bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persia in German Baroque literature—Sa‘dī’s Rose Garden and Adam Olearius’s embassy to Persia
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: February 2021

Despite renewed efforts to establish world literature, most of the presently available theoretical models do not provide solid concepts as to the meaning and relevance of this approach. After a critical review of recent publications, this article analyzes a unique and most revealing case, the reception of medieval Persian literature (Sa‘dī) through translations into European languages beginning in the seventeenth century, primarily by the German diplomat, traveler, librarian, philologist, and linguist Adam Olearius. Here we can observe what truly constitutes world literature, with Sa‘dī serving as a major literary inspiration for early modern reflections on virtues and vices, relevant also for Western audiences. He was not a Christian, but the poet’s truly noble ideals were to have a deep impression on his future readers in East and West, especially since the early modern age.
Cephalic vein access by modified Seldinger technique for lead implantations
Authors: Rademakers Leonard M. , Bracke Frank A.
Published: February 2021

Background

Venous access for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) is commonly performed by cephalic venous cut down, or axillary or subclavian vein puncture. The latter technique carries a risk of complications such as pneumothorax or lead crush. Cephalic venous cut down is free of these complications but often less successful due to technical difficulties. We report a highly successful, simplified cephalic venous access with a modified Seldinger technique.

Methods

We prospectively studied 221 patients undergoing de novo implantation of a one, two, or three lead device system performed over a 1‐year period at our center, and assessed the efficacy of the cephalic vein access including the number of leads successfully placed for each procedure.

Results

In 83% of patients undergoing CIED implantation, a suitable cephalic vein was present. In respectively 98% and 99% of patients undergoing single‐ or dual‐chamber CIED implantation, lead placement could be performed exclusively via the cephalic vein and in 72% of cardiac resynchronization therapy implants, all three leads were placed via cephalic access.

Conclusion

A novel, technically simple cephalic venous catheterization technique provides high success rates for any CIED lead implantation.
Youth Migration Decisions in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Satellite‐Based Empirical Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Amare Mulubrhan , Abay Kibrom A. , Arndt Channing , Shiferaw Bekele
Published: February 2021

This article examines the implications of urban growth on youth migration decisions in Nigeria. We use night light intensity data combined with Living Standards Measurement Study‐Integrated Surveys on Agriculture data, as an indicator of urban growth and associated economic opportunities. Employing alternative econometric approaches that exploit the spatial and temporal differences in urban growth as proxied by night light intensity, we find that urban growth in potential migrant destinations encourages youth migration. We also find heterogeneous responses to urban growth among various groups of youth as well as varying responses to different types of migration. Broadly, women and those youth with more education are more likely to migrate, while those in households with livestock are less likely to migrate. Often, however, the effects are complex and varied. For example, land and physical asset ownership encourage temporary migration; but greater land ownership discourages permanent migration, while physical assets have insignificant effects. Our results from Nigeria show that policy makers concerned about rural–urban youth exodus should adopt a differentiated, in terms of targets, and multidimensional policy approach to reap the benefits of urbanization while avoiding its negative consequences.
Statistics in quality improvement: Measurement and statistical process control
Authors: Wolfe Heather A. , Taylor April , Subramanyam Rajeev
Published: February 2021

Data are used in healthcare quality improvement endeavors to measure and determine whether the changes made in the course of the work have made the desired impact. The methods used to analyze data in quality improvement differ slightly from those used in classical statistics. Run charts and statistical process control charts are the most common types of graphical representations used to visualize data collected for quality improvement. This review provides a basic introduction to measurement in quality improvement and explains the use of run charts and statistical process control charts with real‐life examples.
Engaging high school students about organ donation and transplantation: an evaluation of the High School Outreach Initiative (HSOI) program
Authors: Selvanathan Cynthia , Famure Olusegun , Batoy Benedict , Cocco Anna , So Stephanie , Breckbill Kathryn , Meliton Galo , Norgate Andrea , Kim Sang Joseph , Ng Vicky Lee
Published: February 2021

Adolescents can be influential in changing societal perceptions of organ donation and transplantation (ODT) but current studies on youth are limited. We sought to (1) assess the baseline knowledge in ODT among students in Toronto, Canada, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the High School Outreach Initiative (HSOI) program presentations in changing awareness and interest about ODT. Pre‐ and post‐presentation surveys were administered to high school students about their knowledge of ODT, awareness of donor registration, importance of donation, intent to register, and willingness to talk to their families about donation. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the students’ baseline knowledge and interest. Wilcoxon and McNemar tests were used to analyze changes in perceptions before and after the presentation. A total of 449 HSOI presentations were delivered to 33,090 students at 102 high schools in the Greater Toronto Area between 2012 and 2019. Data from 3327 surveys completed by students before a presentation showed 46.5% were not knowledgeable about ODT. For the 2‐year period between 2017 and 2019, 1224 matched pre‐ and post‐presentation surveys were collected. The 49.8% of students who stated they were not knowledgeable about ODT prior to the presentation decreased to 3.8% after (p < 0.001). Those who were not willing to register decreased by half after the presentation (p < 0.001). The HSOI is an effective educational program in improving youth's attitudes and perceptions toward ODT. Further directions of the program include the expansion to other cities and the collection of demographic information of students.
Opioid painkiller dependence in a sample of elderly medical inpatients
Authors: Chiappini Stefania , Schifano Fabrizio , Martinotti Giovanni , Strasser Johanna C. , Bonnet Udo , Scherbaum Norbert
Published: February 2021

Background

Over the past few years, there has been a growing concern about prescription opioid misuse and dependence in the elderly. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of previous and current prescription opioid dependence among elderly medical inpatients recruited from a large German hospital.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study analyzed a cohort of inpatients aged 65 years and older who were assessed with a structured clinical interview. Levels of past and current dependence on opioids benzodiazepines, hypnotics, and non‐opioid analgesics were assessed.

Results

Of 2108 elderly inpatients admitted to the hospital during a 6‐month period, 400 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate to the survey. Among these 400 subjects, 43 (10.8%) presented with a dependence on opioid analgesics, including 41 with current dependence and 22 (51.2%) with a de novo condition. Addiction severity was considered mild in 65.1% of cases and severe in 11.6% of cases. Tilidine and oxycodone were the most typically reported molecules.

Conclusions

Further research is warranted, to better understand the possible risk factors of prescription drug misuse, abuse, and addiction in this vulnerable population. Clinicians should be updated and informed regarding both prescription medication misuse potential and safe prescribing practices in the elderly.
A systematic review of atypical Alzheimer's disease including behavioural and psychological symptoms
Authors: Shea Yat‐Fung , Pan Yining , Mak Henry Ka‐Fung , Bao Yiwen , Lee Shui‐Ching , Chiu Patrick Ka‐Chun , Chan Hon‐Wai Felix
Published: February 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest cause of dementia, characterized by the clinical presentation of progressive anterograde episodic memory impairment. However, atypical presentation of patients is increasingly recognized. These atypical AD include logopenic aphasia, behavioural variant AD, posterior cortical atrophy, and corticobasal syndrome. These atypical AD are more common in patients with young onset AD before the age of 65 years old. Since medical needs (including the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia) of atypical AD patients could be different from typical AD patients, it is important for clinicians to be aware of these atypical forms of AD. In addition, disease modifying treatment may be available in the future. This review aims at providing an update on various important subtypes of atypical AD including behavioural and psychological symptoms.
How to save the world during a pandemic event. A case study of frugal innovation
Authors: Vesci Massimiliano , Feola Rosangela , Parente Roberto , Radjou Navi
Published: February 2021

COVID‐19 has been the most important pandemic that hit the world in the last century. An overwhelming number of initiatives aimed to save lives and protect humanity came out especially at the beginning of the health crisis, following an outside the box approach to address relevant R&D problems. Digital makers, not surprisingly, have been part of the game. Being masters in using digital technologies for customized products, and being strategically fitted to cope with the imperative to be fast, many of the players on the front line to fight the pandemic have looked at them as the ‘providers next to the door’ able to offer fast solutions to critical problems. Based on these premises and adopting frugal innovation as theoretical base, the aim of the study is to analyze how digital makers have taken part in R&D processes to find solutions to the problems created by an exogenous and unexpected sanitary problem. Through an in‐depth case study, we provide insights on if and how frugal approach to innovation is adapt to cope with the extraordinary pressure coming from event like the COVID‐19. The results of the study highlight the power of connecting frugal innovation principles, agile mindset of makers and open innovation strategies in providing effective solutions on a local scale and eventually exploit their potential global impact. Furthermore, we highlight implications and pathways for future researches.
Repurposing without purpose? Early innovation responses to the COVID‐19 crisis: Evidence from clinical trials
Authors: Hanisch Marvin , Rake Bastian
Published: February 2021

The novel coronavirus has created one of the biggest social and economic challenges in recent decades. Since a critical issue in overcoming a large‐scale pandemic involves finding effective treatments for the disease, there is typically urgent pressure on the health‐care sector to develop innovations to combat the pandemic. Recently, scholars have argued that repurposing – that is, reusing an existing innovation in a different context – allows for such rapid innovation responses and can reduce costs, as the groundwork has already been laid. In this paper, we compare these benefits with the considerable disadvantages associated with innovation repurposing, including lowered barriers to entry, which can lead to declining average quality and duplicate work. Using data on 2,456 COVID‐19‐related clinical trials initiated between December 2019 and July 2020, we find that merely one‐third of the trials actually investigated drugs or vaccines, whereas the rest focused on diagnostics and crisis management issues. In the trials concerning drug testing, we find that drug repurposing is a predominant innovation strategy, but many trials tested the same (combination of) drugs. This indicates an inefficient use of resources and reductions in the average variety and novelty of clinical trials. Furthermore, the small percentage of biopharmaceutical firms involved in the search for COVID‐19 treatments raises the question of whether firms may have insufficient incentives to redirect innovation efforts to respond to the pandemic. Our paper contributes to crisis management research, the nascent debate on COVID‐19, and the emerging literature on innovation repurposing.
Thoracic ultrasound as a predictor of pleurodesis success at the time of indwelling pleural catheter removal
Authors: Chaddha Udit , Agrawal Abhinav , Bhavani Sivasubramanium V. , Sivertsen Kimberly , Donington D. Jessica , Ferguson Mark K. , Murgu Septimiu
Published: February 2021

Background and objective

IPC in patients with MPE are removed within 3 months in 30–58% of cases, usually due to decreased pleural fluid output as a result of pleurodesis. Disease control can also account for the lack of fluid output, potentially explaining why 4–14% of patients undergo repeat pleural intervention for fluid re‐accumulation (at the time of disease recurrence or progression). The aim of our pilot study is to determine the accuracy of thoracic ultrasound (TUS) in predicting pleurodesis success in patients with MPE at the time of IPC removal.

Methods

This is a single‐centre, prospective observational cohort study that enrolled consecutive patients with confirmed MPE treated with IPC at the time of IPC removal. TUS was performed to calculate a PAS. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 3 months. Failure was defined as pleural fluid recurrence within 3 months.

Results

Twenty‐seven patients were screened and 25 were included in the final analysis. Pleurodesis success was observed in 88% (n = 22) and failure in 12% (n = 3) of patients. The mean PAS was higher in patients with pleurodesis success (22.0 vs 9.3, P = 0.01). A PAS greater than 10 predicted pleurodesis success with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86%.

Conclusion

This pilot study suggests that TUS at the time of IPC removal accurately identifies patients who have achieved pleurodesis and therefore will not have re‐accumulation of pleural effusion or require an ipsilateral pleural intervention for at least 3 months post‐IPC removal.
Exploring Scientists’ Values by Analyzing How They Frame Nature and Uncertainty
Authors: Vazquez Marco , McIlroy‐Young Bronwyn , Steel Daniel , Giang Amanda , Öberg Gunilla
Published: February 2021

Several scholars have proposed that values embedded in science are a central reason why more research does not necessarily resolve scientific controversies around complex environmental issues. In the Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, scientists have positioned themselves for and against the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in a debate framed as purely technical. This study explores the link between the scientists’ positions in the debate and the way they, in their scientific publications, portray nature and environmental risks. We performed a qualitative content analysis of peer‐reviewed publications by scientists who have publicly taken opposing positions in the controversy. We found that scientists against treatment predominantly frame nature as tolerant, up to a limit, to disturbances and potential risks, and they seem to embrace a view of science as capable of reducing uncertainties. In contrast, scientists in favor of treatment predominantly portray nature as fragile, particularly toward human‐mobilized environmental risks and they commonly present scientific uncertainty as worrisome based on potentially harmful consequences. Our study suggests that value‐laden perspectives impact scientists’ positions even in a seemingly technical controversy.
Systemic Cyber Risk and Aggregate Impacts
Authors: Welburn Jonathan W. , Strong Aaron M.
Published: February 2021

With some of the largest cyber attacks occurring in recent years—from 2010 to 2019—we are only beginning to understand the full extent of cyber risk. As businesses grapple with the risks of cyber‐incidents and their imperfect ability to prevent them, attention has shifted toward risk management and insurance. While there have been efforts to understand the costs of cyber attacks, the systemic risk—a result of risks spreading across interdependent systems—associated with cyber attacks remains a critical and problem in need of further study. We contribute a theoretical framework that describes systemic cyber risk as the result of cascading, common cause, or independent failures following a cyber incident. We construct a quantitative model of cascading failures to estimate the potential economic damage associated with a given cyber incident. We present an interdisciplinary approach for extending standard sector‐level input–output analyses to the cyber domain, which has not been done. We estimate the aggregate losses associated with firm‐level incidents, a contribution to risk analysis and computational economic modeling. We use this model to estimate the impact of potential cyber incidents and compare model results to a case with known damages. Finally, we use the model of systemic cyber failure to consider the implications on the growing cyber insurance market and the need for broader cyber policy. While we discuss the topic of systemic cyber risk, our contribution of using I/O analysis to estimate the aggregate losses from firm‐level incidents is applicable across a variety of risk analysis applications from environment to health.
Does agricultural trade liberalization increase obesity in developing countries?
Authors: Mary Sébastien , Stoler Avraham
Published: February 2021

Agricultural trade liberalization has been sometimes accused of being one of the main causes of increasing obesity and overweight in developing countries. However, there is no consensus on the impacts of trade on obesity in the literature. We estimate the impacts of agricultural trade openness on the prevalence of obesity and overweight using a sample of 70 developing countries between 1990 and 2013. We find that a 1% increase in agricultural trade openness would decrease obesity prevalence by 0.5%. We find similar results for the prevalence of overweight. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. Our findings suggest that long‐term health concerns related to overnutrition associated with agricultural trade liberalization in developing countries are overstated. Public health interventions should target domestic causes behind overnutrition rather than trade policies and agreements.
Leader emotion regulation, leader‐member exchange (LMX), and followers’ task performance
Authors: Moin Muhammad Farrukh , Wei Feng , Weng Qingxiong (Derek) , Ahmad Bodla Ali
Published: February 2021

Drawing on Social Exchange theory, we investigated the direct link between leaders’ emotion regulation strategies (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) and follower task performance. In addition, we investigated the indirect link between leaders’ emotion regulation strategies and follower task performance via leader‐member exchange (LMX). Using survey data (N = 301) from the banking industry, we found that leader surface acting only has an indirect negative relationship with follower task performance via LMX, while leader deep acting has both a direct and an indirect positive relationship with follower task performance. The result showed that leader emotion regulation strategies perform a key role in enhancing/damaging LMX and that leaders need to be vigilant regarding their own emotional behaviors. That is, they can develop positive relationships with their followers by employing deep acting but that surface acting damages their relationship with followers. Implications of this study, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Sociological perspectives on artificial intelligence: A typological reading
Authors: Liu Zheng
Published: February 2021

Interest in applying sociological tools to analysing the social nature, antecedents and consequences of artificial intelligence (AI) has been rekindled in recent years. However, for researchers new to this field of enquiry, navigating the expansive literature can be challenging. This paper presents a practical way to help these researchers to think about, search and read the literature more effectively. It divides the literature into three categories. Research in each category is informed by one analytic perspective and analyses one “type” of AI. Research informed by the “scientific AI” perspective analyses “AI” as a science or scientific research field. Research underlain by the “technical AI” perspective studies “AI” as a meta‐technology and analyses its various applications and subtechnologies. Research informed by the “cultural AI” perspective views AI development as a social phenomenon and examines its interactions with the wider social, cultural, economic and political conditions in which it develops and by which it is shaped. These analytic perspectives reflect the evolution of “AI” from chiefly a scientific research subject during the twentieth century to a widely commercialised innovation in recent decades and increasingly to a distinctive socio‐cultural phenomenon today.
Space, time, and urban citizenship: Reconsidering migrant integration in critical social psychological research
Authors: Zisakou Anastasia , Figgou Lia
Published: February 2021

During the last decade critical social psychologists have developed an interest in studying locational dimensions of intergroup relations and temporal aspects of social identity. At the same time critical social psychological research on acculturation has emphatically stressed the dynamic and situated nature of the processes of migrant integration and/or exclusion. Building on these strands of research, the present paper argues that spatial/temporal aspects of migrant integration need to be further explored and their critical social psychological study could benefit by insights from the interdisciplinary field of urban studies. Specifically, the notion of urban citizenship can enable an actor‐centered, bottom‐up perspective in the research of integration, considering it as part of the process of “becoming local” rather than as a process of interaction between homogenous ethnic groups. Furthermore, emphasis on the local and temporal dimensions of appropriating (or being excluded from) urban/community resources can contribute to a multifaceted and situated dynamic approach to migration, to avoid reified conceptualizations of integration, to highlight the discontinuities and disruptions that characterize new mobilities and to question binary oppositions between receiving and sending societies and host and guest populations.
Local Weather Effects: Perception of Climate Change and Public Support for Government Intervention
Authors: Kim Jeong Hyun , Seo Min Hee , Sinclair Betsy
Published: February 2021

Objective

This article examines how people's lived experience of local weather might influence climate policy preferences in the presence of strong partisan bias.

Methods

Using a comprehensive dataset combining four‐wave panel survey responses from U.S. residents over three years with geocoded data on their local weather experience, we evaluate the impacts of local weather variations on beliefs about climate change, risk perceptions of climate change, and climate policy preferences. The panel structure of our data allows us to causally identify how one's actual experience of weather modifies climate change opinions over time.

Results

We find that both long‐ and short‐term unusual local weather experiences change individuals' climate change opinions and preferences on climate change policy.

Conclusion

One's lived experience alters beliefs in climate change, risk perceptions of climate change, and preferences for government climate policy even in the context of strong partisan bias.
Identification of the novel HLA‐A*68:100 allele by PCR‐SBT in a Chinese bone marrow donor
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Guo Zhiqiang , Wu Kangle , Tang Zhaohui , Li Guoying
Published: February 2021

The novel HLA‐A*68:100 allele differs from HLA‐A*68:01:02:01 by one nucleotide substitution in exon 3 at position 371.
High‐throughput detection of antibodies targeting the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike in longitudinal convalescent plasma samples
Authors: Anand Sai Priya , Prévost Jérémie , Richard Jonathan , Perreault Josée , Tremblay Tony , Drouin Mathieu , Fournier Marie‐Josée , Lewin Antoine , Bazin Renée , Finzi Andrés
Published: February 2021

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus is the cause of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, infecting millions of people and causing more than two million deaths. The SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike glycoproteins mediate viral entry and represent the main target for antibody responses. Humoral responses were shown to be important for preventing and controlling infection by coronaviruses. A promising approach to reduce the severity of COVID‐19 is the transfusion of convalescent plasma. However, longitudinal studies revealed that the level of antibodies targeting the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike declines rapidly after the resolution of the infection.

Study Design and Methods

To extend this observation beyond the RBD domain, we performed a longitudinal analysis of the persistence of antibodies targeting the full‐length SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike in the plasma from 15 convalescent donors. We generated a 293T cell line constitutively expressing the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike and used it to develop a high‐throughput flow cytometry‐based assay to detect SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike‐specific antibodies in the plasma of convalescent donors.

Results and Conclusion

We found that the level of antibodies targeting the full‐length SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike declines gradually after the resolution of the infection. This decline was not related to the number of donations but strongly correlated with the decline of RBD‐specific antibodies and the number of days post‐symptom onset. These findings help to better understand the decline of humoral responses against the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike and provide important information on when to collect plasma after recovery from active infection for convalescent plasma transfusion.
Influence of computed tomographic dimensions of the nasopharynx on middle ear effusion and inflammation in pugs and French bulldogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome
Authors: Krainer Dorothee , Dupré Gilles
Published: February 2021

Objective

To compare the prevalence of middle ear abnormalities in pugs and in French bulldogs and evaluate the influence of nasopharyngeal dimensions on middle ear effusion.

Study design

Retrospective study.

Animals

Thirty pugs and 30 French bulldogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome and no known history of ear disease.

Methods

Computed tomographic (CT) studies were reviewed for middle ear effusion, mucosal contrast enhancement, signs of osteitis, and tympanic wall thickness. Soft palate thickness and cross‐sectional areas of the nasopharynx at the opening of the auditory tube were measured and normalized to each individual's skull index before statistical comparison between breeds. Statistical dependence of middle ear abnormalities and nasopharyngeal dimensions was assessed by using Spearman's rank correlation tests.

Results

Middle ear effusion was observed in 17 of 30 (56.7%) French bulldogs and five of 30 (16.7%) pugs. Contrast enhancement of the tympanic bulla was noted in 25 of 60 (41.6%) French bulldog ears and three of 60 (5.0%) pug ears. The cross‐sectional airway dimensions (difference [Δ] = 0.31 cm2, P < .0001) and soft palate thickness (Δ = 0.44 cm, P < .0001) were reduced in pugs compared with in French bulldogs. Weak correlations were detected between soft palate thickness and nasopharyngeal dimensions and presence of tympanic bulla effusion (r = 0.324 and r = 0.198, respectively) or contrast enhancement (r = 0.270 and r = 0.199, respectively).

Conclusion

Middle ear effusion and inflammation were more common in French bulldogs than in pugs and did not seem related to nasopharyngeal dimensions.

Clinical significance

French bulldogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome seem predisposed to middle ear effusion and inflammation.
Assessing the quality of life of people with chronic wounds by using the cross‐culturally valid and revised Wound‐QoL questionnaire
Authors: von Stülpnagel Catharina C. , da Silva Neuza , Augustin Matthias , van Montfrans Catherine , Fife Caroline , Fagerdahl Ann‐Mari , Gamus Alexander , Klein Toni M. , Blome Christine , Sommer Rachel
Published: February 2021

The Wound‐QoL is an often used reliable and valid measure, originally developed in Germany. It has been sequentially translated and validated for other languages/countries, for the measurement of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic wounds. However, a study from the United States postulated its benefits from further adaptations. Furthermore, some patients struggled to provide an answer for some of the items. We aimed to test the cross‐cultural structure and psychometric performance of the questionnaire to suggest necessary revisions. This cross‐sectional analysis of existing data sets included 1185 patients from Germany, the US, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Israel. Patients in the U.S. Wound Registry completed the Wound‐QoL during routine care. Different studies comprised the data collection in the other countries. Almost half of the patients were women (48.4%). Furthermore, 42.6% were diagnosed with leg ulcers. Their average age was 66 years. We used a confirmatory factor analysis and an unconstrained graded response model. We revised and shortened the Wound‐QoL from 17 to 14 items. In addition, we supported the cross‐cultural metric invariance of the revised Wound‐QoL questionnaire. The new version with 14 items and three dimensions revealed good psychometric properties with Cronbach's alpha (α) of 0.913 for the total score, and 0.709–0.907 for different dimensions. Furthermore, we provided strict invariance for different clinical variables. In conclusion, the revised Wound‐QoL is a reliable and cross‐cultural instrument to measure the HRQoL on patients with chronic wounds. Future studies should analyse the revised Wound‐QoL for convergent validity with generic HRQoL questionnaires as well as for determining its sensitivity to clinical change.
Congruence between molecular and morphological systematics of Alpine non‐biting midges (Chironomidae, Diamesinae)
Authors: Lencioni Valeria , Rodriguez‐Prieto Ana , Allegrucci Giuliana
Published: February 2021

In mountain regions, climate change is resulting in glacial retreat, causing biodiversity loss in glacial‐fed streams (kryal habitat). Diamesa species (Diptera Chironomidae), the main colonizers of the kryal in the Alps, are the aquatic insects more threatened by extinction. In recent years, DNA barcoding was successfully adopted to delimit species of chironomids and provided species identification. We highlighted that for the Diamesa genus, inconsistencies remain between identification on a morphological and molecular basis, mainly within cinerella and zernyi groups, raising doubts about the validity of head colour as a good diagnostic taxonomic character. Molecular phylogeny reconstruction based on mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II) and one nuclear (ribosomal 18S rRNA) markers revealed that D. bohemani and D. zernyi on one hand, and D. cinerella and D. tonsa on the other hand, represent populations of the same species. Divergence times suggested that the radiation of these alpine species seems to have been driven by the climatic events with the alternation of glacial periods that happened in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. The initial separation of the oriental species D. steinboecki seems to be due to the tectonic movements of the Periadriatic fault system that probably favoured the emergence of lakes and streams, successively colonized by D. steinboecki. This study raises important concerns, from the validity of diagnostic characters used today to identify larval types up to the uncertainty about how many species of Diamesa inhabit the European Alps and what their fate will be within the scenario of climate change.
Effects of hypoxia on the respiratory and metabolic responses to progressive cooling in newborn rodents that range in heterothermic expression
Authors: Dzal Yvonne A. , Milsom William K.
Published: February 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Adult homeotherms and heterotherms differ in cold and hypoxia tolerance and in how they match O2 supply and demand in response to these stressors. It has never been ascertained whether these differences reflect different developmental trajectories or whether they are already present at birth.

What is the main finding and its importance?

When exposed to cold and hypoxia, newborn rodents differed in how they matched O2 supply and demand, with responses reflecting the degree of heterothermic expression and tolerance. Our findings indicate that elements of the adult phenotype are already present at birth.

There are physiological differences in how adult rodents regulate O2 supply and O2 demand when exposed to hypoxia in the cold. We examined whether these differences reflect divergent developmental trajectories of homeotherms and heterotherms or whether the differences are already present at birth. We exposed newborn rodents (0–4 days old) that ranged in heterothermic expression [a homeotherm, the rat (Rattus norvegicus); two facultative heterotherms, the mouse (Mus musculus) and the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus); and an obligate heterotherm, the ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)] to either normoxia (21% O2) or hypoxia (7% O2) and measured their metabolic, thermoregulatory and ventilatory responses while progressively reducing the ambient temperature from 33 to 15°C. All newborns reduced their body temperature, O2 consumption rate and ventilation during progressive cooling, both in normoxia and in hypoxia. When progressively cooled in hypoxia, however, the homeothermic rats exhibited the greatest thermogenic response, depressed their O2 consumption rate the least and increased ventilation the most. In contrast, the obligate heterotherm, the ground squirrel, did not mount a thermogenic response, exhibited the greatest reduction in O2 consumption rate and increased O2 uptake not by increasing ventilation like the rat, but by extracting ≤80% of the O2 from each breath. Facultative heterotherms (mice and hamsters) exhibited responses in between these two extreme phenotypes. We conclude that even as newborns, homeotherms and heterotherms diverge in how they match O2 supply and O2 demand when progressively cooled in hypoxia, with responses reflecting the degree of heterothermic expression, in addition to reported hypoxia and cold tolerance.
A Computationally Low-Cost Method for Capturing Airframe Flexibility Effects in Landing Dynamic Simulations
Authors: Stachiw Terrin , Khouli Fidel , Langlois Robert G. , Afagh Fred F. , Ricciardi Joseph
Published: February 2021

Airframe flexibility effects have typically been captured by modal reduction of the airframe. Although efficient, this model may still be prohibitively expensive for preliminary design studies. This paper employs time- and frequency-domain system identification techniques to form a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem to identify equivalent transfer functions representing airframe flexibility effects. Pareto-optimal sets are first identified for an equivalent transfer function of a force element between the landing gear (LG) attachment point and the center of gravity (CG) of a 150-passenger regional jet, and a second transfer function from the input LG force to the cockpit acceleration. The reduced models demonstrate the ability to generally capture flexibility effects with reduced computation times. The combination of time-domain and frequency-domain information ensures the positive time-history matches while the model remains physically realizable as it is rooted to frequency response obtained from the finite element model (FEM). It is hypothesized that this physical link allowed the model to be robust to the landing initial conditions.
Glucocorticoids: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Hippocampal Neuroinflammation
Authors: Bolshakov Alexey P. , Tret’yakova Liya V. , Kvichansky Alexey A. , Gulyaeva Natalia V.
Published: February 2021

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are an important component of adaptive response of an organism to stressogenic stimuli, a typical stress response being accompanied by elevation of GC levels in blood. Anti-inflammatory effects of GCs are widely used in clinical practice, while pro-inflammatory effects of GCs are believed to underlie neurodegeneration. This is particularly critical for the hippocampus, brain region controlling both cognitive function and emotions/affective behavior, and selectively vulnerable to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The hippocampus is believed to be the main target of GCs since it has the highest density of GC receptors potentially underlying high sensitivity of hippocampal cells to severe stress. In this review, we analyzed the results of studies on pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of GCs in the hippocampus in different models of stress and stress-related pathologies. The available data form a sophisticated, though often quite phenomenological, picture of a modulatory role of GCs in hippocampal neuroinflammation. Understanding the dual nature of GC-mediated effects as well as causes and mechanisms of switching can provide us with effective approaches and tools to avert hippocampal neuroinflammatory events and as a result to prevent and treat brain diseases, both neurological and psychiatric. In the framework of a mechanistic view, we propose a new hypothesis describing how the anti-inflammatory effects of GCs may transform into the pro-inflammatory ones. According to it, long-term elevation of GC level or preliminary treatment with GC triggers accumulation of FKBP51 protein that suppresses activity of GC receptors and activates pro-inflammatory cascades, which, finally, leads to enhanced neuroinflammation.
Synthesis of Nanosized ZSM-5 Zeolites by Different Methods and
Their Catalytic Performance in the Alkylation of Naphthalene
Authors: Wang Yongchao , Kikhtyanin O. V. , Li Cheng , Su Xiaofang , Bai Xuefeng , Wu Wei
Published: February 2021

Three nanosized ZSM-5 zeolites were successfully prepared from reactive gels
with the same Si/Al ratios by different synthetic procedures that included the
use of tetrapropylammonium hydroxide or n-butylamine as a template and a seeding
method that did not use an organic additive. The effect of the synthetic method
on the physicochemical properties of the prepared samples was investigated by
XRD, XRF, XPS, N2 physisorption, SEM, TEM,
27Al MAS NMR, NH3-TPD, and
Py-FTIR. The catalytic performance of the
nanosized ZSM-5 zeolites in the alkylation of naphthalene with methanol was
compared. The prepared samples were phase-pure, highly crystalline ZSM-5
zeolites, but they had different bulk and surface Si/Al ratios as well as
textural and acidic properties. The study of the prepared catalysts in
naphthalene methylation revealed that both the acid characteristics of the ZSM-5
nanosized zeolites and their textural properties were responsible for their
activity in the reaction. A difference in the composition of
monomethylnaphthalenes and dimethylnaphthalenes was attributed to the ability of
the catalyst to isomerize the primary reaction products on acid sites located on
the external surface of the zeolite crystals. 2,7-DMN was found to be the
preferred reaction product over 2,6-DMN when formed at pore entrances to ZSM-5
channels due to the differences in their dimensions. In contrast,
2,6-dimethylnaphthalene could be produced on weaker external Brønsted acid
sites, which are hydroxyls attached to octahedral Al atoms. The presented
results show that the method used to synthesize nanoscale ZSM-5 zeolites is a
critical factor that determines the physicochemical properties and catalytic
performance of the resulting crystals.
Hydrogels of Polysaccharide Carboxymethyl Hydroxypropyl Guar Crosslinked by Multivalent Metal Ions
Authors: Shibaev A. V. , Doroganov A. P. , Larin D. E. , Smirnova M. E. , Cherkaev G. V. , Kabaeva N. M. , Kitaeva D. Kh. , Buyanovskaya A. G. , Philippova O. E.
Published: February 2021

Hydrogels of polysaccharide carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar crosslinked by chromium(III) ions are synthesized. The effect of crosslinker concentration on the mechanical behavior of the gels is studied, and the amount of chromium compounds able to interact with polymer chains and the amount of carboxyl groups of the polymer involved in crosslinking are compared. It is shown that the elastic modulus of the gels attains a constant value when not all but only about 10% functional groups interact with chromium compounds. At high concentrations, crosslinker molecules basically bind to one functional group; as a result, the gel recharges. This binding proceeds until all carboxyl groups are filled.
Island Growth of Poly(chloro-p-xylylene) Coatings
Authors: Medvedeva A. S. , Streltsov D. R. , Dmitryakov P. V. , Nesmelov A. A. , Buzin A. I. , Chvalun S. N.
Published: February 2021

The evolution of the morphology of island poly(chloro-p-xylylene) films formed on silicon substrates by vapor deposition polymerization is investigated by atomic force microscopy. The dependences of the effective thickness of the island coating, the number density of polymer islands, and their average size on the surface coverage are studied. The maximal density of polymer islands and the surface coverage corresponding to the transition to the coalescence regime are estimated. Within the framework of the theory of dynamic scaling, the size distribution of islands and the size distribution of their “capture zones” are analyzed. It is shown that, at low degrees of filling of the substrate, before the coalescence of islands, these distributions are described by scaling functions corresponding to the model of reaction-limited aggregation. The size of the critical nucleus is estimated from the size distributions of the “capture zones” of polymer islands.
Writhe-like invariants of alternating links
Authors: Diao Yuanan , Pham Van
Published: February 2021

It is known that the writhe calculated from any reduced alternating link diagram of the same (alternating) link has the same value. That is, it is a link invariant if we restrict ourselves to reduced alternating link diagrams. This is due to the fact that reduced alternating link diagrams of the same link are obtainable from each other via flypes and flypes do not change writhe. In this paper, we introduce several quantities that are derived from Seifert graphs of reduced alternating link diagrams. We prove that they are “writhe-like” invariants, namely they are not general link invariants, but are invariants when restricted to reduced alternating link diagrams. The determination of these invariants are elementary and non-recursive so they are easy to calculate. We demonstrate that many different alternating links can be easily distinguished by these new invariants, even for large, complicated knots for which other invariants such as the Jones polynomial are hard to compute. As an application, we also derive an if and only if condition for a strongly invertible rational link.
Amount algebras
Authors: Nasehpour Peyman
Published: February 2021

In this paper, as a generalization to content algebras, we introduce amount algebras. Similar to the Anderson–Badawi [Formula: see text] conjecture, we prove that under some conditions, the formula [Formula: see text] holds for some amount [Formula: see text]-algebras [Formula: see text] and some ideals [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the smallest positive integer [Formula: see text] that the ideal [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-absorbing. A corollary to the mentioned formula is that if, for example, [Formula: see text] is a Prüfer domain or a torsion-free valuation ring and [Formula: see text] is a radical ideal of [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text].
A note on Möbius functions and a breaking process
Authors: Schwab Emil Daniel
Published: February 2021

Links between Möbius functions and inverse semigroups are an interesting topic for study. In this paper, we restrict our interest to the submonoid of right units (as a Möbius monoid) of a combinatorial bisimple inverse monoid. The Möbius functions at the end of this paper are Möbius functions of broken Möbius categories (broken up into two parts) via a submonoid and a right monoid action.
Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Supply Chain Disruption
Authors: Khan Shahbaz , Haleem Abid , Deshmukh S. G. , Javaid Mohd
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak is a worldwide disaster that has disrupted several aspects of human life and its community living. This pandemic has also affected the existing supply chain and the way it was being managed. Therefore, this study’s primary objective is to identify and discuss the significant impact of COVID-19 on the current supply chain, with specific reference to the medical supply chain. This article then recommends the potential solution measures that can reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the existing supply chain during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to do so, we have identified and discussed various significant impacts of COVID-19 on the supply chain. Identifying the impacts helps the policy planner formulate the policies to mitigate these impacts and recover the supply chain at their functional level. Further, this study also suggests possible solution measures that can be adopted to reduce the disruption of the supply chain. These solution measures help management develop the action plan for early recovery from the COVID-19 disruption.
Clinical observation on treatment of cough during pregnancy with modified Baihe Gujin Decoction
Authors: Fu Liyuan , Lin Jing , Yao Meiyu , Niu Fang , Ma Fenglan , Wang Ling
Published: February 2021

Background: To investigate the clinical effect of modified Baihe Gujin Decoction in treatment of cough during pregnancy.

Methods: A total of 31 pregnant women with cough were recruited from First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shanghai Qingpu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2016 to June 2020. The patients were treated with modified Baihe Gujin Decoction for two weeks according to their unique symptoms and signs. The cough symptoms were evaluated and the symptom scores were calculated at Day 0 (time of enrollment), Day 7, and Day 14, respectively.

Results: Of 31 cases, 4 cases were clinically cured and 24 cases showed marked improvement, with 3 cases showing no improvement.

Conclusions: Modified Baihe Gujin Decoction can significantly improve the symptoms of cough during pregnancy.
A User-Centric Mechanism for Sequentially Releasing Graph Datasets under Blowfish Privacy
Authors: Chicha Elie , Bouna Bechara Al , Nassar Mohamed , Chbeir Richard , Haraty Ramzi A. , Oussalah Mourad , Benslimane Djamal , Alraja Mansour Naser
Published: February 2021

In this article, we present a privacy-preserving technique for user-centric multi-release graphs. Our technique consists of sequentially releasing anonymized versions of these graphs under Blowfish Privacy. To do so, we introduce a graph model that is augmented with a time dimension and sampled at discrete time steps. We show that the direct application of state-of-the-art privacy-preserving Differential Private techniques is weak against background knowledge attacker models. We present different scenarios where randomizing separate releases independently is vulnerable to correlation attacks. Our method is inspired by Differential Privacy (DP) and its extension Blowfish Privacy (BP). To validate it, we show its effectiveness as well as its utility by experimental simulations.