bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment Of Schistosomiasis Transmission In The River Nile At Greater Cairo Using Malacological Surveys And Cercariometry
Authors: El-Khayat Hanaa M.M. , Mossalem Hanan S. , El-Hommossany Karem , Sayed Sara S.M. , Mohammed Wafaa A. , Zayed Khaled M. , Saied Mohamed , Habib Mohamed R
Published: February 2022

Continuous field studies on the abundance and distribution of freshwater snails and cercarial populations are important for schistosomiasis control programs. In the present work, snail surveys and cercariometry were conducted for four successive seasons at 12 sites on the Nile River banks in the area of Greater Cairo to identify potential transmission foci for schistosomiasis. In addition, water physicochemical parameters were recorded. The results showed that the electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and pH were within the permissible levels, except that the water temperature showed an increase, especially in the spring season. Malacological surveys identified 10 native snail species at the studied sites of the Nile River, namely Bulinus truncatus, Biomphalaria alexandrina, Lymnaea natalensis, Lanistes carinatus, Cleopatra bulimoides, Melanoides tuberculata, Helisoma duryi, Bellamya unicolor, Physa acuta, Thedoxus niloticus, and one invasive snail species, Thiara scabra. The calculated diversity index indicated that the structure of snails’ habitats was poor, while Evenness index indicated that the individuals were not distributed equally. Results of natural infection identified no schistosome cercariae in B. truncatus and B. alexandrina. However, results of the cercariometry recovered Schistosoma cercariae in all the surveyed sites during all seasons with variable distribution. The preceding data suggest that, there are still some active transmission foci for schistosomiasis infection in the Nile River. Moreover, the present finding highlights the importance of cercariomety as a complementary approach to snail samplings for the identification of transmission foci for schistosomiasis.
The Incidence Rate and Economic Burden of Catheter-related Bloodstream Infection (CRBSI): a Single Center, Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhang Yibo , Wang Yichen , Wang Qun , Shi Dake , Xu Shirui , Cao Zhujun , Ai Yaping , Chen Erzhen , Ni Yuxing , XU Yumin
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND. Indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs) have the potential to lead to catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI). We report the findings of a single center, retrospective matched case-control study that assessed the incidence rate of CRBSI in ICUs and attributable length of stay (LOS), costs among patients with CRBSI in ICU in Shanghai, China.METHODS. The study was carried out in several ICUs, with a total of 2300 beds of 3 tertiary-level hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The Department of Infection Control performs routinely surveillance for CRBSI on ten different ICUs.RESULTS. The CRBSI incidence rate of hematology ICU, which was the highest, was 4.43 per 1000 CVC-days. 51 patients were successfully matched with control patients. The average cost in the CRBSI group was $ 67,923 which was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that in the control group. The total average cost attributable to CRBSI was $33, 227.CONCLUSION. The cost of antibiotics was closely related to the incidence of CRBSI.Trial registration: The registration number is 2019(92) and date of registration is 22-05-2019.
Investigations on molecular characteristics and microstructure of amaranth particle sizes and their impact on wheat bread
Authors: Mironeasa Silvia , Coţovanu Ionica
Published: February 2022

The aim of this research is to investigate the molecular features and microstructure amaranth flour (AF) fractions and their partial replacement effect of wheat flour (WF) on the chemical composition, dough dynamic rheology, technological and sensory characteristics of bread. The microstructure and molecular characteristics of AF were depending on their particle size (PS). When WF replacement increased and PS decreased the composite flour was richest in protein, lipids, and ash, while the moisture and carbohydrates of these flours decreased. Dynamic rheological behavior revealed significant variations depending on PS and replacement level. Bread volume and firmness increased when more than 15% AF from large PS replaced WF, while medium and small PS at 5–15% replacements was increased the loaf porosity. Chroma values decreased and samples became darker when the replacement level increased. Moreover, replacement of WF with various AF fractions impacted bread sensory characteristics, obtaining better acceptance for large and medium PS up to 10%.
Association Between Obesity and Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Li Yue
Published: February 2022

Background
The relationship between obesity and bone mineral density (BMD) varies in different studies. Our aim in this study was to explore the association between obesity (Body mass index ≥ 30) and BMD among adults 40-59 years of age.
Methods
This study was conducted on a sample of 2218 participants (986 men and 1232 women) aged from 40 to 59 years, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018. The independent variable was Body mass index (BMI) and the dependent variable was lumbar BMD. We performed weighted multivariate linear regression models and smooth curve fittings to evaluate the associations between BMI and lumbar BMD.
Results
The BMI was positively associated with lumbar BMD, after adjusting for other covariates (β 0.006; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.003-0.008). An inverted U-shaped association between the BMI and lumbar BMD was further identified, with the point of infection was at about 50 kg/m2. On subgroup analyses, the relationship between BMI and lumbar BMD of women and blacks were inverted U-shaped.
Conclusion
Based on the result, it may be beneficial to appropriately increase BMI to promote BMD. However, considering the inverted U-shaped association, an excessive BMI may be harmful to bone health on women and blacks.
Results of the SepsEast Registry to define the Characteristics in Coronavirus Disease in Central-Eastern Europe between March 2020-February 2021: an international, multicentre retrospective study of the SEARCH-COVID-19 Study Group
Authors: Benes Jan , Jankowski Miłosz , Szułdrzynski Konstanty , Zahorec Roman , Lainscak Mitja , Ruszkai Zoltán , Podbregar Matej , Zatloukal Jan , Kletecka Jakub , Kusza Krzysztof , Szrama Jakub , Ramic Estera , Galkova Katarina , Krbila Stefan , Valky Josef , Ivanic Jaka , Kurnik Marko , Mikó Angéla , Kiss Tamás , Hetényi Barbara , Hegyi Peter , Sustic Alan , Molnar Zsolt
Published: February 2022

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused unprecedented research activity all around the world but publications from Central-Eastern European countries remain scarce. Therefore, our aim was to characterise the features of the pandemic in the intensive care units (ICUs) among members of the SepsEast (Central-Eastern European Sepsis Forum) initiative.Methods: We conducted a retrospective, international, multicentre study between March 2020-February 2021. All adult patients admitted to the ICU with pneumonia caused by COVID-19 were enrolled. Data on baseline and treatment characteristics, organ support and mortality were collected. Results: Eleven centres from six countries provided data from 2139 patients. Patient characteristics were; median 68, [IQR 60-75] years of age; males: 67%; body mass index: 30.1 [27.0-34.7]; and 88% comorbidities. Overall mortality was 55%, which increased from 2020 to 2021 (p=0.004). The major causes of death were respiratory (37%), cardiovascular (26%) and sepsis with multiorgan failure (21%). 1061 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (mortality: 66%) without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n=54). The rest of the patients received non-invasive ventilation (n=129), high flow nasal oxygen (n=317), conventional oxygen therapy (n=122), as the highest level of ventilatory support, with mortality of 50%, 39% and 22%, respectively. Conclusions: This is the largest COVID-19 dataset from Central-Eastern European ICUs to date. The high mortality observed especially in those receiving invasive mechanical ventilation renders the need of establishing national-international ICU registries and audits in the region that could provide high quality, transparent data, not only during the pandemic, but also on a regular basis.
Metastatic role of galectin-1 in neuroendocrine cervical cancer
Authors: Ho Tsung-Chin , Yang Yi-Ting , CHOU HSIU-CHUAN , Leung John-Hang , Lee Ying-Ray , Chan Hong-Lin
Published: February 2022

Cervical cancer is ranked top ten in the ranking of female cancer and the metastasis of cervical cancer is one of the main causes of decreasing five-year-survival rates. Neuroendocrine cervical cancer belongs to rare type of cervical cancer and is one of the more malignant cancer type, compared to squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. In the previous work, we have carried out proteomics-based 2D-DIGE and MALDI-TOF-MS to analyze the differentially modulated proteins in neuroendocrine cells (HM-1) and other types of cervical cancer cells (Caski, ME-180, HeLa). In which, galectin-1 (LGALS1) was selected as the candidate protein due to high expression of LGALS1 in HM-1 cells. In this study, use small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knockdown LGALS1 expression in HM-1and HM-2 which isolated from human tissue. The migration ability and proliferation ability of neuroendocrine cervical cancer cells are effectively inhibited. Also, the de-regulation of cell cycle progression was observed during LGALS1 silencing. As a result, LGALS1 affects the migration and proliferation ability in neuroendocrine cervical cancer. The protein is potential to be a candidate to detect and treatment of neuroendocrine cervical cancer.
Experimental study on ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of hardened steel using white corundum wheel
Authors: Huang Qiang , Zhao Biao , Cao Yang , Ding Wenfeng , Fu Yucan , Pu Changlan , Tang Menglan , Deng Mingming , Liu Guoliang
Published: February 2022

Ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding (UVAG) combined with the ultrasonic vibrating method and CG process was proposed, aiming at improving the grindability of hardened steel in conventional grinding (CG) process. Comparative investigations on grinding force, temperature, and specific grinding energy for both grinding processes were studied in detail. In addition, the morphologies of wheel wear surface and ground surface were also conducted. Findings show that in comparison of CG processes, the grinding forces in UVAG are reduced greatly by 16.44% and 17.44%, for normal and tangential forces, respectively. The UVAG process attributes to a lower specific grinding energy by 8.30% owing to the increase of maximum undeformed chip thickness, and a smaller grinding temperature by 19.01% due to the improvement of coolant heat transfer capacity in the grinding arc zone. Meanwhile, the promising grain sharpness of wheels can be guaranteed, resulting from the enhanced cooling function on grinding arc zone and grains micro-fracture caused by ultrasonic impacting actions.
Remarkable virus diversity and organized community in filter-feeding oysters varied from those of the ocean virome
Authors: Jiang Jing-Zhe , Fang Yi-Fei , Wei Hong-Ying , Zhu Peng , Liu Min , Yang Li-Ling , Guo Ying-Xiang , Jin Tao , Shi Mang , Yao Tuo , Lu Jie , Ye Ling-Tong , Shi Shao-Kun , Wang Meng , Duan Ming , Zhang Dian-Chang
Published: February 2022

Background:Viruses play critical roles in the marine environment because of their interactions with an extremely broad range of potential hosts. Many studies of viruses in seawater have been published, but viruses that inhabit marine animals have been largely neglected. Oysters are keystone species in coastal ecosystems, but as filter-feeding bivalves with very large roosting numbers and species co-habitation, it is not clear what role they play in marine virus transmission and coastal microbiome regulation.Results:Here we report a Dataset of Oyster Virome (DOV) that contains 728,784 nonredundant viral operational taxonomic unit (vOTU) (≥800 bp) contigs and 3,473 high-quality viral genomes, enabling the first comprehensive overview of both DNA and RNA viral communities in oysters (Crassostrea hongkongensis). We discovered tremendous diversity among novel viruses that inhabit oysters using multiple approaches, including reads recruitment, vOTUs, and high-quality virus genomes. Our results show that these viruses are very different from viruses in the oceans or other habitats. In particular, the high diversity of novel circoviruses that we found in oysters indicates that oysters may be potential hotspots for circoviruses. Notably, the viruses that were enriched in oysters are not random but are well organized communities that can respond to changes in the health state of the host and the external environment at both compositional and functional levels.Conclusions:In this study, we generated a first knowledge landscape of the oyster virome, which has increased the number of known oyster-related viruses by tens of thousands of times. Our results suggest that oysters provide a unique habitat that is different from that of seawater, and highlight the importance of filter-feeding bivalves for marine virus exploration as well as their essential but still invisible roles in regulating marine ecosystems.
Cortical Blindness due to neurocysticercosis in an adolescent patient
Authors: opara Nnennaya
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common cause of recent-onset seizures in both adults and children in tropical areas, especially when there is no other suggestion of an underlying neurological disorder. In addition, there have been reports of very rare cases of bilateral cortical blindness caused by helminths in children. It is still unclear whether healthy adolescents with no pre-existing health problems could be vulnerable to developing such sequelae due to NCC.CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 14-year-old African boy from Nigeria with bilateral cortical blindness caused by NCC due to Taenia solium. According to the boy’s mother, symptoms began with headaches, vomiting, fatigue, visual loss, and fever (40.0 °C). Clinical investigations led to a diagnosis of cortical blindness and encephalitis due to NCC. Appropriate treatment was administered, and it resulted in the resolution of most symptoms, though the patient remained permanently blind.CONCLUSIONS: After reviewing the literature and experience learned from our patient case presentation, we suggest that early neurological evaluation and serology tests for NCC in patients with seizures of unknown origin and with a history of travel to endemic regions should prompt a workup for NCC and immediate treatment. Localization of cysticerci can occur in any part of the brain; therefore, cyst invasion and damage of the occipital cortex can cause bilateral vision loss.
Maternal-fetal Stress and Dna Methylation Signatures in Neonatal Saliva: an Epigenome-wide Association Study.
Authors: Sharma Ritika , Frasch Martin G. , Zelgert Camila , Zimmermann Peter , Fabre Bibiana , Wilson Rory , Waldenberger Melanie , MacDonald James W. , Bammler Theo K. , Lobmaier Silvia M. , Antonelli Marta C.
Published: February 2022

Background
Maternal stress before, during and after pregnancy has profound effects on the development and life-long function of the infant’s neurocognitive development. We hypothesized that the programming of the Central Nervous System (CNS), Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis (HPA) and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) induced by prenatal stress (PS) is reflected in electrophysiological and epigenetic biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to find non-invasive epigenetic biomarkers of PS in the newborn salivary DNA.
Results
738 pregnant women were screened for stress exposure using Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), 164 women were enrolled and 114 dyads were analyzed. Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) was also administered to assess specific pregnancy worries. Transabdominal fetal Electrocardiograms (taECG) were recorded to derive coupling between maternal and fetal heart rates resulting in a “Fetal Stress Index” (FSI). Upon delivery, we collected maternal hair strands for cortisol measurements and newborn’s saliva for epigenetic analyses. DNA was extracted from saliva samples and DNA methylation was measured using EPIC Bead-Chip array (850k CpG sites). Linear regression was used to identify associations between PSS/PDQ/FSI/Cortisol and DNA methylation. We found epigenome-wide significant associations for 5 CpG with PDQ and cortisol at FDR < 5%. Three CpGs were annotated to genes (Illumina Gene annotation file): YAP1, TOMM20 and CSMD1 and two CpGs were located approximately lay at 50kb from SSBP4 and SCAMP1. In addition, two Differentiated Methylation regions (DMR) related to maternal stress measures PDQ and cortisol were found: DAXX and ARL4D.
Conclusions
Genes annotated to these CpGs were found to be involved in secretion and transportation, nuclear signaling, Hippo signaling pathways, apoptosis, intra-cellular trafficking and neuronal signaling. Moreover, some CpGs are annotated to genes related to autism, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia. Early assessment of such non-invasive PS biomarkers will allow timelier detection of babies at risk and a more effective allocation of resources for early intervention programs to improve child development. A biomarker-guided early intervention strategy is the first step in the prevention of future health problems, reducing their personal and societal impact.
A Self-attention Graph Convolutional Network for Precision Multi-tumour Early Diagnostics with DNA Methylation Data
Authors: Jiang X ue , Li Zhiqi , Wang Heng , Chu Yanyi , Wang Qiankun , Mao Xueying , Zhao Jing , Jiang Mingming , Zhao Bowen , Xiong Yi , Wang Edwin , Wei Dongqing
Published: February 2022

DNA methylation data-based precision tumour early diagnostics is emerging as the state of the art for molecular tumour recognition, which could capture the signals of cancer occurrence 3 ~ 5 years in advance and clinically more homogenous groups. However, the sensitive of early detection for many tumors is about 30%, which needs to be greatly improved. Nevertheless, on the basis of the whole genome bisulfite sequencing methylation data, a comprehensive characterisation of the entire molecular genetic landscape of the tumor as well as the subtle differences between different tumours could be identified. With the accumulation of methylation data, high performance deep learning models that considering and modeling more unbiased information need to be developed. According to the above analysis, we designed a pipeline to investigate genome-wide DNA methylation patterns for precision multi-tumour early diagnostics. We proposed a graph convolutional network considering the attention mechanism to dissect DNA methylation heterogeneity of different cancer types. The attention mechanism in the graph convolutional network architecture could detect the cancer signals from genome-wide methylated molecular interactions, improving the robustness and sensitivity of multi-tumor classification. Experimental results demonstrates the feasibility of precision multi-tumour early diagnostics with the DNA methylation data. The workflow presented here is very useful for tumor classification, which highly relevant for the future blood diagnosis and treatment of the tumour.
Substrate translocation in SLC23 and SLC26 transporters
Authors:   , Holzhüter Katharina Elisabeth Agatha
Published: February 2022

Specialized transporter proteins facilitate controlled uptake and extrusion of molecules across biological membranes that would otherwise be impermeable to them. The superfamily of solute carriers (SLC) comprises the second largest group of membrane proteins in humans, acting on a variety of small polar and non-polar molecules and ions. Because of their central role in metabolism, malfunctioning of these proteins often is pathogenic. The interest in SLC transporters as drug targets – as well as for drug delivery – has therefore increased in the past years. For many SLC subfamilies, however, structural and functional information remains scarce to date. The here presented data provides important insights into different aspects of the transport mechanism of the SLC23 and SLC26 protein families. Importantly, we show that SLC23 nucleobase transporters, in contrast to what was been previously reported, work as uniporters rather than as proton-coupled symporters. In order to do so, we developed the first and only in vitro transport assay for the SLC23 family, which enables investigation of protein function in a defined environment. Moreover, we provide a hypothesis on the role of the extremely conserved negative charged substrate binding site residue found not only in the SLC23, but also SLC4 and SLC26 families. Based on a detailed analysis of binding and transport we conclude that this conserved negative charged has a relevance for protein stability rather than for substrate binding, which explains its conservation for all three protein families that otherwise differ in their substrate specificities and modes of transport. Lastly, we investigated the relevance of oligomerization for the SLC23 and SLC26 families, highlighting the importance of the STAS domain for forming active dimers in the SLC26 anion transporter family.
A Comparison of Firmness Assessment Instruments for Fresh Blueberry Fruit
Authors: Moggia Claudia , Valdés Yeldo , Arancibia Alejandra , Valdés Marcelo , Radrigan Catalina , Icaza Gloria , Beaudry Randolph , Lobos Gustavo A.
Published: February 2022

Fresh fruit from northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) are highly perishable, so reaching distant markets while maintaining superior quality and value is a challenge. Although firmness is one of the most critical traits of blueberries (Vaccinium sp.), most of the industry relies on a subjective-tactile assessment or on the use of low-cost texture analyzers, whereas scientists tend to rely on the FirmTech II instrument. In the present study, the FirmTech II was evaluated as a texture analyzer and compared with tactile estimation, two other FirmTech II devices, and three relatively inexpensive durometers (Penefel, Durofel, and DM1600). Tests were run for fruit previously segregated by tactile (T) measurements into three classes of firmness: Soft-T, Moderate-T, and Firm-T; fruit were classified into instrument-based (I) categories of texture: Soft-I, Moderate-I, and Firm-I using the FirmTech II instrument. The level of coincidence between T and I assessments were higher in the soft (90.7% to 92.6%) and moderate (69.6% to 78.2%) classes compared with the firm class (51.6% to 61.4%). Among firmness categories, T and I assessments tended to agree; none of the Soft-T fruit were classed as Firm-I. In comparisons between equivalently calibrated FirmTech II devices, concordance always decreased as fruit firmness increased, indicating that more reproducible readings for a given instrument could be expected from softer fruit. Dual measurements on a single fruit for FirmTech II and a second device yielded variable, but significant correlation coefficients (Penefel: r2 = 0.61 to 0.67; Durofel: r2 = 0.48 to 0.61; DM1600: r2 = 0.08 to 0.49). The highest correlation existed between two FirmTech II devices (r2 = 0.94 to 0.95). However, correlations between the FirmTech II and second devices among the three firmness classes yielded very low correlation coefficients (Penefel: r2 = 0.09 to 0.40; Durofel: r2 = 0.05 to 0.32; DM1600: r2 = 0.00 to 0.25; FirmTech II: 0.03 to 0.33), suggesting that although all instruments were suitable for evaluating across broad ranges of fruit firmness, they were all similarly unsuitable within a narrow firmness range (e.g., for all soft or all firm fruit). Given the subjectivity of the tactile measurement and the range of variability between the evaluated alternatives, both FirmTech II and Penefel performed better in soft fruit but not as well in moderate or firm fruit. Therefore, among the more economical durometer devices, Penefel could be used by the industry to discriminate soft fruit from moderately firm or firm fruit. The results highlight the relevance of studying the predictive capacity of a particular instrument and to understand the performance of that instrument within a particular range of firmness values.
Treatment of Mycobacteriosis with Lung Destruction Using Long-Term Endobronchial Valve Implantation
Authors: Lovacheva O. V. , Russkikh А. E. , Gracheva А. N. , Panova А. E. , Samoylova А. G. , Vasilyeva I. А.
Published: February 2022

The article describes a case of effective treatment of fibrous cavernous pulmonary mycobacteriosis with the implantation of the endobronchial valve (valve bronchial block).Subjects and Methods. A 66-year-old man was diagnosed with fibrous cavernous pulmonary mycobacteriosis. M. chelonae was detected as a causative agent of the disease. At the time of diagnosis, the disease lasted for 12 months, the duration of treatment due to the erroneous diagnosis of tuberculosis made 6.5 months, the drug therapy of mycobacteriosis lasted for 11 months, and after development of the adverse event in the form of constant tinnitus, the patient interrupted the drug therapy. The patient received no drug therapy for 24 months before the implantation of the endobronchial valve.Result. The cure of mycobacteriosis and cavity healing were achieved after the implantation of the endobronchial valve. The endobronchial valve remained in the bronchus for 22 months. During this period and after the removal of the endobronchial valve, the patient did not take any medications, lived an active life and was managed on an outpatient basis.
Clinical Significance of Melatonin in Bronchial Asthma
Authors: Budnevskiy А. V. , Аvdeev S. N. , Kozhevnikova S. А. , Аntakova L. N. , Ovsyannikov E. S. , Shishkina V. V.
Published: February 2022

The article presents the analysis of 37 publications on the effect of various hormones on the pathogenesis and course of bronchial asthma (BA), in particular melatonin. Based on analyzed publications it has been concluded that melatonin in BA can level subclinical inflammation due to its multifunctional biological and pharmacological effects. Melatonin due to its chronotropic and immunomodulatory activity normalizes sleep in patients with BA. Melatonin can be considered a promising component of the pathogenetic treatment of BA.
The Use of Inhaled Glucocorticosteroids (ICS) during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Vizel A. A. , Vizel I. Yu. , Sagdieva M. K. , Yarkaeva F. F.
Published: February 2022

The article analyzes 46 publications on the use of ICS for COVID-19. Both research results and their discussion by specialists are presented. The expediency of continuing basic therapy, including ICS, has been demonstrated in the event of COVID-19 in patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The risk of local immunosuppressive action of ICS has been compared with the ability to suppress inflammation in the initial period of COVID-19. Analysis of the publications suggests that it is safe to prescribe ICS to patients with COVID-19 as well as it is advisable to use them in the initial stages of this disease.
Influencia de la personalidad docente en el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera
Authors: Zuluaga Grisales Andrea
Published: February 2022

El aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera es un reto vigente para los países de habla hispana y, en este marco, para la ciudad de Medellín; convirtiéndose así en una de las principales metas educativas del mundo globalizado. En esta meta influye la personalidad del docente en el autoconcepto y proceso de atención del estudiante, para favorecer o no este aprendizaje. El objetivo de la presente revisión es describir los factores de la personalidad docente que repercuten en lo antes mencionado, para mejorar el aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera; para ello, se revisaron artículos indexados en diferentes bases de datos, dentro del rango de años 2015-2020. Los resultados indican que los factores de la personalidad del docente, como la apertura a la experiencia, la amabilidad y la extraversión, tienen un impacto positivo frente al desarrollo del autoconcepto del estudiante y, por ende, impactan en su proceso de atención. Estos resultados destacan, en su mayoría, la importancia de forjar la personalidad del docente dentro del proceso de aprendizaje de una segunda lengua.
Aproximación al aprendizaje pedagógico en la discapacidad intelectual leve
Authors: Quintero López Catalina , Gil Vera Víctor Daniel , Arbeláez Montoya Katherine , Castañeda Aguilar Leidy Yohanna , González Fontalvo Catherine Lizeth , Meneses Villa Luisa Fernanda
Published: February 2022

Este trabajo presenta una reflexión actualizada de métodos y estrategias eficaces para el aprendizaje del cálculo, la escritura y lectura en sujetos con discapacidad intelectual leve. Conforme con el análisis de las investigaciones abordadas, se puede concluir que, si bien los propósitos de la atención pedagógica a los sujetos con déficit intelectual vienen enmarcados bajo los principios de la educación inclusiva, se evidencia una gran diferencia entre las intenciones de la educación inclusiva y la realidad de las instituciones educativas. Así, los niños con discapacidad intelectual leve, pese a ser integrados en el aula regular, no logran recibir la atención educativa requerida para fortalecer los aprendizajes pedagógicos de lectoescritura y cálculo; situación que se relaciona con el desconocimiento, por parte de los docentes, de las estrategias pedagógicas para abordar las particularidades educativas de esta población.  El resultado del análisis, evidencia la existencia de diversas técnicas; indica, al mismo tiempo, que no existe un método específico para el aprendizaje de habilidades académicas en los sujetos con deficiencias intelectuales leves, sugiere identificar el interés y la necesidad de los estudiantes para así establecer flexibilizaciones en las planeaciones pedagógicas y metodológicas del currículo que favorezcan el proceso de aprendizaje.
Influence of financial information systems on increasing competitive advantage: Evidence from Jordan
Authors: Nour Mahmoud , Alsufy Fares , Hassan Makhlouf Mohammed
Published: February 2022

The study aims to measure the influence of financial information systems (FIS) on competitive advantage in organizations listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). To achieve the objectives of the study, a quantitative approach is used. The study sample adopted in this study is a self-administered questionnaire handled by a study sample of 66 financial managers, internal auditors, information systems managers, and heads of departments in organizations listed on the ASE, categorized by the following competitive advantage variables, including service efficiency, cost flexibility, learning organization, and service variety. The results of the study accept the main hypothesis stating that financial information systems can increase competitive advantage within organizations. In addition, the results show that the service efficiency and learning organization variables have a positive and strong relationship with FIS and are highly influenced by it on the one hand. On the other hand, service variety has a medium relationship, while cost flexibility has a weak and positive relationship. The study recommends focusing on training programs that support employees’ skills in using the financial information systems in all their forms, in line with continuing technological developments and activating creativity in the organization in all its forms to achieve competitive advantage.
The Effect of Gamified Flipped Classroom on the Improvement of Vocabulary Learning of Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners
Authors: Fahandezh Farhad , Mohammadi Asieyeh
Published: February 2022

The current study aimed to improve vocabulary learning by using gamification in the flipped classroom context. To this end, all of the study’s population comprised high school learners at two high schools in Roodan, a city in Hormozgan, Iran. The participants were divided into three classes, class A consisting of 40 students, class B comprising 40 students, and class C consisting of thirty learners. All learners were female. In order to ensure that the learners were homogeneous, the Preliminary English Test (PET) was applied. Class A was chosen as the experimental group (gamified flipped classroom), whereas classes B and C were chosen as the control groups. Data were collected through the vocabulary and placement tests. Results indicate that gamification in the flipped context could have a significant effect on vocabulary improvement. This study suggests certain implications for English teachers, policymakers, and material developers. As a new teaching model, it offers a new method of vocabulary teaching.
The Impact of Genre-Based Instruction on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners’ Writing Skills
Authors: Mohseni Atefeh
Published: February 2022

The teaching of writing skills includes different methods and approaches. English language learners should be equipped with genre-based pedagogy to be able to write for specific settings. However, the idea of using Genre-based instruction of writing in non-native English-speaking countries has empirically received inadequate attention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of GBI on writing skills. Genres are Argumentative, Discussion, Explanation, and Exposition. This study used a quasi-experimental design. Fifty-one male students majoring in aviation courses in civil aviation technology of Tehran with an intermediate level of proficiency were assigned to experimental and control groups. The author examined their proficiency by Michigan English language assessment Battery (MELAB test) and tested their writing skills by administering a writing test of TOEFL iBT 2008. The control group took part in the traditional teaching of writing, and the experimental group was taught explicitly through the GBI method based on a lesson plan proposal. Four pre-and post-tests were taken by two groups to check the writing GBI progress. Independent sample t-tests revealed that the writing GBI could significantly improve the coherence, cohesion, and organization of writing. This study can benefit EFL practitioners by shedding light on how we can implement GBI of writing in an authentic classroom situation.
Which tongue? The Imported Colonial Standard or Motherland Vernacular? Exploring “Death” as the Birth of Postcolonial Malaysia in Muthammal Palanisamy’s Funeral Chant
Authors:   Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah, Malaysia., Ganesan Kavitha
Published: February 2022

This article examines “death” in a funeral chant set in the plantation estates of Malaysia, and written in English and Tamil, as a metaphor for the birth of the nation. It explores how the death of communal linguistic elements, both in orality and symbolic references, lead to the deconstruction of motherland identity markers which are then replaced by the reconstruction of diasporic identities that are observable through the use of standardized English. For this purpose, the Malaysian Indian life-writer, Muthammal Palanisamy’s English version of an oppari (Tamil for funeral chant), which was published in Malaysia (2002) will be read in relation to the Tamil version published in India (2007) through transliterated and translated texts of the chant. In so doing, the paper highlights the inherent gap between the two versions that can be usefully deployed to address whether English is an enabling tool through which ethnic Indians can express their identities in a postcolonial nation like Malaysia or is it perpetually contaminated by colonial history and values. On the other hand, the paper also draws attention to the question of whether the displacement of the vernacular language, i.e., Tamil, witnesses the inevitable cultural death of a diasporic community or does it display a form of inclusivity within the polyglot linguistic environment of the adopted land, Malaysia.
Autopoetics, Market Competence, and the Transnational Author
Authors:   Department of English, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines., Martin Maria Gabriela P.
Published: February 2022

Although materialist analyses have critiqued the institutionalization of postcolonial studies and its emergence in global capitalism, only few have addressed the role of creative writing in standardizing migrant novelistic production to what Mark McGurl has designated as ‘program fiction’ whose trademark is the practice of “involuted self-reference”. In filling this gap, this paper looks into Gina Apostol’s writings and their reception by international audiences as exemplary of the cultural capital of program fiction. While Apostol’s autofictions/ficto-criticism points to the influence of creative writing in her novels — she studied under John Barth in the MFA program in Johns Hopkins University, this context is overlooked when metropolitan readers construe her work as postcolonial literature. I argue that Apostol’s textualist renderings of Philippine history is an act of ventriloquism whose metropolitan success is a symptom of the auratic authority of postcolonial studies in the First world literary marketplace.
From Private Eye to Public “I”: The Chinese Filipinos in Charlson Ong’s Hard-Boiled Fiction
Authors:   Department of Political Science and Development Studies, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines., Velasco Joseph Ching
Published: February 2022

Charlson Ong’s Blue Angel, White Shadow (2010) is a hard-boiled fiction that revolves around the issues of crime, corruption, and death in a postcolonial Southeast Asian state. Predominantly dark, gloomy, and mysterious, the mood of the narrative establishes a strongly morose reading experience. The narrative world portrayed in the novel is simultaneously sorrowful and somber. Binondo, the historical ethnic Chinese epicenter of the Philippines, is depicted with excessive chaos and moral disarray. I argue that the novel has attempted to reshape the usual form of hard-boiled fiction by systematically interrupting the narrative’s serious and cynical tone. More specifically, humor was deployed by the author as a mechanism to intervene in the novel’s subscription to the norms of hard-boiled fiction. The novel puts into perspective different facets of Chinese Filipino identity mediated through the Philippine postcolonial landscape. Ultimately, I initiate a discussion on the intersection of Chinese Filipino literature, identities, diaspora, and genre theory. I maintain that Chinese Filipino literature, like the subject of the present inquiry, is borne out of the diasporic experience through collective histories and memories.
Orchestration of Obesolytic Activity of Microbiome: Metabiotics at Centre Stage
Authors: Kapoor Bhupinder , Singh Apoorva , Gulati Monica , Singh Sachin Kumar , Rani Pooja , Alzahrani Qushmua , Dua Kamal , Dureja Harish , Corrie Leander
Published: February 2022

Metabiotics have emerged as the safer alternatives to probiotics in last decade. Unlike probiotics that are
live microbes, metabiotics are the low molecular weight bioactive metabolites produced by the gut microbiota. While
offering a similar profile of health benefits as that of probiotics, metabiotics are free from the risks and uncertain
responses associated with administration of live bacteria into the body. Metabiotics have demonstrated substantial
effectiveness across the ethnicities, age, gender and nutritional habits in a number of metabolic disorders, including
obesity. Obesity is attributed to the offsetting of the energy homeostasis of the body due to a number of genetic,
endocrinological, and environmental factors leading to obesity. The obesogenic mechanisms are quite complicated as
they result from a complex interplay among a number of factors. Owing to a variety of constituents exerting their
action through different pathways, metabiotics offer a pragmatic option for treatment as well as prevention of obesity
by addressing heterogeneous aspects of its aetiology. In this review, we categorize various components of metabiotics
and discuss their cross-talk with host cells at the molecular level. We also discuss the challenges in understanding
these interactions and their potential effects on obesity treatment and prevention strategies. Considering the alarming
rise in obesity all over the world, metabiotics offer an attractive non-pharmacological approach to spearhead the
strategies being designed to combat the challenges posed by the obesity epidemic.
Comparing Perfusion Data of CE-MRI, SWI, and CTA with MR
Perfusion in Stroke
Authors: Aralaşmak Ayşe , Çetinkaya Ezra , Goksungur Gurol , Kaya Mehmet Onur , Toprak Huseyin , Kolukısa Mehmet , Asıl Talip , Kurtcan Serpil , Özdemir Hüseyin
Published: February 2022

Background:

To evaluate the perfusion status of patients with acute stroke, different imaging
tools are used depending on the condition. CT-CT Angiography and MRI are indispensable imaging
tools to diagnose and manage stroke patients. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) also has been
used lately to evaluate vascular structures and consequences of stroke in the brain. We aimed to compare
CE-MRI, SWI, and CTA with DSC-MRP in terms of perfusion.

Methods:

Stroke cases of CE-MRI, SWI, CTA and DSC-MRP of 44 patients were included. Collateralization
was assessed on CTA; leptomeningeal-pial collateralization (LPC) and parenchymal enhancement
(PE) on CE-MRI; prominent vessel sign (PVS) and hemorrhagic transformation on SWI.
Results were compared with MRP maps and the ratio of penumbra/infarct core.

Results:

LPC was correlated with increased CBV (p<0,001), decreased CBF (p=0,026), and prolonged
MTT and TTP (p=0,001 and p=0,003). LPC was observed more often in cases with infarct zones with
penumbra compared to those without penumbra (p=0,024). PE was positively correlated with prolonged
MTT and TTP (p=0,015 and p=0,031). Moreover, there was a positive relationship between PE
and increased penumbra ratio over the infarct core (p=0,037). Ipsilateral PVS was associated with increased
CBV (p=0,004) and decreased CBF (p=0,002). No relationship was found between collateralization
grading on CTA and perfusion metrics or penumbra ratio.

Conclusion:

In conclusion; ipsilateral PVS can be a measure of CBV and CBF. LPC on CE-MRI can
be a sign of an increase in CBV. PE can show larger penumbra. CE-MRI with SWI can be used to
evaluate perfusion status.
Evaluation of Pleotropic Protective Activity of Capparis spinose Extract on
Arthritis Rat Model
Authors: Yosri Mohammed , Elaasser Mahmoud M. , Abdel-Aziz Marwa M. , Ahmed Hanna Y. , Amin Basma H.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Capparis spinosa grows in Asian and Mediterranean desert areas. Different parts of Capparis spinosa, including flowers, have been used in various folk medicine applications.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the anti-arthritic potential of ethanolic extract of Egyptian
Capparis spinosa flowers in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, analysis of Capparis
spinosa extract was performed using LC-qTOF-MS/MS.

Methods:

Animals were split into six groups: negative control group, induced arthritic animals,
arthritic rats receiving 7, 14 and 28 mg/kg of Capparis spinosa extract, respectively, in three
groups to detect the optimum dose, and the induced group receiving a standard drug. The arthritic
score was checked daily for 15 days after induction. After animals were sacrificed, their joints and
muscles were subjected to microscopic and ultra-structure examinations. Ex vivo culturing of osteoclasts was performed. Cytokine levels were measured in all examined groups.

Results:

The results revealed 7 mg/kg of Capparis spinosa extract as the optimal dose, which decreased inflammation signs through controlling chondrocytes, osteoclasts, and levels of inflammatory mediators.

Conclusion:

LC-Mass analysis revealed Capparis spinosa extract to contain a mixture of flavonol
glycosides, flavan-3-ols and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, which may provide beneficial multifunction in regulating arthritic symptoms.
Preventive and Therapeutic Aspects of Migraine for Patient Care: An Insight
Authors: Tiwari Gaurav , Tiwari Ruchi , Mishra Sonam , Ramachandran Vadivelan
Published: February 2022

Background:

Migraine is a common neurological condition marked by frequent mild to ex-treme headaches that last 4 to 72 hours. A migraine headache may cause a pulsing or concentrated throb-bing pain in one part of the brain. Nausea, vomiting, excessive sensitivity to light and sound, smell, feeling sick, vomiting, painful headache, and blurred vision are all symptoms of migraine disorder. Females are more affected by migraines in comparison to males.

Objective:

The present review article summarizes preventive and therapeutic measures, including allopa-thic and herbal remedies for the treatment of migraine.

Results:

This review highlights the current aspects of migraine pathophysiology and covers an under-standing of the complex workings of the migraine state. Therapeutic agents that could provide an effective treatment have also been discussed.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that different migraines could be treated based on their type and severity.
Effects of Alantolactone on Stemness Genes Expression and
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Breast Cancer via
STAT3 Suppression
Authors: Aziz Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh , Kashefi Saiedeh , Khalaji Naser
Published: February 2022

Background:

To reduce the side effects of conventional chemotherapy drugs, new herbal
remedies, such as alantolactone, can be used.

Objective:

We evaluated the association between stemness and EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition)
process in triple-negative breast cancer cells treated with alantolactone that targets STAT3.

Methods:

The MDA-MB-231 cell line was used as one of the triple-negative breast cancer cell lines.
MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability and alantolactone dose at three-time points of 24, 48,
and 72 hours, and three doses, i.e., 1, 0.1, and 0.01 μM of alantolactone were used to evaluate cellular
behavior in proliferative and invasion pathways, respectively. A scratch test was also performed to
evaluate the invasive power of cancer cells. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of
regular genes by cancerous cell proliferation, STAT3 NANOG, SOX-2, and E-cadherin metastasis.

Results:

It was observed that increasing the dose of alantolactone decreased proliferation and metastasis
rate. The three doses selected for the cell culture study did not differ significantly from the control
group regarding apoptosis-inducing abilities at desired time intervals. Expression of SOX-2, STAT3,
and NANOG in the treated cells decreased with increasing dose of the alantolactone, whereas expression
of E-cadherin was found to be increased.

Conclusion:

Alantolactone through the STAT3 signaling pathway affects the expression of Ecadherin,
NANOG, and SOX2 genes, inhibiting the EMT process and subsequent stemness, and may
potentially be used in therapeutics for cancer patients.
INVESTIGANDO ESPAÇOS ESCOLARES DE LETRAMENTOS: A BIBLIOTECA E O LABORATÓRIO DE INFORMÁTICA
Authors: Schuchter Lúcia Helena , Bruno Adriana Rocha
Published: February 2022

Este artigo configura-se a partir de uma pesquisa, que buscou compreender como são utilizados a Biblioteca Escolar e o Laboratório de Informática, enquanto ambientes de produção de leitura, escrita e conhecimento. Buscou-se fundamentação teóricometodológica na pesquisa qualitativa de abordagem histórico-cultural, respaldada por Lev S. Vygotsky e Mikhail Bakhtin. O campo de pesquisa constituiu-se de duas escolas situadas na cidade de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. A investigação desenvolveu-se por meio de: (a) entrevistas semiestruturadas com dois bibliotecários, uma professora responsável pelo laboratório de informática, três professores e duas coordenadoras pedagógicas; (b) análise documental; (c) observação; e (d) questionário. A pesquisa aponta a possibilidade de trabalhos integrados na biblioteca escolar, no laboratório de informática e na sala de aula, e mostra a necessidade da formação para o uso das tecnologias a toda comunidade escolar.