bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ETHICAL DECISION‐MAKING: GETTING BETTER AT DOING RIGHT
Authors: Dittmar James K.
Published: July 2021

The author believes that good leadership equates to ethical leadership. Noting some recent examples of bad organizational behavior, he outlines “a model that I trust will help you in your journey of becoming a better leader by being ethical. I call this model the “3‐P’s.” The 3‐P’s represent Process, Perspective, and Person.” In support of this, he writes: First, I use the terms “ethical” and “moral” (and their conjunctive derivatives) interchangeably. Some may distinguish between the two. In this article, both words represent the same concept. Second, circumstances in which ethical decisions must be made (those that have ethical implications or components), come in a variety of forms. Within #1, he writes process “refers to the method of identifying and analyzing the issues related to resolving an ethical dilemma.” In #2, “Perspective refers to your personal values, beliefs, and character (virtues) that determine how you will behave, ethically speaking.” And in #3, for the person, he writes “The phrase moral agent refers to your capacity and ability to act morally or ethically. In this case, you take a hard look into the mirror and ask, Am I able and willing to live out my moral values?”
Ultrasensitive and Selective Impedimetric Determination of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Based on Di‐Succinimide Functionalized Polythiophene Covered Cost‐Effective Indium Tin Oxide
Authors: Aydın Elif Burcu , Aydın Muhammet , Sezgintürk Mustafa Kemal
Published: July 2021

A new and ultrasensitive impedimetric biosensor fabricated by using conjugated di‐succinimide substituted polythiophene (P(ThidiSuc)) polymer modified indium tin oxide electrode is developed for the first time to detect the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA). The polymer P(Thi‐diSuc) is synthesized by using a simple way and used in the fabrication of the proposed biosensor. The synthesized polymer contains di‐succinimide groups, which offers covalent immobilization of PSMA specific antibodies. The developed strategy shortens the biosensor fabrication steps, because these active groups bind covalently to the amino ends of PSMA specific antibodies and this reaction does not require any crosslinking agent. Various characterization studies like impedimetric and voltammetric measurements, and morphological analyses are utilized to confirm the successful development of the biosensor. Under optimum conditions, the biosensing ability of the PSMA determination has a wide linear determination range from 0.015 to 14.4 pg mL−1, as well as a low limit of detection of 6.4 fg mL−1 and a high sensitivity of 1.36 kohm pg−1 mL cm−2. Furthermore, the proposed biosensor is able to measure the PSMA antigen in real human serums, which offers that it is a simple, low‐cost, and sensitive tool with excellent potential for application in the quantification of PSMA.
On non‐instantaneous impulsive fractional differential equations and their equivalent integral equations
Authors: Fernandez Arran , Ali Sartaj , Zada Akbar
Published: July 2021

Real‐world processes that display non‐local behaviours or interactions, and that are subject to external impulses over non‐zero periods, can potentially be modelled using non‐instantaneous impulsive fractional differential equations or systems. These have been the subject of many recent papers, which rely on re‐formulating fractional differential equations in terms of integral equations, in order to prove results such as existence, uniqueness, and stability. However, specifically in the non‐instantaneous impulsive case, some of the existing papers contain invalid re‐formulations of the problem, based on a misunderstanding of how fractional operators behave. In this work, we highlight the correct ways of writing non‐instantaneous impulsive fractional differential equations as equivalent integral equations, considering several different cases according to the lower limits of the integro‐differential operators involved.
Cyanines comprising barbiturate group facilitate NIR‐light assisted ATRP under anaerobic and aerobic conditions at two wavelengths using Fe(III) catalyst
Authors: Kütahya Ceren , Meckbach Nicolai , Strehmel Veronika , Strehmel Bernd
Published: July 2021

Cyanines with heptamethine pattern namely 5‐(6‐(2‐(3‐ethyl‐1,1‐dimethyl‐1H‐benzo[e]indol‐2(3H)‐ylidene)ethylidene)‐2‐(2‐(3‐ethyl‐1,1‐dimethyl‐1H‐benzo[e]indol‐3‐ium‐2yl) vinyl) cyclo‐hex‐1‐en‐1‐yl)‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyrimidin‐4‐olate comprising a barbiturate group facilitate controlled radical polymerization using FeBr3 in the ppm range applying radiation at 790 nm. Tris(4‐methoylphenyl)phosphine, Tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine or tetrabutylammonium bromide served as ligand. The latter showed the best performance resulting in a system needing no amino nitrogen for photo‐ATRP. Ethyl α‐bromophenylacetate worked as initiator. The cyanine interacts with FeBr3 resulting in a new absorption band at 877 nm that also resulted in formation of polymer exhibiting similar molecular weight but higher dispersity compared to that obtained by 790 nm radiation by exposure with a light‐emitting diode (LED) emitting at 870 nm. This explains the reactivity of the system while other cyanines such as 2‐[2‐[3‐[2‐(1,3‐Dihydro‐1,3,3‐trimethyl‐2H‐indol‐2‐ylidene)‐ethylidene]‐2‐(1‐phenyl‐ 1H‐tetrazol‐5‐ylsulfanyl)‐1‐cyclohexen‐1‐yl]‐ethenyl]‐1,3,3‐trimethyl‐3H‐indolium chloride showed no activity by exposure at 790 nm in combination with FeBr3/Br−. Controlled radical polymerization was confirmed by successful chain extension and block copolymerization experiments resulting in polymers, which exhibit a dispersity of about 1.3. Interestingly, the new system comprising the aforementioned barbiturate substituted cyanine, FeBr3/Br− and ethyl α‐bromophenylacetate showed a certain oxygen tolerance. Polymers obtained exhibited similar dispersity as those made under inert conditions.
The strength of a chemical bond
Authors: Zhao Lili , Zhi Minna , Frenking Gernot
Published: July 2021

We discuss the physical criteria that have been proposed as a measure of the strength of a chemical bond. Critical examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the various quantities shows that the force constant is the most general measure for determining the strength of a chemical bond in molecules. The force constant of a bond AB is a direct indicator of the interatomic forces between the fragments A and B at the equilibrium distance, which is independent from the energies and electronic structures of the free species A and B. This is a great advantage compared to the use of energy differences for determining the bond strength, which are subject to the choice of the reference system that is often not uniquely defined. This is particularly evident when considering the strength of a chemical bond in strongly bonded but metastable species such as [O2]2+. The change in the electronic structure of the reference system obscures the intrinsic bond strength at equilibrium. Energy changes along the course of chemical reactions are elementary quantities in chemistry; they provide crucial information for the kinetics and thermodynamics of processors. However, they are not suitable as a measure of bond strength. The definition of local vibrational constants by Konkoli and Cremer eliminates the coupling of the stretching vibration with other vibrational modes, which makes it possible to use force constants as direct measure for bond strength also in larger molecules.
Transcriptome analysis reveals potential mechanisms of the effects of dietary Enteromorpha polysaccharides on bursa of Fabricius in broilers
Authors: Qiu Sheng‐Jian , Zhang Rui , Guo Yan , Zhao Yue , Zhao Zhi‐Hui , Liu Wen‐Chao
Published: July 2021

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Enteromorpha polysaccharides (EP) on relative organ weight of broilers, and RNA‐seq technique was used to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of the positive effects of EP on relative organ weight. A total of 396 1‐day‐old male chicks (Arbor Acres) were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments containing EP at 0 (EP0), 1000 (EP1000), 2500 (EP2500), 4000 (EP4000), 5500 (EP5500), and 7000 (EP7000) mg/kg levels for a 35‐day feeding trial. At the end of feeding trail, six birds (one bird from each replicate cage) were randomly selected from each treatment and then slaughtered for relative organ weight analysis. The results showed that the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius were increased in the EP1000 group (p < 0.05), and then three bursa of Fabricius samples from each group (EP0 and EP1000) were randomly selected for RNA‐seq analysis. The results of RNA‐seq analysis showed that there were 20 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between EP0 and EP1000 groups, among the DEGs, 6 genes were upregulated and 14 genes were downregulated by EP1000 supplementation (p‐adjust < 0.05). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis suggested that the DEGs were mainly enriched in negative regulation of toll‐like receptor 9 signaling pathway (p‐corrected < 0.05). Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in phagosome, mitophagy‐animal, Salmonella infection, autophagy‐animal signaling pathways (p‐corrected = 0.081). Taken together, dietary EP supplementation at 1000 mg/kg level promoted the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius may be involved in improving the immune function of broilers. These findings provided a reference for further exploring the specific molecular mechanism of EP that affecting the organ development in broilers.
A traversable wormhole teleportation protocol in the SYK model
Authors: Gao Ping , Jafferis Daniel Louis
Published: July 2021

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a concrete teleportation protocol in the SYK model based on a particle traversing a wormhole. The required operations for the communication, and insertion and extraction of the qubit, are all simple operators in terms of the basic qubits. We determine the effectiveness of this protocol, and find a version achieves almost perfect fidelity. Many features of semiclassical traversable wormholes are manifested in this setup.
Conformal wave expansions for flat space amplitudes
Authors: Liu Chang , Lowe David A.
Published: July 2021

Abstract

The extended BMS algebra contains a conformal subgroup that acts on the celestial sphere as SO(1, 3). It is of interest to perform mode expansions of free fields in Minkowski spacetime that realize this symmetry in a simple way. In the present work we perform such a mode expansion for massive scalar fields using the unitary principal series representations of SO(1, 3) with a view to developing a holographic approach to gravity in asymptotically flat spacetime. These mode expansions are also of use in studying holography in three-dimensional de Sitter spacetime.
Cariprazine alleviates core behavioral deficits in the prenatal valproic acid exposure model of autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Román Viktor , Adham Nika , Foley Andrew G. , Hanratty Lynsey , Farkas Bence , Lendvai Balázs , Kiss Béla
Published: July 2021

Rationale

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The unmet medical need in ASD is considerable since there is no approved pharmacotherapy for the treatment of these deficits in social communication, interaction, and behavior. Cariprazine, a dopamine D3-preferring D3/D2 receptor partial agonist, is already approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder in adults; investigation in patients with ASD is warranted.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cariprazine, compared with risperidone and aripiprazole, in the rat prenatal valporic acid (VPA) exposure model on behavioral endpoints representing the core and associated symptoms of ASD.

Methods

To induce the ASD model, time-mated Wistar rat dams were treated with VPA during pregnancy. Male offspring were assigned to groups and studied in a behavioral test battery at different ages, employing social play, open field, social approach-avoidance, and social recognition memory tests. Animals were dosed orally, once a day for 8 days, with test compounds (cariprazine, risperidone, aripiprazole) or vehicle before behavioral assessment.

Results

Cariprazine showed dose-dependent efficacy on all behavioral endpoints. In the social play paradigm, only cariprazine was effective. On the remaining behavioral endpoints, including the reversal of hyperactivity, risperidone and aripiprazole displayed similar efficacy to cariprazine.

Conclusions

In the present study, cariprazine effectively reversed core behavioral deficits and hyperactivity present in juvenile and young adult autistic-like rats. These findings indicate that cariprazine may be useful in the treatment of ASD symptoms.
Vulnerability factors for mephedrone-induced conditioned place preference in rats—the impact of sex differences, social-conditioning and stress
Authors: Wronikowska Olga , Zykubek Maria , Kurach Łukasz , Michalak Agnieszka , Boguszewska-Czubara Anna , Budzyńska Barbara
Published: July 2021

Rationale

Mephedrone is a frequently overused drug of abuse that belongs to the group of novel psychoactive substances. Although its mechanism of action, as well as toxic and psychoactive effects, has been widely studied, the role of different factors that could contribute to the increased vulnerability to mephedrone abuse is still poorly understood.

Objectives

The aim of the presented study was to assess the impact of several factors (sex differences, social-conditioning, and chronic mild unpredictable stress — CMUS) on the liability to mephedrone-induced reward in Wistar rats.

Methods

The rewarding effects of mephedrone in male and female rats were assessed using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. Furthermore, the impact of social factor and stress was evaluated in male rats using social-CPP and CMUS-dependent CPP, respectively.

Results

Mephedrone induced classic-CPP in female (10 mg/kg), as well as in male (10 and 20 mg/kg) rats. However, the impact of mephedrone treatment during social-CPP was highly dose-dependent as the rewarding effects of low dose of mephedrone (5 mg/kg; non-active in classic-CPP) were potentiated when administered during social-conditioning. Interestingly, social-conditioning with a higher dose of 20 mg/kg (that induced classic-CPP) was able to reverse these effects. Finally, CMUS potentiated rewarding effects of a low dose of mephedrone (5 mg/kg) and increased the level of corticosterone in rats’ prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Conclusions

Altogether, the presented results give new insight into possible factors underlying the vulnerability to mephedrone abuse and can serve as a basis for further studies assessing mechanisms underlying observed effects.
Remarks on Stationary and Uniformly-rotating Vortex Sheets: Rigidity Results
Authors: Gómez-Serrano Javier , Park Jaemin , Shi Jia , Yao Yao
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we show that the only solution of the vortex sheet equation, either stationary or uniformly rotating with negative angular velocity $$\Omega $$
Ω
, such that it has positive vorticity and is concentrated in a finite disjoint union of smooth curves with finite length is the trivial one: constant vorticity amplitude supported on a union of nested, concentric circles. The proof follows a desingularization argument and a calculus of variations flavor.
The “beauty in the beast”—the multiple uses of Priestia megaterium in biotechnology
Authors: Biedendieck Rebekka , Knuuti Tobias , Moore Simon J. , Jahn Dieter
Published: July 2021

Over 30 years, the Gram-positive bacterium Priestia megaterium (previously known as Bacillus megaterium) was systematically developed for biotechnological applications ranging from the production of small molecules like vitamin B12, over polymers like polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) up to the in vivo and in vitro synthesis of multiple proteins and finally whole-cell applications. Here we describe the use of the natural vitamin B12 (cobalamin) producer P. megaterium for the elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway and the subsequent systematic knowledge-based development for production purposes. The formation of PHB, a natural product of P. megaterium and potential petro-plastic substitute, is covered and discussed. Further important biotechnological characteristics of P. megaterium for recombinant protein production including high protein secretion capacity and simple cultivation on value-added carbon sources are outlined. This includes the advanced system with almost 30 commercially available expression vectors for the intracellular and extracellular production of recombinant proteins at the g/L scale. We also revealed a novel P. megaterium transcription-translation system as a complementary and versatile biotechnological tool kit. As an impressive biotechnology application, the formation of various cytochrome P450 is also critically highlighted. Finally, whole cellular applications in plant protection are completing the overall picture of P. megaterium as a versatile giant cell factory.

Key points

• The use of Priestia megaterium for the biosynthesis of small molecules and recombinant proteins through to whole-cell applications is reviewed.

• P. megaterium can act as a promising alternative host in biotechnological production processes.
3-D visualization of transparent fluid flows from snapshot light field data
Authors: Eberhart Martin , Loehle Stefan , Offenhäuser Philipp
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the use of light field data, recorded in a snapshot from a single plenoptic camera, for 3-D visualization of transparent fluid flows. We demonstrate the transfer of light field deconvolution, a method so far used only in microscopy, to macroscopic scales with a photographic setup. This technique is suitable for optically thin media without any additional particles or tracers and allows volumetric investigation of non-stationary flows with a simple single camera setup. An experimental technique for the determination of the shift-variant point spread functions is presented, which is a key for applications using a photographic optical system. The paper shows results from different test cases with increasing complexity. Reconstruction of the 3-D positions of randomly distributed light points demonstrates the achievable high accuracy of the technique. Gas flames and droplets of a fluorescent liquid show the feasibility of the proposed method for the visualization of transparent, luminous flows. The visualizations exhibit high quality and resolution in low-contrast flows, where standard plenoptic software based on computer vision fails. Axial resolution depends on the data and is about an order of magnitude lower than the lateral resolution for simple point objects. The technique also allows the time-resolved analysis of flow structures and the generation of 3D3C-velocity fields from a sequence of exposures.

Graphical Abstract
PBMC telomerase activity in depression and the response to electroconvulsive therapy
Authors: Ryan Karen M. , Finnegan Martha , Harkin Andrew , McLoughlin Declan M.
Published: July 2021

Telomerase, the DNA polymerase responsible for maintaining telomere length, has previously been implicated in depression and the response to antidepressant drugs. In this study, we aimed to compare telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells between patients with severe depression recruited as part of the KEEP-WELL Trial (Ketamine for Depression Relapse Prevention Following ECT; NCT02414932) and age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers both at baseline/pre-ECT and at follow-up 1 month later for controls or in patients after a course of ECT. We found no differences in telomerase activity between patients with depression (n = 20) compared to healthy controls (n = 33) at baseline/pre-ECT, or between patients treated with ECT compared to controls at follow-up. In patients, telomerase activity was not associated with mood, as assessed by the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, or the duration of the current depressive episode. Additionally, we found no significant relationship between telomerase activity and exposure to recent or childhood adversity in either the patient or control groups. Overall, our results suggest that telomerase activity is not associated with depression, the therapeutic response to ECT, or exposure to adversity.
Autonomous ships for container shipping in the Arctic routes
Authors: Munim Ziaul Haque , Saha Rana , Schøyen Halvor , Ng Adolf K. Y. , Notteboom Theo E.
Published: July 2021

This study investigates the competitiveness of various autonomous ship categories for container shipping in the Arctic route. We propose a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework using four ship categories as alternatives and eight criteria for competitiveness evaluation. We analyse collected data using the Best–Worst Method (BWM), one of the recently developed MCDM methods. The findings reveal that operating expenses, navigation aspects, and environmental protection are the three most important criteria for deploying autonomous ships in the Arctic route. Among the three investigated autonomous ships alternatives, the semi-autonomous ship operated from a shore control centre (SCC) is prioritized for Arctic shipping in the foreseeable future, when benchmarked against the conventional ship. The SCC-controlled semi-autonomous ship alternative is competitive in the majority of the considered criteria including operating expenses, capital expenses, navigation, ship-shore and ship–ship communication, search and rescue, and environmental protection.
The Wealth Effect of Corporate Water Actions: How Past Corporate Responsibility and Irresponsibility Influence Stock Market Reactions
Authors: Afrin Rafia , Peng Ni , Bowen Frances
Published: July 2021

Ensuring access to clean water is one of the most important development and health challenges of the twenty-first century. Given the manifold impacts of business activities on water resources, corporate water actions should be of central concern to business ethics researchers. Yet so far we know too little about whether business activities that impact on water resources are noticed or how corporate water actions are valued by a firm’s stakeholders, including by financial markets. In response, we conduct an event study to investigate the shareholder wealth effect of reports of corporate water actions. We explore stock market reactions to water actions by S&P 500 firms from 2005 to 2017, showing that the market reacts positively to reports of responsible water actions and negatively to irresponsible actions. We further explain that these abnormal returns to water actions are associated with a firm’s past performance on ethical issues, arguing that the reputational effects from prior corporate social responsibility and irresponsibility influence market reactions. Our analysis provides evidence that there are diminishing marginal returns to responsible water actions for firms with records of past responsibility and an offsetting effect for those with past irresponsibility. Similarly, we demonstrate an insurance effect that limits punishment for irresponsible water actions for firms with responsible performance records and diminishing negative marginal returns for those already seen to be irresponsible. This study is the first to show that shareholders recognize market value in corporate water actions and are prepared to award or punish firms in stock markets based on their impacts on water.
Inflation puzzles, the Phillips Curve and output expectations: new perspectives from the Euro Zone
Authors: Passamani Giuliana , Sardone Alessandro , Tamborini Roberto
Published: July 2021

Confidence in the Phillips Curve (PC) as predictor of inflation developments along the business cycle has been shaken by recent “inflation puzzles” in advanced countries, such as the “missing disinflation” in the aftermath of the Great Recession and the “missing inflation” in the years of recovery, to which the Euro-Zone “excess deflation” during the post-crisis depression may be added. This paper proposes a newly specified Phillips Curve model, in which expected inflation, instead of being treated as an exogenous explanatory variable of actual inflation, is endogenized. The idea is simply that if the PC is used to foresee inflation, then its expectational component should in some way be the result of agents using the PC itself. As a consequence, the truly independent explanatory variables of inflation turn out to be the output gaps and the related forecast errors by agents, with notable empirical consequences. The model is tested with the Euro-Zone data 1999–2019 showing that it may provide a consistent explanation of the “inflation puzzles” by disentangling the structural component from the expectational effects of the PC.
Functional tricuspid regurgitation, related right heart remodeling, and available treatment options: good news for patients with heart failure?
Authors: Tadic Marijana , Cuspidi Cesare , Morris Daniel Armando , Rottbauer Wolfang
Published: July 2021

Significant functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) represents a poor prognostic factor independent of right ventricular (RV) function. It is usually the consequence of left-sided cardiac diseases that induce RV dilatation and dysfunction, but it can also resulted from right atrial (RA) enlargement and consequent tricuspid annular dilatation. FTR is very frequent among patients with heart failure, particularly in those with reduced LVEF and concomitant functional mitral regurgitation. The development of three-dimensional echocardiography enabled detailed assessment of tricuspid valve anatomy, subvavlular apparatus, and RA and RV changes, as well as accurate evaluation of FTR etiology. Due to high in-hospital mortality risk in patients who were operatively treated for isolated FTR, it has been treated only medically for a long time. Percutaneous approach considers mainly transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (edge-to-edge and annuloplasty) and represents a very attractive option for the high-risk patients. Studies that investigated the effects of different devices showed excellent feasibility and safety, followed by significant reduction in FTR grade, improvement in functional capacity and NYHA class, quality of life, and reduction in hospitalization due to heart failure. Some investigations also reported a decreased mortality in FTR patients. Nevertheless, the results of these investigations should be interpreted with cautious due to the small number of participants and relatively short follow-up. The aim of this review was to summarize the existing data about the clinical importance of FTR and FTR-induced right heart remodeling and currently existing therapeutic approaches for treatment of FTR.
Islam and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Between Religious Practice and Health Protection
Authors: Piwko Aldona Maria
Published: July 2021

This paper concerns a problem, the global pandemic COVID-19, which has influenced religious practices with respect to health protection across the Muslim world. Rapid transmission of the virus between people has become a serious challenge and a threat to the health protection of many countries. The increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in the Muslim community took place during and after the pilgrimages to Iran's Qom and as a result of the Jamaat Tabligh movement meetings. However, restrictions on religious practices have become a platform for political discussions, especially among Muslim clergy. This paper is an analysis of the religious and political situation in Muslim countries, showing the use of Islam to achieve specific goals by the authorities, even at the price of the health and life of citizens.
Re-drawing the Maps for Endemic Mycoses
Authors: Ashraf Nida , Kubat Ryan C. , Poplin Victoria , Adenis Antoine A. , Denning David W. , Wright Laura , McCotter Orion , Schwartz Ilan S. , Jackson Brendan R. , Chiller Tom , Bahr Nathan C.
Published: July 2021

Endemic mycoses such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and talaromycosis are well-known causes of focal and systemic disease within specific geographic areas of known endemicity. However, over the past few decades, there have been increasingly frequent reports of infections due to endemic fungi in areas previously thought to be “non-endemic.” There are numerous potential reasons for this shift such as increased use of immune suppressive medications, improved diagnostic tests, increased disease recognition, and global factors such as migration, increased travel, and climate change. Regardless of the causes, it has become evident that our previous understanding of endemic regions for these fungal diseases needs to evolve. The epidemiology of the newly describedEmergomycesis incomplete; our understanding of it continues to evolve. This review will focus on the evidence underlying the established areas of endemicity for these mycoses as well as new data and reports from medical literature that support the re-thinking these geographic boundaries. Updating the endemic fungi maps would inform clinical practice and global surveillance of these diseases.
Regional Differences in Antifungal Susceptibility of the Prevalent Dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum
Authors: Jiang Y. , Luo W. , Verweij P. E. , Song Y. , Zhang B. , Shang Z. , Al-Hatmi A. M. S. , Ahmed S. A. , Wan Z. , Li R. , de Hoog G. S.
Published: July 2021

In vitro susceptibility testing forTrichophyton rubrumhas shown resistance to terbinafine, azoles and amorolfine, locally, but epidemiological cutoffs are not available. In order to assess the appropriateness of current first-line antifungal treatment forT. rubrumin China, we characterized antifungal susceptibility patterns of ChineseT. rubrumstrains to nine antifungals and also described the upper limits of wild-type (WT) minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) (UL-WT) based on our study and another six studies published during the last decades. Sixty-two clinical isolates originating from seven provinces in China were identified asT. rubrumsensu stricto; all Chinese strains showed low MICs to eight out of nine antifungal drugs. Terbinafine (TBF) showed the lowest MICs of all antifungal classes tested in both the Chinese and global groups, with a 97.5% UL-WT MIC-value of 0.03 mg/L. No non-WT isolates were observed for TBF in China, but were reported in 18.5% of the global group. Our study indicated that TBF was still the most active drug for ChineseT. rubrumisolates, and all strains were within the WT-population. TBF therefore remains recommended for primary therapy to dermatophytosis caused byT. rubrumin China now, but regular surveillance of dermatophytes and antifungal susceptibility is recommended.
Tinea Capitis by Microsporum canis in an Elderly Female with Extensive Dermatophyte Infection
Authors: Yang Zhihui , Chen Wei , Wan Zhe , Song Yinggai , Li Ruoyu
Published: July 2021

Tinea capitis is a type of dermatophyte infection primarily affecting children. We report a case of an elderly woman with well-controlled diabetes mellitus presenting with a six-month history of erythema with yellow crusts on her scalp and extensive erythematous patches with scales on the body skin. She adopted a stray cat before the disease onset. Dermoscopic findings and manifestation under the Wood’s lamp favoured the diagnosis of tinea capitis. Further microscopic examinations of her scalp, including direct KOH and fluorescence stain examination, fungal culture and polymerase chain reaction sequencing identification confirmed the diagnosis of tinea capitis caused by Microsporum canis. Treatment with oral terbinafine was effective. Adult tinea capitis is often misdiagnosed due to its rarity and atypical presentation. However, in some regions, the incidence of tinea capitis in immunocompetent adults is rising which requires the awareness of clinicians. A thorough history (including the animal contacting history), physical examination and further mycological examinations are required for diagnosis. Trichophyton violaceum is the most common dermatophyte species in most regions while adult tinea capitis caused by Microsporum canis is less common. Terbinafine, griseofulvin and itroconazole have been reported to be effective drugs for the treatment of tinea capitis, and terbinafine can be considered as systemic treatment in elderly patients with comorbidities to reduce the drug–drug interaction.
Correction to: Alternatives to the EM algorithm for ML estimation of location, scatter matrix, and degree of freedom of the Student t distribution
Authors: Hasannasab Marzieh , Hertrich Johannes , Laus Friederike , Steidl Gabriele
Published: July 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: 10.1007/s11075-021-01156-z
How Is Fortitude Among Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago Expressed and Formed? Clues from a Study of Polish Pilgrims
Authors: Seryczyńska Berenika , Duda Tomasz
Published: July 2021

In 2019 alone, the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James), one of Europe’s three most significant medieval pilgrimage routes, was followed by 347,511 pilgrims from around the world. This pilgrimage route has been the subject of numerous research projects conducted by international groups of specialists in various scientific disciplines. This study presents correlations between St. Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine on the virtue of fortitude and the experience of Polish pilgrims on the Camino based on 50 in-depth interviews conducted in the summer of 2019 on Monte do Gozo in Santiago de Compostela. This objective was achieved using the methodology of qualitative research following Steinar Kvale’s recommendations. The transcriptions of the interviews were coded based on the classifications in the Summa Theologica by Aquinas, classified into categories, and subsequently analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020. The virtue of fortitude is indispensable in the decision-making process and the ability to put one’s decisions into practice (Morales-Sánchez & Cabello-Medina, 2013. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(4), 717–734). One manifestation of the Camino pilgrims’ virtue of fortitude allowed them to believe that they would be more employable after they returned to their communities.
Convolutors on $${\mathcal S}_{\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$
Authors: Albanese Angela A. , Mele Claudio
Published: July 2021

In this paper we continue the study of the spaces $${\mathcal O}_{M,\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$

O

M
,
ω

(

R

N

)

and $${\mathcal O}_{C,\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$

O

C
,
ω

(

R

N

)

undertaken in Albanese and Mele (J Pseudo-Differ Oper Appl, 2021). We determine new representations of such spaces and we give some structure theorems for their dual spaces. Furthermore, we show that $${\mathcal O}'_{C,\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$

O

C
,
ω

′

(

R

N

)

is the space of convolutors of the space $${\mathcal S}_\omega ({\mathbb R}^N)$$

S
ω

(

R

N

)

of the $$\omega $$
ω
-ultradifferentiable rapidly decreasing functions of Beurling type (in the sense of Braun, Meise and Taylor) and of its dual space $${\mathcal S}'_\omega ({\mathbb R}^N)$$

S

ω
′

(

R

N

)

. We also establish that the Fourier transform is an isomorphism from $${\mathcal O}'_{C,\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$

O

C
,
ω

′

(

R

N

)

onto $${\mathcal O}_{M,\omega }({\mathbb R}^N)$$

O

M
,
ω

(

R

N

)

. In particular, we prove that this isomorphism is topological when the former space is endowed with the strong operator lc-topology induced by $${\mathcal L}_b({\mathcal S}_\omega ({\mathbb R}^N))$$

L
b

(

S
ω

(

R

N

)

)

and the last space is endowed with its natural lc-topology.
Co-occurrence network of TV advertisements revealing Japanese lifestyle
Authors: Ito Mariko I. , Ohnishi Takaaki
Published: July 2021

The relationship between culture and the appeals in TV advertisements has been extensively studied. We attempted to reveal the image structure produced by TV commercials in Japan, which may show the cultural features of the country, and to evaluate its temporal change. For this purpose, we constructed and analysed a co-occurrence network of keywords related to TV commercials by using immense data that include the records of all TV commercials aired in the Kanto area in Japan including Tokyo for a period of 15 years. We found a strong heterogeneity of the co-occurrence relationship, where a few keywords, e.g., ‘woman’, ‘man’, ‘animation’, and ‘logo’, co-occur with a huge number of other keywords every year. A community on a co-occurrence network can be regarded as a set of keywords that are mutually associated with each other through TV commercials. We examined the characteristics of the communities by associating them with categories of advertised products and found a temporal change in which the relationship between the communities possessing the image of entertainment and children and the category of PC and A/V gradually increases in strength. However, there was a consistent tendency in the examined period for the product categories related to communities that include ‘man’ to be less associated with those that include ‘woman’ and vice versa, which implicates a gender role inequality underlying the various appeals in TV commercials.
Face-Based Attention Recognition Model for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Banire Bilikis , Al Thani Dena , Qaraqe Marwa , Mansoor Bilal
Published: July 2021

Attention recognition plays a vital role in providing learning support for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The unobtrusiveness of face-tracking techniques makes it possible to build automatic systems to detect and classify attentional behaviors. However, constructing such systems is a challenging task due to the complexity of attentional behavior in ASD. This paper proposes a face-based attention recognition model using two methods. The first is based on geometric feature transformation using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, and the second is based on the transformation of time-domain spatial features to 2D spatial images using a convolutional neural network (CNN) approach. We conducted an experimental study on different attentional tasks for 46 children (ASD n=20, typically developing children n=26) and explored the limits of the face-based attention recognition model for participant and task differences. Our results show that the geometric feature transformation using an SVM classifier outperforms the CNN approach. Also, attention detection is more generalizable within typically developing children than within ASD groups and within low-attention tasks than within high-attention tasks. This paper highlights the basis for future face-based attentional recognition for real-time learning and clinical attention interventions.
Cannabinoids and their derivatives in struggle against melanoma
Authors: Marzęda Paweł , Drozd Małgorzata , Wróblewska-Łuczka Paula , Łuszczki Jarogniew J.
Published: July 2021

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignances in human. Recently developed therapies improved overall survival rate, however, the treatment of melanoma still remains a challenging issue. This review attempts to summarize recent advances in studies on cannabinoids used in the setting of melanoma treatment. Searches were carried out in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Research Gate. Conclusions after analysis of available data suggest that cannabinoids limit number of metastasis, and reduce growth of melanoma. The findings indicate that cannabinoids induce apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest and exert significant interactions with tumor microenvironment. Cannabinoids should be rather considered as a part of multi-targeted anti-tumor therapy instead of being standalone agent. Moreover, cannabinoids are likely to improve quality of life in patients with cancer, due to different supportive effects, like analgesia and/or anti-emetic effects. In this review, it was pointed out that cannabinoids may be potentially useful in the melanoma therapy. Nevertheless, due to limited amount of data, great variety of cannabinoids available and lack of clinical trials, further studies are required to determine an exact role of cannabinoids in the treatment of melanoma.

Graphic abstract
Sacral Neuromodulation for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Effect of Therapy on Saudi Patient Sexual Function
Authors: Banakhar Mai Ahmed , Youness Ayman
Published: July 2021

Background

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is FDA-approved therapy for lower urinary tract and bowel dysfunction. It is newly introduced therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Aim

To evaluate the effect of SNM therapy in both male and female Saudi patient's sexual function.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted for all patients who underwent SNM implantation from January 2016 till January 2020 at a single center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sexual function was assessed before and after treatment using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) for men and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for women.

Main Outcome measures

Sexual function score changes from the baseline was reported. Correlation analysis was studied between IIEF-5 to assess erectile dysfunction and FSFI assessing desire, arousal, orgasm, pain and sexual satisfaction and other collected data including patient's age, functional diagnosis and post void residual (PVR).

Results

The study included 13 total patients (8 female, 5 male) with mean age 47y (33-60). Diagnosis included non-obstructive urine retention (5), refractory overactive bladder (3), combined retention + over active bladder (OAB) (1), pelvic pain syndrome (3) and impotence in 1 patient. All male patients showed significant improvement in their IIEF-5 score from mean pre op 7.8 ±5.7 to post op sore of 19.8±2.3 with significant p value p=0.003.

Female patients showed significant improvement in their FSFI total score from baseline of 18.313±7.4 to post-operative mean FSFI score 26.7±1.8 with p value = 0.013. Domains od FSFI which showed significant improvement were desire, arousal, orgasm and sexual satisfaction with p value =0.002, p=00.1,0.012, and p=0.015. Age, functional diagnosis and PVR did not show significant correlation with IIEF-5 and FSFI score.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that SNM might improve male and female sexual dysfunction regardless of patient's age and diagnosis. Banakhar MA, Younos A. Sacral neuromodulation for lower urinary tract symptoms: effect of therapy on Saudi patient sexual function. Sex Med 2021;9:100388.
The Question To Be Faced Is One of Fact: H.L.A. Hart’s Legal Theory Through His View of International Law
Authors: Bisogni Giovanni
Published: July 2021

H.L.A. Hart says that The Concept of Law is focused on municipal or domestic law because that is the “central case”1 for the usage of the word ‘law.’ At the beginning of the book he states that “at various points in this book the reader will find discussions of the borderline cases where legal theorists have felt doubts about the application of the expression ‘law’ or ‘legal system,’ but the suggested resolution of these doubts, which he will also find here, is only a secondary concern of the book.”2 Yet among those borderline cases there is one that is rather intriguing, since Hart closely discusses a particular instance of them: it is international law, to which he devotes an entire chapter—the final one—of The Concept of Law. My goal in this article is therefore to make clear why the ‘resolution’ of the borderline case of international law is not entirely ‘secondary’ to Hart’s overall project in The Concept of Law and, in so doing, to show that Chapter X is not as unhappy as many think it is.
Food intake in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study from 2009/2010 to 2015/2016
Authors: Tell Maria N. , Hedin Katarina , Nilsson Mats , Golsäter Marie , Lingfors Hans
Published: July 2021

The aim was to describe food intake over time in children and adolescents, with respect to age and gender. The present study was a repeated cross-sectional study using self-reported data from a health questionnaire. Data were collected from the School Health Services in south-east Sweden from 44 297 students, 10, 13–14 and 16 years of age, 48 % girls and 52 % boys from 2009/2010 to 2015/2016. Reported intakes for eight foods were analysed in relation to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Seventeen per cent of the students reported an intake in line with the recommendations for at least six of the eight foods fish, vegetables, fruit, mealtime beverages, juice/chocolate drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets/snacks and pastries. Intake of at least two fruits a day was the recommendation that was followed by the lowest proportion of students (30 %), and this result was stable over the study period. There was a gradual increase over time in the proportion of students who reported an intake in line with the recommendations. Younger students compared to older students, as well as girls compared to boys, reported intakes in line with the recommendations to a statistically significant larger extent. Few students reported intakes in line with the recommendations, although the quality of food intake seems to improve over time. The present results indicate a deterioration in reported food intake in the early years of adolescence. Finding methods to support all children and especially older adolescents to eat healthier, including eating more fruit, is of great importance to public health.
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation of melted snow and ice samples: inactivation of microorganisms and effects on insoluble microparticles
Authors: Nakazawa Fumio , Goto-Azuma Kumiko
Published: July 2021

The long-term refrigerated storage of melted snow and/or ice samples for analyses of insoluble microparticles (hereafter, microparticles) may be limited by increases in the biological particle concentration caused by microbial growth after ~1–2 weeks. In this study, we examined an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection method for the storage of melted snow and/or ice samples and determined the effects of this method on microparticles. Surface snow obtained from Glacier No. 31 in the Suntar-Khayata Range, eastern Siberia, Russia was divided into two portions for UV treatment and untreated controls. Microparticle concentrations and size distributions (in the range of 0.52–12.0 μm) in the samples were measured using a Coulter counter. Whereas the microparticle concentration in untreated samples increased, no obvious increase was observed over 53 d in the samples subjected to UV treatment. Microbial growth was detected in only untreated samples using a viable particle counter. In addition, the original microparticle concentrations and size distributions were unaffected by UV treatment. Our results demonstrated that the microparticle size distribution in untreated melted water samples reflects the growth, decomposition and succession of microorganisms over time and further indicate that UV irradiation is effective for long-term storage for microparticle analysis.