bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties of in situ synthesized mullite‐based composite ceramics with three‐dimensional network structure
Authors: Liu Zhenying , Wu Chongmei , Xie Nan , Zhu Jinbo , Liu Yin , Huang Shouwu , Shen Xiulin , Yang Zhongde , Lin Xin , Kong Lingbing
Published: December 2021

Needle‐like nanocrystalline mullite powders were prepared through the molten salt process at the temperature of 900°C using coal gangue as raw material. Then, mullite‐based composite ceramics were prepared by a conventional solid‐state reaction between in situ synthesized mullite and Al2O3 powders. Effects of Al2O3 content and sintering temperatures on phase compositions, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the mullite‐based composite ceramics were also studied. The results show that mullite content productivity increase from 72% to 95%, as the sintering temperature increased from 1480°C to 1580°C, which led to the improvement in the bulk density and flexural strength of the samples. The three‐dimensional interlocking structure for mullite‐based composite ceramics was obtained by the in situ solid‐state reaction process. The maximum bulk density, flexural strength, and fracture toughness for the sample with 15 wt% Al2O3 content are 2.48 g/cm3, 139.79 MPa, and 5.62 MPa··m1/2, respectively, as it was sintered at the temperature of 1560°C for 3 h. The improved mechanical properties of mullite‐based composite ceramics maybe ascribed to good densification and increased mullite phase content, as well as to the in situ three‐dimensional network structure. Therefore, the results would provide new ideas for high‐value utilization of coal gangue.
The pursuit of relevance and impact: A review of the immediate response of the information systems field to COVID‐19
Authors: Karanasios Stan
Published: December 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic demanded an immediate response from the research community, including adjustment to how researchers undertake research. As in many fields, information systems scholars attempted ‘rapid response’ research that addresses the immediate crisis. This paper reviews the state of the immediate research and scholarly discussion in the information systems field. Seventy‐one journal papers are reviewed. The review categorises nine thematic areas and one broad area of discussion. The methods by which information systems scholars address immediate research questions are identified. The contributions are discussed, future research directions are outlined and a model is proposed that traces the pathway from initiation of research/generation of new knowledge to practice impact. A further model is proposed to help information systems scholars clearly establish the link between the study of information systems phenomena and COVID‐19.
Sudden unexplained death versus nonautopsied possible sudden cardiac death: Findings in relatives
Authors: Dalgaard Cathrine V. , Hansen Benjamin L. , Jacobsen Elisabeth M. , Kjerrumgaard Amalie , Tfelt‐Hansen Jacob , Weeke Peter E. , Winkel Bo G. , Christensen Alex H. , Bundgaard Henning
Published: December 2021

Background

International guidelines recommend work‐up of relatives to autopsy negative sudden cardiac death victims, denoted as sudden unexplained death (SUD) and nonautopsied possible sudden cardiac death (pSCD) victims. This study assesses and compare baseline characteristics and clinical outcome at initial evaluation and during follow‐up of relatives to SUD and pSCD victims.

Methods

We retrospectively included data from systematic screening and routine follow‐up of first‐degree relatives to SUD and pSCD victims referred to our Unit for Inherited Cardiac Diseases, Copenhagen, 2005–2018. Victims with an antemortem known inherited cardiac disease were excluded.

Results

We included 371 first‐degree relatives from 187 families (120 SUD, 67 pSCD): 276 SUD relatives (age 33 ± 18 years, 54% men) and 95 pSCD relatives (age 40 ± 15 years, 51% men). The diagnostic yields of inherited cardiac diseases in SUD and pSCD families were 16% and 13%, respectively (p = .8). The diagnoses in SUD families were mainly channelopathies (68%), whereas pSCD families were equally diagnosed with cardiomyopathies, channelopathies, and premature ischemic heart disease. Ninety‐three percent of diagnosed families were diagnosed at initial evaluation and 7% during follow‐up (5.4 ± 3.3 years). During follow‐up 34% of relatives with a diagnosed inherited cardiac disease had an arrhythmic event, compared to 5% of relatives without established diagnosis (p < .0001).

Conclusions

Channelopathies dominated in SUD families whereas a broader spectrum of inherited diseases was diagnosed in pSCD families. Most affected relatives were diagnosed at initial evaluation. The event rate was low in relatives without an established diagnosis. Long‐term clinical follow‐up may not be warranted in all relatives with normal baseline‐findings.
Prevalence and risk factors of dermatoporosis in older adults in a rehabilitation hospital
Authors: Chanca Laura , Fontaine Juliette , Kerever Sébastien , Feneche Yohann , Forasassi Christine , Meaume Sylvie , Colboc Hester
Published: December 2021

Background

The term dermatoporosis (DP) is used to describe the clinical signs and functional consequences of age‐related extreme skin fragility. It is associated with potentially severe complications, including deep dissecting hematomas and extended skin lacerations. No studies have evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of DP in adults aged 75 and older.

Methods

The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence, complications, and risk factors of DP in a cohort of older patients hospitalized in a rehabilitation center. A case–control, single‐center study was conducted between September and October 2020 in our rehabilitation ward, Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France. A senior dermatologist and a resident in geriatric medicine performed a systematic dermatological examination. The presence of DP, its stage, its location, and complications were collected, as were demographical data, comorbidities, past sun exposure, skin phototype, treatments, and biological data.

Results

A total of 101 patients (62 women, median age 86 years [extreme values 75–104]) were included. The overall prevalence of DP was 27%. Stage 1 was the most frequent. DP was mainly located on the upper limbs. Ten (37%) patients had a DP complication: eight (30%) skin lacerations and two (7%) deep dissecting hematomas. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between DP and age (odds ratio [OR] 5.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.67–24.92, p = 0.009), smoking (OR 8.67, 95% CI 2.59–34.85, p = 0.001), recreational sun exposure (OR 4.23, 95% CI 1.30–15.21, p = 0.02), and anticoagulant therapy (OR 4.53, 95% CI 1.32–17.26, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Our study is the first to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of DP in older adults in rehabilitation. Frequency of DP makes it relevant for the geriatrician and should be described more to prevent potential severe complications. A multicentric study, with inpatients and outpatients, could evaluate the prevalence of DP in a more representative older adult population.
Worldwide prevalence of inadequate work ability among hospital nursing personnel: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Romero‐Sánchez José Manuel , Porcel‐Gálvez Ana María , Paloma‐Castro Olga , García‐Jiménez Jesús , González‐Domínguez María Eugenia , Palomar‐Aumatell Xavier , Fernández‐García Elena
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To estimate the worldwide pooled prevalence of inadequate work ability among hospital nursing personnel using the Work Ability Index (WAI).

Design

Systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Nursing and Allied Health, LILACS, and Google Scholar from inception to July 2021 to identify observational studies on work ability among hospital nursing personnel using the WAI. Two researchers independently completed the study selection, quality assessments, and data extraction on the prevalence of inadequate work ability that was pooled using the random effects model. Finally, subgroup analyses were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity.

Findings

A total of 42 studies were included, consisting of 24,728 subjects worldwide from 14 countries. Of these, 35 studies were included in the meta‐analytical analyses. The worldwide pooled prevalence of inadequate work ability among hospital nursing personnel was 24.7% (95% CI = 20.2%–29.4%). High levels of heterogeneity were detected in all studies. Prevalence was higher in studies where samples were composed of nurses and nursing assistive personnel (26.8%; 95% CI = 22.4%–31.5%) than in those of nurses alone (22.2%; 95% CI = 13.1%–32.9%) and in studies where the sample was over 40 (28.1%; 95% CI = 19.5%–37.5%) than in those with a sample under that age (22.4%; 95% CI = 15.8%–29.7%).

Conclusions

Almost one in four members of hospital nursing staff in the world has inadequate work ability and therefore are at risk of several negative outcomes during their working life. These prevalence data correspond to the pre‐pandemic period, so new studies should also be especially useful in quantifying the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on work ability in the hospital nursing workforce.

Clinical relevance

The above findings justify the launch of initiatives that include annual assessment for the early identification of inadequate work ability, offering the possibility of anticipated corrective measures. Nursing workforce older than 40 years and those belonging to the professional category of nursing assistive personnel should be priority target groups for screening and intervention to improve work ability.
Seasonal population parameters reveal sex‐related dynamics of common bottlenose dolphins in open waters of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Bolaños‐Jiménez Jaime , Morteo Eduardo , Fruet Pedro F. , Delfín‐Alfonso Christian A. , Secchi Eduardo R. , Bello‐Pineda Javier
Published: December 2021

In coastal populations of the common bottlenose dolphin, resident females are usually more abundant and have more restricted home ranges than males. Here, we studied sex‐specific population dynamics of bottlenose dolphins off the Alvarado Lagoon System, southwestern Gulf of Mexico. We used standard photo‐identification and capture‐mark‐recapture methods to determine population parameters under the superpopulation approach. Seasonal survival fluctuated around 0.96 (range: 0.80–1.00) and was equal for the sexes; recruitment of putative females (PF) and males (PM) was low, asynchronous, and reached 0.14 (range: 0.04–0.10) and 0.09 (range: 0.09–0.09), respectively, indicating high residency. PF abundance ranged from 60, 95% CI [48, 74] in the northern winds' season of 2008 to a low of 38, 95% CI [31, 47] in the dry season of 2010. PM abundance ranged from a high of 14, 95% CI [12, 16] in the northern winds' season of 2008 to a low of 9, 95% CI [7, 11] in the dry season of 2010. A regression analysis showed significant autocorrelation, and a pattern in the residuals of abundance, indicating no trends as well as temporal fluctuations that suggest a possible carrying capacity effect. Accordingly, high site fidelity, restricted ranging patterns, and low sporadic recruitment from the superpopulation are likely driving population parameters for this population.
Taxonomic reassessment and lectotypification of 24 species names in Ophiorrhiza (Rubiaceae, Rubioideae) from Thailand
Authors: Schanzer Ivan A. , Nabatov Andrey A.
Published: December 2021

As part of our revision of the genus Ophiorrhiza for the Flora of Thailand, 24 species names are taxonomically reassessed and lectotypified, mostly those described by W.G. Craib from A.F.G. Kerr's collections. Thirteen species names are synonymized based on morphological comparisons of type specimens with modern collections from the same geographical areas and, partly, on molecular data.
The Impacts of Free Universal Elderly Care on the Supply of Informal Care and Labour Supply*
Authors: Hollingsworth Bruce , Ohinata Asako , Picchio Matteo , Walker Ian
Published: December 2021

This paper investigates the impact of introducing universal free formal personal care on informal caregiving behaviour in Scotland – in particular, we explore the extent to which free formal care might crowd out the supply of informal care. We estimate, in a difference‐in‐differences framework, that such a reform would: reduce the probability of co‐residential informal caregiving (usually, provided by spouses) by around 18% and, conditional on co‐residential caring, reduce such informal care by 1.3 hours per week. These estimates suggest that an additional hour of formal care displaces approximately 1 hour of such informal care. However, we find no displacement effect on extra‐residential informal caring (often supplied by adult daughters). We also find evidence of increases in labour market participation and hours worked.
Effects of temporal environmental stochasticity on species richness: a mechanistic unification spanning weak to strong temporal correlations
Authors: Fung Tak , O'Dwyer James P. , Chisholm Ryan A.
Published: December 2021

A long‐standing puzzle in ecology is coexistence of many species despite relatively few limiting resources. Studies using competitive community models have found that temporal environmental stochasticity (TES) can provide a solution by providing a rare‐species advantage, for example by creating temporal niches. However, this appears to contradict studies using population models, which have found that TES‐induced temporal fluctuations in species abundances increase the chance of species becoming rare and hence increase their extinction risk. Here, we clarified how TES affects species richness by analysing a competitive community model using a novel mean‐field approach. We found that when temporal correlation in TES was weak, the dominant effect of TES was to create temporal niches by decreasing the strength of interspecific competition via a temporal averaging effect, thereby increasing species richness relative to the neutral case without TES. In contrast, when temporal correlation was strong, the dominant effect of TES was to increase the strength of selection and hence interspecific competition, thereby decreasing species richness. Compared with these indirect community effects of TES, the direct effects of TES on species richness via temporal fluctuations in abundances of species populations were relatively minor.
Fetal lipidome and incident risk of food allergy: A prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Hong Xiumei , Liang Liming , Ji Hongkai , Frischmeyer‐Guerrerio Pamela , Wang Guoying , Pearson Colleen , Stampfer Meir , Hu Frank B. , Wang Xiaobin
Published: December 2021

Background

Lipids are proposed to be important in developing adaptive immunity and allergy. However, studies to date reported inconsistent findings.

Objective

To examine newborn lipidome (a comprehensive profiling of circulating lipid metabolites) on child's risk of developing food allergy (FA). The maternal‐cord joint effects of lipid metabolites on FA development were also investigated.

Methods

This study included 647 mother‐child pairs from the Boston Birth Cohort and analyzed 202 lipid metabolites in cord plasma profiled by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. FA was defined based on standard clinical criteria. Logistic regression was applied to examine the relationships between individual metabolites and risk of FA.

Results

Of the 647 children, 61 developed FA. Cord triacylglycerols of long carbon chains and multiple double bonds were significantly associated with decreased risk of FA. These associations were comparable across strata of pertinent maternal and child covariates, and were independent of maternal triacylglycerols when assessed simultaneously. Besides, cord and maternal triacylglycerols had an additive effect in association with risk of FA: Children having high (≥Median) C56:8 triacylglycerol levels in both cord and maternal plasma were at the lowest risk of developing FA (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.10–0.56, p = .001), compared to those having low levels in both cord and maternal plasma.

Conclusion

This is the first birth cohort study to link altered cord plasma lipidome with future risk of development FA during childhood. It calls for further investigation on triacylglycerols of long carbon chains and multiple double bonds as potential novel predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for FA.
Single bolus dexmedetomidine versus propofol for treatment of pediatric emergence delirium following general anesthesia
Authors: Han Xuemin , Sun Xin , Liu Xiaotian , Wang Qian
Published: December 2021

Background

Pediatric emergence delirium is a psychomotor disorder occurring in the early postanesthetic stage. There is no clear consensus regarding its treatment; however, dexmedetomidine and propofol have both been shown to be effective.

Aim

In this single‐center, randomized, double‐blind prospective study, we compared the efficacy of dexmedetomidine against that of propofol in the treatment of established emergence delirium in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia.

Methods

Patients aged 1–14 years, with ASA I or II and severe emergence delirium (Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium score of ≥15) during the postoperative period following general anesthesia, were randomized to receive intravenous bolus injection of 0.5 μg.kg−1 dexmedetomidine or 1 mg.kg−1 propofol. The primary outcome was the pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) score after treatment, and the secondary outcome was the recovery time in the postanesthetic care unit.

Results

Of the 53 patients who participated in the study, 26 (49%) were treated with dexmedetomidine and 27 (51%) with propofol. In the dexmedetomidine group, a single‐dose intervention was effective for all patients (100%); whereas in the propofol group, 19 patients (70.4%) had PAED score of <12 after the first dose (p = .004; relative risk [95% confidence interval] = 0.1422 [0.113–1.815]). No significant difference in recovery time (median [IQR (range)]) was observed between the dexmedetomidine (20[14–30(10–45)]) and propofol groups (25 [20–40 (10–50)]; p = .056; 95% confidence interval = 0.113–1.815).

Conclusions

A single bolus of 0.5 μg.kg−1 of dexmedetomidine was more effective than a single bolus of 1 mg.kg−1 of propofol in treating emergence delirium during the early postanesthetic stage.
Effect of sera from lupus patients on the glomerular endothelial fibrinolysis system
Authors: Sato Riko , Aizawa Tomomi , Imaizumi Tadaatsu , Tsugawa Koji , Kawaguchi Shogo , Seya Kazuhiko , Terui Kiminori , Tanaka Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

Background

Dysregulation of the coagulation fibrinolysis system in resident glomerular cells is associated with the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. However, the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in resident glomerular cells remains undetermined.

Methods

We examined the expression of PAI‐1 and tPA mRNA in cultured normal human glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) treated with serum from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions. We determined the relationship between PAI‐1/tPA mRNA expression and several clinical/laboratory parameters. Serum from 16 patients (nine patients with new‐onset SLE and seven patients with stable SLE) was used in the study.

Results

Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 and tPA mRNA expression was significantly higher in GECs treated with serum of patients with new‐onset SLE than other groups. The PAI‐1 and tPA mRNA levels were also significantly correlated in GECs treated with serum from patients with SLE. Interestingly, both PAI‐1 and tPA mRNA levels in GECs were inversely correlated with serum C4 level and positively correlated with SLE disease activity.

Conclusions

These results suggest that serum from patients with SLE may activate the fibrinolysis system in glomerulus, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.
Disability and climate change: A critical realist model of climate justice
Authors: King Molly M. , Gregg Maria A.
Published: December 2021

Existing literature on climate change as an issue of environmental justice documents the heightened vulnerability of people with disabilities to the effects of climate change. Additionally, there are numerous studies showing that access to information is a prerequisite for perceiving risk and taking action. Building on this work, our review seeks to understand how physical disability relates to perceptions of climate‐related risk and adaptations to climate‐related events. We introduce a critical realist model of climate justice to understand the relationships between the environmental features that disable, risk perception and information seeking, and adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change. In understanding the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of people with disabilities to climate change, this review synthesizes research on one of the U.S.’s largest minority communities with the goals of better understanding how vulnerable populations cope with climate change and integrating them into climate action and policy.
The Indirect Effect of Electoral Rules on Citizens’ Satisfaction with Democracy: A Comparative Study
Authors: Papp Zsófia
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to understand how electoral rules affect citizens’ satisfaction with democracy. The focus is on the extent to which this effect is mediated by the constituency orientation of legislators and the proportionality of election results. The analysis combines data from the European Social Survey and the Comparative Candidates Survey and covers 24 elections from 14 European countries. The multilevel SEM suggests two results. On the one hand, what majority and some mixed‐member electoral systems gain through increasing constituency orientation, they lose to disproportional election results. On the other hand, open and flexible lists perform better in increasing satisfaction than closed ballots. Importantly, the analysis reveals a winner‐loser gap in how constituency representation and proportionality affect democratic satisfaction. Both are more important for the losers of the elections when they evaluate democratic performance.
Current attitude to deferral of cellular therapy or nontransplant chemotherapy due to SARS‐CoV‐2 asymptomatic infection: Survey of Infectious Diseases Working Party EBMT
Authors: Styczynski Jan , Cesaro Simone , von Lilienfeld‐Toal Marie , Marchesi Francesco , Gil Lidia , Mikulska Malgorzata , Knelange Nina , Wendel Lotus , Averbuch Diana , de la Camara Rafael
Published: December 2021

The objective of the study was to assess the current clinical practice and the attitude toward deferral of HCT/chemotherapy in patients with hematological diseases in cases of asymptomatic patients with a positive assay for SARS‐CoV‐2. In August 2021, we performed a survey among EBMT centers regarding their attitude toward deferral of HCT/chemotherapy in patients with a positive PCR result. Centers were willing to defer the planned cellular therapy for patients with asymptomatic SARS‐CoV‐2 infection without previous COVID‐19 disease, and patients who became asymptomatic after a previous COVID19 disease but persistently shed the virus, respectively, in case of high‐risk allo‐HCT (90.2%/76.9%), low‐risk allo‐HCT for malignant diseases (88.2%/83.7%), allo‐HCT for nonmalignant diseases (91.0%/91.0%), auto‐HCT (88.0%/79.8%), and CAR‐T therapy (83.1%/81.4%). The respective rates toward deferral of noncellular therapy patients was lower for both groups of patients, and varied with the primary diagnosis and anti‐malignant treatment. There is a relatively high rate of willingness to defer treatment in asymptomatic patients being positive for SARS‐CoV‐2, planned for cellular therapy, regardless of previous history of vaccination or COVID‐19. The same approach is presented for most of patients before noncellular therapy. Nevertheless, each patient should be considered individually weighting risks and benefits.
MdGH3.6 is targeted by MdMYB94 and plays a negative role in apple water‐deficit stress tolerance
Authors: Jiang Lijuan , Zhang Dehui , Liu Chen , Shen Wenyun , He Jieqiang , Yue Qianyu , Niu Chundong , Yang Feng , Li Xuewei , Shen Xiaoxia , Hou Nan , Chen Pengxiang , Ma Fengwang , Guan Qingmei
Published: December 2021

Drought significantly limits apple fruit production and quality. Decoding the key genes involved in drought stress tolerance is important for breeding varieties with improved drought resistance. Here, we identified GRETCHEN HAGEN3.6 (GH3.6), an indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) conjugating enzyme, to be a negative regulator of water‐deficit stress tolerance in apple. Overexpressing MdGH3.6 reduced IAA content, adventitious root number, root length and water‐deficit stress tolerance, whereas knocking down MdGH3.6 and its close paralogs increased IAA content, adventitious root number, root length and water‐deficit stress tolerance. Moreover, MdGH3.6 negatively regulated the expression of wax biosynthetic genes under water‐deficit stress and thus negatively regulated cuticular wax content. Additionally, MdGH3.6 negatively regulated reactive oxygen species scavengers, including antioxidant enzymes and metabolites involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathway in response to water‐deficit stress. Further study revealed that the homolog of transcription factor AtMYB94, rather than AtMYB96, could bind to the MdGH3.6 promoter and negatively regulated its expression under water‐deficit stress conditions in apple. Overall, our results identify a candidate gene for the improvement of drought resistance in fruit trees.
Seabirds in the city: Urban futures and fraught coexistence
Authors: Wilson Helen F.
Published: December 2021

At a time when seabird populations have experienced steep declines and the movement of diverse species into cities has become a globally important issue, the paper examines the contested presence of an urban seabird colony in North East England. Drawing on ethnographic research, the paper details how avian claims to space have prompted fraught debates on coexistence, urban planning, and socio‐environmental futures that reveal an inherently ambivalent politics. While normally a coastal breeding bird, the paper argues that the Tyne kittiwakes – and their use of window ledges, drain‐pipes, streetlights, rooftops and road infrastructure – have become a familiar part of the region's urban life. However, while their presence has reworked understandings of public space, urban belonging, and oceanic boundaries, urban regimes of control and normative notions of the city continue to inhibit a more expansive urban politics capable of accommodating difference and responding to environmental change. Through attention to practices of deterrence, shifting forms of urban decision‐making, and the emergence of the kittiwake as a regional icon, the paper documents the conditions that limit coexistence despite a change in attitudes towards the colony and environmental futures more broadly. In this context, the paper raises fundamental questions about how to support coexistence amid ambivalence without resorting to normative forms of species valorisation. Attending to ambivalence and the difficulty of creating and sustaining ethical modes of coexistence, the paper reflects on the implications of the research for urban futures, local geographies of the sea, and the multispecies city.
The eye of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): Ophthalmic examination findings and diagnostic tests
Authors: Rodarte‐Almeida Ana C. V. , Carvalho Clarissa M. , Mergulhão Fernanda V. , Machado Marilia T. S. , Moore Bret A. , Galera Paula D.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To describe ophthalmic examination and diagnostic values for Schirmer tear test (STT), intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal horizontal diameter (CHD), palpebral fissure length (PFL), fundoscopy, and palpebral conjunctiva microbiota from healthy giant anteaters.

Animals studied

Twelve giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), 11 adults and one juvenile, five males and seven females.

Procedures

The animals were submitted to general anesthesia and ophthalmic evaluation with portable slit‐lamp biomicroscope, Finoff transilluminator, and fundoscopy, as well as STT, bacterial culture from palpebral conjunctiva, rebound tonometry IOP, and measurement of PFL and CHD. Data compiled were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey tests.

Results

The results (mean ± standard deviation) were as follows: STT 8.04 ± 6.21 mm/min; IOP 10.92 ± 2.45 mmHg; PFL 0.75 ± 0.11 cm; CHD 0.96 ± 0.10 cm. Out of the 24 eyes swab samples for bacterial culture, 17 were positive, with three genera of Gram‐positive bacteria identified Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus sp., and Corynebacterium sp. Gram‐negative bacteria were not isolated from any of the samples.

Conclusions

As conservation work in this vulnerable species continues, this report on basic ophthalmic examination and diagnostic parameters will be helpful improve their treatment and care. More ophthalmic studies are encouraged in animals within the Pilosa order.
Biodistribution and image characteristics of 124I‐positron emission tomography in dogs with neuroendocrine neoplasia
Authors: Shumway Kate L. , Bryan Jeffrey N. , Donnelly Lindsay L. , Flesner Brian K. , Lattimer Jimmy C. , McCleary‐Wheeler Angela L. , Lunceford Joni M. , Maitz Charles A.
Published: December 2021

Radioactive iodine is frequently used for staging of human thyroid carcinomas. Iodine‐124 scans performed using position emission tomography (PET) allow for more precise dosimetry of therapeutic radioiodine. The distribution of I‐124 has not previously been described in veterinary medicine. The purpose of this prospective, exporatory, descriptive study is to evaluate the whole‐body distribution of I‐124 in dogs with suspected thyroid carcinoma. Ten dogs with either a cytologic diagnosis of a neuroendocrine neoplasm or biochemical hyperthyroidism were enrolled in a prospective clinical study. Whole‐body I‐124 PET/CT scans were performed and were evaluated for physiologic and pathologic uptake of I‐124. The maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmean) were recorded for several normal and abnormal tissues. Varying degrees of uptake were found in thyroid tumors (SUVmean = 66.37), ectopic thyroid masses (21.44), presumed metastatic lesions in lymph nodes (32.14), and the pulmonary parenchyma (4.50). In most dogs, physiologic uptake above background, measured in maximum SUV, was identified in parotid and mandibular salivary glands (14.00 and 1.57) the urinary tract (1.83), the gastrointestinal tract (19.90 stomach, 6.15 colon), the liver (1.41), and the heart (1.88). Occasionally, uptake was identified in the nasolacrimal duct (3.42), salivary duct (2.73), gallbladder (2.68), and anal gland (2.22). Physiologic uptake was also identified in normal thyroid glands and ectopic thyroid tissue. This study provides a baseline of pathologic and physiologic uptake of I‐124 in dogs with thyroid carcinoma, to guide interpretation of future studies.
Stability in the homology of Deligne–Mumford compactifications
Authors: Tosteson Philip
Published: December 2021

Using the theory of ${\mathbf {FS}} {^\mathrm {op}}$ modules, we study the asymptotic behavior of the homology of ${\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}}$, the Deligne–Mumford compactification of the moduli space of curves, for $n\gg 0$. An ${\mathbf {FS}} {^\mathrm {op}}$ module is a contravariant functor from the category of finite sets and surjections to vector spaces. Via copies that glue on marked projective lines, we give the homology of ${\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}}$ the structure of an ${\mathbf {FS}} {^\mathrm {op}}$ module and bound its degree of generation. As a consequence, we prove that the generating function $\sum _{n} \dim (H_i({\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}})) t^n$ is rational, and its denominator has roots in the set $\{1, 1/2, \ldots, 1/p(g,i)\},$ where $p(g,i)$ is a polynomial of order $O(g^2 i^2)$. We also obtain restrictions on the decomposition of the homology of ${\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}}$ into irreducible $\mathbf {S}_n$ representations.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Volt–Ampere Characteristics of a Packed Tube Heated by Joule Heating
Authors: Lu Yi Ran , Pudasainee Deepak , Khan Md , Gupta Rajender , Nikrityuk Petr A.
Published: December 2021

This work is devoted to experimental and numerical studies of volt–ampere characteristics of a fixed bed heated by Joule heating. The main feature of this type of fixed bed is internal heat generation using the Joule heat. The application is to provide the heat to chemically reacting gases flowing through the bed reactor. To validate our model, a cylindrical packed bed is considered with a height of 11 cm and an internal diameter of 4.8 cm. This bed is filled with 86 balls made of carbon steel with a diameter of 1/2 in. (1.27 cm). For numerical simulation, open-source dem software is used to generate the cylindrical packed bed. Electric field distribution is calculated using a new particle-unresolved discrete element modeling-based model coupled with a discrete heat transfer model to account for the temperature dependency of the electrical conductivity of steel particles. The results of the simulation were found to be in good agreement with experimental data.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of a Flat Plate Perpendicularly Submitted to Current With a Blockage Ratio of 0.214: URANS and Detached Eddy Simulation
Authors: Wu Hao , Fernandes Antonio Carlos , Cao Renjing
Published: December 2021

The uniform flow over a nominally two-dimensional normal thin flat plate with blockage ratio 0.214 was numerically investigated in three dimensions by three methods: unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) based on the realizable k–epsilon (RKE) turbulence model, URANS based on the k–omega shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model, and detached eddy simulation (DES). The Reynolds number based on the inlet flow velocity and the chord width of the plate was 117,000. A comprehensive comparison against earlier experimental results showed that URANS-SST method only could give a correct Strouhal number but overestimated the mean base pressure distribution and mean drag coefficient, while URANS-RKE and DES methods succeeded in giving accurate predictions of all. Moreover, by comparing the instantaneous vorticity contours and three-dimensional (3D) turbulent flow structures, it is found that DES is better suited for the present case because it can capture irregular small-scale structures and reproduce the three-dimensionality and low-frequency unsteadiness of the vortex shedding. Finally, through the volume-of-fluid (VOF)-based simulation of the free surface, it is demonstrated that the free surface has no significant effect on the mean drag coefficient and Strouhal number.
Determinants of Virtual Exercise Equipment Use: An Integrated Model Investigation
Authors: Kaushal Navin , Berlin Kathy , Hagger Martin S.
Published: December 2021

Background: Given the limited research on behavioral determinants of using virtual exercise machines to engage in exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study applied an integrated behavior change model to identify behavioral determinants using these machines. Method: Adult owners of livestreaming virtual exercise equipment (N = 123) completed measures of social cognition, planning, motivation, virtual exercise machine features, and sociostructural variables at an initial occasion (T1) and 4 weeks later (T2). Hypothesized relations among model constructs were tested using a cross-lagged structural equation model with past behavior and sociostructural variables as covariates. Results: Autonomous motivation predicted intentions and habit indirectly via attitudes and perceived behavioral control at T1; virtual exercise machine features predicted intention and habit indirectly via social cognition constructs at T1; and intention and habit at T1 predicted exercise behavior at T2. Conclusions: This study supports social cognition constructs and virtual features as predictors of exercise using virtual exercise machines.
A Call for Social Justice Researchers: Intersectionality as a Framework for the Study of Human Movement and Education
Authors: Simon Mara , Lee Jihyeon , Evans Megen , Sucre Sheldon , Azzarito Laura
Published: December 2021

This paper advances a socio-educational and critical orientation for the study of human movement to valorize and recenter voicelessness. Representing the subjugation of marginalized people can open up possibilities for transformative research projects invested in the reimagining of equitable and inclusive studies of human movement and education. First, the authors suggest that ongoing intellectual tensions in the field are unproductive; instead, the authors advance a social justice agenda, advocating for an educational, sociocultural, and critical orientation toward human movement. Second, the authors argue for moving beyond the “exercise is medicine” mantra as a dominant, normative framing of kinesiology. Third, drawing from a socio-educational perspective, the authors propose intersectionality as a crucial component of critical race theory to explore and center the significance of health, physical activity, and movement in the lives of Black, Latinx, Native, LGBQ, and transgender groups, people with disabilities, and those who face body weight stigma, from their own viewpoints.
Alternative polyadenylation is a determinant of oncogenic Ras function
Authors: Subramanian Aishwarya , Hall Mathew , Hou Huayun , Mufteev Marat , Yu Bin , Yuki Kyoko E. , Nishimura Haruka , Sathaseevan Anson , Lant Benjamin , Zhai Beibei , Ellis James , Wilson Michael D. , Daugaard Mads , Derry W. Brent
Published: December 2021

Shortening ends of mRNAs cooperate with oncogenes in development and cancer.
Precision communication: Physicians’ linguistic adaptation to patients’ health literacy
Authors: Schillinger Dean , Duran Nicholas D. , McNamara Danielle S. , Crossley Scott A. , Balyan Renu , Karter Andrew J.
Published: December 2021

Physicians’ ability to match their language complexity to patient health literacy increases understanding and reduces disparities.
Repurposing ICG enables MR/PA imaging signal amplification and iron depletion for iron-overload disorders
Authors: Lin Huirong , Zhou Yu , Wang Jiaming , Wang Huimeng , Yao Tianhong , Chen Hu , Zheng Huili , Zhang Yang , Ren En , Jiang Lai , Chu Chengchao , Chen Xiaoyuan , Mao Jingsong , Wang Fudi , Liu Gang
Published: December 2021

Indocyanine green was repurposed as iron theranostics for simultaneous detection and treatment of iron-overload disorders.
Supplemental Material: Eruption dynamics leading to a volcanic thunderstorm—The January 2020 eruption of Taal volcano, Philippines
Authors: Van Eaton Alexa R. , al. et
Published: December 2021

Expanded methodology and calculations, plume modeling, and details of lightning data and photographs.
Calculation of Energy for RNA/RNA and DNA/RNA Duplex Formation by Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Golyshev V. M. , Pyshnyi D. V. , Lomzov A. A.
Published: December 2021

The development of approaches for predictive calculation of hybridization properties of various nucleic acid (NA) derivatives is the basis for the rational design of the NA-based constructs. Modern advances in computer modeling methods provide the feasibility of these calculations. We have analyzed the possibility of calculating the energy of DNA/RNA and RNA/RNA duplex formation using representative sets of complexes (65 and 75 complexes, respectively). We used the classical molecular dynamics (MD) method, the MMPBSA or MMGBSA approaches to calculate the enthalpy (ΔH°) component, and the quasi-harmonic approximation (Q-Harm) or the normal mode analysis (NMA) methods to calculate the entropy (ΔS°) contribution to the Gibbs energy ($$\Delta G_{{37}}^{^\circ }$$ ) of the NA complex formation. We have found that the MMGBSA method in the analysis of the MD trajectory of only the NA duplex and the empirical linear approximation allow calculation of the enthalpy of formation of the DNA, RNA, and hybrid duplexes of various lengths and GC content with an accuracy of 8.6%. Within each type of complex, the combination of rather efficient MMGBSA and Q-Harm approaches being applied to the trajectory of only the bimolecular complex makes it possible to calculate the $$\Delta G_{{37}}^{^\circ }$$ of the duplex formation with an error value of 10%. The high accuracy of predictive calculation for different types of natural complexes (DNA/RNA, DNA/RNA, and RNA/RNA) indicates the possibility of extending the considered approach to analogs and derivatives of nucleic acids, which gives a fundamental opportunity in the future to perform rational design of new types of NA-targeted sequence-specific compounds.
Multimodality durable salvage of recurrent brain metastases refractory to LITT, SRS and immunotherapy with resection and cesium-131 brachytherapy: case report and literature review
Authors: Yu Kenny Kwok Hei , Imber Brandon S , Moss Nelson S
Published: December 2021

Brain metastases (BrM) are treated with multimodality therapy, however the optimal combination and timing of modalities in the setting of recurrent tumours that have failed prior treatments remain poorly defined. We present a case of a patient with biopsy-confirmed renal cell carcinoma BrM with good performance status initially treated with laser interstitial thermal ablation therapy (LITT) followed by stereotactic radiosurgery and dual checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. He subsequently developed rapid in-field recurrence which was treated with salvage surgical resection and implantation of intracavitary cesium-131 brachytherapy. The patient’s disease remained stable through 18 months postoperatively. This case illustrates the range of options available and provides a combination salvage therapy strategy in a select group of locally recurrent patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options.
Novel walking pole gait pattern improves activity in an older adult with chronic low back pain
Authors: Prost Evan L , Abbott Carmen C , Dannecker Erin A , Willis Brad W
Published: December 2021

A 65-year-old woman with chronic low back pain participated in a 1-week community walking poles course. Although the participant received instruction in the standard Nordic walking method, she independently adopted a novel, modified, two-point gait pattern. Subsequently, her pain and activity tolerance using walking poles were monitored at 6 and 12 months. The participant ambulated two times the distance and reported lower ratings of perceived exertion and pain at 6-month and 12month follow-ups when walking with poles compared with walking without poles. This case highlights the potential effect of respecting patient preference within the clinical decision-making model. Doing so empowered a participant with chronic low back pain to adopt a novel, self-selected gait pattern and improve her short-term and long-term outcomes associated with chronic musculoskeletal disease.
Reporting of pneumothorax in association with vaping devices and electronic cigarettes
Authors: Borchert Dietmar H , Kelm Hagen , Morean Meghan , Tannapfel Andrea
Published: December 2021

Vaping may lead to spontaneous pneumothorax, but there are few published reports on this phenomenon. We present a case of vaping-related pneumothorax and make recommendations for structured reporting of this emerging cause for pneumothorax. A normal-weight 34-year-old male presented to our emergency department with dyspnoea and back pain increasing over 24 hours. Chest X-ray showed a large right-sided pneumothorax. Three years ago, he had quit smoking cigarettes and switched to vaping. CT scan revealed bullae, and the patient received apical lung resection. Histology revealed mild alveolitis. Vaping is an emerging cause of lung injury. This report demonstrates a potential association between vaping and pneumothorax. However, structured reporting and future research are needed to establish a definitive (or causal) relationship between vaping and pneumothorax.
A three-layer system to win the war against COVID-19 and invest in health systems of the future
Authors: Zhao Feng , Bali Sulzhan , Kovacevic Rialda , Weintraub Jeff
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us many lessons, most critically that its human and economic toll would have been significantly smaller if countries had in place strong layers of defence that would have either prevented the spillover of the SARS-CoV-2 into a human population in the first place, or, failing that, contained the outbreak to avert its global spread. Further, the brunt of COVID-19 impacts on some countries considered ‘most prepared’ for pandemics underscored the need for an integrated approach to ensure resilience to future epidemics. Consequently, as countries plan ahead to prevent future pandemics, they should give priority to investments that transform their systems, particularly in the precrises phase, to preparedness and response through a multilayered defence. We propose a three-layered approach for post-COVID-19 investments in public health functions and service delivery, particularly at the community and precrises levels. This framework highlights the interventions that enable countries to better prevent, detect and contain epidemic threats, and that strengthen the efficient use of limited resources towards high-impact precrises systems.
Estimating the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes in South Africa using the Deaton approach
Authors: Dare Chengetai , Boachie Micheal Kofi , Tingum Ernest Ngeh , Abdullah S M , van Walbeek Corné
Published: December 2021

Objective

To estimate the price elasticity of demand for South Africa and thereby contribute to growing the evidence base of the likely impact of excise taxes on cigarette demand in low-income and middle-income countries.

Methods

We employ the Deaton method, using wave 5 data from the South African National Income Dynamics Study, to estimate the cigarette price elasticity for South Africa. We used a sample of 6820 households.

Results

Of the 6 820 households in the sample for which we had sufficient data, 1341 (19.7%) spent money on tobacco. The price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is estimated at −0.86 (95% CI −1.37 to −0.35), implying that the demand for cigarettes in South Africa declines by 8.6% for every 10% increase in price.

Conclusion

The negative price elasticity estimate for South Africa indicates that increases in the excise tax are particularly effective in controlling cigarette consumption. However, given the presence of a significant illicit tobacco market in the country, it is important that authorities augment tax measures with strategies that curb the illicit trade in cigarettes.