bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Metformin Added to Insulin in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: An Exploratory Crossover Randomized Trial
Authors: Yang Daizhi , Yan Jinhua , Deng Hongrong , Yang Xubin , Luo Sihui , Zheng Xueying , Lv Jing , Liang Wen , Hong Mengjie , Wu Zekai , Yao Bin , Weng Jianping , Xu Wen
Published: December 2020

Background. To comprehensively assess the effects of metformin added to insulin on metabolic control, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular autonomic function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Materials and Methods. This was an exploratory, crossover, randomized trial conducted in adolescents with type 1 diabetes aged 12-18 years old. Participants were randomly received metformin (≤1000 mg/d) added to insulin for 24 weeks followed by insulin monotherapy for a subsequent 24 weeks or vice versa. Blood pressure, body mass index, insulin dose, estimated insulin sensitivity, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and lipid profiles were measured, with a 72-hour continuous glucose monitoring and 24-hour Holter monitoring performed at baseline, 24, and 50 weeks for the assessments of glucose variability and heart rate variability. Results. Seventeen patients with

mean
±
SD

age

14.4
±
2.3
 
years

, body mass index

18.17
±
1.81
 
kg
/

m

2

, median (IQR) diabetes duration 4.50 (3.58, 6.92) years, and HbA1c 9.0% (8.5%, 9.4%) were enrolled. The between-group difference in HbA1c of 0.28% (95% CI -0.39 to 0.95%) was not significant (

P
=
0.40

). Changes in body mass index, insulin dose, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and estimated insulin sensitivity were similar for metformin add-on vs. insulin monotherapy. Glucose variability also did not differ. Compared with insulin monotherapy, metformin add-on significantly increased multiple heart rate variability parameters. Conclusions. Metformin added to insulin did not improve metabolic control or glucose variability in lean/normal-weight adolescents with type 1 diabetes. However, metformin added to insulin significantly increased heart rate variability, suggesting that metformin might improve cardiovascular autonomic function in this population.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Dihydronaphthalene Candidates as Potent Cytotoxic Agents against MCF‐7 Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Ahmed Nesreen S. , Sarhan Alaadin E. , Al-Ashmawy Aisha A. K. , Amr Abd El-Galil E. , Haiba Mogedda E. , Elsayed Elsayed A.
Published: December 2020

In the present work, a new series of dihydronaphthalene derivatives were synthesized starting with 6‐methoxy‐1‐tetralone 1, and the corresponding hydrazine derivative 2. Reaction of compound 2 with aryl isothiocyanates produced thiosemicarbazides 3a-d, which were reacted with ethyl chloroacetate to give thiazolidinone derivatives 4a-d. Pyrano thiazolecarbonitrile derivatives 5a‐f were prepared by heating a mixture of compounds 4a or 4c, aryl aldehydes, and malononitrile utilizing distilled water in the presence of catalytic amount of potassium hydrogen phthalate. Also, treatment of 4a with DMF‐DMA under solvent‐free conditions gave enaminone derivative 6, which condensed with ethyl acetoacetate or acetylacetone or malononitrile or cyanothioacetamide to give compounds 7‐10, respectively. Finally, reaction of the enaminone 6 with 2‐aminoimidazol or 2‐aminothiazol in the presence of glacial acetic acid produced derivatives 11 and 12, respectively. Cytotoxic evaluation of eleven compounds, against MCF‐7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cell lines, was estimated. Results revealed that five of the examined compounds 5a, 5d, 5e, 10, and 3d showed potent cytotoxic activities recording, IC50 values; 0.93 ± 0.02, 1.76 ± 0.04, 2.36 ± 0.06, 2.83 ± 0.07, and 3.73 ± 0.09 μM, respectively, which were more potent than the reference used (Saturosporin, IC506.08 ± 0.15 μM). The new products were also examined towards normal epithelial breast cells (MCF10A). All of them showed very good safety profile with different degrees and were safer than the reference drug used. Compound 5a was the most effective against MCF‐7 cells and was less toxic than Saturosporin by about 18.45‐folds towards MCF01A normal cells. All the new compounds were fully characterized by the different spectral and analytical tools. Herein, detailed syntheses, spectroscopic, and biological data are reported.
Case Study and Numerical Simulation of Excavation beneath Existing Buildings
Authors: Shan Hua-feng , He Shao-heng , Lu Yu-hua , Jiang Wei-jian
Published: December 2020

Excavation beneath existing buildings may cause the superstructure to tilt and crack, which seriously affects the normal use of the superstructure. Due to the new working conditions of excavation beneath existing buildings, related case reports are rare and limited. In the case of No. 3 section basement construction project of Ganshuixiang, we monitored the excavation construction by burying test instruments at the designated location. Afterwards, Plaxis 3D finite element software was used to establish an underpinning pile‐cap‐excavation model, which can analyze the influence of different pile cutting sequences on the bearing behavior of new basement structural pillars. By comparing the in situ measurement data with the finite element model, it can be concluded that when the excavation depth rises, the axial force of the underpinning pile gradually increases, and the pile skin friction is slowly exerted from top to bottom. Different cutting sequences will influence the bearing behavior of the structural pillar. Moreover, the pile cutting process also significantly impacts its bearing behavior and the settlement behavior of the superstructure. Compared with the clockwise pile cutting sequence, the symmetrical pile cutting is more advantageous. In the whole process of the storey adding and reconstruction, the superstructure settlement is related to the working condition of digging and adding layers. In the stage from soil excavation to the concrete curing period of the structural pillar, it increases slowly with time and tends to be stable in the concrete curing period. However, in the pile cutting stage, the superstructure settlement increases sharply, and after pile cutting, it becomes stable.
The Role of Glutamine in the Prevention of Ultraviolet-C-Induced Platelet Activation
Authors: Mushtaq Mazhar , Kim Uh-Hyun
Published: December 2020

Background and Objectives. The primary function of platelets is to prevent bleeding. The use of UV-C light in the treatment of platelets has become a valuable method for preserving the efficacy of platelet concentrates in blood banks. However, its deleterious effect remains, such as the activation of platelets, thus causing the platelets to lose their physiological function. In this study, we intended to demonstrate the impact of UV-C on platelets and how the use of glutamine could mitigate the loss of physiological function of the platelets caused by UV-C. Materials and Methods. This study was conducted using mouse platelets. We assessed calcium signaling using Fura-2 AM incubation and dense granule secretion of the platelets using luminescence assay by measuring ATP. At the molecular level, the activation of integrin using PAC-1 antibody was analyzed. Phosphorylation of immune-precipitated cPLA2 was assessed using a specific antibody. All the experiments were carried out with or without glutamine in the presence of UV-C. Positive and negative controls were used in all experiments to validate the findings. Results. We have demonstrated that physiological and biochemical damage arises as a result of the exposure of platelet concentrate to UV-C and that the use of glutamine could alleviate this damage. Various experiments, thrombus formation, integrin activation, and phosphorylation of cPLA2 were preserved using 50 mM of glutamine in the presence of UV-C, which reduces 50% of platelet viability. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that the storage of platelet concentrates under the UV-C activates their physiological process and renders them to the thrombus formation, hence decreasing their viability. The presence of a moderate amount of glutamine can alleviate the toxic effect of UV-C, and platelet concentrates could be kept viable for a long time.
Construction of an Immune-Associated Gene-Based Signature in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Shen Chengquan , Xu Ting , Sun Yefeng , Wang Liping , Liang Zhijuan , Niu Haitao , Jiao Wei , Wang Yonghua
Published: December 2020

Background. In recent years, immune-associated genes (IAGs) have been documented as having critical roles in the occurrence and progression of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Novel immune-related biomarkers and a robust prognostic signature for MIBC patients are still limited. The study is aimed at developing an IAG-based signature to predict the prognosis of MIBC patients. Methods. In the present study, we identified differentially expressed IAGs in MIBC by using transcriptomics data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and proteomics data from our samples. We further constructed an IAG-based signature and evaluated its prognostic and predictive value by survival analysis and nomogram. Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) was applied to explore the correlation between the IAG-based signature and immune cell infiltration in the microenvironment of MIBC. Results. A total of 22 differentially expressed IAGs were identified, and 2 IAGs (NR2F6 and AHNAK) were used to establish a prognostic signature. Subsequently, survival analysis showed that high-risk scores were significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) of MIBC patients. A prognostic nomogram was constructed by integrating clinical factors with the IAG-based signature risk score. In addition, the IAG-based signature risk score was positively associated with the infiltration of macrophages and dendritic cells in MIBC. Conclusions. We constructed and verified a novel IAG-based signature, which could predict the prognosis of MIBC and might reflect the status of the immune microenvironment of MIBC. Further studies in more independent clinical cohorts and further experimental exploration of the prognostic IAG-based signature are still needed.
Redirecting Metabolic Flux towards the Mevalonate Pathway for Enhanced β‐Carotene Production in M. circinelloides CBS 277.49
Authors: Naz Tahira , Nazir Yusuf , Nosheen Shaista , Ullah Samee , Halim Hafiy , Fazili Abu Bakr Ahmad , Li Shaoqi , Mustafa Kiren , Mohamed Hassan , Yang Wu , Song Yuanda
Published: December 2020

Carotenoids produced by microbial sources are of industrial and medicinal importance due to their antioxidant and anticancer properties. In the current study, optimization of β‐carotene production in M. circinelloides strain 277.49 was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM). Cerulenin and ketoconazole were used to inhibit fatty acids and the sterol biosynthesis pathway, respectively, in order to enhance β‐carotene production by diverting metabolic pool towards the mevalonate pathway. All three variables used in screening experiments were found to be significant for the production of β‐carotene. The synergistic effect of the C/N ratio, cerulenin, and ketoconazole was further evaluated and optimized for superior β‐carotene production using central composite design of RSM. Our results found that the synergistic combination of C/N ratios, cerulenin, and ketoconazole at different concentrations affected the β‐carotene productions significantly. The optimal production medium (std. order 11) composed of C/N 25, 10 μg/mL cerulenin, and 150 mg/L ketoconazole, producing maximum β‐carotene of 4.26 mg/L (0.43 mg/g) which was 157% greater in comparison to unoptimized medium (1.68 mg/L, 0.17 mg/g). So, it was concluded that metabolic flux had been successfully redirected towards the mevalonate pathway for enhanced β‐carotene production in CBS 277.49.
Atrial Dyssynchrony Measured by Strain Echocardiography as a Marker of Proarrhythmic Remodeling and Oxidative Stress in Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Sánchez Francisco J. , Gonzalez Valeria A. , Farrando Martin , Baigorria Jayat Ariel O. , Segovia-Roldan Margarita , García-Mendívil Laura , Ordovás Laura , Prado Natalia J. , Pueyo Esther , Diez Emiliano R.
Published: December 2020

Aging leads to structural and electrophysiological changes that increase the risk of postoperative atrial arrhythmias; however, noninvasive preoperative markers of atrial proarrhythmic conditions are still needed. This study is aimed at assessing whether interatrial dyssynchrony determined using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography relates to proarrhythmic structural and functional remodeling. A cohort of 45 patients in sinus rhythm referred for cardiac surgery was evaluated by echocardiography and surface electrocardiogram the day before the intervention. Transmembrane potential, connexin, and potassium channel distribution, inflammatory, and nitrooxidative markers were measured from right atrial tissue obtained from patients. A difference greater than 40 milliseconds between right and left atrial free wall contraction confirmed the presence of interatrial dyssynchrony in 21 patients. No difference in relation with age, previous diseases, and 2-dimensional echocardiographic findings as well as average values of global longitudinal right and left atrial strain were found between synchronic and dyssynchronic patients. Postoperative atrial fibrillation incidence increased from 8.3% in the synchronic group to 33.3% in the dyssynchronic ones. P wave duration showed no difference between groups. Action potentials from dyssynchronous patients decreased in amplitude, maximal rate of depolarization, and hyperpolarized. Duration at 30% of repolarization increased, being markedly shorter at 90% of repolarization. Only the dyssynchronous group showed early and delayed afterdepolarizations. Atrial tissue of dyssynchronous patients displayed lateralization of connexin 40 and increased connexin 43 expression and accumulation of tumor necrosis factor-α in the intercalated disc. Tumor necrosis factor-α did not colocalize, however, with lateralized connexin 40. Nitroxidative marks and KATP channels increased perivascularly and in myocytes. Our results demonstrate that, as compared to a traditional surface electrocardiogram, the novel noninvasive echocardiographic evaluation of interatrial dyssynchrony provides a better identification of nonaged-related proarrhythmic atrial remodeling with increased susceptibility to postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Prophylactic Topical Treatment for EGFR Inhibitor-Induced Papulopustular Rash: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Amitay-Laish Iris , Prag-Naveh Hadas , Ollech Ayelet , Davidovici Batya , Leshem Yael Anne , Snast Igor , Popovtzer Aron , Purim Ofer , Flex Dov , David Michael , Brenner Baruch , Ben-Aharon Irit , Peled Nir , Hodak Emmillia , Stemmer Salomon M.
Published: December 2020

Background: The incidence of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRI)-induced papulopustular rash is 60–85%. Objective: To investigate prophylactic topical treatment for EGFRI-induced rash. Methods: A single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Adult cancer patients initiating treatment with EGFRIs were randomized to receive facial topical treatment with chloramphenicol 3% + prednisolone 0.5% (CHL-PRED) ointment, chloramphenicol 3% (CHL) ointment, or aqua cream (AQUA). The primary end points were the incidence of ≥grade 3 rash using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), on days 14 and 30. A subanalysis was conducted for incidence of a protocol-specified significant rash, defined as ≥10 facial papulopustular lesions. Results: The per-protocol analysis on day 14 included 69 patients, who received CHL-PRED (21), CHL (23), or AQUA (25). The incidence of CTCAE ≥grade 3 rash was not statistically significant between arms; however, the incidence of the protocol-specified significant rash was: CHL-PRED 14%, CHL 39%, and AQUA 48% (p = 0.03, CHL-PRED vs. AQUA). At 30 days, the CTCAE ≥grade 3 incidence was similar, but the incidences of protocol-specified significant rash were 6%, 16%, and 43% (p = 0.03, CHL-PRED vs. AQUA). No significant differences were found between CHL and CHL-PRED and between CHL and AQUA. Conclusions: Prophylactic topical CHL-PRED was efficacious when compared to AQUA, in the treatment of EGFRI-induced facial papulopustular rash.
Serum Urate Lowering Therapy Using Allopurinol Improves Serum 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D in Stage 3-5 CKD Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mohammed AbdelAal , Marie Mohamed A. , Abdulazim Dina O. , Hassan Mohammed , Shaker Olfat , Ayeldeen Ghada , Salem Mona M. , Sharaf El Din Usama A. ,   on behalf of the Egyptian Vascular Calcification Group (VCG)
Published: December 2020

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated negative associations of serum uric acid (SUA) with serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25 [OH] vit D) among CKD patients. Objective: The aim of the study was to look for the impact of hypouricemic therapy using allopurinol on serum level of 25 (OH) vit D in CKD patients. Cases and Methods: Seventy-two CKD stage 3–5 patients were selected to this study. Patients with SUA above 7 mg/dL were allocated to hypouricemic therapy using allopurinol (group I). A control group of cases not suffering marked increase in SUA were included as control group (group II). All cases were followed up for 3 months. Serum Cr, SUA, ionized calcium (SiCa), phosphorus, 25 (OH) vitD, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 24-h urine protein were estimated at entry and by the end of the study. Results: At least 20 cases completed the study in each group. Serum 25 (OH) vit D significantly increased in group I (26.4 [14.1] vs. 39.6 [14.8] at entry vs. at end of the study, p < 0.001). In addition, SUA, PTH, and urine protein significantly decreased (11 [1.6] vs. 3.95 [0.58] mg/dL, 267.5 [97.5] vs. 225.5 [153] ng/mL, and 2.7 [1.18] vs. 1.5 [1.08] gm/day, p < 0.001, = 0.043, and <0.001 respectively). SiCa and phosphorus significantly increased (4.4 [0.3] vs. 5.2 [0.5] mg/dL and 4.25 [0.72] vs. 4.9 [0.75] mg/dL, p < 0.001 and = 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: This study supports a negative causal relationship between SUA and serum 25 (OH) vit D. Further studies are still needed to confirm this conclusion.
Fundus Autofluorescence after Half-Dose Photodynamic Therapy for Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Fujita Kyoko , Imamura Yutaka , Shinoda Kei , Matsumoto Soiti , Yuzawa Mitsuko
Published: December 2020

Introduction: To evaluate the fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images 1 year after half-dose photodynamic therapy (hdPDT) for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods: Forty-six eyes of 46 consecutive patients with chronic CSC underwent hdPDT. Short wavelength-elicited FAF images and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomographic (EDI-OCT) images were recorded before and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the hdPDT. The FAF images at 1 month were compared to those at 12 months after the hdPDT. Results: The serous retinal detachment (SRD) was resolved in all eyes. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved significantly from 0.13 ± 0.28 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units before to 0.01 ± 0.17 logMAR units at 12 months after the hdPDT (p = 0.001; paired t test). The mean choroidal thickness decreased significantly from 365.4 ± 103.0 µm to 284.3 ± 92.5 µm at 12 months (p < 0.001). Abnormal FAF images were present within the irradiated area in all the eyes before the hdPDT. In 5 of 46 eyes, identifiable changes of the FAF images were observed 12 months after hdPDT. None of the eyes had the confluent hypo-FAF type during the follow-up period. Univariate analyses showed that the choroidal thickness before hdPDT correlated significantly with hypo-FAF enlargement (p = 0.005). However, multivariate analyses showed that the association was not significant (p = 0.06). Conclusions: The progression of the RPE damages occurred in approximately one-tenth of the eyes that underwent hdPDT for chronic CSC. The long-term effect of progression of hypo-FAF on visual functions remains to be determined.
Prevalence, Clinical Significance and Risk Factors for Developing Scar Pain and Sensibility Disorders in Breast Cancer Patients after Breast-Conserving Therapy and Mastectomy
Authors: Dieterich Max , Allmendinger Sophie , Gerber Bernd , Reimer Toralf , Hartmann Steffi , Stachs Angrit , Stubert Johannes
Published: December 2020

Introduction: The aim of this study was to gather information on the prevalence and risk factors for scar pain and sensibility disorders after breast cancer surgery, as only limited information of these complaints are available. Material and Methods: A clinical cohort study using a non-validated questionnaire was conducted among women who presented to routine follow-up at the Breast Cancer Center Rostock, Germany. The subjects were informed that the subjective perception and sensation were in the foreground and that the questionnaire had to be filled out independently according to the current feeling. Results: Overall 175 patients could be evaluated. The prevalence of scar pain was 30.8% after breast conserving therapy (BCT) and 34.5% after mastectomy. Following BCT 87.5%, respectively 81.8% of women after mastectomy were very satisfied or satisfied with the scarring. Sensory disorders were increased in the mastectomy group (p = 0.001). Scar pain after previous surgery was a risk factor to develop sensory disorders after BCT (p = 0.008) and mastectomy (p = 0.029). For patients receiving mastectomy, sensory disorders after previous breast surgeries increased the risk for sensory disorders (p = 0.029). Smoking was a risk factor for sensory disorders after mastectomy (p = 0.048). Multivariate analysis could not confirm any of the risk factors. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a high satisfaction with scarring after breast surgery and a low level of scar pain. A lack of postoperative information, as well as a low level of actually performed scar care after surgery were observed. Increased focus should be on improved information on postoperative scare care.
Do abjecionismo ao neo-abjecionismo: perspetivas sobre a libertação e a exemplaridade do autor
Authors: Sousa Rui Daniel
Published: December 2020

Este texto propõe-se apresentar um panorama do Abjecionismo em Portugal, focando os discursos de quatro autores fundamentais: António Maria Lisboa, Pedro Oom, Mário Cesariny e Luiz Pacheco. Analisam-se textos programáticos particularmente marcantes, nos quais os autores propõem as diversas interpretações da vertente abjecionista. Apesar das controvérsias quanto ao verdadeiro sentido do Abjecionismo e às suas interações com o contexto social, político e literário da época, as diferentes perspetivas apontam para uma definição do criador literário que tem na libertação progressiva e no questionamento da condição humana os seus principais vetores.
“Que a obra/ não se oponha/ à vida”: tensões entre “testemunho” e “fingimento” na “construção poética” de Adília Lopes/Maria José
Authors: Costa Ian Anderson Maximiano
Published: December 2020

RESUMO: Neste artigo, discutem-se as possíveis relações entre autor e obra tendo em vista a poética de Adília Lopes, apontando para aproximações e tensionamentos. Num primeiro momento, assinala-se a tentativa de se aproximar sujeito de experiência e sujeito lírico no texto poético, colar o “texto nu” ao “rosto nu” do autor, coser as rupturas. Em um segundo momento, essa imagem é matizada, a linguagem se metamorfoseia em uma máscara que “masca” e deglute o sujeito de experiência.
Late Medieval Translations of the Qurʾān (1450–1525): Discontinuity or Cumulativeness?
Authors: Grévin Benoît
Published: December 2020

What was the reason behind the new, still partly understudied, European “wave of translations” of the Qurʾān characteristic of the years 1440‒1530? Can we find a pattern behind the translation processes and techniques used by John of Segovia and his Muslim coworker, the team commissioned by Egidio da Viterbo, and the Sicilian Jewish convert Guglielmo Raimondo Moncada (alias Flavius Mithridate)? This new generation of Qurʾānic translations presents interesting innovations in contrast to the older works of Robert of Ketton and Marcos de Toledo. Even if the loss (Juan de Segovia) or the non-completion (Moncada) of part of these texts makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions, there are still significant observations to be made about them: these translations were all bilingual or multilingual, featuring conscious strategies of presentation of the Arabic and Latin versions, and a new approach to the Muslim exegesis. And yet, these new and sophisticated works were no match for the older Iberian versions, and it was the Kettonian translation that became the first Latin translation printed in its entirety, whereas the new works of the years 1440‒1530 were lost or poorly transmitted. This paper tries to explain this paradox. Furthermore, through a comparative new methodology, it also aims at gauging the possible links between the older and the newer Latin translations of the Qurʾān suggesting specific a relationship between the Qurʾān of Marcos de Toledo and Moncada’s partial translation of MS. Vat. Ebr. 457.
Al-Āmidī’s al-Muwāzana and the Size of Knowledge
Authors: Bray Julia
Published: December 2020

This paper first surveys the structure, content and purpose of al-Āmidī’s al-Muwāzana, the largest work of poetic criticism of the fourth/tenth century, then its medieval reception, which grants it quasi-encyclopaedic authority. Modern reception has often dehistoricized it by viewing it only as criticism, but book studies suggest broader contexts of interpretation. Looser than “encyclopaedia,” the notion of the “big book,” like those by al-Āmidī’s contemporaries and neighbours Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī and al-Tanūkhī, fits well with al-Muwāzana. The chronology of al-Āmidī’s life, and the idea of his “big book” as a highly personal work of lifelong scholarship, endorse M.Z. Sallām’s reading of al-Muwāzana as an intellectual ego-document. Finally, the citation practices of fourth/tenth-century “big books” anticipate aspects of the “archival” outlook of Mamluk scholarship and suggest how the “big books” discussed here sought to validate their own versions of cultural memory.
Navigating the Ocean of Dharma: The Composition of Sanskrit Scriptural Digests in the Dharmaśāstra and Śaiva Siddhānta Traditions
Authors: De Simini Florinda
Published: December 2020

Scholars of Sanskrit literature in the second millennium CE had to deal with sizeable collections of sources claiming authority on different branches of knowledge and human experience. The need for ordering such sources went hand in hand with the establishment of “canons” of authoritative texts. This article will explore the topic of the composition of digests in two main traditions — the Dharmaśāstra and the Śaiva Siddhānta — to illustrate the breadth of this phenomenon, both in terms of its popularity and of its chronological range.
Decolonizing Knowledge, Education and Social Development: Africanist Perspectives
Authors: Abdi Ali A.
Published: December 2020

Education is viewed, in general terms, as conductive to social development, intended her as the overall and contextual wellbeing of individuals, communities and societies. Both the ideational and select practices of development emerged and expanded in the past 70 or so years. With colonial education continuing unchallenged in ‘postcolonial’ Africa, complemented by the importation of prepackaged, non-functional development schemes, the need for knowledge and learning reconstructions are urgently needed in the continent. It is with that in mind that this paper undertakes both historical and actual analysis of the situation, beginning with the critical readings and relevant analytical, counter-colonial problematizations of Eurocentric and by extension, monocentric modalities of knowledge, education and development. To be sure, the arbitrary constructions of both the terra and persona Africana by European and Euro-American thought leaders who served as the theoretical vanguards for colonialism and contemporary global capitalist domination has led to, and sustains the current situation with respect to African educational and social development contexts. The appreciation of the historical analysis here, as critically attaching to current situations, is important in achieving the needed counter-Eurocentric discursive formations and related reconstructive educational and development possibilities.
Internationalization as a Moral Project
Authors: Servage Laura A. , Yochim Lorin G.
Published: December 2020

This article discusses the perspectives of teaching faculty on the growing number of international students in their undergraduate classrooms. Our analysis takes note of expressions of emotion in faculty accounts and uses these to draw attention to the careful deliberations by which faculty reconcile personal commitments with the changing conditions of their work. We highlight moral and epistemological tensions in the project of internationalizing higher education. While these tensions have been considered for some time in critical comparative education circles, they are rarely acknowledged at the level of the mundane, daily practices of teaching. Our findings lead us to propose an alternative figuring of internationalization as a moral project. We believe that shifting the discussion toward moral tensions embedded in the lived reality of the contemporary university provides a rich ground for resolving any number of vexing dilemmas and, perhaps, to realizing the promise of internationalization.
The (Critical) Edge of Tradition: Understanding Ġhālib as Valī in Contemporary Delhi
Authors: Taneja Anand Vivek
Published: December 2020

In this essay, I explore an emergent trend within both authoritative Islamic discourse and Urdu public culture in north India, in which the poet Mirzā Asadullāh Ḳhān “Ġhālib” (1797-1869) is portrayed as a saintly and prophetic figure. I aim to show that claiming Ġhālib as an authoritatively Islamic figure—and hence his life and poetry as Islamically authoritative and legible—at this historical moment of unprecedented Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bias in India is a profoundly radical claim. It gestures towards a Muslim—and crucially, also non-Muslim—reclamation of precolonial lifeways and intellectual, literary, and spiritual traditions as an antidote to the poisonous discourses of modern religious nationalism and sectarianism.
Herpetological higher taxa nomina 2. Anura Duméril, 1805

Authors: DUBOIS ALAIN , FRÉTEY THIERRY
Published: December 2020

A taxon, traditionally referred to the rank order, encompassing all recent taxa of frogs and their close fossil relatives, is highly supported as holophyletic in all recent phylogenetic analyses of Amphibia. Under the Duplostensional Nomenclatural System, among more than thirty nomina available for this taxon in the literature, two only qualify as sozodiaphonyms: Anura Duméril, 1805 and Salientia Merrem, 1820. The conflict for validity between these two nomina is easily solved by publication dates. The valid nomen for this taxon is therefore Anura Duméril, 1805, which corresponds to the overwhelming majority of uses in the literature, and which should replace all other nomina, authorships and dates sometimes credited to this taxon in publications, catalogues and databases.
Culture and Attitudes Towards Euthanasia: An Integrative Review
Authors: Karumathil Anjana A. , Tripathi Ritu
Published: December 2020

We examine and integrate last two decades of research on euthanasia from a cultural perspective. After an exhaustive search from Scopus and Web of Science, 40 studies matching our criteria are included in the review. We qualitatively summarize the literature country-wise and use text map of co-occurring terms in the titles, keywords, and abstracts of these articles to determine the similarities and differences among sub-themes in continental clusters. Research done in Asian, European, North American, and multi-cultural studies suggests that attributes unique to each culture are instrumental in shaping public attitudes towards euthanasia. We also find that some cultures, despite the prevalence of euthanasia, are underrepresented in empirical research. This review of literature on the cultural nuances in end-of-life decisions such as euthanasia is pertinent to social scientists, healthcare professionals and social workers in any given time, but more so during such critical events as worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Associations between Fathers’ Prebirth Pregnancy Intentions and Involvement with Their Child 15 Months Later: A Propensity Score Analysis
Authors: Combs Katie Massey , Knauer Heather , Altschul Inna , Lee Shawna J.
Published: December 2020

Objective: This study examined whether fathers’ prebirth pregnancy intentions were associated with fathers’ involvement with his child 15 months later. Method: Propensity score matching was used to assess the effects of fathers’ pregnancy intentions (self-reported before the birth of the child) on three measures of father involvement (residency with child, engagement in caregiving activities, and engagement in social cognitive play) in a large sample of young, diverse, and low-income fathers ( N = 2,008). Results: In this sample matched on sociodemographic and interpersonal factors, fathers reporting an intended pregnancy had significantly higher levels of social and cognitive play with their child, compared to fathers reporting an unintended pregnancy. However, intentions were not significantly associated with fathers’ residency with child or caregiving activities. Conclusion: Results suggest that fathers’ pregnancy intentions are predictive of certain types of father involvement and emphasize the importance of controlling for factors associated with both fathers’ intentions and involvement.
Moving Toward Implementation of Universal Mental Health Screening by Examining Attitudes Toward School-Based Practices
Authors: Moore Stephanie A. , Dowdy Erin , Hinton Tameisha , DiStefano Christine , Greer Fred W.
Published: December 2020

Universal mental health screening is a proactive approach to identify students who may benefit from prevention or early intervention services. Despite known benefits, few schools are engaging in screening efforts, and it is critical to examine factors that may impede or enhance implementation. Following implementation of a universal screening program across five preschools and elementary schools, this study investigated the attitudes of teachers ( n = 40) and parents ( n = 330) and found strong agreement among stakeholders about the acceptability and appropriateness of universal mental health screening. Teachers and parents expressed less willingness to regularly complete screening forms, yet teachers reported that the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Third Edition: Behavioral Emotional Screening System was a usable screening tool. Implications and future directions to enhance implementation efforts are discussed.
Teaching stress-strain behaviour of ductile and brittle materials using concept-context maps to mechanical engineering freshmen
Authors: Nighojkar Amrita , Plappally Anand
Published: December 2020

Stress-Strain relations are graphical measures to determine the mechanical properties and morphology of engineering materials. In engineering universities, stress-strain curves are introduced in the introductory course of materials science for the mechanical, metallurgical and civil engineers. Stress-strain diagrams can be easily plotted from experimental data obtained from the uniaxial tensile testing of specimens made as per standards of engineering material. However, understanding of the metal’s deformation, dislocation behaviour, as well as the microstructure, is considered challenging. Common teaching aids present stress-strain diagrams as a working tool but does not explain how to relate various attributes like microstructural characteristics and mechanical behaviour with its engineering properties. This accumulated difficulty leads to a decreased level of motivation among first-year engineering students. The article presents CC maps an instructional strategy to gain sustainable knowledge on how to read stress-strain characteristics, interpret engineering properties and promote cognitive transfer in learning. The results obtained indicated that intervention of CC maps has improved conceptual understanding, learning interest and performance of students in the class.
Multi-Intersection Control with Deep Reinforcement Learning and Ring-and-Barrier Controllers
Authors: Muresan Matthew , Pan Guangyuan , Fu Liping
Published: December 2020

This paper discusses a machine-learning traffic signal control method. A full-scale corridor is analyzed and the transferability of using a model pre-trained on a single intersection is examined. Two controller designs are explored, a simple two-phase design and a full ring-and-barrier style controller. The full ring-and-barrier controller adapts many of the key features present in traditional controllers, such as protected-permissive left turns, so that they can be used in the reinforcement learning (RL) paradigm. This study is the first to propose a method that uses deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to implement a full ring-and-barrier style controller. The study also examines the feasibility of using transfer learning to pre-train a model on a single intersection and then fine-tune it for application in a complete environment. Training is done on a simple four lane intersection and the pre-trained model is then transferred for fine-tuning to six controllers operating on a corridor modeled with field data obtained for University Avenue in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The performance of the fully trained model is then compared with the existing signal plans in relation to the average delay and average queue length. Application of the ring-and-barrier design to this corridor was found to reduce delays by at least 5% and average queue lengths at intersections by 27%.
Impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on visits and treatments for patients with ureteral stones in a general hospital emergency department
Authors: Liu Zhenhua , Man Libo
Published: December 2020

Background:

The COVID-19 is a challenge for both patients and physicians in emergency department (ED). This study was aimed to report the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on visits and treatments for patients with ureteral stones in a general hospital ED.

Methods:

The patients with ureteral stones were collected from 24 January to 24 March 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing. Two periods were divided for study: 24 January to 24 February (Period 1) and 25 February to 24 March (Period 2). Data on patients’ characteristics, attendance, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, stone features, and final treatment choices were retrieved from the computer and compared with the data in the same periods in 2019.

Results:

The study included 376 patients with ureteral stones during the COVID-19 outbreak periods in 2020 and 343 patients during the same periods in 2019. Compared with the same periods in 2019, the number of patients with ureteral stones was less in Period 1 (137 vs 163) but had a rebound phenomenon in Period 2 (239 vs 180). The visit frequency was significantly reduced (2.6 ± 0.4 vs 3.6 ± 0.8, p < 0.01) and the VAS scores and the onset time increased (7.7 ± 1.3 vs 5.5 ± 1.6, p < 0.01; 7.4 ± 1.8 vs 8.2 ± 1.5, p < 0.01, respectively) in Period 1. More patients chose oral analgesics medication to release from renal colic in the COVID-19 outbreak period instead of ESWL and intravenous analgesics medication (Period 1, 54.0% vs 20.2%, p < 0.01; Period 2, 20.9% vs 13.3%, p = 0.044; respectively). However, the percentage of patients underwent endoscopy surgery in outbreak period showed no significant difference compared with that in 2019.

Conclusion:

These results showed that the COVID-19 outbreak can directly affect the visits and final treatment choices for patients with ureteral stones.
A changing environment of urban education: historical and spatial analysis of private supplementary tutoring in China
Authors: Zhang Wei , Bray Mark
Published: December 2020

Recent decades have brought dramatic urbanization to China. Between 1978 and 2018, the urban population rose from 17.9 per cent to 59.6 per cent of the total. Urbanization has many implications, including for education. China’s government has long been concerned about imbalances in access to and quality of schooling, and new imbalances have been introduced through market forces in the so-called shadow education sector of private supplementary tutoring, arising from both demand and supply. Urban families in particular seek private supplementary tutoring, and tutorial companies favour densely populated areas for higher enrolments. China has the world’s largest school system and most extensive shadow provision. This paper conceptualizes the space of shadow provision in educational, social and geographical terms. It highlights the changing scale and nature of private tutoring, observes the roles of new technologies and government regulations, notes the impact of COVID-19, and argues that shadow education both shapes and is shaped by urbanization.
View preference in urban environments
Authors: Batool A , Rutherford P , McGraw P , Ledgeway T , Altomonte S
Published: December 2020

With people spending up to 90% of their time in indoor spaces, windows and the visual connection that they afford to the outside, can play an important role in ensuring physical and psychological well-being. This is particularly relevant in urban settings, a substantial part of our lives, whilst still being significantly understudied. What we know from other environments may not translate to cities, and there may be important differences between the expressed preferences of individuals and their behaviour. Therefore, this study sought to define suitable methods and metrics to measure view preference in urban environments. Participants were asked to observe urban views whilst three types of data were collected: subjective preference ratings; eye-tracking measures and verbal reasoning. We found that when views were preferred, the gaze of the observers was more exploratory, with a higher occurrence of fixations and number of saccades. In addition, participants tend to prefer the presence of people, well-maintained buildings and orderly presented colours. A new link was revealed between the degree of visual exploration and the preference rating of a visual scene. This characteristic pattern of oculomotor behaviour may guide the criteria for framing selected views and accordingly inform window design in buildings.
Sex Difference in Access to Sports: A 1-Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Nasi Milena , D’alisera Roberta , Cossarizza Andrea , Guerra Emanuele , Savino Gustavo , Mattioli Anna Vittoria
Published: December 2020

Purpose. Regular physical activity is a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, favoring the access to sports is of importance for promoting well-being. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the practice of different sports is distributed among different age groups and between men and women, by taking a picture of the medical certificate request in 2017 for sports in the population of the province of Modena, Italy. Methods. We analyzed the difference in distribution of requested medical certificate from 18 874 males and 7625 females stratified for age (<18 years, 18-40 years, and >40 years) and for different sporting disciplines (athletics, football, bike, swimming, basketball, volleyball, tennis, other team sports, other individual sports, and disabled sports). Results. Men requested medical certificates more than women (more than 2.5 times). The distribution of requested certificates differs significantly (chi-square test P < .0001) at different ages and between males and females of same age. Certificate for men aged less than 18 years were 7550 and for women were 4131 and the difference increase with age. Conclusions. In order to decrease the imbalance between men and women access to sports, it is mandatory to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce, as consequence, cardiovascular risks, mostly in women after 40 years.
Upfront middle meningeal artery embolization for treatment of chronic subdural hematomas in patients with or without midline shift
Authors: Gomez-Paz Santiago , Akamatsu Yosuke , Salem Mohamed M , Enriquez-Marulanda Alejandro , Robinson Timothy M , Ogilvy Christopher S , Thomas Ajith J , Moore Justin M
Published: December 2020

Objectives

There is limited data on upfront middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization in the context of significant midline shift (MLS) (greater than 5mm) for the treatment of chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH). This study reports the temporal changes following MMA embolization as an upfront treatment of cSDH in patients with or without MLS and either mild, no symptoms or mild and stable neurological deficits.

Methods

A retrospective series of patients with a cSDH from a single institution in the United States between 2018-2020 was conducted. Eligible patients were treated with upfront MMA embolization.

Results

27 upfront MMA embolization procedures in 23 patients were included. Twelve patients had MLS of 5 millimeters or more (52%). The median maximal thickness at diagnosis was 18 mm [11-22]. The mean distance of MLS was 5 mm ±4. There were no procedural complications. The overall rescue surgery rate was 15%. A single rescue surgery secondary to an increase in hematoma thickness was required (4%). The temporal changes for both hematoma and MLS showed gradual improvement between 2 weeks and 4 weeks post-procedure. The average time-to-resolution of MLS was 46 days in patients with less than 5 mm MLS and 51 days in those with 5 mm or more.

Conclusion

Upfront MMA embolization for cSDH with a thickness up to 25 mm provides adequate symptom relief, stabilization and/or progressive resorption of the cSDH during follow-up in carefully selected asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients even in the presence of a MLS greater than 5 mm.
Total endovascular treatment for thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with Behçet’s disease: Case report and literature review
Authors: Wang Mian , Bartolozzi Luis M , Riambau Vincent
Published: December 2020

Introduction

To report total endovascular treatment for a rare case of Crawford extent IV thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) using custom-designed branched device in a patient with Behçet’s disease.

Methods

A 50 years’ old man with history of BD was accidentally diagnosed Crawford extent IV TAAA during computed tomography follow-up after left nephrectomy of renal carcinoma. The aneurysm extended from descending aorta to right common iliac artery with a maximum diameter of 6.2 cm.

Results

The endovascular procedure wassuccessfully performed using custom-designed branched component to cannulate visceral arteries, bifurcated endograft and iliac legs to exclude the aneurysm sac in abdominal aorta and an iliac branched device to preserve the right internal iliac artery. The patient was discharged without any complication. Computed tomography angiogram at one month after endovascular repair demonstrated total exclusion of the aneurysm, patent visceral branches and right internal iliac artery. No complication occurred to six-month follow-up.

Conclusion

Endovascular treatment of stable TAAA in patients with Behc?et's disease using custom-designed branched device is feasible, microinvasive and safe. The long-term efficacy needs to be observed.