bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thickness-dependent stiffness of wood: potential mechanisms and implications
Authors: Guo Fei , Altaner Clemens M. , Jarvis Michael C.
Published: June 2020

When wood is split or cut along the grain, a reduction in tensile stiffness has been observed. The averaged mechanical properties of wood samples, veneers or splinters therefore change when their thickness is less than about 1 mm. The loss of stiffness increases as the thickness approaches that of a single cell. The mechanism of the effect depends on whether the longitudinal fission plane is between or through the cells. Isolated single cells are a model for fission between cells. Each cell within bulk wood is prevented from twisting by attachment to its neighbours. Separation of adjacent cells lifts this restriction on twisting and facilitates elongation as the cellulose microfibrils reorientate towards the stretching direction. In contrast when the wood is cut or split along the centre of the cells, it appears that co-operative action by the S1, S2 and S3 cell-wall layers in resisting tensile stress may be disrupted. Since much of what is known about the nanoscale mechanism of wood deformation comes from experiments on thin samples, caution is needed in applying this knowledge to structural-sized timber. The loss of stiffness at longitudinal fracture faces may augment the remarkable capacity of wood to resist fracture by deflecting cracks into the axial plane. These observations also point to mechanisms for enhancing toughness that are unique to wood and have biomimetic potential for the design of composite materials.
Geschichtlichkeit des Rechts – Recht in der Geschichte. Zum Werk Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenfördes (1930–2019)
Authors: Gosewinkel Dieter
Published: June 2020

Welche Bedeutung haben die Rechts- und Geschichtswissenschaft füreinander? Diese Frage stellte sich Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde, der Staatsrechtler und Historiker, in seinem juristischen, verfassungshistorischen und rechtsphilosophischen Werk. Böckenförde zielte darauf, zwei Disziplinen, die in der institutionellen Auffächerung seit dem 19. Jahrhundert auseinandergestrebt waren, in einem gemeinsamen Interesse an der Erklärung von Zusammenhängen in der „Geschichte politisch-sozialer Entwicklungen“ zusammenzuführen. Er fügte dabei methodische Perspektiven und theoretische Ansätze zusammen, die viele Historiker trennten: die politische Geschichte und die Sozialgeschichte, die Geschichte des Rechts und die der Gesellschaft. Für ihn waren dies durch ein übergreifendes Erkenntnisinteresse an „Strukturen“ und „Ordnungsproblemen“ miteinander zu verbindende Gegenstandsbereiche. In Anlehnung an Otto Brunner stellte Böckenförde Juristen und Historikern die gemeinsame Aufgabe, die „politisch-soziale Bauform einer Zeit“ zu begreifen. Diesen Anspruch löste er durch einen seiner Zeit vorausweisenden hermeneutisch-wissenschaftsgeschichtlichen Zugang zum Staatsrecht wie zur Verfassungsgeschichte ein sowie in grundlegenden Beiträgen zu den „Geschichtlichen Grundbegriffen“ und zur Geschichte der Rechts- und Staatsphilosophie. Ein wissenschaftliches Vermächtnis des im Februar 2019 verstorbenen Gelehrten liegt in der tiefen Einsicht in die Geschichtlichkeit und damit Zeitgebundenheit aller staatlich-rechtlichen Ordnung: Deshalb müssen Juristen die vermeintliche Überzeitlichkeit ihrer normativen Arbeitsgrundlagen in Frage stellen und Historiker das Recht als zentralen Gegenstand ihrer Wissenschaft begreifen. Ansonsten verstehen sie weder ihre Geschichte noch ihre Gegenwart.
Vom Märtyrer zum leidenden Opfer? Umrisse einer historischen Opferforschung am Beispiel der Salzburger Emigration (1731/32)
Authors: Rudolph Harriet
Published: June 2020

In den populären Diskursen der Gegenwart scheint das Opfer omnipräsent. Auch in der Geschichtswissenschaft rücken Opfernarrative und Opferbilder zunehmend in den Fokus der Forschung, wobei sich die Forschungsansätze und Methoden der Frühneuzeitforschung von jenen der Zeitgeschichte stark unterscheiden. Der Beitrag stellt in einem ersten Abschnitt ein dreistufiges Analysemodell vor, mit dem die Entstehung und die sozialen Funktionen von Opferschaft vergleichend über Epochengrenzen hinweg analysiert werden können. Es ermöglicht zudem eine klare Unterscheidung zwischen beteiligten Akteursgruppen mit eigener agency und eigenen Partizipationschancen sowie zwischen unterschiedlichen Formen der Viktimisierung samt ihren Auswirkungen. Im Gegensatz zum eher statischen Begriff „Opfer“ betont das Konzept der Viktimisierung das Prozesshafte jener Vorgänge, über die ein Opferstatus im Empfinden der Betroffenen selbst, in der Wahrnehmung anderer Akteursgruppen, von Institutionen oder der Öffentlichkeit erst hergestellt wird. Im Anschluss wird das Analysemodell am Beispiel der Salzburger Emigration von 1731/1732 exemplifiziert. Forschungen zur neueren und neuesten Geschichte haben betont, dass die theoretische Konzeption des „Opfers“ als passiv leidender Mensch (victim) eng mit dem Ursprung der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft verbunden gewesen sei und vor allem durch den Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg gesellschaftlich wirkmächtig wurde. Die Fallstudie demonstriert, dass bereits in der Frühen Neuzeit über die Idee des sacrifice hinausweisende Dimensionen des Opfers nachweisbar und dass opferzentrierte Erinnerungskulturen keine Erfindung der Neuzeit sind.
Iranian mothers’ needs for reproductive health education of their adolescent daughters: a qualitative study
Authors: Salehin Shahrbanoo , Simbar Masoumeh , Keshavarz Zohre , Nasiri Malihe
Published: June 2020

Introduction

In order to be effective in discussing high-risk sexual behaviors with adolescents, mothers need to be educated about their adolescent daughters’ sexual issues. As no detailed and exact knowledge on mothers’ educational needs concerning adolescent girls’ reproductive health is available, the current study was intended to investigate mothers’ educational needs concerning their adolescent daughters’ reproductive health.

Materials and methods

This research was a qualitative content analysis. Purposive sampling was performed to the saturation point. The samples included 26 mothers and 14 key informants. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data authenticity was verified based on Lincoln and Guba’s criteria and data analysis was conducted using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA10 software.

Findings

In this study, three themes and 13 main categories, each with a number of subcategories were extracted. The themes and main categories included: “appropriate educational content (reproductive health, sexual health, general health, psychological health, family health, social health and spiritual health)”, “characteristics of the educator (communicative skill, cognitive skill and moral competence)”, and “effective factors in learning (teaching method, learning conditions and environment, and the learner’s readiness)”.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated that mothers need to be informed about sexual, reproductive, general, psychological, family, social and spiritual health in adolescent girls. Consequently, the results can help the healthcare authorities to implement need-based programs and boost the effectiveness of education about adolescent girls’ reproductive health for mothers.
Variations in cricket players’ upper body dynamic balance across different levels of competition
Authors: Singla Deepika , Hussain M. Ejaz
Published: June 2020

Background

Balance ability has been associated with performance and injury prevention in athletes. Previous studies have investigated the differences in lower body dynamic balance abilities among male high school, collegiate and professional soccer players.

Objective

To investigate the differences on the Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test (UQYBT) in school, collegiate and employed cricket players.

Subjects

Dynamic balance data were collected for school (SCH; n = 22), collegiate (COL; n = 19) and employed (EMP; n = 15) cricket players of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India using the UQYBT standardized protocol.

Methods

For the UQYBT, the participant reached with one hand in the medial, superolateral and inferolateral directions while maintaining three points of contact (other hand and both feet). The test was performed for both non-dominant and dominant hands.

Results

The SCH group had the least medial reach distance than the other two groups (p = 0.010). Also, SCH players tended to exhibit a lower composite reach score than the other groups, but this difference was not significant (p > 0.05). No bilateral differences were observed among the three groups in any of the reach directions.

Conclusions

Upper body dynamic balance performance varied with the competition level. This may indicate that athletes’ movement strategies may be different depending on the competition level and that normative values may need to be established for each competition level.
An Application of Wavelet Technique in Numerical Evaluation of Hankel Transforms
Authors: Irfan Nagma , Siddiqi A. H.
Published: June 2020

This paper endeavors to formulate a stable and fast algorithm for the first time that is quite accurate and fast for numerical evaluation of the Hankel transform using wavelets which are usually difficult to solve analytically so it is required to obtain the approximate solution. So we have proposed an approach depending on separating the integrand

r
f
(
r
)

J
ν

(
p
r
)

$rf(r){J_\nu}(pr)$

into two components, the slowly varying components

r
f
(
r
)

$rf(r)$

and the rapidly oscillating component

J
ν

(
p
r
)

${J_\nu}(pr)$

. Then either

r
f
(
r
)

$rf(r)$

is expanded into wavelet series using wavelets orthonormal basis which are first derived and truncating the series at an optimal level or approximating

r
f
(
r
)

$rf(r)$

by a quadratic over the subinterval using the Filon quadrature philosophy. A good covenant between the obtained solution and some well-known results has been obtained. The solutions obtained by proposed wavelet method indicate that the approach is easy to implement and computationally very attractive. The novelty of our method is that we give error analysis for wavelet method for the first time in literature.
A function fitting method
Authors: Dachiraju Rajesh
Published: June 2020

In this article, we describe a function fitting method that has potential applications in machine learning and also prove relevant theorems.
The described function fitting method is a convex minimization problem which can be solved using a gradient descent algorithm.
We also provide qualitative analysis on fitness to data of this function fitting method.
The function fitting problem is also shown to be a solution of a linear, weak partial differential equation (PDE).
We describe a simple numerical solution using a gradient descent algorithm that converges uniformly to the actual solution.
As the functional of the minimization problem is a quadratic form, there also exists a numerical method using linear algebra.
Some Hermite–Hadamard type integral inequalities for convex functions defined on convex bodies in ℝn\mathbb{R}^{n}
Authors: Dragomir Silvestru Sever
Published: June 2020

In this paper, by the use of the divergence theorem, we establish some integral
inequalities of Hermite–Hadamard type for convex functions of several
variables defined on closed and bounded convex bodies in the Euclidean space

ℝ
n

{\mathbb{R}^{n}}

for any

n
≥
2

{n\geq 2}

.
Some sufficient conditions for univalence and close-to-convexity
Authors: Nunokawa Mamoru , Cho Nak Eun , Kwon Oh Sang , Sokół Janusz
Published: June 2020

In the class of analytic functions in the unit disc

|
z
|

<
1

{\lvert z\rvert<1}

we prove some new sufficient conditions for functions to be
univalent or to be close-to-convex in the unit disc. Also we extend
Ozaki’s condition that

ℜ
⁢
𝔢
⁢

{

exp
⁡

(

i
⁢
α

)

⁢

f

(
p
)

⁢

(
z
)

}

>
0

{\mathfrak{Re}\{\exp(i\alpha)f^{(p)}(z)\}>0}

in

|
z
|

<
1

{\lvert z\rvert<1}

implies that

f
⁢

(
z
)

{f(z)}

is
at most p-valent in

|
z
|

<
1

{\lvert z\rvert<1}

.
Energetic Optimization Considering a Generalization of the Ecological Criterion in Traditional Simple-Cycle and Combined-Cycle Power Plants
Authors: Levario-Medina Sergio , Valencia-Ortega Gabriel , Barranco-Jiménez Marco Antonio
Published: June 2020

The fundamental issue in the energetic performance of power plants, working both as traditional fuel engines and as combined-cycle turbines (gas-steam), lies in quantifying the internal irreversibilities which are associated with the working substance operating in cycles. The purpose of several irreversible energy converter models is to find objective thermodynamic functions that determine operation modes for real thermal engines and at the same time study the trade-off between energy losses per cycle and the useful energy. As those objective functions, we focus our attention on a generalization of the so-called ecological function in terms of an ϵ parameter that depends on the particular heat transfer law used in the irreversible heat engine model. In this work, we mathematically describe the configuration space of an irreversible Curzon–Ahlborn type model. The above allows to determine the optimal relations between the model parameters so that a power plant operates in physically accessible regions, taking into account internal irreversibilities, introduced in two different ways (additively and multiplicatively). In addition, we establish the conditions that the ϵ parameter must fulfill for the energy converter to work in an optimal region between maximum power output and maximum efficiency points.
On historical language contact in English and its types: state of the art and new directions
Authors: Lavidas Nikolaos , Bergs Alexander
Published: June 2020

This article presents the state of the art of current research on the different types of language contact in early English. The article’s main aim is to show what kinds of phenomena have been investigated until now as possible areas of transfer/borrowing from other languages. We examine the main contact scenarios in Old and Middle English, which involve Latin, Celtic, French and Old Norse. We locate unanswered questions and underexamined hypotheses of historical language contact. We argue that the articles of the Special Collection on Language Contact in the History of English open new directions in the way we can investigate the role of early language contact in the development of English. New methodologies of research, the role of bilingualism in language change but also of the written types of contact, and the various domains of change in grammar, lexicon, and pragmatics offer insights into old and new hypotheses on scenarios of language contact.
First record of albino lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris Linnaeus 1758) in an important Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot
Authors: Landis Mariana Bueno , Candisani Luciano , Munhoes Leticia Prado , Gebin João Carlos Zecchini , Rezende Frineia , Flores de Jesus Miguel Martins , Medici Emília Patrícia , Ferraz Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros
Published: June 2020

Albinism is the absence of pigmentation or coloration and is rarely found in nature. In this study we examined photos and videos obtained by cameras traps in the Legado das Águas Reserve. In the images, we identified two albino lowland tapirs. The results highlight the necessity of understanding the genetic diversity of lowland tapir populations and the important role of the professional photography associated with scientific research.
Cauchy matrix and Liouville formula of quaternion impulsive dynamic equations on time scales
Authors: Li Zhien , Wang Chao
Published: June 2020

In this study, we obtain the scalar and matrix exponential functions through a series of quaternion-valued functions on time scales. A sufficient and necessary condition is established to guarantee that the induced matrix is real-valued for the complex adjoint matrix of a quaternion matrix. Moreover, the Cauchy matrices and Liouville formulas for the quaternion homogeneous and nonhomogeneous impulsive dynamic equations are given and proved. Based on it, the existence, uniqueness, and expressions of their solutions are also obtained, including their scalar and matrix forms. Since the quaternion algebra is noncommutative, many concepts and properties of the non-quaternion impulsive dynamic equations are ineffective, we provide several examples and counterexamples on various time scales to illustrate the effectiveness of our results.
Preparation and crystal structure of a non-symmetrical vanadium(II) dimer: tri-μ2-bromido-(hydrogen-tris(3-isopropyl-4-bromopyrazol-1-yl)borato-κ3
N,N′,N′′)-tris(tetrahydrofuran-κO)divanadium(II) – tetrahydrofuran (1/1), C34H57BBr6N6O4V2
Authors: Bonitatibus Peter J. , Armstrong William H. , Reiss Guido J.
Published: June 2020

C34H57BBr6N6O4V2, orthorhombic, Pna21 (no. 33), a = 17.198(2) Å, b = 12.9497(11) Å, c = 20.496(2) Å, V = 4564.8(9) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0441, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1093, T = 183(2) K.
If You Can Understand This Essay, Then You Have Moral Rights and Moral Duties
Authors: White Alan
Published: June 2020

Alan Gewirth’s work on moral and political philosophy attracted a great deal of attention between 1978 and 2000, but has received very little attention since then. This essay aims to revive interest in Gewirth’s work by providing a more direct and straightforward version of his core argument for objective moral rights and duties and clarifying how a Gewirthian moral and political theory can proceed beyond the conclusion of the core argument.
Decreased MiR-30a promotes TGF-β1-mediated arachnoid fibrosis in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus
Authors: Zhan Chaohong , Xiao Gelei , Zhang Xiangyang , Chen Xiaoyu , Zhang Zhiping , Liu Jingping
Published: June 2020

Background

Fibrosis in the ventricular system is closely associated with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH). It is characterized by an expansion of the cerebral ventricles due to CSF accumulation following intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) may be involved in thrombin-induced arachnoid fibrosis.

Methods

A rat model of PHH was established by injection of autologous non-anticoagulated blood from the right femoral artery into the lateral ventricles. Differential expression of miR-30a was detected in rat arachnoid cells by RNA sequencing. AP-1, c-Fos, and TRAF3IP2 were knocked down in primary arachnoid cells, and the degree of arachnoid fibrosis was assessed.

Results

Decreased expression of miR-30a and increased expression of TRAF3IP2, TGF-β1, and α-SMA were detected in the arachnoid cells of PHH rat. Besides, overexpression of miR-30a targets TRAF3IP2 mRNA 3′UTR and inhibits the expression of TRAF3IP2, TGF-β1, and α-SMA in the primary arachnoid cells. Furthermore, TRAF3IP2 activates AP-1 to promote arachnoid fibrosis. The content of type I collagen in the primary arachnoid cells was reduced after the silencing of AP-1 and TRAF3IP2.

Conclusions

This study identified a miR-30a-regulated mechanism of arachnoid fibrosis, suggesting a previously unrecognized contribution of miR-30a to the pathogenesis of fibrosis in the ventricular system. These results might provide a new target for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PHH.
Efficacy of Novavit in ameliorating the neurotoxicity of propionic acid
Authors: Bukhari Sarah I. , Alfawaz Hanan , Al-Dbass Abeer , Bhat Ramesa Shafi , Moubayed Nadine MS , Bukhari Wadha , Hassan Sohair A. , Merghani Nada , Elsamaligy Samar , El-Ansary Afaf
Published: June 2020

Oxidative stress, abnormal fatty acid metabolism, and impaired gut microbiota play a serious role in the pathology of autism. The use of dietary supplements to improve the core symptoms of autism is a common therapeutic strategy. The present study analyzed the effects of oral supplementation with Novavit, a multi-ingredient supplement, on ameliorating oxidative stress and impaired lipid metabolism in a propionic acid (PPA)-induced rodent model of autism. Male western albino rats were divided into three groups. The first group is the control, the second group was given an oral neurotoxic dose of PPA (250 mg/kg body weight/day) for 3 days and then received buffered saline until the end of the experiment. The third group received Novavit (70 mg/kg body weight/day for 30 days after the 3-day PPA treatment). Markers of oxidative stress and impaired fatty acid metabolism were measured in brain homogenates obtained from each group. Novavit modulation of the gut microbiota was also evaluated. While PPA induced significant increases in lipid peroxides and 5-lipoxygenase, together with significantly decreased glutathione, and cyclooxygenase 2, oral supplementation with Novavit ameliorated PPA-induced oxidative stress and impaired fatty acid metabolism. Our results showed that the presence of multivitamins, coenzyme Q10, minerals, and colostrum, the major components of Novavit, protects against PPA-induced neurotoxicity.
A southern German use of prefield-eses: Evidence from the corpus and an experimental study
Authors: Fricke Lea
Published: June 2020

There is a use of the German third person neuter pronounesesin the prefield, known as prefield-eses, which is characterized by being neither referential, nor an argument of the verb. According to Speyer’s (2008, 2009) optimality theoretic prefield ranking, this should only occur if a sentence contains no alternative element eligible to be moved to the prefield. This paper investigates a so far unnoticed use ofesesin the prefield in combination with a demonstrative pronoundiesand a copula verbist, which will be referred to asEs ist dies-sentence. This construction is an instance of prefield-eses, but contravenes the expectations about the use of prefield-esespostulated by Speyer, sinceEs ist dies-sentences do contain a suitable candidate to fill the prefield, the demonstrative pronoundies. In a corpus study,Es ist dies-sentences are compared to a sample ofDies ist-sentences. According to the corpus data,Es ist diesoccurs predominantly in southern dialects. Significant differences between the two samples concern 1) the distance to the antecedent ofdiesand 2) the type of content of the sentence. An online rating study, that compared acceptability judgments ofEs ist dies-sentences between speakers from different regions, confirmed thatEs ist dies-sentences are a phenomenon of southern dialects. In the light of these results, a modification of Speyer’s (2008, 2009) Stochastic OT model is proposed.
Partial Range of Motion Resistance Training: A Feasible Bodybuilding Training Regiment for Local or Regional Muscle Hypertrophy?
Authors: Newmire Daniel E. , Willoughby Darryn S.
Published: June 2020

Bodybuilding is defined as an active lifestyle and competitive interest in body aesthetics and muscularity acquired through resistance training. The overall goal in these cosmetically assessed competitions is to display the human physique in a muscularly proportionate and symmetrical manner. Bodybuilding training falls within the hypertrophic oriented goals and recommendations. However, a resistance training modality known as optimal muscle length-specificity training or partial range of motion (pROM) has been recently investigated and has shown some similar hypertrophic outcomes compared to the standard full range of motion (fROM) resistance training. Additionally, there is some work suggesting pROM may have some benefit in local or regional muscular hypertrophy, which may benefit bodybuilding competitors allowing a muscle group focused stimulus. This may be beneficial for competitors who desire to give more attention to underdeveloped muscle groups to create better proportion and symmetry. There are positive yet not definitive results from investigations of pROM on hypertrophy. More research is needed to assess the validity of this mode of training within this population. Bodybuilding is a competition that judges a physique based on proportionate and symmetrical muscularity. The resistance training modality pROM may have benefits for this population.
Transnationalism as Scientific Identity
Authors: Tavares Heráclio D. , Bagdonas Alexandre , Videira Antonio A. P.
Published: June 2020

This analysis of the scientific and academic career of the Russian-Italian physicist Gleb Wataghin, founder of the physics course at the University of São Paulo, in the richest state of Brazil, in 1934, brings to light elements present in the formation of a scientific identity, which we characterize here as transnational. The methodological recourse to transnationalism is a cornerstone of our analysis, insofar as it was itself an integral part of Wataghin’s career, considering that he made foreign travel a systematic part of his approach and placed it at the disposal of his Brazilian students. Thanks to his training as a physicist and his membership in the international scientific community in the 1920s and ’30s, Wataghin brought to Brazil not just the latest topics on the physics agenda in the Northern Hemisphere, but also contacts that later enabled his students to spend time at institutions and laboratories run by renowned physicists. The scientific values and practices Wataghin transported to Brazil are discussed, as is the way he combined them with the values held dear by the São Paulo elite, responsible for planning and funding the university, who saw modern science as a symbol of erudition and a means by which to win back their political influence in Brazil, which they had lost in 1930 with the rise to power of a centralizing federal government.
90 YEARS OF PROGESTERONE: Molecular mechanisms of progesterone receptor action on the breast cancer genome
Authors: Beato Miguel , Wright Roni H G , Dily François Le
Published: June 2020

Gene regulation by steroid hormones has been at the forefront in elucidating the intricacies of transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes ever since the discovery by Karlson and Clever that the insect steroid hormone ecdysone induces chromatin puffs in giant chromosomes. After the successful cloning of the hormone receptors toward the end of the past century, detailed mechanistic insight emerged in some model systems, in particular the MMTV provirus. With the arrival of next generation DNA sequencing and the omics techniques, we have gained even further insight into the global cellular response to steroid hormones that in the past decades also extended to the function of the 3D genome topology. More recently, advances in high resolution microcopy, single cell genomics and the new vision of liquid-liquid phase transitions in the context of nuclear space bring us closer than ever to unravelling the logic of gene regulation and its complex integration of global cellular signaling networks. Using the function of progesterone and its cellular receptor in breast cancer cells, we will briefly summarize the history and describe the present extent of our knowledge on how regulatory proteins deal with the chromatin structure to gain access to DNA sequences and interpret the genomic instructions that enable cells to respond selectively to external signals by reshaping their gene regulatory networks.
Potential positive and negative consequences of ZnT8 inhibition
Authors: Syring Kristen E , Bosma Karin J , Goleva Slavina B , Singh Kritika , Oeser James K , Lopez Christopher A , Skaar Eric P , McGuinness Owen P , Davis Lea K , Powell David R , O’Brien Richard M
Published: June 2020

SLC30A8 encodes the zinc transporter ZnT8. SLC30A8 haploinsufficiency protects against type 2 diabetes (T2D), suggesting that ZnT8 inhibitors may prevent T2D. We show here that, while adult chow fed Slc30a8 haploinsufficient and knockout (KO) mice have normal glucose tolerance, they are protected against diet-induced obesity (DIO), resulting in improved glucose tolerance. We hypothesize that this protection against DIO may represent one mechanism whereby SLC30A8 haploinsufficiency protects against T2D in humans and that, while SLC30A8 is predominantly expressed in pancreatic islet beta cells, this may involve a role for ZnT8 in extra-pancreatic tissues. Consistent with this latter concept we show in humans, using electronic health record-derived phenotype analyses, that the ‘C’ allele of the non-synonymous rs13266634 SNP, which confers a gain of ZnT8 function, is associated not only with increased T2D risk and blood glucose, but also with increased risk for hemolytic anemia and decreased mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). In Slc30a8 KO mice, MCH was unchanged but reticulocytes, platelets and lymphocytes were elevated. Both young and adult Slc30a8 KO mice exhibit a delayed rise in insulin after glucose injection, but only the former exhibit increased basal insulin clearance and impaired glucose tolerance. Young Slc30a8 KO mice also exhibit elevated pancreatic G6pc2 gene expression, potentially mediated by decreased islet zinc levels. These data indicate that the absence of ZnT8 results in a transient impairment in some aspects of metabolism during development. These observations in humans and mice suggest the potential for negative effects associated with T2D prevention using ZnT8 inhibitors.
The soluble sperm factor that activates the egg: PLCzeta and beyond
Authors: Swann Karl
Published: June 2020

PLCzeta(ζ) initiates Ca2+ oscillations and egg activation at fertilization in mammals, but studies in mouse eggs fertilized by PLCζ knockout (KO) sperm imply that there is another slow acting factor causing Ca2+ release. Here, I propose a hypothesis for how this second sperm factor might cause Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs.
Before Watson and Crick in 1953 Came Friedrich Miescher in 1869
Authors: Lamm Ehud , Harman Oren , Veigl Sophie Juliane
Published: June 2020

The story of genetics typically omits the original discovery of the molecular nature of DNA: Friedrich Miescher's 1869 discovery of the substance he christened “nuclein”. The article explains how he came...

In 1869, the young Swiss biochemist Friedrich Miescher discovered the molecule we now refer to as DNA, developing techniques for its extraction. In this paper we explain why his name is all but forgotten, and his role in the history of genetics is mostly overlooked. We focus on the role of national rivalries and disciplinary turf wars in shaping historical memory, and on how the story we tell shapes our understanding of the science. We highlight that Miescher could just as correctly be portrayed as the person who understood the chemical nature of chromatin (before the term existed), and the first to suggest how stereochemistry might serve as the basis for the transmission of hereditary variation.
Multi-trait Genomic Selection Methods for Crop Improvement
Authors: Moeinizade Saba , Kusmec Aaron , Hu Guiping , Wang Lizhi , Schnable Patrick S
Published: June 2020

Plant breeders make selection decisions based on multiple traits, such as yield, plant height, flowering time, and disease resistance. A commonly used approach in multi-trait genomic selection is index selection, which assigns weights to different traits relative to their economic importance. However, classical index selection only optimizes genetic gain in the next generation, requires some experimentation to find weights that lead to desired outcomes, and has difficulty optimizing nonlinear breeding objectives. Multi-objective optimization has also been used to identify the Pareto frontier of selection decisions, which represents different trade-offs across multiple traits. We propose a new approach, which maximizes certain traits while keeping others within desirable ranges. Optimal selection decisions are made using a new version of the look-ahead selection (LAS) algorithm, which was recently proposed for single-trait genomic selection, and achieved superior performance with respect to other state-of-the-art selection methods. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method, a case study is developed using a realistic data set where our method is compared with conventional index selection. Results suggest that the multi-trait LAS is more effective at balancing multiple traits compared with index selection.
Chinese Cross-Border Acquisition Strategies in Japan – Changing from a Resource-Driven to a Market-Driven Approach
Authors: Chen Fei , Ahmed Kashif , Bebenroth Ralf
Published: June 2020

The aim of this research is the investigation of strategic behavior of Chinese investors in Japan when making cross-border acquisitions in recent times. While previous literature on acquisitions tended to show that Chinese acquirers were merely resource-driven, i.e. their main purpose was to acquire products, brands, and knowledge to be transferred back to the (Chinese) home market, our study suggests that the behavior of many Chinese firms has changed lately. In a pivotal study with 39 Chinese bidders taking over Japanese targets, we find that their strategy has become increasingly market-driven instead. As far as industry-wise acquisitions are concerned, Chinese firms are taking over Japanese hotels and recreation facilities in recent years for the purpose of providing services to Chinese tourists.
Impact of Organizational Characteristics, CEO Education, and Firm Ownership on the Adoption and Effectiveness of High Performance Work System in Vietnam
Authors: Phuong Tran Huy
Published: June 2020

In spite of tremendous research on the relationship between HPWS and firm performance, a paucity of them has examined the antecedent of HPWS. Data were collected from CEOs and HRM managers from 311 firms including state-owned, private and foreign invested enterprises. Multiple regression analysis suggests that (1) firm characteristics (firm capital, firm age) and CEO’s education were positively associated with the adoption of Ability-Motivation-Opportunity bundles of HPWS, (2) HPWS were positively associated with firm performance, and (3) ownership style moderates the relationship between HPWS and firm performance in different manners. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Value Chain and Economic Development: the Case of the Colombian Coffee Industry
Authors: Parente-Laverde Ana-Maria
Published: June 2020

Dependency on natural resources has made economies unstable because of the fluctuation of commodity prices. However, coffee production has not had this effect on the Colombian economy owing to the process of upgrading the value chain, with the Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers taking the lead. Using a case study methodology, the present article aims to analyse how the process of upgrading the value chain in the Colombian coffee industry has contributed to the economic development of the country, represented as an improvement of the country’s infrastructure and living conditions, economic growth, industrialisation level and education access perspectives.
Review of G. Ilčiukienė’s Monograph “Muzikos poveikis mokant anglų kalbos pradiniame etape”
Authors: Gledhill John R. M.
Published: June 2020

Dr Ilčiukienė’s monograph argues convincingly for placing music at centre of L2 language curriculum in the Lithuanian primary school in face of the fact that music has up to the present time been treated as an ancillary classroom activity in the L2 primary classroom in Lithuania. (This is also the case in most European L2 primary curricula such as in Britain and Germany where the musical activities are usually confined to the status of an optional extra and, at most, are regarded as an effective form of consolidation of material covered in any particular language input unit in a course book.) Ilčiukienė’s argumentation demonstrates not only that music motivates learners by providing a more relaxing and enjoyable classroom atmosphere (positive affect) and that the prosodic features music can provide an excellent basis for acquiring English intonation but also that music can even facilitate the acquisition of syntax, idiom and lexis. For these reasons alone, music should acquire a new status in L2 primary courses.
Conflicting notions of language in metalinguistic discourses in Lithuania, Norway and Serbia
Authors: Vukotić Vuk
Published: June 2020

The article analyses the notions of language and their elements in metalinguistic comments taken from comment sections in online news portals from Lithuania, Norway and Serbia. The aim is to find and categorize different types of language notions. The goals were to analyse the elements of the notions of language and categorize them according to the metaphors found in the discourse. The empirical data was taken from comments under three news (three for each country), approximately 1640 comments were collected and the ones that contained metaphorical representations of language were analysed, 257 in total. The results show eight different notions of language, which are called: prescriptivist / authoritarian, instrumentalist, ethnolinguistic, communicative, essentialist, „personal identity“, elitist and constructivist. The last three notions are specific for only one of the environments and are discussed in greater detail. From the users’ perspective, the difference between the notions is based on several elements, most importantly: the place of language in society (what is the relationship to standard and non-standard varieties) perception of change and function and functionality of language. The results also show that notions of ‘pure language’ are connected not only to the ethnolinguistic notion of language (language as a part of the identity, change is understood as decay), but also with other varieties of language are connected with different (even opposing) ideals and practical concerns (language as a neutral tool of communication, as a separate organism, substance etc.), and, finally, those notions of language, where the differentiation between the varieties of language is not important, is only connected with the communicative function (communicative notion of language – language is communication). Speaking about language ideologies in general, results show that there are of language in which standard language ideology (according to Milroy 2001) is negatively valued.
On the definition of genre
Authors: Kalinauskaitė Danguolė
Published: June 2020

Text genres fall within the scope of interest of text linguistics. However, genre studies are not limited to this branch of linguistics, because the methods appropriated for this kind of studies vary to a large extent. An in-depth linguistic study of texts and their language inevitably goes beyond the limits of a few branches of linguistics: it combines the theory of semantics, pragmatics and text linguistics, including their methods. Moreover, corpus linguistics seems to be of specific importance in this kind of studies, including both the diachronic and synchronic aspects of study.Some researchers treat text genre linguistics as a separate branch of linguistics (see Heinemann 2000, Gansel 2011).The present paper suggests that the understanding of genre should not be limited to a certain set of textual conventions; it could be treated as a meaningful communicative action. In this context, genre recognition by informants seems to be of paramount importance. This approach to the genre, including the invocation of genre recognition, is fundamental in arguing that any texts, even short ones, could be analyzed as independent and produced under certain genre rules identified in the texts. The author of this paper adheres to the view that text units meaningful in communication and functioning without reference to other texts should be regarded as independent texts. Texts meaningful in communication refer to those conveying information, emotions, attitudes, etc., i. e. the addressers of such texts communicate with their addressees, and the latter perceive and recognise such texts as an expression of certain communicative situations.This paper discusses headlines in the news portals as one of the objects of independent text studies to substantiate the theoretical foundation introduced in the paper. It also presents the results of a pilot survey carried out to identify how internet users perceive headlines in the news portals. The results of the survey suggest that headlines in the news portals could be perceived as texts with a communicative purpose and the means to achieve it. Therefore headlines could be treated as characterized by certain attributes that help identify them as specific texts.
Talking dialect to parents and the attitude towards dialects in Žemaitija towns (quantitative analysis)
Authors: Kliukienė Regina
Published: June 2020

Currently more and more research is devoted to the analysis of the linguistic situation of Lithuanian towns and villages (cf. Ramonienė et al. 2010). The issues of the choice of linguistic varieties and analysis of the trends of using dialects in private and public life as well as relationship between dialectal speech and standard language deserve special attention (Ramonienė et al. 2010; Ramonienė 2006; Aliūkaitė 2007; 2011; Kalėdienė 2009). This paper makes use of the material and the quantitative data from the project The sociolinguistic map of Lithuania: towns and villages implemented by Vilnius University, the Lithuanian Language Institute and Vytautas Magnus University in 2010-2012 as well as of the maps drawn by Viktorija Baranauskienė on the basis of the same data (2013).A more detailed analysis of dialects used by children in communication with their parents in the towns of Žemaitija region (cf. the map The use of dialects in communication with parents among the respondents and regional distribution of dialects) is given and the features of a dialect used in Klaipėda, the largest town of Žemaitija, and smaller towns as well as the opinions of the residents of Žemaitija about the most usual, most valuable and most intelligible dialect and promotion of the use of dialects among young people are discussed separately. The quantitative data is presented in graphs and maps.According to the quantitative data, the use of heterogeneous, or ‘mixed’, and homogenous, or ‘pure’, dialects of the towns of Žemaitija region in communication with parents is as follows: the Žemaitian dialect prevails in many ‘pure’ towns of Žemaitija such as Plungė, Rietavas, Telšiai, Gargždai, Šilalė, Skuodas. The residents of these towns are also more favourably disposed towards the Žemaitian dialect—the majority would encourage young people to learn and speak the dialect; however, a smaller percentage think that the Žemaitian dialect is the most beautiful. In the ‘mixed’ towns of Žemaitija region (where both the Aukštaitian dialect and the Žemaitian dialect are used) Šiauliai, Kuršėnai and Šilutė only 1–5 per cent use the Žemaitian dialect in communication with parents, but there the Žemaitian dialect is considered the most usual and the most beautiful.
Productivity patterns of derivational and inflectional adaptation of new borrowings
Authors: Vaicekauskienė Loreta , Dabašinskienė Ineta , Kamandulytė-Merfeldienė Laura
Published: June 2020

The paper analyses affixation of new borrowings in Lithuanian and the process of their integration into the system of Lithuanian morphological paradigms applying the framework of Natural Morphology. Two word classes, nouns and adjectives, have been analysed and productivity patterns of the new lexicon are presented and discussed. To the group of new borrowings are assigned those items that have been accepted into Lithuanian since 1990 or those that have not been included into the “Dictionary of International Words” (1985). The corpus of data used for the present analysis is compiled from the material found in the Database of New Borrowings, which provides information about borrowing into Lithuanian in written public texts of the last two decades, and the Corpus of Spoken Lithuanian (2006–2009).It has been found that the new borrowings follow the inflectional and derivational rules of the most productive morphological paradigms of Lithuanian. The most productive inflectional class of the borrowed nouns is -as, less productive is -is (-io), and the least productive is -a. As for the suffixes, the most productive are -imas (signalling abstract nouns), -ininkas (naming of persons), and the feminine derivational form -inė (from the masculine form –inis) for naming of instrument/ location.The newly borrowed adjectives, as a rule, are only rarely integrated into Lithuanian vocabulary by just adding the Lithuanian inflectional endings, they are mainly integrated using a suffix. In the adjective group the most productive suffix is -inis, while the least productive is -iškas.The research of new borrowings as either inflectional or derivational. This is due to the fact that the derivational relationship between the base and the derived forms in the case of new borrowing is difficult to identify and to prove.
What are Borrowings in Advertising for? Lexical Borrowings in Advertising
Authors: Nevinskaitė Laima
Published: June 2020

The aim of the article is to analyse reasons of using new lexical borrowings in advertising, taking into account features of advertising as a genre. The empirical basis of the analysis consists of advertisements including borrowings that were collected in the Database of the New Borrowings. The article offers a qualitative analysis of borrowings in advertising.The theoretical basis of the article is a generalised classification of reasons for lexical borrowing, which includes designative, semantic, stylistic and sociopsychological reasons. Further a more detailed explanation is given by presenting the results of research on multilingual advertising: borrowings are used to fill in a semantic gap; because of creative motives in search for more interesting ways of expression; they help to associate the product with a particular cultural stereotype; or they can help to express the identity of a particular social group. From the viewpoint of advertisers, borrowings help to attract attention to the advertisement or product, to demonstrate its advantages by a symbolic value of other languages, to address a particular audience or to play with language for an emotional effect.The analysis of the Lithuanian data revealed a trend of the majority of borrowings used in advertisements for designative and semantic reasons, in order to name a new object. The origin languages of the borrowings vary; they include English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese. Some borrowings are used next to their equivalent of Lithuanian origin for metalinguistic reasons. In the group of stylistic reasons, English borrowings are used for creating allusions, language play, and in order to attract the attention of the audience. In the group of sociopsychological reasons, borrowings from English are most prominent; they mostly serve to emphasize the exceptional value of the product. They might also be used as euphemisms. For symbolic reasons, borrowings from French and Italian are also used. English borrowings that are a part of youth slang are used in advertisements to create a youthful identity of the product and to address young consumers.The analysis of spelling of borrowings (original vs. adapted) might also be explained by their functions in the text: original spelling helps to emphasize the authenticity of the designated object, increases the symbolic value of the borrowing. In contrast, the adapted spelling of marked borrowings in the advertisements addressed to young people emphasizes their slang origin.In summary, the analysis of the Lithuanian advertisements confirmed most of the reasons for borrowing found in previous studies on multilingual advertising. The paper concludes that borrowings do not only serve a supplementary role when they are needed to fill a lexical gap, but are also intentionally used as a stylistic, symbolic, identity construction tool in order to enhance the effectiveness of advertisements.