bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma presenting with elevated serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9): a case report
Authors: Kihara Minoru , Miyauchi Akira , Hirokawa Mitsuyoshi , Fujishima Makoto , Masuoka Hiroo , Higashiyama Takuya , Onoda Naoyoshi , Ito Yasuhiro , Miya Akihiro
Published: March 2022

Background

The major sites of distant metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are the lung and bone; metastasis to the liver is rare. Although the postoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) level after total thyroidectomy is a good prognostic indicator for PTC when anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) is negative, the presence of TgAb interferes with the Tg assay, making serum Tg levels unreliable. Here we report a case of liver metastasis of PTC that presented with elevated serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), which is usually a serum marker of pancreatic and gastrointestinal neoplasias.

Case presentation

A 69-year-old man was diagnosed with PTC and underwent total thyroidectomy 16 years ago. The patient’s serum Tg levels increased progressively during follow-up and his serum TgAb was negative. Positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) revealed metastases of the lung, cervical spine, mediastinum and liver. The liver lesion was a solitary tumor measuring 4.0 cm in the greatest dimension. His serum CA19-9 level was very high (326 U/mL), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was suspected from the results of various examinations including gastrointestinal endoscopic imaging and CT. Laparoscopic partial liver resection for segment 4 was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was a metastatic liver tumor from PTC. The immunohistological examination revealed that the liver tumor was positive for CA19-9 and Tg. The primary PTC, recovered from paraffin-embedded specimen, was also positive for CA19-9. After the surgery, his serum CA19-9 level as well as serum Tg level markedly decreased.

Conclusions

We presented the first reported case of liver metastasis of a PTC presenting with elevated serum levels of CA19-9 after total thyroidectomy. This case suggests that the serum CA19-9 levels may serve as a surrogate marker for PTC in place of the serum Tg level in patients with positive serum TgAb if the PTC and/or the metastatic lesions are positive for CA19-9 staining.
Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma occurring in bilateral inguinal canals metachronously: a case report
Authors: Oshikiri Hiroyuki , Ozawa Yohei , Suzuki On , Usuda Masahiro , Miyata Go
Published: March 2022

Background

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is a benign tumor that usually occurs in middle-aged females. Although several published studies have reported the occurrence of this tumor in the abdominal cavity, few have documented its development in the inguinal region.

Case presentation

We present a case of a 48-year-old female presenting with a bulge in her left inguinal region. Physical examination revealed a golf ball-sized nodule in the left inguinal region that could not be pushed back into the abdominal cavity. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a multicystic tumor; therefore, the patient was diagnosed with inguinal hernia or hydrocele of the Nuck’s canal. We performed surgical resection and hernia repair using the mesh plug method. The resected specimen was 80 mm in length and contained a multicystic tumor. Pathological examination showed that the cyst wall was lined by a single layer of cuboidal to single layer squamous epithelium. Immunohistochemistry revealed positivity for calretinin in the epithelial cells, for which a diagnosis of BMPM was established. The patient returned to our hospital after 5 years with symptoms similar to the previous episode, but this time in the right inguinal region. Imaging studies showed a tumor in the right inguinal region with the same characteristics as the previous one. The patient underwent tumor resection and hernia repair using the same technique. The resected tumor was 45 mm in length and had characteristics similar to the previously resected tumor. The presence of calretinin and D2-40 on immunohistochemistry led to the diagnosis of BMPM. There was no recurrence of BMPM for 33 months after the secondary surgery.

Conclusions

Here we present the first report of metachronous BMPM occurring in bilateral inguinal canals. Although the pathogenesis of BMPM remains unclear, reactive changes have been suggested to cause tumors originating from the groin. The treatment of choice for BMPM is surgical resection. For diagnosis, pathological examination with immunostaining can be useful. The most appropriate postoperative follow-up for inguinal BMPM is controversial, and the accumulation of more inguinal BMPM cases is needed.
Impact of maternally derived immunity on immune responses elicited by piglet early vaccination against the most common pathogens involved in porcine respiratory disease complex
Authors: Martínez-Boixaderas Núria , Garza-Moreno Laura , Sibila Marina , Segalés Joaquim
Published: March 2022

Background

Newborn piglets can trigger an elementary immune response, but the acquirement of specific antibodies and/or cellular immunity against pathogens before they get infected post-natally is paramount to preserve their health. This is especially important for the pathogens involved in porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) as they are widespread, fairly resistant at environment, and genetically variable; moreover, some of them can cause intrauterine/early life infections.

Main body

Piglet protection can be achieved by either passive transfer of maternal derived immunity (MDI) and/or actively through vaccination. However, vaccinating piglets in the presence of remaining MDI might interfere with vaccine efficacy. Hence, the purpose of this work is to critically review the putative interference that MDI may exert on vaccine efficacy against PRDC pathogens. This knowledge is crucial to design a proper vaccination schedule.

Conclusion

MDI transferred from sows to offspring could potentially interfere with the development of an active humoral immune response. However, no conclusive interference has been shown regarding performance parameters based on the existing published literature.
Low humoral immune response to the BNT162b2 vaccine against COVID-19 in nursing home residents undergoing hemodialysis: a case–control observational study
Authors: Kitamura Mineaki , Takazono Takahiro , Yamamoto Kazuko , Harada Takashi , Funakoshi Satoshi , Mukae Hiroshi , Nishino Tomoya
Published: March 2022

Background

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) face a high mortality risk from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and they are therefore prioritized for vaccination. However, the efficacy of vaccination in this vulnerable population has not been confirmed. Although age is negatively correlated with serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, humoral responses to vaccination in elderly patients undergoing HD have not been investigated. To address this issue, we evaluated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies in nursing home residents on HD after BNT162b2 vaccine administration.

Methods

Patients on HD from a nursing home and care workers (controls) receiving two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine between April and May 2021 were enrolled in this study. Those with a prior history of COVID-19 were excluded. Anti-spike protein antibodies were measured with the Elecsys (Roche) immunoassay system.

Results

The study included 26 nursing home residents (41% male; median age, 86 years) and 184 care workers (28% male; median age, 45 years). The median HD vintage was 51 months. After two doses of BNT162b2, 73% of the nursing home residents and 99.5% of the control group developed sufficient anti-spike protein antibodies (> 29 U/mL) to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Three weeks after the second dose, median IgG titers of the residents and care workers were 83 [interquartile range (IQR) 17–511] and 1365 (IQR 847–2245) U/mL, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The humoral response to BNT162b2 among elderly HD patients was relatively low; therefore, the optimal vaccination strategy for this population should be studied further to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks in healthcare facilities.
Far-field approximations to the derivatives of Green’s function for the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation
Authors: Zhou Zhiteng , Zang Zhenyu , Wang Hongping , Wang Shizhao
Published: March 2022

The surface correction to the quadrupole source term of the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings integral in the frequency domain suffers from the computation of high-order derivatives of Green’s function. The far-field approximations to the derivatives of Green’s function have been used without derivation and verification in previous work. In this work, we provide the detailed derivations of the far-field approximations to the derivatives of Green’s function. The binomial expansions for the derivatives of Green’s function and the far-field condition are employed during the derivations to circumvent the difficulties in computing the high-order derivatives. The approximations to the derivatives of Green’s function are systemically verified by using the benchmarks two -dimensional convecting vortex and the co-rotating vortex pair. In addition, we provide the derivations of the approximations to the multiple integrals of Green’s function by using the far-field approximations to the derivatives.
Deep learning and machine learning neural network approaches for multi class leather texture defect classification and segmentation
Authors: Moganam Praveen Kumar , Sathia Seelan Denis Ashok
Published: March 2022

Modern leather industries are focused on producing high quality leather products for sustaining the market competitiveness. However, various leather defects are introduced during various stages of manufacturing process such as material handling, tanning and dyeing. Manual inspection of leather surfaces is subjective and inconsistent in nature; hence machine vision systems have been widely adopted for the automated inspection of leather defects. It is necessary develop suitable image processing algorithms for localize leather defects such as folding marks, growth marks, grain off, loose grain, and pinhole due to the ambiguous texture pattern and tiny nature in the localized regions of the leather. This paper presents deep learning neural network-based approach for automatic localization and classification of leather defects using a machine vision system. In this work, popular convolutional neural networks are trained using leather images of different leather defects and a class activation mapping technique is followed to locate the region of interest for the class of leather defect. Convolution neural networks such as Google net, Squeeze-net, RestNet are found to provide better accuracy of classification as compared with the state-of-the-art neural network architectures and the results are presented.

Graphical Abstract
Reframing Educational Outcomes: Moving beyond Achievement Gaps
Authors: Shukla Sarita Y. , Theobald Elli J. , Abraham Joel K. , Price Rebecca M.
Published: March 2022

This essay addresses the racial consequence of framing research about educational inequities with a deficit model, focusing on the history and implications of the term “achievement gap.” It suggests that a better alternative is working from asset-based or systems-level approaches that center students who are historically and currently marginalized.
Anti-oxidant Containing Nanostructured Lipid Carriers of Ritonavir: Development, Optimization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations
Authors: Jitta Srinivas Reddy , Bhaskaran Navya Ajitkumar , Salwa  , Kumar Lalit
Published: March 2022

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition caused by the infection of a retrovirus namely, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Currently, highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), a combination of anti-viral drugs belonging to different classes is considered to be effective in the management of HIV. Ritonavir, a protease inhibitor (PI), is one of the most important components of the HAART regimen. Because of its lower bioavailability and severe side effects, presently, ritonavir is not being used as a PI. However, this drug is being used as a pharmacokinetic boosting agent for other PIs such as lopinavir and in lower doses. The current study aimed to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) encapsulating ritonavir to reduce its side effects and enhance oral bioavailability. Ritonavir-loaded NLCs were developed using a combination of two different solid lipids and liquid lipids. Alpha-tocopherol, a well-known anti-oxidant, was used as an excipient (liquid lipid) in the development of NLCs which were prepared using a simple hot-emulsion and ultrasonication method. Drug-excipient studies were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). QbD approach was followed for the screening and optimization of different variables. The developed NLCs were characterized for their particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), and entrapment efficiency (EE). Furthermore, NLCs were studied for their in vitro drug release profile, and finally, pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using in vivo pharmacokinetic studies. The optimized NLC size was in the range of 273.9 to 458.7 nm, PDI of 0.314 to 0.480, ZP of −52.2 to − 40.9 mV, and EE in the range of 47.37 to 74.51%. From in vitro drug release, it was found that the release of drug in acidic medium was higher than phosphate buffer pH 6.8. Finally, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies revealed a 7-fold enhancement in the area under the curve (AUC) and more than 10-fold higher Cmax with the optimized formulation in comparison to pure drug suspension.
Os desafios do marketing omnichannel
Authors: Borges Gabriel
Published: March 2022

A “omnicanalidade” é simples na teoria e difícil na implementação. Os Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) precisam considerar caminhos para ultrapassarem os principais obstáculos.
Acceleration of wound healing by topical application of gel formulation of Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng kernel extract
Authors: Sitohang Nur A. , Putra Effendy D. L. , Kamil Hajjul , Musman Musri
Published: March 2022

Background: Phytomedicines are gaining a spotlight in wound management, where much research has suggested the wound healing potential of Barringtonia racemosa. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of B. racemosa kernel extract in accelerating wound healing process in animal models.

Methods: B. racemosa kernel was extracted using ethanol:water (7:3) solvent and was then used as a bioactive ingredient in a Carbopol 940-based gel formulation in four different concentrations (1, 3, 5 and 7 ppm). A 3 cm diameter wound was made in the dorsal area of Rattus norvegicus rat and wound healing process was assessed up to 12 days using DESIGN (Depth, Exudate, Size of Inflammation/Infection, Granulation tissue, and Necrotic tissue) scoring system.

Results: Our data suggested that the DESIGN scores were significantly different among concentration groups after the 3rdday onward suggesting B. racemosa extract accelerated the wound healing process. Rats treated with gel formulation containing 7 ppm of B. racemosa kernel extract had faster wound healing than that treated with topical Metcovazin. On day 6, macroscopic observation on 7 ppm group revealed that the wound had persistent redness, lesion area of < 3 cm2, and 80% healthy granulation, where presence of exudate and redness were not observable.

Conclusion: B. racemosa kernel extract was effective in accelerating wound healing on rats. Further study is warranted to purify the bioactive component and the action mechanism in wound healing process.
Case Report: Rare presentation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with severe depressive disorder with catatonia
Authors: Shakya Sachin , Shrestha Sudip , Pandey Sirish Raj , Adhikari Bibek , Joshi Dhiraj , Shrestha Shipra , Bhandari Shreya , Yadav Shailendra Kumar , Lama Amrit
Published: March 2022

Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal malignancy with symptoms such as abdominal pain, back pain, loss of appetite, bloating, weight loss, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, etc. It has a relatively late presentation, which makes its only potentially curative treatment, surgical resection, impractical for most patients. However, the prognosis is poor despite complete resection. The occurrence of depression and anxiety is rather common in patients with pancreatic cancer and a biological basis for this is suspected, although not studied in detail. We herein report a case of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a 57-year-old man who suffered from abdominal pain, constipation, and significant weight loss. The computerized tomography (CT) scan and successive endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided biopsy with histopathology confirmed a mass arising from the mid-body of the pancreas with tubular and cystic glands lined by moderately pleomorphic columnar epithelial cells. The patient underwent chemotherapy with the FOLFIRINOX regimen. He eventually developed severe depression with psychotic symptoms and catatonia, which further exacerbated the challenges in the management of the malignancy. In spite of widely available therapeutic options for the management of depression described in the literature, the effectiveness of those in pancreatic cancer patients with concomitant depression is not well established. Hence, more studies are imperative in addressing the neuropsychiatric associations of pancreatic cancer and formulating a protocol for their apt management.
Social media in project management: A systematic narrative literature review
Authors: Daemi Arash , Chugh Ritesh , Kanagarajoo Muralitheran V
Published: March 2022

Despite the adoption of social media in many business operations, evidence suggests that the usage of social media for project management activities is scarce. Through this literature review, the paper seeks to clarify the scope of the available knowledge, highlight the significance of new research agendas and address the principal reason for the limited use of social media in project management. A literature review was conducted to analyze the benefits of using social media in project management along with the areas in which it is used, the threats, barriers and enablers of social media adoption. Key areas where social media is used in project management include requirements management, communication management, policymaking, knowledge management and collaboration. Social media usage has shown to improve information sharing, engagement and relationships. Threats include a negative impact on reputation, employee productivity and information privacy. The reviewed literature highlights that the lack of a social media adoption strategy is the principal reason for the limited use of social media in project management. This studycontributes to both the project management practice and literature by introducing a model for social media adoption in project management.
Applying the positioning phase of the digital transformation model in practice for SMEs: toward systematic development of digitalization
Authors: Kääriäinen Jukka , Pussinen Pasi , Saari Leila , Kuusisto Olli , Saarela Martti , Hänninen Kai
Published: March 2022

Digital transformation (DT) refers to the changes in ways of working and business offering caused by adoption of digital technologies in an organization. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling with this transformation because of their limited resources and know-how. Thus, SMEs need practical grassroots-level help for DT that allows the companies to analyze where they stand in digitalization, and how they should proceed. This article discusses how SMEs can be supported in their DT by utilizing the DT model consisting of four consecutive phases for supporting companies’ systematic development of digitalization. The article focuses on the first phase of the DT model, positioning, where company’s digitalization status is analyzed in detail, and development ideas are identified. The positioning phase was conducted for 19 SMEs in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. The results indicate that the used process and tools were suitable to support SMEs for analyzing their digitalization status and identifying areas for improvement. The DT model and piloted tools have been published as a free-of-charge ApuaDigiin.fi online service to facilitate their widespread use in the future. In this way, public regional business development authors or research organizations can utilize the online service while supporting the digitalization of SMEs.
An Image-Based Approach to Detecting Structural Similarity Among Mixed Integer Programs
Authors: Steever Zachary , Murray Chase , Yuan Junsong , Karwan Mark , Lübbecke Marco
Published: March 2022

Operations researchers have long drawn insight from the structure of constraint coefficient matrices (CCMs) for mixed integer programs (MIPs). We propose a new question: Can pictorial representations of CCM structure be used to identify similar MIP models and instances? In this paper, CCM structure is visualized using digital images, and computer vision techniques are used to detect latent structural features therein. The resulting feature vectors are used to measure similarity between images and, consequently, MIPs. An introductory analysis examines a subset of the instances from strIPlib and MIPLIB 2017, two online repositories for MIP instances. Results indicate that structure-based comparisons may allow for relationships to be identified between MIPs from disparate application areas. Additionally, image-based comparisons reveal that ostensibly similar variations of an MIP model may yield instances with markedly different mathematical structures.

Summary of Contribution: This paper presents a methodology for comparing mixed integer programs (MIPs) from any research domain based on the structure of the constraint coefficient matrices for one or more instances of a model. Specifically, computer vision and deep learning techniques are used to extract structural features and measure the similarity between these images. This process is agnostic to application area and instead focuses solely on mathematical structure. As a result, this methodology offers a fundamentally new way for operations researchers to view MIP similarity and highlights similarities between research problems that may have previously been viewed as unrelated.
The Scheduling of Medical Students at Ghent University
Authors: Akbarzadeh Babak , Wouters Johan , Sys Carl , Maenhout Broos
Published: March 2022

Each year, the faculty of medicine and health sciences (Ghent University, Belgium) has to compose a medical student roster, assigning graduate students to different internships over the course of the academic year. An internship embodies a specific medical discipline and is carried out at a local hospital. This problem is complex because of conflicting requirements of different involved stakeholders, comprising educational requirements set by the university, limited capacity of local hospitals offering internships, and student preferences and requests. In this paper, we discuss a heuristic and required calibration to attain high-quality rosters, and it builds upon different decomposition-based heuristic solution steps and different control mechanisms to regulate the candidate assignments in each step. The proposed heuristic meets the software requirements of the university and is implemented as the scheduling module in the information system of the faculty to manage student internships. Computational experiments are carried out on real-life data related to the academic year 2020–2021 to validate the performance of the heuristic and the different improvement mechanisms. In addition, we demonstrate the use of the software as a simulation tool to devise different managerial insights relevant for the university with regard to curriculum design and student preferences.
The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers
Authors: Berman Ron , Israeli Ayelet
Published: March 2022

We investigate the impact of descriptive analytics adoption on online retailers’ performance and the underlying mechanism.
Taxi Drivers’ Response to Cancellations and No-Shows: New Evidence for Reference-Dependent Preferences
Authors: Duong Hai Long , Chu Junhong , Yao Dai
Published: March 2022

We study how daily labor supply responds to unanticipated earnings shocks among Singapore’s taxi drivers using a novel identification strategy that uses idiosyncratic variation in booking cancellations and passenger no-shows (CNS) that drivers repeatedly receive. Our results provide new and more compelling evidence in support of the income-targeting model of labor supply. Not only are the average responses on the extensive margin consistent with the income-targeting model, but the responses on the intensive margin and the heterogeneous responses at different income levels and across driver characteristics are as well. We find that drivers work longer and earn more per hour following CNS, and the effects are robust after controlling for rich fixed effects, market supply and demand conditions, and drivers’ sunk cost of time. The CNS effects on ending a shift exhibit a U-shaped pattern, are strongest when cumulative income is close to the average shift income, and become insignificant when the income level is too low or too high. The effects are most pronounced in the first hour of CNS and fade away quickly afterward. Drivers achieve higher productivity by reducing break time, taking more jobs, driving faster, driving to places with more earning opportunities, and having more time with passengers on board. Drivers choose the response strategies that are complementary to their abilities and circumstances such as schedule flexibility and potential for productivity improvement: those with flexible working schedules tend to prolong their shifts, whereas those with flexible earnings rates tend to increase their subsequent productivity. Our novel identification strategy strengthens the empirical literature on daily labor supply, and our findings of heterogeneity effects offer new insights on income-targeting behaviors.

This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing.

Funding: This work was supported by a Singapore Ministry of Education Social Science Research Thematic Grant [GrantMOE2016-SSRTG-059].

Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4349 .
Immediacy Provision and Matchmaking
Authors: An Yu , Zheng Zeyu
Published: March 2022

Dealers can choose between two intermediation methods: providing immediacy to customers using their own inventory and making matches between customers’ order flows. We show that dealers have an incentive to prioritize inventory turnover for immediacy provision rather than making matches between customers. Compared with a counterfactual scenario without this incentive, dealers in equilibrium provide immediacy to more customers in order to extract extra rents. Compared with the counterfactual, this incentive decreases equilibrium price for immediacy but increases the bid–ask spread. The incentive to prioritize immediacy provision lowers welfare for assets with high substitutability but raises welfare for assets with low substitutability. Our analysis has potential policy implications for the Volcker rule, which can be viewed as the counterfactual.

This paper was accepted by Agostino Capponi, finance.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4355 .
The Supply and Effectiveness of Investor Relations in Insider- vs. Outsider-Oriented Markets
Authors: Bazhutov Dmitry , Betzer André , Brochet Francois , Doumet Markus , Limbach Peter
Published: March 2022

Using annual survey-based investor relations (IR) data for a panel of European companies, we document that the supply and effectiveness of IR varies with country- and firm-level demand. Relative to their industry peers, firms from insider-oriented countries have larger IR staff, which predicts better IR rankings. Better IR is associated with greater visibility, information assimilation, and valuation, with visibility and assimilation being significantly greater for firms from insider-oriented countries. Within such countries, firms with greater outsider orientation have higher capital market benefits. Furthermore, using Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II as a shock to analyst coverage, we find an incrementally larger association between IR and visibility in insider-oriented countries after 2017. Overall, the evidence suggests that the supply of IR in insider-oriented markets has reached a high level, acting as a viable mechanism to improve firms’ information environment. However, within those countries, IR demand still varies significantly, with outsider-oriented firms showing greater IR effectiveness.

This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4368 .
Enterostomal therapists campaign for specialist nursing worldwide
Authors: Ayello Elizabeth A , Chabal Laurent , Hibbert Denise
Published: March 2022

Elizabeth A Ayello provides an update on the activities of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists®
A systematic review of practitioner enquiry into adverse childhood experiences in primary care
Authors: Ashe Louise , Nelson David , Kontou Eirini , Lindau Aneesa , McGonagle Ian , Kane Ros
Published: March 2022

This article presents the findings of a systematic review undertaken to assess adverse childhood experiences (ACE) enquiry among practitioners of primary care for children's services. Literature was eligible for inclusion if it included the primary care practitioner experience of ACE enquiry, was published from 1998–2021 and was in English. The most frequently cited themes across all included studies were time and training, with time the most commonly cited barrier. The findings indicate that aspects of the health visitor service model include facilitators to integrate ACE enquiry into routine health visitor practice, although the research highlights barriers of time and resources. Further research is required to expand the limited evidence base for incorporating ACE enquiry into health visitor practice in the UK and to similar models of care internationally.
Guide to Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Authors: Holloway Debby
Published: March 2022

The menopause can affect all women, and the way it impacts them will be individual and unique. Some women will have minimal symptoms and will not require any medical treatment; others may require lifestyle changes and support. However, some will have significant symptoms that would impact on their quality of life, daily functioning and work. These women will require help in the form of lifestyle adjustment, prescribed alternatives, complementary therapies or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – or a combination of all of the above.

This Guide will provide an overview of HRT, the symptoms women experience and how these can be managed with HRT.
Bioremediation of Cadmium and Nickel from a Saline Aquatic Environment Using Ceratophyllum demersum
Authors:   National Salinity Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Yazd 8917917451, Iran, Parnian Amir , Chorom Mostafa ,   Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran, Jaafarzadeh Neemat ,   Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran and Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Anosheh Hadi Pirasteh ,   National Salinity Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Yazd 8917917451, Iran, Ozturk Munir ,   Botany Department, Science Faculty, Ege University, Izmir 35040, Turkey, Unal Dilek ,   Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik 11600, Turkey, Yilmaz Dilek Demirezen ,   Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38039, Turkey, Altay Volkan ,   Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay 31060, Turkey
Published: March 2022

In this study, effect of salinity on growth was examined together with cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) accumulation capacity of coontail a free-fl oating hydrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum L.) under controlled conditions. Different saline waters (EC = 2.8, 5.5 and 9.5 dS m-1) were made with the base of farm drainage water (EC = 13.2 dS m-1). A total of four concentrations of Ni(NO3)2 and CdCl2 (0, 1, 2, 4 mg L-1) were added to these. The results showed that there was a decrease in the growth rate as the water salinity level increased. The biomass production was also inhibited with the increase in salinity. At 9.5 dS m-1 salinity level growth rate was the lowest (0.81 ± 0.05 g FW d-1) among the treatments. This decrease was accelerated by metal contaminations. High salinity levels decreased the removal of nickel. Highest removal was recorded as R= 86% (Ni = 1 mg L-1, EC = 5.5 dS m-1). The lowest cadmium removal was observed as R = 35% (Cd = 4 mg L-1, EC = 2.8 dS m-1) in the lowest salinity medium. In general, phytoremediation effi ciency of coontail decreased with enhancing nickel concentrations, but increased when cadmium concentration increased. An increase in the salinity levels of water lead towards a parallel increase in the removal effi ciency of coontail. It was concluded that this fl oating hydrophyte has a good potential for phytoremediation of cadmium and nickel from a saline aquatic environment.
Cu2O(ClO4)2/TiO2 Dandelion-shaped Nanospheres with Photocatalytic Antibacterial Activity
Authors:   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China, Xu Xiaolin , Yang Yacong ,   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China, Miao Yingchun ,   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China, Liu Kaiquan ,   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China, Chen Yuqin ,   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China, Yue Shaoyan ,   College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, P.R. China
Published: March 2022

Cu/TiO2 dandelion-like 3D microstructures self-assembled from nanorods were prepared. These microstructures demonstrated good antibacterial activity (100%) against Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli. The structural, compositional, morphological, and optical properties of different Cu/TiO2 powders were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, FTIR, TG, and DRS. The X-ray diffraction patterns of Cu/TiO2 powders were consistent with crystalline rutile/anatase TiO2 and Cu2O(ClO4)2. Furthermore, Acinetobacter baumannii DNA integrity was compromised by photocatalytic antibacterial activity. In the electrophoresis experiment, the catalysts could only inhibit the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii in the absence of light. The DNA fragments of Acinetobacter baumannii were damaged under the condition of light and catalyst. This could greatly reduce the likelihood of horizontal gene transfer, thus greatly reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Comparison of Wear and Thermal Properties between the Calcium Alginate and Aramid 1313 Non-Woven Fabric
Authors:   Department of Clothing Design and Engineering, Qingdao University, Shandong, China, Li Min , Yu Miao ,   Department of Clothing Design and Engineering, Qingdao University, Shandong, China,   Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University,Shandong, China, Liu Jinchi ,   Department of Clothing Design and Engineering, Qingdao University, Shandong, China, Cheng Fangfang ,   Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University,Shandong, China, Sun Yaning ,   Department of Clothing Design and Engineering, Qingdao University, Shandong, China
Published: March 2022

Sodium alginate fibre is an environmentally friendly cellulose fibre with excellent self-flame retardancy. This study examined the thermal protection, and wearing properties of needled non-woven from three kinds of pure calcium alginate with different gram weights, and explore the feasibility of it for fire service insulation layer. In addition, it is compared with the three main components of fire-fighting clothing insulation blankets with aramid 1313. The results show that compared with traditional fire-fighting insulation felts such as aramid 1313, calcium alginate non-woven had higher shrinkage, but it exhibited better breathability and moisture permeability and wearing comfort. The thermal stability under dry conditions was relatively poor, but the low thermal radiation protection performance of single-layer fabric was better than that of aramid 1313. Under the same weight, the comprehensive thermal convection protection performance of seaweed fabric is close to that of aramid 1313, but its flame retardant properties such as high-temperature resistance and open flame resistance are far better than aramid fibre 1313. In addition, the resulting smoke is not toxic and there is no melt dripping , the shape retention ability is better at high temperatures. After subsequent improvement, it could be applied to thermal insulation for fire suits and even more thermal protection scenarios.
Molecular detection of Chlamydia spp. and risk factors in farmed siamese crocodile in the mid-northeastern provincial cluster of Thailand
Authors:   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, Inchuai Rawikan , Sukon Peerapol ,   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand,   Research Group for Animal Health Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, Weerakhun Sompoth ,   Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Published: March 2022

This study surveyed the prevalence of chlamydial infection among farms in the mid-northeastern provincial cluster of Thailand by PCR and phylogenetic analyses of the sequences. Samples from 94 crocodiles were collected from 17 farms in five provinces together with farm management data. Chlamydiaceae was found in 48.94% of the samples (46/94). Of the 17 pooled samples analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing, four samples exhibited 99.3 to 99.5% nucleotide identity with Chlamydia psittaci, three samples exhibited 99.1 to 99.3% nucleotide identity with C. crocodili, and one sample exhibited similarity to both species. The risk factors related to chlamydial infection included the source of young crocodiles and the frequency of water changes. Chlamydial infection was higher in nonclinical crocodiles than in clinical or dead crocodiles (P=0.003). Pharyngitis, fibrinous pharyngitis, hepatitis, pneumonia, and hydropericardium were commonly found in chlamydial-positive cases of ill or dead crocodiles. C. psittaci and C. crocodili were found in both clinical and nonclinical crocodiles. C. psittaci is a well-known zoonotic pathogen. C. crocodili is a new species found in Siamese crocodiles in Thailand. In conclusion, the source of young crocodiles and frequency of water changes were identified as risk factors for chlamydial infection in crocodile farms. C. crocodili should be further investigated to better understand its implications for crocodile heath.
Arbitrary active control of the Pancharatnam-Berry phase in a terahertz metasurface
Authors: He Hongchuan , Dai Guangbin , Cheng Hao , Wang Yangkai , Jia Xiangyu , Yin Ming , Huang Qiuping , Lu Yalin
Published: March 2022

Active phase-control metasurfaces show outstanding capability in the active manipulation of light propagation, while the previous active phase control methods have many constraints in the cost of simulation or the phase modulation range. In this paper, we design and demonstrate a phase controlled metastructure based on two circular split ring resonators (CSRRs) composed of silicon and Au with different widths, which can continuously achieve an arbitrary Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase between -π and π before or after active control. The PB phase of such a metasurface before active control is determined by the rotation angle of the Au-composed CSRR, while the PB phase after active control is determined by the rotation angle of the silicon-composed CSRR. And active control of the PB phase is realized by varying conductivity of silicon under an external optical pump. Based on this metastructure, active control of light deflection, metalens with arbitrary reconfigurable focal points and achromatic metalens under selective frequencies are designed and simulated. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrate that focal spots of metalens can be actively controlled by the optical pump, in accord with the simulated ones. Our metastructure implements a plethora of metasurfaces’ active phase modulation and provides applications in active light manipulation.
Increase in terahertz-wave intensity in a magnetic field due to difference-frequency mixing by exciton excitation in a GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well
Authors: Kojima Osamu , Tarui Yuki , Kita Takashi , Majeed Avan , Ivanov Pavlo , Clarke Edmund , Hogg Richard A.
Published: March 2022

Magnetic fields can increase the intensity of terahertz (THz) waves due to changing the dipole moment direction using the Lorentz force. This study reports the increase in the THz-wave intensity generated by differential frequency mixing using commercial permanent magnets under exciton-excitation. While a weak magnetic field applied to a multiple quantum well increases the THz-wave intensity due to excitons, a strong field causes its decrease. According to the calculations, the increase is caused by the electron-hole separation due to the Lorentz force. Furthermore, the calculations suggest the importance of carrier acceleration to enhance the intensity. Importantly, the increase in the THz-wave intensity due to differential frequency mixing does not require a strong magnetic field and can be achieved with inexpensive commercially available magnets.
Greatly improved photoresponse in the MAPbBr3/Si heterojunction by introducing an ITO layer and optimizing MAPbBr3 layer thickness
Authors: Guo Siyang , Qiao Shuang , Liu Jihong , Ma Jikui , Wang Shufang
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a CH3NH3(MA)PbBr3/Si heterojunction photodetector (PD) is prepared, and a simple method is proposed to improve the performance by introducing an ITO conductive layer and modulating thickness of the MAPbBr3 layer. The results indicate that the MAPbBr3/Si heterojunction PD exhibits an ultra-broadband photoresponse ranging from 405 to 1064 nm, and excellent performances with the responsivity (R) of 0.394 mA/W, detectivity (D) of 0.11×1010 Jones, and response times of ∼2176/∼257 ms. When adding the ITO layer, the R and D are greatly improved to 0.426 A/W and 5.17×1010 Jones, which gets an increment of 1.08×105% and 4.7×103%, respectively. Meanwhile, the response times are reduced to ∼130/∼125 ms, and a good environmental stability is obtained. Moreover, it is found that the photoresponse is strongly dependent on the thickness of the MAPbBr3 layer. By modulating the MAPbBr3 layer thickness from ∼85 to ∼590 nm, the performances are further improved with the best R of ∼0.87 A/W, D of ∼1.92×1011 Jones, and response times of ∼129/∼130 ms achieved in the ∼215 nm-thick PD.
Quasi-phase matched second harmonic generation in a PMN-38PT crystal
Authors: Chen Xin , Mazur Leszek Mateusz , Liu Dawei , Liu Shan , Liu Xin , Xu Zhuo , Wei Xiaoyong , Wang Junli , Sheng Yan , Wei Zhiyi , Krolikowski Wieslaw
Published: March 2022

We used an all-optical poling method to fabricate quadratic nonlinearity gratings in a tetragonal 0.62Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.38PbTiO3 (PMN-38PT) crystal. We then employed these gratings in quasi-phase matched collinear second harmonic generation processes. By measuring the second harmonic output, we provided, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, quantitative estimates of all three non-zero quadratic nonlinearity coefficients of the PMN-38PT crystal.
Dynamics of breathing dissipative soliton pairs in a bidirectional ultrafast fiber laser
Authors: Zhou Yi , Ren Yu-Xuan , Shi Jiawei , Wong Kenneth K. Y.
Published: March 2022

The breathing dissipative soliton as a dynamic solution to many nonlinear systems has induced substantial interest in nonlinear photonics and ultrafast laser science. However, the exotic breathing multi-soliton dynamics are still largely unexplored in the bidirectional fiber laser compared to the unidirectional laser. Here, we reveal nonequilibrium dynamics of a breathing soliton pair (BSP) with energy transfer in a bidirectional laser; in particular, the dissociation and annihilation of the BSP was triggered by control over intra-cavity polarization. Optical rogue waves were detected simultaneously, and the collision of breathers significantly increased the intensity of rogue waves, which is characteristic of the bidirectional laser. Further, the buildup dynamics of the BSP with nanosecond pulse separation and a breathing soliton molecule were observed. Multiple single soliton explosions and transient pulse splitting are distinct features of soliton molecule buildup compared to the soliton pair. These findings shed new insights into the multiple breather dynamics of nonlinear systems.
Spectroscopic study of Er-doped Ga2Ge5S13 glass for mid-IR laser applications
Authors: Brown Ei Ei , Fleischman Zackery D. , McKay Jason , Hommerich Uwe , Palosz Witold , Trivedi Sudhir , Dubinskii Mark
Published: March 2022

We present mid-IR spectroscopic characterization of the low-phonon chalcogenide glass, Ga2Ge5S13 (GGS) doped with Er3+ ions. Under the excitation at ∼800 nm, Er3+:GGS exhibited broad mid-IR emission bands centered at ∼2.7, ∼3.5, and ∼4.5 µm at room temperature. The emission lifetime of the 4I9/2 level of Er3+ ions in GGS glass was found to be millisecond-long at room temperature. The measured fluorescence lifetimes were nearly independent of temperature, indicating negligibly small nonradiative decay rate for the 4I9/2 state, as can be expected for a low-maximum-phonon energy host. The transition line-strengths, radiative lifetimes, fluorescence branching ratios were calculated by using the Judd-Ofelt method. The peak stimulated emission cross-section of the 4I9/2 → 4I11/2 transition of Er3+ ion was determined to be ∼0.10×10−20 cm2 at room temperature.