bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pilot study of extended-release lorcaserin for cocaine use disorder among men who have sex with men: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial
Authors: Santos Glenn-Milo , Ikeda Janet , Coffin Phillip , Walker John E. , Matheson Tim , McLaughlin Matthew , Jain Jennifer , Vittinghoff Eric , Batki Steven L.
Published: July 2021

Objective

To determine if men who have sex with men (MSM) with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and actively-using cocaine could be enrolled and retained in a pharmacologic intervention trial of lorcaserin—a novel 5-HT2cR agonist—and determine the degree to which participants would adhere to study procedures.

Methods

This was a phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study with 2:1 random parallel group assignment to daily extended-release oral lorcaserin 20 mg versus placebo (clinicaltrials.gov identifier-NCT03192995). Twenty-two of a planned 45 cisgender MSM with CUD were enrolled and had weekly follow-up visits during a 12-week treatment period, with substance use counseling, urine specimen collection, and completion of audio-computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) behavioral risk assessments. Adherence was measured by medication event monitoring systems (MEMS) caps and self-report. This study was terminated early because of an FDA safety alert for lorcaserin’s long-term use.

Results

Eighty-six percent completed the trial, with 82% of weekly study follow-up visits completed. Adherence was 55.3% (lorcaserin 51.6% vs. placebo 66.2%) by MEMS cap and 56.9% (56.5% vs. placebo 57.9%) by self-report and did not differ significantly by treatment assignment. Intention-to-treat analyses (ITT) did not show differences in cocaine positivity by urine screen between the lorcaserin and placebo groups by 12 week follow-up (incidence risk ratio [IRR]: 0.96; 95%CI = 0.24–3.82, P = 0.95). However, self-reported cocaine use in timeline follow-back declined more significantly in the lorcaserin group compared to placebo (IRR: 0.66; 95%CI = 0.49–0.88; P = 0.004).

Conclusion

We found that it is feasible, acceptable, and tolerable to conduct a placebo-controlled pharmacologic trial for MSM with CUD who are actively using cocaine. Lorcaserin was not associated with significant reductions in cocaine use by urine testing, but was associated with significant reductions in self-reported cocaine use. Future research may be needed to continue to explore the potential utility of 5-HT2cR agonists.
Impact of implementation of the national institute for health and clinical excellence (NICE) head injury guideline in a tertiary care center emergency department: A pre and post-intervention study
Authors: Pradhan Pratisha , Pradhan Alok , Shrestha Anmol Purna , Shrestha Abha , Paudel Ram Chandra , Shrestha Roshana
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Head injury, a common presentation to the emergency department (ED), is a substantial problem in developing countries like Nepal. The current national institute for health and clinical excellence (NICE) guideline revised in January 2014 focuses on effective clinical assessment and early management of head injuries according to their severity in all age groups. This study assessed the impact of implementing this guideline on the proportions of computed tomography (CT) head scans, guideline adherence, and confidence level of the attending physicians.

Methods

We consecutively recruited 139 traumatic head injury (THI) patients in this prospective pre-post interventional study conducted in the ED of a tertiary care center. We implemented the NICE guideline into routine practice using multimodal intervention through physicians’ education sessions, information sheets and guideline-dissemination. The pre and post-implementation CT head scan rates were compared. The post-implementation guideline adherence was assessed. Online Google form-questionnaires including 12 validated case scenarios were distributed to the attending physicians at the end of both phases to assess their confidence levels.

Results

The implementation resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of CT head scan rates from 92.0% to 70.0% (p-value = 0.005). Following educational interventions, improved guideline adherence of 20.3 percentage points (p-value = 0.001) was observed. Nine ED attending physicians were enrolled in the study who showed statistically significant improvement in their confidence level following the intervention. The NICE guideline showed a sensitivity and specificity of 93.6% and 76.4% with 82.6% accuracy compared to that of clinical judgment (100%, 34.6%, and 58.1% respectively) in detecting intracranial lesions.

Conclusion

The implementation was successful in satisfying the aim of the NICE guideline by decreasing the proportion of CT head scans, improving guideline adherence and increasing the confidence of the attending physicians.
Types of social networks and starting leisure activities in later life: A longitudinal Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)
Authors: Sekiguchi Takuya , Kondo Katsunori , Otake-Matsuura Mihoko
Published: July 2021

Considering beneficial effects of leisure activities in later life on well-being and health, we investigated which type of social network among older adults is associated with starting their participation in leisure activities. We used data from a longitudinal Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) conducted in Japan every three years from 2010 to 2016. We extracted types of social networks of older adults who did not participate in leisure activities in 2013 and responded to items related to social networks (n = 3436) relying on latent class analysis to examine changes in leisure activity participation over a three-year period within each latent class while controlling for participants’ activity in 2010. As a result, we identified five latent classes of social networks: the Neighborhood network, the Restricted network, which is characterized by limited social contacts, the Colleagues network, the Same-Interest network, and the Diverse network, from the most to the least prevalent. We found that members of the Neighborhood (Cohen’s d = 0.161) and Same-Interest networks (d = 0.660) were significantly more likely to, and members of the Diverse (d = 0.124) and Colleague networks (d = 0.060) were not significantly more likely to start leisure activities than those in the Restricted network. Furthermore, we found that lower age, better mental health, and higher education level were positively associated with starting participation in leisure activities in some latent classes. Horticulture or gardening was most likely to be chosen across all latent classes. Supporting the formation of social networks facilitating leisure activities, and recommending activities that were likely to be selected could be one solution for getting and keeping older adults active.
An empirical survey of data augmentation for time series classification with neural networks
Authors: Iwana Brian Kenji , Uchida Seiichi
Published: July 2021

In recent times, deep artificial neural networks have achieved many successes in pattern recognition. Part of this success can be attributed to the reliance on big data to increase generalization. However, in the field of time series recognition, many datasets are often very small. One method of addressing this problem is through the use of data augmentation. In this paper, we survey data augmentation techniques for time series and their application to time series classification with neural networks. We propose a taxonomy and outline the four families in time series data augmentation, including transformation-based methods, pattern mixing, generative models, and decomposition methods. Furthermore, we empirically evaluate 12 time series data augmentation methods on 128 time series classification datasets with six different types of neural networks. Through the results, we are able to analyze the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and recommendations of each data augmentation method. This survey aims to help in the selection of time series data augmentation for neural network applications.
Intranasal gene therapy to prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2 variants
Authors: Sims Joshua J. , Greig Jenny A. , Michalson Kristofer T. , Lian Sharon , Martino R. Alexander , Meggersee Rosemary , Turner Kevin B. , Nambiar Kalyani , Dyer Cecilia , Hinderer Christian , Horiuchi Makoto , Yan Hanying , Huang Xin , Chen Shu-Jen , Wilson James M.
Published: July 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged with enhanced pathogenicity and transmissibility, and escape from pre-existing immunity, suggesting first-generation vaccines and monoclonal antibodies may now be less effective. Here we present an approach for preventing clinical sequelae and the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. First, we affinity matured an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) decoy protein, achieving 1000-fold binding improvements that extend across a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and distantly related, ACE2-dependent coronaviruses. Next, we demonstrated the expression of this decoy in proximal airway when delivered via intranasal administration of an AAV vector. This intervention significantly diminished clinical and pathologic consequences of SARS-CoV-2 challenge in a mouse model and achieved therapeutic levels of decoy expression at the surface of proximal airways when delivered intranasally to nonhuman primates. Importantly, this long-lasting, passive protection approach is applicable in vulnerable populations such as the elderly and immune-compromised that do not respond well to traditional vaccination. This approach could be useful in combating COVID-19 surges caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and should be considered as a countermeasure to future pandemics caused by one of the many pre-emergent, ACE2-dependent CoVs that are poised for zoonosis.
Virulence and community dynamics of fungal species with vertical and horizontal transmission on a plant with multiple infections
Authors: Fang Kai , Zhou Jie , Chen Lin , Li Yu-Xuan , Yang Ai-Ling , Dong Xing-Fan , Zhang Han-Bo
Published: July 2021

The virulence evolution of multiple infections of parasites from the same species has been modeled widely in evolution theory. However, experimental studies on this topic remain scarce, particularly regarding multiple infections by different parasite species. Here, we characterized the virulence and community dynamics of fungal pathogens on the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora to verify the predictions made by the model. We observed that A. adenophora was highly susceptible to diverse foliar pathogens with mixed vertical and horizontal transmission within leaf spots. The transmission mode mainly determined the pathogen community structure at the leaf spot level. Over time, the pathogen community within a leaf spot showed decreased Shannon diversity; moreover, the vertically transmitted pathogens exhibited decreased virulence to the host A. adenophora, but the horizontally transmitted pathogens exhibited increased virulence to the host. Our results demonstrate that the predictions of classical models for the virulence evolution of multiple infections are still valid in a complex realistic environment and highlight the impact of transmission mode on disease epidemics of foliar fungal pathogens. We also propose that seedborne fungi play an important role in structuring the foliar pathogen community from multiple infections within a leaf spot.
voz de Galicia: Ana Kiro, recepción e identidad nacional
Authors: Tenreiro Uzal Cibrán
Published: July 2021

Cuando la obra artística de una figura se identifica con una identidad nacional determinada, esta se convierte habitualmente en objeto de disputa y da lugar a lecturas en conflicto. Es el caso de Ana Kiro, cantante que desde los años setenta se convirtió en una figura enormemente popular en Galicia al abordar la experiencia de la emigración, el paisaje local o la cultura tradicional en canciones pop con elementos folclóricos. Durante años, Kiro fue a menudo interpretada (y criticada) como un icono conservador, pero en la última década han aparecido numerosas voces que buscan su resignificación como referente feminista, lusista o LGTBI. Este texto analiza la recepción de Ana Kiro y su conexión con los debates alrededor de la identidad nacional gallega.
Afuera: La desaparición del underground como síntoma
Authors: Hurtado Mendieta Enrike
Published: July 2021

Este artículo analiza la situación de parálisis que desde finales de los años 90 parece sufrir la cultura popular, especialmente la música. Para ello examinamos el papel de las transformaciones estilísticas que ésta sufrió a partir de los años 50 y 60 y el contexto sociocultural en el que suceden. Posteriormente analizamos la manera en que la digitalización y las redes han cambiado las dinámicas en las que se sustentaban estas transformaciones y sus implicaciones, a fin de plantear una crítica al análisis que diferentes autores realizan sobre esta falta de vitalidad en la cultura popular actual.
Corporeizar la sonoridad a través de la danza: Los ecos rítmicos de Stravinsky en el ballet iTMOi de Akram Khan
Authors: Borges Carreras Cintia
Published: July 2021

El despertar sonoro del cuerpo, en su rítmica existencia, remite a una esencia ritual como la aspiración más pura de lo que la danza irradia en la humanidad. Música, danza y poesía ¿no fueron en un tiempo mousiké? ¿no fueron las mismas, junto con la plástica, las que aparecen mimetizadas en una idealización del modelo escénico teatral? Entonces, ¿por qué limitar las confluencias interartísticas en la expresión del pathos discursivo del ser humano? Los ecos sonoros de Stravinsky, son el pretexto que justifica hacer del sonido que se halla en la danza, los ecos rítmicos de un narrar no exclusivo de una sola gramática. Los textos se suceden alrededor de un aura mítico-ritual en la que la abstracción de los espacios latentes rescata la voz de un otro, que puede ser un yo o un nosotros. La espiritualidad rítmica se emite como discurso semántico por el que hacer del cuerpo sonido, de la voz escucha, del ruido melodía y de la armonía cuerpo. iTMOi de Khan, será así la evolución de esta lectura plural del cuerpo sonoro.
Colour and gender: language nuances
Authors: Espinosa Zaragoza Isabel
Published: July 2021

It is a deeply rooted belief that women possess a richer colour vocabulary than men (Rich, 1977). According to Lakoff, certain adjectives denoting colour (e.g. mauve) would never be naturally chosen by men unless they were «imitating a woman sarcastically, or a homosexual, or an interior decorator» (1973, p. 49). Are these affirmations adjusted to our present reality? Nowadays, colour is present in almost every economic sector. Consequently, a proficient use of colour vocabulary is expected from professionals, regardless of their gender. Hence, if the differences in colour vocabulary are learnt and highly dependent on the user’s necessities and expectations, then said differences after globalisation and exposure to the Internet should not be so striking. With this objective in mind, this study analyses colour elicitation performed by university students. Both their descriptive capacity and colour lexicon availability are measured depending on students’ colour terms usage. Furthermore, potential reasons for variation are provided.
The city as a theatre of characters. John Hejduk’s Masques
Authors: Cardani Luca
Published: July 2021

The architectural work of John Hejduk (1929-2000) is marked by theoretical-design research, collected in series with titles and periods. Among these series the one entitled Masques, developed since about 1979, can be considered the nucleus of his research on the architecture of the city and the place of origin of his language of construction later developed in his realized buildings. This paper analyses the dense network of references and analogies established by Hejduk to create his Masques, trying to fix its origin in the idea of the city as a theatre of characters composed of architecture. Starting from the name chosen for the title of this series, the paper tries to trace the threads that lead from the general work of the various projects of the Masques series, to the reflections and ideas that produced it. Then, it comes back again to the observation of architecture and of a case study (Security, 1989), to understand and explain its meaning and the compositional methods involved into the process of genesis of form. Through the entire work named Masques, and its recognizable link with the buildings and installation realized around the world, Hejduk has built an archive of architectural prototypes ready to construct different parts of the city, thus highlighting the strong connection that his work establishes with reality in order "to conceive it, represent it and finally realize it".
Understanding the effect of shifting cultivation practice (slash-burn-cultivation-abandonment) on soil physicochemical properties in the North-eastern Himalayan region
Authors: Mishra Gaurav , Giri Krishna , Jangir Abhishek , Vasu Duraisamy , Rodrigo-Comino Jesús
Published: July 2021

Shifting cultivation (jhum cultivation), a common practice of converting forest land into agricultural land by slash and burn is threatening the ecosystem. This study assesses the effect of shifting cultivation cycles on soil quality in the North-eastern Himalayan region using a minimum of soil properties. To achieve this goal, a soil quality index (SQI) approach and multivariate techniques were used for surface (0-30 cm) and subsurface (30-70 cm) layers of soils in the forest, jhum land, and jhum fallow areas. The highest variability among land uses was found for clay content, SOC (soil organic carbon), exchangeable Mg and K, CEC (cation exchange capacity), and the Ca/Mg relationship. On the contrary, the lowest variation was recorded in bulk density (BD), porosity, and pH. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) show BD, soil texture, available nitrogen (Nav), available phosphorus (Pav), available potassium (Kav), calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) as the major indicators of soil quality. The study indicated that surface layers of forest soils have a lower soil quality when compared to jhum lands. Although jhum lands show a better soil quality compared to forests, their continued cultivation without any fertilisation and subsequent depletion of the soil nutrients can cause a degradation of soil quality as observed in jhum fallow lands. The use of these selected indicators for soil quality assessment was useful in terms of saving time and costs.
¿Qué hacen las escuelas innovadoras con la tecnología?: las TIC al servicio de la escuela y la comunidad en el colegio Amara Berri
Authors: Correa Gorospe José Miguel , Martínez Arbelaiz Asunción
Published: July 2021

La utilización de las tecnologías digitales exige una reflexión pedagógica que oriente y guíe su integración en las actividades escolares. Las TIC (Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación) tienen reconocido todo su potencial pero son grandes también las limitaciones de su impacto. El análisis de buenas prácticas con TIC desarrollado dentro del proyecto de investigación titulado “Análisis de las políticas educativas de las TIC en los centros escolares y sus efectos sobre la innovación pedagógica en País Vasco”, nos ha llevado a observar con detenimiento la utilización de la tecnología digital en el Colegio Amara Berri de San Sebastián, un centro de reconocida tradición e influencia innovadora. Describimos las actividades del departamento de Medios de Comunicación (Hedabideak), los diferentes talleres y su organización, las tareas y proyectos que allí se realizan, así como los roles de maestros y alumnos. Por último, finalizamos valorando la experiencia desde un punto de vista pedagógico.
Tareas educativas interactivas, motivación y estrategias de aprendizaje, en educación primaria, a partir de un curriculum modulado por nuevas tecnologías
Authors: Expósito López Jorge , Manzano García Beatriz
Published: July 2021

Las intervenciones educativas comienzan a desarrollarse en contextos novedosos, como los ámbitos digitales y/o virtuales, de una complejidad creciente en cuanto al manejo de la información por parte de los sujetos. En éstos son tan importantes, desde una perspectiva funcional, el aprendizaje de contenidos conceptuales, como la capacidad de desarrollar procedimientos.

La enseñanza de estrategias de aprendizaje, es una respuesta para la capacitación de los sujetos en el uso de las herramientas que les permitan desenvolverse con fluidez en situaciones muy características en estos nuevos ámbitos educativos, de aprendizaje cambiantes y diversos.

Los estudios que, desde diversas perspectivas e incidiendo en diversas dimensiones, denotan que los beneficios del empleo de las TIC’s en el ámbito educativo son numerosos. Este trabajo describe las estrategias de aprendizaje que utiliza un grupo de alumnado de Educación Primaria, cuando realiza tareas educativas interactivas moduladas por el uso de las TIC’s, constatando igualmente la influencia positiva de la realización de esta tipología de tareas sobre la motivación del alumnado.
Historia de las publicaciones de los juegos de rol en España
Authors: Cabrero Sañudo Francisco José
Published: July 2021

A partir de 1985, se comenzó a publicar material relacionado con los juegos de rol en España. Desde entonces, han aparecido casi un millar y medio de libros o suplementos de rol, tanto de procedencia autóctona como traducidos de otros idiomas.El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir la historia de los juegos de rol en España, atendiendo a los juegos publicados, a sus publicaciones y a las editoriales que han formado parte del fenómeno de los juegos de rol. Para ello, se examinó la progresión de estos elementos (juegos, publicaciones y editoriales) a lo largo del tiempo, junto a sus proporciones en cuanto a orígenes, géneros u otros atributos, y diferenciando entre aquellos elementos autóctonos (españoles) y no autóctonos, o entre distintas etapas de publicación.Como conclusiones finales, se han sugerido una serie de predicciones acerca del posible futuro de la publicación de juegos de rol en España.
Fuentes históricas de los juegos de rol: un experimento para la didáctica de la historia antigua
Authors: Carbó García Juan Ramón , Pérez Miranda Iván
Published: July 2021

En este estudio pretendemos resaltar la importancia de las fuentes históricas para la concepción y ambientación de los distintos juegos de rol y por consiguiente, también la utilidad de éstos para la didáctica de la Historia. Asimismo, planteamos los resultados de un experimento didáctico en el nivel universitario desarrollado con un juego de rol ambientado en la Edad Antigua y más precisamente en época del Imperio Romano.
Percepciones del e-learning desde la perspectiva de los responsables técnicos de universidad
Authors: Cabero Almenara Julio , Llorente Cejudo Mª del Carmen
Published: July 2021

La mayoría de las investigaciones que nos encontramos referentes a la incorporación de las TICs y el eLearning en las universidades están enfocadas a conocer la opinión de profesores y estudiantes que sobre la misma poseen. En esta ocasión, y con el siguiente artículo, realizamos la investigación desde la perspectiva de los responsables técnicos de universidad, para conocer cómo perciben ellos este proceso de incorporación. En definitiva, conocer los motivos que se están llevando a cabo desde la universidad para adoptar acciones formativas semipresenciales, qué medidas se están adoptando para resolver dificultades, y como se están llevando a cabo; es decir, se trataba de recoger las visiones que sobre el proceso de implantación de la formación en red tenían los responsables técnicos directos de estas acciones formativas. El interés mostrado por el profesorado y alumnado, o la falta de formación por parte del profesorado, son algunas conclusiones obtenidas a través del estudio realizado.
Prácticas de citación y plagio académico en la elaboración textual del alumnado universitario
Authors: Comas Forgas Rubén , Sureda Negre Jaume , Oliver Trobat Miquel
Published: July 2021

Localizar, evaluar, gestionar y comunicar información a la hora de llevar a cabo trabajos académicos se han convertido en competencias básicas que el alumnado universitario debe poseer. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un estudio descriptivo desarrollado mediante una encuesta con una muestra de 1.025 alumnos pre-graduados de la Universidad de las Islas Baleares acerca de la prevalencia en las prácticas de citación y plagio a la hora de elaborar trabajos escritos. De los resultados obtenidos destaca, por un lado, el hecho de que buena parte del alumnado o bien directamente no cita los recursos que emplea en la elaboración de sus trabajos o bien lo hace de manera esporádica o infrecuente. Referente a la comisión de plagio, el porcentaje de alumnado que admite llevar a cabo este tipo de prácticas es ciertamente elevado. Atendiendo a estos datos, así como a los de otros trabajos de similares características, los autores planteamos, en primer lugar, la necesidad de mayores esfuerzos investigadores que permitan conocer de mejor manera las causas de la situación que se describe y seguidamente abogamos por la disposición y realización de acciones formativas que permitan mejorar dicha la situación que se describe.
Spondias pinnata bark extract- an ameliorator of inflammatory derangement in etoposide induced mucositis: An experimental approach
Authors: Marathe Aradhana , Rao Gayathri M. , Chakrapani M.
Published: July 2021

Background and Aim: Mucositis, one of the vulnerabilities of chemotherapy, affects the physiological activities and therapeutic strategies of patients because it can affect the normal cell population. Etoposide is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent for cancers such as oral, lung, and gastrointestinal. In addition to the abnormal metabolic processes in the body caused by tumorigenesis, new metabolic alterations can occur, such as oxidative stress, antioxidant imbalance, and inflammatory reactions, all of which can contribute to existing patient vulnerability. Therapeutic adjuvants can help overcome these toxic effects. Spondias pinnata is a tropical tree omnipresent in the coastal and Western Ghat section of India that is used for culinary purposes and as a local analgesic. Therefore, we aimed to study the anti-inflammatory effects of S. pinnata in an etoposide-induced mucositis rat model.

Materials and Methods: Small intestinal tissue homogenates from albino Wistar rats were used to estimate the levels of glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO), and activities of total antioxidant (TAO), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Na+-K+ ATPase. The animals were grouped into: (1) normal control, (2) etoposide-induced mucositis (65 mg/kg bodyweight, single IP dose), (3) S. pinnata control group, and (4) etoposide followed by S. pinnata bark extract (200 mg/kg bodyweight, once in a day). Animals were sacrificed after 24, 48, 72, and 96 h and compared with that of the normal control group (n=6). Statistical analysis was performed using EZR software.

Results: We observed a significant decrease in the TAO and GSH levels with a marked increase in NO, MPO, and Na+-K+ ATPase activity in the mucositis group. A tendency to recover from the decreased TAO and GSH levels existed in the treated group, showing the protective effects of S. pinnata bark extract against mucositis. In addition, this extract also showed anti-inflammatory effects as reflected by the recovery in MPO levels at the end of 96 h. Maintenance of Na+-K+ ATPase activity in the treated group demonstrates the protective effects of the extract against the increased levels observed in the etoposide-induced mucositis group.

Conclusion: This study revealed the protective effects of S. pinnata bark extract against the oxidative and inflammatory changes that occurred during the development of mucositis. This would decrease the pathological burden during chemotherapy and prevent any hurdles in therapeutic modalities.
Educating Future Business Leaders Through Values of Responsible Research and Innovation. Exploring the Potential of Sensitising Students in the Leading Business School of a Converging Economy
Authors: Kozma Miklós
Published: July 2021

The purpose of the research project was to explore the potential for applying the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach in a leading business school. It was the authors’ intention to discern the key issues in how their business undergraduate students see their current and future roles as contributors to addressing major challenges in society. The authors’ findings revealed what students starting their university education already know about the societal issues addressed by the RRI initiative, and also in terms of where the greatest room for improvement exists for professors of business courses. The comparison of the results from action research between bachelor students and MBA students revealed preliminary indications of potential regional patterns (Central-Eastern Europe) to be further identified. The professional implications for business school faculty include encouragement to refine the business concept introduced to students so as to become more inclusive and responsive.
GCK-MODY diabetes course in persons over 18 years of age: prospective observation
Authors: Ovsyannikova A. K. , Shakhtshneider E. V. , Ivanoshchuk D. E. , Voevoda M. I. , Rymar O. D.
Published: July 2021

Most young patients with hyperglycemia have type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes but up to 10% of all cases of the disease occur in MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young). Published abstracts show features of the debut, laboratory and genetic characteristics of MODY in the Russian population. However there is a small amount of data on the clinical course of this nosology in the Russian Federation.

Aim: To investigate the characteristics of the 3-year course of GCK-MODY diagnosed after 18 years.

Materials and methods: 85 probands and 46 relatives of the first and second degrees of kinship with a clinical diagnosis of GCK-MODY were examined: biochemical and hormonal blood tests, ultrasound, molecular genetic studies. Patients were invited for a follow-up visit 3 years after verification of the pathogenic mutations associated with GCK-MODY. Examination, biochemical and hormonalanalyzes , ultrasound were done in second visit.

Results: The diagnosis GCK-MODY was verified by a molecular genetic study in 25 probands (29.4%). In 33 of 46 (71.7%) relatives of patients with GCK-MODY were diagnosed identical mutations. In 31 patients with GCK-MODY diagnosed after 18 years, a dynamic observation was performed for three years. Most patients over 18 years of age did not have clinical manifestations of carbohydrate metabolism disorders when diagnosing GCK-MODY and follow up visit. Skin rashes and allergic reactions prevailed among concomitant pathologies. Patients with GCK-MODY had preserved β-cell secretion, HbA1c targets were achieved. Low fasting hyperglycemia prevailed which persisted even after treatment correction. Among the characteristics of carbohydrate metabolism, biochemical, lipid and hormonal parameters during GCK-MODY verification and after three years of observation no significant differences were obtained, which indicates a stable course of the disease. Half of the patients achieved normoglycemia by rational nutrition, two people with GCK-MODY within three years after determining the diagnosis were transferred from insulin therapy to oral glucose-lowering drugs. Among oral glucose-lowering drugs prior to GCK-MODY verification most patients used metformin, 3 years later — dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.

Conclusion. The results of a three-year follow-up of a group of patients with GCK-MODY demonstrate a non-progressive course of this type of diabetes with stable indicators of carbohydrate metabolism and low fasting hyperglycemia that persists after 3 years of observation. With the verification of GCK-MODY and the achievement of the target values of glycated hemoglobin and postprandial glycaemia by rational nutrition, even if a low level of fasting hyperglycemia is determined, the prescription of oral glucose-lowering drugs is not indicated in most cases.
Determining The Factors of Employee’s Commitment and Loyalty in A Malaysian Internet-based Company
Authors: Omar Muhamad Khalil
Published: July 2021

One of the main challenges faced by most organizations is to encourage their workers to dedicate themselves towards their organizations. Organizations realized that to reach its goals, it is very important for them to have a group of committed workforce who are highly efficent, motivated and loyal. With the current high competition between companies, employee’s loyalty is one of the factors that will determine the success of organizations as well as maintaining their competitiveness in the market through improved productivity. Thus, organizations are constantly finding ways in maintaining and retaining their employees, for example, by looking back at their compensation and benefits, management styles, working environment, job security, employee’s performance, employee’s satisfaction and career development. This study main objective was to investigate the impact of compensation and benefits, career development, management style and working environment towards employee’s commitment and loyalty in an organization. Using the data collected from 108 employees of an internet-based company in Malaysia and analyzed using SPSS Statistics, this study has established that all four factors have a critical impact on employee’s loyalty with the management style as the most influencing factor. It is hope that this study can provide a huge understanding on some of the factors that could influence employee’s loyalty in organizations and hence, preparing them to be a productive entity.
Kant’s Mereological Account of Greater and Lesser Actual Infinities
Authors: Smyth Daniel
Published: July 2021

Recent work on Kant’s conception of space has largely put to rest the view that Kant is hostile to actual infinity. Far from limiting our cognition to quantities that are finite or merely potentially infinite, Kant characterizes the ground of all spatial representation as an actually infinite magnitude. I advance this reevaluation a step further by arguing that Kant judges some actual infinities to be greater than others: he claims, for instance, that an infinity of miles is strictly smaller than an infinity of earth-diameters. This inequality follows from Kant’s mereological conception of magnitudes (quanta): the part is (analytically) less than the whole, and an infinity of miles is equal to only a part of an infinity of earth-diameters. This inequality does not, however, imply that Kant’s infinities have transfinite and unequal sizes (quantitates). Because Kant’s conception of size (quantitas) is based on the Eudoxian theory of proportions, infinite magnitudes (quanta) cannot be assigned exact sizes. Infinite magnitudes are immeasurable, but some are greater than others.
The Role of Animal in Abū Bakr al-Rāzī’s Theory of the Perfection of the Soul
Authors: Montaseri Mohammad Mehdi , Faramarz-Qaramaleki Ahad
Published: July 2021

Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d. ca. 925), a well-known physician and Muslim philosopher, has not yet been widely considered for his philosophical reflections on animals. An inspection of al-Rāzī’s works demonstrates his endeavor, based on his cosmology, to come up with a way of the perfection of the soul and becoming liberated from the terrestrial world. As this paper maintains, his investigation of animals is aimed at developing his theory of the perfection of the soul. After a brief clarification of the theory, which entails a discussion of the interaction of the two theoretical and practical aspects of human reason, this paper will discuss seven cases in which al-Rāzī uses the discussion of animals to develop his theory of the perfection of the soul.
The Effects of Pre-Task Planning on Second Language Writing: A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies
Authors: Ellis Rod
Published: July 2021

There are both pedagogical and theoretical grounds for asking second language writers to plan before they start writing. The question then arises whether pre-task planning (PTP) improves written output. To address this question, this article reviewed 32 studies by comparing the effect of PTP either with no planning or with unpressured online planning (OLP). These studies also investigated the moderating effect of variables relating to the writer participants, the nature of the planning, and the writing tasks. The main findings are: (1) There is no clear evidence that PTP leads to better overall writing quality when this is measured using rating rubrics, (2) PTP generally results in more fluent writing, (3) its impact on syntactical and lexical complexity is inconsistent and negligible, (4) OLP does sometimes result in increased linguistic accuracy, and (5) there is insufficient evidence to reach clear conclusions about the role that moderating variables have on the impact of PTP, but the results suggest that collaborative (as opposed to individual planning) can lead to increased accuracy and that PTP tends to lead to more complex language when the writing task is a complex one. The article concludes with a set of principles to ensure better quality research and three general proposals for the kind of future research needed.
Investigating Affordance in Technology-Enriched Language Learning Environment Through Exploring Students’Perezhivanija
Authors: Qin Lili , Wei Ren
Published: July 2021

Preceding works tend to explicate affordance through supposing what is happening here and now. They seldom relate it to actual social, diachronic activities, such as foreign language learning. To tackle this issue, this study explores how students actualize affordances in technology-enriched language learning environment (TELLE) by examining their perezhivanija (lived and emotional experience), a term borrowed from sociocultural theory. Because an individual’s social life is a developing process or aperezhivanie

Perezhivanieis the singular form of perezhivanija.

, it is necessary to base the research in a dynamic development of language learning to figure out how the affordances are actualized. Narrative interviews were adopted to collect data from three Chinese college students who learn English as a foreign language in a Northeastern university in China. The results showed that due to the students’ different past perezhivanija in English learning, their present interpretations of the perceived affordances in TELLE varied. This influenced hugely in their actions taken during their English learning in college to actualize the affordances. The findings indicated that the actualization of affordances is historical, dynamic and developmental instead of static. It does not lie in the autonomy of the students or the teachers, but in the institutional and cultural legitimacy of technology use in student’s social life. The paper contributes to the application of affordance theory in foreign language learning and provides implications to language teaching practice in TELLE.
Does Start-Up Founding Strategy Increase or Decrease the Effects of Strategic Capabilities on New Venture Performance?
Authors: Zhang Haili , Hao Shengbin , Song Michael
Published: July 2021

Many studies have provided evidence of a positive relationship between strategic capabilities and new venture performance. This study applies the resource-based view and strategic fit theory to develop a model that investigates how startup founding strategy affects the strength of the strategic capabilities–performance relationship in new ventures. We conduct an empirical study of 146 U.S. new ventures and 425 Chinese new ventures to test the proposed model. The results show that, for U.S. ventures, technology-driven strategy increases the effect of technology capabilities on new venture performance but decreases the effects of marketing and market-linking capabilities on new venture performance. By contrast, Chinese ventures' technology-driven strategy has a significantly negative moderating effect on the relationship between market-linking capabilities and performance. We discuss the implications of the empirical findings for ventures pursuing technology-driven and market-driven strategies.
Antibiofilm action of Persea americana glycolic extract over Acinetobacter baumannii and absence of toxicity in Galleria mellonella
Authors: dos Santos Liberato Sabrina Ferreira , da Cruz Vegian Mariana Raquel , Abu Hasna Amjad , de Alvarenga Janaína Araújo , dos Santos Juliana Guimarães , Tini Ítalo Rigotti Pereira , Amêndola Isabela , Junqueira Juliana Campos , de Oliveira Luciane Dias
Published: July 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the antibiofilm activity and toxicity of the glycolic extract of Persea americana “P. americana” over multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii “A. baumannii” as alternative therapy to be investigated.

Methods

A bacterial inoculum of each bacterial strain (4a, 5a, 9a, 12a, ATCC 19606) of A. baumannii was prepared and adjusted by the spectrophotometer. The microdilution broth method was performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). P. americana glycolic extracts were obtained of the tree stalk and leaves. The biofilm viability was tested by MTT assay after 5 min exposure. The toxicity of the extracts was tested by invertebrate model Galleria mellonella. The data were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey test and log-rank method (α=0.05).

Results

The extract showed an inhibitory and bactericidal action over all the tested strains with the lowest MIC value observed for the reference strain (3.12 mg/mL). The extract did not demonstrate toxicity in any of the tested concentrations (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/mL) in Galleria mellonella larvae, with a survival percentage above 80% after 168 h.

Conclusions

The glycolic extract of P. americana has microbicidal and antibiofilm activity on multidrug-resistant clinical strains of A. baumannii and showed low toxicity for the invertebrate model G. mellonella.
Effect of Ḥijāma (wet cupping), Dalk (massage) and Bukhūr (medicated steam) in amelioration of Waja al-Zahr (non-specific low back pain) – an open prospective clinical trial
Authors: Ahmed Noor Zaheer , Anwar Noman , Begum Shahida , Parvez Athar , Ezhil Radhakrishnan , Anjum Nighat
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Low back pain is the most widespread musculoskeletal ailment and a common cause of disability worldwide. Conventional medicine typically treats low back pain with a combination of physical therapy; activity modification and rest; pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications which are associated with huge socioeconomic implications and adverse drug reactions. In contrast Ḥijāma, Dalk and Bukhūr are ancient medical techniques recommended in the management of musculoskeletal disorders with little or no adverse effects. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Ḥijāma bi’l Shart (wet cupping), followed by Dalk (Massage) with Roghan Dafli and Bukhūr (medicated steam) with Tukhm Soya (Anethum graveolens Linn) in patients of Waja al-Zahr (Non-specific Low back pain).

Methods

Patients of either gender in the age group of 18–50 years with low back pain persisting for four weeks or more as chief complaint were recruited in the trial. The study was GCP compliant. The duration of the protocol therapy carried out was 14 days.

Results

Ninty two patients of NSLBP were screened, of which 34 who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were willing to participate in the study were recruited. Three participants were lost to follow-ups due to personal reasons and 31 patients completed the trial during the study period. Overall therapeutic response observed in this study was 97% while 3% of the patients did not respond to intervention.

Conclusions

The study findings imply that there is a credible evidence to ensure that the regimens intervened are safe and effective in ameliorating the symptoms of Waja al-Zahr.
Primary orbital ganglioneuroblastoma: A case report
Authors: Ma Ruixin , Wang Yujiao , He Weimin
Published: July 2021

Background

Ganglioneuroblastoma (GNB) is a neoplasm that arises from the primitive cells of the sympathetic nervous system during childhood. The current case is very unique because of the initial primary tumor manifestation in the orbit and an adrenal tumor being observed later during follow-up.

Case presentation

A 2-year-old girl presented to the Ophthalmology Department of our hospital complaining of swelling of the left upper eyelid for approximately one month. Orbital computed tomography (CT) revealed a left orbital mass with bone destruction. Thoracic and abdominal CT indicated no abnormalities. The mass was surgically resected, and histopathological analysis confirmed it as GNB. During follow-up, abdominal CT detected an adrenal tumor with internal calcification, a calcified nodule on the left side of the abdominal aorta, and mesenteric lymph nodes. Accordingly, primary orbital GNB and metastatic adrenal GNB were the possible considerations. We removed the adrenal tumor, and the patient underwent chemotherapy. However, the patient died 18 months after the ophthalmic surgery.

Conclusion

Primary orbital GNB in children is easily misdiagnosed because of its rare occurrence and atypical clinical findings. Imaging methods combined with histopathological examination contribute to the detection and diagnosis of primary and metastatic GNBs. Thus, timely surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy and long-term follow-up is essential for controlling the metastasis of GNB and improving the survival rate of patients.
Automated argument adjudication to solve ethical problems in multi-agent environments
Authors: Bringsjord Selmer , Govindarajulu Naveen Sundar , Giancola Michael
Published: July 2021

Suppose an artificial agentaadj{a}_{\text{adj}}, as time unfolds, (i) receives from multiple artificial agents (which may, in turn, themselves have received from yet other such agents…) propositional content, and (ii) must solve an ethical problem on the basis of what it has received. How shouldaadj{a}_{\text{adj}}adjudicate what it has received in order to produce such a solution? We consider an environment infused with logicist artificial agentsa1,a2,…,an{a}_{1},{a}_{2},\ldots ,{a}_{n}that sense and report their findings to “adjudicator” agents who must solve ethical problems. (Many if not most of these agents may be robots.) In such an environment, inconsistency is a virtual guarantee:aadj{a}_{\text{adj}}may, for instance, receive a report froma1{a}_{1}that propositionϕ\phiholds, then froma2{a}_{2}that¬ϕ\neg \phiholds, and then froma3{a}_{3}that neitherϕ\phinor¬ϕ\neg \phishould be believed, but ratherψ\psiinstead, at some level of likelihood. We further assume that agents receiving such incompatible reports will nonetheless sometimes simply need, before long, to make decisions on the basis of these reports, in order to try to solve ethical problems. We provide a solution to such a quandary: AI capable of adjudicating competing reports from subsidiary agents through time, and delivering to humans a rational, ethically correct (relative to underlying ethical principles) recommendation based upon such adjudication. To illuminate our solution, we anchor it to a particular scenario.