bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial shrinking and polarization of rural space in the Republic of Tatarstan in the context of population depopulation
Authors:   Center for Advanced Economic Research of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Egorov D.O. ,   Kazan Federal University
Published: April 2021

The article analyzes the directions and intensity of rural population depopulation from the standpoint of its influence on the transformation of settlement in the Republic of Tatarstan from the 1970s to the present. Three periods of changes in the distribution of the rural population were identified: soviet (1970–1991), de-urbanization (1991–2000) and suburbanization (weakly expressed in the 2000s and clearly pronounced since the 2010s). The first period under consideration fell on the peak of the decline in the rural population, but the pole near the regional center depopulated less intensively than the distant periphery. The de-urbanization period did not have clear territorial trends in changes in the number of inhabitants. In the 2010s. There is a steady increase in the population in the areas of neighbors of the largest cities of the republic. A more detailed study showed that this increase is largely associated with the settlement of urban-type residential complexes. 1970 to 2019 the share of rural residents living in areas bordering the city of Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny increased from 15.1 to 25%. Similar polarization processes are taking place at the municipal level. The period considered from 2002 to 2019 showed the process of increasing the share of the population of the administrative center from the total population of the district. In more than half of the cases, this process took place due to population growth in the centers of municipalities and the decline of the rest of the population. The population in other municipalities decreased in the administrative centers less intensively than outside them.
Differences in general physical abilities viewed in relation to entrance exam and the efficiency of studying
Authors: Janković Radivoje , Kukić Filip , Koropanovski Nenad
Published: April 2021

The system of selection for the admission to the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies in Belgrade (UCIPS) is designed as a multidimensional model in order to select the individuals of utmost quality. One of the segments is the assessment of the level of general physical abilities (GPA). The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the initial level of candidates' GPA in terms of the success achieved in the entrance exam as well as the success of the study process. General physical abilities of 618 male candidates were evaluated as part of the UCIPS enrolment process. The total sample of respondents was divided into sub-samples: candidates who were not enrolled (NE), candidates who were enrolled but not graduated (ENG) and those who were enrolled and graduated (EG). It was found that both groups of enrolled candidates (ENG and EG) had statistically significantly better GPA compared to NE. There were no statistically significant differences between the ENG and the EG. Considering the fact that the results of the GPA assessment tests, which hypothetically represent 20% of the possible total score, depend on a training process that involves persistence, continuity and commitment, it can be concluded that constant physical exercise could be one of the preconditions for success in the entrance exam to enrol UCIPS.
Transgender phenomenon in Serbia in the 21st century: Knowledge and experiences of health providers on gender affirmation process
Authors: Vidić Jelena
Published: April 2021

Introduction. In the past ten years significant changes have happened in conceptualization and treatment of transgender phenomenon. Treatment has been individualized and more grounded in the model of informed consent, more referrals to the gender clinics and gender teams has been recorded, and the ICD-11 finally removed gender dysphoria from the chapter on mental disorders to a separate chapter on sexual health. Objective. Having in mind these changes and the preparation for the upcoming implementation of ICD-11, we can expect more transgender patients in primary, secondary and tertiary health care. Therefore we conducted this research aiming to assess level of knowledge and experiences of health providers on working with transgender patients. Method of work. We used qualitative methodology and online survey created for this research. The sample is convenient. Results. Final sample consists of 65 health providers. Data indicates relatively low level of knowledge on different aspects of gender affirmation process, but also high level of interest in additional professional training in this area. Conclusion. Data indicates the need for additional training of health providers on working with transgender people during regular medical education and additional professional trainings. Our data can be used as a basis for planning of various trainings and for future research.
The translation and validation of the disgust sensitivity scale revised in the Serbian language
Authors: Rokvić Nikola , Jovanović Tamara , Tomašević Aleksandar
Published: April 2021

We could define disgust as a feeling of revulsion arising as a response to an aversive stimulus, that induces motivation to withdraw from that stimulus. There are several instruments to measure disgust sensitivity and the most used one is the disgust elicitor inventory, the Disgust Sensitivity Scale. It is the aim of this study to validate the translation of the mentioned scale into Serbian language. The sample used for this study numbered 724 participants out of which 513 (70.9%) declared themselves female, and the average age of the participants was 28.3 (SD=6.9) ranging from 18 to 66 years. The sample was collected via an internet survey. The test battery additionally consisted out of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ15). We tested several scale structure models, including the one, three, five and six factor models proposed in various translations and iterations of the scale. None of them proved to achieve adequate model fit criteria in confirmatory factor analysis, but the 6-factor model has the best metrics. However, the subscales in this model have low internal consistency. We have detected an expected gender difference in summary scores. There are almost no significant correlations with any other measured constructs, casting further doubt on the scale. The scale has good temporal stability. We recommend using this scale with caution and using only the summative score, our research confirms the ever-growing body of work showing that elicitor-based disgust sensitivity scales are heavily influenced by the sociocultural environment and are difficult to replicate cross-culturally. A creation of a culture specific elicitor-based disgust sensitivity scale is probably the best solution for the measurement of this construct.
Enforcement of public notary documents
Authors: Krstinić Dalibor , Zarubica Sara
Published: April 2021

By passing the Law on Public Notaries, the Serbian legislator regulates the issue of the operation of public notaries, their services and activities. The modern public notary practice represents a specific legal activity which contributes to the rise of legal security and the de-congestion of courts. It also leads to a more efficient exercise of the citizens rights and the realization of their civil rights much faster and more easily. A public notary performs a public service autonomously and independently being the party's independent commissioner, and his/her participation in preparing the documents attests to their truthfulness and content. As a result, public notary documents occupy a significant place in contemporary legal transactions. According to the Law on Public Notaries, public notary documents have the property of enforceability, under certain conditions they can provide a basis to directly institute enforcement proceedings before a court of law when the stipulated conditions are satisfied. It is deemed a positive and very useful legal solution, because of which the authors will, in this paper, point out some relevant key points and specific features regarding the enforcement of public notary documents.
Inteligencia artificial y Administración de Justicia: ¿Quo vadis, justitia?
Authors: Simón Castellano Pere
Published: April 2021

La presencia en nuestra vida cotidiana de las más modernas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, así como de la llamada inteligencia artificial (IA), es cada vez mayor a la par que más valiosa. Las Administraciones públicas no pueden permanecer inmóviles ante una nueva realidad social que ofrece también una brillante oportunidad para incrementar su eficiencia y eficacia en ámbitos muy concretos como, por ejemplo, la lucha contra el fraude y las irregularidades. Los retos y desafíos jurídicos que presenta la IA, empero, son muchos y muy significativos, cuya afectación se proyecta en ámbitos tan diversos como la protección de datos personales, la igualdad, la seguridad jurídica, la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas, entre otros. Los problemas se multiplican exponencialmente en el ámbito de la Administración de Justicia y, muy especialmente, para determinados usos en el marco del proceso penal. Aunque la justicia no es ni debe convertirse en un mero acto de predicción ni en un modelo matemático que pueda encerrarse en fórmulas, no es menos cierto que el empleo de la IA para fines concretos puede resultar muy útil en todos los órdenes jurisdiccionales. El presente artículo plantea en este complejo entramado los términos del debate analizando el marco legal europeo, los usos de la IA en el ámbito de la justicia penal y su impacto en los derechos fundamentales.
Uso de asistentes virtuales y chatbots para la comunicación de crisis
Authors: Bonales Daimiel Gema , Martínez Estrella Eva Citlali
Published: April 2021

Purpose: To study the role of bots and the main virtual assistants as communication tools and support for citizenship. The goal is to observe if this type of technology achieves the designed objectives, if it is useful for the users and to know how they have contributed to the communication crisis strategies of the government and other institutions in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design / Methodology / Approach: The current study therefore pursued a mixed method: a qualitative fieldwork whit a quantitative assessment by adding an additional measurement from user’s interest. In order to achieve the objectives, the research has a comparative analysis that contrasts the data collected in surveys, interviews with experts and in the fieldwork done on the selected platforms, which have been analyzed from seven different dimensions: predetermined questions, initial greeting, privacy policies, languages, data on the health center, health recommendations and a diagnosis option.

Results: The result of this work shows that 30% of the analyzed sample uses bots, and that those who have used this type of assistants during the health crisis have done so mainly for informational purposes, being the months of April and October the ones that have reflected the greatest activity in this regard; while 38.3% claim to use virtual assistants, Google is the virtual assistant most used in Spain.

Limitations / Implications:The study is focused on the Spanish environment in specific time during health crisis.

Originality / Contribution: Chatbots and virtual assistants are considered as a communication channel that can help to strengthen sanitary measures.
El impacto de las plataformas de podcast en redes sociales: Estudio de caso en las cuentas oficiales de iVoox y Anchor en Instagram, Facebook y Twitter
Authors: Caballero-Escusol Adrián , Nicolas-Sans Ruben , Bustos Díaz Javier
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the presence and impact of the platforms specialized in the storage and diffusion of podcasts, Anchor and iVoox, on the major social networks, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Design / Methodology / Approach: This study is based on a quantitative methodology supported by the Fanpage Karma tool, which allows a correct monitoring and compilation of the different aspects that shape a profile on social networks and which, additionally, is applicable to the indicated platforms. The study period was from January 1, 2020 to November 15, 2020.

Results: The results obtained confirm the relevance of social networks for the diffusion of podcast content, while we discovered that the social network most used by both companies is Twitter, a fact that highlights this research, since Instagram has been one of the fastest growing social networks in recent years.

Limitatios / Implications: Given that the companies defined in the object of study have specific replicas in several countries, it would be interesting to make a comparative study between the impact and presence in Spain and in other countries.

Originality / Contribution: Nearly 10 million users in Spain listen to podcasts, a figure that reveals the importance of this format to the Spanish audience. If we consider the nature of this type of content, i.e., consumed over the Internet, its diffusion through social networks is essential to obtain greater penetration, since in Spain, there are 26 million people who use social networks according to the latest Iab.Spain report. Consequently, studying the relationship and impact of the main podcast platforms on social networks is a topic of interest for the scientific community, while at the same time presenting an x-ray of the current panorama on this issue.
Análisis de la comunicación de empresas europeas y norteamericanas en TikTok
Authors: Sidorenko Bautista Pavel , Herranz de la Casa José María , Moya Ruiz Alba Soledad
Published: April 2021

Purpose: This research analyzes the communication that companies and brands are developing in TikTok, a social network that represents today a global trend and where different segments of users-customers converge, especially those corresponding to Millennials and Generation Z. Specifically, it seeks to observe the capacity for success or failure of formats such as advertising and conventional marketing versus emerging and novel formulas such as ‘anti-marketing’, which proposes accompanying content for users without explicit promotion of products or services.

Design / Methodology / Approach: To carry out this initial exploratory study, ten North American and ten European companies and brands were selected to establish a comparative analysis of how they communicate through this platform. Likewise, the communicative narrative used in this network by the companies and brands has been analyzed, to delimit the most used proposals and if there is any innovation in this regard.

Results: The results show a correlation between the increase in followers and the increase in publications, i.e., the greater the exposure of content, the greater the reach. It also corroborates the prevalence of ‘anti-marketing’ as a strategy to accompany companies and brands with userscustomers and the evidence that there are no limits in this social network for the exposure of any type of product or economic activity.

Originality / Contribution: although there are still few companies and brands that communicate through TikTok, there is an important tendency to innovate narratively away from conventional advertising and marketing formulas, which opens the way for further related research.
Análisis de las estrategias publicitarias digitales de Inbound marketing de las marcas del sector automoción en YouTube en España
Authors: González Carreño Gema , Rivas Machota Ana María , Ortega Pickmans Claudia
Published: April 2021

Purpose: the main goal of this paper is to analyse the content that the best-selling brands in the automotive sector in Spain during 2019 are broadcasting on their own YouTube channels.

Design / Methodology / Approach: the content análisis methodology is followed to analyse the most popular videos of the ten best-selling utility car brands in 2019 in Spain. To do this, firstly, the channel, subscribers and the most viewed videos since the end of 2018 and throughout 2019 are identified. Secondly, the content of the messages is analysed and, finally, the interaction of audience by the number of «likes» received by each of the analysed videos.

Results: the results have made possible to understand what content car brands are broadcasting through their own YouTube channels in a specific period. In addition, it is proved that, though the most common content is the classic advertising spot that brands use for television and other conventional media, the use of YouTube has also been revealed to support the Inbound marketing strategy.

Limitations / Implications: this is descriptive research, which scope is exploratory, so its main contribution is a new review of the studied object that provides a starting point for further research. In addition, given the limited sample, 50 videos, and that fact obtained through the analysis have been limited to a specific period of time, results cannot be generalised, but they do allow us to reflect on the use of YouTube channels by brands in the automotive sector.

Originality / Contribution: the originality of this paper lies in the study of a specific sector, the automotive, and its relevance as an advertiser and as a business sector.
Estrategia de comunicación de los cuerpos de seguridad a través de píldoras audiovisuales en TikTok Policía Nacional y Guardia Civil en España
Authors: Ortega Fernández Eglée , Rodríguez Hernández Jonattan
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The main objective is to know the details of the audiovisual pills or short TikTok videos of the Spanish security organizations: the National Police and the Civil Guard.

Design / Methodology / Approach: A quantitative and qualitative methodology is used through a manual review on TikTok, in which different variables are established for the analysis, also comparing the activity of the two security organizations.

Results: The results underscore that both security bodies have built an identity on TikTok, adapting the content, language and type of videos to this social network and its audience, which, to a greater extent, is grouped in Generation Z.

Limitations / Implications: The investigation is limited by the space of time studied, as well as by the very nature of the application. TikTok, due to its type and recent expansion, hardly has any external analysis tools, so the data collection has been done manually and time has had to be limited to make a manageable analysis. On the other hand, the implications of the research overlap with the present, where social networks coexist with society and are part of our lives. It must be borne in mind that, over the years, the different technological evolutions, the appearance of new social networks or changes in the current ones, organizations vary their digital strategies
due to the expansion of options of current tools.

Originality / Contribution: The investigation will be the first analysis of the communication of Spanish security organizations on the TikTok platform. This contribution may mean the beginning of successive studies on security communication in emerging applications where new generations reside. In addition, the article delves into the use of audiovisual pills in TikTok accounts in order to know how the use of this tool is proposed for the approach, engagement and communication with citizens.
Parameter optimization of self-reflecting all-laser-driven Thomson scattering based on laser wakefield acceleration
Authors: Ye Han-Sheng , Gu Yu-Qiu , Huang Wen-Hui , Wu Yu-Chi , Tan Fang , Zhang Xiao-Hui , Wang Shao-Yi ,   Key Laboratory of Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China,   Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,   Department of Engineering Physics, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, China
Published: April 2021

All-laser-driven Thomson scattering based on laser wakefield acceleration can provide high quality X-ray and greatly reduce the source size. Compared with two-pulse setting, the self-reflecting setting can reduce the requirement for temporal and spatial synchronization in experiment. However, it is difficult to optimize X-ray because Thomson scattering is coupled with laser wakefield acceleration in this process. In this paper, we correct theory formula through numerical simulation, and analyze the parameters quantitatively in laser wakefield acceleration and Thomson scattering, such as spot size, duration and energy of laser and electron beam, and reflectivity of plasma mirror. Then we can trace the parameters by using the modified formula rather than the numerical simulation with similar accuracy and less time. The modified formula is also used to optimize the self-reflecting all-laser-driven Thomson scattering X-ray under the given laser conditions. The optimal X-ray luminance and photon number can be obtained by changing the plasma density and the position of the plasma mirror.
Circuit organization of the excitatory sensorimotor loop through hand/forelimb S1 and M1
Authors: Yamawaki Naoki , Raineri Tapies Martinna G , Stults Austin , Smith Gregory A , Shepherd Gordon MG
Published: April 2021

Sensory-guided limb control relies on communication across sensorimotor loops. For active touch with the hand, the longest loop is the transcortical continuation of ascending pathways, particularly the lemnisco-cortical and corticocortical pathways carrying tactile signals via the cuneate nucleus, ventral posterior lateral (VPL) thalamus, and primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices to reach corticospinal neurons and influence descending activity. We characterized excitatory connectivity along this pathway in the mouse. In the lemnisco-cortical leg, disynaptic cuneate→VPL→S1 connections excited mainly layer (L) 4 neurons. In the corticocortical leg, S1→M1 connections from L2/3 and L5A neurons mainly excited downstream L2/3 neurons, which excite corticospinal neurons. The findings provide a detailed new wiring diagram for the hand/forelimb-related transcortical circuit, delineating a basic but complex set of cell-type-specific feedforward excitatory connections that selectively and extensively engage diverse intratelencephalic projection neurons, thereby polysynaptically linking subcortical somatosensory input to cortical motor output to spinal cord.
Stance detection with BERT embeddings for credibility analysis of information on social media
Authors: Karande Hema , Walambe Rahee , Benjamin Victor , Kotecha Ketan , Raghu TS
Published: April 2021

The evolution of electronic media is a mixed blessing. Due to the easy access, low cost, and faster reach of the information, people search out and devour news from online social networks. In contrast, the increasing acceptance of social media reporting leads to the spread of fake news. This is a minacious problem that causes disputes and endangers the societal stability and harmony. Fake news spread has gained attention from researchers due to its vicious nature. proliferation of misinformation in all media, from the internet to cable news, paid advertising and local news outlets, has made it essential for people to identify the misinformation and sort through the facts. Researchers are trying to analyze the credibility of information and curtail false information on such platforms. Credibility is the believability of the piece of information at hand. Analyzing the credibility of fake news is challenging due to the intent of its creation and the polychromatic nature of the news. In this work, we propose a model for detecting fake news. Our method investigates the content of the news at the early stage i.e., when the news is published but is yet to be disseminated through social media. Our work interprets the content with automatic feature extraction and the relevance of the text pieces. In summary, we introduce stance as one of the features along with the content of the article and employ the pre-trained contextualized word embeddings BERT to obtain the state-of-art results for fake news detection. The experiment conducted on the real-world dataset indicates that our model outperforms the previous work and enables fake news detection with an accuracy of 95.32%.
Knowledge distillation in deep learning and its applications
Authors: Alkhulaifi Abdolmaged , Alsahli Fahad , Ahmad Irfan
Published: April 2021

Deep learning based models are relatively large, and it is hard to deploy such models on resource-limited devices such as mobile phones and embedded devices. One possible solution is knowledge distillation whereby a smaller model (student model) is trained by utilizing the information from a larger model (teacher model). In this paper, we present an outlook of knowledge distillation techniques applied to deep learning models. To compare the performances of different techniques, we propose a new metric called distillation metric which compares different knowledge distillation solutions based on models' sizes and accuracy scores. Based on the survey, some interesting conclusions are drawn and presented in this paper including the current challenges and possible research directions.
Morphological grounds for the obligate aerial respiration of an aquatic snail: functional and evolutionary perspectives
Authors: Rodriguez Cristian , Prieto Guido I. , Vega Israel A. , Castro-Vazquez Alfredo
Published: April 2021

The freshwater caenogastropod family Ampullariidae is emerging as a model for a variety of studies, among them, the evolution of terrestriality. A common character of the family is that all its members bear a lung while retaining the ancestral gill. This ensures that many ampullariids are able to inhabit poorly oxygenated waters, to bury in the mud during estivation, and to temporarily leave the water, in some species for oviposition. To these charactersPomacea canaliculata(Caenogastropoda, Ampullariidae) adds that is an obligate air-breather. In a recent paper, we showed the gill epithelium ofP. canaliculatahas a set of characteristics that suggest its role for oxygen uptake may be less significant than its role in ionic/osmotic regulation and immunity. We complement here our morphological investigation on the respiratory organs ofP. canaliculataby studying the lung of this species at the anatomical (3D reconstructions of the blood system and nerve supply), histological and ultrastructural levels. The circulation of the gill and the lung are interconnected so that the effluence of blood from the gill goes to the lung where it completes oxygenation. Besides that, we found the lung cavity is lined by a pavement epithelium that encloses an anastomosing network of small blood spaces resting over a fibromuscular layer, which altogether form the respiratory lamina. The pavement cells form a blood-gas barrier that is 80–150 nm thick and thus fulfils the requirements for an efficient gas exchanger. Tufts of ciliary cells, together with some microvillar and secretory cells, are interspersed in the respiratory lamina. Rhogocytes, which have been proposed to partake in metal depuration and in the synthesis of hemocyanin in other gastropods, were found below the respiratory lamina, in close association with the storage cell tissue. In light of these findings, we discuss the functional role of the lung inP. canaliculataand compare it with that of other gastropods. Finally, we point to some similarities in the pattern of the evolution of air dependence in this family.
Unraveling the genetic diversity and structure ofQuercus liaotungensispopulation through analysis of microsatellite markers
Authors: Guo Bin , Hao Xiangchun , Han Lijun , Zhai Yu , Zhou Shuai , Chen Si , Ren Da , An Xinmin
Published: April 2021

Background

Quercus liaotungensisKoidz. is an ecologically and economically important tree species widely distributed in Northern China. However, the effective assessment, utilization, and protection ofQ. liaotungensisresources remain unexplored.

Methods

In total, 120 samples obtained from 12Q. liaotungensispopulations of Northern China were investigated for genetic diversity and structure using 19 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs.

Results

The total number of alleles detected was 293, the average number of effective allele (Ne) was 6.084, the genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) was 0.033, and the mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.690 and 0.801, respectively. Moreover, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed a 5.5% genetic variation among 12Q. liaotungensispopulations, indicating that a high level of genetic diversity and a low degree of genetic differentiation amongQ. liaotungensispopulations. STRUCTURE and cluster analysis divided the 12Q. liaotungensispopulations into the following three subpopulations: Bashang Plateau subpopulation (SH), Liaodong Peninsula subpopulation (NC), and Loess Plateau subpopulation (other 10 populations). The cluster analysis based on 19 climatic factors was consistent with the genetic structure. A positive correlation was found between genetic distance and geographical distance (r = 0.638,p = 0.028) by the Mantel test, and two boundaries were found among the 12Q. liaotungensispopulations by the Barrier analysis, indicating thatQ. liaotungensispopulations existed isolated by geographical distance and physical barrier.

Conclusion

This study suggests that geographical isolation, physical barrier, climatic types, and natural hybridization promote the formation of genetic structures, which can contribute to future protection and genetic improvement ofQ. liaotungensis.
A quantitative comparison of towed-camera and diver-camera transects for monitoring coral reefs
Authors: Cresswell Anna K. , Ryan Nicole M. , Heyward Andrew J. , Smith Adam N. H. , Colquhoun Jamie , Case Mark , Birt Matthew J. , Chinkin Mark , Wyatt Mathew , Radford Ben , Costello Paul , Gilmour James P.
Published: April 2021

Novel tools and methods for monitoring marine environments can improve efficiency but must not compromise long-term data records. Quantitative comparisons between new and existing methods are therefore required to assess their compatibility for monitoring. Monitoring of shallow water coral reefs is typically conducted using diver-based collection of benthic images along transects. Diverless systems for obtaining underwater images (e.g. towed-cameras, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles) are increasingly used for mapping coral reefs. Of these imaging platforms, towed-cameras offer a practical, low cost and efficient method for surveys but their utility for repeated measures in monitoring studies has not been tested. We quantitatively compare a towed-camera approach to repeated surveys of shallow water coral reef benthic assemblages on fixed transects, relative to benchmark data from diver photo-transects. Differences in the percent cover detected by the two methods was partly explained by differences in the morphology of benthic groups. The reef habitat and physical descriptors of the site—slope, depth and structural complexity—also influenced the comparability of data, with differences between the tow-camera and the diver data increasing with structural complexity and slope. Differences between the methods decreased when a greater number of images were collected per tow-camera transect. We attribute lower image quality (variable perspective, exposure and focal distance) and lower spatial accuracy and precision of the towed-camera transects as the key reasons for differences in the data from the two methods and suggest changes to the sampling design to improve the application of tow-cameras to monitoring.
Transient postprandial increase in intact circulating fibroblast growth factor-21 levels after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Nielsen Mette S. , Søberg Susanna , Schmidt Julie B. , Chenchar Anne , Sjödin Anders , Gillum Matthew P.
Published: April 2021

Background

Despite a consistent link between obesity and increased circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21), the effect of weight-loss interventions on FGF21 is not clear. We aimed to determine the short- and long-term effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on intact plasma FGF21 levels and to test the hypothesis that RYGB, but not diet-induced weight loss, increases fasting and postprandial responses of FGF21.

Method

Twenty-eight participants with obesity followed a low-calorie diet for 11 weeks. The 28 participants were randomized to undergo RYGB surgery at week 8 (RYGB group, n = 14), or to a control group scheduled for surgery at week 12 (n = 14). Fasting levels of intact, biologically active FGF21 (amino acids 1-181) and its postprandial responses to a mixed meal were assessed at week 7 and 11, and 78 weeks (18 months) after RYGB.

Results

At week 11 (3 weeks after RYGB), postprandial responses of intact FGF21 were enhanced in participants undergoing surgery at week 8 (change from week 7 to 11: P = 0.02), whereas no change was found in non-operated control participants in similar negative energy balance (change from week 7 to 11: P = 0.81). However, no between-group difference was found (P = 0.27 for the group-week-time interaction). Fasting, as well as postprandial responses in intact FGF21, were unchanged 18 months after RYGB when both the RYGB and control group were collapsed together (change from week 7 to 78 weeks after RYGB: P = 0.17).

Conclusion

Postprandial intact FGF21 levels were enhanced acutely after RYGB whereas no signs of sustained changes were found 18 months after surgery. When comparing the acute effect of RYGB with controls in similar negative energy balance, we failed to detect any significant differences between groups, probably due to the small sample size and large inter-individual variations, especially in response to surgery.
Brazilian silverside, Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard,1825) embryos as a test-species for marine fish ecotoxicological tests
Authors: Feitosa Natália Martins , Calderon Emiliano Nicolas , da Silva Rhennã Nascimento , de Melo Sônia Lopes Rezende , Souza-Menezes Jackson , Nunes-da-Fonseca Rodrigo , Reynier Márcia Vieira
Published: April 2021

The fish embryo test (FET) is an alternative to the classic freshwater toxicity test used to assess environmental hazards and risks to fish. This test has been standardized and adopted by the Organization for Economic and Cooperation and Development (OECD). As salinity may affect the substances’ toxicity, we describe the development of an alternative euryhaline test species for embryonic ecotoxicological tests: the Brazilian silverside Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825). This species is broadly distributed along the coast of South America and is able to inhabit a broad range of environmental and saline conditions. Ours is the first study on the maintenance of a native South American species for natural reproduction and the generation of embryos for tests. The embryos used are transparent and possess fluorescent cells which have only been seen in a few species and which may be used as markers, making it an alternative assessment tool for the lethal and sublethal substances in marine and estuarine environments. We provide a detailed description and analysis of embryonic development under different salinities and temperatures. The embryos and larvae developed in similar ways at different salinities, however as temperatures increased, mortality also increased. We considered the effects of the reference toxicants Zn2+ and SDS using a protocol similar to the FET that was standardized for zebrafish. Brazilian silverside embryos are as sensitive as freshwater, or euryhaline fish, to the surfactant but are more resistant to metals prior to hatching. We were able to show the advantages of the Brazilian silverside as a model for a marine fish embryo test (FETm) with high levels of reproducibility and little contaminated waste.
Generalized Exponential Power Distribution with Application to Complete and Censored Data
Authors: El-Monsef M. M. E. Abd , El-Awady M. M.
Published: April 2021

The exponential power distribution (EP) is a lifetime model that can exhibit increasing and bathtub hazard rate function. This paper proposed a generalization of EP distribution, named generalized exponential power (GEP) distribution. Some properties of GEP distribution will be investigated. Recurrence relations for single moments of generalized ordered statistics from GEP distribution are established and used for characterizing the GEP distribution. Estimation of the model parameters are derived using maximum likelihood method based on complete sample, type I, type II and random censored samples. A simulation study is performed in order to examine the accuracy of the maximum likelihood estimators of the model parameters. Three applications to real data, two with censored data, are provided in order to show the superiority of the proposed model to other models.
Response of Integrated Application of Inorganic Fertilizers and Vermicompost on Rice Productivity at Farmer Field
Authors: Thakur Risikesh , Shrivastava A. K. , Sarvade S. , Rai S. K. , Koutu G. K. , Bisen N. K. , Khan Mohmmad Imran
Published: April 2021

Rice (Oriza sativa) is one of most important kharif cereal crop. The availability of nutrients in the soil for plant utilization is known to be affected not only by the inherent soil characteristics but also by the use of fertilizers and management practices followed for crop production. Therefore, a study on the response of integrated application of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure (vermicompost) on rice productivity at farmer field was carried out at Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. In between the technology intervention, human recourse development components were also included to excel the farmers understanding and skills about the demonstrated technology on nutrient management aspects. The demonstrations were conducted at different farmers' field at villages viz. Koppe, Chillod and Lendejhari on rice (variety JRB-1) during kharif season 2018-19 and 2019-20 under Indian Council of Agricultural Research funded Project on Farmer FIRST, College of Agriculture, Balaghat (M.P.). Based on the basic soil properties of farmer’s field, the present experiment included four treatments viz., T1 - 100% NPK + 2 t Vermicompost ha-1, T2 - 100% NPK, T3 - 100% NPK (– S) and T4 – Farmer’s practice. Results indicated that the highest average yield of rice was achieved in the treatment T1-100% NPK + Vermicompost. Whereas, lowest yield was recorded in T4-farmer’s practice. Highest rice yield was observed with 100% NPK + vermicompost (47%),followed by 100% NPK (44%) over farmer’s practice. Hence, the integrated use of inorganic fertilizers with vermicompost enhance rice productivity at farmer’s field. Integrated nutrient applications are also more beneficial when the rate of nutrient application is below the normal rate.
Fuels for Automobiles: The Sustainable Future
Authors: Towoju Olumide A.
Published: April 2021

The future of internal combustion engine-powered automobiles hangs in the balance unless clean fuels are available in commercial quantities. Electricity-powered vehicles will displace the internal combustion engine-powered automobiles. However, electricity-powered vehicles are yet to meet some of the automobile demands. A paradigm shift with attendant infrastructural change is necessary for its adoption. Synthetic fuels promise to be the solution. Their invention dates back to the early twentieth century when the concern was not about climate change. The search for alternative fuels later metamorphosed to when fossil fuels reserve depletion and petroleum derivatives cost became a concern. The alternatives were made available in biofuels. The prevailing challenge is now climate change. It is the consequence of the emission of greenhouse gases from the combustion of petroleum derivatives in automobiles. Synthetic fuels show the potential of coming to the rescue despite the prevailing hurdles. The future holds a potential promise of converting greenhouse gas (CO2) to liquid fuels that will allow little or no disruptions to the current transportation infrastructure network. It is, therefore, necessary to encourage further studies on the production of synthetic fuels. The environmental and economic benefits of commercially available synthetic fuels promise to be enormous.
A Correlative Study of Endometrial Glycogen Content in Female Infertility
Authors: Rajan Archana , Parijatham B. O. , Srivastava Vindu
Published: April 2021

Infertility is a global problem. It has been viewed as a discredit and social humiliation thrust upon healthy young adults. The present detects the glycogen content in the endometrial glands of infertile women in the age group of 18 -39 years. This study aimed to compare infertility and the glycogen content in the endometrial glands of fertile women of the same age group. The endometrium is the tissue of attention because it is the site for implantation of ovum. The current study was done to evaluate the glycogen content in the endometrium of infertile patients and compare it with that of fertile patients. This study was done on 60 cases and 20 controls. Our study showed that large masses of glycogen (++++) was seen in only 7 secretory endometria in infertile cases (14.9%) when compared to 14 secretory endometria infertile subjects (77.7%). Also, endometrial glycogen grading in the secretory phase in infertile patients showed glycogen depletion (Grade 0) in 13 cases (27.7%) whereas it was nil in the fertile group. Glycogen is an essential and straight source of nutrient for the primary concepts and also helps in the successful implantation of blastocyst and continuation of pregnancy.
Comparison of Operative Outcomes Among Laparoscopic, 3D-Laparoscopic, and Robotic Gastrectomy for Distal Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wu Tung-Yen , Liu Yen-Ling , Huang Kuo-Hung , Fang Wen-Liang , Lo Su-Shun , Li Anna Fen-Yau , Wu Chew-Wun , Shyr Yi-Ming
Published: April 2021

Objective

Minimally invasive surgery has become popular in the treatment of gastric cancer.

Background

Few reports have compared operative outcomes among laparoscopic, 3-dimensional (3D)-laparoscopic, and robotic gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer.

Methods

Between August 2011 and June 2020, a total of 245 patients underwent laparoscopic (n = 129), 3D-laparoscopic (n = 55), or robotic (n = 61) gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer; the clinicopathologic characteristics and operative outcomes were compared among groups.

Results

Compared with the laparoscopic group, the 3D-laparoscopic and robotic groups were associated with more D2 lymphadenectomy, higher medical costs, and a longer operative time, whereas the number of retrieved lymph nodes and surgical complications were similar among the 3 groups. For patients receiving D2 lymphadenectomy, the robotic group was associated with higher medical costs and longer operative time than the other 2 groups; patients with high body mass index (high BMI) had a longer operative time than patients with low BMI in the laparoscopic group, which was not significantly different between patients with low or high BMI in both the 3D-laparoscopic and robotic groups. For patients with low BMI, the medical costs were higher and the operative time was longer in the robotic group than the other 2 groups. For patients with high BMI, the robotic group was associated with higher medical costs, and longer operative time and postoperative hospital stay than the other 2 groups.

Conclusions

3D-laparoscopic gastrectomy was associated with affordable medical costs, comparable lymphadenectomy, and similar surgical outcomes compared with robotic gastrectomy.
Electrooxidative Metal‐Free Cyclization of 4‐Arylaminocoumarins with DMF as C1‐Source
Authors: Weng Yiyi , Chen Hantao , Li Nanhui , Yang Long , Ackermann Lutz
Published: April 2021

An environmentally‐benign electrochemical approach for the construction of quinoline derivatives employing N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as the methine source has been devised by cyclization of 4‐(phenylamino)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones. In a user‐friendly undivided cell, 6H‐chromeno[4,3‐b]quinolin‐6‐ones were obtained under chemical oxidant‐free and transition‐metal‐free conditions in 43–92% yields with high functional tolerance.

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Optimal internal nitrogen use efficiency for irrigated cotton in the southwestern United States
Authors: Bronson Kevin F.
Published: April 2021

Nitrogen is the most important nutrient in the production of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Field studies on N use efficiency usually focus on recovery efficiency of added N fertilizer or agronomic N use efficiency. The internal N use efficiency of N (iNUE; lint yield divided by plant N uptake) is less studied but is a key component of N fertilizer recommendations. The objective of this study was to identify the optimum iNUE for irrigated cotton in West Texas and Arizona. Eighteen site‐years of data from N fertilizer management studies from Lubbock, TX, and Maricopa, AZ, from 2000 to 2018 were used. Lint yields with N‐fertilized plots averaged 1,535 and 1,790 kg ha–1 for West Texas and Arizona, respectively. Corresponding N uptake averaged 128 and 177 kg N ha–1 for West Texas and Arizona, reflecting average N fertilizer rates of 91 and 133 kg N ha–1. An optimum iNUE of 12.3 ± 0.5 kg lint kg plant N–1 was estimated by a linear‐plateau model of lint yields vs. total N uptake. Optimum iNUE corresponded to 1,800 kg lint ha–1 yield and 146 ± 5 kg N ha–1 plant uptake. Nitrogen uptake by cotton plants greater than this was theoretically luxury uptake. Updated data on optimum iNUE can feed directly into improving current N fertilizer recommendations based on pre‐plant soil NO3 tests. In turn, this can translate to greater profits for cotton producers in the southwestern United States and the reduction in export of N from irrigated cotton fields.
Recent advances in the pathophysiology of PIEZO1‐related hereditary xerocytosis
Authors: Jankovsky Nicolas , Caulier Alexis , Demagny Julien , Guitton Corinne , Djordjevic Stefan , Lebon Delphine , Ouled‐Haddou Hakim , Picard Véronique , Garçon Loïc
Published: April 2021

Hereditary xerocytosis is a rare red blood cell disease related to gain‐of‐function mutations in the FAM38A gene, encoding PIEZO1, in 90% of cases; PIEZO1 is a broadly expressed mechano‐transducer that plays a major role in many cell systems and tissues that respond to mechanical stress. In erythrocytes, PIEZO1 adapts the intracellular ionic content and cell hydration status to the mechanical constraints induced by the environment. Until recently, the pathophysiology of hereditary xerocytosis was mainly believed to be based on the “PIEZO1‐Gardos channel axis” in erythrocytes, according to which PIEZO1‐activating mutations induce a calcium influx that secondarily activates the Gardos channel, leading to potassium and water efflux and subsequently to red blood cell dehydration. However, recent studies have demonstrated additional roles for PIEZO1 during early erythropoiesis and reticulocyte maturation, as well as roles in other tissues and cells such as lymphatic vessels, hepatocytes, macrophages and platelets that may affect the pathophysiology of the disease. These findings, presented and discussed in this review, broaden our understanding of hereditary xerocytosis beyond that of primarily being a red blood cell disease and identify potential therapeutic targets.