bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Cyanoacrylate Glue Ablation of Primary Truncal Varicose Veins Compared to Existing Endovenous Techniques: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Dimech Anthony Pio , Cassar Kevin 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Introduction One-third of adults in the United States and United Kingdom suffer from varicose veins. n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue is a novel endovascular, nontumescent, nonthermal ablation technique for treatment of this condition. It has proved effective in multiple studies since its first use in 2013. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy of NBCA in ablating primary truncal varicose veins and eliminating reflux compared with existing endovascular techniques. Secondary outcomes include complications and quality of life.
Methods PRISMA was used as a guide and studies were screened for risk of bias and methodological quality. Subjects had to be ≥18 years of age and followed-up posttreatment with color Duplex ultrasound (DUS). Eligibility criteria included saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) or saphenopopliteal junction (SPJ) incompetence with reflux down truncal veins lasting >0.5 seconds on DUS interrogation and a Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, and Pathophysiological classification of venous disorders ranging between C1 and C6.
Results Out of 2,910 patients (3,220 veins) in 17 studies, 1,981 were administered NBCA, 445 radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and 484 endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) with mean procedure times of 25.7, 23.2, and 28.7 minutes, respectively. Mean recruitment period was 9 months (1–36 months) and followed-up for an average of 12.3 months (1–36 months). The majority were C2 to C3. Two-year occlusion rates were 93.7, 90.9, and 91.5% for NBCA, RFA, and EVLA, respectively. NBCA-treated patients experienced the least complications, with bruising, phlebitis, and pain being the most prevalent. Quality of life improved equally in all three modalities.
Conclusion NBCA is simple to administer, safe, and effective even without compression stockings. Further studies are required to assess longer-term benefit and the effect of anticoagulation on vein obliteration.
Diagnostic Value of the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio, and Thrombocytosis in the Preoperative Investigation of Ovarian Masses
Authors: Yoshida Adriana , Sarian Luís Otavio , Marangoni Marcos , Firmano Isis Caroline , Derchain Sophie Françoise 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and complete blood count (CBC) parameters, such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and thrombocytosis in patients with ovarian masses.
Methods The present is a retrospective study conducted at a single tertiary hospital from January 2010 to November 2016. We included consecutive women referred due to suspicious adnexal masses. The CBC and CA125 were measured in the serum of 528 women with ovarian masses before surgery or biopsy. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the NLR, PLR, platelets (PLTs), CA125, and the associations between them. We tested the clinical utility of the CBC parameters and CA125 in the discrimination of ovarian masses through decision curve analysis (DCA).
Results The best balance between sensitivity and specificity was obtained by the associations of CA125 or PLTs ≥ 350/nL, with 70.14% and 71.66%, CA125 or PLTs ≥ 400/nL, with 67.30% and 81.79%, CA125 or PLR, with 76.3% and 64.87%, and CA125 or NLR, with 71.09% and 73.89% respectively. In the DCA, no isolated CBC parameter presented a higher clinical utility than CA125 alone.
Conclusion We showed that no CBC parameter was superior to CA125 in the prediction of the malignancy of ovarian tumors in the preoperative scenario.
Evaluation of a Laparoscopic Multi-approach Training for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents
Authors: Maranhao Débora Davalos Albuquerque , Barison Gustavo Anderman Silva , Alvarenga-Bezerra Vanessa , Ferreira Laís Assenheimer de Paula , Schindler Leal Anucha Andrade , Moretti-Marques Renato , Podgaec Sergio , Zlotnik Eduardo , Gomes Mariano Tamura Vieira 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Objective To analyze the applicability and efficiency of a multi-approach laparoscopic training in improving basic laparoscopic skills of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residents.
Methods Cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study, developed at the Experimentation and Surgery Training Center (CETEC, in the Portuguese acronym) of the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein with OBGYN residents. Theoretical and practical tests were applied to 24 OBGYN residents to assess their laparoscopic skills before and after their participation in an 8-week course. The course involved theoretical lectures and practical laparoscopic surgery exercises developed using rubber models, black boxes, virtual simulators and animal models (pigs).
Results There was an overall improvement in the ability of the residents, with an increase in the number of correct answers in the theoretical evaluation and decrease in the time needed to perform practical tests (needle holder assembly and laparoscopic node). The course was evaluated by the students as highly relevant for both improving their surgical skills and motivating them to continue practicing.
Conclusion Laparoscopic training using multiple approaches resulted in significant improvement of surgical skills with a high satisfaction level of the participants. Further studies are still needed to measure the long-term retention of these acquired skills.
De Novo Inverted Duplication Deletion of 4p in a 14-Week-Old Male Fetus Aborted Due to Multiple Anomalies
Authors: Fontana Paolo , Bernardini Laura , Lombardi Cinzia , Giuffrida Maria Grazia , Ciavarella Maria , Capalbo Anna , Maioli Marianna , Scarano Francesca , Cantalupo Giuseppina , Falco Mariateresa , Scarano Gioacchino , Lonardo Fortunato 
Published: June 2020

AbstractInverted duplications deletions are rare, complex, and nonrecurrent chromosomal rearrangements associated with a variable phenotype. In this case report, we described the phenotype and genotype of a 14-week-old male fetus, who was aborted after discovery of multiple anomalies (septal cystic hygroma, open abdominal wall, and a nonidentifiable lower limb). At autopsy, fluorescence in situ hybridization and array comparative genomic hybridization identified an inverted duplication with terminal deletion of 4p [46,XY,der(4)del(p16.3)dup(4)(p15.2p16.3)]. Only five genotypically similar cases have been reported, and we hope our case contribution will add meaningful to the body of knowledge.
Primordial emergence of a nucleic acid-binding protein via phase separation and statistical ornithine-to-arginine conversion
Authors: Longo Liam M. , Despotović Dragana , Weil-Ktorza Orit , Walker Matthew J. , Jabłońska Jagoda , Fridmann-Sirkis Yael , Varani Gabriele , Metanis Norman , Tawfik Dan S. 
Published: June 2020

Significance
The first proteins emerged some 4 billion y ago, and understanding how they came about is a daunting challenge. Further complicating matters, the rules of protein structure and function derived from modern proteins may be irrelevant to their earliest ancestors. We report an integrated approach in which protein sequence, structure, and function are considered. We show that a simple function (phase separation) may have served as the basis for a complex function (specific double-stranded DNA binding), and that disordered polypeptides can give rise to structured, well-packed domains. Finally, we demonstrate that functional proteins may arise from short and simple sequences that include ornithine, an amino acid likely present in early proteins yet absent in modern proteins.
A wealth of genotype-specific proteoforms fine-tunes hemoglobin scavenging by haptoglobin
Authors: Tamara Sem , Franc Vojtech , Heck Albert J. R. 
Published: June 2020

Significance
Haptoglobin (Hp) is one of the most abundant plasma proteins; it binds with high affinity to hemoglobin (Hb). Thereby Hp protects against the toxic effects of the heme when Hb leaks into plasma from damaged red blood cells. Therefore, serum Hp is an important antioxidant and a clinically important protein, often used as a protein biomarker. Here, we address in detail what proteoforms and proteoform assemblies co-occur in serum, and show how they differ in individuals with distinct genotypes. Our data, obtained by a range of state-of-the-art analytical methods, reveal in unprecedented detail how these hundreds of Hp proteoforms influence the scavenging of Hb through several distinctive molecular features of Hp genotypes.
Afrikaans circumpositions
Authors: Pretorius Erin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractCircumpositions in Afrikaans present several puzzles: (i) they always encode spatial paths, but spatial paths can also be encoded by prepositional phrases; (ii) they can be doubling or non-doubling, and (iii) they exhibit disharmonic word order of the kind that appears to violate the Final-over-Final Condition (FOFC). In this paper, I argue that circumpositions offer support for the existence of a directional head [dir] in the fine structure of the Afrikaansverbal domain, and that this head is lexicalised by adpositional material in circumpositional expressions. I show that Afrikaans grammar distinguishes Route-paths from Goal-/Source-paths, and argue that whereas [dir] selects a [pathP] in the structure underlying Goal-/Source-paths (circumpositional expressions), Route-paths (prepositional expressions) are ‘bare’ [pathP] structures. I argue that since circumpositions identify structural components in different Spellout Domains, double-insertion of adposition-like material is required to exhaustively lexicalise the structure, and the disharmonic word order is understood as a direct consequence of the fact that [dir] is located in Afrikaans’ head-final verbal, which addresses the concern arising around FOFC. Finally, given that the adpositions in circumpositional expressions are shown to occupy structural positions that are distinct from that of de-adpositional V-particles, the paper also addresses the structural relation between circumpositions and particle verbs in which adposition-like material lexicalises a resultative [res] node in the verbal domain.
Design of experiment (DoE)‐driven in vitro and in vivo uptake studies of exosomes for pancreatic cancer delivery enabled by copper‐free click chemistry‐based labelling
Authors: Xu Lizhou , Faruqu Farid N. , Liam‐or Revadee , Abu Abed Omar , Li Danyang , Venner Kerrie , Errington Rachel J , Summers Huw , Wang Julie Tzu‐Wen , Al‐Jamal Khuloud T. 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTExosomes (Exo)‐based therapy holds promise for treatment of lethal pancreatic cancer (PC). Limited understanding of key factors affecting Exo uptake in PC cells restricts better design of Exo‐based therapy. This work aims to study the uptake properties of different Exo by PC cells. Exo from pancreatic carcinoma, melanoma and non‐cancer cell lines were isolated and characterised for yield, size, morphology and exosomal marker expression. Isolated Exo were fluorescently labelled using a novel in‐house developed method based on copper‐free click chemistry to enable intracellular tracking and uptake quantification in cells. Important factors influencing Exo uptake were initially predicted by Design of Experiments (DoE) approach to facilitate subsequent actual experimental investigations. Uptake of all Exo types by PC cells (PANC‐1) showed time‐ and dose‐dependence as predicted by the DoE model. PANC‐1 cell‐derived exosomes (PANC‐1 Exo) showed significantly higher uptake in PANC‐1 cells than that of other Exo types at the longest incubation time and highest Exo dose. In vivo biodistribution studies in subcutaneous tumour‐bearing mice similarly showed favoured accumulation of PANC‐1 Exo in self‐tissue (i.e. PANC‐1 tumour mass) over the more vascularised melanoma (B16‐F10) tumours, suggesting intrinsic tropism of PC‐derived Exo for their parent cells. This study provides a simple, universal and reliable surface modification approach via click chemistry for in vitro and in vivo exosome uptake studies and can serve as a basis for a rationalised design approach for pre‐clinical Exo cancer therapies.
Why is physics hard? Unpacking students’ perceptions of physics
Authors: Bray A , Williams J 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
It has been well established that there are many challenges associated with physics teaching and learning. This pilot study attempted to identify the perceptions of first-year students studying physics at Rhodes University in 2017. Academics in the Department were interviewed, a questionnaire was created and a survey was conducted with first-year students. Emotional issues were identified as the largest contributing factor to students’ perceptions of physics. A high correlation between study skills and students’ understanding and problem-solving abilities was observed. Under-preparedness was recognised as an important issue that needs further investigation.
A review of the final and supplementary Grade 12 physics examinations from 2014 to 2018 based on a modified Bloom’s taxonomy.
Authors: Bhaw N , Kriek J 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The South African National Department of Basic Education (DBE) has associated the poor pass rate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Physical Sciences to the learners’ lack of practical work and the inability to solve problems by integrating their knowledge from different topics in Physical Sciences. Given that the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is central to the planning, organising and teaching of Physical Sciences, the poor performance in the Grade 12 Physical Sciences: Physics (P1) may be due to a disjointed alignment between the CAPS and the P1. A purposive sampling procedure included the CAPS Grades 10–12 Physical Sciences document; the Physical Sciences Examination Guidelines Grade 12 documents and the final and supplementary P1 examinations for the period starting November 2014 to March 2018. A summative content analysis research technique was conducted using the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) research method. The SEC method employed the use of the four topics of Physics and the four non-hierarchical levels of cognitive demand as described in the modified version of Bloom’s taxonomy. The results of this study indicated that the CAPS had a higher proportion of recall based content than the P1, the CAPS, and the P1 had approximately equal proportions of comprehension based content, the CAPS had a lower proportion of application and analysis based content than the P1, and the CAPS, as well as the P1, did not contain any synthesis and evaluation based content. In terms of Bloom’s taxonomy, the CAPS may be classified as promoting lower order thinking skills, and the P1 may be classified as promoting higher order thinking skills.
Experimentation in primary school: discover and understand or verify what is expected?
Authors: Stari C , Haniotis S , Sguilla S 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Science education in primary schools in Uruguay is still a pending task. Frequently, only biological science is taught in class. Often, activities are reduced either to look for information without experimentation, or to very guided hand-on activities with little space for actual research where results may differ from what is expected and new questions might come up. As a result, children have a partial and sometimes wrong concept of science. The idea of science as something distant from reality and ordinary life, holding absolute results and truth, is reinforced. A lot of research has been done in science didactics about the role of experimentation in order to improve scientific competences in the students. In this project we analyze the role of experimentation during the science class as well as the speech of the teacher in relation to his objectives and the planned didactic sequence. A qualitative methodology was used, through classroom observations and interviews with teachers. We chose a case study to inquire how the experiments are used in a science class and what is the role of experiments proposed by the teacher. To collect the data, recordings of classes were used and in-depth interviews were conducted with the teacher.
A comparative analysis of school physics curriculum content in selected countries
Authors: Ramaila S. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Meaningful curriculum reform is central to the provision and acquisition of globally relevant scientific skills. A globally competitive curriculum fosters the cultivation of skills required for sustainable economic growth and development. In addition, it is imperative to harness the affordances associated with the provision of intellectually stimulating school physics curriculum content in order to foster the development of cognitive and reflective skills. In response to this key imperative, a comparative analysis of school physics curriculum content in selected countries was carried out with a view to identify levels of commonalities and the depth up to which each curriculum extends. Comparative analysis of school physics curriculum content in selected countries revealed striking inherent characteristic features that serve to provide the structural differentiation between these curricula. The level of economic growth and development in selected countries appeared to be a function of the quality and depth of the school physics curriculum content. Theoretical implications for meaningful curriculum reform are discussed.
The practical teaching of quantum mechanics
Authors: Chetty N. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The author teaches introductory quantum mechanics to third-year students at the University of Pretoria. Quantum mechanics is without a doubt one of the most challenging topics in the physics curriculum. It has been described as “All is waves, with nothing waving, over no distance at all! [1]” The mathematics of quantum mechanics is demanding, and the interpretation and conceptual understanding of the subject continue to occupy the minds of even some of our greatest thinkers today, more than a hundred years after its foundations were laid. Consequently, at the University of Pretoria, student performance has been notoriously low, students became discouraged, and absenteeism, plagiarism and copying plagued its delivery. The author intervened this year (2018) with a radically different approach to address these challenges. The outcomes have been significant, and the reviews (received from about 50% of the students) indicate that this new approach has worked beyond expectations. In this paper, the many different challenges faced and interventions made will be outlined.
Activities to enhance students’ understanding of acceleration: Part B
Authors: Molefe P , Khwanda M N 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
According to literature, the most important factor in education is to determine what students already know and to consider when teaching them. Unfortunately, there is a body of knowledge from physics education research revealing that we cannot simply build onto all existing knowledge that students have, because they contain misconceptions that differ from the accepted scientific understanding. As an example, students understand acceleration as an increase in the magnitude of speed or velocity. Based on that understanding, a brake pedal and a steering wheel of a motor car are not regarded as accelerators because they don’t increase the magnitude of speed. That is caused by the everyday usage of the term which differs with a scientific understanding. Other examples in mechanics where students have lack of understanding is their understanding of the concept of force. Literature revealed that students believe that a constant force causes an object to move with a constant speed, some force always acts in the direction of motion and that a larger mass falls faster towards the earth than a small mass. Some physics education researchers argue that productive elements in learners’ existing knowledge should be determined and used as bases for building scientific knowledge. Despite an earlier teaching of the concepts of motion in relation to acceleration from high school and in their first-year of physics at university, many of the students have difficulties in the problem solving required for the acceleration assessments. It is against this background that this paper presents and evaluates the impact of the activities that were designed to enhance students’ understanding of the concept of acceleration. The evaluation of the impact of intervention was done through Google forms. Preliminary analysis of the results reveals that if the vector nature of acceleration is emphasized, students would also value the importance of including the change in direction as the result of acceleration. The results implied that teaching mechanics should start with the impact of force in our everyday life since acceleration is the visible impact of force.
What is your favourite particle and why?
Authors: Wiener J , Woithe J 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
We have conducted a large-scale international study with high-school teachers (N=530) and high-school students (N=959) from all around the world to investigate and document what they consider as their favourite particles. We found five particles to be highly prominent in both groups, namely the Higgs boson, the neutrino, the electron, the photon and the gluon. Moreover, we did not find any significant differences with regard to the teachers’ and students’ nationality or gender. In this article, we present our findings in detail and give insight into the teachers’ and students’ justifications of why they chose a specific particle.
Practical preparation videos on a zero Rand budget
Authors: Fourie A , Lee E , van der Westhuizen I , Kroon R E 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Due to limited equipment and laboratory space for practicals, students only have a relatively short time to complete their weekly practical. In this time they need to familiarise themselves with the apparatus that they are going to be using, carry out the experimental procedure, and obtain and interpret all the expected results. Their practical manual is comprehensive enough for them to prepare adequately for a practical session. But with the addition of a preparation video to supplement the practical guidebook, the hope was that students would arrive at a practical already familiar with the apparatus and with a clearer idea of what they are going to have to do. A video would also help cater for students with different types of learning methods, in line with universal design for learning. The project was undertaken to produce videos for half of our first semester second year practicals at The University of the Free State. No money was spent buying equipment or software, nor to pay professionals for their services. The assigned demonstrators for each practical were given the task to write the script for and present the video for their own practical. Evaluation of the effect of the videos were done by comparing the students’ experience and marks with two other groups. These are the practicals from the previous year, where all the practicals were presented in the same way, but none of them had introductory videos, and also to half of the current year’s practicals which did not have videos. The demonstrators also gave feedback on their experience, each of them were responsible for two practicals this year, one of them we made an introductory video for and the other we did not.
Game development for teaching physics
Authors: Kortemeyer G. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The paper describes two computer games which we developed to teach abstract physics concepts: A Slower Speed of Light, designed to teach Special Relativity, and Kirchhoff’s Revenge, designed to teach circuit laws. We report on experiences and research results using these games in physics lessons at college and high school level, user feedback, as well as information informally gathered from “Let’s Play” videos on YouTube. Finally, we describe plans for future developments.