bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimally Invasive Retrosternal Esophageal Bypass Using a Mid‐Colon Esophagocoloplasty for Corrosive‐Induced Esophageal Stricture
Authors: Gurram Ram Prakash , Kalayarasan Raja , Gnanasekaran Senthil , Pottakkat Biju
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Colonic bypass for corrosive‐induced esophageal stricture is traditionally performed using an open approach. The laparoscopic mid‐colon retrosternal esophageal bypass has not been previously reported. The present study is aimed to report the feasibility of laparoscopic mid‐colon esophagocoloplasty and to compare the short‐ and medium‐term outcomes with the open approach.

Materials and methods

Patients who underwent surgery for corrosive esophageal stricture between August 2016 and August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Laparoscopic procedure was preferred in patients with stricture starting at or below the level of cricopharynx and without prior laparotomy. The perioperative and medium‐term outcomes of patients who underwent open and laparoscopic mid‐colon bypass were compared.

Results

Of the 15 patients, seven patients underwent laparoscopic mid‐colon bypass, and eight patients underwent the open procedure. The duration of surgery was less in the laparoscopic group, but the difference was not significant (440 vs. 510 min, P = 0.93). Intraoperative blood loss (median) and postoperative analgesic requirement (median days) were significantly lower in laparoscopic group (200 mL vs. 350 mL, P = 0.03 & 3 vs. 5, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in the postoperative complications, ICU and hospital stay between the two groups. At a median (range) follow‐up of 14 (7–42) months, all patients in the minimally invasive colon bypass group were euphagic to regular Indian diet. Two patients in the open group developed anastomotic stricture requiring endoscopic dilatation.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive mid‐colon esophageal bypass is a feasible procedure for selected patients with corrosive esophageal stricture with favorable short‐term and comparable medium‐term outcomes.
Autoimmune Lebererkrankungen
Authors: Fischer Hans-Peter , Goltz Diane
Published: August 2020

Autoimmune Lebererkrankungen umfassen ein Spektrum idiopathischer fortschreitender Leberentzündungen mit im Einzelfall histologisch kennzeichnenden Befunden. Hierzu gehören bei der autoimmunen Hepatitis (AIH) das Bild einer chronischen Hepatitis mit plasmazellreicher dominierender Grenzflächenaktivität, Rosettierung der Hepatozyten und Emperipolese, bei der primären biliären Cholangitis (PBC) chronische, nichteitrige, destruierende Gallengangsläsionen, bei der primären sklerosierenden Cholangitis (PSC) die zwiebelschalenartige periduktale Fibrose bis zur verödenden Gangsklerose. Histopathologische Schnittmengenbefunde dieser Entitäten untereinander kennzeichnen Varianten der AIH bzw. Overlapsyndrome. Die Diagnose autoimmuner Lebererkrankungen beruht auf der Gesamtkonstellation klinischer, enzymserologischer, immunserologischer und bildgebender Befunde, zu denen fakultativ oder obligat die Leberbiopsie hinzugezogen wird. Der Leberbiopsie kommt eine gewichtige Rolle zu bei der Diagnose der AIH und ihrer Varianten, der Small-Duct-PSC, der AMA-negativen PBC, der IgG4-assoziierten Entzündungen und der Abgrenzung gegenüber konkurrierenden Lebererkrankungen insbesondere der medikamentös-toxischen Leberschädigung. Damit leistet die histologisch gestützte Diagnose einen gewichtigen Beitrag zu einer differenzierten Therapie autoimmun-entzündlicher Lebererkrankungen.
Clinical evaluation of automated quantitative MRI reports for assessment of hippocampal sclerosis
Authors: Goodkin Olivia , Pemberton Hugh G. , Vos Sjoerd B. , Prados Ferran , Das Ravi K. , Moggridge James , De Blasi Bianca , Bartlett Philippa , Williams Elaine , Campion Thomas , Haider Lukas , Pearce Kirsten , Bargallό Nuria , Sanchez Esther , Bisdas Sotirios , White Mark , Ourselin Sebastien , Winston Gavin P. , Duncan John S. , Cardoso Jorge , Thornton John S. , Yousry Tarek A. , Barkhof Frederik
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common cause of temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuroradiological practice relies on visual assessment, but quantification of HS imaging biomarkers—hippocampal volume loss and T2 elevation—could improve detection. We tested whether quantitative measures, contextualised with normative data, improve rater accuracy and confidence.

Methods

Quantitative reports (QReports) were generated for 43 individuals with epilepsy (mean age ± SD 40.0 ± 14.8 years, 22 men; 15 histologically unilateral HS; 5 bilateral; 23 MR-negative). Normative data was generated from 111 healthy individuals (age 40.0 ± 12.8 years, 52 men). Nine raters with different experience (neuroradiologists, trainees, and image analysts) assessed subjects’ imaging with and without QReports. Raters assigned imaging normal, right, left, or bilateral HS. Confidence was rated on a 5-point scale.

Results

Correct designation (normal/abnormal) was high and showed further trend-level improvement with QReports, from 87.5 to 92.5% (p = 0.07, effect size d = 0.69). Largest magnitude improvement (84.5 to 93.8%) was for image analysts (d = 0.87). For bilateral HS, QReports significantly improved overall accuracy, from 74.4 to 91.1% (p = 0.042, d = 0.7). Agreement with the correct diagnosis (kappa) tended to increase from 0.74 (‘fair’) to 0.86 (‘excellent’) with the report (p = 0.06, d = 0.81). Confidence increased when correctly assessing scans with the QReport (p < 0.001, η2p = 0.945).

Conclusions

QReports of HS imaging biomarkers can improve rater accuracy and confidence, particularly in challenging bilateral cases. Improvements were seen across all raters, with large effect sizes, greatest for image analysts. These findings may have positive implications for clinical radiology services and justify further validation in larger groups.

Key Points

• Quantification of imaging biomarkers for hippocampal sclerosis—volume loss and raised T2 signal—could improve clinical radiological detection in challenging cases.

• Quantitative reports for individual patients, contextualised with normative reference data, improved diagnostic accuracy and confidence in a group of nine raters, in particular for bilateral HS cases.

• We present a pre-use clinical validation of an automated imaging assessment tool to assist clinical radiology reporting of hippocampal sclerosis, which improves detection accuracy.
1H NMR spectroscopy study of structural water in rehydrated biocomposite of Spongilla lacustris freshwater demosponge origin
Authors: Krupska Tatiana , Wysokowski Marcin , Petrenko Iaroslav , Khrunyk Yuliya , Nowacki Krzysztof , Ehrlich Hermann , Turov Vladimir V.
Published: August 2020

Biocomposites of sponge origin attract scientific attention due to their renewability as well as special properties. Dried skeletons of fresh water demospongeSpongilla lacustrisrepresent unique kind of naturally occurring silica-chitin-based biocomposites with long history of their applications in dermatocosmetics. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on their physico-chemical properties in model systems. The aim of this work was to model drug systems based onS. lacustrispowdered biocomposite, water and a hydrophobic medium, which served as an analog of an oil base. Both thermogravimetric analysis and1H NMR spectroscopy study of structural water in rehydrated biocomposite lead to obtaining of interesting experimental data useful for preparation of biocosmetic products.
Identification of sulfakinin receptors (SKR) in Tenebrio molitor beetle and the influence of sulfakinins on carbohydrates metabolism
Authors: Słocińska M. , Chowański S. , Marciniak P.
Published: August 2020

Sulfakinins (SKs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides commonly found in insects, structurally and functionally homologous to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK) neuropeptides. SKs together with sulfakinin receptors (SKRs) are involved in sulfakinin signaling responsible for variety of biological functions, including food intake or fatty acid metabolism. In the present study, we determined the distribution of SKRs in Tenebrio molitor larvae and characterized the impact of nonsulfated and sulfated SKs on carbohydrates and insulin-like peptides (ILPs) level in beetle hemolymph. Our results indicate the presence of both sulfakinin receptors, SKR1 and SKR2, in the nervous system of T. molitor. The distribution of SKR2 in peripheral tissues was more widespread than SKR1, and their transcripts have been found in fat body, gut and hemolymph. This is also the first evidence for SKRs presence in insect hemocytes indicating immunotropic activity of SKs. Moreover, in the present study, we have demonstrated that SKs regulate ILPs and carbohydrates level in insect hemolymph, and that sulfation is not crucial for peptides activity. Our study confirms the role of SKs in maintaining energy homeostasis in beetles.
Neurological comorbidity and severity of COVID-19
Authors: Romagnolo Alberto , Balestrino Roberta , Imbalzano Gabriele , Ciccone Giovannino , Riccardini Franco , Artusi Carlo Alberto , Bozzali Marco , Ferrero Bruno , Montalenti Elisa , Montanaro Elisa , Rizzone Mario Giorgio , Vaula Giovanna , Zibetti Maurizio , Lopiano Leonardo
Published: August 2020

Objective

Neurological symptoms of COVID-19 patients have been recently described. However, no comprehensive data have been reported on pre-existing neurological comorbidities and COVID-19. This study aims at evaluating the prevalence of neurological comorbidities, and their association with COVID-19 severity.

Methods

We evaluated all consecutive patients admitted to the Emergency Room (ER) of our hospital between the 3rd March and the 14th April 2020, and diagnosed with COVID-19. Data on neurological and non-neurological diseases were extracted, as well as data on demographic characteristics and on severity degree of COVID-19. The prevalence of neurological comorbidities was calculated, and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between neurological diseases and COVID-19 severity.

Results

We included 344 patients. Neurological comorbidities accounted for 22.4% of cases, with cerebrovascular diseases and cognitive impairment being the most frequent. Neurological comorbidity resulted independently associated with severe COVID-19 (OR 2.305; p = 0.012), as well as male gender (p = 0.001), older age (p = 0.001), neoplastic diseases (p = 0.039), and arterial hypertension (p = 0.045). When neurological comorbidity was associated with non-neurological comorbidities, the OR for severe COVID-19 rose to 7.394 (p = 0.005). Neurological patients, in particular cerebrovascular and cognitively impaired ones, received more respiratory support indication.

Conclusion

Neurological comorbidities represent a significant determinant of COVID-19 severity, deserving a thorough evaluation since the earliest phases of infection. The vulnerability of patients affected by neurological diseases should suggest a greater attention in targeting this population for proactive viral screening.
Three-dimensional image-based modeling by combining SBFEM and transfinite element shape functions
Authors: Gravenkamp Hauke , Saputra Albert A. , Eisenträger Sascha
Published: August 2020

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) has recently been employed as an efficient tool to model three-dimensional structures, in particular when the geometry is provided as a voxel-based image. To this end, an octree decomposition of the computational domain is deployed, and each cubic cell is treated as an SBFE subdomain. The surfaces of each subdomain are discretized in the finite element sense. We improve on this idea by combining the semi-analytical concept of the SBFEM with a particular class of transition elements on the subdomains’ surfaces. Thus, a triangulation of these surfaces as executed in previous works is avoided, and consequently, the number of surface elements and degrees of freedom is reduced. In addition, these discretizations allow coupling elements of arbitrary order such that local p-refinement can be achieved straightforwardly.
Angewandte und Kritische Geographie. Gemeinsame Herausforderungen, gemeinsame Perspektiven?
Authors: Kuge Janika , Naumann Matthias , Nuissl Henning , Schipper Sebastian
Published: August 2020

Innerhalb der Humangeographie erscheinen Angewandte und Kritische Geographie oft als zwei getrennte Welten, die vermeintlich kaum inhaltliche Berührungspunkte haben, geschweige denn ein geteiltes Anliegen verfolgen. Implizit steht dabei die Annahme im Raum, dass zwischen beiden Forschungsperspektiven grundsätzliche Widersprüche bestehen, welche die Suche nach Gemeinsamkeiten erschweren, wenn nicht sogar von vornherein zum Scheitern verurteilen. Dementgegen wollen wir in diesem Beitrag auf der Grundlage unserer eigenen Erfahrungen im Deutschen Verband für Angewandte Geographie (DVAG) sowie innerhalb verschiedener Zusammenhänge der Kritischen Geographie der Frage nachgehen, inwiefern ein intensiverer Dialog zwischen den beiden personell und institutionell bislang relativ getrennten Welten der Angewandten und der Kritischen Geographie möglich ist bzw. wie beide zueinander finden können.
Lymph node ratio as a predictor for outcome in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a multicenter population-based cohort study
Authors: Spoerl Steffen , Gerken Michael , Mamilos Andreas , Fischer René , Wolf Stefanie , Nieberle Felix , Klingelhöffer Christoph , Meier Johannes K. , Spoerl Silvia , Ettl Tobias , Reichert Torsten E. , Spanier Gerrit
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Recently, multiple studies addressed the importance of lymph node ratio (LNR) in specifying patients’ risk of disease recurrence in various malignancies. The present study examines the prognostic significance of LNR in predicting outcome of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients after surgical treatment with curative intent.

Methods

Here, we describe a retrospective population-based cohort with 717 patients previously diagnosed with OSCC. Histopathologically verified lymph node metastasis was diagnosed in 290 patients. Among these patients, we evaluated the impact of LNR on overall survival (OAS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in uni- as well as multivariate analysis.

Results

A median cutoff (0.055) in LNR was found to significantly predict outcome in OSCC patients. Five-year OAS was 54.1% in patients with a low LNR, whereas a high LNR was associated with a 5-year OAS of 33.3% (p < 0.001). Similar results were detected for RFS with a 5-year survival rate of 49.8% (LNR low) and 30.3% (LNR high) (p = 0.002). Results were confirmed in multivariate Cox regression which substantiated the importance of LNR in predicting survival in OSCC patients.

Conclusions

LNR was shown to be an independent prognostic factor for outcome of OSCC in a population-based cohort in uni- as well as multivariate analysis. Hereby, a LNR ≥ 0.055 predicted a shorter OAS and RFS in our cohort.

Clinical relevance

Besides established histopathological factors, LNR can be used as a reliable predictor of outcome in OSCC and might therefore be further applied in evaluating adjuvant treatment after resection in curative intention.
Evaluation of Process Oriented Water Quality Predictions for Pit Lakes
Authors: Hildebrandt Ina , Ulrich Kai-Uwe , Horn Adrian , Weber Lutz , Häfner Klaus , Nitsche Claus
Published: August 2020

Reliable prediction of water quality is essential to meet the official targets set for effluent composition and usage of pit lakes, and to identify the appropriate remediation technology. For this purpose, a complex conceptual model was established and tested on two pit lakes in central Germany with highly different acid loads. To assess the reliability of the predictions, we compared monitoring data from the past 8–10 years with previous water quality predictions. In the case of Lake Schladitz, with low acid load and sufficient buffering capacity, a simple setup with few model elements appeared adequate, and no readjustment of model settings was necessary. For six (pseudo-) conservative ions, the total average deviation between measured and predicted values was − 9%, as opposed to − 2.7% during calibration. For the repeatedly conditioned Lake Bockwitz, a model parameterized with more elements and specific process parameters determined from field and laboratory investigations proved adequate for calculating the technical alkalinity demand. During calibration, the total average deviation between measured and modelled conservative ions was +0.2%; it reached +4.5% during the prediction evaluation period. With continued reacidification of the lake, the predicted concentrations of dissolved Fe and Al increasingly deviated from lake measurements. Deviations diminished after the solubility constants of schwertmannite and hydrobasaluminite were included in the thermodynamic database. The developed conceptual workflow offers a tool to improve water quality predictions for other lake settings.
Air Pollution Exposure and Covid-19 in Dutch Municipalities
Authors: Cole Matthew A. , Ozgen Ceren , Strobl Eric
Published: August 2020

In light of the existing preliminary evidence of a link between Covid-19 and poor air quality, which is largely based upon correlations, we estimate the relationship between long term air pollution exposure and Covid-19 in 355 municipalities in the Netherlands. Using detailed data we find compelling evidence of a positive relationship between air pollution, and particularly$$PM_{2.5}$$PM2.5concentrations, and Covid-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths. This relationship persists even after controlling for a wide range of explanatory variables. Our results indicate that, other things being equal, a municipality with 1 μg/m3more$$PM_{2.5}$$PM2.5concentrations will have 9.4 more Covid-19 cases, 3.0 more hospital admissions, and 2.3 more deaths. This relationship between Covid-19 and air pollution withstands a number of sensitivity and robustness exercises including instrumenting pollution to mitigate potential endogeneity in the measurement of pollution and modelling spatial spillovers using spatial econometric techniques.
Procreation, Footprint and Responsibility for Climate Change
Authors: Pinkert Felix , Sticker Martin
Published: August 2020

Several climate ethicists have recently argued that having children is morally equivalent to over-consumption, and contributes greatly to parents’ personal carbon footprints. We show that these claims are mistaken, for two reasons. First, including procreation in parents’ carbon footprints double-counts children’s consumption emissions, once towards their own, and once towards their parents’ footprints. We show that such double-counting defeats the chief purpose of the concept of carbon footprint, namely to measure the sustainability and equitability of one’s activities and choices. Furthermore, we show that proposals to avoid double-counting have other unacceptable implications. Second, we show that the key arguments for a supposed moral equivalence of procreation and consumption overgenerate and lead to unacceptable consequences in many cases, such as for the work of doctors who save lives or enable procreation. Finally, we propose that rather than counting children’s emissions towards their parents’ carbon footprints, we should consider these emissions as part of the parents’ carbon impact, i.e. the difference that their choices make to the overall global carbon emissions. It is from the perspective of impact that we should think about the ethics of procreation in an age of climate change.
The application of factorial surveys to study recruiters’ hiring intentions: comparing designs based on hypothetical and real vacancies
Authors: Gutfleisch Tamara , Samuel Robin , Sacchi Stefan
Published: August 2020

Factorial survey experiments have been widely used to study recruiters’ hiring intentions. Respondents are asked to evaluate hypothetical applicant descriptions, which are experimentally manipulated, for hypothetical job descriptions. However, this methodology has been criticized for putting respondents in hypothetical situations that often only partially correspond to real-life hiring situations. It has been proposed that this criticism can be overcome by sampling real-world vacancies and the recruiters responsible for filling them. In such an approach, only the applicants’ descriptions are hypothetical; respondents are asked about a real hiring problem, which might increase internal and external validity. In this study, we test whether using real vacancies triggers more valid judgments compared to designs based on hypothetical vacancies. The growing number of factorial survey experiments conducted in employer studies makes addressing this question relevant, both for methodological and practical reasons. However, despite the potential implications for the validity of data, it has been neglected so far. We conducted a factorial survey experiment in Luxembourg, in which respondents evaluated hypothetical applicants referring either to a currently vacant position in their company or to a hypothetical job. Overall, we found little evidence for differences in responses by the design of the survey experiment. However, the use of real vacancies might prove beneficial depending on the research interest. We hope that our comparison of designs using real and hypothetical vacancies contributes to the emerging methodological inquiry on the possibilities and limits of using factorial survey experiments in research on hiring.
Entwicklung der Rechtschreibkompetenz im zweiten und dritten Schuljahr: Eine latente Transitionsanalyse zur Überprüfung theoretischer Annahmen
Authors: Jaeuthe Jessica , Lambrecht Jennifer , Bosse Stefanie , Bogda Katja , Spörer Nadine
Published: August 2020

Im deutschsprachigen Raum existiert eine Vielzahl von Modellen zur Entwicklung der Rechtschreibkompetenz von Grundschulkindern. Es zeigen sich starke Übereinstimmungen in der Vorstellung von aufeinanderfolgenden Kompetenzniveaus, wobei in allen Modellen drei Niveaus auftreten: 1) noch nicht lautgetreue Schreibungen, 2) lautgetreue Schreibungen und 3) orthographisch korrekte Schreibungen. Die Kriterien, auf Basis derer ein Kind dem jeweiligen Niveau zugeordnet wird, bleiben jedoch vage. Ebenso fehlt eine umfassende empirische Überprüfung der Modelle. Die vorliegende Längsschnittstudie untersuchte zu drei Messzeitpunkten (Anfang Klasse 2, Ende Klasse 2, Ende Klasse 3) die Schreibungen vonN = 697 Grundschulkinder mit standardisierten Rechtschreibtests. Mittels latenter Transitionsanalyse wurden drei Profile identifiziert: 1) Überwiegend nicht lautgetreu 2) Überwiegend lautgetreu und 3) Überwiegend korrekt. Auch die durchlaufenen Pfade und Übergangswahrscheinlichkeiten stützen die angenommene hierarchische Struktur der Modelle.
A spatial econometric empirical research on the impact of industrial agglomeration on haze pollution in China
Authors: Zhao Hong , Cao Xiaoxi , Ma Tao
Published: August 2020

Based on statistical data on 30 provincial administrative regions in China from 2000 to 2016, this paper conducts an empirical study of the impact of industrial agglomeration on haze pollution using the spatial Dubin model (SDM), spatial lag model (SLM), and spatial error model (SEM). The findings are as follows: (1) Industrial agglomeration can effectively reduce the degree of haze pollution. (2) Haze pollution has an inverted U-shaped relationship with economic development and population agglomeration. (3) The secondary industry has a positive correlation with haze pollution, while the tertiary industry can reduce haze pollution but not in an obvious manner. (4) The level of innovation and urbanization can help to reduce haze pollution, and the level of economic opening up and carbon dioxide emissions can exacerbate haze pollution. (5) Due to the insufficient commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, investment in science and technology is not obviously effective in preventing and controlling haze pollution. The relationship between environmental regulation and haze pollution is still unclear due to regional differences and the varied effectiveness of law enforcement. The study suggests that the government should guide industrial agglomeration in a reasonable manner, improve joint prevention and control across regions, and strengthen environmental regulation to prevent and control haze pollution.
Aqp9 Gene Deletion Enhances Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) Death and Dysfunction Induced by Optic Nerve Crush: Evidence that Aquaporin 9 Acts as an Astrocyte-to-Neuron Lactate Shuttle in Concert with Monocarboxylate Transporters To Support RGC Function and Survival
Authors: Mori Sotaro , Kurimoto Takuji , Miki Akiko , Maeda Hidetaka , Kusuhara Sentaro , Nakamura Makoto
Published: August 2020

Aquaporin 9 (AQP9) is an aquaglyceroporin that can transport lactate. Accumulating evidence suggests that astrocyte-to-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) plays a critical role in energy metabolism in neurons, including retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To test the hypothesis that AQP9, in concert with monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), participates in ANLS to maintain function and survival of RGCs, Aqp9-null mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were subjected to optic nerve crush (ONC) with or without intravitreal injection of an MCT2 inhibitor. RGC density was similar between the Aqp9-null mice and WT mice without ONC, while ONC resulted in significantly more RGC density reduction in the Aqp9-null mice than in the WT mice at day 7. Positive scotopic threshold response (pSTR) amplitude values were similar between the two groups without ONC, but were significantly more reduced in the Aqp9-null mice than in the WT mice 7days after ONC. MCT2 inhibitor injection accelerated RGC death and pSTR amplitude reduction only in the WT mice with ONC. Immunolabeling revealed that both RGCs and astrocytes expressed AQP9, that ONC predominantly reduced astrocytic AQP9 expression, and that MCTs 1, 2, and 4 were co-localized with AQP9 at the ganglion cell layer. These retinal MCTs were also co-immunoprecipitated with AQP9 in the WT mice. ONC decreased the co-immunoprecipitation of MCTs 1 and 4, but did not impact co-immunoprecipitation of MCT2. Retinal glucose transporter 1 expression was increased in Aqp9-null mice. Aqp9 gene deletion reduced and increased the intraretinal l-lactate and d-glucose concentrations, respectively. Results suggest that AQP9 acts as the ANLS to maintain function and survival of RGCs.
Excessive-reassurance seeking and mental health: Interpersonal networks for emotion regulation
Authors: Abe Kazuaki , Nakashima Kenichiro
Published: August 2020

In the context of research on depression, previous studies have explained relationships between excessive-reassurance seeking and mental health from the perspective of interpersonal rejection by significant others. The present study examined the mechanisms underlying these relationships from the perspective of “emotionships”, which indicates the diversity of interpersonal networks for emotion regulation. We also examined how the most significant other’s interpersonal acceptance plays a role in processes that underlie the relationship between excessive-reassurance seeking and mental health as mediated through emotionships. 118 students completed three questionnaires. First, they completed measures of excessive-reassurance seeking, depression and well-being. Second, to assess emotionships, participants nominated individuals they seek in different emotion regulation scenarios. Third, participants selected the most significant other that they nominated previously and answered questions about this individual’s acceptance tendency. Moderated mediation analysis results indicated that in a case that the most significant other did not tend to accept others, those who engaged in excessive-reassurance seeking had fewer emotionships, and fewer emotionships predicted deterioration of well-being. In contrast, when the most significant other tended to accept others, these negative effects of ERS behavior on well-being via emotionships were not found. These findings suggest that maintaining interpersonal networks for emotion regulation and the most significant other’s interpersonal acceptance may be important for preventing deterioration of mental health among excessive-reassurance seekers.
Potentially Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains Derived from Food Intensify Crystallization Caused by Proteus mirabilis in Urine
Authors: Torzewska Agnieszka , Wiewiura Paulina , Brodecka Dominika , Szczerbiec Dominika , Różalski Antoni
Published: August 2020

Proteus mirabilisis a common cause of infectious urolithiasis. The first stage in the formation of urinary stones is the crystallization of mineral salts in the urine induced by urease activity of this microorganism.Lactobacillusspp.are an important component of the human microbiota and in large quantities occur in foods. Regardless of their origin, those with probiotic properties are proposed as an alternative to antibiotic therapy in the treatment of urinary tract infections. The aim of the study was to check the effect of selectedLactobacillus plantarumandLactobacillus brevisstrains on crystallization caused byP. mirabilisin an in vitro experiment. It has been confirmed that selectedLactobacillusstrains have antibacterial properties and colonize the urinary tract epithelium. During 24-h incubation of bacterial cultures, containingP. mirabilisand individualLactobacillusstrains, in synthetic urine, bacterial viability (CFU/mL), pH, and crystallization were determined. Crystallization was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively using AAS and XRD techniques as well as phase-contrast microscopy. It has been shown that in the presence of selectedLactobacillusstrains, the culture pH increases faster, especially after 8 h of incubation, compared with the pureP. mirabilisculture. An increase in pH reduces the viability ofP. mirabilis; however, in the presence of some lactobacilli, the uropathogen grows more intensively. The presence ofLactobacillusalso affected crystallization by increasing its intensity, and the resulting crystals were larger in size. TestedL. plantarumandL. brevisstrains could therefore accelerate the formation of urinary stones and development of infection.
Insolvenzrelevante Fußball-Verbandsregularien in Deutschland
Authors: Weimar Daniel
Published: August 2020

Aufgrund zahlreicher ökonomischer Besonderheiten des Fußballmarktes ist der Umgang mit insolventen Fußballclubs durchaus komplex. Als eine Reaktion auf diese Besonderheiten agieren Fußballverbände mit „Sonder-Insolvenzklauseln“, um den sportlichen Wettbewerb zu sichern. Studien attestieren diesen Verbandsregularien jedoch einen teilweisen Widerspruch zur Insolvenzordnung. Auch von Seiten der Fußballclubs wächst die Kritik gegen die Sanktionspraxis. Ökonomisch-rechtliche Auseinandersetzungen mit derartigen Verbandsregularien sind jedoch rar. Daher diskutiert der Beitrag Besonderheiten, Fehlanreize und potenzielle Reformansätze von Verbandssanktionen im Zusammenhang mit Insolvenzverfahren von Fußballunternehmen in Deutschland. Im Ergebnis werden Nachteile eines festen Punktabzuges herausgestellt und Alternativen diskutiert. Ferner wird herausgearbeitet, dass die Übertragung von Ligarechten an Nachfolgeclubs unterbunden und vorinsolvenzliche Verfahren berücksichtigt werden sollten. Da in der 1. Bundesliga keine und in der 2. Bundesliga nur zwei Insolvenzverfahren seit 1995 durchgeführt wurden, entfalten die Ergebnisse besondere Relevanz für die professionellen und semiprofessionellen Ligen drei bis fünf.
Enhanced mechanism of thermoelectric performance of Bi2Se3 using density functional theory
Authors: Mohyedin Muhammad Zamir , Taib Mohamad Fariz Mohamad , Radzwan Afiq , Mustaffa M. , Shaari Amiruddin , Hassan Oskar Hasdinor , Ali Ab Malik Marwan , Haq Bakhtiar Ul , Yahya Muhd Zu Azhan
Published: August 2020

Good thermoelectric performance is being sought to face major problems related to energy, especially in the concern of the usage of energy on environmental impact. In this work, we investigate the underlying mechanism to enhance the thermoelectric performance of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) by employing density functional theory (DFT) followed by the Boltzmann transport equation under relaxation time approximation. The structural, electronic, and thermoelectric properties were calculated and analyzed. From the analysis of combined results of thermoelectric properties and electronic properties as the function of the Fermi level, we found that the power factor of Bi2Se3 is improved by increasing electrical conductivity that contributed by the large density of states and light effective mass of charge carriers. The figure of merit, on the other hand, is enhanced by increasing Seebeck coefficient that contributed by heavy effective mass and decreasing thermal conductivity that contributed by low density of states. We also found that both power factor and figure of merit can be improved through n-type doping at 300 K and p-type doping at higher temperature (400 K and 500 K).
Least squares and maximum likelihood estimation of sufficient reductions in regressions with matrix-valued predictors
Authors: Pfeiffer Ruth M. , Kapla Daniel B. , Bura Efstathia
Published: August 2020

We propose methods to estimate sufficient reductions in matrix-valued predictors for regression or classification. We assume that the first moment of the predictor matrix given the response can be decomposed into arowandcolumncomponent via a Kronecker product structure. We obtain least squares and maximum likelihood estimates of the sufficient reductions in the matrix predictors, derive statistical properties of the resulting estimates and present fast computational algorithms with assured convergence. The performance of the proposed approaches in regression and classification is compared in simulations.We illustrate the methods on two examples, using longitudinally measured serum biomarker and neuroimaging data.
Plant growth response of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) to biochar amendment of loamy sand soil under irrigated and drought conditions
Authors: Egamberdieva Dilfuza , Zoghi Zohreh , Nazarov Khudayberdi , Wirth Stephan , Bellingrath-Kimura Sonoko Dorothea
Published: August 2020

The broad bean (Vicia faba L.) originated in the Near East, and is cultivated around the world, however, its cultivation is affected by drought stress in several central growing regions of the globe. The present study was designed to determine the effect of biochar on bean plant growth, acquisition of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and on soil nutrient contents under drought and irrigated conditions. Pyrolysis char from maize (MBC) at 2 and 4% concentrations was used for pot experiments. The shoot and/or root biomass of bean grown in soil amended with 2 and 4% MBC under irrigated condition was increased. Furthermore, increased nodule numbers of bean grown at 4% MBC amendment was observed under both irrigated and drought conditions. P and K uptake of plants under drought conditions increased by 14% and 23% under 2% MBC amendment, and by 23% and 34% under 4% MBC amendment as compared to plants grown without biochar application, respectively. This study demonstrated beneficial effects of biochar produced from maize on growth and nutrient uptake of broad bean, by improving the nodule formation and soil nutritional contents in a sandy loam soil.
The transmission of academic values between best friends: How important is an accurate perception?
Authors: Reindl Marion
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Based on the expectancy‐value theory and value transmission theory, the present study investigated the transmission process of academic values between best friends within the classroom. Expectancy‐value theory argues that value related beliefs of important socialization agents influence the development of adolescents' academic values and that this effect is mediated through adolescents' perception of socializers' academic values. In this regard, best friends within the classroom were less focused by researchers although they become important socialization agents in adolescence. Therefore, the present study investigated the influence of friends' actual academic values on adolescents' academic values, and if this effect is mediated through adolescents' perception of friends’ actual values. All dimensions of academic values according to the expectancy‐value theory were focused: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and emotional cost.

Methods

The research questions were investigated based on a two‐wave longitudinal study in Germany. The final sample comprised of 303 adolescents of the fifth and seventh grade with a stable, reciprocated friend.

Results

Structural equation models revealed that the friends' actual attainment value indirectly influenced the attainment value of adolescents through the friends’ perceived attainment value. The same effect pattern was found for emotional cost. For the utility value and intrinsic value, no transmission effect was observed.

Conclusion

The results provide evidence that the transmission process was not uniform for all of the academic values. Results were discussed in terms of different theoretical concepts explaining the value transmission process between friends.
Association between surgery with anesthesia and cognitive decline in older adults: Analysis using shared parameter models for informative dropout
Authors: Devick Katrina L. , Sprung Juraj , Mielke Michelle , Petersen Ronald C. , Schulte Phillip J.
Published: August 2020

Objectives/Goals:

The association between surgery with general anesthesia (exposure) and cognition (outcome) among older adults has been studied with mixed conclusions. We revisited a recent analysis to provide missing data education and discuss implications of biostatistical methodology for informative dropout following dementia diagnosis.

Methods/study population:

We used data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a longitudinal study of prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. We fit linear mixed effects models (LMMs) to assess the association between anesthesia exposure and subsequent trajectories of cognitivez-scores assuming data missing at random, hypothesizing that exposure is associated with greater decline in cognitive function. Additionally, we used shared parameter models for informative dropout assuming data missing not at random.

Results:

A total of 1948 non-demented participants were included. Median age was 79 years, 49% were female, and 16% had MCI at enrollment. Among median follow-up of 4 study visits over 6.6 years, 172 subjects developed dementia, 270 died, and 594 participants underwent anesthesia. In LMMs, exposure to anesthesia was associated with decline in cognitive function over time (change in annual cognitivez-score slope = −0.063, 95% CI: (−0.080, −0.046),p< 0.001). Accounting for informative dropout using shared parameter models, exposure was associated with greater cognitive decline (change in annual slope = −0.081, 95% CI: (−0.137, −0.026),p= 0.004).

Discussion:

We revisited prior work by our group with a focus on informative dropout. Although the conclusions are similar, we demonstrated the potential impact of novel biostatistics methodology in longitudinal clinical research.
Experiences from the Missouri Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative: A mixed methods study
Authors: Sayood Sena J. , Venkatram Chinmayi , Newland Jason G. , Babcock Hilary M. , Warren David K. , Turabelidze George , McKay Virginia R. , Rachmiel Erin C. , Peacock Kate , Habrock-Bach Tracey , Hsueh Kevin , Durkin Michael J.
Published: August 2020

We performed a mixed-methods study to evaluate antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) uptake and to assess variability of program implementation in Missouri hospitals. Despite increasing uptake of ASPs in Missouri, there is wide variability in both the scope and sophistication of these programs.
An unconditional basic income? How Dutch citizens justify their opinions about a basic income and work conditionality
Authors: Rossetti Federica , Roosma Femke , Laenen Tijs , Abts Koen
Published: August 2020

The article focuses on one of the core but controversial features of a universal basic income (UBI): its unconditionality. Using qualitative in-depth interviews collected in the Dutch municipality of Tilburg in 2018–2019, we examine the arguments underlying popular opinions about a UBI and work conditionality. The analysis suggests that these arguments can be interpreted from two theoretical perspectives. On the one hand, respondents make frequent use of deservingness criteria referring to the characteristics of welfare recipients, such as their need and work willingness. On the other hand, they justify their opinions using arguments related to the characteristics of welfare schemes, such as their administrative and financial feasibility. Our findings offer important insights concerning political actors who support (or oppose) the real-world implementation of a UBI.
Kinship and gendered economic conduct in matrilineal Offinso, Ghana
Authors: Salifu Jovia
Published: August 2020

For many decades, anthropologists have debated the question of matriliny, with some expressing concerns about its prospects of survival in a modern economy of private property and greater economic differentiation. In continuing this debate, this article provides new and contemporary evidence of the continued relevance of matriliny as a kinship practice that shapes the daily conduct of women. Using ethnographic evidence from the Asante town of Offinso in Ghana, the article demonstrates the crucial role of matrilineal kinship through the economic experiences of two market women living with their respective husbands. The evidence shows that the persistence of economic values that encourage female enterprise, norms of kinship that privilege maternal relations over paternal ones and marriage conventions that allow spouses to maintain separate economic resources create a social and economic environment in which women actively assert their independence from husbands. Women's strong allegiance to their matrilineage is mirrored in their economic conduct, further accentuating the antithesis between conjugal and lineage bonds. Put together, these factors point to greater social and economic autonomy for Asante women.
Elders and transactional relationships in Sierra Leone: rethinking synchronic approaches
Authors: Schneider Luisa T.
Published: August 2020

In Sierra Leone, transactional relationships – so-called agreement relationships – have a life-course dimension. Not only are they employed by young people but they are equally important among elders, and they serve different purposes as people age. Long-term ethnographic research with the elderly uncovers that they remember the past and engage with the present through agreement relationships. The elders’ love and life histories from the 1930s to today form ‘accumulated history’. They reveal a shift from kin-based rural hierarchies, where agreement relationships were carefully concealed, to larger, more dynamic urban networks that are openly held together through such relations. Leaving the former and finding one's feet in the latter become possible through transactional relationships that provide alternatives to fosterage and strategies of fictive or aspirational kin. The case of Sierra Leone invites us to rethink the focus on transactional relationships at a specific point in time for a life-course perspective that reveals the enduring nature of the phenomenon and sheds light on its changing texture in individual biographies, with the potential for capturing large-scale social trajectories within and across countries.
The Advantage of Being Swiss: Nestlé and Political Risk in Asia during the Early Cold War, 1945–1970
Authors: Donzé Pierre-Yves
Published: August 2020

Multinational enterprises faced new political risks after World War II in the context of decolonization and the Cold War. The risks were particularly high in Asia between 1945 and 1970. Although the relevant literature has focused essentially on organizational innovation and strategic choices in explaining how firms dealt with these new political risks, this article explores the informal roles that governments of small, neutral countries played in supporting their multinationals abroad. Looking at the case of Nestlé in Asia, the article argues that the backing of the Swiss federal authorities was crucial for the company to overcome various kinds of risks and ensure a long-term presence in the region.
DairyCare ‘blueprint for action’: husbandry for wellbeing
Authors: Knight Christopher H.
Published: August 2020

‘Keep calm and carry on’ was a wartime message to the British public that has achieved renewed fame in the last few years. The strategy was simple: in times of extreme difficulty a cool head combined with stoicism is an appropriate response to ensure a successful outcome. The latest major challenge to society (COVID-19) met with a very different response, and only history will reveal whether ‘Stay home and worry’ will be equally effective. In devising blueprints or strategies it is extremely important to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve, whether it be maintaining world freedom or stopping a pandemic. In the case of livestock agriculture, it is helping to feed a rapidly growing global population in harmony with the needs of current and future generations. I hope that I have stated this clearly, and calmly. If so, I ask you to picture a scene. We are on a Calm Farm. Dairy animals go about their daily lives contented, unhurried and focused on the simple feeding and socialising activities that are so important to them. Unstressed, their productive capacities and abilities to avoid and, when necessary, cope with physiological and pathological challenges are maximised. They are not alone: the exact same characteristics also apply to the farmer and husbandry staff that we meet. How is this calm farming approach relevant to the aspirations we had when we established the EU COST Action DairyCare? Our objective was to harness the power of computing technologies to assist our management of dairy livestock. A simple rearrangement leads us to Computing Assisted Livestock Management, CALM. In this short Research Reflection I shall assess how far we have come towards the achievement of sensible goals related to technological assessment of dairy animal wellbeing, and speculate on what more things both can and need to be done to finish the job. It is a personal account. DairyCare was a major collaboration involving several hundred active researchers. To involve them all would be impossible, and I do not pretend to speak for them all. As will become evident, the wide skills base that was assembled was so successful in its primary objectives that different skills, chiefly in economics, are now needed to exploit all of the technological advance that has been achieved. DairyCare succeeded in a second direction. Whilst the focus was technology development, by assembling a large cohort of biologists with animal welfare interests, it soon became apparent that technology should run alongside and help to enable improved management practices. This Special Issue is, therefore, in two sections. The first is dedicated to technology development and the second to a novel management practice that has the potential to significantly improve the wellbeing of cows and calves: cow-calf contact rearing. That section is introduced by my DairyCare colleague, Sigrid Agenäs.