bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-layered epigenetic regulation of IRS2 expression in the liver of obese individuals with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Krause Christin , Geißler Cathleen , Tackenberg Heidi , El Gammal Alexander T. , Wolter Stefan , Spranger Joachim , Mann Oliver , Lehnert Hendrik , Kirchner Henriette
Published: July 2020

Aims/hypothesis

IRS2 is an important molecular switch that mediates insulin signalling in the liver. IRS2 dysregulation is responsible for the phenomenon of selective insulin resistance that is observed in type 2 diabetes. We hypothesise that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the regulation of IRS2 in the liver of obese and type 2 diabetic individuals.

Methods

DNA methylation of seven CpG sites was studied by bisulphite pyrosequencing and mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR in liver biopsies of 50 obese non-diabetic and 31 obese type 2 diabetic participants, in a cross-sectional setting. Methylation-sensitive luciferase assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed. Furthermore, HepG2 cells were treated with insulin and high glucose concentrations to induce miRNA expression and IRS2 downregulation.

Results

We found a significant downregulation of IRS2 expression in the liver of obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (0.84 ± 0.08-fold change; p = 0.0833; adjusted p value [pa] = 0.0417; n = 31) in comparison with non-diabetic obese participants (n = 50). This downregulation correlated with hepatic IRS2 DNA methylation at CpG5. Additionally, CpG6, which is located in intron 1 of IRS2, was hypomethylated in type 2 diabetes; this site spans the sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) recognition motif, which likely acts as transcriptional repressor. The adjacent polymorphism rs4547213 (G>A) was significantly associated with DNA methylation at a specificity-protein-1 (SP1) binding site (CpG3). Moreover, DNA methylation of cg25924746, a CpG site located in the shore region of the IRS2 promoter-associated CpG island, was increased in the liver of individuals with type 2 diabetes, as compared with those without diabetes. A second epigenetic mechanism, upregulation of hepatic miRNA hsa-let-7e-5p (let-7e-5p) in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (n = 29) vs non-diabetic obese individuals (n = 49) (1.2 ± 0.08-fold change; p = 0.0332; pa = 0.0450), is likely to act synergistically with altered IRS2 DNA methylation to decrease IRS2 expression. Mechanistic in vitro experiments demonstrated an acute upregulation of let-7e-5p expression and simultaneous IRS2 downregulation in a liver (HepG2) cell line upon hyperinsulinaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions.

Conclusions/interpretation

Our study highlights a new multi-layered epigenetic network that could be involved in subtle dysregulation of IRS2 in the liver of individuals with type 2 diabetes. This might lead to fine-tuning of IRS2 expression and is likely to be supplementary to the already known factors regulating IRS2 expression. Thereby, our findings could support the discovery of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for type 2 diabetes.
Fast and efficient difference of block means code for palmprint recognition
Authors: Almaghtuf Jumma , Khelifi Fouad , Bouridane Ahmed
Published: July 2020

Over the past two decades, researchers in the field of biometrics have presented a wide variety of coding-based palmprint recognition methods. These approaches mainly rely on extracting the texture features, e.g. line orientations, and phase information, using different filters. In this paper, we propose a new efficient palmprint recognition method based on the Different of Block Means. In the proposed scheme, only basic operations (i.e. mainly additions and subtractions) are used, thus involving a much lower computational cost when compared with existing systems. This makes the system suitable for online palmprint identification and verification. Furthermore, the technique has been shown to deliver superior performance over related systems.
Comparative effectiveness of dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase type-B inhibitors for Parkinson’s disease: a multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis
Authors: Binde Caroline D. , Tvete Ingunn F. , Gåsemyr Jørund I. , Natvig Bent , Klemp Marianne
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To investigate the comparative effectiveness of dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase type-B (MAO-B) inhibitors available for treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search identifying randomized controlled trials investigating 4 dopamine agonists (cabergoline, pramipexole, ropinirole, rotigotine) and 3 MAO-B inhibitors (selegiline, rasagiline, safinamide) for Parkinson’s disease. We extracted and pooled data from included clinical trials in a joint model allowing both direct and indirect comparison of the seven drugs. We considered dopamine agonists and MAO-B inhibitors given as monotherapy or in combination with levodopa. Selected endpoints were change in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score, serious adverse events and withdrawals. We estimated the relative effectiveness of each dopamine agonist and MAO-B inhibitor versus comparator drug.

Results

Altogether, 79 publications were included in the analysis. We found all the investigated drugs to be effective compared with placebo when given as monotherapy except safinamide. When considering combination treatment, the estimated relative effects of selegiline, pramipexole, ropinirole, rotigotine, cabergoline, rasagiline and safinamide were 2.316 (1.819, 2.951), 2.091 (1.889, 2.317), 2.037 (1.804, 2.294), 1.912 (1.716, 2.129), 1.664 (1.113, 2.418), 1.584 (1.379, 1.820) and 1.179 (1.031, 1.352), respectively, compared with joint placebo and levodopa treatment.

Conclusions

Dopamine agonists were found to be effective as treatment for Parkinson’s disease, both when given as monotherapy and in combination with levodopa. Selegiline and rasagiline were also found to be effective for treating Parkinson’s disease, and selegiline was the best option in combination with levodopa among all the drugs investigated.
Development and Usability of a Virtual Reality-Based Filler Injection Training System
Authors: Oh Seung Min , Kim Ju Young , Han Seungho , Lee Won , Kim Il , Hong Giwoong , Oh Wook , Moon Hyungjin , Seo Changmin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

As filler procedures have increased in popularity, serious injection-related complications (e.g., blindness and stroke) have also increased in number. Proper and effective training is important for filler procedure safety; however, limitations exist in traditional training methods (i.e. anatomical illustrations and cadaver studies). We aimed to describe the development process and evaluate the usability of a virtual reality (VR)-based aesthetic filler injection training system.

Materials and Methods

We developed the virtual reality hardware for the training system and a short guide, with a lecture regarding safe filler injection techniques. One hundred clinicians who attended a conference tested the training system. Participants completed system usability scale (SUS) and satisfaction questionnaires.

Results

Nearly half of the participants were aged 35–50 years, and 38% had more than 5 years of aesthetic experience. The mean SUS score was 59.8 (standard deviation, 12.23), with no significant differences among the evaluated subgroups. Approximately 76% of participants provided SUS scores of more than 51, indicating acceptable usability. Participants aged 35–50 years were more likely to rate the system as having poor usability than were those aged < 35 years (odds ratio = 5.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.35–20.08).

Conclusions

This study was the first to develop and explore the usability of a VR-based filler training system. Nearly three-fourths of participants indicated that the training system has an acceptable level of usability. However, assessments in precise target audiences and more detailed usability information are necessary to further refine the training system.

Level of evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Subbrow Lift Using Frontalis Sling to Correct Lateral Orbital Laxity
Authors: Kim Hong Seok , Kim Kenneth K.
Published: July 2020

Background

In order to correct upper lid laxity, upper blepharoplasty, subbrow excision, and forehead lift have been utilized. Our newly developed subbrow excision attaches the orbicularis oculi muscle to the frontalis muscle. This improves the longevity of the result without inhibiting the gliding plane of the periorbita.

Method

From January 2016 to July 2018, 564 patients were operated on using this technique. Among them, 41 were male and 523 were female with the average age of 59.5 years. The average size of the subbrow excision was 55 mm × 8 mm. From the upper skin incision site, the upper dissection proceeded cephalad in the subcutaneous plane just above the orbicularis oculi muscle to the point where the frontalis muscle was seen. The lower flap was created by incising the orbicularis oculi muscle 5 mm cephalad to the distal skin incision. From this 5-mm orbicularis muscle stump, the dissection proceeded caudally in a plane between the orbicularis muscle and the orbital septum. Once this flap was created, the 5-mm muscle stump was attached to the exposed frontalis muscle in a horizontal mattress fashion in three areas. The skin incision was then closed. Three months after the operation, a satisfaction survey was conducted using the Likert scale.

Results

The patients were followed postoperatively for at least 6 months. In all but two cases, the orbital laxity improved. However, in the brow’s lateral third where the frontalis muscle does not exist, a slight lowering of the brow had occurred. The incision healed well without any keloid or hypertrophic scars. There were no significant complications such as superior orbital nerve entrapment-related sensory problems.

Conclusions

Subbrow lift utilizing the frontalis muscle attachment to the lower flap orbicularis muscle is a novel method of correcting upper eyelid skin hooding. The technique does not rely on periosteal fixation. Therefore, the eyebrow gliding plane is not violated. Thus, the natural eyebrow movement is maintained. There were no cases of injury to the deep branch of the supraorbital nerve, poor wound healing, or other significant complications.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Ecophysiology and ecological limits of symbiotrophic vesicomyid bivalves (Pliocardiinae) in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Linse Katrin , Sigwart Julia D. , Chen Chong , Krylova Elena M.
Published: July 2020

Geothermal energy provides an important resource in Antarctic marine ecosystems, exemplified by the recent discovery of large-sized chemosymbiotic vesicomyid bivalves (subfamily Pliocardiinae) in the Southern Ocean. These clams, which we identified as Archivesica s.l. puertodeseadoi, have been reported as dead shells in areas previously covered by Larsen A and B ice shelves (eastern Antarctic Peninsula) and as live animals from active hydrothermal sites in the Kemp Caldera (South Sandwich Arc) at depths of 852–1487 m. Before, A. puertodeseadoi was known only from its type locality in the Argentine Sea, so we considerably extend the range of the species. Observations taken by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) footage show that the clams can live buried in sediment, or epilithically on the surface of rocks in diffuse geothermal flow. Experimental respirometry was conducted at surface pressure on individual bivalves acclimated to either their habitat temperature (4 °C) or elevated temperature (10 °C). The range of standard metabolic rates, from 3.13 to 6.59 (MO2, μmol O2 h−1 g−1 dry tissue mass), is similar to rates measured ex situ for other species in this clade, and rates did not differ significantly between temperature groups. Taken together, these data indicate a range of ecophysiological flexibility for A. puertodeseadoi. Although adapted to a specialist mode of life, this bivalve exploits a relatively broad range of habitats in the Southern Ocean: within sulphidic sediments, epilithically in the presence of diffuse sulphidic flow, or in deep methane-enriched seawater trapped under ice.
A temperature model for laser lithotripsy
Authors: Williams J. G. , Goldsmith L. , Moulton D. E. , Waters S. L. , Turney B. W.
Published: July 2020

Objective

To derive and validate a mathematical model to predict laser-induced temperature changes in a kidney during kidney stone treatment.

Methods

A simplified mathematical model to predict temperature change in the kidney for any given renal volume, irrigation flow rate, irrigation fluid temperature, and laser power was derived. We validated our model with matched in vitro experiments.

Results

Excellent agreement between the mathematical model predictions and laboratory data was obtained.

Conclusion

The model obviates the need for repeated experimental validation. The model predicts scenarios where risk of renal tissue damage is high. With real-time knowledge of flow rate, irrigating fluid temperature and laser usage, safety warning levels could be predicted. Meanwhile, clinicians should be aware of the potential risk from thermal injury and take measures to reduce the risk, such as using room temperature irrigation fluid and judicious laser use.
AutoBiomes: procedural generation of multi-biome landscapes
Authors: Fischer Roland , Dittmann Philipp , Weller René , Zachmann Gabriel
Published: July 2020

Advances in computer technology and increasing usage of computer graphics in a broad field of applications lead to rapidly rising demands regarding size and detail of virtual landscapes. Manually creating huge, realistic looking terrains and populating them densely with assets is an expensive and laborious task. In consequence, (semi-)automatic procedural terrain generation is a popular method to reduce the amount of manual work. However, such methods are usually highly specialized for certain terrain types and especially the procedural generation of landscapes composed of different biomes is a scarcely explored topic. We present a novel system, called AutoBiomes, which is capable of efficiently creating vast terrains with plausible biome distributions and therefore different spatial characteristics. The main idea is to combine several synthetic procedural terrain generation techniques with digital elevation models (DEMs) and a simplified climate simulation. Moreover, we include an easy-to-use asset placement component which creates complex multi-object distributions. Our system relies on a pipeline approach with a major focus on usability. Our results show that our system allows the fast creation of realistic looking terrains.
Lesion stage-dependent causes for impaired remyelination in MS
Authors: Heß Katharina , Starost Laura , Kieran Nicholas W. , Thomas Christian , Vincenten Maria C. J. , Antel Jack , Martino Gianvito , Huitinga Inge , Healy Luke , Kuhlmann Tanja
Published: July 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most frequent demyelinating disease and a leading cause for disability in young adults. Despite significant advances in immunotherapies in recent years, disease progression still cannot be prevented. Remyelination, meaning the formation of new myelin sheaths after a demyelinating event, can fail in MS lesions. Impaired differentiation of progenitor cells into myelinating oligodendrocytes may contribute to remyelination failure and, therefore, the development of pharmacological approaches which promote oligodendroglial differentiation and by that remyelination, represents a promising new treatment approach. However, this generally accepted concept has been challenged recently. To further understand mechanisms contributing to remyelination failure in MS, we combined detailed histological analyses assessing oligodendroglial cell numbers, presence of remyelination as well as the inflammatory environment in different MS lesion types in white matter with in vitro experiments using induced-pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived oligodendrocytes (hiOL) and supernatants from polarized human microglia. Our findings suggest that there are multiple reasons for remyelination failure in MS which are dependent on lesion stage. These include lack of myelin sheath formation despite the presence of mature oligodendrocytes in a subset of active lesions as well as oligodendroglial loss and a hostile tissue environment in mixed active/inactive lesions. Therefore, we conclude that better in vivo and in vitro models which mimic the pathological hallmarks of the different MS lesion types are required for the successful development of remyelination promoting drugs.
Postoperative management of antithrombotic medication in microvascular head and neck reconstruction: a comparative analysis of unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparin
Authors: Sievert Matti , Goncalves Miguel , Tamse Rosalie , Mueller Sarina K. , Koch Michael , Gostian Antoniu-Oreste , Iro Heinrich , Scherl Claudia
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Free flap reconstruction is a valuable technique to preserve function in oncological head and neck surgery. Postoperative graft thrombosis is a dreaded risk. This study aims to compare low-dose unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in perioperative thrombosis prophylaxis.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of 266 free flaps performed at our academic center. A comparison was made between 2 patient groups, based on their respective postoperative prophylaxis protocols either with UFH (n = 87) or LMWH (n = 179). Primary endpoints were the frequency of transplant thrombosis and the number of flap failures. Secondary endpoints were the occurrence of peri- and postoperative complications.

Results

The flap survival rate was 96.6% and 93.3% for the groups UFH and LMWH, respectively (P = 0.280). The rate of postoperative bleeding requiring revision was 4.6% and 6.7% for each group, respectively (P = 0.498). We found a hematoma formation in 4.6% and 3.9% (P = 0.792).

Conclusion

The free-flap survival rate using low-dose UFH seems to be equivalent to LMWH regimens without compromising the postoperative outcome. Consequently, for risk-adapted thrombosis prophylaxis, either LMWH or UFH can be administrated.
Cortical activation abnormalities in bipolar and schizophrenia patients in a combined oddball–incongruence paradigm
Authors: Rauer Lisa , Trost Sarah , Petrovic Aleksandra , Gruber Oliver
Published: July 2020

Patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia often suffer from severe cognitive impairment even during times of remission. This study investigated the pathomechanisms underlying their deficits in cognitive control. A combined oddball–incongruence fMRI task was applied to examine similarities and differences of neural activation patterns between patients and healthy controls. Bipolar and schizophrenia patients demonstrated hyperactivations in the intraparietal cortex during the oddball condition. Furthermore, bipolar patients revealed diagnosis-specific hyperactivation in the left middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, anteroventral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex regions compared to schizophrenia patients and healthy individuals. In comparison to healthy controls the patients showed hypoactivations in the inferior frontal junction and ventral pathway during the cognitively more demanding incongruence. Taken together, bipolar patients seem to recruit frontal and parietal areas during the oddball condition to compensate for potential deficits in their attentional network. During more challenging tasks, i.e., the incongruence condition, their compensatory mechanisms seem to collapse leading to hypoactivations in the same frontal areas as well as the ventral pathway.
A systematic concept analysis of ‘technology dependent’: challenging the terminology
Authors: Brenner Maria , Alexander Denise , Quirke Mary Brigid , Eustace-Cook Jessica , Leroy Piet , Berry Jay , Healy Martina , Doyle Carmel , Masterson Kate
Published: July 2020

There are an increasing number of children who are dependent on medical technology to sustain their lives. Although significant research on this issue is taking place, the terminology used is variable and the concept of technology dependence is ill-defined. A systematic concept analysis was conducted examining the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept of technology dependent, as portrayed in the literature. We found that this concept refers to a wide range of clinical technology to support biological functioning across a dependency continuum, for a range of clinical conditions. It is commonly initiated within a complex biopsychosocial context and has wide ranging sequelae for the child and family, and health and social care delivery.

Conclusion: The term technology dependent is increasingly redundant. It objectifies a heterogenous group of children who are assisted by a myriad of technology and who adapt to, and function with, this assistance in numerous ways.What is Known:•There are an increasing number of children who require medical technology to sustain their life, commonly referred to as technology dependent. This concept analysis critically analyses the relevance of the term technology dependent which is in use for over 30 years.What is New:•Technology dependency refers to a wide range of clinical technology to support biological functioning across a dependency continuum, for a range of clinical conditions. It is commonly initiated within a complex biopsychosocial context and has wide-ranging sequelae for the child and family, and health and social care delivery.•The paper shows that the term technology dependent is generally portrayed in the literature in a problem-focused manner.•This term is increasingly redundant and does not serve the heterogenous group of children who are assisted by a myriad of technology and who adapt to, and function with, this assistance in numerous ways. More appropriate child-centred terminology will be determined within the TechChild project.
Bilateral double beta peaks in a PD patient with STN electrodes
Authors: Koeglsperger Thomas , Mehrkens Jan H. , Bötzel Kai
Published: July 2020

Subthalamic local field potentials in the beta band are considered as potential biomarkers for closed-loop deep brain stimulation. To investigate the subthalamic beta band peak amplitudes in a Parkinson’s disease patient over an extended period of time by using a novel and commercially available neurostimulator with permanent sensing capability. We recorded local field potentials of the subthalamic nucleus using the Medtronic Percept™ implantable neurostimulator at rest and during physical activity (gait) with and in response to deep brain stimulation. We found a double-peaked beta activity on both sides. Increasing stimulation and physical activity resulted in a decreased beta band amplitude, but was accompanied by the appearance of a second, and previously unrecognized peak at 13 Hz in the right hemisphere. Our results will support the investigation of distinct different peaks in the beta band and their relevance and usefulness as closed-loop biomarkers.
Physical stratigraphy and geotechnical properties controlling the local seismic response in explosive volcanic settings: the Stracciacappa maar (central Italy)
Authors: Moscatelli M. , Vignaroli G. , Pagliaroli A. , Razzano R. , Avalle A. , Gaudiosi I. , Giallini S. , Mancini M. , Simionato M. , Sirianni P. , Sottili G. , Bellanova J. , Calamita G. , Perrone A. , Piscitelli S. , Lanzo G.
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, policies addressed to prevention and mitigation of seismic risk need a consolidated methodology finalised to the assessment of local seismic response in explosive volcanic settings. The quantitative reconstruction of the subsoil model provides a key instrument to understand how the geometry and the internal architecture of outcropping and buried geological units have influence on the propagation of seismic waves. On this regard, we present a multidisciplinary approach in the test area of the Stracciacappa maar (Sabatini Volcanic District, central Italy), with the aim to reconstruct its physical stratigraphy and to discuss how subsoil heterogeneities control the 1D and 2D local seismic response in such a volcanic setting. We first introduce a new multidisciplinary dataset, including geological (fieldwork and log from a 45-m-thick continuous coring borehole), geophysical (electrical resistivity tomographies, single station noise measurements, and 2D passive seismic arrays), and geotechnical (simple shear tests performed on undisturbed samples) approaches. Then, we reconstruct the subsoil model for the Stracciacappa maar in terms of vertical setting and distribution of its mechanical lithotypes, which we investigate for 1D and 2D finite element site response analyses through the application of two different seismic scenarios: a volcanic event and a tectonic event. The numerical modelling documents a significant ground motion amplification (in the 1–1.5 Hz range) revealed for both seismic scenarios, with a maximum within the centre of the maar. The ground motion amplification is related to both 1D and 2D phenomena including lithological heterogeneity within the upper part of the maar section and interaction of direct S-waves with Rayleigh waves generated at edges of the most superficial lithotypes. Finally, we use these insights to associate the expected distribution of ground motion amplification with the physical stratigraphy of an explosive volcanic setting, with insights for seismic microzonation studies and local seismic response assessment in populated environments.
Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other Mitis streptococci: importance of molecular methods
Authors: Sadowy Ewa , Hryniewicz Waleria
Published: July 2020

The Mitis group of streptococci includes an important human pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and about 20 other related species with much lower pathogenicity. In clinical practice, some representatives of these species, especially Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae and Streptococcus mitis, are sometimes mistaken for S. pneumoniae based on the results of classical microbiological methods, such as optochin susceptibility and bile solubility. Several various molecular approaches that address the issue of correct identification of pneumococci and other Mitis streptococci have been proposed and are discussed in this review, including PCR- and gene sequencing-based tests as well as new developments in the genomic field that represents an important advance in our understanding of relationships within the Mitis group.
Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of the BioProsthetic Valves with Atrial Fibrillation (BPV-AF) Study
Authors: Furukawa Yutaka , Miyake Makoto , Fujita Tomoyuki , Koyama Tadaaki , Takegami Misa , Kimura Tetsuya , Sugio Kumiko , Takita Atsushi , Nishimura Kunihiro , Izumi Chisato ,   for the BPV-AF Registry group
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To date, clinical data on real-world treatment practices in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after bioprosthetic valve (BPV) replacement are needed. We conducted a large-scale, prospective, multicenter study to understand the actual usage of antithrombotic therapy and the incidence of thromboembolic and bleeding events in these patients, and to eliminate the clinical data gap between Japan and Western countries.

Methods

This was an observational study, in patients who had undergone BPV replacement and had a confirmed diagnosis of AF, with no mandated interventions. We report the baseline demographic and clinical data for the 899 evaluable patients at the end of the enrollment period.

Results

Overall, 45.7% of patients were male; the mean age was 80.3 years; AF was paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent in 36.9%, 34.6%, and 28.5% of patients, respectively. Mean risk scores for stroke and bleeding were 2.5 (CHADS2), 4.1 (CHA2DS2-VASc), and 2.5 (HAS-BLED). Many patients (76.2%) had comorbid hypertension and 54.8% had heart failure. Most BPVs (65.5%) were positioned in the aortic valve. Warfarin-based therapy, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC)-based therapy, and antiplatelet therapy (without warfarin and DOAC) were administered to 55.0%, 29.3%, and 9.7% of patients, respectively.

Conclusion

Patients enrolled into this study are typical of the wider Japanese AF/BPV population in terms of age and clinical history. Future data accruing from the observational period will contribute to future treatment recommendations and guide therapeutic decisions in patients with BPV and AF.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: UMIN000034485
True EU citizenship as a precursor to genuine criminal justice in Europe: an analysis of EU citizenship as it relates to a sustainable area of freedom, security and justice
Authors: Wade Marianne L.
Published: July 2020

This paper traces developments - both legal and political in nature - relating to EU citizenship and compares the status quo to what individuals might expect from citizenship particularly within the context of criminal proceedings. Drawing upon debates in political science, it highlights the divergence between EU citizenship and what would normally be associated with any idea of citizenship. Exploring the parameters of European criminal justice and its revolutionary direction of travel, this essay highlights how strongly exposed EU citizens are to enhanced coercive state power within criminal proceedings because of this status. Consequently it advances an argument that reasonable expectations of citizenship are set up to be disappointed in the current context. This is particularly true as the CJEU scales back the protections associated with EU citizenship in the face of political pressure. It argues that the loss of legitimacy the EU may suffer as a result affects not only its relationship to citizens. As the European institutions take action against democratically elected governments viewed as in breach of fundamental EU values, its potential as a policy-laundering governance level in the criminal justice arena is identified as an enormous legitimacy problem. Analysing developments relevant to citizenship from a criminal justice perspective, this paper demonstrates that reform is urgently required. Leaving EU citizenship in its current form - shaped by Executive powers - is argued to expose the EU to legitimacy arguments it cannot win, as well as individual citizens to injustice in criminal proceedings.
Effect of a Place-Based Learning Community on Belonging, Persistence, and Equity Gaps for First-Year STEM Students
Authors: Johnson Matthew D. , Sprowles Amy E. , Goldenberg Katlin R. , Margell Steven T. , Castellino Lisa
Published: July 2020

We combined tenets of learning communities and place-based learning to develop an innovative first-year program for STEM students. Using a quasi-experimental design, we found that participants in the place-based learning community had a stronger sense of belonging, improved academic performance, and increased first-year persistence relative to a matched reference group. We also showed that participation narrowed equity gaps in first-year outcomes for students underrepresented in the sciences. A sense of place arises not just from a location, but from interrelationships between people and the natural world, and these results suggest organizing learning around place can promote inclusive student success.
Digital Platforms of Work and the Crafting of Career Path: The Crowdworkers’ Perspective
Authors: Idowu Ayomikun , Elbanna Amany
Published: July 2020

Work and Employment is a critical area that is undergoing major change influenced by the widespread connectivity and utilisation of the Internet and the rise of digital platforms. Crowdwork is an emerging new way of working that is witnessing exponential growth. It is surrounded by a fixed debate between opposite perspectives on its impact on workers. However, both perspectives adopt a static view that does not pay much attention to crowdworkers’ progress in their job over time. In this study, we seek to advance this debate by adopting a dynamic view of crowdwork to explore the trajectory of workers over time based on their own accounts. Through rich qualitative data and inductive analysis, the study unravels that crowdworkers craft what could be conceptualised as a career development path. It identifies five stages in this career path and workers’ efforts to mould their work demands and job-related resources to create a future for themselves. The discussion shows the fruitful insight that this approach brings to theory and practice. Limitations and future avenues for research are then discussed.
Italian Validation of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) Short Version for Adolescents: SAD_FACES
Authors: Everri Marina , Caricati Luca , Mancini Tiziana , Messena Mattia , Fruggeri Laura
Published: July 2020

This study validated the Italian short version of FACES-IV (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale) for adolescents, namely SAD_FACES. The scale assessed adolescents’ perceptions of their families’ adaptive and maladaptive functioning along the six dimensions of cohesion, flexibility, disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity and chaos as defined by the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. SAD_FACES was administrated to a sample of secondary school students (Age = 14–16 years; N = 446). The Family Communication Scale (FCS), measuring positive communication skills used in the family system, was also administered to assess external validity. ESEM was performed and evaluation of model fit was based on values of the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The scores that were computed as the sum of the intended items and latent traits were both considered for each dimension. Results showed that SAD_FACES (24 items) has the same structure and internal consistency of the Italian version of FACES IV validated with adolescent samples. Implications for the validity and usage of a short scale for the assessment of adolescents’ perception of family functioning and their wellbeing are discussed. Future research should validate SAD_FACES with different age cohorts of adolescents and belonging to different cultural contexts as well as consider clinical samples of adolescents. The agility of SAD_FACES could facilitate investigations with clinical samples of adolescents. Future research is needed in this area.
Deconstructing Gender Differences in Experienced Well-Being Among Older Adults in the Developing World: The Roles of Time Use and Activity-Specific Affective Experiences
Authors: Flores Gabriela , Kieny Clémence , Maurer Jürgen
Published: July 2020

Due to declining fertility rates and increasing longevity, the world is growing older. Improving the quality of life of older adults, and not merely preventing deaths, is thus becoming an important objective of public policies. It is, therefore, urgent to understand the key dimensions of older adults’ subjective well-being as well as their main drivers. Women represent a large proportion of the older population, and existing evidence suggests that they may be particularly vulnerable, especially in the developing world. Analyzing potential gender differences in experienced well-being in older adults is hence crucial. We exploit information on time use and activity-specific emotional experiences from the abbreviated version of the day reconstruction method contained in the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE), focusing on five developing countries. We first quantify gender differences in experienced well-being among older adults, which we then deconstruct into corresponding differences in time use and activity-specific net affects. Adjusting for age only, our results indicate a gender gap in experienced well-being in favor of men. Yet, adjusting for additional individual characteristics and life circumstances beyond age weakens this association. Illustrative counterfactual analyses further suggest that gender differences in activity-specific net affects appear more important than differences in time use for explaining the disadvantage of older women. Our results suggest that women’s lower affect in most activities is linked to the conditions under which these activities are performed, and in particular to the higher level of disability of older women compared to men of the same age.
X-ray-free ultrasound-guided versus fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a comparative study with historical control
Authors: Birowo Ponco , Raharja Putu Angga Risky , Putra Harun Wijanarko Kusuma , Rustandi Reginald , Atmoko Widi , Rasyid Nur
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To compare the outcomes and complications of supine X-ray-free ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (XG-PCNL) with fluoroscopy-guided (FG)-PCNL in both prone and supine positions.

Methods

This was a comparative study that included a prospective cohort and historical control groups. This study analysed 40 consecutive patients who undergone supine XG-PCNL between October 2019 and March 2020. The control groups were composed of historical control formed from the last 40 consecutive patients who underwent FG-PCNL in both supine and prone positions from our PCNL database from January 2018 and September 2019. Patients’ demographics, stone characteristics and intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Results

A total of 120 patients were classified into the supine XG-PCNL, supine FG-PCNL, and prone FG-PCNL groups (each N = 40). They had similar baseline characteristics and initial stone burden. The supine XG-PCNL group had higher puncture attempts, nephrostomy tube placement, and longer surgery duration than both the supine and prone FG-PCNL groups. However, the stone-free rate was similar in all groups (85%, supine XG-PCNL; 72.5%, supine FG-PCNL; 77.5% prone FG-PCNL; p = 0.39). No significant difference was found in the complication rate and length of stay among the three groups.

Conclusion

Supine XG-PCNL is an alternative to both supine and prone FG-PCNL with similar efficacy and complication rates for kidney stone patients. This could be a good alternative to urological centres with no access to fluoroscopy.
Occupations and Inequality: Theoretical Perspectives and Mechanisms
Authors: Haupt Andreas , Ebner Christian
Published: July 2020

People’s occupations are strongly related to multiple dimensions of inequality, such as inequalities in wages, health, autonomy, or risk of temporary employment. The theories and mechanisms linking occupations to these inequalities are subject to debate. We review the recent evidence on the relationship between occupations and inequality and discuss the following four overarching theoretical perspectives: occupations and skills, occupations and tasks, occupations and institutions, and occupations and culture. We show that each perspective has strong implications for how scholars conceptualize occupations and which occupational characteristics are seen as relevant when explaining inequalities. Building on this, we review and critically examine the relevant theories related to and the mechanisms of the relationship between occupation and wage inequality, as an example. We conclude that there is sound empirical knowledge available on the relationships between occupations and inequality; however, some of the mechanisms are still unclear.
Mathematical optimization approach for facility layout on several rows
Authors: Anjos Miguel F. , Vieira Manuel V. C.
Published: July 2020

The facility layout problem is concerned with finding an arrangement of non-overlapping indivisible departments within a facility so as to minimize the total expected flow cost. In this paper we consider the special case of multi-row layout in which all the departments are to be placed in three or more rows, and our focus is on, for the first time, solutions for large instances. We first propose a new mixed integer linear programming formulation that uses continuous variables to represent the departments’ location in both x and y coordinates, where x represents the position of a department within a row and y represents the row assigned to the department. We prove that this formulation always achieves an optimal solution with integer values of y, but it is limited to solving instances with up to 13 departments. This limitation motivates the application of a two-stage optimization algorithm that combines two mathematical optimization models by taking the output of the first-stage model as the input of the second-stage model. This algorithm is, to the best of our knowledge, the first one in the literature reporting solutions for instances with up to 100 departments.
Gender in early childhood movement education—a necessary dimension!
Authors: Gramespacher Elke , Voss Anja
Published: July 2020

This contribution focuses on the connections between movement education, early childhood and gender. We argue that these connections should be investigated in future studies and, for example, be linked to current gender theoretical discourses. This is not only in order to productively introduce the findings for gender studies in sports science and movement education. Rather, the aim could also be to find out how the gender perspective can be productively introduced in the context of diversity-conscious movement education with and for children.
Religion oder Aberglaube?
Authors: Heidenreich Hauke
Published: July 2020

Den Diagnosen des Religionswissenschaftlers Klaus Hock folgend untersucht dieser Beitrag Positionen zur Genese des Animismus im 19. Jahrhundert. Zentral ist dabei die von Edward B. Tylor vorgebrachte Behauptung, dass alle bekannten Menschen Religionen hätten, deren Ursprung im sog. Animismus liege, den Tylor als Glauben an geistige Wesen definiert. Animismus wird aber vor allem deswegen von Tylor eingeführt, um eine Frontlinie gegen den zeitgenössischen Spiritismus zu installieren, der eine extreme Variante des allgemeinen Glaubens an geistige Wesen darstelle.

Dieses Konzept wurde in der deutschen Forschung von Adolf Bastian und Ernst Haeckel rezipiert. Beide übernahmen Tylors Frontstellung gegen den Spiritismus, definierten den Animismus nun aber als von Primitiven herkommenden Aberglauben, der sich in der modernen Zivilisation nur noch als Spiritismus erhalten habe. Während Tylor die Ursprünge der Religion gefunden zu haben behauptete, vertraten Haeckel und Bastian die Sicht, dass der Animismus besonders den Ursprung des Aberglaubens bezeichne.

Auffällig ist hierbei, dass beide Autoren zur Beschreibung des modernen Aberglaubens negativ auf Kants Morallehre rekurrieren. Diese erscheint in diesem Kontext als Voraussetzung des Spiritismus (Haeckel) oder als aus einer okkulten Tradition stammend (Bastian).

Entgegen der Annahme, dass Animismus eine neutrale Beschreibung außereuropäischer Religion sei, sollen die Entstehung des Begriffs in einem europäischen Wissenschaftsdiskurs beschrieben und die Frontstellungen analysiert werden, die die Genese des Animismus begleiteten.
Using graph databases to detect financial fraud
Authors: Henderson Richard
Published: July 2020

Online fraud will cost businesses more than $200bn between 2020 and 2024, according to Juniper Research. 1 This stunning amount is driven by the increased sophistication of fraud attempts and the rising number of attack vectors. And, while banks are fighting back harder than ever, fraudsters have adjusted their techniques to remain below the radar.

Online fraud will cost businesses more than $200bn between 2020 and 2024. This stunning amount is driven by the increased sophistication of fraud attempts and the rising number of attack vectors.

Banks, however, have a new weapon in the war against fraud – graph analytics. These techniques can be used for fighting financial fraud by analysing the links between people, phones and bank accounts to reveal indicators of fraudulent behaviour, helping banks pinpoint suspicious activity in a sea of data, as Richard Henderson of TigerGraph explains.
Hindu Monotheism
Authors: Flood Gavin Dennis
Published: July 2020

If by monotheism we mean the idea of a single transcendent God who creates the universe out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo), as in the Abrahamic religions, then that is not found in the history of Hinduism. But if we mean a supreme, transcendent deity who impels the universe, sustains it and ultimately destroys it before causing it to emerge once again, who is the ultimate source of all other gods who are her or his emanations, then this idea does develop within that history. It is a Hindu monotheism and its nature that is the topic of this Element.
Institutional Logics and the Limits of Social Science Knowledge
Authors: Blatt Jessica
Published: July 2020

As someone whose training is in political science and who writes about the history of my own discipline, I admit to some hesitation in recommending future avenues of research for historians of education. For that reason, the following thoughts are directed toward disciplinary history broadly and social science history specifically. Moreover, the three articles that contributors to this forum were asked to use as inspiration suggest that any future I would recommend has been under way in one form or another for a while. For those reasons, I want to reframe my contribution as a reflection on a particular mode of analysis all three authors employed and how it may be particularly useful for exploring the questions of power, exclusion, and race- and gender-making in the academy that are present in all three articles and that explicitly animate two of them.
“No Operation in an Academic Ivory Tower”: World War II and the Politics of Social Knowledge
Authors: Loss Christopher P.
Published: July 2020

America's sprawling system of colleges and universities has been built on the ruins of war. After the American Revolution the cash-strapped central government sold land grants to raise revenue and build colleges and schools in newly conquered lands. During the Civil War, the federal government built on this earlier precedent when it passed the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant College Act, which created the nation's system of publicly supported land-grant colleges. And during Reconstruction, the Freedmen's Bureau, operating under the auspices of the War Department, aided former slaves in creating thousands of schools to help protect their hard-fought freedoms. Not only do “wars make states,” as sociologist Charles Tilly claimed, but wars have also shaped the politics of knowledge in the modern university in powerful and lasting ways.
Education and National Colonialism in Postwar Taiwan: The Paradoxical Use of Private Schools to Extend State Power, 1944–1966
Authors: Wong Ting-Hong
Published: July 2020

After World War II, the colonial rule imposed by the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan was symbiotically connected with its project of nation building. This project of “national colonialism” initially spurred the KMT to build an extensive public education system and to marginalize private schools. Financial concerns after 1954, however, forced the KMT to allow more private schools to open. As the role of private schools expanded, the state limited their resources and required that they follow state curricula, leading many private schools to come under the control of agents tied to the regime. Thus, schools that the colonizers initially sought to subdue ended up spreading ideologies that served the KMT. The case of Taiwan provides a perspective on colonialism and private schooling that suggests that private schooling under national colonialism differed from that under nonnational forms of colonial rule.