bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential Biomarkers for Predicting Depression in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Song Xiuli , Zheng Qiang , Zhang Rui , Wang Miye , Deng Wei , Wang Qiang , Guo Wanjun , Li Tao , Ma Xiaohong
Published: December 2021

Objective: To identify the potential biomarkers for predicting depression in diabetes mellitus using support vector machine to analyze routine biochemical tests and vital signs between two groups: subjects with both diabetes mellitus and depression, and subjects with diabetes mellitus alone.

Methods: Electronic medical records upon admission and biochemical tests and vital signs of 135 patients with both diabetes mellitus and depression and 187 patients with diabetes mellitus alone were identified for this retrospective study. After matching on factors of age and sex, the two groups (n = 72 for each group) were classified by the recursive feature elimination-based support vector machine, of which, the training data, validation data, and testing data were split for ranking the parameters, determine the optimal parameters, and assess classification performance. The biomarkers were identified by 10-fold cross validation.

Results: The experimental results identified 8 predictive biomarkers with classification accuracy of 78%. The 8 biomarkers are magnesium, cholesterol, AST/ALT, percentage of monocytes, bilirubin indirect, triglyceride, lactic dehydrogenase, and diastolic blood pressure. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also adopted with area under the curve being 0.72.

Conclusions: Some biochemical parameters may be potential biomarkers to predict depression among the subjects with diabetes mellitus.
Cre-Activation in ErbB4-Positive Neurons of Floxed Grin1/NMDA Receptor Mice Is Not Associated With Major Behavioral Impairment
Authors: Mallien Anne S. , Pfeiffer Natascha , Vogt Miriam A. , Chourbaji Sabine , Sprengel Rolf , Gass Peter , Inta Dragos
Published: December 2021

Extensive evidence suggests a dysfunction of the glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) in schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder with putative early neurodevelopmental origins, but clinical onset mainly during late adolescence. On the other hand, pharmacological models using NMDAR antagonists and the clinical manifestation of anti-NMDAR encephalitis indicate that NMDAR blockade/hypofunction can trigger psychosis also at adult stages, without any early developmental dysfunction. Previous genetic models of NMDAR hypofunction restricted to parvalbumin-positive interneurons indicate the necessity of an early postnatal impairment to trigger schizophrenia-like abnormalities, whereas the cellular substrates of NMDAR-mediated psychosis at adolescent/adult stages are unknown. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4 represent schizophrenia-associated susceptibility factors that closely interact with NMDAR. To determine the neuronal populations implicated in “late” NMDAR-driven psychosis, we analyzed the effect of the inducible ablation of NMDARs in ErbB4-expressing cells in mice during late adolescence using a pharmacogenetic approach. Interestingly, the tamoxifen-inducible NMDAR deletion during this late developmental stage did not induce behavioral alterations resembling depression, schizophrenia or anxiety. Our data indicate that post-adolescent NMDAR deletion, even in a wider cell population than parvalbumin-positive interneurons, is also not sufficient to generate behavioral abnormalities resembling psychiatric disorders. Other neuronal substrates that have to be revealed by future studies, may underlie post-adolescent NMDAR-driven psychosis.
The Influences of COVID-19 on Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Jiang Zheng , Liu Jiang , Geng Lei , Zhong Zhengxia , Tan Jiaxing , Wen Dongmei , Zhou Ling , Tang Yi , Qin Wei
Published: December 2021

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted global attention. During the lockdown period of COVID-19, follow-up of many patients with chronic disease had been interrupted, which brought severe challenges to better management of their disease. This study aimed at exploring the change of illness, daily life, and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Methods: A total of 612 patients were enrolled in this study; 282 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 1–2 group and 330 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 3–5 group. Among two groups, 168 (27.5%) and 177 (28.9%) patients were female with a median age of 42 and 45, respectively. The study was conducted by collecting the questionnaires in five nephrology centers. The questionnaire consisted of assessment of anxiety by using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the influences of COVID-19, which included basic demographic data, the influences of COVID-19 on illness and daily life, as well as the patients' psychological responses during the epidemic.

Results: A total of 612 patients were included and divided into two groups according to eGFR. Ninety-six patients (34%) in the CKD stage 1–2 group and 141 patients (42.7%) in the CKD stage 3–5 group had reduced their follow-up frequency (p = 0.031). More patients with CKD stages 1–2 consulted online (25.9%), p = 0.005. Besides, patients in the CKD stage 3–5 group tended to be more anxious about follow-up (p = 0.002), fearful of being infected with COVID-19 (p = 0.009), and more likely to feel symptoms getting worse (p = 0.006). The standard scores of SAS were 48.58 ± 7.082 and 51.19 ± 5.944 in the CKD stage 1–2 group and the CKD stage 3–5 group, respectively (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the severity of anxiety (p = 0.004).

Conclusion: COVID-19 had a greater impact on patients with CKD stages 3–5 than those with stages 1–2 in terms of illness, daily life, and psychological disorder. Patients with CKD stages 3–5 were more anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Narrative Exposure Therapy in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder in a Naturalistic Residential Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Steuwe Carolin , Berg Michaela , Beblo Thomas , Driessen Martin
Published: December 2021

Background: Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) increases the already high symptom burden of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). As the gold standard for BPD treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), does not focus on PTSD, other treatment approaches are needed. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) was designed to address multiple traumatic events and may be especially useful in this patient group. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of NET compared to DBT based treatment (DBT-bt) in a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Female patients (n = 60) with BPD and comorbid PTSD were randomized to either a 10-week residential NET or DBT-bt. The primary outcome was change in PTSD severity as assessed by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Mixed linear models as well as reliable change, remission, and response rates were used to compare improvement across treatment groups.

Results: Mixed linear model showed that patients in both treatments improved significantly over time across all outcome measures. This improvement was not more pronounced in NET (no significant time × type of treatment effect). However, NET resulted in a higher remission rate as compared to DBT-bt. PTSD remission was accompanied by BPD remission in all cases.

Conclusions: This study shows the value of trauma-focused therapy in patients with BPD and PTSD for recovery in both disorders. To shorten the duration of both illnesses as much as possible, future studies should focus on the factors predicting treatment success and enabling patients to benefit from trauma-focused treatment as soon as possible.

Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02517723.
Early Childhood Caries in 4- to 5-Year-Old Children in Erzurum, Turkey
Authors: Şengül Fatih , Urvasızoğlu Gelengül , Derelioǧlu Sera , Seddik Tarek , Çelikel Periş , Baş Aybike
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Early childhood caries is tooth decay seen in children under 72 months old. It is associated with multiple predisposing factors and has a negative impact on quality of life. In this study, our aim was to assess the oral health conditions and prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) in children in the city of Erzurum, Turkey.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in Atatürk University, Faculty of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Department/Erzurum-Turkey, in the 2015–2016 academic year. A total of 1,156 children (588 girls and 568 boys), with mean age of 4.9 ± 0.3 years (min 4, max 5) were included in the study. Restorative index (RI), deft, significant caries index (SiC), SiC10, treatment needs, number of lost primary teeth per 100 children, care index, and prevalence of carious primary teeth were evaluated. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U test (p < 0.05).

Results: A total of 73.3% prevalence of ECC was observed in preschool children with a mean deft score of 3.9±4 and an increase in ECC with age. RI was 2.2%, SiC was 8.5, SiC10 was 12.3, caries treatment needs was 93.5%, care index was 2.1%, and number of lost primary teeth per 100 children was 0.9 tooth.

Conclusion: High level of ECC indicates the necessity of starting an oral health education program for mothers and dental screening of children, and the demand for improving oral and dental services.
Contribution of Total Screen/Online-Course Time to Asthenopia in Children During COVID-19 Pandemic via Influencing Psychological Stress
Authors: Li Lin , Zhang Jing , Chen Moxin , Li Xue , Chu Qiao , Jiang Run , Liu Zhihao , Zhang Lili , Shi Jun , Wang Yi , Zhu Weizhong , Chen Jian , Xun Pengcheng , Zhou Jibo
Published: December 2021

Objectives: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) self-quarantine period, the transition to online-course has profoundly changed the learning modes of millions of school-aged children and put them at an increased risk of asthenopia. Therefore, we aimed to determine associations of the total screen/online-course time with asthenopia prevalence among that children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the associations were mediated by psychological stress.

Methods: Asthenopia was defined according to a validated computer vision syndrome questionnaire (CVS-Q). We used CVS-Q to collect the frequency and intensity of 16 asthenopia-related eye symptoms of 25,781 children. Demographic features, eye care habits, visual disorders, lifestyle, psychological and environmental factors, were also collected.

Results: The overall asthenopia prevalence was 12.1%, varying from 5.4 to 18.2% across grade/gender-classified subgroups. A 100-h increment of total screen/online-course time were associated with an increased risk of asthenopia by 9% [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09] and 11% (OR = 1.11), respectively. Mediation analysis showed that the proportions of total effects mediated by psychological stress were 23.5 and 38.1%, respectively. Age, female gender, having myopia or astigmatism, bad habits when watching screens were also risk factors. Conversely, keeping 34–65 cm between eyes and screen, increased rest time between classes, and increased eye exercise were all associated with a decreased risk.

Conclusion: Our study indicated that the influence of long total screen or online-course time on psychological stress increases asthenopia risk. The findings of this study have provided a new avenue for intervening screen-related asthenopia in addition to incorporating a reasonable schedule of online courses into educational policy.
Timely Communication Through Telehealth: Added Value for a Caregiver During COVID-19
Authors: Hajjar Lauren , Kragen Ben
Published: December 2021

Objective: This caregiver case study applies the lens of relational coordination theory (RC) to examine the value of telehealth as a medium of care coordination for a pediatric patient with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of healthcare around the globe and has increased the reliance on telehealth services. Delivering telehealth requires a high level of communication and coordination within and across providers as well as between providers, patients and their families. However, it is less clear how telehealth impacts the coordination of care. In this paper, we provide insight into the quality of care coordination between providers and an informal caregiver following policy changes to the provider payment structure in Massachusetts.

Methods: This paper employs a single-case, autoethnographic study design where one of the authors uses their experiential insights, as mother of the patient, to inform a wider cultural and political understanding of the shift to remote caregiving for a pediatric patient with hEDS. Data was collected using reflective journaling, interactive interviews, and participant observation and analyzed using content analysis.

Results: Findings revealed four interrelating roles of the caregiver including, logistics support, boundary spanner, home health aide, and cultural translator. The adoption of telehealth was associated with improved timeliness and frequency of communication between the caregiver and providers. Findings about the impact of telehealth adoption on accuracy of communication were mixed. Mutual respect between the caregiver and providers remained unchanged during the study period.

Conclusions: This paper highlights areas where payer policy may be modified to incentivize timely communication and improve coordination of care through telehealth services. Additional insight from the perspective of an informal caregiver of a patient with a rare chronic disease provides an understudied vantage to the care coordination process. We contribute to relational coordination theory by observing the ways that caregivers function as boundary spanners, and how this process was facilitated by the adoption of telehealth. Insights from this research will inform the development of telehealth workflows to engage caregivers in a way that adds value and strengthens relational coordination in the management of chronic disease.
Relationship Between Myopia and Other Risk Factors With Anxiety and Depression Among Chinese University Freshmen During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Hongmei , Gao Huijuan , Zhu Yun , Zhu Ying , Dang Weiyu , Wei Ruihua , Yan Hua
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To investigate the association of myopia and other risk factors with anxiety and depression among Chinese university freshmen during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Tianjin Medical University from October 2020 to December 2020. Ophthalmic examination of the eyes was performed by an experienced ophthalmologist. Detailed information on depression, anxiety, and other risk factors was collected via the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale.

Results: The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression in our study was 10.34 and 25.13%, respectively. The prevalence of myopia and high myopia as 92.02 and 26.7%, respectively. There were significant associations between anxiety and spectacle power [odds ratios (OR) = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81–0.98, P = 0.019], sphere equivalent (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81– 0.98, P = 0.025), sleep time (OR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.35–0.79, P = 0.002), and body mass index (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.86–0.99, P = 0.047). In the multivariable linear regression models, spectacle power (β = −0.43; 95% CI: −0.68 to −0.19, P = 0.001) and sphere equivalent (β = −0.36; 95% CI: −0.60 to −0.11, P = 0.005) were negatively associated with anxiety scores, whereas axial length (β = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.02–1.07, P = 0.044) was positively correlated with anxiety scores. Every 1 h decrease in sleep time was associated with a 0.12-point increase in depression score.

Conclusion: Myopia was associated with anxiety and anxiety scores. The greater the degree of myopia, the higher the anxiety score. However, myopia was not found to be associated with depression. The results highlight the importance of providing psychological support to students with myopia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speech After Long Silence—An Appraisee-Based Comprehensive Analysis With Retrospective and Future Perspectives on Current ID Policy of Transpersons in China
Authors: Shi Jian , Guo Yadong , Cavagnaro María José , Cai Jifeng , Liu Zhuoying
Published: December 2021

As the sexual minority in China, transpersons remain faced with various realistic challenges. In recent years, however, there has been a significant progress made in the protection given to the rights that transpersons deserve. Currently, the citizens who have changed their gender through sex reassignment surgery can make applications to the local police station for changing their gender registration and get issued a new ID card. This is regarded as a crucial milestone in reducing the bias against transpersons and protecting their legitimate rights in China. Highlighted by the case of an extraordinary appraisee who have received SRS to change from male to female and started a new life with a new ID, not only does this article construe the current ID policy and the detailed process of ID card change for transpersons in China, it also reveals the living and developmental conditions facing transpersons in China. Finally, the visibility of the community of transpersons is improved to eradicate the discrimination against transpersons.
CycleStyleGAN-Based Knowledge Transfer for a Machining Digital Twin
Authors: Zotov Evgeny , Kadirkamanathan Visakan
Published: December 2021

Digitalisation of manufacturing is a crucial component of the Industry 4.0 transformation. The digital twin is an important tool for enabling real-time digital access to precise information about physical systems and for supporting process optimisation via the translation of the associated big data into actionable insights. Although a variety of frameworks and conceptual models addressing the requirements and advantages of digital twins has been suggested in the academic literature, their implementation has received less attention. The work presented in this paper aims to make a proposition that considers the novel challenges introduced for data analysis in the presence of heterogeneous and dynamic cyber-physical systems in Industry 4.0. The proposed approach defines a digital twin simulation tool that captures the dynamics of a machining vibration signal from a source model and adapts them to a given target environment. This constitutes a flexible approach to knowledge extraction from the existing manufacturing simulation models, as information from both physics-based and data-driven solutions can be elicited this way. Therefore, an opportunity to reuse the costly established systems is made available to the manufacturing businesses, and the paper presents a process optimisation framework for such use case. The proposed approach is implemented as a domain adaptation algorithm based on the generative adversarial network model. The novel CycleStyleGAN architecture extends the CycleGAN model with a style-based signal encoding. The implemented model is validated in an experimental scenario that aims to replicate a real-world manufacturing knowledge transfer problem. The experiment shows that the transferred information enables the reduction of the required target domain data by one order of magnitude.
Active Inference Through Energy Minimization in Multimodal Affective Human–Robot Interaction
Authors: Horii Takato , Nagai Yukie
Published: December 2021

During communication, humans express their emotional states using various modalities (e.g., facial expressions and gestures), and they estimate the emotional states of others by paying attention to multimodal signals. To ensure that a communication robot with limited resources can pay attention to such multimodal signals, the main challenge involves selecting the most effective modalities among those expressed. In this study, we propose an active perception method that involves selecting the most informative modalities using a criterion based on energy minimization. This energy-based model can learn the probability of the network state using energy values, whereby a lower energy value represents a higher probability of the state. A multimodal deep belief network, which is an energy-based model, was employed to represent the relationships between the emotional states and multimodal sensory signals. Compared to other active perception methods, the proposed approach demonstrated improved accuracy using limited information in several contexts associated with affective human–robot interaction. We present the differences and advantages of our method compared to other methods through mathematical formulations using, for example, information gain as a criterion. Further, we evaluate performance of our method, as pertains to active inference, which is based on the free energy principle. Consequently, we establish that our method demonstrated superior performance in tasks associated with mutually correlated multimodal information.
Protecting Sentient Artificial Intelligence: A Survey of Lay Intuitions on Standing, Personhood, and General Legal Protection
Authors: Martínez Eric , Winter Christoph
Published: December 2021

To what extent, if any, should the law protect sentient artificial intelligence (that is, AI that can feel pleasure or pain)? Here we surveyed United States adults (n= 1,061) on their views regarding granting 1) general legal protection, 2) legal personhood, and 3) standing to bring forth a lawsuit, with respect to sentient AI and eight other groups: humans in the jurisdiction, humans outside the jurisdiction, corporations, unions, non-human animals, the environment, humans living in the near future, and humans living in the far future. Roughly one-third of participants endorsed granting personhood and standing to sentient AI (assuming its existence) in at least some cases, the lowest of any group surveyed on, and rated the desired level of protection for sentient AI as lower than all groups other than corporations. We further investigated and observed political differences in responses; liberals were more likely to endorse legal protection and personhood for sentient AI than conservatives. Taken together, these results suggest that laypeople are not by-and-large in favor of granting legal protection to AI, and that the ordinary conception of legal status, similar to codified legal doctrine, is not based on a mere capacity to feel pleasure and pain. At the same time, the observed political differences suggest that previous literature regarding political differences in empathy and moral circle expansion apply to artificially intelligent systems and extend partially, though not entirely, to legal consideration, as well.
Species and Metabolic Pathways Involved in Bioremediation of Vietnamese Soil From Bien Hoa Airbase Contaminated With Herbicides
Authors: Nguyen Thi Lan Anh , Dang Ha Thi Cam , Koekkoek Jacco , Braster Martin , Parsons John R. , Brouwer Abraham , de Boer Tjalf , van Spanning Rob J. M.
Published: December 2021

Four bacterial strains were isolated from enrichment cultures inoculated with soil from Bien Hoa military base in Vietnam contaminated with the herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4,5-T). They were classified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa BT1 2.2, Sphingomonas histidinilytica BT1 5.2, Bordetella petrii BT1 9.2, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans BT1 10.2. All four were able to degrade 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, but only the last three species used them as the sole sources of carbon and energy. Mass balance analyses suggest that between 33 and 46% of the carbon in the herbicides is incorporated into dry weight (DW). We obtained insight into their degradation pathways by the genomic analysis of these strains. A tfdCDEF gene cluster was found in A. xylosoxidans BT1 10.2 with amino acid sequences of their gene products showing high identity to those in B. petrii DSM12804. Bordetella petrii BT1 9.2 has a full complement of the tfdABCDEF genes. Surprisingly, the gene organization along with the amino acid sequences of the gene products are virtually identical to those of Cupriavidus pinatubonensis JMP134, referred to as type I tfd genes, and different from those of A. xylosoxidans BT1 10.2 and B. petrii DSM12804. We hypothesize that some of the genetic potential to degrade the herbicides has been recruited in recent mating events between these species and other members of the proteobacteria. This is the first report showing that B. petrii BT1 9.2 emerges as a key player in the degradation of 2,4-D.
Systematic Review on Food Safety and Supply Chain Risk Assessment Post Pandemic: Malaysian Perspective
Authors: Nurul Eiman Md Saad , Aida Firdaus Muhammad Nurul Azmi , Mahmudiono Trias , Raseetha Siva
Published: December 2021

The novel coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, is a recent disease that has struck the entire world. This review is conducted to study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to food safety as well as the food supply chain. The pandemic has caused various changes around the world as numerous countries and governments have implemented lockdowns and restrictions to help curb the rising cases due to COVID-19. However, these restrictions have impacted many aspects of everyday life, including the economic sectors such as the food industry. An overview of the current COVID-19 situation in Malaysia was discussed in this review along with its implication on food safety and food supply chain. This is followed by a discussion on the definition of food safety, the impact of the pandemic to food safety, as well as the steps to be taken to ensure food safety. Hygiene of food handlers, complete vaccination requirement, kitchen sanitation and strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be in place to ensure the safety of food products, either in food industries or small scale business. Additionally, the aspect of the food supply chain was also discussed, including the definition of the food supply chain and the impact of COVID-19 to the food supply chain. Travel restriction and lack of manpower had impacted the usual operation and production activities. Lack of customers and financial difficulties to sustain business operational costs had even resulted in business closure. As a conclusion, this article provides insight into crucial factors that need to be considered to effectively contain COVID-19 cases and highlights the precaution methods to be taken through continuous monitoring and implementation by Malaysian government.
Whole-Genome Sequence Datasets: A Powerful Resource for the Food Microbiology Laboratory Toolbox
Authors: Carrillo Catherine D. , Blais Burton W.
Published: December 2021

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technologies are rapidly being adopted for routine use in food microbiology laboratories worldwide. Examples of how WGS is used to support food safety testing include gene marker discovery (e.g., virulence and anti-microbial resistance gene determination) and high-resolution typing (e.g., cg/wgMLST analysis). This has led to the establishment of large WGS databases representing the genomes of thousands of different types of food pathogenic and commensal bacteria. This information constitutes an invaluable resource that can be leveraged to develop and validate routine test methods used to support regulatory and industry food safety objectives. For example, well-curated raw and assembled genomic datasets of the key food pathogens (Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli) have been used in our laboratory in studies to validate bioinformatics pipelines, as well as new molecular methods as a prelude to the laboratory phase of the “wet lab” validation process. The application of genomic information to food microbiology method development will decrease the cost of test development and lead to the generation of more robust methodologies supporting risk assessment and risk management actions.
Linking Cork to Cork Oak Landscapes: Mapping the Value Chain of Cork Production in Portugal
Authors: Sørensen Irene Holm , Torralba Mario , Quintas-Soriano Cristina , Muñoz-Rojas José , Plieninger Tobias
Published: December 2021

Traditional farming landscapes in South and Central Portugal, known as montados, are affected by global socio-economic and biophysical pressures, putting the sustainability of the systems in jeopardy. Cork oak trees (Quercus suber L.) are characteristic features of these complex agro-silvo-pastoral agroforestry systems, delivering a globally important product, cork. The increasingly distant, global scale of decision making and trade can consequently be observed on the local, landscape, scale. In this study, we use a value chain approach to test the concept that landscape products can ensure sustainable management of the landscape of origin. We interviewed agents—cork producers, intermediaries, industrial transformers, and winemakers—about the challenges they perceived in the business and how these were connected to the landscape of origin. We illustrate the network of agents and sub-actors involved in the sector and highlight the most prominent concerns. We conclude that this approach can reveal the major points for determining the future of the montado, and we suggest that collaboration amongst value chain agents can be a pathway to landscape sustainability.
Closing Research Investment Gaps for a Global Food Transformation
Authors: Bollington Alex , DeLonge Marcia , Mungra Dhara , Hayek Matthew , Saifuddin Mustafa , McDermid Sonali Shukla
Published: December 2021

Recent calls for a global food transformation have centered on simultaneously improving human and environmental health, recognizing that food and nutrient diversity have declined over time while food systems have exacted a heavy climate and ecological toll. Grain legumes and coarse grain crops provide important human nutrition and environmental benefits, but the production and consumption of many of these crops remains relatively low compared to major commodities, such as maize, wheat, rice, and soy. Outstanding hurdles to scaling up these “minor commodity” crops include (among other things) their relatively lower yields, and lower farmer adoption, based partly on actual or perceived profitability and marketability. We hypothesize that these limitations are attributable in part to unequal funding for these crops' research and development (R&D) both on a national and global scale. In the United States, we show that investment patterns for a snapshot of USDA-funded research grants from 2008 to 2019 consistently favor major commodity crops, which received 3 to 4.5 times more funding and 3 to 5 times as many grants than the minor commodity crop groups. This current USDA funding allocation poses a barrier to food system transformations. Achieving nutritious diets for planetary health requires more public agricultural investment toward minor commodity crops and increased collaboration between public health, nutrition, agriculture, and environmental sectors.
Giant, Bleeding, and Ulcerating Proliferating Trichilemmal Cyst, With Delayed Treatment Due to Coronavirus Outbreak: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kiel Cecilie Mullerup , Homøe Preben
Published: December 2021

We report a case of a large, ulcerating proliferating trichilemmal cyst in a 63-year-old woman, with clinical, radiological, macroscopic, and microscopic correlation. The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic delayed her treatment. We review the literature on proliferating trichilemmal cysts, which are relatively rare tumors, which generally are considered benign. However, we found a high rate of malign cases, which stresses the importance of rapid surgical excision and histological diagnosis. Even though our proband had delayed treatment, the tumor did not transform to a malignant form.
Pharmacologically Induced Ex Copula Ejaculation in Horses and Donkeys
Authors: Khanam Afroza , Swelum Ayman A. , Khan Firdous A.
Published: December 2021

Pharmacologically induced ex copula ejaculation is a method used for collection of semen when the traditional methods of semen collection are not feasible. Common indications for this method include health issues that either preclude the physical act of mating or result in impaired erection and ejaculation. The method also offers an alternative when there is a lack of equipment and facilities required for semen collection using the conventional artificial vagina method. A variety of pharmacological protocols for ex copula ejaculation in stallions have been evaluated in both research and clinical settings with no serious side-effects reported. In general, these protocols included tricyclic antidepressants, alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists, and smooth muscle stimulators, either individually or in combination. Although there is a lot of variation in the ejaculatory rates among studies, a combination of imipramine and xylazine appears to be an effective option for inducing ejaculation in stallions. In cases where this protocol is not successful, collections should be reattempted using a combination of imipramine, detomidine, and oxytocin. Regardless of the protocol used, a quiet environment with minimal disturbance is associated with a better outcome. In contrast to the body of literature available on pharmacologically induced ex copula ejaculation in horses, only a few studies have been published so far on this topic in donkeys. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether pharmacologically induced ex copula ejaculation is an effective method of semen collection in jacks and to compare different pharmacological protocols for inducing ejaculation in jacks.
Development of Real-Time PCR Based on A137R Gene for the Detection of African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Yin Dan , Geng Renhao , Lv Hui , Bao Chunhui , Shao Hongxia , Ye Jianqiang , Qian Kun , Qin Aijian
Published: December 2021

African swine fever virus (ASFV) can infect domestic pigs and wild boars and causes huge economic losses in global swine industry. Therefore, early diagnosis of ASFV is important for the control and eradication of African swine fever (ASF). In this study, a SYBR Green-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the viral encoded A137R gene was established for the detection of ASFV infection. For the evaluation of the established real-time PCR, 34 clinical samples were assessed by both the A137R gene-based real-time PCR and OIE-recommended TaqMan PCR. The results showed that 85.29% (29/34) were detected by A137R gene-based real-time PCR, but only 79.41% (27/34) positive using OIE-recommended TaqMan PCR. Moreover, no cross-reaction with other common swine pathogens was found in the A137R gene-based real-time PCR. These results demonstrated that the established real-time PCR assay in this study showed better performance than the OIE-recommended method in detecting ASFV from clinical samples, which could be applied for control and eradication programs of ASF.
Conditioning the position of the President of the Republic of Poland in the country’s system of governance during its 1989–1997 transformation period
Authors: Dziemidok-Olszewska Bożena
Published: December 2021

This article seeks to identify and detail the most important determinants that shaped the position of Poland’s President in the system of governance during the country’s period of transformation extending from 1989 through to 1997. The conditioning presented determined the position of the office of President by reference to four legal instruments, i.e. the new proposal of April 1989, the 1990 Act on universal suffrage in electing the President of the Republic of Poland (Ustawa o powszechnych wyborach prezydenta RP), the so-called “Small Constitution” of 1992, and the (still-binding) 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland. It is claimed here that this conditioning underpinning the establishment of the post of President within Poland’s system of governance, on the basis of these different instruments of law, remained similar (sometimes in fact identical), with the overriding, repeated determinant being the political situation at the given time.
The President of Poland’s immunity in criminal matters
Authors: Mistygacz Michał
Published: December 2021

The issue analysed by the author is that of the institution of Presidential immunity pertaining to the President of the Republic of Poland, and operating in such a way that a sitting President cannot be held criminally liable before a common court for acts tantamount to offences. Inclining towards the essence of this solution and its consequences when it comes to respect for constitutional principles of legalism and equality before the law, the author at the same time seeks to assess the completeness of the provisions in effect in Poland, in so doing identifying a lack of clear directives as to how a former President (i.e. one who has left office) is to be held criminally liable. The conclusion reached by the author can be said to boil down to a recognition that the liability of a former President before Poland’s Tribunal of State for offences or crimes committed is of an accessory nature where common courts are concerned, with the condition underpinning recognition of the Tribunal’s primacy in matters of jurisdiction being the National Assembly’s adoption of a Resolution holding a former President liable constitutionally, and potentially at the same time initiating action in respect of given offences. Any lack of such a National Assembly Resolution must give rise to a particular kind of reactivation – in respect of the former President – of jurisdiction in the dispensing of justice by common courts, given the fact that one of the negative procedural premises has ceased to be non-applicable. Thus, unlike in the case of a President still holding office, the cognition of the Tribunal of State in relation to a former President is neither exclusive nor automatic. Such observations have also stimulated work by the author to develop de lege ferenda postulates regarding the subject matter, as set against the wider background of Poland’s political and constitutional system.
The President – creator or prisoner of his own image? Psychopolitical determinants of the functioning of the Head of State exemplified by the Polish Presidency of Andrzej Duda
Authors: Kasińska-Metryka Agnieszka
Published: December 2021

Political leadership is among the fundamental political-science categories, it remains to be defined clearly as a phenomenon. Nevertheless, as the years have passed, conditions in and around political systems have given rise to leadership models models describable in line with a triad of change from traditional leadership to marketing-oriented leadership and then to neo-leadership. The innovative definition of the latter has then been brought together with considerations of political image, with the resultant category then proving of interest to those researching either the political, or the sociological, or the communicological perspectives. The images of all key players in politics are both created and managed, while leadership that is actually effective or perceived to be so is essential if political power and support are to be built and maintained. The example of Polish President Andrzej Duda is here used in an analysis of the image of Head of State, in the circumstances of the 2015–2020 period overall, as well as the 2020 (re-) election campaign. This is done with a view to answering a general question regarding the extent to which a given politician (and here A. Duda specifically) is the creator or the prisoner of his/her own image. Account is thus taken of the factors shaping the image of this particular President (i.e. advisors and family, the media and the electorate). While the conclusions obtained here are not unequivocal, they do open up new questions relating to the future of leadership in times of crises and the existence of major populist movements. Consideration of these issues is here based mainly on the comparative and historical methods.
Legal Symbolism and Constitutional Policy in Contemporary Reality of Changes
Authors: Manasyan Anahit , Simonyan Taron
Published: December 2021

The article tries to bring to the light the role of symbolism in the organized human life, in general, and the contemporary societies with the accelerating changes almost in all social structures, in particular. The rational of symbolism in changing socio-political and legal environment creates complexity of the issue, which has been studied in the article, taking into account the methodology of complex system theory. The interconnectivity and interdependency of law, morality and politics create the picture of synergy of different social norms with each other in changing environment. Their positive synergy is able to create a perception of the ‘ethical state’ – the focal point of equilibrium expressed in the attractor of future admired development. In the legal perspective, the symbol of that attractor appears to be the constitution as the society’s and the nation’s symbol of coexistence based on the values of mutual past, necessary present and admired future. It is substantiated that the Constitution is the phenomenon, representing a concrete constitutional idea and constitutional identity, and should be the one to be considered as such in a lot of people’s minds if we intend to have a proper constitutional system and values. Hence, the Constitution is not just a document with a highest legal force, but also a symbol of a concrete constitutional system, and from this viewpoint the Basic Law has a symbolic significance. The authors substantiate that the mentioned significance of the Constitution makes it clear that constitutional policy in any state should be established and implemented in a manner, obviously demonstrating an attitude towards the Constitution, in the frames of which it is considered as a symbol of a concrete constitutional system. The most important circumstance in this context is to never transform the Constitution (directly or indirectly) from a symbol to an instrument in the hands of both the people and the state power and the whole constitutional policy of the state should be based on the discussed essential idea. Moreover, according to the authors the Constitution should not be subject to amendment parallel to every change of political situation of the state or formation of a new political majority merely conditioned by the mentioned changes. The Constitution has a fundamental role from the aspect of regulating social relations, has symbolic significance and can’t be used just as a tool for solving ongoing political problems.
Death of Turkish Democracy: The “Turkish-Style” Presidential System
Authors: Cihangiroğlu Ahmet Furkan
Published: December 2021

Turkey has adopted the presidential system over parliamentarism in 2018 with the promise that the new system would bring more stability, democracy, and economic growth. As being the most recent country which changed its government system through a referendum to presidentialism, Turkey constitutes a very important example to be analyzed in order to see the effects of it after a long-adopted parliamentary period in the 21st century. This paper compares the basic features of democracy as well as the democratic presidential systems with the example of Turkey and aims at finding out if the presidentialism has performed well and if not, why, in the light of examples and chosen indicators. Findings of this study suggest that presidential system led to a “consolidation of power” which in its nature is anti-democratic. Analysis of certain indicators show that presidentialism did not perform well in Turkey on democratic, political as well as economic fronts.
Unstimulated Parotid Saliva Is a Better Method for Blood Glucose Prediction
Authors: Cui Yangyang , Zhang Hankun , Zhu Jia , Peng Lu , Duan Zhili , Liu Tian , Zuo Jiasheng , Xing Lu , Liao Zhenhua , Wang Song , Liu Weiqiang
Published: December 2021

Objective: Saliva glucose has been widely used in diagnosing and monitoring diabetes, but the saliva collection method will affect saliva glucose concentration. So, this study aims to identify the ideal saliva collection method. Method: A total amount of six saliva collection methods were employed in 80 healthy participants in the morning. Besides, three unstimulated saliva methods were employed in another 30 healthy participants in the morning; in the meantime the blood glucose of these 30 participants was detected with a Roche blood glucose meter. The glucose oxidase method with 2, 4, 6-tribromo-3-hydroxybenzoic acid (TBHBA) as the chromogen has been improved to be suitable for healthy people, through the selection of the optimal pH value and ionic strength of the reaction system. This method was used for the detection of saliva glucose. Results: The improved method obtained absorbance at the wavelength of 520 nm, and the optimized parameter combination was pH 6.5 and 5 mg/dL NaCl. The lower limit of glucose detection was 0.1 mg/dL. Unstimulated saliva glucose concentration was higher than stimulated saliva glucose concentration. Unstimulated parotid saliva glucose concentration was the highest. Besides, unstimulated saliva glucose has a better normal distribution effect. Meantime, it was found that unstimulated parotid saliva was the most highly correlated with blood glucose (R2 = 0.707). Conclusions: the saliva collection method was an important factor that affected saliva glucose concentration. Unstimulated parotid saliva was the most highly correlated with blood glucose, which provided a reference for prediction of diabetes mellitus.
Characterization of Hermetically Sealed Metallic Feedthroughs through Injection-Molded Epoxy-Molding Compounds
Authors: Haybat Mehmet , Guenther Thomas , Kulkarni Romit , Sahakalkan Serhat , Grözinger Tobias , Rothermel Thilo , Weser Sascha , Zimmermann André
Published: December 2021

Electronic devices and their associated sensors are exposed to increasing mechanical, thermal and chemical stress in modern applications. In many areas of application, the electronics are completely encapsulated with thermosets in a single process step using injection molding technology, especially with epoxy molding compounds (EMC). The implementation of the connection of complete systems for electrical access through a thermoset encapsulation is of particular importance. In practice, metal pin contacts are used for this purpose, which are encapsulated together with the complete system in a single injection molding process step. However, this procedure contains challenges because the interface between the metallic pins and the plastic represents a weak point for reliability. In order to investigate the reliability of the interface, in this study, metallic pin contacts made of copper-nickel-tin alloy (CuNiSn) and bronze (CuSn6) are encapsulated with standard EMC materials. The metal surfaces made of CuNiSn are further coated with silver (Ag) and tin (Sn). An injection molding tool to produce test specimens is designed and manufactured according to the design rules of EMC processing. The reliability of the metal-plastic interfaces are investigated by means of shear and leak tests. The results of the investigations show that the reliability of the metal-plastic joints can be increased by using different material combinations.