bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-graduation Plans of Undergraduate BME Students: Gender, Self-efficacy, Value, and Identity Beliefs
Authors: Patrick Anita , Borrego Maura , Riegle-Crumb Catherine
Published: November 2020

This study investigates career intentions and students’ engineering attitudes in BME, with a focus on gender differences. Data fromn = 716 undergraduate biomedical engineering students at a large public research institution in the United States were analyzed using hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis. Results revealed five clusters of intended post-graduation plans:Engineering Job and Graduate School, Any Job, Non-Engineering Job and Graduate School, Any Option,andAny Graduate School.Women were evenly distributed across clusters; there was no evidence of gendered career preferences. The main findings in regard to engineering attitudes reveal significant differences by cluster in interest, attainment value, utility value, and professional identity, but not in academic self-efficacy. Yet, within clusters the only gender differences were women’s lower engineering academic self-efficacy, interest and professional identity compared to men. Implications and areas of future research are discussed.
Divergent controls on carbon concentration and persistence between forests and grasslands of the conterminous US
Authors: Heckman K. A. , Nave L. E. , Bowman M. , Gallo A. , Hatten J. A. , Matosziuk L. M. , Possinger A. R. , SanClements M. , Strahm B. D. , Weiglein T. L. , Rasmussen C. , Swanston C. W.
Published: November 2020

Variation in soil organic C (%OC) concentration has been associated with the concentration of reactive Fe- and Al-oxyhydroxide phases and exchangeable Ca, with the relative importance of these two stabilizing components shifting as soil pH moves from acid to alkaline. However, it is currently unknown if this pattern is similar or different with regard to measures of soil C persistence. We sampled soils from 3 horizons (uppermost A, uppermost B, C or lowest B horizons) across a pH gradient of 11 grass-dominated and 13 deciduous/mixed forest-dominated NEON sites to examine similarities and differences in the drivers of C concentration and persistence. Variation in C concentrations in all soils could be linked to abundances of Fe, Al and Ca, but were not significantly linked to variation in soil C persistence. Though pH was related to variation in Δ14OC, higher persistence was associated with more alkaline pH values. In forested soils, depth explained 75% of the variation in Δ14OC (p < 0.0001), with no significant additional correlations with extractable metal phases. In grasslands, soil organic C persistence was not associated with exchangeable Ca concentrations, but instead was explained by depth and inorganic C concentrations (R2 = 0.76,p < 0.0001), implying stabilization of organic C through association with carbonate precipitation. In grasslands, measures of substrate quality suggested greater persistence is also associated with a more advanced degree of decomposition. Results suggest that explanatory variables associated with C concentrations differ from those associated with persistence, and that reactive Fe- and Al-oxyhydroxide phases may not be present in high enough concentrations in most soils to offer any significant protective capacity. These results have significant implications for our understanding of how to model the soil C cycle and may suggest previously unrecognized stabilization mechanisms associated with carbonates and forms of extractable Si.
Bladder cancer stage and mortality: urban vs. rural residency
Authors: Deuker Marina , Stolzenbach L. Franziska , Collà Ruvolo Claudia , Nocera Luigi , Tian Zhe , Roos Frederik C. , Becker Andreas , Kluth Luis A. , Tilki Derya , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Saad Fred , Chun Felix K.H. , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: November 2020

Objective

Relative to urban populations, rural patients may have more limited access to care, which may undermine timely bladder cancer (BCa) diagnosis and even survival.

Methods

We tested the effect of residency status (rural areas [RA < 2500 inhabitants] vs. urban clusters [UC ≥ 2500 inhabitants] vs. urbanized areas [UA, ≥50,000 inhabitants]) on BCa stage at presentation, as well as on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other cause mortality (OCM), according to the US Census Bureau definition. Multivariate competing risks regression (CRR) models were fitted after matching of RA or UC with UA in stage-stratified analyses.

Results

Of 222,330 patients, 3496 (1.6%) resided in RA, 25,462 (11.5%) in UC and 193,372 (87%) in UA. Age, tumor stage, radical cystectomy rates or chemotherapy use were comparable between RA, UC and UA (all p > 0.05). At 10 years, RA was associated with highest OCM followed by UC and UA (30.9% vs. 27.7% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.01). Similarly, CSM was also marginally higher in RA or UC vs. UA (20.0% vs. 20.1% vs. 18.8%, p = 0.01). In stage-stratified, fully matched CRR analyses, increased OCM and CSM only applied to stage T1 BCa patients.

Conclusion

We did not observe meaningful differences in access to treatment or stage distribution, according to residency status. However, RA and to a lesser extent UC residency status, were associated with higher OCM and marginally higher CSM in T1N0M0 patients. This observation should be further validated or refuted in additional epidemiological investigations.
The Indeterminacy of the Distinction between Objects and Ways of Being
Authors: De Rizzo Julio
Published: November 2020

Few if any distinctions are more easily recognisable and assented to than that between objects, that is, things which are some ways, and that which they are, that is, ways for objects to be (‘ways of being’ for short). In this paper I present an argument designed to show that this distinction is indeterminate in the sense that the truth-conditions of predicational sentences leave open what should count as an object and a way of being. The bulk of the argument is inspired by the celebrated permutation argument advanced by Quine, Wallace, Putnam and others.
The Brief Strategic Treatment of Cardiophobia: A Clinical Case Study
Authors: Pietrabissa Giada , Rozzoni Federica , Liguori Flavia , Cerruto Antonella , Giusti Emanuele Maria , Malfatto Gabriella , Munforti Carlotta , De Martin Martina , Giglio Alessia , Facchini Mario , Castelnuovo Gianluca
Published: November 2020

Many individuals presenting to medical settings with heart-related symptoms for which no medical explanation is found might suffer from cardiophobia, but this condition is still poorly identified and addressed. This article presents a case of cardiophobia treated in an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation unit and, for the first time, describes the application of brief strategic therapy for the treatment of this condition. In the case reported, the first therapeutic encounter and the key elements of the strategic approach are described in detail with the aim to explain how brief strategic therapy works and how it can be used to identify and address cardiophobia-related behaviors. A 64-year-old male presented to cardiac rehabilitation reporting intense anxiety-provoking heart palpitations, and believing he was at risk of dying from a heart attack. After 3 sessions, an overall improvement in heart-related bodily sensations followed a decrease in the patient’s continuous checking of his heartbeat and seeking reassurance—factors that were largely responsible for the persistence of the problem. Moreover, quantitative evaluation showed increased scores of mood state at the end of treatment. This improvement persisted at the 18-month follow-up. This case is an interesting example of how brief strategic therapy can contribute to the development of a new conceptual model for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiophobia. Still, more systematic research in the field is needed to prove the efficacy and effectiveness of this therapeutic approach on symptoms of heart-focused anxiety.
Preparation and Characterization of Films Based on Disintegrated Bacterial Cellulose and Montmorillonite
Authors: Sommer Agata , Staroszczyk Hanna , Sinkiewicz Izabela , Bruździak Piotr
Published: November 2020

The food packaging materials from natural polymers including polysaccharides offer an ecologically important alternative to commonly used synthetic, non-biodegradable counterparts. The purpose of this work was to modify of bacterial cellulose (BC) leading to the improvement of its functional properties in terms of use as a food packaging material. Effects of disintegration of BC and addition of montmorillonite (MMT) on its water barrier, mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. Disintegration of BC increased its water vapour permeability (WVP) and thermal stability, but decreased its tensile strength (σ). These changes were closely related to the rearrangement of hydrogen-bond network in the BC structure, resulting in a partial conversion from the Iα to Iβ allomorph. The addition of 2% of MMT did not affect WVP and σ of the disintegrated BC (bBC), while the plasticization of the modified bBC generally decreased WVP, and did not increase σ. The improvement in water barrier properties of bBC modified by adding 2% of MMT in the presence of glycerol was caused by the formation of hydrogen bonds between the components of the composite. The results presented show the potential usefulness of BC modified by disintegration and adding 2% of MMT and 10–15% of glycerol as a food packaging material.
Functional Central Limit Theorems for Occupancies and Missing Mass Process in Infinite Urn Models
Authors: Chebunin Mikhail , Zuyev Sergei
Published: November 2020

We study the infinite urn scheme when the balls are sequentially distributed over an infinite number of urns labeled 1,2,... so that the urnjat every draw gets a ball with probability$$p_j$$pj, where$$\sum _j p_j=1$$∑jpj=1. We prove functional central limit theorems for discrete time and the Poissonized version for the urn occupancies process, for the odd occupancy and for the missing mass processes extending the known non-functional central limit theorems.
Polygenic Risk for Major Depression Interacts with Parental Criticism in Predicting Adolescent Depressive Symptom Development
Authors: Nelemans Stefanie A. , Boks Marco , Lin Bochao , Oldehinkel Tineke , van Lier Pol , Branje Susan , Meeus Wim
Published: November 2020

Research has focused more and more on the interplay between genetics and environment in predicting different forms of psychopathology, including depressive symptoms. While the polygenic nature of depressive symptoms is increasingly recognized, only few studies have applied a polygenic approach in gene-by-environment interaction (G × E) studies. Furthermore, longitudinal G × E studies on developmental psychopathological properties of depression are scarce. Therefore, this 6-year longitudinal community study examined the interaction between genetic risk for major depression and a multi-informant longitudinal index of critical parenting in relation to depressive symptom development from early to late adolescence. The sample consisted of 327 Dutch adolescents of European descent (56% boys; Mage T1 = 13.00, SDage T1 = 0.44). Polygenic risk for major depression was based on the Hyde et al. (Nature Genetics, 48, 1031–1036, 2016) meta-analysis and genetic sensitivity analyses were based on the 23andMe discovery dataset. Latent Growth Models suggested that polygenic risk score for major depression was associated with higher depressive symptoms across adolescence (significant main effect), particularly for those experiencing elevated levels of critical parenting (significant G × E). These findings highlight how polygenic risk for major depression in combination with a general environmental factor impacts depressive symptom development from early to late adolescence.
Scripted Reality: How Observers Make Sense of a Non-consensual Sexual Encounter
Authors: Mulder Eva , Olsohn Stephanie
Published: November 2020

Research on third party reactions to (transgressive) sexual encounters has frequently bypassed the question of how observers categorize such encounters as normal sexual experience, sexual violence, or potentially as something else. In the present study, we investigated the ways in which participants made sense of a nonconsensual sexual encounter between a man (i.e., the initiating party) and either a male or a female student (i.e., the targeted party). We specifically focused on how participants utilized sexual scripts and gender stereotypes to describe what happened and as a means of attributing responsibility to the actors. Using the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) technique, 52 Dutch participants (26 men and 26 women) responded aloud to a vignette. Data were analyzed using discourse analysis as employed in discursive psychology. The findings demonstrated that participants constructed the event described in the vignette as normal while depicting the targeted party as abnormal and accountable. Participants strategically employed sexual scripts and gender stereotypes to describe the event as predictable and not serious and the initiating party’s actions as in little need of explanation. The targeted party was positioned as detached from this “objective reality” and was held accountable for neither following nor sufficiently breaking with the script. In consequence, the event was rendered nonthreatening. Our results illustrated the ways in which predominant discourses influence interpretations of encounters as transgressive or “just” sex, having important implications for those who seek to share their experiences of sexual violation.
Your word against mine: the power of uptake
Authors: McDonald Lucy
Published: November 2020

Uptake is typically understood as the hearer’s recognition of the speaker’s communicative intention. According to one theory of uptake, the hearer’s role is merely as a ratifier. The speaker, by expressing a particular communicative intention, predetermines what kind of illocutionary act she might perform. Her hearer can then render this act a success or a failure. Thus the hearer has no power over which act could be performed, but she does have some power over whether it is performed. Call this the ratification theory of uptake. Several philosophers have recently endorsed an alternative theory of uptake, according to which the hearer can determine the nature of the act the speaker performs. According to this theory, if the hearer regards an utterance as illocutionary act y, then it is act y, even if the speaker intended to perform act x. Call this the constitution theory of uptake. The purported advantage of this theory is that it identifies a common but underanalysed way in which speakers can be silenced. I argue that despite its initial intuitive pull, the constitution theory of uptake should be rejected. It is incompatible with ordinary intuitions about speech, it entails a conceptual impossibility (the unintentional exercise of normative powers), and it has unsavoury political implications, entailing that marginalised speakers barely qualify as agents.
Review of Huang-huai sheep, a new multiparous mutton sheep breed first identified in China
Authors: Quan Kai , Li Jun , Han Haoyuan , Wei Hongfang , Zhao Jinyan , Si HA , Zhang Xinji , Zhang Daojiang
Published: November 2020

Huang-huai sheep are a new multiparous mutton sheep breed that has been cultivated by domestic scientific research institutes, governments, and sheep farms in China. Huang-huai sheep were bred using Dorper sheep as a sire and Small-tailed Han sheep as a dam. The breeding of Huang-huai sheep started in 2003, and three stages have been carried out: crossbreeding innovation, fixation in a two-way-crossbred closed flock, and herd propagation. A pilot test of Huang-huai sheep was conducted on 6 sheep farms from 2017 to 2018, and hereditary properties and production performance were evaluated in 2019. Huang-huai sheep were identified on site by the National Livestock and Poultry Resources Committee of China in December 2019 and approved as a new multiparous mutton sheep breed in China. The genetic distance showed that Huang-huai sheep are most closely related to Dorper sheep, Luxi black-headed sheep, and Small-tailed Han sheep, but the genetic distances are subspecies (0.02–0.20) each other. The body weights of adult Huang-huai sheep are 98.1 ± 5.2 kg (♂) and 71.7 ± 3.5 kg (♀), and those of 6-month-old Huang-huai sheep are 58.50 ± 6.55 kg (♂) and 52.45 ± 5.67 kg (♀). The slaughter rates of 6-month-old sheep are 56.02 ± 1.25% (♂) and 53.19 ± 1.19% (♀). The estrus cycle of Huang-huai sheep is 19.32 ± 2.8 days, the first estrus cycle occurs at 168 ± 12 days, the annual lambing rate of ewes is 252.82% ± 10.69%, the survival rate of lambs is 95.79 ± 0.95%, and the number of weaned lambs per ewe per year is 2.38 ± 0.14. The growth performance, carcass quality, and reproductive performance of Huang-huai sheep have been improved, resulting in considerable economic and social benefits and broader market prospects. This breed represents a new multiparous mutton sheep breed adapted for industrial sheep farms in China.
Web Data Mining: Validity of Data from Google Earth for Food Retail Evaluation
Authors: de Menezes Mariana Carvalho , de Matos Vanderlei Pascoal , de Pina Maria de Fátima , de Lima Costa Bruna Vieira , Mendes Larissa Loures , Pessoa Milene Cristine , de Souza-Junior Paulo Roberto Borges , de Lima Friche Amélia Augusta , Caiaffa Waleska Teixeira , de Oliveira Cardoso Letícia
Published: November 2020

To overcome the challenge of obtaining accurate data on community food retail, we developed an innovative tool to automatically capture food retail data from Google Earth (GE). The proposed method is relevant to non-commercial use or scholarly purposes. We aimed to test the validity of web sources data for the assessment of community food retail environment by comparison to ground-truth observations (gold standard). A secondary aim was to test whether validity differs by type of food outlet and socioeconomic status (SES). The study area included a sample of 300 census tracts stratified by SES in two of the largest cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The GE web service was used to develop a tool for automatic acquisition of food retail data through the generation of a regular grid of points. To test its validity, this data was compared with the ground-truth data. Compared to the 856 outlets identified in 285 census tracts by the ground-truth method, the GE interface identified 731 outlets. In both cities, the GE interface scored moderate to excellent compared to the ground-truth data across all of the validity measures: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy (ranging from 66.3 to 100%). The validity did not differ by SES strata. Supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants yielded better results than other store types. To our knowledge, this research is the first to investigate using GE as a tool to capture community food retail data. Our results suggest that the GE interface could be used to measure the community food environment. Validity was satisfactory for different SES areas and types of outlets.
Turonian flint economy in the easternmost Magdalenian: new data from Stare Baraki, site 1 (eastern Poland)
Authors: Wiśniewski Tadeusz , Krajcarz Maciej T. , Standzikowski Karol
Published: November 2020

Magdalenian communities exploited mostly local and regional good-quality lithic raw materials. In south-eastern Poland, being the easternmost fringe of the Magdalenian range, Turonian grey flint had a particular importance. Outcrops of this raw material occur both at the west and at the east sides the Vistula River Gorge. The varieties from the eastern area (called here “eastern Turonian flint” or ETF) are common among inventories of the Magdalenian sites situated to west of the Vistula river. This fact points toward the frequent penetration of the ETF outcrop area by those societies. However, no Magdalenian sites were known directly from the ETF deposit area, and this gap in knowledge restricted further understanding of the character and diversity of Magdalenian activity there. Therefore, in this paper, we present the results of searching for Magdalenian sites within the ETF outcrop zone. Applied methodology included study of the archive archaeological materials, followed by detail survey and excavation of the selected site—Stare Baraki 1. This site documents a short stay or multiple stays of Magdalenian people, who were focused on Turonian flint knapping. Lithic inventory records collecting of several local flint varieties at the distance up to around 20 km from the site, followed by almost all stages of flint working. The material from Stare Baraki is the first known and currently the only trace of the Magdalenian people inside the zone of Turonian flint deposits on the right bank of the Vistula river. The study in Stare Baraki delivered new data for the reconstruction of territory exploitation strategies used in the easternmost Magdalenian.
The problem of Euler/Tarry revisited
Authors: Betten Dieter
Published: November 2020

The problem of Euler/Tarry concerning 36 officers can be formulated in mathematical terms: Can a latin square of order 6 have an orthogonal square, or equivalently, are there 6 pairwise disjoint transversals? This was first answered (in the negative) by Tarry (1900/01). We prove the following Theorem: If a latin square of order 6 admits a reflection, i. e. an automorphism of order two which fixes the main diagonal elementwise, then it has no orthogonal square. We list the 12 isomorphism types of latin squares of order 6 and see: they all admit such a reflection. So we get a solution of the Euler problem without the tedious task of tracing the transversals.
Multi‐chain Fudan‐CCDC model for COVID‐19 ‐‐ a revisit to Singapore’s case
Authors: Pan Hanshuang , Shao Nian , Yan Yue , Luo Xinyue , Wang Shufen , Ye Ling , Cheng Jin , Chen Wenbin
Published: November 2020

Background

COVID‐19 has been impacting on the whole world critically and constantly since late December 2019. Rapidly increasing infections has raised intense worldwide attention. How to model the evolution of COVID‐19 effectively and efficiently is of great significance for prevention and control.

Methods

We propose the multi‐chain Fudan‐CCDC model based on the original single‐chain model in [Shao et al. 2020] to describe the evolution of COVID‐19 in Singapore. Multi‐chains can be considered as the superposition of several single chains with different characteristics. We identify the parameters of models by minimizing the penalty function.

Results

The numerical simulation results exhibit the multi‐chain model performs well on data fitting. Though unsteady the increments are, they could still fall within the range of ±30% fluctuation from simulation results.

Conclusion

The multi‐chain Fudan‐CCDC model provides an effective way to early detect the appearance of imported infectors and super spreaders and forecast a second outbreak. It can also explain the data from those countries where the single‐chain model shows deviation from the data.
Between Real World and Thought Experiment: Framing Moral Decision-Making in Self-Driving Car Dilemmas
Authors: Schäffner Vanessa
Published: November 2020

How should driverless vehicles respond to situations of unavoidable personal harm? This paper takes up the case of self-driving cars as a prominent example of algorithmic moral decision-making, an emergent type of morality that is evolving at a high pace in a digitised business world. As its main contribution, it juxtaposes dilemma decision situations relating to ethical crash algorithms for autonomous cars to two edge cases: the case of manually driven cars facing real-life, mundane accidents, on the one hand, and the dilemmatic situation in theoretically constructed trolley cases, on the other. The paper identifies analogies and disanalogies between the three cases with regard to decision makers, decision design, and decision outcomes. The findings are discussed from the angle of three perspectives: aspects where analogies could be found, those where the case of self-driving cars has turned out to lie in between both edge cases, and those where it entirely departs from either edge case. As a main result, the paper argues that manual driving as well as trolley cases are suitable points of reference for the issue of designing ethical crash algorithms only to a limited extent. Instead, a fundamental epistemic and conceptual divergence of dilemma decision situations in the context of self-driving cars and the used edge cases is substantiated. Finally, the areas of specific need for regulation on the road to introducing autonomous cars are pointed out and related thoughts are sketched through the lens of the humanistic paradigm.
Nano-black carbon (biochar) released from pyrogenic carbonaceous matter as a super suspending agent in water/soil environments
Authors: Lian Fei , Wang Zhenyu , Xing Baoshan
Published: November 2020

Nano-black carbon (BC) is one of the most active fractions in the pyrogenic carbonaceous matter continuum. The majority of recent studies mainly focus on the role of nano-BC in the global carbon cycle. However, based on literature and our recent studies, we suggest that nano-BC may also serve as a super suspending agent, carrier, and redox mediator for sorbates during its migration from terrestrial to water bodies due to its unique properties such as high colloidal stability, strong sorption capacity, and high surface reactivity. The full implications of nano-BC in water/soil environments are far more than we expected. Thus, we call for more detailed investigations on the activity and reactivity of nano-BC in water/soil environments.
Marketing in the era of COVID-19
Authors: Hoekstra Janny C. , Leeflang Peter S. H.
Published: November 2020

We discuss the effects of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and elaborate on the consequences of this disruption for marketing strategies and marketing policies. The crisis shows similarities with changes in consumer behaviour and the way marketing is carried out during economic downturns. However, it also displays characteristics which differ from downcycles, such as shifts in consumption between categories and the accelerated shift from offline to online behaviour. This is forced by the re-evaluation of life priorities by final consumers.
The Education-to-Work Transition of Young Rural–Urban Migrants in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Basnet Neha , Timmerman Margaretha C. , van der Linden Josje
Published: November 2020

This article examines the experiences of youth transitioning from education to work, within the specific context of rural–urban migration in Nepal. This context is chosen as, compared to developed countries, experiences in developing ones have remained under-researched in the transition studies literature. The study is informed by a biographical research approach, using qualitative longitudinal life (hi)story methods, with a view to revealing local transition patterns and the life events influencing these. The study identifies four different patterns reflecting the education-to-work transitions of young rural–urban migrants in Nepal. These patterns encompass different pathways involving education, migration, work, and mandatory waiting periods. The analysis of these transition patterns highlights how migration for education and work from rural to urban settings, taken together with mandatory waiting periods, exerts key influence on the overall life trajectories of young rural–urban migrants in Nepal’s capital.
Sport participation may protect socioeconomically disadvantaged youths with refugee backgrounds from experiencing behavioral and emotional difficulties
Authors: O'Donnell Alexander W. , Stuart Jaimee , Barber Bonnie L. , Abkhezr Peyman
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Youth with refugee backgrounds experience social and socioeconomic difficulties that arise following resettlement. Research has found that sport participation generally provides youth with a protective milieu that is especially beneficial for the most disadvantaged youth. Accordingly, the current study examines whether sport participation is related to positive psychosocial outcomes for resettled adolescent refugees, and if these effects are greater for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

Method

Data were from a large, nationally representative cohort of refugees recently resettled in Australia (Building New Life in Australia study, BNLA). Self‐reported social and emotional well‐being was collected from 415 youth who entered the country as refugees (Mage = 14.04, SD = 1.99) at three years post settlement were used.

Results

A moderated regression analysis indicated that refugee youth living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods who participated in sports reported significantly better outcomes compared to those refugee youth in economically similar neighborhoods who did not participate in sport. In contrast, refugee youth residing in more socioeconomically advantaged communities had better developmental outcomes, regardless of sport participation.

Conclusions

Sport participation is a protective factor for youth with refugee backgrounds. Community socioeconomic disadvantage moderates this relationship, whereby stronger effects were observed for adolescents in more disadvantaged communities. Protecting the most disadvantaged in our society is a human rights imperative, and the current study indicates that sport participation could contribute to these efforts among resettled refugee populations.
A Population-Based Study of Peyronie’s Disease in Turkey: Prevalence and Related Comorbidities
Authors: Kadioglu Ates , Dincer Murat , Salabas Emre , Culha Mehmet Gokhan , Akdere Hakan , Cilesiz Nusret Can
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Peyronie’s disease (PD) prevalence varies between 0.39% and 20% and studies on PD prevalence are limited.

Aim

This study aims to determine the prevalence of PD in males aged ≥30 years in Turkey and to evaluate etiological factors associated with it.

Methods

The study was conducted in 12 regions of Turkey according to the Eurostat Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 1 classification and included 1,208 patients. Survey questionnaires including questions about demographic features and basic health status as well as about diagnosis and etiology of PD were put forth to the volunteers who agreed to participate in the study. Diagnosis of probable PD was established by evaluating the questionnaires. Patients with a diagnosis of congenital penile curvature were excluded from the group with PD. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used.

Main Outcome Measure

The primary outcome analyzed in this article was the prevalence rate of PD in Turkey and the associated comorbidities.

Results

The prevalence of PD was determined as 5.3%. The rates of participants with PD were found to be the highest in the 50–59 years group (27%) and in the North-East Region (20%). Compared with participants without PD, participants with PD were older (median: 52 interquartile range [41–64] vs 45 [37–55]; P < .001) and the rates of smokers (73% vs 60.9%; P = .036) and those having diabetes mellitus (17.5% vs 9.2%; P = .045), hypertension (14.3% vs 6.9%; P = .041), and heart failure were higher (7.9% vs 2.5%; P = .027). Male with PD symptoms preferred their partners on top during sexual intercourse (15.2% vs 34.1%; P < .001). This is the first study to evaluate premature ejaculation prevalence and related comorbidities with face-to-face interviews.

Conclusion

The prevalence of PD was 5.3% in Turkey. Besides advanced age, smoking, position of sexual intercourse, and presence of comorbidities especially diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart failure were the factors associated with PD prevalence.
A case report of late perforation at the site of jejuno-jejunal anastomosis after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
Authors: Al Kandari Abdulwahab , Al Kandari Abdulrahman , Al Hendi Sarah , Al Ben Ali Sarah , Qasem Mohammad , Alyatama Khalifah
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most commonly performed weight-loss surgeries worldwide. Its common complications include bowel obstruction, anastomotic strictures, postoperative leak, dumping syndrome, nutritional complications, and venous thromboembolic events.

Presentation of case:

This report presents a case of perforation at the jejuno-jejunal (j-j) anastomosis, an extremely rare complication after laparoscopic RYGB surgery (LRYGBS), with an incidence reported to be under 1% in the literature. Potential causes noted from previous reports include distal obstruction, abscess formation, patient comorbidities, technical factors, and microbiological factors. A morbidly obese female patient underwent LRYGBS with an uneventful recovery. The patient presented 15 weeks postoperatively with a 2-day history of acute abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, and peritoneal signs.

Discussion:

Following clinical and radiological evaluation, the patient underwent an exploratory laparoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of complications. In this case, laparoscopy was shifted to the open technique due to technical difficulties. A 1.5-cm perforation was identified at the site of the anastomosis and was repaired with absorbable sutures and a graham patch. The patient recovered uneventfully.

Conclusion:

Prompt recognition of symptoms and early intervention may reduce overall morbidity and mortality in similar cases. This report describes a case of a late perforation at the site of j-j anastomosis in an obese female. We also discuss the incidence, presentation, management, outcome, and possible causes of such complications.

Highlights
Medical Care During Mountain Rescue in King County, Washington, from 2004 to 2017
Authors: McDonough Miles J. , Feinstein Bryan A. , Webster Gabriel E. , Condino Anna E.
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR) is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that provides mountain rescue services in King County, Washington. This study analyzed the medical care provided by SMR over 14 y to understand the challenges in patient care in the region and to perform data collection and monitoring.

Methods

A retrospective review of mission reports submitted from 2004 to 2017 was conducted. Date, location, demographics, activity, callout reason, chief complaint, treatments provided, extraction means, and helicopter utilization were analyzed. Data are presented as mean±SD, with range as appropriate, unless otherwise noted. Linear regression was used to estimate changes in mission volume over time.

Results

There were 552 missions involving 756 subjects during the study period. Mission totals increased by 4 (95% CI 2–6, P<0.001) per year. Four locations accounted for 38% of mission volume. Subject age was 36±18 y, and 59% of subjects were male. The most common activity leading to rescue was hiking (80%). Injuries or illness precipitated 58% of callouts, whereas lost, stranded, or overdue subjects comprised 40%. For subjects requiring medical treatment, 81% involved a traumatic injury, 64% were packaged in a litter, and 35% required splinting.

Conclusions

The frequency of mountain rescue missions in King County, Washington, has increased in the past 14 y, with traumatic injuries most frequently requiring medical care. Missing data were common in most categories, and nonstandardized reports challenged research efforts. This study provides a baseline for future research and data collection and adds to the literature regarding the medical care provided during mountain rescue incidents.
R v. Reeves Taylor (U.K. Sup. Ct.)
Authors: Walter Marguerite C.
Published: November 2020

On November 13, 2019, the U.K. Supreme Court issued a judgment in R v. Reeves Taylor, holding that members of non-state armed groups may, under certain circumstances, qualify as “officials” for purposes of § 134(1) of the Criminal Justice Act of 1988 (CJA). The Court's decision and reasoning represent an important contribution to case law interpreting the scope of the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) as concerns conduct by individuals who are not public officials at the time of the alleged abuse.
Small-Time smile for the multifactor volatility heston model
Authors: Ahn Dohyun , Kim Kyoung-Kuk , Kim Younghoon
Published: November 2020

We extend the existing small-time asymptotics for implied volatilities under the Heston stochastic volatility model to the multifactor volatility Heston model, which is also known as the Wishart multidimensional stochastic volatility model (WMSV). More explicitly, we show that the approaches taken in Forde and Jacquier (2009) and Forde, Jacqiuer and Lee (2012) are applicable to the WMSV model under mild conditions, and obtain explicit small-time expansions of implied volatilities.
On geometric and algebraic transience for block-structured Markov chains
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Li Wendi , Li Xiuqin
Published: November 2020

Block-structured Markov chains model a large variety of queueing problems and have many important applications in various areas. Stability properties have been well investigated for these Markov chains. In this paper we will present transient properties for two specific types of block-structured Markov chains, including M/G/1 type and GI/M/1 type. Necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of system parameters are obtained for geometric transience and algebraic transience. Possible extensions of the results to continuous-time Markov chains are also included.
In ovo feeding of vitamin C regulates splenic development through purine nucleotide metabolism and induction of apoptosis in broiler chickens
Authors: Zhu Liqin , Wang Jian , Li Zhipeng , Ma Haiyan , Zhu Yufei , Yang Xiaojun , Yang Xin
Published: November 2020

Nutrition in early life has a long-term influence on later health. In order to the explore effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of vitamin C on splenic development, splenic metabolism and apoptosis were detected in embryo, adult chickens and in vitro. A total of 360 fertile eggs were selected and randomly assigned to control (CON) and vitamin C (VC) groups which were injected with saline and vitamin C on embryonic day 11, respectively. Functional enrichment of differentially expressed genes by transcriptome on embryonic day 19 suggested that purine nucleotide metabolism might be a potential pathway for the IOF of vitamin C to regulate spleen development. Additionally, the IOF of vitamin C significantly increased splenic vitamin C content on post-hatch day 21. Meanwhile, the splenic expression of adenosine deaminase, serine/threonine kinase 1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen was down-regulated, whereas the expression of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 9 was up-regulated in the VC group. On post-hatch day 42, the IOF of vitamin C significantly down-regulated the splenic expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 and increased the mRNA level of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 9. The IOF of vitamin C could regulate the expression of genes related to adenylate metabolism and increased the apoptosis rate in vitro, which is consistent with the result in vivo. In conclusion, the IOF of vitamin C regulated splenic development and maturation by affecting purine nucleotide metabolism pathway and promoting apoptosis.
Shifts towards overweight and double burden of malnutrition among socio-economically vulnerable children: a longitudinal ecological analysis of Brazilian municipalities
Authors: Silva Natanael de Jesus , Ribeiro-Silva Rita de Cássia , Rasella Davide , Alves Flávia Jôse Oliveira , Campello Tereza , Fiaccone Rosemeire Leovigildo , Barreto Maurício Lima
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To investigate the shifts and factors associated with different scenarios resulting from the prevalence of child stunting and overweight in Brazilian municipalities.

Design:

This is an ecological study using municipality-level panel data of stunting and overweight prevalence and socio-economic characteristics from 2008 to 2014. The municipalities were classified according to the WHO-UNICEF prevalence thresholds for stunting and overweight and were categorised into four nutritional scenarios: no burden (prevalence of stunting < 20 % and overweight < 10 %), stunting burden (prevalence of stunting ≥ 20 % and overweight < 10 %), overweight burden (prevalence of stunting < 20 % and overweight ≥ 10 %) and double burden (prevalence of stunting ≥ 20 % and overweight ≥ 10 %).

Setting:

Totally, 4443 Brazilian municipalities.

Participants:

Aggregated data of children under 5 years old enrolled in the Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme (Bolsa Família).

Results:

A mean reduction from 14·2 % to 12·7 % in the prevalence of stunting and an increase from 17·2 % to 18·4 % in the prevalence of overweight were observed. The predominant scenarios were overweight burden and double burden. The odds of both scenarios increased with higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and decreased with higher unemployment rates. Stunting and double burden decreased with higher expected years of schooling, and stunting burden increased with household crowding.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicate an advanced nutrition transition stage in Brazil, associated mainly with municipal GDP per capita growth, which has contributed to increasing the burden of overweight alone or coexisting with stunting (double burden) among children in the most socio-economically vulnerable strata of the population.
Strain engineering of 2D semiconductors and graphene: from strain fields to band-structure tuning and photonic applications
Authors: Peng Zhiwei , Chen Xiaolin , Fan Yulong , Srolovitz David J. , Lei Dangyuan
Published: November 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and graphene compose a new family of crystalline materials with atomic thicknesses and exotic mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. Due to their inherent exceptional mechanical flexibility and strength, these 2D materials provide an ideal platform for strain engineering, enabling versatile modulation and significant enhancement of their optical properties. For instance, recent theoretical and experimental investigations have demonstrated flexible control over their electronic states via application of external strains, such as uniaxial strain and biaxial strain. Meanwhile, many nondestructive optical measurement methods, typically including absorption, reflectance, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies, can be readily exploited to quantitatively determine strain-engineered optical properties. This review begins with an introduction to the macroscopic theory of crystal elasticity and microscopic effective low-energy Hamiltonians coupled with strain fields, and then summarizes recent advances in strain-induced optical responses of 2D TMDCs and graphene, followed by the strain engineering techniques. It concludes with exciting applications associated with strained 2D materials, discussions on existing open questions, and an outlook on this intriguing emerging field.
Modulation of photocarrier relaxation dynamics in two-dimensional semiconductors
Authors: Wang Yuhan , Nie Zhonghui , Wang Fengqiu
Published: November 2020

Due to strong Coulomb interactions, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors can support excitons with large binding energies and complex many-particle states. Their strong light-matter coupling and emerging excitonic phenomena make them potential candidates for next-generation optoelectronic and valleytronic devices. The relaxation dynamics of optically excited states are a key ingredient of excitonic physics and directly impact the quantum efficiency and operating bandwidth of most photonic devices. Here, we summarize recent efforts in probing and modulating the photocarrier relaxation dynamics in 2D semiconductors. We classify these results according to the relaxation pathways or mechanisms they are associated with. The approaches discussed include both tailoring sample properties, such as the defect distribution and band structure, and applying external stimuli such as electric fields and mechanical strain. Particular emphasis is placed on discussing how the unique features of 2D semiconductors, including enhanced Coulomb interactions, sensitivity to the surrounding environment, flexible van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure construction, and non-degenerate valley/spin index of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), manifest themselves during photocarrier relaxation and how they can be manipulated. The extensive physical mechanisms that can be used to modulate photocarrier relaxation dynamics are instrumental for understanding and utilizing excitonic states in 2D semiconductors.
Behavioral, neuroanatomical, and molecular correlates of resilience and susceptibility to maternal immune activation
Authors: Mueller Flavia S. , Scarborough Joseph , Schalbetter Sina M. , Richetto Juliet , Kim Eugene , Couch Amalie , Yee Yohan , Lerch Jason P. , Vernon Anthony C. , Weber-Stadlbauer Ulrike , Meyer Urs
Published: November 2020

Infectious or noninfectious maternal immune activation (MIA) is an environmental risk factor for psychiatric and neurological disorders with neurodevelopmental etiologies. Whilst there is increasing evidence for significant health consequences, the effects of MIA on the offspring appear to be variable. Here, we aimed to identify and characterize subgroups of isogenic mouse offspring exposed to identical MIA, which was induced in C57BL6/N mice by administration of the viral mimetic, poly(I:C), on gestation day 12. Cluster analysis of behavioral data obtained from a first cohort containing >150 MIA and control offspring revealed that MIA offspring could be stratified into distinct subgroups that were characterized by the presence or absence of multiple behavioral dysfunctions. The two subgroups also differed in terms of their transcriptional profiles in cortical and subcortical brain regions and brain networks of structural covariance, as measured by ex vivo structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In a second, independent cohort containing 50 MIA and control offspring, we identified a subgroup of MIA offspring that displayed elevated peripheral production of innate inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, in adulthood. This subgroup also showed significant impairments in social approach behavior and sensorimotor gating, whereas MIA offspring with a low inflammatory cytokine status did not. Taken together, our results highlight the existence of subgroups of MIA-exposed offspring that show dissociable behavioral, transcriptional, brain network, and immunological profiles even under conditions of genetic homogeneity. These data have relevance for advancing our understanding of the variable neurodevelopmental effects induced by MIA and for biomarker-guided approaches in preclinical psychiatric research.