bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Striatal dopamine transporter SPECT quantification: head-to-head comparison between two three-dimensional automatic tools
Authors: Morbelli Silvia , Arnaldi Dario , Cella Eugenia , Raffa Stefano , Donegani Maria Isabella , Capitanio Selene , Massa Federico , Miceli Alberto , Filippi Laura , Chincarini Andrea , Nobili Flavio
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Our aim was to compare a widely distributed commercial tool with an older free software (i) one another, (ii) with a clinical motor score, (iii) versus reading by experts.

Procedures

We analyzed consecutive scans from one-hundred and fifty-one outpatients submitted to brain DAT SPECT for a suspected parkinsonism. Images were post-processed using a commercial (Datquant®) and a free (BasGanV2) software. Reading by expert was the gold standard. A subset of patients with pathological or borderline scan was evaluated with the clinical Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, motor part (MDS-UPDRS-III).

Results

SBR, putamen-to-caudate (P/C) ratio, and both P and C asymmetries were highly correlated between the two software with Pearson’s ‘r’ correlation coefficients ranging from .706 to .887. Correlation coefficients with the MDS-UPDRS III score were higher with caudate than with putamen SBR values with both software, and in general higher with BasGanV2 than with Datquant®. Datquant® correspondence with expert reading was 84.1% (94.0% by additionally considering the P/C ratio as a further index). BasGanV2 correspondence with expert reading was 80.8% (86.1% by additionally considering the P/C ratio).

Conclusions

Both Datquant® and BasGanV2 work reasonably well and similarly one another in semi-quantification of DAT SPECT. Both tools have their own strength and pitfalls that must be known in detail by users in order to obtain the best help in visual reading and reporting of DAT SPECT.
Reclassification of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 31532 and its quorum biosensor mutant CV026 to Chromobacterium subtsugae
Authors: Harrison Alisha M. , Soby Scott D.
Published: November 2020

The precipitous drop in the cost of genomic sequencing and the concomitant availability of computational methods for comparing genome-level data has made the accurate taxonomic placement of bacteria affordable and relatively rapid. Inaccurate taxonomic placement of bacteria has serious implications in clinical, environmental, and regulatory microbiology, but it can also adversely affect interpretation of research results. The quorum biosensor strain CV026 was derived from an isolate of Chromobacterium that was labeled as C. violaceum ATCC 31532, and is catalogued by the ATCC under that species name. Nearly 200 papers have been published that use CV026 as an indicator for quorum sensing activity in many Gram negative bacteria, but the inability of C. violaceum strains to complement the quorum sensing mutation in CV026 has called the taxonomic placement of the parent strain into question. We used molecular phylogeny and a large number of metabolic and phenotypic characters to demonstrate that Chromobacterium strain ATCC 31532 is a member of species Chromobacterium subtsugae.
Advanced analytical methods to assess physical activity behaviour using accelerometer raw time series data: a protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Rastogi Tripti , Backes Anne , Schmitz Susanne , Fagherazzi Guy , van Hees Vincent , Malisoux Laurent
Published: November 2020

Background

Physical activity (PA) is a complex multidimensional human behaviour. Currently, there is no standardised approach for measuring PA using wearable accelerometers in health research. The total volume of PA is an important variable because it includes the frequency, intensity and duration of activity bouts, but it reduces them down to a single summary variable. Therefore, analytical approaches using accelerometer raw time series data taking into account the way PA are accumulated over time may provide more clinically relevant features of physical behaviour. Advances on these fields are highly needed in the context of the rapid development of digital health studies using connected trackers and smartwatches. The objective of this review will be to map advanced analytical approaches and their multidimensional summary variables used to provide a comprehensive picture of PA behaviour.

Methods

This scoping review will be guided by the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework. A search for relevant publications will be undertaken in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase and Web of Science databases. The selection of articles will be limited to studies published in English from January 2010 onwards. Studies including analytical methods that go beyond total PA volume, average daily acceleration and the conventional cut-point approaches, involving tri-axial accelerometer data will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles and extract data. The data will be collated, stored and charted to provide a descriptive summary of the analytical methods and outputs, their strengths and limitations and their association with different health outcomes.

Discussion

This protocol describes a systematic method to identify, map and synthesise advanced analytical approaches and their multidimensional summary variables used to investigate PA behaviour and identify potentially clinically relevant features. The results of this review will be useful to guide future research related to analysing PA patterns, investigate their association with health conditions and suggest appropriate recommendations for changes in PA behaviour. The results may be of interest to sports scientists, clinical researchers, epidemiologists and smartphone application developers in the field of PA assessment.

Scoping review registration

This protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/yxgmb.
Are normoglycaemic individuals at risk of depression? The depression-dysglycaemic phenotype from a European population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Cuschieri Sarah , Mamo Julian
Published: November 2020

Background

Depression is a chronic non communicable disease. It is a growing public health concern with established links with a number of co-morbidities, including diabetes mellitus. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression at a population level, establish the depression sub-population phenotypic characteristics while exploring for links between depression and a spectrum of glycemic abnormalities.

Methods

A nationally representative cross-sectional study was conducted in Malta between 2014 and 2016. Participants were categorized into different sub-populations according to their glycaemic status. Depression prevalence rates and phenotypic characteristics for each sub-population were established. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify links with depression.

Results

Depression was prevalent in 17.15% (CI 95%: 16.01–18.36) with a female predominance. Those with known (as opposed to newly diagnosed) diabetes had the highest depression prevalence when compared to other glycemic sub-groups. These also exhibited a significant link with self-reported depression. However, at a population level, depression was mostly prevalent within the normoglycaemic sub-population.

Conclusions

The study confirms the strong link between diabetes and depression, especially, in a high risk dysglycaemic population. Of public health concern is the high depression occurrence within the normoglycaemic sub-population, which attributed for the majority of the Maltese population. In order to reduce the impact of mental health on the population, physicians may consider implementing depression screening clinical tools as part of their routine health check-ups at primary care level, irrespective of the glycaemic status of their patients.
Donor-derived vancomycin-resistant enterococci transmission and bloodstream infection after intestinal transplantation
Authors: Correa-Martínez Carlos L. , Becker Felix , Schwierzeck Vera , Mellmann Alexander , Brockmann Jens G. , Kampmeier Stefanie
Published: November 2020

Background

Transplant recipients are at high risk for infections. However, donor-recipient transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) remains mostly unaddressed in the protocols of pre-transplant infection and colonization screening. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are MDROs that colonize the gastrointestinal tract and are associated with a significant burden of disease. Besides the high mortality of invasive VRE infections, chronic colonization leads to costly isolation measures in the hospital setting. Whereas most post-transplantation VRE infections are endogenous and thus preceded by colonization of the recipient, conclusive evidence of VRE transmission via allograft in the context of intestinal transplantation is lacking.

Case presentation

We describe a donor-derived VRE infection after intestinal transplantation including small bowel and right hemicolon. The recipient, a 54-year old male with history of mesenteric ischemia and small bowel perforation due to generalized atherosclerosis and chronic stenosis of the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery, developed an intra-abdominal infection and bloodstream infection after transplantation. VRE isolates recovered from the patient as well as from the allograft prior to transplantation were analyzed via whole genome sequencing. Isolates showed to be genetically identical, thus confirming the transmission from donor to recipient.

Conclusions

This case underlines the relevance of donor-recipient VRE transmission and invasive infection in the context of intestinal transplantation, highlighting the need for preoperative MDRO screening that facilitates the prompt and effective treatment of possible infections as well as the timely establishment of contact precautions to prevent further spread.
Antimicrobial use in food animals and human health: time to implement ‘One Health’ approach
Authors: Pokharel Sunil , Shrestha Priyanka , Adhikari Bipin
Published: November 2020

The use of antimicrobials in animals for growth promotion and infection prevention significantly contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing public health threat. While the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have taken steps towards reducing and restricting the use of antimicrobials in animals, initiatives are insufficient in developing countries where the demands for food animals continue to rise over the years. The inter-sectoral acknowledgment of inextricable link between animal health, human health and the environment (One Health approach) is critical. Concerted and collaborative efforts among all the stakeholders are essential to deal with this complex problem of resistance.
COVID-19: through the eyes through the front line, an international perspective
Authors: Kavanagh Kevin T. , Pare Judith , Pontus Christine
Published: November 2020

COVID-19 is continuing to ravage the globe. In many Western Countries, the populous has not embraced public health advice which has resulted in a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. In the United States, there is an absence of a coordinated Federal response. Instead, frontline workers and average citizens are having to cope with extensive mixed messaging regarding mask usage and social distancing from the highest levels of government. This has resulted in the United States not being able to achieve a low level of infection since the pandemic began. In addition, many citizens hold a profound belief that individual freedoms must be preserved, even at the expense of public health; and view the wearing of masks as renouncing this right. These engrained political beliefs can be traced back to the late 1800s. The response of the United States has also been hampered by a highly cost-efficient healthcare system, which does not provide universal care and has a just-in-time supply chain, with far too few supplies in reserve. This efficiency prevented a rapid scaling up of the healthcare response, which resulted in severe deficiencies in available personal protective equipment (PPE) and healthcare staff. To compound issues many healthcare staff are not provided an economic or healthcare safety net. Other frontline workers, such as those who work in transportation and food services, are working under even greater adversities. Many of these workers are from diverse backgrounds, who, along with their families, are at even greater risk for COVID-19. This vulnerable population of frontline workers are faced with a choice of going to work with inadequate PPE or placing food on their families’ table. In the United States, official recommendations seem to be ever changing, based more upon supply and test availability, than on science. We must rely on science and learn from the lessons of past pandemics or we will relive, even to a greater degree, the deaths and devastations experienced by our ancestors over 100 years ago.
Adolescents’ mental health concerns, reported with an idiographic assessment tool
Authors: Tollefsen Thomas Kristian , Darrow Sabrina Michelle , Neumer Simon-Peter , Berg-Nielsen Turid Suzanne
Published: November 2020

Background

Adolescents’ self-defined concerns about their mental health are understudied. Yet gaining insight into the individual concerns of this group could be helpful in providing better services to the adolescent population. In this study, an idiographic procedure called Assert was used to increase our knowledge of which concerns are reported by adolescents as the most salient, in a primary mental health care situation.

Method

231 unique concerns were reported by 70 adolescents in a primary mental health context in Norway. These concerns were analysed qualitatively by a group of experts, to define categories. The distribution of these categories, and differences in gender and age, were analysed quantitatively. The alleviation experienced on the subjective concerns over the course of counselling was measured. Two linear multilevel models were analysed, to examine whether alleviation on self-defined concerns, as measured with Assert, differed-based on the main category of the concern or the number of times Assert was used.

Results

Three main categories of concerns emerged, related to (1) Self, (2) Relationships and (3) Life domains; as well as nine sub-categories: (1a) Autonomy, (1b) Mental health, (1c) Somatic health, (2a) Improving of relationships, (2b) Feeling safe from people around them, (2c) Taking responsibility for others, (3a) School, (3b) Work and (3c) Spare time. Girls reported fewer Life domain concerns than boys. Younger adolescents (12–16) more frequently reported no Self concerns, and older adolescents (17–23) more frequently reported no Relationship concerns. The adolescents felt less bothered by their subjective concerns after counselling, and there were some differences in alleviation depending on the category of concern.

Conclusions

The adolescents defined their own concerns at the start of counselling and were less troubled by these concerns after counselling. The content of the concerns might suggest that these adolescents experienced a need to improve across several arenas: personal, relational and academic. Research to extend the current study, to understand individual adolescent concerns, should include contextual and social factors and personal characteristics—and explore how counselling interventions can best help alleviate these personal concerns.
Rebuild of the Bulletin of the International Seismological Centre (ISC)—part 2: 1980–2010
Authors: Storchak Dmitry A. , Harris James , Brown Lonn , Lieser Kathrin , Shumba Blessing , Di Giacomo Domenico
Published: November 2020

The Bulletin of the International Seismological Centre (ISC) remains in demand for a wide range of geophysical studies. Users of the ISC Bulletin benefit from its long-term coverage, the most comprehensive set of measurements from the majority of permanent seismic stations and networks, and homogeneity of included parameters of earthquakes and other seismic events worldwide. Despite a reasonably conservative approach in preserving the operational procedures, changes are inevitable in order to achieve the best possible accuracy of published earthquake parameters. The last fundamental change in procedures has fully affected the data for years 2011 and beyond (Bondár and Storchak in Geophys J Int 186: 1220-1244, 2011). This is why it was decided to rebuild the earlier part (1964–2010) of the ISC Bulletin to achieve compatibility in earthquake hypocentres and magnitudes through its entire period. The first article on this project (Storchak et al. in Geosci Lett 4: 32, 2017) covered the period from 1964 to 1979, as it was publicly released. This article covers the remaining period from 1980 to 2010 with all seismic events re-processed and re-located in line with the modern ISC procedures, with ~ 489,000 new events, ~ 2600 new stations, ~15.5 million new seismic arrivals, and more robust and reliablembandMSmagnitude evaluations. We give statistics of departures in epicentre location and depth between the original and rebuilt ISC hypocentres. We also provide a summary for the entire rebuilt period (1964–2010). We give a brief account of events deleted from and added to the Bulletin, based on additional reports from permanent and temporary seismic deployments. We explain that newly re-computed (rebuilt)mbis on average larger that the originalmbby 0.05 unit of magnitude. The rebuiltMSis only 0.01 unit larger that its predecessor. We announce that the entire reviewed part of the ISC Bulletin (1964–2017) is now based on the same velocity model,ak135,and the same earthquake location and magnitude computation procedures. Finally, we provide advice on how to obtain the original ISC Bulletin data, where necessary.
Effects of environmental distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy: a pilot study protocol
Authors: Delmas Philippe , Fiorentino Assunta , Antonini Matteo , Vuilleumier Séverine , Stotzer Guy , Kollbrunner Aurélien , Jaccard Dominique , Hulaas Jarle , Rutschmann Olivier , Simon Josette , Hugli Olivier , Gilart de Keranflec’h Charlotte , Pasquier Jérome
Published: November 2020

Background

The clinical decisions of emergency department triage nurses need to be of the highest accuracy. However, studies have found repeatedly that these nurses over- or underestimate the severity of patient health conditions. This has major consequences for patient safety and patient flow management. Workplace distractors such as noise and task interruptions have been pointed to as factors that might explain this inaccuracy. The use of a serious game reproducing the work environment during triage affords the opportunity to explore the impact of these distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy, in a safe setting.

Methods/design

A pilot study with a factorial design will be carried out to test the acceptability and feasibility of a serious game developed specifically to simulate the triage process in emergency departments and to explore the primary effects of distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy. Eighty emergency nurses will be randomized into four groups: three groups exposed to different distractors (A, noise; B, task interruptions; C, noise and task interruptions) and one control group. All nurses will have to complete 20 clinical vignettes within 2 h. For each vignette, a gold standard assessment will be determined by experts. Pre-tests will be conducted with clinicians and certified emergency nurses to evaluate the appeal of the serious game.

Discussion

Study results will inform the design of large-scale investigations and will help identify teaching, training, and research areas that require further development.
Transdiagnostic group cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety in bipolar disorder—a pilot feasibility and acceptability study
Authors: Perich Tania , Mitchell Philip B. , Meade Tanya
Published: November 2020

Objective

Anxiety is prominent for many people living with bipolar disorder, yet the benefit of psychological interventions in treating this co-morbidity has been minimally explored and few studies have been conducted in a group format. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy group anxiety programme (CBTA-BD) for people living with bipolar disorder.

Methods

Participants were recruited to take part in a 9-week group therapy programme designed to treat anxiety in bipolar disorder using cognitive behaviour therapy. They were assessed by structured interview (SCID-5 RV) to confirm the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and assessed for anxiety disorders. Self-report questionnaires—DASS (depression, anxiety, stress), ASRM (mania), STAI (state and trait anxiety) and Brief QOL.BD (quality of life) pre- and post-treatment were administered.

Results

Fourteen participants enrolled in the programme, with 10 participants (5 male; 5 female) completing the follow-up assessments. Two groups (one during working hours, the other outside working hours) were conducted. The programme appeared acceptable and feasible with a mean of 6.9 (77%) sessions attended, though five (50%) participants completed less than 3 weeks homework.

Conclusion

The transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy group anxiety programme (CBTA-BD) proved feasible and acceptable for participants; however, homework compliance was poor. A larger randomised pilot study is needed to assess the benefits of the intervention on symptom measures and address homework adherence, possibly through providing support between sessions or tailoring it more specifically to participant needs.
Evaluation of anti-obesity potential of aqueous extract of Achyranthes aspera Linn. in high fat diet induced obese rats
Authors: Athesh Kumaraswamy , Sivasubramanian Rangaraju , Jothi Gnanasekaran , Brindha Pemiah
Published: November 2020

Background

Obesity, reached epidemic proportions globally is often associated with life threatening comorbidities. The unavailability of safe and effective long term medications for obesity in modern pharmacotherapy forces the scientific community to explore the potential of Ayurvedic traditional healers as they are considered safe and effective.

Objective

To explore the anti-obesity potential of aqueous extract of aerial parts ofAchyranthes asperaL. (AEAA), a traditional healer in high fat diet (HFD) induced obese rats.

Methods

AEAA was prepared and subjected to in-vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition assay and in-vivo anti-obesity studies. For in-vivo studies, HFD fed obese prone Wistar albino rats were divided into five experimental groups (Group II to VI): animals fed with standard pellet chow served as normal control (Group I) while, animals continued with HFD alone served as obese control (Group II); Group III, IV and V were administered AEAA at a dose of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.w. respectively along with HFD; and animals administered orlistat (30 mg/kg bw) along with HFD served as standard control (Group VI). All the drugs were administered orally once a day for a period of 60 days. At the end of the experimental period various physical, biochemical and histopathological observations were made.

Results

In-vitro studies showed AEAA partially but not significantly inhibited the activity of pancreatic lipase. Data of in-vivo studies revealed, significant reduction in body weights, fat pad weights and organ weights upon AEAA treatment. Elevated levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, lipid profiles and antioxidant status were also brought back to normal.

Conclusion

The obtained results clearly suggested that AEAA possess pronounced anti-obesity potential.
Syrian refugees’ perspectives and service providers’ viewpoints on major needs and future plans in Jordan
Authors: Naseh Mitra , Liviero Natalia , Rafieifar Maryam , Abtahi Zahra , Potocky Miriam
Published: November 2020

The ongoing civil war in Syria created the world’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. As exile continues for many Syrians, this study aimed to explore what refugees perceive as their major needs and plans for the future in comparison to what service providers believe is needed and should be planned in Jordan. Phenomenological design and inductive reasoning were used in this study to explore refugees’ needs and future plans from the etic view by interviewing key informants and from the emic view by analyzing interviews with refugees. After coding and comparing the key informants’ interviews and refugees’ narratives, six main themes emerged: (1) gap between refugees’ expectations and reality of humanitarian services; (2) rent as a major but neglected challenge; (3) older adults: vulnerable and at the back of the queue for services; (4) mental health of adults as an overlooked need; (5) education: hard to access for extremely poor and adults; and (6) an uncertain and unplanned future. Findings suggest a need for better information sharing strategies about services, targeted programs for urbane refugees and older adults, awareness-raising about importance of the mental health and protracted exile, and long-term planning.
The centenary of Hereditas - almost a fairytale
Authors: Shi Yongyong , Baumgartner Stefan
Published: November 2020

This is the Editorial for a series of articles illuminating the history and success story of Hereditas, one of the oldest journals in the area of genetics. For this reason, we invite you to read this special series on a journal with a distinct reputation and which can celebrate its Centenary in 2020.
Fabrication-friendly polarization-sensitive plasmonic grating for optimal surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Dutta Arpan , Nuutinen Tarmo , Alam Khairul , Matikainen Antti , Li Peng , Hulkko Eero , Toppari J. Jussi , Lipsanen Harri , Kang Guoguo
Published: November 2020

Plasmonic nanostructures are widely utilized in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) from ultraviolet to near-infrared applications. Periodic nanoplasmonic systems such as plasmonic gratings are of great interest as SERS-active substrates due to their strong polarization dependence and ease of fabrication. In this work, we modelled a silver grating that manifests a subradiant plasmonic resonance as a dip in its reflectivity with significant near-field enhancement only for transverse-magnetic (TM) polarization of light. We investigated the role of its fill factor, commonly defined as a ratio between the width of the grating groove and the grating period, on the SERS enhancement. We designed multiple gratings having different fill factors using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to incorporate different degrees of spectral detunings in their reflection dips from our Raman excitation (488 nm). Our numerical studies suggested that by tuning the spectral position of the optical resonance of the grating, via modifying their fill factor, we could optimize the achievable SERS enhancement. Moreover, by changing the polarization of the excitation light from transverse-magnetic to transverse-electric, we can disable the optical resonance of the gratings resulting in negligible SERS performance. To verify this, we fabricated and optically characterized the modelled gratings and ensured the presence of the desired detunings in their optical responses. Our Raman analysis on riboflavin confirmed that the higher overlap between the grating resonance and the intended Raman excitation yields stronger Raman enhancement only for TM polarized light. Our findings provide insight on the development of fabrication-friendly plasmonic gratings for optimal intensification of the Raman signal with an extra degree of control through the polarization of the excitation light. This feature enables studying Raman signal of exactly the same molecules with and without electromagnetic SERS enhancements, just by changing the polarization of the excitation, and thereby permits detailed studies on the selection rules and the chemical enhancements possibly involved in SERS.
Inadvertent arterial & venous injury by bone marrow biopsy needle: case report on rescue embolization techniques
Authors: Tsai Chris Siu-Chun , Yu Simon Chun-Ho
Published: November 2020

Background

Bone marrow biopsy is a common medical procedure for diagnosis and characterization of haematological diseases. It is generally regarded as a safe procedure with low rate of major complications. Inadvertent vascular injury is however an uncommon but important complication of bone marrow biopsy procedure. The knowledge of a safe and effective embolization method is crucial for interventional radiologists to reduce significant patient morbidity and mortality, shall such inadvertent vascular injury occurs.

Case presentation

Bedside bone marrow biopsy was performed for an elderly gentleman to evaluate for his underlying acute leukaemia. Biopsy needle inadvertently injured the internal iliac artery and vein during the procedure. Coil embolization was carefully performed across injured arterial segment via the culprit biopsy needle until contrast cessation. Concomitant venous injury was subsequently confirmed on angiography when the needle was withdrawn for a short distance from the iliac artery. This venous injury was tackled by further withdrawing the biopsy needle to distal end of the bone marrow tract for tract embolization with coils and gelatin sponges. High caution was made to avoid coil dislodgement into the iliac vein, to prevent pulmonary embolism. Patient was clinically stable throughout the procedure. Post-procedure contrast CT shows no pelvic haematoma or contrast extravasation.

Conclusions

This case illustrates rescue embolization techniques for rare life-threatening concomitant internal iliac arterial and venous injuries by a bone marrow biopsy needle. Interventional radiologists can play an important role in carrying out precise embolization to avoid significant patient morbidity and mortality in the case of life-threatening haemorrhage.
Targeting Cancer Cells via N-degron-based PROTACs
Authors: Eldeeb Mohamed A , Zorca Cornelia E , Fahlman Richard P
Published: November 2020

In mammals, protein degradation is mediated selectively by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagic-lysosomal system. Over the past decades, N-degron pathways have been shown to be responsible for the selective degradation of proteins that harbor destabilizing N-terminal motifs. Recent studies have employed these pathways in the development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) composed of a degradation module linked to a substrate recognition domain to target proteins encoded by cancer-related genes for proteasomal destruction. Herein we provide an overview of PROTACs in the context of the N-degron concept and address the application of this technique to curb the migration and invasion of cancer cells, with a focus on the far-reaching potential of exploiting N-degron pathways for therapeutic purposes.
Semantics and Completeness for Schematic Logic
Authors: Tatton-Brown Oliver William
Published: November 2020

This paper gives a semantics for schematic logic, proving soundness and completeness. The argument for soundness is carried out in ontologically innocent fashion, relying only on the existence of formulae which are actually written down in the course of a derivation in the logic. This makes the logic available to a nominalist, even a nominalist who does not wish to rely on modal notions, and who accepts the possibility that the universe may in fact be finite.
Oral conditions in the community patient: part 2—systemic complications of poor oral health
Authors: Martin Katy , Johnston Laura , Archer Natalie
Published: November 2020

Oral health has a symbiotic relationship with general health, with oral disease recognised to have an adverse effect on the overall systemic health of a patient. Deterioration in oral health has been shown to have an impact on the severity of chronic systemic diseases, nutrition, hydration and psychological and social wellbeing. Part 1 of this mini-series explored the common oral conditions that community patients may present with, and the role of the nursing team in aiding the prevention, diagnosis and management of these conditions. Following on from that, this article discusses the links between oral and general health, and preservation of a patient's quality of life. This article also aims to support nurses' knowledge on how to assess the oral health needs of patients, support oral care provision, how to access acute and elective dental services and signpost to additional supportive resources.
Improving review of housebound people with diabetes through competency-based training
Authors: Gregory Sarah
Published: November 2020

People with diabetes who are housebound often fall between services and, therefore, do not always receive all of their key care processes, including insulin delivery. As part of a review of all such patients within a clinical commissioning group (CCG) in Kent, this project was conducted to train unregistered practitioners to carry out annual review. The aim was to improve knowledge and competencies among unregistered practitioners in order for them to be able to carry out some components of the diabetes annual review. Six unregistered practitioners employed by the GP practice or the community health trust participated in the project. Each practitioner achieved nine competencies, based on the TREND-UK competency framework. Competencies were achieved through classroom-based learning delivered by a nurse consultant in diabetes, as well as practical supervision of tasks and skills associated with carrying out an annual review. Reflective work and discussion demonstrated not only new skills learned but also how to put these into practice. It is hoped that the training of unregistered practitioners as part of the overall project not only improved their understanding and knowledge but also improved the standard of care delivered to this vulnerable group of people with diabetes.
Skin infections in older adults
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: November 2020

Skin infections are extremely common throughout the community in older people. Cellulitis and infected ulcers are the most common cutaneous skin infections in older adults, but various other aetiologies can be identified by community nurses and healthcare staff throughout their area's patient population. Staphylococcus aureus is common and increases morbidity so prompt identification is required. Assessment of the skin and appropriate swabbing is necessary and crucial in order to be proficient when looking after people with skin conditions and infections in the community. This article will cover the basic principles of assessment, investigation and treatment, as well as encouraging an awareness of risk, touching on the common predictors of skin infections in older people.
Change: Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2020
Authors: Smith Lorraine Hamilton
Published: November 2020

Lockdown restrictions that were put in place by governments across the world during the first half of 2020 had a huge impact on the fashion industry, the full effects of which will perhaps be felt for years to come. In this short article, I will analyse the Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2020 collection, which was created during this time and which directly references the change in mindset that designers and consumers alike have experienced; I will consider how the online-only presentation method has been used to further enhance the message conveyed by the clothing. The setting, music and voice-over used in this short fashion film are seemingly intended to bring an overall feeling of hope, and possibly joy, to the display of a small, yet cohesive collection that addresses the complex feelings of anxiety and isolation that characterize this historical moment.
A framing analysis of mainstream newspaper coverage of the 2013 ‘Coalition of the Willing’ initiative in East Africa
Authors: Njuguna Joseph , Jjuuko Margaret
Published: November 2020

The phrase, ‘Coalition of the Willing’, emerged in East Africa in 2013, when three East African Community (EAC) members (Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda) forged a Tripartite Initiative to fast-track the EAC regional integration, sidelining Tanzania and Burundi, for their apparent ‘aloofness’ to integration. This coalition created tensions among the five countries, exacerbating an already simmering conflict between Tanzania and Rwanda involving the expulsion of ‘illegal’ Rwandan migrants from Tanzania. Informed by contemporary political communication and media framing, this article examines how these events were framed in five leading newspapers in East Africa: theDaily Nation(Kenya), theDaily Monitor(Uganda),The Citizen(Tanzania),The New Times(Rwanda) andThe East African(EAC region). Through a thematic frame analysis, we interrogate the prevalence and implications of five prominent themes found in most political conflicts (attributions of responsibility, conflict, human interest, economic consequences and morality) on the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ media debate. The analysis reveals conflicting frames with a potential to inflame antagonistic media debates to the integration efforts – by the resultant blame-game and opening up of historical wounds and personal differences, among the key players.
Election reporting and githerinization of Kenya’s media
Authors: Ugangu Wilson
Published: November 2020

Kenya’s media landscape has greatly transformed since the reforms of the 1990s, resulting in increased private ownership of media. The relationship between the media, politics and the citizen has been the most affected by these transformations. Using examples from Kenya’s 2017 elections, this article attempts to show how this relationship has changed and the opportunities and challenges for modern political communication. This article argues that although new trends in political communication have resulted in complex and dynamic political campaigns, they have also resulted in the atomization and alienation of the citizen in the democratic enterprise. This analysis is made against the backdrop of the political economy of the media theoretical perspective and, to an extent, emerging literature on media and globalization and attendant forces on the Kenyan society in general.
Translating the global climate change challenge into action as reflected in Uganda’s media
Authors: Nassanga Goretti
Published: November 2020

Climate change is a global risk that has affected all countries, which requires both global and national action. From the domain of scientists, who initially dominated climate debates, climate change has now become a public issue, with politicians increasingly influencing decisions on climate action, thus climate change becoming a highly politicized media topic. Given that media focus on key issues in society, this article examines the positioning of climate change in Uganda’s media as a means of gauging the level of political commitment to translate this global challenge into climate action. Premised within the issue-attention conceptual framework and based on the findings from the analysis of print media coverage in Uganda of the COP21 global summit, the article shows that climate change is not just a local national issue but is inexplicably linked to global frameworks, where voices and actors from the North not only dominate the global climate discourse but also transcend to the national level as reflected in the coverage, with most of the climate news being from foreign sources and foreign political leaders. Journalists are urged to pre-empt the local politicians to be active participants, not passive listeners in the global climate debates, such that climate issues become high on Uganda’s political communication agenda.
Regulating online content in East Africa: Potential challenges and possible solutions
Authors: Mutua Sylvia Ndanu , Yanqiu Zhang
Published: November 2020

This article identifies the key but common challenges in the regulation of online content in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa (EA), both in terms of the regulatory challenges and the controversies surrounding government legislative responses to curbing illegal and harmful online content. To address these challenges, the article proposes the incorporation of digital literacy into the existing cyber legislations through content regulation and digital literacy, a new concept geared towards empowering the internet users in EA to be not only aware of the existing content legislation but also develop critical thinking skills and abilities to take action on illegal and harmful online content on a daily basis.
Comparison of colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification kit and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants in sheep and goats in Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Chukwudi Ijeoma Chekwube , Ogbu Kenneth Ikejiofor , Luka Pam Dachung , Malesa Refiloe Petunia , Heath Livio Edward , Ugochukwu Emmanuel Ikenna , Chah Kennedy Foinkfu
Published: November 2020

Background and Aim: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute, extremely contagious transboundary viral disease of small ruminants with severe economic consequences, caused by PPR virus. Cost-effective and rapid diagnosis of the disease is essential for prompt management and control. This study aimed to compare the application of a commercial colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (cLAMP) kit and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the diagnosis of PPR in sheep and goats in Southeast Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: Nasal swab samples were collected from West African Dwarf sheep and goats showing clinical signs suggestive of PPR (n=80) and those without any clinical signs (n=140) of the disease. The diagnosis was achieved through detection of PPR viral genome in the samples using a cLAMP kit and RT-PCR. cLAMP assay was done directly on nasal swab samples without ribosomal nucleic acid extraction. A set of six primers targeting the matrix gene protein was used for the cLAMP assay.

Results: PPR viral genome was detected by both cLAMP and RT-PCR in 51 (63.8%) of the 80 samples from sheep and goats with signs suggestive of PPR while 14 (10%) of those without signs tested positive for PPR by both assay methods. There was a 100% agreement in the cLAMP and RT-PCR results. However, cLAMP was a faster, easier, and less expensive method compared to RT-PCR.

Conclusion: The cLAMP assay demonstrates the potential for a point of care diagnosis in the field and a valuable diagnostic tool in areas with poor electricity supply as well as in a less equipped diagnostic laboratory. Since the reagents are affordable, cLAMP can be a diagnostic tool of choice in the detection and surveillance of PPR virus in countries with limited resources.
Impact of Module Degradation on the Viability of On-Grid Photovoltaic Systems in Mediterranean Climate: The Case of Shymkent Airport
Authors: Smagulov Zhalgas , Anapiya Adil , Dikhanbayeva Dinara , Rojas-Solorzano Luis
Published: November 2020

This paper presents the techno-economic feasibility analysis of an on-grid Photovoltaic Solar System (PVSS) subject to Mediterranean climate aging effects. The PVSS under study is considered installed on the roof of Shymkent airport, located in southern Kazakhstan. A PVSS performance degradation rate of 1.48%-per-annun was considered according to the Mediterranean climate prevailing in the location. A 25-year life-cycle cost analysis comparing the rated vs. de-rated on-grid PVSS led to a positive Net Present Value (NPV), a less than 9-year equity payback, and favorable internal rate of return (IRR) and Benefit-to-Cost (B-C) ratio in both conditions. However, the de-rated PVSS system underperformed in 16.2%, 43.5% and 20% the IRR, NPV and B-C ratio, respectively. The analysis demonstrates that despite the expected performance degradation associated to climatic aging, a convenient feed-in tariff (FIT) and attractive financial conditions, such as those present in Kazakhstan, conform a robust setting to promote on-grid PVSS in the country.
Higher Education in Times of Change
Authors: Sá Maria José , Serpa Sandro
Published: November 2020

The overall common thread of this e-Book is education in general and higher education in particular. At a time of profound changes in the educational arena and across society at large, thinking higher education and its dynamics is paramount. This e-Book gathers five selected articles published by the authors between 2018 and 2020 that tackle, analyse and discuss some very current topics, such as the transversal competences higher education institutions need to provide their students with, considering their relevance to preparing the future professionals; the importance of Sociology of Education in promoting sustainability literacy in higher education; the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is reshaping the educational arena and the learning and teaching process; and the funding of the scientific publication in Open Access, an increasingly central outlet for the dissemination of the scientific production. The authors hope to offer the educational field some insights, hindrances but also possibilities that lie ahead of the higher education dynamics, actors, policies and forces.
“Workers + Warriors”
Authors: Celeste-Marie Bernier  , Nicole Willson
Published: November 2020

For this special issue, we bring together an array of interdisciplinary international scholars who are working across the fields of Black studies, African diasporic studies, slavery studies, American studies, and memory studies. They debate, destabilize, interrogate, and reshape widely known and accepted methodologies within literary studies, art history, visual culture, history, intellectual history, politics, sociology, and material and print cultures in order to do justice to the hidden histories, untold narratives, and buried memories of African diasporic freedom struggles over the centuries. This collection is the result of a symposium that we held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2018 as part of a UK Arts and Humanities Research Council project titled Our Bondage and Our Freedom: Struggles for Liberty in the Lives and Works of Frederick Douglass and His Family (1818–1920). The inspiration for this project, which we launched in 2018 on the two-hundredth anniversary of Frederick Douglass’s birth, emerged from a determination to revisit his legendary life and pioneering works. A world-renowned freedom fighter, inspirational social justice campaigner, mythologized liberator, exemplary philosopher, breathtaking orator, and beautiful writer, Douglass dedicated his life to the fight for Black liberation by any and every means necessary. As he repeatedly maintained in the motto he endorsed for his radical newspaper, the North Star, “Right is of no sex—Truth is of no color—God is the Father of us all, and we are brethren.”

Through engaging with the narratives, poetry, speeches, songs, oral testimonies, correspondence, essays, photography, drawings, paintings, and sculptures produced by and/or representing Douglass and his family members, it becomes newly possible to do justice to the psychological, imaginative, and emotional realities of iconic and unknown Black lives as lived during slavery and into the post-emancipation era. Two hundred years after Douglass’s birth, in the era of Black Lives Matter, there can be no doubt that the Douglass we need now is no representative self-made man but a fallible, mortal individual. The onus is on academics, archivists, artists, and activists to harness every intellectual tool available in order to tell the stories not only of Black women, children, and men living in slavery but of Black women, children, and men experiencing the illusory freedoms of the post-emancipation era. For Douglass’s rallying cry “My Bondage and My Freedom” it is possible to read “Our Bondage and Our Freedom.