bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fragen - Nachfragen - Echofragen. Formen und Funktionen von Interrogationen im gesprochenen Deutsch
Authors: Rost-Roth Martina
Published: August 2021

Präsentiert werden Befunde aus einer empirischen Untersuchung zu Nachfragen und anderen Fragen in mündlichen Kommunikationen. Ausgangspunkt ist die Beobachtung, daß Beschreibungen von Nachfragen nur in geringer Zahl vorliegen, aus sehr unterschiedlichen Bereichen stammen (Konversationsanalyse, grammatische Beschreibungen von Fragen und Literatur zu Echofragen) und sich Beschreibungen von Nachfrageformen sowie Nachfragefunktionen und die jeweils unterstellten Form-Funktions-Bezüge - auch in den einzelnen Bereichen - vielfach widersprechen. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist zentales Anliegen der Untersuchung, einen übergeordneten Analyserahmen für die Befassung mit Frageformen und Fragefunktionen zu entwickeln, der die Beschreibung von Nachfragen in einer allgemeineren Beschreibung von Interrogationen verortet. Das Besondere von Nachfragen wird darin gesehen, daß es sich um Interrogationen handelt, die auf andere sprachliche Äußerungen Bezug nehmen. Hier sind wie-derum verschiedene Mittel zu unterscheiden, die für die Unterscheidung von Echofragen und anderen Nachfragen bestimmend sind. In diesem Zusammenhang wird gezeigt, daß auch der Art der Bezugnahme besondere Bedeutung für die Bestimmung von Nachfrageformen und Nachfragefunktionen zukommt.
Anhand der Analysen von empirischen Fragevorkommen im gesprochenen Deutsch werden zunächst verschiedene 'Strukturtypen' differenziert. Die Vergleiche von Nachfragen und anderen Fragen zeigen vor allem Unterschiede in Hinblick auf die Frequenz verbloser und elliptischer Frageformulierungen. Daran anschließend werden Nachfragefunktionen im Bereich der Verständnissicherung sowie andere Nachfragefunktionen erörtert. Bei der Suche nach einem gemeinsamen Nenner für sehr unterschiedliche Nachfragefunktionen erweisen sich als zentrale Funktionsparameter :1.) die Fokussierungsleistung (über die Bezugnahme auf vorausgehende Äußerungen der Gesprächspartner) sowie 2.) der Interrogativmodus (über die Signalisierung von Informationsdefiziten und sequentielle Relevanzen von Frage-Antwort-Bezügen). Diese Funktionspara-meter tragen dazu bei, daß Nachfragen ein probates Mittel der Reparaturinitiierung darstellen, um vorausgehende Äußerungen der Gesprächspartner oder Teile derselben zu unterschiedlichen Zwecken zu fokussieren.
Techniques d'abréviation dans les webchats francophones
Authors: Krautgartner Klara
Published: August 2021

lut toi, asv stp? - In a French speaking webchat you can find a good deal of messages like these which are quite normal for the regular chatter, but often incomprehensible for the non specialist (the example above means 'salut toi, âge, sexe, ville s'il te plaît'). Chat communication is characterised by an extreme rapidity. The more users participate, the faster turns disappear from the screen. So the chatters better create very short messages.
This paper intends to study different types of abbreviation through real time written interactions in French speaking webchats. How do users shorten their messages? How do they succeed in communicating a maximum of content using the least possible number of (ASCII-) signs? On the base of examples and statistic data the paper presents conventional types of abbreviation such as h instead of heure, acronyms, apocopes etc. as well as more innovative abbreviation strategies as for instance phonetic writing (c for c'est) or words reduced to their consonants (e.g. ms instead of mais). All these strategies constitute an essential linguistic tool in chat writing.
Streiten im Chat
Authors: Luginbühl Martin
Published: August 2021

While arguing in face-to-face communication is rather well investigated, there are almost no analyses on similar sequences of internet relay chats. Users of the IRC often revert to patterns of face-to-face communication, as it is for example shown in works on the phatic communication. But a lot of typical aspects of the modality "arguing" - as interruptions, overlaps, prosodic features etc. - can not be realized in the IRC. In exchange, this communication technology also creates new possibilities that are not available in face-to-face communication. In this article, I would like to ask what the consequences of these circumstances are for sequencies of arguing in the IRC. The main questions are:
• How is the appropriate modality of interaction created?
• What is the structure of sequencies of arguing? Which phases are identifiable (like cause, escalation, de-escalation)?
• Which blockades of interaction are realized?
• How is emotional involvement manifested?
Besides these questions concerning the form of sequencies of arguing, also the function of these sequencies shall be analyzed. This question is important, because arguing in the IRC always is arguing in front of an audience and because the possible anonymity can have an influence on their function.
Morphologische Varianz in der Sprache Friedrich Schillers
Authors: Lühr Rosemarie
Published: August 2021

The Dictionary of the Complete Vocabulary used by Friedrich Schiller, which is currently being compiled in Jena, displays morphological variants for numerous entries. The declension of foreign expressions in particular exhibit variation and thereby a kind of implicit uncertainty concerning which regularities apply. For instance, three different plural forms of the substantive Zar occur almost next to one another: Czaren, Czars und Czare. Today the speaker would decide on at least one of the variants, but Schiller's fluctuating use of language occurs within the bounds of a single speaker's grammatical competence. It is demonstrated how the influence of dialects, foreign pronounciation and the intended integration of these forms in the High German declension paradigm interact. It becomes obvious that Schiller was "experimenting" with the inflection of foreign terms. The conceptual basis of Optimality Theory makes it especially suitable for the explanation of such idiolect variance. It has the advantage over other theories that a number of competing grammatical systems need not be postulated.
How Much Prosody Can You Learn from Twenty Utterances?
Authors: Keller Eric , Zellner Keller Brigitte
Published: August 2021

It was examined how much speech material is required to build a prosodic model for duration, fundamental frequency and intensity. For each of two speakers, fifty multiple linear regression models were built on the basis of seventy utterances per speaker (7'522 and 7'643 segments respectively). Models based on eight and twenty utterances showed good stability, satisfactory prediction for novel material, as well as closeness of fits comparable to those reported by other researchers for much larger corpora. Linear regressions were typically based on about ten independent predictors per prosodic parameter, which had previously been ranked according to their prediction of the dependent parameter. This ranking procedure advantageously replaced more commonly used regression trees. Variation in the closeness of fit of models based on sliding windows eight and twenty utterances long were traced to variations in bias, i.e., in the degree to which models systematically under- or overestimate target values. While the models in this study involved simple, non-optimized linear regressions without interactions, avenues are suggested for further improving the performance of this class of models. The results of this study suggest that a series of well-adapted small-footprint models provide more accurate information about the individual use of prosody in specific speech situations than a single model based on abundant data.
What exactly is wrong and why? Tutorial Dialogue for Intelligent CALL Systems
Authors: Klenner Manfred , Visser Henriëtte
Published: August 2021

We introduce a dialogue-based explanation facility for Intelligent CALL (ICALL) Systems. Our prototype system, DiBEx, uses meta reasoning to build up an explanation (error) tree, given a faulty user input. It relies on correct grammatical subtheories, instead of explicit error taxonomies. DiBEx, thus, realizes anticipation free error diagnosis. The system enters in a tutorial dialogue with the student, where each explanation (dialogue) step is based on the principles of a single tutorial strategy and a dynamic user model.
Die "unsichtbare Hand" in der Sprache. Eine kritische Betrachtung von Kellers Sprachwandeltheorie
Authors: Ladstätter Francina
Published: August 2021

How is language change effected and how does it proceed? In this article the central concepts of Rudi Keller's much-quoted work "Sprachwandel: von der unsichtbaren Hand in der Sprache" ("On Language Change. The Invisible Hand in Language") are introduced and the main criticism presented. Following this first part, Keller's theory of language change is related to the concrete example of linguistic changes in job advertisements. The main interest here is in the enhancement of job titles ("Gebrauch von aufwertenden Berufs- und Personenbezeichnungen"). 26,000 job advertisements from 1950 to 1999 are analysed in the empirical part. The advertising copies show, for example, a clear increase in the use of "Mitarbeiter" resp. "Mitarbeiterin" ("employee") instead of "kaufm. Angestellte" ("clerk"), "Fabrikarbeiter" ("factory worker"), "Magazingehilfe" ("storeman") or the like. The second part of this article shows how this aspect of language change can be understood through Keller's Invisible-Hand model.
Response Elicitation in English-medium Christian Pulpit Discourse (ECPD)
Authors: Taiwo Rotimi
Published: August 2021

The study is an investigation into the various ways pulpit preachers in Christian religion elicit responses from their congregation. The data for the study consists of messages delivered from the pulpit at denominational, non-denominational and interdenominational Christian services in South-Western Nigeria. Working within the framework of Sociolinguistics and Discourse Analysis, the analyses reveal that preachers control the discourse, while the worshippers share in the process of creation of the text as it unfolds. For instance, they determine what responses are given, how they should be given and when to give them. It was also observed that response elicitation is done through the use of interrogatives, declaratives and imperatives, and such responses may come in forms of speech, physical action, and mental behaviour. Our analyses reveal a preponderance of spoken responses in the data. Five kinds of spoken responses are identified in the data, namely: Conventional Answer (CA), Response to Prayers (RP), Repeated Statements (RS), Gap Filling (GF), and Corrected Statement (CS). The study concludes that despite that the way responses are elicited depends largely on the practices of any religious community, certain patterns of elicitation are common in ECPD. The degree of control and the kind of response elicited by a preacher are determined by the language expectations of the community. Such expectations include knowledge of the language code, principles, norms, use, situation and the world of such religious communities.
Satzadverbien - korpusbasiert
Authors: Duffner Rolf
Published: August 2021

German research literature shows a great lack of empirical studies of sentence adverbs. Indications about their significance and linguistic application in dictionaries are sometimes inappropriate or even misleading. Apart from that, there is little corpus linguistic research about synsemantica in the German language. Initially, however, we have to question whether words that are poor in content such as sentence adverbs can actually be empirically studied with the support of a corpus, for instance the Deutsches Referenzkorpus. In our opinion, they undoubtedly can. The following essay will demonstrate where corpus based linguistic research can lead. Step by step, the methodical approach, being at the basis of the research of sentence adverbs in modern German, will be illustrated in the discussion (chapter 2). The two examples glücklicherweise and paradoxerweise will furthermore exemplify the applied methods (chapter 3). Finally, the comparison of newly acquired results with entries in dictionaries clearly proves the great value of such research in the fields of lexicography and German as a foreign language (chapter 4).
Agreement in Persian
Authors: Lotfi Ahmad R.
Published: August 2021

This article investigates agreement as a number marking mechanism in Persian. The mechanism differs from number marking on nominals in that with an inanimate plural subject, the SG verbal ending signals a collective conceptualization of the experience where the members of the group are considered together as a single unit. The PL ending, on the other hand, signals a distributive conceptualization where the entities are individuated; hence, they are considered to be dispersed over space, or distinct in sort or time. Autonomy - whether the entity is conceived of as governing the course of events or not - seems to underlie the choice between SG and PL.
Deutsch lernen über das Internet
Authors: Engler Lela-Rose
Published: August 2021

Der vorliegende Artikel will an einem Beispiel zu zeigen, wie die Groupe lexicographique de l'Université de Nancy II arbeitet. Diese Gruppe gibt seit mehreren Jahren das Lexion Les invariables difficiles: dictionnaire allemand-français des particules, connecteurs, interjections et autres " mots de la communication" heraus, von dem bereits drei Bände in der Reihe Bibliotheque des nouveaux cahiers d'Allemand publiziert sind, dessen vierter und letzter Band aber noch aussteht.
Das gewählte Beispiel ist wieder, ein Wort, zu dem bisher erst ein Konzept, also noch nicht die Endfassung des Lexikonbeitrages, vorliegt. Anhand dieses Konzepts sollen einerseits die vorläufigen Ergebnisse der Fortschungstätigkeit der Gruppe dargelegt, andererseits ein Einblick in die angewandten Methoden, die bei so einem Beschreibungsvorhaben entstehenden Schwierigkeiten und die gewählte Lösungswege gegeben werden.
Comprehensive study on UAV-based FSO links for high-speed train backhauling
Authors: Khallaf Haitham S. , Uysal Murat
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we introduce the idea of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based free-space optical communication systems to backhaul high-speed trains. We introduce a composite channel model that includes effects of both atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors due to position/orientation deviation. Based on the derived fading model, we present an approximation expression for the outage probability. The performances of the proposed air-relay and traditional ground-relay systems are compared under fair conditions. Pointing-acquisition-tracking (PAT) complexity and coverage distance under different weather conditions and different fading levels are considered as comparison metrics. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of several parameters such as beam divergence angle, displacement deviation variance, and UAV operation altitude on system performance. Our results reveal that air relay helps in mitigating the fog effect, can achieve longer coverage distance, and relaxes PAT system design.
Reflective mirror-based line-scan adaptive optics OCT for imaging retinal structure and function
Authors: Pandiyan Vimal Prabhu , Jiang Xiaoyun , Kuchenbecker James A. , Sabesan Ramkumar
Published: August 2021

Line-scan OCT incorporated with adaptive optics (AO) offers high resolution, speed, and sensitivity for imaging retinal structure and function in vivo. Here, we introduce its implementation with reflective mirror-based afocal telescopes, optimized for imaging light-induced retinal activity (optoretinography) and weak retinal reflections at the cellular scale. A non-planar optical design was followed based on previous recommendations with key differences specific to a line-scan geometry. The three beam paths fundamental to an OCT system –illumination/sample, detection, and reference– were modeled in Zemax optical design software to yield theoretically diffraction-limited performance over a 2.2 deg. field-of-view and 1.5 D vergence range at the eye’s pupil. The performance for imaging retinal structure was exemplified by cellular-scale visualization of retinal ganglion cells, macrophages, foveal cones, and rods in human observers. The performance for functional imaging was exemplified by resolving the light-evoked optical changes in foveal cone photoreceptors where the spatial resolution was sufficient for cone spectral classification at an eccentricity 0.3 deg. from the foveal center. This enabled the first in vivo demonstration of reduced S-cone (short-wavelength cone) density in the human foveola, thus far observed only in ex vivo histological preparations. Together, the feasibility for high resolution imaging of retinal structure and function demonstrated here holds significant potential for basic science and translational applications.
SERS fluctuations of NAD molecules adsorbed on arrays of Au nanocylinders
Authors: Magalhães Filipe B. , Jaimes Ruth F. V. V. , Cório Paola , Salcedo Walter J.
Published: August 2021

Detection of a single molecule is a highly fluctuating event in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements. Explaining these dynamic blinking events remains a challenge. To investigate this fluctuating behavior, we manufactured Au nanocylinder arrays. A monolayer of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) on the nanocylinder array exhibited intense and fluctuating Raman lines. Persistent Raman lines were not observed over time. These fluctuations were discussed within the dynamic back-action parametric interaction between the plasmon mode and vibrational modes. The results suggest that the highly efficient SERS structure promotes the formation and destruction of protuberances smaller than 2 nm at random on the nanocylinder surface.
Analysis of protrusion dynamics in amoeboid cell motility by means of regularized contour flows
Authors: Schindler Daniel , Moldenhawer Ted , Stange Maike , Lepro Valentino , Beta Carsten , Holschneider Matthias , Huisinga Wilhelm
Published: August 2021

Amoeboid cell motility is essential for a wide range of biological processes including wound healing, embryonic morphogenesis, and cancer metastasis. It relies on complex dynamical patterns of cell shape changes that pose long-standing challenges to mathematical modeling and raise a need for automated and reproducible approaches to extract quantitative morphological features from image sequences. Here, we introduce a theoretical framework and a computational method for obtaining smooth representations of the spatiotemporal contour dynamics from stacks of segmented microscopy images. Based on a Gaussian process regression we propose a one-parameter family of regularized contour flows that allows us to continuously track reference points (virtual markers) between successive cell contours. We use this approach to define a coordinate system on the moving cell boundary and to represent different local geometric quantities in this frame of reference. In particular, we introduce the local marker dispersion as a measure to identify localized membrane expansions and provide a fully automated way to extract the properties of such expansions, including their area and growth time. The methods are available as an open-source software package called AmoePy, a Python-based toolbox for analyzing amoeboid cell motility (based on time-lapse microscopy data), including a graphical user interface and detailed documentation. Due to the mathematical rigor of our framework, we envision it to be of use for the development of novel cell motility models. We mainly use experimental data of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum to illustrate and validate our approach.
Epigenetic instability may alter cell state transitions and anticancer drug resistance
Authors: Saini Anshul , Gallo James M.
Published: August 2021

Drug resistance is a significant obstacle to successful and durable anti-cancer therapy. Targeted therapy is often effective during early phases of treatment; however, eventually cancer cells adapt and transition to drug-resistant cells states rendering the treatment ineffective. It is proposed that cell state can be a determinant of drug efficacy and manipulated to affect the development of anticancer drug resistance. In this work, we developed two stochastic cell state models and an integrated stochastic-deterministic model referenced to brain tumors. The stochastic cell state models included transcriptionally-permissive and -restrictive states based on the underlying hypothesis that epigenetic instability mitigates lock-in of drug-resistant states. When moderate epigenetic instability was implemented the drug-resistant cell populations were reduced, on average, by 60%, whereas a high level of epigenetic disruption reduced them by about 90%. The stochastic-deterministic model utilized the stochastic cell state model to drive the dynamics of the DNA repair enzyme, methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT), that repairs temozolomide (TMZ)-induced O6-methylguanine (O6mG) adducts. In the presence of epigenetic instability, the production of MGMT decreased that coincided with an increase of O6mG adducts following a multiple-dose regimen of TMZ. Generation of epigenetic instability via epigenetic modifier therapy could be a viable strategy to mitigate anticancer drug resistance.
Changing perception and improving knowledge of leprosy: An intervention study in Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: van ‘t Noordende Anna T. , Lisam Suchitra , Singh Vivek , Sadiq Atif , Agarwal Ashok , Hinders Duane C. , Richardus Jan Hendrik , van Brakel Wim H. , Korfage Ida J.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Since ancient times leprosy has had a negative perception, resulting in stigmatization. To improve the lives of persons affected by leprosy, these negative perceptions need to change. The aim of this study is to evaluate interventions to change perceptions and improve knowledge of leprosy.

Methodology/Principal findings

We conducted a pre-post intervention study in Fatehpur and Chandauli districts, Uttar Pradesh, India. Based on six steps of quality intervention development (6SQuID) two interventions were designed: (1) posters that provided information about leprosy and challenged misconceptions, and (2) meetings with persons affected by leprosy, community members and influential people in the community. The effect of the interventions was evaluated in a mixed-methods design; in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaires containing a knowledge measure (KAP), two perception measures (EMIC-CSS, SDS) and an intervention evaluation tool. 1067 participants were included in Survey 1 and 843 in Survey 2. The interventions were effective in increasing knowledge of all participant groups, and in changing community and personal attitudes of close contacts and community members (changes of 19%, 24% and 13% on the maximum KAP, EMIC-CSS and SDS scores respectively, p<0.05). In Survey 1, 13% of participants had adequate knowledge of leprosy versus 53% in Survey 2. Responses showed stigmatizing community attitudes in 86% (Survey 1) and 61% (Survey 2) of participants and negative personal attitudes in 37% (Survey 1) and 19% (Survey 2). The number of posters seen was associated with KAP, EMIC-CSS and SDS scores in Survey 2 (p<0.001). In addition, during eight post-intervention focus group discussions and 48 interviews many participants indicated that the perception of leprosy in the community had changed.

Conclusions/Significance

Contextualized posters and community meetings were effective in changing the perception of leprosy and in increasing leprosy-related knowledge. We recommend studying the long-term effect of the interventions, also on behavior.
Mapping of Ebola virus spillover: Suitability and seasonal variability at the landscape scale
Authors: Lee-Cruz Larisa , Lenormand Maxime , Cappelle Julien , Caron Alexandre , De Nys Hélène , Peeters Martine , Bourgarel Mathieu , Roger François , Tran Annelise
Published: August 2021

The unexpected Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014 involving the Zaire ebolavirus made clear that other regions outside Central Africa, its previously documented niche, were at risk of future epidemics. The complex transmission cycle and a lack of epidemiological data make mapping areas at risk of the disease challenging. We used a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria evaluation (GIS-MCE), a knowledge-based approach, to identify areas suitable for Ebola virus spillover to humans in regions of Guinea, Congo and Gabon where Ebola viruses already emerged. We identified environmental, climatic and anthropogenic risk factors and potential hosts from a literature review. Geographical data layers, representing risk factors, were combined to produce suitability maps of Ebola virus spillover at the landscape scale. Our maps show high spatial and temporal variability in the suitability for Ebola virus spillover at a fine regional scale. Reported spillover events fell in areas of intermediate to high suitability in our maps, and a sensitivity analysis showed that the maps produced were robust. There are still important gaps in our knowledge about what factors are associated with the risk of Ebola virus spillover. As more information becomes available, maps produced using the GIS-MCE approach can be easily updated to improve surveillance and the prevention of future outbreaks.
Association between serum uric acid and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents in America: 2001-2018
Authors: Shi Qiqi , Wang Ran , Zhang Huifeng , Shan Yaping , Ye Ming , Jia Bing
Published: August 2021

SUA is associated with cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults, including chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and hypertension. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 11219 adolescents 12 to 18 years of age examined in the 2001–2018 National health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined the association between SUA and CVD risk factors. The overall mean SUA level was 5.00±1.24mg/dl. Restricted cubic spline analysis results revealed SUA was inversely associated with HDL-C and SPISE and positively associated with TC, TG, LDL-C, nonHDL-C, insulin, SBP and DBP after full adjustment. Multiple logistic analyses showed SUA level was independently associated with high TC, high TG, high nonHDL-C and low HDL-C (all p<0.05). Furthermore, females in the highest quartile of SUA had significantly higher odds for elevated BP (OR = 2.38, 95%CI:1.02–5.54, P<0.05) and high TC (OR = 2.22, 95%CI: 1.49–3.30, P<0.001), which not observed in males. Increased levels of SUA were associated with increased odds of various cardiovascular risk factors in American adolescents, especially females.
Spatial and temporal patterns in Canadian COVID-19 crowdfunding campaigns
Authors: McKitrick Matthew , Schuurman Nadine , Crooks Valorie A. , Snyder Jeremy
Published: August 2021

Online charitable crowdfunding has become an increasingly prevalent way for Canadians to deal with costs that they would otherwise not be able to shoulder on their own. With the onset of COVID-19 and related lockdown measures, there is evidence of a surge in crowdfunding use relating to the pandemic. This study gathered, classified, and analysed Canadian crowdfunding campaigns created in response to COVID-19 from GoFundMe.com, a popular crowdfunding platform. Spatio-temporal analysis of classified campaigns allowed for observation of emergent trends in the distribution of pandemic-related need incidence and financial support throughout the pandemic. Campaigns raising money on behalf of established charities were the most common in the sample, and accounted for the greatest portion of funding raised, while campaigns for businesses made up a small proportion. Dense metropolitan areas accounted for the vast majority of campaign locations, and total sample funding was disproportionately raised by campaigners in Ontario and British Columbia.
Poverty and childhood malnutrition: Evidence-based on a nationally representative survey of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Md. Ashfikur , Halder Henry Ratul , Rahman Md. Sazedur , Parvez Mahmood
Published: August 2021

Background

Malnutrition contributes to children’s morbidity and mortality, and the situation undermines the economic growth and development of Bangladesh. Malnutrition is associated with lower levels of education that decrease economic productivity and leads to poverty. The global burden of malnutrition continues to be unacceptably high amid social and economic growth, including in Bangladesh. Therefore, identifying the factors associated with childhood malnutrition and poverty is necessary to stop the vicious cycle of malnutrition leaded poverty.

Methods

The study utilized the 2017–18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), accumulating 7,738 mother-child pairs. Associations between potential risk factors and nutritional status were determined using chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized on significant risk factors to measure their odds ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

The prevalence of moderate and severe wasting was 7.0% and 1.8%, respectively, whereas the prevalence of moderate and severe stunting was 19.2% and 8.0%, while 16.4% and 3.6% of children were moderately and severely underweight. Children from the poorest and poor households were suffering from at least one form of malnutrition. Adjusted ORs were estimated by controlling socio-economic and demographic risk factors, such as poor maternal body mass index, parents’ lower education level, use of unhygienic toilet, child age in months, and recent experience of diarrhea and fever. The pattern was almost similar for each malnutrition status (i.e., stunting, underweight, and wasting) in the poorest and poor households.

Conclusion

Bangladesh achieved the Millennium Development Goals, focusing primarily on health-related indicators and working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Even considering this success, the prevalence of malnutrition and poverty in same household remains relatively high compared to other developing countries. Therefore, the study recommends the implementation of nationwide systematic measures to prevent poverty and malnutrition.
Prognosis of recurrent bacterial vaginosis based on longitudinal changes in abundance of Lactobacillus and specific species of Gardnerella
Authors: Turner Essence , Sobel Jack D. , Akins Robert A.
Published: August 2021

Refractory responses to standard-of-care oral metronidazole among recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) patients is not rare, and recurrence within a year is common. A better understanding of the bacterial determinants of these outcomes is essential. In this study we ask whether changes in specific species of Gardnerella are associated with poor short or long term clinical outcomes, and if and how resurgence of Lactobacillus species affects these outcomes. We quantify Lactobacillus isolates as a proportion of total vaginal bacteria using the LbRC5 qPCR assay, and 5 prevalent species of Gardnerella using primers that target species-specific polymorphisms within the cpn60 gene. The study includes 43 BV patients: 18 refractory, 16 recurrent, and 11 remission patients, sampled daily for up to two weeks post-treatment; clinical outcomes were tracked for up to 9 months. Persistently high titers of Gardnerella Gsp07 were associated with refractory responses, and persistently low abundance of Gardnerella Gsp07 and G. swidsinskii / G. leopoldii were associated with remission. Lactobacillus species abundance rose in 4–14 days after initiation of treatment in most but not all recurrent and remission patients, although increases were more sustained among remission patients. The findings suggest that Gardnerella Gsp07 and G. swidsinskii / G. leopoldii are markers of poor clinical outcome or may directly or indirectly suppress recovery of Lactobacillus species, thereby interfering with clinical recovery. Therapies that target these strains may improve patient outcome.
Analysis of changes in Betula pollen season start including the cycle of pollen concentration in atmospheric air
Authors: Kubik-Komar Agnieszka , Piotrowska-Weryszko Krystyna , Kuna-Broniowska Izabela , Weryszko-Chmielewska Elżbieta , Kaszewski Bogusław Michał
Published: August 2021

Birch belongs to the most important allergenic taxa in Europe, therefore information on the start dates of the pollen season is very important for allergists and their patients as well as for climatologists. The study examined changes in the start of the birch pollen season as well as determined the trend of these changes. Pollen monitoring was performed in Lublin (eastern Poland) in the period 2001–2019 using the volumetric method. The Makra-test was used to detect periods with significantly higher or lower average of the onset than the average for the whole dataset. Two significant falls in the average of the pollen season start were found in 2007 and 2014. Besides, taking into account the 2-3-year rhythm of high and low concentrations of birch pollen in the atmospheric air, linear trends were fitted for the subsets of high and low abundance seasons. Significant changes inBetulapollen season start dates were only determined for the highly abundance seasons, while the results for seasons with a low concentration did not allow rejecting the hypothesis about the lack of a linear trend in the changes in the studied parameter. Moreover, a significant polynomial relationship was found between the beginning of a pollen season and the average values of monthly temperatures preceded a season. These analyses show that the start dates of theBetulapollen season are getting significantly earlier. The dynamics of changes differ between seasons with high and low concentrations of pollen.
Patient preferences in the treatment of hemophilia A: A latent class analysis
Authors: Mühlbacher Axel C. , Sadler Andrew , Lamprecht Björn , Juhnke Christin
Published: August 2021

Objective

To examine subgroup-specific treatment preferences and characteristics of patients with hemophilia A.

Methods

Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) Case 3 (four attributes: application type; bleeding frequencies/year; inhibitor development risk; thromboembolic events of hemophilia A treatment risk) conducted via online survey. Respondents chose the best and the worst option of three treatment alternatives. Data were analyzed via latent class model (LCM), allowing capture of heterogeneity in the sample. Respondents were grouped into a predefined number of classes with distinct preferences.

Results

The final dataset contained 57 respondents. LCM analysis segmented the sample into two classes with heterogeneous preferences. Preferences within each were homogeneous. For class 1, the most decisive factor was bleeding frequency/year. Respondents seemed to focus mainly on this in their choice decisions. With some distance, inhibitor development was the second most important. The remaining attributes were of far less importance for respondents in this class. Respondents in class 2 based their choice decisions primarily on inhibitor development, also followed, by some distance, the second most important attribute bleeding frequency/year. There was statistical significance (P < 0.05) between the number of annual bleedings and the probability of class membership.

Conclusions

The LCM analysis addresses heterogeneity in respondents’ choice decisions, which helps to tailor treatment alternatives to individual needs. Study results support clinical and allocative decision-making and improve the quality of interpretation of clinical data.
RACE1, a Japanese Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei isolate, is capable of overcoming partially mlo-mediated penetration resistance in barley in an allele-specific manner
Authors: Yaeno Takashi , Wahara Miki , Nagano Mai , Wanezaki Hikaru , Toda Hirotaka , Inoue Hiroshi , Eishima Ayaka , Nishiguchi Masamichi , Hisano Hiroshi , Kobayashi Kappei , Sato Kazuhiro , Yamaoka Naoto
Published: August 2021

Loss-of-function mutation of the MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O (Mlo) gene confers durable and broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew fungi in various plants, including barley. In combination with the intracellular nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat receptor (NLR) genes, which confer the race-specific resistance, the mlo alleles have long been used in barley breeding as genetic resources that confer robust non-race-specific resistance. However, a Japanese Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei isolate, RACE1, has been reported to have the potential to overcome partially the mlo-mediated penetration resistance, although this is yet uncertain because the putative effects of NLR genes in the tested accessions have not been ruled out. In this study, we examined the reproducibility of the earlier report and found that the infectious ability of RACE1, which partially overcomes the mlo-mediated resistance, is only exerted in the absence of NLR genes recognizing RACE1. Furthermore, using the transient-induced gene silencing technique, we demonstrated that RACE1 can partially overcome the resistance in the host cells with suppressed MLO expression but not in plants possessing the null mutant allele mlo-5.
Acute SARS-CoV-2 infections harbor limited within-host diversity and transmit via tight transmission bottlenecks
Authors: Braun Katarina M. , Moreno Gage K. , Wagner Cassia , Accola Molly A. , Rehrauer William M. , Baker David A. , Koelle Katia , O’Connor David H. , Bedford Trevor , Friedrich Thomas C. , Moncla Louise H.
Published: August 2021

The emergence of divergent SARS-CoV-2 lineages has raised concern that novel variants eliciting immune escape or the ability to displace circulating lineages could emerge within individual hosts. Though growing evidence suggests that novel variants arise during prolonged infections, most infections are acute. Understanding how efficiently variants emerge and transmit among acutely-infected hosts is therefore critical for predicting the pace of long-term SARS-CoV-2 evolution. To characterize how within-host diversity is generated and propagated, we combine extensive laboratory and bioinformatic controls with metrics of within- and between-host diversity to 133 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from acutely-infected individuals. We find that within-host diversity is low and transmission bottlenecks are narrow, with very few viruses founding most infections. Within-host variants are rarely transmitted, even among individuals within the same household, and are rarely detected along phylogenetically linked infections in the broader community. These findings suggest that most variation generated within-host is lost during transmission.
A parasitological survey of zoonotic cestodes carried by house rats in Aswan, Egypt, reveals cryptic diversity at the molecular level
Authors: Younis Abuelhassan Elshazly , Saad Atef Ibrahim , El-Akhal Islam Refaat Mohamed , Saleh Nagla Mustafa Kamel
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim: Some rat cestodes are zoonotic and are capable of parasitizing humans and animals, raising serious concerns regarding human and veterinary health. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for cestodes in Egyptian house rats and to characterize the cestodes molecularly.

Materials and Methods: The current survey examined 115 house rats (Rattus rattus) in two cities (Edfu and Aswan) in Egypt's Aswan Governorate for cestode infection using integrated molecular approaches (polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis) and morphological/morphometrical approaches.

Results: The cestodes identified in this study exhibited the typical morphological characteristics of Hymenolepis diminuta (Rudolphi, 1819), Hymenolepis nana (Siebold, 1852) (from rat intestine), and Hydatigera taeniaeformis (from rat liver). The species prevalence rates from these three studies were reported to be 8.7%, 10.4%, and 20.9%, respectively. The ribosomal DNA (ITS1, 18S, and complete ITS) sequences revealed that the hymenolepid sequences were highly distinct but were related to other sequences in the GenBank database, with some sequences showing high similarities to those of H. nana and H. diminuta. In addition, the H. taeniaeformis sequences (ITS2 and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 [mtCOX1]) obtained in this study were highly similar to some Taenia taeniaeformis GenBank sequences. The constructed phylogram revealed that the hymenolepidid tapeworms examined in this study were classified into four major branches (the majority of which were hybrids of the two species) and belonged to the genus Hymenolepis. In addition, the phylogram of H. taeniaeformis assigned this species to T. taeniaeformis.

Conclusion: When typical hymenolepid morphology is combined with molecular and phylogenetic divergence, it may indicate the existence of possible cryptic species. In addition, on the basis of the phylogenetic analysis, genetic diversity within T. taeniaeformis may exist as determined by comparing the metacestode mtCOX1 sequences. The current study presents the prevalence values of zoonotic cestodes and contributes to the body of knowledge, including identification keys and the use of molecular tools for species confirmation.
How does the Facebook Algorithm rank the contents according to the interaction buttons?
Authors: Pócs Dávid
Published: August 2021

Objective: This research aimed at understanding how social media contents are ranked by the Facebook Algorithm according to interaction buttons. Thecorrelations between Facebook users' interactions and the organic reach of the given content canhelp to gain this aim.

Methods: We included 1025 non-paid, Facebook posts (N=1025). We collected thefollowing data in the post level. “Organic reach” is the number of people who saw the given non-paid content. The organicreach consisted of “fanreach” and “non-fan reach” according to previous “pagelike” activity. Theinvestigated interaction data was thefollowing: “Facebook reactions” (e.g., “like”); “shares”; “comments”; “clicks”; and “negative Facebook interactions” (e.g.,posthides).

Results: A significant negative correlation was found between organic reach and “like” reaction. We observed the strongest significant positive correlations of organic reach with “comments”, “haha” and “love” reactions. Furthermore, fanreach correlated positively with “comments”, “haha” and “love” reactions, while non-fan reach correlated positively with “shares” and “clicks”.

Conclusions: Some interactions on a post level can have higher priority in content ranking: “comments”, “haha”, “love”, and “sad” reactions. This study has shown that “like” reactions and “shares” can have a lower priority in content ranking. Our results suggest that a further categorization to fan-specific interactions (“haha” and “love”reactions, “comments”) and non-fan-specific interactions (“shares” and “clicks”) is needed. Finally, „shares” can generate more non-fans, however, “shares” can result in fewer fans. Thisexploratory research offers animportant insight into the Facebook content ranking for public health professionals who design Facebook-based interventions.
Retrieval of Data from Very Large Databases Using Apriori Algorithm
Authors: GANESH P MOHAN , KAVITHA THUMMULURU , KUMAR RVS RATNA
Published: August 2021

Now-a-days most of the Very Large Databases like Medical Databases, Multimedia Database are consuming Petabytes of memory. For extracting required data from this enormous amount of memory so many retrieval techniques were already developed. But all these techniques are time consuming. We can also use indexing supported by all the commercial databases. When we create an index internally it uses B-Tree data structure which is used for efficient retrieval of data. But, Oracle10g is supporting R-Tree indexes also which are more efficient than B-Tree indexes. On Very Large Databases it is not sufficient to create a single index because these Databases consist of large number of fields. Moreover, it is not necessary to create index on each and every field and it is also not possible because it requires large memory area. In very large databases also most of the times the user concentrates on few fields only. So, in our proposed system, the solution is to create some suggested indexes. And as and when the user’s query pattern changes the suitable index from the suggested index set is dynamically loaded into the main memory from the local storage. Our proposed technique continuously monitors the query patterns and it creates the suggested indexes using Apriori algorithm and this suggested index set is updated periodically based on the query pattern changes.
Assessment of genetic diversity in chinese hulless barley accessions for qualitative traits
Authors: Memon Sadaf , Yang Shimin , Liu Xinchun , He Xue , Memon Shabana , Khaskheli Muhammad Ibrahim , Feng Zongyun
Published: August 2021

Cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has been proven to be an economically important model plant and having large genetic diversity among the species. The effective exploitation of qualitative characters in barley can be measured by its genetic diversity and interrelationship. This study aims to determine the assessment of genetic diversity in Chinese hulless barley accessions for qualitative traits. Presently, in this study, the genetic diversity of 208 Chinese hulless barley from different Provinces of China, 111 genotypes were from the Tibet plateau, 30 Sichuan, 2 USA, 1 Canada, 12 Gansu, 51 Qinghai, 1 Yunnan was investigated; collected. Almost all the qualitative traits including crude protein, fiber, starch, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber exhibited significantly high variability (p≤0.0001) among the cultivars. The data were analyzed using Statistics 8.1. In this study, significantly high variation was observed between starch content and neutral detergent fiber (23.64% and 11.54%). However, the highest diversity is based on the magnitude of the coefficient of variation exhibited in crude protein (13.82%), starch (12.87%), and fiber (12.17%). There was a significantly positive correlation between fiber, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber except for starch content with crude protein and fiber that exhibited a significant negative correlation (r= -0.38*** and r= -0.92***). A large genetic diversity was observed through cluster analysis among all the 208 barley accessions, distance coefficient ranging between 0.28 and 75.86. The histogram revealed that frequency distributions of 208 different genotypes of hulless barley crop with all five different characters, crude protein, fiber, starch, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, showed normal distribution. It is concluded that this hulless barley study showed genetic diversity among the accessions and confirmed genetic diversity in various traits used.
Optimlisasi Kemampuan Interaksi Sosial Anak di PAUD Inklusi Ahsanu Amala Yogyakarta
Authors: Nadlifah Nadlifah
Published: August 2021

Education is a social process that can't happen without interaction between individuals Learning is a personal and social proccess when the child is in touch with other children in building understanding and knowledge together. Generally, Early Childhood have a low social interactions skill. This is evidenced by the frequent fights with his friend and selfish. Similarly in general, children who have mental disorders such as children with autism, Down syndrome, the hearing impaired etc, has the low skill ability in social interaction and communication. children who have maximum social interaction skills will be easier to be accepted in the school environment, especially in a classroom environment. Therefore it the children of inclusion is still an early age need to be assisted in improving the ability of social interactions at school, because the period of early childhood is a period of development the right to develop, improve and optimize all the capabilities of a child, even this period is an effective time to train and familiarize children to develop social interaction skills of children.