bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sequential Magneto‐Actuated and Optics‐Triggered Biomicrorobots for Targeted Cancer Therapy
Authors: Xing Jiehua , Yin Ting , Li Shuiming , Xu Tiantian , Ma Aiqing , Chen Ze , Luo Yingmei , Lai Zhengyu , Lv Yingnian , Pan Hong , Liang Ruijing , Wu Xinyu , Zheng Mingbin , Cai Lintao
Published: December 2020

Micro/nanorobots have the potential to be remotely propelled and manipulated in complex biological fluid and organ tissue. However, the combination of the sophisticated physiological barriers, remote‐controlled navigation, real‐time motion tracking, and diagnostic/therapeutic effects are tremendous challenges for application and translation. An unique sequential magneto‐actuated and optics‐triggered biomicrorobot (AI microrobot) for actively targeted cancer treatment is prepared. The AI microrobot consists of two components, magnetospirillum magneticum (AMB‐1), providing the ability to autonomously swim toward the tumor site via internal hypoxia‐driven effects and an external applied magnetic field, and indocyanine green nanoparticles, acting as a fluorescence imaging agent and photothermal therapy. The AI microrobots are tracked in vivo by fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. It is found that the AI microrobots can sequentially migrate to the hypoxic internal area of tumors and then effectively eradicate solid tumors through photothermal therapy under NIR laser irradiation. The sequential magneto‐actuated and optics‐triggered AI microrobots platform described here presents a bioinspired strategy toward remotely controlled propulsion, actively targeted cargo delivery, and satisfactory therapeutic performance in the circulatory system.
Cell‐Selective siRNA Delivery Using Glycosylated Dynamic Covalent Polymers Self‐Assembled In Situ by RNA Templating
Authors: Laroui Nabila , Coste Maëva , Su Dandan , Ali Lamiaa M. A. , Bessin Yannick , Barboiu Mihail , Gary‐Bobo Magali , Bettache Nadir , Ulrich Sébastien
Published: December 2020

Dynamic covalent libraries enable exploring complex chemical systems from which bioactive assemblies can adaptively emerge through template effects. In this work, we studied dynamic covalent libraries made of complementary bifunctional cationic peptides, yielding a diversity of species from macrocycles to polymers. Although polymers are typically expressed only at high concentration, we found that siRNA acts as a template in the formation of dynamic covalent polymers at low concentration in a process guided by electrostatic binding. Using a glycosylated building block, we were able to show that this templated polymerization further translates into the multivalent presentation of carbohydrate ligands, which subsequently promotes cell uptake and even cell‐selective siRNA delivery.
From Carbohydrates to Complex Organofluorines: Synthesis, Conformation, and Lipophilicity of Multivicinal‐Fluorine‐Containing Hexitol Analogues
Authors: Lainé Danny , Lessard Olivier , St‐Gelais Jacob , Giguère Denis
Published: December 2020

There is growing interest in the preparation of fluorine‐containing organic molecules. Multivicinal‐fluorine analogues are among the most intriguing and promising compounds, but their physical and biological investigations are held back by challenging syntheses. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a large set of novel polyfluorohexitols. The dominant solution‐state conformation of all trifluorohexitols was determined, and the solid‐state conformations of some analogues were compared. Finally, the lipophilicity of a large set of polyfluorinated hexopyranose and hexitol analogues was attributed by using a log P determination method based on 19F NMR spectroscopy.
Diazapentacenes from Quinacridones
Authors: Wiesner Thomas , Ahrens Lukas , Rominger Frank , Freudenberg Jan , Bunz Uwe H. F.
Published: December 2020

Bis(silylethynylated) 5,7‐ and 5,12‐diazapentacenes were synthesized fromcis‐ andtrans‐quinacridone using protection, alkynylation and deoxygenation. The solid‐state packing of the targets is determined by choice and position of the silylethynyl substituents. The position of the substituents and nitrogen atoms influence the optical properties of the targets.
All is fish that comes to the net: metabarcoding for rapid fisheries catch assessment
Authors: Russo Tommaso , Maiello Giulia , Talarico Lorenzo , Baillie Charles , Colosimo Giuliano , D'Andrea Lorenzo , Di Maio Federico , Fiorentino Fabio , Franceschini Simone , Garofalo Germana , Scannella Danilo , Cataudella Stefano , Mariani Stefano
Published: December 2020

Monitoring marine resource exploitation is a key activity in fisheries science and biodiversity conservation. Since research surveys are time consuming and costly, fishery‐dependent data (i.e., derived directly from fishing vessels) are increasingly credited with a key role in expanding the reach of ocean monitoring. Fishing vessels may be seen as widely ranging data‐collecting platforms, which could act as a fleet of sentinels for monitoring marine life, in particular exploited stocks. Here, we investigate the possibility of assessing catch composition of single hauls carried out by trawlers by applying DNA metabarcoding to the dense water draining from fishing nets just after the end of hauling operations (hereafter “slush”). We assess the performance of this approach in portraying β‐diversity and examining the quantitative relationship between species abundances in the catch and DNA amount in the slush (read counts generated by amplicon sequencing). We demonstrate that the assemblages identified using DNA in the slush satisfactorily mirror those returned by visual inspection of net content (about 71% of species and 86% of families of fish) and detect a strong relationship between read counts and species abundances in the catch. We therefore argue that this approach could be upscaled to serve as a powerful source of information on the structure of demersal assemblages and the impact of fisheries.
Offset analgesia is reduced on the palm and increases with stimulus duration
Authors: Asplund Christopher L. , Kannangath Anjali , Long Victoria Jane En , Derbyshire Stuart W. G.
Published: December 2020

Background

A noxious stimulus following a more intense stimulus often feels less painful than continuous noxious stimulation. This effect, known as offset analgesia (OA), may be due to descending inhibitory control, to changes in peripheral neural transmission or both. The timing and location of noxious thermal stimulation were manipulated to better understand the peripheral and central contributions to OA.

Methods

In a first experiment, participants (n = 29) provided continuous pain ratings as stimuli were delivered to the palm or dorsum of each hand. Offset trials included 44°C (T1), 45°C (T2) and 44°C (T3) stimulation periods. Baseline trials were identical except the T3 temperature fell to 35°C. Constant trials were 44°C throughout. The duration of T1 and T2 was either 1 s or 6 s, whereas T3 was always 12 s. In a second experiment, participants (n = 43) rated pain levels of noxious stimuli presented to the forearms with varying T1 and T2 durations (3, 6, 10 or 13 s) and a 20 s T3 period.

Results

OA effects became stronger with increasing inducing durations. OA, however, was not found on the palm even at longer durations.

Conclusions

The increase in OA with duration suggests that accumulated nociceptive signalling is more important to triggering OA than is a decrease in nociceptors’ instantaneous firing rates. The lack of OA on the palm, however, implies a key role for the rapidly adapting Type II AMH fibres that may be absent or not readily activated on the palm. Unravelling the relative central and peripheral contribution to OA requires further investigation.

Significance

Offset analgesia (OA) is a fundamentally temporal phenomenon dependent on dynamic changes in stimulus intensity. Here we demonstrate increased OA with increased stimulus duration. This finding implies the more slowly‐responding AMH‐I peripheral mechanoreceptors contribute to OA. The more rapidly responding AMH‐II peripheral mechanoreceptors, however, may be absent or more difficult to activate in the palm where we did not observe OA. This finding implies that the AMH‐II receptors are necessary for OA. Our studies suggest methods to unravel the different peripheral and central contributions to OA.
Normalizing the Biomagnification Factor
Authors: Gobas Frank A.P.C. , Lee Yung-Shan , Arnot Jon A.
Published: December 2020

Following a recent proposal of normalizing the experimentally derived biomagnification factor (BMF) to a 5% lipid content in fish, we explore the normalization of the BMF of lipophilic chemicals in fish. We illustrate with theoretical models and experimental data that the BMF of lipophilic chemicals is a function of the lipid content of the diet and that poorly metabolizable, lipophilic chemicals biomagnify in organisms to a greater degree when present in higher–lipid content food. The proposed normalization of the laboratory BMF to the lipid content of the fish and subsequent standardization to a 5% fish lipid content, which is numerically identical to normalizing the BMF to a 5% dietary lipid content, has the potential to underestimate the biomagnification potential of lipophilic substances in aquatic food webs. The BMF normalized to both the lipid content of the fish and the lipid content of the diet, which is the biomagnification metric included in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's bioaccumulation testing guideline 305, better represents real-world biomagnification than the proposed BMF normalized and standardized to a 5% lipid content in fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1204–1211. © 2020 SETAC

Abstract

Normalizing the biomagnification factor. BMF = biomagnification factor; BMF5% = biomagnification factor normalized to the lipid content of the fish and standardized to a fish lipid content of 5%, BMFL = lipid-normalized BMF; BMFL,5% = BMF normalized to the lipid content of the fish and a lipid content of the diet of the fish of 0.05 kg lipid/kg diet; TMF = trophic magnification factor.
Estimating the Equilibrium Distribution of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and 4 of Their Alternatives in Mammals
Authors: Allendorf Flora , Goss Kai-Uwe , Ulrich Nadin
Published: December 2020

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) mostly exist as ionic compounds that are of major concern because of their accumulative behavior. The discussion about their risk is ongoing considering the increasing production of structurally similar alternatives. We conducted model calculations based on equilibrium distribution coefficients that allow studying the distribution of PFAAs and their alternatives in various mammalian organs through comparison to empirical measurements in humans and rats. The calculations rely on experimentally determined distribution coefficients of a series of PFAAs and 4 of their alternatives to physiological matrices such as structural proteins, storage lipids, membrane lipids, albumin, and fatty acid binding protein (FABP). The relative sorption capacities in each organ were calculated from the combination of distribution coefficients and physiological data. The calculated distribution of PFAAs and alternatives within the organs showed that albumin and membrane lipids and, to a lesser extent, structural proteins have the highest relative sorption capacities for the compounds. Sorption to FABP is only relevant in the distribution of short-chain PFAAs. Storage lipids play a minor role in the distribution of all studied compounds. Our calculated distribution of PFAAs was evaluated by comparison to reported PFAA concentrations in various organs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:910–920. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Preconditioning of AISI 304 stainless steel surfaces in the presence of flavins—Part II: Effect on biofilm formation and microbially influenced corrosion processes
Authors: Wurzler Nina , Schutter Jan D. , Wagner Ralph , Dimper Matthias , Hodoroaba Vasile‐Dan , Lützenkirchen‐Hecht Dirk , Ozcan Ozlem
Published: December 2020

Biofilm formation and microbially influenced corrosion of the iron‐reducing microorganism Shewanella putrefaciens were investigated on stainless steel surfaces preconditioned in the absence and presence of flavin molecules by means of XANES (X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure) analysis and electrochemical methods. The results indicate that biofilm formation was promoted on samples preconditioned in electrolytes containing minute amounts of flavins. On the basis of the XANES results, the corrosion processes are controlled by the iron‐rich outer layer of the passive film. Biofilm formation resulted in a cathodic shift of the open circuit potential and a protective effect in terms of pitting corrosion. The samples preconditioned in the absence of flavins have shown delayed pitting and the samples preconditioned in the presence of flavins did not show any pitting in a window of −0.3‐ to +0.0‐V overpotential in the bacterial medium. The results indicate that changes in the passive film chemistry induced by the presence of minute amounts of flavins during a mild anodic polarization can change the susceptibility of stainless steel surfaces to microbially influenced corrosion.
Basalt/Polyacrylamide‐Ammonium Polyphosphate Hydrogel Composites for Fire‐Resistant Materials
Authors: Zheng Wen Jiang , Cui Xiao Feng , Zou Wei , Chen Qian , Zhang Hai Bo , Yang Hu , Yan Jie
Published: December 2020

Hydrogels containing a large amount of water are widely used as fire‐resistant materials. However, when exposed to fire, the organic polymer network of gel will burn in a short time as the contained water evaporates. For that, the fire‐retarding ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and woven basalt fibers are introduced in polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels to improve the fire‐resistant performance. Thermo‐gravimetric tests indicating that the APP can prevent gel from decomposition effectively when the content is larger than 13 wt%. And the APP can form a foam layer on gel surface to protect it from burning. The basalt fibers are capable of absorbing heat and strengthening the gel. With the synergetic of APP and basalt fibers, the resultant basalt/PAAm‐APP composite with high mechanical strength exhibits excellent fire‐resistant performance. It can sustain the 1300 °C flame for as long as 15 min.
A wideband reconfigurable analog predistorter based on a new wideband tunable impedance matching network
Authors: Bian Chenge , Zhang Dewei , Deng Hailin , Liu Qing , Zhang Yi , Lv Dalong , Zhou Dongfang
Published: December 2020

A wideband reconfigurable analog predistorter (APD), which can maintain the tuning capability in wideband frequency, is proposed in this letter. First, the requirements of tunable impedance matching network (TIMN) used in the wideband reconfigurable APD is given. Second, a new wideband TIMN is analyzed, and the coverage the proposed TIMN is given. Then the circuit parameters of the TIMN can be appropriately selected to maintain the coverage of the TIMN meeting the requirement at needed frequencies. To validate the proposed TIMN, a wideband reconfigurable APD operating at Q‐band (46.5–51.5 GHz) is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results show good agreement with the analysis. The minimum tuning range of gain and phase conversions are 12.5 dB and 46.5, respectively.
Assessment of a conceptually informed measure of emotion dysregulation: Evidence of construct validityvis a visimpulsivity and internalizing symptoms in adolescents withADHD
Authors: Monopoli W. John , Evans Steven W. , Benson Kari , Allan Nicholas P. , Owens Julie Sarno , DuPaul George J. , Bunford Nóra
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Despite advances in understanding associations among attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion dysregulation (ED), and related outcomes, there is incongruity between ADHD‐relevant conceptualizations of ED and available measures of ED. To assess the psychometric properties of a parent‐report questionnaire of ED conceptualized as deficits in the ability to modulate the (a) speed/degree of emotion escalation; (b) expression intensity; and (c) speed/degree of de‐escalation.

Methods

Participants were 209 adolescents with ADHD (78% male; 13.5–17.8 years old [M= 15.2SD= 0.91]). Questionnaire items were selected from parent‐report scales of ED and oppositional defiant disorder and subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and validity analyses.

Results

The EFA revealed two factors, with speed/degree of escalation combined with intensity as factor one, and speed/degree of de‐escalation as factor two. Factor one scores were related to ADHD impulsivity symptoms but not to anxiety and depression symptoms and they remained predictors of impulsivity even in the presence of self‐report ED, evincing convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity. Factor two scores were related to anxiety and depression but not impulsivity, evincing convergent and discriminant validity.

Conclusion

These results inform our understanding of ADHD‐relevant ED in adolescence and offer avenues for future research in measurement development, as well as for understanding ED and ADHD‐related impairment.
Regenerative peripheral nerve interface free muscle graft mass and function
Authors: Hu Yaxi , Ursu Daniel C. , Sohasky Racquel A. , Sando Ian C. , Ambani Shoshana L. W. , French Zachary P. , Mays Elizabeth A. , Nedic Andrej , Moon Jana D. , Kung Theodore A. , Cederna Paul S. , Kemp Stephen W. P. , Urbanchek Melanie G.
Published: December 2020

Background

Regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNIs) transduce neural signals to provide high‐fidelity control of neuroprosthetic devices. Traditionally, rat RPNIs are constructed with ~150 mg of free skeletal muscle grafts. It is unknown whether larger free muscle grafts allow RPNIs to transduce greater signal.

Methods

RPNIs were constructed by securing skeletal muscle grafts of various masses (150, 300, 600, or 1200 mg) to the divided peroneal nerve. In the control group, the peroneal nerve was transected without repair. Endpoint assessments were conducted 3 mo postoperatively.

Results

Compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), maximum tetanic isometric force, and specific muscle force were significantly higher for both the 150 and 300 mg RPNI groups compared to the 600 and 1200 mg RPNIs. Larger RPNI muscle groups contained central areas lacking regenerated muscle fibers.

Conclusions

Electrical signaling and tissue viability are optimal in smaller as opposed to larger RPNI constructs in a rat model.
Some new integral inequalities associated with generalized proportional fractional operators
Authors: Set Erhan , Çelik Barış , Alan Emrullah Aykan , Akdemir Ahmet Ocak
Published: December 2020

The main objective of this paper is to develop certain type of fractional integral inequalities using generalized proportional fractional integral operator.
Necessary treatment of brain metastases in poor‐performance status patients: for all, for no one, or for whom?
Authors: Ampil Federico L. , Richards Troy A.
Published: December 2020

The optimum treatment of brain metastases (BRM) in people with poor performance status remains to be ascertained. We aimed to report our reviewed 10‐year stereotactic radiosurgery experience of poor performance status patients with BRM treated at a single institution. Between June 2000 and December 2009, the study participants included 22 consecutive individuals with severe hemiparesis or cerebellar ataxia and stereotactic radiosurgery‐irradiated BRM. The mean follow‐up period was 26 months. Most of the patients were women, aged <65 years and diagnosed with solitary brain metastasis. Extracranial metastases were present in 45% of the patients. A total of 13 individuals (59%) died within 2 months after therapy, and nine patients (41%) died at a much later period. The overall median survival was 2 months, and the 2‐year and 5‐year crude survival rates were 41% and 14%, respectively. Short survival was not predominant after therapy in this limited experience, and the observed prolonged survival suggests that stereotactic radiosurgery still represents a valuable treatment option for poor performance status individuals with BRM.
Stabilization for an inhomogeneous porous‐elastic system with temperature and microtemperature
Authors: Feng Baowei , Yan Ling , Almeida Júnior Dilberto da Silva
Published: December 2020

In this paper we are concerned with a one‐dimensional linear theory of inhomogeneous porous‐thermo‐elastic materials with microtemperatures. The main results contain the global well‐posedness and stability of the system. By using Lumer–Philips theorem, we prove that the system is well posed. By using energy method, we establish exponential decay rate of the system.
The Rise of Right-Wing Populism in Europe: A Psychoanalytical Contribution
Authors: Sandrin Paula
Published: December 2020

This chapter aims to provide a psychoanalytically informed interpretation of the rise of right-wing populism in Europe. It argues that explanations for the growing support for right-wing populist political parties and groups in European countries which stress the role of economic, migratory, and political factors can be deepened by a reading which takes into account the role of affects in politics.
Eurozone Crisis Management and the Growth of Opposition to European Integration
Authors: Verney Susannah , Katsikas Dimitris
Published: December 2020

The crisis that started in Greece in 2010 gradually spread to other Eurozone member states. Things were worse for the crisis-hit countries of the Eurozone periphery, some of which implemented harsh adjustment programmes in the context of financial assistance agreements, while others adopted similar policies even though they had not officially entered a bailout agreement (e.g. Spain and to a lesser degree Italy). In this environment of deteriorating material conditions, Euroscepticism reached new heights. This chapter examines the impact of the crisis, and the way it was handled, on regionalism in Europe, through its effects on Euroscepticism. The authors compare Eurobarometer data from European Union (EU) member states, in order to develop a comparative outlook on attitudes towards European integration during the crisis. The analysis employs data at discreet time intervals, in order to capture the evolution of attitudes from the pre-crisis environment in 2008, to the peak of the crisis in 2012, its gradual resolution in 2016 and its official ending (with the exit of Greece from its third bailout programme) in 2018. This analysis is complemented by an overview of the political developments in crisis-hit countries with the objective of documenting and analysing the emergence and, in some cases, dominance of Eurosceptic parties. The objective is to present a comprehensive overview of political developments and the public attitudes that shaped them, vis a vis the EU, during the crisis and offer a tentative conclusion on their impact on the European integration process.
Financial Instability, Climate Change and the “Digital Colonization” of Europe: Some Unconventional Proposals
Authors: Schulmeister Stephan
Published: December 2020

This chapter addresses the three main challenges by sketching three types of policy proposals. First, measures for repression of “finance alchemy” as precondition for a sustained recovery of the real economy and for a “renaissance” of the European Social Model; second, measures for fighting climate change and for promoting (“green”) economic growth over a transition period; and third, measures for overcoming the “digital colonization” of Europe by US providers of operation systems, standard software and online platforms.
Promoting Investment in the European Union, Evaluating the Juncker Plan
Authors: Griffith-Jones Stephany
Published: December 2020

This chapter analyzes the Juncker Plan, in particular, the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), highlighting its achievements in expanding investment in the European Union and challenges in mitigating future risks to the European Investment Bank, as well as maximizing the development impact of its activities.
Proposal for a Pact for National Responsibility Through EU Solidarity Within the Present EU Architecture
Authors: Ghymers Christian
Published: December 2020

This Chapter shows that there still exist urgent actions possible with existing tools and procedures for breaking the prisoner dilemma through modalities of solidarity leading to more responsibility. These feasible solutions are simple recipes based upon past experiences for opening again the European Union (EU) win–win game by activating conditional incentives able to enhance channelled financial market reactions favourable to adjusting countries, preventing self-fulfilling speculation and benefiting the whole EU.
Proposals for Reforms and Democratization of the EMU
Authors: Guilherme Bettina De Souza
Published: December 2020

In this part of the book, we discuss proposals to improve architectural and crisis management lacunas. While other partners of the network present own proposals, this chapter has the objective to sketch out proposals, which have been discussed or are still in the pipeline at the top level of European Union (EU) decision-takers and institutions to remedy lacunas, errors and omissions of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) architecture. A main argument advanced is that the reforms with a focus on “risk-avoidance” and stronger “surveillance” and “monitoring” had more success, while any reforms based on the principle of “risk-sharing have encountered major resistance, both for the financial market regulation and for the fiscal framework.
The Double Democratic Deficit
Authors: De Souza Guilherme Bettina
Published: December 2020

This chapter will sketch how the EU has reacted to the financial crisis and in particular to the unfolding sovereign debt crisis, revealing major flaws in EMU’s architecture. It will not only address these design flaws but attempt to evaluate the underlying causes, reasons and motives of the architects and decision takers by comparing the more “federalist” Werner Plan with the more “intergovernmental” blueprint of the EMU of the Maastricht Treaty, connect it with the paradigm change on economic governance discussed by Schulmeister in Chap. 2 and show the consequences for the crisis and its management in terms of efficiency, equity and democratic accountability.
Operative Proofs in School Mathematics and Elementary Mathematics
Authors: Wittmann Erich Christian
Published: December 2020

This paper gives an account of the conceptual and practical approach to “operative proofs” that has been developed in the Mathe 2000 project. By means of some typical learning environments, this notion and its theoretical background are explained.
Was das Unterhaltungsfernsehen zur Vermittlung von medizinischem Wissen an Studierende und Laien beitragen kann – Sensibilisierung für seltene Erkrankungen
Authors: Schaefer Jürgen R. , von Hirschhausen Eckart
Published: December 2020

Menschen mit komplexen und seltenen Erkrankungen haben es in unserem Gesundheitssystem oft schwer. Bis zur Diagnosefindung kann es Jahre dauern und häufig fehlt eine geeignete Therapie. Dabei sind seltene Erkrankungen in der Summe der Patienten alles andere als selten: Allein in Deutschland sind etwa 4 Mio. Menschen betroffen. Dennoch gilt, dass eine seltene Erkrankung oft erst dann entdeckt werden kann, wenn sie bekannt genug ist und die Bevölkerung für ihre Existenz sensibilisiert ist – dies gilt sowohl für Laien als auch die Ärzteschaft. Die eher ungewöhnliche Form der Wissensvermittlung über das Unterhaltungsfernsehen kann einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Verbreitung von medizinischem Wissen und zur Sensibilisierung für medizinische Themen leisten. In konkreten Fällen kann das Unterhaltungsfernsehen so zur Diagnosefindung bei seltenen Erkrankungen beitragen oder Laien zu lebensrettenden Maßnahmen ermutigen, was in diesem Artikel anhand einiger Fallbeispiele verdeutlicht wird.

Serien und Quizshows erreichen sehr viel mehr Zuschauer als klassische Gesundheitssendungen. Auch im Studierendenunterricht haben sie sich als außergewöhnlich wirksam erwiesen. Da die Erzählform das Mitfiebern und Mitraten in den Mittelpunkt stellt; anstelle des reinen Vermittelns von Fakten werden die medizinischen Themen als Gedächtnisinhalte emotional stärker verankert und leichter erinnerlich. Das Unterhaltungsfernsehen bietet somit einen innovativen Ansatz, um die Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung zu steigern – ein Potenzial, das in Deutschland noch besser genutzt werden könnte.
Psychotherapie bei juveniler Adipositas: gerechtfertigt und sinnvoll?
Authors: Gmeiner Michaela Silvia , Warschburger Petra
Published: December 2020

Hintergrund

Adipositas ist im Kindes- und Jugendalter stark verbreitet. Medizinische Rehabilitationsmaßnahmen mit ihrem umfassenden Behandlungsangebot stellen eine wesentliche Säule der Versorgung dar. Da Adipositas mit vielfältigen psychosozialen Belastungen verbunden ist, stellt sich die Frage, ob psychotherapeutische Angebote noch stärker berücksichtigt werden sollten.

Fragestellung

Untersucht wurde, wie verbreitet psychische Auffälligkeiten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Adipositas sind und in welchem Zusammenhang sie zum Gewichtsverlauf stehen.

Material und Methoden

Die Stichprobe bestand aus 220 Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Adipositas (8 bis 16 Jahre,M = 13,11 Jahre;SD± 1,88 Jahre; 54,5 % weiblich), die an einer stationären Rehabilitationsmaßnahme teilnahmen. Emotionale- und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ) wurden zu Rehabilitationsbeginn sowie 6 und 12 Monate nach Rehabilitationsende im Elternbericht erfasst. Zudem wurden Daten zur Bestimmung des Gewichtstatus durch das medizinische Personal der Kliniken bzw. in der Katamnese von Hausärzten erhoben.

Ergebnisse

Fast die Hälfte der Kinder und Jugendlichen (48,6 %) wies auffällige Werte auf; v. a. Mädchen waren signifikant häufiger betroffen. Die deskriptive Betrachtung nach Rehabilitationsende zeigte einen vergleichbar hohen Anteil. Zudem wirkte sich das Vorliegen psychosozialer Auffälligkeiten signifikant negativ auf den Gewichtsverlauf aus.

Schlussfolgerung

Psychische Probleme sollten im Rahmen der Adipositastherapie stärker berücksichtigt werden. Zum einen sollten evtl. belastete Kinder durch Screenings identifiziert werden, zum anderen psychotherapeutische Maßnahmen zur Reduktion psychosozialer Belastungen integraler Bestandteil der Behandlung sein.
Self-rated exhaustion disorder and associated health-related factors among municipal employees in rural areas of northern Sweden
Authors: Asplund Sofia , Åhlin Johan , Åström Sture , Hedlund Mattias , Lindgren Britt-Marie , Ericson-Lidman Eva
Published: December 2020

Objective

The aims of this study among municipal employees in rural areas of northern Sweden were to assess the prevalence of self-rated exhaustion disorder (s-ED), describe plausible between-group differences in self-reported health-related factors among employees with or without s-ED, and identify health-related factors associated with s-ED.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, data were collected from 1093 municipal employees (76.1% women) in two rural areas using an instrument measuring s-ED and health variables drawn from the Modern Worklife Questionnaire (MWQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the National Board of Health and Welfare’s questions about physical activity. Comparisons were made between an s-ED and a non-s-ED group. Health-related factors associated with s-ED were identified through a logistic regression.

Results

Self-rated exhaustion disorder was reported by 21.5% of the participants. Health-related factors associated with s-ED were cognitive problems, sleep problems, depressive symptoms, high stress, poor self-rated health, and stomach problems. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of participants who met the criteria of physical activity among s-ED and non-s-ED group.

Conclusion

Findings from this study suggest that s-ED is more common among municipal employees in rural areas than in other working populations in Sweden. Several health-related factors were associated with s-ED. Regular use of a self-rated instrument in evaluating the organizational and social work environment can identify people at risk of developing exhaustion disorder and requiring long-term sick leave.
Biomarker alterations associated with distinct patterns of metastatic spread in colorectal cancer
Authors: Michl M. , Taverna F. , Kumbrink J. , Schiergens T. S. , Heinemann V. , Engel J. , Kirchner T. , Neumann Jens
Published: December 2020

Metastatic spread is the most important life-threatening feature of colorectal cancer and is supposed to be mainly driven by alterations in different carcinogenic pathways. The present study compared mutation and expression profiles of distinctive biomarkers in colorectal cancer patients with different clinical metastatic patterns. As for a case-control study, patients were matched according to T category, grading and primary tumour site. Overall, 246 patients with either exclusive lung metastasis (N = 82), exclusive liver metastasis (N = 82) or non-metastatic colorectal cancer (N = 82) were identified. Paraffin-embedded specimens were examined for mutations in the RAS and RAF genes and for the expression of β-catenin and CD133. Clinical endpoints were presence or absence of distant metastasis, formation of metastasis in lungs versus the liver and survival. MAPK pathway mutations in either the KRAS, NRAS or BRAF gene were associated with the development of lung metastasis (63.4%) compared to the control group (47.6%; p = 0.04). MAPK pathway alterations plus high β-catenin expression were associated with metastasis to the lungs but not to the liver (28.0% vs. 13.4%; p = 0.02). High CD133 expression correlated with the development of liver metastasis compared to the control group (30.5% vs. 14.6%; p = 0.02). This data indicates that different patterns of distant spread are associated with specific biomarker alterations and may represent different molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer. However, underlying mechanisms of metastasis formation in different anatomic sites remains unclear. Since knowledge of the anticipated site of distant spread would substantially impact clinical management, further research is needed to identify solid biomarkers for different metastatic patterns.
Cyber risk ordering with rank-based statistical models
Authors: Giudici Paolo , Raffinetti Emanuela
Published: December 2020

In a world that is increasingly connected on-line, cyber risks become critical. Cyber risk management is very difficult, as cyber loss data are typically not disclosed. To mitigate the reputational risks associated with their disclosure, loss data may be collected in terms of ordered severity levels. However, to date, there are no risk models for ordinal cyber data. We fill the gap, proposing a rank-based statistical model aimed at predicting the severity levels of cyber risks. The application of our approach to a real-world case shows that the proposed models are, while statistically sound, simple to implement and interpret.
Product bundling and advertising strategy for a duopoly supply chain: a power-balance perspective
Authors: Jena Sarat Kumar , Ghadge Abhijeet
Published: December 2020

The paper studies product bundling in a duopoly supply chain network under the influence of different power-balance structures, bundling decisions and advertising efforts on total supply chain profit. Mathematical models comprising two manufacturers and a single retailer are developed to capture the impact of bundling policy and advertisement strategy under three power-balance structures, namely Manufacturer Stackelberg, Retailer Stackelberg and Vertical Nash. Following game theory models and numerical examples, the study found that the total profit of the supply chain is undifferentiated under the manufacturer Stackelberg and Vertical Nash case in the manufacturer bundling and retailer bundling strategies. However, total supply chain profit under manufacturer bundling strongly dominates under retailer bundling in Retailer Stackelberg and Vertical Nash, and remains valid under multiple settings of market size, price elasticity and advertising elasticity. It is also found that manufacturer bundling is significantly affected by advertising effort compared to retailer bundling. The study contributes to the literature interfacing supply chain and marketing by studying bundling policy and advertising strategy simultaneously for homogenous products, under various power-balance structures and price competition.
Transparency and accountability influences of regulation on risk control: the case of a Swedish bank
Authors: Kashyap Shruti , Iveroth Einar
Published: December 2020

This qualitative in-depth case study explores the influence of financial regulation on risk control within Banque de Montagne, a large listed bank in Sweden. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the European Banking Authority´s Guidelines on Internal Governance (GL 44), through Swedish Financial Regulation FFFS 2014:1, on the bank’s risk organization along the three lines of defense model of internal control. FFFS 2014:1 requires banks to reform risk control structures, processes, and roles through a mandated split between the operational risk and compliance functions of the internal risk organization. Through an analysis of 41 interviews, more than 2100 pages of internal and external documents, and over 200 hours of observations from 2015 to 2017, the research identifies the relevant changes to transparency and accountability mechanisms across the three lines of defense within the organization. The operationalization of these concepts through risk control mechanisms is an important consideration for both banks and regulators who rely on the three lines of defense model as an industry-wide adoption for effective risk control. The findings suggest that whilst intra- and inter-organizational accountability mechanisms have strengthened under the changed organizational structure through the implementation of FFFS 2014:1, challenges to effective transparency remain and may have ambiguous consequences for both organizational and regulatory aims
SUMMER, a shiny utility for metabolomics and multiomics exploratory research
Authors: Huang Ling , Currais Antonio , Shokhirev Maxim N.
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Cellular metabolites are generated by a complex network of biochemical reactions. This makes interpreting changes in metabolites exceptionally challenging.

Objectives

To develop a computational tool that integrates multiomics data at the level of reactions.

Methods

Changes in metabolic reactions are modeled with input from transcriptomics/proteomics measurements of enzymes and metabolomic measurements of metabolites.

Results

We developed SUMMER, which identified more relevant signals, key metabolic reactions, and relevant underlying biological pathways in a real-world case study.

Conclusion

SUMMER performs integrative analysis for data interpretation and exploration. SUMMER is freely accessible at http://summer.salk.edu and the code is available at https://bitbucket.org/salkigc/summer.
Social practices in teacher knowledge creation and innovation adoption: a large-scale study in an online instructional design community for inquiry learning
Authors: Rodríguez-Triana María Jesús , Prieto Luis P. , Ley Tobias , de Jong Ton , Gillet Denis
Published: December 2020

Social practices are assumed to play an important role in the evolution of new teaching and learning methods. Teachers internalize knowledge developed in their communities through interactions with peers and experts while solving problems or co-creating materials. However, these social practices and their influence on teachers’ adoption of new pedagogical practices are notoriously hard to study, given their implicit and informal nature. In this paper, we apply the Knowledge Appropriation Model (KAM) to trace how different social practices relate to the implementation of pedagogical innovations in the classroom, through the analysis of more than 40,000 learning designs created within Graasp, an online authoring tool to support inquiry-based learning, used by more than 35,000 teachers. Our results show how different practices of knowledge appropriation, maturation and scaffolding seem to be related, to a varying degree, to teachers’ increased classroom implementation of learning designs. Our study also provides insights into how we can use traces from digital co-creation platforms to better understand the social dimension of professional learning, knowledge creation and the adoption of new practices.
How the meanings of ‘home’ influence energy-consuming practices in domestic buildings
Authors: Wang Xinfang , Ghanem Dana Abi , Larkin Alice , McLachlan Carly
Published: December 2020

The UK introduced carbon budgets in 2008, with an aim to reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050 compared with the 1990 levels. It has been argued that the 2015 Paris Agreement on limiting the global average temperature rise to ‘well below 2° C’ requires deeper and more rapid emission reductions than the current UK targets. Household energy consumption accounts for almost a third of total UK CO2emissions in recent years. This paper explores drivers of high energy consumption in domestic buildings from a sociological practice perspective and through a lens of dominant meanings of ‘home’. Whilst the practice approach and meanings of home have been explored separately in the literature to understand household energy consumption, this paper adds new findings on the interaction between the meanings of home and the elements of practices. Results show the dominant meaning of home differs between householders; this in turn affects the materials and procedures of energy-consuming practices. For instance, if ‘home’ means ‘hospitality’, this changes the standard of comfort and convenience people perceive at home. Understanding how practices and meanings of the home intersect, provides new, much needed insights that could support policy change commensurate with more rapidly reducing CO2emissions from domestic energy consumption.
Housing retrofit as an intervention in thermal comfort practices: Chinese and Dutch householder perspectives
Authors: de Feijter Frank J. , van Vliet Bas J.M.
Published: December 2020

Contemporary packages of housing retrofit equipment are based on models of expected energy savings with regard to globally standardized thermal comfort levels. Previous research shows that the energy savings realised after a housing retrofit is substantially lower than expected. Attempts to reduce energy demand by physical re-design, utilising technical standards for thermal comfort as well as financial incentives, tend to ignore the role of retrofit interventions in the construction of everyday practices of thermal comfort making. Thermal comfort practices of heating, cooling and ventilation are moderated by specific householders’ motivations which constitute ‘wants’ and emerging ‘needs’ in the interaction with the housing retrofit equipment. This paper proposes that the interactions between the retrofitted buildings and the householders are the sum of material affordances, as signified by the design of the housing equipment on the one hand, and the practical affordances in practices-as-performances on the other. The study presents comfort practices in relation to recently retrofitted low-income housing estates in Beijing, Mianyang (Sichuan province, South-west China) and Amsterdam on the basis of 50 qualitative interviews with householders in each city. The paper concludes that the expected energy saving is counteracted by a poor match between conventional retrofit packages and householders’ considerations about their thermal comfort. To better reduce energy demand and to mitigate energy poverty, retrofit packages should provide adaptive thermal comfort as preferred by householders, rather than fixed or tightly specified thermal comfort. Such a perspective may support a more flexible and inclusive use of housing equipment as part of retrofit programs.
New species and nomenclatural changes in Cynorkis (Orchidaceae) from Madagascar, the Comoros and the Mascarenes
Authors: Hermans Johan , Rajaovelona Landy , Cribb Phillip , Hervouet Jean-Michel , Sieder Anton , Andriantiana Jacky
Published: December 2020

Four new species,Cynorkis kiehnii, C. marianneae, C. marmorataandC. murex,are described for the first time.Cynorkis frappieriandC. raymondianaare compared, with the latter reduced to a synonym of the former. Cynorkis gaesiformis, C. galeata, C. nutansandC. stenoglossaare compared and considered one variable species, with the nameC. nutanshaving priority. Additional information is provided aboutC. mammuthusfollowing the discovery of living material in N Madagascar.
Determination of retention value using Mike She model in the area of young glacial catchments
Authors: Cieśliński Roman
Published: December 2020

The aim of the paper is the identification of the kinds and conditions of retention occurring in the selected of young glacial catchment (the Potok Oliwski) in natural and anthropogenic conditions by means of the mathematic model of Mike She. As a result of the performed calculations it has been possible to determine that the studied area, thanks to the nature-shaped factors, has a high retention potential, which refers to the ground water storage. The conditions of surface retention, in which a great role is played by blind drainage, have been analysed as well.
Unexpected guests in the tumor microenvironment: microbiome in cancer
Authors: Wong-Rolle Abigail , Wei Haohan Karen , Zhao Chen , Jin Chengcheng
Published: December 2020

Although intestinal microbiome have been established as an important biomarker and regulator of cancer development and therapeutic response, less is known about the role of microbiome at other body sites in cancer. Emerging evidence has revealed that the local microbiota make up an important part of the tumor microenvironment across many types of cancer, especially in cancers arising from mucosal sites, including the lung, skin and gastrointestinal tract. The populations of bacteria that reside specifically within tumors have been found to be tumor-type specific, and mechanistic studies have demonstrated that tumor-associated microbiota may directly regulate cancer initiation, progression and responses to chemo- or immuno-therapies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the important literature on the microbiota in the cancerous tissue, and their function and mechanism of action in cancer development and treatment.
Academic integrity in the Muslim world: a conceptual map of challenges of culture
Authors: Akbar Akbar , Picard Michelle
Published: December 2020

The literature suggests that a whole-institution culture of academic integrity is needed in order to prevent academic integrity breaches. It is also suggested that the national cultures and individual backgrounds of academic staff and students can impact on their propensity to breach academic integrity policies and on their uptake of initiatives aimed at enhancing academic culture. Much research has been conducted on academic integrity related to culture in the western world including the behaviours of international students, and some work has been conducted in various Asian contexts. However, little is known about how national culture and religion affect academic integrity in eastern countries with a Muslim majority. This paper presents a synthesis of the literature related to academic integrity and culture in regions where Muslims are the majority. An integrative literature review was carried out. Keywords were used to search and to collect academic integrity related research published from 2010 to 2020. The literature reviewed revealed that academics in countries with a Muslim majority faced challenges related to their local cultures, which included social and religious perceptions and practices. However, they were also able to draw upon some national and religious practices that supported and enhanced academic integrity. This paper concludes with recommendations for incorporating these positive cultural factors into an academic integrity framework for policy and practice appropriate for Muslim contexts.