bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tissue Fillers for the Nasolabial Fold Area: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Stefura Tomasz , Kacprzyk Artur , Droś Jakub , Krzysztofik Marta , Skomarovska Oksana , Fijałkowska Marta , Koziej Mateusz
Published: July 2021

Tissue fillers injections remain to be one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures. The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematize and present available data on the aesthetic outcomes and safety of treating the nasolabial fold area with tissue fillers. We conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials that report outcomes concerning treatment of nasolabial fold area with tissue fillers. We searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, BIOSIS, SciELO, Scopus, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, CNKI and Web of Science databases. Primary outcomes included aesthetic improvement measured using the Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale score and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale. Secondary outcomes were incidence rates of complications occurring after the procedure. At baseline, the pooled mean WSRS score was 3.23 (95% CI: 3.20–3.26). One month after the procedure, the pooled WSRS score had reached 1.79 (95% CI: 1.74–1.83). After six months it was 2.02 (95% CI: 1.99–2.05) and after 12 months it was 2.46 (95% CI: 2.4–2.52). One month after the procedure, the pooled GAIS score had reached 2.21 (95% CI: 2.14–2.28). After six months, it was 2.32 (95% CI: 2.26–2.37), and after 12 months, it was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.12–1.42). Overall, the pooled incidence of all complications was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.46–0.7). Most common included lumpiness (43%), tenderness (41%), swelling (34%) and bruising (29%). Tissue fillers used for nasolabial fold area treatment allow achieving a satisfying and sustainable improvement. Most common complications include tenderness, lumpiness, swelling, and bruising.

Level of Evidence II

"This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors  www.springer.com/00266."
The Impact of Aberrant Hepatic Artery on Resection Margin and Outcomes of Laparoscopic Pancreatoduodenectomy: A Single‐Center Report
Authors: Wang Shupeng , Chen Qinmin , Liu Songyang , Zhang Wei , Ji Bai , Liu Yahui
Published: July 2021

Background

Variations in the anatomy of the hepatic artery are common. This study was aimed at sharing our experience with identifying and protecting the aberrant hepatic artery (AHA) and discussing its impact on the resection margin and outcomes of laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD).

Methods

A total of 576 patients who underwent LPD between 2015 and 2020 were retrospectively selected and divided into AHA and no AHA groups for this study. The demographics of the patients, pathological features, surgical data, and postoperative complications were further compared and analyzed between the two groups.

Results

The AHA group included 127 patients (22.05%). No statistically significant differences were found between the AHA and no AHA groups in the intraoperative data, postoperative complications, and long‐term survival with malignant tumor. There was also no significant difference in the R1 rate for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions

AHA appears frequently; however, it does not change the incidence of perioperative adverse events following LPD or the long‐term prognosis of malignant tumor. The preservation of AHA during surgery can be achieved with a well‐planned approach and careful dissection.
External validation of predictive scores for diabetes remission after metabolic surgery
Authors: Karpińska Izabela A. , Choma Joanna , Wysocki Michał , Dudek Alicja , Małczak Piotr , Szopa Magdalena , Pędziwiatr Michał , Major Piotr
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Bariatric surgery has proven to be the most efficient treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite detailed qualification, desirable outcome after an intervention is not achieved by every patient. Various risk prediction models of diabetes remission after metabolic surgery have been established to facilitate the decision-making process. The purpose of the study is to validate the performance of available risk prediction scores for diabetes remission a year after surgical treatment and to determine the optimal model.

Methods

A retrospective analysis comprised 252 patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) between 2009 and 2017 and completed 1-year follow-up. The literature review revealed 5 models, which were subsequently explored in our study. Each score relationship with diabetes remission was assessed using logistic regression. Discrimination was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, whereas calibration by the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and predicted versus observed remission ratio.

Results

One year after surgery, 68.7% partial and 21.8% complete diabetes remission and 53.4% excessive weight loss were observed. DiaBetter demonstrated the best predictive performance (AUROC 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.90; p-value > 0.05 in the Hosmer–Lemeshow test; predicted-to-observed ratio 1.09). The majority of models showed acceptable discrimination power. In calibration, only the DiaBetter score did not lose goodness-of-fit in all analyzed groups.

Conclusion

The DiaBetter score seems to be the most appropriate tool to predict diabetes remission after metabolic surgery since it presents adequate accuracy and is convenient to use in clinical practice. There are no accurate models to predict T2DM remission in a patient with advanced diabetes.
Basic principles of biobanking: from biological samples to precision medicine for patients
Authors: Annaratone Laura , De Palma Giuseppe , Bonizzi Giuseppina , Sapino Anna , Botti Gerardo , Berrino Enrico , Mannelli Chiara , Arcella Pamela , Di Martino Simona , Steffan Agostino , Daidone Maria Grazia , Canzonieri Vincenzo , Parodi Barbara , Paradiso Angelo Virgilio , Barberis Massimo , Marchiò Caterina ,   On behalf of Alleanza Contro il Cancro (ACC) Pathology and Biobanking Working Group
Published: July 2021

The term “biobanking” is often misapplied to any collection of human biological materials (biospecimens) regardless of requirements related to ethical and legal issues or the standardization of different processes involved in tissue collection. A proper definition of biobanks is large collections of biospecimens linked to relevant personal and health information (health records, family history, lifestyle, genetic information) that are held predominantly for use in health and medical research. In addition, the International Organization for Standardization, in illustrating the requirements for biobanking (ISO 20387:2018), stresses the concept of biobanks being legal entities driving the process of acquisition and storage together with some or all of the activities related to collection, preparation, preservation, testing, analysing and distributing defined biological material as well as related information and data. In this review article, we aim to discuss the basic principles of biobanking, spanning from definitions to classification systems, standardization processes and documents, sustainability and ethical and legal requirements. We also deal with emerging specimens that are currently being generated and shaping the so-called next-generation biobanking, and we provide pragmatic examples of cancer-associated biobanking by discussing the process behind the construction of a biobank and the infrastructures supporting the implementation of biobanking in scientific research.
Novel picornavirus (family Picornaviridae) from freshwater fishes (Perca fluviatilis, Sander lucioperca, and Ameiurus melas) in Hungary
Authors: Hargitai Renáta , Pankovics Péter , Boros Ákos , Mátics Róbert , Altan Eda , Delwart Eric , Reuter Gábor
Published: July 2021

In this study, a novel picornavirus (perchPV/M9/2015/HUN, GenBank accession no. MW590713) was detected in eight (12.9%) out of 62 faecal samples collected from three (Perca fluviatilis, Sander lucioperca, and Ameiurus melas) out of 13 freshwater fish species tested and genetically characterized using viral metagenomics and RT-PCR methods. The complete genome of perchPV/M9/2015/HUN is 7,741 nt long, excluding the poly(A) tail, and has the genome organization 5’UTRIRES-?/P1(VP0-VP3-VP1)/P2(2A1NPG↓P-2A2H-box/NC-2B-2C)/P3(3A-3BVPg-3CPro-3DPol)/3’UTR-poly(A). The P1, 2C, and 3CD proteins had 41.4%, 38.1%, and 47.3% amino acid sequence identity to the corresponding proteins of Wenling lepidotrigla picornavirus (MG600079), eel picornavirus (NC_022332), and Wenling pleuronectiformes picornavirus (MG600098), respectively, as the closest relatives in the genus Potamipivirus. PerchPV/M9/2015/HUN represents a potential novel fish-origin species in an unassigned genus in the family Picornaviridae.
Improving security in NoSQL document databases through model-driven modernization
Authors: Maté Alejandro , Peral Jesús , Trujillo Juan , Blanco Carlos , García-Saiz Diego , Fernández-Medina Eduardo
Published: July 2021

NoSQL technologies have become a common component in many information systems and software applications. These technologies are focused on performance, enabling scalable processing of large volumes of structured and unstructured data. Unfortunately, most developments over NoSQL technologies consider security as an afterthought, putting at risk personal data of individuals and potentially causing severe economic loses as well as reputation crisis. In order to avoid these situations, companies require an approach that introduces security mechanisms into their systems without scrapping already in-place solutions to restart all over again the design process. Therefore, in this paper we propose the first modernization approach for introducing security in NoSQL databases, focusing on access control and thereby improving the security of their associated information systems and applications. Our approach analyzes the existing NoSQL solution of the organization, using a domain ontology to detect sensitive information and creating a conceptual model of the database. Together with this model, a series of security issues related to access control are listed, allowing database designers to identify the security mechanisms that must be incorporated into their existing solution. For each security issue, our approach automatically generates a proposed solution, consisting of a combination of privilege modifications, new roles and views to improve access control. In order to test our approach, we apply our process to a medical database implemented using the popular document-oriented NoSQL database, MongoDB. The great advantages of our approach are that: (1) it takes into account the context of the system thanks to the introduction of domain ontologies, (2) it helps to avoid missing critical access control issues since the analysis is performed automatically, (3) it reduces the effort and costs of the modernization process thanks to the automated steps in the process, (4) it can be used with different NoSQL document-based technologies in a successful way by adjusting the metamodel, and (5) it is lined up with known standards, hence allowing the application of guidelines and best practices.
Is reduced ferredoxin the physiological electron donor for MetVF-type methylenetetrahydrofolate reductases in acetogenesis? A hypothesis
Authors: Öppinger Christian , Kremp Florian , Müller Volker
Published: July 2021

The methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme in acetogenic CO2 fixation. The MetVF-type enzyme has been purified from four different species and the physiological electron donor was hypothesized to be reduced ferredoxin. We have purified the MTHFR from Clostridium ljungdahlii to apparent homogeneity. It is a dimer consisting of two of MetVF heterodimers, has 14.9 ± 0.2 mol iron per mol enzyme, 16.2 ± 1.0 mol acid-labile sulfur per mol enzyme, and contains 1.87 mol FMN per mol dimeric heterodimer. NADH and NADPH were not used as electron donor, but reduced ferredoxin was. Based on the published electron carrier specificities for Clostridium formicoaceticum, Thermoanaerobacter kivui, Eubacterium callanderi, and Clostridium aceticum, we provide evidence using metabolic models that reduced ferredoxin cannot be the physiological electron donor in vivo, since growth by acetogenesis from H2 + CO2 has a negative ATP yield. We discuss the possible basis for the discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo functions and present a model how the MetVF-type MTHFR can be incorporated into the metabolism, leading to a positive ATP yield. This model is also applicable to acetogenesis from other substrates and proves to be feasible also to the Ech-containing acetogen T. kivui as well as to methanol metabolism in E. callanderi.
Expression of an immunocomplex consisting of Fc fragment fused with a consensus dengue envelope domain III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: So Kum-Kang , Chun Jeesun , Luong Nguyen Ngoc , Seo Hee-Won , Kim Dae-Hyuk
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To explore Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an expression platform for dengue oral immune complex vaccine development.

Results

Molecular engineering was applied to create a fusion gene construct (scEDIII-PIGS) consisting of a yeast codon optimized sequence encoding for a synthetic consensus dengue envelope domain III (scEDIII) followed by a modified IgG Fc domain (PIGS). Northern blot showed transcription of the target gene, with a temporal expression pattern similar to those from previous work. Western blot showed assembly of various immune complexes from monomer to hexamer. Partial purification of scEDIII-PIGS was also attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of yeast system for immune complex vaccine development. Approximately 1 mg of scEDIII-PIGS can be produced from 1 l culture.

Conclusion

This work demonstrated for the first time that various immunocomplex structures of our target protein could be efficiently produced in S. cerevisiae for future application in developing oral and injectable vaccines against various pathogens.
Challenges related to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in Minnesota: clinician and stakeholder perspectives
Authors: Yared Nicholas , Malone Molly , Welo Estee , Mohammed Inari , Groene Emily , Flory Matthew , Basta Nicole E. , Horvath Keith J. , Kulasingam Shalini
Published: July 2021

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among adolescents are increasing in Minnesota (MN) but remain below the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80% completion of the series. The goal of this study was to identify messaging and interventions impacting HPV vaccine uptake in MN through interviews with clinicians and key stakeholders.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured key participant interviews with providers and stakeholders involved in HPV vaccination efforts in MN between 2018 and 2019. Provider interview questions focused on messaging around the HPV vaccine and clinic-based strategies to impact HPV vaccine uptake. Stakeholder interview questions focused on barriers and facilitators at the organizational or state level, as well as initiatives and collaborations to increase HPV vaccination. Responses to interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic content analysis was used to identify themes from interviews.

Results

14 clinicians and 13 stakeholders were interviewed. Identified themes were grouped into 2 major categories that dealt with messaging around the HPV vaccine, direct patient–clinician interactions and external messaging, and a third thematic category involving healthcare system-related factors and interventions. The messaging strategy identified as most useful was promoting the HPV vaccine for cancer prevention. The need for stakeholders to prioritize HPV vaccination uptake was identified as a key factor to increasing HPV vaccination rates. Multiple providers and stakeholders identified misinformation spread through social media as a barrier to HPV vaccine uptake.

Conclusion

Emphasizing the HPV vaccine’s cancer prevention benefits and prioritizing it among healthcare stakeholders were the most consistently cited strategies for promoting HPV vaccine uptake. Methods to combat the negative influence of misinformation about HPV vaccines in social media are an urgent priority.
Implementation of mercury biomonitoring in German adults using dried blood spot sampling in combination with direct mercury analysis
Authors: Schweizer Ann-Kathrin , Kabesch Michael , Quartucci Caroline , Bose-O’Reilly Stephan , Rakete Stefan
Published: July 2021

Venous blood is a preferred matrix for the determination of total mercury (Hg) in human biomonitoring but has some drawbacks such as the requirement for an uninterrupted cold chain for transport and storage and the need of medical personnel for sample collection. Therefore, we tested and implemented a simpler and less expensive method for measuring Hg in human blood using dried blood spots (DBS). For method development, we investigated the influence of different storage conditions (temperature, storage vessel, time) on DBS samples. For method validation, we compared DBS and venous blood and investigated whether DBS sampling is suitable for measuring Hg in the general population in countries with low Hg exposure such as Germany. Based on our results, we found that pre-cleaned glass tubes were most suitable for storage of DBS samples, as this allowed the samples to remain stable for at least 4 weeks even at high temperatures (40 °C). When comparing venous blood and DBS, a very good correlation (r = 0.95, p < 0.01, Spearman-Rho) and high precision of DBS (mean relative standard deviation 8.2% vs. 7.2% in venous blood samples) were observed. Comparing the recoveries of both matrices in different concentration ranges, the variation of the recoveries decreases with increasing Hg concentration. The mean recoveries also decreased with increasing Hg concentration. Overall, we found comparable results for DBS and venous blood using direct Hg analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DBS are suitable for Hg biomonitoring in the general population in Germany and improved the storage conditions for the DBS.
Liquidity and Volatility of Stocks Moved from the Main Market to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)
Authors: Mortazian Mona
Published: July 2021

Companies moving from the Main market of London Stock Exchange to the AIM impair their information environment when entering the AIM; the information environment is measured by the stock’s liquidity and volatility. The primary empirical finding is that movement from the Main Market to the AIM decreases the liquidity and volatility of stocks. After controlling for the effects of factors that are known to affect stock liquidity and for the change in company characteristics after the movement date in the multivariate analysis, it is found that moving to the AIM is associated with a significant increase in Amihud illiquidity and the bid–ask spread and with a decrease in stock return volatility. The documented effects of movement to the AIM are found to be sustained over a long period of time following the movement event. This therefore implies that moving from the Main Market to the AIM is not improving the companies’ liquidity and volatility.
Mobilizing the Sense of “Fat”: A Phenomenological Materialist Approach
Authors: Slatman Jenny
Published: July 2021

This paper aims to mobilize the way we think and write about fat bodies while drawing on Jean-Luc Nancy’s philosophy of the body. I introduce Nancy’s approach to the body as an addition to contemporary new materialism. His philosophy, so I argue, offers a form of materialism that allows for a phenomenological exploration of the body. As such, it can help us to understand the lived experiences of fat embodiment. Additionally, Nancy’s idea of the body in terms of a “corpus”—a collection of pieces without a unity—together with his idea of corpus-writing—fragmentary writing, without head and tail—can help us to mobilize fixed meanings of fat. To apply Nancy’s conceptual frame to a concrete manifestation of fat embodiment, I provide a reading of Roxane Gay’s memoir Hunger (2017). In my analysis, I identify how the materiality of fat engenders the meaning of embodiment, and how it shapes how a fat body can and cannot be a body. Moreover, I propose that Gay’s writing style—hesitating and circling – involves an example of corpus-writing. The corpus of corpulence that Gay has created gives voice to the precariousness of a fat body's materialization.
Energy-entropy prediction of octanol–water logP of SAMPL7 N-acyl sulfonamide bioisosters
Authors: Falcioni Fabio , Kalayan Jas , Henchman Richard H.
Published: July 2021

Partition coefficients quantify a molecule’s distribution between two immiscible liquid phases. While there are many methods to compute them, there is not yet a method based on the free energy of each system in terms of energy and entropy, where entropy depends on the probability distribution of all quantum states of the system. Here we test a method in this class called Energy Entropy Multiscale Cell Correlation (EE-MCC) for the calculation of octanol–water logP values for 22 N-acyl sulfonamides in the SAMPL7 Physical Properties Challenge (Statistical Assessment of the Modelling of Proteins and Ligands). EE-MCC logP values have a mean error of 1.8 logP units versus experiment and a standard error of the mean of 1.0 logP units for three separate calculations. These errors are primarily due to getting sufficiently converged energies to give accurate differences of large numbers, particularly for the large-molecule solvent octanol. However, this is also an issue for entropy, and approximations in the force field and MCC theory also contribute to the error. Unique to MCC is that it explains the entropy contributions over all the degrees of freedom of all molecules in the system. A gain in orientational entropy of water is the main favourable entropic contribution, supported by small gains in solute vibrational and orientational entropy but offset by unfavourable changes in the orientational entropy of octanol, the vibrational entropy of both solvents, and the positional and conformational entropy of the solute.
Multi-Attribute Community Detection in International Trade Network
Authors: Grassi Rosanna , Bartesaghi Paolo , Benati Stefano , Clemente Gian Paolo
Published: July 2021

Understanding the structure of communities in a network has a great importance in the economic analysis. Communities are indeed characterized by specific properties, that are different from those of both the individual nodes and the whole network, and they can affect various processes on the network. In the International Trade Network, community detection aims to search sets of countries (or of trade sectors) which have a high intra-cluster connectivity and a low inter-cluster connectivity. In general, exchanges among countries occur according to preferential economic relationships ranging over different sectors. In this paper, we combine community detection with specific topological indicators, such as centrality measures. As a result, a new weighted network is constructed from the original one, in which weights are determined taking into account all the topological indicators in a multi-criteria approach. To solve the resulting Clique Partitioning Problem and find homogeneous group of nations, we use a new fast algorithm, based on quick descents to a local optimal solution. The analysis allows to cluster countries by interconnections, economic power and intensity of trade, giving an important overview on the international trade patterns.
Political competition and legislative shirking in roll-call votes: Evidence from Germany for 1953–2017
Authors: Frank Marco , Stadelmann David
Published: July 2021

We analyze the impact of elected competitors from the same constituency on legislative shirking in the German Bundestag from 1953 to 2017. The German electoral system ensures at least one federal legislator per constituency with a varying number of elected competitors between zero to four from the same constituency. We exploit the exogenous variation in elected competitors by investigating changes in competition induced by legislators who leave parliament during the legislative period and their respective replacement candidates in an instrumental variables setting with legislator fixed effects. The existence of elected competitors from the same constituency reduces absentee rates in roll-call votes by about 6.1 percentage points, which corresponds to almost half of the mean absentee rate in our sample. The effect is robust to the inclusion of other measures of political competition.
National Injustice, Caring Institutions and Cosmopolitan Motivation
Authors: Hobbs Joshua
Published: July 2021

This paper examines the relationship between strategies of cosmopolitan education intended to motivate citizens of affluent countries to care about distant others facing injustice, and injustices within the borders of these affluent countries. I argue that promoting justice within affluent countries and motivating citizens to act to address global injustices, are potentially complementary rather than competing projects. I make two claims. (i) Injustices within national borders can undermine the development of cosmopolitan concern. (ii) National institutions delivering health and social care play a vital role in developing and sustaining affective dispositions necessary to care about the fate of distant others.
An Attention-Based Diffusion Model for Psychometric Analyses
Authors: Boehm Udo , Marsman Maarten , van der Maas Han L. J. , Maris Gunter
Published: July 2021

The emergence of computer-based assessments has made response times, in addition to response accuracies, available as a source of information about test takers’ latent abilities. The development of substantively meaningful accounts of the cognitive process underlying item responses is critical to establishing the validity of psychometric tests. However, existing substantive theories such as the diffusion model have been slow to gain traction due to their unwieldy functional form and regular violations of model assumptions in psychometric contexts. In the present work, we develop an attention-based diffusion model based on process assumptions that are appropriate for psychometric applications. This model is straightforward to analyse using Gibbs sampling and can be readily extended. We demonstrate our model’s good computational and statistical properties in a comparison with two well-established psychometric models.
Phytochemical studies on traditional herbal medicines based on the ethnopharmacological information obtained by field studies
Authors: Tanaka Naonobu , Kashiwada Yoshiki
Published: July 2021

Traditional herbal medicines, which have been used in the matured traditional medical systems as well as those have been used in ethnic medical systems, are invaluable resources of drug seeds. Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological survey may provide useful information of these herbal medicines, which are valuable for searching new bioactive molecules. From this viewpoint, we have been performing the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological field studies in Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, and Mongolia. Phytochemical studies on traditional herbal medicines were performed based on the information obtained by our ethnobotanical survey. Herbal medicines used in Uzbekistan and Bangladesh were also investigated on the basis of the ethnopharmacological information obtained from collaborative researchers in the respective regions. Some studies were carried out for searching active substance(s) based on bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation. Over 150 new molecules were isolated in these studies, and their various biological activities were also demonstrated. This review summarizes the results of phytochemical studies of those traditional herbal medicines as well as biological activities of the isolated molecules.

Graphic abstract
The Use of Information and Communication Technology Among Older Immigrants in Need of Home Care: a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Chen Xin , Frennert Susanne , Östlund Britt
Published: July 2021

Better home care and home care technologies are no longer requested solely by nonimmigrant older adults but also by members of the fast-growing older adult immigrant population. However, limited attention has been given to this issue, or to the use of technology in meeting the needs of aging populations. The objective of this review is to map existing knowledge of older adult immigrants' use of information and communication technologies for home care service published in scientific literature from 2014 to 2020. Twelve studies met the established eligibility criteria in a systematic literature search. The results showed older adult immigrants faced similar barriers, which were independent of their ethnic backgrounds but related to their backgrounds as immigrants including lower socioeconomic status, low language proficiency, and comparatively lower levels of social inclusion. Technology use could be facilitated if older adult immigrants received culturally-tailored products and support from family members and from society. The results imply that the included studies do not address or integrate cultural preferences in the development of information and communication technology for home care services. Caregivers might provide an opportunity to bridge gaps between older immigrants' cultural preferences and technology design. This specific research field would also benefit from greater interest in the development of novel methodologies.
The early book herbaria of Leonhard Rauwolf (S. France and N. Italy, 1560–1563): new light on a plant collection from the ‘golden age of botany’
Authors: Stefanaki Anastasia , Walter Tilmann , Porck Henk , Bertin Alice , van Andel Tinde
Published: July 2021

The sixteenth century was a golden age for botany, a time when numerous naturalists devoted themselves to the study and documentation of plant diversity. A very prominent figure among them was the German physician, botanist, and traveler Leonhard Rauwolf (1535?–1596), famous for his travel account and luxurious book herbarium containing plants from the Near East. Here, we focus on the less studied, early book herbaria of Rauwolf. These form a three-volume plant collection bound in leather and gold, which contains over 600 plants that Rauwolf collected between 1560 and 1563 in S. France and N. Italy when he was a student of medicine. We show the botanical value of Rauwolf’s early book herbaria, exemplified by two exotic American specimens, namely one of the oldest surviving specimens of tobacco (Nicotiana rustica), collected in Italy, and the oldest known French record of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica). These well-preserved specimens indicate that Rauwolf was eager to collect exotic plants already in his early botanical steps. We further discuss Rauwolf’s professional botanical network during his student years and suggest that the famous Swiss botanist Johann Bauhin (1541–1613), friend and companion of Rauwolf during his field excursions and their medical studies in Montpellier, has played a significant role in the compilation of this precious historical plant collection. We also show that Leonhart Fuchs (and not Carolus Clusius) extensively annotated the three book herbaria. Finally, we reconstruct the story of making of the book herbaria, as evidenced through observations of paper watermarks and handwritten texts in the book volumes, and show that all four book herbaria of Rauwolf were probably bound between 1577 and 1582.
Provenance and Depositional Setting of Black Shales from the Dhalbhum Formation, North Singhbhum Mobile Belt, Eastern India
Authors: Malik Naurin Khan , Alvi Shabber Habib
Published: July 2021

The Paleoproterozoic black shales of the Dhalbhum Formation exposed to the north of the Dalma metavolcanic suite is comprised of siliciclastic rocks and a minor amount of carbonaceous rocks. Geochemical studies were carried out to study the provenance and depositional setting of black shales. The average values of Co, V, U, and Cr/V (1.29) and Ni/Co (2.77) ratios in the black shales of Dhalbhum Formation are higher as compared to those of the Post-Archean Australian shale (PAAS) values (Cr/V=0.73, Ni/Co= 2.39). The chondrite normalized rare earth elements (REEs) patterns, indicate the enrichment in LREE (ƩLREE/HREE =10.73) and flat HREEs. The immobile element ratios Th/Sc (1.14), Th/Co (1.120), Cr/Th (16.161), and La/Sc (2.80) of studied samples indicate that sediments were derived from felsic rocks, which is also corroborated by La-Th-Sc ternary diagram. The sediments deposited at the active continental margin generally show REE pattern intermediate between a typical andesite and PAAS. A continental margin tectonic setting is distinguished by La-Th-Sc, Th-Co-Zr/10 and Th-Sc-Zr/10, which is further corroborated by Yb vs Th/Ta diagram where the samples plot in the field of active continental margin.
Combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers as a useful tool to identify Ctenophthalmus species and subspecies (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae)
Authors: Zurita Antonio , Cutillas Cristina
Published: July 2021

Ctenophthalmus is considered the largest genus within the Order Siphonaptera. From a morphological point of view, only males of this genus can be identified at species and subspecies levels using morphological keys, whereas there are no morphological criteria in order to classify females at these taxonomical levels. Furthermore, the amount of available molecular and phylogenetic data for this genus is quite scarce so far. The main objective of this work was to assess the utility of the combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers with respect to their ability to differentiate among different subspecies within the Ctenophthalmus genus. With this purpose, we carried out a comparative morphological and molecular study of three different subspecies (Ctenophthalmus baeticus arvernus, Ctenophthalmus nobilis dobyi, and Ctenophthalmus andorrensis catalaniensis) in order to clarify and discuss its taxonomic status. In addition, our study complemented the molecular data previously provided for Ctenophthalmus baeticus boisseauorum and Ctenophthalmus apertus allani subspecies. We sequenced five different molecular markers: EF1-α, ITS1, ITS2, cox1, and cytb. Our results confirmed that morphological data by themselves are not able to discriminate among Ctenophthalmus female taxa; however, the combination of the nuclear marker EF1-α together with mtDNA markers cytb and cox1 constituted a useful taxonomical and phylogenetic tool to solve this issue. Based on these results, we consider that the use of this molecular approach should be gradually used within Ctenophthalmus genus in order to complement its classical taxonomy and clarifying the complex taxonomy of other congeneric species of fleas.
Oxidation behavior of non-stoichiometric (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cx carbide solid solution powders in air
Authors: Lun Huilin , Zeng Yi , Xiong Xiang , Ye Ziming , Zhang Zhongwei , Li Xingchao , Chen Haikun , Liu Yufeng
Published: July 2021

Multi-component solid solutions with non-stoichiometric compositions are characteristics of ultra-high temperature carbides as promising materials for hypersonic vehicles. However, for group IV transition-metal carbides, the oxidation behavior of multi-component non-stoichiometric (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cxcarbide solid solution has not been clarified yet. The present work fabricated four kinds of (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cxcarbide solid solution powders by free-pressureless spark plasma sintering to investigate the oxidation behavior of (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cxin air. The effects of metallic atom composition on oxidation resistance were examined. The results indicate that the oxidation kinetics of (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cxare composition dependent. A high Hf content in (Zr,Hf,Ti)Cxwas beneficial to form an amorphous Zr-Hf-Ti-C-O oxycarbide layer as an oxygen barrier to enhance the initial oxidation resistance. Meanwhile, an equiatomic ratio of metallic atoms reduced the growth rate of (Zr,Hf,Ti)O2oxide, increasing its phase stability at high temperatures, which improved the oxidation activation energy of (Zr, Hf, Ti)Cx.
Simultaneously improving piezoelectric properties and temperature stability of Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (KNN)-based ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere
Authors: Cen Zhenyong , Bian Shuaishuai , Xu Ze , Wang Ke , Guo Limin , Li Longtu , Wang Xiaohui
Published: July 2021

It is a very difficult work to sinter K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN)-based materials with good reduction resistance in strong reducing atmosphere. 0.945K0.48Na0.52Nb0.96Ta0.04O3−0.055BaZrO3 + 0.03ZrO2 + y mol%MnO (KNNT−0.055BZ + 0.03Zr + yMn) ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere were prepared successfully by conventional solid-state reaction methods. MnO dopant increases grain size at y = 5–8 due to strong lattice distortion and then decreases grain size at y = 9 due to much Mn4Nb2O9 accumulated at the grain boundary. MnO dopant as an excellent sintering aid can effectively reduce volatilization of alkali metal by decreasing the sintering temperature (Tsinter). Reducing alkali metal volatilization can greatly reduce oxygen vacancies and improve piezoelectric properties. MnO dopant can improve the anti-reduction properties. The KNNT−0.055BZ + 0.03Zr + yMn ceramics at y = 6–9 show outstanding anti-fatigue of unipolar piezoelectric strain under the synergistic effect of reduced oxygen vacancies due to reduced volatilization and increased grain size. Piezoelectric properties and temperature stability of KNNT−0.055BZ + 0.03Zr ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere are improved simultaneously by MnO dopant. Optimum inverse piezoelectric coefficient (d
33
*
) of ceramics at y = 8 reaches up to 480 pm/V under low driving electric field E = 20 kV/cm at room temperature, and its temperature stability of d
33
*
reaches 158 °C. It will be an excellent lead-free material candidate for the preparation of multilayer piezoelectric actuators co-fired with nickel electrode.
Efficient spectral regulation in Ce:Lu3(Al,Cr)5O12 and Ce:Lu3(Al,Cr)5O12/Ce:Y3Al5O12 transparent ceramics with high color rendering index for high-power white LEDs/LDs
Authors: Zhou Tianyuan , Hou Chen , Zhang Le , Ma Yuelong , Kang Jian , Li Tao , Wang Rui , Huang Jin , Li Junwei , Ren Haidong , Fu Zhenxiao , Selim Farida A. , Li Ming , Chen Hao
Published: July 2021

Realizing a high color rendering index (CRI) in Ce:LuAG transparent ceramics (TCs) with desired thermal stability is essential to their applications in white LEDs/LDs as color converters. In this study, based on the scheme of configuring the red component by Cr3+ doping, an efficient spectral regulation was realized in Ce,Cr:LuAG TCs. A unilateral shift phenomenon could be observed in both photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of TCs. By constructing TC-based white LED/LD devices in a remote excitation mode, luminescence properties of Ce,Cr:LuAG TCs were systematically investigated. The CRI values of Ce:LuAG TC based white LEDs could be increased by a magnitude of 46.2%. Particularly, by combining the as fabricated Ce,Cr:LuAG TCs with a 0.5 at% Ce:YAG TC, surprising CRI values of 88 and 85.5 were obtained in TC based white LEDs and LDs, respectively. Therefore, Ce,Cr:LuAG TC is a highly promising color convertor for high-power white LEDs/LDs applied in general lighting and displaying.
Iterating the Minimum Modulus: Functions of Order Half, Minimal Type
Authors: Nicks D. A. , Rippon P. J. , Stallard G. M.
Published: July 2021

For a transcendental entire function f, the property that there exists $$r>0$$

r
>
0

such that $$m^n(r)\rightarrow \infty $$

m
n

(
r
)

→
∞

as $$n\rightarrow \infty $$

n
→
∞

, where $$m(r)=\min \{|f(z)|:|z|=r\}$$

m
(
r
)
=
min
{
|
f
(
z
)
|
:
|
z
|
=
r
}

, is related to conjectures of Eremenko and of Baker, for both of which order 1/2 minimal type is a significant rate of growth. We show that this property holds for functions of order 1/2 minimal type if the maximum modulus of f has sufficiently regular growth and we give examples to show the sharpness of our results by using a recent generalisation of Kjellberg’s method of constructing entire functions of small growth, which allows rather precise control of m(r).
Parametric optimization of a stamped longitudinal vortex generator inside a circular tube of a solar water heater at low Reynolds numbers
Authors: Silva Felipe A. S. , Júnior Luis , Silva José , Kambampati Sandilya , Salviano Leandro
Published: July 2021

Solar Water Heater (SWH) has low efficiency and the performance of this type of device needs to be improved to provide useful and ecological sources of energy. The passive techniques of augmentation heat transfer are an effective strategy to increase the convective heat transfer coefficient without external equipment. In this way, recent investigations have been done to study the potential applications of different inserts including wire coils, vortex generators, and twisted tapes for several solar thermal applications. However, few researchers have investigated inserts in SWH which is useful in many sectors where the working fluid operates at moderate temperatures. The longitudinal vortex generators (LVG) have been applied to promote heat transfer enhancement with a low/moderate pressure drop penalty. Therefore, the present work investigated optimal geometric parameters of LVG to enhance the heat transfer for a SWH at low Reynolds number and laminar flow, using a 3D periodical numerical simulation based on the Finite Volume Method coupled to the Genetic Algorithm optimization method (NSGA-II). The LVG was stamped over a flat plate inserted inside a smooth tube operating under a typical residential application corresponding to Reynolds numbers of 300, 600, and 900. The geometric parameters of LGV were submitted to the optimization procedure which can find traditional LVG such as rectangular-winglet and delta-winglet or a mix of them. The results showed that the application of LGVs to enhance heat transfer is an effective passive technique. The different optimal shapes of the LVG for all Reynolds numbers evaluated improved more than 50% of heat transfer. The highest augmentation heat transfer of 62% is found for the Reynolds number 900. However, the best thermo-hydraulic efficiency value is found for the Reynolds number of 600 in which the heat transfer intensification represents 55% of the pressure drop penalty.
Historical Features Regarding the Neuropathic Outbreaks in Brazilian Troops in the Paraguayan War
Authors: da Mota Gomes Marleide
Published: July 2021

During the Paraguayan War, Brazilian army and navy officers attributed outbreaks of combatant limb weakness with particular features such as tingling to palustrian causes. A dietary basis was not fully suspected at the time, and the popular name beriberi had not been coined. During wartime, there was a shortage in the food supply in addition to poor environmental conditions and diarrheal diseases, and many reports of “palustrian cachexia” were made. There are also reports of the use of native flora to feed troops, as well as alcoholism. There are also accounts of the death of horses with symptoms similar to those of combatants. It was reported that black soldiers were more resistant to “palustrian cachexia.” This article presents the disease ecology and clinical manifestations of beriberi at wartime, linked to starvation and consumption of pickled food and native flora. These military explorations and operations in the Paraguayan War happened more than 150 y ago and present some aspects of wilderness medicine in the past.
Shape- and scale-dependent coupling between spheroids and velocity gradients in turbulence
Authors: Pujara Nimish , Arguedas-Leiva José-Agustín , Lalescu Cristian C. , Bramas Bérenger , Wilczek Michael
Published: July 2021

Rotations of spheroidal particles immersed in turbulent flows reflect the combined effects of fluid strain and vorticity, as well as the time history of these quantities along the particle's trajectory. Conversely, particle rotation statistics in turbulence provide a way to characterise the Lagrangian properties of velocity gradients. Particle rotations are also important for a range of environmental and industrial processes where particles of various shapes and sizes are immersed in a turbulent flow. In this study, we investigate the rotations of inertialess spheroidal particles that follow Lagrangian fluid trajectories. We perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic turbulence and investigate the dynamics of different particle shapes at different scales in turbulence using a filtering approach. We find that the mean-square particle angular velocity is nearly independent of particle shape across all scales from the Kolmogorov scale to the integral scale. The particle shape does determine the relative split between different modes of rotation (spinning vs tumbling), but this split is also almost independent of the filter scale suggesting a Lagrangian scale-invariance in velocity gradients. We show how the split between spinning and tumbling can be quantitatively related to the particle's alignment with respect to the fluid vorticity.
Frontier atmosphere: observation and regret at Chinese weather stations in Tibet, 1939–1949
Authors: Frank Mark E.
Published: July 2021

Across Tibet during the 1940s, young Han Chinese weather observers became stranded at their weather stations, where they faced illness, poverty and isolation as they pleaded with their superiors for relief. Building on the premise that China exercised ‘imperial nationalism’ in Tibet, and in light of scholarship that emphasizes the desirous ‘gaze’ of imperial observers toward the frontier, this essay considers how the meteorological archive might disrupt our understanding of the relationship between observation and empire. Meteorology presented a new way of viewing the landscape that deliberately disregarded the embodied experience of the observer in favour of instrument-mediated readings. The process produced a bifurcated archive, in which stations disseminated quantitative weather charts as a matter of public interest while privately recording the embodied and often miserable experiences of observational staff on the frontier. Unpublished letters between observers and supervisors offer a rare glimpse into the frontier as experienced by reluctant or unwilling agents of the state.