bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ileal Mucosa-Associated Microbiota Overgrowth Associated with Diagnosis and Pathogenesis of Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Authors: Kitahata Shogo , Yamamoto Yasunori , Yoshida Osamu , Tokumoto Yoshio , Kawamura Tomoe , Kumagi Teru , Hirooka Masashi , Takeshita Eiji , Abe Masanori , Ikeda Yoshiou , Hiasa Yoichi
Published: June 2021

Background

The gut microbiota has potential implications in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, little is known about the significance of small intestinal mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) in PBC. We aimed to investigate the ileal MAM profile and identify its association with liver pathology in patients with PBC.
Methods

Forty-three patients with PBC and 24 healthy controls who underwent colonoscopy at our hospital between March 2018 and January 2020 were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. We performed 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of MAM samples obtained from the mucosa of the terminal ileum of all subjects. We also examined the relationship between the abundance of ileal MAM and chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis using liver specimens from patients with PBC.
Results

Dysbiosis of ileal MAM was observed in patients with PBC, with a characteristic overgrowth of Sphingomonadaceae and Pseudomonas. Multivariate analysis showed that the overgrowth of Sphingomonadaceae and Pseudomonas is an independent association factor for PBC. Moreover, the abundance of Sphingomonadaceae was associated with chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis in PBC.
Conclusions

Overgrowth of Sphingomonadaceae and Pseudomonas in ileal MAM is an independent association factor for diagnosing PBC. Sphingomonadaceae may be particularly associated with the pathological development of PBC.
ECMO Support for Influenza A: Retrospective Review of the ELSO Registry Comparing Seasonal and Pandemic Subtypes
Authors: O'Neil Erika R , Lin Huiming , Li Meng , Shekerdemian Lara , Tonna Joseph E. , Barbaro Ryan P. , Abella Jayvee R. , Rycus Peter , MacLaren Graeme , Anders Marc , Alexander Peta M.A.
Published: June 2021

Background: While there is substantial published experience of ECMO during the H1N1 pandemic, less is known about the use of ECMO in patients with seasonal influenza A virus. We hypothesized that the severity of illness and survival of patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) would differ for those with seasonal influenza A vs pandemic H1N1 (H1N1) influenza A.Methods: Retrospective study of ECMO supported adults (>18 years) with influenza A viral infection reported to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry between 2009-2019. We describe the incidence and compare characteristics and factors associated with in-hospital survival using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression.Results: Of 2461 patients supported with ECMO for influenza A, 445 had H1N1 and 2004 had seasonal influenza A. H1N1 was the predominant subtype between 2009-2011. Pandemic H1N1 patients were younger, with more severe illness at ECMO cannulation and higher reported ECMO complications than those with seasonal influenza A. Patient characteristics including younger age and higher weight, and patient management including longer ventilation duration before ECMO were associated with worse survival. ECMO complications were associated with reduced survival. There was no difference in survival to hospital discharge according to influenza subtype after adjusting for other characteristics.Conclusions: Patients supported with ECMO for pandemic H1N1 were younger, with more severe illness than those supported for seasonal influenza A. Survival to hospital discharge, was associated with patient characteristics, management, and ECMO complications, but was not impacted by the specific influenza A subtype.Trial registration: N/A
Picky City Bats: Variation in Urban Conditions Generates a Suitability Gradient that Structures the Bat Community.
Authors: Rodríguez-Ramírez Mauricio , Salinas-Melgoza Miguel Angel , Salinas-Melgoza Vicente , Herrerías-Diego Yvonne , Salinas-Melgoza Alejandro
Published: June 2021

The transformation of natural systems into urban cities represents a radical habitat modification and one that generates species-specific effects on bat communities. Cities present heterogeneous mosaics of urban conditions, which the bats can inhabit differentially by utilizing their intrinsic characteristics. We expected bat species richness, number of abundant species and feeding guilds to be positively impacted by an increased degree of suitability for bats in certain areas interspersed in the city. We also expected that the number of dominant species would follow an inverse pattern, with some species being fostered in less suitable areas for bats. We determined the levels of suitability for the presence of bats in urban-based basic geostatistical units (BGUs) in the Neotropical city of Morelia, in Michoacán state, Mexico. We identified three levels of suitability for bats, low, medium and high, using the percentage of arboreal vegetation and constructed and open areas in the BGUs. We monitored the bat assemblage monthly over an annual cycle using autonomous ultrasonic recorders to assess the abundance of each species at each suitability level. Across all three suitability levels throughout the year, we found a high dominance of three insectivorous bat species that forage in open areas. Diversity measures supported our predictions, agreeing with bat flight and foraging functional traits. These results highlight the importance of city features in driving bat diversity and how urban planning that fails to consider key city features, such as arboreal areas in the city, may reduce suitability for bats, leading changes in diversity.
Hantangping-a traditional Chinese medicine compound versus metformin for treating early type 2 diabetes mellitus:study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial
Authors: Jiang Xiao , Wang Baohua , Chen Xinlin , Cao Zebiao , Li Kexin , Lin Jiayuan , He Xiaoli , li saimei
Published: June 2021

Background: Hantangping is a traditional Chinese medicine compound, founded by Professor Saimei Li of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and has been used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus for more than 10 years. Clinical practice has shown that for early stage type 2 diabetes patients with acceptable islet secretion function, Hantangping can reduce blood glucose and improve islet function while correcting lipid metabolism disorders, preventing diabetes complications, and reducing adverse reactions..However, there is currently a lack of randomized controlled clinical trials that can confirm the efficacy of Hantangping in the treatment of early type 2 diabetes. We designed this study to objectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Hantangping in the treatment of early type 2 diabetes.Methods/Design: A randomized, open, parallel controlled and non-inferiority clinical trial was designed. Participants were randomly divided into Hantangping group(experimental group) and metformin group(positive control group) at a ratio of 1:1, and were intervened with Chinese medicine Hantangping and Western medicine metformin respectively.The participants will receive 12 weeks of drug intervention and 8 weeks of follow-up.The primary outcome measure is glycosylated hemoglobin a1c. The secondary outcome measures are fasting blood glucose， index of β-cell function in Homeostasis Model Assessment,and index of Insulin resistance in Homeostasis Model Assessment, etc.Discussion:This study can provide scientific and rigorous evidence-based medical evidence for the effectiveness and safety of Hantangping in the treatment of early type 2 diabetes, and may also provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Trial registration : Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900023378. Registered on 25 May 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx .
The Influence of 2015-16 El Niño On the Record-Breaking Mangrove Dieback Along Northern Australia Coast
Authors: Abhik S. , Hope Pandora , Hendon Harry H. , Hutley Lindsay B. , Johnson Stephanie , Drosdowsky Wasyl , Brown Josephine
Published: June 2021

This study investigates the underlying climate processes behind the largest recorded mangrove dieback event along the Gulf of Carpentaria coast in northern Australia in late 2015. Capitalizing on the satellite observation-based mangrove green-fraction dataset, variation of the mangroves during recent decades are studied, including their dieback during 2015. The relationship between mangrove greenness and the climate conditions is examined using available observations and by exploring the possible role of the mega 2015-16 El Niño in altering the favorable conditions for the mangroves. The mangrove greenness is shown to be coherent with the low-frequency component of sea-level height variation related to the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) cycle in the equatorial Pacific. The sea-level drop associated with the 2015-16 El Niño is identified to be the crucial factor leading to the dieback event. A stronger sea-level drop occurred during austral autumn and winter, when the anomalies were more than 12% greater than the previous very strong El Niño events. The persistent drop in sea-level height occurred in the dry season of the year when sea-level was seasonally at its lowest, so potentially exposed the mangroves to unprecedented hostile conditions. The influence of other key climate factors is also discussed, and a multiple linear regression model is developed to understand the combined role of the important climate variables on the mangrove greenness variation.
Correlation of Clinicopathological and Prognostic Characteristics between Endometriosis-Associated and Primary Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Wang Huimin , Chen Cong , Wang Danbo , Zhu Yanmei , Chen Peng
Published: June 2021

Background: To establish the clinicopathological and prognostic correlations between endometriosis-associated and non-endometriosis-associated primary ovarian cancer, with a view to providing a reference guide for revision of diagnostic criteria for malignant transformation of endometriosis.Methods: Retrospectively collected clinicopathological and follow-up data of 174 clear cell and endometrial ovarian cancer patients. Cases were divided into endometriosis-associated and non-endometriosis-associated primary ovarian cancer, and comparative analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis conducted.Results: Average age and proportion of menopausal patients in the endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer group were lower relative to the primary ovarian cancer group (P<0.05). Other clinicopathological features examined, including body mass index, age at menopause, operation history, dysmenorrhea, complications, tumor size, tumor side, ascites, CA125, HE4, CA199, stage, differentiation, expression of ER, PR, P53, P16, Ki67, MMR, HNF-1β and Napsin A were not significantly different between the groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, rates of resistance to platinum chemotherapy, relapse, progression-free survival and overall survival were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Endometriosis-associated and primary ovarian cancers of the same pathological type are speculated to be homologous in terms of origin from malignant transformation of endometriosis. It may therefore be necessary to revise the diagnostic criteria for ovarian endometriosis malignancy.
Survival patterns of COVID-19 pneumonia patients with false-negative PCR results transferred to the intensive care unit from the emergency department
Authors: Kodik Meltem Songur
Published: June 2021

ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze factors associated with patient mortality in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) and provide data to help prioritize the most critical patients.DesignRetrospective cohort studySetting and participantsData for 289 patients were analyzed by the XXX hospital’s IT department.MethodsA clinical retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Patients (n=289) with negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and positive chest computed tomography (CT) scan indicating COVID-19 were included in the research. Demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and length of hospital stay were analyzed in relation to 30-day survival outcomes.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 69.04±15.10 years (range 19-100), and 41.2% (n=119) were female. The mortality rate was 48.1% (n=139). There were statistically significant differences in laboratory findings, such as hemoglobin (p=0.021), lymphocyte counts (p=0.046), d-dimer (p=0.009), and lactate (<0.001) regarding one-month survival. Additionally, those hospitalized for more than 5 days had higher one-month survival rates (hazard ratio (HR)= 0.003, CI= 10.264-155.972). Moreover, intubated patients had a higher mortality risk during this period (HR=4.15, CI=1.53-11.20).Conclusions and implicationsThe first five days of patients hospitalized in intensive care units due to COVID-19 pneumonia are critical. Besides, the need for intubation was another factor independently affecting survival. Clinicians should be alerted about the significance of these factors.
Complement 3 could be available marker of liver function evaluation in patients with hepatitis B virus related cirrhosis and independent predictor of poor outcome in decompensated
Authors: Ruan Jie , Luo Jing , Zhou Huifang , Sun Dianxing
Published: June 2021

Aim

Hepatocytes biosynthesize about 80–90% of plasma complement proteins, including complement 3 (C3) and 4 (C4). The purpose of our study is to research the significance of complement in hepatitis B virus related cirrhosis (HBV-cirrhosis), discuss whether C3 and C4 could be served as available markers to assess liver function and prognostic in HBV-cirrhosis.
Methods

Blood samples were captured from 306 adult patients with HBV-cirrhosis, 23 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without cirrhosis or liver failure, and 12 healthy adults. Serum C3 and C4 levels were compared in different groups, evaluating the correlation between C3/C4 levels and disease severity in patients with HBV-cirrhosis, analyzing the significance of complement components in infection and mortality of decompensated HBV-cirrhosis.
Results

The concentrations of C3 and C4 were markedly decreased in HBV-cirrhosis group than those in Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and healthy group (p < 0.05, respectively), especially in decompensated stage. In HBV-cirrhosis, The C3 and C4 levels were significantly negatively correlated with International Normalized Ratio (INR) and bilirubin, and significantly positively correlated with albumin, cholinesterase, cholesterol and platelet (p < 0.05, respectively). In addition, these were significance negative correlation with Child-Pugh score (C-P score), End-stage Liver Disease score (MELD score) and AST to platelet ratio (p < 0.05, respectively). More importantly, the C3 were significantly reduced in decompensated HBV-cirrhosis with infection or death, multivariate Cox-regression analysis revealed that lower C3 level was independent predictor of mortality in decompensated HBV-cirrhosis.
Conclusions

The C3 level could be served as available follow-up marker to evaluate liver function and disease severity in HBV-cirrhosis and superior to C4. Decreased C3 might be independent poor prognostic factor in patients with decompensated HBV-cirrhosis.
Immune-Related lncRNAs to Construct Novel Signature for Predicting Prognosis in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Bao Tianshang , Wang Zeyu , Xu Jia
Published: June 2021

Background: Long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have many functions, including immune response. The signal irlncRNAs with no requirement of specific expression level seems to be valuable in predicting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Results: Our results suggested that immune related lncRNA signaling is of great value in predicting prognosis, and it may be possible to measure the response to immunotherapy. This feature may guide the choice of immunotherapy for GC. Conclusion: Immune-related lncRNA signals show independent prognostic significance in GC. These results of this research could predict the prognosis of GC patients without detecting specific expression level of lncRNA, providing a possible method for predicting the survival of GC patients, and providing a potential lncRNA target for immunotherapy.
Detection and quantitation of cellulose II by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Agarwal Umesh P. , Ralph Sally A. , Baez Carlos , Reiner Richard S.
Published: June 2021

In cellulose materials, the cellulose II polymorph is often present either exclusively or inconjunction with cellulose I, the natural cellulose. Moreover, in regenerated andmercerized fibers (e,g., viscose and lyocell), natural cellulose adopts to the crystalstructure cellulose II Therefore, its detection and quantitation are important for acomplete assessment of such materials investigations. In the Raman spectra of suchmaterials, a band at 577 cm -1 is typically observed indicating the presence of thispolymorph. In the present study, to quantify the content of cellulose II, a calibrationmethod was developed based on the intensity of the 577 cm -1 peak relative to the1096 cm -1 band of cellulose. For this purpose, in addition to pure cellulose I andcellulose II samples (respectively, Avicel PH-101 and mercerized Avicel PH-101; hencereferred to as Avicel I and Avicel II), a set of five samples were produced by mixingthem in known quantities of Avicel I and Avicel II. The crystalline cellulose II contents ofthe samples were calculated based on the X-ray crystallinity of mercerized Avicel I.These seven samples were included in the calibration set and their Raman spectrawere obtained. Subsequently, Raman intensity ratios I 577 /I 1096 were calculatedby taking ratios of peak intensities at 577 and 1096 cm -1 . These ratios were plottedagainst the % of crystalline cellulose II present in the calibration set samples and thetwo were found to be linearly correlated (R 2 = 0.9944). The set-samples were alsoanalyzed using XRD which were then compared with the Raman method developedhere. Compared to XRD, the Raman method was found to be more sensitive atdetecting and quantifying cellulose II. Additionally, several cellulose II containingmaterials were analyzed by the new Raman method.
MicroRNA-145-5p modulates KLF5 and inhibits the migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Yuan Chien-Han , Hsu Wei-Chi , Huang A-Mei , Yuan Ben-Chih , Chen I-Hung , Hsu Chia-An , Chen Rong-Feng , Chu Yih-Min , Lin Hui-Hui , Ke Hung-Lung
Published: June 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Enhanced Characterization of Beta Cell Mass in a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) Mouse Model of Beta Cell Destruction
Authors: Karami Fatemeh , Abibeiglou Behrouz Asgari , Pahlavanneshan Saghar , Farrokhi Ali , Tamadon Amin , Basiri Mohsen , Khalooghi Keynoosh , Fallahi Majid , Tahamtani Yaser
Published: June 2021

IntroductionMeasurement of pancreatic beta cell mass in animal models is a common assay in diabetes researches. Novel whole-organ clearance methods in conjunction with transgenic mouse models hold tremendous promise to improve methods for beta cell mass measurement. Here, we propose a refined method to estimate the beta cell mass using a new transgenic Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model and a recently developed free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol. MethodsFirst, we generated and evaluated a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse model. By using the FACT protocol in this model, we could quantify the beta cell mass and alloxan-induced beta cell destruction in whole pancreas specimens.ResultsTg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mice expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) only in the beta cells of the pancreas and limited to the beta cells. This GFP expression enabled us to accurately measure beta cell loss in a beta cell destruction model. The results suggest that our proposed method can be used as a simple, rapid assay for beta cell mass measurement in studies of islet biology and diabetes.ConclusionThe Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse in conjunction with the FACT protocol can enhance large-scale screening studies in the field of diabetes.
Road Extraction from Remotely Sensed Data: A Review
Authors: Khan Mohd Jawed , Singh Pankaj Pratap
Published: June 2021

Up-to-date road networks are crucial and challenging in computer vision tasks. Road extraction is yet important for vehicle navigation, urban-rural planning, disaster relief, traffic management, road monitoring and others. Road network maps facilitate a great number of applications in our everyday life. Therefore, a systematic review of deep learning approaches applied to remotely sensed imagery for road extraction is conducted in this paper. Four main types of deep learning approaches, namely, the GANs model, deconvolutional networks, FCNs, and patch-based CNNs models are presented in this paper. We also compare these various deep learning models applied to remotely sensed imagery to show their performances in extracting road parts from high-resolution remote sensed imagery. Later future research directions and research gaps are described.
Technical Domain Classification of Bangla Text using BERT
Authors: Ghosh Koyel , Senapati Apurbalal
Published: June 2021

Coarse-grained tasks are primarily based on Text classification, one of the earliest problems in NLP, and these tasks are done on document and sentence levels. Here, our goal is to identify the technical domain of a given Bangla text. In Coarse-grained technical domain classification, such a piece of the Bangla text provides information about specific Coarse-grained technical domains like Biochemistry (bioche), Communication Technology (com-tech), Computer Science (cse), Management (mgmt), Physics (phy) Etc. This paper uses a recent deep learning model called the Bangla Bidirectional Encoder Representations Transformers (Bangla BERT) mechanism to identify the domain of a given text. Bangla BERT (Bangla-Bert-Base) is a pretrained language model of the Bangla language. Later, we discuss the Bangla BERT accuracy and compare it with other models that solve the same problem.
Instagram Image Filtration with Computer Vision
Authors: Asif Tanjimul Ahad , Saha Baidya Nath
Published: June 2021

Instagram is one of the famous and fast-growing media sharing platforms. Instagram allows users to share photos and videos with followers. There are plenty of ways to search for images on Instagram, but one of the most familiar ways is ’hashtag.’ Hashtag search enables the users to find the precise search result on Instagram. However, there are no rules for using the hashtag; that is why it often does not match the uploaded image, and for this reason, Users are unable to find the relevant search results. This research aims to filter any human face images on search results based on hashtags on Instagram. Our study extends the author’s [2] work by implementing image processing techniques that detect human faces and separate the identified images on search results based on hashtags using the face detection technique.
Twitter Data Sentiment Analysis to Understand the Effects of COVID-19 on Mental Health
Authors: Ayandeyi Adeola Adetokunbo , Saha Baidya Nath
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus pandemic has caused major change in peoples’ personal and social lives. The psychological effects have been substantial because it has affected the ways people live, work, and even socialize. It has also become major discussions on social media platforms as people showcase their opinions and the effect of the virus on their mental health particularly. This pandemic is the first of its kind as humans has never encountered anything like this virus. Handling it was very difficult at first as its characteristics are peculiar. Eventually, it was detected that it is airborne and so there is need to social distance. Before the virus surfaced, some countries of the world were dealing with mental health cases, with over 40 percent of adults in the USA reported experiencing mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. Social media has become one of the major sources of information due to information sharing on a very large scale. People perception and emotions are also portrayed through their conversations. In this research work, the interaction and conversation of people on social media, particularly Twitter, will be analyzed using machine learning tools and algorithm to determine the effect of the virus on the mental health of people and help suggest the area of concentration to medical practitioners in order to speed up the recovery process and reduce the mental health issues which has escalated due to the virus.
Pedro Laín Entralgo: la parábola del samaritano misericordioso (Lc 10: 25-37) como propuesta antropológica para la actualidad
Authors: García Echeverri Jonny Alexander , Gil Valencia Wilmar , Escobar Vásquez Andrés
Published: June 2021

La propuesta antropológica del médico español Pedro Laín Entralgo, se direcciona a la ejecución de un proyecto académico y autobiográfico, desde el cual se vivencien relaciones interpersonales genuinas, en las que siendo el otro desconocido, sin nombre, sea ayudado en su menesterosidad. Laín está convencido de que la razón suficiente para ser solidario con el otro es su condición de persona y, por serlo, debo creerle y serle prójimo. Dicho proyecto es denominado por Laín “pleisología de la vida cotidiana”; tal propuesta resulta necesaria y debe ser acogida por el cristianismo en nuestros días.  Se hace perentorio, hacer del cristianismo una propuesta con sentido, para ello, quien se quiera cristiano, que asuma su modo de serlo como vocación y la formule como un proyecto personal (sea persona), responsable y desde allí contribuya a la humanización de las relaciones humanas mediante la práctica de un amor samaritano.
El testimonio de Etty Hillesum desde el perfil de místico de ojos abiertos de Benjamín González Buelta
Authors: Navarro Sánchez Rosana Elena , Solano Pinzón Orlando , Gómez Díaz Jairo , Peña Esquivel William , Jaramillo Vargas Gabriel Alberto
Published: June 2021

Dos místicos relativamente contemporáneos: Etty Hillesum y Benjamín González Buelta; dos estilos, dos contextos y una coincidencia establecida desde sus experiencias espirituales, en profunda conexión con la realidad, en medio de la vida y sus desafíos. Hillesum no habla propiamente de la experiencia mística, sin embargo, su proceso personal existencial en el duro contexto de guerra que le tocó vivir, la condujo a descubrirse profundamente habitada. Su experiencia de Dios le hizo posible comprender y gestionar el dolor en medio de la guerra, así como la necesidad de ‘hacerse bálsamo sobre las heridas’ de sus hermanos judíos. Etty es una mística de ojos abiertos. Benjamín González Buelta ha profundizado en la comprensión de la mística, describiéndola y analizándola desde la experiencia de Dios en el contexto latinoamericano. Su reflexión permite hoy leer a Etty Hillesum desde la perspectiva del místico de ojos abiertos.
The semiotics of the untold story in the novel “The Crow’s Leg” by Yahya Amqasem
Authors: Alharthi Hanan
Published: June 2021

A través de nuestro estudio sobre el argumento de la semiótica de la historia no contada en la novela «The Crow’s Leg», pretendíamos mostrar la imagen de las prohibiciones religiosas, morales y políticas mediante la interacción de discursos con los niveles sociales y culturales destacados por el contexto semántico en el discurso. El estudio utilizó el planteamiento semiótico que señala los mecanismos del discurso narrativo que intervienen en las dimensiones semióticas y el significado de la historia no contada a través de la estrategia de los temas planteados (religión–política–ética). Al finalizar nuestro estudio concluimos la importancia que tienen las dimensiones semióticas que se extienden desde el significante al significado centrándonos de manera más profunda en el tema de la historia no contada a través de la significación de la prohibición religiosa, en la que enfocamos la centralidad de la mujer y la interactuación con hombres en muchos dominios que son considerados por el principado como vetados por la Sharía, que abordamos como una prohibición religiosa. En este estudio también nos referimos a la esencia de los conceptos semióticos y a la definición de contenido mediante herramientas metodológicas que estudian el mundo semántico de la novela y sus unidades morales menores y fundamentales que solo se alcanzan en su relación con los demás elementos y que se basan en un eje semántico común en la historia no contada y sus interpretaciones en el cuerpo de la novela.
Preliminary assessment of of effective doses for patients undergoing hepatic arterial chemoembolization
Authors: Vagidova Z. Ya. , Vodovatov A. V. , Romanovich I. K. , Stanzhevsky A. A. , Polikarpov A. A.
Published: June 2021

The aim of the study was to estimate the patient effective doses from hepatic arterial chemoembolization. The study was based on the parameters of the protocols of liver chemoembolization collected for 67 patients in Angiography department of the «A.M. Granov Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The parameters were collected using a dedicated questionnaire and exported from digital image files in DICOM format with preliminary anonymization. The simulation of patient exposure was performed using PCXMC 2.0 software. The median values of the patient dose-related quantities (minimum and maximum values) were as follows: total dose–area product – 6.1 Gy×cm2 (3.4-693Gy×cm2), fluoroscopy time – 7.5 min (2.0-28.3 min), effective dose – 11.7 mSv (0.6-132 mSv). For three patients effective doses exceeded 100 mSv. In two cases, total dose-area product exceeded the control values for deterministic effects in the skin. No tissue reactions were identified for the whole patient sample.
An improved adaptive VMD method and its application in wear condition monitoring of main bearing
Authors: Jia Jide , Ren Gang
Published: June 2021

The main bearing is a key component of internal combustion engine, which bear complex alternating load and easily break down due to wear. Therefore, monitoring the degradation of the main bearing is very important to avoid sudden mechanical failure. In order to solve the difficult problem of main bearing wear condition monitoring, an improved adaptive VMD is proposed. Firstly, different wear conditions of the main bearing are simulated to obtain vibration signals of the main bearing seat. Furthermore, on the basis of variational mode decomposition, the important parameter K value of the algorithm is adaptive selected to optimize the decomposition of the vibration signal to be processed. Finally, the wear characteristics of the main bearing are extracted and the wear state of the main bearing is distinguished according to the threshold value by comparing the energy changes of each inherent modal component under different wear conditions. Through the analysis of the simulation signal and the actual vibration signal, the results show that this method can effectively monitor the state of the main bearing.
WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF FOREIGN TRADE ACTIVITY OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS’ DISTRIBUTORS IN RUSSIA
Authors: Egurnova M. A. , Rozhanskaia E. A. , Prikladova A. A.
Published: June 2021

In comparison with national manufacturers, distributors have an advantage in providing wellknown brands and might receive financial or information support by foreign manufacturers in marketing campaigns in the local market. At the same time distributors have a lack of independence in producing and pricing policies, so they are limited in the tools for reducing the costs of production and increasing the profitability of sales. Nevertheless, distributors, as well as other companies, are focused on increasing their economic efficiency. Based on the study of the activities of the company «SK Energy», the authors identified the characteristic problems associated  with  the implementation  of foreign  trade  operations. Their  overcoming  is  mainly focused on decreasing the costs associated with the transportation of goods to the territory of the Russian Federation, reducing currency risks that limit the ability of the importing company to increase competitiveness in the local market due to the price factor. The authors propose ways to solve the identified problems, confirmed by estimates of the economic efficiency of imports based on actual data on the foreign-trade transactions of «SK Energy» and calculated values, considering the possible implementation of such measures.  Considering  the  specifics  of «SK Energy» business, it is identified the possible ways to increase revenue through changes in the company's sales policy and in the conditions of cooperation between the distributor and the foreign manufacturer. The results obtained are sufficiently general and can be used in different industries by commercial organisations that are already engaged in import  activities,  as intermediaries between foreign producers and consumers on the national market, or only plan to develop an international direction.
EXPORT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS THE TOOL FOR COMPETITIVENESS IMPROVEMENT OF ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD
Authors: Novikova Е. S.
Published: June 2021

The research paper covers the impact of higher education export on the competitiveness level of key world economies in terms of international division of labor and global value chains, including USA, Germany and China. At the same time, the comparison in the field of higher education export in Russia has been implemented. There have been revealed main factors in the attraction of foreign students in universities of analyzed countries: the economic factor (the profit from higher educational services for foreign citizens), the consumer factor (the profit from living costs of foreign citizens during the educational period), factor of additional labor force (the employment of foreign graduates in the international companies), factor of “soft power” (the loyal attitude to the country, where higher education has been received) and factor of innovation development (the participation of foreign citizens in the development and implementation of research ideas in startups). Additionally, indicators of selected countries were compared in terms of its competitiveness level, including the complexity of economies and its innovation development. The result of this research is identification of interaction between export of higher education and competitiveness level of a country: USA, Germany and China have high indicators in this field in comparison with Russia. Based on the results main directions of higher education export development have been described with a target of competitiveness level increase in the national economy globally.
Introduction of Nanoparticles in Medicine
Authors: Acharya Rituparna
Published: June 2021

Nanotechnology is a branch of science that deals with nanomaterials with a
size of less than 100nm. These nanoparticles have a wide variety of applications in the
field of bioimaging, biosensors, drug delivery, gene therapy, etc. The main advantage
of using nanoparticles is that they may be fabricated as desired depending upon the
area of application. The size, surface chemistry and physiochemical properties may be
changed as required by following the parameters of synthesis. Nanoparticles may also
help in RNAi therapy that delivers siRNA, shRNA and miRNAs to the target site. The
major drawback of using these RNA molecules in their bare form is the fragile nature
that makes them degradable by the enzymes in the blood vascular system. In this
regard, nanoparticles protect them from degradation as they may encapsulate the RNA
molecules within their structure. There are mainly three types of nanoparticles such as
inorganic, organic and polymeric nanoparticles. In this book, we are intended to discuss
the wide variety of nanoparticles that are used in biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery,
gene therapy, immunotherapy and vaccination.
Recent Progress of Nanoparticles Used in the Diagnosis of Different Types of Diseases
Authors: Acharya Rituparna
Published: June 2021

Nanoparticles used in the detection of biomolecules are being possibly used
due to their physical and chemical properties that optimize them with unique
characteristics. These properties enable the diagnosis of several disease conditions to
make them available for treatment. This study is intended to discuss the emergence of
this area and help the researchers in further progress in this field.

This study discusses the disadvantages of the use of currently available methods for
diagnostic purposes. It also examines the advantages of the use of nanoparticles in this
field of study. This study reviews the properties of metallic nanoparticles including
gold and silver, and also quantum dot, silica nanoparticles, etc.

Nanotechnology has extended the limitation of the current diagnostic procedures. The
potential of using nanoparticles in the diagnosis of diseases is unlimited. Safety study is
needed for in vivo uses. Nanobiotechnology in clinical uses will play a valuable role in
the future development of nanomedicines also.
Drug Delivery through Nanoparticle in Treatment of Diseases
Authors: Acharya Rituparna
Published: June 2021

The study of nanocarriers for drug delivery opens a novel platform for the
development of delivery vehicles that can transport and control release the payload in
the target disease tissue by the smart application of biotechnology and nanotechnology.
This study highlights the parameters that can be fabricated to make the nanocarrier
optimum for specific disease condition and their current clinical application areas.
Moreover, this study also reports about the several organic and inorganic nanoparticles
and their properties that make them unique as a drug delivery vehicle. Despite
remarkable development in this area of application, nanocarriers demonstrate a
significant amount of unwanted side effects, such as, cytotoxicity or off-target side
effects that diminish their efficiency in the biotechnology and biomedical applications.
A complex biological environment makes this field more complicated, so, deep
knowledge of the biological condition is the most important before developing an
optimum therapeutic solution.
Nanoparticle Conjugated with siRNA for Treatment of Different Types of Disease Conditions
Authors: Acharya Rituparna
Published: June 2021

Gene silencing is a mechanism by which several protein expressions may be
controlled in eukaryotes. Since its invention, many studies have been performed for its
diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. siRNAs have created special attention for the
treatment of incurable and difficult disease conditions. However, there are many
challenges regarding their systemic administration and stability in the blood vascular
system. In this regard, nanoparticles are demonstrating unique properties that may
make this tool applicable as an advanced delivery vehicle. In this study, we have
discussed various challenges for the use of bare siRNAs in the human body. We have
also discussed the methods that may be used to fabricate the nanoparticles in order to
deliver siRNAs. Moreover, we have included several nanoparticle conjugates with their
advantages and disadvantages while using them as a delivery vehicle.
shRNA-Nanoparticle Conjugate as a Therapeutic Option
Authors: Acharya Rituparna
Published: June 2021

The recent trend of gene therapy includes the RNAi therapeutic approach.
RNAi therapy comprises the delivery of siRNA, shRNA and miRNA molecules to the
cells for gene silencing. Among these types, shRNA is a more stable knockdown
method. However, bare shRNA molecules are large and they can not penetrate the cell
membrane due to their negative charge and also they are fragile and degradable by
RNase enzymes in the body. To overcome these problems, nanoparticles play a vital
role. They encapsulate the shRNA within their structure and protect them from
degradation. The nanoparticles are sometimes positively charged so they readily
penetrate the cell membrane and are internalized by the cell. These features of the
nanoconjugate made them a potential therapeutic agent. In this study, we intended to
discuss the wide variety of nanoconjugates and their applications in diseases.
Verblijfsregelingen en welbevinden van kinderen : Verschillen naar gezinskenmerken
Authors: Sodermans An Katrien , Vanassche Sofie , Matthijs Koen
Published: June 2021

Sinds 2006 werd het verblijfsco‐ouderschap na scheiding als voorkeursregeling opgenomen in de Belgische wet.Buitenlands onderzoek toonde aan dat kinderen doorgaans een hoger welbevinden vertonen in verblijfsco‐ouderschap dan in een eenouderverblijf. Deze studie onderzocht de relatie tussen de verblijfsregeling van 707Vlaamse kinderen tussen 10 en 21 jaar oud en hun subjectief welbevinden. Daarbij werd ook de rol van drie ge‐zinskenmerken bestudeerd: ouderlijk conflict, de ouder‐kindrelatie en de aanwezigheid van stiefouders. De datavan het ‘Scheiding in Vlaanderen’ onderzoek werden gebruikt. Er waren geen verschillen in subjectief welbevin‐den naargelang de verblijfsregeling van kinderen, onder controle van socio‐economische en demografische ach‐tergrondkenmerken. Bovendien was er geen modererende invloed van de drie gezinskenmerken op de relatietussen verblijfsregeling en subjectief welbevinden. Verblijfsco‐ouderschap lijkt een betere relatie tussen het kinden beide ouders te faciliteren in vergelijking met een eenouderverblijf. In verblijfsco‐ouderschap is er gemiddeldgenomen iets meer ouderlijk conflict dan in een eenouderverblijf, maar dit blijft beperkt tot een niveau dat nietschadelijk is voor het welbevinden.
Abstract :
Since 2006, a legal recommendation for joint physical custody in included in the Belgian custody law.Earlier research showed that children in joint physical custody have in general better outcomes thanchildren in sole custody arrangements. This study examines the association between joint physicalcustody and adolescent wellbeing and whether this relationship is conditioned by the degree of pa‐rental conflict, the quality of the parent‐child relationship and the complexity of the family configura‐tion of mother and father. We use from the Divorce in Flanders survey, and we have information on707 children between 10 and 21 years old with divorced parents. Overall, the subjective wellbeing ofchildren in joint physical custody was similar to that of children in other custody arrangements. Wefound no support for moderating effects of parental conflict, quality of the relationship with motherand father, and the presence of a new partner in the parental households. Joint physical custodyseems to facilitate a better parent‐child relationship with both parents when compared to sole cus‐tody. In joint physical custody, parents have more occasional conflicts, but this is limited to a levelthat is not harmful for children.
Kinderen krijgen vóór en na een echtscheiding in Vlaanderen
Authors: Corijn Martine , Wijckmans Belinda , Van Bavel Jan
Published: June 2021

Heeft echtscheiding een impact op het aantal kinderen dat mensen krijgen? Als Vlamingen na de ontbinding van hun eerste huwelijk geen kinderen meer zouden krijgen, dan leveren gestrande huwelijken significant minder kinderen op dan huwelijken die standhouden, zo blijkt uit de gegevens van het onderzoek ‘Scheiding in Vlaanderen’. Op het moment van de echtscheiding heeft 20% nog geen kinderen. Na de echtscheiding krijgt 20% nog kinderen. Of er (nog) kinderen komen na de echtscheiding hangt samen met de leeftijd bij de scheiding, het relatieleven na de scheiding, het aantal eigen kinderen en kinderen van de nieuwe partner en het opleidingsniveau.  Voor de gehuwden uit de jaren 1970 en 1980 geldt dat hun uiteindelijke kindertal niet wordt verhoogd of verlaagd door de ervaring van een echtscheiding.
Abstract :
Which impact does divorce have on family formation in Flanders? If no children were born after a divorce then dissolved marriages would end up with less children than stable marriages, results from the study “Divorce in Flanders” (DiF) show. At the time of separation 20% marriages are childless.  After a divorce 20% divorcees get (more) children. Whether children are born after a divorce depend on the age at separation, the partnership history after separation, the own number of children and the children of the new partner, as well as on the level of educational attainment. For marriages from the 1970’s and 1980’s a divorce experience did not affect the average final number of children.
Eenzaamheid over de generaties heen ? : Eenzaamheid van kinderen na de scheiding van hun ouders
Authors: Heylen Leen , Pasteels Inge , Mortelmans Dimitri
Published: June 2021

Binnen onze samenleving bestaat er nog een sterk taboe rond eenzaamheid. Echter, eenzaamheid kan iedereen overeenkomen. Levensloopgebeurtenissen, zoals een echtscheiding, spelen hierin vaak een cruciale rol. Recente analyses op basis van de data van “Scheiding in Vlaanderen” toonden al aan dat er een sterk verband is tussen echtscheiding en eenzaamheid. Over de ervaren eenzaamheid bij kinderen na echtscheiding is echter nog weinig geweten. In dit hoofdstuk gaan we na hoe eenzaamheid zich bij kinderen manifesteert na een scheiding. Welke kenmerken bepalen het risico op eenzaamheid bij kinderen en welke impact heeft de ervaren eenzaamheid bij ouders? We maken hiervoor gebruik van gegevens van 409 kinderen van gescheiden ouders tussen 10 en 17 jaar oud en hun ouders uit de dataset van “Scheiding in Vlaanderen”. Voor de analyse hanteren we structurele vergelijkingsmodellen.
Abstract : 
In our society there still exists a strong taboo on feeling lonely. However, everyone can feel lonely during their life course. Life events, like a divorce, are often crucial within this respect. Recent analyses based on the dataset of “Divorce in Flanders” already showed a strong correlation between feelings of loneliness and divorce among adults. Little is known on loneliness amongst children. In this contribution, we examine loneliness amongst children who experienced a parental divorce. Which attributes determine the risk of loneliness amongst these children and is loneliness amongst children related to the parental feelings of loneliness? For these analyses, we use data from 409 children of divorced parents, aged between 10 and 17 years old, and data from their parents from the dataset “Divorce in Flanders”. For the analyses we apply structural equation modeling.