bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
For the Sake of Marguirguis
Authors: Ibrahim Mina
Published: December 2020

This contribution endeavors to show that building and administrating Coptic charitable associations according to the laws of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Affairs (mosa) does not mean allying with or challenging one of the two institutions that claim control over the Coptic Christian ethics of giving in Egypt: the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate and the Egyptian government. Especially since my interlocutors are simultaneously integral subjects of the waqf properties (endowments, i.e. the parishes) administered by the institutional Church, they are less interested in negotiating a true definition of such a practice. Beyond the power dynamics that have played out over the orthodoxy of religious practices and that are intensively analyzed in existing literature, I argue that maintaining relations with the two official entities that govern Christian charity in Egypt invites thinking about interactions developed within the context of a heavenly community. Instead of focusing on the competition of who holds and authorizes the better form of the Coptic Christian tradition of khidma (service), I suggest that the interactions with this divine community are sometimes intertwined with overlooked invisible and inaudible meanings of dissent and activism among members of the largest Christian minority in the Middle East.
Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Another Road to Achieve Ecological Civilization and Green BRI
Authors: Lu Mengxing
Published: December 2020

Launched in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was promoted by the Chinese leadership as an open platform to boost global trade, economic growth and transnational cooperation. It has achieved impressive progress in economic terms. However, a concern that has been voiced by international society is that China is using the BRI host countries as a new ‘pollution haven’. As a response, the Chinese government launched a variety of policies and guidelines with the aim of integrating the concept of ecological civilization and green development into the implementation of the BRI. In general, China’s position is to require all Chinese companies to observe the local environmental laws and standards wherever they invest and operate. However, the minimum standards set by various environmental regulations of the host countries may not be effective in improving corporate environmental performance, particularly when the environmental standards in those counties are lower and more lenient than those that are in effect in China. The aim of this article is to explore whether the concept of Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) could motivate Chinese corporations to strengthen environmental risk management when they are operating and investing in these host countries. It is concluded that CER, as a form of private environmental governance, could provide added value for the implementation of ecological civilization and green development in the BRI but the success of this self-regulatory approach nevertheless calls for governmental intervention under certain circumstances.
China’s Ecological Civilization Concept as a Principle of Global Environmental Governance
Authors: Barresi Paul A.
Published: December 2020

The most fascinating feature of China’s ecological civilization (shengtai wenming 生态文明) concept is not its goals, which are essentially indistinguishable from the goals of other post-modern visions of sustainable societies, but its explicit embrace of both modern and traditional means as essential for achieving those goals. This feature of the concept highlights a paradox that would be inherent in its implementation as a principle of global environmental governance in societies where a strong rule of law remains aspirational. Fortunately, the ecological civilization concept also seems flexible enough to allow for an implementation strategy with Socratic overtones that would help all societies to learn how to craft blends of both modern and traditional means of building an ecological civilization even in the absence of a strong rule of law.
Novelties in Brazilian Stachytarpheta (Verbenaceae): A new species and taxonomic updates

Authors: CARDOSO PEDRO HENRIQUE , NETO LUIZ MENINI , SALIMENA FÁTIMA REGINA GONÇALVES , TROVÓ MARCELO
Published: December 2020

As part of our ongoing studies on the Brazilian Stachytarpheta (Verbenaceae), we describe Stachytarpheta oblongifolia P.H.Cardoso & Salimena from Central Brazil, propose the new combination Stachytarpheta chascanoides (Moldenke) P.H.Cardoso, and reestablish Stachytarpheta mollis Moldenke. In addition, several taxa are here treated differently from previous classifications, namely Stachytarpheta atriflora S.Atkins is synonymized with Stachytarpheta glauca (Pohl) Walp.; Stachytarpheta caatingensis S.Atkins and Stachytarpheta villosa var. bahiensis Moldenke are synonymized with Stachytarpheta brasiliensis Moldenke; Stachytarpheta canescens var. elliptica Moldenke is synonymized with Stachytarpheta hirsutissima Link; Stachytarpheta gesnerioides var. simplex (Hayek) Moldenke is synonymized with Stachytarpheta gesnerioides Cham. var. gesnerioides; Stachytarpheta galactea S.Atkins is synonymized with Stachytarpheta coccinea Schauer; and, Stachytarpheta spathulata Moldenke subsp. spathulata and Stachytarpheta spathulata subsp. mogolensis S.Atkins are synonymized with Stachytarpheta chascanoides. Lectotypes are designated for 11 names, Stachytarpheta gesnerioides var. simplex, Stachytarpheta glauca, Stachytarpheta hatschbachii Moldenke, Stachytarpheta integrifolia (Pohl) Walp., Stachytarpheta longispicata (Pohl) S.Atkins subsp. longispicata, Stachytarpheta longispicata subsp. brevibracteata (Moldenke) S.Atkins, Stachytarpheta longispicata var. parvifolia (Moldenke) S.Atkins, Stachytarpheta lythrophylla Schauer, Stachytarpheta martiana Schauer, Stachytarpheta obovata Hayek, and Stachytarpheta speciosa Pohl ex Schauer.
Muscari muglaensis (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a new species from southwestern Anatolia

Authors: EKER İSMAİL , DUMAN HAYRİ , YILDIRIM HASAN
Published: December 2020

A new species, Muscari muglaensis Eker, H.Duman & Yıldırım sp. nov. (Asparagaceae) from Turkey, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to M. weissii, M. comosum, M. cycladicum and M. elmasii, but differs mainly by its large bulbs and fruit structure from M. weissii and M. comosum, and long pedicels of fertile flowers and transversely growing raceme in fruit from M. cycladicum and M. elmasii. In this study, a comprehensive description, diagnostic characters, original photographs, detailed illustration, geographical distribution, conservation assessment, identification key, observations, and taxonomic comments on the new species are presented.
A key to Begonia section Bracteibegonia from Sumatra with one new species and rediscovery of Begonia fasciculata Jack

Authors: GIRMANSYAH DEDEN , HUGHES MARK , JORINI SULISTI , RUGAYAH TITIK , CHIKMAWATI TATIK
Published: December 2020

Of the 15 species in Begonia sect. Bracteibegonia, 13 are endemic to Sumatra. Following recent fieldwork in North Sumatra, Begonia fasciculata Jack has been observed for the first time since it’s description in 1822 and is neotypified. A new species in B. sect. Bracteibegonia from the Mentawai Islands is described, and a key to all species in the section from Sumatra is provided.
Towards completion of the species inventory of small-sized leaf-tailed geckos: two new species of Uroplatus from northern Madagascar
Authors: RATSOAVINA FANOMEZANA M. , GLAW FRANK , RASELIMANANA ACHILLE P. , RAKOTOARISON ANDOLALAO , VIEITES DAVID R. , HAWLITSCHEK OLIVER , VENCES MIGUEL , SCHERZ MARK D.
Published: December 2020

The northern part of Madagascar is well known for its high species diversity and endemism. Exceptional species richness is related to the existence of large forest blocks and mountain complexes. These areas shelter a diverse variety of habitats occupied by a wide diversity of species, including leaf-tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we here formally name two evolutionary lineages as new species that previously had been considered as candidate species (Uroplatus spp. Ca3 and Ca4), both small-sized species of the Uroplatus ebenaui group. Genetically, both new species are related to U. finiavana with a genetic divergence (uncorrected pairwise distance) of 10.3–12.8% in a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, and separated from each other by 10.3–10.7%. Uroplatus fangorn sp. nov. is described from the Marojejy massif and is also known from Andrevorevo, Lohanandroranga and Sorata; it is similar to U. ebenaui and U. fetsy but is distinguishable by its rather short tail and only partially black pigmented oral mucosa. Uroplatus fivehy sp. nov. is described from the Sorata Massif and is wider-ranging, occurring in an area from Marotandrano and Makira to Sorata, comprising Marojejy, Anjanaharibe-Sud, Ankitsika and Betaolana; it is morphologically similar to U. finiavana but distinguishable by tail size and shape. Both newly described species are found in rainforest from mid to high elevation and range respectively from 840–1417 m for U. fivehy sp nov. and 1300–1800 m for U. fangorn sp. nov. According to their respective geographical distributions, we propose to classify the two new species as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List criteria, due to their occurrence in some forests outside of the protected area network plus the continuing decline of forest patches in the north of Madagascar.
A new species of cat-eyed snake (Serpentes: Dipsadinae: Leptodeirini) from the Andes of southern Ecuador
Authors: TORRES-CARVAJAL OMAR , SÁNCHEZ-NIVICELA JUAN C. , POSSE VALENTINA , CELI ELVIS , KOCH CLAUDIA
Published: December 2020

Leptodeira is one of the most widespread and taxonomically problematic snake taxa in the Americas. Here we describe a new species of Leptodeira from the Andes of southern Ecuador based on morphological and molecular data. The new species is geographically close and morphologically similar to L. ornata and L. larcorum, from which it can be distinguished by having smaller dorsal body blotches, a longer tail, and shorter spines on the hemipenial body. The shortest genetic distances between the new species and its congeners are 0.02 (16S), 0.05 (cytb), and 0.18 (ND4). The new species is restricted to the Jubones River Basin in southern Ecuador, an area of endemism for other reptile species. Our phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data also supports recognition of the names L. larcorum (restricted to Peru) for “L. septentrionalis larcorum”, and L. ornata for populations of “L. s. ornata” from central and eastern Panama, western Colombia, and western Ecuador. However, some samples of “L. s. ornata” from Panama and Costa Rica, as well as the new species described herein, are not included within or more closely related to L. ornata, which is sister to the clade (L. bakeri, L. ashmeadii).
An Illustrated Key of Pyrgomorphidae (Orthoptera: Caelifera) of the Indian Subcontinent Region
Authors: ZAHID SUNDUS , MARIÑO-PÉREZ RICARDO , AMEHMOOD SARDAR AZHAR , MUHAMMAD KUSHI , SONG HOJUN
Published: December 2020

The Indian subcontinent is known to harbor a high level of insect biodiversity and endemism, but the grasshopper fauna in this region is poorly understood, in part due to the lack of appropriate taxonomic resources. Based on detailed examinations of museum specimens and high-resolution digital images, we have produced an illustrated key to 21 Pyrgomorphidae genera known from the Indian subcontinent. This new identification key will become a useful tool for increasing our knowledge on the taxonomy of grasshoppers in this important biogeographic region.
Description of the female morphology of the relict troglobiont millipede Cantabrodesmus lorioli Mauriès 1971 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Chelodesmidae), and new records in the deepest pit of Spain
Authors: GILGADO JOSÉ D. , AGUINAGA JOSÉ A. NORIEGA , ENGHOFF HENRIK
Published: December 2020

The troglobiont millipede, Cantabrodesmus lorioli Mauriès, 1971, inhabits a few caves in a small region of Northern Spain. It is considered a relict species because of its geographical isolation compared to others in its family, and its to some extent uncertain systematic position. Cantabrodesmus lorioli has been placed in three different families, and now is considered a member of the Chelodesmidae, a family with only one other known native European representative. There are few records of this species, and almost nothing is known about its biology. The only available information on this species is the description of the male and a list of caves where it has been captured. In the present work, we provide the first description of the female morphology, illustrated by scanning electron microscopy, and a series of new records from caves in a region where it had never been captured before, including the deepest known pit in Spain, Torca del Porrón. The female morphology does not show many differences from that of the male, but several characters are discussed. All of the known information on the morphology of the species is used to discuss the implications for its biology and systematic position.
Role of Advection on the Evolution of Near-Surface Temperature and Wind in Urban-Aware Simulations
Authors: Ray Pallav , Tan Haochen , Tewari Mukul , Brownlee James , Ajayamohan R. S. , Barrett Bradford S.
Published: December 2020

The role of advection of heat and momentum on the evolution of near-surface temperature and wind is evaluated in urban-aware simulations over Houston, Texas, under dry conditions on a light-wind day. Two sets of experiments, each consisting of four simulations using different planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes, were conducted over 48 h using the default urban scheme (BULK) and the single-layer urban canopy model (SLUCM) available within the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. We focus on understanding and quantifying the role played by temperature and momentum advection, particularly on the windward and leeward sides of the city. Previous studies have largely ignored any quantitative analysis of impacts from the advection of momentum over an urban area. The horizontal advection of temperature was found to be more important in the BULK because of the larger surface temperature gradient caused by warmer surface temperatures over urban areas than in the SLUCM. An analysis of the momentum budget shows that horizontal advection of zonal and meridional momentum plays a prominent role during the period of peak near-surface winds and that this effect is more pronounced in the windward side of the city. The local tendency in peak winds in the leeward side lags that in the windward side by about 1–2 h, similar to the lag found in horizontal momentum advection. The sensitivity of the results to different urban and PBL schemes was explored. The results imply that representation and influence of land-use patterns via sophisticated urban parameterizations generate locally driven winds that best resemble observations.
Modulation of North Pacific and North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones by Tropical Transbasin Variability and ENSO during May–October
Authors: Chen Shaohua , Zhao Haikun , Raga Graciela B. , Klotzbach Philip J.
Published: December 2020

This study highlights the distinct modulation of May–October tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP), eastern North Pacific (ENP), and North Atlantic (NATL) Ocean basins by tropical transbasin variability (TBV) and ENSO. The pure TBV significantly modulates total TC counts in all three basins, with more TCs in the WNP and ENP and fewer TCs in the NATL during warm TBV years and fewer TCs in the WNP and ENP and more TCs in the NATL during cold TBV years. By contrast, the pure ENSO signal shows no impact on total TC count over any of the three basins. These results are consistent with changes in large-scale factors associated with TBV and ENSO. Low-level relative vorticity (VOR) is an important driver of WNP TC genesis frequency, with broad agreement between the observed spatial distribution of TC genesis and TBV/ENSO-associated VOR anomalies. TBV significantly affects ENP TC frequency as a result of changes in basinwide vertical wind shear and sea surface temperatures, whereas the modulation in TC frequency by ENSO is primarily caused by a north–south dipole modulation of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic factors. The pure TBV-related low-level VOR changes appear to be the most important factor modulating NATL TC frequency. Changes in large-scale factors compare well with the budget of synoptic-scale eddy kinetic energy. Possible physical processes associated with pure TBV and pure ENSO that modulate TC frequency are further discussed. This study contributes to the understanding of TC interannual variability and could thus be helpful for seasonal TC forecasting.
Subseasonal Precipitation Prediction for Africa: Forecast Evaluation and Sources of Predictability
Authors: de Andrade Felipe M. , Young Matthew P. , MacLeod David , Hirons Linda C. , Woolnough Steven J. , Black Emily
Published: December 2020

This paper evaluates subseasonal precipitation forecasts for Africa using hindcasts from three models (ECMWF, UKMO, and NCEP) participating in the Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) prediction project. A variety of verification metrics are employed to assess weekly precipitation forecast quality at lead times of one to four weeks ahead (weeks 1–4) during different seasons. Overall, forecast evaluation indicates more skillful predictions for ECMWF over other models and for East Africa over other regions. Deterministic forecasts show substantial skill reduction in weeks 3–4 linked to lower association and larger underestimation of predicted variance compared to weeks 1–2. Tercile-based probabilistic forecasts reveal similar characteristics for extreme categories and low quality in the near-normal category. Although discrimination is low in weeks 3–4, probabilistic forecasts still have reasonable skill, especially in wet regions during particular rainy seasons. Forecasts are found to be overconfident for all weeks, indicating the need to apply calibration for more reliable predictions. Forecast quality within the ECMWF model is also linked to the strength of climate drivers’ teleconnections, namely, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean dipole, and the Madden–Julian oscillation. The impact of removing all driver-related precipitation regression patterns from observations and hindcasts shows reduction of forecast quality compared to including all drivers’ signals, with more robust effects in regions where the driver strongly relates to precipitation variability. Calibrating forecasts by adding observed regression patterns to hindcasts provides improved forecast associations particularly linked to the Madden–Julian oscillation. Results from this study can be used to guide decision-makers and forecasters in disseminating valuable forecasting information for different societal activities in Africa.
Development and Calibration of Seasonal Probabilistic Forecasts of Ice-Free Dates and Freeze-Up Dates
Authors: Dirkson Arlan , Denis Bertrand , Sigmond Michael , Merryfield William J.
Published: December 2020

Dynamical forecasting systems are being used to skillfully predict deterministic ice-free and freeze-up date events in the Arctic. This paper extends such forecasts to a probabilistic framework and tests two calibration models to correct systematic biases and improve the statistical reliability of the event dates: trend-adjusted quantile mapping (TAQM) and nonhomogeneous censored Gaussian regression (NCGR). TAQM is a probability distribution mapping method that corrects the forecast for climatological biases, whereas NCGR relates the calibrated parametric forecast distribution to the raw ensemble forecast through a regression model framework. For NCGR, the observed event trend and ensemble-mean event date are used to predict the central tendency of the predictive distribution. For modeling forecast uncertainty, we find that the ensemble-mean event date, which is related to forecast lead time, performs better than the ensemble variance itself. Using a multidecadal hindcast record from the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System (CanSIPS), TAQM and NCGR are applied to produce categorical forecasts quantifying the probabilities for early, normal, and late ice retreat and advance. While TAQM performs better than adjusting the raw forecast for mean and linear trend bias, NCGR is shown to outperform TAQM in terms of reliability, skill, and an improved tendency for forecast probabilities to be no worse than climatology. Testing various cross-validation setups, we find that NCGR remains useful when shorter hindcast records (~20 years) are available. By applying NCGR to operational forecasts, stakeholders can be more confident in using seasonal forecasts of sea ice event timing for planning purposes.
Bilateral Auditory Brainstem Implants in Patients With Neurofibromatosis 2
Authors: Noonan Kathryn Y. , Rock Jordan , Barnard Zach , Lekovic Gregory P. , Brackmann Derald E. , Wilkinson Eric P.
Published: December 2020

Objective

To discuss indications for bilateral auditory brainstem implants (ABIs), compare audiometric outcomes of unilateral vs bilateral ABIs, and determine if patients have improved outcomes with addition of a second‐side implant.

Study Design

Retrospective review of 24 patients with neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) who underwent sequential placement of ABIs from 1989 to 2019.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Methods

Charts were reviewed for indication for second‐side surgery, use of implants, and audiometric outcomes. Implants placed in the past 30 years were included in the study. Northwestern University Children’s Perception of Speech (NU‐CHIPS) and/or City University of New York (CUNY) sentence scores were compared in unilateral and bilateral conditions.

Results

Indications for a second‐side implant included first‐side implants with severe nonauditory symptoms (11), marginal audiometric results (9), outdated technology (2), or deterioration of first side (2). Seven patients are bilateral users and 1 patient discontinued bilateral use after a year due to no significant improvement over unilateral use. One patient with initial bilateral use was lost to follow‐up. Thirteen patients are unilateral users due to nonaudiometric side effects or poor audiometric outcomes with the first side. Two patients are complete nonusers. Seventy‐five percent had improved audiometric outcomes after the second‐side implant, and 20% had stable findings.

Conclusions

Second‐side ABIs should be consider in patients with poor performance from a first‐side implant. Most patients demonstrate subjective improvement with the second ABI. More research is needed for better objective assessments of improvements.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Taste Disorders in Cases of COVID‐19: A Meta‐analysis of 29,349 Patients
Authors: Saniasiaya Jeyasakthy , Islam Md Asiful , Abdullah Baharudin
Published: December 2020

Objective

The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to assess the pooled prevalence of taste disorders and their subtypes in patients with COVID‐19.

Data Sources

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify studies published between December 1, 2019, and June 23, 2020, without language restrictions. There was no restriction on the study design; therefore, observational studies, clinical trials, and case series were included. In addition, preprints were considered if data of interest were reported.

Review Methods

Two authors independently screened articles for eligibility. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% CIs. Quality assessment was done with critical appraisal tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The robustness of the pooled estimates was checked by subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

Results

Fifty‐nine studies were included (N = 29,349 patients, 64.4% female). The pooled prevalence of taste disorders in patients with COVID‐19 was 48.1% (95% CI, 41.3%‐54.8%). The prevalence of taste disorders in studies with objective assessments was higher as compared with subjective assessments (59.2% vs 47.3%). The disorders were observed in 55.2% of European patients; 61.0%, North American; 27.1%, Asian; 29.5%, South American; and 25.0%, Australian. Ageusia, hypogeusia, and dysgeusia were detected in 28.0%, 33.5%, and 41.3% of patients with COVID‐19. We identified 91.5% of the included studies as high quality.

Conclusions

The prevalence of taste disorders in patients with COVID‐19 was 48.1%. Objective assessments have higher prevalence than subjective assessments. Dysgeusia is the most common subtype, followed by ageusia and hypogeusia.
A novel conditioning-free hematopoietic stem cell transplantation model in zebrafish
Authors: Fraint Ellen , Feliz Norberto María , Bowman Teresa V.
Published: December 2020

Transplantation is the most common assay for measuring the in vivo functionality of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Although various HSC transplantation strategies have been developed in zebrafish, they are underutilized because of challenges related to immune matching and preconditioning toxicity. To circumvent these limitations, we developed a simple and robust transplantation model using HSC-deficient hosts. Homozygous runx1W84X mutants are devoid of definitive hematopoietic cells, including HSCs and adaptive immune cells; thus, they require no preconditioning regimen for transplantation. Marrow cell transplantation into runx1-mutant zebrafish 2 days after fertilization significantly improved their survival to adulthood and resulted in robust, multilineage, long-lasting, serially repopulating engraftment. Furthermore, we demonstrated that engraftment into runx1 homozygous mutants was significantly higher than into runx1 heterozygotes, demonstrating that the improved transplantation success is attributable to the empty HSC niche in mutants and not just the embryonic environment. Competitive transplantation of marrow cells into runx1 mutants revealed a stem cell frequency similar to that of murine marrow cells, which demonstrates the utility of this model for quantifying HSC function. The streamlined approach and robustness of this assay will help broaden its feasibility for future high-throughput transplantation experiments in zebrafish and will enable further novel discoveries in the biology of HSCs.
Regional patterns and trends of hearing loss in England: evidence from the English longitudinal study of ageing (ELSA) and implications for health policy
Authors: Tsimpida Dialechti , Kontopantelis Evangelos , Ashcroft Darren M. , Panagioti Maria
Published: December 2020

Background

Hearing loss (HL) is a significant public health concern globally and is estimated to affect over nine million people in England. The aim of this research was to explore the regional patterns and trends of HL in a representative longitudinal prospective cohort study of the English population aged 50 and over.

Methods

We used the full dataset (74,699 person-years) of self-reported hearing data from all eight Waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (2002–2017). We examined the geographical identifiers of the participants at the Government Office Region (GOR) level and the geographically based Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The primary outcome measure was self-reported HL; it consisted of a merged category of people who rated their hearing as fair or poor on a five-point Likert scale (excellent, very good, good, fair or poor) or responded positively when asked whether they find it difficult to follow a conversation if there is background noise (e.g. noise from a TV, a radio or children playing).

Results

A marked elevation in HL prevalence (10.2%) independent of the age of the participants was observed in England in 2002–2017. The mean HL prevalence increased from 38.50 (95%CI 37.37–39.14) in Wave 1 to 48.66 (95%CI 47.11–49.54) in Wave 8. We identified three critical patterns of findings concerning regional trends: the highest HL prevalence among samples with equal means of age was observed in GORs with the highest prevalence of participants in the most deprived (IMD) quintile, in routine or manual occupations and misusing alcohol. The adjusted HL predictions at the means (APMs) showed marked regional variability and hearing health inequalities between Northern and Southern England that were previously unknown.

Conclusions

A sociospatial approach is crucial for planning sustainable models of hearing care based on actual needs and reducing hearing health inequalities. The Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) currently responsible for the NHS audiology services in England should not consider HL an inevitable accompaniment of older age; instead, they should incorporate socio-economic factors and modifiable lifestyle behaviours for HL within their spatial patterning in England.
Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: report of two cases and literature review
Authors: Zhao Zi-Ming , Wang Jin , Ugwuowo Ugochukwu C. , Wang Liming , Townsend Jeffrey P.
Published: December 2020

Background

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PHNEC) is extremely rare. The diagnosis of PHNEC remains challenging—partly due to its rarity, and partly due to its lack of unique clinical features. Available treatment options for PHNEC include surgical resection of the liver tumor(s), radiotherapy, liver transplant, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and administration of somatostatin analogues.

Case presentation

We report two male PHNEC cases and discuss the diagnosis and treatment options. Both cases presented with abdominal pain; case two also presented with symptoms of jaundice. The initial diagnosis for both cases was poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, based on imaging characteristics and the pathology of liver biopsies. Final diagnoses of PHNEC were arrived at by ruling out non-hepatic origins. Case one presented with a large tumor in the right liver lobe, and the patient was treated with TACE. Case two presented with tumors in both liver lobes, invasions into the left branch of hepatic portal vein, and metastasis in the hepatic hilar lymph node. This patient was ineligible for TACE and was allergic to the somatostatin analogue octreotide. This limited treatment options to supportive therapies such as albumin supplementation for liver protection. Patient one and two died at 61 and 109 days, respectively, following initial hospital admission.

Conclusions

We diagnosed both cases with poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC through imaging characteristics, immunohistochemical staining of liver biopsies, and examinations to eliminate non-hepatic origins. Neither TACE nor liver protection appeared to significantly extend survival time of the two patients, suggesting these treatments may be inadequate to improve survival of patients with poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC. The prognosis of poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC is poor due to limited and ineffective treatment options.
Evaluation of lexical clarification by patients reading their clinical notes: a quasi-experimental interview study
Authors: van Mens Hugo J. T. , van Eysden Mirte M. , Nienhuis Remko , van Delden Johannes J. M. , de Keizer Nicolette F. , Cornet Ronald
Published: December 2020

Background

Patients benefit from access to their medical records. However, clinical notes and letters are often difficult to comprehend for most lay people. Therefore, functionality was implemented in the patient portal of a Dutch university medical centre (UMC) to clarify medical terms in free-text data. The clarifications consisted of synonyms and definitions from a Dutch medical terminology system. We aimed to evaluate to what extent these lexical clarifications match the information needs of the patients. Secondarily, we evaluated how the clarifications and the functionality could be improved.

Methods

We invited participants from the patient panel of the UMC to read their own clinical notes. They marked terms they found difficult and rated the ease of these terms. After the functionality was activated, participants rated the clarifications provided by the functionality, and the functionality itself regarding ease and usefulness. Ratings were on a scale from 0 (very difficult) to 100 (very easy). We calculated the median number of terms not understood per participant, the number of terms with a clarification, the overlap between these numbers (coverage), and the precision and recall.

Results

We included 15 participants from the patient panel. They marked a median of 21 (IQR 19.5–31) terms as difficult in their text files, while only a median of 2 (IQR 1–4) of these terms were clarified by the functionality. The median precision was 6.5% (IQR 2.3–14.25%) and the median recall 8.3% (IQR 4.7–13.5%) per participant. However, participants rated the functionality with median ease of 98 (IQR 93.5–99) and a median usefulness of 79 (IQR 52.5–97). Participants found that many easy terms were unnecessarily clarified, that some clarifications were difficult, and that some clarifications contained mistakes.

Conclusions

Patients found the functionality easy to use and useful. However, in its current form it only helped patients to understand few terms they did not understand, patients found some clarifications to be difficult, and some to be incorrect. This shows that lexical clarification is feasible even when limited terms are available, but needs further development to fully use its potential.
Extending import detection algorithms for concept import from two to three biomedical terminologies
Authors: Keloth Vipina K. , Geller James , Chen Yan , Xu Julia
Published: December 2020

Background

While enrichment of terminologies can be achieved in different ways, filling gaps in the IS-A hierarchy backbone of a terminology appears especially promising. To avoid difficult manual inspection, we started a research program in 2014, investigating terminology densities, where the comparison of terminologies leads to the algorithmic discovery of potentially missing concepts in a target terminology. While candidate concepts have to be approved for import by an expert, the human effort is greatly reduced by algorithmic generation of candidates. In previous studies, a single source terminology was used with one target terminology.

Methods

In this paper, we are extending the algorithmic detection of “candidate concepts for import” from one source terminology to two source terminologies used in tandem. We show that the combination of two source terminologies relative to one target terminology leads to the discovery of candidate concepts for import that could not be found with the same “reliability” when comparing one source terminology alone to the target terminology. We investigate which triples of UMLS terminologies can be gainfully used for the described purpose and how many candidate concepts can be found for each individual triple of terminologies.

Results

The analysis revealed a specific configuration of concepts, overlapping two source and one target terminology, for which we coined the name “fire ladder” pattern. The three terminologies in this pattern are tied together by a kind of “transitivity.” We provide a quantitative analysis of the discovered fire ladder patterns and we report on the inter-rater agreement concerning the decision of importing candidate concepts from source terminologies into the target terminology. We algorithmically identified 55 instances of the fire ladder pattern and two domain experts agreed on import for 39 instances. In total, 48 concepts were approved by at least one expert. In addition, 105 import candidate concepts from a single source terminology into the target terminology were also detected, as a “beneficial side-effect” of this method, increasing the cardinality of the result.

Conclusion

We showed that pairs of biomedical source terminologies can be transitively chained to suggest possible imports of concepts into a target terminology.
Texture features in the Shearlet domain for histopathological image classification
Authors: Alinsaif Sadiq , Lang Jochen
Published: December 2020

Background

A various number of imaging modalities are available (e.g., magnetic resonance, x-ray, ultrasound, and biopsy) where each modality can reveal different structural aspects of tissues. However, the analysis of histological slide images that are captured using a biopsy is considered the gold standard to determine whether cancer exists. Furthermore, it can reveal the stage of cancer. Therefore, supervised machine learning can be used to classify histopathological tissues. Several computational techniques have been proposed to study histopathological images with varying levels of success. Often handcrafted techniques based on texture analysis are proposed to classify histopathological tissues which can be used with supervised machine learning.

Methods

In this paper, we construct a novel feature space to automate the classification of tissues in histology images. Our feature representation is to integrate various features sets into a new texture feature representation. All of our descriptors are computed in the complex Shearlet domain. With complex coefficients, we investigate not only the use of magnitude coefficients, but also study the effectiveness of incorporating the relative phase (RP) coefficients to create the input feature vector. In our study, four texture-based descriptors are extracted from the Shearlet coefficients: co-occurrence texture features, Local Binary Patterns, Local Oriented Statistic Information Booster, and segmentation-based Fractal Texture Analysis. Each set of these attributes captures significant local and global statistics. Therefore, we study them individually, but additionally integrate them to boost the accuracy of classifying the histopathology tissues while being fed to classical classifiers. To tackle the problem of high-dimensionality, our proposed feature space is reduced using principal component analysis. In our study, we use two classifiers to indicate the success of our proposed feature representation: Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Decision Tree Bagger (DTB).

Results

Our feature representation delivered high performance when used on four public datasets. As such, the best achieved accuracy: multi-class Kather (i.e., 92.56%), BreakHis (i.e., 91.73%), Epistroma (i.e., 98.04%), Warwick-QU (i.e., 96.29%).

Conclusions

Our proposed method in the Shearlet domain for the classification of histopathological images proved to be effective when it was investigated on four different datasets that exhibit different levels of complexity.
Development of a support vector machine learning and smart phone Internet of Things-based architecture for real-time sleep apnea diagnosis
Authors: Ma Bin , Wu Zhaolong , Li Shengyu , Benton Ryan , Li Dongqi , Huang Yulong , Kasukurthi Mohan Vamsi , Lin Jingwei , Borchert Glen M. , Tan Shaobo , Li Gang , Yang Meihong , Huang Jingshan
Published: December 2020

Background

The breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) only occurs while asleep. While polysomnography (PSG) represents the premiere standard for diagnosing OSAS, it is quite costly, complicated to use, and carries a significant delay between testing and diagnosis.

Methods

This work describes a novel architecture and algorithm designed to efficiently diagnose OSAS via the use of smart phones. In our algorithm, features are extracted from the data, specifically blood oxygen saturation as represented by SpO2. These features are used by a support vector machine (SVM) based strategy to create a classification model. The resultant SVM classification model can then be employed to diagnose OSAS. To allow remote diagnosis, we have combined a simple monitoring system with our algorithm. The system allows physiological data to be obtained from a smart phone, the data to be uploaded to the cloud for processing, and finally population of a diagnostic report sent back to the smart phone in real-time.

Results

Our initial evaluation of this algorithm utilizing actual patient data finds its sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity to be 87.6%, 90.2%, and 94.1%, respectively.

Discussion

Our architecture can monitor human physiological readings in real time and give early warning of abnormal physiological parameters. Moreover, after our evaluation, we find 5G technology offers higher bandwidth with lower delays ensuring more effective monitoring. In addition, we evaluate our algorithm utilizing real-world data; the proposed approach has high accuracy, sensitivity, and specific, demonstrating that our approach is very promising.

Conclusions

Experimental results on the apnea data in University College Dublin (UCD) Database have proven the efficiency and effectiveness of our methodology. This work is a pilot project and still under development. There is no clinical validation and no support. In addition, the Internet of Things (IoT) architecture enables real-time monitoring of human physiological parameters, combined with diagnostic algorithms to provide early warning of abnormal data.
Can breastfeeding protect against antimicrobial resistance?
Authors: Nadimpalli Maya L. , Bourke Claire D. , Robertson Ruairi C. , Delarocque-Astagneau Elisabeth , Manges Amee R. , Pickering Amy J.
Published: December 2020

Background

The proportion of infections among young children that are antimicrobial-resistant is increasing across the globe. Newborns may be colonized with enteric antimicrobial-resistant pathogens early in life, which is a risk factor for infection-related morbidity and mortality. Breastfeeding is actively promoted worldwide for its beneficial impacts on newborn health and gut health. However, the role of breastfeeding and human milk components in mitigating young children’s carriage of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes has not been comprehensively explored.

Main body

Here, we review how the act of breastfeeding, early breastfeeding, and/or human milk components, such as the milk microbiota, secretory IgA, human milk oligosaccharides, antimicrobial peptides, and microRNA -bearing extracellular vesicles, could play a role in preventing the establishment of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in young children’s developing gut microbiomes. We describe findings from recent human studies that support this concept.

Conclusion

Given the projected rise in global morbidity and mortality that will stem from antimicrobial-resistant infections, identifying behavioral or nutritional interventions that could decrease children’s susceptibility to colonization with antimicrobial-resistant pathogens may be one strategy for protecting their health. We suggest that breastfeeding and human milk supplements deserve greater attention as potential preventive measures in the global effort to combat antimicrobial resistance, particularly in low- and middle-income settings.
Early detection of cholera epidemics to support control in fragile states: estimation of delays and potential epidemic sizes
Authors: Ratnayake Ruwan , Finger Flavio , Edmunds W. John , Checchi Francesco
Published: December 2020

Background

Cholera epidemics continue to challenge disease control, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states. Rapid detection and response to small cholera clusters is key for efficient control before an epidemic propagates. To understand the capacity for early response in fragile states, we investigated delays in outbreak detection, investigation, response, and laboratory confirmation, and we estimated epidemic sizes. We assessed predictors of delays, and annual changes in response time.

Methods

We compiled a list of cholera outbreaks in fragile and conflict-affected states from 2008 to 2019. We searched for peer-reviewed articles and epidemiological reports. We evaluated delays from the dates of symptom onset of the primary case, and the earliest dates of outbreak detection, investigation, response, and confirmation. Information on how the outbreak was alerted was summarized. A branching process model was used to estimate epidemic size at each delay. Regression models were used to investigate the association between predictors and delays to response.

Results

Seventy-six outbreaks from 34 countries were included. Median delays spanned 1–2 weeks: from symptom onset of the primary case to presentation at the health facility (5 days, IQR 5–5), detection (5 days, IQR 5–6), investigation (7 days, IQR 5.8–13.3), response (10 days, IQR 7–18), and confirmation (11 days, IQR 7–16). In the model simulation, the median delay to response (10 days) with 3 seed cases led to a median epidemic size of 12 cases (upper range, 47) and 8% of outbreaks ≥ 20 cases (increasing to 32% with a 30-day delay to response). Increased outbreak size at detection (10 seed cases) and a 10-day median delay to response resulted in an epidemic size of 34 cases (upper range 67 cases) and < 1% of outbreaks < 20 cases. We estimated an annual global decrease in delay to response of 5.2% (95% CI 0.5–9.6, p = 0.03). Outbreaks signaled by immediate alerts were associated with a reduction in delay to response of 39.3% (95% CI 5.7–61.0, p = 0.03).

Conclusions

From 2008 to 2019, median delays from symptom onset of the primary case to case presentation and to response were 5 days and 10 days, respectively. Our model simulations suggest that depending on the outbreak size (3 versus 10 seed cases), in 8 to 99% of scenarios, a 10-day delay to response would result in large clusters that would be difficult to contain. Improving the delay to response involves rethinking the integration at local levels of event-based detection, rapid diagnostic testing for cluster validation, and integrated alert, investigation, and response.
Effects of collagen fiber addition on the combustion and thermal stability of natural rubber
Authors: Xu Weixing , Wu Xintao , Wen Qilin , Li Shuangyang , Song Yongjiao , Shi Bi
Published: December 2020

Collagen fiber (CF) and silane coupling agent-modified collagen fiber (MCF) were used as flame retardant filler for natural rubber (NR) modification. The combustion phenomena and properties of composites blended with different dosages of CF or MCF were compared to elucidate the flame retardant mechanism of the composites. The flame retardancy of NR can be enhanced effectively by increasing nitrogen content (the nitrogen content of CF is about 18%), creating air pockets, and structuring the flame retardant network in the composites. MCF failed to structure a flame retardant network in the composite, indicating that its modification effects of MCF are weaker than those of CF. When CF dosage was 30 wt%, the composite can achieve the best flame retardancy, with limited oxygen index of 29.4% and without smoke and dripping during burning. This study demonstrated a new method for the flame retardant modification of NR.

Graphical abstract
Current trends in leather science
Authors: Covington Anthony D. , Wise William R.
Published: December 2020

In preparing the second edition of ‘Tanning Chemistry. The Science of Leather.’, the literature was updated and the content was revised and reviewed. Here, the new findings are presented and discussed.

Notable developments include the necessary rethinking of the mechanism of sulfide unhairing because of new understanding of the aqueous chemistry of sulfide species. Revision upwards of the value of the second pKa for sulfide species ionisation means that S2−cannot exist in an aqueous medium, so the unhairing species in hair burn reactions is HS−. Although the technology remains the same, this means the mechanisms of associated reactions such as immunisation must be revised.

Rawstock preservation has benefitted from studies of the potential role of materials from plants which accumulate salt, but which also contribute terpene compounds. There is also further discussion on the continuing issue of chromium (VI) in the leather industry.

The application to processing of new solvents, ionic liquids and deep eutectics, is the coming technology, which offers transforming options for new chemistries and products. Renewed interest in vegetable tanning and methods of wet white processing are current trends. Also, within the topic of reagent delivery is processing in a solid medium of plastic beads.

Graphical abstract