bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in the Development of Anti-Adhesive Biomaterials for Tendon Repair Treatment
Authors: Zhou Haiying , Lu Hui
Published: November 2020

Background:

Peritendinous adhesion that simultaneous with tendon healing link the healing tendon to the surrounding tissue. It results in functional disability, and has a significant adverse impact on health as well as social and economic development.

Methods:

Based on a search in the PubMed and Web of Science database, the research articles were screened by their time, main idea, impact factor index, while the ones with no credibility were excluded. Afterwards, we go through the analysis of the reliability and characteristics of the results were further screened from selected articles.

Results:

A total of 17 biomaterials used to evaluate the adhesion mechanism and the properties of the material were found. All of these biomaterials contained randomized controlled studies and detailed descriptions of surgical treatment that support the reliability of their results which indicates that biomaterials act as barriers to prevent the formation of adhesion, and most of them exhibit satisfactory biocompatibility, biodegradability or selective permeability. Moreover, a few had certain mechanical strength, anti-inflammatory, or carrier capacities. However, there still existed some defects, such as time, technology, clinical trials, material targeting and different measurement standards which also lowered the reliability of their results.

Conclusion:

In future, anti-adhesion biomaterials should focus on affordable raw materials with wide sources, and the production process should be simplified, in this way, the versatility and targeting of materials will be improved.
Extraordinary Tumor Growth Rates in Bilateral Meningioma-Vestibular Schwannoma Collision Tumors in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Adib Sasan Darius , Zamora Rocio Evangelista , Tatagiba Marcos
Published: November 2020

Collision tumors seem to be an extraordinary pathology with unusual features. We sought to report the management of very fast-growing bilateral meningioma-vestibular schwannoma collision tumors in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 2. Both meningiomas and both vestibular schwannoma, when analyzed by volumetry, showed a very rapid growth rate (0.476–0.833 cm3 per month) in comparison with two meningiomas of other locations (0.132–0.233 cm3 per month). To the best of our knowledge, the growth rates of both vestibular schwannomas in the present case are the fastest that have been described in literature for a vestibular schwannoma so far.
Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from different ecosystems at the end of dry period in South Vietnam
Authors: Dušek Jiří , Nguyen Vinh Xuan , Le Thuyen Xuan , Pavelka Marian
Published: November 2020

The carbon cycle includes important fluxes of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. The fluxes may acquire either positive (release) or negative values (consumption). We calculated these fluxes based on short-campaign in situ chamber measurements from four ecosystems of South Vietnam: intact mountain rain forest, rice field, Melaleuca forest and mangroves (different sites with Avicennia or Rhizophora and a typhoon-disturbed gap). Soil measurements were supplemented by chamber measurements of gas fluxes from the tree stems. Measuring CH4 and CO2 together facilitates the assessment of the ratio between these two gases in connection with current conditions and specificity of individual ecosystems. The highest fluxes of CH4 were recorded in the Melaleuca forest, being within the range from 356.7 to 784.2 mg CH4–C m−2 day−1 accompanied by higher fluxes of CH4 release from Melaleuca tree stems (8.0–262.1 mg CH4–C m−2 day−1). Significant negative soil fluxes of CH4 were recorded in the mountain rain forest, within the range from − 0.3 to − 0.8 mg CH4–C m−2 day−1. Fluxes of CO2 indicate prevailing aerobic activity in the soils of the ecosystems investigated. Quite a large variability of CO2 fluxes was recorded in the soil of the Avicennia mangroves. The in situ measurements of different ecosystems are fundamental for follow-up measurements at different levels such as aerial and satellite gas fluxes observations.
Fatigue failure analysis of three-layer Zr–Ti/Zr–Steel composite plates: an insight into the evolution of cracks initiated at the interfaces
Authors: Karolczuk Aleksander , Carpinteri Andrea , Robak Grzegorz , Derda Szymon , Prażmowski Mariusz
Published: November 2020

Initiation and evolution of fatigue cracks at the interfaces in three-layer Zr–Ti/Zr–Steel composites is herein examined by in situ optical microscopy for the first time. Specimens cut out from three composite plates comprising Zr 700, Ti Gr. 1, and P265GH steel layers have been subjected to uniaxial fatigue cyclic loading. It is found that mechanical property mismatch between layers and defects at the interfaces can reduce the fatigue life of composite plates. An insight into the evolution of cracks initiated at the interfaces reveals that (1) most of the cracks grow into adjacent layers along two distinct planes, and (2) these cracks could lead to the fatigue failure of composites. One of these planes coincides with the adiabatic shear band orientation found in Ti Gr. 1 and Zr 700 layers. The interfaces in multilayer metallic composite could have excellent fatigue strength depending on their structural properties.
Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on surgical practice in Kurdistan, Iraq: An online cross-sectional survey
Authors: Hussein Nawfal R. , Musa Dildar H. , Ibrahim Nashwan , Naqid Ibrahim A. , Saleem Zana Sidiq M. , Jacksi Karwan
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge to healthcare services in the world. It has negatively impacted surgical practice, and health workers. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Methods:

An online cross-sectional study using an online survey was performed between 13 April to 29 April, 2020 in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. An online cross-sectional study using an online survey was performed between 13 April to 29 April, 2020 in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A total of 241 surgeons, aged 28–70 years (mean range 22.2 ± 7.9 SD), were recruited to this study. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgeons' practices. Participants completed a self-developed online questionnaire.

Results:

The majority of participants (44.39%) were general surgeons, followed by urologists (17.01%). Approximately 82.57% of surgeons performed surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic and 60.31% undertook emergency surgeries only. There was no significant difference between men and women (P = 0.41) and different age groups (P = 0.08). Only 28.22% of surgeons had access to full personal protective equipment (PPE), and 41.18% believed that wearing PPEs severely affected their skills. Results also found that surgeons aged between 28 and 34 years were more pledged to the use of PPEs, than other age groups (P = 0.001). The use of PPEs during surgeries was significantly higher in the Sulaymaniyah province (P = 0.001). The surgical services were also severely impacted in the Sulaymaniyah province than in the other provinces (p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected surgical practice in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the Sulaymaniyah province. Males, and young surgeons showed a higher commitment level for using PPE. Additional training and precautions are needed to increase awareness about COVID-19 among surgeons, and the importance of using PPE during surgery.

Highlights:
Influence of distorted inflows on the performance of a contra-rotating fan
Authors: Manas M.P. , Pradeep A.M.
Published: November 2020

A contra-rotating fan offers several aerodynamic advantages that make it a potential candidate for future aircraft engine configurations. Stall in a contra-rotating axial fan is interesting since instabilities could arise from either or both of the rotors. In this experimental study, a contra-rotating axial fan is analysed under clean or distorted inflow conditions to understand its performance and stall inception characteristics. The steady and unsteady measurements identified the relative contribution of each rotor towards the performance of the stage. The tip of rotor-1 is identified to be the most critical region of the contra-rotating fan. The contribution of rotor-2 to the overall loading of the stage is observed to be relatively less than rotor-1. The penalty due to distortion in the stage pressure rise is mostly felt by rotor-1, while rotor-2 also shows a reduction in performance for distorted inflows. Rotor-2 stalls at a high flow coefficient marking the initiation of partial stall of the stage, and the stall of the whole stage occurs once rotor-1 stalls. A fluid phenomenon that is attached to the blade surface marks the stall of rotor-1, and this fluid phenomenon initially rotates at a speed close to the speed of rotation of the blade. As the stage moves towards the fully developed stall, this fluid phenomenon sheds from the blade surface. The fluid phenomenon thus propagates at a speed much lower than the rotational speed of the blade during fully developed stall.
Regulatory Challenges in the COVID-19 Era: The Case of Tunisia
Authors: Cherif Dora , Felfel Hajer , Drira Chema , Aounallah Mariam , Kadri Meriem , Ben Rayana Mohamed Chiheb , Razgallah Khrouf Myriam
Published: November 2020

In view of the possible disruptions in the manufacturing and supply of health products following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Tunisian medicines regulatory authority was mobilized to guarantee patient safety. Teleworking has become the ultimate way of service continuity. The planning was revised according to health priorities. Work procedures were set online. A minimum list of medicines known as "medicines of health and strategic interest" was established. The Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines (DPM) has been working on updating medicines stock data. A provisional suspension of authorizations for medicines export for 1 mo was decided. A fast-track procedure allowing the validation of alternative sources of raw materials has been put in place. An appeal for a fast track manufacture of hydroalcoholic gel/solutions was launched. A Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Investigational Interventions (MEURI) procedure has been adopted in order to dispense off-label prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination. Focus groups were organized in order to set up therapeutic trials exploring possible strategies of COVID-19 treatment, such as serotherapy and BCG vaccine. This proactive and anticipatory policy has made it possible to meet the health challenges dictated by this crisis.
Study of freeze-thaw cycle and key radiation transfer parameters in a Tibetan Plateau lake using LAKE2.0 model and field observations
Authors: Li Zhaoguo , Lyu Shihua , Wen Lijuan , Zhao Lin , Ao Yinhuan , Meng Xianhong
Published: November 2020

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) lakes are sensitive to climate change due to its seasonal ice cover, but few studies have paid attention to the freeze-thaw process of TP lakes and its key control parameters. By combining 216 simulation experiments using the LAKE2.0 model with the observations, we evaluated the effects of ice and snow albedo, ice (Kdi) and water (Kdw) extinction coefficients on the lake ice phenology, water temperature, sensible and latent heat fluxes. The reference experiment performs well in simulating the lake temperature, with a small positive bias increasing with depth, but it underestimates the ice thickness. The increase of ice albedo, snow albedo andKdiinduce a significant decrease in water temperature. Compared with the latent heat, the sensible heat flux is more sensitive to these three parameters. The ice thickness increases almost linearly with the increase of ice albedo but decreases with the increase ofKdi. The ice thickness and frozen days vary little withKdw, but increasingKdwcan decrease the water temperature. Compared with the ice albedo, theKdiand snow albedo have a large effect on the number of frozen days. This study brings to light the necessity to improve the parameterizations of the TP lakes freeze-thaw process.
The Platform to Evaluate Athlete Knowledge of Sports Nutrition Questionnaire: a reliable and valid electronic sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire for athletes
Authors: Tam Ryan , Beck Kathryn , Scanlan Justin Newton , Hamilton Tanya , Prvan Tania , Flood Victoria , O’Connor Helen , Gifford Janelle
Published: November 2020

Reliable and valid assessment of sports nutrition knowledge can inform athlete nutrition education to address knowledge gaps. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of an electronically administered sports nutrition knowledge tool – Platform to Evaluate Athlete Knowledge of Sports Nutrition Questionnaire (PEAKS-NQ). A 94-item PEAKS-NQ was piloted to 149 developmental athletes (DA) in New Zealand, with a subset invited to complete the PEAKS-NQ again to assess reliability. Reliability was evaluated using sign test, intraclass correlation and Cronbach’sα. Accredited sports dietitians (ASD;n255) completed the PEAKS-NQ to establish construct validity via known-groups methodology and provided relevance scores to determine the scale content validity index (S-CVI). Rasch analysis was conducted to identify potentially problematic items and test reliability. Score differences between DA and ASD were analysed using independenttor non-parametric tests. DA (n88) were 17·8 (sd1·4) years, 61·4 % female and mostly in high school (94·3 %). ASD (n45) were 37·8 (sd7·6) years, 82·2 % female, with >5 years of dietetic experience (59·1 %). ASD scored higher than DA in all sections and overall (91·5 (sd3·4)v. 67·1 (sd10·5) %) (P< 0·001). There were no differences between retests (n18;P= 0·14). Cronbach’sαwas 0·86. S-CVI indicated good content validity (0·88). Rasch analysis resulted in a fifty-item PEAKS-NQ with high item (0·91) and person (0·92) reliability. The PEAKS-NQ is reliable and valid for assessing sports nutrition knowledge which could assist practitioners effectively tailor and evaluate nutrition education.
Longitudinal patterns of lifestyle behaviours in adolescence: a latent transition analysis
Authors: Dakin Mohamed , Manneville Florian , Langlois Johanne , Legrand Karine , Lecomte Edith , Briançon Serge , Omorou Abdou Y.
Published: November 2020

The interdependence among eating behaviour (EB), physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) suggests simultaneously identifying homogeneous profiles and describing their changes. This study aimed to (1) identify cross-sectional lifestyle behaviour profiles and their 2-year changes among French school-age adolescents and (2) identify factors associated with these profiles and changes. Longitudinal data from adolescents who participated in the PRomotion de l’ALIMentation et de l’Activité Physique trial were used. PA and ST were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and EB with a FFQ. Profiles at baseline and their changes were identified by latent transition analysis. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with profiles and their changes. Among 2390 adolescents included (14–18 years), five baseline profiles that differed mainly in EB were identified: ‘healthy diet and high PA (7·9 %)’, ‘big eater and moderate to high PA (23·8 %)’, ‘healthy diet and low PA (31·2 %)’, ‘restrictive diet and moderate PA (20·6 %)’ and ‘sugar products, nibbling and moderate PA (16·5 %)’. Young adolescents, those who were overweight or obese and socially advantaged, were more in the ‘healthy diet and low PA’ than others. Boys, older and socially less advantaged adolescents exhibited more ‘unfavourable’ than ‘mixed’ changes, while adolescents with overweight or obesity had less ‘unfavourable’ than ‘mixed’ changes. In conclusion, adolescents were twice the number in the least than the most favourable profile. Findings highlighted the importance of EB among adolescents and suggest taking adolescents’ sociodemographic and weight characteristics into account in interventions aimed at acting on adolescents’ behaviours.
Quantification of biomaterial dispersion during otologic procedures and role of barrier drapes in Covid 2019 era – a laboratory model
Authors: Lokesh P K , Chowdhary S , Pol S A , Rajeswari M , Saxena S K , Alexander A
Published: November 2020

Background

Aerosol generation during temporal bone surgery caries the risk of viral transmission. Steps to mitigate this problem are of particular importance during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Objective

To quantify the effect of barrier draping on particulate material dispersion during temporal bone surgery.

Methods

The study involved a cadaveric model in a simulated operating theatre environment. Particle density and particle count for particles sized 1–10 μ were measured in a simulated operating theatre environment while drilling on a cadaveric temporal bone. The effect of barrier draping to decrease dispersion was recorded and analysed.

Results

Barrier draping decreased counts of particles smaller than 5 μ by a factor of 80 in the operating theatre environment. Both particle density and particle count showed a statistically significant reduction with barrier draping (p= 0.027).

Conclusion

Simple barrier drapes were effective in decreasing particle density and particle count in the operating theatre model and can prevent infection in operating theatre personnel.
Creating modern women: The kitchen in postcolonial Singapore, 1960–90
Authors: Chan Ying-kit
Published: November 2020

This article examines the modern kitchen as a technological artefact and a mechanism through which the postcolonial Singaporean state and agents of household consumerism such as advertisers, retailers, home economists, and social scientists constructed the image of a modern Singaporean woman. By revealing how the female consumer-cum-homemaker became a symbol of material success and middle-class status in Fordist Singapore, the article highlights two types of domestication: the subordination of women to the patriarchal imperatives of family and nation, and the transformation of hard successes in the economy into soft comforts in the kitchen. This article suggests that although the state had narrowed the gap between popular expectations for improved living standards and its ability to fulfil them, it also unwittingly enmeshed definitions of femininity, womanhood, and female citizenship in a series of contradictions and tensions that had implications for contemporary Singaporean society.
Empires of Opportunity: German naturalists in British India and the frictions of transnational science
Authors: VON BRESCIUS MORITZ
Published: November 2020

This article examines the little-known but exceptionally well-documented German Schlagintweit brothers’ expedition to India and Central Asia in 1854–58, under the auspices of the British East India Company and the king of Prussia. The brothers’ careers present an instructive study of the opportunities and conflicts inherent within transnational science and the imperial labour market in colonial India in the course of the nineteenth century. Until now, historians have largely emphasized the ways in which European East India companies provided scientific practitioners with professional mobility from the seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries. In these accounts, German scientific practitioners are represented as especially mobile, moving more or less freely within foreign empires, because at the time no ‘German’ empire existed that might compete for allegiances and make them appear suspect. My article, in contrast, offers a revisionist account of this globalizing picture in two senses. First, a close look at the local everyday practices of the Schlagintweit brothers’ expedition highlights the considerable tensions and frictions that accompanied imperial recruitment to South Asia—even for German scientific practitioners. What emerges instead is a rich picture of the contradictory interpretations of supposedly cooperative projects among contemporaries, and the instrumentalization of scientific activities for political ends in the Indian subcontinent, for both established and aspiring colonial powers. Second, the ways in which the Schlagintweits’ scientific expedition was represented and remembered in subsequent decades shows how the politics around transnational science projects only intensified with German unification.
Post-acute psychological effects of classical serotonergic psychedelics: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Goldberg Simon B. , Shechet Benjamin , Nicholas Christopher R. , Ng Chi Wing , Deole Geetanjali , Chen Zhuofan , Raison Charles L.
Published: November 2020

Background

Scientific interest in the therapeutic effects of classical psychedelics has increased in the past two decades. The psychological effects of these substances outside the period of acute intoxication have not been fully characterized. This study aimed to: (1) quantify the effects of psilocybin, ayahuasca, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on psychological outcomes in the post-acute period; (2) test moderators of these effects; and (3) evaluate adverse effects and risk of bias.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies (single-group pre-post or randomized controlled trials) that involved administration of psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD to clinical or non-clinical samples and assessed psychological outcomes ⩾24 h post-administration. Effects were summarized by study design, timepoint, and outcome domain.

Results

A total of 34 studies (24 unique samples,n= 549, mean longest follow-up = 55.34 weeks) were included. Classical psychedelics showed significant within-group pre-post and between-group placebo-controlled effects on a range of outcomes including targeted symptoms within psychiatric samples, negative and positive affect-related measures, social outcomes, and existential/spiritual outcomes, with large between-group effect in these domains (Hedges'gs = 0.84 to 1.08). Moderator tests suggest some effects may be larger in clinical samples. Evidence of effects on big five personality traits and mindfulness was weak. There was no evidence of post-acute adverse effects.

Conclusions

High risk of bias in several domains, heterogeneity across studies, and indications of publication bias for some models highlight the need for careful, large-scale, placebo-controlled randomized trials.
Differentiating the abnormalities of social and monetary reward processing associated with depressive symptoms
Authors: Zhang Dandan , Shen Junshi , Bi Rong , Zhang Yueyao , Zhou Fang , Feng Chunliang , Gu Ruolei
Published: November 2020

Background

Reward dysfunction is a major dimension of depressive symptomatology, but it remains obscure if that dysfunction varies across different reward types. In this study, we focus on the abnormalities in anticipatory/consummatory processing of monetary and social reward associated with depressive symptoms.

Methods

Forty participants with depressive symptoms and forty normal controls completed the monetary incentive delay (MID) and social incentive delay (SID) tasks with event-related potential (ERP) recording.

Results

In the SID but not the MID task, both the behavioral hit rate and the ERP component contingent negative variation (CNV; indicating reward anticipation) were sensitive to the interaction between the grouping factor and reward magnitude; that is, the depressive group showed a lower hit rate and a smaller CNV to large-magnitude (but not small-magnitude) social reward cues compared to the control group. Further, these two indexes were correlated with each other. Meanwhile, the ERP components feedback-related negativity and P3 (indicating reward consumption) were sensitive to the main effect of depression across the MID and SID tasks, though this effect was more prominent in the SID task.

Conclusions

Overall, we suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with deficits in both the reward anticipation and reward consumption stages, particularly for social rewards. These findings have a potential to characterize the profile of functional impairment that comprises and maintains depression.
Staging Global Theatre History in the Museum: Carl Niessen and the Draft of the Reichstheaterinstitut (1943)
Authors: PROBST NORA
Published: November 2020

The theatre collection of Carl Niessen (1890–1969), professor of theatre studies in Cologne, contains a draft of a comprehensive research institution for theatre studies (Reichstheaterinstitut) from 1943. This draft consists of a blueprint of a museum of global theatre history and a written outline. In the blueprint, the objects and documents were presented in a sequential narrative so that visitors would be able to explore a global theatre history through the embodied practice of walking through a setting of interrelated theatre concepts. Drawing on Diana Taylor's distinction between the archive and the repertoire, I argue that, although never realized as planned, this blueprint conceptualized Niessen's ideas of how to think about, exhibit, present and experience theatre history through material traces, as an anthropological constant – a conditio humana varying in time and space.
‘It's Never about Me, It's Always about You’: Generosity in Zarrilli's Training Space
Authors: CLARKE ALISSA
Published: November 2020

In his extraordinary essay ‘The Metaphysical Studio’, Phillip Zarrilli advocated for the actor's psychophysical exploration of risky uncertainties and unknown possibilities in the ‘spatio-temporal realm between presence and absence, between “what is” and “what is not” – this liminal realm between’. It was typical of Zarrilli that when he received confirmation that his cancer had returned for the third and final time, he both responded pragmatically and perceived the experience as a philosophically interesting inhabitation of ‘that liminal place between’. Just as ‘The Metaphysical Studio’ emphasizes the actor's investigation of ‘the relationship between that “self” and “others” – the other “selves” that inhabit me; those I might wish to inhabit; the other as “Character”; the interpersonal you-as-other;’ it was also typical that Zarrilli sought to take care of many of the ‘others’ connected with him. These others included a sprawling global training community of students, practitioners and scholars. In a final video call alongside his life and work collaborator Kaite O'Reilly and with more than thirty-five students from around the world who had studied his intercultural performer training at the University of Exeter, Zarrilli stressed, ‘it's never about me, it's always about you’. This stress on ‘you’ was rooted in his emphasis on participants gaining ownership of the training and assimilating it into their own practice, along with a core focus on the other and the collective. During the call, Zarrilli signalled the importance of consistently working within the studio and performance space on strong interpersonal relationships, which ‘can arise when people are learning how to be generous with their energy, with what they can give, with how they can be present to each other. And again, we need more of that in the world’. It is unsurprising that those who participated in Zarrilli's training experienced how that focus on intersubjectivity developed a joyful international and intergenerational community, underpinned by politicized intentions around accessibility, generous group awareness, an ethics of care, and an ability to share the space, which could also be carried into the wider world.
When complementation gets specific: A study of collocational preferences in verb–object combinations in Norwegian
Authors: Haugen Tor Arne
Published: November 2020

This study investigates to what extent there are collocational preferences in the verb–object combinations of a large corpus of Norwegian and how important recurrent combinations are in usage. The material has been extracted from a large web-corpus of 700 million tokens and consists of dependency-based verb–object combinations. The overall importance of collocational preferences is demonstrated by the fact that the most frequent 5% of the verb–object combinations account for as much as 64% of the verb–object tokens in the material. The database of verb–object combinations contains measures of collocational strength and thereby allows us to model the mutual strength between the exemplars in the clusters found with individual verbs. Based on some studies of individual verbs and verb pairs, it seems safe to assume that speakers do distinguish between and prefer certain conventional verb–object combinations to other equally grammatical, equally transparent and equally understandable alternatives, and that speakers have access to complementation information at the level of exemplars.
Synthesis and optical properties of single-crystalline SnS1−xSex nanobelts
Authors: Wang Shengru , Lai Xiaofang , Du Bingsheng , Ma Junhao , Wang Peihua , Jian Jikang
Published: November 2020

In this work, SnS1−xSex ternary nanobelts were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method without the assistance of surfactants. The structure, morphology, microstructure, compositions, chemical valences, phonon modes, and optical band gaps of the SnS1−xSex nanobelts were characterized in detail. The results indicate that the SnS1−xSex nanobelts have uniform one-dimensional morphology and are single crystals with high crystallinity. Se is incorporated into the SnS lattice to substitute for S-forming ternary SnS1−xSex alloy. With the increase of Se doping concentration, the optical band gaps of the nanobelts gradually decrease from 1.15 to 1.01 eV, confirming the tunable optical property achieved here.
Drawing transmission graphs for COVID-19 in the perspective of network science
Authors: Gürsakal N. , Batmaz B. , Aktuna G.
Published: November 2020

When we consider a probability distribution about how many COVID-19-infected people will transmit the disease, two points become important. First, there could be super-spreaders in these distributions/networks and second, the Pareto principle could be valid in these distributions/networks regarding estimation that 20% of cases were responsible for 80% of local transmission. When we accept that these two points are valid, the distribution of transmission becomes a discrete Pareto distribution, which is a kind of power law. Having such a transmission distribution, then we can simulate COVID-19 networks and find super-spreaders using the centricity measurements in these networks. In this research, in the first we transformed a transmission distribution of statistics and epidemiology into a transmission network of network science and second we try to determine who the super-spreaders are by using this network and eigenvalue centrality measure. We underline that determination of transmission probability distribution is a very important point in the analysis of the epidemic and determining the precautions to be taken.
Genetic diversity and structure analysis ofVigna unguiculataL. (Walp.) landraces from southeastern Mexico using ISSR markers
Authors: dos Santos L. F. C. , Ferrer M. M. , Ruenes-Morales M. R. , Montañez-Escalante P. I. , Andueza-Noh R. H. , Jiménez-Osornio J.
Published: November 2020

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculataL. Walp.) is an important grain legume in tropical and subtropical regions. It requires low resource inputs and has a high nutritional value. Therefore, cowpea can play an important role in the development of agriculture. In southern Mexico, Mayan farmers have conserved and developed cowpea landraces for centuries. Nevertheless, information on their genetic diversity, conservation status and potential use is minimal. To generate information toward sustainable use, management and conservation of this species, we evaluated the genetic diversity and structure of 20 cowpea landraces from southeast Mexico using 10 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. These ISSR markers generated 68 loci with a 67.7% polymorphism rate and average polymorphic information content of 0.36. The results of Bayesian assignation and the UPGMA analysis suggest the formation of two main groups defined by their genetic origin in southeast Mexico. High levels of genetic structure were found with a moderate level of genetic diversity distributed mainly between landraces. Low levels of intra-landrace variability were observed. Two landraces (P5 and P12) from Calakmul resulted in the high levels of genetic diversity. The selected markers were efficient at assessing genetic variability among Mexican cowpea landraces, providing valuable information that can be used in local conservation and participatory breeding programmes.
Control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed and giant ragweed in soybean with halauxifen-methyl applied preplant
Authors: Quinn Jessica , Ashigh Jamshid , Soltani Nader , Hooker David C. , Robinson Darren E. , Sikkema Peter H.
Published: November 2020

Horseweed and giant ragweed are competitive, annual weeds that can negatively impact crop yield. Biotypes of glyphosate-resistant (GR) giant ragweed and horseweed were first reported in 2008 and 2010 in Ontario, respectively. GR horseweed has spread throughout the southern portion of the province. The presence of GR biotypes poses new challenges for soybean producers in Canada and the United States. Halauxifen-methyl is a recently registered selective herbicide against broadleaf weeds for preplant use in corn and soybean. There is limited literature on the efficacy of halauxifen-methyl on GR horseweed and giant ragweed when combined with currently registered products in Canada. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of halauxifen-methyl applied alone and tank-mixed to control GR giant ragweed and GR horseweed in glyphosate and dicamba-resistant (GDR) soybean in southwestern Ontario. Six field experiments were conducted separately for each weed species over 2018 and 2019. Halauxifen-methyl applied alone offered 72% control of GR horseweed at 8 wk after application (WAA). Control was improved to >91% when halauxifen-methyl applied in combination with metribuzin, saflufenacil, chlorimuron-ethyl + metribuzin, and saflufenacil + metribuzin. At 8 WAA, halauxifen-methyl provided 11% control of GR giant ragweed, and 76% to 88% control when glyphosate/2,4-D choline, glyphosate/dicamba, glyphosate/2,4-D choline + halauxifen-methyl, and glyphosate/dicamba + halauxifen-methyl were used. We conclude that halauxifen-methyl applied preplant in a tank-mixture can provide effective control of GR giant ragweed and horseweed in GDR soybean.
Neuroendokrine Neoplasien des Verdauungstraktes
Authors: Begum Nehara , Anlauf Martin
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Neuroendokrine Neoplasien (NEN) sind eine seltene und komplexe Tumorentität, deren Prävalenz aufgrund langer ÜLZ auch im metastasierten Stadium deutlich höher ist und NEN damit eine klinisch relevante Tumorentität darstellen. Die komplette chirurgische Resektion des Primärtumors, des Lymphabstroms und der Metastasen sind nach heutigem Wissensstand zumindest für die gut- und mittelgradig differenzierten Tumore die einzige Heilungsoption. Aufgrund der Bemühungen der europäischen, neuroendokrinen Tumorgesellschaft (ENETS) gibt es heute eine TNM- und WHO-Klassifikation, die klinisch praktikabel und dennoch umfassend ist. Die Standardisierung des prognoserelevanten Tumorgradings durch den Proliferationsindex Ki-67 % ist einer der wichtigsten Meilensteine. Heutzutage steht eine Vielfalt an medikamentösen, nuklearmedizinischen und radiologisch-interventionellen Therapien zur Verfügung. Die Festlegung der Therapie sollte nur im interdisziplinären Tumorboard erfolgen. Im Folgenden wird eine Übersicht zu aktuellen Klassifikationen und Leitlinien gegeben.
Chirurgische Aspekte der Multiplen Endokrinen Neoplasie Typ 2
Authors: Lorenz Kerstin , Satiroglu Ilker
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die multiple Endokrine Neoplasie Typ 2 (MEN 2) ist ein autosomal-dominant vererbbares Tumorsyndrom. In den Subtypen sind verschiedene Erkrankungsmanifestationen spezifisch. Bei der MEN 2a treten medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom, Phäochromozytom und primärer Hyperparathyreoidismus, beim familiären medullären Schilddrüsenkarzinom-Syndrom (FMTC) nur das medulläre Schilddrüsenkarzinom und bei der MEN 2b das medulläre Schilddrüsenkarzinom und Phäochromozytom klinisch in den Vordergrund. Alle relevanten Erkrankungen der MEN 2 werden primär chirurgisch therapiert. Da die zeitgerechte chirurgische Therapie die Chance bietet, einer malignen Entartung zuvorzukommen (prophylaktische Operation) oder eine Heilung zu ermöglichen ist es bedeutsam, die MEN 2 im Einzelfall zu diagnostizieren und damit blutsverwandte Betroffene MEN-2-Genträger identifizieren zu können. Typische MEN-2-Manifestationen und klinische Zeichen, die chirurgisch relevant sind, werden aufgezeigt. Bei V.a. auf eine zugrundeliegende MEN 2 ist es obligat, ein zugrundeliegendes Phäochromozytom auszuschliessen, um nicht unvorbereitet eine hyperadrenerge Krise bei diagnostischen oder therapeutischen Massnahmen auszulösen, die lebensbedrohlich sein kann.
Ps‐P Tomography of a Midcrustal Magma Reservoir Beneath Cleveland Volcano, Alaska
Authors: Portner Daniel Evan , Wagner Lara S. , Janiszewski Helen A. , Roman Diana C. , Power John A.
Published: November 2020

Seismic tomography of the crust is an essential tool for studying the three‐dimensional structure of magmatic plumbing systems feeding active volcanoes, but it is often limited in resolution by the absence of deep local seismicity. Teleseismic receiver functions can be used to illuminate local structural variations, but typically do not account for the effects of three‐dimensional velocity heterogeneities. Here we harness the complementary strengths of both techniques by processing Ps‐P delay times derived from teleseismic receiver functions in a tomographic S wave inversion. Using our inversion technique, we produce the first tomographic crustal velocity model beneath Cleveland Volcano, identifying a vertically extensive high VP/VS anomaly beneath the volcano that likely signifies a middle‐to‐lower crustal magma reservoir. The observation is the first of its kind in the central Aleutians, illustrating the potential of our technique to advance our understanding of crustal magmatic systems without broad seismic networks or distributed local seismicity.
Gravitationally Consistent Mean Barystatic Sea Level Rise From Leakage‐Corrected Monthly GRACE Data
Authors: Dobslaw Henryk , Dill Robert , Bagge Meike , Klemann Volker , Boergens Eva , Thomas Maik , Dahle Christoph , Flechtner Frank
Published: November 2020

Gravitationally consistent solutions of the Sea Level Equation from leakage‐corrected monthly‐mean GFZ RL06 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow‐On (GRACE‐FO) Stokes coefficients reveal that barystatic sea level averaged over the whole global ocean was rising by 1.72 mm a−1 during the period April 2002 until August 2016. This rate refers to a truely global ocean averaging domain that includes all polar and semienclosed seas. The result corresponds to 2.02 mm a−1 mean barystatic sea level rise in the open ocean with a 1,000 km coastal buffer zone as obtained from a direct spatial integration of monthly GRACE data. The bias of +0.3 mm a−1 is caused by below‐average barystatic sea level rise in close proximity to coastal mass losses induced by the smaller gravitational attraction of the remaining continental ice and water masses. Alternative spherical harmonics solutions from CSR, JPL, and TU Graz reveal open‐ocean rates between 1.94 and 2.08 mm a−1, thereby demonstrating that systematic differences among the processing centers are much reduced in the latest release. We introduce in this paper a new method to approximate spatial leakage from the differences of two differently filtered global gravity fields. A globally constant and time‐invariant scale factor required to obtain full leakage from those filter differences is found to be 3.9 for GFZ RL06 when filtered with DDK3, and lies between 3.9 and 4.4 for other processing centers. Spatial leakage is estimated for every month in terms of global grids, thereby providing also valuable information of intrabasin leakage that is potentially relevant for hydrologic and hydrometeorological applications.
Mesoscale Eddy Dissipation by a “Zoo” of Submesoscale Processes at a Western Boundary
Authors: Evans Dafydd Gwyn , Frajka‐Williams Eleanor , Naveira Garabato Alberto C. , Polzin Kurt L. , Forryan Alexander
Published: November 2020

Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous dynamical features that tend to propagate westward and disappear along ocean western boundaries. Using a multiscale observational study, we assess the extent to which eddies dissipate via a direct cascade of energy at a western boundary. We analyze data from a ship‐based microstructure and velocity survey, and an 18‐month mooring deployment, to document the dissipation of energy in anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies impinging on the topographic slope east of the Bahamas, in the North Atlantic Ocean. These observations reveal high levels of turbulence where the steep and rough topographic slope modified the intensified northward flow associated with, in particular, anticyclonic eddies. Elevated dissipation was observed both near‐bottom and at mid depths (200–800 m). Near‐bottom turbulence occurred in the lee of a protruding escarpment, where elevated Froude numbers suggest hydraulic control. Energy was also radiated in the form of upward‐propagating internal waves. Elevated dissipation at mid depths occurred in regions of strong vertical shear, where the topographic slope modified the vertical structure of the northward eddy flow. Here, low Richardson numbers and a local change in the isopycnal gradient of potential vorticity (PV) suggest that the elevated dissipation was associated with horizontal shear instability. Elevated mid‐depth dissipation was also induced by topographic steering of the flow. This led to large anticyclonic vorticity and negative PV adjacent to the topographic slope, suggesting that centrifugal instability underpinned the local enhancement in dissipation. Our results provide a mechanistic benchmark for the realistic representation of eddy dissipation in ocean models.
Plasmid- and strain-specific factors drive variation in ESBL-plasmid spread in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Benz Fabienne , Huisman Jana S , Bakkeren Erik , Herter Joana A , Stadler Tanja , Ackermann Martin , Diard Médéric , Egli Adrian , Hall Alex R , Hardt Wolf-Dietrich , Bonhoeffer Sebastian
Published: November 2020

Horizontal gene transfer, mediated by conjugative plasmids, is a major driver of the global rise of antibiotic resistance. However, the relative contributions of factors that underlie the spread of plasmids and their roles in conjugation in vivo are unclear. To address this, we investigated the spread of clinical Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing plasmids in the absence of antibiotics in vitro and in the mouse intestine. We hypothesised that plasmid properties would be the primary determinants of plasmid spread and that bacterial strain identity would also contribute. We found clinical Escherichia coli strains natively associated with ESBL-plasmids conjugated to three distinct E. coli strains and one Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain. Final transconjugant frequencies varied across plasmid, donor, and recipient combinations, with qualitative consistency when comparing transfer in vitro and in vivo in mice. In both environments, transconjugant frequencies for these natural strains and plasmids covaried with the presence/absence of transfer genes on ESBL-plasmids and were affected by plasmid incompatibility. By moving ESBL-plasmids out of their native hosts, we showed that donor and recipient strains also modulated transconjugant frequencies. This suggests that plasmid spread in the complex gut environment of animals and humans can be predicted based on in vitro testing and genetic data.
Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to white-nose syndrome
Authors: Vanderwolf Karen J , Campbell Lewis J , Goldberg Tony L , Blehert David S , Lorch Jeffrey M
Published: November 2020

Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
Candida albicans promotes tooth decay by inducing oral microbial dysbiosis
Authors: Du Qian , Ren Biao , He Jinzhi , Peng Xian , Guo Qiang , Zheng Liwei , Li Jiyao , Dai Huanqin , Chen Vivian , Zhang Lixin , Zhou Xuedong , Xu Xin
Published: November 2020

Candida albicans has been detected in root carious lesions. The current study aimed to explore the action of this fungal species on the microbial ecology and the pathogenesis of root caries. Here, by analyzing C. albicans in supragingival dental plaque collected from root carious lesions and sound root surfaces of root-caries subjects as well as caries-free individuals, we observed significantly increased colonization of C. albicans in root carious lesions. Further in vitro and animal studies showed that C. albicans colonization increased the cariogenicity of oral biofilm by altering its microbial ecology, leading to a polymicrobial biofilm with enhanced acidogenicity, and consequently exacerbated tooth demineralization and carious lesion severity. More importantly, we demonstrated that the cariogenicity-promoting activity of C. albicans was dependent on PHR2. Deletion of PHR2 restored microbial equilibrium and led to a less cariogenic biofilm as demonstrated by in vitro artificial caries model or in vivo root-caries rat model. Our data indicate the critical role of C. albicans infection in the occurrence of root caries. PHR2 is the major factor that determines the ecological impact and caries-promoting activity of C. albicans in a mixed microbial consortium.