bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motivation to recover for adolescent and adult eating disorder patients in residential treatment
Authors: Manwaring Jamie , Blalock Dan V. , Le Grange Daniel , Duffy Alan , McClanahan Susan F. , Johnson Craig , Mehler Philip S. , Plotkin Millie , Rienecke Renee D.
Published: April 2021

Objective

This study aimed to assess how baseline motivation to recover impacts eating disorder (ED) and comorbid symptoms at end‐of‐treatment (EOT) for adolescents and adults in inpatient/residential treatment.

Method

Two hundred and three adolescent (M = 15.90) and 395 adult (M = 25.45) patients with a Diagnostic Statistical Manual, 5th edition ED diagnosis completed the Decisional Balance Scale (DBS) at baseline, and psychosocial measures (ED symptoms, anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder symptoms), and %body mass index (kg/m2; BMI) or median %BMI (for adolescents) at baseline and EOT.

Results

The DBS Avoidance Coping and Burdens subscales at baseline were significantly lower for adolescents than adults (p < 0.001), whereas the DBS Benefits subscale at baseline did not significantly differ between subsamples (p = 0.06). Motivation to recover via DBS subscales was a more reliable predictor of EOT outcomes for both ED and comorbid psychopathology in adults (significant predictor in 19 of 54 total analyses, and 4 significant associations post‐Bonferroni correction) than adolescents (significant predictor in 5 of 54 total analyses, and 1 significant association post‐Bonferroni correction).

Conclusions

Baseline motivation to recover may be an important predictor of outcome for adult patients in inpatient/residential treatment but does not appear associated with outcomes for adolescent patients.
Quantifying decadal volumetric changes along sandy beaches using improved historical aerial photographic models and contemporary data
Authors: Carvalho Rafael C. , Allan Blake , Kennedy David M. , Leach Chloe , O'Brien Stephan , Ierodiaconou Daniel
Published: April 2021

Technological advances have reinvigorated the aerial photogrammetric technique using both historical and contemporary imagery, and fostered new perspectives in geomorphology studies. On sandy beaches, however, the dynamic processes, the lack of tonal contrast and reduced texture, make the application of photogrammetry extremely more difficult than in most other landscapes. This study quantifies decadal volumetric changes along the beaches of the Great Ocean Road, Australia, using improved digital surface models (DSMs) derived from structure‐from‐motion (SfM) photogrammetry applied to historical archives and a contemporary unmanned aerial vehicle survey. Alongside surficial sediment analysis, this approach demonstrates the potential to relate present‐day to historical morphological changes at sandy beaches worldwide. The discussion highlights the influence of photographic scale, lens distortions, ground control points in segmented blocks, and the use of shoreline as a proxy of volumetric change. DSMs were derived using datasets obtained in 1946, 1966, 1971, 1977, 1986 and 2019, and compared to a 2007 light detection and ranging (LiDAR)‐derived DSM. The emerging approach produced suitable DSMs for volumetric analysis, except for the 1946 dataset, which had the smallest scale and was significantly vertically offset. Volumetric losses of up to 60 m3/m of beach length were calculated for parts of Mounts Bay between 1977 and 2007, and up to 21 m3/m in recent years. At Apollo Bay, the construction of the port in the early 1950s significantly impacted the natural longshore drift to the beach. The adjacent stretch of coastline accreted at a rate of ~35 m3/m between 1966 and 2007, as a function of dredge disposal and changes in sediment transport, whereas a maximum volumetric loss of ~47 m3/m was detected further north between 1977 and 2007. A volume of ~71,330 ± 15,200 m3was lost from the system from 2007 to 2019, despite the continued deposition along the northern section of the beach.
The Texas Energy Debacle and the Economists
Authors: Makholm Jeff D.
Published: April 2021

In the wake of the February 2021 Texas Power Crisis, remarkably disparate comments were flowing fast as to the root cause of the crisis. Perhaps not surprisingly, various economists offered strikingly different opinions. From a prominent electricity economist, James Bushell, the remedy lies in fixing a broken natural gas market. Two others—noted energy economist Lynne Kiesling and 2002 Nobel Laureate Vernon L. Smith, an experimental economist—believe minor changes to the wholesale market rules and incentivizing customers to be more flexible (economizing when prices rise in a fuel shortage) can help to fix the problem. Yet another, 2008 Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, recognized in the field for his work on international trade theory and economic geography, criticized the entire philosophy behind Texas' seemingly unfettered electricity market paradigm (“essentially no prudent regulation is required … the magic of the market would take care of everything”).
Survival outcomes of lateral skull base tumors following temporal bone resection
Authors: Kline Neila L. , Bhatnagar Kavita , Eisenman David J. , Taylor Rodney J.
Published: April 2021

Background

Lateral skull base tumors often necessitate temporal bone resection (TBR), although clinical outcomes can be unfavorable. Factors influencing survival and recurrence after TBR for cutaneous and salivary malignancies were evaluated.

Methods

Twenty‐six TBR subjects were included. Survival and recurrence outcomes were estimated at 1, 2, and 5 years postresection. Prognostic factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression.

Results

Two years postresection, the overall survival (OS), disease‐specific survival (DSS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) rates were 61%, 74%, and 49%, respectively, and 51%, 63%, and 45% at 5 years. On univariate analysis, preoperative facial nerve dysfunction and intraoperative nerve sacrifice worsened OS, DSS, and RFS. Prior surgery and adjuvant radiation independently predicted reduced OS, DSS, and RFS on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Mortality is highest in the first 2 years following resection. Preoperative facial nerve dysfunction, facial nerve sacrifice, and prior radiation are negative predictors of survival and recurrence.
Hepatic Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Is Involved in Mediating Functions of Liraglutide in Mice With Dietary Challenge
Authors: Liu Dinghui , Pang Juan , Shao Weijuan , Gu Jianqiu , Zeng Yong , He Housheng Hansen , Ling Wenhua , Qian Xiaoxian , Jin Tianru
Published: April 2021

Background and Aims

Several studies have shown that expression of hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) can be stimulated by glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1)–based diabetes drugs. As GLP‐1 receptor (GLP‐1R) is unlikely to be expressed in hepatocytes, we aimed to compare such stimulation in mice and in mouse hepatocytes, determine the involvement of GLP‐1R, and clarify whether FGF21 mediates certain functions of the GLP‐1R agonist liraglutide.

Approach and Results

Liver FGF21 expression was assessed in mice receiving a daily liraglutide injection for 3 days or in mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs) undergoing direct liraglutide treatment. The effects of liraglutide on metabolic improvement and FGF21 expression were then assessed in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed mice and compared with the effects of the dipeptidyl‐peptidase 4 inhibitor sitagliptin. Animal studies were also performed in Glp1r−/−
mice and liver‐specific FGF21‐knockout (lFgf21‐KO) mice. In wild‐type mouse liver that underwent RNA sequencing and quantitative reverse‐transcription PCR, we observed liraglutide‐stimulated hepatic Fgf21 expression and a lack of Glp1r expression. In MPHs, liraglutide did not stimulate Fgf21. In mice with HFD‐induced obesity, liraglutide or sitagliptin treatment reduced plasma triglyceride levels, whereas their effect on reducing body‐weight gain was different. Importantly, increased hepatic FGF21 expression was observed in liraglutide‐treated mice but was not observed in sitagliptin‐treated mice. In HFD‐fed Glp1r−/−
mice, liraglutide showed no beneficial effects and could not stimulate Fgf21 expression. In lFgf21‐KO mice undergoing dietary challenge, the body‐weight‐gain attenuation and lipid homeostatic effects of liraglutide were lost or significantly reduced.

Conclusions

We suggest that liraglutide‐stimulated hepatic Fgf21 expression may require GLP‐1R to be expressed in extrahepatic organs. Importantly, we revealed that hepatic FGF21 is required for liraglutide to lower body weight and improve hepatic lipid homeostasis. These observations advanced our mechanistic understanding of the function of GLP‐1–based drugs in NAFLD.
Digital diet: A 21st century approach to understanding digital technologies and development
Authors: Orben Amy
Published: April 2021

Digital technologies are drastically changing the lives of children and young people. For years, the default psychological approach to addressing questions about digital technology's effects on development was to try and establish evidence‐based time use guidelines, that is, concrete amounts of time that children and adolescents are recommended to spend on digital technologies to avoid negative impacts. The implicit assumption of this research was that there is an informative and simple numerical relationship connecting the time spent using digital technologies and developmental outcomes. In this piece, I argue that this collective search for a unitary numerical value linking screen time with developmental outcomes was futile, primarily because such a value does not exist. To explain and expand on this reasoning, I introduce the digital diet approach: a thought experiment that challenges how we currently research and reason about digital technologies by drawing parallels to our established approach to understanding and reasoning about diet. I cover six conceptual starting‐points, each describing a different conceptual angle of the digital diet approach and how it diverges from current practices in the psychological sciences.
Quadruple chemical bonding in the diatomic anions TcN−, RuC−, RhB−, and PdBe−
Authors: Tzeli Demeter
Published: April 2021

Quadruple bonding is uncommon for main group elements and the identification of species forming such bonds is remarkably interesting particularly in diatomic anions for which there is a lack of information. Here, it is found that the MX− anions, TcN−, RuC−, RhB−, and PdBe−, present quadruple bonding, as do the corresponding MX neutrals, even though a different type of σ2 bond is involved in ∑+ states of neutral and anions. Specifically, the ground states (X2Δ or X2∑+) of the four anions and their first excited states (A2∑+ or A2Δ) of TcN−, RuC−, and RhB− present quadruple bonds consisting of two σ and two π bonds: (4dz2 − 2pz)2, 5pz0 ← 2s2, (4dxz − 2px)2, and (4dyz − 2py)2. Bond lengths, dissociation energies, spectroscopic data and electron affinities were calculated via high‐level multireference and coupled‐cluster methodology using the aug–cc–pV5ZX(‐PP)M basis set. Strong bonding results in short bond lengths ranging from 1.602 (TcN−) to 1.944 (PdBe−) Å. Adiabatic (diabatic) binding energies reach up to 139 (184) kcal/mol. Electron affinities (EA) were calculated at 1.368 (TcN), 1.242 (RuC), 0.873 (RhB), 0.743 (PdBe) eV. Only for RhB has EA been measured experimentally at 0.961 eV, in good agreement with the value reported here.
Synthesis, antimicrobial and anti‐tubercular activity study of N‐(substituted‐benzyl)‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)thiazole‐2‐sulfonamide and 2‐(N‐(substituted‐benzyl)sulfamoyl)thiazole‐4‐carboxylic acid
Authors: Bhujbal Namdeo , Gaikwad Dattatray , Jagdale Yuvraj , Pawar Chandrakant
Published: April 2021

A series of novel N‐(substituted‐benzyl)‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)thiazole‐2‐sulfonamide (4a‐4i) and 2‐(N‐[2‐chlorobenzyl]sulfamoyl)thiazole‐4‐carboxylic acid (7a‐7i) derivatives were synthesized from readily available 4‐(trifluoromethyl)thiazol‐2‐amine (1) and ethyl 2‐aminothiazole‐4‐carboxylate (5), respectively. Eighteen novel thiazole‐2‐sulfonamide derivatives were synthesized. The targets were synthesized through a series of reactions involving diazotization and sulfonamide coupling reactions. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 19F, 13C NMR, HRMS, and HPLC analytical techniques. All the synthetic derivatives were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration) against a series of strains of Bacillus subtillis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli for antibacterial activity and against the strains of Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger for antifungal activity. Also synthetic derivatives were tested for their in vitro anti‐tubercular (Mycobacterium tuberculosis: H37 Rv, MDR, and XDR strains) activities. Most of compounds showed moderate to good activity for antimicrobial and anti‐tubercular strains. The compounds 4b (MIC = 12.5 μg/ml and 3.125 μM), 4c (MIC = 1.562 μM), 4d (MIC = 12.5 μg/ml), 7b (MIC = 12.5 μg/ml), 7c (MIC = 26 μg/ml and 1.562 μM), and 7i (MIC = 26 μg/ml and 6.25 μM) showed good antimicrobial and anti‐tubercular activity in the range of (MIC = 12.5–26 μg/ml) and (MIC = 1.562–6.25 μM) against tested strains, while some derivatives show moderate inhibitions through the series.
How to create a faculty‐centered curriculum support system: Launching the Academic Support Center (ASC) to inspire excellence in curriculum change
Authors: Wolcott Michael D. , Fearnow Bethany , Moore Zach , Stallard Jacob , Tittemore Ashley J. , Quinonez Rocio B.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To define faculty needs and services requested for the implementation of a faculty‐centered curriculum support system (i.e., Academic Support Center [ASC]) to assist curriculum redesign.

Methods

Faculty and students were invited to participate in 60‐min, one‐on‐one interviews to describe pain points in teaching and identify possible support services needed. Benchmarking through surveys of academic deans was also conducted to determine what services other institutions offer. Qualitative memos from interviews and survey data were analyzed to identify salient challenges and outline possible services that could benefit the school. This information was used to create a strategic plan for the ASC. Full‐time faculty were requested to evaluate the ASC 6 and 12 months following the launch of the center in 2019.

Results

Fifty interviews were conducted with department chairs (n = 10), full‐time faculty (n = 36), and students (n = 4). Six pain points identified by participants were time, resources, knowledge, confidence, organizational structure, and organizational culture. Participants generated solutions related to supporting teaching and learning, enhancing faculty experience, and assisting educational evaluation. Twenty‐two schools responded to the benchmarking survey—approximately half acknowledged a centralized curriculum support service (n = 12, 54.5% of respondents). Services often focused on instructional design, education technology, and faculty onboarding to education. Faculty feedback following the ASC launch was generally positive and demonstrating progress toward the three priorities.

Conclusion

Needs assessment and benchmarking data can inform the design and implementation of centers that offer faculty‐centered support structures around teaching, educational scholarship, and curriculum change.
The emergence of a complex pore‐canal system in the dermal skeleton ofTremataspis(Osteostraci)
Authors: Bremer Oskar , Qu Qingming , Sanchez Sophie , Märss Tiiu , Fernandez Vincent , Blom Henning
Published: April 2021

Thyestiids are a group of osteostracans (sister‐group to jawed vertebrates) ranging in time from the early Silurian to Middle Devonian.Tremataspisis unique among thyestiids in having a continuous mesodentine and enameloid cover on its dermal elements, and an embedded pore‐canal system divided into lower and upper parts by a perforated septum. The origin of this upper mesh canal system and its potential homology to similar canal systems of other osteostracans has remained a matter of debate. To investigate this, we use synchrotron radiation microtomography data of four species ofTremataspisand three other thyestiid genera.Procephalaspis oeselensislacks an upper mesh canal system entirely, butAestiaspis viitaensishas partially enclosed upper canals formed between slightly modified tubercles that generally only cover separate pore fields. Further modification of tubercles inDartmuthia gemmiferaforms a more extensive, semi‐enclosed upper mesh canal system that overlies an extensive perforated septum, similar to that found inTremataspis. Lower mesh canals inP. oeselensisare radially arranged and buried tubercles indicate a continuous growth and addition of dermal hard tissues. These features are lacking to varying degrees in the other investigated thyestiids, andTremataspisprobably had a determinate growth accompanied by a single mineralization phase of its dermal hard tissues. The previously proposed homology between the semi‐enclosed upper canal system inDartmuthiato the pore‐canal system inTremataspisis supported in this study, but the suggested homologies between these canals and other parts of the thyestiid vasculature to those in non‐thyestiid osteostracans remain unclear. This study shows that three‐dimensional modeling of high‐resolution data can provide histological and structural details that can help clarify homology issues and elucidate the evolution of dermal hard tissues in osteostracans. In extension, this can give insights into how these tissues relate to those found among jawed vertebrates.
DNA methylome, transcriptome, and prostate cancer prevention by phenethyl isothiocyanate in TRAMP mice
Authors: Wu Renyi , Li Shanyi , Sargsyan Davit , Yin Ran , Kuo Hsiao‐Chen , Peter Rebecca , Wang Lujing , Hudlikar Rasika , Liu Xia , Kong Ah‐Ng
Published: April 2021

Epigenetics/epigenomics has been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis. However, how the epigenome would be altered in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) cancer model and the effect of cancer chemopreventive phytochemical phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) on the epigenome in TRAMP mice are not known. PEITC has been reported to reduce the risk of many cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, male TRAMP mice were fed a control diet or diet containing 0.05% PEITC from 8 weeks to 16 weeks. The tumor incidence was reduced in the PEITC diet (0/6) as compared with the control diet (6/7). RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq) analyses on nontumor and tumor prostatic tissues revealed several pathways like cell cycle/Cdc42 signaling, inflammation, and cancer‐related signaling, were activated in prostate tissues of TRAMP mice but were reversed or attenuated in TRAMP mice fed with PEITC diet. DNA CpG methyl‐seq analyses showed that global methylation patterns of prostate samples from TRAMP mice were hugely different from those of wild‐type mice. Dietary PEITC partially reversed the global methylation changes during prostatic carcinogenesis. Integration of RNA‐seq and DNA methyl‐seq analyses identified a list of genes, including Adgrb1 and Ebf4, with an inverse regulatory relationship between their RNA expression and CpG methylation. In summary, our current study demonstrates that alteration of the global epigenome in TRAMP prostate tumor and PEITC administration suppresses PCa carcinogenesis, impacts global CpG epigenome and transcriptome, and attenuates carcinogenic pathways like cell cycle arrest and inflammation. These results may provide insights and epigenetic markers/targets for PCa prevention and treatment in human PCa patients.
Command filter‐based adaptive prescribed performance tracking control for uncertain pure‐feedback nonlinear systems with full‐state time‐varying constraints
Authors: Zhu Xinfeng , Ding Wenwu , Zhang Tianping
Published: April 2021

This article is concerned with the issue of adaptive prescribed performance tracking control for a class of pure‐feedback nonlinear systems with full‐state time‐varying constraints. By using the hyperbolic tangent function as nonlinear mapping technique, the obstacle of the full‐state constraints is resolved. A novel adaptive control method is proposed by prescribed performance control with command filtered backstepping design, and the insufficient of the dynamic surface method is conquered by the error compensation mechanism. Radial basis function neural networks are utilized to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, it is shown that all signals in the closed‐loop system are semiglobal uniformly ultimately bounded and the output tracking error always converges to the prescribed performance bound. Two simulation examples demonstrate the capability of the proposed control strategy.
Linking ocean and climate change governance
Authors: Chan Nicholas
Published: April 2021

Increasing links are being made between ocean sustainability and climate change, as illustrated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on the ocean and cryosphere, and the billing of the 2019 UN climate change conference as the “Blue COP.” This review of these linkages is framed by the “bandwagoning” literature in global environmental politics to examine how ocean action has been constructed as being relevant for both climate mitigation and adaptation. This includes growing interest in “blue carbon” and the emerging narrative of the ocean as a “solution” to climate change, and drawing attention to climate impacts on ocean ecosystems and marine biodiversity. It highlights the roles played in constructing this link by entrepreneurial states and the NGO community in building an ocean‐climate bandwagon with the existing processes of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. As broader political attention is paid to ocean health, this review also highlights how these climate bandwagoning efforts overlap or clash with other ocean‐related international environmental processes.

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance
Retrospektive Mortalitätsstudie nichtnatürlicher Todesfälle der Generation 65+ im Obduktionsgut der Rechtsmedizin Frankfurt am Main anhand zweier Zeitintervalle
Authors: Faßbender C. , Wach A. , Ackermann H. , Parzeller M.
Published: April 2021

Hintergrund und Ziel der Arbeit

Aufgrund des demografischen Wandels ist mit einer Änderung des Altersspektrums bei den Obduktionen zu rechnen. Ziel der Arbeit war die Untersuchung der nichtnatürlichen Todesfälle, bei denen die Verstorbenen ein Mindestalter von 65 Jahren erreicht hatten, da dieser Populationsgruppe zukünftig eine wachsende Bedeutung zukommen wird.

Material und Methoden

In dieser retrospektiven Mortalitätsstudie wurden alle nichtnatürlichen Todesfälle mit einem Sterbealter ≥ 65 Jahren analysiert, die in den Jahren 2000–2002 (Zeitraum I) und 2013–2015 (Zeitraum II) im Institut für Rechtsmedizin des Universitätsklinikums der Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main obduziert wurden. Für die Analyse der suizidal Verstorbenen wurden zudem Daten nichtobduzierter Selbsttötungen (n = 100) aus Besichtigungen aufgenommen.

Ergebnisse

Aus den 1206 Obduktionen resultierten 669 natürliche (55,5 %) und 404 nichtnatürliche (33,5 %) Todesfälle. Darunter ergaben sich 221 Unfälle (Zeitraum In = 105; Zeitraum IIn = 116), 82 Suizide (Zeitraum In = 55; Zeitraum IIn = 27), 41 Todesfälle im Zusammenhang mit medizinischen Interventionen (Zeitraum In = 7; Zeitraum IIn = 34) und 40 Tötungsdelikte (Zeitraum In = 23; Zeitraum IIn = 17). Verkehrsunfälle und Stürze bilden die größten Subgruppen bei den Unfällen. Erhängen und Erschießen sind die am meisten angewandten Suizidarten. Vergleicht man Zeitraum I mit II, so fällt die signifikante Zunahme von Todesfällen im Zusammenhang mit ärztlichen Maßnahmen auf. Eine signifikante Abnahme von Suizidenten ist durch die abnehmende Obduktionsrate in dieser Gruppe zu begründen. Die relative und absolute Fallzahl an Tötungsdelikten im Obduktionsgut weisen keine wesentliche Veränderung auf.

Diskussion/Schlussfolgerung

Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie stimmen großteils mit der Literatur überein. Im Zeitvergleich zeigt sich eine relative Zunahme nichtnatürlicher Todesfälle im gerontologischen Obduktionsgut. Dies wird durch den Anstieg von Obduktionen nach iatrogenen Komplikationen wesentlich mitgeprägt.
Von der anatomischen Lehrsektion zum Unterricht am Krankenbett – eine geschichtliche Würdigung
Authors: Koehler Ulrich , Hildebrandt Olaf , Koehler Julian , Hildebrandt Wulf
Published: April 2021

Zu allen Zeiten waren die Anatomen bemüht, der Medizin wissenschaftliche Grundlagen zu vermitteln. Der Anatom hat den toten Körper zergliedert, um damit den Lebenden zu dienen. Das Verständnis physiologischer und pathophysiologischer Prozesse setzt die Kenntnis der Anatomie voraus. Im Corpus Hippocraticum findet man keinen sicheren Hinweis auf die Durchführung menschlicher Sektionen. In Alexandria wurde um 300 vor Christus zum ersten Mal Anatomie an der menschlichen Leiche gelehrt. Mehr als 1300 Jahre standen die Anatomie und die Heilkunde dann unter dem Einfluss des Galen von Pergamon (131–201 n. Chr.). Der Italiener Mondino dei Luzzi (1275–1326) war der Erste, der den systematischen Anatomieunterricht unter regelmäßiger Einbeziehung von Lehrsektionen in den Lehrbetrieb in Bologna eingeführt hat. Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564) aus Belgien hat in der Neuzeit die wissenschaftlich fundierte Humananatomie begründet und viele Fehler der von Galen tradierten Ansichten der Anatomie korrigiert. Im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert waren die niederländischen Universitäten, allen voran die Universität in Leiden, führend im Hinblick auf die klinische und praktische Studentenausbildung.
Biomarkers for the diagnosis and management of heart failure
Authors: Castiglione Vincenzo , Aimo Alberto , Vergaro Giuseppe , Saccaro Luigi , Passino Claudio , Emdin Michele
Published: April 2021

Heart failure (HF) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Circulating biomarkers reflecting pathophysiological pathways involved in HF development and progression may assist clinicians in early diagnosis and management of HF patients. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are cardioprotective hormones released by cardiomyocytes in response to pressure or volume overload. The roles of B-type NP (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type NP (NT-proBNP) for diagnosis and risk stratification in HF have been extensively demonstrated, and these biomarkers are emerging tools for population screening and as guides to the start of treatment in subclinical HF. On the contrary, conflicting evidence exists on the role of NPs as a guide to HF therapy. Among the other biomarkers, high-sensitivity troponins and soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 are the most promising biomarkers for risk stratification, with independent value to NPs. Other biomarkers evaluated as predictors of adverse outcome are galectin-3, growth differentiation factor 15, mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin, and makers of renal dysfunction. Multi-marker scores and genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses could further refine HF management.
The average-cost formulation of lot sizing models and inventory carrying charges: a technical note
Authors: Castellano Davide , Glock Christoph H.
Published: April 2021

It is generally recognised that the present-value criterion should be preferred to the average-cost formulation in developing lot sizing models. Despite the advantages of the present-value measure, average-cost lot sizing models are far more widely applied. Because of the nature of the average-cost formulation, inventory carrying costs are evaluated according to a look-back approach, relying on historical values. In this regard, a general misconception in the inventory management literature concerned with average-cost models is that the unit stockholding cost rate should be established considering fixed warehouse costs, which are costs that are, in the short term, independent of the inventory level. This paper develops arguments supporting our belief that inventory carrying charges used in lot sizing models should take into account only those costs varying with the inventory level in the warehouse, and that considering fixed warehouse costs leads to pitfalls when making inventory replenishment decisions. To this aim, we first present an analytical treatment based on the classical Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model, as its full analytical tractability permits us to better discuss the problem we are interested in. Finally, we present numerical experiments to assess the effect of the correct procedure to establish the unit stockholding cost rate on inventory management decisions. These experiments are performed considering warehouse costs taken from some industrial case studies presented in the literature.
The effect of functional endoscopic sinus surgery on nasal resonance
Authors: Shetty Vaishnavi , Thejaswi D. , Biniyam K. , Aroor Rajeshwary , Bhat Vadisha , Saldhana Marina
Published: April 2021

Background and objective

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) increases the nasal volume, and thereby it can alter the nasal resonance. The objectives were to measure the percentage of nasal resonance following FESS and compare it with healthy individuals with normal nasal findings.

Methods

The nasometric analysis of voice was done using n/p/m consonant sounds in 72 individuals with healthy post FESS cavities (group 1) and 72 healthy individuals with normal nasal findings without any nasal pathology (group 2). The scores of nasal resonances were expressed in percentages and were compared between the two groups. Both in group 1 and group 2, 32 (44.4%) were females, and 40(55.6%) were males. In group 1, 51 participants had bilateral FESS cavities, and 21 had unilateral FESS cavities. Kannada was the mother tongue in 30 (41.7%) participants in group 1 and 36 (50.0%) in group 2. Malayalam was the mother tongue in 42(58.3%) participants in group 1 and 36 (50.0%) in group 2.

Results

In both cases and control groups, more than 80% of the participants were showing less than 20% of nasal resonance. In group 1, the mean values of/n/p/m sounds were 11.23%, 10.23% and 11.42% respectively, and in group 2 the mean values were 8.27%, 8.58% and 8.58% respectively. But the P value was not statistically significant. Individuals with unilateral FESS cavities had more nasal resonance values compared to bilateral FESS cavities. Similarly, Kannada speaking people had more values compared to Malayam speaking individua.

Conclusion

Changes in nasal resonance after FESS is minimal, and it is unnoticed. But it may affect the speech quality in professional voice users, depending on their language. Though the nasometer is considered as the most validated instrument to record nasal resonance, we feel that further standardization is needed to evaluate the nasalance.
Flexibility of measure-theoretic entropy of boundary maps associated to Fuchsian groups
Authors: ABRAMS ADAM , KATOK SVETLANA , UGARCOVICI ILIE
Published: April 2021

Given a closed, orientable, compact surface S of constant negative curvature and genus
$g \geq 2$
, we study the measure-theoretic entropy of the Bowen–Series boundary map with respect to its smooth invariant measure. We obtain an explicit formula for the entropy that only depends on the perimeter of the
$(8g-4)$
-sided fundamental polygon of the surface S and its genus. Using this, we analyze how the entropy changes in the Teichmüller space of S and prove the following flexibility result: the measure-theoretic entropy takes all values between 0 and a maximum that is achieved on the surface that admits a regular
$(8g-4)$
-sided fundamental polygon. We also compare the measure-theoretic entropy to the topological entropy of these maps and show that the smooth invariant measure is not a measure of maximal entropy.
Logic and learning in network cascades
Authors: Wilkerson Galen J. , Moschoyiannis Sotiris
Published: April 2021

Critical cascades are found in many self-organizing systems. Here, we examine critical cascades as a design paradigm for logic and learning under the linear threshold model (LTM), and simple biologically inspired variants of it as sources of computational power, learning efficiency, and robustness. First, we show that the LTM can compute logic, and with a small modification, universal Boolean logic, examining its stability and cascade frequency. We then frame it formally as a binary classifier and remark on implications for accuracy. Second, we examine the LTM as a statistical learning model, studying benefits of spatial constraints and criticality to efficiency. We also discuss implications for robustness in information encoding. Our experiments show that spatial constraints can greatly increase efficiency. Theoretical investigation and initial experimental results also indicate that criticality can result in a sudden increase in accuracy.
pinta: The uGMRT data processing pipeline for the Indian Pulsar Timing Array
Authors: Susobhanan Abhimanyu , Maan Yogesh , Joshi Bhal Chandra , Prabu T. , Desai Shantanu , Nobleson K. , Susarla Sai Chaitanya , Girgaonkar Raghav , Dey Lankeswar , Batra Neelam Dhanda , Gupta Yashwant , Gopakumar A. , Bagchi Manjari , Basu Avishek , Bethapudi Suryarao , Choudhary Arpita , De Kishalay , Krishnakumar M. A. , Manoharan P. K. , Naidu Arun Kumar , Pathak Dhruv , Singha Jaikhomba , Surnis Mayuresh P.
Published: April 2021

We introduce pinta, a pipeline for reducing the upgraded Giant Metre-wave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) raw pulsar timing data, developed for the Indian Pulsar Timing Array experiment. We provide a detailed description of the workflow and usage of pinta, as well as its computational performance and RFI mitigation characteristics. We also discuss a novel and independent determination of the relative time offsets between the different back-end modes of uGMRT and the interpretation of the uGMRT observation frequency settings and their agreement with results obtained from engineering tests. Further, we demonstrate the capability of pinta to generate data products which can produce high-precision TOAs using PSR J1909

$-$

3744 as an example. These results are crucial for performing precision pulsar timing with the uGMRT.
COLOUR TERMS AND THE CREATION OF STATIUS’ EKPHRASTIC STYLE
Authors: Bennardo Lorenza
Published: April 2021

This paper focusses on colour terminology as a tool for achieving ἐνάργεια (pictorial vividness) in the Latin poetry of the first century c.e. After briefly outlining the developments in the concept of ἐνάργεια from Aristotle to Quintilian, the paper considers the use of Latin terms for black in three descriptive passages from Statius’ epic poem, the Thebaid. It is observed that the poet privileges the juxtaposition of the two adjectives ater and niger in a pattern of uariatio, where ater often carries a figurative meaning and repeats established poetic clichés, while niger is part of unparalleled collocations that evoke a material notion of blackness. Further analysis of the uariatio in the context of each passage reveals that the juxtaposition of the two-colour terms enhances the vividness of the objects described not only by increasing their chromatic impact but also by establishing connections with other parts of the poem, and by inviting a reflection on the competing practices of imitation and transgression of poetic models. The analysis of one stylistic feature (the use of colour terms in uariatio) shows that this stylistic feature is used by Statius for achieving ἐνάργεια as an artistic effect, for reflecting on ἐνάργεια as an instrument through which poetic models are challenged, and for tying his own poetic practice to contemporary rhetorical discussions.
York's ‘African-style’ Severan Pottery Reconsidered
Authors: Pitts Martin
Published: April 2021

This article examines the phenomenon of so-called North African-style pottery made in early third-century York. The pottery, which was produced in significant quantities in late Ebor ware, is strikingly different from vessels in circulation in Roman Britain and the north-west provinces – so much so that the late Vivien Swan argued that it was ‘made by Africans for the use of Africans’. The present study reassesses the evidence of ceramic genealogical influences, production waste, fabric supply, consumption patterns and contextual finds associations. The results shed new light on the manufacture and use of late Ebor ware by York's military community, qualifying claims made about the repertoire's links with novel culinary practices, cultural diversity and the unique historical circumstances of Severan York.
Productive engagement and ageing in productivist welfare regimes: questing for an age-friendly city in Hong Kong
Authors: Wen Zhuoyi , Mok Ka Ho , Amoah Padmore Adusei
Published: April 2021

The population aged 65 years and above in Hong Kong is projected to rise from 15 per cent in 2014 to 38.4 per cent in 2069. Therefore, the quest for creating age-friendly conditions and the promotion of active ageing has become a priority for the Hong Kong Government and stakeholders in the city. Using a cross-national comparative framework for productive engagement in later life, this article examines the predictors of productive engagement (perceived voluntary engagement) in two districts (the Islands and Tsuen Wan) of Hong Kong – a typical productivist welfare regime in Asia. Data were collected through a social survey to ascertain the perception of an age-friendly city and active ageing in 2016 and 2018 from 1,638 persons aged 60 years and older. The results indicate some differences in the perception of the key determinants in both districts, but the factors associated with productive engagement were consistent, namely social atmosphere, social provisions and the built environment. The findings are discussed within the broader discourse on social gerontology, age-friendly cities and productivist welfare regimes.
Lexical diversity development in newly arrived parent-child immigrant pairs: Aptitude, age, exposure, and anxiety
Authors: Lambelet Amelia
Published: April 2021

The Language Aptitude Outside the Classroom (LAOC) study investigates the factors that contribute to successful English-learning among newly arrived parent-child immigrants. Two types of factors are considered: cognitive abilities (aptitude measured with the LLAMA tests and working memory) and contextual-affective factors (exposure and anxiety). Participants are pairs of Spanish-speaking immigrants in the US. Each pair consists of a parent and their child aged 7–16. Their English proficiency is measured longitudinally during a one-year period using a listening comprehension test, a verbal fluency test, and an oral narrative (frog story). This contribution focuses on the lexical diversity of the oral narratives (Guiraud Index). Linear mixed models were run on the entire sample and on adults and children separately using time, aptitude, working memory, exposure to English, and anxiety as predictors of lexical diversity of the oral narratives (random effect = dyad, random slope = time). The results show that the development of lexical diversity over a one-year period is predicted by exposure to the language (and, for the children, anxiety). Two subtests of the LLAMA aptitude battery are also significant predictors when the entire sample is considered, but this effect nevertheless disappears for the adults when modeled separately from the children.
Conduct disorder symptomatology is associated with an altered functional connectome in a large national youth sample
Authors: Tillem Scott , Conley May I. , Baskin-Sommers Arielle
Published: April 2021

Conduct disorder (CD), characterized by youth antisocial behavior, is associated with a variety of neurocognitive impairments. However, questions remain regarding the neural underpinnings of these impairments. To investigate novel neural mechanisms that may support these neurocognitive abnormalities, the present study applied a graph analysis to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from a national sample of 4,781 youth, ages 9–10, who participated in the baseline session of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®). Analyses were then conducted to examine the relationships among levels of CD symptomatology, metrics of global topology, node-level metrics for subcortical structures, and performance on neurocognitive assessments. Youth higher on CD displayed higher global clustering (β = .039, 95% CIcorrected [.0027 .0771]), but lower Degreesubcortical (β = −.052, 95% CIcorrected [−.0916 −.0152]). Youth higher on CD had worse performance on a general neurocognitive assessment (β = −.104, 95% CI [−.1328 −.0763]) and an emotion recognition memory assessment (β = −.061, 95% CI [−.0919 −.0290]). Finally, global clustering mediated the relationship between CD and general neurocognitive functioning (indirect β = −.002, 95% CI [−.0044 −.0002]), and Degreesubcortical mediated the relationship between CD and emotion recognition memory performance (indirect β = −.002, 95% CI [−.0046 −.0005]). CD appears associated with neuro-topological abnormalities and these abnormalities may represent neural mechanisms supporting CD-related neurocognitive disruptions.
Anaglyph stereo virtual dissection: a novel inexpensive method for stereoscopic visualisation of intracardiac anatomy on CT angiogram
Authors: Gupta Saurabh Kumar , Gupta Priyanka
Published: April 2021

Three-dimensional visualisation is invaluable for evaluating cardiac anatomy. Patient-specific three-dimensional printed models of the heart are useful but require significant infrastructure. The three-dimensional virtual models, derived from 3D echocardiography, computed tomographic (CT) angiography or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), permit excellent visualisation of intracardiac anatomy, but viewing on a two-dimensional screen obscures the third dimension. Various forms of extended reality, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, augment the third dimension but only using expensive equipment. Herein, we report a simple technique of anaglyph stereoscopic visualisation of three-dimensional virtual cardiac models. The feasibility of achieving stereovision on a personal computer, using open-source software, and the need for inexpensive anaglyph glasses for viewing make it extremely cost-effective. Further, the retained depth perception of resulting stereo images in electronic and printed format makes sharing with other members of the team easy and effective.
Researching the Politics of Illegal Activities
Authors: Gallien Max
Published: April 2021

Although an object of increasing interest, researching illegal activities generates a range of methodological challenges for political scientists. Rather than an exhaustive discussion, this article provides a simple framework that structures these challenges. It highlights that illegality is an insufficient guide to method development and needs to be supplemented by an analysis of three dimensions in addition to legality: enforcement, normalization, and ethics. The article explains that beyond providing insight into the feasibility and challenges of different methodologies, examining these dimensions also directly points researchers to key political science questions about illegal activities.
Association of survival with stereotactic body radiation therapy following induction chemotherapy for unresected locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Authors: Ma Sung Jun , Serra Lucas M. , Bartl Austin J. , Han Hye Ri , Fekrmandi Fatemeh , Iovoli Austin J. , Prezzano Kavitha M. , Hermann Gregory M. , Yu Han , Singh Anurag K.
Published: April 2021

Aim:

Induction chemotherapy (iC) followed by concurrent chemoradiation has been shown to improve overall survival (OS) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). However, the survival benefit of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) versus conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) following iC remains unclear.

Materials and methods:

The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for primary stage III, cT4N0-1M0 LAPC (2004–15). Kaplan–Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazards method and propensity score matching were used.

Results:

Among 872 patients, 738 patients underwent CFRT and 134 patients received SBRT. Median follow-up was 24·3 and 22·9 months for the CFRT and SBRT cohorts, respectively. The use of SBRT showed improved survival in both the multivariate analysis (hazards ratio 0·78, p = 0·025) and 120 propensity-matched pairs (median OS 18·1 versus 15·9 months, p = 0·004) compared to the CFRT.

Findings:

This NCDB analysis suggests survival benefit with the use of SBRT versus CFRT following iC for the LAPC.
Regulatory Autonomy under the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures: Implications of Korea–Import Bans, and Testing and Certification Requirements for Radionuclides
Authors: Lee Yong-Shik
Published: April 2021

The recent WTO dispute case, Korea–Import Bans, and Testing and Certification Requirements for Radionuclides, illustrates complex legal issues and significant political implications associated with the regulatory autonomy of a sovereign country under the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). There has been constant tension between the sovereign right of a WTO member state to determine its own appropriate level of protection (ALOP) and the regulatory constraints imposed under the SPS Agreement to prevent abuse and disguised trade protection. The case emerged from this tension and raises questions on the extent of the regulatory autonomy in the application of an SPS measure. This article addresses these questions and examines the criteria for the qualitative standards for the ALOP, the question that the Appellate Body decision did not fully resolve. The criteria for the qualitative ALOP standards affect the regulatory autonomy significantly under the current SPS rules as they determine the manner and the extent to which a Member may meet the sensitive public interests in the application of an SPS measure. The article proposes a rational basis test to restrain abuse of SPS measures while preserving the regulatory autonomy protected under the SPS Agreement.
Conceptualising the Role of Deservingness in Migrants’ Access to Social Services
Authors: Ratzmann Nora , Sahraoui Nina
Published: April 2021

This ‘state-of-the art’ article on the role of deservingness in governing migrants’ access to social services situates our themed section’s contribution to the literature at the intersection between the study of street-level bureaucracy and practices of internal bordering through social policy. Considering the increasing relevance of migration control post-entry, we review the considerations that guide the local delivery of social services. Among others, moral ideas about a claimant’s worthiness to receive social benefits and services guide policy implementation. But while ideas of deservingness help to understand how perceptions of migrants’ claiming play out in practice, we observe limited use of the concept in street-level bureaucracy research. Drawing on theorisations from welfare attitudinal research, we demonstrate the salience of deservingness attitudes in understanding the dynamics of local social service delivery to migrant clients.
Sattelprellung beim Mountainbiken – bloss eine Bagatelle?
Authors: Eube Pusch Nadine , Lütschg Jakob , Döschner Claudia , Keller Dagmar I.
Published: April 2021

Zusammenfassung. Dieser Mini-Review mit Fallbericht beschreibt mit Hilfe verhaltenspsychologischer Begriffe, wie eine nekrotisierende Fasziitis nach stumpfem Weichteiltrauma als Lungenembolie fehlinterpretiert werden kann. Neben der Darstellung der wichtigsten «Red Flags» und des typischen Krankheitsverlaufs sollen relevante Tools vorgestellt werden, die helfen können, Bagatellen bereits bei der ersten medizinischen Vorstellung von diesem lebensbedrohlichen Krankheitsbild abzugrenzen.