bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KARA FİLMİN EVCİMEN KADINI: FEMME VITALE
Authors: Onat Emrah Suat
Published: January 2023

Film türleri ideolojik işleve sahiptir; izleyici beklentisini oluşturur, bu beklentileri yineler ve bu yinelemeler neticesinde varyasyonel biçimde evrilirler. İzleyici ile olan organik bağları vasıtasıyla da ideolojik işlevlere sahip olurlar. Suç filmleri türünün bir alt dalı olan gangster filmleri, önce pişman olmuş gangster anti-\kahraman filmlerine ve 1940’ların başından itibaren de -savaşının etkisiyle- ‘suçu cezasız bırakmayan’ kara film’lere (film noir) dönüşür. Erkek kahramanı merkeze alan, erkeğin özne konumunu kaybettiği (muhafazakar söylemle ‘kadına kaptırdığı’) ve Amerikan orta sınıf değerlerinin yüceltildiği anlatılar olan kara film’lerle birlikte popüler olan bir diğer kavram ise erkek kahramanın önce baştan, sonra da yoldan çıkmasına neden olarak onu yok eden femme fatale (ölümcül kadın) karakterlerdir. Femme fatale karakterler savaş dönemi ve sonrasında Amerikan erkeğinin kadına karşı beslediği korkuyu ve düşmanlığı yansıtır. Her kara film örneğinde yer almasa da türe ait en önemli yapımlarda anlatıyı belirleyen bir unsur olan bu kadın tiplemesi fiziksel açıdan güzel ve çekicidir, cinsel açıdan güçlü ve aktiftir ve zihinsel açıdan kıvrak ve zekidir. Erkeğe atfedilen bu niteliklerin kadında toplanması onu özne konumuna yükseltir. Erkeğin -savaş nedeniyle- yokluğunda toplumu ve kültürü yönlendiren kadın, savaşın ardından erkeğin işini ve sosyal konumunu ondan ‘çalan’ bir rakibe dönüşmüştür. Bu nedenle ev-aile-çocuk-annelik gibi kadını kültürel anlamda yücelten değerler, dönemin Amerikan toplumsal yaşamında, şişirilmiştir. Bağımsızlığı konusunda ısrarcı olan kadın ‘ahlaksızlıkla’, ‘açgözlülükle’ ve ‘vicdansızlıkla’ yaftalanmıştır. Kara film yapımlarındaki temsillerinde de ölümcül kadın erkeğin mahvına neden olan habis, baştan çıkarıcı ve doyumsuz tiplemedir. Cezalandırma mekanizmalarıyla kara film’ler ahlaki açıdan muhafazakar Amerikan orta sınıf değerlerini yüceltirken, bu değerlerin dışına taşan karakterleri yok eder. Özenli ve bilinçli şekilde kötü ruhlu olarak tasvir edilen femme fatale karakterlerin karşısında, onların ihtişamından, cazibesinden, zekasından ve -nihayetinde- iktidarından uzak femme vitale (yaşam veren kadın) karakterler yer alır. Bu kadın tipi, dönemin ünlü sansür yasaları uyarınca ahlaki olanı izleyiciye doğrudan ama gösterişsiz biçimde ve fısıldayarak ileten yan tiplemelerdir. Bu koyu karşıtlıkla femme fatale’in sinsiliğini parlatırken, ahlaki olanı ana erkek karaktere -ve dolayısıyla izleyiciye- anımsatırlar. Bu çalışmanın amacı yeni bir tipleme stereotipi olarak femme vitale kavramını tartışmaya açmak, varlık bulduğu filmler içindeki ideolojik işlevini incelemek ve olası bir modele/şablona imkan verip vermediğini analiz ederek, kavramı sınamaktır.
ORHAN VELİ KANIK’IN ŞİİRLERİNDE “DENİZ” TASAVVURU
Authors: BÜYÜK Duygu
Published: January 2023

Deniz; ucu bucağı sınırsız olan ve bu yönüyle de insanda sonsuzluk duygusu çağrıştıran tabiata ait bir mekandır. Sonsuzluğu çağrıştıran bu mekan aynı zamanda bolluğu da simgelemektedir. Dalgasıyla, mavisiyle, derinliğiyle, genişliğiyle, köpükleriyle hasılı verdiği tüm çağrışımlarıyla günlük hayatın çalkantısı içinde mücadele veren insanın dinlendiği ve huzur bulduğu bir yeridir. Bilindiği üzere denizin hammaddesi hayatın vazgeçilmez kaynağı olan sudur. Yeryüzünün büyük bir bölümünü kaplayan bu su kütlesinin ucu bucağı ölçülemeyecek derecede bir görünüme sahiptir. İnsanlar için eşsiz bir manzara teşkil eden deniz, bazı canlıların ise yaşam alanıdır. Saymakla bitmez özelliği bulunan tabiata ait bu unsur gerek Türk edebiyatında gerekse dünya edebiyatında işlenen bir konudur. Şairler için önemli bir imge olan deniz, Orhan Veli Kanık’ın şiirlerinde de ana temalardan biridir. Çocukluk yıllarından itibaren denizle iç içe yaşayan ve onun feyzinden büyülenen şairin sanat anlayışında denizin etkisi büyük olmuştur. Orhan Veli, günlük hayatın sıkıntılarını, yaşadığı yalnızlığı, içine düştüğü karamsarlığı deniz ve denize ait unsurlara yönelerek huzuru ve mutluluğu yaşar. Bu mekan aynı zamanda onun tasavvur ettiği uzaklara kaçışının hareket noktasıdır. Orhan Veli Kanık, mısralarında denizin maviliğine hayran kalır ve sonsuzluğu çağrıştıran bu mekanın dinginliğine sığınmak ister. Çoğu vakit yaşadığı dünyaya sığamayan şair, sonsuzluk duygusunun barınağı olan denizin sesini oturduğumuz yerden bize duyurur. Çağrışımsal gücüyle karşılaşılan deniz, aynı zamanda bir ekmek teknesi olarak da onun şiirlerine yansımaktadır. Çalışmamızda Orhan Veli’nin zihin dünyasında yer alan deniz tasavvurunun kullanımı üzerinde durulacaktır. Ayrıca şairin yaşadığı dönemde beslendiği kaynaklar üzerinden konuya temas edilecektir. Bu makale İstanbul Üniversitesinde yapılmakta olan “Orhan Veli Kanık’ın Şiirlerinde Üslup” adlı doktora tez çalışması temel alınarak hazırlanmıştır
Design and Implementation of a flexible Multi-purpose Cryptographic System on low cost FPGA
Authors: Maache Ahmed , Kalache Abdesattar
Published: January 2023

The design of cryptographic hardware that supports multiple cryptographic primitives is common in literature. In this work, a new design is presented consisting of a multi-purpose cryptographic system featuring both 128-bit pipelined AES-CORE (Advanced Encryption Standard) for high-speed symmetric encryption and a Keccak hash core on a low-cost FPGA. The KECCAK-CORE’s security and performance parameters are tunable in the sense that capacity, bitrate, and the number of rounds can be user-defined. Such flexibility enables the core to suit a large range of security requirements. The structure of Keccak’s sponge construction is exploited to enable different modes of operation. An example application outlined in this work is Pseudo Random Number Generation (PRNG). With few adjustments, the KECCAK-CORE was also operated as a post-processing unit for True Random Number Generation (TRNG) that uses the analog Lorenz chaotic circuit as a physical entropy source. The multi-purpose design was implemented in VHDL targeting an IntelFPGA Cyclone-V FPGA. For AES symmetric encryption, a maximum throughput of 31.1Gbps was achieved and a logic usage of 25146LEs (23% of the FPGA) in the case of the pipelined variant of AES-CORE. For the KECCAK-CORE, maximum throughput figures of 5.81, 8.4, and 11Gbps were achieved for the three SHA-3 variants 512, 384, and 256-bit respectively, with an area usage of 8947LEs (8%). The system as a whole occupies an area of 26909LEs (26%). The random sequences generated by the system operating in PRNG and TRNG post- processing modes successfully passed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical test suite (NIST SP 800-22). The information entropy analysis performed on the post-processed TRNG sequences indicates an average of 0.935.
It’s in Our DNA: Leadership Perspectives on Institutionalizing STEM Success in an Alliance
Authors: Okstad Jonathan , Callais Victoria , López Norma , Ojikutu Funmilayo , Morgan Demetri , Abdelghaffar Alaa
Published: January 2023

This study investigated how institutional leaders within an alliance navigate and use their agency to cultivate organizational change to support the success of underrepresented racial minority (URM) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students. As part of this study, we partnered with the Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ILSAMP), a signature program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), to explore our research question. The phenomenon of interest is the institutional leaders’ perceptions of their agency and their organization’s efforts to engage in the Alliance and support URM STEM student success through the various initiatives. The research team conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with institutional leaders and faculty at 11 public and private institutions as part of the STEM alliance. We utilized Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phased thematic analysis to identify patterns of meaning within the data that respond to the research question. Findings revealed a leadership perspective that frames approaches to STEM initiatives becoming a part of an institution’s fabric. The contribution of this study relates to the illumination of the tension between institutional leaders' agency to make change sustainable versus structural and leadership networks inhibiting STEM success efforts.
Tracking Student (Dis)Engagement Through the Pandemic: What Colleges & Universities Can Do to Foster an Engagement Reset
Authors: Kinzie Jillian
Published: January 2023

The conditions of the pandemic beginning in March 2020 and ensuing changes in mode of instruction and limitations on co-curricular and experiential learning opportunities presented a significant disruption for higher education. Now in the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, we have evidence of the enduring impact on students and learning the identification of a pandemic-induced strain of student disengagement. In this essay, I examine evidence for student engagement during the pandemic and discuss what these findings suggest for current claims about disengagement. Documenting student experiences and outcomes of this generation-defining experience is important to higher education history and to addressing current realities in colleges and universities such as the purported problem of disengagement. Student engagement results provide a window into what is contributing to students’ struggles and disengagement, illuminate strengths upon which to build, and afford insights for colleges and universities to reset student engagement.
Universidad del Azuay: Nuestros primeros veinticinco años Historia & Testimonio
Authors:   Universidad del Azuay, Cordero-Iñiguez Juan
Published: January 2023

El libro que hoy presentamos nos cuenta sobre los primeros anhelos surgidos en el siglo XIX, aun en los declives de la época colonial, del nacimiento de primera Universidad en 1867 y de los trámites iniciales para crear una universidad eclesiástica, al finalizar el mencionado siglo. Pasa luego a tratar con más detención sobre el renacimiento de esa aspiración a partir de 1964, con el impulso dado por el primer arzobispo de Cuenca, monseñor Manuel de Jesús Serrano Abad y detalla todo lo concerniente a su inicial funcionamiento en 1968. Seguir las páginas de este libro, que es al mismo tiempo historia y testimonio, proporciona una grata y sorprendente lectura, que nos da excelentes lecciones de valentía, tenacidad y sacrificio de muchas personas que staban convencidas de que lo que hacían respondía a los mejores ideales de un ser humano: servir a la educación, a la ciencia y a la cultura, dentro de los valores evangélicos que la Iglesia latinoamericana supo comunicarnos a través de la Teología de la Liberación. 194 páginas ISBN: 978-9942-778-47-5 e-ISBN: 978-9942-778-48-2
La inclusión educativa en números Zona 4: Manabí y Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas
Authors:   Universidad del Azuay, León-Pesántez Adriana , Matamoros-Cazares Elena Patricia ,   Universidad del Azuay, Ortega Janet Patricia ,   Universidad del Azuay
Published: January 2023

El desarrollo del proyecto, en gran medida, se posibilitó gracias al convenio de cooperación establecido entre la Universidad del Azuay y la Secretaría Técnica de Discapacidades del Ecuador, SETEDIS, organismo que, entre otras acciones, facilitó la colaboración del Ministerio de Educación, y posibilitó el desarrollo de las actividades planificadas tanto a nivel local como nacional. La investigación fue realizada en el marco de la primera Maestría de Educación Básica Inclusiva, e involucró a los 26 maestrantes a través del desarrollo de sus respectivas tesis de grado, así como a 11 profesores del programa. Este selecto grupo laboró con gran entusiasmo y compromiso social por el lapso aproximado de 9 meses y se desplazó, en estricto cumplimiento de los objetivos trazados, a diferentes zonas de la geografía patria. 94 páginas ISBN: 978-9942-822-04-8 e-ISBN: 978-9942-822-13-0
La inclusión educativa en números Zona9: Distrito Metropolitano de Quito
Authors:   Universidad del Azuay, Jara-Peña Mónica , Pulla-Guerrero María Piedad ,   Universidad del Azuay, Arteaga-Ortiz Ana Cristina ,   Universidad del Azuay
Published: January 2023

El desarrollo del proyecto, en gran medida, se posibilitó gracias al convenio de cooperación establecido entre la Universidad del Azuay y la Secretaría Técnica de Discapacidades del Ecuador, SETEDIS, organismo que, entre otras acciones facilitó la colaboración del Ministerio de Educación, y posibilitó el desarrollo de las actividades planificadas tanto a nivel local como nacional. La investigación fue realizada en el marco de la primera Maestría de Educación Básica Inclusiva, e involucró a los 26 maestrantes a través del desarrollo de sus respectivas tesis de grado, así como a 11 profesores del programa. Este selecto grupo laboró con gran entusiasmo y compromiso social por el lapso aproximado de 9 meses y se desplazó, en estricto cumplimiento de los objetivos trazados, a diferentes zonas de la geografía patria. 72 páginas ISBN: 978-9942-822-08-6 e-ISBN: 978-9942-822-17-8
TÜRKÇE İLGİ HÂL EKİNİN ÖĞRENİMİNDE JAPON ÖĞRENCİLERİN KARŞILAŞABİLECEKLERİ OLASI GÜÇLÜKLER: KARŞILAŞTIRMALI DİLBİLİMİ YÖNÜNDEN BİR ANALİZ
Authors: DALKIRAN Ayşe Nur
Published: January 2023

Türkçe’nin yabancı dil olarak eğitiminde karşılaştırmalı dilbilim çalışmalarının önemi ve bu alandaki çalışmalardan elde edilecek bulgulara duyulan ihtiyaç gün geçtikçe artmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkçe ilgi hâl ekini Japonca karşılığı ile karşılaştırarak, iki dil arasındaki farklılık ve benzerlikleri ortaya çıkarmak ve Türkçe’yi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Japon öğrencilerin ilgi hâl ekinin öğrenimini kolaylaştırarak, hatalı kullanımları ortadan kaldırmaya yardımcı olmaktır. Türkçe ve Japonca ilgi hâl ekinin anlamları baz alınarak çağdaş edebi eserlerden ve Japonya Ulusal Dil Araştırma Merkezi’ne ait kaynaktan alınan gerçek örnekler ile Türkçe çevirileri karşılaştırılmıştır. Karşılaştırmalı analiz sonucunda ortaya çıkan farklılıklara dikkat çekilerek, Japon öğrencilerin yaptıkları hatalarda anadil aktarımının sahip olduğu payın büyüklüğü ortaya konmuştur.
Priorities in updating training paradigms in orthopedic manual therapy: an international Delphi study
Authors: Keter Damian , Griswold David , Learman Kenneth , Cook Chad
Published: January 2023

Purpose: Orthopedic manual therapy (OMT) education demonstrates significant variability between philosophies and while literature has offered a more comprehensive understanding of the contextual, patient specific, and technique factors which interact to influence outcome, most OMT training paradigms continue to emphasize the mechanical basis for OMT application. The purpose of this study was to establish consensus on modifications & adaptions to training paradigms which need to occur within OMT education to align with current evidence.Methods: A 3-round Delphi survey instrument designed to identify foundational knowledge to include and omit from OMT education was completed by 28 educators working within high level manual therapy education programs internationally. Round 1 consisted of open-ended questions to identify content in each area. Round 2 and Round 3 allowed participants to rank the themes identified in Round 1.Results: Consensus was reached on 25 content areas to include within OMT education, 1 content area to omit from OMT education, and 34 knowledge components which should be present in those providing OMT. Support was seen for education promoting understanding the complex psychological, neurophysiological, and biomechanical systems as they relate to both evaluation and treatment effect. While some concepts were more consistently supported there was significant variability in responses which is largely expected to be related to previous training.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate manual therapy educators understanding of evidence-based practice as support for all 3 tiers of evidence were represented. The results of this study should guide OMT training program development and modification.
POWER-UP POWER PLANTS: ENERGIZING PHILIPPINES RENWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Authors: Christel Jane V. Agaton  , Mary Joy P. Cruz  , John Vincent D. Gregorio  , Marlyn R. Javier  , Nicole Andria U. Monteron  , Rohannah Anngel C. Ortiguerra  , Xylee Nicole M. Parcio
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

This study focused on renewable energy sources in the Philippines, including solar, hydro, biomass, wind, and geothermal. The amount of energy renewable energy power plants generates and how much it costs, how many of these power plants are operating in the Philippines, and the long-term impacts of using entirely renewable energy were investigated through data mining. Among all renewable energy sources in the Philippines, geothermal power plants provide most electricity, while wind energy has the greatest production costs. A total of 235 renewable energy generating plants are active across the country, majority of them are in Luzon. Furthermore, renewable energy sources positively affect our economy and environment as they can potentially lower electric bills, increase employment, and reduce air pollution and health risks associated with it. However, potential negative consequences include lack of food security and agricultural areas. The researchers urge the government to develop more renewable energy power plants, conduct comprehensive grid-capability assessments, including assessment of potential optimal sites for new producing assets, and properly plan and handle the environmental effects.

Keywords: Renewable Energy Sources, Power Plant, Philippines
Evolution of Drug-Eluting Stent Drug Elution Profile: Is a Crystalline Drug Form the Ideal Solution?
Authors: Sangiorgi Giuseppe , Colantonio Riccardo , De Luca Fabio
Published: January 2023

Since its introduction into clinical practice, coronary angioplasty has seen game-changing advances incomparable to any other medical technology. In particular, the progression from balloon angioplasty to stent technology has not only seen significant advances in technology but, more importantly, improved patient outcomes.

The introduction of the drug-eluting stent (DES) has further pushed the technology to a new standard of care. However, even in the current day, top performing DESs still have several limitations. Their safety has been limited by suboptimal polymer biocompatibility, delayed stent re-endothelialisation, and local drug toxicity, leading to adverse clinical outcomes such as very late stent thrombosis, allergic reactions, and chronic inflammation. In addition, current DESs have a consistent yearly increase in late restenosis and revascularisations. Furthermore, durable polymer coatings used in first-generation DESs have been associated with mechanical complications and non-uniform coating, resulting in drug loss and poor distribution.

As a consequence, in recent years, the focus of research has been on the development of novel drug carrier systems including absorbable (or biodegradable) polymer coatings and non-polymeric stent surfaces. Additional improvements have included the development of more modern stent platforms. Optimised drug delivery requires a combination of refined stent designs and drug delivery technology. The combination of highly-refined bare-metal stent designs and polymer coating materials have been two areas of focus for the development and improvement of next-generation DESs. Despite all the changes in stent design and polymer materials, there has been little done in the past 15 years to improve drug elution profiles.

The need for new advancements in DES design to overcome late event occurrence, and possibly even improve on the clinical outcomes of current DESs, has led to interest in moving away from the standard drug elution profile to explore alternatives. A new manufacturing technique that may have overcome traditional limitations has led to the development of a novel stent platform. This review will explore the principles, device technology, and clinical data to date on a crystalline form of the anti-restenotic drug for stent implantation. This approach could truly be game changing due to an improved elution pharmacokinetic profile, as well as reduced local toxicity and improved long-term biologic arterial wall response.
Supplemental Online Resources Improve Political Methods Education
Authors: Alcocer Marco , Falabella Leonardo , Lange Alexandra , Smith Nicholas , Feeley Maureen
Published: January 2023

Mastery of knowledge and skills taught in introductory research methods courses is increasingly important for undergraduate political science majors, yet many students struggle in these courses. Online Supplemental Instruction (OSI) may offer a time- and cost-efficient means of supporting these students. However, we know little about the efficacy of these resources in general, or specifically in political methods education. This paper introduces an original OSI resource, “Foundations of Quantitative Research in Political Science,” which includes content on key concepts and application of statistical methods to political problems. Utilizing a pre-registered within-subject experimental design, we find that access to this resource significantly improves student learning. To our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate the causal effects of OSI in political science, and specifically in a political methods course. Moreover, the research design is easily replicated, fair, controls for student-specific characteristics, and generates a large number of observations.
Learning spatiotemporal statistical shape models for non-linear dynamic anatomies
Authors: Adams Jadie , Khan Nawazish , Morris Alan , Elhabian Shireen
Published: January 2023

Numerous clinical investigations require understanding changes in anatomical shape over time, such as in dynamic organ cycle characterization or longitudinal analyses (e.g., for disease progression). Spatiotemporal statistical shape modeling (SSM) allows for quantifying and evaluating dynamic shape variation with respect to a cohort or population of interest. Existing data-driven SSM approaches leverage information theory to capture population-level shape variations by learning correspondence-based (landmark) representations of shapes directly from data using entropy-based optimization schemes. These approaches assume sample independence and thus are unsuitable for sequential dynamic shape observations. Previous methods for adapting entropy-based SSM optimization schemes for the spatiotemporal case either utilize a cross-sectional design (ignoring within-subject correlation) or impose other limiting assumptions, such as the linearity of shape dynamics. Here, we present a principled approach to spatiotemporal SSM that relaxes these assumptions to correctly capture population-level shape variation over time. We propose to incorporate modeling the underlying time dependency into correspondence optimizationviaa regularized principal component polynomial regression. This approach is flexible enough to capture non-linear temporal dynamics while encoding population-specific spatial regularity. We demonstrate our method’s efficacy on synthetic data and left atrium segmented from cardiac MRI scans. Our approach better captures the population modes of variation and a statistically significant time dependency than existing methods.
Lipid droplets and polyunsaturated fatty acid trafficking: Balancing life and death
Authors: Danielli Mauro , Perne Leja , Jarc Jovičić Eva , Petan Toni
Published: January 2023

Lipid droplets are fat storage organelles ubiquitously distributed across the eukaryotic kingdom. They have a central role in regulating lipid metabolism and undergo a dynamic turnover of biogenesis and breakdown to meet cellular requirements for fatty acids, including polyunsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids esterified in membrane phospholipids define membrane fluidity and can be released by the activity of phospholipases A2 to act as ligands for nuclear receptors or to be metabolized into a wide spectrum of lipid signaling mediators. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids are also highly susceptible to lipid peroxidation, which if left uncontrolled leads to ferroptotic cell death. On the one hand, lipid droplets act as antioxidant organelles that control polyunsaturated fatty acid storage in triglycerides in order to reduce membrane lipid peroxidation, preserve organelle function and prevent cell death, including ferroptosis. On the other hand, lipid droplet breakdown fine-tunes the delivery of polyunsaturated fatty acids into metabolic and signaling pathways, but unrestricted lipid droplet breakdown may also lead to the release of lethal levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Precise regulation of lipid droplet turnover is thus essential for polyunsaturated fatty acid distribution and cellular homeostasis. In this review, we focus on emerging aspects of lipid droplet-mediated regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid trafficking, including the management of membrane lipid peroxidation, ferroptosis and lipid mediator signaling.
Effective adsorption of heavy metal ions in water by sulfhydryl modified nano titanium dioxide
Authors: Chen Beibei , Li Lin , Liu Lei , Cao Jianxin
Published: January 2023

Background: The monitoring and removal of heavy metal ions in wastewater will effectively improve the quality of water and promote the green and sustainable development of ecological environment. Using more efficient adsorption materials and more accurate detection means to treat heavy metal ions in water has always been a research focus and target of researchers.

Method: A novel titania nanomaterial was modified with sulfhydryl group (nano TiO2-SH) for detection and adsorption of heavy metal ions in water, and accurately characterize the adsorption process using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and other effective testing methods.

Results: The maximum adsorption efficiency of nano TiO2-SH for the Hg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+ three heavy metal ions reached 98.3%, 98.4% and 98.4% respectively. And more importantly, after five cycles of adsorption and desorption, the adsorption efficiency of nano TiO2-SH for these three metal ions is still above 96%.

Conclusion: These results proved the nano TiO2-SH adsorbent has great potential in practical water pollution purification.
The diagnostic value of blood metagenomic next-generation sequencing in patients with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis
Authors: Zhang Bingshi , Chen Xiao , Yao Xiaowei , Li Mengnan , Li Zhijie , Liu Bo , Liu Sikai , Liu Zeming , Huo Jia , Han Yongtai
Published: January 2023

Aims

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of blood metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detecting pathogens from patients clinically diagnosed as acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO).

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled 66 patients with AHO. The test results of mNGS and bacterial culture on different samples, including blood and puncture fluid samples, from patients with AHO were compared to explore the diagnostic value of blood mNGS. Besides, this study also explored the efficacy of blood mNGS in decision making for antibiotic administration and analyzed the factors associated with the positive result of blood mNGS.

Results

The most common causative pathogens were Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The sensitivity of blood mNGS (77.3%) was higher than that of blood culture (42.4%) (P<0.001), while the turnaround time of blood mNGS (2.1 ± 0.4 d) is much less than that of blood culture (6.0 ± 2.1 d) (P<0.001). Besides, the sensitivity of blood mNGS tests (77.3%) was slightly lower than that of puncture fluid mNGS (89.4%). Furthermore, detection comparison at pathogen level unravels that blood mNGS might be suitable for diagnosing AHO caused by common pathogens, while puncture fluid mNGS could be considered as preferred examination in diagnosing AHO caused by uncommon pathogens. Finally, three independent factors associated with the true positive result of blood mNGS in patients with AHO were identified, including Gram-positive pathogens (OR=24.4, 95% CI = 1.4-421.0 for Staphylococcus; OR=14.9, 95%CI= 1.6-136.1 for other Gram-positive bacteria), body temperature at sampling time (OR=8.2, 95% CI = 0.6-107.3 for body temperature of >38.5°C; OR=17.2, 95% CI = 2.0-149.1 for patients who were chilling), and no use of antibiotics before sampling (OR=8.9, 95% CI =1.4-59.0).

Conclusion

This is the first report on evaluating and emphasizing the importance of blood mNGS in diagnosing AHO. Blood sample might be an alternative sample for puncture fluid for mNGS, and its extensive application in diagnosing AHO could be expected.
Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in patients undergoing cutaneous ureterostomy
Authors: Huang Rong , Yuan Qian , Gao Jianpeng , Liu Yang , Jin Xiaomeng , Tang Liping , Cao Ying
Published: January 2023

Objective

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an inflammatory response of the urothelium to bacterial invasion and is a common complication in patients with cutaneous ureterostomy (CU). For such patients, accurate and efficient identification of pathogens remains a challenge. The aim of this study included exploring utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in assisting microbiological diagnosis of UTI among patients undergoing CU, identifying promising cytokine or microorganism biomarkers, revealing microbiome diversity change and compare virulence factors (VFs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) after infection.

Methods

We performed a case-control study of 50 consecutive CU patients from December 2020 to January 2021. According to the clinical diagnostic criteria, samples were divided into infected group and uninfected group and difference of urine culture, cytokines, microorganism, ARGs and VFs were compared between the two groups.

Results

Inflammatory responses were more serious in infected group, as evidenced by a significant increase in IFN-α (p=0.031), IL-1β (0.023) and IL-6 (p=0.018). Clinical culture shows that there is higher positive rate in infected group for most clinical pathogens like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida auris etc. and the top three pathogens with positive frequencies were E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Benchmarking clinical culture, the total sensitivity is 91.4% and specificity is 76.3% for mNGS. As for mNGS, there was no significant difference in microbiome α- diversity between infected and uninfected group. Three species biomarkers including Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Enterobacter cloacae are enriched in infected group based on Lefse. E. cloacae were significantly correlated with IL-6 and IL-10. K. oxytoca were significantly correlated with IL-1β. Besides, the unweighted gene number and weighted gene abundance of VFs or ARGs are significantly higher in infected group. Notablely, ARGs belonging to fluoroquinolones, betalatmas, fosfomycin, phenicol, phenolic compound abundance is significantly higher in infected group which may have bad effect on clinical treatment for patients.

Conclusion

mNGS, along with urine culture, will provide comprehensive and efficient reference for the diagnosis of UTI in patients with CU and allow us to monitor microbial changes in urine of these patients. Moreover, cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-a) or microorganisms like C. freundii, K. oxytoca or E. cloacae are promising biomarkers for building effective UTI diagnostic model of patients with CU and seriously the VFs and ARGs abundance increase in infected group may play bad effect on clinical treatment.
Stroke volume and myocardial contraction fraction in transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy: A systematic review
Authors: Matteo Serenelli , Anna Cantone , Federico Sanguettoli , Daniele Maio , Gioele Fabbri , Beatrice Dal Passo , Rita Pavasini , Elisabetta Tonet , Giulia Passarini , Claudio Rapezzi , Gianluca Campo
Published: January 2023

Background

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is primarily a restrictive cardiomyopathy in which the impairment of diastolic function is dominant. Despite this, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) may be depressed in the late stage of the disease, but it poorly predicts prognosis in the earlier phases and does not represent well the pathophysiology of CA. Many echocardiographic parameters resulted important diagnostic and prognostic tools in patients with CA. Stroke volume (SV) and myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) may be obtained both with echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI). They reflect many factors intrinsically related to the pathophysiology of CA and are therefore potentially associated with symptoms and prognosis in CA.

Objectives

To collect and summarize the current evidence on SV and MCF and their clinical and prognostic role in transthyretin (TTR-CA).

Methods and results

We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched the literature database for studies focusing on SV and MCF in patients with TTR-CA. We analysed the following databases: PUBMED, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science database. Fourteen studies were included in the review. Both SV and MCF have important prognostic implications and are related to mortality. Furthermore, SV is more related to symptoms than LVEF and predicts tolerability of beta-blocker therapy in TTR-CA. Finally, SV showed to be an excellent measure to suggest the presence of TTR-CA in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Conclusion

Stroke volume and MCF are very informative parameters that should be routinely assessed during the standard echocardiographic examination of all patients with TTR-CA. They carry a prognostic role while being associated with patients’ symptoms.

Systematic review registration

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ME7DS.
Experimental study on the hydro-thermal-deformation characteristics of cement-stabilized soil exposed to freeze–thaw cycles
Authors: Lu Jianguo , Tan Liling , Yang Huohai , Wan Xusheng , Wang Yindong , Yan Zhongrui
Published: January 2023

The exploration of the hydro-thermal characteristics and deformation behaviors of cement-stabilized soils is important for the prevention and control of freeze–thaw damage in cold region engineering. This study used six groups of cement-stabilized soil samples with different cement contents (i.e., 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, 15%, and 18%) to investigate the variations in soil temperature, volumetric unfrozen water content, deformation, freezing temperature, and dry density. The results showed that the temperatures of the cement-stabilized soil samples during the freezing and thawing processes can be categorized into three stages and that the freezing temperature decreased with increasing cement content. Moreover, the cement content and ambient temperature significantly affected the volumetric unfrozen water content of the cement-stabilized soil samples during the freeze–thaw cycles, and the soil temperatures corresponding to the peak hysteresis degree were relatively consistent with the freezing temperature. The residual volumetric unfrozen water content primarily depended not only on the cement content but also on the freezing condition. Although the variations in volumetric unfrozen water contents during the freezing and thawing processes were similar, the ranges in temperature change differed significantly, particularly in the drastic phase transition zone. Additionally, adding cement into soils effectively inhibited deformation, mainly due to the dual positive effects of the liquid water reduction owing to hydration reaction and structure compaction owing to the filling of hydration products.
Genesis of the Yangjiakuang gold deposit, Jiaodong peninsula, China: Constraints from S-He-Ar-Pb isotopes, and Sm-Nd and U-Pb geochronology
Authors: Li Jun-Jian , Dang Zhi-Cai , Fu Chao , Zhang Peng-Peng , Tian Jie-Peng , He Jiang-Tao
Published: January 2023

Located in the Penglai-Qixia-Fushan Gold Belt, the Yangjiakuang gold deposit formed in the marble of the Paleoproterozoic Fenzishan Group is different from the previous altered rock-type gold deposits whose host gold-bearing rocks are Archean gneiss and Mesozoic granite. Two gold orebodies have been explored within the Yangjiakuang gold deposit, and both of them were controlled by the Yangjiakuang syncline. Three ore-forming stages have been recognized, including the pyrite-sericite stage (I), the gold, polymetallic sulfide, and quartz stage (II), and quartz-calcite stage (III). The calcites, which represent the main metallogenic stage (II) at Yangjiakuang gold deposit, yielded a Sm-Nd isochron age of 123.5 ± 8.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.042). Subsequent geologic events were recorded by quartz diorite porphyrite dyke which are dated at 122.75 ± 0.66 Ma (MSWD = 1.5) by zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating. It is suggested that the gold mineralization took place in the early period of Early Cretaceous. The in situ δ34S values of pyrites from two stages have a narrow range from + 5.65 to + 9.63‰ with an average value of 8.14‰, which indicate that the source of δ34S is related to the Guojialing granite and the Fenzishan Group. The lead isotopic compositions of pyrites (206Pb/204Pb = 16.615 to 16.832; 207Pb/204Pb = 15.275 to 15.403; 208Pb/204Pb = 36.829–37.470) show a consistent origin of the lower crust. The measured 3He/4He (40Ar/36Ar) of hydrothermal fluids in pyrites are 0.641–1.132 Ra (637.5–1162.7), indicating that the ore-forming fluid originating from a mixing of crustal and mantle components. It is suggested that the gold mineralization is associated with extensional tectonic inversion caused by the rollback of the subducting Izanagi Plate during the early Cretaceous, which triggered partial melting of mantle and lower crust, and subsequent magma mixing and exsolution of ore-bearing fluids. These fluids extracted ore-forming materials from the enclosing rocks of the Jiaodong Group, the Fenzishan Group, and the Guojialing granite to form the ore-forming fluids.
Towards the construction of representative regional hydro(geo)logical numerical models: Modelling the upper Danube basin as a starting point
Authors: Pujades Estanislao , Kumar Rohini , Houben Timo , Jing Miao , Rakovec Oldrich , Kalbacher Thomas , Attinger Sabine
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Pressure on groundwater resources is increasing rapidly by population growth and climate change effects. Thus, it is urgent to quantify their availability and determine their dynamics at a global scale to assess the impacts of climate change or anthropogenically induced pressure, and to support water management strategies. In this context, regional hydrogeological numerical models become essential to simulate the behavior of groundwater resources. However, the construction of global hydrogeological models faces a lot of challenges that affect their accuracy.

Methods: In this work, using the German portion of the Upper Danube Basin (∼43,000 km2) we outline common challenges encountered in parameterizing a regional-scale groundwater model, and provide an innovative approach to efficiently tackle such challenges. The hydrogeological model of the Danube consists of the groundwater finite element code OpenGeoSys forced by the groundwater recharge of the surface hydrological model mHM.

Results: The main novelties of the suggested approach are 1) the use of spectral analyses of the river baseflow and a steady state calibration taking as reference the topography to constraint the hydraulic parameters and facilitate the calibration process, and 2) the calibration of the hydraulic parameters for a transient state model by considering parameters derived from the piezometric head evolution.

Discussion/conclusion: The results show that the proposed methodology is useful to build a reliable large-scale groundwater model. Finally, the suggested approach is compared with the standard one used by other authors for the construction of global models. The comparison shows that the proposed approach allows for obtaining more reliable results, especially in mountainous areas.
How do you feel at school? A cross-country comparative analysis of migrant adolescents’ school well-being
Authors: Dežan Lucija , Sedmak Mateja
Published: January 2023

Adolescents present a relevant stakeholder in international migrations since they comprise a large share of all migrants. Previous studies show that migration processes significantly affect the well-being of migrant adolescents. This article investigates how the school environment, with its pedagogical practices and interpersonal relationships established between migrant adolescents, their classmates, and teachers, affect migrant adolescents’ well-being. Our research draws on quantitative data collected as part of the MiCREATE project. The sample of migrant adolescents (N = 700) was surveyed in 46 schools in six countries: Austria, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Results indicate that migrant adolescents like school and feel safe there, however, they tend to be more satisfied with relationships established with teachers than with peers. Furthermore, differences in self-perceived school well-being emerge when comparing countries with a longer tradition of high migration flows (Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom) and those less experienced (Poland and Slovenia), although slight exceptions were detected. The results lead to the conclusion that schools that foster intercultural education and fulfilling interpersonal relationships are essential for school well-being of migrant adolescents and present an important step toward successful integration of migrant youth.
Novel nutraceutical supplements with yeast β-glucan, prebiotics, minerals, and Silybum marianum (silymarin) ameliorate obesity-related metabolic and clinical parameters: A double-blind randomized trial
Authors: Nehmi-Filho Victor , Santamarina Aline Boveto , de Freitas Jéssica Alves , Trarbach Ericka Barbosa , de Oliveira Daniela Rodrigues , Palace-Berl Fanny , de Souza Erica , de Miranda Danielle Araujo , Escamilla-Garcia Antonio , Otoch José Pinhata , Pessoa Ana Flávia Marçal
Published: January 2023

Purpose

It is known that obesity has a multifactorial etiology that involves genetic and environmental factors. The WHO estimates the worldwide prevalence of 1.9 billion overweight adults and more than 650 million people with obesity. These alarming data highlight the high and growing prevalence of obesity and represent a risk factor for the development and aggravation of other chronic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that is frequently considered the hepatic outcome of type 2 diabetes. The use of non-pharmacological therapies such as food supplements, nutraceuticals, and natural integrative therapies has grown as an alternative tool for obesity-related diseases compared to conventional medications. However, it is a still little explored research field and lacks scientific evidence of therapeutic effectiveness. Considering this, the aim is to evaluate whether a new nutraceutical supplement composition can improve and supply essential mineral nutrients, providing an improvement of obesity-related metabolic and endocrine parameters.

Methods

Sedentary volunteers (women and men) with body mass index (BMI) ≤34.9 kg/m2 were divided into two groups: Novel Nutraceutical Supplement_(S) (n = 30) and Novel Nutraceutical Supplement (n = 29), differing in the absence (S) or presence of silymarin, respectively. Volunteers were instructed to take two capsules in the morning and two capsules in the evening. No nutritional intervention was performed during the study period. The data (anthropometrics and anamneses) and harvest blood (biochemistry and hormonal exams) were collected at three different time points: baseline time [day 0 (T0)], day 90 (T90), and day 180 (T180) post-supplementation.

Results

In the anthropometric analysis, the waist circumference in middle abdomen (WC-mid) and waist circumference in iliac crest (WC-IC) were reduced. Also, the waist-to-height ratio (WHt R) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) seem to slightly decrease alongside the supplementation period with both nutraceutical supplements tested as well as transaminase enzyme ratio [aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR)], a known as a biomarker of NAFLD, and endocrine hormones cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) at 90 and 180 days post-supplementation.

Conclusions

In a condition associated with sedentary and no nutritional intervention, the new nutraceutical supplement composition demonstrated the ability to be a strong and newfangled tool to improve important biomarkers associated with obesity and its comorbidities.
Phase field modeling microstructural evolution of Fe-Cr-Al systems at thermal treatment
Authors: Wu Lu , Qin Jiantao , Kharchenko Vasyl O. , Kharchenko Dmitrii O. , Lysenko Oleg B.
Published: January 2023

A phase field model to study dynamics of microstructure transformations and the evolution of defect structure during heat treatment of Fe-Cr-Al systems is developed. Statistical and kinetic properties of evolving microstructure and defect structure in alloys with different content of alloying elements and at different temperatures were studied. Point defects rearrangement during precipitation is discussed in details. Universality of statistical distributions over precipitate size is revealed for considered class of alloys.
Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in alpine grasslands of the Zoige Basin, China
Authors: Gan Tian , Zhao Hongwen , Ai Yi , Zhang Sihu , Wen Yongli , Tian Liming , Mipam Tserang Donko
Published: January 2023

Heavy metals elements are not only related to the functions of ecosystems but also affect human health. To understand the characteristics of heavy metals in the topsoil of the Zoige alpine basin, a total of 252 grass and topsoil samples were collected in May and September 2014. The results showed that only Cd and Pb highly exceeded their background values (BV); in May and September, Cd was 2.02- and 1.55-fold higher than its BV, respectively, and Pb was 2.35- and 2.17-fold above its BV, respectively. The sources of Cd and Pb were homologous. In addition, the comprehensive potential ecological risk index was less than 150, indicating that heavy metal pollution in the study area is currently low. The spatial interpolation indicated that Cd and Pb pollution might be related to tourism and transportation, but the low biological absorption coefficient for all heavy metals showed that heavy metal absorption ability of forage was low and would not impact yak breeding. Finally, the soil was lightly contaminated by Cd and Pb due to the rapid development of the animal husbandry and tourism. The spatial variation of heavy metal in the basin is dominated by structural factors, and the random factors also have an effect on spatial distribution of As, Cd, Cu and Ni. The random factors such as overgrazing can exert an influence on physical structure and the circulation of nutrient substances of meadow soil through livestock grazing and trampling, ultimately affecting the content and distribution of soil heavy metals.