bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unintentional guideline deviations in hospitalized patients with two or more antithrombotic agents: an intervention study
Authors: van Uden Renate C. A. E. , van den Broek Marcel P. H. , Houtenbos Ilse , Jaspers Tessa C. C. , Harmsze Ankie M. , Kingma Hylke J. , Odekerken Diego A. M. , Meijer Karina , van den Bemt Patricia M. L. A. , Becker Matthijs L.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Treatment schedules for antithrombotic therapy are complex, and there is a risk of inappropriate prescribing or continuation of antithrombotic therapy beyond the intended period of time. The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency of unintentional guideline deviations in hospitalized patients. Secondary aims were to determine whether the frequency of unintentional guideline deviations decreased after intervention by a pharmacist, to determine the acceptance rate of the interventions and to determine the type of interventions.

Methods

We performed a non-controlled prospective intervention study in three teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. We examined whether hospitalized patients who used the combination of an anticoagulant plus at least one other antithrombotic agent had an unintentional guideline deviation. In these cases, the hospital pharmacist contacted the physician to assess whether this deviation was intentional. If the deviation was unintentional, a recommendation was provided how to adjust the antithrombotic regimen according to guideline recommendations.

Results

Of the 988 included patients, 407 patients had an unintentional guideline deviation (41.2%). After intervention, this was reduced to 22 patients (2.2%) (p < 0.001). The acceptance rate of the interventions was 96.6%. The most frequently performed interventions were discontinuation of an low molecular weight heparin in combination with a direct oral anticoagulant and discontinuation of an antiplatelet agent when there was no indication for the combination of an antiplatelet agent and an anticoagulant.

Conclusion

A significant number of hospitalized patients who used an anticoagulant plus one other antithrombotic agent had an unintentional guideline deviation. Intervention by a pharmacist decreased unintentional guideline deviations.
Fast occlusion-based point cloud exploration
Authors: Radwan Mohamed , Ohrhallinger Stefan , Wimmer Michael
Published: July 2021

Large-scale unstructured point cloud scenes can be quickly visualized without prior reconstruction by utilizing levels-of-detail structures to load an appropriate subset from out-of-core storage for rendering the current view. However, as soon as we need structures within the point cloud, e.g., for interactions between objects, the construction of state-of-the-art data structures requires O(NlogN) time for N points, which is not feasible in real time for millions of points that are possibly updated in each frame. Therefore, we propose to use a surface representation structure which trades off the (here negligible) disadvantage of single-frame use for both output-dominated and near-linear construction time in practice, exploiting the inherent 2D property of sampled surfaces in 3D. This structure tightly encompasses the assumed surface of unstructured points in a set of bounding depth intervals for each cell of a discrete 2D grid. The sorted depth samples in the structure permit fast surface queries, and on top of that an occlusion graph for the scene comes almost for free. This graph enables novel real-time user operations such as revealing partially occluded objects, or scrolling through layers of occluding objects, e.g., walls in a building. As an example application we showcase a 3D scene exploration framework that enables fast, more sophisticated interactions with point clouds rendered in real time.
Training status affects between-protocols differences in the assessment of maximal aerobic velocity
Authors: Riboli Andrea , Rampichini Susanna , Cè Emiliano , Limonta Eloisa , Borrelli Marta , Coratella Giuseppe , Esposito Fabio
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Continuous incremental protocols (CP) may misestimate the maximum aerobic velocity (Vmax) due to increases in running speed faster than cardiorespiratory/metabolic adjustments. A higher aerobic capacity may mitigate this issue due to faster pulmonary oxygen uptake ($$\dot{V}$$

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O2) kinetics. Therefore, this study aimed to compare three different protocols to assess Vmax in athletes with higher or lower training status.

Methods

Sixteen well-trained runners were classified according to higher (HI) or lower (LO) $$\dot{V}$$

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O2max$$\dot{V}$$

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O2-kinetics was calculated across four 5-min running bouts at 10 km·h−1. Two CPs [1 km·h−1 per min (CP1) and 1 km·h−1 every 2-min (CP2)] were performed to determine Vmax$$\dot{V}$$

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O2max, lactate-threshold and submaximal $$\dot{V}$$

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O2/velocity relationship. Results were compared to the discontinuous incremental protocol (DP).

Results

Vmax, $$\dot{V}$$

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O2max, $$\dot{V}$$

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CO2 and VE were higher [(P < 0.05,(ES:0.22/2.59)] in HI than in LO. $$\dot{V}$$

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O2-kinetics was faster [P < 0.05,(ES:-2.74/ − 1.76)] in HI than in LO. $$\dot{V}$$

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O2/velocity slope was lower in HI than in LO [(P < 0.05,(ES:-1.63/ − 0.18)]. Vmax and $$\dot{V}$$

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O2/velocity slope were CP1 > CP2 = DP for HI and CP1 > CP2 > DP for LO. A lower [P < 0.05,(ES:0.53/0.75)] Vmax-difference for both CP1 and CP2 vs DP was found in HI than in LO. Vmax-differences in CP1 vs DP showed a large inverse correlation with Vmax, $$\dot{V}$$

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O2max and lactate-threshold and a very large correlation with $$\dot{V}$$

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O2-kinetics.

Conclusions

Higher aerobic training status witnessed by faster $$\dot{V}$$

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O2 kinetics led to lower between-protocol Vmax differences, particularly between CP2 vs DP. Faster kinetics may minimize the mismatch issues between metabolic and mechanical power that may occur in CP. This should be considered for exercise prescription at different percentages of Vmax.
Seasonal variations in bird selection pressure on prey colouration
Authors: Zvereva Elena L. , Kozlov Mikhail V.
Published: July 2021

The direction and strength of selection for prey colouration by predators vary in space and time and depend on the composition of the predator community. We tested the hypothesis that bird selection pressure on prey colouration changes through the season due to changes in the proportion of naïve juvenile individuals in the bird community, because naïve and educated birds differ in their responses to prey colours. Bird predation on caterpillar-shaped plasticine models in two boreal forest sites increased sevenfold from early summer to mid-summer, and the time of this increase coincides with the fledging of juvenile birds. In early summer, cryptic (black and green) models were attacked at fivefold higher rates compared with conspicuous (red and yellow) models. By contrast, starting from fledging time, cryptic and conspicuous models were attacked at similar rates, hinting at a lower selectivity by naïve juvenile birds compared with educated adult birds. Cryptic models exposed in a group together with conspicuous models were attacked by birds at a threefold lower rate than cryptic models exposed singly, thus supporting the aposematic commensalism hypothesis. However, this effect was not observed in mid- and late summer, presumably due to the lack of avoidance of conspicuous prey by the juvenile birds. We conclude that selection pressure on prey colouration weakens considerably when naïve birds dominate in the community, because the survival advantages of aposematic colouration are temporarily lost for both the conspicuous and their neighbouring cryptic prey.
A machine learning-based approach to identify unlawful practices in online terms of service: analysis, implementation and evaluation
Authors: Guarino Alfonso , Lettieri Nicola , Malandrino Delfina , Zaccagnino Rocco
Published: July 2021

Terms of Service (ToS) are fundamental factors in the creation of physical as well as online legally relevant relationships. They not only define mutual rights and obligations but also inform users about contract key issues that, in online settings, span from liability limitations to data management and processing conditions. Despite their crucial role, however, ToS are often neglected by users that frequently accept without even reading what they agree upon, representing a critical issue when there exist potentially unfair clauses. To enhance users’ awareness and uphold legal safeguards, we first propose a definition of ToS unfairness based on a novel unfairness measure computed counting the unfair clauses contained in a ToS, and therefore, weighted according to their direct impact on the customers concrete interests. Secondly, we introduce a novel machine learning-based approach to classify ToS clauses, represented by using sentence embedding, in different categories classes and fairness levels. Results of a test involving well-known machine learning models show that Support Vector Machine is able to classify clauses into categories with a F1-score of 86% outperforming state-of-the-art methods, while Random Forest is able to classify clauses into fairness levels with a F1-score of 81%. With the final goal of making terms of service more readable and understandable, we embedded this approach into ToSware, a prototype of a Google Chrome extension. An evaluation study was performed to measure ToSware effectiveness, efficiency, and the overall users’ satisfaction when interacting with it.
Herbaceous Layer Net Primary Production of Oak-Hornbeam Forest: Comparing Six Methods of Assessment Based on the Seasonal Dynamics of Biomass Increments
Authors: Rawlik Mateusz , Jagodziński Andrzej M.
Published: July 2021

Proper estimation of the herb layer annual net primary production (ANPP) can help to appreciate the role of this layer in carbon assimilation and nutrient cycling. Simple methods of ANPP estimation often understate its value. More accurate methods take into account biomass increments of individual species but are more laborious. We conducted our study in an oak-hornbeam forest (site area 12 ha) dominated by beech in NW Poland during two growing seasons (2010 and 2011). We collected herb layer biomass from 7 to 10 square frames (0.6 × 0.6 m). We collected plant biomass every week in April and May and every two weeks for the rest of the growing season. We compared six methods of calculating ANPP. The highest current-year standing biomass (1st method of ANPP calculation) was obtained on May 15, 2010—37.8 g m−2 and May 7, 2011—41.0 g m−2. The highest values of ANPP were obtained by the 6th method based on the sum of the highest products of shoot biomass and density for individual species: 74.3 g m−2 year−1 in 2010 and 94.0 g m−2 year−1 in 2011. The spring ephemeral Anemone nemorosa had the highest share of ANPP with 50% of the total ANPP. Two summer-greens, Galeobdolon luteum and Galium odoratum, each had a ca. 10% share of ANPP. The best results of ANPP calculation resulted from laborious tracking of dynamics of biomass and density of individual shoots.
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of hydrogen inhalation for Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study
Authors: Yoritaka Asako , Kobayashi Yasuko , Hayashi Tetsuo , Saiki Shinji , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: July 2021

Background

Oxidative stress is involved in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent studies have confirmed that molecular hydrogen (H2) functions as a highly effective antioxidant in animal models of PD. A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical pilot study was conducted to assess the efficacy of hydrogen gas inhalation in Japanese patients with PD on treatment with levodopa.

Methods

Twenty participants fulfilling the Movement Disorder Society criteria were enrolled. Participants inhaled 6.5 (0.1) vol% hydrogen gas in 2 L/min of mixed air or placebo air for 16 weeks, twice a day for 1 h.

Results

Five participants were excluded due to deviation from the protocol of the total duration of inhalation < 112 h. No significant differences were seen in the change in the total Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale score from baseline to the 16th week between the group that inhaled hydrogen gas and the group that inhaled placebo air (Mann–Whitney U test, p > 0.05). No adverse events were seen. The compliance to the protocol-based duration of inhalation time in all participants decreased with the elderly participants, the higher daily dose of levodopa, and the higher PDQ-39 items on emotions (n = 20, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This pilot study revealed that the inhalation of molecular hydrogen gas was safe, but did not show any beneficial effects in patients with PD.

Trial registration: UMIN ID: 000,039,217 (October 6, 2018)
Construction and demolition waste management in Korea: recycled aggregate and its application
Authors: Kim Jeonghyun
Published: July 2021

Construction and demolition waste generated in the Republic of Korea accounts for about half of the annual waste. The generation of construction waste is expected to increase gradually due to obsolete structures and reconstructions that have reached the end of their service life. Considering the geographical characteristics of Korea, where the land area is small and about 70% of which is mountainous, landfilling of waste is absolutely limited. Therefore, resource circulation such as recycling of construction waste is an urgent and important task. This paper overviews the current status of construction waste generation, treatment, and the flow of government policies in Korea. Furthermore, the current status, limitations, and stakeholder efforts regarding recycling of recycled aggregate from construction waste were reviewed. Data used in this paper were mostly collected from government reports, construction waste regulations, and research papers. The results show that construction waste management systems have been enacted and revised in line with social needs, and each stakeholder is making an effort to use the construction waste practically. The findings can provide valuable examples for countries that lack construction waste management systems.

Graphic abstract
Saving energy in China’s industry with a focus on electricity: a review of opportunities, potentials and environmental benefits
Authors: Yue Hui , Worrell Ernst , Crijns-Graus Wina , Liu Wen , Zhang Shaohui
Published: July 2021

Industry is the largest electricity consuming sector in the world. China consumes about 25% of global electricity demand, and 69% of this is used in industries. The high electricity demand in industry is responsible for 45% of CO2, 25% of SO2, 34% of NOx and 14% of PM emissions in China. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap on the potential for electricity savings in China’s industries, thereby providing important implications for the potential of reducing emissions in electricity-intensive industrial subsectors in general. Available studies are reviewed and compared to identify electricity-saving potentials. The findings show that China’s industrial energy system is shifting to higher electricity and relatively lower fossil fuel use due to accelerated end-use electrification. China’s industry can reduce electricity use by 7–24% in 2040, compared to baseline levels, and generate emission reductions of 192–1118 Mt-CO2, 385–2241 kt-SO2, 406–2362 kt-NOx and 92–534 kt-PM2.5. The iron & steel subsector has the largest contribution to the industrial electricity savings, followed by non-ferrous metals, chemicals, cement and pulp & paper. Policies that combine environmental targets, demand-side efficiency and supply-side retrofits in the power sector should be adopted. Given the different performance of policies in terms of energy savings and emission reduction, sector- and region-specific policies would be preferred.
Adoption of digital technologies and backshoring decisions: is there a link?
Authors: Kamp Bart , Gibaja Juan José
Published: July 2021

The present paper assesses whether the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies can be related to backshoring. It does so by -firstly- investigating the implementation of such technologies by industrial firms with foreign production plants, the experiences and intentions of these firms regarding the location of production activities, and -secondly- by analyzing backshoring cases among them.

It finds that backshoring is a rare phenomenon, and it is questionable whether there is a correlation, left alone causality, between the adoption of digital technologies in home-based manufacturing sites and backshoring hitherto. And while the future may hold more backshoring movements in store, they may not be primarily due to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies at home-based plants. Instead, other (foreign) location-specific factors seem to have greater weight in the decision-making processes around backshoring operations. I.e., deteriorating sales forecasts in offshore places where firms have production activities, increases in institutional uncertainty in such places, rationalization of global production apparatuses, and/or a lack of possibilities to deploy foreign manufacturing activities and output for third markets. Also against the backdrop of events like the outbreak of Covid19 and the uncertainty-raising effect it has on international business, the trade-off between producing off-shore or bringing manufacturing activities back home is not likely to depend on technology adoption levels at home and abroad either.
The Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Chinese Patients with Light-Chain Amyloidosis: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis
Authors: He Donghua , Guan Fangshu , Hu Minli , Zheng Gaofeng , He Jingsong , Han Xiaoyan , Yang Yang , Hong Pan , Wang Gang , Zhao Yi , Wu Wenjun , Cai Zhen
Published: July 2021

To retrospectively identify the critical characteristics and prognostic factors of light-chain amyloidosis. Patients and Methods: Data were collected and compared from 91 patients who were diagnosed with light-chain amyloidosis at four hospitals between January 2010 and November 2018. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and performed an overall survival (OS) analysis. Results: Patients (median age, 60 years) were diagnosed with organ involvement of the kidney (91.2%), heart (56%), liver (14.3%), soft tissue (18.7%), or gastrointestinal tract (15.4%), and 68.1% of patients had more than two organs involved. Patients were most treated with bortezomib-based regimens (56%), and only one patient had autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-ASCT). The median OS was 36.33 months and was influenced by the ECOG score, renal involvement, cardiac involvement, hepatic involvement, and persistence of positive immunofixation. Patients who received bortezomib-based treatment had a trend of favorable OS compared to those who received non-bortezomib-based treatments, but the difference was not statistically significant. Although the overall number of organs involved was not related to OS, the number of organs involved in the heart, liver and kidney was related. Multivariate analysis indicated that cardiac involvement and negative hematologic response with persistence of positive immunofixation were independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusion: Cardiac involvement and the hematologic response to treatment were independent prognostic factors for OS in light-chain amyloidosis patients.
Representation in measurement
Authors: Vessonen Elina
Published: July 2021

The Representational Theory of Measurement (RTM) is the best known account of the kind of representation measurement requires. However, RTM has been challenged from various angles, with critics claiming e.g. that RTM fails to account for actual measurement practice and that it is ambiguous about the nature of measurable attributes. In this paper I use the critical literature on RTM to formulate Representation Minimalism – a characterization of what measurement-relevant representation requires at the minimum. I argue that Representation Minimalism avoids the main problems with RTM while acknowledging its usefulness as the formal foundation of representation in measurement.
Reactivity in measuring depression
Authors: Runhardt Rosa W.
Published: July 2021

If a human subject knows they are being measured, this knowledge may affect their attitudes and behaviour to such an extent that it affects the measurement results as well. This broad range of effects is shared under the term ‘reactivity’. Although reactivity is often seen by methodologists as a problem to overcome, in this paper I argue that some quite extreme reactive changes may be legitimate, as long as we are measuring phenomena that are not simple biological regularities. Legitimate reactivity is reactivity which does not undermine the accuracy of a measure; I show that if such reactivity were corrected for, this would unjustifiably ignore the authority of the research subject. Applying this argument to the measurement of depression, I show that under the most commonly accepted models of depression there is room for legitimate reactivity. In the first part of the paper, I provide an inventory of the different types of reactivity that exist in the literature, as well as the different types of phenomena that one could measure. In the second part, I apply my argument to the measurement of depression with the PHQ-9 survey. I argue that depending on what kind of phenomenon we consider depression to be (a disease, a social construction, a harmful dysfunction, or a practical kind), we will accept different kinds of reactivity. I show that both under the harmful dysfunction model and the practical kinds model, certain reactive changes in measuring depression are best seen as legitimate recharacterizations of the underlying phenomenon, and define what legitimate means in this context. I conclude that in both models, biological aspects constrain characterization, but the models are not so strict that only one concept is acceptable, leaving room for reactivity.
Low efficiency of leucocyte plugging-based drug delivery to cancer in mice
Authors: Qian Baifeng , Termer Andreas , Sommer Christof M. , Mehrabi Arianeb , Ryschich Eduard
Published: July 2021

Cells of the immune system were proposed for use as Trojan horse for tumour-specific drug delivery. The efficacy of such cell-based drug delivery depends on the site-specific cell homing. This present study was aimed to investigate the potential of leucocytes for intratumoural site-specific enrichment using a locoregional application route in experimental liver tumours. Human neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood and directly labelled with calcein AM or loaded with doxorubicin. The neutrophil loading and release of doxorubicin and the migration and adhesion to ICAM-1 were analysed in vitro. Macrophages were isolated and activated in vitro. Leucocyte plugging and the distribution pattern in the liver microvasculature were studied ex vivo, and the efficacy of leucocyte plugging in tumour blood vessels was analysed in vivo after superselective intra-arterial injection in mouse liver tumour models. Neutrophils were characterised by the high dose-dependent uptake and rapid release of doxorubicin. Doxorubicin loading did not affect neutrophil migration function. Neutrophil plugging in liver microvasculature was very high (> 90%), both after ex vivo perfusion and after injection in vivo. However, neutrophils as well as activated macrophages plugged insufficiently in tumour blood vessels and passed through the tumour microvasculture with a very low sequestration rate in vivo. Neutrophils possess several properties to function as potentially effective drug carriers; however, the tumour site-specific drug delivery after selective locoregional injection was observed to be insufficient owing to low intratumoural microvascular plugging.

Graphical abstract
Aspiring to higher education in regional and remote Australia: the diverse emotional and material realities shaping young people’s futures
Authors: Gibson Skye , Patfield Sally , Gore Jennifer M. , Fray Leanne
Published: July 2021

Students from regional and remote areas remain significantly under-represented in higher education despite decades of equity policy designed to encourage participation. One explanation is that policy initiatives often overlook the realities in local rural contexts that can make higher education less desirable. Applying the theoretical lens of ‘doxic’ and ‘habituated’ aspirations, this paper analyzes interviews with 13 students, 10 parents/carers, and 4 teachers from one regional and one remote community in NSW, Australia. We document the emotional and material realities shaping young people’s imagined futures in these communities, highlighting the commitment to a rural lifestyle in one, and the desire to escape the other community in decline. We argue that developing successful initiatives to address equitable participation in higher education requires a departure from hegemonic discourses of ‘rurality’ and greater recognition of and respect for the diverse needs and desires of regional and remote students.
Pulmonary function impairment of asymptomatic and persistently symptomatic patients 4 months after COVID-19 according to disease severity
Authors: Munker Dieter , Veit Tobias , Barton Jürgen , Mertsch Pontus , Mümmler Carlo , Osterman Andreas , Khatamzas Elham , Barnikel Michaela , Hellmuth Johannes C. , Münchhoff Maximilian , Walter Julia , Ghiani Alessandro , Munker Stefan , Dinkel Julien , Behr Jürgen , Kneidinger Nikolaus , Milger Katrin
Published: July 2021

Objective

Evaluation of pulmonary function impairment after COVID-19 in persistently symptomatic and asymptomatic patients of all disease severities and characterisation of risk factors.

Methods

Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection underwent prospective follow-up with pulmonary function testing and blood gas analysis during steady-state cycle exercise 4 months after acute illness. Pulmonary function impairment (PFI) was defined as reduction below 80% predicted of DLCOcSB, TLC, FVC, or FEV1. Clinical data were analyzed to identify risk factors for impaired pulmonary function.

Results

76 patients were included, hereof 35 outpatients with mild disease and 41 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Sixteen patients had critical disease requiring mechanical ventilation, 25 patients had moderate–severe disease. After 4 months, 44 patients reported persisting respiratory symptoms. Significant PFI was prevalent in 40 patients (52.6%) occurring among all disease severities. The most common cause for PFI was reduced DLCOcSB (n = 39, 51.3%), followed by reduced TLC and FVC. The severity of PFI was significantly associated with mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001). Further risk factors for DLCO impairment were COPD (p < 0.001), SARS-CoV-2 antibody-Titer (p = 0.014) and in hospitalized patients CT score. A decrease of paO2 > 3 mmHg during cycle exercise occurred in 1/5 of patients after mild disease course.

Conclusion

We characterized pulmonary function impairment in asymptomatic and persistently symptomatic patients of different severity groups of COVID-19 and identified further risk factors associated with persistently decreased pulmonary function. Remarkably, gas exchange abnormalities were revealed upon cycle exercise in some patients with mild disease courses and no preexisting pulmonary condition.
Biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles using plant extracts
Authors: Pyrzynska Krystyna , Sentkowska Aleksandra
Published: July 2021

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have the potential to be used for various applications. Therefore, they have attracted more attention in recent years and several synthesis methods have been exploited. Green synthesis using plant extracts has gained popularity because it requires non-toxic solvents and moderate temperatures. Furthermore, it is environmentally friendly and uses a reducing agent that is easily accessible and biodegradable. In this review, we present recent reports concerning the capability of different plant materials for the biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles. The synthesis conditions (temperature, time, selenium precursor, and extract concentration) are discussed in combination with the characteristics of the obtained product (composition, size, shape, stability). The application of synthesized selenium nanoparticles was briefly presented.

Graphic abstract
On the complexity of assimilation in urban communities
Authors: Murimi Renita
Published: July 2021

Cities are microcosms representing a diversity of human experience. The complexity of urban systems arises from this diversity, where the services that cities offer to their inhabitants have to be tailored for their unique requirements. This paper studies the complexity of urban environments in terms of the assimilation of its communities. We examine the urban assimilation complexity with respect to the foreignness between communities and formalize the level of complexity using information-theoretic measures. Our findings contribute to a sociological perspective of the relationship between urban complex systems and the diversity of communities that make up urban systems.
Writing a strong scientific paper in medicine and the biomedical sciences: a checklist and recommendations for early career researchers
Authors: Behzadi Payam , Gajdács Márió
Published: July 2021

Scientific writing is an important skill in both academia and clinical practice. The skills for writing a strong scientific paper are necessary for researchers (comprising academic staff and health-care professionals). The process of a scientific research will be completed by reporting the obtained results in the form of a strong scholarly publication. Therefore, an insufficiency in scientific writing skills may lead to consequential rejections. This feature results in undesirable impact for their academic careers, promotions and credits. Although there are different types of papers, the original article is normally the outcome of experimental/epidemiological research. On the one hand, scientific writing is part of the curricula for many medical programs. On the other hand, not every physician may have adequate knowledge on formulating research results for publication adequately. Hence, the present review aimed to introduce the details of creating a strong original article for publication (especially for novice or early career researchers).
Early and late fawn mortality in a remnant population of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica)
Authors: Shalmon Benny , Sun Ping , Wronski Torsten
Published: July 2021

The Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica) population in Israel has experienced a turbulent conservation history and repeatedly faced local extinction. Low fawn survival was considered the main cause for the constant decline. In our study, we analyzed instantaneous fawn mortality rates, using a binomial coding at three different developmental stages, i.e., mortality rates to 3 months after parturition (weaning age), to 5 months after parturition (male fawns leave their mothers), and to the age of reproductive maturity, i.e., recruitment (12 months). We used a dataset obtained from 20 individually discernible mothers and their fawns (49 females and 48 males) born between June 2006 and September 2019. To explore causes for the fawn mortality rates, parental- (age of the mother at parturition) and offspring-related attributes (offspring sex), year of birth, together with one weather variable (mean monthly maximum temperature) were included as independent variables into three independent mixed effects cox regression models. Out of 97 fawns, 92 survived to weaning age, 73 to the age of 5 months and only 7 to the age of reproductive maturity. Temperature had significant effects on instantaneous fawn mortality rates, suggesting that low temperatures were detrimental to the survival of fawns after weaning (4–5 months) and male dispersal age (6–12 months). Male offspring encountered a higher instantaneous mortality rate than female offspring at the age of 6–12 months. Moreover, fawns from less experienced mother (young age at parturition) experienced higher mortality. Our results were in line with previous studies on fawn mortality observed in other desert dwelling ungulates.
Making Vitasoy “Local” in Post-World War II Hong Kong: Traditionalizing Modernity, Engineering Progress, Nurturing Aspirations
Authors: Wong John D.
Published: July 2021

Now considered a quintessential Hong Kong household food product, Vitasoy won the approval of local consumers only in the post–World War II period as its producer capitalized on the discourse of modern nutritional science, leveraged technological breakthroughs, and positioned the soy beverage to respond to a growing clientele experiencing economic growth and lifestyle transformation. In the emerging market and sociocultural conditions of postwar Hong Kong, Vitasoy's producer created a local beverage that articulated for the city a modernity that originated in a Chinese national discourse but then blossomed into a celebration of the lifestyle that economic progress enabled.
Sexual and reproductive health knowledge and behaviour of adolescent boys and girls aged 10–19 years in western Kenya: evidence from a cross-sectional pilot survey
Authors: Magadi Monica , Kaseje Dan , Wafula Charles , Kaseje Margaret , Ochola-Odhiambo Pennina , Ogutu-Owii Salmon , Orton Bev , Onukwugha Franklin , Hayter Mark , Smith Lesley
Published: July 2021

This paper reports findings of a pilot survey of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) knowledge and behaviour in Homabay County of western Kenya. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 523 male and female adolescents aged 10–19 years from 32 Community Health Units (CHUs). Bivariate analysis of gender differences and associations between ASRH knowledge and behaviour was followed with two-level logistic regression analysis of predictors of ASRH behaviour (sexual activity, unprotected sex, HIV testing), taking individual adolescents as level-1 and CHUs as level-2. The findings reveal important gender differences in ASRH knowledge and behaviour. While male adolescents reported higher sexual activity (ever had sex, unprotected last sex), female adolescents reported higher HIV testing. Despite having lower HIV/AIDS knowledge, female adolescents were more likely to translate their SRH knowledge into appropriate behaviour. Education emerged as an important predictor of ASRH behaviour. Out-of-school adolescents had significantly higher odds of having ever had sex (aOR=3.3) or unprotected last sex (aOR=3.2) than their in-school counterparts of the same age, gender and ASRH knowledge, while those with at least secondary education had lower odds of unprotected sex (aOR=0.52) and higher odds of HIV testing (aOR=5.49) than their counterparts of the same age, gender and SRH knowledge who had primary education or lower. However, being out of school was associated with higher HIV testing (aOR=2.3); and there was no evidence of significant differences between younger (aged 10–14) and older (aged 15–19) adolescents in SRH knowledge and behaviour. Besides individual-level predictors, there were significant community variations in ASRH knowledge and behaviour, with relatively more-deprived CHUs being associated with poorer indicators. The overall findings have important policy/programme implications. There is a need for a comprehensive approach that engages schools, health providers, peers, parents/adults and the wider community in developing age-appropriate ASRH interventions for both in-school and out-of-school adolescents in western Kenya.
The Plan of the Roman Fort at Dalswinton: A Comment
Authors: Hodgson Nick
Published: July 2021

An alternative is proposed to the interpretation of the plan of Dalswinton Roman fort offered by W.S. Hanson and colleagues in their important study of the air-photographic, geophysical and LiDAR evidence published in Britannia in 2019. It is suggested that the larger, second-phase fort faced not east, but south, as previously thought, but that most of the remains of this layout have been removed by the plough. A suggestion is made concerning the possible garrison of the second-phase fort.
Time-dependent expression of ryanodine receptors in sea urchin eggs, zygotes and early embryos
Authors: Percivale G. , Angelini C. , Falugi C. , Picco C. , Prestipino G.
Published: July 2021

In this work, the presence of calcium-dependent calcium channels and their receptors (RyR) has been investigated in Paracentrotus lividus eggs and early embryos, from unfertilized egg to four-blastomere stages. Electrophysiological recordings of RyR single-channel current fluctuations showed that RyRs are functional during the first developmental events with a maximum at zygote stage, c. 40 min after fertilization, corresponding to the first cleavage. The nature of vertebrate-like RyRs active at this stage was established by specific activation/blockade experiments.
Identification and expression analysis of Dazl homologue in Cynops cyanurus
Authors: Zhao Yinjiao , Du Ya , Ge Qinglan , Yan Fang , Wei Shu
Published: July 2021

The Dazl (deleted in azoospermia-like) gene encodes an RNA-binding protein containing an RNA recognition motif (RRM) and a DAZ motif. Dazl is essential for gametogenesis in vertebrates. In this study, we report the cloning of Dazl cDNA from Cynops cyanurus. Ccdazl mRNA showed a germline-specific expression pattern as expected. Ccdazl expression gradually decreased during oogenesis, suggesting that it may be involved in oocyte development. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Ccdazl protein shares conserved motifs/domains with Dazl proteins from other species. Cloning of Ccdazl provides a new tool to carry out comparative studies of germ cell development in amphibians.
A word on netting of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy in hypoplastic left heart syndrome following stage-I
Authors: Schranz Dietmar , Krasemann Thomas
Published: July 2021

NPC-QIC Registry data showed that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were described in almost 38% for patients with single ventricle physiology after stage-I Norwood palliation. However, mortality and ventricular dysfunction or atrioventricular valve insufficiency seems to be not improved by oral application of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The final conclusion was that despite limited evidence of benefit for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors during interstage is still common. Taking into account of the predominant cardiovascular regulation in newborns and young infants by circulating catecholamines, no real improvement is to be expected from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor monotherapy. The goals of drug therapy after stage-I Norwood palliation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome are prevention of systemic right ventricle failure, balancing pulmonary and systemic blood flow, and reduction of oxygen consumption with regard to limitations of oxygen supply by the single ventricle, furthermore, avoiding harmful effects of endogenous catecholamine production in the long term on somatic and cognitive development. In this light of knowledge, we want to recommend the use of a long-acting and highly specific ß1-adrenoreceptor blocker for almost all patients after stage-I Norwood palliation and a combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors only by indication after exclusion of potential side effects.
Percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defect using LifeTechTM Konar-MF VSD Occluder: initial and short-term multi-institutional results
Authors: Sadiq Masood , Qureshi Ahmad Usaid , Younas Muhammad , Arshad Sohail , Hyder Syed Najam
Published: July 2021

Background:

Transcatheter ventricular septal defect closure remains a complex procedure with potential complications like complete heart block and aortic regurgitation. The ideal device design for such intervention is still evolving.

Aim:

To assess the safety, efficacy, and short-term outcome of ventricular septal defect closure using LifeTechTM multifunctional (KONAR-MFTM) VSD Occluder.

Patients and methods:

In a multicenre study, 44 patients with haemodynamically significant, restrictive ventricular septal defects underwent closure with the KONAR-MFTM device from April, 2019 to March, 2020. Clinical, echocardiographic, and angiographic data were collected and reviewed. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Results:

The median age and weight were 8 (1.7–36) years and 20 (11–79) kg. Of 44 patients, 8 (18%) had a high muscular and 36 (82%) had a perimembranous defect, of which 6 had mild prolapse of the right coronary cusp. The median ventricular septal defect size was 8.8 (3.9–13.4) mm. A retrograde approach was adopted in 39 (88.6%) patients. Nine patients (20.5%) had a small residual leak and there was a slight increase in aortic regurgitation in one patient. One device, which embolised to pulmonary artery was retrieved, and the defect was closed with a larger device. At a median follow-up of 13 (5–18) months, the residual leak persisted in 1 (2.3%) patient. Mild aortic regurgitation in one patient remained unchanged. There were no major complications.

Conclusion:

Percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defect using KONAR-MFTM device is safe and effective in short and midterm follow-up including selected patients with perimembranous defect and mild prolapse of the right coronary cusp.
Galleon Anxiety: How Afro-Mexican Women Shaped Colonial Spirituality in Acapulco
Authors: Luis Diego Javier
Published: July 2021

Acapulco became a global town during the early seventeenth century, characterized not only by transpacific trade, but also by an increasingly large Afro-Mexican population residing and laboring at the port. A cohort of Afro-Mexican women gained prominence and visibility by delivering accurate predictions on the arrival of galleons to Acapulco. They adapted mixed African and Indigenous divination practices to calm port residents worried about galleon losses on the world's largest ocean. Scholarship on the Spanish Pacific has yet to investigate how the globalization of New Spain through galleon travel affected African and Afro-descendant communities. This article contends that the dangers of Pacific travel, and anxieties about them, frequently exceeded the therapeutic capacities of Catholic dogma. Black women, drawing on the profound West and West Central African estimation of female diviners, practiced clairvoyance to report on the location of galleons and whether they would arrive safely. The confluence of an increasing population of Afro-Mexicans with the economic dynamism of transpacific trade transformed spiritual life at the eastern node of Spain's Pacific empire. Black women positioned themselves at the center of these massive structural transformations and ultimately created new cultures as spiritual authorities in Acapulco.
Die Bedeutsamkeit individueller Merkmale für die Entwicklung von Rechtschreibkompetenzen in der Grundschule
Authors: Jaeuthe Jessica , Lenkeit Jenny , Bosse Stefanie , Bogda Katja , Spörer Nadine
Published: July 2021

Zusammenfassung. Aus theoretischer Sicht existieren verschiedene Merkmale, die einen Einfluss auf die individuelle Entwicklung der Rechtschreibkompetenz von Grundschulkindern ausüben können. Um diese zu analysieren, wurden in der vorliegenden Studie Schreibungen von 607 Schülerinnen und Schülern zu drei Messzeitpunkten (Anfang Klasse 2, Ende Klasse 2, Ende Klasse 3) untersucht. Zur Bestimmung des Rechtschreibkompetenzniveaus wurden Schülerinnen und Schüler mittels latenter Profilanalyse zu den drei Profilen Buchstabenentdeckende (überwiegend nicht lautgetreue Schreibungen), Phonemprofis (überwiegend lautgetreue Schreibungen) und Rechtschreibspezialisten (vor allem korrekte Schreibungen) zugeordnet. Mittels logistischer Regressionen wurde geprüft, welche Zusammenhänge zwischen den individuellen Merkmalen Geschlecht, kognitive Grundfähigkeiten und Arbeitsverhalten und den Zuordnungen zu einem Profil sowie den Wechseln zwischen den Profilen bestehen. Unter Kontrolle des Arbeitsverhaltens zeigten sich keine signifikanten Zusammenhänge mit dem Geschlecht oder der kognitiven Grundfähigkeit. Hingegen konnten bedeutsame Zusammenhänge des Arbeitsverhaltens sowohl mit der Zuordnung zu den Profilen als auch mit den Wechseln zwischen den Profilen Phonemprofis und Rechtschreibspezialisten gefunden werden.
Einbezug von Alter und Sprachkontaktdauer in die Wortschatzdiagnostik bei Mehrsprachigkeit
Authors: Ehl Birgit , Grosche Michael
Published: July 2021

Zusammenfassung. Für die expressive Wortschatzdiagnostik mehrsprachiger Kinder im Grundschulalter fehlen Auswertungsansätze, die die heterogenen Bedingungen des Mehrspracherwerbs berücksichtigen. Solche Auswertungsansätze werden im Bildungs- und Gesundheitswesen gebraucht, um eine bessere Orientierung zu erhalten, welche mehrsprachigen Kinder sprachlich besonders auffällig sind. Die vorliegende Studie prüft, ob das Alter der Kinder und deren Kontaktdauer zur Umgebungssprache als Bestandteile mehrspracherwerbssensibler Normen für Wortschatzleistungen in der Umgebungssprache in Betracht kommen. Bei einer Stichprobe von 451 mehrsprachigen Grundschulkindern hatten das Alter und die Kontaktdauer einen bedeutsamen Einfluss auf den Wortschatz in der Umgebungssprache. Darüber hinaus zeigten sich differentielle Zusammenhänge. Kinder mit kürzerer Kontaktdauer unterschieden sich im Wortschatz stärker von Kindern, die z. B. ein Jahr älter und ein Kontaktjahr weiter fortgeschritten waren, als Kindern mit längerer Kontaktdauer. Insgesamt weisen die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass die Entwicklung von mehrspracherwerbssensiblen Normen die Identifikation von sprachlich besonders auffälligen Kindern verbessern könnte.
Dense Water Formation on the Icelandic Shelf and Its Contribution to the North Icelandic Jet
Authors: Garcia‐Quintana Yarisbel , Grivault Nathan , Hu Xianmin , Myers Paul G.
Published: July 2021

The North Icelandic Jet (NIJ) is the densest component of the Denmark Strait Overflow Water, feeding the abyssal limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Here, by using observational and numerical model data, we explore the formation of overflow water on the Icelandic shelf, the mechanisms involved, and its potential contribution to the NIJ. The sparse observational data on the western Icelandic shelf for the month of February shows top‐to‐bottom mixing on the shelf, distinct and well separated from the dense water offshore, with densities larger than 27.8 kg/m3 in some years. Using a 1‐D mixing model and winter heat flux reanalysis, we suggest that waters with densities exceeding 27.8 kg/m3 are likely to be formed on the shelf in most years by the end of winter. High‐resolution numerical model data shows that the transformation of the Atlantic inflow along the northwest Icelandic shelf generates a dense plume whose waters feed into the NIJ. The bulk of the plume cascades down‐slope north of Iceland, funneled through deep cross‐shelf troughs, with some cascading occurring west of Iceland as well. During years of strong cascading events (2008, 2013, and 2016), the modeled dense plume potentially feeds up to 21% of the NIJ transport at the Siglunes and Kögur sections. Back‐tracked Lagrangian particle trajectories confirm that the western Icelandic shelf is a source of the NIJ. The dense plume transport and variability are found to be dependent on the total oceanic heat loss west of Iceland and along Denmark Strait.