bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory Choroidal Neovascular Membranes: Clinical Profile, Treatment Effectiveness, and Visual Prognosis
Authors: Carrola Gonçalo , Lima-Fontes Mário , Falcão-Reis Fernando , Figueira Luís , Carneiro Ângela
Published: July 2021

Purpose. To characterise a sample of patients with inflammatory choroidal neovascularization (I-CNV), including clinical profile, underlying aetiology and its course, treatments performed, associated clinical response, and visual prognosis. Methods. Retrospective analysis of patients with a diagnosis of I-CNV followed at the Ophthalmology Department of Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João (CHUSJ). Clinical and visual outcomes were classified according to the difference in visual acuity after treatment. Results. Twenty eyes from 17 patients were analysed (11 female and 6 male patients, mean age 41.90 ± 16.457 years at CNV diagnosis). Punctate inner choroidopathy/multifocal choroiditis was the predominant inflammatory aetiology (10 patients, 58.82%). Median follow-up time was 46 months (range 10 to 188 months). Neovascularization was treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (bevacizumab, aflibercept, and ranibizumab), and inflammation with anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive therapy (oral, intravenous, and/or intravitreal corticosteroids; oral cyclosporine or methotrexate). Intravitreal anti-VEGF agents had a median number of 7.00 injections (IQR, 4.25 to 29.00). Visual acuity among 20 eyes had a mean gain of 15.10 ± 12.998 ETDRS letters after anti-VEGF treatment (

p
=
0.000051

). According to our classification, 16 had an improved outcome (80.00%), 3 had a stable outcome (15.00%), and 1 had a worsened visual outcome (5.00%). In addition, 13 eyes (65.00%) had a final VA equal to or greater than 65 letters. Recurrence was seen in 3 eyes (15.00%). Complications included cataract (6 patients) and ocular hypertension (4 patients). Conclusion. A combined approach with anti-VEGF agents and anti-inflammatory therapy was effective in I-CNV treatment, and an overall good visual prognosis was attainable. Intensive follow-up was fundamental in the management of both the primary inflammatory and secondary neovascular conditions.
ATR/ATM-Mediated Phosphorylation of BRCA1 T1394 Promotes Homologous Recombinational Repair and G2–M Checkpoint Maintenance
Authors: Foo Tzeh K. , Vincelli Gabriele , Huselid Eric , Her Joonyoung , Zheng Haiyan , Simhadri Srilatha , Wang Meiling , Huo Yanying , Li Tao , Yu Xiaochun , Li Hong , Zhao Weixing , Bunting Samuel F. , Xia Bing
Published: July 2021

BRCA1 maintains genome integrity and suppresses tumorigenesis by promoting homologous recombination (HR)–mediated repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and DNA damage-induced cell-cycle checkpoints. Phosphorylation of BRCA1 by ATM, ATR, CHK2, CDK, and PLK1 kinases has been reported to regulate its functions. Here we show that ATR and ATM-mediated phosphorylation of BRCA1 on T1394, a highly conserved but functionally uncharacterized site, is a key modification for its function in the DNA damage response (DDR). Following DNA damage, T1394 phosphorylation ensured faithful repair of DSBs by promoting HR and preventing single-strand annealing, a deletion-generating repair process. BRCA1 T1394 phosphorylation further safeguarded chromosomal integrity by maintaining the G2–M checkpoint. Moreover, multiple patient-derived BRCA1 variants of unknown significance were shown to affect T1394 phosphorylation. These results establish an important regulatory mechanism of BRCA1 function in the DDR and may have implications in the development or prognosis of BRCA1-associated cancers.

Significance:

This study identifies a BRCA1 phosphorylation event critical for its DNA repair function and reveals the functional defects of several BRCA1 variants of unknown significance.
The Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Human Metapneumovirus in Bulgaria, 2016–2019
Authors: Korsun Neli S. , Angelova Svetla G. , Trifonova Ivelina T. , Voleva Silvia E. , Grigorova Iliana G. , Tzotcheva Iren S. , Mileva Sirma D. , Perenovska Penka I.
Published: July 2021

Introduction: We investigated the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) among patients with acute respiratory infections in Bulgaria, and performed genetic characterization of the F gene of these strains. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs collected from patients of a range of ages were tested by using real-time PCR for 12 respiratory viruses. The F gene was sequenced, and phylogenetic and amino acid analyses of the F gene/protein were performed. Results: A total of 1,842 patients were examined during a 3-year period; 1,229 patients (66.7%) were positive for at least one respiratory virus. hMPV was identified in 83 (4.5%) patient samples. Eleven (13%) of hMPV-positive patients were coinfected with another respiratory virus. The hMPV incidence rate in the 2016/2017, 2017/2018, and 2018/2019 winter seasons was 5.4, 5.4, and 3.1%, respectively. hMPV was mainly detected in specimens collected between January and May (89.2% of cases). The incidence of hMPV infection was highest (5.1%) among the youngest age-group (0–4 years), where hMPV was a causative agent in 8.1 and 4.8% of bronchiolitis and pneumonia cases, respectively. Among the patients aged ≥5 years, hMPV was detected in 2.2 and 3.2% of cases of pneumonia and central nervous system infections, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the F gene showed that the sequenced hMPV strains belonged to the A2b, B1, and B2 genotypes. Numerous amino acid substitutions were identified compared with the NL00/1 prototype strain. Conclusion: This study revealed the significant role of hMPV as a causative agent of serious respiratory illnesses in early childhood, and also demonstrated year-to-year changes in hMPV prevalence and genetic diversity in circulating strains.
The Vocal Repertoire of the Bearded Capuchin (Cebidae: Sapajus libidinosus): Implications for Understanding the Complexity of Neotropical Primate Communication
Authors: Lisboa Carolina Almeida , Mendes Francisco Dyonísio Cardoso , Silveira Maurício , Aguiar Ludmilla Moura de Souza
Published: July 2021

Vocal communication is an essential aspect of primate social behaviour. The bearded capuchin Sapajus libidinosus is endemic to Brazil, and some studies have described specific vocalisation types for this species; however, there is still no complete description of its vocal repertoire. Thus, this study aimed to describe the vocal repertoire of a group of S. libidinosus living in the Parque Nacional de Brasília, a protected area in the Cerrado area of Central Brazil. We carried out focal samplings and recording of vocalisations of members of an S. libidinosus troop in different behavioural contexts. The call analyses revealed 25 different types of vocalisations, and each call presented significant structural variation. We grouped these vocalisations according to the context of the emission or acoustic structure into the following categories: contact calls (contact note, infant babbling, trill, teeth- and lip-smacking, and sirena); foraging calls (chihui, grgr, and patinado); whistle series (food-associated, long-distance, and intergroup encounter); aggressive calls (aggressive contact note, ascending rapid staccato, cough cough, and pip); calls in response to aggression (scream, squeal, and pulsed scream), sexual display calls (chuck and raspy oestrous call), and stress-related calls (alarm call/bark, hiccup, hip, double hip, and wah wah). S. libidinosus presented a very rich vocal repertoire, revealing a pattern consistent with the repertoire of other capuchin monkey species. This is the first comprehensive description of the S. libidinosus vocal repertoire and highlights the complexity of neotropical primate communication.
Vascular Function and Distribution of Adiponectin Isomers during Puberty in Children and Adolescents with Obesity
Authors: Peña Alexia Sophie , Harrington Jennifer , Peters Black Sarah Kate , Gent Roger , Hirte Craig , Couper Jennifer J. , Wiltshire Esko
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Youth with obesity have abnormal vascular function that relates to the anti-atherogenic adipose-derived hormone, adiponectin. The distribution of adiponectin isomers changes during normal puberty, but there are no data in relation to vascular function. We aimed to evaluate vascular function, adiponectin, and its isomers longitudinally in peri-pubertal youth with obesity and controls. Methods: The study is a cohort longitudinal study involving 30 children and adolescents with obesity (body mass index [BMI] z-score 2.31 ± 0.24; age 12.8 ± 3 years, 17 male participants) and 28 age-/sex-matched healthy controls (12.8 ± 3 years, 14 male participants). Vascular function (flow-mediated dilatation [FMD], glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation [GTN]), total adiponectin and isomers, and laboratory and clinical variables were assessed at 0, 18, and 36 months. Results: FMD and GTN were stable during puberty in both groups, remaining consistently lower in obese children (p = 0.02, p < 0.001). The change in total (p = 0.02) and high-molecular weight (HMW) (p = 0.02) adiponectin differed between the groups: falling in controls by the end of puberty but not falling further during puberty in obesity. In obesity, impaired GTN was associated longitudinally with lower total (B = 7.85, p = 0.006) and HMW (B = 3.72, p = 0.03) adiponectin. In controls, more favourable GTN was longitudinally associated with a lower BMI z-score (B = −3.04, p = 0.027) and lower waist circumference (B = −0.35, p = 0.009). Conclusions: Vascular dysfunction and lower levels of adiponectin are associated in children and adolescents with obesity during puberty and do not deteriorate further. Healthy children’s better vascular function, within the normal range, is associated with a lower BMI z-score and waist circumference.
Under Pressure: The Impact of Invoking the Two Year Rule within the Context of Deep Sea Mining in the Area
Authors: Willaert Klaas
Published: July 2021

At the end of June 2021, Nauru requested the ISA Council to complete the adoption of the rules, regulations and procedures necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for exploitation in the Area within two years’ time, pursuant to Section 1(15) of the Annex to the 1994 Implementation Agreement. If the exploitation regulations are not completed within that timeframe and an application for exploitation activities is pending, the Council must nonetheless consider it, but it is unclear on what basis such an application would need to be evaluated and what the nature and effects of a provisional approval are. In order to assess the precise impact and aftermath of invoking the ‘two year rule’, this short article explores the different legal interpretations and provides thoughts on the way forward.
Grammaticalization in action and beyond
Authors: del Barrio de la Rosa Florencio , Arroyo Hernández Ignacio
Published: July 2021

As a result of the rapid development of en plan in contemporary Spanish a wide range of recent studies have paid attention to the grammaticalization process transforming this adverbial locution (meaning ‘in a certain way, with a certain purpose’) into a pragmatic marker. However, previous research fails to capture the complex semantic networks and synchronic multifunctionality of en plan. The present study takes on a polygrammaticalization mechanism and describes two main sets of clines. The first set of clines concerns the evolution of en plan into a mitigation device; the second set deals with its grammaticalization as an intensifier. Moreover, the recently defined discursive mechanism of cooptation is thoroughly applied for the first time to Spanish. The contribution deals with written and oral data from different geographical varieties and gives support to a “grammaticalization-cooptation-grammaticalization” hypothesis in the emergence of en plan as a brand-new pragmatic marker in Spanish.
Becoming an Antwerp Humanist: The Culture of Friendship and Patronage in the Circles of Benito Arias Montano (1568–1598)
Authors: Lazure Guy
Published: July 2021

When the Spanish humanist Benito Arias Montano (c.1525-1598) arrived in Antwerp in1568 to work as editor of the new Polyglot Bible printed by Christophe Plantin, he was introduced to some of the leading members of the Republic of Letters of his time (such as Abraham Ortelius and Carolus Clusius), with whom he exchanged letters, books, portraits, and other tangible tokens of friendship until his dying day. From this hub of intellectual and typographical activity, Montano circulated devotional emblem books across a vast network of Catholic and Protestant scholars, politicians and ecclesiastics. These “instruments of friendship” established his reputation as a man of letters while serving the interests of both king Philip II and Plantin that ranged from cultural diplomacy to editorial and commercial strategy. This study highlights how, in addition to correspondence, the circulation of books, images and objects were essential tools of early modern scholarly practices and learned sociability.
Playful Trajectories and Experimentations
Authors: Vari Judit
Published: July 2021

The main goal of this work is to discuss the place and role of video games in contemporary societies and their impact on individual relationships. It analyses how the development of video games is a sign of and a factor in the democratization of modern societies. It explores how video games contribute to the moral and political socialization of children and teenagers. The work is structured into two parts. The first explores the methodological, ethical and epistemological implications of Games Studies, and shows how the development of an independent field of research on video games can be analyzed as a sign of democratization. The second part focuses on youth identity experimentations and how video games can contribute to the democratization of social relations. Play inequalities are discussed, but it is also shown how video games are reconfiguring family and peer relationships, thereby influencing the movement of democratization of societies.
iTaxoTools 0.1: Kickstarting a specimen-based software toolkit for taxonomists
Authors: VENCES MIGUEL , MIRALLES AURÉLIEN , BROUILLET SOPHIE , DUCASSE JACQUES , FEDOSOV ALEXANDER , KHARCHEV VLADIMIR , KOSTADINOV IVAYLO , KUMARI SANGEETA , PATMANIDIS STEFANOS , SCHERZ MARK D. , PUILLANDRE NICOLAS , RENNER SUSANNE S.
Published: July 2021

While powerful and user-friendly software suites exist for phylogenetics, and an impressive cybertaxomic infrastructure of online species databases has been set up in the past two decades, software targeted explicitly at facilitating alpha-taxonomic work, i.e., delimiting and diagnosing species, is still in its infancy. Here we present a project to develop a bioinformatic toolkit for taxonomy, based on open-source Python code, including tools focusing on species delimitation and diagnosis and centered around specimen identifiers. At the core of iTaxoTools is user-friendliness, with numerous autocorrect options for data files and with intuitive graphical user interfaces. Assembled standalone executables for all tools or a suite of tools with a launcher window will be distributed for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS systems, and in the future also implemented on a web server. The initial version (iTaxoTools 0.1) distributed with this paper (https://github.com/iTaxoTools/iTaxoTools-Executables) contains graphical user interface (GUI) versions of six species delimitation programs (ABGD, ASAP, DELINEATE, GMYC, PTP, tr2) and a simple threshold-clustering delimitation tool. There are also new Python implementations of existing algorithms, including tools to compute pairwise DNA distances, ultrametric time trees based on non-parametric rate smoothing, species-diagnostic nucleotide positions, and standard morphometric analyses. Other utilities convert among different formats of molecular sequences, geographical coordinates, and units; merge, split and prune sequence files, tables and species partition files; and perform simple statistical tests. As a future perspective, we envisage iTaxoTools to become part of a bioinformatic pipeline for next-generation taxonomy that accelerates the inventory of life while maintaining high-quality species hypotheses. The open source code and binaries of all tools are available from Github (https://github.com/iTaxoTools) and further information from the website (http://itaxotools.org).
New species of Neotropical Plecia Wiedemann (Diptera: Bibionidae) and delineation of the americana-, nigra-, and xyele- species-groups
Authors: FITZGERALD SCOTT J.
Published: July 2021

Four new Neotropical species of Plecia Wiedemann (Diptera: Bibionidae) are described: P. abruptavena sp. n. (Colombia), P. elsalvadorensis sp. n. (El Salvador), P. nessiae sp. n. (Brazil), and P. schusteri sp. n. (Guatemala). Additionally, P. marginata Edwards is redescribed and the male described for the first time. A discussion of Neotropical species-groups is given and three species-groups based on male terminalia are outlined to include the new taxa: the americana-group (7 species), nigra-group (13 species), and xyele-group (2 species).
Long-Term Trend Comparison of Planetary Boundary Layer Height in Observations and CMIP6 Models over China
Authors: Yue Man , Wang Minghuai , Guo Jianping , Zhang Haipeng , Dong Xinyi , Liu Yawen
Published: July 2021

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) plays an essential role in climate and air quality simulations. Nevertheless, large uncertainties remain in understanding the drivers for long-term trends of PBL height (PBLH) and its simulation. Here we combine the radiosonde data and reanalysis datasets to analyze PBLH long-term trends over China, and to further explore the performance of CMIP6 climate models in simulating these trends. Results show that the observed long-term “positive-to-negative” trend shift of PBLH is related to the variation in the surface upward sensible heat flux (SHFLX), and the SHFLX is further controlled by the synergistic effect of low cloud cover (LCC) and soil moisture (SM) changes. Variabilities in LCC and SM directly influence the energy balance via surface net downward shortwave flux (SWF) and the latent heat flux (LHFLX), respectively. The CMIP6 climate models, however, cannot reproduce the observed PBLH long-term trend shift over China. The CMIP6 results illustrate an overwhelming continuous downward PBLH trend during the 1979–2014 period, which is largely caused by the poor capability in simulating long-term variations of cloud radiative effect. Our results reveal that the long-term cloud radiative effect simulation is critical for CMIP6 models in reproducing the long-term trend of PBLH. This study highlights the importance of processes associated with LCC and SM in modulating PBLH long-term variations and calls attention to improve these processes in climate models in order to improve the PBLH long-term trend simulations.
Middle Atmosphere Temperature Changes Derived from SABER Observations during 2002-2020
Authors: Zhao X. R. , Sheng Z. , Shi H. Q. , Weng L. B. , He Y.
Published: July 2021

Using temperature data measured by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument from February 2002 to March 2020, the temperature linear trend and temperature responses to the solar cycle (SC), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were investigated from 20 km to 110 km for the latitude range of 50°S-50°N. A four-component harmonic fit was used to remove the seasonal variation from the observed monthly temperature series. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to analyze the linear trend, SC, QBO, and ENSO terms. In this study, the near-global mean temperature shows consistent cooling trends throughout the entire middle atmosphere, ranging from -0.28 to -0.97 K/decade. Additionally, it shows positive responses to the solar cycle, varying from -0.05 to 4.53 K/100sfu. A solar temperature response boundary between 50°S and 50°N is given, above which the atmospheric temperature is strongly affected by solar activity. The boundary penetrates deep below the stratopause to ~ 42 km over the tropical region and rises to higher altitudes with latitude. Temperature responses to the QBO and ENSO can be observed up to the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. In the equatorial region, 40%-70% of the total variance is explained by QBO signals in the stratosphere and 30%-50% is explained by the solar signal in the upper middle atmosphere. Our results, obtained from 18-year SABER observations, are expected to be an updated reliable estimation of the middle atmosphere temperature variability for the stratospheric ozone recovery period.
Associated atmospheric mechanisms for the increased cold season precipitation over the Three-River Headwaters region from the late 1980s
Authors: Shang Shasha , Zhu Gaofeng , Wei Jianhui , Li Yan , Zhang Kun , Li Ruolin , Arnault Joël , Zhang Zhenyu , Laux Patrick , Yang Qianya , Dong Ningpeng , Gao Lu , Kunstmann Harald
Published: July 2021

Precipitation in the Three-River Headwater (TRH) region has undergone significant changes as a result of global warming, which can affect water resources in downstream regions of Asia. However, the underlying mechanisms of the precipitation variability during the cold season (October to April), are still not fully understood. In this study, the daily China gridded precipitation product of CN05.1 as well as the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis are used to investigate the characteristics of the cold season precipitation variability over the TRH region and associated atmospheric mechanisms. The cold season precipitation shows an increasing trend (5.5 mm decade-1) from 1961 to 2014, with a dry-to-wet shift in around the late 1980s. The results indicate that the increased precipitation is associated with the enhanced easterly anomalies over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and enhanced southeasterly water vapor transport. The enhanced Walker circulations, caused by the gradients of sea surface temperature between the equatorial central-eastern Pacific and Indo-western Pacific in tropical oceans, resulted in strengthened easterly anomalies over the TP and the westward expansion of the anticyclone in the western North Pacific. Meanwhile, the changed Walker circulation is accompanied by a strengthened local Hadley circulation which leads to enhanced meridional water vapor transport from tropical oceans and the South China Sea toward the TRH region. Furthermore, the strengthened East Asia Subtropical Westerly jet may contribute to the enhanced divergence at upper level and anomalous ascending motion above the TRH region leading to more precipitation.
Icelandic Low and Azores High Migrations Impact Florida Current Transport in Winter
Authors: Hameed Sultan , Wolfe Christopher L. P. , Chi Lequan
Published: July 2021

Previous work by Meinen and coworkers to find an association between variations of annually averaged Florida Current transport (FCT) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has yielded negative results. Here we show that the Florida Current in winter is impacted by displacements in the positions of the Azores high and the Icelandic low, the constituent pressure centers of the NAO. As a one-dimensional representation of North Atlantic atmospheric circulation, the NAO index does not distinguish displacements of the pressure centers from fluctuations in their intensity. FCT is significantly correlated with Icelandic low longitude with a lag of less than one season. We carried out perturbation experiments in the ECCOv4 model to investigate these correlations. These experiments reveal that east–west shifts of the Icelandic low perturb the wind stress in midlatitudes adjacent to the American coast, driving downwelling (through longshore winds) and offshore sea level anomalies (through wind stress curl) that travel to the Straits of Florida within the same season. FCT is also correlated with the latitude variations of both the Icelandic low and the Azores high with a lag of 4 years. Regression analysis shows that latitude variations of the Icelandic low and the Azores high are associated with positive wind stress curl anomalies over extended regions in the ocean east of Florida. Rossby wave propagation from this region to the Straits of Florida has been suggested as a mechanism for perturbing FCT in several previous studies by various researchers, as detailed in sections 4b and 5.
Fall prevention education for older people being discharged from hospital: Educators’ perspectives
Authors: Francis-Coad Jacqueline , Lee Den-Ching A , Haines Terry P , Morris Meg E , McPhail Steven M , Etherton-Beer Christopher , Shorr Ronald , Flicker Leon , Weselman Tammy , Starling Trish , Hill Anne-Marie
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Falls are a significant problem for many older patients after hospital discharge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fidelity and impact of a tailored patient fall prevention education programme from the perspective of the educators who delivered the programme.

Design:

Qualitative sequential design.

Setting:

Three rehabilitation hospitals in Western Australia.

Method:

Three experienced physiotherapists trained as ‘educators’ to deliver a tailored fall prevention education programme to 195 older patients prior to hospital discharge, together with monthly telephone follow-up for 3 months after discharge. Educator–patient interactions were recorded in a standardised educator diary. Post-intervention, educators participated in a mini-focus group, providing their perspectives regarding education delivery and its impact on patient abilities to engage in fall prevention strategies. Data were analysed using deductive content analysis.

Results:

Educators followed up 184 (94%) patients, identifying multiple barriers and enablers affecting patient engagement in planned fall prevention strategies. Key barriers included unresolved medical conditions, reluctance to accept assistance on discharge, delays in assistive service provision, patient beliefs and perceptions about falls and, in some cases, patients’ absolving responsibility for recovery. Enablers were related to programme design, the completion of hospital discharge processes and support networks following discharge.

Conclusion:

Educators identified several barriers and enablers to programme delivery, receipt and enactment by older patients that contributed to the fidelity of the education programme. The consistent need for more patient support to enable improved enactment of plans and assist with safe recovery long after discharge warrants further attention at policy and health system levels.
Increasing Social Interactions of Preschool Children With Autism Through Cooperative Outdoor Play
Authors: Ziegler Sonja M. T. , Morrier Michael J.
Published: July 2021

Unstructured activity periods are central components of early childhood education programs. Deficits in social communication and social interaction presented by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) become apparent in these settings during unstructured activities, such as outdoor recess. Thirty-two preschool-age children with and without ASD participated in the Buddy Game, a structured, cooperative play curriculum that focused on natural peer–peer modeling and imitation. The Buddy Game used familiar songs to promote peer proximity and discrete social bids between peers during outside time. A multiple baseline design across three classrooms was used to study curriculum effects on discrete social bids of children with ASD. Results demonstrated increased social bids from children with ASD to their peers with neurotypical development (NTD) across classrooms. In one classroom, effects maintained after intervention stopped and generalized to other times of the day. Implications for integrated educational settings and early childhood curricula are discussed.
School-wide positive behaviour support as evidence-making interventions
Authors: Corcoran Tim , Edward Thomas Matthew Krehl
Published: July 2021

Global implementation of School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) has grown considerably over the last forty years. SWPBS seeks to provide a multi-tiered approach to strategically frame integrated actions responding to matters of wellbeing, discipline and punishment in schools using Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs). In this respect, EBIs rely on what are presumed to be value-free, reliably generated data which direct the selection, implementation and monitoring of SWPBS in schools. The paper begins by exploring how SWPBS is understood via implementation science. Following an outline of standard SWPBS EBI practice, discussion turns to instead consider this work as Evidence-Making Interventions (EMIs). To do so, first we outline how our before-the-fact anticipations influence relationships and disciplinary actions as they are realised in schools through EBIs. Our focus then turns to explain how SWPBS interventions, using multi-tiered systems of support and technology as examples, might be understood and enacted differently if engaged as EMIs. In conclusion, school-based relationships are subsequently reconsidered as a confluence of human (teachers and students) and non-human (data and policy) liaisons always and already subject to each other’s next move.
Mechanics of non-Newtonian blood flow in an artery having multiple stenosis and electroosmotic effects
Authors: Akhtar Salman , McCash Luthais B , Nadeem Sohail , Saleem Salman , Issakhov Alibek
Published: July 2021

The electro-osmotically modulated hemodynamic across an artery with multiple stenosis is mathematically evaluated. The non-Newtonian behaviour of blood flow is tackled by utilizing Casson fluid model for this flow problem. The blood flow is confined in such arteries due to the presence of stenosis and this theoretical analysis provides the electro-osmotic effects for blood flow through such arteries. The mathematical equations that govern this flow problem are converted into their dimensionless form by using appropriate transformations and then exact mathematical computations are performed by utilizing Mathematica software. The range of the considered parameters is given as [Formula: see text]. The graphical results involve combine study of symmetric and non-symmetric structure for multiple stenosis. Joule heating effects are also incorporated in energy equation together with viscous effects. Streamlines are plotted for electro-kinetic parameter [Formula: see text] and flow rate [Formula: see text]. The trapping declines in size with incrementing [Formula: see text], for symmetric shape of stenosis. But the size of trapping increases for the non-symmetric case.
Potassium bromate-induced nephrotoxicity and potential curative role of metformin loaded on gold nanoparticles
Authors: Abdel-Latif Ahmed S , Abu-Risha Sally E , Bakr Samaa M , EL-Kholy Wafaa M , EL-Sawi Mamdouh R
Published: July 2021

Potassium bromate (KBrO3) is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a carcinogenic compound, where it causes renal tumors. The present study investigated the potential curative effect of metformin loaded on gold nanoparticles (MET AuNPs) in attenuating KBrO3-induced nephrotoxicity. Rats were divided into eight groups (control, MET, AuNPs, MET AuNPs, KBrO3, KBrO3/MET, KBrO3/AuNPS, and KBrO3/MET AuNPs). KBrO3 administration resulted in a significant elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine, urea, uric acid. Also, KBrO3 significantly increased renal malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), and nitric oxide (NO) levels and reduced the activities of antioxidant molecules superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and Reduced glutathione (GSH). It also caused damaged DNA spots in comet assay and increased inflammatory IL-6 and apoptotic markers (caspase 3, Bax) while antiapoptotic Bcl-2 was significantly reduced. MET, AuNPS, MET AuNPS reduced the extent of renal damage induced by KBrO3 as indicated by decreased (AST, ALT, ALP, Alb, TP, TB, DB, creatinine, urea, uric, Lipid profile). MET, AuNPS, MET AuNPS showed a good curative effect against KBrO3-induced nephrotoxicity and MET AuNPS group showed better results compared with monotherapy.
An evidence theory-based validation method for models with multivariate outputs and uncertainty
Authors: Li Wei , Lin Shenglin , Qian Xiaochao , Ma Ping , Yang Ming
Published: July 2021

Researchers usually rely on simulations to predict the response of complex systems, we recognize that the models that underlie these simulations are never perfect. Model validation is a crucial ingredient in simulation credibility assessment. Multivariate responses under uncertainty often exist in complex simulation model, and the corresponding validation problem is not be solved effectively based on the existing validation methods. Hence, this paper presents a new validation method based on evidence theory for simulation model under uncertainty. For analyzing the extent of agreement between simulation outputs and experimental observations under uncertainty, the data features of system responses under uncertainty are extracted primarily. Next, the validation data such as large sample, small sample, data features, and expert opinions are represented as evidence theory. Then the traditional evidence distance method is improved to measure the agreement extent of simulation outputs and experimental observations. The proposed method is verified through an application example on validation of a simulation model about the terminal guidance stage of flight vehicle to illustrate their validity and potential benefits.
Effects of adding neural mobilization to traditional physical therapy on pain, functional disability, and H-reflex in patients after lumbar laminectomy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sharaf Moussa A , Rezkallah Soheir S , Fouda Khalid Z , Gharib Nevein MM
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To investigate whether adding neural mobilization to a standard postoperative physical therapy program could improve the outcomes of patients after lumbar laminectomy.

Design:

A single blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Outpatient setting.

Participants:

Sixty participants of both sexes who had undergone lumbar laminectomy.

Interventions:

Participants were allocated randomly to two groups; study and control groups. All patients received a standard postoperative physical therapy program. Those in the study group received additional neural mobilization in the form of straight leg raising and dorsiflexion with two-ended slider. Treatment was administered three times/week for six successive weeks.

Outcome measures:

Visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and H-reflex latency were measured pre and post-treatment.

Results:

The mean age of participants was 44.23 ± 4.64 and 45.3 ± 5.3 in study and control groups respectively ( P > 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in VAS, ODI, and H-reflex latency in favor of the study group ( P < 0.05). The mean ± SD for VAS, ODI, and H-reflex latency pre vs post treatment was 6.13 ± 1.22 vs 1.40 ± 0.77, 64.46 ± 4.05 vs 16.86 ± 2.55, and 32.07 ± 2.76 vs 27.46 ±1.79 in study group and 5.86 ± 1.07 vs 2.46 ± 0.73, 63.93 ± 3.91 vs 23.40 ± 2.93, and 31.76 ± 2.69 vs 29.4 ± 1.94 in control group, respectively.

Conclusions:

Neural mobilization combined with traditional physical therapy program achieved better improvement in pain, functional disability and H-reflex in patients who underwent decompressive laminectomy than traditional physical therapy program only.
Advancing Children’s Learning Through Innovations in the Measurement of Literacy Engagement
Authors: Greenwood Charles R. , Carta Judith J. , Irvin Dwight W. , Schnitz Alana G.
Published: July 2021

Children’s engagement is an important construct often reported in early intervention and early childhood special education. However, its utility depends on its definition, measurement, theory of change, and empirical evidence. Our purpose is to discuss innovations in children’s literacy engagement (CLE) and report empirical evidence demonstrating how these advancements can be used to promote children’s learning and school readiness. We discuss five specific innovations: (1) defining CLE as the behavioral target of intentional instruction, (2) directly assessing CLE using the CIRCLE ecobehavioral observation system, (3) including CLE in a larger framework of instructional decision-making, (4) evaluating new CLE-focused instructional interventions, and (5) supporting children who are not responding to instructional intervention. We describe how these innovations help address the questions of under what conditions and for whom preschool instructional interventions are effective. Implications are discussed.
Exploring Features Within Organizational and Cognitive Factors That Predict Variability in Estimates of Classwide Active Engagement
Authors: Johnson LeAnne D. , Ford Andrea L. B. , Dupuis Danielle , Hugh Maria L.
Published: July 2021

Adopting an “act-in-context” approach is helpful to researchers investigating situational variability in children’s active engagement in preschool classrooms. Aligned with this approach, we propose an empirical pathway and a conceptual model to support examinations of contextual factors hypothesized to impact active engagement as well as the means by which adults promote it. We defined two overarching factors—cognitive and organizational—and explored the predictive nature of seven features within them. With video recordings from 31 classrooms (inclusive and self-contained) of three instructional routines on three different occasions, we derived averages for classwide active engagement during each observation. A series of linear mixed effects models revealed that instructional routines significantly predicted variability in classwide active engagement as did interactions of other contextual features with instructional routines. These findings provide a foundation for continued, systematic examinations of situational factors and conceptualizations of engagement within carefully specified pathways for improving active engagement.
Differential regulation of oxidative stress, microbiota-derived, and energy metabolites in the mouse brain during sleep
Authors: Vallianatou Theodosia , Lin Weifeng , Bèchet Nicholas B , Correia Mario SP , Shanbhag Nagesh C , Lundgaard Iben , Globisch Daniel
Published: July 2021

Sleep has evolved as a universal core function to allow for restorative biological processes. Detailed knowledge of metabolic changes necessary for the sleep state in the brain is missing. Herein, we have performed an in-depth metabolic analysis of four mouse brain regions and uncovered region-specific circadian variations. Metabolites linked to oxidative stress were altered during sleep including acylcarnitines, hydroxylated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and thiol-containing metabolites. These findings provide molecular evidence of a significant metabolic shift of the brain energy metabolism. Specific alterations were observed for brain metabolites that have previously not been associated with a circadian function including the microbiome-derived metabolite ergothioneine that suggests a regulatory function. The pseudopeptide β-citryl-glutamate has been linked to brain development and we have now discovered a previously unknown regioisomer. These metabolites altered by the circadian rhythm represent the foundation for hypothesis-driven studies of the underlying metabolic processes and their function.
Evaluation of Protected Left-Turn Phasing and Leading Pedestrian Intervals Effects on Pedestrian Safety
Authors: Goughnour Elissa , Carter Daniel , Lyon Craig , Persaud Bhagwant , Lan Bo , Chun Piljin , Hamilton Ian , Signor Kari , Bryson Meg
Published: July 2021

Pedestrian safety is an important public health issue for the United States, with pedestrian fatalities representing approximately 16% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2016. Nationwide, transportation agencies are increasing their efforts to implement engineering-based improvements that increase pedestrian safety. These agencies need statistically rigorous crash modification factors (CMFs) to demonstrate the safety effectiveness of such countermeasures, and to apply in benefit–cost analyses to justify their implementation. This study focused on developing CMFs for two countermeasures that show promise for improving pedestrian safety: protected or protected/permissive left-turn phasing, and leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs). Data were acquired from four North American cities that had installed one or both of the countermeasures of interest: Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; Charlotte, NC; and Toronto, ON. The empirical Bayes before–after study design was applied to estimate the change in expected crash frequency for crashes following treatment. The protected left-turn phasing evaluation showed a benefit in reducing vehicle–vehicle injury crashes, but did not produce statistically significant results for vehicle–pedestrian crashes. For those crashes a disaggregate analysis did reveal that this treatment could be especially beneficial where pedestrian volumes exceed 5,500 per day. The LPI evaluation showed a statistically significant reduction in vehicle–pedestrian crashes with an estimated CMF of 0.87.
Stochastic Programming for Liner Ship Routing and Scheduling under Uncertain Sea Ice Conditions
Authors: Ding Jiaxuan , Xie Chi
Published: July 2021

It is anticipated that in the foreseeable future the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will be able to serve commercial shipping as an alternative transportation shortcut between East Asia and Europe, especially in the summer season. The sailing time, however, is heavily subject to the variation of sea ice conditions along this route. Any participating shipping company must consider how to mitigate the ill effects on itinerary planning caused by sailing time and cost uncertainty. Finding a good trade-off between the benefit from a tight schedule and the risk caused by an unexpected delay is a key element in relevant routing and scheduling decisions, and may be beyond the reach of traditional deterministic planning models. With the aim of maximizing profit over all possible shipping environment scenarios, this article proposes a two-stage stochastic nonlinear integer programming model for liner ship routing and scheduling with uncertain shipping time and cost, the nonlinearity of which arises from the coexistence of schedule-sensitive shipping demand and uncertain arrival time variables in the objective function. The model is converted into an equivalent linear integer programming counterpart by introducing a set of nominal delay variables, and Benders decomposition is applied to solve the linearized problem. Numerical experiments and sensitivity analyses are conducted to validate the efficacy and effectiveness of the model, the results of which suggest several managerial insights that can be used to guide liner ship route and schedule planning under uncertain shipping conditions.
Trade Unions, Bargaining Coverage and Low Pay: A Multilevel Test of Institutional Effects on Low-Pay Risk in Germany
Authors: Benassi Chiara , Vlandas Tim
Published: July 2021

Employment relations scholars argue that industrial relations institutions reduce low pay among the workforce, while the insider-outsider literature claims that unions contribute to increase the low-pay risk among non-union members. This article tests these expectations by distinguishing, respectively, between the individual effect of being a union member or covered by collective agreements and the sectoral effect of strong trade unions or encompassing collective agreements. Findings from multilevel logistic regression analyses of the German Socio-Economic Panel reveal that unions and bargaining coverage have distinct effects at individual and sectoral level. The analysis of their cross-level interactions provides partial support to both the insider-outsider approach, since non-union members are more exposed to the risk of low pay in highly unionized sectors, and to the power resource perspectives, since the probability of being in low pay in sectors with encompassing collective agreements decreases also for those workers who are not covered by them.
Design and experimental study of ginkgo leaf picking device
Authors: Zhang Shanwen , Wang Zhongliu , Wang Li , Liu Sian , Zhang Yanjun , Miao Hong , Dai Min , Liu Sixing
Published: July 2021

To achieve the purpose of Ginkgo biloba leaves continuous harvesting, a ginkgo leaf picking device is designed. The device is consisted of a picking executive composed from a round rod picking hand and a rotating drum, a frame, a motor, a motor base, a coupling, a bearing seat, a motor support frame, a deciduous box, and a connecting screw. And the picking theoretical analysis and calculation are carried out. Finally, the feasibility of the design is verified by adjusting the tilt angle and motor speed of the picking device. The experimental results show that when the inclination angle between the picking device and the horizontal plane is 30° and the motor speed is 120 r/min, the damage rate of Ginkgo biloba leaves is 1.52%. The net collection rate is 94.29%, and the damage degree of branch and stem is mild.
Acute hepatitis C virus infection and direct-acting antiviral drugs: Perfect combination to eliminate the epidemic?
Authors: Gómez-Ayerbe Cristina , Palacios Rosario , Ríos Maria J , Téllez Francisco , Sayago Carmen , Martín-Aspas Andrés , Camacho Angela , Muñoz Leopoldo , Santos Jesús ,   HEPAVIR Group
Published: July 2021

Early diagnosis and treatment of incident cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is fundamental to eliminate HCV in HIV-positive patients. From January 2016 to December 2019, we attended 40 episodes of acute HCV infection (AHC) in 35 subjects (9 reinfections) who were coinfected with HIV. The patients were treated with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in seven hospitals in Andalusia, Spain. All were men who have sex with men (MSM), mean age was 42.9 (±8.3) years and median time of HIV infection was 46.6 months (IQR: 20.4–67.2). All received antiretroviral therapy and had undetectable HIV viral load (except 2 with 65 and 68 copies/mL); median CD4 count was 632 cells/mm3 (IQR: 553–896). Over half (74.3%) also had another concomitant sexually transmitted infection, syphilis (48.6%) being the most common. AHC was asymptomatic in 32 cases (80%). Genotypic distribution was G1a 65%, G4 32.5% and G1b 3%. Median time to DAA was 6 weeks (IQR: 4.3–18.3) and median baseline HCV RNA was 6.1 Log (IQR: 5.6–6.5). DAA regimens were SOF/LDV (19 episodes), SOF/VEL (14), ELB/GZV (5) and GLP/PIB (2). All presented sustained viral response and none discontinued due to adverse effects. In conclusion, early treatment with DAA in AHC patients proved effective and safe. It could be an excellent strategy to eliminate HCV infection in HIV-coinfected MSM.