bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiation Therapy in Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma—Current Knowledge and Future Directions: A Review and Expert Opinion
Authors: Roeder Falk
Published: November 2020

Radiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of the treatment of adult soft-tissue sarcomas (STS). Although mainly used as perioperative therapy to increase local control in resectable STS with high risk features, it also plays an increasing role in the treatment of non-resectable primary tumors, oligometastatic situations, or for palliation. Modern radiation techniques, like intensity-modulated, image-guided, or stereotactic body RT, as well as special applications like intraoperative RT, brachytherapy, or particle therapy, have widened the therapeutic window allowing either dose escalation with improved efficacy or reduction of side effects with improved functional outcome. This review summarizes the current evidence for RT in adult STS including typical indications, outcomes, side effects, dose and fractionation regimens, and target volume definitions based on tumor localization and risk factors. It covers the different overall treatment approaches including RT either as part of a multimodal treatment strategy or as a sole treatment, namely its use as an adjunct to surgery in resectable STS (perioperative RT), as a primary treatment in non-resectable tumors (definitive RT), as a local treatment modality in oligometastatic disease or as palliative therapy. Due to the known differences in clinical course, general treatment options and, consequently, outcome depending on lesion localization, the main part of perioperative RT is divided into three sections according to body site (extremity/trunk wall, retroperitoneal, and head and neck STS) including the discussion of special applications of radiation techniques specifically amenable to this region. The review of the current evidence is accompanied by a summary on ongoing clinical research pointing at future directions of RT in STS.
Sulfonic Acids Supported on UiO-66 as Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Esterification of Fatty Acids for Biodiesel Production
Authors: Liu Wei , Wang Fang , Meng Pengcheng , Zang Shuang-Quan
Published: November 2020

Zr-MOF (UiO-66) catalysts PTSA/UiO-66 and MSA/UiO-66 bearing supported sulfonic acids (p-toluenesulfonic acid and methanesulfonic acid, respectively) were prepared through a simple impregnation approach. The UiO-66-supported sulfonic acid catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and elemental analysis. The prepared heterogeneous acid catalysts had excellent stability since their crystalline structure was not changed compared with that of the original UiO-66. Zr-MOF MSA/UiO-66 and PTSA/UiO-66 were next successfully used as heterogeneous acid catalysts for the esterification of biomass-derived fatty acids (e.g., palmitic acid, oleic acid) with various alcohols (e.g., methanol, n-butanol). The results demonstrated that both of them had high activity and excellent reusability (more than nine successive cycles) in esterification reactions. Alcohols with higher polarity (e.g., methanol) affected the solid catalyst reusability slightly, while alcohols with moderate or lower polarity (e.g., n-butanol, n-decanol) had no influence. Thus, these developed sulfonic acids-supported metal-organic frameworks (UiO-66) have the potential for use in biodiesel production with excellent reusability.
Theoretical Study on Improving the Catalytic Activity of a Tungsten Carbide Surface for Hydrogen Evolution by Nonmetallic Doping
Authors: Su Ye , Xiong Xilin , Wang Xiaoxu , Song Keke , Zhou Yating , Liu Qing , Qian Ping
Published: November 2020

Tungsten carbide (WC) has received widespread attention as a new type of nonprecious metal catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, it is still a challenge to improve the surface HER catalytic activity. In this work, the effects of different nonmetallic dopants on the catalytic activity and stabilities of WC (0001) surface for HER were studied by first principles methods. The effects of different types of non-metal (NM = B; N; O; P and S) and doping concentrations (ni = 25–100%) on HER catalytic activity and stability were investigated by calculating the Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption (∆GH) and substitution energy. It was found that the catalytic performance can be improved by doping O and P non-metallic elements. Especially, the ∆GH with P doped is −0.04eV better than Pt (−0.085 eV), which is a potential ideal catalyst for HER. Furthermore, the electronic structure analysis was used to explore the origin of the regulation of doping on stability and catalytic activity. The results show that nonmetallic doping is an effective strategy to control the catalytic activity, which provides theoretical support for the future research of HER catalysts.
Baeyer-Villiger-Including Domino Two-Step Oxidations of β-O-Substituted Primary Alcohols: Reflection of the Migratory Aptitudes of O-Substituted Alkyl Group in the Outcome of the Reaction
Authors: Targel Tom , Portnoy Moshe
Published: November 2020

Following the recent development of the one-pot two-step oxidation protocol for primary β-alkoxy alcohols, additional primary β-oxy alcohols were examined under similar conditions. The outcome of these reactions closely follows the migratory aptitudes of the related α-oxy-alkyls in Baeyer-Villiger oxidation vs. that of hydrogen. Thus, these experiments helped to establish the correct order of these aptitudes for α-oxy-alkyls. Furthermore, in the case of primary β,β-dialkoxyalcohols, the formation of dialkoxymethyl formates by the domino oxidation reaction was followed by secondary reactions, forming a number of interesting products.
Facile Synthesis of Silver-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanostructures as Efficient Scaffolds for Detection of p-Nitrophenol
Authors: Thakur Deepika , Sharma Anshu , Rana Dharmender Singh , Thakur Nagesh , Singh Dilbag , Tamulevicius Tomas , Andrulevicius Mindaugas , Tamulevicius Sigitas , Shukla Sudheesh K. , Thakur Sourbh
Published: November 2020

In this paper, silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by using a solution combustion technique, in which zinc nitrate is used as an oxidizer and tartaric acid as a fuel. The phase composition, morphology and structural properties of the as-synthesized zinc oxide and silver-doped zinc oxide were established by using powdered X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies. Due to well-defined morphologies and crystallinity, the pure zinc oxide and silver-doped zinc oxide nanostructures can be used as efficient chemical sensors for the detection of p-nitrophenol (PNP). ZnO was found to show a low value of the limit of detection (LOD), i.e., 2.175 µM/L, for p-nitrophenol sensing; moreover, a sharp decrease in the limit of detection was observed with an increase in the concentration of silver ions, and the LOD value decreased to 0.669 µM/L for 10 mol % silver-doped zinc oxide. It is therefore concluded that Ag-doped ZnO shows a lower limit of detection as compared to pure ZnO for p-nitrophenol sensing.
Predicting Employee Attrition Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Fallucchi Francesca , Coladangelo Marco , Giuliano Romeo , William De Luca Ernesto
Published: November 2020

There are several areas in which organisations can adopt technologies that will support decision-making: artificial intelligence is one of the most innovative technologies that is widely used to assist organisations in business strategies, organisational aspects and people management. In recent years, attention has increasingly been paid to human resources (HR), since worker quality and skills represent a growth factor and a real competitive advantage for companies. After having been introduced to sales and marketing departments, artificial intelligence is also starting to guide employee-related decisions within HR management. The purpose is to support decisions that are based not on subjective aspects but on objective data analysis. The goal of this work is to analyse how objective factors influence employee attrition, in order to identify the main causes that contribute to a worker’s decision to leave a company, and to be able to predict whether a particular employee will leave the company. After the training, the obtained model for the prediction of employees’ attrition is tested on a real dataset provided by IBM analytics, which includes 35 features and about 1500 samples. Results are expressed in terms of classical metrics and the algorithm that produced the best results for the available dataset is the Gaussian Naïve Bayes classifier. It reveals the best recall rate (0.54), since it measures the ability of a classifier to find all the positive instances and achieves an overall false negative rate equal to 4.5% of the total observations.
Can Magnetic Resonance Radiomics Analysis Discriminate Parotid Gland Tumors? A Pilot Study
Authors: Gabelloni Michela , Faggioni Lorenzo , Attanasio Simona , Vani Vanina , Goddi Antonio , Colantonio Sara , Germanese Danila , Caudai Claudia , Bruschini Luca , Scarano Mariella , Seccia Veronica , Neri Emanuele
Published: November 2020

Our purpose is to evaluate the performance of magnetic resonance (MR) radiomics analysis for differentiating between malignant and benign parotid neoplasms and, among the latter, between pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin tumors. We retrospectively evaluated 75 T2-weighted images of parotid gland lesions, of which 61 were benign tumors (32 pleomorphic adenomas, 23 Warthin tumors and 6 oncocytomas) and 14 were malignant tumors. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to find the threshold values for the most discriminative features and determine their sensitivity, specificity and area under the ROC curve (AUROC). The most discriminative features were used to train a support vector machine classifier. The best classification performance was obtained by comparing a pleomorphic adenoma with a Warthin tumor (yielding sensitivity, specificity and a diagnostic accuracy as high as 0.8695, 0.9062 and 0.8909, respectively) and a pleomorphic adenoma with malignant tumors (sensitivity, specificity and a diagnostic accuracy of 0.6666, 0.8709 and 0.8043, respectively). Radiomics analysis of parotid tumors on conventional T2-weighted MR images allows the discrimination of pleomorphic adenomas from Warthin tumors and malignant tumors with a high sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Virtuous Pedagogy: A Quantitative Study of the What If Learning Approach in Church of England Schools
Authors: Hulbert Sabina , Cooling Trevor , Bowie Robert
Published: November 2020

What If Learning is a pedagogical approach that allows teachers to deliver traditional content, as prescribed by national curricula, while at the same time promoting character virtues fundamental to Christian ethos. It encourages teachers to present topics from a different perspective, which shapes understanding through the lenses of cooperation, coaching or hospitality. What If Learning reframes ‘how’ to teach rather than changing ‘what’ to teach. This study tested the effects of a three-months-long What If Learning intervention which reshaped the delivery of lessons to reflect values of hospitality and welcome in twenty schools across five dioceses in the United Kingdom. Four hundred and seventy-four pupils and 198 of their teachers filled in online surveys presenting implicit and explicit measures of intergroup attitudes adapted from the existing literature to reflect our operationalisation of tolerance as the Christian virtue of hospitality or welcome. Data were collected from all participants at three time points: before and after the intervention and then again three months later. Analyses of variance revealed a pattern of answers largely supportive of the positive effect of the proposed pedagogical approach, although not always consistent with the hypotheses. Teachers report overwhelming positive effects of the intervention on several aspects of pupils’ behaviour and flourishing potentials. The discussion focuses on the widespread implications of these findings while acknowledging the need for additional research to strengthen our conclusions and promote the approach even further.
AR-LabOr: Design and Assessment of an Augmented Reality Application for Lab Orientation
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Chandra Amal , Livirya Audrey , Beryozkina Svetlana
Published: November 2020

Lab orientation is a vital part of learning for new students entering the university, as it provides the students with all the necessary and important information about the lab. The current orientation is manual, tedious, suffers from logistical constraints, lacks engagement, and provides no way to assess that outcomes have been achieved. This is also supported by the results of a student survey which revealed students’ dissatisfaction with current process of orientation. This study presents the design and development of a sample augmented reality mobile application, AR-LabOr, for the lab orientation that helps students in a quick and easy adaptation to the lab environment by familiarizing them with the lab equipment, staff, and safety rules in a fun and interactive manner. This application makes use of marker-less augmented reality technology and a blend of multimedia information such as sound, text, images, and videos that are superimposed on real-world contents. An experiment with 56 students showed that they found the novel method of orientation using the application more engaging than the traditional instructor-led method. Students also found the application to be more supportive, motivating, and that it helped them in better understanding the lab equipment.
A Learning Analytics Theoretical Framework for STEM Education Virtual Reality Applications
Authors: Christopoulos Athanasios , Pellas Nikolaos , Laakso Mikko-Jussi
Published: November 2020

While virtual reality has attracted educators’ interest by providing new opportunities to the learning process and assessment in different science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, the results from previous studies indicate that there is still much work to be done when large data collection and analysis is considered. At the same time, learning analytics emerged with the promise to revolutionise the traditional practices by introducing new ways to systematically assess and improve the effectiveness of instruction. However, the collection of ‘big’ educational data is mostly associated with web-based platforms (i.e., learning management systems) as they offer direct access to students’ data with minimal effort. Thence, in the context of this work, we present a four-dimensional theoretical framework for virtual reality-supported instruction and propose a set of structural elements that can be utilised in conjunction with a learning analytics prototype system. The outcomes of this work are expected to support practitioners on how to maximise the potential of their interventions and provide further inspiration for the development of new ones.
An FPGA-Based Neuron Activity Extraction Unit for a Wireless Neural Interface
Authors: Chowdhury Mehdi Hasan , Elyahoodayan Sahar , Song Dong , Cheung  Ray C. C.
Published: November 2020

As computational and functional brain model development are solely dependent upon the data acquired from the neural interface, this device plays a vital role in both prosthetic developments and neurological experiments. A wireless neural interface is preferred over a traditional wired one because it can maximize the comfort of the subject and ensure the freedom of movement while implemented. This paper describes the field programmable gate array (FPGA) prototype design of a low-power multichannel neuron activity extraction unit suitable for a wireless neural interface. To achieve the low-power requirement, we proposed a novel neural signal extraction algorithm which can provide an up to 6000X transmission rate reduction considering the input signal. Consequently, this technique offers at least 2X power reduction compared to the state-of-the-art systems. We implemented this scheme in Xilinx Zynq-7000 FPGA, which can be used as an intermediate transition towards the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design for on-chip neural signal processing. The proposed FPGA prototype offers reconfigurable computability, which means the model can be modified and verified according to prerequisites before the final ASIC design. This prototype consists of a signal filtering unit and a signal extraction unit which can be used either as stand-alone units or combined as a complete system. Our proposed scheme also provides a provision to work as a single-channel or a scalable multichannel interface based on user’s demands. We collected practical neural signals from rat brains and validated the efficacy of the implemented system using in-silico signal processing.
Robust Image Classification with Cognitive-Driven Color Priors
Authors: Gu Peng , Zhu Chengfei , Lan Xiaosong , Wang Jie , Li Shuxiao
Published: November 2020

Existing image classification methods based on convolutional neural networks usually use a large number of samples to learn classification features hierarchically, causing the problems of over-fitting and error propagation layer by layer. Thus, they are vulnerable to adversarial samples generated by adding imperceptible disturbances to input samples. To address the above issue, we propose a cognitive-driven color prior model to memorize the color attributes of target samples inspired by the characteristics of human memory. At inference stage, color priors are indexed from the memory and fused with features of convolutional neural networks to achieve robust image classification. The proposed color prior model is cognitive-driven and has no training parameters, thus it has strong generalization and can effectively defend against adversarial samples. In addition, our method directly combines the features of the prior model with the classification probability of the convolutional neural network, without changing the network structure and its parameters of the existing algorithm. It can be combined with other adversarial attack defense methods, such as various preprocessing modules such as PixelDefense or adversarial training methods, to improve the robustness of image classification. Experiments on several benchmark datasets show that the proposed method improves the anti-interference ability of image classification algorithms.
Surgical Management of Primary Hyperparathyroidism—Clinicopathologic Study of 1019 Cases from a Single Institution
Authors: Gawrychowski Jacek , Kowalski Grzegorz J. , Buła Grzegorz , Bednarczyk Adam , Żądło Dominika , Niedzielski Zbigniew , Gawrychowska Agata , Koziołek Henryk
Published: November 2020

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is an endocrine disorder characterized by hypercalcemia and caused by the presence of disordered parathyroid glands. Parathyroidectomy is the only curative therapy for pHPT, but despite its high cure rate of 95–98%, there are still cases where hypercalcemia persists after this surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to present the results of a surgical treatment of patients due to primary hyperparathyroidism and failures related to the thoracic location of the affected glands. Methods: We present a retrospective analysis of 1019 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy in our department in the period 1983–2018. Results: Among the group of 1019 operated-on patients, treatment failed in 19 cases (1.9%). In 16 (84.2%) of them, the repeated operation was successful. In total, 1016 patients returned to normocalcemia. Conclusions: Our results confirm that parathyreoidectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. The ectopic position of the parathyroid gland in the mediastinum is associated with an increased risk of surgical failure. Most parathyroid lesions in the mediastinum can be safely removed from the cervical access.
Immediate Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation on Motor Function in Chronic, Sensorimotor Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Meyer Christian , Hofstoetter Ursula S. , Hubli Michèle , Hassani Roushanak H. , Rinaldo Carmen , Curt Armin , Bolliger Marc
Published: November 2020

Deficient ankle control after incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) often accentuates walking impairments. Transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been shown to augment locomotor activity after iSCI, presumably due to modulation of spinal excitability. However, the effects of possible excitability modulations induced by tSCS on ankle control have not yet been assessed. This study investigated the immediate (i.e., without training) effects during single-sessions of tonic tSCS on ankle control, spinal excitability, and locomotion in ten individuals with chronic, sensorimotor iSCI (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale D). Participants performed rhythmic ankle movements (dorsi- and plantar flexion) at a given rate, and irregular ankle movements following a predetermined trajectory with and without tonic tSCS at 15 Hz, 30 Hz, and 50 Hz. In a subgroup of eight participants, the effects of tSCS on assisted over-ground walking were studied. Furthermore, the activity of a polysynaptic spinal reflex, associated with spinal locomotor networks, was investigated to study the effect of the stimulation on the dedicated spinal circuitry associated with locomotor function. Tonic tSCS at 30 Hz immediately improved maximum dorsiflexion by +4.6° ± 0.9° in the more affected lower limb during the rhythmic ankle movement task, resulting in an increase of +2.9° ± 0.9° in active range of motion. Coordination of ankle movements, assessed by the ability to perform rhythmic ankle movements at a given target rate and to perform irregular movements according to a trajectory, was unchanged during stimulation. tSCS at 30 Hz modulated spinal reflex activity, reflected by a significant suppression of pathological activity specific to SCI in the assessed polysynaptic spinal reflex. During walking, there was no statistical group effect of tSCS. In the subgroup of eight assessed participants, the three with the lowest as well as the one with the highest walking function scores showed positive stimulation effects, including increased maximum walking speed, or more continuous and faster stepping at a self-selected speed. Future studies need to investigate if multiple applications and individual optimization of the stimulation parameters can increase the effects of tSCS, and if the technique can improve the outcome of locomotor rehabilitation after iSCI.
Inhibition of Human Neutrophil Functions In Vitro by Multiple Sclerosis Disease-Modifying Therapies
Authors: Scutera Sara , Musso Tiziana , Cavalla Paola , Piersigilli Giorgia , Sparti Rosaria , Comini Sara , Vercellino Marco , Cuffini Anna Maria , Banche Giuliana , Allizond Valeria
Published: November 2020

There is a growing optimism about the potential of new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in the management of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. However, this initial enthusiasm has been tempered by evidence indicating that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients undergoing DMT may be at higher risk of developing infections through incompletely understood mechanisms. As neutrophils provide the first line of defense against pathogens, here we have compared the effects of some of the commonly used MS DMTs (i.e., moderate-efficacy injective, first-line: interferonβ-1b (IFNβ-1b), glatiramer acetate (GA); and high-efficacy, second-line: fingolimod (FTY) and natalizumab (NAT)) on the in vitro viability and functions of neutrophils isolated from healthy subjects. All the DMTs tested impaired the ability of neutrophils to kill Klebsiella pneumoniae, whereas none of them affected the rate of neutrophil apoptosis or CD11b and CD62L cell surface expression. Intriguingly, only FTY exposure negatively affected K. pneumoniae-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Furthermore, neutrophils exposed to K. pneumoniae secreted enhanced amounts of CXCL8, IL-1β and TNF-α, which were differentially regulated following DMT pretreatment. Altogether, these findings suggest that DMTs may increase the susceptibility of MS patients to microbial infections, in part, through inhibition of neutrophil functions. In light of these data, we recommend that the design of personalized therapies for RRMS patients should take into account not just the mechanism of action of the chosen DMT but also the potential risk of infection associated with the administration of such therapeutic compounds to this highly vulnerable population.
Naturally-Occurring Rare Mutations Cause Mild to Catastrophic Effects in the Multifunctional and Cancer-Associated NQO1 Protein
Authors: Pacheco-García Juan Luis , Cano-Muñoz Mario , Sánchez-Ramos Isabel , Salido Eduardo , Pey Angel L.
Published: November 2020

The functional and pathological implications of the enormous genetic diversity of the human genome are mostly unknown, primarily due to our unability to predict pathogenicity in a high-throughput manner. In this work, we characterized the phenotypic consequences of eight naturally-occurring missense variants on the multifunctional and disease-associated NQO1 protein using biophysical and structural analyses on several protein traits. Mutations found in both exome-sequencing initiatives and in cancer cell lines cause mild to catastrophic effects on NQO1 stability and function. Importantly, some mutations perturb functional features located structurally far from the mutated site. These effects are well rationalized by considering the nature of the mutation, its location in protein structure and the local stability of its environment. Using a set of 22 experimentally characterized mutations in NQO1, we generated experimental scores for pathogenicity that correlate reasonably well with bioinformatic scores derived from a set of commonly used algorithms, although the latter fail to semiquantitatively predict the phenotypic alterations caused by a significant fraction of mutations individually. These results provide insight into the propagation of mutational effects on multifunctional proteins, the implementation of in silico approaches for establishing genotype-phenotype correlations and the molecular determinants underlying loss-of-function in genetic diseases.
EBSD Study of Delta-Processed Ni-Based Superalloy
Authors: Kañetas Pedro Jacinto Páramo , Calvo Jessica , Rodriguez-Calvillo Pablo , Cabrera Marrero José María , Zamora Antuñano Marco Antonio , Guerrero-Mata Martha Patricia
Published: November 2020

Nickel-based superalloys are extensively used in the aerospace and power generation industries due to their excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and good corrosion resistance. Typically, these alloys require accomplishing critical standards during their manufacturing process. In this study, an Inconel 718 (IN718) Ni-based superalloy was subjected to a delta-processing treatment (DP718) and subsequently deformed at high temperature. Samples were compressed below and above the δ-solvus temperature at two different strain rates of 0.001 s−1 and 0.01 s−1. A detailed microstructural characterization was carried out by the electron backscattered diffraction technique (EBSD). Kikuchi patterns and the orientation relationship of the δ-phase were identified. For samples deformed above the δ-solvus at 0.01 s−1, an increase in the percentage of low angle grain boundaries (LAGB) within deformed grains and a decrease in high angle grain boundaries (HAGB) were observed. Comprehensive observation of the microstructural evolution of IN718 subjected to DP718 using orientation map images was also performed.
The Genus Pratylenchus (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) in Israel: From Taxonomy to Control Practices
Authors: Bucki Patricia , Qing Xue , Castillo Pablo , Gamliel Abraham , Dobrinin Svetlana , Alon Tamar , Braun Miyara Sigal
Published: November 2020

Due to Israel’s successful agricultural production and diverse climatic conditions, plant-parasitic nematodes are flourishing. The occurrence of new, previously unidentified species in Israel or of suggested new species worldwide is a consequence of the continuous withdrawal of efficient nematicides. Among plant-parasitic nematodes, migratory endoparasitic species of the genus Pratylenchus are widely distributed in vegetable and crop fields in Israel and are associated with major reductions in quality and yield. This review focuses on the occurrence, distribution, diagnosis, pathogenicity, and phylogeny of all Pratylenchus species recorded over the last few decades on different crops grown throughout Israel—covering early information from nematologists to recent reports involving the use of molecular phylogenetic methodologies. We explore the accepted distinction between Pratylenchus thornei and Pratylenchus mediterraneus isolated from Israel’s northern Negev region, and address the confusion concerning the findings related to these Pratylenchus species. Our recent sampling from the northern Negev revealed the occurrence of both P. thornei and P. mediterraneus on the basis of molecular identification, indicating P. mediterraneus as a sister species of P. thornei and their potential occurrence in a mixed infection. Finally, the efficiencies of common control measures taken to reduce Pratylenchus’ devastating damage in protected crops and field crops is discussed.
Minimizing Tardiness Penalty Costs in Job Shop Scheduling under Maximum Allowable Tardiness
Authors: Kim Jae-Gon , Jun Hong-Bae , Bang June-Young , Shin Jong-Ho , Choi Seong-Hoon
Published: November 2020

In many manufacturing or service industries, there exists maximum allowable tardiness for orders, according to purchase contracts between the customers and suppliers. Customers may cancel their orders and request compensation for damages, for breach of contract, when the delivery time is expected to exceed maximum allowable tardiness, whereas they may accept the delayed delivery of orders with a reasonable discount of price within maximum allowable tardiness. Although many research works have been produced on the job shop scheduling problem relating to minimizing total tardiness, none of them have yet considered problems with maximum allowable tardiness. In this study, we solve a job shop scheduling problem under maximum allowable tardiness, with the objective of minimizing tardiness penalty costs. Two kinds of penalty costs are considered, i.e., one for tardy jobs, and the other for canceled jobs. To deal with this problem within a reasonable time at actual production facilities, we propose several dispatching rules by extending well-known dispatching rules for the job shop scheduling problem, in cooperation with a probabilistic conception of those rules. To evaluate the proposed rules, computational experiments were carried out on 300 test instances. The test results show that the suggested probabilistic dispatching rules work better than the existing rules and the optimization solver CPLEX, with a time limit.
First Quarter Chronicle of COVID-19: An Attempt to Measure Governments’ Responses
Authors: Şahin Şule , Boado-Penas María del Carmen , Constantinescu Corina , Eisenberg Julia , Henshaw Kira , Hu Maoqi , Wang Jing , Zhu Wei
Published: November 2020

The crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 revealed the global unpreparedness for handling the impact of a pandemic. In this paper, we present a first quarter chronicle of COVID-19 in Hubei China, Italy and Spain, particularly focusing on infection speed, death and fatality rates. By analysing the parameters of the best fitting distributions of the available data for the three rates in each of the three regions, we illustrate the pandemic’s evolution in relation to government measures. We compared the effectiveness of lockdown measures by observing the true situation in each dataset, without proposing a mathematical model. The feasibility of obtaining a firm conclusion in regard to the best solution for containing COVID-19 is limited, with a universal solution failing to exist due to globally varying culture, mentality and behaviours. Our method provides valid insights into the individual and national actions implemented and adhered to in order to slow the effect of the pandemic during the first-wave of COVID-19.
Review of Laser Raman Spectroscopy for Surgical Breast Cancer Detection: Stochastic Backpropagation Neural Networks
Authors: Kothari Ragini , Fong Yuman , Storrie-Lombardi Michael C.
Published: November 2020

Laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) is a highly specific biomolecular technique which has been shown to have the ability to distinguish malignant and normal breast tissue. This paper discusses significant advancements in the use of LRS in surgical breast cancer diagnosis, with an emphasis on statistical and machine learning strategies employed for precise, transparent and real-time analysis of Raman spectra. When combined with a variety of “machine learning” techniques LRS has been increasingly employed in oncogenic diagnostics. This paper proposes that the majority of these algorithms fail to provide the two most critical pieces of information required by the practicing surgeon: a probability that the classification of a tissue is correct, and, more importantly, the expected error in that probability. Stochastic backpropagation artificial neural networks inherently provide both pieces of information for each and every tissue site examined by LRS. If the networks are trained using both human experts and an unsupervised classification algorithm as gold standards, rapid progress can be made understanding what additional contextual data is needed to improve network classification performance. Our patients expect us to not simply have an opinion about their tumor, but to know how certain we are that we are correct. Stochastic networks can provide that information.
Comparing Violent and Non-Violent Gang Incidents: An Exploration of Gang-Related Police Incident Reports
Authors: Carson Dena , Hipple Natalie Kroovand
Published: November 2020

Prior research has established a strong link between gangs and violence. Additionally, this connection is demonstrated across multiple methodologies such as self-report surveys, qualitative interviews, as well as official records. Officially recorded gang data can be increasingly hard to obtain because data collection approaches differ by agency, county, city, state, and country. One method for obtaining official gang data is through the analysis of police incident reports, which often rely on police officers’ subjective classification of an incident as “gang-related.” In this study we examine 741 gang-related incident reports collected over four years from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. This study will explore reasons why incidents were attributed to gangs as well as compare the characteristics of violent, drug, and non-violent gang-related incidents. This work has implications for understanding the complexities associated with gang incident reports as well as for the commonality of violent gang crimes.
Promoting the Self-Determination of Mexican Young Adults Identified with Intellectual Disability: A Sociocultural Discourse Analysis of Their Discussion about Goal Setting
Authors: Rubio-Jimenez Ana Luisa , Kershner Ruth
Published: November 2020

Self-determination is the product of the individuals’ volition in interaction with their environment. Enhancing the self-determination of young adults with intellectual disability (ID) has been related to positive adult outcomes. Educational programmes to promote self-determination commonly rely on the interaction between students and educators to set goals and make plans to achieve them. Yet the quality of these interactions has been little studied. This research involves Mexican students identified with ID who had accessed universities through the education programme: Building Bridges. The paper presents findings of a sociocultural discourse analysis of the conversations that arose when three students, a teacher and a facilitator discussed courses of action to achieve the students’ “Challenge of the Month” goals. We discuss how the student’s goal setting could be supported and hindered in these conversations. Potential constraints on students’ goal setting are noted when discussions of concrete courses of action are prioritized over discussions that would lead students to reflect more deeply on the motives behind their goals.
Gaseous and Particulate Emissions of a Euro 4 Motorcycle and Effect of Driving Style and Open or Closed Sampling Configuration
Authors: Giechaskiel Barouch
Published: November 2020

Air pollution remains a serious concern for European citizens. The relative contribution of mopeds and motorcycles to air pollution started to increase as the levels from other vehicles started to decrease. The information on emission levels of Euro 4 motorcycles is limited because they were only recently introduced into the market (2016). In this study, the emissions of a 1 L Euro 4 motorcycle were determined with two drivers and two different sampling configurations (i.e., open or closed transfer tube to the dilution tunnel; both allowed in the current regulation). The motorcycle respected the current Euro 4 limits and even the future Euro 5 limits for most pollutants (CO 600 mg/km, NOx 48 mg/km, total hydrocarbons 60 mg/km). The particulate emissions, which are not regulated for this category of vehicles, were also very low and fulfilled the current limits of passenger cars (particulate mass < 0.5 mg/km, particle number 3 × 1011 p/km). The total particle emissions (i.e., including volatiles) were also low with the open configuration (6 × 1011 p/km). They increased more than one order of magnitude with the closed configuration due to desorption of deposited material from the transfer tube. For the gaseous pollutants, there was no significant difference between open or closed configuration (CO2 within 0.3%, rest pollutants 10%), but they were different between the two drivers (CO2 1.3%, rest pollutants 25%–50%). The main message from this work is that open and closed configurations are equivalent for gaseous pollutants but the open should be used when particles are measured.
Efficacy of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Won Hokeun , Lim Jeonggyo , Noh Yun Hee , Yoon Injoong , Yoo Han Sang
Published: November 2020

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a devastating disease that causes considerable economic damage to the global pig industry. Although the causative agent, the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), was identified about a half century ago, there is still much debate on the preventive measures against the disease, especially regarding the PED vaccine. Recent reports on PEDV variants make the vaccination for PEDV more confusing. Therefore, we systematically reviewed published articles on PED and vaccines against the disease and performed a meta-analysis of vaccine efficacy based on the clinical signs, fecal score and survival rates. A total of 299 articles on the efficacy of PED vaccines were found online, and 21 articles were selected that fulfilled all the criteria. A meta-analysis was performed on the 21 articles based on the fecal scores and survival rates. This analysis showed the efficacy of PED vaccines, and no significant differences in the efficacy depending on vaccine type (killed vs. live) or administration route (intramuscular vs. oral) were found. The results from our study suggest that any vaccination against PED is a useful strategy to control the disease regardless of the type of vaccine and administration route.
Molecular Modeling of the Shigella flexneri Serogroup 3 and 5 O-Antigens and Conformational Relationships for a Vaccine Containing Serotypes 2a and 3a
Authors: Hlozek Jason , Owen Sara , Ravenscroft Neil , Kuttel Michelle M.
Published: November 2020

The pathogenic bacterium Shigella flexneri is a leading global cause of diarrheal disease. The O-antigen is the primary vaccine target and distinguishes the 30 serotypes reported. Except for serotype 6, all S. flexneri serotypes have a common backbone repeating unit (serotype Y), with variations in substitution creating the various serotypes. A quadrivalent vaccine containing serotypes 2a and 3a (as well as 6 and Shigella sonnei) is proposed to provide broad protection against non-vaccine S. flexneri serotypes through shared epitopes and conformations. Here we model the O-antigen (O-Ag) conformations of serogroups 3 and 5: a continuation of our ongoing systematic study of the S. flexneri O-antigens that began with serogroup 2. Our simulations show that S. flexneri serogroups 2, 3, and 5 all have flexible O-Ags, with substitutions of the backbone altering the chain conformations in different ways. Our analysis suggests three general heuristics for the effects of substitution on the Shigella O-Ag conformations: (1) substitution on rhamnose C reduces the extension of the O-Ag chain; (2) substitution at O-3 of rhamnose A restricts the O-Ags to predominantly helical conformations, (3) substitution at O-3 of rhamnose B has only a slight effect on conformation. The common O-Ag conformations across serotypes identified in this work support the assumption that a quadrivalent vaccine containing serotypes 2a and 3a could provide coverage against S. flexneri serotype 3b and serogroup 5.
Intracisternal papaverine toxicity in anterior circulation aneurysm clipping surgery
Authors: Al-Sharshahi Zahraa F. , Hoz Samer S. , Almurayati Mustafa E. , Kareem Zahraa M. , Ameen Zahraa
Published: November 2020

Introduction. Cerebral vasospasm is a major cause of mortality in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage. Irrigation of intracisternal papaverine has been adopted as a strategy to reduce the incidence of aneurysm-surgery-associated vasospasm.

Aim. The aim of this literature review is to summarize the reported complications associated with intracisternal papaverine administration.

Patients and Methods. We searched the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Clinical Key, Embase, Emerald, Health Business Elite, MEDLINE at OVID, EBM Reviews and Research Gate. The following keywords were used: Intracisternal papaverine, topical papaverine, direct papaverine, a vasodilator for aneurysm surgery, papaverine in aneurysm clipping, papaverine complications and papaverine side effects. The search criteria included all articles published between 1980-2019, in the English language.

Results. Our search yielded a total of 19 articles describing 43 cases. The most common reported complication was ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy. Other local complications included: Bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy, ipsilateral facial nerve palsy, and monocular blindness. Although less common, reports pointing to papaverine systemic toxicity did exist. Examples of such complications included: Profound hypotension, bradycardia, hypertension and tachycardia, hyperthermia and metabolic acidosis, cardiac arrest and even death.

Conclusion. Intracisternal papaverine irrigation is an effective strategy in reducing peri-operative vasospasm associated with aneurysm surgery. Although uncommon, both local and systemic side effects have been linked to papaverine use, calling for careful dosing and close monitoring to enhance its safety profile.
Can routine biochemical tests be a short-term prognostic biomarker in patients operated for chronic subdural hematoma?
Authors: Yüksel Ulaş , Ogden Mustafa , Bulut Ibrahim Umud , Bakar Bulent , Kisa Ucler
Published: November 2020

Objectives: The effect of routine blood biochemistry parameters on the short-term prognosis of patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) has not been evaluated in literature before. In this study, it was aimed to establish markers for determination of short-term prognosis using data of patients who were operated for CSDH.
Methods: During admission to hospital, data of patients including age, sex, antiaggregan and/or anticoagulant drugs usage, comorbidity, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale scores were evaluated. Location and thickness of CSDH were recorded using brain CT or MR images. Blood leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, eosinophil, basophil, platelet count results, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio results, activated prothrombin time and INR values, serum glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine level values were also recorded. Patients were divided into two groups according to CSDH located “unilaterally (n=19)” and “bilaterally (n=12)”. In addition, patients with unilateral CSDH were divided into two groups as CSDH located at the "right hemisphere (n=6)” and "left hemisphere (n=13)".
Results: It was concluded that short-term prognosis of patients with unilateral or bilateral CSDH was similar. Correlation analysis showed no correlation between short-term prognosis and demographic, clinical and laboratory findings. However, Likelihood Ratio test revealed that GCS score could be a biomarker in order to predict short-term prognosis of these patients, albeit weak (X2=6.138, p=0.046).
Conclusion: It was thought that GCS scores could be effective in predicting short-term prognosis in patients with CSDH but routine biochemistry laboratory parameters could not predict short-term prognosis of these patients.
Chondrosarcoma in petroclival synchondrosis without visual change
Authors: Mendonça Messias Villa , Franco Netto Raphael Oliveira Ramos , De Melo João Italo Fortaleza , Fernandes Victor Augusto Ramos , Dutra Luiz Dias , Mendonça Marina de Farias Guelfi , Simões Micaias Conde
Published: November 2020

Chondrosarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant bone tumours that share the production of the chondroid matrix in common. At the base of the skull, they are most commonly found in the region of the various synchondroses with an affinity for the petroclival fissure, they are locally invasive tumours, with little capacity to perform metastasis. The age group affected is variable, however, they frequently occur in middle-aged adults. Its clinical manifestation depends on the location and local extent; headache or paralysis of cranial nerves, particularly of the VI nerve is a frequent sign. As the petrous apex cannot be viewed directly, imaging studies such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging play an important role in the evaluation of injuries. We present a case of a 36-year-old patient with chondrosarcoma of petroclival syndromes without visual changes. For the identification of this pathology, a battery of imaging tests was used and the diagnosis was made assertively, preserving the best choices for the treatment of the patient.
The Idiopathic Hypertrophic Spinal Pachymeningitis
Authors: SINGH SURJEET , STUTI KUMARI  , ABHIJEET SACHAN  , SATISH CHANDRA VERMA
Published: November 2020

Idiopathic hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis (IHSP) is a rare inflammatory condition characterized by chronic inflammatory hypertrophy of the dura mater. It can involve the entire spine. However, most cases are reported in the cervical and thoracic spine. It can progress from local pain to radiculopathy and eventually develop myelopathy. The aetiology of IHSP is not known. However, it has been suggested to be associated with many diseases. Here we report a case of IHSP in 21-year-old female who presented with paraplegia. The diagnosis was made on MRI Spine and histopathological examination.  It was treated with surgical decompression, steroid therapy and patient improved gradually.