bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discharge Clinical Characteristics and Post-Discharge Events in Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Descriptive Case Series
Authors: Saab Faysal G. , Chiang Jeffrey N. , Brook Rachel , Adamson Paul C. , Fulcher Jennifer A. , Halperin Eran , Manuel Vladimir , Goodman-Meza David
Published: February 2021

Background

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues, little guidance is available on clinical indicators for safely discharging patients with severe COVID-19.

Objective

To describe the clinical courses of adult patients admitted for COVID-19 and identify associations between inpatient clinical features and post-discharge need for acute care.

Design

Retrospective chart reviews were performed to record laboratory values, temperature, and oxygen requirements of 99 adult inpatients with COVID-19. Those variables were used to predict emergency department (ED) visit or readmission within 30 days post-discharge.

Patients (or Participants)

Age ≥ 18 years, first hospitalization for COVID-19, admitted between March 1 and May 2, 2020, at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, managed by an inpatient medicine service.

Main Measures

Ferritin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer, procalcitonin, white blood cell count, absolute lymphocyte count, temperature, and oxygen requirement were noted.

Key Results

Of 99 patients, five required ED admission within 30 days, and another five required readmission. Fever within 24 h of discharge, oxygen requirement, and laboratory abnormalities were not associated with need for ED visit or readmission within 30 days of discharge after admission for COVID-19.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that neither persistent fever, oxygen requirement, nor laboratory marker derangement was associated with need for acute care in the 30-day period after discharge for severe COVID-19. These findings suggest that physicians need not await the normalization of laboratory markers, resolution of fever, or discontinuation of oxygen prior to discharging a stable or improving patient with COVID-19.
Pediatric Antiphospholipid Syndrome: from Pathogenesis to Clinical Management
Authors: Rosina Silvia , Chighizola Cecilia Beatrice , Ravelli Angelo , Cimaz Rolando
Published: February 2021

Purpose of Review

Elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms mediated by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) might exert important clinical implications in pediatric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Recent Findings

aPL are traditionally regarded as the main pathogenic players in APS, inducing thrombosis via the interaction with fluid-phase and cellular components of coagulation. Recent APS research has focused on the role of β2 glycoprotein I, which bridges innate immunity and coagulation. In pediatric populations, aPL should be screened in appropriate clinical settings, such as thrombosis, multiple-organ dysfunction, or concomitant systemic autoimmune diseases. Children positive for aPL tests often present non-thrombotic non-criteria manifestations or asymptomatic aPL positivity. In utero aPL exposure has been suggested to result in developmental disabilities, warranting long-term follow-up.

The knowledge of the multifaceted nature of pediatric APS should be implemented to reduce the risk of underdiagnosing/undertreating this condition. Hopefully, recent pathogenic insights will open new windows of opportunity in the management of pediatric APS.
Rare diseases caused by abnormal calcium sensing and signalling
Authors: Tőke Judit , Czirják Gábor , Enyedi Péter , Tóth Miklós
Published: February 2021

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) provides the major mechanism for the detection of extracellular calcium concentration in several cell types, via the induction of G-protein-coupled signalling. Accordingly, CaSR plays a pivotal role in calcium homeostasis, and the CaSR gene defects are related to diseases characterized by serum calcium level changes. Activating mutations of the CaSR gene cause enhanced sensitivity to extracellular calcium concentration resulting in autosomal dominant hypocalcemia or Bartter-syndrome type V. Inactivating CaSR gene mutations lead to resistance to extracellular calcium. In these cases, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH1) or neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT) can develop. FHH2 and FHH3 are associated with mutations of genes of partner proteins of calcium signal transduction. The common polymorphisms of the CaSR gene have been reported not to affect the calcium homeostasis itself; however, they may be associated with the increased risk of malignancies.
CPMS–improving patient care in Europe via virtual case discussions
Authors: Mönig Isabel , Steenvoorden Danielle , de Graaf Johan P. , Ahmed S. Faisal , Taruscio Domenica , Beun Johan G. , Johannsen Trine H. , Juul Anders , Hiort Olaf , Pereira Alberto M.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The core task of European Reference Networks (ERNs) is to reduce health care inequalities throughout Europe for all patients with rare and complex conditions. A secure web-based application for virtual consultations, the Clinical Patient Management System (CPMS), was developed by the EU to provide expert specialized care for all these patients. This review analyses the opportunities and difficulties that the implementation of this virtual network implies for physicians as well as for the patients.

Methods

European Reference Network on Rare Endocrine Conditions (Endo-ERN) installed an Operational Helpdesk (OH) to support their members in using CPMS. The OH initiated several actions to facilitate and increase the usage of CPMS. Satisfaction with the system and reasons for low participation rates in virtual case discussions were analyzed by different surveys.

Results

The number of CPMS users increased constantly, but the active usage of the system remains insufficient. Main reasons were technical difficulties, lack of time and insufficient awareness about CPMS in experts and patients throughout Europe. Still, outcomes of the virtual discussions are considered useful by involved experts and the discussions have provided topics for educational webinars and research.

Conclusions

CPMS is a secure system with many advantages compared to previous ways of consulting experts but also difficulties that need to be overcome with future strategies. By facilitating its use and increasing awareness among all relevant European experts and patients, CPMS can help to make the existing expertise available for all patients with rare (endocrine) conditions throughout Europe as it was intended.
Informational architecture across non-living and living collectives
Authors: Kim Hyunju , Valentini Gabriele , Hanson Jake , Walker Sara Imari
Published: February 2021

Collective behavior is widely regarded as a hallmark property of living and intelligent systems. Yet, many examples are known of simple physical systems that are not alive, which nonetheless display collective behavior too, prompting simple physical models to often be adopted to explain living collective behaviors. To understand collective behavior as it occurs in living examples, it is important to determine whether or not there exist fundamental differences in how non-living and living systems act collectively, as well as the limits of the intuition that can be built from simpler, physical examples in explaining biological phenomenon. Here, we propose a framework for comparing non-living and living collectives as a continuum based on their information architecture: that is, how information is stored and processed across different degrees of freedom. We review diverse examples of collective phenomena, characterized from an information-theoretic perspective, and offer views on future directions for quantifying living collective behaviors based on their informational structure.
Are women the more empathetic gender? The effects of gender role expectations
Authors: Löffler Charlotte S. , Greitemeyer Tobias
Published: February 2021

The present research aimed to extend the state of knowledge regarding the relationship between self-perceived empathy and traditional gender roles and placed particular focus on the contextual conditions under which gender differences in empathy are present, can be created, or eliminated. Across two studies, women rated themselves higher in empathy than men in all experimental conditions, whereas an objective female superiority in emotion recognition was only evident in one condition. In Study 1 (n = 736), using the term ‘social-analytic capacity’ instead of ‘empathic capacity’ increased gender differences in self-reported empathy and resulted in women performing better in the Eyes-test than men. In a neutral task (verbal intelligence), gender differences (in this case, a male superiority), were only found when participants believed that this task had an association with empathy. In Study 2 (n = 701), gender differences in self-reported empathic capacity, but not in performance in emotion recognition, increased when motivation for empathy was raised. Further, gender-role orientation mediated the association between gender and self-reported empathic capacity, whereas it did not account for the association between gender and emotion recognition. Overall, the present studies provide strong support for the idea that empathy is influenced by contextual factors and can be systematically biased by gender roles and stereotypical beliefs.
Personal values as early predictors of emotional and cognitive empathy among medical students
Authors: Ardenghi Stefano , Rampoldi Giulia , Bani Marco , Strepparava Maria Grazia
Published: February 2021

The present study contributes to the literature by examining the association between personal values (PVs), assessed with the Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire, and empathy, assessed with the Davis’ Interpersonal Reactivity Index, in a sample of first-year medical students. We also examined medical students’ PVs profile and gender differences in terms of PVs. All participants (N = 398) were Italian, young (average age = 19.62 years, SD = 1.22), and unmarried; none had children. Zero-order correlations and hierarchical multiple regression models were performed to verify the association between PVs and empathy; in contrast, t-tests were run to explore gender differences in scoring on PVs. Benevolence and Universalism correlated positively with both the emotional and cognitive dimensions of empathy, whereas Power, Achievement, Hedonism, and Security were negatively associated with empathy. The three most important PVs in the whole sample were Benevolence, Self-Direction, and Universalism. Male medical students outscored their female counterparts on Power, Achievement, and Hedonism, whereas female students outscored the males on Benevolence, Universalism, Conformity, and Tradition. Our findings highlight the importance of fostering self-transcending PVs and discouraging self-enhancing PVs in medical students during the early years of medical school, as a means of supporting other-oriented responses such as empathy in future doctors.
Microglial Exosome miR-7239-3p Promotes Glioma Progression by Regulating Circadian Genes
Authors: Li Xuepei , Guan Junwen , Jiang Zhou , Cheng Shuting , Hou Wang , Yao Junjie , Wang Zhengrong
Published: February 2021

Glioma-associated microglial cells, a key component of the tumor microenvironment, play an important role in glioma progression. In this study, the mouse glioma cell line GL261 and the mouse microglia cell line BV2 were chosen. First, circadian gene expression in glioma cells co-cultured with either M1 or M2 microglia was assessed and the exosomes of M2-polarized and unpolarized BV-2 microglia were extracted. Subsequently, we labeled the exosomes with PKH67 and treated GL261 cells with them to investigate the exosome distribution. GL261 cell phenotypes and related protein expression were used to explore the role of M2 microglial exosomes in gliomas. Then a specific miR-7239-3p inhibitor was added to verify miR-7239-3p functions. Finally, the mouse subcutaneous tumorigenic model was used to verify the tumorigenic effect of M2 microglial exosomes in vivo. Our results showed that in gliomas co-cultured with M2 microglia, the expression of the BMAL1 protein was decreased (P < 0.01), while the expression of the CLOCK protein was increased (P < 0.05); opposite results were obtained in gliomas co-cultured with M1 microglia. After treatment with M2 microglial exosomes, the apoptosis of GL261 cells decreased (P < 0.001), while the viability, proliferation, and migration of GL261 cells increased. Increased expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin, and decreased E-cadherin expression occurred upon treatment with M2 microglial exosomes. Addition of an miR-7239-3p inhibitor to M2 microglial exosomes reversed these results. In summary, we found that miR-7239-3p in the glioma microenvironment is recruited to glioma cells by exosomes and inhibits Bmal1 expression. M2 microglial exosomes promote the proliferation and migration of gliomas by regulating tumor-related protein expression and reducing apoptosis.
Rolle der Dokumentations-IT in der Rheumatologie
Authors: Pallua Johannes , Schirmer Michael
Published: February 2021

Die Entwicklung der „digitalen Gesundheit“ hat zahlreiche Implikationen für die moderne Medizin, mit vielen Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen auch für die Rheumatologie. Fundamentale Voraussetzung dafür ist die IT-Dokumentation. Die Verpflichtung zur Dokumentation zusammen mit einer regelmäßigen Qualitätsevaluierung ergibt sich für den Arzt aufgrund der gesetzlichen Vorgaben. Die Vielzahl an klinischen Anforderungen muss durch eine gute Dokumentations-IT auch technisch bewältigt werden. Die Qualität der Dokumentation ist für alle weiteren Datenanwendungen entscheidend. Die Vielfalt der rheumatologischen Diagnosen, zusammen mit den oft zahlreich involvierten anderen Fachdisziplinen, erfordert eine flexible und situationsspezifische Dokumentations-IT, welche die fachlichen Entwicklungen am neuesten Stand abbilden kann. In Österreich ist die elektronische Gesundheitsakte als Grundlage der Dokumentations-IT zwar zentral verwaltet, ist aber durch dezentrale Lösungen zu ergänzen. Eine gute Dokumentations-IT erfüllt in Zukunft sicher mehr als eine reine Dokumentation von klinischen Daten und Leistungen. Dadurch kann sich eine gute Dokumentations-IT zu einem wertvollen Werkzeug des Arztes entwickeln, das diesem hilft, umfassend in Hinblick auf alle vorliegenden Befunde die besten Entscheidungen zu treffen.
A Review of Treatment of Bilateral Vocal Fold Movement Impairment
Authors: Dunya Gabriel , Orb Quinn T. , Smith Marshall E. , Marie Jean-Paul
Published: February 2021

Purpose of Review

Bilateral vocal fold immobility is a challenging life-threatening problem involving multiple treatment options and nuanced clinical decision making. We aim to provide relevant background on the etiology, diagnosis, and management of bilateral vocal fold movement impairment (BVFMI).

Recent Findings

Over the last 20 years, the management of bilateral vocal fold immobility has advanced significantly with the addition of multiple endoscopic approaches as well as procedures with the goal of returning dynamic function to the larynx, among them: selective reinnervation. Chemodenervation has also demonstrated promising results as a temporizing procedure in appropriately selected patients with BVFMI.

Tracheostomy remains the mainstay of emergent treatment for airway obstruction secondary to bilateral vocal fold immobility. However, recent advances in endoscopic approaches allow for avoidance of tracheostomy in many patients. Developments in dynamic procedures with the aim of restoring laryngeal function allow for adequate airway management while maintaining voice quality and limiting aspiration risk.
Air Quality Over Major Cities of Saudi Arabia During Hajj Periods of 2019 and 2020
Authors: Farahat Ashraf , Chauhan Akshansha , Al Otaibi Mohammed , Singh Ramesh P.
Published: February 2021

Mecca and Madinah are two holy cities where millions of people in general, visit throughout the years, during Hajj (Muslim's pilgrimage) time number of people visit these holy cities from different parts of the world is very high. However, the Government of Saudi Arabia only allowed 1000 pilgrims during the 2020 Hajj especially when the world is suffering from COVID-19. In the present paper, a detailed analysis of air quality parameters available from ground measurements have been carried over major cities of Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Madinah, and Jeddah from June to September 2019 and 2020. At Mecca and Jeddah, PM10, NO2 and CO concentrations are found to be higher in comparison to stations located close to Madinah. In addition, meteorological parameters, temperature, relative humidity, and wind directions are also analysed to understand changes associated with the meteorological parameters. Our detailed analysis shows a reduction in concentrations of pollutants during the 2020 Hajj, when the lockdown was observed in Saudi Arabia due to COVID-19. During June–August 2020 lockdown period, no major changes in PM10 concentration was observed since there were frequent dust events were observed. In contrast, our results show 44% reduction in NO2 (8.77 ppbv in 2019 to 4.97 ppbv in 2020) and 16% reduction in CO (0.85 ppm in 2019 to 0.72 ppm in 2020) concentrations during COVID-19 restrictions. The concentrations of NO2 and CO do not cause any issue for the air quality as NO2 and CO Indices lie within the green band (Air quality index 0–50). In Mecca, Madinah and Jeddah, the air quality is generally affected during Hajj, but during 2020, the concentration of particulate matter was influenced by local weather conditions.
Entrepreneurship education at universities: challenges and future perspectives on online game implementation
Authors: Takemoto Takuji , Oe Hiroko
Published: February 2021

The study explored the challenges and potential of online gamification to develop actionable recommendations for entrepreneurship pedagogy in the phase of ‘new normal’. This study applied an experimental game which the authors developed, and a mixed method was applied to the data sets collected from the students: an open-ended survey of 91 students and in-depth interviews with 23 students. It has been found that the students perceiving activities with gamifications are good learning stimuli in entrepreneurial classrooms as a first step; then, they found it effective to learn and deepen their understanding of theories and models as a second step after the gaming activities, which is a reverse approach from a traditional business education approach. Gamification enables students to think critically on game scenarios via participation in gamifications, which can be strengthened and embedded in their mind by theoretical learning which follows the gaming activities. The findings of the study provide a practical guidance for entrepreneurship pedagogists with ‘activities first’ which will be followed by theoretical learning.
Anchored k-medoids: a novel adaptation of k-medoids further refined to measure long-term instability in the exposure to crime
Authors: Adepeju Monsuru , Langton Samuel , Bannister Jon
Published: February 2021

Longitudinal clustering techniques are widely deployed in computational social science to delineate groupings of subjects characterized by meaningful developmental trends. In criminology, such methods have been utilized to examine the extent to which micro places (such as streets) experience macro-level police-recorded crime trends in unison. This has largely been driven by a theoretical interest in the longitudinal stability of crime concentrations, a topic that has become particularly pertinent amidst a widespread decline in recorded crime. Recent studies have tended to rely on a generic implementation k-means to unpick this stability, with little consideration for its theoretical suitability. This study makes two methodological contributions. First, it demonstrates the application of k-medoids to study longitudinal crime concentrations, and second, it develops a novel ‘anchored k-medoids’ (ak-medoids), a bespoke clustering method specifically designed to meet the theoretical requirements of micro-place investigations into long-term stability. Using both simulated data and 15-years of police-recorded crime data from Birmingham, England, we compare the performances of k-medoids against ak-medoids. We find that both methods highlight instability in the exposure to crime over time, but the consistency and contribution of cluster solutions determined by ak-medoids provide insight overlooked by k-medoids, which is sensitive to short-term fluctuations and subject starting points. This has important implications for the theories said to explain longitudinal crime concentrations, and the law enforcement agencies seeking to offer an effective and equitable service to the public.
Supercritical fluid extraction of Bhut Jolokia oleoresin and its quality analysis
Authors: Deka Darshana , Swami Hulle Nishant Rachayya
Published: February 2021

The present study focuses on the standardization of the supercritical fluid extraction of the Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense) which is abundantly grown in the north eastern region of India. The effect of process parameters pressure (75–225 bar), temperature (40–60 °C) and time (30–90 min) of oleoresin extraction process was studied. The standardized condition to obtain maximum extraction of Bhut Jolokia oleoresin was found to be 207 bar, 60 °C and 73 min. The oleoresin extract was analyzed for its antimicrobial, antioxidant and total phenolics content. Four strains of bacteria namely Escherichia coli (ATCC -11,229), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC- 11,774), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC- 14,028) and Staphylococcus aureus (12,600) were used for the antimicrobial assay. It was observed that the highest inhibition was seen against E. coli, moderate inhibition was seen against S.aureus and S. typhi and partial/no zone of inhibition was observed against B. subtilis. The extract of Bhut Jolokia oleoresin showed radical scavenging activity of 58.6 ± 3.86% and total phenolics content of 4250 ± 2.26 mg GAE/100 g sample indicating Bhut Jolokia oleoresin as a good antioxidant and is also a good source of phenolic compounds.
Geochemical variability in the soils of Bangladesh as affected by sources of irrigation water and inundation land types
Authors: Chowdhury M. Tanvir A. , Meharg Andrew A. , Price Adam H. , Norton Gareth J.
Published: February 2021

Paddy soils in Bangladesh experience extensive irrigation with groundwater and surface water, both having variable geochemical constituents. The soils also have topological variations across the landscape. To understand the geochemical variability in the soils as affected by the different sources of irrigation water and the topographical variability, cultivation zones of paddy soils irrigated with both groundwater (n = 904) and surface water (n = 281) across Bangladesh were sampled and analyzed for a suit of seventeen geochemical elements. This study also assessed the extent and distribution of arsenic and the other geochemical elements in the paddy soils (n = 1209) as well as in a set of neighboring non-paddy soils (n = 235) within the different inundation land types (highland, medium highland-1, medium highland-2, medium lowland, lowland and very lowland) of Bangladesh. The mean concentrations of aluminum (26,000 mg/kg), cobalt (13 mg/kg), copper (32 mg/kg), iron (28,250 mg/kg), lead (18 mg/kg), magnesium (8050 mg/kg), molybdenum (1.02 mg/kg), nickel (41 mg/kg), potassium (4870 mg/kg), sodium (750 mg/kg) and zinc (70 mg/kg) in the surface water-irrigated paddy soils were found to be significantly (0.001 ≥ p ≤ 0.05) higher compared to the concentrations in the soils irrigated with groundwater (23,400; 12; 28; 25,650; 17; 7000; 0.96; 36; 4350; 600; and 62 mg/kg, respectively). Therefore, surface water used for paddy irrigation could increase the inputs of a number of toxic elements in the paddy soils having potential risk of crop contamination. Arsenic in the paddy and non-paddy soils varied significantly (F = 24.74, p < 0.001 and F = 3.42, p < 0.01, respectively) within the inundation land types, the very lowland (9.95 and 6.72 mg/kg, respectively) and lowland (8.33 and 5.20 mg/kg, respectively) having the highest mean arsenic concentrations and the medium highland-1 (5.27 and 5.17 mg/kg, respectively) having the lowest. The concentrations of the other geochemical elements analyzed were also observed to be higher, in general, in the soils of very lowland and lowland. Since the low-level lands are predominantly used for paddy cultivation, higher concentrations of various toxic elements, particularly arsenic, in such soils pose an increased risk of rice toxicity in Bangladesh. The results of this study present an inimitable geochemical database for the surface soils across Bangladesh which can be used in any future studies on the geomorphologically variable agricultural and non-agricultural Bangladeshi soils, providing a basis for environmental pollution assessment and sustainable mitigation approaches.
Which Happens Earlier, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms or Erectile Dysfunction?
Authors: Matsuda Yohei , Kobayashi Ko , Fukuta Fumimasa , Takayanagi Akio , Hashimoto Kohei , Tanaka Toshiaki , Masumori Naoya
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Although an association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) has been suggested, it was not clarified whether LUTS developed before ED or vice versa.

Aim

To clarify whether LUTS develop before ED or vice versa and which symptoms predicted the onset of the other condition in a longitudinal community-based study.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal community-based study on LUTS and ED in aged Japanese men. A follow-up study was conducted to determine their longitudinal changes of LUTS and ED after 15 years. Erectile function was evaluated using a validated questionnaire. LUTS were evaluated based on the International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life index, and prostate volume.

Main outcome measure

We evaluated the baseline symptoms among the participants who had LUTS and ED in the follow-up survey and what prior symptoms could predict the onset of the other condition using the data from a long-term longitudinal survey.

Results

A total of 108 men were enrolled in this study. Of the 47 men having both LUTS and ED in the follow-up study, men having only LUTS (n = 16) were more frequent than those having only ED (n = 6) in the initial study. Likewise, of the 38 men having both nocturia and ED at the time of the follow-up study, those having only nocturia (n = 12) were more frequent than those having only ED (n = 5) in the initial study. In multivariable analysis, age 60 years or older (odds ratio: 7.10, 95% CI: 2.09-24.13) and nocturia (odds ratio: 15.83, 95% CI: 3.05-82.15) were independent predictors for the onset of ED.

Conclusion

There were more men with prior onset of LUTS, especially nocturia, than men with prior onset of ED among those with both ED and LUTS in this long-term longitudinal study. Nocturia may be a predictor of subsequent ED.
Rational Choice Using Imprecise Probabilities and Utilities
Authors: Weirich Paul
Published: February 2021

An agent often does not have precise probabilities or utilities to guide resolution of a decision problem. I advance a principle of rationality for making decisions in such cases. To begin, I represent the doxastic and conative state of an agent with a set of pairs of a probability assignment and a utility assignment. Then I support a decision principle that allows any act that maximizes expected utility according to some pair of assignments in the set. Assuming that computation of an option's expected utility uses comprehensive possible outcomes that include the option's risk, no consideration supports a stricter requirement.
The Discursive Construction of Southeast Asia in 19th Century Colonial-Capitalist Discourse
Authors: Noor Farish A.
Published: February 2021

The nations of Southeast Asia today are rapidly integrating economically and politically, but that integration is also counterbalanced by forces ranging from hyper-nationalism to disputes over cultural ownership throughout the region. Those forces, Farish A. Noor argues in this book, have their roots in the region's failure to come to a critical understanding of how current national and cultural identities in the region came about. To remedy that, Noor offers a close account of the construction of Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century by the forces of capitalism and imperialism, and shows how that construct remains a potent aspect of political, economic, and cultural disputes today.
Risk-Informed Benefit–Cost Analysis for Homeland Security R&D: Methodology and an Application to Evaluating the Advanced Personal Protection System for Wildland Firefighters
Authors: Thrift Stephanie Michelle , von Winterfeldt Detlof
Published: February 2021

This article describes a methodology for a risk-informed benefit–cost analysis that includes (i) risk analysis to quantify risk reduction benefits and (ii) uncertainty analyses to quantify probability distributions over costs and benefits. It also summarizes the lessons from 25 applications of this methodology to evaluate R&D projects of the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. The article then illustrates the methodology with a specific application to evaluate the benefits and costs of the Advanced Personal Protection System (APPS), a new garment system developed to protect wildland firefighters. The goals of the APPS project were to reduce risk and to improve comfort. The cost analysis revealed that the APPS garments are more expensive by about $279 per garment system. Total costs were roughly $7.3 million, including the upfront project cost and the increased 5 year cost of purchasing the APPS. Benefits from reduced injuries and fatalities resulted in 5 year benefits of about $19.3 million, with an NPV of $13.6 million in 2019 dollars. In the base case, the benefit–cost ratio was 2.87 and the return on investment was 187 % over 5 years. Taking the perspective of a decision-maker when the project was first funded in 2011, NPVs are $11,993,728, $10,025,519, and $7,967,479 in 2011 dollars for discount rates of 0, 3, and 7 % respectively. An uncertainty analysis of the NPV showed a large variability, ranging from the 5th percentile of $6.4 million to a median of $19.3 million to the 95th percentile of $43.7 million in 2019 dollars. This large range was primarily due to the uncertainty about the reduction of fatality and injury risks and the market penetration rates of the new garments.
Did the Byzantines call themselves Byzantines? Elements of Eastern Roman identity in the imperial discourse of the seventh century
Authors: Theodoropoulos Panagiotis
Published: February 2021

This article examines the term ‘Byzantine’ as it appears in the 678 Sacra of Constantine IV to Pope Donus. Unlike most other late antique and medieval usages of the term, that is, to describe individuals from Constantinople, the Emperor used the term in relation to Palestinian, Cilician and Armenian monastic communities in Rome. The article considers a number of possible readings of the term and suggests that, in the context of distinction between Eastern and Western Romans, the term functioned as a designation for Eastern Romans.
Reasoning from the Uterus: Casanova, Women's Agency, and the Philosophy of Birth
Authors: Villarmea Stella
Published: February 2021

The emerging area of philosophy of birth is invaluable, first, to diagnose fallacious assumptions about the relation between the womb and reason, and, ultimately, to challenge potentially damaging narratives with major impact on birth care. With its analysis of eighteenth-century epistemic and medical discussions about the role of the uterus in women's reasoning (or lack of reasoning), this article supports two arguments: first, that women's “flawed thinking” was a premise drawn by many modern intellectual men, one that was presented as based upon empirical evidence; and second, that the pervasive construction of the uterus as an element that renders women wild, uncontrollable, and irrational continues to influence contemporary obstetrics (and maybe even to nurture obstetric violence), even as today's medicine and science consider themselves to be free of any such prejudices.

This article shows the role that Giacomo Casanova played in debunking these prejudices and presents his short manuscript on the issue as an important contribution to the literature of the Enlightenment, with its argument against women's supposed “natural” inferiority and for the idea that differences in education (rather than anatomical differences) were to blame for women's subordinate position in society.

Detailed analysis of the “thinking uterus” debate illuminates the different ways in which various arguments from/by the “anti-uterine” lobby were used to justify the subordination of women: sometimes emphasizing the connection between the uterus and thought and sometimes negating it, but always concluding that women's inferiority is to be found in some known or yet-to-be-discovered anatomical, and mainly sexual, deficiency or problem.
Girl Talk: Understanding Negative Reactions to Female Vocal Fry
Authors: Chao Monika , Bursten Julia R. S.
Published: February 2021

Vocal fry is a phonation, or voicing, in which an individual drops their voice below its natural register and consequently emits a low, growly, creaky tone of voice. Media outlets have widely acknowledged it as a generational vocal style characteristic of millennial women. Critics of vocal fry often claim that it is an exclusively female vocal pattern, and some say that the voicing is so distracting that they cannot understand what is being said under the phonation. Claiming that a phonation is so distracting as to prevent uptake of the semantic content of an utterance associated with it is an extreme reaction, especially when accompanied by demands for women to change their phonation. We argue that this reaction limits women's communicative autonomy. We analyze the extreme reaction to female vocal fry, which we characterize as a non-content-based response, from the perspectives of philosophy of language, feminist epistemology, and linguistics. We argue that when fry is heard as annoying and distracting, it is because the hearer interprets the speaker as echoing an utterance from a position of authority to which she is not entitled. We show that this reaction encodes conscious or unconscious sexist attitudes toward women's voices.
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale in Paraguayan population
Authors: Barrios I. , Ríos-González C. , O’Higgins M. , González-Urbieta I. , García O. , Almirón-Santacruz J. , Navarro R. , Melgarejo O. , Ruiz Díaz N. , Castaldelli-Maia J. M. , Ventriglio A. , Torales J.
Published: February 2021

Objective:

The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties of the Spanish validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in a Paraguayan population.

Methods:

Participants were recruited through an Internet-based survey. All participants whose scores in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and The Fear Questionnaire (FQ) were greater than zero were included. 1245 subjects responded voluntarily: 1077 subjects, scoring >0, were considered.

Results:

To establish construct validity of the FCV-19S, an exploratory factor analysis was performed using the KMO test, which was adequate, and the Bartlett sphericity test, which was significant (p <.0001). The CFI, NFI, GFI, TLI and RMSEA indices were used to evaluate the model and showed good adjustment. Cronbach’s α showed valid internal consistency (α = 0.86). This validation was supported by significant correlation (p <.001) with the HADS scale for anxiety and depression and with the FQ scale for specific phobia.

Conclusions:

The Spanish version of the FCV-19S is a 7-item scale with two dimensions, psychological symptoms and physiological symptoms, which demonstrated robust psychometric properties in a Paraguayan population.
DE-THAKSINIZING THAILAND: THE LIMITS OF INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
Authors: Caraway Teri L.
Published: February 2021

Almost two decades after the initial victory of Thai Rak Thai, scholars still debate the forces behind Thaksin's rise to power. I revisit these debates and argue for a more explicit analysis of dynamics over time. I distinguish analytically between the founding moment of TRT's first victory and the subsequent reproduction of its dominance. I argue that TRT's financial muscle was a sufficient condition for its 2001 victory, that institutions merely contributed to the scale of its victory, and that its platform was not decisive. Once in power, however, institutions were instrumental in allowing TRT to complete its term, but more important for its long-term dominance was the rapid implementation of its campaign promises, which created a mass constituency that in turn made Thaksin-linked parties resilient at the polls despite institutional reforms designed to weaken their electoral performance.
Aleutian Low variability for the last 7500 years and its relation to the Westerly Jet
Authors: Nagashima Kana , Addison Jason , Irino Tomohisa , Omori Takayuki , Yoshimura Kei , Harada Naomi
Published: February 2021

The Aleutian Low (AL) is one of the major atmospheric systems that determines environmental conditions during winter in the North Pacific Ocean, with impacts that affect the climates of both Asia and North America from mid- to high latitudes. However, the multi-centennial and longer scale behavior of the AL during the Holocene is not fully understood. In this study, AL variability since 7.5 ka was examined by applying the principal component analysis technique to published δ18O data derived from sedimentary calcite, peat, ice, and speleothem from western North America. The extracted Principal Component 1 (PC1) represents a dramatic change from the mid- to late Holocene, and appears to reflect long-term intensified AL related to interactions between orbitally-driven southward shift of the Westerly Jet (WJ) over East Asia and the northwestern Pacific, and intensification of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. In contrast, PC2 is characterized by multi-centennial to millennial-scale oscillations, with a spatial loading pattern that suggests PC2 reflects AL intensity and position shifts. These oscillations are contemporaneous with both WJ latitude and/or the meandering path shifts over East Asia and solar activity change, suggesting that a decrease/increase in solar irradiance is related to AL variability via interactions with the WJ.
Changes in adiposity and fat tissue distribution among preschool children from Kraków, Poland, from 2008 to 2018
Authors: Żegleń Magdalena , Kryst Łukasz , Kowal Małgorzata , Sobiecki Jan , Woronkowicz Agnieszka
Published: February 2021

In the light of changes in the living conditions of populations, excess adiposity is currently a serious public health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in the body fat ratio among preschool children aged 3–7 years from Kraków, Poland, between 2008 and 2018. The study group consisted of children examined in two cross-sectional studies. Analysed characteristics included triceps, calf, subscapular, abdominal and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, and adiposity calculated according to Slaughter’s equations. The trunk adiposity index and limbs-to-trunk fat ratio were also calculated. Statistical significance was obtained using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. Lower-limb adiposity was largest in the 2008 cohort and trunk adiposity was greater in the 2018 cohort. The mean values of the trunk adiposity index and limbs-to-trunk fat ratio were lower in the 2018 cohort than in the 2008 cohort. The 2018 cohort was also characterized by a lower overall adiposity. Regardless of the lower body adiposity percentage, in 2018 there was a tendency towards the central allocation of fat tissue. This is a negative phenomenon because, especially when co-existing with reduced lower-limb adiposity, it is associated with an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, even in young children.
Patients’ knowledge and awareness about patient support programs: a cross-sectional study on Lebanese adults with chronic diseases
Authors: Abbas Hanine , Yehya Layal , Kurdi Mazen , Karam Rita
Published: February 2021

Objective

Patient Support Programs (PSPs) have become a trend among pharmaceutical companies and a standard service offering to patients. The objective of the present study is to describe the status of PSPs in Lebanon and to assess the extent of knowledge and awareness among Lebanese patients about the PSPs.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2017. A convenient sample of patients was randomly selected from outpatient clinics at four hospitals within the Greater Beirut Area. A questionnaire was used to address the study objective. Bivariate analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 23.

Results

Out of 385 patients who participated in the study, 45.45 percent were aged between 46 and 66 years. None of them indicated that they were enrolled in a PSP, and only 13 percent of the respondents were aware of the existence of such a program. In terms of adherence habits, 55.6 percent of the patients self-reported that they do not skip any dose of their medication and consume their medication as prescribed by their healthcare providers. The main reason for nonadherence reported by the majority of nonadherent participants 144 (84.2%) was simple forgetfulness.

Conclusions

There is a severe lack of awareness of PSPs in Lebanon. Given the important role that PSPs play in creating value for patients—in terms of healthcare follow-up practices, improved adherence habits, and cost savings—there should be a more substantial effort by pharmaceutical companies to expand and promote their PSPs in the Lebanese market.
A variant of the Corners theorem
Authors: MANDACHE MATEI
Published: February 2021

The Corners theorem states that for any α > 0 there exists an N0 such that for any abelian group G with |G| = N ≥ N0 and any subset A ⊂ G×G with |A| ≥ αN2 we can find a corner in A, i.e. there exist x, y, d ∈ G with d ≠ 0 such that (x,y),(x+d,y),(x,y+d) ∈ A.

Here, we consider a stronger version, in which we try to find many corners of the same size. Given such a group G and subset A, for each d ∈ G we define Sd={(x,y) ∈ G × G: (x,y),(x+d,y),(x,y+d) ∈ A}. So |Sd| is the number of corners of size d. Is it true that, provided N is sufficiently large, there must exist some d ∈G\{0} such that |Sd|>(α3-ϵ)N2?

We answer this question in the negative. We do this by relating the problem to a much simpler-looking problem about random variables. Then, using this link, we show that there are sets A with |Sd|>Cα3.13N2 for all d ≠ 0, where C is an absolute constant. We also show that in the special case where $G = {\mathbb{F}}_2^n$, one can always find a d with |Sd|>(α4-ϵ)N2.
A compact UWB antenna with dynamically switchable band-notched characteristic using broadband rectenna and DC-DC booster
Authors: Fakharian Mohammad M.
Published: February 2021

In this article, a dynamically switchable ultra-wideband (UWB) planar monopole antenna employing defected ground structure (DGS) with a folded stepped impedance resonator (SIR) that can operate as either a UWB mode or the single band-notched mode is introduced. The UWB monopole antenna contains a novel whirligig-shaped radiating patch and a chambered conductor as a partial ground plane. The switchable UWB antenna uses one PIN diode as switching elements in the DGS-SIR structure without any biasing network. When the state of diode is OFF, the planar monopole antenna changes to the UWB mode, and when the diode is turned ON, a frequency notch is created at 5–6 GHz. The state of diode is set to the “ON” state dynamically in the presence of a 5–6 GHz RF signal that is detected by using a wireless power management unit (PMU) that contains a broadband rectenna and a DC-DC passive booster. The rectenna consists of a novel cypress-shaped monopole antenna as a signal receiving part and two sub-rectifiers which are connected to a 3 dB branch-line coupler with a grounded isolation port. The antenna switches from UWB to single band-notched when an RF input signal (≥8.5 dBm) in the 5.25 GHz is sensed by the RF PMU with a conversion efficiency of 26% and DC output voltage of 0.36 V, and it fades immediately in real time when the external RF signal is eliminated. In the three-tone signals, the efficiency and input signal improvements are about 10% and −5.5 dBm in the low-power levels, especially, and so develop and enhance the performance of the dynamic reconfigurability.
Inter-row cultivation timing effects on waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) control and sugarbeet yield and quality
Authors: Haugrud Nathan H. , Peters Thomas J.
Published: February 2021

The invasion of waterhemp into northern sugarbeet growing regions has prompted producers to re-integrate inter-row cultivation into weed management programs, as no currently registered herbicides can control glyphosate-resistant waterhemp POST in crop. Inter-row cultivation was a common weed control practice in sugarbeet until the release of glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet cultivars in 2008 made the use of inter-row cultivation unnecessary. In the late 2010s, producers began again to use inter-row cultivation to remove weeds that glyphosate did not control, but producers need information on the effectiveness and safety of inter-row cultivation when used with soil-residual herbicide programs. Efficacy and tolerance field experiments were conducted in Minnesota and North Dakota from 2017 to 2019. Results from the efficacy experiment demonstrated that cultivation improved waterhemp control 11% and 12%, 14 and 28 d after treatment, respectively. Waterhemp response to cultivation was dependent on crop canopy and precipitation after cultivation. Cultivation had minimal effect on waterhemp density in three environments, but at one environment, near Galchutt, ND in 2019, waterhemp density increased 600% and 196%, 14 and 28 d after treatment, respectively. Climate data indicated that in 2019 Galchutt, ND received 105 mm of precipitation in the 14 d following cultivation and had an open crop canopy that probably contributed to further weed emergence. Results from the tolerance experiment demonstrated that root yield and recoverable sucrose were not affected by cultivation timing or number of cultivations. In one environment, cultivating reduced sucrose content by 0.8% regardless of date or cultivation number, but no differences were found in four environments. Damage/destruction of leaf tissue from in-season cultivation is probably responsible for the reduction in sucrose content. Results indicate that cultivation can be a valuable tool to control weeds that herbicide cannot, but excessive rainfall and open crop canopy following cultivation can create an environment conducive to further weed emergence.