bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
preverbal position(s) in Bantu inversion constructions: theoretical and comparative considerations
Authors: Marten Lutz
Published: January 2021

Inversion constructions in Bantu have been discussed from a variety of perspectives over the last decades. Well-known construction types include locative inversion and subject-object reversal, while more recently semantic locative inversion and instrument inversion have been described. Theoretical studies of Bantu inversion constructions have focused on different aspects of the construction, including the licensing and grammatical function, information structure properties and the formal characteristics of pre- and postverbal NPs. With respect to the status of preverbal NPs in inversion constructions, different analyses have probed the status of the NP as subject or topic, or, more recently, as the subject of a Predication relation. The present paper summarises and compares different analyses of the preverbal domain in inversion constructions and brings out empirical and conceptual similarities and differences. In addition, different analyses are related to comparative studies of Bantu inversion constructions, so as to probe how attested variation across Bantu relates to findings of different formal accounts. The paper aims to summarise current research on the preverbal domain in inversion constructions and to indicate directions for future work.
Preverbal ge- in Old and Middle English
Authors: McFadden Thomas
Published: January 2021

This paper aims to work toward a proper understanding of the role of preverbal ge- in Old English (henceforth OE) and its disappearance in the course of Middle English. This prefix is reminiscent of its cognates in Modern German and Dutch (also written ge-) in its distribution, but even a cursory examination of the details reveals it to be quite distinct, as we will see. The proper characterization of that distribution, and of its diachronic development, has proven to be extremely difficult. I have thus carried out a large-scale corpus study using the York-Toronto-Helsinki parsed corpus of Old English prose (Taylor et al. 2003) and the Penn-Helsinki parsed corpus of Middle English, 2nd ed. (Kroch & Taylor 1999). This paper will report the results of the first phase of the project, involving patterns in the data that could be identified primarily on the basis of automatic searches in the corpora.
Wie generisch ist das generische Maskulinum? Über Genus und Sexus im Deutschen
Authors: Trutkowski Ewa
Published: January 2021

This paper examines whether gender features (masculine, feminine, neuter) in German have to be interpreted semantically, along their specific gender, or whether they allow for a gender unrelated interpretation. As to this, two experiments with two different classes of nouns (gender marked and sex marked nouns vs. gender marked and sex neutral nouns) were conducted. The first experiment supports the view that in their function as nominal predicates masculine nouns, contrary to feminine (and neuter) nouns, have the widest extension – which confirms the existence of a ‘Generic Masculine’ (Generisches Maskulinum). On the other hand, the second experiment shows that in their function as subjects masculine nouns, contrary to feminine (and neuter) nouns, are the least flexible agreement controllers – hardly allowing for gender mismatches. Thus, masculine nouns behave differently depending on whether they appear as controllers/sources of agreement or as targets of agreement. The findings are supplemented by corpus data.
Quantification in event semantics: generalized quantifiers vs. sub-events
Authors: Alexeyenko Sascha
Published: January 2021

The goal of this paper is to evaluate two approaches to quantification in event semantics,namely the analysis of quantificational DPs in terms of generalized quantifiers andthe analysis proposed in Schein (1993) according to which quantifiers over individuals containan existential quantifier over sub-events in their scope. Both analyses capture the fact that theevent quantifier always takes scope under quantifiers over individuals (the Event Type Principlein Landman (2000)), but the sub-events analysis has also been argued to be able to accountfor some further data, namely for adverbs qualifying ‘ensemble’ events and for mixed cumulative/distributive readings. This paper shows that the sub-events analysis also provides a betteraccount of the Event Type Principle if a broader range of data is considered, including caseswith non-existential quantifiers over events: unlike the generalized quantifiers analysis, it cansuccessfully account for the interpretation of indefinites in bare habituals and sentences thatcontain overt adverbs of quantification.Keywords: quantification, event semantics, generic quantifier, habituals, Q-adverbs.
On acquiring a complex personal reference system: experimental results from Thai children with autism
Authors: Chanchaochai Nattanun
Published: January 2021

Reference of pronouns may be constrained via lexical presuppositions, includingmarked F-features, implicated presuppositions, and deictic center shifting in certain languages.This paper explores the acquisition of personal reference terms in Thai, a language that hasa highly complex personal reference system. The participants of the study were 67 typicallydevelopingchildren (TD) and 29 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a populationwhich has long been observed to have difficulties with pronouns. The children were asked tocomplete simple production and comprehension tasks on personal reference terms. Overall,ASD children performed on par in production but significantly poorer in comprehension thanTD children. Given the freedom of choice in the production task, ASD children preferred usingfixed referential terms for self-reference, whereas TD children opted for personal pronouns. Interms of comprehension, ASD children were shown to generally be able to detect the personfeatures but they seemed to struggle the most with the pragmatic aspects of personal referenceterms. Our results support previous literature that lexical presuppositions are acquiredearlier than implicated presuppositions. We add to the literature that the types or the amount ofimplicated presuppositions matter in acquisition.Keywords: implicated presupposition, pragmatic inference, pronoun, personal reference, acquisition,deixis, Thai
Questioning speech acts
Authors: Law Jess H.-K. , Li Haoze , Bhadra Diti
Published: January 2021

We investigate the sentence-final particle ho from Cantonese, which can stack on topof other sentence-final particles indicating various types of speech acts. We argue that ho is ahigher level question operator that operates at the level of speech acts. More concretely, it takesa speech act (assertion or question) and returns a new interrogative speech act asking whether theinput speech act can be felicitously performed by the addressee. We take the presence of thiskind of higher level question operator in natural language as novel evidence that a mechanism foroperating on speech acts is needed. Building on Farkas and Bruce (2009), Rawlins (2010), Bledinand Rawlins (2017), we develop a mechanism in the style of Update Semantics for operating onspeech acts.Keywords: speech acts, sentence-final particles, Cantonese, update semantics.
Distinguishing coercion and underspecification in Type Composition Logic
Authors: Lukassek Julia , Spalek Alexandra Anna
Published: January 2021

This paper investigates the meaning adaptability of change of state (CoS) verbs. Itargues that both coercion and underspecification are necessary mechanisms in order to properlyaccount for the semantic adaptability observable for CoS verbs in combination with theircomplements. This type of meaning adaptability has received little formal attention to date,although some recent work has already led the way on this topic (Spalek, 2014; Lukassek andSpalek, 2016; Asher et al., 2017). Our paper is part of a cross-linguistic case study of Germaneinfrieren and Spanish congelar (‘freeze’). We model the meaning adaptability of this test casewithin Type Composition Logic (TCL) (Asher, 2011). We build on Asher’s coercion mechanismand introduce an additional mechanism for underspecification that exploits the fine-grained typesystem in TCL.Keywords: lexical semantics, change of state verbs, coercion, underspecification, Type CompositionLogic.
Responsive predicates are question-embedding: evidence from Estonian
Authors: Roberts Tom
Published: January 2021

The proper semantic treatment of the complements of Responsive Predicates (ResPs),those predicates which may embed either declarative or interrogative clauses, is a longstandingpuzzle, given standard assumptions about complement selection. In order to avoidpositing systematic polysemy for ResPs, typical treatments of ResP complements treat theirarguments either as uniformly declarative-like (propositional) or interrogative-like (question).I shed new light on this question with novel data from Estonian, in which there are verbsthink-like meanings with declarative complements and wonder-like meanings with interrogativecomplements. I argue that these verbs’ meaning is fundamentally incompatible with aproposition-taking semantics for ResPs, and therefore a question-taking semantics is to be preferred.Keywords: responsive predicates, embedded clauses, interrogatives, contemplation, Estonian.
Presuppositional implicatures: quantity or maximize presupposition?
Authors: Rouillard Vincent , Schwarz Bernhard
Published: January 2021

Schlenker (2012) proposes that when framed within a modern Stalnakerian view ofpresupposition and common ground (Stalnaker, 1998, 2002), Maximize Presupposition! (Heim,1991; Sauerland, 2008) can be viewed as a special case of the maxim of Quantity (Grice, 1975).We provide data suggesting that in some cases, Maximize Presupposition! applies even whenspeakers are not expected to use a presupposition as vectors of new information. We arguethat these data support the view that Maximize Presupposition! is an independent pragmaticprinciple, distinct from Quantity.Keywords: maximize presupposition, quantity, presuppositional implicatures, scalar implicatures.
similarity approach strikes back: Negation in counterfactuals
Authors: Schulz Katrin
Published: January 2021

The meaning of counterfactual conditionals is standardly described using the similarityapproach (Stalnaker, 1968; Lewis, 1973). This approach has recently been challenged byCiardelli et al. (2018). They argue that the similarity approach is in principle unable to accountfor the meaning of counterfactuals with an antecedent consisting of a conjunction embeddedunder a negation (¬(p^q)). Ciardelli et al. (2018) dismiss the approach on these grounds andoffer an alternative. The main goal of the present paper is to defend the similarity approachagainst this attack. I will argue that the problem that underlies the observations in Ciardelliet al. 2018 is more general and not solved by the solution they offer. I will furthermore argue,against Ciardelli et al. (2018), that the cause of the problem is not the similarity approach, butthe interaction of negation with the meaning of counterfactual conditionals. The paper willconclude with a first outline of a solution for the problem, which still uses the similarity approach,but combines it with an alternative semantics for negation.Keywords: counterfactuals, negation, similarity approach, causality.
Spinning a yarn across languages: Adapting MAIN for India
Authors: Madappa Manish , Gurung Yozna , Raman Madhavi Gayathri
Published: January 2021

The Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS-MAIN) was developed to assess the narrative abilities of bi- and multilingual children in the various languages that they speak. This paper presents the details of the adaptation of MAIN to three Indian languages, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam. We describe some typological features of these languages and discuss the challenges faced during the process of adaptation. Finally, we give an overview of results for narrative comprehension and production from Kannada-English and Hindi-English bilinguals aged 7 to 9.
The adaptation of MAIN to Icelandic
Authors: Ragnarsdóttir Hrafnhildur
Published: January 2021

Immigration in Iceland has a short history and so does the Icelandic language as an L2. This paper gives a brief introductory overview of this history and of some characteristics of the Icelandic language that constitute a challenge for L2 learners but also make it an interesting testing ground for cross-linguistic comparisons of L1 and L2 language acquisition. It then describes the adaptation process of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS-MAIN) to Icelandic. The Icelandic MAIN is expected to fill a gap in available assessment tools for multilingual Icelandic speaking children.
Serbian version of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN)
Authors: Jeličić Ljiljana , Bogavac Ivana , Perovic Alexandra
Published: January 2021

This paper provides the background to the process of translation and piloting of the Serbian version of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS- MAIN), Multilingvalni Test za Procenu Narativa (MTPN). Our review of the sparse research literature on Serbian children’s narrative abilities reveals a need for a well- designed narrative instrument, which will enable researchers and practitioners to assess the production and comprehension of narratives in children of a wide age range, typically and atypically developing, monolingual and bilingual, crucially allowing for cross- linguistic comparisons. We encountered two kinds of challenges during the process of translation and adaptation of the instrument from English into Serbian. The first concerned the lack of established Serbian technical terminology needed to describe test administration to the future users of the test: researchers and practitioners working in different disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, Speech and Language Therapy. The second challenge concerned the translation of linguistic structures required to produce a successful rendition of the narrative: in contrast to English, but in line with other Slavic languages, Serbian relies heavily on verbs marked for perfective aspect in story-telling. Our discussion of preliminary data from four Serbian monolingual children, aged 5;5-10, demonstrates that MTPN is a successful tool in assessing narrative abilities in children acquiring Serbian.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Hoplolaimus pararobustus (Schuurmans Stekhoven and Teunissen, 1938) Sher 1963 with its first report on Zea mays roots in Namibia
Authors: Marais Mariette , van den Berg Esther , Fourie Hendrika , Rashidifard Milad
Published: January 2021

In the summer of 2018, specimens of a Hoplolaimus population were extracted from a maize root sample collected near Stampriet, Namibia. This population was identified as Hoplolaimus pararobustus and is described and illustrated based on its morphological, morphometric, and molecular characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first report H. pararobustus from maize roots. Females of the population had a mean body and stylet length of 1,100 µm and 36 µm, respectively. Esophagus with three nuclei in three pharyngeal glands. Lateral field reduced, ranging from a very faint line to just breaks in striae. The males were shorter than the females with a mean body length of 925 µm and the stylet slightly shorter, with a mean length of 34 µm. Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of 18 S and the expansion fragment D2–D3 of 28 S rDNA genes showed the close relation of this species and H. columbus. This Namibian population of H. pararobustus is the first Hoplolaimus species from Africa to be molecularly characterized.
Newton series expansion of bosonic operator functions
Authors: König Jürgen , Hucht Fred
Published: January 2021

We show how series expansions of functions of bosonic number operators are naturally derived from finite-difference calculus.
The scheme employs Newton series rather than Taylor series known from differential calculus, and also works in cases where the Taylor expansion fails.
For a function of number operators, such an expansion is automatically normal ordered.
Applied to the Holstein-Primakoff representation of spins, the scheme yields an exact series expansion with a finite number of terms
and, in addition, allows for a systematic expansion of the spin operators that respects the spin commutation relations within a truncated part of the full Hilbert space.
Furthermore, the Newton series expansion strongly facilitates the calculation of expectation values with respect to coherent states.
As a third example, we show that factorial moments and factorial cumulants arising in the context of photon or electron counting are a natural consequence of Newton series expansions.
Finally, we elucidate the connection between normal ordering, Taylor and Newton series by determining a corresponding integral transformation, which is related to the Mellin transform.
USE OF E-LEARNING TOOLS ON HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Authors:   Axis Institute of Planning and Management, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam UniversityLucknow, India., Sharma Alka , Jain Gupta Hina ,   Senior Research Fellow, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India.
Published: January 2021

In the last two decades, technology has evolved at a great pace and has influenced almost all spheres of life and education is no exception to it. Nowadays, most of the educational institutions are using various tools and equipments to impart education to the students. This paper has tried to explore the impact of e-education tools on thestudents in higher educational institutions. The sample consists of students enrolled in higher educational institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been adopted for data collection including questionnaires, semi-structured &open-ended interviews. Use of computer and internet was found to be one of the most important e-learning tools. The findings are expected to assist the higher educational institutions in framing their policies to impart quality education to the students.
APPLICATION OF DEPLOYABLE BAR STRUCTURES IN ARCHITECTURE: PROPOSAL FOR UNIVERSAL MULTIFUNCIONAL MODULE
Authors:   Senior Assistant, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Architecture, Bosnia and Herzegovina., Sljvic Amela , Miljanovic Sladana ,   Associate Professor, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Architecture, Bosia and Herzegovina., Zlatar Muhamed ,   Professor Emeritus, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Published: January 2021

Deployable bar structures are made of lightweight materials, and that is one of the reason why they do not require high transportation costs, are easy to assemble (by unfolding) and disassemble (by folding) and are able to successfully respond to many requirements when in the shortest possible time it is necessary to provide architectural structures for various purposes. In this paper, the deployable bar structures are analyzed with the aim of forming a universal multifunctional space which could be used as a facility for temporary housing, healthcare, education and similar purposes. Due to the fact that geometric shape of a certain space significantly determines the function of that space, and the way it is used, detailed analyses of the geometric shapes of these structures have been conducted. Comparison of the forms explored so far with the existing architectural deployable bar structures has resulted in two distinct geometric forms: singly curved (barrel vault) and doubly curved (dome). It was concluded that the application of these forms in the form of freestanding modules provides limited opportunities for organizing functional content due to the specific locations of certain connections between elements, as well as the complicated design process. This is one of the reasons for rare application of these structures in architecture. The proposal of a multifunctional Ã¢Â€ÂœUniversal module 6Ã¢Â€Â which consists of unified singly curved modules in combination with doubly curved and prismatic forms came as a result of the conducted analyses. Proposals for forming more complex architectural spaces of higher capacity provide a wider range of applications of these structures and opens new possibilities for their use.
PSEUDOMYXOMA ON APPENDICULAR MUCOCELE
Authors:   MD, Resident in Radiology, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University, Rabat , Morocco., Tessi T. Romeo Yehouenou , El Bakkari Asaad ,   MD, Resident in Radiology, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University, Rabat , Morocco., A. Boris Adeyemi ,   MD, Resident in Radiology, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University, Rabat , Morocco., Ben El Hosni Khadija ,   MD, specialist, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University , Rabat , Morocco., Moatassim Billah Nabil ,   MD,Professor, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University, Rabat , Morocco., Nassar Ittimade ,   MD,Professor, Central Radiology Radiology, UHC Ibn Sina, Mohamed V University, Rabat , Morocco.
Published: January 2021

Mucocele of the appendix is a descriptive term for mucinous distension of the appendiceal lumen (vermiform appendix) regardless of the underlying pathology. It refers to the progressive retrograde dilatation of the vermiform appendix with concomitant intraluminal accumulation of the mucoid substance. It is an uncommon pathology that occurs in both sexes. it especially poses the problem of differential diagnosis in particular in women because of the location of clinical symptoms in the right iliac fossa. The incidence is estimated between 0.2 % and 0.4 % of the appendectomied specimens.The estimated incidence is approximately 1/1 000 000/year. The disease onset is usually after the age of 40 years and more frequently affects females.The means of medical imaging are mainly ultrasound and scanner. On CT typical mucocele appears as a cecal-based, rounded and well-defined mass, thin-walled, with fine parietal calcifications CT density is variable, from fluid to tissue. A stercolith is sometimes visible at the base of the appendix. The wall of the mucocele may be thickened, irregular, taking the contrast there may be peri-appendicular inflammation, which may be inflammatory or tumor, without specificity.The treatment of unbroken appendicular mucocele is surgical, preferably by laparotomy than laparoscopy. The appendectomy is performed, without breaking the appendix, with complete resection of the meso-appendix, and sampling for cytology of the peritoneal fluid.
MORINGA OLEIFERA AND ITS RECENT PRACTICE IN FOOD INDUSTRIES - A SUPER FOOD PRODUCT TO BEAT MALNUTRITION: A REVIEW
Authors:   Research Scholar, Hooghly Mohsin College, P.G Dept. of Physiology, University of Burdwan., Bose Chaitali
Published: January 2021

Moringa oleifera commonly known as drumstick tree or horseradish tree is widely distributed in India and other subtropical and tropical parts of the world. Besides its conventional culinary uses, Moringa has profound contribution to herbal medicine, agricultural and livestock development, water purification, bio-fuel production and so on. Being one of the richest sources of different macro and micro nutrients, antioxidants and other bioactive compounds, this miracle tree recently has gained popularity in food processing industry with the aim to curb the sprawling malnutrition. In some countries like African countries, either fresh or dried Moringa leaf, seed and flower powder are being used to fortify different foods. Improved texture, sensory and nutritional quality and extended shelf life of the target products have been making this tree important for food industry. So the aim of this review is to reveal the present application of Moringa as food fortificant in food processing industries in different countries, factors those restrain its further applicability and also to focus on the need of future research in this regard.
A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF ENDODONTIC INFECTIONS ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Authors:   Consultant in restorative and implant Dentistry, Program director for Dental Implant Fellowship at Jeddah Specialty Dental Center., Hasan Sulimani Zainbganayah , Abdulaziz Murad Manal ,   Assistant professor of family medicine, Consultant Family Medicine, Family Medicine Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah., Mohammed Abushal Amal ,   Consultant of orthodontics, SBO program director at KAU., Daghustani Mohsen ,   Consultant Endodontist., Nasir Bazaid Joud ,   General Dentist, Yasser Medical Center, Jeddah, KSA., Mohammed Al-Jraib Malak ,   Dental Intern, King Khalid University, Abha, KSA., Abid Alsreihi Shahad ,   Dentistry Program, Batterjee Medical College, KSA., Adel Saeedi Nahed ,   General Dentist, Adwaa Smile Medical Company, Jeddah, KSA., Tawfiqdahlawi Fatimah ,   General Dentist, Alqimmah Clinic, Khobar, KSA., Hassan Alsharif Raghad ,   General Dentist, KFH, Madinah, KSA., Saeed Alharthi Abdulrahman ,   Dental Intern, King Khalid University, Abha, KSA., Jehad Abousada Hoda ,   Obstetrics and Gynecology Physician, King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, KSA.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: The apical periodontitis possesses an association with the increased inflammatory markers levels, which contribute to the systematic immune response, leading towards systematic inflammation. The endodontic infections were reported to contribute to the CVD via the metastatic pathways however, there is a requirement to analyse the impact of endodontic infections on the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular disease. Aim:This research aims to assess the impact of endodontic infections on the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular disease. Material andMethod:This research was conducted using a cross-sectional research design by recruiting N=120 inpatients and outpatients visiting the healthcare organisation located in Saudi Arabia. Results:The endodontic infections are likely to increase the overall inflammatory burden, which might increase the risk of CVD among the individuals. Due to the multifactorial aetiology of CVD, the oral diseases are perceived to possess associated with the CVD. Thestatistical analysis revealed that there is no association between the presence of the lesion of endodontic origin and cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion:There is no association between the presence of the lesion of endodontic origin and cardiovascular diseases.
The Application of Chatbot for Customer Service in E-Commerce
Authors: Wibowo Billy , Clarissa Helen , Suhartono Derwin
Published: January 2021

The use of intelligent machines such as chatbot have been increasing each day. The main idea that we wanted to address in our paper is that with the capabilities that intelligent machines have it will be able to replace humans in doing a certain task and be able to bring better advantages in the long run. The focus of this study is that we are able to manipulate the ability of chatbot to impersonate how humans interact with each other and will enable it to play a role as to handle the customer service in e-commerce websites or applications which will be an alternative to replace the traditional customer service
Anita Leocádia Benário Prestes: filha da revolução (parte 1)
Authors: Lima Higo da Silva
Published: January 2021

Anita Prestes é uma senhora octogenária, de corpo franzino, pele alva a desenhar o caminho das veias, olhos atentos, cabelo mantido no estilo Chanel clássico e voz contundente. Uma vida dedicada à memória de seus pais, a alemã Olga Benário e o brasileiro Luiz Carlos Prestes: autora da biografia de ambos; mantém incansável rotina de pesquisa; e segue denunciando as arbitrariedades do Estado. Esta entrevista, concedida nas primeiras horas de uma manhã em setembro de 2018, em Mossoró/RN, está dividida em duas partes, ambas publicadas pela Revista Informação e Cultura - RIC, nesta edição e na subsequente. Na primeira parte, Anita Prestes resgata a memória de sua mãe, construída a partir dos relatos dos familiares, dos encontros com as companheiras de prisão e da sua ida aos campos de concentração na Alemanha. Relembra como as habilidades com desenho ajudou Olga a manter a liderança dentro da prisão, o seu gosto pela a arte e o deslumbramento pelas paisagens brasileiras. Anita Prestes revela detalhes das temporadas na Rússia, país onde concluiu os estudos primários, depois voltou para o exílio e ainda para desempenhar atividades no partido comunista.
A Review on a Medicinal and Edible Plant: Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem.
Authors: Xia Wenxin , Zhou Xirong , Ma Jiahua , Li Tingting , Zhang Xinhui , Li Juan , Xueyanfu
Published: January 2021

Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. (Araliaceae), which is the key point of this review, is a precious
wild vegetable that has served in the treatment of diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis in traditional folk
medicine in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Russia). This review aims to overview the results of the
current research related to Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem., with particular emphasis on chemical composition
and biological activity. The existing research has been searched and summarized through the database,
and it has been found that it has a certain therapeutic effecta on a variety of chronic diseases
such as: malignant tumors, cardio-cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, and its complications, etc. Additionally,
it is loved by people in East Asia due to its rich taste as a wild vegetable. In conclusion, it
offers the possibility of developing innovative pharmacological drugs as well as healthy food. Thus, it
is critical to prove its validity and clarify the exact action mechanisms that promote it as a pharmacological
drug. This review is expected to provide direction for future research.
Anticancer Natural Products with Collateral Sensitivity: A Review
Authors: Qian Jiajun , Cui Jiahua , Li Shaoshun , Chen Jun , Jia Jinping
Published: January 2021

Background:

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the resistance of cancer cells against a variety of currently used
antineoplastic agents with diverse structural scaffolds and different anticancer mechanisms. It has been recognized as one
of the major impediments to successful treatment of cancer, leading to the metastasis and relapse of the malignant diseases.

Introduction:

Collateral sensitivity (CS) is the characteristics of certain chemicals to kill the drug-resistant sublines
selectively over the parental cell lines from which the resistant cells were generated. The research and development of new
drug candidates with collateral sensitivity will be an efficient approach to conquer multidrug resistance in cancer. We aims
to provide an update in the discovery of natural products with collateral sensitivity.

Results and Conclusion:

The review focused on the characterized anticancer natural products and
their derivatives with collateral sensitivity, their working mechanisms, and related structure-activity
relationships, emphasizing recently identified CS compounds. According to their structural features,
these MDR-targeting compounds were mainly classified into the following categories: flavonoids,
terpenoids, stilbenes, alkaloids and quinones. The exploration of molecular mechanisms of collateral
sensitivity and structural features of anticancer agents with collateral sensitivity provided an effective
approach for the clinic treatment of MDR in cancer.
Enhanced Analytic Approach for Describing pH Triggered Fast Drug Release Systems
Authors: Elmas Aykut , Akyuz Guliz , Bergal Ayhan , Andac Muberra , Andac Omer
Published: January 2021

Background::

pH sensitive dendrimers attached to nanocarriers, as one of the drug release
systems, have become quite popular due to their ease of manufacture in experimental conditions
and the ability to generate fast drug release in the targeted area. This kind of fast release behavior
cannot be represented properly in most of the existing kinetic mathematical models. Besides,
these models have either no pH dependence or pH dependence added separately. Therefore,
they remained one dimensional.

Objective::

The aim of this study was to establish the proper analytic equation to describe the fast release of drugs from pH sensitive nanocarrier systems. Then, to combine it with the pH dependent equation for establishing a two-dimensional model for whole system.

Methods::

We used four common kinetic models for the comparison and we fitted them to the release
data. As a result, only Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models show acceptable suitable results.
None of these models have pH dependence. To get a better description for pH triggered fast
release, we observed the behavior of the slope angle of the release curve. Then we proposed a new
analytic equation by using relation between the slope angle and time.

Result::

By adding a pH dependent equation, we assumed the drug release is “on” or “off” above/below
specific pH value and we modified a step function to get a desired behavior.

Conclusion::

Our new analytic model shows good fitting, not only one-dimensional time dependent release, but also two-dimensional pH dependent release, that provides a useful analytic model to represent release profiles of pH sensitive fast drug release systems.
Antidiabetics Interactions with Herbs: A Compressive Review
Authors: Jirapure Kajal , Undale Vaishali
Published: January 2021

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness with a variety of causes and pathophysiology. For
the management of diabetes, various synthetic antidiabetic drugs are available. Still, people prefer
complementary and alternative therapies as well as traditional herbal home remedies because they
are perceived to be free of side effects and generally recognized as safe due to their natural origin.
Hence, worldwide, the majority of the population is consuming herbs and/or herbal products in
their daily routine. It has been observed that individuals with diabetes also consume herbs/herbal
products either with or without medical supervision. This co-consumption of antidiabetic medications
and herb/herbal products may result in herb-drug interactions, which might be potentially beneficial
or harmful or, in some cases, even fatal. Most of the times, these interactions remain unnoticed
or undiagnosed due to lack of knowledge and awareness about them.
In this review, the authors have summarized some important aspects related to the herb-drug interaction
(HDI), which include methods for prediction and mechanism of HDI (pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic) and also the clinical and experimental literature on herb-drug interactions
(HDI) in the treatment of diabetes. Authors have attempted to categorize the interactions between
oral hypoglycemic agents and various herbs as beneficial or harmful based on the results reported
in the original research work.
Regenerative Medicine Approaches in COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Asgharzade Samira , Alizadeh Akram , Arab Samaneh
Published: January 2021

Regenerative medicine (RM) is an interdisciplinary field that uses different approaches
to accelerate the repair and regeneration or replace damaged or diseased human cells or tissues to
achieve normal tissue function. These approaches include the stimulation of the body’s own repair
processes, transplantation of progenitor cells, stem cells, or tissues, as well as the use of cells and
exosomes as delivery-vehicles for cytokines, genes, or other therapeutic agents. COVID-19 pneumonia
is a specific disease consistent with diffuse alveolar damage resulting in severe hypoxemia.
Therefore, the most serious cause of death from COVID-19 is lung dysfunction. Here, we consider
RM approaches to cure COVID-19 pneumonia based on what RM has so far used to treat lung diseases,
injuries, or pneumonia induced by other pathogens. These approaches include stem and progenitor
cell transplantation, stem cell-derived exosomes, and microRNAs therapy.
Inhibition of Growth of Esophageal Cancer by Alantolactone via Wnt/β- Catenin Signaling
Authors: Wang Zijie , Hu Qing , Chen Huan , Shi Lei , He Min , Liu Hui , Li Ting , Lü Muhan , Deng Mingming , Luo Gang
Published: January 2021

Background:

Alantolactone (AL) is a natural compound extracted from the roots of Inula Helenium
L, which exerts an anti-tumor effect in a variety of cancer cell lines; however, its effect on esophageal cancer, a
common malignancy with poor prognosis, remains unclear. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the effect of AL on
esophageal cancer and to explore its underlying mechanism.

Objective:

This study aims to determine whether AL has an anti-cancer effect on esophageal cancer cells and to
explore its underlying mechanism.

Methods:

The effect of AL on the proliferation and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells was detected by MTT
assay, colony formation assay, crystal violet assay, flow cytometry and hoechst apoptosis staining. The wound
healing and Transwell invasion assay were performed to examine the effect of AL on the migration and invasion
of esophageal cancer cells. Luciferase reporter system and Western blot were used to study the anti-tumor
mechanism of AL on esophageal cancer cells. The subcutaneous murine xenograft model was employed to verify
the effects of AL on esophageal cancer cells.

Results:

MTT assay, colony formation assay and crystal violet assay found that AL inhibited the growth of
esophageal cancer cells. Hoechst staining and flow cytometry analysis showed that AL induced apoptosis in
esophageal cancer through mitochondrial pathway. Transwell assay and wound healing assays showed that AL
inhibited the metastasis and invasion of esophageal cancer cells. Wnt/ β-catenin signaling may contribute to the
mechanism of the inhibition. The anti-tumor effect of AL on esophageal cancer cells was validated on murine
xenograft model.

Conclusion:

Our data indicate that AL inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of esophageal cancer
cells, and promote apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Immunity Modulators, Repurposed Drugs and Candidate Vaccines for COVID-19: A Review
Authors: Nair Rashmy , Rao Ravindra Singh , John Placheril Joseph , Khandelwal Poonam
Published: January 2021

COVID-19, a pandemic has led the whole globe through unprecedented times and unpredictability
that has adversely affected the humanity as a whole. Although the severe acute respiratory
syndrome was reported in the year 2002-2004 of zoonotic origin caused by SARS-CoV-1 strain.
Now recently, in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 virus has emerged and swiftly spread to the whole
world, taking a heavy toll on life. Studies are being conducted worldwide to find antiviral drugs acting
specifically on the virus and to develop the vaccine for the disease. The present review article
summarizes the currently undergoing clinical trials of Indian Ayurvedic herbs and their role in promoting
immunity. It also includes studies focused on repurposing the existing drugs and finding alternative
treatment methods that can be opted for potential treatment/management of COVID-19.
Last but not the least, this paper provides a background on the development of preventive vaccines
and the various bioinformatic tools utilized in order to help accelerate the research on coronavirus.
The manuscript gives a brief outline of all the possible strategies and therapeutics underway in India
and at the global level to fight against the microscopic adversary and lead to an affordable and
speedy remedy for COVID-19.
Convocações ecológicas: o meio ambiente nas campanhas presidenciais brasileiras
Authors: Aquino Filipe
Published: January 2021

This article analyzes, from a sociological and semiotic point of view, the discursive constructions of the three most voted Brazilian presidential candidates, in the 2010 and 2014 elections, to understand how each discursive agenda was constructed and their choice of themes and figures who built their political personas. This investigation examined all the approaches about the environment understanding the idea of economic development communicated in the Brazilian Electoral Propagandas. It became evident with the different discursive operations that there is a low interest in ecological issues and sustainable development.
A Low-Cost, Ear-Contactless Electronic Stethoscope Powered by Raspberry Pi for Auscultation of Patients With COVID-19: Prototype Development and Feasibility Study
Authors: Yang Chuan , Zhang Wei , Pang Zhixuan , Zhang Jing , Zou Deling , Zhang Xinzhong , Guo Sicong , Wan Jiye , Wang Ke , Pang Wenyue
Published: January 2021

Background

Chest examination by auscultation is essential in patients with COVID-19, especially those with poor respiratory conditions, such as severe pneumonia and respiratory dysfunction, and intensive cases who are intubated and whose breathing is assisted with a ventilator. However, proper auscultation of these patients is difficult when medical workers wear personal protective equipment and when it is necessary to minimize contact with patients.

Objective

The objective of our study was to design and develop a low-cost electronic stethoscope enabling ear-contactless auscultation and digital storage of data for further analysis. The clinical feasibility of our device was assessed in comparison to a standard electronic stethoscope.

Methods

We developed a prototype of the ear-contactless electronic stethoscope, called Auscul Pi, powered by Raspberry Pi and Python. Our device enables real-time capture of auscultation sounds with a microspeaker instead of an earpiece, and it can store data files for later analysis. We assessed the feasibility of using this stethoscope by detecting abnormal heart and respiratory sounds from 8 patients with heart failure or structural heart diseases and from 2 healthy volunteers and by comparing the results with those from a 3M Littmann electronic stethoscope.

Results

We were able to conveniently operate Auscul Pi and precisely record the patients’ auscultation sounds. Auscul Pi showed similar real-time recording and playback performance to the Littmann stethoscope. The phonocardiograms of data obtained with the two stethoscopes were consistent and could be aligned with the cardiac cycles of the corresponding electrocardiograms. Pearson correlation analysis of amplitude data from the two types of phonocardiograms showed that Auscul Pi was correlated with the Littmann stethoscope with coefficients of 0.3245-0.5570 for healthy participants (P<.001) and of 0.3449-0.5138 among 4 patients (P<.001).

Conclusions

Auscul Pi can be used for auscultation in clinical practice by applying real-time ear-contactless playback followed by quantitative analysis. Auscul Pi may allow accurate auscultation when medical workers are wearing protective suits and have difficulties in examining patients with COVID-19.

Trial Registration

ChiCTR.org.cn ChiCTR2000033830; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=54971.
The Perceived Impact and Usability of a Care Management and Coordination System in Delivering Services to Vulnerable Populations: Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Rizvi Rubina , VanHouten Courtney , Bright Tiffani J , McKillop Mollie M , Alevy Shira , Brotman David , Sands-Lincoln Megan , Snowdon Jane , Robinson Barbie J , Staats Carolyn , Jackson Gretchen P , Kassler William J
Published: January 2021

Background

People with complex needs, such as those experiencing homelessness, require concurrent, seamless support from multiple social service agencies. Sonoma County, California has one of the nation’s largest homeless populations among largely suburban communities. To support client-centered care, the county deployed a Care Management and Coordination System (CMCS). This system comprised the Watson Care Manager (WCM), a front-end system, and Connect 360, which is an integrated data hub that aggregates information from various systems into a single client record.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the perceived impact and usability of WCM in delivering services to the homeless population in Sonoma County.

Methods

A mixed methods study was conducted to identify ways in which WCM helps to coordinate care. Interviews, observations, and surveys were conducted, and transcripts and field notes were thematically analyzed and directed by a grounded theory approach. Responses to the Technology Acceptance Model survey were analyzed.

Results

A total of 16 participants were interviewed, including WCM users (n=8) and department leadership members (n=8). In total, 3 interdisciplinary team meetings were observed, and 8 WCM users were surveyed. WCM provided a central shared platform where client-related, up-to-date, comprehensive, and reliable information from participating agencies was consolidated. Factors that facilitated WCM use were users’ enthusiasm regarding the tool functionalities, scalability, and agency collaboration. Constraining factors included the suboptimal awareness of care delivery goals and functionality of the system among the community, sensitivities about data sharing and legal requirements, and constrained funding from government and nongovernment organizations. Overall, users found WCM to be a useful tool that was easy to use and helped to enhance performance.

Conclusions

WCM supports the delivery of care to individuals with complex needs. Integration of data and information in a CMCS can facilitate coordinated care. Future research should examine WCM and similar CMCSs in diverse populations and settings.
Parents’ and Students’ Perceptions of Telepractice Services for Speech-Language Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Study
Authors: Lam Joseph Hin Yan , Lee Stephen Man Kit , Tong Xiuli
Published: January 2021

Background

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the suspension of face-to-face classes and a considerable increase in the use of telepractice services in speech-language pathology. However, little is known about parents’ and students’ satisfaction with telepractice services and their preferences for different service delivery modes. These factors may affect therapy effectiveness and the future adoption of telepractice.

Objective

We evaluated students’ and parents’ perceptions of telepractice efficacy and their preferences for different service delivery modes (ie, on-site practice vs telepractice). We also identified factors that affect parents’ and students’ preferences for different service delivery modes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A 19-question survey on telepractice satisfaction and preferences was administered to 41 Hong Kong Chinese students and 85 parents who received telepractice services from school-based speech-language pathologists during the COVID-19 class suspension period. In addition to providing demographic information and data on the implementation of telepractice services, all participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the efficacy of telepractice services and compare on-site practices to telepractice on a 5-point Likert scale (ie, 1=strongly disagree/prefer the use of on-site speech-language therapy services and 5=strongly agree/prefer the use of telepractice services).

Results

Despite the fact that telepractice efficacy was highly rated by parents (95% CI 3.30-3.66) and students (95% CI 3.21-3.76), both groups believed that telepractice was less effective than on-site practices (parents: 95% CI 2.14-2.52; students: 95% CI 2.08-2.65). Moreover, parents preferred on-site practices over telepractice (95% CI 2.04-2.43), whereas students did not prefer one mode of practice over the other (95% CI 2.74-3.41). A significant association between telepractice efficacy and a preference for telepractice services was found only among the students (τ=.43, P<.001), not the parents (τ=.07; P=.44).

Conclusions

Although telepractice is an acceptable alternative service delivery option for providing speech and language therapy services to school-aged individuals, speech-language therapists and parents must play a more proactive role in telepractice services to facilitate effective communication between clinicians and parents.