bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Damage and spatiotemporal dynamics of the Ngaio flat mite, Brevipalpus ferraguti (Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), with observations on the development of the female insemination system
Authors: Escobar-Garcia Hector Alonso , Ferragut Francisco
Published: November 2021

We studied the Ngaio flat mite, Brevipalpus ferraguti Ochoa & Beard, on Myoporum laetum (Scrophulariaceae), a common introduced plant used as hedgerows in gardens and green areas of the Mediterranean, where the mite causes considerable damage. We first describe the damage, and then the patterns of mite seasonal abundance and spatial distribution. Finally, we address the development of the female insemination system at the population level. Damage occurs on both sides of the leaves, starting with a uniform stippling and bronzing and ending in the leaves drying out and extensive defoliation that coincides with summer. Mite population peaked between June and August, maintained moderate levels in autumn and winter and reached its lowest density in early spring. Active motile immatures and eggs were present throughout the year. Females and motile immature forms were more abundant on the abaxial (lower) leaf surface, but eggs were deposited on both surfaces indistinctly, suggesting that females actively move to the adaxial (upper) surface in summer to oviposit. All the developmental stages were aggregated on the leaves throughout the year regardless of their population density. Our study suggests that a binomial or presence-absence sampling, examining only the number of females on the abaxial surface, can accurately estimate the total mite density levels. Only 23.5% of females possessed a fully developed spermatheca, whereas in 76.5% of the cases the seminal receptacle was not present or not developed. Females with a complete spermatheca were less abundant in summer. Average temperatures and host plant species affected the occurrence of this reproductive structure.
Remote Ischaemic Conditioning in STEMI Patients in Sub-Saharan AFRICA: Rationale and Study Design for the RIC-AFRICA Trial
Authors: Lukhna Kishal , Hausenloy Derek J. , Ali Abdelbagi Sidahmed , Bajaber Abdullah , Calver Alistair , Mutyaba Arthur , Mohamed Awad Abdalla , Kiggundu Brian , Chishala Chishala , Variava Ebrahim , Elmakki Ehab Ali , Ogola Elijah , Hamid Eltayeb , Okello Emmy , Gaafar Isam , Mwazo Keiran , Makotoko Makoali , Naidoo Mergan , Abdelhameed Mohamed Elhadi , Badri Motasim , van der Schyff Nasief , Abozaid Omaima , Xafis Paul , Giesz Sara , Gould Trevor , Welgemoed Waldo , Walker Malcolm , Ntsekhe Mpiko , Yellon Derek M
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Despite evidence of myocardial infarct size reduction in animal studies, remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) failed to improve clinical outcomes in the large CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI trial. Potential reasons include that the predominantly low-risk study participants all received timely optimal reperfusion therapy by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Whether RIC can improve clinical outcomes in higher-risk STEMI patients in environments with poor access to early reperfusion or PPCI will be investigated in the RIC-AFRICA trial.

Methods

The RIC-AFRICA study is a sub-Saharan African multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial designed to test the impact of RIC on the composite endpoint of 30-day mortality and heart failure in 1200 adult STEMI patients without access to PPCI. Randomized participants will be stratified by whether or not they receive thrombolytic therapy within 12 h or arrive outside the thrombolytic window (12–24 h). Participants will receive either RIC (four 5-min cycles of inflation [20 mmHg above systolic blood pressure] and deflation of an automated blood pressure cuff placed on the upper arm) or sham control (similar protocol but with low-pressure inflation of 20 mmHg and deflation) within 1 h of thrombolysis and applied daily for the next 2 days. STEMI patients arriving greater than 24 h after chest pain but within 72 h will be recruited to participate in a concurrently running independent observational arm.

Conclusion

The RIC-AFRICA trial will determine whether RIC can reduce rates of death and heart failure in higher-risk sub-optimally reperfused STEMI patients, thereby providing a low-cost, non-invasive therapy for improving health outcomes.
Inevitability of the Poisson Bracket Structure of the Relativistic Constraints
Authors: Głowacki Jan
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this paper is to shed some fresh light on the long-standing conceptual question of the origin of the well-known Poisson bracket structure of the constraints that govern the canonical dynamics of generally relativistic field theories, i.e. geometrodynamics. This structure has long been known to be the same for a wide class of fields that inhabit the space-time, namely those with non-differential coupling to gravity. It has also been noticed that an identical bracket structure can be derived independently of any dynamical theory, by purely geometrical considerations in Lorentzian geometry. Here we attempt to provide the missing link between the dynamics and geometry, which we understand to be the reason for this structure to be of the specific kind. We achieve this by a careful analysis of the geometrodynamical approach, which allows us to derive the structure in question and understand it as a consistency requirement for any such theory. In order to stay close to the classical literature on the subject we stick to the metric formulation of general relativity, but the reasoning should carry over to any other formulation as long as the non-metricity tensor vanishes. The discussion section is devoted to derive some interesting consequences of the presented result in the context of reconstructing the Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) framework, thus providing a precise sense to the inevitability of the Einstein’s theory under minimal assumptions.
Mapping research trends of uveal melanoma: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Li Senmao , Guo Yongwei , Hou Xiaoyi , Liu Jinhua , Fan Wanlin , Ju Sitong , Matos Philomena A. Wawer , Rokohl Alexander C. , Heindl Ludwig M.
Published: November 2021

Background

To explore the research trends for uveal melanoma with bibliometric methods using Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed (PM).

Methods

To find UM-related studies, “uveal melanoma” was used as search term in the WoSCC and PM for the period time from 2000 to 2020. Bibliographic coupling analysis was used to investigate the journals with the highest number of UM-related publications. VOSviewer (VV) was used for mapping the knowledge domain and visualizing the co-occurrence of terms, authors, organizations, countries, co-citation literature, and keywords. The knowledge map based on WoSCC and PM was compared.

Results

In the WoSCC 3,748 articles were found, while in PM the search resulted in 3,403 articles. The number of original articles has steadily grown in general in the past two decades. The top ten authors were contributing to 23% (n = 856) of all publications, while the top 10 institutions published 41% (n = 1524) of all articles. The top 3 journals with the highest number of publications for UM-related research included Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, Ophthalmology, and British Journal of Ophthalmology. Co-occurrence analysis based on author keywords showed 6 clusters. The most frequent keywords included are metastasis, prognosis, and brachytherapy. The latest research hotspots focused on BAP1, immunotherapy and GNAQ.

Conclusions

Genetics and immunology are the latest research frontiers in uveal melanoma. There is a clear need for interdisciplinary, molecular and clinical research approaches to improve the fatal prognosis of uveal melanoma patients.
Well-Being and Perceived Stress of Adolescent Young Carers: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study
Authors: Wepf Hannah , Leu Agnes
Published: November 2021

Adolescent young carers have been described as a hidden group at risk of mental health problems. However, research has not yet clarified the effect of caring when considering the related family situation. We aimed to examine the impact of a caring role on adolescents’ mental health and to gain knowledge about adolescent young carers’ specific needs. We collected cross-sectional data from adolescents (15–21 years, N = 2525) recruited through educational institutions in German-speaking Switzerland. Based on self-reported answers regarding the presence or absence of a family member with health problems and youth’s caring activities, the participants were grouped into three subsamples. We compared mental health outcomes (well-being and perceived stress) in current carers and their peers, and we conducted multiple regression analyses for predicting these outcomes among all adolescents and the subsample of carers. Adolescent young carers had lower levels of well-being and higher levels of perceived stress than their peers. However, when controlling for background variables, well-being levels were lower only when carers were compared to adolescents from a healthy family background. Indicators of family instability predicted mental health outcomes independently of being a carer. More recognition for the caring role predicted better well-being and perceived stress outcomes, and more support in caring predicted better well-being but not perceived stress outcomes. The findings suggest that a caring role is not necessarily related to decreased well-being in adolescents, but it is associated with higher levels of perceived stress. The way professionals and services respond to young carers’ specific needs should be improved.
Family Structure Transitions: Prevalence and Physical Health Effects in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam
Authors: Oldroyd Rebecca , Rahman Shazia , DeRose Laurie F. , Hadfield Kristin
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to identify the prevalence and physical health consequences of family structure transitions among children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. In many high-income countries, family structure transitions are common, and research suggests that they can lead to worse physical health for children. However, we know little about either the prevalence or consequences of family structure transitions for children in low-and middle-income countries, who make up the vast majority of the world’s children. First, we estimated the number of family structure transitions by age 12 using four rounds of Young Lives data from four low-and middle-income countries (N = 8062, Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam) and validated our prevalence estimates with another dataset from these same countries. The proportion of children experiencing a family structure transition by age 12 was: 14.8% in Ethiopia, 5.6% in India, 22.0% in Peru, and 7.7% in Vietnam. We put these estimates in context by comparing them to 17 high- and upper-middle-income countries. Second, using linear mixed models, we found that family structure transitions were not directly associated with worse physical health for children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Children in Peru experienced higher rates of family structure transitions relative to children in the other Young Lives countries, and similar rates to many of the 17 comparison countries, yet physical health was unaffected. It is possible that in low-and middle-income countries, the environment may overwhelm family stability as a determinant of physical health.
Dutch preposition stranding and ellipsis: ‘Merchant’s Wrinkle’ ironed out
Authors: Griffiths James , Güneş Güliz , Lipták Anikó , Merchant Jason
Published: November 2021

This paper provides an explanation for the unexpected ban on preposition stranding bywh-R-pronouns under sluicing in Dutch. After showing that previous prosodic and syntactic explanations are untenable, we propose that the observed ban is a by-product of an EPP condition that applies in the PP domain in Dutch. Our analysis revolves around the idea that ellipsis bleeds EPP-driven movement, an idea that already has empirical support from independent patterns of ellipsis found in English and in other structural domains in Dutch. Our claim is that: (1) R-pronominalization involves a pronominal argument of P moving to the periphery of its extended PP domain (PlaceP) in order to satisfy a PP-internal EPP condition, (2) this EPP-driven movement is bled under sluicing, and (3) because SpecPlaceP is the ‘escape hatch’ through which R-pronouns must move in order to exit the PP domain to form preposition stranding configurations, bleeding the EPP-driven movement of R-pronouns to SpecPlaceP therefore precludes R-pronouns from undergoing thewh-movement required to form a sluicing configuration.
Incorporation of Functionalized Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles in Living Cells
Authors: Rivas Manuel , Turon Pau , Alemán Carlos , Puiggalí Jordi , del Valle Luis J.
Published: November 2021

Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) is a key signaling element that is involved in a great variety of fundamental biological processes. Thus, Ca2+ deregulation would be involved in the cancer cell progression and damage of mitochondrial membrane and DNA, which lead to apoptosis and necrosis. In this study, we have prepared amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles (ACP NPs) for studied their incorporation by endocytosis or electroporation to epithelial, endothelial and fibroblast cells (MCF-7, HUVEC and COS-1 cells, respectively). Our results showed that internalized ACP NPs have cytotoxic effects as a consequence of the increase of the intracellular calcium content. The endocytosis pathways showed a greater cytotoxic effect since calcium ions could easily be released from the nanoparticles and be accumulated in the lysosomes and mitochondria. In addition, the cytotoxic effect could be reversed when calcium ion was chelated with ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Modification of ACP NPs by coating with different compounds based on phosphates was also evaluated. The results indicated a reduction of the cytotoxic effect, in the order polyphosphate < phosphonic acid < orthophosphate. A differential cytotoxic effect of ACP-NPs was observed in function of the cell type; the cytotoxic effect can be ordered as i.e., HUVEC > COS-1 > MCF-7. The greater cytotoxic effect caused by the increase of intracellular calcium that is observed in normal cells and the greater resistance of cancer cells suggests new perspectives for cancer research.
Digital Information Technology Use and Transnational Healthcare: A Population-Based Study on Older Russian-Speaking Migrants in Finland
Authors: Shin Young-Kyu , Koskinen Veera , Kouvonen Anne , Kemppainen Teemu , Olakivi Antero , Wrede Sirpa , Kemppainen Laura
Published: November 2021

This study examines the association between digital information technology (DIT) use and the utilization of transnational healthcare (THC) in older migrants, and investigates how this relationship depends on social integration or perceived discrimination in health services in the destination country. The data from a population-based study conducted in Finland in 2019, which targeted Russian-speaking residents aged 50 and above (n = 1082) nationwide, are analyzed. The analysis demonstrates that those who had a high level of DIT use were significantly more likely to use THC than those who had a low level of use. However, the findings do not show that the relationship depends on social integration or perceived discrimination. Older migrants can actively use transnational networks to address their health and well-being issues by using DIT and seeking healthcare abroad. Their health service use can be illustrated as an active process involving various geographical domains.
Flow theory: Advancing the two-dimensional conceptualization
Authors: Lavoie Raymond , Main Kelley , Stuart-Edwards Anastasia
Published: November 2021

This research advances the conceptualization and measurement of flow. The results of six studies (N = 2809) reveal that flow has two dimensions: “fluency,” which is comprised of experiences related to fluent thought and action; and “absorption,” which is based on sustained full attention. The results also demonstrate that the two dimensions have nuanced relationships with other variables. Specifically, while the fluency dimension is related to antecedents of flow (familiarity, skill, progress), the absorption dimension is not. Conversely, the absorption dimension was found to be strongly related to consequences of flow (behavioral intentions, presence), while the fluency dimension was not. Furthermore, we demonstrate that fluency-related experiences can give rise to the absorption-related experiences, which advances our understanding of how flow emerges. Finally, we develop a refined measure of flow called the two-dimensional-flow scale, and demonstrate its enhanced ability to capture variance in flow and other related variables in leisure contexts.
Application of computational approach in plastic pyrolysis kinetic modelling: a review
Authors: Armenise Sabino , Wong Syieluing , Ramírez-Velásquez José M. , Launay Franck , Wuebben Daniel , Nyakuma Bemgba B. , Rams Joaquín , Muñoz Marta
Published: November 2021

During the past decade, pyrolysis routes have been identified as one of the most promising solutions for plastic waste management. However, the industrial adoption of such technologies has been limited and several unresolved blind spots hamper the commercial application of pyrolysis. Despite many years and efforts to explain pyrolysis models based on global kinetic approaches, recent advances in computational modelling such as machine learning and quantum mechanics offer new insights. For example, the kinetic and mechanistic information about plastic pyrolysis reactions necessary for scaling up processes is unravelling. This selective literature review reveals some of the foundational knowledge and accurate views on the reaction pathways, product yields, and other features of pyrolysis created by these new tools. Pyrolysis routes mapped by machine learning and quantum mechanics will gain more relevance in the coming years, especially studies that combine computational models with different time and scale resolutions governed by “first principles.” Existing research suggests that, as machine learning is further coupled to quantum mechanics, scientists and engineers will better predict products, yields, and compositions, as well as more complicated features such as ideal reactor design.
Collective teacher culture: exploring an elusive construct and its relations with teacher autonomy, belonging, and job satisfaction
Authors: Skaalvik Einar M. , Skaalvik Sidsel
Published: November 2021

One purpose of this study was to analyze relations between four possible indicators of a collective teacher culture by means of confirmatory factor analyses. The indicators were termed “shared goals values”, “value consonance”, “collective teacher efficacy”, and “supportive colleagues”. A second purpose was to explore relations between collective teacher culture and teachers’ experiences of autonomy, belonging, and job satisfaction. Participants were 760 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. The data were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analyses and SEM analyses. The correlations between the four indicators of a collective culture ranged from .44 to .63 and both a model with first order factors and a model with a second order collective culture variable had good fit to the data. The analysis showed that a second order collective teacher culture variable was strongly and positively associated with the teachers’ experiences of autonomy, belonging, and job satisfaction.
Parallel signal detection for generalized spatial modulation MIMO systems
Authors: Garcia-Molla Victor M. , Simarro M. Angeles , Martínez-Zaldívar F. J. , Boratto Murilo , Alonso Pedro , Gonzalez Alberto
Published: November 2021

Generalized Spatial Modulation is a recently developed technique that is designed to enhance the efficiency of transmissions in MIMO Systems. However, the procedure for correctly retrieving the sent signal at the receiving end is quite demanding. Specifically, the computation of the maximum likelihood solution is computationally very expensive. In this paper, we propose a parallel method for the computation of the maximum likelihood solution using the parallel computing library OpenMP. The proposed parallel algorithm computes the maximum likelihood solution faster than the sequential version, and substantially reduces the worst-case computing times.
Occurrence of toxic metals and their selective pressure for antibiotic-resistant clinically relevant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes in river receiving systems under tropical conditions
Authors: Al Salah Dhafer Mohammed M. , Laffite Amandine , Sivalingam Periyasamy , Poté John
Published: November 2021

The co-occurrence of heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) from hospital effluents spreading into the river receiving systems and evaluating associated risks are topics of scientific interest and still under-studied in developing countries under tropical conditions. To understand the selectors of the ARGs, we examined the occurrence of heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn), associated ARB (β-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli, β-lactam-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae) and ARGs (blaOXA, blaCTX-M, blaIMP, blaTEM) in water and sediments from two sub-urban rivers receiving urban and hospital effluent waters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High abundances of ARB and ARGs were observed in all sediment samples. All the metal contents correlated negatively with grain size (− 0.94 ≤ r ≤  − 0.54, p < 0.05) except for Ni and positively with organic matter content and total copies of 16 s rRNA (0.42 ≤ r ≤ 0.79, p < 0.05), except for Ni and Zn. The metals had a significant positive correlation with the faecal indicator Enterococcus except for Ni and Cd (0.43 ≤ r ≤ 0.67, p < 0.05). Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae correlated negatively with Zn (r =  − 0.44, p < 0.05) and positively with all the rest of toxic metals (0.58 ≤ r ≤ 1.0, p < 0.05). These results suggested that some metals had a great influence on the persistence of ARB and ARGs in sediments. Overall, this study strongly recommends the managing urban wastewater to preserve water resources used for human and agricultural purposes. Additionally, we recommend the utilizing biological indicators (faecal indicator bacteria, ARB, ARGs) when investigating urban wastewater pollutions.
The exact worst-case convergence rate of the gradient method with fixed step lengths for L-smooth functions
Authors: Abbaszadehpeivasti Hadi , de Klerk Etienne , Zamani Moslem
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we study the convergence rate of the gradient (or steepest descent) method with fixed step lengths for finding a stationary point of an L-smooth function. We establish a new convergence rate, and show that the bound may be exact in some cases, in particular when all step lengths lie in the interval (0, 1/L]. In addition, we derive an optimal step length with respect to the new bound.
Locus Coeruleus magnetic resonance imaging in cognitively intact elderly subjects
Authors: Giorgi Filippo Sean , Lombardo Francesco , Galgani Alessandro , Hlavata Hana , Della Latta Daniele , Martini Nicola , Pavese Nicola , Ghicopulos Irene , Baldacci Filippo , Coi Alessio , Scalese Marco , Bastiani Luca , Keilberg Petra , De Marchi Daniele , Fornai Francesco , Bonuccelli Ubaldo
Published: November 2021

The locus coeruleus is the main noradrenergic nucleus of the brain and is often affected in neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging with specific T1-weighted sequences for neuromelanin has been used to evaluate locus coeruleus integrity in patients with these conditions. In some of these studies, abnormalities in locus coeruleus signal have also been found in healthy controls and related to ageing. However, this would be at variance with recent post-mortem studies showing that the nucleus is not affected during normal ageing. The present study aimed at evaluating locus coeruleus features in a well-defined cohort of cognitively healthy subjects who remained cognitively intact on a one-year follow-up. An ad-hoc semiautomatic analysis of locus coeruleus magnetic resonance was applied. Sixty-two cognitively intact subjects aged 60–80 years, without significant comorbidities, underwent 3 T magnetic resonance with specific sequences for locus coeruleus. A semi-automatic tool was used to estimate the number of voxels belonging to locus coeruleus and its intensity was obtained for each subject. Each subject underwent extensive neuropsychological testing at baseline and 12 months after magnetic resonance scan. Based on neuropsychological testing 53 subjects were cognitively normal at baseline and follow up. No significant age-related differences in locus coeruleus parameters were found in this cohort. In line with recent post-mortem studies, our in vivo study confirms that locus coeruleus magnetic resonance features are not statistically significantly affected by age between 60 and 80 years, the age range usually evaluated in studies on neurodegenerative diseases. A significant alteration of locus coeruleus features in a cognitively intact elderly subject might be an early sign of pathology.
Is stroke incidence increased in survivors of adult cancers? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Turner Melanie , Murchie Peter , Derby Sarah , Ong Ariel Yuhan , Walji Lauren , McLernon David , Macleod Mary-Joan , Adam Rosalind
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Existing research hints that people living with and beyond cancer are at an increased risk of stroke. However, there is insufficient evidence to appropriately inform guidelines for specific stroke prevention or management for cancer patients. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to describe and quantify stroke incidence in people living with and beyond cancer.

Methods

Medline, CINAHL, and EMBASE were searched for epidemiological studies comparing stroke incidence between cancer and non-cancer patients. Reviewers independently extracted data; random-effects meta-analyses and quality assessment were performed.

Results

Thirty-six studies were narratively synthesised. Meta-analysis was conducted using seven studies. Methodological quality was high for most studies. Study populations were heterogeneous, and the length of follow-up and risk factors varied. There was a variation in risk between different cancer types and according to stroke type: pancreatic (HR 2.85 (95% CI 2.43–3.36), ischaemic) (HR 2.28 (95% CI 1.43–3.63), haemorrhagic); lung (HR 2.33 (95% CI 1.63–3.35), ischaemic) (HR 2.14 (95% CI 1.45–3.15), haemorrhagic); and head and neck (HR 1.54 (95% CI 1.40–1.69), haemorrhagic) cancers were associated with significantly increased incidence of stroke. Risk is highest within the first 6 months of diagnosis. Narrative synthesis indicated that several studies also showed significantly increased incidence of stroke in individuals with colorectal cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, leukaemia, and myeloma, and those who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancers and platinum-based chemotherapy may also have higher stroke incidence.

Conclusions

Stroke incidence is significantly increased after diagnosis of certain cancers.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Cardiovascular risk should be assessed during cancer survivorship care, with attention to modifying shared cancer/cardiovascular risk factors.
The Identification of Blood Biomarkers of Chronic Neuropathic Pain by Comparative Transcriptomics
Authors: Islam Barira , Stephenson John , Young Bethan , Manca Maurizio , Buckley David A. , Radford Helen , Zis Panagiotis , Johnson Mark I. , Finn David P. , McHugh Patrick C.
Published: November 2021

In this study, we recruited 50 chronic pain (neuropathic and nociceptive) and 43 pain-free controls to identify specific blood biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain (CNP). Affymetrix microarray was carried out on a subset of samples selected 10 CNP and 10 pain-free control participants. The most significant genes were cross-validated using the entire dataset by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In comparative analysis of controls and CNP patients, WLS (P = 4.80 × 10–7), CHPT1 (P = 7.74 × 10–7) and CASP5 (P = 2.30 × 10–5) were highly significant, whilst FGFBP2 (P = 0.00162), STAT1 (P = 0.00223), FCRL6 (P = 0.00335), MYC (P = 0.00335), XCL2 (P = 0.0144) and GZMA (P = 0.0168) were significant in all CNP patients. A three-arm comparative analysis was also carried out with control as the reference group and CNP samples differentiated into two groups of high and low S-LANSS score using a cut-off of 12. STAT1, XCL2 and GZMA were not significant but KIR3DL2 (P = 0.00838), SH2D1B (P = 0.00295) and CXCR31 (P = 0.0136) were significant in CNP high S-LANSS group (S-LANSS score > 12), along with WLS (P = 8.40 × 10–5), CHPT1 (P = 7.89 × 10–4), CASP5 (P = 0.00393), FGFBP2 (P = 8.70 × 10–4) and FCRL6 (P = 0.00199), suggesting involvement of immune pathways in CNP mechanisms. None of the genes was significant in CNP samples with low (< 12) S-LANSS score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) analysis showed that combination of MYC, STAT1, TLR4, CASP5 and WLS gene expression could be potentially used as a biomarker signature of CNP (AUROC − 0.852, (0.773, 0.931 95% CI)).
Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels in newly diagnosed patients with Hodgkin lymphoma: a new promising and predictive tool? Preliminary report
Authors: Kopińska Anna , Koclęga Anna , Francuz Tomasz , Helbig Grzegorz
Published: November 2021

Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is expressed on Reed-Sternberg cells of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and may serve as a marker in response assessment. In our study, we correlated serum TARC levels with early response to treatment measured by PET/CT in 19 newly diagnosed patients with HL who received ABVD (Adriblastin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) regimen. Finally, 17 patients were analyzed and six of them (35%) achieved PET/CT negativity defined as Deauville (D) 1 or 2 after 2 cycles of ABVD; 11 pts (65%) had D3 on PET/CT. None of the patients presented D 4/5. Median serum TARC levels at diagnosis were significantly higher when compared with healthy controls: 5718 pg/ml vs 76.1 pg/ml (p < 0.001). All study patients were treated with ABVD regimen and there was a significant decrease of baseline serum TARC levels after 2 cycles of therapy. No significant difference of baseline serum TARC levels was demonstrated between patients with D1/2 and D3 whereas levels were significantly decreased after 2 cycles of ABVD in patients D1/2 vs D3; p = 0.049. There was a tendency to higher baseline serum TARC levels in patients with an increased LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) activity (p = 0.08) and in those who progressed when compared with those who maintained response (p = 0.09). Serum TARC levels decrease after chemotherapy and may serve as a marker of response assessment.
Use of meat resources in the Early Pleistocene assemblages from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Authors: Yravedra José , Solano José Antonio , Courtenay Lloyd A. , Saarinen Juha , Linares-Matás Gonzalo , Luzón Carmen , Serrano-Ramos Alexia , Herranz-Rodrigo Darío , Cámara José Miguel , Ruiz Auxiliadora , Titton Stefania , Rodríguez-Alba Juan José , Mielgo Clara , Blain Hugues-Alexandre , Agustí Jordi , Sánchez-Bandera Christian , Montilla Eva , Toro-Moyano Isidro , Fortelius Mikael , Oms Oriol , Barsky Deborah , Jiménez-Arenas Juan Manuel
Published: November 2021

Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement strategies. While there is some evidence showing access to meat and other animal-based food resources, their mode of acquisition and associated butchery processes are still poorly understood. This paper presents a taphonomic and zooarchaeological analysis of the Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) (Guadix-Baza, Spain) faunal assemblage, providing a more in-depth understanding of early hominin subsistence strategies in Europe. The present results show that hominins had access to the meat and marrow of a wide range of animal taxa, including elephants, hippopotami, and small- and medium-sized animals. At the same time, evidence of carnivore activity at the site suggests that these communities likely faced some degree of competition from large predators when acquiring and processing carcasses.
Application of crude pectolytic enzymes from Saccaharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 52,712) to starch extraction in Ghana: effects of enzyme technology on pasting characteristics in different cassava varieties
Authors: Agyepong Japheth Kwame , Barimah John
Published: November 2021

Previous work on enzyme application to starch extraction enhanced yield and starch recovery rates as well as modified some physicochemical properties of starches for potential alternative application to industry. The response of the technology, however, showed some sensitivity to variety. The knowledge gap therefore was to establish whether such physicochemical responses (by the technology) to variety affects the pasting parameters of the starches extracted. The pasting parameters of starches extracted from four different cassava varieties (‘Nkabom’, ‘Afisiafi’, ‘Bankyehemaa’ and ‘Esambankye’), with the aid of crude pectolytic enzymes from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 52,712), were investigated. Although a general response pattern was observed for most of the pasting parameters measured, which includes general enhancements (P < 0.05) in starch gelatinization viscosity, with improvements in gelatinization time and temperature and peak viscosities in most of the varieties, there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in their respective peak time and temperature requirements for the attainment of peak viscosity. Values for the breakdown viscosity were also generally increased (P < 0.05). The technology also increased values for setback viscosity in both the ‘Nkabom’ and ‘Bankyehemaa’ varieties but reduced setback values in the ‘Afisiafi’ and ‘Esambankye’ varieties. As pasting properties are one of the most important characteristics of starch that determine its overall utility, knowledge from this study should inform how adoption of the technology would help diversify the various cassava varieties for appropriate domestic and industrial applications while harnessing its benefits of improved starch yield.
Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions of an industrial wastewater treatment plant in terms of water–energy nexus
Authors: Yapıcıoğlu Pelin , Demir Özlem
Published: November 2021

In this paper, (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions of an industrial wastewater treatment plant were monitored. GHG emissions originated from treatment processes were considered as the direct emissions and determined using closed chamber method. GHG emission due to energy consumption was regarded as the indirect emissions. In the second stage of the study, it was aimed to reduce GHG emissions in terms of water–energy nexus. If the plant is operated under design conditions, energy consumption would be lower according to water–energy nexus. Also, the effect of design conditions on GHG emissions was investigated. Firstly, the correlation was defined between GHG emissions and operational parameters in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and wastewater flow rate using Monte Carlo simulation. Then, design COD and wastewater flow rate were simulated to determine the possible GHG emission for each month. The simulation results show that minimization of GHG emissions might be possible if wastewater plant is operated under design conditions. The minimum greenhouse gas emission in the result of the simulation study is 8.25 kg CO2-eq/d if the plant is operated under design COD and flow rate. Total reduction in GHG emissions is approximately 30% if the plant is operated under design conditions.
Drying of virus-containing particles: modelling effects of droplet origin and composition
Authors: Jarvis Michael C.
Published: November 2021

Background and purpose

Virus-containing aerosol droplets emitted by breathing, speech or coughing dry rapidly to equilibrium with ambient relative humidity (RH), increasing in solute concentration with effects on virus survival and decreasing in diameter with effects on sedimentation and respiratory uptake. The aim of this paper is to model the effect of ionic and macromolecular solutes on droplet drying and solute concentration.

Methods

Deliquescence-efflorescence concepts and Kohler theory were used to simulate the evolution of solute concentrations and water activity in respiratory droplets, starting from efflorescence data on mixed NaCl/KCl aerosols and osmotic pressure data on respiratory macromolecules.

Results

In NaCl/KCl solutions total salt concentrations were shown to reach 10-13 M at the efflorescence RH of 40-55%, depending on the K:Na ratio. Dependence on K:Na ratio implies that the evaporation curves differ between aerosols derived from saliva and from airway surfaces. The direct effect of liquid droplet size through the Kelvin term was shown to be smaller and restricted to the evolution of breath emissions. Modelling the effect of proteins and glycoproteins showed that salts determine drying equilibria down to the efflorescence RH, and macromolecules at lower RH.

Conclusion

Differences in solute composition between airway surfaces and saliva are predicted to lead to different drying behaviour of droplets emitted by breathing, speech and coughing. These differences may influence the inactivation of viruses.
The effect of COVID-19-induced mortality salience on delay discounting: a replication
Authors: Sonmez Fatih
Published: November 2021

This study is a conceptual replication of Kelley & Schmeichel (PLOS ONE 10: e0144228, 2015), which found that thinking about death reduces delay discounting. Unlike the original study, the current study was conducted in an environment where there was a real and tangible mortality threat across the world, that is, COVID-19. Contrary to the findings of the original study, results of the current study revealed that thinking about death increases delay discounting, such that participants who were primed with death thoughts traded “₺200 now” for “₺342.35 three months later,” whereas those in the control condition traded “₺200 now” for “₺319.27 three months later”. The current study also explored the moderating roles of goal orientation and self-esteem in the effect of mortality salience on delay discounting; however, it failed to provide evidence for the moderating roles of these variables.
To compare, or not to compare? Age moderates the relationship between social comparisons on instagram and identity processes during adolescence and emerging adulthood
Authors: Noon Edward John , Schuck Leon Aljosha , Guțu Smaranda Maria , Şahin Burak , Vujović Bojana , Aydın Zeynep
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Social networking sites such as Instagram have provided young people with unprecedented opportunities for social comparison, and such behaviour can have implications for identity development. Although initial evidence suggests that there may be developmental differences in terms of how such behaviour informs identity development during adolescence and emerging adulthood, all previous research has been conducted in highly individualistic cultural contexts (i.e., the UK and the US).

Method

To shed further light on these possible developmental differences and to determine whether results replicate amongst young people from more collectivist cultural contexts, cross‐sectional survey data were collected from 1,085 (M age = 18.87, SD = 2.57; Female = 77.8%) adolescents and emerging adults in Romania and Serbia between December 2019 and March 2020. The relationships between social comparisons of ability and opinion on Instagram and three key identity processes (i.e., commitment, in‐depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment) were then examined.

Result

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses identified significant age differences in terms of how social comparisons of ability and opinion on Instagram associated with identity commitment and in‐depth exploration. Furthermore, possible cultural differences were identified in terms of how social comparisons of opinion on Instagram associated with the identity processes.

Conclusion

Overall, results suggest that whilst social comparisons on Instagram can elicit self‐focus and prompt further exploration, developmental and cultural factors may influence how such behaviour informs identity development during adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Precarious but popular? The German mini-job scheme in comparative research on work and welfare
Authors: Konle-Seidl Regina
Published: November 2021

This review paper critically examines a range of analytical frameworks used to analyse the German mini-job scheme in comparative research on work and welfare. The approaches examined include labour market dualisation in comparative political economy research and welfare-to-work policies in comparative social policy research. The paper claims that using stylized facts instead of a thorough understanding of the broader context of national employment and social systems leads to misinterpretations in terms of policy learning. By describing the institutional context and main drivers of the evolution of mini-jobs over time, based on variety of data sources, statistics and empirical studies, the paper addresses the critical role of this specific employment scheme for gender equality, largely ignored in the comparative literature.
Sovereignty, Substance, and Public Support for European Courts’ Human Rights Rulings
Authors: MADSEN MIKAEL RASK , MAYORAL JUAN A. , STREZHNEV ANTON , VOETEN ERIK
Published: November 2021

Is the public backlash against human rights rulings from European courts driven by substantive concerns over case outcomes, procedural concerns over sovereignty, or combinations thereof? We conducted preregistered survey experiments in Denmark, France, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom using three vignettes: a foreigner who faces extradition, a person fighting a fine for burning Qurans, and a home owner contesting eviction. Each vignette varies with respect to whether a European court disagrees with a national court (deference treatment) and whether an applicant wins a case (outcome treatment). We find little evidence that deference moves willingness to implement judgments or acceptance of court authority but ample evidence that case outcomes matter. Even nationalists and authoritarians are unmoved by European court decisions as long as they agree with the case outcome. These findings imply that nationalist opposition to European courts is more about content than the location of authority and that backlash to domestic and international courts may be driven by similar forces.
Association between egg consumption and cognitive function among Chinese adults: long-term effect and interaction effect of iron intake
Authors: Sukik Layan , Liu Jianghong , Shi Zumin
Published: November 2021

The association between egg consumption and cognitive function is inclusive. We aimed to assess the association between egg consumption and cognitive function in Chinese adults and tested the interaction between egg consumption and Fe intake. The data used were from a nationwide sample (n 4852, age ≥ 55 years) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 1991 and 2006. Assessment of cognitive function was conducted in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006. Dietary egg intake was obtained by 24-h dietary recalls of 3 consecutive days during home visits between 1991 and 2006. Multivariable mixed linear regression and logistic regression were used. Egg intake was positively associated with global cognitive function. In fully adjusted models, across the quartiles of egg intake the regression coefficients were 0, 0·11 (95 % CI –0·28, 0·51), 0·79 (95 % CI 0·36, 1·22) and 0·92 (95 % CI 0·43, 1·41), respectively. There was a significant interaction between egg intake and Fe intake. The association between high egg intake and cognitive function was stronger among those with low Fe intake than those with high Fe intake. In addition, there was a significant interaction between egg consumption and sex, with the association mainly observed in women but not men. Furthermore, compared with non-consumers, those with higher egg consumption (Q4) had the OR of 0·93 (95 % CI 0·74, 1·19), 0·84 (95 % CI 0·69, 1·02) for self-reported poor memory and self-reported memory decline, respectively. Higher egg intake is associated with better cognition in Chinese adults among those with low Fe intake.
A political sociology of empire: Mughal historians on the making of Mughal paramountcy
Authors: Sood Gagan D. S.
Published: November 2021

In this article, Mughal understandings of their own past are reconstructed from the standpoint of Mughal paramountcy in around 1700. That was the moment of the empire's greatest territorial reach, when it knew no peer nor threat. To reconstruct contemporary understandings of how this situation came about, histories of the Mughal empire composed by governing officials of the time are analysed using a novel approach rooted in a particular distinction between constants and contingencies. These understandings allow us to recapture the political sociology of empire as apprehended by the Mughal elites. The article's findings are of value for two reasons. Narrowly construed, they help fill a lacuna in mainstream views on Mughal historiography, traditionally dominated by Akbar and his reign, and imbued with the logic of decline (and of its corollary, the transition to colonialism). More broadly, because of the weight accorded to knowledge of the past in the formation of Mughal ruling elites, the findings provide fresh insights into the cognitive framework within which these elites operated at a moment recognized as highly significant then, and in retrospect.
THE TROIA CHRONICLE AND HISTORIOGRAPHICAL PRODUCTION IN MEDIEVAL PUGLIA
Authors: Oldfield Paul
Published: November 2021

Historiographical production within twelfth-century Puglia seems to have been markedly limited, and this frustrates attempts to access internal perspectives on a region which played a pivotal socio-political and economic role within southern Italy as it fell under Norman rule, and was subsequently absorbed into the new Kingdom of Sicily in 1130. It might, however, be possible to bolster the region's twelfth-century historiographical outputs if we were to include a largely overlooked and problematic source, the so-called Fragmentary Troia Chronicle. It is a short, hybridized and fragmented Latin text usually assumed to be late twelfth-century as a result of its chronological coverage. It consists of an annalistic-style account of political and religious events mostly of relevance to the northern Pugliese city of Troia and its bishopric, and ostensibly covers 1014 to 1124/7. It is accompanied by what also seems to be an appendix of documents (some dated later than the annalistic section) associated with the city's bishopric. This article therefore offers the first extended analysis of the Troia Chronicle's place within Pugliese historiographical production. It revisits questions around its authenticity, examines potential contexts surrounding its production and content, and provides the first English translation of the narrative section of the chronicle. In so doing, it argues that we must tread carefully when using this source, but that the Troia Chronicle's existence and its main chronological focus could at the very least hold significance as a marker of an enduring remembrance of a vibrant era of episcopal, literary and urban development in this Pugliese city in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.