bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Phonological Complexity Provide a Good Index of Language Disorder in Children With Cochlear Implants?
Authors: David Céline , Tuller Laurice , Schweitzer Elisabeth , Lescanne Emmanuel , Bonnet-Brilhault Frédérique , Gomot Marie , Ferré Sandrine
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Phonological complexity is known to be a good index of developmental language disorder (DLD) in normal-hearing children, who have major difficulties on some complex structures. Some deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs) present a profile that evokes DLD, with persistent linguistic difficulties despite good audiological and environmental conditions. However, teasing apart what is related to auditory deficit or to language disorder remains complex.

Method

We compared the performance of three groups of school-age children, 33 children with CI, 22 with DLD, and 24 with typical development, on a nonword repetition (NWR) task based on phonological complexity. Children with CI were studied regarding their linguistic profile, categorized in four subgroups ranging from excellent to very poor performance. Influence of syllable length and phonological structures on the results of all the children were explored.

Results

The NWR task correctly distinguished children with DLD from typically developing children, and also children with CI with the poorest linguistic performance from other children with CI. However, most complex phonological structures did not reliably identify children with CI displaying a profile similar to that of children with DLD because these structures were difficult for all of the children with CI. The simplest phonological structures were better at detecting persistent language difficulties in children with CI, as they were challenging only for the children with the poorest language outcomes.

Conclusions

The most complex phonological structures are not good indices of language disorder in children with CI. Phonological complexity represents a gradient of difficulty that affects normal-hearing and deaf children differently.
An eco‐driving approach for ride comfort improvement
Authors: Mata‐Carballeira Ó. , del Campo I. , Asua E.
Published: November 2021

New challenges on transport systems are emerging due to the advances that the current paradigm is experiencing. The breakthrough of the autonomous car brings concerns about ride comfort, while the pollution concerns have arisen in recent years. In the model of automated automobiles, drivers are expected to become passengers, so, they will be more prone to suffer from ride discomfort or motion sickness. Conversely, the eco‐driving implications should not be set aside because of the influence of pollution on climate and people's health. For that reason, a joint assessment of the aforementioned points would have a positive impact. Thus, this work presents a self‐organised map‐based solution to assess ride comfort features of individuals considering their driving style from the viewpoint of eco‐driving. For this purpose, a previously acquired dataset from an instrumented car was used to classify drivers regarding the causes of their lack of ride comfort and eco‐friendliness. Once drivers are classified regarding their driving style, natural‐language‐based recommendations are proposed to increase the engagement with the system. Hence, potential improvements of up to the 57.7% for ride comfort evaluation parameters, as well as up to the 47.1% in greenhouse‐gasses emissions are expected to be reached.
Stabilization of DC–DC buck converter with unknown constant power load via passivity‐based control plus proportion‐integration
Authors: He Wei , Namazi Mohammad Masoud , Koofigar Hamid Reza , Amirian Mohammad Ali , Blaabjerg Frede
Published: November 2021

It is known that constant power load (CPL) may cause a negative impedance, which seriously affects the stability of power system. In this paper, a new control algorithm for DC–DC buck converter feeding unknown CPL is proposed. First, under the assumption of known extracted power load, the standard passivity–based control (PBC) is presented to reshape the system energy and compensate for the negative impedance and a proportion‐integration (PI) action around passive output is added to improve disturbance rejection performance, which forms the PBC plus PI (PBC+PI). Then, a parameter estimation algorithm is developed, based on immersion and invariance (I&I) technique, in order to online estimate the extracted power load. In the next step, the online estimation scheme is adopted to construct an adaptive strategy. Finally, the stability analysis of the cascaded system containing a closed‐loop control system and observer error dynamics is conducted. Simulation and experimental results are demonstrated to validate the performance of the proposed controller.
Radix‐16 CSA‐based low‐latency non‐Montgomery modular multiplier
Authors: Wu Tao
Published: November 2021

The long‐precision modular multiplier is usually performed by Montgomery algorithm with bit shifts, yielding a result in the form of . In fact, with the precomputation of proposed by others, it is able to compute classic modular multiplication rather than Montgomery modular multiplication . In this work, a multi‐bit CSA‐based long‐precision modular multiplier is proposed for hardware implementation. It includes two carry save adders and one RAM access to perform modular multiplications. After every modular multiplication, a division is applied to reduce the result down to . Hardware implementation results show that a 1024‐bit modular multiplication can be completed in 2.39 s on the XC5V FPGA platform, costing 5793 slices, 8 DSPs and 36 BRAMs, which is a promising candidate to compute incontinuous classic modular multiplications.
Nicht nur das Meer rauscht
Authors: Börner Doris
Published: November 2021

Ich denke jeder von uns kennt sie, diese Tage, an denen man mit dem falschen Fuß aufgestanden zu sein scheint. Die Dinge gehen einfach nicht von der Hand, Ampeln scheinen sich gegen einen verschworen zu haben und dann kippt man auch noch die Kaffeetasse um. Doch können solche Umstände auch unsere Arbeit beeinflussen? Und wenn ja, wie? Sind die Prognosen, die wir unseren Patienten stellen dann vielleicht andere? Beeinflusst das vielleicht sogar unsere Diagnosen?
Arbeits(un)fähigkeit bei psychischen Erkrankungen
Authors: Hillert Andreas , Bauman Tabea , Meule Adrian , Heinrich Ute
Published: November 2021

In einer Expertenbefragung benannten Ärzte und Psychologen erhebliche Dilemmata hinsichtlich der Feststellung von Arbeitsunfähigkeit angesichts psychiatrischer/psychosomatischer Patienten. Routinedaten einer psychosomatischen Fachklinik zeigen eine signifikante Reduktion z. B. der depressiven Symptomatik von Patienten im Therapieverlauf, ohne dass dies unmittelbar und in jedem Fall mit einer Zunahme der Arbeitsfähigkeit bei Entlassung korreliert. Limitiert wird dieser Befund durch das Fehlen von Daten zum weiteren poststationären Verlauf. Die bezüglich der Feststellung von Arbeitsunfähigkeit intervenierenden Aspekte werden eingehend diskutiert. Von den befragten Experten und Klinikern wird u. a. eingeräumt, dass die Selbsteinschätzung der Patienten erheblichen Einfluss die die letztlich vollzogene Bewertung hat. Ausgehend hiervon werden die offiziellen Richtlinien zum Thema Arbeitsunfähigkeit referiert. Wissenschaftliche Studien zur Reliabilität von Krankschreibungen gibt es nicht, was u. a. die Aussagekraft von Präsentismus-Studien relativiert. Konzepte, die der immensen Tragweite für alle Beteiligten und der entsprechenden Komplexität des Themas angemessen sind, werden skizziert. Adäquate Kenntnisse der Arbeitsbedingungen ihrer Patienten, Wissen hinsichtlich der Ambiguität von Krankschreibungen (pathogene und salutogenetische Aspekten der Arbeit) und eine (Selbst-)Reflexion bezüglich des Themas erscheinen unabdingbar. Zumal angesichts von offenkundigen Arbeitskonflikten und Überlastungskonstellationen der Patienten wäre es angemessen, anstatt längerfristiger Krankschreibungen, Überlastungsanzeigen aus medizinisch/psychotherapeutischen Gründen zu machen und eine systemisch-interdisziplinäre Lösung zum Nutzen aller Beteiligter anzustreben.
Gangbildanalyse beim Labrador – Wie lautet Ihr
Befund?
Authors: Zohmann Andreas
Published: November 2021

Vorgestellt wurde ein Labrador, braun ohne Abzeichen, männlich, 13
Monate, 27 kg, mit auffälligem Gangbild.
Ursachen, Diagnostik und Therapie neurogener Dysphagien
Authors: Kolodziej Jonas , Al Basri Saif , Azizi Mimoun , Rombach Adrian , Kirchhoff Felix , Wright Pia
Published: November 2021

Die neurogene Dysphagie ist eines der häufigsten und lebensbedrohlichsten Symptome neurologischer Störungen wie Hirninfarkte oder neurodegenerative Erkrankungen. Da die durchschnittliche Lebenserwartung stetig steigt, ergibt sich prognostisch ebenfalls ein Anstieg an darunter leidenden Patienten. Entsprechend befasst sich die vorliegende Arbeit mit der Erläuterung und Bewertung der im klinischen Alltag durchgeführten Maßnahmen in Bezug auf Prognose, Diagnostik und Therapie bei neurogener Dysphagie. Es wurde in 2 Literaturdatenbanken (PUBMED; EMBASE) systematisch nach Studien zu Ursachen, Diagnostik und Behandlung von neurogenen Dysphagien gesucht und eine gezielte Auswahl von Studien getroffen, die sich mit Dysphagien in Folge neurologischer Erkrankungen befassten. Einzelfallberichte wurden ausgelassen, klinische Studien jeder sonstigen Art miteingeschlossen. Das Review fasst die Ergebnisse von 24 Studien zusammen. Es zeigte sich, dass mittels flexibler endoskopischer Bewertung des Schluckens (FEES), standardisierter Schluckuntersuchung (SSA), Anamnese und Bildgebung bereits früh eine Prognose zum Ausmaß der Dysphagie möglich war. Zudem zeigte sich die SSA als sinnvolle Maßnahme zur Detektion von Aspirationen, durch eine FEES konnten vermehrt stille Aspirationen erkannt werden und die videofluoroskopische Schluckuntersuchung (VFSS) hatte Vorteile in der Bewertung des Ablaufs der Schluckphasen. Therapeutisch erwiesen sich, je nach Ergebnissen der vorangegangenen Untersuchungen, Schlucktherapie und das Andicken von Flüssigkeiten als effizient, bei bestimmten Krankheitsbildern (Z. n. Hirninfarkt bei gleichzeitig bestehendem Z. n. Dekanülierung) ergab sich bei pharyngealer Elektrostimulation ein positives Bild.
Arzt-Patient-Beziehung
Authors: Valdés-Stauber Juan
Published: November 2021

Hintergrund Medizinisches Handeln erfolgt als sensible zwischenmenschliche Begegnung, in der die technische Leistung in einer für das Gelingen der Behandlung relevanten Arzt-Patient-Beziehung eingebettet ist.

Ziel der Untersuchung Ausarbeitung einer anthropologischen Modellierung der „Arzt-Patient-Beziehung“ bzw. der „therapeutischen Beziehung“.

Methode Es wird zunächst ein Standardmodell der Arzt-Patient-Beziehung vorgeschlagen. Es folgt die Formulierung von anthropologischen Annahmen zur Arzt-Patient-Beziehung. Abschließend wird ein anthropologisches Modell von befähigenden Dimensionen dieser Beziehung ausgearbeitet.

Ergebnisse Es werden 4 Bedeutungen von therapeutischer Beziehung entworfen (als Therapie bahnend, als Wirkfaktor, als in Therapie umgewandelt, als Therapie selbst) sowie 6 Begriffspaare formuliert, zwischen welchen sich die Arzt-Patient-Beziehung dialektisch bewegt. Das ausgearbeitete anthropologische Modell der Arzt-Patient-Beziehung weist formal 3 Momente auf: Zwischen den Merkmalen einer Arzt-Patient-Beziehung und deren in Gang gesetzten allgemeinen therapeutischen Auswirkungen kommen anthropologische Mediatoren zur Entfaltung, die den Kategorien Haltung, Interpersonalität und Kommunikation zuzuordnen sind.

Diskussion Während das Standardmodell der Arzt-Patient-Beziehung von einer grundsätzlichen komplementären Rollenasymmetrie ausgeht, betrachtet die anthropologische Perspektive allgemein wirkende Grundkategorien wie Solidarität, Verständnis und Verständigung. Diese Beziehung ist nicht nur kollaborativ, sondern je nach Grad der Autonomie partnerschaftlich, stets aber Ausdruck des Respekts vor einer zu würdigenden fremden Existenz.
Solitary Dorsal Intramedullary Schwanomma – A Rare Lesion
Authors: Bhople Laxmikant , Kharosekar Hrushikesh , Jain Nimesh , Velho Vernon
Published: November 2021

Intramedullary schwanommas are rare, and most cases are reported in cervical region. Less than 20 dorsal intramedullary schwanommas have been reported till date in literature. This is due to their cell of origin, the Schwann cell, which is not normally found within the parenchyma of the brain and spinal cord; therefore it is not surprising that these lesions are rare. We report a rare solitary dorsal intramedullary schwanomma in a young adult patient who presented with paraplegia.
Tool studying radiation effects combines atomic force microscopy with X-ray source
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: November 2021

Accurate monitoring of irradiation on in situ transformations at nanoscale levels
Spectral type of a class of random Jacobi operators
Authors: Fu Zhengqi , Li Xiong
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we use the generalized Prüfer variables to study the spectral type of a class of random Jacobi operators (Hτ,ωλu)(n)=τnu(n+1)+τn−1u(n−1)+λanωnu(n), in which the decay speed of the parameters an is n−α for some α > 0. We will show that the operator has an absolutely continuous spectrum for α>12, a pure point spectrum for 0<α<12, and a transition from a singular continuous spectrum to a pure point spectrum in α=12.
Signature of electron-magnon Umklapp scattering in L10 FePt probed by thermoelectric measurements
Authors: Yan Xiaoxian , Huai Chang , Xing Hui , Parry James P. , Yang Yusen , Tang Guoxiong , Yao Chao , Hu Guohan , Sabirianov Renat , Zeng Hao
Published: November 2021

We report unconventional thermoelectric power (Seebeck coefficient, S) in L10 structured FePt films. The temperature dependence of S can be well fitted by a phenomenological expression consisting of electron diffusion and magnon-drag contributions. Interestingly, the magnon drag coefficient carries an opposite sign to that of electron diffusion, revealing a dominant contribution from the elusive electron-magnon Umklapp scattering. Density-functional theory calculations identify several bands crossing the Brillouin zone boundaries, facilitating the Umklapp process. The large spin–orbit coupling in FePt results in strong mixing of majority and minority spins among some of those bands, greatly enhancing the electron-magnon scattering.
Improved efficiency of green GaN LEDs via exciton–surface plasmon coupling by Au nanoclusters embedded in a micro-hole patterned p-GaN layer
Authors: Park Ah Hyun , Baek Seungjae , Choi Go Bong , Kim Yoong Ahm , Lim Jinsub , Seo Tae Hoon
Published: November 2021

We report green light emitting diodes (LEDs) with Au nanoclusters in a micro-hole patterned p-GaN layer (ANCs-MHPP) to improve the light emission efficiency. Low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL showed that green LEDs with ANCs-MHPP demonstrated higher internal quantum efficiencies and faster decay times compared to conventional green LEDs. In addition, the opto-electronic performance of green LEDs with ANCs-MHPP was remarkable. These results can be attributed to the exciton–surface plasmon coupling between excitons in multi-quantum wells and surface plasmons of Au nanoclusters and the surface texturing effect caused by the geometrical shape of the micro-hole patterned p-GaN layer.
Frequency division multiplexing readout of 60 low-noise transition-edge sensor bolometers
Authors: Wang Q. , Khosropanah P. , van der Kuur J. , de Lange G. , Audley M. D. , Aminaei A. , Ridder M. L. , van der Linden A. J. , Bruijn M. P. , van der Tak F. , Gao J. R.
Published: November 2021

We demonstrate multiplexing readout of 60 transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers operating at 90 mK using a frequency division multiplexing readout chain with bias frequencies ranging from 1 to 3.5 MHz and with a typical frequency spacing of 32 kHz. The readout chain starts with a two-stage SQUID amplifier and has a noise level of 9.5 pA/Hz. We compare current–voltage curves and noise spectra of TESs measured in a single-pixel mode and in a multiplexing mode. We also map the noise equivalent power (NEP) and the saturation power of the bolometers in both modes, where there are 43 pixels that do not show more than 10% difference in NEP and 5% in saturation power when measured in single pixel and multiplex modes. We have read out a TES with an NEP of 0.45 aW/Hz in the multiplexing-mode, which demonstrates the capability of reading out ultra-low noise TES bolometer arrays for space applications.
Optical polarimetric measurement of surface acoustic waves
Authors: Taga K. , Hisatomi R. , Ohnuma Y. , Sasaki R. , Ono T. , Nakamura Y. , Usami K.
Published: November 2021

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) is utilized in diverse fields ranging from physics, engineering, to biology for transducing, sensing, and processing various signals. Optical measurement of the SAW provides valuable information since the amplitude and the phase of the displacement field can be measured locally with the resolution limited by the spot size of the optical beam. So far, optical measurement techniques rely on modulation of the optical path, phase, or diffraction associated with SAWs. Here, we demonstrate that SAWs can be measured with an optical polarimeter. We show that the slope of the periodically tilting surface due to the coherently driven SAW is translated into the angle of polarization rotation, which can be straightforwardly calibrated when polarimeters work in the shot-noise-limited regime. The polarimetric measurement of SAWs is, thus, beneficial for quantitative studies of SAW-based technologies.
Structure and thermoelectric properties of electrochemically doped polythiophene thin films: Effect of side chain density
Authors: Ito Shun-ichiro , Kanahashi Kaito , Ohta Hiromichi , Ito Hiroshi , Takenobu Taishi , Tanaka Hisaaki
Published: November 2021

Intermolecular interaction between a conducting polymer and a dopant molecule is a fundamental factor to determine the structure and electronic properties of doped films, whereas clear guidelines of the molecular design to control such interactions are absent. We compared the structure and transport properties of two typical electrochemically doped polythiophenes with different side chain densities: poly(3-hexylthiophene) and poly[bis(3-dodecyl-2-thienyl)-2,2-dithiophene-5,5-diyl] (PQT). X-ray diffraction patterns show that more conspicuous lattice expansion and crystallinity improvement take place after doping PQT, the low side chain density polymer, although the crystallinity of the pristine film is rather low. The crystallinity improvement results in a large increase in the electrical conductivity, reaching 140 S/cm after doping and indicating the importance of side chain engineering to optimize the electronic properties of the doped state. We further suggest the dynamic motion of the dopant molecules with a temperature gradient in the doped PQT film based on thermoelectromotive force measurements, indicating the weakly bound state of the dopant molecules.
Ethics and animal reproductive technologies
Authors: Voisine Jimmy , Sirard Marc André
Published: November 2021

This paper offers a framework to help animal scientists engage in critical thinking about their own practices. Its objective is to reinforce their ability to participate in debates and discussions about the ethics surrounding the use of modern animal reproductive technologies (ART). This will be achieved first by exploring some of the most important philosophical conceptualizations of animals in Western philosophy, which are shaping the way humans interact with them. Then, we will analyse whether modern ART constitute ethically significant innovations in comparison with more traditional animal breeding practices, or whether they stand in continuity with the latter. This will be followed by a review some of the most important ethical issues with modern ART, where human, animal welfare, environmental and socio-economic issues will be discussed.
Prospects of eco-hydrological model for sponge city construction
Authors: Feng Chuhan , Zhang Na , Habiyakare Telesphore , Yan Yuna , Zhang Han
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Understanding complex urban eco-hydrological processes through models is an important approach in sponge city construction. However, the research on this has not kept pace with the urgent need for sustainable development of urban water resources, which makes the current construction efficiencies unsatisfactory.

Outcomes

This review highlights the importance of establishing a multi-scale urban distributed eco-hydrological model by analyzing the connotations of sponge city construction. Hydrological models that can be configured for sponge city construction were selected. Traditional models have limitations in coupling ecological and hydrological processes, multi-scale and landscape-based simulations, refined simulations, and computational efficiency. By contrast, cellular automaton has a discrete data structure in space, time, and states, is capable of bottom-up computing, and provides a new conceptual framework for simulating complex urban eco-hydrological processes.

Discussion and Conclusion

Future model development may focus on the conduction of multi-scale simulation systems, the simulation of coupled urban eco-hydrological processes, the quantification of eco-hydrological responses to land cover composition, spatial configuration and low impact development practices, and improving simulation accuracy.
Monte Carlo evaluation of out-of-field dose in 18 MV pelvic radiotherapy using a simplified female MIRD phantom
Authors: Geraily Ghazale , Elmtalab Soheil , Mohammadi Najmeh , Alirezaei Zahra , Martinez-Ovalle S A , Jabbari Iraj , Vega-Carrillo Hector Rene , Karimi Amir Hossein
Published: November 2021

This study was devoted to determining the unwanted dose due to scattered photons to the out-of-field organs and subsequently estimate the risk of secondary cancers in the patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy. A typical 18 MV Medical Linear Accelerator (Varian Clinac 2100 C/D) was modeled using MCNPX®code to simulate pelvic radiotherapy with four treatment fields: anterior-posterior, posterior-anterior, right lateral, left lateral. Dose evaluation was performed inside Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) revised female phantom. The average photon equivalent dose in out-of-field organs is 8.53 mSv Gy−1, ranging from 0.17 to 72.11 mSv Gy−1, respectively, for the organs far from the Planning Treatment Volume (Brain) and those close to the treatment field (Colon). Evidence showed that colon with 4.3049% and thyroid with 0.0020% have the highest and lowest risk of secondary cancer, respectively. Accordingly, this study introduced the colon as an organ with a high risk of secondary cancer which should be paid more attention in the follow-up of patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy. The authors believe that this simple Monte Carlo (MC) model can be also used in other radiotherapy plans and mathematical phantoms with different ages (from childhood to adults) to estimate the out-of-field dose. The extractable information by this simple MC model can be also employed for providing libraries for user-friendly applications (e.g. ‘.apk’) which in turn increase the public knowledge about fatal cancer risk after radiotherapy and subsequently decrease the concerns in this regard among the public.
Efficient hyperparameter-tuned machine learning approach for estimation of supercapacitor performance attributes
Authors: Ahmed Syed Ishtiyaq , Radhakrishnan Sreevatsan , Nair Binoy B , Thiruvengadathan Rajagopalan
Published: November 2021

Recent years have witnessed the rise of supercapacitor as effective energy storage device. Specifically, carbon-based electrodes have been experimentally well studied and used in the fabrication of supercapacitors due to their excellent electrochemical properties. Recent publications have reported the use of Machine Learning (ML) techniques to study the correlation between the structural features of electrodes and supercapacitor performance metrics. However, the poor R-squared values (i.e., large deviations from the ideal value of unity) and large RMSE values reported in these works reflect the lack of accurate models’ development. This work reports the development and utilization of highly tuned and efficient ML models using hyperparameter tuning, that give insights into correlation between the structural features of electrodes and supercapacitor performance metrics namely specific capacitance, power density and energy density. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Random Forest (RF) models have been employed to predict the various in-operando performance metrics of carbon-based supercapacitors based on three input features such as mesopore surface area, micropore surface area and scan rate. Experimentally measured values of these parameters used for training and testing these two models have been extracted from a set of research papers reported in literature. The optimization techniques and various tuning methodologies adopted for identifying model hyperparameters are discussed in this paper. The R2values obtained for prediction of specific capacitance, power density and energy density using RF model are in the range from 0.8612 to 0.9353 respectively, while the RMSE values of the above parameters are 18.651, 0.2732 and 0.5764 for respective input parameters. Similarly, the R2values obtained for prediction of specific capacitance, power density and energy density using ANN model are in the range from 0.9211 to 0.9644 respectively, while the RMSE values of the above parameters are 18.132, 0.1601 and 0.5764 for respective input parameters. Thus, the highly tuned ANN and RF models depict higher R-squared and lower RMSE values in comparison to those previously reported in literature, thereby demonstrating the importance of hyperparameter tuning and optimization in building accurate and reliable computational models.
Endangered Cultus Lake sockeye salmon exhibit genomic evidence of hypoxic and thermal stresses while rearing in degrading freshwater lacustrine critical habitat
Authors: Akbarzadeh Arash , Selbie Daniel T , Pon Lucas B , Miller Kristina M
Published: November 2021

Water quality degradation due to lake eutrophication and climate change contributes to the risk of extirpation for the endangered Cultus Lake sockeye salmon. Sockeye salmon juveniles experience both low-oxygen water in profundal lake habitats and elevated temperatures above the thermocline during diel vertical migrations in summer and fall when the lake is thermally stratified. We used a transcriptomic tool (Salmon Fit-Chip) to determine whether salmon were experiencing thermal and/or hypoxic stress during this period. The results showed that over one-third of the fish were responding to either hypoxic (35.5%) or thermal stress (40.9%) during periods when these environmental stressors were pronounced within the lake, but not during periods when profundal dissolved oxygen was elevated and the water column was isothermal and cool. The most consistent signs of hypoxic stress occurred during July (52.2%) and September (44.4%). A total of 25.7% of individual fish sampled during months when both stressors were occurring (July, September, October) showed signatures of both stressors. When a combination of hypoxic and thermal stress biomarkers was applied, 92% of fish showed evidence of one or both stressors; hence, for at least several months of the year, most sockeye salmon juveniles in Cultus Lake are experiencing anthropogenically environmentally induced stress. We also detected the presence of pathogenic ciliate Ichthyoptherius multifiliis in the gill tissue of juveniles, with a higher infection signal in Cultus Lake compared to juveniles from nearby Chilliwack Lake. These data provide powerful new evidence that Cultus Lake sockeye salmon, which experience relatively lower juvenile survival than Chilliwack sockeye salmon, are more compromised by stress and carry a higher level of infection of at least one pathogenic agent. Thus, we hypothesize that the cumulative or synergistic interplay between stressors and diseases, clearly documented to be occurring within Cultus Lake, are contributing to increased mortality of endangered sockeye salmon.
Predictors of self-compassion in endometriosis: the role of psychological health and endometriosis symptom burden
Authors: Van Niekerk L , Johnstone L , Matthewson M
Published: November 2021

STUDY QUESTION

What is the relationship between self-compassion, endometriosis-related symptoms and psychological health in women with symptomatic endometriosis?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Decreased self-compassion is associated with increased psychological distress, extended diagnostic delay and varies according to individual endometriosis-symptom profile.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Existing research indicates that endometriosis is associated with reduced psychological health and varied endometriosis-related symptom profiles. Examining the level of self-compassion reported by women with endometriosis is important as greater self-compassion has been found to improve psychological well-being in several chronic health populations.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design to explore the relationship between self-compassion, psychological health and endometriosis-related symptoms (n = 318).

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Women with a self-reported diagnosis of endometriosis were recruited via online advertising through social media platforms. Demographic and endometriosis-specific information (e.g. disease stage, diagnostic delay, symptom experience) was collected in addition to psychological health and self-compassion. Psychological health was measured by the PROMIS Emotional Distress and Anxiety short forms and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). Self-compassion was measured by the Self-Compassion Scale (26-item). Independent t-tests, bivariate correlations and linear regression analyses explored the relationship between specific endometriosis-related symptoms, psychological health and self-compassion.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that psychological symptoms accounted for the greatest variance in levels of self-compassion in the current sample. Depression and anxiety were found to be significant negative predictors of self-compassion. Notable symptoms that were significant in the final model were the presence of dysmenorrhea, lower back pain, dyspareunia, pain after sexual intercourse, fatigue and nausea.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The cross-sectional nature of the findings prevents direct findings of causality. The information pertaining to endometriosis was self-report in nature and was not medically verified.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

These preliminary findings indicate the importance of clinical interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion and the importance of individual case conceptualization and treatment planning based on endometriosis-related symptomatic profiles.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(s)

The study was not associated with research funding. Author L.V.N. is a member of the Endometriosis Australia Clinical Advisory Committee.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.
Surgical approach to three pediatric patients with ovarian tumors: laparoscopic excision using a specimen retrieval bag
Authors: Tatekawa Yukihiro
Published: November 2021

We report our experience with three pediatric patients with ovarian tumors who underwent laparoscopic excision using a specimen retrieval bag. Patient 1 was a 12-year-old girl with a left ovarian tumor. The tumor was laparoscopically placed in a specimen retrieval bag and removed through a suprapubic incision without content spillage. Patient 2 was a 14-year-old girl with a left ovarian tumor. The tumor was laparoscopically placed in a specimen retrieval bag. The contents of the tumor were aspirated, and the tumor was removed without content spillage. Patient 3 was a 13-year-old girl with bilateral large ovarian tumors. After releasing torsion of the left-sided mass, each tumor was laparoscopically placed in a specimen retrieval bag and excised. Peritoneal lavage was performed due to content spillage. The pathologic findings confirmed mature teratomas in all patients. All three girls have been doing well without evidence of chemical peritonitis or recurrence.
Plant-Parasitic and Free-Living Nematodes from Organically Farmed Fields in Illinois and Wisconsin
Authors: Han Jaeyeong , Ugarte Carmen M. , Nunez Flores Mario Alejandro , Hansen Maicynn G. , Bowen Charles R. , Schroeder Nathan E. , Hartman Glen L.
Published: November 2021

Plant-parasitic nematodes feed on soybean roots resulting in potential yield losses. Surveys of nematodes in certified organic soybean fields have been infrequent compared with surveys in nonorganic soybean fields. We conducted a nematode survey from certified organic soybean fields in northern and central Illinois and southern Wisconsin to determine the frequency and population densities of plant-parasitic and free-living nematodes. Fields surveyed included both long-term (with soybean planted every fifth year or longer in the rotation) and short-term (with soybean planted every third year in the rotation). A total of 27 composite soil samples, each consisting of multiple cores to a depth of 20 cm, were collected from 14 fields in 2019. Common plant-parasitic nematode taxa included spiral (Helicotylenchus spp.), lesion (Pratylenchus spp.), cyst (Heteroderidae), stunt (Tylenchorhynchus spp.), dagger (Xiphinema spp.), and pin nematodes (Paratylenchus spp.). Among the taxa, spiral, lesion, and dagger nematodes were above previously reported damage threshold levels in some fields. From the summer season–sampled soils, cyst nematode population densities and nematode abundance were significantly higher and lower, respectively, from fields under short-term versus long-term rotation with soybean. From the fall season–sampled soils, the structure index but not the other diversity and community indices of free-living nematodes were significantly higher from fields under long-term versus short-term rotation with soybean. Overall, these results provide evidence for the occurrence of plant-parasitic and free-living nematodes from organically farmed soybean fields in Illinois and Wisconsin that varied in rotation length.
Bladder preservation in urothelial carcinoma: current trends and future directions
Authors: Goodstein Taylor , Wang Shang-Jui , Lee Cheryl T.
Published: November 2021

Purpose of review

To provide a contemporary rationale for bladder preservation as a treatment strategy for muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Although the standard of care for this important and serious clinical condition has been radical cystectomy augmented with neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy, it is associated with substantial morbidity and quality of life (QoL) implications. This article explores the bladder sparing alternatives to radical cystectomy and urinary diversion to assist Urologists, Medical Oncologists, and Palliative Care providers in their informed decision making with patients.

Recent findings

Bladder sparing strategies such as partial cystectomy and trimodality therapy offer long-term cancer outcomes comparable to radical cystectomy in carefully selected patients. Moreover, the toxicity profile in patients, having improved over time, is acceptable, including a low risk of salvage cystectomy.

Bladder preservation therapy offers an alternative to radical cystectomy. In some patients, it can be done with curative intent and in others it can assist with symptom palliation. Bladder preservation can maintain QoL and provide similar oncologic outcomes to radical surgery, although randomized controlled trials have not been performed. Understanding patient selection is a critical step in balancing bladder preservation and cancer survival.
Veterinary clinic surfaces as reservoirs of multi-drug- and biocide-resistant Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Akwuobu Chinedu A. , Ngbede Emmanuel O. , Mamfe Levi M. , Ezenduka Ekene V. , Chah Kennedy F.
Published: November 2021

This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the common Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) contaminating veterinary clinic environments, and to evaluate the susceptibility of the isolates to commonly used antibiotics and biocides. A total of 62 swab samples were collected from different frequently touched surfaces in the 4 veterinary clinics visited. The samples were processed for isolation and identification of GNB using standard microbiological procedures. The susceptibility of the isolates to disinfectants and antibiotics was determined using agar dilution and disc diffusion techniques, respectively. A total of 114 GNB were isolated from the 4 clinics with isolation rates of 21.9, 22.8, 23.7 and 31.6% in clinics A, B, C and D, respectively. The surfaces of treatment tables were more contaminated (16.7 %) than receptionist/clinician desks (15.8%), weighing balances (10.5 %), door handles (7.9 %), drip stands (7.9 %), handwashing basins (7.0 %) and client chairs (7.0%). The surface-contaminating isolates were distributed into 20 genera, with members of

Enterobacteriaceae

predominating (n=97). Fifty-nine per cent of the isolates were resistant to the disinfectant Septol, while 5.3 and 0.9% were resistant to Purit and Dettol disinfectants, respectively. Multiple drug resistance was observed among 99% of the isolates with approximately 100% resistance to beta-lactams. Phenotypic expression of extended-spectrum (3.5 %) and AmpC beta-lactamase (38.6 %) production was detected. These findings highlight the role of clinic environments in serving as reservoirs for potential pathogens and sources for the spread of multi-drug resistant GNB.
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ubiquitin ligases downregulate cell surface expression of l-selectin
Authors: Kajikawa Mizuho , Imaizumi Nanae , Machii Shiho , Nakamura Tomoka , Harigane Nana , Kimura Minako , Miyano Kei , Ishido Satoshi , Kanamoto Taisei
Published: November 2021

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic etiological factor for Kaposi’s sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma in immunocompromised patients. KSHV utilizes two immune evasion E3 ubiquitin ligases, namely K3 and K5, to downregulate the expression of antigen-presenting molecules and ligands of natural killer (NK) cells in the host cells through an ubiquitin-dependent endocytic mechanism. This allows the infected cells to evade surveillance and elimination by cytotoxic lymphocytes and NK cells. The number of host cell molecular substrates reported for these ubiquitin ligases is limited. The identification of novel substrates for these ligases will aid in elucidating the mechanism underlying immune evasion of KSHV. This study demonstrated that K5 downregulated the cell surface expression ofl-selectin, a C-type lectin-like adhesion receptor expressed in the lymphocytes. Tryptophan residue located at the centre of the E2-binding site in the K5 RINGv domain was essential to downregulatel-selectin expression. Additionally, the lysine residues located at the cytoplasmic tail ofl-selectin were required for the K5-mediated downregulation ofl-selectin. K5 promoted the degradation ofl-selectin through polyubiquitination. These results suggest that K5 downregulatesl-selectin expression on the cell surface by promoting polyubiquitination and ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis, which indicated thatl-selectin is a novel substrate for K5. Additionally, K3 downregulatedl-selectin expression. The findings of this study will aid in the elucidation of a novel immune evasion mechanism in KSHV.
A perspective on information optimality in a neural circuit
Authors: Robert Friedman
Published: November 2021

The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans has a relatively simple neural system for analysis of information transmission from sensory organ to muscle fiber. Therefore, an example of a neural circuit is analyzed that originates in the nematode worm, and a method is applied for measuring its information flow efficiency by use of a model of logic gates. This model-based approach is useful where the assumptions of a logic gate design are applicable. It is also an useful approach where there are competing mathematical models for explaining the role of a neural circuit since the logic gate model can estimate the computational complexity of a network, and distinguish which of the mathematical models require fewer computations. In addition, for generalization of the concept of information optimality in biological systems, there is an extensive discussion of its role in the genetic-based pathways of organisms.
The UK COVID-19 furlough scheme and associations with smoking, alcohol consumption and vaping: evidence from 8 UK longitudinal population surveys
Authors: Green Michael J. , Maddock Jane , Di Gessa Giorgio , Wielgoszewska Bożena , Parsons Sam , Griffith Gareth J , Croft Jazz , Stevenson Anna J. , Huggins Charlotte F. , Booth Charlotte , Wels Jacques , Silverwood Richard J. , Patalay Praveetha , Hughes Alun D. , Chaturvedi Nishi , Howe Laura D , Fitzsimons Emla , Katikireddi Srinivasa Vittal , Ploubidis George B.
Published: November 2021

Background

Disruptions to employment status can impact smoking and alcohol consumption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK implemented a furlough scheme to prevent job loss. We examine how furlough was associated with participants’ smoking, vaping and alcohol consumption behaviours in the early stages of the pandemic.

Methods

Data were from 27,841 participants in eight UK adult longitudinal surveys. Participants self-reported employment status and current smoking, current vaping and drinking alcohol (>4 days/week or 5+ drinks per typical occasion) both before and during the pandemic (April-July 2020). Risk ratios were estimated within each study using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for a range of potential confounders, including pre-pandemic behaviour. Findings were synthesised using random effects meta-analysis. Sub-group analyses were used to identify whether associations differed by gender, age or education.

Results

Compared to stable employment, neither furlough, no longer being employed, nor stable unemployment were associated with smoking, vaping or drinking, following adjustment for pre-pandemic characteristics. However, some sex differences in these associations were observed, with stable unemployment associated with smoking for women (ARR=1.35; 95% CI: 1.00-1.82; I2: 47%) but not men (0.84; 95% CI: 0.67-1.05; I2: 0%). No longer being employed was associated with vaping among women (ARR=2.74; 95% CI: 1.59-4.72; I2: 0%) but not men (ARR=1.25; 95% CI: 0.83-1.87; I2: 0%). There was little indication of associations with drinking differing by age, gender or education.

Conclusions

We found no clear evidence of furlough or unemployment having adverse impacts on smoking, vaping or drinking behaviours during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with differences in risk compared to those who remained employed largely explained by pre-pandemic characteristics.
Opponent learning with different representations in the cortico-basal ganglia circuits
Authors: Morita Kenji , Shimomura Kanji , Kawaguchi Yasuo
Published: November 2021

The direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia (BG) have been suggested to learn mainly from positive and negative feedbacks, respectively. Since these pathways unevenly receive inputs from different cortical neuron types and/or regions, they may preferentially use different state/action representations. We explored whether such combined use of different representations coupled with appetitive or aversive learning has computational benefits. We simulated reward learning tasks in dynamic environments, and examined the performance of animal modeled as an agent equipped with two learning systems, each of which used individual representation (IR) or successor representation (SR) of states. With varying the combination of IR or SR and also the learning rates from positive and negative reward prediction errors (RPEs) in each system, we found that combination of an SR-based system learning mainly from positive RPEs and an IR-based system learning mainly from negative RPEs could achieve good performance, as compared to other combinations, in many situations. The architecture of such a combination provides a novel coherent explanation for the functional significance and underlying mechanism of diverse findings about the cortico-BG circuits. These results suggest that combining different representations with appetitive and aversive learning is an effective learning strategy adopted by the brain.
SARS-CoV-2 mechanistic correlates of protection: insight from modelling response to vaccines
Authors: Alexandre Marie , Marlin Romain , Prague Mélanie , Coleon Séverin , Kahlaoui Nidhal , Cardinaud Sylvain , Naninck Thibaut , Delache Benoit , Surenaud Mathieu , Galhaut Mathilde , Dereuddre-Bosquet Nathalie , Cavarelli Mariangela , Maisonnasse Pauline , Centlivre Mireille , Lacabaratz Christine , Wiedemann Aurelie , Zurawski Sandra , Zurawski Gerard , Schwartz Olivier , Sanders Rogier W , Le Grand Roger , Levy Yves , Thiébaut Rodolphe
Published: November 2021

The definition of correlates of protection is critical for the development of next generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms. Here, we propose a new framework for identifying mechanistic correlates of protection based on mathematical modelling of viral dynamics and data mining of immunological markers. The application to three different studies in non-human primates evaluating SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on CD40-targeting, two-component spike nanoparticle and mRNA 1273 identifies and quantifies two main mechanisms that are a decrease of rate of cell infection and an increase in clearance of infected cells. Inhibition of RBD binding to ACE2 appears to be a robust mechanistic correlate of protection across the three vaccine platforms although not capturing the whole biological vaccine effect. The model shows that RBD/ACE2 binding inhibition represents a strong mechanism of protection which required significant reduction in blocking potency to effectively compromise the control of viral replication.

One Sentence Summary

A framework for modelling the immune control of viral dynamics is applied to quantify the effect of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms and to define mechanistic correlates of protection.