bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Merging statewide data in a public/university collaboration to address opioid use disorder and overdose
Authors: Becker William C. , Heimer Robert , Dormitzer Catherine M. , Doernberg Molly , D’Onofrio Gail , Grau Lauretta E. , Hawk Kathryn , Lin Hsiu-Ju , Secora Alex M. , Fiellin David A.
Published: January 2021

Objective

Describe methods to compile a unified database from disparate state agency datasets linking person-level data on controlled substance prescribing, overdose, and treatment for opioid use disorder in Connecticut.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team of university, state and federal agency experts planned steps to build the data analytic system: stakeholder engagement, articulation of metrics, funding to establish the system, determination of needed data, accessing data and merging, and matching patient-level data.

Results

Stakeholder meetings occurred over a 6-month period driving selection of metrics and funding was obtained through a grant from the Food and Drug Administration. Through multi-stakeholder collaborations and memoranda of understanding, we identified relevant data sources, merged them and matched individuals across the merged dataset. The dataset contains information on sociodemographics, treatments and outcomes. Step-by-step processes are presented for dissemination.

Conclusions

Creation of a unified database linking multiple sources in a timely and ongoing fashion may assist other states to monitor the public health impact of controlled substances, identify and implement interventions, and assess their effectiveness.
Risk factors associated with mortality of COVID-19 in 3125 counties of the United States
Authors: Tian Ting , Zhang Jingwen , Hu Liyuan , Jiang Yukang , Duan Congyuan , Li Zhongfei , Wang Xueqin , Zhang Heping
Published: January 2021

Background

The number of cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States has risen sharply since March 2020. A county health ranking and roadmaps program has been established to identify factors associated with disparity in mobility and mortality of COVID-19 in all counties in the United States. The risk factors associated with county-level mortality of COVID-19 with various levels of prevalence are not well understood.

Methods

Using the data obtained from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program, this study applied a negative binomial design to the county-level mortality counts of COVID-19 as of August 27, 2020 in the United States. In this design, the infected counties were categorized into three levels of infections using clustering analysis based on time-varying cumulative confirmed cases from March 1 to August 27, 2020. COVID-19 patients were not analyzed individually but were aggregated at the county-level, where the county-level deaths of COVID-19 confirmed by the local health agencies. Clustering analysis and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used in our statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 3125 infected counties were assigned into three classes corresponding to low, median, and high prevalence levels of infection. Several risk factors were significantly associated with the mortality counts of COVID-19, where higher level of air pollution (0.153, P < 0.001) increased the mortality in the low prevalence counties and elder individuals were more vulnerable in both the median (0.049, P < 0.001) and high (0.114, P < 0.001) prevalence counties. The segregation between non-Whites and Whites (low: 0.015, P < 0.001; median:0.025, P < 0.001; high: 0.019, P = 0.005) and higher Hispanic population (low and median: 0.020, P < 0.001; high: 0.014, P = 0.009) had higher likelihood of risk of the deaths in all infected counties.

Conclusions

The mortality of COVID-19 depended on sex, race/ethnicity, and outdoor environment. The increasing awareness of the impact of these significant factors may help decision makers, the public health officials, and the general public better control the risk of pandemic, particularly in the reduction in the mortality of COVID-19.

Graphic abstract
Exploring effects in tippers at island geomagnetic observatories due to realistic depth- and time-varying oceanic electrical conductivity
Authors: Rigaud Rafael , Kruglyakov Mikhail , Kuvshinov Alexey , Pinheiro Katia J. , Petereit Johannes , Matzka Juergen , Marshalko Elena
Published: January 2021

Vertical magnetic transfer functions (tippers) estimated at island observatories can constrain the one-dimensional (1-D) conductivity distribution of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle. This is feasible due to the bathymetry-dependent ocean induction effect (OIE), which originates from lateral conductivity contrasts between ocean and land and leads to non-zero tippers even for 1-D conductivity distributions below the ocean. Proper analysis of island tippers requires accurate three-dimensional (3-D) modeling of the OIE, for which so far was performed assuming constant sea water electric conductivity with depth. In this study, we explore—using rigorous 3-D electromagnetic modeling—to what extent realistic, depth-dependent, oceanic conductivity affects island tippers. The modeling is performed for 11 island observatories around the world in the period range $$10^{-1}$$

10

-
1

to $$10^{4}$$

10
4

s. We also investigate the effect of seasonal variations of the oceanic conductivity and to which extent this could explain the observed systematic seasonal variation of tippers. Our model studies suggest that for most of the considered island observatories the effect from depth-varying oceanic conductivity is tangible and exceeds the error floor of 0.025, which usually is assigned to tippers during their inversion. The effect varies significantly with location, depending on regional bathymetry. Contrarily, the effects from seasonally varying oceanic conductivity were found to be too small to be worth consideration.
Biosynthesis of fluorescent silver nanoparticles from Leea coccinea leaves and their antibacterial potentialities against Xanthomonas phaseoli pv phaseoli
Authors: del Carmen Travieso Novelles María , Ortega Annie Rubio , Pita Beatriz Alvarez , López Mylene Corzo , Pérez Lianet Díaz , Medina Emilio Acosta , Pérez Oriela Pino
Published: January 2021

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (SNP) from plants is a simple, fast and environmentally safe route. In the present study, the aqueous extract of fresh leaves from Leea coccinea L. was evaluated as a possible source of reducing and stabilizing agents to obtain SNP. The synthesized SNP were characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as UV–visible spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron and confocal microscopies and the antimicrobial activity against Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. phaseoli was evaluated using agar diffusion methods. The results showed that the evaluated extract was promising for the green synthesis of the SNP, which was visually identified by the formation of a dark-brown complex and the presence of a peak of maximum absorption at 470 nm in a UV–VIS spectrum. FTIR spectrum of SNP showed main characteristic signals of aromatic compounds, carboxylic group among others confirmed by phytochemical screening that made evident the presence of flavonoids, phenols, leucoanthocyanidins, terpenes and steroids groups. Fluorescent SNP with high degree of agglomeration were observed by the microscopical technics used. A promising antibacterial activity of SNP was shown by a zone of microbial growth inhibition. These results suggested the need for going deeper in the physico-chemical characterization and kinetic studies, as well as the biological evaluations to make possible the use of this plant source in the future development of antibacterial formulations for bean seed protection.
Investigating the effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on saccadic adaptation and cortisol response
Authors: Gheorghe Delia A. , Panouillères Muriel T. N. , Walsh Nicholas D.
Published: January 2021

Background

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex has been shown to modulate subjective, neuronal and neuroendocrine responses, particularly in the context of stress processing. However, it is currently unknown whether tDCS stimulation over other brain regions, such as the cerebellum, can similarly affect the stress response. Despite increasing evidence linking the cerebellum to stress-related processing, no studies have investigated the hormonal and behavioural effects of cerebellar tDCS.

Methods

This study tested the hypothesis of a cerebellar tDCS effect on mood, behaviour and cortisol. To do this we employed a single-blind, sham-controlled design to measure performance on a cerebellar-dependent saccadic adaptation task, together with changes in cortisol output and mood, during online anodal and cathodal stimulation. Forty-five participants were included in the analysis. Stimulation groups were matched on demographic variables, potential confounding factors known to affect cortisol levels, mood and a number of personality characteristics.

Results

Results showed that tDCS polarity did not affect cortisol levels or subjective mood, but did affect behaviour. Participants receiving anodal stimulation showed an 8.4% increase in saccadic adaptation, which was significantly larger compared to the cathodal group (1.6%).

Conclusion

The stimulation effect on saccadic adaptation contributes to the current body of literature examining the mechanisms of cerebellar stimulation on associated function. We conclude that further studies are needed to understand whether and how cerebellar tDCS may module stress reactivity under challenge conditions.
The critical need to develop tools assessing cerebellar reserve for the delivery and assessment of non-invasive cerebellar stimulation
Authors: Manto Mario , Kakei Shinji , Mitoma Hiroshi
Published: January 2021

Non-invasive cerebellar stimulation (NICS) aims to modulate cerebello-cerebral loops and cerebro-spinal loops, both for research and clinical applications. It is of paramount importance to establish and validate morphological and functional tools to quantify cerebellar reserve, defined as the capacity for restoration and compensation to pathology of the cerebellum. Using NICS without efforts to estimate cerebellar reserve will end up in conflicting results due to the very high heterogeneity of cerebellar disorders encountered in daily practice.
Future perspectives on swine viral vaccines: where are we headed?
Authors: Opriessnig Tanja , Mattei Ashley A. , Karuppannan Anbu K. , Halbur Patrick G.
Published: January 2021

Deliberate infection of humans with smallpox, also known as variolation, was a common practice in Asia and dates back to the fifteenth century. The world’s first human vaccination was administered in 1796 by Edward Jenner, a British physician. One of the first pig vaccines, which targeted the bacteriumErysipelothrix rhusiopathiae,was introduced in 1883 in France by Louis Pasteur. Since then vaccination has become an essential part of pig production, and viral vaccines in particular are essential tools for pig producers and veterinarians to manage pig herd health. Traditionally, viral vaccines for pigs are either based on attenuated-live virus strains or inactivated viral antigens. With the advent of genomic sequencing and molecular engineering, novel vaccine strategies and tools, including subunit and nucleic acid vaccines, became available and are being increasingly used in pigs. This review aims to summarize recent trends and technologies available for the production and use of vaccines targeting pig viruses.
Biosecurity in pig farms: a review
Authors: Alarcón Laura Valeria , Allepuz Alberto , Mateu Enric
Published: January 2021

The perception of the importance of animal health and its relationship with biosecurity has increased in recent years with the emergence and re-emergence of several diseases difficult to control. This is particularly evident in the case of pig farming as shown by the recent episodes of African swine fever or porcine epidemic diarrhoea. Moreover, a better biosecurity may help to improve productivity and may contribute to reducing the use of antibiotics. Biosecurity can be defined as the application of measures aimed to reduce the probability of the introduction (external biosecurity) and further spread of pathogens within the farm (internal biosecurity). Thus, the key idea is to avoid transmission, either between farms or within the farm. This implies knowledge of the epidemiology of the diseases to be avoided that is not always available, but since ways of transmission of pathogens are limited to a few, it is possible to implement effective actions even with some gaps in our knowledge on a given disease. For the effective design of a biosecurity program, veterinarians must know how diseases are transmitted, the risks and their importance, which mitigation measures are thought to be more effective and how to evaluate the biosecurity and its improvements. This review provides a source of information on external and internal biosecurity measures that reduce risks in swine production and the relationship between these measures and the epidemiology of the main diseases, as well as a description of some systems available for risk analysis and the assessment of biosecurity. Also, it reviews the factors affecting the successful application of a biosecurity plan in a pig farm.
PRRSV detection by qPCR in processing fluids and serum samples collected in a positive stable breeding herd following mass vaccination of sows with a modified live vaccine
Authors: Lebret A. , Berton P. , Normand V. , Messager I. , Robert N. , Bouchet F. , Brissonnier M. , Boulbria G.
Published: January 2021

In the last two decades, in France, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) stabilization protocols have been implemented using mass vaccination with a modified live vaccine (MLV), herd closure and biosecurity measures. Efficient surveillance for PRRSV is essential for generating evidence of absence of viral replication and transmission in pigs. The use of processing fluid (PF) was first described in 2018 in the United States and was demonstrated to provide a higher herd-level sensitivity compared with blood samples (BS) for PRRSV monitoring. In the meantime, data on vertical transmission of MLV viruses are rare even as it is a major concern. Therefore, veterinarians usually wait for several weeks after a sow mass vaccination before starting a stability monitoring. This clinical study was conducted in a PRRSV-stable commercial 1000-sow breed-to-wean farm. This farm suffered from a PRRS outbreak in January 2018. After implementing a stabilisation protocol, this farm was controlled as stable for more than 9 months before the beginning of the study. PF and BS at weaning were collected in four consecutive batches born after a booster sow mass MLV vaccination. We failed to detect PRRSV by qPCR on PF and BS collected in a positive-stable breeding herd after vaccination with ReproCyc® PRRS EU (Boehringer Ingelheim, Ingelheim, Germany).
A study of the proficiency and performance of Iranian Air Traffic Controllers: attitude, work experience and specific aviation English courses
Authors: Rahmati Massoud , Izadpanah Siros
Published: January 2021

This study is an exploratory study, which was conducted in relation to the study of the proficiency and performance of Iranian Air Traffic Controllers: attitude, work experience, and specific Aviation English courses. Few studies have been conducted in this field. The Aviation English Courses in Iran are very similar to Content-Based Language Training (CBLT) courses. To this end, the participants were 278 Iranian ATCOs who were selected from 1000 Iranian ATCOs based on Cochran formula. The instrument was designed by the European organization for the safety of air navigation. For data to be analyzed in this study, software SPSS 24.0, AMOS 23.0, structural equation model (SEM), path analysis model, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) have been used. According to the main findings of this research based on its research hypotheses, firstly, the Iranian ATCOs’ performance had a significant positive effect on proficiency. But in the effect of performance on proficiency, work experience did not have a positive moderating role and passing CBLT courses had a positive moderating role. Secondly, Iranian ATCOs’ work experience and passing CBLT courses in the effect of attitude on proficiency had not a good mediator. The results of this research can be used to improve the aviation English training in Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company.
Utilizing an automated tool analysis to evaluate EFL students’ writing performances
Authors: Petchprasert Anongnad
Published: January 2021

Recently, the integration of linguistics and technology has been promoted and widely used in the field of linguistics and English writing research for several purposes. One of those purposes is to evaluate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing ability by using electronic assessment tools. In the current study, an automated writing evaluation tool (Coh-Metrix) was used to indicate English-major students’ writing performances based on the discourse components of the texts. The English texts generated for each writing task on two different topics were collected. The corpus analyses gathered from Coh-Metrix identified linguistic and discourse features that were interpreted to determine the 40 EFL undergraduate students’ English writing abilities. The students wrote and revised their essays in hand-written essays in class and resubmitted their essays in digital forms with corrections made. The results showed that these students demonstrated linguistic flexibility across writing assignments that they produced. The analyses also indicated that the length of the texts and the uses of the word concreteness, and the referential and deep cohesion had impacts on the students’ writing performances across the writing tasks. Besides, the findings suggest practical value in using an automated text analysis to support teachers’ instructional decisions that could help to identify improvement of students’ writing skill.
An optimal epidural catheter placement site for post-cesarean section analgesia with double-space technique combined spinal–epidural anesthesia: a retrospective study
Authors: Murata Yuya , Yamada Kumiko , Hamaguchi Yuto , Yamashita Soichiro , Tanaka Makoto
Published: January 2021

Background

Epidural anesthesia affects lower extremities, which often prevents early mobilization postoperatively. The incidence of numbness and motor weakness in the lower extremities with respect to epidural catheter placement site in cesarean section (CS) is uncertain. We aimed to investigate the effect of catheter placement site on postoperative lower extremities numbness and motor weakness in patients who received combined spinal–epidural anesthesia (CSEA) for CS including analgesic effects and optimal epidural placement site in CS.

Methods

We retrospectively included 205 patients who underwent CS with CSEA at the University of Tsukuba Hospital between April 2018 and March 2020, and assessed numbness and motor weakness in the lower extremities. We also examined whether differences in the intervertebral space of epidural catheter placement and epidural effect on the lower extremities are related to analgesic effects. ANOVA and Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis.

Results

The incidence of numbness and motor weakness were 67 (33%) and 28 (14%), respectively. All patients with motor weakness had numbness. A more caudal placement was associated with increased incidence of affected lower extremities. There was no significant difference in the analgesic effect depending on the catheter placement site. When the lower extremities were affected, the number of additional analgesics increased (p < 0.001). Patient-controlled epidural analgesia was used for fewer days in patients with motor weakness (p = 0.046).

Conclusion

In CS, epidural catheter placement at T10–11 or T11–12 interspace is expected to reduce effect on the lower extremities and improve quality of postoperative analgesia.
Humanitarian behavior across high-/low-context cultures: a comparative analysis between Switzerland and Colombia
Authors: Alizadeh Afrouzi Omid
Published: January 2021

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) attempts constantly to motivate its audience through social media to adopt humanitarian attitudes and behaviors. Owing to its multicultural audience, the results of this communicative attempt varies from region to region. In this context, in order to optimize the humanitarian communication outcome, it is of high importance to investigate the mediating role of culture. Drawing on Hall’s context theory, this comparative survey-based study tries to analyze the influence of personal context culture on humanitarian behavior intention in a low-context-culture country (Switzerland) and a high-context-culture country (Colombia). The results indicated that once exposed to implicit social media posts of the ICRC, the Colombian showed slightly higher behavior intention compared to the Swiss and participants’ personal context-culture score fully accounted for this difference. This study is also an empirical examination of Hall’s context theory in a humanitarian communication context.
Cushion plant Silene acaulis is a pioneer species at abandoned coal piles in the High Arctic, Svalbard
Authors: Oh Minwoo , Lee Eun Ju
Published: January 2021

Background

Abandoned coal piles after the closure of mines have a potential negative influence on the environment, such as soil acidification and heavy metal contamination. Therefore, revegetation by efficient species is required. For this, we wanted to identify the role of Silene acaulis in the succession of coal piles as a pioneer and a nurse plant. S. acaulis is a well-studied cushion plant living in the Arctic and alpine environments in the northern hemisphere. It has a highly compact cushion-like form and hosts more plant species under its canopy by ameliorating stressful microhabitats. In this research, we surveyed vegetation cover on open plots and co-occurring species within S. acaulis cushions in coal piles with different slope aspects and a control site where no coal was found. The plant cover and the similarity of communities among sites were compared. Also, the interaction effects of S. acaulis were assessed by rarefaction curves.

Results

S. acaulis was a dominant species with the highest cover (6.7%) on the coal piles and occurred with other well-known pioneer species. Plant communities on the coal piles were significantly different from the control site. We found that the pioneer species S. acaulis showed facilitation, neutral, and competition effect in the north-east facing slope, the south-east facing slope, and the flat ground, respectively. This result was consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis because the facilitation only occurred on the north-east facing slope, which was the most stressed condition, although all the interactions observed were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

S. acaulis was a dominant pioneer plant in the succession of coal piles. The interaction effect of S. acaulis on other species depended on the slope and its direction on the coal piles. Overall, it plays an important role in the succession of coal piles in the High Arctic, Svalbard.
Semi-tightly coupled integration of multi-GNSS PPP and S-VINS for precise positioning in GNSS-challenged environments
Authors: Li Xingxing , Wang Xuanbin , Liao Jianchi , Li Xin , Li Shengyu , Lyu Hongbo
Published: January 2021

Because of its high-precision, low-cost and easy-operation, Precise Point Positioning (PPP) becomes a potential and attractive positioning technique that can be applied to self-driving cars and drones. However, the reliability and availability of PPP will be significantly degraded in the extremely difficult conditions where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are blocked frequently. Inertial Navigation System (INS) has been integrated with GNSS to ameliorate such situations in the last decades. Recently, the Visual-Inertial Navigation Systems (VINS) with favorable complementary characteristics is demonstrated to realize a more stable and accurate local position estimation than the INS-only. Nevertheless, the system still must rely on the global positions to eliminate the accumulated errors. In this contribution, we present a semi-tight coupling framework of multi-GNSS PPP and Stereo VINS (S-VINS), which achieves the bidirectional location transfer and sharing in two separate navigation systems. In our approach, the local positions, produced by S-VINS are integrated with multi-GNSS PPP through a graph-optimization based method. Furthermore, the accurate forecast positions with S-VINS are fed back to assist PPP in GNSS-challenged environments. The statistical analysis of a GNSS outage simulation test shows that the S-VINS mode can effectively suppress the degradation of positioning accuracy compared with the INS-only mode. We also carried out a vehicle-borne experiment collecting multi-sensor data in a GNSS-challenged environment. For the complex driving environment, the PPP positioning capability is significantly improved with the aiding of S-VINS. The 3D positioning accuracy is improved by 49.0% for Global Positioning System (GPS), 40.3% for GPS + GLOANSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), 45.6% for GPS + BDS (BeiDou navigation satellite System), and 51.2% for GPS + GLONASS + BDS. On this basis, the solution with the semi-tight coupling scheme of multi-GNSS PPP/S-VINS achieves the improvements of 41.8–60.6% in 3D positioning accuracy compared with the multi-GNSS PPP/INS solutions.
HPTLC analysis of Fumaria parviflora (Lam.) methanolic extract of whole plant
Authors: Bhargava Anjali , Shrivastava Pragya , Tilwari Anita
Published: January 2021

Background

Fumaria parviflora (Lam.), commonly known as “fine-leaved fumitory,” is well known for its therapeutic properties in the Indian traditional medicinal system. The presence of important bioactive compounds in plants makes them pharmacologically valuable. Therefore, in the present study, the high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis of Fumaria parviflora (whole plant) methanolic extract was performed for its phytochemical profiling.

Results

The HPTLC densitometric analysis of the methanolic extract of Fumaria parviflora (whole plant) was carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system, and the results were obtained in the form of chromatograms (scanned at the wavelength of 254 nm and 366 nm) representing several peaks. The phytochemical profile of the plant was determined and presented in the tables showing the total number of peaks, peak heights, peak area, percent area, and Rf values.

Conclusion

The study concluded that F. parviflora methanolic extract of the whole plant contains a rich variety of phytochemicals which might be accountable for its therapeutic value and thus justifies its traditional use in India.
Review of wave forces on bridge decks with experimental and numerical methods
Authors: Chen Xuebin , Chen Zhiwu , Xu Guoji , Zhuo Xianrong , Deng Qinghua
Published: January 2021

Massive coastal bridges were damaged in Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005), and considerable efforts have been devoted to the studies of wave forces acting on bridge decks since then. When the hurricane and tsunamis approach the coastal zones, the mean water level is elevated, making it possible for the incident wave to hit the bridge deck directly. The study of wave force acting on the bridge deck is essential for the investigation of bridge failure mechanism, and a literature review of wave forces with experimental and numerical methods after Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina is presented in this paper. Though the experiments and numerical models can not fully simulate the wave-deck interaction as in realistic conditions, remarkable progress has been achieved, and some significant findings help the researchers to further understand the failure mechanism of the bridge deck. Emphasis is given to the studies that have significantly improved our understanding of the topic. Challenges associated with the existing studies and suggestions for future studies are presented for a deeper understanding of the failure mechanism of the bridge deck, and more countermeasures are expected to protect the bridge deck under extreme wave forces.
DNA Methylation Haplotype Block Markers Efficiently Discriminate Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma from Follicular Adenoma
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zhang Zhenzhen , Liu Xiaoding , Duan Huanli , Xiang Tianmin , He Qiye , Su Zhixi , Wu Huanwen , Liang Zhiyong
Published: January 2021

Context

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the second most common type of thyroid carcinoma and must be pathologically distinguished from benign follicular adenoma (FA). Additionally, the clinical assessment of thyroid tumors with uncertain malignant potential (TT-UMP) demands effective indicators.

Objective

We aimed to identify discriminating DNA methylation markers between FA and FTC.

Methods

DNA methylation patterns were investigated in 33 FTC and 33 FA samples using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and methylation haplotype block–based analysis. A prediction model was constructed and validated in an independent cohort of 13 FTC and 13 FA samples. Moreover, 36 TT-UMP samples were assessed using this model.

Results

A total of 70 DNA methylation markers, approximately half of which were located within promoters, were identified to be significantly different between the FTC and FA samples. All the Gene Ontology terms enriched among the marker-associated genes were related to “DNA binding,” implying that the inactivation of DNA binding played a role in FTC development. A random forest model with an area under the curve of 0.994 was constructed using those markers for discriminating FTC from FA in the validation cohort. When the TT-UMP samples were scored using this model, those with fewer driver mutations also exhibited lower scores.

Conclusion

An FTC-predicting model was constructed using DNA methylation markers, which distinguished between FA and FTC tissues with a high degree of accuracy. This model can also be used to help determine the potential of malignancy in TT-UMP.
Solar Goop
Authors: Jagoe Eva-Lynn
Published: January 2021

Would we know solarity if we encountered it? And where do we look for the potential openings that such a new energy system could enable? Georges Bataille’s The Accursed Share has emerged as a key text in the theorization of energy because of his distinction between the restricted economy of capitalism versus a general economy most clearly figured by the energetic exuberance and abundance of the sun. This article makes use of Bataille’s deliberately unsettling and destabilizing fictions, such as “The Solar Anus” and Story of the Eye, to analyze and assess a set of practices that appear to be unlikely candidates for the utopian visions now predictably connected with the solar. When read in relation to Luce Irigaray’s account of female subjectivity, practices of entrepreneurial feminized self-care, exemplified here by Gwyneth Paltrow’s much-criticized Goop Lab, open up a distinct and unexplored sense of the social relations that could shape the concatenation of solar and solidarity called solarity. This article traces this potential through an enquiry into feminist popular culture and other modes of relationality, such as Sivanandha Radha’s yogic invocation of Light. The overall aim of the essay is to provide another way of mapping solarity—not through the materiality of solar panels and promise of free energy, but through the complex practices of feminized bodies, solace, and solidarity.
Solar Infrastructure as Media of Resistance, or, Indigenous Solarities against Settler Colonialism
Authors: Kinder Jordan B.
Published: January 2021

The ongoing history of setter colonialism is inextricable from the infrastructures of energy and extraction that provide its material foundation. Addressing this inextricable relationship, this article explores how Indigenous solarities in Canada resist extractivism and generate conditions for just energy futures beyond settler colonialism through emergent solar infrastructures. Developing a preliminary theory of Indigenous solarities, this article anchors the author’s observations to Lubicon Cree energy justice activist Melina Laboucan-Massimo’s Sacred Earth Solar initiative and its two completed projects: the Piitapan Solar Project in Laboucan-Massimo’s home community of Little Buffalo, Alberta, Canada, which powers a community health center, and a partnership with the Tiny House Warriors. The Tiny House Warriors is a Secwepemcled movement to construct mobile tiny houses along the path of the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline Project. This article’s approach is methodologically informed by recent infrastructural thinking from theorists such as Lauren Berlant and Deborah Cowen who offer an expansive, relational understanding of infrastructure. It is also informed by thinkers such as Myles Lennon and Dagmar Lorenz-Meyer, who respectively see in solar energy infrastructures the possibilities to decolonize energy and to generate a feminist techno-ecological ethos. This article offers a brief account of the historical and contemporary relationship between settler colonialism and infrastructural development in Canada, before providing an overview of three mutually informing frameworks for preliminarily thinking through the materialization of Indigenous solarities: as media of resistance; as expressions of Indigenous feminism; and as expressions of Indigenous futurisms. The article concludes by scaling out from the context of Sacred Earth Solar’s emergent infrastructures of Indigenous solarities, connecting these efforts with larger movements of Indigenous resistance and renewable energy infrastructure initiatives. Ultimately, this article argues that Indigenous solarities signify myriad potentialities for reorienting our collective energy imaginaries from scarcity to abundance in ways that foreground Indigenous self-determination against and beyond extractivism.
Viral Solarity
Authors: Cross Jamie
Published: January 2021

How are we to engage with the forms of solarity that emerge in response to humanitarian crises, like those created by a highly virulent infectious disease? As we struggle to respond to the worldwide SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and begin to envisage the role of solar energy in a green recovery, this article draws on long term ethnographic research in the global off grid solar industry to lay the grounds for an anthropology of humanitarianism and solar power. For over half a century, white engineers and entrepreneurs in the Global North have presented solar photovoltaics as a harbinger of radical change for distant others across the Global South. Tracking the interventions of one solar company in the West African Ebola crisis and reflecting on the industry’s response to COVID-19, this paper explores the politics, ethics, and possibility of solarity in the context of these historic relations of power.
May the Record Speak
Authors: Dickey Frances
Published: January 2021

The over one thousand letters from T. S. Eliot to Emily Hale, opened to the public on January 2, 2020, reveal the poet’s emotional and creative dependence on Hale and illuminate the meanings of “Gerontion,” The Waste Land, Ash-Wednesday, “Landscapes,” Murder in the Cathedral, Four Quartets, The Family Reunion, and other works. This article surveys the contents of the long-awaited Eliot letters archived at Princeton University, focusing on Hale’s role in the poet’s personal and imaginative life. In addition to clarifying long-standing questions about their relationship, from their first encounters in Cambridge to their many clandestine meetings across decades, his letters explain personal references in his poems (Hale is the “Hyacinth girl”) and describe “moments” they shared together that he later worked into “Burnt Norton” and “The Dry Salvages.” The record of his letters shows that not marrying Hale fed Eliot’s imagination and inspired some of the most significant passages of his poetry. Eliot’s art reflected his life, but he also shaped his life to follow art, taking Dante’s Vita Nuova as the pattern for a renunciation of worldly love that he also imposed on Hale.
Directors’ Perceptions of Board Effectiveness and Internal Operations
Authors: Cheng J. Yo-Jud , Groysberg Boris , Healy Paul , Vijayaraghavan Rajesh
Published: January 2021

We contribute to the growing literature on the effectiveness of corporate boards by examining the effect of two insights that have been largely unexplored in prior studies that use public data. First, since boards’ responsibilities are wide-ranging, more holistic performance measures may better capture the full range of their duties than specific public actions and outcomes (e.g., disclosure of risk management processes, financial restatements, acquisition returns, CEO turnover). And second, because corporate boards share many characteristics of other types of teams, their effectiveness is likely to be influenced by their internal operations. To examine the performance effects of these insights, we use data from 577 directors of U.S. public firms that responded to a survey we conducted in 2015–2016 and qualitative data from interviews of 75 directors. Our study establishes a strong relation between director perceptions of board performance effectiveness and internal board operations. Further, by highlighting the critical role of internal operations, identifying areas of relative strength and weakness in boards’ effectiveness in various activities, and probing director perceptions of their primary responsibilities, we are able to offer concrete suggestions for future research on board effectiveness.

This paper was accepted by Shiva Rajgopal, accounting.
Delay in transit: the NCEPOD review of care provided to patients with acute bowel obstruction
Authors: Shotton Hannah , Kelly Kathryn , Sinclair Martin , Michalski Antony
Published: January 2021

Acute bowel obstruction can occur in the small or large bowel and accounts for up to 10% of emergency surgical admissions. This high-risk group of patients requires careful management. Early diagnosis via computed tomography can help to prevent delays when surgery is required, which can impact patient outcomes.
Anatomy, magnetic resonance and arthroscopy of the popliteal hiatus of the knee: normal aspect and pathological conditions
Authors: Grassi Alberto , Pizza Nicola , Andrea Lucidi Gian , Macchiarola Luca , Mosca Massimiliano , Zaffagnini Stefano
Published: January 2021

The popliteal hiatus is a complex region, formed by the confluence of various structures connecting the meniscus, popliteal tendon, tibia and fibula. The main structures that can be found are the three popliteomeniscal fascicles (anterior, postero-inferior and postero-superior), the lateral and posterior meniscotibial ligaments, the popliteofibular ligament and the meniscofibular fascicle. These structures can be identified in most cases using magnetic resonance imaging, and their ‘static’ assessment can be performed. Arthroscopic assessment is useful in identifying and testing ‘dynamically’ the integrity of the structures around the popliteal hiatus. Injuries or abnormalities of the popliteal hiatus and its structures could result in meniscal hypermobility and subluxation; however, these injuries are often unrecognized. Possible abnormalities in this region, apart from the well-known bucket-handle meniscal tear, are the Wrisberg Type III discoid meniscus, and meniscal fascicles tears.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:61-74. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200089
Why Tuning the Control Parameters of Metaheuristic Algorithms Is So Important for Fair Comparison?
Authors: Kazikova Anezka , Pluhacek Michal , Senkerik Roman
Published: January 2021

Although metaheuristic optimization has become a common practice, new bio-inspired algorithms often suffer from a priori ill reputation. One of the reasons is a common bad practice in metaheuristic proposals. It is essential to pay attention to the quality of conducted experiments, especially when comparing several algorithms among themselves. The comparisons should be fair and unbiased. This paper points to the importance of proper initial parameter configurations of the compared algorithms. We highlight the performance differences with several popular and recommended parameter configurations. Even though the parameter selection was mostly based on comprehensive tuning experiments, the algorithms' performance was surprisingly inconsistent, given various parameter settings. Based on the presented evidence, we conclude that paying attention to the metaheuristic algorithm's parameter tuning should be an integral part of the development and testing processes.
Influence of the incident optical field distribution on a high-speed PIN photodetector and horizontal optimization
Authors: Huijuan Niu , Yongqing Huang , Yisu Yang , Chaozheng Xiao , Weifang Yuan , Huayun Zhi , Xiaofeng Duan , Kai Liu , Xiaomin Ren
Published: January 2021

We demonstrate a new, to the best of our knowledge, dimensional “horizontal optimization” scheme, which can improve the high-speed characteristics of a PIN photodetector by designing the incident optical field distribution. First, coaxially incident faculae with the same peak and same power are studied and simulated, revealing that the bandwidth of the photodetector illuminated by uniform light is higher than that of the device illuminated by nonuniform light. Next, an annular optical field is designed incident to the photodetector, and the bandwidth is further improved. For a PIN photodetector, by carefully optimizing the incident optical field distribution, the photodetector bandwidth under an annular optical field can be increased significantly compared with that under conventional coaxial illumination.
Focusing and propagation properties of Bessel–Gaussian beam with a power-order mixing helical–conical phase wavefront
Authors: Chen Yueyang , Li Jinsong , Zhang Haoran , Xu Yang , Gao Xiumin
Published: January 2021

Based on the vector diffraction theory, this paper investigates the focusing and propagation characteristics of a Bessel–Gaussian beam with a power-order mixing helical–conical wavefront. It discusses the focused light intensity, optical gradient force distribution, and propagation characteristics under different parameters in detail. The results show that the topological charge number

L

can finely adjust the opening of the spiral-like curve at the focal plane. The power order

n

can adjust the energy distribution in the focus area. By increasing the eccentricity parameters

K

, the position of the maximum intensity spot will move along with the y coordinate axis. When the beam parameter

β

increases, the number of intensity peaks on the focal plane increases. As the propagation distance

z

increases, the pattern of intensity distribution will change from an ellipse to “doughnut-like.” Then a circular dark core will appear in the center of the light, and the propagation mode will gradually become an optical trap. Some optical gradient force distributions also are investigated to illuminate the applications of these alterable focal patterns.
Visualization of quantitative lipid distribution in mouse liver through near-infrared hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Okubo Kyohei , Kitagawa Yuichi , Hosokawa Naoki , Umezawa Masakazu , Kamimura Masao , Kamiya Tomonori , Ohtani Naoko , Soga Kohei
Published: January 2021

Lipid distribution in the liver provides crucial information for diagnosing the severity of fatty liver and fatty liver-associated liver cancer. Therefore, a noninvasive, label-free, and quantitative modality is eagerly anticipated. We report near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for the quantitative visualization of lipid content in mouse liver based on partial least square regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR). Analysis results indicate that SVR with standard normal variate pretreatment outperforms PLSR by achieving better root mean square error (15.3 mg/g) and higher determination coefficient (0.97). The quantitative mapping of lipid content in the mouse liver is realized using SVR.
Whole anterior segment and retinal swept source OCT for comprehensive ocular screening
Authors: Rodríguez-Aramendía Ana , Díaz-Doutón Fernando , Fernández-Trullàs José , Falgueras Pol , González Laura , Pujol Jaume , Grulkowski Ireneusz , Güell José Luis
Published: January 2021

Whole eye visualization and morphometry are of high relevance in clinical practice. However, most standard ophthalmic OCT instruments are dedicated either to retinal or to anterior segment imaging. We demonstrate a swept source optical coherence tomography system (SS-OCT) that images both the whole anterior segment and the retina alternately using a single source and detector. A pilot population was imaged with the proof of concept prototype. We demonstrate the clinical potential of whole eye OCT screening for the description and early detection of relevant clinical features in the anterior segment and retina of several patients.
Optimal and near-optimal alpha-fair resource allocation algorithms based on traffic demand predictions for optical network planning
Authors: Panayiotou Tania , Ellinas Georgios
Published: January 2021

We examine proactive network optimization in reconfigurable optical networks based on traffic predictions. Specifically, the fair spectrum allocation (SA) problem is examined for a priori reserving resources aiming to achieve near-even minimum quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees for all contending connections. The fairness problem arises when greedy SA policies are followed, which are based on point-based maximum demand predictions, especially under congested networks, with some connections highly overprovisioned and others entirely blocked, resulting in highly uneven QoS connection guarantees. To address this problem, we consider predictive traffic distributions allowing the exploration of several combinations of possible SAs. To find a fair SA policy, we resort to an

α

-fairness scheme, while QoS fairness is evaluated according to a game-theoretic analysis based on the coefficient of variations of the connections’ unserved traffic metric, which measures the dispersion of unserved traffic for a connection around the mean of the unserved traffic over all connections. Non-contending (NC) and link-based contending (LBC)

α

-fair SA integer linear programming algorithms are proposed, where the optimal NC approach encompasses global network contention information, while the near-optimal LBC approach encompasses partial contention information to reduce problem complexity. We show that as parameter

α

increases, QoS fairness improves, along with connection blocking, resource utilization, and overprovisioning and underprovisioning. Further, LBC exhibits results close to the optimal, with a significant improvement in processing time.
Wide-field parallel mapping of local spectral and topographic information with white light interference microscopy
Authors: Marbach Sébastien , Claveau Rémy , Wang Fangting , Schiffler Jesse , Montgomery Paul , Flury Manuel
Published: January 2021

Fourier analysis of interferograms captured in white light interference
microscopy is proposed for performing simultaneous local spectral and
topographic measurements at high spatial resolution over a large field
of view. The technique provides a wealth of key information on local
sample properties. We describe the processing and calibration steps
involved to produce reflectivity maps of spatially extended samples.
This enables precise and fast identification between different
materials at a local scale of 1 µm. We also show that the recovered
spectral information can be further used for improving topography
measurements, particularly in the case of samples combining dielectric
and conducting materials in which the complex refractive index can
result in nanometric height errors.
Photonic Nanojets
Authors: Alex  , er J. Littlefield  , Jinlong Zhu  , Jonah F. Messinger  , Lynford L. Goddard
Published: January 2021

Microspheres, microcylinders and more complex dielectric structures can create nanoscale concentrations of directed energy. Thanks to advances in fabrication techniques, these optical jets could soon find their way into applications.