bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcomes of Limited Repair And Conservative Approaches In Older Patients With Acute Type A Aortic Dissection
Authors: Maze Yasumi , Tokui Toshiya , Murakami Masahiko , Nakamura Bun , Inoue Ryosai , Hirano Reina , Hirano Koji
Published: August 2021

Background: Surgical indication and the selection of surgical procedures for acute type A aortic dissection in older patients are controversial; therefore, we examined the surgical outcomes in older patients.Methods: From January 2012 through December 2019, 174 patients surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection. We compared the surgical outcomes between the older (≥80 years old) and below-80 (≤79 years old) age groups. Additionally, we compared the surgical and conservative treatment groups.Results: The primary entry was found in the ascending aorta in 51.6% and 32.8% of the older and below-80 groups, respectively (p = 0.049). Ascending or hemiarch replacement was performed in all older group cases and 57.3% of the below-80 group cases (total arch replacement was performed in the remaining 42.7%; p < 0.001). Hospital mortality rates were similar in both groups. The significant risk factors for hospital mortality were age, preoperative intubation, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and postoperative stroke. The 5-year survival rates were 48.4% ± 10.3% (older group) and 86.7% ± 2.9% (below-80 group; p < 0.001). The rates of freedom from aortic events at 5 years were 86.9% ± 8.7% (older group) and 86.5% ± 3.9% (below-80 group; p = 0.771). The 5-year survival rate of the conservative treatment group was 19.2% ± 8.0% in the older group. There was no significant difference between the surgical treatment groups (p = 0.103).Conclusion: The surgical approach did not achieve a significant survival advantage over conservative treatment and may not always be the reasonable treatment of choice for older patients.
Depression Education Fotonovela for Engagement of Hispanic Patients in Treatment: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Sanchez Katherine , Eghaneyan Brittany H. , Killian Michael O. , Cabassa Leopoldo J. , Trivedi Madhukar H.
Published: August 2021

Background We report the primary outcomes from a randomized clinical trial testing a novel culturally-adapted patient education intervention to increase engagement of Hispanic patients in depression treatment. The Depression Education Fotonovela (DEF), Secret Feelings, incorporates popular images, cultural norms, and vivid pictures embedded within a soap opera narrative to increase depression knowledge and dispel myths about treatment. We then assessed engagement in a integrated care treatment model in response to the education intervention and subsequent changes in depression symptoms in a large community-based clinic whose patient population is majority Hispanic.Method The sample included 150 adult Hispanic patients with a confirmed diagnosis of depression who were randomly assigned to either: (1) integrated care + fotonovela; or (2) integrated care + standard education. Differences between treatment groups were examined as were changes in depression, anxiety, depression knowledge, and stigma scores over time and engagement in treatment.Results Results indicated that while depression scores significantly decreased over time for participants (F [2.811, 416.054] = 197.69, p < .001, 𝜂2 = .572), no differences between the two education groups were found (F [1, 148] = 0.70, p = .403, 𝜂2 = .005). At 12-month follow-up, 101 patients (80.8%) reported a 50% of greater reduction in depression scores from baseline.Conclusions We found little difference between the two education groups, suggesting that either may helpful for engaging Hispanic patients into care. Better tailoring of patient education, with the fotonovela or similarly adapted tools, will require more directly addressing the stigma associated with antidepressant medication.Trial registrationThe study was registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02702596, on 03/20/2016. Retrospectively registered.
Enhancing Energy Efficiency for Cellular-Assisted Vehicular Networks by Online Learning-Based mmWave Beam Selection
Authors: Gui Jinsong , Liu Yao
Published: August 2021

Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) technology is deemed as a feasible approach for future vehicular communications. However, mmWave signals are characterized by high path loss and penetration loss, which can be alleviated by directional communication. Directional transmission performance depends on beam alignment between transmitter and receiver, which is not easy to achieve in highly dynamic vehicular communications. The existing works addressed beam alignment problem by designing online learning-based mmWave beam selection schemes, which can be well adapted to high dynamic vehicular scenarios. However, this type of works does not take energy efficiency into account. Therefore, we propose an Energy efficiency-based FML (EFML) scheme to compensate for this shortfall, where the power consumption can be reduced as far as possible under the premise of meeting the basic data rate requirements of vehicle users and the users requesting the same content in close proximity can be organized into the same receiving group to share the same mmWave beam. The simulation results show that the EFML scheme improves both the network energy efficiency and the amount data of cellular-assisted vehicular networks at the cost of more beam performance update overhead. However, there is no difference in the cost of updating beam performance after adequate online learning.
Comparison between External Fixation and Pelvic Binder in Patients with Pelvic Fracture and Haemodynamic Instability who Underwent Various Haemostatic Procedures
Authors: Jang Ji Young , Bae Keum Soek , Kang Byung Hee , Lee Gil Jae
Published: August 2021

Haemostatic procedures such as preperitoneal pelvic packing (PPP), pelvic angiography (PA), and internal iliac artery ligation are used for haemorrhage control in pelvic fracture patients with haemodynamic instability. Pelvic external fixation (PEF) and pelvic binder (PB) are usually applied with haemostatic procedures to reduce the pelvic volume. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between patients who underwent PEF and PB. Among 173 patients with pelvic fracture admitted to the emergency room of three regional trauma centres between January 2015 and December 2018, the electronic charts of haemodynamically unstable patients were retrospectively analysed. Among 92 patients included in the analysis, 21 patients underwent PEF and 71 patients underwent PB. There were significant differences in tile classification and laparotomy between the PEF and PB groups (p = 0.018 and p = 0.046). PPP tended to be more frequently preformed in the PEF group (p = 0.074), whereas PA tended to be more commonly performed in the PB group than in the PEF group (p = 0.058). After propensity score matching to adjust for differences in patient characteristics and adjunct haemostatic procedure, there was a significant difference in haemorrhage-induced mortality between the PEF and PB groups (0% vs 25%, p = 0.047). Kaplan–Meier curve analysis also showed a significant difference in haemorrhage-induced mortality between the two groups (log-rank test, p = 0.020). Among the volume reduction procedures performed with other haemostatic procedures in patients with pelvic fracture and haemodynamic instability, PEF significantly reduced haemorrhage-induced mortality compared to PB.
Comprehensive Analysis of The Expression and Prognosis For KRTs in LUSC Based on Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Zheng Qiangqiang , Huang Kaili , Min Shihui
Published: August 2021

Keratins (KRTs), a family of genes that encode a series of intermediate flament proteins, which expressed in epithelial cells of various tissues and had been identified as being involved in various tumors. Previous evidences indicated that KRTs were implicated in tumorigenesis and development of lung cancer. However, a comprehensive analysis of KRTs in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and their roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of this disease is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional level, proteomic level, and prognosis of KRTs in patients with LUSC from TCGA, Gene Expression Profifiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Kaplan-Meier Plotter, and cBioPortal databases. We confirmed that the expression levels of KRT5, KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT13, KRT14, KRT15, KRT16, KRT17, KRT19, and KRT23 were higher in LUSC tissues than in adjacent normal lung tissues. Survival analyses using Kaplan-Meier Plotter database and TCGA database revealed that the high expression levels of KRT5, KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT13, KRT14, KRT15, KRT16, KRT17, KRT19, and KRT23 were associated with poor prognosis in patients with LUSC. ROC curves indicated that KRTs had poor roles in predicting the overall survival (OS) of LUSC patients. KRTs and their 50 most frequently altered neighbor genes were mainly enriched in epidermis development, keratinization, keratinocyte differentiation, Rap1 signaling pathway, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. The results of clinical data analyses indicated that the expression levels of KRT13, KRT16, KRT17, and KRT19 were positively correlated with nodal metastasis, the expression level of KRT15 and KRT17 were positively correlated with primary tumor, and the high expression level of KRT15 was positively correlated with TNM stage. Our study may provide new theoretical basis and research direction for the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and new prognostic biomarkers in patients with LUSC.
Eucalyptus Obliqua Tall Forest in Cool, Temperate Tasmania Becomes a Carbon Source during a Protracted Warm Spell in November 2017
Authors: Wardlaw Timothy J.
Published: August 2021

Tasmania, which has a cool temperate climate, experienced a protracted warm spell in November 2017. In absolute terms, temperatures during the warm spell were lower than those usually characterising heatwaves. Nonetheless the November 2017 warm spell represented an extreme anomaly based on the local historical climate. Eddy covariance measurements of fluxes made in a Eucalyptus obliqua tall forest at Warra, southern Tasmania, recorded a 39% reduction in gross primary productivity (GPP) during the warm spell. A coincident increase in ecosystem respiration during the warm spell resulted in the forest switching from a carbon sink to a source. Net radiation was significantly higher during the warm spell than in the same period in the preceding two years. This additional radiation drove an increase in latent heat but not sensible heat. Stomatal regulation to limit water loss was unlikely based on soil moisture and vapour pressure deficits. Temperatures during the warm spell were supra-optimal for GPP at that site for 75% of the daylight hours. The decline in GPP during the warm spell was therefore most likely due to temperatures exceeding the site optimum for GPP. These forests will be weaker carbon sinks if, as predicted, heatwave events become more common.
Relationships between Developmental Strategies for Additional Indications and Price Revisions for Anticancer Drugs in Japan
Authors: Maeda Hideki
Published: August 2021

Background
The relationships between developmental strategies for additional indications and drug price revisions have not been thoroughly studied. Here, we investigated the price revisions for anticancer drugs approved in Japan.
Methods
The study was based on published information on anticancer drugs approved between January 2009 and March 2020 in Japan. We investigated the relationships between the pharmacological and regulatory characteristics of anticancer drugs and occurrence/non-occurrence of the Japanese National Health Insurance (NHI) price revisions.
Results
Eighty-one new anticancer drugs were given NHI price listings during the survey. On April 1, 2020, the prices of 23 anticancer drugs had been revised from the initial pricing, the prices were reduced for all, except for one drug. Several parameters showed the relationships between drug characteristics and NHI price revisions. The achievement of additional indications and compound type were identified as explanatory factors for these relationships. Additional indication profiles were defined to assess the relationships between the methods for additional indication achievement and price revisions. For the 32 drugs with additional indications, the relationships between the additional indication profiles and occurrence/non-occurrence of NHI price revision were investigated. The proportion of drugs with NHI price revisions was higher if the additional indication had more patients than if the additional indications had approximately the same numbers of patients or fewer patients.
Conclusions
NHI price revision was significantly related to the achievement of additional indications and compound type. The strategy for additional indications was found to affect the occurrence/non-occurrence of NHI price revisions.
The Cognitive and Psychiatric Subacute Impairment in severe Covid-19.
Authors: Serrano-Castro Pedro J. , Garzón-Maldonado Francisco J , Casado-Naranjo Ignacio , Ollero-Ortiz Angela , Mínguez-Castellanos Adolfo , Iglesias-Espinosa Mar , Baena-Palomino Pablo , Sánchez-Sanchez Violeta , Sánchez-Pérez Rosa Maria , Rubi-Callejon Jose , Estévez-María Jose Carlos , Galeano-Bilbao Benito , Romero-Imbroda Jesús , Diaz Beatriz Sobrino , Arrabal-Gomez Carlos , Oliver-Martos Begoña , Muñoz-Becerra Luis , Ocaña Nerea Requena , de Sotomayor Maria del Mar Gonzalez Alvarez , Estivill-Torrus Guillermo , Suarez Juan , Petersen Nicolas Ciano , Pons-Pons Gracia , Reyes-Bueno Jose Antonio , Cabezudo-Garcia Pablo , Aguilar-Castillo Maria José , Cosme Carlos De la Cruz , Duque-Holguera Maria , Cuartero-Cuartero Eva , Vilches-Carrillo Rosa Maria , Carrera-Muñoz Ismael , Carnero-Pardo Cristóbal , Ramirez-Garcia Teresa , Oropesa Juan Manuel , Dominguez-Mayoral Ana , Pelaez-Viñas Nazaret , Valiente Lucia , de Fonseca Fernando Rodríguez
Published: August 2021

Background: Neurologic impairment persisting months after acute severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has been described because of several pathogenic mechanisms, including persistent systemic inflammation. The objective of this study is to analyze the selective involvement of the different cognitive domains, it impacts on quality of life and the possible existence of related biomarkers.Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients who survived severe infection with SARS-CoV-2 consecutively recruited from 13 neurology services in Spain between 90 and 120 days after hospital discharge. All patients underwent an exhaustive study of cognitive functions as well as plasma determination of pro-inflammatory factors (chemokines), and neurotrophic factors and light-chain neurofilaments. A Principal Component Analysis extracted the main independent characteristics of the syndrome.Results: 152 patients were recruited. The results of our study show a pattern of cognitive impairment with preferential involvement of episodic and working memory, executive functions, and attention and relatively less affectation of information processing speed, denomination, verbal fluency, and other cortical functions. In addition, psychiatric affectation such as anxiety and depression pictures are constant in our cohort. Several plasma chemokines concentrations were elevated compared with both, a non-SARS-Cov2 infected cohort of neurological outpatients or a control healthy general population, suggesting a pro-inflammatory chronic state derived of viral infection.Conclusion: The neurologic Subacute Impairment in severe Covid-19 consist in an amnesic and dysexecutive syndrome with neuropsychiatric manifestations. We do not know if the deficits detected can persist in the long term and, in this case, if this can trigger or accelerate the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
Clinically Actionable Cancer Somatic Variants (CACSV): A tumor interpreted dataset for analytical workflow
Authors: Sobahy Turki M. , Bahussain Donya , Al-Harbi Raneem
Published: August 2021

Background:The recent development and enormous application of parallel sequencing technology inoncology have produced immense cell-specific genetic data. However, publicly available cell-specific genetic variants are not explained by well-established guidelines. Additionally, cell-specific variants interpretation and classification has remained a challenging task, and lacksstandardization. The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), American Society of ClinicalOncology (ASCO), and College of American Pathologists (CAP) published the first consensusguidelines for cell-specific variants cataloging and clinical interpretation.Results:We developed a new method that followed the consensus recommendations, and applied ourmethod on open source tumor-specific databases to produce clinically actionable cancersomatic variants (CACSV) dataset in integratable formats by most clinical analytical workflows.We evaluated our method with well-known classification algorithms, and found the new methodto be comparable and more adhering to the recent guidelines.Conclusion:CACSV is a step toward cell-specific genetic variants universal interpretation, readily adaptableby most clinical laboratories pipelines and can escalate somatic variants elucidation andclassification. CACSV is made free available (https://github.com/tsobahytm/CACSV/tree/main/dataset).
Fungal α-amylase entrapped in agar-agar organic matrix “beads” enhances fabric starch-desizing potentials and α-amylase-detergent compatibility
Authors: Ademakinwa Adedeji Nelson , Ayinla Zainab Adenike , Agboola Femi Kayode
Published: August 2021

Aureobasidium pullulans α-amylase (ApAmy) mixed with melted agar-agar solution and drop-wisely added to a mixture of organic solvent solution allowed for the entrapment of the α-amylase in the agar-agar organic matrix as beads. The immobilized ApAmy’s characteristics and wash performance were elucidated in comparison with the soluble ApAmy. Agar-agar at 2.0 % (w/v) and toluene: chloroform at 3:1 resulted in the highest immobilization yield retaining about 98% residual activity after ten catalytic cycles. The optimum temperature and pH for the immobilized enzyme were 60ºC and 6.5 respectively. The immobilized ApAmy hydrolysed branched and linear substrates thus establishing its broad substrate specificity. Relatively, the immobilized ApAmy (iApAmy) was more tolerant to organic solvents than the free enzyme. The iApAmy was mildly inhibited by cobalt but metals such as zinc, manganese, calcium and sodium enhanced the free and immobilized ApAmy activity. The iApAmy had a higher washing efficiency (77%) in the presence of detergents than the free enzyme (68%) and control (36%). The iApAmy showed good potentials as a detergent additive and from its characteristics, it could be useful in other industrial applications.
Recommendations from the RISRS Report: Reducing the Inadvertent Spread of Retracted Science
Authors: Schneider Jodi
Published: August 2021

Background: Retraction is a mechanism for alerting readers to unreliable material, effectively removing from the published scientific and scholarly record articles that are deemed to be seriously flawed. Research over the past decade has identified a number of factors contributing to the unintentional spread of retracted research. The goal of the Reducing the Inadvertent Spread of Retracted Science: Shaping a Research and Implementation Agenda (RISRS) project is to develop an actionable agenda for reducing the inadvertent spread of retracted science. This includes identifying how the gatekeepers of scientific publications can monitor and disseminate retraction status and determining what other actions are feasible and relevant.

Methods: These recommendations were developed as part of a year-long process that included an exploratory environment scan, a scoping review of empirical literature, and successive rounds of stakeholder consultation, culminating in a three-part online workshop that brought together a diverse body of 70 stakeholders in October-November 2020 to engage in collaborative problem solving and dialogue. Workshop discussions were seeded by materials derived from stakeholder interviews (N=47) and short original discussion pieces contributed by stakeholders. The online workshop resulted in a set of recommendations to address the complexities of retracted research throughout the scholarly communications ecosystem.

Results: The RISRS recommendations are:
Develop a systematic cross-industry approach to ensure the public availability of consistent, standardized, interoperable, and timely information about retractions.

Recommend a taxonomy of retraction categories/classifications and corresponding retraction metadata that can be adopted by all stakeholders.

Develop best practices for coordinating the retraction process to enable timely, fair, unbiased outcomes.

Educate stakeholders about publication correction processes including retraction and about pre- and post-publication stewardship of the scholarly record.

Conclusions:
The continued circulation of retracted research is an ecosystem problem. These recommendations focus on areas where stakeholders can collaborate to address the continued citation of retracted research. We have suggested particular actions for standards organizations, publishers, researchers, and research integrity organizations.
Closed orbit feedback system for the fast ramping hadron synchrotrons
Authors:   , Mirza Sajjad Hussain
Published: August 2021

The realization of a fast and robust closed orbit feedback (COFB) system for the on-ramp orbit correction at SIS18 synchrotron of FAIR project is reported in this thesis. SIS18 has some peculiar behaviors including on-ramp optics variation, very short lengths of the ramps (200 ms to 1 s) and a cycle-to-cycle variation of beam parameters. The realized fast COFB system being robust against above mentioned features of SIS18 is a first of its kind and the course to its realization led to some novel contributions in the field of closed orbit correction. A new method relying on the discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based decomposition of the orbit response matrix (ORM) has been introduced, exploiting the symmetry in the arrangement of beam position monitors (BPMs) and the corrector magnets in the synchrotrons. A nearest-circulant approximation has also been introduced for synchrotrons having slight deviation from the symmetry, making the method applicable to a vast majority of synchrotrons. Moreover, the performance and the stability analysis of COFB systems in the presence of ORM mismatch between the synchrotron and the feedback controller is presented. The COFB systems are divided into slow and fast regimes and a new stability criterion consistent with measurements, is introduced. The practicality of the criterion is verified experimentally at COSY Jülich and is used for the analysis of various sources of ORM mismatch at SIS18. The commissioning of the SIS18 COFB system is also reported in detail which relies on Libera Hadron as the main hardware resource for the controller implementation. The on-ramp orbit correction is demonstrated for the horizontal plane of SIS18, for the disturbance rejection up to 600 Hz.
A Mechanism for Dispute Resolution in the Iranian Construction Industry
Authors:   Fanavaran Jeghato Co., Miandoab, IRAN, Saeb Abdollah ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, Centre for Building, Construction and Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Danuri Mohd Suhaimi Mohd ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, Centre for Building, Construction and Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Mohamed Othman ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, Centre for Building, Construction and Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Zakaria Norhanim ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, Centre for Building, Construction and Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Published: August 2021

If disputes are not resolved promptly, they tend to become prolonged and escalated, creating a more complicated and less manageable scenario. Therefore, in this study, we formulated a mechanism for dispute resolution in the Iranian construction industry based on alternative dispute resolution methods. The formulated mechanism could aid disputing parties in the construction industry to settle their disputes more effectively and enhance dispute resolution methods in construction standard forms. To achieve this goal, we collected qualitative data using semi-structured interviews with 30 experts who were selected via purposive sampling method. We used MAXQDA software to manage and organise complete interview transcripts and facilitate the qualitative data analysis process. The proposed mechanism and guidance were finally validated using the survey questionnaire. Negotiation has equal potential for dispute resolution with different sources, and it is recommended as the first step in dispute resolution with any source. According to the results, we recommend a three-step resolution mechanism as follows: negotiation, a method based on sources of disputes and a hybrid method of adjudication and arbitration (Adj-Arb), as the appropriate mechanism for dispute resolution in the Iranian construction industry. Replacing arbitration with Adj-Arb in construction standard forms will have satisfactory results in resolving construction disputes and reply to growing criticism that arbitration is becoming more like litigation.
Mitigating Disputes and Managing Legal Issues in the Era of Building Information Modelling
Authors:   The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), Heriot Watt University, Putrajaya, MALAYSIA, Khawaja Ebad Ur Rehman ,   Department of Civil Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET), Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, PAKISTAN, Mustapha Abdelhakim ,   The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), Heriot Watt University, Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
Published: August 2021

Construction disputes are inevitable. They often arise between project stakeholders for numerous reasons and to resolve them, construction professionals adopt various dispute resolution methodologies. This study aims to identify the role of building information modelling (BIM) in mitigating such disputes and addresses the legal barriers faced by the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry while adopting BIM. The study reveals that disputes can be mitigated and managed efficiently with the intervention of BIM, as BIM offers various designing, planning, estimating, collaborating and controlling features. The benefits of BIM are impressive and exceptional; however, it comes with some legal issues that are first clarified and addressed with the support of a literature review and later validated through interviews with industry professionals. Dispute resolution, contractual arrangements, design responsibility, intellectual property (IP) rights and a lack of standardisation are identified as substantial concerns when adopting BIM. Thus, a strategy is proposed to manage these legal issues that entail the adoption of the appropriate contract suite, the formation of a common data environment (CDE) and the establishment of a firm BIM execution plan (BEP). Workshops, training sessions and seminars are also recommended to educate the industry with BIM features as it brings about the second revolution in the AEC industry.
Ab initio study of the structure and relative stability of MgSiO4H2 polymorphs at high pressures and temperatures
Authors: Solomatova Natalia V. , Caracas Razvan , Bindi Luca , Asimow Paul D.
Published: August 2021

Using particle swarm optimization with density functional theory, we identify the positions of hydrogen in a hypothetical Mg-end-member of phase egg (MgSiO4H2) and predict the most stable crystal structures with MgSiO4H2 stoichiometry at pressures between 0 and 300 GPa. The particle swarm optimization method consistently and systematically identifies phase H as the energetically most stable structure in the pressure range 10–300 GPa at 0 K. Phase Mg-egg has a slightly higher energy compared to phase H at all relevant pressures, such that the energy difference nearly plateaus at high pressures; however, the combined effects of temperature and chemical substitutions may decrease or even reverse the energy difference between the two structures. We find a new MgSiO4H2 phase with the P43212 space group that has topological similarities to phase Mg-egg and is energetically preferred to phase H at 0–10 GPa and 0 K. We compute the free energies for phase Mg-egg, phase P43212, and phase H at 0–30 GPa within the quasi-harmonic approximation and find that the effect of temperature is relatively small. At 1800 K, the stability field of phase P43212 relative to the other polymorphs increases to 0–14 GPa, while pure phase Mg-egg remains energetically unfavorable at all pressures. Simulated X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra are provided for the three phases. Additionally, the crystallographic information for two metastable polymorphs with the P1 space group is provided. Our results have implications for the deep hydrogen cycle in that we identify two novel potential carrier phases for hydrogen in the mantles of terrestrial planets and assess their stability relative to phase H. We determine that further experimental and computational investigation of an extended compositional space remains necessary to establish the most stable dense hydrated silicate phases.
Components of working capital and profitability in Saudi Arabian companies
Authors: Rahman Shaik Abdul
Published: August 2021

The study examines the influence of the cash conversion cycle (one of the components of working capital) on the firm profitability measured in terms of return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), Tobin’s q, and gross operating profit (GROP) in the manufacturing sector of Saudi Arabia. The study selects a sample of 100 companies from nine industrial sectors listed on the Tadawul Stock Exchange starting from 2008 to 2019. A pooled regression is estimated to report the empirical results. The results report a positive and significant association between the components of working capital in terms of cash conversion cycle and the firm profitability in terms of ROA, ROE, and Tobin’s q, except for the GROP, where there is a negative and significant relationship. The study reports that the growth in firm performance is associated with supplier’s financing terms and inventory ordering cost. The results also show that larger firms are more profitable than smaller firms. Hence, the current study confirms the formulated hypothesis of having a significant association between the components of working capital and firm profitability.
Evaluation model of LID facilities based on the influence of water resource value
Authors: Pei Yanyan , Yu Hai , Lv Yongpeng , Wu Jiangnan , Yang Longbin , Wang Sheng , Jiang Zhuwu
Published: August 2021

Low-impact development (LID) facilities can not only effectively control rainwater runoff and its pollution, but also enhance the value of urban water resources in water systems. Current studies usually pay more attention to the effect of pollution control indicators, and there are few reports on the evaluation of LID facilities from the perspective of enhancing the value of water resources. Taking the Maluan Bay area of Haicang, Xiamen as an example, an evaluation model of water resource value was established based on the SWMM software and the pollution loss model. From the perspective of economic quantification, the value of water resources brought by three types of LID facilities, such as green roofs, permeable pavement and infiltration gallery, under rainfall conditions in different recurrence intervals was simulated and calculated. In the single rainfall event of 1–10a recurrence interval, the water resource value brought by the green roofs is 679.14–787.49 RMB/hm2, the permeable pavement is 79.07–383.37 RMB/hm2 and the infiltration gallery is 825.45–1,021.79 RMB/hm2. The results show that the value of water resources brought by the three types of LID facilities decreases with the increase of rainfall recurrence interval.
Assessing inequalities in sustainable access to improved water services using service level indicators in a rural municipality of South Africa
Authors: Sambo Calvin , Senzanje Aidan , Mutanga Onisimo
Published: August 2021

Sustainable access to improved water services is a human right recognized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda and the constitution of South Africa. In recognition of this, South Africa implemented the Free Basic Water (FBW) policy outlining six recommended service level standards (e.g. distance, reliability and cost) to guide improved water services provision, especially in rural municipalities. However, despite implementing the rights-based approach policy, a significant proportion of the rural population is reported to have limited/poor access to improved water services. For this reason, the study adopted the FBW standards as indicators to assess inequalities in sustainable access to improved water services in Makhudutamaga Local Municipality (MLM) in South Africa. The findings indicate inequalities in access to improved water services based on FBW standards. Overall, the improved water services complied with the FBW standard for distance but not with the other standards. The non-compliance with the other standards indicated limited/poor access to improved water services and improper implementation of the FBW policy. This work provides water managers with an understanding of levels of water services provided based on FBW standards for planning and management to improve access to improved water services and enforce proper implementation of the FBW policy.
Grey water footprint assessment of groundwater resources in southeastern Turkey: effect of recharge
Authors: Yapıcıoğlu Pelin , Yeşilnacar Mehmet İrfan
Published: August 2021

This paper aimed to determine the grey water footprint (GWF) of groundwater resources. The effect of groundwater recharge on grey water footprint was investigated in Southeastern Turkey. In this paper, GWF has been monitored in October and March in terms of nitrate and arsenic concentrations for ten observation wells in the Harran Plain. In this study, a new approach was developed based on the GWF to determine the nitrate and arsenic pollution of groundwater. GWF of coagulation-flocculation and biochar adsorption processes were calculated and benchmarked with each other. In the second stage of the study, the effect of groundwater recharge using reclaimed municipal wastewater on GWF was investigated applying Monte Carlo simulation. The results revealed that nitrate led to higher GWF. According to the results, biochar application could reduce the GWF. Total reduction of GWF would be approximately 64.3% if groundwater recharge using reclaimed wastewater is applied.
BORROWINGS OF RUSSIAN WORDS FROM THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, Muhanalieva A.A. , Kubeev I.E. ,   Astrakhan State University
Published: August 2021

The article deals with the cases of borrowing English words in the Russian language. The main methods of borrowing are described, such as transcription, transliteration and calculus.
THE MATTER OF THE TERMHOOD OF THE CONCEPT “CRITICAL THINKING”
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, Simonenko M.A. , Krivykh L.D. ,   Astrakhan State University
Published: August 2021

The subject matter of the article is term formation of the concept “critical thinking” in modern scientific language that is developing through integration of scientific knowledge enabling the application of various research tools. The authors suggest their definition to the term taking into account the existing definitions and keeping in mind both individual meaning components of the notion “critical thinking” and the attributes of the main denotatum, that is thinking human.
ARGUMENTATION IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, Zhukova Yu.V. , Motinova A.R. ,   Astrakhan State University
Published: August 2021

The article analyzes the process of argumentation in political discourse, details the functions of argument, and gives examples in political speech. Particular importance is attached to explaining the kinds of reasoning in political discourse.
CHRISTA WOLF'S MOSCOW INSPIRATION
Authors:   Kostroma State University, GOTOVTSEVA A.A.
Published: August 2021

This article deals with the attitude of the German writer Christa Wolf to Russia and the Russian people, expressed in her work "Moscow diaries. Who we are and where we come from." Russia occupied a special place in the heart of the German writer. She quite objectively valued our country, noticed not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Notes of her trips to Russia allow us to see how our country has changed over the past thirty years. This work provides an opportunity for both Germans and Russians to look at Russia from a different perspective, to appreciate the cultural heritage, literature, openness and sincerity of the Russian soul, as well as the political situation.
FORMATION OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE PHONETIC COMPETENCE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING IN GENERAL SCHOOL EDUCATION
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, GROKHOVSKAYA I.A.
Published: August 2021

This article discusses the peculiarities of developing the phonetic skills of students in English lessons. The study of the phonetic system is a rather complex aspect in the system of mastering foreign-language competencies in English lessons at school. That is why it is necessary to lay the foundation for correct pronunciation and articulation at the initial stage of training followed by the development of this skill which contributes to the development of students' abilities in oral communication in a foreign language.
INTEGRAL AND DIFFERENTIAL SEMANTIC FEATURES OF LEXICAL AND PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS OF THE SEMANTIC FIELD “BAD PHYSICAL CONDITION”
Authors:   Bashkir State University, Motina O.P.
Published: August 2021

The article presents the results of the component analysis of lexical and phraseological units of the semantic field "bad physical condition" in the English and Russian languages. An integral semantic feature and differential semes of unit meanings are identified, which makes it possible to single out four subfields within the considered semantic field.
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AS A BASIS FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, NASIKHANOVA A.Z.
Published: August 2021

The article deals with the formation of readiness for intercultural communication as a prerequisite for the integration of specialists into the world professional community. Readiness for intercultural communication as a qualitative characteristic of a person is closely related to the formation of intercultural communication, which is a necessary condition for mastering the skills of foreign-language communication.
THE IMAGE OF "STUDENT" IN THE CONSCIOUS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS
Authors:   Astrakhan State University, BAGRINTSEVA O.B.
Published: August 2021

In the given paper the definite analysis of the lexical unit “student” is made. The data, taken from the analysis, allowed to define the basic characteristics of the image “student” in the conscious of the English language speakers. Further these characteristics will be put in the further construction of the image “student” in the different types of the English language discourse.
MicroRNAs in Prostate Cancer Following Radiotherapy: Towards
Predicting Response to Radiation Treatment
Authors: Petrović Nina , Stanojković Tatjana P. , Nikitović Marina
Published: August 2021

:

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed male cancer
worldwide. Early diagnosis of PCa, response to therapy, and prognosis still represent a
challenge. Nearly 60% of PCa patients undergo radiation therapy (RT) which might
cause side effects. Despite numerous researches in this field, predictive biomarkers for radiation
toxicity are still not elucidated.
MicroRNAs as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression are shown to be
changed during and after irradiation. MicroRNA level changes might be utilized to predict
response to RT in the near future, which might help clinicians to make the decision
on treatment regimens if needed.
Individual radiation response results from the interactions among radiation treatment parameters
and the biological background of each patient. In this review, we have listed
and described miRNAs involved in response to RT in PCa and highlighted potential candidates
for future biological tests predicting radiation response to RT, with the special focus
on side effects of RT.
According to described literature, we concluded that let-7, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-146a,
miR-155, and members of miR-17/92 cluster might be promising candidates for biological
tests predicting radiosensitivity of PCa patients undergoing radiation treatment.
Predictive miRNA panels, especially for acute and late side effects of RT, can serve as a
starting point for decisions for individualized RT planning. We believe that this review
might be one step closer to understanding molecular mechanisms underlying individual
radiation response of patients with PCa.
C1-Inhibitor: Structure, Functional Diversity and Therapeutic Development
Authors: Karnaukhova Elena
Published: August 2021

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Human C1-Inhibitor (C1INH), also known as C1-esterase inhibitor, is an important multifunctional plasma glycoprotein that is uniquely involved in a regulatory network of complement, contact, coagulation, and fibrinolytic systems. C1INH belongs to a superfamily of serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) and exhibits its inhibitory activities towards several target proteases of plasmatic cascades, operating as a major antiinflammatory protein in the circulation. In addition to its inhibitory activities, C1INH is also involved in non-inhibitory interactions with some endogenous proteins, polyanions, cells and infectious agents. While C1INH is essential for multiple physiological processes, it is better known for its deficiency with regards to Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), a rare autosomal dominant disease clinically manifested by recurrent acute attacks of increased vascular permeability and edema. Since the link was first established between functional C1INH deficiency in plasma and HAE in the 1960s, tremendous progress has been made in the biochemical characterization of C1INH and its therapeutic development for replacement therapies in patients with C1INH-dependent HAE. Various C1INH biological activities, recent advances in the HAE-targeted therapies, and availability of C1INH commercial products have prompted intensive investigation of the C1INH potential for the treatment of clinical conditions other than HAE. This article provides an updated overview of the structural and biological activities of C1INH, its role in HAE pathogenesis, and recent advances in the research and therapeutic development of C1INH; it also considers some trends for using C1INH therapeutic preparations for applications other than angioedema, from sepsis and endotoxin shock to severe thrombotic complications in COVID-19 patients.
Non-coding RNAs as Novel Biomarkers in Cancer Drug Resistance
Authors: Yang Haixiu , Qi Changlu , Li Boyan , Cheng Liang
Published: August 2021

Chemotherapy is often the primary and most effective anticancer treatment; however, drug resistance remains a major obstacle to it being curative. Recent studies have demonstrated that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, are involved in drug resistance of tumor cells in many ways, such as modulation of apoptosis, drug efflux and metabolism, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression. Exploring the relationships between ncRNAs and drug resistance will not only contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of drug resistance and provide ncRNA biomarkers of chemoresistance, but will also help realize personalized anticancer treatment regimens. Due to the high cost and low efficiency of biological experimentation, many researchers have opted to use computational methods to identify ncRNA biomarkers associated with drug resistance. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries related to ncRNA-mediated drug resistance and highlight the computational methods and resources available for ncRNA biomarkers involved in chemoresistance.
The Importance of Linkers in the Structure of PSMA Ligands
Authors: Uspenskaya Anastasia A. , Nimenko Ekaterina A. , Machulkin Aleksei E. , Beloglazkina Elena K. , Majouga Alexander G.
Published: August 2021

:

Abstract: Cancer is one of the leading social problems of the modern world. Today prostate cancer is
the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. Targeted drug delivery is widely used to treat
and diagnose prostate cancer. Conjugates selectively binding to prostate-specific membrane antigenbased
on urea ligands are being actively developed against this disease. The linker has a significant
influence on the biological activity of such conjugates. The linker performs a large number of functions,
and its modification is one of the key methods for creating the best pharmacological profile. This
review aims to discuss and analyze the main approaches to the method of introduction and synthesis of
linkers for this type of conjugates without a description of the influence of biologically active molecules,
as well as to establish the key modification methods that have a significant role on the structureactivity
relationship. For this purpose, a review of the current scientific literature was performed, both
for the conjugates under development and those already undergoing clinical trials. It was found that the
optimal structure is a linker containing an aliphatic fragment near the vector-molecule (n(CH2) = 3-6),
followed by a polypeptide chain consisting of 2 to 4 amino acid residues. The presence of a Phe-Phe
dipeptide chain or the introduction of negatively charged groups also has a positive effect. Ongoing
research in this field helps to establish the accurate effect of each linker fragment, and the development
of solid-phase synthesis methods makes it much easier to achieve this goal.