bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Facile transdermal delivery of upconversion nanoparticle by iontophoresis-responsive magneto-upconversion oleogel
Authors: Dhal Soumyashree , Gavara Roja Ramani , Pal Kunal , Banerjee Indranil , Mishra Monalisa , Giri Supratim 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
The effective application of upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) as a photo-medicine in skin cancers critically depends on a facile transdermal delivery process through topical route. Herein, combining two non-invasive techniques, i.e. skin permeation enhancement and alternating current (AC) induced iontophoresis, we report a controlled transdermal delivery of UCNP with a time advantage. We have synthesized a series of soybean oil-based oleogels termed as magneto-upconversion (MU) gels by incorporating a fixed amount of UCNP and different proportions of magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) using stearic acid-based gelator as a skin permeation enhancing agent. The microstructures of the synthesized MU gels were characterized by microscopy, X-Ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy. A detailed analysis of the electrical properties revealed a gradual increase in the electrical conductance in the MU gel series with increasing proportion of MNP. Such trend of conductance imparted proportional iontophoretic response within the respective MU gels, validated through the release of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride as a model drug preloaded within the oleogels. Through a series of skin permeation experiment using pig ear skin as animal model, we established that the UCNP was able to permeate the whole thickness of the skin within as little as 3 h, only when the two conditions, i.e. the presence of skin permeation enhancer and iontophoresis were met. Within the same time, UCNP permeation was enhanced by the presence of MNP in the MU gels upto 2 folds. Our study developed a rational method for the transdermal delivery of any electrically non-conducting nanoparticle in a faster and tunable way.
Effects of an intervention to reduce fear of falling and increase physical activity during hip and pelvic fracture rehabilitation
Authors: Pfeiffer Klaus , Kampe Karin , Klenk Jochen , Rapp Kilian , Kohler Michaela , Albrecht Diana , Büchele Gisela , Hautzinger Martin , Taraldsen Kristin , Becker Clemens 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
fear of falling and reduced fall-related self-efficacy are frequent consequences of falls and associated with poorer rehabilitation outcomes. To address these psychological consequences, geriatric inpatient rehabilitation was augmented with a cognitive behavioural intervention (“Step by Step”) and evaluated in a RCT.

Methods
one hundred fifteen hip and pelvic fracture patients (age = 82.5 years, 70% female) admitted to geriatric inpatient rehabilitation were randomly allocated to the intervention or control group. The intervention consisted of eight additional individual sessions during inpatient rehabilitation, one home visit and four telephone calls delivered over 2 months after discharge. Both groups received geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. Primary outcomes were fall-related self-efficacy (short falls efficacy scale-international) and physical activity as measured by daily walking duration (activPAL3™ sensor) after admission to rehabilitation, before discharge and 1-month post-intervention.

Results
in covariance analyses, patients in the intervention group showed a significant improvement in fall-related self-efficacy (P = 0.025, d = −0.42), but no difference in total daily walking duration (P = 0.688, d = 0.07) 1-month post-intervention compared to the control condition. Further significant effects in favour of the intervention group were found in the secondary outcomes “perceived ability to manage falls” (P = 0.031, d = 0.41), “physical performance” (short physical performance battery) (P = 0.002, d = 0.58) and a lower “number of falls” (P = 0.029, d = −0.45).

Conclusions
the intervention improved psychological and physical performance measures but did not increase daily walking duration. For the inpatient part of the intervention further research on the required minimum intensity needed to be effective is of interest. Duration and components used to improve physical activity after discharge should be reconsidered.
Mediation of Firearm Violence and Preterm Birth by Pregnancy Complications and Health Behaviors: Addressing Structural and Postexposure Confounding
Authors: Goin Dana E , Rudolph Kara E , Gomez Anu Manchikanti , Ahern Jennifer 
Published: March 2020

AbstractFirearm violence may indirectly affect health among pregnant women living in neighborhoods where it is endemic. We used birth, death, emergency department, and hospitalization data from California from 2007–2011 to estimate the association between living in a neighborhood with high firearm violence and preterm delivery, and assessed whether there was mediation by diagnoses of pregnancy complications and health behaviors during pregnancy. We used an ensemble machine learning algorithm to predict the propensity for neighborhoods to be classified as having a high level of firearm violence. Risk differences for the total effect and stochastic direct and indirect effects were estimated using targeted maximum likelihood. Residence in high-violence neighborhoods was associated with higher prevalence of preterm birth (risk difference (RD) = 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13, 0.80), infections (RD = 1.34, 95% CI: −0.17, 2.86), asthma (RD = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.03, 1.48), and substance use (RD = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.00, 1.47). The largest indirect effects for the association between violence and preterm birth were observed for infection (stochastic indirect effect = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.08) and substance use (stochastic indirect effect = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06). Firearm violence was associated with risk of preterm delivery, and this association was partially mediated by infection and substance use.
Medieval Modal Spaces
Authors: Pasnau I—Robert 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThere is often said to be something peculiar about the history of modal theory up until the turn of the fourteenth century, when John Duns Scotus decisively reframed the issues. I wish to argue that this impression of dramatic discontinuity is almost entirely a misimpression. Premodern philosophers prescind from the wide-open modal space of all possible worlds because they seek to adapt their modal discourse to the explanatory and linguistic demands of their context.
Direct modeling of the crude probability of cancer death and the number of life years lost due to cancer without the need of cause of death: a pseudo-observation approach in the relative survival setting
Authors: Kipourou Dimitra-Kleio , Perme Maja Pohar , Rachet Bernard , Belot Aurelien 
Published: March 2020

Summary
In population-based cancer studies, net survival is a crucial measure for population comparison purposes. However, alternative measures, namely the crude probability of death (CPr) and the number of life years lost (LYL) due to death according to different causes, are useful as complementary measures for reflecting different dimensions in terms of prognosis, treatment choice, or development of a control strategy. When the cause of death (COD) information is available, both measures can be estimated in competing risks setting using either cause-specific or subdistribution hazard regression models or with the pseudo-observation approach through direct modeling. We extended the pseudo-observation approach in order to model the CPr and the LYL due to different causes when information on COD is unavailable or unreliable (i.e., in relative survival setting). In a simulation study, we assessed the performance of the proposed approach in estimating regression parameters and examined models with different link functions that can provide an easier interpretation of the parameters. We showed that the pseudo-observation approach performs well for both measures and we illustrated their use on cervical cancer data from the England population-based cancer registry. A tutorial showing how to implement the method in R software is also provided.
Workplace Violence Against Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Workers: A Gendered, Settings-Based Approach
Authors: Natalier Kristin , Cortis Natasha , Seymour Kate , Wendt Sarah , King Debra 
Published: March 2020

AbstractViolence against social workers and other social service practitioners is prevalent across countries and service delivery settings, often accepted as implicit in working with vulnerable clients. A corresponding scholarly focus on workplace violence, and the factors that affect it, is, however, still developing. This is particularly stark in the domestic and family violence (DFV) and sexual assault (SA) sectors. To address this gap, this article explores the extent and impact of practitioners’ exposure to workplace violence, and the mix of work and organisational factors that predict it. Analysis of survey data from Australian DFV and SA practitioners (N = 903) enables a focus on the two main sources of workplace violence: violence from clients and violence from colleagues. Both types of violence were found to be prevalent, gendered and associated with emotional strain and intention to leave. We argue that in DFV and SA sectors, which respond to multiple forms of gendered violence, understanding the multifaceted nature of workplace violence, and the structural arrangements that underpin it, is necessary for planning strategies to prevent and address it.
The Role of Applied Theatre in Social Work: Creative Interventions with Homeless Individuals
Authors: Muñoz-Bellerín Manuel , Cordero-Ramos Nuria 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis article explores how creative theatre is used in the area of social work with homeless individuals in Seville (Spain). We look at how applied theatre can be used as a tool for encouraging the development of capacities amongst this group, which is largely excluded from mainstream society. To do this, we focus on our experiences in this area, with the aim of showing how social work and theatre can combine to form a powerful tool for fostering the development of agency and empowerment at an individual and group level. We also explain how theatrical performances are able to create spaces where homeless individuals and mainstream society are able to interact with one another beyond strictly institutional settings.
Prion protein codon 129 polymorphism in mild cognitive impairment and dementia: the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Karamujić-Čomić Hata , Ahmad Shahzad , Lysen Thom S , Heshmatollah Alis , Roshchupkin Gennady V , Vernooij Meike W , Rozemuller Annemieke J M , Ikram Mohammad Arfan , Amin Najaf , van Duijn Cornelia M 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease is a rare, fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the accumulation of abnormally folded prion proteins. The common polymorphism at codon 129 (methionine/valine) in the prion protein (PRNP) gene is the most important determinant of genetic susceptibility. Homozygotes of either allele have a higher risk of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Various studies suggest that this polymorphism is also involved in other forms of dementia. We studied the association between the codon 129 polymorphism of the PRNP gene and mild cognitive impairment in 3605 participants from the Rotterdam Study using logistic regression analyses. Subsequently, we studied the association between this polymorphism and incident dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in 11 070 participants using Cox proportional hazard models. Analyses were adjusted for age and sex. We found the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment to be higher for carriers of the methionine/methionine genotype (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.78; P = 0.005) as well as for carriers of the valine/valine genotype (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.96–1.97; P = 0.08). The codon 129 polymorphism was not associated with the risk of incident dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In conclusion, we found a statistically significant higher prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in carriers of the methionine/methionine genotype in the codon 129 polymorphism of the PRNP gene within this population-based study. No associations were found between the codon 129 polymorphism and dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in the general population.
The impact of preoperative sarcopenia on postoperative complications following esophagectomy for esophageal neoplasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Papaconstantinou Dimitrios , Vretakakou Konstantina , Paspala Anna , Misiakos Evangelos P , Charalampopoulos Anestis , Nastos Constantinos , Patapis Paul , Pikoulis Emmanouil 
Published: March 2020

Summary
Esophageal cancer is characterized by profound changes in body composition due to dysphagia and generalized cachexia. Sarcopenia or muscle wasting is a component of cachexia associated with poor postoperative performance status. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) calculated by computed tomography scans at the level of the third lumbar vertebra is an easily quantifiable and reproducible measure of sarcopenia. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the impact of preoperative sarcopenia (low SMI) on postoperative complications after esophagectomy for neoplastic lesions. In this context, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken to identify studies reporting short-term postoperative outcomes in relation to their preoperative SMI values. Cumulative risk ratios (RR) and risk differences (RD) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effect model. A total of 11 studies incorporating 1,979 total patients (964 patients with sarcopeniaversus 1,015 without sarcopenia) were included in the final analysis. The results demonstrated a significant increase in overall morbidity (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01–1.33), respiratory complications (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.21–2.22) and anastomotic leaks (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10–1.76) in patients with sarcopenia. No statistically significant difference was noted in overall mortality (RD 0, 95% CI −0.02–0.02) or Clavien–Dindo grade III or greater complications (RR 1.17, 95% CI 0.96–1.42). The above results demonstrate the validity of the SMI as a predictive factor for post-esophagectomy complications. Although the risk associated with sarcopenia is not prohibitive for surgery, patients with low SMI require closer vigilance during their postoperative course due to the increased propensity for respiratory and anastomotic complications.
Development of a multivariable prediction model for patient-adjusted aortic risk morphology
Authors: Krüger Tobias , Boburg Rodrigo Sandoval , Hamdoun Hasan , Oikonomou Alexandre , Bongers Malte N , Schlensak Christian 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Preventing type A aortic dissection requires reliable prediction. We developed and validated a multivariable prediction model based on anthropometry to define patient-adjusted thresholds for aortic diameter and length.

METHODS
We analysed computed tomography angiographies and clinical data from 510 control patients, 143 subjects for model validation, 125 individuals with ascending aorta ectasia (45–54 mm), 58 patients with aneurysm (≥55 mm), 206 patients with type A aortic dissection and 19 patients who had received a computed tomography angiography ≤2 years before they suffered from a type A aortic dissection. Computed tomography angiographies were analysed using curved planar reformations.

RESULTS
In the control group, the mean ascending aortic diameter was 33.8 mm [standard deviation (SD) ±5.2 mm], and the length, measured from the aortic valve to the brachiocephalic trunk, was 91.9 mm (SD ±12.2 mm); both diameter and length were correlated with anthropometric parameters and were smaller than the respective values in all pathological groups (P &lt; 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis of the control group revealed that age, sex and body surface area were predictors of ascending aorta diameter (R2 = 0.40) and length (R2 = 0.26). Bicuspidity of the aortic valve was not included in the model; its prevalence was only 3.2% in the control group but &gt;25% in the ectasia and aneurysm groups.

CONCLUSIONS
The regression model provides a patient-adjusted prediction of the thresholds for aortic diameter and length. In our retrospective data, the model resulted in better identification of aortas at the risk of dissection than the conventional 55-mm diameter threshold. The model is available as an Internet calculator (www.aorticcalculator.com).
Investment Contracts and International Law: Charting a Research Agenda
Authors: Cotula Lorenzo 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Investment contracts are an important part of the web of legal relations that underpin investment processes. They raise complex doctrinal issues, including with regard to their interface with public international law. The two books under review are part of a new surge in academic writing about investment contracts, in a field that is currently dominated by concerns about investment treaties and treaty-based arbitration. In this review essay, I explore the intersections between investment contracts and international law, engaging with the arguments presented in the two books and developing reflections based on trends in the wider literature. After situating the contract in academic and policy debates about international investment law, I compare the different approaches the two books embody – in relation to their scope, focus and format as well as the ways in which they conceptualize and piece together the multiple commercial and public interests at stake in investment contracting. I then discuss one theme that features prominently in both books – namely, the legal contours of investment protection, particularly in connection with stabilization clauses – and I examine its articulation with public regulatory powers. I conclude by outlining areas that deserve further exploration in scholarly work on investment contracts and international law.
Inferring Tunicate Relationships and the Evolution of the Tunicate Hox Cluster with the Genome of Corella inflata
Authors: DeBiasse Melissa B , Colgan William N , Harris Lincoln , Davidson Bradley , Ryan Joseph F 
Published: March 2020

AbstractTunicates, the closest living relatives of vertebrates, have served as a foundational model of early embryonic development for decades. Comparative studies of tunicate phylogeny and genome evolution provide a critical framework for analyzing chordate diversification and the emergence of vertebrates. Toward this goal, we sequenced the genome of Corella inflata (Ascidiacea, Phlebobranchia), so named for the capacity to brood self-fertilized embryos in a modified, “inflated” atrial chamber. Combining the new genome sequence for Co. inflata with publicly available tunicate data, we estimated a tunicate species phylogeny, reconstructed the ancestral Hox gene cluster at important nodes in the tunicate tree, and compared patterns of gene loss between Co. inflata and Ciona robusta, the prevailing tunicate model species. Our maximum-likelihood and Bayesian trees estimated from a concatenated 210-gene matrix were largely concordant and showed that Aplousobranchia was nested within a paraphyletic Phlebobranchia. We demonstrated that this relationship is not an artifact due to compositional heterogeneity, as had been suggested by previous studies. In addition, within Thaliacea, we recovered Doliolida as sister to the clade containing Salpida and Pyrosomatida. The Co. inflata genome provides increased resolution of the ancestral Hox clusters of key tunicate nodes, therefore expanding our understanding of the evolution of this cluster and its potential impact on tunicate morphological diversity. Our analyses of other gene families revealed that several cardiovascular associated genes (e.g., BMP10, SCL2A12, and PDE2a) absent from Ci. robusta, are present in Co. inflata. Taken together, our results help clarify tunicate relationships and the genomic content of key ancestral nodes within this phylogeny, providing critical insights into tunicate evolution.
Relating strain localization and Kaiser effect to yield surface evolution in brittle rocks
Authors: Gajst Hannah , Shalev Eyal , Weinberger Ram , Marco Shmuel , Zh Wenlu , Lyakhovsky Vladimir 
Published: March 2020

SUMMARY
The yield surfaces of rocks keep evolving beyond the initial yield stress owing to the damage accumulation and porosity change during brittle deformation. Using a poroelastic damage rheology model, we demonstrate that the measure of coupling between the yield surface change and accumulated damage is correlated with strain localization and the Kaiser effect. Constant or minor yield surface change is associated with strong strain localization, as seen in low-porosity crystalline rocks. In contrast, strong coupling between damage growth and the yield surface leads to distributed deformation, as seen in high-porosity rocks. Assuming that during brittle deformation damage occurs primarily in the form of microcracks, we propose that the measured acoustic emission (AE) in rock samples correlates with the damage accumulation. This allows quantifying the Kaiser effect under cyclic loading by matching between the onset of AE and the onset of damage growth. The ratio of the stress at the onset of AE to the peak stress of the previous loading cycle, or Felicity Ratio (FR), is calculated for different model parameters. The results of the simulation show that FR gradually decreases in the case of weak coupling between yield surface and damage growth. For a strong damage-related coupling promoting significant yield surface change, the FR remains close to one and decreases only towards the failure. The model predicts that a steep decrease in FR is associated with a transition between distributed and localized modes of failure. By linking the evolving yield surface to strain localization patterns and the Kaiser effect, the poroelastic damage rheology model provides a new quantitative tool to study failure modes of brittle rocks.
Sustained Ultrastructural Changes in Rat Hippocampal Formation After Repeated Electroconvulsive Seizures
Authors: Chen Fenghua , Danladi Jibrin , Wegener Gregers , Madsen Torsten M , Nyengaard Jens R 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective and fast-acting treatment for depression used in the clinic. Its mechanism of therapeutic action remains uncertain. Previous studies have focused on documenting neuroplasticity in the early phase following electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), an animal model of ECT. Here, we investigate whether changes in synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity (vascular and mitochondria) are sustained 3 months after repeated ECS trials.MethodsECS or sham treatment was given daily for 1 day or 10 days to a genetic animal model of depression: the Flinders Sensitive and Resistant Line rats. Stereological principles were employed to quantify numbers of synapses and mitochondria as well as length of microvessels in the hippocampus 24 hours after a single ECS. Three months after 10 ECS treatments (1 per day for 10 days) and sham-treatment, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor protein levels were quantified with immunohistochemistry.ResultsA single ECS treatment significantly increased the volume of hippocampal CA1-stratum radiatum, the total length of microvessels, mitochondria number, and synapse number. Observed changes were sustained as shown in the multiple ECS treatment group analyzed 3 months after the last of 10 ECS treatments.ConclusionA single ECS caused rapid effects of synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity, while repeated ECS induced long-lasting changes in the efficacy of synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity at least up to 3 months after ECS.