bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computer-Aided Diagnosis of COVID-19 CT Scans Based on Spatiotemporal Information Fusion
Authors: Li Tianyi , Wei Wei , Cheng Lidan , Zhao Shengjie , Xu Chuanjun , Zhang Xia , Zeng Yi , Gu Jihua
Published: March 2021

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly contagious and pathogenic. Currently, the diagnosis of COVID-19 is based on nucleic acid testing, but it has false negatives and hysteresis. The use of lung CT scans can help screen and effectively monitor diagnosed cases. The application of computer-aided diagnosis technology can reduce the burden on doctors, which is conducive to rapid and large-scale diagnostic screening. In this paper, we proposed an automatic detection method for COVID-19 based on spatiotemporal information fusion. Using the segmentation network in the deep learning method to segment the lung area and the lesion area, the spatiotemporal information features of multiple CT scans are extracted to perform auxiliary diagnosis analysis. The performance of this method was verified on the collected dataset. We achieved the classification of COVID-19 CT scans and non-COVID-19 CT scans and analyzed the development of the patients’ condition through the CT scans. The average accuracy rate is 96.7%, sensitivity is 95.2%, and F1 score is 95.9%. Each scan takes about 30 seconds for detection.
Optimization for Due‐Date Assignment Single‐Machine Scheduling under Group Technology
Authors: Wang Li-Yan , Liu Mengqi , Wang Ji-Bo , Lu Yuan-Yuan , Liu Wei-Wei
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the single‐machine scheduling problem is studied by simultaneously considering due‐date assignment and group technology (GT). The objective is to determine the optimal sequence of groups and jobs within groups and optimal due‐date assignment to minimize the weighted sum of the absolute value in lateness and due‐date assignment cost, where the weights are position dependent. For the common (CON) due‐date assignment, slack (SLK) due‐date assignment, and different (DIF) due‐date assignment, an O(n  log  n) time algorithm is proposed, respectively, to solve the problem, where n is the number of jobs.
The Prognostic Value of Log Odds of Positive Lymph Nodes in Early-Stage Esophageal Cancer Patients: A Study Based on the SEER Database and a Chinese Cohort
Authors: Xi Kexing , Chen Wenyou , Yu Hui
Published: March 2021

Objective. Early detection and timely treatment are important for improving the prognosis of esophageal cancer (EC). Identification of the prognostic risk factors could help us to discern the high-risk population. This study was aimed at exploring the prognostic significance of log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in early-stage EC patients. Methods. Patients who underwent esophagectomy and diagnosed as pathologic T1-2 N0 EC were reviewed between January 2005 and December 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (the development cohort, n = 1004). The X-tile software was used to determine the optimal cutoff values of LODDS. A separate Chinese cohort including 245 patients (the validation cohort) was used to externally validate the results of the SEER database. Result. Patients were divided into two groups based on the cutoff points of LODDS: <−1.40 (LODDS1) and ≥−1.40 (LODDS2). In the development cohort, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 75.3% for patients in the LODDS1 group, compared with 67.5% for those in the LODDS2 group (

P
=
0.002

). In multivariate Cox analysis, LODDS was associated with OS significantly (hazard ratio (HR), 1.48; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.19–1.85). In the validation cohort, the 5-year OS rate was 76.6% for patients in the LODDS1 group, compared with 64.4% for those in the LODDS2 group (

P
=
0.006

). The HR value in multivariate Cox analysis for OS was 2.00 (95% CI, 1.26–3.18). Conclusion. LODDS was an important independent factor for survival in early-stage EC patients.
Niche differentiation among genetic lineages in the Mediterranean Pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, across its geographical range
Authors: Loulida Soumia , Segurado Pedro , Naimi Mohamed , Znari Mohammed
Published: March 2021

Ecological niche modelling provides a useful tool to measure niche properties such as niche breadth, niche overlap and niche conservatism among genetic lineages, with relevant implications for conservation. The Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa occurs on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar over most Iberia and the Maghreb Region of north-western Africa, where it shows a complex genetic structure as the result of Pleistocene climatic oscillations and the particular geographical features of this region. We analyzed the overlap of the climate niche of genetic lineages and sublineages of Mauremys leprosa, based on confirmed records across the known geographical range of the species. We also compared the accuracy of environmental niche models obtained by splitting the two lineages into subunits and lumping across lineages. Results revealed an overall niche overlap between the two main lineages and among most sublineages, indicating no relationship between genetic variation and niche divergence. Likewise, the environmental niche modelling revealed an extensive geographical overlap of climatic suitability between the two lineages. However, some ecological differentiation occurs for some sublineage pairs, in particular involving a sublineage whose occurrence corresponds to a particular morphotype – the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle – which occupies very isolated habitats along the Draa basin in Morocco. These populations are currently threatened by fragmentation of habitats, drought and water salinization. This study will help assessing more effectively the impacts of ongoing climate change on Mauremys leprosa that along with local human activities are likely to increase in the southernmost limit of its distribution.
LDH, CRP and ALB predict nucleic acid turn negative within 14 days in symptomatic patients with COVID-19
Authors: Liu Gaoli , Zhang Bicheng , Zhang Shaowen , Hu Haifeng , Liu TingTing
Published: March 2021

Aims

To search for biochemical indicators that can identify symptomatic patients with COVID-19 whose nucleic acid could turn negative within 14 days, and assess the prognostic value of these biochemical indicators in patients with COVID-19.

Patients and methods

We collected the clinical data of patients with COVID-19 admitted to our hospital, by using logistic regression analysis and AUC curves, explored the relationship between biochemical indicators and nucleic acid positive duration, the severity of COVID-19, and hospital stay respectively.

Results

A total of two hundred and thirty-three patients with COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. We found patients whose nucleic acid turned negative within 14 days had lower LDH, CRP and higher ALB ( P < 0.05). ROC curve results indicated that lower LDH, TP, CRP and higher ALB predicted the nucleic acid of patients turned negative within 14 days with statistical significance( P < 0.05), AST, LDH, CRP and PCT predicted the severe COVID-19 with statistical significance, and CRP predicted hospital stay >31days with statistical significance ( P < 0.05). After verification, the probability of nucleic acid turning negative within 14 days in patients with low LDH (<256 U/L), CRP (<44.5 mg/L) and high ALB (>35.8 g/L) was about 4 times higher than that in patients with high LDH, CRP and low ALB ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions

LDH, CRP and ALB are useful prognostic marker for predicting nucleic acid turn negative within 14 days in symptomatic patients with COVID-19.
Ethical Theories and Approaches to Immigration in the United States: A Focus on Undocumented Immigrants
Authors: Sackey-Ansah Alex
Published: March 2021

The United States has dealt with issues on immigration for over a century. The largest wave of immigration before the late 20th century began in the 1870s and peaked in 1910 (Foley & Hoge, 2007). In the past few decades, the United States has dealt overwhelmingly with the issue of undocumented immigrants. This challenge has led to different approaches to immigration reform and to help regulate the influx of immigrants across its borders. Generally, however, there have been two major sets of voices indicative of the opinion of the American populace. One group has called for tighter immigration rules to prevent the easy entry of undocumented immigrants who have been branded as criminals. The other group has taken a moral and ethical stance to permit the entry of immigrants and to formulate a process for their legal residency. These two opposing views have triggered an ongoing discussion on undocumented immigrants.
Diagnostic accuracy of ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography in an emergency department
Authors: Tækker Maria , Kristjánsdóttir Björg , Andersen Michael B , Fransen Maja L , Greisen Pernille W , Laursen Christian B , Mussmann Bo , Posth Stefan , Graumann Ole
Published: March 2021

Background

This study examined whether ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography (ULD-CT) could improve detection of acute chest conditions.

Purpose

To determine (i) whether diagnostic accuracy of ULD-CT is superior to supine chest X-ray (sCXR) for acute chest conditions and (ii) the feasibility of ULD-CT in an emergency department.

Material and Methods

From 1 February to 31 July 2019, 91 non-traumatic patients from the Emergency Department were prospectively enrolled in the study if they received an sCXR. An ULD-CT and a non-contrast chest CT (NCCT) scan were then performed. Three radiologists assessed the sCXR and ULD-CT examinations for cardiogenic pulmonary edema, pneumonia, pneumothorax, and pleural effusion. Resources and effort were compared for sCXR and ULD-CT to evaluate feasibility. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated for sCXR and ULD-CT using NCCT as the reference standard.

Results

The mean effective dose of ULD-CT was 0.05±0.01 mSv. For pleural effusion and cardiogenic pulmonary edema, no difference in diagnostic accuracy between ULD-CT and sCXR was observed. For pneumonia and pneumothorax, sensitivities were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 69–100) and 50% (95% CI 7–93) for ULD-CT and 60% (95% CI 26–88) and 0% (95% CI 0–0) for sCXR, respectively. Median examination time was 10 min for ULD-CT vs. 5 min for sCXR ( P<0.001). For ULD-CT 1–2 more staff members were needed compared to sCXR ( P<0.001). ULD-CT was rated more challenging to perform than sCXR ( P<0.001).

Conclusion

ULD-CT seems equal or better in detecting acute chest conditions compared to sCXR. However, ULD-CT examinations demand more effort and resources.
Representation by Development Organizations: Evidence From India and Implications for Inclusive Development
Authors: Katyaini Suparana , Wessel Margit van , Sahoo Sarbeswar
Published: March 2021

This article focuses on development organizations’ construction of representative roles in their work at the environment–development interface and on implications of these constructions for inclusiveness. While much of the past literature on representation has dealt with electoral representation, this article highlights the importance of nonelectoral representation. It follows a constructivist approach and is based on 36 in-depth interviews with the staff of different types of India-based development organizations working on disaster risk management. The article shows how development organizations in India contribute to inclusive development by representing groups that are vulnerable to disaster risk in diverse ways. Showing this diversity and how it is mediated by organizations, the article makes clear that representation is much more complex than literature commonly suggests. This complexity enables organizations to engage with specific dimensions of inclusive development. The article also illustrates how representation by development organizations happens through opportunities found and created through the intertwining of capacity development, service delivery, and advocacy. At the same time, the mediated nature of representation, and its embeddedness in a wide set of relations, makes representation by development organizations indirect and questionable in ways beyond the commonly understood dominance of powerful nongovernmental organizations.
A Nationwide Study of Skiing and Snowboarding-Related Facial Trauma
Authors: Sorenson Thomas J. , Borad Vedant , Schubert Warren
Published: March 2021

Study Design:

Retrospective descriptive observational study.

Purpose:

Skiing and snowboarding offers valuable opportunities for outdoor physical activity throughout the cold winter months, but these activities can result in substantial personally injury. This study aimed to analyze trends in skiing and snowboarding-related facial trauma epidemiology.

Methods:

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for facial trauma related to skiing and snowboarding treated in United States (US) emergency departments between 2010 and 2019. These data and weighted estimates were used to analyze patient demographics, injury location, and etiology.

Results:

A total of 361 skiing or snowboarding-related facial injuries were recorded. Lacerations were most common injury (165/361; 45.7%), and facial fractures occurred in 21.6% (78/261) of patients. The most common facial fracture locations are the nose (38/78; 48.7%), orbit (17/78; 21.8%), and mandible (15/78; 19.2%). Pediatric patients accounted for 52% (187/361) of these injuries and had higher rates of lacerations (51.9% vs 39.1%, P < 0.05) and hospital admission (4.8% vs 1.15%, P < 0.05) than adults. Adults had a higher rate of facial fracture (30% vs 13.9%, P < 0.001) than children.

Conclusions:

Skiing and snowboarding-related facial trauma is relatively uncommon in the US. In general, these injuries are largely decreasing, but facial fractures still occur not infrequently during these activities. Based on our data, we strongly urge helmet manufacturers to increase the availability of recreational snowsport helmets that include nose, orbit, and mandible protections, which could help to prevent many of these injuries.
Automated Classification of Radiographic Positioning of Hand X-Rays Using a Deep Neural Network
Authors: Saun Tomas J.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Hand X-rays are ordered in outpatient, inpatient, and emergency settings, the results of which are often initially interpreted by non-radiology trained health care providers. There may be utility in automating upper extremity X-ray analysis to aid with rapid initial analysis. Deep neural networks have been effective in several medical imaging analysis applications. The purpose of this work was to apply a deep learning framework to automatically classify the radiographic positioning of hand X-rays.

Methods:

A 152-layer deep neural network was trained using the musculoskeletal radiographs data set. This data set contains 6003 hand X-rays. The data set was filtered to remove pediatric X-rays and atypical views. The X-rays were all labeled as either posteroanterior (PA), lateral, or oblique views. A subset of images was set aside for model validation and testing. Data set augmentation was performed, including horizontal and vertical flips, rotations, as well as modifications in image brightness and contrast. The model was evaluated, and performance was reported as a confusion matrix from which accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated.

Results:

The augmented training data set consisted of 80 672 images. Their distribution was 38% PA, 35% lateral, and 27% oblique projections. When evaluated on the test data set, the model performed with overall 96.0% accuracy, 93.6% precision, 93.6% sensitivity, and 97.1% specificity.

Conclusions:

Radiographic positioning of hand X-rays can be effectively classified by a deep neural network. Further work will be performed on localization of abnormalities, automated assessment of standard radiographic measures and eventually on computer-aided diagnosis and management guidance of skeletal pathology.
Ticks infesting humans and associated pathogens: a cross-sectional study in a 3-year period (2017–2019) in northwest Italy
Authors: Audino Tania , Pautasso Alessandra , Bellavia Veronica , Carta Valerio , Ferrari Alessio , Verna Federica , Grattarola Carla , Iulini Barbara , Pintore Maria Domenica , Bardelli Mauro , Cassina Germano , Tomassone Laura , Peletto Simone , Blanda Valeria , Torina Alessandra , Caramelli Maria , Casalone Cristina , Desiato Rosanna
Published: March 2021

Background

Tick-borne diseases are common throughout Europe. Ticks transmit pathogens to the host while feeding and together with mosquitoes, they are major vectors of infectious agents worldwide. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the incidence of tick-bite events and tick-borne disease in northwest Italy, but information on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from humans remains scarce. To fill this gap, we report here the prevalence of tick bites and tick-borne pathogens documented for humans in Piedmont, northwest Italy, in the 3-year period 2017–2019.

Methods

Ticks attached to humans during 2017–2019 were collected from residents of urban and rural area by physicians and veterinarians working with local veterinary agencies. All ticks (n = 1290) were morphologically identified to the species level. A subset of ticks removed from children (age 0–18 years) and the elderly (> 70 years), both age groups considered to be at-risk populations, was screened by biomolecular analysis to detect pathogens (e.g. Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp.). Pathogen identity was confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

Results

Ticks were taxonomically assigned to ten species of six genera (Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus). Most belonged to the genus Ixodes: 1009 ticks (78.22%) were classified as Ixodes ricinus. A subset of 500 ticks collected from the two at-risk populations were subjected to PCR assay to determine the presence of Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., and Anaplasma spp. The overall prevalence of infection was 22.8% (n = 114; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.19–26.73%), meaning that at least one pathogen was detected: Rickettsia spp. (prevalence 15%, n = 76; 95% CI 12.17–18.65%); Borrelia spp. (prevalence 6.4%, n = 32; 95% CI 4.42–8.92%); and Anaplasma spp. (prevalence 1.2%, n = 6; 95% CI 0.44–2.6%).

Conclusions

Our data underline the importance of surveillance in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases and the implementation of strategies to control tick infestation and associated pathogens.

Graphical Abstract
Molecular and morphological characterization of three new species of avian Onchocercidae (Nematoda) with emphasis on circulating microfilariae
Authors: Binkienė Rasa , Chagas Carolina Romeiro Fernandes , Bernotienė Rasa , Valkiūnas Gediminas
Published: March 2021

Background

Blood parasites have been the subject of much research, with numerous reports of the presence of microfilariae in the peripheral blood (circulating microfilariae) of birds belonging to many orders. Current limitations in molecular characterization methods and species identification using morphological characters of circulating microfilariae are major obstacles to improving our understanding the biology of Filarioidea species, particularly in wildlife. The aim of this study was to partially fill these gaps, with particular emphasis on morphological features of microfilariae, which are the most readily accessible stages of these pathogens.

Methods

Peripheral blood samples of 206 birds belonging to generaAcrocephalus(five species) andSylvia(five species) were examined using the buffy coat method to process the blood samples for the presence of microfilariae. Positive birds were dissected to collect adult nematodes. Microfilariae and adult nematodes were described, and sequences of their mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase subunit I and nuclear28SrDNA gene fragments were obtained and used for molecular characterization and Bayesian phylogenetic inferences.

Results

Overall prevalence of microfilariae was 2.9%. Microfilariae were found in the blood samples from six birds (2Acrocephalus scirpaceusand 1 each ofA. arundinaceus,Sylvia atricapilla,S. borinandS. curruca), which were dissected. All parasite species observed were new.Eufilaria acrocephalusisp. n. andEufilaria sylviaesp. n. were present in subcutaneous, peritracheal and periesophageal connective tissues inA. scirpaceusandS. borin,respectively.Splendidofilaria bartlettisp. n. was found in finger joins ofS. atricapilla.Illustrations of microfilariae and adult nematodes are shown, and morphological and phylogenetic analyses identified the DNA barcode haplotypes that are associated with these species. Phylogenetic analysis places the parasites of different genera in different closely related clades.

Conclusions

Adult nematode morphological characters, which have been traditionally used in the taxonomy of Filarioidea species, have a phylogenetic value. Importantly, in our study parasites of different genera were readily distinguishable based on the morphology of their microfilariae. The link between molecular and morphology data requires more study in Filarioidea species research, particularly because this approach provides new knowledge on species identity using only readily accessible blood stages (microfilariae), thereby avoiding host dissection and thus minimizing harm to wildlife during research.

Graphical Abstract
Remote interference management in 5G new radio: methods and performance
Authors: Peralta Elena , Levanen Toni , Mäenpää Mikko , Yuk Youngsoo , Pedersen Klaus , Nielsen Sari , Valkama Mikko
Published: March 2021

In time division duplexing based mobile networks, under certain atmospheric ducting conditions, the uplink reception may be interfered by the downlink transmissions of remote base-stations (gNBs) located hundreds of kilometers away. This paper addresses such remote interference problem in a 5G new radio (NR) macro deployment context. Specifically, two potential reference signal (RS) designs for remote interference management (RIM) are described. The first signal structure, denoted as the one OFDM symbol (1OS) based RIM-RS, is building on the channel state information reference signals of 5G NR. The second candidate is referred to as the two OFDM symbol based RIM-RS design, which builds on the design principles of LTE RIM-RS. The achievable detection performance is evaluated by introducing enhanced receiver algorithms together with three feasible propagation delay based gNB grouping and corresponding RIM-RS transmissions schemes. The performance results in terms of the receiver processing gain highlight that the improved detection algorithm assures sufficient performance to detect the remote interference for both RIM-RSs with all evaluated frequency domain comb-like patterns. The benefit of grouping corresponding RIM-RS transmissions from gNBs located on the same area is greater when using same frequency domain resources per transmitted sequence in practical interference scenarios. Furthermore, applying a common base sequence for all gNBs within a group allows to identify the group based on detected sequence and enables adaptive RIM mitigation schemes. On the other hand, it is shown that the 1OS RIM-RS provides smaller overhead and can be frequency multiplexed with the physical downlink shared channel, which opens up the possibility of using gNB group wise 1OS RIM-RS also for UE interference measurements.
A case of pleuroperitoneal communication in which establishing a laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum was useful for the detection of a fistula
Authors: Manabe Takehiko , Ono Kenji , Oka Soichi , Kawamura Yuichiro , Osaki Toshihiro
Published: March 2021

Background

Pleuroperitoneal communication (PPC) is rarely observed, accounting for 1.6% of all patients who undergo continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Although there have been several reports concerning the management of this condition, we have encountered several cases in which control failed. We herein report a valuable case of PPC in which laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was useful for supporting the diagnosis and treatment.

Case presentation

The patient was a 58-year-old woman with chronic renal failure due to chronic renal inflammation who was referred to a nephrologist in our hospital to undergo an operation for the induction of CAPD. Post-operatively, she had respiratory failure, and chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) showed right-sided hydrothorax that decreased when the injection of peritoneal dialysate was interrupted. Therefore, PPC was suspected, and she was referred to our department for surgical repair. We planned surgical treatment via video-assisted thoracic surgery. During the surgery, we failed to detect any lesions with thoracoscopy alone; we therefore added a laparoscopic port at her right-sided abdomen near the navel and infused CO2 gas into the abdominal cavity. On thoracoscopy, bubbles were observed emanating from a small pore at the central tendon of the diaphragm, which was considered to be the lesion responsible for the PPC. We closed it by suturing directly.

Conclusions

VATS with laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum should be considered as an effective method for inspecting tiny pores of the diaphragm, especially when the lesions responsible for PPC are difficult to detect.
Design of the pilot, proof of concept REMOTE-COVID trial: remote monitoring use in suspected cases of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)
Authors: Iqbal Fahad Mujtaba , Joshi Meera , Davies Gary , Khan Sadia , Ashrafian Hutan , Darzi Ara
Published: March 2021

Background

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus, COVID-19), declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a global health problem with ever-increasing attributed deaths. Vital sign trends are routinely used to monitor patients with changes in these parameters often preceding an adverse event. Wearable sensors can measure vital signs continuously (e.g. heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature) remotely and can be utilised to recognise early clinical deterioration.

Methods

We describe the protocol for a pilot, proof-of-concept, observational study to be conducted in an engineered hotel near London airports, UK. The study is set to continue for the duration of the pandemic. Individuals arriving to London with mild symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or returning from high-risk areas requiring quarantine, as recommended by the Public Health England, or healthcare professionals with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 unable to isolate at home will be eligible for a wearable patch to be applied for the duration of their stay. Notifications will be generated should deterioration be detected through the sensor and displayed on a central monitoring hub viewed by nursing staff, allowing for trend deterioration to be noted. The primary objective is to determine the feasibility of remote monitoring systems in detecting clinical deterioration for quarantined individuals in a hotel.

Discussion

This trial should prove the feasibility of a rapidly implemented model of healthcare delivery through remote monitoring during a global pandemic at a hotel, acting as an extension to a healthcare trust. Potential benefits would include reducing infection risk of COVID-19 to healthcare staff, with earlier recognition of clinical deterioration through ambulatory, continuous, remote monitoring using a discrete wearable sensor. We hope our results can power future, robust randomised trials.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04337489.
New power-law tailed distributions emerging in κ-statistics(a)
Authors: Kaniadakis G.
Published: March 2021

Over the last two decades, it has been argued that the Lorentz transformation mechanism, which imposes the generalization of Newton's classical mechanics into Einstein's special relativity, implies a generalization, or deformation, of the ordinary statistical mechanics. The exponential function, which defines the Boltzmann factor, emerges properly deformed within this formalism. Starting from this, the so-calledκ-deformed exponential function, we introduce new classes of statistical distributions emerging as theκ-deformed versions of already known distribution as the Generalized Gamma, Weibull, Logistic ones which can be adopted in the analysis of statistical data that exhibit power-law tails.
EPR study of the E’ defects in optical glasses and cristobalite
Authors: Mashkovtsev R. I. , Nepomnyashchikh A. I. , Zhaboedov A. P. , Paklin A. S.
Published: March 2021

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in experimentaloptical glasses obtained from the East Sayan mountain quartzites has beenstudied. For comparison a powder sample of cristobalite that formed duringthe beneficiation process of quartzite was also investigated by EPR. Thecomplex EPR spectra of fast-electron-irradiated glass andcristobalite were treated by computer simulations to determine the types of

centers and their principal gvalues. In glasses the well-known paramagnetic centers

,

,

have been observed. In particular, thecenter

previously characterized as stableonly below

was observed as a stable variantat room temperature. In cristobalite the paramagnetic defects similar to the

,

,

centers with slightly differentg values have been observed. From the observation of analogous

centers it was inferred that local structuresof glass and

-cristobalite aresimilar.
A combined synchrotron diffraction and first-principles investigation on structural properties of Co(OH)2under pressure up to 7 GPa
Authors: Babu Pillai Sharad , Upadhyay Deepak , Jha Prafulla K. , Joseph Boby
Published: March 2021

An H–H repulsion induced structural anomaly in Co(OH)2 at pressure around 2.5 GPa is reported using systematic synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and density functional theory (DFT) based first-principles calculations. The diffraction pattern evidences anomalous pressure dependence of Bragg peaks (003) and (013) compared to others indicating a much stronger change in the hydrogen sublattice with pressure. Analysis of the lattice parameters reveals a subtle but clear change in the trend of the out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants' ratio above 2.5 GPa. Two independent pressure runs using two different pressure transmitting media yielded similar results, thus proving the observations to be independent of the minor variations in the quasi-hydrostatic conditions during the pressure run. DFT calculations were performed on an extended unit cell of Co(OH)2 which enables the description of hydrogen in either ordered or disordered state. Calculations showed that only the hydrogen disordered structure is energetically favourable at high pressures. We attribute the anomalous behaviour of the (003) and (013) Bragg peaks above 2.5 GPa to the charge delocalization along hydrogen sublattice coming due to the hydrogen ordered-disordered transition, in agreement with DFT results showing the H disordered state to be energetically more favourable at higher pressure. A second-order Brich-Murnaghan equation of state (EoS) can well describe the low- and high-pressure regime separately with a 20% higher bulk modulus of the latter, further supporting the subtle transition around 2.5 GPa. Present results also complement the previous Raman spectroscopic study on Co(OH)2 which reported anomalous behaviour in the

(2) mode around 2.5 GPa.
Quadriceps muscle power and optimal shortening velocity are inversely related to angiotensin converting enzyme activity in older men
Authors: Kostka Joanna , Sikora Joanna , Guligowska Agnieszka , Kostka Tomasz
Published: March 2021

Background: Methods which potentially could prevent age-related loss of muscle mass and function are still being sought. There are various attempts to use pharmacological agents to prevent loss of muscle mass, but the effectiveness of many of them still needs to be confirmed. One of the promising therapeutics are Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and lowering of serum ACE activity. The goal of this study was to assess if taking Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEI) and other angiotensin system blocking medications (ASBMs) can modify muscle performance in older men as well as to assess the association of serum ACE activity with muscle strength, power, muscle contraction velocity and functional performance.

Methods: Seventy-nine older men took part in the study. Muscle function was assessed with hand grip strength, maximum power relative to body mass (Pmax) and optimal shortening velocity (Ʋopt) of the knee extensor muscles. Anthropometric data, ACE activity and functional performance were also measured.

Results: Negative correlations between ACE activity and Pmax (rho=-0.29, p=0.04) as well as Ʋopt  (rho=-0.31, p=0.03) in a group of patients not taking ACEI and between ACE activity and Ʋopt (rho=-0.22, p=0.05) in the whole group of men were found. Positive relationship between age and ACE activity was demonstrated (rho=0.26, p=0.02). Age was the only selected variable in the multiple regression analyses to determine both Pmax and Ʋopt.

Conclusions: Taking ACEI is not associated with a functional performance in older men of the same age and with the same anthropometric parameters. Serum ACE activity negatively associates to muscle power and muscle contraction velocity.
Quantum interference on the transmission spectrum of a timed Dicke state in an open cavity
Authors: Zhou Chunxiao , He Zhi , Cao Binfang , Shang Xue
Published: March 2021

The transmission spectrum of a two-atom timed Dicke state is investigated in an open optical cavity. In the proposed system, two identical atoms are excited by an external single photon field. In this process, the excited atoms grasp different excitation phases for their different spatial positions. For identical coupling strength of atoms and cavity, the excitation phases get coupled via cavity and vacuum fields, and they finally induce cosine-type quantum interference on the two splitting peaks of the spectrum. However, when one of the atoms is decoupled with the cavity, the excitation phases cannot get coupled directly via the cavity but must be mediated by the vacuum fields, which leads to opposite quantum interference effects on the two splitting peaks. In addition, we find that the real and virtual vacuum-mediated excitation phase couplings generate different quantum interferences. The real vacuum-meditated coupling induces sine-type quantum interference, while it becomes cosine-type for the virtual vacuum-mediated coupling. Our study clarifies the mechanism of quantum interference in the two-atom timed Dicke state and provides a feasible scheme for investigating the effect of vacuum-mediated excitation phase coupling.
Widespread misregulation of inter-species hybrid transcriptomes due to sex-specific and sex-chromosome regulatory evolution
Authors: Sánchez-Ramírez Santiago , Weiss Jörg G. , Thomas Cristel G. , Cutter Asher D.
Published: March 2021

When gene regulatory networks diverge between species, their dysfunctional expression in inter-species hybrid individuals can create genetic incompatibilities that generate the developmental defects responsible for intrinsic post-zygotic reproductive isolation. Bothcis- andtrans-acting regulatory divergence can be hastened by directional selection through adaptation, sexual selection, and inter-sexual conflict, in addition to cryptic evolution under stabilizing selection. Dysfunctional sex-biased gene expression, in particular, may provide an important source of sexually-dimorphic genetic incompatibilities. Here, we characterize and compare male and female/hermaphrodite transcriptome profiles for sibling nematode speciesCaenorhabditis briggsaeandC.nigoni, along with allele-specific expression in their F1hybrids, to deconvolve features of expression divergence and regulatory dysfunction. Despite evidence of widespread stabilizing selection on gene expression, misexpression of sex-biased genes pervades F1hybrids of both sexes. This finding implicates greater fragility of male genetic networks to produce dysfunctional organismal phenotypes. Spermatogenesis genes are especially prone to high divergence in both expression and coding sequences, consistent with a “faster male” model for Haldane’s rule and elevated sterility of hybrid males. Moreover, underdominant expression pervades male-biased genes compared to female-biased and sex-neutral genes and an excess ofcis-transcompensatory regulatory divergence for X-linked genes underscores a “large-X effect” for hybrid male expression dysfunction. Extensive regulatory divergence in sex determination pathway genes likely contributes to demasculinization of XX hybrids. The evolution of genetic incompatibilities due to regulatory versus coding sequence divergence, however, are expected to arise in an uncorrelated fashion. This study identifies important differences between the sexes in how regulatory networks diverge to contribute to sex-biases in how genetic incompatibilities manifest during the speciation process.
The acceptance and impact of Google Classroom integrating into a clinical pathology course for nursing students: A technology acceptance model approach
Authors: Huang Tzu-Hao , Liu Fen , Chen Li-Chen , Tsai Ching-Ching
Published: March 2021

Background

Google Classroom (GC) is a free web-based instructional platform rarely used for nursing student education. The acceptance, intention to use, and learning outcomes of GC remain unclear in Taiwan. We sought to identify the technology acceptance level and factors affection the intention to use GC. We also explored how integrating GC into traditional teaching affects learning satisfaction and academic achievement among nursing students in Taiwan.

Methods

In this randomized controlled study, based on a technology acceptance framework, 74 nursing students were randomly assigned in clusters to experimental (n = 39) and control (n = 35) groups during the spring semester of 2018. In Weeks 3–18, each member of the experimental group received one hour of traditional and GC teaching per week. The control group received two hours of traditional teaching per week. Both groups were asked to complete questionnaires to evaluate learning satisfaction and academic achievement during weeks 10 (mid-semester) and 18 (end-of-semester). The experimental group additionally completed technology acceptance questionnaires in both situations.

Findings

In the experimental group, the overall end-of-semester technology acceptance score was high (141.8 out of 155); their perceived ease of use, intention to use, and technology acceptance scores increased significantly compared to mid-semester (p<0.05). At the end-of-semester, perceived playfulness and perceived usefulness explained 63.5% of the variance in intention to use. Regardless of whether the assessment was administered mid-semester or at the end-of-semester, the experimental group had higher learning satisfaction and academic achievement scores than the control group. However, the degree of progress on learning satisfaction and academic achievement demonstrated no significant between-group differences.

Conclusions

The experimental group demonstrated high acceptance of GC. Playfulness and usefulness positively influenced nursing students’ intention to use GC. Blended learning—in combination with GC and traditional methods—resulted in similar learning satisfaction and academic achievement when compared to traditional learning. More research is needed to explore the effectiveness of blended learning through the GC platform with different courses and ethnic groups.
The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health of first-year college students: Examining the effect of Covid-19 stressors using longitudinal data
Authors: Fruehwirth Jane Cooley , Biswas Siddhartha , Perreira Krista M.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented stress to students and educational institutions across the world. We aimed to estimate the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of college students.

Methods

We used data on 419 first-year students (ages 18–20) at a large public university in North Carolina both before (October 2019-February 2020) and after (June/July 2020) the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. After evaluating descriptive data on mental health and stressors by students’ demographic characteristics, we estimated the associations between Covid-19 stressors (including work reductions, health, distanced learning difficulties and social isolation) and mental health symptoms and severity controlling for students’ pre-pandemic mental health, psychosocial resources, and demographic characteristics.

Results

We found that the prevalence of moderate-severe anxiety increased from 18.1% before the pandemic to 25.3% within four months after the pandemic began; and the prevalence of moderate-severe depression increased from 21.5% to 31.7%. White, female and sexual/gender minority (SGM) students were at highest risk of increases in anxiety symptoms. Non-Hispanic (NH) Black, female, and SGM students were at highest risk of increases in depression symptoms. General difficulties associated with distanced learning and social isolation contributed to the increases in both depression and anxiety symptoms. However, work reductions as well as Covid-19 diagnosis and hospitalization of oneself, family members or friends were not associated with increases in depression or anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

Colleges may be able to reduce the mental health consequences of Covid-19 by investing in resources to reduce difficulties with distance learning and reduce social isolation during the pandemic.
Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report
Authors: Vadehra Kumkum , Cai Jennifer , Bhuyan Rashmi Rekha , Ji Ping , Venegas Rose , Qing Xin
Published: March 2021

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a recently recognized type of T-cell lymphoma that can develop following breast implants, with morphologic and immunophenotypic features indistinguishable from those of ALK-negative ALCL. Here we report a case of a 58-year-old woman with a history of subglandular silicone implants placed for bilateral breast augmentation 25 years ago, who presented with bilateral breast pain and was found to have bilateral Baker Grade III capsular contracture, and heterogenous fluid collection centered near the left third costochondral articulation, a suspicious left chest wall lesion, and left axillary lymphadenopathy on imaging. A left axillary lymph node core biopsy and an aspiration of the fluid were performed, and no malignant cells were identified. The patient underwent bilateral removal of breast implants and total capsulectomies. Microscopic examination of the capsule surrounding the left breast implant revealed large pleomorphic tumor cells in a fibrinous exudate. By immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were found to be positive for CD3 (subset), CD4, CD7, CD30 (strong and uniform), and CD43, and negative for CD2, CD5, CD8, and ALK1, supporting the diagnosis of breast implant-associated ALCL. No lymphoma cells were identified in the right breast capsule, confirmed by CD30 stain. Breast implant-associated ALCL is a very rare disease that can develop many years after breast implant placement. Proper evaluation with breast imaging and pathologic workup is essential to confirm the diagnosis in suspected cases. Our case highlights that adequate sampling is important in the investigation of patients with suspected breast implant-associated ALCL.
ARTES, EDUCAÇÃO E EXTENSÃO Ã€ COMUNIDADE
Authors: Conceição Maria Beatriz Licursi , Silva Levi Leonido Fernandes da , Morgado Elsa Maria Gabriel , Barros Victor F. A.
Published: March 2021

A Revista BRAJETS â€“ Brazilian Journal of Education, Technology and Society com a preocupação em atender e divulgar os setores artÃ­sticos, culturais e pedagógicos, nesta edição nos presenteia com artigos que transitam do material ao espiritual.Os trabalhos revisados por uma comissão cientÃ­fica composta por pesquisadores qualificados e atuantes em suas áreas de estudo, expressam instigantes ideias que contribuirão para a geração de novos e atuais conhecimentos que conduzirão mudanças de atitudes e comportamentos. A nota introdutória propõe-se a promover um processo dialógico e conceitual entre as temáticas abordadas na BRAJETS, promovendo uma tessitura temática entre os sujeitos que buscam auto-realização e crescimento no seu processo contÃ­nuo de humanização. Espera-se que a presente edição especial possa ser inspiradorapara futuras pesquisas e investigações nas áreas em destaque.
Clima organizacional: teoría y práctica
Authors: García Rubiano Mónica , Vesga Rodríguez Juan Javier , Gómez Rada Carlos Alberto
Published: March 2021

This book seeks to be a contribution for those who work in the organizational field in any of its areas. Since the organizational climate construct is of great importance in organizations when evaluating the perceptions of their members regarding their work environment. The construct is approached from a broad perspective that allows it to be conceptualized, studied from different methods, related to some variables of organizational behavior, and linked to different evidences regarding elements that allow its evaluation and intervention.
Automatic and Fast Encoding of Representational Uncertainty Underlies the Distortion of Relative Frequency
Authors: Ren Xiangjuan , Luo Huan , Zhang Hang
Published: March 2021

Humans do not have an accurate representation of probability information in the environment but distort it in a surprisingly stereotyped way (“probability distortion”), as shown in a wide range of judgment and decision-making tasks. Many theories hypothesize that humans automatically compensate for the uncertainty inherent in probability information (“representational uncertainty”) and probability distortion is a consequence of uncertainty compensation. Here we examined whether and how the representational uncertainty of probability is quantified in the human brain and its relevance to probability distortion behavior. Human subjects (13 female and 9 male) kept tracking the relative frequency of one color of dot in a sequence of dot arrays while their brain activity was recorded by MEG. We found converging evidence from both neural entrainment and time-resolved decoding analysis that a mathematically derived measure of representational uncertainty is automatically computed in the brain, despite it is not explicitly required by the task. In particular, the encodings of relative frequency and its representational uncertainty, respectively, occur at latencies of ∼300 and 400 ms. The relative strength of the brain responses to these two quantities correlates with the probability distortion behavior. The automatic and fast encoding of the representational uncertainty provides neural basis for the uncertainty compensation hypothesis of probability distortion. More generally, since representational uncertainty is closely related to confidence estimation, our findings exemplify how confidence might emerge before perceptual judgment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHuman perception of probabilities and relative frequencies can be markedly distorted, which is a potential source of disastrous decisions. But the brain is not just ignorant of probability; probability distortions are highly patterned and similar across different tasks. Recent theoretical work suggests that probability distortions arise from the brain's compensation of its own uncertainty in representing probability. Is such representational uncertainty really computed in the brain? To answer this question, we asked human subjects to track an ongoing stimulus sequence of relative frequencies and recorded their brain responses using MEG. Indeed, we found that the neural encoding of representational uncertainty accompanies that of relative frequency, although the former is not explicitly required by the task.