bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aertsen, Rubens and the questye in early modern painting
Authors: Jonckheere Koenraad
Published: August 2020

In this paper, I argue that the early modern intellectual culture in Early Modern Europe was basically a ‘culture of quaestio’ in which the ‘question’ played a fundamental role as an educational tool, a intellectual method and - as a consequence - as a line of reasoning. Using Peter Paul Rubens’s Double portrait of Seneca and Nero and Pieter Aertsen’s Jesus in the House of Mary and Martha as prime examples, I’ll argue that certain works of art – with artistic ambition – were conceived as quaestiones disputatae rather than self-confirmatory narratives, fully in line with the intellectual/pedagogical principles of quaestiones in the early modern Low Countries.
Drawn up by a learned physician from the mouths of artisans
Authors: Boulboullé Jenny
Published: August 2020

This article demonstrates how multi-layered and open-ended the genre of the manual could be. It focuses on the so-called Mayerne manuscript, a seventeenth-century source text, comprising more than 300 recipes and ‘how-to’ instructions. Many of the entries are dated and include geographical and professional information that identify artisans and master painters as sources of detailed descriptions of materials and techniques. The article deconstructs an interpretation of Theodore de Mayerne’s recipe compilation as a handbook intended for practical use, and instead shows that many voices lay behind Mayerne’s extensive documentation of artisanal know how. The article argues that the manuscript was perhaps never intended for publication, but that it provides an exceptional testimony to the practice of an early modern ethnographer of artisanal working methods. A closer look at Mayerne’s practice of note taking as a physician suggests that it functioned as a working tool to document technical and artisanal knowledge of materials.
Jacob van der Gracht’s Anatomie for artists
Authors: Travers Erin
Published: August 2020

The painter and engraver, Jacob van der Gracht produced one of the first anatomical manuals for members of his profession that visibly references the format and content of medical publications. However, his reliance on figures in the style of Andreas Vesalius has caused his publication to be viewed as an abridged copy of De humani corporis fabrica (Basel, 1543) and has obscured the legacy of Van der Gracht’s contributions. Adapting these figures for a new purpose, Van der Gracht’s manual advocates for anatomical instruction to enhance artists’ skills in rendering lifelike effects, especially a convincing sense of movement. This article investigates the range of sources upon which Van der Gracht’s drew, how they were altered to suit artists’ interests, and his publication’s posterity. I argue that Van der Gracht used the familiar images of renowned sixteenth-century anatomists to bolster his publication’s success and elevate the credibility of his profession.
‘Draw everything that exists in the world’
Authors: Remond Jaya
Published: August 2020

This article examines the Amsterdam engraver and draftsman Crispijn de Passe’s art manual, ’t Light der Teken en Schilderkonst, in order to study the processes that turned image-making practices into forms of knowledge worthy of being preserved on paper. I argue that De Passe, who was born into a prominent family of artists, championed the multi-purpose functionality of drawing skills, and that De Passe’s experience at Antoine de Pluvinel’s riding academy in Paris played a key role in the manual’s genesis, as well as in the creation, codification and stabilization of artistic knowledge. By examining forms of haptic engagement (such as traces of manipulation), I show how such manuals were used, collected, and prized as valuable objects in early modern Europe. Acquiring and cultivating drawing skills would become imbued with great epistemic, material, and monetary value for different types of publics in the long seventeenth century
Learning in Netherlandish workshops in seventeenth-century Rome
Authors: Downey Erin
Published: August 2020

This contribution presents a much-needed overview of Netherlandish workshop activities in Rome, and a reevaluation of their impact on the cultural environment of the city. Focusing on the workshops of Paul Bril, Herman van Swanevelt, Vincent Adriaenssen Leckerbetien (‘Il Manciola’), Cornelis Bloemaert II, and the now obscure painter Salomon Backereel, it elucidate the process by which these and other Dutch and Flemish artists trained aspiring painters and contributed to the overall educational program of the city. Not only is there more information about how their workshops functioned, but also these artists exemplify the status and professional activities of many Netherlandish artists in the city.
Ingenuity and discernment in
Authors: Marr Alexander
Published: August 2020

This article proposes a new interpretation of Guillam van Haecht the Younger's The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest (1628) as an extended exploration of ingenuity. It examines the ways in which the picture mobilises pictorially and linguistically varied aspects and meanings of ingenuity (ingenium, gheest, wit, esprit), in relation to connoisseurship, artistic theory, rhetoric, and natural philosophy. It situates the picture’s presentation of Flemish wit specifically within the Antwerpian milieu of the liefhebbers der schilderyen, including celebration of the Antwerp School of painters, from Metsys to Rubens. Among the various forms of ingenious discernment the picture reflected and sought to cultivate in its viewers, self-evaluation was critically important.
An Event Conflation Model based on the Realization Event
Authors: Kou Xinyan , Hohenstein Jill
Published: August 2020

In this theoretical analysis, we first identify four event components essential to the conceptualization of Realization – manner salience, agentivity, the intended result and the real-world result. We move on to establish an event conflation model which reflects their interplay in an attempt to outline the speech generation mechanisms behind different lexicalization patterns. By offering alternative interpretations for some well-established findings in the Motion domain from the Realization perspective, we also explore the possibility of applying unified analysis to different macro-event types.
Yearning for Recognition: Indigenous Formosans and the Limits of Indigeneity
Authors: Simon Scott
Published: August 2020

Indigeneity, enshrined in the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is an international governance model that promises sovereignty and self-government to indigenous nations. Anthropologists have expressed concern that indigeneity may become an avatar of neoliberal governance that benefits a small elite and contributes to the hypermarginalisation of the poor. This multi-scalar ethnography explores the meaning of indigeneity in Seediq and Truku communities. The author concurs that legal indigeneity fails to meet the needs of the poor. Most ordinary indigenous people perceive that they already benefit from Taiwan’s existing legal framework and fail to understand the need for new institutions. For the case of Taiwan, moreover, the limits of indigeneity are most evident in the exclusion of Taiwanese indigenous peoples—and Taiwan—from United Nations mechanisms. As indigeneity degenerates into great power politics, it falls short of its aspirations to recognise indigenous nations as ontological equals to established states.
Architecture of the World’s Major Religions
Authors: Barrie Thomas
Published: August 2020

In Architecture of the World’s Major Religions: An Essay on Themes, Differences, and Similarities, religious architecture is presented and explained in ways that challenge predominant presumptions regarding its aesthetic, formal, spatial, and scenographic elements. Two positions frame its narrative: religious architecture is an amalgam of aesthetic, social, political, cultural, economic, and doctrinal elements; and these elements are materialized in often very different ways in the world’s principal religions. Central to the essay’s theoretical approaches is the communicative and discursive agency of religious architecture, and the multisensory and ritual spaces it provides to create and deliver content. Subsequently, mythical and scriptural foundations, and symbols of ecclesiastical and political power are of equal interest to formal organizations of thresholds, paths, courts, and centers, and celestial and geometric alignments. Moreover, it is equally concerned with the aesthetic—visual and material cultures and the transcendent realms they were designed to evoke, as it is with the kinesthetic—the dynamic and multisensory experience of place and the tangible experiences of the body’s interactions with architecture.
Land Dispossession and Women’s Rights Contention in Rural China
Authors: Li Ke
Published: August 2020

Taking the latest round of lawmaking in China as a point of departure, this article provides an in-depth examination of women’s land rights on paper and their dispossession of land in reality. To explain the gap between the two, I draw on the extant literature as well as my field research in southwestern China to illustrate the mechanisms responsible for unequal access to farmland between women and men. In illuminating these mechanisms, this article unpacks how, over the past four decades, the combination of ostensibly gender-neutral state policies, seemingly progressive legislation, and ingrained cultural prescriptions and practices has produced profoundly gendered disparities in land use. If state policies and legislation are indeed part of the problem, they must be part of the solution. Decisionmakers at the commanding heights, however, have showed little will to effect sweeping changes aimed at safeguarding women’s access to land. Instead, they have opted for piecemeal, fragmented, and localized measures in the hope of chipping away at gender inequality in land possession and management. These tepid measures will have grave implications for women’s land use and rights contention in the years to come.
Mapping Mountains
Authors: Capello Ernesto
Published: August 2020

Mountains appear in the oldest known maps, yet their representation has proven a notoriously difficult challenge for map makers. This essay surveys the broad history of relief representation in cartography with an emphasis on the allegorical, commercial and political uses of mapping mountains. After an initial overview and critique of the traditional historiography and development of techniques of relief representation, the essay features four clusters of mountain mapping emphases. These include visions of mountains as paradise, the mountain as site of colonial and postcolonial encounter, the development of elevation profiles and panoramas, and mountains as mass-marketed touristed itineraries.
Eschatological Awareness without Apocalyptic or Millenarian Expectations: Facing the Future in the Ottonian World (from the 10th to the Early 11th Century)
Authors: Manganaro Stefano
Published: August 2020

This article reconstructs the perception of the future in Ottonian culture by investigating a variety of sources produced within the chronological and geographical framework of the Roman–Germanic Empire (Germany, Italy, and Lotharingia) at the time of Saxon kings and emperors (919–1024). Traditional scholarly interest in end times at the turn of the first millennium is here intertwined with a more recent transdisciplinary perspective that focuses on the notion of contingency. Ottonian sources provide evidence of how a real concern about historical contingencies, which affect this-worldly future events, could coexist with an eschatological awareness that induced patterns of thought and behavior in view of eternal salvation, in connection with the belief that the last age of the world had already begun long ago. This belief, not to be confused with speculations about the imminence of the end, should be properly understood and contextualized, and a clear distinction among eschatology, apocalypticism, and millenarianism is therefore required. Although each Ottonian author had a particular approach toward the future, influenced by various circumstances and different authorial intentions (doctrinal reflection, pastoral responsibilities, devotion, political reasons, rhetorical purposes, and propaganda), the analysis of these sources reveals an appropriation of Augustinian themes and teachings that seems to have been widespread, deep, and genuine. What emerges is a complex picture of how prominent Ottonian authors conceived and coped with the future, passing from the cosmic to existential dimension, from spiritual commitment to ordinary business, and from the uncertainty of terrestrial future to the transcendent certainty of the Last Things.
The Impact of Communication Technology and Social Media on Intergenerational Relationships between Older Individuals and Their Adult Children in Bangkok
Authors: Thomas Marie-Helene
Published: August 2020

Modernisation theory (Cowgill and Holmes 1972) argues that older people in modern societies are less respected and valued as a result of technological innovations. To understand the impact of communication technology and social media on Thai society, this research studies the transformations in communication, interaction and overall connectedness between older people and their adult children. In addition, it examines what elements have shifted due to the introduction and use of the smart phone and its accompanying instant messaging and social media applications such as Line and Facebook. The data demonstrates various positive and negative impacts on the intergenerational relationship between older parents and their child cohorts. Crucially, countless examples and arguments from the respondents suggest that the use of these new tools of communication has a very real and demonstrable impact, from providing a space for family members to express their emotions to being the culprit that divides the family unit.
Friedrich Halm’s Earliest Extant, Melodramatic Novelle, St. Sylvesterabend: An Austrian Dramatist’s Hidden Beginnings as a Narrative Fiction Writer
Authors: Page Tony
Published: August 2020

To date there has been no scholarly exploration of the genesis and nature of Friedrich Halm’s earliest extant Novelle, St. Sylvesterabend (New Year’s Eve). The present research article attempts to fill that gap by determining the contested date of the story’s origin, establishing it as 1823. Furthermore, the article examines the tale’s simplicity of style, which is distinct from Halm’s later Kleist-influenced narratives. Furthermore, it analyzes the novel’s structural principle of parallels and contrasts, and its themes of monomania, secularised religiosity, and Christian caritas. The article also indicates how vicious criticism of the tale by Halm’s literary mentor, Michael Enk von der Burg, lacerated the young Halm’s self-confidence as a Novelle writer and crippled his novelistic creativity for decades to come.
A Dominant Global Translation Strategy in Thai Translated Novels: The Translations of Religious Markers in Dan Brown’s Thriller Novels
Authors: Inphen Wiriya
Published: August 2020

When translation is considered as an integral part of larger social systems (Even-Zohar 1990), the ways in which translations are produced to serve readers’ specificity could be affected. This paper examines whether there is a preference for a specific global translation strategy due to a readership that is specialized in terms of education level. Adopting Venuti’s (1995/2008) division of global translation strategies into exoticizing and domesticating translation, it examines the frequency of local translation strategies, which are part of a global translation strategy, used in translating English-Thai religious markers in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Origin. The religious markers cover words/phrases of belief systems in either Eastern or Western culture. The results show that exoticizing translation is a dominant global translation strategy that translation agents, such as translators and editors, use in literary translations of Anglo-American novels.
Rapid Biological Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and It's In Vitro Anti-Bacterial and Larvicidal Activities
Authors: Sampath Gattu , Shyu Douglas JH , Rameshkumar Neelamegam , Krishnan Muthukalingan , Raguvaran Krishnan , Maheshwaran Rajan , Kayalvizhi Nagarajan
Published: September 2020

The current investigation explains the Acacia nilotica (A. nilotica) leaf extract capped silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) synthesis. The instant formation of AgNPs was confirmed by altering the color golden yellow to dark brown and the characteristic SPR band determines by
the UV-visible spectrometer. The structural specification was assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction crystallography (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive electron microscopy, zeta
potential, dynamic light scattering. The particle size ranged 20–80 nm, the average crystalline size 35.26 nm were determined by HR-TEM and XRD. Further in vitro antimicrobial activity was tested against different bacteria by combining antibiotic with the AgNPs. Among all the
tested bacteria, the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) showed the highest (16.2 ± 0.6 mm) zone of inhibition. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis clearly showed the structural damage of S. aureus and Escherichia coli (E. coli) by increasing
AgNPs concentration at 4 hr treatment. In addition, the larvicidal assay was performed against Culex quinquefasciatus (C. quinquefasciatus) and Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti). The higher efficiency of AgNPs was absorbed in A. aegypti (LC50 = 279 22
ppm) and C. quinque- fasciatus (LC50 = 168.98 ppm). The results proved that the An-AgNPs act as a multi-faceted effect on bacterial and controlling vectors.
Re-Estimated Ergodic Hidden Markov Model for Decision Support Among Subsystems in Intelligent Building
Authors: Roko Abubakar , Babakura Abba , Bui Aminu , Saidu Ibrahim
Published: September 2020

The entity of intelligent building is integrated with diversified service function of control, automation and communication of devices in its environment, and to perform them in joined manner via intelligent tasks. Rapid improvement in sensor technologies and advancement in electronics
have given rise to heterogeneous systems growth in intelligent building. Most of these subsystems are dissimilar and not intended to perform interoperation task. Consequently, it is rather difficult to perform decision making with the combination of these systems considering the variety of
data that are not efficient in adapting to the changing environment. One of the recent decision support solutions provided was Left–right Hidden Markov Model (LR-HMM) which uses left-right algorithm to improve accuracy of prediction based on single timely decision. However, it leads
to low accuracy when multiple timely decisions are performed. Therefore, to ensure timely decision, the accuracy of prediction should be improved when performing multiple decisions. We propose a new decision model to improve performance in such situations. The goal is to improve the accuracy
of prediction when multiple decisions are performed. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed Re-estimated Ergodic Hidden Markov Model (RE-HMM), and show that it improves the average accuracy compared with LR-HMM. It is examined when tested on the Local Area Network
(LAN) settings.
Overall Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Interventional Radiology Services: A Canadian Perspective
Authors: Patel Neeral R. , El-Karim Ghassan Awad , Mujoomdar Amol , Mafeld Sebastian , Jaberi Arash , Kachura John R. , Tan Kong Teng , Oreopoulos George D.
Published: August 2020

Purpose:

The aim of this national survey was to assess the overall impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the provision of interventional radiology (IR) services in Canada.

Methods:

An anonymous electronic survey was distributed via national and regional radiology societies, exploring (1) center information and staffing, (2) acute and on-call IR services, (3) elective IR services, (4) IR clinics, (5) multidisciplinary rounds, (6) IR training, (7) personal protection equipment (PPE), and departmental logistics.

Results:

Individual responses were received from 142 interventional radiologists across Canada (estimated 70% response rate). Nearly half of the participants (49.3%) reported an overall decrease in demand for acute IR services; on-call services were maintained at centers that routinely provide these services (99%). The majority of respondents (73.2%) were performing inpatient IR procedures at the bedside where possible. Most participants (88%) reported an overall decrease in elective IR services. Interventional radiology clinics and multidisciplinary rounds were predominately transitioned to virtual platforms. The vast majority of participants (93.7%) reported their center had disseminated an IR specific PPE policy; 73% reported a decrease in case volume for trainees by at least 25% and a proportion of trainees will either have a delay in starting their careers as IR attendings (24%) or fellowship training (35%).

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on IR services in Canada, particularly for elective cases. Many centers have utilized virtual platforms to provide multidisciplinary meetings, IR clinics, and training. Guidelines should be followed to ensure patient and staff safety while resuming IR services.
Transoral Approach to Open Reduction of a Traumatic Avulsion Fracture of the Genial Tubercle Associated With a Mandibular Symphysis Fracture: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Graham Danyon O. , Nguyen Edward , Abu Serriah Muammar
Published: September 2020

Genial tubercle fracture (GTF) is rare and represents a diagnostic challenge as plain film radiography often fails to identify the fractured segment. Traumatic avulsion of the genial tubercle in conjunction with mandibular symphysis fracture may lead to posterior displacement of the tongue with the potential for airway compromise and difficulty in speech and swallowing due to loss of tongue anterior suspension. Fine cut computed tomography (CT) scan is required to confirm the diagnosis and assist further management. To our knowledge, all published cases of surgical intervention in the management of avulsed genial tubercle combined with fracture of the mandibular symphysis used an extraoral approach via submental skin incision to expose the fractured segment. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report to describe a transoral approach in the surgical management of GTF associated with a mandibular fracture.
No rest for elderly femur fracture patients: early surgery and early ambulation decrease mortality
Authors: Aprato Alessandro , Bechis Marco , Buzzone Marco , Bistolfi Alessandro , Daghino Walter , Massè Alessandro
Published: August 2020

Background

Literature has shown a significant correlation between early treatment and mortality in femur fractures, but the influence of time to ambulation on mortality has not been studied. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate whether time to ambulation is correlated to femur fracture mortality independently from time to surgery.

Patients and methods

All patients older than 65 years admitted at a level I trauma center with proximal femoral fracture during a 1-year period were included. The following data were collected: age, gender, date and time of admission to emergency department, height, weight, body mass index, type and side of fracture, ASA score, date and time of surgery, surgical time, time to ambulation, length of hospitalization, death during hospitalization, and mortality at 6 and 12 months.

Results

The study sample comprises 516 patients. The mean age was 83.6 years; ASA score was 3–5 in 53% of patients; 42.7% presented with medial fracture; mean time between admission and surgery was 48.4 h; 22.7% of patients were not able to walk during the first 10 days after fracture; mean duration of hospitalization was 13 days; and mortality was 17% at 6 months and 25% at 1 year. Early surgery and walking ability at 10 days after trauma were independently and significantly associated with mortality at 6 months (p = 0.014 and 0.002, respectively) and at 1 year (0.027 and 0.009, respectively).

Conclusions

Early surgery in femur fracture became a priority in health systems, but early postoperative physiotherapy also plays a major role in prevention of mortality: independently from surgical timing, patients who did not walk again within 10 days from surgery showed mortality rates higher than those of patients who did.

Level of evidence

IV.
The genetic basis of diurnal preference in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Pegoraro Mirko , Flavell Laura M. M. , Menegazzi Pamela , Colombi Perrine , Dao Pauline , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte , Tauber Eran
Published: August 2020

Background

Most animals restrict their activity to a specific part of the day, being diurnal, nocturnal or crepuscular. The genetic basis underlying diurnal preference is largely unknown. Under laboratory conditions, Drosophila melanogaster is crepuscular, showing a bi-modal activity profile. However, a survey of strains derived from wild populations indicated that high variability among individuals exists, including flies that are nocturnal.

Results

Using a highly diverse population, we performed an artificial selection experiment, selecting flies with extreme diurnal or nocturnal preference. After 10 generations, we obtained highly diurnal and nocturnal strains. We used whole-genome expression analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in diurnal, nocturnal and crepuscular (control) flies. Other than one circadian clock gene (pdp1), most differentially expressed genes were associated with either clock output (pdf, to) or input (Rh3, Rh2, msn). This finding was congruent with behavioural experiments indicating that both light masking and the circadian pacemaker are involved in driving nocturnality.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that genetic variation segregating in wild populations contributes to substantial variation in diurnal preference. We identified candidate genes associated with diurnality/nocturnality, while data emerging from our expression analysis and behavioural experiments suggest that both clock and clock-independent pathways are involved in shaping diurnal preference. The diurnal and nocturnal selection strains provide us with a unique opportunity to understand the genetic architecture of diurnal preference.
Correction to: Change in quality of life over eight years in a nationally representative sample of US adults with heart disease and type 2 diabetes: minority race and toxic stress as key social determinants
Authors: Nkwata Allan K. , Song Xiao , Zhang Ming , Ezeamama Amara. E.
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Correction to: The m6A eraser FTO facilitates proliferation and migration of human cervical cancer cells
Authors: Zou Dongling , Dong Lei , Li Chenying , Yin Zhe , Rao Shuan , Zhou Qi
Published: August 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
A multi-center naturalistic study of a newly designed 12-sessions group psychoeducation program for patients with bipolar disorder and their caregivers
Authors: Zyto Susan , Jabben Nienke , Schulte Peter F. J. , Regeer Eline J. , Goossens Peter J. J. , Kupka Ralph W. ,   the Task Force Psychotherapy of the Dutch Foundation for Bipolar Disorders
Published: September 2020

Background

Psychoeducation (PE) for bipolar disorder (BD) has a first-line recommendation for the maintenance treatment phase of BD. Formats vary greatly in the number of sessions, whether offered individually or in a group, and with or without caregivers attending. Due to a large variation in formats in the Netherlands, a new program was developed and implemented in 17 outpatient clinics throughout the country. The current study investigated the feasibility of a newly developed 12-sessions PE group program for patients with BD and their caregivers in routine outpatient practice and additionally explored its effectiveness.

Methods

Participants in the study were 108 patients diagnosed with BD, 88 caregivers and 35 course leaders. Feasibility and acceptance of the program were investigated by measures of attendance, and evaluative questionnaires after session 12. Preliminary treatment effects were investigated by pre- and post-measures on mood symptoms, attitudes towards BD and its treatment, levels of self-management, and levels of expressed emotion.

Results

There was a high degree of satisfaction with the current program as reported by patients, caregivers, and course leaders. The average attendance was high and 83% of the patients and 75% of the caregivers completed the program. Analyses of treatment effects suggest positive effects on depressive symptoms and self-management in patients, and lower EE as experienced by caregivers.

Conclusions

This compact 12-sessions psychoeducation group program showed good feasibility and was well accepted by patients, caregivers, and course leaders. Preliminary effects on measures of self-management, expressed emotions, and depressive symptoms were promising. After its introduction it has been widely implemented in mental health institutions throughout the Netherlands.
Herd-level risk factors for chronic pleurisy in finishing pigs: a case-control study
Authors: Hälli Outi , Haimi-Hakala Minna , Oliviero Claudio , Heinonen Mari
Published: September 2020

Background

Chronic pleurisy is a common finding in slaughtered pigs in post-mortem meat inspection. The prevalence of pleurisy has been increasing during the last decade also in Finland. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to search for environmental, infectious and management-related herd-level risk factors for pleurisy in the slaughterhouse. Altogether 46 Finnish pig herds, including 25 control (low pleurisy prevalence in meat inspection) and 21 case (high pleurisy) herds, were enrolled in the study and visited during the tenth week of the rearing period of finishing pigs. Herd personnel were asked about basic herd information, management and environmental factors. Selected pigs were examined clinically, environmental parameters were measured and 15 blood samples per herd were taken during herd visits. Antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia serotype 2 (APP2) and ApxIV toxin and swine influenza virus were measured. After the slaughter of study pigs, meat inspection results of the batch were gathered from slaughterhouses. Multivariate logistic regression model was built to identify possible risk factors for a herd to be a case herd (i.e. having high pleurisy values).

Results

Finishing herd type and herd size were observed to act as risk factors. None of clinical signs of pigs, management-related factors or environmental measurements were associated with herd status.

Conclusions

As previously known, in endemic and subclinical infections such as APP, herd factors are important, but detailed risk factors seem to be difficult to identify.
Stem extract of Albizia richardiana exhibits potent antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and thrombolytic effects through in vitro approach
Authors: Islam Mohammad Nazmul , Tasnim Homyra , Arshad Laiba , Haque Md. Areeful , Tareq Syed Mohammed , Kamal A. T. M. Mostafa , Rahman Md. Masudur , Reza A S. M. Ali , Chowdhury Kazi Ashfak Ahmed , Tareq Abu Montakim
Published: September 2020

Background

Albizia richardianabelongs Fabaceae family which different parts like fruits, flowers, barks, and roots are used medicinally. The study reports the in vitro anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of methanolic extract ofA. richardianastem and its different fractions.

Method

The methanolic extract ofA. richardianastem (MEAR) extracted with n-hexane (HXFAR), carbon tetrachloride (CTFAR), chloroform (CFAR), and aqueous (AQFAR) and subjected for DPPH scavenging activity and total phenol content (TPC). The cytotoxic activity evaluated by brine shrimp lethality bioassay, while the disk diffusion method used for the antimicrobial study. The anti-inflammatory and thrombolytic activities of the extracts evaluated by the hypotonic solution induced hemolysis, heat-induced hemolysis and human blood clot lysis, respectively.

Results

All the extracts exhibited excellent antioxidant activity in the DPPH scavenging assay and maximum total phenol content observed by HXFAR. Secondly, the extract showed a moderate LC50value in brine shrimp lethality bioassay, where the CTFAR extract exhibited potential antimicrobial activities against sixteen different microorganisms. In anti-inflammatory, all the extract exhibited a significant (P < 0.0001) protection against lysis of human erythrocyte membrane induced by heat and hypotonic solution, as compared to the standard acetyl salicylic acid. An extremely significant (P < 0.0001) clot lysis was found in MEAR (16.66%) while the standard drug streptokinase (70.94%).

Conclusion

All the fractions revealed the significant free radical scavenging activity. Moreover, CTFAR showed wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Thus, the results of the present study provided scientific evidence for the use ofAlbizia richardianaas traditional medicine.
Impact of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and methotrexate on diabetes mellitus among patients with inflammatory arthritis
Authors: Mantravadi Santhi , George Michael , Brensinger Colleen , Du Min , Baker Joshua F. , Ogdie Alexis
Published: September 2020

Background

To determine whether initiation of a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) or methotrexate improves hemoglobin A1c in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who also have diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database, an administrative claims database, using data from 2000 to 2014. Patients with PsA, RA, or AS, with DM (defined by ICD-9-CM codes) and/or HbA1c ≥7%, who newly initiated either a TNFi, MTX, or metformin (positive control) were identified. The change in HbA1c after drug initiation was calculated. Statistical differences in the change in HbA1c between drugs were assessed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Among 10,389 drug initiations in 9541 patients with PsA, RA, or AS, and available HbA1c values, HbA1c was ≥7 at baseline in 254 (35%) TNFi initiations, 361(37%) MTX initiations, and 2144 (50%) metformin initiations. Median HbA1c change was − 0.35 (IQR -1.10, 0.30) after TNFi initiation, − 0.40 (IQR -1.20, 0.30) after MTX initiation, and − 0.80 (IQR -1.60, − 0.10) after metformin initiation. In adjusted analyses, TNFi initiators had less of a decrease in HbA1c compared to MTX initiators (β 0.22, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.43), p = 0.046. Metformin initiators had a significantly greater decrease in HbA1c than MTX, β − 0.38 (95% CI: − 0.52, − 0.23), p < 0.001. Glucocorticoid use was not accounted for in the models.

Conclusion

HbA1c decreased with TNFi initiation or MTX initiation. Reductions in HbA1c after initiation of a TNFi or MTX are about half (~ 0.4 units) the decrease observed after initiation of metformin.
The forensic value of smile photograph and medical radiograph analysis in identifying human skeletonized remains: a case report
Authors: Ghazi Aljaber Abo Fakher Majid , Al-assaf Maher , Mimas Sharif , Aljaber Abo Fakher Mourad , Abdul-hak Mahmoud , Nofal Houssein
Published: September 2020

Background

Identifying human remains which are skeletonized, carbonized, disfigured, or fragmentized is a common task for forensic anthropologists and odontologists.

Case presentation

A case of unknown skeletonized remains is reported in this investigation, which was found in a mass grave in Damascus Countryside governorate, Syria, in 2017. The post-mortem (PM) examination of bones and teeth was completed in al-Muwasat University Hospital in Damascus. Skull and pelvic bones showed Caucasoid male traits: the fourth rib and teeth examination estimated the age to be between 30 and 40 years, and the long bone estimated the stature in centimeters to be between 172 and 179. Intact dentition with tiny fracture in the incisal edge of the upper right central incisor—along with pathological fracture of right patella—was noted. Matching with ante-mortem (AM) smile photograph and radiograph of the right knee led to positive identification.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the importance of maintaining and storage of medical radiographs or any other records that show the teeth or bones of the person.
Endovascular management of recurrent hemarthrosis of the knee: a case series
Authors: Pow Richard , Fritsch Brett , Waugh Richard , Rogan Chris
Published: August 2020

Background

Recurrent hemarthrosis of the knee is an uncommon but potentially debilitating occurrence with multiple etiologies, including previous total knee replacement. The purpose of this study is to present data of a group of patients undergoing angiography and embolization for recurrent hemarthrosis of the knee. Patient characteristics, angiographic findings, safety and efficacy of the procedure are reported.

Methods

A retrospective single centre review of patients undergoing angiography and embolization at a tertiary referral centre in Sydney, Australia from March 2006 to April 2018 was performed. A total of 25 patients undergoing a total of 29 procedures were identified (20 female, 5 male; mean age 67), the majority of which (23/25, 92%) had a history of total knee arthroplasty. Embolization was performed in 28 of the 29 procedures (97%). The embolic agent used was either polyvinyl alcohol particles (23/28), gelatin foam (3/28), detachable microcoils (1/28) or a combination of particles and coils (1/28).

Results

The most commonly identified dominant vascular abnormality was periarticular synovial hypervascularity (23/25, 92%). A pseudoaneurysm was demonstrated in two patients (8%). Technical success (elimination of angiographic abnormalities) was achieved in 27 of 29 procedures (93%). There were 6 episodes of recurrence (25%) following a single embolization procedure, three of which were managed successfully with repeat embolization. There were no complications relating to skin or periarticular ischemia.

Conclusion

Angiography and embolization is a safe and effective tool for the management of recurrent hemarthrosis of the knee following arthroplasty and should be considered first line treatment following failure of conservative management.

Level of evidence

Level 4, Case Series.
Home food making, belonging, and identity negotiation in Belgian Taiwanese immigrant women’s everyday food practices
Authors: Lin Hsien-Ming , Pang Ching Lin , Liao Da-Chi
Published: September 2020

This article examines the experiences of (re)producing home food in the daily life and food practices of Belgian Taiwanese immigrant women. The research is based on ethnography—both online and offline—and qualitative semi-structured interviews with seventeen Taiwanese immigrant women/housewives in Belgium. Participants’ food practices involve buying, growing, making, and sharing food. Buying Taiwanese food ingredients presents a genuine challenge, as Chinese and Asian supermarkets in Belgium do not carry all Taiwanese food items. Consequently, many Taiwanese immigrant women and housewives in this study share similar experiences of growing specific foods in their home garden; moreover, by doing so, they also transform their gardens in their private homes into transnational social spaces, and thereby connect their previous lived experiences and homeland memories with their present living circumstances. Moreover, Taiwanese immigrant women like to prepare and cook food with their husband and children while imparting Taiwanese food and cultural values through personal stories. Furthermore, by organizing and regularly participating in activities involving sharing and eating food with other Taiwanese immigrant women, these food-sharing events and behaviors also become an important social networking strategy that allows them to make, expand, and cultivate friendships; in addition, food sharing activities also assist the participants to construct a collective social identity of being immigrant mothers/housewives in a foreign land. However, what is meant by “Taiwanese” food varies substantially between participants, as do the associated emotional and ethnic meanings. Several things were stated to account for the taste of Taiwanese food, such as using certain condiments or the Ta Tung rice cooker. Equally diverse is the personal attachment of ethnonational identity toward the notion of home food, as discussions of childhood memories, ethnonational identity negotiation, and cultural markers are accompanied by critical reflection on the social constructed nature of home/ethnic foods in the migration contexts.
Characteristics of natural biopolymers and their derivative as sorbents for chromium adsorption: a review
Authors: Zhang Ruoshi , Tian Yongqiang
Published: August 2020

Chromium is widely used in industry, and improper disposal of wastewater and industrial residues containing excessive chromium can contaminate water and soil, endangering both environmental and human health. Natural biopolymers and their derivatives have been investigated for removal of chromium (Cr) from wastewater. Cellulose, lignin, tannin, chitin, chitosan, and polypeptides are abundant in nature, and have high potential as adsorbents due to their easy access, low cost, and the recyclability of the captured heavy metals. In order to improve their mechanical strength, recyclability, specific surface area, binding site number, and adsorption rate as adsorbents, native materials have also been modified. This review discusses the source of chromium contamination and the main species of interest, as well as their toxicity. The structures of the aforementioned biopolymers were analyzed, and the adsorption mechanism of chromium and the main influencing factors on this process are discussed. The modification methods of various adsorbents and their adsorption effects on chromium are also detailed, and the developmental direction of research on the use of biopolymer adsorption remediation to control chromium contamination is discussed.

Graphical abstract
Resurfacing hemiarthroplasty versus stemmed hemiarthroplasty for glenohumeral osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Baoliang , Chen Guanghui , Fan Tianqi , Chen Zhongqiang
Published: September 2020

Background

Though total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) has been an acknowledged treatment option for glenohumeral osteoarthritis, resurfacing hemiarthroplasty (RHA) and stemmed hemiarthroplasty (SHA) may be preferred in some circumstances by surgeons, especially for treating young or active patients. However, decision-making between the RHA and SHA is controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to systematically compare two surgical procedures in terms of postoperative functional outcomes, range of motion (ROM), pain relief, complication rates, risk of revision.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 1, 2020, for all articles that compared the clinical effectiveness and safety of RHA with SHA. All eligible studies were selected based on certain screening criteria. Two investigators independently conducted the quality assessment and extracted the data. Fixed-effect and random-effect models were used for pooled results according to the degree of heterogeneity. All statistical analyses were performed by employing Stata software 14.0.

Results

A total of six comparative studies involving 2568 shoulders (1356 RHA and 1212 SHA) were included in the final analysis. Patients were followed up for at least 1 year in each study. Pooled results showed that RHA was associated with a better visual analog scale (SMD 0.61, p = 0.001) but higher revision rates (OR 1.50, p = 0.016) when compared to SHA. There were no significant differences in functional outcomes, such as Constant-Murley score (SMD 0.06, P = 0.878), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (SMD 0.05, P = 0.880), Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index (SMD 0.43, p = 0.258) and quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (SMD 0.06, p = 0.669). In addition, no differences were observed in forward flexion (SMD 0.16, p = 0.622), external rotation (SMD -0.17, P = 0.741) and overall complication rates (OR 1.42, p = 0.198).

Conclusion

This is the first meta-analysis to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of RHA in comparison with SHA for the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis. The results demonstrated that the two surgical techniques were equivalent in terms of postoperative functional outcomes and complication rate. However, RHA provided greater pain relief but posed a higher risk for revision than SHA. More high-quality studies with long-term follow up are warranted to give more convincing evidence.
Myocardial viability imaging using a novel non-breath-hold cardiac MRI protocol: a comparative assessment with 18F-FDG PET
Authors: Aggarwal Rohit , Singla Geetika , Singh Harkirat , George Raju Augustine , Mukhopadhyay Indrani
Published: September 2020

Background

Delayed contrast enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is a well-established MRI technique for the evaluation of myocardial tissue viability. A comprehensive cardiac MRI protocol for myocardial viability comprises of multiple breath hold sequences to provide information regarding chamber volumes, myocardial mass, and function in addition to viability. However, its routine use is limited mainly by lengthy acquisition time and patient’s inability to hold breath in multiple breath hold sequences. The important question to which the referring cardiologists/cardiac surgeons are seeking answer is that “What are the viable vascular territories that will benefit from revascularization?” In this study, we have analyzed the utility of non-breath-hold rapid delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac MR imaging protocol for myocardial viability assessment with 18-flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) as the reference standard.

Results

Forty patients of ischemic heart disease who met the inclusion criteria were included. All patients underwent both 18F-FDG PET and delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging as per the non-breath-hold protocol. In this free-breathing protocol, the breath hold cine sequences were omitted and, after localizers, post-contrast scans were obtained with a time gap of 15 min post-contrast administration. A total number of 680 myocardial segments and corresponding 120 vascular territories were assessed. MRI and 18F-FDG PET images were analyzed using a 17-segment model as proposed by AHA. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of non-breath-hold rapid delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac MR imaging protocol for assessing myocardial viability (on segment analysis) was 95.5%, 65.59%, 88.0%, and 84.72%, respectively, and of vascular territory analysis were 96.77%, 92.59%, 97.83%, and 89.29%, respectively, in relation to 18F-FDG PET used as the reference standard. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient is 0.62.

Conclusion

This modified non-breath-hold delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac MR imaging protocol is a reliable tool to answer the clinically relevant question of myocardial viability with a significant reduction in acquisition time and overcomes the limiting need of breath hold.