bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
¡Pinastri!: la metamorfosis del deseo sadomasoquista y la subversión de la fantasía pornotópica en The Duke of Burgundy
Authors: Oxbrow Gina
Published: November 2022

La película The Duke of Burgundy (Peter Strickland, 2014) parece, a primera vista, una película de pornografía blanda al estilo de Bilitis (David Hamilton, 1977) debido a sus bucólicos paisajes verdes en un ambiente aparentemente burgués. El film narra la relación sadomasoquista entre Cynthia, una acomodada académica y conocida entomóloga, y su joven amante, criada sumisa y aprendiz, Evelyn. Las dos viven juntas en un sitio sin nombre o contexto, más bien una pornotopía de deseo desenfrenado. Sin embargo, cuando se interpone la rutina doméstica, comienza a producirse un desequilibrio entre la dominación, la fantasía, la satisfacción y la representación. A lo largo de este trabajo, pondremos de relieve los guiños constantes a las películas de Jess Franco, Armando Bó y Luis Buñuel, lo que nos enfrenta a un pastiche de la representación pornotópica cinematográfica, no solo de las relaciones lesbianas, sino también una parodia sadomasoquista. Se trata de una subversión de aquella pornografía mainstream, dirigida exclusivamente a una mirada masculina heterosexual. En esta película el deseo femenino se empodera a través del desarrollo psicológico de las protagonistas, pues estas no son concebidas como mero objetos de deseo para el espectador, sino como sujetos que viven su sexualidad a plenitud.

At first sight, The Duke of Burgundy (Peter Strickland, 2014) might seem to be a soft-porn film in the style of Bilitis (David Hamilton, 1977) due to the recurring backdrop of bucolic green and leafy landscapes within an apparently bourgeois setting. The film centres on the sado-masochistic relationship between Cynthia, a prosperous academic and well-known entomologist, and her younger lover, who is also her submissive maid and research apprentice. They live together in a de-contextualized location with no name, reminiscent of a pornotopia of unfettered desire. Yet, once mundane domestic routine takes over, this leads to an imbalance between domination, fantasy, satisfaction and role-play. In the following analysis, we shall highlight the constant explicit nods by the director to the films of Jess Franco, Armando Bó or Luis Buñuel, which thus result in the film becoming more of a pastiche of pornotopic cinema productions not only of lesbian relationships, but it ends up being a sadomasochistic parody, too. We are now confronted with a subversion of mainstream pornography, usually directed at a stereotypically male heterosexual audience. In this production, female desire is empowered by means of the psychological development of the lead characters, as they are not represented as mere objects of desire for the viewer’s pleasure, but as subjects enjoying their own sexuality to the full.
La pornografía en los tiempos del coronavirus
Authors: Pascual Nieves
Published: November 2022

El presente ensayo investiga el regalo que el 24 de marzo de 2020 el sitio pornográfico Pornhub ofrece a los usuarios como entretenimiento durante el confinamiento por el coronavirus. Investiga las razones públicas de este presente y el incremento en el consumo de porno que se produce a raíz del aburrimiento que genera la cuarentena. Propone que si bien Pornhub procura protegernos del COVID-19, la reciprocidad a la que nos obliga su obsequio no es simétrica.

This essay investigates the gift that on March 24, 2020, the pornographic site Pornhub offers users as entertainment during the confinement due to the Coronavirus. It investigates the public reasons motivating the gift, and the increase in porn consumption caused by the boredom generated by the quarantine. It proposes that while Pornhub may intend to help protect consumers from COVID-19, the reciprocity its gift obliges us with is not symmetrical.
Transfer effects in gender assignment and gender concord in L3 Swedish: A case study
Authors: Długosz Kamil
Published: November 2022

This case study examines transfer effects in the acquisition of grammatical gender in L3/Ln. A learner of L3 Swedish, who had previously acquired two grammatical gender systems: one in his native Polish and the other in his non-native Norwegian, participated in three tasks: an online gender decision task, an offline gender decision task, and a speeded acceptability judgement task on determiner phrases (indefinite article + noun). Accuracy scores in all three tasks reveal robust transfer from Norwegian, but not from Polish. The transfer from Norwegian determines two processes inherent to grammatical gender, i.e. gender assignment and gender concord. However, response latencies in the online gender decision task point to competition between the Norwegian and Swedish gender systems at the level of gender retrieval, suggesting that target-like gender representations in Swedish are developing. Since transfer is traditionally claimed to be situated at the level of linguistic representation, it is assumed that the learner in this study temporarily developed a shared grammatical gender system for Norwegian and Swedish.
How suitable are movie reviews for use as ESL/EFL teaching and reading materials?
Authors: Vukovic Stamatovic Milica , Bratic Vesna
Published: November 2022

Finding adequate and interesting content is a challenge teachers and writers of foreign language learning materials frequently come across. In this paper, we evaluate how suitable, vocabulary-wise, movie reviews are for English language teaching and learning purposes. Employing the method of lexical frequency profiling, we study a 1.3-million-word corpus of American movie reviews, and find that a knowledge of about 5,000 words is needed to achieve the minimum reading comprehension level (at 95%-vocabulary coverage), whereas as many as 13,000 words are needed for reaching the ideal reading threshold (98%-vocabulary coverage). We conclude that, non-adapted, movie reviews as a genre are only suitable for advanced learners. In addition, the study shows that movie reviews are not an excellent source of formal vocabulary, but are an excellent source of opinion vocabulary, and we therefore suggest that the teaching and learning target in terms of vocabulary for movie reviews in ESL/EFL contexts should be on positive and negative words expressing opinion.
Hund oder Hündin, Katze oder Kater? Zum Verhältnis von Genus und Sexus in Tierverkaufsanzeigen
Authors: Ek Britt-Marie , Nystrand Mikael
Published: November 2022

Im vorliegenden Artikel wird diskutiert, mit welchen Lexemen auf Hunde und Katzen in Tierverkaufsanzeigen Bezug genommen wird und wie das biologische Geschlecht der zu verkaufenden Tiere sprachlich ausgedrückt wird. Eine zentrale Frage ist dabei, inwiefern die epicoenen Hyperonyme Hund und Katze oder geschlechtsinhärente Hyponyme wie Hündin und Kater zum Einsatz kommen. Untersucht werden 200 Anzeigen, in denen Tiere zum Verkauf angeboten werden oder für spezifische Zwecke gesucht werden. Der Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit ist, dass in erster Linie für Geschlecht markierte Hyponyme zu erwarten sind und dass das Vorkommen dieser geschlechtsinhärenten Lexeme mit dem Grad der Referenzialität und mit Spezifizierung/Individualisierung korreliert.
Die Studie zeigt, dass neben anderen sprachlichen Mitteln wie grammatischen Endungen und Anthropomorphisierung der Tiere geschlechtsinhärente Hyponyme in unterschiedlichem Grade verwendet werden, um Sexus auszudrücken. Jedoch können die beiden Hyperonyme Hund und Katze auch zur Geschlechtsspezifizierung männlicher wie auch weiblicher Tiere Anwendung finden.
University students' self-regulation in standard and enforced online language learning
Authors: Przybył Jakub , Chudak Sebastian
Published: November 2022

Since new learning environments are believed to affect student motivation and cognition, and thus, have a huge impact on the processes underlying self-regulated learning, the transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have challenged students’ ability to remain in charge of the learning process. Distance language learners could be particularly challenged by profusion of material, cognitive overload or unsettled participation patterns. Based on introspective data obtained from a representative sample of 321 university students majoring in various foreign languages, the present study aims to compare participants’ self-regulation in standard and online education and identify problem areas which demand action. At the same time, it seeks to respond to earlier calls for providing teachers with insights into students’ changing self-regulation routines and the processes underlying these changes. Data analysis clearly indicates that participants’ self-regulation (SR) has significantly deteriorated due to the shift from standard to online learning with respect to all the investigated SR areas. Also, while the investigated students reported a relatively high level of SR in the planning stage, their dramatically low level of reflection over the learning process could be seen as an impediment to a smooth transition from standard to distance learning.
Entre la teoría del afecto, los estudios de género y la narratología: Casa de muñecas de Patricia Esteban Erlés
Authors: Kołakowski Marcin
Published: November 2022

Casa de muñecas (2012) de Patricia Esteban Erlés es una obra en cuyo seno abundan temas femeninos y feministas: el confinamiento en el ambiente doméstico, las experiencias de violencia, las maneras de escaparse del enredo del patriarcado, etcétera. En ella, la narración doble (textual y visual), la estructura (subordinada a la temática) y la convención literaria (narrativa fantástica y gótica) junto con un sinfín de elementos paratextuales son factores que inducen ciertos afectos en los lectores y el despertar de emociones concretas. El presente artículo constituye un intento de traducción de algunos conceptos del giro afectivo al estudio de textos literarios, que aspira a dar respuesta a las siguientes preguntas: ¿cómo es que el narrador intenta estimular el afecto de los lectores? ¿En qué medida la forma literaria (como cognado de la noción sociológica y psicológica del «ambiente») es capaz de afectar a los lectores? ¿Qué recursos literarios y componentes extradiegéticos inducen el afecto? ¿Puede la misma estructura del texto influenciarlo?
Weniger ist mehr: Zur Pragmatik verbloser (Nicht-)Sätze
Authors: Schönherr Monika
Published: November 2022

In spite of the existence of a variety of syntactic approaches, it is generally acknowledged that the verbal clauses are a central topic of the syntax. In contrast, verbless clauses which contain no verb element, and often also no subject, are not included in the prominent theoretical approaches to the syntax. Although there are many similarities between both these categories of clauses, there are also many differences, especially with respect to the way they are usually treated. Verbless clauses are mostly described as a reduction of finite clauses or an exception to the syntactic structures.

This paper is offered as a contribution to the long-standing discussion related to the grammatical status and usage of the constructions without a finite verb. A corpus-based analysis of these constructions shows that the verbless clauses tend to occur in various forms and contexts. Moreover, the results of this study suggest that in many cases verbless clauses are able to fulfill specific communicative functions, which cannot be expressed by any other syntactic units, including finite clauses.
« Comme une morue des îles Lofoten mise à sécher dans le vent du nord » : la traduction de la comparaison similative en rapport avec la nature dans un roman norvégien pour la jeunesse
Authors: Lindgren Charlotte , Axelsson Marcus
Published: November 2022

Cet article adopte une approche plurielle pour étudier la traduction en suédois et en français du roman jeunesse norvégien Keeperen og havet (2017) de Maria Parr, et plus particulièrement la traduction des comparaisons similatives en rapport avec la nature. La perspective traductologique est donc ici complétée par une perspective écocritique, et le « NatCul Matrix » de Goga et al. (2018) est employé comme outil d’analyse. La nature joue une place importante dans l’œuvre de Maria Parr et il est ainsi intéressant de voir que plusieurs de ces comparaisons similatives sont utilisées, en norvégien et en suédois introduites par « som », et en français dans la majorité des cas par « comme ». Dans certains cas, la traductrice vers le français en a même aussi ajouté. Dans les deux cas (comparaisons similatives traduites ou ajoutées) c’est majoritairement le monde animal qui est utilisé comme standard. Cet article montre aussi clairement des versions cibles aussi écocentriques que la version originale, mis à part quelques cas intéressants de traductions non littérales.
Elastic language in scientific writing: Evidence from the Corpus of English Life of Sciences Texts
Authors: Álvarez-Gil Francisco J. , Quintana-Toledo Elena
Published: November 2022

This paper sets out to explore the expression of vagueness in eighteenth and nineteenth century scientific writing, specifically in the Corpus of English Life Sciences Texts. Following Zhang’s (2015) pragmatic-oriented approach to vague language, vague expressions are viewed through the lenses of elasticity. This notion applies to the strategic use of vagueness insofar as it provides a space for the negotiation of pragmatic meanings in writer-reader interaction. The exploration of elastic language involves four lexical categories: (i) approximate stretchers, i.e., approximators and vague quantifiers, (ii) general stretchers, i.e., general terms, placeholders and vague category markers, (iii) scalar stretchers, i.e., intensifiers and softeners, and (iv) epistemic stretchers. The Coruña Corpus Tool has been used to elicit data, but classification and contextualised interpretations have necessarily relied on manual analysis. Findings reveal that elastic language fulfils a variety of relational functions in scientific writing, including making generalisations when the information is either not available or relevant for the purposes of communication, marking shared knowledge and group membership, or self-protection.
The EFFECT OF CHICKEN EGG SHELL POWDER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF LEAF ONION (ALLIUM FISTULOSUM)
Authors: Apriansi Mardia , Adnan Adnan , Hartati Merri Sri
Published: November 2022

Rejang Lebong has local commodities, one of which is green onion, because the topographic and geographical conditions of Rejang Lebong are suitable for the growth of leeks. The leek plants produced in the Rejang Lebong area are diverse, where there are leek plants that have a soft stem texture. In the cultivation of leeks, most of the farmers in Rejang Lebong still use inorganic fertilizers to support their agricultural production, this situation if carried out in the long term can have a negative impact on the surrounding environment, especially on agricultural land. Rejang Lebong is a developing city that has many home industries such as the cake industry, restaurants, bakeries, noodle stalls and egg martabak that use eggs as raw materials, so there is a lot of egg shell waste that is not utilized and just thrown away and has an impact on the environment. environmental pollution such as bad smell. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of broiler eggshell powder on the growth and yield of leek (Allium fistulosum), and what dose was effective for wet weight of leek (Allium fistulosum). This research is a field experiment research using a completely randomized design with 1 factor and 7 treatments, 3 replications, data analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that there was an effect of egg shell powder on the growth and yield of leek (Allium fistulosum) and the effective dose for growth and yield of leek (Allium fistulosum) was P6 (55 grams).
The Circulation of Evaluative Information
Authors: Dahler-Larsen Peter
Published: November 2022

Given ongoing changes in the social structuration of evaluation, the circulation of evaluative information is becoming an increasingly important factor in the production of constitutive effects of evaluation. There is power in the circulation of evaluative information, and therefore also power in attempts to regulate or curb it. Based on one case exemplifying massive circulation of evaluative information (Google Scholar), and one with very limited circulation (workplace assessments), we show how infrastructure, interests and institutional rules are useful analytical entry points into studies of circulation. The paper proposes a new theoretical and empirical attention to circulation of evaluative information as a fragile and contested phenomenon.
Reflection on: “The Circulation of Evaluative Information”
Authors: Nyholm Inga
Published: November 2022

In this text I will focus on evaluation and evaluative information in a rapidly changing environment, as well as evaluation as a process determined by multiple and sometimes even hidden choices. “Evaluation has become such a widespread social phenomenon that the term ‘The Evaluation Society’ is often referred to. This is a society with flows of evaluative information.” This quote from the article “The Circulation of Evaluative Information” (hereafter: the article) illustrates that today evaluative information, the number of evaluations performed, is increasing steadily, at the same time as types and levels of evaluation are becoming more and more diversified.
Evaluation, Framing and Power
Authors: Syrstad Høydal Øyunn
Published: November 2022

The concept of framing implies that policy issues can be viewed from different perspectives. The choice of perspective influences the way societal phenomena are understood and the solutions to the perceived problems, as well as the perspectives focused on when evaluating these solutions. Framing thus involves power, and framing in relation to evaluation involves the power to influence production of public knowledge and, subsequently, policy decisions informed by this evidence. While the role of framing in policymaking seems to be a topic of increasing academic interest, thus far evaluation literature has not reflected this trend. Evaluation still tends to be perceived as an objective external voice, providing the political–administrative system with neutral evidence. This paper challenges this dominant image of evaluation and seeks to contribute to clarifying the complex relationship between framing, evaluation and power.
Collaborative Management in Norwegian Municipalities: Do Middle Managers Make a Difference?
Authors: Vegard Haug Are
Published: November 2022

Norway is an example of the Nordic model in which the local level is of fundamental importance. However, the municipalities are relatively small and increasingly subject to decentralisation of their activities. To compensate for scale disadvantages, a mixture of collaborative activities is pursued in order to build system capacity. Paradoxically, little is known about collaboration among key stakeholders. This article makes a contribution to reducing this knowledge gap by focusing on mid-level managers and municipal departments. This research is empirically underpinned by a cross sectional survey of middle managers in 64 municipalities in Norway (N = 1354) and presents, for the first time, comprehensive data on collaboration across the entire municipal sector. It shows that collaboration does exist among municipalities, but that there is significant variation between sectors and types of collaboration. Furthermore, the classic distinction between locals and cosmopolitans is observed, though also an interesting new group of middle managers - "glocals" - who combine local and cosmopolitan orientation. The combination of delegation and entrepreneurial leadership is shown to be particularly important when explaining variation, as delegation creates a greater scope for collaborative management. Interestingly, entrepreneurs in particular appeared to be moving into this area, thus enabling greater innovation and development.
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis focusing on odontogenic causes
Authors: Almeida Ana Carolina Plado Barreto de , Coelho Andressa da Silva , Castro Daniel Pereira de Faria , Sperandio Davi Marcos da Silva , Segal Igor Cukierman , Prado Roberto
Published: November 2022

Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis (CST) is an uncommon neurological infection that affects the cavernous sinus of the dura mater, which can lead to death. When untreated, odontogenic infections can cause CST, since facial veins do not have valves. The diagnosis consists of the clinical characteristics added to imaging exams such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in significantly reducing mortality has been proven, but therapy with anticoagulants and corticosteroids remains unknown in the literature. Objective: The purpose of the study is to make a literature review on etiology, paraphysiology, symptoms, complementary exa- ms, diagnosis and outcome of patients who presented CST as a result of an odontogenic infection. Materials and methods: a literature review was carried out, using articles from the Pubmed, Lilacs and Cochrane databases, from the last 10 years in the English langua- ge and reference articles to complement. The Mesh terms used were ‘Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis’, ‘Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis AND Odontogenic Infections’ and ‘Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis AND Dental Infection’. Conclusion: CST motivated by odontogenic infections is a rare but extremely dangerous disorder that must be discovered early in order for the patient’s prognosis to be favorable. It is necessary to pay attention to the clinical signs and to the analysis of the imaging exams so that the differential diagnosis is made.
Clinical Update
Authors: Goolam N
Published: November 2022

Parvovirus B19 is notoriously a cause of normocytic anaemia in patients in an immunocompromised state, more so than in patients without prior disease. It is increasingly prevalent in children and adults in an HIV-induced immunocompromised state, and its presentation may be varied. Red-cell aplasia and normocytic anaemia are common presenting derangements found. Here, we note the typical presentation of red-cell aplasia re-entering healthcare, with a dire effect on the quality of life of this patient.
Assessment and Prediction of Fire Risk Grades of Wood Species in Different Storage Environments
Authors: Chung Yeong-Jin , Jin Eui
Published: November 2022

In this study, the fire risk index of different wood species used in construction was calculated using Chung's equations-II, Chung's equations-III, and Chung's equation-IV. The test specimens were from larch, Russian ash, sapele, and camphor tree. Their fire characteristics were evaluated using a cone calorimeter according to ISO 5660-1. After combustion, the fire performance index-II (FPI-II) of the specimens, as calculated by Chung's equations, varied between 1.56 and 8.12 s2/kW, and the fire growth index-II (FGI-II) varied between 0.03 and 0.23 kW/s2. The fire performance index-III (FPI-III) based on polymethylmetacrylate varied between 5.27 and 27.36, and the fire growth index-III (FGI-III) varied between 0.20 and 1.58. The fire risk index-IV (FRI-IV), which is the fire risk grade, showed that Russian ash and camphor tree have a high fire risk, with FRI-IV values of 0.27 and 0.30, respectively. Therefore, wood species that contain volatile compounds or have a low bulk density have a high FRI-IV value owing to decreased FPI-II and FPI-III and increased FGI-II and FGI-III.
Designing a Pharmacy Accreditation Programme to Improve the Quality of Service Delivery in Pharmacies
Authors: Akbari Shahram , Hajinabi Kamran , Riahi Leila
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Improving service delivery has become a major goal in all healthcare settings. Accreditation can play an important role in improving service delivery, but few studies have been done on the development of pharmacy accreditation models. Aim: To design a pharmacy accreditation programme, develop accreditation models and provide a suitable tool for improving the quality of service delivery in the pharmacy. Materials and Methods: This study was a mixed-method study conducted from March 2019 to December 2020. A scoping review was undertaken for this study. PubMed, Google Scholar, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other related databases (like Web of Pharmacy Accreditation Organisations) were used as sources of databases, used following keywords to search documents according to MeSH terms i.e, health services administration, delivery of healthcare, accreditation and pharmacy. A structural equation modelling method was used. Based on the data extracted from the databases, a questionnaire was designed and was administered of stakeholders. The collected data was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. Model parameters were estimated using the Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) method. The model was revised on inspection of modification indices and fit statistics and experimented for construct validity, construct reliability and measurement invariance. Results: The findings of this study were the design of a pharmacy accreditation programme that includes five dimensions of quality and safety, management and performance, training and development of human resources, procedures and environmental and equipment factors. The quality and safety dimension with a correlation coefficient of 0.92 had the greatest impact on the accreditation programme, the environmental and equipment factors had the least effect with a correlation coefficient of 0.73. Conclusion: Simultaneous use of valid global models, the views of experts and stakeholders in this model, has provided a powerful and novel tool to improve the performance of pharmacies.
Assessment of Potential Risk Factors, Characteristics, and Outcome of Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum in Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Case-control Study
Authors: Kumar T Prasanna , Madan K , Arjun AS , Monica N
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Pneumothorax (PTX) and/or pneumomediastinum (PMD) are rare complications of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and are linked to high mortality. Incidence rates vary between 0.56-2.01% in the reported literature. With clinical examination being hampered in the current pandemic setting, there is a delay in the diagnosis. There is a need to identify and establish potential predictive factors, that may aid in identifying patients with a high-risk of developing PTX and/or PMD. Aim: To identify potential risk factors and thus, explore their association with PTX and/or PMD among patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted at MS Ramaiah Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, South India over a six-month period. A total of 130 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were recruited in a 1:3 ratio as cases and controls respectively. Cases were patients, diagnosed radiologically with PTX and/or PMD, and controls were, matched individuals without PTX and/or PMD. Patient’s clinical and laboratory parameters (complete blood count, renal and liver function tests, serum levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and D-Dimer were tested for potential association with PTX and/or PMD. Student’s t-test, Chi-square test, multivariate and univariate logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: During the study period, there was a total of 3,251 COVID-19 admissions at the centre with 976 patients requiring Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. The overall incidence of PTX and/or PMD during the study period was (31/3251) 0.95%. The previous history of COVID-19, non vaccination with COVID-19 vaccine, cough as a predominant symptom, high values of baseline CRP, total bilirubin, Aspartate Transaminase (AST), and total leukocyte counts had a positive association. In-hospital mortality (54.8% vs 33.30%) and mortality 28 days (35.7% vs 7.6%) following discharge, were higher among those with PTX and/or PMD. Conclusion: Patients with a history of previous infection with COVID-19, non vaccination /incomplete-vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines, and patients with increasing total leukocyte counts and AST levels, high baseline total serum bilirubin were at increased risk of a detrimental clinical course and may indicate, the possibility of development of PTX and/or PMD in COVID-19 disease.
Association between Thyroid Function and Ovarian Reserve in Infertile Women: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Soam Sandeep Singh , Chaturvedi Sonali , Singh Shruti
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Thyroid dysfunctions are among the most common diseases in women of reproductive age group. Thyroid hormone receptors are present on oocytes which indicate that thyroid hormones may influence ovarian functions. Serum AntiMüllerian Hormone (AMH) is secreted from growing granulosa cells of ovaries. Serum AMH concentrations are used to evaluate ovarian reserve in females. Aim: To find the association between ovarian reserve, measured by AMH concentration and thyroid functions in women with infertility. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry at Government Medical College, Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, India, from July 2021 to December 2021. The involved women with infertility in the age group of 20 to 40 years attending the infertility clinic. Participants were divided into two groups based on whether the serum AMH value was <1 ng/mL (lower than low normal ovarian reserve) or ≥1 ng/mL (low normal to normal ovarian reserve). The blood samples were processed for Serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), free Triiodothyronine (fT3 ), free Thyroxine (fT4), Prolactin and AMH. The median values of TSH and fT4 levels were compared in the subgroups of patients defined by the level of serum AMH i.e., serum AMH value <1 ng/mL, and serum AMH value ≥1 ng/mL. Chi-square test was used to establish the association between the categorical variables. Results: Based on serum AMH values, 22 (28%) females had below normal ovarian reserve i.e., serum AMH value <1 ng/mL, and 56 (72%) females had low normal to normal ovarian reserve i.e., serum AMH value ≥1 ng/mL. The mean age of participants with AMH <1 ng/mL was 33.23±4.28, which was significantly higher than those with AMH value ≥1 ng/mL (p-value=0.002). Serum TSH value was significantly higher in the subgroup of participants with AMH <1 ng/mL, the value being 4.75 mIU/L and was lower (2.8 mIU/L) in the subgroup of participants with AMH ≥1 ng/mL (p-value=0.002). Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study found the highly significant difference in serum TSH values in the two groups based on whether the serum AMH value was <1 ng/mL and ≥1 ng/mL suggesting that subclinical hypothyroidism has negative impact on the female fertility. Increasing age of the females was negatively correlated with the ovarian reserve.
Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) Root and Leaves Extract- An Experimental Study
Authors: . Akansha , Rastogi Mayuri , Shaida Bushra
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Cichorium intybus (C. intybus) is a scientific term used for chicory plant. The medicinal plants have immensely contributed to health needs of humans throughout their existence. Aim: To study the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the methanolic root and leaf extract of C. intybus. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted at Sharda University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India from January 2022 to March 2022. Phytochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of methenolic extract of C. intybus both leaves and roots were assessed using different methods. Antibacterial activity was done using Well Diffusion Method against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Results: The results for antioxidant activity was found better in leaves of C. intybus when compared with its root. The IC50 value for the leaves was found to be 63.8±1.4 μg/ mL whereas root showed 76.1±1.2 μg/ mL. Further, the samples were tested for antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria using Well diffusion method against given microorganism Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 87), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 424), E. coli (MTCC 68) and Salmonella Typhimurium (MTCC 68). With zone of inhibition 25.24±0.34 mm, 18.78±1.12 mm, 20.1±0.4 mm and 24.8±0.5 mm respectively, while on comparison with standard drug. Conclusion: The methanolic extract of both roots and leaves have good antioxidant and antibacterial properties thus will help to protect against many diseases and will enhance the immune system for maintaining good health.
Measurement of Filum Terminale in the Foetuses of Third Trimester Gestational Age: An Observational Study
Authors: Gupta Nand Kishor , Vaishnani Hetal , Gupta Preeti , Gandotra Achleswar
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The covering of spinal cord is same as that of brain. The pia mater, arachnoid and dura mater covers the spinal cord from inside out. The pia mater extends from cephalic end of spinal cord upto terminal portion i.e., conus medullaris. Beyond the conus, the pia mater extends in the form of filum terminale. The filum terminale extends beyond the conus medullaris and attaches upto dorsal aspects of coccyx to stabilise the spinal cord in its position. Aim: To study the length of filum terminale in the foetuses of third trimester gestational age. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 30 foetuses collected from museum of Department of Anatomy and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The permission and approval from university ethical committee was taken before starting the study. The foetuses were divided into three groups taking into consideration their gestational age (four foetuses in 1st group 28- 31 weeks, 12 foetuses in 2nd group 32-35 weeks and 14 foetuses were in 3rd group 36-40 weeks gestational age). Also, the gender wise variation (11 male and 19 female foetuses) was also taken into account. All the data were recorded in Microsoft excel sheet and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Numerical values were reported as the mean±standard deviation. Student’s t-test or one way ANOVA was used to analyse quantitative variables. Two tailed p-values were considered significant (p<0.05). Results: In this study, the mean length of filum terminale was 4.35±1.04 cm with range minimum 2.31 cm to maximum 5.90 cm. The length of spinal cord and length of filum terminale measurements significantly increased with increasing gestational age (p<0.001). The length of spinal cord, length of filum terminale measurement and ratio of length of filum terminale to length of spinal cord (FT/SC) were significantly higher in male foetuses (p<0.05). Conclusion: The association between gestational age (weeks), length of filum terminale, and length of spinal cord among all foetuses, and male and female separately were statistically significant
Socio-economical Profile and Its Correlation with Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Vegetable Growers in Varanasi District of Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Singh Akanksha , Singh Dan , Yadav R. N. , Singh D. K. , Praksh Satya , Singh Ashish
Published: November 2022

Vegetables are widely grown crops throughout the country as a commercial crop. Vegetables constitute an important item of human diet Vegetables are important constituents of Indian agriculture and nutritional security due to their short duration, high yield, nutritional richness, economic viability and ability to generate on-farm and off-farm employment. Our country is blessed with diverse agro-climates with distinct seasons, making it possible to grow wide array of vegetables. Farmers deciding to take particular crop or use scientific methods to grow crops exhibit entrepreneurial behaviour. Understanding of such behaviour is essential to improve the quality of extension services offered by the institutional and non-institutional agencies. So the present study was carried out during the year 2021-2022 in four blocks of Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh with the objective to study the socio-economic profile of vegetable growers and to find out the correlation between socio-economic profile and entrepreneurial behaviour. Ex-post-facto design was selected as an appropriate research design to investigate the variables influencing the entrepreneurial behaviour of vegetable growers The present study was conducted on 160 respondents and data were collected through personal interview method with the help of interview schedule. The study revealed that the majority of vegetable growers (60.62 per cent) belonged to middle age group, (77.50 per cent) belong to Other Backward Caste, (36.25%) were having education up to intermediate level, ( 86.25 per cent) were married, (66.87 per cent) belonging to joint family system, (61.25 per cent) were having 5 to 8 members in a family, (92.50 per cent) were having Pucca house, (79.38 per cent) respondents were engaged in agriculture as main occupation, (53.75 per cent) respondents were having membership of only one social organizations, (38.75 per cent) were having 2 to 4 ha of land, (51.25 per cent) were having medium material possession, (30.00 per cent) were having Rs. 2 lakh to 3 lakh. The result from the study reveals that majority of the respondents belonged to medium socio-economic status (42.50 per cent) followed by high socio-economic status (31.87 percent) and remaining belonged to low socio-economic status (25.63 per cent). Most of the socio-economic variable were having positively and significantly correlation with entrepreneurial behaviour. The variable age was found to have negative correlation with entrepreneurial behaviour of vegetable growers. Thus the correlation analysis reveals that people with better education , more land holding, higher social participation, more material possession and higher annual income have higher entrepreneurial behavior in growing vegetables. While those farmers who were young are growing vegetable more successfully as an entrepreneur.
Post-traumatic Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis: Case Report
Authors: Sidi Mahmoud ML Sidi Mohamed. , Ait Ahmed S. , Dadah S. M. L. , Benbrahim F. , Benchakroun S. , Mahraoui C. , El Hafidi N.
Published: November 2022

We report a case of a child who developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after a trauma at home. This is a 25-month-old child, born of a non-consanguineous marriage with no perinatal history or any recent viral infections, with good psychomotor and intellectual development.

Diagnosis of encephalopathy can be difficult in children, with nonspecific, subtle, and transient symptoms, such as drowsiness or irritability that can be easily overlooked, especially in the emergency department. The best available diagnostic tool is based on clinical and radiological findings. MRI could be useful for a precise and early diagnosis necessary to solve some unanswered questions.
Growth Performance of Crossbred Calves Fed a Conventional and Total Mixed Ration with Varying Concentrate Level
Authors: Pandya Poojan H. , Lunagariya Pravin M. , Patel Jigar H. , Vaidh Palak P. , Khant Malhar R. , Patel Dilip C. , Wadhwani Kishan N.
Published: November 2022

Aim: The experiment was planned to investigate the effect of different concentrate to roughage ratios and conventional feeding systems in total mixed ration on nutrient intake, water intake, growth, feed conversion, and cost of feeding in crossbred dairy calves.

Place and Duration of Study: The present study was carried out at Livestock Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat for a period of 84 days.

Methodology: A total of 24 healthy (8 days old) preweaned (HF×Kankrej) crossbred calves were distributed randomly into the four experimental treatments. The calves of the T1 (control) group were fed with the conventional system and group T2, T3, and T4 groups were fed TMR with the concentrate roughage ratio of 85:15, 75:25, and 65:35, respectively. The feed intake, growth, feed conversion, and cost of feeding the crossbred calves were recorded.

Results: The daily, percent, and metabolic body weight basis intake of dry matter (DM), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and water intake was significantly (p<0.05) lower in the TMR feeding system than conventional feeding in crossbred calves. The initial and final body weight (kg), height at withers, heart girth, and body length (cm) did not differ significantly among the treatments. Total and daily body weight gain of crossbred calves were significantly higher with T4 TMR (65:35 ratio) compared to the conventional system of feeding. The requirement of dry matter to gain each kilogram of live weight was significantly lower in the 65:35 ratio (T4) group compared to the control group (T1). The calves of the T4 group showed a 21.81% (Rs 73.55/kg weight gain) lower cost of feeding as compared to the T1 group.

Conclusion: The feeding TMR with concentrate to roughage ratio of 65:35 (T4) resulted in reduced dry matter, TDN, and water intake with better weight gain and feed conversion compared to the convention (T1) feeding system with a 21.81 percent reduction in feed cost.
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Agricultural Labour Wages Using Vector Error Correction Model: An Integrated Approach to Environment and Climate Change
Authors: Jammugani Rakesh , Yashavanth B. S. , Kallakuri Supriya , Sunandini G. P.
Published: November 2022

This study attempted to explore the interactive relations among agricultural labour wage rates in five neighbouring Indian states viz., Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu Telangana and Chhattisgarh using monthly time series data of 2005-2020. The objective of this study was to examine the degree of integration among wage rates of agricultural labourers in neighbouring states. Integration with outside markets may partly mitigate the costs of climate change, as individuals respond to warming temperature by migrating to urban areas and internationally in search of employment. We built vector error correction model (VECM) by conducting stationarity test and cointegration test. The Granger Causality test was employed to check whether the wage rates among different states influence each other. For building the VEC Model, the complete data set (180 data points) was split into training (168 data points) and testing (12 data points) data sets. The nonstationarity of the data was established by the Augmented Dickey Fuller test. For the purpose of forecasting, VECM (1) was built and tested for goodness of fit using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) which were found to be < 10% for all the states suggesting good fit of the VECM model. A growing body of literature suggests that the economic costs of climate change may be substantial and far‐reaching, impacting agriculture, mortality, labour productivity, economic growth, civil conflict and migration.
“This Is Our COVID”—What Physicians Need to Know About the Pediatric RSV Surge
Authors: Abbasi Jennifer
Published: November 2022

This Medical News article discusses an out-of-season increase in respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and other respiratory infections that is severely straining the pediatric health care system.
Automated field‐in‐field whole brain radiotherapy planning
Authors: Huang Kai , Hernandez Soleil , Wang Chenyang , Nguyen Callistus , Briere Tina Marie , Cardenas Carlos , Court Laurence , Xiao Yao
Published: November 2022

Purpose

We developed and tested an automatic field‐in‐field (FIF) solution for whole‐brain radiotherapy (WBRT) planning that creates a homogeneous dose distribution by minimizing hotspots, resulting in clinically acceptable plans.

Methods

A configurable auto‐planning algorithm was developed to automatically generate FIF WBRT plans independent of the treatment planning system. Configurable parameters include the definition of hotspots, target volume, maximum number of subfields, and minimum number of monitor units per field. This algorithm iteratively identifies a hotspot, creates two opposing subfields, calculates the dose, and optimizes the beam weight based on user‐configured constraints of dose‐volume histogram coverage and least‐squared cost functions. The algorithm was retrospectively tested on 17 whole‐brain patients. First, an in‐house landmark‐based automated beam aperture technique was used to generate the treatment fields and initial plans. Second, the FIF algorithm was employed to optimize the plans using physician‐defined goals of 99.9% of the brain volume receiving 100% of the prescription dose (30 Gy in 10 fractions) and a target hotspot definition of 107% of the prescription dose. The final auto‐optimized plans were assessed for clinical acceptability by an experienced radiation oncologist using a five‐point scale.

Results

The FIF algorithm reduced the mean (± SD) plan hotspot percentage dose from 35.0 Gy (116.6%) ± 0.6 Gy (2.0%) to 32.6 Gy (108.8%) ± 0.4 Gy (1.2%). Also, it decreased the mean (± SD) hotspot V107% [cm3] from 959 ± 498 cm3 to 145 ± 224 cm3. On average, plans were produced in 16 min without any user intervention. Furthermore, 76.5% of the auto‐plans were clinically acceptable (needing no or minor stylistic edits), and all of them were clinically acceptable after minor clinically necessary edits.

Conclusions

This algorithm successfully produced high‐quality WBRT plans and can improve treatment planning efficiency when incorporated into an automatic planning workflow.
Metal Droplet Deposition: From Foundation to Engineering Manufacturing
Authors: Yi Hao , Wang Zhipeng , Cao Huajun , Liu Menglin , Li Jinxin
Published: November 2022

Metal droplet deposition is of fundamental importance in many industrial and manufacturing processes. An in‐depth understanding of the fundamental issues of metal droplet deposition is particularly crucial for developing droplet deposition‐based engineering manufacturing technologies. This review systematically introduces the evolution of metal droplet deposition stages and characteristic behaviors in terms of metal droplet deposition dynamics. The characteristic morphologies of single‐metal droplets after solidification, that is, gas entrapment, ripples, bulging edges, and splashing, are reviewed. The formation mechanisms and influencing factors of different droplet morphologies are summarized. Moreover, the deposition strategy of multiple metal droplets to promote good interfacial bonding is further concluded. Based on these theoretical foundations, three typical engineering manufacturing techniques based on metal droplet deposition, that is, thermal spraying, soldering, and droplet‐based 3D printing, are presented to elucidate further the advantages and potential of metal droplet deposition applied to engineering manufacturing. Finally, some existing problems and future research perspectives are discussed.