bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Origanum compactum essential oil for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities
Authors: Hamamouchi Jamila , El Mahi Mohammed , Faouzi Moulay El Abbes
Published: November 2021

Origanum compactum Benth. has been widely used in moroccan traditional medicine for various therapeutic treatments. Belonging to the same genus, O. onites was found to have marked analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this work is to evaluate theses pharmacological properties of the essential oil of O. compactum in order to provide a basis for the folkloric use of the plant. Aerial parts of plant were subjected to steam distillation, according to the French Pharmacopoeia. Male OF1 mice and male Wistar rats were used for these studies. The analgesic effect was done using Writhing test in mice and Tail-Flick test in rats. The mechanism investigation was evaluated employing an antagonism assay using naloxone, a specific antagonist of opiate receptors. Anti- inflammatory property has been studied using carrageenin and experimental trauma induced edema in rats. The essential oil of the aerial parts of Origanum compactum was found to exert central analgesic properties. Such a dose-dependent action was obtained against chemical and thermic stimuli, respectively, from the doses of 6.25 and 12.5 mg/kg and it was inhibited by a naloxone pretreatment, a specific morphinic antagonist compound. Significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects were observed on an acute inflammatory process from the dose of 100 mg/kg.
Effect of Chromium VI on edible plants and their health risks: case of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
Authors: Mohammed Bouhadi , M’hammed Elkouali , Mohammed Talbi , Tarik Ainane
Published: November 2021

Radish (raphanus sativus L) is a vegetable very rich in vitamin C and fiber, this plant belonging to the family Brassicacae characterized by their great capacity to accumulate heavy metals such as Chromium. The aim of our work is the study of the effect of Chromium VI on the morpho-physiological parameters of radish and the assessment of health risk related to the bioaccumulation of Cr in the edible parts. The plantation of radish was made on a soil artificially contaminated by 4 concentrations of Cr(VI) (10, 20, 40 and 60ppm). After comparing the results obtained with the results of non-contaminated soil, it is observed that the Cr affects negatively the growth, yield and the content of chlorophyll, On the other hand, it is noticed that there is a slight increase of sugars, proteins and Proline content with the increase of CrVI concentration in the soil, we can explain this increase by the development of defense mechanisms by the radish plant against the stress caused by CrVI. Regarding the bioaccumulation of Cr we found that the concentration of Cr in different parts of radish is too high compared to the recommended daily dose (120µg), so it is not recommended to consume radish grown in areas contaminated by Cr.
The Problem of Fire Control by Automatic Fire Extinguishing System
Authors: Tanklevskiy Leonid , Tarantsev Aleksandr , Balabanov Ivan , Murashkevich Elena , Lobov Denis , Mel’nik Anton
Published: November 2021

According to Article 117 of Russian Federal Law 123 of 2008, there is a class of objects historical buildings, exhibition complexes, energy facilities, etc. For these objects, it is not so necessary to eliminate the fire with automatic fire extinguishing systems, as to contain it until the arrival of fire departments. However, this law does not specify certain requirements for automatic installations, the main working substance of which is water and the solutions. The current situation makes it difficult to design, install and test automatic fire control systems. Given this, as well as the foreign experience and domestic developments in the field of automatic fire extinguishing systems, it is important to conduct a special research work. In this work, it is necessary both to conduct several fire tests in terms of the development of a fire with a limited water supply intensity, and to develop a draft of standard “Water automatic fire containment installations. General technical requirements. Test methods”.
Application of a New Method of Collecting Oil and Petroleum Products to Improve the Quality of Spill Response
Authors: Onov Vitaly A.
Published: November 2021

The article substantiates a new method of localization and elimination of oil and oil products spills. This method is the most environmentally friendly of all existing ones, fast, high-quality, inexpensive, with a low degree of further spread of the spill and a high degree of complete elimination.
Research of Influence of the Inlet Elements Design on a Hydraulic Efficiency of an Intermediate Stage in the BB3-Type Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pumps
Authors: Nadtochiy A. S. , Tverdohleb I. B.
Published: November 2021

This article presents the results of computational studies for different options of inlet design in an intermediate stage of a BB3 type multi-stage pump intended for transportation of crude oil and other similar liquids. Hydraulic losses in the flow part elements are compared for three different options of the inlet blades in the return channels of an intermediate stage.
Der beste Patient auf der Welt
Authors: Opalka Markus
Published: November 2021

Tipps aus dem Erfahrungsschatz eines versierten Kinderosteopathen: Wie begegnet man den kleinen Patienten auf der Beziehungsebene, und wie gewinnt man sie für sich und die Behandlung? Eltern und Kind als Einheit: Gerade bei Kindern, die noch nicht sprachlich kommunizieren, ist es wichtig, dass der Therapeut die Beziehung zu Eltern und Kind gleichzeitig aufbaut. Ein guter Ausklang der Behandlung ist bereits der Anfang der nächsten Behandlung, lautet die Devise. Ein Behandlungsabschluss gelingt unter anderem mit Kinderrezepten und kleinen Abschiedsgeschenken.
Entlastung für die Eierstöcke
Authors: Spajic Emilia
Published: November 2021

Das Polyzystische Ovarialsyndrom PCOS betrifft 5–10 % der Frauen im reproduktiven Alter und geht aufgrund einer erhöhten Androgenproduktion der Ovarien mit tendenzieller Anovulation, Amenorrhö, Hirsutismus und Fertilitätsstörung einher. Während für die westliche Medizin die Hormontherapie im Vordergrund steht, behandelt die TCM insbesondere Nieren-Yang-, Milz-Qi-, Leber-Yin- oder Nieren-Yin-Mangel sowie Leber-Qi- oder Blut-Stagnation. Wenngleich sich die TCM-Behandlung über ein Jahr und länger erstrecken kann, bietet sie in Form bewährter Kräuterrezepturen und Akupunkturkonzepte erfolgversprechende Methoden zur Unterstützung der Fertilität und Lebensqualität.
The production of variable number agreement in Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Jakubów Ana Paula S.P. , Sicuro Corrêa Letícia M.
Published: November 2021

This chapter focuses on the production of variable number agreement by Brazilian Portuguese (BP) speaking children/adolescents. Number agreement in BP can be redundant, with obligatory morphological plural marking in all the agreeing elements (standard variety), or non-redundant, with obligatory morphological plural marking on the determiner and optional plural marking on the noun and on post-nominal agreeing elements (non-standard variety). The results of an elicited production task are recapped here. A production model of number agreement on the DP is provided. It is argued that an underspecified morphophonological feature [±redundant] in the morphological component of the lexicon is required to account for optionality in number marking and for developmental changes regarding the expression of number agreement in speech.
Assessing children’s syntactic proficiency through a sentence repetition task
Authors: D’Ortenzio Silvia , Volpato Francesca
Published: November 2021

Cochlear implants (CIs) can provide proper linguistic input to children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. However, despite an early diagnosis and intervention, and the development of lexical skills and speech perception similar to typically developing age peers, children with CIs still show a delay in the processing of movement-derived structures. Following previous studies on deaf or hard-of-hearing Hebrew-speaking children, this study provides first data on the repetition of movement-derived syntactically complex structures in Italian-speaking children with CIs. Results showed that children with CIs performed poorer than their typically developing age peers and showed many difficulties in all the structures characterised by a complex derivation. Interestingly, both groups showed difficulties in the production of relative clauses.
Combining Focus VS and Topic constructions
Authors: Frascarelli Mara , Stortini Tania
Published: November 2021

This study focuses on the association between postverbal Focus subjects and the realization of left/right topicalization in the same sentence. Based on data collected with Italian children aged 3 to 9, evidence is provided for the existence of significant associations between VS, Topics and verb types in specific age groups, also identifying some turning points in the acquisition of discourse-related managing competences. In particular, a crucial interaction can be found between information structures and conversational dynamics, so that the Focus types affecting the common ground management are mainly associated with Topics that only refer to the common ground content. On the other hand, the VSO/OVS alternation is not affected by verb types, except motion verbs, plausibly calling for a distinction within the unaccusative class.
The acquisition of mood in child Spanish
Authors: Ahern Aoife K. , Torrens Vincent
Published: November 2021

This chapter presents an empirical study exploring the relationship between the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) and the first language acquisition of the subjunctive mood in Spanish. An analysis of the contrast between Spanish indicative and subjunctive verbal moods is proposed, linking it with the expression of modal meaning and propositional attitude information. Children (n = 40) between 4 and 7 years of age participated in false belief and wish recognition tasks, and in a joint story-retelling task in which the use of the subjunctive was elicited in a variety of sentential contexts. Results suggest a progression in the acquisition of the full command of the subjunctive from nominal to adverbial clauses and correlated with ToM abilities.
Computational representation of FrameNet for multilingual natural
language generation*
Authors: Dannélls Dana , Grūzītis Normunds
Published: November 2021

Multilingual natural language generation, the
process of producing written or spoken utterances in parallel
languages from either structured or unstructured representations
requires large amounts of syntactic and semantic information to
generate an expression that is tailored to the target audience. This
information is offered by FrameNet-like resources, which have been
developed for a number of languages. In this chapter, we present a
computational FrameNet grammar resource for multilingual natural
language generation. We compare between English and Swedish
framenets to illustrate how these can be unified under a shared
computational representation using Grammatical Framework. We
demonstrate how the grammar was exploited in two practical
multilingual natural language generation applications to facilitate
tourist communication and empower museum users with coherent artwork
descriptions.
Extending text-linguistic studies of register variation to a continuous situational space
Authors: Biber Douglas , Egbert Jesse , Keller Daniel , Wizner Stacey
Published: November 2021

In text-linguistic register research, distributions of linguistic features across registers are theorized
as having a functional relationship to the situational context. A strength of this approach is its focus on frequencies of
linguistic features across texts/registers. Situational variables, by contrast, have not been measured with the same
granularity. Only recently have text-linguistic researchers begun to treat situational characteristics as continuous variables
that vary between registers, and also across texts within registers. In the current chapter, we discuss the theoretical
foundation of this perspective and present two studies of register variation from a continuous situation perspective. For
both, we present methods for coding situational variables as continuous as well as key findings facilitated by the continuous
situation perspective.
Theme as a proxy for register categorization
Authors: Pérez-Guerra Javier
Published: November 2021

In Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), choices in relation to the initial elements of clauses or
‘Themes’ have been claimed as indicators of register, genre or text type (Vande Kopple
1991, Fries 1995, North
2005). This chapter tests this premise using a large-scale corpus-based analysis of Themes in written Present-day
American English. The analysis includes samples from fifteen registers, with different target audiences, communicative
purposes and stylometric features. Two major segmental approaches to Theme are tested here: Halliday’s ‘first (ideational)
element’ definition and Berry’s (1995) ‘preverbal’ hypothesis, according to which
the Theme extends up to either the first ideational element or the verb, respectively. Each of the Themes identified in the
corpus according to these definitions is typified according to its syntactic function and systemic-functional (textual,
interpersonal, experiential) status. The clustering of registers based on the category Theme reveals the ‘first-element’
approach is a plausible dissimilarity metric for registers, thus demonstrating that SFL Theme may be taken as a predictor of
register categorization.
Between context and community
Authors: Röthlisberger Melanie
Published: November 2021

This paper investigates the relationship between the stylistic context of utterance production and the
language user’s regional background as influencing factors in one syntactic alternation, i.e., variation between the double
object and the prepositional dative construction. To that end, this chapter zooms in on (1) the competition between stylistic
context and regional community regarding dative choice, (2) cross-regional inter-register variation, and (3) register-specific
coherence (aka intra-register variation). Comparing data from nine varieties of English using corpora that presumably share
the same structure (and registers) reveals that community is more important than context, that the effect of register is
regionally variable and that registers are largely but not fully coherent. These findings do not only stress the variable
nature of probabilistic grammars but also point to the importance of regional effects when studying register variation (all
scripts at https://osf.io/3djkr/).
Quality matters. A commentary on: Pollen limitation and xenia effects in a cultivated mass-flowering tree, Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae)
Authors: Van Etten Megan L
Published: November 2021

This article comments on:

Stephen J. Trueman, Wiebke Kämper, Joel Nichols, Steven M. Ogbourne, David Hawkes, Trent Peters, Shahla Hosseini Bai and Helen M. Wallace, Pollen limitation and xenia effects in a cultivated mass-flowering tree, Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae), Annals of Botany, Volume 129, Issue 2, 1 February 2022, Pages 135–146 https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab112
Egg mimicry and host selection by common cuckoos among four sympatric host species breeding within a reed habitat
Authors: Ma Laikun , Liu Jianping , Yang Canchao , Liang Wei
Published: November 2021

In the case of cuckoo parasitism, the maintenance of host specificity may be closely related to active host selection. In the reed wetlands of the Yongnian National Wetland Park, China, four host species of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) with similar nest structures breed sympatrically, namely, the Oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) (ORW), vinous-throated parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana) (VP), reed parrotbill (Paradoxornis heudei) (RP) and blunt-winged warbler (Acrocephalus concinens) (BW). Cuckoo parasitism rates on ORW (14.5%) and BW (18.2%) were found to be significantly higher than those on two species of parrotbills (RP 1.4% and VP 0%), and cuckoo eggs mimicked the size and coloration of ORW eggs significantly more closely than those of the eggs of the other three hosts. Egg recognition experiments revealed that the ability of ORW and VP to recognize nonmimetic eggs was significantly greater than that of BW and RP. Different life history strategies of the four hosts, including antiparasitic strategy, breeding time period and population density may partly explain the difference of parasitism in this multiple cuckoo-host system. Our study suggests that determining host life history traits and antiparasitic strategies are important for a better understanding of the specificity of host selection in common cuckoos.
Accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease incidence: a UK Biobank cohort study
Authors: Nikbakhtian Shahram , Reed Angus B , Obika Bernard Dillon , Morelli Davide , Cunningham Adam C , Aral Mert , Plans David
Published: November 2021

Aims

Growing evidence suggests that poor sleep health is associated with cardiovascular risk. However, research in this area often relies upon recollection dependent questionnaires or diaries. Accelerometers provide an alternative tool for measuring sleep parameters objectively. This study examines the association between wrist-worn accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods and results

We derived sleep onset and waking up time from accelerometer data collected from 103 712 UK Biobank participants over a period of 7 days. From this, we examined the association between sleep onset timing and CVD incidence using a series of Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 3172 cases of CVD were reported during a mean follow-up period of 5.7 (±0.49) years. An age- and sex-controlled base analysis found that sleep onset time of 10:00 p.m.–10:59 p.m. was associated with the lowest CVD incidence. An additional model, controlling for sleep duration, sleep irregularity, and established CVD risk factors, did not attenuate this association, producing hazard ratios of 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.39; P < 0.005), 1.12 (1.01–1.25; P = 0.04), and 1.25 (1.02–1.52; P = 0.03) for sleep onset <10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.–11:59 p.m., and ≥12:00 a.m., respectively, compared to 10:00 p.m.–10:59 p.m. Importantly, sensitivity analyses revealed this association with increased CVD risk was stronger in females, with only sleep onset <10:00 p.m. significant for males.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest the possibility of a relationship between sleep onset timing and risk of developing CVD, particularly for women. We also demonstrate the potential utility of collecting information about sleep parameters via accelerometry-capable wearable devices, which may serve as novel cardiovascular risk indicators.
Genomic studies with preselected markers reveal dominance effects influencing growth traits in Eucalyptus nitens
Authors: Thumma Bala R , Joyce Kelsey R , Jacobs Andrew
Published: November 2021

Genomic selection (GS) is being increasingly adopted by the tree breeding community. Most of the GS studies in trees are focused on estimating additive genetic effects. Exploiting the dominance effects offers additional opportunities to improve genetic gain. To detect dominance effects, trait-relevant markers may be important compared to nonselected markers. Here, we used preselected markers to study the dominance effects in a Eucalyptus nitens (E. nitens) breeding population consisting of open-pollinated (OP) and controlled-pollinated (CP) families. We used 8221 trees from six progeny trials in this study. Of these, 868 progeny and 255 parents were genotyped with the E. nitens marker panel. Three traits; diameter at breast height (DBH), wood basic density (DEN), and kraft pulp yield (KPY) were analyzed. Two types of genomic relationship matrices based on identity-by-state (IBS) and identity-by-descent (IBD) were tested. Performance of the genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) models with IBS and IBD matrices were compared with pedigree-based additive best linear unbiased prediction (ABLUP) models with and without the pedigree reconstruction. Similarly, the performance of the single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) with IBS and IBD matrices were compared with ABLUP models using all 8221 trees. Significant dominance effects were observed with the GBLUP-AD model for DBH. The predictive ability of DBH is higher with the GBLUP-AD model compared to other models. Similarly, the prediction accuracy of genotypic values is higher with GBLUP-AD compared to the GBLUP-A model. Among the two GBLUP models (IBS and IBD), no differences were observed in predictive abilities and prediction accuracies. While the estimates of predictive ability with additive effects were similar among all four models, prediction accuracies of ABLUP were lower than the GBLUP models. The prediction accuracy of ssGBLUP-IBD is higher than the other three models while the theoretical accuracy of ssGBLUP-IBS is consistently higher than the other three models across all three groups tested (parents, genotyped, and nongenotyped). Significant inbreeding depression was observed for DBH and KPY. While there is a linear relationship between inbreeding and DBH, the relationship between inbreeding and KPY is nonlinear and quadratic. These results indicate that the inbreeding depression of DBH is mainly due to directional dominance while in KPY it may be due to epistasis. Inbreeding depression may be the main source of the observed dominance effects in DBH. The significant dominance effect observed for DBH may be used to select complementary parents to improve the genetic merit of the progeny in E. nitens.
Technique for ectopic intrathymic parathyroid adenoma: the uniportal subxiphoid approach
Authors: Hartert Marc , Tripsky Jan , Huertgen Martin
Published: November 2021

Parathyroid adenomas (PAs) are the main cause for primary hyperparathyroidism with almost a quarter of them being ectopic, most likely located in the superior mediastinum within the thymus. Besides the challenge of their prompt and correct diagnosis, utmost care should be taken during surgical resection as leaving behind parathyroid tissue may result in metastasis and recurrence of hyperparathyroidism. With tumor excision via median sternotomy or thoracotomy being the conventional approaches for a long period, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is of gaining popularity. As the lateral thoracic approach lacks in clarity on the contralateral mediastinum, the newest evolution in VATS—the supxiphoid approach—closes the gap to the insufficient intraoperative visibility and hence optimizes postoperative outcome. We hereby present the practicality of the uniportal subxiphoid resection of an ectopic mediastinal PA.
Supply chain management and sustainability: the new boundaries of the firm
Authors: Ventura Livia
Published: November 2021

A directive on supply chain due diligence applicable to all companies operating on the European Union (EU) market is currently under consideration by the EU institutions. This project, which represents an example of harmonization at the regional level and whose presentation is expected in 2021, places the issue of enterprises’ private procurement process at the heart of the debate. Supply chain strategies are an essential element of any business ecosystem. Therefore, in order for firms to effectively address social and environmental concerns along with the economic dimension, it is necessary to adopt and spread the use of sustainable business practices across the entire supply chain. Currently, due to (i) the diffusion of the ‘triple bottom line’ approach; (ii) the reputational and economic damages arising from numerous scandals concerning the supply chain; and (iii) the growing market value of sustainability, an increasing number of firms have included sustainability requirements in their entire supply chain. This has led to the enhancement of ‘preferred procurement’ policies, such as the green, social, and sustainable procurements. After a brief analysis of the current legal framework and the best practices applied in the field of sustainable private procurement, this study offers some conclusions on (i) the impact of sustainability on the definition of the boundaries of the firm and (ii) the policy shift from self-regulation to statute law in private procurement governance and the benefit of a model statute designed to be adopted by different jurisdictions.
Bronchoscopic diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions
Authors: Gasparini Stefano , Mei Federico , Bonifazi Martina , Zuccatosta Lina
Published: November 2021

Purpose of review

Over the last decades, in addition to the traditional fluoroscopy, various and innovative guidance systems have been adopted in clinical practice for transbronchial approach to peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). The aim of this article is to summarize the most recent data on available guidance systems and sampling tools, evaluating also advantages and limitations of each technique.

Recent findings

Although several studies have been published over the last years, large randomized studies comparing the different techniques are scanty. Fluoroscopy is the traditional and still most widely utilized guidance system. New guidance systems (electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, ultrasound miniprobe, cone beam computed tomography) seems to provide a better sensitivity, especially for small lesions not visualized by fluoroscopy. Among the sampling instruments, there is a good evidence that flexible transbronchial needle provides the better diagnostic yield and that sensitivity may increase if more than one sampling instrument is used.

Even if great progress has been done since the first articles on the transbronchial approach to PPLs, better scientific evidence and more reliable randomized trials are needed to guide interventional pulmonologists in choosing the best technique according to different clinical scenarios and source availability.
Low potency of fecal immunological surveillance testing soon after negative colonoscopy or resection of low-risk adenoma in average-risk patients
Authors: Kusunoki Ryusaku , Fujishiro Hirofumi , Suemitsu Shinsuke , Kataoka Masatoshi , Fujiwara Aya , Tsukano Kosuke , Kotani Satoshi , Ogawa Sayaka , Yamanouchi Satoshi , Aimi Masahito , Tanaka Masaki , Ito Satoko , Miyaoka Youichi , Miyake Tatsuya , Kohge Naruaki , Imaoka Tomonori , Ohnuma Hideyuki , Kinoshita Yoshikazu , Ishihara Shunji
Published: November 2021

Background

Postcolonoscopy surveillance colonoscopy based on positive fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is often performed, although its long-term efficacy has not been established. The aim of this study was to clarify the low potency of FOBT surveillance at short intervals after colonoscopy.

Methods

Colonoscopy was performed in 1308 average-risk patients, based on positive results of immunological FOBT [fecal immunological test (FIT)]. Patients were stratified according to the length of time since their last colonoscopy and their colonoscopy results [no adenoma or 1–2 small (<10 mm) adenomas]. Tumor detection rates were determined.

Results

The baseline patients characteristics did not differ between the groups. The advanced lesion detection rate (ALDR) among the patients who had never undergone a colonoscopy was 21.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.1–25.0%]. Among the patients who had no adenoma detected in the previous colonoscopy within the past 5 years, the past 5–10 years and over 10 years, the ALDRs were 2.5% (95% CI, 1.0–5.5%), 4.1% (95% CI, 1.5–9.4%) and 9.3% (95% CI, 3.1–22.2%), respectively. Among the patients who had 1–2 small adenomas, the ALDRs were 7.4% (95% CI, 3.4–14.8%), 12.1% (95% CI, 4.2–27.9%) and 27.8% (95% CI, 12.2–51.2%), respectively. Invasive cancer was not observed in any patients within 5 years since the prior colonoscopy.

Conclusion

In average-risk patients whose prior colonoscopy detected no adenomas or low-risk adenomas, postcolonoscopy surveillance by FIT has a low positive predictive value within a 5-year interval.
Physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of laver
cultivars harvested at different times
Authors: Kim Won , Kim Jin Young , Jeong Su Ji , Yang Ho Chul , Cho Jeong-Yong
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to compare the physicochemical characteristics and
antioxidant activities of Pyropia dentata harvested in November
(PD11), Pyropia seriata harvested in December (PS12), and
Pyropia yezoensis harvested in December (PY12), January
(PY01), or March (PY03). Total amino acid content (mg/100 g dry wt.) was high:
PY01 (41,009.52) > PY12 (40,914.26) > PS12 (35,720.29) >
PD11 (33,762.75) > PY03 (32,906.54). The major minerals within the three
laver cultivars were Ca, K, Mg, and Na. PD11 exhibited the highest contents of
shinorine (2,089.84 mg/ 100 g dry wt.) and porphyra-334 (3,127.96 mg/100 g dry
wt.), which are mycosporine-like amino acids. Of the PY samples harvested at
different times, PY03 exhibited the highest contents of shinorine (19.00 mg/100
g dry wt.) and porphyra-334 (438.31 mg/100 g dry wt.). The total phenol content
was higher in PD11 (702.99 mg tannic acid equivalent/100 g) than those in the
other samples. PD11 had the highest
2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical-scavenging and
ferric reducing antioxidant activities. The results provide basic information
regarding the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of
laver cultivars harvested at different times.
Development of air-blast dried yeast starter for
‘Yakju’ and monitoring on its fermentation
characteristics
Authors: Chae Min-Kyeong , Choi Jun-Su , Moon Hyo-Bin , Park Jong-Beom , Choi Kyu-Taek , Yeo Soo-Hwan , Park Heui-Dong
Published: November 2021

In this study, suitable protectants and rehydration solutions were investigated
for the development of ‘Yakju’ yeast starters. Experiments were
conducted alongside the optimization of protectant and rehydration conditions
using different types of sugars and rehydration solutions to enhance the
viability and storability of air-blast dried yeast cells. Six types of sugars
(fructose, glucose, maltose, raffinose, sucrose, trehalose) and four types of
rehydration solutions (DW, PBS, 0.85% NaCl, and 1% peptone water) were examined
to investigate optimal air-blast drying conditions to enhance the survival rate
of Saccharomyces yeasts cells. 10% sucrose (DW) and 10% maltose
(PBS) had the highest survival rate of 108.20% and 107.72% for S.
cerevisiae W153 and W149, respectively. we assumed that the
increased survival rate (>100%) was as a result of the re-initiation of
the proliferation of the air-blast dried yeast cells during the 1-h rehydration.
We also investigated physicochemical properties as well as sensory quality of
‘Yakju’. S. cerevisiae W153 and W149 showed good
alcohol fermentation ability in the three different raw materials such as
glutinous rice only (Glu 100), non-glutinous rice (NGlu 100), glutinous and
non-glutinous rice mixture (NGlu 50:50). The sensory evaluation revealed that
S. cerevisiae W153 obtained the highest scores in the
flavor as well as the overall preference with the Glu 100.
Lagging strand gap suppression connects BRCA-mediated fork protection to nucleosome assembly by ensuring PCNA-dependent CAF-1 recycling
Authors: Thakar Tanay , Straka Joshua , Nicolae Claudia M. , Moldovan George-Lucian
Published: November 2021

The inability to protect stalled replication forks from nucleolytic degradation drives genome instability and is associated with chemosensitivity in BRCA-deficient tumors. An emerging hallmark of BRCA deficiency is the inability to suppress replication-associated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) gaps. Here, we report that ssDNA gaps on the lagging strand interfere with the ASF1-CAF-1 pathway of nucleosome assembly, and drive fork degradation in BRCA-deficient cells. We show that CAF-1 function at replication forks is lost in BRCA-deficient cells, due to its sequestration at inactive replication factories during replication stress. This CAF-1 recycling defect is caused by the accumulation of Polα-dependent lagging strand gaps, which preclude PCNA unloading, causing sequestration of PCNA-CAF-1 complexes on chromatin. Importantly, correcting PCNA unloading defects in BRCA-deficient cells restores fork stability in a CAF-1-dependent manner. We also show that the activation of a HIRA-dependent compensatory histone deposition pathway restores fork stability to BRCA-deficient cells upon CAF-1 loss. We thus define nucleosome assembly as a critical determinant of BRCA-mediated fork stability. We further reveal lagging strand ssDNA gaps as drivers of fork degradation in BRCA-deficient cells, which operate by inhibiting PCNA unloading and CAF-1-dependent nucleosome assembly.
Sensorimotor skill learning in amnesia: additional evidence for the neural basis of nondeclarative memory.
Authors: Tranel D , Damasio A R , Damasio H , Brandt J P
Published: November 2021

We investigated sensorimotor skill learning, a form of nondeclarative (implicit) memory, in 28 subjects with declarative (explicit) memory defects caused by either mesial temporal (n = 15) or basal forebrain (n = 13) damage and in 66 normal control subjects. All 28 amnesics had normal learning of a rotor pursuit task. We also studied in detail the sensorimotor skill learning of patient Boswell. As a result of bilateral damage to both mesial and lateral aspects of the temporal lobes and to the basal forebrain, Boswell has one of the most severe impairments ever reported for learning of all types of declarative knowledge. Compared to matched controls, Boswell acquired and retained normally the skills associated with performing motor tasks. We conducted a long-term (2-year) followup study of Boswell's retention of the rotor pursuit task, and we found that he retained the skill as well as normal controls. Our study builds on previous work in the following respects: (1) It provides evidence, for the first time, that skill learning is normal in basal forebrain amnesics; (2) it shows that patient Boswell has normal learning and long-term retention of sensorimotor skills, in spite of his extensive damage; and (3) it offers additional evidence that mesial temporal lobe damage spares skill learning. These findings demonstrate unequivocally that sensorimotor skill learning does not require structures in mesial and lateral temporal regions nor in basal forebrain.
A stimulus paradigm inducing long-term desensitization of AMPA receptors evokes a specific increase in BDNF mRNA in cerebellar slices.
Authors: Yuzaki M , Furuichi T , Mikoshiba K , Kagawa Y
Published: November 2021

Long-term desensitization of AMPA receptors (LTDA) is a core mechanism of long-term depression, a model of motor learning in the cerebellum. In this study we investigated the expression of neurotrophic factor genes after induction of LTDA in cultured cerebellar slices. LTDA was induced by application of quisqualate and monitored as a population response with a wedge recording technique. The levels of mRNA were quantified by reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction. Quisqualate, at a dose and duration that reliably induced LTDA, elicited a significant and specific increase in BDNF mRNA with a peak at four hours after the application. By cell fractionation, the major source of BDNF mRNA increase was found to be in granule cells. In addition, a small but significant increase of transcripts with specific exon usage was observed in a Purkinje cell fraction. These results indicate that BDNF may be coinduced with LTDA and suggest that the slow and sustained increase of BDNF mRNA might play a role in later phases of synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum.
Career or environmental crusade? – Irfan’s dilemma
Authors: Sulong Farizah , Dent Michael M. , Mohd Alwi Norhayati , Sulaiman Maliah
Published: November 2021

Subject area

Integrated Case Study, Advanced Management Accounting, Environmental Management Accounting (EMA), Human Resource Management.

Study level/applicability

This case is designed for undergraduate students in accounting, business or human resource management programmes.

Case overview

The case is about Irfan, a former Production Manager in Omicron, a small and medium-sized enterprise in Selangor, Malaysia, manufacturing automotive metal parts. Irfan is truly enthusiastic for environmental and cost-reduction tools and wishes to pursue it further to his best possible. The case presents Irfan facing the dilemma of how to align his passion for these tools to his future career choice. He is faced with three options – to remain in Omicron, to accept a job offer in another company or to establish his own consultancy firm. The case highlights the heavy involvement of Irfan in the implementation of a new environmental tool, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) in Omicron, and all the tasks, activities, benefits and challenges encountered. Being at the ground with the implementation and outputs achieved, Irfan is excited about MFCA and wants to continue with it, due to the rich and valuable experience gained from its implementation and its potential for future savings. However, he does not seem to observe a similar excitement among the higher management. The case details an example of the implementation of MFCA for one of Omicron’s products and other relevant information that could serve as a guidance to any future implementation either in Omicron, the new company or even his own company. The case also provides details about Omicron and how Irfan regard Omicron as his second family to hint a strong pulling factor for Irfan to remain in Omicron, hence providing the extra weight on the dilemma he faces.

Expected learning outcomes

In the process of assessing a career choice dilemma for a middle-level manager, students are expected to analyse the three career options available to this middle manager, whose dilemma also relates to his passion of pursuing environment-related and cost-reduction tools. Where the environment is concerned, some parties need extra persuasion to pursue it and this also triggers the middle-manager’s dilemma. This case is intended to provide a tool to enable students to review and discuss matters, such as overcoming obstacles of pursuing environmental-related initiatives and progressing a mid-life career that provides self-fulfilment financially, emotionally and mentally. Among the theories and concepts referred include diffusion of innovations theory, EMA concepts and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
From theory to practice: Value congruence in performance measures in U.S. federal agencies
Authors: Hwang Eunjin , Brewer Gene A.
Published: November 2021

This study examines the performance measurement of four different values (efficiency, service quality, customer service satisfaction, and social equity). This study also distinguishes between the values emphasized at the three stages of the policy process model: process, output, and outcome. The prevalence of each value is compared across time and at various stages of the policy process at the agency level. By tracking trends of values in performance measures across years based on different stages of the policy process, this study found that value congruence exists across years at the agency level. This study finally provides practical implications.
Assessing candidate DNA barcodes for Chinese and internationally traded timber species
Authors: Hu Jian‐Lin , Ci Xiu‐Qin , Liu Zhi‐Fang , Dormontt Eleanor E. , Conran John G. , Lowe Andrew J. , Li Jie
Published: November 2021

Accurate identification of species from timber is an essential step to help control illegal logging and forest loss. However, current approaches to timber identification based on morphological and anatomical characteristics have limited species resolution. DNA barcoding is a proven tool for plant species identification, but there is a need to build reliable reference data across broad taxonomic and spatial scales. Here, we construct a species barcoding library consisting of 1550 taxonomically diverse timber species from 656 genera and 124 families, representing a comprehensive genetic reference data set for Chinese timber species and international commercial traded timber species, using four barcodes (rbcL, matK, trnH–psbA, and ITS2). The ITS2 fragment was found to be the most efficient locus for Chinese timber species identification among the four barcodes tested, both at the species and genus level, despite its low recovery rate. Nevertheless, the barcode combination matK+trnH–psbA+ITS2 was required as a complementary barcode to distinguish closely related species in complex data sets involving internationally traded timber species. Comparative analyses of family‐level discrimination and species/genus ratios indicated that the inclusion of closely related species is an important factor affecting the resolution ability of barcodes for timber species verification. Our study indicates that although nuclear ITS2 is the most efficient single barcode for timber species authentication in China, complementary combinations like matK+trnH–psbA+ITS2 are required to provide broader discrimination power. These newly‐generated sequences enrich the existing publicly available databases, especially for tropical and subtropical evergreen timber trees and this current timber species barcode reference library can serve as an important genetic resource for forestry monitoring, illegal logging prosecution and biodiversity projects.
Dynamic volume‐rendered optical coherence tomography pupillometry
Authors: Maloca Peter M. , de Carvalho Emanuel R. , Hasler Pascal W. , Balaskas Konstantinos , Inglin Nadja , Petzold Axel , Egan Catherine , Tufail Adnan , Scholl Hendrik P. N. , Valmaggia Philippe
Published: November 2021

Purpose

To assess intrapupillary space (IPS) changes in healthy subjects with regard to decreased iris motility in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) or non‐arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in a feasibility study in a clinical environment.

Methods

Scotopic and photopic IPS measurements using three‐dimensionally rendered swept‐source optical coherence tomography (SS‐OCT) data were obtained and compared for all subjects. Intrapupillary space (IPS) parameters were evaluated such as absolute volumetric differences, relative light response for volumetric ratios and pupillary ejection fraction (PEF) for functional contraction measurements.

Results

From a total of 122 IPS from 66 subjects, 106 IPS were eligible for comparison providing values for 72 normal, 30 PEXG and 4 NAION eyes. In healthy, PEXG and NAION subjects, scotopic overall mean IPS was 8.90, 3.45 and 4.16 mm3, and photopic overall mean IPS was 0.87, 0.74 and 1.13 mm3, respectively. Three‐dimensional contractility showed a mean absolute difference of 8.03 mm3 for normals (defined as 100% contractility), 2.72 mm3 for PEXG (33.88% of normal) and 3.03 mm3 for NAION (38.50% of normal) with a relative light response ratio between scotopic and photopic volumes of 10.26 (100%), 4.69 (45.70%) and 3.67 (35.78%), respectively. Pupillary ejection fraction (PEF) showed a contractile pupillary emptying of 88.11% for normals, 76.92% for PEXG and 70.91% for NAION patients.

Conclusion

This 3D pupillometry OCT assessment allows for quantitative measurements of pupil function, contractility and response to light. More specifically, PEF is presented as a potential (neuro)‐pupillary outcome measure that could be useful in the monitoring of ophthalmic disorders that affect pupillary function.
An online nomogram of acute respiratory distress syndrome originating from pulmonary disease
Authors: Wang Hanghang , Tang Wen , Hu Quanyue , Hu Hao , Tang Rui , Deng Jia , Wang Daoxin , Zhao Yan
Published: November 2021

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a highly heterogeneous disease accompanied by high mortality. Our goal was to investigate the risk factors for 28‐day mortality and then establish a predictive online nomogram for ARDS originating from pulmonary disease (ARDSp).

Methods

We examined 1087 patients diagnosed with ARDS from January 2010 to December 2019 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. A total of 185 ARDSp patients were finally enrolled in the training cohort. A total of 43 ARDSp patients from January 2020 to August 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital of Jiangbei District were included in the external validation cohort. Fundamental, clinical and laboratory variables at admission were gathered from medical records, and the 28‐day prognosis was followed up.

Results

In the training cohort, it was found that age, sex, C‐reactive protein, albumin and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) were independent risk factors for 28‐day mortality via multivariate logistic regression. The online nomogram software for 28‐day mortality showed good discrimination, calibration and clinical utility in both the training cohort and external validation cohort.

Conclusions

For ARDSp patients, older males, lower C‐reactive protein and albumin levels, and MODS were independent predictors of a poor 28‐day prognosis. The online nomogram based on five independent factors could act as a predictive appliance in clinical practice.
Increasing the tensile strength of oxide ceramic matrix mini‐composites by two‐step sintering
Authors: Farhandi Hedieh , Karim Md Nurul , Almeida Renato S. M. , Tushtev Kamen , Rezwan Kurosch
Published: November 2021

Adapting conventional sintering (CS) techniques of monolithic ceramics for the production of oxide ceramic matrix composites (Ox‐CMCs) comes along with a few drawbacks, such as fiber degradation. Thus, the applicability of two‐step sintering (TSS) for the production of Ox‐CMCs based on Nextel™ 610 fibers and porous alumina matrix is investigated in this study for the first time. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed to evaluate the performance of mini‐composites produced by TSS and compared with those produced by CS. Parameters known for influencing the mechanical behavior of the mini‐composites, such as grain size, porosity, shrinkage, as well as matrix properties, were analyzed. Both sintering techniques resulted in similar grain size distributions, whereas TSS showed higher total porosity and lower amount of sintering‐induced cracks. As a result, TSS samples showed a higher tensile strength of 230±27 MPa when compared to 133±8 MPa for CS. In general, it was observed that most of the densification happens during the first phase of TSS, while the matrix is slowly strengthened during the second step. Therefore, the reported TSS process is a very promising and easy‐to‐apply heat treatment for producing Ox‐CMCs with controlled microstructure.