bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole-exome Sequencing in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma Uncovers Novel Prognostic Categorization and Drug Targets Similar to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Chahoud Jad , Gleber-Netto Frederico O. , McCormick Barrett Z. , Rao Priya , Lu Xin , Guo Ming , Morgan Maggaret B. , Chu Randy A. , Martinez-Ferrer Magaly , Eterovic Agda Karina , Pickering Curtis R. , Pettaway Curtis A.
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is rare with limited treatment options. We report the first whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis and compare the molecular landscape of PSCC with other squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), with the goal to identify common novel targets.

Experimental Design:

PSCC and matched normal penile tissues from 34 prospectively followed patients, underwent genomic WES and human papilloma virus testing. We performed tumor mutation signature estimation by two methods, first to identify APOBEC-related mutation enrichments and second to classify PSCC-enriched mutational patterns based on their association with the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer mutation signatures. We performed an extensive genomic comparison between our PSCC cohort and other SCCs in The Cancer Genome Atlas studies.

Results:

We identified that most PSCC samples showed enrichment for Notch pathway (n = 24, 70.6%) alterations, comparable with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). PSCC mutation signatures are most comparable with HNSC signatures. PSCC samples showed an enrichment of two distinct mutational signatures, the first, associated with oncogenic activity of AID/APOBEC, and the second, associated with defective DNA mismatch repair and microsatellite instability. MP1 enrichment was positively correlated with increased tumor mutation burden (TMB; CC, 0.71; P < 0.0001) and correlated with significantly worse survival in comparison with those with the MP2 subset [HR, 10.2 (1.13–92.9); P = 0.039]. We show that a subset of PSCC (38%), with enrichment of APOBEC-related mutation signature, had significantly higher TMB and worse overall survival in comparison with non-APOBEC–enriched subset [HR, 2.41 (1.11–6.77); P = 0.042].

Conclusions:

This study identified novel druggable targets and similarities in mutational signatures between PSCC and HNSC with potential clinical implications.

See related commentary by McGregor and Sonpavde, p. 2375
Delayed-Onset, Recurrent Hyphema after Microhook ab interno Trabeculotomy
Authors: Tanito Masaki
Published: January 2021

Trabeculotomy (LOT) and related goniotomy surgeries can be divided into two classes based on the excision or incision of the trabecular meshwork. Previously, blood reflux from Schlemm’s canal (SC) after long-standing glaucoma surgery was reported in eyes treated with excisional LOT. The current case is one of delayed-onset hyphema after incisional LOT. An 87-year-old woman with bilateral normal-tension glaucoma had undergone microhook ab interno LOT (μLOT) combined with small incisional cataract surgery in both eyes 4 years previously. At the scheduled 4-year follow-up visit, numerous red blood cells floating in the anterior chamber, angle hyphema, and opening of the LOT cleft were observed in the right eye. No possible cause of hyphema such as rubeosis, Swan syndrome, or uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome was identified. This case suggests that SC can remain open for an extended time even after incisional LOT such as μLOT.
Cellular Senescence Is Associated with Faster Progression of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Verzola Daniela , Saio Michela , Picciotto Daniela , Viazzi Francesca , Russo Elisa , Cipriani Leda , Carta Annalisa , Costigliolo Francesca , Gaggero Gabriele , Salvidio Gennaro , Esposito Pasquale , Garibotto Giacomo , Poggi Laura
Published: January 2021

Background: A current, albeit unproven, hypothesis is that an acceleration of cellular senescence is involved in impaired renal repair and progression of glomerular diseases. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a glomerular disease with a substantial risk for progression to ESRD. However, if and to what extent cell senescence predicts a negative outcome in FSGS is still unknown. Methods: The hypothesis that cell senescence represents a proximate mechanism by which the kidney is damaged in FSGS (NOS phenotype) was investigated in 26 consecutive kidney biopsies from adult FSGS cases (eGFR 72 ± 4 mL/min, proteinuria 2.3 ± 0.6 g/day) who were incident for 2 years in a Northern Italian nephrology center and had a 6-year clinical follow-up. Results: Cell senescence (p16INK4A, SA-β-galactosidase [SA-β-Gal]) was upregulated by ∼3- to 4-fold in both glomerular and tubular cells in kidney biopsies of FSGS as compared to age-matched controls (p < 0.05–0.01). Tubular SA-β-Gal correlated with proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis, while only as a trend, tubular p16INK4A was directly associated with interstitial fibrosis. At univariate analysis, basal eGFR, proteinuria, and tubular expression of SA-β-Gal and p16INK4A were significantly directly related to the annual loss of eGFR. No correlation was observed between glomerular p16INK4A and eGFR loss. However, at multivariate analysis, eGFR, proteinuria, and tubular p16INK4A, but not SA-β-Gal, contributed significantly to the prediction of eGFR loss. Conclusions: The results indicate that an elevated cell senescence rate, expressed by an upregulation of p16INK4A in tubules at the time of initial biopsy, represents an independent predictor of progression to ESRD in adult patients with FSGS.
Long-Term Effects of Prenatal Severe Hypoxia on Central and Peripheral Components of the Glucocorticoid System in Rats
Authors: Vetrovoy Oleg , Tyulkova Ekaterina , Stratilov Viktor , Baranova Kseniia , Nimiritsky Peter , Makarevich Pavel , Rybnikova Elena
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Prenatal hypoxia is a risk factor for the development of numerous neurological disorders. It is known that the maternal stress response to hypoxia determines the epigenetic impairment of the perinatal expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the hippocampus of the progeny, but so far no detailed study of how this affects the functional state of the glucocorticoid system during further ontogenesis has been performed. Objective: The goal of the present study was to examine the long-term effects of the prenatal hypoxia on the functioning of the glucocorticoid system throughout life. Methods: Prenatal severe hypobaric hypoxia (PSH) was induced in the critical period of embryonic hippocampal formation on days 14–16 of gestation in a hypobaric chamber (180 Torr, 5% oxygen, 3 h). The activity of central (hippocampus) and peripheral (liver) components of the glucocorticoid system was assessed in 1-day-old (newborn), 2-week-old (juvenile), 3-month-old (adult), and 18-month-old (aged) male rats. Results: The PSH resulted in continuously elevated baseline corticosterone blood levels in the adult and aged rats. The chronic elevation of the corticosterone levels was accompanied by a progressive deficit of the GR expression in the liver, increased hepatic glycogen content, dysregulated glucose-6-phosphatase activity, and eventually hypoglycemia. Elevated corticosterone appears to result from the impairment of the mechanisms of glucocorticoid negative feedback since a substantial decrease in both the total number of GR and their nuclear localization was observed already in the hippocampus of newborn rat pups and persisted throughout life. Corresponding stable hippocampal downregulation of GR-dependent genes was observed as well. Suppression of the maternal glucocorticoid stress response to hypoxia by metyrapone injection to pregnant rats prior to each hypoxic challenge considerably reduced corticosterone over-response to hypoxia and prevented reduced hippocampal GR. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that in progeny a deficit of hippocampal GR resulting from maternal glucocorticoid response to hypoxia remains stable throughout life and is accompanied by severe disturbances of baseline glucocorticoid levels and its peripheral reception. Negative consequences of PSH can be prevented by injection with an inhibitor of corticosterone synthesis (metyrapone) to pregnant females undergoing hypoxia.
ПСИХІЧНИЙ СТАН НАСЕЛЕННЯ ПІД ЧАС ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19
Authors: Reshtakova N. O.
Published: January 2021

У стaттi проаналізовано психічний стан населення, яке опинилося в жорстких умовах карантину під час пандемії COVID-19, а також діагностичні підходи до пацієнтів зі загальної соматичної практики.
АНАЛІЗ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ЕТИКИ ТА РОЛІ РОБОТИ СЕРЕДНЬОГО МЕДИЧНОГО ПЕРСОНАЛУ
Authors: Lykha L. M. , Hospodarskyy I. Ya.
Published: January 2021

Глобалізаційні та інтеграційні процеси в суспільстві, динамічний розвиток медичних технологій, визнання світовою спільнотою проблеми фізичного, морального і соціального здоров’я як головного показника соціально-економічної зрілості, культури й успішності держави, соціальний запит на якість медичних послуг зумовлюють особливі вимоги до професійної діяльності середнього медичного персоналу загалом і медичних сестер зокрема. Медична сестра повинна успішно володіти фундаментальними та спеціальними знаннями й уміннями в питаннях комплексного догляду за пацієнтами, надавати медичну допомогу, що відповідає принципу гуманності, національним і світовим професійним стандартам, активно здійснювати профілактичну діяльність у сфері охорони здоров’я. У виконанні своїх фахових обов’язків медична сестра має керуватися нормами професійної моралі й етики.

Важливість професійних та особистісних рис актуалізує необхідність удосконалення змісту формування професійної етики майбутніх медичних сестер у навчально-виховному процесі, зокрема під час вивчення дисциплін соціально-гуманітарної, психолого-педагогічної, професійно-практичної підготовки, проведення навчально-дослідної, виховної роботи, виробничих практик, що визначено галузевими стандартами вищої медичної освіти.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ СТУДЕНТІВ В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19 (ЗА РЕЗУЛЬТАТАМИ АНКЕТУВАННЯ)
Authors: Terenda N. O. , Terenda О. А. , Horishnyi M. I. , Panchyshyn N. Ya.
Published: January 2021

У статті проаналізовано результати онлайн-анкетування студентів щодо їхнього ставлення до переваг та недоліків дистанційної форми навчання. В умовах пандемії COVID-19 дистанційне навчання є однією з провідних світових тенденцій в освіті. Ця технологія реалізує принцип безперервної освіти і здатна задовольнити постійно зростаючий попит на знання в інформаційному суспільстві. Отримані результати онлайн-анкетування студентів вказують на існування суб’єктивних перешкод у здобутті знань під час дистанційного навчання, яке передбачає значну самомотивацію студента щодо власного навчання, а також високий рівень самоорганізації. Для покращення доступності навчально-методичних матеріалів, збільшення контакту між викладачем і студентом необхідно залучати інтерактивні платформи, які дозволять покращити процес викладання та засвоєння необхідного навчального матеріалу. 

Широке запровадження дистанційної форми освіти у 2020 р., зумовлене поширенням пандемії COVID-19 та необхідністю дотримання всіх карантинних заходів задля збереження здоров’я та життя всіх учасників освітнього процесу, поставило нові виклики перед здобувачами вищої освіти, подолати які необхідно спільними зусиллями всіх зацікавлених сторін із залученням новітніх інтерактивних платформ, та підвищення мотиваційного фактора у здобутті нових знань.
COMMUNICATIVE EXERCISES AS A COMPONENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE DOCTORS
Authors: Kitura H. Ya. , Vorona I. I.
Published: January 2021

The article deals with the practical usage expediency of English language communicative exercises as a component of medical students’ professional competence. The essence of foreign language competence as a constituent of the professional culture of Health Care worker is ascertained. The formation of a medical student’s foreign language competence is an important concept of the professional education in higher educational medical establishments and is realized by mastering the features of language competence at its phonetic, lexical and grammatical levels of study. The attention is concentrated on the necessity of educational communicative exersices’ analysis as a core component of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The problems of special subject contents within the course of ESP, selection of teaching materials, development of students’ communicative component in the mastering of the English language skills are examined. The main components of the medical students’ lexical competence are described; science-based classification system of exercises for the formation of communicative competence is considered; the necessity of lexical mastering for proper opinion formation is emphasized. The examples of communicative lexical exercises for the implementation of professional speech activities of medical students in professional English classes are suggested. The practical usage of the communicative exercises develops speech skills and abilities for an opportunity to evaluate, express own opinions and promote self-development and self-actualization of medical students is clarified in this article.
Multiple processes of geochemical evolution for the alkaline rocks of Rio Bonito intrusive complex, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: 40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes on zircon and constraints on crustal signature
Authors: Silva Daniel Adelino da , Motoki Akihisa , Santos Anderson Costa dos , Mendes Julio , Jourdan Fred , Geraldes Mauro César , Lana Cristiano de Carvalho
Published: January 2021

This article presents geochemical characteristics of the alkaline rocks of Rio Bonito intrusive complex, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is constituted mainly by nepheline syenite. The fractional crystallisation of this magma decreases K2O/(Na2O + K2O) and increases (Na + K)/Al. The TiO2, Fe2O3*, MgO, CaO, and P2O5 contents indicate fractionation of titanite, ilmenite, and clinopyroxene or amphibole. The total rare earth elements (REEs) are high, and the REE pattern is linear with negative gradient. The nepheline syenite aplite has low REEs, concave REE pattern, and positive Eu anomaly. The ultrabasic and basic mela-nepheline syenite samples have total REEs and light REEs higher than the felsic alkaline rocks. Therefore, the nepheline syenite magma is not derived directly from the alkaline ultrabasic magma. Laser-spot step‑heating 40Ar/39Ar ages for biotite and amphibole are 65.03 ± 0.70 and 65.03 ± 0.46. U-Pb ages LA-ICP-MS for two samples are 65.49 ± 0.30 and 65.18 ± 0.30. Values of εHf are negative for both samples, indicating an important crustal component in the evolution of Rio Bonito.
Genetic Risk Score to Identify Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Cardiometabolic Disease
Authors: Marston Nicholas A. , Melloni Giorgio E.M. , Gurmu Yared , Bonaca Marc P. , Kamanu Frederick K. , Roselli Carolina , Lee Christina , Cavallari Ilaria , Giugliano Robert P. , Scirica Benjamin M. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Steg Philippe Gabriel , Cohen Marc , Storey Robert F. , Keech Anthony C. , Raz Itamar , Mosenzon Ofri , Braunwald Eugene , Lubitz Steven A. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Sabatine Marc S. , Ruff Christian T.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and has a known genetic contribution. We tested the performance of a genetic risk score for its ability to predict VTE in 3 cohorts of patients with cardiometabolic disease.

Methods:

We included patients from the FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Patients With Elevated Risk), PEGASUS-TIMI 54 (Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Prior Heart Attack Using Ticagrelor Compared to Placebo on a Background of Aspirin), and SAVOR-TIMI 53 (Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus) trials (history of a major atherosclerotic cardiovascular event, myocardial infarction, and diabetes, respectively) who consented for genetic testing and were not on baseline anticoagulation. We calculated a VTE genetic risk score based on 297 single nucleotide polymorphisms with established genome-wide significance. Patients were divided into tertiles of genetic risk. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios for VTE across genetic risk groups. The polygenic risk score was compared with available clinical risk factors (age, obesity, smoking, history of heart failure, and diabetes) and common monogenic mutations.

Results:

A total of 29 663 patients were included in the analysis with a median follow-up of 2.4 years, of whom 174 had a VTE event. There was a significantly increased gradient of risk across VTE genetic risk tertiles (
P
-trend <0.0001). After adjustment for clinical risk factors, patients in the intermediate and high genetic risk groups had a 1.88-fold (95% CI, 1.23–2.89;
P
=0.004) and 2.70-fold (95% CI, 1.81–4.06;
P
<0.0001) higher risk of VTE compared with patients with low genetic risk. In a continuous model adjusted for clinical risk factors, each standard deviation increase in the genetic risk score was associated with a 47% (95% CI, 29–68) increased risk of VTE (
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions:

In a broad spectrum of patients with cardiometabolic disease, a polygenic risk score is a strong, independent predictor of VTE after accounting for available clinical risk factors, identifying 1/3 of patients who have a risk of VTE comparable to that seen with established monogenic thrombophilia.
Rationale and Design of the SAFE-PAD Study
Authors: Secemsky Eric A. , Raja Aishwarya , Shen Changyu , Valsdottir Linda R. , Schermerhorn Marc , Yeh Robert W. ,   on behalf of the SAFE-PAD Investigators
Published: January 2021

Background:

Recent evidence from randomized controlled trials has raised concerns about the long-term safety of paclitaxel-coated peripheral devices used for femoropopliteal artery revascularization. In response to a call for more real-world data on the safety of these devices, the SAFE-PAD study (Safety Assessment of Femoropopliteal Endovascular treatment with Paclitaxel-coated Devices) was designed with input from the Food and Drug Administration to provide a long-term, comprehensive evaluation of the mortality risk associated with paclitaxel-coated devices among Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods and Results:

SAFE-PAD is an observational cohort study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries that underwent femoropopliteal artery revascularization with either a drug-coated device or nondrug-coated device from 2015 through 2018. All patients age 66 years or older who underwent revascularization will be identified using a combination of
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision
procedural codes, Current Procedural Terminology codes, and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System C-codes. The safety end point of all-cause death will be updated semiannually and continued until the median duration of follow-up surpasses 5 years. Sub-group analyses will be conducted by device type, patient characteristics, and procedural setting.

Registration:

The SAFE-PAD study has been registered on URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04496544.

Conclusions:

The SAFE-PAD study will evaluate the long-term safety of drug-coated devices compared with nondrug-coated devices for femoropopliteal artery revascularization among a broad, real-world population of patients with peripheral artery disease.
Aberrant Activation of Notch1 Signaling in Glomerular Endothelium Induces Albuminuria
Authors: Li Liqun , Liu Qiang , Shang Tongyao , Song Wei , Xu Dongmei , Allen Thaddeus D. , Wang Xia , Jeong James , Lobe Corrinne G. , Liu Ju
Published: January 2021

Rationale:

Glomerular capillaries are lined with a highly specialized fenestrated endothelium and contribute to the glomerular filtration barrier. The Notch signaling pathway is involved in regulation of glomerular filtration barrier, but its role in glomerular endothelium has not been investigated due to the embryonic lethality of animal models with genetic modification of Notch pathway components in the endothelium.

Objective:

To determine the effects of aberrant activation of the Notch signaling in glomerular endothelium and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods and Results:

We established the
ZEG-NICD1 (notch1 intracellular domain)/Tie2-tTA/Tet-O-Cre
transgenic mouse model to constitutively activate Notch1 signaling in endothelial cells of adult mice. The triple transgenic mice developed severe albuminuria with significantly decreased VE-cadherin (vascular endothelial cadherin) expression in the glomerular endothelium. In vitro studies showed that either NICD1 (Notch1 intracellular domain) lentiviral infection or treatment with Notch ligand DLL4 (delta-like ligand 4) markedly reduced VE-cadherin expression and increased monolayer permeability of human renal glomerular endothelial cells. In addition, Notch1 activation or gene knockdown of VE-cadherin reduced the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx. Further investigation demonstrated that activated Notch1 suppression of
VE-cadherin
was through the transcription factors SNAI1 (snail family transcriptional repressor 1) and ERG (Ets related gene), which bind to the −373 E-box and the −134/−118 ETS (E26 transformation-specific) element of the VE-cadherin promoter, respectively.

Conclusions:

Our results reveal novel regulatory mechanisms whereby endothelial Notch1 signaling dictates the level of VE-cadherin through the transcription factors SNAI1 and ERG, leading to dysfunction of glomerular filtration barrier and induction of albuminuria.

Graphic Abstract:

A
graphic abstract
is available for this article.
Prognostic Value of Abdominal Aortic Calcification: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Leow Kevin , Szulc Pawel , Schousboe John T. , Kiel Douglas P. , Teixeira‐Pinto Armando , Shaikh Hassan , Sawang Michael , Sim Marc , Bondonno Nicola , Hodgson Jonathan M. , Sharma Ankit , Thompson Peter L. , Prince Richard L. , Craig Jonathan C. , Lim Wai H. , Wong Germaine , Lewis Joshua R.
Published: January 2021

Background

The prognostic importance of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) viewed on noninvasive imaging modalities remains uncertain.

Methods and Results

We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE and Embase) until March 2018. Multiple reviewers identified prospective studies reporting AAC and incident cardiovascular events or all‐cause mortality. Two independent reviewers assessed eligibility and risk of bias and extracted data. Summary risk ratios (RRs) were estimated using random‐effects models comparing the higher AAC groups combined (any or more advanced AAC) to the lowest reported AAC group. We identified 52 studies (46 cohorts, 36 092 participants); only studies of patients with chronic kidney disease (57%) and the general older‐elderly (median, 68 years; range, 60–80 years) populations (26%) had sufficient data to meta‐analyze. People with any or more advanced AAC had higher risk of cardiovascular events (RR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.40–2.39), fatal cardiovascular events (RR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.44–2.39), and all‐cause mortality (RR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.55–2.53). Patients with chronic kidney disease with any or more advanced AAC had a higher risk of cardiovascular events (RR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.21–5.45), fatal cardiovascular events (RR, 3.68; 95% CI, 2.32–5.84), and all‐cause mortality (RR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.95–2.97).

Conclusions

Higher‐risk populations, such as the elderly and those with chronic kidney disease with AAC have substantially greater risk of future cardiovascular events and poorer prognosis. Providing information on AAC may help clinicians understand and manage patients' cardiovascular risk better.
Four new species of monoraphid diatoms from Western Sichuan Plateau in China

Authors: YOU Q.M. , ZHAO K. , WANG Y.L. , YU P. , KOCIOLEK J.P. , PANG W.T. , WANG Q.X.
Published: January 2021

Four new monoraphid diatoms are examined and described from a high-altitude (> 3000 m) region of western Sichuan, China.  The descriptions are based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations, and the four new species are compared with similar taxa worldwide.  Achnanthidium sichuanense sp. nov. has small, lanceolate-elliptical valves, with rounded apices. The outline and central area differentiate it from similar species.  The unique characteristic of Eucocconeis undulatum sp. nov. is that it has valves that are undulate along the apical axis, forming an “H”-shaped area on both raphe and rapheless valves as seen in light microscope (LM).  Platessa mugecuonesis sp. nov. and Platessa lanceolata sp. nov. are two small species, whose valve outlines and central areas make them different from other species in this genus.  A. sichuanense sp. nov. and E. undulatum sp. nov. are discussed in terms of the relationship between “Achnanthidium & Psammothidium” and “Eucocconeis & Psammothidium”, as these genera are difficult to separate according to morphological characteristics.
Taxonomic revision of the genus Rhopalapion Schilsky, 1906 (Coleoptera, Apionidae) with description of Rhopalapion celatum n. sp. from the Turanian Region
Authors: GIUSTO CARLO
Published: January 2021

The genus Rhopalapion Schilsky, 1906 is revised and its name is applied to Apionidae with elongate body, elongate antennal club and strong sexual dimorphism in the length of rostrum, whose biology is related to Malvaceae belonging to the genus Alcea L., 1753. The morphological study of various populations hitherto attributed to Rhopalapion longirostre (Olivier, 1807) allowed the identification of a further species, Rhopalapion celatum n. sp. (♂♀, type locality: S-Iran: Fars Province: Pâsârgâd: vicinity tomb of Cyrus), distributed in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Lectotype (♂) of Apion longirostre Olivier, 1807 is designated. The following new combinations are proposed for the species formerly assigned to Rhopalapion: Pseudaspidapion leptorostre (Voss, 1959) n. comb. and Harpapion coelestipenne (Voss, 1962) n. comb. The genera Anacrapion Mazur, 2011 and Lopatinapion Friedman, 2013 are provisionally removed from the tribe Malvapiini Alonso-Zarazaga, 1990 and considered members of the supertribe Aspidapiitae Alonso-Zarazaga, 1990 with no tribal attribution.
The larva of Rhyacophila albardana McLachlan 1879, including a discriminatory matrix to the Rhyacophila larvae with comb-shaped gills of Austria, Germany and Switzerland (Rhyacophilidae, Trichoptera)
Authors: WEINZIERL ARMIN , MALICKY HANS , WARINGER JOHANN
Published: January 2021

Final instar larvae collected in the Rißbach (Isar catchment, Bavaria) were positively associated with adults of Rhyacophila albardana by barcoding; final instar larvae and adults of this species also were collected at the same time and site in the Lech River (Austria) in the absence of confusing species. These collections and associations enabled a description of the hitherto unknown larva of this species. We present information on the morphology of the larva and illustrate the most important diagnostic features. This dataset is included in a discriminatory matrix of the other larvae with comb-shaped gills (Rhyacophila Hyperrhyacophila Group) known so far from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Species can be separated by coloration patterns of the head and prosternum morphology. Rhyacophila albardana is known from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland (Neu et al. 2018).
Enhanced Ciprofloxacin Degradation Over Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 Heterojunctions Beneath Visible Light Illumination
Authors: Alhaddad Maha
Published: January 2021

In this investigation, various proportions of Pt@BaZrO3 (at 1∼4 wt.%) accommodating 2.0 wt% Pt were adopted to establish Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites of improved photocatalytic performance. H2PtCl6 nanoparticles
as well as mesoporous BaZrO3 and g-C3N4 were utilized to develop the prescribed nanocomposites via sonication-mixture routine. The photocatalytic achievement for the upgraded Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites beneath visible light
irradiation were tested by examining ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation. Enhanced charge transfer and retarded charges’ recombination were established amid Pt, BaZrO3 NPs and g-C3N4 nanosheets in the developed heterojunctions. The proportion (wt.%) of Pt@BaZrO3
was found to be an essential parameter in governing the photocatalytic efficacy of the promoted Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites. Moreover, complete photocatalytic decomposition of CIP was established over Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite,
accommodating 3 wt.% Pt@BaZrO3 NPs. Such superior performance was correlated to the great ability of the Pt@BaZrO3/g-C3N4 to absorb visible light in addition to the prolonged charge separation amid the photo-induced charge carriers.
Convection–Kelvin Wave Coupling in a Global Convection-Permitting Model
Authors: Weber Nicholas J. , Kim Daehyun , Mass Clifford F.
Published: January 2021

A convectively coupled equatorial Kelvin wave (CCKW) was observed over the equatorial Indian Ocean in early November 2011 during the DYNAMO field campaign. This study examines the structure of the CCKW event using two simulations made using the MPAS model: one with 3-km grid spacing without convective parameterization and another with a 15-km grid and parameterized convection. Both simulations qualitatively capture the observed structure of the CCKW, including its vertical tilt and progression of cloud/precipitation structures. The two simulations, however, differ substantially in the amplitude of the CCKW-associated precipitation. While the 3-km run realistically captures the observed modulation of precipitation by the CCKW, the 15-km simulation severely underestimates its magnitude. To understand the difference between the two MPAS simulations regarding wave–convection coupling within the CCKW, the relationship of precipitation with convective inhibition, saturation fraction, and surface turbulent fluxes is investigated. Results show that the 15-km simulation underestimates the magnitude of the CCKW precipitation peak in association with its unrealistically linear relationship between moisture and precipitation. Precipitation, both in observations and the 3-km run, is predominantly controlled by saturation fraction and this relationship is exponential. In contrast, the parameterized convection in the 15-km run is overly sensitive to convective inhibition and not sensitive enough to environmental moisture. The implications of these results on CCKW theories are discussed.
Origins of the Excessive Westward Extension of ENSO SST Simulated in CMIP5 and CMIP6 Models
Authors: Jiang Wenping , Huang Ping , Huang Gang , Ying Jun
Published: January 2021

An excessive westward extension of the simulated ENSO-related sea surface temperature (ENSO SST) variability in the CMIP5 and CMIP6 models is the most apparent ENSO SST pattern bias and dominates the intermodel spread in ENSO SST variability among the models. The ENSO SST bias lowers the models’ skill in ENSO-related simulations and induces large intermodel uncertainty in ENSO-related projections. The present study investigates the origins of the excessive westward extension of ENSO SST in 25 CMIP5 and 25 CMIP6 models. Based on the intermodel spread of ENSO SST variability simulated in the 50 models, we reveal that this ENSO SST bias among the models largely depends on the simulated cold tongue strength in the equatorial western Pacific (EWP). Models simulating a stronger cold tongue tend to simulate a larger mean zonal SST gradient in the EWP and then a larger zonal advection feedback in the EWP, favoring a more westward extension of the ENSO SST pattern. In addition, with the overall improvement in the EWP cold tongue from CMIP5 to CMIP6, the excessive westward extension bias of ENSO SST in CMIP6 models is also reduced relative to those in CMIP5 models. The results suggest that the bias and intermodel disagreement in the mean-state SST have been improved, which improves ENSO simulation.
Near-Inertial Waves and Turbulence Driven by the Growth of Swell
Authors: Wagner Gregory L. , Chini Gregory P. , Ramadhan Ali , Gallet Basile , Ferrari Raffaele
Published: January 2021

Between 5% and 25% of the total momentum transferred between the atmosphere and ocean is transmitted via the growth of long surface gravity waves called “swell.” In this paper, we use large-eddy simulations to show that swell-transmitted momentum excites near-inertial waves and drives turbulent mixing that deepens a rotating, stratified, turbulent ocean surface boundary layer. We find that swell-transmitted currents are less effective at producing turbulence and mixing the boundary layer than currents driven by an effective surface stress. Overall, however, the differences between swell-driven and surface-stress-driven boundary layers are relatively minor. In consequence, our results corroborate assumptions made in Earth system models that neglect the vertical structure of swell-transmitted momentum fluxes and instead parameterize all air–sea momentum transfer processes with an effective surface stress.
A Bimodal Diagnostic Cloud Fraction Parameterization. Part I: Motivating Analysis and Scheme Description
Authors: Van Weverberg Kwinten , Morcrette Cyril J. , Boutle Ian , Furtado Kalli , Field Paul R.
Published: January 2021

Cloud fraction parameterizations are beneficial to regional, convection-permitting numerical weather prediction. For its operational regional midlatitude forecasts, the Met Office uses a diagnostic cloud fraction scheme that relies on a unimodal, symmetric subgrid saturation-departure distribution. This scheme has been shown before to underestimate cloud cover and hence an empirically based bias correction is used operationally to improve performance. This first of a series of two papers proposes a new diagnostic cloud scheme as a more physically based alternative to the operational bias correction. The new cloud scheme identifies entrainment zones associated with strong temperature inversions. For model grid boxes located in this entrainment zone, collocated moist and dry Gaussian modes are used to represent the subgrid conditions. The mean and width of the Gaussian modes, inferred from the turbulent characteristics, are then used to diagnose cloud water content and cloud fraction. It is shown that the new scheme diagnoses enhanced cloud cover for a given gridbox mean humidity, similar to the current operational approach. It does so, however, in a physically meaningful way. Using observed aircraft data and ground-based retrievals over the southern Great Plains in the United States, it is shown that the new scheme improves the relation between cloud fraction, relative humidity, and liquid water content. An emergent property of the scheme is its ability to infer skewed and bimodal distributions from the large-scale state that qualitatively compare well against observations. A detailed evaluation and resolution sensitivity study will follow in Part II.
Is It Merely a Labor Supply Shock? Impacts of Syrian Migrants on Local Economies in Turkey
Authors: Cengiz Doruk , Tekgüç Hasan
Published: January 2021

The authors use the occurrence of a large and geographically varying inflow of more than 2.5 million Syrian migrants to Turkey between 2012 and 2015 to study the effect of migration on local economies. They do not find adverse employment or wage effects for native-born Turkish workers overall or for those without a high school degree. These results are robust to a range of strategies to construct reliable control groups. To explain the findings, the authors document the importance of three migration-induced demand channels: the complementarity between native and migrant labor, housing demand, and increased entrepreneurial activities.
Task-space regulation of rigid-link electrically-driven robots with uncertain kinematics using neural networks
Authors: Si Wenhui , Zhao Lingyan , Wei Jianping , Guan Zhiguang
Published: January 2021

Extensive research efforts have been made to address the motion control of rigid-link electrically-driven (RLED) robots in literature. However, most existing results were designed in joint space and need to be converted to task space as more and more control tasks are defined in their operational space. In this work, the direct task-space regulation of RLED robots with uncertain kinematics is studied by using neural networks (NN) technique. Radial basis function (RBF) neural networks are used to estimate complicated and calibration heavy robot kinematics and dynamics. The NN weights are updated on-line through two adaptation laws without the necessity of off-line training. Compared with most existing NN-based robot control results, the novelty of the proposed method lies in that asymptotic stability of the overall system can be achieved instead of just uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) stability. Moreover, the proposed control method can tolerate not only the actuator dynamics uncertainty but also the uncertainty in robot kinematics by adopting an adaptive Jacobian matrix. The asymptotic stability of the overall system is proven rigorously through Lyapunov analysis. Numerical studies have been carried out to verify efficiency of the proposed method.
Social inequality in shadow education: The role of high-stakes testing
Authors: Zwier Dieuwke , Geven Sara , van de Werfhorst Herman G.
Published: January 2021

Against the background of the worldwide expansion of shadow education, research shows that students from high socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds participate more in shadow education than students from disadvantaged SES backgrounds. We relate these social inequalities in shadow education participation to institutional features of educational systems. More specifically, we argue that the effect of socio-economic background on participation in shadow education will be stronger in countries characterized by high-stakes testing. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment for the year 2012 (PISA 2012), we show that higher SES students participate more in shadow education. For three out of four indicators of shadow education, this relationship is stronger in countries that are characterized by high-stakes testing but only when accounting for unobserved country differences.
Country differences in the link between gender-role attitudes and marital centrality: Evidence from 24 countries
Authors: Kolpashnikova Kamila , Zhou Muzhi , Kan Man-Yee
Published: January 2021

This study investigates factors that could explain why the association between the egalitarian gender-role attitudes and the attitudes toward the importance of marriage (marital centrality) differs across societies. Using data from the International Social Survey Programme for 24 countries in 2002 and 2012 and multilevel modeling, we explore whether the Gender Revolution and the Second Demographic Transition frameworks could explain the country-level differences in the association between gender-role attitudes and marital centrality. We find that the negative association between the egalitarian gender-role attitudes and marital centrality is stronger in countries with a higher gender equality level and a higher fertility level. This work highlights the importance of considering the progress of the gender revolution and the second demographic transition to understand the relationship between gender equality and family formation.
Measuring Marginal Crime Concentration: A New Solution to an Old Problem
Authors: Chalfin Aaron , Kaplan Jacob , Cuellar Maria
Published: January 2021

Objectives:

In his 2014 Sutherland address to the American Society of Criminology, David Weisburd demonstrated that the share of crime that is accounted for by the most crime-ridden street segments is notably high and strikingly similar across cities, an empirical regularity referred to as the “law of crime concentration.” In the large literature that has since proliferated, there remains considerable debate as to how crime concentration should be measured empirically. We suggest a measure of crime concentration that is simple, accurate and easily interpreted.

Methods:

Using data from three of the largest cities in the United States, we compare observed crime concentration to a counterfactual distribution of crimes generated by randomizing crimes to street segments. We show that this method avoids a key pitfall that causes a popular method of measuring crime concentration to considerably overstate the degree of crime concentration in a city.

Results:

While crime is significantly concentrated in a statistical sense and while some crimes are substantively concentrated among hot spots, the precise relationship is considerably weaker than has been documented in the empirical literature.

Conclusions:

The method we propose is simple and easily interpretable and compliments recent advances which use the Gini coefficient to measure crime concentration.
Exploring the Nature of Teaching for Transfer in EAP: A Case Study
Authors: Jeon Heon
Published: January 2021

This qualitative case study explored the nature of teaching for transfer of one EAP writing teacher who taught an undergraduate-level academic writing course in the US. The findings of this study revealed that the teacher believed in the importance of teaching for transfer and addressed various dimensions of transfer, such as (a) transfer between reading and writing, (b) transfer across major writing tasks, and (c) transfer beyond a course. However, in terms of actual instructional practices, the teacher was not yet fully prepared to handle the various dimensions of transfer in an effective way. Implications for EAP writing teachers are discussed.
Attending to data: Exploring the use of attendance data within the datafied school
Authors: Selwyn Neil , Pangrazio Luci , Cumbo Bronwyn
Published: January 2021

Contemporary schooling is seen to be altering significantly in light of a combined ‘digitisation’ and ‘datafication’ of key processes. This paper examines the nature and conditions of the datafied school by exploring how a relatively prosaic and longstanding school metric (student attendance data) is being produced and used in digital form. Drawing on empirical data taken from in-depth qualitative studies in three contrasting Australian secondary schools, the paper considers ‘anticipatory’, ‘analytical’ and ‘administrative’ aspects of how digitally-mediated attendance data is produced, used and imagined by school staff. Our findings foreground a number of constraints, compromises and inconsistencies that are usually glossed-over in enthusiasms for ‘data-driven’ education. It is argued that these findings highlight the messy realities of schools’ current relationships with digital data, and the broader logics of school datafications.
Jejuno-jejunal intussusception: A surgical quandary arising from feeding jejunostomy
Authors: Kohli Pavneet , Barathi Deepak , Penumadu Prasanth
Published: January 2021

Feeding jejunostomy is a simple and common procedure done for providing enteral nutrition. Though generally safe, complications like dislodgement, clogging and leaking are commonly reported with an incidence as high as 44%. Intussusception is however a much rarer complication which may have catastrophic results and often needs urgent surgical intervention. We describe a case of a patient who underwent robot-assisted minimal invasive oesophagectomy but developed an intestinal obstruction in the follow-up period.
Health research capacity in Nepal: Analysis of the trend and the role of local researchers
Authors: Kharel Madhu , Pokharel Alpha , Sapkota Krishna P , Shahi Prasant V , Shakya Pratisha , Ong Ken IC
Published: January 2021

Evidence-based decision-making is less common in low- and middle-income countries where the research capacity remains low. Nepal, a lower-middle-income country in Asia, is not an exception. We conducted a rapid review to identify the trend of health research in Nepal and found more than seven-fold increase in the number of published health-related articles between 2000 and 2018. The proportion of articles with Nepalese researchers as the first authors has also risen over the years, though they are still only in two-thirds of the articles in 2018.
Public Servants and the Implied Freedom of Political Communication
Authors: Gray Anthony Davidson
Published: January 2021

The High Court of Australia recently overturned a tribunal decision in favour of a public servant who was dismissed after sending tweets critical of various politicians and government policies. All members of the Court found the relevant provisions were valid and did not infringe the implied freedom of political communication. This article first discusses development of freedom of speech at common law, through development in ideas about governance from a Hobbesian tradition to a Lockean model of representative government. Notions of representative government underpinned earlier High Court decisions on freedom of political communication, reflecting values such as the sovereignty of the people, accountability and informed decisions at election time. The article then considers restrictions on the ability of public servants to contribute to public debate in that light. Scholars and courts elsewhere have recognised the important contribution public servants can make to representative democracy. The recent decision pays insufficient interest to such contributions and is too willing to accept government arguments as to the need to suppress opinion by public servants in the name of an apolitical and independent public service, without considering counter arguments in terms of democracy, and without sufficient evidence of actual or likely interference with government functions. The proportionality analysis undertaken by the court was inadequate in its failure to do so. Whilst the freedom of communication of public servants is not absolute, restrictions must be narrowly confined and fully justified. Neither test was satisfied in this case.
Starting With Girls and Their Resilience in Mind: Reconsidering Risk/Needs Assessments for System-Involved Girls
Authors: Belisle Linsey A. , Salisbury Emily J.
Published: January 2021

Despite the numerous differences between boys and girls in the juvenile justice system, there are currently no gender-responsive risk/needs assessments for system-impacted girls, thereby limiting agencies to the use of gender-neutral risk/needs assessments. This article examines commonly used gender-neutral risk/needs assessments and illustrates how these instruments are not truly “neutral.” We argue that predictive validity is not enough to demonstrate effectiveness; these tools can harm and possibly discriminate against girls by placing them in similarly labeled risk categories (i.e., high, medium, low) as boys, despite engaging in less delinquency. This practice of force-fitting girls to assessments primarily developed for boys results in over- and misclassification of girls’ risk and fails to capture their gendered needs and resilience. We see this as an opportunity to reconsider risk assessments altogether for girls and propose a resilience/needs assessment may be better suited to identify girls’ needs and predict future behavior.
Bandstands and Modernity: Constructing Spanish Cities Musically
Authors: Rodriguez-Lorenzo Gloria Araceli
Published: January 2021

This article analyses the interplay between sound and urban spaces in Spain, from the end of nineteenth century until 1936. Free outdoor concerts performed by bands in public urban spaces offered a new aural experience audience from across an increasing range of very diverse social groups, almost ritualizing both the practice of listening to music and the spaces in which that music was heard—all at a time when those very spaces were changing, in a way which mirrored the wider reconfiguration and modernization of Spanish cities. Case studies focusing on political, social, and cultural changes in urban spaces are analyzed, in order to understand how cities developed new spaces for social interaction, the modern sonic environment, and the ways in which those cities have appropriated culture for their citizens, as a symbol of urban modernity.