bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-conscious generation of multiplexed short-read DNA libraries for whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Jones Ashley , Stanley David , Ferguson Scott , Schwessinger Benjamin , Borevitz Justin , Warthmann Norman
Published: January 2023

Massively parallel, second-generation short-read DNA sequencing has become an integral tool in biology for genomic studies. Offering highly accurate base-pair resolution at the most competitive price, the technology has become widespread. However, high-throughput generation of multiplexed DNA libraries can be costly and cumbersome. Here, we present a cost-conscious protocol for generating multiplexed short-read DNA libraries using a bead-linked transposome from Illumina. We prepare libraries in high-throughput with small reaction volumes that use 1/50th the amount of transposome compared to Illumina DNA Prep tagmentation protocols. By reducing transposome usage and optimising the protocol to circumvent magnetic bead-based clean-ups between steps, we reduce costs, labour time and DNA input requirements. Developing our own dual index primers further reduced costs and enables up to nine 96-well microplate combinations. This facilitates efficient usage of large-scale sequencing platforms, such as the Illumina NovaSeq 6000, which offers up to three terabases of sequencing per S4 flow cell. The protocol presented substantially reduces the cost per library by approximately 1/20th compared to conventional Illumina methods.
Local conditions matter: Minimal and variable effects of soil disturbance on microbial communities and functions in European vineyards
Authors: Steiner Magdalena , Pingel Martin , Falquet Laurent , Giffard Brice , Griesser Michaela , Leyer Ilona , Preda Cristina , Uzman Deniz , Bacher Sven , Reineke Annette
Published: January 2023

Soil tillage or herbicide applications are commonly used in agriculture for weed control. These measures may also represent a disturbance for soil microbial communities and their functions. However, the generality of response patterns of microbial communities and functions to disturbance have rarely been studied at large geographical scales. We investigated how a soil disturbance gradient (low, intermediate, high), realized by either tillage or herbicide application, affects diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities as well as soil functions in vineyards across five European countries. Microbial alpha-diversity metrics responded to soil disturbance sporadically, but inconsistently across countries. Increasing soil disturbance changed soil microbial community composition at the European level. However, the effects of soil disturbance on the variation of microbial communities were smaller compared to the effects of location and soil covariates. Microbial respiration was consistently impaired by soil disturbance, while effects on decomposition of organic substrates were inconsistent and showed positive and negative responses depending on the respective country. Therefore, we conclude that it is difficult to extrapolate results from one locality to others because microbial communities and environmental conditions vary strongly over larger geographical scales.
Effect of matrine in MAC-T cells and their transcriptome analysis: A basic study
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Yang Yuze , Yan Lijiao , Wan Xuerui , Sun Kangyongjie , Gou Huitian , Ding Jucai , Peng Jie , Liu Guo , Wang Chuan
Published: January 2023

Matrine, an alkaloid derived from herbal medicine, has a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial. Matrine was toxic to multiple cells at high concentrations. Bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T) could be used as model cells for cow breast. Matrine was a feasible option to replace antibiotics in the prevention or treatment of mastitis against the background of prohibiting antibiotics, but the safe concentration of matrine on MAC-T cells and the mechanism of action for matrine at different concentrations were still unclear. In this study, different concentrations of matrine (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 mg/mL) were used to treat MAC-T cells for various time periods (4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 h) and measure their lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). And then the optimal doses (2 mg/mL) were chosen to detect the apoptosis at various time periods by flow cytometry and transcriptome analysis was performed between the control and 2 mg/mL matrine-treated MAC-T cells for 8 hours. The results showed that matrine was not cytotoxic at 0.5 mg/mL, but it was cytotoxic at 1~3 mg/mL. In addition, matrine induced apoptosis in MAC-T cells at 2 mg/mL and the proportion of apoptosis cells increases with time by flow cytometry. RNA-seq analysis identified 1645 DEGs, 676 of which were expressed up-regulated and 969 were expressed down-regulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated the following pathways were linked to matrine-induced toxicity and apoptosis, including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, P53 and PPAR pathway. We found 7 DEGs associated with matrine toxicity and apoptosis. This study would provide a basis for the safety of matrine in the prevention or treatment of mastitis.
Investigation of a herpesvirus outbreak in mixed breeds of adult domestic ducks using next generation sequencing
Authors: Damir Hassan Abu , Ahmad Waqar , Panicker Neena G. , Mohamed Layla I. , Omer Elhag A. , Kinne Jörg , Wernery Ulrich , Adem Abdu , Ali Mahmoud A. , Mustafa Farah
Published: January 2023

This report characterizes the first lethal outbreak of Marek’s disease on a large farm of mixed-breed adult ducks (>18,000) and identifies the pathogen that resulted in high mortality (35%). Clinical signs included inappetence, respiratory distress, depression, muscle weakness, and ataxia. Post mortem revealed enlarged fragile liver mottled with miliary whitish spots and an enlarged spleen. Histopathology revealed hepatocellular necrosis with eosinophilic intra-nuclear inclusion bodies, necrosis of splenic follicles and degeneration/necrosis of renal tubules. The disease was tentatively diagnosed as a herpesvirus infection, confirmed by virus isolation from the liver. DNA was isolated from 15-year-old archival formalin-fixed tissues from infected ducks and subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS). Despite highly degraded DNA, short stretches of G- and C-rich repeats (TTAGGGandTAACCC) were identified as telomeric repeats frequently found in herpesviruses. Megablast and further investigative bioinformatics identified presence of Marek’s disease virus (MDV), a Gallid alphaherpesvirus type 2 (GAHV-2), as the cause of the acute fatal infection. The source of infection may be attributed to a dead migratory flamingo found close to the duck enclosures three days prior to the outbreak; hence, GAHV-2 may also be responsible for the fatal infection of the flamingo accentuated by heat stress. Considering the possible spread of this highly contagious and lethal virus from a flamingo to the ducks, and the increasing zoonosis of animal viruses into humans, such as monkey B alphaherpesvirus transmission from macaques to humans with ~80% fatality, this observation has important ramifications for human health and safety of the poultry industry.
Optimising fundoscopy practices across the medical spectrum: A focus group study
Authors: Dunn Hamish P. , Kang Christine J. , Marks Samuel , Dunn Stewart M. , Healey Paul R. , White Andrew J.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Fundoscopy can be of great clinical value, yet remains underutilised. Educational attempts to improve fundoscopy utilisation have had limited success. We aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators underlying the uptake of clinical direct ophthalmoscopy across a spectrum of medical specialties and training levels.

Methods

Ten focus groups were conducted with medical students (n = 42), emergency department doctors (n = 24), basic physician trainees (n = 7), hospital physicians (n = 6) and general practitioners (n = 7). Independent thematic analysis of transcripts was conducted by three investigators. A consensus thematic framework was developed, and transcripts were reanalysed using this framework.

Results

Thematic analysis identified seven main themes: (1) technical barriers to performing fundoscopy examinations; (2) clinical culture and expectations regarding fundoscopy; (3) the influence of fundoscopy on clinical management; (4) motivation to perform the examination; (5) novel technology including smartphone fundoscopy, and the value of a digital fundus image; (6) training requirements, and; (7) use of limited resources.

Conclusion

Our results build a more nuanced picture of the factors which determine fundoscopy utilisation. As current barriers limit practice by clinicians and medical students, expertise and confidence performing and interpreting fundoscopy are lost. This shifts the balance of perceived clinical utility to futility in changing patient management, and reinforces a cycle of reducing fundoscopy utilisation. We identified important cultural barriers such as accepted incompetence, and misperceptions of senior discouragement. Emerging technologies reduce the technical barriers to fundoscopy. Therefore education should: focus on detecting pathology from digital images; clarify the role of fundoscopy in patient management, and; be targeted at key career progression points.
What percentage of patients with cancer develop hiccups with oxaliplatin- or cisplatin-based chemotherapy? a compilation of patient-reported outcomes
Authors: Ehret Christopher , Martin Nichole A. , Jatoi Aminah
Published: January 2023

Background

Chemotherapy-induced hiccups are understudied but can cause sleep deprivation, fatigue, pain in the chest and abdomen, poor oral intake, aspiration, and even death. As a critical next step toward investigating better palliative methods, this study reported patient-reported incidence of hiccups after oxaliplatin- or cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Methods

The current study relied on 2 previous studies that sought to acquire consecutive direct patient report of hiccups among patients who had recently received chemotherapy with cisplatin or oxaliplatin. These patient-reported data in conjunction with information from the medical record are the focus of this report.

Results

Of 541 patients, 337 were successful contacted by phone; and 95 (28%; 95% CI: 23%, 33%) of these contacted patients reported hiccups. In univariable analyses, male gender (odds ratio (OR): 2.17 (95% confidence ratio (95% CI): 1.30, 3.62); p = 0.002), increased height (OR: 1.03 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.06); p = 0.02), and concomitant aprepitant/fosaprepitant (OR: 2.23 (95% CI: 1.31, 3.78); p = 0.002) were associated with hiccups. In multivariable analyses, these statistically significant associations persisted except for height.

Conclusions

These patient-reported data demonstrate that oxaliplatin- or cisplatin-induced hiccups occur in a notable proportion of patients with cancer. Male gender and concomitant aprepitant/fosaprepitant appear to increase risk.
Cannabis use patterns in drug-resistant and pharmacoresponsive epilepsy: Single tertiary referral center survey investigation
Authors: McDermott Danielle , Darwin Marielle L. , Fetrow Kirsten , Coulter Ian , Biesecker Kristal , Thompson John A.
Published: January 2023

This study sought to identify differences in cannabis use and perceptions about cannabis in mitigating seizure-related symptoms in patients with epilepsy, and to evaluate differences in these patterns between drug-resistant versus pharmacoresponsive epilepsy. A collection of self-report surveys completed by patients with epilepsy (n = 76) were used to retrospectively compare differences in those with drug-resistant versus pharmacoresponsive epilepsy regarding 1) proportion who used cannabis, 2) frequency of use, 3) method of use, and 4) reason for use. A Cochran-Armitage test for trend indicated that of patients who used cannabis, a higher proportion of patients in the drug-resistant group used more frequently than in the pharmacoresponsive group. Almost half (48%) of those in the drug-resistant group reported daily use compared to approximately a third (36%) of those in the pharmacoresponsive group. Additionally, no patient in either group reported that cannabis was harmful in relation to seizure-related symptoms. Results from this study highlight the need for epilepsy providers to formally assess patients’ perceptions and use of non-prescribed cannabis to inform clinical care decisions, particularly in the drug-resistant epilepsy population.
Disease burden among migrants in Morocco in 2021: A cross‑sectional study
Authors: Essayagh Firdaous , Essayagh Touria , Essayagh Meriem , Khouchoua Mohammed , Lemriss Hajar , Rattal Mourad , Bukassa Germain , Essayagh Sanah
Published: January 2023

Background

Morocco, traditionally an emigration country, has evolved into not only a transit country to Europe but also a country of residence for an increasing number of migrants, with 102,400 migrants in 2019. This is due to its geographic location, the induced effects of its "African policy," and the various laws adopted by Moroccan legislators in recent years. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of communicable and noncommunicable diseases among migrants such as Hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes, and hypertension.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in Oujda, Morocco, between November and December 2021. Face-to-face interviews with enrolled migrants aged 18 years and over, present in Oujda and attending an association, were carried out to collect socio-demographic data, lifestyle behaviors, and clinical parameters. Diabetes and hypertension were the primary outcomes. The Pearson’s chi-squared test and the student’s t-test were used to assess the bivariate associations between primary outcomes and categorical and continuous variables. In a multivariate model, we adjusted for predictors that were significant (p-value ≤0.05) in bivariate analysis to estimate Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

There were 495 migrants enrolled, with a male/female ratio of two and an average age of 27.3±11.5 years (mean±standard deviation), ranging from 18 to 76 years. Hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, and hypertension were found in 1%, 0.2%, 3.8%, and 27.7% of the population, respectively. Family history of diabetes was a risk factor for diabetes in the Oujda migrant population, with an Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) of 5.36; CI% [1.23–23.28]. Age (AOR of 1.1; CI% [1.06–1.13]) and African origin (AOR of 3.07; CI% [1.06–8.92]) were identified as risk factors for hypertension.

Conclusion

Migrants in Oujda are healthy. The high prevalence of hypertension, as well as the presence of HCV and HIV positive cases, emphasizes the importance of routine screening for hypertension, HCV, and HIV in order to detect and treat these diseases as early as possible.
Differential effects of WRAP53 transcript variants on non-small cell lung cancer cell behaviors
Authors: Zhu Yan , Sun Wenjie , Jiang Xueping , Bai Rui , Luo Yuan , Gao Yanping , Li Shuying , Huang Zhengrong , Gong Yan , Xie Conghua
Published: January 2023

Background

The WD40-encoding RNA antisense to p53 (WRAP53) is an antisense gene of TP53 with three transcriptional start sites producing three transcript variants involved in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer. However, the mechanism by which these different transcript variants regulate non-small cell lung cancer cell behaviors is to be elucidated.

Methods

Two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549 cells with wild-type p53 and H1975 with mutated p53, were transfected with WRAP53-1α and WRAP53-1β siRNA. The biological effects were assessed via colony formation, cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, wound healing and cell invasion assays, as well as immunoblotting.

Results

Knockdown of WRAP53-1α increased the mRNA and protein levels of p53; suppressed colony formation and proliferation of A549 cells but promoted them in H1975 cells; increased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase in A549 cells but decreased that in H1975 cells; and suppressed migration and invasion in A549 cells but not in H1975 cells. Conversely, knockdown of WRAP53-1β had no effect on p53 expression; promoted the growth of A549 cells but not of H1975 cells; decreased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase in A549 cells but not in H1975 cells; and promoted migration and invasion in A549 cells but not in H1975 cells. Knockdown of both WRAP53-1α and WRAP53-1β promoted apoptosis in A549 cells but not in H1975 cells.

Conclusions

WRAP53 transcript variants exerted different functions in non-small cell lung cancer cells and regulated non-small cell lung cancer cell behaviors depending on the p53 expression.
Evaluation of the reliability and validity of computerized tests of attention
Authors: Langner Robert , Scharnowski Frank , Ionta Silvio , G. Salmon Carlos E. , Piper Brian J. , Pamplona Gustavo S. P.
Published: January 2023

Different aspects of attention can be assessed through psychological tests to identify stable individual or group differences as well as alterations after interventions. Aiming for a wide applicability of attentional assessments, Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) is an open-source software system for designing and running computerized tasks that tax various attentional functions. Here, we evaluated the reliability and validity of computerized attention tasks as provided with the PEBL package: Continuous Performance Task (CPT), Switcher task, Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), Mental Rotation task, and Attentional Network Test. For all tasks, we evaluated test-retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), as well as internal consistency through within-test correlations and split-half ICC. Across tasks, response time scores showed adequate reliability, whereas scores of performance accuracy, variability, and deterioration over time did not. Stability across application sites was observed for the CPT and Switcher task, but practice effects were observed for all tasks except the PVT. We substantiate convergent and discriminant validity for several task scores using between-task correlations and provide further evidence for construct validity via associations of task scores with attentional and motivational assessments. Taken together, our results provide necessary information to help design and interpret studies involving attention assessments.
Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus induces incomplete autophagy for persistence in gut epithelial cells of its vector insect
Authors: Zhang Lu , Liu Wenwen , Wu Nan , Wang Hui , Zhang Zhongkai , Liu Yule , Wang Xifeng
Published: January 2023

Autophagy plays an important role in virus infection of the host, because viral components and particles can be degraded by the host’s autophagy and some viruses may be able to hijack and subvert autophagy for its benefit. However, details on the mechanisms that govern autophagy for immunity against viral infections or benefit viral survival remain largely unknown. Plant reoviruses such as southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), which seriously threaten crop yield, are only transmitted by vector insects. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which SRBSDV induces incomplete autophagy by blocking autophagosome-lysosome fusion, resulting in viral accumulation in gut epithelial cells of its vector, white-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera). SRBSDV infection leads to stimulation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway, which further activates autophagy. Mature and assembling virions were found close to the edge7 of the outer membrane of autophagosomes. Inhibition autophagy leads to the decrease of autophagosomes, which resulting in impaired maturation of virions and the decrease of virus titer, whereas activation of autophagy facilitated virus titer. Further, SRBSDV inhibited fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes by interacting with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) using viral P10. Thus, SRBSDV not only avoids being degrading by lysosomes, but also further hijacks these non-fusing autophagosomes for its subsistence. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of reovirus persistence, which can explain why SRBSDV can be acquired and transmitted rapidly by its insect vector.
Comparative Analysis of Different CNN Models for Building Segmentation from Satellite and UAV Images
Authors: Sariturk Batuhan , Kumbasar Damla , Seker Dursun Zafer
Published: January 2023

Building segmentation has numerous application areas such as urban planning and disaster management. In this study, 12 CNN models (U-Net, FPN, and LinkNet using EfficientNet-B5 backbone, U-Net, SegNet, FCN, and six Residual U-Net models) were generated and used for building segmentation. Inria Aerial Image Labeling Data Set was used to train models, and three data sets (Inria Aerial Image Labeling Data Set, Massachusetts Buildings Data Set, and Syedra Archaeological Site Data Set) were used to evaluate trained models. On the Inria test set, Residual-2 U-Net has the highest F1 and Intersection over Union (IoU) scores with 0.824 and 0.722, respectively. On the Syedra test set, LinkNet-EfficientNet-B5 has F1 and IoU scores of 0.336 and 0.246. On the Massachusetts test set, Residual-4 U-Net has F1 and IoU scores of 0.394 and 0.259. It has been observed that, for all sets, at least two of the top three models used residual connections. Therefore, for this study, residual connections are more successful than conventional convolutional layers.
Car Detection from Very High-Resolution UAV Images Using Deep Learning Algorithms
Authors: Kaya Yunus , Şenol Halil İbrahim , Yiğit Abdurahman Yasin , Yakar Murat
Published: January 2023

It is important to determine car density in parking lots, especially in hospitals, large enterprises, and residential areas, which are used intensively, in terms of executing existing management systems and making precise plans for the future. In this study, cars in parking lots were detected using high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images with deep learning methods. We tested the performance of the two approaches by determining the number of cars in a parking lot using the You Only Look Once (YOLOv3) and Mask Region–Based Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask R-CNN) approaches as deep learning methods and the deep learning tool of Esri ArcGIS Pro. High-resolution UAV images were processed by photogrammetry and used as input products for the R-CNN and YOLOv3 algorithm. Recall, F1 score, precision ratio/uncertainty accuracy, and average producer accuracy of products automatically extracted with the algorithm were determined as 0.862/0.941, 0.874/0.946, 0.885/0.951, and 0.776/0.897 for R-CNN and YOLOv3, respectively.
Considerações para uma Cinematografia de Mulheres: Uma análise do filme À Luz Delas (2019), de Nina Tedesco e Luana Farias
Authors: Julia Fernandes Marques  , Danielle Parfentieff de Noronha
Published: January 2023

Desde o início do cinema, as mulheres executam das mais variadas funções nas equipes e demais espaços relacionados com o universo cinematográfico. Porém, a história oficial do cinema mundial tem tendência para ser contada partindo quase exclusivamente de produções teóricas sobre o cinema e realizações cinematográficas elaboradas por homens. A tal situação associa-se o fato de que, mesmo hoje, as mulheres são consideravelmente excluídas de posições criativas e de liderança. Com o intuito de discutir mais profundamente a presença da mulher no cinema, tanto na sua produção quanto na teorização cinematográfica, este artigo se propõe a analisar À Luz Delas (2019), filme realizado por duas fotógrafas cinematográficas e teóricas do cinema, que discute a presença feminina na direção de fotografia no cinema brasileiro. O presente artigo analisará a relação entre os elementos estéticos e conceituais dessa obra com as teorias do cinema de mulheres, baseando-se, sobretudo, na abordagem da teoria dos cineastas em análise fílmica, e assim refletir sobre as características dessa produção.
Cineastas de Invenção no Exílio Londrino: Uma entrevista de Laurie Gane
Authors: Thaís Folgosi  , Felipe Abramovictz  , Mateus Araújo
Published: January 2023

Entrevista a Laurie Gane, na qual ele comenta sua trajetória na música, na universidade e, principalmente, no cinema, destacando a sua colaboração com cineastas brasileiros exilados em Londres como diretor de fotografia das longas-metragens de 1971 Memórias de um Estrangulador de Loiras e Amor Louco, ambas de Júlio Bressane, Night Cats, de Neville de Almeida, e O Demiurgo, de Jorge Mautner. Gane também evoca sua relação com o cinema experimental inglês nas décadas de 1960 e 1970, e com a cena contracultural londrina.
Excesso Chamalo, de Marie Losier & David Legrand: A matéria viva do gesto
Authors: Rodrigues Cátia
Published: January 2023

Na 30ª edição do Curtas Vila do Conde, Marie Losier junta-se a David Legrand para a criação da exposição conjunta Excesso Chamalo, na Solar Galeria de Arte Cinemática. Propomos um itinerário crítico pela exposição, debruçando-nos sobre os principais aspectos formais de cada filme e a relação com o suporte/espaço expositivo.
Levitas animi a imbecillitas, infirmitas či fragilitas sexus jakožto důvod odlišného postavení žen
Authors: Černoch Radek
Published: January 2023

Position of women in Roman law differs in various aspects. Reasons for such differences are often traditional; in some cases, they can be regarded as manifestation of sometimes exaggerated protectionism or paternalism, which could be regarded as unlawful discrimination. The aim of this paper is to analyse the terminology which sources of law use to refer to the position of women.
Od „posledního“ k „nejbližšímu“ dědici? K vývoji postavení manželky v česko-rakouském a československém dědickém právu
Authors: Horák Ondřej
Published: January 2023

The paper deals with the changes in the position of the wife in law of succession (both as an intestate heir and as a person entitled to the forced share) in the Czech lands from the middle of the 18th century to the present day, and also with discussions about the adjustment of her inheritance-legal position in Czech-Austrian jurisprudence at the beginning of the 20th century (during the recodification of ABGB) and in the 1920s (in connection with the interwar recodification). The evolution of law of succession in the Czech-Austrian area and in the European context is characterized by the strengthening of the position of spouses; in the domestic regulation of law of succession as a whole and especially in the intestate succession, we can see a shift from “consanguinity” to consideration of “needs” and “merit”. In the Czech lands, however, there is a different approach in the intestate law, where the position of the wife was gradually strengthened (the turning point was in particular the 1st sub-amendment of the ABGB in 1914, inspired by the German BGB in 1896), and when regarding the forced share, where her position (unlike in Austria) has not yet been improved (despite repeated efforts at the beginning of the 19th century during the finalization of the ABGB, at the beginning of the 20th century during the preparation of the amendment of the ABGB, in the 20s of the 20th century in connection with the interwar recodification, and at the beginning of the 21st century during the preparation of the 2012 Civil Code).
Charkovský proces 1943 a jeho ohlasy ve světě
Authors: Beránek Jan
Published: January 2023

The submitted paper examines the so-called Kharkov trial, i.e., the trial that took place before the military authorities of Soviet Union in December 1943 and which is often described as one of the first trials of Nazi war criminals. The causes of the trial, as well as its course and subsequent national and international responses to it are analyzed. The aim of the article is to present the information about the above-mentioned trial and to point out some procedural elements that could have served as inspiration for future trials of war criminals, but also to recall the terrible crimes committed in the Kharkov region at a time when Ukraine is facing another unjustified invasion and aggression.
Vývoj právní úpravy dohod o pracích konaných mimo pracovní poměr
Authors: Machala Jan
Published: January 2023

The article analyses the development of agreements on work performed outside employment relationship in the Czechoslovak and Czech legal system on the background of the contemporary context. Agreements on work performed outside employment relationship are a traditional institution of Czech and Slovak labour law, which is not found anywhere else in the world. The reason for their creation is related to the economic needs of Czechoslovakia in the socialist era. The article discusses the contemporary context of the creation of such agreements, their original legal regulation in the previous Labour Code (Act No. 65/1965 Sb.), important amendments and the reasons that led to them, and the legal regulation of agreements in the new Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Sb.). The knowledge gained from the study of agreements on work performed outside employment relationship is used to present de lege ferenda considerations.
Gregor, M. Historiografia rímskeho práva na Slovensku
Authors: Csukás Adam
Published: January 2023

Book review on Gregor, M. Historiografia rímskeho práva na Slovensku.
Praha: Leges, 2021, 363 s.
Reference intervals for thyroid biomarkers to enhance the assessment of thyroid status in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Ferraro Simona , Luconi Ester , Calcaterra Valeria , Cordaro Erika , Bianchi Alice , Cereda Cristina , Zuccotti Gianvincenzo , Kavsak Peter , Plebani Mario , Biganzoli Elia Mario , Marano Giuseppe , Boracchi Patrizia
Published: January 2023

Objectives

The determination of assay-dependent upper and lower reference limits (URL, LRL) of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) during childhood and adolescence, is challenging.

Methods

Thyroid hormones were measured via the Abbott Alinity system in 502 euthyroid children partitioned in the following age groups: ≤2, 2.1–10, and 10.1–18 years. The 97.5th and 2.5th percentiles (URL and LRL) were derived according to CLSI EP28- A3c guidelines. Quantile regression models were used to assess: (a) 90% confidence intervals of the URL and LRL, (b) the effect of age on URL and LRL within each age class and on overall age range, (c) the difference between the URLs and LRLs estimated for each age partition with an estimate of the confidence interval divided by the reference interval being derived (CI/RI).

Results

The CI/RI for the LRLs are smaller as compared to the URLs, except for FT4 for the 2.1–10 years age group. Considering the CI/RI and the overlap between CIs across the three age groups, one single LRL might be considered for TSH, FT3 and FT4 between 0 and 18 years. However, for the URL, there was a noticeable decrease in the URL over the 3 age groups for all three biomarkers, with there being no overlap in CIs for the URL between the ≤2 vs. the 10.1–19 years age groups.

Conclusions

A common LRL for TSH, FT4 and FT3 for patients aged ≤18 years may be utilized when these biomarkers are measured with the Alinity system. For the URLs the use of age-specific URLs for these biomarkers is recommended.
On the global L
2-boundedness of Fourier integral operators with rough amplitude and phase functions
Authors: Sindayigaya Joachim
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we study the

L
2

{L^{2}}

-boundedness of Fourier integral operators

T

ϕ
,
a

{T_{\phi,a}}

with rough amplitude

a
⁢

(
x
,
η
)

{a(x,\eta)}

and rough phase functions

ϕ
⁢

(
x
,
η
)

{\phi(x,\eta)}

, which satisfies the new class of rough non-degeneracy condition. In this study, under the conditions

a
∈

L
∞

⁢

S
ρ
m

{a\in L^{\infty}S^{m}_{\rho}}

,

ϕ
∈

L
∞

⁢

Φ
2

{{\phi}\in L^{\infty}\Phi^{2}}

and some conditions of m, we show that

T

ϕ
,
a

{T_{\phi,a}}

is bounded from

L
2

{L^{2}}

to itself. Our main results extend and improve some known results about

L
2

{L^{2}}

, however, the method we use to prove these results is new.
B-essential spectra of 2 × 2 block operator matrix pencils
Authors: Abdmouleh Faiçal , Bahloul Aymen , Walha Ines
Published: January 2023

The paper is devoted to the study of the relative B-essential spectra of

2
×
2

{2\times 2}

unbounded operator matrix pencils defined with nondiagonal domain. The main tool used to prove the results is the Frobenuis–Schur factorization associated with this kind of operator matrix which has proven very useful in dealing with stability analysis in the theory of B-Fredholm operators pencils. Therefore, the theoretical results are tested in pencil transport integro-differential equation with specific boundary conditions.
Influence of mold cavity thickness on electrical, morphological and thermal properties of polypropylene/carbon micromoldings
Authors: Zhou Shengtai , Jiang Renze , Lei Xue , Zou Huawei , Hrymak Andrew N.
Published: January 2023

In this work, a comparative study on the electrical conductivity (σ) and thermal properties of polypropylene (PP)/carbon microparts with different part thickness (namely, 0.85 and 0.50 mm) is reported. Two different types of carbon filler (i.e., CNT and CB) were adopted to study the efficacy of different carbon fillers in improving the σ of PP/carbon microparts. In general, the σ of 0.85 mm thickness microparts were higher than the 0.50 mm thickness microparts, regardless of the carbon filler type and testing directions. This suggested that higher shearing conditions that prevailed in the microinjection molding (μIM) process were unfavorable for the formation of intact conductive pathways in corresponding moldings, albeit the distribution of carbon fillers turned better with increasing shear rates, as confirmed by morphology observations. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that prior thermomechanical histories (including melt blending and μIM) experienced by the polymer melts had an influence on the thermal behavior of subsequent moldings. Also, there existed a strong shear flow-induced crystallization of polymer chains during μIM because the crystallinity of microparts was higher than that of feed materials.
Fabrication-conscious neural network based inverse design of single-material variable-index multilayer films
Authors: Yesilyurt Omer , Peana Samuel , Mkhitaryan Vahagn , Pagadala Karthik , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Kildishev Alexander V. , Boltasseva Alexandra
Published: January 2023

Multilayer films with continuously varying indices for each layer have attracted great deal of attention due to their superior optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, difficulties in fabrication have limited their application and study in scientific literature compared to multilayer films with fixed index layers. In this work we propose a neural network based inverse design technique enabled by a differentiable analytical solver for realistic design and fabrication of single material variable-index multilayer films. This approach generates multilayer films with excellent performance under ideal conditions. We furthermore address the issue of how to translate these ideal designs into practical useful devices which will naturally suffer from growth imperfections. By integrating simulated systematic and random errors just as a deposition tool would into the optimization process, we demonstrated that the same neural network that produced the ideal device can be retrained to produce designs compensating for systematic deposition errors. Furthermore, the proposed approach corrects for systematic errors even in the presence of random fabrication imperfections. The results outlined in this paper provide a practical and experimentally viable approach for the design of single material multilayer film stacks for an extremely wide variety of practical applications with high performance.
A Note on Catholic Psychotherapy
Authors: Severson Randolph
Published: January 2023

This article presents a rationale for an existential Catholic psychotherapy based in the thought of St. Thomas and the tradition of existential Thomism. The question of what Catholic means in this context is answered by a description of virtues identified as a Catholic way of being-in-the-world. Three integral characteristics of existential therapy—authenticity, availability, and the argument—are given a Thomistic definition. Catholic existential therapy is situated and shown to correspond to the three appeals of classical rhetoric.
Infancy‐onset diabetes caused by de‐regulated AMPylation of the human endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP
Authors: Perera Luke A , Hattersley Andrew T , Harding Heather P , Wakeling Matthew N , Flanagan Sarah E , Mohsina Ibrahim , Raza Jamal , Gardham Alice , Ron David , De Franco Elisa
Published: January 2023

Dysfunction of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in insulin‐producing beta cells results in cell loss and diabetes mellitus. Here we report on five individuals from three different consanguineous families with infancy‐onset diabetes mellitus and severe neurodevelopmental delay caused by a homozygous p.(Arg371Ser) mutation in FICD. The FICD gene encodes a bifunctional Fic domain‐containing enzyme that regulates the ER Hsp70 chaperone, BiP, via catalysis of two antagonistic reactions: inhibitory AMPylation and stimulatory deAMPylation of BiP. Arg371 is a conserved residue in the Fic domain active site. The FICDR371S mutation partially compromises BiP AMPylation in vitro but eliminates all detectable deAMPylation activity. Overexpression of FICDR371S or knock‐in of the mutation at the FICD locus of stressed CHO cells results in inappropriately elevated levels of AMPylated BiP and compromised secretion. These findings, guided by human genetics, highlight the destructive consequences of de‐regulated BiP AMPylation and raise the prospect of tuning FICD's antagonistic activities towards therapeutic ends.
Innovación en las empresas del sector agropecuario de Costa Rica
Authors: Orozco-Barrantes Jeffry , Ruiz-Mejías Keynor
Published: January 2023

En este artículo se analizan los procesos de innovación en el sector agropecuario, recurriendo a comparaciones con el sector manufacturero y al sector servicios, en temas relevantes. El problema de estudio se definió a partir de la siguiente pregunta: ¿qué características tienen los procesos de innovación en el sector agropecuario de Costa Rica? La información proviene de indicadores generados en distintas encuestas de innovación en el país, con énfasis en la última que se realizó en 2019. Esas encuestas se elaboran a partir de una metodología de muestreo simple al azar, el cual fue realizado por el Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC) sobre la base del directorio de establecimientos en los distintos sectores. Entre los hallazgos sobresale que existen pocas empresas en el sector con innovaciones significativas pero que, en general, esas que han impulsado innovaciones logran impactos positivos en varios aspectos del desempeño. También se concluye que, aunque hay políticas para fomentar la innovación en el sector, los alcances han sido insuficientes, pues persiste una serie de barreras que limitan los procesos para lograr innovaciones. Algunas de las barreras identificadas tienen que ver con deficiencias del sector financiero, pero hay otras limitaciones en el tipo de interacción con distintos actores del sistema.
State Support of Cultural Activity of the Ukrainian Diaspora as a Course of Diaspora Policy of Ukraine
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Tron Aliona
Published: January 2023

Ukrainian diaspora, especially the organizations of foreign Ukrainians in the Western countries, is of a great importance in the processes of Ukrainian state building from the time of Ukraine’s independence proclamation. Interaction with diaspora and support for Ukrainians who have found themselves outside their homeland for various reasons, are considered as both a moral duty of the newly emerged Ukrainian state, but also a significant resource for the promotion of Ukrainian interests in the world and development of state institutions within the country. Despite the obvious importance and relevance of this problem hitherto the issue of the state significance in the cultural life of foreign Ukrainians has not been reflected in the historiography completely. The article is aimed at a comprehensive study of the diaspora policy of Ukraine in the cultural and educational sphere, its normative and legal basis and specific features of the implementation of the state programs of cooperation with foreign Ukrainians concerning the assistance of their cultural activities. The source base of the study consists of normative and legal acts, analytical materials, reports on the implementation of the passports of budget programs and other documents. It is established that the state programs, providing support of the Ukrainian diaspora in the 1990s and early 2000s are mostly of a declaratory nature. The approval of the National Concept of Cooperation with Ukrainians Abroad has become an important step in the context of the establishment of Cultural and Information Centers in the structure of foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in 2006, the expansion of the mandates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the area of contacts with Ukrainians abroad, as well as a more sufficient financial support of the relevant cooperation programs. Especial attention is paid to the measures of cultural diplomacy development in 2015–2017. Conducted analysis of the current condition of diaspora policy of Ukraine proves that state support of the ethnic identity, national and cultural originality of the Ukrainians abroad through educational programs, cultural projects, information resources, is an important aspect of foreign policy of the newly founded Ukrainian state. Such actions have achieved some positive results, in particular in such areas as the preservation of Ukrainian traditional cultural heritage, scientific exchange, educational activities and memory policy. However, recent political events in the world have shown that the efficiency of the use of connections with the diaspora and cultural diplomacy, in particular as to the counteraction to Russian propaganda and subversive policy are far from optimal. Implementation of state-initiated actions supporting the cultural activities of foreign Ukrainians can and should become one of the key factors of Ukraine’s international image guarantee in the future.
Entomofauna asociada a pasturas tropicales Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris gayana y Megathyrsus maximus
Authors: Sierra-Barquero Paola Vanessa , Sánchez-Doria Tatiana , Burbano-Erazo Esteban
Published: January 2023

Introduction. Pastures are the primary source of food in livestock systems and can be a suitable niche for insects with beneficial and harmful functions. Objective. To estimate the entomofauna associated with three species of pastures, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris gayana, and Megathyrsus maximus, in conditions of the Colombian Caribbean. Materials and methods. Ten samplings were carried out in two contrasting periods (August to October 2018 and January to March 2019), three forage species (Cenchrus ciliaris, Megathyrsus maximus, Chloris gayana) within 1000 m2 were used. Arthropods were identified by order and family and typified by functional groups. Diversity and abundance indices by pasture and season were estimated, as well as their correlation with climate. A simple correspondence analysis was performed. Results. A total of 380 insects from 7 orders and 35 families were collected, with the greatest abundance for Hemiptera and Coleoptera. The Shannon’s diversity index was higher for all orders of C. gayana, except for Hemiptera in C. ciliaris. Phytophages were found in a higher percentage (66.84 %), followed by predators (27.11 %). Insect abundance was influenced by the interaction between season and pasture, showing an increase at low temperatures, except for M. maximus. Pastures represented adequate microenvironments to maintain the diversity of insects, the Hemiptera and Coleoptera orders being the most numerous and representative of the functional groups of phytophages and predators, respectively. Conclusion. The entomofauna of C. gayana, C. ciliaris, and M. maximus was similar in insect abundance and diversity, however, insect abundance depended on the influence of the season and pastures.
The Prenominal Allomorphy Syndrome
Authors: Bonet Eulàlia , Lloret Maria-Rosa , Mascaró Joan
Published: January 2023

The prenominal position X and the postnominal position Y within a DP [DPXNY], where N is the head noun, are asymmetric in various respects. Most typically a given category can appear in a given language in one position but not in the other, or can appear only in one or the other under specific regular conditions. In other cases prenominal and postnominal positions give different semantic interpretations of the same element. Allomorphic choice is also affected by position. In this paper we examine some specific cases of Catalan and Spanish in which an asymmetry between prenominal and postnominal elements within the DP arises with respect to inflectional endings. We argue that this kind of asymmetry, present in other languages, is due to postnominal concord taking place in the syntax systematically and prenominal concord being established through constraint evaluation at PF.
Phonologically Conditioned Suppletive Allomorphy: Cross-linguistic Results and Theoretical Consequences
Authors: Paster Mary
Published: January 2023

Our understanding of phonology-morphology interface is still incomplete with respect to two important questions: What phonological effects are possible in morphology? And how should they be modeled? Some types of phonological effects in morphology have already been subjected to studies involving large cross-linguistic surveys, e.g., reduplication, infixation, affix ordering, and ordering in coordinate compounds. However, phonologically conditioned suppletive allomorphy (PCSA), although it has received some attention in the literature, was not previously the subject of a broad cross-linguistic study. This paper presents an overview of the results of an extensive survey of cases of PCSA in the world’s languages, and it considers how the range of attested examples of PCSA informs the choice among competing theoretical models of the phonology-morphology interface.