bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing early warning and response systems through a full-scale exercise in Vietnam
Authors: Clara Alexey , Dao Anh T. P. , Tran Quy , Tran Phu D. , Dang Tan Q. , Nguyen Huong T. , Tran Quang D. , Rzeszotarski Peter , Talbert Karen , Stehling-Ariza Tasha , Veasey Frances , Clemens Lynne , Mounts Anthony W. , Lofgren Hannah , Balajee S. Arunmozhi , Do Trang T.
Published: February 2021

Background

Simulation exercises can functionally validate World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) core capacities. In 2018, the Vietnam Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted a full-scale exercise (FSX) in response to cases of severe viral pneumonia with subsequent laboratory confirmation for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to evaluate the country’s early warning and response capabilities for high-risk events.

Methods

An exercise planning team designed a complex fictitious scenario beginning with one case of severe viral pneumonia presenting at the hospital level and developed all the materials required for the exercise. Actors, controllers and evaluators were trained. In August 2018, a 3-day exercise was conducted in Quang Ninh province and Hanoi city, with participation of public health partners at the community, district, province, regional and national levels. Immediate debriefings and an after-action review were conducted after all exercise activities. Participants assessed overall exercise design, conduction and usefulness.

Results

FSX findings demonstrated that the event-based surveillance component of the MOH surveillance system worked optimally at different administrative levels. Detection and reporting of signals at the community and health facility levels were appropriate. Triage, verification and risk assessment were successfully implemented to identify a high-risk event and trigger timely response. The FSX identified infection control, coordination with internal and external response partners and process documentation as response challenges. Participants positively evaluated the exercise training and design.

Conclusions

This exercise documents the value of exercising surveillance capabilities as part of a real-time operational scenario before facing a true emergency. The timing of this exercise and choice of disease scenario was particularly fortuitous given the subsequent appearance of COVID-19. As a result of this exercise and subsequent improvements made by the MOH, the country may have been better able to deal with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and contain it.
Breast contracture and skin sclerosis following 20 years of polyacrylamide hydrogel migration in a patient with familial vitiligo: a case report
Authors: Wang Bin , Sun Jiaming , Tong Jing
Published: February 2021

Background

Breast augmentation with polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) injection was approved in China in 1998 and later banned in 2006. The ban ensued numerous complaints from patients such as pain, induration, deformation, infection, displacement, and milk deposition associated with PAAG injection. To date, no study has investigated the long-term effect of PAAG migration on autoimmune diseases.

Case presentation

We report a rare case of a 49-year-old female patient with familial vitiligo who receiving PAAG injection for breast augmentation. The patient reported to have felt persistent movement of PAAG in her thoracoabdominal area for almost 20 years. Furthermore, the PAAG-induced chronic inflammation that aggravated vitiligo, which in turn promoted skin sclerosis. This damaged the breast contracture, increased chest tightness and induced mild breathing problems.

Conclusion

Here, we present a rare case in which a patient with a family history of vitiligo experienced long-term complications after receiving PAAG injection for breast augmentation. This case highlights the relationship between vitiligo, migration of PAAG and tissue hardening and skin contraction.

Level of evidence: Level V
Analgesic efficacy of intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine during the early postoperative period in patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Shim Jung-Woo , Cho Yun Jeong , Moon Hyong Woo , Park Jaesik , Lee Hyung Mook , Kim Yong-Suk , Moon Young Eun , Hong Sang Hyun , Chae Min Suk
Published: February 2021

Background

The present study was performed to investigate the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine (ITMB) in terms of treating early postoperative pain in adult patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP).

Methods

Fifty patients were prospectively enrolled and randomly classified into the non-ITMB (n = 25) and ITMB (n = 25) groups. The ITMB therapeutic regimen consisted of 0.2 mg morphine and 7.5 mg bupivacaine (total 1.7 mL). All patients were routinely administered the intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and appropriately treated with rescue intravenous (IV) opioid drugs, based on the discretion of the attending physicians who were blinded to the group assignments. Cumulative IV opioid consumption and the numeric rating scale (NRS) score were assessed at 1, 6, and 24 h postoperatively, and opioid-related complications were measured during the day after surgery.

Results

Demographic findings were comparable between patients who did and did not receive ITMB. The intraoperative dose of remifentanil was lower in the ITMB group than in the non-ITMB group. Pain scores (i.e., NRS) at rest and during coughing as well as cumulative IV opioid consumption were significantly lower in patients who received ITMB than in those who did not in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU; i.e., at 1 h after surgery) and the ward (i.e., at 6 and 24 h after surgery). ITMB was significantly associated with postoperative NRS scores of ≤ 3 at rest and during coughing in the PACU (i.e., at 1 h after surgery) before and after adjusting for cumulative IV opioid consumption. In the ward (i.e., at 6 and 24 h after surgery), ITMB was associated with postoperative NRS scores of ≤ 3 at rest and during coughing before adjusting for cumulative IV opioid consumption but not after. No significant differences in complications were observed, such as post-dural puncture headache, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, or neurologic sequelae, during or after surgery.

Conclusion

A single spinal injection of morphine and bupivacaine provided proper early postoperative analgesia and decreased additional requirements for IV opioids in patients who underwent RALP.

Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea; approval number: KCT0004350 on October 17, 2019.https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/en/search/search_result_st01.jsp?seq=15637
Metformin use and respiratory outcomes in asthma-COPD overlap
Authors: Wu Tianshi David , Fawzy Ashraf , Kinney Gregory L. , Bon Jessica , Neupane Maniraj , Tejwani Vickram , Hansel Nadia N. , Wise Robert A. , Putcha Nirupama , McCormack Meredith C.
Published: February 2021

Background

Metformin is associated with improved respiratory outcomes in asthma; however, metformin in COPD and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) remains unexplored.

Objective

To determine the association between metformin use and respiratory outcomes in COPD and ACO.

Study design and methods

Participants with COPD (FEV1/FVC < 0.70) in the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD study (COPDGene®) were categorized as ACO (n = 510), defined as concurrent physician-diagnosed asthma before age 40 years, or COPD alone (n = 3459). We estimated the association of baseline metformin use with (1) rate of total and severe respiratory exacerbations during follow-up, (2) cross-sectional St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, six-minute walk distance (6MWD), and post-bronchodilator FEV1 percent predicted (FEV1pp), and (3) 5-year change in SGRQ, 6MWD, and FEV1pp. We also examined change in SGRQ, 6MWD and FEV1pp among participants who initiated metformin during follow-up (n = 108) compared to persistent metformin non-users (n = 2080). Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, medications, and comorbidities.

Results

Among participants with ACO, metformin use was associated with lower rate of total (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.3; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.11, 0.77) and severe exacerbations (aIRR 0.29; 95%CI 0.10, 0.89). Among participants with COPD alone, there was no association between metformin use with total (aIRR 0.98; 95%CI 0.62, 1.5) or severe exacerbations (aIRR 1.3; 95% CI 0.68, 2.4) (p-interaction < 0.05). Metformin use was associated with lower baseline SGRQ score (adjusted mean difference [aMD] − 2.7; 95%CI − 5.3, − 0.2) overall. Metformin initiation was associated with improved SGRQ score (aMD –10.0; 95% CI − 18.7, − 1.2) among participants with ACO but not COPD alone (p-interaction < 0.05). There was no association between metformin use and 6MWD or FEV1pp in any comparison.

Conclusions

Metformin use was associated with fewer respiratory exacerbations and improved quality of life among individuals with ACO but not COPD alone. Results suggest a potential role for metformin in ACO which requires further prospective study.

Trial Registry: NCT00608764
Correction to: Metformin and sulodexide restore cardiac microvascular perfusion capacity in diet‑induced obese rats
Authors: van Haare Judith , Kooi M. Eline , van Teeffelen Jurgen W. G. E. , Vink Hans , Slenter Jos , Cobelens Hanneke , Strijkers Gustav J. , Koehn Dennis , Post Mark J. , van Bilsen Marc
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Immune subtyping for pancreatic cancer with implication in clinical outcomes and improving immunotherapy
Authors: Liu Jingkai , Liu Qiaofei , Zhang Xiang , Cui Ming , Li Tong , Zhang Yalu , Liao Quan
Published: February 2021

Background

Emerging evidence has shown that intra-tumor immune features are associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Accordingly, patient stratification is needed for identifying target patients and designing strategies to improve the efficacy of ICB therapy. We aimed to depict the specific immune features of patients with pancreatic cancer and explore the implication of immune diversity in prognostic prediction and individualized immunotherapy.

Methods

From transcriptional profiles of 383 tumor samples in TCGA, ICGC, and GEO database, robust immune subtypes which had different response immunotherapy, including ICB therapy, were identified by consensus clustering with five gene modules. DEGs analysis and tumor microarray were used to screen and demonstrate potential targets for improving ICB therapy.

Results

Three subtypes of pancreatic cancer, namely cluster 1–3 (C1–C3), characterized with distinct immune features and prognosis, were generated. Of that, subtype C1 was an immune-cold type in lack of immune regulators, subtype C2, with an immunosuppression-dominated phenotype characterized by robust TGFβ signaling and stromal reaction, showed the worst prognosis, subtype C3 was an immune-hot type, with massive immune cell infiltration and in abundance of immune regulators. The disparity of immune features uncovered the discrepant applicability of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and potential sensitivity to other alternative immunotherapy for each subtype. Patients in C3 were more suitable for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, while patients in the other two clusters may need combined strategies targeted on other immune checkpoints or oncogenic pathways. A promising target for improving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, TGM2, was screened out and its role in the regulation of PD-L1 was investigated for the first time.

Conclusion

Collectively, immune features of pancreatic cancer contribute to distinct immunosuppressive mechanisms that are responsible for individualized immunotherapy. Despite pancreatic cancer being considered as a poor immunogenic cancer type, the derived immune subtypes may have implications in tailored designing of immunotherapy for the patients. TGM2 has potential synergistic roles with ICB therapy.
Compositional alterations of gut microbiota in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Li Fuxi , Ye Junzhao , Shao Congxiang , Zhong Bihui
Published: February 2021

Background

Although imbalanced intestinal flora contributes to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), conflicting results have been obtained for patient-derived microbiome composition analyses. A meta-analysis was performed to summarize the characteristics of intestinal microbiota at the species level in NAFLD patients.

Methods

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, a completed search (last update: December 30, 2020) of databases was performed to identify eligible case-control studies detecting gut microbiota in NAFLD patients. The meta-analysis results are presented as the standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Bias controls were evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), funnel plot analysis, and Egger’s and Begg’s tests.

Results

Fifteen studies (NOS score range: 6–8) that detected the gut microbiota in the stools of 1265 individuals (577 NAFLD patients and 688 controls) were included. It was found that Escherichia, Prevotella and Streptococcus (SMD = 1.55 [95% CI: 0.57, 2.54], 1.89 [95% CI: 0.02, 3.76] and 1.33 [95% CI: 0.62, 2.05], respectively) exhibited increased abundance while Coprococcus, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus (SMD = − 1.75 [95% CI: − 3.13, − 0.37], − 9.84 [95% CI: − 13.21, − 6.47] and − 1.84 [95% CI, − 2.41, − 1.27], respectively) exhibited decreased abundance in the NAFLD patients compared with healthy controls. No differences in the abundance of Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Blautia, Clostridium, Dorea, Lactobacillus, Parabacteroides or Roseburia were confirmed between the NAFLD patients and healthy controls.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis revealed that changes in the abundance of Escherichia, Prevotella, Streptococcus, Coprococcus, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus were the universal intestinal bacterial signature of NAFLD.
The value of the hedgehog signal in osteoblasts in fluoride-induced bone-tissue injury
Authors: Deng Chaonan , Xu Lin , Zhang Ying , Zhao Lina , Linghu Yan , Yu Yanni
Published: February 2021

Objective

This study was designed to observe the expression of important hedgehog (Hh) signal factors in the bone tissue of rats with chronic fluorosis and cultured osteoblasts in order to investigate the role and significance of the Hh signal in fluoride-induced bone injury.

Methods

Healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, the fluorosis group (F Group), the fluoride + blocker group (F + Cycl group: rats were treated with fluoride + cyclopamine), and the fluoride + blocker control group (F + DMSO group). After 6 months of intervention, the urinary fluoride content of rats in each group was detected. The primary osteoblasts of rats were selected for cell experiment, and the experiment was carried out after the cells were passaged from the second to the fourth generation.

Results

The proliferation rate of primary rat osteoblasts presented time-affected and dose-affected relationships in a short time under treatment with a low dose of sodium fluoride (NaF), but the proliferation of osteoblasts was inhibited by long-term and high-dose NaF exposure. In the F group, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblasts increased gradually. The ALP activity was lower in the F + Cycl group than in the F group, and there was no significant difference between the F + DMSO group and F group. With the increase in fluoride exposure, the expression of Hh signal factors and osteogenic-related factor proteins increased gradually. The expressions of Indian hedgehog (Ihh), smoothened (Smo), Glioma-associated oncogene homolog (Gli) 2, and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2)in the F + Cycl group increased with the dose of fluoride but they were significantly inhibited compared with the F group. Compared with the control group, the content of urinary fluoride in the F group was significantly higher (P < 0.05), but there was no significant change in urinary fluoride content in the F + Cycl group and the F + DMSO group. Compared with the control group, the serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) contents of rats in the other groups increased after 6 months’ intake of fluoride water (P < 0.05). After drug blocking, the serum BALP content in the F + Cycl group was lower than that in the F + DMSO group (P < 0.05). The BALP content in the F + DMSO group was similar to that in the F group: it did not decrease. The mRNA expressions of Ihh, Smo, Gli2, and Runx2 in bone tissue of the F group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After cyclopamine blocking, the expressions decreased (P < 0.05), but the differences between the F + DMSO group and F group were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Hh signal plays an important role in fluoride-induced bone injury. The effective inhibition of cyclopamine is expected to be a new target for the treatment of skeletal damage caused by fluorosis.
Customer satisfaction in the digital era: evidence from Islamic banking
Authors: Zouari Ghazi , Abdelhedi Marwa
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Based upon an extended SERVQUAL model, this paper attempts to contribute to the Islamic banking literature by examining the impact of digitalization, as a service quality dimension, on customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Two dimensions, i.e., digitalization and compliance, are added to the existing SERVQUAL model of five dimensions. Results are drawn from a self-completed survey of a convenience sample of 145 Tunisian Islamic bank customers for the year 2018. Factor analysis and regression analysis are used to determine factor structure and determine the impact of service quality dimensions, especially digitalization, on customer satisfaction in Islamic banking.

Findings

The factor analysis extracted five dimensions of service quality, i.e., confidence, compliance, digitalization, tangibles, and human skills. The paper demonstrates a positive and significant relationship between the main dimensions of customer service quality and customer satisfaction, except for tangibles.

Research limitations/implications

Although the outcomes lend support to the extended SERVQUAL model, the results are derived based on a relatively average sample size in one country (Tunisia). It might also be useful to enlarge the study sample for better generalization of the findings in other countries and include a comparison between Islamic versus conventional banking about service quality and customer satisfaction. Moreover, we can applicate another original method for the Measuring and Implementing Service Quality like the multicriteria method dubbed (MUSA).

Managerial implications

To remain competitive, Tunisian Islamic banks need to pay attention to the way the services are delivered and not take it for granted that customers are only focusing on compliance. Dealing henceforth with Generation Y customers, they must persevere in bringing their customer service into the digital era.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few which tries to investigate the drivers of customer satisfaction for Islamic banks in a Digital Era. It reveals that although customers pay special attention to Sharia laws, the way services are delivered matters to them too. From now on, digital banking must appear among the Islamic bank features to stay relevant in the Digital Era.
Dicer-like proteins influence Arabidopsis root microbiota independent of RNA-directed DNA methylation
Authors: Kaushal Richa , Peng Li , Singh Sunil K. , Zhang Mengrui , Zhang Xinlian , Vílchez Juan I. , Wang Zhen , He Danxia , Yang Yu , Lv Suhui , Xu Zhongtian , Morcillo Rafael J. L. , Wang Wei , Huang Weichang , Paré Paul W. , Song Chun-Peng , Zhu Jian-Kang , Liu Renyi , Zhong Wenxuan , Ma Ping , Zhang Huiming
Published: February 2021

Background

Plants are naturally associated with root microbiota, which are microbial communities influential to host fitness. Thus, it is important to understand how plants control root microbiota. Epigenetic factors regulate the readouts of genetic information and consequently many essential biological processes. However, it has been elusive whether RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) affects root microbiota assembly.

Results

By applying 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we investigated root microbiota of Arabidopsis mutants defective in the canonical RdDM pathway, including dcl234 that harbors triple mutation in the Dicer-like proteins DCL3, DCL2, and DCL4, which produce small RNAs for RdDM. Alpha diversity analysis showed reductions in microbe richness from the soil to roots, reflecting the selectivity of plants on root-associated bacteria. The dcl234 triple mutation significantly decreases the levels of Aeromonadaceae and Pseudomonadaceae, while it increases the abundance of many other bacteria families in the root microbiota. However, mutants of the other examined key players in the canonical RdDM pathway showed similar microbiota as Col-0, indicating that the DCL proteins affect root microbiota in an RdDM-independent manner. Subsequently gene analysis by shotgun sequencing of root microbiome indicated a selective pressure on microbial resistance to plant defense in the dcl234 mutant. Consistent with the altered plant-microbe interactions, dcl234 displayed altered characters, including the mRNA and sRNA transcriptomes that jointly highlighted altered cell wall organization and up-regulated defense, the decreased cellulose and callose deposition in root xylem, and the restructured profile of root exudates that supported the alterations in gene expression and cell wall modifications.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate an important role of the DCL proteins in influencing root microbiota through integrated regulation of plant defense, cell wall compositions, and root exudates. Our results also demonstrate that the canonical RdDM is dispensable for Arabidopsis root microbiota. These findings not only establish a connection between root microbiota and plant epigenetic factors but also highlight the complexity of plant regulation of root microbiota.
Cross-validation study between the HRRT and the PET component of the SIGNA PET/MRI system with focus on neuroimaging
Authors: Mannheim Julia G. , Cheng Ju-Chieh (Kevin) , Vafai Nasim , Shahinfard Elham , English Carolyn , McKenzie Jessamyn , Zhang Jing , Barlow Laura , Sossi Vesna
Published: February 2021

Background

The Siemens high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT - a dedicated brain PET scanner) is to this day one of the highest resolution PET scanners; thus, it can serve as useful benchmark when evaluating performance of newer scanners. Here, we report results from a cross-validation study between the HRRT and the whole-body GE SIGNA PET/MR focusing on brain imaging.

Phantom data were acquired to determine recovery coefficients (RCs), % background variability (%BG), and image voxel noise (%). Cross-validation studies were performed with six healthy volunteers using [11C]DTBZ, [11C]raclopride, and [18F]FDG. Line profiles, regional time-activity curves, regional non-displaceable binding potentials (BPND) for [11C]DTBZ and [11C]raclopride scans, and radioactivity ratios for [18F]FDG scans were calculated and compared between the HRRT and the SIGNA PET/MR.

Results

Phantom data showed that the PET/MR images reconstructed with an ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm with time-of-flight (TOF) and TOF + point spread function (PSF) + filter revealed similar RCs for the hot spheres compared to those obtained on the HRRT reconstructed with an ordinary Poisson-OSEM algorithm with PSF and PSF + filter. The PET/MR TOF + PSF reconstruction revealed the highest RCs for all hot spheres. Image voxel noise of the PET/MR system was significantly lower. Line profiles revealed excellent spatial agreement between the two systems. BPNDvalues revealed variability of less than 10% for the [11C]DTBZ scans and 19% for [11C]raclopride (based on one subject only). Mean [18F]FDG ratios to pons showed less than 12% differences.

Conclusions

These results demonstrated comparable performances of the two systems in terms of RCs with lower voxel-level noise (%) present in the PET/MR system. Comparison of in vivo human data confirmed the comparability of the two systems. The whole-body GE SIGNA PET/MR system is well suited for high-resolution brain imaging as no significant performance degradation was found compared to that of the reference standard HRRT.
Survey of factors influencing women’s selection of the delivery method of their second child in Shanxi Province, China
Authors: Li Jin-qiong
Published: February 2021

Objective: To explore the factors influencing women’s selection of the delivery method of their second child.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered among 431 women in the age range of interest from January 2015 to January 2017, and the survey results were evaluated and analyzed statistically. The experts evaluating the questionnaire are professionals in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College.

Results: A total of 70.99% of subjects were 28-35 years old. Approximately 82.35% wished to undergo vaginal delivery, and the remaining 17.65% expressed to undergo cesarean delivery. The reasons for cesarean delivery included the following: fetal factors: worry about fetal health (33.33%), birth trauma (12.90%), and fetal macrosomia (38.17%); maternal factors: advanced age (36.56%), inability to bear uterine contraction pains (21.51%), worry about uracratia after vaginal delivery (10.75%), worry about perineum laceration (8.60%) and the impacts on sexual gratification after delivery (5.38%); social factors: faster delivery mode (54.84%), selection of birth time (27.96%), and better planning of maternity leave (17.20%).

Conclusion: Most women tend to undergo vaginal delivery. However, due to the influence of age, educational level and other factors, an increasing number of women prefer cesarean delivery. Medical institutions have the responsibility for providing overall and fair medical information to women of childbearing age to help them make informed choices regarding mode of delivery.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.2634

How to cite this:Li JQ. Survey of factors influencing women’s selection of the delivery method of their second child in Shanxi Province, China. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(3):846-850. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.2634

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Calculation of the coordinates of the modified profile of the generating surface of the gear cutting tool
Authors: Ryazanov S. , Reshetnikov M.
Published: February 2021

Spatial helical gears, worm gears with a cylindrical worm, globoid gears, etc., are widely used in most of modern engineering products [1-3; 37; 42]. Cylindrical worm gears are actively used in the creation of metalworking equipment (push mechanisms of rolling mills, presses, etc.), in lifting and transport machines, in drives and kinematic chains of various machine tool equipment where high kinematic accuracy is required (dividing machine tools, adjustment mechanisms), etc. In a worm gear a cylindrical worm or its cylindrical helical surface can be cut by various technological methods [49-51], but no matter how the shaping of the worm gear elements’ working surfaces is carried out, the worm wheel is cut with a gear cutting tool, whose producing surface coincides with the worm thread’s lateral surface [19; 22; 23]. In this regard, the working surface of the cylindrical worm wheel’s tooth, even with a non-orthogonal arrangement of axes, is an envelope of a one-parameter family of surfaces that gives a linear contact, which presence makes it possible to transfer a large load using a worm gear. For high-quality manufacturing of worm gears, it is necessary to design and manufacture a productive gear cutting tool - an accurate worm cutter, whose shaping (working) surface must be identical to the profiled worm’s shaping (working) surface [24-27; 54]. One of the most important tasks in the implementation of worm gearing is the problem of jamming of the cylindrical worm and the worm wheel’ contacting surfaces. This problem is excluded by relieving the contacting surfaces’ profile along the contact line. Considering that any violations of contacting surfaces’ geometric parameters affect the change in their geometric characteristics, the tasks of accurately determining the adjustment parameters of the technological equipment, used for shaping the worm and worm wheel, enter into in the foreground of the worm gearing elements production. In modern conditions of plant and equipment obsolescence, and in particular, of gear cutting machines used for worm gears manufacture, these machines physical wear, implies an inevitable decrease in the accuracy of their kinematic chains. Therefore, in order to maintain the produced gears’ quality at a sufficiently high level, it is necessary to use deliberate modification of contacting surfaces when calculating the worm gearing’s geometric parameters; such modification reduces the worm gear sensitivity to manufacturing and mounting errors of its elements [28-31].
Growth and gaps: a meta-review of policy diffusion studies in the American states
Authors: Mallinson Daniel J.
Published: February 2021

Research on how policies diffuse throughout the American federal system is robust and vast, but there has yet to be a systematic accounting for its results. Using a systematic review and meta-analysis, this study presents the most comprehensive analysis to date of how policy innovation flows state-to-state and the average effects of commonly used variables in the study of policy diffusion (for example, neighbour adoptions, ideological distance between states and legislative professionalism). Additionally, heterogeneity in these effects is examined across regulatory, morality and governance policy types. The study not only estimates these weighted-average effects, but it also illuminates important biases in policy diffusion research. The article concludes by making recommendations for addressing those biases and increasing international collaboration on policy innovation research and results synthesis.
Effects of relocation on immunological and physiological measures in female squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis)
Authors: Nehete Pramod N. , Nehete Bharti P. , Wilkerson Greg K. , Schapiro Steve J. , Williams Lawrence E.
Published: February 2021

In the present study, we have quantified the effects of transport, relocation and acclimate/adapt to their new surroundings on female squirrel monkey. These responses are measured in blood samples obtained from squirrel monkeys, at different time points relative to their relocation from their old home to their new home. A group of squirrel monkeys we transported, by truck, for approximately 10 hours. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assayed in order to evaluate the phenotype of lymphocyte subsets by flow, mitogen-specific immune responses of PBMCs in vitro, and levels of cytokines at various time points including immediately before transport, immediately upon arrival, and after approximately 150 days of acclimation. We observed significant changes in T cells and subsets, NK and B cells (CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, CD16+, and CD20+). Mitogen specific (e.g. PHA, PWM and LPS) proliferation responses, IFN-γ by ELISPOT assay, and cytokines (IL-2, IL-4 and VEGF) significant changes were observed. Changes seen in the serum chemistry measurements mostly complement those seen in the hematology data. The specific goal was to empirically assess the effects of relocation stress in squirrel monkeys in terms of changes in the numbers and functions of various leukocyte subsets in the blood and the amount of time required for acclimating to their new environment. Such data will help to determine when newly arrived animals become available for use in research studies.
Experiences managing pregnant hospital staff members using an active management policy—A qualitative study
Authors: Backhausen Mette G. , Iversen Mette Langeland , Sköld Margrethe Bordado , Thomsen Thora G. , Begtrup Luise Moellenberg
Published: February 2021

Background and objective

During pregnancy, absence from work increases significantly. Job adjustments have been shown to decrease absences; however, studies show only half of pregnant women who need job adjustments receive them. Little is known about the viewpoints of managers and possible challenges in the management of pregnant employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and considerations of managers in relation to managing pregnant hospital staff members and to describe the experiences of an active management policy for pregnant individuals.

Methods

A qualitative study based on five focus group interviews was conducted at five public hospitals in Zealand, Denmark with participation of 19 hospital managers, from 17 different wards, representing six different medical specialties. The interviews took place from February to May 2019. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results

Four themes were identified: (1) The everyday management, (2) Managerial dilemmas, (3) Acknowledging the workplace culture, and (4) Dialogue as a means for the working relationship. The managers’ experiences revolved around investing a lot of effort into the working relationship with pregnant staff members by adjusting job tasks and work schedules while balancing work tasks between all staff members. The dialogue was considered central in order to identify the needs of the individual staff member.

Conclusions

Overall, management dialogue constituted a central tool in order to identify the needs of the individual staff member. A proactive and open approach increased the chances of a fruitful dialogue. The individual staff member, the influence of the workplace culture, and the everyday management of the workplace all shaped the experiences of the managers. The concept of an active management policy for pregnant individuals was perceived to entail useful elements, but also as replicating what managers already did.
Prince the provocateur: The disruption of masculinities through the style of Prince Rogers Nelson
Authors: Ritchie Casci
Published: February 2021

Often revered as one of pop culture’s most erotic and sexually charged beings, Prince’s influence within fashion and gender expression is now being fully realized academically. Many fans have long linked their admiration to the Purple One with their own personal sexual awakenings, citing the musician’s overt displays of sexual liberation as being key within their own development. Although Prince never self-identified as queer, his fearless expression of self through fashion, performance and lyrics continued to defy traditional hegemonic masculinities throughout his career spanning across four decades. This article will discuss Prince’s varying disruptions of masculinities through his career. It must be noted that this study is not an expansive critique; rather, this article will focus upon three pivotal sartorial moments within Prince’s career that have played a defining part of his legacy as one of popular culture’s most revered and celebrated gender non-conforming stars. All three outfits represent a defining moment within Prince’s career from his emergence into pop stardom, mainstream success and the comeback following an arduous relationship with his record company. Through examining the musician’s wardrobe, this article will underpin the many ways in which Prince slashed gender assumptions through clothing and paved the way for many performers within the queer community after him.
‘Art’s in pop culture in me’: Posthuman performance and authorship in Lady Gaga’s Artpop (2013)
Authors: Weidhase Nathalie , Wilde Poppy
Published: February 2021

Ten years after her eccentric entrance into the pop scene with ‘Just Dance’, Gaga’s image is now markedly less edgy, in part due to her current focus on her film and TV acting career which requires a different image. In her musical work, Gaga is known for referencing artists that came before her in her music and music videos, and she has previously pushed the assumed boundaries between pop and art. This bricolage of influences often gives rise to claims of inauthenticity where rapidly changing and subversive image has left critics questioning who the ‘real’ Lady Gaga is. Moving beyond limited and value-laden discourses of authenticity, we instead suggest that her performances exemplify a posthuman approach to art and/as subjectivity. In the posthuman view, one’s ‘self’ is not a singular, static, autonomous individual, but a subjectivity that is emergent; an entanglement between entities, both human and non-human. Posthuman theory consequently troubles dualistic binaries, such as those between male/female, self/other, subject/object and human/machine/animal. This allows for a critique of anthropocentric hierarchies, instead arguing for a rhizomatic acknowledgement of the different entities in the subjectivities that emerge. We suggest that Lady Gaga’s work on her 2013 album Artpop exemplifies this approach, as Gaga fashions her body to resemble artworks and wears visual references to (female) artists that came before her. She incorporates different objects, machines, animals and others into her performances, thereby embodying a posthuman subjectivity. This work therefore signifies a reconsideration of what it means to be an audio-visual-artist and challenges not only the sanctity of self, but also the Romantic model of the male artist and singer-songwriter which persists in much popular music media criticism. However, problematically anthropocentric approaches remain throughout via Gaga’s foregrounding of self, and her current return to more muted performance styles might be seen as indicative of the difficulties of living a posthuman life in a humanistic society and marketplace.
A franchise-szervezetek értelmezése a tulajdonosi jogok elmélete és az ügynökelmélet keretében
Authors: Flaskár Anett
Published: February 2021

A tanulmány a franchise-szervezetek belső struktúráját tanulmányozza vállalatelméleti megközelítésben. A tulajdonosi jogok elmélete és az ügynökelmélet keretében – az irodalom alapján – foglalja össze az azon kérdésekre adható válaszokat, hogy mi határozza meg a vállalati tulajdonú és a franchise formában működő egységek egymáshoz viszonyított arányát (a duális irányítást), a franchise-díjak mértékét, valamint a szerződésbe foglalt kikötéseket. A két elmélet eltérő szemszögből közelíti meg ugyanazt a kérdéskört, így egymás kiegészítésének tekinthetők. A tulajdonosi jogok elméletében a nem kézzelfogható tudáseszközök két fél közötti megoszlásának van meghatározó szerepe a fenti tényezők alakulásában, míg az ügynökelméleti megközelítés esetén az ellenőrzési költségek lényegesek. A tanulmány röviden összefoglalja az ezekre irányuló empirikus munkákat is.
Társadalmilag hasznos befektetések?
Authors: Bánfi Attila
Published: February 2021

A cikk az úgynevezett társadalmilag hasznos befektetések fogalmát, az etikus befektetések minimumkritérium- rendszerét definiálja és elemzi azt, hogy ezek a befektetések ténylegesen eredményeznek-e össztársadalmi hasznosságot. Általánosan elfogadott definíció hiányában nehéz mérni, a hasznosságot és értelmezni az eredményeket. Jelenleg kizárólag az egyéntől, a befektetőtől függ az, hogy mit tart hasznosnak. A problémát valamennyire oldja az, hogy az egyik részterület viszonylag jól körülírható, és ezért jól dokumentált befektetési alapok a pénzügyi szempontok mellett speciális (a mi esetünkben társadalmilag hasznosnak ítélt) kiválasztási kritériumokat is használnak. A cikk hangsúlyosan ezeknek a befektetési alapoknak az eddigi eredményeit mutatja be és összegzi. A befejező rész röviden összefoglalja, hogy milyen iparágak lehetnek a változás vesztesei és nyertesei.
EL DISCURSO DE CAMBIEMOS EN CÓRDOBA: RUPTURAS Y CONTINUIDADES EN CLAVE ELECTORAL
Authors: Filippelli Nerina
Published: February 2021

El año 2019 fue crucial para la provincia de Córdoba ya que además de las elecciones presidenciales tuvo su propia escena electoral en la que se definió la gobernación. En términos nacionales, Cambiemos encontró en este distrito una base clave que no solo aportó los votos que posibilitaron su acceso al Estado sino que sostuvo su apoyo, pese a toda crisis, hasta las presidenciales. Sin embargo, en las elecciones a gobernador en Córdoba se enfrentó a un adversario consolidado: el peronismo local que puso en tela de juicio su capital electoral. Desde una perspectiva sociosemiótica, que entiende que todo hecho social tiene una dimensión de sentido que le es constitutiva (Verón, 1993), postulamos al análisis del discurso como un modo de acceso privilegiado para comprender los tiempos políticos que corren. Proponemos ciertas hipótesis sobre el funcionamiento del sentido que puso en juego el candidato Mario Raúl Negri (Cambiemos) en la disputa por la gobernación de Córdoba. Postulamos que se pusieron en funcionamiento las principales modalidades de la discursividad de Cambiemos en general, a la vez que se reconfiguraron ciertos aspectos a partir de la coyuntura local.
MANUALES DE español como lengua extranjera Y MULTIMODALIDAD, UN ABORDAJE CONTEXTUALIZADO
Authors: Efron Andrés Julio , Swiatek Maia
Published: February 2021

El presente artículo es el resultado de investigaciones que se enmarcan en el contexto de la asignatura electiva de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral, llamada “Español para extranjeros”. En este sentido, nos interesa analizar la configuración multimodal de tapas de manuales que forman parte del repertorio de materiales para la enseñanza de español como lengua extranjera. Es de destacar que los manuales son los recursos didácticos que más se utilizan en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras y, por esta razón, es preciso realizar estudios críticos sobre su construcción y características genéricas. Si partimos de la base que los manuales actuales se construyen de manera multimodal donde confluyen sistemas semióticos modales diversos (lenguaje verbal, colores, sonidos, música, diseño, tipografía, entre muchos más), podremos entender que solo un análisis del lenguaje verbal es insuficiente. Por este motivo, encontramos que el diseño de tapas de manuales refleja representaciones potentes en lo que concierne a modos de concebir la enseñanza, el aprendizaje, la política lingüística y el posicionamiento ideológico. En este punto, se hace imprescindible señalar que el corpus de manuales a trabajar son todos contextualizados, es decir, libros que se han producido en Argentina donde predomina la variedad rioplatense como también otras que acercan los usos del español en diferentes países de Latinoamérica. Por ello, nos interesa, por un lado, pensar cuál es la concepción y la representación que se sostiene sobre el objeto a enseñar (la lengua/cultura) en tapas de manuales; por otro, cómo esta concepción permite focalizar al manual en tanto materialidad significante, o sea, como un constructo de líneas de análisis complejas donde se entrelazan diferentes dimensiones significantes o modos. Para realizar el recorrido analítico por las tapas de manuales, nos centraremos en los conceptos de multimodalidad y género desarrollados en el marco de la lingüística sistémico funcional. (Halliday:1978; Kress:2010; O’Halloran:2012; Menéndez:2012). Asimismo, recuperamos conceptos de la socio-lingüística como política lingüística, variedades lingüísticas, norma, entre otros.
A Reply to Wielenberg on a Timeless First Cause
Authors: Craig William L.
Published: February 2021

Erik Wielenberg seeks to advance his critique of the kalām cosmological argument by putting forward three further criticisms of the view that God is temporal since the moment of creation. It is seen that these criticisms are misconceived and do not take cognizance of what I have written elsewhere.
Stjecanje prava vlasništva dosjelošću na suvlasničkom dijelu nekretnine
Authors:   International Burch University, Oruč Esad
Published: February 2021

Suvlasništvo predstavlja modalitet prava vlasništva sa više subjekata. Upravo činjenica da u vršenju prava vlasništva na jednoj nepodijeljenoj stvari učestvuje više lica sa vlastitim, ponekad i suprostavljenim interesima, čini suvlasništvo zanimljivim, ali i veoma složenim i zahtjevnim pravnim institutom. Posebno pitanje u pogledu funkcionisanja suvlasničkih zajednica, a koje se postavilo u praksi, jeste pitanje mogućnosti sticanja prava vlasništva dosjelošću jednog suvlasnika na suvlasničkom dijelu drugog suvlasnika. S tim u vezi, razmatrana su osnovna pitanja prezentiranog problema: uslovi za sticanje prava vlasništva dosjelošću, kao i posebno pitanje savjesnosti sticaoca u konkretnom slučaju. Kroz analizu domaće, ali i strane sudske prakse, ukazano je i na postojanje različitih stavova u pogledu pojedinih pitanja. Pored navednog, u radu je ukazano i na određene propuste u zakonskoj regulaciji predmetnog pitanja, te su predložena adekvatna zakonska rješenja de lege ferenda.
The Small Cycladic Islands Project (2019–2020): a comparative survey of uninhabited landscapes near Paros and Antiparos, Greece
Authors: Athanasoulis Demetrios , Knodell Alex R. , Tankosić Žarko , Papadopoulou Zozi , Sigala Maria , Diamanti Charikleia , Kourayos Yannos , Papadimitriou Apostolos
Published: February 2021

The Small Cycladic Islands Project is a diachronic archaeological survey of several small, currently uninhabited islands located in the Cyclades, Greece. In 2019 and 2020, surface investigations focused on the multi-method, comparative documentation of 21 islets surrounding Paros and Antiparos, revealing oscillating patterns of use and non-use from prehistory to the present.