bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
At the Crossroads: Caribbean Women and (Black) Feminist Ethnography in the Time of HIV/AIDS
Authors: Jolly Jallicia
Published: July 2021

This article illustrates how feminist analyses and insights have offered anthropology expansive ethnographic possibilities as it charts possible futures for doing more ethically and politically invested work that emerges from the lives and experiences of Black women and women in the Global South. It takes on the problematics of situatedness, difference, reflexivity, and writing about women's lives in the (feminist) anthropology of HIV/AIDS to challenge the omission and misrepresentation of multiple‐voiced subjects and non‐European experiences as well as the elided racial and gendered experiences of HIV/AIDS. I situate myself within the decolonial turn and the scholarly and political genealogies of Black feminist anthropology to explore the challenges and opportunities of feminist ethnography in the era of “the end of AIDS.” Using ethnographic work on the experiences of HIV‐positive women in Kingston, Jamaica, conducted between 2015 and 2018, I foreground the life and death of Shanna, a mother of four to argue that the lives and afterlives of HIV‐positive Black Caribbean women expand the heterogeneous inheritances of feminist ethnography by offering insights on how to envision futures that are attentive to cross‐cultural experiences, embodied realities, social location, and structural condition. As I reconsider my own relationship to feminist ethnography and anthropology, I ask:How can (Black) feminist ethnography grapple with the ethics around HIV/AIDS and death while addressing the long‐standing problematic within feminist anthropology of relating to subjects in the field and writing about evolving subjectivities?
Developmental toxicity, antioxidant, and marker enzyme assessment of swertiamarin in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Perumal Sasidharan , Gopal Samy Madhana V. , Subramanian Dharaneedharan
Published: July 2021

A secoiridoid glycoside called swertiamarin has been widely used as a herbal medicine for many decades. In particular, swertiamarin from the Enicostema axillare herb has been used as a multipurpose drug to treat innumerable health problems. As this medicine is consumed orally, its toxicity level should be determined. To examine the safety of this compound, toxicology work was done in zebrafish, and this is the first report to describe swertiamarin toxicity in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos were used in this swertiamarin toxicity study, and morphological changes were observed. Further, the compound was also studied in adult zebrafish to determine the impact of the compound on the fish liver. Enzyme profiling with superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, reduced glutathione levels, glutathione S‐transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminases, lipid peroxidation, Na+/K+‐ATPase, and glutamic pyruvic transaminases) was evaluated (p ≤ 0.05). Results suggest that swertiamarin is a safe drug only at a low concentration (40 µM). This study also shows that even herbal medicinal compounds may be toxic to humans at higher dosages. Hence, irrespective of whether a drug is synthetic or natural, it needs to be tested for its toxicity before use in humans.
Calculation of anharmonic effect on the reactions of small sulfur‐containing molecules with NO/NO2 in combustion
Authors: Hu Wenye , Chen Yuanpeng , Yang Kun , Yu Hongjing , Wang Shiye , Yao Li
Published: July 2021

Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are the main pollutants that destroy the atmosphere, the emission and control of which have received wide attention. Notably, the interactions between nitrogen species and sulfur species occur extensively in combustion and the atmosphere. This article summarizes the 12 reactions of small sulfur‐containing molecules with NO/NO2 in combustion. The reaction rate constants of the 12 reactions at the temperature ranging from 300 to 4,000 K are calculated according to YL (Yao‐Lin) method and TS (transition state) theory. The results show that there is a large difference between the anharmonic and the harmonic rate constants for many reactions, especially at high temperature. In particular, the calculated values of the reactions S + NO2 → SO + NO, N + SO2 → SO + NO, and SH + NO2 → HSO + NO are in good agreement with other theoretical or experimental ones. Finally, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are calculated according to the anharmonic and harmonic rate constants as well as the least square methods. All these indicate that the anharmonic effect cannot be ignored and YL method is feasible.
Comparison of flap reconstruction for soft tissue sarcomas of the foot and ankle
Authors: Mallett Katherine E. , Houdek Matthew T. , Honig Rachel L. , Bakri Karim , Rose Peter S. , Moran Steven L.
Published: July 2021

Background

Foot and ankle soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are challenging for reconstruction due to limited surrounding soft tissue and weight‐bearing requirements. Currently, there is a paucity of data examining the outcome of flap reconstruction following resection of a foot and ankle sarcoma.

Methods

We reviewed 44 (31 female, 13 male) patients with STS arising from the ankle or foot which required coverage in the form of a free (n = 21), pedicled (n = 13), or rotational perforator flap (n = 10). The mean tumor size was 6 ± 5 cm, with 39 (89%) patients receiving radiotherapy. The mean follow‐up was 10 ± 7 years.

Results

There were no cases of amputation due to flap failure, with a 10‐year limb salvage rate of 84%. Complications occurred in 19 (43%) patients, most commonly wound infections. There was no difference in the incidence of complications between patients undergoing a free flap and pedicled or perforator flap (odds ratio = 0.97, p = 1.0); with no difference in the mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score between patients with a free flap versus a pedicled/perforator flap (84% vs. 76%, p = 0.11).

Conclusion

Flap reconstruction is an essential part of limb salvage for foot and ankle STS. At final follow‐up nearly all the patients are ambulatory with an acceptable MSTS score.
Dealing with trend uncertainty in empirical estimates of European rainfall climate for insurance risk management
Authors: Jewson Stephen , Dallafior Tanja , Comola Francesco
Published: July 2021

The insurance industry uses mathematical models to estimate the risks due to future natural catastrophes. For climate‐related risks, historical climate data are a key ingredient used in making the models. Historical data for temperature and sea level often show clear and readily quantified climate change driven trends, and these trends would typically be accounted for when building risk models by adjusting earlier values to render the earlier data relevant to the future climate. For other climate variables, such as rainfall in many parts of the world, the questions of whether there are climate change driven trends in the historical data, and how to quantify them if there are, are less simple to answer. We investigate these questions in the context of European rainfall with a specific focus on how to deal with the uncertainty around trend estimates. We compare 10 empirical methodologies that one might use to model and predict trends, including traditional statistical testing and alternatives to statistical testing based on standard methods from model selection and model averaging. We emphasize prediction and risk assessment, rather than detection of trends, as our goal. Viewed in terms of this goal, the methods we consider each have qualitative and quantitative advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these advantages and disadvantages can help risk modellers make a choice as to which method to use, and based on the results we present, we believe that in many common situations model averaging methods, as opposed to statistical testing or model selection, are the most appropriate.
Iterated stable numbers and iterated amicable pairs
Authors: Kim Daeyeoul , Bayad Abdelmejid , Park Sang‐Hoon
Published: July 2021

This note presents the restricted divisor functions and describes the amicable pairs and their iterations and the iterated stable numbers derived from these new functions. These arithmetic functions are related to (2)‐type Mersenne primes 2p − 1, (2, 3)‐type Mersenne primes 2i · 3j − 1 and multiperfect numbers. Using Mathematica 11.2, we have tabulated all iterated stable numbers and iterated amicable pairs up to 220. We establish several interesting arithmetical properties of the iterated restricted divisor functions. The tables obtained suggested many open problems on iterated stable numbers, and iterated amicable pairs from iteration of the restricted divisor functions, some of which are proven here. For any natural number n, we studied the order of its iteration relative to the restricted divisor functions. Moreover, the generating series of the iterated restricted divisor functions are found.
The characteristics and risk factors of healthcare‐seeking men with lower urinary tract symptoms in China: Initial report from the POInT group
Authors: Song Qi‐Xiang , He Fan , Sun Xionglin , Liu Ke , Chen Zhong , Li Mingzhao , Lin Jianhai , Xu Zhihui , Li Yan , Zhang Yaoguang , Huang Hai , Zhang Yi , Ye Xiaofei , Peng Yonghan , Li Longkun , Yin Lei , Gao Xiaofeng , Song Bo , Sun Yinghao , Wang Jianye , Xue Wei , Abrams Paul ,   for the Prostatic Obstruction Investigation Team (POInT)
Published: July 2021

Aims

To investigate the clinical characteristics of health care‐seeking men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in China and to reveal risk factors for symptom severity.

Methods

This multicenter, hospital‐based, cross‐sectional study recruited 1477 eligible male subjects, who were at least 45 years, seeking health care at 9 participating hospitals across the mainland China. The general medical information and subjective symptoms were recorded, followed by the measurement of prostate volume, urodynamic indices, and laboratory tests for kidney function, plus glucose/lipid metabolism. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were employed for the detection of risk factors for symptom severity.

Results

The proportion of mild, moderate, and severe LUTS was 14.6%, 32.6%, and 52.8%, respectively, with 62.2% reporting the triple combination of storage, voiding, and postmicturition symptoms. Median prostate volume was 44.6 ml, and 71.1% were experiencing comorbidities. Thirteen independent risk factors for LUTS severity were identified, namely, nocturnal voiding episodes and the presence of straining and weak steam; the triple combination of symptom subtypes; general and nocturia quality of life; Qmax and bladder outlet obstruction index; and numbers of comorbidities, hypertension, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and cholesterol and glycosylated hemoglobin.

Conclusions

The majority of health care‐seeking LUTS men present with moderate‐to‐severe and overlapping symptoms, with a high prevalence of both lower urinary tract dysfunction and systemic comorbidities. The evidence from both urological and nonurological independent risk factors demonstrate the multifactorial nature of LUTS, for which a multidisciplinary management is essential.
Neoadjuvant Treatment with Angiogenesis-Inhibitor Dovitinib Prior to Local Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Phase II Study
Authors: Woei-A-Jin F.J. Sherida H. , Weijl Nir I. , Burgmans Mark C. , Fariña Sarasqueta Arantza , Tom van Wezel J. , Wasser Martin N.J.M. , Coenraad Minneke J. , Burggraaf Jacobus , Osanto Susanne
Published: July 2021

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence rates following locoregional treatment are high. As multireceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are effective in advanced HCC, we assessed the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant systemic treatment with dovitinib in early- and intermediate-stage HCC.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-four patients with modified Child-Pugh class A early- and intermediate-stage HCC received neoadjuvant oral dovitinib 500 mg daily (5 days on/2 days off) for 4 weeks, followed by locoregional therapy. Primary endpoints were objective response rates and intratumoral blood flow changes. Secondary endpoints were safety, pharmacodynamical plasma markers of VEGFR-blockade, time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS).

Results

Modified RECIST overall response rate was 48%, including 13% complete remission, and despite dose reduction/interruption in 83% of patients, intratumoral perfusion index decreased significantly. Grade 3–4 adverse events, most frequently (on-target) hypertension (54%), fatigue (25%), and thrombocytopenia (21%), occurred in 88% of patients. Plasma VEGF-A, VEGF-D, and placental growth factor increased significantly, whereas sTie-2 decreased, consistent with VEGFR-blockade. Following neoadjuvant dovitinib, all patients could proceed to their original planned locoregional treatment. No delayed toxicity occurred. Seven patients (three early, four intermediate stage) underwent orthotopic liver transplant after median 11.4 months. Censoring at transplantation, median TTP and OS were 16.8 and 34.8 months respectively; median cancer-specific survival was not reached.

Conclusion

Already after a short 4-week dovitinib treatment period, intratumoral blood flow reduction and modest antitumor responses were observed. Although these results support use of systemic neoadjuvant strategies, the poor tolerability indicates that dovitinib dose adaptations are required in HCC.

Implications for Practice

Orthotopic liver transplantation may cure early and intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Considering the expected waiting time >6 months because of donor liver scarcity, there is an unmet need for effective neoadjuvant downsizing strategies. Angiogenesis inhibition by dovitinib does not negatively affect subsequent invasive procedures, is safe to administer immediately before locoregional therapy, and may provide a novel treatment approach to improve patient outcomes if tolerability in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma can be improved by therapeutic drug monitoring and personalized dosing.
Statistical analysis of 12 years of standardized accelerated aging in photovoltaic‐module certification tests
Authors: Gebhardt Paul , Mülhöfer Georg , Roth Arnd , Philipp Daniel
Published: July 2021

Accelerated aging tests according to international standards (IEC 61215 and IEC 61730) have been used for many years to investigate photovoltaic (PV) module reliability. In this publication, we share a thorough analysis of the tests that were acquired over a time span of 12 years across a wide range of technologies and module generations. The results can serve as a valuable reference to evaluate the reliability of module types and prototypes beyond the use of standardized pass/fail criteria. Furthermore, this work can contribute to ongoing revisions of these standards. In more technical depth, we share the failure rates of different accelerated aging tests. We further discuss trends that are apparent over the investigated decade and reveal which test sequences have become the most relevant to differentiate different PV module types in terms of reliability.
Modulation of uniform magnetic field on electron dynamics in low‐pressure capacitively coupled plasmas
Authors: Guo Yu‐Qing , Sun Jing‐Yu , Zhang Quan‐Zhi , Ma Fang‐Fang , Liu Xiang‐Mei , Wang You‐Nian
Published: July 2021

The electron dynamics in uniform magnetized capacitively coupled plasmas are investigated by using a one‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation with a Monte Carlo collision model. It is found that the nonlinear dynamic behaviors of electrons are slightly modulated at weak magnetic fields, with more electron beams appearing during one sheath expansion. The electron beams are reversed before reaching the opposite electrode at moderate magnetic fields under the effect of Lorentz force. The discharge becomes very localized at very high magnetic fields, as the energetic electrons are confined in the vicinity of the sheath edge. The nonlocal to local transition of discharge characteristics is induced at different magnetic fields for various discharge frequencies. Generally, the discharge transition happens at stronger magnetic fields for high‐discharge frequencies. A quantitative relation between the discharge frequency and cyclotron frequency is given for the discharge transition.
Improving rubber concrete strength and toughness by plasma‐induced end‐of‐life tire rubber surface modification
Authors: Nisticò Roberto , Lavagna Luca , Boot Elisa A. , Ivanchenko Pavlo , Lorusso Massimo , Bosia Federico , Pugno Nicola M. , D'Angelo Domenico , Pavese Matteo
Published: July 2021

This study evaluates the effectiveness of using different plasma treatments to favor the compatibility between rubber and a cement matrix in composites, thus leading to a different surface reactivity of the rubber component. Plasma‐treated rubbers were introduced into two different types of concrete. Mechanical tests highlighted that Portland concrete composites filled with N2/H2 plasma‐treated rubber had increased flexural strength, toughness, and compression strength compared to composites containing untreated rubber. A scaling law is also proposed to qualitatively discriminate between related effects due to topological/roughness or intrinsic/chemical adhesion modifications. Plasma treatment can improve both intrinsic adhesion and roughness of the rubber–cement interface and thus the overall concrete strength and toughness.
Holes and islands in random point sets
Authors: Balko Martin , Scheucher Manfred , Valtr Pavel
Published: July 2021

For , let S be a set of points in in general position. A set I of k points from S is a k‐island in S if the convex hull of I satisfies . A k‐island in S in convex position is a k‐hole in S. For and a convex body of volume 1, let S be a set of n points chosen uniformly and independently at random from K. We show that the expected number of k‐holes in S is in . Our estimate improves and generalizes all previous bounds. In particular, we estimate the expected number of empty simplices in S by . This is tight in the plane up to a lower‐order term. Our method gives an asymptotically tight upper bound even in the much more general setting, where we estimate the expected number of k‐islands in S.
Lightweight, Fire‐Retardant, and Anti‐Compressed Honeycombed‐Like Carbon Aerogels for Thermal Management and High‐Efficiency Electromagnetic Absorbing Properties
Authors: Xu Jia , Zhang Xiao , Zhao Zhibo , Hu Hui , Li Bei , Zhu Chunling , Zhang Xitian , Chen Yujin
Published: July 2021

Ordered porous carbon materials (PCMs) have potential applications in various fields due to their low mass densities and porous features. However, it yet remains extremely challenging to construct PCMs with multifunctionalization for electromagnetic wave absorption. Herein, the honeycombed‐like carbon aerogels with embedded Co@C nanoparticles are fabricated by a directionally freeze‐casting and carbonization method. The optimized aerogel possesses low density (0.017 g cm−3), fire‐retardant, robust mechanical performance (compression moduli reach 1411 and 420 kPa in the longitudinal and transverse directions at 80% strain, respectively), and high thermal management (high thermal insulation capability and high‐efficiency electrothermal conversion ability). Notably, the optimized aerogel exhibits the excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties with broad effective absorption bandwidth (13.12–17.14 GHz) and strong absorption (−45.02 dB) at a thickness of only 1.5 mm. Density functional theory calculations and the experimental results demonstrate that the excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties stem from the synergetic effects among high electrical conductivity, numerous interfaces and dipoles and unique ordered porous structure. Meanwhile, the computer simulation technology (CST) simulation confirms that the multifunctional aerogel can attenuate more electromagnetic energy in a practical environment. This work paves the way for rational design and fabrication of the next‐generation electromagnetic wave absorbing materials.
Imbalanced inflammatory response in subchronic arsenic‐induced liver injury and the protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract in rats: Potential role of cytokines mediated cell–cell interactions
Authors: Dong Ling , Liu Yonglian , Wang Dapeng , Zhu Kai , Zou Zhonglan , Zhang Aihua
Published: July 2021

Arsenic is a well‐known environmental toxicant and carcinogen, which has been epidemiologically proved related to the increased hepatic disorders. Researches have shown that aseptic inflammation and abnormal immune response are associated with arsenic‐induced liver injury. However, the immunotoxic effects of liver have not been extensively characterized. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a natural products of G. biloba leaves with proven anti‐inflammatory and potential immunoregulatory activities, was used as intervention agent to explore its protective effects on arsenic‐induced hepatotoxicity. Thus, the underlying mechanism of the immunotoxic effects on arsenic‐induced liver injury were investigated in 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg NaAsO2 of Wistar rats for 16 weeks. Subsequently, GBE was used as intervention agent in 50 mg/kg for 6 weeks after cessation of arsenic exposure. The ratio of Th17 to Treg cells in peripheral blood as well as the secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL‐17A, IL‐6, TGF‐β1, and IL‐10 in serum and liver were detected. Meanwhile, the notable activation of aseptic inflammation‐related molecule TLR4 and its downstream targets MyD88 and NF‐κB in the liver were observed. In this work, we confirmed that subchronic exposed to arsenic triggered the infiltration of inflammatory cells in rat liver, coupled with obvious histopathological changes and aberrant hepatic serum biochemical parameters. Meanwhile, imbalanced immune response was verified by the notable abnormal ratio of Th17 to Treg cells in peripheral blood as well as the secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL‐17A, IL‐6, TGF‐β1, and IL‐10 in serum and liver of arsenic exposed rats. Further, the level of TLR4, MyD88, and NF‐κB in liver both transcription and translation activity were raised. Subsequently, GBE markedly mitigated arsenic‐induced liver injury, most impressively, post treatment with GBE prominently suppressed the overactivated inflammatory‐related TLR4‐MyD88‐NF‐κB pathway and evidently decreased the secretion of inflammation cytokines. Meanwhile, the disturbance of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory response was reversed. We concluded that the disruption of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory T‐cells balance caused by cytokines mediated cell–cell interactions may be one of the mechanisms underlying arsenic‐induced liver injury and that GBE intervention exerts an evidence protective effects, which might be closely associated with the suppression of inflammatory‐related TLR4 pathway.
Adopt a more efficient exception evaluation process
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: July 2021

Military deployment, chronic illness, death in the family — all are reasons students might request an exception to your policies. The challenge is identifying which ones are worthy and which ones are not.
The role of the exocytic pathway in cell wall assembly in yeast
Authors: Guo Qingguo , Meng Na , Fan Guanzhi , Sun Dong , Meng Yuan , Luo Guangzuo , Liu Ying
Published: July 2021

The cell wall is a dynamic organelle which is tightly controlled for cell morphology, viability, and pathogenesis. It was previously shown that exocytosis is involved in the secretion of some components and enzymes of the cell wall. However, how the secretory pathway affects the cell wall integrity and assembly remains unclear. Here we show that the secretory pathway mutant (sec) cells were sensitive to cell wall antagonists in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and they were lysed at restrictive conditions but can be rescued by osmotic stabilizers, indicating their cell walls were disrupted. Although glucans were reduced at the cell surface in sec mutants as speculated, the other two main cell wall components, chitins, and mannoproteins, were accumulated at the cell surface. We also found that both the protein level and the phosphorylation level of Slt2 increased in sec mutants. These results suggest that the exocytic pathway has a critical role in cell wall assembly. Our study will help to understand the mechanism of cell wall formation.
A Class of Integral Operators that Fix Exponential Functions
Authors: Bardaro Carlo , Mantellini Ilaria , Uysal Gumrah , Yilmaz Basar
Published: July 2021

In this paper we introduce a general class of integral operators that fix exponential functions, containing several recent modified operators of Gauss–Weierstrass, or Picard or moment type operators. Pointwise convergence theorems are studied, using a Korovkin-type theorem and a Voronovskaja-type formula is obtained.
Das fast vergessene Wissen über die formale Pathogenese des Zervixkarzinoms: Erich Burghardt (1921–2006) zum 100. Geburtstag
Authors: Pickel Hellmuth , Reich Olaf , Tamussino Karl
Published: July 2021

Durch die Einführung der sog. Krebsfährtensuche mittels Kolposkopie, Zytologie und Histopathologie durch Ernst Navratil (1902–1977) im Jahr 1946 kam es zu einem markanten Aufschwung der Gynäkopathologie an der Grazer Univ.-Frauenklinik. Dieser Aufschwung war im Wesentlichen Fritz Bajardi (1918–2006) und Erich Burghardt (1921–2006) zu verdanken. Diese haben in der Zeit ihrer klinischen Tätigkeit durch ihre Zusammenarbeit wesentliche Erkenntnisse über die Pathogenese des Zervixkarzinoms geliefert. Erich Burghardt ist es im Besonderen zu verdanken, dass die in der Literatur verstreuten diesbezüglichen Publikationen in einem synoptischen Werk zusammengefasst wurden. Es werden die richtungsweisenden Forschungsergebnisse von Bajardi und vor allem von Burghardt im Lichte des heutigen Erkenntnisstandes diskutiert.
Assessment of Trauma Care Capacity in Karachi, Pakistan: Toward an Integrated Trauma Care System
Authors: Khalil Mohammad Salman , Latif Asad , Ashraf Muhammad Nabeel , Atiq Muhammad Mehmood Alam , Zafar Hasnain , Haider Adil , Samad Lubna
Published: July 2021

Background

Pakistan is a lower‐middle‐income country with a high burden of injuries. Karachi, its most populated city, lacks a trauma care system due to which trauma patients do not receive the required care. We conducted an assessment of the existing facilities for trauma care in Karachi.

Methods

Twenty‐two tertiary and secondary hospitals from public and private sectors across Karachi were assessed. The Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care (GETC) tool was used to collect information about the availability of skills, knowledge, and equipment at these facilities.

Results

Among tertiary hospitals (n = 7), private sector hospitals had a better median (IQR) score, 90.4 (81.8–93.1), as compared to the public sector hospitals, 44.1 (29.3–75.8). Among secondary hospitals (n = 15), private sector hospitals had a better median (IQR) score, 70.3 (67.8–77.7), as compared to the public sector hospitals, 39.7 (21.9–53.3).

Discussion

This study identifies considerable deficiencies in trauma care in Karachi and provides objective data that can guide urgently needed reforms tailored to this city's needs. On a systems level, it delineates the need for a regulatory framework to define trauma care levels and designate selected hospitals across the city accordingly. Using these data, improvement in trauma care systems can be achieved through collaboration and partnership between public and private stakeholders.
Efficacy of endoscopic management for anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Kim Young-Il , Lee Jong Yeul , Khalayleh Harbi , Kim Chan Gyoo , Yoon Hong Man , Kim Soo Jin , Yang Hannah , Ryu Keun Won , Choi Il Ju , Kim Young-Woo
Published: July 2021

Background

Anastomotic leakage (AL) after gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients is associated with high mortality rates. Various endoscopic procedures are available to manage this postoperative complication. The aim of study was to evaluate the outcome of two endoscopic modalities, clippings and stents, for the treatment of AL.

Patients and methods

There were 4916 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy between December 2007 and January 2016 at the National Cancer Center, Korea. A total of 115 patients (2.3%) developed AL. Of these, 85 patients (1.7%) received endoscopic therapy for AL and were included in this retrospective study. The endpoints were the complete leakage closure rates and risk factors associated with failure of endoscopic therapy.

Results

Of the 85 patients, 62 received endoscopic clippings (with or without detachable snares), and 23 received a stent insertion. Overall, the complete leakage closure rate was 80%, and no significant difference was found between the clipping and stent groups (79.0% vs. 82.6%, respectively; P = 0.89). The complete leakage closure rate was significantly lower in the duodenal and jejunal stump sites (60%) than esophageal sites (86.1%) and gastric sites (94.1%; P = 0.026). The multivariate analysis showed that stump leakage sites (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.51; P = 0.031) and the presence of intra-abdominal abscess (aOR, 4.92; P = -0.025) were associated with unsuccessful leakage closures.

Conclusions

Endoscopic therapy using clippings or stents is an effective method for the postoperative management of AL in gastric cancer patients. This therapy can be considered a primary treatment option due to its demonstrated efficacy, safety, and minimally invasive nature.
Effective Field Theory for Shallow P-Wave States
Authors: Epelbaum E. , Gegelia J. , Huesmann H. P. , Meißner Ulf-G. , Ren Xiu-Lei
Published: July 2021

We discuss the formulation of a non-relativistic effective field theory for two-body P-wave scattering in the presence of shallow states and critically address various approaches to renormalization proposed in the literature. It is demonstrated that the consistent renormalization involving only a finite number of parameters in the well-established formalism with auxiliary dimer fields corresponds to the inclusion of an infinite number of counterterms in the formulation with contact interactions only. We also discuss the implications from the Wilsonian renormalization group analysis of P-wave scattering.
Double poroelasticity derived from the microstructure
Authors: Miller Laura , Penta Raimondo
Published: July 2021

We derive the balance equations for a double poroelastic material which comprises a matrix with embedded subphases. We assume that the distance between the subphases (the local scale) is much smaller than the size of the domain (the global scale). We assume that at the local scale both the matrix and subphases can be described by Biot’s anisotropic, heterogeneous, compressible poroelasticity (i.e.the porescaleis already smoothed out). We then decompose the spatial variations by means of the two-scale homogenization method to upscale the interaction between the poroelastic phases at the local scale. This way, we derive the novel global scale model which is formally of poroelastic-type. The global scale coefficients account for the complexity of the given microstructure and heterogeneities. These effective poroelastic moduli are to be computed by solving appropriate differential periodic cell problems. The model coefficients possess properties that, once proved, allow us to determine that the model is both formally and substantially of poroelastic-type. The properties we prove are a) the existence of a tensor which plays the role of the classical Biot’s tensor of coefficients via a suitable analytical identity and b) the global scale scalar coefficient$$\bar{\mathcal {M}}$$M¯is positive which then qualifies as the global Biot’s modulus for the double poroelastic material.
Interaction of Melanin with Metal Ions Modulates Their Cytotoxic Potential
Authors: Sarna Tadeusz , Swartz Harold M. , Zadlo Andrzej
Published: July 2021

Melanin is one the most common biological pigments. In humans, specialized cells called melanocytes synthesize the pigment from tyrosine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine via enzyme-catalyzed reactions and spontaneous processes. The formed melanin granule consists of nanoaggregates of oligomers containing different monomers. Although the main biological function of melanin is protection against damage from solar radiation, melanin may also be involved in protection against oxidative stress. In the latter function, sequestration of redox-active metal ions and scavenging of reactive oxygen species are of importance. The paper reviews basic physicochemical properties of melanin responsible for binding of metal ions and discusses specific conditions that may induce cytotoxicity of metal ions such as iron and copper by facilitating their redox activation and release from melanin. While the value of EPR spectroscopy and other EPR-related techniques for the study of melanin is emphasized, the concomitant use of other physicochemical methods is the most efficient approach.
Social and environmental factors influencing contemporary cases of wolf aggression towards people in Poland
Authors: Nowak Sabina , Szewczyk Maciej , Tomczak Patrycja , Całus Izabela , Figura Michał , Mysłajek Robert W.
Published: July 2021

Understanding factors and mechanisms causing large carnivore aggression towards people is crucial for their conservation in modern human-dominated landscapes. We present detailed descriptions of wolf attacks on people in early summer 2018 in two areas of Poland, analysis of behaviour, fitness and origin of individuals responsible for the attacks and management actions undertaken by local communities as well as governmental bodies and non-governmental organisations. We show that attacks were caused by yearling wolves (13-month-old male and 14-month-old female) originating from local packs, which appeared near households several months prior to incidents. Both individuals were positively food-conditioned and showed increasing habituation caused by irresponsible behaviour of people such as long-lasting intentional feeding or illegal keeping. Post mortem necropsy revealed obesity and serious abnormality of spleen (polysplenia) in the problem female wolf that negatively impacted her fitness and was the most likely reason for her presence near households and feeding on leftovers. Despite prolonged observations of these wolves very close to human settlements (less than 30 m), no mitigation actions were undertaken until the attacks, after which both individuals were killed. We provide several recommendations to avoid aggressive human-carnivore encounters.
Discriminating features-based cost-sensitive approach for software defect prediction
Authors: Ali Aftab , Khan Naveed , Abu-Tair Mamun , Noppen Joost , McClean Sally , McChesney Ian
Published: July 2021

Correlated quality metrics extracted from a source code repository can be utilized to design a model to automatically predict defects in a software system. It is obvious that the extracted metrics will result in a highly unbalanced data, since the number of defects in a good quality software system should be far less than the number of normal instances. It is also a fact that the selection of the best discriminating features significantly improves the robustness and accuracy of a prediction model. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is twofold, first it selects the best discriminating features that help in accurately predicting a defect in a software component. Secondly, a cost-sensitive logistic regression and decision tree ensemble-based prediction models are applied to the best discriminating features for precisely predicting a defect in a software component. The proposed models are compared with the most recent schemes in the literature in terms of accuracy, area under the curve, and recall. The models are evaluated using 11 datasets and it is evident from the results and analysis that the performance of the proposed prediction models outperforms the schemes in the literature.
Accounting Frauds and Main-Bank Monitoring in Japanese Corporations
Authors: Sakawa Hideaki , Watanabel Naoki
Published: July 2021

This study examines whether the delegated monitoring of main banks effectively decreases severe agency problems. For example, this includes accounting fraud in bank-dominated corporate governance. In this context, the fraud triangle specifies the three main factors of opportunity, incentive, and rationalization. Main banks may reduce the factor of opportunity through actions such as monitoring, which plays a moderating role by reducing the potential for managerial misconduct, whereas, the incentive factor may be enhanced through the subsequent pressure that influences managers to force turnover when they do not repay debts. The potential influence that the main banks have on the fraud rationalization factor may be stronger in firms that are more dependent on main-bank borrowing. This study analyzed data from publicly listed firms in Japan for the period between 2008 and 2016 to determine how main-bank relationships affected accounting fraud, thus allowing an assessment of delegated monitoring practices. Findings showed that main-bank relationships were helpful for reducing accounting fraud, suggesting its overall effectiveness in delegated monitoring. Results also showed that large audit firms did not necessarily prevent accounting fraud, which implies that main banks can employ their own monitoring as a substitute for the roles typically played by these firms. Here, the main policy implication is that main-bank relationships may strengthen business ethics in the context of bank-dominated corporate governance. In conclusion, the continued analysis of bank monitoring may benefit stakeholders while strengthening business ethics in bank-centered economies.
Beaming market simulation to the future by combining agent-based modeling with scenario analysis
Authors: Stummer Christian , Lüpke Lars , Günther Markus
Published: July 2021

Agent-based simulation has become an established method for innovation and technology diffusion research. It extends traditional approaches by modeling diffusion processes from a micro-level perspective, which enables the consideration of various heterogeneous stakeholders and their diverse interactions. While such a simulation is well suited to capture the complex behavior of markets, its application is challenging when it comes to modeling future markets. Therefore, we propose a multi-method approach that combines scenario analysis that generates multiple “pictures of the future” with an agent-based market simulation that offers insight into the potential outcomes of today’s strategic (technological) decisions in each of these futures. Thus, simulation results can provide valuable decision support for corporate planners and industrial engineers when they are engaged in technology planning. This paper describes the novel approach and illustrates it through a sample application that is based on an industry-related research project on the development and market introduction of smart products.
The impact of COVID-19 on emergency surgical presentations in a university teaching hospital
Authors: Kamil Ahmed M. , Davey Matthew G. , Marzouk Fadi , Sehgal Rish , Fowler Amy L. , Corless Kevin , O’Neill Maeve , Collins Chris G.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a 50–70% reduction in acute non-COVID-19 presentations to emergency departments globally.

Aim

To determine the impact of COVID-19 on incidence, severity, and outcomes of acute surgical admissions in an Irish University teaching hospital.

Methods

Descriptive data concerning patients presenting with acute appendicitis, diverticulitis, and cholecystitis were analysed and compared from March–May 2020 to March–May 2019.

Results

Acute surgical admissions decreased in March from 191 (2020) to 55 (2019) (55%), before increasing by 28% in April (2019: 119, 2020: 153). Admissions due to acute cholecystitis reduced by 33% (2019: 33, 2020: 22), with increased severity at presentation (P = 0.079) and higher 30-day readmission rates (P = 0.056) reported. Acute appendicitis presentations decreased by 44% (2019: 78, 2020: 43, P = 0.019), with an increase in severity (P < 0.001), conservative management (P < 0.001), and post-operative complications (P = 0.029) in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

Conclusion

COVID-19 has potentiated a significant reduction in acute surgical presentations to our hospital. Patients presenting with acute appendicitis during the pandemic had more severe disease, were more likely to have complications, and were significantly more likely to be managed conservatively when compared to historical data.
Development of High-Energy-Density Liquid Aerospace Fuel: A Perspective
Authors: Nie Jiaorong , Jia Tinghao , Pan Lun , Zhang Xiangwen , Zou Ji-Jun
Published: July 2021

Aerospace aircraft has significantly improved the life quality of human beings and extended the capability of space explosion since its appearance in 1903, in which liquid propellants or fuels provide the key power source. For jet fuels, its property of energy density plays an important role in determining the flight range, load, and performance of the aircraft. Therefore, the design and fabrication of high-energy-density (HED) fuels attract more and more attention from researchers all over the world. Herein, we briefly introduce the development of liquid jet fuels and HED fuels and demonstrate the future development of HED fuels. To further improve the energy density of fuel, the approaches of design and construction of multi-cyclic and stained molecule structures are proposed. To break through the density limit of hydrocarbon fuels, the addition of energetic nanoparticles in HED fuels to produce nanofluid or gelled fuels may provide a facile and effective method to significantly increase the energy density. This work provides the perspective for the development of HED fuels for advanced aircrafts.
Data-Related Ethics Issues in Technologies for Informal Professional Learning
Authors: Pammer-Schindler Viktoria , Rosé Carolyn
Published: July 2021

Professional and lifelong learning are a necessity for workers. This is true both for re-skilling from disappearing jobs, as well as for staying current within a professional domain. AI-enabled scaffolding and just-in-time and situated learning in the workplace offer a new frontier for future impact of AIED. The hallmark of this community’s work has been i) data-driven design of learning technology and ii) machine-learning enabled personalized interventions. In both cases, data are the foundation of AIED research and data-related ethics are thus central to AIED research. In this paper we formulate a vision how AIED research could address data-related ethics issues in informal and situated professional learning. The foundation of our vision is a secondary analysis of five research cases that offer insights related to data-driven adaptive technologies for informal professional learning. We describe the encountered data-related ethics issues. In our interpretation, we have developed three themes: Firstly, in informal and situated professional learning, relevant data about professional learning – to be used as a basis for learning analytics and reflection or as a basis for adaptive systems - is not only about learners. Instead, due to the situatedness of learning, relevant data is also about others (colleagues, customers, clients) and other objects from the learner’s context. Such data may be private, proprietary, or both. Secondly, manual tracking comes with high learner control over data. Thirdly, learning is not necessarily a shared goal in informal professional learning settings. From an ethics perspective, this is particularly problematic as much data that would be relevant for use within learning technologies hasn’t been collected for the purposes of learning. These three themes translate into challenges for AIED research that need to be addressed in order to successfully investigate and develop AIED technology for informal and situated professional learning. As an outlook of this paper, we connect these challenges to ongoing research directions within AIED – natural language processing, socio-technical design, and scenario-based data collection - that might be leveraged and aimed towards addressing data-related ethics challenges.
Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine
Authors: Hopwood Nick , Müller-Wille Staffan , Browne Janet , Groeben Christiane , Kuriyama Shigehisa , van der Lugt Maaike , Giglioni Guido , Nyhart Lynn K. , Rheinberger Hans-Jörg , Dröscher Ariane , Anderson Warwick , Anker Peder , Grote Mathias , van de Wiel Lucy ,   the Fifteenth Ischia Summer School on the History of the Life Sciences
Published: July 2021

We invite systematic consideration of the metaphors of cycles and circulation as a long-term theme in the history of the life and environmental sciences and medicine. Ubiquitous in ancient religious and philosophical traditions, especially in representing the seasons and the motions of celestial bodies, circles once symbolized perfection. Over the centuries cyclic images in western medicine, natural philosophy, natural history and eventually biology gained independence from cosmology and theology and came to depend less on strictly circular forms. As potent ‘canonical icons’, cycles also interacted with representations of linear and irreversible change, including arrows, arcs, scales, series and trees, as in theories of the Earth and of evolution. In modern times life cycles and reproductive cycles have often been held to characterize life, in some cases especially female life, while human efforts selectively to foster and disrupt these cycles have harnessed their productivity in medicine and agriculture. But strong cyclic metaphors have continued to link physiology and climatology, medicine and economics, and biology and manufacturing, notably through the relations between land, food and population. From the grand nineteenth-century transformations of matter to systems ecology, the circulation of molecules through organic and inorganic compartments has posed the problem of maintaining identity in the face of flux and highlights the seductive ability of cyclic schemes to imply closure where no original state was in fact restored. More concerted attention to cycles and circulation will enrich analyses of the power of metaphors to naturalize understandings of life and their shaping by practical interests and political imaginations.
Can Guided Notes Support Students’ Note-taking in Mathematics Lectures?
Authors: Feudel Frank , Panse Anja
Published: July 2021

In traditional mathematics lectures the instructor normally writes the definitions, theorems, and proofs covered on the board, and gives informal oral explanations that help to make sense of them. The students have to take notes. However, there are serious problems concerning students’ note-taking in traditional mathematics lectures. Students often cannot think about the information presented during the lecture as they are busy writing. Making sense of the content later is also difficult because many students do not include the lecturer’s oral explanations in their notes. One approach to addressing these problems can be the use of guided notes: a modified version of the instructor’s notes with certain blanks the students have to fill in during the lecture. We investigated to what extent guided notes can support students in their note-taking in mathematics lectures in a study using a mixed-method design. This study provides on the one hand quantitative data suggesting that guided notes are perceived as beneficial by many students for several aspects of their note-taking. On the other hand, it offers qualitative data illustrating how the use of guided notes can influence these aspects. The results indicate in particular that the use of guided notes can address some of the problems concerning students’ note-taking in traditional mathematics lectures, while it can also lead to new problems that one needs to be aware of.