bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning from minor injury care restructure during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study of orthopaedic clinical leaders
Authors: Gatfield Sophie , Yeomans Daniel , Walton Henry , Mason Will , Takwale Vinay
Published: June 2021

Background

During peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, trauma and orthopaedic departments in England have been asked to support emergency departments by providing first contact care for minor injuries. The subsequent requirement for departmental restructure has resulted in a variety of service pathways across the country. This study aimed to explore the experiences of different clinical teams and identify any consistent themes or reflections, which could be applied to continuous improvement of minor injury care.

Methods

Using a phenomenological approach, nine semistructured interviews were conducted with trauma and orthopaedic clinical leads across England whose departments provided support to minor injuries service. Detailed transcripts were then analysed to identify themes for discussion. Interviews were conducted via video conferencing in November 2020 at the end of England’s second national lockdown.

Results

Each of the nine orthopaedic departments provided support for minor injuries, six of which involved creating a new unit. Themes included the value of collaborative working between the emergency department and orthopaedic staff across multiple professions and the benefit to patients of early definitive decision making. A common theme was reduced barriers to change during the pandemic. Examples of long-term service improvements triggered by the pandemic focus on pathways to enable consultant to provide early opinions for injured patients.

Conclusions

A range of experiences have demonstrated themes in reflection from service leaders. Departments across the country should be encouraged to consider what improvements to their own service may be applied long term. Resource limitations, staff well-being and education must all be considered.
A Dutchman in London: reflections of a hospital chief executive from the Netherlands in the NHS
Authors: Levi Marcel
Published: June 2021

Background

The NHS is a fascinating health care system and is enjoying a lot of support from all layers of British society. However, it is clear that the system has excellent features but also areas that can be improved.

Story of self

A number of years as a chief executive in one of London’s largest hospital has brought me a wealth of impressions, experiences, and understanding about working in the NHS. Contrasting those to my previous experience as chief executive in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) provides an interesting insight.

Observations

Very strong features of the NHS are the high level of health care professionals, the focus on quality and safety, and involvement of patients and the public. However, the NHS can significantly improve by addressing the lack of clinical professionals in the lead, curtailing ever increasing bureaucracy, and reducing its peculiar preference for outsourcing even the most crucial activities to private parties. The frequent inability to swiftly and successfully complete goal-directed negotiations as well as the large but from a clinical point of view irrelevant private sector are areas of sustained bewilderment. Lastly, the drive for innovation and transformation as well as the level of biomedical research in the NHS and supported by the British universities is fascinating and outstanding.
Prevalence and risk factors for anogenital HPV infection and neoplasia among women living with HIV in China
Authors: Duan Rufei , Zhang Hongyun , Wu Aihui , Li Chongxi , Li Le , Xu Xiaoqian , Qiao Youlin , Zhao Fanghui , Clifford Gary
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To explore the prevalence and risk factors of anogenital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and neoplasia among women living with HIV (WLHIV) in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2019 to 2020, 409 WLHIV aged 18 years and older were recruited from an HIV treatment clinic in Yunnan, China. Cervical and anal samples were collected for HPV testing of 15 HPV genotypes and cytological interpretation. Women positive for cervical HPV or cytological abnormalities were recalled for colposcopy examination and biopsy when necessary. Prevalence of anogenital HPV infection and neoplasia were compared by logistic regression.

Results

HPV prevalence was 34.2% (140/409) for cervical and 34.7% (142/409) for anal (high-risk HPV being 30.6% (125/409) and 30.3% (124/409), respectively). The most frequent genotypes were HPV-52, HPV-16 and HPV-58 in the cervix, HPV-52, HPV-53 and HPV-39 in the anus, with strong correlation between cervical and anal positivity, both overall and at a type-specific level. Cervical HPV was most associated with short duration of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) (≤2 vs >2 years, adjusted OR (aOR)=2.25, 95% CI: 1.22 to 4.12) and high initial HIV viral load (≥1000 vs <1000 copies/mL, aOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.10 to 3.58). Anal HPV was most associated with low nadir CD4 count (<200 vs ≥200 cells/µL, aOR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.01 to 3.22) and low current CD4 count (<350 vs ≥500 cells/µL, aOR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.00 to 4.36). CIN2+ prevalence was 4.6% and associated with low nadir CD4 count (aOR=4.63, 95% CI: 1.24 to 17.25).

Conclusions

Cervical and anal HPV were strongly correlated and, together with associated neoplasia, were highly prevalent among WLHIV in China. Early initiation of cART to avoid severe immunodeficiency should decrease anogenital HPV prevalence and related cancer burden among WLHIV. Incorporating anogenital cancer prevention services into HIV/AIDS care is warranted.
Kootenay Lake kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) collapse into a predator pit
Authors: Warnock Will G. , Thorley Joseph L. , Arndt Steven K. , Weir Tyler J. , Neufeld Matthew D. , Burrows Jeff A. , Andrusak Greg F.
Published: June 2021

Kootenay Lake is a large, oligotrophic waterbody in southern British Columbia renowned for recreational fisheries for piscivorous rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). Long-term datasets showed an increase in large-bodied (>2 kg) piscivore abundance followed by a collapse of the kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) prey population in 2013 and subsequent decline of large-bodied piscivores. An unprecedented post-collapse state formed in 2015–2018, characterized by low kokanee spawner abundance and biomass and high catch rates for small-bodied (<2 kg), slow-growing piscivores. Bioenergetics model estimates of average historical (1961–2008) piscivore consumption was 29.3% of the average historical (1993–2008) kokanee prey supply (biomass and production), but increased to 78.7% in 2011, immediately preceding kokanee collapse. From 2015–2018, kokanee did not recover due to persistently poor juvenile survival; estimated piscivore consumption relative to prey supply remained high (73.0%), suggesting that kokanee were trapped in a predator pit. Although the ultimate and interacting causes of the predator build up remain uncertain, overcoming current depensatory dynamics may be aided by kokanee stocking or increasing harvest on still-abundant, unsatiated piscivores.
Brain plasticity in response to short-term exposure to corticosterone in larval amphibians
Authors: Cha Elizabeth S. , Uhrin Madison T. , McClelland Sara J. , Woodley Sarah K.
Published: June 2021

Exposure to stressors and elevation of glucocorticoid hormones such as corticosterone (CORT) has widespread effects on vertebrate brain development. Previous studies have shown that exposure to environmental stressors alters larval amphibian brain morphology and behavior, yet the effects of CORT on amphibian brain morphology are still unknown. We exposed prometamorphic Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)) tadpoles for 7 days to a concentration of exogenous CORT (45.56 μg/L) that produced physiologically relevant increases in plasma CORT. This brief exposure to CORT, relatively late in development, resulted in a significantly larger diencephalon width (relative to body mass) when compared with controls. Although we were unable to detect changes in behavior or body morphology, our results indicate that brain shape is modulated by exposure to CORT. More studies are needed to better understand what accounts for the CORT-induced change in brain shape as well as the functional consequences of these changes.
Edge-state influence on high-order harmonic generation in topological nanoribbons
Authors: Jürß Hannah , Bauer Dieter
Published: June 2021

The high-order harmonic generation in finite topological nanoribbons is investigated using a tight-binding approximation. The narrow, two-dimensional ribbons consist of hexagonal structures. A topological phase transition is defined by a sudden change of the topological invariant. In the bulk, this kind of phase transition might occur if an existing band gap closes and reopens again. Through the bulk-boundary correspondence, this is related to the emergence of topologically protected edge states in the respective finite systems. For the finite ribbons studied in this work, the variation of the tight-binding parameters leads to the emergence of two edge states after the closing of the band gap. The energies of those edge states as functions of the tight-binding parameters display crossings and avoided crossings, which influence the high-harmonic spectra.

Graphic Abstract
Morse potential in relativistic contexts from generalized momentum operator: Schottky anomalies, Pekeris approximation and mapping
Authors: Gomez Ignacio S. , Santos Esdras S. , Abla Olavo
Published: June 2021

In this work, we explore a generalization of the Dirac and Klein–Gordon (KG) oscillators, provided with a deformed linear momentum inspired in nonextensive statistics, that gives place to the Morse potential in relativistic contexts by first principles. In the (1 + 1)-dimensional case, the relativistic oscillators are mapped into the quantum Morse potential. Using the Pekeris approximation, in the (3 + 1)-dimensional case, we study the thermodynamics of the S-waves states (l = 0) of the H2, LiH, HCl and CO molecules (in the non-relativistic limit) and of a relativistic electron, where Schottky anomalies (due to the finiteness of the Morse spectrum) and spin contributions to the heat capacity are reported. By revisiting a generalized Pekeris approximation, we provide a mapping from (3 + 1)-dimensional Dirac and KG equations with a spherical potential to an associated one-dimensional Schrödinger-like equation, and we obtain the family of potentials for which this mapping corresponds to a Schrödinger equation with non-minimal coupling.
On Eshelby’s inclusion problem in nonlinear anisotropic elasticity
Authors: Yavari Arash
Published: June 2021

In this paper, the recent literature of finite eignestrains in nonlinear elastic solids is reviewed, and Eshelby’s inclusion problem at finite strains is revisited. The subtleties of the analysis of combinations of finite eigenstrains for the example of combined finite radial, azimuthal, axial and twist eigenstrains in a finite circular cylindrical bar are discussed. The stress field of a spherical inclusion with uniform pure dilatational eigenstrain in a radially-inhomogeneous spherical ball made of arbitrary incompressible isotropic solids is analyzed. The same problem for a finite circular cylindrical bar is revisited. The stress and deformation fields of an orthotropic incompressible solid circular cylinder with distributed eigentwists are analyzed.
Effect of Uygur medicine maturants on related factors of liver energy metabolism in rats
Authors: Talifu Ainiwaer , Samat Rapkat , Kuerban Yilifanjinag , Kader Mamatali , Tursun Dilnur
Published: June 2021

Objective: To investigate the effects of five Uygur medicine maturants on the related factors of liver energy metabolism in rats.

Methods: After 30 days of preparation and intragastric administration, the weight changes of rats were observed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect Na[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] ATPase, Ca2[Formula: see text] Mg2[Formula: see text] ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities; hepatic glycogen (HG) and muscle glycogen (MG) content, plasma triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4), and thyrotropin (TSH) content were detected.

Results: The Kan (blood) quality regulator reduced the weight of rats, the Sapra regulator increased the weight of rats, the Savda maturant group, and the Balham maturant group increased the Na[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] ATPase, Ca2[Formula: see text] Mg2[Formula: see text] ATP, SDH activity, HG, MG, T3, T4, and TSH content of rats significantly, while the other groups had no significant effect on the energy metabolism-related factors.

Conclusion: Five kinds of Uygur medicine maturants have effects on the related factors of energy metabolism in the liver of normal rats, and their elevation of serum thyroxine level is related, among which the effects of the Savda maturant group and the Balham maturant group are more significant.
Nutritional Qualities and Enhancement of Edible Insects
Authors: van Huis Arnold , Rumpold Birgit , Maya Cassandra , Roos Nanna
Published: June 2021

Over the last decade, the urgency to find alternative and sustainable protein sources has prompted an exponential increase in the interest in insects as a human food source. Edible insects contribute suitable amounts of energy and protein, fatty acids, and micronutrients to the human diet. Nutritional values of insects can be manipulated to meet specific needs. Edible insects in food-insecure countries can contribute to improving diets and preventing undernutrition. Bioactive compounds in insects may reduce health risks. Food safety risks are low and mainly relate to those of allergenicity. Strategies to overcome barriers to the consumption of insect products include emphasizing their sustainability, increasing their tastiness, and developing the ability to disguise insects in familiar products. A new sector of insects as food and feed is emerging. Major challenges include legislation, lowering prices by automation and cheap substrates, developing insect products that appeal to consumers, and exploring the health benefits.
Genesis of the Bieyesamas Monzogranite of the Altay Mountain, Xinjiang, Northwestern China, and Its Rare Metal Resource Potential
Authors: Qiao Gengbiao , Chen Xiaoyan , Li Wenming
Published: June 2021

Lying in the Altay Orogenic Belt in Xinjiang, Northwestern China, the Bieyesamas monzogranite pluton is located in the North Altay Terrane. It is one of the important granitic batholiths with a large amount of rare metal pegmatite dikes. According to LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb isotopic dating, the 206Pb/238U weighted average age of the Bieyesamas monzogranite is

451.1
±
5.1

 Ma (

MSWD
=
6.0

), indicating the formation age of Late Ordovician. The Bieyesamas monzogranite has secondary minerals such as garnet and tourmaline. The geochemical analysis shows that the pluton is characterized by high SiO2 (70.45%~75.44%), Al2O3 (14. 04%~17.14%), potassium and alkaline (

K

2

O
=
4.20
%
~
4.78
%

,

N

a

2

O
+

K

2

O
=
7.90
%
~
8.99
%

), A/CNK (1.16~1.28), and high corundum (2.33%~5.08%) being found in CIPW standard minerals, belonging to high-K calc-alkaline peraluminous series. The pluton is enriched in LREE, depleted in HREE (

LREE
/
HREE
=
5.99
~
9.65

), with obviously negative Eu anomaly (

δ
Eu
=
0.44
~
0.60

), while the trace elements are characterized by Rb, K, Nb, Ta, Hf, and U enrichment and Ba, Sr, Ti, and Zr depletion, as well as with high differentiation index (

DI
=
93.24
%

). Zircon

ε
Hf

t

values range from 2.89 to 7.69, with the corresponding two-stage model ages (

T

DM
2

) of 941~1257 Ma. The mineral assemblage, geochemical characteristics, and zircon Hf isotope indicate the pluton experienced the highly fractionated process and belongs to highly fractionated S-type granite, which was formed by partial melting of the Meso- to Neoproterozoic crustal material. In the Bieyesamas monzogranite, the average contents of rare metals are obviously higher (

Li
=
550
×

10

−
6

,

Be
=
10.18
×

10

−
6

,

Nb
=
18.91
×

10

−
6

,

Ta
=
2.14
×

10

−
6

,

Rb
=
500
×

10

−
6

, and

Cs
=
149.9
×

10

−
6

) than the other rocks and Clark values of crust, which indicates that the Bieyesamas pluton has the enrichment potential of rare metals. The metallogenic geological conditions are superior in the Bieyesamas area of the Altay Mountain, and rare metal deposits and ore spots are widely distributed. In particular, the newly discovered rare metal deposits are characterized by large-scale mineralization, high grade and industrial utilization value, etc. It is preliminarily predicted that they have reached the medium-scale deposits. Therefore, the Bieyesamas area is one of the key areas for rare metal prospecting breakthroughs in the future, with great potential for rare metal mineral resources.
Investigation on the Role of Steel Slag Powder in Blended Cement Based on Quartz Powder as Reference
Authors: He Wei , Zhao Jihui , Yang Gangqiang
Published: June 2021

To clarify the role of steel slag powder in blended cement, steel slag powders with different amounts and particle sizes were mixed into blended cement and the inert quartz powder was selected as the reference. The influences of steel slag powder with different amounts and particle sizes on the hydration and hardening properties of blended cement were studied from hydration heat, nonevaporable water content, porosity, hydration products, and strength. The results show that the influence coefficient of nonevaporable water content (ՓWn) of blended cement paste is in an exponential relationship with the amount of steel slag powder. Moreover, at a dosage of 30%, ՓWn of blended cement gradually decreases with the increase of steel slag particle size. Both the early and late compressive strengths of blended cement are in a binomial relationship with the amount of steel slag powder. The influence coefficient of steel slag powder on the compressive strength of blended cement is negative at the age of 3 days, whereas it is positive at the age of 28 days. The chemical filling effect of 30% steel slag powder with different particle sizes in the blended cement paste is very small, only 1.13%–5.06%. The hydration products of blended cement containing steel slag are mainly amorphous C‐S‐H gels and platy Ca(OH)2, and their density are consistent with the law of their porosity.
Hematometrocolpos following Low Transverse Cesarean Delivery Complicated by Uterine Dehiscence
Authors: Gabby Lauryn C. , McDaniel Katherine E. , Gordon Brian J. , Al-Marayati Laila A.
Published: June 2021

Background. Hematometrocolpos is a rare complication following procedures performed on the female genital tract. While usually seen in adolescents with congenital anomalies including imperforate hymen and vaginal stenosis, it has also been described following obstetric vaginal lacerations. The incidence following cesarean delivery is unknown. Case. This is a 43-year-old multigravida who underwent a low transverse cesarean delivery complicated by uterine dehiscence, as well as cervical and vaginal lacerations. The repair resulted in lower genital tract obstruction. She presented seven months afterwards with severe abdominopelvic pain and secondary amenorrhea, which resolved after vaginal dilation and excision of the vaginal scar. Conclusion. Systematic inspection of the upper vagina should be undertaken following complicated cesarean delivery with vaginal extension. Hematometrocolpos after cesarean delivery should be managed similar to a transverse vaginal septum.
Chronic Fracture of the Posteromedial Tubercle of the Talus Masquerading as Os Trigonum Syndrome
Authors: Srirangarajan Thananjeyen , Abbasian Ali
Published: June 2021

Posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) can be caused by osseous pathology from the posterior aspect of the talus. The commonest cause is an os trigonum, an accessory ossicle arising from the lateral tubercle of the posterior talus. We have observed cases where the osseous impingement is due to a chronic fracture nonunion of the medial tubercle of the posterior talus with unique symptoms, differentiating this clinical syndrome from the more common os trigonum syndrome. These can be readily overlooked on imaging and confused with an often coexisting os trigonum. Awareness of these lesions is paramount to ensure appropriate management and safe surgery. We describe a series of patients presenting to the senior author with this clinical syndrome, discuss its unique clinical and radiological features, and describe our surgical technique.
Iterative Approximation of Fixed Points by Using
F
Iteration Process in Banach Spaces
Authors: Ahmad Junaid , Ullah Kifayat , Arshad Muhammad , de la Sen Manuel
Published: June 2021

We connect the

F

iteration process with the class of generalized

α

-nonexpansive mappings. Under some appropriate assumption, we establish some weak and strong convergence theorems in Banach spaces. To show the numerical efficiency of our established results, we provide a new example of generalized

α

-nonexpansive mappings and show that its

F

iteration process is more efficient than many other iterative schemes. Our results are new and extend the corresponding known results of the current literature.
Analysis of Children’s Traffic Behaviour at Signalized Crosswalks as a Precondition for Safe Children Routes Design: A Case Study from Croatia
Authors: Deluka-Tibljaš Aleksandra , Šurdonja Sanja , Ištoka Otković Irena
Published: June 2021

Children pedestrians represent road users with some specifics because of which it is important to study and take into account their traffic behaviour when traffic infrastructure is designed. Design should ensure and enhance their traffic safety because for decades, traffic accidents have been among the first few causes of children and adolescent mortality. Pedestrian speed is one of the important inputs when pedestrian infrastructure, especially crosswalks, is designed. On corridors where children are expected on a daily basis as independent pedestrians, the infrastructure should be adjusted to their characteristics and needs. The results of a study conducted in two Croatian cities of a similar size but of different urban and traffic conditions are presented in this paper. This study aimed at establishing and analysing children’s pedestrian speed while crossing the signalized crosswalk in the buffer area of elementary schools, mostly on primary roads in the school vicinity. Children aged 5–15 were observed, and accordingly V15, V50, and V85 speeds were established on the basis of altogether 600 measurements. Speed was established for children walking individually, in a group and supervised by adults, and of a different age, and based on their gender, the impact of infrastructural elements on their speed in traffic was also analysed. Significant differences were found between children’s speed measured in similar conditions in analysed cities and between some of the analysed groups. This fact proves that when improving conditions for children’s independent movement, it is important to consider their specifics in order to ensure safe design adjusted to children’s needs and limitations. As design speed in this paper, 15 percentile speed (V15) is considered. Suggestions on how to establish children pedestrian speed for design of routes regularly used by school children are proposed as well as some inputs elicited from the study done in Croatia are presented.
The Role of Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound in Liver Diseases: What Have We Learnt?
Authors: Lesmana Cosmas Rinaldi A. , Paramitha Maria Satya , Gani Rino A.
Published: June 2021

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is still a major problem, where the disease progression will lead to liver cirrhosis (LC) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Portal hypertension (PH) management and loco-regional therapy for HCC have become the cornerstones in advanced liver disease management. Recently, there are studies looking at the potential role of interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in liver diseases. EUS may be useful in vascular changes of the digestive wall evaluation, performing dynamic assessment of hemodynamic changes, predicting variceal bleeding and rebleeding risk, and assessing the pharmacological effects. In PH management, EUS-guided vascular therapy—which revolves around glue injection, endovascular coil placement/embolization, and combination of both—has shown promising results. As a diagnostic modality for liver cancer, the implementation of EUS in liver diseases is currently not only limited to liver biopsy (EUS-LB) but also in shear-wave elastography (SWE) and portal pressure gradient measurement, as well as portal vein sampling. The application of EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) and tumor injection can also overcome the limitations shown by both modalities without EUS. Nevertheless, establishing EUS as a firm diagnostic and therapeutic modality is still challenging since the performance of interventional EUS requires high expertise and adequate facilities.
Oxidative Stress Level as a Predictor of Anastomotic Leakage after Rectal Surgery
Authors: Luo Jiajun , Wu Hongxue , Yang Yu , Jiang Yue , Yuan Jingwen , Tong Qiang
Published: June 2021

Background. Early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage (AL) after rectal surgery can reduce the adverse effects of AL, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no accepted indicators or effective scoring systems that can clearly identify patients at risk of anastomotic leakage. Methods. A prospective study with assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of oxidative stress level (CAT, SOD, MDA) in serum and drain fluid compared to white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil percentage (NEUT) in prediction of AL in patients undergoing elective rectal surgery with anastomosis. Results. Most of the oxidative stress indicators we detected are of considerable significance in the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage. The level of MDA on postoperative day (POD)3 (areas under the curve (AUC): 0.831) and POD5 (AUC: 0.837) in the serum and on POD3 (AUC: 0.845) in the drain fluid showed the same excellent diagnostic accuracy as the level of CRP on the POD3 (AUC: 0.847) and POD5 (AUC: 0.896). Conclusions. The overall level of oxidative stress in serum and drain fluid is a reliable indicator for the early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage after rectal surgery. More specifically, among the redox indicators analyzed, MDA has almost the same predictive value as CRP, which provides another useful biomarker for the early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage.
A Calcifying Odontogenic Cyst Associated with Compound Odontoma Mimicking a Tooth Germ
Authors: Oliveira Eduardo Morato , Santana Lucas Alves da Mota , Silva Erika Rezende , Souza Leandro Napier
Published: June 2021

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is a rare cyst that affects mainly the anterior region of the jaws. Generally, it appears as a unilocular radiolucent lesion containing peripheral foci of calcification, but with radiographic variations depending on the type of presentation. Here, we report an atypical case of COC associated with odontoma, initially diagnosed as a tooth germ, in the posterior region of the mandible of a 10-year-old male patient. Interestingly, the radiographic aspect appeared as a unilocular radiolucent lesion without peripheral foci of calcification in the edentulous region, having its size increased after traction of the impacted tooth adjacent to that area. Thus, the case presented in this study is aimed at calling dentists’ attention to its developmental changes and related pathologies.
Efficiency of photo identification of inguinal color patterns of Pithecopus gonzagai (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) from northeastern Brazil
Authors: Lima-Araujo Frede , Brasileiro Ana Carolina , Carvalho Elvis Franklin Fernandes , Passos Daniel Cunha
Published: June 2021

Animal monitoring research involving mark-recapture techniques increasingly requires non-invasive methods of individual identification. The photographic identification method (PIM) is an excellent tool for this purpose and has been applied successfully to many taxa. However, the utility of PIM is a function of species-specific features that are judged suitable for a given target-species. Herein, the suitability of inguinal color patterns for photo identification of individuals of Pithecopus gonzagai are evaluated by comparing two widely used computer-assisted photographic matching programs (I³S and Wild.ID). Both programs accurately identified more than 70% of individuals in the top 20 potential matching photographs. Wild.ID was slightly better than I³S in matching efficiency and has a faster processing time. Thus, PIM is useful to identify individual P. gonzagai; however, before implementing the technique in animal-monitoring studies of other taxa, one must evaluate the suitability PIM for the target species and calibrate the relative efficiency of the software programs in identifying individuals.
Horizons of the Image: Interweaving Photography, Collage and the Digital Realm
Authors: Vicente Carlos Fadon
Published: June 2021

The author addresses the place of visual representation in his body of work, focusing on the genesis of his interest in digital imaging and the relationship between digital imaging and photography. He also discusses the connection between photography and collage/montage, the extended imagination enabled by digital imaging, human-machine collaboration and the design of narrative structures, both of which are guided by the interplay between certainty and uncertainty. In addition, the author presents aspects of his creative and research processes, referring to some of his artworks and conceptual concerns. Using a retrospective and personal approach, the author’s analysis is unavoidably incomplete.
A Distinct Right to Freedom of Thought in South America
Authors: Colnago Cláudio de Oliveira Santos , Shiner Bethany
Published: June 2021

The right to freedom of thought is guaranteed by Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights, yet current jurisprudence interprets the right as a mere dimension of freedom of expression, also protected by Article 13. Contemporary neurotechnology research presents the possibility for human thoughts to be tracked, recorded, analysed and predicted. This applies pressure upon the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ current understanding of the right to freedom of thought. Firstly, this paper will examine how Article 13 has been interpreted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights at different stages of its jurisprudence. Secondly, by considering both technological advances and the other rights guaranteed by the Convention, this paper argues for an evolution in the interpretation of Article 13 whereby the right to freedom of thought is understood as a distinct right, separate from freedom of expression. Finally, this paper proposes that the positive duty to secure Convention rights requires States to enact preventative legislation and regulations. Existing bioethics principles should be drawn upon to inform human rights-compliant laws and regulations that require the architectural design of technologies to limit the potential to infringe upon freedom of thought.
Wetnurse Politics in Spenser’s View and Jones’ Arte and Science
Authors: Lecky Katarzyna
Published: June 2021

This essay places Edmund Spenser’s View of the Present State of Ireland (1596) into conversation with John Jones’ 1579 nursing manual Arte and Science in order to contextualize Spenser’s medical solution to Irish rebellion. For both, the Irish wetnurse, who controlled the political system of fosterage undermining England’s agenda in Ireland, is central to the corporate identity of a conjoined Anglo-Irish kingdom. A View’s relationship to Jones’ text reveals the vexed ontological landscape of England’s early imperial self-fashioning, which linked the re-engineering of the genetic nature of colonial bodies to the management of women’s reproductive labor.
Dressed in Sheep’s Clothing: Pastoral and Reform in Spenser’s A View of the Present State of Ireland
Authors: Iammarino Denna
Published: June 2021

This study investigates the presence of pastoral themes in Spenser’s prose dialogue, A View of the Present State of Ireland (c. 1596). Tracing the traditional pastoral themes of generational conflict, degeneration, and regeneration in Spenser’s late pastorals, this study considers how Spenser’s inclusion of these pastoral themes shape paradigms of reform in the View. It argues that generational conflict is exacerbated in the colonial space where degeneration is pervasive threatening both the self and the social structure of the English colonial project in Ireland. These connections to pastoral themes suggest that Spenser and his colonial peers, such as Lodowick Bryskett, conceive of their lives in pastoral terms intersected with imperial politics.
Law and Diplomacy, Sovereignty and Consent
Authors: Sheehy Jeffrey
Published: June 2021

This article reflects on the first-ever compulsory conciliation under the law of the sea and its significance to international law and diplomacy. The conditions for ending the dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia were only created through a genuine combination of both law and diplomacy as facilitated by an expert commission. Through successive milestones, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (unclos) conciliation framework and the conciliation commission itself, was able to successfully shift the reluctant State (Australia) from resistance, to engagement, and ultimately, to resolution. The conciliation also showed how Timor-Leste’s sovereign interpretation of maritime rights under international law was a compelling argument in the context of historical factors and its self-determination. Ultimately, a treaty was agreed through the conciliation despite competing views of international law’s relationship to diplomacy and indeed on maritime boundary delimitation methodology itself. A reflection on this triumph of the liberal international order is beneficial for both Timor-Leste and Australia as they seek further cooperation under the new treaty, and for other States facing entrenched disputes as well.
The Concept of Freedom of Navigation in Light of ITLOS Interpretation in the Norstar Case
Authors: Demontis Giulia
Published: June 2021

The long-awaited judgment on the M/V Norstar case has clarified – at least for the time being – the meaning, interpretation and scope of application of the principle of freedom of the seas as a long-standing, customary principle of international law. Through an historical analysis of the principle and a framing of the ruling within the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, this article aims at providing a critical reading of the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Special issue of Bryophyte Diversity & Evolution: 50th anniversary of IAB
Authors: GOFFINET BERNARD
Published: June 2021

In 1969, an international group of bryologists established an association welcoming everyone seeking to further our knowledge on the biology of bryophytes. Fifty years later, the International Association of Bryologists (IAB) has slightly over 350 active members worldwide. Over the past decades, IAB has promoted bryology by establishing bryonet, a forum for discussions and questions, managed by Dr. Janice Glime, by publishing a regular newsletter, The Bryological Times sharing information about various developments in bryology, by publishing major reviews on specific subjects through the Advances in Bryology, by disseminating contributions to the diversification of bryophytes through Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution, by organizing biennial meetings, including in association with the sexennial International Botanical Congress, and by honoring colleagues for their achievements and stimulating research through grants. All these are made possible through the exemplary commitment by colleagues serving on the council, the editorial boards and the various ad hoc adjudication committees. To all, my and the members’ sincere gratitude.
Thalictrum jilongense and T. tenuicaule (Ranunculaceae), described from China, are both merged with T. leuconotum
Authors: ZENG YOU-PAI , YUAN QIONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: June 2021

Based on critical observations on herbarium specimens (including type material) and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that Thalictrum jilongense and T. tenuicaule (Ranunculaceae), described from southern Xizang (Tibet) and western Sichuan, China, respectively, are both conspecific with T. leuconotum. We therefore reduce T. jilongense and T. tenuicaule to the synonymy of T. leuconotum herein. Lectotypification is proposed for T. leuconotum.
A new species of Phyllagathis (Sonerileae, Melastomataceae) from Guangxi, China
Authors: CHEN HAI-LING , NONG SHI-YUE , LIU YAN , LIU YING
Published: June 2021

Phyllagathis elegans (Melastomataceae, Sonerileae), a new species from Dongxing County in southern Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It closely resembles P. ovalifolia in habit, inflorescence type, floral merosity, stamen and capsule morphology, and crystal form, but differs from the latter in the hirsute stem with crooked hairs (vs. retrorse hairs), distally densely (vs. sparsely) leafy branches, and leaf blades 3-veined (vs. 5–7-veined), oblanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate (vs. ovate, oblong-ovate, or broadly elliptic).
Description of a new diatom species—Microcostatus dexteri sp. nov.—from terrestrial habitats in southern Poland
Authors: JADWIGA STANEK-TARKOWSKA , ANTONINA CZYŻ EWA , MATEUSZ RYBAK
Published: June 2021

A new Microcostatus species was found during a study focusing on diatoms present on soils and among terrestrial mosses. Unlike most known European species of this genus, it has easily distinguishable striae under the light microscope and a distinct central area. Additionally, the newly described species shows lack of conopeum and pseudoconopeum. A detailed morphological characterisation using light and scanning electron microscopy of a new species from the genus Microcostatus and comparison to the most similar taxa are given.
Kalanchoe ×leistneri (K. sexangularis × K. winteri) (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), a new southern African nothospecies
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F.
Published: June 2021

N/A
Two new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari: Laelapidae) from the Andes Mountains, Peru
Authors: JOHARCHI OMID , FRIEDRICH STEFAN
Published: June 2021

Two new species of mites in the genus Gaeolaelaps (Laelapidae) are described from specimens collected from soil-litter in the Peruvian Andes – G. acanthopedus sp. nov. and G. andensis sp. nov.. Both species are consistent with the current concept of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till. The genus Gaeolaelaps is reported for the first time from Peru.
Osteology of Hemigrammocypris neglecta (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) with comments on its systematic position
Authors: ITO TAIKI , HOSHINO KAZUO , HOSOYA KAZUMI
Published: June 2021

Hemigrammocypris neglecta is a small-sized cyprinid fish that is endemic to Japan and the sole member of the genus Hemigrammocypris. We examined the osteological features of the species, and its relationships with related genera are discussed. The present data suggest that H. neglecta is most likely the sister taxon of Metzia lineata. This relationship is supported by one possible synapomorphy: the presence of a postepiphysial fontanelle, which is absent in all other Xenocypridinae.
Python-Based Supercell Tracking for Coarse Temporal and Spatial Resolution Numerical Model Simulations
Authors: Gropp Matthew E. , Davenport Casey E.
Published: June 2021

Deep convective thunderstorm tracking methodologies and software have become useful and necessary tools across many applications, from nowcasting to model verification. Despite many available options, many of these pre-existing methods lack a customizable, fast, and flexible methodology that can track supercell thunderstorms within convective-allowing climate datasets with coarse temporal and spatial resolution. This project serves as one option to solve this issue via an all-in-one tracking methodology, built upon several open-source Python libraries, and designed to work with various temporal resolutions, including hourly. Unique to this approach is accounting for varying data availability of different model variables, while still sufficiently and accurately tracking specific convective features; in this case, supercells were the focus. To help distinguish supercells from ordinary cells, updraft helicity and other three-dimensional atmospheric data were incorporated into the tracking algorithm to confirm its supercellular status. Deviant motion from the mean wind was also used identify supercells. The tracking algorithm was tested and performed on a dynamically-downscaled regional climate model dataset with 4 km horizontal grid spacing. Each supercell was tracked for its entire lifetime over the course of 26 years of model output, resulting in a supercell climatology over the central United States. Due to the tracking configuration and dataset used, the tracking performs most consistently for long-lived and strong supercells compared to weak and short-lived supercells. This tracking methodology allows for customizable open-source tracking of supercells in any downscaled convective-allowing dataset, even with coarse temporal resolution.
Ethnicity, Exclusion, and Exams: Education Policy and Politics in Burundi from the Independent Republics to the Civil War (1966–1993)
Authors: Dunlop Emily
Published: June 2021

Education policy can embed ethnic inequalities in a country. Education in Burundi, with its historically exclusive political institutions and education, represents an important case for understanding these interactions. In this article, I interview twelve Burundians about how they experienced and perceived ethnicity and politics in their schooling from 1966 to 1993. I argue that education contributed to tangible and perceived social hierarchies based on ethnic inequalities. I show that this exclusion reflected both overt and covert policy goals, through proxies used to identify ethnicity in schools and through the exclusive nature of national exams at the time, which promoted members of the Tutsi minority at the expense of the majority Hutus. This study has implications for understanding how perceptions of inequality in education manifest as grievances against the state. It sheds light on the importance of understanding covert education policy as a potential mechanism for generating exclusion and contributing to conflict.
Influence of the Electrode Array Design on Incidence of Vertigo Symptoms and Vestibular Function After Cochlear Implantation
Authors: Matin Farnaz , Krueger Caroline , Avallone Emilio , Rossberg Willi , Demyanchuk Alexey , Guenther Annette , Lenarz Thomas , Lesinski-Schiedat Anke
Published: June 2021

Purpose:

To evaluate if a specific type of cochlear implant (CI) electrode array (EA) reveals higher rates/prevalence of vestibular symptoms and to characterize their respective relationship to intracochlear position and objective vestibular function.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 71 cochlear implantations in patients older than 18 years. The electrode position within the cochlea, electrode insertion angle, and cochlear coverage were determined from postoperative multiplanar reconstructed cone-beam computed tomography scans. All device manufacturers were represented. Data related to preoperative and postoperative PTA as well as vestibular symptoms in the preoperative and postoperative stages were collected from the patient’s records.

Results:

Twelve of the 71 (16.9%) CI patients experienced vertigo symptoms in the early postoperative period. In 5 (7.0%) patients, the vertigo complaints lasted until the time of the first activation (5-6 weeks postoperative). Postoperative onset of vestibular symptoms was more often seen in patients receiving lateral wall (LW)/straight EAs (19%) compared to perimodiolar/precurved EAs (7%), but this was only a trend and no statistical significance was observed. Moreover, preoperative pathologic caloric responses (CRs) better predicted the postoperative onset of vestibular symptoms.

Conclusion:

The preoperative consideration of a complicated CI-induced vertigo is important in the counseling particularly of elderly patients. We identified some risk factors for post-CI vertigo that should be considered in the patient’s counseling: preoperative pathologic CRs, the extent of surgical trauma, and possibly the use of an LW EA, regardless of the length.
Attitudes Towards Home Care of Older Persons With Disabilities: The Case of Trinidad
Authors: Parey Bephyer
Published: June 2021

Caring for persons with disabilities is challenging, yet it is assumed that people would care for their relatives with disabilities because of a feeling of closeness. Using a convergent mixed methods design, this article examines attitudes towards older persons with disabilities in the context of home care using Trinidad as a case study. The analytical framework involves (a) measuring attitudes towards the inclusion of older persons with disabilities in the home and (b) identifying the reasons for these attitudes. This framework is applied to a representative sample of 868 adult Trinidadians as well as the subsamples of adult Trinidadians dwelling and not dwelling with older persons with disabilities. Not all adult Trinidadians agreed that older persons with disabilities should be included in the home, and integrated findings indicate the need for monitoring systems for both home care and at homes for the aged.
Evaluation of In‐Office Volitional Snore as a Screening Tool for Candidacy for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation
Authors: Yalamanchi Pratyusha , Mott Nicole , Ali Syed Ahmed , Peddireddy Nithin S. , Kovatch Kevin J. , Stanley Jeffrey J. , Hoff Paul T.
Published: June 2021

Candidacy evaluation for hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) is resource intensive. This proof‐of‐concept study investigates use of in‐office volitional snore during flexible laryngoscopy as an efficient, cost‐effective screening tool for HGNS evaluation. Adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea that failed continuous positive airway pressure treatment (n = 41) underwent evaluation for HGNS from 2018 to 2019. Volitional snore and drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) data were collected and scored by VOTE classification (velum/palate, oropharynx, tongue base, epiglottis). A chi‐square test of independence was performed that demonstrated a significant relationship between volitional snore and DISE (χ2 = 4.39, P =. 036) for velum collapse pattern. Sensitivity and specificity of volitional snore for detecting velum collapse pattern were 93.6% (95% CI, 75.6%‐99.2%) and 40% (95% CI, 12.2%‐73.8%), respectively, illustrating its utility in screening for HGNS. Patients who demonstrate anterior‐posterior velum collapse on volitional snore may be excellent candidates for confirmatory DISE at the time of HGNS implantation.