bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma metastatic to the lung: a case report
Authors: Kobayashi Daijiro , Abe Takanori , Saitoh Jun-ichi , Oike Takahiro , Sato Hiro , Musha Atsushi , Mizukami Tatsuji , Shimizu Tsuneo , Nakano Takashi , Ohno Tatsuya
Published: April 2021

Background

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant tumor involving mostly the head and neck region, and frequently the salivary glands. The development of lung metastasis after treatment of the primary tumor is a common occurrence in ACC. Although lung metastases show a slow rate of growth, approximately 10% of patients die from distant metastases. The radioresistance of ACC limits the efficacy of conventional radiotherapy for lung metastases, and the optimal dose remains to be determined. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using CyberKnife can deliver a high dose to the lung tumor, while sparing the surrounding normal lung tissues, leading to favorable local control in non-squamous cell lung cancer and metastatic lung tumors. We report a case of lung metastases from ACC treated successfully with SBRT using CyberKnife.

Case presentation

A 76-year-old Japanese man with ACC who was treated with carbon ion radiotherapy for a primary oropharynx tumor presented with three metastatic lesions in the lung. The tumor masses were located in the right upper, right lower, and left lower lobes of the lungs. Surgical resection was not indicated because of the presence of multiple tumors. The patient underwent SBRT at 60 Gy in 10 sequential fractions for each tumor. The biologically effective dose based on an alpha/beta ratio of 2 Gy was 240 Gy per tumor. The percentage of the total lung volume irradiated with >20 Gy was 4.9%, 3.2%, and 2.6% for each tumor. The patient developed acute radiation pneumonitis during the initial therapy, which resolved at 6 months after the CyberKnife treatment. At 21 months after the first CyberKnife treatment, three tumors showed no signs of recurrence. No late toxicity was observed.

Conclusions

SBRT using CyberKnife is an effective and feasible approach to the management of multiple lung metastases of ACC.
Association of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α -308G>A, -238G>A and -376G>A polymorphisms with recurrent pregnancy loss risk in the Greek population
Authors: Stavros Sofoklis , Mavrogianni Despoina , Papamentzelopoulou Myrto , Basamakis Evaggelos , Khudeir Hend , Psarris Alexandros , Drakakis Peter
Published: April 2021

Background

Promoter region SNPs in TNF-α have been studied in association with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) occurrence in various populations. Among them, −238G > A, −308G > A and − 376G > A have been frequently investigated for their potential role in recurrent abortions. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the correlation among TNF-α 238, TNF-α 308 and TNF-α 376 polymorphisms and recurrent pregnancy loss risk in Greek women.

Methods

This study included 94 Caucasian women with at least two miscarriages of unexplained aetiology, before the 20th week of gestation. The control group consisted of 89 Caucasian women of proven fertility, with no history of pregnancy loss. DNA samples were subjected to PCR amplification using specific primers. Sanger sequencing was applied to investigate the presence of TNF-α 238, TNF-α 308, TNF-α 376 polymorphisms in all samples.

Results

The TNF-α 238 and TNF-α 308 variants were both detected in RPL and control groups (7.45% vs 4.49 and 45.16% vs 36.73%, respectively), but with no statistically significant association (p-value 0.396 and 0.374, respectively). The TNF-α 376 variant was not detected at all in both control and RPL groups. When TNF-α 238 and TNF-α 308 genotypes were combined no association with RPL was detected (p-value = 0.694). In subgroup analysis by parity, RPL patients carrying the A allele reported less previous births.

Conclusions

This is the first study demonstrating TNF-α 238 and TNF-α 308 gene expression and the absence of TNF-α 376 variant in Greek women with RPL. However, no association emerged between each polymorphism studied and the occurrence of recurrent pregnancy loss. Accordingly, TNF-α -308G > A, −238G > A and -376G > A variants are not considered genetic markers for identifying women at increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss in the Greek population.
Investor Letters and the Everyday Practice of Finance in Nineteenth-Century France
Authors: Yates Alexia
Published: April 2021

In the last decades of the nineteenth century the Paris Exchange was the second largest in the world, and engagement in financial markets had become popular on a previously unknown scale. How ordinary people encountered, thought about, and navigated this new financial landscape has nevertheless proved elusive. This article analyzes everyday financial practice in the first age of global capital from the vantage of letters written by ordinary individuals concerning their investments. As the numbers of investors and bondholders in France grew, “investor letters”—missives to financial, legal, and governmental authorities—proliferated. Their existence and concerns offer rich insights into how and with what effect France's financial markets were evolving at the end of the nineteenth century. These letters prompt us to reconsider the place of routine business correspondence in our studies of epistolary culture and allow reflection on economic life as modest investors “wrote upwards” and across the wealth gap of late nineteenth-century France.

Vers la fin du dix-neuvième siècle, la Bourse de Paris était la deuxième place financière la plus importante au monde, et ses marchés étaient devenus « populaires » à une échelle sans précédent. La manière dont les gens ordinaires ont réussi à s'orienter dans ce nouveau paysage se révèle difficile à saisir. Cet article analyse la pratique financière quotidienne de l’âge d'or de la globalisation du capital selon les particuliers écrivant à propos de leurs investissements. A mesure que le nombre d'investisseurs et d'obligataires a augmenté, ces « lettres d'investisseurs » adressées aux autorités financières, juridiques et gouvernementales se sont multipliées. Leur existence et leurs sujets de préoccupation offrent de riches informations sur l’évolution des marchés financiers français de la fin du dix-neuvième siècle. Ces lettres nous incitent à reconsidérer la place de la correspondance commerciale dans la culture épistolaire, et en nous montrant comment de modestes investisseurs écrivent « vers le haut » de la hiérarchie économique et sociale, nous permettent d'accéder à des aspects méconnus de la vie économique de la fin du dix-neuvième siècle français.
Clinical case review: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest following thyroid storm
Authors: Hale Matthew , Mildenhall Jo , Hook Christopher , Burt James
Published: April 2021

Acute thyrotoxicosis (thyroid storm) caused by hyperthyroidism is a rare but severe endocrine imbalance which, in extreme cases, may lead to ventricular fibrillation and ultimately, without intervention, death. The authors attended such an incident and, following clinical interventions, achieved return of spontaneous circulation with a good outcome for the patient and subsequent hospital discharge.
Staff wellbeing: a matter for quality indicators or a concern in its own right?
Authors: Lipman Sam , Gilkes Gary , Hanson Ashley
Published: April 2021

Despite assurance measures being developed alongside expanding scopes of practice, poor NHS ambulance staff wellbeing means high-quality job performance and patient care are not guaranteed. The UK's service is struggling to cope with growing demand and is not fully adapting from its historical emergency response role to meet modern-day urgent care needs. This puts unnecessary pressures and risks of stress from exhausting, intense work on to its most valuable resource: staff. Detrimental workplace cultures exacerbate this, along with added target-driven strain from non-evidence-based ambulance quality indicators. With poor support, communication, leadership and mental wellbeing provision, staff are increasingly dissatisfied, demoralised and experiencing a myriad of health problems. Consequences include excessive staff sickness absences and turnover as well as an up to 75% higher suicide risk. Trusts should collaborate to identify and address the causes of demand that cannot be met, and chief executives and boards should work with staff to prioritise structured wellbeing assessment and improvement. Further research is also needed.
Flying to new heights as an advanced flight paramedic
Authors: Bishop Jared
Published: April 2021

In the fourth instalment of Paramedic Roles, Jared Bishop reflects on his journey in Canadian paramedicine that brought him to his current role as an advanced care paramedic (flight) in Northern Saskatchewan
The Use of Mind Mapping Approach to Facilitate Students’ Distance Learning in Writing Modular Based on Printed Learning Materials
Authors: Pribadi Benny Agus , Susilana Rudi
Published: April 2021

The study is intended to expose mind mapping used as strategy for learning which is able to assist students to write their writing assignments. Thirty students who registered in the Teacher Qualification Improvement Program of Universitas Terbuka (UT) was involved as the participants in this present study. The participants had to follow the face-to-face tutorial session of the Instructional System Design course (ISD) course. One of the given assignments of the course was writing the modular based learning materials for the primary school students. The participants had to study the required knowledge and skills of writing the printed modular based learning materials through the systematic and systematic ways. The mind mapping strategy was used to help the students to complete their writing assignments – the printed modular based leaning resources. At the beginning the participants felt uncertain about the writing assignment. The study was found that the use of mind mapping as learning strategy increased the students learning motivation and improve the ability to write the printed modular based learning materials.
High-volume rapid prototyping technique for terahertz metallic metasurfaces
Authors: Guerboukha Hichem , Amarasinghe Yasith , Shrestha Rabi , Pizzuto Angela , Mittleman Daniel M.
Published: April 2021

Terahertz technology has greatly benefited from the recent development and generalization of prototyping technologies such as 3D printing and laser machining. These techniques can be used to rapidly fabricate optical devices for applications in sensing, imaging and communications. In this paper, we introduce hot stamping, a simple inexpensive and rapid technique to form 2D metallic patterns that are suitable for many terahertz devices. We fabricate several example devices to illustrate the versatility of the technique, including metasurfaces made of arrays of split-ring resonators with resonances up to 550 GHz. We also fabricate a wire-grid polarizer for use as a polarizing beam splitter. The simplicity and low cost of this technique can help in rapid prototyping and realization of future terahertz devices.
Expectations for success: Auditing opportunities for students with print disabilities to fully engage in online learning environments in higher education
Authors: Cain Melissa , Fanshawe Melissa
Published: April 2021

The rapid digitalisation of learning has had demonstrable impacts on access to education for students with a print disability. In higher education contexts, learning management systems (LMS) have become the predominant method for distributing content. This conceptual article addresses how students with print disabilities such as vision impairment, blindness, dyslexia, and visual fatigue experience their education through online engagement. Using Redmond et al.’s (2018) online engagement framework for higher education, the authors analyse the cognitive, social, emotional, behavioural, and collaborative needs and expectations of these learners. This article provides a contemporary picture of the barriers students with print disabilities currently encounter and the possibilities for access available through the use of accessible and assistive technologies. Recommendations for equitable access, including a range of actionable strategies, are provided to assist teacher educators, higher education providers, higher education disability support advisors, and LMS designers.
Pseudo-algebraic Ricci solitons on Einstein nilradicals
Authors: Yan Zaili
Published: April 2021

We develop a variational method to find pseudo-algebraic Ricci solitons on connected Lie groups.As applications, we prove that every Einstein nilradical admits a non-Riemannian algebraic Ricci soliton, and that any algebraic Ricci soliton on a semi-simple Lie group is Einstein. Furthermore, we construct several Lorentz algebraic Ricci solitons on the nilpotent Lie groups which have a codimension one abelian ideal.
Synthesis of “Economic Transplants: On Lawmaking for Corporations and Capital Markets”
Authors: Langenbucher Katja
Published: April 2021

Buzzwords such as “economization”,

Çalışkan and Callon (2009) 369.

“economic imperialism”

Lazear (1999).

or “the economist’s hour”

Appelbaum (2019).

denote the fact that during the last century “economics has become the science of making social choices”.

Fourcade (2018) 1.

In “economic transplants”,

Langenbucher (2017) (where the following footnotes list only pages, they reference this book).

I explore how this has happened in European corporate and financial markets law. The book’s focus is on legal reasoning, involving both a hypothesis about where economics’ tempting allure may come from, and an argument on why the underlying disciplinary approaches of law and of economics often don’t necessarily match.
Zwischen Bauhauskritik und Bauforschung: Konrad Nonn
Authors: Schneider Peter I.
Published: April 2021

As a committed publicist, the architect and ministerial official Konrad Nonn is known as one of the most prominent right-wing critics of the Bauhaus. Both the extremely polemical and inflammatory style of his texts and his incessant agitations against the school and its director Walter Gropius have contributed to seeing him as an oddity driven by a peculiar, almost pathological hatred. However, the perception of Nonn as a mere eccentric obscures the fact that he was by no means a loner. In fact, during the Weimar Republic, Nonn was a recognized member and functionary of a number of professional associations in the field of architecture. One such association was the Koldewey Society of architects working in the field of archaeology, whose members can be found in the elitist educated middle-class spectrum of the Weimar period. Within this educated bourgeois, humanistic elite with its special moral based attitude towards modernism in Germany, Nonn represented a cultural-conservative-national position. Although not equally shared, this position was widely understood and accepted by Nonn’s peers. Not least the moral support from these associations, in which he was also active as an official, allowed him to continue his agitation against the Bauhaus even after setbacks and to regain status from 1933. Nonn’s criticism of the Bauhaus can therefore be seen as an extreme reaction of the German humanistically very well-educated academic elite against the challenges of modernization, but not just as an isolated nerd’s extremist activism.
Eine »schulbildende« Wirkung des Unterrichts?
Authors: Blümm Anke , Rössler Patrick
Published: April 2021

From 1930 to 1933, the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe shaped the fate of the Bauhaus; in particular, he tailored the avant-garde institution to the study of architecture. While research has so far concentrated on the content of his teaching, the group of students he specifically trained remained in the dark. With the help of statistical analysis and evaluation, the present essay takes a new methodical approach to describe Mies’ 169 architecture students in more detail; the focus is particularly on the 78 diploma students. It becomes clear that the ›pure Mies influence‹ was hardly present in these 5 semesters at the Bauhaus. Instead, the very heterogeneous group was characterized until the end by political trench warfare that had already arisen under the previous director Hannes Meyer.
Einblicke in die Dessauer Bauhausbauten als materielles Erbe
Authors: Markgraf Monika
Published: April 2021

In Dessau, the Bauhaus experienced an extremely productive phase in 1925 –1932. In this period a number of buildings were constructed in the city, which are summarised under the name Bauhaus Buildings. The materiality of these buildings, from which important impulses for the development of architecture in the 20th century emanated, is just as important for a comprehensive understanding of the buildings as it is for their long-term preservation. The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation has had a building research archive since 1998, in which building materials and components of the Bauhaus buildings are preserved. Using selected materials such as concrete, Torfoleum or stonewood screed as examples, aspects of researching and preserving these buildings are discussed using the Bauhaus building, the Masters’ Houses and the Dessau-Törten housing estate as examples.
Media Capture and Bias in the Market for News
Authors: Roy Abhra
Published: April 2021

We analyze a model of media bias under government capture and a free press. The government wants citizens to invest in a project. Citizens gain from investing only if the state of the economy is good. The state is unobserved. The media firm receives a noisy signal about the actual state and makes a report about whether or not the state of the economy is good. Citizens read the report and decide whether or not to invest. In this context, we show that media bias under government capture may be smaller (greater) than that under free press if the cost of investment is sufficiently high (low) provided that the signal noise is below a certain threshold. Finally, we show that the difference between the bias under government capture and free press diverges (converges) when the cost of investment is sufficiently high (low) in response to a reduction in noise.
The Neoclassical Growth Model and the Labor Share Decline
Authors: Mahone Zachary L. , Naval Joaquín , Pujolas Pau S.
Published: April 2021

The labor share may be declining in the data, but it is often assumed constant in neoclassical growth models (NGM). We assess the quantitative importance of this discrepancy by comparing alternative calibration approaches featuring constant and declining labor shares. We find little difference in model performance. Our results derive from strong general equilibrium effects: while a declining labor share mechanically lowers wage growth, the investment response pushes wages back up. Hence, different models deliver nearly identical paths of macro aggregates. Numerous robustness checks (including a CES production function, different time periods, and calculations of the labor share) reinforce the similarity of performance across model specifications. We conclude that the NGM with a constant labor share is still an appropriate choice to study many standard macro aggregates.
Response of benthic invertebrate assemblages to seasonal and habitat condition in the Wewe River, Ashanti region (Ghana)
Authors: Oppong Samuel K. , Nsor Collins Ayine , Buabeng Gabriel Kwabena
Published: April 2021

Aquatic macro-invertebrates play a vital role in the food chain of river ecosystem at several trophic guilds and consumer levels, and are used as biomonitoring tools for aquatic ecosystem health. However, hydrologic conditions of these ecosystems have been severely altered because of the increase in urban development and agricultural expansion. This study examined benthic invertebrate response to processes that structure their community in the Wewe River, segmented into intact, medium, and severe condition zones. We sampled in 100 stations in a period of 4 months in the wet (June–September, 2019) and 3 months in the dry (January–March, 2020) seasons. Geometric series, rarefaction, and Hill numbers models were used to quantify invertebrate assemblages, while ordination technique, canonical correspondence analysis, was used to evaluate the influence of predictive factors on their assemblages. A total of 2,075 individuals belonging to 20 family taxa were registered. There was no significant difference in benthic assemblages between the dry and wet seasons. Predictive factors accounted for 47.04 and 50.84% variances, respectively. Taxa distribution patterns differed significantly only in the severely disturbed zone during the wet season. Neptidae, Libellulidae, and Chironomidae were the most abundant taxa, indicating their broad range habitat preference and their ability to adapt to seasonal changes. Asellidae and Perlidae were the least detected, suggesting their sensitivity to elevated levels of some water quality parameters. The findings highlight the threats to the benthic community and overall functional state of the Wewe River, with the need to consider the proposed conservation interventions indicated in this study.
Continuous sulfonation of hexadecylbenzene in a microreactor
Authors: Xu Yiming , Liu Suli , Meng Weijun , Yuan Hua , Ma Weibao , Sun Xiangqian , Xu Jianhong , Tan Bin , Li Ping
Published: April 2021

Heavy alkyl benzene sulfonates are inexpensive surfactants that are extensively used as oil-displacing agents during tertiary oil recovery. Among these, C16–18 heavy alkyl benzene sulfonates possess an excellent ability to reduce the oil-water interface tension. In this study, hexadecylbenzene sulfonic acid (HBSA) was synthesised in a continuous stirred-tank microreactor using a continuous method with 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) dilution. Post-sulfonation liquid SO3 solution was used as a sulfonating agent for hexadecylbenzene (HDB). The effects of reaction conditions, such as the SO3:HDB molar ratio, sulfonation temperature and sulfonation agent concentration, on the yield and purity of the product were investigated. Optimisation of the reaction process yielded high-quality HBSA samples with a purity exceeding 99 wt%. The continuous sulfonation process significantly enhanced the production and efficiency in the case of a considerably short residence time (10 s) in the reactor, without the need for aging. The results of this study demonstrate significant potential for application in industrial production.
One-pot synthesis of benzofurans via heteroannulation of benzoquinones
Authors: Pirouz Maryam , Saeed Abaee M. , Harris Pernille , Mojtahedi Mohammad M.
Published: April 2021

Three different reactions were explored leading to the synthesis of various benzofurans. All reactions took place under AcOH catalysis in a one-pot manner. As a result, benzoquinone derivatives underwent heteroannulation with either itself or cyclohexanones to produce furanylidene-benzofuran or benzofuran structures, respectively.
Effect of an axial-radial plate reactor modifications on a mega methanol plant production
Authors: Eksiri Zahra , Mozdianfard Mohammadreza , Mirvakili Azadeh , Rahimpour Mohammadreza
Published: April 2021

Axial-radial flow plate reactors have been recently considered as efficient and practical types of reactors for methanol synthesis. Generally, an axial–radial reactor (AR) consists of two main parts namely the axial section and the radial section and the vast majority of the feed enters the radial section. Moreover, the structure of AR has a space above the axial part, which can add an adiabatic bed in the system. In this study, the performance of two novels AR configurations is investigated to improve the effectiveness of the axial–radial plate reactor. In the first configuration, the optimum length of the adiabatic bed is calculated and the adiabatic bed is located above the axial section inside the AR and is named IAAR. Therefore, in IAAR the feed of the axial section just enters the adiabatic bed and warms up. On the other configuration, the adiabatic bed with the optimum length is placed outside the reactor and is named OAAR. Therefore, in OAAR the total feed passes through the adiabatic bed, highly warms up, then cools to the optimum temperature in a heat exchanger, and finally enters AR. Two-dimensional mathematical modeling via orthogonal collocation on the finite element method is developed to compare the performance of two configurations. The results show that the maximum proportion of methanol produces in IAAR, which is approximately 3.8% higher than that produced in conventional AR due to utilizing an adiabatic bed inside the AR and superior gas distribution in the process. Momentum, mass, and heat equations are calculated and molar flow rates, mole fractions and temperatures are depicted along the radius and the length of the three configurations.
Abrasive wear response of Al-Si–SiCp composite: Effect of friction heat and friction coefficient
Authors: Singh Raj Kumar , Telang Amit , Das Satyabrata
Published: April 2021

The effects of friction heat and friction coefficient on the abrasive wear response of Al-7.5Si–SiCp composite against low-cost hypereutectic (Al-17.5Si) alloy were investigated as functions of the abrasive size and applied load in both as-cast and after heat-treatment conditions. Experiments were performed on pin-on-disc apparatus at 38 –80 μm abrasive size, 5 – 20 N applied load, 100 –400 m abrading (sliding) distances and 1 m s–1 constant sliding speed. The frictional heating of as-cast and heat-treated composite was superior compared to the matrix alloy and hypereutectic alloy, whereas the trend reversed for the friction coefficient. The frictional heating and friction coefficient of the materials increased with the abrasive size and applied load in both as-cast and after heat-treatment. The worn surface and wear debris particles were examined by using field emission scanning electron microscopy to understand the wear mechanism.
A multiscale mean field model for elastic properties of hypereutectoid pearlitic steels with different microstructures
Authors: Vogric Marko , Povoden-Karadeniz Erwin
Published: April 2021

Multiscale modeling of macroscopic elastic properties of pearlitic hypereutectoid steel using the Eshelby matrix–inclusion approach is possible. The model works through successive homogenization steps, based on the elastic properties of cementite and ferrite. Globular pearlite is homogenized using α Mori–Tanaka approach. Lamellar pearlite and pearlite colonies with fragmented proeutectoid cementite are homogenized by α classical self-consistent scheme. In the case of pearlite colonies surrounded by α continuous cementite film, α generalized self-consistent scheme is used. The influence of microstructural parameters such as the pearlite colony size or the thickness of the proeutectoid cementite on Young’s and shear moduli and on coefficients of the stiffness tensor is simulated. Proof of concept is obtained by comparison between predicted elastic behavior and experimental results from the literature.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser welded titanium alloy and stainless steel joint with composite interlayer
Authors: Zhang Yan , Gao YiDi , Zhou JianPing , Sun DaQian , Li HongMei
Published: April 2021

In this work, TA2/T2 was used as a composite interlayer to prevent the formation of brittle Ti-Fe intermetallics when joining TC4 Ti alloy to 304 stainless steel. The TA2/T2 (commercially pure Ti and Cu) composite interlayer was prepared by explosive welding. The laser was focused on the TC4-TA2 interface, which joined the TC4 and TA2 by fusion welding. At the TC4-TA2 interface, a weld zone was formed due to the mixing of molten TC4 and TA2. The laser was also focused on the T2-304 stainless steel interface, a weld zone was formed due to the mixing of molten T2 and 304 stainless steel. Composite interlayer TA/T2 was used not only to prevent the formation of Ti-Fe intermetallics during welding but also to improve microstructure and properties of the stainless steel–Ti alloy joint. The joint fractured at the TA2/T2 explosive welding interface with a maximum tensile strength of 428 MPa.
Berossus and the Creation Story
Authors: Beaulieu Paul-Alain
Published: April 2021

This article investigates the fragments of the Babyloniaca of Berossus on creation. The following aspects are considered: the narrative structure of the book and how the account of creation is introduced, with broader implications for the cultural claims of Berossus and his peers; the relation between Berossus and previous Mesopotamian traditions, mainly the Babylonian Epic of Creation (Enuma elish), as well as possible evidence of Greek influence; and finally the view of human nature which is implicit in his account of the creation of humankind, notably the elimination of female agency and how his narrative relates to theories of human generation and the body that were current among the Babylonians, the Greeks, and the Egyptians.
Priestly Scholars in Late Egypt: The Theoretical Side
Authors: Quack Joachim Friedrich
Published: April 2021

This study focuses on literary and sub-literary texts which present Egyptian scholars. I first look at outsider’s views (like the church-father Clement of Alexandria), borderline views (like the Egyptian priest Chairemon), and insider’s views. For the latter examination, two compositions are studied in more detail. The first is the Book of the Temple, which is a manual of the ideal Egyptian temple, including sections about the duties of several of its intellectual specialists. The second is the Ritual for Entering the Chamber of Darkness, which is a difficult text about the initiation to arcane religious knowledge and the mysteries of writing.
The effects of foot massage on hemodialysis patients’ sleep quality and restless leg syndrome: a comparison of lavender and sweet orange essential oil topical application
Authors: Oshvandi Khodayar , Mirzajani Letomi Fariba , Soltanian Ali Reza , Shamsizadeh Morteza
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Hemodialysis (HD) patients suffer more sleep problems (poor sleep quality and restless leg syndrome [RLS]). Complementary therapy, especially massage with aromatherapy oil is one of the non-pharmacological treatment options with less adverse effects than routine methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of foot massage with of lavender and orange essential oil on HD patients’ sleep quality and RLS.

Methods

This is a double blind randomized controlled trial on 105 HD patients was conducted at a large educational hospital in Iran, Hamadan province between January and September 2017. Patients divided into three groups with random allocation (35 participants per groups in lavender, orange, and control group). Foot massage during HD with lavender and orange essential oil was administered to the patients three times a week for three weeks, and every massage lasted half an hour. The control group received routine care. Before the intervention, the end of the first, second, and third weeks Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and RLS questionnaire were completed for all three groups. Data were statistically analyzed with Independent Samples t-test, chi-square test and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) by SPSS version 16.

Results

The mean score of sleep quality and RLS in the intervention groups were significantly different compare with the control group in all three time of data collecting (p<0 001).

Conclusions

Aromatherapy prepared with lavender oil and sweet orange may be recommended to increase sleep quality and RLS level of the HD patients.
Time on the Market and Probability of Sale Using a Generalized Geometric Hazard Model
Authors: Caudill Steven B. , Bogosavljevic Ksenija , Johnson Ken H. , Mixon Franklin G.
Published: April 2021

This study makes two main contributions to the applied econometrics literature. First, it shows how the all-important marginal effects for time on the market and probability of sale can be obtained from any hazard model. Second, it extends the generalization of the geometric due to Gómez-Déniz, E. 2010. “Another Generalization of the Geometric Distribution.” Test 19: 399–415 to include covariates for use in the estimation of time on the market and probability of sale regressions in real estate, thus creating an entirely new hazard model based on probability of sale rather than time on the market. For the generalized geometric we develop expressions for the marginal effects (with approximate standard errors) for both the probability of sale and time on the market. This formulation allows the impact of changes in independent variables on both the probability of sale and time on the market to be determined from a single regression model. For comparison, we also obtain these two sets of marginal effects for the popular Weibull hazard model. The geometric, generalized geometric, and Weibull hazard models, along with two sets of marginal effects for each, are estimated using data on condominium listings in a metropolitan area in Florida.
3D modelling and visualization for Vision-based Vibration Signal Processing and Measurement
Authors: Yao Qi , Shabaz Mohammad , Lohani Tarun Kumar , Wasim Bhatt Mohammed , Panesar Gurpreet Singh , Singh Raj Karan
Published: April 2021

With the technological evolutionary advent, a vision-based approach presents the remote measuring approach for the analysis of vibration. The structure vibration test and model parameter identification in the detection of the structure of the bridge evaluation occupies the important position. The bridge structure to operate safely and reliably is ensured, according to the geological data of qixiashan lead-zinc mine and engineering actual situation, with the aid of international mining software Surpac. To build the 3D visualization model of the application of visualization in mine production are discussed. The results show that the final solid model of -425 stope can accurately display the spatial form of each layer of stope through rotation, amplification and movement. The proposed system is effectually able to perform cutting, volume calculation and roaming in any direction, which has certain guiding significance for mine production management. An accuracy value of 98.75%, the sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 99.64% and PPV of 99.89% are achieved using the proposed 3D modelling and visualization algorithm for vibration signal processing and management.
Screening for asymptomatic diabetes and metabolic comorbidities in pediatric patients during therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Larouche Valerie , Bellavance Caroline , Tibout Pauline , Bergeron Sebastien , Simonyan David , Gagné Julie
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Chronic metabolic disturbances related to cancer treatment are well reported among survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, few studies have investigated the incidence of these complications during the phase of chemotherapy. We evaluated the incidence of acute metabolic complications occurring during therapy in our cohort of patients diagnosed with ALL.

Methods

A prospective study involving 50 ALL pediatric patients diagnosed and treated between 2012 and 2016 in our oncology unit. We collected weight, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1C (HBA1c) levels during the two years of therapy.

Results

Obesity and overweight occurred in 43 and 25%, respectively among patients and have been reached at 12 months of chemotherapy. About 26% of the patients developed high blood pressure and 14% experienced hyperglycemias without meeting diabetes criteria. There was a significant decrease of HBA1c levels between the beginning and the end of therapy (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

Increase of body mass index in our ALL pediatric patients occurred during the first months of therapy and plateaued after a year of treatment. We should target this population for early obesity prevention. HbA1c levels measured during therapy did not reveal diabetes criteria. Hence, fasting blood glucose levels are sufficient to monitor ALL pediatric patients’ glycemia.
Sensory, voluntary, and motor postural control in children and adolescents with mucopolysaccharidosis
Authors: Yigit Oznur , Aksoy Songul , Akyol Umut , Tokatlı Aysegul , Sivri Hatice Serap
Published: April 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate automatic and voluntary motor control performances, which have an important function in maintaining balance, in children and adolescents with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS).

Methods

The records of 70 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The results of Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) performed according to the age and development of the individuals were examined. The results of 10 children and adolescents with MPS (mean age: 9.43 ranging from 6 to 14; four males and six females) who completed the sensory analysis, Weight-Bearing Squat Test, and Adaptation Test were retrieved from the database of the CDP. Nine healthy children and adolescents with typical development (mean age: 9.63 ranging from 6 to 14; four males and five females) were included as the control group.

Results

In the sensory analysis test, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the visual ratio parameter. In the adaptation test, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the toes up and toes down trials. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the Weight-Bearing Squat test at 0° knee extension and various knee flexions.

Conclusions

Children and adolescents with MPS should be directed to the appropriate exercise and therapy programs to develop postural and balance control, which have a significant effect on their quality of life and the ability to independently perform daily activities of living. In addition to routine hearing assessments for patients with MPS, other objective tests used in the differential diagnosis of balance and vestibular system should also be implemented.
Provocative growth hormone testing in children: how did we get here and where do we go now?
Authors: Kamoun Camilia , Hawkes Colin Patrick , Grimberg Adda
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Provocative growth hormone (GH) tests are widely used for diagnosing pediatric GH deficiency (GHD). A thorough understanding of the evidence behind commonly used interpretations and the limitations of these tests is important for improving clinical practice.

Content

To place current practice into a historical context, the supporting evidence behind the use of provocative GH tests is presented. By reviewing GH measurement techniques and examining the early data supporting the most common tests and later studies that compared provocative agents to establish reference ranges, the low sensitivity and specificity of these tests become readily apparent. Studies that assess the effects of patient factors, such as obesity and sex steroids, on GH testing further bring the appropriateness of commonly used cutoffs for diagnosing GHD into question.

Summary and Outlook

Despite the widely recognized poor performance of provocative GH tests in distinguishing GH sufficiency from deficiency, limited progress has been made in improving them. New diagnostic modalities are needed, but until they become available, clinicians can improve the clinical application of provocative GH tests by taking into account the multiple factors that influence their results.
On preverbalzaiin Mandarin Chinese: its progressive and prepositional functions
Authors: Woo I-hao
Published: April 2021

This study revisits the linguistic properties of preverbalzaiin Mandarin Chinese. Specifically, it examines the syntax of a prepositional phrase headed byzaifunctioning as an adjunct, as the main predicate of a sentence with a continuous reading, as well as a sentence containingzaiwith a progressive reading. It is argued that there is only onezaiand that it always functions as a preposition selecting either a Locative Phrase (LP) or a Zeit Phrase (ZP) as its complement. The study also claims that the different aspectual readings of sentences containingzaiare a result of the different types of complementszaiselects. It is argued that a sentence has a continuous reading whenzaiselects an LP and a progressive one when it selects a ZP as its complement. The proposed analyses not only provide a unified account of the linguistic functions ofzaibut also give a syntactic account of the close relation between the imperfective aspect (in particular, the progressive aspect) and locative elements that has been observed by many previous studies.
Virtual Morris water maze: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Thornberry Conor , Cimadevilla Jose M. , Commins Sean
Published: April 2021

The ability to accurately recall locations and navigate our environment relies on multiple cognitive mechanisms. The behavioural and neural correlates of spatial navigation have been repeatedly examined using different types of mazes and tasks with animals. Accurate performances of many of these tasks have proven to depend on specific circuits and brain structures and some have become the standard test of memory in many disease models. With the introduction of virtual reality (VR) to neuroscience research, VR tasks have become a popular method of examining human spatial memory and navigation. However, the types of VR tasks used to examine navigation across laboratories appears to greatly differ, from open arena mazes and virtual towns to driving simulators. Here, we examined over 200 VR navigation papers, and found that the most popular task used is the virtual analogue of the Morris water maze (VWM). Although we highlight the many advantages of using the VWM task, there are also some major difficulties related to the widespread use of this behavioural method. Despite the task’s popularity, we demonstrate an inconsistency of use – particularly with respect to the environmental setup and procedures. Using different versions of the virtual water maze makes replication of findings and comparison of results across researchers very difficult. We suggest the need for protocol and design standardisation, alongside other difficulties that need to be addressed, if the virtual water maze is to become the ‘gold standard’ for human spatial research similar to its animal counterpart.
Auditory mismatch negativity in bipolar disorder: a focused review
Authors: Raggi Alberto , Lanza Giuseppe , Ferri Raffaele
Published: April 2021

The auditory mismatch negativity, a component of the event-related potential elicited by an unexpected stimulus in a sequence of acoustic stimuli, provides an objective measure of the accuracy of the echoic information processing of the human brain in vivo. Auditory mismatch negativity is also a useful probe of cortical glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor activity and disturbance. Notably, auditory mismatch negativity is consistently impaired in schizophrenia. Because of the wide spectrum extending from bipolar affective illness and schizoaffective psychosis to typical schizophrenia, we examined the literature on auditory mismatch negativity in bipolar disorder with the aim to find any neurophysiological dysfunction concerning pre-attentive information processing shared by these clinical conditions. This focused review includes 26 original articles published in peer-reviewed journals and indexed in the National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine (PubMed) search system. Overall, evidence is consistent with the finding that auditory mismatch negativity is impaired in bipolar disorder with psychotic features, even though to a lesser extent than in schizophrenia. It must be acknowledged that, in a few twin and family studies, mismatch negativity abnormalities were not specifically associated with bipolar disorder. In conclusion, auditory mismatch negativity research supports the involvement of the N-methyl-d-aspartate system in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, as previously assessed for schizophrenia, thus creating an intriguing trait d’union between these two mental illnesses and stimulating the development of novel therapeutic agents. With additional replication and validation, auditory mismatch negativity may be further considered as a correlate of a common psychopathology of schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum illnesses.
Drafted into a Foreign War?
Authors: Sharpe Matthew
Published: April 2021

This paper examines the central criticisms that come, broadly, from the modern, ‘analytic’ tradition, of Pierre Hadot’s idea of ancient philosophy as a way of life.: Firstly, ancient philosophy just did not orcould nothave involved anything like the ‘spiritual practices’ or ‘technologies of the self’, aiming at curing subjects’ unnecessary desires or bettering their lives, contra Hadot and Foucaultet al.Secondly, any such metaphilosophical account of putative ‘philosophy’ must unacceptably downplay the role of ‘serious philosophical reasoning’ or ‘rigorous argument’ in philosophy. Thirdly, claims that ancient philosophy aimed at securing wisdom by a variety of means including but not restricted to rational inquiry are accordingly false also ashistoricalclaims about the ancient philosophers. Fourthly, to the extent that we must (despite (3)) admit that some ancient thinkers did engage in or recommend extra-cognitive forms of transformative practice, these thinkers were not true or ‘mainline’ philosophers. I contend that the historical claims (3) and (4) are highly contestable, risking erroneously projecting a later modern conception of philosophy back onto the past. Of the theoretical or metaphilosophical claims (1) and (2), I argue that the second claim, as framed here, points to real, hard questions that surround the conception(s) of philosophy as a way of life.
The Scandal of Deduction and Aristotle’s Method for Discovering Syllogisms
Authors: Duncombe Matthew
Published: April 2021

(1) If a deductive argument is valid, then the conclusion is not novel. (2) If the conclusion of an argument is not novel, the argument is not useful. So, (3) if a deductive argument is valid, it is not useful. This conclusion, (3), is unacceptable. Since the argument is valid, we must reject at least one premise. So, should we reject (1) or (2)? This puzzle is usually known as the ‘scandal of deduction’. Analytic philosophers have tried to reject (1) but have assumed premise (2). I argue here that Aristotle would deny (2). Aristotle thinks that at least some deductive arguments are useful, even though they present no new conclusions. Thus, Aristotle’s view contrasts with analytic philosophers of logic, who assume that all useful deductive arguments present novel conclusions. I don’t claim that Aristotle ‘solves’ the problem: it was never posed in Aristotle’s time. Rather, I suggest that Aristotle does not face the problem because he assumes deductions can be useful, without presenting novel conclusions. Aristotle’s view of deduction tames the scandal.
Nano titanium oxide for modifying water physical property and acid-resistance of alluvial soil in Yangtze River estuary
Authors: Jili Qu , Yawen Zhang , Weiqing Qu , Xiaoshun Zhou , Lingqing Hu , Jinrui Cheng
Published: April 2021

This study aims to investigate the role of nano TiO2 in modifying the characteristics of Shanghai clayey silt – alluvial soil in Yangtze river estuary. The Shanghai clayey silt is first mixed with nano TiO2 with different size group and content before it is made to undergo liquid and plastic limit tests, standard Proctor compaction tests, and acid-resistant tests. The results show that nano TiO2 can substantially increase the liquid limit and plastic limit of TiO2-treated clayey silt, but can decrease the plasticity index of it to some degree. The result from standard Proctor compaction tests shows that the maximum dry bulk density (MBD) decreases and the optimum water content (OWC) increases compared with untreated samples. Acid-resistance of sample is significantly increased after being treated by nano titanium dioxide. The data provided by this study can be used for not only the soil and water conservation, but also for soil improvement, diversity of vegetables and animals, amelioration of crop land, as well as sustainable development.