bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology adoption theories in examining the uptake of blockchain technology in the framework of functionalist and interpretive paradigms
Authors: Semenova Viktoriia
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this paper is to examine the adoption process of emerging technology on the example of blockchain. The theoretical interpretation of blockchain acceptance and its implications are discussed from the positions of technology adoption theories (diffusion of innovation theory, the technology acceptance model, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, the technology – organisation – environment framework) as well as sensemaking theory. These theoretical models help understand the perception among end-users (e.g. supply chain practitioners) and facilitate technology diffusion among enterprises. Due to the novelty of the research field, the analysis revealed that current studies were conducted within the functionalist paradigm; however, studies on blockchain implementation can be equally done in the interpretive paradigm. The results indicate a shortage of empirical research investigations and the need for greater theory elaboration to accelerate the adoption process within organisations.
What qualities do government-owned venture capital investors seek in a new venture? A comparison of investment criteria across pre-seed, seed, and expansion stage startups
Authors: Molnár Endre Mihály , Jáki Erika
Published: November 2020

Private venture capital (VC) investors usually do not invest in early life-cycle stage startups such as seed and pre-seed companies, since investment size typically doesn’t reach investment thresholds. The entry of governments with fund managers to venture capital markets presents seed and pre-seed companies with the opportunity to receive funding. This paper examines the main investment preferences of Hungarian government-owned venture capital investors regarding pre-seed, seed, and expansion stage startups. Verbal protocol analysis enabled examination of the screening process in real-time in all three life-cycle stages. It is found that governmental VC funds mostly value financial indicators followed by market-related qualities while private VCs value these characteristics in alternate formation. However, in the pre-seed stage, the financial acumen and capabilities of management teams form the main criteria in similarity to angel investors. Governmental VCs also greatly seek innovational value in target firms.
Impact of Body Weight Gain on the Incidence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Nonobese Japanese Individuals
Authors: Yamada Gen , Hagiwara Yasuhiro , Kimura Takeshi , Takeuchi Yoshinori , Oba Koji , Masuda Katsunori , Matsuyama Yutaka
Published: November 2020

INTRODUCTION:

We aimed to investigate the effect of recent short-term weight gain on the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in nonobese (body mass index < 25 kg/m2) participants.

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort study included nonobese individuals who participated in an annual health checkup between 2008 and 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. We estimated the multivariable adjusted hazard ratio for the development of NAFLD diagnosed via ultrasound after a 3-kg unit gain in weight measured at a 2-year landmark time point postbaseline. Multivariable adjustments included weight change from the age of 20 and other relevant confounding factors. Sensitivity analyses using additional landmark time points at 1, 3, 4, and 5 years postbaseline and time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed.

RESULTS:

Among the 27,064 nonobese participants (142,699 person years of follow-up), 2,895 were diagnosed with NAFLD. Approximately 90% of the patients with NAFLD maintained their nonobese status before disease diagnosis. The adjusted hazard ratio for the development of NAFLD (for a 3-kg unit of weight gain) at the 2-year landmark time point postbaseline was 1.60 (95% confidence interval, 1.46–1.76) in nonobese men and 1.66 (95% confidence interval, 1.51–1.83) in nonobese women. This association was maintained in the sensitivity analyses.

DISCUSSION:

Recent short-term weight gain is an independent risk factor for NAFLD development in nonobese men and women. Clinicians should be mindful of the association between weight gain and NAFLD onset, even in the nonobese population.
Building Facade Reconstruction Using Crowd- Sourced Photos and Two-Dimensional Maps
Authors: Wu Jie , Mao Junya , Chen Song , Zhuoma Gesang , Cheng Liang , Zhang Rongchun
Published: November 2020

To address the high-cost problem of the current three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction for urban buildings, a new technical framework is proposed to generate 3D building facade information using crowd-sourced photos and two-dimensional
(2D) building vector data in this paper. The crowd-sourced photos mainly consisted of Tencent street view images and other-source photos, which were collected from three platforms, including search engines, social media, and mobile phones. The photos were selected and grouped first, and then
a structure from motion algorithm was used for 3D reconstruction. Finally, the reconstructed point clouds were registered with 2D building vector data. The test implementation was conducted in the Jianye District of Nanjing, China, and the generated point clouds
showed a good fit with the true values. The proposed 3D reconstruction method represents a multi-sourced data integration process. The advantage of the proposed approach lies in the open source and low-cost data used in this study.
Aix-Marseille University Libraries, France: Wind of Change
Authors: Berti Johann , Clain Fanny
Published: November 2020

After the merger of three universities, Aix-Marseille University became the largest French-speaking institution in 2012. This article outlines how the libraries have been adapted and reorganized since. All the more since the national context leads to strong changes for higher education and research. The Documentary Service’s strategies have focused on modernizing the network (buildings and service offer), accompanying the change and strengthening the link with users, actions that are part of the university’s overall strategy and support its mission.
Solving a challenge for Lyon’s Library and University
Authors: Martinez Marc
Published: November 2020

Several higher education institutions in Lyon, France, are engaged in a merger to create a new Université de Lyon in a complex and moving environment. Within this framework, four university libraries are working towards their merger. Both the larger project and the libraries are facing critical key points and strong opposition in the very near future that could threaten their very existence.
The Struggle with(in) Leontius’ Soul
Authors: Saldaña Eduardo
Published: November 2020

InRepublic4, Plato’s Socrates argues that there are three elements in the soul: the rational, the spirited, and the appetitive. This paper focuses on the argument distinguishing spirit from appetite in the story of Leontius. I shall argue that the rational element first opposes Leontius’ appetite and, when appetite overpowers reason, then Leontius’ spirited part opposes the appetitive. Consequently, there is a kind of disgust that would be appropriately characterized as rational; and, drawing on this consequence, I suggest that the primary target of early ethical education is the rational element of the soul.
»...l’aere ne tremesse.«
Authors: Nelting David
Published: November 2020

Riassunto

Con questo saggio si intende in primo luogo mostrare come Dante si conformi all’osservazione fisica di Alberto Magno, secondo cui l’orecchio umano sente solo quello che si trasmette »cum aere tremente«, evocando con l’emistichio »l’aere ne tremesse« (Inf. I, 48 secondo la grafia dell’Edizione Nazionale) un suono ben preciso: il ruggito del leone, che ostacola il cammino di Dante, rappresentando il peccato capitale della superbia. L’immagine dell’aria tremante attesta così sia la forte tendenza dantesca a produrre effetti sinestetici sia la sua integrazione delle dottrine fisiche contemporanee nel discorso poetico. In secondo luogo, l’emistichio sarà preso in considerazione come citazione del sonetto »Chi è questa che vèn« di Guido Cavalcanti. Si mostrerà così come Dante impieghi l’immagine dell’aria tremante, proprio perché citazione di Cavalcanti, a fini già attestabili per la Vita Nova: per distanziarsi dal predecessore, evidenziando la necessità di superare quel genere di lirica d’amore profana e così fondare una nuova poetica ‘sacrale’.
Ein früher Beginn: Karl Witte und Dantes Brief an die Kardinäle
Authors: Villa Claudia
Published: November 2020

Riassunto

L’articolo prende in esame i primissimi contributi di Karl Witte sulle epistole dantesche note, prima della scoperta del Vaticano Palatino lat. 1729; e esamina la lunga fortuna di alcune sue cattive letture.
Identifying discourse patterns in social media comments on “politically correct” language
Authors: Hartmann Stefan
Published: November 2020

This paper presents an analysis of online comments on German newspaper articles dealing with non-discriminating language use. Combining bottom-up quantitative methods with qualitative analyses allows for identifying recurrent discourse patterns as well as typical narratives that play a role in this debate. I argue that if a major goal of critical cognitive linguistics is to reach out to the general public, understanding the appeal of such narratives (which are, obviously, often factually wrong) is just as important as identifying and refuting them.
Electrocardiographic abnormalities among late-stage non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients
Authors: Mulia Eka P.B. , Nugraha Ricardo A. , A’yun Maya Q. , Juwita Rahima R. , Yofrido Filipus M. , Julario Rerdin , Alkaff Firas F.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) complication is common among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Thus, knowledge about CVD and ECG abnormalities in CKD are essential due to progressive nature of the disease and increased risk of sudden cardiac death. This study aims to scrutinize the ECG abnormalities among nondialysis late-stage CKD patients.

Methods

A descriptive observational study was conducted at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Subjects were hospitalized patients with late-stage CKD between 1 January and 31 December 2019, who were consulted at the department of cardiology and vascular medicine during their initial admission at emergency room. ECG interpretation for this study was done by qualified cardiologist.

Results

There were 191 patients included in this study. Mean ages were 52.2 ± 11.8 years old and 51% were males. Total 143 (74.9%) patients had anemia, 111 (58.1%) had hypertension and 75 (39.3%) had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mean serum creatinine was 10.5 ± 8.0 mg/dL. There were 176 (92.1%) patients with at least one form of ECG abnormalities. Prolonged QTc interval (36.6%), fragmented QRS complex (29.8%), poor R wave progression (24.6%), peaked T wave (22.0%) and left ventricular hypertrophy (16.7%) were the most common abnormalities.

Conclusions

ECG abnormalities are common among nondialysis late-stage CKD patients. Given the fact that long-term CKD influences the pathogenesis cardiovascular diseases and substantial cardiovascular mortality, there is a need to screen Indonesian CKD patients who are at risks of getting earlier complications.
Der Ursprung der geräuschlosen Kriegsfinanzierung im „Dritten Reich“ 1935–1939
Authors: Banken Ralf
Published: November 2020

In addition to the well-known mefo bills and other types of state debts, National Socialist tax policy was also of great importance for the financing of armament before the war began. Nevertheless, the leaders of the Nazi regime could not agree on the general course of tax policy due to the already high tax burden since spring 1935. As the Reich Ministry of Finance was only able to push through a few small tax increases despite a stricter tax collection practice, the tax coverage of Reich expenditures sank further and further and the short-term national debt increased. This development led to a severe liquidity crisis of the Reich’s finances in 1938 due to the ever accelerating armament, which was overcome for the time being mainly by issuing short-term treasury bonds. This ad hoc solution became entrenched during the war due to those groups in the Nazi regime that continued to block tax policy and formed the basis for the silent financing of the war.
Die Expansion der deutschen Großbanken nach Österreich und in die Tschechoslowakei 1938/39
Authors: Ziegler Dieter
Published: November 2020

In order to integrate the (in part) highly industrialized Austrian and Bohemian economies into the German autarky and war economy it was very important for the German government to take control of all relevant Austrian and Bohemian industrial concerns, that is, big industry in these countries had tobe “Aryanized” and/or “Germanized”. At the time of invasion, many of the major Austrian and Bohemian companies were under the control of Austrian and Czechoslovakian banks respectively. Therefore, the realignment of the finance industry of the occupied territories became a precondition for the intended takeover of these industrial concerns. Simultaneously, it offered the German great banks excellent prospects for expansion. On the other hand, the deep economic crisis of the early 1930s had not yet been overcome in both countries and the German great banks faced substantial risks when they took over the more important native banks. Therefore, the strategies by which the great banks penetrated the Austrian and Bohemian markets differed substantially. This article explains the logic behind the respective strategies of Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank and Commerzbank as well as the intensions of the German authorities and assesses the relative success of the respective strategies.
Comparative study regarding effect of pH on Misoprostol in induction of labor in full term primigravida pregnant women, a double blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Rashwan Ahmed S. S. A. , Alalfy Mahmoud , el-sharkawy Mohamed , Eldesouky Abdelfatah , Ashour Ahmed SA , Hassan Ayman , Alebrashy Alaa , Bakry Ahmed
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of altering vaginal pH on induction of labor in full-term pregnancies using Misoprostol.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Kasralainy Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt and Algezeera Hospital, Egypt. A total of 218 healthy term primigravida pregnant women who were scheduled for pregnancy termination were recruited in the study. The included patients were divided into three groups; Group A: Those who received normal saline vaginal wash (0.9% NaCl), Group B: those who received alkaline vaginal wash (5% sodium bicarbonate) and Group C: those who received acidic vaginal wash (5% acetic acid). Patients received 25 μg of Misoprostol E1 (Vagiprost® Adwia Pharmaceuticals, Egypt) every 6 h for a maximum of 24 h (total of four potential doses).

Results

The ‘acid’ group participants took a mean time of 20.46 h to reach active stage of labor, followed by the ‘normal saline’ group with 21.45 h and the ‘alkaline’ group with 22.59 h. The difference between the groups was statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.013.

Conclusions

Douching the vagina with acidic solution seems to supplement the effect of Misoprostol on inducing labor in full-term pregnancies, as evidenced by having the shortest mean time needed to reach active stage of labor.
Litigation Financing: Balancing Access with Fairness
Authors: Wheeler Malcolm E. , Benz Theresa Wardon
Published: November 2020

Litigation financing of plaintiffs by financiers other than the law firms representing the plaintiffs in the litigation is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. Contrary to assertions by advocates for such litigation financing, such litigation financing does not increase fairness and justice to poor and middle-class victims. Instead, it creates substantial problems beyond any associated with standard contingent-fee agreements between plaintiffs and the lawyers who represent them.

This article describes the multiple ways in which the litigation-financing industry harms poor and middle-class tort plaintiffs and generates inefficient uses of judicial resources and jurors' time. It then recommends actions that courts can take to reduce those problems.
Complex predicates, simple inflecting verbs, and “uninflecting verbs” in Pre-Basque
Authors: Aldai Gontzal
Published: November 2020

How might Basque have looked before it came in contact with Latin? This interesting line of research may give us an idea of what the pre-Indo-European languages of Europe might have looked like, and it may help clarify how much contact-induced change Basque might have undergone during the last two millennia or so. The present paper puts forward the hypothesis that, towards the end of the Era (BC), Pre-Basque used to have a small class of verbs. These verbs were inflected for person and tense-aspect (although we know little about the specific characteristics of this inflectional system). Together with this small class of verbs, Pre-Basque had a larger group of uninflecting elements that combined with the inflecting verbs to form complex predicates. The group of uninflecting elements included bare nouns, adjectives, possibly adverbs, ideophones, and what I will call “uninflecting verbs”. The exact nature of these “uninflecting verbs” is hard to determine at this point, but they may have constituted a distinct part of speech. Certainly, this type of verbal organization is reminiscent of one common in Northern Australia. Thus, this paper also compares the reconstruction proposed for Pre-Basque with the verbal system typical in Northern Australian languages, to conclude that the similarities are remarkable and, therefore, that the verbal organization of Pre-Basque was quite different from that of the modern Western European languages, including Modern Basque.
Synthesis and crystal structure of hexaaquacopper(II) 2,5-dicarboxyterephthalate, C10H16O14Cu
Authors: Oguntade Bukunola K. , Hulushe Siya T. , Hosten Eric C. , Watkins Gareth M.
Published: November 2020

C

10

H

16

O

14

${\text{C}}_{10}{\text{H}}_{16}{\text{O}}_{14}$

Cu, monoclinic, I2/a (no. 15), a = 7.2407(3) Å, b = 9.7565(4) Å, c = 21.1814(10) Å, β = 93.913(2)°, V = 1492.85(11) Å3, Z = 4,

R

g
t

${R}_{gt}$

(F) = 0.0198,

w

R

ref

$w{R}_{\mathit{ref}}$

(F
2) = 0.0509, T = 200 K.
The crystal structure of fac-tricarbonyl(4,4-dimethyl-2,2-dipyridyl-κ2
N,N′)- (pyrazole-κN)rhenium(I) nitrate, C18H16O3N4Re
Authors: Moremi Mamolatelo J. , Alexander Orbett T. , Vatsha Banele , Makgopa Katlego , Manicum Amanda-Lee E.
Published: November 2020

C18H16O3N4Re, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 9.8409(6) Å, b = 14.0933(9) Å, c = 13.9153(9) Å, β = 90.558(2)°, V = 1929.8(2) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0266, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0584, T = 100(2) K.
Computational methods for calculation of protein-ligand binding affinities in structure-based drug design
Authors: Dutkiewicz Zbigniew
Published: November 2020

Drug design is an expensive and time-consuming process. Any method that allows reducing the time the costs of the drug development project can have great practical value for the pharmaceutical industry. In structure-based drug design, affinity prediction methods are of great importance. The majority of methods used to predict binding free energy in protein-ligand complexes use molecular mechanics methods. However, many limitations of these methods in describing interactions exist. An attempt to go beyond these limits is the application of quantum-mechanical description for all or only part of the analyzed system. However, the extensive use of quantum mechanical (QM) approaches in drug discovery is still a demanding challenge. This chapter briefly reviews selected methods used to calculate protein-ligand binding affinity applied in virtual screening (VS), rescoring of docked poses, and lead optimization stage, including QM methods based on molecular simulations.
Effect of gamma irradiation and oxidized bitumen on the performance of the modified crumb rubber for various applications
Authors: Fathy E.S. , El-Nemr Khaled F. , Youssef H.A. , El-Shafie M.
Published: November 2020

The objective of this study is to enhance the properties of crumb rubber (CR) derived from the tread and sidewalls of passenger and truck waste tires by adding bitumen (B) and oxidized bitumen (OB). On this context, CR was activated and modified by adding different chemical ingredients to convert it into modified crumb rubber (MCR). OB was irradiated at 25 kGy to get irradiated oxidized bitumen (IOB) with the aim of study the effect of irradiation on the samples in the presence and absence of sulfur element. The crosslinking density, mechanical parameters and thermal stability of the developed blend were examined. Furthermore, chemical resistance behavior, vibration tests which reflecting the velocity level and sound proofing performance were discussed. Remarked improvement in the mechanical, thermal and various applications of MCR were achieved by the incorporation of OB especially at 10 phr and gamma irradiation.
Bivariate traits association analysis using generalized estimating equations in family data
Authors: de Andrade Mariza , Mazo Lopera Mauricio A. , Duarte Nubia E.
Published: November 2020

Genome wide association study (GWAS) is becoming fundamental in the arduous task of deciphering the etiology of complex diseases. The majority of the statistical models used to address the genes-disease association consider a single response variable. However, it is common for certain diseases to have correlated phenotypes such as in cardiovascular diseases. Usually, GWAS typically sample unrelated individuals from a population and the shared familial risk factors are not investigated. In this paper, we propose to apply a bivariate model using family data that associates two phenotypes with a genetic region. Using generalized estimation equations (GEE), we model two phenotypes, either discrete, continuous or a mixture of them, as a function of genetic variables and other important covariates. We incorporate the kinship relationships into the working matrix extended to a bivariate analysis. The estimation method and the joint gene-set effect in both phenotypes are developed in this work. We also evaluate the proposed methodology with a simulation study and an application to real data.
Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia vs nurse administered oral oxycodone after total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lahtinen Katarina , Reponen Elina , Vakkuri Anne , Palanne Riku , Rantasalo Mikko , Linko Rita , Madanat Rami , Skants Noora
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Severe post-operative pain is common after total knee arthroplasty. Patient-controlled analgesia is an alternative method of pain management, whereby a patient administers his or her own pain medication. Patients seem to prefer this method over nurse-administered analgesia. However, it remains unclear whether patients using patient-controlled analgesia devices use higher or lower doses of opioids compared to patients treated with oral opioids.

Methods

This retrospective study examined 164 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Post-operatively, 82 patients received oxycodone via intravenous patient-controlled analgesia devices, while the pain medication for 82 patients in the control group was administered by nurses. The main outcome measure was the consumption of intravenous opioid equivalents within 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were the use of anti-emetic drugs and the length of stay. Furthermore, we evaluated opioid-related adverse event reports.

Results

The consumption of opioids during the first 24 h after surgery and the use of anti-emetic drugs were similar in both groups. The median opioid dose of intravenous morphine equivalents was 41.1 mg (interquartile range (IQR): 29.5–69.1 mg) in the patient-controlled analgesia group and 40.5 mg (IQR: 32.4–48.6 mg) in the control group, respectively. The median length of stay was 2 days (IQR: 2–3 days) in the patient-controlled analgesia group and 3 days (IQR: 2–3 days) in the control group (p=0.02). The use of anti-emetic drugs was similar in both groups.

Conclusions

The administration of oxycodone via intravenous patient-controlled analgesia devices does not lead to increased opioid or anti-emetic consumptions compared to nurse-administered pain medication after total knee arthroplasty. Patient-controlled analgesia might lead to shortened length of stay.
Mesophilous Quercus frainetto Dominated Forests from Western Balkans
Authors: Stupar Vladimir
Published: November 2020

Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto) has dominant or co-dominant role in many thermophilous deciduous forest communities in the Balkan Peninsula. However, recent field research in the north-western margin of its range has revealed that some stands have a pronounced mesophilous character, which was also supported by data from the literature. This paper aims to analyze this mesophilous community of Hungarian oak which is found in north-western Serbia, north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and eastern Croatia. Numerical analysis, which included classification and ordination of all 474 available relevés of Hungarian oak forests from the western and central Balkans, along with the 43 relevés of mesophilous forests of oak-hornbeam from B&H, have shown that 83 mesophilous Hungarian oak relevés are floristically and ecologically more similar to mesophilous forests of sessile oak-hornbeam (Erythronio-Carpinion) than to xero-thermophilous forests of Qeurcion confertae. The new association Carpino betuli-Quercetum frainetto ass. nova hoc loco was described, floristically and ecologically characterized and assigned to mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests of Erythronio-Carpinion. The study also discusses the syntaxonomical issues of Quercion confertae and its central association Quercetum frainetto-cerridis, considering the problem of the lack of good diagnostic species for both syntaxa, and introduces possible ways of dealing with these issues.
Effects of Prestrain on the Nonlinear Viscoelastic Properties of a Model Sealant
Authors: Hunston D. L. , Tan K. T. , White C. C.
Published: November 2020

Elastomeric sealants are nonlinear viscoelastic materials that exhibit the Mullins effect. As a result, the behavior of a sealant depends on the previous history of strains the sample has seen. To deal with this issue, characterization tests like ASTM C1735, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Time Dependent Modulus of Sealants Using Stress Relaxation, subject the specimen to a specific strain history before measuring properties. To gain a better understanding of this history effect, this article studied a model sealant where the nonlinear viscoelastic properties were measured after a variety of strain histories ranging from no exposure to strain before the test to the history specified in ASTM C1735. The results provide insight into how strain history affects properties, supports information for the ASTM characterization test, and adds knowledge on the nature of the Mullins effect.
Measuring Manufacturing’s Significance in the USA
Authors: Morris K. C. , Thomas Douglas S.
Published: November 2020

Economic value added is a primary metric for measuring manufacturing activity; however, this metric and others exclude approximately half of the economic activity necessary for producing manufactured goods. With the recent disruption in the supply of goods and services by the coronavirus disease pandemic, the criticality of these supply chains to production has become more apparent. Measuring and understanding these additional activities is foundational to reducing the effect of supply chain disruption. Additionally, manufacturing supply chains are fundamental to any response to the virus, including the production of masks, tests, and eventually a vaccine. When looked at closely, manufacturing stands out as a key driver of our economy. New manufacturing technologies can be leveraged to differentiate products in multiple ways, resulting in a greater variety of products made more efficiently, with less environmental impact and higher quality. In addition, the digitization of manufacturing supports supply chains that are more connected, anticipatory, and agile. Metrics are needed that better reflect the role manufacturing plays in society, better identify the social gains that manufacturing produces, and better establish the total economic activity that drives production. In this paper, we propose a macroeconomic metric to better measure the influence of manufacturing on our economy as an example of one such measure. We argue that there is a need for solidifying similar radical changes to our current ways of measuring manufacturing’s relevance and emphasizing the impact of new technologies that support the manufacturing economic sector.
Topographically Distinct Projection Patterns of Early-Generated and Late-Generated Projection Neurons in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb
Authors: Chon Uree , LaFever Brandon J. , Nguyen Uyen , Kim Yongsoo , Imamura Fumiaki
Published: November 2020

In the mouse brain, olfactory information is transmitted to the olfactory cortex via olfactory bulb (OB) projection neurons known as mitral and tufted cells. Although mitral and tufted cells share many cellular characteristics, these cell types are distinct in their somata location and in their axonal and dendritic projection patterns. Moreover, mitral cells consist of heterogeneous subpopulations. We have previously shown that mitral cells generated at different embryonic days differentially localize within the mitral cell layer (MCL) and extend their lateral dendrites to different sublayers of the external plexiform layer (EPL). Here, we examined the axonal projection patterns from the subpopulations of OB projection neurons that are determined by the timing of neurogenesis (neuronal birthdate) to understand the developmental origin of the diversity in olfactory pathways. We separately labeled early-generated and late-generated OB projection neurons usingin uteroelectroporation performed at embryonic day (E)11 and E12, respectively, and quantitatively analyzed their axonal projection patterns in the whole mouse brain using high-resolution 3D imaging. In this study, we demonstrate that the axonal projection of late-generated OB projection neurons is restricted to the anterior portion of the olfactory cortex while those of the early-generated OB projection neurons innervate the entire olfactory cortex. Our results suggest that the late-generated mitral cells do not extend their axons to the posterior regions of the olfactory cortex. Therefore, the mitral cells having different birthdates differ, not only in cell body location and dendritic projections within the OB, but also in their axonal projection pattern to the olfactory cortex.
Postsynaptic Serine Racemase Regulates NMDA Receptor Function
Authors: Wong Jonathan M. , Folorunso Oluwarotimi O. , Barragan Eden V. , Berciu Cristina , Harvey Theresa L. , Coyle Joseph T. , Balu Darrick T. , Gray John A.
Published: November 2020

d-serine is the primary NMDAR coagonist at mature forebrain synapses and is synthesized by the enzyme serine racemase (SR). However, our understanding of the mechanisms regulating the availability of synapticd-serine remains limited. Though early studies suggestedd-serine is synthesized and released from astrocytes, more recent studies have demonstrated a predominantly neuronal localization of SR. More specifically, recent work intriguingly suggests that SR may be found at the postsynaptic density, yet the functional implications of postsynaptic SR on synaptic transmission are not yet known. Here, we show an age-dependent dendritic and postsynaptic localization of SR andd-serine by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in mouse CA1 pyramidal neurons. In addition, using a single-neuron genetic approach in SR conditional KO mice from both sexes, we demonstrate a cell-autonomous role for SR in regulating synaptic NMDAR function at Schaffer collateral (CA3)-CA1 synapses. Importantly, single-neuron genetic deletion of SR resulted in the elimination of LTP at 1 month of age, which could be rescued by exogenousd-serine. Interestingly, there was a restoration of LTP by 2 months of age that was associated with an upregulation of synaptic GluN2B. Our findings support a cell-autonomous role for postsynaptic neuronal SR in regulating synaptic NMDAR function and suggests a possible autocrine mode ofd-serine action.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTNMDARs are key regulators of neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity and are unique in their requirement for binding of a coagonist, which isd-serine at most forebrain synapses. However, our understanding of the mechanisms regulating synapticd-serine availability remains limited.d-serine is synthesized in the brain by the neuronal enzyme serine racemase (SR). Here, we show dendritic and postsynaptic localization of SR andd-serine in CA1 pyramidal neurons. In addition, using single-neuron genetic deletion of SR, we establish a role of postsynaptic SR in regulating NMDAR function. These results support an autocrine mode ofd-serine action at synapses.
Simulation of elastic wave diffraction by a sphere in semibounded region
Authors:   V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Khimich A.N. , Selezov I.T. ,   Institute of Hydromechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Sydoruk V.A. ,   V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv
Published: November 2020

The problem of scattering of plane elastic waves by a rigid sphere located near a plane rigid boundary is considered, which leads to the generation of multiply re-reflected dilatation and shear waves. The formulation of the problem is given when slippage conditions are specified on a flat boundary (equality of tangential stresses to zero). The problem is reduced to the definition of scalar functions. General solutions are written down, and approximate solutions are constructed for the field in the far zone characterized by the fact that the distance from the plane boundary to the obstacle is much greater than the radius of the sphere. In addition, the Rayleigh approximation is used, when the wave number is much lesser than the radius of the sphere. The method of images is used to construct multiply reflected waves. Approximate formulas are given for the field in the far zone and in the case of the long-wave Rayleigh approximation. The calculations of scattered wave fields, presented in the form of scattering diagrams, are carried out, from which a strongly oscillating wave field can be seen.
Determining the stress concentration change with time in a viscoelastic orthotropic solid
Authors:   S.P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Selivanov M.F. , Kulbachnyy Y.R. ,   S.P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Onishchenko D.R. ,   S.P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv
Published: November 2020

The procedure for solving the plane problem of the linear theory of viscoelasticity by the finite element method is described. Based on the virtual work principle and the assumption of the constancy of the strain rate at small intervals of time, the matrix form of the equilibrium equations of the finite-element approximation of a body is written. The solution procedure is described for the constitutive relations in the Boltzmann—Volterra integral form. This integral is transformed into an incremental form on a time mesh, at each interval of which the problem is solved by the finite element method with unknown increments of displacements. The numerical procedure is constructed by ununiformly dividing the time interval, at which the study is conducted. In this case, the stiffness matrix requires recalculation at each time step. The relaxation functions of the moduli of a viscoelastic orthotropic material are described in the form of the Proni—Dirichlet series. The solution to the problem of determining the change over time of the stress concentration in a body with a round hole in a viscoelastic orthotropic plate is presented. To construct a numerical solution, the three moduli of orthotropic material were written using one exponent with the same relaxation time. For these initial data, an analytic expression for the viscoelastic components of the stiffness matrix of an orthotropic plate under plain stress conditions is constructed. Numerical examples are presented for several ratios of the hole radius to the size of the plate. These results are compared with the solution obtained for an infinite plate by inverse transformation by a numerical method of the well-known analytic elastic solution.
СУТНІСТЬ ТА РОЗВИТОК ДОКТРИНИ ІСЛАМСЬКИХ ФІНАНСІВ
Authors: МОЗГОВИЙ Олег , СУБОЧЕВ Олексій , ЮРКЕВИЧ Оксана
Published: November 2020

У статті визначено основні моделі індустрії ісламських фінансів та надано критичну (порівняно з традиційними фінансами) оцінку механізму їх функціонування. Незважаючи на наявність очевидних позитивних сторін, таких як обмеженість спекулятивних операцій або ризикових видів сек’юритизації, націленість на фінансування реального сектору економіки та заохочення прямих взаємозв’язків між фінансовим і виробничим секторами, механізм функціонування ісламської економіки в деяких аспектах суперечить ряду фундаментальних принципів реалізації ефективної економічної діяльності.Об’єктивні демографічні, політичні та економічні фактори зумовлюють зростання ролі та впливу індустрії ісламських фінансів на регіональні фінансові ринки зокрема і на міжнародні фінанси в цілому, визначають актуальність подальших досліджень у цьому напрямі.Сьогодні ісламські фінанси охопили такі комерційні сфери: ринок капіталів, управління активами, страхування. Вони представлені в усіх сегментах сучасного фінансового ринку – в комерційному банкінгу, операціях з акціонерним і венчурним капіталами, фінансуванні торгівлі, страхуванні і навіть у хеджуванні фінансових ризиків.Лише незначна частина фінансових відносин мусульман реалізується згідно з ісламським правом. За умов упровадження зручних, ліквідних і стандартизованих фінансових інструментів, подальшого вдосконалення регулювання фінансових ринків можна очікувати перерозподіл ресурсів на користь ісламських фінансових ринків, а також швидкого зростання їх частки в міжнародних фінансах.
Social and demographic aspects of women’s situation in Ukraine in the context of CEDAW
Authors:   Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 60, Taras Shevchenko boulevard, Kyiv, 01032, Ukraine, Kurylo I. O. , Aksyonova S. Yu. ,   Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 60, Taras Shevchenko boulevard, Kyiv, 01032, Ukraine, Slyusar L. I. ,   Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 60, Taras Shevchenko boulevard, Kyiv, 01032, Ukraine
Published: November 2020

This paper dwells upon the demographic features and some peculiarities of women’s social situation in Ukraine in the context of CEDAW’s requirements. It also reviews the implementation of these requirements in recent years. The study focuses on general issues (changes in the number of women and their age structure as well as the situation with gender statistics), the specifics of the marriage and family situation and health problems. Such trends are highlighted based on the results of the analysis: the fastest reduction rates of the number of women in working and reproductive age against the increase of the older women’s share; reduction of early nuptiality and adolescent fertility; not sustained decline of infant mortality, decrease of venereal morbidity. The latest changes in gynecologic cancer morbidity and mortality are ambiguous in Ukraine. The maternal mortality has begun to rise in recent years; cases of obstetric violence are common; the situation with HIV/AIDS is still unfavourable (and the share of women among AIDS patients increases). Now the improvement of the reproductive health of women in Ukraine is complicated by the absence of state social program on reproductive and sexual health. Due to a more significant share of elderly and other factors women have greater needs for medical care and social support, they are incredibly vulnerable to the current COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. At the same time, women suffer, mainly due to the low accessibility of high-quality medical care in Ukraine. The paper also deals with gender statistics in Ukraine. The current state of gender statistics is analyzed, and some recommendations for its improvement are proposed in order to form a proper information basis for the development of policies in the field of elimination of discrimination against women in Ukraine.
Evaluation of the performance of a human D-dimer test in dogs with neoplasia
Authors: Török-Nagy Beáta , Vajdovich Péter , Balogh Lajos , Thuróczy Julianna , Dénes Béla
Published: November 2020

The goal of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a commercially available D-dimer assay as a diagnostic tool for testing dogs. This assay is an immunoturbidimetric diagnostic test, capable of determining the D-dimer levels in human plasma by using 2B9 monoclonal antibody. Plasma samples of clinically healthy (n = 20) and tumour-bearing (n = 50) dogs were measured. The tumours were grouped on the basis of histological type and aggressiveness, and then the measured D-dimer concentrations of these groups were compared to those of the control group. The differences were analysed statistically. For benign tumours, we did not find alterations in the D-dimer levels. However, in the case of malignant tumours (lymphoma, sarcoma, and carcinoma) and in the presence of metastases, significantly elevated D-dimer levels were measured. The assay proved to be suitable for measuring the D-dimer levels in plasma samples of dogs. The calculated reference range for dogs was confirmed to be between 0.06 and 0.69 µg/mL fibrinogen equivalent unit.
Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cruz Marina Malheiro , Pereira Marcos
Published: November 2020

Abstract Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries; however, few systematic reviews are available in the literature. This review examines the prevalence of COPD in the Brazilian population. For this purpose, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of epidemiological observational studies indexed in the databases PubMed, Cochrane, Ovid, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Lilacs, and Google Scholar published up to May 2018. The prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Of the 1,182 articles identified, 12 were eligible. The prevalence of COPD in Brazil was 17% (95%CI: 13-22; I2 = 94%) and the region with the highest prevalence of COPD was the Center-western region (25%), followed by the Southeastern region (23%). The Southern region had the lowest prevalence among the studies (12%). We found that Brazil has a high occurrence of COPD, higher than the estimates of Latin American and world population Hence, additional studies are necessary to support intervention strategies, as well as formulation of specific public health policies to control and prevent COPD.
Saúde cardiovascular e validação do escore autorreferido no Brasil: uma análise da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde
Authors: Moreira Alexandra Dias , Gomes Crizian Saar , Machado Ísis Eloah , Malta Deborah Carvalho , Felisbino-Mendes Mariana Santos
Published: November 2020

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é estimar a prevalência de saúde cardiovascular e a validade do escore autorreferido na população brasileira. Estudo transversal, metodológico, com 8.943 indivíduos adultos e dados laboratoriais da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde 2013. Escores utilizados: comportamental (índice de massa corporal, tabagismo, dieta, atividade física, ideal se ≥ 3 fatores ideais), biológico (tabagismo, dislipidemia, hipertensão e diabetes, ideal se ≥ 3 fatores ideais) e saúde cardiovascular (todos os fatores, ideal se ≥ 4 fatores ideais). Estimaram-se prevalências dos escores e análises de sensibilidade e especificidade dos escores autorreferidos, considerando padrão -ouro os escores com variáveis aferidas. Apresentaram valores ideais para o escore de saúde cardiovascular 56,7% dos indivíduos aferidos. Para o escore biológico autorreferido, a sensibilidade foi de 92% e a especificidade 30%. Para o comportamental autorreferido, a sensibilidade e a especificidade foram, respectivamente, 90,6% e 97,2%. O escore de saúde cardiovascular autorreferido teve sensibilidade 92,4% e especificidade 48,5%. Pouco mais da metade da população apresentou escore de saúde cardiovascular ideal. O escore autorreferido apresentou boa sensibilidade e menores proporções de especificidade.
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Self-efficacy Scale to Brush Teeth at Night
Authors: Bado Fernanda Maria Rovai , Rebustini Flávio , Azzi Roberta Gurgel , Ferreira Luiza Cristina Mauad , Souza Gislaine Afonso de , Jamieson Lisa , Mialhe Fábio Luiz
Published: November 2020

Abstract This study aims to perform cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the “Self-efficacy scale to brush teeth at night” with a Brazilian adult population. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation to the Brazilian-Portuguese language were done according to the stages recommended in the literature. Construct validity was carried out by mean of exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis in a sample of 198 adult subjects. The reliability of the instrument was measured by Alpha and Omega indices. The model was observed to have been established as one-dimensional for all indicators, with explained variance of 85.7%; factorial loads between 0.85 and 0.91; and with communalities between 0.72 and 0.83. The goodness of fit of the model shown by the confirmatory model were between 0.98 and 0.99; with factorial loads between 0.85 and 0.93, and regression values between 0.69 and 0.84, all above the minimum indices established for instrument quality. For reliability, the Alpha and Omega values had identical indices of 0.95 showing high levels of reliability of the model. The G-H index replicability was 0.96, indicating the stability of solution in other contexts and samples. We concluded that all indicators represented excellent evidence of scale validity to measure self-efficacy to brush teeth at night.
O Momento Cultural como introdução de elementos estéticos na formação de profissionais no campo da saúde
Authors: Medeiros Roberto Henrique Amorim de
Published: November 2020

Resumo O recorte problemático abordado neste artigo está no contexto das práticas pedagógicas da formação profissional em nível superior para o trabalho no campo da saúde. Após refletir brevemente acerca dos problemas do privilégio da técnica, apresenta a experiência e os objetivos da proposta do momento cultural como introdução de elementos estéticos na formação de alunos de graduação e pós-graduação em saúde. Na segunda parte, situa as relações entre arte, cultura e estética utilizadas neste trabalho e, a partir das experiências de mais de uma década com a proposta do momento cultural em sala de aula, discute os efeitos formativos observados a partir das apresentações do momento cultural por parte dos alunos. Finalmente, argumenta acerca da importância da formação estética para a renovação do cuidado em saúde a partir da discussão com autores clássicos e contemporâneos e propõe o momento cultural como iniciativa de introdução de elementos estéticos na formação de profissionais do campo da saúde.