bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychogenic Seizure Imitating Narcolepsy
Authors: Diukova Galina M. , Makarov Sergey A. , Golubev Valery L. , Tyutina Ruslana R. , Degterev Daniil A. , Danilov Alexey B.
Published: December 2020

Psychogenic or functional neurological disorders (FND) often occur in the practice of a neurologist. Diagnosis of FND usually causes significant difficulties. Among FND, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) comprise around 40% cases. Sometimes it is necessary to differentiate PNES from narcolepsy. We describe a 55-year-old man with frequent brief and sudden sleep-like attacks in combination with nocturnal sleep disturbance. During attacks he was unresponsive, snoring but maintained posture. He resisted passive eye opening but with rolling eyes. The patient was confused on waking. In the interictal period, there were FND signs including give-way weakness of the left hand, typical functional “leg-dragging” gait, mistake in the finger-to-nose test. Video-electroencephalogram monitoring did not detect specific epileptic activity or sleep pattern during the attacks. Polysomnography showed multiple waking episodes during the night, but no typical pattern of narcolepsy was found in the multiple sleep latency test. The patient had frequent urgent hospitalizations due to different diseases and numerous invasive procedures. Six month later, the patient obtained state related disability financial benefit, after which hospitalizations in various hospitals continued, and PNES became shorter and less pronounced.
The Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Interventions Tailored to Smoking Parents of Children Aged 0–18 Years: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Scheffers-van Schayck Tessa , Mujcic Ajla , Otten Roy , Engels Rutger , Kleinjan Marloes
Published: December 2020

Introduction:A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions tailored to parents of children aged 0–18 years. Methods: A systematic search was carried out in PsycInfo, Embase, and PubMed in March 2020. A manual search of the reference lists of the included studies and systematic reviews related to the topic was also performed. Two authors independently screened the studies based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) effect studies with control groups that examine smoking cessation interventions tailored to parents of children (0–18 years), and (2) full-text original articles written in English and published between January 1990 and February 2020. In total, 18 studies were included in the analyses. The TiDieR checklist and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0 were used to extract data and to assess the risk of bias. Consensus among authors was reached at each stage. Results: Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. With a total number of 8,560 parents, the pooled relative risk was 1.62 (95% CI 1.38–1.90; p < 0.00001), showing a modest effect of the interventions on smoking cessation. Overall, 13.1% of the parents in the intervention conditions reported abstinence versus 8.4% of the parents in the control conditions. Discussion/Conclusion: Smoking cessation interventions tailored to parents are modestly effective. To increase the effectiveness and the impact of these interventions in terms of controlling tobacco use and public health, it is crucial for further research to explore how these interventions can be improved.
The Effect of Kidney Biopsy on Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Frequent Patient Concern
Authors: Dattani Rakesh , Corbett Richard W. , Galliford Jack , Hill Peter , Cairns Tom , Cook H. Terence , Roufosse Candice , Ashby Damien R.
Published: December 2020

The effect of percutaneous kidney biopsy on glomerular filtration rate has never been identified, though it is frequently a concern raised by patients. Following a clinical interaction with an inquisitive patient undergoing her fifth biopsy, we attempted to estimate the effect using retrospective data. In a cohort of patients with stable kidney function undergoing transplant biopsy without clinical indication (as part of a surveillance programme) the effect of biopsy was observed as a step change in glomerular filtration rate. Reassuringly, the loss of glomerular filtration rate resulting from a biopsy, has a 1-sided 95% confidence interval of <1.4 mL/min.
Age-Related Association of Calcitonin with Parameters of Anthropometry, Bone and Calcium Metabolism during Childhood
Authors: Sonntag Juliane , Vogel Mandy , Geserick Mandy , Eckelt Felix , Körner Antje , Raue Friedhelm , Kiess Wieland , Kratzsch Jürgen
Published: December 2020

Introduction: The thyroid parafollicular hormone calcitonin (CT) shows particularly high blood levels in early childhood, a period of high bone turnover, which decrease with increasing age. Data about the physiological role of CT during infancy, childhood, and adolescence are contradictory or lacking. Objective: We hypothesize that CT demonstrates age-related correlations with parameters of bone growth and turnover as well as with parameters of calcium homeostasis. Methods: 5,410 measurements of anthropometric data and venous blood samples were collected from 2,636 participants of the LIFE Child study, aged 2 months–18 years. Univariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were performed between serum CT and anthropometric indicators (height standard deviation scores [SDS] and BMI-SDS), markers of calcium (Ca) homeostasis (Ca, parathyroid hormone, 25-OH vitamin D, and phosphate [P]), bone formation (procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide [P1NP], osteocalcin), and bone resorption (β-CrossLaps). Results: CT was significantly associated with Ca (β = 0.26, p < 0.05) and P1NP/100 (β = 0.005, p < 0.05) in children aged 2 months–1.1 years. These relations were independent of age and sex and could not be confirmed in children aged 1.1–8 years. Independent of age, sex, puberty, P, and height SDS CT showed a significant positive relation to Ca (β = 0.26; p < 0.001) in children aged 8–18 years. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a unique association between CT and Ca in periods of rapid bone growth and point to a possible involvement of CT in promoting bone formation during the first year of life.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on a Regional Stroke Thrombectomy Service in the United Kingdom
Authors: Kwan Joseph , Brown Madison , Bentley Paul , Brown Zoe , D’Anna Lucio , Hall Charles , Halse Omid , Jamil Sohaa , Jenkins Harri , Kalladka Dheeraj , Patel Maneesh , Rane Neil , Singh Abhinav , Taylor Eleanor , Venter Marius ,   Lobotesis, Banerjee Soma
Published: December 2020

Introduction: We examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on our regional stroke thrombectomy service in the UK. Methods: This was a single-center health service evaluation. We began testing for COVID-19 on 3 March and introduced a modified “COVID Stroke Thrombectomy Pathway” on 18 March. We analyzed the clinical, procedural and outcome data for 61 consecutive stroke thrombectomy patients between 1 January and 30 April. We compared the data for January and February (“pre-COVID,” n = 33) versus March and April (“during COVID,” n = 28). Results: Patient demographics were similar between the 2 groups (mean age 71 ± 12.8 years, 39% female). During the COVID-19 pandemic, (a) total stroke admissions fell by 17% but the thrombectomy rate was maintained at 20% of ischemic strokes; (b) successful recanalization rate was maintained at 81%; (c) early neurological outcomes (neurological improvement following thrombectomy and inpatient mortality) were not significantly different; (d) use of general anesthesia fell significantly from 85 to 32% as intended; and (e) time intervals from onset to arrival, groin puncture, and recanalization were not significantly different, whereas internal delays for external referrals significantly improved for door-to-groin puncture (48 [interquartile range (IQR) 39–57] vs. 33 [IQR 27–44] minutes, p = 0.013) and door-to-recanalization (82.5 [IQR 61–110] vs. 60 [IQR 55–70] minutes, p = 0.018). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the stroke admission numbers but not stroke thrombectomy rate, successful recanalization rate, or early neurological outcome. Internal delays actually improved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies should examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on longer term outcome.
Cardiovascular Disease Events and Mortality After Myocardial Infarction Among Black and White Adults
Authors: Blackston J. Walker , Safford Monika M. , Mefford Matthew T. , Freeze Elizabeth , Howard George , Howard Virginia J. , Naftel David C. , Brown Todd M. , Levitan Emily B.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Despite improvements in prognosis following myocardial infarction (MI), racial disparities persist. The objective of this study was to examine disparities between Black and White adults in cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure (HF), and mortality after MI and characteristics that may explain the disparities.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study included 1122 REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study participants with incident MI between 2003 and 2016. We followed participants for subsequent CVD events (MI, stroke, HF hospitalization, or death from CVD; n=431), coronary heart disease events (MI or death from coronary heart disease; (n=277), stroke (n=68), HF events (HF hospitalization or death from HF; n=191), and all-cause mortality (n=527; 3-year median follow-up after MI).

Results:

Among 1122 participants with incident MI, 37.5% were Black participants, 45.4% were women, and mean age was 73.2 (SD, 9.5) years. The unadjusted hazard ratio for CVD events comparing Black to White participants was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.17–1.71). Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics did not attenuate the association (1.41 [95% CI, 1.14–1.73]), but further adjusting for pre-MI health status (1.25 [95% CI, 1.00–1.56]) and characteristics of the MI (1.01 [95% CI, 0.80–1.27]) resulted in substantial attenuation. Similar patterns were observed for the other outcomes, although the number of strokes was small.

Conclusions:

Black individuals had a higher risk of CVD events and mortality after MI than White individuals. The disparities were explained by health status before MI and characteristics of the MI. These findings suggest that both primordial prevention of risk factors and improved acute treatment strategies are needed to reduce disparities in post-MI outcomes.
Target: Stroke Was Associated With Faster Intravenous Thrombolysis and Improved One-Year Outcomes for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Man Shumei , Xian Ying , Holmes DaJuanicia N. , Matsouaka Roland A. , Saver Jeffrey L. , Smith Eric E. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Schwamm Lee H. , Fonarow Gregg C.
Published: December 2020

Background:

The benefit of intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke is time dependent. To assist hospitals in providing faster thrombolytic treatment, the American Heart Association launched target: stroke quality initiative in January 2010 which disseminated feasible strategies to shorten door-to-needle times for thrombolytic therapy. This study aimed to examine whether target: stroke was associated with improved door-to-needle times and 1-year outcomes.

Methods:

We analyzed Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years receiving intravenous thrombolytic treatment for acute ischemic stroke at 1490 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals during January 2006 and December 2009 (preintervention, n=10 804) and January 2010 and December 2014 (postintervention, n=31 249). The median age was 80 years and 42.7% were male.

Results:

The median door-to-needle times decreased from 80 minutes for the preintervention to 68 minutes for the postintervention (
P
<0.001). The proportion of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis with door-to-needle times 45 minutes and 60 minutes increased from 9.6% and 24.8% for preintervention to 17.1% and 40.6% for postintervention, respectively (
P
<0.001). The annual rate of increase in the door-to-needle times of 60 minutes or less accelerated from 0.20% (95% CI, −0.43% to 0.83%) per each 4 quarters for preintervention to 5.68% (95% CI, 5.23%–6.13%) for postintervention (
P
<0.001) which was further confirmed in piecewise multivariable generalized estimating analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.19–1.35]). Cox proportional hazards analysis, after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics and within-hospital clustering, showed that target: stroke was associated with lower all-cause readmission (40.4% versus 44.1%; hazard ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.88–0.95]), cardiovascular readmission (19.7% versus 22.9%; hazard ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.80–0.89]), and composite of all-cause mortality or readmission (56.0% versus 58.4%; hazard ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.93–1.00]). The risk decline in all-cause mortality dissipated after risk adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.94–1.02]).

Conclusions:

Target: stroke quality initiative was associated with faster thrombolytic treatment times for acute ischemic stroke and modestly lower 1-year all-cause and cardiovascular readmissions.
Interaction–Transformation Evolutionary Algorithm for Symbolic Regression
Authors: de Franca F. O. , Aldeia G. S. I.
Published: December 2020

Interaction–Transformation (IT) is a new representation for Symbolic Regression that reduces the space of solutions to a set of expressions that follow a specific structure. The potential of this representation was illustrated in prior work with the algorithm called SymTree. This algorithm starts with a simple linear model and incrementally introduces new transformed features until a stop criterion is met. While the results obtained by this algorithm were competitive with the literature, it had the drawback of not scaling well with the problem dimension. This article introduces a mutation-only Evolutionary Algorithm, called ITEA, capable of evolving a population of IT expressions. One advantage of this algorithm is that it enables the user to specify the maximum number of terms in an expression. In order to verify the competitiveness of this approach, ITEA is compared to linear, nonlinear, and Symbolic Regression models from the literature. The results indicate that ITEA is capable of finding equal or better approximations than other Symbolic Regression models while being competitive to state-of-the-art nonlinear models. Additionally, since this representation follows a specific structure, it is possible to extract the importance of each original feature of a data set as an analytical function, enabling us to automate the explanation of any prediction. In conclusion, ITEA is competitive when comparing to regression models with the additional benefit of automating the extraction of additional information of the generated models.
The Micro-Origins of Business Cycles: Evidence from German Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Daniele Federica , Stüber Heiko
Published: December 2020

How large is volatility due to large firms? We answer this question through both reduced-form analysis and a calibration exercise. First, we exploit time and spatial variation across German cities and show that higher concentration is associated with more persistent local business cycles, and local concentration Granger causes local employment volatility. From a business cycle perspective, we find evidence in favor of granularity-driven recessions only. Next, we calibrate a structural model along the lines of Carvalho and Grassi (2019) and find that the more fat-tailed productivity distribution in bigger cities crucially depends also on the higher probability that firms will grow.
The Effect of Labor Market Conditions at Entry on Workers' Long-Term Skills
Authors: Arellano-Bover Jaime
Published: December 2020

Using data on adults' cognitive skills from nineteen countries, this paper shows that labor market conditions during the education-to-work transition affected workers' long-term skill development. Workers who faced higher unemployment rates at ages 18 to 25 have lower skills at ages 36 to 59. Unemployment rates at ages 26 to 35 do not have such an effect. Skill inequality is affected: those with less educated parents experience most of the negative effects. Using German panel data on skills, I document a mechanism related to heterogeneous skill development across firms: young workers at large firms experience higher skill growth than those at small firms.
Exposure to the COVID-19 Stock Market Crash and Its Effect on Household Expectations
Authors: Hanspal Tobin , Weber Annika , Wohlfart Johannes
Published: December 2020

We survey a representative sample of U.S. households to study how exposure to the COVID-19 stock market crash affects expectations and planned behavior. Wealth shocks are associated with upward adjustments of expectations about retirement age, desired working hours, and household debt but have only small effects on expected spending. We provide correlational and experimental evidence that beliefs about the duration of the stock market recovery shape households' expectations about their own wealth and their planned investment decisions and labor market activity. Our findings shed light on the implications of household exposure to stock market crashes for expectation formation.
Cheeks, Jaws, Effort and Auletics
Authors: Akhunova Olga L.
Published: December 2020

This paper is an attempt to clarify a number of difficult places in Pindar’s description of the Gorgons’ lament in Pythian 12, which have given rise to inconsistent interpretations and remain insufficiently clear (δυσπενθέϊ σὺν καμάτῳ, 10; εὐπαράου Μεδοίσας, 16; τὸν … ἐκ καρπαλιμᾶν γενύων χριμφθέντα … γόον, 20-21). The central contention is that these details are directly relevant to the technical aspects of aulos-playing (the strain which is required to produce the sound, the position and movement of the mouth, the ‘good-quality’ cheeks) and provide clues to intriguing details of the myth that Pindar tells in Pythian 12.
Rural Schooling and Good Life in Late Socialist Laos
Authors: Huijsmans Roy , Piti
Published: December 2020

Drawing on ethnographic research in northern Laos, this article analyses articulations of a good life in primary school textbook imagery and how this resonates with everyday life in rural upland communities. This is contrasted with children’s sketches of a good life found in the classrooms and ethnographic accounts of moments of ‘good time’ in the context of rural schooling. It is argued that these latter moments constitute brief instances of a good life in the present. Given the deeply hierarchical power relations in which rural education is embedded, not all of these good times stay good for very long. This is reflective of the condition of late socialism in rural areas.
Globalization and Asian Pentecostalism in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Au Connie
Published: December 2020

This article aims to explore the development of Pentecostalism in Asia under the tide of globalization since the beginning of the twenty-first century. It will do so in three sections. First, it investigates megachurches and the prosperity gospel in Asian countries and regions that enjoy a greater extent of liberty and where neo-capitalism has emerged. Second, the article discusses the situation of Pentecostalism in countries ruled by totalitarian regimes. Pentecostalism cannot grow freely there, but it is relatively safe for Pentecostals to provide humanitarian relief and social services. Third, the article illustrates how migration as a major phenomenon of globalization has influenced pentecostal mission. It focuses on African Pentecostals who engage in trades in China and the Filipino/a Charismatics who are migrant workers. In the conclusion, the article discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has been reshaping globalization and Pentecostalism and offers a possible way to see the future.
Blockchain Solutions for Book Publishing
Authors: Tappuni Jane
Published: December 2020

This article assesses the opportunities for the publishing industry to utilize blockchain technologies to improve current processes in the book and journal publishing communities. It explains blockchain as a concept and then outlines scenarios and examples where blockchain could be used or is already being used in publishing. The article outlines opportunities that blockchain presents for new business models and the areas of revenue distribution, contract, rights, and royalties, and potential improvements it could bring to the supply chain of content via better workflow, sales, production, and collaboration processes.
Religion and Internet Use among Young Adult Muslims in Israel and Turkey: Exploring Issues of Trust and Religious Authority
Authors: Moberg Marcus , Kheir Sawsan , Gökce Habibe Erdis
Published: December 2020

This article is based on data gathered in the project Young Adults and Religion in a Global Perspective (yarg 2015 ̶ 2019), which explored the values and religious subjectivities of young adult university students in thirteen different countries around the world. In a largely explorative fashion, the article focuses on the only two predominantly Muslim samples included in the project: Turkey and Muslims in Israel. On the basis of quantitative data, the article outlines the significant correlations found between respondents’ degrees of personal religiosity, frequency of religious practice, and levels of internet use for religion-related purposes. On the basis of qualitative data, the article then moves to explore how concerns about the trustworthiness of online content and the continuing influence of offline religious authorities work to shape and inform the online religious engagements of our Turkish and Israeli Muslim young adult respondents.
Light at Pakistani Sufi Shrines: Notes on Lampstands, Lamp Niches, and Lamp Houses
Authors: Wasim Frembgen Jürgen
Published: December 2020

In Pakistan, the burning of oil lamps at Sufi shrines shapes the visitor’s sensual perception, but is above all connected with the practice of making vows. The offering of light is therefore considered auspicious in popular devotional Islam. Conse­quently, the lighting of lamps at shrines also marks the beginning of commemorative rituals and festivities. The present article documents and investigates contemporary lampstands, lamp niches, and lamp houses in the lowlands of Pakistan that until today have remained largely unnoticed as far as material religion is concerned. On the basis of their various forms, these lighting devices are differentiated as free-standing oil lamps, ʿalam-shaped lampstands, tree-shaped lampstands, special forms of lampstands, lamp niches, and lamp houses.
The Civilian Law of Delict: A Comparative and Historical Analysis
Authors: Brüggemeier Gert
Published: December 2020

This article explores the civilian tradition of the European law of delict. Part 1 tells the story of the birth of modern civil law of delict in the 19th century codifications in continental Europe, rooted in Roman law and Enlightenment Natural Law. Examples are the French and German codes, and the Japanese as a legal transplant. Fault, unlawfulness (Rechtswidrigkeit), damage, and causation are the central categories. Part 2 focuses on the challenges of industrialisation: enterprises as new actors, industrial accidents, technical risks, insurance. This part discusses the changes the civil law of delict and the common law of torts underwent to cope with these challenges. Part 3 draws some consequences from these developments. It outlines the basic structures of a postmodern civil law of delict, explicitly differentiating it from the law of torts, and as a basis for further developments in 21st century. This structure has three main features: liability for personal fault, liability for defective business activities, and Gefährdungshaftung.
Making contact
Authors: Zamboni Alice
Published: December 2020

This article explores the intersection between friendship and artistic collaboration through a focus on the engraving production of a group of itinerant Netherlandish artists who, in the wake of the Dutch Revolt, lived and worked in Munich, seat of the court of Wilhlem V. The first part of this contribution introduces Joris Hoefnagel, several printmakers from the Sadeler dynasty and other artists active in Munich. An analysis of the artistic gifts which the Netherlanders exchanged in Munich suggests that they enjoyed membership of an egalitarian circle sustained by friendship and artistic aspirations. The second half of the article examines the engraved series Salus Generis Humani (1590): the co-creation of Joris Hoefnagel, Aegidius II Sadeler and Hans von Aachen. Through a collaborative working practice, the three artists conceived engravings that self-reflectively alluded to their composite facture and which constituted another expression of the humanist friendship underpinning their professional and personal contacts.
From Idolatry to Revelation
Authors: Marion Jean-Luc , Littlejohn M.E. , Rumpza Stephanie
Published: December 2020

In this interview, Jean-Luc Marion recalls the intellectual world of Paris in 1970s, reflecting on how his engagement with the ubiquitous “death of God” question led to the sketches of God without Being first presented at this 1979 Colloquium, and discusses the criticism it provoked not only from Heideggerians but also from Thomists. He discusses the reception history of phenomenology in France the reasons for the particular power it gained among thinkers of his generation. Finally, he recounts how his work has led from the 1979 Colloquium through the “Theological Turn” and up to his forthcoming D’ ailleurs, la révélation (Grasset, 2020), which he briefly previews here. Marion closes with words on originality, criticism, and the particular challenges of the contemporary world that await philosophical thinking today.
Taxonomy of Sisyrinchium sect. Cephalanthum (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) in Southern Brazil

Authors: INÁCIO CAMILA DELLANHESE , EGGERS LILIAN
Published: December 2020

Here we present a first contribution to the taxonomic revision of Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) for Southern Brazil. Sisyrinchium sect. Cephalanthum is one of the six sections in which the Brazilian species of the genus are classified, and the second largest in number of taxa. This monograph presents the taxonomic treatment of 22 taxa characterized by a unique set of morphological and molecular features, assigned to the section by phylogenetic studies, as well as the unplaced S. elegantulum, which is included here due to morphological similarity. A new status and a new synonym are proposed, and nine lectotypes and one neotype are designated. An identification key is provided, and species are described, accompanied by botanical illustrations, pictures, and distribution maps. In addition, geographical distribution, habitat, phenology, notes, and examined specimens are presented. Species of the section are mainly distributed in the South American biogeographic dominions of Chacoan and Parana.
A new tree species of Cupania (Sapindoideae, Sapindaceae) from Quepos, Costa Rica

Authors: CHINCHILLA ISLER F.
Published: December 2020

A new species of Cupania, endemic to Costa Rica, is described and illustrated. The species is similar to C. largifolia, but it differs by having vinaceous young leaves, the longest petioles more than 8 cm long, trilobed capsules, each lobe obtuse, dorsally costate, epicarp greenish-yellow, densely puberulent, rugose, and endocarp tomentulose. Notes on its distribution, habitat, phenology, conservation assessment, etymology, and discussion on taxa with similar morphology are provided.
Reinstatement of Aloe davyana (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae), a winter-flowering species endemic to central-northeastern South Africa

Authors: SMITH GIDEON F. , KLOPPER RONELL R. , CROUCH NEIL R. , FIGUEIREDO ESTRELA
Published: December 2020

Aloe davyana (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae), a winter-flowering aloe that is endemic to the north-central interior of South Africa, is reinstated at the rank of species based on plant size, clumping habit, leaf colour and ornamentation, inflorescence architecture, and several flower characters. In the past it was sometimes treated as A. greatheadii var. davyana.
Zaragozachthonius (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae), a new genus with species in Italy and the Balkan peninsula
Authors: GARDINI GIULIO
Published: December 2020

Zaragozachthonius siculus n. gen. n. sp. is described from Sicily and Z. karamanianus (Hadži, 1937) (n. comb.), originally described from Macedonia, is newly recorded from central-southern Italy and Sicily. Relationships of the genus Zaragozachthonius among the other Chthonius-related genera sensu Zaragoza (2017), are discussed and a diagnostic key is proposed.
Taxonomic problems surrounding Barsine orientalis bigamica Černý & Pinratana, 2009 with description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini)
Authors: HUANG SI-YAO , VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , WANG MIN , FAN XIAO-LING
Published: December 2020

The taxonomic problems surrounding the taxon Barsine orientalis bigamica Černý & Pinratana, 2009 are preliminary elucidated. B. orientalis bigamica is raised to a specific level: B. bigamica stat. nov. Barsine kampoli Černý, 2009 syn. nov. is synonymized with B. bigamica and the true holotype of this taxon is clarified. Barsine tongi Huang & Volynkin sp. nov., a new species externally similar to B. bigamica is described from Hainan Island, S. China. The adult and genitalia of the species aforementioned and related are illustrated.
Role of Osteogenesis of MC3T3-E1 Induced by Demineralized Tooth Block with Composite Acids: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Jin Liu-Zhu , Gu Xiao-Qian , Li Jing-Jing , Ma Yuan , Cai Lu , Wang Zhi-Ying
Published: December 2020

More and more research had focused on the osteogenesis of demineralized dentin in clinic, especially when the first application of deminerized dentin in 2008. The study tried to compare the osteogenetic ability of the demineralized dentin block, which were processed two different regents
by VacuaSonic system. The extracted human permanent teeth were demineralized by two different methods. Then the MC3T3-E1 cells were invited to culture on the surface of these demineralized dentin blocks (DDB). The cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation were tested. Adhesion of
MC3T3-E1 on DDM was observed using scanning electron microscopy and confocal test, the Alizarin Red S, ALP activity, and the protein of BMP-2/-7 and OCN were employed to confirm the level of cell differentiation. The P value was set at 0.05. The microfilaments established a good contact
and formed a network in Group A. The Group A had more full cytoskeleton and actin stretched more obviously than Group C, the number of cells on three scaffolds were difference (p < 0 05). The MTT results showed no cytotoxicity in all experiment groups, and Group C had a significant difference
in cell proliferation than other groups (p < 0 05) except for day 1. While when related to the cell differentiation, Group A showed a similar result with Group C, but in Alizarin Red S, Group A had a superior result (p < 0 05). The tooth dentin scaffold processed with composite acids
in Group A presents the superiority in osteoconduction and preferable osteogenesis ability, which could be an alternative method to process the tooth scaffold.
Effect of Long Non-Coding RNA Plasmacytoma Variant Translocation 1 (PVT1) on the Regulation of SRY (Sex Determining Region Y)-Box 2 (SOX2) in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhou Jinhe , Hu Lingli , Huang Jianbin , Ye Zhiqing
Published: December 2020

The pathogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) is unclear, which has brought major problems in the diagnosis and treatment. LncRNAs is involved in the regulation of tumorigenesis and development. LncRNA PVT1 is abnormally expressed in various tumors, such as liver cancer and ovarian cancer.
However, its role and mechanism in GC have not been clarified. The gastric cancer tissue and adjacent tissues were collected for measuring LncRNA PVT1 level by Real-time PCR. The gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 was cultured in vitro and divided into control group, scramble group,
and PVT1 siRNA group. The tetrazolium salt (MTT) colorimetric assay was to analyze cell proliferation. Caspase 3 activity was tested to assess cell apoptosis. Transwell chamber assay was adopted to evaluated cell invasion. Western Blot was for measuring the epithelial-mesenchymal transition
(EMT) molecular proteins and SOX2. Significantly upregulated LncRNA PVT1 was found in gastric cancer tissue (P < 0 05) which was associated tumor differentiation and stage and lymph node metastasis (P < 0 05). LncRNA PVT1 siRNA transfection in SGC-7901 significantly downregulated LncRNA
PVT1 expression, inhibited tumor cell proliferation, enhanced Caspase 3 activity, restrained gastric cancer cell invasion, elevated E-cadherin level, reduced Vimentin expression, and declined SOX2 expression (P < 0 05). LncRNA PVT1 is upregulated in gastric cancer and related to the clinical
pathology. Downregulation of LncRNA PVT1 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT by regulating SOX2, thereby delaying the progression of gastric cancer.
MiR-765 Regulates Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Adriamycin Resistance Through Targeting Epithelial Membrane Protein 3
Authors: Li Siyi , Peng Hongjuan , Li Jianwen
Published: December 2020

Epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3) regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-765 had complimentary sequence with the 3 -URT of EMP3 mRNA. miR-765 regulates EMP3 and influences breast cancer cell behaviors. However, it is
unclear whether this regulation plays a role in affecting drug resistance. Our study assessed miR765's role in EMP3 expression and adriamycin (ADM) resistance of breast cancer. ADM resistant cell line MCF-7/ADM was established and assigned into miR-NC group, miR-765 mimic group, siRNA-NC group,
and siRNA-EMP3 group followed by analysis of cell proliferation and apoptosis. miR-765 targets EMP3. The miR-765 level and apoptosis rate in MCF-7/ADM cells were significantly lower, while EMP3 level and cell proliferation were higher than MCF-7 cells. miR-765 mimic or siRNA-EMP3 significantly
downregulated EMP3, weakened cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and decreased ADM resistance. MiR-765 and EMP3 involves in ADM resistance of breast cancer cells. Up-regulation of miR-765 inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation and reduces ADM resistance via regulating EMP3.
The Chilean Tornado Outbreak of May 2019: Synoptic, Mesoscale, and Historical Contexts
Authors: Vicencio José , Rondanelli Roberto , Campos Diego , Valenzuela Raúl , Garreaud René , Reyes Alejandra , Padilla Rodrigo , Abarca Ricardo , Barahona Camilo , Delgado Rodrigo , Nicora Gabriela
Published: December 2020

In late May 2019, at least seven tornadoes were reported within a 24-h period in southern Chile (western South America, 36°–38°S), including EF1 and EF2 events causing substantial damage to infrastructure, dozens of injuries, and one fatality. Despite anecdotal evidence and chronicles of similar historical events, the threat from tornadoes in Chile was regarded with skepticism until the 2019 outbreak. Herein, we describe the synoptic-scale features instrumental in the development of these tornadic storms, including an extended southwest–northeast trough along the South Pacific, with a large postfrontal instability area. Tornadic storms appear to be embedded in a modestly unstable environment (positive convective available potential energy but less than 1,000 J kg−1) and strong low- and midlevel wind shear, with high near-surface storm-relative helicity values (close to −200 m2 s−2), clearly differing from the Great Plains tornadoes in North America (with highly unstable environments) but resembling cold-season tornadoes previously observed in the midlatitudes of North America, Australia, and Europe. Reanalyzing rainfall and lightning data from the last 10 years, we found that tornadic storms in our region occur associated with locally extreme values of both CAPE and low-level wind shear, where a combination of the two in a low-level vorticity generation parameter appears as a simple first-order discriminant between tornadic and nontornadic environments. Future research should thoroughly examine historical events worldwide to assemble a database of high-shear, low-CAPE midlatitude storms and help improve our understanding of these storms’ underlying physics.
Relative Dispersion in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Balwada Dhruv , LaCasce Joseph H. , Speer Kevin G. , Ferrari Raffaele
Published: December 2020

Stirring in the subsurface Southern Ocean is examined using RAFOS float trajectories, collected during the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES), along with particle trajectories from a regional eddy permitting model. A central question is the extent to which the stirring is local, by eddies comparable in size to the pair separation, or nonlocal, by eddies at larger scales. To test this, we examine metrics based on averaging in time and in space. The model particles exhibit nonlocal dispersion, as expected for a limited resolution numerical model that does not resolve flows at scales smaller than ~10 days or ~20–30 km. The different metrics are less consistent for the RAFOS floats; relative dispersion, kurtosis, and relative diffusivity suggest nonlocal dispersion as they are consistent with the model within error, while finite-size Lyapunov exponents (FSLE) suggests local dispersion. This occurs for two reasons: (i) limited sampling of the inertial length scales and a relatively small number of pairs hinder statistical robustness in time-based metrics, and (ii) some space-based metrics (FSLE, second-order structure functions), which do not average over wave motions and are reflective of the kinetic energy distribution, are probably unsuitable to infer dispersion characteristics if the flow field includes energetic wave motions that do not disperse particles. The relative diffusivity, which is also a space-based metric, allows averaging over waves to infer the dispersion characteristics. Hence, given the error characteristics of the metrics and data used here, the stirring in the DIMES region is likely to be nonlocal at scales of 5–100 km.
Subseasonal Prediction Performance for Austral Summer South American Rainfall
Authors: Klingaman Nicholas P. , Young Matthew , Chevuturi Amulya , Guimaraes Bruno , Guo Liang , Woolnough Steven J. , Coelho Caio A. S. , Kubota Paulo Y. , Holloway Christopher E.
Published: December 2020

Skillful and reliable predictions of week-to-week rainfall variations in South America, two to three weeks ahead, are essential to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. We evaluate forecast performance for weekly rainfall in extended austral summer (November–March) in four contemporary subseasonal systems, including a new Brazilian model, at 1–5-week leads for 1999–2010. We measure performance by the correlation coefficient (in time) between predicted and observed rainfall; we measure skill by the Brier skill score for rainfall terciles against a climatological reference forecast. We assess unconditional performance (i.e., regardless of initial condition) and conditional performance based on the initial phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). All models display substantial mean rainfall biases, including dry biases in Amazonia and wet biases near the Andes, which are established by week 1 and vary little thereafter. Unconditional performance extends to week 2 in all regions except for Amazonia and the Andes, but to week 3 only over northern, northeastern, and southeastern South America. Skill for upper- and lower-tercile rainfall extends only to week 1. Conditional performance is not systematically or significantly higher than unconditional performance; ENSO and MJO events provide limited “windows of opportunity” for improved S2S predictions that are region and model dependent. Conditional performance may be degraded by errors in predicted ENSO and MJO teleconnections to regional rainfall, even at short lead times.
Review of the physicochemical properties and associated health effects of aerosols generated during thermal spray coating processes
Authors: Antonini James M , McKinney Walter G , Lee Eun Gyung , Afshari Aliakbar A
Published: December 2020

Thermal spray coating is a process that applies a molten metal product under pressure onto a surface. Although thermal spray processes have been used for decades, exposure to aerosols formed during thermal spray coating is an emerging risk. Reports indicate that high concentrations of aerosols composed of toxic metals (e.g. chromium) are generated in the workplace. A knowledge gap exists related to the physicochemical properties of thermal spray coating aerosols as well as any potential associated health effects. The objective of this manuscript was to review thermal spray coating and previous studies that have examined the aerosols produced from this process. A thermal spray coating generator and exposure system is also described that has recently been developed to further evaluate the physical and chemical properties of aerosols formed during thermal spray coating as well as to assess the possible health effects of this process in an effort to mitigate potential occupational health hazards related to the industry.
Input-constrained chaos synchronization of horizontal platform systems via a model predictive controller
Authors: Wang Xinwei , Liu Jie , Peng Haijun , Gao Lingchong , Fottner Johannes , Liu Pengliang
Published: December 2020

Horizontal platform systems are mechanical systems that can exhibit both periodic and chaotic behaviour. Various control techniques have been developed to solve their chaos synchronization. However, the avoidance of control saturation is rarely considered in existing control techniques. In this paper, a model predictive controller is developed to address the input-constrained chaos synchronization of horizontal platform systems. To meet the requirements of computational efficiency, the highly efficient symplectic pseudospectral method is taken as the core solver of the model predictive controller. Two methods to impose the terminal boundary condition are considered. And two indices, i.e., the approximate synchronization time and the synchronization-consumed energy, are proposed to evaluate the synchronization performance. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the developed model predictive controller can achieve faster synchronization while owns better robustness under various kinds of external disturbances when compared to several feedback controllers.
Statistical Analysis of Treatment Planning Parameters for Prediction of Delivery Quality Assurance Failure for Helical Tomotherapy
Authors: Chang Kyung Hwan , Lee Young Hyun , Park Byung Hun , Han Min Cheol , Kim Jihun , Kim Hojin , Cho Min-Seok , Kang Hyokyeong , Lee Ho , Kim Dong Wook , Park Kwangwoo , Cho Jaeho , Kim Yong Bae , Kim Jin Sung , Hong Chae-Seon
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

This study aimed to investigate the parameters with a significant impact on delivery quality assurance (DQA) failure and analyze the planning parameters as possible predictors of DQA failure for helical tomotherapy.

Methods:

In total, 212 patients who passed or failed DQA measurements were retrospectively included in this study. Brain (n = 43), head and neck (n = 37), spinal (n = 12), prostate (n = 36), rectal (n = 36), pelvis (n = 13), cranial spinal irradiation and a treatment field including lymph nodes (n = 24), and other types of cancer (n = 11) were selected. The correlation between DQA results and treatment planning parameters were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, areas under the curves (AUCs), and the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm were used to analyze treatment planning parameters as possible predictors for DQA failure.

Results:

The AUC for leaf open time (LOT) was 0.70, and its cut-off point was approximately 30%. The ROC curve for the predicted probability calculated when the multivariate variable model was applied showed an AUC of 0.815. We confirmed that total monitor units, total dose, and LOT were significant predictors for DQA failure using the CART.

Conclusions:

The probability of DQA failure was higher when the percentage of LOT below 100 ms was higher than 30%. The percentage of LOT below 100 ms should be considered in the treatment planning process. The findings from this study may assist in the prediction of DQA failure in the future.
Nomograms-based prediction of overall and cancer-specific survivals for patients with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Chunyang , Geng Xinyu , Liang Rui , Zhang Dongze , Sun Meiyun , Zhang Guangbo , Hou Jianquan
Published: December 2020

This study built and tested two effective nomograms for the purpose of predicting cancer-specific survival and overall survival of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was employed to filter independent prognostic factors predictive of cancer-specific survival and overall survival, and the nomograms were built based on a training set incorporating 2901 chRCC patients in a retrospective study (from 2004 to 2015) downloaded from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. The nomograms were verified on a validation cohort of 1934 patients, subsequently the performances of the nomograms were examined according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves, the concordance (C-index), and decision curve analysis. The results showed that tumor grade, AJCC and N stages, race, marital status, age, histories of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery were the individual prognostic factors for overall survival, and that AJCC, N and SEER stages, histories of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, age, tumor grade were individual prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival. According to C-indexes, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curve analysis outcomes, the nomograms showed a higher accuracy in predicting overall survival and OSS when compared with TNM stage and SEER stage. All the calibration curves were significantly consistent between predictive and validation sets. In this study, the nomograms, which were validated to be highly accurate and applicable, were built to facilitate individualized predictions of the cancer-specific survival and overall survival to patients diagnosed with chRCC between 2004 and 2015.
Is there any intron sliding in mammals?
Authors: Poverennaya Irina V. , Potapova Nadezhda A. , Spirin Sergey A.
Published: December 2020

Background

Eukaryotic protein-coding genes consist of exons and introns. Exon–intron borders are conserved between species and thus their changes might be observed only on quite long evolutionary distances. One of the rarest types of change, in which intron relocates over a short distance, is called "intron sliding", but the reality of this event has been debated for a long time. The main idea of a search for intron sliding is to use the most accurate genome annotation and genome sequence, as well as high-quality transcriptome data. We applied them in a search for sliding introns in mammals in order to widen knowledge about the presence or absence of such phenomena in this group.

Results

We didn’t find any significant evidence of intron sliding in the primate group (human, chimpanzee, rhesus macaque, crab-eating macaque, green monkey, marmoset). Only one possible intron sliding event supported by a set of high quality transcriptomes was observed between EIF1AX human and sheep gene orthologs. Also, we checked a list of previously observed intron sliding events in mammals and showed that most likely they are artifacts of genome annotations and are not shown in subsequent annotation versions as well as are not supported by transcriptomic data.

Conclusions

We assume that intron sliding is indeed a very rare evolutionary event if it exists at all. Every case of intron sliding needs a lot of supportive data for detection and confirmation.