bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Avaliação da influência da biomassa algal no pós tratamento de esgoto doméstico em lagoas de polimento
Authors: Albuquerque Maria Virgínia da Conceição , Silva Maria Célia Cavalcante de Paula e , Cartaxo Amanda da Silva Barbosa , Ramos Railson de Oliveira , Rodrigues Roberta Milena Moura , Sátiro Josivaldo Rodrigues , Lopes Wilton Silva , Leite Valderi Duarte , Sousa José Tavares de
Published: February 2021

O presente estudo avaliou influência da biomassa algal no pós tratamento de esgoto doméstico em distintas lagoas de polimento. Para tanto, a pesquisa foi realizada na Estação Experimental de Tratamento Biológico de Esgotos Sanitários (EXTRABES), localizada na cidade de Campina Grande-PB, em duas fases experimentais. Na primeira fase, o sistema experimental era constituído de quatro lagoas, na qual duas lagoas foram monitoradas com alimentação contínua (LC57 e LC45) e duas com alimentação semi contínua (LB57 e LB45).  Na segunda fase experimental, foi avaliado o desempenho de três lagoas alimentadas em bateladas (LBT45 e LB245), e uma alimentada continuamente (LC245). Verificou-se que a determinação das concentrações de clorofila-a pôde proporcionar uma estimativa da biomassa fitoplanctônica, no entanto, elas foram facilmente alteradas, por variações da alta incidência luminosa, temperatura, carga orgânica e TDH. Foi observado que o efluente digerido e a biomassa de algas proveniente da lagoa de transbordo com TDH de 2,4 dias na primeira fase do estudo, propiciou um maior desenvolvimento da comunidade fitoplanctônica. Durante a segunda fase, as lagoas de polimento alimentadas em bateladas sequenciais (LB245 e LBT45) apresentaram maiores concentrações de clorofila-a em relação a fase experimental anterior. Concluiu-se que as lagoas de polimento alimentadas em regime de batelada se destacaram por apresentarem remoções superiores às lagoas com alimentação contínua e semi contínua, evidenciando-as como promissora no tratamento de esgoto doméstico. Além de obter excelentes resultados, principalmente nas remoções de nutrientes, foi possível tratar uma quantidade superior de afluente em menos tempo de operação.
Formação do Professor de Matemática Mediada pelo Coordenador Pedagógico
Authors: Fernandes Caio Augusto Xavier , Traldi Jr Armando
Published: February 2021

Neste artigo, será apresentado o estudo que teve como objetivo compreender possibilidades e desafios ao investigar uma formação em serviço de um professor de matemática, mediada pelo coordenador pedagógico. Foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo ação-interpretativa, pois o estudo foi desenvolvido na escola onde o pesquisador exerce a função de coordenador pedagógico. Os dados analisados foram obtidos a partir de observações de aulas e do Feedback realizado entre o professor de matemática e o coordenador pedagógico. Os resultados encontrados revelam desafios referentes ao tempo a ser dedicado pelo coordenador pedagógico na elaboração e preparação da pauta formativa e a falta de uma formação específica do Professor Coordenador (PC) para desenvolver formação de professores. Em relação às possibilidades, destaca-se a possibilidade de problematizar a prática real em sala de aula durante o Feedback formativo.
Investigating net primary production in climate regions of central Zagros, Iran, using MODIS and meteorological data
Authors: Yaghmaei L , Jafari R , Soltani S
Published: February 2021

Rangeland production is sensitive to climate conditions. In this study, we monitored actual and potential production in the climate zones of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province in central Zagros, Iran, from 2000-2016. Net primary production (NPP), light use efficiency (LUE) and rain use efficiency (RUE) were extracted from climatic and MODIS satellite data using the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) and Miami models. The accuracy of the modeled NPP maps was assessed using regression analysis, based on field data collected at 750 sites under different rangeland conditions. The spatial distribution of NPP and RUE indicated that annual production and photosynthetic efficiency in degraded rangelands with poor and very poor conditions have decreased compared to those of moderate-good classes. The highest relationship between the field and modeled NPP was associated with the Astragalus spp.-Ferula spp. (R2 = 0.865, p < 0.001) in the humid and cold climate zone with good rangeland conditions while the lowest was observed in the annual grasses-annual forbs (R2 = 0.198, p < 0.001) vegetation type with very poor rangeland conditions within the semi-arid and cold climate zone. Furthermore, the highest and lowest NPP values were observed in the Daphne mucronata-Prangos ferulacea (48.38 g C m-2 yr-1) and annual grasses-annual forbs (3.42 g C m-2yr-1) vegetation types with LUE values of 0.13 and 0.02 g C MJ-1 within the humid and cold and the semi-humid and cold climate zones, respectively. According to these findings, remote sensing-based differences between actual and potential NPP can be used as a valuable tool for identification of human impacts on broad rangeland ecosystems.
Assessment of the status and trends in abundance of a coastal pinniped, the Australian sea lion Neophoca cinerea
Authors: Goldsworthy SD , Shaughnessy PD , Mackay AI , Bailleul F , Holman D , Lowther AD , Page B , Waples K , Raudino H , Bryars S , Anderson T
Published: February 2021

Australian sea lions Neophoca cinerea are endemic to Australia, with their contemporary distribution restricted to South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA). Monitoring of the species has proved challenging due to prolonged breeding events that occur non-annually and asynchronously across their range. The most recent available data from 80 extant breeding sites (48 in SA, 32 in WA) enabled us to estimate the species-wide pup abundance to be 2739, with 82% (2246) in SA and 18% (493) in WA, mostly based on surveys conducted between 2014 and 2019. We evaluated 1776 individual site-surveys undertaken between 1970 and 2019 and identified admissible time-series data from 30 breeding sites, which revealed that pup abundance declined on average by 2.0% yr-1 (range 9.9% decline to 1.7% growth yr-1). The overall reduction in pup abundance over 3 generations (42.3 yr) was estimated to be 64%, with over 98% of Monte Carlo simulations producing a decline >50% over a 3-generation period, providing strong evidence that the species meets IUCN ‘Endangered’ criteria (decline ≥50% and ≤80%). The population is much smaller than previously estimated and is declining. There is a strong cline in regional abundances (increasing from west to east), with marked within-region heterogeneity in breeding site pup abundances and trends. Results from this study should improve consistency in the assessment of the species and create greater certainty among stakeholders about its conservation status. To facilitate species management and recovery, we prioritise key data gaps and identify factors to improve population monitoring.
Enhanced Cells Anchoring to Electrospun Hybrid Scaffolds With PHBV and HA Particles for Bone Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Karbowniczek Joanna E. , Kaniuk Łukasz , Berniak Krzysztof , Gruszczyński Adam , Stachewicz Urszula
Published: February 2021

Hybrid materials combining organic and inorganic compounds used as scaffolds are highly beneficial in bone regeneration. In this study, we successfully produced by blend electrospinning poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydrovaleric acid) (PHBV) scaffolds enriched with hydroxyapatite (HA) particles to biomimic bone tissue for improved and faster regeneration processes. The morphology, fiber diameters, and composition of the scaffolds were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques followed by focused ion beam (FIB) sectioning to verify HA particles integration with PHBV fibers. In vitro cell culture was performed for 7 days and followed with the cell proliferation test (CellTiter-Blue® Assay). Additionally, cell integration with the scaffold was visualized by confocal and SEM imaging. We developed a simple way of obtaining hybrid scaffolds by electrospinning PHBV solution with HA particles without any post-processing. The PHBV + HA scaffold enhanced cell proliferation and filopodia formation responsible for cell anchoring within the created 3D environment. The obtained results show the great potential in the development of hybrid scaffolds stimulating bone tissue regeneration.
Integration of Lightweight Foam Concrete Roof, Moving-Air-Cavity, and Solar-Powered Fans for Attic Temperature Reduction
Authors: Yew Ming Chian , Yew Ming Kun , Ho Mun Ling , Saw Lip Huat
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a novel cool roof technology system that promotes both passive and active cooling methods in reducing the attic temperature of the building. The project aimed to evaluate the effect of various roof model designs on the heating load to establish the capacity of a cooling roof system by maintaining the thermal comfort level for occupants in the buildings. There are four main components in constructing the cool roof models: 1) metal deck roof, 2) lightweight foam concrete roof, 3) moving-air-cavity (MAC) ventilation, and 4) solar-powered fan. Four small-scale cool roof models were built to evaluate the performance of each cool roof design. The performances of the roof surface and attic temperatures of each designed cool roof models were compared with the conventional metal deck roof. The roof models were conducted indoors by using halogen spotlights. The result of the Roof Design IV with the integration of lightweight foam concrete, MAC, and solar-powered fans has effectively reduced the attic temperature by 6.0°C compared with the normal roof model (Roof Design I). As a result, this integrated cool roof design comprises the ability to enhance the comfortability of occupants toward long-term sustainable development with the utilization of renewable energy to protect the natural environment.
Parasite-Host Interaction and Pathophysiology Studies of the Human Relapsing Malarias Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale Infections in Non-Human Primates
Authors: Pasini Erica M. , Kocken Clemens H. M.
Published: February 2021

Malaria remains a serious health concern across the globe. Historically neglected, non-Falciparum human malarias were put back on the agenda by a paradigm shift in the fight against malaria from malaria control to malaria eradication. Here, we review the modeling of the relapsing parasites Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) and Plasmodium ovale (P. ovale) in non-human primates with a specific focus on the contribution of these models to our current understanding of the factors that govern parasite-host interactions in P. vivax and P. ovale parasite biology and pathophysiology.
Rapid Transitions: Experiences with Accessibility and Special Education during the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Long Emily , Vijaykumar Sruti , Gyi Serena , Hamidi Foad
Published: February 2021

The ongoing outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ensuing preventative lock-down and shelter-in-place policies enacted around the world have caused unanticipated disruptions in the delivery of educational content and accessibility services to children, youth and adults with disabilities. The rapid move to online and remote learning, socialization, and therapeutic activities have surfaced some of the inadequacies of existing systems and infrastructures as well as opportunities for creating novel and accessible solutions. We conducted semi-structured remote interviews with nine special education teachers, therapists, community advocates, and individuals with disabilities to capture their perspectives on delivering services and supporting children and adults with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Participants shared reflections on their experience and those who they serve during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges and insights that this experience surfaced. Findings include a need to better support families in facilitating remote learning experiences for their children, developing tactile modes of engagement to complement online interactions, and the impact of a lack of contingency plans specifically to support people with disabilities and their families during crizes. The participants also described the lack of clarity about the future as one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic. We conclude with a discussion of these findings and directions for future research.
Race and Genetics in Congenital Heart Disease: Application of iPSCs, Omics, and Machine Learning Technologies
Authors: Mullen McKay , Zhang Angela , Lui George K. , Romfh Anitra W. , Rhee June-Wha , Wu Joseph C.
Published: February 2021

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a multifaceted cardiovascular anomaly that occurs when there are structural abnormalities in the heart before birth. Although various risk factors are known to influence the development of this disease, a full comprehension of the etiology and treatment for different patient populations remains elusive. For instance, racial minorities are disproportionally affected by this disease and typically have worse prognosis, possibly due to environmental and genetic disparities. Although research into CHD has highlighted a wide range of causal factors, the reasons for these differences seen in different patient populations are not fully known. Cardiovascular disease modeling using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a novel approach for investigating possible genetic variants in CHD that may be race specific, making it a valuable tool to help solve the mystery of higher incidence and mortality rates among minorities. Herein, we first review the prevalence, risk factors, and genetics of CHD and then discuss the use of iPSCs, omics, and machine learning technologies to investigate the etiology of CHD and its connection to racial disparities. We also explore the translational potential of iPSC-based disease modeling combined with genome editing and high throughput drug screening platforms.
Spontaneously Generated Online Patient Experience of Modafinil: A Qualitative and NLP Analysis
Authors: Walsh Julia , Cave Jonathan , Griffiths Frances
Published: February 2021

Objective: To compare the findings from a qualitative and a natural language processing (NLP) based analysis of online patient experience posts on patient experience of the effectiveness and impact of the drug Modafinil.

Methods: Posts (n = 260) from 5 online social media platforms where posts were publicly available formed the dataset/corpus. Three platforms asked posters to give a numerical rating of Modafinil. Thematic analysis: data was coded and themes generated. Data were categorized into PreModafinil, Acquisition, Dosage, and PostModafinil and compared to identify each poster's own view of whether taking Modafinil was linked to an identifiable outcome. We classified this as positive, mixed, negative, or neutral and compared this with numerical ratings. NLP: Corpus text was speech tagged and keywords and key terms extracted. We identified the following entities: drug names, condition names, symptoms, actions, and side-effects. We searched for simple relationships, collocations, and co-occurrences of entities. To identify causal text, we split the corpus into PreModafinil and PostModafinil and used n-gram analysis. To evaluate sentiment, we calculated the polarity of each post between −1 (negative) and +1 (positive). NLP results were mapped to qualitative results.

Results: Posters had used Modafinil for 33 different primary conditions. Eight themes were identified: the reason for taking (condition or symptom), impact of symptoms, acquisition, dosage, side effects, other interventions tried or compared to, effectiveness of Modafinil, and quality of life outcomes. Posters reported perceived effectiveness as follows: 68% positive, 12% mixed, 18% negative. Our classification was consistent with poster ratings. Of the most frequent 100 keywords/keyterms identified by term extraction 88/100 keywords and 84/100 keyterms mapped directly to the eight themes. Seven keyterms indicated negation and temporal states. Sentiment was as follows 72% positive sentiment 4% neutral 24% negative. Matching of sentiment between the qualitative and NLP methods was accurate in 64.2% of posts. If we allow for one category difference matching was accurate in 85% of posts.

Conclusions: User generated patient experience is a rich resource for evaluating real world effectiveness, understanding patient perspectives, and identifying research gaps. Both methods successfully identified the entities and topics contained in the posts. In contrast to current evidence, posters with a wide range of other conditions found Modafinil effective. Perceived causality and effectiveness were identified by both methods demonstrating the potential to augment existing knowledge.
Deriving Centimeter-Level Coseismic Deformation and Fault Geometries of Small-To-Moderate Earthquakes From Time-Series Sentinel-1 SAR Images
Authors: Luo Heng , Wang Teng , Wei Shengji , Liao Mingsheng , Gong Jianya
Published: February 2021

Small-to-moderate earthquakes (e.g. ≤Mw5.5) occur much more frequently than large ones (e.g. >Mw6.0), yet are difficult to study with InSAR due to their weak surface deformation that are severely contaminated by atmospheric delays. Here we propose a stacking method using time-series SAR images that can effectively suppress atmospheric phase screens and extract weak coseismic deformation in centimeter to sub-centimeter level. Using this method, we successfully derive coseismic surface deformations for three small-to-moderate (Mw∼5) earthquakes in Tibet Plateau and Tienshan region from time-series Sentinel-1 SAR images, with peak line-of-sight deformation ranging from 5–6 mm to 13 mm. We also propose a strategy to downsample interferograms with weak deformation signal based on quadtree mesh obtained from preliminary slip model. With the downsampled datasets, we invert for the centroid locations, fault geometries and slips of these events. Our results demonstrate the potential of using time-series InSAR images to enrich earthquake catalog with geodetic observations for further study of earthquake cycle and active tectonics.
Low-Dose Decitabine Inhibits Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes-Mediated Platelet Destruction via Modulating PD-1 Methylation in Immune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Han Panpan , Yu Tianshu , Hou Yu , Zhao Yajing , Liu Yang , Sun Yunqi , Wang Haoyi , Xu Pengcheng , Li Guosheng , Sun Tao , Hu Xiang , Liu Xinguang , Li Lizhen , Peng Jun , Zhou Hai , Hou Ming
Published: February 2021

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs)-mediated platelet destruction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) signaling can turn off autoreactive T cells and induce peripheral tolerance. Herein, we found that the expression of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 on CD8+ T cells from ITP patients was decreased. Activating PD-1 pathway by PD-L1-Fc fusion protein inhibited CTLs-mediated platelet destruction in ITP in vitro. PD-1 promoter hypermethylation in CD8+ T cells was found in ITP patients, resulting in decreased PD-1 expression. The demethylating agent decitabine at a low dose was proved to restore the methylation level and expression of PD-1 on CD8+ T cells and reduce the cytotoxicity of CTLs of ITP patients. The phosphorylation levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT in CD8+ T cells were significantly downregulated by low-dose decitabine. Furthermore, blocking PD-1 could counteract the effect of low-dose decitabine on CTLs from ITP patients. Therefore, our data suggest that the aberrant PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is involved in the pathophysiology of ITP and enhancing PD-1/PD-L1 signaling is a promising therapeutic approach for ITP management. Our results reveal the immunomodulatory mechanism of low-dose decitabine in ITP by inhibiting CTLs cytotoxicity to autologous platelets through PD-1 pathway.
Systematic Pan-Cancer Analysis Identifies TREM2 as an Immunological and Prognostic Biomarker
Authors: Cheng Xin , Wang Xiaowei , Nie Kechao , Cheng Lin , Zhang Zheyu , Hu Yang , Peng Weijun
Published: February 2021

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) is a transmembrane receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily and a crucial signaling hub for multiple pathological pathways that mediate immunity. Although increasing evidence supports a vital role for TREM2 in tumorigenesis of some cancers, no systematic pan-cancer analysis of TREM2 is available. Thus, we aimed to explore the prognostic value, and investigate the potential immunological functions, of TREM2 across 33 cancer types. Based on datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, Genotype Tissue-Expression, cBioPortal, and Human Protein Atlas, we employed an array of bioinformatics methods to explore the potential oncogenic roles of TREM2, including analyzing the relationship between TREM2 and prognosis, tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), DNA methylation, and immune cell infiltration of different tumors. The results show that TREM2 is highly expressed in most cancers, but present at low levels in lung cancer. Further, TREM2 is positively or negatively associated with prognosis in different cancers. Additionally, TREM2 expression was associated with TMB and MSI in 12 cancer types, while in 20 types of cancer, there was a correlation between TREM2 expression and DNA methylation. Six tumors, including breast invasive carcinoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, and stomach adenocarcinoma, were screened out for further study, which demonstrated that TREM2 gene expression was negatively correlated with infiltration levels of most immune cells, but positively correlated with infiltration levels of M1 and M2 macrophages. Moreover, correlation with TREM2 expression differed according to T cell subtype. Our study reveals that TREM2 can function as a prognostic marker in various malignant tumors because of its role in tumorigenesis and tumor immunity.
SARS-CoV-2 Direct Detection Without RNA Isolation With Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and CRISPR-Cas12
Authors: Garcia-Venzor Alfredo , Rueda-Zarazua Bertha , Marquez-Garcia Eduardo , Maldonado Vilma , Moncada-Morales Angelica , Olivera Hiram , Lopez Irma , Zuñiga Joaquin , Melendez-Zajgla Jorge
Published: February 2021

As to date, more than 49 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide. Current diagnostic protocols use qRT-PCR for viral RNA detection, which is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment, trained personnel and previous RNA extraction. For this reason, we need a faster, direct and more versatile detection method for better epidemiological management of the COVID-19 outbreak. In this work, we propose a direct method without RNA extraction, based on the Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR-Cas12) technique that allows the fast detection of SARS-CoV-2 from patient samples with high sensitivity and specificity. We obtained a limit of detection of 16 copies/μL with high specificity and at an affordable cost. The diagnostic test readout can be done with a real-time PCR thermocycler or with the naked eye in a blue-light transilluminator. Our method has been evaluated on a small set of clinical samples with promising results.
The Role of Root Morphology and Pulling Direction in Pullout Resistance of Alfalfa Roots
Authors: Yang Qihong , Zhang Chaobo , Liu Pengchong , Jiang Jing
Published: February 2021

There is a growing consensus on soil conservation by mechanics of plant root system. In order to further study how root system exerts its mechanical properties during soil reinforcing process and which morphological indicator is suitable for reflecting pullout resistance, in-situ vertical pullout test (VPT) and 45° oblique pullout test (OPT) were performed on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots in the loess area. The results showed that the failure mode of alfalfa roots was pulling out in this study. The peak pullout resistance of the roots increased with root diameter, root length and root surface area, and power law relationships were observed between the pullout resistance and the morphological indices: root diameter, root length and root surface area. The maximum gray relational degree of the morphological indices was 0.841 (VPT) and 0.849 (OPT) for root surface area, suggesting that root surface area was a more significant root morphological index affecting root pullout resistance than root diameter and root length, and was more suitable for characterizing the difference in peak pullout resistance of roots with different size. The index could be used to validate the methods for predicting root pullout capacity. The value of peak pullout resistance was 17.2 ± 2.3 N in VPT test and 28.2 ± 3.8 N (mean ± SE) in OPT test, and a significant difference was observed between the two tests, which showed that the pulling direction significantly affected the peak pullout resistance of alfalfa roots. Vertical pullout test, giving the safety margin, was suggested to determine root pullout resistance for estimate of root reinforcement.
Who's Leading This Dance?: Theorizing Automatic and Strategic Synchrony in Human-Exoskeleton Interactions
Authors: Kirkwood Gavin Lawrence , Otmar Christopher D. , Hansia Mohemmad
Published: February 2021

Wearable robots are an emerging form of technology that allow organizations to combine the strength, precision, and performance of machines with the flexibility, intelligence, and problem-solving abilities of human wearers. Active exoskeletons are a type of wearable robot that gives wearers the ability to effortlessly lift up to 200 lbs., as well as perform other types of physically demanding tasks that would be too strenuous for most humans. Synchronization between exoskeleton suits and wearers is one of the most challenging requirements to operate these technologies effectively. In this conceptual paper, we extend interpersonal adaption theory (IAT) to the exoskeleton context and explicate (a) the antecedents that are most likely to shape synchrony in human-exoskeleton interactions, (b) automatic and strategic synchrony as adaptive behaviors in human-exoskeleton interactions, and (c) outcome variables that are especially important in these processes. Lastly, we offer a discussion of key methodological challenges for measuring synchrony in human-exoskeleton interactions and offer a future research agenda for this important area.
Nowomowa pseudometanaukowa? O języku polskiej polityki naukowej.
Authors: Włoskowicz Wojciech
Published: February 2021

Pseudo-metascientific newspeak? On the language of the Polish science policy The aim of this paper is a critical analysis of selected means of the language used in the contemporary (2016–2018) Polish science policy. The analysis attempts to apply the categories developed by Polish researchers in the description of newspeak as the language of power and media at the time of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL). The overall discussion is based on W. Pisarek’s view that what is called newspeak and referred to the PRL period in the Polish literature is in fact one of many possible forms of using language as an instrument of political persuasion. The object of the description is mainly language behaviours of the Polish scientists who are powerful and infl uential in the world of Polish science and who co-decide on the governmental science policy. The focus is on the language of the debate on a reform of the system of science and higher education (the so-called Ustawa 2.0 (Act 2.0), Konstytucja dla Nauki (Constitution for Science), ustawa Gowina (Gowin’s Act)). NOWOMOWA PSEUDOMETANAUKOWA?… 47 The principal conclusion is that the apparatus developed in the description of the newspeak of the PRL period could be employed in the description of a large number of language behaviours of representatives of the Polish science policy of the end of the 2nd decade of the 21st c. The fl ag words of the Polish science policy are characterised by monovalent connotation combined with a vague (or no) denotation.
Polskie zdania względne z wewnętrznym rzeczownikiem – wstępne rozpoznanie
Authors: Linde-Usiekniewicz Jadwiga
Published: February 2021

troduced by a special relator który to, which in sentences bearing such clauses obligatorily agrees with the internal head. Such clauses have been hitherto overlooked in most syntactic descriptions of Polish. The inquiry is based on 291 citations obtained from the National Corpus of Polish, analysed for their semantic and syntactic features. The results show that double-headed relative clauses in Polish are marked as explicitly non-restrictive (as opposed to standard relative clauses). While identical internal and external heads need to be separated by a phrase governed by the external head, there is no such constraint on nonidentical internal heads. These may have not only nominal, but also clausal antecedents. In addition, non-identity of internal and external heads allows an introduction of subjective valuation (in the internal head) and a switch from object language to metalanguage or vice versa between the governing clause and the relative clause.
Struktury zdaniowe z czasownikami ruchu w mowie dzieci dwu- i trzyletnich.
Authors: Sindrewicz Karolina
Published: February 2021

The aim of this paper is to point to the issue of acquisition of the syntactic and infl ectional subsystems in speech development, and in particular to development of simple sentence structures. Based on the language material covering fragments of utterances made by 50 children, collected during a screening conducted in 3 nurseries in Praga-Północ in 2015, I made a brief analysis of the utterances constituted by verbs of movement, a class characterised by high frequency and free use by the children. The fi ndings confi rm the thesis that verbs of movement are a group with which children aged 2-3 are well familiar.
Kategoria prasowości i jej wykładniki w osiemnastowiecznych gazetkach rękopiśmiennych Jędrzeja Kitowicza.
Authors: Suska Dorota
Published: February 2021

The communicative and cultural phenomenon of manuscripts of news-sheets
(letters–news-sheets, hand-written news-sheets) is outside the mainstream
linguistic research although their 18th-century representations could illustrate
an important stage of the development of press forms and genres as well as
specialisation of the Polish language in functional communication practices.
The collection of the news-sheets by Jędrzej Kitowicz of the period 1771–1776 is
representative for a correspondence-based unoffi cial circulation of information.
Genologically and communicatively profi led analyses of the news-sheets have
enabled a description of the main exponents of their press nature, i.e. the
manners in which an epistolographic form autonomises and obtains the status
of an informative form for which a letter is a mere means of communication.
The press nature of the discussed news-sheets is signalised, among others, by
a heading, consistent architecture of the content modelled on printed press,
measures for objectivising the message and making it a reliable news service
(lexical source signals, authenticating ones).
Strategie grzecznościowe w akcie mowy KONDOLENCJE (na materiale polsko- i niemieckojęzycznym)
Authors: Janus Dominika
Published: February 2021

CONDOLENCE, as an act of courtesy, belongs to acts of speech which
might give rise to face threatening acts (FTA) and the resulting confl icts. On
the one hand, the face of the mourner, who must fi nd his or her way in the
new extremely diffi cult situation, is threatened; on the other hand, the face of
the speaker, whose task is to react properly to the fact of someone’s death, is
threatened. What is helpful in avoiding confl icts is politeness strategies used by
both senders and recipients. They constitute the research material excerpted
from Polish and German obituaries and entries in books of condolence. The
author of this paper has proved that both parties signalise there both positive
politeness, which arises from the need of appreciation and support, and negative
politeness, which is connected with the need of unlimited autonomy of acting.
The nature of the performed analysis is pragmalinguistic and is based on the
politeness theory of P. Brown and S.C. Levinson [1987], the focus of which is the
concept of face understood as an image or representation.
Polish+. Program nowych studiów polskich na Uniwersytecie Syczuańskim w Chengdu.
Authors: Kajak Piotr
Published: February 2021

The fi rst university programme in Polish studies in China was launched
already in the 1950s. The foundations laid by a few generations of specialists in
Polish studies from Beijing Foreign Studies University permit the development
of successive programmes in Polish studies in other Chinese academic centres.
They use the support of the PRC government, which has been implementing
a dynamic foreign policy addressed to the Central and Eastern European countries
for a few years now. One of the new centres offering innovative programmes in
Polish studies, which are combined with the economic and international path,
is the Sichuan University in Chengdu, supported by the University of Warsaw.
This paper describes the formation of the Polish+ programme in Chengdu and
presents the details related to the curriculum of the studies, which inspires
other Chinese higher education institutions to introduce similar specialties in
cooperation with the greatest Polish higher education institutions.
Oferta dla politycznego centrum w parlamentarnej kampanii komitetu wyborczego Prawo i Sprawiedliwość. Retoryka, czy gotowość politycznej korekty?
Authors: Sowiński Sławomir
Published: February 2021

Despite the polarization of Polish politics after 2005, there are appearing offers addressed to a moderate political centre. During the parliamentary campaign 2019, elements of such an offer resonansed in the election message of the “Law and Justice” (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) election committee as well. However, the essence of its campaign seems to be mobilizing various groups of voters by displaying the axis of political and social sharp divisions, and its moderate tones can be considered mainly as political rhetoric. The perspective of creating a moderate political centre is brought by the possible independence of “Agreement Jarosław Gowin’s” (Porozumienie Jarosława Gowina). The redefinition of existing political polarization axes seems to be the way to build a political centre in Poland.
Rola szczebla federalnego i stanowego w kształtowaniu amerykańskiej polityki handlowej po przyjęciu Narodowej Inicjatywy Eksportowej
Authors: Regulska-Ingielewicz Barbara
Published: February 2021

The purpose of the article is to analyze the role of the federal and state level institutions in shaping and implementing American trade policy, as well as to verify the assumptions of the National Export Initiative implemented in 2010 by the Barack Obama administration which intended to activate state level institutions in the area of trade. The goal of the article is to answer two basic research questions: What is the role of the federal and state level institutions in shaping and implementing trade policy in the United States? Has the role of the state level increased in the decision-making process and the implementation of trade policy after the adoption of the National Export Initiative in 2010? Answers to the above questions will allow verification of the adopted hypothesis, which indicates that, despite its assumptions, the National Export Initiative has not increased the role of the state level institutions in shaping and implementing trade policy. To conduct a reliable analysis, the following article structure was adopted. The first part presents the general methodological and analytical assumption. The second discusses the institutional and legal framework that shapes the distribution of competences in the US system, paying particular attention to trade policy issues. Part three analyzes the state level activities in a practical dimension after the adoption of the National Export Initiative. The summary of the article will contain conclusions in the form of answers to the questions posed, which will allow to verify the hypothesis.
Piezoelectric MEMS Linear Motor for Nanopositioning Applications
Authors: Ruiz-Díez Víctor , Hernando-García Jorge , Toledo Javier , Ababneh Abdallah , Seidel Helmut , Sánchez-Rojas José Luis
Published: February 2021

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and performance of piezoelectric bidirectional conveyors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and featuring 3D-printed legs in bridge resonators. The structures consisted of aluminum-nitride (AlN) piezoelectric film on top of millimeter-sized rectangular thin silicon bridges and two electrode patches. The position and size of the patches were analytically optimized for travelling or standing wave generation, while the addition of 3D-printed legs allowed for a controlled contact and amplified displacement, a further step into the manufacturing of efficient linear motors. Such hybrid devices have recently demonstrated the conveyance of sliders of several times the motor weight, with speeds of 1.7 mm/s by travelling waves generated at 6 V and 19.3 kHz. In this paper both travelling and standing wave motors are compared. By the optimization of various aspects of the device such as the vibrational modes, leg collocation and excitation signals, speeds as high as 35 mm/s, and payloads above 10 times the motor weight were demonstrated. The devices exhibited a promising positional resolution while actuated with only a few sinusoidal cycles in an open-loop configuration. Discrete steps as low as 70 nm were measured in the conveyance of 2-mg sliders.
Vibration Response Aspects of a Main Landing Gear Composite Door Designed for High-Speed Rotorcraft
Authors: Arena Maurizio , Chiariello Antonio , Castaldo Martina , Di Palma Luigi
Published: February 2021

One of the crucial issues affecting the structural safety of propeller vehicles is the propeller tonal excitation and related vibrations. Propeller rotation during flight generates vibrating sources depending upon its rotational angular velocity, number of blades, power at shaft generating aircraft thrust, and blade geometry. Generally, the higher energy levels generated are confined to 1st blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics, while additional broadband components, mainly linked with the blade shape, the developed engine power, and the turbulent boundary layer (TBL), also contribute to the excitation levels. The vibrations problem takes on particular relevance in the case of composite structures. The laminates in fact could exert damping levels generally lower than metallic structures, where the greater amount of bolted joints allow for dissipating more vibration energy. The prediction and reduction of aircraft vibration levels are therefore significant considerations for conventional propeller aircrafts now entering the commercial market as well as for models currently being developed. In the Clean Sky 2 framework, the present study focuses on a practical case inherent to the AIRBUS-Racer program aiming to design and develop a multi-tasking fast rotorcraft. This paper defines a finite elements (FE)-based procedure for the characterization of the vibration levels of a main landing gear (MLG) composite door with respect to the expected operating tonal loads. A parametric assessment was carried out to evaluate the principal modal parameters (transfer functions and respective resonance frequencies, mode shapes, and damping coefficients) of the landing gear-door assembly in order to achieve reduced vibration levels. Based on the FE analysis results, the influence of the extra-damping, location, and number of ballast elements, the boundary conditions were investigated with respect to failure scenarios of the kinematic line opening the study towards aeroelastic evaluations. Further experimental ground test results serve as a validation database for the prediction numerical methods representative of the composite door dynamic response.
Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn
Authors: Hunt Derek E. , Bittman Shabtai
Published: February 2021

Starter mineral fertilizer is used by famers to provide phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) to emerging corn (Zea mays) plants. Recent studies have shown that dairy slurry can replace mineral fertilizer provided it is precisely positioned close to the corn rows. This 5-year study examined the multi-year effect of precision injected sludge, the thick fraction separated from dairy slurry, on growth and nutrient uptake at the 6-leaf stage and final harvest of no-till corn. The sludge was first injected 15 cm deep and the corn planted < 10 cm from the sludge furrow at least 3 days later. Sludge provided sufficient P for both early growth and full season growth. At final harvest with equivalent total N and P rates (32P 250N treatments), fertilizer and sludge had similar maximum yields (17.9 and 17.4 t ha−1, respectively) and P uptake (26 and 25 kg ha−1, respectively) but fertilizer had higher N uptake than sludge (200 and 162 kg ha−1). N uptake and recovery N use efficiency was greater for sludge than fertilizer based on equivalent min.-N which suggests crop benefits in the sludge other than min-N and P. The study shows that precisely injected dairy sludge can obviate the need for starter mineral fertilizer, and this may help to alleviate P surpluses on dairy farms. This practice also provides a use on dairy farms for the separated solids fraction remaining after the thin fraction is decanted and applied as the primary N source to grass.
Antimicrobial Prescription Pattern in Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana: Seasonal Determination Using a Point Prevalence Survey
Authors: Dodoo Cornelius C. , Orman Emmanuel , Alalbila Thelma , Mensah Adelaide , Jato Jonathan , Mfoafo Kwadwo A. , Folitse Isaac , Hutton-Nyameaye Araba , Okon Ben Inemesit , Mensah-Kane Paapa , Sarkodie Emmanuel , Kpokiri Eneyi , Ladva Misha , Awadzi Benedict , Jani Yogini
Published: February 2021

A standardised Global Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) tool was used to determine the antimicrobial prescription pattern in the Ho Teaching Hospital on two separate occasions in a total of 14 wards in the hospital, including dedicated wards for paediatrics and neonates. Manually collected and anonymised data were entered, validated, analysed and reported using a web-based global PPS application. With 147 and 153 patients considered in the July 2019 and January 2020 surveys, respectively, 98 patients (66.7%) and 84 patients (54.9%) had received one or more antimicrobials. The prevalence of antimicrobial use in the adult wards was 64.3% (72/112) and 53.4% (63/118) in the first and second surveys, respectively. The prevalence in the paediatric wards was 60.0% (12/20) and 62.5% (10/16), respectively, in the two surveys, while that in the neonatal wards was 93.3% (14/15) and 57.9% (11/19), respectively. β-lactams were the most used antibiotics in both periods. Malaria was the most common diagnosis requiring the use of antimicrobials in July 2019, accounting for 19.4% of the diagnoses, whereas in January 2020, it was skin and soft-tissue conditions (28.1%). This reflects a seasonal association between malaria and rainfall patterns. Out of the antimicrobials prescribed during each of the survey periods, 95% were used for empirical treatment, and this could be attributed to a number of reasons, including logistical challenges, among others, that require further exploration in the context of local, national and international policy recommendations.
Assessment of Appropriateness of Antimicrobial Therapy in Resource-Constrained Settings: Development and Piloting of a Novel Tool—AmRAT
Authors: Kakkar Ashish Kumar , Shafiq Nusrat , Sahni Neeru , Mohindra Ritin , Kaur Navjot , Gamad Nanda , Panditrao Aditi , Kondal Dimple , Malhotra Samir , Kumar M Praveen , Rohilla Rachna , Bhattacharjee Samiksha , Kumar Ankit , Bhandari Ritika Kondel , Pandey Avaneesh Kumar , Rather Imraan , Mothsara Chakrant , Harish Cvn , Belavagi Devaraj , Vishwas Gopal
Published: February 2021

Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing is considered to be the leading cause of high burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in resource-constrained lower- and middle-income countries. Under its global action plan, the World Health Organization has envisaged tackling the AMR threat through promotion of rational antibiotic use among prescribers. Given the lack of consensus definitions and other associated challenges, we sought to devise and validate an Antimicrobial Rationality Assessment Tool—AmRAT—for standardizing the assessment of appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing. A consensus algorithm was developed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of intensivists, internal medicine practitioners, clinical pharmacologists, and infectious disease experts. The tool was piloted by 10 raters belonging to three groups of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) personnel: Master of Pharmacology (M.Sc.) (n = 3, group A), Doctor of Medicine (MD) residents (n = 3, group B), and DM residents in clinical pharmacology (n = 4, group C) using retrospective patient data from 30 audit and feedback forms collected as part of an existing AMS program. Percentage agreement and the kappa (κ) coefficients were used to measure inter-rater agreements amongst themselves and with expert opinion. Sensitivity and specificity estimates were analyzed comparing their assessments against the gold standard. For the overall assessment of rationality, the mean percent agreement with experts was 76.7% for group A, 68.9% for group B, and 77.5% for group C. The kappa values indicated moderate agreement for all raters in group A (κ 0.47–0.57), and fair to moderate in group B (κ 0.22–0.46) as well as group C (κ 0.37–0.60). Sensitivity and specificity for the same were 80% and 68.6%, respectively. Though evaluated by raters with diverse educational background and variable AMS experience in this pilot study, our tool demonstrated high percent agreement and good sensitivity and specificity, assuring confidence in its utility for assessing appropriateness of antimicrobial prescriptions in resource-constrained healthcare environments.
Genetic and Chemical Engineering of Phages for Controlling Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Guo Dingming , Chen Jingchao , Zhao Xueyang , Luo Yanan , Jin Menglu , Fan Fenxia , Park Chaiwoo , Yang Xiaoman , Sun Chuqing , Yan Jin , Chen Weihua , Liu Zhi
Published: February 2021

Along with the excessive use of antibiotics, the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a public health problem and a great challenge vis-à-vis the control and treatment of bacterial infections. As the natural predators of bacteria, phages have reattracted researchers’ attentions. Phage therapy is regarded as one of the most promising alternative strategies to fight pathogens in the post-antibiotic era. Recently, genetic and chemical engineering methods have been applied in phage modification. Among them, genetic engineering includes the expression of toxin proteins, modification of host recognition receptors, and interference of bacterial phage-resistant pathways. Chemical engineering, meanwhile, involves crosslinking phage coats with antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, heavy metal ions, and photothermic matters. Those advances greatly expand the host range of phages and increase their bactericidal efficiency, which sheds light on the application of phage therapy in the control of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This review reports on engineered phages through genetic and chemical approaches. Further, we present the obstacles that this novel antimicrobial has incurred.