bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Girls gone bad: An essay on “Existence” in Chytilová's Daisies
Authors: Wickström Alice
Published: July 2021

This essay re‐examines the subversive potential of Vera Chytilová's film Daisies and elaborates on its possibilities for exploring (feminine) existence as difference in relation to work, (re)production, and consumption. Drawing on the work of Luce Irigaray and critical fem(me)ninity studies, it theorizes fem(me)nine existence as multiple and ambiguous, and explores its possible materialization through a poetic “re‐representation” of the film. Through the ambiguous becoming of the film's protagonists, the Maries, the tension between the “undoing” patriarchal of orders of exchange and their tenacity is discussed in relation to the emergence of non‐patriarchal forms of organizing. The essay contributes to organizational research on difference by introducing a critical fem(me)nine lens and by directing attention towards the struggle between existing only for and through an Other – and not existing at all. This allows for an examination of the disruptive potential of difference while further accounting for possible tensions with regards to its materialization. It is argued that fem(me) theorizations of film can be useful for exploring such matters differently as they open up ways to playfully and creative accentuate ambiguity and multiplicity rather than reducing “it” to sameness.
And roses too: How “Better Work” facilitates gender empowerment in global supply chains
Authors: Pike Kelly , English Beth
Published: July 2021

Women's increasing entry into paid work has not been accompanied by a corresponding change in the gender division of unpaid labor in the household and community. Though women participate in the labor market, the expectation is that they will also take responsibility for the household. To what degree does women's waged work in the garment industry transform gender norms and dynamics in their home lives? To what extent do the choices they make translate to their household‐level empowerment? This practice‐focused article examines these questions by looking at data collected on gender dynamics at work and at home in the clothing industries of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Lesotho, and Vietnam. While women's empowerment through garment sector employment remains circumscribed by low wages, financial insecurity, and gendered expectations, we find that international interventions, namely the International Labor Organization's Better Work program, has expanded women's abilities to exert agency over their earnings within the context of household resource allocation and has decreased the negative effects of ongoing and systemic financial precarity.
The effect of nurse‐led telephone support on adherence to blood pressure control and drug treatment in individuals with primary hypertension: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Kes Duygu , Polat Ulku
Published: July 2021

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of telephone monitoring, in combination with texts, on medication adherence and blood pressure (BP) control in primary hypertension.

Method

Data were collected from August to December 2016. Seventy‐seven adults were randomized to the intervention and control groups. A 12‐week intervention consisted of regular text messages and phone calls. The control group received usual hypertension care. The outcomes were evaluated with blood pressure measurement and medication adherence self‐efficacy scale short form.

Results

Medication adherence in Week 12 was found to be significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. Mean systolic and diastolic BP levels in Weeks 4, 8 and 12 were statistically significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Using text messaging and nurse‐led telephone monitoring improved adherence and BP control in adults with hypertensive in primary care.
Prevalence and course of anxiety disorders and symptoms from preschool to adolescence: a 6‐wave community study
Authors: Steinsbekk Silje , Ranum Bror , Wichstrøm Lars
Published: July 2021

Background

The rate of various anxiety disorders in early childhood and whether they continue into middle childhood or adolescence is not known. We therefore report on the prevalence and stability of DSM‐5‐defined anxiety disorders and their symptoms, capturing the period from preschool to adolescence.

Methods

By means of interviewer‐based clinical interviews, anxiety was measured in a sample of Norwegian children at six measurement points from age 4 to 14 (n = 1,041). To adjust for time‐invariant factors, we applied random intercept cross‐lagged panel models (RI‐CLPMs) capturing within‐person changes.

Results

Nearly 10% (95% CI = 7.29, 12.63) had an anxiety disorder at some timepoint. Specific phobia was the most prevalent disorder in early and middle childhood, whereas generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) increased in prevalence and became the most common anxiety disorder at age 14 (4.51%, 95% CI = 2.78, 6.23). When time‐invariant confounding was adjusted for, homotypic continuity in anxiety symptoms typically first emerged in late middle childhood or adolescence. Even so, such within‐person analyses revealed a heterotypic path from increased number of early childhood symptoms of specific phobia to increased number of GAD symptoms in middle childhood (B = .41, 95% CI = .06, .75). Increased separation anxiety in middle childhood predicted increased symptoms of GAD in adolescence (B = .38, 95% CI = .14, .62), and vice versa (B = .05, 95% CI = .00, .09). Only minor gender differences were revealed.

Conclusions

Anxiety disorders are prevalent in childhood. In early childhood, anxiety symptoms generally do not predict later anxiety symptoms. In middle childhood, however, such symptoms are less likely to vanish, indicating this developmental period to be particularly important for preventive and treatment efforts.
Interventions for preventing falls and fall‐related fractures in community‐dwelling older adults: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Dautzenberg Lauren , Beglinger Shanthi , Tsokani Sofia , Zevgiti Stella , Raijmann Renee C. M. A. , Rodondi Nicolas , Scholten Rob J. P. M. , Rutjes Anne W. S. , Di Nisio Marcello , Emmelot‐Vonk Marielle , Tricco Andrea C. , Straus Sharon E. , Thomas Sonia , Bretagne Lisa , Knol Wilma , Mavridis Dimitris , Koek Huiberdina L.
Published: July 2021

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of single, multiple, and multifactorial interventions to prevent falls and fall‐related fractures in community‐dwelling older persons.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions in community‐dwelling adults aged ≥65 years, from inception until February 27, 2019. Two large RCTs (published in 2020 after the search closed) were included in post hoc analyses. Pairwise meta‐analysis and network meta‐analysis (NMA) were conducted.

Results

NMA including 192 studies revealed that the following single interventions, compared with usual care, were associated with reductions in number of fallers: exercise (risk ratio [RR] 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77–0.89) and quality improvement strategies (e.g., patient education) (RR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83–0.98). Exercise as a single intervention was associated with a reduction in falls rate (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.73–0.86). Common components of multiple interventions significantly associated with a reduction in number of fallers and falls rate were exercise, assistive technology, environmental assessment and modifications, quality improvement strategies, and basic falls risk assessment (e.g., medication review). Multifactorial interventions were associated with a reduction in falls rate (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.80–0.95), but not with a reduction in number of fallers (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.89–1.01). The following single interventions, compared with usual care, were associated with reductions in number of fall‐related fractures: basic falls risk assessment (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39–0.94) and exercise (RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42–0.90).

Conclusions

In keeping with Tricco et al. (2017), several single and multiple fall prevention interventions are associated with fewer falls. In addition to Tricco, we observe a benefit at the NMA‐level of some single interventions on preventing fall‐related fractures.
Blood analytes of electrocuted mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in the Nicoya peninsula of Costa Rica
Authors: Sánchez‐Murillo Francisco , Arguedas Randall
Published: July 2021

Background

Several species of Costa Rican wildlife are suffering terrible injuries along the power lines in rural areas of the country due to the increasing human development in rural areas, but this has also brought the problem of poorly designed electric infrastructure, where arboreal mammals find their normal tree routes cut down so that the only way for them to cross is on the power lines where they can get electrocuted.

Methods

Blood samples for complete blood count (CBC) and biochemistry panels (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, amylase, total bilirubin, plasma urea, Ca, P, creatinine, glucose, Na, K, total protein, globulins, and albumin) were collected from 34 electrocuted mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) individuals that arrived at the Nosara Refuge for Wildlife between May 2018 and May 2019.

Results

From the total sample, 18 were males (11 juveniles and eight adults), and 16 were females (six juveniles and 10 adults). From those individuals, 13 animals survived: five females (three juveniles and two adults) and eight males (six juveniles and two adults). Then, 22 animals died after the event from 1 to 102 days (22.41 ± 31.17) after they arrived at the center. Of these 22 animals, 11 were females (three juveniles and eight adults), and 11 were males (six juveniles and five adults).

Conclusions

The preliminary results showed significant differences in the plasma glucose, with adults being significantly higher than the juveniles, and there was also a significant difference in the plasma urea with the deceased ones being higher than the ones that survived the incident. These results may provide a better way to understand and predict the possible outcome of an electrical accident with these primates and assist with returning them back to their natural environment in the least time possible.
Closed Repair Technique: Innovative Surface Design for Polymethylmethacrylate Denture Base Repair
Authors: Gad Mohammed M. , Rahoma Ahmed , Khan Zahid A. , Al‐Thobity Ahmad M. , Abualsaud Reem , Alkaltham Nora , Akhtar Sultan , Ateeq Ijlal Shahrukh , Al‐Harbi Fahad A.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the repair strength of a newly introduced repair technique involving zero‐gap repair width.

Materials and Methods

A total of 36 rectangular prism specimens with dimensions of 64 × 10 × 3.3 mm were prepared from heat‐polymerized acrylic resin. Nine specimens were kept intact. The other specimens were sectioned into halves and modified to create repair gaps of 2.5‐mm beveled (2.5B) as control, 0‐mm beveled (ZB), and 0‐mm inverse bi‐beveled (ZIBB). The ZIBB group was prepared with a V‐shaped internal groove on both halves (repair tunnel), while the intaglio and cameo surfaces were kept intact except for two small holes at the cameo surface for repair resin injection. The 2.5B and ZB groups were repaired conventionally while the ZIBB group was repaired by injecting repair resin into the tunnel through one of the holes until excess material oozed from the other hole. Repaired specimens were thermally cycled at 5 and 55°C for 10,000 cycles with 1 min dwell time. A 3‐point bending test was conducted using a universal testing machine for flexural strength and elastic modulus measurement. Kruskal‐Wallis/Mann‐Whitney tests and ANOVA/post hoc Tukey tests were applied for data analysis (α = 0.05).

Results

The flexural strength of repaired specimens was substantially lower than that of intact specimens, and significant differences were present between repaired groups (p ˂ 0.05). ZB and ZIBB had higher flexural strength (p ˂ 0.001) and elastic modulus (p ˂ 0.05) than 2.5B. Among the ZB and ZIBB groups, ZB showed the highest flexural strength, and ZIBB had the highest elastic modulus.

Conclusion

The closed repair technique improved the flexural strength and elastic modulus of repaired acrylic denture base.
Microfoundations of dynamic design capabilities: An empirical analysis of “excellent” Italian design firms
Authors: Cautela Cabirio , Simoni Michele , Moran Peter
Published: July 2021

This article investigates how managers of firms awarded for their design excellence build organizational‐level design‐related dynamic capabilities by selecting designers with specific individual capabilities and managing how and the extent to which users of the firms’ products are actively involved in design activities. The following two types of dynamic capabilities were studied: user‐centered design (UCD) and meaning innovation (MI). Data from a survey of managers of 106 Italian firms recognized for their products’ “design excellence” during the 2011–2016 period were analyzed using a structural equation model (PLS‐SEM). The results suggest that managers seeking to build dynamic UCD capabilities prefer designers with holistic thinking capabilities over those with ideation and envisioning capabilities and value user involvement throughout the design process. In contrast, managers seeking to build dynamic MI capabilities search for designers with holistic thinking and envisioning capabilities and avoid ideation capabilities. They also consider the value of involving users in the design process to be limited. This study is among the first to present the results of an empirical investigation of the microfoundations of dynamic design capabilities. Limitations of the research and prospects for future work are discussed. In particular, our findings point to the need for additional studies that further specify the routines and associated competencies that managers responsible for design employ to attract, nurture, integrate and exploit the micro‐level capabilities required for UCD and MI. Given that some of these microfoundations were found to be differentially important, unimportant, or even detrimental to the development of either UCD or MI, an important remaining question is the extent to which, and how, a single firm can accommodate and effectively exploit both of these dynamic design capabilities.
Effects of pomegranate peel and olive pomace supplementation on reproduction and oxidative status of rabbit doe
Authors: Bakeer Manal , Abdelrahman Hisham , Khalil Karim
Published: July 2021

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of pomegranate peel and olive pomace supplementation on the reproductive hormones, antioxidative status, reproductive capacity and maternal behaviour of rabbit does. Forty does were used for the experiments. The animals were randomly assigned to four groups of ten does. One group was fed on the control diet and was considered the control group (C). The second group was supplemented with 4.5% pomegranate peel in their diet (P), the third group was supplemented with 10% olive pomace in their diet (O), and the fourth group was supplemented with a mixture of pomegranate peel and olive pomace (PO). Compared with the control does, group P showed significantly increased serum levels of gonadotropic hormones and oestradiol‐17β two hours after mating, on the 20th day of lactation and after weaning; significantly increased progesterone levels at mid‐pregnancy; and significantly increased in prolactin levels on the 10th day of lactation. Additionally, the results revealed significant increases in total DNA, protein concentration, litter size, milk yield and nest traits of groups P and PO. In conclusion, pomegranate peel supplementation improves the reproductive performance of does and increases their antioxidant parameters.
Long‐term changes in the anterior alveolar bone after orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Jingxi , Zhou Wenwen , Wu Yan , Dai Hongwei , Zhou Jianping
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the morphometric changes in maxillary and mandibular anterior alveolar bone after orthodontic treatment and retention for 18‐24 months by cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Setting and Sample Population

Thirty‐four adolescent patients (12 males and 22 females; mean age: 14.29 ± 1.24 years) diagnosed with bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion and with extractions of the 4 first premolars were included.

Materials and Methods

The labial and lingual (palatal) alveolar bone thickness, height and root length of the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth were assessed using CBCT imaging at the pre‐treatment (T1), post‐treatment (T2) and retention phases (T3). Voxel‐based superimpositions of the T2 and T3 images were performed, and the distances of incisal and apical movement between T2 and T3 were measured to determine whether relapses occurred.

Results

After orthodontic treatment, the labial and lingual (palatal) bone height decreased significantly (P < .05) and the labial thickness at the crestal (L1), midroot (L2), and apical levels (L3) had no significant change, while the lingual (palatal) bone thickness at all three levels decreased significantly (P < .05). After 18‐24 months of retention, the lingual (palatal) height and the lingual (palatal) thickness at the crestal (L1) level increased significantly (P < .05). There were no obvious incisal and apical movements of the anterior teeth between T2 and T3 (P > .05), indicating that no relapses occurred.

Conclusions

Even though lingual (palatal) alveolar loss occurred due to the orthodontic treatment, the cervical alveolar bone seemed to recover over time. Therefore, appropriate camouflage treatment can be used in patients with bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion, and this treatment will not irreversibly deteriorate periodontal health and affect the orthodontic treatment stability.
Ventricular activation patterns during intrinsic conduction and right ventricular pacing in cardiac resynchronization therapy patients
Authors: O'Donnell David , Manyam Harish , Pappone Carlo , Park Seung‐Jung , Leclercq Christophe , Lunati Maurizio , Lercher Peter , Rordorf Roberto , Landolina Maurizio , Badie Nima , McSpadden Luke C. , Ryu Kyungmoo , Mangual Jan O. , Singh Jagmeet P. , Varma Niraj , Niazi Imran K.
Published: July 2021

Background

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) involves stimulation of both right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV). LV pacing from the sites of delayed electrical activation improves CRT response. The RV‐LV conduction is typically measured in intrinsic rhythm. The differences in RV‐LV conduction patterns and timing between intrinsic rhythm and during paced RV activation, these differences are not fully understood.

Methods

Enrolled patients were implanted with a de novo CRT device and quadripolar LV lead, with lead implant locations at the implanting physician's discretion. QRS duration and conduction delay between the RV lead and each of the four LV electrodes (D1, M2, M3, and P4) were measured during intrinsic conduction and RV pacing.

Results

Conduction measurements were collected from 275 patients across 14 international centers (68 ± 13 years of age, 73% male, 45% ischemic, 158 ± 22 ms QRS duration). Mean RV‐LV conduction time was shorter during intrinsic conduction versus RV pacing by 59.6 ms (106.5 ± 36.5 versus 166.1 ± 32.1 ms, p < 0.001). The intra‐LV activation delay between the latest and earliest activating LV electrode was also shorter during intrinsic conduction versus RV pacing by 6.6 ms (20.6 ± 13.1 vs. 27.2 ± 21.2 ms, p < 0.001). Intrinsic conduction and RV pacing resulted in a different activation order in 72.7% of patients, and the same LV activation order in 27.3%.

Conclusions

Differences in RV‐LV conduction time, intra‐LV conduction time, and activation pattern were observed between intrinsic conduction and RV pacing. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating intrinsic versus paced ventricular activation to guide LV pacing site selection in CRT patients.
Go large or go conical: allometric trajectory of an early Cambrian acrotretide brachiopod
Authors: Zhang Zhiliang , Topper Timothy P. , Chen Yanlong , Strotz Luke C. , Chen Feiyang , Holmer Lars E. , Brock Glenn A. , Zhang Zhifei
Published: July 2021

Acrotretides are extinct micromorphic brachiopods that exhibited considerable morphological variation during their rapid evolution in the early Palaeozoic. The plano‐conical shells of acrotretides are distinct in comparison to other brachiopod groups and despite their diversity and abundance in early Palaeozoic communities, their origins, early evolution, life history and phylogeny are poorly understood. Here, we employ advanced geometric morphometrics to quantitatively investigate ontogenetic variation and allometry in the ventral valve of the oldest known acrotretide species from the early Cambrian of South China. Our results identify substantial shape variation forEohadrotreta zhenbaensis, along with a parabolic morphological trajectory through ontogeny, demonstrating a remarkable reversal to PC1 values equivalent to those obtained for juveniles, during later ontogenetic stages. The evolutionary novel body plan (diminutive and plano‐conical) of Acrotretida was established gradually during two phases of allometry, formed initially during the final stage of the Cambrian evolutionary radiation from an ancestral low, equivalved lingulide body plan. The development of a conical shaped valve seems to have resulted in an overall smaller body size, when compared with non‐conical forms. The heterochronic processes responsible for generating these ontogenetic modifications at different allometric phases may have facilitated the evolutionary diversification of acrotretide brachiopods during the early Palaeozoic.
The prognostic significance of neuroendocrine markers and somatostatin receptor 2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Murakami Keigo , Kumata Hiroyuki , Miyagi Shigehito , Kamei Takashi , Sasano Hironobu
Published: July 2021

Prostatic and colon carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation are reported to behave more aggressively than those without such differentiation. In hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), however, only a few studies have reported the expression status of neuroendocrine markers and somatostatin receptor 2, the main target of a somatostatin analog. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of the markers in HCCs has not been fully explored. We evaluated the expression of the neuroendocrine makers (chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and CD56) and somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) in 95 HCCs, and investigated the correlation between the expression of these markers and clinicopathological findings. Chromogranin A was immunolocalized in 2 cases, synaptophysin in 15 cases, CD56 in 11 cases, and SSTR2 in 19 cases. Immunoreactivity of synaptophysin and CD56 were the significant unfavorable prognostic factors in terms of 2‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) and the overall survival (OS) along with a high nuclear mitosis level (>10/10 high‐power field), a larger tumor size (>5 cm), the presence of vascular and/or biliary invasion, and high TNM stage (III/IV). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis identified synaptophysin as an independent prognostic factor for 2‐year DFS and OS. Synaptophysin expression can be used to predict an unfavorable prognosis in patients with HCC.
Arterial stiffness in underweight and weight‐restored anorexia nervosa
Authors: Jenkins Zoe M. , Phillipou Andrea , Castle David J. , Eikelis Nina , Lambert Elisabeth A.
Published: July 2021

Cardiovascular complications have been demonstrated in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) in both the state of starvation and during weight restoration, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study aimed to assess arterial stiffness via carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in the acute and weight‐restored states of AN. The study also aimed to determine the association between psychological distress and cfPWV. The sample included 37 participants; 10 participants with AN, 17 who were weight‐restored (AN‐WR; minimum body mass index >18.5 for at least 12 months) and 10 healthy controls (HCs). cfPWV via applanation tonometry was conducted to assess arterial stiffness. Psychological distress was assessed using the depression anxiety stress scale (DASS‐21) and the state‐trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Between‐group comparisons were performed to determine differences between groups, a two‐stage hierarchical regression model was performed to determine the contribution of physiological and psychological variables on cfPWV and correlation analyses were also performed. Vascular stiffness was significantly increased in the AN and AN‐WR groups, relative to HCs. The total DASS score was the only significant predictor of cfPWV across the sample. There were positive associations between cfPWV and depression, anxiety and stress, as assessed by the DASS. Furthermore, cfPWV was positively associated with STAI trait anxiety. Arterial stiffness was increased in individuals in the acute and weight‐restored states of AN, demonstrating early signs of the development of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Increased arterial stiffness was associated with increased psychological distress, which may be a contributing mechanism to the increased cardiovascular risk in AN.
Is maternal employment detrimental to children’s nutritional status? Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Jakaria Mohammad , Bakshi Rejaul Karim , Hasan M. Mehedi
Published: July 2021

This paper explores the effect of maternal employment on the nutritional status of children below age 5 years in Bangladesh using data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Since mothers’ choice to participate in the labor market is endogenous, the estimation of the causal effect of maternal employment on child health is statistically challenging. To correct for the endogeneity of maternal employment, we employ instrumental variable (IV) estimation. While our ordinary least squares results show that mothers’ employment has no significant effect on children's nutritional outcome, the IV estimates suggest that maternal employment significantly decreases children's height‐for‐age Z‐score. This result is contrary to conventional wisdom advocating for maternal employment to positively affect child health and well‐being. We, therefore, argue for effective policy interventions—such as childcare centers at workplaces, flexibility in working hours including part‐time options for mothers, restraining child marriages, and strengthening maternal and child health‐care services through community health centers—to foster children's health as well as maternal employment in the country.
Effect of winter cereal sowing time on yield and nitrogen leaching based on experiments and modelling
Authors: Vogeler Iris , Thomsen Ingrid Kaag , Taube Friedhelm , Poulsen Henrik Vestergaard , Loges Ralf , Hansen Elly Møller
Published: July 2021

Early sowing of winter cereals has been promoted as an alternative to catch crops for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching in intensively managed cropping systems. Underlying data for this are, however, scarce and it is unclear how year‐to‐year variations affect potential reductions in N leaching. Well‐tested cropping system models can be used to assess the impact of early sowing on crop yield and N leaching. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) to simulate grain yield, biomass, phenology, N uptake and N leaching from timely and early‐sown winter cereals. The evaluation was based on two extensive field experiments carried out in Denmark in continuous winter cereals systems with different N fertilization applications, and a farm experiment in Germany with a grass ley/winter wheat crop sequence and two different N fertilization rates. Additionally, observations from growth stages throughout Denmark were used. After changing a few crop model parameters, APSIM reproduced the general effects of N fertilization and crop sequence on yields and N uptake, as well as N leaching. The model was then used to simulate the effect of sowing time on grain yield over a period of 10 years, to capture year‐to‐year variability and enable a better evaluation of the efficacy of early sowing for reducing N leaching. In the continuous winter cereal systems, early sowing reduced N leaching at both sites in Denmark. In contrast, in the grass ley/winter wheat system in Germany early sowing increased N leaching, due to enhanced mineralization of grass residues.
Contrastive Hinge Epistemology
Authors: Volpe Giorgio
Published: July 2021

In this paper, I outline an account of the structure of perceptual justification that develops Wittgenstein's thought that the possibility of acquiring any degree of justification for our beliefs depends on placing certain propositions outside the route of empirical inquiry, turning them into the “hinges” of our rational evaluations. The proposal is akin to “moderate” accounts of the structure of perceptual justification; however, it conjoins Wittgenstein's insight with explanationist and contrastivist ideas and thus differs in important respects both from such accounts and from other versions of hinge epistemology. I maintain that the basic presuppositions of the epistemic practice of taking experience at face value are not totally refractory to evidential assessment, arguing that they can receive some degree of second‐order empirical justification via inference to the best explanation. And I address the worry that the account may face the problem of “easy knowledge” by helping myself to the contrastivist view that empirical knowledge is best understood as a three‐place, contrastive relation between an agent, a proposition (or fact), and a contrast. This leads me to replace the usual closure principles for epistemic justification and knowledge with corresponding contrastive principles, filling in the final details of contrastive hinge epistemology.
Elusive partners: a review of the auxiliary proteins guiding metabolic flux in flavonoid biosynthesis
Authors: Dastmalchi Mehran
Published: July 2021

Flavonoids are specialized metabolites widely distributed across the plant kingdom. They are involved in the growth and survival of plants, conferring the ability to filter ultra‐violet rays, conduct symbiotic partnerships, and respond to stress. While many branches of flavonoid biosynthesis have been resolved, recent discoveries suggest missing auxiliary components. These overlooked elements can guide metabolic flux, enhance production, mediate stereoselectivity, transport intermediates, and exert regulatory functions. This review describes several families of auxiliary proteins from across the plant kingdom, including examples from specialized metabolism. In flavonoid biosynthesis, we discuss the example of chalcone isomerase‐like (CHIL) proteins and their non‐catalytic role. CHILs mediate the cyclization of tetraketides, forming the chalcone scaffold by interacting with chalcone synthase (CHS). Loss of CHIL activity leads to derailment of the CHS‐catalyzed reaction and a loss of pigmentation in fruits and flowers. Similarly, members of the pathogenesis‐related 10 (PR10) protein family have been found to differentially bind flavonoid intermediates, guiding the composition of anthocyanins. This role comes within a larger body of PR10 involvement in specialized metabolism, from outright catalysis (e.g., (S)‐norcoclaurine synthesis) to controlling stereochemistry (e.g., enhancing cis‐trans cyclization in catnip). Both CHILs and PR10s hail from larger families of ligand‐binding proteins with a spectrum of activity, complicating the characterization of their enigmatic roles. Strategies for the discovery of auxiliary proteins are discussed, as well as mechanistic models for their function. Targeting such unanticipated components will be crucial in manipulating plants or engineering microbial systems for natural product synthesis.
Apera spica‐venti in the Czech Republic develops resistance to three herbicide modes of action
Authors: Košnarová Pavlína , Hamouz Pavel , Hamouzová Kateřina , Linn Alexander , Sen Madhab K. , Mikulka Jakub , Šuk Jaromír , Soukup Josef
Published: July 2021

Investigation of molecular mechanisms of herbicide resistance to three modes of action was carried out in a population of Apera spica‐venti with resistance to herbicides inhibiting acetolactate synthase (ALS), acetyl‐CoA‐carboxylase (ACCase) and inhibitors of photosystem‐II (PSII). Greenhouse experiments were conducted to detect and characterize resistance pattern to pyroxsulam (ALS inhibitor), pinoxaden (ACCase) and chlorotoluron (PSII) using the recommended rate of each herbicide alone and in tank‐mix, sequential application and dose–response tests. Metabolic detoxification and/or reduced herbicide uptake and translocation studies were conducted using dose–response tests with the herbicides in combination with malathion. After treatment, leaves from surviving plants were collected for pyrosequencing to identify target‐site mutations in specific regions of ALS, ACCase and psbA genes. Among 32 analysed plants, target‐site mutations in specific regions were detected for ALS and ACCase gene, but no psbA mutations were found. Dose–response assay showed high resistance factors for pyroxsulam (RF = 269.4), pinoxaden (RF = 66.3), but lower for chlorotoluron (RF = 14.3). Testing for metabolic detoxification by pre‐treatment with malathion resulted in an increased susceptibility to pinoxaden in all doses, some increased susceptibility to chlorotoluron at the highest doses and no difference for pyroxsulam. Our results indicate that while target‐site mutations were present for ALS and ACCase sites of action, metabolic detoxification does play a role for pinoxaden resistance. This research provided key insights into the resistance mechanisms in Apera spica‐venti and will be important for developing control strategies for this weed in the Czech Republic.
The Impact of Price and Non-Price Factors on Area Allocated to Oilseeds in India: An Application of ARDL Model
Authors: Mithiya Debasis , Bandyopadhyay Simanti , Mandal Kumarjit
Published: July 2021

The study attempts to investigate the dynamic relationship between acreage allocation of oilseeds and price (own price and prices of competitive crops) and also search for the link between area allocation and other non-price factors including productivity, irrigation, rainfall, technology and a policy-making variable (economic liberalization). The dynamic panel data for the year 1976-77 to 2017-18 have been used in the analysis. The study has used the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model to understand the relationship between the dependent and the independent variables and to investigate the long-run equilibrium relationship between them. To estimate the model, both PMG (Pooled Mean Group) and MG (Mean group) estimation methods have been used. The Hausman test has been conducted to see the difference between the PMG and the MG results. The outcomes show that PMG serves as an efficient estimator here. The error correction terms are negative and significant. The results show strong evidence of area allocation towards oilseed crops, indicate a strong co-integration among their determinants in the long run. The ARDL results indicate that the speed of adjustment towards long-run equilibrium varies from 14.8 to 40.6 percent.
Ovariectomy and high salt increase blood pressure and alter sodium transport proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of adult Wistar rats
Authors: Vlachovsky Sandra G. , Di Ciano Luis A. , Oddo Elisabet M. , Azurmendi Pablo J. , Goette Nora P. , Arrizurieta Elvira E. , Silberstein Claudia , Ibarra Fernando R.
Published: July 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

In a model of salt‐sensitive hypertension in ovariectomized (oVx) adult Wistar rats, what is the expression of proteins related to sodium transport in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and how does the response of proteins to high sodium intake compare with changes in blood pressure in intact female rats?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Sodium transport proteins in PBMCs react to high sodium and blood pressure markedly differently in oVx versus intact female rats. Protein expression shows sodium and pressure sensitivity. Renal immune cells increase in oVx under high salt.

Hypertension is a worldwide public health problem. High sodium consumption is associated with hypertension, and hypertensive mechanisms involve immunity cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are endowed with proteins related to sodium transport. We studied their abundance in PBMCs from intact (IF) or ovariectomized (oVx) adult Wistar rats under normal (NS) or high (HS) salt intake. Ovariectomy was performed at 60 days of life. At 145 days, one group of IF and oVx rats received NS or HS intake for 5 days. Another group of IF HS and oVx HS rats received hydralazine (HDZ) to reduce blood pressure (BP). Sodium balance and BP were recorded. Expression of Na+,K+‐ATPase (NKA), Na+–K+–2Cl− cotransporter 1 (NKCC1), serum/glucocorticoid‐regulated kinase 1 (SGK1), dopamine D1 like receptor (D1DR), CD4+ and CD8+ were determined in PBMCs and CD45+ leukocytes in renal tissue. IF HS rats showed increased natriuresis and normal BP. NKA and CD4+ expression diminished in IF HS. Instead, oVx HS rats had sodium retention and high BP and increased the expression of NKA, NKCC1, D1DR, CD4+ and CD8+ in PBMCs. Renal CD45+ leukocytes increased in oVx HS rats. HDZ decreased BP in all rats. Upon HDZ treatment, NKA did not change, NKCC1 decreased in oVx HS rats, while SGK1 increased in both IF HS and oVx HS rats. Hormonal background determines BP response and the expression of proteins related to sodium transport in PBMCs and renal immune cells at HS intake. The analysis of NKA, NKCC1 and SGK1 expression in PBMCs differentiated salt‐sensitivity from BP variations.
Integrated respiratory chemoreflex‐mediated regulation of cerebral blood flow in hypoxia: Implications for oxygen delivery and acute mountain sickness
Authors: Ogoh Shigehiko , Washio Takuro , Stacey Benjamin S. , Tsukamoto Hayato , Iannetelli Angelo , Owens Thomas S. , Calverley Thomas A. , Fall Lewis , Marley Christopher J. , Saito Shotaro , Watanabe Hironori , Hashimoto Takeshi , Ando Soichi , Miyamoto Tadayoshi , Bailey Damian M.
Published: July 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

To what extent do hypoxia‐induced changes in the peripheral and central respiratory chemoreflex modulate anterior and posterior cerebral oxygen delivery, with corresponding implications for susceptibility to acute mountain sickness?

What is the main finding and its importance?

We provide evidence for site‐specific regulation of cerebral blood flow in hypoxia that preserves oxygen delivery in the posterior but not the anterior cerebral circulation, with minimal contribution from the central respiratory chemoreflex. External carotid artery vasodilatation might prove to be an alternative haemodynamic risk factor that predisposes to acute mountain sickness.

The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which hypoxia‐induced changes in the peripheral and central respiratory chemoreflex modulate anterior and posterior cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen delivery (CDO2), with corresponding implications for the pathophysiology of the neurological syndrome, acute mountain sickness (AMS). Eight healthy men were randomly assigned single blind to 7 h of passive exposure to both normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (12% O2). The peripheral and central respiratory chemoreflex, internal carotid artery, external carotid artery (ECA) and vertebral artery blood flow (duplex ultrasound) and AMS scores (questionnaires) were measured throughout. A reduction in internal carotid artery CDO2 was observed during hypoxia despite a compensatory elevation in perfusion. In contrast, vertebral artery and ECA CDO2 were preserved, and the former was attributable to a more marked increase in perfusion. Hypoxia was associated with progressive activation of the peripheral respiratory chemoreflex (P < 0.001), whereas the central respiratory chemoreflex remained unchanged (P > 0.05). Symptom severity in participants who developed clinical AMS was positively related to ECA blood flow (Lake Louise score, r = 0.546–0.709, P = 0.004–0.043; Environmental Symptoms Questionnaires‐Cerebral symptoms score, r = 0.587–0.771, P = 0.001–0.027, n = 4). Collectively, these findings highlight the site‐specific regulation of CBF in hypoxia that maintains CDO2 selectively in the posterior but not the anterior cerebral circulation, with minimal contribution from the central respiratory chemoreflex. Furthermore, ECA vasodilatation might represent a hitherto unexplored haemodynamic risk factor implicated in the pathophysiology of AMS.
Early resistance training‐mediated stimulation of daily muscle protein synthetic responses to higher habitual protein intake in middle‐aged adults
Authors: Salvador Amadeo F. , McKenna Colleen F. , Paulussen Kevin J. M. , Keeble Alexander R. , Askow Andrew T. , Fang Hsin‐Yu , Li Zhong , Ulanov Alexander V. , Paluska Scott A. , Moore Daniel R. , Burd Nicholas A.
Published: July 2021

Key points

The ingestion of protein potentiates the stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates after an acute bout of resistance exercise.

Protein supplementation (eating above the protein Recommended Dietary Allowance) during resistance training has been shown to maximize lean mass and strength gains in healthy young and older adults.

Here, contractile, oxidative, and structural protein synthesis were assessed in skeletal muscle in response to a moderate or higher protein diet during the early adaptive phase of resistance training in middle‐aged adults.

The stimulation of myofibrillar, mitochondrial or collagen protein synthesis rates during 0–3 weeks of resistance training is not further enhanced by a higher protein diet.

These results show that moderate protein diets are sufficient to support the skeletal muscle adaptive response during the early phase of a resistance training programme.

Protein ingestion augments muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates acutely after resistance exercise and can offset age‐related loss in muscle mass. Skeletal muscle contains a variety of protein pools, such as myofibrillar (contractile), mitochondrial (substrate oxidation), and collagen (structural support) proteins, and the sensitivity to nutrition and exercise seems to be dependent on the major protein fraction studied. However, it is unknown how free‐living conditions with high dietary protein density and habitual resistance exercise mediates muscle protein subfraction synthesis. Therefore, we investigated the effect of moderate (MOD: 1.06 ± 0.22 g kg−1 day−1) or high (HIGH: 1.55 ± 0.25 g kg−1 day−1) protein intake on daily MPS rates within the myofibrillar (MyoPS), mitochondrial (MitoPS) and collagen (CPS) protein fractions in middle‐aged men and women (n = 20, 47 ± 1 years, BMI 28 ± 1 kg m–2) during the early phase (0–3 weeks) of a dietary counselling‐controlled resistance training programme. Participants were loaded with deuterated water, followed by daily maintenance doses throughout the intervention. Muscle biopsies were collected at baseline and after weeks 1, 2 and 3. MyoPS in the HIGH condition remained constant (P = 1.000), but MOD decreased over time (P = 0.023). MitoPS decreased after 0–3 weeks when compared to 0–1 week (P = 0.010) with no effects of protein intake (P = 0.827). A similar decline with no difference between groups (P = 0.323) was also observed for CPS (P = 0.007). Our results demonstrated that additional protein intake above moderate amounts does not potentiate the stimulation of longer‐term MPS responses during the early stage of resistance training adaptations in middle‐aged adults.
Innovative Approach to Evaluate the Wearing of Nano-TiO2-Doped Alumina Ceramics in the Light of Image Modeling
Authors: Haldar Partha , Mukherjee Alok , Bhattacharya Tapas Kumar , Modak Nipu
Published: July 2021

The present research is emphasized on the microscopic observation of post-wear surface of nano-TiO2-doped alumina ceramics to access wearing by promising image processing algorithms, namely, entropy analysis, Sobel edge detection technique, and entropy filtered image histogram analysis in relation to the extent of doping. The experimental results of specific wear-rate showed an indicator with the extent of microfracturing of grains, plowing of materials and debris formation on the wear track after a long wear cycle in terms of entropy level, edge density index, and entropy filtered image, and the nature of histogram at different doping levels. The lowest value of entropy level and edge density index is shown at the level of 1 wt%. TiO2-doped alumina ceramics due to the presence of low number of granularity and microfracture grains on the wear track cause the lowering of specific wear-rate. The histogram of entropy filtered image for 1 wt% doping is more uniformly distributed with the highest frequency and lowest skewness factor over a wide range of intensity values.
Effect of Eccentricity and Surface Roughness on Probabilistic Performance of Two Axial Groove Bearing
Authors: Roy Biswajit , Roy Lintu , Dey Sudip
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the effect of eccentricity and surface roughness on the probabilistic performance of two axial groove hydrodynamic journal bearing. In general, it is difficult to quantify experimentally the variabilities involved in dynamic responses of the hydrodynamic bearing due to the randomness involved in surface asperity and eccentricity ratio. The deterministic models available for the analysis of the bearings are not capable to include such uncertainties. Thus, the focus of the study is to quantify such uncertainties on the performance of a two axial grooved journal bearing. To simulate the variabilities of the stochastic variables, Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is carried out. The steady-state and dynamic coefficients are obtained by solving the Reynolds equation using a surrogate-based finite difference method. The moving least square (MLS) method is used as the surrogate model to increase the computational efficiency of MCS.
A Machine Learning Approach to Solve the Alt–Burmester Problem for Synthesis of Defect-Free Spatial Mechanisms
Authors: Sharma Shashank , Purwar Anurag
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we present a machine learning algorithm to synthesize defect-free single-degree-of-freedom spatial mechanisms for the Alt–Burmester problem. The Alt–Burmester problem is a generalization of a pure motion synthesis problem to include via path-points with missing orientations. While much work has been done towards the synthesis of planar and, to some extent, spherical mechanisms, the generation of mechanisms that are free of circuit, branch, and order defects has proven to be a difficult task. This is even more challenging for spatial mechanisms, which can consist of a large number of circuits and branches. Moreover, the Alt–Burmester problem makes solving such problems using an analytical approach further demanding. In this paper, we present a novel machine learning algorithm for solving the Alt–Burmester problem for spatial 5-SS platform mechanism using a variational autoencoder (VAE) architecture. The VAE helps capture the relationship between path and orientation properties of the motion of the 5-SS mechanisms, which enables reformulating the Alt–Burmester problem into a pure motion synthesis problem. The end goal is to produce defect-free spatial mechanism design solutions. While our focus in this paper is on the 5-SS mechanisms, this approach can be scaled to any single-degree-of-freedom spatial mechanisms.