bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Logistical Considerations and Clinical Outcomes Associated With Converting Operating Rooms Into an Intensive Care Unit During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a New York City Hospital
Authors: Mittel Aaron M. , Panzer Oliver , Wang David S. , Miller Steven E. , Schaff Jacob E. , Hastie Maya Jalbout , Sutherland Lauren , Brentjens Tricia E. , Sobol Julia B. , Cabredo Almarie , Hastie Jonathan
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a public health crisis that disrupted normal patterns of health care in the New York City metropolitan area. In preparation for a large influx of critically ill patients, operating rooms (ORs) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (NYP-Columbia) were converted into a novel intensive care unit (ICU) area, the operating room intensive care unit (ORICU).

METHODS:

Twenty-three ORs were converted into an 82-bed ORICU. Adaptations to the OR environment permitted the delivery of standard critical care therapies. Nonintensive-care–trained staff were educated on the basics of critical care and deployed in a hybrid staffing model. Anesthesia machines were repurposed as critical care ventilators, with accommodations to ensure reliable function and patient safety. To compare ORICU survivorship to outcomes in more traditional environments, we performed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of all patients cared for in the ORICU, censoring data at the time of ORICU closure. We hypothesized that age, sex, and obesity may have influenced the risk of death. Thus, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) for death using Cox proportional hazard regression models with age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) as covariables and, separately, using older age (65 years and older) adjusted for sex and BMI.

RESULTS:

The ORICU cared for 133 patients from March 24 to May 14, 2020. Patients were transferred to the ORICU from other ICUs, inpatient wards, the emergency department, and other institutions. Patients remained in the ORICU until either transfer to another unit or death. As the hospital patient load decreased, patients were transferred out of the ORICU. This process was completed on May 14, 2020. At time of data censoring, 55 (41.4%) of patients had died. The estimated probability of survival 30 days after admission was 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.69). Age was significantly associated with increased risk of mortality (HR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.03-1.08, P < .001 for a 1-year increase in age). Patients who were ≥65 years were an estimated 3.17 times more likely to die than younger patients (95% CI, 1.78-5.63; P < .001) when adjusting for sex and BMI.

CONCLUSIONS:

A large number of critically ill COVID-19 patients were cared for in the ORICU, which substantially increased ICU capacity at NYP-Columbia. The estimated ORICU survival rate at 30 days was comparable to other reported rates, suggesting this was an effective approach to manage the influx of critically ill COVID-19 patients during a time of crisis.
How to Read the New Histories of Empire
Authors: Thorne Christian
Published: November 2020

Through a detailed consideration of Richard White’s Middle Ground, the essay identifies a few important features of imperial history writing over the last thirty years: academic apologies for empire have become commonplace. A conspicuously large number of them are left-liberal in orientation, housed in fields with strong anti-imperialist credentials. They are nominally pro-indigenous, Americanizing, generically comic, and silently theory-laden.
Performance Typing
Authors: Perelman Bob
Published: November 2020

This essay reviews the publication of Larry Eigner’s selected poems and provides an introduction to Eigner (1927–96) and his place in US poetry. It gives an account of his life, describing his lifelong disability from cerebral palsy and the trajectory of his poetic career, which ended with over three thousand poems and great acclaim from US innovative poetic communities. It then relates Eigner to those communities, specifically Black Mountain in the 1950s and 1960s and the Language writers decades later. Eigner’s poetry is glancingly compared with that of Keats and of Dickinson, but the main juxtaposition is with Pound’s Pisan Cantos, where the rushed, typewritten quality of the lines is shown to have been foundational for Olson in his influential “Projective Verse.” Eigner’s work, while it shares characteristics, calls for different manners of reading. The latter part of the essay demonstrates this, by a close reading of a number of Eigner poems.
The Cause of the Refugee
Authors: Haralambous Chloe Howe
Published: November 2020

This essay asks what current scholarly and political treatments of the refugee illuminate about our political moment. Taking as its starting point Ilana Feldman’s historical ethnography of Palestinian refugee camps and the possibilities for political action afforded by purportedly a-or anti-political institutions such as the humanitarian apparatus, the essay mobilizes her conclusions to consider the recent history of the refugee crisis in Europe. It argues that humanitarianism offers a valuable optic through which to understand present politics at two levels. The turn to humanitarianism and to the refugee as a political imaginary has marked ways of talking about and responding to the profound crisis of a political horizon on the left. But there have also been turns within humanitarianism—and, indeed, multiple humanitarianisms. Changes within the material apparatuses of humanitarianism and their routinization beyond the “exceptional” conditions of disaster and displacement have exemplified the broader social transformations producing that crisis of emancipatory politics. At once ideationally and materially, the story of humanitarianisms in recent decades is a tale of the conditions under which politics came to feel so difficult. The essay ends with a tentative suggestion that the generalization of the humanitarian apparatus and outlook offers a terrain—albeit messy and compromised—from which a collective politics might proceed.
Free Definite Description Theory – Sequent Calculi and Cut Elimination
Authors: Indrzejczak Andrzej
Published: November 2020

We provide an application of a sequent calculus framework to the formalization of definite descriptions. It is a continuation of research undertaken in [20, 22]. In the present paper a so-called free description theory is examined in the context of different kinds of free logic, including systems applied in computer science and constructive mathematics for dealing with partial functions. It is shown that the same theory in different logics may be formalised by means of different rules and gives results of varying strength. For all presented calculi a constructive cut elimination is provided.
Extreme Ray Feasibility Cuts for Unit Commitment with Uncertainty
Authors: Li Chao , Zhang Muhong , Hedman Kory
Published: November 2020

The unit commitment problem with uncertainty is considered one of the most challenging power system scheduling problems. Different stochastic models have been proposed to solve the problem, but such approaches have yet to be applied in industry practice because of computational challenges. In practice, the problem is formulated as a deterministic model with reserve requirements to hedge against uncertainty. However, simply requiring a certain level of reserves cannot ensure power system reliability as the procured reserves may be nondispatchable because of transmission limitations. In this paper, we derive a set of feasibility cuts (constraints) for managing the unit commitment problem with uncertainty. These cuts eliminate unreliable scheduling solutions and reallocate reserves in the power system; they are induced by the extreme rays of a polyhedral dual cone. This paper shows that, with the proposed reformulation, the extreme rays of the dual cone can be characterized by combinatorial selections of transmission lines (arcs) and buses (nodes) of the power system. As a result, the cuts can then be characterized using engineering insights. The unit commitment problem with uncertainty is formulated as a deterministic model with the identified extreme ray feasibility cuts. Test results show that, with the proposed extreme ray feasibility cuts, the problem can be solved more efficiently, and the resulting scheduling decision is also more reliable.
Highlighting the value you bring to general practice
Authors: Oldman Crystal
Published: November 2020

Crystal Oldman explains how the pandemic provides an opportunity to articulate the value general practice nurses bring to primary care
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
Authors: Winter George
Published: November 2020

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that are of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Phytoremediation of Waste Water Containing Phenol by Salix Matsudana Seedlings and their Physiological Response
Authors: Zhao Tianran , Han Kejie , Zhe Wang , Xie Huicheng
Published: November 2020

In order to study the tolerance and removal capability of Salix matsudana to phenol wastewater, we determined the effects of different concentrations of phenol on the photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and enzyme activities of S. matsudana cut seedlings and their purification effects to phenol using hydroponics. The results show that wastewater containing 30 mg L-1 and 60 mg L-1 phenol increased Pn, Gs and Tr of S. matsudana, however, the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) of PSII changed little. When the concentration of phenol increased to 90 mg L-1-180 mg L-1, Pn and Fv/Fm of S. matsudana were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the Ci increased significantly. The 30 mgL-1-150 mgL-1 of phenol can increase the SOD and POD activities in leaves and roots of S. matsudana and the 180 mgL-1 of phenol decreased their activities. The percent removal of phenol decreased with increasing concentration of phenol ranging from 87% to 98% in 10 days. In conclusion, S. matsudana can be used to purify waste water containing phenol in concentration less than 150 mg L-1.
Restarting elective orthopaedic services during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Chang Justin , Wignadasan Warran , Kontoghiorghe Christina , Kayani Babar , Singh Sandeep , Plastow Ricci , Magan Ahmed , Haddad Fares
Published: November 2020

Aims

As the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic passes, the challenge shifts to safe resumption of routine medical services, including elective orthopaedic surgery. Protocols including pre-operative self-isolation, COVID-19 testing, and surgery at a non-COVID-19 site have been developed to minimize risk of transmission. Despite this, it is likely that many patients will want to delay surgery for fear of contracting COVID-19. The aim of this study is to identify the number of patients who still want to proceed with planned elective orthopaedic surgery in this current environment.

Methods

This is a prospective, single surgeon study of 102 patients who were on the waiting list for an elective hip or knee procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline characteristics including age, ASA grade, COVID-19 risk, procedure type, surgical priority, and admission type were recorded. The primary outcome was patient consent to continue with planned surgical care after resumption of elective orthopaedic services. Subgroup analysis was also performed to determine if any specific patient factors influenced the decision to proceed with surgery.

Results

Overall, 58 patients (56.8%) wanted to continue with planned surgical care at the earliest possibility. Patients classified as ASA I and ASA II were more likely to agree to surgery (60.5% and 60.0%, respectively) compared to ASA III and ASA IV patients (44.4% and 0.0%, respectively) (p = 0.01). In addition, patients undergoing soft tissue knee surgery were more likely to consent to surgery (90.0%) compared to patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty (68.6%), primary knee arthroplasty (48.7%), revision hip or knee arthroplasty (0.0%), or hip and knee injections (43.8%) (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Restarting elective orthopaedic services during the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant challenge. Given the uncertain environment, it is unsurprising that only 56% of patients were prepared to continue with their planned surgical care upon resumption of elective services. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-6:267–271.
Trauma surgery at a designated COVID-19-free site during the pandemic
Authors: Gonzi Gianluca , Rooney Kathryn , Gwyn Rhodri , Roy Kunal , Horner Matthew , Boktor Joseph , Kumar Abhijeet , Jenkins Ruth , Lloyd John , Pullen Huw
Published: November 2020

Aims

Elective operating was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase the capacity to provide care to an unprecedented volume of critically unwell patients. During the pandemic, the orthopaedic department at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board restructured the trauma service, relocating semi-urgent ambulatory trauma operating to the isolated clean elective centre (St. Woolos’ Hospital) from the main hospital receiving COVID-19 patients (Royal Gwent Hospital). This study presents our experience of providing semi-urgent trauma care in a COVID-19-free surgical unit as a safe way to treat trauma patients during the pandemic and a potential model for restarting an elective orthopaedic service.

Methods

All patients undergoing surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic at the orthopaedic surgical unit (OSU) in St. Woolos’ Hospital from 23 March 2020 to 24 April 2020 were included. All patients that were operated on had a telephone follow-up two weeks after surgery to assess if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms or had been tested for COVID-19. The nature of admission, operative details, and patient demographics were obtained from the health board’s electronic record. Staff were assessed for sickness, self-isolation, and COVID-19 status.

Results

A total of 58 surgical procedures were undertaken at the OSU during the study period; 93% (n = 54) of patients completed the telephone follow-up. Open reduction and internal fixation of ankle and wrist fractures were the most common procedures. None of the patients nor members of their households had developed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or required testing. No staff members reported sick days or were advised by occupational health to undergo viral testing.

Conclusion

This study provides optimism that orthopaedic patients planned for surgery can be protected from COVID-19 nosocomial transmission at separate COVID-19-free sites. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-6:302–308.
Reliability of the Oswestry-Bristol Classification for trochlear dysplasia
Authors: Konrads Christian , Gonser Christoph , Ahmad Sufian S.
Published: November 2020

Aims

The Oswestry-Bristol Classification (OBC) was recently described as an MRI-based classification tool for the femoral trochlear. The authors demonstrated better inter- and intraobserver agreement compared to the Dejour classification. As the OBC could potentially provide a very useful MRI-based grading system for trochlear dysplasia, it was the aim to determine the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the classification system from the perspective of the non-founder.

Methods

Two orthopaedic surgeons independently assessed 50 MRI scans for trochlear dysplasia and classified each according to the OBC. Both observers repeated the assessments after six weeks. The inter- and intraobserver agreement was determined using Cohen’s kappa statistic and S-statistic nominal and linear weights.

Results

The OBC with grading into four different trochlear forms showed excellent inter- and intraobserver agreement with a mean kappa of 0.78.

Conclusion

The OBC is a simple MRI-based classification system with high inter- and intraobserver reliability. It could present a useful tool for grading the severity of trochlear dysplasia in daily practice. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-7:355–358.
Perovskite Photovoltaics: The Road Ahead
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: November 2020

In terms of efficiency, perovskite solar cells are the
fastest-growing solar technology to date, but stability issues still block
their widespread commercialization.
Gtsf1 is essential for proper female sex determination and transposon silencing in the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Chen Kai , Yu Ye , Yang Dehong , Yang Xu , Tang Linmeng , Liu Yujia , Luo Xingyu , R. Walter James , Liu Zulian , Xu Jun , Huang Yongping
Published: November 2020

Sex determination pathways are astoundingly diverse in insects. For instance, the silk moth Bombyx mori uniquely use various components of the piRNA pathway to produce the Fem signal for specification of the female fate. In this study, we identified BmGTSF1 as a novel piRNA factor which participates in B. mori sex determination. We found that BmGtsf1 has a distinct expression pattern compared to Drosophila and mouse. CRISPR/Cas9 induced mutation in BmGtsf1 resulted in partial sex reversal in genotypically female animals by shifting expression of the downstream targets BmMasc and Bmdsx to the male pattern. As levels of Fem piRNAs were substantially reduced in female mutants, we concluded that BmGtsf1 plays a critical role in the biogenesis of the feminizing signal. We also demonstrated that BmGTSF1 physically interacted with BmSIWI, a protein previously reported to be involved in female sex determination, indicating BmGTSF1 function as the cofactor of BmSIWI. BmGtsf1 mutation resulted in piRNA pathway dysregulation, including piRNA biogenesis defects and transposon derepression, suggesting BmGtsf1 is also a piRNA factor in the silkworm. Furthermore, we found that BmGtsf1 mutation leads to gametogenesis defects in both male and female. Our data suggested that BmGtsf1 is a new component involved in the sex determination pathway in B. mori.
Investigation of Saudi Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching and Learning after a 12-month Professional Development Programme in Australia
Authors:   Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Klatt Gosia , Berry Amy ,   Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Suryani Anne ,   Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Volkoff Veronica ,   Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Khadawardi Hesham ,   Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia
Published: November 2020

This study investigates the perceptions of teaching and learning of teachers from Saudi Arabia who participated in a 12-month professional development programme based in Australia. Considering the design of the programme and the vast differences between the education systems and cultures of the two countries, this study examines Saudi teachers’ classroom practices and challenges while teaching at schools in their home country, and whether their perceptions of teaching practice changed during and after participating in the professional development programme in Australia. Factors that might have influenced the changes to and nature of their teaching aspirations and plans for their students and schools in Saudi Arabia are also discussed.
Retino-thalamo-cortical and callosal connections visualized with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and validated with tract tracing techniques
Authors: Laing Robyn J. , Cross Donna J. , Olavarria Jaime
Published: November 2020

Ocular dominance columns correlate with patchy callosal connections in Long Evans rats (Laing et al., 2015). We explored
in vivo manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) as a possible strategy for longitudinal studies of plastic changes in the retino-thalamo-cortical and callosal pathways. MnCl
2 was injected either intraocularly or intracortically to label these pathways, respectively. The transport of the paramagnetic ion Mn
2+ was evaluated by comparing images acquired both before and 36 or 12 hours after intraocular or cortical injections, respectively. Images were acquired on a 3T magnet (Philips Achieva, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA), using a custom surface coil and a T1-weighted MPRAGE image sequence (TR/TE = 23/11 ms; Ti=1000 ms; FA= 10 deg acquired matrix 432x432 mm over 118 slices, voxel size 0.11x0.11x0.2 mm
3). To validate the transport of Mn
2+, each animal also received either an intraocular injection of the transneuronal tracer WGA-HRP, or cortical injections of HRP. Following monocular injections of MnCl
2, MRI images showed significant, bilateral accumulations of Mn
2+ in regions of the SC, LGN and visual cortex that corresponded with regions labeled with HRP. In adult rats monocularly enucleated at birth, we injected MnCl
2 in the hemisphere contralateral to the remaining eye in an attempt to detect anomalies reported previously in the callosal pattern ipsilateral to the remaining eye. After the scans, the hemisphere injected with MnCl
2was injected with HRP. MRI images revealed Mn
2+ patterns that closely resembled the callosal patterns demonstrated with HRP in the same animal. Our results suggest that both transneuronal retino-thalamo-cortical, as well as cortico-cortical transport of Mn
2+ provide potentially useful strategies for longitudinal studies of plastic changes in these pathways.
Impact of Low Birth Weight on Early Vascular Aging and Cardiometabolic Phenotypes in Later Life Among Cameroonian Adults
Authors: Lemogoum Daniel , Borne Philippe van de , Hermans Michel P. , Mangamba Danielle Christiane Kedy , Sikamo Aurel , Lele Elysée Claude Bika , Idejen Marie Solange Ndom , Doumbe Jacques , Ngatchou William
Published: November 2020

Background
Evidence suggests that low birth weight (LBW) is associated with increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk in adulthood, including increased arterial stiffness, a marker of early vascular aging (EVA) assessable by pulse wave velocity (PWV), obesity and glucose homeostasis abnormalities. The present study aimed to explore the late impact of LBW on PWV and cardiometabolic phenotypes among young adult Cameroonians.

Methods
The study evaluated 120 subjects (mean age: 26 ± 5 years; 54% male sex) at the Cameroon Heart Institute, Douala, Cameroon, between January and June 2018. Birth weight (BW) and gestational age, sociodemographic, anthropometrics and fasting capillary blood glucose were recorded in all participants. Blood pressure (BP) and PWV were measured using an automatic oscillometric device (Mobil-O-Graph®). Multiple-adjusted linear regression was used to determine predictive factors for PWV. For assessment of potential impact of BW on EVA, PWV was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and mean arterial pressure (MAP).

Results
28 participants (23.3%) of the study sample had LBW (<3000g). There was no gender difference between LBW or normal birth weight patients (NBW; controls). Age- and MAP-adjusted PWV (aPWV) were higher in women with LBW compared to NBW (5.6 m/s and 5.3 m/s respectively, P = 0.038). In men, aPWV was similar in LBW and NBW. In this study population, aPWV was higher (on average +15 cm/s) in LBW than in controls, although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.083). Multivariate regression analysis showed age, male sex, BMI and MAP were independent determinants of PWV, but not LBW. Compared to NBW controls, the prevalence of overweight/obesity, impaired glucose homeostasis and diabetes was higher in LBW: 42.9% vs 37%; 10.7% vs 3.3%, and 3.6 % vs 1.1%, respectively. Moreover, compared with controls, LBW individuals who were overweight/obese in adulthood had a much higher mean fasting capillary glucose (1.54 ±0.17 g/l vs 0.87 ±0.11 g/l in NBW, p=0.003).

Conclusion
This study suggests that although LBW is associated with increased aortic stiffness in young adulthood, mainly in women, the association was predominantly driven by aging, MAP, BMI and male sex. In adulthood, LBW subjects exhibited higher obesity indices and altered glucose homeostasis.
Pain between Psyche and Soma in Uro-Andrology
Authors: Pruneti Carlo , Guidotti Sara
Published: November 2020

How to define pain? One of the most accredited definition is certainly “An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" (IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain - 1986) and World Health Organization (WHO) 1.

However, what are the essential components of pain experience? Certainly many factors are involved such as, among others:

Perceptual ability / suitability / subjective threshold;

The "subjective" experience;

Multidimensionality;

Occasionally or chronicity.

All these components have to be taken into consideration in the treatment of these disorders which, very often, require a multidisciplinary approach. From a clinical psychological point of view, much can also be offered at a diagnostic level, from the reception to listening to the patient's suffering, to the evaluation with standardized tests and psychophysiological analysis procedures in order to arrive at an effective personalization of treatments
The Clinical Relevance of Manometric Esophagogastric Junction Outflow Obstruction Can Be Determined Using Rapid Drink Challenge and Solid Swallows
Authors: Sanagapalli Santosh , McGuire Joshua , Leong Rupert W. , Patel Kalp , Raeburn Amanda , Abdul-Razakq Humayra , Plumb Andrew , Banks Matthew , Haidry Rehan , Lovat Laurence , Sehgal Vinay , Graham David , Sami Sarmed S. , Sweis Rami
Published: November 2020

INTRODUCTION:

Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) defined on high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) poses a management dilemma given marked variability in clinical manifestations. We hypothesized that findings from provocative testing (rapid drink challenge and solid swallows) could determine the clinical relevance of EGJOO.

METHODS:

In a retrospective cohort study, we included consecutive subjects between May 2016 and January 2020 with EGJOO. Standard HRM with 5-mL water swallows was followed by provocative testing. Barium esophagography findings were obtained. Cases with structural obstruction were separated from functional EGJOO, with the latter categorized as symptom-positive or symptom-negative. Only symptom-positive subjects were considered for achalasia-type therapies. Sensitivity and specificity for clinically relevant EGJOO during 5-mL water swallows, provocative testing, and barium were calculated.

RESULTS:

Of the 121 EGJOO cases, 76% had dysphagia and 25% had holdup on barium. Ninety-seven cases (84%) were defined as functional EGJOO. Symptom-positive EGJOO subjects were more likely to demonstrate abnormal motility and pressurization patterns and to reproduce symptoms during provocative testing, but not with 5-mL water swallows. Twenty-nine (30%) functional EGJOO subjects underwent achalasia-type therapy, with symptomatic response in 26 (90%). Forty-eight (49%) functional EGJOO cases were managed conservatively, with symptom remission in 78%. Although specificity was similar, provocative testing demonstrated superior sensitivity in identifying treatment responders from spontaneously remitting EGJOO (85%) compared with both 5-mL water swallows (54%; P < 0.01) and barium esophagography (54%; P = 0.02).

DISCUSSION:

Provocative testing during HRM is highly accurate in identifying clinically relevant EGJOO that benefits from therapy and should be routinely performed as part of the manometric protocol.
Plýtvání potravinami ve školních jídelnách
Authors: Talácko Zdeněk
Published: November 2020

Moderní doba nese s sebou ruku v ruce dostatek prakticky všeho. Máme všeho takový přebytek, že i využití potravin beze zbytku je prakticky nemožné; také úprava a příprava pokrmů je stále rychlejší. Tento článek se zabývá plýtváním ve školních jídelnách. Jsou to hlavně děti, které ve školách bez dostatečné kontroly rodičů a učitelů jídlem plýtvají. Je však na každém z nás, jakým způsobem budeme ke stravování přistupovat – můžeme se vzdělávat a zajímat se o danou problematiku. Zároveň musíme obecně povědomí o škodlivosti plýtvání a nevyužívání zdrojů šířit dále. Pokud se bude dařit tuto věkovou kategorii vzdělávat a učit, jak s potravinami nakládat, můžeme do budoucna zlepšit i celkovou situaci s využíváním potravin.
Geochemical characteristics of produced water from coalbed methane wells and its influence on productivity in Laochang Coalfield, China
Authors: Du Mingyang , Wu Caifang , Zhou He , Zhang Shasha , Zhang Erchao
Published: November 2020

The water produced from the coalbed methane (CBM) wells contains abundant geochemical information, which is of great significance in evaluating the productivity of these wells. Based on the data of water produced from five CBM wells, geochemical characteristics of the produced water and its influence on the productivity of the wells are analyzed in Laochang Block. The results show that with the increase in the produced water of the five wells, δD and δ18O show a downward trend in general, reflecting that the influence of coal seams and surrounding rock on the produced water is weak, while the water–rock interaction of the Y-3 and Y-5 wells is more stable than that of the Y-1, Y-2, and Y-4 wells. Combining the water production characteristics of the Y-3 and Y-5 wells with better drainage and recovery effects, it is proposed that 0 ≤ σ
M < 0.3 and 0 ≤ σ
Y < 600 or 0.7 < σ
M < 0.8 and 1,200 < σ
Y < 1,300, and the fluctuation ranges of Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3
− and SO4
2− can provide a basis for quantitative characterization and evaluation of CBM well production.
A modelling resin material and its application in rock-failure study: Samples with two 3D internal fracture surfaces
Authors: Fu Jinwei , Liu Shuli , Li Lielie , Wang Jianzhou
Published: November 2020

The mechanism of fracture propagation, interaction and coalescence inside rock masses is a highly concerned issue in geotechnical engineering. But as it is difficult to manufacture 3D internal pre-fractures and observe directly the failure evolution process inside real rocks or their opaque similar materials, most previous studies have been limited to 2D conditions. The experiment investigation on 3D rock failure is still in a preliminary stage. In this study, a resin material has been developed by extensive formula tries. It is absolutely transparent and the ratio of tension–compression strength (brittleness value) can be 1/6.6 at −10 to −15℃. It is much more brittle and rock-like than analogous materials used by former scholars. A set of preparation, casting mould, and post-processing technologies were established and specimen-making with multiple pre-fractures is enabled. In the designed scheme, specimens are made with two parallel internal fracture surfaces yet of four different stagger separations. Uniaxial tests were carried out and the stress–strain relationship is analysed. It is shown that the specimen has gone through four stages as the traditional rock test before failure. Many diverse forms of secondary fractures, such as wrapping wing crack, petaloid crack, and giant quasi-wrapping fracture surface, which were not found in 2D conditions have appeared and their evolutions were clearly seen in each stage.
Application of electrical resistivity imaging to detection of hidden geological structures in a single roadway
Authors: Guo Weihong , Liu Shucai , Liu Yaoning , Chen Shuangshuang
Published: November 2020

Locating concealed geological structures in coal seams on both sides of a coal mine excavation roadway is of vital importance for safe production. Conventional electrical resistivity imaging methods mostly arrange observation systems on the roadway roof and floor, so they are inevitably deficient when it comes to detecting concealed geological structures in coal seams. According to the electric field distribution characteristics of artificial field sources for electrical resistivity imaging methods and utilizing the shielding of current by roadway cavities, this paper proposes the parallel coal seam detection method that arranges observation systems in coal seams on the roadway side to detect concealed geological structures in coal seams. On the basis of introducing the principles of consequent detection methods, this paper investigates the influence of roadway cavities on observation results and offers a method of correcting the influence of roadway cavities. In view of the geoelectric characteristics of typical concealed geological structures in working faces, this paper establishes numerical models to verify the feasibility of the parallel coal seam detection method. As indicated by the calculation results, the consequent pole–dipole (A-MN) observation system is the most ideal in terms of dividing the geoelectric interfaces of concealed geological structures in working faces, and its detection effect is influenced significantly by the coal seam thickness and the electric differences between surrounding rock and anomalous bodies. Coal seam resistivity slightly influences detection of the consequent pole–dipole system. According to practical application effects, the parallel coal seam detection method can solve the problem of detecting concealed geological structures in “single-roadway” working faces.
The Cretaceous stratigraphy, Songliao Basin, Northeast China: Constrains from drillings and geophysics
Authors: Xu Zhihe , Xu Qinglin , Liu Aitao , Wang Naichen , Li Guangxiang , Peng Chong , Yan Leilei , Su Yongfei
Published: November 2020

The Cretaceous nonmarine sedimentary strata are widespread in Songliao Basin, Northeast China. As the largest oil producer in China, an abundance of data has been generated by the petroleum industry, including sedimentology, seismology, geochemistry, and geochronology in the Songliao Basin. This article reviews the achievements in China Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling SK and presents the new results of the China Continental Geothermal Drilling SR1 in stratigraphy and geophysics. The results allow us to establish the relationships among SK-1, SK-2, and SR1, provide some constrains on the tectonic setting of Songliao Basin, and interpret the sedimentary facies and environmental evolution. After stratigraphic correlation of SK and SR boreholes, the result indicates that the geological boundary between the late Cretaceous Mingshui formation and the Paleogene Yi’an formation is at the depth of 115 m. The magnetotelluric sounding anomaly areas are corresponding with the unconformities, which are equivalent to seismic horizon T03, T1, T2, and T3, respectively. In addition, the typical “steer’s-head” geometry in the magnetotellurics indicates that the SLB has experienced five evolution stages.
The Effects of Group Conformity on the Prototypical Majority Effect for Confidence and Response Latency
Authors: Koriat Asher , Undorf Monika , Schwarz Norbert
Published: November 2020

The Prototypical Majority Effect (PME) refers to the observation that people endorse majority opinions faster and with greater confidence than minority opinions. Although the PME has been assumed to stem from social influence, recent studies showed that it can arise from internal processes underlying decision and confidence alone. We used a conformity paradigm adapted from Asch (1951) to examine the relative contributions of internal and external processes to the PME. Four participants responded in turn to items that had correct or wrong predetermined majority responses. A robust PME was observed before participants saw others’ responses. Seeing these responses, however, increased endorsement, confidence, and speed. Notably, social influence had a considerably weaker impact when it ran counter to the consensus observed in its absence. Thus, internal processes underlying decision and confidence constrain the impact of social conformity. The failure to consider these processes leads to overestimating the magnitude of social influence.
Antiracists Protests in Europe
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lunkin Roman
Published: November 2020

The article analyzed the phenomenon of antiracist protests or the BLM movement in Europe, which emerged in the United States in May 2020. The movement has become one of the important political factors during the coronavirus pandemic. Leading European politicians, including the leadership of the European Union, had to react to BLM's demands in one way or another. The emergence of the phenomenon of the BLM movement in Europe (in contrast to the more specific pre-election situation in the United States) became possible due to a special system of ideological norms of political correctness which became an instrument for protecting the rights of certain groups of society. The catalyst for the protest was the introduction (in a number of countries of repeated) quarantine and self-isolation measures in European countries. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic citizens of most countries almost completely trusted their governments. Later doubts began to arise about the rationality and legality of the measures taken to restrict the rights and freedoms of people. The general mood of citizens not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world is the desire for change and the unwillingness to return to the «previous» pre-quarantine life.
European Union: Seasonal Workers under COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Potemkina Olga
Published: November 2020

The article deals with the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the seasonal workers in the EU. Based on the examples of several Member States, in particular Germany and France, the author demonstrates the problems that seasonal workers and their employers, as well as governments, have experienced because of the closed borders and restrictions on the seasonal workers trips to their place of work. The article analyses the measures taken by the governments in the world and the EU Member States, in particular, to resolve the situation and further use of seasonal labor. At the same time, the author points out the emerging threats to the health of mobile workers due to the inability to comply with preventive requirements, as well as cases of violation of their rights by employers. Recommendations of the EU Commission to Member States on ensuring freedom of movement, social rights and protection of health of seasonal workers are presented. At the same time, the author comes to the conclusion that restoring the channels of disrupted seasonal migration will depend on uncertain circumstances, which may prompt producers in the agricultural industry to rethink their business models by reducing their reliance on cheap labor.
European Union – Turkey: Conflict Partnership
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Shumilin Aleksandr
Published: November 2020

Over the past two years (2018-2020), Turkish leadership has demonstrated the increasing rigidity of its foreign policy. This occurs both on diplomatic platforms and through military intervention in conflicts near the Turkish borders (in Syria, Iraq, Libya, in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the South Caucasus). The entourage of R.T. Erdogan openly declares his readiness to defend his interests, affirming a new role for Turkey in the regions geographically adjacent to the European Union. As a result of this policy, tensions in Ankara's relations with Brussels are noticeably increasing, both within the framework of the North Alliance (NATO) and in relation to Turkey's partnership agreements with the EU. The article emphasizes that the Turkish leadership, nevertheless, tries not to cross the "red lines" indicated by Brussels, which allows it to maintain the formal framework of partnership with the EU, despite the growing potential for conflict between the parties. The author of the article concludes that today a new model of interaction is being formed in relations between Ankara and Brussels when the consequences of the internal political transformation in Turkey begin to influence the mechanism of NATO's functioning and its partnership with the EU. K
The Interpeduncular-Ventral Hippocampus Pathway Mediates Active Stress Coping and Natural Reward
Authors: Sherafat Yasmine , Bautista Malia , Fowler J. P. , Chen Edison , Ahmed Amina , Fowler Christie D.
Published: November 2020

Maladaptive stress-related behaviors are integral to multiple complex psychiatric disorders, and it has been well established that serotonergic signaling mediates various aspects of these maladaptive states. In these studies, we sought to uncover the function of a previously undefined serotonergic pathway, which projects from the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) to the ventral hippocampus (vHipp). Intersectional retrograde and chemogenetic viral manipulation strategies were employed to manipulate the function of the IPN-vHipp pathway during a variety of behavioral measures in male mice. We found a significant effect of circuit inhibition on behaviors associated with coping strategies and natural reward. Specifically, inhibition of the IPN-vHipp pathway dramatically increased active stress-induced escape behaviors, in addition to moderately affecting sucrose consumption and food self-administration. During inhibition of this pathway, agonist activation of serotonergic 5-HT2A/2Creceptors in the vHipp reversed the effects of IPN-vHipp circuit inhibition on active escape behaviors, thereby supporting the synaptic mechanism underlying the behavioral effects evidenced. IPN-vHipp inhibition did not induce differences in generalized locomotion, anxiety-associated behavior, and intravenous nicotine self-administration. Importantly, these findings are in opposition to the canonical understanding of serotonin in such escape behaviors, indicating that serotonin exerts opposing effects on behavior in a pathway-specific manner in the brain. Taken together, these findings thereby have important implications for our understanding of serotonergic signaling and associated therapeutic approaches for the treatment of disease symptomology.
A “Green Oak in a Thirsty Land”
Authors: Swensen Rolf
Published: November 2020

After the passing in 1910 of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the rapidly increasing Christian Science movement, the governing Christian Science Board of Directors of The Mother Church in Boston faced the daunting task of unifying the sometimes unruly and overly exuberant members of a faith noted for its efforts to reintroduce healing to the religious scene. This essay demonstrates that over the next fifteen years the Directors skillfully consolidated their authority and so established centralized control over the fastest-growing religious group in the United States. Divisive litigation between the Directors and the independent-minded Trustees of the Christian Science Publishing Society, 1919–1921, was resolved in favor of the Directors and so provided the capstone for their efforts to bring order to the new faith. In their actions, the Directors often followed business and societal practices, as a means of attaining routinization of charisma.
Svojstva nanokompozita otpadnog poliamidnog praha i titanijeva dioksida
Authors: Šubarić Domagoj , Lončarević Andrea , Buhin Šturlić Zrinka , Lučić Blagojević Sanja
Published: November 2020

Selektivno lasersko sinteriranje (SLS) jedan je od važnijih postupaka 3D ispisa koji se u današnje vrijeme sve više primjenjuju za dobivanje različitih modela. Najvažniji polimerni materijali koji se upotrebljavaju u tom procesu su poliamidi. Značajan nedostatak tog procesa je velika količina otpadnog polimernog praha. Stoga je cilj ovoga rada bio istražiti utjecaj dodatka nanočestica titanijeva dioksida (TiO2) na toplinska i mehanička svojstva otpadnog poliamidnog praha (PA 2200). U ovom radu pripremljeni su nanokompoziti PA/TiO2 u rasponu masenog udjela punila 1 – 5 %, postupkom zamješavanja punila u talinu polimera u gnjetilici Brabender. Aglomerati nanopunila vidljivi su na SEM mikrografiji 5 %-tnog PA/TiO2 nanokompozita. Rezultati diferencijalne pretražne kalorimetrije (DSC) ukazuju na djelovanje nanočestica TiO2 kao heterogenih nukleacijskih centara. Također, dodatak nanopunila pospješuje stvaranje stabilnijih i uređenijih kristalnih struktura poliamidne matrice. Termogravimetrijskom analizom (TGA) dokazano je da dodatak TiO2 nanopunila povećava temperaturu početka razgradnje PA matrice, to jest poboljšava toplinsku postojanost PA matrice i neznatno povećava vrijednosti toplinske vodljivosti nanokompozita u odnosu na čistu polimernu matricu. Ispitivanjem mehaničkih svojstava uzoraka uočeno je smanjenje vrijednosti sekantnog modula te neznatne promjene naprezanja i istezanja u točki popuštanja s povećanjem udjela punila u nanokompozitu.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Rutin in Allium Species from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Salihović Mirsada , Sofić Emin
Published: November 2020

Rutin is quercetin heteroside widely present in plants that exhibit many health-beneficial effects, such as strengthening the capillary walls, reducing the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Rutin was determined from three Allium species (A. cepa, A. sativum, and A. ursinum) collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the HPLC method associated with electrochemical detection. The analysis was performed from methanol extracts of bulb and leaf of garlic, bulb and leaf of onion, and leaves of wood garlic. Rutin was present in all of the examined samples. The highest rutin content was found in garlic leaves (0.78 ± 0.09 mg g–1), and the lowest in onion bulbs (0.04 ± 0.10 mg g–1). The contents of rutin were higher in leaf samples, suggesting that leaves of onion and garlic are recommended as a better natural source of this glycoside.
The Influence of Ultrasound Cavitation on the Process of Degradation of Organic Substances in Wastewater of Pharmaceutical Production
Authors: Vashkurak Uliana , Shevchuk Lilia , Aftanaziv Ivan , Romaniv Anna
Published: November 2020

The influence of ultrasound cavitation in the atmosphere of different gases, namely oxygen, air, and nitrogen, on the destruction of impurities of butanol and ethanol found in wastewater from the pharmaceutical plant “Galichpharm” was investigated. The effect of the corresponding gases (oxygen, nitrogen, and air) without ultrasound cavitation on the destruction of ethanol and butanol impurities in wastewater was comparatively investigated. The degree of oxidation of organic matter, effective rate constants, and approximation coefficients were calculated. It was found that the air supply is the least effective for both ethanol and butanol impurities. Degradation of ethanol by air contributed to the reduction in the organic matter content by 14.6 %, while oxidation of butanol was not observed. Ultrasound cavitation enhanced the effect of air and in common action with air the ethanol impurity content reduced by 32.58 %, and butanol impurity by 4.05 %. Nitrogen bubbling produced mediocre results for the destruction of ethanol and butanol impurities giving a decrease by 17.04 % and 0.67 %, respectively. The highest results were obtained with oxygen. Ethanol impurities decreased by 22.47 % and butanol impurities by 1.75 %. With the common action of oxygen and ultrasound, much higher results were obtained, 44.32 % for ethanol impurities and 7.43 % for butanol impurities.
Aktualnost eseja jednog znanstvenika o fundamentalnim zakonima ljudske gluposti
Authors: Šunjić Vitomir
Published: November 2020

Uz prikaz najzanimljivijih postavki svjetski poznatog eseja talijanskog znanstvenika Carla M. Cipolle “Fundamentalni zakoni ljudske gluposti”, kojim se želi istaknuti svevremenost i široki značaj tog kratkog teksta, naveden je i niz primjera iz literature i aforizama na tu temu. Cipolla uvodi čitatelja u svoje razmatranje finom, ali i provokativnom ironijom. Njegov, po koncepciji jedinstven tekst zasniva se na pseudo-znanstvenoj analizi ljudskog društva koja je potkrijepljena fiktivnim eksperimentalnim rezultatima. Čitatelje iz naše znanstvene, tehničke ili poslovne sredine Cipollin tekst će sigurno iznenaditi, ali i zabaviti i potaknuti na razmišljanje. Njihova iskustva u brojnim prilikama i s određenim osobama vjerojatno će iskrsnuti u novom svijetlu te ih potaknuti da s prikladne distance promotre mnoga zbivanja koja su utjecala na njihov život i karijeru.