bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does government support enhance the relation between networking structure and sustainable competitive performance among SMEs?
Authors: Alkahtani Asem , Nordin Norfarah , Khan Rizwan Ullah
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The underlining study’s main objective is to examine how networking structure (density and centrality) affects sustainable competitive performance in Pakistan’s SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Hence, small enterprises a significant source of economic development, employment, and value creation. Therefore, on the base of previous literature, we developed hypothesis related government financial support and network structure, and data collected through structured questionnaires from top management of SMEs.

Findings

The results indicate that density has a positive and significant effect on sustainable competitive performance, while centrality has an insignificant impact on SCP. Furthermore, government financial support strongly and significantly supports the relation between networking structure and SCP in Pakistan.

Practical implications

This research has several recommendations for the government to adequately support small enterprises because owners have a networking system at the local and international level but have a lack of environment.

Originality/value

Government plays a crucial role in small- and medium-sized enterprises boost performance and economic growth because it creates employment opportunities, poverty reduction, and economic development. Nevertheless, from the last decades, due to some organizational policies and environmental flexibility, SMEs face a lot of challenges which became a barrier such as lack of government subsidies, incentives, and taxes in emerging economies. To bridge the above challenges of SMEs, the current study is conducted because before this there was no such literature who underline the current challenges in emerging economies.
How to follow-up a patient who received tocilizumab in severe COVID-19: a case report
Authors: Podlasin Regina B. , Kowalska Justyna D. , Pihowicz Andrzej , Wojtycha-Kwaśnica Beata , Thompson Magdalena , Dyda Tomasz , Czeszko-Paprocka Hanna , Horban Andrzej
Published: August 2020

Background

COVID-19 is characterized by fast deterioration in the mechanism of cytokine storm. Therefore, treatment with immunomodulating agents should be initiated as soon as hyperinflammation is established. Evidence for the use of tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 is emerging, but the drug in this setting is used “off label” with limited data on both effectiveness and safety. Therefore, Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw established a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the use of TCZ in severe COVID-19 cases.

Case presentation

Here, we present a case of 27-year-old, otherwise healthy man, who was successfully treated with chloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab and a standard of care. Initially the magnitude of lung devastation, clinical deterioration and the need for mechanical ventilation suggested unfavorable prognosis. However, we observed complete regression in radiological changes and rapid clinical improvement. Irrespective of this, patient’s serum interleukin 6 and aminotransferases remained elevated even after a month from treatment.

Conclusions

An overlapping effect of hyperinflammation, hypoxic organ injury and drug-related toxicity warrants a long-term follow-up for COVID-19 survivors. In addition, residual IL-6 receptors blockage may mask new infections. A standardized approach to follow-up for COVID-19 survivors is urgently needed. Current and future research should also investigate the impact of experimental therapies on lung tissue healing and regeneration, as well as long-term treatment toxicities.
Role of nutraceuticals during the transition period of dairy cows: a review
Authors: Lopreiato Vincenzo , Mezzetti Matteo , Cattaneo Luca , Ferronato Giulia , Minuti Andrea , Trevisi Erminio
Published: August 2020

The transition period of dairy cattle is characterized by a number of metabolic, endocrine, physiologic, and immune adaptations, including the occurrence of negative energy balance, hypocalcemia, liver dysfunction, overt systemic inflammatory response, and oxidative stress status. The degree and length of time during which these systems remain out of balance could render cows more susceptible to disease, poor reproductive outcomes, and less efficient for milk production and quality. Studies on both monogastrics and ruminants have reported the health benefits of nutraceuticals (e.g. probiotics, prebiotics, dietary lipids, functional peptides, phytoextracts) beyond nutritional value, interacting at different levels of the animal’s physiology. From a physiological standpoint, it seems unrealistic to disregard any systemic inflammatory processes. However, an alternate approach is to modulate the inflammatory process per se and to resolve the systemic response as quickly as possible.

To this aim, a growing body of literature underscores the efficacy of nutraceuticals (active compounds) during the critical phase of the transition period. Supplementation of essential fatty acids throughout a 2-month period (i.e. a month before and a month after calving) successfully attenuates the inflammatory status with a quicker resolution of phenomenon. In this context, the inflammatory and immune response scenario has been recognized to be targeted by the beneficial effect of methyl donors, such as methionine and choline, directly and indirectly modulating such response with the increase of antioxidants GSH and taurine. Indirectly by the establishment of a healthy gastrointestinal tract, yeast and yeast-based products showed to modulate the immune response, mitigating negative effects associated with parturition stress and consequent disorders.

The use of phytoproducts has garnered high interest because of their wide range of actions on multiple tissue targets encompassing a series of antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, immune-stimulating, rumen fermentation, and microbial modulation effects. In this review, we provide perspectives on investigations of regulating the immune responses and metabolism using several nutraceuticals in the periparturient cow.
A descriptive study of human papilloma virus in upper aero-digestive squamous cell carcinoma at Uganda cancer institute assessed by P16 immunohistochemistry
Authors: Kabagenyi Fiona , Otiti Jeff , Namwagala Justine , Kamulegeya Adriane , Kalungi Sam
Published: August 2020

Background

Cancer burden in sub-Saharan Africa is on the rise with one-third of cancers estimated to be caused by infectious agents. Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa and includes tumors in the Upper Aero-digestive Tract (UADT). The established risk factors are tobacco and alcohol exposure with a recent recognition of the role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The HPV related HNC is seen predominantly in the oropharynx, presents at a younger age and has a better prognosis. With a rapidly increasing incidence of these cancers in the developed world, it was important to study HPV in HNC in Uganda. The HPV can be detected using P16 immunohistochemistry as a surrogate marker thus making it suitable for screening. The study aimed at establishing the presence of HPV and the commonly affected sites in UADT squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) using P16 immunohistochemistry.

Methodology

This was a cross sectional study in which 59 patients with histologically proven SCC from the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx were recruited. These patients’ demographics and clinical data were collected. Tissue sections from retrieved histology samples were stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin to reconfirm SCC. Subsequently, P16 expression was determined using P16 immunohistochemistry.

Results

Seventy-one patients were enrolled and 59 patients with confirmed SCC of the sites of interest were analyzed. The majority (79.7%) of the participants were male and over 50 years. 59.3% were tobacco smokers, 66.1% used alcohol, 52.2% used both. Only 27.1% used none of the substances. Only 27.1% of the participants were HIV positive. Most of the tumors were in the larynx (37.3%) and 64.4% were overall TNM stage 4. The overall prevalence of HPV in UADT SCC at UCI was 20.3, 95%CI 10.9–32.8. The oropharynx had the highest prevalence (30.8%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of HPV in UADT SCC at UCI is significant at 20.3%. The most affected site, is the oropharynx. Vigilant HPV screening of these sites with confirmation where possible is recommended.
Vaccine design of coronavirus spike (S) glycoprotein in chicken: immunoinformatics and computational approaches
Authors: Awadelkareem Eman A. , Ali Sumaia A.
Published: August 2020

Background

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious respiratory disease in chickens and produces economic loss within the poultry industry. This disease is caused by a single stranded RNA virus belonging to Cronaviridae family. This study aimed to design a potential multi-epitopes vaccine against infectious bronchitis virus spike protein (S). Protein characterization was also performed for IBV spike protein.

Methods

The present study used various tools in Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) to predict conserved B and T cell epitopes against IBV spike (S) protein that may perform a significant role in provoking the resistance response to IBV infection.

Results

In B cell prediction methods, three epitopes (1139KKSSYY1144,1140KSSYYT1145,1141SSYYT1145) were selected as surface, linear and antigenic epitopes.

Many MHCI and MHCII epitopes were predicted for IBV S protein. Among them982YYITARDMY990and983YITARDMYM991epitopes displayed high antigenicity, no allergenicity and no toxicity as well as great linkage with MHCI and MHCII alleles. Moreover, docking analysis of MHCI epitopes produced strong binding affinity with BF2alleles.

Conclusion

Five conserved epitopes were expected from spike glycoprotein of IBV as the best B and T cell epitopes due to high antigenicity, no allergenicity and no toxicity. In addition, MHC epitopes showed great linkage with MHC alleles as well as strong interaction with BF2 alleles. These epitopes should be designed and incorporated and then tested as multi-epitope vaccine against IBV.
When three’s a crowd: how relational structure and social history shape organizational codes in triads
Authors: Koçak Özgecan , Warglien Massimo
Published: August 2020

When members of an organization share communication codes, coordination across subunits is easier. But if groups interact separately, they will each develop a specialized code. This paper asks: Can organizations shape how people interact in order to create shared communication codes? What kinds of design interventions in communication structures and systems are useful? In laboratory experiments on triads composed of dyads that solve distributed coordination problems, we examine the effect of three factors: transparency of communication (versus privacy), role differentiation, and the subjects’ social history. We find that these factors impact the harmonization of dyadic codes into triadic codes, shaping the likelihood that groups develop group-level codes, converge on a single group-level code, and compress the group-level code into a single word. Groups with transparent communication develop more effective codes, while acyclic triads composed of strangers are more likely to use multiple dyadic codes, which are less efficient than group-level codes. Groups of strangers put into acyclic configurations appear to have more difficulty establishing “ground rules”—that is, the “behavioral common ground” necessary to navigate acyclic structures. These coordination problems are transient—groups of different structures end up with the same average communication performance if given sufficient time. However, lasting differences in the code that is generated remain.
CRP (C Reactive Protein) level after total knee replacement in Indian population--- does it follow Anglo-Saxon trend?
Authors: Londhe Sanjay Bhalchandra , Shah Ravi Vinod , Doshi Amit Pankaj , Londhe Shubhankar Sanjay , Subhedar Kavita
Published: August 2020

Background

This study was to determine how C-reactive protein (CRP) responds after total knee replacement (TKR), including both unilateral and simultaneous bilateral TKR in Indian population and if it follows Anglo-Saxon trend. Published literature from North America and Europe shows CRP value peaks on the 2nd post-operative day and drops to normal by 6–8 weeks. We started the study with null hypothesis.

Material and methods

This is a prospective study, with 50 patients (all females, 25 received unilateral operations and 25 bilateral ones) included. CRP levels were measured, on the 2nd day, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after operation.

Results

In both groups, CRP level rose the 2nd post-operative day. The rise in CRP level was significantly higher in the simultaneous bilateral TKR group than in the unilateral TKR group. In unilateral cases, CRP on the 2nd postoperative day ranged from 65 to 110 mg/l with average level of 80 mg/ml. In bilateral TKR cases, CRP level on the 2nd postoperative day was between 110 and 180 mg/l with a mean of 140 mg/ml. The CRP level returned to normal in about 40% of unilateral TKR patients 8 weeks after operation, while in 92% (23 out of 25) of bilateral simultaneous TKR patients it stayed at a high level 8 weeks post-op and did not come back to normal. At 12 weeks CRP decreased to normal in all 100% of unilateral TKR patients and 32% of bilateral TKR patients. At 16 weeks, CRP was normal in all bilateral TKR patients.

Conclusion

60% of our unilateral TKR patients and 92% of our simultaneous bilateral TKR patients did not achieve a normal CRP 8 weeks after operation. These findings are significant as CRP is commonly used as a very sensitive indicator of postoperative joint infection. Hence we conclude that in the Indian TKR patients the CRP values take longer time to return to normal than in their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Published results regarding the normal levels of CRP in unilateral TKR should not be extrapolated to simultaneous bilateral TKR patients.
Barriers to the Delivery of Timely, Guideline-Adherent Adjuvant Therapy Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Graboyes Evan M. , Halbert Chanita Hughes , Li Hong , Warren Graham W. , Alberg Anthony J. , Calhoun Elizabeth A. , Nussenbaum Brian , Marsh Courtney H. , McCay Jessica , Day Terry A. , Kaczmar John M. , Sharma Anand K. , Neskey David M. , Sterba Katherine R.
Published: August 2020

PURPOSE:

Delays initiating guideline-adherent postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are common, contribute to excess mortality, and are a modifiable target for improving survival. However, the barriers that prevent the delivery of timely, guideline-adherent PORT remain unknown. This study aims to identify the multilevel barriers to timely, guideline-adherent PORT and organize them into a conceptual model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Semi-structured interviews with key informants were conducted with a purposive sample of patients with HNSCC and oncology providers across diverse practice settings until thematic saturation (n = 45). Thematic analysis was performed to identify the themes that explain barriers to timely PORT and to develop a conceptual model.

RESULTS:

In all, 27 patients with HNSCC undergoing surgery and PORT were included, of whom 41% were African American, and 37% had surgery and PORT at different facilities. Eighteen clinicians representing a diverse mix of provider types from 7 oncology practices participated in key informant interviews. Five key themes representing barriers to timely PORT were identified across 5 health care delivery levels: (1) inadequate education about timely PORT, (2) postsurgical sequelae that interrupt the tight treatment timeline (both intrapersonal level), (3) insufficient coordination and communication during care transitions (interpersonal and health care team levels), (4) fragmentation of care across health care organizations (organizational level), and (5) travel burden for socioeconomically disadvantaged patients (community level).

CONCLUSION:

This study provides a novel description of the multilevel barriers that contribute to delayed PORT. Interventions targeting these multilevel barriers could improve the delivery of timely, guideline-adherent PORT and decrease mortality for patients with HNSCC.
Impact of a Cancer Gene Variant Reclassification Program Over a 20-Year Period
Authors: Esterling Lisa , Wijayatunge Ranjula , Brown Krystal , Morris Brian , Hughes Elisha , Pruss Dmitry , Manley Susan , Bowles Karla R. , Ross Theodora S.
Published: August 2020

PURPOSE

Hereditary cancer genetic testing can inform personalized medical management for individuals at increased cancer risk. However, many variants in cancer predisposition genes are individually rare, and traditional tools may be insufficient to evaluate pathogenicity. This analysis presents data on variant classification and reclassification over a 20-year period.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of > 1.9 million individuals who received hereditary cancer genetic testing from a single clinical laboratory (March 1997 to December 2017). Variant classification included review of evidence from traditional tools (eg, population frequency databases, literature) and laboratory-developed tools (eg, novel statistical methods, in-house RNA analysis) by a multidisciplinary expert committee. Variants may have been reclassified more than once and with more than one line of evidence.

RESULTS

In this time period, 62,842 unique variants were observed across 25 cancer predisposition genes, and 2,976 variants were reclassified. Overall, 82.1% of reclassification events were downgrades (eg, variant of uncertain significance [VUS] to benign), and 17.9% were upgrades (eg, VUS to pathogenic). Among reclassified variants, 82.8% were initially classified as VUS, and 47.5% were identified in ≤ 20 individuals (allele frequency ≤ 0.001%). Laboratory-developed tools were used in 72.3% of variant reclassification events, which affected > 600,000 individuals. More than 1.3 million patients were identified as carrying a variant that was reclassified within this 20-year time period.

CONCLUSION

The variant classification program used by the laboratory evaluated here enabled the reclassification of variants that were individually rare. Laboratory-developed tools were a key component of this program and were used in the majority of reclassifications. This demonstrates the importance of using robust and novel tools to reclassify rare variants to appropriately inform personalized medical management.
Melatonin Patterns and Levels During the Human Menstrual Cycle and After Menopause
Authors: Greendale Gail A , Witt-Enderby Paula , Karlamangla Arun S , Munmun Fahima , Crawford Sybil , Huang MeiHua , Santoro Nanette
Published: August 2020

Context

Melatonin may play a role in the regulation of the human menstrual cycle and may decline with menopause and/or aging.

Objective

The objective of this work is to investigate the relations between melatonin and the menstrual cycle, menopause, and aging.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of 20 participants from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Daily Hormone Study (DHS). The outcome measure was first-morning urine assay of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), a gauge of melatonin. For each participant, aMT6s was measured daily during one premenopausal cycle with evidence of luteal activity (ELA) and one postmenopausal collection with no evidence of luteal activity (NELA).

Results

In addition to the organized patterns of hormone metabolites (estrone conjugates [E1c], and pregnanediol glucuronide [PdG]) and gonadotropins that characterized ovulatory menstrual cycles, there was a late luteal rise in aMT6s. In NELA collections, there was no periodicity of E1c, PdG, gonadotropins, or aMT6s. The strongest predictors of aMT6s levels were PdG values 11 to 12 days prior to aMT6s (β = 1.46, P = .001 and β = 1.44, P = .001, respectively). E1c and gonadotropins were not statistically significantly associated with aMT6s. Mean aMT6s in premenopause was 53.5 ng/mL, greater than the mean of 37.4 ng/mL in postmenopausal samples from the same women (P = .0002).

Conclusions

This study confirms a late luteal melatonin rise, likely signaled by progesterone, which may influence menstrual cycle pacemaker control. Melatonin declined from premenopause to postmenopause. A high correlation between menopause transition stage and age precludes distinction between the influences of ovarian and chronological aging.
Functionally distinct roles for T and Tbx6 during mouse development
Authors: Wehn Amy K. , Farkas Deborah R. , Sedlock Carly E. , Subedi Dibya , Chapman Deborah L.
Published: August 2020

The mouse T-box transcription factors T and Tbx6 are co-expressed in the primitive streak and have unique domains of expression; T is expressed in the notochord, while Tbx6 is expressed in the presomitic mesoderm. T-box factors are related through a shared DNA binding domain, the T-domain, and can therefore bind to similar DNA sequences at least in vitro. We investigated the functional similarities and differences of T and Tbx6 DNA binding and transcriptional activity in vitro and their interaction genetically in vivo. We show that at one target, Dll1, the T-domains of T and Tbx6 have different affinities for the binding sites present in the mesoderm enhancer. We further show using in vitro assays that T and Tbx6 differentially affect transcription with Tbx6 activating expression tenfold higher than T, that T and Tbx6 can compete at target gene enhancers, and that this competition requires a functional DNA binding domain. Next, we addressed whether T and Tbx6 can compete in vivo. First, we generated embryos that express Tbx6 at greater than wild-type levels embryos and show that these embryos have short tails, resembling the T heterozygous phenotype. Next, using the dominant-negative TWis allele, we show that Tbx6+/− TWis/+ embryos share similarities with embryos homozygous for the Tbx6 hypomorphic allele rib-vertebrae, specifically fusions of several ribs and malformation of some vertebrae. Finally, we tested whether Tbx6 can functionally replace T using a knockin approach, which resulted in severe T null-like phenotypes in chimeric embryos generated with ES cells heterozygous for a Tbx6 knockin at the T locus. Altogether, our results of differences in affinity for DNA binding sites and transcriptional activity for T and Tbx6 provide a potential mechanism for the failure of Tbx6 to functionally replace T and possible competition phenotypes in vivo.
A regulated NMD mouse model supports NMD inhibition as a viable therapeutic option to treat genetic diseases
Authors: Echols Josh , Siddiqui Amna , Dai Yanying , Havasi Viktoria , Sun Richard , Kaczmarczyk Aneta , Keeling Kim M.
Published: August 2020

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) targets mRNAs that contain a premature termination codon (PTC) for degradation, preventing their translation. By altering the expression of PTC-containing mRNAs, NMD modulates the inheritance pattern and severity of genetic diseases. NMD also limits the efficiency of suppressing translation termination at PTCs, an emerging therapeutic approach to treat genetic diseases caused by in-frame PTCs (nonsense mutations). Inhibiting NMD may help rescue partial levels of protein expression. However, it is unclear whether long-term, global NMD attenuation is safe. We hypothesize that a degree of NMD inhibition can be safely tolerated after completion of prenatal development. To test this hypothesis, we generated a novel transgenic mouse that expresses an inducible, dominant-negative form of human UPF1 (dnUPF1) to inhibit NMD in mouse tissues by different degrees, allowing us to examine the effects of global NMD inhibition in vivo. A thorough characterization of these mice indicated that expressing dnUPF1 at levels that promote relatively moderate to strong NMD inhibition in most tissues for a 1-month period produced modest immunological and bone alterations. In contrast, 1 month of dnUPF1 expression to promote more modest NMD inhibition in most tissues did not produce any discernable defects, indicating that moderate global NMD attenuation is generally well tolerated in non-neurological somatic tissues. Importantly, a modest level of NMD inhibition that produced no overt abnormalities was able to significantly enhance in vivo PTC suppression. These results suggest that safe levels of NMD attenuation are likely achievable, and this can help rescue protein deficiencies resulting from PTCs.
Characterization of buccal cell DNA after exposure to azo compounds: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Handajani Juni , Tabtila Urfa , Rully Auliawati Nadia , Rohman Abdul
Published: August 2020

Background: Azo compounds, containing naphthol and diazonium salts, are synthetic dyes widely used in the batik industry. Azo compounds are considered toxic when they are exposed to human tissue. The purpose of this study was to analyze buccal cell DNA exposed to azo compounds in batik workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 20 male subjects divided into two groups (n=10 group), namely azo-exposed and non-exposed (control group). Inclusion criteria were batik workers of the colouring division who have been exposed to azo for at least 5 years. Buccal cells were taken using cytobrush then DNA were isolated from buccal cell. DNA isolation was done by buccal DNA kit, while the purity and concentration of the DNA was determined using spectrophotometer and electrophoresis.

Results: The azo-exposed group revealed higher purity DNA than those in the control group. The purity of the DNA in the azo-exposed group and control group was 0.61±0.93 and 0.21±0.09, respectively, while the concentration of DNA was of 59.02 and 19.35 ng/UL, respectively. The ratio at 260/280 nm was 1.84-1.94 (azo-exposed) and 1.85-1.92 (control). Principal component analysis using the first principle component (PC1) and second principle component (PC2) could successfully classify subjects in the control and azo-exposed groups.

Conclusion: Characteristics of DNA could be used as an indication of exposure to azo compounds in workers of batik industries.
Läänemeresoome mAs-isikunimed
Authors: Saar Evar
Published: August 2020

Artikkel käsitleb läänemeresoome ajaloolisi isikunimesid, mille lõpus on nimeformant (sufiks) -mas või -mäs (ühine tähistus -mAs) Antakse ülevaade, milliseid mAs-nimesid ja ka muid mVs-nimesid on allikatest leitud. Püstitatakse hüpotees, et kirjapiltidega -mes ja -meß esindatud isikunimed ei sisalda järelosisena sõna mees, nagu mitmed uurijad varem on väitnud. Analüüsitakse mVs-lõpuliste isikunimede võimalikku hääldust keskalamsaksa ortograafia ja tekstinäidete taustal. Käsitletakse mAs-sufiksi võimalikku päritolu ja jälgi läänemeresoome keeltes. Vaatluse all on ka mAs-isikunimede tüübi mõju järgnenud kristlikele laennimedele ja seosed tänapäeva eesnimedega. Eesti kohanimede vanades dokumendikujudes esinevat lõppu -mas või -mes on samuti vaadeldud. Selle tüübiga seoses pakutakse välja selged isikunimejuhtumid Ihamaru ja Viimsi, analüüsitakse jätkuvalt lahtise etümoloogiaga nime Teilma ja juhitakse tähelepanu mõnedele teistelegi tänapäeval ma-lõpulistele nimedele.

Abstract. Evar Saar: Finnic personal names with the suffix -mAs. This article addresses Finnic pre-Christian personal names which ended with the suffix -mas or -mäs (joint marking -mAs). An overview of which mAs-names and also mVs-names have been found in the sources is provided. A hypothesis is formulated that personal names represented by spellings -mes and -meß do not contain the word mees ‘man’ as the second component, as many researchers have claimed. Such spellings have been found in the names of Estonians and Livonians from medieval Livonia. The possible pronunciation of personal names ending in mVs are analysed in the context of Middle Low German orthography and text samples. Written mes-endings in personal names link, on the one hand, with the phenomenon that in preserving the Finnic vowel harmony, the letter -e was the main presentation of the Finnic sound -ä. This enables such interpretations as, for example, Melemes (*Meelemäs). At the same time, vowel harmony was disappearing in medieval North Estonian language which means that -ä in successive syllables was still replaced with a. Another and more important tendency characterising spellings with Middle Low German background is the perception of most vowels in successive syllables in a reduced form and writing them by e. Finnic suffix mAs has been interpreted on the example of Ihama and Ihamas by Päivi Rintala. Rintala considers the short suffix mA primary, which has especially functioned as individualising the object. mAs personal names are alive in modern Estonian in a Christian first name Toomas with an accidentally similar end structure and in a new first name Urmas created by Julius Mägiste. First name Armas ( Estonian meaning ‘lovely’) that is widespread in Finland and the historical Ihamas recommended by Mägiste have not become popular in Estonia.
Social psychology of education. Practicum
Authors: Kozhuhar' Galina , Kochetkov Nikita , Krasilo Tat'yana , Novgorodceva Aleksandra , Pogodina Alla , Sachkova Marianna , Schastnaya Tamara , Shneyder Lidiya
Published: August 2020

The workshop presents classic and original author's methods that can be effectively used in project and research work, in consulting practice, in the development of academic disciplines that consider the issues of harmonization of interaction in the educational environment.
Meets the requirements of the Federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
For practical classroom and extracurricular activities of undergraduate students studying in the areas of "Psychology" and "Psychological and pedagogical education", as well as for teachers of psychology, pedagogy and psychological and pedagogical disciplines, graduate students and researchers of the relationship of subjects of the educational space.
The workshop is addressed to undergraduate students of higher educational institutions who are preparing for professional activities related to the solution of socio-psychological problems of education, upbringing, communication in educational institutions, as well as child-parent and marital relations.
Для практических аудиторных и внеаудиторных занятий студентов бакалавриата, обучающихся по направлениям «Психология» и «Психолого-педагогическое образование», а также для преподавателей психологии, педагогики и психолого-педагогических дисциплин, аспирантов и исследователей взаимоотношений субъектов образовательного пространства.
Практикум адресован студентам бакалавриата высших учебных заведений, которые готовятся к профессиональной деятельности, связанной с решением социально-психологических проблем обучения, воспитания, общения в образовательных учреждениях, а также детско-родительских и супружеских отношений.
Management: management methods
Authors: Ryzhikov Sergey
Published: August 2020

The textbook contains questions that reveal the composition and nature of management methods. Methods of organizational dynamics, stages of evolution of management methods, characteristic features of modern techniques and methods of management are considered. The features of methods that promote self-organization are defined. The innovation in the described assessment methodology consists in the application of management methods.
Meets the requirements of the Federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
For undergraduate and graduate students 38.03.03 "personnel Management", 38.03.01 "Economics", 38.03.02 and 38.04.02" Management", 38.03.04 and 38.04.04" State and municipal management", teachers and practitioners in the field of management.
Cleaning of gas and air emissions
Authors: Lukanin Alleksandr
Published: August 2020

The monograph examines the currently existing industrial gas emissions in the chemical, petrochemical, microbiological, pharmaceutical and related industries, methods for calculating their quantity and methods for protecting the air basin from them. The materials are based on an in-depth analysis of methods for cleaning frequently occurring, most dangerous substances that enter the Earth's atmosphere with waste gases of large-scale production. Recommendations are given on methods for calculating gross emissions of harmful substances for a large number of specific industries.
The subject of the monograph is related to the scientific areas "Technosphere safety" and "Engineering environmental protection", training profiles: engineering environmental protection of localities, engineering environmental protection of industrial enterprises and environmental protection and resource conservation.
It will be of interest to engineering and technical staff, graduate students and teachers.
General and inorganic chemistry in diagrams, figures, tables, and chemical reactions
Authors: Garshin Anatoliy
Published: August 2020

The textbook in the form of definitions, drawings, diagrams, tables, formulas and chemical reactions outlines the main provisions of General and inorganic chemistry.
It is intended for students of non-chemical specialties of higher education institutions. It can be used by students of secondary vocational schools of chemical and medical-biological profiles, secondary school teachers, applicants, foreign students studying in Russian technical universities and natural science faculties of universities, as well as in the system of pre-University training of foreign students. Each Chapter of the manual contains questions for self-control of the knowledge received by the student and checking the depth of assimilation of the studied material.
Design of information systems
Authors: Kovalenko Vladimir
Published: August 2020

The tutorial discusses the design features of information systems (is) involved in the implementation of CALS technologies: MRP/MRPII/ERP systems, e-Commerce systems (B2B), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and decision support systems (OLAP). The issues of choosing the design technology, software tools for project development, building functional and information models in the environment of Business Studio, MS Visio, Elma, AllFusion Modeling Suite and Oracle Designer 10g, as well as the development of technical and operational documentation are highlighted. The characteristics of CASE technologies and their implementation in the Oracle Designer 10g environment are considered. A comparative analysis of the standards of the organization of the life cycle of creating and using IP, practical recommendations for the development of standard profiles, examples of the development of an IP project based on a cascading model of the life cycle, including using a process approach in the management and automation of processes. The models of the client — server architecture and the structure of cloud computing are considered. Modern approaches to the selection of ready-made is and their implementation in automated enterprises are studied in detail.
Meets the requirements of the Federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
It is intended for students (bachelors and specialists) and masters of higher educational institutions studying in the direction of "Applied Informatics". It is also recommended for teachers and specialists working in the field of information technology.
Different but Equal? A Field Experiment on the Impact of Recommendation Systems on Mobile and Personal Computer Channels in Retail
Authors: Lee Dongwon , Gopal Anandasivam , Park Sung-Hyuk
Published: August 2020

Practice-Oriented Abstract
Data-Driven Promotion Planning for Paid Mobile Applications
Authors: Li Manqi (Maggie) , Huang Yan , Sinha Amitabh
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we propose a two-step data-analytic approach to the promotion planning for mobile applications (apps). In the first step, we use historical sales data to estimate the app demand model and quantify the effect of price promotions on download volume. The estimation results reveal two interesting characteristics of the relationship between price promotion and download volume of mobile apps: (1) the magnitude of the direct immediate promotion effect is declining within a multiday promotion; and (2) due to the visibility effect (i.e., apps ranked high on the download chart are more visible to consumers), a price promotion also has an indirect effect on download volume by affecting app rank, and this effect can persist after the promotion ends. Based on the empirically estimated demand model, we propose a moving planning window heuristic to construct a promotion policy. Our heuristic promotion policy consists of shorter and more frequent promotions. We show that the proposed policy can increase the app lifetime revenue by around 10%.
Technical Note—Waterfall and Agile Product Development Approaches: Disjunctive Stochastic Programming Formulations
Authors: Kettunen Janne , Lejeune Miguel A.
Published: August 2020

When engaging in the development of new products, the primary objective of start-up companies is to generate a specified return level quickly and with high confidence. Achieving this goal is complicated because of uncertainties in projects’ returns and durations. In the study titled, “Waterfall and Agile Product Development Approaches: Disjunctive Stochastic Programming Formulations,” Kettunen and Lejeune develop new disjunctive chance-constrained programming models that capture this goal. The first static model reflects the traditional waterfall product development process, whereas the second one is dynamic and depicts the agile product development process. Kettunen and Lejeune design a novel reformulation method and a decomposition algorithm and use them on a new product development problem encountered by a U.S.-based software start-up company. The results reveal that high confidence in reaching a certain return can be achieved by investing in projects with a longer development time and higher risk. Additionally, overlooking the capability to make dynamic decisions, as allowed by the agile approach, leads to overestimating the time needed to obtain the targeted return.
Continuously tunable intensity modulators with large switching contrasts using liquid crystal elastomer films that are deposited with terahertz metamaterials
Authors: Chiang Wei-Fan , Silalahi Harry Miyosi , Chiang Yu-Chih , Hsu Mi-Chia , Zhang Yan-Song , Liu Jui-Hsiang , Yu Yanlei , Lee Chia-Rong , Huang Chia-Yi
Published: August 2020

A liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) film is successfully deposited with a terahertz metamaterial using thermal evaporation via a programmed electronic shutter and high-efficiency cooling system. The transmittance of the metamaterial at its resonance frequency is monotonically increased from 0.0036 to 1.0 as a pump beam bends the LCE film, so the metamaterial has a large switching contrast of 277 at the frequency. The monotonic increase in the resonance transmittance arises from the constant resonance frequency of the metamaterial at the transmittance modulation and depicts that the metamaterial-deposited LCE film can continuously tune the transmitted intensity of a terahertz beam. The metamaterial-deposited LCE film has potential in developing continuously tunable intensity modulators with large switching contrasts for the application of terahertz imaging and terahertz communication. Therefore, the thermal evaporation expands the application of metamaterials and improves their optical properties.
Monitored wet-etch removal of individual dielectric layers from high-finesse Bragg mirrors
Authors: Bernard Simon , Clark Thomas J. , Dumont Vincent , Ma Jiaxing , Sankey Jack C.
Published: August 2020

It is prohibitively expensive to deposit customized dielectric coatings on individual optics. One solution is to batch-coat many optics with extra dielectric layers, then remove layers from individual optics as needed. Here we present a low-cost, single-step, monitored wet etch technique for reliably removing individual SiO2 and Ta2O5 dielectric layers, in this case from a high-reflectivity fiber mirror. By immersing in acid and monitoring off-band reflected light, we show it is straightforward to iteratively (or continuously) remove six bilayers. At each stage, we characterize the coating performance with a Fabry-Pérot cavity, observing the expected stepwise decrease in finesse from 92,000 ± 3,000 to 3, 950 ± 50, finding no evidence of added optical losses. The etch also removes the fiber’s sidewall coating after a single bilayer, and, after six bilayers, confines the remaining coating to a 60-µm-diameter pedestal at the center of the fiber tip. Vapor etching above the solution produces a tapered “pool cue” cladding profile, reducing the fiber diameter (nominally 125 µm) to 95 µm at an angle of ∼0.3° near the tip. Finally, we note that the data generated by this technique provides a sensitive estimate of the layers’ optical depths. This technique could be readily adapted to free-space optics and other coatings.
Engineering the Berreman mode in mid-infrared polar materials
Authors: Khan Irfan , Fang Zhaoyuan , Palei Milan , Lu Junchi , Nordin Leland , Simmons Evan L. , Dominguez Owen , Islam S. M. , Xing Huili Grace , Jena Debdeep , Podolskiy Viktor A. , Wasserman Daniel , Hoffman Anthony J.
Published: August 2020

We demonstrate coupling to and control over the broadening and dispersion of a mid-infrared leaky mode, known as the Berreman mode, in samples with different dielectric environments. We fabricate subwavelength films of AlN, a mid-infrared epsilon-near-zero material that supports the Berreman mode, on materials with a weakly negative permittivity, strongly negative permittivity, and positive permittivity. Additionally, we incorporate ultra-thin AlN layers into a GaN/AlN heterostructure, engineering the dielectric environment above and below the AlN. In each of the samples, coupling to the Berreman mode is observed in angle-dependent reflection measurements at wavelengths near the longitudinal optical phonon energy. The measured dispersion of the Berreman mode agrees well with numerical modes. Differences in the dispersion and broadening for the different materials is quantified, including a 13 cm-1 red-shift in the energy of the Berreman mode for the heterostructure sample.
Efficient emission of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes: toward orange and red
Authors: Zhang Shengnan , Zhang Jianli , Gao Jiangdong , Wang Xiaolan , Zheng Changda , Zhang Meng , Wu Xiaoming , Xu Longquan , Ding Jie , Quan Zhijue , Jiang Fengyi
Published: August 2020

Indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered a promising candidate for red-green-blue (RGB) micro displays. Currently, the blue and green LEDs are efficient, while the red ones are inefficient for such applications. This paper reports our work of creating efficient InGaN-based orange and red LEDs on silicon(111) substrates at low current density. Based on the structure of InGaN yellow LEDs, by simply reducing the growth temperature of all the yellow quantum wells (QWs), we obtained 599 nm orange LEDs with peak wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 18.1% at

2
  
A
/

cm
2

. An optimized QW structure was proposed that changed two of the nine yellow QWs to orange ones. Compared with the sample containing nine orange QWs, the sample with two orange QWs and seven yellow QWs showed similar emission spectra but a much higher peak WPE up to 24.0% at

0.8
  
A
/

cm
2

with a wavelength of 608 nm. The improvement of peak WPE can be attributed to the improved QW quality and the reduced active recombination volume. Subsequently, a series of efficient InGaN-based orange and red LEDs was demonstrated. With further development, the InGaN-based red LEDs are believed to be attainable and can be used in micro LED displays.
The Spirit of Vaslav Nijinsky
Authors: Martin Kathryn
Published: August 2020

The Spirit of Vaslav Nijinsky is a short comic created in 2016, telling the story of the famed ballet star who, in 1919, suffered a mental breakdown that resulted in a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Before his breakdown, Vaslav Nijinsky was known as ‘The God of Dance’, and regarded as the greatest male ballet star of his generation. His success as a ballet dancer paired with the details of his later life often associates him with the stereotype of a genius artist succumbing to madness. The nature of live art means the majority of Nijinsky’s work no longer survives intact, with only snippets of static documentation and ephemera left in the wake of performances hinting at his genius. However, in the lead up to his diagnosis, Nijinsky left two concrete bodies of work that are now regarded as important in the field of mental health history. First are a series of abstract drawings, and second are a collection of notebooks now known as The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky. Both are fascinating documents on the subject of mental illness and served as the main inspiration for the narrative of the comic. The story of Nijinsky’s life and career has become the stuff of legend because of his enigmatic quality as a historical figure. This article explores the ephemera and historical documentation associated with this fascinating yet intangible artist, and how they inspired the content, process and aesthetic of The Spirit of Vaslav Nijinsky.
Intersecting voices of wellness vs. rawness in illustration
Authors: Green Amberlee , Sarkar Jhinuk
Published: August 2020

This article reflects on the use of illustration as a tool in mental health, and attempts to answer the question, can depicting wellness or rawness of mental health experiences in illustration contribute towards recovery? The two authors of this article speak from their experiences from several roles: as illustrators; a disability adviser and mental health practitioner; as teachers and women of colour. They explore their own creative practices through their intersectionality. The first author presents wellness in illustration, the origins of both black illustrators communicating through their work alongside how black people are represented in illustration. This uncovers societal cultural preference, authenticity and overarchingly, the question of who decides our narratives. In exploring rawness, the role of illustrator, and how it connects to others through honest human experiences, the second author questions where this is impacted. The reflection throughout this article encourages true consideration of intersectionality in the creation, engagement and taught aspects of illustration, considering how this communicative instrument can continue to be used to promote wellness. This article proves that illustration can provide a space for recovery in a mental health context, ultimately demonstrating how illustration is used to portray experiences where words cannot, providing a cathartic process for practitioners, and is used as a tool to promote powerful inclusivity.