bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promising improvement of chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy by using adipose derived mesenchymal stromal cells: a pilot study
Authors: Khoury Miguel , Tabben Montassar , Rolón Alejandro U. , Levi Lorena , Chamari Karim , D’Hooghe Pieter
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Study the effect of Adipose derived stromal cells (ASCs) injection as therapeutic procedure on the common extensor tendinopathy.

Methods

Eighteen Tennis players with chronic, recalcitrant LET (who have previously been unsuccessfully treated with nonoperative treatments) underwent clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before intervention. Stromal vascular fraction cells (SVF) were expanded by in vitro culture and ASCs were obtained and characterized by flow cytometry. ASCs were injected into the site of tendinopathy (identified by ultrasound imaging at the origin of the common extensor tendon) on a single occasion followed by physiotherapy. Players underwent serial clinical evaluations during a 12-month period and repeated MRI at 6-month post-injection.

Results

At 6-month clinical evaluation revealed significant improvements compared to baseline in mean Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for: (1) maximum pain score (from 6.28 ± 1.65, to 1.0 ± 0.43; p < .001); (2) Mean quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH-Compulsory score: 51.38 ± 12.02 to 12.33 ± 4.66; p < .001); (3) QuickDASH-Sport score: 56.94 ± 15.44 to 8.68 ± 8.86; p < .001). Validated MRI scoring system grade of tendinopathy also improved significantly: 4.22 ± 0.26 to 2.22 ± 0.10 (p < .001). At 12-month from injection, VAS maximun pain score further decreased to 0.74 ± 0.44 (p < .001) and QuickDASH-Compulsory score to 5.56 ± 3.58 (p < .001). Average time to return to play tennis was 3,31 ± 0,61 month post-intervention.

Conclusion

Tennis players with recalcitrant LET showed significant clinical improvement and structural repair at the origin of the common tendon origin after injection of autologous ASCs. Results of this study are promising and open a new biological therapeutic modality to treat LET. Even if the results of this pilot study are positive, future well-designed studies, i.e. prospective randomized trials are needed to define the role of cell therapy in treating LET.
Careful medical interview and ultrasonography enabled detection of acute kidney injury and hematoma after lumbar trigger point injection—a case report
Authors: Sato Satoshi , Tachibana Shunsuke , Okazaki Kayoko , Namba Hitoshi , Ichimiya Takahiro , Yamakage Michiaki
Published: January 2021

Background

Trigger point blocks are now widely practiced, especially in pain treatment. Among the complications of lumbar trigger point injection, reports of medically induced kidney injury are very rare, and diagnosis during emergency treatment is rare.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old woman on antiplatelet medication following a stroke was diagnosed with treatable type A aortic dissection at another hospital after undergoing lumbar trigger point injection. On arrival at our hospital, there were no signs of hemodynamic deterioration. Additional careful medical re-interview and ultrasonography by anesthesiologists enabled a definitive diagnosis of acute kidney damage and hematoma caused by lumbar trigger point injection, and aortic dissection surgery was abandoned.

Conclusion

This clinical case demonstrates the importance of awareness of potential kidney injury and hematoma during lumbar trigger point injection.
Correction to: Epidemiology of animal bite in Iran during a 20-year period (1993–2013): a meta-analysis
Authors: Abedi Maliheh , Doosti-Irani Amin , Jahanbakhsh Fatemeh , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: January 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Whole-body x-ray dark-field radiography of a human cadaver
Authors: Andrejewski Jana , De Marco Fabio , Willer Konstantin , Noichl Wolfgang , Gustschin Alex , Koehler Thomas , Meyer Pascal , Kriner Fabian , Fischer Florian , Braun Christian , Fingerle Alexander A. , Herzen Julia , Pfeiffer Franz , Pfeiffer Daniela
Published: January 2021

Background

Grating-based x-ray dark-field and phase-contrast imaging allow extracting information about refraction and small-angle scatter, beyond conventional attenuation. A step towards clinical translation has recently been achieved, allowing further investigation on humans.

Methods

After the ethics committee approval, we scanned the full body of a human cadaver in anterior-posterior orientation. Six measurements were stitched together to form the whole-body image. All radiographs were taken at a three-grating large-object x-ray dark-field scanner, each lasting about 40 s. Signal intensities of different anatomical regions were assessed. The magnitude of visibility reduction caused by beam hardening instead of small-angle scatter was analysed using different phantom materials. Maximal effective dose was 0.3 mSv for the abdomen.

Results

Combined attenuation and dark-field radiography are technically possible throughout a whole human body. High signal levels were found in several bony structures, foreign materials, and the lung. Signal levels were 0.25 ± 0.13 (mean ± standard deviation) for the lungs, 0.08 ± 0.06 for the bones, 0.023 ± 0.019 for soft tissue, and 0.30 ± 0.02 for an antibiotic bead chain. We found that phantom materials, which do not produce small-angle scatter, can generate a strong visibility reduction signal.

Conclusion

We acquired a whole-body x-ray dark-field radiograph of a human body in few minutes with an effective dose in a clinical acceptable range. Our findings suggest that the observed visibility reduction in the bone and metal is dominated by beam hardening and that the true dark-field signal in the lung is therefore much higher than that of the bone.
Conflict and community: mental health in the Arab world
Authors: Skuse David
Published: January 2021

This month's issue of BJPsych International focuses on the Middle East, with papers on psychiatric care in conflict zones, the persistence of institutionalisation in Arab countries, service delivery in Iraq, improved media attitudes towards mental illness in Qatar and integration of mental health services into primary care in that country.
Prostate-Only Versus Whole-Pelvic Radiation Therapy in High-Risk and Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer (POP-RT): Outcomes From Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Murthy Vedang , Maitre Priyamvada , Kannan Sadhana , Panigrahi Gitanjali , Krishnatry Rahul , Bakshi Ganesh , Prakash Gagan , Pal Mahendra , Menon Santosh , Phurailatpam Reena , Mokal Smruti , Chaurasiya Dipika , Popat Palak , Sable Nilesh , Agarwal Archi , Rangarajan Venkatesh , Joshi Amit , Noronha Vanita , Prabhash Kumar , Mahantshetty Umesh
Published: January 2021

PURPOSE

We report the clinical outcomes of a randomized trial comparing prophylactic whole-pelvic nodal radiotherapy to prostate-only radiotherapy (PORT) in high-risk prostate cancer.

METHODS

This phase III, single center, randomized controlled trial enrolled eligible patients undergoing radical radiotherapy for node-negative prostate adenocarcinoma, with estimated nodal risk ≥ 20%. Randomization was 1:1 to PORT (68 Gy/25# to prostate) or whole-pelvic radiotherapy (WPRT, 68 Gy/25# to prostate, 50 Gy/25# to pelvic nodes, including common iliac) using computerized stratified block randomization, stratified by Gleason score, type of androgen deprivation, prostate-specific antigen at diagnosis, and prior transurethral resection of the prostate. All patients received image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and minimum 2 years of androgen deprivation therapy. The primary end point was 5-year biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS), and secondary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

From November 2011 to August 2017, a total of 224 patients were randomly assigned (PORT = 114, WPRT = 110). At a median follow-up of 68 months, 36 biochemical failures (PORT = 25, WPRT = 7) and 24 deaths (PORT = 13, WPRT = 11) were recorded. Five-year BFFS was 95.0% (95% CI, 88.4 to 97.9) with WPRT versus 81.2% (95% CI, 71.6 to 87.8) with PORT, with an unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.23 (95% CI, 0.10 to 0.52; P < .0001). WPRT also showed higher 5-year DFS (89.5% v 77.2%; HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.73; P = .002), but 5-year OS did not appear to differ (92.5% v 90.8%; HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.41 to 2.05; P = .83). Distant metastasis-free survival was also higher with WPRT (95.9% v 89.2%; HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.82; P = .01). Benefit in BFFS and DFS was maintained across prognostic subgroups.

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic pelvic irradiation for high-risk, locally advanced prostate cancer improved BFFS and DFS as compared with PORT, but OS did not appear to differ.
MONARCH 3: A randomized phase III study of anastrozole or letrozole plus abemaciclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, or placebo in first-line treatment of women with HR+, HER2-locoregionally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
Authors: Goetz Matthew P. , Toi Masakazu , Klise Suzanne , Frenzel Martin , Bourayou Nawel , Di Leo Angelo
Published: January 2021

TPS624

Background: Abemaciclib (LY2835219), a cell cycle inhibitor of CDK4/CDK6, demonstrated a clinically manageable safety profile and single-agent anti-tumor activity in MBC; all tumor responses were observed in hormone receptor positive (HR+) disease (Tolaney SM, Rosen LS, Beeram M, et al. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 2014, Abstract P5-19-13). Non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors (NSAI, letrozole and anastrazole), approved in the first-line setting for postmenopausal women with HR+ MBC, are being evaluated in combination with abemaciclib for safety and tolerability in a phase Ib study (NCT02057133) and in the present study (NCT02246621) to assess clinical efficacy. Methods: MONARCH 3 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study of abemaciclib + NSAI vs placebo + NSAI in locoregionally recurrent (not amenable to curative treatment) breast cancer or MBC, with no prior systemic therapy in this disease setting. Patients will be randomized 2:1, and stratified by nature of disease (visceral vs bone-only metastases vs other) and prior (neo)adjuvant endocrine therapy (aromatase inhibitor vs other vs none). Abemaciclib 150 mg or placebo will be given continuously PO every 12 hours until progression, along with anastrozole 1 mg or letrozole 2.5 mg once daily at the investigator’s discretion, and assessments will occur every 28 days. Postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2- disease, a disease-free interval > 12 mos after completion of (neo)adjuvant endocrine therapy, ECOG PS ≤ 1, adequate organ function, and measurable disease or nonmeasurable bone-only disease (RECIST v1.1) are eligible. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS); a key secondary endpoint is overall survival (OS). The study has 80% power to detect an increase in PFS of approximately 40% (hazard ratio = 0.714). Assuming a median PFS of 10 mos in the control arm, this corresponds to a 4-mo increase in the median PFS. PFS and OS will be hierarchically tested to maintain an overall type I error rate of 2.5%. Enrollment began November 2014; planned enrollment is 450 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT02246621.
Prenatal Exposure to General Anesthesia and Childhood Behavioral Deficit
Authors: Ing Caleb , Landau Ruth , DeStephano David , Miles Caleb H. , von Ungern-Sternberg Britta S. , Li Guohua , Whitehouse Andrew J. O.
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND:

Exposure to surgery and anesthesia in early childhood has been found to be associated with an increased risk of behavioral deficits. While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against prenatal exposure to anesthetic drugs, little clinical evidence exists to support this recommendation. This study evaluates the association between prenatal exposure to general anesthesia due to maternal procedures during pregnancy and neuropsychological and behavioral outcome scores at age 10.

METHODS:

This is an observational cohort study of children born in Perth, Western Australia, with 2 generations of participants contributing data to the Raine Study. In the Raine Study, the first generation (Gen1) are mothers enrolled during pregnancy, and the second generation (Gen2) are the children born to these mothers from 1989 to 1992 with neuropsychological and behavioral tests at age 10 (n=2024). In the primary analysis, 6 neuropsychological and behavioral tests were evaluated at age 10: Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM), McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT) with written and oral scores, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) with Expressive, Receptive, and Total language scores, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) with Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total behavior scores. Outcome scores of children prenatally exposed to general anesthesia were compared to children without prenatal exposure using multivariable linear regression models adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates (sex, race, income, and maternal education, alcohol or tobacco use, and clinical diagnoses: diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, psychiatric disorders, or thyroid dysfunction). Bonferroni adjustment was used for the 6 independent tests in the primary analysis, so a corrected P value <.0083 (P = .05 divided by 6 tests, or a 99.17% confidence interval [CI]) was required for statistical significance.

RESULTS:

Among 2024 children with available outcome scores, 22 (1.1%) were prenatally exposed to general anesthesia. Prenatally exposed children had higher CBCL Externalizing behavioral scores (score difference of 6.1 [99.17% CI, 0.2-12.0]; P = .006) than unexposed children. Of 6 tests including 11 scores and subscores, only CBCL Externalizing behavioral scores remained significant after multiple comparisons adjustment with no significant differences found in any other score.

CONCLUSIONS:

Prenatal exposure to general anesthetics is associated with increased externalizing behavioral problems in childhood. However, given the limitations of this study and that avoiding necessary surgery during pregnancy can have significant detrimental effects on the mother and the child, further studies are needed before changes to clinical practice are made.
The Game Is Afoot
Authors: Nessah Rabia , Tazdaït Tarik , Vahabi Mehrdad
Published: January 2021

In this article, we are interested in exploring the history of game theory in France, and particularly the way it was received and was diffused in the 1950s. It will be shown that France was the most fertile soil in continental Europe for a multidisciplinary welcoming to game theory. Reviewing certain aspects of the intellectual trajectory of the mathematician Guilbaud, the ethnologist Lévi-Strauss and the psychanalyst Lacan, we show how each of them, in his own way, played a key role in advancing game theory: (1) Guilbaud for his constancy in disseminating game theory (and mathematics in general), (2) Lévi-Strauss for his original interpretation of game theory that had some impact on social sciences, and (3) Lacan for using the contributions of game theory. Lacan and Lévi-Strauss were particularly convincing since they were instructed on request about the principles of game theory by Guilbaud.
You Know What I Know: Interviewer Knowledge Effects in Subjective Expectation Elicitation
Authors: Kerwin Jason T. , Ordaz Reynoso Natalia
Published: January 2021

Directly eliciting individuals' subjective beliefs via surveys is increasingly popular in social science research, but doing so via face-to-face surveys has an important downside: the interviewer's knowledge of the topic may spill over onto the respondent's recorded beliefs. Using a randomized experiment that used interviewers to implement an information treatment, we show that reported beliefs are significantly shifted by interviewer knowledge. Trained interviewers primed respondents to use the exact numbers used in the training, nudging them away from higher answers; recorded responses decreased by about 0.3 standard deviations of the initial belief distribution. Furthermore, respondents with stronger prior beliefs were less affected by interviewer knowledge. We suggest corrections for this issue from the perspectives of interviewer recruitment, survey design, and experiment setup.
What Doctors Want: A Comment on the Financial Preferences of Organized Medicine
Authors: Perera Isabel M.
Published: January 2021

Organized medicine's persistent demand for high payments is one factor that contributes to the rising costs of health care. The profession's long-standing preference for private and fee-for-service practice has pressured payers to increase reimbursement rates in fee-based systems; and it has stalled, thwarted, or otherwise co-opted attempts to contain costs in other payment systems. Yet what doctors want in fact varies. This article revisits classic comparative studies of organized medicine in advanced democracies to highlight two underemphasized findings: (1) physicians' financial preferences can deviate from traditional expectations, and (2) the structure of the organizations that represent doctors can shape whether and how those preferences are expressed. These findings remain relevant today as a discussion of contemporary American health politics illustrates.
Mutant Cx30-A88V mice exhibit hydrocephaly and sex-dependent behavioral abnormalities, implicating a functional role for Cx30 in the brain
Authors: Novielli-Kuntz Nicole M. , Press Eric R. , Barr Kevin , Prado Marco A. M. , Laird Dale W.
Published: January 2021

Connexin 30 (Cx30; also known as Gjb6 when referring to the mouse gene) is expressed in ependymal cells of the brain ventricles, in leptomeningeal cells and in astrocytes rich in connexin 43 (Cx43), leading us to question whether patients harboring GJB6 mutations exhibit any brain anomalies. Here, we used mice harboring the human disease-associated A88V Cx30 mutation to address this gap in knowledge. Brain Cx30 levels were lower in male and female Cx30A88V/A88V mice compared with Cx30A88V/+ and Cx30+/+ mice, whereas Cx43 levels were lower only in female Cx30 mutant mice. Characterization of brain morphology revealed a disrupted ependymal cell layer, significant hydrocephalus and enlarged ventricles in 3- to 6-month-old adult male and female Cx30A88V/A88V mice compared with Cx30A88V/+ or Cx30+/+ sex-matched littermate mice. To determine the functional significance of these molecular and morphological changes, we investigated a number of behavioral activities in these mice. Interestingly, only female Cx30A88V/A88V mice exhibited abnormal behavior compared with all other groups. Cx30A88V/A88V female mice demonstrated increased locomotor and exploratory activity in both the open field and the elevated plus maze. They also exhibited dramatically reduced ability to learn the location of the escape platform during Morris water maze training, although they were able to swim as well as other genotypes. Our findings suggest that the homozygous A88V mutation in Cx30 causes major morphological changes in the brain of aging mice, possibly attributable to an abnormal ependymal cell layer. Remarkably, these changes had a more pronounced consequence for cognitive function in female mice, which is likely to be linked to the dysregulation of both Cx30 and Cx43 levels in the brain.
Research and development of the project of the process information system for decision support in JSC «Vologda car repair plant»
Authors:   V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Gusev Sergey
Published: January 2021

Монография посвящена исследованию и разработке проекта процессной информационной системы поддержки принятия решений, где объектом исследования является бизнес-процесс «Анализа финансовых результатов» на примере ОАО «Вологодский вагоноремонтный завод». Актуальность данной темы обусловлена тем, что «Анализ финансовых результатов» необходим любому предприятию, какой бы ни была его сфера деятельности, для обеспечения стабильного развития организации в рыночных условиях. В обработке накопленных данных заинтересованы как внутренние пользователи в лице руководства для осуществления эффективного управления предприятием, так и внешние, с целью подтверждения устойчивости финансово-экономического положения своего партнера в процессе оценки потенциала делового сотрудничества. В монографии для достижения поставленной цели будет изучено и проанализировано рассматриваемое предприятие, разработаны модели «AS-IS» процесса анализа финансовых результатов, на основе которых определены недостатки процесса и сформулированы возможные варианты их устранения. На основе полученных данных будет разработан перечень требований к внедряемой информационной системе поддержки принятия решений, с помощью многокритериального решения выбрана оптимальная информационная система для внедрения. Далее будет проведено прототипирование модели «TO-BE» процесса в различных средах, оценка инновационности и экономической эффективности проекта.
ROLE OF THE CENTRAL BLACK EARTH REGION IN THE AGRARIAN ECONOMY OF RUSSIA
Authors: Kitaev Yuriy
Published: January 2021

With the aim of developing the national economy in the Russian Federation, economic regionalization has been widely used, which contributes to increasing the economic efficiency of regulating the productive forces in the country. The aim of the study is to assess the place and role of the Central Black Earth region in the economy of the agro-industrial complex of Russia. The research methodology is based on economic-statistical and correlation-regression analyzes. The scientific novelty of the research consists in identifying the patterns of development of the Central Black Earth region as an agrarian region. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that taking into account the revealed patterns when developing strategies for the development of individual sectors of the agro-industrial complex will allow us to overcome the identified negative trend of reducing the production of certain types of agricultural products. The Central Black Earth region occupies a special place among 12 economic regions of Russia. It occupies no more than 1.0% of the total land area of the country, but ensures the production of 16.3% of agricultural products manufactured in the Russian Federation. The share of agricultural production in the gross regional product of the Central Black Earth region in 2019 remained 27.9%, which makes it possible to consider the Black Earth region as a region with a predominance of agaric production. An analysis of the indices of agricultural production in Russia and in the Central Black Earth region showed that the average growth index of agricultural production in 2011-2018 in the Central Black Earth region amounted to 116.1%, however, the dynamics of changes in these indices reflects a negative trend of deceleration, which can be described by a linear equation of the form y = -3.4867x + 131.8. Among the subjects of the Central Black Earth region, the maximum growth in the volume of agricultural production for 2005-2019. observed in the Belgorod region - 8.3 times, and the minimum in the Lipetsk region - 6.8 times
INCREASING YIELD OF NEW VARIETIES OF SOYBEAN BY APPLYING CORRECTIVE DRESSINGS
Authors: Vasil'chikov Andrey , Semenov Aleksey , Zotikov Vladimir
Published: January 2021

Abstract. The article presents the results of field experiments to study the effect of foliar dressing on the yield of soybean seeds. The studies were carried out at the FSC ZBK in 2018-2020. In a field experiment on a dark gray forest heavy loamy soil, we studied the reaction of two soybean varieties (Leader-1 and Mezenka) to treatment with the highly effective inoculant Rizoform and foliar application with Ultramag combi microfertilizer and the amino acid biostimulator Biostim oilseed. The experimental design included the following options: control (without inoculation and treatment), seed dressing with Scarlet fungicide, basic treatment (Scarlet and Rizoform inoculant), basic treatment in combination with one and two foliar dressings with the studied preparations. The experiment was repeated four times. Experimental plots area – 10 m2. Sowing was carried out with a SKS-6-10 seeder in a wide-row method (row spacing - 45 cm) in the second decade of May. Seeding rate - 600 thousand viable seeds/ha. According to the results of the experiment, a positive effect of the tested preparations on the formation of the yield of soybean seeds was established. The most effective in terms of the factor of treatments was the option with the use of two foliar dressings with Ultramag combi and Biostim oleaginous at a dose of 0.5 l/ha. The increase in yield on average for the experience was 9.4% in relation to the control. According to the cultivar factor, the Leader 1 cultivar showed a higher yield - 2.87 t/ha versus 2.67 t/ha of the Mezenka cultivar. The responsiveness of the Mezenka variety to carrying out corrective dressing was higher than that of the Leader 1 variety (11.5 and 6.4%, respectively). The profitability of soybean cultivation was 83 - 106%. The economic effect when carrying out two leaf treatments amounted to 2,490 rubles for the Leader 1 variety and 4900 rubles for the Mezenka variety
Extractivismo Agrario e Industria Agroalimentaria en Andalucía.
Authors: Vigil-Villodres Anabel
Published: January 2021

This study characterizes the Andalusian economy as an extractive economy. First, we alalyze the historical conditions that shaped the dependent position of Andalusian capitalism and consolidated a productive structure based mainly on the extraction of resources from nature, such as in the agriculture and agri-food industries. Next, we study how the extractivist model in Andalusia operates in the 21st century by analyzing its basic features: the intensification of monocultures as agro-export platforms, the power of large distribution in value chains and the institutional drive toward second-degree cooperativism as a response. Among the main impacts of this model we highlight the impoverishment and loss of food sovereignty in the Andalusian region
La Dimensión Social del Colonialismo Interno. El caso gallego.
Authors: del Valle Javier de Pablo
Published: January 2021

The thesis of internal colonialism reveals the realities that different populations face, and posits that even populations that are within the core central regions of the capitalist world-system are victims of certain exploitation models more typical of the colonial periphery. This article reviews this thesis about internal colonialism with the aim of freeing it from its rigid structuralism and bringing it closer to other perspectives, such as the post-colonialist and decolonialist views, which could ultimately enhance its usefulness as a theoretical tool. Furthermore, this paper addresses the need for an exploration of the social dimension that accompanies internal colonialism, somewhat neglected by the traditional thesis, in light of a conceptual proposition that emphasizes the genesis and transformation of different colonial identities and highlights internal colonialism as an identityfixing dispositive. Finally, this paper briefly examines the Galician case of internal colonialism to demonstrate the potential offered by this new theoretical approach.
Emancipación, Descolonización y Uso del Derecho.
Authors: García-López Daniel J. , Winter-Pereira Luísa
Published: January 2021

In this paper we defend the proposition that the law, which has emerged since the 16th century (in conjunction with State, capitalism and subject), maintains an eminently colonial root and has as its objective its own expansion. We propose the term matrix of legalcolonial intelligibility to explain how a naturalization of the legal phenomenon is produced and used to construct the fiction of its universality and its timelessness. From this concept of law, we consider the place of subjectivity in the question of emancipation and decolonization, concluding with the need to think of the category “use” as a line of escape from the matrix of legal-colonial intelligibility
Rewolucja honoru i godności na Ukrainie: perspektywa żydowska
Authors: Hon Maksym
Published: January 2021

The article deals with the analysis of the attempts of the central government of Ukraine to inspire Jewish card in the political crisis of late 2013 – early 2014. The author analyzes its initiatives on the use of anti-Semitic insinuations to discredit and suppress opposition, cancellation of the presidential elections and examines the position of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine in the Revolution of honor and dignity.
Społeczno‑polityczny rozwój Zakarpacia (1991‑2014)
Authors: Ostapec Jurij
Published: January 2021

Social‑Political Development of Transcarpatia

The author of the article has analyzed the social‑political development of Transcarpathia and the factors conditioning it. The author has performed the periodization of the mentioned development on the basis of criteria of dominance/conflict of political elites in the region. Four periods have been distinguished: the first − 1991‑2004 − the period of formation of the local authority and dominance of Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) in it; the second − 2004‑2010 − the structuring of political space in the oblast after the 2004 presidential election; the third − starting from 2010 − changes in the structure of power relations in Transcarpathia after the presidential elections in 2010; the fourth − starting from 2014 − formation of a new system of government after the Ukrainian Revolution (December 2013 − February 2014). Much attention has been paid to the electoral process in the region, as election results have an impact on politics and society of the region. The parliamentary, presidential and local elections have been considered as well as their impact on social and political development of the region. Regional specificity of social and political development of Transcarpathia has been consditioned by the following factors: geographical location of the region (border proximity with European Union countries): historical background (participation in elections by party lists to the parliament of Czechoslovakia in 1924, 1925, 1929, 1935, declaration in 1939 of independent state − Carpathian Ukraine and participation in the elections to Soym); social – demographic characteristics of the electorate: the specifics of the formation of regional political elites (dependent on Kyiv); features of the formation and development of the party structure of the region.
Dlaczego Putin wszczął wojnę przeciw Ukrainie?
Authors: Doroszko Mykoła
Published: January 2021

Why Putin Started War Against Ukraine?

The author analyzes the causes and consequences of undeclared war of Russia against Ukraine. Among the main reasons – the desire to restore Russian leadership’s geopolitical influence in the former Soviet Union by building a new type of empire. In order to reach it official Moscow uses a wide range of tools - from economic pressure and blackmail to armed aggression on the territories of the former USSR. The author is convinced that the annexation of the Crimea and the undeclared war of Russia against Ukraine were the result of revanchist policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at the return of influential world power status. Achieving this goal involves prevention of Europeanisation and democratization of post-Soviet countries, the main jewel among which is Ukraine. Exit from the influence of Russia is possible, according to the author, through the integration of Ukraine into the EU and NATO.
Sprawdzian stabilności ogólnoeuropejskiego systemu bezpieczeństwa
Authors: Spyrydynowa Kira
Published: January 2021

This article provides analysis of Ukraine’s participation in the OSCE and OSCE’s engagement in the processes of resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine. Perspectives of the peaceful settlement of this crisis are considered a key factor in determining OSCE’s adequacy and effectiveness in ensuring European security. Author describes main mechanisms and tools used by Ukraine within the OSCE to resolve the situation arisen as a result of the Russian aggression. The article concludes that the unresolved crisis within the OSCE would indicate the impossibility of further security community building on the space from Vancouver to Vladivostok.
Bad Company: Shifts in Social Activists’ Tactics and Resources After Industry Crises
Authors: McDonnell Mary-Hunter , Odziemkowska Kate , Pontikes Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

Social movement organizations (SMOs) are increasingly using collaborative tactics to engage firms. Implications of this are not well understood by researchers. This study investigates one risk that looms over such collaborations: if the corporate partner is later implicated in an industry scandal. Ideas are investigated in the context of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. First, we find that industry scandals differentially affect contentious and collaborative SMOs’ ability to mobilize resources. SMOs that had collaborated with the oil and gas industry before the spill suffered from reduced public support after the spill, and those that had contentiously interacted with the industry enjoyed increased contributions. Second, we find that industry scandals affect SMOs’ willingness to collaborate with firms in the future. We show that the Horizon oil spill produced a broad chilling effect on environmental SMOs’ collaborations with firms both within and outside of the oil and gas industry. Our findings show that there are risks inherent to a collaborative strategy that cannot be fully mitigated. Further, we demonstrate that industry scandals represent critical exogenous events that affect social activists’ tactical repertoires for engaging in private politics.
We’re Not Like Those Crazy Hippies: The Dynamics of Jurisdictional Drift in Externally Mandated Occupational Groups
Authors: Augustine Grace
Published: January 2021

External actors often advocate for organizations to address a wide range of societal concerns, such as diversity, equality, and sustainability, and organizations have frequently responded by establishing new positions to oversee these demands. However, calls to address social problems can be broad and unrelated to an organization’s primary objectives, so the external mandates that underpin these new positions do not easily translate to clear task jurisdictions inside organizations. Furthermore, previous studies have found that the tasks that are pursued by occupations established through external pressure often diverge from what external groups had envisioned for these new roles. This study addresses the question of why this divergence occurs. It does so by examining the formation of the occupational group of sustainability managers in higher education. Through fieldwork, interviews, and analyses of longitudinal archival data, this paper uncovers the dynamics of jurisdictional drift and shows how jurisdictional drift unfolded first through sustainability managers’ confrontation of their jurisdictional ambiguity, and then through their efforts at performing neutrality, in particular by trading external Politics for internal politics and trading values for standards. Additionally, it uncovers how the sustainability managers attempted to partially realign their jurisdiction with their external mandate, but did so in a concealed manner. This study illuminates the process of how jurisdictions can come to drift away from mandates, highlights the importance of studying how mandates are translated into jurisdictions, and also furthers our understanding of the formation of externally mandated occupational groups.
From Unsafe to Safe Abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Slow but Steady Progress
Authors: Bankole Akinrinola , Remez Lisa , Owolabi Onikepe , Philbin Jesse , Williams Patrice
Published: January 2021

This report represents the first comprehensive compilation of information about abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa and its four subregions. It offers a panorama of this hard-to-measure practice by assembling data on the incidence and safety of abortion, the extent to which the region’s laws restrict abortion, and how these laws have changed between 2000 and 2019. Many countries in this region have incrementally broadened the legal grounds for abortion, improved the safety of abortions, and increased the quality and reach of postabortion care. There is still much progress to be made, however, including enabling the region’s women to avoid unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The report concludes with recommendations for a broad range of actors to improve the sexual and reproductive health and autonomy of the region’s 255 million women of reproductive age.
Development of a digital breast phantom for photoacoustic computed tomography
Authors: Bao Youwei , Deng Handi , Wang Xuanhao , Zuo Hongzhi , Ma Cheng
Published: January 2021

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging provides morphological and functional information about angiogenesis and thus is potentially suitable for breast cancer diagnosis. However, the development of PA breast imaging has been hindered by inadequate patients and a lack of ground truth images. Here, we report a digital breast phantom with realistic acoustic and optical properties, with which a digital PA-ultrasound imaging pipeline is developed to create a diverse pool of virtual patients with three types of masses: ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive breast cancer, and fibroadenoma. The experimental results demonstrate that our model is realistic, flexible, and can be potentially useful for accelerating the development of PA breast imaging technology.
Monolithic integration of microlenses on the backside of a silicon photonics chip for expanded beam coupling
Authors: Mangal Nivesh , Snyder Bradley , Van Campenhout Joris , Van Steenberge Geert , Missinne Jeroen
Published: January 2021

To increase the manufacturing throughput and lower the cost of silicon photonics packaging, an alignment tolerant approach is required to simplify the process of fiber-to-chip coupling. Here, we demonstrate an alignment-tolerant expanded beam backside coupling interface (in the O-band) for silicon photonics by monolithically integrating microlenses on the backside of the chip. After expanding the diffracted optical beam from a TE-mode grating through the bulk silicon substrate, the beam is collimated with the aid of microlenses resulting in an increased coupling tolerance to lateral and longitudinal misalignment. With an expanded beam diameter of 32 μm, a ±7 μm lateral and a ±0.6° angular fiber-to-microlens 1-dB alignment tolerance is demonstrated at the wavelength of 1310 nm. Also, a large 300 μm longitudinal alignment tolerance with a 0.2 dB drop in coupling efficiency is obtained when the collimated beam from the microlens is coupled into a thermally expanded core single-mode fiber.
The entomological impact of passive metofluthrin emanators against indoor Aedes aegypti: A randomized field trial
Authors: Devine Gregor J. , Vazquez-Prokopec Gonzalo M. , Bibiano-Marín Wilbert , Pavia-Ruz Norma , Che-Mendoza Azael , Medina-Barreiro Anuar , Villegas Josue , Gonzalez-Olvera Gabriela , Dunbar Mike W. , Ong Oselyne , Ritchie Scott A. , Churcher Thomas S. , Kirstein Oscar D. , Manrique-Saide Pablo
Published: January 2021

Background

In the absence of vaccines or drugs, insecticides are the mainstay of Aedes-borne disease control. Their utility is challenged by the slow deployment of resources, poor community compliance and inadequate household coverage. Novel application methods are required.

Methodology and principal findings

A 10% w/w metofluthrin “emanator” that passively disseminates insecticide from an impregnated net was evaluated in a randomized trial of 200 houses in Mexico. The devices were introduced at a rate of 1 per room and replaced at 3-week intervals. During each of 7 consecutive deployment cycles, indoor resting mosquitoes were sampled using aspirator collections. Assessments of mosquito landing behaviours were made in a subset of houses. Pre-treatment, there were no differences in Aedes aegypti indices between houses recruited to the control and treatment arms. Immediately after metofluthrin deployment, the entomological indices between the trial arms diverged. Averaged across the trial, there were significant reductions in Abundance Rate Ratios for total Ae. aegypti, female abundance and females that contained blood meals (2.5, 2.4 and 2.3-times fewer mosquitoes respectively; P<0.001). Average efficacy was 60.2% for total adults, 58.3% for females, and 57.2% for blood-fed females. The emanators also reduced mosquito landings by 90% from 12.5 to 1.2 per 10-minute sampling period (P<0.05). Homozygous forms of the pyrethroid resistant kdr alleles V410L, V1016L and F1534C were common in the target mosquito population; found in 39%, 24% and 95% of mosquitoes collected during the trial.

Conclusions/Significance

This is the first randomized control trial to evaluate the entomological impact of any volatile pyrethroid on urban Ae. aegypti. It demonstrates that volatile pyrethroids can have a sustained impact on Ae. aegypti population densities and human-vector contact indoors. These effects occur despite the presence of pyrethroid-resistant alleles in the target population. Formulations like these may have considerable utility for public health vector control responses.
The characterization of exosomes from fibrosarcoma cell and the useful usage of Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for their evaluation
Authors: Lyu Tae Seong , Ahn Yoojin , Im Young-Jun , Kim Seong-Soo , Lee Ki-Heon , Kim Jinyoung , Choi Yujin , Lee Dongwoo , Kang EunSeok , Jin Gayeon , Hwang Jiwon , Lee Sang-im , Cho Jung-Ah
Published: January 2021

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicles containing mRNA, miRNA, and proteins of origin cells, which can control the characteristics of other cells or surroundings. Despite increasing evidence on oncogenic properties of tumor-derived exosomes, fibrosarcoma-derived exosomes remain largely unrevealed. While the proper extraction and characterization of exosomes is critical in exosomes research, there are various limitations in techniques to measure the size and homogeneity of exosomes. Here, we analyzed exosomes from a fibrosarcoma cell line WEHI-164 compared with a breast cancer cell line MDA-MD-231 as a control. Results from dot blot and western blot analysis demonstrated that GM1 ganglioside, and TSG101, HSC70 and GAPDH proteins were contained in exosomes from the WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cell line. The existence of tetraspanins such as CD81, CD63 and CD9 was confirmed in the exosomes by ExoView analysis. The results obtained from TEM showed their sphere-like shapes of around 50 to 70 nm in radius. Through DLS, we found out that the mean radius of the exosomes derived from WEHI-164 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was 94.4 nm and 107.8 nm, respectively, with high homogeneity. When comparing the radius measured by TEM with the radius measured by DLS, it was revealed that the difference between the two methods was about 40 nm. This study has significance in characterizing the molecular properties of exosomes from a fibrosarcoma, which has not been researched much before, and in providing clear evidence that DLS can be used as an efficient, convenient and noninvasive technique to simply check the homogeneity and size of exosomes.
Piloting an integrated SARS-CoV-2 testing and data system for outbreak containment among college students: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Packel Laura , Reingold Arthur , Hunter Lauren , Facente Shelley , Li Yi , Harte Anna , Nicolette Guy , Urnov Fyodor D. , Lu Michael , Petersen Maya ,   on behalf of the IGI Testing Consortium
Published: January 2021

Background

Colleges and universities across the country are struggling to develop strategies for effective control of COVID-19 transmission as students return to campus.

Methods and findings

We conducted a prospective cohort study with students living on or near the UC Berkeley campus from June 1st through August 18th, 2020 with the goal of providing guidance for campus reopening in the safest possible manner. In this cohort, we piloted an alternative testing model to provide access to low-barrier, high-touch testing and augment student-driven testing with data-driven adaptive surveillance that targets higher-risk students and triggers testing notifications based on reported symptoms, exposures, or other relevant information. A total of 2,180 students enrolled in the study, 51% of them undergraduates. Overall, 6,247 PCR tests were administered to 2,178 students over the two-month period. Overall test positivity rate was 0.9%; 2.6% of students tested positive. Uptake and acceptability of regular symptom and exposure surveys was high; 98% of students completed at least one survey, and average completion rate was 67% (Median: 74%, IQR: 39%) for daily reporting of symptoms and 68% (Median: 75%, IQR: 40%) for weekly reporting of exposures. Of symptom-triggered tests, 5% were PCR-positive; of exposure-triggered tests, 10% were PCR-positive. The integrated study database augmented traditional contact tracing during an outbreak; 17 potentially exposed students were contacted the following day and sent testing notifications. At study end, 81% of students selected their desire “to contribute to UC Berkeley’s response to COVID-19” as a reason for their participation in the Safe Campus study.

Conclusions

Our results illustrate the synergy created by bringing together a student-friendly, harm reduction approach to COVID-19 testing with an integrated data system and analytics. We recommend the use of a confidential, consequence-free, incentive-based daily symptom and exposure reporting system, coupled with low-barrier, easy access, no stigma testing. Testing should be implemented alongside a system that integrates multiple data sources to effectively trigger testing notifications to those at higher risk of infection and encourages students to come in for low-barrier testing when needed.