bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internal Herniation Incidence After RYGB and the Predictive Ability of a CT Scan as a Diagnostic Tool
Authors: Torensma Bart , Kooiman Laurens , Liem Ronald , Monpellier Valerie M. , Swank Dingeman J. , Tseng Larissa
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The clinical diagnosis of an internal herniation (IH) after a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) remains difficult; therefore, performing a CT scan is usually part of the diagnostic process. The goal of this study was to assess the incidence of IH in patients with open and closed MD (mesenteric defect) and to study if the ability to diagnose an IH with a CT scan is different between these groups.

Materials and Methods

IH was defined as a visible intestine through the mesenteric defect underneath the jejunojejunostomy and/or in the Petersen’s space. CT scan outcomes were compared with the clinical diagnosis of an IH. Until 31 June 2013, standard care was to leave mesenteric defects (MDs) open; after this date, they were always closed.

Results

The incidence of IH in the primarily non-closed group was 3.9%, and in the primarily closed group, this was 1.3% (p = 0.001). In group A (non-closed MD and CT), the sensitivity of the CT scan was 80%, and specificity was 0%. In group C (closed MD and CT), the sensitivity was 64.7%, and specificity was 89.5%. In group B (non-closed, no CT), an IH was visible in 58.7% of the cases and not in 41.3%. In group D (only a re-laparoscopy), an IH was visible in 34.3% of the cases and not in 65.7%.

Conclusions

Using the CT scan in suspected IH is not useful in if the MDs were not closed. If the MDs were closed, then a CT scan is predictive for the diagnosis IH.
Impacts of Water Clarity Variability on Temperature and Biogeochemistry in the Chesapeake Bay
Authors: Kim Grace E. , St-Laurent Pierre , Friedrichs Marjorie A. M. , Mannino Antonio
Published: August 2020

Estuarine water clarity depends on the concentrations of aquatic constituents, such as colored dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton, inorganic suspended solids, and detritus, which are influenced by variations in riverine inputs. These constituents directly affect temperature because when water is opaque, sunlight heats a shallower layer of the water compared to when it is clear. Despite the importance of accurately predicting temperature variability, many numerical modeling studies do not adequately account for this key process. In this study, we quantify the effect of water clarity on heating by comparing two simulations of a hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model of the Chesapeake Bay for the years 2001–2005, in which (1) water clarity is constant in space and time for the computation of solar heating, compared to (2) a simulation where water clarity varies with modeled concentrations of light-attenuating materials. In the variable water clarity simulation, the water is more opaque, particularly in the northern region of the Bay. This decrease in water clarity reduces the total heat, phytoplankton, and nitrate throughout the Bay. During the spring and summer months, surface temperatures in the northern Bay are warmer by 0.1 °C and bottom temperatures are colder by 0.2 °C in the variable light attenuation simulation. Warmer surface temperatures encourage phytoplankton growth and nutrient uptake near the head of the Bay, and fewer nutrients are transported downstream. These impacts are greater during higher river flow years, when differences in temperature, nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton extend further seaward compared to other years. This study demonstrates the consequences of utilizing different light calculations for estuarine heating and biogeochemistry.
Retained Functionality of Atherosclerotic Human Arteries Following Photoactivated Linking of the Extracellular Matrix by Natural Vascular Scaffolding Treatment
Authors: Ansari Ejaz , Anderson Blake , Kauser Katalin
Published: August 2020

In this study, we investigated natural vascular scaffolding (NVS) treatment on vascular functionality using freshly isolated human popliteal arteries in vitro. Arteries were exposed to intraluminal NVS treatment consisting of a compound (4 amino-1,8-naphthalimide) photoactivated by a 450-nm light-emitting light fiber placed inside the artery. This procedure results in covalent linking between the extracellular matrix proteins to achieve a larger vessel diameter post-angioplasty and minimizing elastic recoil. Immediately following NVS treatment, rings were cut from the treated arteries and mounted in organ baths for contractility testing in response to U46619 and sodium nitroprusside. We also investigated the effect of NVS treatment on IL-6 cytokine release from vascular rings following a 4-h organoculture post-NVS treatment. Based on our results, we conclude that exposure of the vessels to NVS treatment does not adversely affect the contractile responsiveness of the vascular smooth muscle and exerts no pro-inflammatory effect.
The role of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast: a propensity-score matching analysis
Authors: Zhao Wen , Tian Qi , Zhao Andi , Wang Biyuan , Yang Jiao , Wang Le , Zhang Lingxiao , Dong Danfeng , Chen Ling , Yang Jin
Published: August 2020

Background and objectives

Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast (MPTB) is a kind of rare tumor. Our objective was to investigate the role of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in MPTB patients.

Methods

MPTB patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses were conducted to determine the effect of adjuvant RT on MPTB patients. Propensity-score matching (PSM) method was used to balance the clinicopathological characteristics.

Results

A total of 1353 MPTB patients were included in our study and the median follow-up time was 99 months (range: 0–331 months). 16.7% (226) MPTB patients received adjuvant RT, of which 49.1% (111) received mastectomy and 50.9% (115) underwent breast conservation surgery (BCS). Patients receiving adjuvant RT were more likely to be white, with better differentiation and larger tumors (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that poorer tumor differentiation grade, larger tumor size, and lymph node metastasis were associated with reduced survival while BCS was a protective factor of disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR 0.297; 95% CI 0.184–0.480) and overall survival (OS) (HR 0.445; 95% CI 0.321–0.616). After PSM, survival curves showed patients did not achieve an improved OS or DSS from adjuvant RT (p > 0.05). In subgroup analysis, no subgroup benefited from adjuvant RT. Exploratory analysis showed a survival benefit trend from adjuvant RT in patients with tumor larger than 50 mm and undergoing BCS.

Conclusions

Among MPTB patients, adjuvant RT did not improve OS or DSS. In patients with tumor larger than 50 mm and receiving BCS, a survival benefit trend from adjuvant RT existed.
Morse Index and Stability of the Planar N-vortex Problem
Authors: Hu Xijun , Portaluri Alessandro , Xing Qin
Published: August 2020

This paper concerns the investigation of the stability properties of relative equilibria which are rigidly rotating vortex configurations sometimes called vortex crystals, in the N-vortex problem. Such a configurations can be characterized as critical point of the Hamiltonian function restricted on the constant angular impulse hyper-surface in the phase space (topologically a pseudo-sphere whose coefficients are the circulation strengths of the vortices). Relative equilibria are generated by the circle action on the so-called shape pseudo-sphere (which generalize the standard shape sphere appearing in the study of the N-body problem). Inspired by the planar N-body problem, and after a geometrical and dynamical discussion of the problem, we investigate the relation intertwining the stability of relative equilibria and the inertia indices of the central configurations generating such equilibria. In the last section we applied our main results to some symmetric three and four vortices relative equilibria.
Storing fish?: a dog’s isotopic biography provides insight into Iron Age food preservation strategies in the Russian Arctic
Authors: Losey Robert J. , Guiry Eric , Nomokonova Tatiana , Gusev Andrei V. , Szpak Paul
Published: August 2020

Analysis of individual animal bodies can provide numerous useful insights in archeology, including how humans provisioned such animals, which in turn informs on a variety of other past behaviors such as human dietary patterns. In this study, we conducted stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis of collagen and keratin from four types of tissues from a dog burial at the Ust’-Polui site in the Iamal region of Arctic Russia. Ust’-Polui is an Iron Age site located on the Lower Ob River, a major northern fishery characterized by extreme seasonal shifts in fish presence. During a 6-month period stretching over the coldest months of the year, fish are nearly entirely absent in the Lower Ob River. Despite this, the stable isotope compositions of the dog’s bone and dentine collagen and hair and nail keratin all indicate a monotonous diet focusing on local fish. This pattern indicates the dog was provisioned year-round with fish. This was likely accomplished by mass harvesting of fish using nets or traps. Such fish were then processed and frozen for consumption during the non-fishing season. These findings suggest that people in the Ust’-Polui region also relied to some extent on fish throughout the year. Stored fish likely provided a dietary buffer for uneven returns from reindeer and bird hunting, both of which also are well-evidenced at the site.
Adsorption of lead(II) from aqueous solution using Africa elemi seed, mucuna shell and oyster shell as adsorbents and optimization using Box–Behnken design
Authors: Okolo B. I. , Oke E. O. , Agu Chinedu M. , Adeyi O. , Nwoso-Obieogu K. , Akatobi K. N.
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to model and optimize the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from an aqueous solution using Africa elemi seed, mucuna shell and oyster shell modified with orthophosphorous acid used as adsorbents. The influence of operational parameters such as adsorbent dosage, initial pH and contact time was evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). The interactions between the operational parameters were evaluated using Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for maximum removal of Pb(II) ions were observed at pH of 2.0, 100 mg adsorbent dosage and 70 min of contact time, with correlation coefficient R2, 0.996 for Africa elemi seed adsorbent; pH of 6.0, 100 mg adsorbent dosage and 40 min contact time with R2 0.996 for mucuna shell adsorbent; and pH of 6.0, 100 mg adsorbent dosage and contact time of 40 min for oyster shell adsorbent. The ANOVA results obtained from the RSM were analyzed using second-order polynomial equations, and the contour plots showed the interaction among the variables of the adsorption. This shows that the prepared low-cost adsorbents can be effectively adopted for the removal of Pb(II) ions from industrial wastewaters.
KIF2C: a novel link between Wnt/β-catenin and mTORC1 signaling in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wei Shi , Dai Miaomiao , Zhang Chi , Teng Kai , Wang Fengwei , Li Hongbo , Sun Weipeng , Feng Zihao , Kang Tiebang , Guan Xinyuan , Xu Ruihua , Cai Muyan , Xie Dan
Published: August 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC is refractory to many standard cancer treatments and the prognosis is often poor, highlighting a pressing need to identify biomarkers of aggressiveness and potential targets for future treatments. Kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C) is reported to be highly expressed in several human tumors. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of KIF2C in tumor development and progression have not been investigated. In this study, we found that KIF2C expression was significantly upregulated in HCC, and that KIF2C up-regulation was associated with a poor prognosis. Utilizing both gain and loss of function assays, we showed that KIF2C promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis bothin vitroandin vivo. Mechanistically, we identified TBC1D7 as a binding partner of KIF2C, and this interaction disrupts the formation of the TSC complex, resulting in the enhancement of mammalian target of rapamycin complex1 (mTORC1) signal transduction. Additionally, we found that KIF2C is a direct target of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and acts as a key factor in mediating the crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and mTORC1 signaling. Thus, the results of our study establish a link between Wnt/β-catenin and mTORC1 signaling, which highlights the potential of KIF2C as a therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.
Epidemic evolution models to the test of Covid-19
Authors: Brandi Primo , Ceppitelli Rita , Salvadori Anna
Published: August 2020

We illustrate a suitable adaptation and modification of classical epidemic evolution models that proves helpful in the study of Covid-19 spread in Italy.
Effect of ash removal on structure and pyrolysis/gasification reactivity of a Chinese bituminous coal
Authors: He Qing , Gong Yan , Ding Lu , Wang Xingjun , Yu Guangsuo
Published: August 2020

In this study, the effect of ash removal on Shenfu bituminous coal was investigated. The coal was pretreated by hydrofluoric acid (HF) pickling, and the raw/pretreated coal chars were prepared at 900 °C in a fixed bed reactor. The structure of coal and char were detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The reactivity was tested in a thermogravimetric analyzer, including coal pyrolysis and char gasification. The reaction kinetics was analyzed through the Coats–Redfern method, master plots, the model-free and model-fitting method. The results show that the HF pickling can remove silicon from coal efficiently, and the macromolecular framework of coal is quite stable according to FTIR. The Raman parameters imply some carbonaceous structure on coal surface changed. For slow pyrolysis of coal, the effect of heating rate is considered. The changes of pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics are insignificant. For char gasification, the reactivity under isothermal and non-isothermal condition are discussed with an emphasis in different residence time of devolatilization process. In kinetic control region (low temperature), the activation energy (Ea) is very close (about 240 kJ/mol) for all chars. With the temperature increases, the reactivity of raw coal char is more easily suffered by diffusion. The random pore model is more suitable for the ash-free coal char, and the char with long residence time has a larger value of structural parameter ψ and smaller value of pre-exponential factor A. The Ea calculated by model-fitting and model-free method were in good agreement.
Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation for Listed Companies: The Effects in the Netherlands
Authors: de Jong Bas , Hijink Steven , in ’t Veld Lars
Published: August 2020

The Audit Regulation was adopted in 2014 to address many of the perceived failings in the market for statutory audits. It introduced mandatory audit firm rotation for public-interest entities, including listed companies, as of 17 June 2020/2023. Mandatory audit firm rotation was also considered by the Dutch legislator in 2012. Therefore, many Dutch listed companies had already switched audit firm in anticipation of the national requirement. In this article, we investigate the effects of mandatory audit firm rotation in the Netherlands by examining the financial reports of Dutch listed firms over the financial years 2012–2016 and by conducting a survey among stakeholders. We conclude that there is broad support for mandatory audit firm rotation in the Netherlands. Although mandatory audit firm rotation was seen as controversial at the time of adoption, it is now considered desirable by various stakeholders, including auditors themselves. However, mandatory audit firm rotation appears to have had some adverse effects. Most notably, our study shows a higher probability of errors in first year audits. The discount in audit fees provided by audit firms to lucrative larger public-interest entities for first year audits—the trophy client effect—may exacerbate the negative effect on audit quality. The Audit Regulation’s goals to improve the market for statutory audits have not been met so far.
Mechanisms for inclusion and exclusion through digital political participation: Evidence from a comparative study of online consultations in three German cities
Authors: Rottinghaus Bastian , Escher Tobias
Published: August 2020

Consistent findings of unequal political participation have been motivating different democratic innovations, including those that utilize the opportunities of information and communication technologies for political online participation. While previous research has established only a limited mobilizing potential of digital media, we still lack a good understanding of the mechanisms leading citizens to decide for or against engagement online. Therefore, we investigate who participates in opportunities for political online participation, what explains (non)-engagement and how effective personalized invitations are to increase and diversify participation. To address these questions, we conducted a comparative study of three almost identical instances of local online participation, relying on evidence from surveys of registered users and random samples of the local population.

Our results show that engagement in online participation is indeed significantly biased from the population towards resource-rich individuals who also differ in their assessment of the participation process and its results. This is despite the fact that knowledge of these participation opportunities is equally distributed among all social groups. While online aversion is a barrier for some, distrust in the participation process and lack of interest are more powerful reasons to refrain from engagement. Using a randomized-controlled field experiment we can confirm that personalized invitations are an effective instrument for mobilization that increased participation by a factor of four to seven and that can to a limited degree elicit participation from under-represented groups. These findings have a number of important implications for researchers and practitioners who aim to increase equality in political participation.
The effects of agomelatine and imipramine on liver cytochrome P450 during chronic mild stress (CMS) in the rat
Authors: Haduch Anna , Bromek Ewa , Rysz Marta , Pukło Renata , Papp Mariusz , Gruca Piotr , Łasoń Magdalena , Niemczyk Monika , Daniel Władysława A.
Published: August 2020

Background

The aim of our research was to determine the effects of chronic treatment with the atypical antidepressant agomelatine on the expression and activity of liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) in the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression, and to compare the results with those obtained for the first-generation antidepressant imipramine.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were subjected to CMS for 7 weeks. Imipramine (10 mg/kg ip/day) or agomelatine (40 mg/kg ip/day) was administered to nonstressed or stressed animals for 5 weeks (weeks 3–7 of CMS). The levels of cytochrome P450 mRNA, protein and activity were measured in the liver.

Results

Agomelatine and imipramine produced different broad-spectrum effects on cytochrome P450. Like imipramine, agomelatine increased the expression/activity of CYP2B and CYP2C6, and decreased the CYP2D activity. Unlike imipramine, agomelatine raised the expression/activity of CYP1A, CYP2A and reduced that of CYP2C11 and CYP3A. CMS modified the effects of antidepressants at transcriptional/posttranscriptional level; however, the enzyme activity in stressed rats remained similar to that in nonstressed animals. CMS alone decreased the CYP2B1 mRNA level and increased that of CYP2C11.

Conclusion

We conclude the following: (1) the effects of agomelatine and imipramine on cytochrome P450 are different and involve both central and peripheral regulatory mechanisms, which implicates the possibility of drug–drug interactions; (2) CMS influences the effects of antidepressants on cytochrome P450 expression, but does not change appreciably their effects on the enzyme activity. This suggests that the rate of antidepressant drug metabolism under CMS is similar to that under normal conditions.
Uncertainty analysis and robust shape optimisation for laminar flow aerofoils
Authors: Hollom J. , Qin N.
Published: August 2020

Uncertainty in the critical amplification factor (
$N_{cr}$
) of the
$e^N$
transition model is used to approximate the uncertainty in the surface and flow quality of natural laminar flow (NLF) aerofoils. The uncertainty in
$N_{cr}$
is represented by a negative half-normal probability distribution that descends from the largest
$N_{cr}$
achievable with an ideal surface and flow quality. The uncertainty in various aerodynamic coefficients due to the uncertainty in
$N_{cr}$
is quantified using the weighted mean and standard deviation of flow solutions run at different
$N_{cr}$
values. The uncertainty in the aerofoil performance is assessed using this methodology. It is found that the standard deviation of the aerofoil performance due to the uncertainty in
$N_{cr}$
is largest when the transition location is most sensitive to changes in the lift coefficient at the ideal
$N_{cr}$
. Robust shape optimisation is also carried out to improve the mean performance and reduce the standard deviation of the performance with uncertainty in
$N_{cr}$
. This is found to be effective at producing aerofoils with a larger amount of laminar flow that are less sensitivity to uncertainty in
$N_{cr}$
. A trade-off is observed between the mean performance and the standard deviation of the performance. It is also found that reducing the standard deviation of the performance at one Mach number or lift coefficient design point can cause an increase in the standard deviation off-design.
Defusing the Regress Challenge to Debunking Arguments
Authors: Yeo Shang Long
Published: August 2020

Abstracts

A debunking argument contends that some target moral judgments were produced by unreliable processes and concludes that such judgments are unjustified. Debunking arguments face a regress challenge: to show that a process is unreliable at tracking the moral truth, we need to rely on other moral judgments. But we must show that these relied-upon judgments are also reliable, which requires yet a further set of judgments, whose reliability needs to be confirmed too, and so on. Some argue that the debunker faces an insurmountable regress, which disables the debunking conclusion. In this paper, I explore and defuse this regress challenge.
Development of a whiteboard video for managing trauma patients outside a tertiary trauma centre
Authors: Wong Kealin , Beno Suzanne , Ackery Alun
Published: August 2020

This article describes the process of developing an educational whiteboard video for community trauma management and transport. Whiteboard videos have become widely used as educational resources for various medical subject matters. These short videos package information concisely through real-time illustration with an accompanying narration. Based on a needs assessment we created a free open access educational resource for community trauma management and transport. A group of interdisciplinary trauma providers partnered in content/script development, video design and dissemination. A third-party production company oversaw video animation and voice-over. The video was disseminated widely through stakeholders and various multimedia channels. We surveyed a sample of our intended audience and the majority of respondents perceived the video to be an effective educational resource. Although cost may represent a potential barrier for producing whiteboard videos, there appears to be a role in creating educational content using this multimedia format.
Seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies among healthcare workers with differing levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient exposure
Authors: Hunter Benton R. , Dbeibo Lana , Weaver Christopher S. , Beeler Cole , Saysana Michele , Zimmerman Michelle K. , Weaver Lindsay
Published: August 2020

Healthcare employees were tested for antibodies against severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Among 734 employees, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 1.6%. Employees with heavy coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure had similar antibody prevalence as those with limited or no exposure. Guidelines for PPE use seem effective for preventing COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers.
Historical surface mass balance from a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar survey from Zhongshan station to Dome A
Authors: Guo Jingxue , Yang Wangxiao , Dou Yinke , Tang Xueyuan , Greenbaum Jamin S. , Dou Ruofan , Pan Yao , Zhang Yuzhong , Ding Minghu , Jiang Su , Shi Guitao , Cui Xiangbin , Sun Bo
Published: August 2020

Using frequency-modulated continuous wave radar data from the 32nd Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition in 2015/16, subsurface profiles were obtained along an East Antarctic inland traverse from Zhongshan station to Dome A, and four distinct regions were selected to analyze the spatiotemporal variability in historical surface mass balance (SMB). Based on depth, density, and age data from ice cores along the traverse, the radar data were calibrated to yield average SMB data. The zone 49–195 km from the coast has the highest SMB (235 kg m−2a−1). The 780–892 km zone was most affected by the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age, and the SMB duringad1454–1836 (71 kg m−2a−1) was only one-quarter of that in the 20th century. The SMB in the 1080–1157 km zone fluctuates the most, possibly due to erosion or irregular deposition of snow by katabatic winds in low SMB areas with surface elevation fluctuations. Dome A (1157–1236 km) has the lowest SMB (29 kg m−2a−1) and did not decrease during Little Ice Age. Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of SMB in a larger space can help us understand the complex climate history of Antarctica.
Consumer-generated reviews: time for closer scrutiny?
Authors: Ezechukwu Nwanneka Victoria
Published: August 2020

This paper focuses on consumer-generated reviews (CGRs), which are an increasingly influential source of consumer information. In particular, the paper highlights specific problems associated with CGRs, which questions their role as a reliable information source. Flowing from this, the paper calls for closer regulatory scrutiny of review platforms, which play an important intermediary role in facilitating the provision of CGRs. To this end, the paper considers possible regulatory responses in the EU which may address some of the issues highlighted.
Understanding the barriers to defendant participation in criminal proceedings in England and Wales
Authors: Owusu-Bempah Abenaa
Published: August 2020

Over the past two decades, there have been significant legal developments aimed at securing and enhancing the participation of vulnerable witnesses in criminal trials. Yet, there remains relatively little regard for the fact that many defendants, including those who are not deemed to be vulnerable, are unable to participate in criminal proceedings in a meaningful sense. This paper aims to address two questions. First, why should defendants have participatory rights and be capable of meaningful participation in criminal proceedings? Second, why has it proven so difficult to attain meaningful participation of defendants? It is contended that barriers to meaningful communication between the defendant and the court could be dismantled without great difficulty, but continue to exist because due regard is not given to the normative rationales for participatory rights and defendant participation.
Bound Together: The Intimacies of Music-Book Collecting in the Early American Republic
Authors: GOODMAN GLENDA
Published: August 2020

This article is a microhistory of music collecting in eighteenth-century America. It focuses on the life and collection of an elite white woman, Sally Brown, who gathered an amount of music that was unusual for women in the USA at that time. She was able to do so because her family had a successful mercantile business, one that included the slave trade. Sally’s experiences shed light on the gendered history of amateur music-making, which this article posits were connected to other gendered forms of domestic labour in the early American republic. By tracing how Sally acquired music, this article demonstrates the importance both of affective, personal ties and of the anonymized labour of the global trade network, which supplied her and other consumers with music-book materials. This article argues that, in ways with which musicological scholarship has yet to reckon, intimacy and labour contributed to music collecting at both individual and structural levels.
THE LITERARY POLEMICS OFANTH. PAL.11.275
Authors: Philbrick Rachel
Published: August 2020

Καλλίμαχος τὸ κάθαρμα, τὸ παίγνιον, ὁ ξύλινος νοῦς,αἴτιος ὁ γράψας Αἴτια Καλλίμαχος.Callimachus [means] trash, trifle, wooden mind:the cause is the Callimachus who wroteCauses.

This abusive epigram, probably composed in the first centuryc.e.by a certain Apollonius ‘Grammaticus’, has become famous on account of its false attribution to Apollonius of Rhodes and of its consequent identification as ‘evidence’ for the literary feud between Apollonius and Callimachus. Its literary features have attracted less interest. Cameron, for one, dismissed it, finding ‘no coherent literary thrust to the polemic’. I argue here that this epigram in fact shows close engagement with the poetics of Callimachus and his language of literary self-definition. As we find in other anti-Callimachean epigrams, the author ofAnth. Pal.11.275 crafts his insults by appropriating and transforming several Callimachean terms of literary-aesthetic value, which he then directs back against their creator.
Methodology for experimental and observational animal studies in cow-calf contact systems
Authors: de Oliveira Daiana , Barth Kerstin , Haskell Marie J. , Hillmann Edna , Jensen Margit Bak , Johnsen Julie Føske , Mejdell Cecilie , Waiblinger Susanne , Ferneborg Sabine
Published: August 2020

In this Research Reflection we describe a common standpoint on suitable methodology for controlled and observational studies in cow-calf contact systems in dairy production. Different methods to assess behaviour, health and production in cow-calf contact systems are outlined. Knowledge and experience from researchers working in this field supplement scientific literature whenever relevant. Specific methods including study design, early behaviour of cow and calf, social behaviour relevant to cow-calf contact systems, human-animal relationships and aspects related to management (milking, weaning and separation, health) are reviewed, and recommendations formed. We expect that this paper can contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of cow-calf contact systems and help to advance research in this area of dairy production.
Reducing the rate of fistula: does a fibrin sealant act as an adjunct in pharyngeal closure? A two-centre experience
Authors: Bance R Roplekar , Coyle P , Dias A , Kothari P , Shah K , Thaj J , Vaz F
Published: August 2020

Background

Pharyngocutaneous fistula is a troublesome complication. Recently, synthetic materials such as fibrin sealant have been used as a secondary measure to treat fistula. This work assessed whether the primary use of fibrin sealant can reduce the rate of fistula.

Method

A retrospective review of 50 cases from 2 centres was completed. Tisseel was an adjunct to primary closure in all cases.

Results

In the first centre, 3 out of 34 cases developed pharyngocutaneous fistula (fistula rate of 9 per cent). All three were salvage cases. In the second centre, 0 out of 16 cases developed a fistula.

Conclusion

The incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula post-radiation and post-chemoradiotherapy in laryngectomy cases has been quoted as 23 per cent and 34 per cent respectively. This study represents the first patient series on the use of fibrin sealant as an adjunct in primary closure following laryngectomy. The results are promising, encouraging the use of Tisseel as an adjunct to meticulous closure.
A comparative study of parasites in three latrines from Medieval and Renaissance Brussels, Belgium (14th–17th centuries)
Authors: Graff Anna , Bennion-Pedley Emma , Jones Ariadin K. , Ledger Marissa L. , Deforce Koen , Degraeve Ann , Byl Sylvie , Mitchell Piers D.
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study is to determine the species of parasite that infected the population of Brussels during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, and determine if there was notable variation between different households within the city. We compared multiple sediment layers from cesspits beneath three different latrines dating from the 14th–17th centuries. Helminths and protozoa were detected using microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We identified Ascaris sp., Capillaria sp., Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Entamoeba histolytica, Fasciola hepatica, Giardia duodenalis, Taenia sp. and Trichuris sp. in Medieval samples, and continuing presence of Ascaris sp., D. dendriticum, F. hepatica, G. duodenalis and Trichuris sp. into the Renaissance. While some variation existed between households, there was a broadly consistent pattern with the domination of species spread by fecal contamination of food and drink (whipworm, roundworm and protozoa that cause dysentery). These data allow us to explore diet and hygiene, together with routes for the spread of fecal–oral parasites. Key factors explaining our findings are manuring practices with human excrement in market gardens, and flooding of the polluted River Senne during the 14th–17th centuries.
Effect of essential oils on Leishmania amazonensis: a systematic review
Authors: de Lara da Silva Célia Eliane , Oyama Jully , Ferreira Fabiana Borges Padilha , de Paula Lalucci-Silva Marielle Priscila , Lordani Tarcísio Vitor Augusto , de Lara da Silva Rogério Cesar , de Souza Terron Monich Mariana , Teixeira Jorge Juarez Vieira , Lonardoni Maria Valdrinez Campana
Published: August 2020

This systematic review investigated the evidence for the therapeutic potential of essential oils (EOs) against Leishmania amazonensis. We searched available scientific publications from 2005 to 2019 in the PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases, according to PRISMA statement. The search strategy utilized descriptors and free terms. The EOs effect of 35 species of plants identified in this systematic review study, 45.7% had half of the maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 μg mL−1 and 14.3% had a 10 < IC50μg mL−1 for promastigote forms of L. amazonensis. EOs from Cymbopogon citratus species had the lowest IC50 (1.7 μg mL−1). Among the plant species analyzed for activity against intracellular amastigote forms of L. amazonensis, 39.4% had an IC50 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 μg mL−1, and 33.3% had an IC50 10 < IC50μg mL−1. Aloysia gratissima EO showed the lowest IC50 (0.16 μg mL−1) for intracellular amastigotes. EOs of Chenopodium ambrosioides, Copaifera martii and Carapa guianensis, administered by the oral route, were effective in reducing parasitic load and lesion volume in L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice. EOs of Bixa orellana and C. ambrosioides were effective when administered intraperitoneally. Most of the studies analyzed in vitro and in vivo for the risk of bias showed moderate methodological quality. These results indicate a stimulus for the development of new phytotherapy drugs for leishmaniasis treatment.
Comment on surgical approaches for definitive treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis: results of a survey in 178 patients
Authors: Akbulut Sami , Sahin Tevfik Tolga
Published: August 2020

Echinococcus multilocularis causes alveolar echinococcosis which is a chronic, progressive zoonotic disease that mainly affects the liver. Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is insidious and the patients are asymptomatic most of the time. Generally, it is incidentally found on imaging studies performed for other reasons. Specific symptoms may evolve if the vascular and biliary structures of the liver are affected. Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis shows a similar pattern to malignancies in terms of radiologic and clinical features. For this reason, oncological surgical principles should be applied during the resection of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. The gold standard surgical treatment is resection with negative surgical margin. However, in patients whose radical resection is not possible other therapeutic options include palliative resection which has no benefit to the patient, and other curative major surgical options such as ex vivo liver resection, and autotransplantation and ultimately liver transplantation. The remnant liver volume has paramount importance if resection is going to be performed. For this reason, occasionally, remnant liver volume hypertrophy is induced by employing either two-stage hepatectomy or associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy.
Stories, emotions, partnerships and the quest for stable relationships in the Greenlandic mining sector
Authors: Bjørst Lill Rastad
Published: August 2020

This study aims to understand the emotional labour and relationship building in connection to the expected mining industry in Greenland. Greenland mining is often portrayed as something that could create an economic basis for national independence which makes politicians curious about what a potential “partnership” could make possible. Envisioning future relationships (in debates about mining in Greenland) also set the framework for reinterpretation and redefinition of the past, to give meaning to promised new development; hence, this kind of future-making tends to be contested. The analysis centres around stories of what could be (if Greenland really was a place of mining), and the theoretical framework makes use of Ahmed’s and Wetherell’s interpretations of affective economies. Thus the study discusses emotional labour with a special focus on partnership, emotions and filtration, while visiting affective scenes and sites related to the mining of Greenland’s minerals. Greenland’s current position as a state in formation, while still reconciling with experiences from the past, affects relationship building, the openness to flirtation, and sometimes creates conflicts and hieratical structures between the potential partners to be.
A systematic review on mediators between adversity and psychosis: potential targets for treatment
Authors: Alameda Luis , Rodriguez Victoria , Carr Ewan , Aas Monica , Trotta Giulia , Marino Paolo , Vorontsova Natasha , Herane-Vives Andrés , Gadelrab Romayne , Spinazzola Edoardo , Di Forti Marta , Morgan Craig , Murray Robin M
Published: August 2020

Various psychological and biological pathways have been proposed as mediators between childhood adversity (CA) and psychosis. A systematic review of the evidence in this domain is needed. Our aim is to systematically review the evidence on psychological and biological mediators between CA and psychosis across the psychosis spectrum. This review followed PRISMA guidelines. Articles published between 1979 and July 2019 were identified through a literature search in OVID (PsychINFO, Medline and Embase) and Cochrane Libraries. The evidence by each analysis and each study is presented by group of mediator categories found. The percentage of total effect mediated was calculated. Forty-eight studies were included, 21 in clinical samples and 27 in the general population (GP) with a total of 82 352 subjects from GP and 3189 from clinical studies. The quality of studies was judged as ‘fair’. Our results showed (i) solid evidence of mediation between CA and psychosis by negative cognitive schemas about the self, the world and others (NS); by dissociation and other post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms; and through an affective pathway in GP but not in subjects with disorder; (iii) lack of studies exploring biological mediators. We found evidence suggesting that various overlapping and not competing pathways involving post-traumatic and mood symptoms, as well as negative cognitions contribute partially to the link between CA and psychosis. Experiences of CA, along with relevant mediators should be routinely assessed in patients with psychosis. Evidence testing efficacy of interventions targeting such mediators through cognitive behavioural approaches and/or pharmacological means is needed in future.
Secular trends in the incidence of eating disorders in China from 1990 to 2017: a joinpoint and age–period–cohort analysis
Authors: Wu Jiayuan , Lin Zhixiong , Liu Zhou , He Hairong , Bai Ling , Lyu Jun
Published: August 2020

Background

Eating disorders (ED) have increasingly become a global topic of concern for public health. A better understanding of ED incidence is a basic requirement for improving its management. However, the temporal trend of ED incidence in China is still unknown.

Methods

The incidence rates of ED from 1990 to 2017 were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 database according to the following: subtype, i.e. anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN); sex; and age group. The average annual percent changes and relative risks were calculated using joinpoint regression and the age–period–cohort model, respectively.

Results

From 1990 to 2017, age-standardized incidence rates of ED continued to increase in males and females, and this variation trend was observed in AN and BN. Joinpoint regression analysis showed that the incidence rates increased in all age groups. Adolescents had the highest risk of developing ED, followed by young adults. Age effects were the most influential risk factor for ED incidence. Period effects showed that the risk of developing ED continuously increased with increasing time periods in BN, but not in ED and AN. Concerning the cohort effects, people born after the 1990s presented a higher risk of ED, though they presented a lower risk of BN as compared to the whole cohort.

Conclusions

ED incidence rates continue to increase in China, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Further etiological studies are needed to explain these increases and to facilitate the early identification of high-risk individuals.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR BLOCKCHAIN GOVERNANCE GAME
Authors: Kim Song-Kyoo (Amang)
Published: August 2020

This paper deals with design of an alternative secure Blockchain network framework to prevent damages from an attacker. The alliance concept from the strategic management perspectives is applied on the top of a general stochastic game framework. This new enhanced hybrid theoretical model is designed to find the best strategies toward preparation for preventing a network malfunction from an attacker through strategic alliances with other genuine nodes and it is developed based on the combination of a strategic management framework and a conventional stochastic model based on the Blockchain Governance Game. Analytically, tractable results for decision-making parameters are fully obtained to predict of the moment for operations and also to provide the optimal number of allegiance nodes to protect a Blockchain network. This research helps those whom are considering initial coin offering or launching new Blockchain-based services by enhancing security features through strategic alliances in a decentralized network.
The Spanish Civil War and the Yugoslav Successor States
Authors: Pavlaković Vjeran
Published: August 2020

Yugoslav scholarship about the Spanish Civil War, specifically the Yugoslav volunteers who fought in the International Brigades, was almost exclusively tied to the partisan struggle during the Second World War and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Many countries in the Soviet bloc published books about their heroes who fought fascism before Western Europe reacted and raised monuments to Spanish Civil War veterans. However, many lost their lives during Stalinist purges of the late 1940s and early 1950s since they were potentially compromised cadres who returned to Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and other countries only after the Red Army's occupation. Yugoslav volunteers, however, generally had a more prominent status in the country (and historiography) since the Yugoslav resistance movement liberated the country with only minimal support from the Soviet Union.
COVID-19 reveals Brugada pattern in an adolescent patient
Authors: Choi Nak Hyun , Silver Eric S. , Fremed Michael , Liberman Leonardo
Published: August 2020

A diagnosis of Brugada pattern in paediatric or adolescent patients is rare. COVID-19 is characterised by fevers and a pro-inflammatory state, which may serve as inciting factors for Brugada pattern. Recently described in two adult patients, we report the first case of Brugada pattern in an adolescent with COVID-19.
Targeting fear of positive evaluation in patients with social anxiety disorder via a brief cognitive behavioural therapy protocol: a proof-of-principle study
Authors: Weeks Justin W. , Wilmer M. Taylor , Potter Carrie M. , Waldron Elizabeth M. , Versella Mark , Kaplan Simona C. , Jensen Dane , Heimberg Richard G.
Published: August 2020

Background:

Our aim was to develop a brief cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) protocol to augment treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD). This protocol focused specifically upon fear of positive evaluation (FPE). To our knowledge, this is the first protocol that has been designed to systematically target FPE.

Aims:

To test the feasibility of a brief (two-session) CBT protocol for FPE and report proof-of-principle data in the form of effect sizes.

Method:

Seven patients with a principal diagnosis of SAD were recruited to participate. Following a pre-treatment assessment, patients were randomized to either (a) an immediate CBT condition (n = 3), or (b) a comparable wait-list (WL) period (2 weeks; n = 4). Two WL patients also completed the CBT protocol following the WL period (delayed CBT condition). Patients completed follow-up assessments 1 week after completing the protocol.

Results:

A total of five patients completed the brief, FPE-specific CBT protocol (two of the seven patients were wait-listed only and did not complete delayed CBT). All five patients completed the protocol and provided 1-week follow-up data. CBT patients demonstrated large reductions in FPE-related concerns as well as overall social anxiety symptoms, whereas WL patients demonstrated an increase in FPE-related concerns.

Conclusions:

Our brief FPE-specific CBT protocol is feasible to use and was associated with large FPE-specific and social anxiety symptom reductions. To our knowledge, this is the first treatment report that has focused on systematic treatment of FPE in patients with SAD. Our protocol warrants further controlled evaluation.