bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of road traffic on photosynthetic pigments and heavy metal accumulation in tree species of Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
Authors: Uka Ufere N. , Belford Ebenezer J. D. , Elebe Florence A. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study was undertaken to examine changes in the content of pigments and accumulation of metals from vehicular pollution in selected species of roadside trees under vehicular pollution. A major arterial road with heavy vehicle emissions in the Kumasi Metropolis was designated as the polluted site, while Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Campus was designated as the control site. Four tree species (Terminalia catappa, Mangifera indica, Ficus platyphyllaandPolyalthia longifolia) selected for the study were well distributed and abundant in the polluted and control sites. Photosynthetic pigments and levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd and zinc) were assessed in their leaves. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were determined by absorption spectrometry, while the metal accumulation index (MAI) was used to determine the total metal accumulation capacity of the tree species. We observed a reduction in photosynthetic pigments in the leaf samples from the polluted site.Ficus platyphyllahad the maximum reduction in total chlorophyll (49.34%), whereasTerminalia catapparecorded the lowest reduction (33.88%). Similarly, the largest decrease (31.58%) of carotenoid content was found inTerminalia catappatrees and the lowest inPolyalthia longifolia(16.67%). ThePolyalthia longifolia, Ficus platyphyllaandTerminalia catappaleaf samples collected at the polluted site recorded a higher ratio of chlorophyll a/b. Heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) accumulation in leaf samples was higher in the polluted site than in the control, as expected. The highest metal MAI value was recorded inMangifera indica(5.35) followed byPolyalthia longifoliawith 4.30. The findings from this study specifically demonstrate that air contamination induced by vehicles decreases the level of photosynthetic pigments in trees subjected to roadside emissions. It is clear that both chlorophyll a/b and chlorophyll/carotenoid ratios will act as very useful stress-level markers. Elevated heavy metal levels in the tree species along arterial roadsides indicate that they serve as heavy metals sink. The change in MAI resulting from different pollution burden is an indication that the removal capabilities of the tree species differ from each other. We therefore suggestM. indicaandP. longifoliaas potential species to be used in air pollution reduction plans in the city.
Prevention of spinal fusion post-operative wound infections in pediatric patients with scoliosis: a quality improvement initiative
Authors: Partridge Elizabeth , Blumberg Dean , Roberto Rolando F. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Post-operative wound infections increase patient morbidity and mortality as well as the length of hospital stay, with a profound personal and institutional cost. The aim of this study was to decrease post-operative infections through development of a surgical antibiotic prophylaxis policy based on institution-specific risk factors and microbiology data.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective review of deep wound infections at our institution over a 5-year period (2014–2018). 399 spinal fusion procedures were performed with a 2.5% post-operative infection rate. Patients with neuromuscular scoliosis were six times more likely to develop deep wound infections (7.6%) compared to patients with congenital and idiopathic scoliosis (combined rate of 1.25%). The microbiology data revealed that polymicrobial, extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) gram negative organisms predominated in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis. Based on these findings, we implemented an evidence-based quality improvement intervention: all patients with neuromuscular scoliosis undergoing spinal fusion were given a single 15 mg/kg dose of amikacin, in addition to our standard practice of perioperative cefazolin plus vancomycin with intra-operative betadine wash and vancomycin powder application. This intervention was put into practice in January 2019.

Results
Since the implementation of our quality improvement initiative, the overall post-operative infection rate decreased to 1.1% (2 infections in 176 cases). Ninety-eight percent of the 43 neuromuscular scoliosis patients who underwent spinal fusion in the post-intervention time frame have remained infection free.

Conclusion
Examination of post-operative infection and microbiology data at the institution level can guide the development of institution specific, evidence-based quality improvement initiatives that reduce post-operative wound infections.
Methodology and political science: the discipline needs three fundamentally different methodological traditions
Authors: Lauer Johann 
Published: January 2021

AbstractScience is driven by methodology. In this article, I will show that political science, like all other social sciences, can draw on three fundamentally different methodological traditions. The first is adescriptive traditionto generate descriptive knowledge to describe political phenomena and interpret political symbols (text, image, audio and video). The second is anexplanatory-prognostic traditionto generate explanatory and prognostic knowledge to explain and predict political events. The third is agenuine practical(not applied!)traditionto generate and scientifically legitimate practical knowledge for political standardization and regulation. Furthermore, I will show that political science would greatly increase its relevance to practical politics and to society if all methodological traditions within the discipline were usedcomplementarilyand applied in their updated forms. The descriptive tradition makes it possible to describe political reality as well as sociologists, for example, do. The explanatory-prognostic tradition is necessary to be heard alongside the economic sciences. The practical tradition allows catching up with jurisprudence.
School‐related pressure and parental support as predictors of change in student stress levels from early to middle adolescence
Authors: Kulakow Stefan , Raufelder Diana , Hoferichter Frances 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTIntroductionOne major stressor of adolescents relates to the pressure students perceive from their parents accompanied by high academic expectations, while in contrast parental support is related to low levels of stress. However, it is not clear whether the perceived parental pressure and support contribute to a change in students’ stress level from early to middle adolescence and if there are differences among students from low vs. high track schools.MethodsThus, based on the conservation of resources theory, this two‐wave study examined the role of perceived maternal and paternal pressure and support for students’ general stress level from grades 8 to 9 among students attending high‐ and low‐track schools by applying multigroup multilevel latent change modeling based on data from 1088 8th grade students (M Age = 13.70, SD = 0.53, 53.9% girls at Time 1).ResultsResults indicate that the general stress level from early to middle adolescence increases for students from low‐track schools only. This change increases even more if students from lowtrack schools perceive pressure from their fathers, whereas perceived paternal support dampen the increase of stress. For students from high‐track schools, perceived maternal pressure is positively and maternal support negatively related to students’ stress level in grade 8. Overall, boys tend to report lower stress levels compared to girls.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study support the conservation of resources theory, as both perceived support and pressure from parents and the educational context predict students’ stress development during adolescence.
The association of milk and dairy consumption with iodine status in pregnant women in Oporto region
Authors: Ferreira Pedro , Pinheiro Cátia , Matta Coelho Cláudia , Guimarães Juliana , Pereira Gonçalo , Xavier Moreira Nara , Cortez Alice , Bracchi Isabella , Pestana Diogo , Barreiros Mota Inês , Prucha Carmo , Martins Cristina , Alves Ribeiro Célia , Pinto Edgar , Almeida Agostinho , Delerue-Matos Cristina , Montenegro Nuno , Dias Cláudia Camila , Moreira-Rosário André , Azevedo Luís Filipe , Brantsæter Anne-Lise , Ramalho Carla , Cruz Fernandes Virgínia , Calhau Conceição , Costa Leite João , Keating Elisa 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe role of milk and dairy products in supplying iodine to pregnant women is unknown in Portugal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between milk and dairy product consumption and the iodine status of pregnant women in the IoMum cohort of the Oporto region. Pregnant women were recruited between 10 and 13 weeks of gestation, when they provided a spot urine sample and information on lifestyle and intake of iodine-rich foods. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was determined by inductively coupled plasma MS. A total of 468 pregnant women (269 iodine supplement users and 199 non-supplement users) were considered eligible for analysis. Milk (but not yogurt or cheese) intake was positively associated with UIC, in the whole population (P = 0·02) and in the non-supplement users (P = 0·002), but not in the supplement users (P = 0·29). In non-supplement users, adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that milk consumption <3 times/month was associated with a five times increased risk of having UIC < 50 µg/l when compared with milk consumption ≥2 times/d (OR 5·4; 95 % CI 1·55, 18·78; P = 0·008). The highest UIC was observed in supplement users who reported consuming milk once per d (160 µg/l). Milk, but not yogurt or cheese, was positively associated with iodine status of pregnant women. Despite the observed positive association, daily milk consumption may not be sufficient to ensure adequate iodine intake in this population.
Description of Hemicycliophora cardamomi sp. n. (Nematoda: Hemicycliophoridae) associated with Amomum longiligulare T.L. Wu and a web-based key for the identification of Hemicycliophora spp.
Authors: Nguyen H.T. , Trinh Q.P. , Couvreur M. , Nguyen T.D. , Bert W. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
During a survey of plant diseases in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, a new plant-parasitic nematode, Hemicycliophora cardamomi sp. n., was discovered in the growing areas of Amomum longiligulare, a valuable medicinal plant with high economical value. The new species is characterized by a cuticular sheath loosely fitting body; a labial region continuous to the body contour bearing 3 annuli; a lateral field frequently marked by a discontinuous single line with indistinct additional short lines in some parts along the body; a modified vulval lip with an anterior lip c. 4 annuli long; and a post-vulval body tapering to a pointed tail tip with an abrupt constriction at the last third of the post-vulval body. Morphology and molecular characterizations of D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S rRNA, ITS, and COI mtDNA gene regions clearly distinguish the new species from all other 133 known species. This study also provides a newly developed web-based key for the identification of Hemicycliophora spp. in order to accelerate the identification process, to minimize the increasing error load associated with larger datasets, and to avoid any dependence on a single starting entry. This key includes both an existing Bray–Curtis similarity measure and a newly developed similarity formula.
Mobilizing Bodies and Body Parts, from Myanmar to Manipur: Medical connections through borderlands in ‘transition’
Authors: MCDUIE-RA DUNCAN 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis article focuses on cross-border medical connections between Myanmar and Manipur, India. Non-state actors have been instrumental in creating the networks to bring bodies and body parts back and forth, first bypassing, then enmeshing, state actors. I focus on the movement of patients and medical samples across the border—from western Myanmar to Imphal city and back again—and the health infrastructure that enables it. Analysing these connections makes several contributions to the study of border governance. First, movement from Myanmar to Manipur is primarily for treatment or diagnosis, and these connections project particular ways of thinking about each place—western Myanmar as poor and remote, Manipur as advanced and networked. Second, both Manipur and western Myanmar can be considered in ‘transition’—as territories being recalibrated by political dynamics emanating elsewhere yet becoming connected through shared needs. Third, patients and samples move through territories controlled by paramilitary forces, underground groups, and different tribal councils. Routes are sometimes blocked or passage treacherous, testing the limits of conventional notions of bilateral border governance. Finally, cross-border medical connections between Manipur and Myanmar draw attention to the risky cross-border medical mobility of the poor. Rather than seeking to minimize cost, patients utilize Manipur's health infrastructure out of necessity, providing insights into the contours of cross-border medical care in times of transition.
Boundary Making in Myanmar's Electoral Process: Where elections do not take place
Authors: LIDAUER MICHAEL 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe 2015 general elections were considered a hallmark of Myanmar's transition from an authoritarian regime towards a new form of government. However, the elections did not take place in all parts of the country, and significant portions of the population were excluded from the vote, including voters in areas of contested sovereignty, those who experienced displacement by conflict, and the Rohingya. Against the background of the regulatory framework for elections in Myanmar and its electoral system, this article looks first into a particular understudied element of the electoral process—the cancellation or postponement of elections in areas affected by conflict, which is little understood by voters, election administrators, and outside observers. Second, the article examines the conditions necessary for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to participate in elections. Third, the article recapitulates the gradual legal disenfranchisement of voters and candidates who self-identified as Rohingya, which preceded their mass exodus to Bangladesh in 2017. While in 2015 all these processes of exclusion were arguably of lesser priority for the election administration, which facilitated the first credible Myanmar election in decades, they have not altered significantly since and will affect the electoral participation of disadvantaged communities again in the future.
Fully Distributed Region-Reaching Control with Collision Avoidance for Multi-robot Systems
Authors: Yu Jinwei , Ji Jinchen , Miao Zhonghua , Zhou Jin 
Published: January 2021

SUMMARYThis paper proposes a fully distributed continuous region-reaching controller for multi-robot systems which can effectively eliminate the chattering issues and the negative effects caused by discontinuities. The adaptive control gain technique is employed to solve the distributed region-reaching control problem. By performing Lyapunov function-based stability analysis, it is shown that all the robots can move cohesively within the desired region under the proposed distributed control algorithm. In addition, collision avoidance and velocity matching within the moving region can be guaranteed under properly designed control gains. Simulation examples are given to verify the capabilities of the proposed control method.
Research Career Paths Among Political Scientists in Research Institutions
Authors: Hill Kim Quaile 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTConsiderable research assesses research success in political science. Yet this work has not considered widespread findings that scholars can follow various career research paths that complicate how we envision scholarly success. Further, we have no systematic information on these career paths in any scientific discipline. I present an empirically validated research career-path typology for political scientists who began their career in a research institution. The typology demonstrates that many scholars follow paths different from the most conventional expectations, and research success by measures of publications and citations is associated with only some of these paths. Thus, existing research on aggregate publications and citations likely addresses only a subset of the career paths revealed in this article. Understanding research activities in our profession requires consideration of the various career paths, their motivation, and their place in our research community.
Performance on the ROCF at 8 Years Predicts Academic Achievement at 16 Years in Individuals with Dextro-Transposition of the Great Arteries
Authors: Fasano-McCarron Matthew E. , Bernstein Jane Holmes , Waber Deborah P. , Newburger Jane W. , DeMaso David R. , Bellinger David C. , Cassidy Adam R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObjective:This study examined longitudinal associations between performance on the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure–Developmental Scoring System (ROCF-DSS) at 8 years of age and academic outcomes at 16 years of age in 133 children with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA).Method:The ROCF-DSS was administered at the age of 8 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, First and Second Edition (WIAT/WIAT-II) at the ages of 8 and 16, respectively. ROCF-DSS protocols were classified by Organization (Organized/Disorganized) and Style (Part-oriented/Holistic). Two-way univariate (ROCF-DSS Organization × Style) ANCOVAs were computed with 16-year academic outcomes as the dependent variables and socioeconomic status (SES) as the covariate.Results:The Organization × Style interaction was not statistically significant. However, ROCF-DSS Organization at 8 years was significantly associated with Reading, Math, Associative, and Assembled academic skills at 16 years, with better organization predicting better academic performance.Conclusions:Performance on the ROCF-DSS, a complex visual-spatial problem-solving task, in children with d-TGA can forecast academic performance in both reading and mathematics nearly a decade later. These findings may have implications for identifying risk in children with other medical and neurodevelopmental disorders affecting brain development.
A Pilot Study on the Effect of an Energy Drink on Interoception in	High vs. Low Anxiety Sensitivity Individuals
Authors: Mai-Lippold Sandra A. , Dettlinger Clara M. , Khalsa Sahib S. , Pollatos Olga 
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Background: The market for energy drinks has grown quickly over the past 20 years. While the physiological and psychological effects of different ingredients have been studied, the influence of energy drinks on interoceptive processes is unclear. Anxiety has been associated with amplified interoceptive functioning, suggesting potentially exaggerated reactions to energy drinks. Aims: Investigate the effect of energy drink consumption and anxiety sensitivity (AS) as well as their possible interactions on cardiorespiratory dimensions of interoception. Method: Thirty-nine healthy students consumed an energy drink via a placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, crossover design. Cardiac and respiratory interoceptive accuracy (IAcc), interoceptive sensibility (IS), and interoceptive evaluation (IE) were assessed. Heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEPs) were analyzed to evaluate neural processing of the heartbeat. Results: Consumption of one energy drink did not influence IAcc, IS, or IE. However, high AS subjects reported reduced interoceptive confidence after energy drink intake. While HEP amplitudes did not differ depending on the type of drink, high AS subjects showed reduced HEPs overall compared to low AS subjects. Heart rate was significantly lower following energy drink consumption as compared to the placebo condition. Limitations: The sample size was small, energy dosages low, and physiological parameters should be assessed in more detail. Conclusion: Energy drink consumption was associated with an interoceptive bias in high AS individuals suggesting possible interaction effects between changes in physical state, interoception, and anxiety.
Slow light bimodal interferometry in one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides
Authors: Torrijos-Morán Luis , Griol Amadeu , García-Rupérez Jaime 
Published: January 2021

AbstractStrongly influenced by the advances in the semiconductor industry, the miniaturization and integration of optical circuits into smaller devices has stimulated considerable research efforts in recent decades. Among other structures, integrated interferometers play a prominent role in the development of photonic devices for on-chip applications ranging from optical communication networks to point-of-care analysis instruments. However, it has been a long-standing challenge to design extremely short interferometer schemes, as long interaction lengths are typically required for a complete modulation transition. Several approaches, including novel materials or sophisticated configurations, have been proposed to overcome some of these size limitations but at the expense of increasing fabrication complexity and cost. Here, we demonstrate for the first time slow light bimodal interferometric behaviour in an integrated single-channel one-dimensional photonic crystal. The proposed structure supports two electromagnetic modes of the same polarization that exhibit a large group velocity difference. Specifically, an over 20-fold reduction in the higher-order-mode group velocity is experimentally shown on a straightforward all-dielectric bimodal structure, leading to a remarkable optical path reduction compared to other conventional interferometers. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate the significant performance improvement provided by the proposed bimodal photonic crystal interferometer in the creation of an ultra-compact optical modulator and a highly sensitive photonic sensor.
ARNT deficiency represses pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 to trigger ROS production and melanoma metastasis
Authors: Huang Chi-Ruei , Chang Ting-Wei , Lee Chung-Ta , Shen Chih-Jie , Chang Wen-Chang , Chen Ben-Kuen 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe metabolic changes in melanoma cells that are required for tumor metastasis have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we show that the increase in glucose uptake and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation confers metastatic ability as a result of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) deficiency. In clinical tissue specimens, increased ARNT, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), and NAD(P)H quinine oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) was observed in benign nevi, whereas lower expression was observed in melanoma. The depletion of ARNT dramatically repressed PDK1 and NQO1 expression, which resulted in an increase of ROS levels. The elimination of ROS using N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation using carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP) and rotenone inhibited the ARNT and PDK1 deficiency-induced cell migration and invasion. In addition, ARNT deficiency in tumor cells manipulated the glycolytic pathway through enhancement of the glucose uptake rate, which reduced glucose dependence. Intriguingly, CCCP and NAC dramatically inhibited ARNT and PDK1 deficiency-induced tumor cell extravasation in mouse models. Our work demonstrates that downregulation of ARNT and PDK1 expression serves as a prognosticator, which confers metastatic potential as the metastasizing cells depend on metabolic changes.