer Marlene , Fuchs Philippe , Fenske Ricarda , Schwarzländer Markus , Millar A Harvey
Published: September 2021

Malate and citrate underpin the characteristic flexibility of central plant metabolism by linking mitochondrial respiratory metabolism with cytosolic biosynthetic pathways. However, the identity of mitochondrial carrier proteins that influence both processes has remained elusive. Here we show by a systems approach that DICARBOXYLATE CARRIER 2 (DIC2) facilitates mitochondrial malate–citrate exchange in vivo in Arabidopsis thaliana. DIC2 knockout (dic2-1) retards growth of vegetative tissues. In vitro and in organello analyses demonstrate that DIC2 preferentially imports malate against citrate export, which is consistent with altered malate and citrate utilization in response to prolonged darkness of dic2-1 plants or a sudden shift to darkness of dic2-1 leaves. Furthermore, isotopic glucose tracing reveals a reduced flux towards citrate in dic2-1, which results in a metabolic diversion towards amino acid synthesis. These observations reveal the physiological function of DIC2 in mediating the flow of malate and citrate between the mitochondrial matrix and other cell compartments.
Untangling Public Values: Incorporating Regime Values to Advance Research and Practice
Authors: Wiersma Strauss Anna
Published: September 2021

The concept of “public values” is receiving increasing attention in the field of public administration. Much of the focus has been on the micro-level implications of public values for the behavior of bureaucrats and public institutions. This article argues that the public values approach could benefit from more systematic and detailed consideration of the macro-level implications of public values, that is, the nature of the public sector’s expected and legitimated contribution to society. Building on the work of John Rohr and Peter Overeem, it highlights how the concept of “prescriptive regime values” already provides a relevant foundation for this purpose and could help to untangle and better structure the plethora of public values currently found in the literature. To build and support this argument, the article reviews the public values literature, seeking to answer the following questions. First, what constitutes the public values perspective in public administration? Second, what are more “macro” public values? Where can they be found and how can they be characterized? Finally, what do “macro” public values do? To conclude, implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed, including a future research agenda that specifically incorporates prescriptive regime values as “macro” public values.
Leadership Behavior Repertoire: An Exploratory Study of the Concept and Its Potential for Understanding Leadership in Public Organizations
Authors: van der Hoek Marieke , Groeneveld Sandra , Beerkens Maarja
Published: September 2021

Rapidly accumulating literature on public leadership tends to zoom in on specific aspects of leaders’ behavior. Such a fragmented approach may overlook the most challenging aspect of effective leadership: combining diverse behaviors in relation to various stakeholders to match contextual needs. This article therefore argues for a comprehensive approach that recognizes the behavioral complexity of most contemporary leaders, particularly in ambiguous contexts. The concept of leadership behavior repertoire facilitates this. The article conceptualizes the perspective of the leadership behavior repertoire and illustrates in which ways leaders combine behavioral options from their repertoire using data from in-depth interviews with public leaders. Based on our findings, we propose integration of this perspective into the field’s research agenda to make our understanding of leadership in public organizations more complete. Moreover, the repertoire perspective can challenge and advance theorizing of leadership in relation to its context and outcomes in a more comprehensive way.