bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching and learning in a multilingual Europe: findings from a cross-European study
Authors: Dockrell J. E. , Papadopoulos T. C. , Mifsud C. L. , Bourke L. , Vilageliu O. , Bešić E. , Seifert S. , Gasteiger-Klicpera B. , Ralli A. , Dimakos I. , Karpava S. , Martins M. , Sousa O. , Castro S. , Søndergaard Knudsen H. B. , Donau P. , Haznedar B. , Mikulajová M. , Gerdzhikova N.
Published: January 2021

School classrooms within the EU are multilingual learning environments. The diversity of pupils in classrooms raises significant challenges for teachers, but to date, there are no data from large-scale surveys that compare views within and across European countries. A bespoke questionnaire was designed to examine views of current classroom learning environments with respect to the multilingualism. The questionnaire was piloted and subsequently completed by 2792 teachers across different European countries. Eleven countries provided sufficient data for analyses. Results from structural equation modelling showed that teachers’ attitudes could be reliably measured across Europe with the use of carefully devised questionnaire, whose loading and factor structure remained invariant across countries. Teachers’ views about multilingualism were most challenged by the numbers of children in their classes, not the percentage of multilingual pupils in the class. Countries differed in how they perceived multilingualism, with their differences leading to distinctive country clusters. Gender and education level (elementary vs. secondary) differences were also observed irrespective of country. These findings enhance our understanding of the role that the characteristics of teachers and their classrooms play in a multilingual setting across diverse European settings. The practical relevance of the results and new opportunities for teacher training are discussed.
A future perspective of historical contributions to climate change
Authors: Skeie Ragnhild B. , Peters Glen P. , Fuglestvedt Jan , Andrew Robbie
Published: January 2021

Countries’ historical contributions to climate change have been on the agenda for more than two decades and will most likely continue to be an element in future international discussions and negotiations on climate. Previous studies have quantified the historical contributions to climate change across a range of choices and assumptions. In contrast, we quantify how historical contributions to changes in global mean surface temperature (GMST) may change in the future for a broad set of choices using the quantification of the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). We calculate the contributions for five coarse geographical regions used in the SSPs. Historical emissions of long-lived gases remain important for future contributions to warming, due to their accumulation and the inertia of climate system, and historical emissions are even more important for strong mitigation scenarios. When only accounting for future emissions, from 2015 to 2100, there is surprisingly little variation in the regional contributions to GMST change between the different SSPs and different mitigation targets. The largest variability in the regional future contributions is found across the different integrated assessment models (IAMs). This suggests the characteristics of the IAMs are more important for calculated future historical contributions than variations across SSP or forcing target.
Qualitative counting closed geodesics
Authors: Karlhofer Bastien , Kędra Jarek , Marcinkowski Michał , Trost Alexander
Published: January 2021

We investigate the geometry of word metrics on fundamental groups of manifolds associated with the generating sets consisting of elements represented by closed geodesics. We ask whether the diameter of such a metric is finite or infinite. The first answer we interpret as an abundance of closed geodesics, while the second one as their scarcity. We discuss examples for both cases.
Multiple Attack to Inflorescences of an Annual Plant Does Not Interfere with the Attraction of Parasitoids and Pollinators
Authors: Chrétien Lucille T. S. , van der Heide Hessel , Greenberg Liana O. , Giron David , Dicke Marcel , Lucas-Barbosa Dani
Published: January 2021

Plants in the flowering stage need to ensure reproduction by protecting themselves from attack and by preserving interactions with mutualist pollinators. When different plant mutualists are using the same type of cues, such as volatile compounds, attraction of parasitoids and pollinators may trade off. To explore this, we compared volatile emission of Brassica nigra plants in response to single or dual attack on their inflorescences. Additionally, we recorded flower visitation by pollinators and the attraction of parasitoids in the greenhouse and/or field. Brassica nigra were exposed in the flowering stage to one or two of the following three attackers: Brevicoryne brassicae aphids, Pieris brassicae caterpillars, and Xanthomonas campestris pv. raphani bacteria. We found that single attack by caterpillars, and dual attack by caterpillars plus aphids, induced the strongest changes in plant volatile emission. The caterpillars’ parasitoid C. glomerata did not exhibit preference for plants exposed to caterpillars only vs. plants exposed to caterpillars plus aphids or plus bacteria. However, the composition of the pollinator community associated with flowers of B. nigra was affected by plant exposure to the attackers, but the total number of pollinators visiting the plants did not change upon attack. We conclude that, when B. nigra were exposed to single or dual attack on their inflorescences, the plants maintained interactions with natural enemies of the insect attackers and with pollinators. We discuss how chemical diversity may contribute to plant resilience upon attack.
The comparison of pro- and antioxidative parameters in plasma and placental tissues during early phase of placental development in cows
Authors: Wawrzykowski Jacek , Jamioł Monika , Mojsym Wioleta , Kankofer Marta
Published: January 2021

Physiological balance between pro- and antioxidative processes is crucial for placentation and further development of fetus and placenta. Parameters of pro- and antioxidative profile may serve as markers of proper course of pregnancy. The aim of study was to assess whether the balance between pro- and antioxidative parameters during placentation phase in bovine placenta is maintained. Placental and blood samples were collected from healthy, HF, pregnant (2nd-3rd month) cows (n = 8) in slaughterhouse and in farm, respectively. Formylokinurenine and bityrosine content were measured spectrofluorimetrically in blood plasma and tissue homogenates while metabolites of lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant capacity, SH groups and activity of antioxidative enzymes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) were determined in examined tissues by spectrophotometry. Western blotting was used to confirm the presence of enzymatic proteins in placenta. Results: Local profile in tissues was more pronounced than general profile in blood plasma. Activities of antioxidative enzymes were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in 2nd compared to 3rd month of pregnancy in maternal part of placenta while prooxidant parameters showed opposite relationship. Obtained results showed significant differences when compared to data from non-pregnant animals or time of parturition. Further studies are necessary for elucidation of placentation phase in cows.
Between‐hospital variation in rates of complications and decline of patient performance after glioblastoma surgery in the dutch Quality Registry Neuro Surgery
Authors: Kommers Ivar , Ackermans Linda , Ardon Hilko , van den Brink Wimar A. , Bouwknegt Wim , Balvers Rutger K. , van der Gaag Niels , Bosscher Lisette , Kloet Alfred , Koopmans Jan , Laan Mark ter , Tewarie Rishi Nandoe , Robe Pierre A. , van der Veer Olivier , Wagemakers Michiel , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , De Witt Hamer Philip C.
Published: January 2021

Introduction

For decisions on glioblastoma surgery, the risk of complications and decline in performance is decisive. In this study, we determine the rate of complications and performance decline after resections and biopsies in a national quality registry, their risk factors and the risk-standardized variation between institutions.

Methods

Data from all 3288 adults with first-time glioblastoma surgery at 13 hospitals were obtained from a prospective population-based Quality Registry Neuro Surgery in the Netherlands between 2013 and 2017. Patients were stratified by biopsies and resections. Complications were categorized as Clavien-Dindo grades II and higher. Performance decline was considered a deterioration of more than 10 Karnofsky points at 6 weeks. Risk factors were evaluated in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Patient-specific expected and observed complications and performance declines were summarized for institutions and analyzed in funnel plots.

Results

For 2271 resections, the overall complication rate was 20 % and 16 % declined in performance. For 1017 biopsies, the overall complication rate was 11 % and 30 % declined in performance. Patient-related characteristics were significant risk factors for complications and performance decline, i.e. higher age, lower baseline Karnofsky, higher ASA classification, and the surgical procedure. Hospital characteristics, i.e. case volume, university affiliation and biopsy percentage, were not. In three institutes the observed complication rate was significantly less than expected. In one institute significantly more performance declines were observed than expected, and in one institute significantly less.

Conclusions

Patient characteristics, but not case volume, were risk factors for complications and performance decline after glioblastoma surgery. After risk-standardization, hospitals varied in complications and performance declines.
Who Is in Charge? Social Inequality in Different Fields of Volunteering
Authors: Meyer Michael , Rameder Paul
Published: January 2021

Volunteering in civil society organizations (CSOs) is sometimes idealized as welcoming arena for everybody. Prior research, however, has shown that participation in volunteer work depends on gender, wealth, education, and social networks, suggesting that CSOs are not in fact open to everyone. Inequality within different fields of volunteering combined with the factors that put actors into more powerful positions has rarely been scrutinized. Besides identifying the characteristics and resources relevant for promotion, we primarily investigate how these patterns differ between four subfields: politics, social services, religion, and sports. We analyzed a large database created from the Austrian micro-census. The findings reveal significant relations between the actors’ gender, their occupational and educational status, and their hierarchical positions in CSOs within each of the subfields. Our results indicate that the extent to which social inequality spills over to volunteering depends on field characteristics: In the fields of sports and politics, occupational status plays a major role, while in the fields of religion and social services, educational status is more important. We explain these differences through organizational and individual factors that characterize these social fields.
Changes in defense-related enzymes and phenolics in resistant and susceptible common wheat cultivars under aphid stress
Authors: Xu Yi , Guo Hao , Geng Guangdong , Zhang Qingqin , Zhang Suqin
Published: January 2021

The cereal aphids Rhopalosiphum padi L. are serious pests on grain crops, reducing the quality and yield by direct feeding damage and virus transmission. The changes in the physiological and biochemical parameters of two wheat cultivars under aphid stress were investigated to understand aphid-resistance mechanisms. The activity levels of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), Ca2+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase in resistant cultivar W0923 increased during aphid feeding, and most of them were significantly higher than those in the susceptible cultivar GN21. However, these enzyme activities increased and then decreased in GN21. The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in W0923 was maintained longer than in GN21. The total phenol contents of the two cultivars exhibited significant increases on the 15th day compared with the untreated controls, and the content in W0923 was significantly higher than in GN21 by the 30th day. Most of the POD, PPO, PAL, TAL and Ca2+-ATPase activities and phenolic metabolite contents were higher in W0923 than in GN21 under the untreated control conditions. The Ca2+-ATPase and PAL activities positively correlated with POD, PPO and Mg2+-ATPase activities. Ca2+-ATPase and PAL may be key biochemical markers for evaluating aphid resistance. W0923 had a strong ability to maintain higher enzyme activities and synthesize more phenols and tannins than GN21, which contributed to aphid resistance.
Can the Japanese National Clinical Database risk calculator predict long-term survival of patients who undergo palliative segmentectomy for primary lung cancer?
Authors: Nakano Tomoyuki , Tsubochi Hiroyoshi , Maki Mitsuru , Minegishi Kentaro , Shibano Tomoki , Kanai Yoshihiko , Otani Shinichi , Yamamoto Shinichi , Tetsuka Kenji , Endo Shunsuke
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Selection criteria for palliative limited surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can vary by institution or surgeon. We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of poor-risk patients who underwent palliative segmentectomy (PS), using the National Clinical Database Risk Calculator (RC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients with NSCLC tumors ≥ 20 mm and consolidation/tumor ratios ≥ 0.5 on computed tomography, who underwent PS from January 2009 to March 2016. Median follow-up time was 47 months (range 2–102 months).

Results

We enrolled 67 patients (median age: 73.0 years), of whom 54 received thoracoscopic surgery and 28 received medial lymph-node dissection. The RC’s mean predictive probability rate for perioperative mortality or severe complications was 7.1%. Of the 67 patients, 24 patients (43.0%) suffered post-surgical complications, including 2 (3%) who died in hospital; 17 eventually suffered NSCLC recurrences and/or metastases, 11 eventually died from NSCLC, and 17 died from other diseases. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 59.4%. When the patients were divided into high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) groups based on the RC, 5-year OS was significantly less in the HR group (43.9%) than in the LR group (82.2%; P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The RC, which was developed primarily to determine perioperative risk, can predict long-term prognosis for compromised patients who undergo PS.
Low Anterior Resection Syndrome in Adults with Rectal Cancer in China: a Case Series Analysis
Authors: Qiu Yuan , Pu Yu , Guan Haidi , Fan Weijie , Wang Shuai , Du Guangsheng , Yang Hua , Xiao Weidong
Published: January 2021

Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) comprises a collection of symptoms affecting patients’ defecation after restorative surgery for rectal cancer. The aim of this work was to study the incidence and risk factors for LARS in China. Rectal cancer patients undergoing total mesorectal excision and colorectal anastomosis between May 2012 and January 2015 were identified from a single center. The patients completed the LARS score questionnaire through telephone. The clinical and pathological factors that may influence the occurrence of LARS were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The influence of postoperative recovery time and pelvic dimensions on the occurrence of LARS was also analyzed. This study included 337 patients, at an average age of 61.03 SD11.32. The mean LARS score of the patients was 14.08 (range 0–41). A total of 126 patients (37.4%) developed LARS after surgery, including 63 (18.7%) severe cases. Compared with the scores within the initial 6 postoperative months, the LARS scores of the patients in 6~18 months after the surgery showed significant reductions (p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, lower locations of anastomosis, pre-surgery radiotherapy, and shorter postoperative recovery time were significant predisposing factors for LARS. A subgroup analysis revealed that patients suffering from LARS over 18 months after surgery were found to have a significantly shorter interspinous distance than those without LARS (p < 0.05). LARS could improve over time after surgery. Lower anastomotic level and pre-surgery radiotherapy are risk factors for LARS.
Continuous synthesis of photocatalytic nanoparticles of pure ZnO and ZnO modified with metal nanoparticles
Authors: Długosz Olga , Banach Marcin
Published: January 2021

The continuous microwave synthesis of ZnO, ZnO–nAg and ZnO–nCu nanoparticles (NPs) are presented. Initially, pure ZnO nanoparticles were synthesised, studying the effect of selected parameters on the size of crystallites. In the second stage, ZnO nanoparticles modified with metal nanoparticles were obtained by conducting the process in a flow system. Tannic acid was used as a reducing agent of silver and copper ions. The structure, crystallinity and effectiveness of the deposition of metal nanoparticles were assessed by XRD, XPS, FTIR and electron microscopy techniques (SEM and TEM). The obtained materials were tested for their photocatalytic properties against methylene blue in UV light. The results of photodegradation in ultraviolet light have shown that the introduction of metal nanoparticles, especially silver nanoparticles, significantly increases catalytic efficiency (30% for pure ZnO NPs, 91% for ZnO–nAg NPs and 54% for ZnO–nCu NPs). The main advantage of the proposed ZnO/Ag semiconductor is that it delays the recombination process of electron–hole pairs generated by photon absorption, which extends the efficiency of such a photocatalyst. Based on the research, we determined that it is possible to use photocatalytically active ZnO modified with metal nanoparticles obtained in the flow process.

Graphic abstract
Does CSR Activity Amount to Socially Responsible Management?
Authors: Foster M. John
Published: January 2021

In essence firms or companies are usually thought to exist to make products for or provide services of some sort to third parties, other companies or individuals. The philosophical question which naturally arises then is ‘to the benefit of whom should a firm’s activities be aimed?’ Possible answers include the owners of the firm, the firm’s employees or wider society, the firm’s local community or their host nation. It is because of firms’ location within a wider society that the issue of corporate social responsibility arises. The issue is do they contribute in a positive way to the fabric of society. In this paper we conduct an exploratory investigation whose research questions, broadly, are whether there is public evidence of corporate social responsibility activity by firms listed in the UK and to what extent, if any, such activities may amount to genuinely socially responsible management by the firms. We examined the most up to date annual reports of a split sample of 36 firms listed in the FTSE 350. The short answers to the two research questions above are: to some degree and no by some margin, based on data from the sample firms.
1918/19. Markstein der deutschen Demokratie. Neuerscheinungen zum 100. Jahrestag der Revolution
Authors: Wyrwa Ulrich
Published: January 2021

Während die deutsche Revolution von 1918/19 im Zuge des 50. Jahrestages Gegenstand heftiger Kontroversen war, ist sie bald darauf in Vergessenheit geraten. Der 100. Gedenktag führte zu einer Wiederentdeckung der Revolution. Sie gilt nicht mehr als verraten, steckengeblieben oder gar überflüssig, sie wird auch nicht mehr allein vom Ende der Weimarer Republik her als a priori zum Scheitern verurteilt abgetan, vielmehr als Aufbruch in die Demokratie gewürdigt.

Die Revolution ging jedoch nicht aus einer revolutionären Situation hervor, sondern, wie hier vorgestellte Neuerscheinungen zeigen [I.], aus dem Krieg. Die aus Anlass des 100. Jahrestages erschienenen neuen Gesamtdarstellungen [II.] weisen zumeist die alten Legenden von der verratenen Revolution zurück und betonen die Errungenschaften und demokratischen Potenziale, auch die Dynamik der revolutionären Situation, die Ängste der Akteure und die Gewaltgeschichte der Revolution. Regional- und stadtgeschichtliche Studien [III.] wiederum arbeiten die Unterschiede der revolutionären Entwicklungen und vor allem die Breite der Rätebewegungen heraus. Entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der Revolution hatte die Spaltung der Sozialdemokratie, Gegenstand weiterer Neuerscheinungen [IV.], aber nicht nur Arbeiter traten als Akteure hervor, sondern auch Intellektuelle [V.] und Künstler, wie hier besprochene Ausstellungskataloge zeigen [VI.].

Obgleich gelegentlich die alten Legenden von der verratenen Revolution bedient werden, erscheint die deutsche Revolution von 1918/19 zum 100. Jubiläum in einem neuen, zwar immer noch ambivalenten, zugleich aber positiveren Licht.

Das abschließende Resümee diskutiert die neuen Einsichten in die demokratischen Potenziale der Revolution, die Bedeutung der Rätebewegung, den Bolschewismus als die „große Furcht“, das Umschlagen der friedlichen Revolution in Gewalt sowie das Aufkommen des extremen Antisemitismus.
Organizational Learning from Performance Feedback: A Behavioral Perspective on Multiple Goals
Authors: Audia Pino G. , Greve Henrich R.
Published: January 2021

This Element synthesizes the current state of research on organizational learning from performance feedback and develops a new perspective that deals with the influence of multiple goals. In keeping with the centrality of motives in Cyert & March's influential model, this new perspective rests on a foundation of individual level behaviors that are responsive to mechanisms at the organizational and environmental level of analysis. A key aim is to lay out an agenda for a new wave of empirical research on the interconnections of decision-makers, organizations, and the environment that influence organizational responses to performance.
Early Netherlandish Paintings
Authors: Ridderbos Bernard , Buren Anne Van , van Veen Henk
Published: January 2021

The so-called Flemish Primitives, a group of 15th-century painters from the Burgundian Netherlands, acquired their name in the 19th century. Among them were world-famous artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, the brothers Van Eyck, and Hugo van der Goes. Their masterpieces, oil paintings minutely detailed in luminous colour, are a high point of Western European art, which, together with the Italian Renaissance paintings, laid foundations for modern art. This scholarly in-depth analysis focuses on the artistic, religious and social significance of their art, as well as how the paintings themselves were collected, evaluated and studied over the centuries.
Sonic Time Machines
Authors: Ernst Wolfgang
Published: January 2021

Our studies of aesthetics and knowledge have long tended to privilege the visual - at the expense, Wolfgang Ernst argues, of the aural. Sonic Time Machines aims to correct that, presenting a striking new approach to theorising sound that investigates its split existence: as a temporal effect in a techno-cultural context and as a source of knowledge and information. Ernst creates a new term for the concept at the heart of the book, sonicity a flexible and powerful term that allows him to consider sound with all its many physical, philosophical, and cultural valences.
BITs & Bonds: The International Law and Economics of Sovereign Debt
Authors: Pahis Stratos
Published: January 2021

Recent jurisdictional decisions suggest that sovereign debt will be subject to bilateral investment treaties (BITs) for the foreseeable future. This Article argues that applying BITs to sovereign bonds threatens to undermine the core economic function of those treaties by encouraging inefficient state and creditor behavior and raising the overall cost of sovereign debt. It further argues that this concern can be addressed through an interpretative approach that leads to the equal treatment of like creditors.
A History of Diagnostic Investigations in Epilepsy Surgery
Authors: Hanjani Khashayar , Fatehi Mostafa , Schmidt Nis , Aghakhani Yayha , Redekop Gary J.
Published: January 2021

Epilepsy surgery has progressed significantly in the last 150 years. Functional brain maps allowed for the localization of epileptogenic lesions based on seizure patterns, allowing surgeons like McEwan and Horsely to treat epilepsy surgically. Berger’s electroencephalogram marked the first modality directly identifying epileptic abnormalities. Penfield and Jasper collaborated, as neurosurgeon and neurologist, to use EEG for surgery. Meanwhile, Wada developed the amobarbital test, improving the protection of language and memory. Talairach and Bancaud pioneered invasive monitoring of deep brain activity with stereoelectroencephalography before the computer age made CT and MRI possible. Looking forward, AI and robotics hold promise for further improving outcomes.
Kakutani equivalence for products of some special flows over rotations
Authors: WEI DAREN
Published: January 2021

We study Kakutani equivalence for products of some special flows over rotations with roof function smooth except a singularity at
$0\in \mathbb {T}$
. We estimate the Kakutani invariant for products of these flows with different powers of singularities and rotations from a full measure set. As a corollary, we obtain a countable family of pairwise non-Kakutani equivalent products of special flows over rotations.
Minimal definable graphs of definable chromatic number at least three
Authors: Carroy Raphaël , Miller Benjamin D. , Schrittesser David , Vidnyánszky Zoltán
Published: January 2021

We show that there is a Borel graph on a standard Borel space of Borel chromatic number three that admits a Borel homomorphism to every analytic graph on a standard Borel space of Borel chromatic number at least three. Moreover, we characterize the Borel graphs on standard Borel spaces of vertex-degree at most two with this property and show that the analogous result for digraphs fails.
Novel method of calculating adjusted antibiotic use by microbiological burden
Authors: Winders Hana R. , Al-Hasan Majdi N. , Jones Bruce M. , Childress Darrell T. , Stover Kayla R. , Britt Benjamin B. , Chahine Elias B. , Lau Suetping , Andrews Pamela D. , Junco Shauna Jacobson , Wrenn Rebekah H. , Crane Brad J. , Wong Jordan R. , Seddon Megan M. , Bland Christopher M. , MacVane Shawn H. , Gibson Geneen M. , Bookstaver P. Brandon
Published: January 2021

Objective:

To determine the usefulness of adjusting antibiotic use (AU) by prevalence of bacterial isolates as an alternative method for risk adjustment beyond hospital characteristics.

Design:

Retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Hospitals in the southeastern United States.

Methods:

AU in days of therapy per 1,000 patient days and microbiologic data from 2015 and 2016 were collected from 26 hospitals. The prevalences of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were calculated and compared to the average prevalence of all hospitals in the network. This proportion was used to calculate the adjusted AU (a-AU) for various categories of antimicrobials. For example, a-AU of antipseudomonal β-lactams (APBL) was the AU of APBL divided by (prevalence of P. aeruginosa at that hospital divided by the average prevalence of P. aeruginosa). Hospitals were categorized by bed size and ranked by AU and a-AU, and the rankings were compared.

Results:

Most hospitals in 2015 and 2016, respectively, moved ≥2 positions in the ranking using a-AU of APBL (15 of 24, 63%; 22 of 26, 85%), carbapenems (14 of 23, 61%; 22 of 25; 88%), anti-MRSA agents (13 of 23, 57%; 18 of 26, 69%), and anti-VRE agents (18 of 24, 75%; 15 of 26, 58%). Use of a-AU resulted in a shift in quartile of hospital ranking for 50% of APBL agents, 57% of carbapenems, 35% of anti-MRSA agents, and 75% of anti-VRE agents in 2015 and 50% of APBL agents, 28% of carbapenems, 50% of anti-MRSA agents, and 58% of anti-VRE agents in 2016.

Conclusions:

The a-AU considerably changes how hospitals compare among each other within a network. Adjusting AU by microbiological burden allows for a more balanced comparison among hospitals with variable baseline rates of resistant bacteria.
Dynamic interlinking between near- and far-field wakes behind a pitching–heaving airfoil
Authors: Bose Chandan , Gupta Sayan , Sarkar Sunetra
Published: January 2021

This study investigates the transitional wake dynamics of a simultaneously pitching– heaving airfoil in the low Reynolds number regime. The transition from Kármán to reverse Kármán wakes and the subsequent wake deflection are known to take place entirely in the periodic regime as the dynamic heave velocity

$\kappa h$

(proportionally, the amplitude-based Strouhal number

$St_A$

) is gradually increased. However, further increase in

$\kappa h$

may result in the loss of dynamic stability of the deflected vortex street and an eventual transition to chaos. This phenomenon has largely remained unexplored in the existing literature. The present study attempts to fill this gap and aims to establish a dynamic link between the near- and far-field wake transitions. It is shown that the deflected jet undergoes a switching of deflection direction in the far-field as the near-field encounters a quasi-periodic transition with the increase in

$\kappa h$

. The quasi-periodic behaviour of the near-field is seen to get interspersed with intermittent aperiodic windows, resulting in a complete reversal of the deflection direction through flipping of the immediate vortex couple. Eventually, the wake topology becomes fully chaotic through a series of rapid aperiodic jet-switching. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the role of this aperiodic jet-switching in ushering in chaos in the wake of a pitch–heave flapping system. The mechanism of jet-switching and the role of leading-edge vortex are also revealed. Flow field dynamics during these changes and the underlying vortex interactions are analysed using nonlinear dynamical tools.
Social Transmission Bias and Investor Behavior
Authors: Han Bing , Hirshleifer David , Walden Johan
Published: January 2021

We offer a new social approach to investment decision making and asset prices. Investors discuss their strategies and convert others to their strategies with a probability that increases in investment returns. The conversion rate is shown to be convex in realized returns. Unconditionally, active strategies (e.g., high variance and skewness) dominate, although investors have no inherent preference for these characteristics. The model has strong predictions for how the adoption of active strategies depends on investors’ social networks. In contrast with nonsocial approaches, sociability, self-enhancing transmission, and other features of the communication process determine the popularity and pricing of active investment strategies.
Redescription and molecular analysis ofPallisentis(Pallisentis)nandaiSarkar, 1953 (Acanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) in India
Authors: Amin O.M. , Heckmann R.A. , Chaudhary A. , Rubtsova N.Y. , Singh H.S.
Published: January 2021

Pallisentis(Pallisentis)nandaiSarkar, 1953 is a freshwater fish parasite restricted to the Indian subcontinent in the Ganga River and its tributaries. It was described from the leaffish,Nandus nandus(Hamilton) from the Ganga River delta at Calcutta. We recovered variant specimens from the same host species from the Ganga near its headwaters at Bijnor about 1500 km away. Our specimens were clearly identifiable asP. nandaibut varied considerably from those in the original description, especially in the size of proboscis hooks, receptacle and lemnisci. The original description was incomplete (missing line drawings of female trunk and reproductive system, male trunk, complete proboscis, hooks and hook roots) and inaccurate (proboscis, hooks, receptacle wall), and some measurements were lumped together for both sexes. We provide a complete description and include new morphological information including the first description of para-receptacle structure in the genusPallisentisVan Cleave, 1928, scanning electron microscopy and microscope images, molecular analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) of hooks and spines of our specimens for the first time. Additional details of proboscis hook roots, trunk spines, micropores and micropore distribution are described. The unique metal composition of hooks (EDXA) demonstrated a considerably high but variable level of sulphur and negligible level of calcium in collar and trunk spines and hook tips, but a higher level of sulphur and calcium at the hook basal arch than at the hook tip and edge. A comparison with the EDXA pattern of another species ofPallisentis,P. İndicaMital & Lal, 1976, were considerably different. The phylogenetic position ofP. nandaiwithin Eoacanthocephala was generated to assess the molecular characterization based on 18S and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA sequences. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses placedP. nandaiin a clade with otherPallisentisspecies under the family Quadrigyridae. This is the first report based on molecular evidence forP. nandai.
Brainstem glucose metabolism predicts reward dependence scores in treatment-resistant major depression
Authors: Wu Guo-Rong , Baeken Chris
Published: January 2021

Background

It has been suggested that individual differences in temperament could be involved in the (non-)response to antidepressant (AD) treatment. However, how neurobiological processes such as brain glucose metabolism may relate to personality features in the treatment-resistant depressed (TRD) state remains largely unclear.

Methods

To examine how brainstem metabolism in the TRD state may predict Cloninger's temperament dimensions Harm Avoidance (HA), Novelty Seeking (NS), and Reward Dependence (RD), we collected 18fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG PET) scans in 40 AD-free TRD patients. All participants were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). We applied a multiple kernel learning (MKL) regression to predict the HA, NS, and RD from brainstem metabolic activity, the origin of respectively serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic neurotransmitter (NT) systems.

Results

The MKL model was able to significantly predict RD but not HA and NS from the brainstem metabolic activity. The MKL pattern regression model identified increased metabolic activity in the pontine nuclei and locus coeruleus, the medial reticular formation, the dorsal/median raphe, and the ventral tegmental area that contributed to the predictions of RD.

Conclusions

The MKL algorithm identified a likely metabolic marker in the brainstem for RD in major depression. Although 18FDG PET does not investigate specific NT systems, the predictive value of brainstem glucose metabolism on RD scores however indicates that this temperament dimension in the TRD state could be mediated by different monoaminergic systems, all involved in higher order reward-related behavior.
Examining Veterans’ Interactions with the UK Social Security System through a Trauma-Informed Lens
Authors: SCULLION LISA , CURCHIN KATHERINE
Published: January 2021

This paper uses the principles of trauma-informed care – safety, collaboration, choice, trustworthiness, and respect – to reflect on the quality of veterans’ treatment within the UK social security system. Drawing upon new data from qualitative longitudinal research with veterans in four geographical locations across England, UK, it explores their experiences within the social security system, highlighting specific issues relating to their interactions with the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) but also the conditionality inherent within the UK benefits system. Overall, it is evident that there is a lack of understanding of the impact of trauma on people’s psychosocial functioning and, as a result, veterans are treated in ways which are variously perceived as disrespectful, unfair or disempowering and in some cases exacerbate existing mental health problems. We propose that the application of trauma-informed care principles to the UK social security system could improve interactions within this system and avoid re-traumatising those experiencing on-going or unresolved trauma. The paradigm of trauma-informed care has been used internationally to examine health, homelessness, prison and childcare services, but ours is the first exploration of its application to the delivery of social security.
A Mulk of One's Own: Languages of Sovereignty, Statehood, and Dominion in the Eighteenth-Century “Empire of Hindustan”
Authors: Abbott Nicholas J.
Published: January 2021

Over the course of the eighteenth century, India's Mughal empire (1526–1858) fragmented into a number of regional polities that were, in turn, gradually subsumed under the paramount authority of the British East India Company. This essay describes concomitant developments in the empire's Persianate political language, particularly with regard to ideas of sovereignty, statehood, and dominion. It argues that by the mid-eighteenth century, the Mughal “empire of Hindustan” was increasingly framed as a territorialised governing institution comprising emerging provincial sovereignties rooted in local ruling households. This conceptual dispensation, however, remained ill-defined until the 1760s, when a treaty regime dominated by the Company built upon this language to concretise the empire as a confederacy of independent, sub-imperial states. The essay contends that in the short term, this redefinition bolstered the authority of incipient dynasties in provinces like Awadh, but in the longer term generated conflicts that abetted the expansion of colonial rule and laid conceptual foundations for British paramountcy in India.
Optimal group testing
Authors: Coja-Oghlan Amin , Gebhard Oliver , Hahn-Klimroth Max , Loick Philipp
Published: January 2021

In the group testing problem the aim is to identify a small set of k ⁓ nθ infected individuals out of a population size n, 0 < θ < 1. We avail ourselves of a test procedure capable of testing groups of individuals, with the test returning a positive result if and only if at least one individual in the group is infected. The aim is to devise a test design with as few tests as possible so that the set of infected individuals can be identified correctly with high probability. We establish an explicit sharp information-theoretic/algorithmic phase transition minf for non-adaptive group testing, where all tests are conducted in parallel. Thus with more than minf tests the infected individuals can be identified in polynomial time with high probability, while learning the set of infected individuals is information-theoretically impossible with fewer tests. In addition, we develop an optimal adaptive scheme where the tests are conducted in two stages.
Doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect closure through tricuspid approach: a clinical analysis
Authors: Wang Guanxi , Liu Rui , Ma Kai , Zhang Benqing , Pang Kunjing , Qi Lei , Hua Zhongdong , Li Shoujun
Published: January 2021

Background:

The research was to introduce the experience of doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defect (DCVSD) repaired through tricuspid approach.

Methods:

From January, 2015 to September, 2019, 86 consecutive DCVSD paediatrics underwent repair via right subaxillary vertical incision (RAVI) through tricuspid approach. Perioperative and follow-up data were collected.

Results:

The age and weight at operation were 28.1 ± 18.5 (range: 7–101) months and 12.2 ± 4.2 (6–26.5) kg. There were two patients combined with discrete subaortic membrane, two patients with patent ductus arteriosus, one patient with atrial septal defect, and two patients with abnormal muscle bundle in right ventricular outflow tract. The mean size of ventricular septal defect was 7.0 ± 2.4 (3–13) mm. The defect was repaired with a piece of Dacron patch in 68 patients or directly with 1–2 pledgetted polypropylene sutures in 18 patients. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time were 46.2 ± 13.3 (23–101) minutes and 29.2 ± 11.5 (12–84) minutes. After 3.1 ± 2.4 (0–14) hours’ ventilator assist and 23.2 ± 32.1 (0–264) hours’ ICU stay, all patients were discharged safely. At the latest follow-up (27.9 ± 14.6 months), echocardiography showed trivial residual shunt in two patients. There was no malignant arrhythmia occurred and there was no chest deformity or asymmetrical development of the breast was found.

Conclusions:

DCVSD repaired via right subaxillary vertical incision through tricuspid approach was safe and feasible, providing a feasible alternative to median sternotomy, and it can be performed with favourable cosmetic results.
Coronary arterial abnormalities detected in children over 10 years following initial Kawasaki disease using cardiac computed tomography
Authors: Chakraborty Rajkumar , Singhal Manphool , Pandiarajan Vignesh , Sharma Avinash , Pilania Rakesh K. , Singh Surjit
Published: January 2021

Objective:

To evaluate whether Kawasaki disease predisposes to premature atherosclerosis and to assess status of coronary artery abnormalities at least 10 years after diagnosis.

Material and methods:

A prospective study was carried out on 21 patients who were diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at least 10 years back and are on regular follow-up. The study was conducted on 128 Slice Dual Source computed tomography scanner with electrocardiography-triggered radiation optimised protocols for assessment of coronary artery abnormalities and calcifications.

Results:

Study cohort had 21 subjects – 15 males and 6 females (age range: 11–23 years; mean: 15.76 + 3.72 years). Mean age at time of diagnosis was 3.21 + 2.48 years. Mean time interval from diagnosis of Kawasaki disease to computed tomography coronary angiography was 12.59 + 2.89 years. Four children had evidence of coronary artery abnormalities on transthoracic echocardiography at time of diagnosis. Of these, two had persistent abnormalities on computed tomography coronary angiography. One subject (4.76%) had coronary calcification that was localised to abnormal coronary artery segment. Four coronary artery abnormalities (one saccular; three fusiform aneurysms) were noted in two subjects.

Conclusion:

Prevalence of coronary artery calcification is low and, if present, is localised to abnormal segments. This calcification is likely dystrophic rather than atherosclerotic. It appears that coronary artery abnormalities can persist for several years after acute episode of Kawasaki disease. Periodic follow-up by computed tomography coronary angiography is now a feasible non-invasive imaging modality for long term surveillance of patients with Kawasaki disease who had coronary artery abnormalities at time of diagnosis.
Dynamic exercise changes in venous pressure and liver stiffness in Fontan patients: effects of Treprostinil
Authors: Possner Mathias , Chaudhry Anisa , Dillman Jonathan R. , Urbina Elaine M. , Gao Zhiqian , McCoy Connie , Faust Michelle , Rossiter Harry B. , Powell Adam W. , Mays Wayne , Veldtman Gruschen
Published: January 2021

Background:

Systemic venous hypertension and low cardiac output are believed to be important mediators of liver injury after the Fontan procedure. Pulmonary vasodilators have the potential to improve such haemodynamics. The aim of this study was to assess the acute effects of exercise on liver stiffness and venous pressures and to assess the impact of inhaled Treprostinil on this response.

Methods:

In this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, 14 patients with a Fontan circulation were randomised to inhalation of placebo and Treprostinil. Incremental and constant work rate exercise tests were performed to assess the effect of Treprostinil on exercise tolerance. Venous pressures were measured throughout and liver stiffness at rest and immediately after peak exercise.

Results:

Mean age was 27.8 ± 7.9 years and 66% were females. Exercise acutely increased liver stiffness by 30% (mean shear wave speed: 2.38 ± 0.71 versus 2.89 ± 0.51 ms, p = 0.02). Peripheral venous pressures increased acutely during both incremental (12.1 ± 2.4 versus 22.6 ± 8.0 mmHg, p < 0.001) and constant work rate exercise (12.5 ± 2.5 versus 23.4 ± 5.2 mmHg, p < 0.001). Overall, Treprostinil failed to attenuate exercise-induced increases in liver stiffness. Compared with placebo, Treprostinil did not significantly impact venous pressure responses, VO2peak, nor exercise endurance times.

Conclusions:

Peripheral venous pressure increased acutely during exercise by an average of 88% above baseline and was not altered by administration of inhaled Treprostinil. Liver stiffness measured immediately post-exercise increased acutely by an average of 30%, with no attenuation following Treprostinil inhalation.
The perspectives of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on marketing mix elements in primary health care: a quantitative study from Lithuania
Authors: Budrevičiūtė Aida , Kalėdienė Ramunė , Paukštaitienė Renata , Bagdonienė Liudmila , Stankūnas Mindaugas , Valius Leonas
Published: January 2021

Background:

A competitive advantage in health care institutions can be cultivated by marketing activities and value creation for patients with chronic diseases in primary health care. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major challenge in primary health care, as managing risk factors and managing patient knowledge can help to prevent a number of major of complications. This study reveals the expectations and attitudes of patients with T2DM regarding marketing mix elements in the management of their condition.

Aim of the study:

To explore the perspectives of patients with T2DM on marketing mix elements in the primary health care institutions of Lithuania.

Materials and methods:

The design of the national study was based on a survey of patients with T2DM that was conducted after consultation with a family physician in primary health care institutions in Lithuania. The survey was conducted from October 2017 to January 2018, and involved 510 patients with T2DM. Data analysis included factor analysis and linear logistic regression. A hypothetical model was built, defining the relationships between marketing mix elements and both perceived value (emotional, functional, and social) and satisfaction with primary health care services.

Results:

The marketing mix element of ‘Service’ is statistically significantly dependent on the gender of the respondents, and is expressed more frequently by women (rcr= 0.118,P= 0.007). The occupation of respondents with T2DM (rcr = 0.151,P= 0.009) and affiliation to primary health care institution (rcr = 0.091,P= 0.040) statistically positively affect the marketing mix element of ‘Price’. The marketing mix elements of ‘Promotion’ and ‘People’ do not statistically significantly depend on the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Only a weak correlation between the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents and the marketing element of ‘Place’ was found. The ‘Process’ element is statistically significantly more relevant to patients with an average monthly income of €350 (rcr= 0.104,P= 0.019). The element of ‘Physical evidence’ is more statistically significantly related to respondents with an average monthly income of €350 (rcr= 0.092,P= 0.038).

Conclusions:

Marketing mix analysis provides information about patients’ expectations of primary health care services and identifies areas of improvement for the health services provided by primary health care institutions. The competitiveness of primary health care services is strengthened by enhancing value for patients, by using elements of the health care marketing, and by increasing patient satisfaction.