bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bystanders of intimate partner violence against women and their willingness to intervene: An analysis of secondary data in Spain (2005–2020)
Authors: Sánchez-Prada Andrés , Delgado-Alvarez Carmen , Bosch-Fiol Esperanza , Ferreiro-Basurto Virginia , Ferrer-Perez Victoria A.
Published: September 2022

Recent decades have seen a growing acknowledgement of violence against women (VAW) as a serious social and public health problem of epidemic proportions. The prevention of VAW and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) has become a priority within this context, and includes various prevention strategies such as social participation and helping behaviors. In different countries, conducting research on help-seeking behavior and bystander intervention in cases of VAW is a common practice, but addressing these issues is much less common in Spain. In this context, the objective of this study is to provide a preliminary estimation of the volume of bystanders in cases of IPVAW in Spain between 2005 and 2020 (since the entry into force of Organic Law 1/2004), their willingness to intervene and, in the case of intervention, the type of helping behavior (real or hypothetical) preferred, using the sources (secondary data) available (specifically, survey data, as the surveys of social perception of gender violence and the 2014 and 2019 macro-surveys, and also administrative data, as the database of reports filed). The data analyzed allow us to determine that, in fact, in the cases of IPVAW there are usually persons within the victim’s inner circle who are firsthand witnesses or have been informed by the victim of the existence of this type of violence, but, although the bystanders generally claim they would engage in an active and supportive response, this is in fact not always the case. These results underscore the need to develop intervention programs aimed at IPVAW bystanders to improve their reaction and contribute to the development of helpful and efficient active responses.
Spurious early ecological association suggesting BCG vaccination effectiveness for COVID-19
Authors: Ledesma Jorge R. , Lurie Peter , Yorlets Rachel R. , Daly Garrison , Chrysanthopoulou Stavroula , Lurie Mark N.
Published: September 2022

Background

Several ecologic studies have suggested that the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection including a highly-cited published pre-print by Miller et al., finding that middle/high- and high-income countries that never had a universal BCG policy experienced higher COVID-19 burden compared to countries that currently have universal BCG vaccination policies. We provide a case study of the limitations of ecologic analyses by evaluating whether these early ecologic findings persisted as the pandemic progressed.

Methods

Similar to Miller et al., we employed Wilcoxon Rank Sum Tests to compare population medians in COVID-19 mortality, incidence, and mortality-to-incidence ratio between countries with universal BCG policies compared to those that never had such policies. We then computed Pearson’s r correlations to evaluate the association between year of BCG vaccination policy implementation and COVID-19 outcomes. We repeated these analyses for every month in 2020 subsequent to Miller et al.’s March 2020 analysis.

Results

We found that the differences in COVID-19 burden associated with BCG vaccination policies in March 2020 generally diminished in magnitude and usually lost statistical significance as the pandemic progressed. While six of nine analyses were statistically significant in March, only two were significant by the end of 2020.

Discussion

These results underscore the need for caution in interpreting ecologic studies, given their inherent methodological limitations, which can be magnified in the context of a rapidly evolving pandemic in which there is measurement error of both exposure and outcome status.
The dramatization of the shepherd warrior in Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine and the Jordanian drama Bedouin series Rās Ghlaiṣ (‘The head of Ghlaiṣ’)
Authors: Alhawamdeh Hussein A. , Alwaraydat Feras M.
Published: September 2022

Parts 1 and 2 of the Arab Jordanian series Rās Ghlaiṣ (‘The head of Ghlaiṣ’) (2006–08), written by Jordanian screenwriter Muṣṭafā Ṣāliḥ and directed by Aḥmad D‘aibis and Sha‘lān al-Dabbās, share three ‘common denominators’, in Haun Saussy’s terminology, with Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great, Parts 1 and 2 (1587): (1) the shepherd character as a monstrous despot, (2) pastoral love of the shepherds and (3) the mobilization of nations/tribes to take revenge against Tamburlaine/Ghlaiṣ. Ṣāliḥ’s delineation of the nomadic hero Ghlaiṣ is similar to the Marlovian model of Tamburlaine in a time of war and love. Ghlaiṣ, as an Arab Jordanian Tamburlaine, seeks in a Machiavellian manner an ultimate rule and control over all nomadic tribes in the Jordanian desert and behaves as a monstrous lover. This article takes two pieces of literature from two different cultures as an example of the adaptability of screen narrative to the scope of comparative literature and appropriation studies, showing simultaneously the experience of Jordanian screenwriters as one example of what Craig Batty calls the ‘screenwriting turn’ (2014: 1). Both Marlowe and Ṣāliḥ dramatize the shepherd despots to warn against the threat of colonial and imperial ambitions and models.
Nest-works
Authors: Huestis Amy-Claire
Published: September 2022

Two years ago, a nest box outside my window held a pair of Violet-Green Swallow. I counted six swallows fledge from the box and take their first flights in the July rain. Leaving the roof of the nest box, they flew in little loops out over the water, trying out their wings. I watched them from the dock, their bodies suspended in the air between the raindrops. This experience was the inspiration for what I call ‘nest-works’ – for poetic wilding of all-too-human spaces. Nest-works began with an experimental panel for the 2021 College Art Association Conference, called ‘Co-Making this World’. The experimental session was modelled after the nest of a bird, a Black-Capped Chickadee. As this cavity-nester builds a home of disparate materials, the panel of artist-researchers built a session of disparate theories and practices, as we considered relationships with world-systems that are in the process of making (such as the nest of the chickadee). For Technoetic Arts, we weave a new nest-work of research material, as we consider new models for knowledge and creative production. This nest-work is an entanglement of short essays made by artists working with a common pattern, framing eco-poetics on collaborative and participatory processes with the non-human/more-than-human.
Creative collaboration within heterogeneous human/intelligent agent teams
Authors: Kaczmarek Christopher
Published: September 2022

As we move towards a world that is using machine learning and nascent artificial intelligence to analyse and, in many ways, guide most aspects of our lives, new forms of heterogeneous collaborative teams that include human/intelligent machine agents will become not just possible, but an inevitable part of our shared world. The conscious participation of the arts in the conversation about, and development and implementation of, these new collaborative possibilities is crucial, as the arts serve as our best lens through which we can explore the full spectrum of potential possibilities and futures. Through the complex relationships formed through heterogeneous human/intelligent agent collaboration, we are given the opportunity to re-examine some of our assumptions and suppositions of teamwork and forms of relating and thinking within a group environment.
Blockchain technology, foundations, protocols and aesthetic considerations
Authors: Molins Marie
Published: September 2022

This article aims to outline the fundamental concepts that characterize blockchain technology in order to allow for a better understanding of how it is structured within the protocols which govern the internet, but also to portray the devices which allow its re-appropriation by capitalist culture. The theoretical foundations of this article are supported by a medio-archaeological position that allows us to acquire a technical look at the blockchain, but also to weave historical and aesthetic parallels in order to understand the NFT phenomenon, at the core of current economic issues and speculations.
Unruly objects: NFTs, blockchain technologies and bio-conservation
Authors: Dumitriu Anna , May Alex , Velios Athanasios , Sakki Zoi , Korakidou Veroniki , Marçal Hélia , Panagiaris Georgios
Published: September 2022

This article explores and challenges notions and methodologies of conservation, including the use of blockchain technologies as a means of establishing provenance of a physical BioArtwork, of the artist’s documentation encapsulating their intentions and of the conservator’s records required for the artwork’s ongoing care. The exploration is done through a case study of an art project called ‘Unruly Objects and Biological Conservation’ created by Anna Dumitriu with support from Alex May. The artwork consists of three items containing RFID tags sealed in resin – which point to the location of the artist’s documentation. Therefore, the works physically include instructions for maintaining their inherent concepts and materiality for the benefit of the conservators. Such instructions can often be difficult to track down, or become disassociated from the artwork while the digital preservation of this storage method also poses its own set of questions. The works also include biological material including mud from a bacterial ecosystem known as a Winogradsky Column, living plant material and SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) RNA from a plasmid construct.
Technological, legal, and sociological summary of biometric technology usage
Authors: Kanich Ondrej , Matejka Jan , Fialova Eva , Kafkova Marcela Petrova , Dosedel Tomas , Drahansky Martin
Published: September 2022

The article presents biometric systems from three different standpoints. Technological standpoint, where the focus is laid on biometric system usage by the general public. Explaining basic terms and difficulties using various biometric characteristics. It also shortly describes how recognition works in several biometric characteristics (fingerprint, face, iris, and signature). After that is the legal standpoint, which is focused mainly on European Union law, where the often-mentioned GDPR is discussed, this basic legal regulation places a significantly higher standard than the previous legislation on the processing of biometric data as a particular category of personal data. Lastly, the article shows a sociological standpoint. In that part, different attitudes towards biometric technologies are discussed within the world population and different groups of the Czech Republic population. In the latest survey done by the authors in 2020 was found that age, and education play a vital role in the knowledge about biometric systems.
Plovdiv –culture, ethnicity, language
Authors: Yanev Boryan , Petrova Elka
Published: September 2022

The poster presents the results of the analysis of the historical dynamics in the development of the language situation in the process of interaction of the forms of existence, of its components in the various spheres of their realization. Culture, in its essence, is a complex of shared values, goals, behaviors, and practices that is characteristic of an organization or group. It is a historical fact that by means of the Organic Statute three official languages are imposed in Eastern Roumelia: Bulgarian, Turkish, and Greek. Even then, the district was considered multinational. According to an amendment proposed by the Russian representatives in the then commission on the formation of the Eastern Roumelia, the language of the predominant population is accepted as the official language in the relevant places. In this way, the Bulgarian language is imposed as the official language in almost all of Eastern Roumelia. In the city of Plovdiv, since it was the capital of the newly created Eastern Rоumelia after the Russo-Turkish war, a multi-ethnic and multilingual environment already exists, which makes a specific city – a phenomenon. In the city, through a combination of appropriate educational practices, a targeted policy toward development and support in a multicultural and multilingual environment, as well as numerous joint initiatives between ethnic groups through time, a functioning civilizational model is being created. From the point of view of historical sources, in the city of Plovdiv in the 19th century lived 250 Jewish families, 180 Armenian families, and 400 Bulgarian-Catholic families. The multicultural composition, respectively the multilingual diversity, of the city of Plovdiv, has been preserved and expanded until modern times. After analyzing all the data from the historical sources, the statistical data from the population censuses of the city of Plovdiv, respectively deriving its ethnic composition and paying attention to the percentage ratio of the individual languages, we derived and now we present a particular formula, which that describes the essence appearance of the city of Plovdiv.The authors express sincere gratitude to the Scientific Research Fund at the Ministry of Education and Science and the "Scientific and Project Activity" Division at Plovdiv University "PaisiiHilendarski" for the assistance provided.
The Authenticity of Transmitted Reports on the First Intellect
Authors: Toussi Sayyed Khalil
Published: September 2022

Most Muslim thinkers perceive the Prophet Muhammad -besides being a messenger- as a political leader with divine authority and saw his religion as the socio-political program for this worldly life. The theology behind this politics becomes a powerful tool for the heirs of the Prophet - the caliphs, kings, and jurists in later centuries- to sanctify their political authority and link it to a divine right. Muslim philosophers have had a central role in theorizing this theology. They made an effort to demonstrate the

ontic superiority
of the Prophet through the idea of al-‘aql al-awwal as the First Creation -- inherited from Aristotelian, the Neo-Platonic and Hellenistic prophetic philosophy -- which they associated with political authority in Islam. The Islamization of this idea was mainly accomplished by the numerous transmitted reports (sg.ḥadīth) that introduced the spirit of the Prophet (Muhammadan Reality)as the First Creation and apolitical agent of the sacred or the transcendent realm.

After a discussion of the reasoning of the most prominent Muslim philosophers on this issue, this studyby way of isnād-cum-matn analysis - a textual and historical examination of the transmission chains and content of the hadiths –will critically examine the authenticity of these sources.
Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping of Host-plant

Resistance against Insect Pests
Authors: Gado Jeric , Alviar Karen
Published: September 2022

Host-plant resistance is a fundamental part of integrated pest management through breeding for genes conferring resistance against insect pests. One method that can achieve host plant resistance to insects is through quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping analysis. This method has advanced significantly recently because of the availability of modern genomic methods and instrumentation, powerful statistical methods, and wide range of molecular markers. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and genotyping by sequence (GBS) resulted in high through-put and cost-effective genotyping. Integration of GBS and biparental mapping is a powerful tool as it can be adapted to species that lack preliminary sequence or genotypic information. QTL analysis should be used in untargeted approach and aimed for combined-insect resistance genomic studies because insect pests induce damage in many different ways. Combining QTL mapping analyses with transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, to assess insect resistance at the levels of the genotype, gene expression, and metabolite and protein networks is an integral part to produce multiple pest-resistance breeding.
Herramientas para el mejoramiento genético de orquídeas del género Vanda
Authors: Carrodeaguas A. , Zuñiga A. , Sánchez L.
Published: September 2022

Las orquídeas del género Vanda tienen gran valor en el mercado ornamental por la vistosidad de sus ﬂores. El mejoramiento genético en vandas es mayormente realizado a través de métodos convencionales, pero la alta demanda del mercado actual sobre nuevos cultivares hace necesaria la inclusión de técnicas moleculares y biotecnológicas en la mejora genética. El objetivo de esta revisión, es analizar la utilidad de diferentes herramientas moleculares y biotecnológicas para el desarrollo de un programa de mejoramiento genético en Vanda, mediante la interrelación con biología reproductiva y mejoramiento convencional en el género. En esta revisión se consultaron un total de 95 artículos publicados en revistas cientíﬁcas. Como resultado se brinda una compilación de información de utilidad como material de consulta para técnicos, profesionales e investigadores relacionados con esta temática.
Kompensasi Ganti Rugi Bunga dalam Perspektif Hukum Islam
Authors: Prawira Ilham Abdi
Published: September 2022

Bunga (interesten) merupakan salah satu di antara tiga komponen ganti rugi karena wanprestasi. Pasal 1243-1252 KUH Perdata menjadi landasan yuridis ganti rugi yang disebabkan karena adanya wanprestasi, dalam Pasal tersebut dirinci tiga komponen ganti rugi yang meliputi, penggantian biaya (konsten), rugi (schade) dan bunga (interesten). Jika ditelisik dengan seksama dapat diketahui bahwa kerugian nyata yang benar-benar dialami oleh kreditur meliputi penggantian atas biaya (konsten) dan rugi (schade), sedangkan bunga (interesten) merupakan keuntungan yang diharapkan yang bersifat spekulatif, harus melalui perkiraan dan penakaran terlebih dahulu. Dalam penentuannya antara satu orang dengan orang yang lainnya akan berbeda persepsi dalam penentuan besaran ganti ruginya. Tulisan ini akan mendiskusikan mengenai ganti rugi bunga (interesten) atau keuntungan yang diharapkan ditinjau dari perspektif hukum Islam. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan normatif untuk menyesuaikan dengan ketentuan hukum Islam yang berlandaskan Al-Qur’an, Hadis, Ijma’ Ulama serta kaidah-kaidah fikih yang relevan, selain itu juga menggunakan landasan yuridis dalam hukum positif yang berkaitan dengan pokok bahasan. Setelah dilakukan analisis secara mendalam dapat disimpulkan bahwa dalam perspektif hukum Islam penggantian biaya (konsten) dan rugi (schade) dapat dimintakan ganti ruginya karena sifatnya nyata dan benar-benar telah dialami oleh kreditur tanpa melalui perkiraan dan penakaran terlebih dahulu, sementara ganti rugi bunga (interesten) atau keuntungan yang diharapkan dilarang dimintakan ganti ruginya karena adanya ketidakjelasan besaran keuntungan yang diharapkan tersebut.
Identity construction of Hong Kong returnees: stance taking and self-labelling in narratives
Authors: Chan Hon Leung Clement
Published: September 2022

This study examines how Hong Kong returnees negotiate and construct their transnational identities in their post-sojourn period via two indexical cues, stance taking, and self-labelling. Based on the narratives about remigration, this study investigates how returnees construct their identities discursively by taking stances to evaluate and align with sociocultural values and using self-labelling to index their transnational identities in their post-sojourn period. In doing so, this study hopes to contribute to the existing migration studies on Hong Kong returnees in terms of language and identity construction.
Study on data mining method of network security situation perception based on cloud computing
Authors: Zhang Yan , Kaur Arshpreet , Jagota Vishal , Neware Rahul
Published: September 2022

In recent years, the network has become more complex, and the attacker’s ability to attack is gradually increasing. How to properly understand the network security situation and improve network security has become a very important issue. In order to study the method of extracting information about the security situation of the network based on cloud computing, we recommend the technology of knowledge of the network security situation based on the data extraction technology. It converts each received cyber security event into a standard format that can be defined as multiple brochures, creating a general framework for the cyber security situation. According to the large nature of network security situation data, the Hadoop platform is used to extract aggregation rules, and perform model extraction, pattern analysis, and learning on a network security event dataset to complete network security situation rule mining, and establish a framework for assessing the state of network security. According to the results of the federal rule extraction, the level of network node security risk is obtained in combination with signal reliability, signal severity, resource impact, node protection level, and signal recovery factor. A simulation test is performed to obtain the intrusion index according to the source address of the network security alarm. Through the relevant experiments and analysis of the results, the attack characteristics obtained in this study were obtained after manually reducing the network security event in the 295 h window. The results show that after the security event is canceled, the corresponding window attack index decreases to 0, indicating that this method can effectively implement a network security situation awareness. The proposed technique allows you to accurately sense changes in network security conditions.
Syntactic and lexical-ase-are distinct suffixes
Authors: de Chene Brent
Published: September 2022

In addition to the syntactic (inflectional) causative suffix-(s)ase-, Japanese displays a lexical (derivational) causative suffix-(a)se-(okur-ase-‘delay’,no-se-‘place on’) whosea-zero alternation is general in the stem-level phonology. Because the UR of syntactic-(s)ase-must include thesof its postvocalic alternant, the two suffixes necessarily have distinct phonological forms; there is thus no way to treat them as “high attachment” and “low attachment” versions of a single element. The division of labor between syntactic-(s)ase-and lexical-(a)se-invites the conclusion that no causative suffix is syntactic in some cases and lexical in others; if so, causatives pose no challenge to the position that while Japanese inflectional morphology is the phonological realization of syntactic representations, derivational morphology involves lexical listing of stems. The conclusion that there is no causative suffix that spans the syntactic/lexical boundary is validated by showing that forms that have been taken in the literature as exemplifying lexical-(s)ase-are in fact either lexical-(a)se-or syntactic-(s)ase-. As part of this demonstration, it is shown that, with minor exceptions, verb stems in-ase-have arisen as variants of pre-existing stems in-as-, and an explanation for this ongoing process of replacement is proposed.
To think thatconstructions and Japanesetowa/nanteconstructions
Authors: Hatakeyama Yuji , Honda Kensuke , Tanaka Kosuke
Published: September 2022

English has what is called ‘theto think thatconstruction’, in which the subordinate clause (theto-infinitive clause) is used as if it were an independent clause (e.g.,To think that she could be so ruthless!). This paper shows that theto think thatconstruction can be divided into two types depending on the contents of thethatclauses: one is the “recall” type, in which thethatclauses represent a speaker’s knowledge (i.e., his/her past event or experience); and the other is the “surprise” type, in which thethatclauses describe an event at the speech time which the speaker regards as unbelievable. This paper further shows that the “surprise” type of theto think thatconstruction corresponds to the Japanese exclamatory sentence, or thetowa/nanteconstruction such asKodomo-ni anna koto-o iw-are-ru{towa/nante}!‘(Lit.) That my child should say such a thing!’.
The polarizable and reprogrammable identity of Kupffer cells in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Zahr Tarik , Sun Kevin , Qiang Li
Published: September 2022

Kupffer cells (KCs) are the resident macrophages of the liver with similar origins to myeloid-derived macrophages. Once differentiated, KCs exhibit distinct cellular machinery capable of longevity and self-renewal, making them a crucial player in promoting effective intrahepatic communication. However, this gets compromised in disease states like Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), where the loss of embryo-derived KCs (EmKCs) is observed. Despite this, other KC-like and KC-derived populations start to form and contribute to a variety of roles in NASH pathogenesis, often adopting a NASH-associated molecular signature. Here we offer a brief overview of recent reports describing KC polarization and reprogramming in the liver. We describe the complexities of KC cellular identity, their proposed ability to reprogram to fibroblast-like and endothelial-like cells, and the potential implications in NASH.
NTIM solution of the fractional order parabolic partial differential equations
Authors: Ali Nasir , Nawaz Rashid , Saeed Anwar , Gul Taza , Bonyah Ebenezer
Published: September 2022

In this article, natural transform iterative method has been used to find the approximate solution of fractional order parabolic partial differential equations of multi-dimensions together with initial and boundary conditions. The method is applicable without any discretization or linearization. Three problems have been taken as test examples and the results are summarized through plots and tables to show the efficiency and reliability of the method. By practice of a few iterations, we observe that the approximate solution of the parabolic equations converges to the exact solution. The fractional derivatives are considered in the Caputo’s sense.
Progress in solid state and coordination chemistry of actinides in China
Authors: Li Kai , Liu Wei , Zhang Hailong , Cheng Liwei , Zhang Yugang , Wang Yaxing , Chen Ning , Zhu Congqing , Chai Zhifang , Wang Shuao
Published: September 2022

In the past decade, the area of solid state chemistry of actinides has witnessed a rapid development in China, based on the significantly increased proportion of the number of actinide containing crystal structures reported by Chinese researchers from only 2% in 2010 to 36% in 2021. In this review article, we comprehensively overview the synthesis, structure, and characterizations of representative actinide solid compounds including oxo-compounds, organometallic compounds, and endohedral metallofullerenes reported by Chinese researchers. In addition, Chinese researchers pioneered several potential applications of actinide solid compounds in terms of adsorption, separation, photoelectric materials, and photo-catalysis, which are also briefly discussed. It is our hope that this contribution not only calls for further development of this area in China, but also arouses new research directions and interests in actinide chemistry and material sciences.
Recent advances in matrix metalloproteinases-responsive nanoprobes for cancer diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Wang Qiuye , Cui Haijing , Gan Ning , Ma Xuehua , Ren Wenzhi , Wu Aiguo
Published: September 2022

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a class of zinc-contained endopeptidases, are closely involved in tumor growth, infiltration, metastasis, and angiogenesis. By virtue of the specifically enzymatic hydrolysis, MMPs have been widely used to turn on imaging and/or therapy function of elaborately designed enzyme-responsive nanoprobes, which is expected to realize precise diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This review systematically summarizes the classifications of MMPs, their substrates and recognized sequences, and overexpressed tumor types. The advances of MMPs-responsive nanoprobes for cancer diagnosis and therapy are focused, including trigger mechanism, design principle, and various imaging or therapy modes. Finally, this review analyzes the challenges of MMPs-responsive nanoprobes in clinical application, and provides constructive opinions for future study.
Diabetes mellitus-induced lower urinary tract symptoms and hepatic steatosis in an older male
Authors: Opara Nnennaya U
Published: September 2022

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2) is one of the important causes of low-grade chronic inflammation (meta inflammation) seen in almost all tissues in the body. Other possible mechanisms involved in the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) with DM-2 are the hypertonicity of the peripheral sympathetic nerves and hyperinsulinemia effects on the autonomous nervous system activity. These further suggests that abnormalities in glucose homeostasis influence the hyperproliferation of the prostate cells resulting in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Similarly, hepatic steatosis, a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence among patients with DM-2, is as high as 75%. NAFLD has no symptoms in most diabetic patients. In this study, we present a case of a 64-year-old Black male who had worsening urinary urgency and hesitancy for 4 months, with increasing abdominal girth. Patient was found to have symptoms, diagnostic studies, and physical exam findings indicative of BPH and fatty liver disease. He was treated with hepato-protective medications, tighter control of his blood glucose levels, and blood pressure meds for 13 months. Upon follow-up, most of his symptoms were resolved. Timeline of BPH resolution and decrease in liver size following treatment suggest that DM-2 has a strong correlation with the development of BPH and fatty liver disease in most patients living with diabetes.

Learning points

Men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) tend to have significantly lower serum PSA level, lower testosterone levels, and larger prostate volume compared to non-diabetic male patients.

Patients with DM-2 have higher prevalence of hepatic steatosis, liver cirrhosis, and end-stage liver failure.

The role of metformin in reducing hepatic steatosis as stated by several studies is yet to be validated as our patient has been on metformin for 22 years for the management of DM-2 with fatty liver disease.
Yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization for liver metastases from medullary thyroid cancer
Authors: Puleo Luciana , Agate Laura , Bargellini Irene , Boni Giuseppe , Piaggi Paolo , Traino Claudio , Depalo Tommaso , Lorenzoni Giulia , Bianchi Francesca , Volterrani Duccio , Brogioni Sandra , Bottici Valeria , Brunetto Maurizia Rossana , Coco Barbara , Molinaro Eleonora , Elisei Rossella
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Liver metastases occur in 45% of patients with advanced metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) has been proposed to treat liver metastases (LM), especially in neuroendocrine tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical (calcitonin and carcino-embryonic antigen) and objective response of liver metastases from MTC to TARE.

Methods

TARE is an internal radiotherapy in which microspheres loaded with β-emitting yttrium-90 (90Y) are delivered into the hepatic arteries that supply blood to LM. Eight patients with progressive multiple LM underwent TARE and were followed prospectively. They were clinically, biochemically and radiologically evaluated at 1, 4, 12 and 18 months after TARE.

Results

Two patients were excluded from the analysis due to severe liver injury and death due to extrahepatic disease progression, respectively. One month after TARE, a statistically significant (P = 0.02) reduction of calcitonin was observed in all patients and remained clinically relevant during follow-up; reduction of CEA, although not significant, was found in all patients. Significant reduction of liver tumor mass was observed 1, 4 and 12 months after TARE (P = 0.007, P = 0.004, P = 0.002, respectively). After 1 month, three of six patients showed partial response (PR) and three of six stable disease (SD) according to RECIST 1.1, while five of six patients had a PR and one of six a SD according to mRECIST. The clinical response remained relevant 18 months after TARE. Excluding one patient, all others showed only a slight and transient increase in liver enzymes.

Conclusions

TARE is effective in LM treatment of MTC. The absence of severe complications and the good tolerability make TARE a valid therapeutic strategy when liver LM are multiple and progressive.
High quality bio-oil production from catalytic microwave-assisted pyrolysis of pine sawdust
Authors: Wang Xinyun , Wu Fengyi , Li Chuan , Chen Mingqiang , Wang Jun
Published: September 2022

The catalytic microwave-assisted pyrolysis of pine sawdust using SiC and Ni modified HZSM-5 as microwave absorbent and catalyst for high quality bio-oil production was investigated. The Ni modified HZSM-5 catalyst was successfully prepared through the co-precipitation method and further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface area and pore size analyses. The product yield results showed that Ni modified HZSM-5 catalyst decreased the bio-oil yield and increased the gas yield. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that the bio-oil mainly contained alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, furans, and phenolics. The Ni modified HZSM-5 catalyst dramatically decreased the carboxylic acids and ketones content, while it remarkably increased phenolics, especially the phenol content. The physical property analysis showed that the bio-oil with the Ni modified HZSM-5 catalyst had a higher calorific value. Therefore, under microwave-assisted pyrolysis conditions, Ni modified HZSM-5 catalyst had a remarkable effect for improving the quality of bio-oil.
Effect of grain direction on cutting forces and chip geometry during green beech wood machining
Authors: Curti Rémi , Marcon Bertrand , Denaud Louis , Collet Robert
Published: September 2022

Proper valorization of the sawing wastes in industrial sawmills is a permanent issue with strong economic and environmental stakes. Most industrial sawmills are equipped with chipper-canter heads reducing the outer part of the logs into chips used in the pulp and paper industry. Optimization in canter use would increase the acceptable proportion of exploitable chips for this industry. With chipper-canters, the cutting direction varies along the cut. This study investigates the impact of the angle formed between the cutting direction and the grain direction on the required cutting force and the chips’ geometry. Orthogonal cutting is conducted to simulate the chipper-canter machining operation on green beech. To lower the cutting forces when machining, aiming for a cutting direction as parallel as possible to the wood fiber is necessary. However, if this angle is too low, the chips’ generated geometries prevent them from a proper valorization of this resource. A compromise with grain direction between 50° to 70° both limits the cutting forces and improves the steadiness of the chip fragmentation.
Effect of thermal treatment on the heat of vaporization of bound water by NMR and DSC analysis
Authors: Guo Yingjie , Zhang Minghui , Xie Yanjun , Chen Haiou , Xiao Zefang
Published: September 2022

The vaporized heat of bound water in radiata pine wood sapwood, which was thermally treated at 200 °C, via N2 protection for 24 h, were studied using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LFNMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The bound water was divided into two states using LFNMR, which were absorbed water bonded with cell wall polymers and condensed bound water in the micro-pores of cell wall, respectively. The mass of the two states of bound water vaporized during DSC test was calculated based on the total mass of bound water vaporized and the moisture content of different water states in the water-saturated sapwood obtained, respectively. The reduction of moisture during DSC test was monitored synchronously using thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed thermal treatment decreased the spin-spin time (T2) of absorbed bound water and increased T2 of condensed bound water. The moisture content of the two states of bound water was reduced by thermal treatment. The vaporized heat of the bonded bound water was increased and that of the condensed bound water was reduced, which agreed with the change of T2 in the LFNMR experiment. The results suggest that bound water in the thermal treated wood is easier to vaporize when the relative humidity condition is more than 60%.
Removal of the pesticide imidacloprid from aqueous solution by biochar derived from peanut shell
Authors: Zhao Ruili , Ma Xinxin , Xu Jinqiao , Zhang Qingming
Published: September 2022

Biochar is a carbon-rich product generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass through pyrolysis. Biochar plays an important role in removing pollutants from the environment. In this study, biochars were obtained from peanut shell agricultural waste by the limited-oxygen method at 300, 500, and 700 °C. The adsorption capacity of imidacloprid onto the biochar was increased with the increasing pyrolysis temperature. The solution temperature and biochar dosage had positive effects on the adsorption of imidacloprid. The adsorption capacity of the biochar on imidacloprid was increased with the increasing of pH in acid and neutral solution but slightly decreased in weak base solution (pH 9). An analysis of adsorption kinetics showed that the adsorption of imidacloprid on the biochar perfectly followed pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models with R2 coefficients above 0.97. Furthermore, the Langmuir and Freundlich models highly correlated with the sorption isotherm data. In summary, this study confirmed that peanut shell biochar is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of the pesticide imidacloprid.
Existence and Stability of Solutions for a Nonlinear Beam Equation with Internal Damping
Authors: Pereira Ducival Carvalho , Raposo Carlos Alberto , Nguyen Huy Hoang
Published: September 2022

This manuscript deals with the global existence and asymptotic behavior of solutions for a Kirchhoff beam equation with internal damping. The existence of solutions is obtained by using the Faedo-Galerkin method. Exponential stability is proved by applying Nakao’s theorem.
Modelling of Daily Price Volatility of South Africa Property Stock Market Using GARCH Analysis
Authors: Fateye Oluwatosin Babatola , Ajayi Oluwaseun , Ajayi Cyril Ayodele
Published: September 2022

The study examined the volatility of the daily market price of listed property stocks on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for a 10year period (2008-2017). The study used daily prices from January 2, 2008 to December 29, 2017 of twelve (12) quoted property companies out of the twenty-seven (27) listed on Johannesburg Stock Exchange (SA REIT Association, 2020). The study computed the average daily price of the selected (12) property stocks and was used as a proxy for the daily market price for the property stock market in the analysis. The study modelled SA-REIT market price volatility using generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH 1, 1). The GARCH model reported that the previous day's information of both the daily market price (ARCH term) and the volatility (GARCH term) have a positive and significant (p<.05) effect on the current day’s daily market price volatility in the property stock market. The result of the model implies that investment in the property stock market is strongly driven by positive news on daily price than a negative shock; meaning that South Africans' investors are more sensitive and exhibit a sharp response to good news on daily market price than bad news when thinking of investing in listed property company shares on Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Influence of grading and fabric arising from the initial compaction on the geomechanical characterisation of compacted copper tailings
Authors: Velten Rodrigo Zorzal , Consoli Nilo Cesar , Filho Hugo Carlos Scheuermann , Wagner Alexia Cindy , Schnaid Fernando , Da Costa João Paulo Rodrigues
Published: September 2022

Tailings dams constructed using the upstream method are generally less stable, because of its operational and constructive approach; this presents increased risks, which is the reason why such structures are being closed in Brazil. A feasible option to ensure the safety of closing operations in such dams consists of extracting tailings from behind the dam (reservoir), reducing moisture content through dewatering and compacting it into stable stacks. This demands knowledge of the compacted material's response. Thus, the present research assesses the mechanical response of compacted copper ore tailings extracted from two different sampling locations within the dam reservoir (i.e. about to be de-characterised) from northern Brazil. For this, drained and undrained triaxial compression tests were carried out on compacted dewatered dense, medium and loose specimens, which were assembled using the tailings retrieved from upper and lower beaches to evaluate the influence of grading, as well as the influence of the fabric arising from the initial compaction on the critical state lines (CSLs) of these saturated non-plastic silty sand tailings. The results indicated that the critical state parameters, in the υ–ln p′ space, are dependent on the fabric arising from the initial compaction. Distinct CSLs, which are all curvilinear and parallel to each other, were found in the research.
Multi-objective optimisation of tunnel parameters in a liquefied sand lens under seismic loads
Authors: Shabani SoltanMoradi Mohammad , Azadi Mohammad , Jahanian Homayoun
Published: September 2022

If underground structures built close to the surface lie within a liquefied sand lens, they will be significantly damaged in the case of a seismic event. To achieve an optimal design in terms of depth, diameter and tunnel lining thickness, it is important to consider factors such as ground subsidence, bending moment and axial forces exerted on the tunnel lining. This study intended to perform multi-objective optimisation of relevant tunnel parameters within a liquefied sand lens location under seismic loads. The Flac3D software was used to model the saturated sand lens and determine changes in pore water pressure and effective tension after lens liquefaction. An artificial neural network was used to find optimal values in the genetic algorithm. All optimal design points were obtained per the target function with a revised non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II algorithm. The results pertaining to depth, diameter and tunnel lining thickness were in opposition to one another, as reducing ground subsidence resulted in increased bending moment and axial force exerted on the tunnel lining. According to the results, it is possible for the designer of the tunnel to use Pareto charts in order to determine the optimal values regarding tunnel depth, diameter and lining thickness within the liquefied sand lens.
From the History of Combinatorial Analysis: From Idea to Research Schools
Authors:   Perm State Univesity, Alyabieva Valentina
Published: September 2022

The article explores the development of combinatorial analysis from the idea to scientific schools. Combinatorial research was stimulated by G.W. Leibniz's ideas about combinatorial art and special geometric analysis – Analysis Situs in the 17th century. Various combinatorial problems were solved by L. Euler in the XVIII century. The first scientific school of combinatorial analysis arose by K.F. Hindenburg in the second half of the 18th century in Germany. Combinatorial-geometric configurations were studied in the 19th century. A. Cayley and J. Sylvester coined the term tactics for a special branch of mathematics, of wich order is proper sphere. The modern combinatorial schools are Gonin's school in Perm and the combinatorial Rybnikov's school in Moscow.
Some Shilla Graphs with b = 5 do not Exist
Authors:   Hainan University, Li Hai Yan , Makhnev Alexander ,   N.N. Krasovskii Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, Belousov Ivan ,   N.N. Krasovskii Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: September 2022

A Shilla graph is a distance-regular graph of diameter 3 that has a second eigenvalue equal to a = a3 . Koolen and Park found admissible arrays of intersections of the Shill graphs with b = 3 (there were 12 of them). Belousov I.N. found feasible intersection arrays of the Shilla graphs with b = 4 (there were 50 of them) and b = 5 (there were 82 of them). It is proved in the paper that distance-regular Schill graphs with b = 5 and intersection arrays {305,248,62;1,2,244}, {315,256,64;1,2,252}, {345,280,64;1,4,276},{615,496,124;1,4,492}, {815,656,164;1,2,652}, {855,688,172;1,4,684}, {855,688,170;1,5,684}, {910,732,180;1,10, 728}, {1000,804,201;1,3,800}, {1045,840,210;1,6,836}, {1055,848,212;1,4,844}, {1080,868,215;1,5,864}, {1155,928,232;1,2,924}, {1185,952,245;1,5,948}, {1235,992,248;1,8,988},{1535,1232,308;1,8,1228}, {1560,1252,310;1,10,1248}, {1615,1296,324;1,12,1292}, {1665,1336,334;1,2,1332} do not exist.
Inflation near the Potential Maximum for the Cosmological Model with Rotation
Authors:   Perm State Univesity, Kuvshinova Elena , Sandakova Olga ,   Perm State Univesity
Published: September 2022

The first stage of inflation for the Bianchi type IX metric is considered for the case of inflation near the potential maximum. The rotation of the dark energy evolution is investigated, where the dark energy is an anisotropic liquid. The dependence of the scale factor on time coincides with a similar dependence in Friedman cosmology at all stages of Friedman evolution in the consideration solution. There will be an accelerated expansion of the universe at a later time.
A randomized double-blind controlled study comparing erector spinae plane block and thoracic paravertebral block for postoperative analgesia after breast surgery
Authors: Wittayapairoj Aumjit , Sinthuchao Nattanan , Somintara Ongart , Thincheelong Viriya , Somdee Wilawan
Published: September 2022

Background: Thoracic paravertebral block (PVB) is an effective regional block for pain control after breast surgery. However, accidentally puncturing adjacent vital structures may cause undesirable complications. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has been considered a safer proxy of PVB for beginners. This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of ultrasound-guidance PVB and ESPB after breast surgery.Methods: This randomized control trial was conducted in patients who underwent mastectomy. Forty-four females were randomly allocated into PVB group or ESPB group. All patients received a block with 20 ml of 0.5% levobupivacaine before general anesthesia. The primary outcome was the 24-h postoperative morphine requirements. The other outcomes of interest were postoperative pain scores, time to first analgesic request, dermatome of sensory blockade, block-related complications, and opioid adverse events.Results: The 24-h morphine requirements were significantly lower in PVB compared to the ESPB group (3.5 ± 3.3 vs. 8.6 ± 3.8 mg, P < 0.001). The overall pain scores were also lower in the PVB group (P < 0.001). Only 14 patients in the PVB group requested additional morphine, whereas all patients in the ESPB group requested it (P = 0.004). The dermatome of sensory blockade was wider in the PVB group (7 vs. 4 levels, P = 0.019). No serious complications occurred in either group.Conclusions: Compared to ESPB, PVB provided lower postoperative opioid requirements, lower pain scores, and wider sensory blockade after mastectomy.