bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Do the Managers Think of Us? The Older-Worker-Perspective of Managers’ Attitudes
Authors: Meng Annette , Sundstrup Emil , Andersen Lars L.
Published: April 2021

Background: Due to demographic changes, the need to prolong working life has become increasingly salient. Paradoxically, stereotyping and discrimination against workers based on their age can limit possibilities for a long working life. A large body of research has investigated attitudes towards older workers; however, less is known about differences across occupational groups as well gender differences. Aim: To compare perceptions of the managers’ perceptions of older workers between employees from mainly seated work and mainly physical work as well as men and women. Method: Data from 11,444 workers aged 50+ from the baseline questionnaire survey in the SeniorWorkingLife study were analyzed. Results: Across all groups, a larger proportion of the respondents indicated that their managers had more positive than negative perceptions of older workers. Respondents from the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) group 5–9 (mainly physical work) and women were less likely to point at both positive and negative perceptions than the ISCO group 14 (mainly seated work) and men, respectively. Conclusions: The results indicate that there are differences between those with mainly physical and mainly seated work as well as gender differences. More research is warranted to explore the nature of these differences and, in particular, attitudes towards older female and male workers, respectively.
Trends in Incidence and Mortality of Skin Melanoma in Lithuania 1991–2015
Authors: Dulskas Audrius , Cerkauskaite Dovile , Vincerževskiene Ieva , Urbonas Vincas
Published: April 2021

Background. We aimed to investigate age-specific and sex-specific incidence trends of melanoma in Lithuania from 1991 to 2015. Methods. Analysis was based on data from the population-based Lithuanian Cancer Registry database for 1991–2015, and 6024 cases of skin melanoma were identified. Age-adjusted rates (ASRs) by sex and age group were calculated. Adjustment for ASRs was done using the old European standard population, where a total of three age groups were considered: 0–39, 40–59 and 60+. Additionally, the annual percent change (APC) was calculated, and 95% confidence intervals for APC were calculated. Results. Between 1991 and 2015, the overall melanoma rates increased by an annual percent change (APC) of 3.9% in men (95% CI, 3.6–4.1%) and 2.3% in women (95% CI, 2.1–2.5%). The highest incidences of new cutaneous melanoma cases were observed between old adults (60+) of both sexes, while the lowest incidence rates were observed in the young adult group (up to 39 years old), with the lowest APC (1.6% in males and 0.4% in females). The overall number of melanoma deaths during 1991 and 2015 increased from 64 to 103 deaths per year, and the age-standardized rate (ASR) increased 1.3 times (from 1.8 to 2.4). Conclusions. The incidence and mortality of skin melanoma seem to be increased in all age groups. These trends indicate that skin protection behavior is not sufficient in our population and more efforts need to be taken in order to decrease incidence and mortality rates.
Association between Dietary Fibre Intake and Colorectal Adenoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nucci Daniele , Fatigoni Cristina , Salvatori Tania , Nardi Mariateresa , Realdon Stefano , Gianfredi Vincenza
Published: April 2021

PubMed/Medline, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) and Scopus were searched in January 2021 in order to retrieve evidence assessing the association between dietary fibre intake and the risk of colorectal adenoma in adults. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used for the reporting of results. Only primary observational studies were included. Publication bias was estimated through the Egger’s test and the visual inspection of the funnel plot. Heterogeneity between studies was calculated with I2 statistics. The search strategy identified 683 papers, 21 of which were included in our meta-analysis. Having evaluated a total of 157,725 subjects, the results suggest a protective effect of dietary fibre intake against colorectal adenoma. Effect Size (ES) was [0.71 (95% CI = 0.68–0.75), p = 0.000)]. Moderate statistical heterogeneity (Chi2 = 61.68, df = 23, I2 = 62.71%, p = 0.000) was found. Findings show a statistically significant (p = 0.000) and robust association between a higher intake of dietary fibre and a lower risk of colorectal adenoma, considering both the prevalent and incident risk. Moreover, the meta-regression analysis showed a borderline significant negative linear correlation between the amount of dietary fibre intake and colorectal adenoma. Lastly, we performed a subgroup analysis by sex, showing a higher protective effect for men.
Protection against Sexual Violence in the Colombian Legal Framework: Obstacles and Consequences for Women Victims
Authors: Parra-Barrera Sandra , Moyano Nieves , Boldova Miguel , Sánchez-Fuentes María
Published: April 2021

Sexual violence is a type of gender-based violence (GBV), as it is one of the different types of violence that is exerted against women. Sexual violence infringes fundamental human rights, and denies women’s dignity and self-determination, personal development, and well-being. Despite international treaties and a regulatory framework that legally protects Colombian women against sexual violence, it is necessary to know the effectiveness of this regulatory framework in Colombia. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to examine criminal legislation on crimes of sexual violence in Colombia with a dual purpose: first, to analyze procedural guarantees for women victims of sexual violence; second, to determine obstacles for victims of sexual violence in accordance with the legal framework. We used a legal interpretation method to perform an analysis and interpret the law. The results found that, although sexual violence is considered a type of crime, procedural guarantees are not effective as victims encounter serious obstacles with negative consequences, such as the violation of fundamental human rights.
Distribution of Plantar Pressure in Soccer Players
Authors: Hawrylak Arletta , Brzeźna Anna , Chromik Krystyna
Published: April 2021

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the static and dynamic distribution of foot pressure on the ground and to investigate the relationships between body mass index (BMI) and mean variables of plantar pressure between soccer players and their non-athlete peers. (2) Methods: The study involved 18 first-division Polish soccer players and 30 non-athlete physiotherapy students. The research experiment was conducted using the FreeMed platform. Basic descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize the variables. Additionally, in the static and dynamic tests, Spearman’s rank correlations between body mass index (BMI) and plantar load were calculated. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences between groups were observed in the loading of the dominant limb. A statistically significant correlation between BMI and loading of both limbs was found in the static test and between BMI and loading of the dominant limb in the dynamic test. (4) Conclusions: The baropodometric mat used in our study helped determine the plantar pressure distribution of soccer players and their non-athlete peers. Correlation analysis revealed that BMI was only associated with the mean plantar pressure of the dominant limb in the control group. Further research on a larger group of athletes is needed to determine how much sporting activity may affect the development to modifications within feet in soccer players.
Blood Lead Level and Renal Impairment among Adults: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kuraeiad Saruda , Kotepui Manas
Published: April 2021

Background: The adult population in lead-related occupations or environmentally exposed to lead may be at risk for renal impairment and lead nephropathy. This meta-analysis aims to determine the impact of blood lead level (BLL) on renal function among middle-aged participants. Methods: Cross-sectional, longitudinal, or cohort studies that reported BLL and renal function tests among adult participants were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. Relevant studies were included and assessed for quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). The pooled mean BLL of participants with a high BLL (≥30 µg/dL), moderate BLL (20–30 µg/dL), and low BLL (<20 µg/dL) was estimated using the random effects model. The pooled mean differences in BLL, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, uric acid, and creatinine clearance between the exposed and non-exposed participants were estimated using the random effects model. Meta-regression was performed to demonstrate the association between the effect size (ES) of the pooled mean BLL and renal function. Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. Cochrane Q with a p value less than 0.05 and I2 more than 50% demonstrated substantial heterogeneity among the studies included. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot between the effect size and standard error of the effect size. Results: Out of 1657 articles, 43 were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the pooled mean BLL in the participants with a high BLL, moderate BLL, and low BLL was 42.41 µg/dL (95% confidence interval (CI): 42.14–42.67, I2: 99.1%), 22.18 µg/dL (95% CI: 21.68–22.68, I2: 60.4%), and 2.9 µg/dL (95% CI: 2.9–2.9, I2: 100%), respectively. The mean BLL of the exposed participants was higher than that of the non-exposed participants (weighted mean difference (WMD): 25.5, p < 0.0001, 95% CI: 18.59–32.45, I2: 99.8%, 17 studies). The mean BUN (WMD: 1.66, p < 0.0001, 95% CI: 0.76–2.55, I2: 76%, 10 studies) and mean creatinine (WMD: 0.05, p = 0.007, 95% CI: 0.01–0.08, I2: 76.8%, 15 studies) in the exposed participants were higher than those in the non-exposed participants. The mean creatinine clearance in the exposed participants was lower than that in the non-exposed participants (standard mean difference (SMD): −0.544, p = 0.03, 95% CI: −1.035–(−0.054), I2: 96.2%). The meta-regression demonstrated a significant positive effect of BLL on BUN (p = 0.022, coefficient: 0.75, constant: −3.7, 10 studies). Conclusions: BLL was observed to be associated with abnormal renal function test parameters, including high BUN, high creatinine, and low creatinine clearance. Moreover, BUN seemed to be the most valuable prognostic marker for lead-induced renal impairment. Therefore, regular checks for renal function among lead-exposed workers should be a priority and publicly promoted.
Modeling the Potential Future Distribution of Anthrax Outbreaks under Multiple Climate Change Scenarios for Kenya
Authors: Otieno Fredrick Tom , Gachohi John , Gikuma-Njuru Peter , Kariuki Patrick , Oyas Harry , Canfield Samuel A. , Bett Bernard , Njenga Moses Kariuki , Blackburn Jason K.
Published: April 2021

The climate is changing, and such changes are projected to cause global increase in the prevalence and geographic ranges of infectious diseases such as anthrax. There is limited knowledge in the tropics with regards to expected impacts of climate change on anthrax outbreaks. We determined the future distribution of anthrax in Kenya with representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 for year 2055. Ecological niche modelling (ENM) of boosted regression trees (BRT) was applied in predicting the potential geographic distribution of anthrax for current and future climatic conditions. The models were fitted with presence-only anthrax occurrences (n = 178) from historical archives (2011–2017), sporadic outbreak surveys (2017–2018), and active surveillance (2019–2020). The selected environmental variables in order of importance included rainfall of wettest month, mean precipitation (February, October, December, July), annual temperature range, temperature seasonality, length of longest dry season, potential evapotranspiration and slope. We found a general anthrax risk areal expansion i.e., current, 36,131 km2, RCP 4.5, 40,012 km2, and RCP 8.5, 39,835 km2. The distribution exhibited a northward shift from current to future. This prediction of the potential anthrax distribution under changing climates can inform anticipatory measures to mitigate future anthrax risk.
Examining the Neighborhood Attributes of Recently Housed Partner Violence Survivors in Rapid Rehousing
Authors: Holliday Charvonne N. , Bevilacqua Kristin , Grace Karen Trister , Denhard Langan , Kaur Arshdeep , Miller Janice , Decker Michele R.
Published: April 2021

Survivors’ considerations for re-housing following intimate partner violence (IPV) are understudied despite likely neighborhood-level influences on women’s safety. We assess housing priorities and predictors of re-housing location among recent IPV survivors (n = 54) in Rapid Re-housing (RRH) in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Choropleth maps depict residential location relative to census tract characteristics (neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) and residential segregation) derived from American Community Survey data (2013–2017). Linear regression measured associations between women’s individual, economic, and social factors and NDI and segregation. In-depth interviews (n = 16) contextualize quantitative findings. Overall, survivors re-housed in significantly more deprived and racially segregated census tracts within their respective regions. In adjusted models, trouble securing housing (B = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.13, 1.34), comfortability with proximity to loved ones (B = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.02, 1.48), and being unsure (vs unlikely) about IPV risk (B = −0.76, 95% CI: −1.39, −0.14) were significantly associated with NDI. Economic dependence on an abusive partner (B = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.56, −0.06) predicted re-housing in segregated census tracts; occasional stress about housing affordability (B = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.75) predicted re-housing in less segregated census tracts. Qualitative results contextualize economic (affordability), safety, and social (familiarity) re-housing considerations and process impacts (inspection delays). Structural racism, including discriminatory housing practices, intersect with gender, exacerbating challenges among survivors of severe IPV. This mixed-methods study further highlights the significant economic tradeoffs for safety and stability, where the prioritization of safety may exacerbate economic devastation for IPV survivors. Findings will inform programmatic policies for RRH practices among survivors.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumers’ Psychological Behavior Based on Data Mining for Online User Comments in the Catering Industry in China
Authors: Zhang Chenyu , Jiang Jiayue , Jin Hong , Chen Tinggui
Published: April 2021

The outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019 has had a huge impact on people’s daily life. Many restaurant businesses have been greatly affected by it. Consumers’ preferences for catering industry in China have changed, such as environmental hygiene, variety of dishes, and service methods. Therefore, the analysis of consumer preference differences and changes before and after the epidemic can not only provide emergency strategies for the catering industry but further improve the catering industry’s ability to deal with public health emergencies. This paper takes five cities in China as representatives to explore the impact of COVID-19 on China’s catering industry. Based on catering review data from August 2019 to April 2020, this paper first carries out Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic analysis and SNOWNLP (A Python library for processing Chinese text) sentiment analysis. Then this paper compares the results of topic classification and sentiment analysis before and after the epidemic. Furthermore, differences and changes of consumer preferences are obtained and preferences of consumers under COVID-19 are analyzed and forecasted. The results of LDA thematic analysis before the outbreak of COVID-19 show that consumers tend to punch in cyber celebrity restaurants and pay more attention to the taste of dishes, whereas after it consumers pay more attention to the changes of dishes, dining environment as well as epidemic prevention. The number of packages and takeout was also increasing. However, the waiting time is constantly considered by consumers before and after COVID-19. Firstly, to our surprise, final outcome of emotional analysis showed that consumers’ emotional state was more positive after the epidemic than before. COVID-19 has changed the lifestyle of consumers, consumption concepts, and consumption habits. Therefore, businesses also need to take positive and flexible measures to actively get feedback from consumers to adjust dishes and business methods. Secondly, the psychological attitude of catering consumers is relatively positive during the epidemic period, which indicates that consumers have great confidence in the recovery and development of the catering industry. Businesses can comply with consumers’ psychology and combine consumption vouchers with restaurant discounts to promote consumers’ consumption. Finally, the environment and service play more and more important effect on consumers’ emotional scores at present, which indicates that dining state and comfortable mealtime environment are becoming increasingly valuable. Therefore, businesses need to improve service standards.
The Relationship of Urban Form on Children and Adolescent Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review of Canadian Evidence
Authors: Pitt Tona M. , Aucoin Janet , HubkaRao Tate , Goopy Suzanne , Cabaj Jason , Hagel Brent , McCormack Gavin R.
Published: April 2021

Urban form can have an impact on health outcomes in children, and the synthesis of findings can identify gaps in the literature and regional reviews may help guide policymakers. This study aims to complete a scoping review of the research relating urban form to health outcomes in children and adolescents from urban Canadian settings. Thirteen online databases were searched to identify studies that had objective measures of urban form and health outcomes. Two research assistants independently reviewed 27,444 titles and abstracts, and 176 full-text articles, returning 32 unique studies with youth-specific data. The majority of the included studies were cross-sectional or ecological (n = 26). Six studies used Canada-wide data and the rest were from Ontario (n = 11), Alberta (n = 6), and Quebec (n = 6). Urban form characteristics included neighbourhood food environment (n = 11), parks/natural space/greenness (n = 10), road or intersection characteristics (n = 7), and aggregated urban form measures (n = 7). Studies examined a variety of health outcomes: the majority considered weight status (n = 16) and injury (n = 10). Although there is over-reliance on mainly cross-sectional study designs, there is evidence suggesting that urban form is associated with health outcomes in Canadian youth, with parks/greenspace, road connectivity, and road characteristics most consistently associated with health outcomes in youth.
Risk Assessment of the SME Sector Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Grondys Katarzyna , Ślusarczyk Oliwia , Hussain Hafezali Iqbal , Androniceanu Armenia
Published: April 2021

The subject matter of the article relates to the assessment of the perception of selected types of risk in economic activities of the SME sector, which change their intensity as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current economic downturn is unprecedented and involves many companies and industries that have faced new, previously unknown challenges and threats. The objective of the article is to identify the most important risks and their resources based on the empirical research carried out in small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. The formulated objective was accomplished using the data collection method, i.e., the survey and reports on the condition of the SME sector in Poland as well as statistical data analysis methods, i.e., structure index and the analysis of variance, using the SPSS system. The process of primary data collection was carried out by means of an electronic survey among selected enterprises of the SME sector, conducting business activities in Poland. In the study, the employment factor was taken into account as a determinant of the perception and assessment of the intensity of selected risks arising from the economic activity in the Polish market in the conditions of the current economic downturn. On the basis of the obtained results, the impact of market, economic, financial and operational risks, depending on their intensity, on the functioning of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises was identified. Based on the analysis of variance, the effect of the size of the company on the level of individual risks was also examined. As a result of the observations made, it was established that, during the pandemic, the level and type of risk is similar in all the surveyed enterprises. They are most often threatened by strong competition in the industry, an increase in energy prices and insufficient profit. The overall results of the empirical research indicate the importance and the need to manage the key threats to the Polish SME sector.
Development and Effects of Leukemia Nursing Simulation Based on Clinical Reasoning
Authors: Jang Aeri , Song Miok , Kim Suhyun
Published: April 2021

While the effects of simulation education and the importance of the clinical reasoning process have been well-reported, an acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) patient-care simulation program has yet to be formulated exclusively for the clinical experience of students. This study developed and subsequently applied a simulation program based on clinical reasoning for AML to improve the learning outcomes and describe the learning experience for nursing students. Following a mixed-methods framework, the program’s effects on students’ knowledge were quantitatively measured, while their learning experience was qualitatively measured using self-reflection through journal writing. Differences in the pre- and post-scores between the experimental and control groups were statistically significant for theoretical knowledge and clinical performance. In addition, content analysis of both groups’ journals revealed three themes: (1) transformation into a self-directed learner for understanding the clinical situation, (2) increased awareness of clinical reasoning ability, and (3) embodiment of the clinical reasoning process. Standardizing the developed program’s scenarios prompted the participants’ compliance and engagement, and effectively achieved the learning outcomes. This simulation program aided the assessment of nursing intervention’s effectiveness and suggested objective criteria according to clinical reasoning. Similar programs involving other clinical cases, not exclusive to leukemia, should be developed and evaluated.
Factors Associated with Practice of Chemical Pesticide Use and Acute Poisoning Experienced by Farmers in Chitwan District, Nepal
Authors: Kafle Simrin , Vaidya Abhinav , Pradhan Bandana , Jørs Erik , Onta Sharad
Published: April 2021

In view of increasing irrational use and unsafe handling of pesticides in agriculture in Nepal, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the practice of chemical pesticide use and acute health symptoms experienced by farmers. A total of 790 farmers from the Chitwan district were randomly selected for the study. X2 test, T-test, and Multiple Logistic Regression were used for analysis. Among the farmers, 84% used exclusively chemical pesticide. Farmers with better knowledge on pesticide handling were 8.3 times more likely to practice safe purchasing, four times more likely to practice safe mixing and spraying, and two times more likely to practice safe storage and disposal. Similarly, perception/attitude of farmers about chemical pesticide policy and market management was significantly associated with the practice of farmers during purchasing, mixing and spraying, and storage and disposal. Among the users of chemical pesticides, 18.7% farmers experienced one or more pesticide related acute symptoms of health problems during the previous 12 months. Farmers with unsafe practices of pesticide handling were two times more likely to suffer from acute poisoning. It is concluded that knowledge about pesticide handling and favorable perception/attitude on pesticide policy and market management are the predictors of safe use of pesticide.
Occupational Radiation Exposure and Validity of National Dosimetry Registry among Korean Interventional Radiologists
Authors: Ko Seulki , Kim Kwang Pyo , Cho Sung Bum , Bang Ye Jin , Ha Yae Won , Lee Won Jin
Published: April 2021

The national dose registry (NDR) contains essential information to help protect radiation workers from radiation-related health risks and to facilitate epidemiological studies. However, direct validation of the reported doses has not been considered. We investigated the validity of the NDR with a personal dosimeter monitoring conducted among Korean interventional radiologists. Among the 56 interventional radiologists, NDR quarterly doses were compared with actively monitored personal thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) doses as standard measures of validation. We conducted analyses with participants categorized according to compliance with TLD badge-wearing policies. A correlation between actively monitored doses and NDR doses was low (Spearman ρ = 0.06), and the mean actively monitored dose was significantly higher than the mean NDR dose (mean difference 0.98 mSv) in all participants. However, interventional radiologists who wore badges irregularly showed a large difference between actively monitored doses and NDR doses (mean difference 2.39 mSv), and participants who wore badges regularly showed no apparent difference between actively monitored doses and NDR doses (mean difference 0.26 mSv). This study indicated that NDR data underestimate the actual occupational radiation exposure, and the validity of these data varies according to compliance with badge-wearing policies. Considerable attention is required to interpret and utilize NDR data based on radiation workers’ compliance with badge-wearing policies.
Decellularized Cartilage Extracellular Matrix Incorporated Silk Fibroin Hybrid Scaffolds for Endochondral Ossification Mediated Bone Regeneration
Authors: Jeyakumar Vivek , Amraish Nedaa , Niculescu-Morsza Eugenia , Bauer Christoph , Pahr Dieter , Nehrer Stefan
Published: April 2021

Tissue engineering strategies promote bone regeneration for large bone defects by stimulating the osteogenesis route via intramembranous ossification in engineered grafts, which upon implantation are frequently constrained by insufficient integration and functional anastomosis of vasculature from the host tissue. In this study, we developed a hybrid biomaterial incorporating decellularized cartilage extracellular matrix (CD-ECM) as a template and silk fibroin (SF) as a carrier to assess the bone regeneration capacity of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSC’s) via the endochondral ossification (ECO) route. hBMSC’s were primed two weeks for chondrogenesis, followed by six weeks for hypertrophy onto hybrid CD-ECM/SF or SF alone scaffolds and evaluated for the mineralized matrix formation in vitro. Calcium deposition biochemically determined increased significantly from 4-8 weeks in both SF and CD-ECM/SF constructs, and retention of sGAG’s were observed only in CD-ECM/SF constructs. SEM/EDX revealed calcium and phosphate crystal localization by hBMSC’s under all conditions. Compressive modulus reached a maximum of 40 KPa after eight weeks of hypertrophic induction. μCT scanning at eight weeks indicated a cloud of denser minerals in groups after hypertrophic induction in CD-ECM/SF constructs than SF constructs. Gene expression by RT-qPCR revealed that hBMSC’s expressed hypertrophic markers VEGF, COL10, RUNX2, but the absence of early hypertrophic marker ChM1 and later hypertrophic marker TSBS1 and the presence of osteogenic markers ALPL, IBSP, OSX under all conditions. Our data indicate a new method to prime hBMSC’S into the late hypertrophic stage in vitro in mechanically stable constructs for ECO-mediated bone tissue regeneration.
Upregulated Expression of Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase in Ocular Adnexal Marginal Zone Lymphoma with IgG4-Positive Cells
Authors: Nishikori Asami , Nishimura Yoshito , Shibata Rei , Ohshima Koh-ichi , Gion Yuka , Ikeda Tomoka , Nishimura Midori Filiz , Yoshino Tadashi , Sato Yasuharu
Published: April 2021

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic disorder characterized by tissue fibrosis and intense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, causing progressive organ dysfunction. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a deaminase normally expressed in activated B-cells in germinal centers, edits ribonucleotides to induce somatic hypermutation and class switching of immunoglobulin. While AID expression is strictly controlled under physiological conditions, chronic inflammation has been noted to induce its upregulation to propel oncogenesis. We examined AID expression in IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD; n = 16), marginal zone lymphoma with IgG4-positive cells (IgG4+ MZL; n = 11), and marginal zone lymphoma without IgG4-positive cells (IgG4- MZL; n = 12) of ocular adnexa using immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemistry revealed significantly higher AID-intensity index in IgG4-ROD and IgG4+ MZL than IgG4- MZL (p < 0.001 and = 0.001, respectively). The present results suggest that IgG4-RD has several specific causes of AID up-regulation in addition to inflammation, and AID may be a driver of oncogenesis in IgG4-ROD to IgG4+ MZL.
Targeting the Reconsolidation of Licit Drug Memories to Prevent Relapse: Focus on Alcohol and Nicotine
Authors: Barak Segev , Goltseker Koral
Published: April 2021

Alcohol and nicotine are widely abused legal substances worldwide. Relapse to alcohol or tobacco seeking and consumption after abstinence is a major clinical challenge, and is often evoked by cue-induced craving. Therefore, disruption of the memory for the cue–drug association is expected to suppress relapse. Memories have been postulated to become labile shortly after their retrieval, during a “memory reconsolidation” process. Interference with the reconsolidation of drug-associated memories has been suggested as a possible strategy to reduce or even prevent cue-induced craving and relapse. Here, we surveyed the growing body of studies in animal models and in humans assessing the effectiveness of pharmacological or behavioral manipulations in reducing relapse by interfering with the reconsolidation of alcohol and nicotine/tobacco memories. Our review points to the potential of targeting the reconsolidation of these memories as a strategy to suppress relapse to alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking. However, we discuss several critical limitations and boundary conditions, which should be considered to improve the consistency and replicability in the field, and for development of an efficient reconsolidation-based relapse-prevention therapy.
Peroxisomal Disorders and Their Mouse Models Point to Essential Roles of Peroxisomes for Retinal Integrity
Authors: Das Yannick , Swinkels Daniëlle , Baes Myriam
Published: April 2021

Peroxisomes are multifunctional organelles, well known for their role in cellular lipid homeostasis. Their importance is highlighted by the life-threatening diseases caused by peroxisomal dysfunction. Importantly, most patients suffering from peroxisomal biogenesis disorders, even those with a milder disease course, present with a number of ocular symptoms, including retinopathy. Patients with a selective defect in either peroxisomal α- or β-oxidation or ether lipid synthesis also suffer from vision problems. In this review, we thoroughly discuss the ophthalmological pathology in peroxisomal disorder patients and, where possible, the corresponding animal models, with a special emphasis on the retina. In addition, we attempt to link the observed retinal phenotype to the underlying biochemical alterations. It appears that the retinal pathology is highly variable and the lack of histopathological descriptions in patients hampers the translation of the findings in the mouse models. Furthermore, it becomes clear that there are still large gaps in the current knowledge on the contribution of the different metabolic disturbances to the retinopathy, but branched chain fatty acid accumulation and impaired retinal PUFA homeostasis are likely important factors.
Machine Learning-Based Classification of Lignocellulosic Biomass from Pyrolysis-Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry Data
Authors: Nag Ambarish , Gerritsen Alida , Doeppke Crissa , Harman-Ware Anne E.
Published: April 2021

High-throughput analysis of biomass is necessary to ensure consistent and uniform feedstocks for agricultural and bioenergy applications and is needed to inform genomics and systems biology models. Pyrolysis followed by mass spectrometry such as molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS) analyses are becoming increasingly popular for the rapid analysis of biomass cell wall composition and typically require the use of different data analysis tools depending on the need and application. Here, the authors report the py-MBMS analysis of several types of lignocellulosic biomass to gain an understanding of spectral patterns and variation with associated biomass composition and use machine learning approaches to classify, differentiate, and predict biomass types on the basis of py-MBMS spectra. Py-MBMS spectra were also corrected for instrumental variance using generalized linear modeling (GLM) based on the use of select ions relative abundances as spike-in controls. Machine learning classification algorithms e.g., random forest, k-nearest neighbor, decision tree, Gaussian Naïve Bayes, gradient boosting, and multilayer perceptron classifiers were used. The k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) classifier generally performed the best for classifications using raw spectral data, and the decision tree classifier performed the worst. After normalization of spectra to account for instrumental variance, all the classifiers had comparable and generally acceptable performance for predicting the biomass types, although the k-NN and decision tree classifiers were not as accurate for prediction of specific sample types. Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) classifiers performed better than the k-NN and the decision tree classifiers for the prediction of biomass mixtures. The data analysis workflow reported here could be applied and extended for comparison of biomass samples of varying types, species, phenotypes, and/or genotypes or subjected to different treatments, environments, etc. to further elucidate the sources of spectral variance, patterns, and to infer compositional information based on spectral analysis, particularly for analysis of data without a priori knowledge of the feedstock composition or identity.
When Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus and Severe COVID-19 Converge: The Perfect Storm for Mucormycosis
Authors: John Teny M. , Jacob Ceena N. , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P.
Published: April 2021

Mucormycosis (MCR) has been increasingly described in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but the epidemiological factors, presentation, diagnostic certainty, and outcome of such patients are not well described. We review the published COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAMCR) cases (total 41) to identify risk factors, clinical features, and outcomes. CAMCR was typically seen in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) (94%) especially the ones with poorly controlled DM (67%) and severe or critical COVID-19 (95%). Its presentation was typical of MCR seen in diabetic patients (mostly rhino-orbital and rhino-orbital-cerebral presentation). In sharp contrast to reported COVID-associated aspergillosis (CAPA) cases, nearly all CAMCR infections were proven (93%). Treating physicians should have a high suspicion for CAMCR in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and severe COVID-19 presenting with rhino-orbital or rhino-cerebral syndromes. CAMR is the convergence of two storms, one of DM and the other of COVID-19.
Evaluation of Scale Management Suitability Based on the Entropy-TOPSIS Method
Authors: Cao Xiaoteng , Wei Chaofu , Xie Deti
Published: April 2021

The evaluation of scale management suitability provides a comprehensive assessment of the various factors driving farmland management conditions. This research objectively evaluated the conditions for scale management suitability by applying the entropy-TOPSIS method with the aim of effectively balancing the space for agricultural production, the development of towns, and ecological protection. First, to ensure a balance between agricultural production, urban development, and ecological protection, 13 indexes were selected to represent the following three areas: natural factors, socioeconomic factors, and characteristics of cultivated land factors. The original matrix was standardized to evaluate the suitability of natural resources, the social economy, and cultivated land conditions, and a comprehensive suitability evaluation of scale management in the Jiangjin District of Chongqing was conducted. The research results divide the study area into four regions based on the level of scale management suitability. Examining the spatial distribution, the level of scale management suitability decreased gradually from north to south, regions at the high and middle levels of scale management suitability were concentrated in the northern area beside the Yangtze river, and the regions at a low level were concentrated in the southern mountain area. This research can provide a reference for the rational utilization of land resources and land use policymaking.
The Tourism–Landscape Nexus: Assessment and Insights from a Bibliographic Analysis
Authors: Meneghello Sabrina
Published: April 2021

Over the last two decades, the awareness about landscape as a common good and the definition of tourism as a relevant driver of territorial development have both increased contributions to contemporary reflections on places and mobilities. From a scientific point of view, the need for structured contributions on the “landscape–tourism” nexus has been stressed. In fact, tourism and landscape studies are fed by many disciplines, often returning sectorial articles, sometimes lacking in organicity. Considering recent literary reviews carried out through bibliometric and content analyses, the present paper intends to map different ways of defining and understanding this complex interrelation as it emerges from the main research areas. From geographical contributions to managerial perspectives addressing destination planning and development, and from sociological non-representational to actor network theories applied to tourism, among others, the nexus is faced by approaches and concepts that are both specific and recurrent. Expressions such as “tourist landscape”, “tourism landscape”, “touristscape” with their different meanings orient this literary investigation informing a tentative conceptual framework where interrelated spatial, social, and symbolic dimensions emerge with a key definitional role. The general aim was to possibly enrich the reflection on this relationship, providing new definitional contributions and conceptual frameworks able to coherently influence both theory and practice.
Sigmoidal Dependence of Electrical Conductivity of Thin PEDOT:PSS Films on Concentration of Linear Glycols as a Processing Additive
Authors: Jeong Hyeok Jo , Jang Hong , Kim Taemin , Earmme Taeshik , Kim Felix Sunjoo
Published: April 2021

We investigate the sigmoidal concentration dependence of electrical conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) processed with linear glycol-based additives such as ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG), triethylene glycol (TEG), hexaethylene glycol (HEG), and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME). We observe that a sharp transition of conductivity occurs at the additive concentration of ~0.6 wt.%. EG, DEG, and TEG are effective in conductivity enhancement, showing the saturation conductivities of 271.8, 325.4, and 326.2 S/cm, respectively. Optical transmittance and photoelectron spectroscopic features are rather invariant when the glycols are used as an additive. Two different figures of merit, calculated from both sheet resistance and optical transmittance to describe the performance of the transparent electrodes, indicate that both DEG and TEG are two most effective additives among the series in fabrication of transparent electrodes based on PEDOT:PSS films with a thickness of ~50–60 nm.
Determination of Transverse Shear Stiffness of Sandwich Panels with a Corrugated Core by Numerical Homogenization
Authors: Garbowski Tomasz , Gajewski Tomasz
Published: April 2021

Knowing the material properties of individual layers of the corrugated plate structures and the geometry of its cross-section, the effective material parameters of the equivalent plate can be calculated. This can be problematic, especially if the transverse shear stiffness is also necessary for the correct description of the equivalent plate performance. In this work, the method proposed by Biancolini is extended to include the possibility of determining, apart from the tensile and flexural stiffnesses, also the transverse shear stiffness of the homogenized corrugated board. The method is based on the strain energy equivalence between the full numerical 3D model of the corrugated board and its Reissner-Mindlin flat plate representation. Shell finite elements were used in this study to accurately reflect the geometry of the corrugated board. In the method presented here, the finite element method is only used to compose the initial global stiffness matrix, which is then condensed and directly used in the homogenization procedure. The stability of the proposed method was tested for different variants of the selected representative volume elements. The obtained results are consistent with other technique already presented in the literature.
Evaluation of Bonding Gap Control Methods for an Epoxy Adhesive Joint of Carbon Fiber Tubes and Aluminum Alloy Inserts
Authors: Rządkowski Witold , Tracz Jan , Cisowski Adam , Gardyjas Kamil , Groen Hubert , Palka Marek , Kowalik Michał
Published: April 2021

The aim of this paper is to compare two methods of epoxy adhesive bond gap control: one with a geometrical (mechanical) solution and the other with glass beads, which have the diameter of the desired bond gap and are mixed with an epoxy adhesive. The adhered materials were carbon fiber composite tubes and aluminum alloy inserts, which were used as wishbones in a suspension system of a motorsport vehicle. It was assumed that the gap thickness would be equal to 0.2 mm and the length of a bond would be 30 mm. The internal diameter of the tubes was 14 mm and 18 mm, whereas the inserts’ external diameter was 13.6 mm and 17.6 mm. Their surface has been subjected to mechanical treatment with sand paper starting from 240 grit up to 400. The adhesives used were EA 3425 and EA 9466 cured at 80 °C for 2 h. The results showed that the glass beads method provides more consistent and better results as compared to the geometrical (mechanical) method. Further study in the area of fatigue and interfacial failure modes could be useful.
Flexible Quasi-Solid-State Composite Electrolyte of Poly (Propylene Glycol)-co-Pentaerythritol Triacry-Late/Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Battery
Authors: Deng Zekun , Zheng Zhenyang , Ruan Wenhong , Zhang Mingqiu
Published: April 2021

With a higher theoretical specific capacity (1675 mAh g−1) and energy density (2600 Wh kg−1), the lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is considered as a promising candidate for a next-generation energy storage device. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfides as well as the large interfacial impedance between brittle solid electrolyte and electrodes lead to the capacity of the Li-S battery decaying rapidly, which limits the practical commercial applications of the Li-S battery. Herein, we reported a facile in situ ultraviolet (UV) curing method to prepare a flexible quasi-solid-state composite electrolyte (QSSCE) of poly(propylene glycol)-co-pentaerythritol triacrylate/Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (PPG-co-PETA/LAGP). By combining the high Li-ion conductivity and mechanical strength of inorganic NASICON-structure LAGP and good flexibility of the crosslinked PPG-co-PETA with nanopore structure, the flexible QSSCE with 66.85 wt% LAGP exhibited high Li-ion conductivity of 5.95 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 °C, Li-ion transference number of 0.83 and wide electrochemical window of ~5.0 V (vs. Li/Li+). In addition, the application of QSSCE in the Li-S battery could suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfides effectively, thus the Li-S battery possessed the excellent electrochemical cyclic performance, showing the first-cycle discharge-specific capacity of 1508.1 mAh g−1, the capacity retention of 73.6% after 200 cycles with 0.25 C at 25 °C and good rate performance.
Is Dental Amalgam a Higher Risk Factor rather than Resin-Based Restorations for Systemic Conditions? A Systematic Review
Authors: Gallusi Gianni , Libonati Antonio , Piro Mario , Di Taranto Virginia , Montemurro Edoardo , Campanella Vincenzo
Published: April 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that patients with one or more amalgam restorations have an increased risk for systemic diseases rather than patients with resin-based restorations. Data: The data search produced an initial 3568 total number of records. All titles and abstract were reviewed by five independent examiners, and only 36 records were selected for full text in depth examination. Out of these, only nine publications matched the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Sources: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Knowledge) were searched up to June 2019. In addition, a manual search was carried out on journals related to this topic. Study selection: All selected human clinical studies compared patients with dental amalgam restorations to patients with non-amalgam restorations on restorative material related diseases/health conditions with at least 50 patients and a reasonable follow up. The systemic effects of dental restorations were analyzed. As for any systemic effects, there was no difference between amalgam and composite restoration. Conclusions: With the limitations of the few available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the matter, amalgam restorations, similarly to other modern resin-based materials, were not related to an increased risk of systemic diseases or conditions. Clinical significance: On the basis of the available RCTs, amalgam restorations, if compared with resin-based fillings, do not show an increased risk for systemic diseases. There is still insufficient evidence to exclude or demonstrate any direct influence on general health. The removal of old amalgam restorations and their substitution with more modern adhesive restorations should be performed only when clinically necessary and not just for material concerns. In order to better evaluate the safety of dental amalgam compared to other more modern restorative materials, further RCTs that consider important parameters such as long and uniform follow up periods, number of restorations per patient, and sample populations representative of chronic or degenerative diseases are needed.