bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Psychology of Inclusion on New Media Platforms and the Online Communication
Authors: Zelena András
Published: April 2021

Following the tabooistic and rejective attitude of the 20th century, in the processing and announcement method of the 21st century, there is is a growing emphasis on sharing various life events on the platforms of new media (Web 2.0). Such platforms can be social media sites or one of the file or video sharing pages or blogs. In addition to presenting user habits shaped by the COVID pandemic, which have temporarily changed the online communication, I aim to answer the question of how new media (Web 2.0) becomes the platform of communal loss for users of different ages, genders, social statuses, and diverse Internet usage habits and socialization. I attempt to present the comprehensive picture of the transformation of personal loss into communal grief experience on the different platforms of new media and what supportive acts help the person who shares his/her loss experience in the processing of the events. By means of feedback (reactions, comments, replies with different emoticons), the user’s loss experience “expands” into communal loss experience. In the present research paper, the findings of the international discipline are only applied to Hungary (its current population is 9.6 million), a Central Eastern European country where, according to a representative study published in 2015, there are 5 million Facebook users.
Argumentation Moods
Authors: Nariţa Ionel
Published: April 2021

Argumentation is an act of communication performed by a speaker aiming to persuade a listener to accept or reject a proposition, named thesis, using another proposition, called argument, and a relation between them – the frame of argumentation. Argumentations are evaluated relatively to the pragmatic value of success and to the logical value of correctness. These values are independent of each other – namely, from the success of an argumentation, nothing can be inferred about its correctitude, and reciprocally. In order to establish the correctness of an argumentation, we can classify all argumentations into moods such as the syllogisms. A necessary condition for the correctitude of an argumentation is the validity of its mood. The validity of the argumentative moods is investigated using the reduction method established by Aristotle for syllogistic moods.
The Initiators of Our Everyday Life – Relationship between Coffee and Instagram
Authors: Csáki Csilla
Published: April 2021

In this study, I would like to understand the background of sharing coffee online and get to know why it encourages young people to post their coffee. I analyse the two popular parts of our everyday lives, coffee and Instagram, and their connection points, which are coffee posts as communication tools and their posting and content sharing itself as a form of communication. In my theoretical background, I reflect on the process of coffee becoming a consumer product, the relationships between cafés and the public, and I reflect on the features of Instagram that captivate young people and enable online social rites. Regarding the question of presence, I am looking for the answer to the peculiarities of the relationship between online and offline, the dissonance caused by the simultaneous appearance on the two stages. The aim of the paper is to compare the traditional and the online characteristics of the coffee community and to interpret it as a rite. Based on the theoretical background of digital ethnography, using participatory observation and photomontage techniques, I explore attitudes and motivations among the Generation Z young people in Târgu-Mureş in terms of this activity. These two evocative methods, further interpreting the visuals of Instagram, allow interpretation not only from an aesthetic point of view but also in terms of the analysis of their symbol system, background, and motivations. In my interpretations, the acceptance of manipulation, the attitude of reality, the social characteristics of online coffee communities, the relationships between Instagram visuality and Generation Z media consumption needs, compensation practices that use coffee posts as an excuse and provide insight into the self-reflexive process of coffee post backgrounds are explicated. In my final conclusions, I outline the system of likeability for coffee posts as a feature of competitive, community photography. I refer to the sharing of coffee online as new contexts of parasocial relations, and I also reflect on coffee posts as a self-branding opportunity that can be used as a tool for self-expression.
Picturesque Pictures: Italian Early Non-fiction Films within Modern Aesthetic Visions
Authors: Blom Ivo
Published: April 2021

Within early non-fiction film, the Italian travel or scenic films of the 1910s may be considered the most picturesque. They are remarkable for their presentation of landscapes and cityscapes, their co-existence of modernity and nostalgia, their accent on beauty – at times at the expense of geographic veracity and indexicality – and their focus on the transformed gaze through the use of special masks, split-screens, and other devices. The transmedial roots for this aestheticization can be found both in art (painting) and popular culture (postcards, magic lanterns, etc.). While the author was one of the firsts to write on this subject decades ago, today there is a need for radical revision and a deeper approach. This is due to the influx of recent literature first by Jennifer Peterson’s book Education in the School of Dreams (2013) and her scholarly articles. Secondly, Blom’s co-presentation on Italian early nonfiction at the 2018 workshop A Dive into the Collections of the Eye Filmmuseum: Italian Silent Cinema at the Intersection of the Arts led to the recognition that revision was needed. Finally, the films themselves call for new approaches while they are being preserved and disseminated by, foremost, the film archives of Bologna, Amsterdam, and Turin.
DecodingTableaux Vivants: the Metareferential Potential of Painterly References in Cinema
Authors: Drăgan Cristian Eduard
Published: April 2021

The article focuses on the intermedial relationship between cinema and painting, viewed as a self-referential process, and tries to determine various ways in which this type of signifying process can be used to “encode” various messages (within the work itself), or become an integral part of this (meta)communicative operation. Starting from a broad definition of intermedial references and continuing with a brief recontextualized detour through Gérard Genette’s taxonomy of transtextual instances, the author narrows down a specific technique that exemplifies this type of “codifying” procedure, namely thetableau vivant. In accordance with Werner Wolf’s proposed terminology, he attempts to determine the metareferential potential of this extra-compositional self-referential technique. The case studies focus on films by Peter Greenaway and Lars von Trier.
Study of the Structural, Optical, Electrical and Morphological Properties of Nickel Sulfide Thin Films Used in Supercapacitors
Authors: Gahtar Abdelouahab , Benramache Said , Ammari Abdelkader , Boukhachem Abdelwaheb
Published: April 2021

Nickel sulfide (NiS) thin film has been deposited on glass substrates by spray-pyrolysis at 325 ± 5 °C. The precursor aqueous solution was synthetized using hexahydrated nickel nitrates and thiourea. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy and four probes electrical measurements. The XRD analysis confirmed the hexagonal structure of NiS thin film, which was found to crystalize along [010] direction with an average crystallites size of 10.5 nm. The lattice parameters are a = b = 3.420 Å and c = 5.300 Å in the space group P63/mmc. The optical properties of the films were investigated through the transmittance and the reflectance measurements. The results revealed that the material exhibits a direct optical band gap of 1.03 eV. The elementary composition analysis confirmed the presence of Ni and S with a stoichiometry ratio (Ni/S) of 1.05. The morphology analysis revealed a homogenous crack-free, compact appearance and a granular surface in all scanned areas. The average roughness of the surface was 6.48 nm. On the other hand, the film exhibits a high electrical conductivity ca. 1.10 × 105 S/cm at room temperature. The above results show that the prepared NiS in this study has a good crystallization, dense morphology, good stoichiometric ratio and high conductivity; therefore, it stands as a potential candidate for application in supercapacitors as an electrode material.
Contrasts in fitness, motor competence and physical activity among children involved in single or multiple sports
Authors: Salin Kasper , Huhtiniemi Mikko , Watt Anthony , Mononen Kaisu , Jaakkola Timo
Published: April 2021

Study aim: While there is wide debate around specialization in one sport, there is a lack of information about fitness levels and motor competence of children participating in single or multiple sports.

Material and methods: The study involved 358 fifth-grade children who participated in a set of health-related fitness and motor competence tests over two consecutive years. A subsample of children (n = 109) wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. The independent samples t-test and ANCOVA were used to compare differences between single and multi-sport participants in study variables and changes between baseline and follow-up.

Results: Multi-sport participants performed better in shuttle run (baseline/follow-up; p = 0.001/p = 0.006), push-up (p = 0.006/p = 0.036), and five leap tests (p = 0.001/p = 0.009) in baseline than single sport participants among boys. Likewise, multi-sport participants showed significantly more improvement in the throwing and catching combination test between study years among boys F1,159 = 3.570, p = 0.030. Among girls, no differences were found in any study variable between single and multi-sport participants.

Conclusions: From the perspective of fitness and motor competence tests, there are no arguments for participating in just one sport at an early age. Instead, multi-sport participants performed better than single sport participants in the majority of test variables.
Pros and cons for fluorescent in situ hybridization, karyotyping and next generation sequencing for diagnosis and follow-up of multiple myeloma
Authors: Ikbal Atli E , Gurkan H , Onur Kirkizlar H , Atli E , Demir S , Yalcintepe S , Kalkan R , Demir AM
Published: April 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the plasma cell-related hematological malignancies exceeding 10.0% of all marrow cells, and they make a paraprotein that is a marker of the disease. Myeloma is one of the most common types of hematological malignancies in humans. Genetic bio-markers have been used for prognostic markers in patients diagnosed with MM. The genetic and genomic changes have been identified using karyotyping, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), next generation sequencing (NGS), specifically whole-genome sequencing or exome sequencing. Circulatory plasma cells, circulating free DNA (cfD-NA) and microRNAs (miRNAs) comprised in liquid biopsy are potentially used in diagnosis/prognosis of MM. In this study, we analyzed and compared results of karyo-typing, FISH and NGS in 35 MM cases. Diagnostic strategies are expanding rapidly and newly developed NGS-based testing may help the understanding of the complexities of genetic alterations in karyotypically normal cases.
Do we use methylation of NFATC1 and FOS genes as a biomarker for postmenopausal osteoporosis?
Authors: Kalkan R , Tosun O
Published: April 2021

Genetic and epigenetic factors have an important role during the development of osteoporosis. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) (RANK)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) pathway is important for the bone remodeling, and NFATC1 and FOS are the downtargets of this pathway. Here, we report methylation status of NFATC1 and FOS genes in post- and premenopausal women. In this study, 30 premenopausal and 35 postmenopausal women were included. Methylation sensitive-high resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis was used for identification of NFATC1 and FOS genes methylation. The NFATC1 gene was methylated in 11 of the 35 postmenopausal women, and the FOS gene was methylated in six of the postmenopausal women (p >0.005). Here, we found statistically significant association between unmethylation of the NFATC1 gene and postmenopausal status. This result explains the epigenetic regulation of osteoclasts during the menopausal transition, and for the first time, our results can be used for epigenetic explanation of postmenopausal osteoporosis in the literature. However, the limited number of studies in this field makes our results crucial. Our results showed great value of epigenetic profiles of postmenopausal women.
Familial non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism in family members across four generations due to a novel disease-causing variant in the thyrotropin receptor gene
Authors: Malej A , Avbelj Stefanija M , Bratanič N , Trebušak Podkrajšek K
Published: April 2021

Activating disease-causing variants in the thyrotropin-receptor (TSHR) gene are associated with familial or sporadic congenital non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism. Familial non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism (FNAH) is a rare form of hyperthyroidism with 41 families reported so far in the TSHR gene mutation database. We present clinical and genetic features of 11 patients with FNAH across four generations of a Slovenian family. They all developed clinical features of hyperthyroidism but did not show characteristics of autoimmune hyperthyroidism. Members of the initially diagnosed generation were diagnosed as hyperthyrotic after they developed cardiac complications (rhythm disorders, thromboembolic events, cardiac insufficiency), while patients in the younger generations were diagnosed earlier, and consequently, early cardiovascular complications were less frequent. All patients had a novel heterozygous TSHR variant NP_ 000360.2: p.Met453Val (NM_000369.2: c.1357A>G) predicted to be pathogenic. Therefore, besides expending the mutational spectrum of the activating TSHR variants in FNAH, our experience with this multi-generation family confirms the need for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of FNAH.
Genetic spectrum of neonatal diabetes
Authors: Kocova M
Published: April 2021

Neonatal diabetes (ND) appears during the first months of life and is caused by a single gene mutation. It is heterogenous and very different compared to other forms of multi-factorial or polygenic diabetes. Clinically, this form is extremely severe, however, early genetic diagnosis is pivotal for successful therapy. A large palette of genes is demonstrated to be a cause of ND, however, the mechanisms of permanent hyperglycemia are different. This review will give an overview of more frequent genetic mutations causing ND, including the function of the mutated genes and the specific therapy for certain sub-forms.
Second Half of the 4th Millennium BC: Time of Changes in the Tripolye and Funnel Beaker Cultures
Authors: Rybicka Małgorzata
Published: April 2021

The 2012–2019 investigations in Western Ukraine identified the reaches of the Funnel Beaker and Tripolye cultures in western Volhynia and on the upper Dniester, and syncretic phenomena produced in all likelihood by direct contacts between the representatives of these different communities. Moreover, it was found that the contacts were greatly intensified by the exchange of so-called Volhynia flint. It was distributed to both the Late Tripolye Brînzeni group in northern Moldavia and the eastern and south-eastern groups of the FBC. The intensification of contacts between the communities of the two cultures may be associated with the lifetime of the Brînzeni group. The investigations sought to answer the question what changes were induced in these cultures by the intensification of contacts between their populations.
Numerical methods for a system of coupled Cahn-Hilliard equations
Authors: Martini Mattia , Sodini Giacomo E.
Published: April 2021

In this work, we consider a system of coupled Cahn-Hilliard equations describing the phase separation of a copolymer and a homopolymer blend. We propose some numerical methods to approximate the solution of the system which are based on suitable combinations of existing schemes for the single Cahn-Hilliard equation. As a verification for our experimental approach, we present some tests and a detailed description of the numerical solutions’ behaviour obtained by varying the values of the system’s characteristic parameters.
Risk Disclosure and Firm Value: Evidence from the United Kingdom
Authors: Marta Tache
Published: April 2021

The International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) aimed to increase the decision usefulness of firms’ risk disclosures with the 2007 introduction of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 7. Specifically, listed firms were mandated to provide information to the market on both their (1) exposure and (2) risk management, which are associated with holding their financial instruments. This study investigates whether IFRS 7 financial instruments and their disclosures are associated with firm valuation. Using data on premiumlisted United Kingdom (UK) companies, for the period 2007–2019, I find evidence that firm value (proxied by Tobin's Q) is negatively associated with the quantity of IFRS 7 interest and credit risk disclosures. I further find that the market value decreases with the presence of quantitative information tabulated in the disclosures. The findings of this study have important implications for the IASB's standard-setting process.
Analysis of the Shear Resistance in the Indented Interface Between Two Concrete Parts of Concrete Composite Beam
Authors: Sadowski Grzegorz , Wiliński Piotr , Halicka Anna
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a comparative analysis of shear resistance in the interface between two concrete parts of concrete composite beam. The construction joint was performed as indented one in accordance with Eurocode 2 and fib Model Code 2010. The numerical calculation results were confronted with the actual results of tests of a composite beam subjected to 4-point bending. The displacement values of tested element were obtained using dial sensors and the digital image correlation method (DIC). The analysis shows that the recommendations of Eurocode 2-1-1 and fib Model Code 2010 do not reflect the actual behavior of concrete composite beam with indented surface.
The Reclamation of a Municipal Waste Landfill - Grudziądz Case Study
Authors: Majewski Kamil Artur
Published: April 2021

Municipal landfills are one of the most human-transformed areas of nature, and the process of designing and building a landfill is one of the most difficult strategic issues within human clusters, in particular due to the requirements that a landfill should meet, including the method of its establishment and closure. The main aim of the article is to present a case study of one, currently reclaimed landfill, located in Grudziądz - a district town in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province - at Rataja Street, which was closed down in 1997. The discussion of this case was, in turn, an answer to the question about one of the possible methods of landfill reclamation. The article is based on the results of the author’s own research - both in terms of field work and archive searches. The discussion of this case served to illustrate how the reclamation was carried out, what technologies of biogas recovery were used and what the results of the checks were.
The Link Between Habitats and Carbon Accumulation from Natural Forest Regrowth in Borino Municipality (Southern Bulgaria)
Authors: Grigorov Borislav
Published: April 2021

Carbon accumulation in forests is an important step towards achieving better climate mitigation levels. The current research aims at uncovering the link between the NATURA 2000 habitats in Borino Municipality, Southern Bulgaria and the expected carbon sequestration from natural forest regrowth for the period 2020-2050. The case study area currently is of a predominantly mountainous character with a number of forests – a prerequisite for enlargement of the carbon pools. Nevertheless, there are also grassland habitats, which participate in this process as well. The results of the research show that the southern parts of the municipality possess a larger potential for carbon accumulation with levels, reaching 1.10 and 1.28Mg C ha−1 yr−1. The promising outcomes may be used as an example of an investigation of climate mitigation and may serve as a basis for broadening the geographical range in other municipalities in the region.
The perception of inter-municipal cooperation by local officials and managers
Authors: Bakoš Eduard , Hrůza Filip , Fiedor David , Klemešová Kamila Dolák
Published: April 2021

Though the exploration of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) is very widespread in contemporary literature worldwide, the perception of IMC by municipal officials is rarely examined. We focused this paper on revealing the relationship between the perceptions of municipal public officials and the realized benefits of municipal cooperation. Our research combines primary data from a survey of municipalities engaged in a form of IMC and in-depth interviews of both municipal officials and managers who coordinate IMC. Our survey results show that agreement with the statement that IMC helps solve administrative capacity problems tends to vary with the size of the municipality. This study detected considerable obstacles to IMC use, with one set of respondents indicating that they had tried cooperation and found that it did not yield significant, positive financial or non-financial benefits for them. Our in-depth interviews revealed that strong political leadership and experienced managerial staff can contribute to the development of municipal cooperation. In summary, our research provides evidence supporting the notion that the perception of IMC by municipal officials could be an important precursor to actual IMC use and future development.
Big Data: a Source of Mobility Behaviour and a Strategic Tool for Destination Management
Authors: Emmer Filip , Holešinská Andrea
Published: April 2021

The abundant use of the Internet and mobile technologies while traveling leaves a digital footprint in the form of big data that can be tracked. Big data bring information about spatial visitor behaviour that is valuable for strategic destination management. Big data enrich not only scientific fields (e. g. management, marketing, or geography) with their knowledge, but also represent the invention of new tools for their actual processing. Generally, big data are considered as a strategic tool enhancing the competitiveness of a destination. The paper presents the basic characteristics of big data and reviews research focused on big data in tourism. Moreover, it identifies its potential for tourism from both the theoretical and methodological point of view. The final part deals with current trends in using the big data in tourism and its application in destination management. The future trends of big data in the context of destination management are implied as well.
Analysis of Tax Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Firm-Level Study
Authors: Abdu Musa , Jibir Adamu , Muhammad Tasiu
Published: April 2021

This study analyses tax compliance among firms in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) within an extended Slippery Slope Framework (eSSF). It applies instrumental variables and generalized estimating equations models on a constructed World Bank’s Enterprise Survey longitudinal dataset. The results indicate that the perceived power of the tax authorities does not influence firms’ tax compliance, which could be linked to corruption in the form of informal payment. The results also show that corruption encourages the culture of tax non-compliance among firms in SSA because the defaulting firms bribe tax authorities in order to avoid paying taxes and being punished for that. In addition, the results demonstrate that the perceived trust of tax authorities (state representatives) is vitally important in encouraging tax compliance among firms in SSA. In terms of political decisions, it may be implied that gaining trust of taxpayers should be pursued.
Asymmetric Impacts of Inflation on the US Bond Rates and FED’s Pre-Emptive Policy
Authors: Göçer İsmet , Ongan Serdar
Published: April 2021

This study investigates the asymmetric impacts of changes in inflation rates on the US bond rates. This investigation is constructed on the Fisher Equation. To this end, the nonlinear ARDL model is applied. Empirical findings indicate that only the decreases (π−

t
) in inflation rates affect bond rates. This asymmetric impact therefore shapes the FED’s monetary policy in terms of determining the bond rates at lower cost. When the inflation rate rises, the FED will know (in advance) that they do not need to increase the bond rates. This reminds us the FED’s former pre-emptive strike policy against inflation.
Speech Acts across Cultures: Teaching Compliment Exchanges
Authors: Stoian Claudia E.
Published: April 2021

Speaking a foreign language implies more than knowing its vocabulary and grammar. As such, teachers of foreign languages should keep this in mind and consider also other aspects than the ones mentioned. Attention should be paid to pragmatics and cultural issues, among others. The present essay aims to highlight the importance of raising foreign language students’ awareness of national and international linguistic and cultural behaviours. It describes briefly the field of cross-cultural pragmatics, focusing on speech acts and their culture-sensitive features. Then, it turns to one of the most important types of speech acts, namely compliment exchanges. Taking into consideration the key role played in cross-cultural communication by the appropriateness of compliments and their expected answers, the article proposes several activities to do in class in order to (1) raise students’ awareness regarding the importance of compliments for successful communication, (2) present them the usual patterns, topics, and cultural particularities of compliments, (3) familiarise students with possible communication threats, and (4) provide them with possible strategies to answer compliments. The activities are not restricted to students of foreign languages in general but are recommended also to those studying specialised subjects in foreign languages, such as communication, translation and interpreting.
APL JANUS System Progress on Commercial Suborbital Launch Vehicles: Moving the Laboratory Environment to Near Space
Authors: Todd Smith H. , Hacala Ryan T. , Hohlfeld Erik M. , Edens Weston K. , Hibbitts Charles A. , Paxton Larry J. , Arnold Steven P. , Westlake Joseph H. , Rymer Abigail M. , Chacos Al , Peck Mason A. , Zeiger Ben R.
Published: April 2021

Multiple private companies are building suborbital reusable launch vehicles possessing vastly different designs. Many of these companies originally focused on space tourism; however, revolutionary applications for scientific and engineering research as well as technology demonstrations and instrument development are emerging. The dramatic reduction in cost over traditional launch systems as well as a guaranteed (and rapid) safe payload return enable many new launch vehicle applications. These new capabilities will essentially move the laboratory environment up to the edge of space. To make use of these novel launch vehicles, the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has established a Commercial Suborbital Program with a core system (JANUS) to support and enable many future suborbital missions. This program has already conducted six suborbital flight missions to establish vehicle interfaces and analyze the suitability and limits of each flight environment. Additionally, this program has also been selected by the NASA Flight Opportunities Program for five additional operational suborbital missions. Here we present the results of our completed missions as well as descriptions of future selected missions scheduled for 2021–2023.
Methods for Regulating and Monitoring Resistance Training
Authors: Helms Eric R. , Kwan Kedric , Sousa Colby A. , Cronin John B. , Storey Adam G. , Zourdos Michael C.
Published: April 2021

Individualisation can improve resistance training prescription. This is accomplished via monitoring or autoregulating training. Autoregulation adjusts variables at an individualised pace per performance, readiness, or recovery. Many autoregulation and monitoring methods exist; therefore, this review’s objective was to examine approaches intended to optimise adaptation. Up to July 2019, PubMed, Medline, SPORTDiscus, Scopus and CINAHL were searched. Only studies on methods of athlete monitoring useful for resistance-training regulation, or autoregulated training methods were included. Eleven monitoring and regulation themes emerged across 90 studies. Some physiological, performance, and perceptual measures correlated strongly (r ≥ 0.68) with resistance training performance. Testosterone, cortisol, catecholamines, cell-free DNA, jump height, throwing distance, barbell velocity, isometric and dynamic peak force, maximal voluntary isometric contractions, and sessional, repetitions in reserve-(RIR) based, and post-set Borg-scale ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were strongly associated with training performance, respectively. Despite strong correlations, many physiological and performance methods are logistically restrictive or limited to lab-settings, such as blood markers, electromyography or kinetic measurements. Some practical performance tests such as jump height or throw distance may be useful, low-risk stand-ins for maximal strength tests. Performance-based individualisation of load progression, flexible training configurations, and intensity and volume modifications based on velocity and RIR-based RPE scores are practical, reliable and show preliminary utility for enhancing performance.
Does Acute Blood Flow Restriction with Pneumatic and Non-Pneumatic Non-Elastic Cuffs Promote Similar Responses in Blood Lactate, Growth Hormone, and Peptide Hormone?
Authors: Oliveira Jorge , Campos Yuri , Leitão Luis , Arriel Rhaí , Novaes Jefferson , Vianna Jeferson
Published: April 2021

Blood flow restriction (BFR) can be used during resistance training (RT) through pressure application with pneumatic (pressurized) cuffs (PC) or non-pneumatic (practical) cuffs (NPC). However, PC are expensive and difficult to use in the gym environment compared to NPC. The main aim was to compare, correlate, and verify the hormonal and metabolic responses between PC and NPC during a low-load BFR during RT of the upper-body. The secondary aim was to compare blood lactate (BLa) concentration between pre- and post-exercise (2-min into recovery), as well as growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentration before, 10-min, and 15-min post exercise. Sixteen trained men randomly and alternately completed two experimental RT protocols of the upper-body : A) RT with BFR at 20% 1RM using PC (RT-BFR-PC) and (B) RT with BFR at 20% 1RM using NPC (RT-BFR-NPC) in the bench press, wide-grip lat pulldown, shoulder press, triceps pushdown, and biceps curl exercises. There was no significant difference in BLa 2-min post exercise (p=0.524), GH 10-min (p=0.843) and 15-min post exercise (p=0.672), and IGF-1 10-min (p=0.298) and 15-min post exercise (p=0.201) between RT-BFR-PC and RT-BFR-NPC. In addition, there was a moderate correlation, satisfactory ICCs, and agreement between both protocols in metabolic and hormonal responses. The experimental sessions promoted significant increases in GH and BLa, but not in IGF-1 (p<0.05). The absence of a significant difference between RT-BFR-PC and RT-BFR-NPC in metabolic and hormonal responses highlight the applicability of NPC as a low-cost and easy-to-use tool for BFR upper-body RT.
Learning to Use Muscles
Authors: Loeb Gerald
Published: April 2021

The human musculoskeletal system is highly complex mechanically. Its neural control must deal successfully with this complexity to perform the diverse, efficient, robust and usually graceful behaviors of which humans are capable. Most of those behaviors might be performed by many different subsets of its myriad possible states, so how does the nervous system decide which subset to use? One solution that has received much attention over the past 50 years would be for the nervous system to be fundamentally limited in the patterns of muscle activation that it can access, a concept known as muscle synergies or movement primitives. Another solution, based on engineering control methodology, is for the nervous system to compute the single optimal pattern of muscle activation for each task according to a cost function. This review points out why neither appears to be the solution used by humans. There is a third solution that is based on trial-and-error learning, recall and interpolation of sensorimotor programs that are good-enough rather than limited or optimal. The solution set acquired by an individual during the protracted development of motor skills starting in infancy forms the basis of motor habits, which are inherently low-dimensional. Such habits give rise to muscle usage patterns that are consistent with synergies but do not reflect fundamental limitations of the nervous system and can be shaped by training or disability. This habit-based strategy provides a robust substrate for the control of new musculoskeletal structures during evolution as well as for efficient learning, athletic training and rehabilitation therapy.
Production and Perception of Intentional and Unintentional Actions
Authors: Latash Mark
Published: April 2021

Physical approach to biological movement is based on the idea of control with referent spatial coordinates for effectors, from the whole body to single muscles. Within this framework, neural control signals induce changes in parameters of corresponding biology-specific laws of nature, and motor performance emerges as a result of interaction with the external force field. This approach is naturally compatible with the principle of abundance and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis, which offer the framework for analysis of movement stability. The presence of two basic commands, reciprocal and co-activation, makes even single-effector tasks abundant and allows stabilizing their performance at the control level. Kinesthetic perception can be viewed as the process of estimating afferent signals within a reference system provided by the efferent process. Percepts are reflections of stable iso-perceptual manifolds in the combined afferent-efferent multi-dimensional space. This approach offers new, logical and based on laws of nature, interpretations for such phenomena as muscle co-activation, unintentional drifts in performance, and vibration-induced kinesthetic illusions. It also allows predicting new phenomena such as counter-intuitive effects of muscle co-activation of force production and perception, vibration-induced force illusions, performance drifts at two different speeds, and high variability in matching the contribution of individual elements in multi-element tasks. This approach can be developed for various subfields of movement studies including studies of athletics, movement disorders, and movement rehabilitation.
Focused Review on Neural Correlates of Different Types of Motor Errors and Related Terminological Issues
Authors: Maurer Lisa , Joch Michael , Hegele Mathias , Müller Hermann
Published: April 2021

The Error-related negativity (Ne/ERN) and the feedback-related negativity (FRN), two event-related potentials in electroencephalogram tracings, have been used to examine error processing in conscious actions. In the classical terminology the Ne/ERN and the FRN are differentiated with respect to whether internal (Ne/ERN) or external (FRN) error information is processed. In motor tasks, however, errors of different types can be made: A wrong action can be selected that is not adequate to achieve the task goal (or action effect), or the correctly selected action can be mis-performed such that the task goal might be missed (movement error). Depending on the motor task and the temporal sequences of these events, internal and external error information can coincide. Hence, a clear distinction of the information source is difficult, and the classical terminology that differentiates the Ne/ERN and the FRN with respect to internal and external error information becomes ambiguous. But, a stronger focus on the characteristics of the definition of “task” and the cause of “errors”, as well as on temporal characteristics of event-related potentials with respect to the task action allows separate examination of the processing of movement errors, the processing of the prediction of action effect errors, or the processing of the detection of action effect errors. The present article gives an overview of example studies investigating the Ne/ERN and the FRN in motor tasks, classifies them with respect to action effect errors or movement errors, and proposes updated terminology.
Motor Control and Achilles Tendon Adaptation in Adolescence: Effects of Sport Participation and Maturity
Authors: Chalatzoglidis George , Arabatzi Fotini , Christou Evangelos
Published: April 2021

An important but unresolved research question in adolescent children is the following: “Does sport participation interact with maturation to change motor control and the mechanical and morphological properties of tendons?” Here, we address this important research question with a longitudinal study around the age of peak height velocity (PHV). Our purpose was to characterize the interactive effects of maturation and sports participation on motor control and the mechanical and morphological properties of the Achilles tendon (AT) in adolescent athletes and non-athletes. Twenty-two adolescent athletes (13.1 ± 1.1 years) and 19 adolescent non-athletes (12.8 ± 1.1 years) volunteered for this study. We quantified motor control as the coefficient of variation of torque during a ramp task. In addition, we quantified the AT morphological and mechanical properties using ultrasonography from 18 months before to 12 months after PHV. We found that motor control improved with maturation in both athletes and non-athletes. We found that athletes have a greater increase in body mass with maturation that relates to greater plantarflexion peak force and AT peak stress. Also, athletes have a thicker and longer AT, as assessed with resting cross-sectional area and length. Although the rate of increase in the morphological change with maturation was similar for athletes and non-athletes, the rate of increase in normalized AT stiffness was greater for athletes. This increased AT stiffness in athletes related to peak force and stress. In summary, maturation improves motor control in adolescent children. Further, we provide novel longitudinal evidence that sport participation interacts with maturation in adolescents to induce adaptive effects on the Achilles tendon morphology and mechanical properties. These findings have the potential to minimize the risk of injuries and maximize athletic development in talented adolescents.
Progression of Fatigue Modifies Primary Contributors to Ground Reaction Forces During Drop Landing
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Ruan Mianfang , Singh Navrag , Huang Lingyan , Zhang Xin , Wu Xie
Published: April 2021

Few studies have focused on the effect of fatigue severity on landing strategy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatigue progression on ground reaction force during landing. Eighteen participants performed a fatigue exercise protocol. Then participants performed drop landings at three levels of fatigue: no fatigue, medium fatigue, and severe fatigue. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify the predictors of the peak vertical ground reaction force at each level of fatigue. Two-way ANOVAs were conducted to test the effect of fatigue on the vertical ground reaction force and the predictors. For the vertical ground reaction force, the knee joint stiffness and the knee angle at initial contact were the main predictors at no fatigue. The peak knee flexion angle and knee power were the main predictors at medium fatigue. However, the peak ankle plantarflexion moments became the main predictor at severe fatigue. The vertical ground reaction force decreased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.001), and then increased from medium to severe fatigue (p = 0.034). The knee joint stiffness decreased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.049), and then remained unchanged from medium to severe fatigue. The peak knee flexion angle increased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.001), and then slightly decreased from medium to severe fatigue (p = 0.051). The results indicate that fatigue progression causes a transition from stiff to soft landing, and then to stiff landing. Participants used ankle joints more to control the landing intensity at severe fatigue.
Acute and Delayed Effects of Fatigue on Ground Reaction Force, Lower Limb Stiffness and Coordination Asymmetries During a Landing Task
Authors: Knihs Débora , Zimmermann Haiko , Pupo Juliano
Published: April 2021

Landing is a critical phase of movement for injury occurrence, in which lower limbs should be used equally to better absorb the shock. However, it has been suggested that fatigue can lead to the appearance of asymmetries. The aim of this study was to verify the acute and delayed effects of fatigue on the lower limb asymmetry indexes of peak ground reaction force, leg stiffness and intra-limb coordination during a landing task. Fifteen physically active men performed a fatigue protocol composed of 14 sets of 10 continuous vertical jumps, with a one-minute rest interval between the sets. A step-off landing task was performed before, immediately after, 24 h and 48 h after the fatigue protocol. Two force plates and a video analysis system were used. The symmetry index equation provided the asymmetry indexes. For statistical analysis, ANOVA and effect size analysis were utilized. Inferential statistics did not show the effect of fatigue in the asymmetry indexes for any variable or condition (p > .05). Moderate effect sizes were observed for peak ground reaction force (0.61) and leg stiffness (0.61) immediately after the application of the protocol. In conclusion, fatigue does not seem to significantly change the asymmetries of lower limbs, especially regarding intra-limb coordination. The moderate effects observed for peak ground reaction force and leg stiffness asymmetries suggest that these variables may be acutely affected by fatigue.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Virus C Infection - Diagnosis, Evolution and Treatment Particularities
Authors: Rotariu Delia-Georgiana Tudorovici , Penescu Mircea
Published: April 2021

Lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a broad spectrum of clinical and immunologic manifestations. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been postulated as a potential etiologic or triggering agent among other viruses and it appears to be associated with the presence of autoimmune disorders, even mimicking SLE clinically and serologically. Data on the association between HCV infection and SLE are scarce, but an interaction between these two conditions seems possible.

As for treatment options, it is well known that the classic antiviral therapy with interferon may aggravate preexisting autoimmunity, unmask previously silent autoimmune processes, or even cause the emergence of de novo autoimmune disease, including SLE. Interferon-free treatment seems to be more efficacious, safer and more tolerable. However, it is important that clinicians be aware that DAAs (direct acting antivirals) can also trigger lupus-like immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis.

There is scant data on the use of immunosuppressive drug therapy in HCV patients. It seems that enhanced HCV replication due to immunosuppression does not lead to clinically significant sequelae and growing evidence has been reported that supports its efficacy and safety.

Patients with SLE and virus C infection are a special category, a fact that the clinician needs to take in consideration in order to a better approach, all the more as these patients are at increased risk for developing end-stage renal disease and have a lower survival rate than general population.
Obesity Impact on Respiratory Function
Authors: Hâncu Anca , Mihălţan Florin
Published: April 2021

Not so much emphasize in literature and studies, obesity consequences on respiratory function may influence chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD and asthma, triggering important healthcare issues. Pulmonary function is a mortality predictor. The largest populational study European Community Respiratory Health Survey shows the impact of overweight and obesity on pulmonary function by decreasing forced expiratory volume in first second FEV1 and forced vital capacity FVC.

By the contrary, weight loss is decreasing both. Inflammatory and mechanical mechanisms should be considered in lung function impairment, as a consequence of obesity. Important aspect, lifestyle, will consider tobacco, physical activity, diet. Adopting a healthy lifestyle with a Mediterranean Diet MD will preserve a good pulmonary function on long term. We detailed below specific dietary recommendations, favorable nutrients or foods to be avoided.

In conclusion comprehensive lifestyle interventions should become populational based interventions for a better prevention for pulmonary diseases and NCD’s and finally for a better health status.
Perception of factuality in selected online news media
Authors: Eddy Eva
Published: April 2021

The paper focuses on one’s perception of factuality in selected online news media. A group of university students of English were approached and presented with ten statements about Sweden and asked to evaluate their truthfulness. Half of the group (informed respondents) were then advised on the ways media use to infer a narrative onto the reader, potentially influencing the way they view events, while the other half (uninformed respondents) were not made aware of this fact. The respondents were then presented with a news report describing a specific event that took place in Sweden; however, half of each group were asked to read its tabloid description while the other halves were shown the event as reported by a broadsheet (both online). They were then asked to reevaluate the statements they were presented with before and decide whether their opinions changed based on the article they had just read. The results suggest that one is inclined to believe what they read, regardless whether the source seems reliable and whether they are aware of the fact media might manipulate their audiences.