bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refractory Bell’s palsy responding to late treatment with high-dose intravenous steroids
Authors: Kim Baul , Jang Soo-Im , Park Soo-Hyun , Kim Nam-Hee
Published: October 2021

Bell’s palsy is an acute peripheral facial paralysis with no detectable cause. Although the prognosis of Bell’s palsy is generally good, some patients experience poor recoveries and there is no established treatment for those that do not recover even after receiving the conventional treatment. Here we present two cases of refractory Bell’s palsy with facial nerve enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging who showed symptomatic improvement after the late administration of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone.
New approach of using cortico-cortical evoked potential for functional brain evaluation
Authors: Jo Hyunjin , Kim Dongyeop , Song Jooyeon , Seo Dae-Won
Published: October 2021

Cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) mapping is a rapidly developing method for visualizing the brain network and estimating cortical excitability. The CCEP comprises the early N1 component the occurs at 10-30 ms poststimulation, indicating anatomic connectivity, and the late N2 component that appears at < 200 ms poststimulation, suggesting long-lasting effective connectivity. A later component at 200-1,000 ms poststimulation can also appear as a delayed response in some studied areas. Such delayed responses occur in areas with changed excitability, such as an epileptogenic zone. CCEP mapping has been used to examine the brain connections causally in functional systems such as the language, auditory, and visual systems as well as in anatomic regions including the frontoparietal neocortices and hippocampal limbic areas. Task-based CCEPs can be used to measure behavior. In addition to evaluations of the brain connectome, single-pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) can reflect cortical excitability, and so it could be used to predict a seizure onset zone. CCEP brain mapping and SPES investigations could be applied both extraoperatively and intraoperatively. These underused electrophysiologic tools in basic and clinical neuroscience might be powerful methods for providing insight into measures of brain connectivity and dynamics. Analyses of CCEPs might enable us to identify causal relationships between brain areas during cortical processing, and to develop a new paradigm of effective therapeutic neuromodulation in the future.
Usefulness of infrared thermography in diagnosing and evaluating severity of carpal tunnel syndrome
Authors: Yang Jiwon , Lee Yeong-Bae , Sung Young-Hee , Shin Dong-Jin , Kim Yong-Jin , Park Hyeon-Mi
Published: October 2021

Background: Pain and autonomic dysfunction are prominent symptoms in some patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Infrared thermography (IRT) has been used to evaluate CTS by measuring the cutaneous temperature and sympathetic vasomotor function.Methods: This study enrolled the 66 hands of 33 subjects, some of which had clinical CTS and the others were healthy. The enrolled patients completed the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and Historical-Objective scale, and underwent nerve conduction studies (NCSs) and IRT. Skin temperature was measured at the fingertips and the thenar and hypothenar regions in each hand. We analyzed (1) the correlations between self-reported severity, physician-assessed severity, and test results, and (2) the sensitivity and specificity of IRT in diagnosing CTS.Results: No significant correlation was observed between the results of the BCTQ, NCS, and IRT. IRT had a low sensitivity and high specificity in diagnosing CTS.Conclusions: IRT cannot replace NCS in diagnosing CTS, nor did it provide an advantage in combination with NCS. However, lower temperatures at the median nerve in some hands with moderate-to-severe CTS suggested the involvement of sympathetic nerve fiber function. Follow-up studies with a larger-scale and complementary design are required to elucidate the relationships.
Adolescent Girls in Guatemala: Can an Empowerment Program Change Perceptions of Gender Equity, Aspirations, and Communication?
Authors: Vyas Amita , Low Hannah , Nagaraj Nitasha
Published: October 2021

While Guatemala has made great strides towards gender equality, it remains a country with vast disparities. Gender sensitization and empowerment programs during adolescence when gender attitudes are formed have the potential to diminish gender inequities. The Girl Rising Pilot Program (GR) is a 24-week curriculum designed for adolescent girls living in the Sololá region where 95% of the total population is indigenous and Mayan. The present pilot study evaluated outcomes of the GR Guatemala pilot program. Specifically, the evaluation examined whether there were differences between baseline and follow-up on perceptions of gender equity, aspirations, and communication for adolescent girls who participated in the GR program. A quasi-experimental study design with a one group pre- and post-test was implemented. The pilot evaluation study included all 265 participants at baseline who participated in the GR program. after controlling for significant variables, it was found that the gender equitable attitudes score and communications scale still significantly increased between baseline and follow-up. The results of this evaluation prove that gender sensitization programs play a key role in forming and changing gender attitudes during adolescence, and have the potential to alter their short and long-term attitudes and beliefs.
Edição científica e estímulo à pesquisa no campo da educação: o percurso do periódico Cadernos de História da Educação (2002-2021)
Authors: Gatti Júnior Décio , Araujo José Carlos Souza , Gonçalves Neto Wenceslau , Carvalho Carlos Henrique de , Inácio Filho Geraldo
Published: October 2021

Trata-se da análise dos primeiros vinte anos de publicação do periódico científico Cadernos de História da Educação, entre 2002 e 2021. Iniciativa de um conjunto de pesquisadores do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas em História e Historiografia da Educação, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação, da Faculdade de Educação, da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), com sede no Estado de Minas Gerais, no Brasil. Neste artigo são apresentadas informações gerais sobre o periódico, elementos de sua situação atual, histórico básico, artigos e dossiês publicados, idiomas de publicação, países e combinação de países estudados, vinculações institucionais dos autores, épocas históricas abordadas. Ao final, estão apontados os principais progressos obtidos ao longo dos anos e os desafios para a continuidade e para o incremento da qualidade do periódico.
La aportación de Francisco Suárez al concepto de propiedad de la tradición escolástica
Authors: San Emeterio Nieves
Published: October 2021

En este artículo se hace una valoración de la doctrina de la propiedad de Francisco Suárez en relación a la tradición escolástica a la que pertenece. Encontramos aspectos muy similares a la de otros autores escolásticos como la defensa consecuencialista de la propiedad o los límites a la exclusividad en caso de extrema necesidad, pero también existen aspectos muy novedosos como la justificación de la apropiación por el trabajo en el estado de naturaleza. Su doctrina también se aleja de la tradición tomista cuando analiza la categoría de la apropiación como un derecho permisivo y preceptivo al mismo tiempo, un atributo que confiere la exclusividad al propietario y dota a sus ideas de una gran modernidad
Successful umbilicus salvage following concurrent infraumbilical single-port myomectomy and free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap elevation: a case report
Authors: Kim Jinhyun , Park Joseph Kyu-Hyung , Heo Chan Yeong
Published: October 2021

Performing a concurrent gynecologic operation and mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction using a free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap may increase the risk of complications such as umbilical necrosis due to vascular compromise. Imaging studies such as preoperative computed tomography angiography and intraoperative indocyanine green testing can provide information regarding the umbilical blood supply, facilitating decision-making for pedicle selection. Therefore, in situations where a coordinated operation is unavoidable, a thorough preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of the umbilical blood supply is recommended to avoid complications.
A comparative discussion of incisional methods in total capsulectomy of the breast
Authors: Kim Tae Hyung , Yoon Seok Min , Wee Syeo Young , Oh Hyok Sue , Jeong Hyun Gyo
Published: October 2021

Background Capsular contracture is a frequent complication of breast augmentation that constitutes one of the most common reasons for secondary operations. Capsular contracture is treated surgically, often with total capsulectomy. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to study correlations among intraoperative observations, physical examination findings, and characteristics of the previous operation in patients with capsular contracture who underwent total capsulectomy.Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients treated from May 2017 to April 2019, analyzing 24 breasts in 12 female patients. The patients were classified in terms of the Baker grade, incision type, implant type, and implant plane. During the operation, we evaluated the ease of dissection based on intraoperative features such as anterior and posterior wall dissection, bleeding tendency, and scar length. Statistical analysis was performed to identify association between variablesResults The implant was changed in eight patients, while only explantation was performed in the remaining four patients. The ease of capsule dissection had a proportional correlation with the Baker grade (P=0.005). Intraoperative dissection was significantly easier in the inframammary fold (IMF) group than in the periareolar group (P=0.035).Conclusions An IMF incision is preferable for planning en bloc capsulectomy. However, for aesthetic concerns, a periareolar incision would be preferable. In addition, a lower Baker grade (grade I or II) was associated with easier dissection. Therefore, surgeons should choose the incision type depending on the necessity of performing en bloc capsulectomy, Baker grade, and scar length.
The Effect of Taxation Understanding, Religiosity, and Machiavellianism on Individual Taxpayer Compliance Who Perform Freelance Job in Dki Jakarta
Authors: Mamentu Hutria Angelina , Utami Wiwik
Published: October 2021

This research is the first conducted using the population of individual taxpayers who do freelance job in DKI Jakarta. This research sought to examine the effect of Taxation Understanding, Religiosity, and Machiavellianism on Individual Taxpayer Compliance in DKI Jakarta. This research made use of primary data obtained through questionnaire. There were 185 research samples tested and analyzed using SmartPLS version 3.3.3. The research results revealed that taxation understanding and religiosity have significant effect on individual taxpayer compliance. On the other hand, Machiavellianism has no significant effect on individual taxpayer compliance.
MODERATING OF POLLITICAL CONNECTION ON FACTORS AFFECTING FRAUDULENT FINANCIAL STATEMENT FROM THE PENTAGON FRAUD MODEL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Irawan Helmiansyah , Aryati Titik
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT

The Purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of the factors that effect of fraud in financial statements that occur in companies. And also analyzes the impact of political connections as a moderating variable that strengthens or weakens the factors that influences fraud in the financial statements.The author collects empirical study data from manufacture industry companies, using secondary data taken from annual reporting of companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange and analyzes them using the SPSS program. A total of 60 units of data analysis that meet the criteria and can be used as sample in the research. This research reveals that effective monitoring and change of director has a positive and significant effect on financial statement of fraudulent. A set of financial targets, changes of auditors, and the frequencies of CEO pictures have not effect on fraudulent of financial statement. Whatever, the impact on political connection as oderating variable only strengthens the influence between effective monitoring and change of BOD on fraudulent financial statement from before being moderated by the political connection. This study only takes data of secondary from the annual reporting of companies and financial reports of firm from BEI, especially the manufacturing industry which only covers three sectors. Meanwhile, the Indonesia Stock Exchange consists of nine existing industrial sectors. Originality/value for this research is Political Connection as a moderator between financial stability, in effectively monitoring, change of auditor, change of director and frequencies of number commissioner’s pictures on financial statement of fraudulent in the context of manufacture companies listed in BEI is still little researched. So this research will not only fill in the current gaps in the literature but also spark new academic debates, but this study will also contribute to the practice of fraudulent financial.

Keywords: financial stability, ineffectively monitoring, changes of auditor, changes of director, financial statement of fraudulent
BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY MODEL IN THE NEW NORMAL ERA THROUGH MICRO AND SMALL BUSINESS DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN RURAL AREAS
Authors: Bayu Kartib
Published: October 2021

The policy of preventing the transmission of Covid-19 through Large-Scale Social Borders and the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities has had an impact on the economy. Many micro and small businesses have stopped operating, workers have been laid off, unemployment has increased, and there has been new poverty. This study aims to implement a business sustainability model that can adapt to new normal conditions supported by digital platform applications in a rural area and obtain a Covid-19 prevention model with a change in business governance orientation approach that can adapt to the new normal era. The research method used is literature study, exploratory survey, experimental research, and applied research. A field survey was conducted to obtain primary data at the village level. An experimental method to test business sustainability models and digital platform applications on micro and small businesses. Digital platform literacy is carried out through online workshops. The unit of analysis is micro and small business actors. The data analyzed are time series. The research site was in Sumedang Regency from September 2020 to July 2021. The results showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic there were micro and small business activities that made changes, although there were also those who laid off their businesses. Adjustments in the form of substitution of raw materials, modification, diversification, making new products, and changing the way of marketing. The digital platform design is made on a web and android based to carry out the function or process of online transactions for micro and small business products in rural areas. It is hoped that MSE entrepreneurs will understand, through complete information, adjusting needs, as well as helping prevent the transmission of Covid-19 and can support business sustainability in the new normal era.
Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Tourism and Hospitality Career Education in Ghana
Authors: Yirbekyaa Evelyn K. , Kuuder Conrad-J. Wuleka , Mohammed Issah
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of tourism and hospitality career education in three universities that run undergraduate programmes in Ghana, namely: the University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) and the University for Development Studies (UDS). Final year students totaling 128 students were contacted through questionnaire and results analyzed employing SPSS. The study revealed that 45% respondents from the UCC did not want to work in the industry after graduation. A greater number of respondents, 85% in UCC, 90% in UENR and 92% in UDS believed a decision to invest in tourism and hospitality education career was worthwhile. Contrary to the above 50% of all respondents surveyed in the three institutions did not believe one could make good income whilst working in the industry. It is suggested that career counselling sessions be organized by tourism and hospitality industry players in the universities to woo students’ interest in the sector.
INFLUENCE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE IN PREVENTION OF ORGANIZED CRIMES IN MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA
Authors: KIUNGA NICKSON
Published: October 2021

This paper uses data collected for an MA Thesis on influence of the Performance of National Police Service in Prevention of organized Crimes in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study was necessitated by continued rise of criminal gangs despite police service efforts to contain the problem.  The study was guided by three specific objectives, but for this paper first and second objectives will be discussed. First, the examined the influence of resource capacity on the performance of national police service in prevention of organized crimes in Mombasa County. Secondly, the study examined the influence of motivation on the performance of national police service in prevention of organized crimes. Thirdly, the last objective assessed the influence of external environment on the performance of National Police Service in prevention of organized crimes in Mombasa County, Kenya. The survey utilized Expectancy theory and Crime Pattern Theory and adopted a descriptive research design employing a mixed method paradigm.

The study sample size comprised 306 National Police Service officers (NPS); Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, Kenya Police service (KP), and Administration Police (AP) officers both senior and junior. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis derived from the study objectives. On the other hand, quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics. According to the findings, 17% of the police officers still undertake operations without intelligence briefing, and that despite the availability of criminal intelligence. Besides, access to criminal intelligence was still a major challenge to 45% of the officers while inter-agency coordination was a rare part of the fight against organized crime to 56% of the officers who were not involved. The findings also revealed that despite the importance of training towards the prevention of organized crime, 33% of police officers did not have access to these trainings. Furthermore, 53% of the officers, cited lack of recognition and motivation that could go a long way in raising performance of the police officers. The study makes two major recommendations; special attention to training and curriculum review that addresses the demands of emerging global security challenges. Secondly, officer’s welfare remains a thorny issue which can potentially stifle any crime prevention initiative. Welfare issues of concern such as merit and fairness in promotions, rewards and other incentives, and better compensation were said to be an integral part of any serious police reform agenda.
Between the real and the imaginary: the construction of the symbolic in the attack on New York.
Authors: Álvarez José Maurício
Published: October 2021

This article examines the political participation of mythology and the imaginary and the role of the history of unexpected events. It demonstrates how the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, determined contextualization of the event and 'resymbolization.' Working with the concept of the state of cinema, this article explores the possibilities of constructing modern culture which, based on the action of images and the movies. We analyze the North American imperial discourse, and the fabrication of a picture of the world based on a cinematographic, symbolic, and media process was - in the duel against the bad guy, and the American hero.
illusion of the Oracle:
Authors: Álvarez José Maurício
Published: October 2021

Abstract

The familiar face of empires is external intervention as opposed to local culture. We follow Michel Onfray's thesis about the oracular illusion when one more individual or country tries to avoid the fulfillment of a nefarious prediction, which materializes as a catastrophe. Algeria conquered in 1830 was incorporated into French territory. In 1954 the FLN rebelled, and in 1961, General Charles de Gaulle negotiated the independence of Algeria, causing the disastrous departure of 750,000 French settlers and the death of French supporters. From 1962 to 2021, the withdrawals of imperial powers from their colonies,  France from Algeria, the United States in Afghanistan, resulted in catastrophes and uncertainties. The imperial power of the United States aimed to defeat its bipolar antagonist, the USSR when it invaded Afghanistan. They conducted an inconsequential policy to beat their rival, arming and financing the Taliban's victorious resistance, the freedom fighters. The oracular illusion led the United States to support the future antagonist, Islamic fundamentalism, destined for the world caliphate. After the departure of the USSR, American power despised the Taliban, who harbored al Qaeda, leading to 9/11. In 2001 the United States invaded Afghanistan and abandoned it after 20 years of war without the precaution of obtaining plans or safeguards for the government in Kabul. After the disastrous retreat, the victorious Taliban demonstrated, like the FLN in Algeria, the fulfillment of the oracular illusion.
Historicizing Fashion: Clothing, Culture, and Chores
Authors: Pandey Anjani Shankar
Published: October 2021

The present paper is a study on the history of clothing in ancient India to historicize fashion in the Ancient Indian context. Relying primarily on textual sources of the period The Kāmasūtra of Vatsyayana ( 4-5th CE) and The Nātyaśāstra of Bharata (200 BCE-200CE), the paper seeks to examine the implications on patterns of dressing: clothing and accessorizing on different social categories based on gender, class, and caste being governed by the power relations operating within the social milieu of the texts. By looking at varied range of social and gendered categories the essence of clothing and dressing has been observed and commented upon. It has been primarily argued that dressing patterns reveal homogeneity in a particular group, who were part of a heterogeneous whole.
The practice of the Investigation process: the impact of cognitive conflict on the improvement of the training of concept «Composition of inspired air and expired air» for the pupils of primary cycle.
Authors: Khelifi Bilel
Published: October 2021

The first one left this research concerns the place of cognitive conflict in the Investigation on the alert scientific at the level of primary education. The second part is interested in the impact of cognitive conflict on the improvement of training. The methodology rests the basics on a question put down to the pupils of sixth primary year in different Tunisian schools by the way the composition of air which they inspire and that of the air which is expired. Answers given by the pupils show well that there is a problem linked to previous erroneous conception. Our research aims at improving the training of this concept by cognitive conflict. Therefore, we worked out for the pupils an experience based on observation and text given to every pupil allowing a cognitive conflict and objective is to cause a conceptual change. Obtained results show a positive impact of cognitive conflict on the acquisition of this concept and training improvement.
Knowledge, Attitude, Practice of Iranian Physicians about COVID-19 in Iran
Authors: Ghasemisarukolai Maryam
Published: October 2021

As a result of the global crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak in late December 2019, Iran was also severely affected. The three provinces of Tehran, Mazandaran, and Gillan were high-risk cities exposed to infection and grievously damaged. Therefore, we decided to look at the level of knowledge, depth of attitude, and quality of physicians' practice in these three provinces. The most significant goal was to assess the level of KAP relative to the COVID-19 virus to provide comprehensive information to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the treatment staff to better cope and more effectively prevent and control critical situations.

For research methodology, a cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 300 people using a self-made questionnaire. An online questionnaire via virtual networks and a paper questionnaire were also distributed by the principal author in medical hospitals, which included four sections: demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and practice. Cronbach's alpha confirmed the validity and reliability of each component. The final results prove that the knowledge of physicians was acceptable and significant at the level of 0.05. Physicians' attitudes showed a level of fear and anxiety that was significant according to a one-sample t-test and chi-square (Sig <0.05). In order to rank the physicians' practice, a T-test was used, and the results of the Friedman test in the first stage of the Chi-square test showed that the significance level is 0.05. Looking at the research results, it can be said that the development of educational programs can have a beneficial effect in increasing physicians' knowledge and controlling the disease as effectively as possible. Also, due to the attitude associated with stress and fear, it can be seen that providing laboratory and treatment equipment has been one of the concerns of physicians.
Influence of Family Values on Sexual Behaviour: A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions of Pre-Service Student Teachers
Authors: Tshomo Dechen , Tshomo Ugyen , Dorji Khandu , Gurung Hari Maya , Sherab Kezang
Published: October 2021

Family values and culture play a crucial role in the sexual behaviour of young adults. Due to lack of research, it is difficult to understand how Bhutanese family values and culture impact the sexual behaviour of young adults. Bhutanese are known for taking pride in their family values and culture and this is vividly brought out in this paper as a context to the study being carried out. This study employed a qualitative approach to understand the perceptions of pre-service student teachers (16 Key Informant & 2 Focus Group Interviews) regarding the influence of family values on their sexual behaviour. The findings indicate a presence of strong influence of family values and culture on the sexual behaviour of young adults. However, the findings tentatively suggest that the age of parents, education of parents, region, and religion do not influence their sexual behaviour. This small-scale study sets a foundation for a more expansive study on the role of family values in shaping the sexual behaviour of college students. This paper also presents the implications of the findings.
Steps to Writing a Research Proposal
Authors: Alasmari Nasser
Published: October 2021

Submitting a research proposal that is assessed by the concerned committee as being well- written and professional is undoubtedly the objective of any scholar recently admitted to the field of research. This positive acknowledgment would be the keystone to guaranteeing one’s admission to higher research programs. As a matter of fact, the current work aims to equip the targeted audience namely; post graduate students who are novice in the field of research, with initial but basic skills that would be indispensable to help them reach the aforementioned goal. It provides them with the different steps required to write a quality research proposal along with simplified explanation of the different concepts used in research which may be newly introduced to them and thus aims to familiarize them with these key concepts that would be translated and reflected through their professional proposal writing at later stages.
Towards an understanding of multilingual investment: multilingual learning experiences among mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong
Authors: Sung Chit Cheung Matthew
Published: October 2021

This paper investigates a group of mainland Chinese students’ multilingual learning experiences in an English-medium university in multilingual Hong Kong. Informed by the sociological construct of investment, the study focuses on the role of identity and language ideology and their interaction in shaping the participants’ experiences of learning English and Cantonese and their multilingual development. The findings reveal that the participants’ multilingual investments were mediated by their ideologies of sociolinguistic competence and flexible multilingualism, which contributed to the development of their identities as competent multilingual speakers. However, the participants’ negotiations of their multilingual identities were constrained by the local students’ deficit perspectives on the participants’ multilingual competences as a result of the influence of the ideology of native-speakerism in the local society. The findings also show that the participants’ internalization of the ideology of neoliberal multilingualism and the ideology of multilingualism as indexical of cosmopolitan membership prompted their multilingual investments, which expanded their imagined identity options for the future. Taken together, the findings point to the complex and dynamic interaction between identity and language ideology in shaping multilingual investments. The study also expands our understanding of multilingual learning by contributing to the conceptualization of ‘multilingual investment’ from a sociological perspective.
COVID-19 disease in clinical setting: impact on gonadal function, transmission risk, and sperm quality in young males
Authors: Scroppo Fabrizio I. , Costantini Elisabetta , Zucchi Alessandro , Illiano Ester , Trama Francesco , Brancorsini Stefano , Crocetto Felice , Gismondo Maria Rita , Dehò Federico , Mercuriali Anna , Bartoletti Riccardo , Gaeta Francesco
Published: October 2021

Objectives

We want to evaluate the possible presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in semen samples and semen quality, looking for a possible relationship between the infectious disease and fertility.

Methods

In this prospective study, we enrolled 15 consecutive men (age 18–50 years) with positive oropharyngeal swab to SARS-CoV-2 and classified, according to WHO criteria, in mild to moderate disease. A semen sample was collected to detect SARS-CoV viral RNA by the automated Real-Time PCR ELITe InGenius® system and the GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp Kit assay (ELITechGroup, France). Analysis of semen characteristics was performed according to WHO laboratory manual 5th ed. for the examination and processing of human semen. Blood samples for the dosage of hormonal assay, procalcitonin, interleukin 6, C-reactive protein were obtained.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 RNA has not been detected in semen samples from any of the subjects analysed. Sperm analysis exhibited abnormal seminal values in 14 out of 15 patients (93.3%). Furthermore, no difference was detected regarding sperm quality between mild and moderate SARS-CoV-2 patients. No alteration in the inflammatory indices was observed in the studied population, as well gonadotropins and testosterone levels.

Conclusions

COVID patients studied exhibits alteration of the seminal fluid both in microscopic and macroscopic characteristics such as hypoposia and increased viscosity, which have not been detected in previous studies. The presence of viral RNA within the seminal fluid was excluded.
From koine to standard: the early modern origin of a key linguistic term
Authors: Van Rooy Raf
Published: October 2021

In this paper, I explore the early history of the word standard as a linguistic term, arguing that it came to compete with the designation common language in the seventeenth century. The latter phrase was, in turn, formed by ideas on the Greek koine during the Renaissance and appears to have been the first widely used collocation referring to a standard language-like entity. In order to sketch this evolution, I first discuss premodern ideas on the koine. Then, I attempt to outline how the intuitive comparison of the koine with vernacular norms that were being increasingly regulated resulted in the development of the concept of common language, termed lingua communis in Latin (a calque of Greek hē koinḕ diálektos), in the sixteenth century. This phrase highlighted the communicative functionality of the vernaculars, which were being codified in grammars and dictionaries. Scholars contrasted these common languages with regional dialects, which had a limited reach in terms of communication. This distinction received a social and evaluative connotation during the seventeenth century, which created a need for terminological alternatives; an increasingly popular option competing with common language was standard, which was variously combined with language and tongue by English authors from about 1650 onwards, especially in Protestant circles, where the vernaculars tended to play a more prominent role than in Catholic areas. Of major importance for this evolution was the work and linguistic usage of the poet John Dryden (1631–1700). This essay uncovers the early history of standard as a key linguistic term, while also presenting a case study which shows the impact of the rediscovery of the Greek heritage on language studies in Western Europe, especially through the term common language.
The black box of delegated writing: Early Modern scribes and female literacy in The Netherlands
Authors: van der Wal Marijke
Published: October 2021

Apart from literacy rates and reading and writing acquisition, the actual writing practices of the past, which include the phenomenon of delegated writing, belong to a history of literacy. Delegated writing occurred when illiterate or partly literate individuals wanted to keep in contact with relatives at a distance and had to rely on the assistance of professional or social scribes. The details of this process and the role played by the sender of a letter and its actual, usually unknown, scribe often remain unclear, although different scenarios may be assumed. Cultural historian Lyons explored scenarios for delegated writing in France, Italy and Spain in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on the writing of ordinary people during the First World War and in the age of mass migration. For the Dutch language area, we have the opportunity to delve further back in time by exploring the late-seventeenth-century part of the Letters as Loot (LAL) corpus. This corpus previously allowed us to establish linguistic differences between autographs and non-autographs. For a detailed view of the delegated writing process, however, the LAL corpus also provides us with instances of two types of letters written by the same, identified, female scribes: their own letters and the letters they wrote for others. A comparative analysis of these different letters will be shown to contribute to opening the black box of Early Modern delegated writing.
Singing Philosophy: Deviating Voices and Rhythms without a Time Signature
Authors: Voegelin Salomé
Published: October 2021

This text practices a philosophical voice that deviates from visuo-centric theory and the muteness of its language and instead sings a complex simultaneity of things and thoughts that burn through the walls of the discipline and illuminate the activities at the margins. This philosophical voice sings a refrain of “I,” which brings us back to bring us forward, surprising us in its renewal again and again. It is a body that is, as Samuel Beckett’sNot I, at once not I and I; an idiosyncratic subjectivity that carries its plural name in its mouth. In this way, it further diffracts the sonic possibility of counterfactual slices into simultaneous dimensionalities open to our gaze in the dark, when we have let go of a normative orientation and are able to see the image at its depth. Between text scores, Churten theory, Canto Cardenche, and the breath of a humpback whale, this voice tries not to theorise. It does not want to produce a philosophical message, supporting a “philosophism” which akin to “scientism” treats philosophy as a phenomenon unconnected to cultural values or location, gender or racial specificity. Instead, it aims to practice a philosophy that opens in song to its own anxiety of objectivity, its fear of a reflective centre, and performs a translucent marginality that generates the view of a plural world burning through a permeable skin.
Screening and bioinformatics analysis of key biomarkers in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Wei Dongmei , Li Rui , Si Tao , He Hankang , Wu Wei
Published: October 2021

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most severe manifestation of coronary artery disease. Considerable efforts have been made to elucidate its etiology and pathology, but the genetic factors that play a decisive role in the occurrence of AMI are still unclear. To determine the molecular mechanism of the occurrence and development of AMI, four microarray datasets, namely, GSE29111, GSE48060, GSE66360, and GSE97320, were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We analyzed the four GEO datasets to obtain the differential expression genes (DEGs) of patients with AMI and patients with non-AMI and then performed gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. A total of 41 DEGs were identified, including 39 upregulated genes and 2 downregulated genes. The enriched functions and pathways of the DEGs included the inflammatory response, neutrophil chemotaxis, immune response, extracellular space, positive regulation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) transcription factor activity, response to lipopolysaccharide, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) receptor binding, innate immune response, defense response to bacterium, and receptor activity. The cytoHubba plug-in in Cytoscape was used to select the most significant hub gene from the PPI network. Ten hub genes were identified, and GO enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in inflammatory response, neutrophil chemotaxis, immune response, RAGE receptor binding, and extracellular region. In conclusion, this study integrated four datasets and used bioinformatics methods to analyze the gene chips of AMI samples and control samples and identified DEGs that may be involved in the occurrence and development of AMI. The study provides reliable molecular biomarkers for AMI screening, diagnosis, and prognosis.
Assessing Athletic Motor Skill Competencies in Youths: A Narrative Review of Movement Competency Screens
Authors: Pullen Ben J. , Oliver Jon L. , Lloyd Rhodri S. , Knight Camilla J.
Published: October 2021

Leading health organizations and long-term athletic development models have identified the need to develop movement competencies in children and adolescents. The athletic motor skill competencies (AMSCs) have been identified as key skills that form the foundations of all athletic movements. The AMSCs form an integral part of the long-term athletic development of youth, and improving these qualities should be central to coaches working with young individuals. Multiple movement competency screens assess some aspects of the AMSC spectrum, but there is no consensus regarding which screens may be most appropriate for a given cohort or coaching environment. This review provides an evaluation of the movement screens available to assess various AMSCs and in turn considers their reliability, feasibility, strengths, and weaknesses when used with youth populations.
Multiplexed Representation of Itch and Mechanical and Thermal Sensation in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex
Authors: Chen Xiao-Jun , Liu Yan-He , Xu Ning-Long , Sun Yan-Gang
Published: October 2021

The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) plays a critical role in processing multiple somatosensations, but the mechanism underlying the representation of different submodalities of somatosensation in S1 remains unclear. Usingin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging that simultaneously monitors hundreds of layer 2/3 pyramidal S1 neurons of awake male mice, we examined neuronal responses triggered by mechanical, thermal, or pruritic stimuli. We found that mechanical, thermal, and pruritic stimuli activated largely overlapping neuronal populations in the same somatotopic S1 subregion. Population decoding analysis revealed that the local neuronal population in S1 encoded sufficient information to distinguish different somatosensory submodalities. Although multimodal S1 neurons responding to multiple types of stimuli exhibited no spatial clustering, S1 neurons preferring mechanical and thermal stimuli tended to show local clustering. These findings demonstrated the coding scheme of different submodalities of somatosensation in S1, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the processing and integration of multimodal somatosensory information in the cortex.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTCortical processing of somatosensory information is one of the most fundamental aspects in cognitive neuroscience. Previous studies mainly focused on mechanical sensory processing within the rodent whisking system, but mechanisms underlying the coding of multiple somatosensations remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined the representation of mechanical, thermal, and pruritic stimuli in S1 byin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging of awake mice. We revealed a multiplexed representation for multiple somatosensory stimuli in S1 and demonstrated that the activity of a small population of S1 neurons is capable of decoding different somatosensory submodalities. Our results elucidate the coding mechanism for multiple somatosensations in S1 and provide new insights that improve the present understanding of how the brain processes multimodal sensory information.
Cortical Control of Virtual Self-Motion Using Task-Specific Subspaces
Authors: Schroeder Karen E. , Perkins Sean M. , Wang Qi , Churchland Mark M.
Published: October 2021

Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) for reaching have enjoyed continued performance improvements, yet there remains significant need for BMIs that control other movement classes. Recent scientific findings suggest that the intrinsic covariance structure of neural activity depends strongly on movement class, potentially necessitating different decode algorithms across classes. To address this possibility, we developed a self-motion BMI based on cortical activity as monkeys cycled a hand-held pedal to progress along a virtual track. Unlike during reaching, we found no high-variance dimensions that directly correlated with to-be-decoded variables. This was due to no neurons having consistent correlations between their responses and kinematic variables. Yet we could decode a single variable—self-motion—by nonlinearly leveraging structure that spanned multiple high-variance neural dimensions. Resulting online BMI-control success rates approached those during manual control. These findings make two broad points regarding how to build decode algorithms that harmonize with the empirical structure of neural activity in motor cortex. First, even when decoding from the same cortical region (e.g., arm-related motor cortex), different movement classes may need to employ very different strategies. Although correlations between neural activity and hand velocity are prominent during reaching tasks, they are not a fundamental property of motor cortex and cannot be counted on to be present in general. Second, although one generally desires a low-dimensional readout, it can be beneficial to leverage a multidimensional high-variance subspace. Fully embracing this approach requires highly nonlinear approaches tailored to the task at hand, but can produce near-native levels of performance.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMany brain–machine interface decoders have been constructed for controlling movements normally performed with the arm. Yet it is unclear how these will function beyond the reach-like scenarios where they were developed. Existing decoders implicitly assume that neural covariance structure, and correlations with to-be-decoded kinematic variables, will be largely preserved across tasks. We find that the correlation between neural activity and hand kinematics, a feature typically exploited when decoding reach-like movements, is essentially absent during another task performed with the arm: cycling through a virtual environment. Nevertheless, the use of a different strategy, one focused on leveraging the highest-variance neural signals, supported high performance real-time brain–machine interface control.
Slavery, Redemption, and Manumission as Structural Metaphors in Augustine’s Theology
Authors: Benjamins Joshua
Published: October 2021

Across his corpus, Augustine strikingly and recurrently deploys the three cognate metaphors of slavery to sin, redemption from sin, and slavery to God. I argue that Augustine’s use of these theological metaphors is thoroughly contoured by the legal and social strictures governing slavery and freedom in the later Roman empire. To develop this argument, I pay close attention to the economic and legal connotations of some key terms in Augustine’s lexicon of salvation—like manumissio, redemptio, and libertas—and seek to tease out the social, legal, and economic logic they encapsulate. As I show, the concept of dominium underwrites Augustine’s description of the prelapsarian ordo naturalis as a chain of hierarchical relationships: between God and man, soul and body, male and female. The notion that human beings are enslaved to sin, subject to the condicio servitutis from birth, evokes the situation of laboring tenants (coloni) bound to the land through their origo. Moreover, the bishop of Hippo’s descriptions of captivity to the devil and liberation through the interpellation (interpellatio) of God the Redeemer are informed by the contemporary reality of barbarian captivity and liberales causae, so richly described in Augustine’s Letter 10*. Finally, Augustine’s characterization of Christian service in terms of a state of simultaneous freedom and servitude implicitly draws upon the legal norms governing the relationship of freed captives to their redeemers, as well as the obligations of obsequium and gratia which freedmen owed to their former masters.
Textualization and Archive in Callimachus’ Hymn to Delos
Authors: Park Monica
Published: October 2021

This article argues for a new way of reading Hellenistic “literary” hymns, one that situates them in contemporary religious and cultural discourse through the notions of “textualization” and the “cultural archive.” I apply this framework to Callimachus’ Hymn to Delos and show how this hymn became an important part of the articulation of Ptolemaic religion in the context of ritual politics in the third-century Aegean, as well as how it had a lasting impact on the way that the ritual geography of the Cyclades was imagined. Specifically, the analysis spotlights how the hymn successfully links historical and contemporary theoric choral activity with the etymologization of the Cyclades; how it textualizes the island of Kos within the ritual nexus of Delos; and, finally, how it becomes an important part of Greek cultural memory about Delos.