bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Merkel cell carcinoma: A systematic review of the demographic and clinical characteristics of 847 cases in Japan
Authors: Shinogi Taro , Nagase Kotaro , Inoue Takuya , Sato Keiko , Onita Ayako , Takamori Ayako , Narisawa Yutaka
Published: April 2021

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus and immunosuppression. Although MCC incidence is rising worldwide, MCC has not been sufficiently investigated in Japan. This study aimed to determine MCC demographics in Japan, including incidence, age, sex, location, spontaneous regression, and pure/combined MCC. Using PubMed and Igaku Chuo Zasshi, 847 MCC cases between 1985 and 2015 were extracted, and the main epidemiological characteristics were described. The mean age of all patients was 77.5 years. Regarding the characterized lesions, 63.0% were located on the head and neck, 5.2% on the trunk, 12.6% on the upper limb, 15.1% on the lower limb, 3.5% on the buttocks, and 0.6% on the genitals. Histopathological information regarding the presence of other malignancies could be retrieved in 611 cases, and a coexisting malignancy, mainly squamous cell carcinoma and Bowen’s disease, was present in 14.2%. Subcutaneous MCC was observed in 31 patients with a male : female ratio of 1.07 (16 men/15 women). Nodal lesions with unknown primary tumor location were described in 19 patients with a male : female ratio of 0.9 (nine men/10 women) and a mean age of 77.7 years. Of 640 evaluable cases, spontaneous regression developed in 9.1%. Among those 58 patients, the male : female ratio was 1:2.1 in 56 evaluable cases (18 men/38 women). Merkel cell polyomavirus was assessed in 180 patients, and the virus was detected in 31.1% and not detected in 68.9% of the patients. MCC is a rare disease in Japan, with incidence rates and male : female ratios differing from those in the USA and European countries. Besides, this study reveals the high frequency of subcutaneous MCC and MCC with divergent differentiation patterns and spontaneous regression in Japan compared to other countries.
The clinical characteristics and predictors of severe digital ischemia in patients with anti‐aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase antibodies
Authors: Suma Harumichi , Yoshida Yusuke , Sugimoto Tomohiro , Matsuo Yoshimi , Law Sze–Ming , Nakashima Ran , Kobayashi Hiroki , Hosokawa Yohei , Ishitoku Michinori , Kohno Hiroki , Watanabe Hirofumi , Tokunaga Tadahiro , Mokuda Sho , Nojima Takaki , Hirata Shintaro , Sugiyama Eiji
Published: April 2021

Severe digital ischemia (SDI), which presents with digital ulcers, necrosis, or gangrene, has been reported to be a rare manifestation of anti‐aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase (ARS) antibody‐positive polymyositis/dermatomyositis or anti‐synthetase syndrome. A retrospective study was conducted between 2009 and 2020 at our department to investigate the clinical features of anti‐ARS antibody‐positive patients with SDI and identify their predictors. A total of 46 patients who were positive for anti‐ARS antibody were included, four of whom (8.7%) presented with SDI. The characteristics of the patients with SDI were as follows: the median age was 74 years, with 75% being female; anti‐Jo–1 antibody, Raynaud's phenomenon, interstitial lung disease, and myositis were observed in two (50%), four (100%), four (100%), and three patients (75%), respectively. Next, we reviewed the literature of anti‐ARS antibody‐positive patients with SDI and investigated the predictors of SDI by analyzing a total of 51 patients, including the previously reported five patients with SDI. Multivariable analyses revealed that Raynaud's phenomenon and myositis independently predicted the development of SDI in patients with anti‐ARS antibody. In conclusion, digital ulcers, necrosis, or gangrene seem to be more common presentations in our study, and Raynaud's phenomenon and myositis can predict the complications of SDI in anti‐ARS antibody‐positive patients.
Reading competence and its impact on writing: an approach towards mental representation in literacy tasks
Authors: Gutierrez de Blume Antonio P. , Soto Christian , Ramírez Carmona Camila , Rodriguez Fernanda , Pino Castillo Patricio
Published: April 2021

Background

Reading and writing are both fundamental activities for successful learning. However, little is known about the effect of reading comprehension performance on writing, as well as the pedagogical guidelines that can be drawn from this influence.

Method

Thus, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of performance in reading comprehension, distinguishing between poor and proficient readers (N = 105), who were enrolled in four eighth‐grade classes between the ages of 12 and 14, on the writing of narrative and expository texts.

Results

Results revealed that proficient readers outperformed poor readers on objective measures of text production and informative/expository texts. Additionally, regression models demonstrated that proficient readers relied more on deeper aspects of reading and writing such as inferential skills, whereas poor readers tended to focus on superficial aspects of texts, or what Kintsch referred to as text‐base, and appeared to perform better in reading and writing tasks related to narratives compared to information‐based, expository texts.

Conclusion

These results support the theoretical perspectives of Kintsch's construction–integration model and Otero's regulation model regarding the relation between reading, writing and mental representations.
The impact of time, environmental conditions, and sex on the degradation of bloody fingerprints on a glass surface
Authors: Czech Anna , Szabelak Aleksandra , Sowiński Artur , Wlazło Łukasz , Pawlicka‐Beck Arleta
Published: April 2021

Dactyloscopy is the branch of forensics that deals with identifying individuals by analyzing the configurations of the friction ridges on the fingertips. The persistence and degradation of fingerprints depends on such factors as the individual's sex and BMI (body mass index) and the duration and conditions of their preservation. There is a great deal of information on how the passage of time affects the image of fingerprints composed of sebum and sweat, but little knowledge concerning the preservation of bloody fingerprints. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of sex, the state of the blood forming the print (dry vs. fresh), environmental factors (room vs. outdoor conditions), and time on the width of friction ridge impressions in fingerprints. Fingerprints made with fresh blood were found to persist longest, while prints left by women and exposed to outdoor conditions degraded most rapidly. The ambient temperature also had a significant effect on the width of friction ridge impressions and their degradation.
Examining the county‐level political considerations associated with declining reliance on the death penalty from 1990 to 2010*
Authors: Amidon Ethan , Eassey John M.
Published: April 2021

Theorists have placed considerable emphasis on the role that political factors play in shaping jurisdictional use of the death penalty. However, scholars have yet to empirically examine whether these political explanations account for reliance on this punishment across counties in the United States. Furthermore, empirical research that has examined the political factors associated with the dramatic decline in the use of the death penalty in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has been limited. In order to address these gaps in the literature, this study examines whether the variables derived from three political perspectives are associated with use of death sentences across 2,572 counties in the United States from 1990 to 2010. The results from this study indicate support for the key propositions within the partisan politics, religious fundamentalist sentiment, and economic threat hypotheses. However, in contrast to the results from prior studies, no support was shown for the direct relationship between the size of African American populations and local reliance on the death penalty.
Limited utility of novel serological biomarkers in patients newly suspected of having giant cell arteritis
Authors: Sammel Anthony M. , Xue Meilang , Karsten Elisabeth , Little Christopher B. , Smith Susan , Nguyen Katherine , Laurent Rodger
Published: April 2021

Aim

Diagnosing and monitoring vascular activity in giant cell arteritis (GCA) is difficult due to the paucity of specific serological biomarkers. We assessed the utility of 8 novel biomarkers in an inception cohort of newly suspected GCA patients.

Method

Consecutive patients were enrolled between May 2016 and December 2017. Serum was collected within 72 hours of commencing corticosteroids and at 6 months. It was analyzed for levels of intra‐cellular adhesion molecule 1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pentraxin 3, von Willebrand factor and procalcitonin (5‐plex R&D Systems multiplex assay) and interleukin (IL)6, IL12 and interferon‐γ (high‐sensitivity 3‐plex ProcartaPlex multiplex assay). A GCA specific positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) scan was performed at enrolment with uptake in each vascular territory graded and summed to derive a total vascular score (TVS).

Results

For the 63 patients enrolled, 12 (19%) had a final diagnosis of biopsy‐positive GCA and a further 9 had a clinical diagnosis of biopsy‐negative GCA. None of the 8 biomarkers was significantly higher in GCA patients compared with those with alternative diagnoses, or demonstrated a positive correlation with the PET/CT TVS. This was in contrast to the C‐reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) which were higher in the biopsy‐positive GCA cohort (P < .04) and showed weak positive correlations with the TVS (correlation coefficient 0.34, P < .01). Procalcitonin did not distinguish between GCA and infection. Concentrations of CRP, ESR, VEGF and pentraxin 3 decreased between diagnosis and 6 months in GCA patients.

Conclusion

This study did not identify new serological biomarkers to assist in diagnosing or assessing the vasculitis burden in GCA.
Achievements and challenges during the development of an advance care planning program
Authors: Goodwin Jane , Shand Brett , Wiseman Rachel , Brough Natalie , McGeoch Graham , Hamilton Greg , Grundy Kate
Published: April 2021

A nationwide program to promote preparation of advance care plans (AC Plans) was introduced in Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2013. The program was developed by local facilitators who provided support and organised education seminars and an accredited training program for health‐care professionals. Information and templates for an AC Plan were available to these professionals and the community on local health‐care websites and secure online systems designed to allow plans to be viewed across all health‐care sectors. The number of AC Plans prepared has increased steadily, although people in minority ethnic populations or in the most deprived socioeconomic quintile are less likely to have a plan. While nurses have become the predominant group guiding people through the process of preparing an AC Plan, the involvement of staff in residential care homes has remained low. Local audit showed that 82% of people with an AC Plan died in a community setting, frequently their preferred place of death.
Patterns of organizational ownership and employee well‐being in Britain
Authors: Marsden David
Published: April 2021

This paper seeks to contribute to the current debate about corporate governance and work relations in two ways: it extends the analysis to include employees’ subjective well‐being and it considers a wider range of ownership models using Hansmann's typology as a guide. It argues that a key input into subjective well‐being is provided by the scope to undertake work that is intrinsically as well as extrinsically rewarding. Rosen's theory of compensating wage differences is used as a lens to examine the problems of contracting over the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of jobs as the former are largely intangible, whereas the latter are more easily codified and enforced. This asymmetry gives rise to moral hazard problems, which make the former more dependent on trust. Ownership models help to resolve this because they provide clear signals about an employer's value priorities, and its likely adherence to them after hiring. The study uses data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey. The results suggest that ownership models do indeed facilitate different trade‐offs between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that may be beneficial to many workers, warranting more attention to alternative forms of ownership to promote greater employee well‐being.
Agrifood markets and support in the United States after 1 year of COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Orden David
Published: April 2021

This article briefly outlines the agrifood market and policy situation in the United States after 1 year of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Agrifood markets suffered initial disruptions from both supply‐side and demand‐side shocks but significant adjustments by farmers, processors, distributors, and government kept these relatively shorty‐lived. Substantial support has been provided to farmers as part of $5 trillion of economy‐wide stimulus enacted. This included payments in 2020 under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) of nearly $24 billion to producers of a wide array of products. These payments came on top of trade‐related support provided to agriculture in 2018 and 2019. The stimulus also included expansion of nutrition assistance programs for low‐income households which were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. I conjecture that the pandemic will influence planning and social policy across the US economy for years to come but will not shift the basic structure of US agricultural production and distribution. Counter‐cyclical farm policy is reentrenched within the political arena and expectations for support levels may have been raised.
The variable spectrum of anterior mitral valve leaflet restriction in rheumatic heart disease screening
Authors: Hunter Luke David , Doubell Anton F. , Pecoraro Alfonso J. K. , Monaghan Mark , Lloyd Guy , Lombard Carl J. , Herbst Philip G.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The World Heart Federation (WHF) screening criteria do not incorporate a strict, reproducible definition of anterior mitral valve leaflet (AMVL) restriction. Using a novel definition, we have identified two distinct AMVL restriction configurations. The first, called “distal tip” AMVL restriction is associated with additional morphological features of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), while the second, “gradual bowing” AMVL restriction is not. This “arch‐like” leaflet configuration involves the base to tip of the medial MV in isolation. We hypothesize that this configuration is a normal variant.

Methodology

The prevalence and associated leaflet configurations of AMVL restriction were assessed in schoolchildren with an established “very low” (VLP), “high” (HP), and “very high” prevalence (VHP) of RHD.

Results

936 studies were evaluated (HP 577 cases; VLP 359 cases). Sixty‐five cases of “gradual bowing” AMVL restriction were identified in the HP cohort (11.3%, 95% CI 8.9–14.1) and 35 cases (9.7%, 95% CI 7–13.2) in the VLP cohort (P = .47). In the second analyses, an enriched cohort of 43 studies with proven definite RHD were evaluated. “Distal tip” AMVL restriction was identified in all 43 VHP cases (100%) and affected the central portion of the AMVL in all cases.

Conclusion

“Gradual bowing” AMVL restriction appears to be a normal, benign variant of the MV, not associated with RHD risk nor with any other morphological features of RHD. Conversely, “Distal tip” AMVL restriction was present in all cases in the VHP cohort with no cases exhibiting a straight, nonrestricted central portion of the AMVL. This novel finding requires further investigation as a potential RHD rule‐out test of the MV.
Effects of metformin on experimentally induced acne on rabbit ear
Authors: Kamboj Parul , Bishnoi Anuradha , Handa Sanjeev , Dutta Pinaki , Nahar Saikia Uma , Pal Arnab , De Dipankar
Published: April 2021

Evidence for the effectiveness of metformin in the treatment of acne is limited. To assess its efficacy, comedones were experimentally induced in young New Zealand rabbit ear using Isopropyl Myristate (IM) followed by metformin treatment (30 mg/kg bodyweight) for 60 days with continued IM application. In another group, to check whether metformin pre‐treatment affects subsequent comedone development by IM, metformin was given for 14 days and then withdrawn (14 days) followed by comedone development with IM and metformin treatment. At different time points, dermatoscopic images of rabbit ear were taken for clinical assessment. Blood and biopsy samples were taken for hormonal assessment, histological examination and gene expression. Histologically confirmed acne model was developed in rabbit ear. Follicular size increased significantly (p = 0.0004 in both groups) upon IM application. Metformin significantly decreased comedones size as observed in dermatoscopic (p = 0.0003 in group I, p = 0.0190 in group II) and histological examination (p = 0.0313 in group I and II). However, size of comedones developed after metformin pretreatment was significantly (p < 0.0001) smaller. The lipid content of sebaceous glands decreased with metformin without any significant changes in the assessed hormones and genetic expression. Overall, metformin was found to be clinically effective in experimentally induced acne and can be used in humans.
Estimation of biodiversity metrics by environmental DNA metabarcoding compared with visual and capture surveys of river fish communities
Authors: Doi Hideyuki , Inui Ryutei , Matsuoka Shunsuke , Akamatsu Yoshihisa , Goto Masuji , Kono Takanori
Published: April 2021

Information on α‐ (local), β‐ (between habitats), and γ‐ (regional) diversity is fundamental to understanding biodiversity as well as the function and stability of community dynamics. Methods like environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding are currently considered useful to investigate biodiversity.

We compared the performance of eDNA metabarcoding with visual and capture surveys for estimating α‐ and γ‐diversity of river fish communities, and nestedness and turnover in particular.

In five rivers across west Japan, by comparison to visual/capture surveys, eDNA metabarcoding detected more species in the study sites (i.e. α‐diversity). Consequently, the overall number of species in the region (i.e. γ‐diversity) was higher. In particular, the species found by visual/capture surveys were encompassed by those detected by eDNA metabarcoding.

Estimates of community diversity within rivers differed between survey methods. Although we found that the methods show similar levels of community nestedness and turnover within the rivers, visual/capture surveys showed more distinct community differences from upstream to downstream. Our results suggest that eDNA metabarcoding may be a suitable method for community assemblage analysis, especially for understanding regional community patterns, for fish monitoring in rivers.
Modeling Fate and Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Inside Sewer Systems
Authors: Roghani Mohammadyousef , Li Ying , Rezaei Nader , Robinson Ariel , Shirazi Elham , Pennell Kelly G.
Published: April 2021

Hazardous waste site investigations have shown that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be transported via sewer pipes and migrate into indoor spaces. Despite field data confirming the presence of this exposure pathway, there is lack of context‐based numerical models that provide guidance to characterize and predict VOCs concentration in sewer gas at vapor intrusion sites. Particularly, this poses a challenge when assessing and mitigating risks associated with these exposure pathways. Therefore, a numerical model has been developed to simulate the concentration of VOCs in sewer gas in different stages throughout the sewer lines. The developed model considers various input parameters, including temperature, sewer liquid depth, groundwater depth, and sewer construction characteristics to incorporate local and operational conditions. The model's output is verified using field data from a sewer system constructed near a Superfund site. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the model's response to variation of the external input parameters. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to model VOCs concentration in sewer gas, particularly to address vapor intrusion. The developed model can be used as a numerical tool to support the development of sewer assessment guidelines, risk assessment studies, and mitigation strategies.
Academic inbreeding and choice of strategic research approaches
Authors: Horta Hugo , Meoli Michele , Santos João M.
Published: April 2021

Academic inbreeding is a phenomenon that has been studied mostly from the standpoint of its association with research productivity. The focus has been on knowledge creation outputs and outcomes, while little to no attention has been given to the association of academic inbreeding with knowledge creation strategies and processes in academia. This article focusses on the latter, confirming that academic inbreeding is detrimental to the research aspirations, innovativeness, risk‐taking, and multidisciplinarity engagement of academics' research agendas, as predicted by literature. These findings, based on a sample of more than 7000 academics from all fields of knowledge, working in more than 140 countries, do not find a greater influence of the PhD mentor on the strategic research agendas of homegrown academics as the literature would expect. The findings also underline critical differences between homegrown academics and silver‐corded academics, stressing that the latter category of academics should not be considered as part of the academic inbreeding process (which concept rests on immobility), but rather understood as a category of limited institutional mobility that deserves further study.
DNA mismatch repair‐deficient non‐neoplastic endometrial glands are common in Lynch syndrome patients and are present at a higher density than in the colon
Authors: Hegazy Shaymaa , Brand Randall E , Dudley Beth , Karloski Eve , Bhargava Rohit , Elishaev Esther , Pai Reetesh K
Published: April 2021

Aims

The hallmark of Lynch syndrome (LS) is DNA mismatch repair protein (MMR) deficiency. Recently, MMR deficiency in non‐neoplastic colonic crypts has been identified as a novel indicator of LS. We aimed to determine whether MMR‐deficient non‐neoplastic endometrial glands can distinguish patients with and without LS, and to compare the level of MMR deficiency in the normal endometrium and colon in LS patients.

Methods and results

We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of MMR proteins in the normal endometrial mucosa from 64 patients, including 34 patients with confirmed LS (17 with endometrial cancer and 17 without cancer), 30 patients with endometrial cancer without LS (10 with tumours with MLH1 promoter hypermethylation and 20 with MMR‐proficient tumours), and in the normal colonic mucosa from 30 LS patients. MMR‐deficient non‐neoplastic endometrial glands were identified in 47% of LS patients and in no patients without LS (P < 0.001). MMR‐deficient non‐neoplastic glands were more often identified in LS patients with endometrial cancer (65%) than in those without endometrial cancer (29%) (P = 0.04). In contrast to what was seen in the normal colon, MMR‐deficient glands in the normal endometrium were seen as large, contiguous groups, ranging in number from two to 101 (87% versus 45%, P = 0.02). MMR‐deficient glands were identified at a higher density in the endometrium than in the colon in LS patients (median number of MMR‐deficient glands, 22 versus two, P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that MMR‐deficient non‐neoplastic endometrial glands constitute an indicator of LS, and that MMR‐deficient glands in the endometrium are present in a pattern of contiguous large groups.
Comparison between cutaneous leishmaniasis patients with facial and non‐facial lesions
Authors: Yedidia Moser Rotem , Ben‐Shimol Shalom , Sagi Orli , Horev Amir
Published: April 2021

Background

We compared demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome characteristics of facial cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and non‐facial CL.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, polymerase chain reaction confirmed Leishmania major CL patients with ≥2 documented hospital visits, 2014–2019, were included.

Results

Overall, 134 patients (34% and 66% with facial and non‐facial CL, respectively) were included. Facial CL patients were younger (43% vs. 8% <18 years, P < 0.001), with a higher proportion of females (41% vs. 25%, P = 0.07) compared with non‐facial CL. Clinical characteristics, including number and size of lesions and ulcer appearance, were similar in both the groups. Higher paromomycin/methylbenzethonium chloride ointment treatment rates were noted in facial CL (85% vs. 64%, P = 0.02). Intralesional sodium stibogluconate was given to 41% and 53% of facial CL and non‐facial CL patients, respectively (P = 0.21). Cryotherapy and surgery were only used in non‐facial CL patients (5% and 1% of all CL cases, respectively). Systemic treatment (oral miltefosine, intravenous [IV] sodium stibogluconate, IV liposomal amphotericin B) was used in <5% of the cases in both the groups. Overall, 84% of patients showed signs of improvement, including decreased lesion size or clinical improvement in 73% and 75% of patients, respectively. Only 5% of all cases healed without scarring. Outcome rates were similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Facial CL patients were younger and received more frequently Leishmania‐specific topical treatment than non‐facial CL patients. In contrast, the two groups were similar regarding clinical characteristics and outcome. These findings suggest differences in disease severity perception by patients and physicians.
Infantile leukemia—What factors determine its distinct biological nature? Clinicopathological study of 78 cases
Authors: Liu Xin , Zhao Yue , Luedke Catherine , Jug Rachel , Yang Lian‐He , Lu Mark , Pan Zenggang , Wang Dehua , Lorsbach Robert , Shi Yang , Knez Virginia , Rehder Catherine , Liang Xiayuan , Wang Endi
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Infantile leukemia encompasses a heterogeneous group which needs stratifying for treatment selection.

Methods

We collected 78 cases of infantile leukemia and retrospectively analyzed their clinicopathological data.

Results

Infantile leukemia featured a ratio of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to B‐lymphoblastic leukemia (B‐ALL) of 1:2, with a better survival for AML than B‐ALL (median survival 36 vs 24 months). When stratified by age, “early” infantile B‐ALL (2‐6 months) showed a high rate of KMT2A rearrangement (100%), similar to the rate seen in congenital B‐ALL (1 month) (100%) and higher than seen in “late” infantile B‐ALL (≥7 months) (68%). The three categories of infantile B‐ALL exhibited an age‐dependent increase in survival (median survival 8.5, 24, and >24 months, respectively). The age‐dependent survival benefit remained after excluding the cases negative for KMT2A rearrangement. Conversely, infantile AML lacked an age‐dependent pattern of survival.

Conclusion

The clinical outcome of infantile leukemia depends on the type of leukemia. Given the age‐dependent survival, infantile B‐ALL can be divided into three subcategories.
Immigrants, voter sentiment, and local public goods: The case of museums
Authors: Dalle Nogare Chiara , Scuderi Raffaele , Bertacchini Enrico
Published: April 2021

We present a model where museum commitment to immigrant integration is conditioned by the possible negative reactions of native visitors and patrons. We then exploit the rich information provided by the 2015 Italian museum census to investigate the factors associated with a higher probability of museums developing promotion programmes targeting an immigrant audience, with a special focus on the size of immigrant communities and the importance of anti‐immigrant sentiment in the local context. We proxy the latter with the municipal vote shares of parties with an anti‐immigrant agenda in the 2013 national elections. Our evidence shows that the vote share of Lega Nord has a significantly negative and sizable estimated coefficient. Conversely, we find no positive association with the overall share of immigrants—only the size of specific minorities at the local level increases the likelihood that a museum engages immigrants. We control for a number of context variables and specific museum characteristics, some of which (age of establishment, type of collection) show a positive association with museum commitment to immigrant integration.
Interactive effect of corn particle size and insoluble fiber source on performance, nutrient utilization and intestine morphology in broilers fed pelleted diets
Authors: Moradi Soudabeh , Moradi Arash , Atabaigi Elmi Vahid , Reza Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: April 2021

The effects of corn particle size and dietary fibre on the performance, coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) and intestinal characteristics in broiler starters fed pelleted diets were studied. The experiment included 10 treatments arranged as a 2 × 5 factorial with two corn particle sizes (GMD of 1071 [CGC] vs. 534 [FGC]) and five diets that consisted in a low‐fibre diet and four extra diets resulting from the inclusion of insoluble fibre sources (10 g/kg of lignocellulose (LC), and 30 g/kg of oat hulls; OH, rice hulls; RH, and sunflower hulls; SFH). In coarse grinding, all‐fibre sources improved body weight gain and feed intake compared to the control diet (p < 0.01). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved with fibre supplementation (p < 0.01) and fine grinding of corn (FGC) (p < 0.01). Coarse grinding of corn (CGC) and inclusion of RH, SFH and OH reduced gizzard pH (p < 0.01). Fibre inclusion increased ileal fat and Ca digestibility (p < 0.01), gizzard weight (p < 0.01), digesta transit time (p < 0.01) and length of duodenum and small intestine (p < 0.01). The CAID of phosphorus increased in CGC fed birds and inclusion of RH, SFH and OH (p < 0.05). The weight of gizzard, proventriculus and pancreas (p < 0.01) was greater in CGC fed birds. Feeding SFH, RH and OH (p < 0.01), and CGC (p < 0.01) increased the villus height (VH) of the duodenum. The OH, RH and SFH supplementation increased the caecal population of Lactobacillus spp. and total anaerobic bacteria (p < 0.01) only in FGC fed birds. Overall, birds fed pelleted diets containing RH, OH and SFH (3%) exhibited improved performance, and increased nutrient digestibility, which may be caused by developed gizzards and intestine. Furthermore, coarse grinding of corn is beneficial to gizzard development.
The emotions behind character friendship: From other‐oriented emotions to the ‘bonding feeling’
Authors: Martínez‐Priego Consuelo , Romero‐Iribas Ana
Published: April 2021

This article aims to theoretically analyse so‐called character friendship from the perspective of emotions. From this angle, our research enables us to distinguish different types of emotions, and we propose a conceptual model of the hierarchy of the emotions of character friendship and their influence on social behaviour. With this model in hand, the article discusses whether other‐oriented emotions fully explain the emotional underpinnings of character friendship. We find other‐oriented emotions to be ambiguous because they may or may not be selfless. Thus we question whether these emotions can adequately explain the bonding content of character friendship. We conclude that there is a higher affective tier related to moral emotions and moral behaviour, which we have labelled the ‘bonding feeling’. This feeling is described with reference to its historical precedents (Rof Carballo’s ‘affective warp’), thus explaining its particularity.
A neural network–based approach for fill factor estimation and bucket detection on construction vehicles
Authors: Lu Jinxiong , Yao Zongwei , Bi Qiushi , Li Xuefei
Published: April 2021

Bucket fill factor is of paramount importance in measuring the productivity of construction vehicles, which is the percentage of materials loaded in the bucket within one scooping. Additionally, the locational information of the bucket is also indispensable for scooping trajectory planning. Some research has been conducted to measure it via state‐of‐the‐art computer vision approaches, but their robustness against various environment conditions is not considered. The aim of this study is to fill this gap and six distinctive environment settings are included. Images captured by a stereo camera are used to generate point clouds before being structured into 3D maps. This novel preprocessing pipeline for deep learning is originally proposed and its feasibility has been validated through this study. Moreover, multitask learning is employed to exploit the positive relationship among two tasks: fill factor prediction and bucket detection. Therefore, after preprocessing, 3D maps are forwarded to a faster region with convolutional neural network incorporated with an improved residual neural network. The value of fill factor is acquired via a classification and probabilistic–based approach, which is novel, achieving an inspiring result (overall volume estimation accuracy: 95.23% and detection precision: 92.62%) at the same time.
An explanatory idealist theory of grounding
Authors: Kovacs David Mark
Published: April 2021

How is grounding related to metaphysical explanation? The standard view is that the former somehow “backs”, “undergirds” or “underlies” the latter. This view fits into a general picture of explanation, according to which explanations in general hold in virtue of a certain elite group of “explanatory relations” or “determinative relations” that back them. This paper turns the standard view on its head: grounding doesn't “back” metaphysical explanation but is in an important sense downstream from it. I call this view “grounding idealism”, since it structurally resembles an analogous view about causation that is known as “causal idealism” and has been endorsed by philosophers like Michael Scriven and Philip Kitcher. I formulate a specific version of grounding idealism, Metaphysical Explanation‐First Idealism (MEFI), according to which the semantic value of ‘grounding’ is an abundant, gerrymandered relation settled by the metaphysical explanation facts. Then I offer some theoretical considerations that support MEFI over rival accounts of the relation between grounding and metaphysical explanation. Finally, I address the question of what role is left for grounding to play, if not that of “backing” metaphysical explanations.
Drought: Sensing, signalling, effects and tolerance in higher plants
Authors: Mukarram Mohammad , Choudhary Sadaf , Kurjak Daniel , Petek Anja , Khan M. Masroor A.
Published: April 2021

Drought can be considered as a cocktail of multiple stressful conditions that contribute to osmotic and ionic imbalance in plants. Considering that water is vital for plant life, the very survival of the plant becomes questionable during drought conditions. Water deficit affects a wide spectrum of morpho‐physiological phenomena restricting overall plant growth, development and productivity. To evade such complications and ameliorate drought‐induced effects, plants have a battery of various defence mechanisms. These mechanisms can vary from stomatal adjustments to osmotic adjustments and antioxidant metabolism to ion regulations. In this review, we critically evaluate how drought is perceived and signalled through the whole plant via abscisic acid mediated pathways. Additionally, the impact of drought on photosynthesis, gas exchange variables and reactive oxygen species pathway was also reviewed, along with the reversal of these induced effects through associated morpho‐physiological counter mechanisms.
Labor policy and multinational firms: The “race to the bottom” revisited
Authors: Bhattacharya Anindya , Sen Debapriya
Published: April 2021

This paper revisits the “race to the bottom” phenomenon in a simple game theoretic framework. We consider one multinational firm, which requires two inputs that are imperfect substitutes, and two countries. In the benchmark model the labor of each country specializes in a distinct input. Seeking to maximize their labor incomes, countries simultaneously announce wages after which the firm chooses its labor employment in each country. We show that “race to the bottom” (countries setting minimum possible wages) is never an equilibrium. Moreover there are equilibria with “race to the top,” that is, countries set maximum possible wages. This result is robust in an extended model where prior to competing in wages, each country can make input‐specific investments to make its labor available for one or both inputs. Provided the production function of the firm is not asymmetrically intensive in either one of the two inputs, there are equilibria of the extended game with specialization (i.e., countries invest in distinct inputs) as well as “race to the top.”
Performance assessment of intravenous catheters for massive transfusion: A pragmatic in vitro study
Authors: Milne Andrew , Teng Justin J. , Vargas Andrew , Markley John C. , Collins Adam
Published: April 2021

Background

Rapid infusion of warmed blood products is the cornerstone of trauma resuscitation and treatment of surgical and obstetric massive hemorrhage. Integral to optimizing this delivery is selection of an intravenous (IV) catheter and use of a rapid infusion device (RID). We investigated which IV catheter and RID system enabled the greatest infusion rate of blood products and the governing catheter characteristics.

Study Design and Methods

The maximum flow rates of nine IV catheters were measured while infusing a mixture of packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma at a 1:1 ratio using a RID with and without a patient line extension. To account for IV catheters that achieved the RID's maximum 1000 ml/min, the conductance of each infusion circuit configuration was calculated.

Results

IV catheters of 7‐Fr caliber or higher reached the maximum pressurized flow rate. The 9‐Fr multi‐lumen access catheter (MAC) achieved the greatest conductance, over sevenfold greater than the 18 g peripheral catheter (4.6 vs. 0.6 ml/min/mmHg, p < .001). Conductance was positively correlated with internal radius (β = 1.098, 95% CI 4.286–5.025, p < .001) and negatively correlated with length (β= − 0.495, 95% CI −0.007 to 0.005, p < .001). Use of an extension line (β= − 0.094, 95% CI −0.505 to −0.095, p = .005) was independently associated with reduced conductance in large caliber catheters.

Conclusion

Short, large‐diameter catheters provided the greatest infusion rates of massive transfusion blood products for the least pressure. For patients requiring the highest transfusion flow rates, extension tubing should be avoided when possible.
An Efficient Energy Utilization of Biomass Energy-Based System for Renewable Hydrogen Production and Storage
Authors: Ishaq Haris , Dincer Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

The increasing environmental limits and carbon emissions taxes are substantial to develop the efficient systems for offering an effective energy utilization. This study proposed a new biomass-based gasification-assisted configuration for the renewable hydrogen production system offering efficient energy utilization. A multi-effect desalination system is employed for water desalination which is converted to steam and fed to the entrained flow gasifier. The integrated heat recovery steam generator gains the additional heat from the syngas to generate steam using fresh water from the desalination unit. The produced hydrogen is supplied to the multistage compression unit that stores hydrogen at high pressure. Industrial aspen plus software V9 version is employed for the simulation under the RK-SOAVE property method. The production of hydrogen before the water gas shift reactor is 129.5 mol/s and after the water gas shift reactor is found to be 171 mol/s. The thermodynamic performance of the biomass energy-assisted system is determined through overall energetic and exergetic efficiencies that are revealed to be 40.86% and 38.63%. Numerous sensitivity studies are performed to explore the performance of the designed system and presented and discussed.
Exergoeconomic Evaluation and Optimization of Reverse Brayton Refrigerator
Authors: Dhillon Aman Kumar , Ghosh Parthasarathi
Published: April 2021

In this article, by using exergoeconomic approach, an economic evaluation of reverse Brayton cycle-based refrigerator has been performed for 10 kW range cooling capacity at 65 K. One of the typical application domains of this refrigerator at the considered heat load is cooling of high-temperature superconductor for future power transmission lines that are in the developmental phase in different parts of the world. Multi-objective optimization and sensitivity analysis have been performed to investigate the sources of cost attached to the exergy destruction. Based on exergoeconomic evaluation parameters, recommendations have been provided for deciding the cost-effective design parameters for refrigerators. The significant finding of this analysis is that, for the basic reverse Brayton cryocooler, component performance, the turbine being the major one, needs to be improved to meet the economic criteria of 25 $/W as enumerated in the cryogenic road map for high-temperature superconductor cooling. The exergoeconomic design applied on the reverse Brayton refrigerator for high-temperature superconductor cables cooling can be adapted for other applications such as recondensation and liquefied natural gas cold energy utilization.
A New Algorithm for the Design of Site Utility for Combined Production of Power, Freshwater, and Steam in Process Industries
Authors: Ghiasi Mahdi , Khosgoftar Manesh Mohammad Hasan , Lari Kamran , Salehi Gholamreza , Torabi Azad Masoud
Published: April 2021

Site utility, without a doubt, is one of the major units in process industries that consumed a lot of fossil fuels and significantly emitted emission pollution. In this paper, a systematic procedure was proposed to optimize the utility system's design and integration based on a targeting approach as process integration technique, exergetic, exergoeconomic, exergoenvironmental analysis associated with life cycle assessment (LCA), and multi-objective optimization through water cycle and genetic algorithms. Total site analysis was performed to provide an essential understanding of the equipment's characteristics and interactions in the site utility system. It also aims for power production and the temperature of the boiler and each steam level with acceptable accuracy. Furthermore, the exergetic, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental analyses were presented to declare the effects of irreversibility, economic, and environmental impacts on the system. In this paper, to show the proposed method's applicability, the optimal design of a site utility associated with a petrochemical complex has been considered. First, the optimal design is performed based on minimization of total annualized costs (TAC) as one-objective function through star software, genetic algorithm (GA), water cycle algorithm (WCA), proposed GA, and proposed WCA method. In the next phase, the optimal design is done based on MOGA, MOWCA, proposed MOGA, and proposed MOWCA methods based on maximum exergetic efficiency, and freshwater production, and minimization of exergetic cost, and total environmental exergetic impact. Results show by using the new procedure, the optimum solution has been achieved by a significant reduction of computational time.
Impact of non-individualised head related transfer functions on speech-in-noise performances within a synthesised virtual environment
Authors: Cuevas-Rodriguez Maria , Gonzalez-Toledo Daniel , Reyes-Lecuona Arcadio , Picinali Lorenzo
Published: April 2021

When performing binaural spatialisation, it is widely accepted that the choice of the head related transfer functions (HRTFs), and in particular the use of individually measured ones, can have an impact on localisation accuracy, externalization, and overall realism. Yet the impact of HRTF choices on speech-in-noise performances in cocktail party-like scenarios has not been investigated in depth. This paper introduces a study where 22 participants were presented with a frontal speech target and two lateral maskers, spatialised using a set of non-individual HRTFs. Speech reception threshold (SRT) was measured for each HRTF. Furthermore, using the SRT predicted by an existing speech perception model, the measured values were compensated in the attempt to remove overall HRTF-specific benefits. Results show significant overall differences among the SRTs measured using different HRTFs, consistently with the results predicted by the model. Individual differences between participants related to their SRT performances using different HRTFs could also be found, but their significance was reduced after the compensation. The implications of these findings are relevant to several research areas related to spatial hearing and speech perception, suggesting that when testing speech-in-noise performances within binaurally rendered virtual environments, the choice of the HRTF for each individual should be carefully considered.
General adaptation to accented English: Speech intelligibility unaffected by perceived source of non-native accent
Authors: Melguy Yevgeniy Vasilyevich , Johnson Keith
Published: April 2021

Foreign-accented speech commonly incurs a processing cost, but this cost can be offset when listeners are given informative cues to the speaker's purported ethnicity and/or language background. This study investigates the mechanism that underlies this facilitatory effect of top-down expectation, evaluating between general adaptation (an across-the-board relaxation of phonetic categorization criteria) and targeted adaptation (tuning in to accent-specific phonetics). In experiment 1, native speakers of American English completed a transcription-in-noise task with Chinese-accented English sentences. All listeners heard the same voice but were randomly assigned to one of four visual conditions: a blank silhouette, a European face, an East Asian face, or a South Asian face. Results showed that although there was no significant effect of visual condition, listeners who believed the speaker to be non-natively accented enjoyed significantly improved performance compared to those who reported hearing a native accent. Crucially, however, listeners who correctly perceived the speaker as Chinese-accented showed no additional benefit over those who heard some other foreign accent. This basic pattern held even when listeners were primed to expect congruent face-accent pairings (experiment 2). Overall, these results provide evidence for a general adaptation mechanism, rather than a targeted mechanism involving accent-specific phonetic adjustments.
Large-Scale Sport Events and Resident Well-Being: Examining PERMA and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games
Authors: Doyle Jason , Filo Kevin , Thomson Alana , Kunkel Thilo
Published: April 2021

Delivering community-based benefits is oftentimes cited to justify the high costs associated with hosting large-scale events. The current research is embedded in positive psychology to examine how an event impacts host community members’ PERMA domains, reflected through positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Adopting a longitudinal approach, the authors interviewed 15 host community members before and after a large-scale sport event to determine if and how the event impacted their well-being. The findings uncovered evidence that the event activated positive emotions, relationships, and meaning across both phases, and evidence of accomplishment within the postevent phase. The findings contribute to the knowledge by examining the links between large-scale sport events and well-being throughout the event lifecycle. This research forwards implications for event bidding committees, event organizers, and host community officials to maximize community well-being through hosting large-scale events and to help justify associated expenses from a social–psychological perspective.