bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Turnover intention: management behaviors to help retain talented employees
Authors: Lyons Paul , Bandura Randall
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this viewpoint is to examine employee turnover intention to include how it manifests itself, aspects of the work environment or perceptions that tend to drive the behavior, and the turnover intentions that management has difficulty thwarting. We offer some suggestions for managers and supervisors to use to influence talented employees to remain on the job.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was to review relevant empirical research and opinion articles for the period 2005 to the present that addressed the topic of turnover intention and to summarize findings that had particular relevance for practicing managers and supervisors.

Findings

Findings made clear that sound, proven management practices could have a substantial influence on retaining quality employees. The focal areas are: engaged employees who typically are high performers and who possess job satisfaction, and universal psychological needs. Proactively attending (for example: providing timely, frequent, feedback on performance) per these two domains can assist managers to retain employees.

Practical implications

There are many initiatives a manager or supervisor may take to assist employees to want to remain with an organization. Many of these initiatives have little to do with major policy issues, compensation, or other financial matters. Often, poor management practices are the drivers of turnover intention.

Originality/value

The value of this article is that it provides a practical view of the dynamics or turnover intention. And, grounded on empirical study of the concept, we provide some avenues for management to attend to in order to assist employees find satisfying work arrangements.
Retail store community and its impact on store success
Authors: Peters Cara , Bodkin Charles D.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential outcomes of consumers' intention to engage retail store community. The research question focused on: what impact will intention to engage retail store community have on store satisfaction, store commitment, shopping enjoyment and store employee trust?

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from a national panel of 232 adult consumers in the USA. The theoretical model and hypotheses were tested using path analysis in AMOS.

Findings

The model was supported. Intention to engage retail store community had a significant impact on store employee trust, shopping enjoyment, store satisfaction and store commitment. In addition, store employee trust and store satisfaction had a significant impact on store commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The study identified a breadth of outcomes that result from an intention to engage with retail store community. Furthermore, the study is limited to a grocery shopping retail store context and only outcomes are identified.

Practical implications

Managerially, retailers want to find innovative ways to compete in the marketplace, and the findings of this study highlight the benefits that can accrue to retailers who want to pursue a community strategy.

Originality/value

Few papers have examined retail store brand communities, and none has identified the outcomes of intention to engage with retail store community.
Environmentally responsible behavior of residents: impact of mindfulness, enjoyment of nature and sustainable attitude
Authors: Yılmaz Yıldırım , Anasori Elham
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of individuals' mindfulness and enjoyment of nature on environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) through mediating effect of sustainable attitude (SA).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from residents of Antalya through convenience sampling. Four hundred and five residents participated in the study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Mindfulness was found effective for sustainable attitude of residents, but it has no significant direct effect to ERB. There is an indirect-only mediation effect of SA between mindfulness and ERB. Enjoyment of nature affects the sustainable attitude and ERB significantly and positively. The findings show that SA also offers a complementary mediation between enjoyment of nature and ERB.

Research limitations/implications

The study closes the void by investigating the psychological aspects of individuals among residents of a tourist hub to create sustainable attitude, acts and responsible behavior toward environment. In particular, as the predicting role of mindfulness on ERB was not significant, further studies needed to investigate the effects of mindfulness on the environmental behavior and attitude.

Practical implications

Destination management organizations can consider more focusing on the environmentally responsible behavior of residents, which can play a pivotal role in attaining sustainable tourism development in destinations. By this regard, increasing the sustainable attitude and enjoyment of nature of residents through applying various campaigns would help policies and strategies aiming the conservation of the environment in the destination.

Originality/value

Searching the impact of mindfulness on the SA and ERB and finding the indirect-only mediation effect of SA between mindfulness, ERB are novel contributions of this paper.
Comfort eating: An observational study of affect in the hours immediately before, and after, snacking
Authors: Franja Stefania , Wahl Deborah R. , Elliston Katherine G. , Ferguson Stuart G.
Published: January 2021

Objective

‘Comfort eating’ has been used to explain real‐world food choices, suggesting that individuals are drawn to energy‐dense (‘unhealthy’) snacks when experiencing negative affect. However, this concept has rarely been studied, particularly in real‐world settings. Similarly, the effects of snacking on subsequent affect are also poorly understood. The present study aimed to examine the association between affect and snacking in daily life.

Methods

One hundred and forty‐one adults recorded their food intake in real time for ~14 days using a study issued mobile phone. Participants also responded to randomly timed assessments. During both types of assessments, participants indicated their current level of affect. By anchoring off snacking events, the trajectory of affect in the hours leading up to – and following – snacking was explored.

Results

In the three hours leading up to a healthy snack, affect was stable. In contrast, affect fell during the hours leading up to an unhealthy snack. The interaction between snack type and time was significant. A similar, but opposite, pattern was seen following snacking: where affect decreased after unhealthy snacking, affect increased following healthy snack intake.

Conclusion

The findings are consistent with the hypothesis of comfort eating, with unhealthy snacking being preceded by worsening affect. Unhealthy snacking did not, however, lead to affect improvements afterwards, which questions the ‘effectiveness’ of comfort eating. The intake of healthy snacks however was associated with positive affective experiences. These findings could function as a component of interventions aiming at improving dietary behaviours.
Improving fatigue strength of hydromachinery 13Cr‐4Ni CA6NM steel with nitriding and thermal spraying surface treatments
Authors: Hernández‐Rengifo Erick , Rodríguez Sara Aida , Coronado John Jairo
Published: January 2021

In this study, the rotating‐bending fatigue behavior in water of a 13Cr‐4Ni martensitic stainless steel as substrate, with two different thermochemical treatments and with a thermal sprayed coating was characterized. Hardness profiles were measured by instrumented nanoindentation. X‐ray diffraction was used to identify the phases and measure the residual stresses, and the fracture micromechanisms were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results show increases of 27%, 74%, and 95% in the fatigue strength from WC‐10Co‐4Cr coating, plasma nitriding and salt bath nitrocarburizing, respectively, compared with that untreated material at 106 cycles. The good fatigue behavior of the treated surfaces was found to result from an increase in the surface hardness and the generated compressive stresses that delay crack initiation.
Keratan sulfate as a marker for medullary bone in fossil vertebrates
Authors: Canoville Aurore , Zanno Lindsay E. , Zheng Wenxia , Schweitzer Mary H.
Published: January 2021

The ability to determine the sex of extinct dinosaurs by examining the bones they leave behind would revolutionize our understanding of their paleobiology; however, to date, definitive sex‐specific skeletal traits remain elusive or controversial. Although living dinosaurs (i.e., extant birds) exhibit a sex‐specific tissue called medullary bone that is unique to females, the confident identification of this tissue in non‐avian archosaurs has proven a challenge. Tracing the evolution of medullary bone is complicated by existing variation of medullary bone tissues in living species; hypotheses that medullary bone structure or chemistry varied during its evolution; and a lack of studies aimed at distinguishing medullary bone from other types of endosteal tissues with which it shares microstructural and developmental characteristics, such as pathological tissues. A recent study attempted to capitalize on the molecular signature of medullary bone, which, in living birds, contains specific markers such as the sulfated glycosaminoglycan keratan sulfate, to support the proposed identification of medullary bone of a non‐avian dinosaur specimen (Tyrannosaurus rex MOR 1125). Purported medullary bone samples of MOR 1125 reacted positively to histochemical analyses and the single pathological control tested (avian osteopetrosis) did not, suggesting the presence of keratan sulfate might serve to definitively discriminate these tissues for future studies. To further test these results, we sampled 20 avian bone pathologies of various etiologies (18 species), and several MB samples. Our new data universally support keratan sulfate as a reliable marker of medullary bone in birds. However, we also find that reactivity varies among pathological bone tissues, with reactivity in some pathologies indistinguishable from MB. In the current sample, some pathologies comprised of chondroid bone (often a major constituent of skeletal pathologies and developing fracture calluses in vertebrates) contain keratan sulfate. We note that beyond chemistry, chondroid bone shares many characteristics with medullary bone (fibrous matrix, numerous and large cell lacunae, potential endosteal origin, trabecular architecture) and medullary bone has even been considered by some to be a type of chondroid bone. Our results suggest that the presence of keratan sulfate is not exclusive evidence for MB, but rather must be used as one in a suite of criteria available for identifying medullary bone (and thus gravid females) in non‐avian dinosaur specimens. Future studies should investigate whether there are definite chemical or microstructural differences between medullary bone and reactive chondroid bone that can discriminate these tissues.
The Effect of the Relationship between Indoor Architectural Design Studios and Outdoor Landscape on Increasing Students’ Satisfaction Level
Authors: Mirmoradi Seyedeh Somayeh
Published: January 2021

The environmental factors in the educational spaces along with the other factors affect the teaching and learning process. One of the characteristics of environmental space is the type of relationship of each space with its outdoor space. This factor is more important, especially in the spaces where students spend long hours such as architectural design studios. Nowadays, outdoor spaces in academic environments provide functions like accessing to closed spaces and various buildings and creating their relationship. In this regard, the visual function is considered as another important function, which is often overlooked and less considered and created by the outdoor environments for indoor closed spaces. The main question is related to whether the type of the relationship between the closed space of the architectural design studio and the outdoor natural space is considered as an important factor in achieving students’ satisfaction with long hours working in this space based on the attention restoration theory or not. The present study aimed to examine the effect of the relationship between the indoor spaces of architectural design studios and outdoor environment on increasing students’ satisfaction. This research was conducted by combining the quantitative and qualitative methods. The population included 65 students majoring in architecture, who experienced designing classes in all three studied studios. This research compared three architectural design studios with different conditions of proximity and outward view. The research data were analyzed with SPSS software. The results indicated that the open and diverse outdoor natural landscape was more effective factor in increasing students’ satisfaction rather than among the various factors influencing the type of relationship between the studios and the outdoor space. Accordingly, designing the university landscape from the indoor closed spaces should be considered more, especially in spaces such as studios due to the long hours of attending and working of students.
Deconstructing Sustainability Perceptions: Investigating Technological Innovation-Environmental Interaction in Green Buildings and the Influence of Architectural Design
Authors: Poon Stephen
Published: January 2021

Sustainability principles impact green building infrastructure design, planning and construction decisions.   The influence of social perceptions in transforming notions of green architecture and sustainable designs as desirable are also interesting contexts for urban design researchers in addressing environmental impacts.   The aim of this paper is to discuss a breadth of available literature on architectural sustainability, and the many effects of urbanisation. Few scholars have attempted to frame qualitative discussions of sustainability perceptions with regards technological interaction with built environments. Research utilises two green building design frameworks to analyse differences between sustainability perceptions of innovation and environmental design aesthetics, namely technological innovation interaction with architecture, and architectural design interaction with nature.   Findings from case studies of three examples namely The Port of Portland, The Pompidou Centre Paris, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s First Unitarian Society are deconstructed using qualitative approach to demonstrate that while architectural interaction with nature is viewed as ideal characteristics, green building design innovations with technological interactions play a larger role in influencing social perceptions towards sustainability.   Findings suggest that green buildings should encompass a wider range of aesthetic-based designs, from passive ventilation to lighting systems and materials, but in order to sustain positive stakeholders’ perceptions, social benefits and education among green building policymakers, designers and architects is crucial. Recommendations on how to cultivate a balance in pragmatic, cost-conscious approaches, including interactions with technologies, will be discussed in conclusion.
The Level of Readiness of Islamic Education Teachers in Kelantan Islamic Foundation Secondary School Toward Multimedia Platform in Teaching / Tahap Kesediaan Guru Pendidikan Islam di Sekolah Menengah Yayasan Islam Kelantan Terhadap Multimedia Dalam Pengajaran
Authors: Mohd Nawi Muhammad Zulazizi , Hashim Azmil
Published: January 2021

This study aims to survey the level of readiness of Islamic education teachers toward multimedia platform in teaching, also the difference of the level of readiness based on the demography of GPI. The study involved 127 Islamic education teachers who taught subjects under Islamic education such as Quranic and as-Sunnah Education, Shariah Islamic Education and Tasawwur Islamiah in Kelantan Islamic Foundation secondary school. The quantitative data of the questionnaires instrument were analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 to obtain the frequency, percentage, mean, interpretation and standard deviation while inference analysis using t-Test, one-way ANOVA test and Post hoc Scheffe test. The findings from the level of readiness such as level of knowledge, level of skill and level of attitude showed a high level of moderation (min=3.70, sp=0.62). The inferential analysis also showed that there was a significant difference (p0.05) between the GPI demographics including teaching experience, laptop usage intensity, academic qualifications and diploma in teaching. However, gender, location of teaching, level of teaching and specialization of teaching subjects do not shows significant differences. The study conluded that the level of readiness toward multimedia platform in teaching well but there are differences in the level of readiness based on GPI demographics.
Internal-Training-Load Monitoring, Notational and Time-Motion Analyses, Psychometric Status, and Neuromuscular Responses in Elite Rugby Union
Authors: Lupo Corrado , Ungureanu Alexandru Nicolae , Boccia Gennaro , Licciardi Andrea , Rainoldi Alberto , Brustio Paolo Riccardo
Published: January 2021

Purpose: The present study aimed to verify if practicing tackles during rugby union training sessions would affect the players’ internal training load and acute strength loss. Method: A total of 9 male Italian Serie A rugby union players (age: 21 [2] y) were monitored by means of an integrated approach across 17 sessions, 6 with tackles (WT) and 11 with no tackles (NT). Edwards training load was quantified using heart-rate monitoring. Global positioning system devices were used to quantify the total distance and time at >20 W. Work-to-rest ratio was quantified by means of a video analysis. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the session, the players’ well-being and rating of perceived exertion were measured, respectively. The countermovement jump and plyometric push-up jump tests were performed on a force plate to record the players’ PRE–POST concentric peak force. Linear mixed models were applied to quantify the differences between WT and NT in terms of training load and PRE–POST force deltas, even controlling for other training factors. Results: The Edwards training load (estimated mean [EM]; standard error [SE]; WT: EM = 214, SE = 11.8; NT: EM = 194, SE = 11.1; P = .01) and session rating of perceived exertion (WT: EM = 379, SE = 21.9; NT: EM = 277, SE = 16.4; P < .001) were higher in WT than in NT. Conversely, no difference between the sessions emerged in the countermovement jump and plyometric push-up concentric peak force deltas. Conclusions: Although elite rugby union players’ external and internal training load can be influenced by practicing tackles, upper- and lower-limb strength seem to not be affected.
Long-Term Survival of Virulent Tularemia Pathogens outside a Host in Conditions That Mimic Natural Aquatic Environments
Authors: Golovliov Igor , Bäckman Stina , Granberg Malin , Salomonsson Emelie , Lundmark Eva , Näslund Jonas , Busch Joseph D. , Birdsell Dawn , Sahl Jason W. , Wagner David M. , Johansson Anders , Forsman Mats , Thelaus Johanna
Published: January 2021

Tularemia, a disease caused by the environmental bacteriumFrancisella tularensis, is characterized by acute febrile illness.F. tularensisis highly infectious: as few as 10 organisms can cause human disease. Tularemia is not known to be spread from person to person.
Vitamin D status and risk of type 2 diabetes in the Norwegian HUNT cohort study: does family history or genetic predisposition modify the association?
Authors: Denos Marion , Mai Xiao-Mei , Åsvold Bjørn Olav , Sørgjerd Elin Pettersen , Chen Yue , Sun Yi-Qian
Published: January 2021

Introduction

We sought to investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults who participated in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), and the possible effect modification by family history and genetic predisposition.

Research design and methods

This prospective study included 3574 diabetes-free adults at baseline who participated in the HUNT2 (1995–1997) and HUNT3 (2006–2008) surveys. Serum 25(OH)D levels were determined at baseline and classified as <50 and ≥50 nmol/L. Family history of diabetes was defined as self-reported diabetes among parents and siblings. A Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) for T2DM based on 166 single-nucleotide polymorphisms was generated. Incident T2DM was defined by self-report and/or non-fasting glucose levels greater than 11 mmol/L and serum glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody level of <0.08 antibody index at the follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to calculate adjusted ORs with 95% CIs. Effect modification by family history or PRS was assessed by likelihood ratio test (LRT).

Results

Over 11 years of follow-up, 92 (2.6%) participants developed T2DM. A higher risk of incident T2DM was observed in participants with serum 25(OH)D level of<50 nmol/L compared with those of ≥50 nmol/L (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.86). Level of 25(OH)D<50 nmol/L was associated with an increased risk of T2DM in adults without family history of diabetes (OR 3.87, 95% CI 1.62 to 9.24) but not in those with a family history (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.62, p value for LRT=0.003). There was no effect modification by PRS (p value for LRT>0.23).

Conclusion

Serum 25(OH)D<50 nmol/L was associated with an increased risk of T2DM in Norwegian adults. The inverse association was modified by family history of diabetes but not by genetic predisposition to T2DM.
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: emerging techniques and applications
Authors: Chowdhary Amrit , Garg Pankaj , Das Arka , Nazir Muhummad Sohaib , Plein Sven
Published: January 2021

This review gives examples of emerging cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques and applications that have the potential to transition from research to clinical application in the near future. Four-dimensional flow CMR (4D-flow CMR) allows time-resolved three-directional, three-dimensional (3D) velocity-encoded phase-contrast imaging for 3D visualisation and quantification of valvular or intracavity flow. Acquisition times of under 10 min are achievable for a whole heart multidirectional data set and commercial software packages are now available for data analysis, making 4D-flow CMR feasible for inclusion in clinical imaging protocols. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is based on the measurement of molecular water diffusion and uses contrasting behaviour in the presence and absence of boundaries to infer tissue structure. Cardiac DTI is capable of non-invasively phenotyping the 3D micro-architecture within a few minutes, facilitating transition of the method to clinical protocols. Hybrid positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET-MR) provides quantitative PET measures of biological and pathological processes of the heart combined with anatomical, morphological and functional CMR imaging. Cardiac PET-MR offers opportunities in ischaemic, inflammatory and infiltrative heart disease.
Possible protective effect of TNF-α inhibition and triad NO/cGMP/VEGF activation on gastric ulcer in rats
Authors: Abd Al Haleem Ekram Nemr , Ibrahim Fatma Al –Zahraa Mohamed , Zaytoon Sawsan Abo Bakr , Arafa Hossam Mohamed Mohamed
Published: January 2021

Peptic ulcers are one of the world's major gastrointestinal disorders, embracing both gastric and duodenal ulcers, and affecting 10% of the world population. The current study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of tadalafil and pentoxifylline (PTX) on indomethacin-induced peptic ulcers. Male albino rats were divided into five groups: control group; ulcerated group; Indomethacin + Tadalafil, in which animals were pretreated with tadalafil orally before indomethacin; Indomethacin+ PTX, in which animals were pretreated with PTX orally before indomethacin; and Indomethacin + Tadafil + PTX. Indomethacin treatment revealed histopathological changes and ulcer scoring and ulcer index were markedly increased. Serum levels of prostaglandin and heme oxygenase-1 were significantly decreased. The ulcerogenic also induced marked oxidative stress as evident from the increased malondialdehyde, decreased in gastric glutathione content and superoxide dismutase activity, while the gastric myeloperoxidase was increased. Gastric nitric oxide content was decreased and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was downregulated while the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) level was dramatically increased. Pretreatment of the ulcerative group by either tadalafil or PTX or their combination improved all these pathological changes. Tadalafil or PTX may have a role in protecting gastric mucosa damage caused by indomethacin which may be useful in the future for the treatment of gastric ulceration.
Seeing in Context
Authors: Sultana Sharifa , Ahmed Syed Ishtiaque , Rzeszotarski Jeffrey M.
Published: January 2021

There is a risk that modern practices of information communication and visualization in human-computer interaction can sideline communities due to their prioritization of scientific rationality. Such ideological hegemony can complicate interactions with data and computers, especially for low-literate communities in the global south. Through a six-month long ethnographic study with Nakshi-Katha makers, Hindu Idol makers, and witchcraft practitioners, we investigated how rural practitioners use their own forms of representation and narrative in record keeping, social and religious storytelling, and information mediated decision making. We find that traditionally developed approaches towards presenting and communicating information often make use of concrete units to represent entities and connect to designers' cultural practices and the physical location. Further, we identify how medium has significant influence in meaning-making. Often these strategies and conventions are passed down through generations within the community. In this paper, we discuss how this rural tradition differs from the modern information communication practices, discussing how an understanding of traditional practices for representing information can be useful in developing more accessible, and culturally appropriate modern tools and technologies for the people of rural Bangladesh and similar communities.
Piracy and the Impaired Cyborg
Authors: Chandra Priyank
Published: January 2021

This paper examines software piracy in the Global South from an accessibility lens, using the bio-technical metaphor of the 'cyborg.' Drawing on qualitative interviews with people with visual impairment (VI) from India and Peru, the paper interrogates the intimate relationships that users have with assistive technologies (ATs). It outlines the effectiveness of ATs in allowing users to actively control and shape their own lives and identities, and describes the various modalities that regulate the human body, technology, and human body-technology linkages. The paper argues that software piracy, when looked through the lens of the 'cyborg,' is an act of self-making that is motivated by a desire to gain autonomy and independence, i.e., it can be understood as a way to overcome the barriers that undermine access to the technological self. Further, software piracy allows a shift in the distribution of power from those who control and regulate the assistive technologies to the cyborgs themselves.
Combined Use of Chitosan and Olfactory Mucosa Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells to Promote Peripheral Nerve Regeneration In Vivo
Authors: Alvites Rui D. , Branquinho Mariana V. , Sousa Ana C. , Amorim Irina , Magalhães Rui , João Filipa , Almeida Diogo , Amado Sandra , Prada Justina , Pires Isabel , Zen Federica , Raimondo Stefania , Luís Ana L. , Geuna Stefano , Varejão Artur S. P. , Maurício Ana C.
Published: January 2021

Peripheral nerve injury remains a clinical challenge with severe physiological and functional consequences. Despite the existence of multiple possible therapeutic approaches, until now, there is no consensus regarding the advantages of each option or the best methodology in promoting nerve regeneration. Regenerative medicine is a promise to overcome this medical limitation, and in this work, chitosan nerve guide conduits and olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem/stromal cells were applied in different therapeutic combinations to promote regeneration in sciatic nerves after neurotmesis injury. Over 20 weeks, the intervened animals were subjected to a regular functional assessment (determination of motor performance, nociception, and sciatic indexes), and after this period, they were evaluated kinematically and the sciatic nerves and cranial tibial muscles were evaluated stereologically and histomorphometrically, respectively. The results obtained allowed confirming the beneficial effects of using these therapeutic approaches. The use of chitosan NGCs and cells resulted in better motor performance, better sciatic indexes, and lower gait dysfunction after 20 weeks. The use of only NGGs demonstrated better nociceptive recoveries. The stereological evaluation of the sciatic nerve revealed identical values in the different parameters for all therapeutic groups. In the muscle histomorphometric evaluation, the groups treated with NGCs and cells showed results close to those of the group that received traditional sutures, the one with the best final values. The therapeutic combinations studied show promising outcomes and should be the target of new future works to overcome some irregularities found in the results and establish the combination of nerve guidance conduits and olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem/stromal cells as viable options in the treatment of peripheral nerves after injury.
Facial Expression Recognition Using Kernel Entropy Component Analysis Network and DAGSVM
Authors: Chen Xiangmin , Ke Li , Du Qiang , Li Jinghui , Ding Xiaodi
Published: January 2021

Facial expression recognition (FER) plays a significant part in artificial intelligence and computer vision. However, most of facial expression recognition methods have not obtained satisfactory results based on low‐level features. The existed methods used in facial expression recognition encountered the major issues of linear inseparability, large computational burden, and data redundancy. To obtain satisfactory results, we propose an innovative deep learning (DL) model using the kernel entropy component analysis network (KECANet) and directed acyclic graph support vector machine (DAGSVM). We use the KECANet in the feature extraction stage. In the stage of output, binary hashing and blockwise histograms are adopted. We sent the final output features to the DAGSVM classifier for expression recognition. We test the performance of our proposed method on three databases of CK+, JAFFE, and CMU Multi‐PIE. According to the experiment results, the proposed method can learn high‐level features and provide more recognition information in the stage of training, obtaining a higher recognition rate.
Therapeutic Decision Making in Hepatocellular Carcinoma According to Age and Child–Pugh Class: A Nationwide Cohort Analysis in South Korea
Authors: Park Sunmin , Rim Chai Hong , Jung Young Kul , Yoon Won Sup
Published: January 2021

Background. We sought to analyze the preferred treatment modality by age and liver function in South Korea. Methods. The Korean Liver Cancer Study Group randomly extracted the data of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) enrolled in the Korean Central Cancer Registry from 2008 to 2014 from approximately 50 hospitals nationwide. After excluding distant and lymphatic metastases, the treatment preference for patients with a single lesion (excluding PVT (portal vein thrombosis), hepatic vessels, and bile duct invasion) and with PVT was evaluated in 7559 patients. Patients were grouped by age, and baseline liver function was divided based on the Child–Pugh class (CPC) A, B, and C. Results. For a single HCC, the majority of patients selected transarterial therapy as the initial treatment, followed by surgical resection and local ablative therapy. The surgical resection rate decreased significantly with age (

p
<
0.001

), and the transarterial therapy rate significantly increased (

p
<
0.001

). For CPC C, liver transplantation was significantly increased to 11.5%, and 36.3% of patients received no treatment. In HCC with PVT, the transarterial therapy rate was the highest, followed by the rate of abandonment of treatment. The proportion of no treatment significantly increased with age (

p
<
0.001

). In CPC C, transarterial therapy and systemic therapy were attempted in 15.4% and 5.8% of patients, respectively. Conclusions. Age and liver function have a significant impact on the therapeutic decision-making of HCC patients in Korea. In unfavorable conditions, surgical resection was less favored in patients with single tumors, and no treatment was preferred in patients with PVT.
The Impact of Age and Gender on Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Immune Contexture of the Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Authors: Mohammed Rebar N.
Published: January 2021

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a rare population of cells that reside mainly in the bone marrow and are capable of generating and fulfilling the entire hematopoietic system upon differentiation. Thirty-six healthy donors, attending the HSCT center to donate their bone marrow, were categorized according to their age into child (0–12 years), adolescence (13–18 years), and adult (19–59 years) groups, and gender into male and female groups. Then, the absolute number of HSCs and mature immune cells in their harvested bone marrow was investigated. Here, we report that the absolute cell number can vary considerably based on the age of the healthy donor, and the number of both HSCs and immune cells declines with advancing age. The gender of the donor (male or female) did not have any impact on the number of the HSCs and immune cells in the bone marrow. In conclusion, since the number of HSCs plays a pivotal role in the clinical outcome of allogeneic HSC transplantations, identifying a younger donor regardless the gender is critical.
Comparative Genome-Wide Characterization of Microsatellites in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis Leading to the Development of Species-Specific Marker
Authors: Singh Pallavi , Nath Ravindra , Venkatesh Vimala
Published: January 2021

Background: Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSR) are related to genomic structure, function, and certain diseases of taxonomically different organisms. Objective: To characterize microsatellites in two closely related Candida species by searching and comparing 1–6 bp nucleotide motifs and utilizing them to develop species-specific markers. Methods: Whole-genome sequence was downloaded from the public domain, microsatellites were mined and analyzed, and primers were synthesized. Results: A total of 15,821 and 7,868 microsatellites, with mono-nucleotides (8,679) and trinucleotides (3,156) as most frequent microsatellites, were mined in Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans, respectively. Chromosome size was found positively correlated with microsatellite number in both the species, whereas it was negatively correlated with the relative abundance and density of microsatellites. A number of unique motifs were also found in both the species. Overall, microsatellite frequencies of each chromosome in C. dubliniensis were higher than in C. albicans. Conclusion: The features of microsatellite distribution in the two species’ genomes revealed that it is probably not conserved in the genus Candida. Data generated in this article could be used for comparative genome mapping and understanding the distribution of microsatellites and genome structure between these closely related and phenotypically misidentified species and may provide a foundation for the development of a new set of species-specific microsatellite markers. Here, we also report a novel microsatellite-based marker for C. dubliniensis-specific identification.
Prone Position Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transhiatal Approach to Filum Terminale Externum Sectioning in Adolescents with Occult Tethered Cord Syndrome: Report of Four Cases
Authors: Veronesi Vanni , Calderone Milena , Sacco Carlo , Donati Roberto
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Occult tethered cord syndrome (OTCS) and its surgical treatment are controversial. A previous study with lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the prone position had found statistically significant differences in morphological parameters between pediatric OTCS patients and a control group. Filum terminale internum (FTI) sectioning is currently the gold standard for the treatment of OTCS. Case Presentation: We present four cases of adolescents with OTCS, of which three cases were associated with low-lying cerebellar tonsils (LLCT). The patients presented various symptoms of OTCS from pain to sensory disturbances to alterations in sphincter functions, but none had disorders belonging to all three categories. A T2-weighted axial MRI in the prone position supported the clinical diagnosis of OTCS. The patients were treated with minimal skin incision and filum terminale externum (FTE) sectioning through the sacral hiatus under local anesthesia. Discussion: We describe for the first time the association between lumbar MRI in the prone position and FTE sectioning in OTCS. The FTE sectioning has resulted in the disappearance of the pain and sensory disturbance symptoms. The results on the sphincter function are mixed. Three of our four patients with OTCS had LLCT, and all three also reported headache episodes, which, surprisingly, disappeared postoperatively. This minimally invasive surgery involves only minimal discomfort for the patient and minimizes the risks related to skin incision only. The postoperative lumbar MRI in the prone position has shown that there is no mobilization of the FTI or changes in the other preoperative morphological parameters.
Comparison of Total Immunoglobulin G in Ante- and Postmortem Blood Samples from Tissue Donors
Authors: Larscheid Gudrun , Schulz Tino , Herbst Hermann , Trögel Tina , Eulert Sascha , Pruß Axel , Schroeter Jan
Published: January 2021

Background: A serology testing for infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis) is mandatory in tissue donors. In many donors postmortem blood is the only sample available. Even though serological tests and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) used are validated for postmortem blood, a characterization of those blood samples is not yet established. We therefore investigated the total immunoglobulin G (IgG) content in postmortem blood of tissue donors and compared it to a corresponding antemortem blood sample. Methods: Ante- and postmortem blood samples were obtained from 100 consecutive tissue donors. The total IgG of all samples was measured using an immune-turbidometric test on the AU 480 Chemistry Analyzer (Beckman Coulter). Results: The mean total IgG concentration of antemortem blood samples from all 100 donors was 8.9 g/L ± 3.7 g/L (median 8.9 g/L, range 1.5 to 23.8 g/L). In 80 donors the IgG concentration in the antemortem blood sample was within the normal range with values ≥6 g/L (mean 10.0 g/L ± 3.3 g/L, median 9.3 g/L,). The total IgG concentration of the postmortem blood samples was lower with 7.2 g/L ± 3.2 g/L (median 6.7 g/L, range 0.6 to 18.2 g/L). The difference between the values of the antemortem and postmortem blood samples was 1.7 g/L ± 2.6 g/L (16.3%) (median 1.6 g/L, range –7.7 to 10.1 g/L). In 36 donors this difference was less than 10%, in 23 it was between 10 and 25%, in 33 between 26 and 50%, and in 8 over 50%. In 57 donors the total IgG in the postmortem blood sample was within the normal range with ≥6 g/L, in 53 of them also the value of the antemortem blood sample was within the normal range. No correlation for total IgG was found regarding the donor characteristics (age, sex, disease) and the sample characteristics (hemolysis, postmortem time). Conclusion: Total IgG values in antemortem samples were below the lower limit of 6 g/L in 20% of the cases. Total IgG was significantly lower in the postmortem samples compared to the antemortem samples, while 57% were still above the lower limit. No correlation with the postmortem time could be found. This lowered IgG levels should be payed attention to when using postmortem blood for infectious serology testing. Additional NAT testing should be considered.
Investigating the anti-acne potential of endophytic bacterial extracts isolated from Mangifera casturi in indigenous South Borneo, Indonesia
Authors: Riyanto Julius , Sogandi
Published: January 2021

Endophytic bacteria are beneficial microorganisms living in the tis-sues system of various parts of a plant, including fruits, leaves, twigs, and roots. The bacteria are stated as forming colonies without caus-ing any damage to the plant. Thus, this study aimed at isolating endo-phytic bacterial from the leaves, barks, and fruits of Kasturi plant (Mangifera casturi), screening its endophytic bacteria, determining the potential of those endophytic bacteria, identifying 16S rRNA and analyzing potential growth of the bacteria. The isolated endophytic bacteria appeared to show potential activity against pathogenic bac-teria Propionibacterium acnes with disc-diffusion methods. Besides, the observations on bacterial activities showed isolate L2, S2 and F4 isolated from leaves, bark and fruits, respectively, as the most potent producers of antibacterial compounds. Technically, those activities were indicated by the formation of clear zones. Molecular identifica-tion was investigated by applying PCR amplification on 16S rRNA gene. Furthermore, the isolate L2 was identified as Enterobacter clo-acae with 99% sequence similarities; however, isolates S2 and F4 were identified as Escherichia coli. Therefore, these findings sug-gested that the identified strains would contribute to any further searches for new sources of anti-acne substances.
In vitro assessment of protease production and stress tolerance of mutant isolates of Trichoderma sp.
Authors: Küçük Çiğdem , Gezer Tülay
Published: January 2021

Soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi cause serious losses in agricultural products. The antagonistic fungi for the control of plant diseases have increased efficiency and use of space has emerged as an alternative to other methods for the protection of agricultural products. One of the fungi used for this purpose is Trichoderma species. In this study mu-tant isolates of Trichoderma spp. were used. The resistance and pro-tease enzyme activities of mutant isolates against abiotic factors such as temperature, drought and salinity were investigated. Mutant iso-lates of Trichoderma sp. were showed differed in tolerance to differ-ent abiotic stress factors. Protease enzyme activity produced by iso-lates was influenced by the tested abiotic factors. In the medium con-taining 30% PEG, the highest protease activity was determined in Tm13 isolate. Indigenous Trichoderma strains produced proteases in high temperature, drought and saline conditions. This indicates that isolates may be promising candidates in agricultural production.
enfoque cualitativo y sus aportes para estudiar el espacio rural
Authors: Babilonia Rosa , Suzuki Julio César
Published: January 2021

Para comprender los procesos de transformación de las prácticas agrícolas desarrolladas por los habitantes rurales de tres corregimientos del Bajo Sinú, Colombia, y caracterizar las actividades económicas resultantes de la expansión del modelo neoliberal, se aplicaron diferentes técnicas para recopilación de información cualitativa, destacando entrevistas en profundidad tanto individuales como en grupo, historias de vida y observación participante. A partir de la triangulación hermenéutica y la identificación de categorías claves, se articuló la información obtenida en terreno, evidenciando que la nueva ruralidad es una aproximación teórica que explica la existencia de un diverso conjunto de actividades económicas en espacios rurales con marcada tradición agrícola. Las prácticas agrícolas y la relación de los campesinos con el manejo ancestral de las aguas de la Ciénaga Grande del Bajo Sinú han sido alteradas por la agricultura moderna, transformando el modo de vida de las poblaciones rurales estudiadas.
Lugares de memória das ditaduras civis-militares latino-americanas, arquitetura e inscrições de sentido
Authors: Lucca Neto Luiz de , Jatene Caio Vargas
Published: January 2021

O objetivo do presente trabalho é analisar, em perspectiva comparada, três lugares de memória latino-americanos, criados no âmbito de medidas de Justiça de Transição, para construção crítica da memória traumática pós-ditaduras civis-militares. São eles: o Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos (Ex-ESMA - Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada) em Buenos Aires, Argentina; o Memorial da Resistência de São Paulo, Brasil e o Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, situado em Santiago, Chile. A análise comparativa dos elementos históricos e arquitetônicos, bem como dos projetos de memorialização, permitiu concluir, preliminarmente, a presença de formas distintas de inscrições de sentido por parte da sociedade e trajetórias diferentes de preservação, consoante aos limites e às conjunturas internas de cada país.
Poets in Prose: Genre & History in the Arabic Novel
Authors: Creswell Robyn
Published: January 2021

Novelists in many literary traditions have come to terms with the distinctiveness of their art form by thinking about poets and poetry. The need to differentiate the novel from poetry is especially pressing for Arab prose writers because of poetry's preeminent status in that literary corpus. Many twentieth-century Arab intellectuals have valorized the novel as the representative genre of modernity–whether conceived as an absent ideal or the epoch of consumerist capitalism–while situating poetry as a backward element of contemporary life. But poetry has also offered prose writers such as Muhammad al-Muwaylihi, in A Period of Time, and novelists such as Tayeb Salih, in Season of Migration to the North, a way to reflect on the ambivalences engendered by modernity and the experience of colonialism. This tradition of using the novel to meditate on historical rupture and the fate of poetry continues into the present, even as poetry's relation to political and intellectual life becomes increasingly tenuous.
Stability Conditions of Bicomplex-Valued Hopfield Neural Networks
Authors: Kobayashi Masaki
Published: January 2021

Hopfield neural networks have been extended using hypercomplex numbers. The algebra of bicomplex numbers, also referred to as commutative quaternions, is a number system of dimension 4. Since the multiplication is commutative, many notions and theories of linear algebra, such as determinant, are available, unlike quaternions. A bicomplex-valued Hopfield neural network (BHNN) has been proposed as a multistate neural associative memory. However, the stability conditions have been insufficient for the projection rule. In this work, the stability conditions are extended and applied to improvement of the projection rule. The computer simulations suggest improved noise tolerance.