bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementing Patient-Directed Cancer Education Materials Across Nigeria
Authors: Dickerson James C. , Ibeka Paulette , Inoyo Itoro , Oke Olufolarin O. , Adewuyi Sunday A. , Barry Donna , Bello Abubakar , Fasawe Olufunke , Garrity Philip , Habeebu Muhammad , Huang Franklin W. , Mulema Vivienne , Nwankwo Kenneth C. , Remen Danna , Wiwa Owens , Bhatt Ami S. , Roy Mohana
Published: December 2021

PURPOSE

As access to cancer care expands in low-income countries, developing tools to educate patients is paramount. We took a picture booklet, which was initially developed by the nonprofit Global Oncology for Malawi and Rwanda, and adapted it for use in Nigeria. The primary goal was to assess acceptability and provide education. The secondary goals were (1) to describe the collaboration, (2) to assess knowledge gained from the intervention, (3) to assess patient understanding of their therapy intent, and (4) to explore patient's experiences via qualitative analysis.

METHODS

We piloted the original English booklet at a single site and requested feedback from patients and providers. The booklet was updated; translated into Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Pidgin English; and used at three additional sites. For the three-site cohort, we collected basic demographics, pretest and post-test assessing content in the booklet, and performed a qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

The original booklet was widely acceptable and recommended by patients at site one (n = 31) and by providers (N = 26) representing all four sites. In the three-site cohort (n = 103), 94% of patients recommended the booklet. An immediate post-test focusing on when patients should present to care showed a statistically significant improvement in one of the seven questions. Fifty-one percent of the patients (n = 103) knew their treatment intent (curative v palliative). Qualitative analysis highlighted that the patient's thoughts on cancer are dominated by negative associations, although curability and modern therapy are also frequently cited.

CONCLUSION

We adapted an educational booklet to a novel context and had it delivered by local partners. The booklet was widely recommended to future patients. The booklet had an impact on patient's knowledge of cancer treatment, potentially allowing for decreased abandonment.
Knockout of syntaxin-4 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes reveals new insight into GLUT4 trafficking and adiponectin secretion
Authors: Black Hannah L. , Livingstone Rachel , Mastick Cynthia C. , Al Tobi Mohammed , Taylor Holly , Geiser Angéline , Stirrat Laura , Kioumourtzoglou Dimitrios , Petrie John R. , Boyle James G. , Bryant Nia J. , Gould Gwyn W.
Published: December 2021

Adipocytes are key to metabolic regulation, exhibiting insulin-stimulated glucose transport that is underpinned by the insulin-stimulated delivery of glucose transporter type 4 (SLC2A4, also known and hereafter referred to as GLUT4)-containing vesicles to the plasma membrane where they dock and fuse, and increase cell surface GLUT4 levels. Adipocytokines, such as adiponectin, are secreted via a similar mechanism. We used genome editing to knock out syntaxin-4, a protein reported to mediate fusion between GLUT4-containing vesicles and the plasma membrane in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Syntaxin-4 knockout reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport and adiponectin secretion by ∼50% and reduced GLUT4 levels. Ectopic expression of haemagglutinin (HA)-tagged GLUT4 conjugated to GFP showed that syntaxin-4-knockout cells retain significant GLUT4 translocation capacity, demonstrating that syntaxin-4 is dispensable for insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. Analysis of recycling kinetics revealed only a modest reduction in the exocytic rate of GLUT4 in knockout cells, and little effect on endocytosis. These analyses demonstrate that syntaxin-4 is not always rate limiting for GLUT4 delivery to the cell surface. In sum, we show that syntaxin-4 knockout results in reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport, depletion of cellular GLUT4 levels and inhibition of adiponectin secretion but has only modest effects on the translocation capacity of the cells.

This article has an associated First Person interview with Hannah L. Black and Rachel Livingstone, joint first authors of the paper.
TAZ exhibits phase separation properties and interacts with Smad7 and β-catenin to repress skeletal myogenesis
Authors: Tripathi Soma , Miyake Tetsuaki , Kelebeev Jonathan , McDermott John C.
Published: December 2021

Hippo signaling in Drosophila and mammals is prominent in regulating cell proliferation, death and differentiation. Hippo signaling effectors (YAP and TAZ; also known as YAP1 and WWTR1, respectively) exhibit crosstalk with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)–Smad and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Previously, we implicated Smad7 and β-catenin in mammalian myogenesis. Therefore, we assessed a potential role of TAZ on the Smad7–β-catenin complex in muscle cells. Here, we document functional interactions between Smad7, TAZ and β-catenin in mouse myogenic cells. Ectopic TAZ expression resulted in repression of the muscle-specific creatine kinase muscle (Ckm) gene promoter and its corresponding protein level. Depletion of endogenous TAZ enhanced Ckm promoter activation. Ectopic TAZ, while potently active on a TEAD reporter (HIP-HOP), repressed myogenin (Myog) and Myod1 enhancer regions and myogenin protein level. Additionally, a Wnt/β-catenin readout (TOP flash) demonstrated TAZ-mediated inhibition of β-catenin activity. In myoblasts, TAZ was predominantly localized in nuclear speckles, while in differentiation conditions TAZ was hyperphosphorylated at Ser89, leading to enhanced cytoplasmic sequestration. Finally, live-cell imaging indicated that TAZ exhibits properties of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS). These observations indicate that TAZ, as an effector of Hippo signaling, suppresses the myogenic differentiation machinery.
The lesion detection efficacy of deep learning on automatic breast ultrasound and factors affecting its efficacy: a pilot study
Authors: PhD Xiao Luo , Xu Min , Tang Guoxue , PhD Yi Wang , Wang Na , PhD Dong Ni , PhD Xi Lin , Li An-Hua
Published: December 2021

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate the detection efficacy of deep learning (DL) for automatic breast ultrasound (ABUS) and factors affecting its efficacy.

Methods:

Females who underwent ABUS and handheld ultrasound from May 2016 to June 2017 (N = 397) were enrolled and divided into training (n = 163 patients with breast cancer and 33 with benign lesions), test (n = 57) and control (n = 144) groups. A convolutional neural network was optimized to detect lesions in ABUS. The sensitivity and false positives (FPs) were evaluated and compared for different breast tissue compositions, lesion sizes, morphologies and echo patterns.

Results:

In the training set, with 688 lesion regions (LRs), the network achieved sensitivities of 93.8%, 97.2% and 100%, based on volume, lesion and patient, respectively, with 1.9 FPs per volume. In the test group with 247 LRs, the sensitivities were 92.7%, 94.5% and 96.5%, respectively, with 2.4 FPs per volume. The control group, with 900 volumes, showed 0.24 FPs per volume. The sensitivity was 98% for lesions > 1 cm3, but 87% for those ≤1 cm3 (p < 0.05). Similar sensitivities and FPs were observed for different breast tissue compositions (homogeneous, 97.5%, 2.1; heterogeneous, 93.6%, 2.1), lesion morphologies (mass, 96.3%, 2.1; non-mass, 95.8%, 2.0) and echo patterns (homogeneous, 96.1%, 2.1; heterogeneous 96.8%, 2.1).

Conclusions:

DL had high detection sensitivity with a low FP but was affected by lesion size.

Advances in knowledge:

DL is technically feasible for the automatic detection of lesions in ABUS.
Breast metastasis of a lung carcinoma
Authors: Khoury Ralph , Bucau Margot , Bizot Alexandra , Khalil Antoine
Published: December 2021

Breast metastasis is a rare phenomenon (0.2–1.3%) 1 compared to primary breast lesions. Several neoplasms have been reported to metastasize to the breast such as melanoma, lymphoma and lung cancer. In this article, we report a case of breast metastasis of lung cancer confirmed by biopsy and immunohistochemistry with CT and ultrasound imaging.
The genome sequence of the Australian filarial nematode, Cercopithifilaria johnstoni
Authors: McCann Kirsty , Grant Warwick , Doyle Stephen R.
Published: December 2021

We present a genome assembly and annotation of an individual femaleCercopithifilaria johnstoni, a parasitic filarial nematode that is transmitted by hard ticks (Ixodidae) to infect a broad range of native Australian murid and marsupial hosts. The genome sequence is 76.9 Mbp in length, and although in draft form (N50 = 99 kbp, N50[n] = 232), is largely complete based on universally conserved orthologs (BUSCOs; genome = 94.9%, protein = 96.5%) and relative to other related filarial species. These data represent the first genomic resources for the genusCercopithifilaria, a group of parasites with a broad host range, and form the basis for comparative analysis with the human-infective parasite,Onchocerca volvulus, both of which are responsible for similar eye and skin pathologies in their respective hosts.
Self-reported benefits for care partners of attending a person-centred dementia cafe
Authors: Chesterton Lorna , Innes Anthea , Smith Sarah K. , Morris Lydia
Published: December 2021

Informal care partners of individuals with dementia are often referred to as the ‘invisible patient’, whose needs are under-represented in research. The physical, mental and emotional responsibilities of caring for someone with dementia can be both rewarding and challenging. This qualitative study explored how attending a dementia cafe affected care partner well-being. The co-designed cafe adopted a person-centred approach, valuing members’ unique abilities and contributions. Results showed that the cafe provided a safe environment where individuals could be themselves. Participants found a sense of belonging, camaraderie and friendship that enhanced their sense of well-being and maintained their selfhood and dignity.
Phase recovery technology of a dual-frame phase-shifting interferogram based on first-order norm vector normalization
Authors: Zhang Hangying , Yang Feng , Cao Liangcai
Published: December 2021

The pursuit of high-precision and high-efficiency phase recovery methods has been a research focus of interferometric technology. We propose a dual-frame phase-shifting interferogram phase recovery technique based on normalization of the first-order norm. A set of sine and cosine components is constructed by the addition and subtraction of dual-frame interferograms. Then the first-order norm normalization method is employed to achieve vector orthogonality. The phase distribution is then obtained through the arctangent operation. State-of-the-art dual-frame phase recovery techniques are evaluated, and it shows that the first-order norm normalization method outperforms the second-order norm normalization method. Especially in terms of computational efficiency, the method using the first-order norm is at least 50% more efficient than other methods.
Non-recursive transport of intensity phase retrieval with the transport of phase
Authors: Zhou Haowen , Guo Haiyun , Banerjee Partha P.
Published: December 2021

The transport of intensity equation (TIE) is a non-interferometric phase retrieval method that originates from the imaginary part of the Helmholtz equation and is equivalent to the law of conservation of energy. From the real part of the Helmholtz equation, the transport of phase equation (TPE), which represents the Eikonal equation in the presence of diffraction, can be derived. The amplitude and phase for an arbitrary optical field should satisfy these coupled equations simultaneously during propagation. In this work, the coupling between the TIE and TPE is exploited to improve the phase retrieval solutions from the TIE. Specifically, a non-recursive fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based phase retrieval method using both the TIE and TPE is demonstrated. Based on the FFT-based TIE solution, a correction factor calculated by the TPE is introduced to improve the phase retrieval results.
Transmissive terahertz amplifier based on optically pumped graphene-dielectric hybrid resonators
Authors: Guan Shengnan , Cheng Jierong , Tan Zhiyu , Fan Fei , Wang Xianghui , Chang Shengjiang
Published: December 2021

Amplification of terahertz radiation is achieved by combining optically pumped graphene with a dielectric resonant cavity through numerical simulation. Graphene is attached to a one-dimensional grating and sandwiched between two distributed Bragg reflectors. The whole cavity enhances the interaction of graphene with the terahertz wave while being transparent to the pump light. When the femtosecond pulse pump light at 1.5 µm with the peak intensity of

8.7

W

/

m
m

2

is considered, graphene is driven to a gain medium. Due to the enhancement of the cavity and the proper complex conductivity of graphene, the amplitude of the transmitted beam is amplified 172 times at 3.82 THz at room temperature, showing great potential in the development of terahertz amplifiers and even lasers.
Thermal and non-thermal intensity dependent optical nonlinearities in ethanol at 800 nm, 1480 nm, and 1560 nm: erratum
Authors: Bautista Jessica E. Q. , da Silva-Neto Manoel L. , Campos Cecilia L. A. V. , Maldonado Melissa , de Araújo Cid B. , Gomes Anderson S. L.
Published: December 2021

We correct the unit of pulse duration in Table 1 [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 38,
1104 (2021)JOBPDE0740-322410.1364/JOSAB.418635]. The correct unit is
femtosecond (fs).
Micro-Doppler effect based vibrating object imaging of coherent detection GISC lidar
Authors: Pan Long , Wang Yiqun , Deng Chenjin , Gong Wenlin , Bo Zunwang , Han Shensheng
Published: December 2021

Vibration, rotation and movement of the object generally have adverse effects on the detection and imaging for active and passive sensing. However, by combination of coherent detection and ghost imaging (GI), we propose a novel lidar system called coherent detection ghost imaging via sparsity constraints (GISC) lidar. The phase information of the signal light is detected by coherent detection. By analysing the phase change of the signal light, the vibrating information of the object is obtained. Backed up by experiments, coherent detection GISC lidar is demonstrated to image vibrating objects. Based on the short-time Fourier transform, two objects vibrating with different phases and amplitudes are experimentally demonstrated to image independently by coherent detection GISC lidar. Through the vibrating information, the capability of object identification can even be proposed. We strongly believe that coherent detection GISC lidar will pave the way for vibrating objects imaging and identification.
EESANet: edge-enhanced self-attention network for two-dimensional phase unwrapping
Authors: Zhang Junkang , Li Qingguang
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we first propose a quantitative indicator to measure the amount of prior information contained in the wrapped phase map. Then, Edge-Enhanced Self-Attention Network is proposed for two-dimensional phase unwrapping. EESANet adopts a symmetrical en-decoder architecture and uses self-designed Serried Residual Blocks as its basic block. We add Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling and Positional Self-Attention to the network to obtain the long-distance dependency in phase unwrapping, and we further propose Edge-Enhanced Block to enhance the effective edge features of the wrapped phase map. In addition, weighted cross-entropy loss function is employed to overcome the category imbalance problem. Experiments show that our method has higher precision, stronger robustness and better generalization than the state-of-the-art.
Quantitative morphology of femtosecond laser-written point-by-point optical fiber Bragg gratings
Authors: Bhardwaj Saurabh , Fernandez Toney Teddy , Gross Simon , Withford Michael J. , Steel Michael J.
Published: December 2021

We investigate the morphology of femtosecond laser, single pulse-inscribed, point-by-point (PbP) fiber Bragg gratings. Direct measurement of a PbP grating’s refractive index profile was carried out with micro-reflectivity analysis. PbP gratings were imaged at sub-micrometer scale with scanning electron microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence studies were performed to probe the structural and electronic changes. Comparison of results from different characterisation techniques suggests that the creation of an increased refractive index region around the micro-void is due to contributions from both densification and the formation of highly polarizable non-bridging oxygen bonds.
Effect of roughness on surface plasmons propagation along deep and shallow metallic diffraction gratings
Authors: Bruhier Hugo , Verrier Isabelle , Gueye Thiaka , Varenne Christelle , Ndiaye Amadou , Parriaux Olivier , Veillas Colette , Reynaud Stéphanie , Brunet Jérôme , Jourlin Yves
Published: December 2021

The roughness of shallow or deep metallic diffraction gratings modifies the propagation of surface plasmon mode along the metallic–air interface. The scattering losses lead to a spectral or angular broadening of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and to a shift of the resonance wavelength and coupling angle. This mechanism is deeply analyzed both experimentally and theoretically to overcome these effects when such structures, in particular deep ones, are used as SPR-based sensors.
Cysteine and iron accelerate the formation of ribose-5-phosphate, providing insights into the evolutionary origins of the metabolic network structure
Authors: Piedrafita Gabriel , Varma Sreejith J. , Castro Cecilia , Messner Christoph B. , Szyrwiel Lukasz , Griffin Julian L. , Ralser Markus
Published: December 2021

The structure of the metabolic network is highly conserved, but we know little about its evolutionary origins. Key for explaining the early evolution of metabolism is solving a chicken–egg dilemma, which describes that enzymes are made from the very same molecules they produce. The recent discovery of several nonenzymatic reaction sequences that topologically resemble central metabolism has provided experimental support for a “metabolism first” theory, in which at least part of the extant metabolic network emerged on the basis of nonenzymatic reactions. But how could evolution kick-start on the basis of a metal catalyzed reaction sequence, and how could the structure of nonenzymatic reaction sequences be imprinted on the metabolic network to remain conserved for billions of years? We performed an in vitro screening where we add the simplest components of metabolic enzymes, proteinogenic amino acids, to a nonenzymatic, iron-driven reaction network that resembles glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). We observe that the presence of the amino acids enhanced several of the nonenzymatic reactions. Particular attention was triggered by a reaction that resembles a rate-limiting step in the oxidative PPP. A prebiotically available, proteinogenic amino acid cysteine accelerated the formation of RNA nucleoside precursor ribose-5-phosphate from 6-phosphogluconate. We report that iron and cysteine interact and have additive effects on the reaction rate so that ribose-5-phosphate forms at high specificity under mild, metabolism typical temperature and environmental conditions. We speculate that accelerating effects of amino acids on rate-limiting nonenzymatic reactions could have facilitated a stepwise enzymatization of nonenzymatic reaction sequences, imprinting their structure on the evolving metabolic network.
Thermodynamic constraints on the assembly and diversity of microbial ecosystems are different near to and far from equilibrium
Authors: Cook Jacob , Pawar Samraat , Endres Robert G.
Published: December 2021

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics has long been an area of substantial interest to ecologists because most fundamental biological processes, such as protein synthesis and respiration, are inherently energy-consuming. However, most of this interest has focused on developing coarse ecosystem-level maximisation principles, providing little insight into underlying mechanisms that lead to such emergent constraints. Microbial communities are a natural system to decipher this mechanistic basis because their interactions in the form of substrate consumption, metabolite production, and cross-feeding can be described explicitly in thermodynamic terms. Previous work has considered how thermodynamic constraints impact competition between pairs of species, but restrained from analysing how this manifests in complex dynamical systems. To address this gap, we develop a thermodynamic microbial community model with fully reversible reaction kinetics, which allows direct consideration of free-energy dissipation. This also allows species to interact via products rather than just substrates, increasing the dynamical complexity, and allowing a more nuanced classification of interaction types to emerge. Using this model, we find that community diversity increases with substrate lability, because greater free-energy availability allows for faster generation of niches. Thus, more niches are generated in the time frame of community establishment, leading to higher final species diversity. We also find that allowing species to make use of near-to-equilibrium reactions increases diversity in a low free-energy regime. In such a regime, two new thermodynamic interaction types that we identify here reach comparable strengths to the conventional (competition and facilitation) types, emphasising the key role that thermodynamics plays in community dynamics. Our results suggest that accounting for realistic thermodynamic constraints is vital for understanding the dynamics of real-world microbial communities.
The extent to which off-patent registered prescription medicines are used for off-label indications in Australia: A scoping review
Authors: Howe Katrina , Bourke Siobhan , Sansom Lloyd
Published: December 2021

Aim

The aim of this scoping review was to determine the extent of off-patent prescription medicine use beyond registered indications in various Australian clinical settings.

Method

The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute approach and reported using PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Online databases were used to identify published literature about off-patent registered prescription medicines used for off-label indications in Australian public hospital, community and primary healthcare settings. In addition, empirical data from the Queensland and the South Australian state-wide medicine formularies were screened for the same medication/off-label indication dyads identified in the literature, and other locally approved uses.

Results

Overall, fourteen studies were included, conducted in public hospitals (n = 11), palliative care units (n = 2) and the community setting (n = 1). There were 213 reports extracted from the literature describing off-patent registered prescription medicines used for off-label indications, representing 128 unique medication/off-label indication dyads and 32 different medicines. Of these, just five medication/off-label indication dyads were approved for use on both the Queensland and South Australian state-wide medicine formularies, with 12 others only approved for use in Queensland and 16 others only approved for use in South Australia. Further examination of these state-wide formularies demonstrated that the use of off-patent registered prescription medicines beyond registered indications is more extensive than has been reported to date in the literature. There were 28 additional medication/off-label indication dyads approved on the Queensland state-wide medicine formulary and 14 such examples approved for use in South Australia. Of these, just two medication/off-label indication dyads were approved for use on both formularies.

Conclusion

The extent to which off-patent registered prescription medicines have been repurposed in clinical settings for off-label indications in Australia is greater than previously reported in the literature. Usage and funded availability of certain medication/off-label indication dyads, varies across Australia. These results further expose the two tiered system of medicines regulation in Australia, and its impact on equity of access to medicines. Further research is required to support policy change to encourage submission of registration updates for off-patent prescription medicines.
Waikīkī: A paradisiac–parasitic pacific paradise
Authors: Mahi Daniel Kauwila
Published: December 2021

Waikīkī is a world-renowned leisure destination; at least, that is the image flung vehemently around the world about Hawaiʻi. This framing of Hawaiʻi as paradisiac is parasitic, it eats away and denigrates the enduring relationship that Hawaiʻi the land and the people have. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a shift in the way our home feels. Tourism, a self-proclaimed necessity of Hawaiʻi’s economy, was not only put on hold, it was essentially eliminated. Through this project I would like to present pre/post-colonialist modalities of Hawaiʻi, to contest and disarm this space densely affected by militourism. Hawaiʻi has been framed as a leisure destination first by colonialists and much later by hip hop music. My approach to contesting these projections is to refuse this notion and feature lines from songs, chants and prayers related to Waikīkī which are pre/postcolonial and have been influenced by colonialism through hip hop.
Honolulu’s colonial legacy of marginalization: A cycle of emergency and urban development
Authors: Hopper Robert
Published: December 2021

Relying heavily on newspaper archives, this article explores the ‘first rough draft’ of Honolulu’s early urban frontier to rescue the spectacle of environmental and emergency management in the early twentieth-century town of Kakaʻako. Analysing the interdependent discursive and material processes in response to public health crisis – viewed here serving as a continuation of colonialism – I show how Kakaʻako existed as a release valve for detritus as part of a dialectical process towards development. Spaces like Kakaʻako proved central to the partitioning of urban space, serving as receptacles of bio-sociocultural waste. This article details how cycles of emergency cordoned-off spaces utilized to contain, discipline or assimilate certain groups, provoking the development and evacuation of that which is judged as unfit and unworthy while engendering the notion of profitability as a necessary precondition to inhabiting city space.
Sensory access at sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ: Blockages, fluidities and futures
Authors: Louis Skayu
Published: December 2021

In the summer of 2020, tensions rose at sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ, an ancestral fishing village site, for the Syilx Okanagan Peoples due to a landowner seeking to exclude access to a portion of q̓awsitkʷ (Okanagan) river. Access to sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ is integral for Syilx Nation building and realizing embodied relationships with the Salmon peoples, which have been hindered by a multiplicity of factors that almost removed salmon completely from the Territory. Sensory access throughout the village site is not only important to rebuild relations with the salmon, but also those with the place itself. sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ remains a portal of relationality with waterscapes from the high mountains into the Pacific Ocean. Waterscapes connect peoples, polities and humans/more-than-humans throughout their spaces of motion. In an era of altered river pathways, intensified relationships grounded in particular waterscapes can help to build relations beyond the structural blockages that fragment the flow of the river and its ecologies. These relationships are important for collaborative healing throughout the watershed. Renewing relations with ecologies of flow and motion bring to question the fragmented jurisdictions that seek to carve up Indigenous territories.
Hepatic Microabscesses: A Unique Presentation of Herpes Simplex Virus Hepatitis
Authors: Olson Kristin M. , Keim Lauren M. , Holm Tyson T. , Eichele Derrick D.
Published: December 2021

Viral hepatitis caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection occurs with a wide array of clinical presentations, making timely definitive diagnosis challenging. Immunosuppressed patients provide further complexity with an increased risk for severe infection and acute liver failure. We report a rare case of HSV hepatitis manifested as HSV type 1 and HSV type 2 (HSV-1 and 2) coinfection resulting in innumerable hepatic hypodensities with peripheral enhancement, suggestive of liver microabscesses. Initiation of antiviral therapy resulted in rapid recovery. The presence of hepatic hypodensities and acute liver injury should raise suspicion for HSV hepatitis in the immunocompromised host.
Implementing Learning Analytics: The journey to improve teaching and learning at five Australian universities
Authors: Clark Jo-Anne
Published: December 2021

Universities are under heightened pressure to become more efficient using less resources., the quality of teaching and the student experience must not be sacrificed in pursuit of efficiency. One strategy is to use automation, smart technology to augment the work of human teachers. Not to replace the teacher but to make them better at what they do. Give them smart tools to do their jobs more effectively. Learning Analytics is one such tool that has the potential to leverage teaching capability. This paper examines the learning analytics implementations at five diverse Australian universities (regional and metropolitan) with varying degrees of success reported. These implementations are evaluated using of DeLone and McLean’s (2003) information system success model. It will be seen that participants in this interpretivist case study regard learning analytics as having potential benefits but are not sure about how best to realise analytics systems with extensive usability research built-in and offering sophisticated functionality seem likely to emerge and take precedence over the trial and error approach. This study addresses an apparent gap in the research as limited studies exist targeting both learning analytics and information system success.
Chinese literature and “New Methods of Midwifery” during the 1950s
Authors: He Xiuwen
Published: December 2021

The literary description of the movement, “New Methods of Midwifery,” during the 1950s is not only a historical record of the innovation of delivery techniques, but also a demonstration of the realization of bio-governance at the grassroots level, and of the reformation of traditional gender concepts. These works directly criticized outdated delivery methods and the traditional concept of life that traditional midwives observed and also documented the development of bio-politics in New China. The writers portrayed a series of images of traditional midwives and socialist midwives which left a traceable legacy of visions of Chinese professional women. This article aims to investigate the images of this special professional group and their cultural significance to the reformation of Chinese fertility culture, daily life and the development of bio-politics during the 1950s.
The Judicial Control of a Cross-Border Merger approved by means of an abusive resolution
Authors: Recalde-Castells Andrés , Roncero-Sánchez Antonio
Published: December 2021

The fight for the control of the Mediaset group has given rise to several judicial decisions issued in various national jurisdictions and even by the European Court of Justice. Three orders of Spanish Courts have been of particular interest. Two of them were issued by a Commercial Court in Madrid and the third one was issued on appeal by the Provincial Appeal Court Madrid. They instructed the suspension of the shareholders meeting resolutions of the Spanish Mediaset company approving a cross-border merger. The content of this resolution was to approve the acquisition of the Spanish company by another company domiciled in the Netherlands thus changing the applicable law. The resolution approving the merger was presumed (provisionally) to be abusive and, eventually, null and void. The decisions of the Spanish Court were grounded on the fact that the articles of association of the resulting Dutch company would be detrimental to the minority in the Spanish company. This limits the freedom of establishment (Art. 49 TFEU) and is based on a multilevel scrutiny, resulting from the national laws applicable to each company that participates in the merger. Those judicial decisions handled with other issues of interest in company law, such as the conclusive effect of the registration of a cross-border merger, the legitimation of the minority to challenge shareholders resolutions, or the effects of a shareholders meeting resolution replacing a previous merger resolution that has been challenged before the courts.
Estimating moisture content variation in kiln dried Pacific coast hemlock
Authors: Rahimi Sohrab , Avramidis Stavros , Lazarescu Ciprian
Published: December 2021

Kiln drying is admittedly a significant value-adding step in timber processing where the importance of predicting moisture within a dried batch cannot be overemphasized. This study predicts and characterizes the moisture variation in kiln-dried wood based on the initial and target moisture values using polynomial models. Four polynomial models are used to correlate initial and final moisture characteristics. First model is linear while the three others are nonlinear. The robustness of the three best models is analyzed and a closed formula is proposed to evaluate the final moisture coefficient of variation based on the target moisture and initial moisture coefficient of variation. Three models could successfully characterize the final moisture variation with the best one showing an R
2 > 96%. However, the first (linear) model is the most resilient and, thus recommended for estimating final moisture variation.
Stability and ψ-algebraic decay of the solution to ψ-fractional differential system
Authors: Li Changpin , Li Zhiqiang
Published: December 2021

In this article, we focus on stability and ψ-algebraic decay (algebraic decay in the sense of ψ-function) of the equilibrium to the nonlinear ψ-fractional ordinary differential system. Before studying the nonlinear case, we show the stability and decay for linear system in more detail. Then we establish the linearization theorem for the nonlinear system near the equilibrium and further determine the stability and decay rate of the equilibrium. Such discussions include two cases, one with ψ-Caputo fractional derivative, another with ψ-Riemann–Liouville derivative, where the latter is a bit more complex than the former. Besides, the integral transforms are also provided for future studies.
Density Forecast of Financial Returns Using Decomposition and Maximum Entropy
Authors: Lee Tae-Hwy , Wang He , Xi Zhou , Zhang Ru
Published: December 2021

We consider a multiplicative decomposition of the financial returns to improve the density forecasts of financial returns. The multiplicative decomposition is based on the identity that financial return is the product of its absolute value and its sign. Advantages of modeling the two components are discussed. To reduce the effect of the estimation error due to the multiplicative decomposition in estimation of the density forecast model, we impose a moment constraint that the conditional mean forecast is set to match with the sample mean. Imposing such a moment constraint operates a shrinkage and tilts the density forecast of the decomposition model to produce the improved maximum entropy density forecast. An empirical application to forecasting density of the daily stock returns demonstrates the benefits of using the decomposition and imposing the moment constraint to obtain the improved density forecast. We evaluate the density forecast by comparing the logarithmic score (LS), the quantile score (QS), and the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS). We contribute to the literature on the density forecast and the decomposition models by showing that the density forecast of the decomposition model can be improved by imposing a sensible constraint in the maximum entropy framework.
Wie ein Virus die Sprache verändert – Beobachtungen zum Russischen
Authors: Fleischmann Eberhard
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged people’s thinking worldwide. Russia, too, has seen experts writing reports on the causes and consequences of the pandemic and citizens commenting on the restrictions on their lives, which they accepted or rejected. None of this would have been possible, if words had not been adopted, borrowed, modified, revisited, fitted into grammatical structures, or varied in their meanings. This article provides a first overview of such changes in Russian.
Feeling of Ownership over an Embodied Avatar's Hand Brings About Fast Changes of Fronto-Parietal Cortical Dynamics
Authors: Casula Elias Paolo , Tieri Gaetano , Rocchi Lorenzo , Pezzetta Rachele , Maiella Michele , Pavone Enea Francesco , Aglioti Salvatore Maria , Koch Giacomo
Published: December 2021

When we look at our body parts, we are immediately aware that they belong to us and we rarely doubt about the integrity, continuity, and sense of ownership of our body. Despite this certainty, immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to a strong feeling of embodiment over an artificial body part seen from a first-person perspective (1PP). Although such feeling of ownership (FO) has been described in different situations, it is not yet understood how this phenomenon is generated at neural level. To track the real-time brain dynamics associated with FO, we delivered transcranial magnetic stimuli over the hand region in the primary motor cortex (M1) and simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) in 19 healthy volunteers (11 male/8 female) watching IVR renderings of anatomically plausible (full-limb) versus implausible (hand disconnected from the forearm) virtual limbs. Our data show that embodying a virtual hand is temporally associated with a rapid drop of cortical activity of the onlookers' hand region in the M1 contralateral to the observed hand. Spatiotemporal analysis shows that embodying the avatar's hand is also associated with fast changes of activity within an interconnected fronto-parietal circuit ipsilateral to the brain stimulation. Specifically, an immediate reduction of connectivity with the premotor area is paralleled by an enhancement in the connectivity with the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) which is related to the strength of ownership illusion ratings and thus likely reflects conscious feelings of embodiment. Our results suggest that changes of bodily representations are underpinned by a dynamic cross talk within a highly-plastic, fronto-parietal network.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTObserving an avatar's body part from a first-person perspective (1PP) induces an illusory embodiment over it. What remains unknown are the cortical dynamics underpinning the embodiment of artificial agents. To shed light on the physiological mechanisms of embodiment we used a novel approach that combines noninvasive stimulation of the cortical motor-hand area and whole-scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings in people observing an embodied artificial limb. We found that just before the illusion started, there is a decrease of activity of the motor-hand area accompanied by an increase of connectivity with the parietal region ipsilateral to the stimulation that reflects the ratings of the embodiment illusion. Our results suggest that changes of bodily representations are underpinned by a dynamic cross talk within a fronto-parietal circuit.
Chemical Signaling Regulates Axon Regeneration via the GPCR–Gqα Pathway inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Shimizu Tatsuhiro , Sugiura Kayoko , Sakai Yoshiki , Dar Abdul R. , Butcher Rebecca A. , Matsumoto Kunihiro , Hisamoto Naoki
Published: December 2021

Chemical communication controls a wide range of behaviors via conserved signaling networks. Axon regeneration in response to injury is determined by the interaction between the extracellular environment and intrinsic growth potential. In this study, we investigated the role of chemical signaling in axon regeneration inCaenorhabditis elegans. We find that the enzymes involved in ascaroside pheromone biosynthesis, ACOX-1.1, ACOX-1.2, and DAF-22, participate in axon regeneration by producing a dauer-inducing ascaroside, ascr#5. We demonstrate that the chemoreceptor genes,srg-36andsrg-37, which encode G-protein-coupled receptors for ascr#5, are required for adult-specific axon regeneration. Furthermore, the activating mutation inegl-30encoding Gqα suppresses axon regeneration defective phenotype inacox-1.1andsrg-36 srg-37mutants. Therefore, the ascaroside signaling system provides a unique example of a signaling molecule that regulates the regenerative pathway in the nervous system.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTInCaenorhabditis elegans, axon regeneration is positively regulated by the EGL-30 Gqα–JNK MAP kinase cascade. However, it remains unclear what signals activate the EGL-30 pathway in axon regeneration. Here, we show that SRG-36 and SRG-37 act as upstream G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that activate EGL-30.C. eleganssecretes a family of small-molecule pheromones called ascarosides, which serve various functions in chemical signaling. SRG-36 and SRG-37 are GPCRs for the dauer-inducing ascaroside ascr#5. Consistent with this, we found that ascr#5 activates the axon regeneration pathway via SRG-36/SRG-37 and EGL-30. Thus, ascaroside signaling promotes axon regeneration by activating the GPCR–Gqα pathway.
Telluride and After
Authors: Rich B. Ruby
Published: December 2021

FQ editor-in-chief B. Ruby Rich reports from the 48th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. Unlike most of its peer festivals, Telluride opted not to hold a virtual edition in 2020, a decision entirely in keeping with its emphasis on the tactile and experiential aspects of cinema, and which made its return in 2021 all the more giddy for first-time attendees and long-term devotees alike. Rich reviews the many festival highlights, from Jane Campion’s reinvention of the Western in The Power of the Dog to Todd Haynes’ archival documentary The Velvet Underground. Childhood takes center stage in new films from Céline Sciamma and Kenneth Branagh while misunderstood masculinity emerges as a theme in Michael Pearce’s Encounter, Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero, and Mike Mills’s C’mon C’mon. Including a coda on the New York Film Festival, Rich concludes that the masterful riches of the two festivals augur well for the fall 2021 season.
The Wiles of Spring
Authors: Salti Rasha
Published: December 2021

This essay is neither an attempt to evaluate the immediate political consequences of the Arab Spring (and its ensuing so-called winters) nor a discussion of its recording and representation in cinema. Rather, it is an exploration of certain consequences of that event—specifically, on cinematic expression—while acknowledging broader artistic and cultural resonances. The Arab Spring comprised a spectacular series of political events, heavily mediatized and embattled, that lent themselves to “virality” to an unprecedented extent through social media. Such a virality is fundamental to Rasha Salti’s argument that regardless of whether regimes were successfully overthrown, whether protests took place in this or that country in 2011 or in the years after, the virality of images, stories, and the new media vocabularies that the Arab Spring produced have been circulated throughout the Arab-speaking countries and have had an irrevocable impact on political subjectivities and imaginaries.
Shooting 2011–21
Authors: Ratta Donatella Della
Published: December 2021

In this article, film scholar Donnatella Della Ratta deconstructs the frames that have characterized, both aesthetically and politically, the social movements that erupted in the Arab region in 2011. On the tenth anniversary of what is commonly known as the “Arab Spring,” she reconsiders the intertwinement of the media and the military, violence and representation, and their blending in the hyperconnected dimension of the social web’s participatory culture. She reflects on the continuity of this dynamic, which was triggered by the astonishing events of ten years ago, and the newly emerging forms of disciplining and domesticating the body and its revolutionary potential.
The Ennui of the Scroll
Authors: Benson-Allott Caetlin
Published: December 2021

Inspired by her difficulty selecting a film as the subject for her column, Film Quarterly regular Caetlin Benson-Allott explores the concept of the “paradox of choice” in relation to contemporary film culture. A common feature of late-stage capitalism with its characteristic consumer abundance, the paradox of choice afflicts people with too many options, decreasing their happiness and increasing anxiety. In her column, Benson-Allott explores the paradox of choice as a condition of the current streaming era, while also historicizing television culture’s ideology of plenty. She traces this notion of superabundance, which undergirds digital cable and streaming culture today, back to the 1950s when print media such as TV Guide pioneered a print-heavy layout that stupefied the eye into an impression of excess. Arguing that browsing print program guides and its more recent corollary, channel surfing, are numbing experiences that discourage risk-taking, Benson-Allott ultimately finds relief from the ennui of the scroll in the pleasures—both expected and unexpected—of the genre film.
Sentimental Solidarities
Authors: Wanzo Rebecca
Published: December 2021

Film Quarterly columnist Rebecca Wanzo surveys the history of fictional treatments of labor in US television and film and examines the frequently overlooked role played by sentimentality in media representations of labor and union organizing. Noting that sentimentality has been criticized for its deployment of suffering bodies as “other” objects for voyeuristic tears as well as for sometimes collapsing difference in an effort to construct empathy, Wanzo observes that documentary has often been a more welcoming space for the telling of sympathetic narratives about unions than Hollywood fiction films and television. This makes the depiction of labor and union organizing in Wanzo’s two case studies—the sitcom Superstore (NBC, 2015–21) and the primetime soap Homefront (ABC, 1991–93)—all the more exceptional. At a moment when labor issues are more relevant than ever, Superstore shows people why labor loses, but Homefront reminds people why labor won.