bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermische Belastung von Bewohnern in Städten bei Hitzewellen am Beispiel von Freiburg (Breisgau)
Authors: Matzarakis Andreas , Muthers Stefan , Graw Kathrin
Published: July 2020

Hintergrund

Menschen sind im Zuge des Klimawandels immer stärker von Hitze und deren negativen gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen betroffen. Oftmals wird die Lufttemperatur als Maßzahl verwendet. Um jedoch Auswirkungen von Hitze auf den Menschen zu charakterisieren, müssen neben der Lufttemperatur weitere Faktoren berücksichtigt werden.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, den Hitzestress von Bewohnern in Städten mithilfe der Gefühlten Temperatur während Hitzewellen zu charakterisieren und mit derjenigen von Bewohnern auf dem Land zu vergleichen sowie Unterschiede zur Lufttemperatur hervorzuheben.

Material und Methoden

Daten der Stadtstation Freiburg und der Station Freiburg-Flugplatz für 2019 des Deutschen Wetterdienstes (DWD) wurden für die Analyse der Lufttemperatur sowie für die Berechnung der Gefühlten Temperatur mithilfe des Klima-Michel-Modells für Freiburg verwendet. Zusätzlich werden die Hitzewarntage für Freiburg dargestellt und die nächtlichen Bedingungen der Innenraumtemperaturen des Hitzewarnsystems analysiert.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Die Gefühlte Temperatur übersteigt die Lufttemperatur während Hitzewellen um bis zu 10 °C. Während der klassische Wärmeinseleffekt anhand der Differenz der nächtlichen Lufttemperatur hoch und tagsüber gering ist, ist bei der Gefühlten Temperatur die Differenz nicht nur nachts, sondern auch tagsüber deutlich höher.

Fazit

Um negative Auswirkungen zu quantifizieren, wird nicht nur die Lufttemperatur benötigt, sondern auch die Kenntnis über weitere Faktoren, die den Hitzestress beschreiben und steuern. Stadt-Land-Unterschiede bei Lufttemperatur und Gefühlter Temperatur bilden eine gute Möglichkeit der Quantifizierung von Hitze. Anpassungsmaßnahmen in Städten unter Berücksichtigung des Hitzestresses für Menschen sind notwendig.
Urologische Prostatakrebsvorsorge im Rahmen der Movember-Gesundheitsinitiative 2019 am Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt
Authors: Wenzel M. , Humke C. , Wicker S. , Mani J. , Engl T. , Hintereder G. , Vogl T. J. , Wild P. , Köllermann J. , Rödel C. , Asgharie S. , Theissen L. , Welte M. , Kluth L. A. , Mandel P. , Chun F. K. H. , Preisser F. , Becker A.
Published: July 2020

Hintergrund

Männer in Deutschland sterben früher als Frauen und nehmen weniger häufig Krebsvorsorgeuntersuchungen wahr.

Fragestellung

Ziel war die prospektive Evaluation einer „Movember-Gesundheitsinitiative“ am Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt (UKF) im November 2019.

Methoden

Im Rahmen der „Movember-Gesundheitsinitiative“ wurde allen männlichen Mitarbeitern des UKF ab dem 45. Lebensjahr und bei erstgradiger familiärer Vorbelastung eines Prostatakarzinoms ab dem 40. Lebensjahr im November 2019 gemäß S3-Leitlinien der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Urologie (DGU) eine Prostatakarzinom-Vorsorgeuntersuchung angeboten.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt nahmen 14,4 % der Mitarbeiter teil. Eine familiäre Vorbelastung gaben insgesamt 14,0 % Teilnehmer an. Das mediane Alter betrug 54 Jahre. Der mediane PSA(prostataspezifisches Antigen)-Wert lag bei 0,9 ng/ml, der mediane PSA-Quotient bei 30 %. Bei 5 % (n = 6) zeigte sich ein suspekter Tastbefund in der DRU (digital-rektale Untersuchung). Nach Altersstratifizierung (≤ 50 vs. > 50 Lebensjahre) zeigten sich signifikante Unterschiede im medianen PSA-Wert (0,7 ng/ml vs. 1,0 ng/ml, p < 0,01) und der bereits zuvor durchgeführten urologischen Vorsorge (12,1 vs. 42,0 %, p < 0,01). Vier Teilnehmer (3,3 %) zeigten erhöhte Gesamt-PSA-Werte. Bei 32,2 % der Teilnehmer zeigte sich mindestens ein kontrollbedürftiger Befund. Insgesamt wurden 6 Prostatabiopsien durchgeführt. Hierbei zeigte sich in einem Fall ein intermediate-risk Prostatakarzinom (Gleason 3 + 4, pT3a, pPn1, pNx, R0).

Schlussfolgerungung

Im Rahmen der UKF-Movember-Gesundheitsinitiative 2019 konnten durch ein Vorsorgeangebot 121 Männer für eine Prostatakrebs-Vorsorge inklusive PSA-Testung gewonnen werden. Auffällige/kontrollbedürftige Befunde zeigten sich bei 32,2 %. Bei einem Mitarbeiter wurde ein therapiebedürftiges Prostatakarzinom entdeckt und therapiert.
Oral cancer awareness campaign in Northern Germany: first positive trends in incidence and tumour stages
Authors: Hertrampf Katrin , Pritzkuleit Ron , Baumann Eva , Wiltfang Jörg , Wenz Hans-Jürgen , Waldmann Annika
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Oral cancer is a still underestimated public health problem. In Germany, until 2007, there was no systematic approach available for the purpose of raising the awareness of the public. From 2007 to 2011, a concept was developed for such an approach, and the campaign was launched in Northern Germany in 2012, and concluded in 2014. This report aims at presenting incidence trends of oral cancer, stratified according to sex, age, and tumour stages, before the introduction of this campaign and upon completion thereof.

Methods

The data kept by the Schleswig–Holstein Cancer Registry on incidence rates (ICD-10, C00–C14) focused on oral cancer (C00–C06) and stratified by sex, age-groups and tumour stages, from 2000 to 2006 and from 2007 to 2014.

Results

From 2000 to 2014, a total of 6760 cases of oral and pharyngeal cancer (C00–C14) were registered. When data on oral cancer was taken into account, stage I cancers of women in particular, increased over time. Regarding the stages, stage IV was the most frequent and stage I the second most frequent stage for both men and women. Over time, a small shift towards detection of tumours at earlier stages was observed.

Conclusion

A slight trend towards a temporary increase in incidence rates, especially among women, was observed. From an epidemiological point of view, this might indicate the initial success of this campaign. The slight trend in favour of stage I tumours could be seen as an initial minor success in terms of the early detection of oral cancer.
Combi-CRISPR: combination of NHEJ and HDR provides efficient and precise plasmid-based knock-ins in mice and rats
Authors: Yoshimi Kazuto , Oka Yuichiro , Miyasaka Yoshiki , Kotani Yuko , Yasumura Misato , Uno Yoshihiro , Hattori Kosuke , Tanigawa Arisa , Sato Makoto , Oya Manami , Nakamura Kazuhiro , Matsushita Natsuki , Kobayashi Kazuto , Mashimo Tomoji
Published: July 2020

CRISPR-Cas9 are widely used for gene targeting in mice and rats. The non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, which is dominant in zygotes, efficiently induces insertion or deletion (indel) mutations as gene knockouts at targeted sites, whereas gene knock-ins (KIs) via homology-directed repair (HDR) are difficult to generate. In this study, we used a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) donor template with Cas9 and two single guide RNAs, one designed to cut the targeted genome sequences and the other to cut both the flanked genomic region and one homology arm of the dsDNA plasmid, which resulted in 20–33% KI efficiency among G0 pups. G0 KI mice carried NHEJ-dependent indel mutations at one targeting site that was designed at the intron region, and HDR-dependent precise KIs of the various donor cassettes spanning from 1 to 5 kbp, such as EGFP, mCherry, Cre, and genes of interest, at the other exon site. These findings indicate that this combinatorial method of NHEJ and HDR mediated by the CRISPR-Cas9 system facilitates the efficient and precise KIs of plasmid DNA cassettes in mice and rats.
The Paleoproterozoic Hedesunda granite complex, east-central Sweden, a composite intrusion
Authors: Johansson Åke
Published: July 2020

The Hedesunda granite complex covers a rectangular area of ca 800 km2within the Bergslagen lithotectonic unit of the Paleoproterozoic Svecofennian orogen in east-central Sweden. It is dominated by coarse porphyritic and generally undeformed granitoids whose position within the Svecofennian orogenic evolution has been controversial. New U–Pb SIMS dating of zircon confirms earlier TIMS results, showing that it is a composite intrusion made up of an older phase at ca 1865 Ma, forming the bulk of the massif, and a younger phase at ca 1785 Ma, forming a circular intrusion in the north-central area and an elongated body further west. The two generations have very different geochemistry. The older Hedesunda I intrusion ranges from diorite through tonalite and granodiorite to granite in composition, is dominantly metaluminous, calc-alkaline, magnesian, I-type and volcanic arc-related, and probably formed by melting of juvenile Svecofennian lower crust due to basaltic underplating during an extensional ‘intra-orogenic’ phase shortly after the main subduction-related early-orogenic Svecofennian magmatism. The younger Hedesunda II intrusions are purely granitic, dominantly peraluminous, alkali-calcic, K-rich, and ferroan, with A-type and within-plate-type characteristics, and formed penecontemporaneously with post-collisional shoshonitic intrusions in southern Finland, again presumably by crustal melting due to basaltic underplating in an extensional setting towards the end of the Svecofennian orogeny.
Are parents’ geographical origin associated with their evaluation of child and adolescent mental health services? Results from a national survey in Norway
Authors: Bjertnaes Oyvind , Iversen Hilde Hestad , Skudal Kjersti Eeg , Ali Warsame Abdullahi , Hanssen-Bauer Ketil
Published: July 2020

The objective was to assess the association between parents’ geographical origin and their evaluation of outpatient child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Data were collected in a national parent’s experience survey of all outpatient CAMHS in Norway in 2017. Following exclusions, 16,143 parents were part of the study, of which 5932 responded (36.1%). Diagnosis and global psychosocial functional level were collected from the National Patient Register. Multilevel regression was used to assess the association between parents’ geographical origin and parent evaluation of the outpatient CAMHS on ten indicators. Sentiment and content analysis was conducted on open-ended comments from parents. The estimated regression coefficients showed that parents born in Eastern Europe scored the services significantly poorer than parents born in Norway on outcome of treatment (− 7.73, p < 0.01), general satisfaction (− 5.53, p < 0.05), ease of getting in contact with health personnel outside of scheduled appointments (− 17.04, p < 0.001), and knowledge of the services that the child has received at the service (− 10.63, p < 0.001). Parents born in Asia/Africa/South America scored the services similar as Norwegian parents on eight of ten indicators, better on one (waiting time) and poorer on one (ease of getting in contact). Sentiment analysis showed that 54% of the comments from parents born in Eastern Europe were negative, compared to 42% for the Norwegian group and 36% for Asia/Africa/South America. The parents’ evaluation of the outpatient CAMHS were partly associated with their geographical origin, with parents born in Eastern Europe reporting poorer experiences than parents born in Norway.
Is the Development of Family Functioning Dependent on Trajectories of Antisocial Behavior? A TRAILS Study
Authors: van Halem Sjoerd , Peeters Margot , Vollebergh Wilma A. M.
Published: July 2020

Where previous studies have found consistent links between family factors and antisocial behavior, it is important to examine this relationship from a developmental perspective and account for heterogeneous antisocial development. In the present study, our goal was twofold: (1) identify and examine trajectories of self-reported antisocial behavior, and (2) compare the intercepts and slopes of family functioning of adolescents with different trajectories of antisocial behavior. We used a large national representative sample of 2230 Dutch boys and girls who we followed from approximately 10 to 22 years. We applied Latent class growth modeling to identify antisocial trajectories for boys and girls separately, across which the intercepts and slopes of family functioning were compared. We found four antisocial trajectories for boys and three antisocial trajectories for girls, which mostly corresponded with the trajectories found in previous literature. Further, we found that family functioning did not differ as a function of membership to a particular trajectory of antisocial behavior, neither on baseline measures nor on changes of family functioning across adolescence. Within this specific sample of adolescents, these results suggest that family functioning, as perceived by parents, remain stable regardless of antisocial behavior. Future research, in addition to using general family functioning measures, should also examine day-to-day family interactions, preferably also accounting for the perspective of the adolescent.
Chariotry and Prone Burials: Reassessing Late Shang China’s Relationship with Its Northern Neighbours
Authors: Rawson Jessica , Chugunov Konstantin , Grebnev Yegor , Huan Limin
Published: July 2020

In place of the traditional view that raids and invasion from the north introduced new weapons and chariots to the Shang (c. 1200 BC), we argue that archaeological evidence illustrates the presence of several regional groups at or near the late Shang centre, Anyang. Here we review burial practices at Anyang dating to the late second millennium BC, and describe a substantial group of prone burials that reflect a ritual practice contrasting with that of the predominant Shang elite. Such burials occur at all social levels, from victims of sacrifice to death attendants, and include members of lower and higher elites. Particularly conspicuous are chariot drivers in some chariot pits. An elite-level link with chariots is confirmed by the burial of a military leader in tomb M54 at Huayuanzhuang at Anyang, with tools that match exactly those of chariot drivers. Given that prone burial is known to the north, in the Mongolian region that provided chariots and horses to the Shang, a route can be traced eastwards and southwards, down the Yellow River, and then through mountain basins to Anyang. Our inference is that a group originally from outside the Central Plains can be identified in these distinctive burials. This marks a first step towards understanding the heterogeneity in the central population of the late Shang.
Mapping citizen science contributions to the UN sustainable development goals
Authors: Fraisl Dilek , Campbell Jillian , See Linda , Wehn Uta , Wardlaw Jessica , Gold Margaret , Moorthy Inian , Arias Rosa , Piera Jaume , Oliver Jessica L. , Masó Joan , Penker Marianne , Fritz Steffen
Published: July 2020

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a vision for achieving a sustainable future. Reliable, timely, comprehensive, and consistent data are critical for measuring progress towards, and ultimately achieving, the SDGs. Data from citizen science represent one new source of data that could be used for SDG reporting and monitoring. However, information is still lacking regarding the current and potential contributions of citizen science to the SDG indicator framework. Through a systematic review of the metadata and work plans of the 244 SDG indicators, as well as the identification of past and ongoing citizen science initiatives that could directly or indirectly provide data for these indicators, this paper presents an overview of where citizen science is already contributing and could contribute data to the SDG indicator framework. The results demonstrate that citizen science is “already contributing” to the monitoring of 5 SDG indicators, and that citizen science “could contribute” to 76 indicators, which, together, equates to around 33%. Our analysis also shows that the greatest inputs from citizen science to the SDG framework relate to SDG 15 Life on Land, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation. Realizing the full potential of citizen science requires demonstrating its value in the global data ecosystem, building partnerships around citizen science data to accelerate SDG progress, and leveraging investments to enhance its use and impact.
TESTING FOR RANDOM EFFECTS IN COMPOUND RISK MODELS VIA BREGMAN DIVERGENCE
Authors: Jeong Himchan
Published: July 2020

The generalized linear model (GLM) is a statistical model which has been widely used in actuarial practices, especially for insurance ratemaking. Due to the inherent longitudinality of property and casualty insurance claim datasets, there have been some trials of incorporating unobserved heterogeneity of each policyholder from the repeated observations. To achieve this goal, random effects models have been proposed, but theoretical discussions of the methods to test the presence of random effects in GLM framework are still scarce. In this article, the concept of Bregman divergence is explored, which has some good properties for statistical modeling and can be connected to diverse model selection diagnostics as in Goh and Dey [(2014) Journal of Multivariate Analysis, 124, 371–383]. We can apply model diagnostics derived from the Bregman divergence for testing robustness of a chosen prior by the modeler to possible misspecification of prior distribution both on the naive model, which assumes that random effects follow a point mass distribution as its prior distribution, and the proposed model, which assumes a continuous prior density of random effects. This approach provides insurance companies a concrete framework for testing the presence of nonconstant random effects in both claim frequency and severity and furthermore appropriate hierarchical model which can explain both observed and unobserved heterogeneity of the policyholders for insurance ratemaking. Both models are calibrated using a claim dataset from the Wisconsin Local Government Property Insurance Fund which includes both observed claim counts and amounts from a portfolio of policyholders.
The National Cancer Institute Cancer Moonshot Public Access and Data Sharing Policy—Initial assessment and implications
Authors: Frisby Tammy M. , Contreras Jorge L.
Published: July 2020

Since 2013, federal research-funding agencies have been required to develop and implement broad data sharing policies. Yet agencies today continue to grapple with the mechanisms necessary to enable the sharing of a wide range of data types, from genomic and other -omics data to clinical and pharmacological data to survey and qualitative data. In 2016, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the ambitious $1.8 billion Cancer Moonshot Program, which included a new Public Access and Data Sharing (PADS) Policy applicable to funding applications submitted on or after October 1, 2017. The PADS Policy encourages the immediate public release of published research results and data and requires all Cancer Moonshot grant applicants to submit a PADS plan describing how they will meet these goals. We reviewed the PADS plans submitted with approximately half of all funded Cancer Moonshot grant applications in fiscal year 2018, and found that a majority did not address one or more elements required by the PADS Policy. Many such plans made no reference to the PADS Policy at all, and several referenced obsolete or outdated National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies instead. We believe that these omissions arose from a combination of insufficient education and outreach by NCI concerning its PADS Policy, both to potential grant applicants and among NCI’s program staff and external grant reviewers. We recommend that other research funding agencies heed these findings as they develop and roll out new data sharing policies.
Microconchus cravenensisn. sp.: a giant among microconchid tubeworms
Authors: Zatoń Michał , Mundy David J.C.
Published: July 2020

A new species of microconchid tubeworm,Microconchus cravenensisis described from the Mississippian Cracoean reefs of North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Despite the fact that some other microconchid species could have attained large tube length, the new species possesses the largest recorded diameter (to 7.7 mm) of the planispirally-coiled (attachment) tube and the largest recorded aperture diameter (8.3 mm) in the helically uncoiled portion. Thus, with respect to these features,Microconchus cravenensisn. sp. is the largest and most robust microconchid species recognized so far. At present, it is only known from the Craven Reef Belt of North Yorkshire, where it attached to corals and possibly bivalve shells, and was preyed upon by small durophagous animals, as indicated by repaired injuries preserved on one of the tubes.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/2ba8f87b-ec1c-4bb3-8615-115e7a527376
COMMEMORATION AND IMPROVEMENT: PARRAMATTA ST JOHN’S CEMETERY, NEW SOUTH WALES, IN ITS CONTEXT 1788−c 1840
Authors: Mytum Harold
Published: July 2020

Parramatta was the second British settlement established in mainland Australia, and for a time was the largest. Its burial ground and monuments, the oldest surviving British cemetery in mainland Australia, provides important evidence for the aspirations, attitudes and practices within this fledgling community. It reveals the role of improvement concepts and practices in popular as well as governmental culture, representing an experiment in secular control over burial decades before the urban non-denominational cemetery first appears in England. The primary chronological focus here is from the foundation of settlement in 1788 to c 1840, by which time free settlers as well as emancipists had transformed Parramatta from a convict settlement into a colonial town.
Creating Canadians through Private Sponsorship
Authors: Haugen Stacey , Lenard Patti Tamara , Regan Wills Emily
Published: July 2020

We investigate how refugee sponsors and sponsorship groups approach their responsibility to “create new Canadians.” We set the stage by reflecting on the history of Canada as an immigrant-receiving, multicultural country, as well as on the role of acculturation attitudes of host community members in establishing the integration environment for newcomers in general. We use findings from nearly 60 interviews with sponsors in the Ottawa area to outline the different approaches that sponsors take. Approaches to sponsorship fall into three general orientations: paternalistic, passive paternalistic and mutualistic. These approaches manifest in the actions that sponsors take during the sponsorship process. In our discussion, we consider the implications of these approaches for the sponsor–refugee relationship, as well as the broader project of Canadian multiculturalism. We argue that mutualistic approaches best demonstrate welcoming acculturation orientations to newcomers, and that they are an important component of supporting privately sponsored refugees to become Canadians.
Belarusian
Authors: Bird Sonya , Litvin Natallia
Published: July 2020

Belarusian (ISO 639-3 BEL) is an Eastern Slavic language spoken by roughly seven million people in the Republic of Belarus (Zaprudski 2007, Census of the Republic of Belarus 2009), a land-locked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest (Figure 1). Within the Belarusian language, the two main dialects are North Eastern and South Western (Avanesaǔ et al. 1963, Lapkoǔskaya 2008, Smolskaya 2011). Two additional regional forms of Belarusian can be distinguished: the Middle Belarusian dialectal group, incorporating some features of North Eastern and South Western dialects together with certain characteristics of its own, and the West-Polesian (or Brest-Pinsk) dialectal group. The latter group is more distinct linguistically from the other Belarusian dialects and is in many respects close to the Ukrainian language (Lapkoǔskaya 2008, Smolskaya 2011). The focus of this illustration is Standard Belarusian, which is based on Middle Belarusian speech varieties. For details on the phonetic differences across dialects, the reader is referred to Avanesaǔ et al. (1963) and Lapkoǔskaya (2008).
The city of Hartapu: results of the Türkmen-Karahöyük Intensive Survey Project
Authors: Osborne James F. , Massa Michele , Şahin Fatma , Erpehlivan Hüseyin , Bachhuber Christoph
Published: July 2020

The Türkmen-Karahöyük Intensive Survey Project (TISP) has identified the archaeological site of Türkmen-Karahöyük on the Konya plain as a previously unknown Iron Age capital city in the western region of Tabal. Surface collections and newly discovered inscriptional evidence indicate that this city is the early first-millennium royal seat of ‘Great King Hartapu’, long known from the enigmatic monuments of nearby Kizildağ and Karadağ. In addition to demonstrating this Iron Age city's existence, supported principally by (1) the site's size at the time and (2) the discovery of a royal inscription authored by Hartapu himself, TISP has documented the site's existence from the Late Chalcolithic period until the late first millennium BCE, with a maximum size reached between the Late Bronze and Iron Age periods, suggesting that the city was at its greatest extent and the regional political centre from at least the late second to the mid-first millennium BCE.
Certification of SRM 640f line position and line shape standard for powder diffraction
Authors: Black David R. , Mendenhall Marcus H. , Henins Albert , Filliben James , Cline James P.
Published: July 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certifies a suite of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) to be used to evaluate specific aspects of the instrument performance of both X-ray and neutron powder diffractometers. This report describes SRM 640f, the seventh generation of this powder diffraction SRM, which is designed to be used primarily for calibrating powder diffractometers with respect to line position; it also can be used for the determination of the instrument profile function. It is certified with respect to the lattice parameter and consists of approximately 7.5 g of silicon powder prepared to minimize line broadening. A NIST-built diffractometer, incorporating many advanced design features, was used to certify the lattice parameter of the Si powder. Both statistical and systematic uncertainties have been assigned to yield a certified value for the lattice parameter at 22.5 °C of a = 0.5431144 ± 0.000008 nm.
Acute rheumatic fever in south-east of Turkey: clinical features and epidemiological evaluation of the patients over the last 25 years
Authors: Erdem Sevcan , Demir Fadli , Ayana Mustafa , Canan Oguz , Okuducu Yankı Kaan , Arslan Alev , Kucukosmanoglu Osman , Özbarlas Nazan
Published: July 2020

This study evaluates clinical and epidemiological features of acute rheumatic fever using the data of last 25 years in our hospital in south-east of Turkey. The medical records of 377 patients with acute rheumatic fever admitted to Pediatric Cardiology Department of Çukurova University during 1993–2017 were retrospectively analysed. Two hundred and six patients were admitted between 1993 and 2000, 91 between 2001 and 2008, and 80 between 2009 and 2017. The largest age group (52%) were between 9 to 12 years of age and approximately two-thirds of the patients presented in the spring and winter seasons (62.8%). Among the major findings, the most common included carditis 83.6% (n = 315), arthritis at 74% (n = 279), Sydenham’s chorea at 13.5% (n = 51), and only two patients (0.5%) had erythema marginatum and two patients (0.5%) had subcutaneous nodule. Carditis was the most common manifestation observed in 315 patients (83.6%). The most commonly affected valve was the mitral valve alone (54.9%), followed by a combined mitral and aortic valves (34%) and aortic valve alone (5.7%). Of the patients with carditis, 48.6% (n = 153) had mild carditis, of which 45 had a subclinical. Sixty-two patients (19.7%) had moderate and 100 patients (31.7%) had severe carditis. At the follow-up, 2 patients died and 16 patients underwent valve surgery. Twenty-eight (7.4%) patients’ valve lesions were completely resolved. Conclusion: Although the incidence of acute rheumatic fever decreased, it still is an important disease that can cause serious increases in morbidity and mortality rates in our country.
Political incentives, Party Congress, and pollution cycle: empirical evidence from China
Authors: Tian Zhihua , Tian Yanfang
Published: July 2020

The political incentives of local officials affect their preferences for policy options. This study examines the impact of the convening cycle of Provincial Communist Party Congresses (PCPCs) in China on pollution emission intensity. Based on the data of 281 cities and city officials from 2003 to 2014, the present study finds strong evidence of a political pollution cycle manifesting as significant increases in pollution emission intensity before PCPCs followed by visible decreases after PCPCs. PCPCs provide city officials with strong political incentives to pursue short-term economic performance before congresses, which leads to a surge in pollution emission intensity. The difference in pollution emission intensity before and after the PCPCs reveals the existence of such political incentives. The findings suggest that a significant relationship exists between the political incentives of city officials and environmental pollution. Therefore, the effective governance of environmental pollution must involve changing the incentive structure of city officials.
TRADE IN HUMAN CAPITAL: A QUANTITATIVE THEORY OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE IMPORT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Authors: Shifa Abdulaziz B.
Published: July 2020

For a developing economy transitioning into knowledge-intensive sectors, the lack of capacity for advanced education poses a natural challenge. Many successfully industrialized countries used high-skilled foreign teachers to overcome this challenge. I present a stylized quantitative model of trade in high-skilled human capital, in which colleges in a developing country can hire high quality teachers from a developed country. In the model, the use of foreign teachers is proposed as a possible mechanism to build domestic capacity for advanced education. Quantitative calibrations of the model show two main results. First, there are significant frictions in human capital trade, as measured by the wedge between the level of human capital observed in the data versus the level simulated under the assumption of no frictions. Removal of the wedge can narrow the average income gap between the USA and other countries by about 14–24%. Second, relative to countries with the lowest and highest incomes, middle-income countries appear to gain the most from removing the wedge.
Micronutrient intake and the probability of nutrient adequacy among children 9–24 months of age: results from the MAL-ED birth cohort study
Authors: Antiporta DA , Ambikapathi R , Bose A , Maciel B , Mahopo TC , Patil C , Turab A , Olortegui MP , Islam M , Bauck A , McCormick BJJ , Caulfield LE ,   MAL-ED Network Investigators
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To estimate the total energy and micronutrient intakes of children 9–24 months of age and evaluate the probability of adequacy (PA) of the diet in seven MAL-ED sites.

Design:

Cohort study. Food intake was registered monthly using 24-h recalls beginning at 9 months. We estimated PA for thirteen nutrients and overall mean PA (MPA) by site and 3-month periods considering estimated breast milk intake.

Setting:

Seven sites in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Participants:

1669 children followed from birth to 24 months of age.

Results:

Median estimated %energy from breast milk ranged from 4 to 70 % at 9–12 months, and declined to 0–39 % at 21–24 months. Iron bioavailability was low for all sites, but many diets were of moderate bioavailability for zinc. PA was optimal for most nutrients in Brazil and South Africa, except for iron and vitamin E (both), calcium and zinc (South Africa). PA for zinc increased only for children consuming a diet with moderate bioavailability. MPA increased 12–24 months as the quantity of complementary foods increased; however, PA for vitamin A remained low in Bangladesh and Tanzania. PA for vitamins D and E and iron was low for most sites and age groups.

Conclusions:

MPA increased from 12 to 24 months as children consumed higher quantities of food, while nutrient density remained constant for most nutrients. Ways to increase the consumption of foods containing vitamins D, E and A, and calcium are needed, as are ways to increase the bioavailability of iron and zinc.
Structure of Carbon Dioxide Crystals (Martian Snow) as Observed in TEM Replicas and Low Temperature SEM Images
Authors: Wergin W P , Foster J L , Chang A T C , Hall D K , Rango A , Erbe E F
Published: July 2020

Earth and Mars are the only planets in our solar system having polar ice caps that expand and contract in response to changes in the seasons. On Earth, the polar caps are composed of water-ice (snow crystals). Whereas, on Mars the extreme low temperatures at the polar cap regions result in the precipitation of CO2 ice (Martian snow) in addition to water-ice. Viking spacecraft have recorded various spectral data on this CO2 mantle and the transmission spectra for solid CO2 have been measured in the laboratory; however, little is known about the structural features of the crystals. Because previous studies have shown that low temperature SEM could be used to image structural variation of snow crystals34 and because data on the structure of CO2 crystals are needed to develop scattering and emission models of CO2 ice, we have attempted to image CO2 crystals.

Freeze-etch replicas were made from frozen-fractured plasma membranes of yeast cells that were used as a substrate for CO2 crystal growth.
Automated Montaging HVEM Tomography of Large Cellular Volumes
Authors: Mastronarde D N , Marsh B J , Otegui M
Published: July 2020

We have developed methods for generating tomographic reconstructions of large cellular volumes efficiently and at relatively high resolution. One key component of these methods is the ability to capture images from our high voltage electron microscope (HVEM) with a sensitive lenscoupled CCD camera. to overcome the limited resolution and field of view of this 1k × 1K camera, we have used the image shift capability of the HVEM to develop automatic montaging of images from an array of positions, with about 10% overlap between adjacent positions. We have also developed automatic repositioning and autofocusing after each tilt of the specimen, so that it is now possible to acquire single-frame or montaged images at a series of tilt angles, with no operator intervention. with these capabilities, up to 2 GB of image data can be acquired in a single session.

Tilt series are processed with the IMOD software package developed in our laboratory, which now runs on a PC under Linux, as well as on SGI computers. Several features are notable for working with large data sets.
Electron Crystallography of a Small Membrane-Bound Enzyme, Microsomal Glutathione Transferase
Authors: Hebert Hans , Schmidt-Krey Ingeborg , Mitsuoka Kaoru , Hirai Teruhisa , Murata Kazuyoshi , Cheng Yifan , Fujiyoshi Yoshinori , Morgenstern Ralf
Published: July 2020

Microsomal glutathione transferase 1, MGST1, belongs to a recently characterised superfamily named MAPEG (membrane associated proteins in eicosanoid and glutathione metabolism) which has evolved divergent functions to protect against reactive lipid intermediates (lipid hydroperoxides and hydroxyalkenals) or indeed harness these molecules for key physiological functions (leukotrienes and prostaglandins). The most thoroughly studied member of this superfamily is MGST1 which is an abundant detoxication enzyme displaying both glutathione transferase and peroxidase activities.

The MGST1 monomer has a molecular mass of 17.5 kD and three to four transmembrane regions can be localized from hydropathy plots (Fig. 1). One transmembrane stretch was shown by trypsin cleavage to be situated between lysine-4 and lysine-41 with the N-terminal on the lumenal side of the membrane. The active site is located on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum.
ATP-Dependent Conformational Changes and Translocation of Substrates in Clpap Protease as Revealed by Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Authors: Ishikawa Takashi , Beuron Fabienne , Kessel Martin , Wickner Sue , Maurizi Michael R , Steven Alasdair C
Published: July 2020

ClpAP, an ATP-dependent protease of E. coli, recognizes and unfolds protein substrates via ClpA, its chaperonelike ATPase component, and digests them in ClpP, its protease component. ClpA forms hexameric rings with a two-layered structure, and stacks axially on either face of the double heptameric rings of ClpP. Protein substrates can bind to ClpAP in the presence of ATPγS, which is not hydrolyzed by ClpA, but are not degraded unless ATP is added. This property makes it possible to synchronize degradation in vitro by forming enzymesubstrate complexes in the presence of ATPγS and then adding ATP to trigger subsequent steps. We have used image averaging of electron micrographs of frozen hydrated and negatively stained specimens to characterize interactions of ClpA and ClpAP complexes with the model substrate, bacteriophage P1 protein, RepA.
Quaternary Polymorphism in Helicases and the DnaB.DnaC Complex
Authors: Donate LE , Bárcena M , Llorca O , Dixon N , Carazo JM
Published: July 2020

Strand separation in double stranded DNA is achieved in vivo by a class of enzymes called helicases in a process fuelled by hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates. DnaB is the major replicative helicase in E.coli. For chromosomal replication to initiate, DnaB needs to interact with a partner protein, namely DnaC, which after properly loading DnaB onto the DNA template at the origin of replication is subsequently released from the complex. DnaB turns to be functionally active as a helicase only after DnaC has been released from the complex. The native DnaB is a homohexamer of molecular weight 318 kD. In the presence of ATP and Mg2+, the hexameric DnaB has been shown to form a complex with six molecules of DnaC (total molecular weight of the complex: 480 kD).

The reconstructed 3D volume of the DnaB hexamer obtained from frozen-hydrated specimens showed the DnaB oligomer as a particle possessing three-fold rather than six-fold symmetry, despite DnaB being made up by six identical subunits.
Three Dimensional Immuno-Localization of Green Fluorescent Protein Chimeras Using Rapid Freezing and Freeze-Substitution
Authors: Morphew Mary , Mastronarde David , O'Toole Eileen , Ladinsky Mark , Marsh Brad , Kahana Jason , Richard Mcintosh J
Published: July 2020

All microscopy is limited by the quality of the specimen under study. Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of antigen localization using the electron microscope (EM) is particularly challenging due to the need to maintain the activity of some epitopes while preserving cellular ultrastructure. We have used rapid freezing to immobilize all cellular constituents almost instantaneously. Freeze-substitution of the frozen samples was used to stabilize the specimen and to accomplish low-temperature dehydration, minimizing perturbation of cellular structure. We have found that high pressure freezing, double jet freezing and plunge freezing are all useful for achieving high quality structural preservation for some cell types or for particular applications. For immunolocalization, we have had most success freeze-substituting into acetone containing 0.2% glutaraldehyde and 0.1 % uranyl acetate. We have utilized low-temperature acrylic embedding resins, Lowicryl HM20 and LRGold, to further maintain structure and decrease protein insolubility. Both of these resins have proven suitable for cutting serial thin sections.
Oxidative Stress and Lipid Peroxides in the Retina of the BBZ/WOR Diabetic Rat: An Ultrastructural Cytochemical Study
Authors: Ann Ellis E , Guberski Dennis L , Grant Maria B , Armstrong Donald
Published: July 2020

Biochemical studies have documented a role for oxidative stress in complications of diabetes. Our previous cytochemical and immunocytochemical studies demonstrated increased levels of NADH oxidase in retinal endothelial cells and pericytes of the BBZ/Wor diabetic rat which coincided with disruption of the blood retinal barrier. Lipid peroxidation and damage to outer segments was demonstrated in retinas of a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes. Xanthine oxidase has been proposed as a source of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in oxidative stress mediated complications of diabetes; however, there are no studies which confirm the role and cellular sites of xanthine oxidase in complications of diabetes. In addition, cellular sites of lipid peroxides have not been documented in diabetic retinopathy.

Xanthine oxidase was localized in retinas of BBZ/Wor diabetic rat by cerium based histochemistry using hypoxanthine and NADH as substrates.
Microstructure of Plasma-Nitrided 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Jiang JC , Meletis EI
Published: July 2020

Austenitic stainless steels plasma-nitrided at low temperature can have a tremendously improved surface hardness without affecting their excellent corrosion resistance. The surface layer of these nitrided materials was considered to be composed of an uncharacterized, so called “S-phase”. During the past decade, several research groups have studied “S” phase using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), but its microstructure is not yet well understood and is still a topic of debate. In this paper, we characterize the microstructure of 316 stainless steel nitrided by intensified plasma-assisted processing (IPAP) using cross-sectional TEM.

Samples of 316 austenitic stainless steel were nitrided for 1 hour by IPAP at a temperature of ∼ 400 °C. Plasma-nitrided samples were cross-sectioned and glued face-to-face by joining the nitrided surface. Crosssectional specimens for TEM observations were prepared by mechanical grinding, polishing and dimpling followed by Ar+ milling. TEM studies were carried out in a newly installed JEOL JEM 2010 electron microscope in the Materials Characterization Facility at the Louisiana State University.
3D-Morphometry of the Microvascular Architecture in Normal Human Tissues, Precanceroses, and Primary Tumors: Quantitative Corrosion Casting Studies
Authors: Konerding M A , Malkusch W , Fait E , Gaumann A
Published: July 2020

The important question as to whether the vascular architecture of an individual tumor is tumor type specific has been controversial. We have recently shown using a simple and accurate technique for 3D-measurements in microcorrosion casts that at least experimental tumors develop a characteristic vascular network. There is strong evidence that the basic vascular architecture is determined by the tumor cells themselves. However, for human primary tumors and their metastases as well as their possible precanceroses no data are available until today.

Therefore we studied the microvascular architecture of different colorectal carcinomas and adenomas as well as the vascularity of different segments of the colon and rectum. For this, parameters defining the microvascular unit were analysed on 3D reconstructed images as recently described.Comparisons of the quantified parameters within a given segment of the colon as well as group comparisons of all segments did not reveal any significant inter-individual difference.
Identification of Infectious Disease Agents: Unusual and usual Pathogens and the Diagnostic Difficulties they Present
Authors: Humphrey CD
Published: July 2020

“Emergence” of infectious disease agents in humans, domestic animals and wildlife during the past 20 years has been widely described. Perception of emergence derives largely from the application of improved identification methods, including refinements in molecular, serologic, and microscopy technologies that enable researchers to monitor species migration with greater sensitivity. The reality of emergence comes from shifts in genetic profiles and from influences of ecological changes often brought about by human interventions designed for economic or quality-of-life gains, and ecologic management. CDC has frequent involvement with many outbreaks caused by various infectious disease agents, some of which may be considered emerging. Notable unusual agents include filoviruses (Fig. 1) and hantaviruses (Fig. 2). More typically encountered agents include caliciviruses (Fig. 3) and influenza viruses (Fig. 4). Recently, threats of national and international bioterrorism have added to CDC's responsibilities for prompt identification of infectious agents.
Use of Cryosem and Confocal LSM to Study Pathogenesis: The Septoria Tritici Blotch Pathosystem
Authors: Duncan Keith E , Howard Richard J
Published: July 2020

Low temperature, low voltage field emission scanning electron microscopy (cryoSEM) allows brilliant imaging of superbly preserved biological material without suffering the specimen destruction inherent in conventional SEM techniques. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) allows observation of fluorescence-labeling within host tissues, utilizing the optical sectioning capability of the CLSM to construct composite stereo images of specimens in three dimensions. These technologies were invaluable in elucidating the septoria tritici blotch infection process on wheat, caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola (anamorph Septoria tritici).

Seedlings inoculated with M. graminicola were incubated for the first 48 h in a dew chamber with constant misting, 20°C days and 16°C nights, then transferred to a growth chamber under the same temperature conditions at 90% RH until development of mature pycnidia, visible macroscopically at 11 days post-inoculation. Samples for cryoSEM were attached to specimen blocks with Histo Prep (Fischer Scientific, Orangeburg, NY) and frozen by plunging blocks into liquid nitrogen slush.
Identification of a Crystalline Drug Metabolite in Tissue Sections using Microscopy and Maldi-MS
Authors: Fagerland J , Miesbauer L , Burton R , Seiler F , Neilly J , Hickman D , Buko A , Leal J
Published: July 2020

Development of a potential drug candidate was discontinued when rats treated with the compound developed severe renal toxicity after one week of daily dosing. Tubular degeneration in the kidney was accompanied by deposition of large amounts of crystalline material, which was also present in spleen and pancreas (Fig. 1). It was presumed that the crystals were precipitated parent drug or one of its metabolites. Using microscopy and mass spectrometry, it was confirmed that the crystals were indeed derived from the drug and not endogenously formed; in addition, the precise metabolite that had precipitated in the tissues was identified, providing clues to the metabolic pathways involved.

Frozen sections of phosphate-buffered formaldehyde-fixed kidney, pancreas, and spleen were evaluated by polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). For reference, crystals of the trifluoroacetate salt of the parent drug were also analyzed using these methods.
Self-Organized Sb-Based Quantum Dots Studied by Means of AFM, TEM and PL
Authors: Möck P , Booker GR , Alphandery E , Mason NJ , Nicholas RJ
Published: July 2020

There is currently an increasing interest in the growth and characterisation of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) for potential use in opto-electronic devices. Heteroepitaxy in the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode is thought to be one of the most promising routes towards the fabrication of such QDs. Little work has been done so far to extend the range of wavelength at which potential QD based opto-electronic devises might work into the middle infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The aim of this paper is to expand on our previous reports on such work and to present new experimental observations concerning the formation of InSb rich QDs in GaSb and InAs matrices. Preliminary results on GaSb rich islands on GaAs are also given for comparison purposes. All samples were grown by metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy on nominal (001) GaAs and GaSb substrates at susceptor temperatures ranging from 460 to 545 °C.