bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyponatremia at the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis is associated with intestinal surgery and higher mortality
Authors: Palleri Elena , Frimmel Veronica , Fläring Urban , Bartocci Marco , Wester Tomas
Published: December 2021

It has previously been shown that hyponatremia reflects the severity of inflammation in pediatric gastrointestinal diseases. Interpretation of electrolyte disorders is a common, but not well studied challenge in neonatology, especially in the context of early detection of necrotizing enterocolitis and bowel necrosis. The aim of this study was to assess if hyponatremia, or a decrease in plasma sodium level, at the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is associated with intestinal ischemia/necrosis requiring bowel resection and/or NEC-related deaths. This was a retrospective cohort study including patients with verified NEC (Bell’s stage ≥ 2) during the period 2009–2014. Data on plasma sodium 1–3 days before and at the onset of NEC were collected. The exposure was hyponatremia, defined as plasma sodium < 135 mmol/L and a decrease in plasma sodium. Primary outcome was severe NEC, defined as need for intestinal resection due to intestinal ischemia/necrosis and/or NEC-related death within 2 weeks of the onset of NEC. Generalized linear models were applied to analyze the primary outcome and presented as odds ratio. A total of 88 patients with verified NEC were included. Fifty-four (60%) of them had severe NEC. Hyponatremia and a decrease in plasma sodium at onset of NEC were associated with increased odds of severe NEC (OR crude 3.91, 95% CI (1.52–10.04) and 1.19, 95% CI (1.07–1.33), respectively). Also, a sub-analysis, excluding infants with pneumoperitoneum during the NEC episode, showed an increased odds ratio for severe NEC in infants with hyponatremia (OR 23.0, 95% CI (2.78–190.08)).

Conclusions: The findings of hyponatremia and/or a sudden decrease in plasma sodium at the onset of NEC are associated with intestinal surgery or death within 2 weeks.

What is Known:• Clinical deterioration, despite optimal medical treatment, is a relative indication for surgery in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis.• Hyponatremia is a common condition in preterm infants from the second week of life.

What is New:• Hyponatremia and a decrease in plasma sodium level at the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis are positively associated with need of surgery or death within 2 weeks.• In infants with necrotizing enterocolitis, without pneumoperitoneum, where clinical deterioration despite optimal medical treatment is the only indication for surgery, hyponatremia, or a decrease in plasma sodium level can predict the severity of the disease.
Improving the causal treatment effect estimation with propensity scores by the bootstrap
Authors: Arisido Maeregu W. , Mecatti Fulvia , Rebora Paola
Published: December 2021

When observational studies are used to establish the causal effects of treatments, the estimated effect is affected by treatment selection bias. The inverse propensity score weight (IPSW) is often used to deal with such bias. However, IPSW requires strong assumptions whose misspecifications and strategies to correct the misspecifications were rarely studied. We present a bootstrap bias correction of IPSW (BC-IPSW) to improve the performance of propensity score in dealing with treatment selection bias in the presence of failure to the ignorability and overlap assumptions. The approach was motivated by a real observational study to explore the potential of anticoagulant treatment for reducing mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. The benefit of the treatment to enhance survival was demonstrated; the suggested BC-IPSW method indicated a statistically significant reduction in mortality for patients receiving the treatment. Using extensive simulations, we show that BC-IPSW substantially reduced the bias due to the misspecification of the ignorability and overlap assumptions. Further, we showed that IPSW is still useful to account for the lack of treatment randomization, but its advantages are stringently linked to the satisfaction of ignorability, indicating that the existence of relevant though unmeasured or unused covariates can worsen the selection bias.
Probabilistic microsimulation to examine the cost-effectiveness of hospital admission screening strategies for carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in the United Kingdom
Authors: Manoukian Sarkis , Stewart Sally , Dancer Stephanie J. , Mason Helen , Graves Nicholas , Robertson Chris , Leonard Alistair , Kennedy Sharon , Kavanagh Kim , Parcell Benjamin , Reilly Jacqui
Published: December 2021

Background

Antimicrobial resistance has been recognised as a global threat with carbapenemase- producing-Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) as a prime example. CPE has similarities to COVID-19 where asymptomatic patients may be colonised representing a source for onward transmission. There are limited treatment options for CPE infection leading to poor outcomes and increased costs. Admission screening can prevent cross-transmission by pre-emptively isolating colonised patients.

Objective

We assess the relative cost-effectiveness of screening programmes compared with no- screening.

Methods

A microsimulation parameterised with NHS Scotland date was used to model scenarios of the prevalence of CPE colonised patients on admission. Screening strategies were (a) two-step screening involving a clinical risk assessment (CRA) checklist followed by microbiological testing of high-risk patients; and (b) universal screening. Strategies were considered with either culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. All costs were reported in 2019 UK pounds with a healthcare system perspective.

Results

In the low prevalence scenario, no screening had the highest probability of cost-effectiveness. Among screening strategies, the two CRA screening options were the most likely to be cost-effective. Screening was more likely to be cost-effective than no screening in the prevalence of 1 CPE colonised in 500 admitted patients or more. There was substantial uncertainty with the probabilities rarely exceeding 40% and similar results between strategies. Screening reduced non-isolated bed-days and CPE colonisation. The cost of screening was low in relation to total costs.

Conclusion

The specificity of the CRA checklist was the parameter with the highest impact on the cost-effectiveness. Further primary data collection is needed to build models with less uncertainty in the parameters.
Likeness-making and the evolution of cognition
Authors: Greif Hajo
Published: December 2021

Paleontological evidence suggests that human artefacts with intentional markings might have originated already in the Lower Paleolithic, up to 500.000 years ago and well before the advent of ‘behavioural modernity’. These markings apparently did not serve instrumental, tool-like functions, nor do they appear to be forms of figurative art. Instead, they display abstract geometric patterns that potentially testify to an emerging ability of symbol use. In a variation on Ian Hacking’s speculative account of the possible role of “likeness-making” in the evolution of human cognition and language, this essay explores the central role that the embodied processes of making and the collective practices of using such artefacts might have played in early human cognitive evolution. Two paradigmatic findings of Lower Paleolithic artefacts are discussed as tentative evidence of likenesses acting as material scaffolds in the emergence of symbolic reference-making. They might provide the link between basic abilities of mimesis and imitation and the development of modern language and thought.
Methods to Study the Myenteric Plexus of Rat Small Intestine
Authors: Hecking Ines , Stegemann Lennart Norman , Stahlke Sarah , Theis Verena , Vorgerd Matthias , Matschke Veronika , Theiss Carsten
Published: December 2021

The close interaction between the enteric nervous system, microbiome, and brain in vertebrates is an emerging topic of recent studies. Different species such as rat, mouse, and human are currently being used for this purpose, among others. The transferability of protocols for tissue isolation and sample collection is not always straightforward. Thus, the present work presents a new protocol for isolation and sample collection of rat myenteric plexus cells for in vivo as well as in vitro studies. With the methods and chemicals described in detail, a wide variety of investigations can be performed with regard to normal physiological as well as pathological processes in the postnatal developing enteric nervous system. The fast and efficient preparation of the intestine as the first step is particularly important. We have developed and described a LIENS chamber to obtain optimal tissue quality during intestinal freezing. Cryosections of the flat, snap-frozen intestine can then be prepared for histological examination of the various wall layers of the intestine, e.g. by immunohistochemistry. In addition, these cryosections are suitable for the preparation of defined regions, as shown here using the ganglia of the mesenteric plexus. This specific tissue was obtained by laser microdissection, making the presented methodology also suitable for subsequent analyses that require high quality (specificity) of the samples. Furthermore, we present here a fully modernized protocol for the cultivation of myenteric neurons from the rat intestine, which is suitable for a variety of in vitro studies.
Dramaturgical self-efficacy and opportunity structures for white-collar crime
Authors: Engdahl Oskar
Published: December 2021

Perceived self-efficacy is often held to be the most focal mechanism of human agency. It has shown strong potential to explain action in multiple areas highly relevant to understanding crime, at least when the concept is formulated in close connection with the conditions that characterize the criminal acts it is supposed to explain. This article introduces the concept in the context of white-collar crime. To advance our understanding of how opportunities for such crime work, self-efficacy is defined with regard to one’s ability to control others’ impression of financially relevant information, or what is calleddramaturgical self-efficacy. The presentation of this concept and its various elements is illustrated with contemporary empirical cases of white-collar crime and is preceded by a discussion of how opportunity structures and perceived self-efficacy have been understood in previous research relevant to the field. The article also discusses how the concept can be further developed with regard to the relationship between motivation and opportunity for white-collar crime.
Asymptotic Self-Similarity of Minimizers and Local Bounds in a Model of Shape-Memory Alloys
Authors: Conti Sergio , Diermeier Johannes , Koser Melanie , Zwicknagl Barbara
Published: December 2021

We prove that microstructures in shape-memory alloys have a self-similar refinement pattern close to austenite-martensite interfaces, working within the scalar Kohn-Müller model. The latter is based on nonlinear elasticity and includes a singular perturbation representing the energy of the interfaces between martensitic variants. Our results include the case of low-hysteresis materials in which one variant has a small volume fraction. Precisely, we prove asymptotic self-similarity in the sense of strong convergence of blow-ups around points at the austenite-martensite interface. Key ingredients in the proof are pointwise estimates and local energy bounds. This generalizes previous results by one of us to various boundary conditions, arbitrary rectangular domains, and arbitrary volume fractions of the martensitic variants, including the regime in which the energy scales as $\varepsilon ^{2/3}$

ε

2
/
3

as well as the one where the energy scales as $\varepsilon ^{1/2}$

ε

1
/
2

.
Nfatc1’s Role in Mammary Epithelial Morphogenesis and Basal Stem/progenitor Cell Self-renewal
Authors: McNeil Melissa , Han Yingying , Sun Peng , Watanabe Kazuhide , Jiang Jun , Chen Natasha , Yu Zhengquan , Zhou Bin , Dai Xing
Published: December 2021

Mammary gland is an outstanding system to study the regulatory mechanisms governing adult epithelial stem cell activity. Stem cells in the basal layer of the mammary gland fuel the morphogenesis and regeneration of a complex epithelial network during development and upon transplantation. The self-renewal of basal stem/progenitor cells is subjected to regulation by both cell-intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Nfatc1 is a transcription factor that regulates breast tumorigenesis and metastasis, but its role in mammary epithelial development and stem cell function has not been investigated. Here we show that Nfatc1 is expressed in a small subset of mammary basal epithelial cells and its epithelial-specific deletion results in mild defects in side branching and basal-luminal cell balance. Moreover, Nfatc1-deficient basal cells exhibit reduced colony forming ability in vitro and somewhat compromised regenerative potential upon transplantation. Thus, our study provides evidence for a detectable yet non-essential role of Nfatc1 in mammary epithelial morphogenesis and basal stem/progenitor cell self-renewal.
Novel insights into adipose tissue heterogeneity
Authors: Wang Tongtong , Sharma Anand Kumar , Wolfrum Christian
Published: December 2021

When normalized to volume, adipose tissue is comprised mainly of large lipid metabolizing and storing cells called adipocytes. Strikingly, the numerical representation of non-adipocytes, composed of a wide variety of cell types found in the so-called stromal vascular fraction (SVF), outnumber adipocytes by far. Besides its function in energy storage, adipose tissue has emerged as a versatile organ that regulates systemic metabolism and has therefore constituted an attractive target for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Recent high-resolution single cells/nucleus RNA seq data exemplify an intriguingly profound diversity of both adipocytes and SVF cells in all adipose depots, and the current data, while limited, demonstrate the significance of the intra-tissue cell composition in shaping the overall functionality of this tissue. Due to the complexity of adipose tissue, our understanding of the biological relevance of this heterogeneity and plasticity is fractional. Therefore, establishing atlases of adipose tissue cell heterogeneity is the first step towards generating an understanding of these functionalities. In this review, we will describe the current knowledge on adipose tissue cell composition and the heterogeneity of single-cell RNA sequencing, including the technical limitations.
Das Potenzial Positiver Psychologie in der Arbeitswelt
Authors: Lobbe Carmen Elisabeth , Reinke Kathrin
Published: December 2021

Das Wohlbefinden von Mitarbeitenden ist ein entscheidender Einflussfaktor für diverse organisationale Erfolgsgrößen wie Arbeitsleistung oder -zufriedenheit. Dieser Artikel beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob und durch welche Wirkmechanismen Interventionen der Positiven Psychologie das Wohlbefinden in Arbeitnehmerstichproben erhöhen und organisationale Ergebnisgrößen beeinflussen können. Die Studienergebnisse unter Einbezug bisheriger Forschung legen nahe, dass Positive Interventionen bei langfristiger Anwendung das Potenzial haben, Wohlbefinden und persönliche Ressourcen von Beschäftigten zu steigern. Implikationen für die Praxis werden diskutiert.
The impact of family socioeconomic status on prosocial behavior: a survey of college students in China
Authors: Bian Fang , Wu Diming
Published: December 2021

College students’ prosocial behaviors have been shown to help them to attain honor, achieve happiness, and improve their social adaptation. This study was designed to examine the mediating roles of parent-child attachment and emotion regulation self-efficacy in the relationship between family socioeconomic status and prosocial behaviors. A survey was conducted among 458 college students randomly selected from six universities in two Chinese provinces characterized by a medium level of higher education development. The model was verified by structural equation modeling and mediation effect testing methods. The study revealed that family socioeconomic status had a positive effect on parent-child attachment and emotion regulation self-efficacy, but had no direct effect on the students’ prosocial behavior. Moreover, parent-child attachment and emotional regulation self-efficacy both mediated the influence of family socioeconomic status on the prosocial behavior of college students. Finally, family socioeconomic status affected the prosocial behavior of college students through the chain of parent-child attachment and emotional self-efficacy.
Does Enhancing Paid Maternity Leave Policy Help Promote Gender Equality? Evidence from 31 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Chai Yan , Ríos-Salas Vanessa , Stek Pam , Heymann Jody
Published: December 2021

Globally, women continue to have less economic decision-making power and face gender-unequal norms at work. Little is known about the impact of national public policies on norms surrounding equality. We examined the impact of extending paid maternity leave policy on decision making in the household and gender norms in the workplace, specifically whether women have sole or joint decision-making power with respect to large household purchases and whether women are perceived as having an equal right to jobs when jobs are scarce. We used difference-in-differences models to analyze the impact of increasing paid maternity leave on outcomes measured in the Demographic Health Surveys and World Values Surveys collected in 31 low- and middle-income countries. A one-month increase in the legislated duration of paid maternity leave increased the odds that women and their partners/spouses reported that women had more decision-making power by 40% (95% CI 1.14, 1.70) and 66% (95% CI 1.36, 2.03), respectively. A one-month increase in the legislated duration of paid maternity leave was associated with 41.5 percentage-point increase in the prevalence of individuals disagreeing with the statement that “when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women.” More generous maternity leave increases gender equality in economic decision making in the household and improves gender norms related to work. Future studies should examine the impact of paternity leave and non-discrimination policy, as well as other large-scale policies aiming to improve gender equality at work and at home.
Machen Parteien in der Umweltpolitik einen Unterschied?
Authors: Töller Annette Elisabeth
Published: December 2021

Die Parteiendifferenztheorie nimmt an, dass sich die parteipolitische Zusammensetzung der Regierung systematisch auf die beschlossenen Policies auswirken sollte. Als eine der wichtigsten Theorien der Policyforschung ist sie auch für eine policyanalytisch geprägte Umweltpolitikforschung von zentraler Bedeutung. Allerdings wirft ihre Anwendung auf die Umweltpolitik eine Reihe von Problemen auf. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt zunächst die Wurzeln und Grundannahmen der Parteiendifferenztheorie vor und identifiziert dann wichtige Problemfelder ihrer Anwendung auf die Umweltpolitik. Das größte Problem besteht darin, dass der Kernkonflikt der Umweltpolitik, der Konflikt zwischen Ökonomie und Ökologie, anders als Kernkonflikte in anderen Politikfeldern nicht ohne Weiteres auf der Rechts-Links-Achse abzubilden ist und sich daher im Parteiensystem nicht eindeutig niederschlägt (Cleavage-Problem). Daraus resultiert auch im Hinblick auf die empirischen Studien eine recht uneinheitliche Lage, was das Bestehen oder Nichtbestehen von systematischen Parteieneffekten in der Umweltpolitik betrifft (Empirie-Problem). Ein weiteres Problem besteht darin, dass Studien zur Parteiendifferenz in der Umweltpolitik häufig die Umweltqualität oder -performanz (und nicht politische Maßnahmen) als abhängige Variable verwenden, während deren Zusammenhang mit politischen Maßnahmen (Policies) häufig ungeklärt bleibt („Dependent Variable“-Problem). Schließlich stellt sich auch bei einer Anwendung der Parteiendifferenztheorie auf die Umweltpolitik das Problem der singulären Kausalität, das in der (oft fraglichen) Annahme besteht, dass Parteipolitik alleine Resultate erklären könne. Der Beitrag diskutiert diese Probleme und präsentiert Lösungen auf konzeptioneller, theoretischer und methodischer Ebene.
Mineral Chemistry and Geothermobarometry of Amphibolite-Granulite Facies Basement Rocks Concealed Below Deccan Volcanic Covered 1993 Killari Earthquake Region, Maharashtra, India
Authors: Tripathi Priyanka , Sachan H.K. , Rajagopalan V. , Pandey O.P. , Dwivedi Sujeet Kumar , Parthasarathy G.
Published: December 2021

A detailed mineral chemistry and geothermobarometry of the Deccan volcanic covered Neoarchean crystalline basement rocks is presented, pierced by KLR-1 borehole, drilled in the Killari region of Maharashtra, which was a site of major earthquake disaster in 1993, killing almost 10,000 people. The present study provides unequivocal evidence that the entire drilled basement is mainly made up of tonalite/granodiorite and amphibolite/granulite. They contain hornblende, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, biotites and minor orthopyroxene, apart from accessories like ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, titanite, zoisite, clinozoisite and epidote. Compositionally, amphibole conform to ferropargasite, magnesiohastingsite, ferro-edenite and edenite. Similarly, the clinopyroxenes correspond to diopside and orthopyroxenes to clino-enstatite. Further, biotites are found to be magnesium and iron-rich, while feldspars correspond mainly to albite and orthoclase. Bulk rock chemistry and mineral chemistry of amphibole and biotites indicate calc-alkaline nature of the rock associated with high oxygen fugacity, that may have been formed in subduction zone related environments as evidenced by geochemical data and tectonic discrimination diagrams. Geothermobarometric studies carried out on amphibolite and granulite, indicate that the underlying basement was subjected to metamorphic temperatures between 540 and 860°C and pressure, 5 to 7 kb, corresponding to 15-21 km depth. Petrographically, these rocks appear deformed, retrogressed and metasomatized by halogen-rich mantle-derived CO2 and brought to the surface by continued geodynamic process of uplift and erosion, even before the onset of Deccan volcanism.
Stratigraphy and Paleoenvironmental Analysis of Offshore Gulf of Cambay, Western India
Authors: Govindan Abiraman , Chidambaram L.
Published: December 2021

A comprehensive study on sub-surface sedimentation of the post-trappean Paleogene and Neogene sequence recorded in the offshore Gulf of Cambay is presented. The distribution of microfauna and skeletal remains that are recorded in five well sites is based on the study of 425 samples of this offshore basin. This study is aimed for bringing out a biozonal scheme and analyse the depositional setting of the section which witnessed a periodic episode of fluvial and marine depositional conditions as evidenced by the faunal and floral record. Pronounced stratigraphical breaks in the sedimentation is indicated.

A major outcome of this result shows a close correlation of these biostratigraphic and depositional settings of sequence in this offshore basin with that of onland south Cambay basin particularly the Broach Jambusar to Narmada Tapti block.
Demarcation of Coastal Dune Morphology and Dune Patterns using Geospatial Models: A Case Study from Manapad Coastal Stretch, Tamil Nadu, South India
Authors: Durai Praveenraj , Sarunjith K.J. , Bhaskar Aparna S.
Published: December 2021

Coastal sand dunes are the dynamic depositional landform which are formed near the coast, due to aeolian activity. Coastal sand dune acts as a natural barrier against coastal erosion hence its periodic monitoring is essential. Modification of this landform due to anthropogenic activities was observed in the coastal stretch towards the south of Tamil Nadu, even though these dune ecosystems were meant to be conserved and preserved in the coastal zone regulation notification. Present study, focuses on finding key techniques required to demarcate the morphological parameters such as ridge line, crest portion, toe, dune orientation, and its pattern from the open source ALOS World 3D (AW3D) DEM for periodic monitoring of coastal dune ecosystems. Topographic models such as hill shading, slope, aspect, curvature, and hybrid techniques were performed. The outcomes obtained from topographic models were validated with spatial profiling and field survey. From the study it is observed that, hybrid techniques particularly slope overlaid on hill shade, slope, gaussian stretched hill shade image, and spatial profiling are the key techniques to bring out the morphological variations and the parabolic dune patterns, which were hitherto not reported in earlier literatures. Gaussian stretched hill shade image enhanced the micro landforms which were difficult to extract from normal hill shading. The slope image of the study is found to be more informative in exhibiting the minor dunes and patterns compared to shaded relief image. The ridge portion of the dune, crest and limb portion and coastal plains were differentiated based on the slope value ranges. The hybrid image formed by overlaying slope and curvature data on hill-shaded image is more informative in providing most of the parabolic patterns formed by micro and meso scale dunes. Spatial profile could be used as an additional tool to validate the information’s derived from topographic models, wherever there is limitation in field accessibility.
Geochemical Studies of some Heavy Metals’ Toxicity in Groundwater with their Plausible Sources around Gondwana Supergroup, Wardha Valley Coalfields, Maharashtra
Authors: Ganvir P.S. , Guhey Rajeeva
Published: December 2021

The study is designed for groundwater assessment in terms of some sorted heavy metals’ toxicity and their probable source in Wardha valley coalfields, Maharashtra. For both seasons, 45 groundwater samples were collected separately to assess Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn by AAS. Among them, 22 were found contaminated as per BIS (2012) concerning Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb. The major contributors in both seasons were Fe, Zn, Cu and Al. The PCA study has shown sound relationships among Fe-Ni, Cd-Ni, and Al-Cu-Zn. The contamination intensities in various samples indicates that the mining region as a prime cause. The Kamthi and Barakar formations in the study area were considered as a contamination source. The significant role of lower pH environment in enhanced contamination was revealed in the correlation analysis. Accordingly, the probability of acid mine drainage was supposed. The EPMA and SEM-EDS/X studies reveal the presence of sulphide phases in Barakar Formation and sulphur in associated carboniferous strata confirming the source of lower pH. Accordingly, the acid mine drainage was anticipated to be responsible for heavy metals’ dissolution and migration to groundwater in mining areas.
Hiemalora stellaris from Ediacaran Sonia Sandstone of Jodhpur Group of Marwar Supergroup, Western Rajasthan, India
Authors: Parihar V.S. , Hukmaram  , Kumar Pawan , Khichi C.P. , Harsh Anshul
Published: December 2021

The present study reports and discusses discoidal Ediacaran body fossils identified as Hiemalora stellaris from the Sonia Sandstone of Jodhpur Group, Marwar Supergroup, Western Rajasthan, India. These are preserved as positive relief on the yellowish-brown to pinkish-brown medium to fine-grained sandstone bedding surfaces in Sursagar area. Morphologically, these are circular to sub-circular, mostly flat-discoidal forms or discs surrounded by numerous radiating arms or appendages resembling tentacles. Hiemalora is reinterpreted and reconstructed as discoidal hold fast of benthic organism but not found the attached fronds or stem-like structures of the hold fasts in the present materials. The systematic palaeontology, palaeobiology, palaeoenvironment and age of the Hiemalora bearing Ediacaran Sonia Sandstone have been also discussed.
Prioritization of All Blocks in Districts of the Jaipur Division with Investigation of Factors Affecting Significant Trends in GWLs
Authors: Phulpagar Sanju R. , Kale Ganesh D.
Published: December 2021

Urbanization and population growth resulted in the depletion of groundwater (GW) in the Rajasthan. According to Central Ground Water Board (2019), groundwater level (GWL) decline was observed in eastern part of the Rajasthan. The Jaipur division is situated in the eastern part of the Rajasthan. For effective GW resource usage and planning of GW management strategies, trend analyses in GWLs, rainfall and mean temperature (TEMP) of all blocks in districts of the Jaipur division, Rajasthan is carried out for four seasons over the period of 1994 to 2018. For trend analyses autocorrelation plot, Mann-Kendall (MK), MK with block bootstrapping test, sequential MK test, Sen’s slope test, innovative trend analysis plot and smoothing curve are used. Prioritization of all blocks in the districts of the Jaipur division is also carried out on the basis of trend analyses of GWLs. Form the current study, it is found that, there is significant decrease in GW in most of the blocks of the Jaipur division corresponding to all four seasons. Also, most of the blocks in the Jaipur division have shown increase in mean TEMP and decrease in rainfall corresponding to all four seasons. In addition, stages of GW extraction percentages are found to be more than 100% in most of the blocks in the Jaipur division, Rajasthan. From the aforesaid results, it can be concluded that, GW is decreasing due to increasing TEMP, decreasing rainfall and over exploitation of GW in most of the blocks in the Jaipur division, Rajasthan.
Synchronous occurrence of breast fibroadenoma with osseous metaplasia and invasive lobular carcinoma; a case report with literature review
Authors: Salh Abdulwahid M. , Abdullah Ari M. , Kakamad Fahmi H. , Hammood Zuhair D. , Mikael Tomas M. , Hassan Shko H.
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT

Introduction and importance:

Osseous metaplasia is an extremely rare finding in the breasts, especially in association with benign tumors. This paper aims to present the first case of synchronous breast fibroadenoma with osseous metaplasia and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).

Case presentation:

A 45-year-old female presented with right breast lump for a year. She was hypertensive and had been pregnant for 9 times, in which 5 of them were aborted. Upon examination, there was a painful large mass in right breast. Ultrasound (US) showed multiple masses in the right breast, with the largest one measuring 32 × 16 mm and containing macrocalcification. US also revealed two benign masses in the left breast. Mammography showed an ill-defined asymmetrical density toward the nipple in right breast with two large macrocalcifications. Wide local excision was performed for the right breast, and histopathology examination revealed fibroadenoma with osseous metaplasia, and ILC.

Clinical discussion:

Although osseous metaplasia is rare, it has been observed in various parts of the body that contain soft tissues. To date, only a few cases have been reported in the breast with all of them being associated with malignant neoplasms. It is believed that these heterotrophic bony tissues develop when stromal fibroblasts are transformed by metaplasia into osteoblasts.

Conclusion:

Despite its rarity, benign osseous metaplasia can still occur in the breasts, most commonly in middle-aged females with a painful lump being the first presentation.

Highlights
Epsilon-Near-Zero Metamaterials
Authors: Li Yue , Zhou Ziheng , He Yijing , Li Hao
Published: December 2021

This Element introduces the exotic wave phenomena arising from the extremely small optical refractive index, and sheds light on the underlying mechanisms, with a primary focus on the basic concepts and fundamental wave physics. The authors reveal the exciting applications of ENZ metamaterials, which have profound impacts over a wide range of fields of science and technology. The sections are organized as follows: in Section 2, the authors demonstrate the extraordinary wave properties in ENZ metamaterials, analyzing the unique wave dynamics and the resulting effects. Section 3 is dedicated to introducing various realization methods of the ENZ metamaterials with periodic and non-periodic styles. The applications of ENZ metamaterials are discussed in Sections 4 and 5, from the perspectives of microwave engineering, optics, and quantum physics. The authors close in Section 6 by presenting an outlook on the development of ENZ metamaterials and discussing the key challenges addressed in future works.
Curation of the John and Phil Palmquist Archaeological Collection
Authors: Doershuk John F. , Davis Warren D. , Palmquist John
Published: December 2021

The 2018 SAA statement encouraging collaboration between archaeologists and “responsible and responsive stewards” included recommendations epitomizing decades of established practice at the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA), a research center housing the State Archaeological Repository of Iowa. At the time the SAA statement was published, OSA staff were actively implementing a grant supporting transfer to the State Repository of the John and Phil Palmquist Archaeological Collection. This grant was designed to provide hands-on research experience for undergraduate students interested in archaeology and collections management while recording improved site locational data and artifact specific documentation, including on relatively rare (for the area) red pipestone artifacts. Although modest by some standards, the Palmquist Collection includes 860 artifacts from 26 locations recorded through 40 years of surface survey by the family in a portion of Iowa that is rarely the focus of professional archaeologists. This article provides a case study of responsible archaeological practice implementing SAA recommendations, including treating collector-collaborators with respect, encouraging collector assistance in the recording of finds, capturing research data from a private collection, and facilitating curation of privately owned materials. We include brief consideration of the impact of the Palmquist Collection on the understanding of southwestern Iowa archaeology.
Market Definition in the Platform Economy
Authors: FRANCK Jens-Uwe , PEITZ Martin
Published: December 2021

The article addresses the role market definition can play for EU competition practice in the platform economy. The focus is on intermediaries that bring together groups of users whose decisions are interdependent, which therefore are commonly referred to as ‘two-sided platforms’. We address challenges to market definition that accompany these cross-group network effects, assess current practice in a number of competition cases, and provide guidance for adapting practice to properly account for the economic forces shaping markets with two-sided platforms. We ask whether and when a single market can be defined that encompasses both sides. We advocate a multi-markets approach that takes account of cross-market linkages, acknowledges the existence of zero-price markets, and properly accounts for the homing behaviour of market participants.
Preliminary evidence on combined cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing intervention efficacy to improve employment motivation for persons with intellectual disability
Authors: Diallo Abdoulaye , Fonseca Lidia , Holland Diana
Published: December 2021

This study investigated the efficacy of a combined modified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) approach on motivating persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in obtaining employment. The sample consisted of a total of 52 individuals with ID who were clients of an independent vocational-rehabilitation services provider (females = 42%; males = 58%), ranging in age from 19 to 47. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26). The intervention group received a combined modified CBT and MI intervention and the control group a fact sheet on career-dysfunctional thoughts and lack of motivation to obtain employment. Outcome measures comprised a career-dysfunctional thoughts scale and employment seeking action scale. Results indicated that the intervention group reported higher motivation in obtaining employment than the control. Practitioners seeking to improve employment prospects for persons with ID should consider the use of a combined modified CBT and MI intervention for increasing the chances of employment seeking by people with ID.
Determinants of Bicameral Conflict: The Formation of Conference Committees in Chile, 1990-2018
Authors: Navia Patricio , Mimica Nicolás
Published: December 2021

In some countries, bicameral discrepancies are solved by the formation of a conference committee. In Chile, conference committees are exclusively and automatically formed when the second chamber rejects a bill passed in the first chamber or when the first chamber rejects the modifications to its original bill made by the second chamber. This article postulates 4 hypotheses for the determinants of conference committee formation. It tests them for the case of Chile’s sequential legislative process (1990–2018) using 2,183 bills that reached the stage where a conference committee could be formed. The 482 conference committees that resulted were more likely to be formed when chambers were controlled by different majorities, when passage required special voting thresholds, when bills were more important for the president, and when the bills had more approved amendments, but they were not more likely if the bill was introduced by legislators rather than the executive.
Exact nonlinear solutions for three-dimensional Alfvén-wave packets in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics
Authors: Mallet Alfred , Chandran Benjamin D.G.
Published: December 2021

We show that large-amplitude, non-planar, Alfvén-wave (AW) packets are exact nonlinear solutions of the relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations when the total magnetic-field strength in the local fluid rest frame (

$b$

) is a constant. We derive analytic expressions relating the components of the fluctuating velocity and magnetic field. We also show that these constant-

$b$

AWs propagate without distortion at the relativistic Alfvén velocity and never steepen into shocks. These findings and the observed abundance of large-amplitude, constant-

$b$

AWs in the solar wind suggest that such waves may be present in relativistic outflows around compact astrophysical objects.
Exploring facilitators and barriers to introducing health technology assessment: a systematic review
Authors: Suharlim Christian , Kumar Ritu , Salim Julian , Mehra Meenakshi , Gilmartin Colin , Amaris Caruso Ana , Castro Hector
Published: December 2021

Objective

This study aims to identify and codify the facilitators and barriers to help implementing partners institutionalize health technology assessment (HTA) successfully and navigate complex systems for health-related policy making.

Methods

We searched for peer-reviewed and gray literature articles examining HTA programs globally using six databases. Keywords used as a guide for capturing articles included “health technology assessment,” “barrier,” and “facilitator” and their synonyms. Search results were scrutinized for duplicates and screened through a review of titles and abstracts. A full-text review was conducted exploring articles’ coverage of twenty-seven evaluation criteria across four primary areas of interest: barriers/facilitators, motivations, guidelines, and institutional frameworks.

Results

A total of 18,599 records were identified for duplication check, title, and abstract review. A total of 1,594 articles underwent full-text review, leading to a final synthesis of 262 studies. We found that ninety-seven articles discussed barriers/facilitators, with fifty-three of those discussing local capacity and unavailable human resources. Out of the sixty-six articles discussing motivations, forty-two cited the interest in supporting the decision-making process for, and promoting, appropriate resource allocation. Of the sixty-one articles that discussed guidelines and institutional framework, twenty-one articles described HTA as an independent national unit, and sixteen described their HTA unit as a unit within the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Conclusions

This systematic review unpacks the dynamic and relevant contexts for understanding the HTA institutionalization process to help policy makers and practitioners achieve tangible progress in confronting the most critical issues facing priority setting and HTA institutionalization.
Introduction: The Scales of Decadence
Authors: Denisoff Dennis
Published: December 2021

Recent scholars have been captivated by the indeterminate potentialities that decadence sets not in contradiction to, but in disarming misstep with, Victorian claims of individual, social, and global systems operating harmoniously toward a singular order. These systems also happened to privilege the aspirations of the middle class, the patriarchal machinery, white British colonial expansionism, and anthropocentric privilege. In a scene inThe Importance of Being Earnest(1895), Oscar Wilde offers a particularly pithy encapsulation of this effective obliqueness and extensibility of decadence in relation to cultural norms. The character Algernon enters the room and, on seeing his endearing cousin Gwendolen, offers the complement, “Dear me, you are smart,” to which she replies, “I am always smart!” The retort's brash overconfidence is diluted by the sense that Gwendolen perhaps misunderstood what Algernon meant; he was complementing her looks, but she may have thought he was referring to her intellect. If so, then she is clearly not as sharp as she claims. But even if she did understand him and was, like him, referring to her appearance, the comment is destabilizing; it renders flat Algernon's attempt to complement her as particularly appealing at this particular moment. Either way, her response is somehow off. And when her suitor Jack follows up this bit of banter by declaring Gwendolen “quite perfect,” she again rebuffs the complement: “Oh! I hope I am not that. It would leave no room for developments, and I intend to develop in many directions.” The humor arises because of Gwendolen charmingly construing the conventional for the philosophical, her seeming inability quite to understand what others mean, her way of taking a simple compliment and scaling it up almost to the level of the epistemological or metaphysical.
Late-Victorian Decadent Song Literature
Authors: Desmarais Jane
Published: December 2021

This article considers the Victorian and Edwardian vogue for setting late-Victorian decadent poetry to music. It examines the particular appeal of Ernest Dowson's and Arthur Symons's verse to the composers Cyril Scott and Frederick Delius, whoseSongs of Sunset(1911) was regarded as the “quintessential expression of thefin-de-sièclespirit,” and discusses the contribution of women composers and musicians—particularly that of the Irish composer and translator Adela Maddison (1866–1929)—to the cross-continental tradition of decadent song literature and the musical legacy of decadence in the late-Victorian period and beyond.
Wealth and Consumption After Job Displacement
Authors: Barnette Justin
Published: December 2021

Income drops permanently after an involuntary job displacement, but it has never been clear what happens to long run wealth in the USA. Upon displacement, wealth falls 14% relative to workers of the same age and similar education from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Their wealth is still 18% lower 12 years after the event. A standard life cycle model calibrated to US data with permanent decreases in income after displacement behaves differently than these findings. The agents in the model also experience a large drop in wealth but they recover. The biggest culprit for these differences is small and statistically insignificant changes to consumption in the PSID whereas agents in the model decrease their consumption considerably. Extending the model to include habit formation reconciles some of these differences by generating similar long run effects on wealth. This allows for the examination of wealth at death through the lens of the model.
‘The Timpani Beats Just Hit on My Heart!’ Music, Memory, and Diplomacy in the Philadelphia Orchestra's 1973 China Tour
Authors: LIU BESS XINTONG
Published: December 2021

This article examines the underexplored history of the 1973 Philadelphia Orchestra China tour and retheorizes twentieth-century musical diplomacy as a process of ritualization. As a case study, I consult bilingual archives and incorporate interviews with participants in this event, which brings together individual narratives and public opinions. By contextualizing this musical diplomacy in the Cold War détente and the Chinese Cultural Revolution, I argue for the complex set of relations mobilized by Western art music in 1973. This tour first created a sense of co-dependency between musicians and politicians. It also engaged Chinese audiences by revitalizing pre-Cultural Revolution sonic memories. Second, I argue that the significance of the 1973 Orchestra tour lies in the ritualization of Western art music as diplomatic etiquette, based on further contextualization of this event in the historical trajectory of Sino-US relations and within the entrenched Chinese ideology ofliyue(ritual and music).
Small Money Donating as Democratic Politics
Authors: Rubenstein Jennifer
Published: December 2021

Since 2008, the number of people in the United States making small monetary donations to political causes, both within and beyond electoral politics, has skyrocketed. While critics of “big money” in politics laud these donations because they are small, proponents of small-scale democratic political action eye them suspiciously because they are monetary. Neither group interrogates whether the monetariness of these donations might be asourceof their democratic potential. Building on Wendy Brown’s conceptual distinction between monetization and economization, I argue that small-money political donations are potentially democratic not only because they are small, but also because they are monetary. More specifically, the mobility, divisibility, commensurability, and fungibility of money help make small-money political donations potentially democratic, by making them potentially accessible, non-intrusive, and collective. Money is the coin of the economic realm, but it can also be a currency of democratic politics.
What Does Your Voice Reveal About You?
Authors: Koutsoumpis Antonis , de Vries Reinout E.
Published: December 2021

Abstract. The first goal of the present study was to explore how 21 voice measures related to self-reported personality and communication styles. The second goal was to test the assertion of Trait Activation Theory (TAT) that traits are activated in relevant situations and that verbal behavior is the result of an interplay between individual differences and situations. The voice of 138 participants was measured in the lab via steady voice and continuous speech tasks, whereas personality and communication styles were self-reported using the HEXACO and Communication Styles Inventory. To test TAT, four scenarios were developed to activate the communication styles of Informality and Expressiveness. It was hypothesized that the activated communication styles will interact with relevant situations and will be expressed through changes in voice (i.e., pitch variation). Regarding the first goal, an explorative approach revealed that voice characteristics are informative mainly for the personality traits of Openness to Experience, Emotionality, and Conscientiousness and the communication styles of Emotionality and Questioningness. Regarding the second goal, the interactions between situations and communication styles provided mixed support for TAT. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.