bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Ship Design Complexity on Ship Design Competitiveness
Authors: Ebrahimi Ali , Brett Per O. , Erikstad Stein O. , Asbjørnslett Bjorn E.
Published: June 2021

Complexity is discussed in design literature mainly through its negative and in some cases positive consequences. This article critically reviews and elaborates the effects of complexity on competitiveness in ship design, its directionality, and magnitude. The article introduces a model for the measurement of ship design complexity and ship design competitiveness based on predefined factors. Archival data of 100 ship design projects from eight different Norwegian designers are used as case study. Multivariate data analysis techniques are employed to study the research model. The results show a significant correlation between complexity and competitiveness in ship design, where the magnitude and directionality of influence vary among different complexity factors. Our findings provide a basis for enhancing complexity management in ship design.

Introduction

Continual technology improvements and market volatility with its associated uncertainties have a significant impact on and partly change ship design customers’ expectations. To be successful in such a market, not only does it require the development of competitive products but also the accompanying work processes and the organization or firm framing the development of the vessel solution are involved. Ulstein and Brett (2015) define ship design competitiveness in terms of doing the right thing (effectiveness), doing the right thing right (efficiency), and with the right resources (efficacy) to cover product, process, and firm aspects of competitiveness. To improve their success, ship design companies typically tend to focus on the introduction of new technologies, and, in some cases, extra functional capabilities, which have led to large and complex vessels over the years. To a lesser extent, ship designers have put emphasis on the overall needs of customers. Securing a higher overall performance yield of the ship design solution than peer vessels out in the market is not a common practice among ship designers; they rather focus on a typical and traditional subset of performances. The implications and the consequences of such strategies in ship design have led to a growing need for a new set of design tools and project-making skills, a more extensive design process with different disciplines involved, and many iterations in the design development process.
La justice de proximité : des transformations en matière d’accès à la justice vues sous l’angle de la gouvernance
Authors: Bernatchez Stéphane , Comtois Suzanne , Fortin Véronique , Rousseau Guillaume , Desjardins* Marie-Claude
Published: June 2021

Les réformes du système de justice en vue d’améliorer l’accès à la justice ont entraîné la création d’une justice de proximité. Si les principes d’indépendance et d’impartialité de la justice moderne s’accommodent plutôt mal de cette notion de proximité, une conception postmoderne de la justice poursuit la quête de l’accès à la justice par l’entremise du développement d’une justice de proximité dans le contexte de la gouvernance. Le présent article propose ainsi de comprendre la justice de proximité selon la perspective du droit de la gouvernance. Les exigences de la gouvernance définissent la justice de proximité en termes de proximité territoriale, temporelle, participative, structurelle, processuelle et réflexive. Cette typologie permet d’analyser certains phénomènes de justice, tels que les cours municipales, les tribunaux administratifs, les programmes d’accompagnement justice et santé mentale en matière criminelle et les centres de justice de proximité.
Comprendre et reconnaître le droit innu du ne kupaniem/ne kupanishkuem
Authors: Grammond Sébastien , Guay Christiane
Published: June 2021

Chez les Innus d’Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, l’institution du ne kupaniem/ne kupanishkuem correspond à ce que l’on peut appeler « adoption » ou « garde coutumière ». En se fondant sur des entretiens avec des membres de cette communauté, le présent texte décrit les principaux traits de cette institution, soit le transfert volontaire de la garde d’un enfant, qui se veut temporaire et qui ne brise pas le lien de filiation d’origine. Le texte fait également état des démarches entreprises pour assurer une juste reconnaissance de cette institution en droit civil québécois. Ces démarches ont conduit à l’adoption de l’article 199.10 du Code civil du Québec, qui attribue les effets de la tutelle supplétive à une situation de ne kupaniem/ne kupanishkuem lorsque celle-ci est certifiée par une autorité désignée par une communauté autochtone.
Effects of drilling parameters on TI-6Al-4V alloy using different coolants
Authors: Rao P.Srinivasa , Prasad K.Siva , Bammidi Roopsandeep
Published: June 2021

The formulation or application of coolants plays a critical role in machining to bring out the best finished products. In this scientific article, the study focused on the effects of coolants and machining parameters of Ti-6Al-4V are investigated with consideration of their performances by using drilling operation. The design of ex- periments (DOE) was considered and the performance of machining was measured with respect to cutting temperatures and surface responses. The final results put forward that the excellent surface finish and minimal cutting temperatures are ob- tained by application of power metcut s plus when compared with pure water. The factors that impact the surface roughness of Ti-6Al-4V are coolant and feed rate. The coolant also helps in the machining process by reducing temperature at the cutting zone.
Neural network modeling methods for predicting the air parameters in the city of Tuzla
Authors: Agić Džemila , Makić Halid , Tadić Goran , Gligoric Miladin , Agić Sejfudin
Published: June 2021

According to the report of the World Health Organization, the city of Tuzla is the second in the world, and the first in Europe in terms of the number of diseases caused by air pollution. Tuzla Canton since 2003 has continuous air monitoring. Concentrations of individual pollutants exceed hourly, daily and annual limit values. In this paper, based on the existing results of air monitoring and meteorological data, using statistical methods and neural network modeling methods, unique and reliable models for predicting the concentration of NO2 in the air for the City of Tuzla have been developed. The results obtained using these models can be used in strategic decision-making processes and activities related to air quality control and management. This paper, on the example of the City of Tuzla, showed that using existing air monitoring data, concentrations of pollutants can be predicted for a longer period of time, using artificial intelligence methods. Reliable models with a high correlation coefficient can be obtained. In the case of a short or long interruption of the measurement of pollutant concentrations for the City of Tuzla with the help of models, which are the result of this work, it is possible to predict the concentrations of pollutants and plan to take measures based on them.
Quality testing of industrially produced essential oil of white pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from the Republic of Srpska
Authors: Marjanović-Balaban Željka , Gojković Cvjetković Vesna , Kapović-Solomun Marijana , Stanojevic Ljiljana , Stanojevic Jelena , Kalaba Vesna
Published: June 2021

The quality of the essential oil obtained from white pine wood greenery from the territory of the Republic of Srpska was analyzed by examining the chemical composi- tion and antimicrobial activity of samples produced by the hydro-distillation process in industrial production conditions. The chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by GC/MS and GC/FID analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the ob- tained white pine oil was investigated for its possible use as an antimicrobial agent. The obtained results prove the presence of 37 components in the analyzed sam- ple, which represents 98.5% of the total components present. The most common are monoterpene hydrocarbons, followed by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, much less represented are monoterpenes containing oxygen and aromatic compounds, while aliphatic esters are found only in traces. Antimicrobial activity was examined using the disk diffusion method. The results showed large zones of inhibition, both for the tested oil sample and for all eight analyzed bacterial strains (from 12.00 ± 0.00 to 17.33 ± 1.15mm), as well as for the fungal strain. The chemical composition and antimicrobial action of essential white pine oiled from plant material originating from the territory of the Republic of Srpska indicates its significant phytomedical potential.
ПЕРЦЕПЦИЈА ИТАЛИЈАНСКЕ КУЛТУРЕ У РОМАНУ ПРОЉЕЋА ИВАНА ГАЛЕБА ВЛАДАНА ДЕСНИЦЕ
Authors: Стијепић Пејић Марија Р.
Published: June 2021

Природа и функција умјетности за Владана Десницу основна су изворишта књижевних и филозофских размиш- љања. Читајући Десничина дјела, откривамо читав низ по- везница које учвршћују његове ставове о умјетности са раз- личитим појавама из италијанске културе. Породичне везе, широка култура и трагалачки, радознао дух учинили су врло бројним референце на италијанску књижевност, музику и позориште, па позивање на елементе из италијанске умјет- ности можемо сматрати конститутивним дијелом Десничи- ног грађења књижевног текста. Циљ овога рада је сазнати у којој мјери и на којим је све нивоима италијанска умјетност присутна у његовом најбољем роману Прољећа Ивана Галеба. Посебан акценат ће бити на расвјетљавању пишчевог гле- дишта о италијанском умјетничком насљеђу као парадигми љепоте и велике, истинске културе. Анализом фрагмената романа, биће означена она мјеста која најбоље илуструју такво Десничино гледиште.
Scala di Resilienza Professionale degli Insegnanti: prima validazione nazionale
Authors: Benvennuto Guido , Di Genova Nicoletta , Nuzzacci Antonella , Vaccarelli Alessandro
Published: June 2021

The article proposes the validation of a research tool, aimed at measuring the professional resilience of teachers. In scientific debate, the use of the resilience construct and an instrument aimed at detecting it is quite frequent, but there are few instruments to contextualize resilience in a strictly professional context. Professional Resilience of Teachers Scale [Scala di Resilienza Professionale degli Insegnanti – SRPI] can be usefully applied in stress and trauma situations that can be linked to personal experiences or emergency situations that cause teachers to face numerous unforeseen problems in their work and to implement, i.e. appraisal and coping strategies related to the concept of resilience. The SRPI was administered to a sample of 556 teachers from all school orders distributed throughout the national territory. Correlational and factor analysis made it possible to optimize the instrument, reducing the number of items from 39 to 28 and identifying the factors most involved in the proposed construct. The research confirmed high values of internal (α = .897).
Accordo assoluto tra valutazioni espresse su scala ordinale
Authors: Bove Giuseppe , Marella Daniela
Published: June 2021

Many methods for measuring agreement among raters have been proposed and applied in many domains in the areas of education, psychology, sociology, and medical research. A brief overview of the most used measures of interrater absolute agreements for ordinal rating scales is provided, and a new index is proposed that has several advantages. In particular, the new index allows to evaluate the agreement between raters for each single case (subject or object), and to obtain also a global measure of the interrater agreement for the whole group of cases evaluated. The possibility of having evaluations of the agreement on the single case is particularly useful, for example, in situations where the rating scale is being tested, and it is necessary to identify any changes to it, or to request the raters for a specific comparison on the single case in which the disagreement occurred. The index is not affected by the possible concentration of ratings on a very small number of levels of the ordinal scale.
Understanding Students’ Intention to Use Mobile Learning at Universitas Negeri Semarang: An Alternative Learning from Home During Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ismiyati Ismiyati , Kartowagiran Badrun , Muhyadi Muhyadi , Sholikah Mar'atus , Suparno Suparno , Tusyanah Tusyanah
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic influenced education systems throughout the world, including in Indonesia. It makes the universities and schools go online for their teaching-learning process. Therefore, mobile learning can be an alternative solution to carry out the teaching and learning process as suggested by the government. The purpose of this study was to explore empirically mobile learning acceptances based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with satisfaction as the mediating variable. The population of this study is 250 Economics Education students at Universitas Negeri Semarang. The sample was taken by purposive sampling with the criteria of students who have used mobile learning in supporting their learning activities. Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 24 was performed to analyze quantitative data. The results showed that from 6 hypotheses, there are 5 accepted hypotheses; they are; perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived interactivity have positive and significant effects on the intention to use mobile learning. The mediating variable (satisfaction) is successful to strengthen the influence between perceived ease of use and intention; and perceived usefulness and intention. However, satisfaction is rejected to mediate perceived interactivity and intention to use. Stakeholders should improve students’ satisfaction in their learning activities. The limitation of this study was the research results cannot be easely generalized in other contexts. In the future, other researchers can add other factors to examine better technology acceptance.
The Effectiveness of a Program Based on Problem-Solving in Mathematical Problem Solving among Grade Ten Students
Authors: Al Kharusi Ahmed , Al-Abed Adnan
Published: June 2021

This study examined the impact of a program based on problem-solving in mathematical problem-solving among 10th grade students. The sample of this study consisted of (89) male and female students; Wadi Bani Kharous Basic Education School and Om Hakeem Basic Education School located in AlBatina South Governorate (Oman). The study followed the quasi-experimental research design with experimental group consisted of (48) students, and control group consisted of (41) students. The instructional materials of Polynomial and Algebraic Functions Unit and Trigonometric Functions Unit for Grade 10th were designed according to a program based on problem-solving. The problemsolving test was valid and reliable. The findings indicated that there were significant statistical differences in mathematical problem-solving test between the experimental and control group due to teaching method in favor of experimental group. The findings indicated that there were no significant statistical differences in mathematical problemsolving test between male and female students. The findings also indicated that there were statistical significance differences in mathematical problem-solving test due to the interaction between and teaching method and gender. The study recommended organizing training workshops for mathematics teachers to introduce programs based on problem solving, training them to build educational programs based on problem solving, and urging them to adopt it due to the positive impact it has shown in teaching mathematics.
Profile of Student Analytical Thinking Skills in the Natural Sciences by Implementing Problem-Based Learning Model
Authors: Suyatman Suyatman , Saputro Sulistyo , Sunarno Widha , Sukarmin Sukarmin
Published: June 2021

Analytical thinking skills are critical thinking skills and higher-order thinking skills that meet students’ demands in the 21st century. This study aims to analyze the student’s analytical thinking skills in the natural sciences, particularly in new and renewable energy. This study was a sequential explanatory design with quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was obtained from the interview, observation, and essay test to students of the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education Program Study at IAIN Surakarta (Indonesia) to determine a characteristic of the students’ analytical thinking skills. The results showed that the mean scores of the pre-test, post-test, and effect size were 54.34, 74.91, and 2.91, respectively. These results revealed that analytical thinking skills in the concept of new and renewable energy in the experimental group were higher than the control group. Innovative learning like PBL had a potential as the alternative method to increase the analytical thinking skills of student. These findings were expected to provide a general characteristic to lecturers and researchers on the students’ analytical thinking skills in higher education in the natural sciences, particularly in the concept of new and renewable energy by implementing the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model.
La didattica a distanza durante il lockdown in Italia: il punto di vista delle famiglie
Authors: Szpunar Giordana , Cannoni Eleonora , Di Norcia Anna
Published: June 2021

Lockdown due to Covid-19 sanitary emergency causes a sudden break for scholar, social, cultural activities and sports. The aim of this work was to highlight changes in habits of life for children and teenagers with a particular focus on school activities. An on-line questionnaire was administrated to 5022 parents of children aged from 3 to 18 years. Results showed that secondary schools were able to guarantee at least hours of on-line lessons for half of the ordinary timing of schools. For preschooler and primary school, it seems that the recommended attention to maintain relations between the class group was less respected. So it seems that, during lockdown, children and teenagers were exposed to poverty of education and deprivation of social relationships. Probably due to lack of an adequate training for teachers, distance learning did not favored didactics strategies different from the traditional ones above all for preschool and primary schools.
Microscopic theory for elastic modulus of colloidal polymers: Effect of bond length
Authors: Zhang Bo-Kai ,   Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Published: June 2021

Colloidal polymers have attracted increasing attention in condensed physics, statistical mechanics and polymer science and engineering due to their advances in synthesis and visualization. Many useful properties and applications of colloidal polymers make them an ideal model to explore fundamental problems in slow dynamics and rheology of chain-like molecules in supercooled regime. With temperature decreasing or density rapidly increasing, amorphous materials often exhibit nonzero shear moduli. In this article, we are to investigate the nonzero shear modulus and bulk modulus of colloidal polymer in supercooled regime based on recent microscopic theoretical development. At the segmental-scale level, an analytical derivation for elastic modulus of colloidal polymer is constructed based on the standard approximation in naïve mode-coupling theory (NMCT). In the framework of nonlinear Langevin equation theory (NLET), the derivation combines the concept of dynamic free energy, localization and NMCT crossover volume fraction. Taking the chain connectivity into account, an explicit expression for shear modulus including intrachain structure factor, interchain correlation and localized length is formulated. Bulk modulus can be obtained by relating it to long wavelength part of static structure factor. Firstly, our calculation for discrete wormlike chain shows that intrachain structure factor has a power law decay at intermediate wavevector which is similar to flexible linear chain. Secondly, we find that colloidal polymer with long bond length has a lower NMCT crossover volume fraction. Furthermore, inputting the localized length, long wavelength density fluctuation and static intrachain and interchain structures into the theoretical expression, the effect of bond length on shear modulus and bulk modulus are investigated. Interestingly, we find the bond length plays a critical and unique role in localized length and bulk modulus. For instance, when the supercooling degree is used as an independent variable, the local length and bulk elastic modulus of the chain with the same bond length can be collapsed onto a universal curve, which is independent of chain length and local bending energy. However, in the aspect of shear modulus, the bond length is not a unique quantity and the above universal curve cannot be found. The shear modulus depends on other parameters of chain, such as chain length and rigidity. According to the universal behavior of zero-wavevector static structure factor versus bond length, we guess that the nonuniversal curve of shear modulus is due to the bond length effect on long wavevector static structure factor. This work provides a theoretical foundation for controlling various properties of chain-like supercooled materials in the future.
A signal capture and proofreading mechanism for the KDEL-receptor explains selectivity and dynamic range in ER retrieval
Authors: Gerondopoulos Andreas , Bräuer Philipp , Sobajima Tomoaki , Wu Zhiyi , Parker Joanne L , Biggin Philip C , Barr Francis A , Newstead Simon
Published: June 2021

ER proteins of widely differing abundance are retrieved from the Golgi by the KDEL-receptor. Abundant ER proteins tend to have KDEL rather than HDEL signals, whereas ADEL and DDEL are not used in most organisms. Here, we explore the mechanism of selective retrieval signal capture by the KDEL-receptor and how HDEL binds with 10-fold higher affinity than KDEL. Our results show the carboxyl-terminus of the retrieval signal moves along a ladder of arginine residues as it enters the binding pocket of the receptor. Gatekeeper residues D50 and E117 at the entrance of this pocket exclude ADEL and DDEL sequences. D50N/E117Q mutation of human KDEL-receptors changes the selectivity to ADEL and DDEL. However, further analysis of HDEL, KDEL, and RDEL-bound receptor structures shows that affinity differences are explained by interactions between the variable −4 H/K/R position of the signal and W120, rather than D50 or E117. Together, these findings explain KDEL-receptor selectivity, and how signal variants increase dynamic range to support efficient ER retrieval of low and high abundance proteins.
A bidirectional corticoamygdala circuit for the encoding and retrieval of detailed reward memories
Authors: Sias Ana C , Morse Ashleigh K , Wang Sherry , Greenfield Venuz Y , Goodpaster Caitlin M , Wrenn Tyler M , Wikenheiser Andrew M , Holley Sandra M , Cepeda Carlos , Levine Michael S , Wassum Kate M
Published: June 2021

Adaptive reward-related decision making often requires accurate and detailed representation of potential available rewards. Environmental reward-predictive stimuli can facilitate these representations, allowing one to infer which specific rewards might be available and choose accordingly. This process relies on encoded relationships between the cues and the sensory-specific details of the rewards they predict. Here, we interrogated the function of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and its interaction with the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) in the ability to learn such stimulus-outcome associations and use these memories to guide decision making. Using optical recording and inhibition approaches, Pavlovian cue-reward conditioning, and the outcome-selective Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) test in male rats, we found that the BLA is robustly activated at the time of stimulus-outcome learning and that this activity is necessary for sensory-specific stimulus-outcome memories to be encoded, so they can subsequently influence reward choices. Direct input from the lOFC was found to support the BLA in this function. Based on prior work, activity in BLA projections back to the lOFC was known to support the use of stimulus-outcome memories to influence decision making. By multiplexing optogenetic and chemogenetic inhibition we performed a serial circuit disconnection and found that the lOFC→BLA and BLA→lOFC pathways form a functional circuit regulating the encoding (lOFC→BLA) and subsequent use (BLA→lOFC) of the stimulus-dependent, sensory-specific reward memories that are critical for adaptive, appetitive decision making.
Towards generalisable hate speech detection: a review on obstacles and solutions
Authors: Yin Wenjie , Zubiaga Arkaitz
Published: June 2021

Hate speech is one type of harmful online content which directly attacks or promotes hate towards a group or an individual member based on their actual or perceived aspects of identity, such as ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. With online hate speech on the rise, its automatic detection as a natural language processing task is gaining increasing interest. However, it is only recently that it has been shown that existing models generalise poorly to unseen data. This survey paper attempts to summarise how generalisable existing hate speech detection models are and the reasons why hate speech models struggle to generalise, sums up existing attempts at addressing the main obstacles, and then proposes directions of future research to improve generalisation in hate speech detection.
HPV molecular detection from urine versus cervical samples: an alternative for HPV screening in indigenous populations
Authors: Torres-Rojas Francisco I. , Mendoza-Catalán Miguel A. , Alarcón-Romero Luz del C. , Parra-Rojas Isela , Paredes-Solís Sergio , Leyva-Vázquez Marco A. , Cortes-Arciniega Jair E. , Bracamontes-Benítez Carlos J. , Illades-Aguiar Berenice
Published: June 2021

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cause of death from neoplasms in women and is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Several methods have been developed for the screening of cervical lesions and HPV; however, some socio-cultural factors prevent women from undergoing gynecological inspection, which results in a higher risk of mortality from cervical cancer in certain population groups as indigenous communities. This study aimed to compare the concordance in HPV detection from urine and cervical samples, to propose an alternative to cervical scraping, which is commonly used in the cervical cancer screening.

Methodology

The DNA from cervical scrapings and urine samples was extracted using the proteinase K method followed by precipitation with alcohol, phenol andchloroform; a modification of the proteinase K method was developed in the management of urine sediment. Viral genotyping was performed using INNOLipa.

Results

The study population consisted of 108 patients from an indigenous population at southern Mexico, 32 without squamous intraepithelial lesions (NSIL) and 76 with low squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). The majority of NSIL cervical scrapes were negative for HPV (90.63%), whereas more than half of LSIL cases were high-risk HPV positive (51.32%), followed by multiple infection by HR-HPV (17.11%), and multiple infection by LR- and HR-HPV (9.21%). No statistically significant relationship between the cytological diagnosis and the HPV genotypes detected in the urine samples was observed. A concordance of 68.27% for HPV positivity from urine and cervical samples was observed. Similarly, a concordance of 64.52% was observed in the grouping of HPVs by oncogenic risk. HR-HPV was detected in 71% of the urine samples from women with LSIL diagnosis, which suggests that HR-HPV detected in a urine sample could indicate the presence or risk of developing SIL.

Conclusion

HR-HPV detection in urine samples could be an initial approach for women at risk of developing LSIL and who, for cultural reasons, refuse to undergo a gynecological inspection.
Shifts in gut and vaginal microbiomes are associated with cancer recurrence time in women with ovarian cancer
Authors: Jacobson David , Moore Kathleen , Gunderson Camille , Rowland Michelle , Austin Rita , Honap Tanvi Prasad , Xu Jiawu , Warinner Christina , Sankaranarayanan Krithivasan , Lewis Jr Cecil M.
Published: June 2021

Many studies investigating the human microbiome-cancer interface have focused on the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal cancers. Outside of human papillomavirus driving cervical cancer, little is known about the relationship between the vaginal microbiome and other gynecological cancers, such as ovarian cancer. In this retrospective study, we investigated the relationship between ovarian cancer, platinum-free interval (PFI) length, and vaginal and gut microbiomes. We observed that Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal communities were less common in women with ovarian cancer, as compared to existing datasets of similarly aged women without cancer. Primary platinum-resistance (PPR) disease is strongly associated with survivability under one year, and we found over one-third of patients with PPR (PFI < 6 months, n = 17) to have a vaginal microbiome dominated by Escherichia (>20% relative abundance), while only one platinum super-sensitive (PFI > 24 months, n = 23) patient had an Escherichia-dominated microbiome. Additionally, L. iners was associated with little, or no, gross residual disease, while other Lactobacillus species were dominant in women with >1 cm gross residual disease. In the gut microbiome, we found patients with PPR disease to have lower phylogenetic diversity than platinum-sensitive patients. The trends we observe in women with ovarian cancer and PPR disease, such as the absence of Lactobacillus and presence of Escherichia in the vaginal microbiome as well as low gut microbiome phylogenetic diversity have all been linked to other diseases and/or pro-inflammatory states, including bacterial vaginosis and autoimmune disorders. Future prospective studies are necessary to explore the translational potential and underlying mechanisms driving these associations.
A seven-lncRNA signature for predicting Ewing’s sarcoma
Authors: Chen Zhihui , Wang Xinyu , Wang Guozhu , Xiao Bin , Ma Zhe , Huo Hongliang , Li Weiwei
Published: June 2021

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with unique characteristics. These RNA can regulate cancer cells’ survival, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis and are potential diagnostic and prognostic markers. We identified a seven-lncRNA signature related to the overall survival (OS) of patients with Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS).

Methods

We used an expression profile from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as a training cohort to screen out the OS-associated lncRNAs in EWS and further established a seven-lncRNA signature using univariate Cox regression, the least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. The prognostic lncRNA signature was validated in an external dataset from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) as a validation cohort.

Results

We obtained 10 survival-related lncRNAs from the Kaplan-Meier and ROC curve analysis (log-rank test P < 0.05; AUC >0.6). Univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses confirmed seven key lncRNAs and we established a lncRNA signature to predict an EWS prognosis. EWS patients in the training cohort were categorized into a low-risk group or a high-risk group based on their median risk score. The high-risk group’s survival time was significantly shorter than the low-risk group’s. This seven-lncRNA signature was further confirmed by the validation cohort. The area under the curve (AUC) for this lncRNA signature was up to 0.905 in the training group and 0.697 in the 3-year validation group. The nomogram’s calibration curves demonstrated that EWS probability in the two cohorts was consistent between the nomogram prediction and actual observation.

Conclusion

We screened a seven-lncRNA signature to predict the EWS patients’ prognosis. Our findings provide a new reference for the current prognostic evaluation of EWS and new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of EWS.
Knowledge about cervical cancer and awareness about human papillomavirus vaccination among medical students in Jordan
Authors: Alsous Mervat M. , Ali Ahlam , Al-Azzam Sayer , Karasneh Reema , Amawi Haneen
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To assess the knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV infection and the awareness towards and perceived barriers of HPV vaccination amid medical students in Jordan.

Methods

The present study is a cross-sectional survey that was conducted for a period of three months in the College of Medicine at six different universities in Jordan. Third-year to sixth-year students from these medical colleges in Jordan were invited to participate in the study.

Results

There were 504 students that took part in the study with 42.3% being males and 57.7% females. The mean knowledge score of students in our survey was 21.4 ± 4.4 out of 34, which was categorized as a moderate level of knowledge regarding cervical cancer and HPV. Only 40.5% knew about the availability of the HPV vaccine in Jordan, and 65.9% accepted the idea that it is necessary to introduce the HPV vaccine for school girls in Jordan.

Conclusions

This study highlights that there is inadequate knowledge about cervical cancer and its screening among medical students in Jordan. Despite the limited awareness about the HPV vaccine among the study’s participants, there is a favorable opinion towards the introduction of the vaccine for school girls in Jordan. The data provide a benchmark on the level of knowledge about cervical cancer and awareness about HPV, which can be used to formulate an effective awareness program.
Shifting cultivation and hunting across the savanna-forest mosaic in the Gran Sabana, Venezuela: facing changes
Authors: Stachowicz Izabela , Ferrer-Paris José R. , Sanchez-Mercado Ada
Published: June 2021

Background

Human encroachment and overexploitation of natural resources in the Neotropics is constantly increasing. Indigenous communities all across the Amazon, are trapped between a population rise and a hot debate about the sustainability of hunting rates. The Garden Hunting hypothesis states that shifting cultivation schemes (conucos) used by Amazon indigenous communities may generate favorable conditions, increasing abundance of small and medium wildlife species close to the ‘gardens’ providing game for indigenous hunters.

Methods

Here, we combined camera trap surveys and spatially explicit interview dataset on Pemón indigenous hunting scope and occurrence in a mosaic of savanna and forest in the Gran Sabana, Venezuela to evaluate to what extent the wildlife resource use corresponds to Garden Hunting hypothesis. We applied the Royle–Nichols model and binomial regression in order to: (1) assess whether abundance of small and medium wildlife species is higher close to conucos and (2) evaluate whether hunters select hunting localities based on accessibility to wildlife resources (closeness to conuco) more than wildlife abundance.

Results

We find mixed evidence supporting the Garden Hunting hypothesis predictions. Abundance of small and medium species was high close to conucos but the pattern was not statistically significant for most of them. Pemón seem to hunt in locations dominated by forest, where species abundance was predicted to be higher, than in close vicinity to conucos. Hunting scope was focused on the most abundant species located close to the conuco (Cuniculus paca), but also in less abundant and unavailable species (Crax alector, Tapirus terrestris and Odocoileus virginianus).

Conclusions

Our research provided the first attempt of a systematic sampling survey in the Gran Sabana, generating a quantitative dataset that not only describes the current pattern of wildlife abundance, but sets the base-line to monitor temporal and spatial change in this region of highland Amazon. We discuss the applicability of the estimates generated as a baseline as well as, environmental challenges imposed by economic, social and cultural changes such as mining encroachment for wildlife management.
Embryonic development and perinatal skeleton in a limbless, viviparous lizard, Anguis fragilis (Squamata: Anguimorpha)
Authors: Skawiński Tomasz , Skórzewski Grzegorz , Borczyk Bartosz
Published: June 2021

Despite the long history of embryological studies of squamates, many groups of this huge clade have received only limited attention. One such understudied group is the anguimorphs, a clade comprising morphologically and ecologically very diverse lizards. We describe several stages of embryonic development of Anguis fragilis, a limbless, viviparous anguimorph. Interestingly, in several clutches we observe high morphological variation in characters traditionally important in classifying embryos into developmental stages. The causes of this variation remain unknown but environmental factors do not seem to be very important. Additionally, we describe the state of ossification in several perinatal specimens of A. fragilis. The cranial skeleton is relatively poorly ossified around the time of birth, with all of the bones constituting the braincase unfused. On the other hand, the vertebral column is well ossified, with the neurocentral sutures closed and the neural arches fused in all postatlantal vertebrae. Such an advanced state of ossification may be related to the greater importance of the vertebral column in locomotion in limbless species than in ones with fully-developed limbs. Numerous factors seem to affect the state of ossification at the time of hatching or birth in squamates, including phylogenetic position, mode of reproduction and, potentially, limblessness. However, data from a greater number of species are needed to reach firmer conclusions about the relative importance of these variables in certain clades.
The Tsar, The Empire, and The Nation: Dilemmas of Nationalization in Russia's Western Borderlands, 1905-1915
Authors: Staliunas Darius , Aoshima Yoko
Published: June 2021

This collection of essays addresses the challenge of modern nationalism to the tsarist Russian Empire. First appearing on the empire’s western periphery, this challenge was most prevalent in twelve provinces extending from Ukrainian lands in the south to the Baltic provinces in the north, and to the Kingdom of Poland. At issue is whether the late Russian Empire entered World War I as a multiethnic state with many of its age-old mechanisms run by a multiethnic elite, or as a Russian state predominantly managed by ethnic Russians. The tsarist vision of prioritizing loyalty among all subjects over privileging ethnic Russians and discriminating against non-Russians faced a fundamental problem: as soon as the opportunity presented itself, non-Russians would increase their demands and become increasingly separatist. The authors found that although the imperial government did not really identify with popular Russian nationalism, it sometimes ended up implementing policies promoted by Russian nationalist proponents. Matters addressed include native language education, interconfessional rivalry, the “Jewish question,” the origins of mass tourism in the western provinces, and the emergence of Russian nationalist attitudes in the aftermath of the first Russian revolution.
Consolidating Peace in the Niger Delta for National Development in Nigeria: Rising Beyond Tokenism
Authors: Samuel Umaru Tsaku , Tedheke Moses E. U.
Published: June 2021

This study attempts an investigation into oil politics and other related issues that have generated security crisis in the Niger Delta region, which made peace to elude the people over the years. For decades, peace in the Niger Delta remains a mirage because of the violence and counter violence unleashed by the different stakeholders in oil production in the Niger Delta. While the militants in the Niger Delta resorted to kidnapping of expatriates, oil theft, and the destruction of oil installations of the international oil companies to register their grievances against the Nigerian state and international oil companies over the debilitating development conditions in oil producing communities, the Nigerian state had militarized the region to maintain law and order in the oil producing areas in order to secure oil installations of the international oil companies which were targeted for destruction by the militants who felt the federal government and oil companies have not done enough to improve the living conditions of the people. To pacify the Niger Delta people and to ensure seamless oil production in the region, the federal government introduced some initiatives and created different Commissions such as the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, increased derivation formula in revenue allocation to 13 percent and the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission to engender peace and development in the region. In recent times however, the federal government in furtherance of its commitment to resolve the Niger Delta crisis created the Ministry of Niger Delta and equally granted Amnesty for repentant militants with a view to re-integrating them back to the society in the interest of national peace and development. Except for Amnesty Programme which introduced relative peace in the Niger Delta, which itself failed to address the root causes of underdevelopment, all other initiatives have not engendered development and lasting peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. These initiatives and Commissions were simply tokenism as they failed to fundamentally, reposition the region on the path of sustainable growth and development. However, in generating data for this research, both primary and secondary data were used for analysis. The primary data were obtained from questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions carried out in Bayelsa and River states. The study concluded that peace and development is possible in the Niger Delta if conscious and deliberate efforts are made by the government and international oil companies to improve the lots of the people who bear the devastating consequences of oil production in Nigeria.
Use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an Audio-Visual Distraction Tool in the Reduction of Dental Anxiety during Local Anesthesia
Authors: Cheruvatoor Jalison Jacob , Kaini Lim , Hanafiah Mohamad Adib Bin Mohd Ali , Sihabubdin Muhammad Azizuddin Bin , Marla Vinay
Published: June 2021

Aims: Dental anxiety is a relatively common problem and it leads to undesirable distresses, such as postponement or avoidance of dental treatment thereby resulting in poorer quality of treatment and reduced oral health related quality of life. Dental anxiety is especially seen in patients undergoing dental injections. To evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual distraction in the reduction of dental anxiety during la injection.

Study design:  Cross-sectional study.

Place and duration of study: Patients visiting Penang International Dental College, Malaysia, between June 2017 and July 2018.

Methodology: A total of 176 patients (88 female and 88 male) requiring endodontic therapy or tooth extraction were recruited for this study. A 14-question long questionnaire using Hamilton anxiety rating scale; and a separate feedback questionnaire was used to evaluate patients’ anxiety level and the severity of anxiety symptoms. Paired t-test was used to analyze the data.

Results: There was a significant reduction in the anxiety scores (p<0.001) of the patients following the use of VR distraction during the la procedure. On an average, the pre-test scores were 1.932 points higher than post-test scores.

Conclusion: Virtual reality could be used as a possible non-pharmacologic means of reducing dental anxiety in patients receiving local anesthesia.
Study of Relationship between Self-rated Health and Objective Health in Different Socio-economic Groups of Tehran in 2014
Authors: Khalili Fatemeh , Nejat Saharnaz , Mohammad Kazem , Yazdani Kamran , Yadegarfar Ghasem
Published: June 2021

The evaluation of health by an individual or self-rated health is a popular international index which is widely practiced for evaluating the individuals’ health in the public health researches and epidemiology. Many studies have revealed that self-rated health is a reliable predictor of mortality, illness, and loss of physical capacity. In addition, it has close correlation with the objective health indexes. The findings of this study have revealed the strong relationship between self-rated health and objective health. As self- rated health can be used as a reliable tool in the evaluation of objective health, this questionnaire can be used as a probable tool of screening the individuals’ health in the society and determining the individuals who need care. Further studies are suggested to be done in other regions for studying the quality of the questionnaire and also the factors affecting the self-rated health.
Evaluation of the Bleeding Complications in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ansari Muhammad Kamran , Zardari Inayat Ali , Awan Shazia , Laghari Shahnawaz , Bhatti Naeem Karim , Baloch Maimoona , Ahmer Arslan
Published: June 2021

Objective: To determine the frequency of various sources of bleeding in laparoscopic cholecystectomy with special preference to gallbladder bed excluding port site.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was consisted of 163 patients admitted through the outpatient department from Peoples Medical College Hospital Nawabshah. Ultrasound of abdomen was done as diagnostic modality and for assessment of gallstone disease. Finally the cases of gallstone were operated through laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure and observed for sources of bleeding.

Results: Out of 163 patients included in this study 138(84.7%) were female and 25(15.3%) patients were male; with female to male ratio of 5.52:1. The mean age was 41.85±7.83 years. Common sources of bleeding in laparoscopic cholecystectomy from liver bed side were 44(27%) cases followed by cystic artery in 17(10.4%) cases, hepatic artery and mesenteric vessel in 1(0.6%) case was observed.

Conclusion: Bleeding during laparoscopic cholecystectomy are almost equally common and can prove to be lethal if not identified and managed during the operation. Good surgical technique, awareness and early recognition and management of such cases are keys to success when dealing with this problem.