bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A core outcome set for research and clinical practice in women with pelvic girdle pain: PGP-COS
Authors: Remus Alexandria , Smith Valerie , Gutke Annelie , Mena Juan Jose Saldaña , Mørkved Siv , Wikmar Lena Nilsson , Öberg Birgitta , Olsson Christina , Robinson Hilde Stendal , Stuge Britt , Wuytack Francesca
Published: February 2021

Background

Inconsistent reporting of outcomes in clinical trials of women with Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) hinders comparison of findings and the reliability of evidence synthesis. A core outcome set (COS) can address this issue as it defines a minimum set of outcomes that should be reported in all clinical trials on the condition. The aim of this study was to develop a consensus-based COS for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in PGP during pregnancy and postpartum for use in research and clinical practice.

Methods

A systematic review of previous studies on PGP and semi-structured interviews with women were undertaken to identify all outcomes that were reported in prior studies and that are relevant to those experiencing the condition. Key stakeholders (clinicians, researchers, service providers/policy makers and individuals with PGP) then rated the importance of these outcomes for including in a preliminary PGP-COS using a 3-round Delphi study. The final COS was agreed at a face-to-face consensus meeting.

Results

Consensus was achieved on five outcomes for inclusion in the final PGP-COS. All outcomes are grouped under the “life impact” domain and include: pain frequency, pain intensity/severity, function/disability/activity limitation, health-related quality of life and fear avoidance.

Conclusion

This study identified a COS for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in pregnancy-related and postpartum-related PGP in research and clinical settings. It is advocated that all trials, other non-randomised studies and clinicians in this area use this COS by reporting these outcomes as a minimum. This will ensure the reporting of meaningful outcomes and will enable the findings of future studies to be compared and combined. Future work will determine how to measure the outcomes of the PGP-COS.

Core outcome set registration

This PGP-COS was registered with COMET (Core Outcome Measures for Effectiveness Trials) in January 2017 (http://www.comet-initiative.org/studies/details/958).
Mathematical modelling of post-filter ionized calcium during citrate anticoagulated continuous renal replacement therapy
Authors: Forsal Innas , Nilsson Anders , Bodelsson Mikael , Wieslander Anders , Broman Marcus
Published: February 2021

Background/Aims

Post-filter ionized calcium (iCa) measured on a blood gas analyzer (BGA) during regional citrate anticoagulated continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are needed to control the regime. This increases the workload and requires attention including interpretation of blood analyses. Two algorithms were developed to calculate the post-filter iCa instead. The first algorithm used measured systemic total calcium and the second used a selected set of values from an initial blood gas sample as input.

Methods

Calculated post-filter iCa values were compared to real blood gas analyses. 57 patients treated at the intensive care unit at Skåne University Hospital in Lund during 2010–2017 were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Clinical and machine parameters were collected from the electronic medical records. Non-quality checked data contained 1240 measurements and quality checked data contained 1034 measurements.

Results

The first algorithm using measured systemic total calcium resulted in slightly better precision and trueness with an average difference between the predicted and measured post-filter iCa concentration of 0.0185±0.0453 mmol/L for quality checked data, p<0.001. Neither algorithm could detect all instances requiring intervention.

Conclusion

The algorithms were able to estimate in range postfilter iCa values with great trueness and precision. However, they had some difficulties to estimate out-of-range postfilter iCa values. More work is needed to improve the algorithms especially in their citrate-modelling.
son is necessary for proper vertebrate blood development
Authors: Belmonte Rebecca L. , Engbretson Isabella L. , Kim Jung-Hyun , Cajias Illiana , Ahn Eun-Young Erin , Stachura David L.
Published: February 2021

The gene SON is on human chromosome 21 (21q22.11) and is thought to be associated with hematopoietic disorders that accompany Down syndrome. Additionally, SON is an RNA splicing factor that plays a role in the transcription of leukemia-associated genes. Previously, we showed that mutations in SON cause malformations in human and zebrafish spines and brains during early embryonic development. To examine the role of SON in normal hematopoiesis, we reduced expression of the zebrafish homolog of SON in zebrafish at the single-cell developmental stage with specific morpholinos. In addition to the brain and spinal malformations we also observed abnormal blood cell levels upon son knockdown. We then investigated how blood production was altered when levels of son were reduced. Decreased levels of son resulted in lower amounts of red blood cells when visualized with lcr:GFP transgenic fish. There were also reduced thrombocytes seen with cd41:GFP fish, and myeloid cells when mpx:GFP fish were examined. We also observed a significant decrease in the quantity of T cells, visualized with lck:GFP fish. However, when we examined their hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), we saw no difference in colony-forming capability. These studies indicate that son is essential for the proper differentiation of the innate and adaptive immune system, and further investigation determining the molecular pathways involved during blood development should elucidate important information about vertebrate HSPC generation, proliferation, and differentiation.
Deep placement of nitrogen fertilizer improves yield, nitrogen use efficiency and economic returns of transplanted fine rice
Authors: Khalofah Ahlam , Khan Muhammad Ifnan , Arif Muhammad , Hussain Ansar , Ullah Rehmat , Irfan Muhammad , Mahpara Shahzadi , Shah Rahmat Ullah , Ansari Mohammad Javed , Kintl Antonin , Brtnicky Martin , Danish Subhan , Datta Rahul
Published: February 2021

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) feeds to two-third of the global population by serving as staple food. It is the main export commodity of several countries; thus, contributes towards foreign exchange earnings. Unfortunately, average global rice yield is far below than its genetic potential. Low nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) is among the major reasons for low average yield. Current study evaluated the impact of nitrogen fertilizer application methods (conventional and deep placement) on growth, yield-related traits, chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, agronomic N-use efficiency (ANUE), partial factors productivity of applied N (PFP) and economic returns of two different transplanted rice varieties (Basmati-515 and Super-Basmati). Fertilizer application methods significantly affected allometry, yield-related traits, chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, ANUE, PFP and economic returns. Deep placement of N-fertilizer (DPNF) observed better allometric traits, high chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, ANUE, PFP, yield attributes and economic returns compared to conventional application of N-fertilizer (CANF). Similarly, Basmati-515 had better allometric and yield-related traits, chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, ANUE, PFP and economic returns than Super-Basmati. Regarding interactions among N-fertilizer application methods and rice varieties, Basmati-515 with DPNF resulted in higher chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, ANUE, PFP, allometric and yield related traits and economic returns than CANF. The lowest values of these traits were observed for Super-Basmati with no application of N-fertilizer. Both varieties had better yield and economic returns with DPNF compared to CANF. It is concluded that DPNF improved yield, ANUE and economic returns; therefore, should be opted to improve productivity of transplanted fine rice. Nonetheless, lower nitrogen doses need to be tested for DPNF to infer whether it could lower N use in rice crop.
Tools for mapping multi-scale settlement patterns of building footprints: An introduction to the R package foot
Authors: Jochem Warren C. , Tatem Andrew J.
Published: February 2021

Spatial datasets of building footprint polygons are becoming more widely available and accessible for many areas in the world. These datasets are important inputs for a range of different analyses, such as understanding the development of cities, identifying areas at risk of disasters, and mapping the distribution of populations. The growth of high spatial resolution imagery and computing power is enabling automated procedures to extract and map building footprints for whole countries. These advances are enabling coverage of building footprint datasets for low and middle income countries which might lack other data on urban land uses. While spatially detailed, many building footprints lack information on structure type, local zoning, or land use, limiting their application. However, morphology metrics can be used to describe characteristics of size, shape, spacing, orientation and patterns of the structures and extract additional information which can be correlated with different structure and settlement types or neighbourhoods. We introduce the foot package, a new set of open-source tools in a flexible R package for calculating morphology metrics for building footprints and summarising them in different spatial scales and spatial representations. In particular our tools can create gridded (or raster) representations of morphology summary metrics which have not been widely supported previously. We demonstrate the tools by creating gridded morphology metrics from all building footprints in England, Scotland and Wales, and then use those layers in an unsupervised cluster analysis to derive a pattern-based settlement typology. We compare our mapped settlement types with two existing settlement classifications. The results suggest that building patterns can help distinguish different urban and rural types. However, intra-urban differences were not well-predicted by building morphology alone. More broadly, though, this case study demonstrates the potential of mapping settlement patterns in the absence of a housing census or other urban planning data.
Visual light perceptions caused by medical linear accelerator: Findings of machine-learning algorithms in a prospective questionnaire-based case–control study
Authors: Kuo Chao-Yang , Lee Cheng-Chun , Lee Yuh-Lin , Liou Shueh-Chun , Lee Jia-Cheng , Su Emily Chia-Yu , Chen Yi-Wei
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to investigate the possible incidence of visual light perceptions (VLPs) during radiation therapy (RT). We analyzed whether VLPs could be affected by differences in the radiation energy, prescription doses, age, sex, or RT locations, and whether all VLPs were caused by radiation. From November 2016 to August 2018, a total of 101 patients who underwent head-and-neck or brain RT were screened. After receiving RT, questionnaires were completed, and the subjects were interviewed. Random forests (RF), a tree-based machine learning algorithm, and logistic regression (LR) analyses were compared by the area under the curve (AUC), and the algorithm that achieved the highest AUC was selected. The dataset sample was based on treatment with non-human units, and a total of 293 treatment fields from 78 patients were analyzed. VLPs were detected only in 122 of the 293 exposure portals (40.16%). The dataset was randomly divided into 80% and 20% as the training set and test set, respectively. In the test set, RF achieved an AUC of 0.888, whereas LR achieved an AUC of 0.773. In this study, the retina fraction dose was the most important continuous variable and had a positive effect on VLP. Age was the most important categorical variable. In conclusion, the visual light perception phenomenon by the human body during RT is induced by radiation rather than being a self-suggested hallucination or induced by phosphenes.
Degradation of benzo[a]pyrene by halophilic bacterial strain Staphylococcus haemoliticus strain 10SBZ1A
Authors: Nzila Alexis , Musa Musa M. , Sankara Saravanan , Al-Momani Marwan , Xiang Lei , Li Qing X.
Published: February 2021

The exploitation of petroleum oil generates a considerable amount of “produced water or petroleum waste effluent (PWE)” that is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). PWE is characterised by its high salinity, which can be as high as 30% NaCl, thus the exploitation of biodegradation to remove PAHs necessitates the use of active halophilic microbes. The strain 10SBZ1A was isolated from oil contaminated soils, by enrichment experiment in medium containing 10% NaCl (w/v). Homology analyses of 16S rRNA sequences identified 10SBZ1A as a Staphylococcus haemoliticus species, based on 99.99% homology (NCBI, accession number GI: MN388897). The strain could grow in the presence of 4–200 μmol l-1 of BaP as the sole source of carbon, with a doubling time of 17–42 h. This strain optimum conditions for growth were 37 oC, 10% NaCl (w/v) and pH 7, and under these conditions, it degraded BaP at a rate of 0.8 μmol l-1 per day. The strain 10SBZ1A actively degraded PAHs of lower molecular weights than that of BaP, including pyrene, phenanthrene, anthracene. This strain was also capable of removing 80% of BaP in the context of soil spiked with BaP (10 μmol l-1 in 100 g of soil) within 30 days. Finally, a metabolic pathway of BaP was proposed, based on the identified metabolites using liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a halophilic BaP degrading bacterial strain at salinity > 5% NaCl.
Effects of litter and root manipulations on soil carbon and nitrogen in a Schrenk’s spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forest
Authors: Zhu Haiqiang , Gong Lu , Ding Zhaolong , Li Yuefeng
Published: February 2021

Plant detritus represents the major source of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and changes in its quantity can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. However, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how above- and belowground detrital inputs affect soil C and N in mountain forests in an arid land. Here, we explored the effects of litter and root manipulations (control (CK), doubled litter input (DL), removal of litter (NL), root exclusion (NR), and a combination of litter removal and root exclusion (NI)) on soil C and N concentrations, enzyme activity and microbial biomass during a 2-year field experiment. We found that DL had no significant effect on soil total organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) but significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass C, N and inorganic N as well as soil cellulase, phosphatase and peroxidase activities. Conversely, NL and NR reduced soil C and N concentrations and enzyme activities. We also found an increase in the biomass of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the DL treatment, while NL reduced the biomass of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungi by 5.15%, 17.50% and 14.17%, respectively. The NR decreased the biomass of these three taxonomic groups by 8.97%, 22.11% and 21.36%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that soil biotic factors (enzyme activity and microbial biomass) and abiotic factors (soil moisture content) significantly controlled the change in soil C and N concentrations (P< 0.01). In brief, we found that the short-term input of plant detritus could markedly affect the concentrations and biological characteristics of the C and N fractions in soil. The removal experiment indicated that the contribution of roots to soil nutrients is greater than that of the litter.
Identification of UBE2C as hub gene in driving prostate cancer by integrated bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Wang Yan , Wang Jili , Tang Qiusu , Ren Guoping
Published: February 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to identify novel genes in promoting primary prostate cancer (PCa) progression and to explore its role in the prognosis of prostate cancer.

Methods

Four microarray datasets containing primary prostate cancer samples and benign prostate samples were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), then differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by R software (version 3.6.2). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed to identify the function of DEGs. Using STRING and Cytoscape (version 3.7.1), we constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and identified the hub gene of prostate cancer. Clinical data on GSE70770 and TCGA was collected to show the role of hub gene in prostate cancer progression. The correlations between hub gene and clinical parameters were also indicated by cox regression analysis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to highlight the function of Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme complex (UBE2C) in prostate cancer.

Results

243 upregulated genes and 298 downregulated genes that changed in at least two microarrays have been identified. GO and KEGG analysis indicated significant changes in the oxidation-reduction process, angiogenesis, TGF-beta signaling pathway. UBE2C, PDZ-binding kinase (PBK), cyclin B1 (CCNB1), Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3), topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A), Aurora kinase A (AURKA) and MKI67 were identified as the candidate hub genes, which were all correlated with prostate cancer patient’ disease-free survival in TCGA. In fact, only UBE2C was highly expressed in prostate cancer when compared with benign prostate tissue in TCGA and the expression of UBE2C was also in parallel with the Gleason score of prostate cancer. Cox regression analysis has indicated UBE2C could function as the independent prognostic factor of prostate cancer. GSEA showed UBE2C had played an important role in the pathway of prostate cancer, such as NOTCH signaling pathway, WNT-β-catenin signaling pathway.

Conclusions

UBE2C was pivotal for the progression of prostate cancer and the level of UBE2C was important to predict the prognosis of patients.
Super enhancer-mediated transcription of miR146a-5p drives M2 polarization during Leishmania donovani infection
Authors: Das Sonali , Mukherjee Sohitri , Ali Nahid
Published: February 2021

The outcome of Leishmania donovani infection depends upon the dynamic interchanges between M1 and M2 macrophages. Information of the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetic modifiers in regulating macrophage plasticity during L. donovani infection is still elusive. Differential expression analysis of polarization-regulating miRNAs, revealed significant enrichment of miR146a-5p during Leishmania donovani infection. A sustained enrichment of miR146a-5p was observed in both infected bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) and BALB/c mice organs. We found involvement of miR146a-5p in phagocytosis and survivability of parasites. Moreover, miR146a-5pgot enriched in interleukin 4- stimulated BMDMs, indicating its possible involvement in M2 polarization. Upon transfecting BMDMs with miRVANA anti-146a oligos, M2 markers (CCR7, YM-1, FIZZ-1, arginase-1, IL10 and IL4) and transcription factors (p-STAT6 and c/EBPβ) got depleted with concomitant augmentation of M1-polarizing transcription factors (p-STAT1, AP1 and IRF-1), miR146a target genes (TRAF6 and IRAK1), M1 cytokines (IL12 and TNFα), iNOS, nitric oxide, and nuclear translocation of phospho p-65 subunit. Neutralization of intracellular mature miR146a-5p pool in infected BALB/c mice lower organ parasite burden and expressions of M2 markers and IL10 with enrichment of M1 markers like iNOS and IL12. Additionally, we explored the novel role of super enhancer (SE), a cis-acting regulatory component, to enrich miR146a-5p expression during infection. Enhanced expression and nuclear retention of SE components like BET bromodomain 4 (BRD4) and p300 were found in infected BMDMs. Upon silencing BRD4, expressions of miR146a-5p and M2 markers were down regulated and TRAF6, IRAK1 and iNOS levels increased. STRING V.11 based predication and immune precipitation confirmed the strong interaction amongst BRD4, p300 and RNA pol II (RpbI). Chromatin immune precipitation studies suggested the recruitment of BRD4 at the enhancer loci of miR146a-5p gene during infection. Altogether, our findings revealed a novel role of BRD4/p300-depdendent super-enhancer in regulating miR146a expression during L. donovani infection which in turn mediates M2 polarization and immune-suppression.
An aspartyl protease-mediated cleavage regulates structure and function of a flavodoxin-like protein and aids oxidative stress survival
Authors: Battu Anamika , Purushotham Rajaram , Dey Partha , Vamshi S. Surya , Kaur Rupinder
Published: February 2021

A family of eleven glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored aspartyl proteases, commonly referred to as CgYapsins, regulate a myriad of cellular processes in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata, but their protein targets are largely unknown. Here, using the immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry approach, we identify the flavodoxin-like protein (Fld-LP), CgPst2, to be an interactor of one of the aspartyl protease CgYps1. We also report the presence of four Fld-LPs in C. glabrata, which are required for survival in kidneys in the murine model of systemic candidiasis. We further demonstrated that of four Fld-LPs, CgPst2 was solely required for menadione detoxification. CgPst2 was found to form homo-oligomers, and contribute to cellular NADH:quinone oxidoreductase activity. CgYps1 cleaved CgPst2 at the C-terminus, and this cleavage was pivotal to oligomerization, activity and function of CgPst2. The arginine-174 residue in CgPst2 was essential for CgYps1-mediated cleavage, with alanine substitution of the arginine-174 residue also leading to elevated activity and oligomerization of CgPst2. Finally, we demonstrate that menadione treatment led to increased CgPst2 and CgYps1 protein levels, diminished CgYps1-CgPst2 interaction, and enhanced CgPst2 cleavage and activity, thereby implicating CgYps1 in activating CgPst2. Altogether, our findings of proteolytic cleavage as a key regulatory determinant of CgPst2, which belongs to the family of highly conserved, electron-carrier flavodoxin-fold-containing proteins, constituting cellular oxidative stress defense system in diverse organisms, unveil a hidden regulatory layer of environmental stress response mechanisms.
Molecular characterization of the prostaglandin E receptor subtypes 2a and 4b and their expression patterns during embryogenesis in zebrafish
Authors: Han Yongjun , Chang Hongbo , Wu Hong
Published: February 2021

The molecular expression profiles of zebrafish ep2a and ep4b have not been defined to-date. Phylogenetic trees of EP2a and EP4b in zebrafish and other species revealed that human EP4 and zebrafish EP4b were more closely related than EP2a. Zebrafish EP2a is a 281 amino acid protein with high identity to that of human (43%), mouse (44%), rat (43%), dog (44%), cattle (41%), and chicken (41%). Zebrafish EP4b encoded a precursor of 497 amino acids with high amino acid identity to that of mammals, including human (57%), mouse (54%), rat (55%), dog (55%), cattle (56%), and chicken (54%). Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that ep2a was robustly expressed in the anterior four somites at the 10-somites stages, but was absent in the somites at 19 hpf. It was observed again in the pronephric duct at 24 hpf, in the intermediate cell mass located in the trunk, and in the rostral blood island at 30 hpf. Ep2a was also expressed in the notochord at 48 hpf. During somitogenesis, ep4b was highly expressed in the eyes, somites, and the trunk neural crest. From 30 to 48 hpf, ep4b could be detected in the posterior cardinal vein and the neighboring ICM. From these data, we conclude that ep2a and ep4b are conserved in vertebrates and that the presence of ep2a and ep4b transcripts during developmental stages infers their role during early zebrafish larval development. In addition, the variable expression of the two receptor isoforms was strongly suggestive of divergent roles of molecular regulation.
COVID-19 screening at Emergency and Trauma Department, Sabah Women and Childrens Hospital, Malaysia
Authors: Moses Priscilla , Cheah Phee Kheng , Tey Tiny Chiu Yuen , Lau Jacqueline Chung Ling , Abdul Kadir Mohamed Hakimi , Steven Evelyn Marie , Ng Khai Keam , Low Lieh Yong , Cheah Phaik Kin
Published: February 2021

Many cases of COVID-19 infections involved healthcare workers around the world. In Malaysia, healthcare workers accounted for 2% of the total infected cases. Among the healthcare workers, nurses were most infected. At the Sabah Women and Childrens Hospital, the number of swabs taken for HCWs between May and November 2020 aggregated to 7,476 swabs, from which 167 positive cases were detected.
Time evolution of the process of doping of solids by plasma-ion beams
Authors: Horodeński A. , Pochrybniak C.
Published: February 2021

Irradiation of a solid with intense plasma-ion beams produced within a high vacuumchamber (by the so-called Rod Plasma Injector [1]) is a strongly nonequilibrium process, which enablesachieving a number of effects which are impossible to be achieved with other methods. These are,amongst other: improvement of ceramics wettability, fabrication of stable copper-ceramics interfacesand stable Ni-Cu and Al-Cu interfaces, improvement of tribological properties and high temperatureoxidation resistance of stainless steel, photovoltaic junction formation, and many others. In the paper,the process of plasma-ion beam propagation regarding its time and energy distributions and the processof ion penetration of solids, resulting with ion implementation and temperature growth have beenanalyzed mathematically on basis of experimental data. Results of numerical calculations have beenpresented concerning temperature and dopant density time evolution.
CONSUMO E PARÂMETROS DIGESTIVOS DE OVINOS ALIMENTADOS COM CAPIM MARANDU DE BAIXA QUALIDADE E DIFERENTES SUPLEMENTOS
Authors: Guedes de Carvalho Daniel Marino , Silva Janaina Januário da Silva , DOMI GOMES KOPP KALLIL , DE CASTRO BRITO DENYS , ANDRADE FRANCO CAIO
Published: February 2021

Avaliou-se o efeito de três tipos de suplementação sobre o consumo e parâmetros digestivos em ovinos alimentados com forragem tropical de baixa qualidade. Foram utilizadas três borregas meio sangue Santa Inês x SRD, com peso corporal médio de 43 kg, alocadas em delineamento Quadro Latino (3x3) duplicado, sendo que em cada período experimental (total de seis com 14 dias cada) foram submetidas a um dos três tratamentos: mistura mineral (tratamento testemunha); suplemento constituído por mistura mineral, ureia/sulfato de amônio (9:1) e suplemento proteico de baixo consumo: constituído por grãos de milho moídos, farelo de soja, ureia/sulfato de amônio (9:1) e mistura mineral. Todos os animais receberam como volumoso o capim Marandu (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu), picado in natura, ofertado duas vezes ao dia. Os suplementos foram fornecidos uma vez ao dia e a mistura mineral ad libitum. Houve aumento linear (P<0,001) com a suplementação proteica, tanto do consumo de matéria seca de suplemento (0,026; 0,048; 0,084 kg/dia) quanto do consumo de proteína bruta total (0,02; 0,04; 0,08 kg/dia), sendo estes valores registrados para mistura mineral, mistura mineral + ureia e suplemento proteico de baixo consumo, respectivamente. A suplementação proteica promoveu incremento no consumo de matéria seca total (p=0,03) quando comparada à mistura mineral, e os valores observados foram de 0,4; 0,51; 0,53 kg/dia para mistura mineral, mistura mineral + ureia e suplemento proteico de baixo consumo, respectivamente. O suplemento proteico de baixo consumo proporcionou os melhores resultados para digestibilidade aparente dos nutrientes e consumo de NDT, contudo, o tratamento mistura mineral + ureia promoveu resultados semelhantes aos da mistura mineral para estes parâmetros. Recomenda-se o fornecimento suplemento proteico de baixo consumo pois se mostrou mais eficiente na melhoria dos parâmetros digestivos dos ovinos alimentados com forragem de baixa qualidade nutricional.
A Marriage Story of Digitalisation and Sustainability?
Authors: Gossen Maike , Rohde Friederike , Santarius Tilman
Published: February 2021

Can digitalisation be part of the solution to pressing sustainability challenges? Or are current developments going to impede a socio-ecological transformation? The answer is not black and white; it is complex and cross-cutting. We analyse key problems and give an outlook on possible solutions.
Digital Taxes for Sustainable Development?
Authors: Ganter Sarah
Published: February 2021

Whether digital or not, a fundamental paradigm shift in international tax policy is overdue in order to ensure adequate taxation of multinational corporations. The revenues lost through tax avoidance are urgently needed for investments in a socio-ecological transformation.
Determinant analysis of MSMEs credit in Indonesia
Authors: Prasetiono P , Dina Anisa Puspa
Published: February 2021

This study was conducted to analyze several variables as the determinants of credit of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in Indonesia. Those variables are society income, geographic branch penetration (GBP), demographic branch penetration (DBP), credit account per capita (CAC), and deposit account per capita (DAC) of commercial banks. The samples used in this study are 33 Provinces in Indonesia in the period 2013-2017 using the purposive sampling technique. We examined data uses the non-participant observation method by directly quoting financial, GRDP, banking, geographical, and demographic data. The analysis used in this research is multiple linear regression consisting of the classic assumption test, F test, t-test, and hypothesis testing. This study indicated that society income, CAC, and DBP have a positive and significant effect on MSME credit. In contrast, GBP has a positive but non-significant effect on MSME credit, and DBP has a significant negative effect on MSME credit.
Subjective logic reasoning: an urn model intuition and application to connected automated driving
Authors: Müller Johannes , Buchholz Michael
Published: February 2021

Subjective Logic (SL) is a powerful extend of classical probability theory that can handle small sample sizes and, with that, the resulting statistical uncertainty. However, SL is a quite abstract theory and has found limited attention in the field of automation so far. In this work, we present a new urn model intuition to SL that connects SL with the Pólya urn scheme. The application of SL-based reliability estimation in automation is demonstrated on two examples from the domain of connected automated driving: first to assess external information for motion planning on-board the vehicle and second to rate connected vehicles as agents within a large-scale multi-agent system.
Verhaltensentscheidung für automatisierte Fahrzeuge mittels Arbitrationsgraphen
Authors: Orzechowski Piotr F. , Burger Christoph , Lauer Martin , Stiller Christoph
Published: February 2021

Sichere Verhaltensplanung und Entscheidungsfindung gehören zu den größten Herausforderungen für hochautomatisierte Systeme. Wichtig sind hierbei insbesondere die Erklärbarkeit, Wartbarkeit und Skalierbarkeit des Verfahrens. Wir schlagen daher eine hierarchische verhaltensbasierte Architektur zur taktischen und strategischen Verhaltensgenerierung für automatisierte Fahrzeuge vor. Wir verwenden modulare Verhaltensbausteine, um komplexere Verhaltensweisen in einem Bottom-up-Ansatz zusammenzustellen. Das System ist in der Lage, eine Vielzahl von szenario- und methodenspezifischen Lösungen, wie POMDPs, RRT* oder Reinforcement Learning, in einer nachvollziehbaren Architektur zu kombinieren. Dies ermöglicht den Einsatz heterogener Planungsmethoden, die auf spezifische Fahrmanöver zugeschnitten sind. Experimentelle Ergebnisse veranschaulichen unser Konzept.
The Metaphoric and Metonymic Use of Country Names in Economic News：A Corpus-Based Analysis
Authors: Wang Yongqi
Published: February 2021

Personification is widely acknowledged for its central role in the understanding of a nation. However, empirical evidence of its pervasiveness in authentic language data is lacking. In a self-built corpus of news report, this study coded, categorized, and analyzed the metaphoric and metonymic use of two country names: China and Australia. The distribution of the use of country names shows a continuum ranging from the literal, through metonymy, to metaphor. A clear majority of the figurative use of national names in the corpus lies in the category of metonymy, and the fuzzy area between metonymy and metaphor. In contrast, metaphors only take up a minor proportion, and most of them are based on metonymic link. By examining the mundane and seemingly literate use of country names, this study exemplifies that consistent patterns of conventional metonymy and metaphor are able to incur significant cognitive impact. Thus, this study calls for more attention on metonymy and metonymy-metaphor interaction in empirical studies on metaphor.
On the Front Line in the Fight against the Virus: Conceptual Framing and War Patterns in Political Discourse
Authors: Islentyeva Anna
Published: February 2021

In light of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, military linguistic patterns and framings now seem to be omnipresent in our daily discourses. Media and political discourses play a key role in conceptualising the pandemic, its impact, and the measures taken to respond to it in terms of war. This study represents a comparative discourse analysis of a selection of official statements and speeches delivered by four world leaders whose countries have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The linguistic analysis attempts to identify the differences and similarities in the political framing of the pandemic and these governments’ responses to it. A particular focus is placed on the range of metaphorical patterns that foreground the warlike and aggressive nature of these measures.
Film Blowing of PHB-Based Systems for Home Compostable Food Packaging
Authors: Teixeira P. F. , Covas J. A. , Suarez M. J. , Angulo I. , Hilliou L.
Published: February 2021

One of the routes to minimize the environmental impact of plastics waste is the use of bio-sourced and biodegradable alternatives, particularly for packaging applications. Although Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are attractive candidates for food packaging, they have poor processability, particularly for extrusion film blowing. Thus, one relatively successful alternative has been blending PHA with a biodegradable polymer. This work proposes film blowing of a co-extruded Poly (hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) layer with a poly butylene adipateco- terephtalate (PBAT) layer to enhance bubble stability, mechanical and barrier properties. Co-extrusion is detailed, together with the different strategies followed to improve adhesion between film layers and the PHB content in the films. Films with thicknesses below 50 micron and elongation at break beyond 500% were consistently produced.
Featural foot in Bambara
Authors: Vydrin Valentin
Published: February 2021

The Bambara foot is represented as a rhythmic unit which can be disyllabic or monosyllabic. Foot-parsing is both segmentally and morphologically conditioned. A foot can coincide with a morpheme or be smaller than a morpheme, but it cannot include more than one morpheme. The main factors for foot-parsing are: types of initial consonants, types of internal consonants and vocalic combinations; directionality (left to right) is a secondary factor. Segmentation into feet is relevant for the realization of tone. Disyllabic feet are subdivided into two types, heavy and light; heavy feet have a long vowel in the initial syllable, while light feet have a short vowel in this position which is susceptible to elision (depending on phonotactics). It seems unnecessary to postulate stress in Bambara. The views of previous researchers on the Bambara foot are critically analyzed.
Changes in the microstructural state of Ti-Al-Nb-based alloys depending on the temperature cycle during spark plasma sintering
Authors: Kozhakhmetov Yernat , Skakov Mazhyn , Mukhamedova Nuriya , Kurbanbekov Sherzod , Ramankulov Sherzod , Wieleba Wojciech
Published: February 2021

This article presents results of the study on the dependence of the structural-phase state of alloys based on Ti-12.52Al-43.08Nb system (wt.-%) on the temperature of spark plasma sintering. It has been established that spark plasma sintering of Ti-Al-Nb alloys under the temperature of 1500 °C resulted in melting the aluminum component of the mixture that, in turn, negatively affects the quality of ready products. It has also been shown that stepping up the sintering temperature from 1000 °C to 1300 °C leads to increasing volume fraction of O-phase up to 49.63 % due to rapid precipitation of O-phase from B2-phase and Ti3Al-phase. It has been revealed that intermetallic composites obtained under the temperature of 1300 °C are characterized by a dominant two-phase В2+О structure which is more suitable for strengthening sorption properties of hydrogen-storing materials based on Ti-Al-Nb.
Conceptualising Destination Membership Cards for Elite Travellers
Authors: Thirumaran K , Eijdenberg Emiel L.
Published: February 2021

This study explores two different destination membership card models with the aim of developing a comprehensive framework for understanding this aspect of elite travel. Through a comparative analysis of the different types of destination membership cards, we develop a model that situates tourism knowledge and suggests areas of further research in this under-explored area. Two important destination membership card models are identified: state supported and private sector based. The state-supported agent offers privileged membership, consolidates resources, and creates exclusive experiences. Conversely, the private-sector-based agent tends to amass the resources offered by destination businesses to create exclusive services and provide special access to resources. Both types are significant agents that channel and empower travellers in the high-end segment, thereby creating further differentiation in products and services in the context of market segmentation.
Corrosive Behavior of 3D–Printed 316L Stainless Steel
Authors: Renner Peter , Chen Yan , Li Ming , Ma Chao , Parkinson Dilworth , Liang Hong
Published: February 2021

Additively manufactured metals such as stainless steels have promising futures because of their adaptive and one-step fabrication. However, an understanding of their properties and behavior in corrosive environments has not yet been achieved. This is due to a lack of methodology used to study the morphology of interior surfaces in porous materials. Thus, this research investigates the corrosion characteristics of three-dimensional–printed stainless steels made with five volume printing powers. Accelerated corrosion experiments were conducted at 35°C–40°C under atmospheric pressure in salt fog under predesigned durations. Electrochemical study was carried out with a potentiostat. Tomographic studies were conducted using a scanning electron microscope and micro X-ray computed tomography technology to analyze the effects of corrosion. Results revealed three findings. First, corrosion took place internally for all additively manufactured stainless steel samples regardless of printing parameters. Second, localized corrosion between printed layers was most pronounced. Third, elongated and oriented internal pits formed during corrosion and were associated with a dendrite-like structure, which is different from the conventional understanding of subsurface pitting directed by gravity. This research not only generates new knowledge on additively manufactured stainless steels but also opens new revenues for future investigation on the design and additive manufacturing of metals and alloys.
A Patient with Atezolizumab-Induced Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus Presenting with Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Authors: Lee Sharen , Tse Gary
Published: February 2021

Background: Atezolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is a humanized monoclonal, anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody used for the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has progressed after chemotherapy.

Case Presentation: We describe a patient with a known history of urothelial carcinoma who presented with diabetic ketoacidosis 6 weeks following his second cycle of atezolizumab. His serum lactate level was slightly elevated (2 mM) and his β-hydroxybutyrate level was elevated (3.9 mM). High anion gap metabolic acidosis secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis was diagnosed. Subsequent testing demonstrated hemoglobin A1c level of 9.9%, positivity for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (0.03 nM, reference range <0.02 nM), and suppressed C-peptide level (0.1 μg/L, reference range 0.9–7.1 μg/L) in the absence of detectable anti-islet antigen 2 (IA-2) or anti-insulin antibodies. His initial management included cessation of atezolizumab treatment, intravenous sodium chloride administration, and insulin pump infusion, after which metabolic acidosis gradually resolved. The insulin pump was subsequently switched to Protaphane at 18 units before breakfast and 8 units before dinner, together with metformin at 1000 mg twice daily. Four weeks later his medication was changed to human isophane insulin plus neutral insulin (70%/30%; Mixtard 30 HM; 26 units/4 units). Linagliptin at 5 mg was added 1 month later. His hemoglobin A1c level declined to 8.1% 1 year later.

Conclusions: PD-L1 inhibitors can induce type 1 diabetes, and patients can present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Blood glucose levels should be regularly monitored in patients who are prescribed these medications.
THERAPY OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Novel protection and treatment strategies for chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage
Authors: Xiong Jiaqiang , Xue Liru , Li Ya , Tang Weicheng , Chen Dan , Zhang Jinjin , Dai Jun , Zhou Su , Lu Zhiyong , Wu Meng , Wang Shixuan
Published: February 2021

Fertility and ovarian protection against chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage has formed a new field called oncofertility, which is driven by the pursuit of fertility protection as well as good life quality for numerous female cancer survivors. However, the choice of fertility and ovarian protection method is a difficult problem during chemotherapy and there is no uniform guideline at present. To alleviate ovarian toxicity caused by anticancer drugs, effective methods combined with an individualized treatment plan that integrates an optimal strategy for preserving and restoring reproductive function should be offered from well-established to experimental stages before, during, and after chemotherapy. Although embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation are the major methods that have been proven effective and feasible for fertility protection, they are also subject to many limitations. Therefore, this paper mainly discusses the future potential methods and corresponding mechanisms for fertility protection in chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage.
Do not Let Education Degenerate into a Trigger for Falling into Poverty
Authors: Ross Steven M. , Cheng Xiaoqiao , Zhou Longjun
Published: February 2021

Solving the problem of poverty has always been a topic of concern to all countries in the world. On October 14, 2019, the Nobel Prize official website announced that Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer became the laureates of the annual Nobel Prize in Economics in recognition of their unique contribution to “experimental practices in reducing global poverty.” This result was a commendation to development economists and an encouragement to the global efforts to reduce poverty.
СОЦІАЛЬНО-ТРУДОВА РЕАЛЬНІСТЬ – XXI: ФІЛОСОФІЯ СТАНОВЛЕННЯ, МОЖЛИВОСТЕЙ ТА ВИКЛИКІВ
Authors: КОЛОТ Анатолій
Published: February 2021

Аргументацією актуальності теми статті є відсутність системних, міждисциплінарних досліджень сучасних трансформацій складного світу праці та зайнятості, які формують нову соціальну-трудову реальність. Квінтесенція статті – наукове пояснення філософії становлення соціально-трудової реальності – ХХІ, ядром якої є інститут “Праця 4.0” як відповідь на виклики технологічного укладу «Індустрія 4.0».Досліджено нові грані праці та зайнятості перших десятиліть ХХІ ст., розкрито прирощення знань у цій сфері шляхом з’ясування сутності породжених коронакризою змін та їх наслідків для соціально-трудової платформи “Праця 4.0”. Виявлено й обґрунтовано детермінанти становлення соціально-трудової реальності – ХХІ. Доведено необхідність переосмислення перспектив соціально-трудового розвитку в контексті демографічних зрушень, аргументовано зиски і втрати за настання “кінця праці” в класичному її розумінні, виокремлено зміни в соціально-трудовій сфері за становлення нового феномену – постглобальної економіки.Розкрито змістові компоненти моделі «Праця 4.0». Зроблено акцент на необхідності імплементації змішаних (нестандартних) регламентів трудової діяльності в умовах обмежень, пов’язаних з пандемією COVID-19, що дозволить посилити соціоекономічну безпеку на всіх рівнях і гармонізувати відносини між усіма суб’єктами ринку праці. Досліджено взаємозв’язок і взаємообумовленість двох інститутів, що формуються під час коронавірусної кризи. Окреслено пріоритетні напрями подальшого розвитку науки про працю. Дослідження сфокусоване на розумінні філософії соціально-трудового поступу та формуванні сучасного на соціально-трудовому «полі» – “Праця 4.0” і економіка нестандартної зайнятості (гіг-економіка). Обґрунтовано необхідність зміни теоретичного, філософського розуміння демоекономічної, техніко-технологічної, епідеміологічної та соціально-трудової дійсності. Доведено нагальність зміни векторів соціально-економічної політики за настання світогляду, економічної та соціальної культури нової – цифрової – постіндустріальної доби.Наведена наукова аргументація філософії сучасних трансформацій соціально-трудової сфери слугуватиме науковим базисом для подальшої розробки «дорожньої карти» її розвитку на засадах людиноцентричності.
Leyendo Belice. Escritores contemporáneos, entre el Caribe y Centroamérica
Authors: Shrimpton Masson Margaret
Published: February 2021

Este artículo forma parte de una investigación más amplia que explora las fronteras porosas de un Caribe continental y sus articulaciones con un Caribe insular. Mi interés particular es en las diferentes expresiones de conectividad /o des-conectividad que se evidencian en textos literarios en las áreas continentales, donde encontramos situaciones de cuasi-insularidad, como en Yucatán y Belice, pero que a la vez son territorios multiculturales que comparten historias que unen y cruzan las fronteras políticas. Las últimas cuatro décadas han generado una explosión de textos literarios en Belice que juntos muestran respuestas diversas a la idea de una cultura nacional.  En este articulo identifico algunas de los proyectos y las pautas innovadores que interrogan la imagen de la nación, focalizando en la mujer, migración y fronteras.

 

Palabras claves: proyecto editorial, escritores contemporáneos, Belice, fronteras, transculturalidad.
La Organización de Estados Centroamericanos. Un capítulo en la historia de la integración centroamericana. 1950-1991
Authors: Solano Muñoz Edgar
Published: February 2021

El objetivo del artículo es hacer un seguimiento histórico de la Organización de Estados Centroamericanos (ODECA), entre 1951-1991. Para ello, se utilizaron fuentes generadas por dicha organización, en especial la Secretaría General. En el artículo se evidencia que la ODECA ha sido el esquema de integración más completo dentro de las iniciativas generadas en la región desde el siglo XIX. Se concluye que el clima sociopolítico de la región entre 1960 y 1980, así como la prioridad de los Estados centroamericanos por la integración económica le restaron vigencia y vida a la ODECA.