bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D and thyroid disorders: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Taheriniya Sorour , Arab Arman , Hadi Amir , Fadel Abdulmannan , Askari Gholamreza
Published: August 2021

Background

The contribution of vitamin D to thyroid disorders has received paramount attention; however, results are mixed. Hence, we designed a systematic review and meta-analysis to obtain a definitive conclusion.

Methods

The search included PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases up to March 2021 to collect available papers reporting the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and thyroid disorders. The pooled effect was reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Out of 6123 datasets, 42 were eligible to get into this systematic review and meta-analysis. Serum vitamin D was markedly lower in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (WMD − 3.1 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 5.57 to − 0.66; P = 0.013; I2 = 99.9%), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) (WMD − 6.05 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 8.35 to − 3.75; P < 0.001; I2 = 91.0%) and hypothyroidism patients (WMD − 13.43 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 26.04 to − 0.81; P = 0.03; I2 = 99.5%), but not in subjects with Graves’ disease (GD) (WMD − 4.14 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 8.46 to 0.17; P = 0.06; I2 = 97.5%).

Conclusions

Our findings suggested lower vitamin D levels in patients with hypothyroidism, AITD, and HT compared to healthy subjects. However, the link between serum vitamin D and GD was only significant among subjects ≥40 years old.
Adult capped dental payment model applied within a university setting: an Australian reflective case study
Authors: Conquest Jennifer Hanthorn , Skinner John , Kruger Estie , Tennant Marc
Published: August 2021

Background

Capitation models of care in dentistry started around 1973 with varying degrees of success in meeting the needs of the individuals and expectations of the participating private practitioners. These studies mostly identified that capitation payments resulted in under treatment whilst fee-for-service models often led to over treatment. The objective of this study was to develop a new way of doing business using an outsourcing capitation model of care to meet population health needs and activity-based funding requirements of rural Local Health Districts with a local university dental school. This payment model is an alternate referral pathway for public oral health practitioners from the existing New South Wales Oral Health Fee-for-Service Scheme that focuses on urgent treatment to one that offers an all-inclusive preventive approach that concentrates on sustaining good long-term oral health for the individual.

Method

The reflective study analysed various adult age cohorts (18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74 and 75 + years) based on 950 participants randomly selected from the Greater Southern adult public dental waiting lists. The study’s capitation formula was derived from NSW government adult treatment items (n = 447,625). Dental care was provided through the local university’s dental clinics utilising only dental students under clinical supervision. All data were sourced from NSW Oral Health Data Warehouse during 1 January 2012–30 June 2018 and analysed by using SAS 9.3 and Version 13 Microsoft Excel.

Results

There were 10,305 dental care items and 1129 capitation courses of care totalling A$599,026. This resulted in an average of 11 dental care items being provided to each participant. The capitation payment formula utilising the most provided dental care items of 100 individual patients proved to be economical and preventive focused.

Conclusion

The systematic reflection showed that this unique methodology in developing an adult capitation payment formula associated to diagnostic pathways that resulted in: (i) more efficient usage of government expenditure on public dental services, (ii) provision of person-centred courses of dental care, and (iii) utilisation of university dental education programs to best practice treatment and holistic care.
Development and validation of scale for measuring attitudes towards e-professionalism among medical and dental students: SMePROF-S scale
Authors: Marelić Marko , Viskić Joško , Poplašen Lovela Machala , Relić Danko , Jokić Dražen , Rukavina Tea Vukušić
Published: August 2021

Background

Social media permeated everyday life and consequently it brought some changes to behaviour of health professionals. New form of professionalism emerged called e-professionalism depicting professional behaviour while using social media. There are a number of studies conducted in the past several years measuring behaviour of different populations of health professionals on social media and social media sites. Many studies have investigated aspects of e-professionalism of medical or dental students as future health professionals, but there are no validated instruments made for assessing attitude towards e-professionalism of those two populations. Objective of this paper is to validate a newly developed scale for measuring attitudes towards e-professionalism among medical and dental students.

Methods

The original 32-item scale was developed and administered to 411 medical students (RR 69%), and 287 dental students (RR 49.7%). Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the existence of underlying factors. Principal component analysis was used as an extraction method with oblimin as selected oblique rotation method. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability.

Results

Total of 698 student answers entered analysis. The final scale had 24 items that formed seven factors named: ethical aspects, dangers of social media, excluding physicians, freedom of choice, importance of professionalism, physicians in the digital age, negative consequences. Cronbach’s alpha indicating scale reliability was .72. Reliability conducted on each factor ranged from .570 to .877.

Conclusions

The scale measures seven factors of attitude towards e-professionalism and exhibits satisfactory reliability. Based on insights from validation, some possible improvements are suggested.
The impact of LncRNA dysregulation on clinicopathology and survival of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA compliant)
Authors: Seyed Hosseini Elahe , Nikkhah Ali , Sotudeh Amir , Alizadeh Zarei Marziyeh , Izadpanah Fatemeh , Nikzad Hossein , Haddad Kashani Hamed
Published: August 2021

Purpose

An increasing number of studies have reported a significant association between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) dysregulation and pancreatic cancers. In the present study, we aimed to gather articles to evaluate the prognostic value of long non coding RNA in pancreatic cancer.

Experimental design

We systematically searched all eligible articles from databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to meta-analysis of published articles and screen association of multiple lncRNAs expression with clinicopathology and/or survival of pancreatic cancer. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to analysis of overall survival, disease-free survival and progression-free survival were measured with a fixed or random effects model.

Results

A total of 39 articles were included in the present meta-analysis. Our results showed that dysregulation of lncRNAs were linked to overall survival (39 studies, 4736 patients HR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.25 ± 0.58, random-effects in pancreatic cancer. Moreover, altered lncRNAs were also contributed to progression-free survival (8 studies, 1180 patients HR: 1.88, 95% CI (1.35–2.62) and disease-free survival (2 studies, 285 patients, HR: 6.07, 95% CI 1.28–28.78). In addition, our findings revealed the association between dysregulated RNAs and clinicopathological features in this type of cancer.

Conclusions

In conclusion, dysregulated lncRNAs could be served as promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
Socioeconomic inequalities in physical activity in Brazil: a pooled cross-sectional analysis from 2013 to 2019
Authors: Ferrari Gerson , Dulgheroff Pedro Toteff , Claro Rafael M. , Rezende Leandro F. M. , Azeredo Catarina Machado
Published: August 2021

Background

Information on socioeconomic inequalities in physical activity over time is sparse in low- to middle-income countries. In this study, we examined trends in physical activity educational inequalities in adults from Brazil between 2013 and 2019.

Methods

We analyzed data from seven cross-sectional studies including 359,038 adults (≥ 18 years) from the VIGITEL study conducted annually from 2013 to 2019. Participants responded to a questionnaire about physical activity (total, leisure, and commuting). Educational inequalities by sex and skin color were assessed through absolute (slope index of inequality – SII) and relative measures of inequality (concentration index – CIX).

Results

We found large absolute and relative inequalities for leisure-time physical activity, favoring those with higher educational attainment (SII2019 = 35.4; CIX2019 = 11.82). Active commuting was more prevalent in intermediate education groups, with a slight inequality toward the less educated group (SII2019 = -2.8; CIX2019 = -0.4). From 2013 to 2019, the absolute educational inequality in physical activity (total, leisure, and commuting) remained unchanged; however, the relative inequality gap narrowed for total physical activity (CIX: 8.4 in 2013 to 5.5 in 2019) and leisure-time physical activity (CIX: 18.3 in 2013 to 11.8 in 2019). Educational inequality increased in leisure-time physical activity among women and non-white individuals, while it reduced among men and white individuals; for active commuting, inequality decreased among women, and increased among men and white individuals.

Conclusions

Inequality in total physical activity and leisure-time physical activity favors the most educated groups in Brazil. Over time, relative educational inequality decreased for total and leisure-time physical activity, while no progress was found for absolute inequality.
Thrombosis in COVID-19 infection: Role of platelet activation-mediated immunity
Authors: Fard Mahin Behzadi , Fard Samaneh Behzadi , Ramazi Shahin , Atashi Amir , Eslamifar Zahra
Published: August 2021

Background

Thrombosis plays an important role in the Coronavrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection-related complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and myocardial infarction. Multiple factors such as oxygen demand injuries, endothelial cells injury related to infection, and plaque formation.

Main body

Platelets obtained from the patients may have severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA, showing that the increased activation potential recommends platelet can be hyper-activated in severely ill SARS-CoV-2 cases. Platelets contain multiple receptors that interact with specific ligands. Pathogen’s receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptor, C-type lectin receptor family, glycoprotein (GP) such as GPαIIbβ3 and GPIbα which allow pathogens to interact with platelets. Platelet TLRs and NOD2 are involved in platelet activation and thrombosis. Accordingly, TLRs are critical receptors that could recognize various endogenous damage-associated molecular patterns and exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLRs are considered as important components in the activation of innate immunity response against pathogenic and non-pathogenic components like damaged tissues. TLRs-1,-2,-4,-6,-7 expression on or within platelets has been reported previously. Various PAMPs were indicated to be capable of binding to platelet-TLRs and inducing both the activation and promotion of downstream proinflammatory signaling cascade.

Conclusion

It is possible that the increased TLRs expression and TLR-mediated platelets activation during COVID-19 may enhance vascular and coronary thrombosis. It may be hypothesized using TLRs antagonist and monoclonal antibody against P-selectin, as the marker of leukocyte recruitment and platelet activation, besides viral therapy provide therapeutic advances in fighting against the thrombosis related complications in COVID-19.
Intraarticular bone grafting in atlantoaxial facet joints via a posterior approach: nonstructural or structural—a minimum 24-month follow-up
Authors: Zhu Jun , Wu Jian , Luo Keyu , Wang Zhong , Jin Huaijian , Jin Yufei , Wang Yingbo , Liu Mingyong , Liu Peng
Published: August 2021

Objective

To investigate the necessity of nonstructural or structural intraarticular bone grafting in atlantoaxial facet joints via a posterior approach and the influence by the presence of basilar invagination (BI).

Methods

From November 2016 to October 2018, patients who underwent posterior atlantoaxial or occipitocervical arthrodesis surgery at one institute were retrospectively reviewed. Operation records, preoperative and postoperative clinical status, and radiological films were analyzed.

Results

Thirty-three patients (19 without BI, 14 with BI) underwent posterior facet joint release followed by intraarticular bone grafting were enrolled finally. Twenty-four nonstructural (15 without BI, 9 with BI) and 9 structural (4 without BI, 5 with BI) grafting were performed. The average follow-up was 32.15±6.73 months (24–47 months). Among them, 1 (3.03%) implant failure occurred, and 32 (96.97%) achieved satisfactory neurological outcomes, including 28 (84.85%) complete and 4 (12.12%) acceptable reductions with complete fusion within 6 months. For patients without BI, structural and nonstructural grafting showed no significant difference in terms of reduction maintenance (100% vs 73.33%, p = 0.530), while for those with BI, structural grafting significantly increased the postoperative height of the joint space (5.67±1.22 mm vs 3.43±1.78 mm, p = 0.002) and maintained it much better than nonstructural grafting (88.89% vs 20.00%, p = 0.023), contributing notably to BI correction.

Conclusion

Intraarticular structural bone grafting in atlantoaxial facet joints has the advantage of maintaining anterior column height in the case of lateral mass collapse or when BI correction is needed; otherwise, nonstructural bone grafting is enough.
A case of vestibular schwannoma with oral burning sensation: surgical complication or burning mouth syndrome?
Authors: Suga Takayuki , Tu Trang T.H , Sakamoto Junichiro , Toyofuku Akira
Published: August 2021

Background

Despite improvements in surgical techniques, the removal of vestibular schwannoma is related to some complications. Recovery from surgical complications of vestibular schwannoma is often difficult and complications sometimes lead to permanent deficits. However, treatable trigeminal symptoms may be missed in atypical cases.

Case presentation

A 46-year-old woman complained about burning sensation on her tongue and maxilla for four years before her first visit to our clinic. She visited the neurosurgery department in a university hospital because her facial pain and burning sensation of her tongue were suddenly aggravated. She was diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma and tumour resection was performed. However, her oral pain persisted after surgery. Two months before the initial visit to our clinic, the oral pain became more severe than ever before. When the patient visited a psychiatrist due to a panic attack, the psychiatrist diagnosed her as having somatic symptom disorder and depression and referred her to our clinic.

Based on the characteristics of the pain, she was diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome and treated for the same. Within 1.5 months, the pain and burning sensation of the tongue and maxilla almost completely remitted with low dose amitriptyline.

Conclusions

Our case suggests that there are exceptional cases in which burning mouth syndrome and vestibular schwannoma occur simultaneously. Burning pain after vestibular schwannoma surgery cannot always be considered a complication of surgery.
The effects of maternal depression on their perception of emotional and behavioral problems of their internationally adopted children
Authors: Liskola Krista , Raaska Hanna , Lapinleimu Helena , Lipsanen Jari , Sinkkonen Jari , Elovainio Marko
Published: August 2021

Background

Even though child psychopathology assessment guidelines emphasize comprehensive multi-method, multimodal, and multi-informant methodologies, maternal-report symptom-rating scales often serve as the predominant source of information. Research has shown that parental mood symptomatology affects their reports of their offspring’s psychopathology. For example, the depression-distortion hypothesis suggests that maternal depression promotes a negative bias in mothers’ perceptions of their children’s behavioral and emotional problems. We investigated this difference of perception between adoptive mothers and internationally adopted children. Most previous studies suffer from the potential bias caused by the fact that parents and children share genetic risks.

Methods

Data were derived from the Finnish Adoption (FinAdo) survey study (a subsample of adopted children aged between 9 and 12 years, n = 222). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess emotional and behavioral problems and competences of the adopted children. The CBCL was filled in by the adopted children and the adoptive mothers, respectively. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the General Health Questionnaire.

Results

On average, mothers reported less total CBCL symptoms in their children than the children themselves (0.25 vs 0.38, p-value < 0.01 for difference). Mothers’ depressive symptoms moderated the discrepancy in reporting internalizing symptoms (β = − 0.14 and p-value 0.01 for interaction) and the total symptoms scores (β = − 0.22 and p-value < 0.001 for interaction) and externalizing symptoms in girls in the CBCL.

Limitations

The major limitation of our study is its cross-sectional design and the fact that we only collected data in the form of questionnaires.

Conclusions

The results of our research support the depression-distortion hypothesis concerning the association of maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms in girls in a sample without genetic bias
Abemaciclib plus fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer in premenopausal women: subgroup analysis from the MONARCH 2 trial
Authors: Neven Patrick , Rugo Hope S. , Tolaney Sara M. , Iwata Hiroji , Toi Masakazu , Goetz Matthew P. , Kaufman Peter A. , Lu Yi , Haddad Nadine , Hurt Karla C. , Sledge George W.
Published: August 2021

Background

In MONARCH 2, abemaciclib plus fulvestrant significantly improved median progression-free survival (PFS, 16.4 vs 9.3 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.553) and overall survival (OS, 46.7 vs 37.3 months; HR 0.757) compared with placebo plus fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-negative) advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients who were endocrine therapy (ET) resistant, regardless of menopausal status. Here, we report findings in the premenopausal subgroup of the MONARCH 2 trial.

Methods

The premenopausal subgroup included patients with natural menstrual bleeding who received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist at least 4 weeks prior to study treatment start date and for the entire study duration. Of the 669 patients enrolled in the MONARCH 2 trial, 114 were premenopausal (abemaciclib plus fulvestrant, n = 72; placebo plus fulvestrant, n = 42), and were included in this analysis. The primary objective was investigator-assessed PFS and secondary objectives were OS, objective response rate, and safety and tolerability. Exploratory analyses included time to second disease progression (PFS2), time to chemotherapy (TTC), and chemotherapy-free survival (CFS).

Results

At the primary objective cutoff (February 14, 2017), median PFS was not reached for the abemaciclib plus fulvestrant arm versus 10.52 months for the placebo plus fulvestrant arm (HR 0.415; 95% CI 0.246–0.698). At the pre-specified OS interim cutoff (20-June-2019), median PFS was 28.6 months in the abemaciclib plus fulvestrant arm compared with 10.26 months in the placebo plus fulvestrant arm (HR 0.477; 95% CI 0.302–0.755). A numerical OS benefit was observed with abemaciclib plus fulvestrant compared to fulvestrant alone (HR 0.689; 95% CI 0.379–1.252, median, not reached vs 47.3 months). Improvements were also observed for the exploratory outcomes of PFS2 (HR 0.599), TTC (HR 0.674), and CFS (HR 0.642) with the addition of abemaciclib to fulvestrant. The safety profile was generally consistent with results disclosed previously.

Conclusions

Results of the premenopausal subgroup in the MONARCH 2 trial were consistent with the improved clinical outcomes observed in the intent-to-treat population. The analysis provides support for the use of abemaciclib plus fulvestrant (with ovarian suppression) as an effective treatment option for premenopausal patients with HR+, HER2- ABC who are ET-resistant.

Clinical trial registration: NCT02107703. Registered April 08, 2014- Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02107703.
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET or 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET to assess early response to aromatase inhibitors (AI) in women with ER+ operable breast cancer in a window-of-opportunity study
Authors: Romine Perrin E. , Peterson Lanell M. , Kurland Brenda F. , Byrd Darrin W. , Novakova-Jiresova Alena , Muzi Mark , Specht Jennifer M. , Doot Robert K. , Link Jeanne M. , Krohn Kenneth A. , Kinahan Paul E. , Mankoff David A. , Linden Hannah M.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study evaluated the ability of18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and18F-Fluorothymidine (FLT) imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) to measure early response to endocrine therapy from baseline to just prior to surgical resection in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast tumors.

Methods

In two separate studies, women with early stage ER+ breast cancer underwent either paired FDG-PET (n = 22) or FLT-PET (n = 27) scans prior to endocrine therapy and again in the pre-operative setting. Tissue samples for Ki-67 were taken for all patients both prior to treatment and at the time of surgery.

Results

FDG maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) declined in 19 of 22 lesions (mean 17% (range −45 to 28%)). FLT SUVmax declined in 24 of 27 lesions (mean 26% (range −77 to 7%)). The Ki-67 index declined in both studies, from pre-therapy (mean 23% (range 1 to 73%)) to surgery [mean 8% (range < 1 to 41%)]. Pre- and post-therapy PET measures showed strong rank-order agreement with Ki-67 percentages for both tracers; however, the percent change in FDG or FLT SUVmax did not demonstrate a strong correlation with Ki-67 index change or Ki-67 at time of surgery.

Conclusions

A window-of-opportunity approach using PET imaging to assess early response of breast cancer therapy is feasible. FDG and FLT-PET imaging following a short course of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy demonstrated measurable changes in SUVmax in early stage ER+ positive breast cancers. The percentage change in FDG and FLT-PET uptake did not correlate with changes in Ki-67; post-therapy SUVmax for both tracers was significantly associated with post-therapy Ki-67, an established predictor of endocrine therapy response.
Ruy Duarte de Carvalho: o dizer poético de Angola
Authors: Silva Julia Goulart
Published: August 2021

O presente artigo busca analisar a escrita de Ruy Duarte de Carvalho, cuja construção textual cria um dizer poético de Angola. A leitura dos ensaios Vou lá visitar pastores, Actas da Maianga, o dizer das guerras, em Angola...e A câmara, a escrita e a coisa dita... e de um dos poemas do livro Hábito da terra permite compreender a existência de uma estética literária e de uma argumentação que sustentam uma imagem particular do país, marcada pela voz das tradições angolanas. Gesto de escrita – que por meio da Antropologia e da mitopoesia - critica a visão fantasiosa do país por parte de um pensamento ocidental, comunicando e distinguindo outras formas de organização da razão humana.
A FÉ QUE MOVE DESTROÇOS NUMA ÁFRICA INSUBMISSA: RELIGIÃO E RESISTÊNCIA NA LITERATURA NIGERIANA
Authors: Daibert Jr. Robert , Daibert Bárbara Inês Ribeiro Simões
Published: August 2021

Este texto tem como objetivo analisar, a partir das ideias propostas no livro África Insubmissa de Achille Mbembe, os significados da experiência religiosa como resistência ao processo de colonização cristã no continente africano, em contextos e construções narrativas pós-coloniais, em dois romances da literatura nigeriana: Things Fall Apart, de Chinua Achebe e Purple Hibiscus de Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Paulina Chiziane e a obra Niketche para uma critica de genero a respeito da poligamia em Moçambique no pós colonial.
Authors: Campos Aline Da Silva
Published: August 2021

Paulina Chiziane, faz a denúncia da opressão de gênero que as mulheres moçambicanas enfrentam no seu cotidiano trazendo uma nova representação da importância da mulher negra está inserida não apenas nos movimentos políticos, mas também culturais soltando a imagem estereotipada da mulher que foi ancorada nos discursos literários também.O que queremos dizer com tudo isso é que a resistência das mulheres negras na Literatura como forma de construção de uma nova perspectiva existe, um exemplo disso é Paulina Chiziane, moçambicana que lutou não apenas no exercício da sua cidadania, através do seu ativismo social, mas também construiu a partir da sua escrita aquilo que Nicolau Sevcenko conceitua como escrita militante. Para nós, africanizar-se é isso, é o conhecimento das nossas próprias vivências, não apenas quantos sujeitos afro descendente, mas como formadores de uma consciência que deu as bases históricas e sociais pro nosso Brasil.
A TROCA DE EMBAIXADAS ENTRE OS CHEFES MBUNDU E OS PORTUGUESES: NEGOCIANDO A PRESENÇA PORTUGUESA EM ANGOLA NO SÉCULO XVI
Authors: Da Silva Luciana Lucia
Published: August 2021

Neste artigo, temos o objetivo de discutir a relação mantida entre as chefias do Ndongo e os representantes portugueses anteriormente ao estabelecimento de bases portuguesas, ocorrido em 1575, no território que passou a ser conhecido como Angola. Ao longo do século XVI, em decorrência do desenvolvimento comercial dessa região – vinculado ao tráfico atlântico de pessoas escravizadas –, houve uma intensa busca por contato, efetivada por meio da troca de presentes e do envio de emissários pelas duas partes em questão. A dinâmica dessas trocas que envolvia interesses comerciais, religiosos e diplomáticos, e refletia a competição por poder e o domínio de recursos nessa região, será analisada com base em relatos das negociações empreendidas, de modo a reconhecer a centralidade das iniciativas mbundu na condução dos acontecimentos desse período.
RESOURCE REVIEW
Authors: Challinor Mark
Published: August 2021

Mark Challinor continues our resource review column, which will provide a synopsis and brief analysis of a recently published resource that may be of interest to neuroscience nurses; a full reference is provided for those who wish to read the text
The ethics of ethics committees
Authors: Finch John
Published: August 2021

An ethics committee serves a number of purposes, ranging from informed and considered deliberation and decision on difficult questions of clinical practice to acting as a vehicle for the pooling of multidisciplinary approaches to a proposed treatment. However, these functions are worthless unless underpinned by sound and up-to-date knowledge of applicable law. What, then, is the proper function of an ethics committee? John Finch explains.
End-of-life care in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Roberts Megan
Published: August 2021

Palliative care is an aspect of the support needed by those living with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones that is often overlooked, due to resource constraints and lack of awareness. Megan Roberts outlines the ways in which health professionals can support their patients at the end of life, signposting to helpful resources.
Integrating Daily CO2 Concentrations in SWAT-VSA to Examine Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology in a Karst Watershed
Authors: Gunn Kpoti M. , Buda Anthony R. , Preisendanz Heather E. , Cibin Raj , Kennedy Casey D. , Veith Tamie L.
Published: August 2021

Highlights

We used SWAT-VSA to assess the effects of climate change with rising CO2 on the water balance of a karst basin.

For future climate, SWAT-VSA with rising CO2 yielded 7.1% less ET and 6.3% more runoff than standard SWAT-VSA.

Rising CO2 also affected variable source areas, with greater ET declines and runoff increases in the wettest soils.

Findings suggest CO2 effects on water balance should be included in future climate change studies with SWAT-VSA.

Abstract. Characterizing the effects of climate change on hydrology is important to watershed management. In this study, we used SWAT-VSA to examine the effects of climate change and increasing atmospheric CO2 (CO2) on the water balance of Spring Creek watershed, a mixed land-use karst basin in the Upper Chesapeake Bay watershed. First, we modified the stomatal conductance and leaf area index (LAI) routines of SWAT-VSA’s Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration (ET) procedure and enabled the model to accept daily CO2 data. Using downscaled climate projections from nine global climate models (GCMs), we then compared water balance estimations from baseline SWAT-VSA against two modified versions of SWAT-VSA. One SWAT-VSA version integrated daily CO2 levels (SWAT-VSA_CO2), while another version added flexible stomatal conductance and LAI routines (SWAT-VSA_CO2+Plant) to the dynamic CO2 capacity. Under current climate (1985-2015), the three SWAT-VSA models produced generally similar water balance estimations, with 51% of precipitation lost to ET and the remainder converted to runoff (10%), lateral flow (9%), and percolate (30%). For future climate (2020-2065), water balance simulations diverged between baseline SWAT-VSA and the two modified SWAT-VSA models with CO2. Notably, variable stomatal conductance and LAI routines produced no detectable effects beyond that of CO2. For the 2020-2065 period, baseline SWAT-VSA projected ET increases of 0.7 mm year-1, while SWAT-VSA models with CO2 suggested that annual ET could decline by approximately -0.4 mm year-1 over the same period. As a result, the two CO2-based SWAT-VSA models predicted streamflow increases of almost 1.6 mm year-1 over the 2020-2065 period, which were roughly double the streamflow increases projected by baseline SWAT-VSA. In general, SWAT-VSA models with CO2 effects produced 22.4% more streamflow in 2045-2065 than the SWAT-VSA model without CO2. Results also showed that adding daily CO2 to SWAT-VSA reduced ET in wetter parts of Spring Creek watershed, leading to greater runoff losses from variable source areas compared to baseline SWAT-VSA. Findings from the study highlight the importance of considering increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations in water balance simulations with SWAT-VSA in order to gain a fuller appreciation of the hydrologic uncertainties with climate change. Keywords: Carbon dioxide, Climate change, Hydrologic model, Water balance, Watershed.
Optimization of Treatment Parameters for Extracting Canola Fiber
Authors: Sadrmanesh Vahid , Chen Ying , Fazeli Hamid Reza , Rahman Mashiur , Potter Simon
Published: August 2021

Highlights

Canola fibers were treated at different levels of time, temperature, and NaHCO3 concentration.

Fiber yield, chemical composition, crystallinity index, and thermal stability were measured.

A model was developed to predict the optimal treatment parameters.

The optimal treatment parameters were 38 h time, 58°C temperature, and 5.6% NaHCO3 concentration.

Abstract. Optimal treatment conditions for high quantity and quality fibers for composite applications have not been well documented for canola fibers. In this study, experiments were conducted to treat canola stalks in chemical solutions under the following treatment conditions: 12 to 72 h reaction time, 24°C to 90°C temperature, and 0% to 10% NaHCO3 concentration (% w/w). Fiber yield, chemical composition, crystallinity index, thermal stability, and maximum degradation temperature of the fibers were measured. With the experimental data, a multi-objective optimization model that was a combination of a genetic algorithm (GA) with consecutive sequential quadratic programming (SQP) was developed to predict the optimal treatment parameters. Results showed that reaction time was the most important parameter, followed by reaction temperature and NaHCO3 concentration. These treatment parameters affected the fiber yield and thermal properties in different ways. The treatments also changed the chemical composition of the fibers. The optimal treatment parameters for time, temperature, and NaHCO3 concentration to achieve the highest quantity and quality fibers were 38 h, 58°C, and 5.6%, respectively. The results from this study will enhance understanding of the relationships between canola fiber properties and treatment conditions and help in selecting the best possible treatment for extracting fibers from canola stalks. Keywords: Canola fiber, Fiber yield, Optimization, Property, Treatment.
Effects of Splits Content on Dry Matter Loss Rates of Soybeans Measured Using a Static Grain Respiration Measurement System
Authors: Gatsakos Ana B. , Scatolini Thomas B. , Danao Mary-Grace C. , Gates Richard S. , Rausch Kent D.
Published: August 2021

Highlights

Respiration rate increased with the percentage of split soy beans.

The splits multiplier for soybeans appears to be more sensitive than the corn damage multiplier.

The relationship between the split percentage and splits multiplier for soybeans is approximately linear.

A value for the splits multiplier is provided for 18% moisture content soybeans stored at 35°C.

Abstract. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of 0% to 16% (w/w) splits content (xs) of soybeans stored at 35°C and 18% moisture content (w.b.) on dry matter loss rates (vDML) and to determine a splits multiplier (MS) for soybeans stored at these conditions, similar to the damage multiplier (MD) used in ASABE Standard D535 for shelled corn. Effects of percentage by weight splits (xs) on MS and safe storage time are expected to be greater than MD for corn because soybeans are prone to cracking and splitting, lipid oxidation, and protein degradation, all of which lead to grain dry matter and quality losses. Results indicated that vDML increased with increasing xs, and the mean vDML was 1.5 times greater for samples with 16% splits than for samples with 4% splits. The MS for soybeans was linearly correlated with xs, decreasing from 1.0 to 0.60 for 0% to 16% splits, respectively. Soybeans appeared to be more sensitive to percent by weight splits than corn was to the presence of damaged kernels. In Standard D535, the MD for corn only decreased from 1.0 to 0.8 when percent (w/w) damaged kernel content increased from 30% to 40%. In comparison, it should be noted that damage to soybeans was defined differently from damage to corn. This research is useful in defining MS for 18% moisture content soybeans stored at 35°C under hermetic conditions. The procedures outlined in this article may be used in the future to more formally define a soybean MS that covers a wider range of moisture contents, storage conditions, and possibly an MD based on other factors included in the USDA definitions of damaged soybean kernels. Keywords: Allowable storage time, Grain quality, Splits multiplier.
Improvement and Experiment for Online Measurement of Droplet Mass Deposit
Authors: Sun Chengda , Ding Weimin , Liu Changding , Yao Weifeng , Shi Lilian
Published: August 2021

Highlights

A measurement device for droplet mass deposit was improved to enhance its performance.

A wireless data transmission system was used to achieve convenient data sharing.

A user interface was designed for display and analysis of the measurement results.

A positioning mechanism was designed for arranging measurement devices promptly.

Abstract. Measurement of droplet mass deposit is important in spray research and spray performance evaluation. In this article, an online measurement device for droplet mass deposit was improved based on the original design. The measurement resolution, precision, and data stability were improved by optimization of the structure and components and by data filtering. The resolution reached 0.00067 mg cm-2. Comparison tests showed that the relative error between the original device and an analytical balance was 6.68% to 8.48%, and the relative error between the improved device and the analytical balance was 5.24% to 6.15%. Compared with the original device, the relative error decreased and the precision improved. The relative error between the improved device and a tracer method was 5.11% to 6.99%, and the precision of the improved device was close to that of the tracer method. A positioning mechanism was designed to arrange measurement devices promptly in the test area, and a wireless data transmission system was used to achieve convenient data sharing. A user interface was designed to display the results in the form of tables and contour maps. Tests were conducted to measure the droplet mass deposit distribution of one nozzle, the droplet mass deposit distribution in a tree canopy, and the uniformity of the droplet mass deposit distribution in a small horizontal area. The results showed that the improved measurement device could provide data promptly and conveniently for spray research and spray performance evaluation. Keywords: Device improvement, Mass distribution, Wireless communication.
Sexism, English and Yoruba
Authors: Yusuf Yisa Kehinde
Published: August 2021

This paper surveys the incidence of sexism in the structure and use of English, and compares it with corresponding aspects of Yoruba. Subsequently, it examines the areas in which, due to the co-existence of the two languages in southwestern Nigeria, the languages influence one another with regard to sexism.
The paper shows that while Yoruba is not sexist in some respects in which English is, English imposes sexism on the language. It shows also areas in which sexism existing independently in both languages reinforce one another. Finally, it shows how sexism in Standard English seems to have been eliminated in the formation of Nigerian Pidgin English which derives from the contact between English and Yoruba.
Aspects of translating gender
Authors: Nissen Uwe Kjær
Published: August 2021

Grammatical gender and the related concept, 'social gender', are important linguistic categories which, in this article, are used to illustrate that the translation process is not only a 'cross-cultural transfer' but also a cross-ideological transfer. By departing from the view that different languages reflect different ways of perceiving reality, it is argued here that the linguistic structure of languages with regard to gender (i.e. grammatical vs. pronominal gender), as well as different connotations of gender, have a considerable influence upon the translation process and, hence, on how the reader of the target language is meant to perceive reality. The article emphasizes the importance of the translator's role in analyzing gender aspects in the source text and determining the ideological impact gender connotations may have in both the source and the target text.
Kontrastive Grammatik Berndeutsch / Standarddeutsch. Einige ausgewählte Aspekte
Authors: Burri Gabriela , Imstepf Denise
Published: August 2021

The analysis presented in the following is the result of a project-seminar on "Contrastive grammar in Bernese German and High German" with Prof. Dr. Elke Hentschel, in which the preliminary works for a comprehensive contrastive grammar were conducted. The two authors exemplarily have analysed some questions. In the course of this analysis the accusative and the genitive of nouns on the morphological level and the position of verbal elements on the syntactic level have been focused on.
Starting from a primarily synchronic approach, the regularities of the above mentioned linguistic aspects are, according to traditional grammar, presented in a contrasting way, both for High German and Bernese German.
Die hier präsentierten Untersuchungen resultieren aus einem Projektseminar zum Thema "Kontrastive Grammatik Berndeutsch/Hochdeutsch" bei Prof. Dr. Elke Hentschel, in dem Vorarbeiten für eine umfassende kontrastive Grammatik durchgeführt wurden. Die beiden Autorinnen haben sich exemplarisch mit einigen Fragestellungen auseinandergesetzt. Dabei wurden im Bereich der Morphologie der Nomina der Akkusativ und der Genitiv, im Bereich der Syntax die Stellung der verbalen Glieder im Satz als Untersuchungsgegenstände ausgewählt.
Ausgehend von einem primär synchronen Ansatz werden die Regularitäten der oben genannten Fragestellungen der traditionellen Grammatik folgend kontrastiv für das Standarddeutsche und das Berndeutsche dargestellt.
Scientific Haze
Authors: Mijic Goran
Published: August 2021

This essay concentrates on scientific-rationalist discourses entering massively the realm of literature at the beginning of the 20th century. They open new horizons revealing phenomena unknown before on the one side, but they also obscure the world around us providing convenient screen from painful truths on the other. This paper tries to demonstrate how technological discourses move the reader from a highly visual receptive position to a pure cognitive realm of symbolic representations with its own dynamics. The scientific-rationalist discourses produce a new parallel reality, a scientific haze tending to withdraw from visual representation.
Der Fokus im Mittelfeld
Authors: Richter Michael
Published: August 2021

In this article a proposal is made for the treatment of a construction
which is known under the terminus "verschrnkte Konstruktion" (Kvam 1982);
it includes the so called "third construction". Example (1) shows a sentence
with a syntactic complement of an infinite verb standing before the governing
finite verb:

(1)

The proposal is made that the NP on the "wrong" place (in
(1) it is the indirect object dir) is a focus in the middlefield ("Mittelfeldfokus").
In the framework of the transformational grammar of Semantic Syntax (Seuren
1996) the sentence-predicate "VATTR" is assumed which is responsible
for the filling of the middlefield-position

(2)
a

and is responsible for topicalisation, too:

b

This uniform syntactic treatment of
topicalisation and the
filling of the focus-position in the middlefield corresponds to the functional
similarities of both positions. The focus is the part of the sentence which
can contain the new information (Geilfu 1991) and the filling of the
focus-position ("Fokussierung") is a means to make prominent a certain part
of the sentence with the background of common information in the discourse of
speaker and hearer.
It is proposed in this article that the constructions in question
are not-coherent in the sense of Bech (1983). For a sentence like (2)a no form
of raising has to be assumed. The infinite embedded sentence is extraposed:
no union of matrix-sentence and infinite complement has taken place.
Ergative diagnostics: temptatio redux
Authors: Abraham Werner
Published: August 2021

In the past 20 years, a new class of verbs has seen the light of existence: 'unaccusative' or 'ergative' verbs. These verbs are intransitive, but different from the traditional notion of intransitive to the extent that their subject valency behaves like a direct object distributionally. Ever since the introduction of this new grammatical notion in (typologically non-ergative, i.e., accusative) languages like English a vast bulk of literature on this topic has come forth. The present article takes issue with this mainly Anglophil notion of unaccusativity/ergativity. The claim is that this notion does not make sense in languages which provide aspectual or aktionsart distinctions of perfectivity. 'Unaccusatives' are intransitive perfectives. This argument is carried through primarily on the empirical basis of German.
Zur interaktiven Aushandlung von Teilnehmerkategorien in interkultureller Kommunikation
Authors: Asmuß Birte
Published: August 2021

This contribution discusses a selection of words referring to emotional sentiments like anger, rage, fury. The meaning of such words is highly complex; it will be explored by emotional scenes. In more detail I treat German Wut and Zorn.
Vergleichende Sprachinselforschung: Sprachwandel in deutschen Sprachinseln in Russland und Brasilien
Authors: Rosenberg Peter
Published: August 2021

Dealing with convergence in German speech islands in Russia, Brazil and the United states the article discusses the linguistic phenomena related to the notion of convergence from different vantage points including intralinguistic convergence (due to dialect-dialect contact), interlinguistic convergence (due to language-language contact), typological "convergence" (or intralinguistic change), pidginization, and cognitive processes of simplification.
Most of the German speech islands are considered to be contracting - if not dying - varieties with respect to the reduction of their grammatical systems. Evidently, for a long time language contact (and sometimes variety contact) have severely increased. Linguistic norms have been weakened in terms of both norm certainty and norm loyalty thus giving way to processes similar to those common to pidgin languages.
External induced changes are highly remarkable in all German speech islands. But the susceptibility for change and the ways of change are structured by systematical and typological constraints which probably turn out to be cognitive processes underlying quite "normal" linguistic change. This change is discussed as a subsequent process of "regularization" (of irregular forms), simplification (of rules) and loss of grammatical distinctions (and their compensation).
The linguistic description of these interrelated processes is based on an integrated approach providing methodology from sociolinguistics, dialectology and research on language change, including the attempt to highlight the cognitive structures which furrow the line for internal simplifications under external pressure. Comparative speech island research seems to be a promising field of application for the description of the intermesh of these processes.