bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENGARUH SALAH SATU BUDAYA (RAMBU SOLO’) TERHADAP PEREKONOMIAN MASYARAKAT DI TORAJA UTARA
Authors: limbong intan
Published: November 2020

Abstract: Indonesia has a diversity of cultures, and each culture has its characteristics,and these cultures cannot be eliminated. The Toraja tribe is an indigenous tribe that lives in the mountains of the North and South. The Toraja tribe has many kinds of culture, besides a variety of cultures, the Toraja tribe also has famous traditional ceremonies. One of the most famous traditional ceremonies is the Rambu Solo’ traditional ceremony (funeral ceremony). This research is motivated by the implementation of the Rambu Solo’ funeral among Toraja which is getting more and more festive and ekstravagant every year, even thougth it requires a large amount of money, people are still trying hard to be able to carry out a funeral ceremony that is lively, luxurious and exspensive. The Toraja funeral ceremony is a from of shifting the type og giving/assistance to a bereaved family. From the from of pigs and buffalo or material (objects) to gifts in the form of money or capital. In making this journal. I use topical or thematic analysis method is a model whose development begins with determining a particular topic as the theme or cental topic, after the theme is used as the basis for determining the basis for the sub-themes of the related field of study.
PEMBUATAN PETA DESA BONTO MATE'NE, KEC. TURATEA
Authors: ASTUTI
Published: November 2020

Kuliah Kerja Lapang Plus (KKLP) merupakan suatu kegiatan perkuliahan yang bersifat intrakurikuler dalam bentuk pengabdian pada masyarakat yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat dalam waktu tertentu. oleh karena, sifatnya intraku rikuler sehingga setiap mahasiswa yang akan menyelesaikan studi di perguruan tinggi pada suatu program strata satu (SI) harus mengikuti KKLP.
Are text comprehension and calculation processes in word problem solving sequential or interactive? An eye-tracking study in children
Authors: Daroczy Gabriella , Artemenko Christina , Meurers Detmar , Wolska Magdalena , Nuerk Hans-Christoph
Published: November 2020

The difficulty of a word problem is influenced by both linguistic and arithmetic processes. However, whether these processes are sequential or interactive is a matter of debate. Little is known about how attention changes when faced with different linguistic and arithmetic task characteristics, both in relation to the entire problem and to specific components (i.e., numerical and textual elements). To address this gap, we conducted a study monitoring the eye movements of children aged 10-13 years during word problem solving. We manipulated linguistic and arithmetic task characteristics independently, focusing on the mathematical factor operation (addition/subtraction) and the linguistic factors consistency (consistent/inconsistent) and nominalization (verbalized/nominalized). The results revealed that eye movements generally increased as linguistic difficulty (e.g., nominalization) or arithmetic difficulty (e.g., operation) increased. Thereby, specific parts of the text were differentially affected based on the task characteristics. Increasing arithmetic difficulty led to a shift in eye movements towards numerical elements, while increasing linguistic difficulty resulted in a shift towards textual elements. Interestingly, the increase in arithmetic difficulty also influenced processing in the linguistic domain. For example, textual parts of the word problem received more attention when arithmetic difficulty increased, but not vice versa. This suggests that text comprehension and calculation processes in word problem-solving are not separate and not sequential; instead, they partially rely on shared processing components.
A Longitudinal Mediational Investigation of Risk Pathways among Cannabis Use, Interpersonal Trauma Exposure, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Hicks Terrell A , Bountress Kaitlin E , Adkins Amy , Svikis Dace S , Gillespie Nathan A , Dick Danielle , Group Spit for Science Working , Amstadter Ananda B
Published: November 2020

Background: College students are at high risk for cannabis use, interpersonal trauma (IPT) exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two phenotypic etiologic models posited to explain associations between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes are the self-medication (trauma/PTSD cannabis use) and high-risk (cannabis use trauma/PTSD) hypotheses. The primary objective of this study was to investigate direct and indirect associations among cannabis use, IPT exposure, and PTSD above and beyond established covariates.Methods: The current study used data from the first assessment (i.e., baseline survey at year 1 Fall) and two follow-up assessments (i.e., year 1 Spring and year 2 Spring) from an ongoing longitudinal study on college behavioral health. Participants were four cohorts of college students (n = 9,889) who completed measures of demographics, substance use, IPT, and PTSD. Indirect effects of IPT on cannabis through PTSD (i.e., self-medication) and cannabis on PTSD through IPT (i.e., high-risk), including tests of covariate effects (e.g., sex, age, race, cohort, alcohol, nicotine) were simultaneously estimated using a longitudinal mediation modeling framework.Results: Results suggest that more IPT exposure increases risk for PTSD and subsequent non-experimental (use 6+ times) cannabis use, and that experimental (use 1 – 5 times) and non-experimental cannabis use increases risk for IPT exposure and subsequent PTSD.Conclusions: Both the self-medication and high-risk hypotheses were supported. Findings support a bidirectional causal relationship between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes. Additionally, results highlight areas for colleges to intervene among students to help reduce cannabis use and create a safer environment.
Delivering a community intervention on Type 2 Diabetes with UK Punjabi South Asians via radio
Authors: Bains Kiran Kaur
Published: November 2020

• To devise evidence-based talks about Type 2 diabetes prevention and management for a Punjabi speaking UK South Asian audience • To focus on the psychological aspects of diabetes prevention and management, as well as coping with the illness • To deliver these talks in Punjabi using accessible and culturally relevant communication
Transformer Networks of Human Conceptual Knowledge
Authors: Bhatia Sudeep , Richie Russell
Published: November 2020

We present a computational model capable of simulating aspects of human knowledge for thousands of real-world concepts. Our approach involves fine-tuning a transformer network for natural language understanding on participant-generated feature norms. We show that such a model can successfully extrapolate from its training dataset, and predict human knowledge for novel concepts and features. We also apply our model to stimuli from twenty-three previous experiments in semantic cognition research, and show that it reproduces fifteen classic findings involving semantic verification, concept typicality, feature distribution, and semantic similarity. We interpret these findings using established properties of classic connectionist networks. The success of our approach shows how the combination of natural language data and psychological data can be used to build cognitive models with rich world knowledge. Such models can be used in the service of new psychological applications, such as the cognitive process modeling of naturalistic semantic verification and knowledge retrieval, as well as the modeling of real-world categorization, decision making, and reasoning.
A database of lapidary artifacts in the Caribbean for the Ceramic Age
Authors: Queffelec Alain , Fouéré Pierrick , Caverne Jean-Baptiste
Published: November 2020

Lapidary artifacts show an impressive abundance and diversity during the Ceramic period in the Caribbean islands, especially at the beginning of this period. Most of the raw materials used in this production do not exist naturally on the islands of the Lesser Antilles, nevertheless, many archaeological sites have yielded such artifacts on these islands. In the framework of a four-years-long project, we created a database by combining first hand observations and analysis, as well as a thorough literature survey. The result is a database including more than 100 sites and almost 5000 beads, pendants, blanks and raw material fragments.
Exploring the gender gap in the labor market: A sex-disaggregated view
Authors: Zazueta Jorge , Accinelli Elvio
Published: November 2020

We develop a simple mathematical model describing the dynamics of the gender gap in a labor market niche and study the effects of bias, market size, and market dynamism in the evolution of the system. A high-level characterization of the system is suggested by studying a large sample of the parameter space and specific cases of interest to policymaking are explored.
The impact of cash transfers on subjective well-being and mental health in low- and middle- income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: McGuire Joel , Kaiser Caspar , Bach-Mortensen Anders
Published: November 2020

Background: A large body of evidence evaluates the impact of cash transfers (CTs) on physical health and economic indicators. A growing amount of research on CTs contains measures of subjective well- being (SWB) and mental health (MH) but no attempt has been made to systematically synthesize this work.Methods/design: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs and quasi- experimental studies, including peer-reviewed publications and grey literature (e.g. reports, pre-prints, and working papers), conducted over the period 2000-2020, examining the impact of CTs on self- reported SWB and MH outcomes.Results: Two authors (JM and CK) double-screened 1,147 records of potentially relevant studies, finding 38 studies suitable for inclusion in our meta-analysis, covering 100 outcomes and a total sample of n=114,274 individuals. The average effect size (Cohen’s d) of 38 CT studies on our composite outcome of MH and SWB is 0.10 standard deviations (SDs) (95% CI: 0.8, 0.13) for an average time until follow-up of two years. However, there is a substantial amount of heterogeneity in the estimated effects (I-squared = 64% and 95% Prediction interval: 0.0021, 0.215). CT value, both in absolute terms and relative to previous income, are significant predictors of the effect size. We find only weak evidence that the impact diminishes over time. Four randomized controlled trials in our sample were designed to identify the spillover effects of CTs on the SWB and MH outcomes of non-recipients. Two found negative spillovers but the average effect is not statistically significant and is close to zero.Discussion: Cash transfers significantly increase MH and SWB in low- and middle-income countries. More research on the long run (5+ years) effects is needed, as well as further analysis of the community and household spillover effects of cash transfers on MH and SWB outcomes. We encourage the inclusion of MH and SWB metrics in impact evaluations of interventions to enable the assessment of their relative cost-effectiveness at improving lives compared to cash transfers.
Soil Erosion and its Effects on Maize Field as Modified by Amendments in Southwestern Coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Abdullah Al Shoumik Baig , Sanaul Islam Md.
Published: November 2020

The coastal soils of Bangladesh are preferentially dominated by silt content and stressed by salinity (Na+) as well as low humus content . Hence, these soils are  moderately to extremely vulnerable to water erosion, which is a major form of land degradation. The aim of this study was to estimate the soil erosion rate from  maize fields in the southwestern coastal region. A field experiment was conducted on maize grown field, which is nearly level, moderately saline, and silt dominated coastal land. The plots were amended with inorganic fertilizer, sieved sand, and decomposed cow dung. Each runoff plot was connected to separate reservoirs and was exposed to rainfall. From the erosive rainstorms, representative critical rainfall intensity was determined.  The entrapped eroded material in the reservoirs was collected to estimate the loss of soil. The efficacy of the applied amendments was studied in terms of lowering seasonal (maize growth period) soil loss and erosion associated deterioration of relevant soil parameters. This study revealed that CRI was ≥15 mm h-1. The soil loss during the maize growth period from inorganic fertilizer, cow dung, and sand amended runoff plots were 64(±7) t ha-1 y-1, 51(±5) t ha-1 y-1, and 23(±2) t ha-1 y-1, respectively. The changes in soil properties indicated that after initial erosion, vulnerability to further erosion increased.
McCune Albright Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Karki Subhana Thapa , Jain Vandana
Published: November 2020

McCune Albright syndrome (MAS) is a very rare genetic disease characterised by any two of the following three findings: café au lait spots, polyosteotic fibrous dysplasia and endocrine disorders. The clinical presentation of MAS may vary depending on which of the various components of the syndrome predominate. Here, we report one case of MAS presenting with precocious puberty.
Diagnostic Yield of Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Children: A Three Years Experience
Authors: Joshi Binita Gurubacharya , Ghimire Madhu
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Gastrointestinal disorders are very common in paediatric population. Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy procedures have increased dramatically worldwide and have contributed in identification of various gastrointestinal disorders along with therapeutic benefits. However, it is recently being established in paediatric population in Nepal and proper data is scarce. This study was aimed to assess upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with respect to its indications and diagnostic yield at a tertiary centre over a three years period.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study where data of all paediatric patients between the age group 0 - 15 years having various gastrointestinal problems who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from March 2013 - Feb 2016 in our centre were analysed.

Results: Among 270 patients, males comprised 60% and females comprised 40%. Age range was 0 - 15 years and majority were from the age group between 10 to 15 years (66.2%). Most common indications for endoscopy were chronic abdominal pain (58.8%), acute epigastric pain (18.5%), followed by failure to thrive (7%). Abnormal findings were detected in 250 patients (92.5%); gastroduodenitis (28.14%), antral gastritis (18.51%), erosive gastritis (15.92%), duodenitis (9.25%), hiatus hernia (7.4%), varices (5.5%) were common findings. Histopathologically, chronic gastritis and duodenitis (72%) were common findings followed by acute gastritis and giardiasis. Among 80 patients who underwent RUT, 50% each had positive and negative results.

Conclusion: Chronic abdominal pain remains common gastrointestinal problem in children. With the advent of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy various gastrointestinal problems can be identified and managed accordingly. Along with the facility of histopathology, diagnostic yield and outcome is further enhanced.
Dr. Camilo José Escobar Castaño
Authors: Arenas Sebastian Maldonado
Published: November 2020

Nacido en Manizales en 1989, decide iniciar sus estudios de medicina y cirugía en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, en donde igualmente cursa su primera especialización como médico internista, recibiendo dicho titulo en el memorable auditorio León de Greiff en 2018. Destacado galeno cursó su segunda especialidad en nuestro claustro, ingresando al programa de nefrología del Hospital de San José en 2019, en donde se destacó su integralidad, carisma, entrega y pasión por el arte de las ciencias clínicas y la nefrología.
What a Difference Does Time Make? Framing Media Discourse on Refugees and Migrants in Croatia in Two Periods
Authors: Zrinščak Siniša , Čehulić Mateja , Čepo Dario
Published: November 2020

There is plenty of research on media framing of marginalized and “othered” groups, including refugees and migrants. A lot has been said about the 2015– 2016 refugee crisis, but much less scholarly interest has been put on the 2018– 2019 re-emergence of refugees and migrants on outer borders of the EU and the ways member states have responded to the problem. This paper is focused on analysing similarities and differences in framing of refugees and migrants in the Croatian media in two distinct time periods: 2015–2016 and 2018. The paper is based on applying content analysis and descriptive statistics to articles from four daily newspapers in order to find out how the people coming to Croatia were presented in the media; what they were called, in which sense (positive, neutral, negative) they were presented to the public, and how the media presentation changed over time. The analysis has shown a certain degree of specific political, economic, and societal contexts mediated to, and in turn mediated by, the media’s framing of refugees/migrants. While the predominant frame remained neutral, as per norms of journalistic profession, the change in ideological stance of the government - from social democrats, who put humanitarian elements first, to conservatives, whose focus was security-based - coincided with the relative rise in the number of articles with a negative portrayal of the migrant issue.
Stabilnost vlada i upravljanje koalicijskim sukobima u Hrvatskoj
Authors: Nikić Čakar Dario
Published: November 2020

Cilj je rada istražiti stabilnost koalicijskih vlada u Hrvatskoj 2000. – 2020. te se polazi od teze da je nestabilnost vlada uvjetovana nedovoljno obuhvatnim koalicijskim sporazumima i neučinkovitim mehanizmima rješavanja koalicijskih sukoba. U radu se prvo analiziraju koalicijski sporazumi s obzirom na veličinu i sadržaj koji je u njima zastupljen, a zatim se istražuju stvarni procesi koalicijskog upravljanja
koji se događaju unutar „crne kutije“ identificiranjem najčešćih sukoba i mehanizama s pomoću kojih se oni nastoje riješiti. U analizi se upotrebljavaju izvorni empirijski podaci prikupljeni intervjuima s bivšim članovima koalicijskih vlada, kao i koalicijski sporazumi, vladini programi, arhivska građa dviju dnevnih novina te arhivske baze vlade i parlamenta. Rezultati istraživanja doveli su do glavnog zaključka
da zbog nedovoljno razrađenih i formaliziranih koalicijskih sporazuma koalicijske stranke nisu uspješne u upravljanju koalicijskim sukobima, stoga pribjegavaju ad hoc mehanizmu neformanog i vrlo personaliziranog odlučivanja koje se izgrađuje u malom gremiju čelnika koalicijskih stranaka.
MERCHANT SHIPPING EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENTWITH ALLOWANCE FOR THE SYSTEM OF RISKS
Authors:   National University «Odessa Maritime Academy», Sienko Olena , Stakhov Arsenii ,   National University «Odessa Maritime Academy»
Published: November 2020

The increase in the role of the maritime transport in the international trade determines the tasks of development of the corresponding productive capacity of shipping companies and merchant ports. In accordance with this, the need for enhancement of the technical and ecological fleet reliability and for reduction of the probability of various risks in the stable positioning of the subsystems of the global sea-borne trade market is rising. In line with the positive results of development of the national economic potential of the maritime transport industry, the totality of risks and threats emerges. It is this block of functional activity of the merchant fleet and seaports that determines the tasks and problems of the management and innovative development. The versatility of the results of the economic potential formation in the maritime transport industry determines the complications in decision-making in the system of the large number of operators that seek for the solution of the same main task. At the sametime, in addition to competitive contradictions, the probability and directionsof avoiding various risks inherent in the sea-borne trade market are to be taken into account.It is necessary to differentiate the approach to minimisationof risk manifestation depending on the nature of theircontrollability. From this point of view, the projects to expand the innovative technologies and the tasks of timely consideration of the negative manifestation of negative externalities stand out. The latter, despite the severity of manifestation, may be considered in the projects of innovative compliance. However, it is not enough to consider only the negative manifestation of the external factors among the risks. It is necessary to single out the sustainability risks, determined by the general development of the competitive advantage in the system of the sea-borne trade market. While the role of maritime transport in ensuring the stability of international relations is increasing, the requirements for the reliability of the merchant fleet run high. This becomes the most important characteristic among the totality of reliability factors of the functional activity of sea transport enterprises. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the manifestation of a number of negative consequences of large-scale transport development of the world ocean. Usually, an increase in the technogenic load on the natural environment is taken into account and the risks of emergencies remain. In these constraints, it is important to revise the traditional approaches to certain issues of shipping management.
Mothers Role and Perception in Developing Gender Discrimination
Authors: Bano Kazimi Anjum , Shaikh Muhammad Ali , John Stephen
Published: November 2020

This study of the role and perception of mothers in developing gender discrimination is focused on analyzing mother's role, as their role in developing child personality and social behavior is proved by the researches. Present research is a mixed method research, mothers were the population , a total 183 mothers were selected, data was collected through questionnaire and 16 mothers were selected for personal interview through purposive and random sampling .Validity was ascertained through expert opinion and reliability through Cronbach alpha .Results indicated that mothers from rural and urban areas of Sindh Pakistan have almost similar and very obvious discriminative behavior for daughters and sons mother do not realized implications of their behavior and they presents many arguments to justify their gender discriminative behavior. We concluded that awareness of the consequences of their behavior and education should be emphasized to change discriminative behavior for minimizing gender gap.
The role of indocyanine green fluorescence in endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery and its imaging correlations
Authors: Shahein Mostafa , Prevedello Daniel M. , Beaumont Thomas L. , Ismail Khalid , Nouby Radwan , Palettas Marilly , Prevedello Luciano M. , Otto Bradley A. , Carrau Ricardo L.
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

The use of endoscope-integrated indocyanine green (E-ICG) has recently been introduced in skull base surgery. The quantitative correlation between E-ICG and T1-weighted gadolinium-enhanced (T1WGd) images for skull base tumors has not been previously assessed, to the authors’ knowledge. In this study, the authors investigated the indications for use and the limitations of E-ICG and sought to correlate the endoscopic fluorescence pattern with MRI contrast enhancement.

METHODS

Following IRB approval, 20 patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery between June 2017 and August 2018 were enrolled in the study. Tumor fluorescence was measured using a blue color value and blood fluorescence as a control. Signal intensities (SIs) of tumor T1WGd images were measured and the internal carotid artery (ICA) SI was used as a control. For pituitary adenoma, the pituitary gland fluorescence was also measured. The relationships between ICG fluorescence and MRI enhancement measurements were analyzed.

RESULTS

Data showed that in pituitary adenoma there was a strong correlation between the ratios of gland/blood fluorescence to gland/ICA SI (n = 8; r = 0.92; p = 0.001) and tumor/blood fluorescence to tumor/ICA SI (n = 9; r = 0.82; p = 0.006). In other pathologies there was a strong correlation between the ratios of tumor/blood fluorescence and tumor/ICA SI (n = 9; r = 0.74; p = 0.022). The ICG fluorescence allowed perfusion assessment of the pituitary gland as well as of the nasoseptal flaps. Visualization of the surrounding vasculature was also feasible.

CONCLUSIONS

Defining the indications and understanding the limitations are critical for the effective use of E-ICG. Tumor fluorescence seems to correlate with preoperative MRI contrast enhancement.
Predicting the consistency of intracranial meningiomas using apparent diffusion coefficient maps derived from preoperative diffusion-weighted imaging
Authors: Miyoshi Kenya , Wada Tsukasa , Uwano Ikuko , Sasaki Makoto , Saura Hiroaki , Fujiwara Shunrou , Takahashi Fumiaki , Tsushima Eiki , Ogasawara Kuniaki
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

The consistency of meningiomas is a critical factor affecting the difficulty of resection, operative complications, and operative time. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is derived from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and is calculated using two optimized b values. While the results of comparisons between the standard ADC and the consistency of meningiomas vary, the shifted ADC has been reported to be strongly correlated with liver stiffness. The purpose of the present prospective cohort study was to determine whether preoperative standard and shifted ADC maps predict the consistency of intracranial meningiomas.

METHODS

Standard (b values 0 and 1000 sec/mm2) and shifted (b values 200 and 1500 sec/mm2) ADC maps were calculated using preoperative DWI in patients undergoing resection of intracranial meningiomas. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed within the tumor on standard and shifted ADC maps and registered on the navigation system. Tumor tissue located at the registered ROI was resected through craniotomy, and its stiffness was measured using a durometer. The cutoff point lying closest to the upper left corner of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was determined for the detection of tumor stiffness such that an ultrasonic aspirator or scissors was always required for resection. Each tumor tissue sample with stiffness greater than or equal to or less than this cutoff point was defined as hard or soft tumor, respectively.

RESULTS

For 76 ROIs obtained from 25 patients studied, significant negative correlations were observed between stiffness and the standard ADC (ρ = −0.465, p < 0.01) and the shifted ADC (ρ = −0.490, p < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve for detecting hard tumor (stiffness ≥ 20.8 kPa) did not differ between the standard ADC (0.820) and the shifted ADC (0.847) (p = 0.39). The positive predictive value (PPV) for the combination of a low standard ADC and a low shifted ADC for detecting hard tumor was 89%. The PPV for the combination of a high standard ADC and a high shifted ADC for detecting soft tumor (stiffness < 20.8 kPa) was 81%.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of standard and shifted ADC maps derived from preoperative DWI can be used to predict the consistency of intracranial meningiomas.
Finite element modeling to compare craniocervical motion in two age-matched pediatric patients without or with Down syndrome: implications for the role of bony geometry in craniocervical junction instability
Authors: Astin J. Harley , Wilkerson Christopher G. , Dailey Andrew T. , Ellis Benjamin J. , Brockmeyer Douglas L.
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

Instability of the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is a well-known finding in patients with Down syndrome (DS); however, the relative contributions of bony morphology versus ligamentous laxity responsible for abnormal CCJ motion are unknown. Using finite element modeling, the authors of this study attempted to quantify those relative differences.

METHODS

Two CCJ finite element models were created for age-matched pediatric patients, a patient with DS and a control without DS. Soft tissues and ligamentous structures were added based on bony landmarks from the CT scans. Ligament stiffness values were assigned using published adult ligament stiffness properties. Range of motion (ROM) testing determined that model behavior most closely matched pediatric cadaveric data when ligament stiffness values were scaled down to 25% of those found in adults. These values, along with those assigned to the other soft-tissue materials, were identical for each model to ensure that the only variable between the two was the bone morphology. The finite element models were then subjected to three types of simulations to assess ROM, anterior-posterior (AP) translation displacement, and axial tension.

RESULTS

The DS model exhibited more laxity than the normal model at all levels for all of the cardinal ROMs and AP translation. For the CCJ, the flexion-extension, lateral bending, axial rotation, and AP translation values predicted by the DS model were 40.7%, 52.1%, 26.1%, and 39.8% higher, respectively, than those for the normal model. When simulating axial tension, the soft-tissue structural stiffness values predicted by the DS and normal models were nearly identical.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased laxity exhibited by the DS model in the cardinal ROMs and AP translation, along with the nearly identical soft-tissue structural stiffness values exhibited in axial tension, calls into question the previously held notion that ligamentous laxity is the sole explanation for craniocervical instability in DS.
Long-term radiographic outcomes of expandable versus static cages in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion
Authors: Chang Chih-Chang , Chou Dean , Pennicooke Brenton , Rivera Joshua , Tan Lee A. , Berven Sigurd , Mummaneni Praveen V.
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

Potential advantages of using expandable versus static cages during transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) are not fully established. The authors aimed to compare the long-term radiographic outcomes of expandable versus static TLIF cages.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 1- and 2-level TLIFs over a 10-year period with expandable and static cages was performed at the University of California, San Francisco. Patients with posterior column osteotomy (PCO) were subdivided. Fusion assessment, cage subsidence, anterior and posterior disc height, foraminal dimensions, pelvic incidence (PI), segmental lordosis (SL), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis mismatch (PI-LL), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were assessed.

RESULTS

A consecutive series of 178 patients (with a total of 210 levels) who underwent TLIF using either static (148 levels) or expandable cages (62 levels) was reviewed. The mean patient age was 60.3 ± 11.5 years and 62.8 ± 14.1 years for the static and expandable cage groups, respectively. The mean follow-up was 42.9 ± 29.4 months for the static cage group and 27.6 ± 14.1 months for the expandable cage group. Within the 1-level TLIF group, the SL and PI-LL improved with statistical significance regardless of whether PCO was performed; however, the static group with PCOs also had statistically significant improvement in LL and SVA. The expandable cage with PCO subgroup had significant improvement in SL only. All of the foraminal parameters improved with statistical significance, regardless of the type of cages used; however, the expandable cage group had greater improvement in disc height restoration. The incidence of cage subsidence was higher in the expandable group (19.7% vs 5.4%, p = 0.0017). Within the expandable group, the unilateral facetectomy-only subgroup had a 5.6 times higher subsidence rate than the PCO subgroup (26.8% vs 4.8%, p = 0.04). Four expandable cages collapsed over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Expandable TLIF cages may initially restore disc height better than static cages, but they also have higher rates of subsidence. Unilateral facetectomy alone may result in more subsidence with expandable cages than using bilateral PCO, potentially because of insufficient facet release. Although expandable cages may have more power to induce lordosis and restore disc height than static cages, subsidence and endplate violation may negate any significant gains compared to static cages.
Neurosurgical versus endovascular treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a multicenter study of 195 patients
Authors: Takai Keisuke , Endo Toshiki , Yasuhara Takao , Seki Toshitaka , Watanabe Kei , Tanaka Yuki , Kurokawa Ryu , Kanaya Hideaki , Honda Fumiaki , Itabashi Takashi , Ishikawa Osamu , Murata Hidetoshi , Tanaka Takahiro , Nishimura Yusuke , Eguchi Kaoru , Takami Toshihiro , Watanabe Yusuke , Nishida Takeo , Hiramatsu Masafumi , Ohtonari Tatsuya , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Mitsuhara Takafumi , Matsui Seishi , Uchikado Hisaaki , Hattori Gohsuke , Yamahata Hitoshi , Taniguchi Makoto
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to compare the treatment success rates of primary neurosurgical and endovascular treatments in patients with spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs).

METHODS

Data from 199 consecutive patients with thoracic and lumbosacral spinal dAVFs were collected from 18 centers. Angiographic and clinical findings, the rate of initial treatment failure or recurrence by procedures, risk factors for treatment failure, complications, and neurological outcomes were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Spinal dAVFs were frequently detected in the thoracic region (81%), fed by a single feeder (86%), and shunted into an intradural vein via the dura mater. The fistulous connection between the feeder(s) and intradural vein was located at a single spinal level in 195 patients (98%) and at 2 independent levels in 4 patients (2%). Among the neurosurgical (n = 145), and endovascular (n = 50) treatment groups of single dAVFs (n = 195), the rate of initial treatment failure or recurrence was significantly higher in the index endovascular treatment group (0.68% and 36%). A multivariate analysis identified endovascular treatment as an independent risk factor with significantly higher odds of initial treatment failure or recurrence (OR 69; 95% CI 8.7–546). The rate of complications did not significantly differ between the two treatment groups (4.1% for neurosurgical vs 4.0% for endovascular treatment). With a median follow-up of 26 months, improvements of ≥ 1 point in the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and Aminoff-Logue gait and Aminoff-Logue micturition grades were observed in 111 (56%), 121 (61%), and 79 (40%) patients, respectively. Independent risk factors for lack of improvement in the Aminoff-Logue gait grades were multiple treatments due to initial treatment failure or recurrence (OR 3.1) and symptom duration (OR 1.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on data obtained from the largest and most recently assessed multicenter cohort, the present study shows that primary neurosurgery is superior to endovascular treatment for the complete obliteration of spinal dAVFs by a single procedure.
Superselective pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling in patients with meningioma: utility in prediction of feeding arteries and preoperative embolization feasibility
Authors: Yoo Dong Hyun , Sohn Chul-Ho , Cho Young Dae , Kang Hyun-Seung , Park Chul-Kee , Kim Jin Wook , Kim Jae Hyoung
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

Superselective pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (ss-pCASL) is an MRI technique in which individual vessels are labeled to trace their perfusion territories. In this study, the authors assessed its merit in defining feeding vessels and gauging preoperative embolization feasibility for patients with meningioma, using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference method.

METHODS

Thirty-one consecutive patients with meningiomas were prospectively recruited, each undergoing DSA (and embolization, if feasible) before resection. All ss-pCASL imaging studies were performed 1 day prior to DSA. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed ss-pCASL images, rating the contribution of each labeled vessel to tumor blood supply as none, minor, or major. Two neuroradiologists also gauged the feasibility of embolization in each patient, based on ss-pCASL images. Interobserver and intermodality agreement were determined using Cohen’s kappa statistic. The diagnostic performance of ss-pCASL was assessed in terms of discerning tumor blood supply and the potential for embolization.

RESULTS

Interobserver agreement in the rating of blood supply by ss-pCASL was very good (κ = 0.817, 95% CI 0.771–0.863), and intermodality agreement (consensus ss-pCASL readings vs DSA findings) was good (κ = 0.688, 95% CI 0.632–0.744). In delineating tumor blood supply, ss-pCASL showed high sensitivity (87.1%) and specificity (87.2%). The positive and negative predictive values for embolization feasibility were 85.2% and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with meningiomas, feeding vessels are reliably predicted by ss-pCASL. This noninvasive approach, involving no iodinated contrast or radiation exposure, is particularly beneficial if there are no prospects of embolization.
Termin kandaulos/kandylos (κανδαυλοσ/ κανδυλοσ) na podstawie λεχεων συναγωγη Focjusza oraz "Commentari ad Homeri Iliadem" Eustacjusza z Tessaloniki
Authors: Kokoszko Maciej , Gibel-Buszewska Katarzyna
Published: November 2020

The present article focuses on one of the Greek delicacies mentioned by Photius and Eustathius, i.e. a Lydian import called kandaulos/kandylos. The dish was developed before the mid. VI th c. BC and named after a Lydian king, Kandaules, who ruled in the VII th c. BC. The delicacy was (via the Ionians) borrowed by the Helens and established itself in Greece sometime in the V th c. It became popular in Hellenistic times. The information we possess allow us to reconstruct two varieties of kandaulos/ kandylos. The first was savoury and consisted of cooked meat, stock, Phrygian cheese, breadcrumbs and dill (or fennel). The other included milk, lard, cheese and honey. The dish is reported to have been costly, prestigious and indicating the social status of those who would eat it. Though there is much evidence suggesting its popularity in antiquity, we lack solid evidence proving that kaunaudlos/kandylos was eaten in Byzantine times. On the other hand, Byzantine authors preserved the most detailed literary data on the delicacy. If it had not been for the Byzantine interest, our competence in the field of Greek cuisine would be even faultier.
„Świat rozumem jest rządzony”. Pojęcie Bożej opatrzności w "De ira Dei" Laktancjusza
Authors: Ostrowski Grzegorz
Published: November 2020

Lattanzio è uno dei più grandi scrittori africani del III-IV secolo. In termini di stile, linguaggio e di qualità letterarie ha superato di gran lunga i suoi contemporanei, ma è rimasto un teologo mediocre. Nei suoi scritti si riferiva più volentieri alla filosofia che alla fede. Breve e poco significativa, l’opera De ira Dei, il cui tema centrale è l’ira di Dio, contiene numerosi contenuti e indicazioni su ciò che costituisce l’idea principale delle opere di Lattanzio, che è la verità della Provvidenza divina. l’Autore inserisce questo tema in un più ampio contesto filosofico. Lo scrittore fa riferimento agli antichi pensatori greci che confermavano filosoficamente che il mondo è stato creato in modo saggio e così è governato, ma fa riferimento anche a quelli che affermavano che la Provvidenza non esiste. Lattanzio conferma che il mondo era costituito secondo un piano specifico. La Provvidenza, di un solo Dio, regola il mondo; governa tutta la creazione. La Provvidenza divina non solo ha dato l’esistenza alla creazione, ma ne consente la continuazione. L’Autore del De ira Dei sottolinea qualcosa che i filosofi antichi non hanno visto affatto, richiama l’attenzione sull’amore che Dio riversa sulla creazione, e in particolare sulla razza umana. Lattanzio spiega che il male esistente nel mondo non compromette la verità della Provvidenza di Dio e della sollecitudine di Dio verso il mondo. Il male resta nel mondo perché possa rivelare meglio il bene. Invece, il rifiuto della Provvidenza di Dio dovrebbe essere collegato con la negazione della verità dell’esistenza di Dio.
Abraham w świetle pism egzegetycznych Starego Testamentu Orygenesa
Authors: Pochwat Józef
Published: November 2020

Pour l’auditeur de jadis et aujourd’hui lecteur, la réflexion d’Origène († 253/54) sur Abraham est organiquement liée à un appel à la réflexion, à la puissance, à la richesse et à l’efficacité de sa foi. Cette dimension existencielle de son exégèse homiletique reste toujours actuelle. Le Maître d’Alexandre enseigne surtout comment approfondir les mystères de la révélation inclus dans l’Ecriture Sainte. L’apprentissage de ce savoir-faire est pour lui beaucoup plus important que l’interprétation concrète du texte qu’il présente. Origène tient beaucoup à ce que les auditeurs sachent eux-mêmes plonger dans le texte inspiré, s’approchant ainsi mieux du Dieu vivant. Origène, attribuant à Abraham des capacités extraordinaires de connaissance, révèle sa façon gnostique de penser.
Dimenzije prostora u Podgorki Vjenceslava Novaka
Authors: Durić Dejan
Published: November 2020

Već je Ivo Frangeš zamijetio da se književni opus Vjenceslava Novaka može podijeliti u nekoliko krugova te ih je izdvojio na temelju tematskoga kriterija. Tako prvi čine Senj i njegovi problemi te društveni procesi; drugi čini senjska okolica ili Podgorje; treći se odnosi na građanski kontekst Senja i Zagreba, a četvrti na svijet obespravljenih urbanih masa u Zagrebu i Senju. Već iz ove podjele naslućuje se mogućnost drugačijega sagledavanja Novaka opusa: na temelju prostora, pa stoga možemo govoriti o Senju, Zagrebu i Podgorju kao glavnim toposima. Roman Podgorka Vjenceslava Novaka, kako i sam naslov upućuje, u tom bi kontekstu ulazio u domenu autorova stvaralaštva koja se bavi prostorom i problematikom Podgorja. Cilj izlaganja je povezati koncept književne geografije s modusom romanse. Sagledavat će se književna konstrukcija prostora te njezina isprepletenost s društvenom konstrukcijom prostora. Razmotrit će se kako su prostorne odrednice dovedene u vezu sa Sojinim konceptom thirdspace te modusom romanse kao primarnim oblikom organiziranja naracije.
Projektmanagement
Authors: Huber Andreas , Kuhnt Beate , Diener Markus
Published: November 2020

Werden heute Projektleiter von Businessprojekten nach ihren schwierigsten Herausforderungen gefragt, dann nennen sie zunehmend die weichen Faktoren. Aber: Wie wirken weiche Faktoren und – vor allem – wie können sie gemanagt werden? Die Autoren gehen dieser Frage nach und zeigen, wie der Umgang mit Wissen, Macht, Identität und Information die Zusammenarbeit im Projekt beeinflusst und vom Projektleiter als Erfolgsfaktor genutzt werden kann. Soziale Projektführung Das Buch vermittelt Praktiken der sozialen Projektführung in allen Phasen des Projekts: In der Projektvorbereitung werden die Interessen der Anspruchsgruppen ausgelotet. In der Startphase unterstützen identitätsstiftende Massnahmen die Bildung des sozialen Projektsystems. In der Durchführungsphase sorgt die soziale Projektführung dafür, dass alle Beteiligten am gleichen Strick ziehen. Die Abschlussphase dient dem Lernen und der Weitergabe des erworbenen Wissens an Folgeprojekte. Für wen ist dieses Buch? Das Buch richtet sich an Projektleiterinnen und Projektleiter, Führungskräfte, Beraterinnen und Berater sowie Studierende insbesondere der Wirtschaftsinformatik und der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, die sich für eine ganzheitliche Führung von Businessprojekten interessieren. - mit vielen farbigen Abbildungen, Beispielen und konkreten Praxistipps, - grafische Icons und ein klarer Farbcode führen durch das Buch.
CDCP1-targeted nanoparticles encapsulating phase-shift perfluorohexan for molecular US imaging in vitro
Authors: Zhao Meng , Zhu Yunkai , Zhang Yanhua , Yang Xupeng , Duan Yourong , Chen Yaqing , Sun Ying
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND:

Molecular targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging is a potential imaging strategy to improve the diagnostic accuracy of conventional ultrasound (US) imaging. US contrast agents are usually micrometer-sized and non-target gas bubbles while nano-sized and targeted agents containing phase-shift materials absorb more attractions for their size and the liquid core and excellent molecular imaging effect.

METHODS:

PLGA12k-mPEG2k-NH2, DSPE-mPEG2k and perfluorohexan (PFH) were used to construct a new targeted ultrasound contrast agent with CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) receptor for the detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. The potential of tumor-targeted nanoparticles (CDCP1-targeted perfluorohexan-loaded phase-transitional nanoparticles, anti-CDCP1 NPs) as contrast agents for ultrasound (US) imaging was assessed in vitro. Moreover, studies on the cytotoxicity and the targeting ability of anti-CDCP1 NPs assisted by US were carried out.

RESULTS:

The results showed that anti-CDCP1 NPs had low cytotoxicity, and with the increasing of polymer concentration in anti-CDCP1 NPs, the CEUS imaging of agent gradually enhanced, and enhanced imaging associated with the length of observing time. Furthermore, it was testified that anti-CDCP1 assisted the agent to target cells expressing CDCP1, which demonstrated the active targeting of anti-CDCP1 NPs in vitro.

CONCLUSION:

All in all, the feasibility of using targeted anti-CDCP1 NPs to enhance ultrasound imaging has been demonstrated in vitro, which laid a solid foundation for molecular US imaging in vivo, and anti-CDCP1 NPs might have a great clinical application prospect.
Formulation of drug-loaded oligodepsipeptide particles with submicron size
Authors: Brunacci Nadia , Wischke Christian , Naolou Toufik , Patzelt Alexa , Lademann Jürgen , Neffe Axel T. , Lendlein Andreas
Published: November 2020

The size of particulate carriers is key to their transport and distribution in biological systems, and needs to be tailored in the higher submicron range to enable follicular uptake for dermal treatment. Oligodepsipeptides are promising nanoparticulate carrier systems as they can be designed to exhibit enhanced interaction with drug molecules. Here, a fabrication scheme for drug-loaded submicron particles from oligo[3-(S)-sec-butylmorpholine-2,5-dione]diol (OBMD) is presented based on an emulsion solvent evaporation method with cosolvent, surfactant, and polymer concentration as variable process parameters. The particle size (300–950 nm) increased with lower surfactant concentration and higher oligomer concentration. The addition of acetone increased the particle size at low surfactant concentration. Particle size remained stable upon the encapsulation of models compounds dexamethasone (DXM) and Nile red (NR), having different physicochemical properties. DXM was released faster compared to NR due to its higher water solubility. Overall, the results indicated that both drug-loading and size control of OBMD submicron particles can be achieved. When applied on porcine ear skin samples, the NR-loaded particles have been shown to allow NR penetration into the hair follicle and the depth reached with the 300 nm particles was comparable to the one reached with the cream formulation. A potential benefit of the particles compared to a cream is their sustained release profile.