bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infrapatellar fat pad area on knee MRI: does it correlate with the extent of knee osteoarthritis?
Authors: Ragab Eman , Serag Dena
Published: January 2021

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint is a common cause of chronic disability in older adults. During the past 10 years, the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) has emerged as a new player in the pathogenesis of knee OA. Its exact role in the pathogenesis of knee OA remains uncertain. While many studies focused on the detrimental effect of the chemical mediators released by IPFP and their role in the accentuation of the development of OA, only few studies elucidated the beneficial effect of IPFP maximal area as a local shock absorber protecting the adjacent articular structures from progressive damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the IPFP maximal area and the prevalence of OA manifestations. We also studied the relation between the subcutaneous (SC) fat thicknesses on the medial aspect of the knee as a surrogate marker of body obesity and the IPFP area.

Results

A total of 216 knee scans for 188 adult patients (64 males and 124 females) who met the inclusion criteria were examined. They were between 45 and 66 years (mean 52.5 years). The mean IPFP area for all patients was 6.9 cm2 (± 1.6 SD) (ranged from 4.5 to 11 cm2). After adjustment for potential confounders, there was a significant negative association between IPFP area and radiographic manifestations of OA (osteophites, joint space narrowing, and grade of OA) (P value < 0.001 for each), as well as MRI manifestations of OA (cartilage defects and subchondral bone marrow lesions) (P value < 0.001 and < 0.003, respectively). There was a negative but non-significant association between IPFP area and SC fat thickness.

Conclusion

In our study, we found supportive evidence that IPFP maximal area is associated with fewer osteoarthritic knee changes and less cartilage damage, suggesting that it plays a protective role against the development and progression of OA. Further large-scale clinical studies are awaited to confirm the obtained results. Based on our findings, it would be recommended to avoid IPFP resection during surgery in order to maintain its protective effect.
Hepatoprotective activity of Cuscuta reflexa aqueous and alcoholic extracts against CCl4 induced toxicity in rats
Authors: RANJAN Rakesh , KUMAR Manoj , KUMAR Amar , SINHA Manoranjan Prasad
Published: January 2021

Introduction In the present study the impact of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Cuscuta reflexa were investigated on rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). CCl4 is known to intoxicate the liver of rats which can be easily be observed by examining the total protein, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase ALT). Cuscuta reflexa have been used in traditional medicine culture from time immemorial. In this study both the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Cuscuta reflexa were found to have curative impact on liver profile of CCl4 intoxicated rats. Materials and Methods. The stem of Cuscuta reflexa were collected from host bougainvillea, dried in shade and were subjected to alcoholic (ethanolic), and aqueous extraction. Albino rats were intoxicated with CCl4 to induce hepatotoxicity. The CCl4 intoxicated rats were treated with low dose and high dose of both the extracts to assess the hepatoprotective impact on intoxicated rats. The results clearly revealed that the CCl4 administration altered liver profile. The altered liver profile parameters recovered to normal after administration of aqueous and alcoholic extracts. Results and Discussion. Administration of CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats, which was evident with the results of serum analysis. Post CCl4 administration the liver profile parameters were altered. The CCl4 intoxicated rats were then treated with aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Cuscuta reflexa. Post treatment with the extracts the liver profile parameters recovered to normal. Conclusion: Present study reveals that aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Cuscuta reflexa were found to have curative impact on liver profile of CCl4 intoxicated rats. Keywords: Custuca reflexa, CCl4, hepatoprotective, liver profile, alcoholic extract, aqueous extract,
The role of electrotherapy in reducing the pain of patients with knee osteoarthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: ANTONESCU Elisabeta , SILIŞTEANU Sînziana Călina , TOTAN Maria
Published: January 2021

Introduction. Osteoarthritis is considered to be the most common form of arthritis and a leading disability cause worldwide, especially due to the painful symptom. The latter is a clinical marker in evaluating the limits of joint mobility and therefore, the pain reduction is a goal of the recovery treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to show whether the pain phenomenon characteristic of knee osteoarthritis can be reduced by electrotherapy, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and method. The study lasted 5 months and included 171 patients diagnosed clinically and radiologically with knee osteoarthritis. The followed parameters were pain, physical dysfunction in daily activities, anxiety and quality of life. Results and discussions. The two groups of studied patients were homogeneous in terms of weight by gender and age groups. The evaluation of patients according to scales enabled the registration of statistically significant values, the value of p <0.05, which explains the validation of the working hypothesis. The feeling of pain is closely related to the level of anxiety. Conclusions. Analgesic electrotherapy significantly reduced the pain syndrome of the patients for whom it was used. It has been shown that the patients' anxiety can influence the pain phenomenon. Given the conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the anxiety of the patients who were in the outpatient department to receive recovery treatment was increased, but after the recovery treatment there was a decrease, so these patients' quality of life increased.

Keywords: pain, analgesic electrotherapy, knee osteoarthritis, recovery treatment,
A clinical approach of neuropathic pain in piriformis syndrome: case presentation and rehabilitation particularities
Authors: VĂCĂRAȘ Vitalie , FRUNZE Sorina , CORDOȘ Mihai Adrian , PERCIULEAC Tatiana , MUREȘANU Fior Dafin
Published: January 2021

Piriformis syndrome is a rare cause of sciatica and buttock pain and is usually considered as a diagnosis of exclusion for patients with a history of trauma. It usually presents without abnormalities regarding sensory and motor functions and tends to have a favorable evolution with pharmacological treatment. We present the case of a patient with posttraumatic piriformis syndrome who came to our department with significant pain and muscle weakness. The diagnosis was confirmed using clinical tests, imaging techniques and electroneurography. The patient did not respond to pharmacologic treatment alone and therefore surgery was performed. Surgery along with pharmacological treatment, complementary pain treatment and physical rehabilitation provided a favorable outcome. Keywords: neurology, rehabilitation, piriformis syndrome, deep gluteal syndrome, traumatic neuropathy, neuropathic pain,
Analysis and Assessment of Hazards Caused by Chemicals Contaminating Selected Items of Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment – a Literature Review
Authors: Krzemińska Sylwia , Szewczyńska Małgorzata
Published: January 2021

Aim: The aim of the presented paper is to review the literature concerning the risks related to possible contamination with chemical substances of firefighter’s personal protective equipment (i.e. special clothing, special gloves, firefighter boots and balaclavas) during rescue operations. The authors focused on contamination resulting from the interaction of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and phthalates. Introduction: During rescue operations, firefighters are exposed to chemicals which are inherent in fires in buildings and open spaces. The health hazards caused by chemicals accumulating on the surface of personal protective equipment, which can enter the firefighter’s body through the skin, posing a lethal threat, is becoming an increasingly recognized issue. Scientific research shows that chemicals generated during fires are harmful – a significant proportion of them has a confirmed carcinogenic and mutagenic effect. Methodology: The presented analysis of the issue of chemical contamination of personal protective equipment and the associated risks to the firefighter was prepared on the basis of a review of selected Polish and foreign literature. The main types of chemical pollutants with chemical substances and the determined levels of pollution were addressed in the paper, indicating the conditions under which they were obtained. Additionally, the properties of the most common groups of chemicals that contaminate personal protective equipment are described. The characteristics of firefighter’s personal protective equipment, with the particular focus on the materials used for special firefighter suit, are also presented. Conclusions: A review of relevant literature indicates that contamination of firefighter’s personal protective equipment were investigated mainly with respect to the presence of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds with a proven carcinogenic effect. Phthalates as substances posing a very high risk to fertility were less commonly studied. The high content of harmful chemicals in dirt present on the surface of the material of special clothing and on other personal protective equipment, as well as in the urine metabolites, indicates unequivocally the need for decontamination of personal protective equipment after every fire.
The Effects of Contract Detail and Prior Ties on Contract Change: A Learning Perspective
Authors: Xing Zhe (Adele) , Mayer Kyle J. , Xie Xuanli , Reuer Jeffrey J. , Klijn Elko
Published: January 2021

Despite the large literature on alliance contract design, we know little about how transacting parties change and amend their underlying contracts during the execution of strategic alliances. Drawing on existing research in the alliance contracting literature, we develop the empirical question of how contract detail and prior ties influence the amount, direction, and type of change in such agreements during the collaboration. We generated a sample of 115 joint ventures (JVs) by distributing a survey to JV board members or top managers and found that the amount of contract change is negatively associated with the level of detail in the initial contract but is positively associated with the number of prior ties between alliance partners. In relation to the direction of contract change, we find that the level of detail of the initial agreements negatively correlates with the likelihood of removing or weakening existing provisions and that prior collaborative experience positively correlates with the likelihood of strengthening of existing provisions or adding of new ones. We also find that prior ties affect the type of change in that JV parents prefer to change enforcement provisions more so than the coordination provisions in the contract. Our paper generates new insights on the complementarities between relational governance and transaction cost economics perspectives on alliance contracting.
Effects of Party System Fluidity on Legislative Oversight and Good Governance Indicators--in the context of Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Mukhtarova Akbikesh
Published: January 2021

While analyzing data for 47 Sub-Saharan African countries, this article explores the correlation between Legislative Oversight and Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and the effects of Party System Fluidity on WGI and legislative oversight. The effects of party systems fluidity on governance indicators and legislative oversight have received little systematic scholarly attention. To fill the gap in the existing literature, the article explores how in/stability of party systems affects governance indicators and legislative oversight capacity in Sub-Saharan African countries. Analyzing the data on 47 Sub-Saharan African countries, we find that legislative oversight has a strong positive relationship with Worldwide Governance Indicators; however, instability of political party systems expressed in high party systems fluidity has a negative relationship with legislative oversight as well as all six dimensions of WGI. These findings reaffirm: "that the stability of political party systems”(Pelizzo: 2020, p. 265) is a crucial factor that is essential for the development of democratic institutions and further evolvement of mechanisms of democratic control of Parliaments over the work of national governments. The work structure is the following: firstly, it analyzes how academic scholarship defines legislative oversight and party system fluidity. The second part presents our data analysis methods. In conclusion, the paper discusses the research's key findings, namely the effects of party systems fluidity on legislative oversight and WGI in the context of Sub-Saharan African countries.
Poverty and Coping Strategies of Unemployed Youths in Cross River State, Nigeria
Authors: Nwakanma Emmanuel , Igbe Joseph Egidi
Published: January 2021

The study investigates how unemployed youths in Cross River state respond to and cope with poor economic conditions. The phenomenon of poverty has been identified as one of the increasing social challenges in Nigeria and has been linked to a number of social problems including street crime, substance abuse, internet fraud, armed robbery, ritual killings, kidnapping, and youth restiveness. Scholars have also argued that whereas the youth is the locomotive of national development and contribute immensely to the sustenance of the developmental momentum of a nation; youths in Nigeria are largely unemployed and redundant. The social consequences of this are enormous and can only be explained from the lens of the restricted opportunity theory and the strain theory. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design involving questionnaires, interviews, descriptive statistics and 1,010 purposively selected respondents from six local government areas in the three senatorial districts of Cross River. The findings of the study revealed that youth poverty is a growing concern in Cross River state, and is caused by limited access to loans, lack of job opportunities, policy paralysis, among many other factors. Respondents of the study further noted that unemployed youths in the state cope with the hardship associated with poverty and unemployment by engaging in various activities including negative ones such as commercial sex work, theft, cyber fraud, and armed robbery. It is thus recommended, among other things, that the Nigerian State must invest in youth development by creating programmes and funding for small scale businesses, vocational training, and skills development.
On growth of generalized Grigorchuk's overgroups
Authors:   Texas A&M University, Samarakoon S. T.
Published: January 2021

Grigorchuk's Overgroup G˜, is a branch group of intermediate growth. It contains the first Grigorchuk's torsion group G of intermediate growth constructed in 1980, but also has elements of infinite order. Its growth is substantially greater than the growth of G. The group G, corresponding to the sequence (012)∞=012012…, is a member of the family {Gω|ω∈Ω={0,1,2}N} consisting of groups of intermediate growth when sequence ω is not eventually constant. Following this construction we define the family {G˜ω,ω∈Ω} of generalized overgroups. Then G˜=G˜(012)∞ and Gω is a subgroup of G˜ω for each ω∈Ω. We prove, if ω is eventually constant, then G˜ω is of polynomial growth and if ω is not eventually constant, then G˜ω is of intermediate growth.
On the edge-Wiener index of the disjunctive product of simple graphs
Authors:   Islamic Azad University, Azari M. , Iranmanesh A. ,   Tarbiat ModaresUniversity
Published: January 2021

The edge-Wiener index of a simple connected graph G is defined as the sum of distances between all pairs of edges of G where the distance between two edges in G is the distance between the corresponding vertices in the line graph of G. In this paper, we study the edge-Wiener index under the disjunctive product of graphs and apply our results to compute the edge-Wiener index for the disjunctive product of paths and cycles.
Modules with minimax Cousin cohomologies
Authors:   Payame Noor University, Vahidi A.
Published: January 2021

Let R be a commutative Noetherian ring with non-zero identity and let X be an arbitrary R-module. In this paper, we show that if all the cohomology modules of the Cousin complex for X are minimax, then the following hold for any prime ideal p of R and for every integer n less than X, the height of p: (i) the nth Bass number of X with respect to p is finite; (ii) the nth local cohomology module of Xp with respect to pRp is Artinian.
Cadmium-ion detection: a comparative study for a SnO2, MoS2, SnO2/MoS2, SnO2-MoS2 sensing membrane combination with a fiber-optic Mach–Zehnder interferometer
Authors: Chen Hongliang , Yang Xiaozhan , Feng Wenlin
Published: January 2021

A novel fiber-optic Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on

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, and

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sensing film for cadmium-ion (

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+

) detection is proposed and fabricated. The photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) is sandwiched between the no-core-fiber-1 (NCF1) and no-core-fiber-2 (NCF2), forming the Mach–Zehnder interferometer with the NCF1-PCF-NCF2 structure, which is regarded as the sensing unit. The

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, and

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sensing films are, respectively, coated on the surface of two NCFs’ claddings. The comparative experiment results of the sensors with four membranes (

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) show that the sensors have good sensing performance for

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in the concentration range of 0–100 µM. When these sensing films adsorbed

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d

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, the monitoring wavelength shows blueshift of 0.6931 nm, 1.0252 nm, 1.9505 nm, respectively, and redshift of 3.0258 nm, and the sensitivities are 6.931 pm/µM, 10.252 pm/µM, 19.505 pm/µM, and 30.258 pm/µM, respectively. The sensor with

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bilayer film exhibits the optimal response to

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with excellent selectivity and stability. The proposed sensor has the advantages of simple structure, easy fabrication, small size, etc., having potential application in the monitoring of

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in aqueous solution.
All-fiber pulsed laser generation of 25.5  mJ and solution of parasitic oscillation
Authors: Wang Shijie , Lin Xianfeng , Zhang Zhilun , Xing Yinbin , Liao Lei , Li Jiyan
Published: January 2021

A Q-switched, high-energy pulsed master oscillator power amplifier fiber laser utilizing the lab-built 100/400 µm double-cladding Yb-doped fiber is demonstrated. After two-stage amplification, the pulse energy was boosted to 25.5 mJ, for an average power of 510 W at a repetition of 20 kHz, yielding a slope efficiency of approximately 72.8%; the pulse duration was approximately 140 ns, and corresponding peak power was 182.1 kW. What is more, the limitation of further promotion of pulse energy was proposed: the threshold-like parasitic oscillation, which was determined by the injecting power, repetition, and fiber length, was the main restriction on power scaling in ultra-high-energy systems. Efficient solutions were proposed to suppress the parasitic oscillation by experimentally studies.
Height measurement of solder bumps using two-wavelength parallel four-step phase shifting digital holography
Authors: Ishigaki H. , Futamura I. , Okada T. , Mamiya T. , Hayasaki Y.
Published: January 2021

Digital holography (DH) with two wavelengths (TW) that are close to each other was applied to height measurement of solder bumps having spherical specular surfaces with diameters of

∼

20

µ

m

and heights of

∼

20

µ

m

. We employed the parallel phase shifting method for instantaneous image capturing, and we improved the spatial resolution of our TW-DH system having two beams with different wavelengths that traveled in opposite directions in the interferometer. It gave 74-times higher repetition and 2.4-times higher spatial resolution than those in our previous DH system based on the Fourier transform method.
Noncollinear degenerate phase modulation in samples with inhomogeneous optical nonlinear properties [Invited]
Authors: Belashov Andrei V. , Cheng Chau-Jern , Petrov Nikolay V.
Published: January 2021

Digital inline pump–probe holography can be applied to estimate
parameters of samples’ optical nonlinear properties. Here we propose a
mathematical model to describe noncollinear degenerate phase
modulation in samples with inhomogeneities of nonlinear refractive
index over all three dimensions, namely, two-layered samples and
samples with local impurities. The impact of sample parameters in the
considered configurations is analyzed. We show that analysis of inline
digital holograms obtained by time-resolved inline digital holography
can be successfully used for rapid detection and characterization of
various types of nonlinear refractive index inhomogeneities.
Alternative interpretation of color phase-shifting profilometry and a self-contained method for fringe analysis
Authors: Alcalá Ochoa Noé , García-Isáis César Augusto
Published: January 2021

This work aims to report a robust single-shot color fringe projection method based on phase-shifting profilometry, where, to calculate the phase, is it not necessary to have knowledge of color coupling or color imbalance calibration parameters of the projector-camera system; additionally, it does not require knowledge of the phase-shifting step, nor projecting equally stepped fringe patterns. Furthermore, it does not require a high density of carrier fringes; it only requires a composite single color image. Theoretical and experimental results are provided. Its suitability to simplify absolute unwrapping is also discussed.
Geometric optics applied to drops passing through a focused Gaussian beam
Authors: Li Lingxi , Tropea Cameron
Published: January 2021

The present study examines the scattered light intensity from a drop passing through a Gaussian beam of a diameter comparable to or smaller than the drop. This is the situation encountered when using the time-shift technique, an optical technique used to characterize drops and aerosols according to the size and the velocity. In simulating the signals received by such an instrument, the computational effort involved when using, for instance, the Generalized Lorenz–Mie Theory or vector ray-tracing, is immense and hardly practical for use in instrument design and/or optimization. In this study theoretical expressions based on geometric optics are derived as an alternative, and they are shown to adequately capture the main features of the time-shift signals. These solutions require little computational effort and can be effectively used to explore the dependencies of the signals on various input factors, thus allowing further instrument development. On the other hand, these relations are also of general interest in the field of light scattering from drops and aerosols.
Digital Holography and 3D Imaging 2020: introduction to the feature issue
Authors: Liu Juan , Cao Liangcai , Stoykova Elena , Ferraro Pietro , Memmolo Pasquale , Blanche Pierre-Alexandre
Published: January 2021

This feature issue of JOSA A and Applied Optics is dedicated to the fourteenth OSA Topical Meeting “Digital Holography and 3D Imaging” held 22–26 June 2020 in a virtual meeting. The conference, taking place every year, is a focal point for global technical interchange in the field of digital holography and 3D imaging, providing premier opportunities for people working in the field to present their new advances in research and development. Papers presented at the meeting highlight current research in digital holography and three-dimensional imaging, including interferometry, phase microscopy, phase retrieval, novel holographic processes, 3D and novel holographic displays, integral imaging, computer-generated holograms, compressive holography, 3D holographic display, AR display, full-field tomography, specific image and signal processing, and holography with various light sources, including coherent to incoherent and x-ray to terahertz waves. Techniques of digital holography and of 3D imaging have numerous applications, such as the state-of-the-art technological developments that are currently underway and have also stimulated further novel applications of digital holography and 3D imaging in biomedicine, deep learning, and scientific and industrial metrologies.
Mid-infrared photon counting and resolving via efficient frequency upconversion
Authors: Huang Kun , Wang Yinqi , Fang Jianan , Kang Weiyan , Sun Ying , Liang Yan , Hao Qiang , Yan Ming , Zeng Heping
Published: January 2021

Optical detectors with single-photon sensitivity and large dynamic range would facilitate a variety of applications. Specifically, the capability of extending operation wavelengths into the mid-infrared region is highly attractive. Here we implement a mid-infrared frequency upconversion detector for counting and resolving photons at 3 μm. Thanks to the spectrotemporal engineering of the involved optical fields, the mid-infrared photons could be spectrally translated into the visible band with a conversion efficiency of 80%. In combination with a silicon avalanche photodiode, we obtained unprecedented performance with a high overall detection efficiency of 37% and a low noise equivalent power of

1.8
×

10

−
17

  
W
/

Hz

1
/
2

. Furthermore, photon-number-resolving detection at mid-infrared wavelengths was demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, with a multipixel photon counter. The implemented upconversion detector exhibited a maximal resolving photon number up to 9 with a noise probability per pulse of 0.14% at the peak detection efficiency. The achieved photon counting and resolving performance might open up new possibilities in trace molecule spectroscopy, sensitive biochemical sensing, and free-space communications, among others.
Status and forecast of leprosy in the still endemic province of Formosa in northern Argentina
Authors: Arnaiz María R. , Iglesias Mónica S. , Franco José I. , Arzamendia Lucila , Santini María S. , Recalde Hugo C.
Published: January 2021

Background

The province of Formosa, Argentina, is endemic for leprosy. In the present paper, we assessed the trend (T, 2002–2016 time series) and the forecast for 2022 of new case detection rate (NCDR) and determined the spatial distribution of new cases detected (NCD) of leprosy.

Methodology/Principal findings

This is a descriptive observational study of 713 NCD of leprosy from provincial medical records between January 2002 and December 2016. The whole dataset from the provincial medical record was used to independently estimate the NCDR trends of the general population, age groups, sexes and Departments. This same database was used to estimate the NCDR forecast of the general population for 2022, applying a dynamic linear model with a local linear trend, using the MCMC algorithm. The NCDR was higher in men (p<0.05), increased with age (0.20, 8.17, 21.04, and 29.49 for the 0–14, 15–44, 45–64 and over 65-year-old age groups, respectively; p<0.05) and showed a downward trend (negative values) of estimated slopes for the whole province and each Department. Bermejo Department showed the highest (T:-1.02, 95%CI: [-1.42, -0.66]) and Patiño the lowest decreasing trend (T:-0.45, 95%CI: [-0.74, -0.11]). The NCDR trend for both sexes was similar (T:-0.55, 95%CI: [-0.64, -0.46]), and age groups showed a decreasing trend (S15-44:-103, S45-64:-81, S>65:-61, p<0.05), except for the 0–14 age group (S:-3, p>0.05), which showed no trend. Forecasts predicted that leprosy will not be eliminated by 2022 (3.64, 95%CI: [1.22, 10.25]).

Conclusions/Significance

Our results highlight the status of leprosy in Formosa and provide information to the provincial public health authorities on high-risk populations, stressing the importance of timely detection of new cases for further elimination of the disease in the province.
Dynamics of facial actions for assessing smile genuineness
Authors: Kawulok Michal , Nalepa Jakub , Kawulok Jolanta , Smolka Bogdan
Published: January 2021

Applying computer vision techniques to distinguish between spontaneous and posed smiles is an active research topic of affective computing. Although there have been many works published addressing this problem and a couple of excellent benchmark databases created, the existing state-of-the-art approaches do not exploit the action units defined within the Facial Action Coding System that has become a standard in facial expression analysis. In this work, we explore the possibilities of extracting discriminative features directly from the dynamics of facial action units to differentiate between genuine and posed smiles. We report the results of our experimental study which shows that the proposed features offer competitive performance to those based on facial landmark analysis and on textural descriptors extracted from spatial-temporal blocks. We make these features publicly available for the UvA-NEMO and BBC databases, which will allow other researchers to further improve the classification scores, while preserving the interpretation capabilities attributed to the use of facial action units. Moreover, we have developed a new technique for identifying the smile phases, which is robust against the noise and allows for continuous analysis of facial videos.
Nephrotic syndrome with focal segmental glomerular lesions unclassified by Columbia classification; Pathology and clinical implication
Authors: Ozeki Takaya , Nagata Michio , Katsuno Takayuki , Inagaki Koji , Goto Kazunori , Kato Sawako , Yasuda Yoshinari , Tsuboi Naotake , Maruyama Shoichi
Published: January 2021

Background

The Columbia classification is widely used for diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In practice, we occasionally encounter segmental glomerular lesions unclassified as Columbia classification. We analyzed the clinical implication of unclassified segmental lesions comparing with Columbia-classified FSGS.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study from 13 local hospitals in Japan. From 172 biopsy cases diagnosed with FSGS or minimal change disease (MCD)/FSGS spectrum with unclassified segmental lesions, adult patients with nephrotic syndrome who received immunosuppressive therapies were included. The cases are classified by pathology, i.e., typical FSGS lesions sufficiently classified into subgroups of Columbia classification: collapsing (COL), tip (TIP), cellular (CEL), perihilar (PH), and not otherwise specified (NOS), and unclassified by the Columbia classification into three subgroups: “endothelial damage,”; “simple attachment,”; and “minor cellular lesion,”. The response to immunosuppressive treatment and 30% decline of eGFR were compared.

Results

Among 48 eligible cases, all were Japanese, 34 were typical FSGS; 13 TIP, 15 CEL, 6 NOS, and no COL or PH cases. Fourteen were unclassified cases: endothelial damage (n = 6), simple attachment (n = 5), and minor cellular lesion (n = 3). The median age of overall patients was 60 years old and the median of eGFR and urinary protein creatinine ratio was 51.5 mL/min/1.73m2 and 7.35, respectively. They received similar therapeutic regimen. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference in treatment response between typical FSGS and unclassified cases. Evaluating among the subgroups, endothelial damage, simple attachment and minor cellular lesion showed similar treatment response to TIP or CEL. No significant difference was also observed in the 30% decline of eGFR.

Conclusions

Japanese adult patients with nephrotic syndrome showing unclassified segmental lesions as Columbia classification may be equivalent clinical impact as Columbia classification of FSGS.
Cohort profile: Study on Zika virus infection in Brazil (ZIKABRA study)
Authors: Calvet Guilherme Amaral , Kara Edna Oliveira , Landoulsi Sihem , Habib Ndema , Bôtto-Menezes Camila Helena Aguiar , Franca Rafael Freitas de Oliveira , Neto Armando Menezes , Castilho Marcia da Costa , Fernandes Tatiana Jorge , Pereira Gerson Fernando , Giozza Silvana Pereira , Bermúdez Ximena Pamela Díaz , Modjarrad Kayvon , Lima Noemia , Brasil Patrícia , de Lacerda Marcus Vinicius Guimarães , de Filippis Ana Maria Bispo , Broutet Nathalie Jeanne Nicole ,   on behalf of ZIKABRA Study Team
Published: January 2021

Zika virus (ZIKV) has been detected in blood, urine, semen, cerebral spinal fluid, saliva, amniotic fluid, and breast milk. In most ZIKV infected individuals, the virus is detected in the blood to one week after the onset of symptoms and has been found to persist longer in urine and semen. To better understand virus dynamics, a prospective cohort study was conducted in Brazil to assess the presence and duration of ZIKV and related markers (viral RNA, antibodies, T cell response, and innate immunity) in blood, semen, saliva, urine, vaginal secretions/menstrual blood, rectal swab and sweat. The objective of the current manuscript is to describe the cohort, including an overview of the collected data and a description of the baseline characteristics of the participants. Men and women ≥ 18 years with acute illness and their symptomatic and asymptomatic household contacts with positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test for ZIKV in blood and/or urine were included. All participants were followed up for 12 months. From July 2017 to June 2019, a total of 786 participants (284 men, 502 women) were screened. Of these, 260 (33.1%) were enrolled in the study; index cases: 64 men (24.6%), 162 (62.3%) women; household contacts: 12 men (4.6%), 22 (8.5%) women. There was a statistically significant difference in age and sex between enrolled and not enrolled participants (p<0.005). Baseline sociodemographic and medical data were collected at enrollment from all participants. The median and interquartile range (IQR) age was 35 (IQR; 25.3, 43) for men and 36.5 years (IQR; 28, 47) for women. Following rash, which was one of the inclusion criteria for index cases, the most reported symptoms in the enrollment visit since the onset of the disease were fever, itching, arthralgia with or without edema, non-purulent conjunctivitis, headache, and myalgia. Ten hospitalizations were reported by eight patients (two patients were hospitalized twice) during follow up, after a median of 108 days following symptom onset (range 7 to 266 days) and with a median of 1.5 days (range 1 to 20 days) of hospital stay. A total of 4,137 visits were performed, 223 (85.8%) participants have attended all visits and 37 (14.2%) patients were discontinued.
T cells in the brain enhance neonatal mortality during peripheral LCMV infection
Authors: Kenney Laurie L. , Carter Erik P. , Gil Anna , Selin Liisa K.
Published: January 2021

In adult mice the severity of disease from viral infections is determined by the balance between the efficiency of the immune response and the magnitude of viral load. Here, the impact of this dynamic is examined in neonates. Newborns are highly susceptible to infections due to poor innate responses, lower numbers of T cells and Th2-prone immune responses. Eighty-percent of 7-day old mice, immunologically equivalent to human neonates, succumbed to extremely low doses (5 PFU) of the essentially non-lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV-Armstrong) given intraperitoneally. This increased lethality was determined to be dependent upon poor early viral control, as well as, T cells and perforin as assessed in knockout mice. By day 3, these neonatal mice had 400-fold higher viral loads as compared to adults receiving a 10,000-fold (5X104PFU) higher dose of LCMV. The high viral load in combination with the subsequent immunological defect of partial CD8 T cell clonal exhaustion in the periphery led to viral entry and replication in the brain. Within the brain, CD8 T cells were protected from exhaustion, and thus were able to mediate lethal immunopathology. To further delineate the role of early viral control, neonatal mice were infected with Pichinde virus, a less virulent arenavirus, or LCMV was given to pups of LCMV-immune mothers. In both cases, peak viral load was at least 29-fold lower, leading to functional CD8 T cell responses and 100% survival.
PRINCIPLES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLEX PROTECTION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS WITH VAULTED STRUCTURES FROM THE EFFECTS OF DYNAMIC LOADS
Authors: Witzany Jiří
Published: January 2021

Historic buildings located in areas exposed to dynamic effects caused by natural or technical seismicity are one of the most vulnerable types of structures. Masonry buildings often have timber-ceiling structures with insufficient rigidity and not fully functional system of wall and beam ties, therefore being extremely sensitive to the dynamic effects caused by natural or technical seismicity. Main focus of the article is the outline of possible rehabilitation and restoration design approaches for strengthening of historic buildings in terms of dynamic loads. Brief information about the research performed in the field of masonry vaults’ reinforcement due to the dynamic loading is presented.
Pieds-noirs, têtes hautes: Une histoire des sélectionnés olympiques d’Algérie
Authors: Frenkiel Stanislas
Published: January 2021

This contribution aims to study the sports careers and biographical trajectories of French athletes from Algeria selected to compete at the Summer Olympics from 1948 to 1984. They are part of the ambiguities and turbulences of the twentieth century: decolonization and globalization, deindustrialization and emancipation, democratization and professionalization of sport. Therefore, the article provides an analysis of the construction of sports excellence proposed at the crossroads of the history of French Algerians, elite sport, and Olympism from the colonial period to the postcolonial era. Relying mainly on ten “oral history” interviews with champions who participated in the Olympic Games, we highlight several determinants structuring their itineraries. These include their urban youth in Algerian and French clubs, sports networks during the Algerian War, the role of the French army, their predominantly amateur athletic careers, their Olympic consecration, and their retraining.

Cette contribution vise à reconstruire les carrières sportives et trajectoires bio-graphiques des Français d’Algérie sélectionnés au Jeux Olympiques d’été entre 1948 et 1984. Elles s’inscrivent dans les ambiguïtés et turbulences du XXème siècle: décolonisation et mondialisation, désindustrialisation et émancipation, démocra-tisation et professionnalisation du sport. C’est donc une réflexion sur la construction de l’excellence sportive qui est proposée au carrefour de l’histoire des Français d’Algérie, du sport d’élite et de l’olympisme du temps colonial à l’ère postcoloniale. S’appuyant principalement sur 10 entretiens “récits de vie” avec des champions ayant participé aux Jeux Olympiques, nous mettons en évidence plusieurs déterminants structurant leurs itinéraires. Leur jeunesse en ville dans des clubs algériens et français, les filières sportives dans la Guerre d’Algérie, le rôle de l’armée française, leur carrière majoritairement sous le statut amateur, leur consécration olympique et leur reconversion facilitée en font partie.
How two English Primary Schools Promote Wellbeing
Authors: Jones Jane
Published: January 2021

This article is about how two English primary schools promote the wellbeing of primary-aged children and their teachers. No longer a privileged space for adults, wellbeing is increasingly a concern for children who, today, are subject to considerable stress. We currently inhabit a landscape of worry and pressure, often emanating from messages from news and social media that impact on children’s lives. Schools in the UK have excellent pastoral arrangements and have embraced the challenge of ensuring the wellbeing of their pupils and teachers as a fundamental right. The Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) national arrangements for schools in England that I describe give details of the requirements for promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of pupils. Against this policy backdrop, I undertook to observe life in each of two schools and to interview their head teachers and the class teachers of 6-7-year-olds to understand how each school enacted wellbeing measures. The research question was simply “How do these schools understand and enact wellbeing for the children, and their teachers?” The schools were chosen as they were contextually very different but well-known in the community for the excellence of their pastoral and PSHE provision. I matched my data to the core theme of ‘Health and Wellbeing’ in the PSHE programme of study. The findings show how wellbeing is both readily identifiable as a “subject” in the primary curriculum and also embedded into the school culture and across the curriculum. The findings also emphasise the importance of the teacher as the one with daily contact and in prime position to observe and come to know and understand each child. The teachers emphasised the need to help children to build resilience and confidence to enable them to take advantage of opportunities and cope constructively with challenges in their exercise of life choices. I conclude that it is the whole school culture of wellbeing that foregrounds the conditions in which children can learn and develop their wellbeing in school and in the wider community.
Keywords: wellbeing, mental health, primary curriculum, pupil voice, school culture
Administracja terytorialna w ustawodawstwie okupanta niemieckiego w Generalnym Gubernatorstwie (1939–1944). Część III (1.08.1941 – 27.12.1944)
Authors: Wrzyszcz Andrzej
Published: January 2021

Artykuł stanowi część obszerniejszego opracowania. Jego część I obejmuje okres od 1.09.1939 r. do 31.07.1940 r., część II – okres od 1.08.1940 r. do 31.07.1941 r., a niniejsze opracowanie to część III – ukazująca okres od 1.08.1941 r. do 27.12.1944 r. Przedstawiono w nim kompetencje organów niemieckiej administracji terytorialnej w Generalnym Gubernatorstwie we wskazanym okresie. Wynikały one z przepisów ustanawianych przez niemieckie władze okupacyjne. Struktura opracowania opiera się na kryterium mieszanym (chronologicznym i merytorycznym). W pierwszej kolejności zaprezentowano uregulowania dotyczące przyłączenia do GG nowego dystryktu Galicja, dalej przepisy odnoszące się do administracji na szczeblu dystryktu, powiatu i gminy, a także wybrane akty z zakresu administracji specjalnej. W kolejnych fragmentach przywoływano akty normatywne w kolejności chronologicznej (z ustępstwami na rzecz kryterium merytorycznego).
Rosyjski rękopis III Statutu litewskiego ze zbiorów Biblioteki m.st. Warszawy
Authors: Zakrzewski Andrzej
Published: January 2021

III Statut litewski wyszedł w oryginalnej ruskiej wersji w 1588 r., zaś od 1614 r. kodeks ten wydawano wyłącznie w polskim tłumaczeniu. Jednak potrzeby obrotu prawnego, a niekiedy też chęć korzystania ze sprawdzonych wzorów, spowodowały powstanie tłumaczeń na niemiecki i rosyjski. Jedno z takich rosyjskich tłumaczeń znajduje się w Bibliotece m.st. Warszawy (sygn. Akc. 286). Wstępnie można założyć – na podstawie papieru i pisma – że pochodzi ono z przełomu XVIII i XIX w. i pod względem języka ma wiele wspólnego z rękopisem przechowywanym w wileńskiej Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių biblioteka (sygn. F. 22–62), zdecydowanie różni się od wydanego w 1916 r. przez Iwana I. Łappo moskiewskiego rękopisu z pierwszej połowy XVII w.
Spory pomiędzy posesorami a chłopami dóbr Cieni i Michałowa w czasach Księstwa Warszawskiego
Authors: Pomianowski Piotr Z.
Published: January 2021

Okres Księstwa Warszawskiego miał charakter przejściowy, jeśli chodzi o relacje pomiędzy ziemiaństwem a chłopstwem. Narzucone kapitalistyczne francuskie prawo cywilne zupełnie nie współgrało z na poły feudalnymi realiami polskiej wsi. Napoleon w artykułem 4 konstytucji zniósł poddaństwo. Niedługo później Fryderyk August wydał dekret grudniowy, którego znaczenie i skutki – mimo bogatej literatury przedmiotu – do dnia dzisiejszego są niezmiernie trudne do określenia. W czasach Polski Ludowej, w okresie wzmożonych badań nad wyzyskiem chłopów i oporem wsi czasów feudalnych i burżuazyjnych, twierdzono, że dekret oznaczał zniesienie własności podzielonej w odniesieniu do gospodarstw chłopskich i wyzucie włościan z ich praw. Te kategoryczne twierdzenia formułowano z reguły bez uwzględnienia źródeł o proweniencji sądowej, a te ostatnie zdają się sugerować, że rzeczywistość była o wiele bardziej skomplikowana. W artykule omówiono spory, które chłopi z Cieni i Michałowa toczyli z posesorami tych wsi przed Trybunałem Cywilnym Pierwszej Instancji w Kaliszu. Charakterystyczne, że w świadomości chłopów, ale i opinii sędziów, dekret grudniowy nie przekreślił bynajmniej wzajemnych uprawnień i obowiązków ziemian i gromad chłopskich, których źródłem były zwyczaje oraz wystawiane przez stulecia różnego rodzaju dokumenty.
Szkoły polskie i polonijne w Holandii – próba kategoryzacji
Authors: Steur Agnieszka
Published: January 2021

According to unofficial data from the Polish Consulate in The Hague, there are currently around 30 Polish and Polonia’s schools in the Netherlands. The way they operate, both in legal and educational terms, are different. This article is an attempt to categorize them. In addition, this article characterizes the existing schools by dividing them into four categories – school consultation points linked with Polish diplomatic missions, schools associated in the Polish Schools’ Forum in the Netherlands, schools operating at parishes and non-affiliated ones. According to the Dutch Planning Office, there are currently 250,000 Poles in the Netherlands. The representatives of the Polish Consulate in The Hague estimate that there may be up to 40,000 children among people of Polish descent who live in the Netherlands. Only about 2,000 of them attend Polish and Polonia’s schools. This article is the beginning to understand why only 5% of children of Polish origin who live in the Netherlands attend schools that look after Polish language.
Doświadczenia adolescentów chorujących na raka – przegląd tekstów anglojęzycznych
Authors: Pluta Magdalena
Published: January 2021

This article is a review of English-language texts on the experiences of adolescents with cancer. The aim of the article is to show the adolescents’ experiences of cancer based on available research. The review of texts includes studies conducted in the phenomenological approach. Selection of the texts based on specific criteria was followed by their analysis. The analysis was of qualitative and inductive character. Separate analytical categories are: difficulties in surviving cancer, strategies for coping with the disease and benefits of being sick, experience of support from the family and medical staff.
21. YÜZYILDA (EVRENSEL) TEMEL GELİR TARTIŞMALARI
Authors: BEKEN Hikmet Gülçin
Published: January 2021

Temel gelir aslında 21. yüzyıla ait bir kavram olmasa da bu yüzyılda adı daha sık duyulmakta ve
uygulanmasına ilişkin çabalarla daha yoğun bir şekilde karşılaşılmaktadır. Pek çok ülkenin seçilen pilot
bölgelerde temel geliri uygulamaya ve sonuçlarını değerlendirmeye çalıştığı görülmektedir. Öncelikle
cevaplanması gereken nokta, temel gelirin uygulanması yönündeki bu isteğin arkasında hangi saiklerin
yer aldığıdır. Modern refah devletleri, 21. yüzyıla ait problemlerin çözümünde etkinsiz kalması ve
yetersiz çözüm önerileri sunması nedeniyle, temel gelire yönelik uygulamaları hem kendi varlığını hem
de meşruiyetini sağlamanın bir yolu olarak kullanabilmektedir. Bununla birlikte, kapitalizmin her zaman
içerisine düştüğü krizlerden çıkış için tercih edilen bir araç olarak da görülmesi mümkündür. Küresel
pandeminin etkilerinin azaltılmasında evrensel temel gelirin bir politika aracı olarak kullanılmasına yönelik
taleplerle karşılaşırken, çalışmada temel gelirin özellikleri, sağlayacağı avantajlar ve taşıdığı dezavantajlar
üzerinden bir değerlendirme yapılacaktır.