bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel minimally invasive and press‐fit method for symphysiodesis — a biomechanical analysis
Authors: Fritz Tobias , Orth Marcel , Hopp Sascha J. , Briem Jeremy , Hahner Jill , Osche David , Pohlemann Tim , Pizanis Antonius
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Does the cylindrical shaped bone block allow a stable construct for the arthrodesis of the pubic symphysis compared to a rectangular shaped bone block. The cylindrical shaped bone block stabilized by a 3.5 symphyseal plate is inferior to the stabilization with an internal fixator.

Methods

This study analyzed the arthrodesis of the pubic symphysis on 24 synthetic pelvises, using a rectangular shaped bone block (control group) or a cylindrical shaped bone block, stabilized with a symphysis locking plate (n = 8) as the standard clinical procedure. Additionally we analyzed the stability using an internal fixator.

Results

This study showed that utilizing a cylindrical shaped synthetic bone graft results in a significant higher contact area and compression force compared to the classical rectangular shaped graft. Furthermore, the stabilization with an internal fixator had the tendency for increases of compression force and contact area, yet without a statistical significance, when compared to the plate fixation.

Conclusion

The novel method of cylindrical symphysis resection and cylindrical bone block implantation allowed an increased biomechanical stability compared to using a classical rectangular bone graft, also resulting in higher contact area. Moreover, this technique would also allow a minimally invasive approach for this purpose, which in turn could preserve perisymphyseal ligaments, thereby improving healing in a clinical context.
Can sediments play a role in river flood risk mapping? Learning from selected European examples
Authors: Nones Michael , Guo Yiwei
Published: September 2023

Background

Climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure are two of the major drivers of increasing extreme events like droughts and floods. To deal with the increasing number of flooding events hitting Europe in the last few decades, around twenty years ago the European Commission started to develop ad-hoc legislation to reduce flood risk by mapping flood hazard and risk areas, such as the Directive 2007/60/EC on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risk. This Directive looks to identify regions where flood management strategies should be prioritized. Despite this holistic approach, flaws connected to the consideration of sediment transport and morphological changes in rivers exist, leading to potential underestimations of the impact of floods affecting active watercourses or areas subjected to frequent morphological changes.

Results

By discussing six examples related to European lowland and mountain watercourses affected by significant floods in the last 20 years, the present mini-review aims to provide additional evidence on the need for a rethinking of flood risk mapping, moving from a “clear water” perspective to a more integrated approach, where the interactions between all the fluvial components (water, sediment, biota, and humans) are adequately considered.

Conclusions

The examples reported here show the importance of considering sediment and wood in flood risk management, suggesting the need for integrating flood-related studies with other disciplines like geomorphology and ecohydrology.
Questionable advisability of vitamin and mineral dietary supplement use in adolescents
Authors: Kotnik Katja Zdešar , Seljak Barbara Koroušić , Gregorič Matej , Jurak Gregor , Golja Petra
Published: September 2023

Objective

Present study aimed to assess potential health risk in Slovenian adolescents due to inadequate diet and/or dietary supplement (DS) use.

Methods

Data on DS use, micronutrient intake (24-h recall), eating habits (FFQ), body height and mass were collected within ACDSi (Analysis of Children’s Development in Slovenia) cross-sectional study conducted in 2014. Adolescents enrolled in first year of 15 secondary schools (average (SD) age: 15.4 (0.7) years, N = 342) were included in the sample.

Results

Adolescents’ use of DS (especially multivitamins ingested as a popular drink (60%), magnesium (16%), and vitamin C (10%)) significantly contributed to their absolute intake of vitamins/minerals, resulting in higher percentage of DS users meeting reference values proposed by the nutrition societies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (D-A-CH recommendation). Simultaneously, DS users did not exceed the upper tolerable level proposed by the European Food Safety Authority for daily intake. With diet alone, adolescents consumed less than recommended amounts of the following vitamins/minerals: the intake was lowest for fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E; water-soluble vitamins folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid; and minerals fluoride, iodine, chromium, and molybdenum. Suboptimal intake was due to the fact that around ¾ of adolescents consumed less than 54% of the recommended amounts (according to Optimized Mixed Diet (OMD) recommendations) for fruits, vegetables, milk/dairy products, fish, and cereals/cereal products. In contrast, the diet contributed to the consumption of 200–300% of D-A-CH minimum value for sodium. Furthermore, almost ¾ of adolescents exceeded the recommended amount for meat/meat products (320% of OMD) and sweet/salty snacks (453% of OMD).

Conclusions

Although DS use improved micronutrient intake in adolescents (especially vitamin C and magnesium), activities on public-health interventions should be focus to improve their diets, especially to achieve increased intakes of fruits, vegetables, cereals/cereal products and milk/dairy products, and to reduce consumption of sweet/salty snacks and meat products.
Medical 3D printing with polyjet technology: effect of material type and printing orientation on printability, surface structure and cytotoxicity
Authors: Schneider Karl H. , Oberoi Gunpreet , Unger Ewald , Janjic Klara , Rohringer Sabrina , Heber Stefan , Agis Hermann , Schedle Andreas , Kiss Herbert , Podesser Bruno K. , Windhager Reinhard , Toegel Stefan , Moscato Francesco
Published: September 2023

Due to its high printing resolution and ability to print multiple materials simultaneously, inkjet technology has found wide application in medicine. However, the biological safety of 3D-printed objects is not always guaranteed due to residues of uncured resins or support materials and must therefore be verified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of standard assessment methods for determining the quality and properties of polyjet-printed scaffolds in terms of their dimensional accuracy, surface topography, and cytotoxic potential.

Standardized 3D-printed samples were produced in two printing orientations (horizontal or vertical). Printing accuracy and surface roughness was assessed by size measurements, VR-5200 3D optical profilometer dimensional analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity tests were performed with a representative cell line (L929) in a comparative laboratory study. Individual experiments were performed with primary cells from clinically relevant tissues and with a Toxdent cytotoxicity assay.

Dimensional measurements of printed discs indicated high print accuracy and reproducibility. Print accuracy was highest when specimens were printed in horizontal direction. In all cytotoxicity tests, the estimated mean cell viability was well above 70% (p < 0.0001) regardless of material and printing direction, confirming the low cytotoxicity of the final 3D-printed objects.

Graphical Abstract
Prevalence of hopelessness and suicidal ideation and their associated factors among pediatric patients with leukemia
Authors: Zekavat Omid Reza , Safari Negar , Sahraian Ali , Bordbar Mohammadreza , Pakniyat Amirabbas , Bozorgi Haleh
Published: September 2023

Background

With the increasing survival rate of pediatric patients with leukemia, improving their quality of life (QoL) is the new challenge. Psychiatric disorders are among the significant confounding factors of the aforementioned patients’ QoL. Ninety-seven pediatric patients with leukemia were evaluated based on the Beck Hopelessness and SI scale while considering associated factors. We assessed the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) and hopelessness, as two of the most prevalent psychiatric symptoms of pediatrics with malignancy while assessing some of the associated factors to provide a plenary insight.

Results

Prevalence of SI and hopelessness were 7.2% and 87.6% respectively. Gender, education, the abode of living, time from onset of disease, and parents’ education level and income states of many were significantly related to the prevalence of the two studied psychiatric disorders. Multiple logistic regression determined a significant confounding role of abode of living, parent’s education, onset, and type of leukemia in hopelessness. As for SI, the result of the latter test determined more confounding factors such as age and patients’ education.

Conclusion

Both SI and hopelessness are noticeable disorders among children with leukemia with multiple manageable associated factors; hence, it is advisable to recommend psychiatric assessment of leukemic children.
Stress responses of plants through transcriptome plasticity by mRNA alternative polyadenylation
Authors: Zhou Jiawen , Li Qingshun Quinn
Published: September 2023

The sessile nature of plants confines their responsiveness to changing environmental conditions. Gene expression regulation becomes a paramount mechanism for plants to adjust their physiological and morphological behaviors. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is known for its capacity to augment transcriptome diversity and plasticity, thereby furnishing an additional set of tools for modulating gene expression. APA has also been demonstrated to exhibit intimate associations with plant stress responses. In this study, we review APA dynamic features and consequences in plants subjected to both biotic and abiotic stresses. These stresses include adverse environmental stresses, and pathogenic attacks, such as cadmium toxicity, high salt, hypoxia, oxidative stress, cold, heat shock, along with bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. We analyzed the overarching research framework employed to elucidate plant APA response and the alignment of polyadenylation site transitions with the modulation of gene expression levels within the ambit of each stress condition. We also proposed a general APA model where transacting factors, including poly(A) factors, epigenetic regulators, RNA m6A modification factors, and phase separation proteins, assume pivotal roles in APA related transcriptome plasticity during stress response in plants.

Graphical Abstract
Lessons for Losing
Authors: Pratt Mary Louise
Published: September 2023

This essay examines how two very different thinkers address the question of how to live loss. The first is the Canadian Cree artist and writer Tomson Highway, author most recently of Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordians, and the second is US environmental writer Elizabeth Rush, author of Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore. In two very different modalities of knowledge making, we see a shared quest for a planetary subject able to live loss in a clear-eyed and affirmative way. For Highway, the question is how to live loss, beginning with language loss, without losing the capacity for laughter and joyfulness. The arts of the trickster are his answer. For Rush, the question is: what changes can we be making now to head off crisis, and what language can make such change meaningful and desirable? We also see the two writers striving to make language respond to the challenge of scale. How do you capture the gigantic without being abstract? Highway moves to the mythic, arguing for Indigenous pantheism. Rush tacks between the particulars of planet science and the personal narratives of those living the loss of place.
“That Great Mother of Danger”
Authors: Anidjar Gil
Published: September 2023

Were one to trust the experts of “the risk society,” and the countless volumes that take risk as their object, one might conclude that we have lost sight of danger. How secure is the distinction? This essay registers the discursive proliferation that has surrounded risk, as opposed to the poverty of theorizations of danger. Since Mary Douglas's famous 1966 contribution, it is as if the two terms were synonymous. Yet linguistic usage, along with other counterexamples, signal that we might learn from attending to danger in its specificity. The essay then turns to Sigmund Freud, that little-recognized thinker of danger. It was Freud who located loss—and the mother—at the center of what he strikingly called the “danger-situation.”
Alterable Geographies
Authors: Winchell Mareike
Published: September 2023

Like plantation slavery, Indigenous servitude on Bolivian haciendas raises crucial questions about the afterlives of colonial subjection. Engaging questions of colonialism, unfreedom, and emancipation across the Americas, this article examines how Quechua Bolivians remake landscapes defined by continued material traces of subjection and abiding racial inequalities. Rather than inhabiting this landscape as one of passive historical repetition, Quechua Bolivians use narratives and spatial practices to alter landscapes—including elderberry trees where kin were whipped, high mountain lakes constructed by forced laboring kin, and ravines and valley crevices that offered routes of escape from indentured labor and political violence. Such practices point to a politics of lo abigarrado (the motley), a term used to describe people whose labor itineraries and affective attachments have not been constrained by the frames of Mestizo citizenship and timeless Indigenous rootedness to place. Through this spatial poetics, Quechua families thwart nationalist paradigms of propertied redress to forge alternate plotlines of emancipation based on keeping time, and places, open to the demands of a violent past.
Manic History
Authors: Bracken Christopher
Published: September 2023

On May 27, 2021, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reported the discovery of 215 unmarked graves on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Their first response was mourning for the loss of young lives; their second response was melancholia for the loss of the children's names. David Eng and David Kazanjian advocate a “counterintuitive” interpretation of melancholia as “creative,” redefining it as the work of mourning that sustains “a continued and open relation to the past.” Jeff Barnaby's 2013 film about residential school resistance, Rhymes for Young Ghouls, affirms melancholia as a creative relation to the past for Indigenous people while drawing attention to another agency that allows settler society to actively lose the past. Freud remarks that the “most remarkable” quality of melancholia is the way it turns into mania, which ensues when “the ego coincides with the ego ideal.” What if some losses do not make us melancholic but manic? Is it possible to make history by losing history? Settler mania incites Indigenous melancholia by displacing responsibility for children's deaths from church and state to parents who are themselves school survivors.
Losing Salvation
Authors: Armstrong Amaryah Shaye
Published: September 2023

This essay argues that critiques of redemption in contemporary black theory necessitate a rethinking of black theology in terms of loss so as to upend the political theological order of redemption and damnation that justifies antiblack governance of thought and existence. Through an immanent reading of political theology's appearance in ostensibly secular black feminist thought, the article shows how these wayward metabolizations of black theology's internal and external contradictions—specifically, those that illuminate a fundamental crisis of meaning at its heart—reveal black theology's abjection and alienation from its own stated desires for redemption. The article argues that this debasement of black theology opens onto its significance for black thought. As a form of black thought, black theology and its ongoing crisis of meaning crystallize the political theological crisis of illegitimacy and alienation generated by the failed announcement of redemption in racial slavery's wake. Through a reading of Saidiya Hartman and Christina Sharpe's work, the article shows how a wayward form of black theology is immanent in the ostensibly secular work of these and other radical black theorists. Taking their critiques of the redemptive theology that undergirds antiblackness as instructive, the article argues that a wayward, rather than confessional, form of black theology is already operative in realms of black studies that might be called nontheological. Recasting black political and theological desire for the coherence of redemption as a failure, the article proposes a loss of salvation and heretical appropriation of Christian theological materials as a demand for black thought. By critically reoccupying the sense of damnation that marks blackness, radical black reproductions of theological knowledge can insist on a disinherited procedure of thought—a rebellious gnosis in blackness—that disfigures the romance of redemption.
Robust assembly of the aldehyde dehydrogenase Ald4p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Nasalingkhan Channarong , Sirinonthanawech Naraporn , Noree Chalongrat
Published: September 2023

As part of our studies of yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase (Ald4p) assembly, we identified a population of transformants (SWORD strain) that show more robust filament formation of GFP-tagged Ald4p (Ald4p-GFP) than that of a wild type ALD4::GFP strain. Sequencing of the ALD4 gene in the SWORD strain showed that the increased assembly was not due to changes to the ALD4 coding sequence, suggesting that a second mutation site was altering Ald4p assembly. Using short-read whole-genome sequencing, we identified spontaneous mutations in FLO9. Introduction of the SWORD allele of FLO9 into a wild-type ALD4::GFP yeast strain revealed that the changes to FLO9 were a contributor to the increased length of Ald4p-GFP filaments we observe in the SWORD strain and that this effect was not due to an increase in Ald4p protein levels. However, the expression of the FLO9 (SWORD) allele in wild-type yeast did not fully recapitulate the length control defect we observed in SWORD strains, arguing that there are additional genes contributing to the filament length phenotype. For our future work, this FLO9 from SWORD will be tested whether it could show global effect, promoting the assembly of some other filament-forming enzymes.
“Researches into the nature of the Involuntary Muscular Fibre.”
Authors: Ellis George Viner , Sharpey Dr.
Published: September 2023

Having been unable to confirm the statements of Professor Kölliker respecting the cell-structure of the involuntary muscular fibre, the author was induced to undertake a series of researches into the nature of that tissue, by which he has been led to entertain views as to its structure in vertebrate animals, but more especially in man, which are at variance with those now generally received. The present communication contains the results of these inquiries, which tend to show that the voluntary and involuntary muscles resemble each other very closely in the arrangement and constitution of their fibres.
Limits to sustained energy intake. XXXIII. Thyroid hormones play important roles in milk production but do not define the heat dissipation limit in Swiss mice
Authors: Yang Rui , Cao Jing , Speakman John R. , Zhao Zhijun
Published: September 2023

The limits to sustained energy intake set physiological upper boundaries that affect many aspects of human and animal performance. The mechanisms underlying these limits, however, remain unclear. We exposed Swiss mice to either supplementary thyroid hormones (THs) or the inhibitor methimazole during lactation at 21 or 32.5°C, and measured food intake, resting metabolic rate (RMR), milk energy output (MEO), serum THs and mammary gland gene expression of females, and litter size and mass of their offspring. Lactating females developed hyperthyroidism following exposure to supplementary THs at 21°C, but they did not significantly change body temperature, asymptotic food intake, RMR or MEO, and litter and mass were unaffected. Hypothyroidism, induced by either methimazole or 32.5°C exposure, significantly decreased asymptotic food intake, RMR and MEO, resulting in significantly decreased litter size and litter mass. Furthermore, gene expression of key genes in the mammary gland was significantly decreased by either methimazole or heat exposure, including gene expression of THs and prolactin receptors, and Stat5a and Stat5b. This suggests that endogenous THs are necessary to maintain sustained energy intake and MEO. Suppression of the thyroid axis seems to be an essential aspect of the mechanism by which mice at 32.5°C reduce their lactation performance to avoid overheating. However, THs do not define the upper limit to sustained energy intake and MEO at peak lactation at 21°C. Another, as yet unknown, factor prevents supplementary thyroxine exerting any stimulatory metabolic impacts on lactating mice at 21°C.
Exploring the adaptability of the secondary structure of mRNA to temperature in intertidal snails based on SHAPE experiments
Authors: Zhu Ya-Jie , Liao Ming-Ling , Dong Yun-Wei
Published: September 2023

RNA-based thermal regulation is an important strategy for organisms to cope with temperature changes. Inhabiting the intertidal rocky shore, a key interface of the ocean, atmosphere and terrestrial environments, intertidal species have developed variable thermal adaptation mechanisms; however, adaptions at the RNA level remain largely uninvestigated. To examine the relationship between mRNA structural stability and species distribution, in the present study, the secondary structure of cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH) mRNA of Echinolittorina malaccana, Echinolittorina radiata and Littorina brevicula was determined using selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE), and the change in folding free energy of formation (ΔGfold) was calculated. The results showed that ΔGfold increased as the temperature increased. The difference in ΔGfold (ΔΔGfold) between two specific temperatures (25 versus 0°C, 37 versus 0°C and 57 versus 0°C) differed among the three species, and the ΔΔGfold value of E. malaccana was significantly lower than those of E. radiata and L. brevicula. The number of stems of cMDH mRNA of the snails decreased with increasing temperature, and the breakpoint temperature of E. malaccana was the highest among these. The number of loops was also reduced with increasing temperature, while the length of the loop structure increased accordingly. Consequently, these structural changes can potentially affect the translational efficiency of mRNA. These results imply that there were interspecific differences in the thermal stability of RNA secondary structures in intertidal snails, and these differences may be related to snail distribution.
Contagious Dishonesty: Corruption Scandals and Supermarket Theft
Authors: Gulino Giorgio , Masera Federico
Published: September 2023

Is dishonest behavior contagious? We answer this question by studying whether corruption scandals affect the propensity of supermarket customers to steal while using a self-service checkout system. Crucially, this system allows shoppers to engage in dishonest behavior by underreporting the value of their shopping cart. Exploiting data from random audits on shoppers, we show that the probability of stealing increases by 16 percent after a local corruption scandal breaks. This effect is not driven by any change in material incentives. Suggestive evidence shows that it is driven by a reduction in the self-imposed cost of stealing. (JEL D12, D73, D91, K42, L81, Z13)
Μετασχηματισμοί της Θεατρικής Παράστασης στο Λυκόφως της Πανδημίας
Authors: Τιμπλαλέξη Ελένη
Published: September 2023

H πανδημία ώθησε το θέατρο στα όριά του και επέβαλε την εύρεση δημιουργικών λύσεων. Το θέατρο κλήθηκε να μετασχηματιστεί σε βιντεοθέατρο (video theatre) και βιντεοδράμα (video drama) και να κατακλύσει ιστοτόπους ως ένα ακόμη «παράθυρο», ανάμεσα σε ειδήσεις, διαφημίσεις και ποικίλο άλλο περιεχόμενο. Μια ακόμη λύση που αναδείχθηκε και επικοινωνεί με την κουλτούρα των παραγωγών-καταναλωτών (prosumers) ήταν οι πρόβες σε ανοιχτούς χώρους. Το άρθρο εξετάζει τις δύο αυτές λύσεις που επινοήθηκαν στο πλαίσιο της πανδημίας και την ιδιαίτερη επίδρασή τους στο σώμα της θεατρικής παράστασης, καθώς και τις μακροπρόθεσμες συνέπειές τους. Επαναδιατυπώνει την οντολογία της θεατρικής παράστασης μετά την πανδημία, σε σχέση με την κινούμενη εικόνα, την αφήγηση και τη συμμετοχικότητα.
Το Διδακτικό Μοντέλο Kirkpatrick στη διαδικτυακή μάθηση
Authors: Σπατιώτη (Spatioti) Αδαμαντία (Adamantia) Γεράσιμος (Gerasimos) , Καζανίδης (Kazanidis) Ιωάννης (Ioannis) , Παγγέ (Pange) Τζένη (Jenny)
Published: September 2023

Η παρούσα εργασία έχει ως θέμα τη μελέτη του μοντέλου Kirkpatrick σε διαδικτυακά περιβάλλοντα μάθησης. Ειδικότερα, είναι σημαντικό να εξεταστεί η αποτελεσματικότητα του συγκεκριμένου μοντέλου σε ψηφιακά εξ αποστάσεως εκπαιδευτικά περιβάλλοντα. Επίσης, εκτιμάται η συμβολή του στη βελτίωση τόσο των προγραμμάτων σπουδών όσο και των εκπαιδευτικών που υιοθετούν την ηλεκτρονική μάθηση. Απώτερος στόχος είναι μέσα από την αξιολόγησή του να αναδειχθούν καλές πρακτικές εφαρμογής και βελτίωσης του συγκεκριμένου τρόπου εκπαίδευσης. Με βάση τη σχετική βιβλιογραφία, διατυπώθηκαν τα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα και υπο-ερωτήματα. Ως μεθοδολογία στην παρούσα έρευνα επιλέχθηκε η μετα-ανάλυση (meta-analysis), η οποία είναι άρρηκτα συνδεδεμένη με τη συστηματική βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση (systematic review) και συνδυαστικά μπορεί να επιτευχθούν ασφαλή συμπεράσματα.. Ειδικότερα, αξιοποιήθηκαν συνολικά 21 άρθρα εκ των οποίων 9 κρίθηκαν κατάλληλα για το κυρίως στάδιο της μετα-ανάλυσης. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας φαίνεται ότι το μοντέλο Kirkpatrick χρησιμοποιείται για τη μέτρηση της αποτελεσματικότητας προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης, κυρίως, σε σχέση με τα δύο πρώτα επίπεδα και λιγότερο και για το τρίτο επίπεδο  ενώ το τέταρτο επίπεδο είναι πιο σπάνιο. Επίσης, γίνεται χρήση του, κυρίως, σε μαζικά διαδικτυακά μαθήματα (MOOCs) από Σχολές Ιατρικής. Τέλος, από τις βασικές εφαρμογές της διαδικτυακής μάθησης, η ασύγχρονη προσέγγιση προτιμήθηκε κατά την εφαρμογή του.
Case Report: A successful treatment approach of rituximab and azathioprine for pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Potdukhe Ashwini , Sharma Ranjana , Ankar Ruchira , Wanjari Mayur
Published: September 2023

Pemphigus Vulgaris is an uncommon autoimmune skin disorder that is characterized by persistent and blistering lesions. In approximately 50% of patients, mucous membrane erosions are the initial symptom. The primary presenting symptom is often oral mucosal erosions. Affected individuals frequently experience flaccid blisters and erosions on healthy skin and mucous membranes, and other areas of the body may also be affected. This condition is the result of autoantibodies that target desmosomal antigens.

We are presenting a case of a 28-year-old male who presented to the hospital with fluid-filled lesions on his forehead and in his oral cavity. A skin biopsy was performed, and he was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris. Initially, he was started on a combination of steroids and azathioprine, but he did not respond to this treatment regimen. However, he was successfully treated with injection rituximab.

Rituximab has been found to be an effective treatment approach towards pemphigus vulgaris. It can help prevent further complications and reduce the severity of the disease. By targeting the autoantibodies that cause the disorder, rituximab can help control the patient's symptoms and improve their quality of life. It is important to note that early diagnosis and treatment can play a critical role in the management of pemphigus vulgaris.
Marfan’s Syndrome and associated pathologies: An integrative systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Pashine Aishwarya A. , Naqvi Waqar M. , Arora Sakshi P.
Published: September 2023

Background

Marfan’s syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant hereditary connective tissue disorder associated with numerous skeletal, ocular, cardiovascular, and respiratory pathologies which advance with age. Following multiple system involvement of body, the clinical presentation and management of MFS with associated pathologies are an area of cautious focus. Therefore, this review focused on highlighting various management options that are currently being supported for the MFS patients.

Methodology

The search methodology involved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2018 to 2022 from PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) were followed for reviewing the data extracted following the inclusion and exclusion criteria using the keywords “Marfan’s Syndrome”, “Irbesartan”, “Aortic Dilatation”, “Atenolol”, and “Lens Subluxation.”

Results

A total of eight articles were reviewed for the preferred distribution of population and the management options followed in the studies consisting of medical, psychological, and surgical interventions. Also, the associated pathologies related to MFS patients were analysed and found to have significant impact on health-related quality of life of MFS patients.

Conclusions

The review concluded that a combination of drugs atenolol, a β-blocker, and losartan which is an angiotensin receptor blocker, is beneficial in case of aortic root dilatation and higher aortic root stiffness. Additionally, ADRB1 testing may determine patients that are more likely to respond therapeutically to atenolol in comparison to losartan. Cionni modified capsular tension rings (MCTR) have been acknowledged as an effective device for delivering good capsular bag stabilization in cases of lens subluxation in MFS patients.
Recent developments in immigration patterns. A case study in the province of Malaga (Spain)
Authors: Larrubia-Vargas Remedios , Batista-Zamora Ana Ester , Natera Rivas Juan Jose
Published: September 2023

Foreign population play an important role in the Axarquía in the province of Malaga, Spain, where in some municipalities they account for over 40% of residents. Many of them have very small populations, and have come to depend on immigration to maintain population levels. In this context, the objective of our research is to assess the impact that both Brexit and COVID-19 pandemic have had on immigration into these areas. We show how Brexit has led to an increase in the number of britons registered with their Local Councils, in part due to the post-Brexit need to do so; and how the limitations in mobility resulting from the pandemic led to a reduction in immigration into the area to just a few arrivals from nearby areas. We end by showing that just a year later, the migratory movements into the Axarquía had returned to normal levels.
Positives and Negatives of Distance Education from the Perspective of Teachers with Practical Experience
Authors: Sirotová Mariana , Pieš Lukáš
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic had overnight affected all areas of traditional life. In the field of education, the classic face-to-face teaching was replaced by distance education at all levels of the educational system not only in Slovakia but in all countries of the world. Teachers, pupils, parents, teaching assistants, special educators or professional staff had had no experience with distance education up to that point. In today’s vulnerable world, the possibility of a combined educational process, in which teaching would be divided between face-to-face and distance education, is being raised more frequently mainly in connection with the energy crisis. Setting the right balance between face-to-face and distance education requires, among other things, defining the positives and negatives of these forms. Given the existing extensive theoretical elaboration of the issue of face-to-face teaching, our study focuses on the positives and negatives of distance education, while using the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through interviews, we collected the views of primary school teachers experienced in distance education. We focused on questions dealing with advantages, disadvantages, forms, methods and overall attitudes towards distance education. The study concludes by categorising the advantages and disadvantages of distance education. Based on the analysis of the responses obtained through semi-structured interviews with six teachers, we found that distance education has more negative than positive aspects. The main negatives include the lack of physical contact and the absence of social interaction. Furthermore, we found that there is low motivation, skipping lessons and lack of attention among upper grade students. Parental support for pupils in the upper grades was rather low. Teachers mainly used Slovak online platforms for distance learning. This study was done in Slovakia.
Decolonizing Memory and Spaces: Contemporary Narratives about Portugal’s Colonizing Past
Authors: Golemo Karolina
Published: September 2023

The article aims to show contemporary artistic interpretations of colonialism in Portugal as expressed by Afro-descendants from former Portuguese colonies. The primary focus of this study is the ongoing debate surrounding two monuments in Lisbon. The first monument, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, was originally created in 1940 and subsequently rebuilt in 1960 and is still one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. The second monument, the Memorial to Enslaved People, is currently under development and seeks to give voice to African communities in Portugal. The analysis is grounded in a theoretical framework that incorporates concepts such as postmemory, multidirectional memory, and dissonant heritage. The broader context for this study is the UNESCO Decade of People of African Descent (2015-2024).
Pomnik, który nie powstał, i ofiary, których nie było?
Authors: Kumala Aleksandra
Published: September 2023

A NON-EXISTENT MONUMENT AND NON-EXISTENT VICTIMS? ON POLISH RIVAL POSTMEMORY

The article presents a case study of a yet-to-be-realized queer monument in Warsaw, a project that originated in 2007. The monument was intended to commemorate the alleged non-existence of nonheteronormative victims of both Nazi and communist persecutions. The author examines the controversies surrounding the project and analyzes the responses from the media, politicians and Internet users, who are viewed as various types of mnemonic actors. While acknowledging valid criticisms leveled at the project, the article also explores manifestations of “Polish rival postmemory,” a notion derived from Marianne Hirsch’s concept of “postmemory” and Michael Rothberg’s “multidirectional memory.” To illustrate the mechanism whereby the process of revictimization replaces commemoration, the article also references the concepts of “mnemonic wars” and “mnemonic mobilization.”
(Post)pamięć konstruowana cyfrowo
Authors: Papier Sylwia
Published: September 2023

(POST)MEMORY DIGITALLY CONSTRUCTED: SURVIVORS’ INTERACTIVE BIOGRAPHY – OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS The purpose of the article is to provide a critical discussion of the USC Shoah Dimensions in Testimony project initiated and implemented by the USC Shoah Foundation. The article specifically focuses on the opportunities and threats presented by the ongoing dynamic development of the foundation’s project. Drawing on Marianne Hirsch’s concept of postmemory, which explores the spatial and temporal distance that separates successive generations from traumatic events, the article examines whether interactive biographies of survivors can be regarded as objects of postmemory that “preserve” (?) witnesses and their stories for future generations. In addition, the article analyzes how such virtual autobiographical identity narratives allow survivor to externalize their experience and transfer memory to the recipients of their testimonies. Ethical considerations regarding the “use” of near-holographic recordings of survivors are also discussed. Based on the collected research material, the article further explores how memory mediated by these objects affects the perception of past events.
Disclosure in Incentivized Reviews: Does It Protect Consumers?
Authors: Park Sungsik , Shin Woochoel , Xie Jinhong
Published: September 2023

The well-documented rating inflation of incentivized reviews (IRs) can mislead consumers into choosing a product that they would otherwise not buy. To protect consumers from this undesirable influence, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission recommends that reviewers conspicuously disclose any material connection they may have with sellers. In theory, such disclosures safeguard consumers by motivating reviewers to be truthful and inducing consumers to discount inflated IR ratings. Our research finds, however, that IR disclosure accomplishes neither. Specifically, our empirical analysis of consumer reviews on Amazon reveals that, even with disclosure, (1) rating inflation of IRs remains, and (2) this inflation boosts sales at consumers’ expense. Finally, we propose an alternative approach to eliminate rating inflation of IRs and empirically demonstrate its effectiveness. These findings have important implications for consumers, firms, and ongoing policy discussions around IRs.

This paper was accepted by Duncan Simester, marketing.

Funding: S. Park gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Darla Moore School of Business Research Grant Program at the University of South Carolina. W. Shin gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Brian R. Gamache Endowed Professorship at the University of Florida. J. Xie gratefully acknowledges financial support from the JCPenney Endowed Professorship at the University of Florida.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00930 .
Asymptotic Consistency for Nonconvex Risk-Averse Stochastic Optimization with Infinite-Dimensional Decision Spaces
Authors: Milz Johannes , Surowiec Thomas M.
Published: September 2023

Optimal values and solutions of empirical approximations of stochastic optimization problems can be viewed as statistical estimators of their true values. From this perspective, it is important to understand the asymptotic behavior of these estimators as the sample size goes to infinity. This area of study has a long tradition in stochastic programming. However, the literature is lacking consistency analysis for problems in which the decision variables are taken from an infinite-dimensional space, which arise in optimal control, scientific machine learning, and statistical estimation. By exploiting the typical problem structures found in these applications that give rise to hidden norm compactness properties for solution sets, we prove consistency results for nonconvex risk-averse stochastic optimization problems formulated in infinite-dimensional space. The proof is based on several crucial results from the theory of variational convergence. The theoretical results are demonstrated for several important problem classes arising in the literature.
Dynamic Placement in Refugee Resettlement
Authors: Ahani Narges , Gölz Paul , Procaccia Ariel D. , Teytelboym Alexander , Trapp Andrew C.
Published: September 2023

Boosting Employment of Resettled Refugees

Whether a resettled refugee finds employment in the United States depends in no small part on which host community they are first welcomed to. Every week, resettlement agencies are assigned a group of refugees who they are required to place in communities around the country. In “Dynamic Placement in Refugee Resettlement,” Ahani, Gölz, Procaccia, Teytelboym, and Trapp develop an allocation system that recommends where to place an incoming refugee family with the aim of boosting the overall employment success. Should capacities in high-employment areas be used up as quickly as possible, or does it make sense to hold back for a perfect match? The simple algorithm, based on two-stage stochastic programming, achieves over 98% of the hindsight-optimal employment, compared with under 90% for the greedy-like approaches that were previously used in practice. Their algorithm is now part of the Annie™ MOORE optimization software used by a leading American refugee resettlement agency.
Prevalence of work-related low back pain and associated risk factors among physiotherapists in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ahmed Sohel , Numan Sharker Md , Rahman Mohammad Habibur
Published: September 2023

Background/Aims

Low back pain is one of the most widespread public health concerns and physiotherapists frequently experience work-related low back pain. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of low back pain and the factors associated with the consequences of work-related low back pain among physiotherapists in Bangladesh.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2021 to January 2022 among physiotherapists working in Dhaka. A total of 212 male and female physiotherapists, aged between 22 and 40 years, participated in this study. Descriptive statistics (number and percentage) were used to express the prevalence rate and the association between pain and professional practice-related variables was measured by using the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test where appropriate.

Results

There were more male physiotherapists (67%) than female therapists (33%). Overall, 25% of participants reported that they had low back pain before they started working as a physiotherapist, which increased to 87.3% after they had started working as a physiotherapist. The most common therapist-related risk was incorrectly using body mechanics (50.5%), working in an awkward position (50%) and repeated bending and twisting movements (49.1%). The most common patient-related risk factor was reported as dealing with a patient who was overweight (44.8%) and the most common work-related factor was reported as lack of sufficient resting time between patients (44.8%). There was a significant association between low back pain with the designation of the therapist, working hours and the number of patients treated in a day.

Conclusions

Work-related low back pain is prevalent among physiotherapists in Dhaka city. The pain was significantly associated with the designation of the therapist, working hours, and the number of patients treated by the therapist in a day. Preventive strategies, as well as proper patient handling techniques, should be followed while handling patients.
Ground flat-field calibration of a space astronomical telescope using a spatial time-sharing calibration method
Authors: Zheng Jianing , He Xu , Zhang Ning , Xian Jingtian , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: September 2023

Preflight ground flat-field calibration is significant to the development phase of space astronomical telescopes. The uniformity of the flat-field illumination reference source seriously decreases with the increasing aperture and the telescope’s field of view, directly affecting the final calibration accuracy. To overcome this problem, a flat-field calibration method that can complete calibration without a traditional flat-field illumination reference source is proposed on the basis of the spatial time-sharing calibration principle. First, the characteristics of the flat field in the spatial domain taken by the space astronomical telescope are analyzed, and the flat field is divided into large-scale flat (L-flat) and pixel-to-pixel flat (P-flat). They are then obtained via different calibration experiments and finally combined with the data fusion process. L-flat is obtained through star field observations and the corresponding L-flat extraction algorithm, which can obtain the best estimation of L-flat based on numerous photometry samples, thereby effectively improving calibration accuracy. The simulation model of flat-field calibration used for accuracy analysis is established. In particular, the error sources or experimental parameters that affect the accuracy of L-flat calibration are discussed in detail. Results of the accuracy analysis show that the combined uncertainty of the proposed calibration method can reach 0.78%. Meanwhile, experiments on an optic system with a Φ142mm aperture are performed to verify the calibration method. Results demonstrate that the RMS values of the residual map are 0.720%, 0.565%, and 0.558% at the large-, middle-, and small-scale, respectively. The combined calibration uncertainty is 0.88%, which is generally consistent with the results of the accuracy analysis.
Low dark current density extended short-wavelength infrared superlattice photodetector with atomic layer deposited Al2O3 passivation
Authors: Li Hao , Lu Lidan , Yu Jing , Zheng Xiantong , Zhang Dongliang , Chen Weiqiang , Feng Yulin , Ren Guanghui , Zhu Lianqing
Published: September 2023

We report on a low dark current density P-B-i-N extended short-wavelength infrared photodetector with atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 passivation based on a InAs/GaSb/AlSb superlattice. The dark current density of the Al2O3 passivated device was reduced by 38% compared to the unpassivated device. The cutoff wavelength of the photodetector is 1.8 µm at 300 K. The photodetector exhibited a room-temperature (300 K) peak responsivity of 0.44 A/W at 1.52 µm, corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 35.8%. The photodetector exhibited a specific detectivity (D∗) of 1.08×1011cm⋅Hz1/2/W with a low dark current density of 3.4×10−5A/cm2 under −50mv bias at 300 K. The low dark current density Al2O3 passivated device is expected to be used in the fabrication of extended short-wavelength infrared focal plane arrays for imaging.
Multimodal imaging of metabolic activities for distinguishing subtypes of breast cancer
Authors: Li Zhi , Nguyen Chloe , Jang Hongje , Hoang David , Min SoeSu , Ackerstaff Ellen , Koutcher Jason A. , Shi Lingyan
Published: September 2023

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive form of cancer. Detecting TNBC early is crucial for improving disease prognosis and optimizing treatment. Unfortunately, conventional imaging techniques fall short in providing a comprehensive differentiation of TNBC subtypes due to their limited sensitivity and inability to capture subcellular details. In this study, we present a multimodal imaging platform that integrates heavy water (D2O)-probed stimulated Raman scattering (DO-SRS), two-photon fluorescence (TPF), and second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. This platform allows us to directly visualize and quantify the metabolic activities of TNBC subtypes at a subcellular level. By utilizing DO-SRS imaging, we were able to identify distinct levels of de novo lipogenesis, protein synthesis, cytochrome c metabolic heterogeneity, and lipid unsaturation rates in various TNBC subtype tissues. Simultaneously, TPF imaging provided spatial distribution mapping of NAD[P]H and flavin signals in TNBC tissues, revealing a high redox ratio and significant lipid turnover rate in TNBC BL2 (HCC1806) samples. Furthermore, SHG imaging enabled us to observe diverse orientations of collagen fibers in TNBC tissues, with higher anisotropy at the tissue boundary compared to the center. Our multimodal imaging platform offers a highly sensitive and subcellular approach to characterizing not only TNBC, but also other tissue subtypes and cancers.
Meta-holograms under incoherent illumination: image properties and spackle pattern
Authors: Baum Yehuda , Scheuer Jacob
Published: September 2023

We study the properties of the images projected by meta-holograms under broadband incoherent/polychromatic illumination. We show that
despite the broadband illumination, some of the coherent properties of the images such as the speckle pattern are retained even for sources
with bandwidth of 20 nm. We study the projected images and their speckle pattern properties under various illumination spectra using
a set of monochromatic images obtained at different wavelengths.