bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Multiple Diagnostic Tests to Measure Dynamic Hyperinflation in Patients with Severe Emphysema Treated with Endobronchial Coils
Authors: van Dijk Marlies , Hartman Jorine E. , Augustijn Sonja W. S. , ten Hacken Nick H. T. , Klooster Karin , Slebos Dirk-Jan
Published: March 2021

Purpose

For this study, we aimed to compare dynamic hyperinflation measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), a six-minute walking test (6-MWT), and a manually paced tachypnea test (MPT) in patients with severe emphysema who were treated with endobronchial coils. Additionally, we investigated whether dynamic hyperinflation changed after treatment with endobronchial coils.

Methods

Dynamic hyperinflation was measured with CPET, 6-MWT, and an MPT in 29 patients before and after coil treatment.

Results

There was no significant change in dynamic hyperinflation after treatment with coils. Comparison of CPET and MPT showed a strong association (rho 0.660, p < 0.001) and a moderate agreement (BA-plot, 202 ml difference in favor of MPT). There was only a moderate association of the 6-MWT with CPET (rho 0.361, p 0.024).

Conclusion

MPT can be a suitable alternative to CPET to measure dynamic hyperinflation in severe emphysema but may overestimate dynamic hyperinflation possibly due to a higher breathing frequency.
Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) as a natural host for Schistosoma haematobium (Bilharz, 1852) Weinland, 1858 x Schistosoma bovis Sonsino, 1876 introgressive hybrids
Authors: Savassi Boris A.E.S. , Dobigny Gauthier , Etougbétché Jonas R. , Avocegan Thalasse T. , Quinsou François T. , Gauthier Philippe , Ibikounlé Moudachirou , Moné Hélène , Mouahid Gabriel
Published: March 2021

Cercarial emission of schistosomes is a determinant in the transmission to the definitive host and constitutes a good marker to identify which definitive host is responsible for transmission, mainly in introgressive hybridization situations. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that micro-mammals play a role inSchistosoma haematobium,S.bovis, and/orS.haematobiumxS.bovistransmission. Small mammal sampling was conducted in seven semi-lacustrine villages of southern Benin. Among the 62 animals trapped, 50 individuals were investigated forSchistosomaadults and eggs: 37Rattus rattus, 3Rattus norvegicus, 9Mastomys natalensis, and 1Crocidura olivieri.Schistosomaadults were found in fourR. rattusand twoM. natalensis, with a local prevalence reaching 80% and 50%, respectively.Two cercarial chronotypes were found fromBulinus globosusexperimentally infected with miracidia extracted from naturally infectedM. natalensis: a late diurnal and nocturnal chronotype, and an early diurnal, late diurnal, and nocturnal chronotype. The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I mtDNA gene of the collected schistosomes (adults, miracidia, and cercariae) belonged to theS.bovisclade. Eleven internal transcribed spacer rDNA profiles were found; four belonged toS.bovisand seven toS.haematobiumxS.bovis. These molecular results together with the observed multi-peak chronotypes addM. natalensisas a new host implicated inS.haematobiumxS.bovistransmission. We discuss the origin of the new chronotypes which have become more complex with the appearance of several peaks in a 24-h day. We also discuss how the new populations of offspring may optimize intra-host ecological niche, host spectrum, and transmission time period.
The role of stress coping strategies for life impairments in ADHD
Authors: Barra Steffen , Grub Andreas , Roesler Michael , Retz-Junginger Petra , Philipp Florence , Retz Wolfgang
Published: March 2021

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly accompanied by functional impairments within personal, professional, and social context as well as further psychological distress. The role of perceived stress has been examined in this regard, although little is known about the influence of stress coping strategies. We examined the dynamics between ADHD symptomatology, stress coping strategies, and life impairments in a sample of 230 clinical and non-clinical adult individuals. ADHD was associated with low probability of choosing adaptive but high probability of implementing maladaptive stress coping strategies as well as with increased life impairments. Adaptive stress coping showed little effects beyond the associations between ADHD and life impairments, whereas some maladaptive coping strategies increased current life impairments over and above the effects of ADHD and further psychological distress. The present findings emphasize the need of professional support in adults with ADHD and the necessity to include stress coping strategies in respective treatment approaches aimed at reducing life impairments.
Short time to blood culture positivity in Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis
Authors: Oldberg Karl , Thorén Rebecca , Nilson Bo , Gilje Patrik , Inghammar Malin , Rasmussen Magnus
Published: March 2021

Time to blood culture positivity (TTP) is an indirect measure of bacterial concentration in blood. A short TTP has been linked to the presence of infective endocarditis (IE) and to poor prognosis in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. We analyze factors influencing TTP in bacteremia with Enterococcus faecalis. This retrospective observational study of medical records included adults diagnosed with monomicrobial E. faecalis bacteremia between 2015 and 2018 in the Skåne region (Sweden). For each episode, the shortest TTP was recorded. Median TTP was compared between patients grouped based on age, sex, comorbidity, site of acquisition, and focus of infection. Using a dichotomized TTP (shorter or longer than 12 h), a multivariable logistic regression for factors associated to TTP was performed. The association between TTP and IE or mortality was evaluated. Three hundred sixty-seven episodes with monomicrobial E. faecalis bacteremia with the corresponding TTP were identified. Median TTP for the entire cohort was 11.6 (IQR 9.9–14.1) h and a significantly shorter TTP was noted for episodes which represented IE (n = 55, 9.4 (IQR 6.4–10.6) h). Only IE remained associated with a short TTP (≤ 12 h) in binary logistic regression analysis. Factors associated with IE were investigated and TTP was associated with IE also when adjusted for age, gender, comorbidity, and nosocomial acquisition. There was no association between TTP and mortality. A low TTP is associated with IE in E. faecalis bacteremia and could be used as a help in determining the need for echocardiography in patients with this condition.
Bandwidth correction of Swarm GPS carrier phase observations for improved orbit and gravity field determination
Authors: Schreiter Lucas , Montenbruck Oliver , Zangerl Franz , Siemes Christian , Arnold Daniel , Jäggi Adrian
Published: March 2021

Gravity fields derived from GPS tracking of the three Swarm satellites have shown artifacts near the geomagnetic equator, where the carrier phase tracking on the L2 frequency is unable to follow rapid ionospheric path delay changes due to a limited tracking loop bandwidth of only 0.25 Hz in the early years of the mission. Based on the knowledge of the loop filter design, an analytical approach is developed to recover the original L2 signal from the observed carrier phase through inversion of the loop transfer function. Precise orbit determination and gravity field solutions are used to assess the quality of the correction. We show that the a posteriori RMS of the ionosphere-free GPS phase observations for a reduced-dynamic orbit determination can be reduced from 3 to 2 mm while keeping up to 7% more data in the outlier screening compared to uncorrected observations. We also show that artifacts in the kinematic orbit and gravity field solution near the geomagnetic equator can be substantially reduced. The analytical correction is able to mitigate the equatorial artifacts. However, the analytical correction is not as successful compared to the down-weighting of problematic GPS data used in earlier studies. In contrast to the weighting approaches, up to 9–10% more kinematic positions can be retained for the heavily disturbed month March 2015 and also stronger signals for gravity field estimation in the equatorial regions are obtained, as can be seen in the reduced error degree variances of the gravity field estimation. The presented approach may also be applied to other low earth orbit missions, provided that the GPS receivers offer a sufficiently high data rate compared to the tracking loop bandwidth, and provided that the basic loop-filter parameters are known.
Effect of Temperature Treatments on the Viability of Clavibacter sepedonicus in Infected Potato Tissue
Authors: Stevens L. H. , Tom J. Y. , van der Zouwen P. S. , Mendes O. , Poleij L. M. , van der Wolf J. M.
Published: March 2021

The objective of the present study was to establish whether exposure to temperatures of 55-70 °C results in eradication of the pathogen Clavibacter sepedonicus (Cs) in colonised potato tissue, in order to evaluate the efficiency of composting for disinfection of Cs-infected potato waste. Pre-sprouted potato tubers were inoculated and planted to produce Cs-colonised stem and tuber material. After incubation in temperature-controlled water baths, the infected potato tissue was analysed for the presence of culturable and pathogenic Cs. Additional experiments were performed with Cs-colonised potato stem tissue crushed and deaerated, thus simulating macerated stem tissue in the compost heap. To enable a comparison with bacterial cells that are not enclosed by their natural organic matrix, temperature treatments were applied to non-infected stem tissue crushed and deaerated, and spiked with freshly prepared Cs-suspensions. Cs settled inside colonised potato tissue, as well as Cs present as Cs-suspensions supplemented to potato tissue, was eradicated by exposure to heat, even after a treatment of 1 h at 55 °C, with the exception of one case in which the pathogen present in intact stem material escaped a treatment of 6 h at 60 °C, indicating that incidentally stems may provide niches in which the pathogen is protected against heat.
Global Properties of Eigenvalues of Parametric Rank One Perturbations for Unstructured and Structured Matrices
Authors: Ran André C. M. , Wojtylak Michał
Published: March 2021

General properties of eigenvalues of$$A+\tau uv^*$$A+τuv∗as functions of$$\tau \in {\mathbb {C} }$$τ∈Cor$$\tau \in {\mathbb {R} }$$τ∈Ror$$\tau ={{\,\mathrm{{e}}\,}}^{{{\,\mathrm{{i}}\,}}\theta }$$τ=eiθon the unit circle are considered. In particular, the problem of existence of global analytic formulas for eigenvalues is addressed. Furthermore, the limits of eigenvalues with$$\tau \rightarrow \infty $$τ→∞are discussed in detail. The following classes of matrices are considered: complex (without additional structure), real (without additional structure), complexH-selfadjoint and realJ-Hamiltonian.
Management Strategies for Comorbid Supine Hypertension in Patients with Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension
Authors: Isaacson Stuart H. , Dashtipour Khashayar , Mehdirad Ali A. , Peltier Amanda C.
Published: March 2021

Purpose of Review

In autonomic failure, neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) and neurogenic supine hypertension (nSH) are interrelated conditions characterized by postural blood pressure (BP) dysregulation. nOH results in a sustained BP drop upon standing, which can lead to symptoms that include lightheadedness, orthostatic dizziness, presyncope, and syncope. nSH is characterized by elevated BP when supine and, although often asymptomatic, may increase long-term cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk. This article reviews the pathophysiology and clinical characteristics of nOH and nSH, and describes the management of patients with both nOH and nSH.

Recent Findings

Pressor medications required to treat the symptoms of nOH also increase the risk of nSH. Because nOH and nSH are hemodynamically opposed, therapies to treat one condition may exacerbate the other. The management of patients with nOH who also have nSH can be challenging and requires an individualized approach to balance the short- and long-term risks associated with these conditions.

Approaches to manage neurogenic BP dysregulation include nonpharmacologic approaches and pharmacologic treatments. A stepwise treatment approach is presented to help guide neurologists in managing patients with both nOH and nSH.
Multiple solutions for Robin (p, q)-equations plus an indefinite potential and a reaction concave near the origin
Authors: Papageorgiou Nikolaos S. , Scapellato Andrea
Published: March 2021

We consider a Robin problem driven by the (p, q)-Laplacian plus an indefinite potential term. The reaction is either resonant with respect to the principal eigenvalue or$$(p-1)$$(p-1)-superlinear but without satisfying the Ambrosetti-Rabinowitz condition. For both cases we show that the problem has at least five nontrivial smooth solutions ordered and with sign information. When$$q=2$$q=2(a (p, 2)-equation), we show that we can slightly improve the conclusions of the two multiplicity theorems.
Pulmonary aspergilloma on transthoracic ultrasound
Authors: Ruby Lisa C. , Kadavigere Rajagopal , Sheshadri Shubha , Saravu Kavitha , Bélard Sabine
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Pulmonary aspergilloma affects immunocompromised patients but is also a recurrent condition in patients previously treated for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods and Results

We report the case of a 45-year-old patient with a history of cured pulmonary tuberculosis 15 years earlier in whom we visualized pulmonary aspergilloma by transthoracic lung sonography. Sonography of pulmonary aspergilloma demonstrated an oval cavity with hypoechoic contents and an irregular border, measuring a diameter of 4.7 cm; inside the lesion, a roundish structure with an anechoic rim was discernable.

Conclusions

The sonographic findings corresponded to chest X-ray and computed tomography imaging in this patient and to previously reported sonographic characteristics of mycotic abscesses in other organs. Lung ultrasound may be a tool to identify pulmonary aspergilloma, especially as a point-of-care imaging tool and where other imaging modalities are inaccessible.
A decision support system for multimodal brain tumor classification using deep learning
Authors: Sharif Muhammad Imran , Khan Muhammad Attique , Alhussein Musaed , Aurangzeb Khursheed , Raza Mudassar
Published: March 2021

Multiclass classification of brain tumors is an important area of research in the field of medical imaging. Since accuracy is crucial in the classification, a number of techniques are introduced by computer vision researchers; however, they still face the issue of low accuracy. In this article, a new automated deep learning method is proposed for the classification of multiclass brain tumors. To realize the proposed method, the Densenet201 Pre-Trained Deep Learning Model is fine-tuned and later trained using a deep transfer of imbalanced data learning. The features of the trained model are extracted from the average pool layer, which represents the very deep information of each type of tumor. However, the characteristics of this layer are not sufficient for a precise classification; therefore, two techniques for the selection of features are proposed. The first technique is Entropy–Kurtosis-based High Feature Values (EKbHFV) and the second technique is a modified genetic algorithm (MGA) based on metaheuristics. The selected features of the GA are further refined by the proposed new threshold function. Finally, both EKbHFV and MGA-based features are fused using a non-redundant serial-based approach and classified using a multiclass SVM cubic classifier. For the experimental process, two datasets, including BRATS2018 and BRATS2019, are used without increase and have achieved an accuracy of more than 95%. The precise comparison of the proposed method with other neural nets shows the significance of this work.
Interventions to optimize medication use in nursing homes: a narrative review
Authors: Spinewine Anne , Evrard Perrine , Hughes Carmel
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Polypharmacy, medication errors and adverse drug events are frequent among nursing home residents. Errors can occur at any step of the medication use process. We aimed to review interventions aiming at optimization of any step of medication use in nursing homes.

Methods

We narratively reviewed quantitative as well as qualitative studies, observational and experimental studies that described interventions, their effects as well as barriers and enablers to implementation. We prioritized recent studies with relevant findings for the European setting.

Results

Many interventions led to improvements in medication use. However, because of outcome heterogeneity, comparison between interventions was difficult. Prescribing was the most studied aspect of medication use. At the micro-level, medication review, multidisciplinary work, and more recently, patient-centered care components dominated. At the macro-level, guidelines and legislation, mainly for specific medication classes (e.g., antipsychotics) were employed. Utilization of technology also helped improve medication administration. Several barriers and enablers were reported, at individual, organizational, and system levels.

Conclusion

Overall, existing interventions are effective in optimizing medication use. However there is a need for further European well-designed and large-scale evaluations of under-researched intervention components (e.g., health information technology, patient-centered approaches), specific medication classes (e.g., antithrombotic agents), and interventions targeting medication use aspects other than prescribing (e.g., monitoring). Further development and uptake of core outcome sets is required. Finally, qualitative studies on barriers and enablers for intervention implementation would enable theory-driven intervention design.
Recurrent neural networks with long term temporal dependencies in machine tool wear diagnosis and prognosis
Authors: Zhang Jianlei , Zeng Yukun , Starly Binil
Published: March 2021

Data-driven approaches for machine tool wear diagnosis and prognosis are gaining attention in the past few years. The goal of our study is to advance the adaptability, flexibility, prediction performance, and prediction horizon for online monitoring and prediction. This paper proposes the use of a recent deep learning method, based on Gated Recurrent Neural Network architecture, including Long Short Term Memory (LSTM), which try to captures long-term dependencies than regular Recurrent Neural Network method for modeling sequential data, and also the mechanism to realize the online diagnosis and prognosis and remaining useful life (RUL) prediction with indirect measurement collected during the manufacturing process. Existing models are usually tool-specific and can hardly be generalized to other scenarios such as for different tools or operating environments. Different from current methods, the proposed model requires no prior knowledge about the system and thus can be generalized to different scenarios and machine tools. With inherent memory units, the proposed model can also capture long-term dependencies while learning from sequential data such as those collected by condition monitoring sensors, which means it can be accommodated to machine tools with varying life and increase the prediction performance. To prove the validity of the proposed approach, we conducted multiple experiments on a milling machine cutting tool and applied the model for online diagnosis and RUL prediction. Without loss of generality, we incorporate a system transition function and system observation function into the neural net and trained it with signal data from a minimally intrusive vibration sensor. The experiment results showed that our LSTM-based model achieved the best overall accuracy among other methods, with a minimal Mean Square Error (MSE) for tool wear prediction and RUL prediction respectively.
Cultural values predict national COVID-19 death rates
Authors: Ruck Damian J. , Borycz Joshua , Bentley R. Alexander
Published: March 2021

National responses to a pandemic require populations to comply through personal behaviors that occur in a cultural context. Here we show that aggregated cultural values of nations, derived from World Values Survey data, have been at least as important as top-down government actions in predicting the impact of COVID-19. At the population level, the cultural factor of cosmopolitanism, together with obesity, predict higher numbers of deaths in the first two months of COVID-19 on the scale of nations. At the state level, the complementary variables of government efficiency and public trust in institutions predict lower death numbers. The difference in effect between individual beliefs and behaviors, versus state-level actions, suggests that open cosmopolitan societies may face greater challenges in limiting a future pandemic or other event requiring a coordinated national response among the population. More generally, mass cultural values should be considered in crisis preparations.
A Circular Economy: Where Will It Take Us?
Authors: Hart Jim , Pomponi Francesco
Published: March 2021

The avalanche of environmental challenges, from local to global and back, has prompted responses at all levels from personal to inter-governmental. The results of these responses have fallen in the range between useful and counterproductive, with many examples on each side, but the scale of the overall challenge continues to escalate. Moving towards a zero-carbon global economy through absolute reductions in fossil fuel usage is a sure way of mitigating climate change, and a range of environmental, social and economic benefits would follow. The case for a Circular Economy (CE), however, is less clear. Whilst some CE initiatives may lead to the decoupling of economic growth from resource extraction, this does not necessarily equate to reducing the rate of extraction. Thus, the contribution of CE to the achievement of environmental objectives globally cannot be taken for granted. In terms of social impact, the best that can be said is that CE might be neutral. Technologies that promote the ‘sharing economy’ for instance, often suggested as a crucial CE strategy, create opportunities for individual wealth accumulation, but are also a route to the gig economy and the casualisation of labour. CE is arguably a business imperative, but definitive evidence to support the idea of a circular economy that meets social and environmental goals needs development.
Effectiveness of intervention on behaviour change against use of non-biodegradable plastic bags: a systematic review
Authors: Adeyanju Gbadebo Collins , Augustine Teslin Maria , Volkmann Stefan , Oyebamiji Usman Adetunji , Ran Sonia , Osobajo Oluyomi A. , Otitoju Afolabi
Published: March 2021

The devastating impacts that bio-degradable products such as plastic bags are having on human health, wildlife, and the environment is enormous, especially single-use once. Single-use plastics are non-biodegradable products and does not undergo biological decomposition nor degenerate. This review examines various government regulations targeted at changing behaviour against plastic bags consumption and their effectiveness. Following a rigorous search in 13 databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Nature, etc. only 17 peer-reviewed journal articles that are published between 2000 and 2019 and met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Each study’s methodological quality was assessed using the GRADE system, and data were extracted using a uniquely designed form. The results revealed that regulations based solely on the thickness of plastic bags does not reduce plastic bags consumption. However, regulations focused on banning ‘single-use’ plastic bag usage, imposing higher taxes and levies on consumers, significantly reduce plastic bags consumption. Overall, the latter is considered the most effective. Also, the results show that attitude, perception and behaviour change toward bio-degradable products or climate-friendly behaviour can be significantly influenced by public policy or regulations. Although the behaviour seems short-lived in some countries, therefore further studies need to probe on why. Also, the absence of a national regulatory strategy in North America reduced the inclusion of studies from the region, hence need for more research focusing on sub-national regulations.
Evaluation of various seed extracts for their nematicidal efficacies against root nematode, Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Nengroo Zubair Rehman , Shah Zeshan Umer , Ganie Adil Shafi , Danish Mohammad
Published: March 2021

The current study was assumed to identify the novel nematicidal activity of chloroform and methanol (50:50, v/v) seed extracts of eight medicinally important plants viz. Abrus precatorius Linn., Amaranthus virdis Linn., Bunium persicum Boiss., Dioscorea deltoidea Wall. Ex Griseb., Teraxacum officinale Weber., Malva neglecta Wall., Podophylum hexandrum Royle and Robina pseudoacacia Linn. using the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in in vitro and greenhouse experiments. At 72 h exposure, the extracts were found to be highly nematostatic, where nematodes were completely paralyzed at 12 and 48 h of exposure. However, dominant mortality was observed by T. officinale 93.67% and B. persicum 89.66% seed extracts at 72 h. In greenhouse method, extracts of T. officinale and B. persicum extracts were found to be most potent in reducing number of galls (1.76 and 2.37) and number of egg masses (0.06 and 2.18) respectively as compared to inoculated control. The root knot index of all extracts varied between 1–3 and egg mass index 0–3 as compared to control. This study suggested that seed extracts of these plants can be used for the management of M. incognita and could be used in replacement of synthetic nematicides upon further isolation and purification of bioactive substance responsible for nematicidal activity.
Validation of the Artificial Intelligence-Based Predictive Optimal Trees in Emergency Surgery Risk (POTTER) Calculator in Emergency General Surgery and Emergency Laparotomy Patients
Authors: El Hechi Majed W. , Maurer Lydia R. , Levine Jordan , Zhuo Daisy , El Moheb Mohamad , Velmahos George C. , Dunn Jack , Bertsimas Dimitris , Kaafarani Haytham MA.
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND:

The Predictive Optimal Trees in Emergency Surgery Risk (POTTER) tool is an artificial intelligence-based calculator for the prediction of 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing emergency operations. In this study, we sought to assess the performance of POTTER in the emergency general surgery (EGS) population in particular.

METHODS:

All patients who underwent EGS in the 2017 American College of Surgeons NSQIP database were included. The performance of POTTER in predicting 30-day postoperative mortality, morbidity, and 18 specific complications was assessed using the c-statistic metric. As a subgroup analysis, the performance of POTTER in predicting the outcomes of patients undergoing emergency laparotomy was assessed.

RESULTS:

A total of 59,955 patients were included. Median age was 50 years and 51.3% were women. POTTER predicted mortality (c-statistic = 0.93) and morbidity (c-statistic = 0.83) extremely well. Among individual complications, POTTER had the highest performance in predicting septic shock (c-statistic = 0.93), respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation for 48 hours or longer (c-statistic = 0.92), and acute renal failure (c-statistic = 0.92). Among patients undergoing emergency laparotomy, the c-statistic performances of POTTER in predicting mortality and morbidity were 0.86 and 0.77, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

POTTER is an interpretable, accurate, and user-friendly predictor of 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing EGS. POTTER could prove useful for bedside counseling of patients and their families and for benchmarking of EGS care.
The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implications for Corporate Social Responsibility Research
Authors: RASCHE Andreas , WADDOCK Sandra
Published: March 2021

This article presents a review of the literature on the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) for the purpose of situating the UNGPs in the voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) infrastructure. We identify four key themes that underlie the debate: (1) a critical assessment of the UNGPs, (2) their application to different sectors, (3) a discussion of how to embed key aspects of the UNGPs into national and regional contexts, and (4) reflections on the role of due diligence. We discuss these themes and outline some practical and theoretical take-away messages. Our review highlights some similarities and differences to the discussion of voluntary initiatives in the field of CSR, especially the UN Global Compact. Our discussion helps to understand how the UNGPs are situated in the voluntary institutional infrastructure for CSR. Finally, we show how the theoretical and practical discourse on the UNGPs can be further advanced.
Clinical Study of 668 Indian Subjects with Juvenile, Young, and Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Kukkle Prashanth L. , Goyal Vinay , Geetha Thenral S. , Mridula Kandadai R. , Kumar Hrishikesh , Borgohain Rupam , Mukherjee Adreesh , Wadia Pettarusp M. , Yadav Ravi , Desai Soaham , Kumar Niraj , Gupta Ravi , Biswas Atanu , Pal Pramod K. , Muthane Uday , Das Shymal K. , Quinn Niall , Ramprasad Vedam L. ,   the Parkinson Research Alliance of India (PRAI)
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To determine the demographic pattern of juvenile-onset parkinsonism (JP, <20 years), young-onset (YOPD, 20–40 years), and early onset (EOPD, 40–50 years) Parkinson’s disease (PD) in India.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a 2-year, pan-India, multicenter collaborative study to analyze clinical patterns of JP, YOPD, and EOPD. All patients under follow-up of movement disorders specialists and meeting United Kingdom (UK) Brain Bank criteria for PD were included.

Results:

A total of 668 subjects (M:F 455:213) were recruited with a mean age at onset of 38.7 ± 8.1 years. The mean duration of symptoms at the time of study was 8 ± 6 years. Fifteen percent had a family history of PD and 13% had consanguinity. JP had the highest consanguinity rate (53%). YOPD and JP cases had a higher prevalence of consanguinity, dystonia, and gait and balance issues compared to those with EOPD. In relation to nonmotor symptoms, panic attacks and depression were more common in YOPD and sleep-related issues more common in EOPD subjects. Overall, dyskinesias were documented in 32.8%. YOPD subjects had a higher frequency of dyskinesia than EOPD subjects (39.9% vs. 25.5%), but they were first noted later in the disease course (5.7 vs. 4.4 years).

Conclusion:

This large cohort shows differing clinical patterns in JP, YOPD, and EOPD cases. We propose that cutoffs of <20, <40, and <50 years should preferably be used to define JP, YOPD, and EOPD.
Dystonia in Performing Artists: Beyond Focal Hand Dystonia
Authors: Ray Somdattaa , Pal Pramod K.
Published: March 2021

Overuse of specific muscles in perfecting movements in performing arts makes an artist prone to many medical conditions. Musicians’ hand dystonia is focal task-specific dystonia (FTSD) of hand among musicians that has been extensively studied. However, embouchure, lower limbs, and laryngeal muscles can also be affected among musicians. Embouchure dystonia (ED) refers to dystonia of the perioral and facial muscles that occurs in musicians while playing embouchure instruments. It is essential to identify ED since the dystonia might become persistent and non-task-specific if the musician continues to play the instrument. Task-specific dystonia of lower limbs among musicians has been exclusively reported among drummers. The diagnosis rests on electromyogram (EMG) of the involved muscles during the task. Singer’s dystonia (SD) refers to task-specific laryngeal dystonia that occurs only while singing. The diagnosis of SD is based on laryngeal EMG and spectrographic analysis. Cortical hyperexcitability, loss of inhibition, and aberrant plasticity are central to the pathogenesis in both ED and musicians’ hand dystonia. The pathophysiological studies in SD are limited. This review aims to discuss the lesser known dystonias among performing artists – ED, FTSD of lower limb, and SD.
Turkey’s Queer Times
Authors: Özbay Cenk , Öktem Kerem
Published: March 2021

Today Turkey is one of the few Muslim-majority countries in which same-sex sexual acts, counternormative sexual identities, and expressions of gender nonconformism are not illegal, yet are heavily constrained and controlled by state institutions, police forces, and public prosecutors. For more than a decade Turkey has been experiencing a “queer turn”—an unprecedented push in the visibility and empowerment of queerness, the proliferation of sexual rights organizations and forms of sociabilities, and the dissemination of elements of queer culture—that has engendered both scholarly and public attention for sexual dissidents and gender non-conforming individuals and their lifeworlds, while it has also created new spaces and venues for their self-organization and mobilization. At the point of knowledge production and writing, this visibility and the possible avenues of empowerment that it might provide have been in jeopardy: not only do they appear far from challenging the dominant norms of the body, gender, and sexuality, but queerness, in all its dimensions, has become a preferred target for Islamist politics, conservative revanchism, and populist politicians.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MIS 3 MEGAFAUNA IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST SIBERIA AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LATE SURVIVAL OF THE KHOZARIAN STEPPE MAMMOTH (MAMMUTHUS TROGONTHERII CHOSARICUS)
Authors: Shpansky Andrei V , Kuzmin Yaroslav V
Published: March 2021

We report a new series of radiocarbon (14C) dates on the MIS 3 megafauna for a previously poorly studied region of southeastern West Siberia. Some species, like woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros, and Pleistocene bison and horse, existed throughout the MIS 3 (ca. 29–59 ka cal BP); cave hyaena is dated to ca. 46,400 cal BP. The very late 14C dates on Khozarian steppe elephant (Mammuthus trogontherii chosaricus), ca. 45,100–45,400 cal BP, may indicate the survival of this species in Siberia up to MIS 3. More work is needed to confirm or reject this suggestion. Previously, Khozarian steppe elephant was known in Siberia only at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (MIS 5e).
The Exclusionary Foundations of Embedded Liberalism
Authors: Goodman Sara Wallace , Pepinsky Thomas B.
Published: March 2021

Analyses of embedded liberalism have focused overwhelmingly on trade in goods and capital, to the exclusion of migration. We argue that much as capital controls were essential components of the embedded liberal compromise, so too were restrictions on the democratic and social rights of labor migrants. Generous welfare programs in labor-receiving countries thrived alongside inclusionary immigration policies, but this balanced arrangement was only tenable if migrants were politically excluded in their destination countries. That is, embedded liberalism abroad rested on exclusionary political foundations at home. In bringing together the IPE literature on the “globalization trilemma” with the comparative politics of citizenship, we provide a novel account of how embedded liberalism worked politically, with implications for current debates about the fate of the liberal order in a time of populist resurgence.
Remembering the 1977 Bread Riots in Suez: Fragments and Ghosts of Resistance
Authors: Soliman Nayera Abdelrahman
Published: March 2021

Most of the existing literature on the 1977 Bread Riots focuses on the protests as an episode in larger national and international political and economic waves of change, either as the end of an era of political mobilization in Egypt, or the beginning of an era of anti-neoliberal struggles in the region and wider world. Moreover, most of the literature focuses on Cairo. Seeking to diverge from the trend even further, this article focuses on the memory of the 1977 uprising in the city of Suez, which it explores through the perspectives of leftist activists and others. It aims to understand how the people of Suez who witnessed and participated in the 1977 protests remember and interpret the event today, asking what memory of the uprising means politically on a local level. By exploring the memory of the 1977 protests in Suez, this article traces their effects on the lives of the selected interlocutors, and also on their political actions and interpretations. It follows three memory fragments of the 1977 protests in Suez from three different vantage points: the position of people who were members of political organizations before the protests; the traces of protests in Suez's streets; and the position of those who witnessed the protests from home.
People are obsessed with religion: The definitional dissonance of evangelical encounters in Myanmar
Authors: Edwards Michael
Published: March 2021

This article responds to recent calls to consider how religion is defined and deployed in and about Myanmar. Discussing local Pentecostal efforts to evangelise to Buddhists in contemporary Yangon, it presents the encounter with the religious other as one ground from which definitions of religion might emerge. I show that, by taking up new opportunities to share the gospel, believers entered into a long conversation between Christianity and Buddhism dating back to the colonial period. Tracing the different definitions of religion that this conversation generates, and attuning to the dissonances between them, might offer alternate ways for approaching what gets termed the religious and the secular in the study of Myanmar.
Francis Bacon on Imperial and Colonial Warfare
Authors: Zeitlin Samuel Garrett
Published: March 2021

This article offers a textual and historical reconstruction of Francis Bacon's thought on imperial and colonial warfare. Bacon holds that conquest, acquisition of peoples and territory through force, followed by subjugation, confers a legal right and title. Imperial expansion is justified both by arguments concerning the interstate balance of power and by arguments related to internal order and stability. On Bacon's view, a successful state must be expansionist, for two key reasons: first, as long as its rivals are expansionist, a state must keep up and even try to outpace them, and, second, a surplus population will foment civil war unless this “surcharge of people” is farmed out to colonies. These arguments for imperial state expansion are held to justify both internal and external colonization and empire. Paradoxically, Bacon holds that the internally colonized may be treated with greater severity, as suppressed rebels, than the externally colonized, who are more fitly a subject of the ius gentium. Bacon holds that toleration offers both an imperial stratagem and a comparative justification for why English and British imperial expansion is more desirable than Spanish imperial expansion. The article concludes with reflections about how one might understand the place of imperial and colonial projects in Bacon's thought, contending that these projects are central to an understanding of Bacon's political aims and thought more broadly.
Transapical access for dilatation of a Melody valve in the mitral position using large balloons, in a small child: a case description with midterm follow-up and literature review
Authors: Kantzis M. , Shebani S. , Yong S. , Saeed I.
Published: March 2021

The surgical placement of the Melody®valve in the mitral position in infants and young children was first reported in 2012. Since then, there have only been a limited number of technically oriented reports describing catheter techniques to tackle valve-related issues such as valve adjustment for somatic growth or the management of haemodynamically significant paravalvar regurgitation. We present a case study where severe paravalvar leaks were tackled using a hybrid approach and large low-pressure balloons in a child who had previously undergone Melody® valve implantation in the mitral position. The technical outcome remains very good at 18 months follow-up and the patient remains symptom-free.
Comparison of semi-automated versus manual quantitative right ventricular assessment in tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Lowisz Joanna , Alenghat Francis J. , Li Yi , Roberson David , Penk Jamie , Gandhi Rupali
Published: March 2021

Background:

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect diagnosed in infancy. Assessment of right ventricular size and function is important for evaluation of patients with tetralogy of Fallot, but these quantitative measures are challenging by echocardiography. This study evaluates a semi-automated software (EchoInsight®, Epsilon Imaging) by comparing its measures to manual measures in children with tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods:

Echocardiographic measurements were performed using manual techniques and semi-automated software. Right ventricular measurements included end-diastolic and end-systolic area, fractional area change, chamber dimensions, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. Reliability, correlation, and agreement between manual and semi-automated measures were assessed.

Results:

Echocardiograms for 46 patients were analysed. Intra- and inter-observer reliabilities for semi-automated measures were good with intraclass correlation coefficients all over 0.95 and 0.85, respectively. There was high correlation between manual and semi-automated methods for areas and dimensions (r = 0.91–0.98). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measures and fractional area change also correlated, albeit less strongly. The semi-automated measurements of end-systolic and end-diastolic area were a 20 and 47% higher than manual methods, respectively.

The semi-automated method yielded a relative 52% lower fractional area change compared to the manual method.

Conclusions:

The semi-automated software generates quantitative right ventricular measures in children with tetralogy of Fallot with good reliability and good correlation with manual methods for all measures, but with significant difference between manual and semi-automated techniques for area and functional measures. The specific right ventricular geometry in tetralogy of Fallot children may be why, compared to normal anatomy, greater differences were observed between the two techniques.
Cross‐Shock Electrostatic Potentials at Mars Inferred From MAVEN Measurements
Authors: Xu Shaosui , Schwartz Steven J. , Mitchell David L. , Horaites Konstantinos , Andersson Laila , Halekas Jasper , Mazelle Christian , Gruesbeck Jacob R.
Published: March 2021

A bow shock is generated by the interaction of the solar wind with the planetary global dipole field (e.g., Earth), or with (mainly) the planetary ionosphere (e.g., Mars). The cross‐shock potential has been well studied at Earth but not yet for Mars. We infer and approximate the peak in the frame invariant de Hoffmann‐Teller shock potential profile at Mars (ϕ) with data from the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. We find that ϕ and its ratio to the solar wind ram ion energy (Eram) vary similarly against solar zenith angle (SZA, a proxy for the angle between the solar wind flow and the shock normal) and magnetic latitudes. Our results also reveal no significant dependence of the shock potential on parameters such as the angle between the upstream interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the shock normal and plasma beta of upstream solar wind. There is a somewhat positive correlation with the magnetosonic Mach number and the magnetic amplification ratio across the shock. We also find a solar cycle effect on the shock location, closer to the planet near the solar minimum, as expected. Lastly, similarities and differences of cross‐shock potentials at Mars and Earth are discussed. Characterizing electron energization and high‐altitude ion loss at Mars is influenced by the bow shock and thereby the work here.
Microbial Activity and Root Carbon Inputs Are More Important than Soil Carbon Diffusion in Simulating Soil Carbon Profiles
Authors: Wang Ying‐Ping , Zhang Haicheng , Ciais Philippe , Goll Daniel , Huang Yuanyuan , Wood Jeffrey D. , Ollinger Scott V. , Tang Xuli , Prescher Anne‐Katrin
Published: March 2021

It is well‐known that soil carbon composition and turnover rate vary with soil depth, and the responses of soil carbon to global change in deeper soil layers may differ from those near the surface. Therefore, vertically resolved soil carbon models are needed for accurately predicting future soil carbon under global warming. In this study, we developed a vertically resolved soil carbon model by including vertical transport of soil carbon and using Michaelis‐Menten kinetics for soil carbon decomposition by microbes. The model was calibrated against six sites with the observed profiles of both soil carbon concentration and 14C measurements, and against 91 forest sites with soil carbon concentrations across a wide range of climate and soil conditions for four forest types in Europe and China. Results of independent model validation at another 93 sites showed that the calibrated model explained 40%–94% of the observed variance of soil carbon concentrations at different depths. Model sensitivity analysis showed that microbial activity and root carbon inputs are more important than soil carbon diffusion in simulating soil carbon profile. Results from our study highlight the need for detailed measurements of soil microbial activities and root carbon input at different soil depths in the field.
Natural products: potential treatments for cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity
Authors: Fang Chun-yan , Lou Da-yong , Zhou Li-qin , Wang Jin-cheng , Yang Bo , He Qiao-jun , Wang Jia-jia , Weng Qin-jie
Published: March 2021

Cisplatin is a clinically advanced and highly effective anticancer drug used in the treatment of a wide variety of malignancies, such as head and neck, lung, testis, ovary, breast cancer, etc. However, it has only a limited use in clinical practice due to its severe adverse effects, particularly nephrotoxicity; 20%–35% of patients develop acute kidney injury (AKI) after cisplatin administration. The nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin is cumulative and dose dependent and often necessitates dose reduction or withdrawal. Recurrent episodes of AKI result in impaired renal tubular function and acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease, uremia, and hypertensive nephropathy. The pathophysiology of cisplatin-induced AKI involves proximal tubular injury, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular injury in the kidneys. At present, there are no effective drugs or methods for cisplatin-induced kidney injury. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies show that numerous natural products (flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, polysaccharide, phenylpropanoids, etc.) have specific antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties that regulate the pathways associated with cisplatin-induced kidney damage. In this review we describe the molecular mechanisms of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and summarize recent findings in the field of natural products that undermine these mechanisms to protect against cisplatin-induced kidney damage and provide potential strategies for AKI treatment.