bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Groundwater Recharge for Drought and Endangered Species Protection
Authors: Miller Kathleen , Milman Anita , Burson Madison , Tracy John , Kiparsky Michael
Published: April 2021

San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) developed its H2Oaks aquifer storage and recovery project in response to pumping restrictions set on its primary source of water supply, the Edwards Aquifer. The H2Oaks project pumps water from the Edwards Aquifer during wet years and transports it to the H2Oaks project site, where it is injected into the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer for storage. Stored water is withdrawn to meet municipal demand when restrictions on Edwards Aquifer pumping are in place. Although created for the purpose of securing supplies for SAWS, the H2Oaks project became a centerpiece for regional water management. Storage is used during drought to mitigate impacts on pumping while ensuring minimum springflows needed to protect endangered species in the Edwards aquifer. Currently, the project stores over 176,000 acre-feet of water. This case study traces the development of the H2Oaks project from the passage of the Edwards Aquifer Act to the project’s current implementation. The H2Oaks project demonstrates the potential for groundwater recharge projects to store water as protection against drought conditions. It also demonstrates how storage by one entity can support water management needs across the broader community of water users.
Groundwater Recharge to Support Wildlife and Water Users
Authors: Milman Anita , Bylo Kirsten , Gage Allison , Blomquist William
Published: April 2021

The Heyborne Ponds Recharge Project is a multibenefit project that simultaneously seeks to promote wildlife conservation, to address threatened and endangered species recovery, to support recreation, and to facilitate water availability for agriculture. The project delivers water from the South Platte River to recharge ponds to provide habitat for migrating birds while concurrently providing a mechanism for water to infiltrate into the alluvial aquifer and return to the river at a later time. This temporal shift in the timing of flows in the river provides several benefits. Under Colorado law, groundwater users can pump out of priority only if they augment surface water flows. Further, Colorado has interstate commitments to augmenting downstream flows in the Platte River. Multiple-benefit projects such as Heyborne Ponds represent an untapped opportunity for diverse interests to work together in implementing managed aquifer recharge.
Introduction to the Special Collection
Authors: Miller Kathleen , Milman Anita , Kiparsky Michael
Published: April 2021

Unsustainable management of groundwater basins has led to groundwater depletion, with impacts to human and environmental systems that will be exacerbated by the hydrologic effects of climate change. Increasing inflows to groundwater basins through managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a mechanism that can help bring aquifers into sustainable balance, yet in spite of significant physical potential, MAR remains underused. Increasing emphasis on the technical aspects of MAR has served to improve knowledge of the science needed to implement MAR. However, water managers often express anecdotally that institutional elements are equally important determinants, challenges, and potential drivers of MAR. In this special collection, we examine the institutional elements that enable, or gate progress on, MAR by presenting and comparing examples of successful MAR implementation from around the United States. The case studies depict the deep connection between water management objectives of MAR and institutional contexts and design. The motivations for MAR in these case studies fall into four broad categories: water supply risk management, groundwater banking, addressing interconnected groundwater and surface water, and recharge for broader aquifer or environmental benefits. In each case study, these water management objectives help determine key managerial and administrative issues that need to be addressed and accordingly the institutional shape of a MAR project. Ultimately, empirical efforts such as this special section may help demystify this process and enable more rapid adoption and diffusion of MAR.
Establishing the Reliability and Validity of Web-based Singing Research
Authors: Tan Yi Ting , Peretz Isabelle , McPherson Gary E. , Wilson Sarah J.
Published: April 2021

In this study, the robustness of an online tool for objectively assessing singing ability was examined by: (1) determining the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the tool; (2) comparing the task performance of web-based participants (n = 285) with a group (n = 52) completing the tool in a controlled laboratory setting, and then determining the convergent validity between settings, and (3) comparing participants’ task performance with previous research using similar singing tasks and populations. Results indicated that the online singing tool exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .92), and moderate-to-high test-retest reliabilities (.65–.80) across an average 4.5-year-span. Task performance for web- and laboratory-based participants (n = 82) matched on age, sex, and music training were not significantly different. Moderate-to-large correlations (|r| =.31–.59) were found between self-rated singing ability and the various singing tasks, supporting convergent validity. Finally, task performance of the web-based sample was not significantly different to previously reported findings. Overall the findings support the robustness of the online tool for objectively measuring singing pitch accuracy beyond a controlled laboratory environment and its potential application in large-scale investigations of singing and music ability.
Activation of heat shock response improves biomarkers of NAFLD in patients with metabolic diseases
Authors: Kondo Tatsuya , Miyakawa Nobukazu , Kitano Sayaka , Watanabe Takuro , Goto Rieko , Suico Mary Ann , Sato Miki , Takaki Yuki , Sakaguchi Masaji , Igata Motoyuki , Kawashima Junji , Motoshima Hiroyuki , Matsumura Takeshi , Kai Hirofumi , Araki Eiichi
Published: April 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often accompanied by metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Heat shock response (HSR) is one of the most important homeostatic abilities but is deteriorated by chronic metabolic insults. Heat shock (HS) with an appropriate mild electrical stimulation (MES) activates HSR and improves metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and inflammation in metabolic disorders. To analyze the effects of HS + MES treatment on NAFLD biomarkers, three cohorts including healthy men (two times/week, n = 10), patients with metabolic syndrome (four times/week, n = 40), and patients with T2DM (n = 100; four times/week (n = 40) and two, four, seven times/week (n = 20 each)) treated with HS + MES were retrospectively analyzed. The healthy subjects showed no significant alterations in NAFLD biomarkers after the treatment. In patients with metabolic syndrome, many of the NAFLD steatosis markers, including fatty liver index, NAFLD-liver fat score, liver/spleen ratio and hepatic steatosis index and NAFLD fibrosis marker, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio, were improved upon the treatment. In patients with T2DM, all investigated NAFLD steatosis markers were improved and NAFLD fibrosis markers such as the AST/ALT ratio, fibrosis-4 index and NAFLD-fibrosis score were improved upon the treatment. Thus, HS + MES, a physical intervention, may become a novel treatment strategy for NAFLD as well as metabolic disorders.
β-cell function in black South African women: exploratory associations with insulin clearance, visceral and ectopic fat
Authors: Fortuin-de Smidt Melony C , Mendham Amy E , Hauksson Jon , Alhamud Ali , Stefanovski Darko , Hakim Olah , Swart Jeroen , Goff Louise M , Kahn Steven E , Olsson Tommy , Goedecke Julia H
Published: April 2021

The role of ectopic fat, insulin secretion and clearance in the preservation ofβ-cell function in black African women with obesity who typically present with hyperinsulinaemia is not clear. We aim to examine the associations between disposition index (DI, an estimate of β-cell function), insulin secretion and clearance and ectopic fat deposition. This is a cross-sectional study of 43 black South African women (age 20–35 years) with obesity (BMI 30–40 kg/m2) and without type 2 diabetes that measured the following: DI, insulin sensitivity (SI), acute insulin response (AIRg), insulin secretion rate (ISR), hepatic insulin extraction and peripheral insulin clearance (frequently sampled i.v. glucose tolerance test); pancreatic and hepatic fat, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and abdominal s.c. adipose tissue (aSAT) volume (MRI), intra-myocellular (IMCL) and extra-myocellular fat content (EMCL) (magnetic resonance spectroscopy). DI correlated positively with peripheral insulin clearance (β 55.80, P = 0.002). Higher DI was associated with lower VAT, pancreatic fat and soleus fat, but VAT explained most of the variance in DI (32%). Additionally, higher first phase ISR (P = 0.033) and lower hepatic insulin extraction (P = 0.022) were associated with lower VAT, independent from SI, rather than with ectopic fat. In conclusion, peripheral insulin clearance emerged as an important correlate of DI. However, VAT was the main determinant of a lower DI above ectopic fat depots. Importantly, VAT, but not ectopic fat, is associated with both lower insulin secretion and higher hepatic insulin extraction. Prevention of VAT accumulation in young black African women should, therefore, be an important target for beta cell preservation.
The Phenomenon of Death and the Possibility of Immortality
Authors: Nagy Erika Lujza
Published: April 2021

This paper is about death and about immortality. It explores the experience and philosophical implications of death from different perspectives. Firstly, in the light of Mamardashvili’s philosophy, it deals with the interconnection and interdependence of death and thinking. Secondly, through Jankélévitch’s philosophy, it changes the perspective on the interdependence of death and thinking from the general to the personal perspective, when death becomes an intimate part of life. Further, thanks to Aries’ research, the paper introduces historical details about what people brooded over death and how they expressed their thoughts in more explicit way. This makes it possible to look at the mediology of death as a philosophy that leads to reflection and critique of our contemporary attitude to death. On the one hand, the mediology of death motivates us to think about death – in this way it follows the philosophical tradition, on the other hand, it attempts to convince us for the first time of the immortality that can happen only in material form – and it is its novelty.
Screening of Enzyme Producers with Keratinase Activity among Marine Actinobacteria
Authors:   Screening of Enzyme Producers with Keratinase Activity among Marine Actinobacteria, Avdiyuk K.V. , Ivanytsia V.A. ,   Odessa Mechnikov National University, Varbanets L.D. ,   Screening of Enzyme Producers with Keratinase Activity among Marine Actinobacteria
Published: April 2021

About 2 million tons of feathers are produced annually around the world as a by-product of poultry farming. Due to the lack of funds and the complexity of processing, they have become one of the main environmental pollutants. The biodegradation of feathers by keratinolytic microorganisms has proven to be an effective, environmentally friendly and cost-effective method of bioconverting feather waste into a nutritious, balanced and easily digestible product that contains free amino acids, peptides and ammonium ions. Aim. To investigate the ability of marine actinobacteria to synthesize enzymes with keratinolytic activity and to study some of the physicochemical properties of the most active enzyme preparation. The object of the study was 10 strains of actinobacteria isolated from bottom sediments in the area of the Pradneprovsky trench of the Black Sea shelf. Methods. Caseinolytic (general proteolytic) activity was determined by the Anson method modified by Petrova, based on the quantitative determination of tyrosine, which is formed during the enzymatic hydrolysis of casein. Keratinase activity was determined by UV absorption at 280 nm of the hydrolysis products of keratin-containing raw materials. The cultivation of actinobacteria was carried out in a liquid nutrient medium with the addition of defatted chicken feathers as the main source of carbon and nitrogen. Results. The ability to hydrolyze keratin was found in five cultures. Moreover, all the strains studied were practically unable to break down casein. The Acty 9 strain (12 U/ml) showed the highest keratinase activity. Additional introduction of NaCl to the nutrient medium did not have a positive effect on the enzymes synthesis. The study of the physicochemical properties of the enzyme preparation Acty 9 showed that the pH and thermooptimum were 9.0 and 60°C, respectively. It retained 100% of the initial activity in the range of pH 7.0–10.0 after 3 h and 95% activity at pH 8.0 after 24 h of incubation. The studied enzyme preparation was thermostable, since it remained active for 3 h at 50°C and 1 h at 60°C. Conclusions. The extracellular keratinase synthesized by actinobacterium Acty 9 is promising for further research, since the enzyme is pH and thermostable and is not inferior in its physicochemical properties to those previously described in the literature.
Molecular Docking of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme II
Authors:   University of Mosul, Dawood A.A. , Altobje M.A.A. ,   University of Mosul, Al-Rrassam Z.T. ,   University of Mosul
Published: April 2021

SARS-CoV-2 remains life-threatening human pathogen witnessed in the present world. Purpose. The key objective of this research was to incorporate a bioinformatics technique to forecast the molecular docking of the ACE2-associated SARS-CoVs nucleocapsid protein. Methods. Different bioinformatics tools were used in this study in order to compare the chemical structures with their biological behaviour at the levels of atoms and the ligand-binding affinity. This research sought to investigate new data analysis. Results. It was computed the basic 2D structure that occurs in all models, requiring ion ligand binding sites to be predicted. The highlights of the analysis and the associated characteristics are largely responsible for nucleocapsid protein and ACE2 receptor that can be further changed for improved binding and selectivity. Conclusions. The precise functional importance of protein-protein docking cannot be established. But the detection of molecular docking can aid in self-association proteins in our summary, serving as a regulatory switch for the protein’s localization.
FEATURES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRUSHLESS MAGNETOELECTRIC SYSTEMS OF THE RETURN-ROTARY MOTION
Authors:   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Kireyev V.G. , Akinin K.P. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Filomenko A.A. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine
Published: April 2021

The paper reviews the results of studies of brushless magnetoelectric systems of return-rotary motion, carried out for many years at the Electrodynamics Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Structures of specialized brushless magnetoelectric motors with elastic magnetic coupling between the stator and the rotor are presented. An example of structural optimization of the motor is given. The electromechanical characteristics of the motors of the return-rotary motion are described and the indexes of their efficiency are proposed. An example of the formation of functional dependences for motor control in an open-loop system is given. Structures of the system for automatic control of the rotor oscillations angle amplitude and stator current limitation, as well as a system for vector control of the auxiliary winding current for active compensation of reactive alternating torque of the main rotor are presented. Examples of calculation of transient responses of the main parameters of the motor are given. Reference 11, figure 9.
IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF DISTRIBUTION NETWORK CONTROL UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF APPLICATION OF DISTRIBUTED SOURCES GENERATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND MEANS OF ITS ACCUMULATION
Authors:   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Zharkin A.F. , Novskiy V.O. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Popov V.A. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, pr. Peremohy, 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Yarmoliuk O.S. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, pr. Peremohy, 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine
Published: April 2021

New technological solutions have been proposed that allow effective reduction of electrical energy losses in distribution networks with local generation sources and storage units due to the possibility of dynamic control of the network configuration. The conditions for the rational use of remotely controlled switching devices have been substantiated and an algorithm for controlling their operation has been developed. The possibility of using power electronics devices is demonstrated and an approach to their operation is proposed in order to create optimal flows of active and reactive power in the distribution network circuit to minimize energy losses. References 9, figures 3.
NUMERICAL MODELLING OF INDUCTION CHANNEL FURNACE THERMAL STATE
Authors:   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Bondar O.I. , Glukhenky O.I. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Goryslavets Yu.M. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Peremohy, 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Zapadynchuk O.P. ,   Section of applied problems National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Vladimirskaya St., 54, Kyiv, 01030, Ukraine
Published: April 2021

A mathematical model that describes heat and mass transfer processes in an induction channel furnace is presented. Using the example of a two-phase channel furnace with standard form of channels, the influence of the phase angle between the voltages supplying the furnace inductors on the thermal state of the liquid metal is considered. Values of this angle, which provide minimal melt overheating in channels in comparison with furnace bath have been determined. Ways of intensification of heat and mass transfer processes in two-phase channel furnace have been suggested. References 9, figures 4.
Unique Short-Faced Miocene Seal Discovered in Grytsiv (Ukraine)
Authors: Koretsky I. A. , Rahmat S. J.
Published: April 2021

Numerous Miocene terrestrial mammal fossils have been discovered at the Grytsiv locality of Ukraine, but this is the first record of a fossil marine mammal at this site. Morphological analysis of the rostral portion of this middle-late Miocene (12.3–11.8 Ma) partial skull suggests that it belongs to the subfamily Phocinae. The small size and cranial morphology of this partial skull is compared with recent and fossil representatives of the extant subfamily Phocinae and the extinct subfamily Devinophocinae. Extinct and modern representatives of the extant subfamilies Cystophorinae and Monachinae were not incorporated in this study due to their extremely large size in comparison to this new find. This newly described skull belonged to a small-sized seal (likely similar in size to the modern sea otter based on the width of the rostrum) with an extremely short rostrum and several other diagnostic characters that differ from all other fossil and extant phocines. Due to the lack of preservation and fragility of fossil seal skulls, less than 20 have been described so far. This new skull is yet another example of an ancestral seal, supporting the suggestion that modern seals have become larger over their evolutionary history. Overall, any cranial information on fossil true seals is extremely important since it allows resolving contentious phylogenetic relationships between extinct and extant representatives of this group.
Weapon Carrying Among Boys in US Schools by Race and/or Ethnicity: 1993–2019
Authors: Jewett Patricia I. , Gangnon Ronald E. , Kafka Judith , Areba Eunice M. , Malecki Kristen , Borowsky Iris W.
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

High adolescent gun-related mortality, gun violence, pro-gun policies, white supremacy, and the long-term socioeconomic and other effects of racial oppression are intricately linked in the United States. Racist prejudice depicts male individuals of color as more prone to criminality than white male individuals. We described long-term patterns of weapon carrying in US schools among non-Hispanic (NH) white, NH Black/African American, and Hispanic boys, hypothesizing that in contrast to racist stereotypes, boys of color did not bring weapons into schools more often than NH white boys in recent years.

METHODS

We conducted a time series analysis using 1993–2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data comparing boys’ self-reported weapon carrying in a nationally representative sample of US high schools by race and/or ethnicity, age, and self-reported experience of safety and violence at school.

RESULTS

Weapon carrying in schools has declined among all boys. Comparing all schools, we found no significant differences in weapon carrying (4%–5%) by race and/or ethnicity in 2017 and 2019. Boys who reported experiencing violence or feeling unsafe at school were at least twice as likely to bring a weapon into school, and such negative experiences were more common among boys of color (8%–12%) than among NH white boys (4%–5%). In schools perceived as safer, NH white boys have been more likely to bring weapons into schools than NH Black/African American or Hispanic boys in the past 20 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings contradict racist prejudice with regard to weapon carrying in schools, particularly in more favorable school environments. Making schools safer may reduce weapon carrying in schools where weapon carrying is most common.
Prosodic characteristics of emotionally-colored phrases in typologically unrelated languages: based on the Mari and French languages
Authors: Ivanova Iraida G. , Egoshina Rita A.
Published: April 2021

Introduction. The study of speech influence on the interlocutor is one of the most pressing problems in modern linguistics. From this point of view, emotional speech and its prosodic parameters in various languages are of particular interest. Materials and Methods. The following methods were used in the research: electro-acoustic method of phonetic analysis using PRAAT software; descriptive method; comparative analysis method; statistical analysis method; linguistic analysis method. Results and Discussion. A comparative analysis of the phonetic design of emotionally colored phrases of the French and Mari languages allows us to identify specific and common features. The analysis of narrative emotionally colored utterances in French and Mari revealed some discrepancies in the intonation design of expressions due to different actual division of the sentence. In exclamation emotionally colored types of utterances, there are differences in the ways of highlighting the communicative core. Analysis of interrogative utterances with direct word order in both languages showed a coincidence in the movement of the main tone, which rises sharply in the final part of the phrase. Conclusion. The results of the study confirmed that the intonation design of speech in the languages with different structures, with all existing differences, has a fairly large number of similar features, in particular, such as the direction of movement of the main tone and the method of actual division of the sentence.
Local rural holidays as a manifestation of cultural memory of Russian and Finno-Ugric populations in Nizhny Novgorod region
Authors: Galtseva Olga V.
Published: April 2021

Introduction. In the context of cultural memory the article analyzes the rooting mechanism and subsequent functioning of local religious holidays in the cultural space of Russian rural communities of the XIX–XX centuries.
Materials and Methods. The article contains studied and generalized materials found in research that give an idea of the problem under consideration. It also employs the author’s field materials collected during ethnographic trips to the Nizhny Novgorod region. The theoretical basis of the presented research is the problem-chronological and comparative-historical methods. Such methods of field Ethnography as direct observation and interviewing were used during the collection of field materials.
Results and Discussion. In modern humanities, the representative properties of the holidays are interpreted in the context of cultural memory, where the holiday acts as its element or primary form. In this approach, the holiday can be considered as “General text”, which, according to Yuri Lotman can be stored and updated in the shared memory of the community, and as the mechanism of this update process, which acts from generation to generation and allows members of this community to exercise their cultural identity. The author considers local religious holidays of the Russian and Finno-Ugric population (Mordovians and Mari people) in Nizhny Novgorod region as one of the traditional forms of preservation, actualization and intergenerational transmission of information, important for the formation of cultural identity.
Conclusion. Local religious holidays were the mechanism used for the collective memory of individual rural communities to be comprehended, preserved and transferred through the unified traditional forms of all-Russian spiritual culture. In the cultural memory of the Finno-Ugric peoples, the local religious holidays of the Russian neighbors became the key to the perception of Christian religion and played an important role in the processes of acculturation.
Religia i wtajemniczenie
Authors: Broniek Radosław
Published: April 2021

Książka Radosława Brońka OP stanowi odpowiedź na intrygujące pytanie: "Dlaczego inicjacja?" Badania nad wtajemniczeniem religijnym, które przez lata prowadził Eliade, pozwalają na to trudne pytanie udzielić odpowiedzi. Autor podjął się realizacji tematu oryginalnego, aktualnego, nie opracowanego dotychczas w polskiej literaturze przedmiotu, a także nie naświetlonego dogłębnie w literaturze obce. Inicjacja jest jednym z najważniejszych elementów każdej tradycji religijnej, jak również magicznej. Wiedząc to autor zwiększył stopień trudności prowadzonych badań, wszakże książka traktuje o inicjacji religijnej, a nie magicznej. Wykazał nadto, iż problematyka inicjacji religijnej zajmuje u Eliadego wyjątkowe miejsce. Stanowi ona bowiem oryginalną drogą do zrozumienia człowieka (który został przezeń obdarzył tytułem homo religiosus), ale też i zjawiska samej religii.
Psychological readiness for distance learning in a pandemic of pedagogical university students
Authors: Volodina Svetlana , Korneva Lyudmila
Published: April 2021

The article presents data from an empirical study of the psychological readiness of first-third-year students of the Moscow State Pedagogical University for distance learning in a pandemic. The authors considered such indicators of the mental state of future teachers as emotional tone and mental stress, and also determined the index of their life satisfaction in new learning conditions. This article presents a comparative analysis of the emotional state of students, studied at two stages: in April 2020, when students first completely switched to the distance learning format, and in October 2020, when they returned to this format amid the growing new wave of the pandemic. The results of the first stage of the study revealed that abrupt changes in the conditions of the educational process, namely, its transfer to distance learning, as well as technical difficulties with equipment and the speed of the Internet, had a negative impact on the emotional state of many students. The data of the second stage of the study showed that most of the future teachers have adapted to distance learning and do not experience high psycho-emotional stress in the educational process. This is in particular evidenced by such facts as an increase in the number of students participating in classes with the camera turned on, in contrast to the first stage of distance learning, when almost all students in lectures and practical classes experienced problems associated with the "camera effect". In general, student teachers have become much more active in learning activities than in the first months of transition to online learning.
The Effect of Tolvaptan on BP in Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Post Hoc Analysis of the TEMPO 3:4 Trial
Authors: Heida Judith E. , Gansevoort Ron T. , Torres Vicente E. , Devuyst Olivier , Perrone Ronald D. , Lee Jennifer , Li Hui , Ouyang John , Chapman Arlene B.
Published: April 2021

Significance Statement

Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease are treated with tolvaptan, a V2 receptor antagonist, to slow progression toward ESKD. In theory, tolvaptan could have both BP-increasing and BP-decreasing effects. To investigate the magnitude and time course of the effect of tolvaptan use on BP, the authors conducted a post hoc analysis of data from the TEMPO 3:4 trial, which randomized 1445 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease to tolvaptan or placebo. Their analysis shows that directly after start of tolvaptan therapy, BP does not change, but in the long term, BP gradually becomes lower in patients with tolvaptan compared with placebo. This observation might be attributed to the beneficial effect of tolvaptan on disease progression, a sustained natriuretic effect, or both.

Background

The V2 receptor antagonist tolvaptan is prescribed to patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease to slow disease progression. Tolvaptan may alter BP via various acute and chronic effects.

Methods

To investigate the magnitude and time course of the effect of tolvaptan use on BP, we conducted a post hoc study of the TEMPO 3:4 trial, which included 1445 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease randomized 2:1 to tolvaptan or placebo for 3 years. We evaluated systolic and diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, hypertension status, and use and dosing of antihypertensive drugs over the course of the trial.

Results

At baseline, BP did not differ between study arms. After 3 weeks of tolvaptan use, mean body weight had decreased from 79.7 to 78.8 kg, and mean plasma sodium increased from 140.4 to 142.6 mmol/L (both P<0.001), suggesting a decrease in circulating volume. We observed none of these changes in the placebo arm. Nonetheless, BP remained similar in the study arms. After 3 years of treatment, however, mean systolic BP was significantly lower in participants receiving tolvaptan versus placebo (126 versus 129 mm Hg, respectively; P=0.002), as was mean diastolic BP (81.2 versus 82.6 mm Hg, respectively; P=0.01). These differences leveled off at follow-up 3 weeks after discontinuation of the study medication. Use of antihypertensive drugs remained similar in both study arms during the entire study.

Conclusions

Long-term treatment with tolvaptan gradually lowered BP compared with placebo, which may be attributed to a beneficial effect on disease progression, a continued natriuretic effect, or both.

Clinical Trial registry name and registration number:

TEMPO 3:4, NCT00428948
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in social media in connection with the threat of COVID-19
Authors: Wieczorek Zbigniew
Published: April 2021

Professional literature usually perceives the Internet and social media from the perspective of threat. Many papers describe the risk of using the Internet, both practical one concerning threatened security or finances and psychological one pertaining to addiction or depression. However, more and more often the cyberspace is treated as the research subject in itself or an area where one can analyse behaviours of Internet users. This paper is an example of the latter approach. With the help of the Big Data analysis of social media, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) shall be used to compare how often suicidal behaviour symptoms occurred in Internet users’ posts this year and the year preceding the COVID-19 threat.
Integrating TA concepts into team meetings through micro-learning approaches
Authors: Lacy Amanda
Published: April 2021

Micro-learning within team meetings offers immediacy of knowledge application and integration into practice. As a pedagogical method micro-learning has grown within workplace settings through being able to deliver small amounts of knowledge often, that is relevant, upskilling and applicable directly into practice. With more meetings happening in the workplace than ever before leveraging learning opportunities has never been more important. Learning opportunities have regularly been missed during team meetings due to competing priorities, information overload, lack of shared attention, divergent mental models and failure to identify learning needs. This article covers one aspect of a PhD research project focused on learning in team meetings. Discussion are two transactional analysis concepts delivered as micro-learning topics within team meetings and applied into practice. The approach, findings and further considerations are presented.
Personal and social dimensions of the theatrical activity of people with autism spectrum disorder – the case study of the ‘Authentic Artists’ theatre group
Authors: Pawlik Sabina
Published: April 2021

The theater, in which the actors are people with autism spectrum, has not yet been researched extensively. Most of the texts consider the therapeutic contexts of theatrical activity performed by people with autism spectrum, or even interventions against them using theatrical techniques. In this article, the author looks for a different perspective on the phenomenon of theater activities performed by people with autism spectrum. The presented research was aimed at showing the activities of "Authentic Artists" theater in two dimensions: personal and social. The research method used was a qualitative study of an individual case, which was the theater group of people with autism spectrum "Authentic Artists" from Łódź. The research showed that theatrical activity can be a source of personal satisfaction and fulfillment for people with autism spectrum. The theater also turned out to be a place to establish relationships and make friends. It has been shown that the activity of "Authentic Artists" has also an emancipatory potential, being a space for searching for their own forms of identity and creativity.
Optimizing the load for peak power and peak velocity development during resisted sprinting
Authors: Matusiński Aleksander , Gołaś Artur , Zając Adam , Nitychoruk Magdalena , Maszczyk Adam
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Resistance towing is perhaps the most specific form of developing strength and power in muscles involved directly during the start, acceleration and at maximum speed. Resisted sprint training may involve towing a sled which provides an overload through the friction between the sled and ground surface or a modern advanced training device which uses drag technology to provide fully controlled resistance during the movement, such as the 1080 Sprint. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the optimal loading for the development of power in the engine assisted drag technology system SPRINT 1080. Material and methods: We evaluated the changes in running velocity and the generated force and power during resisted sprints over 30m with a load of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 kg. Seven male sprinters with national and international experience participated in the study. Their average age, body mass and body height were 22.2 ± 2.4 years, 77.43 ± 4.63 kg, and 178.6 ± 3.2 cm, respectively. All athletes performed six 30 m sprints with 5 min rest intervals in between. The first sprint was performed without additional resistance, while the remaining 5 were performed in an random order with additional resistance of 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 kg. After receiving a verbal signal, the participant started at will from a semi crouched position. During the resisted sprint trials, the time [s] and the following variables were recorded in peak values: power output [W], generated force [N], and sprinting velocity [m/s]. Results: Our results show that loading with 6 kg decreased sprinting velocity by 9.37% while the generated horizontal power increased by 31,32%. The 6 kg loading on the Sprint 1080device corresponded to 8% body mass, yet as mentioned before the baseline results were not fully free sprinting as the tested athletes reached velocities 0.5-0.6 m/s greater without the harness. Conclusion: Taking into account this fact, our results seem to confirm previous findings, that external loads between 8 and 13% may be optimal for improving power and sprinting speed at the same time.
“Natural” Disasters, Cultural Framings, and Resilience in Indonesia: Transdisciplinary Engagements in an Immersion Program
Authors: Fraser Jennifer , Hubbard Karla
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we will discuss a two-week experiential learning trip to Indonesia, ranging from the design phase to a module course and in-country implementation with two institutional partners in country. The trip involved four faculty and eight students from disciplines ranging from Geology, Anthropology, Environmental Studies to Chemistry and Music. Comparison was at the heart of the project. Our team explored the cultural and functional responses to the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh and volcanic eruptions of Mount Merapi in Central Java. Contrasting views of cause and recovery proved especially enlightening. Acehnese responses were tightly woven with immediate pre-tsunami political upheaval along with Islamic framings of the disaster. In comparison, we found responses to volcanic eruptions on Java were quite different because the community affected was more multicultural. We will pepper our account of this pedagogical experience with personal outcomes, cultural interactions, and the trip’s engagement with moving beyond interdisciplinarity to collaborative, transdisciplinary engagement.
Putting Theory into Practice
Authors: Miller Char
Published: April 2021

This essay introduces the Special Issue devoted to the impact that the Luce Foundatin’s LIASE initiative has had on liberal-arts campuses across the United States.
Piaci szereplők proxy háborúja
Authors: Ember István
Published: April 2021

A proxy háborúk vizsgálata során a legtöbb kutató megállapította, hogy azok jelentős múlttal rendelkeznek. Napjainkban elengedhetetlen felülvizsgálni a hadtudományban alkalmazott egyes alapfogalmakat, mert a hibrid hadviselésnek jelentős hatása lehet rájuk. Ezek a lehetséges hatások a meghatározások szélesedéséhez vezethetnek, mert a kutatások is szélesebb területet érintenek napjainkban. A civil gazdasági vállalatoknak nincsen lehetősége fegyveres küzdelemre a piacon folyó harcokban. A történelem azonban szolgáltat nekünk bizonyítékot rá, hogy van rá elérhető módszer, hogy mégis megtegyék. Egy proxy háború során előfordulhat, hogy egy-egy ilyen vállalat kerül pártfogó szerepbe és saját céljait egy ország valódi fegyveres erejével próbálja elérni. Ez történt Dél-Amerikában is a Gran Chaco háború során 1932-ben.
Assay for dual cargo sorting into endoplasmic reticulum exit sites imaged by super-resolution confocal live imaging microscopy (SCLIM) v1
Authors: Rodriguez-Gallardo † Sofia , Kurokawa †* Kazuo , Sabido-Bozo Susana , Cortes-Gomez Alejandro , Maria Perez-Linero Ana , Aguilera-Romero Auxiliadora , Lopez Sergio , Waga Miho , Nakano Akihiko , Muñiz Manuel
Published: April 2021

Understanding how in eukaryotic cells thousands of proteins are sorted from each other through the secretory pathway and delivered to their correct destinations is a central issue of cell biology. We have further investigated in yeast how two distinct types of cargo proteins are sorted into different endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites (ERES) for their differential ER export to the Golgi apparatus. We used an optimized protocol that combines a live cell dual-cargo ER export system with a 3D simultaneous multi-color high-resolution live cell microscopy called SCLIM (Super-resolution Confocal Live Imaging Microscopy). Here, we describe this protocol, which is based on the reversible ER retention of two de novo co-expressed cargos by blocking the COPII function upon incubation of the thermo-sensitive COPII allele sec31-1 at restrictive temperature (37ºC). ER export is restored by shifting down to permissive temperature (24ºC) and the progressive incorporation of the two different types of cargos into the fluorescently labeled ERES can be then simultaneously captured at 3D high spatial resolution by SCLIM microscopy. By using this protocol, we have shown that newly synthesized glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins having a very long chain ceramide lipid moiety are clustered and sorted into specialized ERES that are distinct from those used by transmembrane secretory proteins. Furthermore, we showed that the chain length of the ceramide is critical for this sorting selectivity. Therefore, thanks to the presented method we could obtain the first direct in vivo evidence for lipid chain length-based protein cargo sorting into selective ERES.
FL-BEEHIV HIV-1 Genotyping and Drug Resistance by Next Generation Sequencing v1
Authors: M McGruder Rawson Brenna , Blanton Jason
Published: April 2021

The Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville is developing a protocol for the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of HIV, primarily for the purpose of drug-resistant mutation identification. This HIV-1 protocol uses amplicon based sequencing based on primers designed by the BEEHIVE Consortium (https://www.beehive.ox.ac.uk/). The amplified pol gene regions are used in both genotyping and drug resistance determination. Our protocol utilizes newer enzymes with higher fidelity for sequencing and Illumina sequencing technology. The NGS data generated can also be used in surveillance and outbreak monitoring, giving epidemiologist more information about circulating viral genomes. There is also the potential that this protocol can be expanded to whole genome sequencing for HIV-1. The imminent sunsetting of ViroSeq (Abbott Molecular) has required many labs to look for new methods to continue identifying HIV-1 drug resistance strains for both clinical management and epidemiological study. NGS was chosen as it is more cost effective than investing in a single pathogen platform. NGS allows for one sample to produce results and data that can aid not just a patient but an entire population.
Pótlások Magyarország edényes növényfajainak elterjedési atlaszához XIII.
Authors: Haszonits Győző , Molnár Csaba , Sonkoly Judit , Tóthmérész Béla , Török Péter , Tóth Edina , Gnotek Péter , Nagy József , Korda Márton , Ádám Szilvia , Malatinszky Ákos , Riezing Norbert , Jóna Zoltán , Séllei Dániel
Published: April 2021

Munkánk azon közleménysorozat tizenharmadik tagja, amely előfordulási adatok rend­szeres közlésével egészíti ki a Magyarország edényes növényfajainak elterjedési atlasza című kiad­vány előfordulási térképeit. Ezúttal összesen 1307 előfordulási adattal járulunk hozzá a hazánkban előforduló hajtásos növények elterjedésének pontosabb ismeretéhez. Összesen 634 edényes taxon előfordulási tér­képéhez szolgáltatunk lelőhely adatokat, melyek 256 kvadrátban oszlanak meg. Az adatok eloszlása disz­perz jelleget mutat, amely az adatgyűjtés egyenetlenségéből adódik. Az felsorolás­ban szereplő fajok több­sége az Alföld, az Északi-Magyarországi-Középhegység és a Kisalföld nagytájak­ról származik. Az enumerá­cióban szerepeltetünk ritka honos fajokat, ritka, vagy adathiányos adventív fajokat és szubspontán megje­lenő honos fajokat, vonalas létesítmények mellett terjedő adventív, és szubspontán megjelenő honos fajokat, és az országban elterjedt, de az atlaszban alulreprezentált taxo­nokat is.
Principles of treatment of late rectal radiation damage in cancer patients
Authors: Pasov V. V. , Korotkov V. A. , Kasymov M. R. , Aferkina L. V. , Naumov N. Р. , Brycheva А. S.
Published: April 2021

Malignant neoplasms of the pelvic organs in the structure of cancer incidence make up about 30 % of the adult population of our country. The widespread use of radiation therapy, unfortunately, has also increased the frequency of radiation damage to the pelvic organs, which, as a rule, take a chronic course. Late radiation damage to the pelvic organs is a fairly common complication of radiation therapy for prostate cancer. According to various authors, the frequency of such iatrogenic pathological changes is up to 25 %. In fact, some patients who are cured of a malignant neoplasm acquire a new disease that significantly reduces the quality of life and requires treatment. During radiation therapy of prostate cancer, various anatomical formations can fall into the zone of radiation fields: the bladder, rectum, intra-pelvic tissue, neurovascular bundles and pelvic bones. It should be noted that isolated lesions of one organ are rare and in most cases they are combined. A special place in clinical practice is occupied by cases of local radiation injuries of the rectum, including severe complications of radiation and combined treatment associated with the formation of fistulas against the background of radiation-induced  intra-pelvic fibrosis in the absence of a relapse of the underlying disease. In addition, this situation is associated with a violation of the psycho-emotional status of patients, a sharp decrease in the quality of life, difficulties in social adaptation in society and family, pain syndrome, and problems of medical rehabilitation. Unfortunately, conservative measures for such local radiation injuries are not always effective, and the results of surgical interventions are far from ambiguous and require careful study of patients, search for an algorithm of indications and acceptable standardization of surgical manipulations.  This paper presents the basic principles of diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation of patients with late radiation rectitis, depending on the severity of the pathological process. Given the growth of malignant neoplasms  of the pelvic organs, we can assume a relative increase in the number of patients with complications associated with radiation therapy, which require rehabilitation measures. Such patients come to the attention of oncologists, radiologists, coloproctologists, gastroenterologists and therapists, etc. Currently, our country lacks a network of specialized regional departments that deal with this problem, as well as treatment standards, clinical recommendations, and  an algorithm for diagnostic and rehabilitation measures for local radiation injuries. In connection with the above, it became necessary to summarize the data of clinical studies based on their own experience.