bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of DIY (Do it yourself) sampling and telemonitoring model for COVID-19 qPCR testing scale up
Authors: Amoo Olufemi Samuel , Adewara Funmi , Tijani Bosun , Onuigbo Tochukwu Ifeanyi , Ikemefuna Amaka Stephanie , Oraegbu Joy Isioma , Rizvi Tazeen , Okwuraiwe Azuka , Onwuamah Chika , Shaibu Joseph , James Ayorinde , Ohihoin Greg , Ige Fehintola , Kareithi Dorcas , David Agatha , Karera Steven , Agboola Hammed , Adeniyi Anthony , Obi Josephine , Achanya Dominic , Odewale Ebenezer , Oforomeh Osaga , Liboro Gideon , Nwogbe Olayemi , Ezechi Oliver , Adegbola Richard , Audu Rosemary , Salako Babatunde
Published: November 2021

The first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was recorded on February 27, 2020, being an imported case by an Italian expatriate, to the country. Since then, there has been steady increase in the number of cases. However, the number of cases in Nigeria is low in comparison to cases reported by other countries with similar large populations, despite the poor health system prevailing in the country. This has been mainly attributed to the low testing capacity in Nigeria among other factors. Therefore, there is a need for innovative ways to increase the number of persons testing for COVID-19. The aim of the study was to pilot a nasopharyngeal swab self-sample collection model that would help increase COVID-19 testing while ensuring minimal person-to-person contact being experienced at the testing center. 216 participants took part in this study which was carried out at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research between June and July 2020. Amongst the 216 participants, 174 tested negatives for both self-collected samples and samples collected by Professionals, 30 tested positive for both arms, with discrepancies occurring in 6 samples where the self-collected samples were positive while the ones collected by the professionals were negative. The same occurred in another set of 6 samples with the self-collected samples being negative and the professional—collected sample coming out positive, with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 96.7%. The results of the interrater analysis are Kappa = 0.800 (95% CI, 0.690 to 0.910) which implies an outstanding agreement between the two COVID-19 sampling methods. Furthermore, since p< 0.001 Kappa (k) coefficient is statistically different from zero, our findings have shown that self-collected samples can be reliable in the diagnosis of COVID-19.
Diversity of the physician workforce: Specialty choice decisions during medical school
Authors: Burkhardt John , DesJardins Stephen , Gruppen Larry
Published: November 2021

Background

Despite efforts to increase the overall diversity of the medical student body, some medical specialties have a less diverse applicant pool based on both gender and race than would be expected based on medical graduate demographics.

Objectives

To identify whether women and Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) medical students have baseline differences in their career interests or if their career plans change more during medical school when compared to men and non-URIM students.

Methods

Secondary data analyses of all medical students who applied through ERAS from 2005–2010 was conducted. Binary logistic regression models with the response being a planned career in one of four medical specialties (internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and general surgery/surgical specialties) at medical school entry and graduation. Regression models included demographics, student attitudes, debt, academic metrics, and medical school experiences.

Results

Comparatively, women were less likely to be interested in internal medicine and surgery and more interested in pediatrics and OB/GYN at matriculation. URiM students expressed more interest in OB/GYN and surgery when starting medical school. At graduation, women were less likely to plan for internal medicine and surgery and were more interested in pursuing OB/GYN and pediatrics. URiM students were more likely to plan for a career in internal medicine and less likely to choose pediatrics.

Conclusions

From matriculation to graduation, women have relatively stable preferences regarding planned medical specialties. In contrast, URiM students’ specialty plans shifted over time among the four specialties, with variation in preferences occurring between matriculation and graduation.
A multicenter analytical performance evaluation of a multiplexed immunoarray for the simultaneous measurement of biomarkers of micronutrient deficiency, inflammation and malarial antigenemia
Authors: Brindle Eleanor , Lillis Lorraine , Barney Rebecca , Bansil Pooja , Hess Sonja Y. , Wessells K. Ryan , Ouédraogo Césaire T. , Arredondo Francisco , Barker Mikaela K. , Craft Neal E. , Fischer Christina , Graham James L. , Havel Peter J. , Karakochuk Crystal D. , Zhang Mindy , Mussai Ei-Xia , Mapango Carine , Randolph Jody M. , Wander Katherine , Pfeiffer Christine M. , Murphy Eileen , Boyle David S.
Published: November 2021

A lack of comparative data across laboratories is often a barrier to the uptake and adoption of new technologies. Furthermore, data generated by different immunoassay methods may be incomparable due to a lack of harmonization. In this multicenter study, we describe validation experiments conducted in a single lab and cross-lab comparisons of assay results to assess the performance characteristics of the Q-plex™ 7-plex Human Micronutrient Array (7-plex), an immunoassay that simultaneously quantifies seven biomarkers associated with micronutrient (MN) deficiencies, inflammation and malarial antigenemia using plasma or serum; alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, C-reactive protein, ferritin, histidine-rich protein 2, retinol binding protein 4, soluble transferrin receptor, and thyroglobulin. Validations included repeated testing (n = 20 separately prepared experiments on 10 assay plates) in a single lab to assess precision and linearity. Seven independent laboratories tested 76 identical heparin plasma samples collected from a cohort of pregnant women in Niger using the same 7-plex assay to assess differences in results across laboratories. In the analytical validation experiments, intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were acceptable at <6% and <15% respectively and assay linearity was 96% to 99% with the exception of ferritin, which had marginal performance in some tests. Cross-laboratory comparisons showed generally good agreement between laboratories in all analyte results for the panel of 76 plasma specimens, with Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient values averaging ≥0.8 for all analytes. Excluding plates that would fail routine quality control (QC) standards, the inter-assay variation was acceptable for all analytes except sTfR, which had an average inter-assay coefficient of variation of ≥20%. This initial cross-laboratory study demonstrates that the 7-plex test protocol can be implemented by users with some experience in immunoassay methods, but familiarity with the multiplexed protocol was not essential.
Development and psychometric characteristics of analog measures of parental empathy
Authors: Gonzalez Samantha , Rodriguez Christina M.
Published: November 2021

Despite substantial literature on the effect of empathy on parenting, empathy research has historically suffered from definitional and methodological limitations. Parental empathy can be characterized as parents’ ability to recognize, take the perspective of, and appropriately react to children’s emotions. Current parental empathy assessment largely relies on self-report measures of dispositional empathy, but many argue parental empathy is distinct from dispositional empathy. Despite efforts to measure parental empathy implicitly, such analog approaches are labor intensive. The current report describes the preliminary development of the Empathy Measure for Parents Analog Task (EMPAT), two novel analog measures of parental empathy: one EMPAT analog uses audio stimuli and a second version uses written evocative scripts. After piloting with a sample of undergraduate students (Study 1), the measures were then administered to a sample of 212 parents (Study 2). For each study, the accuracy of the audio and script stimuli were first confirmed by examination of frequency distributions, then exploratory factor analyses were conducted to determine factor structure for each emotion subscale (i.e., Happy, Mad, Sad, Scared), and finally the composition of each emotion subscale was confirmed with scale reliability analyses. Correlations between each EMPAT version and measures of dispositional empathy, parental empathy, and positive parenting indicators were examined to assess the initial validity of the EMPAT measures. The new analog tasks demonstrated good reliability as well as preliminary evidence of validity, with potential utility in assessing cognitive elements of empathy in particular. With continued efforts to examine measure validity, the implications of these studies suggest the EMPAT tasks show promise in providing improved implicit, efficient assessments of child-directed empathy, which may be important for understanding positive and problematic parenting.
The SQSTM1/p62 UBA domain regulates Ajuba localisation, degradation and NF-κB signalling function
Authors: Sultana Melanie A. , Cluning Carmel , Kwong Wai-Sin , Polain Nicole , Pavlos Nathan J. , Ratajczak Thomas , Walsh John P. , Xu Jiake , Rea Sarah L.
Published: November 2021

The LIM-domain containing protein Ajuba and the scaffold protein SQSTM1/p62 regulate signalling of NF-κB, a transcription factor involved in osteoclast differentiation and survival. The ubiquitin-associated domain of SQSTM1/p62 is frequently mutated in patients with Paget’s disease of bone. Here, we report that Ajuba activates NF-κB activity in HEK293 cells, and that co-expression with SQSTM1/p62 inhibits this activation in an UBA domain-dependent manner. SQSTM1/p62 regulates proteins by targeting them to the ubiquitin-proteasome system or the autophagy-lysosome pathway. We show that Ajuba is degraded by autophagy, however co-expression with SQSTM1/p62 (wild type or UBA-deficient) protects Ajuba levels both in cells undergoing autophagy and those exposed to proteasomal stress. Additionally, in unstressed cells co-expression of SQSTM1/p62 reduces the amount of Ajuba present in the nucleus. SQSTM1/p62 with an intact ubiquitin-associated domain forms holding complexes with Ajuba that are not destined for degradation yet inhibit signalling. Thus, in situations with altered levels and localization of SQSTM1/p62 expression, such as osteoclasts in Paget’s disease of bone and various cancers, SQSTM1/p62 may compartmentalize Ajuba and thereby impact its cellular functions and disease pathogenesis. In Paget’s, ubiquitin-associated domain mutations may lead to increased or prolonged Ajuba-induced NF-κB signalling leading to increased osteoclastogenesis. In cancer, Ajuba expression promotes cell survival. The increased levels of SQSTM1/p62 observed in cancer may enhance Ajuba-mediated cancer cell survival.
Genetic association between TNF-α G-308A and osteoarthritis in Asians: A case–control study and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Chih-Chien , Huang Chih-Yun , Lee Meng-Chang , Tsai Dung-Jang , Wu Chia-Chun , Su Sui-Lung
Published: November 2021

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an important health issue in elderly people. Many studies have suggested that genetic factors are important risk factors for OA, of which tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is one of the most examined genes. Moreover, several studies have investigated the relationship between TNF-α G-308A polymorphisms and OA risk, but consistent results have not been obtained.

Objective

This study examines the association between TNF-α G-308A polymorphisms and knee OA. Moreover, meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) was used to determine whether this is a susceptibility gene for knee OA.

Methods

Between 2015 and 2019, 591 knee OA cases and 536 healthy controls were recruited. The Kellgren–Lawrence grading system was used to identify the knee OA cases. A meta-analysis was conducted including related studies published until 2020 from PubMed, Embase, and previous meta-analysis to improve the evidence level of the current study. The results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) to evaluate the effect of this polymorphism on knee OA risk. The TSA was used to estimate the sample sizes required in this issue.

Results

A nonsignificant association was found between the AA genotype and knee OA [adjusted OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.62–1.15) in the recessive model] in the present case–control study, and analysis of other genetic models showed a similar trend. After adding the critical case–control samples for Asians, the TNF-α G-308A, AA genotype exhibited 2.57 times more risk of developing arthritis when compared with the GG + GA genotype (95% CI, 1.56–4.23), and the cumulative samples for TSA (n = 2182) were sufficient to obtain a definite conclusion.

Conclusions

The results of this meta-analysis revealed that the TNF-α G-308A, AA genotype is a susceptible genotype for OA in the Asian population. This study integrated all current evidence to arrive at this conclusion, suggesting that future studies on Asians are not required.
Comparative study of phenotypic-based detection assays for carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii with a proposed algorithm in resource-limited settings
Authors: Khuntayaporn Piyatip , Thirapanmethee Krit , Kanathum Pohnvipa , Chitsombat Kanokwan , Chomnawang Mullika Traidej
Published: November 2021

The increasing incidence of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical concern worldwide owing to the limitations of therapeutic alternatives. The most important carbapenem resistance mechanism for A. baumannii is the enzymatic hydrolysis mediated by carbapenemases, mostly OXA-type carbapenemases (class D) and, to a lesser extent, metallo-β-lactamases (class B). Therefore, early and accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii is required to achieve the therapeutic efficacy of such infections. Many methods for carbapenemase detection have been proposed as effective tests for A. baumannii; however, none of them are officially recommended. In this study, three carbapenemase detection methods, namely, CarbaAcineto NP test, modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM), and simplified carbapenem inactivation method (sCIM) were evaluated for phenotypic detection of clinically isolated A. baumannii. The MICs of imipenem, meropenem, and doripenem were determined for 123 clinically isolated A. baumannii strains before performing three phenotypic detections. The overall sensitivity and specificity values were 89.09%/100% for the carbAcineto NP test, 71.82%/100% for sCIM, and 32.73%/33.13% for mCIM. CarbAcineto NP test and sCIM performed excellently (100% sensitivity) when both Class B and Class D carbapenemases were present in the same isolate. Based on the results, the combined detection method of sCIM and CarbAcineto NP test was proposed to detect carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii rather than a single assay, significantly increasing the sensitivity of detection to 98.18%. The proposed algorithm was more reliable and cost-effective than the CarbAcineto NP test alone. It can be easily applied in routine microbiology laboratories for developing countries with limited resources.
Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor eIFiso4E enhances the binding rates to VPg of turnip mosaic virus
Authors: Khan Mateen A. , Kumar Pankaj , Akif Mohd. , Miyoshi Hiroshi
Published: November 2021

Binding of phosphorylated eIFiso4E with viral genome-linked protein (VPg) of turnip mosaic virus was examined by stopped-flow, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and molecular docking analysis. Phosphorylation of eIFiso4E increased (4-fold) the binding rates as compared to unphosphorylated eIFiso4E with VPg. Stopped-flow kinetic studies of phosphorylated eIFiso4E with VPg showed a concentration-independent conformational change. The dissociation rate was about 3-fold slower for eIFiso4E∙VPg complex upon phosphorylation. Phosphorylation enhanced the association rates and lowered the dissociation rates for the eIFiso4E∙VPg binding, with having higher preferential binding to eIFiso4Ep. Binding rates for the interaction of eIFiso4Ep with VPg increased (6-fold) with an increase in temperature, 278 K to 298 K. The activation energies for binding of eIFiso4Ep and eIFiso4E with VPg were 37.2 ± 2.8 and 52.6 ± 3.6 kJ/mol, respectively. Phosphorylation decreased the activation energy for the binding of eIFiso4E to VPg. The reduced energy barrier suggests more stable platform for eIFiso4Ep∙VPg initiation complex formation, which was further supported by molecular docking analysis. Moreover, far-UV CD studies revealed that VPg formed complex with eIFiso4Ep with substantial change in the secondary structure. These results suggested that phosphorylation, not only reduced the energy barrier and dissociation rate but also enhanced binding rate, and an overall conformational change, which provides a more stable platform for efficient viral translation.
Impact of stent edge dissection detected by optical coherence tomography after current-generation drug-eluting stent implantation
Authors: Jinnouchi Hiroyuki , Sakakura Kenichi , Yanase Tomonobu , Ugata Yusuke , Tsukui Takunori , Taniguchi Yosuke , Yamamoto Kei , Seguchi Masaru , Wada Hiroshi , Fujita Hideo
Published: November 2021

Background

Stent edge dissection (SED) is a well-known predictor of worse clinical outcomes. However, impact of SED after current-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation remains unknown since there was no study using only current-generation DES to assess impact of SED. This study aimed to investigate a relationship between SED detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and clinical outcomes after current-generation DES implantation.

Methods

This study enrolled 175 patients receiving OCT after current-generation DES implantation. The SED group was compared with the non-SED group in terms of the primary study endpoints which was the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac event (MACE) composed of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI), and clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR).

Results

Of 175 patients, SED detected by OCT was observed in 32 patients, while 143 patients did not show SED. In the crude population, the SED group showed a significantly higher incidence of CD-TLR, definite stent thrombosis, TV-MI and cardiac death relative to the non-SED group. After adjustment by an inverse probability weighted methods, the SED group showed a significantly higher incidence of MACE compared with the non-SED group (hazard ratio 3.43, 95% confidence interval 1.09–10.81, p = 0.035). Fibrocalcific or lipidic plaques, greater lumen eccentricity, and stent-oversizing were the predictors of SED.

Conclusions

SED detected by OCT after the current-generation DES implantation led to unfavorable outcomes. Aggressive post-dilatation around the stent edge might worse clinical outcomes due to SED, although achievement of optimal stent expansion is strongly encouraged to improve clinical outcomes.
A policentrikus térstruktúra mint a kiegyensúlyozott társadalmi-gazdasági szerkezet alapja
Authors: Szabó Dániel Róbert , Pintér Tibor
Published: November 2021

A policentrikus térszerkezet megteremtése iránti igény az Európai Unió fejlesztési dokumentumaiban egyre erőteljesebben fogalmazódik meg. A tudományos műhelyek, területi tervezéssel foglalkozó intézmények és vállalkozások minderre reagáltak, ma már a közösség nemzetállamai kormányzati szinten is foglalkoznak a kérdéssel. A tanulmány célja, hogy elhelyezze a policentrizmus koncepcióját a területi tervezés gyakorlatában, ezt követően pedig ismertesse gyakorlati vonatkozásait, a továbbfejlesztés irányait. Nem kérdéses, hogy az érintett politikai területek miatt a jövőben is vitákat fognak gerjeszteni az egyes országok települési szerkezetének aktív átalakítását célzó elképzelések.
Lean menedzsment alkalmazása szolgáltatóvállalat esetében
Authors: Gyenge Balázs , Kozma Tímea , Szilágyi Heléna
Published: November 2021

A szerzők tanulmányukban a különleges igényekre adott válaszok közül a lean termelési filozófia nyújtotta megoldásokkal és szemléletmóddal foglalkoznak. Sokan a lean (karcsúsítás) alapjának a Toyota termelési rendszerét tartják, amely sok évtizedes tapasztalatokból és elszánt javítási szándékból nőtte ki magát, mely a gyakorlatban is bizonyított. Az elnevezés kissé félrevezető, hiszen azt lehet gondolni, hogy mindenképpen valami csökkentésről, dolgok elhagyásáról van szó, ám a karcsúsítás főleg a feleslegekre és a költségekre (veszteségekre) vonatkozik, bár sokszor a technológia átláthatósága is javul. Ez utóbbi azonban, nem szükségszerű. Szintén nem egyértelmű, hogy a technológiai alapokon nyugvó koncepció a szolgáltatásokban is beválna-e. A menedzsmentágazat ez utóbbi területe azonban az elmúlt időszakban rohamos fejlődésnek indult, és ma már egyre többen használják az ún. lean office fogalmát is, bizonyítva az elképzelés megalapozottságát. Damrath (2012) szerint a szolgáltatások esetében a lean alkalmazása terén a fő kihívás az, hogy hiányoznak a széles körű alkalmazási referenciák. Arfmann és Topolansky (2014) szerint olyan különbségek vannak a termelés és a szolgáltatások között, hogy az is kérdéses és újragondolást igényel, hogy az alkalmazási kísérleteket leannek lehet-e nevezni. Anélkül, hogy a szerzők csatlakoznának ehhez a vitához, tanulmányukban egy esettanulmány keretében mutatják be, hogy a lean gondolkodás segítségével hogyan lehet javítani egy vizsgált szolgáltatási folyamaton.
The Tradition of Reading Asma'ul Husna in al-Muhsin Mosque, Krapyak, Yogyakarta
Authors: Ni'am Aulan
Published: November 2021

In its development a lot of religious traditions that emerged in the community, especially religious traditions carried out in a mosque, a place where the center of worship of Muslims in congregation. Masjid Jami 'Al-Muhsin Krapyak Wetan is one of them, there is a tradition that is constantly being carried out and has become a part of worship at the mosque. The tradition of recitation of Asma'ul Husna at the Jami Mosque 'Al-Muhsin Krapyak Wetan is a unique phenomenon, in which there are interesting things in terms of normative and historical. With qualitative-field research methods and using a phenomenological approach, the tradition will be presented so that it becomes a comprehensive study and provides interesting information. This study gets a conclusion that from the tradition there are several things that make the tradition to be lasting. Namely the existence of a person who becomes a role model, then there is awareness of knowledge about the things that support the implementation of the tradition continuously. All of these things support one another for the continuation of the tradition of reading Asma'ul Husna at the Mosque.
The Judge's Understanding of Iwad (Living Hadith in Palembang Religious Court)
Authors: Himsyah Fatroyah Asr
Published: November 2021

This study aims to understand the perception of the Palembang Religious Court Judges about Iwad Khulu 'which originated from the Hadith. The results of this study indicate that there are two typologies of understanding of Iwad Khulu', both of theme are textual understanding and contextual understanding. According to the understanding of textual type, iwad must be understood to arise as a result of khulu 'because the husband violated the ta'lik talak  so that the wife filed for divorce by paying a ransom in the form of money in the amount of ten thousand rupiahs according to the provisions in The PMA Number 2 of 1990 concerning Obligations of Marriage Registrar, through regulations this Judge no longer takes other considerations. Whereas the contextual type understands that Iwad Khulu 'depends on the type of khulu',when it khulu' due to violations of the ta'lik talak, the iwad depends on the provisions of the Ministry of Religion, while the khulu' purely  caused by a reason other than the violation of the ta'lik talak then the considerations are proof, wife's ability and the principle of justice.
Overview dan Analisis Potensi Pemanfaatan Langsung (Direct Use) Panas Bumi pada Wilayah Kerja Panas Bumi Dieng Jawa Tengah
Authors: Subekti Ramdani Alfan , Harmoko Udi
Published: November 2021

Indonesia memiliki potensi energi panas bumi terbesar di Indonesia dunia, yang mencakup sekitar 40% dari potensi dunia atau pada 28.617 MW. Sistem energi panas bumi di negara ini adalah umumnya dengan sistem hidrotermal yang bersuhu tinggi yang lebih dari 225°C, dan hanya sedikit sistem hidrotermal yang memilikinya menurunkan suhu sekitar 150°C–225°C. Status potensi dan kapasitas terpasang disajikan pada Meski potensi panas bumi besar di Indonesia, hingga saat ini pemanfaatannya masih belum optimal. Sumber dengan suhu tinggi dapat digunakan untuk pembangkit listrik; namun, pembangkit listrik tenaga panas bumi dengan sistem binary dapat diterapkan pada sumber daya bersuhu sedang. Sumber daya suhu yang lebih rendah juga dapat digunakan untuk memanaskan bangunan, proses industri, greenhouses, hortikultura, akuakultur, pemandian air panas dan lain sebagainya. Dengan adanya manifestasi yang berada di WKP Dieng, sehingga dapat dijadikan bahan penelitian diantaranya : pembuatan water heating untuk pemenuhan homestay, pembuatan pemandian air panas dan lain sebagainya. untuk memulai pemanfaatan langsung (Direct Use) dengan memanfaatkan manifestasi air panas yang berada di WKP Dieng.
Factors Affecting the Management of Innovative English Language Teaching Methods at People’s Police Universities
Authors: Ân Nguyễn Ngọc , Danh Nguyen Duc
Published: November 2021

Based on the theoretical basis of the factors affecting the management of innovative English teaching methods, the paper focuses on researching and investigating the current situation of factors affecting the management of innovative English teaching at People’s Police Universities to assess the importance and influence on management. The results of a survey with 49 leaders and 119 English language teachers at at People’s Police Universities showed the degree of influence factors ranging from quite to very influential and the importance of these factors all reach 100% from important or more across the sample. This result can be useful sources for administrators and lecturers to pay attention and propose measures to manage effectively in the innovative English teaching methods at People’s Police Universities.
Tuva Haglund, Tillsammans i Engelsfors: Socialt fiktionsbruk i Engelsforstrilogins digitala fangemenskap 2011–2016
Authors: Isaksson Malin
Published: November 2021

Review/Recension
Mening med vrøvlet
Authors: Madsen Claus K. , Allouche Lea
Published: November 2021

Making Sense of Nonsense: Readings of Children’s Poetry as Play and Creative Thinking

Abstract: Nonsense and meaning are not necessarily conflicting concepts, but can be conceived of as a hendiadys, that is, not opposites, the one or the other, but as one and the other. The idea that meaning and nonsense are related and coexist is a premise for this article, which describes different structures of meaning in the nonsense poetry of Birgitte Krogsbøll and Kamilla Wichmann’s picture book Funkelgnister: Rim, råb og remser (2015, Glittersparks: Rhymes, Roars and Rigmaroles). By linking our analysis of Funkelgnister to Johan Huizinga’s theory of play as a prerequisite for culture, we reveal how the specific structures and logics of the poems generate meaning and thereby we disclose how children’s nonsense poetry is simultaneously meaningful and nonsensical, as a creative thinking akin to culture developed through play and playfulness. We describe how meaning can be sought in three directions, suggested by Gilles Deleuze: above, below and on the surface. In the first case, we consider nonsense as a seductive acoustic phenomenon. In the second, we focus on nonsense poetry as subversive. And finally, in the third case, we show how it is an event. In all, these different aspects demonstrate how nonsense poetry functions as play and challenges our understanding of what it means to read. Following Jurij Lotman’s understanding of pictorial language as creative thinking, we show how nonsense in Funkelgnister opens up a free space by utilizing an in-between, where meaning takes on different forms as signs and sounds, and how the inherent rejection of normative rules of reading in such a venture, initiates a production of meaning as metonymic activity. We thereby highlight how nonsense generates a ground for a creative development of meaning.
Humor i to nyere norske diktbildebøker
Authors: Westergaard Bjørlo Berit
Published: November 2021

Humour in Two Contemporary Norwegian Poetry Picturebooks: Pling i bollen and 123 for barske barn

Abstract: This article examines visual and verbal humour in two contemporary Norwegian poetry picturebooks for children. The main aim is to study how different types of humour and various poetic devices are expressed through the interplay of words and images. Moreover, the article discusses in which ways the two books represent a continuation and a renewal of classic humour traditions. The theoretical framework mainly consists of intermedial theory, picturebook theory, children’s poetry studies, and studies on literary humour traditions such as nonsense, parody, and the Bakhtinian carnivalesque. The selected books are Pling i bollen: Fine og ufine barnerim (Off One’s Chump: Delicate and Indelicate Children’s Verses) from 2011 by Ingvild Rishøi and Bendik Kaltenborn and 123 for barske barn: Tull med tall (123 for Rough Children: Nonsense with Numbers) from 2020 by Anne Østgaard and Egil Nyhus. The analyses point to examples of both playful and sophisticated interactions between poems and illustrations, suggesting that the picturebook medium includes more diverse combinations of visual and verbal humour compared to traditional illustrated poetry books. In addition, the various types of humour appear to be wilder and coarser than in classic children’s poetry. 123 for barske barn combines pedagogical and aesthetic qualities by featuring nonsense and carnivalesque humour with numbers, while Pling i bollen offers an even wider range of humour by combining satire, parody, and sophisticated nonsense with more playful and carnivalesque qualities. These compounds of humour tend to transgress the classic genre of children’s verse and to include a cross-generational audience.
Nathalie Op de Beeck (red.), Literary Cultures and Twenty-First-Century Childhoods
Authors: Källström Lisa
Published: November 2021

Review/Recension
Erik Zillén, Fabelbruk i svensk modernitet: En genrehistorisk studie
Authors: Lavender Philip
Published: November 2021

Review/Recension
Das Bibliothekswesen in Namibia
Authors: Böhm Johannes
Published: November 2021

Der Aufsatz gibt einen knappen Überblick über die geschichtliche Entwicklung und die aktuelle Situation des namibischen Bibliothekswesens sowie die Herausforderungen und Besonderheiten, mit denen Bibliotheken in Namibia konfrontiert sind. Betrachtet werden die Grundstrukturen des Bibliothekswesens, die Ausbildungs- und Personallage und die jeweils wichtigsten Bibliothekstypen im öffentlichen und wissenschaftlichen Bereich.
An energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry approach for the identification of geographical origin of wheat flour
Authors: Chen Tong , Qi Xingpu , Si Zaiyong , Cheng Qianwei , Chen Hui
Published: November 2021

In this work, a method was established for discriminating geographical origins of wheat flour based on energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) and chemometrics. 68 wheat flour samples from three different origins were collected and analyzed using ED-XRF technology. Firstly, the principal component analysis method was applied to analyze the feasibility of discrimination and reduce data dimensionality. Then, Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS) was used to further extract feature variables, and 12 energy variables (corresponding to mineral elements) were identified and selected to characterize the geographical attributes of wheat flour samples. Finally, a non-linear model was constructed using principal component analysis and quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). The CARS-PCA-QDA model showed that the accuracy of five-fold cross-validation was 84.25%. The results showed that the established method was able to select important energy channel variables effectively and wheat flour could be classified based on geographical origins with chemometrics, which could provide a theoretical basis for unveiling the relationship between mineral element composition and wheat origin.
Random walk on spheres algorithm for solving steady-state and transient diffusion-recombination problems
Authors: Shalimova Irina , Sabelfeld Karl K.
Published: November 2021

We further develop in this study
the Random Walk on Spheres (RWS) stochastic algorithm for solving
systems of coupled diffusion-recombination equations
first suggested in our recent article [K. Sabelfeld,
First passage Monte Carlo algorithms for solving coupled systems of diffusion–reaction equations,
Appl. Math. Lett. 88 2019, 141–148].
The random walk on spheres process mimics the isotropic diffusion
of two types of particles which may recombine to each other.
Our motivation comes from the transport problems of free and bound exciton recombination.
The algorithm is based on tracking the trajectories
of the diffusing particles exactly in accordance with the probabilistic distributions derived from the explicit representation of the relevant Green functions for balls and spheres. Therefore, the method is mesh free both in space and time.
In this paper we implement the RWS algorithm for solving the diffusion-recombination problems both in a steady-state and transient settings.
Simulations are compared against the exact solutions.
We show also how the RWS algorithm can be applied to calculate
exciton flux to the boundary which provides the electron beam-induced current, the concentration of the survived excitons, and the cathodoluminescence intensity which are all integral characteristics of the solution to diffusion-recombination problem.
Concrete Tensile Strength Test Using Different Sand Gradation Zones t o Mitigate Earthquake Buildings
Authors: Supriani Fepy , Islam Mukhlis , Afrizal Yuzuar
Published: November 2021

Sand is one of the building materials forming the concrete mass. Sand has a type based on quarry sources, namely sea sand, river sand and mountain sand. Sand has different characteristics such as gradations (grain fineness), unit weight, mud content. Based on the SK-SNI 03-2834-1993 standard, sand has a grain size which is classified as very rough, rough, medium, smooth and very smooth. Sand that has a good gradation is separated in the form of a graph as zones 1 to 4. Concrete has good compressive strength but is weak on tensile strength. To increase the tensile strength, fiber can be added. The use of wire fiber is expected to increase the performance of buildings in earthquake-prone areas. In this study the fiber used was metal wire with a length of approximately 2 cm, designed compressive strength of concrete of 25 MPa, with a cylindrical sample diameter of 15cm and a height of 30cm, 3 month old age split tensile strength test was conducted, by using sea and mountain river sand with different zones. The results obtained that the division of the sand zone into rough to fine classification does not provide a significant trend for the tensile strength of the concrete. Mechanically, the addition of wire fibers for Air Lakok sand, Lubuk Kebur river sand and Penanding river sand has decreased the tensile strength. While the sea sand of Selubuk, the river sand of Talang Rasau and the mountain sand has increased tensile strength. Visually, all concrete that is given wire fiber has better ductility, where the concrete does not experience brittle cracks and the elements are still bound to each other.
Epidemiology of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Albania
Authors: Galica Adelina Nicoleta , Galica Reitano , Dumitrascu Dan Lucian
Published: November 2021

Background and Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition, with a relatively high prevalence and represents a burden for the healthcare budgets. Knowing the prevalence of IBS is important for scientific and practical estimation of its impact. The recent Rome IV global study has shed light on the prevalence of IBS in many countries, but reports are lacking from other countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of IBS in Albania, a country from which we do not have relevant information.

Method: A prospective study was carried out in order to find out the prevalence of IBS in Albania. The target population was a sample of at least 500 Albanian adults (from a population of 2.2 million adults in this country. The questionnaires were distributed to the general population through three University centers from different areas of the country, through family doctors, chosen randomly, and by door to door by volunteer medical students. The questionnaires were self-completed by the participants and included 29 items: biographical data, IBS symptoms based on the Rome IV criteria, the symptoms that accompany IBS and the quality of life (QoL). The prevalence of IBS in the studied population, the sex ratio, the subtypes of IBS and the prevalence of different symptoms were calculated.

Results: We sent out 550 questionnaires and we received answers from 502 subjects (response rate 91%, 312 females, median age: 42 years). IBS was present in 43 cases (8.6%), without gender predominance. The IBS subtypes had the following values: IBS-C 58%, IBS-D 28% and IBS-M 14%. Women had a relatively higher risk for subtype IBS predominant constipation (OR=1.13, 95%CI: 0.32-3.95, p=0.84) but men appeared to be more prone to IBS predominant diarrhea (OR=1.3, 95%CI: 0.33-5.08, p=0.7). The most affected age was over 50 years and the least affected was between 18-30 years. Bloating was present in 81.4% of IBS respondents. The pain significantly influenced the daily activity in IBS: OR=12.9:1 (95% CI: 6.18-27.31, p<0.0001). Education seems to be an important risk factor; people with only middle school education or less had an OR=4.5 (95% CI: 2-10.54, p=0.0003) of developing IBS than people with a higher education.

Conclusions: These are the first reported data on IBS in Albania. IBS in Albania is of 8.6%, more than the average data in the Rome IV global study, but in the range obtained from other studies. The most common type is IBS-C; there is no gender predominance; it is more common in less educated persons; the influence of pain on daily activity is higher in IBS.
Adapting to a Design-Based Professional Learning Intervention
Authors: Brown Barbara , Friesen Sharon , Mosher Ronna , Chu Man-Wai , Linton Kirk
Published: November 2021

Designing a systematic inquiry-based, and knowledge-building experience through continuous professional learning for teachers is a key challenge for school authorities. A total of 26 teachers, five principals, three researchers, one graduate student, and two contract professionals from a university were involved in a research-practice partnership. The partners engaged in a yearlong design-based professional learning series. In this study, design-based research was used as the methodology to understand the participant responses to professional learning during the design, enactment, and refinement phases used to design the professional learning series. Open-ended survey responses, researcher field notes and documents from the professional learning sessions were analyzed throughout the study and during three phases of the learning design. The results indicated there were four key shifts and corresponding adaptations made by the participants as they responded to and engaged in a continuous model of professional learning.
ANALYSIS OF DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY IMAGES USING COMPUTER VISION METHODS
Authors: Kirilov N.
Published: November 2021

PURPOSE: Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the “golden standard” for diagnosing osteoporosis. Its analyzing algorithm (software) makes it possible to distinguish the bone from the soft tissue. Until now there are only attempts to process and acquire images using automatic segmentation with convolutional neural networks (CNN). Machine reconstruction and precise specific models of anatomic structures from medical images could be accomplished using computer vision. The objective of the current work is to introduce the potential of the two computer methods and their application in the diagnostic DXA analysis.
METHODS: DXA generates a report in the DICOM format which includes patient data (age, gender, height, weight, bone mineral density, T-score and Z-score) and an image of the scanned spine as well as the region of interest (ROI). The CNN methods are based mainly on intermediate analysis. The learning of the segmentation of CNN by generating segmentation labels using simple heuristic is done using computer vision. The functions of the loss and the architecture of the CNN is then determined. In that manner the right analysis of the existing medical image is made possible.
RESULTS: The computer library OpenCV is the way to realize a model for the assessment of a DXA analysis. The library is available for Python programming language. The library has functions for the extraction of colour objects, image smoothing, Canny’s edge detector, Hough transform and methods for work with contours.
CONCLUSIONS: The detection and extraction of images is fundamental for the analysis of DXA which is a step forward in the precision of the in-vivo diagnostic of the bone.
Palavras de Francisco: “Não trago ouro nem prata, mas lhes trago o que de mais valioso me foi dado: Jesus Cristo”
Authors: Mendes Alex Silva
Published: November 2021

O objetivo desse artigo, é enfatizar que o pontificado de Francisco, desde à sua gênese é evidenciado pela alegria, simplicidade, bondade, ternura, esperança, amor e fé. Francisco tem conclamado à Igreja com toda a urgência da santidade e que ela deve se voltar, de forma evangelicalmente preferencial, aos pobres, doentes, marginalizados, às periferias. Assim como São Francisco de Assis, o seu pontificado é marcado por uma Igreja samaritana, cuidadora, plural, ecumênica, dialogal e ecológica. Não se esqueçam de rezar por mim, é o pedido de Francisco, desde seu primeiro dia de pontificado.
Fundamentalismo, Bíblia e Relações de Gênero
Authors: Dos Prazeres Alexandre De Jesus
Published: November 2021

Neste artigo, foi realizada uma dupla interpretação do fundamentalismo: sociológica e teológica. Primeiro, foi empreendida uma interpretação sociológica na qual o fundamentalismo foi analisado enquanto uma reação ao pluralismo moderno e sua consequente relativização das tradições pré-modernas. Estas tradições deixam de ser aceitas conforme dadas e passam a ser percebidas como uma possibilidade em meio a outras. Segundo, foi realizada uma interpretação teológica do fundamentalismo. Para este fim, recorreu-se a contribuições oriundas da reflexão teológica de Paul Tillich. E terceiro, buscou aplicar os resultados desta dupla interpretação à hermenêutica bíblica, especificamente ao tema das relações de gênero na Bíblia.
The concept of the personal and axiological experience in the philosophy of K. Wojtyła – John Paul II: a starting point of philosophical anthropology
Authors: Krzanowski Jerzy
Published: November 2021

Philosophy, which reflects different anthropological solutions and theories of humanity, considered in the perspective of Christian philosophical anthropology in Poland, is the Thomistic phenomenology of action of K. Wojtyła – John Paul II. In this philosophical concept the starting point is the personal and axiological experience. It is analysis of the acts of conscious action. Act reveals the person (the moral significance of the person). Widely understood Wojtyla’s Personalism is a chance of a creative meeting for two philosophies – from Lublin and Cracow. The more the use of his thoughts, the more developed they become.
The role of the theory of prototypes in moral thought
Authors: Wojtanowska Weronika
Published: November 2021

In this article I attempt to highlight and briefly analyze some problematic aspects of the theory of prototypes and its implications in moral thought. I focus on the issue of moral judgement and the impact of prototypicality on our understanding of moral concepts. The objective of the article is to indicate the significance of the new perspectives opened by the notion of prototype, but also to point out certain difficulties. Some of the problematic questions emerge from the very existence of the prototype structure of categories and concepts; other problems arise with reference to the proposed implications or postulates which are connected with the acknowledgement of the significance of prototypicality. Due to the recognition of the practical dimension of ethics, the main issues are presented through examples of concepts which are commonly used in everyday life, ­referring to political and social values, traits of character and emotions.
Liebe aus dem Internet. Tinder-App als Herausforderung für die pastorale Tätigkeit der Kirche
Authors: Gajda Tomasz
Published: November 2021

The contemporary, expansive development of the Internet and all kinds of mobile tools has changed all areas of human life. Food, health, entertainment, work, social and family ties – all this and many other areas of life are woven into virtual reality. This has also affected the way of getting to know the chosen ones in life. The mobile world has been offering many digital dating tools to seek love of one’s life”. One of them is the “Tinder” mobile application. It is this tool that the article examines, first by analyzing the phenomenon of this invention and its popularity in the context of social sciences, then by discussing it in the perspective of pastoral theology. In the sections of the article, the author presents the following issues: what Tinder consists of; the usage statistics for this tool; the philosophical-sociological background of online-dating; the characteristics of the generation of Tinder users and – finally – the challenges and inspirations Tinder presents to the pastoral care of the Church.
The importance of the School of Journalism of the Catholic Church in the system of the reform in Francoist Spain
Authors: Jaroszyk Joanna
Published: November 2021

This article deals with the issues of educating journalists during the Franco regime in Spain and the place occupied by the School of Journalism of the Catholic Church in this system. The first years of dictatorship were characterized by a strong subordination of education and occupation to the current interests of the state, which regulated access to the profession and education only within the framework of the State School of Journalism. In the second half of the 50’s there was a gradual liberalization of the system, consisting in the gradual admission of other entities to the organization of vocational education of journalists, especially the Catholic Church. This allowed for the launch in 1960 of the School of Journalism of the Catholic Church, the functioning of which was the first manifestation of the regime’s gradual withdrawal from state supervision over the process of educating journalists. The Catholic Church School referred to the pre-war, excellent traditions of the journalism school organized by the Catholic daily El Debate, becoming a kind of counterweight to the regime’s State School of Journalism.The competition between schools (although still slight at that time) contributed to an increase in the quality of education. The emphasis on the completion of general education or the design of curricula taking into account the development of information technology made it possible to equip students with competences required in the labour market, which previously could only be obtained to a greater or lesser extent in practice.