bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent Conductive Hearing Loss After Tympanostomy Tube Placement Due to High‐Riding Jugular Bulb
Authors: Totten Douglas J. , Manzoor Nauman F. , Aulino Joseph , Santapuram Pooja , Rivas Alejandro
Published: January 2021

High‐riding jugular bulb (HRJB) is a rare condition not often observed in the clinical setting that occurs in 1% to 3% of cases. The jugular bulb is not present at birth, and the precise size and location likely depends on a myriad of postnatal events. This report describes the case of a male adolescent who experienced persistent conductive hearing loss (CHL) unilaterally following bilateral tympanostomy tube placement. Subsequent workup included computed tomography, which identified a very high jugular bulb eroding the posterior semicircular canal and occluding the round window niche. The patient had no hearing or vestibular symptoms aside from CHL and continues to be observed on a regular basis. HRJB is a rare disorder that has been known to erode the posterior semicircular canal, resulting in possible tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness, and/or sensorineural hearing loss. CHL has been reported in HRJB cases, although it is uncommon. HRJB may result in CHL through a third‐window defect shunting hydromechanical energy away from the round window or due to middle ear blockage. Imaging is useful in ascertaining rare causes of CHL, such as HRJB. Because HRJB is not easily fixable, it is important to recognize it as a rare cause of CHL for appropriate patient counseling. Possible interventions should be tailored to the patient after careful consideration of contralateral anatomy and likely benefits. Laryngoscope, 131:E1272–E1274, 2021
Will Repeated Low‐Energy 1064‐nm Q‐Switched Nd:YAG Laser Treatment Sessions Affect Facial Skin Sensitivity? Results of a 12‐Month, Prospective, Randomized Split‐Face Study
Authors: Yuan Chao , Wang Xue , Shang Ying , Chen Xiangdong , Xu Hui , Zhang Zhen
Published: January 2021

Background and Objective

To compare changes in skin sensitivity before and after treatment with a 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser in healthy individuals, and to provide a reference for clinicians to use this laser reasonably.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Nineteen healthy female volunteers underwent 10 random unilateral 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser treatments. The skin transepidermal water loss rate (TEWL), skin glossiness, epidermal and dermal thickness and density, current perception threshold (CPT) value, facial blood perfusion were determined before and after treatment at different time points. Moreover, the changes in skin barrier function, blood vessels, and sensory nerve reaction in the treated and untreated sides of the face were recorded before and after treatment.

Results

Seventeen volunteers completed the 12‐month follow‐up study after 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser treatment. At D3, M3, and M6, skin TEWL was decreased on the treated side of the face. Skin glossiness was significantly improved in the early post‐treatment period (D1–D7) and M3, M6, and M12 compared with the untreated side of the face. There was no significant change in dermal and epidermal thickness or density at all time points before and after treatment. There were no significant differences in sensory nerve CPT values and local blood flow volume or velocity between the treated side of the face and the untreated side before and after treatment.

Conclusion

Multiple low‐energy 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser treatments will not affect the barrier function of facial skin, skin nerve sensitivity, or local microcirculation of healthy skin over the long term. Therefore, 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser treatment is safe, and does not alter skin sensitivity. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC
Synthesis and Polymerization Kinetics of Novel Dicyanate Ester Based on Dimer of 4‐tert‐butylphenol
Authors: Galukhin Andrey , Nosov Roman , Taimova Guzel , Islamov Daut , Vyazovkin Sergey
Published: January 2021

A novel dicyanate ester, which constitutes the first member of the family of linear oligomers of 4‐tert‐butyl‐phenol, is synthesized as a part of the systematic study on the relation between the reactivity of cyanate esters and their structure. The synthesized monomer undergoes thermally stimulated polymerization in the melt. The kinetics of polymerization is studied by conventional and temperature‐modulated DSC. Detailed isoconversional analysis of the obtained kinetic data has revealed that the process rate is limited by a single reaction step of the auto‐catalytic nature. Thermal stability and glass transition temperature of polymerization product are characterized by means of thermogravimetry and fast scanning calorimetry.
Synthesis, antimosquito activities, photodegradation, and toxic assessment of novel pyrethroids containing 2‐chlorobiphenyl and 2‐chlorophenylpyridine
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhu Qiuyan , Zhang Kun , Zhao Suqing
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Aedes albopictus is a mosquito species and a vector of dengue virus and malaria parasites that represents a significant threat to global public health. Although mosquito populations have been effectively controlled through the use of synthetic insecticides, the emergence of widespread insecticide resistance in wild mosquito populations is a strong motivation to explore new insecticidal chemistries.

RESULTS

In this study, A. albopictus was treated with a series of novel pyrethroids containing 2‐chlorobiphenyl and 2‐chlorophenylpyridine via topical application. The relative antimosquito activity of each novel compound was determined, as measured by the LC50, and compared with the synthetic pyrethroid bifenthrin. The most antimosquito activity compound (SZ‐B‐11) was 4.69 times more active than bifenthrin. The novel compounds were also sensitive to wild A. albopictus. In addition, in silico toxicity assessment of aquatic organisms showed that the acute toxicity and chronic toxicity of SZ‐B‐11 were 31.96 times and 934.40 times lower than those of bifenthrin, respectively. Cytotoxicity assessment demonstrated that all tested compounds were nontoxic against SH‐SY5Y cell lines. Furthermore, photolytic results suggested that SZ‐B‐11 would be photodegraded more easily than bifenthrin and would reduce secondary pollution.

CONCLUSION

Novel pyrethroids containing 2‐chlorobiphenyl and 2‐chlorophenylpyridine, through simple synthesis steps, have better antimosquito activity, low resistance, less ecotoxicity, readily degradable characteristics, and may reduce secondary pollution. They are promising insecticides with potential application prospects in agricultural production and environmental protection.

© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Au and Pt Diffusion in Electrodeposited Amorphous Sb2Te3 Thin Films
Authors: Ihalawela Chandrasiri A. , Sundararajan Mayur , Cooper Kevin W. , Kordesch Martin E. , Ingram David C. , Lin Xiao-Min , Chen Gang
Published: January 2021

Amorphous Sb2Te3 thin films are synthesized using electrodeposition in different thicknesses to explore their solid electrolytic nature with respect to some noble metals. Au and Pt are used as the substrate materials and thermally diffused into the Sb2Te3 films under passivated and nonpassivated conditions. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry is used to study the Au and Pt diffusion into the films as a function of depth. It is found that Au diffuses into the Sb2Te3 thin films even at room temperature. In contrast, there is no observable diffusion of Pt at room temperature. At a higher temperature (i.e., 200 °C), both Au and Pt diffuse into the Sb2Te3 thin films and Au diffusion is more significant than Pt. The findings suggest that amorphous Sb2Te3 can be used as a good solid electrolyte to permit the diffusion of some noble metals such as Au and Pt.
Analysis of Deep Traps in Mist Chemical Vapor Deposition‐Grown n‐Type α‐Ga2O3 by Photocapacitance Method
Authors: Takane Hitoshi , Kaneko Kentaro , Shinohe Takashi , Fujita Shizuo
Published: January 2021

Deep traps in n‐type α‐Ga2O3 grown by mist chemical vapor deposition are analyzed by the photocapacitance method and deep‐level optical spectroscopy. The trap levels at Ec−(≈2.0 eV) (E1), Ec−(≈2.5 eV) (E2), and Ec−(≈3.2 eV) (E3) are evident and their concentrations are 3.5 × 1014, 3.6 × 1014, and 6.2 × 1015 cm−3, respectively, which are much lower than ever reported for α‐Ga2O3. The Frank–Condon shift of all three traps is large as seen for β‐Ga2O3, indicating a high degree of lattice coupling in the midgap state in α‐Ga2O3.
Neural crest-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells enhance cranial allograft integration
Authors: Glaeser Juliane D. , Behrens Phillip , Stefanovic Tina , Salehi Khosrowdad , Papalamprou Angela , Tawackoli Wafa , Metzger Melodie F. , Eberlein Samuel , Nelson Trevor , Arabi Yasaman , Kim Kevin , Baloh Robert H. , Ben-David Shiran , Cohn-Schwartz Doron , Ryu Robert , Bae Hyun W. , Gazit Zulma , Sheyn Dmitriy
Published: January 2021

Replacement of lost cranial bone (partly mesodermal and partly neural crest-derived) is challenging and includes the use of nonviable allografts. To revitalize allografts, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (mesoderm-derived BM-MSCs) have been used with limited success. We hypothesize that coating of allografts with induced neural crest cell-mesenchymal progenitor cells (iNCC-MPCs) improves implant-to-bone integration in mouse cranial defects. Human induced pluripotent stem cells were reprogramed from dermal fibroblasts, differentiated to iNCCs and then to iNCC-MPCs. BM-MSCs were used as reference. Cells were labeled with luciferase (Luc2) and characterized for MSC consensus markers expression, differentiation, and risk of cellular transformation. A calvarial defect was created in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice and allografts were implanted, with or without cell coating. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI), microcomputed tomography (μCT), histology, immunofluorescence, and biomechanical tests were performed. Characterization of iNCC-MPC-Luc2 vs BM-MSC-Luc2 showed no difference in MSC markers expression and differentiation in vitro. In vivo, BLI indicated survival of both cell types for at least 8 weeks. At week 8, μCT analysis showed enhanced structural parameters in the iNCC-MPC-Luc2 group and increased bone volume in the BM-MSC-Luc2 group compared to controls. Histology demonstrated improved integration of iNCC-MPC-Luc2 allografts compared to BM-MSC-Luc2 group and controls. Human osteocalcin and collagen type 1 were detected at the allograft-host interphase in cell-seeded groups. The iNCC-MPC-Luc2 group also demonstrated improved biomechanical properties compared to BM-MSC-Luc2 implants and cell-free controls. Our results show an improved integration of iNCC-MPC-Luc2-coated allografts compared to BM-MSC-Luc2 and controls, suggesting the use of iNCC-MPCs as potential cell source for cranial bone repair.
Intergenerational thyroid hormone homeostasis imbalance in cerebellum of rats perinatally exposed to glyphosate‐based herbicide
Authors: Costa Reis Luã Tainã , Sena de Souza Janaina , Hirochi Herai Roberto , Cunha Eduardo Brunetti , Ribeiro Pereira Soares Janaina , Santos El‐Bachá Ramon , Diogenes Amaral da Silva Victor , Aurelio Romano Marco , Marino Romano Renata , Izabel Chiamolera Maria , Giannocco Gisele , Lima Costa Silvia , Dias da Silva Magnus Régios , Telles da Cunha Lima Suzana
Published: January 2021

Agrochemicals became a public health concern due to increased human exposure and possible endocrine disruption effects in several organs, including the brain. Thyroid hormones controls neurodevelopment, which turn them sensitive to endocrine disruptors (EDs). In this work, we evaluated the effect of glyphosate‐based herbicides (GBH) as an intergenerational endocrine disrupter on thyroid homeostasis in cerebellar cells. Female pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to Roundup Transorb® solution at 5 and 50 mg/kg/day, from gestation day 18 to post‐natal day 5 (P5). Cerebellum of male offspring was used to evaluate gene expression. The mRNA levels of thyroid hormone receptors, hormonal conversion enzymes, hormone transporters, as well as, de novo epigenetic regulators were altered, with some of these genes presenting a non‐monotonic dose response. Furthermore, metabolomic profile correlation with tested dose demonstrated altered metabolic profile, in agreement with cerebellar gene alterations. Moreover, cerebellar primary cultures exposed to non‐toxic GBH concentration presented a decrease level in glial fibrillary acidic protein, a protein regulated by endocrine signals. In conclusion, our results indicate that animals exposed to non‐toxic GBH doses during perinatal phase carry intergenerational alterations in key regulators of cellular thyroid hormone homeostasis and epigenetic controllers in adulthood, indicating the possible ED effect of GBH based on epigenetic alterations.
How companion animal veterinarians in the United States perceive financial constraints on antibiotic decision‐making
Authors: Lavigne Sondra H. , Louis Souci , Rankin Shelley C. , Zaoutis Theoklis E. , Szymczak Julia E.
Published: January 2021

Background: The misuse of antibiotics is a persistent problem in both human and veterinary medicine. While complex social and behavioural factors drive inappropriate use in human medicine, less is known about factors that impact antibiotic use in companion animal medicine.

Objective: To identify the perceptions that veterinarians practicing companion animal medicine hold about the influence of financial considerations on antibiotic use.

Methods: Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with veterinarians practicing companion animal medicine in a major metropolitan area in the Eastern United States. Respondents were sampled purposefully, and data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

Results: Interviews were conducted with 36 veterinarians from 19 practices. Veterinarians believed that their clients’ willingness to pay for diagnostic testing or treatment interfered with their ability to make appropriate decisions about antibiotic use. Concerns over antibiotic expiration and subsequent financial losses limited which antibiotics veterinarians stocked. Some veterinarians feared that restricting antibiotic use to appropriate uses could harm their business and lead to economic euthanasia of their patients.

Conclusions: Veterinarians perceive that financial factors can impede their ability to appropriately prescribe antibiotics. Interventions that address the financial aspects of prescribing have the potential to improve antibiotic decision‐making in veterinary medicine.
Administrative Federalism
Authors: Behnke Nathalie , Kropp Sabine
Published: January 2021

The German federal architecture is shaped by a peculiar mix of strong decentralisation and high autonomy at lower levels of government coupled with an administrative culture of uniformity, solidarity and coordination. This system has been described as ‘administrative federalism’ to emphasise the prominent role of executives and administrations in policymaking and policy implementation. The federal level relies on the Länder for executing its tasks; in turn, the Länder executives possess rights of co-decision in federal legislation via the Bundesrat. While formal jurisdictions are strongly decentralised, a dense web of interlocking powers and processes, as well as institutions of coordination, creates incentives for territorial governments to closely cooperate with each other. The German-style administrative federalism has been successful, but is requiring adaptation and developments caused by trends like the upward shift of tasks from the Länder to the federal level and increasing party-system fragmentation.
The Administration of the Länder
Authors: Schrapper Ludger
Published: January 2021

In the system of German federalism, the administrations of the 16 federal states (Länder) have central responsibility for the enforcement of both federal and state law. Despite all the heterogeneity in terms of size, administrative tradition and culture, their administrative structures are relatively uniform. Everywhere, the municipalities, which are part of the state executive under state law, play a significant and, above all, independent role as bodies of the public administration. There are some differences, but administration seems in some respects relatively homogeneous, not least due to the largely similar staffing structures, career patterns and administrative cultures. Structural reforms of very different scopes have been a long-term phenomenon since the 1990s.
Ranking Methodology of the World’s Most Innovative Universities
Authors: Al-Youbi Abdulrahman Obaid , Zahed Adnan Hamza Mohammad , Nahas Mahmoud Nadim , Hegazy Ahmad Abousree
Published: January 2021

Reuters News Agency started the idea of ranking the World’s Most Innovative Universities. It relied on data compiled by Clarivate Analytics and several of its research platforms [25]. The latter company used to be called “Intellectual Property and Science Business of Thomson Reuters.” The process began by identifying approximately 600 academic and government organizations that published the greatest number of articles in scholarly journals. Reuters, then, put ten criteria for the innovation to evaluate the chosen organizations. These criteria are presented later in Sect. 2.3.
Developing a Digital Interactive Fabrication Process in Co-existing Environment
Authors: Chen Chun-Yen , Chang Teng-Wen , Hsiao Chi-Fu
Published: January 2021

In the stage of prototype practice, the maker mainly works by himself, but it needs to test and adapt to find correct fabrication method when maker didn’t have clearly fabrication description. Therefore, rapid prototyping is very important in the prototype practice of the maker. “Design- Fabrication-Assembly” (DFA)- an integration prototyping process which helps designers in creating kinetic skin by following a holistic process. However, DFA lacks a medium for communication between design, fabrication and assembly status. This paper proposes a solution called co-existing Fabrication System (CoFabs) by combining multiple sensory components and visualization feedbacks. We combine mixed reality (MR) and the concept of digital twin (DT)–a device that uses a virtual interface to control a physical mechanism for fabrication and assembly. By integrating virtual and physical, CoFab allows designers using different methods of observation to prototype more rigorously and interactively correct design decisions in real-time.
Real-Time Defect Recognition and Optimized Decision Making for Structural Timber Jointing
Authors: Luo Dan , Gattas Joseph M. , Tan Poah Shiun Shawn
Published: January 2021

Non-structural or out-of-grade timber framing material contains a large proportion of visual and natural defects. A common strategy to recover usable material from these timbers is the marking and removing of defects, with the generated intermediate lengths of clear wood then joined into a single piece of full-length structural timber. This paper presents a novel workflow that uses machine learning based image recognition and a computational decision-making algorithm to enhance the automation and efficiency of current defect identification and re-joining processes. The proposed workflow allows the knowledge of worker to be translated into a classifier that automatically recognizes and removes areas of defects based on image capture. In addition, a real-time optimization algorithm in decision making is developed to assign a joining sequence of fragmented timber from a dynamic inventory, creating a single piece of targeted length with a significant reduction in material waste. In addition to an industrial application, this workflow also allows for future inventory-constrained customizable fabrication, for example in production of non-standard architectural components or adaptive reuse or defect-avoidance in out-of-grade timber construction.
Growing Shapes with a Generalised Model from Neural Correlates of Visual Discrimination
Authors: Cutellic Pierre
Published: January 2021

This paper focuses on the application of visual Event-Related Potentials (ERP) in better generalisations for design and architectural modelling. It makes use of previously built techniques and trained models on EEG signals of a singular individual and observes the robustness of advanced classification models to initiate the development of presentation and classification techniques for enriched visual environments by developing an iterative and generative design process of growing shapes. The pursued interest is to observe if visual ERP as correlates of visual discrimination can hold in structurally similar, but semantically different, experiments and support the discrimination of meaningful design solutions. Following bayesian terms, we will coin this endeavour a Design Belief and elaborate a method to explore and exploit such features decoded from human visual cognition.
Hyperbolic cylinders and entanglement entropy: gravitons, higher spins, p-forms
Authors: David Justin R. , Mukherjee Jyotirmoy
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We show that the entanglement entropy ofD= 4 linearized gravitons across a sphere recently computed by Benedetti and Casini coincides with that obtained using the Kaluza-Klein tower of traceless transverse massive spin-2 fields onS1× AdS3. The mass of the constant mode onS1saturates the Brietenholer-Freedman bound inAdS3. This condition also ensures that the entanglement entropy of higher spins determined from partition functions on the hyperbolic cylinder coincides with their recent conjecture. Starting from the action of the 2-form onS1× AdS5and fixing gauge, we evaluate the entanglement entropy across a sphere as well as the dimensions of the corresponding twist operator. We demonstrate that the conformal dimensions of the corresponding twist operator agrees with that obtained using the expectation value of the stress tensor on the replica cone. For conformalp-forms in even dimensions it obeys the expected relations with the coefficients determining the 3-point function of the stress tensor of these fields.
Nonminimal gradient flows in QCD-like theories
Authors: Boers Marco
Published: January 2021

Abstract

The Yang-Mills gradient flow for QCD-like theories is generalized by including a fermionic matter term in the gauge field flow equation. We combine this with two different flow equations for the fermionic degrees of freedom. The solutions for the different gradient flow setups are used in the perturbative computations of the vacuum expectation value of the Yang-Mills Lagrangian density and the field renormalization factor of the evolved fermions up to next-to-leading order in the coupling. We find a one-parameter family of flow systems for which there exists a renormalization scheme in which the evolved fermion anomalous dimension vanishes to all orders in perturbation theory. The fermion number dependence of different flows is studied and applications to lattice studies are anticipated.
Multidimensional Analyses of the Learning Curve of Endoscopic Thyroidectomy
Authors: Liang Tsung‐Jung , Tsai Chung‐Yu , Liu Shiuh‐Inn , Chen I‐Shu
Published: January 2021

Background

Endoscopic thyroidectomy has comparable surgical outcomes and superior cosmetic satisfaction to open thyroidectomy. However, steep learning curve is a concern. This study evaluated the learning curve of endoscopic thyroidectomy using various parameters and statistical methods.

Methods

A total of 90 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy using bilateral axillo‐breast approach (BABA) between March 2016 and April 2020 were enrolled. Operative time, postoperative drainage amount, and blood loss were assessed by cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis and moving average to evaluate the learning curve.

Results

Using the CUSUM analysis, the peak point of both operative time and drainage amount occurred at the 30th case. No clear single peak was identified in the CUSUM plot for blood loss. The moving average also showed significant reduction in operative time and drainage amount after, approximately, the first 30 cases. The blood loss decreased after the 25th case. We therefore divided the patients into 2 phases: phase 1 (1–30 cases) and phase 2 (31–90 cases). The operative time, drainage amount, and blood loss decreased significantly in the phase 2 compared with phase 1. Lower pain score in first postoperative day and shorter hospital stay were also observed in the phase 2. Although the reduction in transient hypoparathyroidism did not reach statistical significance, no permanent hypoparathyroidism was noted in the phase 2.

Conclusions

The learning curve for endoscopic thyroidectomy is approximately 30 cases. Aside from the operative time, drainage amount may also serve as a surrogate for the learning curve evaluation.
ICD therapy in the elderly: a retrospective single-center analysis of mortality
Authors: Scheurlen Cornelia , van den Bruck Jan , Wörmann Jonas , Plenge Tobias , Sultan Arian , Steven Daniel , Lüker Jakob
Published: January 2021

Background

Current implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) guidelines do not impose age limitations for ICD implantation (IMPL) and generator exchange (GE); however, patients (pts) should be expected to survive for 1 year. With higher age, comorbidity and mortality due to non-sudden cardiac death increase. Thus, the benefit of ICD therapy in elderly pts remains unclear. Mortality after ICD IMPL or GE in pts ≥ 75 years was assessed.

Methods

Consecutive pts aged ≥ 75 years with ICD IMPL or GE at the University Hospital Cologne, Germany, between 01/2013 and 12/2017 were included in this retrospective analysis.

Results

Of 418 pts, 82 (20%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria; in 70 (55 = IMPL, 79%, 15 = GE, 21%) follow-up (FU) was available. The median FU was 3.1 years. During FU, 40 pts (57%) died (29/55 [53%] IMPL; 11/15 [73%] GE). Mean survival after surgery was 561 ± 462 days. The 1‑year mortality rate was 19/70 (27%) overall, 9/52 (17%) in pts ≥ 75 and 10/18 (56%) in pts ≥ 80 years. Deceased pts were more likely to suffer from chronic renal failure (85% vs. 53%, p = 0.004) and peripheral artery disease (18% vs. 0%, p = 0.02). During FU, seven pts experienced ICD shocks (four appropriate, three inappropriate). In primary prevention (n = 35) mortality was 46% and four pts experienced ICD therapies (two adequate); in secondary prevention (n = 35) mortality was 69% (p = 0.053) with three ICD therapies (two adequate).

Conclusion

Mortality in ICD pts aged ≥ 80 years was 56% at 1 and 72% at 2 years in this retrospective analysis. The decision to implant an ICD in elderly pts should be made carefully and individually.
Unicondylar knee replacement versus total knee replacement for the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Deng Meichao , Hu Yang , Zhang Zhongzu , Zhang Hongjun , Qu Yiming , Shao Gaohai
Published: January 2021

Background

Since the optimal surgery for isolated medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) is unclear, this study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of unicondylar knee replacement (UKR) with total knee replacement (TKR) for simple medial knee OA.

Methods

Literature searches of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to 1th April 2020. Only studies comparing UKR with TKR for isolated medial knee OA were included. Data collection and extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were performed according to the Cochrane standards.

Results

A total of 13 articles with 1888 patients were included, among which, 944 and 944 underwent UKR and TKR, respectively. The analyzed postoperative outcomes were mostly within 5 years of follow-up. The meta-analysis showed that UKR improved knee general function (P < 0.00001) and health (P = 0.02), moreover, reduced post-operative pain (P = 0.01) and complications (P < 0.05) more than TKR. There were no significant differences in postoperative revision (P = 0.252), high-activity arthroplasty score (HAAS) (P = 0.307) and Oxford knee score (OKS) (P = 0.15) between the two techniques.

Conclusions

The patients of UKR could achieve better clinical results than that of TKR, moreover, there were negligible differences between the two techniques in postoperative revision in the early and mid-term follow-up and surgeons should be aware of the important reasons for revision of UKR. Thus, UKR instead of TKR should be performed in patients with late-stage isolated medial knee OA.
Spatiotemporal Changes in the Gene Expression Spectrum of the β2 Adrenergic Receptor Signaling Pathway in the Lungs of Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Zheng Zhongmei , Cao Bangrong , Hu Yu , Xie Liang , Gu Ling , Shi Fang , Liu Hanmin
Published: January 2021

Objective

β2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) agonists mainly participate in regulation of airway function through the ADRB2-G protein-adenylyl cyclase (AC) signaling pathway; however, the key genes associated with this pathway and the spatiotemporal changes in the expression spectrum of some of their subtypes remain unclear, resulting in an insufficient theoretical basis for formulating the dose and method of drug administration for neonates.

Methods

We performed sampling at different developmental time points in rhesus monkeys, including the embryo stage, neonatal stage, and adolescence. The MiSeq platform was used for sequencing of key genes and some of their subtypes in the ADRB2 signaling pathway in lung tissues, and target gene expression was normalized and calculated according to reads per kilobase million.

Results

At different lung-developmental stages, we observed expression of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), ADRB2, AC, AKAP and EPAC subtypes (except AC8, AKAP4/5), and various phosphodiesterase (PDE) subtypes (PDE3, PDE4, PDE7, and PDE8), with persistently high expression of AC6, PDE4B, and AKAP(1/2/8/9/12/13, and EZR) maintained throughout the lung-developmental process, PNMT, ADRB2, AC(4/6), PDE4B, and AKAP(1/2/8/9/12/13, EZR, and MAP2)were highly expressed at the neonatal stage.

Conclusion

During normal lung development in rhesus monkeys, key genes associated with ADRB2–G protein–AC signaling and some of their subtypes are almost all expressed at the neonatal stage, suggesting that this signaling pathway plays a role in this developmental stage. Additionally, AC6, PDE4B, and AKAP(1/2/8/9/12/13, and EZR) showed persistently high expression during the entire lung-developmental process, which provides a reference for the development and utilization of key gene subtypes in this pathway.
Physicochemical characteristics of surimi-like material made from the muscle tissues of freshwater mussels (Sinanodonta woodiana Lea, 1834)
Authors: Stangierski Jerzy , Rezler Ryszard , Grześ Bożena , Andrzejewski Wojciech , Konieczny Piotr
Published: January 2021

The aim of the study was to determine selected characteristics of surimi-like material (SLM) made from the muscle tissues of Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) freshwater mussels. The research material consisted of unwashed mussel muscle homogenate as the control sample—C, mussel muscle tissue twice washed with water (SLM-W) and sample washed with NaCl at a concentration of 0.169 mol/L as well as water (SLM–S). A raw control sample and surimi like-materials were analysed using the SDS-PAGE technique. They were also tested using the DMTA method (dynamic mechanical thermal analysis) while heating the samples up to 80 °C and cooling to 20 °C. The thermal drip and texture of gels after heating (75 °C, 30 min) were also determined. The washing procedure had a significant impact on the protein composition of the SLMs. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage of proteins with molecular weights of 270–273 kDa and 105–110 kDa (corresponding to specific filamin isoforms), as well as 42–43 kDa (corresponding to actin), were found in the SLMs compared to sample C. Ccorrelation analysis confirmed a strong positive relationship between the percentage share of the above proteins and the values of the elasticity modulus (r ≥ 0.84) and firmness (r ≥ 0.88) of SLM gels. The SLM-S sample was characterised by the lowest significant (p < 0.05) thermal drip values. During heating, the rheological traits of all samples changed at two stages: from 20 to 50 °C and over 50 °C. The highest dynamics of variation in the elasticity modulus (G′) value were noticed at temperatures exceeding 50 °C in all samples. The G′ values in the SLM samples were significantly greater than the values in sample C. The analysis revealed a strong correlation (r ≥ 0.81) between the determinants of the texture of the SLM samples and their rheological parameters. Sample SLM-W was the one with the highest firmness and elasticity values. The analysis showed that the textural properties of the SLM samples mainly resulted from the reaction of spatial matrices to mechanical interactions.
Data models, representation and adequacy-for-purpose
Authors: Bokulich Alisa , Parker Wendy
Published: January 2021

We critically engage two traditional views of scientific data and outline a novel philosophical view that we call thepragmatic-representational (PR) view of data. On the PR view, data are representations that are the product of a process of inquiry, and they should be evaluated in terms of their adequacy or fitness for particular purposes. Some important implications of the PR view for data assessment, related to misrepresentation, context-sensitivity, and complementary use, are highlighted. The PR view provides insight into the common but little-discussed practices of iteratively reusing and repurposing data, which result in many datasets’ having a phylogeny—an origin and complex evolutionary history—that is relevant to their evaluation and future use. We relate these insights to the open-data and data-rescue movements, and highlight several future avenues of research that build on the PR view of data.
Are there similarities between the Corona and the climate crisis?
Authors: Schmidt Robert C.
Published: January 2021

In this short paper, I look back at the early stages of the Corona crisis, around early February 2020, and compare the situation with the climate crisis. Although these two problems unfold on a completely different timescale (weeks in the case of Corona, decades in the case of climate change), I find some rather striking similarities between these two problems, related with issues such as uncertainty, free-rider incentives, and disincentives of politicians to adequately address the respective issue with early, farsighted and possibly harsh policy measures. I then argue that for complex problems with certain characteristics, it may be necessary to establish novel political decision procedures that sidestep the normal, day-to-day political proceedings. These would be procedures that actively involve experts, and lower the involvement of political parties as far as possible to minimize the decision-makers’ disincentives.
Electrical and thermal transport behaviours of high-entropy perovskite thermoelectric oxides
Authors: Zheng Yunpeng , Zou Mingchu , Zhang Wenyu , Yi Di , Lan Jinle , Nan Ce-Wen , Lin Yuan-Hua
Published: January 2021

Oxide-based ceramics could be promising thermoelectric materials because of their thermal and chemical stability at high temperature. However, their mediocre electrical conductivity or high thermal conductivity is still a challenge for the use in commercial devices. Here, we report significantly suppressed thermal conductivity in SrTiO3-based thermoelectric ceramics via high-entropy strategy for the first time, and optimized electrical conductivity by defect engineering. In high-entropy (Ca0.2Sr0.2Ba0.2Pb0.2La0.2)TiO3 bulks, the minimum thermal conductivity can be 1.17 W/(m·K) at 923 K, which should be ascribed to the large lattice distortion and the huge mass fluctuation effect. The power factor can reach about 295 μW/(m·K2) by inducing oxygen vacancies. Finally, the ZT value of 0.2 can be realized at 873 K in this bulk sample. This approach proposed a new concept of high entropy into thermoelectric oxides, which could be generalized for designing high-performance thermoelectric oxides with low thermal conductivity.
Berufsbezogene Zufriedenheit und Gesundheitswahrnehmung von Tanzpädagoginnen und -pädagogen
Authors: Schmidt Mike , Ohlendorf Daniela , Reer Rüdiger , Groneberg David A. , Wanke Eileen M.
Published: January 2021

Hintergrund

Der eigene Körper ist das zentrale Arbeitsinstrument eines*einer Tanzpädagog*in (TP) innerhalb der Bewegungsvermittlung. Bisher fehlen Erkenntnisse über die subjektive Wahrnehmung der eigenen berufsassoziierten Gesundheit und Zufriedenheit sowie die Identifizierung gesundheitsbelastender Berufsmerkmale.

Methodik

Im Rahmen einer fragebogenbasierten Querschnittserhebung wurde eine Kohorte von TP in Deutschland zur eigenen Gesundheit und generellen Berufszufriedenheit und belastenden Aspekten im Zusammenhang mit ihrer Berufsausübung untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden allgemeine anthropometrische und soziodemographische Merkmale erfasst. Neben der Betrachtung der Gesamtkohorte wurde auf geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede getestet. In die statistische Analyse wurdenn = 232 TP (m: 51/w: 181) im Alter von 43,1 ± 11,0 Jahren eingeschlossen.

Ergebnisse

Der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand wurde von 85,3 % der Befragten mit „befriedigend“ (26,1 %) bis „sehr gut“ (14,7 %) beurteilt. 59,2 % der Tanzpädagog*innen schätzten ihre Gesundheit „gut“ (35,3 %) bis „sehr gut“ ein. Es herrschte eine hohe Zufriedenheit mit der eigenen Berufsausübung für 80 % der Teilnehmenden. Die TP fühlten sich überwiegend in der Lage (trifft „voll & ganz“ bzw. „eher zu“), mit den physischen (75,7 %) und psychischen Berufsanforderungen (70,3 %) umzugehen. Als belastende Berufsmerkmale in der Eigenwahrnehmung können neben Zukunftsängsten (51,5 %) vor allem arbeitsorganisatorische (fehlende Zeit für Familie und Freunde bei 28,4 %) und ökonomische Aspekte (Einkommensunsicherheit bei 61,0 % und fehlende Altersabsicherung bei 65,7 %) herausgestellt werden.

Diskussion

Die Berufsausübung als TP geht mit einer hohen generellen Zufriedenheit und einem positiven Empfinden des eigenen Gesundheitszustandes einher. Eine Bestätigung dieser positiven Ergebnisse durch Verletzungs- und Erkrankungsstatistiken steht noch aus. Darüber hinaus wäre eine Verbesserung arbeitsorganisatorischer und ökonomischer Aspekte wünschenswert.
Surface-applied or incorporated biochar and compost combination improves soil fertility, Chinese cabbage and papaya biomass
Authors: Cox Justine , Hue Nguyen V. , Ahmad Amjad , Kobayashi Kent D.
Published: January 2021

Many Hawaiian agricultural soils are acidic with low-nutrient retention; therefore, organic soil amendments are often used to improve soil properties and increase yields. Amendments can be incorporated for annual crops, but perennial orchards need surface application to avoid damaging surface roots. Pot trials compared responses to incorporated (IBC) or surface-applied (SBC) combination of hardwood biochar and chicken manure compost (4% v/v of each amendment) added to an Andisol and Oxisol. Soil pH was increased by 0.4–1.1 units in IBC and by 0.2–0.5 for SBC in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Both SBC and IBC increased soil total N, extractable P, Ca and Mg in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Soil pH, total C and extractable Ca were also higher in the 10–20 cm soil layer for IBC soil, indicating movement and/or leaching of amendments. Chinese cabbage biomass was 18–70% higher in the IBC and 14–47% higher in the SBC than that in the unamended soil, while papaya biomass was 23% and 19% higher in SBC and IBC, respectively. There was a greater response in the more acidic Andisol soil, with larger improvements in soil pH, plant nutrient uptake and root biomass than the Oxisol. Surface application was as effective in increasing plant growth as the incorporated amendment, providing evidence for farm scale assessment. Biochar and compost are recommended for use in tropical soils, and surface application may be beneficial to annual and perennial crops.
Contracting for Terroir in Sake
Authors: Ramseyer J. Mark
Published: January 2021

Over the last century, Japanese consumers have steadily lost their taste for sake. Several large producers dominate the mass market through economies of scale, but the regional brewers have gradually gone out of business. In this environment, a small group of enterprising regional brewers began to create a market for premium sake with the environmental variations so important to French terroir.

To produce this terroir sake, brewers must convince local farmers to grow high-risk and high-cost varieties of rice optimized for premium sake. The challenge involves unusually complex incentive and informational requirements. Yet the parties almost never draft elaborate contracts with verifiable terms, and rarely vertically integrate. Instead, they build dense and refined networks of social capital among themselves and combine short-term renewable (and hence terminable) contracts, extremely high (efficiency-wage level) prices, and close monitoring by the brewer. In the process, they give the farmers strong incentives to let the brewers intervene as needed in the farming.

The brewers and farmers neither draft elaborate contracts nor vertically integrate for a simple reason: they do not need to do so. The combination of dense networks of social capital, terminable short-term contracts, and high prices gives them all the flexibility they need.
Born Again Black Panther: Race, Christian Conservatism, and the Remaking of Eldridge Cleaver
Authors: Wells Dan
Published: January 2021

When Eldridge Cleaver, the former Black Panther Party Minister of Information, returned to the United States in November 1975, he claimed to have surrendered his life to Christ and conservatism. Utilizing the Eldridge Cleaver Papers housed at the Bancroft Library, this article recounts the transformation of Eldridge Cleaver from radical Black Panther to born-again Christian and anticommunist crusader. Cleaver's story of transformation demonstrates the pervasive power of the twentieth-century crusade against communism and the manner in which American conservatism created distinct categories of race that were written on the mind, body, religious belief, and practice of Eldridge Cleaver. This article highlights how conservatives enacted a program of racial respectability, remaking Eldridge in the image of conservative, capitalist, Christian whiteness. Cleaver was stripped of his “blackness,” a conservative effort to distance him from the “volatile black figures” of the mid-twentieth century. If Cleaver held on to any vestige of his old life—his leather jacket, “regional euphemisms,” liberationist ideology, and even his Afro hairstyle—his new life would be useless to conservatives. This article illustrates how Cleaver participated in a global crusade that sought to maintain and extend the unifying commitments of twentieth-century religious conservatism. Those commitments included (1) the commercial, economic, and political interests that produced, funded, and policed conservatism; (2) traditional white, middle-class family values; and (3) political, racial, gendered, and religious understandings of the citizen subject. Eldridge Cleaver and his anticommunist crusade are windows into the distinct categories of religion, politics, and race—Christianity, conservatism, and white respectability—constructed and enacted by American conservatives in the twentieth century.
Predictive capacity and cut-off points of adiposity indices for body fat prediction according to adolescent periods
Authors: Morais Núbia de Souza de , Miranda Valter Paulo Neves , Ribeiro Sarah Aparecida Vieira , Pereira Patrícia Feliciano , de Souza Eliana Carla Gomes , Franceschini Sylvia do Carmo Castro , Priore Silvia Eloiza
Published: January 2021

Overweight is increasing in the adolescent population and became a public health problem in the world. This study aimed to identify the body adiposity indices (BAI) with the best capacity to predict excess fat tissue and propose cut-off points for them, according to sex and adolescence period. This is a cross-sectional study. We calculated BMI, conicity index (CI), BAI, body roundness index (BRI), waist:height ratio (WtHR) and waist:hip ratio. Predictive capacity and cut-off points of adiposity indices were established by ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves. We determined AUC-ROC and CI, stratified by sex and adolescence period. The best index to identify excess body fat in 10-13-year-old female adolescents was the WtHR (AUC = 0·92), like the BAI in girls aged from 14 to 16 years old (AUC = 0·87) and 17 to 19 years old (AUC = 0·80). In male adolescents aged from 10 to 13 years old and 14 to 16 years old, the best index was the WtHR (AUC = 0·93 and AUC = 0·8, respectively), like the BAI in boys aged from 17 to 19 years old (AUC = 0·95). The use of indices with specific cut-off points for each period of adolescence and according to sex is important for the reliable diagnosis of excess body fat. It is advisable to use indices together to obtain a more accurate assessment. Thus, the WtHR and BAI are reproducible and reliable, with high sensitivity and specificity values, and can be used together with the BMI.
Consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits, flavonoids from fruits and stroke risk: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Gao Qi , Dong Jia-Yi , Cui Renzhe , Muraki Isao , Yamagishi Kazumasa , Sawada Norie , Iso Hiroyasu , Tsugane Shoichiro ,   for the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Group
Published: January 2021

We sought to examine the prospective associations of specific fruit consumption, in particular flavonoid-rich fruit (FRF) consumption, with the risk of stroke and subtypes of stroke in a Japanese population. A study followed a total of 39 843 men and 47 334 women aged 44–76 years, and free of CVD, diabetes and cancer at baseline since 1995 and 1998 to the end of 2009 and 2012, respectively. Data on total and specific FRF consumption for each participant were obtained using a self-administrated FFQ. The hazard ratios (HR) of stroke in relation to total and specific FRF consumption were estimated through Cox proportional hazards regression models. During a median follow-up of 13·1 years, 4091 incident stroke cases (2557 cerebral infarctions and 1516 haemorrhagic strokes) were documented. After adjustment for age, BMI, study area, lifestyles, dietary factors and other risk factors, it was found that total FRF consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of stroke in women (HR = 0·70; 95 % CI 0·58, 0·84), while the association in men was not significant (HR = 0·93; 95 % CI 0·79, 1·09). As for specific FRF, consumptions of citrus fruits, strawberries and grapes were found associated with a lower stroke risk in women. Higher consumptions of FRF, in particular citrus fruits, strawberries and grapes, were associated with a lower risk of developing stroke in Japanese women.