bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A shift to more targeted thyroidectomies increased the detection of thyroid cancer and in particular low‐risk papillary tumors in Southwestern Greece the decade 2007 to 2016
Authors: Markantes Georgios K. , Tsochatzis Stylianos , Panagopoulos Konstantinos , Melachrinou Maria , Kyriazopoulou Venetsana E. , Markou Kostas B. , Michalaki Marina A.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Data regarding thyroid cancer (TC) epidemiology in Greece in the last decade are scarce, so we investigated the trends in TC detection during 2007 to 2016.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 2040 pathology reports of total thyroidectomies performed at our institution from 2007 to 2016.

Results

A number of 478 cases of TC were identified in the studied decade. The overall incidence of TC among thyroidectomies rose over the years. The proportion of papillary T1 tumors among thyroidectomies increased in the second period of our study (2012‐2016), while that of papillary T2 to T4 tumors and other TC subtypes remained unchanged. Papillary T1 tumors represented 63.6% of all TC cases and 75.3% of them were low‐risk microcarcinomas (papillary thyroid microcarcinoma). The strategy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) prior to surgery in the management of thyroid nodules was adopted by more clinical endocrinologists in the area of Southwestern (SW) Greece in the second period of our study (2012‐2016:29.7% vs 2007‐2011:18.4%, P < .001). Consequently, the indication for thyroidectomy was set by FNA more frequently in 2012 to 2016 than in 2007 to 2011 (42.5% vs 26.4% of cases, P < .001).

Conclusions

The wider use of FNA in the triage of thyroid nodules led to increased rates of TC in thyroidectomies performed in SW Greece during the decade 2007 to 2016; low‐risk, small papillary tumors represented the majority of TC cases.
Abnormal Carrier Dynamics of Non‐Doped “P‐Type” Poly(N‐vinylcarbazole)
Authors: Cai Hai‐Tong , Li Jie , Yang Zhi‐Yao , Wang Cheng , Tang Chao , Ye Shang‐Hui , Lai Wen‐Yong , Huang Wei
Published: November 2020

Considering the basic concepts of P‐type and N‐type originated from inorganic semiconductors, it has been deduced in this report that the non‐doped polymer semiconductors should be ambipolar materials. Thus, the carrier dynamics of hole‐only and electron‐only devices of poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) (PVK) are researched through impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the hole and electron transports both possess high dispersion with parameter of 0.1–0.2 and 0.1, respectively. In addition, the hole and electron mobilities under different electric field are basically in the same order of magnitude, which shows that PVK is one intrinsically ambipolar polymer semiconductor although it is traditionally thought to “P‐type.” Finally, the abnormal negative slope phenomenon of transferring curve is analyzed, which is ascribed to the energy relaxation through vibration in polymer segment.
Enantioselective Crystallization of Diglycerol Dicarbonate: Impact of the Microstructure on Polyhydroxyurethane Properties
Authors: Magliozzi Fiona , Scali Arthur , Chollet Guillaume , Grau Etienne , Cramail Henri
Published: November 2020

Bicylic carbonates are precursors employed in non‐isocyanate polyurethane syntheses, namely polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) and, among them, ether‐activated biobased diglycerol dicarbonate (DGDC) is widely investigated. Herein, the original separation of DGDC stereoisomers, thanks to a recrystallization procedure, leading to enantiomers having different crystal lattices, that is, square transparent crystals and needle‐like structures, respectively, is reported. In this study, the separation and the characterization of the two crystal structures is first discussed and, second, the impact of the stereochemistry of DGDC on the corresponding PHUs properties is investigated.
Technical Note: Synthetic treatment beam imaging for motion monitoring during spine SBRT treatments — a phantom study
Authors: Li Tianfang , Li Feifei , Cai Weixing , Zhang Pengpeng , Li Xiang
Published: November 2020

Purpose

One of the biggest challenges in applying megavoltage (MV) treatment beam imaging for monitoring spine motion in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is the small beam apertures in the images due to strong beam modulations in IMRT planning. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a markerless motion tracking method in spine SBRT delivery using a novel enhanced synthetic treatment beam (ESTB) imaging technique.

Methods

Three clinical spine SBRT plans using 6XFFF beams and sliding window IMRT technique were transferred to a thorax phantom and delivered by a TrueBeam machine. Before delivery, the phantom was aligned to the plan isocenter using CBCT setup and verified with a second CBCT, and then, 2 mm shifts were introduced in both the craniocaudal (CC) and the left–right (LR) directions with the couch. During beam delivery, MV images were continuously taken with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and automatically grabbed by Varian iTools Capture software with a frame rate of 11.6 Hz. After preprocessing for scatter correction and beam intensity compensation, every 50 frames of MV images were combined to generate a series of ESTB images for each beam. The ESTB images were then registered to the projections of the verification CBCT at the matched beam angles to detect the 2 mm shifts.

Results

Compared to snapshot MV images, the ESTB images had significantly enlarged fields of view (FOVs) and improved image quality. Based on two‐dimensional (2D) rigid registration, the ESTB image to CBCT projection matching showed submillimeter accuracy in detecting motion. Specifically, the root mean square errors in detecting the LR/CC shifts were 0.35/0.28, 0.32/0.35, 0.63/0.44, 0.55/0.51, and 0.69/0.42 mm at gantry angles 180, 160, 140, 120, and 100, respectively.

Conclusion

Our results in the phantom study suggest that ESTB images from a sliding window IMRT plan can be used to detect spine motion, with submillimeter precision in the 2D plane perpendicular to the beam.
Highly accelerated submillimeter resolution 3D GRASE with controlled blurring in ‐weighted functional MRI at 7 Tesla: A feasibility study
Authors: Park Suhyung , Torrisi Salvatore , Townsend Jennifer D. , Beckett Alexander , Feinberg David A.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To achieve highly accelerated submillimeter resolution ‐weighted functional MRI at 7T by developing a three‐dimensional gradient and spin echo imaging (GRASE) with inner‐volume selection and variable flip angles (VFA).

Methods

GRASE imaging has disadvantages in that (a) k‐space modulation causes blurring by limiting the number of slices and (b) a VFA scheme results in partial success with substantial SNR loss. In this work, accelerated GRASE with controlled blurring is developed to improve a point spread function (PSF) and temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio (tSNR) with a large number of slices. To this end, the VFA scheme is designed by minimizing a trade‐off between SNR and blurring for functional sensitivity, and a new GRASE‐optimized random encoding, which takes into account the complex signal decays of and weightings, is proposed by achieving incoherent aliasing for constrained reconstruction. Numerical and experimental studies were performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method over regular and VFA GRASE (R‐ and V‐GRASE).

Results

The proposed method, while achieving 0.8 mm isotropic resolution, functional MRI compared to R‐ and V‐GRASE improves the spatial extent of the excited volume up to 36 slices with 52%‐68% full width at half maximum (FWHM) reduction in PSF but approximately 2‐ to 3‐fold mean tSNR improvement, thus resulting in higher BOLD activations.

Conclusions

We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method in ‐weighted functional MRI. The proposed method is especially promising for cortical layer‐specific functional MRI.
Accelerated aortic 4D flow MRI with wave‐CAIPI
Authors: Richter Julian A. J. , Wech Tobias , Weng Andreas M. , Stich Manuel , Jin Ning , Kosmala Aleksander , Bley Thorsten A. , Köstler Herbert
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the acceleration potential of wave‐CAIPI (controlled aliasing in parallel imaging) for 4D flow MRI, provided that image quality and precision of flow parameters are maintained.

Methods

The 4D flow MRIs with acceleration factor R = 2 were performed on 10 healthy volunteers, using both wave‐CAIPI and standard Cartesian/2D‐CAIPI sampling for reference. In addition, 1 patient with known aortic valve stenosis was examined. The flow rate (), net flow (), peak velocity , and net average through‐plane velocity () were calculated in eight analysis planes in the ascending and descending aorta. The acquisitions were retrospectively undersampled (R = 6), and deviations of flow parameters and hemodynamic flow patterns were evaluated.

Results

Flow parameters measured with an undersampled wave‐CAIPI trajectory showed considerably smaller deviations to the references than the 2D‐CAIPI images. For , the mean absolute differences were cm/s versus cm/s; for , the mean absolute differences were ml versus ml for wave‐CAIPI versus 2D‐CAIPI, respectively. Noise calculations indicate that the 2D‐CAIPI sampling exhibits a higher average noise level than the wave‐CAIPI technique. Qualitative discrepancies in hemodynamic flow patterns, visualized through streamlines, particle traces and flow velocity vectors, could be reduced by using the undersampled wave‐CAIPI trajectory.

Conclusion

Use of wave‐CAIPI instead of 2D‐CAIPI sampling in retrospectively 6‐fold accelerated 4D flow MRI enhances the precision of flow parameters. The acquisition time of 4D flow measurements could be reduced by a factor of 3, with minimal differences in flow parameters.
2‐Pentylfuran: a novel repellent of Drosophila suzukii
Authors: Cha Dong H , Roh Gwang H , Hesler Stephen P , Wallingford Anna , Stockton Dara G , Park Shinyoung K , Loeb Gregory M
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), spotted‐wing drosophila (SWD), is a major invasive pest of soft‐skinned fruits in North America and Europe. Although insecticides are currently the primary method of SWD control, it is imperative to develop alternative management approaches, such as behavioral control through the use of repellents and attractants. This study explores the repellent properties of 2‐pentylfuran as an oviposition deterrent on raspberries.

RESULTS

2‐Pentylfuran was found to be aversive to SWD in laboratory multiple‐choice tests. When co‐released from a vial (loaded as neat compound) with a synthetic SWD lure, 2‐pentylfuran reduced SWD attraction to the SWD lure by 98% and the effect appeared 17% stronger compared to 1‐octen‐3‐ol, a known SWD repellent. Releasing 50% 2‐pentylfuran mixed with mineral oil from a vial located near ripe raspberries resulted in 30% reduction in SWD oviposition in the field. In laboratory no‐choice assays, 2‐pentylfuran reduced SWD oviposition on raspberries above 2.5 mg h−1 with greater repellency achieved at higher release rates. A release rate of 10 mg h−1 from a polyethylene sachet reduced egg‐laying on raspberries by 60% in a semifield cage choice experiment. In a field experiment using fruiting raspberry clusters, 14 mg h−1 release rate of 2‐pentylfuran was effective at reducing SWD infestations by 56% compared to untreated plots.

CONCLUSION

2‐Pentylfuran acts as a repellent for SWD and can significantly reduce fruit infestations under field conditions and high SWD pressure. Given that 2‐pentylfuran is a registered food additive and generally regarded as safe, 2‐pentylfuran has a potential use in behavioral control strategies against SWD. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Reliability analysis of excavator boom considering mixed uncertain variables
Authors: Zhang Yuru , Liu Xintian , Yu Xueguang , Wang Xu , Wang Xiaolan
Published: November 2020

There are differences among sampling data and representation types of uncertain interval, fuzzy and random variables, which increases the complexity of structure reliability analysis. A α, β‐Cut‐FORM is proposed to analyze structure reliability considering the mixed uncertain variables. Fuzzy variables are optimized on the interval under two cut sets (α, β) based on the theory of cut set optimization. Interval variables are modeled with probability using a uniformity method. The proposed method involves the nested probabilistic analysis and interval analysis. The first‐order reliability method (FORM) is used for probabilistic analysis and nonlinear optimization is used for interval analysis. The excavator boom performance function is established for reliability analysis considering the mixed uncertain input variables, which verifies the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method. And it has great application for safe and reliable design of excavator boom.
On some graph densities in locally dense graphs
Authors: Lee Joonkyung
Published: November 2020

The Kohayakawa–Nagle–Rödl‐Schacht conjecture roughly states that every sufficiently large locally d‐dense graph G on n vertices must contain at least (1 − o(1))d|E(H )|n|V (H )| copies of a fixed graph H. Despite its important connections to both quasirandomness and Ramsey theory, there are very few examples known to satisfy the conjecture. We provide various new classes of graphs that satisfy the conjecture. First, we prove that adding an edge to a cycle or a tree produces graphs that satisfy the conjecture. Second, we prove that a class of graphs obtained by gluing complete multipartite graphs in a tree‐like way satisfies the conjecture. We also prove an analogous result with odd cycles replacing complete multipartite graphs.
Node profiles of symmetric digital search trees: Concentration properties
Authors: Drmota Michael , Fuchs Michael , Hwang Hsien‐Kuei , Neininger Ralph
Published: November 2020

We give a detailed asymptotic analysis of the profiles of random symmetric digital search trees, which are in close connection with the performance of the search complexity of random queries in such trees. While the expected profiles have been analyzed for several decades, the analysis of the variance turns out to be very difficult and challenging, and requires the combination of several different analytic techniques, including Mellin and Laplace transforms, analytic de‐Poissonization, and Laplace convolutions. Our results imply concentration of the profiles in the range where the mean tends to infinity. Moreover, we also obtain a two‐point concentration for the distributions of the height and the saturation level.
On the origin of surface and interface defects associated with the growth of Al‐coated thermoplastic heterostacks
Authors: Fontanot Tommaso , Donato Sandro , Brombal Luca , Di Lillo Francesca , Dreossi Diego , Rigon Luigi , Longo Renata , Dal Zilio Simone , Ciancio Regina , Del Linz M. , Paroni Sara , Vesselli Erik
Published: November 2020

By means of a combined microscopy‐, spectroscopy‐, and tomography‐based approach, we investigated surface and interface defects in metal‐polymer heterostacks. The aim was to characterize both morphological and compositional alterations of the surfaces, originating in the physical vapor deposition (PVD) growth methods adopted in the fabrication process. Synchrotron radiation X‐ray computed tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X‐ray Spectroscopy (EDS) indicate that both chemical contaminations, introduced in the fabrication process, and growth conditions strongly affect the presence of defects. On the basis of our results, we classified the defects into four main families. Interestingly, the faults are mainly located at the metal‐polymer interface. Thanks to this study, we have been able to gain a deeper insight into the defects' origins and nature, allowing the identification of the precise production steps involved in the generation of the selected defects.
Tricarbonylrhenium(I) Complexes with Tridentate Schiff Bases
Authors: Hildebrandt Sarah , Hagenbach Adelheid , Abram Ulrich
Published: November 2020

Potentially tridentate, phosphine‐containing Schiff bases with P,N,O and P,N,P donor sets have been prepared from 2‐(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, 2‐aminophenol and 2‐((diphenylphosphino)phenyl)methylamine and reacted with (NEt4)2[Re(CO)3Br3] in methanol. Deprotonation and the formation of neutral [Re(CO)3(L)] complexes with tridentate coordination of the Schiff bases has been obtained for the salicylidene derivatives, while the potential P,N,P ligand L3 forms [Re(CO)3Br(L3)] with the Schiff base in a bidentate bonding mode. The formation of a cationic [Re(CO)3(L3)]+ complex with tripodal coordination of the organic ligand could be achieved by the addition of Ag(PF6) to the reaction mixture. The obtained rhenium(I) complexes were studied spectroscopically and by X‐ray diffraction.
Diabetisches Fußsyndrom – Teil 2
Authors:   Kommission PAVK und Diabetisches Fußsyndrom der DGG e. V., Rümenapf G. , Morbach S. , Rother U. , Uhl C. , Görtz H. , Böckler D. , Behrendt C. A. , Hochlenert D. , Engels G. , Hohneck A. , Sigl M.
Published: November 2020

Das diabetische Fußsyndrom (DFS) ist die häufigste Ursache einer Majoramputation in Deutschland. Die meisten Fußläsionen werden durch repetitive Druckbelastung bei diabetischer Polyneuropathie ausgelöst. Die periphere arterielle Verschlusskrankheit (PAVK) verhindert die Wundheilung und ist Hauptrisikofaktor für Amputationen. Bei der Therapie sind die Wund- und Infektionsbehandlung sowie die zeitnahe Revaskularisation entscheidend. Der Einsatz endovaskulärer und gefäßchirurgischer Methoden ist abhängig von Verteilungsmuster und Länge der Verschlussprozesse. Beide Verfahren ergänzen sich. Die Bypasschirurgie hat beim neuroischämischen DFS einen hohen Stellenwert. Multidisziplinäre Zentren, die Revaskularisationen bei DFS anbieten, können in 90 % der Fälle eine Verbesserung der arteriellen Durchblutung erreichen und die Amputationsrate um bis zu 80 % senken. Wegen der hohen Rezidivrate diabetischer Fußläsionen sind Maßnahmen zur Sekundärprophylaxe von herausragender Bedeutung (podologische und orthopädietechnische Betreuung, Fußchirurgie).
Impact of COVID-19 on the thyroid gland: an update
Authors: Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Pitoia Fabián , Esposito Katherine , Piccardo Arnoldo , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: November 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the pandemic of the new millennium. COVID-19 can cause both pulmonary and systemic inflammation, potentially determining multi-organ dysfunction. Data on the relationship between COVID-19 and thyroid have been emerging, and rapidly increasing since March 2020. The thyroid gland and the virus infection with its associated inflammatory-immune responses are known to be engaged in complex interplay. SARS-CoV-2 uses ACE2 combined with the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) as the key molecular complex to infect the host cells. Interestingly, ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels are high in the thyroid gland and more than in the lungs. Our literature search provided greater evidence that the thyroid gland and the entire hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis could be relevant targets of damage by SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, COVID-19-related thyroid disorders include thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, as well as nonthyroidal illness syndrome. Moreover, we noticed that treatment plans for thyroid cancer are considerably changing in the direction of more teleconsultations and less diagnostic and therapeutical procedures. The current review includes findings that could be changed soon by new results on the topic, considering the rapidity of worldwide research on COVID-19.
Do fictions explain?
Authors: Nguyen James
Published: November 2020

I argue that fictional models, construed as models that misrepresent certain ontological aspects of their target systems, can nevertheless explain why the latter exhibit certain behaviour. They can do this by accurately representing whatever it is that that behaviour counterfactually depends on. However, we should be sufficiently sensitive to different explanatory questions, i.e., ‘why does certain behaviour occur?’ versus ‘why does the counterfactual dependency invoked to answer that question actually hold?’. With this distinction in mind, I argue that whilst fictional models can answer the first sort of question, they do so in an unmysterious way (contra to what one might initially think about such models). Moreover, I claim that the second question poses a dilemma for the defender of the idea that fictions can explain: either these models cannot answer these sorts of explanatory questions, precisely because they are fictional; or they can, but in a way that requires reinterpreting them such that they end up accurately representing the ontological basis of the counterfactual dependency, i.e., reinterpreting them so as to rob them of their fictional status. Thus, the existence of explanatory fictions does not put pressure on the idea that accurate representation of some aspect of a target system is a necessary condition on explaining that aspect.
How can family businesses survive disruptive industry changes? Insights from the traditional mail order industry
Authors: de Groote Julia K. , Conrad Werner , Hack Andreas
Published: November 2020

The present study investigates how family firms respond to disruptive industry changes. We aim to investigate which factors prevent or support family firms’ adoption of disruptive innovations in their industry and which mechanisms lead to more or less successful coping with disruptive change. Our analysis is based on 24 qualitative interviews with top executives and on secondary data from an industry in which disruptive innovations dramatically changed the way business was generated. The industry in question is the mail order industry, which, in its early days, disrupted the retail business. When the Internet and, with it, ecommerce started to disrupt the industry in the late 1990s, the industry was characterized by a high proportion of family firms and a low level of innovativeness. While incumbent firms had been very successful for decades, most of them were confronted with serious turbulence when new entrants started changing the face of the industry. Our findings show that different factors impact reactions to disruptive industry change in two different phases, namely, opportunity recognition and opportunity implementation. While some of the influencing factors are determined by industry factors, family influence may function for better or worse for incumbent firms. Specifically, we find that in firms with a family disruptor, a family member in a powerful position who drives the adoption of the new technology, hindrances can be overcome and firms tend to show more successful strategies when reacting to the disruptive industry change.
Die Rolle von mTORC1 in der Verstoffwechslung extrazellulärer Proteine
Authors: Hermann Julia , Palm Wilhelm
Published: November 2020

The kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a central regulator of cellular metabolism and growth. While mTORC1 promotes growth under favourable conditions, mTORC1 inactivation is critical during starvation. We discovered that mTORC1 antagonizes starvation responses by preventing cells from feeding on extracellular proteins, as happens in nutrient-poor tumors. Thus, whether mTORC1 promotes or antagonizes growth depends on a cell’s metabolic environment.
Tiergifte als Quelle neuartiger Bioressourcen
Authors: Lüddecke Tim , von Reumont Björn M.
Published: November 2020

Toxins evolved convergently in all major animal groups for predation, defense or competition. They are either actively employed with a delivery apparatus as venoms, or passively secreted as poisons. The evolutionary arms race between toxicity and resistance in predators and their prey optimised effective toxin cocktails, which thus represent powerful candidates for translational research.
Protein-AMPylierungs-Identifikation in lebenden Zellen
Authors: Becker Tobias , Kielkowski Pavel
Published: November 2020

Protein AMPylation is a prevalent protein post-translational modification in human cells involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress regulation and neural development. In this article we describe the design, synthesis and application of a pronucleotide probe suitable for in situ fluorescence imaging and chemical protemics profiling of AMPylated proteins. Our probe utilizes straightforward strain-promoted azidealkyne click reaction for fluorescence labeling in living cells.
CRISPR-Cas: In Rekordzeit von der Grundlagenforschung zur Anwendung
Authors: Marchfelder Anita
Published: November 2020

Den diesjährigen Nobelpreis für Chemie erhielten die beiden Forscherinnen Emmanuelle Charpentier und Jennifer Doudna für die Entdeckung des Genome Editing. Zum ersten Mal überhaupt in der Geschichte dieses Preises wurde er nur an Wissenschaftlerinnen verliehen.
Defining and measuring probabilistic ego networks
Authors: Kaveh Amin , Magnani Matteo , Rohner Christian
Published: November 2020

Analyzing ego networks to investigate local properties and behaviors of individuals is a fundamental task in social network research. In this paper we show that there is not a unique way of defining ego networks when the existence of edges is uncertain, since there are two different ways of defining the neighborhood of a node in such network models. Therefore, we introduce two definitions of probabilistic ego networks, called V-Alters-Ego and F-Alters-Ego, both rooted in the literature. Following that, we investigate three fundamental measures (degree, betweenness and closeness) for each definition. We also propose a method to approximate betweenness of an ego node among the neighbors which are connected via shortest paths with length 2. We show that this approximation method is faster to compute and it has high correlation with ego betweenness under the V-Alters-Ego definition in many datasets. Therefore, it can be a reasonable alternative to represent the extent to which a node plays the role of an intermediate node among its neighbors.
Fuzzy cognitive maps in systems risk analysis: a comprehensive review
Authors: Bakhtavar Ezzeddin , Valipour Mahsa , Yousefi Samuel , Sadiq Rehan , Hewage Kasun
Published: November 2020

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) have been widely applied to analyze complex, causal-based systems in terms of modeling, decision making, analysis, prediction, classification, etc. This study reviews the applications and trends of FCMs in the field of systems risk analysis to the end of August 2020. To this end, the concepts of failure, accident, incident, hazard, risk, error, and fault are focused in the context of the conventional risks of the systems. After reviewing risk-based articles, a bibliographic study of the reviewed articles was carried out. The survey indicated that the main applications of FCMs in the systems risk field were in management sciences, engineering sciences and industrial applications, and medical and biological sciences. A general trend for potential FCMs’ applications in the systems risk field is provided by discussing the results obtained from different parts of the survey study.
Extensive efficacy tests of non-antibiotic fire blight control agents
Authors: Bantleon Georg , Scheer Christian , Hartung Karin , Voegele Ralf T.
Published: November 2020

Application of control agents to prevent new infections is an integral part of disease management for fire blight on pome trees caused by Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al.. Due to resistance development and human health concerns when using antibiotics, non-antibiotic control agents with high efficacy are urgently needed. In this study extensive efficacy tests with some classical antibiotic and relatively new non-antibiotic control agents for the prevention of bloom and shoot blight as well as phytotoxicity tests based on fruit russeting were carried out using young apple trees. Furthermore an experimental design for testing control agents preventing fire blight following hail injury was developed. The high efficacy of streptomycin (> 90%) and streptomycin containing spray strategies (> 80%) was confirmed. Non-antibiotic agents with high efficacy are LMA (85%), a potassium aluminum sulfate, and Juglon (80%). LMA is already in use in practice in Austria and Germany with a temporal and restricted permission and the administrative process to gain the legal status of a pesticide is ongoing whilst already admitted in Switzerland. Juglon, an organic compound from walnut, did show a high efficacy, but no consistent results (80.0 and 69.5%). Myco-Sin showed good results to prevent infection after artificial hail simulation. Antinfek showed high efficacy (90%) in preventing bloom blight, but could be tested only once so further research is needed to confirm this result. The design of the presented study enabled an extensive evaluation of the potential control agents and the aggregation and comparison of results and can be advised for other evaluations.
Settlers in Indian Country
Authors: Prior Charles W. A.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this Element is to foreground Native American conceptions of sovereignty and power in order to refine the place of settler colonialism in American colonial and early republican history. It argues that Indigenous concepts of sovereignty were rooted in complex metaphorical language, in historical understandings of alliance, and in mobility in a landscape of layered interconnections of power. Where some versions of the interpretive paradigm of settler colonialism emphasise the violent 'elimination of the native', this work reveals that diplomatic transactions between the Iroquois Confederacy and British colonial and imperial agents reveal a hybrid language of alliance, sovereignty and territory. These languages and concepts of inter-cultural diplomacy provide contexts that suggest a more nuanced and dynamic relationship between colonialism and Indigenous power.
The Promise and Peril of Credit: What a Forgotten Legend about Jews and Finance Tells Us about the Making of European Commercial Society
Authors: Fredona Robert
Published: November 2020

Representatives of all nations gather for the utility of mankind; there, the Jew, the Mohammedan, and the Christian behave towards each other as if they were of the same religion, and reserve the word “infidel” for those who go bankrupt.

—Voltaire, letter VI, Lettres Philosophiques (1734)

Voltaire's words about the London Royal Exchange, quoted by Francesca Trivellato in her important new book The Promise and Peril of Credit, represent pars pro toto a view of finance and trade—as peaceful, tolerant, antagonistic to the old segregations and brutalities of religion, and ultimately emancipatory—that entered the philosophical mainstream in the eighteenth century, that seems to at least partly form the foundations of liberal modernity, and that continues to shape the way we think about business and capitalism today (p. 139). Yet Voltaire himself was an anti-Semite who obsessed about the Jews and trafficked in old clichés about cunning Jewish merchants precisely in order to make his case for commerce as a vehicle of toleration. This and similar ironies or contradictions lie at the heart of Promise and Peril, which traces from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-twentieth century what Trivellato calls a “legend,” because it is both patently false (we now know), and was once widespread, that Jews in the Middle Ages or Renaissance invented the bill of exchange (and sometimes also marine insurance).
The City-State of Boston: The Rise and Fall of an Atlantic Power, 1630–1865
Authors: Maggor Noam
Published: November 2020

Mark Peterson's The City-State of Boston is a formidable work of history—prodigiously researched, lucidly written, immense in scope, and yet scrupulously detailed. A meticulous history of New England over more than two centuries, the book argues that Boston and its hinterland emerged as a city-state, a “self-governing republic” that was committed first and foremost to its own regional autonomy (p. 6). Rather than as a British colonial outpost or the birthplace of the American Revolution—the site of a nationalist struggle for independence—the book recovers Boston's long-lost tradition as a “polity in its own right,” a fervently independent hub of Atlantic trade whose true identity placed it in tension with the overtures of both the British Empire and, later, the American nation-state (p. 631).
Forum: Perceiving Security and Insecurity: The Campus Carry Law in Texas
Authors: HEISKANEN BENITA
Published: November 2020

This introduction lays out the research design of a project on the Texas state “Campus Carry” gun legislation (SB 11) that went into effect in 2016. The project's transdisciplinary and multi-methodological approach – based on team fieldwork, personal interviews, focus groups, testimonials, visual materials, and a survey – is used to offer an example of phenomenon-based American studies research that is contextualized beyond disciplinary boundaries. Public debates, personal experiences, and cultural analysis demonstrate the de facto ramifications of gun legislation on people's lives. Considering viewpoints both for and against Campus Carry, the discussion reveals deep-seated beliefs about guns as an intrinsic part of “Americanness.”
Risk factors forToxoplasma gondiiseropositivity in the Old Order Amish
Authors: Markon A. O. , Ryan K. A. , Wadhawan A. , Pavlovich M. , Groer M. W. , Punzalan C. , Gensheimer K. , Jones J. L. , Daue M. L. , Dagdag A. , Donnelly P. , Peng X. , Pollin T. I. , Mitchell B. D. , Postolache T. T.
Published: November 2020

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii)is an important human disease-causing parasite. In the USA,T. gondiiinfects >10% of the population, accrues economic losses of US$3.6 billion/year, and ranks as the second leading culprit of foodborne illness-related fatalities. We assessed toxoplasmosis risk among the Old Order Amish, a mostly homogenous population with a high prevalence ofT. gondiiseropositivity, using a questionnaire focusing on food consumption/preparation behaviours and environmental risk factors. Analyses were conducted using multiple logistic regression. Consuming raw meat, rare meat, or unpasteurised cow or goat milk products was associated with increased odds of seropositivity (unadjusted Odds Ratios: 2.192, 1.613, and 1.718 , respectively). In separate models by sex, consuming raw meat, or consuming unpasteurised cow or goat milk products, was associated with increased odds of seropositivity among women; washing hands after touching meat with decreased odds of seropositivity among women (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.462); and cleaning cat litterbox with increased odds of seropositivity among men (AOR: 5.241). This is the first study to assess associations between behavioural and environmental risk factors andT. gondiiseropositivity in a US population with high seroprevalence forT. gondii. Our study emphasises the importance of proper food safety behaviours to avoid the risk of infection.
The Art of Public Worship: Percy Dearmer, William Palmer Ladd, and the American Liturgical Movement
Authors: McGowan Andrew
Published: November 2020

While Percy Dearmer’s influence on Anglican liturgy through The Parson’s Handbook and The English Hymnal are well known, his lectures on The Art of Public Worship, given in 1919 when he was visiting professor at Berkeley Divinity School in Connecticut, USA, introduce a different phase of his liturgical thought. A new emphasis on modernizing language, brevity of form, and alternative forms of worship would later have expression in England via his association with the Guildhouse in London, and in the hymnal Songs of Praise. Comparing The Art of Public Worship with the later Prayer Book Interleaves by Berkeley Divinity School’s Dean William Palmer Ladd leads to the suggestion that this ‘second Dearmer’ also had an afterlife in the American liturgical movement.
Storytelling als innovative Methode zur videobasierten Edukation für Eltern von Kindern mit atopischer Dermatitis
Authors: Brunner Corinne , Theiler Martin , Weibel Lisa , Schlüer Anna-Barbara
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die atopische Dermatitis (AD) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Hauterkrankung. Jedes fünfte bis sechste Kind ist in der westlichen Zivilisation davon betroffen. Die Folgen der Erkrankung können gravierend sein: Chronische Entzündung der Haut und plagender Juckreiz verbunden mit Schlafstörungen. Für den Erfolg der Therapie ist die Edukation der Eltern von betroffenen Kindern zentral. Ziel: Entwicklung und Evaluation von evidenzbasierten Edukationsvideos für Eltern von einem Kleinkind mit AD. Methode: In den Videos wurde die Methode Storytelling eingesetzt. Ziel von Storytelling ist, Informationen durch den Einsatz von Geschichten einfach zu vermitteln. Anschließend an die Entwicklung wurden die Videos hinsichtlich der Verständlichkeit, der Wichtigkeit sowie der Nützlichkeit der Inhalte von einem multi-professionellem Team sowie von Familien mit betroffenen Kindern evaluiert. Ergebnisse: Es entstanden insgesamt sechs Videos, welche Themen wie Ursachen der AD, Symptome, Hautpflege, Behandlung sowie Leben mit AD beinhalteten. Storytelling wurde umgesetzt indem zwei Familien mit betroffenen Kindern von ihren Erfahrungen mit der Erkrankung erzählten. Fachinformationen wurden durch Spezialistinnen vermittelt. Die Evaluation ergab, dass die Informationen in den Videos einfach verständlich und relevant sind. Schlussfolgerungen: Mit evidenzbasierten Videos kann die Edukation auf innovative, kreative und moderne Art und Weise gefördert werden. Storytelling ist eine nutzerfreundliche Methode um komplexe Informationen einfach und verständlich zu vermitteln.
Nicht alltägliche Ursache der Nykturie bei demenzieller Entwicklung und Gangunsicherheit
Authors: Keller Nicole Claudia , Schmid Seraina , Hämmerle Beatrix
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Eine Patientin stellte sich mit imperativem Harndrang, Nykturie und Blasenschmerzen vor. Es bestand kein Einnässen und keine Inkontinenz. Im Verlauf der Abklärungen zeigte die Patientin eine rasch progrediente demenzielle Entwicklung sowie eine zunehmende Gangunsicherheit. Bildgebend konnte ein Normaldruckhydrozephalus diagnostiziert werden. Nach Lumbalpunktion mit Ablass von Liquor kam es zu einer signifikanten Beschwerderegredienz. Die klassische Symptomtrias (Hakim-Adams-Trias) des Normaldruckhydrozephalus besteht aus vermehrter Harnddrangsymptomatik mit oder ohne Inkontinenz, Gangunsicherheit und kognitiver Einschränkung.
Starker Anstieg der Neuzulassungen von Opioiden in der Schweiz
Authors: Thalmann Nicolas , Burgstaller Jakob M. , Streitberger Konrad , Baumgartner Christine , Vorbrüggen Meike , Wertli Maria M.
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Der Konsum von Schmerzmedikamenten, speziell Opioiden, ist seit dem Jahr 2000 sowohl weltweit als auch in der Schweiz stark angestiegen. Ob dieser Anstieg auch mit einem Anstieg von Neuzulassungen einhergeht, ist unklar. In einer Analyse von Neuzulassungen von Schmerzmedikamenten in der Schweiz zeigte sich eine deutliche Zunahme seit dem Jahr 2000. Die Mehrheit der Neuzulassungen waren starke Opioid Präparate, während die Tendenz bei den Neuzulassungen der nicht-opioidhaltigen Schmerzmittel eher abnehmend war. Weiter nahm die Behandlungsdauer neu zugelassener starker Opioide seit dem Jahr 2000 deutlich zu, was zu einem höheren Risiko von Überdosen oder Abhängigkeiten führen kann.
CME-Dermatologie 22/Antworten: Masern – Epidemiologie und Klinik
Authors: Hari Luc , Lautenschlager Stephan
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die Masern sind eine hoch ansteckende, akute und febrile Krankheit, die durch eine Infektion mit dem Masernvirus verursacht wird. Gemäss Schätzungen der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) kommt es bei einer weltweiten Prävalenz von zehn Millionen Patientinnen und Patienten pro Jahr zu rund 142 000 Todesfällen (Mortalitätsrate 1,4 %). Klinisch zeigt sich ein stadienhafter Verlauf: Drei bis vier Tage nach dem initialen katarrhalischen Prodromalstadium mit Fieber und Krankheitsgefühl bildet sich das charakteristische Exanthem aus. Die Diagnosestellung erfolgt primär klinisch, muss aber laborchemisch durch den Nachweis von spezifischen IgM-Antikörpern im Serum oder Virus-RNA im Rachenabstrich bestätigt werden. Die Therapie ist rein supportiv, eine spezifische antivirale Behandlung existiert nicht. Der Prävention kommt daher ein absolut zentraler Stellenwert zu, da es sich bei den Masern um eine durch Impfstoffe vermeidbare Erkrankung handelt.
CME-Sonografie 95: Sonografische Differenzialdiagnose anteriorer Schulterschmerzen
Authors: Tamborrini Giorgio , Bianchi Stefano , Müller Andreas Marc
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Anteriore Schulterschmerzen sind häufig, und die klinische Untersuchung ist im Vergleich zur hochauflösenden dynamischen Sonografie in der Regel zur exakten Einordnung der Ursache der Schmerzen zu wenig präzise. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit diskutieren wir mögliche Ursachen von anterioren Schulterschmerzen mit besonderem Augenmerk auf die Ultraschalldiagnostik von Ursachen eines subcoracoidalen Impingements und von einem anterioren «Snapping Syndrome». Wir illustrieren mit hochauflösenden Ultraschallbildern diverse mögliche zugrundeliegende Pathologien bei anterioren Schulterschmerzen.
How to Combat Bullying and Discrimination in the Geosciences
Authors: Popp Andrea , Hall Caitlyn , Yılmaz Yeliz
Published: November 2020

Here are 10 practical steps that scientists can take to counteract the detrimental effects of abusive academic work environments.
Feasibility and utility of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation combined with walking-based therapy for people with motor incomplete spinal cord injury
Authors: McHugh Liza V. , Miller Ashley A. , Leech Kristan A. , Salorio Cynthia , Martin Rebecca H.
Published: November 2020

Study design

Prospective case series.

Objectives

To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of combining transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) with walking-based physical therapy.

Setting

Hospital-based outpatient center in Maryland, United States.

Methods

Ten individuals with chronic (>1 year) motor incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) completed 23 sessions of 2-h therapy over 8 weeks. TSCS was delivered for the first 30 min of each session using a clinically available device with adjustable current. To assess feasibility of the intervention, we tracked pain, adverse events, and participant retention. Preliminary efficacy was assessed by evaluating changes in walking speed, endurance, and quality following the intervention with select functional outcome measures (10-m walk test (10MWT), 6-min walk test (6MWT), timed up and go, and walking index for spinal cord injury II).

Results

We found that the combined intervention was feasible in an outpatient clinical setting. Participants tolerated the TSCS well, with no reports of significant adverse events or other issues (e.g., skin irritation or pain that disrupted training). None of the participants elected to discontinue the study. Participants also showed significant improvements in each measure of walking function following the intervention. Changes in walking speed, as measured by the 10MWT (0.56 ± 0.29 m/s to 0.72 ± 0.36 m/s), exceeded the minimal clinically important difference for individuals with iSCI. Changes in walking quality and endurance, as measured by the 6MWT (149.88 ± 99.87 m to 194.53 ± 106.56 m), exceeded the minimal detectable change for individuals with iSCI.

Conclusions

These results indicate that TSCS is clinically feasible and may be useful as an adjunct to walking-based therapy for adults with iSCI.
A versatile and customizable low-cost 3D-printed open standard for microscopic imaging
Authors: Diederich Benedict , Lachmann René , Carlstedt Swen , Marsikova Barbora , Wang Haoran , Uwurukundo Xavier , Mosig Alexander S. , Heintzmann Rainer
Published: November 2020

Modern microscopes used for biological imaging often present themselves as black boxes whose precise operating principle remains unknown, and whose optical resolution and price seem to be in inverse proportion to each other. With UC2 (You. See. Too.) we present a low-cost, 3D-printed, open-source, modular microscopy toolbox and demonstrate its versatility by realizing a complete microscope development cycle from concept to experimental phase. The self-contained incubator-enclosed brightfield microscope monitors monocyte to macrophage cell differentiation for seven days at cellular resolution level (e.g. 2 μm). Furthermore, by including very few additional components, the geometry is transferred into a 400 Euro light sheet fluorescence microscope for volumetric observations of a transgenic Zebrafish expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). With this, we aim to establish an open standard in optics to facilitate interfacing with various complementary platforms. By making the content and comprehensive documentation publicly available, the systems presented here lend themselves to easy and straightforward replications, modifications, and extensions.
Stretchable, dynamic covalent polymers for soft, long-lived bioresorbable electronic stimulators designed to facilitate neuromuscular regeneration
Authors: Choi Yeon Sik , Hsueh Yuan-Yu , Koo Jahyun , Yang Quansan , Avila Raudel , Hu Buwei , Xie Zhaoqian , Lee Geumbee , Ning Zheng , Liu Claire , Xu Yameng , Lee Young Joong , Zhao Weikang , Fang Jun , Deng Yujun , Lee Seung Min , Vázquez-Guardado Abraham , Stepien Iwona , Yan Ying , Song Joseph W. , Haney Chad , Oh Yong Suk , Liu Wentai , Yoon Hong-Joon , Banks Anthony , MacEwan Matthew R. , Ameer Guillermo A. , Ray Wilson Z. , Huang Yonggang , Xie Tao , Franz Colin K. , Li Song , Rogers John A.
Published: November 2020

Bioresorbable electronic stimulators are of rapidly growing interest as unusual therapeutic platforms, i.e., bioelectronic medicines, for treating disease states, accelerating wound healing processes and eliminating infections. Here, we present advanced materials that support operation in these systems over clinically relevant timeframes, ultimately bioresorbing harmlessly to benign products without residues, to eliminate the need for surgical extraction. Our findings overcome key challenges of bioresorbable electronic devices by realizing lifetimes that match clinical needs. The devices exploit a bioresorbable dynamic covalent polymer that facilitates tight bonding to itself and other surfaces, as a soft, elastic substrate and encapsulation coating for wireless electronic components. We describe the underlying features and chemical design considerations for this polymer, and the biocompatibility of its constituent materials. In devices with optimized, wireless designs, these polymers enable stable, long-lived operation as distal stimulators in a rat model of peripheral nerve injuries, thereby demonstrating the potential of programmable long-term electrical stimulation for maintaining muscle receptivity and enhancing functional recovery.