bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weight loss before total joint arthroplasty using a remote dietitian and mobile app: study protocol for a multicenter randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Seward Michael W. , Antonelli Brielle J. , Giunta Nancy , Iorio Richard , Fitz Wolfgang , Lange Jeffrey K. , Shah Vivek M. , Chen Antonia F.
Published: November 2020

Background

The months prior to elective surgery may present an opportunity for patients to initiate behavior changes that will simultaneously ready them for surgery and improve their overall health status. An upcoming elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) may serve as motivation for patients with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI]> 40 kg/m2) to lose weight, as it may optimize clinical outcomes following TJA and help them become eligible for TJA since some surgeons use a BMI of 40 kg/m2 as a cut-off for offering surgery in an effort to optimize outcomes.

Methods

The purpose of this multicenter randomized, controlled trial is to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a 12-week remote dietitian (RD) supervised dietary and physical activity weight loss intervention and mobile app for 60 patients with severe obesity prior to undergoing TJA. Intervention participants will receive access to a smartphone app and connect with an RD who will contact these participants weekly or bi-weekly via video calls for up to nine video calls. Together, participants and RDs will set goals for lifestyle modifications, and RDs will check on progress towards achieving these goals using in-app tools such as food logs and text messages between video calls. All patients will be encouraged to lose at least 20 pounds with a goal BMI < 40 kg/m2 after 12 weeks. Individuals randomized to the control group will receive clinical standard of care, such as nutritionist and/or physical therapy referrals. Outcome and demographic data will be collected from blood serology, chart review, mobile app user data, pre- and postintervention surveys, and phone interviews. The primary outcome measure will be weight change from baseline. Secondary outcome measures will include percentage of patients eligible to undergo TJA, number of sessions completed with dietitians, self-reported global health status (PROMIS Global Health scale), self-reported joint-specific pain and function (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) or Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)), and serologies such as hemoglobin A1c, total lymphocyte count, albumin, and transferrin. Qualitative responses transcribed from phone interviews about the intervention will also be analyzed.

Discussion

This will be the first study to assess pre-operative weight loss in patients with severe obesity anticipating orthopaedic surgery using an RD and mobile app intervention aimed at helping patients become eligible for TJA.

Trial registration

Registered on 1 April 2020 at Clincialtrials.gov. Trial number is NCT04330391.
The relationship between armed conflict and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition status and services in northeastern Nigeria: a mixed-methods case study
Authors: Tyndall Jennifer A. , Ndiaye Khadidiatou , Weli Chinwenwo , Dejene Eskedar , Ume Nwanneamaka , Inyang Victory , Okere Christiana , Sandberg John , Waldman Ronald J.
Published: November 2020

Background

Armed conflict between the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, other insurgents, and the Nigerian military has principally affected three states of northeastern Nigeria (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe) since 2002. An intensification of the conflict in 2009 brought the situation to increased international visibility. However, full-scale humanitarian intervention did not occur until 2016. Even prior to this period of armed conflict, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health indicators were extremely low in the region. The presence of local and international humanitarian actors, in the form of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, working in concert with concerned federal, state, and local entities of the Government of Nigeria, were able to prioritize and devise strategies for the delivery of health services that resulted in marked improvement of health status in the subset of the population in which this could be measured. Prospects for the future remain uncertain.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with more than 60 respondents from government, United Nations agencies, and national and international non-governmental organizations. Quantitative data on intervention coverage indicators from publicly available national surveys (Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)), National Nutrition and Health Surveys (NNHS)) were descriptively analyzed.

Results

Overall, indicators of low reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH) status and intervention coverage were found in the pre-intervention period (prior to 2016) and important improvements were noted following the arrival of international humanitarian assistance, even while armed conflict and adverse conditions persisted. Security issues, workforce limitations, and inadequate financing were frequently cited obstacles.

Conclusion

It is assumed that armed conflict would have a negative impact on the health status of the affected population, but pre-conflict indicators can be so depressed that this effect is difficult to measure. When this is the case, health sector intervention by the international community can often result in marked improvements in the accessible population. What might happen upon the departure of the humanitarian organizations cannot be predicted with an appreciable degree of certainty.
“If I was with my father such discrimination wouldn’t exist, I could be happy like other people”: a qualitative analysis of stigma among peacekeeper fathered children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Wagner Kirstin , Glaesmer Heide , Bartels Susan A. , Lee Sabine
Published: November 2020

Background

The United Nations (UN) Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) comprises the largest and longest serving peacekeeping operation to date. Since the launch of the mission in 1999, sexual relations between UN peacekeepers and the local population regularly occur; some resulting in children being conceived. Reports have indicated that women and girls bearing children from such relations face difficult socio-economic realities. The present study is the first to explore the situation of peacekeeper fathered children (PKFC) through a qualitative analysis that includes interview material from mothers and child participants.

Methods

The article uses theories from stigma research to illustrate how children conceived through sexual relations with UN peacekeepers integrate into social networks. We conducted a case study of mothers and their PKFC at different sites of UN peacekeeping (UNPK) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Based on 95 in-depth interviews held in 2018, a thematic qualitative analysis examined experiences of stigma and discrimination. In order to understand the challenges of mothers and children from a transgenerational perspective, we evaluated perceptions of rejection rooted in the mother-child relationship.

Results

Of the mothers and children surveyed, a large majority struggled with stigmatizing behaviour by family and/or community members. PKFC perceived their discrimination to be based upon their mixed ethnicity, fatherlessness, illegitimacy at birth, as well as a lack of resources and opportunity. Mothers most often attributed their stigma to economic deprivation, extra-marital sexual relations, single parenting and being associated with UNPK. Parallels in the experiences of mothers and children suggest a bi-directional transmission of status loss and stigma between generations.

Conclusions

This is the first empirical study to compare the situation of PKFC and their mothers in any country of UNPK deployment. The findings highlight multiple burdens that affect their daily lives and illustrate an interplay between drivers of stigmatization for mothers and children. The overarching needs identified are financial, and these call for action regarding policies and programmes that provide resources to those concerned. The results further demonstrate the need for psychosocial support that considers transgenerational dynamics and both mothers and children as core addressees of assistance.
Neuregulin-1 inhibits CoCl2-induced upregulation of excitatory amino acid carrier 1 expression and oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells and the hippocampus of mice
Authors: Kim Han-Byeol , Yoo Ji-Young , Yoo Seung-Yeon , Lee Jun-Ho , Chang Wonseok , Kim Hye-Sun , Baik Tai-Kyoung , Woo Ran-Sook
Published: November 2020

Excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) is an important subtype of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) and is the route for neuronal cysteine uptake. CoCl2is not only a hypoxia-mimetic reagent but also an oxidative stress inducer. Here, we found that CoCl2induced significant EAAC1 overexpression in SH-SY5Y cells and the hippocampus of mice. Transient transfection of EAAC1 reduced CoCl2-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Based on this result, upregulation of EAAC1 expression by CoCl2is thought to represent a compensatory response against oxidative stress in an acute hypoxic state. We further demonstrated that pretreatment with Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) rescued CoCl2-induced upregulation of EAAC1 and tau expression. NRG1 plays a protective role in the CoCl2-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduction in antioxidative enzyme (SOD and GPx) activity. Moreover, NRG1 attenuated CoCl2-induced apoptosis and cell death. NRG1 inhibited the CoCl2-induced release of cleaved caspase-3 and reduction in Bcl-XLlevels. Our novel finding suggests that NRG1 may play a protective role in hypoxia through the inhibition of oxidative stress and thereby maintain normal EAAC1 expression levels.
Correction to: Ascending noradrenergic excitation from the locus coeruleus to the anterior cingulate cortex
Authors: Koga Kohei , Yamada Akihiro , Song Qian , Li Xu-Hui , Chen Qi-Yu , Liu Ren-Hao , Ge Jun , Zhan Cheng , Furue Hidemasa , Zhuo Min , Chen Tao
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
WNT signaling suppresses oligodendrogenesis via Ngn2-dependent direct inhibition of Olig2 expression
Authors: Jiang Min , Yu Dan , Xie Binghua , Huang Hao , Lu Wenwen , Qiu Mengsheng , Dai Zhong-Min
Published: November 2020

Olig2 transcription factor is essential for the maintenance of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in the pMN domain and their sequential specification into motor neurons (MNs) and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). The expression of Olig2 rapidly declines in newly generated MNs. However, Olig2 expression persists in later-born OPCs and antagonizes the expression of MN-related genes. The mechanism underlying the differential expression of Olig2 in MNs and oligodendrocytes remains unknown. Here, we report that activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling in pMN lineage cells abolished Olig2 expression coupled with a dramatic increase of Ngn2 expression. Luciferase reporter assay showed that Ngn2 inhibited Olig2 promoter activity. Overexpression of Ngn2-EnR transcription repressor blocked the expression of Olig2 in ovo. Our results suggest that down-regulation of WNT-Ngn2 signaling contributes to oligodendrogenesis from the pMN domain and the persistent Olig2 expression in OPCs.
Identification of a novel subpopulation of Caspase-4 positive non-small cell lung Cancer patients
Authors: Terlizzi Michela , Colarusso Chiara , De Rosa Ilaria , Somma Pasquale , Curcio Carlo , Aquino Rita P. , Panico Luigi , Salvi Rosario , Zito Marino Federica , Botti Gerardo , Pinto Aldo , Sorrentino Rosalinda
Published: November 2020

Background

Therapy/prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients are strongly related to gene alteration/s or protein expression. However, more than 50% of NSCLC patients are negative to key drugable biomarkers.

Methods

We used human samples of NSCLC and mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma.

Results

We showed that caspase-4 was highly present in the tumor mass compared to non-cancerous human tissues. Interestingly, the orthologue murine caspase-11 promoted lung carcinogenesis in mice. Carcinogen-exposed caspase-11 knockout mice had lower tumor lesions than wild type mice, due to the relevance of caspase-11 in the structural lung cell as demonstrated by bone marrow transplantation and adoptive transfer experiments. Similarly to what observed in mice, caspase-4 was correlated to the stage of lung cancer in humans in that it induced cell proliferation in a K-Ras, c-MyC and IL-1α dependent manner. Caspase-4 positive adenocarcinoma (79.3%) and squamous carcinoma (88.2%) patients had lower median survival than patients who had lower levels of caspase-4. Moreover, PD-L1 expression and gene mutation (i.e. EGFR) were not correlated to caspase-4 expression. Instead, NSCLC patients who had K-Ras or c-MyC gene alteration were positively correlated to higher levels of caspase-4 and lower survival rate.

Conclusions

We identified a subgroup of NSCLC patients as caspase-4 positive among which double and triple positive caspase-4, K-Ras and/or c-MyC patients which prognosis was poor. Because K-Ras and c-MyC are still undrugable, the identification of caspase-4 as a novel oncoprotein could introduce novelty in the clinical yet unmet needs for NSCLC patients.
Targeting maladaptive overcontrol with radically open dialectical behaviour therapy in a day programme for adolescents with restrictive eating disorders: an uncontrolled case series
Authors: Baudinet Julian , Simic Mima , Griffiths Helena , Donnelly Cecily , Stewart Catherine , Goddard Elizabeth
Published: November 2020

Background

Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) was developed to target maladaptive overcontrol, a proposed core difficulty of restrictive eating disorders. RO-DBT is now the main group treatment model at the Intensive day Treatment Programme (ITP), Maudsley Hospital. This ITP case series aimed to investigate whether overcontrol is associated with restrictive eating disorder symptoms in adolescents and to evaluate ITP outcomes since RO-DBT skills classes were introduced.

Method

Self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms and temperament, personality and social characteristics linked to overcontrol were collected at assessment and discharge from ITP for all consecutive adolescents who attended between February 2015 and January 2019 (N = 131). Weight change, global outcomes and treatment needs post-ITP were also recorded.

Results

Eating disorder symptoms at assessment were significantly correlated with overcontrol factors, including social connectedness (r = −.67), reward responsivity (r = −.54),and cognitive inflexibility (r = .52). Adolescents stayed in ITP on average 13.40 weeks. 70.8% had a Good-Intermediate outcome on Morgan-Russell scale. 4.6% did not respond and were referred to inpatient treatment from ITP. Significant improvements in drive for thinness (d = .33), depressive mood (d = .41), social connectedness (d = .48), and emotional expressiveness (d = .97) were reported at discharge. No changes were observed in perfectionism or negative temperament.

Conclusions

This study offers preliminary evidence that eating disorder symptoms are associated with overcontrol factors in adolescence and that they can improve with RO-DBT informed day programme treatment. RO-DBT is a promising treatment that offers a new way of conceptualising treatment targets and recovery for adolescent restrictive eating disorders.
Adequacy of neural networks for wide-scale day-ahead load forecasts on buildings and distribution systems using smart meter data
Authors: Valgaev Oleg , Kupzog Friederich , Schmeck Hartmut
Published: November 2020

Power system operation increasingly relies on numerous day-ahead forecasts of local, disaggregated loads such as single buildings, microgrids and small distribution system areas. Various data-driven models can be effective predicting specific time series one-step-ahead. The aim of this work is to investigate the adequacy of neural network methodology for predicting the entire load curve day-ahead and evaluate its performance for a wide-scale application on local loads. To do so, we adopt networks from other short-term load forecasting problems for the multi-step prediction. We evaluate various feed-forward and recurrent neural network architectures drawing statistically relevant conclusions on a large sample of residential buildings. Our results suggest that neural network methodology might be ill-chosen when we predict numerous loads of different characteristics while manual setup is not possible. This article urges to consider other techniques that aim to substitute standardized load profiles using wide-scale smart meters data.
The contagiousness of memes: containing the spread of COVID-19 conspiracy theories in a forensic psychiatric hospital
Authors: Panchal Reena , Jack Alexander
Published: November 2020

COVID-19 has transformed healthcare service provision. In addition to the spread of a virus, there has been an equally concerning emergence and spread of conspiracy theories. Such theories can threaten societal cohesion and adherence to the necessary public health guidance. In a forensic in-patient setting, such difficulties can be amplified. In this paper, we outline the key theory in relation to the development and spread of conspiracy theory memes. We propose primary, secondary and tertiary level responses to tackle the possible generation and spread of harmful conspiracies in the forensic in-patient setting. We consider this to be important, as there is a risk that such beliefs could affect patients’ mental health and, in extremis, undermine physical health efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Ahmed Morsi
Authors: Hassan Salah M.
Published: November 2020

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1930, Ahmed Morsi is a multitalented artist who seamlessly moves between different genres and modes of creative expression. A brilliant painter, an eloquent poet, and a sharp art and literary critic whose career has spanned more than seven decades, his work has been enriched by the experience of living in three continents. While Morsi’s oeuvre is the embodiment of polyphony, a unifying force that defies any singular reading is the surrealist spirit that permeates his work across different mediums. The retrospective Ahmed Morsi: A Dialogic Imagination, held at the Sharjah Art Museum in 2017, captured the artist’s restless artistic spirit with a display of the intertextuality and multiplicity of voices through which Morsi expresses his creative talent and endless experimentation. This article references the Sharjah show and offers a survey of Morsi’s career, accompanied by a select number of images of his oeuvre from his early days in his native Alexandria to his sojourns in Baghdad and Cairo, and his current practice in New York City, where he has been living since 1974. It also offers a glimpse, in image and in text, of his diverse corpus of literary works, theater set designs, book covers, as well as rare photographs. In tandem with the Sharjah exhibition and the soon-to-be-published catalogue, the author offers a historical assessment and critical appraisal of Morsi’s accomplishments that will enable readers to appreciate the artist’s remarkable endeavors and experimentations over more than six decades of commitment to creativity in art and literature.
Studio Call
Authors: Okeke-Agulu Chika
Published: November 2020

In February 2020, the author spent a day with Penny Siopis in her studio at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, to discuss the artist’s new ink and wood-glue paintings, which she adopted in 2008 as her primary painting medium. This new direction is quite significant for an artist who, in the 1980s at the height of the antiapartheid movement, made ardently realistic figurative oil and mixed-media paintings that signified the psychic detritus of apartheid’s pathologies. The weighty sparseness of Siopis’s Cake paintings (1981–81) and the airless excess of the History paintings (late 1980s) might have been the artist’s way of both dealing with and reflecting on the psychology of apartheid as the institution lurched to its inevitable end in 1990. In the early 2000s, before settling on ink and wood glue, Siopis spent a few years producing oil and ink paintings that contributed to the making of postapartheid trauma art—investigations into the psychic, moral, and ethical abjections of apartheid in the wake of testimonies from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Her ink and glue works represent the conjunction of material, process, and subject matter: Siopis relies on and is challenged by the unpredictable mixing and flow of ink, glue, and water—material acts, as she calls them—that evolve as the sum and interplay of autonomous agencies of medium and artist. Siopis’s most recent work in this medium and her film She Breathes Water (2019) allegorize global warming and the devastating impact of human exploitation of nature—elegies to present and coming catastrophes.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cardiomyocyte-secreted exosomes promote the pathogenesis of DMD-associated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Gartz Melanie , Lin Chien-Wei , Sussman Mark A. , Lawlor Michael W. , Strande Jennifer L.
Published: November 2020

Cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of early mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). There is a need to gain a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis for the development effective therapies. Exosomes (exo) are secreted vesicles and exert effects via their RNA, lipid and protein cargo. The role of exosomes in disease pathology is unknown. Exosomes derived from stem cells have demonstrated cardioprotection in the murine DMD heart. However, it is unknown how the disease status of the donor cell type influences exosome function. Here, we sought to determine the phenotypic responses of DMD cardiomyocytes (DMD-iCMs) after long-term exposure to DMD cardiac exosomes (DMD-exo). DMD-iCMs were vulnerable to stress, evidenced by production of reactive oxygen species, the mitochondrial membrane potential and cell death levels. Long-term exposure to non-affected exosomes (N-exo) was protective. By contrast, long-term exposure to DMD-exo was not protective, and the response to stress improved with inhibition of DMD-exo secretion in vitro and in vivo. The microRNA (miR) cargo, but not exosome surface peptides, was implicated in the pathological effects of DMD-exo. Exosomal surface profiling revealed N-exo peptides associated with PI3K-Akt signaling. Transcriptomic profiling identified unique changes with exposure to either N- or DMD-exo. Furthermore, DMD-exo miR cargo regulated injurious pathways, including p53 and TGF-beta. The findings reveal changes in exosomal cargo between healthy and diseased states, resulting in adverse outcomes. Here, DMD-exo contained miR changes, which promoted the vulnerability of DMD-iCMs to stress. Identification of these molecular changes in exosome cargo and effectual phenotypes might shed new light on processes underlying DMD cardiomyopathy.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Lung function assessment in the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) while resting on land and submerged in water
Authors: Borque-Espinosa A. , Ferrero-Fernández D. , Capaccioni Azzati R. , Fahlman A.
Published: November 2020

In the present study, we examined lung function in healthy resting adult (born in 2003) Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) by measuring respiratory flow (V̇) using a custom-made pneumotachometer. Three female walruses (670 – 1025 kg) voluntarily participated in spirometry trials while spontaneously breathing on land (sitting and lying down in sternal recumbency) and floating in water. While sitting, two walruses performed active respiratory efforts, and one animal participated in lung compliance measurements. For spontaneous breaths, V̇ was lower when lying down (e.g. expiration: 7.1±1.2 l · s−1) as compared to when in water (9.9±1.4 l · s−1), while tidal volume (VT, 11.5±4.6 l), breath duration (4.6±1.4 s), and respiratory frequency (7.6±2.2 breaths · min−1) remained the same. The measured VT and specific dynamic lung compliance (0.32±0.07 cmH2O−1) for spontaneous breaths, were higher than those estimated for similarly sized terrestrial mammals. The VT increased with body mass (allometric mass-exponent=1.29) and ranged from 3 to 43% of the estimated total lung capacity (TLCest) for spontaneous breaths. When normalized for TLCest, the maximal expiratory V̇ (V̇exp) was higher than that estimated in phocids, but lower than that reported in cetaceans and the California sea lion. The V̇exp was maintained over all lung volumes during spontaneous and active respiratory manoeuvres. We conclude that location (water or land) affects lung function in the walrus and should be considered when studying respiratory physiology in semi-aquatic marine mammals.
The expanding role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ecmo) in the covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Dimopoulos Stavros
Published: November 2020

No abstract available
Body image and traumatic amputation
Authors: Martinis Illias
Published: November 2020

No abstract available
Quality of Life in heart failure
Authors: Sakiqi Jona
Published: November 2020

No abstract available
Images of Sculptures in the Poetry of Giorgis Manousakis
Authors: Bzinkowski Michał , Winiarska Rita
Published: November 2020

The imagery of fragmentary sculptures, statues and stones appears often in Modern Greek Poetry in connection with the question of Modern Greeks’ relation to ancient Greek past and legacy. Many famous poets such as the first Nobel Prize winner in literature, George Seferis (1900-1971), as well as Yannis Ritsos (1909-1990) frequently use sculptural imagery in order to allude to, among other things, though in different approaches, the classical past and its existence in modern conscience as a part of cultural identity. In the present paper we focus on some selected poems by a well-known Cretan poet Giorgis Manousakis (1933-2008) from his collection “Broken Sculptures and Bitter Plants” (Σπασμένα αγάλματα και πικροβότανα, 2005), trying to shed some light on his very peculiar usage of sculpture imagery in comparison with the earlier Greek poets. We attempt to categorize Manousakis’ metaphors and allusions regarding the symbolism of sculptures in correlation with existential motives of his poetry and the poet’s attitude to the classical legacy.
The Story about the Introduction of Idolatry in Malalas' Chronicle: the Interrelationship between Malalas, the Excerpta Salmasiana and Anacephaleosis
Authors: Hilman Krzysztof
Published: November 2020

Many scholars pointed out the efforts made by Malalas, a 6th-century Byzantine chronographer, to unify Jewish, Greek and Roman history into a unitary world history. He was by no means the first to do it, but certainly his work represents a whole new level in this respect. The novelty, or rather peculiarity of the stories which fill the books of his world Chronicle, especially of those concerned with mythical and biblical times, leads to an obvious question: where did he take them from? What were his sources and how much should we attribute to his ingenuity?
Actors and Orators
Authors: Loska Elżbieta
Published: November 2020

The word “performance” is widely associated with creating a reality and giving an acting, musical or dancing spectacle on stage. In ancient Rome, not only actors and related professions presented performances. It is possible that they also took place during court proceedings. At the trial, especially in criminal courts, audiences often expected to be entertained. The party of the dispute that won the favour of the audience could feel more comfortable during the proceedings as their words were able to reach a trial official and the jury undisturbed. What is more, we might assume that the said jury was a part of the audience too and thus the recipient of carefully planned speeches. They served not only to present facts – they were calculated to arouse emotions. In such cases, those responsible for arranging performances were orators.
The Perception of Orphics from I BC to III AD
Authors: Sobolewska Mariola
Published: November 2020

In my article I examined rare mentions about Orphics in texts of Christian (i.e. Athenagoras, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius of Ceasarea, Theophilus of Antioch, Pseudo-Justin) and non-Christian authors (i.e. Diodorus of Sicily, Strabo, Plutarchus). I established that Christian authors as well as non-Christian authors in I BC – III AD had the worst possible opinion about Orphics and their practices.
Consonant Alliteration in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books I-VIII
Authors: Śnieżewski Stanisław
Published: November 2020

An in-depth analysis enables us to observe that consonant alliterations in books I – VIII appear in the description of the most dramatic events, especially during the rapid and unexpected metamorphoses of Lycaon, Daphne, Io, Callisto, Clytie, Arachne, Lycia’s farmers and Proteus. They express the flights of Daphne and Arethusa. They accompany also the descriptions of nature and cosmos, mainly the disasters caused by the water element. They highlight the death of a protagonist, e.g. Phaethon, Argus, Coronis, Pentheus and Toxeus, or divine rage, e.g. of Juno, Minerva, Latona and Achelous. They appear often in the portrayal of punishment, e. g. of Marsyas, Pentheus and Erysichthon, or the grief after the death of beloved people, e. g. Heliades, Inachus. The greatest abundance and variety of consonant alliterations T, D and M, N is present in books I, II and IV.
QUEER ADVOCACY LEADERSHIP: A Queer Leadership Model for Higher Education
Authors: Pryor Jonathan T.
Published: November 2020

This study explored the experiences of college staff members engaged in advancing LGBTQ equity at a small fine arts college in the Midwestern United States. This qualitative case study advanced a conceptual framework for queer leadership in higher education. Findings illuminate how campus leaders engaged queer leadership strategies and LGBTQ advocacy to advance LGBTQ equity through college policy and practice. This study reveals rich implications for college administrators and higher education leaders advancing change for LGBTQ equity.
Baby steps
Authors: Poffley Olivia
Published: November 2020

Here, in the first in a series of short articles celebrating dental nurses, Olivia Poffley shares her story of how she is embarking on a dental nursing career at the practice she first attended as a child
So, you want to go to university…
Authors: Bissett Julie
Published: November 2020

Dental nurse Jodie Bradley tells Julie Bissett about her ambition, the importance of people skills and how COVID-19 has affected her initial ‘student experience’
Short communication: Effects of Canarium indicum oil in enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats
Authors: Rahman Hamidah , ANGGADIREDJA KUSNANDAR , GUSDINAR TUTUS , SITOMPUL JOHNNER P. , TURSINO TURSINO
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Rahman H, Anggadiredja K, Gusdinar T, Sitompul JP, Tursino. 2020. Short communication: Effects of Canarium indicum oil in enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats. Nusantara Bioscience 12: 168-174. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the neurotrophins family and plays an essential role during the development of neurons called neurogenesis. Since BDNF is critical for the function and survival of neurons, thus it represents the neuroprotective agent which useful in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated BDNF serum concentrations after feeding the canarium oil (CO) and Canarium oil-based structured triglyceride (COST) in rats. Analysis of the BDNF serum was conducted by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results demonstrated that the CO and the COST with the main composition of unsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position as much as 94.92% mol may enhance BDNF serum concentrations of up to 2.66% and 21.96% compared to the normal group of rats, respectively. This finding proves that the COST has prospects as an inducer of BDNF. However, further studies should be conducted to identify the precise dosage and safety products.
Multiple drains in generalized Maxwell's fisheye lenses
Authors: Yin Yuhang , Li Jing , Chen Huanyang
Published: November 2020

The subwavelength imaging phenomenon in Maxwell’s fisheye lens with one drain has been reported previously. In this paper, we theoretically find that coherent perfect absorbers (CPAs) perform well in generalized Maxwell’s fisheye (GMFE) lenses. Such CPAs are embedded inside the GMFE lenses to absorb the incoming coherent waves. They can be served as drains and dramatically improve the resolution of images in the GMFE lenses. In particular, they can be applied to realize the subwavelength imaging. We also study the multiple imaging characteristics of GMFE lenses with several CPAs in wave optics. Full-wave simulations were performed to verify the imaging functionalities.
Magnifying lens designed by optical conformal mapping
Authors: Liu Yichao , Fu Jichao , Sun Fei , He Sailing
Published: November 2020

We proposed an alternative method to design a magnifying lens by optical conformal mapping. Different from previous hyperlens or superlens, the proposed lens needs no materials with negative or anisotropic refractive index. The lens has better photonic transporting efficiency than conventional a solid immersion lens due to impedance matching. The proposed lenses have many other advantages, such as broadband, low loss, and no need to redesign the sizes and material parameters when another magnifying ratio is required. Both numerical simulations and experimental demonstrations are implemented to verify the performance of the lens.
The M-current works in tandem with the persistent sodium current to set the speed of locomotion
Authors: Verneuil Jérémy , Brocard Cécile , Trouplin Virginie , Villard Laurent , Peyronnet-Roux Julie , Brocard Frédéric
Published: November 2020

The central pattern generator (CPG) for locomotion is a set of pacemaker neurons endowed with inherent bursting driven by the persistent sodium current (INaP). How they proceed to regulate the locomotor rhythm remained unknown. Here, in neonatal rodents, we identified a persistent potassium current critical in regulating pacemakers and locomotion speed. This current recapitulates features of the M-current (IM): a subthreshold noninactivating outward current blocked by 10,10-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H)-anthracenone dihydrochloride (XE991) and enhanced by N-(2-chloro-5-pyrimidinyl)-3,4-difluorobenzamide (ICA73). Immunostaining and mutant mice highlight an important role of Kv7.2-containing channels in mediating IM. Pharmacological modulation of IM regulates the emergence and the frequency regime of both pacemaker and CPG activities and controls the speed of locomotion. Computational models captured these results and showed how an interplay between IM and INaP endows the locomotor CPG with rhythmogenic properties. Overall, this study provides fundamental insights into how IM and INaP work in tandem to set the speed of locomotion.
Risk of colorectal cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus: A Swedish nationwide cohort study
Authors: Ali Khan Uzair , Fallah Mahdi , Sundquist Kristina , Sundquist Jan , Brenner Hermann , Kharazmi Elham
Published: November 2020

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is increasing among young adults below screening age, despite the effectiveness of screening in older populations. Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of early-onset CRC. We aimed to determine how many years earlier than the general population patients with diabetes with/without family history of CRC reach the threshold risk at which CRC screening is recommended to the general population.

Methods and findings

A nationwide cohort study (follow-up:1964–2015) involving all Swedish residents born after 1931 and their parents was carried out using record linkage of Swedish Population Register, Cancer Registry, National Patient Register, and Multi-Generation Register. Of 12,614,256 individuals who were followed between 1964 and 2015 (51% men; age range at baseline 0–107 years), 162,226 developed CRC, and 559,375 developed diabetes. Age-specific 10-year cumulative risk curves were used to draw conclusions about how many years earlier patients with diabetes reach the 10-year cumulative risks of CRC in 50-year-old men and women (most common age of first screening), which were 0.44% and 0.41%, respectively. Diabetic patients attained the screening level of CRC risk earlier than the general Swedish population. Men with diabetes reached 0.44% risk at age 45 (5 years earlier than the recommended age of screening). In women with diabetes, the risk advancement was 4 years. Risk was more pronounced for those with additional family history of CRC (12–21 years earlier depending on sex and benchmark starting age of screening). The study limitations include lack of detailed information on diabetes type, lifestyle factors, and colonoscopy data.

Conclusions

Using high-quality registers, this study is, to our knowledge, the first one that provides novel evidence-based information for risk-adapted starting ages of CRC screening for patients with diabetes, who are at higher risk of early-onset CRC than the general population.
Antidepressive effect of an inward rectifier K+ channel blocker peptide, tertiapin-RQ
Authors: Okada Masayoshi , Kozaki Ikkou , Honda Hiroyuki
Published: November 2020

Renal outer medullary K+channel, ROMK (Kir1.1, kcnj1) is expressed in the kidney and brain, but its role in the central nervous system remains unknown. Recent studies suggested an involvement of the ROMK channel in mental diseases. Tertiapin (TPN) is a European honey bee venom peptide and is reported to selectively block the ROMK channel. Here, we have chemically synthesized a series of mutated TPN peptides, including TPN-I8R and -M13Q (TPN-RQ), reported previously, and examined their blocking activity on the ROMK channel. Among 71 peptides tested, TPN-RQ was found to block the ROMK channel most effectively. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed the essential roles of two disulfide bonds and the circular structure for the blockade activity. To examine the central role, we injected TPN-RQ intracerebroventricularly and examined the effects on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. TPN-RQ showed an antidepressive effect in tail-suspension and forced swim tests. The injection of TPN-RQ also enhanced the anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze and light/dark box tests and impaired spontaneous motor activities in balance beam and wheel running tests. Administration of TPM-RQ suppressed the anti-c-Fos immunoreactivity in the lateral septum, without affecting immunoreactivity in antidepressant-related nuclei, e.g. the dorsal raphe nucleus and locus coeruleus. TPN-RQ may exert its antidepressive effects through a different mechanism from current drugs.
Clinicians’ perspectives on inertial measurement units in clinical practice
Authors: Routhier François , Duclos Noémie C. , Lacroix Émilie , Lettre Josiane , Turcotte Elizabeth , Hamel Nathalie , Michaud François , Duclos Cyril , Archambault Philippe S. , Bouyer Laurent J.
Published: November 2020

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been increasingly popular in rehabilitation research. However, despite their accessibility and potential advantages, their uptake and acceptance by health professionals remain a big challenge. The development of an IMU-based clinical tool must bring together engineers, researchers and clinicians. This study is part of a developmental process with the investigation of clinicians’ perspectives about IMUs. Clinicians from four rehabilitation centers were invited to a 30-minute presentation on IMUs. Then, two one-hour focus groups were conducted with volunteer clinicians in each rehabilitation center on: 1) IMUs and their clinical usefulness, and 2) IMUs data analysis and visualization interface. Fifteen clinicians took part in the first focus groups. They expressed their thoughts on: 1) categories of variables that would be useful to measure with IMUs in clinical practice, and 2) desired characteristics of the IMUs. Twenty-three clinicians participated to the second focus groups, discussing: 1) functionalities, 2) display options, 3) clinical data reported and associated information, and 4) data collection duration. Potential influence of IMUs on clinical practice and added value were discussed in both focus groups. Clinicians expressed positive opinions about the use of IMUs, but their expectations were high before considering using IMUs in their practice.
Perinatal outcome of meconium stained amniotic fluid among labouring mothers at teaching referral hospital in urban Ethiopia
Authors: Tolu Lemi Belay , Birara Malede , Teshome Tesfalem , Feyissa Garumma Tolu
Published: November 2020

Objective

To determine the perinatal outcome of labouring mothers with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) compared with clear amniotic fluid at teaching referral hospital in urban Ethiopia.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted among labouring mothers with meconium-stained amniotic fluid from July 1 to December 30, 2019. Data was collected with pretested structured questionnaires. A Chi-square test used to check statistical associations between variables. Those variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were selected for cross-tabulation and binary logistic regression. P-value set at 0.05, and 95% CI was used to determine the significance of the association. Relative risk was used to determine the strength and direction of the association.

Result

Among 438 participants, there where 75(52.1%) primigravida in a stained fluid group compared to112 (38.5%) of the non-stained fluid group. Labour was induced in 25 (17.4%) of the stained fluid group compared to 25(8.6%) of a non-stained fluid group and has a statistically significant association with meconium staining. The stained fluid group was twice more likely to undergo operative delivery compared with a non-stained fluid group. There were more low Apgar scores at birth (36.8% versus 13.2%), birth asphyxias (9% versus 2.4%), neonatal sepsis (1% versus 5.6%), neonatal death (1% versus 9%), and increased admissions to neonatal intensive care unit (6.2% versus 21.5%) among the meconium-stained group as compared to the non-stained group. Meconium aspiration syndrome was seen in 9(6.3%) of the stained fluid group.

Conclusion

Meconium-stained amniotic fluid is associated with increased frequency of operative delivery, birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions compared to clear amniotic fluid.
Are childbirth location and mode of delivery associated with favorable early breastfeeding practices in hard to reach areas of Bangladesh?
Authors: Ali Nazia Binte , Karim Farhana , Billah S. K. Masum , Hoque Dewan M. D. Emdadul , Khan Abdullah Nurus Salam , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , Simi Sonjida Mesket , Arifeen Shams E. L. , Chowdhury Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir
Published: November 2020

Background

Early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth (EIBF) and no prelacteal feeding are WHO recommended practices for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. Globally, EIBF can avert around 22% of newborn death. In recent years, Bangladesh has experienced increasing facility delivery coverage and cesarean section rates. However, the impact of these changes on early breastfeeding initiation in hard to reach areas (HtR) of the country is still poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the independent associations between childbirth locations and mode of delivery with favorable early breastfeeding practices in four hard to reach areas of Bangladesh.

Method

We extracted data from a cross-sectional study conducted in four HtR areas of Bangladesh in 2017. A total of 2768 women, having birth outcomes in the past 12 months of the survey, were interviewed using structured questionnaires. EIBF and no prelacteal feeding were considered as favorable early breastfeeding practices. The categories of childbirth locations were defined by the place of birth (home vs. facility) and the delivery sector (public/NGO vs. private). The mode of delivery was categorized into vaginal delivery and cesarean section. Generalized linear models were used to test the independent associations while adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

The prevalence of EIBF practices were 69.6%(95% CI:67.8–71.3); 72.2%(95% CI:67.8–71.3) among home births Vs 63.0%(95% CI:59.5%-66.4%) among facility births. Around 73.9% (95% CI:72.3–75.6) mother’s in the study areas reported no-prelacteal feeding. Compared to home births, women delivering in the facilities had lower adjusted odds of EIBF (aOR = 0.51; 95%CI:0.35–0.75). Cesarean section was found to be negatively associated with EIBF (aOR = 0.20; 95%CI:0.12–0.35), after adjusting for potential confounders. We could not find any significant associations between the place of birth and mode of delivery with no prelacteal feeding.

Discussions

This study found that facility births and cesarean deliveries were negatively associated with EIBF. Although the implementation of "Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives" could be a potential solution for improving EIBF and no prelacteal feeding practices, the challenges of reduced service availability and accessibility in HtR areas must be considered while devising effective intervention strategies. Future studies can explore potential interventions to promote early breastfeeding for facility births and cesarean deliveries in HtR areas.
Integration of small RNA, degradome and proteome sequencing in Oryza sativa reveals a delayed senescence network in tetraploid rice seed
Authors: Huang Baosheng , Gan Lu , Chen Dongjie , Zhang Yachun , Zhang Yujie , Liu Xiangli , Chen Si , Wei Zhisong , Tong Liqi , Song Zhaojian , Zhang Xianhua , Cai Detian , Zhang Changfeng , He Yuchi
Published: November 2020

Seed of rice is an important strategic resource for ensuring the security of China's staple food. Seed deterioration as a result of senescence is a major problem during seed storage, which can cause major economic losses. Screening among accessions in rice germplasm resources for traits such as slow senescence and increased seed longevity during storage is, therefore, of great significance. However, studies on delayed senescence in rice have been based mostly on diploid rice seed to date. Despite better tolerance have been verified by the artificial aging treatment for polyploid rice seed, the delayed senescence properties and delayed senescence related regulatory mechanisms of polyploid rice seed are rarely reported, due to the lack of polyploid rice materials with high seed set. High-throughput sequencing was applied to systematically investigate variations in small RNAs, the degradome, and the proteome between tetraploid and diploid rice seeds. Degradome sequencing analysis of microRNAs showed that expression of miR-164d, which regulates genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, was changed significantly, resulting in decreased miRNA-mediated cleavage of target genes in tetraploid rice. Comparisons of the expression levels of small RNAs (sRNAs) in the tetraploid and diploid libraries revealed that 12 sRNAs changed significantly, consistent with the findings from degradome sequencing. Furthermore, proteomics also showed that antioxidant enzymes were up-regulated in tetraploid rice seeds, relative to diploids.