Order Closure Research Articles

Diastereodivergent Synthesis of the Quinolizidine‐Indolizidine Alkaloids of the Leontidine/Camoensine Family

AbstractLeontidine and camoensine, the main representatives of the small quinolizidine‐indolizidine alkaloid subgroup, are characterized by an inner bispidine system to which a 2‐pyridone and a pyrrolidine are fused on opposite sides. We efficiently synthesized both natural products from the commercially available and abundant alkaloid cytisine, which was converted into the key intermediate, N‐Boc‐11‐oxocytisine, by iodine oxidation and protection. Grignard addition, Paal‐Knorr type cyclization, and hydrogenation delivered endo‐pyrrolidine fused leontidine, while the reversed reaction order, viz. reduction, Sakurai allylation, and ring closure, afforded exo‐pyrrolidine annulated camoensine. Hydrogenation and deoxygenation of the pyridone moieties provided four further alkaloids, tetrahydroleontidine, camoensidine, 11‐epileontidane and leontidane. In addition, the artificial alkaloid isoleontidine, carrying an endo‐fused pyrrolidine on the same side as the pyridone, was prepared from C‐13 oxidized cytisine.

The personality of anthropomorphism: How the need for cognition and the need for closure define attitudes and anthropomorphic attributions toward robots

Anthropomorphism describes the tendency to attribute human characteristics to non-human agents such as robots. These attributions could depend on some dispositional factors such as the individuals' will to engage in reflective processes (need for cognition), to predict their environment (need for closure). Indeed, these traits may moderate how we explain artificial agents’ behavior that is our motivation to use cognitively more effortful reasoning about artificial agents against easily accessible anthropomorphic explanations. In the present study, we measured participants (n = 1141) need for cognition and closure in order to predict attitudes toward robots and anthropomorphic attributions on various robots which differed in terms of human-like characteristics. We found that both dimensions of personality influenced attitudes and anthropomorphism. In addition, these effects were emphasized by the human-like characteristics of the robots. In addition, we used a novel approach of clustering and machine-learning validation to delineate personality profiles based on the need for cognition and need for closure as most predictive variables to provide a first predictive categorization of tendency to anthropomorphize and attitudes toward robots. Our results argue for the importance of considering the interaction between the dispositional traits on the one hand and the design of robots on the other for anthropomorphism.

Interlocking Multi-Twisted Wires Versus Interrupted Simple Sternal Wires for Closure of Median Sternotomy.

Although closure of a sternotomy incision is usually a simple procedure, failure to do so (sternal dehiscence) is a serious complication and is an independent factor that poses a high degree of morbidity or mortality after open heart surgery. Instability of the bone fragments can lead to complete sternal breakdown, sternal wound infection, and mediastinitis. The stainless-steel encircling wire used as either interrupted simple sutures or as figure of eight sutures is the current standard method of median sternotomy closure. Interlocking multi-twisted sternal wire closure is an alternative that provides rigid sternal fixation. We aim to identify the best method of sternal closure in order to implement it as a standardised protocol for our department. Two-hundred patients aged 18-70 years were undergoing cardiac surgeries at Ain Shams University hospitals. They were divided into two groups: Group I included 100 patients with sternal closure using simple wire, and group II included 100 patients with sternal closure using interlocking multi-twisted wires. The day 7, 1 month, and 3 months sternal instability, superficial wound infection, ventilation time, cross-clamp time, length of ICU stay, and length of hospital stay were analyzed. The incidence of sternal instability on the 7th day, 1 month, and 3 months was significantly higher in the simple wire closure group (P < 0.05). However, incidence of superficial wound infection, length of ICU stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation were comparable between the two groups. The interlocking multi-twist is a safe, effective, and easily reproducible method for preventing sternal dehiscence.

The effect of COVID-19 stay-at-home order and campus closure on the prevalence of acute respiratory infection symptoms in college campus cohorts.

Evaluation of population‐based COVID‐19 control measures informs strategies to quell the current pandemic and reduce the impact of those yet to come. Effective COVID‐19 control measures may simultaneously reduce the incidence of other acute respiratory infections (ARIs) due to shared transmission modalities. To assess the impact of stay‐at‐home orders and other physical distancing measures on the prevalence of ARI‐related symptoms, we compared symptoms reported by prospective college cohorts enrolled during two consecutive academic years. ARI‐related symptoms declined following campus closure and implementation of stay‐at‐home orders, demonstrating the impact of population‐based physical distancing measures on control of a broad range of respiratory infections.

Anatomical predictors of residual left-to-right shunt after percutaneous suture-mediated patent fossa ovale closure

Abstract Background Percutaneous suture-mediated patent fossa ovale (PFO) closure has recently been introduced in clinical practice to overcome most of the limitations of metallic PFO occluders with early results showing a favourable efficacy and safety profile in most PFO cases. Purpose To assess PFO anatomy in a large series of patients undergoing percutaneous suture-mediated PFO closure in order to identify anatomical predictors of significant residual right-to-left shunt (RLS) and thus appropriately select patients to be submitted to this technique. Methods Pre-procedural transesophageal echocardiogram of 230 patients undergoing suture-mediated PFO closure at our Institution were carefully reviewed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The following parameters were systematically assessed in all reviewed cases: presence and grade of baseline atrial RLS, presence of bidirectional shunt, PFO length and width, presence of atrial septal aneurysm and its maximal bulge, presence and size of an embryonic or foetal remnant. Results In 37 patients a residual atrial RLS ≥2 grade was found at a mean follow-up of 248±147 days. The following variable were found to be significantly associated with significant residual atrial RLS at follow-up: grade of baseline spontaneous and Valsalva manoeuvre RLS shunt (odds ratio 2.39, 95% confidence interval 1.48–3.89, p=0.001 and odds ratio 3.07, 95% confidence interval 1.22–7.23, p=0.017), baseline bidirectional shunt across the PFO (odds ratio 3.59, 95% confidence interval 1.47–8.77, p=0.005) and PFO width (odds ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval 1.92–3.55, p=0.001). At multivariable analysis, only PFO width ≥5 mm (odds ratio 10.97, 95% confidence interval 4.22–28.56, p=0.001) and grade of baseline RLS shunt (odds ratio 1.84, 95% confidence interval 1.05–3.21, p=0.032) were independent predictors of a significant atrial RLS at follow-up. Conclusions Suture-mediated PFO closure represents a valid alternative to traditional devices with an excellent safety and efficacy profile at follow-up. As for any new technique, it is extremely important to select the right anatomical and functional features predictive of a successful closure. The results of this study indicate that the suture-mediated closure of PFO is feasible in the majority of septal anatomies however wide PFO ≥5 mm are less likely to be closed with only one stitch. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Comparison of SCIPUFF predictions to SO2 measurements from instruments on the MetOp-A, MetOp-B, Aura and Suomi satellites from the 2016 fire at Al-Mishraq

On October 20th, 2016, Daesh (Islamic State) set fire to the sulfur production and storage site at Al-Mishraq, Iraq. The fire burned continuously for seven days resulting in the release of a buoyant dynamic sulfur dioxide (SO2) toxic plume extending geographically for over 300 km. This Al-Mishraq event provides an opportunity for scientists to address probabilistic atmospheric transport and dispersion (PATD) hazard model performance across multiple downwind scales over a large area. In using any PATD model, a fair evaluation of the model depends on the quality of the source term – especially for a very dynamic source term such as a burning sulfur stockpile. An innovative approach to derive such a source for Al-Mishraq was explored by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (in Swedish Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, or FOI). The experts from FOI characterized the SO2 source term based on satellite observations, which reflect vertically-integrated concentrations and are expressed in Dobson units (DU). The work throughout this paper is a novel approach and leverages the FOI analysis to evaluate a PATD, the Second Order Closure Integrated Puff (SCIPUFF) transport and dispersion code as adapted within the Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC). SCIPUFF predictions are compared to the satellite-based vertically-integrated SO2 measurements from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) instruments. Satellite measurements were available at 07Z and 11Z daily from 21 to 26 Oct 2016. A 1-DU background was assumed. SCIPUFF over predicts (factor of 2) column density (DU) peaks in the near field (40, 80, and 120 km) and under predicts in the far field (200, 280 and 320 km); best agreement is at the 160 km arc. Plume direction errors of 25–80° are found when comparing the azimuths of peak observed and predicted column densities. Performance metrics traditionally used for model evaluation included fractional bias (FB), normalized mean-square error (NMSE), and figure of merit in space (FMS). The FB at 07Z was −0.2 to +0.09 across the eight arcs, 40–320 km downwind. Upon analyses, SCIPUFF showed approximate equal over and under prediction for the 07Z; and the FB at 11Z under predicted seven of eight arcs, with values that ranged from −0.07 to +0.36. The NMSE was 3.11–5.06 with no identifiable trends on arc distance. The FMS, averaged over each arc, by day, was between 0.31 and 0.56. Higher values were found in the early and later stages of the fire 21–22 and 25–26 October. Lower averaged FMS values were calculated for 23–24 October which corresponds to a period where the fire burned hotter and SO2 mass was injected to higher altitudes of 1–4 km.

Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on College and University Students: A Global Health and Education Problem

The origin of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan China has been reported to be one of the lethal pandemics the world has ever faced. Though the first case was reported in December 2019, COVID-19 spread so rapidly to the majority of countries by March 2020 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 pandemic led to increased morbidity and mortality within a very short period of time. COVID-19 pandemic caused schools, colleges, and universities to come to a closure in order to avoid further transmission and spread of the disease. The physical closure of schools, colleges, and universities has impacted students in several ways in that some students have reported suffering from anxiety, depression, and mood swings. COVID-19 has disrupted social interaction among students and has affected their family life. These impacts on students will eventually affect their academic performance and progression. Thus, learning institutions should put in measures to help students recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

An open and closed case: timing of closure following laparostomy.

Laparostomy is important in the management of patients with intra-abdominal gastrointestinal catastrophe or trauma. It carries significant risk and is resource intensive, both in terms of nursing and surgically. The main goal is to achieve prompt myofascial closure (MFC) in order to minimise morbidity and mortality. Early MFC was initially defined as within 2-3 weeks but there is growing evidence that this should be measured in days. Retrospective analysis was undertaken of laparostomy cases between 2016 and 2018 at an acute trust and trauma centre serving a population of 500,000. Indication, duration of open abdomen (OA), number of relook procedures and consultant presence were examined to see whether they affected MFC rates, morbidity and mortality. Overall, 76 laparostomies were performed during the 3-year study period. The most common indication was peritonitis (68.4%). As duration of OA and number of relook procedures increased, the chances of MFC fell significantly. After day 1, MFC rates fell by 20% with each subsequent 24 hours. Leaving the abdomen open primarily at index procedure compared with performing laparostomy following a postoperative complication was associated with significantly higher MFC rates (92.6% vs 68.2%, (p=0.006). The mortality rate was 15.8%. If the OA is not closed within five days or by the third relook procedure, then achieving MFC is unlikely. Alternative methods should be employed to close the abdomen rather than continuing to take the patient back to theatre for relook laparotomies while increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality. A proactive strategy to forming primary laparostomy at the index procedure has high closure rates.

Shock structure in the 14 moment system of extended thermodynamics with high order closure based on the maximum entropy principle

An analysis of the shock structure in the 14 moment system of extended thermodynamics with first, second and third order closure based on the maximum entropy principle (MEP) is presented, as a follow up of a recent investigation of the shock structure in the 13 moment system with first and second MEP-based closure. It is seen that when adopting higher order closures, the strength of the subshock that appears in the shock structure profile for large enough Mach numbers is remarkably reduced with respect to what is found with the first order closure, and the overall profile of the shock structure solution is in better agreement with experimental results.

Eulerian and Lagrangian time scales of the turbulence above staggered arrays of cubical obstacles

We present results from water-channel experiments on neutrally-stable turbulent flows over staggered arrays of cubical obstacles modelling idealised urban canopies. Attention is concentrated on the vertical profiles of the Eulerian (TE) and Lagrangian (TL) time scales of the turbulence above three canopies with different plan area fractions (λP = 0.1, 0.25 and 0.4). The results show that both the streamwise and vertical components of TL increase approximately linearly with height above the obstacles, supporting Raupach’s linear law. The comparisons with the Lagrangian time scales over canyon-type canopies in the skimming flow and wake interference regimes show that the staggered configuration of cubical obstacles increases the streamwise TL, while decreasing its vertical counterpart. A good agreement has also been found between the eddy viscosities (KT) estimated by applying Taylor’s theory and the classical first order closure relating the momentum flux to the velocity gradient. The results show that KT obeys Prandtl’s theory, particularly for λP = 0.25 and 0.4.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПАНДЕМИИ КОРОНАВИРУСА (COVID-19) НА МАРКЕТИНГ МИКС (4Ps)

Considering how the coronavirus pandemic has affected business and social life of all countries of the world, it is necessary to study the extent to which this pandemic has caused damage to businesses. This article studies the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on price, product, place and promotion as these elements form the basis of any marketing mix. In this case, the study highlights how the coronavirus pandemic has caused a rise in prices of some goods termed as the necessities in the period of the pandemic due to limited supply. In addition, the selection of products has shifted to mostly groceries, household supplies, gym equipment, health supplies, sanitizers and face masks, and as a result, these products are the best-selling products during the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, due to the requirements of social distancing, closure of retail shops and order stay-at-home recommendation to prevent the spread of the virus, consumers have been greatly engaged in online retailing as the most effective and safe means of purchasing during this period. The study also reveals that product and brand promotion is failing as consumers tend to save their money due to the uncertainty of when things are to get back to normal, and this has resulted in the act of ignoring discount coupons by consumers. E-mail marketing is also failing as consumers get bored with the bunch of e-mails they receive from brands, and the only information that seems to catch their attention is the one related to the coronavirus. Marketing agencies have resorted to animation and others for making adverts other than the usual real-life TV adverts and Still cam adverts due to the enforced social distancing requirements to prevent the spread of the virus.

Climate and water availability impacts on early growth and growth efficiency of Eucalyptus genotypes: The importance of GxE interactions

Predicting Eucalyptus plantation productivity in the face of climate change is a key challenge for intensively managed forest plantations around the world. Forest industry tree improvement and advanced silvicultural programs are charged with maximizing forest production but face challenging selection choices where Eucalyptus genotypes may be sensitive to genetic × environment interactions (GxE). Our study investigated the importance of GXE interactions by measuring the early (establishment to 2.6 years old) cumulative growth response of 30 selected genotypes of Eucalyptus globulus, E. nitens, E. badjensis, E. smithii, E. nitens × globulus and E. camaldulensis × globulus hybrid seedlings established across contrasting water availability conditions (High vs Low Irrigation). We compared the same genotypes at a low vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and clayey soil (North site) and a high VPD sandy soil (South site) in order to evaluate the stability of these genotypes across environmental gradients and thus evaluate the importance of genetic versus environmental impacts on growth. Stand growth was evaluated at 2.6 years when leaf area index (LAI) reached canopy closure in order to estimate a growth efficiency relationship (GE) with current annual increment (CAI). As expected, irrigation increased cumulative growth and LAI for all taxas, except for E. smithii at the North site. Genotypes showed large significant differences of performance within and across sites under each irrigation treatment. However, a strong relationship between North and South cumulative volume at age 2.6 years was observed for irrigated genotypes but not for non-irrigated genotypes. This suggests that a large GxE interaction may be expected under low water resource availability conditions associated with strong effects in ranking change of evaluated taxas and genotypes. Comparing taxas with at least two genotypes or more in our experiment, GE increased under High Irrigation for all taxas across sites. However, E. nitens × globulus hybrids showed small differences between High vs Low Irrigation treatments GE relationships compared to E. nitens and E. globulus genotypes. Our results suggest the need for strategic allocation of genotypes to contrasting drought risk environments and the need to assess our understanding of how particular genotypes interact with water stress conditions.

Auditory closure according to central auditory processing and psycholinguistic skills in adolescents.

The process of auditory closure is defined as the ability to complete distorted or missing parts of the acoustic signal and recognize the message in its entirety, is executed daily and should be intact in adolescents. To determine the possible alteration of auditory closure according to central auditory processing tests and the psycholinguistic skills in adolescents and; to analyze the relation between the academic performance with central auditory processing tests and psycholinguistic abilities. A descriptive and transversal study was carried out. 235 adolescents were assessed with normal hearing and without added pathologies. Central auditory processing (CAP) tests from Neustadt et al. and the Illinois Psycholinguistic Aptitude Test (IPAT) to assess psycholinguistic skills (HP). No association was found (p> 0.05) between the specific tests that evaluate the auditory closure (monosyllables with noise and filtered speech of CAP and auditory integration of HP). Regarding academic performance, a statistically significant association was observed (p> 0.05) with three of four psycholinguistic abilities: auditory association, sequential memory and grammatical integration. In turn, there was a significant association between academic performance and one of the four CAP tests: SSW. This research presents an approach on the interrelation between audiological and linguistic tests to detect early alterations in auditory closure in order to arrive at an integral look that contributes to the therapeutics of the problem in adolescents.

Salicylic acid-mediated plasmodesmal closure via Remorin-dependent lipid organization.

Plasmodesmata (PD) are plant-specific membrane-lined channels that create cytoplasmic and membrane continuities between adjacent cells, thereby facilitating cell-cell communication and virus movement. Plant cells have evolved diverse mechanisms to regulate PD plasticity in response to numerous environmental stimuli. In particular, during defense against plant pathogens, the defense hormone, salicylic acid (SA), plays a crucial role in the regulation of PD permeability in a callose-dependent manner. Here, we uncover a mechanism by which plants restrict the spreading of virus and PD cargoes using SA signaling by increasing lipid order and closure of PD. We showed that exogenous SA application triggered the compartmentalization of lipid raft nanodomains through a modulation of the lipid raft-regulatory protein, Remorin (REM). Genetic studies, superresolution imaging, and transmission electron microscopy observation together demonstrated that Arabidopsis REM1.2 and REM1.3 are crucial for plasma membrane nanodomain assembly to control PD aperture and functionality. In addition, we also found that a 14-3-3 epsilon protein modulates REM clustering and membrane nanodomain compartmentalization through its direct interaction with REM proteins. This study unveils a molecular mechanism by which the key plant defense hormone, SA, triggers membrane lipid nanodomain reorganization, thereby regulating PD closure to impede virus spreading.

Real-Time Driver Alert System Using Raspberry Pi

&#x0D; Malaysia has been ranked as one of the country in the world with deadliest road. Based on the statistic, there are around 7000 to 8000 people in the country died on the road among the population of 31 million Malaysians every year. In general, Advances Driver Assistance System (ADAS) aims to improve not only the driving experience but also consider the overall passenger safety. In recent years, driver drowsiness has been one of the major causes of road accidents, which can lead to severe physical injuries, deaths and significant economic losses. In this paper, a vison-based real-time driver alert system aimed mainly to monitor the driver’s drowsiness level and distraction level is proposed. This alert system could reduce the fatalities of car accidents by detecting driver’s face, detecting eyes region using facial landmark and calculating the rate of eyes closure in order to monitor the drowsiness level of the driver. Later, the system is embedded into the Raspberry Pi, with a Raspberry Pi camera and a speaker buzzer, and is used to alert the driver in real-time, by providing a beeping sound. Experimental results show that proposed system is practical and low-cost which could (1) embed the drowsiness detection module, and (2) provide alert notification to the driver when the driver is inattentive, using a medium loud beeping sound, in real-time.&#x0D;

Dural sealants for the management of cerebrospinal fluid leakage after intradural surgery: current status and future perspectives

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cerebrospinal fluid leakage is a complication after intradural surgery and is associated with severe secondary complications like compromised wound healing and meningitis. Dural sealants are meant to augment the primary dural closure in order to achieve a watertight closure.Areas covered: This review summarizes the efficacy of currently available dural sealants. Potential future improvements and biomaterials are discussed.Expert opinion: The use of a dural sealant seems to be the logical method to prevent CSF leakage. However, based on the efficacy of currently available dural sealants according to systematic reviews and in vitro studies, a significant effective dural sealant seems is still lacking. A new dural sealant has to be thoroughly assessed before clinical application in in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. A new research area within sealant development might be the introduction of dural sealants with both antimicrobial and analgesic properties.

A Wave Model of Metric Spaces

Let Ω be a metric space. By At we denote the metric neighborhood of radius t of a set A ⊂ Ω and by $$\mathfrak{D}$$ , the lattice of open sets in Ω with partial order ⊆ and order convergence. The lattice of $$\mathfrak{D}$$ -valued functions of t ∈ (0, ∞) with pointwise partial order and convergence contains the family I $$\mathfrak{D}$$ = {A(·)| A(t) = At, A ∈ $$\mathfrak{D}$$ }. Let Ω be the set of atoms of the order closure $$\overline{I\mathfrak{D}}$$ . We describe a class of spaces for which the set Ω equipped with an appropriate metric is isometric to the original space Ω. The space Ω is the key element of the construction of the wave spectrum of a lower bounded symmetric operator, which was introduced in a work of one of the authors. In that work, a program for constructing a functional model of operators of the aforementioned class was laid down. The present paper is a step in the realization of this program.

Aesthetic Reconstruction of the Hairline with Local Tissue

Abstract Hairline is a crucial landmark in facial aesthetics. Its restoration in terms of position, continuity and hair growth is of a paramount importance in facial plastic aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using local tissue only in the restoration of skin and soft tissue defects affecting the hair-line. A brief retrospective analysis of clinical cases with defects engaging the hairline was made. The majority of the patients (20 out of 22) were operated because of skin lesions of different entities. In 7 of the cases the direct closure technique was applied as a surgical tool for hairline restoration and in 15 of them rotational flaps were the best reconstructive option. A special emphasis is put on the defect size in regards of choosing the right surgical technique for defect closure in order to achieve the best aesthetic outcome in the hairline restoration.

New sternal closure methods versus the standard closure method: systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate, by means of a systematic review, the efficiency of new methods for sternal closure in order to prevent sternal wound complications after sternotomy. The method of study was a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. We included studies that used rigid plates, thermoreactive clips, cables and flat wires, in comparison with the standard closure method. Patients included adults, regardless of gender and race. Seven clinical trials were included involving 1810 patients. Five trials were carried out in the USA, 1 in Australia and 1 in Italy, and the trials include both male and female patients. The included studies compared conventional sternal closure with new closure methods (rigid plate, thermoreactive clips, cables and flat wires). The new sternal closure methods make little or no difference compared to the standard closure when we analyse deep sternal wound infection [risk ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-7.63; I2 = 74%; 5 studies], superficial wound infection (risk ratio 1.34, 95% CI 0.46-3.92; I2 = 11%, 3 studies) and death (risk ratio 1.16, 95% CI 0.42-3.21; I2 = 0%, 3 studies), but pain score was lower in new sternal closure methods (mean difference -0.57, 95% CI -0.98 to -0.16, I2 = 0%, 3 studies). There were no meta-analyses of sternal union, hospital stay, reoperation or mechanic ventilation time because of the high heterogeneity between the studies in terms of these outcomes. New sternal closure methods probably make little or no difference regarding the prevention of sternal complications in the postoperative period when compared to the standard closure method.

2666: the Post-Apocalypse according to Roberto Bolaño

In 2666, Roberto Bolaño configures, situated at the Mexican desert of Sonora, a latinamerican and post-apocalyptic scenario, a paradigmatic state of exception where, in an almost forensic style, innumerable corpses of women proliferate during more than 350 monotonous and inexhaustible pages: byproducts of a large scale femicide, nude lives deprived of political existence. In the structure of this posthumous novel, unfinished, demesured in its extension, Bolaño, through fragmentarities, digressions, interruptions, reveals an authentic poetic of inconclusion: there is no narrative totality capable to address the unlimited character of crime and absolute evil experienced during the twentieth century. This way, read under the lacanian logic of the pas-tout, this poetic of inconclusion enables the irruption of the real that interrupts the narration, the ideological closure of a perverse socio-symbolic order.