bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated synthesis of 18F radiolabelled indole containing Oncrasin-like molecules; a comparison of iodonium salts and boronic ester chemistry
Authors: McDonald Alexander F. , Goh Yit Wooi , White Jonathan M. , Scott Andrew M. , Ackermann Uwe
Published: November 2020

Background

Oncrasin-1 is a small molecule which was identified from a screen of KRAS mutant cancer cells and has shown specificity for KRAS mutant cell killing. We aimed to develop a radiolabelled form of Oncrasin-1 to enable in-vivo imaging of mutant KRAS expression in malignant tumours. This work outlines the synthesis of 3 fluorinated derivatives and development of iodonium salt and boronic ester precursors for radiolabelling with the 18F isotope.

Results

In our hands, synthesis of iodonium salts were not easily accessible due to the 3-carbaldehyde indole structure being preferentially oxidized by conditions required for iodonium salt formation, rather than benzyl iodide. Synthesis and radiolabelling of boronic acid pinacol ester precursors were successful, with the products being obtained in yields of 10.76% ± 0.96% (n = 5), 14.7% ±8.58% (n = 3) and 14.92% ±3.9% (n = 3) for 18F KAM001, 18F KAM002 and 18F KAM003 respectively, with radiochemical purity of greater than 99%.

Conclusions

The successful synthesis of these tracers has been undertaken utilizing boronic ester radio-fluorination methods and will allow for investigation of Oncrasin based molecules as potential diagnostics for cancers expressing mutant KRAS protein.
Negotiating growth of online education in higher education
Authors: Morris Neil P. , Ivancheva Mariya , Coop Taryn , Mogliacci Rada , Swinnerton Bronwen
Published: November 2020

Universities are facing growing internal and external pressures to generate income, educate a widening continuum of learners, and make effective use of digital technologies. One response has been growth of online education, catalysed by Massive Open Online Courses, availability of digital devices and technologies, and notions of borderless global education. In growing online education, learning and teaching provision has become increasingly disaggregated, and universities are partnering with a range of private companies to reach new learners, and commercialise educational provision. In this paper, we explore the competing drivers which impact decision making within English universities and their strategies to grow online education provision, through interviews with senior managers, and interrogation of their views through the lens of a range of internal, external and organisational drivers. We show that pressures facing universities may be alleviated by growth of online education provision, but that negotiating an appropriate route to realise this ambition involves attempts to resolve these underlying tensions deriving from competing drivers. We use a modified form of the PEST model to demonstrate the complexities, inter-dependencies and processes associated with these drivers when negotiating delivery of unbundled online education through use of private company services, or in partnership with private companies.
Validity and reliability testing of the Toddler and Infant (TANDI) Health Related Quality of Life instrument for very young children
Authors: Verstraete Janine , Ramma Lebogang , Jelsma Jennifer
Published: November 2020

Background

Despite the high burden of disease in younger children there are few tools specifically designed to estimate Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in children younger than 3 years of age. A previous paper described the process of identifying a pool of items which might be suitable for measuring HRQoL of children aged 0–3 years. The current paper describes how the items were pruned and the final draft of the measure, Toddler and Infant (TANDI) Health Related Quality of Life, was tested for validity and reliability.

Methods

A sample of 187 caregivers of children 1–36 months of age were recruited which included children who were either acutely ill (AI), chronically ill (CI) or from the general school going population (GP). The TANDI, an experimental version of the EQ-5D-Y proxy, included six dimensions with three levels of report and general health measured on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from 0 to 100. The content validity had been established during the development of the instrument. The TANDI, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Faces, Leg, Activity, Cry, Consolabilty (FLACC) or Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) and a self-designed dietary information questionnaire were administered at baseline. The TANDI was administered 1 week later in GP children to establish test-retest reliability. The distribution of dimension scores, Cronbach’s alpha, rotated varimax factor analysis, Spearman’s Rho Correlation, the intraclass correlation coefficient, Pearson’s correlation, analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to explore the reliability, and validity of the TANDI.

Results

Concurrent validity of the different dimensions was tested between the TANDI and other instruments. The Spearman’s Rho coefficients were significant and moderate to strong for dimensions of activity and participation and significant and weak for items of body functions. Known groups were compared and children with acute illness had the lowest ranked VAS (median 60, range 0–100), indicating worse HRQoL. The six dimensions of the TANDI were tested for internal consistency and reliability and the Cronbach’s α as 0.83. Test-retest results showed no variance for dimension scores of movement and play, and high agreement for pain (83%), relationships (87%), communication (83%) and eating (74%). The scores were highly correlated for the VAS (ICC = 0.76;p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The TANDI was found to be valid and reliable for use with children aged 1–36 months in South Africa. It is recommended that the TANDI be included in future research to further investigate HRQoL and the impact of interventions in this vulnerable age group. It is further recommended that future testing be done to assess the feasibility, clinical utility, and cross-cultural validity of the measure and to include international input in further development.
An insight into artisanal leather making in Ghana
Authors: Appiah-Brempong Miriam , Essandoh Helen M. K. , Asiedu Nana Yaw , Dadzie Samuel Kwame , Momade Francis Warings Yao
Published: November 2020

The production of leather from animal skins and hides through tanning processes began in the pre-historic ages. Despite the origination of new leather making techniques such as chrome tanning which is being employed extensively today, the traditional method of leather production primarily through vegetable tanning is still being practised mostly in artisanal tanneries in developing nations including Ghana. Artisanal leather making, thus, contributes beneficially to rural livelihood. Nevertheless, the growth of this sector has been stifled by the lack of innovative technologies to enhance productivity. This challenge could be partly linked to the knowledge gap on the scientific principles governing artisanal leather production processes. This study, therefore, elaborates on various process steps and materials employed in traditional leather making in Ghana and the scientific principles underlying each of the processes. It also makes a comparison between traditional and modern leather manufacturing processes and identifies knowledge and technological gaps which would inspire in-depth scientific research into artisanal leather making.

Graphical abstract
Genes predisposing to syndromic and nonsyndromic infertility: a narrative review
Authors: Yahaya Tajudeen O. , Liman Usman U. , Abdullahi Haliru , Koko Yahuza S. , Ribah Samuel S. , Adamu Zulkarnain , Abubakar Suleiman
Published: November 2020

Background

Advanced biological techniques have helped produce more insightful findings on the genetic etiology of infertility that may lead to better management of the condition. This review provides an update on genes predisposing to syndromic and nonsyndromic infertility.

Main body

The review identified 65 genes linked with infertility and infertility-related disorders. These genes regulate fertility. However, mutational loss of the functions of the genes predisposes to infertility. Twenty-three (23) genes representing 35% were linked with syndromic infertility, while 42 genes (65%) cause nonsyndromic infertility. Of the 42 nonsyndromic genes, 26 predispose to spermatogenic failure and sperm morphological abnormalities, 11 cause ovarian failures, and 5 cause sex reversal and puberty delay. Overall, 31 genes (48%) predispose to male infertility, 15 genes (23%) cause female infertility, and 19 genes (29%) predispose to both. The common feature of male infertility was spermatogenic failure and sperm morphology abnormalities, while ovarian failure has been the most frequently reported among infertile females. The mechanisms leading to these pathologies are gene-specific, which, if targeted in the affected, may lead to improved treatment.

Conclusions

Mutational loss of the functions of some genes involved in the development and maintenance of fertility may predispose to syndromic or nonsyndromic infertility via gene-specific mechanisms. A treatment procedure that targets the affected gene(s) in individuals expressing infertility may lead to improved treatment.
Challenges and opportunities at the interface of birth defects, human genetics and developmental biology
Authors: Khokha Mustafa K. , Liu Karen J. , Wallingford John B.
Published: November 2020

Summary: This Spotlight summarizes conclusions from The Company of Biologists Workshop ‘Understanding Human Birth Defects in the Genomic Age’ held in the UK in November 2019, identifying key hurdles in the field, as well as priorities for overcoming them.
Elastic wing deformations mitigate flapping asymmetry during manoeuvres in rose chafers (Protaetia cuprea)
Authors: Meresman Y. , Ribak G.
Published: November 2020

To manoeuvre in air flying animals produce asymmetric flapping between contralateral wings. Unlike the adjustable vertebrate wings, insect wings lack intrinsic musculature, preventing active control over wing shape during flight. However, the wings elastically deform as a result of aerodynamic and inertial forces generated by the flapping motions. How these elastic deformations vary with flapping kinematics and flight performance in free-flying insects is poorly understood. Using high-speed videography, we measured how contralateral wings elastically deform during free-flight manoeuvring in rose chafer beetles (Protaetia cuprea). We found that asymmetric flapping during aerial turns was associated with contralateral differences in chord-wise wing deformations. The highest instantaneous difference in deformation occurred during stroke reversals, resulting from differences in wing rotation timing. Elastic deformation asymmetry was also evident during mid-strokes, where wing compliance increased the angle-of-attack of both wings, but reduced the asymmetry in the angle-of-attack between contralateral wings. A biomechanical model revealed that wing compliance can increase the torques generated by each wing, providing higher potential for manoeuvrability, while concomitantly contributing to flight stability by attenuating steering asymmetry. Such stability may be adaptive for insects such as flower chafers that need to perform delicate low-speed landing manoeuvres among vegetation.
Transmission dynamics, serial interval and epidemiology of COVID-19 diseases in Hong Kong under different control measures
Authors: Chan Yung-Wai Desmond , Flasche Stefan , Lam Tin-Long Terence , Leung Mei-Hung Joanna , Wong Miu-Ling , Lam Ho-Yeung , Chuang Shuk-Kwan
Published: November 2020

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in Wuhan, China in late December 2019, and subsequently became a pandemic. Hong Kong had implemented a series of control measures since January 2020, including enhanced surveillance, isolation and quarantine, border control and social distancing. Hong Kong recorded its first case on 23 January 2020, who was a visitor from Wuhan. We analysed the surveillance data of COVID-19 to understand the transmission dynamics and epidemiology in Hong Kong.

Methods: We constructed the epidemic curve of daily COVID-19 incidence from 23 January to 6 April 2020 and estimated the time-varying reproduction number (Rt) with the R package EpiEstim, with serial interval computed from local data. We described the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of reported cases. We computed weekly incidence by age and residential district to understand the spatial and temporal transmission of the disease.

Results: COVID-19 disease in Hong Kong was characterised with local cases and clusters detected after two waves of importations, first in late January (week 4 to 6) and the second one in early March (week 9 to 10). The Rt increased to approximately 2 95% credible interval (CI): 0.3-3.3) and approximately 1 (95%CI: 0.2-1.7), respectively, following these importations; it decreased to below 1 afterwards from weeks 11 to 13, which coincided with the implementation, modification and intensification of different control measures. Compared to local cases, imported cases were younger (mean age: 52 years among local cases vs 35 years among imported cases), had a lower proportion of underlying disease (9% vs 5%) and severe outcome (13% vs 5%). Cases were recorded in all districts but the incidence was highest in those in the Hong Kong Island region.

Conclusions: Stringent and sustained public health measures at population level could contain the COVID-19 disease at a relatively low level.
Does cereal, protein and micronutrient availability hold the key to the malnutrition conundrum? An exploratory analysis of cereal cultivation and wasting patterns of India
Authors: Sanjeev Rama Krishna , Nuggehalli Srinivas Prashanth , Krishnan Bindu , Basappa Yogish Channa , Dinesh Akshay S. , Ulahannan Sabu K.
Published: November 2020

Background: High prevalence of maternal malnutrition, low birth-weight and child malnutrition in India contribute substantially to the global malnutrition burden. Rural India has disproportionately higher levels of child malnutrition. Stunting and wasting are the primary determinants of child malnutrition and their district-level distribution shows clustering in different geographies and regions.

Methods: The last round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS4) has disaggregated data by district, enabling a more nuanced understanding of the prevalence of markers of malnutrition. We used data from NFHS4 and agricultural statistics datasets to analyse relationship of area under cereal cultivation with the prevalence of malnutrition at the district level. We analysed malnutrition through data on under-5 stunting and wasting; maternal malnutrition was assessed through prevalence of women’s low BMI and short stature by district. 

Results: Stunting and wasting patterns across districts show a distinct geographical and age distribution; districts with higher wasting showed relatively high prevalence of 40% before six months of age. Wasting was associated with higher cultivation of millets, with a stronger association seen for jowar and other millets (Kodo millet, little millet, proso millet, barnyard millet and foxtail millet). Stunting was associated with cultivation of all crops except other millets. Low women’s BMI was seen associated with cultivation of rice and millets. The analysis was limited by lack of fine-scale data on prevalence of low birth-weight and type of cereal consumed.

Conclusions: Multi-site observational studies of long-term effects of type of cereals consumed could help explain the ecogeographic distribution of malnutrition in India. Cereals, particularly millets constitute the bulk of protein intake among the poor, especially in rural areas in India where high prevalence of  wasting persists.
The distinctive character of human being in evolution
Authors: Turbón Daniel
Published: November 2020

Human beings, as we know and understand them today, are the result of a lengthy, two million year old process that has made them one of the most powerful and beautiful biological beings. The process of encephalisation in humans, combined with the development of areas of speech, brought about by a neurological reorganisation that may have taken place before the increase in brain size, has enabled humanity to generate a tremendous cognitive capacity that in turn has led to the development of what we know of as culture. Culture influences biological development. No other species has achieved the like anywhere. For human survival, culture is a new dimension, a new habitat, which humanity has to adapt as it creates it. Culture is not written into the genome, but it can be transmitted and communicated thanks to speech. This enables knowledge to be shared and transmitted to other members of the group or society, to communicate ideas, concepts and abstractions. Knowledge enables a society to form a structure and make it more complex than a simple agglomeration of individuals while also creating an environment where raising children is viable since it can guarantee their survival, giving them the right treatment to enable them to reach adulthood. It has been said that ‘humanity is a spirit in time’, hence the need to understand the essence of human natural history; the importance of paying it sufficient attention to ensure that what is attractive about its history does not become indigestible.
Catholicism and Evolution: Polygenism and Original Sin (Part I)
Authors: Hofmann James R.
Published: November 2020

Theological attention to the Catholic doctrine of original sin has a history that extends from the letters of Saint Paul through the Council of Trent and Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical, Humani generis. The doctrine has traditionally been articulated through the Genesis narrative of Adam and Eve as the first human beings from whom all others descend, an account known as monogenism. In the course of the nineteenth century, scientific research into human origins increasingly relied upon polygenism, the descent of humanity from non-human ancestors through a transitional population. Subsequent Catholic engagement with evolution included resistance to polygenism from the Vatican due to a perceived conflict with the doctrine of original sin. Humani generis included a prohibition that remains in place today in spite of widespread de facto acceptance of polygenism among theologians. Understanding the origin and persistence of this disparity stands to benefit from comparison to a corresponding ambivalence toward the sixteenth century Copernican hypothesis of a moving earth, only conclusively resolved in 1992. In Part I of this essay I introduce this historical comparison and describe the origins of monogenism and polygenism terminology in nineteenth century debate over the unity of the human race. I then describe the conceptual changes that transpired during the first half of the twentieth century and the resulting role of polygenism in the nouvelle théologie of the decade prior to Humani generis. Subsequent developments and implications follow in Part II.
Anthropogenesis and the Soul
Authors: Ehrman, C.S.C. Terrence
Published: November 2020

The science of evolution acutely raises the perennial question of humankind’s place in the world. How does the theological anthropology of humans as imago Dei relate to an evolutionary anthropology with human beings derived from ancestral hominid species? Evolutionary biologists disclose ever greater similarities and continuity between animals and humans. Is human distinctiveness simply continuous with other ancestral forms of life or is there any kind of discontinuity? The answers to these questions depend not only on zoological considerations but also on one’s philosophy of nature. The standard anthropology within the Catholic Church is the dual-origin model: the human body originates through evolution, but the human soul is directly created by God. This formulation, however, is not without difficulties, primarily for its seeming Cartesian dualism of a body and soul as distinct substances. This paper develops the anthropology of David Braine who, drawing upon Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, clearly situates humans as animals in great continuity with them. However, as linguistic animals who think in a medium of words, humans have a form of life—a soul—that transcends bodily processes. Braine’s anthropology provides a more coherent anthropology to understand the continuity and discontinuity of the human person in phylogenetic relationship to other species within an evolutionary perspective.
Scientific and Theological Responses for Evolution and Biological Complexity
Authors: Kadykalo Andrii
Published: November 2020

The article analyzes aspects of the relationship between evolution and biological complexity and the attempts made by scholars and theologians to interpret it within the limits of reductionist scientism or theism. For this purpose, firstly, attention is focused on explaining the meaning of the concept of "evolution" and its historical and philosophical transformation in the context of the idea of complexity. Secondly, the notion of complexity in theology is used as evidence to support teleology. This approach is criticized by some scholars who consider evolution as a random prosses. They give it the status of a universal metaphysical assumption in evolution. The scientists and theologists both formulate metaphysical assumptions differently to interpret evolution.
La impronta de Pierre Teilhard de Chardin en las tesis evolutivas de Karl Schmitz-Moormann
Authors: Casadesús Ricard
Published: November 2020

En este artículo exponemos las intuiciones del teólogo y biólogo alemán Karl Schmitz-Moormann sobre la evolución.  Como leitmotiv subyacente en toda su obra, Schmitz-Moormann tiene a Teilhard de Chardin. Inspirado por Teilhard y su metafísica de la unión, introduce un nuevo concepto, a saber, la uni-totalidad. Veremos aquí cómo Schmitz-Moormann observa diversas uni-totalidades a lo largo del progreso evolutivo, desde las partículas subatómicas hasta las agrupaciones humanas. Esas diversas uni-totalidades implican, a la vez, diversidad de unión, que puede ser explicada por causas que van desde la interacción nuclear hasta el amor interpersonal. Análogamente, Schmitz-Moormann ve nuestro Dios tri-uno como la Uni-totalidad suprema unida por amor, a la que se acercan las uni-totalidades creadas.
Is Intelligent Design the Answer to Darwinism? Marcos Eberlin’s Foresight and the Limits of Irreducible Complexity as Scientific Paradigm
Authors: Morgan Jason Michael
Published: November 2020

Marcos Eberlin is a chemist and mass spectrometer who advances in a new book a refined Intelligent Design (ID) theory hinging on “foresight,” or the apparent teleology and purpose discernible in biological, chemical, and other complex life systems. Repurposing older ID arguments, such as those of “irreducible complexity,” and introducing new examples of phenomena pointed to by other ID theorists, Eberlin makes a strong argument for mindful creation by a “superintellect”. But is ID sufficient to answer Darwinism? Does “foresight” go far enough in providing an alternative view of the origin of complex lifeforms? I argue that Eberlin, and other ID theorists, does not have a robust-enough definition of science to counter non-theistic theories of biology and biochemistry. An Aristotelian-Thomistic understanding of science allows us to go beyond the divide between ID and a-theistic theories and move the science-and-faith debate onto more solid ground.
El reto de la eficiencia energética en Europa y el riesgo del efecto rebote
Authors: Cansino José Manuel
Published: November 2020

Este artículo explora la manera en la que las autoridades de la Unión Europea
afrontan el riesgo de un efecto rebote que dificulte la efectividad de los esfuerzos
hechos para mejorar la eficiencia energética. La elección de la zona de la UE se
debe a su liderazgo internacional en la batalla contra el calentamiento global y el
cambio climático. El artículo hace una mención específica a España por ser uno
de los estados miembros de la UE más concernidos por estos problemas.
Para hacer esto se realiza una sistemática revisión de la literatura siguiendo
las técnicas avanzadas que recomienda el estado del arte. Después de esto, los
principales hallazgos del artículo son 1) existe un amplio consenso académico en
torno a la importancia del efecto rebote como barrera en la mejora de la eficiencia
energética, 2) existe una falta de consenso sobre su tamaño, 3) los textos legales que abordan los objetivos en materia de eficiencia energética habitualmente
ignoran el problema del efecto rebote.
El control europeo del ciberespacio ante el discurso de odio: análisis de las medidas de lucha y prevención
Authors: Gutiérrez Castillo Víctor Luis
Published: November 2020

El recurso a internet como medio de difusión del hate speech plantea una serie
de interrogantes a los que hay que dar una respuesta desde el derecho: ¿donde se
encuentra el límite de la libertad de expresión?, ¿deben responder los servidores
de internet por los contenidos publicados? ¿qué medidas se están adoptando en
Europa? En este trabajo proponemos hacer un análisis crítico de las medidas de
control existentes en Europa para prevenir y luchar contra el discurso de odio en
el ciberespacio. Se prestará una especial atención a la posible responsabilidad de
los portales de internet, así como al código de conducta seguido en el marco de
la Unión europea.
Europa: una historia pendular de unión y división
Authors: Gil Ibáñez Alberto
Published: November 2020

Este artículo analiza la historia de Europa desde un triple punto de vista.
Por un lado, valora cómo llegó a construirse la cultura europea y su integración
política, y cómo fácilmente pudo desaparecer o pasar a la irrelevancia. Por otra,
se describe el vaivén de fuerzas centrípetas y centrífugas que han jugado sus
cartas en el continente a lo largo de los siglos. En tercer lugar, se analiza el
papel, a menudo ignorado, que en todos esos procesos ha jugado España. Por
último, se estudian las amenazas internas que dominan el momento presente,
así como las lecciones que podemos sacar del pasado para lograr un nuevo
renacimiento cultural europeo, evitando así una decadencia a la que parecemos
estar abocados.
Salud urbana, bicicletas y árboles
Authors: Figueroa-Luque Enrique , Figueroa-Luque Teresa , Mateos Martínez Elena , Luque Palomo Teresa , Figueroa Clemente Manuel Enrique
Published: November 2020

Urban health depends on the environmental matrix of the different streets of the city through which urban bicycle users circulate through the bike lane. Our results show that the circulation of the bike lane in cities takes place in an urban atmospheric layer that shows pollution, mainly due to motorized traffic, which can affect the health of bicycle users. It is essential to clean the air exerted by the green infrastructure in relation to air quality. An evaluation of the situation of the city’s bike lane in relation to urban pollution and the presence of green infrastructure is necessary. A correct choice of plant species is essential as well as an adequate alignment of the specimens and a subsequent management of the trees that allow the function of air purification. The issue of urban radiative and thermal balance is a momentous issue especially in the predicted scenarios of climate change. We have shown that the presence of trees in the bike lane favors conditions of less incidence of solar radiation which minimizes the possibility of heat stroke, suffocation and heat waves. Green infrastructure, especially woodland, has an important value in facilitating a healthy urban matrix for users of active mobility and especially for urban cyclists developing a healthy bike lane.
La bicicleta y el Estado social de Derecho
Authors: Bastida Freijedo Francisco J.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this work is analyzing the legal relevance of the bicycle in a social rule of law, as well as the poor and unfortunate legal attention that has been paid to this mode of transport. Its social role has been limited, at least in Spain, to being a toy and a casual instrument of leisure, combined with the political function of extolling patriotic sporting achievements of illustrious cyclists. Until recently, the bicycle suffered a social stigma as a vehicle linked to a status of poverty and insufficient resources to buy a car, of inability to thrive. This social contempt has been reflected in its legal regulation, as will be seen later. It seems however that something is changing presently, mainly at the local government level
La bicicleta en el país de la (auto)movilidad eléctrica
Authors: Bergua Jiménez Edorta
Published: November 2020

Electric mobility has had a great impact as a major axis of intervention to move forward to a landscape at once less dependent on fossil fuels and more sustainable. Starting out from this framework, the objective we wish to pursue is to draw attention to the restrictive reading imposed on the concept of electric mobility, predominately identified with its automotive branch, leaving aside the bicycle. The contribution of the electric automobile to the fulfilment of the objectives demanded by sustainable mobility has been tackled, thus demonstrating the limitations of technological solutions and emphasising the need to reduce the number of cars, their usage and speed, and the need to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. After analysing the evolution, benefits and risks of the electric bicycle, it is confirmed that this is by far the most widespread electric vehicle, despite the tiny amount of public aid it receives. It stands out for its powerful strategic value to attract many people to cycling who are reluctant to use conventional bicycles, or who want to make longer journeys effortlessly, or are put off by steep slopes, or want to carry loads or children. Finally, greater public attention is advocated for electric bicycles, suggesting criteria and lines of action to give shape to policies in this area.
La función de la Colección Sostenibilidad de la Editorial Universidad de Sevilla y el libro La importancia de la bicicleta. Un análisis del papel de la bicicleta en la transición hacia una movilidad urbana más sostenible
Authors: Figueroa Clemente Manuel Enrique
Published: November 2020

The Sustainability collection of the Editorial Universidad de Sevilla has published, between 2012 and 2020, 9 volumes that demonstrate the interest of the University of Seville in this essential concept without which society cannot adequately advance and is still key more in the face of the challenges of the 21st century. The collection navigates disclosure and professionalism, knowledge and application, for a wide audience. In the book The importance of the bicycle. An analysis of the role of the bicycle in the transition towards more sustainable urban mobility makes a careful analysis of the inexcusable role of the bicycle in the transition to sustainable urban mobility. This book clearly analyzes the reasons why the bicycle is returning to cities around the world as an essential element to solve and overcome the crisis of the dominant model of urban mobility, based on the abuse of the private car, with its well-known consequences of congestion, pollution, degradation of urban space, decrease in public health and quality of life, and contribution to climate change.
How accurate is the prehospital diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome?
Authors: Wilson Caitlin , Harley Clare , Steels Stephanie
Published: November 2020

Background:

The literature suggests that hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) should be diagnosed and treated prehospitally.

Aim:

To determine diagnostic accuracy of HVS by paramedics and emergency medical technicians using hospital doctors' diagnosis as the reference standard.

Methods:

A retrospective audit was carried out of routine data using linked prehospital and in-hospital patient records of adult patients (≥18 years) transported via emergency ambulance to two emergency departments in the UK from 1 January 2012–31 December 2013. Accuracy was measured using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (NPV/PPVs) and likelihood ratios (LRs) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results:

A total of 19 386 records were included in the analysis. Prehospital clinicians had a sensitivity of 88% (95% CI [82–92%]) and a specificity of 99% (95% CI [99–99%]) for diagnosing HVS, with PPV 0.42 (0.37, 0.47), NPV 1.00 (1.00, 1.00), LR+ 75.2 (65.3, 86.5) and LR− 0.12 (0.08, 0.18).

Conclusions:

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians are able to diagnose HVS prehospitally with almost perfect specificity and good sensitivity.
Sagittal spinopelvic changes after posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Authors: Burton Denver A. , Karkenny Alexa J. , Schulz Jacob F. , Hanstein Regina , Gomez Jaime A.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This article examines if longer posterior spinal fusions with instrumentation (PSFI) into the lumbar spine (L3/4) alter spinopelvic parameters compared with selective fusions to T12/L1/L2 in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients.

Methods

We analysed radiographs of 84 AIS patients, 58 (69%) females and 26 (31%) males, who underwent PSFI at an mean age of 15 years ± 2.5 years, range 10 years to 21 years, between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2014. Radiographic parameters were measured pre- and post-operatively at most recent follow-up (range 2 years to 8.2 years): pelvic incidence (PI), lumbar lordosis (LL, L1–S1 and L4–S1), sagittal vertical alignment (SVA), scoliosis angle and proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK). PI–LL was calculated. Data was analysed using t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

Results

In total, 32 patients underwent a selective fusion with lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) T12–L2, and 52 patients underwent a fusion with LIV L3–L4. In both groups, scoliosis angle was significantly corrected at follow-up (p < 0.005). Pre-operatively, both groups had similar LL (L1–S1) and PI–LL. Post-operatively, LL increased in the L3–4 fusion group (p < 0.005) but did not change in the selective fusion group (p = 0.116). This change in LL in the L3–4 fusion group affected the post-operative PI–LL (T12–L2 fusion -4.9° versus L3–4 fusion -13.6°, p = 0.002). No differences were seen in PI, SVA or LL L4–S1 between groups. Radiographic PJK occurred in seven of the L3–4 patients with and without PJK (noPJK –8.8° versus PJK –25.8°, p = 0.026).

Conclusions

In patients who underwent a fusion ending at L3 or L4, LL was increased. This altered the PI–LL relationship, and appeared to increase the risk of PJK.

Level of evidence

III
Monitoring of Sugarcane Growth Based on the Fused Remote Sensing NDVI Series and Ground Seeding Survey
Authors: Chen Yanli , Mo Weihua , Mo Jianfei , Ding Meihua
Published: November 2020

Highlights

The spatial and temporal fusion model ESTARFM was used to obtain NDVI timing data with high fusion accuracy and high spatial and temporal resolution.

High-quality NDVI timing data could be obtained by using ESTARFM to fuse HJ-1 CCD and MODIS data.

Fused NDVI data coupled with ground seeding survey data could effectively monitor sugarcane growth status.

Abstract. This study addressed the instability of clear-sky remote sensing data with high spatial resolution in sugarcane growing areas in southern China and the current inconsistency between traditional survey results and remote sensing results for seedling growth. Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and China land resources satellite (HJ-1 CCD) data were used to build high-resolution normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series using the Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (ESTARFM). Agronomic indicators of sugarcane were obtained by field sampling and were used for determining the remote sensing monitoring index (NDVI) of sugarcane growth. The method provided satisfactory results for evaluating sugarcane growth, with accuracy exceeding 90%. Moreover, sugarcane growth monitoring in a wider area was highly correlated with yield per unit area. Keywords: Growth status, HJ-1 CCD, MODIS, NDVI time series, Spatial and temporal fusion, Sugarcane.
Prior-damage dynamics in a high-finesse optical enhancement cavity
Authors: Wang Huan , Amoudry Loïc , Cassou Kevin , Chiche Ronic , Degallaix Jérôme , Dupraz Kevin , Huang Wenhui , Martens Aurélien , Michel Christophe , Monard Hugues , Nutarelli Daniele , Pinard Laurent , Tang Chuanxiang , Yan Lixin , Zomer Fabian
Published: November 2020

An observation of prior-damage behavior inside a high-finesse optical resonator is reported. Intra-cavity average power drops appeared with magnitude and time scale depending on the power level. Increasing further the incident laser beam power led to irreversible damage of the cavity coupling mirror surface. The origin of this phenomenon is investigated with post mortem mirror surface imaging and analysis of the signals reflected and transmitted by the enhancement cavity. Scattering losses induced by surface deformation due to a hot-spot surface contaminant is found to be most likely the dominant physics process behind this phenomenon.
Overcoming the tradeoff between confinement and focal distance using virtual ultrasonic optical waveguides
Authors: Scopelliti Matteo Giuseppe , Huang Hengji , Pediredla Adithya , Narasimhan Srinivasa G. , Gkioulekas Ioannis , Chamanzar Maysamreza
Published: November 2020

A conventional optical lens can be used to focus light into the target medium from outside, without disturbing the medium. The focused spot size is proportional to the focal distance in a conventional lens, resulting in a tradeoff between penetration depth in the target medium and spatial resolution. We have shown that virtual ultrasonically sculpted gradient-index (GRIN) optical waveguides can be formed in the target medium to steer light without disturbing the medium. Here, we demonstrate that such virtual waveguides can relay an externally focused Gaussian beam of light through the medium beyond the focal distance of a single external physical lens, to extend the penetration depth without compromising the spot size. Moreover, the spot size can be tuned by reconfiguring the virtual waveguide. We show that these virtual GRIN waveguides can be formed in transparent and turbid media, to enhance the confinement and contrast ratio of the focused beam of light at the target location. This method can be extended to realize complex optical systems of external physical lenses and in situ virtual waveguides, to extend the reach and flexibility of optical methods.
Enhanced light extraction of light-emitting diodes with micro patterns by femtosecond laser micromachining for visible light communication
Authors: Zhang Fan , Xu Cong , Yin Kai , Duan Ji’an
Published: November 2020

A significant enhancement of light extraction of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with micro patterns has been experimentally investigated. The micro patterns on the surface of a polymer layer are fabricated by a femtosecond laser Bessel beam for obtaining microhole arrays with large depth, resulting in the reduction of photon loss by total internal reflection (TIR) at the surface of the LED. The light output power of the LED is apparently increased by introducing the array patterns without influencing its current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. Moreover, the electroluminescence spectra of a multi-color LED and its angular radiation profiles with orthogonal and hexagonal patterns also have been explored. In addition, the optical field distributions of the micro patterns simulated by the finite difference time domain method have expressed the modulation effect of the array depth. Finally, the patterned LED as a transmitter is embedded in the visible light communication system for evaluating the transmission signal quality.
A semi-supervised Bayesian approach for simultaneous protein sub-cellular localisation assignment and novelty detection
Authors: Crook Oliver M. , Geladaki Aikaterini , Nightingale Daniel J. H. , Vennard Owen L. , Lilley Kathryn S. , Gatto Laurent , Kirk Paul D. W.
Published: November 2020

The cell is compartmentalised into complex micro-environments allowing an array of specialised biological processes to be carried out in synchrony. Determining a protein’s sub-cellular localisation to one or more of these compartments can therefore be a first step in determining its function. High-throughput and high-accuracy mass spectrometry-based sub-cellular proteomic methods can now shed light on the localisation of thousands of proteins at once. Machine learning algorithms are then typically employed to make protein-organelle assignments. However, these algorithms are limited by insufficient and incomplete annotation. We propose a semi-supervised Bayesian approach to novelty detection, allowing the discovery of additional, previously unannotated sub-cellular niches. Inference in our model is performed in a Bayesian framework, allowing us to quantify uncertainty in the allocation of proteins to new sub-cellular niches, as well as in the number of newly discovered compartments. We apply our approach across 10 mass spectrometry based spatial proteomic datasets, representing a diverse range of experimental protocols. Application of our approach tohyperLOPIT datasets validates its utility by recovering enrichment with chromatin-associated proteins without annotation and uncovers sub-nuclear compartmentalisation which was not identified in the original analysis. Moreover, using sub-cellular proteomics data fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae, we uncover a novel group of proteins trafficking from the ER to the early Golgi apparatus. Overall, we demonstrate the potential for novelty detection to yield biologically relevant niches that are missed by current approaches.
A frog with three sex chromosomes that co-mingle together in nature: Xenopus tropicalis has a degenerate W and a Y that evolved from a Z chromosome
Authors: Furman Benjamin L. S. , Cauret Caroline M. S. , Knytl Martin , Song Xue-Ying , Premachandra Tharindu , Ofori-Boateng Caleb , Jordan Danielle C. , Horb Marko E. , Evans Ben J.
Published: November 2020

In many species, sexual differentiation is a vital prelude to reproduction, and disruption of this process can have severe fitness effects, including sterility. It is thus interesting that genetic systems governing sexual differentiation vary among—and even within—species. To understand these systems more, we investigated a rare example of a frog with three sex chromosomes: the Western clawed frog,Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that natural populations from the western and eastern edges of Ghana have a young Y chromosome, and that a male-determining factor on this Y chromosome is in a very similar genomic location as a previously known female-determining factor on the W chromosome. Nucleotide polymorphism of expressed transcripts suggests genetic degeneration on the W chromosome, emergence of a new Y chromosome from an ancestral Z chromosome, and natural co-mingling of the W, Z, and Y chromosomes in the same population. Compared to the rest of the genome, a small sex-associated portion of the sex chromosomes has a 50-fold enrichment of transcripts with male-biased expression during early gonadal differentiation. Additionally,X. tropicalishas sex-differences in the rates and genomic locations of recombination events during gametogenesis that are similar to at least two otherXenopusspecies, which suggests that sex differences in recombination are genus-wide. These findings are consistent with theoretical expectations associated with recombination suppression on sex chromosomes, demonstrate that several characteristics of old and established sex chromosomes (e.g., nucleotide divergence, sex biased expression) can arise well before sex chromosomes become cytogenetically distinguished, and show how these characteristics can have lingering consequences that are carried forward through sex chromosome turnovers.
Estimating the basic reproduction number for the 2015 bubonic plague outbreak in Nyimba district of Eastern Zambia
Authors: Sichone Joseph , Simuunza Martin C. , Hang’ombe Bernard M. , Kikonko Mervis
Published: November 2020

Background

Plague is a re-emerging flea-borne infectious disease of global importance and in recent years, Zambia has periodically experienced increased incidence of outbreaks of this disease. However, there are currently no studies in the country that provide a quantitative assessment of the ability of the disease to spread during these outbreaks. This limits our understanding of the epidemiology of the disease especially for planning and implementing quantifiable and cost-effective control measures. To fill this gap, the basic reproduction number, R0, for bubonic plague was estimated in this study, using data from the 2015 Nyimba district outbreak, in the Eastern province of Zambia. R0is the average number of secondary infections arising from a single infectious individual during their infectious period in an entirely susceptible population.

Methodology/Principal findings

Secondary epidemic data for the most recent 2015 Nyimba district bubonic plague outbreak in Zambia was analyzed. R0was estimated as a function of the average epidemic doubling time based on the initial exponential growth rate of the outbreak and the average infectious period for bubonic plague. R0was estimated to range between 1.5599 [95% CI: 1.382–1.7378] and 1.9332 [95% CI: 1.6366–2.2297], with average of 1.7465 [95% CI: 1.5093–1.9838]. Further, an SIR deterministic mathematical model was derived for this infection and this estimated R0to be between 1.4 to 1.5, which was within the range estimated above.

Conclusions/Significance

This estimated R0for bubonic plague is an indication that each bubonic plague case can typically give rise to almost two new cases during these outbreaks. This R0estimate can now be used to quantitatively analyze and plan measurable interventions against future plague outbreaks in Zambia.
Motor and non-motor sequence prediction is equally affected in children with developmental coordination disorder
Authors: Opitz Bertram , Brady Daniel , Leonard Hayley C.
Published: November 2020

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are diagnosed based on motor difficulties. However, they also exhibit difficulties in several other cognitive domains, including visuospatial processing, executive functioning and attention. One account of the difficulties seen in DCD proposes an impairment in internal forward modelling, i.e., the ability to (i) detect regularities of a repetitive perceptual or motor pattern, (ii) predict future outcomes of motor actions, and (iii) adapt behaviour accordingly. Using electroencephalographic recordings, the present study aimed to delineate these different aspects of internal forward modelling across several domains. To this end, 24 children with DCD and 23 typically-developing children (aged 7–10 years) completed a serial prediction task in the visual, temporal, spatial and motor domains. This task required them to learn short sequences and to indicate whether a sequence was disrupted towards its end. Analyses revealed that, across all domains, children with DCD showed poorer discrimination between intact and disrupted sequences, accompanied by a delayed late parietal positivity elicited by disrupted sequences. These results indicate an impairment in explicit sequence discrimination in DCD across motor and cognitive domains. However, there is no evidence for an impairment in implicit performance on the visuomotor task in DCD. These results suggest an impairment of the updating of an internal forward model in DCD resulting in a blurred representation of that model and, consequently, in a reduced ability to detect regularities in the environment (e.g., sequences). Such a detailed understanding of internal forward modelling in DCD could help to explain the wide range of co-occurring difficulties experienced by those with a diagnosis of DCD.