bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Osimertinib for Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Harboring Uncommon EGFR Mutations: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase II Trial (KCSG-LU15-09)
Authors: Cho Jang Ho , Lim Sung Hee , An Ho Jung , Kim Ki Hwan , Park Keon Uk , Kang Eun Joo , Choi Yoon Hee , Ahn Mi Sun , Lee Myung Hee , Sun Jong-Mu , Lee Se-Hoon , Ahn Jin Seok , Park Keunchil , Ahn Myung-Ju
Published: December 2019

PURPOSE

Approximately 10% of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation–positive non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbor uncommon mutations. Here, we report the efficacy and safety of osimertinib in patients with NSCLC harboring uncommon EGFR mutations.

PATIENT AND METHODS

This was a multicenter, single-arm, open-label, phase II study in Korea. Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic or recurrent NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations other than the exon 19 deletion, L858R and T790M mutations, and exon 20 insertion were eligible for the study. The primary end point of objective response rate was assessed every 6 weeks by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, overall survival, duration of response, and safety.

RESULTS

Between March 2016 and October 2017, 37 patients were enrolled. All were evaluable except one patient who withdrew consent after starting treatment. Median age was 60 years, and 22 (61%) were male. Among patients, 61% received osimertinib as first-line therapy. The mutations identified were G719X (n = 19; 53%), followed by L861Q (n = 9; 25%), S768I (n = 8; 22%), and others (n = 4; 11%). Objective response rate was 50% (18 of 36 patients; 95% CI, 33% to 67%). Median progression-free survival was 8.2 months (95% CI, 5.9 to 10.5 months), and median overall survival was not reached. Median duration of response was 11.2 months (95% CI, 7.7 to 14.7 months). Adverse events of any grade were rash (n = 11; 31%), pruritus (n = 9; 25%), decreased appetite (n = 9; 25%), diarrhea (n = 8; 22%), and dyspnea (n = 8; 22%), but all adverse events were manageable.

CONCLUSION

Osimertinib demonstrated favorable activity with manageable toxicity in patients with NSCLC harboring uncommon EGFR mutations.
2019 Endocrine Society Measures Set for Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Who Are at Risk for Hypoglycemia
Authors: Rosenzweig James L , Conlin Paul R , Gonzalvo Jasmine D , Kutler Stephanie B , Maruthur Nisa M , Solis Penelope , Vijan Sandeep , Wallia Amisha , Wright Robin Fein
Published: December 2019

Context

Hypoglycemia in the outpatient setting has a significant financial impact on the health care system and negative impact on a person’s quality of life. Primary care physicians must address a multitude of issues in a visit with a person with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often leaving little time to ask about hypoglycemia.

Objective

To develop quality measures that focus on outpatient hypoglycemia episodes for patients 65 and older with T2DM, which facilitate a clinician’s ability to identify opportunities to improve the quality of care and reduce hypoglycemic episodes.

Participants and Process

A technical expert panel established by the Endocrine Society in March 2019, which includes endocrinologists, primary care physicians, a diabetes care and education specialist/pharmacist, and a patient, developed 3 outpatient hypoglycemia quality measures. The measure set is intended to improve quality of care for patients with T2DM who are at greatest risk for hypoglycemia. The measures were available for public comment in July 2019. A fourth measure on shared decision-making was removed from the final measure set based on public feedback.

Conclusion

A lack of outpatient hypoglycemia measures focusing on older adults with T2DM is a barrier to improving care of people with diabetes and reducing hypoglycemic episodes. This paper provides measure specifications for 3 measures that may be used to focus quality improvement efforts on patients at greatest risk for hypoglycemia.
Muscle-Liver Substrate Fluxes in Exercising Humans and Potential Effects on Hepatic Metabolism
Authors: Hu Chunxiu , Hoene Miriam , Plomgaard Peter , Hansen Jakob S , Zhao Xinjie , Li Jia , Wang Xiaolin , Clemmesen Jens O , Secher Niels H , Häring Hans U , Lehmann Rainer , Xu Guowang , Weigert Cora
Published: December 2019

Context

The liver is crucial to maintain energy homeostasis during exercise. Skeletal muscle-derived metabolites can contribute to the regulation of hepatic metabolism.

Objective

We aim to elucidate which metabolites are released from the working muscles and taken up by the liver in exercising humans and their potential influence on hepatic function.

Methods

In two separate studies, young healthy men fasted overnight and then performed an acute bout of exercise. Arterial-to-venous differences of metabolites over the hepato-splanchnic bed and over the exercising and resting leg were investigated by capillary electrophoresis- and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics platforms. Liver transcriptome data of exercising mice were analyzed by pathway analysis to find a potential overlap between exercise-regulated metabolites and activators of hepatic transcription.

Results

During exercise, hepatic O2 uptake and CO2 delivery were increased two-fold. In contrast to all other free fatty acids (FFA), those FFA with 18 or more carbon atoms and a high degree of saturation showed a constant release in the liver vein and only minor changes by exercise. FFA 6:0 and 8:0 were released from the working leg and taken up by the hepato-splanchnic bed. Succinate and malate showed a pronounced hepatic uptake during exercise and were also released from the exercising leg. The transcriptional response in the liver of exercising mice indicates the activation of HIF-, NRF2-, and cAMP-dependent gene transcription. These pathways can also be activated by succinate.

Conclusion

Metabolites circulate between working muscles and the liver and may support the metabolic adaption to exercise by acting both as substrates and as signaling molecules.
Conditional effects of the epigenetic regulator JUMONJI 14 in Arabidopsis root growth
Authors: Cattaneo Pietro , Graeff Moritz , Marhava Petra , Hardtke Christian S.
Published: December 2019

Methylation of lysine 4 in histone 3 (H3K4) is a post-translational modification that promotes gene expression. H3K4 methylation can be reversed by specific demethylases with an enzymatic Jumonji C domain. In Arabidopsis thaliana, H3K4-specific JUMONJI (JMJ) proteins distinguish themselves by the association with an F/Y-rich (FYR) domain. Here, we report that jmj14 mutations partially suppress reduced root meristem size and growth vigor of brevis radix (brx) mutants. Similar to its close homologs, JMJ15, JMJ16 and JMJ18, the JMJ14 promoter confers expression in mature root vasculature. Yet, unlike jmj14, neither jmj16 nor jmj18 mutation markedly suppresses brx phenotypes. Domain-swapping experiments suggest that the specificity of JMJ14 function resides in the FYR domain. Despite JMJ14 promoter activity in the mature vasculature, jmj14 mutation affects root meristem size. However, JMJ14 protein is observed throughout the meristem, suggesting that the JMJ14 transcript region contributes substantially to the spatial aspect of JMJ14 expression. In summary, our data reveal a role for JMJ14 in root growth in sensitized genetic backgrounds that depends on its FYR domain and regulatory input from the JMJ14 cistron.
Altered in vitro muscle differentiation in X-linked myopathy with excessive autophagy
Authors: Fernandes Stephanie A. , Almeida Camila F. , Souza Lucas S. , Lazar Monize , Onofre-Oliveira Paula , Yamamoto Guilherme L. , Nogueira Letícia , Tasaki Letícia Y. , Cardoso Rafaela R. , Pavanello Rita C. M. , Silva Helga C. A. , Ferrari Merari F. R. , Bigot Anne , Mouly Vincent , Vainzof Mariz
Published: December 2019

X-linked myopathy with excessive autophagy (XMEA) is a genetic disease associated with weakness of the proximal muscles. It is caused by mutations in the VMA21 gene, coding for a chaperone that functions in the vacuolar ATPase (v-ATPase) assembly. Mutations associated with lower content of assembled v-ATPases lead to an increase in lysosomal pH, culminating in partial blockage of macroautophagy, with accumulation of vacuoles of undigested content. Here, we studied a 5-year-old boy affected by XMEA, caused by a small indel in the VMA21 gene. Detection of sarcoplasmic Lc3 (also known as MAP1LC3B)-positive vacuoles in his muscle biopsy confirmed an autophagy defect. To understand how autophagy is regulated in XMEA myogenesis, we used patient-derived muscle cells to evaluate autophagy during in vitro muscle differentiation. An increase in lysosomal pH was observed in the patient's cells, compatible with predicted functional defect of his mutation. Additionally, there was an increase in autophagic flux in XMEA myotubes. Interestingly, we observed that differentiation of XMEA myoblasts was altered, with increased myotube formation observed through a higher fusion index, which was not dependent on lysosomal acidification. Moreover, no variation in the expression of myogenic factors nor the presence of regenerating fibers in the patient's muscle were observed. Myoblast fusion is a tightly regulated process; therefore, the uncontrolled fusion of XMEA myoblasts might generate cells that are not as functional as normal muscle cells. Our data provide new evidence on the reason for predominant muscle involvement in the context of the XMEA phenotype.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
The Effect of Adaptive Sports on Individuals with Acquired Neurological Disabilities and Its Role in Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Declerck Louise , Kaux Jean-François , Vanderthommen Marc , Lejeune Thierry , Stoquart Gaëtan
Published: December 2019

The aims of this systematic review were to report on the feasibility of adaptive sports for individuals with acquired central neurological lesion; to analyze the effects of this approach according to the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF); and to emit guiding points for future research. Two authors searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Pedro, and SPORTdiscus for eligible trials. Data concerning demographics, outcome measures, results, and conclusions were extracted, and a qualitative synthesis was performed. Adaptive sports seem to be a feasible, efficient, and cost-effective complement to conventional rehabilitation. Significant effects were found on all domains of the ICF, except “environmental factors.” Key factors, such as intervention volume, intensity, and type, play a determining role. This review is the first to expose the beneficial effects of adaptive sports practice among individuals with neurological lesions by relying on prospective evidence.
Cycling Biomechanics Optimization—the (R) Evolution of Bicycle Fitting
Authors: Swart Jeroen , Holliday Wendy
Published: December 2019

Optimal bicycle configuration has been the topic of numerous studies. A majority of these have investigated the optimal saddle height and have used either static kinematics or two-dimensional kinematic measurements. Other joints, such as the hip, shoulder, and elbow joint, have not been investigated to any meaningful extent. There is, therefore, a paucity of data describing the optimal position of the upper body and pelvis in cycling. More recently, it has been recommended that bike fitting be conducted in a dynamic functional manner, as kinematics can be influenced by cycling workload. Full-body three-dimensional kinematics and saddle pressure are newer modalities available to the clinician. This review of the literature investigates the current research pertaining to the configuration of all components of the bicycle, from static methods to dynamic methods, and related to optimal performance and injury prevention. Setting the saddle height using the Holmes static method is optimal for injury prevention and performance. Guidelines for optimal bicycle configuration should take into account the training intensity when assessing kinematics as compensatory lower-limb kinematics occur during higher-power outputs. Optimal KFA using dynamic measurements should range from 33° to 43° at low intensity to 30° to 40° at high intensity when measured at the bottom dead center crank position. Saddle pressure mapping should ideally be performed at an intensity similar to what cyclists will encounter during the majority of their training and racing. Reference values and recommendations for dynamic assessments are still required for all other joints. Furthermore, intrinsic factors, such as training load and flexibility, which may affect bicycle configuration and performance, should be investigated to assess how these may influence the optimal bicycle configuration.
Is there an oligometastatic state in pancreatic cancer? Practical clinical considerations raise the question
Authors: Scorsetti Marta , Comito Tiziana , Franceschini Davide , Franzese Ciro , Prete Maria Giuseppina , D'Alessio Antonio , Bozzarelli Silvia , Rimassa Lorenza , Santoro Armando
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

To evaluate the role of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a local ablative treatment (LAT) in oligometastatic pancreatic cancer.

Methods:

Patients affected by histologically confirmed stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma were included in this analysis. Endpoints are local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results:

From 2013 to 2017, a total of 41 patients were treated with SBRT on 64 metastases. Most common sites of disease were lung (29.3%) and liver (56.1%). LC at 1 and 2 years were 88.9% (95% CI 73.2–98.6) and 73.9% (95% CI 50–87.5), respectively. Median LC was 39.9 months (95% CI 23.3—not reached).

PFS rates at 1 and 2 years were 21.9% (95% CI 10.8–35.4) and 10.9% (95% CI 3.4–23.4), respectively. Median PFS was 5.4 months (95%CI 3.1–11.3).

OS rates at 1 and 2 years were 79.9% (95% CI 63.7–89.4) and 46.7% (95% CI 29.6–62.2). Median OS was 23 months (95%CI 14.1–31.8).

Conclusions:

Our results, although based on a retrospective analysis of a small number of patients, show that patients with oligometastatic pancreatic cancer may benefit from local treatment with SBRT. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these results.

Advances in knowledge:

Selected patients affected by oligometastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma can benefit from local ablative approaches, like SBRT
Evaluation of the liver with virtual non-contrast: single institution study in 149 patients undergoing TAVR planning
Authors: Laukamp Kai Roman , Lennartz Simon , Ho Vivian , Große Hokamp Nils , Zopfs David , Gupta Amit , Graner Frank Philipp , Borggrefe Jan , Gilkeson Robert , Ramaiya Nikhil
Published: December 2019

Objective:

To evaluate accuracy of virtual-non-contrast images (VNC) compared to true-unenhanced-images (TNC) for evaluation of liver attenuation acquired using spectral-detector CT (SDCT).

Methods:

149 patients who underwent multiphase transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement (TAVR) SDCT-examinations [unenhanced-chest (TNC), CT-angiography chest (CTA-chest, early arterial-phase) and abdomen (CTA-abdomen, additional early arterial-phase after a second injection of contrast media)] were retrospectively included. VNC of CTA-chest (VNC-chest) and CTA-abdomen (VNC-abdomen) were reconstructed and compared to TNC. Region of interest-based measurement of mean attenuation (Hounsfield unit, HU) was applied in the following regions: liver, spleen, abdominal aorta and paraspinal muscle.

Results:

VNC accuracy was high in the liver, spleen, abdominal aorta and muscle for abdomen-scanning. For the liver, average attenuation was 59.0 ± 9.1 HU for TNC and 72.6 ± 9.5 HU for CTA-abdomen. Liver attenuation in VNC-abdomen (59.1 ± 6.4 HU) was not significantly different from attenuation in TNC (p > 0.05). In contrast, VNC was less accurate for chest-scanning: Due to the protocol, in CTA-chest no contrast media was present in the liver parenchyma as indicated by the same attenuation in TNC (59.0 ± 9.1 HU) and CTA-chest (58.8 ± 8.9 HU, p > 0.05). Liver attenuation in VNC-chest (56.2 ± 6.4 HU, p < 0.05) was, however, significantly lower than in TNC and CTA-chest implying an artificial reduction of attenuation.

Conclusion:

VNC performed well in a large cohort of TAVR-examinations yielding equivalent mean attenuations to TNC; however, application of this technique might be limited when no or very little contrast media is present in parenchyma, more precisely in an early arterial-phase of the liver.

Advances in knowledge:

This study showed that VNC can be reliably applied in cardiac protocols when certain limitations are considered
Primary School Teacher Vocational Education: Model Building
Authors: Ulitko V.
Published: December 2019

The subject of consideration of the author of the article is the problem of creating conditions for the formation of readiness of primary school teachers to act effectively in changing educational situations, to solve new professional tasks for the implementation of a new educational standard. The feasibility of leaving additional education in the field of informal, involving significant academic freedom, an active subjective position of the participants, their reflexive partnership, is substantiated.
The Formation of the Ability to Work with Information in the Study of Elementary Mathematics
Authors: Rydze Oxana
Published: December 2019

The article substantiates the possibility of forming universal educational actions that characterize the information literacy of a primary schoolchild. The following actions are considered: data search in a mathematical task, presentation of information in a given or independently selected form, interpretation of information obtained during the solution in the form of an answer, conclusion or explanation. The pedagogical conditions for the successful development of a primary school student’s ability to work with information using the means of the subject “Mathematics” are described: highlighting common skills and actions for mathematical and informational literacy, using group work to motivate children to learn, maximize inclusion in it, etc.
Guerra às drogas?
Authors: Ferrugem Daniela
Published: December 2019

O artigo em tela pretende abordar a guerra às drogas, debatendo os sustentáculos racistas desta guerra e a manutenção da hierarquia racial que ela provoca. Para isso, se deterá em duas dimensões da política proibicionista e belicista brasileira de combate às drogas, o genocídio e o encarceramento da população negra. Palavras-Chave: racismo; guerra às drogas; genocídio da juventude negra; superencarceramento.
Os novos manicômios a céu aberto: cidade, racismo e loucura
Authors: Menegat Elizete Maria , Duarte Marco José de Oliveira , Ferreira Vanessa De Fátima
Published: December 2019

O objetivo deste trabalho é discutir a indissociável transversalidade de certos fatores que configuram o perfil do louco na atualidade.  Nesse sentido, consideramos, primeiramente, a cidade e os processos de urbanização conduzidos pelo moderno sistema capitalista como quadro socioespacial no qual a miséria e a loucura em massa emergiram e se estruturaram como fenômenos permanentes. Nas periferias, tais como o Brasil, que foram colonizadas pelo sistema capitalista mundial com base na escravidão da força de trabalho africana, a loucura persistiu, em todas as épocas, como doença dos pobres e negros. Na atualidade, quando a taxa de urbanização brasileira aproxima-se de 90% e coincide com a crise estrutural do sistema, observamos que a loucura tem maior incidência nos negros, os quais se encontram majoritariamente concentrados nas densas periferias das cidades, com os piores indicadores de habitação, emprego, renda, escolaridade e submetidos a toda sorte de violência. Palavras-Chave: cidade; racismo; loucura; capitalismo; raça negra.
Do multidisciplinary teams make a difference to the quality of medical care?
Authors: Marsden Sam , Dunbar Liam , Sandiford Nemandra
Published: December 2019

One of the major modern advances in the organization and delivery of health care has been the introduction of multidisciplinary team management. This approach has reduced mortality levels in patients suffering with cancer and other complex multiorgan pathologies. Many centres of excellence and teaching hospitals have established multidisciplinary teams in order to streamline treatment pathways and optimize patient care.

This article presents an overview of multidisciplinary teams, their history, their introduction into mainstream medical care and the issues resulting from their introduction to the treating organizations as well as clinicians.
Managing the multiply injured patient: the impact of multidisciplinary teams
Authors: French Jonathan , Agius Lewis M , Sandiford Nemandra A
Published: December 2019

Management of trauma has been tackled at a national level to improve patient care and mortality. Decision making through a multidisciplinary team approach has resulted in improved patient outcomes through a complex combination of changes. While the focus of trauma care delivery has been towards establishing an effective multidisciplinary trauma service, there are still improvements which can be made. This article reviews the history of trauma care in the UK, and the impact that multidisciplinary teams have had on the management of the multiply injured patient.
The role of simulation in burns education
Authors: Choong Jia , Tan Zhi Yong
Published: December 2019

Burns are devastating injuries which represent a significant global health burden. In the UK alone, it is estimated that 175 000 people suffer from burns injuries requiring hospital attention every year. The global treatment of burns can be improved through a more systematic team-based approach, which can be achieved through simulation training. Simulation has an increasingly important role in medical education, not only allowing practitioners to apply their knowledge in a controlled and safe environment, but also allowing them to gain technical and non-technical skills. This article explores the role of simulation as an important and effective tool for burns education worldwide.
Is the General Medical Council in need of revalidation?
Authors: de Silva Prasanna
Published: December 2019

The General Medical Council was originally set up to ‘protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public’. In 2012, the Privy Council instructed the General Medical Council to set up and run a licensing and revalidation system for all practicing doctors in the UK, to protect patients from actions of medical staff. Despite this mandate, the General Medical Council has been a bystander in a series of regulatory failures. Without these episodes having been highlighted by family members, public investigations would not have been carried out. The maintenance of medical performance is delegated to NHS employers, which could cause conflicts of interests when employers have to investigate doctors as part of a team.

The other responsibility of the General Medical Council is to monitor teaching standards and curricula of medical schools in the UK, which it does by eliciting feedback from students and trainees. The General Medical Council has not responded to ‘new ways of working’ (especially in England) involving non-medical staff undertaking tasks previously carried out by doctors. Furthermore, the General Medical Council has not updated its description of the role of the future doctor in light of increasing use of technology, use or non-use of which could both be considered to be evidence of poor practice.
Wasted! Resource Recovery and Waste Management in Cuba
Authors: Ahlheim Michael , Becker Maike , Trastl Heike , Losada Yeniley Allegue
Published: December 2019

The collection of solid waste and the recovery of recyclable material from waste are major challenges Cuba has been facing for many years. In this paper, we briefly sketch the actual waste situation and analyse the causes of the obvious deficiencies of the waste sector. We conducted a small survey in Havana city to assess people's awareness of the garbage problem, their appraisal of the actual situation and their willingness to contribute personally to an improvement of the waste situation. Based on the insights gained from this survey and from our theoretical analysis of the Cuban waste management we develop suggestions for an improvement of the waste situation in Cuba. These suggestions take into account that the financial means available to reform the waste management system in Cuba are severely restricted. Therefore, our suggestions are more focused on organisational and motivational changes than on the introduction of high technology.
‘These are Our Beans’: Learning by Doing, Innovation and Resilience in Old Havana's Escuela Taller
Authors: Gilblom Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2019

This qualitative study explores the perceptions and experiences of 18 current students and graduates of Escuela Taller ‘Gaspar de Melchor de Jovellanos’, a two-year cultural heritage restoration programme located in Old Havana, Cuba. The researcher investigated the participants' perceptions and experiences of ‘Aprender Haciendo’, the pedagogical approach of Escuelas Taller that combines theory with practice. Additionally, students and graduates described the challenges they faced while learning how to restore cultural heritage and they provided the ways in which they overcome these barriers. Specifically, innovation and resilience are used to overcome the lack and cost of resources. Finally, Escuelas Taller as a formal community-based learning programme is discussed.
Las bases normativas del ideal republicano de José
Martí
Authors: Simón C. Vladimir Pita , Gioioso Richard N.
Published: December 2019

This article addresses the axiological dimension of the political-legal thinking
of José Martí, whose work became one of the principal instances of discursive
legitimisation within the Cuban public square of the twentieth and twenty-first
centuries. Its inclusive nature stands out for its construction based on
multicultural philosophical points of reference. The discourse successfully
established the need for a radical change in Cuban reality at the end of the
nineteenth century, in search of an institutional framework that would guarantee
the ‘full dignity of man’ rooted in the attainment of the values of justice,
equality, solidarity and freedom.
Cuban Democracy in the Speeches of Fidel Castro, 1959–1976
Authors: Medel Juan Carlos
Published: December 2019

Fidel Castro developed an idea of democracy as a legitimate alternative to American democracy. At the dawn of the Cuban revolution Castro was careful enough to avoid Marxist concepts in his speeches, but after the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 Castro embraced socialism as the ideology of the revolution. Then the concept of dictatorship of the proletariat became the core of Castro's idea of democracy. In this context, the opposition between democracy and dictatorship disappeared. The dictatorship of the proletariat became working class democracy. Thus, according to Castro, the political participation of Cuban masses in the revolutionary process gave the Cuban project an inescapable democratic character. In 1976 the revolutionary government reinforced the socialist character of the Cuban state through the promulgation of a new constitution. Through this constitution the Cuban state embraced formal elections. Paradoxically, after embracing formal elections in 1976, the revolution lost popular power from below and actually became less democratic.
Digital refocusing and extended depth of field reconstruction in Fourier ptychographic microscopy
Authors: Claveau Remy , Manescu Petru , Elmi Muna , Pawar Vijay , Shaw Michael , Fernandez-Reyes Delmiro
Published: December 2019

Fourier ptychography microscopy (FPM) is a recently developed microscopic imaging method that allows the recovery of a high-resolution complex image by combining a sequence of bright and darkfield images acquired under inclined illumination. The capacity of FPM for high resolution imaging at low magnification makes it particularly attractive for applications in digital pathology which require imaging of large specimens such as tissue sections and blood films. To date most applications of FPM have been limited to imaging thin samples, simplifying both image reconstruction and analysis. In this work we show that, for samples of intermediate thickness (defined here as less than the depth of field of a raw captured image), numerical propagation of the reconstructed complex field allows effective digital refocusing of FPM images. The results are validated by comparison against images obtained with an equivalent high numerical aperture objective lens. We find that post reconstruction refocusing (PRR) yields images comparable in quality to adding a defocus term to the pupil function within the reconstruction algorithm, while reducing computing time by several orders of magnitude. We apply PRR to visualize FPM images of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood films and present a novel image processing pipeline to construct an effective extended depth of field image which optimally displays the 3D sample structure in a 2D image. We also show how digital refocusing allows effective correction of the chromatic focus shifts inherent to the low magnification objective lenses used in FPM setups, improving the overall quality of color FPM images.
Enhancement of diffuse correlation spectroscopy tissue blood flow measurement by acoustic radiation force
Authors: Ling Hao , Gui Zhiguo , Hao Huiyan , Shang Yu
Published: December 2019

The current research on acousto-optic effects focuses on the interactions of acoustic waves with static optical properties rather than dynamic features such as tissue blood flow. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is an emerging technology capable of direct measurements of tissue blood flow by probing the movements of red blood cells (RBCs). In this article, we investigated the relations between the acoustic radiation force (ARF) and ultrasonic patterns by the finite element simulations. Based on the outcomes, we experimentally explored how the ultrasound-generated ARF enhance the DCS data as well as the blood flow measurements. The results yield the optimal pattern to generate ARF and elucidate the relations between the ultrasonic emission and flow elevations. The flow modality combing the DCS with ARF modulations, which was proposed in this study for the first time, would promote disease diagnosis and therapeutic assessment in the situation wherein the blood flow contrast between healthy and pathological tissues is insufficient.
Efficient Pr:YAlO3 lasers at 622 nm, 662 nm, and 747 nm pumped by semiconductor laser at 488 nm
Authors: Chen Hengjun , Uehara Hiyori , Kawase Hiroki , Yasuhara Ryo
Published: December 2019

We report laser operation of Pr:YAlO3 pumped by a frequency-doubled optically pumped semiconductor laser. Continuous-wave laser oscillations at around 622 nm, 662 nm, and 747 nm were demonstrated in plano-concave or/and plano-plano cavities. The maximum slope efficiencies were found to be 37%, 35%, and 59%, respectively, which are record-high values for Pr:YAlO3 lasers. Furthermore, lasing at 622 nm was demonstrated at room temperature for the first time to the best of our knowledge.
Strong plasmon-exciton coupling in MIM waveguide-resonator systems with WS2 monolayer
Authors: Li Hongju , Chen Bing , Qin Meng , Wang Lingling
Published: December 2019

The room-temperature strong plasmon-exciton coupling is first investigated in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide-resonator system with WS2 monolayer. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulated results exhibit that the Fabry-Pérot (F-P) cavity is realized by the MIM plasmonic waveguide with two separated metal bars. When the F-P resonance is tuned to overlap with the A-exciton absorption peak of WS2 monolayer, the strong plasmon-exciton coupling is obtained at visible wavelengths. As a result, the spectral splitting response confirmed by the coupled-mode theory (CMT) appears in the transmission spectrum. Intriguingly, the switching response is handily witnessed by tuning the orientation of WS2 monolayer along the cavity, and the coupling strength is dynamically tuned by changing the position of the WS2 monolayer. Simultaneously, the anticrossing behavior with the Rabi splitting up to 109 meV is achieved by small changes in the length of the F-P cavity and the refractive index of dielectric in the cavity, respectively. The underlying physics is further revealed by the coupled oscillator model (COM). The proposed strong plasmon-exciton coupling can find utility in highly integrated plasmonic circuits for optical switching.
La3+ and Er3+ co-doped Y2O3 transparent ceramics with a tunable refractive index and long coherence lifetime
Authors: Zhang Haitao , Yang Jun , Brown Jason A. , Gray Stuart , Ketcham Thomas D. , Aitken Bruce G. , Nolan Daniel A.
Published: December 2019

La3+ is used as an index modifier to tune the refractive index of Er3+ doped Y2O3 transparent ceramics without reducing the coherence lifetime of Er3+ 4I13/2−4I15/2 transition. La3+ and Er3+ are incorporated into Y2O3 through a solution-phase nanoparticle synthesis and nanoparticles are sintered into transparent ceramics by hot isostatic press. The maximum La3+ doping concentration is about 10%, which increases the refractive index of Y2O3 by 0.009 (Δn/n = 0.48%). La3+ doping doesn’t reduce Er3+ optical coherence lifetime. The homogeneous linewidth of Er3+(20 ppm) 4I13/2−4I15/2 transition in La3+ doped Y2O3 ceramics is about 10 kHz at 2 K and 0.65 T, which is close to the reported homogeneous linewidth in Er3+ doped Y2O3 ceramics and single crystals. Such La3+ Er3+ co-doped Y2O3 ceramics are proper materials to fabricate optical waveguides for quantum memory applications.
Understanding solution processing of inorganic materials using cryo-EM
Authors: Dutta Nikita S. , Shao Paul , Gong Kai , White Claire E. , Yao Nan , Arnold Craig B.
Published: December 2019

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single particle analysis (SPA) has revolutionized biology, revealing the hydrated structure of numerous macromolecules. Yet, the potential of SPA to study inorganic materials remains largely unexplored. An area that could see great impact is solution-processed device materials, where solution changes affect everything from crystal morphology for perovskite photovoltaics to stability of photoluminescent quantum dots. While with traditional microscopy, structures underlying these effects can only be analyzed after drying, cryo-EM allows characterization of in-solution structures, revealing how features arise during processing. A top candidate for such characterization is found in chalcogenide glasses (ChGs), which researchers in the 1980s proposed take on solvent-dependent solution nanostructures whose morphologies have yet to be confirmed. Here we show that cryo-EM can directly image ChGs in solution and combine with other techniques to connect solution structure to film characteristics. Our results bring closure to a long open question in optoelectronics and establish SPA as a tool for solution-processed materials.
Non-human labyrinths: Roots and additional other than human formation methods
Authors: Sier André
Published: December 2019

Within the context of exploring new electronic arts' aesthetic regions and unexampled connections between generative art, games and mythology, my practical artistic research was led to focus on labyrinthine structures as exquisite legendary spatial gaming devices and as possible pathways to gain deeper humane insights, resulting into discoveries of original methods of labyrinth formation by means other than human. Labyrinths and mazes are inextricable paths, human made millennial structures that provide spatial challenges often connected with feedback, compression, entanglement and hyper complexification of goal oriented displacement. They are perhaps the most ancient example of structure for spatial and serious games. Novel methods for labyrinth creation – non-human methods – are introduced and exemplified through artistic constructs. These new methods utilize non-human bioelectronic techniques and are initially grouped into three distinct sub-categories: the 'open' method, the 'mathematical flower' method, the 'animal' method. Four case examples of artistic non-human labyrinths resorting to the introduced novel methods are explored: k. video games (2007, 2010), Wolfanddotcom video game (2017), 8-bit Maze Gardens vegetable paintings (2018–present), Ant Ennae Labyrinths bio-electronic apparatus (2019–present).
Reflections on repetition, abstraction and transformation
Authors: Heurling Julia
Published: December 2019

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, abstraction refers to the cognitive process of isolating, or 'abstracting', a common feature or relationship observed in a number of things, or the product of such a process. New World Encyclopaedia describe abstraction in philosophical terminology as the thought process wherein ideas are distanced from objects. Abstraction uses a strategy of simplification that ignores formerly concrete details or leaves them ambiguous, vague or undefined. Abstract thinking, as opposed to concrete thinking, has no application in 'the real world' unless adapted to certain circumstances. For this reason, abstract thinking can be regarded as limited in capacity to affect change. Yet, abstract thinking can be seen as a basis for major transformation. Problem solving often involves combining abstract and concrete reasoning. This article will reflect on how abstract thinking can be seen as a basis for transformation. Drawing from examples from my own artistic practice, I will look at how repetition, as a means of abstract thinking, can be seen as a tool for bridging and repositioning perspectives.
Plant Portraits: Creative processes, communication and the search for new paradigms1
Authors: Leao Lucia
Published: December 2019

What can we learn from plants? Which forms of intelligence and knowledge can we discover by dedicating ourselves to understanding the life of a plant, its characteristics, interactions with the environment and cultural narratives? This article aims to bridge recent studies in plant intelligence, Semiotics and creative processes. Departing form the idea that the world arrived at a critical situation and the planet Earth cannot continue being exploited as an infinite source, we argue that it is necessary to promote transformations in our culture, abandoning the anthropocentric framework and looking for new perspectives. In this sense, connecting communication, art, science and education, the purpose of Plant Portraits is to create experiences and propitiate encounters that catalyse the awakening of an expanded and integrated consciousness.
The microbiome biosphere as an artistic resource
Authors: Moreira Patrícia R.
Published: December 2019

The microbiome has become one of the most recognizable research subjects and presences in the headlines of news and scientific articles published in almost every biological science area in the last few years. The steady decline in the price of DNA sequencing has enabled metagenomics, community analysis and genome sequencing to enter routine research in microbiology and biotechnology laboratories all around the world. The already open access to national and international databases that include nucleotide (including full genomes) and protein sequences such as GenBank or EMBL-Bank and a multitude of free bioinformatic software resources accessible online, along with the international efforts towards open science publication and open data, allow the possibility of the microbiome and microbiota to be envisaged as a potential data and material resource for new media art projects especially for artists interested in biological processes. Recent results on the creation of synthetic life that are already testing the boundaries of life could be another approach for the creative exploration of microbiology and microbial processes from the artistic point of view. This article will attempt to uncover and reflect on the potential for further exploration of this resource.
The crowbar model of method and its implications
Authors: Nickles Thomas
Published: December 2019

There is a rough, long-term tradeoff between rate of innovation and degree of strong realism in scientific practice, a point reflected in historically changing conceptions of method as they retreat from epistemological foundationism to a highly fallibilistic, modeling perspective. The successively more liberal, innovation-stimulating methods open up to investigation deep theoretical domains at the cost, in many cases, of moving away from strong realism as a likely outcome of research. The crowbar model of method highlights this tension, expressed as the crowbar compromiseand the crowbar fallacy. The tools-to-theories heuristic, described and evaluated by Gigerenzer and colleagues, can be regarded as an attempt by some scientific realists to overcome this compromise. Instead, it is an instance of it. Nonetheless, in successful applications the crowbar model implies a modest, instrumental (nonrepresentational) realism.
The construction of the DSM: Genealogy of a sociopolitical product
Authors: García Zabaleta Omar
Published: December 2019

The DSM by American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the most relevant classification of mental disorders in the clinic and academic field. It is a manual that has been changing according to its context, although not always due to advances in scientific knowledge. The historical review of the manual’s successive editions shows its sociopolitical nature. Indeed ideological or political factors have been very influential in its configuration. These factors help to explain the properties of current psychiatry represented by the DSM-5 and understand the strong critiques addressed to it.
The philosopher’s paradox: How to make a coherent decision in the Newcomb Problem
Authors: Hoefer Carl , Viger Christopher , Viger Daniel
Published: December 2019

We offer a novel argument for one-boxing in Newcomb’s Problem. The intentional states of a rational person are psychologically coherent across time, and rational decisions are made against this backdrop. We compare this coherence constraint with a golf swing, which to be effective must include a follow-through after the ball is in flight. Decisions, like golf swings, are extended processes, and their coherence with other psychological states of a player in the Newcomb scenario links her choice with the way she is predicted in a common cause structure. As a result, the standard argument for two-boxing is mistaken.
Revisión de seis inscripciones en altares votivos dedicados a deidades lusitanas y vetonas
Authors: Olivares Pedreño Juan Carlos
Published: December 2019

En el presente trabajo estudiamos seis inscripciones votivas ya publicadas, procedentes de Freixo de Numão (Guarda), Zamarra (Salamanca) y de Zarza de Granadilla, Zorita, Villamiel y Baños de Montemayor (Cáceres), pero cuyas interpretaciones actuales necesitan, a nuestro juicio, variaciones sustanciales en el nombre de los dedicantes o en el nombre y apelativos de las divinidades citadas. Las nuevas propuestas interpretativas que desarrollamos parten de un análisis detallado realizado sobre el terreno.
Qualitative study of preferences and attitudes towards honey consumption in Hungary
Authors: Oravecz Titanilla , Kovács Ildikó
Published: December 2019

Honey is becoming increasingly popular among consumers for its health and nutritional benefits as well as several other functions. The survey identifies four main dimensions of honey-purchasing motivation: medical benefits of honey consumption, dietary quality, cosmetics and sweetener. There are very limited empirical analysis of the aspects of honey consumption. The present study contributes to fill this knowledge gap through a qualitative study of consumer perceptions, preferences and attitudes towards honey among Hungarian consumers through 86 in-depth interviews. The study identifies different consumer segments, which are also willing to pay premium prices for the Hungarian or local honey. Quality cues are defined by search attributes of the product (colour, taste, aroma, thickness), and ethical attributes (warranties, brand name, country-of-origin).
PLATFORM MICROSITE : KONVERGENSI MEDIA PUBLIKASI KEMENTERIA N KEUANGAN RI DI ERA LITERASI DIGITAL
Authors: Arifiyanto Aditya , Utari Prahastiwi , Rahmanto Andre Noevi
Published: December 2019

The development of information technology in recent years has led to various types of information media platforms, including websites and social media. The use of mobile devices has also become a digital trend to access the internet, because this device can be taken anywhere and can be accessed the internet anytime we want. With the presence of technological developments can increase digital literacy in the community. Digital literacy in question is the ability of people to understand and use information from various digital sources. Through this article, the author wants to provide a general description of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia in innovating media convergence in the digital age. The results of this study found the fact that in adapting to the era of digital literacy, the KLI Bureau decided to create a new digital media using the Visual Communication approach for its content using a microsite platform to implement digital convergence media publishing strategies, and named Visual Kemenkeu (VK).
NARASI TENTANG AUTISM DI FACEBOOK (Studi Autoetnografi pada Status K.W)
Authors: Kusumastuti Frida , Leonardo Jeanne , Widiatmojo Radityo
Published: December 2019

The narrative of a mother who is directly involved in living with a child with an autistic child's lifetime is worth noting because it can complement the narrative of the Professionals (doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, educators). Especially if the narrative is done openly on social media such as Facebook. Social Media gives the opportunity of public voices that were originally being repossessed by large narratives. Thus the purpose of this research is to interpret the narrative of the subject about autism based on daily experience (everyday life). Narrative is the way someone tells his experience. The narrative about Autism, commonly referred to as "disability", is not necessarily the same as the people's narration or family. The narrative of experts and the general public about defects is often done in a dichotomistic, i.e. only when defects – including autism – are seen as sadness or suffering, and when a defective individual is successful with extraordinary achievement. This research was conducted on a Facebook social account, which is a KW account – a single-parent mother claiming to have five children, of which three of them (15 years old, 10 years old and 7 years old) were autistic. The choice on the subject of the study because the KW handled the children's autism with a full involvement with no shadower nor professional caregiver. Secondly, KW is capable of conducting autism narrative through social media (Facebook) which is open. The results showed (1) Narrative about the nature, attitudes, and principles of Autism, (2) narrative on the achievement of autism.
Case-marking idiosyncrasy in subordination: the Japanese dative ni and beyond
Authors: Koguma Takeshi , Izutsu Katsunobu
Published: December 2019

This article examines Japanese idiosyncratic dative case markings, which cannot be accounted for by the semantics of verbs per se. We argue that the underlying mechanism is best described in terms of “blending of prefabricated forms in language production” (Barlow 2000), demonstrating that the relevant prefabricated structures provide a scaffold for the development of the use of dative ni in question. This study further explores some comparable non-canonical case markings observed in Korean subordinate clauses, suggesting that they can also be similarly characterized.