bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DEDE KORKUT’TAKİ KARA BUDAK ÜZERİNE BİR DEĞERLENDİRME
Authors: EYÜBOĞLU Dursun Can
Published: February 2022

Destanlar hem tarihle hem edebiyatla ilişkilidir. Türkler zengin bir destan geleneğine sahiptir. Dede Korkut Destanları; Türk destanları içerisinde önemli bir yere sahiptir; eski Türk yaşamının bir yansımasıdır; Türk tarihi, coğrafyası, dili, edebiyatı, kültürü, sanatı ve daha birçok konu hakkında önemli bilgiler içermektedir. Dede Korkut’ta birçok kişi adı geçmektedir. Dede Korkut’ta adı geçen kişilerden biri de Kara Budak’tır. Kara Budak’ın adı Dede Korkut Kitabı’nda dört boyda geçmektedir. Kara Güne’nin oğlu olarak tanınsa da aslında Kara Budak, Bayındır Han’ın oğludur. Kara Budak, Salur Kazan’ın kızı ile evlidir ve Bayındır Han ve Salur Kazan işbirliğinde de önemli bir role sahiptir. Kara Budak’a Dede Korkut’un Türkmen varyantında ve yeni keşfedilen el yazmasında da yer verilmiştir. Kara Budak’ta birkaç tarihi tabaka vardır. Kara Budak, birçok bakımdan eski Türk tarihinin bir yansıması olup eski Orta Asya Türk kahramanlarının bir örneğidir. Bu makalede, Dede Korkut’taki Kara Budak; adı, ailesi, tarihteki ve Dede Korkut’taki yeri incelenmiştir.
A Case of Cochlear Implantation in a Patient With Intracochlear Schwannoma
Authors: Joo Hye Ah , Park Hong Ju
Published: February 2022

Intralabyrinthine schwannomas are rare benign tumors, which arise from neural portions within the labyrinth. These are subclassified into seven groups according to the affected inner ear structures. Intracochlear schwannomas (ICS) are tumors confined to the cochlea, and these can cause progressive unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and aural fullness. Here, we report a 49-year-old female patient with left sudden sensorineural hearing loss. There was no improvement of hearing despite steroid and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Space occupying lesion in the basal turn of the left cochlea was identified in MRI with enhancement. She underwent tumor removal through an extended round window approach, and cochlear implantation was performed successfully. This is the first case report of cochlear implantation after tumor removal in a patient with ICS in Korea, and we discuss management options with a review of the literature.
Evaluation of Effectiveness of Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Han Seung Yoon , Lee Jin , Koo Hyungbon , Chung Juyong
Published: February 2022

Background and Objectives Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is characterized by sudden onset of impaired hearing, and systemic steroid is the most widely accepted treatment option for it. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of stellate ganglion block (SGB) as a treatment option for SSNHL.Subjects and Method A total of 318 patients diagnosed with SSNHL were treated with systemic steroid and SGB (SGB group, 127 patients) or systemic steroid only (non-SGB group, 191 patients). Hearing improvement was defined as a hearing gain of more than slight improvement using Siegel’s criteria.Results The SGB group did not show any significant effects on hearing improvement compared with the non-SGB group (60% vs. 65%). However, some patients with profound hearing loss of more than 90 dB have recovered above average after the SGB treatment. Also, we used multiple regression analysis to ascertain which factors influenced hearing recovery, and found that the initial pure-tone audiometry thresholds at 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz were statistically associated with hearing recovery.Conclusion In conclusion, SGB did not show a clear therapeutic effect, but suggested the possibility of treatment for improving the inner ear circulation of patients with profound hearing loss.
The Role of MicroRNA in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Kim Yeon Soo
Published: February 2022

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) include epithelial tumors arising in the structures of aerodigestive tract such as oral and nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, paranasal sinuses, and local lymph nodes. HNSCC is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and its prognosis is very poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single stranded noncoding RNAs which are about 19-25 nucleotides involved in cell proliferation, development, differentiation and metastasis. It is believed that miRNA alterations correlate with initiation and progression of cancer cell proliferation or inhibition of tumorigenesis especially in development, progression, and metastasis of HNSCC. Altered expression of miRNAs could be novel molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of HNSCC. Despite the advances in cancer treatment, the mortality rate of HNSCC is still high. The potential application of miRNAs for cancer therapy has been demonstrated in many studies. In this review, we discuss the very recent studies on different aspects of miRNA dysregulation with their clinical significance and miRNA-based therapy.
Evaluating the Technology-Enhanced Flipped Classroom Through the Students’ Eye: A Case Study
Authors: Fuchs Kevin
Published: February 2022

Emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the unprecedented global pandemic, COVID-19, identified the pressing need for innovative teaching methods that support and foster technology-enhanced active learning through the distance education paradigm. Distance education is not a new phenomenon, while the flipped classroom concept is also a well-researched method. However, there have been rather few studies about the flipped classroom (FC) approach in higher education with the support of technology. This study contributes by critically exploring how full-time distance students perceived the usefulness of the Technology-enhanced Flipped Classroom (TEFC) approach to support their graduate studies. A series of semi-structured interviews (n=7) collected the empirical data for this qualitative method of inquiry. Moreover, teaching materials were used for the data collection, while the interviews were preceded by a preliminary observational study in a TEFC in a STEM graduate-level course. Through thematic analysis, three major themes were identified that offered a broader insight into the students' perspectives concerning the benefits and challenges of the TEFC concept. The themes were sentimental involvement, technical FC design, and peer-communication. The primary finding revealed that the students perceived the discussion-based sessions in the TEFC to have enabled them to foster their knowledge transfer. It was also perceived as particularly positive in its ability to contribute to and influence the discussion flow. These validated earlier claims concerning a positive perception of the TEFC concept in the formal learning process. This research discovered that TEFC is a viable tool to support learning in a pandemic situation by empowering students and facilitating active learning through information and communication technologies (ICT).
Importancia de la cultura organizacional para la gestión de las unidades económicas rurales
Authors: López Meza Evelia , Sánchez Torres Yolanda , Martínez García María Dolores
Published: February 2022

Para las empresas, la cultura organizacional es un factor determinante de éxito. Sin embargo, en las empresas rurales este elemento cobra mayor importancia al estar relacionado directamente con el origen de sus actividades productivas. La finalidad del presente documento es argumentar teórica y empíricamente sobre la importancia de la cultura organizacional en la empresa rural, mediante la revisión de estudios diversos, a partir de los cuales se proponen variables para el análisis de la cultura organizacional en este tipo de empresa. Existen factores externos, internos y de raíz; se argumenta que estos últimos son los más importantes, por ser parte de la herencia inmaterial y permiten el entendimiento de la organización. Se concluye que la cultura organizacional influye en la gestión de la empresa rural a nivel general.
Empresas y organizaciones indígenas en Méjico: ¿modalidades alternativas de etnodesarrollo?
Authors: Ballina Ríos Francisco
Published: February 2022

Este artículo presenta distintas evidencias de trabajo comunitario que ocurren en organizaciones y empresas indígenas en Méjico; en estas encontramos una asociación entre ética, cosmovisión, productividad e identidad que sustenta su administración. El problema surge de las expectativas de estas comunidades en la autogestión y la toma de decisiones, en un sistema de dominación y explotación económica, resultado de quinientos años de historia nacional. ¿Hasta qué punto se puede mantener un equilibrio entre el sistema valorativo de identidad nacional y los sistemas valorativos de las comunidades indígenas?, y construir así un paradigma ecoproductivo.
Two Cats, One Fish: The Animal,Leviathanand the Limits of Theory
Authors: Kempen Aldo
Published: February 2022

Animals populate our artistic and philosophical discourses in critical ways. From Jacques Derrida's or Karen Barad's cat, to Donna Haraway's dog, to the fish in Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel's Leviathan (2012), these animals feature heavily in discussions regarding limits – the limits of the human and thus its relation with non-humans, but also the limits of knowledge itself. Cute or dangerous, real or fantasised, dead or alive: in this article, I juxtapose the various ways that such animals confront us with what Jacques Derrida describes as “the point of view of the absolute other”. Similarly, recent texts stage encounters with animals – thus distributing agency towards a larger variety of beings, carving out space for a previously excluded non-human other. Yet these encounters are mediated in profoundly different ways. In researching how encounters with the animal are differentially inflected and “defracted” respective to the medium in which they are staged, this article invokes questions of form and style within the critical dialogue that attempts to centre non-human animals. Highlighting how formal decisions are not accidental, but rather integral, to the praxis of the philosophy of animality, this article aims to draw attention to how specific forms and styles allow for a moment of contact with a non-human other. To this end, this article examines three oft-cited encounters: Derrida's encounter with his cat, an intense stare with a fish in Leviathan, and Barad's inflection of Schrödinger's cat. This juxtaposition gives insight into the (ethical) limits of certain styles of producing thought and critically reflects on these works in their discussion of non-human life and agency.
Transferring Suspiria: Historicism and Philosophies of Psychoanalytic Transference
Authors: Howard Alexander , Murphet Julian
Published: February 2022

Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria (2018) aggressively foregrounds a term from the discourse of psychoanalysis, now a relic of twentieth-century philosophical and psychological thought, with which to negotiate a sequence of historical problems specific to its articulation as a remake (adaptation or reimagining) of a 1977 giallo by Dario Argento. The concept is “transference”. Transference traverses the whole semantic field of this film text, offering a hermeneutic device that, we will show, structures its conception and execution. This interpretative tool affords us a conceptual means with which to appreciate the decidedly querulous attitude that Guadagnino's remake assumes as regards its source text. Lodged in what can be described as an antagonism over the “spirit” of a film shot in 1977 is, we feel, a profound difference of opinion over the relationship between aesthetics and politics, and thus a contest over the very concept of a film's “spirit”. Argento's classic deliberately “spiritualizes” the political context of its creation, and particularly its setting during the German Autumn of 1977, in order to produce an oneiric fairy-tale nightmare about innocence abroad. The “spirit” of Suspiria is what must be sacrificed in the 2018 adaptation, in order to rescue its material basis from the amnesia of posterity. This is a film about its own historicism and about historicism in general, and what it costs to produce a “terrible beauty” out of the violence of terror. It is a materialist intervention in the culture of recycling, and offers, as a remake, a critical reading of a film apparently immune to the principle of a remake.
Auratic Encounters with Posthumous Literary Celebrity in Henry James’s Late Victorian Tales: Desiring the Dead
Authors: Boyce Charlotte
Published: February 2022

Henry James was well known for his anxieties about the Victorian celebrity industry, and his particular concerns about posthumous intrusions into the lives of literary icons. Yet, at the same time, he betrayed a necromantic fascination with the private affairs of those authorial greats who predeceased him. This fascination spills over into three of his late Victorian tales: ‘The Aspern Papers’ (1888), ‘John Delavoy’ (1898), and ‘The Real Right Thing’ (1899). Through their representations of affective objects, sacralised spaces, and living conduits to the dead, these stories explore the sensory and intellectual pleasures that arise from auratic encounters with deceased literary celebrities. Although the tales remain ambivalent towards the prospect of posthumous exposure, I argue that they nevertheless understand the allure of ‘haptic fandom’, and consequently demonstrate a tacit sympathy towards individuals’ desires for communion with the illustrious dead.
Wordsworth's Death and the Figure of the Poet in 1850
Authors: Morton John
Published: February 2022

This article will consider the extent and nature of the celebrity of the Poet Laureate William Wordsworth, who died in 1850. Ostensibly the most famous English poet alive in that year, on his death on 23 April 1850, Wordsworth had been Poet Laureate for just over seven years and had been actively producing verse since 1793. Shortly after his death, his longest poem, now considered a masterpiece of autobiographical epic, The Prelude, was published; one could easily assume that the death of such a major poet coupled with the publication of one of his most significant works would dominate the literary world in that year; yet notices of his death, while widespread, were fleeting in focus, and The Prelude met with a lukewarm reception. This challenges the concept of even a Poet Laureate as a literary celebrity. Nonetheless, as I will show, his name endured as a byword for ‘poet’ in periodicals of the time, and the Wordsworthian pastoral lyric remained an enduring form in periodicals of the year of his death; meaning that Wordsworth as a figure of ‘true poet’ endured even as his personal celebrity had waned.
La evaluación psicológica forense como un diseño paralelo convergente desde los métodos mixtos de investigación
Authors: Amaya Nassar Santiago
Published: February 2022

Los psicólogos forenses realizan evaluaciones psicológicas de orden científico, con el fin de ayudar a responder una pregunta de la administración de justicia. Las evaluaciones psicológicas forenses, se pueden enmarcar como un proceso de investigación científica a pequeña escala enmarcado en los métodos mixtos de investigación. Esto, debido a que hace uso tanto de herramientas cuantitativa como cualitativas en el proceso de evaluación. No obstante, si se afirma que se realiza un proceso de los métodos mixtos es pertinente aclarar el diseño de investigación utilizado. El objetivo del presente texto es resaltar como la evaluación psicológica forense correspondería a un diseño paralelo convergente de los métodos mixtos de evaluación. Para ello, se presenta su soporte epistémico desde el realismo crítico y los elementos que componen al diseño propuesto. El realismo crítico ha sido uno de los paradigmas epistemológicos más importantes en la fundamentación de los métodos mixtos de investigación. Este enfoque proviene de Roy Bhaskar, quien lo construyó como una alternativa al positivismo y la hermenéutica. El diseño paralelo convergente corresponde a la implementación concurrente de herramientas cuantitativas y cualitativas, buscando responder una misma pregunta. Se muestra cómo estos se evidencian en una evaluación psicológica forense en sus elementos cuantitativos como los instrumentos psicométricos, cualitativos como las entrevistas o análisis categorial, y finalmente en el análisis integral de la información en la discusión y conclusiones. Se concluye que la evaluación psicológica forense puede presentarse como un diseño paralelo convergente, al igual del modo de presentación en el informe pericial.
Atencion auditiva y memoria verbal en niños y niñas con trastorno por deficit de Atención/Hiperactividad de la ciudad de Manizales
Authors: Delgado Reyes Andres Camilo , Aldana Lorena Aguirre , García Xilen Giselle Beltrán
Published: February 2022

El Trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH) es una alteración del neurodesarrollo con alta prevalencia en el contexto mundial y en el departamento de caldas,  el núcleo de esta condición se encuentra en alteraciones del funcionamiento ejecutivo, especialmente fallas a nivel atencional, el presente estudio tiene como objetivo describir el desempeño en tareas de atención auditiva y memoria verbal de un grupo de niños y niñas de 5 a 15 años con diagnóstico de TDAH en la ciudad de Manizales en comparación a un grupo control pareado por edad y sexo; también se busca establecer la correlación entre las pruebas de atención auditiva y la codificación de información verbal. Investigación de tipo no experimental, transversal y descriptiva. Se seleccionó una muestra intencional y por conveniencia de 76 participantes, de un total de 300 sujetos de una base de datos de la especialización en Neuropsicopedagogía de la universidad de Manizales, 36 (48%) de ellos pertenecientes al grupo de casos y 39 (52%) de ellos al grupo control. Se evaluaron por medio subpruebas extraídos de la Batería Neuropsicológica Infantil (ENI). Los resultados evidencian que el grupo control tuvo una mayor puntuación promedio en todos los tipos de pruebas aplicadas, se encuentran correlaciones estadísticamente significativas (valor p<0,05) entre dígitos en progresión y recuperación por claves. La correlación establecida se puede explicar a partir de la literatura científica debido a que la recuperación por claves requiere más recursos atencionales y ejecutivos para manipular la información previamente almacenada.
Basophil Activation to Gluten and Non-Gluten Proteins in Wheat-Dependent Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis
Authors: Gabler Angelika Miriam , Gebhard Julia , Norwig Marie-Christin , Eberlein Bernadette , Biedermann Tilo , Brockow Knut , Scherf Katharina Anne
Published: February 2022

Wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a cofactor-induced wheat allergy. Gluten proteins, especially ω5-gliadins, are known as major allergens, but partially hydrolyzed wheat proteins (HWPs) also play a role. Our study investigated the link between the molecular composition of gluten or HWP and allergenicity. Saline extracts of gluten (G), gluten with reduced content of ω5-gliadins (G-ω5), slightly treated HWPs (sHWPs), and extensively treated HWPs (eHWPs) were prepared as allergen test solutions and their allergenicity assessed using the skin prick test and basophil activation test (BAT) on twelve patients with WDEIA and ten controls. Complementary sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses revealed that non-gluten proteins, mainly α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs), were predominant in the allergen test solutions of G, G-ω5, and sHWPs. Only eHWPs contained gliadins and glutenins as major fraction. All allergen test solutions induced significantly higher %CD63+ basophils/anti-FcεRI ratios in patients compared with controls. BAT using sHWPs yielded 100% sensitivity and 83% specificity at optimal cut-off and may be useful as another tool in WDEIA diagnosis. Our findings indicate that non-gluten proteins carrying yet unidentified allergenic epitopes appear to be relevant in WDEIA. Further research is needed to clarify the role of nutritional ATIs in WDEIA and identify specific mechanisms of immune activation.
Effects of Milk Feeding Strategy and Acidification on Growth Performance, Metabolic Traits, Oxidative Stress, and Health of Holstein Calves
Authors: Alugongo Gibson Maswayi , Xiao Jianxin , Azarfar Arash , Liu Shuai , Yousif Mohammed Husien , Ma Yulin , Wang Yangjing , Li Shengli , Cao Zhijun
Published: February 2022

Effects of milk feeding strategy and acidification on calf growth, metabolic traits, oxidative stress, and health were evaluated in the first 78 days of life. Holstein calves (N = 48; 12 calves/treatment) were assigned to 1 of the 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of milk feeding strategy [6 L/d (MOD) or 12 L/d (HIGH) of milk] and acidification [non-acidified milk (NAM) or acidified milk (ACM)] on day 2. Calves were bucket-fed milk as follows: 6 L/d from days 2 to 49 for MOD and 6 L/d from days 2 to 49, 12 L/d from days 7 to 42, and 8 L/d from days 43 to 49 for HIGH calves. All calves were then fed 4 L/d from days 50 to 56. Starter and water were available ad libitum, while hay was fed at 5% of starter from day 64. Calves were weighed, measured, and blood (except days 14, 42 and 56) sampled on days 2, 14, 28, 42, 49, 56, 63 and 78. Data were analyzed using Mixed PROC of SAS with time as repeated measurements. Fecal scores, checked daily, were examined by the logistic regression using a binomial distribution in GLIMMIX procedure. There were no three-way interactions observed for all the parameters. We detected a milk feeding strategy × time interaction for starter intake, body weight, ADG, ADG/ME, FE, structural measurements, and glucose. Although, overall (558.0 vs. 638.6 g/d), HIGH calves tended to consume less starter compared to MOD, significant differences were only observed in week 8. The HIGH calves had greater ADG during days 2–14 (1.12 vs. 0.75 kg/d) and tended to have greater ADG on days 15–28 (0.79 vs. 0.55) and 29–42 (0.86 vs. 0.60) and lower on days 57–63 (0.11 vs. 0.38) compared to MOD calves. The HIGH calves had greater BW from days 28 to 78 compared to MOD, while NAM were bigger compared to ACM calves from days 49 to 78. The HIGH calves had lower overall feed and metabolizable energy efficiencies compared to MOD. Except for BW and heart girth, no milk acidification × time interaction was observed for starter intake, ADG, FE, or ADG/ME. Blood glucose in calves fed NAM-HIGH and ACM-HIGH were greater compared to those fed moderate milk volumes on day 28 only. Albeit, feeding strategy had no effect, calves fed ACM had lower likelihood of experiencing diarrhea (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.018–1.698) compared to those fed NAM. Overall milk feeding strategy had no effect on growth, while milk acidification reduced growth in calves, despite lowering the likelihood of experiencing diarrhea.
Passive, Active, and Proactive Systems and Machines for the Protection and Preservation of Animals and Animal Species
Authors: Bendel Oliver
Published: February 2022

Digitalization and automation are expanding into many areas, resulting in more widespread use of partially and fully autonomous machines and robots. At the same time, environmental and other crises and disasters are on the rise, the world population is growing, and animals are losing their habitat. Increasingly, machines and robots such as agricultural vehicles, autonomous cars, robotic lawnmowers, or social robots are encountering animals of all kinds. In the process, the latter are injured or killed. Some machines can be designed so that this does not happen. Relevant disciplines and research areas briefly introduced here are machine ethics, social robotics, animal-machine interaction, and animal-computer interaction. In addition, animal welfare is important. Passive and active machines—as they are called in this review—are already appearing and help to observe and protect animals. Proactive machines may play a role in the future. They could use the possibilities of full automation and autonomy to save animals from suffering in agriculture or in the wild. During crises and disasters and in extensive nature reserves, they could observe, care for, and protect animals. The review provides initial considerations on active, passive, and proactive machines and how they can be used in an animal preservation context while bearing in mind recent technical and global developments.
The Recovery of Weight-Bearing Symmetry After Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Activity-Dependent
Authors: Alves Sónia A. , Preuße Marco , Hommel Hagen , Duda Georg N. , Agres Alison N.
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to characterize ipsilateral loading and return to weight-bearing symmetry (WBS) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) during activities of daily living (ADLs) using instrumented insoles. A prospective study in 25 THA patients was performed, which included controlled pre- and postoperative follow-ups in a single rehabilitation center of an orthopedic department. Ipsilateral loading and WBS of ADLs were measured with insoles in THA patients and in a healthy control group of 25 participants. Measurements in the THA group were performed at 4 different visits: a week pre-THA, within a week post-THA, 3–6 weeks post-THA, and 6–12 weeks post-THA, whereas the healthy control group was measured once. ADLs included standing comfortably, standing evenly, walking, and sit-to-stand-to-sit (StS) transitions. All ADLs were analyzed using discrete methods, and walking included a time-scale analysis to provide temporal insights in the ipsilateral loading and WBS waveforms. THA patients only improved beyond their pre-surgery levels while standing comfortably (ipsilateral loading and WBS, p < 0.05) and during StS transitions (WBS, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, patients improved upon their ipsilateral loading and WBS deficits observed within a week post-surgery across all investigated ADLs. Ipsilateral loading and WBS of THA patients were comparable to healthy participants at 6–12 weeks post-THA, except for ipsilateral loading during walking (p < 0.05) at the initial and terminal double-leg support period of the stance phase. Taken together, insole measurements allow for the quantification of ipsilateral loading and WBS deficits during ADLs, identifying differences between pre- and postoperative periods, and differentiating THA patients from healthy participants. However, post-THA measurements that lack pre-surgery assessments may not be sensitive to identifying patient-specific improvements in ipsilateral loading and WBS. Moreover, StS transitions and earlier follow-up time points should be considered an important clinical metric of biomechanical recovery after THA.
Effective Two-Stage Heterotrophic Cultivation of the Unicellular Green Microalga Chromochloris zofingiensis Enabled Ultrahigh Biomass and Astaxanthin Production
Authors: Chen Qiaohong , Chen Yi , Xu Quan , Jin Hu , Hu Qiang , Han Danxiang
Published: February 2022

Chromochloris zofingiensis has obtained particular interest as a promising candidate for natural astaxanthin production. In this study, we established a two-stage heterotrophic cultivation process, by using which both the growth of C. zofingiensis and astaxanthin accumulation are substantially enhanced. Specifically, the ultrahigh biomass concentration of 221.3 g L−1 was achieved under the optimum culture conditions in 7.5 L fermenter during 12 days. When scaled-up in the 500 L fermentor, the biomass yield reached 182.3 g L−1 in 9 days, while the astaxanthin content was 0.068% of DW. To further promote astaxanthin accumulation, gibberellic Acid-3 (GA3) was screened from a variety of phytohormones and was combined with increased C/N ratio and NaCl concentration for induction. When C. zofingiensis was grown with the two-stage cultivation strategy, the astaxanthin yield reached 0.318 g L−1, of which the biomass yield was 235.4 g L−1 and astaxanthin content was 0.144% of DW. The content of the total fatty acids increased from 23 to 42% of DW simultaneously. Such an astaxanthin yield was 5.4-fold higher than the reported highest record and surpassed the level of Haematococcus pluvialis. This study demonstrated that heterotrophic cultivation of C. zofingiensis is competitive for industrial astaxanthin production.
Comparison Between Numerical Modeling Approaches of Infilled Frames Under In-Plane Load
Authors: Bouarroudj Mohammed Amin , Boudaoud Zeineddine
Published: February 2022

In the last few decades, important attention was given to infill masonry panels due to their worldwide uses. Many experimental and numerical studies were conducted to study their effect on the behavior of RC frames. In general, three modeling strategies are widely applied to model infill masonry, namely, micro-models, meso-models, and macro-models. This study investigates the accuracy of the width models to predict the behavior of masonry infills using the meso-modeling technique. To this aim, the masonry infills are modeled as an equivalent homogenized diagonal element in order to represent the diagonal action of masonry infills. The width models used to determine the width of the diagonal strut are used in meso-modeling. In addition, the study contains comparisons between different modeling techniques to predict the global behavior of the infilled frames. Experimental tests conducted on two infilled frames from the literature are considered to calibrate the numerical simulations. The results indicate that the micro-modeling approach gives a good agreement with the experimental tests in terms of lateral force and deformation shapes, the related errors varying between 0.12 and 2.8%. Using single strut models, the differences between numerical and experimental results vary from 1.1 to 20%. On the other hand, the errors obtained from multiple strut models are varying between 9 and 40%.
Epigenetic Transgenerational Modifications Induced by Xenobiotic Exposure in Zebrafish
Authors: Terrazas-Salgado Luis , García-Gasca Alejandra , Betancourt-Lozano Miguel , Llera-Herrera Raúl , Alvarado-Cruz Isabel , Yáñez-Rivera Beatriz
Published: February 2022

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a well-established vertebrate model in ecotoxicology research that responds to a wide range of xenobiotics such as pesticides, drugs, and endocrine-disrupting compounds. The epigenome can interact with the environment and transform internal and/or external signals into phenotypic responses through changes in gene transcription. Environmental exposures can also generate epigenetic variations in offspring even by indirect exposure. In this review, we address the advantages of using zebrafish as an experimental animal model to study transgenerational epigenetic processes upon exposure to xenobiotics. We focused mostly on DNA methylation, although studies on post-translational modifications of histones, and non-coding RNAs related to xenobiotic exposure in zebrafish are also discussed. A revision of the methods used to study epigenetic changes in zebrafish revealed the relevance and reproducibility for epigenetics-related research. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were consulted for original research articles published from 2013 to date, by using six keywords: zebrafish, epigenetics, exposure, parental, transgenerational, and F2. From 499 articles identified, 92 were considered, of which 14 were selected as included F2 and epigenetic mechanisms. Current knowledge regarding the effect of xenobiotics on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and changes in non-coding RNAs expressed in F2 is summarized, along with key experimental design considerations to characterize transgenerational effects.
The Pathology Lesion Patterns of Podocytopathies: How and why?
Authors: Ravaglia Fiammetta , Melica Maria Elena , Angelotti Maria Lucia , De Chiara Letizia , Romagnani Paola , Lasagni Laura
Published: February 2022

Podocytopathies are a group of proteinuric glomerular disorders driven by primary podocyte injury that are associated with a set of lesion patterns observed on kidney biopsy, i.e., minimal changes, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, diffuse mesangial sclerosis and collapsing glomerulopathy. These unspecific lesion patterns have long been considered as independent disease entities. By contrast, recent evidence from genetics and experimental studies demonstrated that they represent signs of repeated injury and repair attempts. These ongoing processes depend on the type, length, and severity of podocyte injury, as well as on the ability of parietal epithelial cells to drive repair. In this review, we discuss the main pathology patterns of podocytopathies with a focus on the cellular and molecular response of podocytes and parietal epithelial cells.
miR-381-3p Cooperated With Hes1 to Regulate the Proliferation and Differentiation of Retinal Progenitor Cells
Authors: Wang Jiajing , Sun Na , Ju Yahan , Ni Ni , Tang Zhimin , Zhang Dandan , Dai Xiaochan , Chen Moxin , Wang Yiqi , Gu Ping , Ji Jing
Published: February 2022

Retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) transplantation has become a promising therapy for retinal degeneration, which is a major kind of ocular diseases causing blindness. Since RPCs have limited proliferation and differentiation abilities toward retinal neurons, it is urgent to resolve these problems. MicroRNAs have been reported to have vital effects on stem cell fate. In our study, the data showed that overexpression of miR-381-3p repressed Hes1 expression, which promoted RPCs differentiation, especially toward neuronal cells, and inhibited RPCs proliferation. Knockdown of endogenous miR-381-3p increased Hes1 expression to inhibit RPCs differentiation and promote proliferation. In addition, a luciferase assay demonstrated that miR-381-3p directly targeted the Hes1 3’ untranslated region (UTR). Taken together, our study demonstrated that miR-381-3p regulated RPCs proliferation and differentiation by targeting Hes1, which provides an experimental basis of RPCs transplantation therapy for retinal degeneration.
Glycine and Melatonin Improve Preimplantation Development of Porcine Oocytes Vitrified at the Germinal Vesicle Stage
Authors: Tang Yu , Zhang Ying , Liu Lixiang , Yang Yifeng , Wang Yan , Xu Baozeng
Published: February 2022

Lipid-rich porcine oocytes are extremely sensitive to cryopreservation compared to other low-lipid oocytes. Vitrification has outperformed slowing freezing in oocyte cryopreservation and is expected to improve further by minimizing cellular osmotic and/or oxidative stresses. In this study, we compared the effects of loading porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes with glycine (an organic osmolyte) or glycine plus melatonin (an endogenous antioxidant) during vitrification, thawing and subsequent maturation to mitigate osmotic injuries or osmotic and oxidative damages on the developmental potential of porcine oocytes. Our data demonstrated that glycine treatment significantly increased the vitrification efficiency of porcine oocytes to levels comparable to those observed with glycine plus melatonin treatment. It was manifested as the thawed oocyte viability, oocyte nuclear maturation, contents of reactive oxygen species, translocation of cortical granules and apoptotic occurrence in mature oocytes, levels of ATP and transcripts of glycolytic genes in cumulus cells (markers of oocyte quality), oocyte fertilization and blastocyst development. However, the latter was more likely than the former to increase ATP contents and normal mitochondrial distribution in mature oocytes. Taken together, our results suggest that mitigating osmotic and oxidative stresses induced by vitrification and thawing can further enhance the developmental competency of vitrified porcine oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage.
Impact of Age and Sex on COVID-19 Severity Assessed From Radiologic and Clinical Findings
Authors: Statsenko Yauhen , Al Zahmi Fatmah , Habuza Tetiana , Almansoori Taleb M. , Smetanina Darya , Simiyu Gillian Lylian , Neidl-Van Gorkom Klaus , Ljubisavljevic Milos , Awawdeh Rasha , Elshekhali Hossam , Lee Martin , Salamin Nassim , Sajid Ruhina , Kiran Dhanya , Nihalani Sanjay , Loney Tom , Bedson Antony , Dehdashtian Alireza , Al Koteesh Jamal
Published: February 2022

Background

Data on the epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of COVID-19 in patients of different ages and sex are limited. Existing studies have mainly focused on the pediatric and elderly population.

Objective

Assess whether age and sex interact with other risk factors to influence the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Material and Methods

The study sample included all consecutive patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria and who were treated from 24 February to 1 July 2020 in Dubai Mediclinic Parkview (560 cases) and Al Ain Hospital (605 cases), United Arab Emirates. We compared disease severity estimated from the radiological findings among patients of different age groups and sex. To analyze factors associated with an increased risk of severe disease, we conducted uni- and multivariate regression analyses. Specifically, age, sex, laboratory findings, and personal risk factors were used to predict moderate and severe COVID-19 with conventional machine learning methods.

Results

Need for O2 supplementation was positively correlated with age. Intensive care was required more often for men of all ages (p < 0.01). Males were more likely to have at least moderate disease severity (p = 0.0083). These findings were aligned with the results of biochemical findings and suggest a direct correlation between older age and male sex with a severe course of the disease. In young males (18–39 years), the percentage of the lung parenchyma covered with consolidation and the density characteristics of lesions were higher than those of other age groups; however, there was no marked sex difference in middle-aged (40–64 years) and older adults (≥65 years). From the univariate analysis, the risk of the non-mild COVID-19 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in midlife adults and older adults compared to young adults. The multivariate analysis provided similar findings.

Conclusion

Age and sex were important predictors of disease severity in the set of data typically collected on admission. Sexual dissimilarities reduced with age. Age disparities were more pronounced if studied with the clinical markers of disease severity than with the radiological markers. The impact of sex on the clinical markers was more evident than that of age in our study.
Phylogenetic Group Distribution of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli and Related Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: Halaji Mehrdad , Fayyazi Amirhossein , Rajabnia Mehdi , Zare Donya , Pournajaf Abazar , Ranjbar Reza
Published: February 2022

The phylogenetic classification of Escherichia coli isolates is of great importance not only for understanding the populations of E. coli but also for clarifying the relationship between strains and diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of phylogenetic groups, antibiotic susceptibility pattern, and virulence genes among uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) isolated from different parts of Iran through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Several international electronic sources, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, were searched (2000–2020) in order to identify the studies compatible with our inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using the metaprop program in the STATA (version 11) software. Based on our comprehensive search, 28 studies meeting the eligibility criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of phylogroups B2, D, B1, and A was 39%, 26%, 18%, and 8%, respectively. In addition, there was a significant heterogeneity among different phylogroups. However, according to the results of Begg’s and Egger’s tests, there were no significant publication bias in phylogroups B2, D, B1, and A. This research provided the first comprehensive study on phylogroups of UPEC isolated in Iran. Our findings indicated that phylogroup B2 and group D were the most predominant phylogenetic groups among UPEC isolates in various regions of Iran. In addition, we observed that certain phylogenetic groups are more antibiotic resistant than the others. It was also observed that the dissemination of virulent phylogroup B2 and D should be controlled via comprehensive infection control measures. Additionally, certain strategies should be developed for monitoring the antibiotic therapy.
Phenotypic Changes Associated With In Vivo Evolution of Colistin Resistance in ST11 Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Xie Miaomiao , Chen Kaichao , Dong Ning , Xu Qi , Chan Edward Wai-Chi , Zhang Rong , Chen Sheng
Published: February 2022

Colistin is one of the few antibiotics that exhibit bactericidal effect on carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. In recent years, however, colistin resistance is increasingly being reported among clinical carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains worldwide, posing serious challenge to treatment of infections caused by these organisms. In this study, we investigated one colistin-susceptible (YJH4) and one colistin-resistant (YJH15) K. pneumoniae strain, which were collected from a patient before and after colistin treatment, respectively. We characterized the effects of mgrB inactivation-induced colistin resistance on the physiological fitness and virulence in ST11 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae both in vitro and in vivo. The colistin-resistant strain YJH15 was found to exhibit increased fitness and biofilm formation potential in vitro, and increased survival rate in the presence of normal human serum. Interestingly, YJH15 exhibited reduced virulence in the mouse infection model but enhanced virulence in Galleria mellonella infection model when compared to the colistin-susceptible parental strain YJH4. Infection with YJH15 was also found to result in lower expression level of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in blood and significantly decreased bacterial loads in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and blood. These results demonstrated that mgrB inactivation-induced colistin resistance has significant effects on multiple fitness and virulence-associated traits in K. pneumoniae.
Operational Monitoring of the Evolution of Rainy Season Over Florida
Authors: Misra Vasubandhu , Jayasankar C. B. , Beasley Parker , Bhardwaj Amit
Published: February 2022

Florida has a distinct wet season, which serves the annual water needs of the State and beyond. Our earlier studies have indicated that in addition to the seasonal rainfall anomalies, the variations of the length of the season also contribute significantly to variability of the wet season over Florida. Furthermore, the variations of the onset date of the rainy season relate significantly to the seasonal anomalies of length of the season and rainfall. In this study, we have used the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Mission version 6 (IMERG) rainfall dataset to monitor the rainy season over the five Water Management Districts (WMDs) of Florida for 2021. This effort was complimented by analyzing and verifying the variations of the rainy season over the preceding 20 wet seasons from the IMERG datasets. IMERG produces rainfall datasets at various latencies, with the final product having a 3.5-month latency since the satellite measurements of radiance are made. However, in this study, we find that an intermediate 12-h latency product of rainfall analysis from IMERG is reasonable to use for near real-time monitoring of the wet season over Florida. The operational monitoring of the 2021 wet season using the 12-h latency dataset from IMERG was also supplemented with the extended weather 6- to 10-day and 8- to 14-day forecasts of precipitation probability issued by the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Our study suggests that the current methodology of monitoring the onset date variations of the rainy season provides a viable alternative to assess and anticipate the seasonal variations amidst the moderate to insignificant weather and climate prediction skill of the numerical forecast models of the wet season of Florida.
Including the Oft-Forgotten: The Necessity of Including Women and Indigenous Peoples in Nature-Based Solution Research
Authors: Gaspers Anne , Oftebro Thea Lurås , Cowan Emily
Published: February 2022

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are a priority area for the European Commission. The European Union (EU) will fund projects on NbS under Horizon Europe, the EU's framework program for research and innovation (2021–2027). We argue that the Commission needs to fund more projects that actively include local communities in the development and implementation of NbS. Specifically, the Commission needs to fund projects that include two oft-forgotten stakeholder groups: women and indigenous peoples. The literature demonstrates that success of NbS is dependent on the inclusion of a variety of stakeholders and that indigenous peoples and women and girls are critically important stakeholders. As the inclusion of these stakeholders is vital to the success of NbS, funding projects that specifically include these stakeholders will help the EU to achieve two important policy goals: the goal to provide evidence for NbS and the goal to advance the development, uptake and upscale of NbS.
Mitochondrial DNA Variation Correlated With the High Altitude Intolerance in Chinese Young Han Males
Authors: Li Zongbin , Liu Chunwei , Guo Jun , Shi Yajun , Li Yang , Wang Jinli , Zhou Shanshan , Chen Yundai
Published: February 2022

Objective

Acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia can trigger acute mountain sickness (AMS), while the exact mechanism has not been fully revealed. The role of genetic factors in the susceptibility of various high-altitude diseases has also gained much interest. Previous studies have provided evidence for the link between AMS and certain nuclear genes or mitochondrial haplogroup. The correlation between point mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and AMS was further explored in the present study.

Methods

A total of 84 young Han males residing at low altitude were taken to an elevation of 4,000 m within 40 h. We collected data of their heart rate, blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation (SaO2), and obtained blood samples, at sea level and at high altitude. AMS was diagnosed using the revised version of the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score. Sequencing was utilized to identify the association between mtDNA alleles and the occurrence of AMS. We also assessed the association between the presence of AMS and physiological variables, and provided a preliminary discussion of the association between genotypic and phenotypic variation.

Results

The percentage of neutrophils [Odds ratio (OR): 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.12, P = 0.034) and SaO2 level (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.79–0.95, P = 0.004) were independently associated with the development of AMS. A4576G was a risk factor for AMS (OR: 6.27, 95% CI: 1.2–32.7). T11613C (OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01–0.83), A8923G (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03–0.76), and T5543C (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04–0.95) were protective factors for AMS. The level of SaO2 was significantly lower in the individual with A4576G mutation as compared with the individual without A4576G mutation (68.1 ± 7.9 vs. 75.8 ± 6.1, P = 0.001). The level of serum sodium was significantly higher in the individual with A8923G mutation as compared to the individual without A8923G mutation (144.6 ± 1.9 vs. 143.2 ± 1.9, P = 0.027).

Conclusions

The increase in neutrophils and the disability to preserve oxygen saturation may be associated with the high altitude intolerance in young Chinese Han males. A4576G is the risk factor for AMS. T11613C, A8923G, and T5543C are protective factors for AMS. The role of A8923G mutation may correlate with the sodium and water balance and the role of the A4576G mutation may be related to the disability to maintain blood oxygen level after quickly entering the plateau.