bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Major tendencies in livestock changes after the EU accession
Authors: Komarek Levente
Published: December 2021

In the mid 80s Hungarian agriculture belonged to the forefront of the world in many respects, despite the fact that there was a lot to do regarding yields, production costs, production structure, and the fastness of adaptability to markets and establishing accordance between the elements of the food industry chain. The mid 1980s witnessed an energetic improvement despite the unequal pace, and then followed an era of different tensions and imbalances in Hungarian agriculture. At the time of the regime change the agricultural sector, and particularly animal production within that, suffered from the signs of crisis and it was getting into an increasingly difficult position. The vast majority of the agricultural large scale farms ceased to exist, and most of the arable land was privatised. Production fell back, its composition became more heterogeneous, sometimes with an irrational production structure and selling difficulties arouse. Profitability decreased in the field of animal production generally, and some activities even had losses. The domestic consumption fallback, which was caused by the farmers’ lack of capital, the unorganised production, and the decrease in living standards, produced an amount of unsellable goods and it made the otherwise low profitability even worse. The low level of profitability resealed in unjustified production decline and led to the fact that the number of domestic animals in Hungary decreased to a never experienced depth. Today there are positive changes in the field of animal production, which might result in the long-term growth of our livestock. This study was designed to present the major tendencies and spatial characteristics of Hungarian livestock.
Influence of colour net shading on quantity and quality of sweet pepper yield
Authors: Ledóné Darázsi Hajnalka
Published: December 2021

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the main cultivated vegetable species in Hungary mostly produced under plastic tunnel by unheated technology. Sweet pepper plants could suffer high temperature and radiation during summer season. However, photoselective-shading nets can provide a new tool for light quality manipulation and support the plant development and fruit quality. The effect of shading colour nets depends on natural light conditions and other environment factors; therefore it is necessary to evaluate the shading technology. Hungarian sweet pepper variety was grown in South-East part of Hungary under plastic tunnels using different colour nets, as white, yellow, green and red, for shading in 2013. Results of trial proved that green colour shading net usually decrease the yield, while yellow and red nets can increase the yield and the fruit quality of Hungarian type sweet pepper. Growers have to care the shading intensity of the net, which should not be higher than 35-40%. Colour shading nets can be placed onto the plastic tunnels just after the planting.
Legitimizing Strategies in Video Messages of Regional Politicians of Russia and Germany during the First Lockdown of COVID-19
Authors: Melnik Natalia , Silkova Maria
Published: December 2021

The article analyzes the legitimizing strategies of regional politicians of Russia and Germany. The purpose of our research is to identify, describe and compare legitimizing strategies and tactics in political video messages of regional politicians of Russia and Germany in the linguopersonological aspect. The purpose of the work was to determine the individual language tools of politicians, as well as to assess the effectiveness of the strategies and tactics used. The subject of the study is the linguistic means of implementing strategies by regional politicians of Russia and Germany, as well as the linguistic means of spontaneous speech of commentators legitimizing political actions. The results of the study: the legitimizing strategies and tactics, as well as the communicative moves that implement them, characteristic of the discourse of each politician, are determined, the results are compared. The analysis revealed that the main strategies of the legitimizing discourse of the politicians of Russia and Germany are the strategy of theatricality and the strategy to increase. As a result of the analysis of the Internet comments, the effectiveness of strategies implemented in the discourses of politicians is determined
I Odonto Meeting / VII CEAJO
Authors: De Oliveira Luciane Dias
Published: December 2021

.
Revisão narrativa sobre a questão da saúde do trabalhador no Sistema Único de Saúde
Authors: Da Cunha Francisco Mogadouro , Mendes Aquilas
Published: December 2021

A partir do método dialético materialista, com destaque para a centralidade do trabalho no modo de produção capitalista, analisa-se como o Sistema Único de Saúde vem abordando a questão do trabalho. Para tanto, foi realizada uma revisão narrativa da literatura a partir de três importantes periódicos do campo da Saúde Coletiva: Cadernos de Saúde Pública; Ciência & Saúde Coletiva; e Trabalho, Educação e Saúde. Foram contemplados os artigos científicos desses periódicos constantes nas bases de dados Lilacs – Literatura Latino-americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde e Medline – Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, da Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde – BVS. Utilizou-se o item-chave ‘Saúde do Trabalhador’, e, após o processo de seleção, 19 artigos foram considerados incluídos. A discussão sobre esses artigos foi organizada de forma a abordar cinco questões centrais: (1) os antecedentes históricos da política de Saúde do Trabalhador; (2) a estratégia mais recente denominada Rede Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde do Trabalhador – RENAST, assim como a Política Nacional de Saúde do Trabalhador e da Trabalhadora – PNSTT;(3) o papel da Atenção Primária à Saúde;(4) os desafios estruturais do SUS; (5) a atuação intersetorial. Avaliou-se que o debate sobre a Rede Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde do Trabalhador aparece nos artigos de forma descritiva, abordando pouco a precariedade e a insuficiência da atenção à saúde dos trabalhadores no SUS. O papel da Atenção Primária à Saúde é mencionado sem levar em conta que a população trabalhadora já é atendida por esses serviços, como se as questões de Saúde do Trabalhador constituíssem uma nova atribuição. Os desafios estruturais do SUS são abordados de forma fragmentada e superficial. A atuação desarticulada dos setores do Estado sobre a questão do trabalho é retratada, mas não se analisam as contradições de forma mais ampla.
Water Conflict Resolution in Multiple User Scenarios in Mahakanadarawa Scheme in Sri Lanka
Authors: M.H.M Hamseen, , S.S Sivakumar,
Published: December 2021

Sri Lanka is an agriculture based developing country and currently Anuradhapura district provides the large contribution to the national economy through food production. The Mahakanadarawa irrigation scheme situated in east side of the A9 road, nearly 20km from the heart of the Anuradhapura city.
Importance of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Irrigation Infrastructure, before the Introduction of Pedma Cultivation under Iranaimadu Irrigation Scheme of Northern Sri Lanka
Authors: S Kularam, , M Thushyanthy, , S.S Sivakumar,
Published: December 2021

Iranaimadu tank is the only major irrigation scheme in the northern Sri Lanka. The major portion of the agricultural sector in northern districts depend on the Iranaimadu tank for their agricultural activities specially paddy cultivation. The water shortage in yala season of the Iranamadu tank, the primary source of water for the northern districts, signaled an imminent crisis to farmers, who are now grappling with an uncertainty.
Contrast enhancement for ultrasound-guided interventions: when to use it and what to expect?
Authors: Sparchez Zeno , Mocan Tudor , Craciun Rares , Sparchez Mihaela , Nolsøe Christian
Published: December 2021

The use of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) has recently become synonymous with high-standard ultrasonography (US). From expanding the reach of US diagnostics to improving the precision of various invasive procedures, CEUS is rapidly becoming a standard in numerous niches. However, proficiency in CEUS comes with a cost, both from a learning curve and material standpoint, and as every growing field, lacks firm evidence and standardization. Therefore, in the current paper, we aim to provide an evidence-based review of available methods and to discuss the advantages and pitfalls of CEUS in interventional procedures, trying to provide strong evidence whenever available, or at least an educated expert opinion if data are lacking.
ANALISIS WACANA KRITIS PADA CATATAN NAJWA BERJUDUL “TRIAS KORUPTIKA” PERSPEKTIF NORMAN FAIRCLOUGH
Authors: Ummi Habibah Siti
Published: December 2021

practices that consist of representation, identity and social relationships, so it is closely related to the context beyond discourse. One of the Catatan Najwa TV Programs entitled “Trias Koruptika” indicates the ideology in the text affected by the social context when the record was created. This study aims to see the construction of ideology and social context behind the writing of the text. This research is qualitative descriptive research. A theory used is a critical analysis of Norman Fairclough’s perspective that includes analysis in three dimensions: analysis of language text, discourse practice, and socio-cultural practice. The results showed that in text analysis, Catatan Najwa voiced disappointment, criticism and built a negative representation of three government institutions due to a corruption case. In the practice of discussion, the ideology can be conveyed and accepted well by society. As for the analysis of socio-cultural practices, the issue of corruption conducted by the supreme court judge and other corruption cases in 2013 had a major role in creating Catatan Najwa: “Trias Koruptika”.
El nuevo derecho penal de la Iglesia
Authors: Sánchez-Girón Renedo José Luis
Published: December 2021

El nuevo Libro VI pretende fomentar más la aplicación del derecho penal canónico. Hay cánones que tienen claramente este sentido, otros que se han reelaborado con la misma intención, y la redacción procura ser más clara definiendo mejor los pasos que se han de dar. Aumenta el número de delitos (los de índole sexual tienen un importante precedente en el m. p. Vos estis lux mundi), la regulación de la remisión de la pena es más rigurosa, se reducen notablemente las penas facultativas y aumentan los plazos de prescripción. Con todo ello se endurece la disciplina penal con respecto al CIC de 1983. Por otro lado, el derecho penal se hace más aplicable a los laicos y se subraya la exigencia de reparar los daños que pueda generar el delito.
Situaciones de crisis vocacional y soluciones canónicas
Authors: Callejo de Paz Rufino
Published: December 2021

El derecho de religiosos recoge un amplio elenco de posibilidades para orientar las situaciones de crisis vocacional y de separación del instituto religioso. La regulación sustantiva y procedimental ocupa más de 20 cánones. Aun así, las lagunas y la falta de concreción a la hora de abordar situaciones particulares han sido evidentes. La CIVCSVA ha pretendido concretar y aclarar estas figuras con sus orientaciones de 2020, El don de la fidelidad. Dos años antes, y en relación con las monjas contemplativas, también la Santa Sede reorientó la separación del monasterio modificando algunos cánones e igualando en gran manera el régimen de estas religiosas integradas en monasterios autónomos con el de los demás miembros de institutos religiosos. A analizar estas situaciones de separación del instituto, sus modificaciones últimas y su desarrollo y concreción, dedicamos este trabajo.
Supporting teacher learning during the professional development experience: The case of national board certification
Authors: Handler Laura , Petty Teresa , Good Amy
Published: December 2021

Amidst increasing globalized pressures to raise student achievement, nations are heavily investing in various forms of teacher professional development. In the United States, teachers are increasingly electing to pursue National Board Certification, yet few studies have analyzed the experience within the greater complex system of teaching and learning. Viewed from this approach, findings from this study suggest that numerous dynamic forces—relationships, partnerships, structures, and policies—interact in various patterns that can potentially support effective teacher professional development. Implications suggest a need for broader conceptualization, greater cohesion, and more strategic integration of teacher learning in education policy.
Prvky atypičnosti v organizaci veřejné správy
Authors: Malast Jan
Published: December 2021

The paper deals with atypical elements in the organization of public administration in the Czech Republic. It seeks to define the essence and possible causes of organizational “atypicality” (deviations, exceptions, asymmetries) and assess its impact, not only on the functionality of public administration itself, but also on the doctrinal methodology and theory of administrative law. In addition to general considerations, the text also deals with specific examples of atypical subjects (carriers) and bodies (authorities) of public administration in the Czech Republic.
Among sheeples and antivaxxers: Social media responses to COVID-19 vaccine news posted by Canadian news organizations, and recommendations to counter vaccine hesitancy
Authors: Tang Lisa , Douglas Sabrina , Laila Amar
Published: December 2021

Background: To create a successful public health initiative that counters vaccine hesitancy and promotes vaccine acceptance, it is essential to gain a strong understanding of the beliefs, attitudes and subjective risk perceptions of the population. Methods: A qualitative analysis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine discourse from 3,731 social media posts on the Twitter and Facebook accounts of six Canadian news organizations was used to identify the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and intentions of Canadian news organizations’ social media commenters toward taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Four main themes were identified: 1) COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy concerns; 2) conspiracy theories stemming from mistrust in government and other organizations; 3) a COVID-19 vaccine is unnecessary because the virus is not dangerous; and 4) trust in COVID-19 vaccines as a safe solution. Based on themes and subthemes, several key communication recommendations were developed for promotion of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, including infographics championed by Public Health that highlight the benefits of the vaccine for those who have received it, public education about the contents and safety of the vaccine and eliciting an emotional connection through personal stories of those impacted by COVID-19. Conclusion: Specific considerations, such as leveraging the public’s trust in healthcare professionals to act as a liaison between Public Health and the Canadian public to communicate the benefits of the vaccine against COVID-19 and its variants, may help reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
Is the Future Soviet? USSR-2061 and the Reality of Utopia
Authors: Privalov Roman
Published: December 2021

USSR-2061 is a Russian futuristic online project that imagines a new USSR a century after Gagarin’s journey into space. This article connects the project to Soviet space utopianism and the nostalgia that followed it, while seeing USSR-2061 and its artefacts in the light of utopian studies. In particular, the project’s hesitation with regard to utopianism and its thirst for realism are situated within a classical utopian problem of how to achieve real, not only imaginary, transformations. Such realism generally coincides with Levitas’ (2013) framework of utopia as a method, and, as the analysis shows, it hinders the construction of “an image of a future” at which the project aims. Instead, the resulting narratives and visions commonly overlap with the official Russian political discourse that makes use of Soviet nostalgia, or fall into retrofuturistic replications of commonly satirized Soviet discourses. However, a different way of constructing utopia is also present in USSR-2061, even if it is never highlighted. To make utopia possible in anti-utopian times, one might need to rethink its place of possibility or topos. Theoretically, such an alternative is presented in connection to Latour’s (2017) Terrestrial, a place with agency that in utopian terms presupposes a transgression of the boundary between the real and imaginary, the political and cultural. In the same line, the paper argues that USSR-2061 might attempt the construction of a new utopia through rethinking space. This might be fostered through the inclusion of cosmist ideas such as those of Vladimir Vernadsky and Alexander Chizhevsky, whose intersections with Latourian framework have previously been observed.
Uziemienie. Filozoficzne marginalia do The Stack i O antropolizie Benjamina Brattona
Authors: Wolak Jakub
Published: December 2021

Tekst stanowi komentarz do publikowanego przekładu tekstu O antropolizie autorstwa Benjamina Brattona, kalifornijskiego teoretyka dizajnu i twórcy nowego modelu geografii politycznej. W związku z tym, że Bratton nie był dotychczas tłumaczony na język polski, podejmuję się krótkiego przedstawienia jego postaci i dokonań, koncentrując się przede wszystkim na książce The Stack: On Software and Sovereignty (2016). Krytycznie omawiając koncepcję Stosu (ang. The Stack), która w zamierzeniu autora ma zrewolucjonizować myślenie o władzy i suwerenności, przedstawiam miejsce Brattona w najnowszej historii intelektualnej, założenia teoretyczne leżące u zrębów jego myśli, a także identyfikuję jego inspiracje. Następnie omawiam tekst O antropolizie, pokazując, w jaki sposób pojęcie antropolizy rozwiązuje niektóre trudności wynikające z lektury The Stack.
Człowiek ośmiu błogosławieństw według papieża Franciszka
Authors: Kiejkowski Paweł
Published: December 2021

Papież Franciszek wielokrotnie w swoich wypowiedziach komentował ewangelicznych Osiem błogosławieństw. Ukazuje się w nich nie tylko niezwykła postać Jezusa Chrystusa, ale także obraz spełnionego, szczęśliwego człowieka. Jest to człowiek Boży, uczeń ubogiego Mistrza, stworzony dla wspólnoty i międzyosobowych relacji, paschalnej drogi, twórczej i zaangażowanej miłości, znak sprzeciwu i eschatycznej nadziei. Obecny w błogosławieństwach obraz człowieka papież ukazuje jako propozycję dojrzałego człowieczeństwa adekwatny dla wszystkich ludzi naszych czasów.
Dziecko w sytuacji rozwodu rodziców. Implikacje pedagogiczne
Authors: Lewicka Monika
Published: December 2021

W artykule podjęta została problematyka rozwodu i jego konsekwencji dla funkcjonowania dziecka. Wskazane zostały najczęściej podawane przyczyny rozwodu oraz wybrane teorie, które mogą być wykorzystywane w podejmowanej w artykule problematyce. Podjęte zostało również zagadnienie rozwodu jako sytuacji trudnej, „zdarzenia krytycznego”, „trajektorii cierpienia”. Ukazano dziecko w sytuacji kryzysu rozwodowego, charakteryzując stadia rozwodu przez jakie przechodzi dziecko jego doświadczające. Zaprezentowane zostały również emocje towarzyszące dziecku w obliczu rozwodu rodziców.  Kolejnym zagadnieniem poruszonym w artykule były sposoby radzenia sobie dziecka z rozwodem rodziców. Wskazane zostały czynniki sprzyjające pozytywnej adaptacji dziecka do sytuacji w jakiej się znajduje podczas rozwodu rodziców. W artykule zaprezentowano również implikacje pedagogiczne dotyczące tego, jak wspierać dziecko w sytuacji rozstania rodziców.
O adekwatną teologię moralną na nasze czasy
Authors: Derdziuk Andrzej
Published: December 2021

Obecny stan teologii moralnej w Polsce nosi pewne znamiona kryzysu, gdyż zimniejsza się liczba studentów nauk teologicznych i słabnie wiara, która może uskrzydlać czytelne świadectwo teologów. Postępujący proces sekularyzacji staje się zarazem wyzwaniem do głębszej interpretacji współczesnej kultury i znajdowania nowego sposobu i języka przekazu treści ewangelicznych. Papież Franciszek podkreślił, że studia teologiczne „stanowią rodzaj opatrznościowego laboratorium kulturowego, w którym Kościół dokonuje performatywnej interpretacji rzeczywistości, która wypływa z wydarzenia Jezusa Chrystusa i która karmi się darami mądrości i wiedzy, jakimi Duch Święty ubogaca w różnych formach cały lud Boży”. Właściwe zidentyfikowanie adresatów orędzia moralnego Kościoła pozwoli na lepsze dostosowanie form nauczania. Teologia ma służyć Ludowi Bożemu w głębszym przeżywaniu wiary i zabierać glos w toczącej się debacie publicznej w celu wyjaśniania stanowiska Kościoła i argumentowania prawd moralnych. W tym celu trzeba też używać nowych mediów, które pozwoli dotrzeć do szerszej grupy odbiorców.
Locater
Authors: Lin Yiming , Jiang Daokun , Yus Roberto , Bouloukakis Georgios , Chio Andrew , Mehrotra Sharad , Venkatasubramanian Nalini
Published: December 2021

This paper explores the data cleaning challenges that arise in using WiFi connectivity data to locate users to semantic indoor locations such as buildings, regions, rooms. WiFi connectivity data consists of sporadic connections between devices and nearby WiFi access points (APs), each of which may cover a relatively large area within a building. Our system, entitled semantic LOCATion cleanER (LOCATER), postulates semantic localization as a series of data cleaning tasks - first, it treats the problem of determining the AP to which a device is connected between any two of its connection events as a missing value detection and repair problem. It then associates the device with the semantic subregion (e.g., a conference room in the region) by postulating it as a location disambiguation problem. LOCATER uses a bootstrapping semi-supervised learning method for coarse localization and a probabilistic method to achieve finer localization. The paper shows that LOCATER can achieve significantly high accuracy at both the coarse and fine levels.
Establishing pre-analytical requirements and maximizing peptide recovery in the analytical phase for mass spectrometric quantification of amyloid-β peptides 1–42 and 1–40 in CSF
Authors: Forgrave Lauren M. , van der Gugten J. Grace , Nguyen Quyen , DeMarco Mari L.
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), including Aβ42 (residues 1–42) and Aβ40 (residues 1–40), are utilized as biomarkers in the diagnostic workup of Alzheimer’s disease. Careful consideration has been given to the pre-analytical and analytical factors associated with measurement of these peptides via immunoassays; however, far less information is available for mass spectrometric methods. As such, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of pre-analytical and analytical factors specific to Aβ quantification using mass spectrometry.

Methods

Using our quantitative mass spectrometry assay for Aβ42 and Aβ40 in CSF, we investigated the potential for interference from hemolysate, bilirubin, lipids, and anti-Aβ-antibodies. We also optimized the composition of the calibrator surrogate matrix and Aβ recovery during and after solid phase extraction (SPE).

Results

There was no interreference observed with total protein up to 12 g/L, hemolysate up to 10% (v/v), bilirubin up to 0.5% (v/v), intralipid up to 1% (v/v), or anti-Aβ-antibodies at expected therapeutic concentrations. For hemolysate, bilirubin and lipids, visual CSF contamination thresholds were established. In the analytical phase, Aβ recovery was increased by ∼50% via SPE solvent modifications and by over 150% via modification of the SPE collection plate, which also extended analyte stability in the autosampler.

Conclusions

Attention to mass spectrometric-specific pre-analytical and analytical considerations improved analytical sensitivity and reproducibility, as well as, established CSF specimen acceptance and rejection criteria for use by the clinical laboratory.
Design strategies for oxy-combustion power plant captured CO2 purification
Authors: Okeke Ikenna J. , Ghantous Tia , Adams Thomas A.
Published: December 2021

This study presents a novel design and techno-economic analysis of processes for the purification of captured CO2 from the flue gas of an oxy-combustion power plant fueled by petroleum coke. Four candidate process designs were analyzed in terms of GHG emissions, thermal efficiency, pipeline CO2 purity, CO2 capture rate, levelized costs of electricity, and cost of CO2 avoided. The candidates were a classic process with flue-gas water removal via condensation, flue-gas water removal via condensation followed by flue-gas oxygen removal through cryogenic distillation, flue-gas water removal followed by catalytic conversion of oxygen in the flue gas to water via reaction with hydrogen, and oxy-combustion in a slightly oxygen-deprived environment with flue-gas water removal and no need for flue gas oxygen removal. The former two were studied in prior works and the latter two concepts are new to this work. The eco-technoeconomic analysis results indicated trade-offs between the four options in terms of cost, efficiency, lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, costs of CO2 avoided, technical readiness, and captured CO2 quality. The slightly oxygen-deprived process has the lowest costs of CO2 avoided, but requires tolerance of a small amount of H2, CO, and light hydrocarbons in the captured CO2 which may or may not be feasible depending on the CO2 end use. If infeasible, the catalytic de-oxygenation process is the next best choice. Overall, this work is the first study to perform eco-technoeconomic analyses of different techniques for O2 removal from CO2 captured from an oxy-combustion power plant.
Solutions of a singular integro-differential equation related to the adhesive contact problems of elasticity theory
Authors: Shavlakadze Nugzar , Jokhadze Otar
Published: December 2021

Exact and approximate solutions of a some type singular integro-differential equation related to problems of adhesive interaction between elastic thin half-infinite or finite homogeneous patch and elastic plate are investigated.
For the patch loaded with vertical forces, there holds a standard model in which vertical elastic displacements are assumed to be constant.
Using the theory of analytic functions, integral transforms and orthogonal polynomials, the singular integro-differential equation is reduced to a different boundary value problem of the theory of analytic functions or to an infinite system of linear algebraic equations.
Exact or approximate solutions of such problems and asymptotic estimates of normal contact stresses are obtained.
Punica granatum peel extracts mediated the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles and their detailed in vivo biological activities
Authors: Bawazeer Sami , Rauf Abdur , Nawaz Taufiq , Khalil Anees Ahmed , Javed Muhammad Sameem , Muhammad Naveed , Shah Muhammad Ajmal
Published: December 2021

Requirements for developing new methodologies to biosynthesize nanoparticles are increasing day by day. The typical chemical synthesis of nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding environmental safety and adverse impact on human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop green synthesized nanoparticles that are considered to be safe, ecofriendly, and cost-effective as compared to chemical approaches. Hence, in this study, we synthesized and characterized pomegranate peel extract-based gold nanoparticles (PP-AuNPs) through UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, and AFM microscopy. Furthermore, the biological activities like analgesic, muscle relaxant, and sedative properties of synthesized PP-AuNPs were also determined. The change of color to dark ruby indicates the formation of AuNPs. The surface plasma resonance (SPR) peak in the absorption spectra was shown at 525 nm by using (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. A single distinctive peak implied the shape of nanoparticles to be spherical. AFM images revealed that the biosynthesized nanoparticles were spherical in shape. Furthermore, the images confirm the uniform distribution of PP-AuNPs with particle sizes ranging from 4 to 16 nm. Different classes of phytochemicals were preliminarily identified in extracts. The analgesic effect of extracts (70.04%) and PP-AuNPs (81.98%) demonstrated a significant (p < 0.001) percent reduction in writhing at a dose of 100 and 15 mg·kg−1, respectively. A mild muscle relaxant effect was noted against both the tested samples while a significant sedative effect was observed for both samples; however, PP-AuNPs weres more sedative compared to the extract. Pomegranate peel extracts and synthesized PP-AuNPs were found to possess significant analgesic, muscle relaxant, and sedative properties.
Comparative study on photooxidation of methyl orange using various UV/oxidant systems
Authors: Boukhedoua Soraya , Zouaghi Razika , Kaabeche Oualida Nour El Houda
Published: December 2021

In the present work, a comparative study of the photooxidation of an aqueous solution of Methyl Orange (MeO) has been realized using H2O2 and IO3
−, BrO3
−, ClO3
−, ClO4
−, BO3
− ions in the presence of UV low pressure mercury lamp (UV-C light at λ
max = 254 nm). The initial concentration of MeO in all experiments was 6 × 10−5 mol L−1. The degradation rate of MeO follows pseudo-first-order kinetics in all UV/Oxidant systems. The highest degradation rate of MeO was in the BrO3
−/UV254nm system. Different systems were compared for an oxidant concentration of 10−2 mol L−1 and the obtained results showed that decolorization followed the decreasing order: BrO

3

−

/UV

254 nm

 > IO

3

−

/UV

254 nm

 > H

2

O

2

/UV

254 nm

 > BO

3

−

/UV

254 nm

 > ClO

3

−

/UV

254 nm

 = ClO

4

−

/UV

254 nm

 = UV

254 nm
. The optimization of oxidants concentration for each process was determined (10−2 mol L−1 for IO3
− which gives almost the same k
app for 5 × 10−3, 10−2 mol L−1 for BO3
− and 5 × 10−2 mol L−1 for H2O2). No degradation of MeO in presence of ClO3
− and ClO4
− because these ions do not absorb at 254 nm, therefore they do not generate radical species which degrade organic pollutants. The mineralization was also studied where it was reached 97% after 5 h of irradiation for both H2O2/UV254 nm and BO3
−/UV254 nm systems.
Simple microwave pyrolysis kinetics of lignocellulosic biomass (oil palm shell) with activated carbon and palm oil fuel ash catalysts
Authors: Jumrat Saysunee , Punvichai Teerasak , Sae-jie Wichuta , Karrila Seppo , Pianroj Yutthapong
Published: December 2021

The important parameters characterizing microwave pyrolysis kinetics, namely the activation energy (E
a) and the rate constant pre-exponential factor (A), were investigated for oil palm shell mixed with activated carbon and palm oil fuel ash as microwave absorbers, using simple lab-scale equipment. These parameters were estimated for the Kissinger model. The estimates for E
a ranged within 31.55–58.04 kJ mol−1 and for A within 6.40E0–6.84E+1 s−1, in good agreement with prior studies that employed standard techniques: Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The E
a and A were used with the Arrhenius reaction rate equation, solved by the 4th order Runge-Kutta method. The statistical parameters coefficient of determination (R
2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to verify the good fit of simulation to the experimental results. The best fit had R
2 = 0.900 and RMSE = 4.438, respectively, for MW pyrolysis at power 440 W for OPS with AC as MW absorber.
Contrasting effects of prey refuge on biodiversity of species
Authors: Mohd Mohd Hafiz , Noorani Mohd Salmi Md. , Abdul Kadir Mohd Faridzul Fadzly , Zakariya Noraisah
Published: December 2021

Refugia have been perceived as a major role in structuring species biodiversity, and understanding the impacts of this force in a community assembly with prey–predator species is a difficult task because refuge process can interact with different ecological components and may show counterintuitive effects. To understand this problem, we used a simple two-species model incorporating a functional response inspired by a Holling type-II equation and a prey refuge mechanism that depends on prey and predator population densities (i.e., density-dependent prey refuge). We then perform the co-dimension one and co-dimension two bifurcation analysis to examine steady states and its stability, together with the bifurcation points as different parameters change. As the capacity of prey refuge is varied, there occur critical values i.e., saddle-node and supercritical Hopf bifurcations. The interaction between these two co-dimension one bifurcations engenders distinct outcomes of ecological system such as coexistence of species, bistability phenomena and oscillatory dynamics. Additionally, we construct a parameter space diagram illustrating the dynamics of species interactions as prey refuge intensity and predation pressure vary; as the two saddle-node move nearer to one another, these bifurcations annihilate tangentially in a co-dimension two cusp bifurcation. We also realised several contrasting observations of refuge process on species biodiversity: for instance, while it is believed that some refuge processes (e.g., constant proportion of prey refuge) would result in exclusion of predator species, our findings show that density-dependent prey refuge is beneficial for both predator and prey species, and consequently, promotes the maintenance of species biodiversity.
An update on the physiologic changes during pregnancy and their impact on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics
Authors: Eke Ahizechukwu C.
Published: December 2021

For many years, the medical community has relied in clinical practice on historic data about the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy. However, some newer studies have disputed a number of assumptions in these data for not being evidence-based or derived from large prospective cohort-studies. Accurate knowledge of these physiological changes is important for three reasons: Firstly, it facilitates correct diagnosis of diseases during pregnancy; secondly, it enables us to answer questions about the effects of medication during pregnancy and the ways in which pregnancy alters pharmacokinetic and drug-effects; and thirdly, it allows for proper modeling of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models, which are increasingly used to predict gestation-specific changes and drug–drug interactions, as well as develop new knowledge on the mode-of-action of drugs, the mechanisms underlying their interactions, and any adverse effects following drug exposure. This paper reviews new evidence regarding the physiologic changes during pregnancy in relation to existing knowledge.
Acute and sub-acute toxicity assessment of the standardized extract of Sanguisorba minor in vivo
Authors: Ansari Legha , Mahdinezhad Mohammad Reza , Rakhshandeh Hassan , Hosseini Azar , Noughabi Samaneh Boroumand , Gholami Najibeh , Rajabian Arezoo
Published: December 2021

Although Sanguisorba minor has been used as herbal medicine, no study has ever examined its potential toxicity. This study investigated acute and subacute toxicities of S. minor hydroalcoholic extract (SE). In the acute toxicity test, a single oral dose (300, 2,000, and 3,000 mg/kg) of SE was given to mice. The oral administration of SE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg for 4 weeks) was performed to evaluate subacute toxicity. After the treatments, neurobehavioral, histopathology, hematological, and biochemical parameters were monitored. In vitro cytotoxicity was also assessed. Moreover, high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint was done for the standardization of SE. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of SE was up to 2,000 mg/kg, and the LD50 of the prepared extract was over 3,000 mg/kg. The rats exposed to the extract did not show any marked change in their body weight. The extract at used doses did not affect neuromuscular coordination. According to the hematological, biochemical, and histological examinations, no significant treatment-related adverse effect of the extract was observed, even at 400 mg/kg. Only 48 h exposure to 400 μg/mL of SE reduced the viability of PC12 cells. The findings revealed that this plant could be well-tolerated, regarded safe, and used as herbal medicine.
Burning mouth syndrome: a review of therapeutic approach
Authors: Nosratzehi Tahereh
Published: December 2021

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is described by an intense burning sensation of the tongue or other oral areas without a clear etiopathology. The diagnosis of BMS is challenging due to variations of manifestations. The management of BMS is complicated due to the complex etiology of the disease. Many medications and treatment methods have been recommended for BMS management, but no one confirmed as the standard method. In this study, the therapeutic approaches of BMS were evaluated. The data of the article was obtained from PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The following terms including “burning mouth syndrome”, “therapy”, and “treatment” were used for search in the databases. A wide range of articles about the therapeutic approach of BMS was searched and reviewed. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches have been used for BMS management. Pharmacological treatments are including Capsaicin, Clonazepam, Low-dose aripiprazole, Alpha-lipoic acid, Duloxetine, Amitriptyline, Gabapentin, and Pregabalin, and ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide. Non-pharmacological therapies for BMS are cognitive therapy, Electroconvulsive therapy, Laser therapy, Acupuncture and auriculotherapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), Salivary Mechanical Stimulation, and Botulinum Toxin. A detailed assessment of the etiology and pathophysiology of BMS, and having information about novel therapeutic interventions are essential for the management of BMS.
Poverty, Inequality, and the International Monetary Fund: How Austerity Hurts the Poor and Widens Inequality
Authors: Stubbs Thomas , Kentikelenis Alexander , Ray Rebecca , Gallagher Kevin P.
Published: December 2021

Among the drivers of socio-economic development, this article focuses on an important yet insufficiently understood international-level determinant: the spread of austerity policies to the developing world by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In offering loans to developing countries in exchange for policy reforms, the IMF typically sets the fiscal parameters within which development occurs. Using an original dataset of IMF-mandated austerity targets, we examine how policy reforms prescribed in IMF programs affect inequality and poverty. Our empirical analyses span a panel of up to 79 countries for the period 2002–2018. Using instrumentation techniques, we control for the possibility that these relationships are driven by the IMF imposing harsher austerity measures precisely in countries with more problematic economies. Our findings show that stricter austerity is associated with greater income inequality for up to two years, and that this effect is driven by concentrating income to the top 10% of earners while all other deciles lose out. We also find that stricter austerity is associated with higher poverty headcounts and poverty gaps. Taken together, our findings suggest that the IMF neglects the multiple ways its own policy advice contributed to social inequity in the developing world.
Weight changes of children in 1 year during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Gwag Si-Hwa , Oh Ye Rim , Ha Jae Wook , Kang Eungu , Nam Hyo-Kyoung , Lee Yoon , Rhie Young-Jun , Lee Kee-Hyoung
Published: December 2021

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed everyday life. The Korean government urged schools to close as a measure of social distancing, and children and adolescents seemed to gain weight due to home confinement. We aimed to investigate the trends in weight changes in children during the pandemic period.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study included 139 children aged between 6 and 12 years who visited the pediatric endocrine clinic for regular growth follow-up for 1 year during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed changes in the body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, and proportion of children who were overweight or obese over a period of 1 year.

Results

The BMI and BMI z-scores of the 139 children increased significantly over the year. The increase was maximum during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with little change between the third and sixth month of the pandemic. The proportion of children who were overweight or obese increased over time, from 24.5% at the COVID-19 pandemic baseline to 38.1% 1 year later (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The COVID-19-related lockdown resulted in significant weight gain in Korean children. Changes in BMI showed different trends depending on the degree of school closure. An overall shift from normal weight to overweight or obesity was observed during the pandemic period.
Influence of Covid-19 infection on fetal thymus size after recovery
Authors: Goncu Ayhan Sule , Turgut Ezgi , Oluklu Deniz , Ozden Tokalioglu Eda , Menekse Beser Dilek , Moraloglu Tekin Ozlem , Sahin Dilek
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To investigate the long-term effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on the fetal immune system by fetal thymus size measurements with ultrasound (USG).

Methods

This prospective study was conducted in the Turkish Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital between November 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021, with recovered, pregnant women, four weeks after they had been confirmed for the SARS-CoV-2 infection by real-time polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR). COVID-19 recovered (CR) pregnant women compared with age-matched pregnant controls in terms of demographic features, fetal thymic-thoracic ratio (TTR), and laboratory parameters.

Results

There was no difference in demographic features between the two groups. TTR found significantly lower in the CR group than the control group (p=0.001). The fetal TTR showed a significant and moderate correlation with maternal monocyte counts, monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and red cell distribution width (RDW); while it did not correlate with lymphocyte counts, c-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin levels.

Conclusions

The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reduces fetal thymus size in pregnant women with mild or moderate symptoms after recovery from the infection.
The Inward Turn and the Future of Tort Theory
Authors: Abraham Kenneth S. , White George E.
Published: December 2021

The future of tort theory cannot be sensibly imagined without understanding its past. Our aim is to understand where tort theory has been in order to predict where it may go. We contend that tort theory has experienced two different eras, and that it may well be about to enter a third. In the first era, spanning roughly the first three-quarters of the twentieth century, tort theory faced outward to the world, focusing on issues affecting redress for civil injuries that were being decided in the courts and emerging in American society at large. In the second era, roughly the last 30 to 40 years, tort theory turned inward and focused mostly on itself. The tort theory that has been done during this second era, valuable though it has been, may well have borne most of its scholarly fruit. We may therefore be ready to move into a third era, in which tort theory turns outward again and becomes occupied with the cutting-edge issues of tort law policy and principle that will be generated as the twenty-first century progresses. This Essay chronicles the first era, in which tort theory faced outward, the second era, in which tort theory turned inward, and identifies three issues that we believe may be on the tort theory agenda, when and if tort theory turns outward again. These involve the coordination and systematization of tort with other sources of regulation and compensation; redressing data theft and digital invasions of privacy; and heightened sensitivity to harm associated with sex, gender, and race-related misconduct.
Hearing the shape of a drum for light: isospectrality in photonics
Authors: Park Seungkyun , Lee Ikbeom , Kim Jungmin , Park Namkyoo , Yu Sunkyu
Published: December 2021

The independent tailoring of wave quantities lays the foundation for controlling wave phenomena and designing wave devices. The concept of isospectrality, which suggests the existence of systems that provide identical spectra, has inspired a novel route to the spectrum-preserved engineering of wave–matter interactions in photonics, acoustics, and quantum mechanics. Recently, in photonics, constructing isospectral optical structures has become an emerging research topic to handle the intricate spectral responses of the systems composed of many-particles or inhomogeneous materials. The cornerstones in this field have stimulated the realization of non-Hermitian systems with real eigenspectra, one-dimensional structures exhibiting higher-dimensional physics, and novel engineering methodologies for broadband devices such as phase-matched multiplexers and multimodal lasing platforms. Here we review recent achievements based on isospectrality in photonics. We outline milestones in two different subfields of supersymmetric photonics and interdimensional isospectrality. We illustrate that isospectrality has paved the way for the independent control of wave quantities, showing great potential for the analytical and platform-transparent design of photonic systems with complex structures and materials.
Application of response surface method in the separation of radioactive material: a review
Authors: Da Tianxing , Chen Tao , Ma Yan , Tong Zhenfeng
Published: December 2021

Response Surface Method (RSM) is one of the most popular and powerful tools for experimental design and optimization. This paper first reviewed the research progress of RSM in the separation and recovery of various radioactive materials, and verified the application of RSM in adsorption isotherm analysis and thermodynamic calculation. The main advantage of RSM in radioactive material separation is the reduction in the number of experiments required, resulting in considerably less radioactive material consumption, secondary waste generation, workload and radiation dose, which is valuable for the research of radioactive material separation.
An update on the progress of microbial biotransformation of commercial monoterpenes
Authors: Mittal Ruchika , Srivastava Gauri , Ganjewala Deepak
Published: December 2021

Monoterpenes, a class of isoprenoid compounds, are extensively used in flavor, fragrance, perfumery, and cosmetics. They display many astonishing bioactive properties of biological and pharmacological significance. All monoterpenes are derived from universal precursor geranyl diphosphate. The demand for new monoterpenoids has been increasing in flavor, fragrances, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals. Chemical methods, which are harmful for human and the environment, synthesize most of these products. Over the years, researchers have developed alternative methods for the production of newer monoterpenoids. Microbial biotransformation is one of them, which relied on microbes and their enzymes. It has produced many new desirable commercially important monoterpenoids. A growing number of reports reflect an ever-expanding scope of microbial biotransformation in food and aroma industries. Simultaneously, our knowledge of the enzymology of monoterpene biosynthetic pathways has been increasing, which facilitated the biotransformation of monoterpenes. In this article, we have covered the progress made on microbial biotransformation of commercial monoterpenes with a brief introduction to their biosynthesis. We have collected several reports from authentic web sources, including Google Scholar, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus published in the past few years to extract information on the topic.